Travelin', Broke and Smelly...

"Travelin', broke and smelly" etched on a cardboard sign, being held by a tired-looking man in his thirty's or early forty's, with a large duffel bag at his feet, met my car at a stop light today. I often see people holding handmade signs, standing on street corners, walking among cars at stop lights or greeting shoppers as the leave the plaza. A begging man with a sign, not an unusual thing. What was different this time were the words. Most signs begin with "tired" or "hungry" or most often, " homeless." They go on to describe their desire for money, work or food.

This time, I was intrigued. What was this man's intention? Where was he going? Where was he from? Why has he no one to take him in? Was this a planned trip? Who would actually admit that they were broke? Okay, many would but...smelly? How would admitting he was smelly help him in his plight? Personally, I didn't want to smell anything. As the light turned and I pulled away, one last thought came to mind. It was this. When he was a little boy, did he ever dream he would label himself as " broke" and "smelly?" Much less, stand and tell complete strangers at a street corner and beg. I am willing to bet his dreams and aspirations were far from his reality today. Heartbreaking.

As so often happens, the Lord gently caught my attention. His question to my heart was this. Isn't everyone traveling, broke and smelly, Michelle? Not in a physical sense, but in the larger picture of ..."what are we here for?" This place called earth, this mortal life, this job, this family, this disease, this debt, this pain, even death, this is not our end. We are travelers. 1 Peter 2:11 (The Message) says this "Friends, this world is not your home, so don't make yourselves cozy in it." 2 Corinthians 4: 17- 15:1 says; "For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands." Heaven and eternity is the destination for those of us who love the Lord. No one on this earth stands still. We are all traveling. Where is your heart? Where are you traveling to? We all have a final destination.

What does that man see as he stands at the intersection? Does he see himself surrounded by failed aspirations in the form of those that pass by and seem far better off than he? What does he think as one more person gazes in his direction then quickly looks away? Does he feel unworthy and worthless? Does he wonder if he picked the wrong place to stop? Does he wonder if life will ever get better? Does he even let himself wonder any more? Have you ever stopped wondering? Sometimes even that is too painful to bear. We are so overwhelmed by where we are at and wondering how in the world we got here that we no longer even dream of better. We don't even let ourselves wonder. Conversely, do your thoughts find you always seeing other's success, possessions and apparent blessings and wonder when your time will come, if your time I'll come? Are you looking around or are you fixing your eyes where they should be? Look at 2 Corinthians 4: 17-18 again, "For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." This world is not your home. Look up. He who created you and numbered the hairs on your head and loves you deeper than you can fathom has prepared a better place, an eternal perfect, for travelers who have planned their trip well.

A chaplain friend of mine posted this on his Facebook page recently and it sums it up so well; "I asked a sweet little lady Alzheimer's patient today if there was anything troubling her expecting the usual disjunct response. What I got was short and surprisingly conjunct..."I look up!" Profound. It moved me. Thus endeth the lesson." Where are you looking? Look up and continue the journey!This is not your home.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for the sacrifice of your Son Jesus Christ, thank you that I can look beyond tomorrow with a hope and a future because of You. Thank you for saving my soul. Help me to focus up when my thoughts turn away from you and all that you promised to me. Help me to remember that this world is not my home. In Jesus name, amen.

To be continued..

Lesson from a friendship bread- waiting.

Have you ever made a friendship bread? It is an old Amish recipe that uses a sourdough starter and takes 10 days to prepare. Most of the 10 days, the fermenting bread batter sits on your kitchen counter and all you have to do is stir it. It is called friendship bread because you are supposed to take your starter, add some more ingredients, divide it up and pass it on to share with friends- (so they too can have batter that smells like fresh brewed beer fermenting on their kitchen counter for 10 days!) If you have only seen the batter but never tasted the bread- you would never enjoy such a wonderful delicacy. It is well worth the work and the wait!

I remember the very first time I ever made a friendship bread. I was thirteen and it was a 4-H (scouting) project. My mother kept having me check with the leader to be sure that “awful smell” was really safe to keep. I hoped my leader was right. I carefully followed all of the directions, but for 10 days, I watched that smelly bag of gooey white batter ferment. In the end, it was well worth it and my hope was rewarded with a moist, delectable sweet bread.

Isn’t life like that sometimes? The waiting makes us unsure of how it will turn out in the end and the “batter” looks (and smells) so very unappealing! The place we find ourselves in is not our choice and it looks and smells so unpleasant. We would much rather skip right to the good tasting bread! We may have been through something like this before, “it turned out okay in the end,” but, we don’t like the process and the waiting!! We hope this time will turn out okay again. But we don’t know. We hope. We wait. We watch. Ten days can seem like forever. Two years like a lifetime…

Meanwhile we struggle with feeling like we are doing nothing at all and our situation is at a standstill. Maybe it feels like the ship is sinking and we are having a cup of tea, or a nap and we must jump up and do something? Or maybe we feel like we are alone bailing out the water because we simply can’t wait any longer.

Think about this. Through each day of waiting, the friendship bread batter is changing. Each day the yeast and the sugar work together to form carbon dioxide – which is why the bag gets full of air and even on the “do nothing” days, I have to let air out of the bag. Air, the evidence that a work is still going on. While it seems like nothing at all is happening, and we can’t seem to do anything but wait, God is still working. Things that we may not see are going on and God is not wasting a minute. Think of the “do nothing” times as resting, resting and waiting on God and letting Him do the work. Psalm 130:5-6 says just that; “ I wait for the LORD, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope. I wait for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning.”

Where are you at today? Are you following the instruction of the Lord? Has He told you to wait hopefully on Him? Has He told you to trust that the waiting will ensure that the end turns out okay? Just as my recipe tells me to wait ten days to finish the bread or it will not turn out right. Likewise, wait and let the Lord do His work in you. Hold on, be patient. “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” Galatians 6:9 Do what is right, and wait. In due season, we will taste the goodness that the Lord has for us.

Thank you Father, that you never slumber or sleep. Forgive me for not being patient and waiting on you as I should. Help me to know that my hope is in you and you are more than able to care for me and what I bring before you today. I know that your plans for me are good, to bring me a future and a hope. I will wait on you. Amen.

What cup are you drinking from?

If you read my devotion titled “But there’s a lesson in this”, you would know that I find a lesson or nugget of truth for every happenstance. Some require a lot of thought and prayer and some are so obvious I feel compelled to share almost as soon as they happen.

This week I had a very absentminded “accident.” I seem to be none the worse for wear today other than my bruised ego and occasional waves of nausea when I think about it. We have chickens. They are pets and we get about 2 ½ dozen eggs a week from them. In case you are not aware of chicken anatomy, here is a quick briefing. They have one hole in their bottom. The eggs and everything else that comes out of them, comes via the same route. This means we need to wash the eggs well before putting them away for eating. Usually one of the kids leaves them soaking in a dish or cup with soapy water until I get to them.

The other night, as I was finishing the dishes, I poured a large cup of water with which to take a pill. I set it down and turned to talk to the quarreling boys in the other room. I picked up a cup and took a large swallow. I wish it was the cup of fresh water I had just poured! Unfortunately it was the cup with the poopy eggs in it! To make matters worse, I frantically began swishing my mouth out and trying to gargle with antibacterial soapy water. News flash, it is not advisable to gargle with soap. It suds. In the end, I received an antibiotic and now I can’t even look at an egg or the large green cup it was soaking in.

Are you ready for the lesson? You saw the title. The Lord tells us that He is our living water. That anyone who comes to Him and drinks from His well shall not be thirsty. It made me think of what well I am drinking from. Am I taking in His word every day? Am I praying ALWAYS like He says?

I am trying to lose weight right now. The program I am using has a great emphasis on God. It speaks of filling ourselves with the word and prayer rather than binging on food. There is more too it than that too but, the principle is my focus here. Just like the type of food we ingest, we have choices about what kind of “water” that goes into our soul. When we feel empty, stressed or are longing, we can choose to drink from the well of life or choose to drink from the “wrong cup.”

Now, of course, I didn’t intentionally drink from the poopy cup- it was accidental. How did it happen? There were a few unfortunate events that led up to this but the main one was that I was busy and distracted so I wasn’t paying attention. That happens with our Spiritual life too sometimes. We get busy so we don’t have time to read the word. We are tired so we can’t focus on prayer. We are running here and there, even working in the church. But what cup are WE drinking from? We need to stop and pay attention. We could get spiritually dehydrated if we are not replenishing ourselves. But, we need to be sure we are drinking and from right cup.

Lastly, I said my ego was bruised. The incident required that I call the doctor. That meant I had to tell the receptionist, who transferred me to the nurse. I then had to tell the nurse who scheduled an appointment promptly with the doctor. Then, I had to sit face to face with the doctor and explain what I did. It was embarrassing. I concluded my story by saying “I bet you have never heard of someone who did this before (while I was imagining a giant “L” for loser tattooed on my forehead!) His reply, “Actually, when you have been around as long as I have, you’ve heard just about everything, including this.” Apparently I have a twin somewhere in this world who did the same thing a few years ago. (My “L” felt smaller then.)

It makes me think about the forgiving nature of Christ. He is a kind and merciful Savior. He looks on our mistakes with grace. If you have been drinking from the wrong cup, He will forgive you. He loves you. You can’t do anything He hasn’t seen before and He has the remedy. Pay attention to what you are drinking and where you get your water from.
“Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” John 7:13-14

Dear sweet Savior, thank you for being ny living water. Thank you for eternal life. Forgive me for not paying attention as I should to what well I am drinking from. Please fill me with you and cleanse my soul. Amen

But there's a lesson in this...

I always try to step back, once I am able, from a stressful circumstance and see what the lesson is; what nugget of truth I can glean. There is always a story behind the story. This is a consistent truth in my life. I could simply breathe a sigh of relief and walk away grumbling about why I ever had to go through such a mess and put it in the past. Instead, I choose to find the purpose in the circumstance. And God always steps up to offer me an explanation- Really! He has a wild, adventurous imagination and a purpose for everything. Let me share the highlight of my weekend with you as an example.

We own 5 sweet chickens because my kids begged me for them last year. They are pretty easy to care for and it’s really neat getting fresh eggs. We raised them from the time they were two day old fuzzy peeping chicks and they each have a name. They are “backyard chickens” rather than farm chickens and dearly loved pets.

All is well and good until, one poor hen’s bottom started popping out. Yep, bottom! Ewww is right! Buff is her name. I was faced with a choice; euthanize her or try to fix it. The euthanization idea is not the preferred option right now so I got to work. I will spare you the details but it is by far the grossest thing I have ever had to do in my life. Buff is now in chicken hospital in the basement receiving observation and TLC as well as twice daily bottom checks with readjustment. We are praying that it works and she will recover, the odds are 50%, say those with previous experience. I trust that God can heal her so- His odds are better! Still, I wonder what will happen if she does not recover.

Did you ever wonder things like that when you pray? What if the cancer doesn’t go away? What if I don’t get to keep my job? What if the money never comes? What if I never see my miracle? What if, what if…You see, I am concerned more about what my kids will think and feel if the chicken doesn’t get well again. Will they still believe? How will they pray next time if they feel abandoned this time? Will their faith be eroded? But the “what ifs” still consume my thoughts.

Well, that brings me to my search for a nugget of truth. As I pondered these things with God this evening, He gave me one. It went something like this. Michelle, do not worry about the “what if.” Why don’t you treasure the what? WHAT you are doing right now is what is important. They are invaluable life lessons.You are showing your children what faith and hope in action look like. Hebrews 10:35 says “So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded.” You are showing them perseverance…verse 36; “You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.” You are teaching them how to be brave, verse 37; “But we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but to those who have faith and are saved.” What if she dies? “What if I work all things for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (ROMANS 8:28) No matter what.

Interestingly, I have not shared this lesson with my kids overtly but on the way home tonight my youngest, who “owns” Buff, said; “Mom, if Buff doesn’t get better, we still know that God has a reason for everything he does so it’s Okay…I hope she lives though.” Yes Adam, I hope she does. Hope is good. God tells us to have hope, and faith.


Personally I would have preferred a simpler, less unpleasant way to uncover this nugget of truth but as I said God has a wild and adventurous imagination. One of my dear friends dried her eyes from laughing after listening to the details of the event this morning and said, Well Michelle, “I can do all things through Christ who give me strength.” (Philippians 4:13) That includes navigating through the “what ifs” in life.

Dear Lord Jesus, thank you for every nugget of truth we have learned. Thank you for gently reminding us of your faithfulness. We bring all of our fears and deferred hopes to you right now and ask for your peace. We pray that Your will be done in our lives. May we be found among those who do not shrink back even in the hard times but persevere, hope, keep the faith and are saved. In Jesus name Amen.

Perfectly Orchestrated

With financial burdens weighing heavy on my heart this morning, I awoke with a splitting headache. I am fairly certain I dreamt about having a second job, maybe I worked too hard and that’s why my head hurt this morning!

So as I muddle through my morning, I fight the “battle of the minds.” On one hand, I find my self sucked into worry and trying to figure it all out and on the other hand, I struggle to put my focus on the only One who has the answers, the Lord.

Have you been there? Maybe it is financial burdens that you likewise bear. Or perhaps a physical need in your body, and addiction you can’t seem to get away from or a worry in your workplace that follows you home.

Have you ever noticed that the level of anxiety is NOT always proportional to the level of the problem we struggle with? For example, I have always struggled with finances. This issue is not new nor is it the worst it has ever been. My attention to the matter is however greater at this moment, which in turn is making my anxiety greater. Now, I am not implying that I feel better when I ignore (though I do!) or that it is right to ignore it. What I am saying is that when my focus is on that worry instead of on the grace, mercy, and faithfulness of my Savior, they seem exponentially bigger.

Several circumstances have drawn my attention, like a magnifying glass, to this burden this week. So much so that I actually laughed out loud at one point. Really! It became so obvious that the devil was trying to sway my focus and erode my faith that I chuckled and thought “Why, of COURSE!”

I had coincidentally sent two items under warranty, back for repair 6 weeks ago. A tent with a broken pole and my laptop computer (with which I write the majority of my devo’s – so its disrepair has put difficulty in my ability to write.) We received the tent pole replacement and have not used the tent yet. The computer was not properly repaired so it is back again at the repair shop. Last night, my sons decided they would like to camp in the backyard when I arrived home from the beginning of my 1200$ Root Canal (Stress level risen). Then, as I attempted to read my Bible and spend a bit of quiet time trying to refocus, one son came in to exclaim that the replacement pole was the wrong one, and was too short-I hate when I spend money on an item and use it twice before it breaks- (stress level rising more!) Then, as if perfectly orchestrated, I checked my voicemail to find that the computer company was blaming the malfunction on us and wants another $100 to fix it. (My head had finally popped off and I was beyond maximum stress level- and the Novocain in my mouth was wearing off.)

You see, it WAS perfectly orchestrated! In fact, as I attempt to look up a scripture for you here, this computer has locked up. Obvious! Here it is, Ephesians 6:11: “Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.” May I draw your attention to the last two words of that scripture. It does not say, “when life aggravates you a little”- “when you are overwhelmed”…it specifically speaks of schemes. 1 Peter 5:8 speaks of the devil prowling like a lion seeking to devour us.
2 Corinthians 2:11 states “in order that Satan might not outwit us, for we are not unaware of his schemes.”

Many times, most times in fact, if we step away from the situation, it will become obvious that it is a scheme. It is a plan to keep our attention away from when it should be, on our Savior.

Step away, take a breath, clear your mind of that burden just for a moment, it will keep. Look with clarity of mind and purpose of heart, at what is our living Hope, the Author of our Faith, the Keeper of our Salvation, the bearer of Truth, the answer to every situation and every tomorrow. The God of mercy, grace and peace. Let Him be the lifter of your head today.


“Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.” Phillipians 4:8-9

Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for the wisdom to recognize the schemes that come against me. Thank you for reminding me to step away from my situation and to look up to you, the giver of all good things and my eternal hope. I purpose today to do as Phillipians 4:6 says: Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present MY requests to God. Trusting that the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard MY heart and MY mind in Christ Jesus. Thank you Jesus. Amen