by Cathy Baker | Faith |
In a nearby window, she caught the reflection of a woman eating dinner.
The image appeared familiar but unrecognizable at first glance. The once oval-shaped face was now rounded, and a “normal” body now pounds heavier. She glanced away quickly hoping the reflection was a figment of her imagination.
Who was the woman staring back at her in the window?
She was me.
Or was she? I don’t know–it’s hard to tell when your eyes are closed.
That moment of reflection was quickly and conveniently shuffled to the back of my brain, joining the ranks of all those thoughts vying for my attention, but having been denied.
And then this song played in my car:
“This Is Your Life” (partial lyrics)
Yesterday is a wrinkle on your forehead
Yesterday is a promise that you’ve broken
Don’t close your eyes,
don’t close your eyes
This is your life and today is all you’ve got now
Yeah, and today is all you’ll ever have
Don’t close your eyes
Don’t close your eyes
This is your life, are you who you want to be?
This is your life, are you who you want to be?
This is your life, is it everything you dreamed that it would be?
When the world was younger and you had everything to lose
By the time I finished my sing-along with Switchfoot, I’d come to these conclusions:
- Today is all I have.
- By “closing my eyes” (feeling sad, refusing to deal with an issue) to those things which I don’t like about myself, I’m also losing sight of the things I do like.
- A life “dreamed about” is only realized with eyes wide open.
- Who I reflect will always be more important than what I reflect.
- Eating inside will always make me feel better about myself. 🙂
“Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity…” Ephesians 5:14, 15a
by Cathy Baker | Faith |
When asked to list the first five items they would grab from their burning house, most in the class included their Bible. It was on my list as well. But why?
Bibles are replaceable—one visit to Lifeway proves the point. So why would most Christ-followers put their personal Bible in the top five grab list? I believe it’s because our Bible becomes a familiar friend over time. We remember the placement of verses on a particular page, our personal notes are jotted in the margin marking spiritual landmarks, and highlighted verses remind us of truths too easily forgotten.
It’s not just a Bible we’re grabbing on our way out of the burning house, it’s our Bible.
I’m convinced, however, the Kingdom advanced for God’s glory because a friend of mine chose not to see her personal Bible as hers to keep, but rather, as God’s to give away. Upon learning that a young woman with serious addictions did not own a Bible, Becky handed her familiar friend of 20+ years over to the struggling stranger without hesitation. Inside were numerous notations made over many years, as well as highlighted promises kept after her husband’s sudden passing several years ago.
Becky treasured her Bible—but she treasured the Word more.
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
John 1:1
The woman hasn’t been seen or heard of since, but who knows? Truth may take hold of the heart and grab her from a fiery existence she never knew existed until receiving Becky’s Bible.
by Cathy Baker | Faith |
“Pleasure is very seldom found where it is sought. Our brightest blazes of gladness are commonly kindled by unexpected sparks.” Samuel Johnson
Unexpected sparks produced a bright blaze of gladness Friday morning when two muscadines were discovered beneath their branches. (Apparently, they’ve also sparked a bit of gladness in the heart of nearby birds!)
If you’ve followed my blog for awhile, you know sweet memories are intertwined with these native grapes as they once draped over my grandfather’s old wooden shed, tempting us every August with their distinct and delectable aroma.
What unexpected spark has kindled a bright blaze of gladness in your life this week?
by Cathy Baker | Faith |
Favorite Sounds of the Week
- Alarm clock – reminding me it’s time to wake up for breakfast with friends
- Our early 1900’s screen door “slamming” shut like only an old screen door can
- “I found an old blue Mason jar you can have” (picking it up this weekend!)
- Our kid’s footsteps coming through the door for dinner
- The top of Special K with berries being ripped apart (I’ve not had cereal in 6 yrs!)
- “Welcome to Starbucks. Please pull around for your total.”
- Silence
- The slapping of a wet paint brush, i.e. progress!
- “I lost the bid on my latest doo-wop find on Ebay”
- Brandon’s (our oldest son) songs on I-tunes
- Michelin tires crunching through gravel, i.e. hubby is home from work 🙂
- Melodic tunes created by fingertips tapping away on a new project
by Cathy Baker | Faith |
“As people age they tend toward one of two extremes—growing hard and unbending or becoming kinder and more forgiving.” – Beth Moore
This quote, taken from her 90 Day Devotional on the Life of Paul, refers to the Apostle Paul and his relationship with John Mark. The interesting part, however, is that it’s based on Philemon 1:9-10—verses that deal with Paul and Onesimus, not John Mark.
Or do they?
Beth points out how she feels John Mark may have been Paul’s inspiration for seeking restoration between Philemon and Onesimus. Paul had been hard and unyielding in the conflict between himself and John Mark years earlier, but healing had since taken place.
True restoration not only brings joy to the soul—it also matures us and allows us to set better examples for the younger generations to come.
Albert Camus said, “You are the sum of all your choices.”
It’s always comes down to our daily choices, don’t you agree?
Lord, help me to be a woman who refuses to give in to the “I deserve this and that” and “doomsday” attitudes of the world as I grow older. That mindset is a scheme stirred up from the belly of hell. Help me to set my eyes on You that I might leave an inheritance of gentleness, kindness, forgiveness and restoration-seeking attitudes for my children, grandchildren, and generations I’ll never know.
photo courtesy of heartlight.org
