UNDER CONSTRUCTION

The cement “aprons” to the driveways of two neighbors had eroded, sending cement debris and rocks onto the street blacktop. When the busy city repair crews finally got to our part of town, they dug out the aprons, lined them with forms, and then poured cement to “season” a few days. It was a long process, but worth it for my neighbors.

As I watched the project take place, I was reminded by a fun story about Ruth Graham, wife of evangelist Billy Graham. While out on a drive with someone, they came to road construction and the inevitable warning signs. As they got to the end of it and were greeted by the final sign, Ruth smiled and said, “That's what I want for my gravestone.” And that's what she got. Engraved on her burial stone is this: “End of construction, thanks for your patience.”

Couldn't any of us use that for our burial markers? But it took Ruth Graham, a devout but fun-loving spiritual “celebrity,” to think of it and order it to “happen.”

Years ago I wrote a book with the whimsical title, “When I Prayed for Patience, God Let Me Have It!” I had submitted it with a somewhat dull title (“The Power of Patience”). But I thank the joking editor who came up with one that brings a smile—and a curiosity about what's in that book. I recently thought (for maybe two seconds) that 10-word title of my book could be a good inscription for my final resting place. But considering the cost-per-letter, I'll be okay with a name and beginning/ending dates. Of course, it won't be up to me. Besides, that “ending date” (denoting physical death) for a Christian anticipates that new beginning in the presence of the Lord Jesus.

In the meantime, back here on the sunny side of the turf, I go in and out of my cement driveway apron (which didn't need re-poured), seeking to do what takes care of my family and lifts up the Lord. You know, things like going to the grocery store. (And encouraging the checker I know, whose husband has gone through some tough health stuff. Or maybe just being upbeat and offering a kind word or smile to the checker I don't even know at the Dollar Store. Or...or....)

Why bother with everyday stuff? Maybe because I'm aware that I'm still “under construction.” Day by day, as I read scripture and consider God's plan for my remaining earthly life, there need to be attitude changes that bring me closer to the character of my Savior. No doubt there are days when my presumed “halo” gets a little tarnished because I'm grumpy or in a hurry. But at the end of the day, when I think through it, I have agree with Ruth Graham that I'm still “under construction.”

If you're someone who knows me personally...well, thanks for your patience!

PATIENCE!

Somewhere, long ago, I saw this sign. I should have bought it, because it is so "me"!
I want patience, and I want it right now!
With maturity comes the realization that patience is a slow-brewed quality. It takes time to ripen that personality trait.  Like sauerkraut.  Well, maybe cabbage to sauerkraut isn’t the best illustration. Maybe cheese? Instead of the petulant “right now” slogan, I’ve mellowed to appreciate this one:

Often, when things aren’t going my way, or happening as fast as I want, I am drawn back to an old friend, Psalm 37.  It has hard words like “fret not,” “trust,” “delight,” “dwell,” “commit,” “be still,” “refrain from anger,” and “a little while.”
I once heard “fretting” called a “spiritual heartburn.” It’s the acid of impatience that wants its own way and timing, not God’s. Over and over, God has to remind me:

“Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him.” (v. 7)

Sometimes He wants me to stop and change direction.  Sometimes He just wants me to stop trying to manipulate an improbable or impossible situation. My Plan A or Plan B are just plain wrong.  His Plan C, even though it may take more time, is far better.

That’s where prayer enters into the situation. The unchangeable God is the One who can break down stubborn wills or circumstances thought to be unchangeable. That’s why I keep praying for people and circumstances that left me wounded.  I can’t change them. But God can. My job is to aspire to greater godly character. It’s what the psalmist describes as righteousness, blameless, generous, faithful, uttering wisdom, speaking what is just.

I’ve been the victim of someone’s “rage”—an angry outburst full of lies and misinformation. When that person left, I realized I was trembling from this emotional wounding. But I also asked the Lord to help me look with His eyes on this troubled person. I can’t fix the world. But I can leave those problems in God’s lots-capable hands. 

Do not fret, trust, delight, commit your way to Him, be still.  Good things do take time, when they’re left to God’s perfect time.

TRUST (Psalm 37)

Who's in the driver's seat?  I chuckled when I saw this dog had taken 

over his owner's seat in front of the steering wheel. I wouldn't trust

my life to this furry driver!  But there's truth in this humor--how often 

do we think we can go solo without God at the controls? 

A series on the 48 psalms recommended for times of depression by pastor/counselor David Seamonds, author of Healing for Damaged Emotions.

I was a young Christian, struggling to trust God in all the changes of young adulthood and first job, when I came to Psalm 37 in my Bible reading. I’m sure I’d read it before, but the challenges and disappointments I was then facing made it almost throb with truth for my particular circumstances.

Trust in the Lord…Delight yourself in the Lord…Commit your way to the Lord…Be still before the Lord.

This represented a shift in thinking for me. I’d just come out of college where diligence and planning were rewarded with academic honors. I was the ultimate planner whose desk calendar was full of deadlines to achieve so I wouldn’t come to “Dead Week” (finals) half-dead. The work world was different. I put on a lot of unpaid overtime to meet my workload expectations. I had a boss with a deserved reputation for being hard to please. I felt I had good work relationships with my colleagues. But for many, Jesus wasn’t first in their lives, and as a believer, I felt lonely. When a young Christian man came into my life, I felt I was about to see God fulfill verse 4:

Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.

But the relationship ended. I wondered, had I missed “the desire of my heart” because I hadn’t delighted enough in the Lord?

ROLL IT OFF

I also missed the meaning of “Commit your way to the Lord.” It wasn’t like signing a mortgage agreement. Instead, the verb in Hebrew means to “roll off your burden.” God has stronger shoulders than I do, especially when I’ve been slandered. Instead of limping around with somebody’s negative words hanging on me like a burdensome backpack, I’m to roll that ugly, demeaning load into His care.

I feel I’ve barely begun to understand and live out Psalm 37. But it always encourages me to see God as a gracious, loving Father who understands all the disappointments we face as we live in an imperfect world. He will satisfy all our desires. This is not to say He will give us all the “things” we think we need or are “entitled” to, but He will satisfy those who want more of Him in their lives.

David wrote this psalm in his old age, when he had the time and experience to deal with the puzzle of why the wicked seem to prosper and the righteous suffer. I’ve wondered about that too, as some sort of “suffering” has been a part of every decade of my life. But I’ve also known the blessing and mercy of the Lord, and I think this is what Psalm 37 is getting at. These, for me, are some of its key verses:

Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their way, when they carry out their wicked schemes. Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret—it leads only to evil. For evil men will be cut off, but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land. (vv. 7-9)

In other words, the end of the story hasn’t yet been written. The wicked may seem to be in control now, but their drama on this fallen earth isn’t forever: “The Lord laughs at the wicked, for he knows their day is coming” (v. 12). Just wait, God says--patiently (v. 7). He won’t disappoint.