Prodigal Dog/Prodigal Me

Just as my husband and I were headed to the car for our weekly Praise Team practice, his service dog (who has become a pet instead of a working dog), took his chance to make a break, running out the door, through the open garage with his eyes on the farmer’s field behind our neighbor’s yard.

I was chasing after him and calling his name, but he had already made up his mind where he was going. I watched him wiggle his 80 lb. furry frame under the barbed wire fence that kept him from exploring the vast openness which he had so obviously predetermined to be his destination. It was quite evident that our clever service doggie had been plotting this great escape for who knows how long.

No amount of calling his name, offering treats, or sweet talk deterred him. He kept going across the field until he was just a black speck in the wide-open expanse.

Not knowing what to do, I texted our praise team leader to explain why we would not be on time, and to pray. I also called a neighbor friend to help.

I walked down the road, going through people’s yards trying to find him. Jon stood on our driveway making the sound with the leash that he does when it is time to go for a walk. I couldn’t tell which house would give me the best entry into the field, and since I was thinking I would have to crawl through barbed wire, I didn’t want to have to do it more than once. 

I circled back home and got a better view of which house it was, then headed on foot there again.  By this time, our friend was driving by. He stopped his car just as I spotted the dog. As soon as I called his name, he ran right over to me, tail wagging and happy as can be.

Embarrassed that I had dragged our friend over for nothing, angry that we were now a half an hour late for our Praise Team practice, I didn’t even want to speak to the dog.

Once we got to the church, I looked down at my shoes and saw how completely muddy they were. What this meant was when we got home, there would be muddy paw prints all over the white carpet (I did NOT choose white carpet and have no idea who in their right mind ever would).

I was still angry at the dog and hyped up from the adrenalin rush, but I did allow the music to bring me back to abiding in the vine once more.

The next day, I received some rather devastating news. I was overlooked for a full-time position that I would have loved to have had, and the course that I most love teaching as an adjunct has now been given to the new full-time hire.

I wanted to run away. Just like our prodigal dog. I wanted to sprint clear out of town, out of state, out of the country. I started to wallow into the self-pity trap, being reminded of all of the old lies that I thought were totally healed. “You aren’t enough”; “You don’t fit in”; You don’t measure up”; “Others can do this job better than you”; “Nobody likes me everybody hates me, going to the garden to eat worms… yada, yada, yada.”

But then, I remembered. I am not a prodigal. I am the daughter of the Most High! I am a Princess Warrior! I am the head and not the tail! I am His masterpiece, fearfully and wonderfully made! How could I ever forget?

So, like the dog, I returned to my senses, and obediently came home into the loving embrace of my Master.

Lift the Veil

2 Corinthians 3:12-18


Since we have such a hope, we are very bold, 13 not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face so that the Israelites might not gaze at the outcome of what was being brought to an end. 14 But their minds were hardened. For to this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away. 15 Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts. 16 But when one[c] turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. 17 Now the Lord[d] is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord,[e] are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another.[f] For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

This passage makes me think about the state of our world. It tells us that ONLY through Christ is the veil taken away so that the heart can truly see the glory of the Lord. I’m praying for the veil to be lifted. I’m envisioning God’s people turning toward Him and away from the counterfeit given from the father of lies.


When the veil is lifted, this passage tells us that we are transformed into the image of God and get to participate in His glory.

“Beholding,” in this verse, is the Greek word, katoptrizomenoi, which means to reflect as a mirror. In other words, when we no longer have a veil covering our hearts, we represent the exact image of God. It’s as though we look in a mirror and see Him in the reflection.

I don’t know about you, but I love the notion that I get to reflect God’s glory in the world.

But, in order to do this, we have to make sure the veil is lifted. This passage tells us, it iis only lifted through Jesus.

The world may offer you many other ways to see God, but none will lift the veil to fully reveal the glory our Most High.

I’m praying that more hearts become unveiled to truly reflect the image of God to the world. It is this light that dispels the darkness.

Being on Time

Being on Time

My family has a generations-long history of being neurotically early for everything. Over the years, I have tried so hard to understand why some people are always late. I know that late people don’t mean to be disrespectful by making others wait for them—often many minutes past the appointed time. It is compounded by the fact that my neurotic earliness means, I have actually been waiting at least 10 minutes prior to the agreed upon time. So, when Miss Lateness is 15 minutes late, I have now actually been waiting for 25 minutes.

My parents would get quite agitated when people didn’t show up when they said they would. It seemed to become a matter of integrity. The person said they would be there at a particular time, and then they weren’t. If their word didn’t stand in regard to timeliness, would it elsewhere?

There were always seemingly valid excuses—unexpected traffic; last minute phone call; urgent family matter that took longer than expected. Certainly all legitimate reasons.

But why is that my family manages to still show up early. We also have similar things come up. That’s life. Stuff happens. Indeed, it always does!

In a way, it kind of is a matter of integrity. When I say I am going to be there at an appointed time, I make sure I plan ahead to be able to do so.  Sometimes, I am sitting in a parking lot for 15-20 minutes because I allowed more than ample time to get lost or deal with traffic.

Of course, there have been times where I’ve had to call or text to say that something interfered with my promptness, but when I do, it is always with an enormous amount of guilt and apology. It’s as though my very core essence is at stake. My word is my word, and when I say I will be there at a certain time, there is no small amount of angst if something gets in the way of being where I said I would and when.

Today, our dog had a vet appointment. In my head, I remembered it to be at 10:30, but as I was getting my coat on to leave (with plenty of extra time, so I thought), I saw on the calendar that the appointment was actually at 10:15.  There was no way I would be on time, even if there was no extra traffic along the way.

While I’m driving, I have Siri look up the vet’s phone number so I could call and let them know that I was going to be late. They were very kind, and told me not to worry, but when I showed up all of 7 minutes past the appointed time, I was greatly apologetic. The receptionist assured me it was not a problem, but to me it was. It really is a matter of being true to my word. I agreed to a 10:15 appointment. I should be there when I said I would be.

Tonight, Jon was going with a friend to an event out of town. They are on a prayer team and were told to arrive at 6:00 PM.  The friend said he would be there at 5:30 to pick him up. Since Jon is blind, it is easier for him to wait at the end of our sidewalk since he can then hear when the car is there for him. He went outside at 5:25 to wait. At 5:40, the friend texted and said he was just leaving and would be there shortly. He arrived at 5:50. There is no way they will be at this venue by 6:00. Jon is off the hook, since he is at the mercy of the driver. But, I was so grateful that I wasn’t joining them since I would have been having heart palpitations at the thought of being so late. I would not have been able to be of any value as an effective member of that prayer team after being agitated to that degree of lateness!

Most of my friends are not at all concerned about being on-time. I am learning to find the extra measure of grace to let it go, but it’s hard when I am waiting, and watching the clock.

One of my good, always late-friends often sends research about how late people are usually highly intelligent but just have trouble planning how long it takes them to get ready.

I have trouble with this theory because after the second or third or fifteenth time the person Is late, then how hard is it to add those extra minutes into the allotted planning time? If I think it will take me a half an hour to get ready, remembering that I am usually fifteen minutes late, I will therefore I start forty-five minutes before.  It isn’t rocket science!

I passed along the always-early genes to all of my children, and they will most likely pass them along to their children as well.  I will be teaching my grandchildren that the gift of being on time is respectful and an outward sign of valuing others and their time as well.

I will also pass along how to look for other gems in their always-late friends so that it is easy to forgive and offer grace while standing around waiting for those who have no clue what it means to be on time.

Flow

            The older I get, the more I realize how important it is for me to have an outlet for what the Holy Spirit is teaching me. Just like our digestive system, we have to let out the bulk of what goes in to make room to swallow more. If we never let out the bulk, we would not be able to take in more.

            I have gone through periods of spiritual constipation, where I felt closed off—holding desperately onto beautiful nuggets, thinking that they would sustain me. In reality, however, as I share those deep thoughts, allowing them to flow from me, the capacity to receive more increases.

            I am amazed at the beauty in the synchronous rhythms our Creator has designed. Simple, yet not. The flow, like breathing in and breathing out, is part of our entire being. Part of our entire world. The ocean waves moving in and out with the tide; the cycle of the seasons; the stark white melting snows turning to green life; birth to death; the heart pumping out and in; food in, waste out—these rhythms all around us and in us and through us. These are the very essence of what is most important in life.

            Now, when I am learning new things, I am looking for ways to share, because I know that in order to receive more, I have to allow the Creator-designed flow to move. In and out. Receive and give. Inhale, exhale.

            Our enemy wants us to believe that we need to hold onto what is most important. The lie is that if we give it away we will be empty. This is so very far from the truth in almost every aspect of our existence. Our finances are only blessed when we give our blessings away. Our children become healthy and resilient when we give up ourselves to listen and guide. Our hearts are healed through giving to others. We receive when we give.

            My heart sings, “I want more.”

            The answer is, “Give away what you have.”

            We only have to look around us to see the truth in this. Do not give place to the father of lies for one second more. Allow the flow to become who you are, and soon it becomes so easy to see the gorgeous truth that we are indeed the image of our Creator. This is a constant reminder to the world of Almighty God. What better way to be the living epistle we are called to be, “known and read of all men.”