My Zaccheus Moment

Psalm 30:1

I will extol thee, oh Lord;

For thou hast lifted me up...

© 10/10 Angela Beatty

 

Okay, it's a Black Willow tree not a Sycamore and I'm sure I'm not as nimble as Zaccheus, but I miraculously managed to get up into this tree.  It's amazing how different things look that far off the ground (note the amazing heights I climbed too! lol). 

 

There have been times in life when I've had to pull myself up by sheer willpower.  But the view after the climb was so much better!  When a cloud of despair is keeping us enclosed in the negative, the only answer is to climb above it and look for Jesus.  He'll always have time to stop by our house a visit a while.  It's amazing how life can change after spending time with the master!

Wee Ones

© 7/10 Angela Beatty

Proverbs 22:6

Train up a child

in the way he should go:

and when he is old,

he will not depart from it.

~~~~~~~~~~~

A few days ago, I had the wonderful opportunity to watch this mama duck taking her ducklings from the shore out onto the Lake. The waves were rolling in and she just seemed to bob for a second with each one and then emerge on the other side. For the ducklings it was a different story altogether. They'd swim out a little ways and then a wave would wash them right back onto shore.

It was a bit comical to watch. I was videoing the event, sure I had a viral video, but unfortunately it didn't turn out. It took about 15 minutes for the gaggle to get out of range of Melinda and I who were threatening their space. We enjoyed watching the mama "get her ducks all in a row" and paddle off.

But what about my little ducks? lol They're not so little anymore! One is grown and the other as tall as I. Much of my training is in the past. But I recall an eye opening moment when my oldest was two years old. She was a big girl for the day and rode in the front seat with me (pre air bag era). I remember her telling every car on the road how to drive... "put the pedal to the medal sneed" ...."this is the road, not a driveway"...."let's move, I don't have all day"

After the humor wore off it really struck me that she was emulating me. The lesson struck home, and since that day when I see a flaw in one of my kids I take a good look in the mirror before I correct them. Showing your children how to behave is more effective than telling them. Kid's learn "what is caught" much more quickly than what is taught.

I've come to the conclusion that kids are God's little spies!

Spiritual Fruit

Galations 5:22-23

But the fruit of the spirit is...

love

joy

peace

longsuffering

gentleness

goodness

faith

meekness

temperence

That's a mighty challenging list of traits to have in one life. But with God all things are possible. Sometimes we focus too much on growing the fruit and forget these are fruits of the spirit. It's when we're full of the spirit that these things blossom in our lives. I'm convinced that the key to a fruitful life is to stay full of the Spirit of God.

God's Bugs

©7/10 Angela Beatty

Leviticus 11:4

There is a law of the beast,

and of the fowl, and of

every living creature that

moveth in the waters, and of

every creature that

creepeth upon the earth.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

God obviously didn't ask my opinion on the matter. If it were left up to me there would be no creepy crawly creatures on the face of the earth - especially the variety that bite humans! But the truth is that every creature plays a role in a finely balanced ecosystem and all have a purpose in God's plan.

Yesterday I took the kids into the backyard to show them my recent discovery of a grapevine with grapes growing on it and we also discovered this giant beetle. Of course it was a big deal! This thing that looks like a faded lady bug was several inches long and had eaten quite a chunk out of the leaf it was sitting on.

But guess what. In the real world, we all have a few things or people in life that bug us to no end. And it's easy to forget that God has a plan for even our worst enemies! He really does.

In my work in the Christian school I discovered that it's not the good students who made me a better teacher or principal - it was the students who had me ready to pull my hair out that forced me to find solutions. Any educator would prefer a room full of perfect students, but then we'd never be really good at what we do would we? God really does do all things well.

Doomed to Wither

.........................................................© July 2010

Mark 4:5

And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth;

and immediately it sprang up, because it had not depth of earth:

But when the sun was up, it was scorched;

and because it had no root, it withered away.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As a little girl, I played like a little mountain goat on two-story rocks in the woods near my home. I was always a little amazed to see full grown trees growing atop these giant rocks. In fact, I often used loops in the roots that grew down the face of the rocks to pull myself upwards and for footholds as a scaled them. The big strong roots somehow made their way down the sides of the giant boulders and into the ground below.

This weekend as I walked along a Lake Erie marina, I spied these pretty purple flowers and was again amazed to see plants growing in the middle of a rock pile. But the same rock piled sported the dead sticks of a previous plant that had sprung up not too long ago and I remembered the parable of the sower. It saddened me to remember that these beautiful flowers didn't have much of a chance for survival. They have no massive root system and only water beneath the rocks if the roots did make their way below.

I wonder, if when Jesus was teaching the multitude by the seaside He spied a pretty purple flower like this one. Maybe he pointed to it when He likened the seed in the parable to the word of God being sown in our hearts. Thinking about his words makes me wonder how many times I've heard a sermon that stirred my faith, only to find myself doubting and worrying several days later...

Too many times! Keeping my heart tender isn't always an easy task. For me, it's hurt and distrust that hardens it. Sure it's makes a grand protection against more hurt, but it also keeps God's word from getting well rooted in my spirit.

How Deep is Your River?

© 7/10 Angela Beatty

John 7:38-39

He that believeth on me,

as the Scripture hath said,

out of his belly shall flow

rivers of living water.

~~~~~~

But he spake of the spirit,

which they that believe on

him should receive.

After a long dry spell, a normally free flowing river can look pretty rugged. Rocks that usually are hidden make traveling downstream pretty rough business. As I passed Oil Creek today I couldn't help remembering an episode from the early years of my marriage.

Dan and I decided to go canoeing. People we knew did it all the time - or so we thought. We soon discovered that canoeing the creek in April after the spring rains is a different story than heading downstream in August. We got a good workout that day, but not from paddling. Hoisting the canoe and carrying it over the rocks was a big job and not a lot of fun. Then things went from bad to worse when I spotted a green water snake next to my feet and jumped into the canoe, refusing to get out - rocks or no rocks. Let me tell you, one man definitely cannot portage a canoe with a terrified woman cowering inside!

Low water levels can make traveling through life rough and a lot of hard work. Jesus promised rivers of living waters! I want to take him at his word and have an abundance of His spirit in my life.

Peace Be Still!

Psalm 65:6-7

...by his strength settest fast the mountains;

being girded with power:

Which stilleth the noise of the seas, the noise of their waves,

and the tumult of the people.

One of my favorite places to walk is along the shore of Lake Erie. I love to soak in the smells of the water, the sound of the waves crashing against the rocks and beach, and feel the power of it all echoing inside my chest. There's such power and majesty in God's creation!

This past weekend I went out on a sunset boat tour and discovered some things that even an avid enthusiast like me didn't know. Lake Erie (241 miles long) is the shallowest of all the great lakes with an average depth of 61 feet, and the most dangerous. Because it lacks depth, storms can quickly cause treacherous waves to form. Per square inch, Lake Erie has had the most shipwrecks of any body of water on Earth.

I can only imagine what the disciples must've felt like that day on the Sea of Galilee as they faced the storm of their lives. I'm sure these hardened fishermen must've weathered some severe storms during their profession. Like Lake Erie, the Sea of Galilee (actually a lake 13 miles in length) is also shallow - averaging 84 feet in depth. But this storm cause inbridled terror and certainty of death among the disciples.

Yet as the winds whipped their sails out of control and the waves fiercely threatened to send them to the bottom, Jesus slept peacefully in the bottom of the ship. In times like that it's hard to remember that the power of the storm is only a reflection of the power of the Creator. When He arises and simply says, "Peace be Still" the elements become quiet and the fear tearing through the chest of its victims fades away.

In that moment, wonder and awe at the majesty of our God is like ....

How would you describe it?

An Empty Seat

Jeremiah 31:25

King James Version

For I have satiated

the weary soul,

and I have replenished

every sorrowful

soul.

~~~~~~

I underestimated the length of my walk today, and found myself on a bench to rest before I could finish my course. It was a nice big bench that left lots of room for a companion on the other end. But as you can see, it was very empty.

Why is that when I am tired or sorrowful that I notice aloneness the most? I've been a single mother for nearly three years now. I never feel lonely when I'm busy, but at the end of a long day when my strength has drained away I find myself focusing on the empty seat. It seems I've learned to draw strength from others during these times. But maybe it's time to put on a different pair of glasses... time to remind myself to see things differently. It's time to remember that I am really never alone!

The Ultimate Bridge

Hebrews 2:17

New Living Translation

Therefore, it was necessary

for Him to be made like us,

his brothers and sisters,

so that He could be our

merciful and faithful high

priest before God.

Then He could offer a

sacrifice that would take

away the sins of the people.

~~~~~~~~~~

Bridges are wonderful things. Many are beautifully artistic works of a great architect, while others are simple, rustic, utilitarian structures. Regardless of their aesthetic appeal, they all serve one purpose... to span the gap from one place to another.

In my work as a Christian educator, my greatest discovery has been the value of becoming a bridge - spanning the gap between children and parents, between students and understanding, between youngsters and knowledge, between the rules and the rulebreakers, and between students and God. To be honest, it's dirty work. Sometimes you get walked on, run over , trampled, and have the treadmarks to prove it. But the end result of priceless reconciliation makes it all worthwhile.

The greatest bridge ever built spans the gap between mankind and God: Jesus Christ. How can I ever express my appreciation to a Savior who stooped to earth, wrapped himself in lowly flesh, and walked among us so that he could understand our infirmities and weakness. Yet he was beaten, mocked, humiliated and killed for his act of love. Still he loved us enough to willingly make the sacrifice and now stands as a mediator between God and man... our Savior... a bridge between heaven and Earth.