Getting Connected

I had a list of phone calls to make this morning: car service station, insurance company, power company and the photo processing firm to ask if they had lost my photos, just to mention a few. All in all it took over an hour and wasn't very productive.

One of the calls went something like this: dial and followed instructions - press star key - listen - press 2 - listen - press 1 - "I'm sorry but our advisors are very busy today" - and even later, "we really value your call" and "thank you for your patience"and "why not use the internet?" and finally, after 16 minutes, just as I was about to give up, I got through to a human.

I was so overwhelmed that I struggled to answer her opening question. I tried to put my case, but had difficulty getting answers to my two questions. The operator was very much on the defensive, very efficient in an assertive way. She had all the facts on her screen, but the trouble was that her agenda was different to mine. We were just not compatible, we weren't in tune. She doggedly seemed to refuse to get my point, although did agree to get someone to look into something for me. I chalked it up as half-solved. After all it wasn't all her fault, as I was left with just a niggle, that I could have handled it better?

Now we have a God, whose not a call centre operator, but the CEO who is always on the line, always available and gives us His full attention. He is never too busy and will never hang up on us. We don't have to wait for a connection as we have a hot line straight through. He is just longing to hear what we have to say. In fact He knows what we are going to say before we speak. He looks right into our heart and knows our thoughts and what is going on in there, but He waits for us to express those heart desires in words. The trouble is, he often has to wait a long time, so it's a good thing his patience is endless.

So how do I score? Do I stay connected throughout the day and include Him in everything, or do I trot out my shopping list of prayers and requests and then get on with my life, the way I want to. Do I listen, really listen to my Father? If I really care how my Father feels and thinks, I will give time to connect, heart to Heart. Now there's real powerful connecting!

"From his palace he hears my call; my cry brings me right into his presence -- a private audience!" Psalm 18:6 The Message Bible

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My Father is the Gardener

My father's middle name was Gardener, and true to his name he was never happier than when he was in his kitchen garden.

As a boy, I loved watching him lovingly prepare the soil, mix in the compost and fertilizer and sow the seeds. It almost seemed like he imagined a full grown plant, as he popped each seed into the seedbed. I sensed that he was at peace as he worked with fork and rake or tended his peas and beans. He taught me the names of each variety and how some were grown for size and some for taste.

We also had a few fruit trees and he showed me how to prune them, so that they would flourish in the coming season. When the blossom came he sprayed them and inspected the branches to make sure they were free from infection. Sometimes there was so much fruit he had to prop the branches to prevent them from breaking under the weight. After his family of course, his fruit and vegetables were his pride and joy. He cared for them almost like they were his children.

He even gave me a small plot to grow quick-growing salad things. The trouble was, I would get impatient and each day I pulled up a few radishes to see if they were ready. I caught from him the satisfaction of growing our own food.

When we make a home for Jesus Christ in our hearts and cling to Him, we have the absolute security in knowing that we are in Father's total care. Our Father the Gardener knows exactly what we need to flourish and makes every provision for us. All the resources of heaven are made available to us. As we feed upon His Word and rest in Him we grow effortlessly and bear 'fruit' that spills out to benefit others.

"I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener." John 15:1 New International Version

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Things Are Not What They Seem

My computer works on MS Windows and so the word processing software is WYSIWYG or "What You See Is What You Get." Unfortunately this is not always so in real life!

I descended our forty steps yesterday to collect our post from the box. There was a pile of junk mail, but there was just one that caught my attention. The tinted envelope was addressed personally in impressive handwriting; my spirits rose with anticipation. Someone wants me? I couldn't wait and tore it open, only to have my hopes dashed, as it was only a business reminder! The inside didn't live up to the outside appearance.

A few weeks ago, when I was recovering from the 'flu and a few other things I won't go into, someone remarked in passing, how well I looked. The truth was that I was far from well inside. I thanked the person and we went our different ways. You could say that they just did not notice the telltale signs of the bags under my eyes or alternatively, they could have enquired how I was?

I have heard it said about other men, "Oh he is such a nice man!" Now, I want to have all the attributes of a good gentle kind Christian, but I want to be "God's man!" By that I mean, I want to be in tune with Father, be bold and courageous, act with integrity, openness and honesty and speak the truth in love. That does not always come over as being 'nice' and may even upset some. Becoming God's man is a process and I am on the way. Also, sometimes I may appear on the outside as 'nice,' but some of the thoughts I have inside from time to time are not something to be proud of. God, of course, is not fooled, He sees me as I really am and that is a challenge in itself!

So beware! All is not as it seems. We need to accept one another in love, but don't judge by appearances. Next time you meet someone, don't be taken in by their ravishing confident looks and soft flattering speech. Be discerning and be aware that they are still on the way and maybe are going through inner turmoil and having a hard time. And if you are asked to join with some venture or endeavour, pause for a while and try to see the situation from God's perspective before you answer.

"But the LORD said to him, "Pay no attention to how tall and handsome he is. I have rejected him, because I do not judge as people judge. They look at the outward appearance, but I look at the heart." 1 Samuel 16:7 Good News Bible

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Establishing Our Hearts in Love

My father's middle name was Gardener and he lived up to his name. When I was a boy I loved watching him in the garden. I was fascinated by the whole process of growing vegetables and impatient to see results, so inspected daily for signs of growth. He showed me how to grow the biggest and sweetest marrows by threading wool through the stem and leading it into a jar of sugar and water. The plant fed on this syrupy goodness - I think they call it capillary attraction - and the marrow swelled up until it was ripe for picking. I would proudly carry it inside to my mother who stuffed it and baked it the oven.

God's love for us is bottomless, limitless, it can't be any greater, but we need to open ourselves to Him to receive. Not a mental assent to a spiritual truth, but an experience of His love deep within our hearts. As we spend regular time feeding on His love, our heart swells and we become increasingly aware of God's Presence. When the going gets tough we then have a well of heavenly resource that we can draw upon and have the confidence that Father will see us through.

I have found out to my cost that it is imperative to give priority to this abiding rather than leave it until trouble comes.

"And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God." Ephesians 3:17-19 New International Version

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Opening our Eyes

“.. having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints ...” (Ephesians 1:18 ESV)

Our living room window was damaged in the severe storms this year. The intense shaking caused the seal between the two sheets of glass to break. This resulted in condensation building up and flowing down like large streaks of tears. It became so bad that it was like trying to see through a fog. It couldn’t be cleaned because all the mess was on the inside. We just had to endure it all winter, until the expert repair firm finally came to replace the whole unit.

It was a difficult job requiring very careful planning. Once the massive new pane was installed however, we were amazed at the view that was opened up. It had been there all the time, except we couldn’t see it. The beauty of the lush green growth on the hill opposite and the panoramic vista of the ocean were a delight to behold.

This reminds me how it can be for us sometimes. We may keep Jesus out of a certain area of our life, either through fear or some other reason. The problem is it keeps us from living to our full potential and blurs our spiritual vision. When we allow Jesus into those hidden areas He wipes away the tears, cleans away the grime and lifts off the shame. The result is our vision is cleared and we see things from God’s perspective. We see Jesus.

It’s life-changing.

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