Walking in the Garden with God

By Lydia B. Miller

Our Walk with the Lord begins when we take our first step in faith by believing that Jesus is who he says he is. Thereafter, day after day, we willingly take up our cross and attempt to follow in his footsteps, finding out all too soon that “The Way” is not easy.

Some will not understand our belief in the “invisible God.” They will consider us fools and secretly despise us for claiming to see what they cannot. While they may be blind to his presence, we see God everywhere, and in everything.

Ours is a life-long spiritual journey which tests our strength, courage, faith, and convictions. While it may seem that we are walking alone, we are not. The Lord is always with us. Look around my friends…there are other Believers, each walking at their own pace…some far ahead, while others trail behind. Occasionally, someone comes along who falls into step and walks the long road with us. Know that they have been intentionally sent by God to pick us up when we stumble and fall, get lost, or become discouraged. We need their uplifting prayers, encouragement, and testimonies of faith, to remind us never to give up hope.

This book is about my walk with The Lord. However, I believe the sentiments expressed are not mine alone, but universal to Christians everywhere. It is my hope that the words God has given me, will also minister to you as you walk your walk.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Balboa Press
• Release date: Apr 23, 2023
• ISBN: 9798765240854

Lydia B. Miller

Lydia B. Miller is a Christian author living in Laguna Niguel, California with her husband, Roger, and cat, Griff. LIKE THAT OLD MAN RIVER is her second book, following ALMOST HEAVEN, which was published in 2016.

Book preview

CONTENTS

1)Walking In The Garden With God

2)Landscapes

3)What We Sometimes Forget

4)Give Flowers To The Living

5)My Shepherd

6)The White Cat

7)Hiding In Pain Sight

8)Having A Heart Like Jesus

9)He Came As A Servant

10)The Hallway Of Doors

11)Taking Up Your Cross

12)One True Love

13)Looking For Lost Souls To Save

14)Gone From View

15)Super Heroes

16)Missing You

17)The Circus

18)Creation

19)Awakening

20)Happiness

21)The Garden Of Gethsemane

22)If Only I Had Known

23)Sin

24)Vessels

25)Hungry

26)Beggars

27)Who Am I?

28)In His Image

29)Hell

30)To Remember Me

31)To Remember Me Story

32)Jean’s Purpose

33)A Pivotal Moment In Time

34)Ernest Dale

35)The Gold Nugget Watch

36)Repurposed

37)Love Thy Neighbor

38)The Farmer And The Snake

39)Ambassador Of God

40)Toby, The Turtle

41)Antique Photographs

42)Traveling In The Wrong Direction

43)Get Ready

44)Make Room For God

45)The King’s Invitation

46)Transformation

47)Landmines

48)Fears And Phobias

49)The Magic Of Christmas

50)Home

51)There’s No Place Like Home

52)Life As A Movie

53)My First Christmas

54)Daddy

55)History

56)Like The Father

57)Paying Respect

58)Treasure Hunting

59)The Messenger

60)Just Go!

61)Only God Can Judge

62)Chosen

63)The Butterfly In All Of Us

64)When I Think Of Home

65)Questioning Why?

66)When Work And Worship Collide

67)My Super Human Mother

68)The First Sin

69)Road Trips

70)The Weather

71)The Love Of Writing

72)Procrastination

73)Storms

74)Noah And The Flood

75)Spring Cleaning

76)Childhood Days

77)The Gift Of Life

78)Under Construction

79)Taste Buds

80)Firsts

81)The Talk

82)This Little Light

83)Focus

84)Aligning With God

85)Planting Seeds

86)The Power Of Prayer

87)When The Worst That Can Happen, Happens

88)Be The Hero

89)The Last Days

90)Reaching Maturity

91)Your Legacy

92)Until You Get It Right

93)Those Who Hear The Music

94)Practice What You Preach

95)Respect Everyone’s Journey

96)The Golden Years

97)The Only Opinion That Matters

98)Taking A Trip In My Mind

99)Don’t Bring Sin Home

100)The Darkest Night

101)Rebel Without A Cause

102)A Lesson In Humility

103)Easter

104)The Road Paved With Good Intentions

105)Dance Like No One’s Watching

106)Out Of My Comfort Zone

107)Tombstones And Epitaphs

108)Takin’ The Scenic Route

109)Coloring Inside The Lines

110)I See Dead People

111)Circle The Wagons

112)The Black Sheep

113)Mama

114)What Can You Tell Me About God?

115)The Golden Age Of Television

116)Bucket List

117)My Reflection

118)Forever Young

119)Trust In God

120)The Voice Of God

121)Sins Of The World

122)What I’ve Learned From Griff

123)God’s Waiting Room

124)Go Deep

125)Who Am I?

126)Adrift

127)Threads Of Light And Love

128)Pain

129)Little Orange Butterfly

130)The Soup

131)No Man Is An Island

132)The Valley Of The Shadow Of Death

133)Does God Talk To You

134)The Loss Of Innocence

135)God Sent His Son

136)Ghost Town

137)Morning Song

138)Talking To God

139)The Keeper Of The Memories

140)Spring

141)There Can Be No Heaven

142)Joyous Childhood

143)I Choose You, Lord

144)Thank You, God

145)Healing The Broken Pieces

146)When I Wake Up In Heaven

147)God Is A Fact

148)A State Of Joy

149)Preparation

150)You Are Enough

151)Heavenly Sandpaper

152)The Enemy Within

153)Growing Better With Age

154)The Road Ahead

155)Advice To My 20 Something Year-Old Self

156)A New Creation In Christ

157)On The Road To Jerusalem

158)The Language Of God

159)God’s Plan

160)Questions And Answers

161)A Christ-Filled Life

162)Add-A-Pearl Necklace

163)Things I’m Never Going To Do List

164)Mistakes

165)When Your Ship Sinks

166)Learning To Obey

167)Sea Glass

168)Learning To Drive

169)Family Reunion

170)Elvis

171)A Whole Lot Of Jesus

172)Tarzan

173)It Matters Who You Choose To Follow

174)God Knows You Exist

175)Mysteries

176)I Work For God

177)Long-Suffering

178)Living By The Rules

179)Go With The Flow

180)Becoming

181)North Star

182)Umbilical Cord

183)Grief

184)The Lottery

185)70 X 7

186)After Easter

About The Author

WALKING IN THE GARDEN WITH GOD

My prayer garden is a quiet sanctuary…a safe refuge tucked away from the eyes of the rest of the world and surrounded by statues of angels and saints, and adorned with wind-chimes and other garden treasures hidden among the foliage. In recent years it has been chosen by white doves who have honored me by making their nests high up on the flowering wall of jasmine which grows on one side of my little hide-away, and as of a few days ago, a tiny hummingbird has chosen to make its home there as well.

A glider in my prayer garden provides a comfy place to sit and read the Bible, or just meditate and pray. It is an ambient place…a place where lovely fragrances, colorful flowers, soft, dappled sunlight, the tinkling of wind-chimes, and God’s presence converge to create a peaceful sanctuary.

When tending to my garden, I invite God to join me…and he does. Maybe it is my imagination, but it seems as though whenever I call on him, he always sends a soft, gentle breeze to rock the wind-chimes to let me know he is there. I listen for his voice to whisper spiritual truths in my ear and reveal light where there once was darkness. Sitting on my little green stool as I work, I can only imagine how the apostles must have felt sitting at the feet of Jesus, both humble and eager to learn, knowing that they were learning the ways of God from the Master himself.

I remember one day when I was pruning a large potted geranium. Lifting each heavy-laden branch, I saw that there were ugly dead leaves on the underside that needed to be removed. As I began removing the decay, I began to have a glimmer of understanding of the depth of God’s love for us. I began to picture the whole earth as his garden, and we, his beautiful flowers. I could see that in his perfect wisdom, he looks past our surface beauty to see what lies underneath. When he finds sin growing in the fertile soil of our hearts, he knows that unless it is rooted out, spiritual decay will take over, keeping us from maturing and reaching our full potential.

Just as I spend time in my sacred garden every day…God spends time with us. We are planted with purpose, then examined daily, pruned, and watered according to our individual needs. While I delight in nurturing and caring for the flowers in my Prayer Garden, so too does God love nurturing and caring for me. Oh, how wonderful it is to be loved and cultivated by him!

Spring - 2007

LANDSCAPES

We are all teachers and we are all students of life…both being of equal value. Learn all you can from those you encounter, regardless of what their station in life may be. Even though you will meet some who have walked the same well-traveled roads as you while making their way through life…their experiences and the interpretation of same may not necessarily mirror your own. Welcome those who have returned from places few wish to visit, or even know to exist…for these people forage for hidden and undiscovered truths. The hardships they have suffered and overcome are victories of the soul, and much can be learned from their tears and pain.

Do not lock away your life experiences in the vault of your heart for safekeeping. It is true that each is a priceless treasure…but do not hoard, hide, or protect them as such. Open your heart and share the wealth you have accumulated indiscriminately with others, for not only is life a rich and exciting adventure…it is an education as well. What you learn and the knowledge you accumulate, also becomes your responsibility to teach and share with those who seek the wisdom you possess.

Whether you realize it or not…everyone you meet, whether they become your best friend, worst enemy, or only a stranger you barely acknowledge as you pass on the street…leaves an impression on your soul. The impression made may have tremendous impact…its significance forever altering your life direction…or it could be so subtle, that the memory of its existence has disappeared from your consciousness. However, just as the wind blows across the desert scattering and obliterating footsteps left behind of those who have passed through its great expanse…the soul of the desert remembers that they once were there. So too does your soul remember and record the imprints left behind of all those who have journeyed across your landscape.

Fall – 2000

WHAT WE SOMETIMES FORGET

What we sometimes forget is that everything belongs to God, and that there is nothing in the universe which was not made by him. We propagate and then think that the children we produce are our creations…but they are not. Like every living thing, we are all creations of God, fashioned from stardust and clay and the desire of his heart.

What we sometimes forget is that in the beginning there was nothing but a void, and that it was the voice of God which broke the barrier of darkness and spoke the universe into existence. He gave light and substance to the newly created heaven and earth, and filled them with diverse examples of his genius. Everything was well thought out and had a purpose for being.

What we sometimes forget is that our creator gives us free will to create our own paradise. However, many do not realize that the ability to create is not found in the works of our hands, but in the tongue. Just as God spoke the universe into existence, we have the power to speak into existence the world that we want to live in…and give it light and substance. The spoken word can offer comfort, encouragement, hope, and healing to others. Words can move mountains, sing God’s praises, and testify to a life lived for Christ. Words can minister to the downtrodden, extend lifelines, pray for miracles, and ask for mercy and forgiveness. There is no limit to the amount of good will that can be created in the world when tongues are guided by loving intentions. In contrast, the tongue can cripple, maim, and poison. It can crush hopes and dreams, destroy lives, kill relationships, and bring down civilizations. Like a sewer, our tongues can spew pessimism, cynicism, negativity, profanity, vulgarity, and blasphemy if uncontrolled. When allowed, careless, thoughtless words can flow like the river of no return, leaving damage and destruction in their wake.

What we sometimes forget is that we will be held accountable for the light we did not share, and every vile, hateful word we uttered, as well as every word not spoken which could have changed a life or saved a soul. Woe be to those who let the opportunity to be a blessing die on the doorstep of indifference.

What we sometimes forget is that God, in his overflowing generosity, blesses everyone with more than one gift as a way of guiding us towards our purpose. Some use their talents and abilities for their own use and enjoyment, while some find joy and meaning in going out of their way to share what they have been given with others for the good and well-being of mankind. There is another group of people...and they are the ones who refuse to acknowledge or appreciate their God-given gifts. They allow them to gather dust in some forgotten corner of their mind, or to rust and slowly decay from neglect. What arrogance! What an insult to God Almighty. Of course, these people do not usually see God in anything, least of all in themselves, therefore never discover the purpose for which they were created.

What we sometimes forget is that we are not promised tomorrow. While we can, we should be storing up treasures for ourselves in heaven. One day we will wither and die, just as the world will someday wither and die, and we will be forced to leave everything behind, whether it be our youth, beauty, fortune, or fame. When the appointed time comes for us to depart our earthly life, there will be no bargaining with God for another day. We are all made from dust, and to the dust we shall return, so we would do well to remember to invest wisely in the spiritual part of us which is eternal while we can.

What we sometimes forget is that we belong to God. Each breath we take…each move we make…each beat of our heart…they are all gifts of love from him.

What we sometimes forget is to humble ourselves and say thank you.

8-9-2007

GIVE FLOWERS TO THE LIVING

If you want to give flowers

Give them now to the living

Do not wait until at the graveside

When there is no joy in the giving…

What difference will it make

Today, tomorrow, or in a hundred years

When words meant to be said are left unspoken

And fall forever silent on deaf ears…

Do not wait to hold the one you love

For someday you will have to let them go

So, while there is time, never grow weary of

Telling them how much you love them so…

Remember, no one is promised tomorrow

For the sun will surely set someday

Love held back is not love

It is only love when it is given away…

So, if you want to give flowers

Give them now to the living

Do not wait until at the graveside

When there is no joy in the giving…

2007

MY SHEPHERD

Jesus, you are my shepherd

I am your sheep

I’ll follow you

Wherever you lead

I will not want

For I know you’ll provide

All that I need

All the days of my life

Through meadows of green

Or snow-covered Alps

Your way is sure

I have no cause to doubt

I will sleep in your arms

While in your care I am safe

Knowing you will keep watch

Til dawns morning light breaks

Should I stray or become lost

Should all hope seem to fade

I will hear your voice whisper

Be not afraid

Then through the darkness you’ll come

Faithful love on your face

And welcome me home

With tender mercy and grace

Jesus, you are my shepherd

I am your sheep

I’ll follow you

Wherever you lead

Please love me and keep me

Is all that I pray

Jesus, you are my shepherd

You lead the way…

2007

THE WHITE CAT

Many years ago, I was born again and became a baby Christian. I remember it well, as I came out of the water on fire for the Lord. Looking back, I can see that I was a little overzealous. I was so in love with the Lord, wanting to shout his name from the rooftops to anyone who would listen. I went over in my mind all the types of missions I would do and what my ministry would look like, not realizing at the time that the Come to Jesus bus I was driving was being fueled by my ego. Like many new Christians, I wanted the Lord to take notice of me…wanted him to see my dedication and devotion as I delivered others to the foot of the cross.

Not long after, God gave me a revelation. His messenger was a white cat who appeared in my Prayer Garden one morning as I was pruning flowers. The cat had round yellow eyes and gave the impression of being an old soul. He kept me company while I worked, and after an hour or so I went back inside. Later I was curious and opened the door to see if the cat was still there, and he was. Actually, he was sitting there on the porch looking up at the front door when I opened it, as though he were waiting for me. I thought about it for a few moments wondering what the cat wanted and then it dawned on me. He was hungry. I hurried inside and came back with water and cat food and then watched as he ate. Once the white cat with the yellow eyes and old soul had drunk and eaten his fill, he left, and I have never seen him since.

Being a person who believes God talks to us if we have spiritual ears to hear him, I began wondering if the presence of the cat was God’s way of trying to tell me something. As it turned out, it was. He revealed to my open heart that not everyone is destined to have a platform capable of reaching millions of people. Not everyone is meant to be a Billy Graham or a Mother Theresa, or a missionary bringing God’s word to a remote tribe in the jungle. Most of us are just everyday people with ordinary lives. He let me know that most ministries are not grandiose…they are comprised of simple acts of kindness towards those who cross our path. If we want to honor God and serve him…just feed those who show up at our door hungry.

8-12-2008

HIDING IN PAIN SIGHT

As a child I loved the magazine called Highlights for Children, which I first discovered while skimming through the magazine selections in the waiting room of my orthodontist. Much to my delight, I soon discovered that inside its covers was pages filled with stories, mazes, corny jokes, riddles, and connect-the-dot pictures. I was particularly drawn to the picture puzzle though…its object being to find the small hidden pictures within the big picture. It seemed to speak the language of my young and adventurous heart, and I found its invitation to take part in a magical treasure hunt much too alluring to resist.

The picture puzzle in each monthly magazine was the ticket my imagination held that bought passage to many faraway and exotic locations. As the world I inhabited became a blur in my peripheral vision, I would soon discover civilizations, climb steep mountains in Tibet, and go on African jungle safaris. These adventures and countless more were at my fingertips and all that was required of me was to leap onto the page and become part of the wonderful, mysterious world of make-believe.

Once I took the leap and found myself in the big picture, I realized that things were not what they had seemed to be when looking from the perspective of my earthly limitations. There were dimensions and colors that I had not noticed before and as my eyes became acclimated to these wonderful new details, I began to see a hidden realm of people, animals, and objects that had not been visible to me just moments before. Rather than feeling small within the borders of this newfound reality, I instinctively knew that the Big Picture and I were one and that neither was complete without the other. With this realization came a soulful longing to stay connected to the source that produced such exquisite joy and contentment.

Highlights for Children was the catalyst through which I learned my first secret about God, and that is that he IS the Big Picture. Looking back, I see the loving heart of God who first sought me out and made my discovery of him simple enough so that even as a little child I could find him hiding in plain sight. He gave me a preview of a far superior world that exists where the invisible can be visible and the impossible can be possible if you are willing to trust in him and make that leap of faith.

Unfortunately, in the process of growing up, my focus turned inward…and it would be many years before I rediscovered God. At some point I had let my voice and the voice of the world drown out his sweet invitation to fly to the invisible places of my heart…and from there it was only a matter of time before I stopped looking for him altogether and became blind to his presence. Copious tears fell like blinding rain when at last I realized that he had never stopped loving or seeking me out, even though I had broken his heart and abandoned him. Looking back, I can see that he was at every corner and crossroad of my life, trying in vain to get my attention. I was like Wendy in the story of Peter Pan, in that when he came back for me, I had grown up and forgotten that I once knew how to fly.

With my hand in God’s, I am once again that child of long ago filled with innocent wonder…flying somewhere between the shores of earth and eternity, through time and space, the visible and invisible, and the possible and impossible. No longer is God hiding in plain sight…he is with me everywhere I go.

9-14-2008

HAVING A HEART LIKE JESUS

Many years ago, I was sitting in a waiting room at UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles while my husband, Roger, was receiving radiation treatment for cancer. He was about halfway through his nine-week ordeal and by then we had both settled into the daily routine. As I did every morning, I brought something with me to read, hoping to catch up on some reading from the stack of books that had collected on my desk at home. On that particular morning I was reading the book Just Like Jesus (Learning to Have a Heart Like His), by one of my favorite authors, Max Lucado. I was totally engrossed in a chapter called The Touch of God (The Compassionate Heart), which was an embellishment of the brief story of the leper in Matthew 8 of the Bible.

Max’s telling of the story went something like this. Jesus was always surrounded by a crowd, as everyone wanted to be touched by him…for his touch had healing powers. Reading between the lines of the actual accounting, we envision a man who was once happily married with a daughter…working and going about his life like any other ordinary man. Then, one day he was struck with horror when he saw signs of leprosy on his body. He hoped against all hope that it was not true, but when the obvious became impossible to deny any longer, he sadly kissed his wife and child goodbye and left for the leper colony to live out the rest of his life in exile.

What a sad existence it must have been knowing that he could never touch or be touched by another human being ever again. Not a kiss or an embrace, a handshake, or even a casual slap on the shoulder. I don’t think we ever think about how much we need human touch to express our feelings and that without the ability to engage physically with others, a part of us becomes damaged emotionally and psychologically.

The leper in this story was tortured by thoughts of his family and though he tried to forget them for the sake of his own sanity…he could not. One day, he decided to sneak into his village to try and get one more glimpse of his beloved little daughter. While hiding behind a tree, he saw her and his heart began to ache. He wanted desperately to run over and swoop her up in his arms and kiss her. Just about then he heard excited voices coming his way. It was Jesus…and as always, there was a throng of people following him. He knew this was his chance to be cured of the cruel and painful disease that had ravaged his body…so when the crowd drew near, the leper boldly stepped out from his hiding place. The crowd recoiled and some ran away out of fear or disgust…but not Jesus. Looking into the eyes of the Lord, the leper saw for the first time in many years someone looking back at him with love and compassion…and he felt hope. It was then that he asked Jesus to heal him and the Lord stepped forward and touched the man.

The most beautiful aspect of the story to me is that Jesus could have healed the man from where he stood…he could have just said the words and the leper would have been healed. Instead, he chose to take a step forward and touch the leper…knowing that not all wounds are visible. Jesus healed not only the man’s body, but healed his emotional and psychological wounds as well.

I found the embellishment of the story beautiful and profound. While my mind was hungrily re-reading the words I had just read, I was interrupted by the sound of someone coughing and spitting up phlegm. I looked up for a split second at the person sitting across from me, then quickly resumed reading. When the next round of coughing began, my gaze was once again pulled from the page I was reading. I allowed myself a few seconds to look at the stranger across from me. What I saw was a frail old man sitting slumped over in his chair. He was barefoot and wearing a hospital gown like the other cancer patients waiting for their daily radiation. I noticed that he seemed to be desperately clinging for dear life to what appeared to be a single crumpled Kleenex.

With my curiosity now satisfied, I turned back to my book…but not for long. The coughing resumed and I am ashamed to say that I was beginning to feel a little irritated. Then things got worse. The man began to moan and hold his head with both of his hands. I did a cursory look around the room to see if anyone else noticed, half expecting someone to realize the urgency of the situation and respond, but no one looked in the man’s direction. It was as though he did not exist. My eyes began searching the hallway to see if a nurse or doctor was going to come to his rescue, but it soon became obvious that no one was coming.

It was at that moment that I realized God was testing me to see if my interest was only in reading about Jesus, or did I truly want to be like him. I realized that the stranger before me represented a modern-day leper with those around him seemingly going out of their way to distance themselves. No one wanted to touch or be touched by him. With new insight I saw how Jesus had welcomed the opportunity to walk into situations that caused others to feel uncomfortable. Now, here I was being given the same opportunity to walk in the Lord’s footsteps. All it required of me was to get up out of my chair and take a step forward. I have got to admit, I hesitated at first. Here I was facing a real-life situation, and knowing in my heart what Jesus would do. The question in my mind was …do I want to be like Jesus? I forced myself to stand up, leave my comfort zone and take a step forward…and then another, until I found myself standing by the old man.

I asked how I could help and he feebly answered that he was sick and needed help walking to the clinic where he could lay down. I took him by the arm and helped him stand and then together we walked down the long hallway to the nurse’s station by the clinic. They found a bed for him and once he was comfortable, I went back to the waiting room to sit and wait for my husband to finish his radiation treatment.

Since that day I have found myself looking for lepers. Modern day lepers are everywhere. They are the lost, the lonely, the sick, the elderly, the handicapped, the homeless, etc. Sometimes we notice them, but more often than not, they never come into our scope of vision. We relegate and confine them to someplace far in the background so that we do not have to care. By choosing to be blind to their existence, we can sleep free of guilt…for once we acknowledge their presence it becomes our responsibility and duty to take a step forward to help. I have learned that real compassion is not only in reaching out to those who are like us…but in taking a step forward to help those who make us feel uncomfortable and take us out of our comfort zone.

On that early October morning years ago, I learned that real compassion takes action and am forever grateful that God provided me with the opportunity to grow in the likeness of Christ. Though my mind might have been satisfied with Max Lucado’s telling of the story of the leper…my spirit was enriched so much more by living the story firsthand. The experience forever changed me, and I found that in stepping forward to touch the leper of my story…I was touched and healed as well.

4-7-2009

HE CAME AS A SERVANT

One day I needed a servant

To perform a list of odd jobs and household chores

To knock down cobwebs, take out the trash, and to sweep and mop my dirty floors

No sooner had I made a mental list, when there came a knocking at my door

I answered and before me stood a humble man, I vaguely thought I had seen before

He had kind brown eyes and with a gentle voice, said his name was Jesus Christ

Seemed that years ago he had stopped by my house

Only to be told the timing wasn’t right

While passing through my neighborhood, said he thought he would try once again

Then he bowed his head humbly, and waited patiently for me to acknowledge him

Such perfect timing, I thought to myself, as I happily ushered him in

Though I winced and was a little embarrassed, when he pointed out my stain of sin

It was then that he offered to help me, for the mere price of room and board

And once we were in agreement, he took stock of what had long been ignored

I watched while he rolled up his sleeves, and got to work in a moments time

He began washing away the years of neglect, and the layers of dirt and grime

He polished my virtues and scrubbed my house, all the way down to its foundation

He helped me to plant fruit of the spirit, and bring in a harvest of joy and elation

I watched as he dusted and polished, each gift my Heavenly Father had given me

And after cleaning the window of my soul, I was amazed at how well I could see

He shredded my faults and encouraged me

To discard bad habits and hell-bent ways

And little by little my house began to sparkle and shine

As the transformation began taking place

He smiled as he went from room to room, and there was even a spring in his step

He never seemed to tire of cleaning my house, and I’m not even sure if he slept

He came as a servant looking for work to do

Although quickly become all so much more

I thank Almighty God for the day he sent

Jesus Christ to knock at my heart’s door

He became my confident, advisor, brother, and friend

Changed my heart and opened my eyes

It was only then that I saw the crown on his head

And fell to my knees and began to cry

I promised that someday I’d knock on Heaven’s door

And gladly serve him for mere room and board

And if it took an eternity I’d repay him in kind, but he said he wasn’t keeping score

He smiled as he told me to find others to serve, that it was the same as serving him

And to go knock on the doors of many a heart, and wait to see who invited me in

For the heart of a servant, longs only to please its master

And there is always work to be done

For on earth as it is in heaven

To serve the master is to follow the footsteps of the son

4-7-2009

THE HALLWAY OF DOORS

Imagine life as a series of doors facing out onto a hallway that we awaken to daily. On the front of each door is a placard stating what life experience can be found inside. We are told that admission does not come free and that no two doors lead to the same place. After making our choice, we are surprised to find that in some cases, one door leads to another, or even to a series of doors. We learn quickly that time, our most valuable commodity, is the price we pay in order to learn the lessons behind each door, and that we would be wise to remember that there are no refunds for time spent, nor are there do-overs, should we leave dissatisfied with the experiences we choose.

The price of admission varies, for it is only the person entering who can determine what value a particular experience is worth to them, and how much, or how little they are willing to pay for it. We are allowed to invite others on our journey of discovery however, no two people’s experience will be the same. We are free to choose any of the doors except for the ones with the placards reading Birth and Death which are located at either end of the long hallway. Upon close examination, we find that there is no handle or door knob on the doorway labeled Birth, as it can only be accessed from the other side. As such, once we enter the Hallway of Life through that door, there is no turning back.

The hallway bustles with activity much like a seaside boardwalk. While some of us stroll leisurely, savoring each attraction as it comes, others are hungry and impatient for life experience, and find themselves lured by the urgency of the barker’s voice. All they hear is Step right up and see for yourself! All it costs is a little of your time! Titillated and tantalized by temptation, they push their way through the crowd of people, never noticing the disappointed faces of those exiting the door in which they are in such a hurry to enter. In hindsight, they discover too late that the price they paid was too high.

While some of us find entryways leading to happiness, contentment, fulfillment, and spiritual enlightenment easily, others search for them frantically, paying over and over for life experiences that bring nothing but pain and misery. With their currency of time dwindling, they begin to wonder how long they will be able to afford the price of admission, and if they will ever find what they are looking for.

Eventually, we will find ourselves standing penniless at the last door of the long Hallway of Life. Its placard reads Death. We will see all kinds of people at death’s door. Some will desperately try in vain to buy, borrow, beg, or steal more time, to keep from entering. It is the one door where time has no value and nothing accumulated in the Hallway of Life, whether money, fame, celebrity, or power can be used as currency to exempt us from crossing its threshold.

On the other side of death’s door, The Ledger of Time will be opened and we will be asked to give an accounting as to how we spent the time allotted to us while on earth. Each second, minute, week, month, and year of our lives will be analyzed and entries recorded in either a debit or credit column. The page with our name on it will itemize the price we paid for each experience, and will show a profit or loss as well. It will reveal how many doors we opened leading to self-gratification in comparison to how many doors we opened for others, who otherwise would not have been able to afford the price of entry. I wonder how the sum of our life will balance out when all the entries have been made and The Ledger of Time has been closed.

4-10-2009

TAKING UP YOUR CROSS

I have often heard people talk about the cross they have to bear…but what does that really mean? Having a cross to bear in regards to our Lord is perhaps a distortion of the truth…for what that phrase implies is an unwanted burden that is put upon us without our consent and against our will…robbing us of any future happiness we might otherwise enjoy in our lives.

The truth can be found at the Crossroads, for it is an unavoidable fact that at some point in our lives we will meet and come face to face with Jesus in the spiritual desert of our soul. For over 2,000 years, Jesus and the cross have stood as a familiar and trusted landmark at the intersection of our lives. At the Crossroads, race, religion, gender, political affiliation, accomplishments, or one’s station in life is of no consequence…for all that will matter is a simple yes or no to one direct question that Jesus will ask each of us. The question he will ask is this: Will you take up your cross and follow me? It is a question that does not get any more personal, as it speaks directly to the desire of one’s heart. No one will be able to answer for us…not our family, friends…not even Jesus. When that time comes, there will be no pressure to answer one way or the other, for we have the power to exercise the free agency given us at birth to make our own decision. However, should we reach the age of accountability and die undecided, our answer will be counted as a no…for free agency to choose no longer applies once we cross over the threshold of death. As we contemplate the weight and gravity of the question, we may be tempted to run or hide, hoping that Jesus will forget about us and go away…but he won’t. No matter where we go or how long it takes, Jesus will always find us and bring us back to the question: Will you take up your cross and follow me? Until we are ready to come forward and give an answer, he will continue to wait patiently at the Crossroads.

When the time is right and our faith is mature, we will say Yes, Lord, without the slightest hesitation. We will want more than anything to take up our cross and follow him…and there will be nothing or no one who could keep us from it. Far from bearing our cross…we will openly embrace the opportunity to take it upon ourselves. Please don’t ever get the idea that Jesus will put the weight of the cross on your shoulder…he never has and he never will. We are free to follow him if we choose, but we will have to heft the cross up ourselves. As we plant our feet firmly on the ground and put our shoulder into it, we immediately become aware of the weight of our decision…but then we remember…Jesus carried the weight of the whole world on his.

Though the decision to take up your cross may have felt heavy at first, the cross itself is not an unbearable burden to carry. The only real burden is the material pleasures and physical comforts we attempt to take with us, for it becomes apparent all too soon that we cannot serve both the cross and our selfish desires. On the road to glory we find that feelings of pride, envy, hate, jealousy, lust, power, and greed weigh us down and impede our progress. So, trusting in the Word of God, we begin to discard our ego in favor of the lighter virtues of love, compassion, humility, patience, tolerance, and charity.

If the cross you bear feels oppressive and causes you untold anguish and misery, lay it down, for Jesus never places crushing, crippling burdens on us…it is we who do that to ourselves. Jesus always offers to carry our burdens, for he is all too aware that we are weak and incapable of bearing up under the weight of the world and the cross too.

When we are at the crossroads, Jesus will ask each of us the question…Will you take up your cross and follow me? The key point to remember is that he is not asking you to take up his cross, but are we willing to take up our cross…for he knows that it is humanly impossible for any of us to shoulder the one he carried. His heavy-laden cross bore the sins of the world as he carried it up Calvary Hill to his death. He did it…because he was the only one who could. We were never meant to carry the weight of that cross…yet, so many of us try.

The further along we are with our walk with The Lord, the more we come