beWARM

Thus said the Lord God, The Holy One of Israel: In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and trust shall be your strength. ~Isaiah 30:15

The Lenten 40, Day 1

Today’s reading in “40 Days to a Closer Walk With God” focuses on the importance of prayer, and the value of Centering Prayer in particular.

According to J. David Muyskens, when we engage in centering prayer, we:

• receive the gift of an intimate relationship with God deeper than words can express
• let go of our efforts to reach God and simply rest in the love of the Trinity
• let go of our attachments and surrender ourselves to Christ
• release whatever thoughts come to mind and consent to the Presence and to the restoring action of the Spirit within

We need to find God, and He cannot be found in noise and restlessness.  God is the friend of silence.  ~ Mother Teresa

On this day before Ash Wednesday, I am full of expectation. God has been revealing my desperate need for centering time with Him, asking me to still my mind and enjoy His restful presence.

Tomorrow, this Lenten journey begins. I eagerly await these moments of quiet prayer, knowing full well that He will delight in my efforts, reveal new insights, and encompass me in His peace.

I know He will do the same for you, too.

Some of you have committed to  join us in reading 40 Days to A Closer Walk With God by J.David Muyskens. If so, you will want to have your Bible and a journal close at hand.  This precious book teaches the method of Centering Prayer, which enables you to “take at least a few minutes of your day simply to be in God’s loving embrace, free from the noise and tension of the world around you.”

Muyskens further states, “Centering Prayer goes deeper than words can express and beyond thought and imagination.  It offers a way to enter the heart of God…. In Centering Prayer you yield to the One who is your true center.”

Am I ever ready for that!

Perhaps you choose to experience the Lenten season in a different way.  Whatever you do, I hope and pray that spending some quiet time with the Lord will be a part of your day.

With each daily meditation, Muyskens includes a Scripture passage for reflection.  I will post that daily verse for you to contemplate.

I am not sure if I will be writing every day, as I decided when beWarm began that I would only write if the Holy Spirit led me. However, I welcome any of your insights and comments along the journey, as always.

Lent is a time of introspection, preparation, and gratefulness.  God gave us the gift of His Son Jesus, who died for our sins.  Our mission, especially during Lent, is to take an honest look at ourselves, assessing how we can more fully align our lives with Christ. As we grow deeper in our relationship with Him, we are ever more ready to celebrate His resurrection, alive with knowledge and wisdom of the enormity of His love for us.

And thankful beyond words for God’s presence within us and in the world.

I pray that your Lenten voyage will bring you new discoveries, deepening faith, centering peace, and hearts ablaze with the love of God!

For God alone my soul waits in silence; from God comes my salvation.  ~Psalm 62:1

Hearing national news commentators rattle off the latest crimes of brutality and acts of violence is not the best way to start your day. I realize that one of their job requirements is to impartially report the most up to date events – but this steady verbal stream graphically describing cruelty and corruption has become toxic to me.

Not to mention the youtube videos that add even more horrifying visuals.

It is not my desire to escape from reality – but it is reasonable and healthy to dwell in a more positive mindset.

There is so much good present in the world…but those types of news spots infrequently make the headlines, or garner the highest percentage of viewers.

Sensationalism reigns supreme.

Finding words to report facts, however shocking, is relatively easy – but what happens when it comes time to convey emotions related to particular events?

Especially when we have friends and acquaintances experiencing life situations that are untoward…unjust…even intolerable?  When our hearts ache so deeply for them that we feel as if nothing we could say will be of any comfort?

Lately our prayer list keeps growing. We have a woman in our church who has been in hospice care since June – no hope for recovery of her brain cancer – sleeping away the days until the Lord finally calls her home.

We have friends who have brought so many to the Lord, following Him without fail, who are in dire financial straits and may lose their home.

The daughter of one of our friends was innocently involved in a tragic car accident that resulted in a person’s death.

I am sure that each of you know people close to you that are suffering.

Fervent praying is certainly one of the best things we can do – for God is the giver of comfort and strength beyond our capabilities. To Him, we can pour out our sadness and concerns for those we know and love.

I often visualize those I am praying for as having their arms outstretched, reaching up to God.

The people I  mentioned above appear in my mind as curled up in hurt and sorrow. My prayer for them is that God will reach down and gently take them in His arms, tenderly surrounding them with His grace, peace, and love.

And I continue to pray that, in times when friends need support, He will help me know what to say and when to say it.

For The Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say. ~ Luke 12:12

Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him. Truly he is my rock and my salvation;  he is my fortress, I will not be shaken. My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge. Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him,  for God is our refuge. ~Psalm 62:5-8

For the past few years, God has continued to nudge me about the importance of spending quiet time with Him each day. Much of the literature I have read lately has affirmed the value of these meditative moments.

As the season of Lent approaches, I am feeling compelled to be more purposeful about setting aside some “Godtime” each day.

Some years ago, a friend recommended “40 Days to a Closer Walk with God”  by  J.David Muyskens.

In his Preface, Muyskens states: This book has two purposes. First, to explore a practice of prayer that leads to deep communion with God. Second, to encourage a way of life motivated by the Divine Presence at the center of your being.

I loved the book, and looked forward to that silent  and intimate space each day  with God – so much that I intend to go through the book again, this time during Lent – and I invite you to consider doing the same.

Growing up, Lent was always a time when we had to decide what we were going to “give up”. Candy was a common sacrifice – and we looked forward to Sundays when we could indulge. In my adult years, I opted to eliminate coffee, wine, or potato chips (the ultimate of my culinary evils!)

I have to embarrassingly confess….sometimes my resolve didn’t even last until  the first Sunday.

How about a fresh approach to Lent this year? Rather than considering this a time of sacrifice,  think of it as a time of receiving – and indulge in some uninterrupted encounters with the Lord.

Pencil in a daily “spiritual spa treatment”, with long lasting benefits.

The cost is minimal – the book is available from most major online bookstores – and your time is free (well, sort of).

If you are anything like me, you already have a stack of books on hand that you are reading, or intending to read.  But I can’t think of a better way to spend a few minutes each day than growing closer to God.

We will begin the book on Wednesday, February 22, which is Ash Wednesday. If we time the book to finish on Easter, it suggests that we do not do a reading on Sunday.

Please think and pray about this opportunity – and, if you think it is right for you, I would love it if  you would join in this spiritual exploration.

What a wonderful journey to share….

Be still, and know that I am God. ~Psalm 46:10

In retrospect, our MMI eye project in Leticia, Colombia seems like a dream. Immersing ourselves in work that is physically draining, emotionally intense, yet amazingly edifying makes the days whiz by; suddenly it is time for the project to end, and we barely got started.

Yet – the statistics affirm our presence:  5,800 patients seen, over 3,600 pairs of glasses dispensed (despite the lack of those held up in customs!), 400 surgeries performed, including cataracts, strabismus, pterygium and laser, and 36 artificial eyes were fitted.

The need is so great that we will return to Leticia next year.

Our eye team was the first of its kind in this region; the community expressed its appreciation one evening where patients spoke about the changes in their vision after they were seen by our eye team.  We were overwhelmed by their testimonies.

Indeed, our team accomplished much. We hit the ground running, and had little down time. Almost everything fell into place, and we thanked God for that many times over.

What really  gave us this tremendous opportunity were the many people who spent months in preparation so that our work could be so efficient.

Our MMI Colombia directors, Juan Alan and his assistant Daniella, traveled to Amazon villages in June with a small medical team, screening patients, heavily publicizing our “brigade”.  They also made a myriad of arrangements for our housing, transportation, and the clinic and operating room facilities.

We lunched each day at the YWAM (Youth With A Mission) center. The lovely ladies there served up smiles along with their delicious food.  Pastor Jaime and his team of young people shared God’s word with our patients, ministering to their spiritual needs.  When we had a patient whose blindness was incurable, Pastor Jaime was the person who prayed with them.

An unexpected blessing occurred just 2 weeks before our arrival, when Pastor George from Amazon Xpeditions contacted us and offered the use of the operating rooms at the Leticia Clinic. Prior to that, our surgery team was planning to travel across the river to operate in Peru. This generous act added extra time to our day so that more patients were able to have surgery – truly a godsend.

Our group of translators, skilled in Spanish, Portuguese, Ticuna, and English joined us from as far away as Medellin! All were devoted Christians, and many were working for other  mission organizations in Colombia with their families. They were invaluable…and deeply appreciated.

Rebecca, a missionary traveling to remote Amazon villages, cried when she talked of young mothers in their 30s who are going blind from pterygiums, and older folks in dire need of reading glasses.  She is the person who has prayed for 10 years for an eye team to come to the region.

We are hopeful that more patients from these outlying villages will come to us for care next year.

All of these angels of mercy – fervent in their dedication, stalwart in their faith, and filled with compassion – paved the way for our arrival, and heightened the level of our efficiency.

God’s work, expedited by many hands and loving hearts.

The example of such devoted servants, many of whom have spent years in the Amazon region, is inspiring.

We will hold them close in gratitude and heartfelt prayer until we have the joy of working with them once again.

I thank my God every time I remember you. ~Philippians 1:3