Five Minute Friday

Did you know that this is the simply the last word prompt of the year?   I know…. I’m devastated too!  But as Kate says, we all need a break once in a while.  🙂   The prompt?  The word Simple.  It’s such an easy word in many ways, and yet… perhaps not.  Our faith is far from simple I think, and yet, the simplest thing ever.  Why does it get so complicated sometimes? 

Far from simple

This morning in church, a
sermon I didn’t expect
was preached.
Talking about politics
and how people so often
expect politicians to solve
the issues in society.

We look for heroes to save us
and so often miss the
saviour that is right
in front of us.
A saviour who came in
a rather unexpected way,
and wasn’t quite what was
predicted by Balaam.

I see him, but not now;
    I behold him, but not near:
a star shall come out of Jacob,
    and a scepter shall rise out of Israel;

As Jesus didn’t exactly come
with a scepter in his hand did he?
He came as a baby, grew as a boy,
turned into a man, with a short
active ministry life.
A life in which, yes, he showed
his power over wind, wave, animals,
and influenced more people than
we’d ever know.

And yet, this simple boy, this
baby, son of God, influences
millions of people worldwide.
Sometimes in ways hurtful, but
if we truly remember, if we think
to what his message is…
it’s a far from simple one.
Glorify God.
Enjoy him forever.

Do we remember to do that?
Do we remember that he is
to always be our focus?
And as we focus on glorifying him,
we have the benefit of
ENJOYING him.
Do you enjoy knowing God?
Is it part of the joy of your day
to spend time with him?
Or to talk about him?

Seems so simple
and yet,
so many of us that profess
to know the Lord
and claim that he knows us
full-well indeed,
so many of us struggle
with making him a regular,
daily, intimate part of
our lives.

Far from simple maybe eh?

God Speaks

Numbers 24:15-19

¹⁵ And he took up his discourse and said,

So guess what happened today? A friend came over with the thought of helping us with the shed.  Jim was having a hard morning so instead, he helped me with trimming back our maple tree.   In some ways, it was kinda funny.  He’d trim something, notice a dead branch and cut it off.  He’d think he was all done and then would look around and go “Oh, I didn’t see that dead one there, let me see how I can get to it”.    This happened so often I started to inwardly chuckle about it, but outwardly I’d help him, holding the ladder, and carrying away branches for him.  We had a thoroughly productive morning and he taught me a lot about caring for trees. Then the lad helped load up the truck for a trip to the dump so all those branches are gone!  Utterly fantastic!  Anyways, it made me think about the word prompt this week and how nicely this friend was about showing up.

Showing Up

Showing up is not
just a fling.
It’s a gift a time,
a meaningful thing.

A helpful moment,
often God-made,
to meet a need
it should be obeyed.

In my email often found
ways to show others
your faith in God
reaching out to brothers.

Sometimes it’s fancy
ways of evangelism, or
programs to put on, or
methods of catechism.

But what I’m learning
works is simply
and plainly showing up
even if you’re pimply!

Just showing up matters.
Teaching, praying,
studying, helping,
working and playing

Be that Sunday School helper,
and lender of tools.
Be the mover, the idea-giver,
and the setter of stools.

Mow a lawn, walk a dog,
read a book, write a letter,
pay it forward, and create a smile
Do what you can to make it better.

And when people ask
why you are showing up?
Tell them the truth,
God makes you look up!

God is the reason for
the things that you do
I’m finding my way to
make him relevant to you!

Yup, me, still talking

I don’t often do rhyming couplets in a very “poetry-ish” style, and boy, it can be a challenge!  🙂   Anyways, God is good and walks me through eh?  But seriously, show up with your faith.  Be out and about in your community making an impact and try not to be shy about your reasons for doing so.  Otherwise, how will people know? 

James 2:18-26 (ESV)

¹⁸ But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. ¹⁹ You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! ²⁰ Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? ²¹ Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? ²² You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; ²³ and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God. ²⁴ You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. ²⁵ And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? ²⁶ For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.

I was seriously starting to wonder if I would be able to participate in Five Minute Friday this week. I have switched who hosts my blog over to a company called lyrical. There’s still some part that needs adjusting, but at least I can write posts again!!!   🙂   Miss Kate tells us the word this week is hide.  It’s not the first time I’ve pondered, what my poem God Hides me, speaks about, but it was a recurring theme all day today. 

God Hides Me

I ponder a word
Hide
In my head immediately
a song starts
Guide me oh, thou great Jehovah
pilgrim through this barren land.
I am weak, but Thou art mighty;
Hold me with Thy powerful hand

As I’ve gone through
the day, waiting for
the blog to be transferred
(started Wednesday early)
as this song plays through

I wonder.
What will Christians
Do as Seniors
in nursing homes?

With the popularity
of praise and worship music
that is every changing.
How will our young believers
today have songs of faith
to hold on to?

Songs that can
help them remember
all that God has
done for them over
the years, particularly when
pain increases, or
ability decreases?

Will they be able
to remember well
the God they can hide
themselves in? When memory,
regrets, and longing for
home sets in?

I’m not saying
Praise and worship
music is bad. I just
wonder with how many
new songs there always are
… how will something stick
long enough, to be recalled
when age makes it harder?

Things to ponder eh?
When you are
waiting for a blog to
reboot, in the midst of
other chores.
Recalling, through old hymn
memorized, how God
hides me in the
palm of his hand.

What God Has to Say

Isaiah 49:16  Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are continually before me.

John 10:29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.

Psalm 96:2    Sing to the Lord, bless His name;
Proclaim good tidings of His salvation from day to day.

James 5:13 Is anyone among you suffering? Then he must pray. Is anyone cheerful? He is to sing praises.