If Life Hands You Ice, Go Skating...

The home bodies are settling; the old house creaks and groans itself against the insidious frigidity of first days of the year. In the bowels of the house, it is as if a discordant organ has been set upon by the picks of the seven dwarves; pipes shake and rattle. Upstairs, the fire hisses; it is so still I believe I hear the needles fall off the crispy Christmas tree.

That's the way of it.  Before Christmas, the house swells like a sponge, taking on heat from warm ovens of baked goodies; light from candles, from every room in the house and a motley kaleidoscope of colored strands; and sound, of Christmas music of various vintage and that most cacophonous and welcome noise of all, the crashing tidal wave of a big family celebrating.  

But now it is January.  The merry days together  are enshrined in attachments to email. The nonpareils and edible glitter have been sucked into the sweeper and the majestic tree is fish habitat. We've sworn off eggnog.  The sun goes down early, comes up late, providing but cold comfort.  The W-2s have to be done and the politicians are insufferable. The need to cut calories removes even the consolation of chocolate and cookies. Gloom prevails.

Lord, I hope this day is good

I'm feelin' empty and misunderstood

I should be thankful Lord, I know I should 

But Lord, I hope this day is good

Lord, have you forgotten me

I've been prayin' to you faithfully

I'm not sayin' I'm a righteous man

But Lord, I hope you understand

I don't need fortune and I don't need fame

Send down the thunder Lord, send down the rain

But when you're planning just how it will be

Plan a good day for me

You've been the king since the dawn of time

All that I'm asking is a little less crying

It might be hard for the devil to do 

But it would be easy for you...... Don Williams

Isn't this a great set of lyrics?  How many days have I climbed out on my side of the bed with this kind of prayer muttered under my breath?  When I stumble down the stairs with a plastic tub of decorations, I say this prayer soundlessly, 'Lord, make this year a good one. Lord , help us make it through this year. Lord, keep me hopeful; help me face this year without worry, without dread.'

In our hearts, we don't intend to be so self centered.  We are praying for our loved ones as much as ourselves.  We don't mind struggle, but we want to know the ending will be a happy one: the game will be worth the candle.*

Hey, folks, its not heaven, it is Iowa.  The hymn reminds us to count our blessings; we are never promised prayer will be answered as easily as sitting on Santa Claus' knee.   I can testify that the most heartfelt, desperate, and wrenching prayer of the past year received a merciful answer, if not one without cost. Never forget, loving friends, that "Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above"(James 1:17).  As our New Year commences, we would do well to be humble in our expectations, but hopeful, neither quibbling nor querulous in our requests.  

   
fer·vent  [fur-vuh nt]  
adjective
1.
having or showing great warmth or intensity of spirit, feeling, enthusiasm, etc.; ardent: a fervent admirer; a fervent plea.
2.
hot; burning; glowing.

Think fireplace; think hot tea in a mug; think hugs and high fives by a winning team.  Put on your warmest socks, your favorite fleece, and an in-your-face-winter stocking hat. Then carry the warmth of December with you and deal fervently with January and the uncertainty of the New Year.   

*This expression, which began as a translation of a term used by the French essayist Michel de Montaigne in 1580, alludes to gambling by candlelight, which involved the expense of illumination. If the winnings were not sufficient, they did not warrant the expense. Used figuratively, it was a proverb within a century. 

Risen with Healing in His Wings

When you can't fix it......


Be silent, sit back and wait for prayer to come.


Give God a chance to show His mercy.


Meditate on James 1:2-4....Trials and Temptations
2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4 Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

Arm your faith with perseverance, trusting that God will not let you alone, will not send you down an unmarked trail without provision, without guidance, without map.

Daniel 3:16-18
New International Version (NIV)
16 Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. 17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us[a] from Your Majesty’s hand. 18 But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”

If everything were easy, if every request were granted, if every wish were fulfilled, if every endeavor succeeded, we would not be grateful.  We would accept happiness as our due and not as grace granted and unearned.  Real thankfulness is achieved through what we name as adversity and God calls testing of our faith.

"We don't appreciate how good we have it" is not a truism, it is an inseparable part of being human. Like Mt. McKinley, our true happiness is glimpsed but briefly if we are separated from our Guide.

Close your eyes and wait for God's answer.

Matthew 11:28-30
New International Version (NIV)
28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

'Lean on me, When you're not strong, I'll take your hand, I'll help you carry on.' says the song.  Says our Lord.  We cannot succeed on our own; we cannot bear even our own burdens, much less those of our loved ones.  We are dishonest and misguided if we believe we can.  We are strongest when we lean on our Brother's stick or arm or shoulder....we can only be a lifeline if He holds the rope.


'For Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me.

Malachi 4:2
'"But for you who fear my name, the Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in his wings. And you will go free, leaping with joy like calves let out to pasture.

Fast Away the Old Year Passes

Happy New Year!!

Each year the extended Hurst family gathers just before Christmas to pray and eat...or eat and pray, depending on the ability of the youngest family members to withstand hunger pains in relative silence. It has been tradition for Millie and Charlie’s grandchildren to read the story of Jesus’ birth from a family Bible. This reading used to end at the verse ‘and Mary pondered all these things in her heart’, but now extends beyond the initial verses in Luke to include all of Matthew 2.  When the youngest great grandchildren learn to read, we may have to begin with verse 1 of Matthew 1: ‘The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham’!  The moms and dads beam as the grade school kids navigate King James; the grandmas and grandpas close their eyes and remember these same young parents reading the same lovely words.

After Scripture we hold hands and offer prayer.  We thank our Lord for watching over us all during harvest, travel, exams; we are grateful for our health, children, homes.  It is a time of reflection and, to quote the liturgy, ‘altogether meet and right so to do’.
But some years are just better than others.  Fortunately, Bella prayed early on and spoke the words we were all thinking:

‘Thank you, God, that the Cardinals won the World Series’.


We wish all of you the very best in 2012.