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     A Real Christmas tree. . .there’s nothing in the Universe quite like it.  When I was young, we always had a real tree.  Some years, my dad worked at a Christmas tree stand in the city and we always had a really nice one.  My cousins lived downstairs of us.  It was a two-flat building.  One year they bought an aluminum tree.  There was a color wheel that mechanically rotated in front of a spotlight and the three different colors on the wheel would take turns shining on the tree.  It was pretty cool.  Like the colors of the rainbow. “Like” the colors of the rainbow.  Not the real colors.

I was just thinking of all of this as I was driving home a little while ago.  I started crying with tears running down my face in the car, remembering some good things about Christmas.  The Dumbo sheep are sometimes mourning doves when memories of the past arrive.  When the fragile Lilies are sad, it is such sweet sorrow.  Even the eagles grow tired and weary, and get teary-eyed for a moment. They are good in the moment. Healing tears.  Medicine for the soul.

Remember the Garden that God planted in Eden?  Flowers and Fruit trees, vegetables and vines. A feast for the eyes and for the stomach.   In the middle of the Garden was the Tree of Life.  Whenever God makes a reference to Himself, it is always a contrast to what man thinks and believes about himself.  God, Capital T, Tree.  Man, lower case t, tree.  L, Life;  l, life.

“I am the true Vine (Tree). . .every branch that bears fruit, I prune it so it can bring forth more fruit. As a branch cannot bear fruit of itself except it be joined to the vine, nor can you bear fruit unless you are in union with Me. . .without Me, you can do nothing.  You have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you and ordained (predestined) you to bring forth fruit.”  John 15:5,19.

The dumbos have those big ears wide open, listening to Him share His words of Life. . .and they always learn something from Him.   The branches are totally, continuously passive.  Each branch comes forth, born from within the Vine, and as His essence, His sap so to speak, runs through the vein of the branch, it buds, then it flowers, then it blooms. . .and fruit comes forth.  Perfectly passive and Perfectly active.  All part of His predestined, Perfect Plan for His sheep.

The Tree of Life is Full of Ornaments.  The tree of life is full of ornaments.  She’s raising her hand again. That sweet, little Lily who is wise beyond her age and always has something to say. “Yes, Love?”  “God is the Capital ‘O’ Ornament and man is the lower case ‘o’ ornament,”  she said as the Fragrance of the knowledge of Him filled the air.

     What are man’s ornaments on his tree of life?  wisdom, knowledge, beauty, success, achievements, relationships, his own ego, his own thoughts, his own ideas.   Everything that you can think of that makes us happy, that gives us a sense of being the authors of our own destinies.  Even our “free” will.   Even our religion.  Even the good things that we do. We have made our way to the top of Mt. Everest with our strength and power and intellect, and it still is only the best the earth has to offer. . . and it goes on top of the tree. . .just man-made ornaments, the fruit from our tree.  Can you feel the rush from the wind that has just blown in?  The eagles have just arrived from their flight over the Rainbow of His Love.  The have seen His Ornaments. . .they have tasted the Fruit from His Tree.

“He that has an ear let him hear what the Spirit says to the sheep.  All those Whom I have chosen, I will give the the right to eat from the Tree of Life, which is in the middle of the Paradise of God.”  Revelation 2:7.   There are some newcomers over in the corner, kind of fidgeting in their seats.  Our little Lily, who never misses anything, went over to ask them, “What’s up?”  They said that all of this sounded too much like religion.  It sort of turns them off.  She said, “religion is only a turn-off when it starts with the lower case letter r.   Then it’s man’s creation, man’s invention, one of man’s ornaments from his tree.  It is just a shadow from the Light that shines from the Tree of Life.  Man’s religion originates with man.  God’s Religion originates with God. Man’s religion depends in part, on man’s strength.  God’s Religion depends solely on His own Strength. . .freely given and freely received by every one of His children.

He hangs His Ornaments on the branches of His Tree.  His own Essence flows through the branches and His Fruit miraculously arrives at just the right time.  The Fruits of His Spirit are ripe for the  picking. Love, Joy, Perfect Peace, Patience, Kindness, Self-control, Wisdom, Power.   All given as Christmas presents, all wrapped up in Him. . .all ready to be unwrapped at the moment of your need.   The Fruit is Himself.  The Ornaments are Himself.  The Tree of Life is Himself.  The Christmas Tree of Life.

What a Christmas morning it will be.  The Dumbos and the Lilies, and the eagles wont be able to sleep a wink, knowing that all those presents are waiting for them. . .whether they’ve been bad or good.  Only because He is Good.  Only because He is Love.  Only because He is Mercy. . .and Forgiveness. . . Totally, Completely and Forever in Love with His little flock.

When the kids were much younger, we moved to Tucson Arizona and lived there for a year.  There were two boys who lived next door to us.  They were older than my son Ben who was almost four at the time.  The brothers were always fighting.  They loved to play with Ben.  One day the oldest boy came running in with Ben in his arms.  One of the brothers threw a sizable rock at the other and hit Ben in the forehead with it.  He had a huge gash and blood was streaming  out.  We rushed him to a clinic and they stitched him up. “Sticks and stones may break my bones; but names will never hurt me.”

“He said to them, ‘He who is without a sin among you, let him throw a stone at her.’  Those who heard Him, being convinced in their own conscience, went away one by one, until they all had dropped their stones and walked away.  Only Jesus and the sinner were left. He said to her, ‘Where are your accusers?  Who is left to condemn you and call you names?’   “No man, Lord,” she said.  “Neither do I  condemn you.  Go in Peace.”  John 8:7-11

I’ve been called every name in the book.  I have deserved the names.  I have thrown stones and created bloody gashes in other’s hearts.  The dumbo sheep know what I’m talking about.  What peace can there be with guilt?  Only temporary peace.  Only distractions from the torment.  It’s a little easier to find pretend peace if you are relatively successful in life.  A good person, so to speak.  There’s a strange story in the Old Testament about lepers.  The worst name you could be called.  It made you an outcast.

“And the leper in whom the plague is. . .he shall cry, ‘Unclean, unclean. He shall dwell alone. However, if the leprosy covers all the skin, from head to toe, not just a spot here and a spot there, if the leprosy covers all his flesh, the priest will pronounce him clean.”  Leviticus 13:12-13.    The Lilies are totally intoxicated right now with His Fragrance.  His scent was a scent of forgiveness, when they were at their worst. . .from head to toe.  “She who has been forgiven much, she loves much.”  The priest pronounced the leper totally clean, no condemnation ever again.  Perfect Peace.

One of my favorite hymns is “Rock of Ages”.    Rock of Ages, cleft for me, Let me hide myself in Thee. . .nothing in my hand I bring, simply to Your cross, I cling. . . Foul,  I to the Fountain fly, Wash me Savior or I die.”  The Rock.  A Rock of Peace.  The sheep love this song about a Place to hide from guilt and condemnation.  A Refuge of Peace.  They know that on that Solid  Rock they stand.  All other ground is sinking sand.  And, they know that they are a “chip off the Old Block”.

Are your ears open, little Dumbos?  Ready to be swept off your feet with His fragrance, sweet Lilies?  And those of you with eagle eyes, are you ready to soar above the colors of the Rainbow and see the Riches of His Love?    “He that has an ear, let  him hear what the Spirit says to the sheep.  To him that I enable to overcome, I will feed him with Good Food from My Love.   And, I will give him a White Stone and in that Stone a new name will be written by My Own Hand.”  Revelation 2:17    He writes, “My Love.”  He writes His own Name on them.

A White Stone.  A chip off the Rock of Ages.  Union with Him.  Like Him.    The word, “white”  in the New Testament Greek language, means:  perfectly white;  Light.  Only this reality results in Perfect Peace.  Always, and only white.  Always and only Light.  A new name written by the Trinity of God before time for every sheep of the flock.  Chosen by the Father.  Made white by the Son.  Seeing the Light and being Light, the work of the Holy Spirit.  A White Christmas indeed.

I grew up on the South Side of Chicago and lived most of my adolescent life in a typical neighborhood.  The space between our house and the one next to us was called a “gangway” and it couldn’t have been more than six feet wide. We would smoke and at night, drink beers. Everyone had small back yards with a tree or two.  The house on the other side had a giant crab apple tree, which we would raid when the apples were ripe.  Two doors down was a little bungalow and in the back yard was a grape vine.  I would sneak over there at night and grab a few bunches of sweet, green grapes and rifle them down before anyone could catch me with the evidence. Dumbo sheep do things like that.  I knew that someday I would grow my own garden, filled with fruit trees, vegetables and beautiful flowers.

“And the Lord, God planted a Garden eastward in Eden: and there He put man whom He had formed.  And out of the ground came all the fruits, vegetables and flowers that the Lord made to grow and the Garden was pleasant to the sight, and very good for food.  The Tree of Life was also in the middle of the Garden.  .  .” Genesis 2:8-9

We are all gardeners.   As soon as we are aware  of the world around us, we begin to select the fruits and vegetables and flowers we want to include in the garden.  .  .the garden of our heart.    We till the ground.   We plant some seed.  We water the soil.  We watch it grow.  We provide the sun that it needs to warm up the seed and call it forth out of the ground.  We our brilliant little suns.  We produce the garden. We harvest produce from the garden.

Webster defines “produce” as:  to bring forward;   to exhibit;  to bring forth  to give birth to;  to bring out as a dramatic production;  to cause to have existence.  That is the verb. . .our own actions as gardeners.  The definition continues:  something that is brought forth naturally and as a result of effort and work;  a result produced;  the yield;  the offspring of our work.  The youngest Lily has her hand raised again.  “Yes, Love”?   She is always so excited when His Fragrance fills the air.  She is Wise for her age.   She said,  “We have been with child, we have been in pain.  We have as it were, brought forth wind.  We have not produced any deliverance  (real fruit, real flowers, real vegetables)  in the earth.”  Isaiah 26:18   She giggled as she repeated the words,  “We have brought forth wind.”

Such a variety of gardens that we grow.  Families are gardens.  We start out with two fruit trees and the seeds fall to the ground and bear more fruit.  Children are the flowers of our garden.  I feel a little sad right now as I am reminded of those moments in the past when my Jade plant received better care from me than my kids did.  And if it weren’t for the fact (one of those, “When it comes to God, if it’s too good to be true,  it is true facts) that everything that happens to His little flock will only serve them, and the little ones they love, I would only despair.   He does make all things work together for their good.

“Mary, Mary, quite contrary.  How does your garden grow?  With cockle shells and silver bells, and pretty maids in a row.”   How does your garden grow?  What have you planted.  What have you reaped from your efforts?  What have you produced?  How’s the gardening going?  Are others in your life still enjoying the fruit of your labors?

The dumbos have heard Him say,  “You shall be as a tree planted by the Waters that spreads out her roots by the River and shall not see when the heat comes;   it won’t scorch her,  but her leaf shall be green.  When the drought comes  (for it always comes), she will never cease from yielding fruit.”  Jeremiah 17:8    Fruit better than gold.   The eagles know.  They soar over the Colors of the Rainbow of His Love and are filled with the Fruit that comes from Him alone.

“They that dwell under His shadow shall return to the garden.  They shall revive as  the corn and grow as the Vine.  The scent shall be as the Wine of Lebanon.  They say,  ‘I have heard Him and I have observed Him.  God has said, I am like a green fir tree.  From Me alone is your Fruit found.”  Hosea 14:7-8

He is Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faith, Self-control.  The Fruit of His Spirit.  Spiritual Produce for His little flock. Produced by Him.  All given freely.  All Free.

 

 

A couple mornings ago, I woke up and they were sitting on my bed.  It wasn’t the first time and it won’t be the last.  I’ve tried everything to get rid of them;  but I am unable. They are unwelcome intruders. They are messengers of misery.  They are Siamese twins, connected at the hip.   As soon as I see them, they start up with me.  Fear and Anxiety.  They are relentless.  They won’t give me a moment’s rest.

     “For the mountains shall depart and the hills removed; but My kindness shall not depart from you, neither shall the covenant of My Peace be removed, says the Lord Who has mercy on you.” 

Years ago when I was still in the bar business (and in the monkey business of life), I walked into the back room of the bar one morning and lying on a table was a little booklet.  Those big ears on the little Dumbo sheep are perking up, knowing that their Father’s Love arrived for me that day.  It was His Care Package, scheduled for delivery before time, arriving just in the nick of time. It was a Prescription for what was ailing me.  It was the only Medication that was going to get to the root of my problems.

When your mountains and hills are crumbling, when everything in your life is falling apart, when you are filled with guilt and self-condemnation, when the fear and anxiety is controlling every element of your being and all of the over-the-counter medicines have lost their strength to help. . .peace and rest have left the building.  Despair alone remains.  But I am not left alone.  I am never left alone.

       “So do not fear, for I am with you.  Do not be distressed or troubled, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you.  I will carry you in My Loving arms.”

On the cover of the booklet was a beautiful, colorful picture of a waterfall.  There was a bible verse written on the bottom.  “The Lord will keep in perfect peace, those whose mind and soul has taken hold of Him, because he trusts in Him.”   I thought about it for a moment, not knowing that it was the beginning of Good Moments for me.  I put the little booklet in my back pocket and went back to my funny business.   I didn’t know it at the time, but my Dumbo ears were beginning to grow.

    “They were with Him in a little ship and there arose a great storm and wind; and the waves beat into the ship so that water had filled it.  And He was asleep and they woke Him up and said, ‘Master, don’t you care that we are going to perish?  And He arose and rebuked the wind and the sea and said, ‘Peace, be still.’  And the wind ceased and there was great calm.” 

Those little Dumbo sheep are dancing in the aisles, listening to His Music.  The Lilies are throwing  their petals everywhere, filling the room with His Fragrance.  The eagles are uncontrollable as they soar into the Heavenly skies.  He speaks and the wind and sea are calm.  Can He do that to a deeply troubled heart?  Can He deal with the twins who greet me almost every morning?

“Peace I leave with you.  My own Peace I give to you.”  He is the Alpha and Omega, the first and last letters of the alphabet.   .   . and every letter in between.  He is capital P.  He Gives His infinite and omnipotent Peace.  The Peace that He Alone Possesses.  He is the Prince of Peace. It is Perfectly suited for what ails you.  Can you hear Him, little Dumbos?  Can you catch even a whiff of His scent? Are you flying high enough to soar into the Rainbow of His Eternal Love?

The Gift of Perfect Peace.   Predestined Peace.   Provided Peace.  Procuring Peace.  Precious Peace.   A Peace that Rules the Universe. . .that Rules over a troubled heart.   A Peace freely Given.  A Peace that calms the waves in a troubled heart.

     When my son Ben was 10, we moved into a townhome that was a little remote from the closest convenience store.  When the weather was nice, he and I would walk about a mile or so to a 7 Eleven for Slurpee’s.  As soon as the walk began, he would grab my hand and we would walk that way, his hand in mine, all the way there.  I am smiling right now, and teary-eyed over the sight of it.  My Lily has just walked over to me with her cd player, loaded with a song that she loves by  Hootie and the Blowfish, called Hold My Hand.  “Go ahead, Love.”

     “With a little Love and some Tenderness, we’ll walk upon the water.  We’ll rise above this mess. . .We’ll take the world together.  We’ll take em by the hand.  Cause I’ve got a hand for you.  I’ve got a hand for you. . .Hold My hand.”

I don’t remember one occasion when my father held my hand.  I used to believe that life had handicapped me from being able to desire and engage in meaningful experiences like the one that I had with Ben.  .  .until the big ears of this Dumbo sheep heard this song from Him Who Loves me.

“The floors shall be full of wheat and the wine vat will overflow with wine and oil.  And I will restore to you the years the locust had eaten, those experiences in life that you were taken from you. . .and you shall eat until you are full and be satisfied.  The Lord your God has dealt wondrously with you.”

Sometimes while we were walking along and he would be telling me about school or things he liked, he would trip over something on the sidewalk and I would hold him up, and he would fly for a moment in my hand.  Then he would deliberately jump and soar over imaginary bumps in the road, and we would laugh.  He had become so confident  that no matter what, I would hold him securely and keep him from harm.  He trusted my strength and my love to him.

     “The steps of a man are established by the Lord and He delights in His son’s ways. When he falls, he shall not be hurled headlong; for the  Lord is the One Who holds his hand.”  Proverbs 4:12.  The Lilies of His field hear, “established” and their Fragrance fills the air with the scent of Heaven.

In the Hebrew language of the Old Testament, the word established means:  to set up; make certain; make prosperous; fashion; ordain (predestine); to perfect;  to provide; make provision.

In eternity past, before time,  when only God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit existed, all of the sheep. . . every dumbo, every Lily, every fireman and sailor, all the donkeys and glowworms. . .and every soaring eagle, were known and loved. . .and yes, existed in the very heart of God.  He was “pregnant” so to speak with His seed and their entire lives were already planned.  He was holding them by the hand then.

The Father arranges everything for His little lambs.  When He gives birth to them in time, He continues to hold them securely to His perfect, predestined plan for them.   His Son, Who has never let go of His grip on them, secures their inheritance, secures their release from prison and death, secures their obedience by being the Obedient One for them.  God’s Spirit is always keeping their eyes and ears open, teaching them the Truth, quickening  them (making them Alive and nourishing them with the very Life of Christ).

 No matter what life has robbed you of that has made you poor, He has made you Rich.  He will repay you for the years the locust has eaten.  He will fill you with Himself. He will fill you with His Son. He will fill you with His Spirit.  Good news for the stumbling Dumbo sheep.  Great news for the wilting little Lilies.  Grand News for the tired and weary eagles.  Unbelievable news to the drowning sailors.  News of rescue to the firemen walking through the blaze.  The glowworms are Aglow with the sound of the Divine Music in their ears. 

      “With a little Love and some Tenderness, We’ll walk upon the water.  We’ll rise above this mess. . .cause I’ve got a hand for you, I’ve got the Hand for you.  I am your Refuge and Strength.  A very Present Hand when you are in trouble.  I will never leave you or forsake you.  I will not in any way fail you or give you up, or leave you without support.  I will never relax My hold on you.”

We always hold hands at the end of each meeting and recite the Lord’s prayer.  “Thy will be done on earth as it is done in Heaven. . .and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.  For Thine is the Kingdom and the Power, and the Glory, Forever”.  And all of God’s sheep said, “Amen”.

  The Divine Hand of Love.   Freely Given.  Freely Received.   Free, Love.                                                  Slurpees for everyone!

        “Do Lord, Oh do Lord, Oh do remember me, O Lordy;  do Lord, Oh do Lord, Oh do remember me.  Do Lord, Oh do Lord, Oh do remember me;  Way beyond the Blue.

          I’ve got a home in Glory Land that outshines the sun.  I’ve got a home in Glory Land that outshines the sun.  I’ve got a home in Glory Land that outshines the sun.  Way beyond the blue.” 

Sounds like a song from a tent revival somewhere in the South.  The memory of it comes from the garden in my heart filled with the scent of lilies and roses.  .  . and the scene is much different than one would imagine.

When I was in 5th grade, my teacher’s name was Sister Mary Grace.  It was the Perfect name for her.  Since everything that will ever exist in time is the Perfect will and plan of God, even our names come from Heaven’s baby book.  At least once a day, sometimes twice, Sister would make the announcement, “It’s time to skate,”  and the entire class would open up their desks, pull out two rags, take off their shoes, stand up and put one rag under each foot.  Then the music would start.

The whole class would sing along to the songs and skate over the tile floors to shine them up, and to get a needed break from the studying, and get some exercise.  It was pretty cool.  Sister was pretty cool. .  .and better yet, she was full of Grace.

Grace.  Webster defines it as:  “generosity shown by God to man; Divine favor unmerited by man; mercy; a free gift of God to man for his regeneration (a free, undeserved new heart); clemency; full forgiveness; benefits given that are full of power.“  The definition was written with her in mind.  She was kind, and careful.  She actually made learning fun. Her wisdom was extraordinary.  We all felt loved by her.  Sweetness was her robe and Love was her habit.

     “Thou are fairer than the children of men; Grace is poured into thy lips;  therefore God has blessed you forever.”  Psalm 45:2.   

She was never angry.  She was like the Pied Piper.  She would play a Graceful tune for us and we would follow her everywhere . . .and love every minute of it.  The little Dumbo sheep were “all ears” every time Sister Mary Grace opened her lips.  The Lilies would bloom every day when the Son would shine in the brightness of her personality.  The eagles were enchanted by her Love songs and would soar above their own little personal troubles and woes.  The next song was one of her favorites and I still sing it, almost every day.

       “When I am in trouble then the devil jumps with glee but he feels so awful, awful when he sees me on my knees.  So if you’re full of trouble and you never seem to win, just open up your heart and let the Sun Shine in.

       So let the Sun Shine in, face it with a grin;  smilers never lose and frowners never win.  So let the Sun Shine in, face it with a grin;  open up your heart and let the SON Shine in.”

The Greek definition of Grace from the New Testament is:  “the Divine Influence upon the heart and its reflection in the life;  benefits, favors;  “cheer” ful (full of cheer);  calmly happy or well-off;  “joy”ful (full of joy).“  I am teary-eyed as I think about her and others like her, who have “graced” my heart.  But I think mostly about Him, Who is Grace.  He is the Alpha and Omega, the A to Z of all your needs. God in His Son, through His Holy Spirit, is Grace.  Those who possess Grace, possess Him.

The drooping ears of the Dumbo sheep rise up and open wide every time they hear Him sing;  “Everyone who’s thirsty and has no water of their own, and he that has no money;  come, buy wine and milk without money and without paying any price.  Why do you spend money for that which isn’t even bread for your soul;  and why do you labor for something that doesn’t really satisfy?  Listen carefully with those big ears.  Eat what is Good and free.  Open your ears and come to Me;  hear what I’m saying and your soul shall live.” Isaiah 55:1-3

The Lilies hear His song and swoon with heavenly Fragrance, filling their souls with His scent.  The eagles make ready for take-off and when they hear Him sing, “Fly to Me.  Come to me all of you who are weary and loaded with trouble, and I will give you rest,” they soar over the rainbow,  they fly above their  troubles and failures.  He sings to them, “You will mount up with your wings and be Strong, and Wise, and Full of Grace.  Perfect Peace for you.  Perfect Rest.  All given freely because of Grace. “  All because God so Loved His little flock, that He gave His only Son.

Lord, please open up our hearts and let Your Son Shine in.

     I am smiling as these thoughts are brewing in my mind. They are just about ready to be served.  They make me a little teary-eyed.  One of the  goals in counseling, as it should be a goal in life, is to find yourself living in the moment in a congruent way.  Your thoughts are free and spontaneous, and your feelings are “on board” with your thoughts.  And like a river that’s ever-flowing, you present this “music” to those around you.

Little children are congruent.  They live in the moment, presenting immediately what they are thinking and feeling.  Then change comes.  Then confusion comes.  Then mixed messages come.  Then congruency goes. . .and the mind and the heart are out of sync.  But we human creatures are survivors, so we keep singing.  .  .  mostly the songs others want us to sing and we gradually lose our freedom to be ourselves.

Back in the day, when 8mm sound movies were a big deal, there’s a portion of one of the movies where Rachel and Jessie were singing their ABC’s.  I am smiling again.  We would just fawn over their great achievements 🙂   “A B C D E F G H I K K (one of  them would always repeat K). . . .” They knew their alphabet, and they knew who the source of life in each letter of need.  They were almost totally dependent on us.  Their songs, their thoughts, their words, their ways were such a wonder  to behold. . .music to the eyes and ears of our heart.

Thirty years ago, I heard this song for the first time and I fell in love with it.  “I am the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, sings the Lord;  Who is, and Who was, and Who is to come. I am the Almighty.”  Revelation 1:8  Alpha, the first letter of the Greek Alphabet.  Omega, the last letter of the alphabet.  It includes every letter in between.  He is the Alphabet. When God attributes something to Himself, He is always totally and completely eliminating man.  He is saying, “Only Me.”

That is Great News to anyone who is failing, who is lame and has no strength.  The sick know that they are the lower case alphabet.  Small s not only in the spelling (strength), but in its reality.  We are taught to continue to tap in to a resource that is finite.  It has limits.  It comes to an end. He is Strength. Capital S, Infinite in its Power, limitless as a Resource.  Our kids are cute when they begin to feel their “muscles” and become determined to do things for themselves.  Some of us (not me), have a greater capacity than others, held in reserve, that enable them to continue in their own strength (little s).

It’s music to the ears to those little Dumbo sheep who have reached the empty well of their patience, or their kindness, or their self-control.  When those wells dry up, the soul then taps in to what seems like a unlimited resource. . .anger, frustration. . .and the black hole of misery, drawing the heart like metal to a magnet.  Then the soul hears the Voice of God.   .  .”I am the Alpha and Omega.”  I am Capital P, and K, and S.  I am PATIENCE and KINDNESS and SELF-CONTROL.”

When the Lilies lose their fragrance, and they always do. . .and they try to follow the rules of the road of life, “You can do it. . .Try harder. . .Don’t give up;”  or worse yet, “God helps those who help themselves. . .You do your best and God will do the rest.”. . .the wilted, little Lilies just despair and say, “We have no strength and our eyes are upon You, Lord.”

When the eagles that soar over the Rainbow get their wings clipped, and they use every resource of their own that they possess, looking for might, looking for wisdom, looking for the peace that has flown away from them. . .they hear the song, “He gives Strength to the weary, and to those who have no might, He gives Power and Wisdom. . .they will soar on wings like eagles.” Isaiah 40:29-31.

What is your need at the moment?  To be the best father you can?  You are only little f.  To be the best mother?  Only little m.  Is it self-control little compulsive sheep?  Only little s.  He is Father.  He is Mother.  He is Self-control.  He has not come to help those who continue to rely on themselves as a resource, but for those who are not well and are in need of the Divine, Infinite Source of all.

I just can’t get enough of this song.  The Savior”s Voice is Medicine for what ails you. “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me because He has furnished Me for you;  to preach the Gospel to the poor;  He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted; to provide deliverance to those held captive to their difficulties; to give sight to the blind and set at liberty those who are bruised and hammered like wrought iron. . .this day, in this Good Moment, this scripture is fulfilled in your ears.” Luke 4:18, 21.

Music to the ears.  The Divine Alphabet is yours.  What is your A today?  What is your B?  What is your Need.  I love it when God sings, “A B C D E F G, H I J K L M N O P, Q R S, T U V, W X and Y and Z”.  Now I know my ABC’s.  Next time won’t you sing with me?

A couple nights ago, as I made my way down the hallway into the kitchen, I was captivated by the sound of the ensemble, Celtic Woman,  singing “A Bridge Over Troubled Waters”.   My brother Jay, whom I live with, was watching it on TV.  I felt comforted by the song. The sound of the words have ready access to the more personal places in the heart.  Music is trustworthy.  Counselor, friend in need, pick me up, the discerner of our hearts. Medicine for the soul.  Faithful.  The great escape.  A refuge.  A bridge.  Getting us from one place to another.  A magic carpet ride.

“The lookout came to King Jehoshaphat and told him that three giant armies were approaching the city to do battle with the little kingdom. Jehoshaphat was afraid and the fear moved him to ask God for help. . .and he prayed “Do You not rule over all the kingdoms of every nation?  In Your hand are Power and  Might, so that none is able to withstand You.  We have no might to stand against these great armies that are coming against us.  We do not know what to do, but are eyes and our ears are upon You.  Please play Your music Lord.”

Giant armies coming to destroy.  Fear, anxiety, sadness, frustration, guilt, compulsion, self-condemnation, confusion, uncertainty. . .the list is endless.  The lilies and the dumbo sheep are getting pretty tired of it all.  They’d rather listen to their music when there is peace.  It makes them smile. . .they get energized by it; they feel alive. . .they are known and understood.  They’re just fine, right where they are.  It’s those other moments when they are not, “Good in the  Moment” that they feel so helpless.  They need a way out from their fears and anxieties, a way to get over to the “other side.”  Wait. . .Can you hear it?  It’s one of my favorite songs.

“Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel the prophet and he sang to all the people and to the king,  ‘Listen all of the inhabitants of the city and you king Jehoshaphat.  The Lord says this to you:  Be not afraid or filled with alarm at these armies coming to destroy you, robbing you of your peace and joy.  The battle is not yours, but God’s.”  The lyrics to his song were encouraging.  The melody was creating a way across the troubled waters.  Too good to be true?

“Tomorrow, go down to where the armies are preparing to war against you. . .you will not have to fight in the battle; take your position, stand still and see the deliverance of the Lord, Who is with you wherever you go.  .  .So Jehoshaphat appointed singers to sing and dancers to dance and they went out to do battle with the armies, thanking God for the Song in their hearts.”

Just picture the little flock of soldiers.  Dumbo sheep marching in cadence, waiting for the orders from the Captain. . .the eagles soaring above and over the raging waters, ready to do battle.  The singers and the dancers throwing Lily petals along the parade route, filling the air with the Fragrance of Power, Love and a Sound Mind.  Their fears had turned into faith.  Faith turned them to God.  The Bridge was provided.

“When they began to sing the song God authorered for them, the Lord set ambushments against the three giant armies, and they turned on each other because they had become suspicious of the others.  They all were utterly destroyed.  When the Jehoshaphat and His little army reached the watchtower where they could see the giant armies, Behold!. . .there were just dead bodies fallen to the earth and none had escaped.  They celebrated and  sang new songs  “They came back to Jerusalem with Joy, playing their harps and lyres and trumpets . . .and God gave them rest.”

When you’re weary, feeling small;  when tears are in your eyes, I will dry them all.  I’m on your side when times get rough and friends just can’t be found.  Like a Bridge over troubled waters, I will lay Me down.  Like a Bridge over troubled waters, I will lay ME down.  God, Himself singing His own Music to the heart.  God, Himself being the Bridge, enabling His children to cross over from all the forms of death in the soul to Life. . .from burden to Blessing,  from fears to Faith,  from darkness to the Dawn of a new Day.  O Happy Day!

Freedom little Dumbo sheep, to hear His music with those Big ears He’s given you.  Freely given Beautiful Lilies of the Valley, filling the air with the Scent of Divine Music.  Free Love soaring eagles, singing about God’s predestined plan for the little flock.  I can hear them . . . “Some where over the Rainbow, way up High. . .”

 

 

     As I was driving into work yesterday afternoon, I spotted heavy smoke across the horizon a mile ahead of me.  My concern for the origin of it quickly disappeared when I realized that the smoke was coming from the Forest Preserve.  It was a controlled fire to burn away the old grasses and shrubbery to make way for next Spring’s new shoots and mature stalks.  The smoke was crossing the highway and the smell of it came into the car, even with all the windows rolled up.  The smell was comforting.  It was very familiar.

     “And the king commanded his most mighty men that were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and cast them into the burning fiery furnace. The three  men were bound in  their coats, and their hats and all their garments;  and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.”

     God’s children know all about fiery furnaces.   The Lilies have been burned down many times.  The herd of Dumbo sheep have had to find new places to graze each time their feeding grasses are scorched.  The eagles fly above the heat and smoke and make new nests, higher where the air is pure and fresh.

     “The furnace was so exceedingly hot that the flame of the fire killed those men that cast Shadrach, Messhach and Abednego into the furnace. The three men fell down, bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. . . the king was astonished and said to those around him, ‘Didn’t we cast three men, bound with ropes into the midst of the fire?’  They answered, Yes, O king it is true.’  The king said, ‘I see four men loose, no longer bound by the ropes, walking around and unhurt;  and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.’

     The Refiner of gold turns the heat up and stirs the liquid, knowing the dross will rise to the top.  Never too hot, though always hot enough.  He scoops up the impurities, those elements of the gold that detract from its worth and beauty. He watches over the process with love and compassion. He never leaves the smelting pot. . .and its never more than the little flock can bare.  “I will never leave you or forsake you. . .or without a way out.”

     “And the king went near the mouth of the furnace and said to the three men  “Come out and come over here.’  And all the princes, governors and the king’s counselors gathered together and were amazed at the three men whose bodies the fire had no power over, nor was a hair on their head singed, neither were their coats burned, nor was the smell of fire on them. Only the ropes that bound them were destroyed by the fire.”

     Back in 1980, there was a huge forest fire burning me down.  My life was ending.  There was no hope for survival. . .my mind was filled only with thoughts of fear and despair.  And from the ashes within my soul, came these words,  “But now, this is what the Lord says, ‘He who created you, he who formed you, he has called you by His name.  You are His.  When you walk through the waters of trouble, I will be with you.  When you pass through the rivers of impossibilities and you are sinking, you will not drown.  And when you walk through the fires of trials, you will not be burned.  The flames will not set you on fire.”  Only the ropes that bind you will be gone. 

     I know that when the Spring comes, the Forest Preserve will be lush with grasses and bushes. . .and the trees will be full of fruit. The Lilies will thrive and their Fragrance will be more intoxicating than ever. The Dumbo sheep will be back, flying to the the sound of the words of the Shepherd.  The eagles will be nesting again and soaring above, over the Rainbow. . .filled with it’s Colors. . .and full of it’s Love.  Free Love.  Freely given.

 

      Their brother had been dead for four days.  The doctors did everything they could to save him. The two sisters were overwhelmed with grief.  “If only his Personal Physician had been here.  He could have done something.”  But he was out of town at the time.  They sent word to him about the emergency, but he said it wasn’t time for him to come back.  They were confused and distressed. “Didn’t he care?  There’s a story in the Old Testament about a similar situation. 

     “So he went with them. When they came to Jordan, they cut down wood.  But as one of them was cutting a beam, the iron axe head fell into the water: and he cried, ‘Oh no, Master!  I borrowed the axe and I’ll be in trouble.’  And the man of God said, ‘Where did it fall?’  And he showed him the place.”

     Mary and Martha’s brother Lazarus had fallen into the water and had sunk to the bottom. Drowned. Dead.  Lifeless.  No hope.  No way to retrieve him.  No way to bring him back.  Impossible.  The sheep of the flock know the feeling.  Depression, anxiety, fear, disappointment, failures, despair, hopelessness, loneliness, addictions and so many other moments that arrive. . .and the heart sinks to the bottom.  No way to cut down the branches and beams of life. No way to be productive. No way to build up the life again.  No strength, no ambition, no drive.  The heart is drowning.

     “”Where did it fall?”  And he showed him the place where it sunk.  The man of God cut down a stick and threw it into the water;  and the iron axe head floated to the top and swam. And the man of God said, take it up and he put out his hand and took it.” 

     Webster’s dictionary defines “wrought iron” as:  beaten into shape by tools; hammered; shaped by these processes.  Lazarus laid in the tomb.  Death had been wrought on him. His illness had fashioned his heart and took the breath from his soul.  Trials, miseries. . . all the troubles of life, beating and hammering on the heart. The definition of wrought iron goes on to say, “Worked into shape by artistry;  formed beautifully; deeply stirred;  possessed of a highly passionate state of mind; full of life.”    

     “And Jesus said to His disciples, ‘Our friend Lazarus is sleeping; but I’m going now to wake him up. . .then Jesus said to them Lazarus is dead, for they thought he was only sleeping.  Then  Jesus came to the grave where Lazarus had been dead for four days. . .Then Martha said to Jesus, ‘I know that whatever you ask of God, God will give it to you’.  Jesus said to her, ‘Your brother will rise again.  And Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth; and he that was dead, came forth.”  The  Man of God, threw the timbers of His cross into the waters where Lazarus had laid for four days, and he floated to the top, received the breath of Life, and swam.

     The Wrought Iron Man, forming His sheep with such artistry, recreating the Beauties of Holiness and Love within them;  so full of Life. . .the Lilies, filling the valley with intoxicating fragrance; the Dumbo sheep, hearing Him speak to them, always and only, sweet words of love. . .and those eagles, formed and fashioned with the  Beauties of the Rainbow, soaring above the waters of trials and troubles,  filled with the Fruit of God’s Spirit.

     Wrought Iron sheep. . .conformed to His image.  Power, and Love, and a Sound Mind.  Swimming in the Ocean of His Promises.  All free.  All freely given.