Manna from Heaven

"Ugh!" It was the first thought that popped into my head this morning when I opened the garage door. Snow on the driveway. Again. I feel trapped in a snow version of Groundhog Day; only minus Bill Murray's sense of humor.

Let's face it: we're winter weary. We've had months of unceasing snow. We dream of green grass and warm temps. We long to exit our homes without having to don down jackets and thermal boots.

So this morning, my first thought was a grumbling response. And then I was struck, almost as if literally by a two-by-four. I was reminded of the wandering Israelites in the desert. God provided for their every need. He sent daily bread, manna, for them every morning. And what did they do? They grumbled and complained. They grumbled to God in spite of his care.

From Numbers, chapter 11: "Now the people complained about their hardships in the hearing of the Lord...the rabble with them began to crave other food, and again the Israelites started wailing and said, “If only we had meat to eat! 5 We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost—also the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic. 6 But now we have lost our appetite; we never see anything but this manna!”

And so it is with me. Way too frequently, I grumble. I complain. And this morning, God helped me realize that rather than grumbling, I should be thankful.

So here goes. Here is a list of things for which I should give thanks on this, the 24th day of March, 2014:

• A warm house. I have a roof over my head. I am not homeless.
• A down jacket (or two) plus boots (times a half dozen). I am protected from the cold and my feet stay dry.
• Flannel sheets. Enough said.
• Hot coffee, plus a husband who brews it for me each morning.
• A dependable car to get me to work each day. Ditto for the awesomely stable job that awaits me each work day.
• Health. I should cherish that as a gift. 
• Faith. I have a God who patiently listens to me grumble, and prompts me to give thanks.

I should, and could ramble on and on about the many things I take for granted. Instead, I'll lift those up in a prayer of thanksgiving to the One who deserves my praise.

In the meantime, I will rejoice in this day. I will rejoice in the warmth of the sunshine, and I will thank God that each new day brings us one day closer to the promise of spring.

Psalm 86:
11 Teach me your way, Lord,
    that I may rely on your faithfulness;
give me an undivided heart,
    that I may fear your name.
12 I will praise you, Lord my God, with all my heart;
    I will glorify your name forever.

March Madness

March. The month for which college basketball fans eagerly await. A month chocked full with late night game watching, sleepy-eyed work mornings and bracket rivalries. Weeks of great basketball. Days of watching players overcome adversity to make buzzer-beating, game-winning shots.

Our family has a long history of bracket game play. We always play for a lofty prize. In fact, for years, the winning family member claimed a 12-pack of pop at the losers' expense! Actually, I think the biggest prize is the trash-talking, bragging rights. Yep. Happens every year.

When it comes to filling out our brackets, we each have our own philosophy. Randy follows his gut and is loyal to his favorite teams. Barry uses his immense basketball knowledge and statistical brain. Lorie uses a haphazard system, which may include team colors, favorite college location or mascot in making her choices. I tend to look at overall record and win streaks as factors in my bracket selection process.

But once the games start, we all tend to have one thing in common. Even though our brackets may not reflect it, we cheer for the underdog. The long shot. The Cinderella team.

Upsets are what make NCAA college tournament play exciting. It's great watching a low seed take out a higher seeded, highly regarded, hyped team. The intensity and determination of a team making their first appearance in the tourney is energizing. We root for those teams to overcome the statistical improbability and not only win, but win big!

Jesus was a champion for the underdog too. He rooted for the poor, the widowed and the sick. He stood up for children.

From Luke 9:
47 Jesus, knowing their thoughts, took a little child and had him stand beside him. 48 Then he said to them, “Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. For it is the one who is least among you all who is the greatest.”

The March basketball season is fleeting, but outside my family room walls, life marches on. I need to be better at following Jesus' example. I need to do my part to make a difference in the lives of the world's underdogs.

Go Dawgs!

A Final Lesson from Jamaica

I've lost track of the number of times we've been to Jamaica. I'm spoiled. I know. We've been blessed.

Over the years, we've vacationed in a number of different areas. Ocho Rios. Runaway Bay. Duncans. Our favorite by far? Ocho Rios. We've also tried different accommodations. Large Hotel. Mid-sized hotel. Villa with staff. Villa without staff. Small inn. Our favorite? The small inn.

We've also had many traveling companions. Close friends. More close friends. Our kids. My parents along with our kids. The two of us. Our favorite? That's tough; each trip is full of sweet memories.


My dad passed away nearly eight years ago. He loved Jamaica. He loved being there with us. He frequently shared the same favorite story over and over, yet relished the joy in every telling. I sure miss him.

I must admit that each trip to Jamaica brings with it the thought of family.


Family.


Family in Jamaica includes my own biological family, but it also includes my adopted Jamaican family. I didn't get their permission to share their photos online, but I can't imagine that they'd object. Here are some photos pulled from my Jamaican family photo album:

Isn't it great, that when we are children of God, we are all members of the same family? I'm blessed to call everyone pictured here family.

From Ephesians 2 (Living Bible):

19 Now you are no longer strangers to God and foreigners to heaven, but you are members of God’s very own family, citizens of God’s country, and you belong in God’s household with every other Christian.

One of Jamaica's advertising campaigns says it best, "One Love."

Lessons from Jamaica...Part III

Yah, mon, it's another blog post about Jamaica. I'm not sure when I'll run out of great stories to share. I think that my husband would agree that our Jamaican experiences have shaped us into the people we are today.

So here goes, for the third post in a series of ???

Fifteen years ago, our kids were ten and six when we spent one of our family vacations in Jamaica. That year, we gave them one of a pair of two-way radios, and they had great fun walking the gardens, feeding the turtles, and talking to Bo Bo, the noisy parrot. They were safe, we could keep in contact, and most importantly, they were entertained. But every day, their favorite request was, "Can we go see Hopelynn?"  Hopelynn (pronounced with the "H" silent) was working at the hotel and we spent lots of time talking with her and learning about her and life in Jamaica. Lorie and Barry bonded with Hopelynn, and so did we. Our friendship has lasted over the years and she comes to see us whenever we are in Jamaica.

Back in January, I posted a wintery picture on Hopelynn's Facebook wall, begging her to send us some warm Jamaican sunshine. Her response, "come home guys to your second home."

"Come home guys to your second home."

Ah, what great words. Jamaica does, indeed, seem like the place we belong. Especially in winter. Especially after receiving near record amounts of snowfall. Especially in the midst of unending, overcast, deary days in Michigan. And even though we have lived in Michigan all our lives, sometimes we seem like strangers in a foreign land. We feel that we were made for somewhere other than this place.

As a Christian, I'm reminded that I am, indeed, a stranger here. This is my temporary home, and by faith, I live looking forward to my real and permanent home.

From Hebrews 11 (Living Bible):

13 These men of faith I have mentioned died without ever receiving all that God had promised them; but they saw it all awaiting them on ahead and were glad, for they agreed that this earth was not their real home but that they were just strangers visiting down here. 14 And quite obviously when they talked like that, they were looking forward to their real home in heaven.

15 If they had wanted to, they could have gone back to the good things of this world. 16 But they didn’t want to. They were living for heaven. And now God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has made a heavenly city for them.

Thanks, Hopelynn, for the invitation and the reminder. We love you!

Lessons from Jamaica - Part II

A week ago, my hubby and I were basking in the Jamaican sunshine. We were snorkeling. We were searching out bargains at the craft market. We were enjoying the amazing company of fellow vacationers.

Ahhh. If only I had a time machine to bring us back...but until then, sharing the experience will have to suffice.


One of our favorite past times in Jamaica is snorkeling. We have our own equipment that travels with us each trip. Early morning is our favorite time of the day to snorkel. The water is calm, the sea clear and the exercise builds up our appetites for the huge, Jamaican breakfast that follows.

Our walk down cliff-side steps leads to a landing, which in turn has steps descending into the sea. Once our masks and fins are in place, we plunge into shimmering water that engulfs us, transporting us to a whole new dimension. Tang, Four eyed Butterflies, Squirrelfish and Parrotfish swim in schools by the dozens. Vibrant Blueheads find us fascinating and become our pals for the duration. Juvenile sting rays fan along the bottom of the sea. Bug-eyed Squid scare the willies out of me and even an octopus makes an appearance.


Years ago, on one of our family vacations to Jamaica, we planned to teach our daughter, Lorie, to snorkel. She was probably ten years old at the time. After we geared up, we stood beside her and told her to put her face in the water and practice breathing with her mouth through the snorkel. I will never forget what happened next. Feet planted firmly on the sandy bottom, she bent over, put her face to the water, and immediately freaked out! She never expected to see hundreds of fish surrounding her. The world below the surface was nothing like the world she knew above.

As we stand on the pool deck, gazing over the turquoise sea, the water lends no clue to the teeming beauty and breathtaking wonder that exists below the surface. A Caribbean reef guide booklet gives an inkling of what we might encounter. Conversations with other snorkelers excite us for what we might discover. But the only way we can truly understand the undersea world is to experience it for ourselves.

I liken it to our journey into Heaven. Standing on earth, looking out over our everyday life, we see few clues as to what breathtaking wonder exists beyond our current existence. Our life guide, the Bible, gives an inkling into what we might encounter. Conversations with other Christians excite us for what we might discover. But the only way we will truly understand Heaven will be to experience it for ourselves.

Experiencing the wonder of the Caribbean Sea last week helped me to realize that our great God has an amazing future planned for us. One day, I'll experience it for myself. In the meantime, I'll rest on the truths he reveals to us through his Word, and live life relishing the fantastic joys he has placed for us in his creation.

Imagine this, from Revelation 21:

18-20 The city itself was pure, transparent gold like glass! The wall was made of jasper, and was built on twelve layers of foundation stones inlaid with gems: the first layer[c] with jasper; the second with sapphire; the third with chalcedony; the fourth with emerald; the fifth with sardonyx; the sixth layer with sardus; the seventh with chrysolite; the eighth with beryl; the ninth with topaz; the tenth with chrysoprase; the eleventh with jacinth; the twelfth with amethyst.

21 The twelve gates were made of pearls—each gate from a single pearl! And the main street was pure, transparent gold, like glass.

22 No temple could be seen in the city, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are worshiped in it everywhere. 23 And the city has no need of sun or moon to light it, for the glory of God and of the Lamb illuminate it. 24 Its light will light the nations of the earth, and the rulers of the world will come and bring their glory to it. 25 Its gates never close; they stay open all day long—and there is no night! 26 And the glory and honor of all the nations shall be brought into it. 27 Nothing evil will be permitted in it—no one immoral or dishonest—but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.

Lessons from Jamaica - Part 1

We're back home following a wonderfully amazing week of vacation in Jamaica. Insert heavy sigh here. We've been fortunate in our ability to visit Jamaica often during our thirty-plus years of marriage.

My husband and I consider Jamaica our number one vacation spot for a variety of reasons. First off, in Jamaica it NEVER snows. Living in west Michigan, where we've had over twelve feet of snow this season, this reason is a no brainer. The warmth, sunshine and gorgeous landscape make Jamaica a virtual paradise. Another attractive Jamaican feature is the relaxed culture, which might just possibly border comatose. "Back in a minute," may mean fifteen minutes, an hour or maybe two. Even if you've never visited Jamaica, you recognize the phrase, "No problem, mon!"

But the very best treat on this tropical island? The Jamaicans. These folks, while poor by the world's wealth standards, have riches beyond compare. A big heart, wide smile and unending faith characterize the typical Jamaican.

The Jamaicans we met who work, typically work six days a week. Rising at 5:00 a.m. to catch a "route taxi" for their thirty to sixty minute commute into work is common. Working a ten to twelve hour workday is also the norm.

Americans would do well to learn from Jamaicans. On Sundays, most businesses are closed. A walk down the street confirms the destination of choice for Jamaicans. Church. Yep. Church. Women are dressed in hats, heels and dresses. Men in dress shirts and ties tow children behind.

And on Sundays, often their only day off, they arrive at church, typically around 10:00 a.m. for a service that may last three or four hours. After a break at home, they return to church in the evening, for another service lasting a few hours. Mid week, other evening worship is also held.

Amazing. In a world of hard work, in a place where there is very little time for self, Jamaicans work their free time schedule around God. God comes first, self second. Not the other way around.

In my busy, often self-satisfying existence, I tend to work God into my schedule. I tend to give him my leftover hours or squeeze him into my hour of worship on Sunday, never mind heading back for a second dose in the evening. Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying that attending church makes a person a Christian. Nothing could be further from the truth. The importance is on what place we put God.

Is he first in my life?

The verses from Proverbs 3 (The Living Bible translation) say it well, and I need this daily reminder to live it out:

4-5 If you want favor with both God and man, and a reputation for good judgment and common sense, then trust the Lord completely; don’t ever trust yourself. 6 In everything you do, put God first, and he will direct you and crown your efforts with success.

Put God first? Yeh, mon!