Open the Advent Window to Let Others See Jesus in You! - Revisited

Open the Advent Window...

My sister, our cousin, and myself

This is a rerun from three years ago (2015).  It's interesting that this picture popped up today in my "Facebook Memories" from 3 years ago. I had forgotten that I had written this post from that special day. After re-reading it tonight, I wondered about that lady I met that day...and I was prompted by the Lord to pray for her and her family again.  And tonight I just learned of the passing of a dear younger sister to my precious friend Sharon...(Sharon is the one we've been praying for who has cancer...and now her sister has passed away very unexpectedly). I can't get to my friend right now to give her a hug, but I've sent my love to her in a phone call as soon as I heard the sad news. 

You know, when you've lost someone you love, three years really doesn't erase that grief.  I know this from experience. After four and 1/2 years there are moments when we still need that extra hug from someone who understands what it feels like to say goodbye to a dear child or other loved one...so note to self: Remember what this feels like and reach out to others during this season and let others see Jesus in You!


Original Post 12/11/2015:
Yesterday my sister, my hubby and I had the pleasure of visiting with a dear cousin and his wife from afar...meaning we live many states apart and rarely have the opportunity to get together. So this was truly special. After a delightful lunch we went out onto the porch of the restaurant to chat further and to take some family pictures.  We were having such a wonderful time together, laughing and snapping pictures of each other and carrying on like what we were...a group of people happy to be together.

We realized that we didn't have anyone to take a picture of our entire group, so we asked  the next people who came out of the door of the restaurant if anyone would mind snapping a picture for us. A lady volunteered, and so we posed and she very kindly took our picture.

Here we all are, smiling and feeling thankful for a stranger's kindness.

We thanked her as she started to leave, and she turned and said that they were on their way to another state for the funeral of her nephew, who had been tragically killed in an auto accident that week.  I could see that she was about to cry.  Suddenly I felt guilty for our giddiness in the face of her sorrow, but of course, we did not know.  The Holy Spirit prompted me to embrace her, and to tell her that we would pray for her. As I wrapped my arms around her, I could feel her holding on to me with such emotion...she truly needed that hug...and she thanked me for the promise of the prayers. It was as if there was a transference of energy between us in that moment of time...a Holy Transfer...and as we separated I was almost overcome with emotion myself.  I realized that I needed that hug as well...it was as if I could feel her pain and sorrow...and then it dawned on me.  It wasn't all that long ago that my own precious son left this earth for heaven and there have been many occasions that I truly needed a hug, and others were there for me.

After we all parted and went our separate ways, I couldn't get this dear one off of my mind. I wondered if she thought I was crazy for hugging a complete stranger.  But I realized that it wasn't really me...it was JESUS reaching out to her through me.  It was His Holy Spirit prompting me to action.  It was a divine sense of empathy, actually feeling her pain, that caused me to spring into action.

This Jesus, the "babe in the manger" whose birth we celebrate each Christmas, grew up to sacrifice His life for us...and He is acquainted with our sorrows and grief.  Isaiah the prophet told us long before Jesus' birth that He would do this for us:

Isaiah 53:2-4

"For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant,

and as a root out of dry ground.

He has no form or comeliness;

And when we see Him,

There is no beauty that we should desire Him.

He is despised and rejected by men,

A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.

And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him;

He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.

Surely He has borne our griefs

and carried our sorrows..."

What a comfort to know that our Savior knows our hearts and carries our sorrow!  This experience with this  perfect stranger yesterday ministered to my heart as well as I trust it ministered to her. And what can I learn from this experience?

• Don't be afraid to open your heart to the sorrow of others
• Listen to the prompting of God's Holy Spirit when He speaks to your heart
• Obey that prompting...don't hold back because of fear that you will be misunderstood
• Let others see the Jesus living in you! That is what Christmas is all about....Jesus came to earth to draw us to Himself...and to save us...and to live through us so that others will be saved and find rest for their souls.

So, today's Advent message is to Open the window of your heart...and let others see Jesus in you!

That leads to pure JOY!  Jesus...Others...You... J-O-Y!!!

Living or Fading? - Updated

9/20/2016:
Interestingly enough, I wrote this post one year ago today...and as I re-read it today I was struck by how similar things are right now in my life. I haven't been doing much current writing because we have a guest with us this week from out of state...a woman who lost her husband very unexpectedly due to a heart attack a couple of years ago...a different woman than the one mentioned in my post written last year, but with very similar needs and sorrow.   It seems as we age, we very sadly can expect this to happen to more and more of our dear friends.  May the Lord continue to give us wisdom and compassion as we give counsel and comfort to those who are grieving.


Original Post 9/20/2015
It's Sunday afternoon and I haven't written anything new lately.  Sitting here wondering about what to write...I need some new inspiration I guess. I'll be back later. Going to go take walk-about outside. Maybe I'll get some ideas.  If I do, you'll see it here later. If I don't...this won't get published. Bye for now.

A little later......

Okay, I'm back.  Went outside...took a little walk with my hubby, tried to talk about "life" in general while we had a few minutes to ourselves away from the folks inside the house...but it was too hot to stay out for long...so he went back inside to watch football, and I sat on the front porch for a few minutes and decided to take a picture of the first thing that struck my fancy.  Here it is:

What do YOU see in these pictures?  Same view, just two different perspectives.

I'll tell you what I was thinking while I was looking at this view.  Recently I was visiting with a friend who lost her  husband to cancer a little over a year ago.  It's been a difficult year for her in many ways. I won't go into any details or betray any confidences...but I thought to myself that I wouldn't want to trade places with her for anything.  I looked at these trees and thought that the dead tree in the background is how my friend must feel...stripped bare, broken, and alone. Exposed to the elements without any shade to cover and shelter her from the storms of life.

The tall pine in the foreground is how I feel having my life-mate still with me.  Alive and
strong, able to withstand the tempests that come and go, knowing that I do not have to face those storms alone...and so thankful to the Lord that that is the case.

In the second photograph you might notice the Sycamore leaves in the foreground. They are starting to change color with the upcoming autumn.  Soon they will fade into a golden hue and then turn brown and blow away.

This coming week I will have a birthday...my sixty-fifth! (new note in 2016---that was last year. Gonna be a year older this year! Old age is creeping up on me).   I don't mind telling you because it is a significant age. I am thankful to have reached this "great age" and still have my health...and my husband.  I don't say this boastfully, but thankfully. So many of our friends our age have already lost a mate and are having to enter their "golden years" alone...something they never thought they'd have to do.

I didn't intend for this post to be depressing or sorrowful.  But it is facing a reality of life.   Our golden years are already upon us...and it is only a matter of time (and/or unexpected illness) that we, like those Sycamore leaves, will begin to fade, dry up and blow away.

Even the Bible tells us about this in Isaiah 40:6-8:

"All flesh is grass,

and all its loveliness is like the flower of the field.

The grass withers, the flower fades,

because the breath of the Lord blows upon it;

Surely the people are grass.

The grass withers, the flower fades,

But the Word of our God stands forever."

The Psalmist continues this theme in Psalm 103:15-16:

"As for man, his days are like grass;

As a flower of the field, so he flourishes.

For the wind passes over it,

and it is gone,

and its place remembers it no more."

But I like what the Psalmist goes on to say in the next verses (17-18):

"But the MERCY of the Lord is from 

everlasting to everlasting

on those who fear Him,

and His righteousness to children's children,

to such as keep His covenant,

and to those who remember His commandments to do them."

And look at these encouraging words  in the final verses of Isaiah, chapter 40 (28-31)

"Have you not known?

Have you not heard?

The everlasting God, the Lord,

The Creator of the ends of the earth,

neither faints nor is weary.

His understanding is unsearchable.

He gives POWER TO THE WEAK,

and to those who have no might 

He increases strength.

Even the youths shall faint and be weary,

and the young men shall utterly fall,

BUT THOSE WHO WAIT ON THE LORD

SHALL RENEW THEIR STRENGTH;

They shall mount up with wings like eagles,

They shall run and not be weary,

They shall walk and not faint."

This wonderful passage tells me that my friend who feels alone is NOT alone.  And for those who feel weak and powerless, they have the everlasting God holding them up and giving them strength. 

No matter what our age or current status in life, whether we are getting old and dried up, or are alone and feeling empty, we need to remember that we are never alone.

I am also reminded to count my blessings daily.  Not one of us knows what each day will bring...so we need to live each day giving glory to God and trusting Him to see us through whatever may come our way.

"The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears,

and delivers them out of all their troubles.

The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart,

and saves such as have a contrite spirit.

Many are the afflictions of the righteous,

But the Lord delivers him out of them all."

Psalm 34:17-18