Category: spiritual growth

Smoke Gets in Your Eyes

Posted on by Karyn Jeffrey

Here in the West we have had days and weeks of smoke hanging heavy in our skies from the fires that have ravaged huge numbers of forests, fields, homes and lives. The pall of smoke has been miserable and in many situations downright dangerous. Our air quality went to “hazardous” and stayed that way for days. Even while staying indoors my eyes stung, my head clogged and even my mental outlook was clouded by the gloomy overcast that kept the sun hidden, the sky murky. This is such a vivid picture of our spiritual condition when we are not looking to God for His pure “breath of life.”

I have been enduring the actual smoke but also a spiritual “smoke haze”. My pre-occupation with social media accounts, computer games, and all the political upheaval have distracted me from clear view of the glory of my God. It is a dangerously toxic spiritual smoke haze. Consequently my focus on the here and now has blurred my spiritual vision, clogged my mind, and nearly paralyzed me with anxiety. Every aspect of the spiritual smoke haze has me walking farther and farther from Jesus’s side.

Don’t get me wrong. These things are not sinful or wrong, but they have become my focus. They have covered my gaze with toxic spiritual smoke. There is an old song titled “Turn Your Eyes upon Jesus.” It goes like this:

Turn your eyes upon Jesus
Look full in His wonderful face
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace

 

Oh soul are you weary and troubled?
No light in the darkness you see?
There’s light for a look at the Savior
And life more abundant and free

 

Through death into life everlasting
He passed and we follow Him there
O’er us sin no more hath dominion
For more than conquerors we are

                                                             Is your gaze on Jesus?

 

You can listen to the song sung by Lauren Daigle here:

 

This song reminds me that my gaze has been in the wrong direction. I need the Holy Spirit to blow away the smoke of Satan’s lies, and distractions. I need the breath of God to revitalize me. God tells me he will give me clean, fresh, spiritual air:

“I will put my Spirit [Breath] within you and you will come to life…” Ezekiel 37:14

I cry out to God for clear vision of my beloved Jesus.

“See how great a love the Father has bestowed on jus, that we would be called children of God; and such we are…Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.”  I John 3:1, 2

I ask Him for more of Jesus as Living Water to sooth my parched throat.

“Whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.” John 4:14

I call for His Word of wisdom to break the clogs of wrong thinking.

“O send out Your light and Your truth, let them lead me; Let them bring me to Your holy hill and to your dwelling places…to God my exceeding joy…” Psalm 43:3, 4

I beg Him to whisper to me again that I am in His care and under His protection no matter the day’s alarming news.

“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty…He will cover you with His pinions, and under His wings you may seek refuge; His faithfulness is a shield and bulwark.” Psalm 91: 1, 4

My soul cries “Come, Lord Jesus!”

““I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.” The Spirit and the bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wishes take the water of life without cost.” Revelation 22: 16, 17

QUESTION: Is your spiritual vision clouded by Satan’s smoke of lies and distraction? What will you do now to “turn your eyes upon Jesus?”

Honor- An Anniversary Reflection

Posted on by Karyn Jeffrey
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!

A few days ago my beloved husband and I celebrated a big milestone anniversary. Thinking about the days and years that brought us to this occasion has been very profitable to my own daily life. Let me explain. Here in the West we mark significant occasions with many kinds of celebration or commemoration. The hallmark of these is ‘honor.’ We participate in the solemn ceremony and vows of marriage, mourn the death of a loved one at a funeral with various memories and words. Cities and nations honor fallen heroes and great leaders with parades, speeches, statues or even naming streets, buildings, and bridges after them. As we participate in these events, we take time to give honor—respect and recognition of the worthiness of another.

When we reflect on the day of our marriage, or celebrate in ceremony the worthiness of a person who has accomplished much, or are reminded of a loved one’s passing, we think about the noble, good and right things of that marriage union, the work of the hero and the life of the deceased. This is a satisfying exercise of thought. So it is with our honoring of God. We reflect on Him and His work in the world even as we celebrate and commemorate life events.

But even more helpful, I think, is the thought of places in those relationships and lives that were less than good.  Looking back on my marriage, I am reminded of the continuing need to  “… as [one] who [has] been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentle ness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other…just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you.” Colossians 3: 12-13.  In the ups and downs and daily frustrations involved in living with other human beings, this is really hard. Being changed into the image of Jesus is not a painless or simple “one and done” operation. It is an on-going work of choosing to be like Him in attitude, action and words. Giving up my need to be right, or have my needs met is so contrary to my still-fallen human nature. But thanks to my Heavenly Father, the work is happening! These many years have be marked by lots of “head-butting” and exasperation but God has used those situations to deal with me and is making me more aware of my need of Him to change my heart. I praise Him and own the truth that if it had not been for His kind work in my heart, my marriage would have ended years ago. Because of His grace, I have been blessed with the joy of companionship and love afforded by the bond of matrimony for many years. For this I honor God.

So as I reflect on this anniversary, or think of a loved one’s death on the anniversary of his passing or I join in the ceremony of remembering horrific events like 9/11, I am reminded of God’s sovereign reign over all things, His love and blessing to me and others and I praise Him for the lessons He has taught me through the good and bad of these things.

Choose to honor God by acknowledging HIS might and goodness in all things

There are so many ways to be reminded to praise God for all He is and does. The birth of a baby, the delight in graduation from school, the pain of loss in the face of natural disaster or man-made misery, all call me to remember that God is on His throne. In His almighty power and wisdom, He is still in control. He loves His own and has intimate concern with every part of His good creation. He has plans for every turn of human events even when we see them as mysterious and inscrutable. He is using all my circumstances and all the events of my life to make me more like my Lord Jesus Christ.

As I celebrate my wedding anniversary, attend funeral services for my dead friend, or participate in Memorial Day Celebrations at the Veteran’s Cemetery, I am reminded of the honor due those who are the focus of the events. But even more I am reminded to honor God, the One who brings every occasion to pass. I honor Him as “The Blessed Controller of All Things” and rest in joyful peace knowing that He is “…working all things together for good to those who love God to those who are called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28

Question: What life events and world troubles turn your heart to God? Have you pondered the ways God is using and has used these circumstances to draw you to a rich and eternal relationship with Himself through Jesus Christ? Will you honor and praise Him today for the good and bad of your life?

 

Handwriting Letters

Posted on by Karyn Jeffrey

Handwriting letters is nearly a lost art. I think very few people write letters these days because of the instantaneous nature of texts, e-mails and even old fashioned phone calls. Taking pen in hand to write a letter requires time and thought. It reflects your care for the person to whom you write. It also requires a special skill set that many people of our day do not have. I am very concerned that cursive handwriting is no longer part of school curriculum in schools around our country. Even some of my own grandchildren who are home-schooled do not know how to write or read cursive handwriting. YIKES!!

Beside the concern I have about my “Grands” not having cursive under their belt, I have been convicted lately of something that I have read many times in the Bible. I need to be telling my grandchildren about our wonderful God. In Deuteronomy 6, we are commanded to teach the words of God “diligently to your [children]…” and in Psalm 78 to “tell to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and His strength and His wondrous works that He has done.”

In an effort to obey the command of God to tell of His excellence to the next generation, I have decided to try to write at least one letter to each of my eight “Grands” every month. That means I only need to write 2 letters a week, which seems a manageable task. I hope to engage them about their lives and also begin dialog with them about the things of Scripture and connecting with them spiritually. Texting and even phone calls are not the best vehicles for this project.

When I began, I stumbled on the realization that 5 of the 8 don’t read or write cursive handwriting. So to make myself understood by them, I created a “decoder” that would help them read the letter I have written to them. I also made a diagram about how to address an envelope because I feel sure they haven’t learned that particular bit of arcane “stuff of daily life” either. Not knowing how to do this is rather like learning to read an analog clock, balance a checkbook or write a thank you note– there are some basics to learn.

I wonder if you, my reader, may not know how to read and write cursive. I wonder how many of you have learned how to address an envelope. Maybe you have children you would like to teach cursive handwriting. Whatever the case, I’ve made a couple PDF files you are free to download to get you started.

 Decoder for cursive handwriting- PDF

How to address an envelope- PDF

Here is a 3 ½ minute YouTube video that will help you, as well.

“Learn to Write Capital and Small Alphabets in Cursive”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTF0AhQjU0k

Once you learn each letter’s shape and the way to make it, you “string the letters together” by not lifting your pencil or pen as you write a word. The end of one letter swoops up to the next and that letter flows into the next until you have come to the end of your word. I think it is easier that picking up and putting down your pen with each discrete letter when you write manuscript style. (“printing”)

I have finished the first letters to the oldest sons of each family. One is a senior in college and the other a Jr. in high school. Here are the envelopes I made for their letters.

I’m hoping to catch their attention with a “decorated envelope.” I also have included the “decoder” and the “How to Address an Envelope” for them, and as an added prod, an envelope and a stamp and a cheery “I hope you will write back” P.S. I’m sure there will be a bit of eye-rolling, but underneath I hope they are stirred to making a regular interaction with me (Grammy).

 

QUESTION: Will you try to write a letter to someone special soon? If you don’t know how to write cursive handwriting will you try to learn?

 

 

Pretend for Real

Posted on by Karyn Jeffrey

“Let’s pretend” is a phrase I used a lot when I was a child. I grew up in a quirky old house that had low walls and wide pillars on the front porch. One of the pillars had an old hook nailed to it. Coated by years of paint, its purpose was obscure, but we neighborhood kids, in repeated times of “let’s pretend,’ used it as the reins of an imaginary steed. Sitting astride the wall, kicking our heels and clinging to the hook we rode into amazing adventures.

Several trees marched along a lava rock retaining wall that angled upward from the front corner of the lot to the much higher back. We used the wide spreading branches of the old apple trees to be forts. By using boards scavenged from the decrepit garage, we laid walkways across the gap between the ever-rising sidewalk and the tree branches. Thus we were able to enter “tree houses” and pirate aeries. “Let’s pretend we’re pioneers” would lead to gathering weed grasses as “wheat” to make “bread”—mud “loaves.”

We used “The Green Thing” (an old green bedspread) as a theater curtain, a queen’s cape, a “coffin drape” for the “dead” heroine at the pretend “funeral.” My friend Mary’s un-used family garage was the venue for all sorts of “let’s pretend.” We would drape ourselves in friend Betty’s teenage sister’s old prom dresses as we performed dramatic stage shows.

The hours and days were happy as we played various versions of “let’s pretend.” It never really turned us into wild west Pony Express riders, jousting knights or rugged pioneers. And we were never movie queens. But in those games we took on a different “life” and played out imaginary life events. For a while we were able to be different than our usual selves. We tried out how it might feel and be to have that “pretend” life. Pretend is a tool that plays a vital role in a child’s development into adulthood. Imagining lets us inhabit and try out different realities. It makes us aware of what being someone other than ourselves might be like.

Now that I am a grown up, I regularly face the need to forgive another person because I think he or she has wronged me. The tool of “let’s pretend” has helped me come to a place of genuine forgiveness and healing.

When I have been wronged (or think I have) my sinful inner attitude of anger and bitterness builds up a wall of resentment that breaks my fellowship with Jesus and ruins my relationship with the offender. No matter how justified I think I am in my indignation, the Holy Spirit faithfully prods me to repentance. The Lord’s Prayer is convicting when I am honest before the Lord.

 

I am practicing my italic lettering. Just had a super lesson from the Calligraphy Guild’s president, Shelby. Learned so much, but as you can see, I’m not there yet!

When I get going in my outrage, I rehearse all the bad actions to myself. Thankfully the Spirit nudges me to stop and choose a different path. God desires me to be like Himself.

Jesus completely forgave those who put Him to death. He has forgiven my sin entirely.  So His desire that I forgive as He has is not unreasonable. Thankfully, He has made me a new creature in Christ Jesus and is in the process of conforming me to the Savior’s image.

So here is where “let’s pretend” comes in. When I am pondering and praying about my anger and resentment, I can use this “thought exercise” to change my response.  I can pretend that I like the person who has “done me wrong.” My imagination can help me pretend kind and Christ-like actions. As I pretend, my view of the “offender” changes. I can see what may have motivated the offending action. And the amazing thing about pretend is that it can help develop a new path, a new way to behave.

Of course, I will have to choose that path. I will have to make a conscious effort to forgive and let go of resentment. But imagining what a good path looks like or how a right attitude will feel helps me choose the God-pleasing, obedient response of forgiveness. The Holy Spirit is faithful to give me the strength to choose this good way.

Part of what helps me forgive is knowing that God will judge fairly in the end, but right now, My part is to choose to forgive, even if the offender never apologizes (or cannot). The Final Judgement will set all things right. I want to be right with God on that day and so choosing not cling to my bitter unforgiving attitude is the only thing I can do. And, joy of joy, my different, Christ-like attitude is not pretend! The Holy Spirit is making it real. He helps me give real forgiveness. And He works real healing in my inner man.

QUESTION: What are you clutching to your spiritual chest? Who do you need to forgive? Can you begin by pretending how it would feel to be living in harmony rather than sinful discord?

Satisfied- Not Stuffed – Not Starved

Posted on by Karyn Jeffrey

What can compare to the wonderful sensation of being satisfied at the end of a delicious meal? One is not still vaguely hungry, nor stuffed to painful misery. Satiety is that “goldilocks place” of being filled “just right.” It is tricky trying to balance our eating so that we hit that spot regularly.

Have you ever eaten at one of those “all-you-can-eat” buffets? I have and there is just something about all that alluring food that I am drawn to eat. And eat. And eat. When I finally come to my senses and push back from the table I am miserably stuffed. A grim pall comes over me as I remember how long this bloated, belly-bursting feeling will take to pass. Why did I do it? What was I thinking?

Or maybe you have had days that were so busy from the moment your feet hit the floor until late afternoon that you didn’t eat. You were so engrossed or entangled that you waited too long to eat. Now you are light-headed, ache-y stomached, raving hungry and grouchy. You are, in my daughter’s made up word, “hangry.” That dreadful place of low-blood sugar induced anger at little or nothing.

Comparison can be made to our spiritual lives. The Holy Scriptures are our necessary spiritual food.

We will starve without a regular diet of reading, hearing and meditating on them. It is difficult to get a good balance on the amount of Scripture we regularly read. We are not like boa constrictors. They devour their prey in one large bite and then go for weeks or months without eating again. Physically and spiritually we need to eat much smaller meals much more often. A binge-eating episode at the buffet is really hard on our physical body. And, although it can seem pretty “holy” to read a long passage or even a whole book of the Bible at one sitting, it is like eating at the buffet. There are times when it is helpful to read a long passage. If you are beginning a study of a particular aspect or book of Scripture, reading for an overview is helpful. But for daily spiritual nourishment, we need to be more moderate.

The opposite approach is also a problem. Taking one small verse (or even a phrase) and considering that adequate spiritual nourishment is rather like eating a single soda cracker and thinking you have the nutrition you need for the day or even the week.  Many Christians think that the single verse at the top of the page of a little devotional book plus the short homily that accompanies it is enough to grow on spiritually. I would challenge that notion. It is entirely too easy to take little bits of Scripture out of context and be badly mislead about what God is communicating. Think of that little story about someone who uses the “point and read” method of daily devotion. She opens the Bible and points to the verse she is going to feed herself on today. It reads: “And he threw the pieces of silver into the temple sanctuary and departed, and he (Judas) went away and hanged himself.” Matthew 27:5 Well, that isn’t terribly uplifting, so she tries again. “…then Jesus said to him, ‘go and do likewise.’ “ Luke 10:37b It is so easy to misunderstand God if we only listen to a single sentence or two of His Word to us.

Are you being satisfied by what is on your spiritual plate? Will it help nourish your inner man?

May I suggest a way to eat a more satisfying spiritual “meal”?  Get your Bible out. Now open your little devotional booklet. Find today’s verse in the selection in the Bible itself. Go digging for the context by reading the verses that come before and after the one in your devotional. It should be obvious where the paragraph or thought starts and ends.

Using the two verses I just noted, here is what I mean. Open your Bible to Matthew 27. Find verse 5 and then “back up” until you come to where the thought begins. Verse 1 starts to tell this part of the story. Begin reading there and it will be obvious that you should read until verse 10. When you have read that amount, there is much to consider that will feed you spiritually. Now try the verse in Luke 10. If you “back up” to verse 30 and read through verse 37, you will have a really nutritious spiritual “meal.” This amount of reading can be very satisfying without leaving you starved or stuffed.

QUESTION: What are your spiritual eating habits?

Are you feeding on God’s Word in a way that nourishes your soul or are you starving and spiritually anorexic?

Will you commit to reading more substantial portions of Scripture? I pray that you will be well-fed and spiritually robust because of your diet of God’s Word.

Drifting and Diligence

Posted on by Karyn Jeffrey

The summer is drawing to a close. I am drifting in the lazy warm days that seem so lethargic that it is easy to let them slip away with nothing accomplished. I am convinced that I ought to be making the most of my time and am squirming under the awareness that I need to get back to the diligence of days that are more focused and productive.

Summer days here have been hot and hazy with lots of smoke from wildfires throughout the West– this has been a perfect recipe for laziness and lethargy. Diligence is “out the window”!

I have begun praying for God’s help and the Holy Spirit brought this particular Scripture to mind. He is so faithful to work on my heart and my thinking. I love how He uses the Word that I have read in the past to work on me now. I’ve been asking for Him to get me off  “dead center” where I have been floundering and drifting. Isn’t this a wonderful spiritual “nudge”?!

                            “So teach us to number our days,  that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” Psalm 90:12.

As a consequence of the busy-ness of the past few months– social commitments, houseguests, garden and home projects– I have not spent much time with my art making. And certainly I have neglected writing for this blog.  So, here I am taking myself in hand and trying to pick up where I left off a few months ago.

I have begun practicing two basic alphabets- simple monoline pen practice on grid paper. This focus came about because this summer I was privileged to be the host home for world-famous calligrapher, Barry Morentz. Follow him on Instagram: barrymorentz. He was in my city to lead a calligraphy workshop. His teaching at the workshop and his encouragement as he kindly critiqued several pieces of my work have set me on a new path. He urged me to try my hand at re-doing the pieces he looked over.  He also asked me a probing question that really helped me focus. “Which alphabet or alphabets do I most want to master?” That made me realize I first want the ones that are the backbone of all the others. So I began by practicing two basic alphabets- the Roman and the Italic.

I am using graph paper and the “rules” that underlie the basic Roman alphabet to practice proportion. Barry also encouraged me to trace & copy the exemplar of work by Sheila Waters to get the physical feel of doing the italic alphabet right. I have begun doing this and WOW! What a help it is! I urge you to give it a try. Here’s how:

For the Roman alphabet, download this exemplar and practice on grid paper with a pencil and then a monoline (ballpoint, gel tip, etc) pen.

Roman Capital exemplar PDF file – click here!

If you want to focus on Italic calligraphy, photocopy an exemplar from a good calligraphy book, (I suggest Foundations of Calligraphy by Sheila Waters) use your light table as you trace, first with pencil or ballpoint pen, to get the shape and slant in your mind. Then move to using an edged pen of the same size as the exemplar. When you begin using an edged pen and ink be sure to use practice paper that won’t bleed through to your exemplar! I suggest HP Paper, Premium Choice Laserjet Paper Poly Wrap, 32lb, 8.5 x 11, Letter, 500 Sheets / 1 Ream Made In The USA — available on Amazon. This paper is a great basic “drawing” paper that behaves well with ink and works well with markers and light watercolors with minimum buckling and bleed-through.

All this tracing and copying helps you recognize and put into muscle memory the counter shapes, pen angle, slant, spacing and rhythm of the alphabet. This process can be used with any alphabet you want to master.

So, now that I have spent a bit of time doing all this, I re-did this little piece of calligraphy that sits on my bathroom counter. What do you think of the improvements in my Italic lettering?  I can see several things I still want to do better, but it is very encouraging to see improvement–however small.  (I’m not crazy about the colors used in the new version and so think a third shot will happen.)

before and after
The before version is on the left and the one on the right is my newest effort

I also have been practicing the Roman alphabet and so tried this piece that combines the two styles of lettering. The Latin Phrase, “Theatrum Gloriae” was used by John Calvin in his famous Institutes of Christian Religion when he was commenting on Psalm 19. The phrase roughly translated means ‘Glorious Theater’ and is a metaphor for the immense beauty of the creation.

Theatrum Gloriae
I used a scrap of drawing paper and lettered the Latin phrase with graphite pencil and the Psalm with pen and ink.

Leave me a comment—I’d love to hear your response. And keep on the lookout for the re-do’s of the bigger pieces I mentioned earlier. “Coming Soon”!

Craving Joy

Posted on by Karyn Jeffrey

What is the goal of my life? What am I seeking? I think I and all other human beings universally seek joy and happiness. We want something to make our lives meaningful and delightful. Our pursuit takes us to the mall or the auto dealer, to the casino or lottery machine, to the computer porn screens and sexual encounters of every description. Others of us turn to jobs, family, travel and “experiences” as sources of validation and “happiness.” There are those who constantly change homes, remodel or build bigger, better ones in the pursuit of ultimate satisfaction. But it is quite obvious that every one of the ways we try to grasp joy is a vapor that slips through our fingers. The Preacher, speaking in the book of Ecclesiastes says:

“All that my eyes desired did not refuse them. I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure, for my heart was pleased because of all my labor and this was my reward for all my labor. Thus I considered all my activities which my hands had done and the labor which I had exerted and behold all was vanity and striving after wind and there was no profit under the sun.“ Ecclesiastes 2:10-11

In this season—very late winter— I have been tempted to grouse and complain about the snow and gloom that just seem to hang on and on. Most folks here in the Inland Northwest are feeling the same. This particular winter has been a rough one. Snow. Lots of snow. Gray skies. Lots of gray skies. To be fair, there have been some lovely breaks–when the world was freshly frosted with snow making a fairyland of an ordinary neighborhood. And when the drizzle of “precipitation” has broken to a wash of glorious blue sky. But mostly, it has been a “long, dark winter.” Definitely no obvious JOY in my attitude or heart.
During this glum time, I have been pondering my faith—where is the evidence that it is real? I’ve wondered about my worship and the reality of my life “in Christ.” What does it all mean? Is it real? Am I kidding myself and just living and believing what I was raised to believe and do? Why do I not experience joy and satisfaction that Scripture says are the lot of the believer in Christ?

“Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you and that your joy may be made full.” John 15:9-11

Don’t get me wrong. I have a deeply settled conviction that God exists. He is real and knowable. He has spoken authoritatively to the creatures of His creation. What I am fussing about is my response to all this. I know that He in His sovereign might has reached down and transformed my “dead-in-sin” heart to a “new creation” heart that will live forever. But somehow, my love to this wonderful God seems so tepid. I keep loving my own interests and daily thoughts more than Him and His Word. Where is the joy Jesus says is mine? What does it feel like? What is it?
I’ve just begun listening to an audio version of John Piper’s book, Desiring God. In it he lays out a case for being a “Christian Hedonist”—one who craves and seeks the joys and delights of God Himself.

Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines hedonism as:
1: the doctrine that pleasure or happiness is the sole or chief good in life

That is an amazing thought that my spiritual life should be marked by the pursuit of pleasure and happiness in God as my overriding goal and passion. I want to be saying with the Psalmist

“All my springs of joy are in You.” Psalm 89: 7b

I’m eager to finish this book. I am being challenged and somehow, I think that as my gaze turns toward Jesus my questions will be answered more fully. Already, I know that my faith in Jesus is real. I know I am not kidding myself about the reality of God and His Heaven and His promises and His Word. Yes, I was raised to this, but all these have borne the scrutiny of skepticism and intellectual thought.
Now I am looking to wade into these waters of joyous hedonism. I am eager and excited to find delight in God alone. I have the sense that I am on the verge of a very amazing time in my life.

Question: What is your goal in life? Will you seek to know, love and enjoy God above all else? Will you experience the “joy of the LORD” today?

Black Hole of January

Posted on by Karyn Jeffrey

Today I have been soaking in the exquisite blue-sky, biting cold, snow-laden day from the comfort of a warm house. The joy of a cup of coffee in a patch of sun and silence makes my heart pour over with joy. It seems strange to love this harsh beauty all around me. Ordinarily January is a hard month for me. There is the let down after the whirl and excitement of holidays. The glum gray weather and short daylight conspire to drag my heart down. It is so easy to just push my nose into a book, or let my eyes glaze over staring at a home improvement re-run, or mindlessly tap keys to play a computer game. I shrug off the nudges of conscience that urge me to get that project done, or get busy in my studio again now that there is time to work. I slouch my way through the days with a niggling undercurrent of embarrassment at my sloth and indolence.

Thankfully, God doesn’t let His kids wallow and wander too long or too far. A few days ago, in the gray gloom of despair, I prayed and asked for relief. His Spirit gently nudged me to bring my trouble to Him.

“Casting all your cares on Him, because He cares for you.”

So, almost reluctantly (to my shame—there is a perverse delight in being miserable sometimes, isn’t there?) I took out my Bible and got on my knees. I asked for help to break out of the miserable hole in which I found myself.

“Here I am, God. I feel like a slug. I have gained too many pounds eating mindlessly during the holidays. I have been lazing around building bad habits that are dragging me down and ruining my witness for You. I have procrastinated on several major projects and now I am in a state of immobile misery. Help me! Stir me up to want to do what I should. Create in me a desire for the things that honor and delight You. I can’t do this on my own. I even know that in my old self I don’t want to ‘straighten up.’ Please help me.”

My prayer was not terribly eloquent. Not fancy. But from my miserable heart to His kind and listening ear, Jesus stood at the Throne of the Father and interceded for me. And, Faithful Father! He sent out His Holy Spirit to come along side and work in me.

God isn’t like the fairy godmother in Cinderella, just waving a magic wand and making everything wonderful and “sparkly.” Rather,  He stirred up my soul in almost indiscernible steps at first. A song  heard here, the word of a friend there. The verse I read that morning. An unexpected invitation rendered. A reminding thought of an opportunity nearly passed by because of my recent indifference. And, in answer to my pitiful prayer, He began stirring in my heart, creating the desire and the will to do what needed to be done

“For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.”  Philippians 1:6

Today, especially, I have reason to sing. The Holy Spirit, truly a Comforter, the gift of Jesus to His own, has worked in my heart and mind. I am refreshed, changed and recharged. I know it is His work because in my own strength I most certainly would not have pulled out of my emotional, spiritual and artistic black hole.  So, here, today, God has jolted me with this glorious day that begs my soul to sing. As the Psalmist says,  He is Good and does good. Psalm 119:68  I will praise Him for all His wonderful works which He has made known to me.

Question:

Are you bumbling around in despair? Are you struggling with winter gloom? Will you call on God to help you?