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.

The Well at Sychar

© 7/10 Angela Beatty

John 4:5-6

Then cometh he

to the city of Samaria,

which is called Sychar...

now Jacob's well was there.

Jesus therefore being

wearied with his journey,

sat thus on the well...

It never ceases to amaze me that Jesus is so immune to the rules of mankind! What happened that day at the well broke all the rules of the time. Jesus spoke to a Samaritan woman - a group despised by Israel. After Jesus had told her the sin in her life of having five husbands and living with one who was not her husband, he revealed to her who he was. Then he did the unthinkable. In a society where women were a lesser race, Jesus chose to use a woman to stir up the city. He used a woman to start a revival.

If that wasn't bad enough, imagine this. Jesus has just told her about all the illigitimate men in her life. So what does she do? She runs back to the city to tell the MEN about Jesus and brought them to see him! If that isn't a character reference...?

I wonder what would we think if Jesus sat at the well on the wrong side of the tracks in our towns. Would we discount his revival because he used someone "unsuitable" to spark it?

I don't claim to understand it, but sometimes it seems that Jesus enjoyed breaking all of man's rules and accomplishing his purpose on Earth with unlikely vessels. It sometimes appears that Jesus is looking for willingness to spread the word more than a perfect vessel.

It makes me wonder if He chooses to do a work in my sphere would I be available or would he need to go to the well?

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.