A Good Moment

The sheep have been waiting for Dependence Day to come.  The meeting  will be crowded. . .just like church is on Christmas.  The two days have three important things in common.  Both are Holidays;  both are Holy days and both are Birthdays.  Everyone will be in attendance today.  My Lily has decorated the hall with the fairest of flowers from the Master’s Garden.  The scent makes my heart glad and quiets my soul.  We are going to celebrate Liberty.

     “Stand fast in the Liberty wherewith Christ hath made you  free. . .”

In the Greek language of the New Testament, the word Liberty means, “freedom;  unrestrained (to go at pleasure);  not a slave anymore;  exempt from liability or obligation;   a free man and woman;  to come and go freely;  to be set and riveted to a place of freedom,  forever.”

I can hear firecrackers and M-80’s going off outside.  The sheep must be  sharing their stories about their own personal experiences.  .  .their own dependence day Moments.  For each and every one of them, every day is the fourth of July.  Every day is their day of Independence. . .the moment in time when they finally and clearly saw their dependency and their need of the Help that the only truly Independent Being in the Universe can give.  They met Him that day.                                                               

They are all filing in now and the scent of God-powder is all over their clothes. “Hi, my name is Mike and I’m a colt of a wild ass.”  They always shout back to me, “Hi, Jack.” The three Stars on my Dependence Day Coat is a reminder to me that God the Father, His Son Jesus and the Holy Spirit. . . Loved me before the creation of the world.  .  . for as long as They have existed.   I usually don’t like to sing, but today I want to share the lyrics from a song about Love and dependency by Edwin McCain.  The name of the song is “I’ll Be.”

     “Tell me that we belong together and dress it up with the trappings of Love.  I’ll be captivated,  I’ll hang from Your lips.  .  .and I dropped out, I burned up.  I fought my way back from the dead;  tuned in, turned on. . .remembered the thing that You, YOU Said .  .  .I’ll Be.”

Before the eagles could soar, they relied on themselves.  “‘I’ll be,” they said.  .  .whenever they needed strength or wisdom to deal with the challenges of life.  Their own source of power.  Their own resource for whatever was required of them.   But they failed and  they failed until they were seemingly dead.  Then they heard Him say, “I’ll Be whatever you need.  I will Live your life for you.” 

When the sheep come up lame and can’t walk any more, they are overcome with depression and sadness.  Dead inside.  They couldn’t move a muscle to help themselves.  “I can’t be the source of strength that I need.”  There was only despair.  But on the morning of July 4th, as the Son rose in the sky and in their heart, this is what each one heard God say.

     “My free grace is sufficient for you to make you able to do all things, for My Own Power is made Perfect  in your        weakness.  .  .in your utter, total dependency on Me.  When you are weak and trusting Me to meet all of your needs, I’ll be Strong in you and through you.”

My Lily had learned to depend on herself because she had no one else to depend on.  She had to place her trust in her own resources.  To have faith in her abilities and personal wisdom.  To be all that she could be.  She responded to the call of “Live, love, laugh,” as if she was capable of doing it.  .  .as if she were independent and self-sufficient to achieve and live a life with joy and purpose.  All along she was being groomed to become a helpless, dependent little lamb of God’s flock.  Then right on cue at the very Moment that God had authored before time, He whispered in her ear.  .  .“I’ll be.”   The Fourth of July.  Dependence Day.  Union with Independence.  The very Presence of God in the soul.   The Creator of all things, Doing for her what she could never do herself.  Divine Fire Works.  Works of God.

The Fire Works of God.  The Fruit from His Garden from the Life of His Son by the indwelling Power and Love of His Spirit.  “I’ll be Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faith, Self-control, Wisdom, Power, a Sound Mind.”

   All free.  All freely given.  Free to those who know they need it.

Occasionally I am deeply Blessed by something that I read on Fleecebook, the social network for the sheep.  My Lily had posted a story that touched my heart with some Life that animated my soul with the scent of Heaven.  A young mom named Abigail was sitting on her daughter’s bed, gently waking her little ewe up for a new day. ( Oh, the Wonder of a Mother’s Love.)

As she called her name and lightly brushed her hair aside and kissed her forehead, the little ewe opened her eyes and smiled as she recognized her Mother’s face and voice. “Summer is almost here Honey.  The possibilities are endless. You and I get to spend more time together playing in green pastures and having picnics along still waters. God has the whole summer Planned out for us.”  Her little ewe had a sheepish grin on her face and a sparkle in her eyes.  And with a matter of fact sound to her voice said, “Mom, He’s an organized Guy.”  How Perfect.   He’s an organized Guy.  .  .  and from the mouth of Babes.

     “The disciples came to Jesus and asked, ‘Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.’  Jesus called a little ewe to come close to Him and she sat her down at His feet.  He said, ‘Truly I say to you, except you become just like this young child, you cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven.  Whoever humbles himself as this girl has, the same is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.’

Some of the Best Moments that I have had in the office have been with the younger members of the human race, already agonizing with the difficulties of recovery.  Simple and pure of heart they are when they come forth from their mother’s womb.  Humble in the truest sense of what that means.  Utterly dependent on others for life and love,  for comfort and nourishment, for wisdom and knowledge, for the planning and organization of their lives.  Not yet looking within for answers.  Placing their faith in the words and actions of their parents and caregivers.  Believing what is said to them.  Forming a self concept based on what is done to them. I am reminded of our meeting last week when a small flock of ewes had come to entertain us with a song that only the Babes can sing with conviction.

      “He’s got the whole world in His hands.  .  .He’s got my brothers and sisters in His hands. . .He’s got the sun and rain in His hands. . .He’s got the moon and stars in His hands. . .He’s got the wind and clouds in His hands. . .He’s got you  and me in His hands.  He’s got the whole world in His hands.”

He’s an organized Guy.  No one knew this better than one of the Old Testament ewes whose name is Job.  A ewe is a female sheep and interestingly enough, all of God’s sheep are ewes.  .  . all of the sheep are considered the brides of Christ, espoused (engaged to Him) until the end when the marriage is made official.  Most people are aware of the trials and tribulations of Job and all of the sheep can relate to his troubles and miseries.  .  .and to the reality that God always makes their trials work for their Good.  He always keeps His promise that nothing can really harm them.   This is what came from the mouth of the Job, the ewe.

     ‘But ask now the beasts and they shall teach you;  and ask the fowls of the air and they shall tell you.  Or speak to the earth and it shall teach you; and to the fishes of the sea and they shall declare the truth to you.  Who does not know that in all these things that happen to everything and everyone, in every way, shape and form.  .  .that the hand of the Lord has done all of this.  In Whose hand is the soul of every living thing and the breath of all mankind.”  Job 12:7-21

He’s an Organized Guy.  “He’s got the whole summer planned out for us.”   He is of one mind and nothing can change what He has predetermined.  What His own soul desired before creation arrives in time exactly corresponding to His will.  “Thy will be done on earth as it is done in heaven.” It is His own organized plan that He Accomplishes Himself.  He performs that which is appointed before time for everything that will ever exist in time. That is Divine Organization!  You might be saying, what about our free will?  This is what He says about your free will.

     “There are many devices (intentions, plans, plots, thoughts, words and deeds) in a man’s heart;                nevertheless, the  purposes of God, His Organized Plans authored before time.  .  .that shall be accomplished in everything that happens.” Proverbs 19:21

He’s an Organized Guy.  We are the clay and He is the Potter.  The little ewes would say, “Doesn’t the Potter have   total power over the clay?  This all is the Lord’s doing and it is marvelous in our eyes.  This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad that our lives are not in our own hands.  That He is the Shepherd of the sheep.  He is the Author and Perfector of our life stories, written in the Book of Life before time.”

Organized.  Webster’s definition includes, “to arrange or constitute into a coherent unity in which each part has a special function and relation;  to unify into a coordinated, functioning whole;  to put into a state of Divine order.” God makes all things that happen, including every difficult moment in life, work together in a special, secret way to prove that His Love never fails.  .  .that His promises are always Yes, through His Son.  .  .and His Spirit coordinates and fits together every puzzle piece and creates the Father’s masterpiece.  A little ewe filled with Power, Love and a Sound Mind.

“Mom, He’s an Organized Guy”!

 I remember a Far Side cartoon that depicted the inhabitants of hell, surrounded by freezing snow and ice.  One of the poor souls said to the other, “The Cubs must have won the World Series.”  (When hell freezes over.)  In a Wayne”s World skit, the phrase “When monkeys fly out of my butt” was popularized.  Coincidentally (although nothing happens by sheer coincidence), one of my favorite birthday presents I received within this last week,  was from my daughter Rachel. It came in a big box and as I opened it up and looked inside, what did I behold. . .a beautiful ceramic pig with wings.  It was the spitting image of Rachel’s father which had a remarkable family resemblance to herself.  Yep, you got it.  .  .”When pigs fly.”

Each of the above phrases are called an adynaton, which is the creative use of events in which the exaggeration is so great that it refers to an absolute impossibility.  Rachel personally knows the significance of the flying pig. She’s been flying for four years and was given a coin to celebrate it.   She knew I would love it.   We and all of the other sheep are pigs of a feather, flocking together.  One of the earliest influences on my soul is a verse in the Bible from the Psalms apparently written just for little helpless swine-types like myself.

     “I had no one to help me.  I was without strength and without hope.  He turned to me and heard my cry.  He pulled me out from the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire.  And He set my feet upon a Rock and gave me a firm place to stand.”

My dear Lily is no exception.  She used to be a skeptic.  If she couldn’t wrap her mind and her human faith around the possibilities, there was no hope.  .  .it was impossible.  That was until she saw, with her own eyes, her first flying pig.  It relates  to one of her favorite stories that she likes to share whenever she can.  We never get tired of hearing it.                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

       “A certain King had two sons and the younger of the two said to his Father, ‘Give me the portion of my  inheritance because I want to set out on my own.’  A few days later the son gathered all of his belongings and set out for the city and in a short time, he spent every dime he had and wasted his substance with riotous, pleasure seeking living. . .and he had nothing left.  So he found a job on a farm, feeding the swine in the fields and hanging out with them.  He was so hungry he found himself eating the corn husks the pigs were eating.  But he had  no appetite left for them.  He craved the Corn that he would eat at His Father’s table.  He could see no way out but to wallow in the mud and mire with the swine.   But from within him came the Words, ‘I will arise and go to my Father and will say to Him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and before You.’ When the morning came, a Heavenly Wind carried him home to his Father’s Love, full of Mercy and Forgiveness.  .  .and his Inheritance was fully restored.”

I can’t tell you how many times my lot in life, the reality of the existing circumstances, have left me without hope.  I’ll be the kind of person I am supposed to be when pigs fly.  I will love with the love that is patient and kind, is never envious or rude, is never self-seeking, is not easily angered, that keeps no record of wrongs.  It always hopes.  It always perseveres.  It never runs out or comes to an end.  Impossible.  I will when pigs fly.  But what is impossible for man, is possible with God.  For He Is, and Does what I am not and could never do.  I can do all things through Him Who Lives and Loves in me, and for me.

When the sheep are together,  they talk about their moments in the mud and mire of life.  One pigsty story after another.  Moments of fear and anxiety, moments of anger and frustration, moments of self-absorbed misery and despair.  Moments of the utter absence of initiative and self-control. Failures and self-condemnation.  Moments of madness.  But, there are other Moments.  .  . Good Moments that arrive just in the nick of time.  The God Who Knows all things, Who is the Author and Perfector of all events in life, Speaks  to the troubled hearts of all the sheep and Says, “In quietness and rest is your Strength.”  And the little piggies of the flock Fly to Him with wings like the eagles.

     He gives power to the faint and to them who have no might, He gives them His strength.  Even youths shall faint and be weary in the mud and mire, and each will utterly fall. . .and fail.  But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up wings like eagles’; they shall run and not be weary.  They shall walk and not faint.”  Isaiah 40:29-31

The Dinner table is always set with the finest of Heavenly delicacies for the flock.  Never husks for His children.  Only the Divine Corn of the Spirit. . .filled with the rarest of Fruits.  Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faith, Self-control, Wisdom, Power and a Sound Mind.

Freely given.   Freely Received.    Free to all the oinkers who want to fly.

 

 

I’ve come to the meeting early  so I could share a few things with you before all of the sheep arrive.  It’s a very special day today.  It’s Mother’s Day.  .  .and we are in store for a few surprises that my Lily has arranged.  The very first Mother’s Day that I remember as a young person was the one I experienced after my mother died.  Sometime in the late morning,  I was outside riding my bike, crying  and wishing that she was alive.  My dad didn’t discuss it that day.  No one did. We treated it like it was just a normal Sunday.  I feel the grief that still remains in my soul.  The sadness in me is so powerful right now, that I can hardly speak or think and the tears in my eyes are just a few drops from the ocean in my heart.

Webster’s Dictionary defines the word Mother as:  a female parent;  a woman having authority and dignity;  source of life;  a resource;  one who is  tender and affectionate;  one who care’s for, cherishes and protects;  a place of shelter.  I would add to the definition, “One who prays.”   The others are coming in now for the meeting.  Dumbo sheep, eagles, glow worms, sheep dogs, sailor men, firemen, jackasses, and a group of cute, little newbie lambs that have been rehearsing all week. They have all come in.                                                                                                                             

Hi.  My name is Mike and I am a Recovering Human.  The lambs are going to help us celebrate Mother’s Day with a  song called, “A Mother’s Prayer.”  Lily is leading them up to the front of the hall.  They all smell like roses and lilies.  It must come from that Bath Soap that the Shepherd cleans them up with.  They are so cute.  They are the spitting images of their Moms.  Go ahead Loves.

       “I pray You’ll be  my eyes and watch them where they go;  and help them to be wise and help me to let go.   .  .Lead them to a place, guide them with Your Grace to a place where they’ll be safe.  I pray they find Your Light and hold It in their heart.  As darkness falls each night, remind them where You are.  They need to find a place, guide them with Your grace.  Give them Faith so they’ll be safe.”

Now that the applause has stopped and the lambs have taken their bows, the littlest one of the flock has stepped forward and has begun to recite her ABC’s.   .    .and she stopped at the letter M.

    The Lord says, ” Behold, I will extend Peace to her like a River and the glory of  of the sheep like a Flowing Stream:  then shall you suck of My Divine Milk and you shall be born upon My sides and dandled upon My knees.  As one whom his mother comforts, so will I Comfort you in every place that you go, in every situation that you are in.  Your heart will  rejoice and you shall flourish at the Mothering hand of the Lord.”  Isaiah 66:12-13

Remember?  The littlest and youngest of the flock stopped reciting at the letter M.  She knew.  All of the sheep know.  The letter M is a capital M, as is  every letter in the word MOTHER.   God is the Alpha and Omega, the first and last letter of the Alphabet and every letter in between. He is the Upper Case Alphabet, the Divine Mothering Love to His elect children.

       “He shall feed His flock like a Shepherd:  He shall gather the lambs with His arm and carry them in His Bosom, and shall gently lead the mothers that are with young ones.  He shall be their Life and their Love.  He shall be in them and through them, their Patience and Kindness, their Compassion and Wisdom, their Power and their Perseverance.  And when they are totally without mothering strength, He will be Strong in them, for when they are unable, He is able to do super-abundantly above all they ask or need.”  Isaiah 40:11

The sheep love their Moms.  They are filled with gratefulness for their unconditional Love.  The Dumbos know that   their Mom thinks their big ears are beautiful.  The jackasses can do no wrong in their Mother’s eyes.  The glow worms are blessed with their Mother’s Patience, waiting for the Light of Life to shine in them.  The firemen are always acceptable to their Mom, even when covered with the smell of smoke and ash.  The sailor men can’t wait to get home from their exploits on the stormy seas, knowing that the waiting arms of their Mother are full of Comfort and Love.  The little lambs know that no matter how far they have fallen down, the Love of their Mother will pick them up again, and again. . .and again.

If my mother were alive today, I would say to her, “You are the best mother in the whole world.”  I can say in this Good Moment to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, the Savior of the sheep, “You are the Best Mothering Love in the Whole Universe.”

Happy Mother’s Day!   Happy Day for the Gift of Love, Hope and Faith

It has been eight weeks since I’ve been to a meeting. . .classic “falling off the wagon” behavior. Who knew it was coming? Who ever knows what’s coming? WHO, the great I AM, always Knows.

I was looking through family pictures of sheep yesterday and after seeing hundreds of them, this is the one that caught my eye. . .My baby picture. It immediately captured my heart and I started to cry; then a prayer from heaven filled my soul and moved my lips. “Lord, help me.” I am teary-eyed now as I write this.

This is an open meeting today and there are many new faces in the room, including friends and family of Recovering humans. One of the newbie colts is waving her hand. “Yes Love, I know what you’re going to say. . .Capital R.” Recovering with the very Life of God Himself. And since it is an open meeting, we have a guest speaker today. My Lily is going to sing a song for us first and then introduce the speaker.

“We’re poor little lambs who have lost our way. . . bah, bah, bah. We’re little black sheep who have gone astray. . .bah, bah, bah. Gentle sweet songsters off on a spree, yet Loved by God from Eternity. God have mercy on such as we. . .bah, bah, bah.”

“Little black sheep who have gone astray. Some of you know him by the nickname, ‘Colt of a Wild Ass’. Those closest to him call him Jack, because as he has said many times, he is the biggest one he knows. His parents named him Mike and his Father gave him the name, ‘Hephzibah’ the virgin spouse of Christ.

Hi. My name is Mike and I’m a Recovering human. The newbie Dumbo sheep just wait for moments like this so they can yell out “Hi, Mike.” Yesterday I was driving to the office in Orland Park to check the mail for a couple checks that have been overdue in coming. I passed by a large church with a sign that said, “Prayers should be your first choice, not a last resort.” Easier said than done. In fact, easier Done when Said. The Truth is. . .only Done when Said by the Creator of the Universe, the Mouthpiece for the sheep.

The last eight weeks have taken a toll on me. Look what the fire has done to the Rainbow coat that my father has given to me. The storm has almost shredded it. I have been rolling around in the dust, trying to fix things, trying to figure out things, trying to get others to bring relief into my soul. . . doing everything I can to deal with the stress and anxiety and the fears that handicap me. What a joke. I am as weak as water. . .no, weaker.

I wake up in the middle of the night and the tapes begin to play. . .and the facts of my life, and the self-condemnation and despair that they bring, rob me of sleep and rest. I have tried many times to pray. I have pleaded with God to bring relief into my soul; but to no avail. I have turned to Him as a last resort. But then, like so many other times like this one, I hear an old song playing in my mind. . .and the Music from His lips brings peace into my heart and prayer pours forth from my soul.

“Little sweet lamb, the trial of your Faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes; though it be tried with fire. . .Faith will be found. Hope will arrive. Love will Save the day. And I hear Him Say, ‘I am your Salvation, your Help, your Strength, your Peace. . .and the Source of your prayers. I AM THE SOURCE OF ALL.”

The sheep are always and only, little lambs who lose their way, who lose their strength and wisdom, who lose all self-reliance, after they have tried everything than can in their own power. . .and they fail, again and again and again. Then they pray because God has put the words in their mouth. He inspires them to ask for what He has predestined to give them. . . the Strength to pray, the Wisdom to know what to ask for, the Faith to believe the request is granted and the Peace that comes from knowing that only Good can come to the little lambs. All things in life, every moment of every kind of experience will only serve them and ultimately prove His Love to them.

The Lion of Judah, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, the Son of God and Savior to the lambs. Jesus, The Living Word, speaking Life and Love and Power into the souls of the helpless little flock (“for me to live is Christ”). . .giving them the Strength of a Lion, Living for them with the Life of the Lion (“it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me”) Loving through them with the Love of the Lion (“Christ who is my life”).

The sheep are Always dressed with the Lion’s robe, adorned with the colors of the Rainbow of His Fruit and presenting the reality of His presence, blessing others with His Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faith, Self-control and Prayer.

The Lion Lives in the lamb. The Lion Loves through the lamb.

Freely given and received by the little lambs who have lost their way.

I have been absent for a few days from the meetings.  My head has been moving back and forth in disbelief as the events of the last three days have played out.  My Lily was getting worried about me, so she’s been continuously knocking at the door of my heart, and each time that I have answered, my  soul has been filled with the fragrance of His Love and Comfort.

Who knew that on Saturday I would spend over three hours with our resident medic, who is in the midst of the most difficult and extreme experience a person can go through.  His heart is full of anguish and despair.  He is unable to heal himself.  He ministers to others in their aches and pains and prescribes the medicine they need to get better, but he can’t find the right medicine for himself.  He was sure that death was eminent . . .and that there was no cure.

Who knew that in the midst of our time of Love, he would find himself blessed by the Great Physician of his soul and relief would come in the form of Divine Peace and Hope. . .and that a Faith that only God’s sheep possess, would appear in an instant and make my friend’s heart rise from the dead.

Who knew that when our time was over, we would hold each other like blood-brothers and know that we have been in the Presence of Him Who loves with an everlasting Love. . .Who predestined the medic’s life in every way, shape and form, including the Good Moment that arrived in time, written in the Book Of Life before the universe was created.

Who knew that he would make the 170 mile ride back home,  filled with Joy in his heart, filled with forgiveness in his soul, knowing that he is a prince of the King. . .adopted by the Lord of Lords and given a new name and a white stone that has the name Jesus engraved on it.

     “The thing that had been written before time, it is that very thing that shall arrive in time.”

Who knew that I would leave the office and stop and get gas for the car that my medic friend gave to me,  when I totaled my car in an accident some weeks ago and wasn’t able to purchase another.  So He and his wife fixed up a car that they had and made it mine.

Who knew that a police officer was sitting in the drive way of the gas station, facing the opposite way of my car and while I was gassing up, he would be moved by some mysterious power, to check the legitimacy of my license plates.  As some of you might remember, there was a picture of a group of colts of a wild ass  that we shared with you a week or two ago.  I was the biggest one in the picture.

Who knew that I had procrastinated and waited to transfer the plates and the title legally until I was in a better position to do so. . .or I told myself.  And so, when I pulled out of the gas station on to the busiest street in town, the police officer would pull me over,  ask for my license, registration and proof of insurance.  The license and proof of insurance I had. . .but not the registration.  When another police officer pulled up, I feared the worst.

Who knew that they would ask me to get out of the car, walk to the back of the car, put my hands behind my back and cuff me.  As I stood there handcuffed, I watched the people slowly driving by and look at me, the colt of a wild ass, the glowworm who wasn’t feeling the Shine. . .the Dumbo who was only feeling shame and humiliation because of the size of his ears.  The eagle had crash landed.

Who knew that the car would be impounded and I would be transported to the police station, fingerprinted and photographed for the mug shot column.  In a million years, who could have known?

     “I know that whatever God does, it shall be forever;  nothing can be added to it nor can anything be subtracted from it.  As it was authored before time, it arrives exactly the same in time.  God does this to demonstrate His Sovereignty over all things in the universe.

That which had been in His own mind before time, arrives in time as a current event, in every way. The fact of the moment has always been in God’s Book of Life, written in His mind and heart.”  Every new moment, every now in time, everything that arrives next, is the inevitability of His will and purpose for the universe.”   Ecclesiastes 3:14-15

WHO knew that I would be be jarred in my body and soul from the whole experience.  We caught every red light on the way to the police station and the people in the cars next to us would look over at me, crunched into the back seat of the squad car.  It’s a pretty pathetic sight,  and….it’s okay to smile about it.  Those little newbie jackasses at the meeting today are grinning from ear to ear.

WHO knew that I am incorrigible to the very core of my being.  .  .all of the sheep are.  I just looked up the word in Webster’s dictionary.  It says, “bad beyond the possibility of correction or rehabilitation;  utterly bad and depraved;  delinquent;  incurable.”

WHO knew that I would be chronically blind and lame, and deaf and dumb. . .and that He would need to bathe my           leprous sores and black scabs every moment of my existence on this planet.  I am teary-eyed as I write this.  He has been Faithful to His promise to never leave me or forsake me.  He has bathed me in His Son’s Perfect Love which makes my fleece as white as snow.  For as long as God has existed, He has always Seen me and  Loved me with the same Love that He has for His Son and His Spirit. . .only and always Loveable.

My sweet Lily made me a get-well card and naturally gave me some Lilies and Roses freshly picked from His Garden.  I asked her to read the Words on the card for me.  “Go ahead Love.”

     “The God of all Grace, WHO called you by name to become His Child. . .after you have suffered a little while, He Himself will make you perfect, establish you, strengthen you and totally settle your heart.  He will give you Perfect Peace. . .He will make Himself your Present Reality.” 1Peter 5:10

WHO knew what kind of trouble His silly sheep would get into.  He makes all things serve them.  He prepares them for His Mercy and Grace.  .  .and His unconditional Love.   He makes sure that all things work for their good.  He makes doubly sure that when they are weak, He is Strong in them.  Behold what manner of Love the Father has given to the sheep of His fold.

    WHO knew.  He always knew.  .  .that His Love Never Fails

It’s an open HA (Humans Anonymous) meeting today.  The regulars are encouraged to invite family and friends who might be interested in lying down in green pastures or resting beside still waters.  I just saw My Lily come in with her friend Bart.  He was born blind and requires continuous  help in navigating around in the world.  Lily always holds him firmly by the hand and gently leads him to his destination.  We usually have guest speakers at the open meetings.  We asked Bart to share his story with us.  Lily has brought him up to the speaker’s podium.  He’s asked her to stay there with him.  “We’re all open ears, Bart.”

“My name is Bartimaeus.  When my mom was pregnant, she heard a Voice in a dream one night that whispered my name to her.  My friends call me Bart.  I have never seen light.  I have always lived in darkness.  My parents have tried everything possible  to enable me to see.  I’ve had multiple surgeries, countless therapies, endless consultations, daily visits to the healing centers. . .but nothing has helped. 

The only hope that I have, comes from a bedtime story that my mom and dad would read to me to help me fall asleep.  I wanted to share my hope with you, so I asked Lily to read the story to you.

       “Once upon a time, Jesus was traveling to the town of Jericho with His friends and there was a blind sheep named Bartimaeus, sitting along the roadside, bleating for help. His wooly coat had become blackened.  He was hungry and thirsty.  Every day he had to beg for food and water. He felt so sad and lonely.

He could hear the crowd of people coming down the road and someone shouted out that Jesus was with them.  So Bartimaeus started crying out, ‘Jesus please help me.’  Others in the crowd told him to stop bothering Jesus with his begging, but it just made him cry out all the more.  Jesus was his last resort.

Jesus stopped and asked the others to bring the little blind sheep over to Him.  They held him by the hand and said, ‘Be hopeful, the Healer has called you to Him.’  Jesus put His arm around him and said, ‘What do you need me to do for you?’  Bartimaeus told Him that he wanted eyes to see.

Jesus said to him, “I knew you before time, Bart.  This moment was destined to happen.  I have always known that we would meet along this roadside.  My Father arranged all of this for you so that I could Love you and give you eyes that can see.”  Then Jesus kissed him on the forehead and immediately Bartimaeus’ sight was restored. . .and at first, all he could see was Jesus.   From that day on, the Lord took him by the hand and never let go.”

There isn’t a dry eye at the meeting right now.  One of the colt’s of a wild ass has just raised his hand.  He’s our historian and loves to research the origin and meaning of the names of the sheep.  “Yes, Love?”‘

“Bart’s name comes from the Greek language and means, ‘a son of God;  a colt;  very fruitful;  mighty;  an appointed one; one who is predestined to receive eyes that see and ears that hear. . .and wings to fly.”  Lily is holding Bart in her arms and he is sobbing.  He’s trying to say something to her. . .

    “I have been dealing with an issue about visitation with my son.  I have written a note to his mom, the best that I could in the dark.  I said, ‘You don’t trust me.  I don’t trust you. . .I go into shutdown, knowing that working with you on this will be an impossibility.  Knowing full well that I am automatically the bad guy if I don’t say yes and there is no other option.  . .and it festers and festers. . .you have your side and I have mine.

     I am just now with a tear streaming down my cheek. . .thinking what’s the point unless there is a secret working to bring about something that no one could ever imagine coming from such a Hell as this. . .unless there was something that I could see that I’ve never seen before.”   And then Bart turned to all of us.  His eyes are shining and His voice is full of life. . .

     ” The only thing that I can say that will make this Right -for Aaron- is to say Yes to what you want for him.  I will tell him that I am 100% committed for his sake to make this happen – It will be a priority in my life. . .If this is acceptable, then this might be a first step in establishing some sort of mutual respect that neither you nor me were ever empowered with – it was far beyond both of us.”

There’s a truth hanging on the wall next to the Serenity Prayer.  We all see it when we come and go from the meeting.  It says, “Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound, that saves a sheep like me.  I once was lost, but now I’m found; was blind but now I see.”   We see with wide-open eyes, as if at something Remarkable.   Behold the Lamb of God. . .the Divine Seeing- Eye of the flock.

Freely given.    Freely received.    Free to all the blind ones.

I had a very private experience this morning with one of the eagles who regularly attends the meetings.  I’ve known him since he was a little eaglet.   Until his eye sight improved, he was always running around flapping his wings. . .and crashing into things.  When he was about two months old, he made his maiden flight and soared way over the Rainbow.  His wings are clipped right now and he’s sad.   There are some painful things going on in his life. . .and he feels powerless to do anything about them.    He looked up at me this morning with tears in his eyes  and said, “What’s the point of it all?”

For over twenty-five years I’ve listened to eagles and lilies, to dumbo sheep and firemen, to sailors and donkeys. . .all sharing their grief and despair, their anxieties and fears, their fading hopes and dreams.  Yet, they finally started thinking out loud.   They decided that they could no longer bear the load alone.  Their private thoughts were killing them.  My Lily has been listening and I can tell she wants to say something.  “Go ahead Love.”

“Thinking out loud is a really good thing,” she said.  “Only when thoughts are spoken, can something new happen.         Nothing ever really changed in my own life until my troubling thoughts took wing and flew out of my mouth.  It’s even true with God.  He creates and recreates by openly expressing His thoughts.   He is the Divine Expression.”

     “The Earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep. . .and God said, ‘Let there be light: and there was light. . .and God said, ‘Let the waters and dry land appear, and it was so.  And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass and herb-yielding seed, and the fruit trees. . .and it was so.”

My thoughts just transported me back in time to the summer of 1980. It was a Sunday evening.  I was high on cocaine and  was sitting in the balcony of a church.  My tormenting thoughts had moved me to seek relief by attempting to kill myself, and after the failed attempt. . .I found myself seeking God as a last resort.  This is what I heard the Preacher say that night.

     “When Jesus was going to the town of Jericho a blind man  was sitting along the roadside begging.  And once the blind man knew that it was Jesus who was walking by, he cried out ‘Jesus, have mercy on me.’  And Jesus heard his cry and commanded the others to bring him over next to Him.  Jesus said, ‘What do you want me to do?’  And he said, ‘Lord, that I may receive my sight.’  And Jesus said to him, ‘Receive thy sight,’ and immediately the blind man received his sight.

I went home that night and could see a little glimmer of hope. . .a little light like that from a birthday candle.  For three more weeks I went and listened to the Preacher.  He had much more to say.

     “Jesus said, ‘Go and tell John about those things that you have heard Me speak and what you have seen happen with your own eyes. The blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear and the dead are raised up to life.”

The Preacher was also a Counselor and offered to spend time with anyone who wanted to come in and talk about their problems.  I left the church that evening and His words kept speaking in my ears.  A few weeks later, I made an appointment with him.

It was  Tuesday morning. There I was, sitting in his office, expressing my thoughts and feelings. . .saying to him, with tears in my eyes, “What is the point of it all?”  He talked about his own trials in life and the difficult times he’s been through.  He knew what was going on in my heart.  All of the sheep share a common heart.  That’s the place where they love each other.  Then he shared one more thought with me, almost like he was praying.

     “May the very God of Peace fill you with Life wholly and preserve your spirit and soul and body. . .and make you blameless.”

In the original Greek language of the New Testament, the word wholly means, “complete to the end, i.e. make                absolutely perfect;  throughout the whole course of events;  to set out for a definite point or goal;  hitting the point aimed at with a certainty of its accomplishment.”  A definite point.  A certain target aimed at.  Hitting the target-point with precision and Divine Certainty.  What is the Point?  God thinks it out loud.  His attitude towards you determines your attitude in life.

     “I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord.  Thoughts of Peace and never of evil or harm.  Thoughts that I speak into existence, always perfectly hitting the point that I aim at. . .promising Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Mercy, Forgiveness, Power, Faith, Self-control.  I  never miss the mark.  I always make My point.”  Jeremiah 29:11

Freely given to all aspiring eagles.  Freely received by those without strength.  Free, Love

My Lily is at the door today, collecting Valentines from the Dumbo sheep and the eagles, all the sailors and firemen and the little donkeys and glowworms.  She’s going to hand them out a little later.  All the sheep are here today.  They love Valentine’s Day.

We always make it a rule to exchange Valentine cards with everyone who attends the meetings.  My Lily loves  to decorate the room with fresh cut Flowers whenever there is a Special occasion.   They just fill the air with His Fragrance.  She went to her hiding place this morning in the valley and picked Beautiful Lilies  and Roses.  The Dumbo sheep and the eagles have flown up to the ceiling and have hung banners and streamers.

“I am the Rose of Sharon and the Lily of the Valleys. . .My scent is heavenly and My Fruit is sweet to your taste.  I have called you by My name.  You are Mine.   I have brought you to My banqueting house and the banner hung over you says, Eternal Love.”                                 

When I was in third grade, there was a girl in my class who I was smitten with.  The teacher had instructed us to bring a Valentine’s Day card for everyone, so that no one felt left out or rejected.  I had picked out the most special one and gave that one to her.  Since I’ve been attending these meetings, I have grown to love My Lily in a different way than I have ever loved anyone else.  So when I came in today, I handed her a special card with Words of Life.  She wants to share them with you.  “Go ahead, Love.” 

     “I have Loved you with an Eternal and Everlasting Love and with Loving kindness I will draw you to Me.  I WILL build you up again little lamb and you WILL be rebuilt, O virgin Lilies.  In My Eternal Heart, you have always resembled My Son. . .the pure, spotless and sinless Lamb of God, Who covers you with His perfectly  White Wool.”

When only God existed in eternity before time;   when only the Father and the Son, and the Holy Spirit were Loving each other in the Banqueting House. . .Each one already knew all of Their special Valentines.

The Father was Loving each lamb by choosing them as His flock as they waited in His Eternal womb to be born in time.  The Son was Loving them by His willingness to stand before the Judge and accept the guilty verdict for them and to pay the sentence of death.  The Spirit was Loving them by knowing that He would bring the Life of the Son into their souls and make His life their own personal Reality.  This is Eternal Love.

Lily is handing out the Valentine’s Day cards now.  One that the fireman received says, “When you walk through the       fires, you will not be burned.  Only the ropes that bind you to your troubles will be set ablaze and you will be free.”  The sailor man is reading one of his out loud. “When you walk through the waters of trials, when you pass through the rivers of fears. . .I will be with you and you will not drown.”  The dumbos sheep and the eagles got the same one.  It says, “Those who hope in the Lord, will renew their strength.  They will soar on wings, like eagles.”

That little newbie colt of the wild ass who came today with a group of glowworms got this one. “His Love actually picked you out for Himself as  His children, all carrying the family resemblance of His Son.  He destined you to be adopted as His own, carrying His name. . .inheriting all of His riches.” 

Divine Love on Valentine’s Day.  Freely given.   Freely Received.  Free, Love.