Am I lost?

THE LONG AND WINDING ROAD

When the road is long and the scenery doesn´t change,often one can become consumed by a sinking sensation that the road is not going anywhere.

If you have ever made a journey that took you hours across a monotonously, repetitive landscape, there comes a point in that journey where it´s easy to begin to doubt you are actually going anywhere... or that you will EVER arrive!

This usually happens after enduring miles upon miles of long road and unending fields. Along with the boredom you begin to wonder... you begin to doubt..... Is this really the right road? How long is this going to take?

I guess I feel like I´m at that point in my journey of this thing we call life. Things are starting to appear the same around me and I find myself on an interminable, straight stretch in the same direction and doubt if I am actually going anywhere at all.

Doubt is healthy. It tests one's convictions.

In an article entitled "The Long Straight Stretch," written by Joni Ereckson Tada, she says the following:

"Someone once said that the challenge of living is to develope a long obedience in the same direction. When it's demanded, we can rise on occasion and be patient... as long as there are limits. But we balk when patience is required over a long haul. We don´t much like endurance.

Right now you may be in the middle of a long stretch of the same old routine. There are miles behind you and miles to go. You don´t hear any cheers or applause. The days run together-so do the weeks. Your commitment to keep putting one foot in front of the other is starting to falter.

Take a moment and look at the fruit:

Perseverance.
Determination.
Fortitude.
Patience.

Your life is not a boring stretch of highway. It´s a straight line to heaven. And just look at the fields ripening along the way. Look at the tenacity and endurance. Look a the grains of righteousness. You´ll have quite a crop at harvest... so don´t give up!"



These words encouraged me so much this morning on my long and winding road. Even though it feels like I´m getting nowhere... God is doing something, producing something in me. Hey, whoever likes to learn patience? I don´t see anyone ever standing in the "patience" cue, eagerly waiting their lessons!! Let alone the perseverance cue......

Our "instant" society doesn´t place much value on these things does it? Why am I all to eager to bypass these lessons ? Even though I am struggling right now with a feeling of being lost on my long road, I want to believe that God is putting some valuable treasure inside my clay pot!

"Let us not become weary in doing good,
for at the proper time
we will reap a harvest
if we do not give up."
Gal 6:9

In the storm

PRAISE YOU IN THE STORM.

By Mark Hall and Bernie Herms.

(I read this on Gail's blog and I just could Identify so much......)


I was sure by now, God You would have reached down
and wiped our tears away,
stepped in and saved the day.
But once again, I say amen
and it's still raining
as the thunder rolls
I barely hear You whisper through the rain,
"I'm with you"
and as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise
the God who gives and takes away.

Chorus:
And I'll praise you in this storm
and I will lift my hands
for You are who You are
no matter where I am
and every tear I've cried
You hold in your hand
You never left my side
and though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm

I remember when I stumbled in the wind
You heard my cry to You
and raised me up again
my strength is almost gone how can I carry on
if I can't find You
and as the thunder rolls
I barely hear You whisper through the rain
"I'm with you"
and as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise
the God who gives and takes away

Chorus

I lift my eyes unto the hills
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth
I lift my eyes unto the hills
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth

No running water.....

Praise the Lord, O my soul; and FORGET NOT ALL HIS BENEFITS.
Ps 103:2

This week was a reminder to me of this very verse!

Growing up in the western world, it´s easy to take for granted so many things because we have had them all our lives. Take running water for example. Even though the majority of the world does not having the luxury of running water and even less in the comfort of it in their own homes, having water at the ready 24-7 is something that we definitely take for granted.... that I take for granted.

This week we were without water for over 2 days and I had to become creative at showering and washing dishes by heating up water from our pool! I have the luxury of bottled water to cover my thirst so of course, considering the odds, my "suffering" is really not worth the mention. But for my standard of living, it was quite the headache and it required more time to accomplish tasks that normally are done without even thinking!

Isn´t it true that as soon as these comforts are removed, we quickly begin to appreciate what we have?? Just as the old saying goes... "You don´t know what you got until it´s gone!" rings loud and clear doesn´t it?

Naturally, I prayed and asked the Lord would give me water again. Do you know what happened next?

IT RAINED!

We desperately need rain, so naturally the sight of this desired product not only came as a surprize from those colder northern lands, but it WAS NOT the answer that I had expected to my prayer..... I´m like, "God, I don´t want water outside the house but INSIDE!" Maybe praying specifically would have been helpful here!!!!!

Actually I felt that God really spoke to me through this and I had the opportunity of sharing it with some dear friends of mine going through a period of transition.

God often surprizes us when he doesn´t answer our prayers to open specific doors in the way we imagine. You know, those "obvious" prayer needs we have: Lord heal my Mum, provide a job...etc....But often God opens a window instead!

These are the moments when our faith and trust really kick into action.

We stand there somewhat stunned at God´s response to our need and say, "Okay God, that isn´t quite what I had in mind.... cough & choke in disbelief , a few minutes go by to regain control, and then comes the classic question: "What did YOU do THAT for?

Admittedly when it started raining, and we continued without running water, I had to smirk at the irony of it all. I had all the water I wanted outside...but that WASN´T what I needed! Now try and tell me that God doesn´t have a sense of humour!!!!

I was reminded at that point, that so often we ask for things that we think we need, but God in his Love and Wisdom opens a window instead of a door. We usually don´t understand it at the moment BUT it´s always for our best...AND generally is accompanied with the later realization that God´s reply was the best thing for us although at the time it didnt make sense.

In the bible God often challenges the "logic" and "commonsense" of our fragile human nature. The first instance that comes to mind is when God has the Joshua and the people of Israel march around the walls of Jericho in silence and then the walls of this ever so fortified city would come crumbling down to the ground.

Can you begin to imagine Joshua, the military and spiritual leader of the community, explaining this tremendously logical and powerful strategy to attack their enemies and see the walls come tumbling down by silently marching around this city? I can just hear a, "yeah right!" coming from the crowd... I mean really, how illogical can one be? Oh and one mustn´t forget the logic of putting the musicians first... now there´s a arrowhead to lead the nation... a bunch of singers to prepare the way...no military training, no armour... just a few guitars and harps to help those 1 mile think walls come to their knees! (Being a musician... I can say that!!!)

How about the disciples during the storm.... What´s Jesus doing? Is He their calming their concerns, explaining the science of the power of the waves and their distance from the shore so they don´t worry, NO, no, no, Jesus was SLEEPING!

Apparently Jesus is totally oblivious to the goings on, which just totally goes against the grain, like nails going down the chalk board. Our logic cries out in disgust and God encounters it with a completely different dimension, where everything and every law obeys God and the impossible becomes THE POSSIBLE.

God´s sense of humour is seen again and again in the Bible of illogical moments such as when God lets the sun stop still, the Red Sea opens, a donkey talks, an elderly woman gets pregnant...oh man the list is endless.

This reality surrenders us to our knees and we have to acknowledge once again, that God truley is God and His Ways are not our ways and His Thoughts are not our thoughts.....and whatever He does is always WELL DONE!!

Flying Again

The desire to fly is an idea handed down to us by our ancestors who,
in their grueling travels across trackless lands in prehistoric times,
looked enviously on the birds soaring freely through space,
at full speed, above all obstacles, on the infinite highway of the air.
~Wilbur Wright

I couldn´t leave the topic of flight go with just one post.....It´s way to intricate and expanse to be covered with one strike! Needless to say that the explanation of "lift" and the "why" planes fly is complex beyond measure and somewhat outside of my realm of expertise:an area I would rather leave to the experts!

No, outside of my romantic notions of flying biplanes across the plains of Africa, planes are very much a part of my family life. My husband, who works for an airline, assures that the bellies of the aircraft are packed with all shapes and sizes of cargo that travels right underneath the passengers unbeknownst to them.

While the passengers are on their way to exotic destinations to fulfill the vacations of their dreams or on business travels to snatch the deals of their lives..cargo is being transported from here to there to provide the necessary staples of common life every day and we don´t even give it a thought. You would be amazed at "what" is being transported every day under your very nose...or feet or body...whatever and just how much work it takes to organize such transport down to the very last detail.

Outside of my husband´s profession, airplanes and airports represent something deeper.... and that is the possibility to be "incognito" just another "face" in the crowd. At the aiport, every person, passport and country is valid and it doesn´t matter who you are or where your from... if you have a ticket... you can fly! The airport provides a place of "sanctuary" for the person whose parents are from one culture, who grow up in another country and often then move again to another country..... commonly known as the "Third Cultured Kid." My husband is one, my kids are and well I am too to a certain degree one myself!

The whole object of travel is not to set foot on foreign land; it is at last to set foot on one's own country as a foreign land. ~G.K. Chestert

So airports and planes provide for us a place to be "just like the rest." A place where we don´t stand out and a place where the issue of citizenship isn't the bottom line for establishing relationships!

What you've done becomes the judge of what you're going to do
- especially in other people's minds.
When you're traveling, you are what you are right there and then.
People don't have your past to hold against you.
No yesterdays on the road.
~William Least Heat Moon, Blue Highways

So as you can see.... planes are an interesting & inseparable part of our build up....and maybe that´s why I love them so much!

Flying High!

More than anything else the sensation is one of perfect peace
mingled with an excitement that strains every nerve to the utmost,
if you can conceive of such a combination.
~Wilbur Wright

I have always had a fascination for flying, I think it is almost impossible not to! The Law of Gravity being constantly defied distinctly attracts one´s attention and demands the question be voiced, "how?"

A good friend of mine,who studied aerodynamics, once told me that the first year of study is spent giving reasons why it is impossible to fly!

Aerodynamically the bumblebee shouldn't be able to fly,
but the bumblebee doesn't know that
so it goes on flying anyway. ~Mary Kay Ash

There´s a lesson there somewhere!!

My love of planes and flying came of course from my father who was an avid lover of flight, and probably began when he used to take us to see the model airplanes that flew on Lancress Common on Sunday mornings.

I fly because it releases my mind
from the tyranny of petty things.
~Antoine de Saint-Exupery

My Dad also build his very own model biplane with engine, that sadly did not defy the law of gravity as was hoped. I must of been about 6yrs at the time and I can´t remember exactly how long it took him to build it... but being the perfectionist that he was, I imagine a good year would have done it.

Yes, there are planes and planes. My Dad loved the vintage ones, especially biplanes and his most beloved was the red baron with triple wings.... One thing that singled my Dad out from the rest was that he was not satisfied with the simple or straight forward in life, everything had to "earn" his respect and trust! The Red Baron was clearly a true example of this!

I have to agree with Dad when it comes to choice in aircraft. One could liken the super jets, the airbus 380 of today to ... fast food: in and out... from A to B in the shortest amount of time possible, convenience above all. (Which of course is the only way to go if you´re flying to visit friends or family...no slow enjoyment there!!! ) Whereas the vintage aircraft would compare to an exquisit 3 course meal in the Ritz: meant to be enjoyed with time and leisure, where every detail counts and where every sensation is to be experienced to the full.

When once you have tasted flight,
you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward,
for there you have been,
and there you will always long to return.
~Author Unknown

The movie "Out of Africa" , has many beautiful and outstanding landscape scenes (as well as a tragic love story) as being the winner of several oscars confirms. One of the most awesome of these being Denys and Baroness Blixen´s flight in biplane over the African Savannah.

I am always moved by this scene and find the excitement almost tangible as they glide over the plains, close enough to reach out and touch the wildlife....breath taking. I hope one day to do this myself and reach my hand back and clasp the hand of my fellow passenger mid flight, wear those incredibly attractive goggles(???!!!) and have my hair blowing in the breeze. This is flying at it´s best!

Both optimists and pessimists contribute to our society.
The optimist invents the airplane
and the pessimist the parachute.
~Gil Stern

Yes, flight captures that appealing element which each human being desires and longs for: the ability to fly above the worries and woes of this life and soar in the the sky of freedom. To be able to defy the gravity of "life."

I guess flight is the closest comparison we have to that spiritual dimension where we are able to soar on wings like eagles.... above the pain and the questions..where the wings of God´s presence and comfort lead us above these struggles and enable us to see the world from His perspective just as if we were flying in that biplane over the African Savannah holding His hand.......