Planning Ahead

My business partner, Stan, and I do a lot of planning. We try to have a staff meeting every week and plan our marketing and production schedules for the upcoming week and month. Especially now, at this time of year, we look ahead and try to formulate a plan of action, a strategy, for the coming year.

But, by golly, it never fails...life never turns out how you plan. So, these past two years we've learned to plan, yes, but also do it on our knees all the while constantly asking the Lord for His provision and guidance.

Take Joseph. He had plans. He was engaged to a lovely girl. Then she gets pregnant, tells him it's God's baby (ya right!), and then an angel comes and tells him to marry her anyway. So they go to Bethleham and live for two years. It's looking like they may settle there. Then God tells him to flee to Egypt. The least favorite place an Israelite would want to go. After his ancestors spent 400 years of slavery and bondage there. Now, how in the world was he going to survive there and care for his family? They weren't wealthy...how were they going to travel that long distance and settle there with the little money they had?

So, then these Wise Men show up. Hmmm...out of the blue. One day Mary's probably sweeping the floor or maybe making bread, Joseph's off working on a carpentry job...there's a commotion outside, a knock at the door...and all of a sudden Mary and Joseph have "provision." Gold. Frankincense. Myrrh. What are they going to do with all this wealth?

Ah, then Joseph has the dream and is told to flee to Egypt.

So, let's take a look at this. These three Wise Men, these Astrologers, saw The Star at the time Jesus was born. It took them two years to find their way to Jesus. So, God knew His Son needed help and would be in danger from Herod two years before it happened. He knew this little family would need provision long before they had even an inkling that there would be a need in their lives. God set in motion His provision for this family two years before the need came to fruition. Actually, if you think about it, God set the foundations of the universe in motion so that this particular "star" would appear at that precise moment so these astrologers would see it and know it was the star announcing the arrival of a King as told in their prophesies.

So, I'm thinking God plans His provision long before I have the need.
And, I'm thinking God schedules His provision in time to my need.

God knew how Herod would react to the news of a King arriving on the scene. And, these Wise Men arrived at the precise time Mary and Joseph needed to get the heck out of Dodge and needed provision to do it.

My Pastor talked about this last Sunday. God's timing in providing us provision at just the right moment and in His time. Pastor Mark said, "I sure wish He'd show up early,so I wouldn't have to fight the devil, my emotions and my panic." Boy, isn't that the truth.

In this time of reflecting on the past year and PLANNING for the year ahead...be encouraged, be assured, that God knows well in advance what your needs will be and when you will have them. He has set in motion NOW just the right provision for you, arriving at just the perfect time, when you need it most.

God's DayTimer rocks!

Thought: If you've been on your knees a lot lately because of the bottom dropping out of your retirement account or you're struggling to make that car or house payment...don't think your recent prayers are the first God has known about your needs. He knew this bad economy was going to happen and knew you would need provision. Now, surely He wants you to come to Him in prayer and to "participate" in the workings of His provision. But, don't think He's just now figuring out that you need help. Help/Provision is on the way! Trust. Trust. Trust.

Another thought: Joseph had to take his family to a place he probably did not really want to go...Egypt. Do you, perhaps, have to "go" somewhere you don't necessarily want to go in order to be blessed?

G3 CHRISTMAS LUNCHEON 2008

A BIG thank you to Joanne for hosting our wonderful luncheon. Her home was beautifully decorated and the table was set with her best china. It was a lovely spread, and we all felt like Queens! Thank you, Joanne, for providing such a wonderful "oasis" for us.

Looking forward to next year's gathering in the first quarter of '09.

Stopping at Repentance

Once I made a new friend. We hit it off right away. We found we had a lot to talk about, laughed a lot together and wanted to spend time with each other. Our relationship progressed as we got to know each other better.

But then a curious thing happened. Our relationship hit an impasse. I was ready to take the relationship to the next level of friendship...an intimacy reserved for only the very best friends. She seemed very eager to take the relationship to that level. In fact, I had girlfriends who told me that was her desire...to be one of my best friends. But, the more steps I took in giving of myself, opening myself up and sharing my heart...she just wouldn't take those steps, too.

I kept trying, kept putting myself out there...but she wouldn't join me in that intimate relationship. Not sure what she was afraid of, but finally with great frustration I gave up. And, thus, the relationship faded. We still see each other on ocassion, but it is a very superficial relationship.

I see a lot of friends who seem to be stuck at a similar impasse in their relationship with the Lord. Their conversion experience may have been a beautiful, powerful moment in their lives or it could have been a simple, quiet experience as a child...but then it seems they stopped there.

I myself was stuck there for most of my 30s & early 40s. After we're born again or after we re-commit our hearts to the Lord we try the best we can to live differently, respond to life's challenges differently, to share Christ's love with others. Perhaps some of us jump into church activities with great gusto, we volunteer at the shelter, give out meals to the homeless, host a small group...

...then it is like we reach a plateau--we're coasting pretty good with this "relationship" we've developed over the years with God. We settle into our lives, get up every day, stumbling to the coffee pot, struggle with the kids to get out of bed and off to school, fight with traffic getting into the office, stress over work, rush home to get Suzy and Billy to soccer and music lessons, fix the best meal you can muster for dinner, homework, laundry, struggle with the kids to go to bed, fall into bed yourself, say a quick prayer, and do it all over again the next day.

And...there deep within us we sense that the Savior keeps knocking. It reminds me of that lovely image that we've all seen--of Christ knocking at the door of a heart. You know, it isn't just the door of the unbeliever's heart.

It is for those of us who let Him in once--but then shut him out of the inner, intimate rooms of our hearts/lives.

Why do we stop our relationship with Him at repentance?

The intimacy Christ so desires--many seem to avoid. He keeps knocking and we keep ignoring Him. We hold on tight to the "safe," comfortable place we've created for ourselves and we just as soon Christ would be happy with that place we've chosen to root ourselves in.

But, He keeps knocking. He is the lover of our souls. His love is so extravagant, so over the top! It is frightening. Why can't we radically open our hearts to this Love and to true "relationship" with Him? A radical, no-holds-barred kind of relationship?

What happened to the passion we felt when we first repented or re-committed our lives to Him? Did we think this whole Christian thing--this "accepting" Christ--was just about receiving eternal life? Securing your place in Heaven? Avoiding the terrible, horrific lake of fire?

No dear one--I'm discovering it is about "relationship." It's about intimacy. It's about God's overwhelming desire to have passionate, radical intimacy with each one of us. He had that once...

...a long time ago in a beautiful garden.

And, He has gone to great lengths to provide a way to have that relationship with us again.

Don't be afraid. Don't wake up one day late in your life and realize you've lived your entire life stuck at the moment of repentance. As we celebrate this season, take the radical step of opening your heart to Immanuel--"God with us (you)" and live at a higher level of relationship with your God.