the writing on my hand

Recently I did some reflecting on Advent and Christmas. I was reminded how I had surrendered to God regularly during Advent, and was left waiting with empty hands. I wondered what I was waiting to receive, and when that might be. Of course, I had to ask. The image came quickly and clearly, and in my mind I saw my hand with the word "new" written on it.

This has led me to search scriptures for God's promises of newness, and one of my favourites is Isaiah 43:19 where it says, "Forget about what's happened; don't keep going over old history. Be alert, be present. I'm about to do something brand-new. It's bursting out! Don't you see it? There it is! I'm making a road through the desert, rivers in the badlands."

And each day I try to remember to simply ask God "what's new?" and wait for his word for me that day. Even when a familiar word comes, it makes me wonder how God will make that word new for me on that day ... or at least someday.

What if we each started our day by asking God "what's new?"

-Candice

waiting

Who doesn't love to receive? And how do we receive? Do we receive graciously and humbly, acknowledging the giver's good intentions? Or do we scramble to reciprocate the gift, or defer gratitude with comments like "you shouldn't have"? Do we allow joy and closeness to take over, for both the giver and as the receiver?

So far in my Advent journey this year I have been reading, thinking, and praying about my own preparation for Christ's birth anew. Today I felt invited by God to seriously prepare to receive. And I realized (well actually I've known this for a long time) that I hold something that prevents me from fully receiving all He has for me. It was revealed to me as an image through prayer, and I was invited to surrender it. So I did. And I did again. Five times I surrendered that which was blocking me from receiving. At last when it was totally surrendered, I had an image of my empty hands. I thought, "good! I'm ready to receive!"

However, it seems it is not yet time for me to receive. Instead I had the sense that God has me in training, in a place of waiting with clean, empty hands. He has promised me protection, a guard and a friend to keep me strong in this period of waiting. I may pick up again what I had surrendered, but he's right there for me to hand it over again.

This heightens my anticipation. I wonder what I will learn during this waiting period. I wonder what remaining in a posture of surrender and waiting will lead to. I want to be ready to receive, to really receive.

-Candice

not afraid of the dark

The other evening, my son and I were in our basement, and when he went upstairs ahead of me, he turned the lights off. It was totally dark, and I asked him to turn the lights back on so I could find my way to the stairs. He asked me if I was afraid of the dark, and I said no, I used to be, as a child, but not anymore. He told me that he's not afraid of the dark anymore either. I asked him why not, and did anything happen to make him not afraid of the dark anymore? He said no, just one night he realized that his fear was gone. He said Jesus took that fear from him. Did you ask Jesus to take the fear away I wondered? No, he said, Jesus just knew I did not need to be afraid of the dark, and he just takes care of me like that even when I don't exactly ask him.

What a beautiful place to be in your friendship with Jesus, I thought. To just be living in awareness of God's presence, and even in expectancy that He will give you what you need. To humbly receive gifts and blessings from Him. There's something so pure and simple about my son's understanding of who God is - and who he is to God - that makes me want to take that posture as well.

What if we lived in such an awareness of the presence of God and accepted his good gifts with thanks to the One who knows what we need?

-Candice

hallowed be thy name

This week I've been sinking into the Lord's Prayer. I was wondering how to approach it, so I decided to simply ask Jesus. What came of that is that each day I have been meditating on a phrase of the Lord's Prayer. So Monday: Our Father. Tuesday: Who art in heaven. Wednesday: Hallowed be thy name. Thursday: Hallowed be thy name. It seems I'm supposed to sink into this one a little deeper.

What I'm noticing is that "hallowed be thy name" - especially when I use the "King James" language is extremely ... holy. Try rolling those words over in your mind, or even aloud a few times and see if you agree.

Yesterday I simply sat and repeated "hallowed be thy name" in my mind for awhile. Then I started to say it aloud sporadically. Then I used "hallowed be thy name" as a prayer response to things I heard, thought and experienced throughout yesterday and today. I'm experiencing a sense of peace and completeness as I do this.

I wonder what it would be like if we each prayed those words today?

Hallowed be thy name.

-Candice

my summer reading

I felt the need this summer to re-read the Gospels. I thought it would be a good idea to read about the life of Jesus and just get a little refresher on how he lived and what he said. I picked up a devotional book that I've had for a number of years - Solo, by Eugene Peterson. It's laid out in Lectio Divina style - Read, Reflect, Respond, Rest.

I thought I was going to be re-familiarizing myself with Jesus' life. After all, I do know all the stories, but maybe a refresher would be a good idea, and who knows, maybe I would gain some insight into some of the finer details. But, as I have consistently experienced, Jesus took this willingness to immerse myself in the Word and used it as a time to teach me about my life with him. So although I went into it thinking I would be re-familiarizing myself with Jesus' life, His plan was to re-familiarize me with my life with Him. Sound confusing? It's not, really.

So here are just a few of the areas of my life that I had opportunity to consider these past few weeks:

In Matthew 9 I read stories of healing. I took note of the areas in my life where I need healing, and read about how healing can be requested of Jesus, but also just flows from the hem of his garment. I was reminded that we can, in faith, ask for healing in various ways.

Further into Matthew, in chapters 15-17, I saw my judgmental tendencies exposed. Ouch, not pretty. But guess what? Jesus was there, ready to receive my confessions and shame and hold me in my brokenness.

Then in the book of Mark, there's a story entitled "Paralyzed and Desperate" - it's about a paralyzed man whose friends lower him through the roof of a house to seek Jesus' healing. In this story, Jesus showed me that there are times in my life when I have been in various positions: the paralyzed man who depends on others to bring him to Jesus. The friends whose faith and determination facilitates healing for another, and even the role of someone who is on the floor inside the house and observing the action.

On to Luke. I believe that if there was just one thing I was supposed to hear this summer, it is found in Luke 6:35-36 where it says "Help and give without expecting a return. You'll never - I promise - regret it. Live out this God-created identity the way our Father lives toward us, generously and graciously, even when we're at our worst." I sat with those words for several days. They still bring tears to my eyes, because they're still working their way into my heart. I cried out to God, holding the words "I promise" up to him and questioned him: Really?! I really won't regret it if I do this?? But it can be so painful! I've been hurt so often! But the words are there. They must be true. I can't say I've embraced them entirely, but Jesus has assured me that he is patient and that this is indeed what he is asking of me. Further into Luke (chapter 12) this issue is addressed again. More instruction. More promises. I feel like he really wants me to know this.

Then the book of John. Some of my favourite "belonging" passages are here, and I felt this is where I could rest after doing some pretty hard work in the book of Luke. More stories of healing, where I could find myself in the one who answered "yes!" to Jesus' question: "Do you want to get well?" (John 5:6). Stories of comfort and belonging to the Good Shepherd whose sheep know his voice and who knows his sheep by name. God won't leave me hanging. But I have to do my job of following him.

So in a rather large nutshell, that is a glimpse into my journey through the Gospels this summer. I had no idea at the outset that this is what would be in store for me. Painful realizations, joyful reuniting of my heart with his heart for me, and a renewed thirst for more of his words and promises are just a few of the things Jesus had in mind for me when I said "yes" to what was obviously his invitation to "re-familiarize myself" with his life.

I wonder what's next?

-Candice

roadblocks

I am a planner, a scheduler, an organizer. I like my routines, my calendar, and knowing what's ahead. I like to be in control of changing those plans according to what would be more suitable, make more sense, etc. So what happens when I feel control has been taken from me and plans I've made months ago suddenly get cancelled ... because of someone else's plans, circumstances, schedule etc? Well, first I feel frustrated and angry. Then some bitterness creeps in. Blame shows up. And I want to withhold grace.

That looks ugly. I certainly don't want to sit with that stuff and let it take over. What if I were open to hearing what Jesus has to say about it? What if I were attentive to what the Holy Spirit is showing me and teaching me that I could only learn and experience if I were right here instead of where I had planned to be?

These are things that I can only receive answers to if I ask. So ask is what I did. And over the next few days I opened myself to learning, experiencing and following what Jesus had for me. I find when I am open to it, I am awakened to his presence and activity, even in the smallest of things.

Would I have experienced the goodness of the Holy Spirit if my original plans had gone ahead? Quite possibly. Am I disappointed that parts of my plans had to be cancelled? Absolutely. Am I satisfied with what I have been learning and feel complete with what I've received so far? I'm still working on it.

-Candice

the garden angel

I was about to make an entry that I've been sitting with for some time now. Before I got started, I decided to take a quick peek at a dear friend's blog. I was surprised and pleased to see that just yesterday, she blogged the exact story I had planned to share today.

So instead of rewriting it, I'd like to redirect you to Andrea's blog.

She writes it so beautifully and it was a joy to read the story in her words. Thanks, Andrea!

-Candice