After my aunt’s accident, Portland Oregon became my home away from home. I traveled there so much that I went from being one of the ‘huddled-masses’ passengers to a Skymiles® Elite member. Ok, so nobody asked for my autograph. But I did get to board the plane early and had a comfortable seat with a beverage waiting for me. Did this weary traveler appreciate it? You bet I did.
Portland is an interesting place. It’s kind of funky; not dirty sock funky but cool funky. It’s weird, beautiful, weird and busy. Did I mention weird? Yep, it’s weird. That’s ok though, they like it that way. It’s a thing. One of the weird things there is navigating the streets.
GPS
I asked someone where the nearest hardware store was, and I got weird directions. These folks know the lay of the land and are comfortable with the quirks of their streets. Me? Not even a little bit. I turned to my GPS for help. It was bossy and very specific; telling me where to turn, when to turn and when to start merging to turn. We almost came to blows a time or two when I missed a turn. I expected ‘GPS woman’ to call me an idiot when, with raised hands, I yelled, “There is no street!” As it turns out, there was a street. It was masquerading as a driveway. I found it on attempt number three.
A Bad Rap
After getting off a bridge I was never supposed to be on, my nerves calmed a bit and a question came to mind. “Why does faith get such a bad rap?” It’s a good question. Regardless of what side of the religious fence we’re on, we exercise simple faith every day. We drive in lock-step obedience to a robotic voice in the GPS, trusting it will direct us to our desired destination. We climb onto dentist chairs, into taxis and board airplanes, never fearing our demise. Yet when it comes to moral and spiritual matters, especially eternal ones, we’d rather chart our own course and live and do as we please. Essentially, we presume God to have no right to tell us what to do.
God’s positioning system is well able to navigate us through life and beyond. He knows where we are, where we need to be and how to get us there safely. Many follow for a while, then veer into unwanted territory and lose their way. Circling back time and again until frustrated, angry, fearful, you throw hands to the heavens shouting, “There is no way!” But there is a way. Many are familiar with it; but it’s narrow and offers no semblance of safe passage, so most move on. By faith, some dare pass through that gate only to find it leads to the road they’d been searching for all along.
How About You
Are you on the outside of the Christian faith; watching it work for others but not sure if it will work for you? What about you Christian? Have you been caught up in the flow of life’s traffic and gone so far out of the way you’re not sure if you can make it back this time? You know God can forgive you but not sure if He will. This simple prayer might be of help to you both. Mark 9:24 “Lord I believe, help my unbelief.” Many have prayed it and found that God is willing to do just that.
God bless you and keep you,
Roxanne
Scriptures taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Pictures compliments of Pixabay Creative Commons
2018 was quite a year. I’d say bittersweet is an appropriate descriptor. My first post was a 
Life’s Lessons
It’s hard to believe we’re nearing the end of January 2018. While the year is no longer brand new, it’s new-ish. So Happy New Year! I have a wish list for you this year. But first, I must express my gratitude.
I’ve asked my husband many times about his love for me. You know the questions I’m talking about, the kind that make a man want to bang his head against the wall. I found a letter on my pillow not long ago that answered my questions. Seven pages detailed his love, admiration and respect.
I have another letter, timeless and treasured. It speaks of a higher love, a greater love. This love transcends time and space and was declared long before this ‘lover of my soul’ ever spoke the words, “Let there be…” The letter is lengthy; its message deep.
I like new things. If they’re shiny, that’s even better. If red, well, that ‘is’ my signature color. So you’d think a shiny, new red kettle would make me happy. I had the perfect kettle. It was a lovely ‘blue-red’. I forgot about it one morning and burned out the water, cracking the coating inside. It was ruined. I looked for something similar but the best I could find was this ‘orangey-red’ one.
A recent celestial phenomenon captured the attention of a nation. Social media was awash with pictures; some of the eclipse, many of individuals preparing to watch it. One picture grabbed my attention more than any other. It was of one awestruck little girl named Maggie. Uninterested in self or selfies, she was fully in the moment; watching in wonder as the moon passed in front of the sun. While she was captivated by the eclipse, someone was captivated by her. The photo with its caption, ‘Best Shot I took of the Eclipse’ sent my mind wandering to biblical places; to the palace in Jerusalem.
Is God good? It’s a question worth considering; and many have in recent weeks. With fires ravaging the west and hurricanes pummeling the east, our nation has been hit pretty hard. Whether you’re waist-high in water or standing near an ash heap; staring at the rubble of what once was your life is painful. And so we wonder.
I couldn’t help myself. I found this sign in my local craft store and fell in love with it. The message was cute and the stained pallet-wood was perfect for my country home. I had the ideal wall space for it and I wouldn’t have to re-place anything. It was the connection between the message and the prospective location that made me laugh out loud. I suppose the on-lookers expected to see some silly looking thing. Nope, just me and some painted wood. You see, the location in question was my laundry room.
Hadassah found herself in a precarious situation. A new edict from King Ahasuerus transformed every beautiful young maiden into a royal prospect. Hadassah would have to hide her true identity, changing her name to Esther and concealing her Jewish heritage. Each young woman would be presented to the king. One by one they came and went. But Esther found favor with the king and it was on her head that he placed the royal crown. Esther would be queen instead of Vashti. Amazing!
Hopefully Devoted 