Child of My Love, Lean Hard

Today I walked into the livingroom of the lodge at the residential ministry for at-risk youth where my husband and I live and work and saw that they had their Christmas tree cut, lit, and decorated. A glance around the room and I spotted other decorations, including the nativity scene and the garland near the hearth with the names of Jesus. I smiled and remembered that the ribboned names had been a project I helped them with last year.

The Christmas season is here!

I realize it's not an easy time of year for all. Even when we do enjoy it most of the time, some days are just tough, or we know families or individuals who are struggling.

I thought I'd share a poem that has been an encouragement to me when events in life have become 'too much':

"Child of My love, lean hard,
And let Me feel the pressure of thy care;
I know thy burden, child. I shaped it;
Poised it in Mine Own hand; made no proportion
In its weight to thine unaided strength
For even as I laid it on, I said,
'I shall be near, and while she leans on Me,
This burden shall be Mine, not hers;
So shall I keep My child within the circling arms
Of My Own love.' Here lay it down, nor fear
To impose it on a shoulder which upholds
The government of worlds. Yet closer come;
Thou art not near enough. I would embrace they care;
So I might feel My child reposing on My breast.
Thou lovest Me? I knew it. Doubt not then;
But loving Me, lean hard."

From Streams In the Desert, September 12th devotion

May you know God's closeness in deep, joyous, and comforting ways this season. Especially know that Jesus who came as a babe, Immanuel, God with Us, is the one who said, "Come . . . take my yoke . . . learn from me for I am gentle and lowly at heart, and you will find rest for your souls." (Matthew 11:28-30).

Sandwich At Ike's Place

Wow. Almost let today slip by without posting. It’s just been one of those weeks!

I spent the day yesterday traveling to San Francisco to take my daughter to a specialist. We stopped at a great little deli on 16th Street called Ike’s Place. (That's their sandwich photo to the left.) They have about a thousand sandwich combos to choose from. Okay, maybe not a thousand, but a lot. And with really interesting names that all sound like they could have stories behind them.

I love stories. True stories. As my daughter, her boyfriend, and I sat there at a small table on the sidewalk, I did a little people watching. I promise I didn’t gawk. But as I glanced around, I wondered about the stories behind the others sharing the sidewalk and eating their sandwiches in front of Ike’s.

I’ve been thinking a lot about stories lately—especially as I revisit those I told in my books. I was just rereading one today while working on a study resource to go with the series. In my reflective mood I thought about stories generally—other real ones, like mine and like yours.

• Our personal stories are always dynamic, always going somewhere.


• One day of our story has context—huge context. Though we live the day in the present, it is unmistakably part of a past and a future. (And one beyond our imagining--Psalm 139, Jeremiah 29:11, Ephesians 3:20.)


• As much as our life sometimes seems entirely out of our control, it can be in God’s loving and capable hands.


• Our stories, however, are also made up of the many choices we make.


• And we can choose to live free--John 8:36!
  

Simple statements not earthshakingly deep, but with some chewing you might find a few unique and personal layers meaningful particularly to you.

(Tempting, but I won't get corny and try to relate that to a sandwich.)

Anyway, how’s your story going these days?

Jan
author of the Live Free series, Standard Publishing

true stories, true hope

for teens, young adults,
and those who care about them.

Chat

It was my first Webchat. Writing fast and furious, I fielded questions about writing the true stories of the Live Free series, about teen issues, and about my own story. At times my thoughts flew faster than my fingers. I valued the opportunity, the questions giving me glimpses of what others are thinking about and wrestling with. Hopefully, prayerfully, what I shared will encourage a few. (If you'd like, read the chat at Abunga—scroll to September 10th.)

I thought about it later. It would have been amazing to sit down and chat in person, for all to talk and share what God has been showing us about these topics, to pray together. I’m guessing some that joined—whether silently listening or participating with their questions—might have longed for some human contact, eye-to-eye knowing that people care; perhaps some honest on-our-faces prayer and gathering of hope that God really is here listening, weeping for those who are scraping the bottom for a bit of healing or direction.

He is here, listening, inviting relationship.

Challenge for this week for me . . . perhaps for you too: Ask God to help me see someone who needs the hope he gives. Sit with them. I don’t necessarily have to say much. I can pray.

I can pray for you too. Feel free to e-mail me through my site, http://www.jankern.com/

Jan
author of the Live Free series, Standard Publishing

true stories, true hope

for teens, young adults,
and those who care about them.

A Rescue

Today a young mother called me, excited about what God did to encourage her family. Her husband has a good job, but they have four little ones, and they live in an expensive area of California. Within the last week, they ran out of money, even for the basics.

A neighbor asked my friend for help packing for a move. She agreed. Then she discovered that what her neighbor most needed was someone to take the food that would otherwise go to waste. She took home ten grocery sacks of food—most of it exactly what she would buy.

This morning her husband went out the door to go to work. Someone had left a card on the windshield, which included a $100 gift certificate for a nearby food store.

God was at work providing for this family’s needs, and as my friend emphasized, in answer to their prayers. Her oldest daughter, a six-year-old, said, “I knew God did that for other people, but I didn’t know he would do that for us.”

Boy, that felt familiar. I’ve thought the same thing. Too often.

Yes, God does that . . . but will he do that for me?

I got off the phone and considered how I might be caught in that kind of thinking right now. It didn’t take long to identify a few areas of shaky trust: a ministry opportunity, a relationship, a miscommunication, a fear.

During our conversation, my friend had also shared this verse:

The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.

Zephaniah 3:17 (NIV)

“Save” in the first sentence is the Hebrew word, yasa, a verb which means help, deliver, defend, or rescue. Its root word carries the idea of wide open freedom.

God is always available. He will meet me in my struggles and be the warrior God fighting for my rescue and freedom—from anything that traps or binds me. And when I’m faced with circumstances that make my heart pound with anxiety or worry, he is there to quiet me with his love.

Think I’ll go spend some time with my Warrior God. Want to join me?

Jan

http://www.jankern.com/

A Reminder that He Cares

Two weeks ago my cat, Lucia, ran away from home. I don’t know if it was the earthquakes we’ve been having (I live in Reno where we’ve had literally hundreds in the past few weeks), if she’d had enough of the dog getting in her face, or both. But one night she took off across the backyard and the next day we couldn’t find her anywhere.

Lucia has been my baby for years. She lays with me when I’m not feeling well, rests on my desk, licks my hair to get attention (okay, that’s a little annoying), and is incredibly sweet. I missed her like crazy. We put up posters, called the animal shelter, alerted friends to keep an eye out for a beautiful tortoise shell cat, everything. We prayed and prayed, “Please help Lucia find her way home.” Ten days later, Lucia (also known as The Queen, Lady Lucia, and Santa Lucia) had not returned. I finally had to accept that she was probably gone for good. Our house backs up to the freeway, our neighborhood is full of dog, it’s not unusual for coyotes to wander down out of the hills, and Lucia is declawed.

Knowing how upset I was my husband presented me with an extra special birthday gift on Thursday. You guessed it: I opened the box to find a new cat—velvet black with piercing green eyes. Deep down I wasn’t quite ready to accept a new Queen. But knowing that he meant to be sweet I doted over her and dubbed her Tatiana (also known as The Grand Duchess, or Tati, which is Nathan’s name for her). After a few minutes I said . . .

“Norm, what if Lucia comes home?”

“J, come on. There is no way.”

Yep, you guessed it again: we found Lucia that same night. I think she smelled an intruder. She’d lost a little weight, was dirty and scared, but our baby was in one piece! And she was home! I considered it my birthday gift from God.

Lucia has become my reminder that God really does care. He took care of her for 10 days. He answered our prayers just when we’d given up on the idea of ever seeing her funny multi-covered face again.

So now, the question remains, what to do with the Grand Duchess. Our house is pretty overrun with animals. But I’m tempted to keep her too. Lucia can be my reminder that God cares and Tatiana can remind me that, even on those days when it seems like he doesn’t get me at all, my husband cares too.

What are your recent reminders that God cares and hears your prayers? I’d love to hear about them!

Cross-posted on my blog