Sabrina J-R

No one could have predicted this would happen.  Stage lights flooded the stage as the band played through the worship set.  It was the last night of music of the week-long event.  The first song went well.  The intro for the second song began.  The worship leader was giving a verbal preamble before the singing started.  As the pianist played along listening intently for the cues, dread crept up.  The worship leader seemed to be giving an intro into the third song.  Except that the entire band was playing the second song.  And then he said the unthinkable…

…Join us as we sing ______________

*GASP*

It was the wrong song, set in a completely different key.  And the only one who was panicking was the pianist.  An avid sight-reader, she cannot play by ear.

Dear God, Oh God, Oh God! was the prayer her heart repeated.  She couldn’t play one chord for an entire song.

Lost in transposition hell.

A small whisper came to her rescue.  The guitarist behind her could sense her panic and began to call out the chords.  C#… A… E… G#…  This musical genius, whom she’d only just met hours earlier, saved her big time!

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I wish all my lost moments went as gracefully as this one.  I wish I would only stumble along for a few moments, and regain my confidence when Someone would reach out and direct my steps.  But that’s not always the case.

There are times when I get lost following good directions to the letter.  But if a step is missing, or the count is off, then it’s very easy to veer off the path though no fault of my own.

Then there are the times when I get lost all on my own.  Ignoring sound advice, choosing my own way.  Being cocky and believing that I know better.  Most times I don’t.

In both cases, I’m thankful that God is the best searcher and rescuer out there.  He never gives up on looking for me and finding me.  When I’m willing to follow Him—His ways, His steps, His directions—I  cannot get lost.

Nor be lost.

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Linking up with this five-minute Friday community today.

Elijah.  And Balaam.  These are the first two who came to mind as I saw this prompt.

Delivering messages was one of prophet Elijah’s main duties.  God would give him a direct word, which he would then relay directly to someone else.  There’s the time when Elijah marched right up to King Ahab, told him it wouldn’t rain or even have dew for the next few years until God said it was time again, and then walked out.  He had not requested a meeting with the king.  There was no press release or alert of a press conference so that people were prepared to receive the word.  Elijah didn’t even take the time to shop for a new outfit.

Balaam was also a messenger, though not the poster boy most of us would think of.  The king asked him to come and curse the Israelites and offered to pay him.  God told him no…and Balaam went anyways.  Then God said He would be in charge of the message. Balaam’s intent was to do his job and fill his wallet.  In this case, he would gladly curse God’s people if it meant coming out the richer.  Balaam, despite the warning signs and crazy encounters found himself in a position to act as a harmful messenger.  But when he opened his mouth to speak, God’s words came out instead.  Everyone was shocked.

God uses messengers all the time.  Sometimes they’re obvious; sometimes they’re reluctant. He uses US as His messengers.  Sometimes the message is easy–like encouraging someone.  Sometimes the message is very difficult–like a warning or bad news.  Despite our human hearts, we can be used for divine purpose. 

That’s grace right there!  We can’t get caught up in aesthetics, stats and readership.

When our platforms stand on ‘thus saith the Lord’, we’ll have an unexpected outcome.

 

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Today I’m one of many messengers. Find more at this link up here.

My childrens’ devotional book referred to John 10:28 today.  Jesus holds us tightly in His hands, with a promise to never let go and to never be snatched away.  And He keeps all… ALL…of His promises.

Hallelujah!

I looked at my own hands after reading that verse.  They’re ashy and well worked.  Clean, but unmoisturized as the little blessings in my home constantly require something that makes applying lotion seem wasteful.  My fingernails are currently longer than I prefer to have them.  Oooh, and how I’d love to get a manicure.  One of these days, maybe.

But they’re intact.  My hands are whole and complete.

Jesus has holes in His hands.  They were nailed to a cross, just to save lil’ me.  And you too.  These were the days before cosmetic repair surgeries.  It was done roughly; the nailers weren’t going through any pains to assure that bones were avoided or that major arteries were spared.  In addition to the nails going in through his hands, there was the actual cross.  It was neither stained nor sanded.  I’m sure there were splinters galore in His hands to add to the discomfort and torture of crucifixion.

During His brief life, Christ touched everyone, literally.  He touched people.  Raised them from the dead, healed them of diseases, physical and spiritual.  He cuddled children and consoled grieving hearts.  He even spat in the dirt to make mud and applied it to the eyes of a blind man.  He pulled a then self-reliant and drowning disciple out of the water.  He even restored a man to wholeness after amputation.

My hands feel somewhat inadequate.  Jesus, full of perfect love in this flawed world, never hesitated to touch anyone.  The idea of germs and ickyness stops me from touching a lot of things.  And even a lot of people.  Christ’s example gives me hope that I can do better.

Lord, may I not be afraid to use my hands to lead people to Your mighty hands.

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On Fridays, we write freely from the heart.  We still the editing voices and bravely hit ‘Publish’.  You can more here.

Nothing

When your favourite person wants to drop by and they call a few minutes ahead to ask you what you’re doing–the response is often “Oh nothing”.  Except that you can easily be up to your elbows in chores and have a few different things going on, never mind the fact that your house itself is not prepared for public viewing…  All that matters is that you’re willing to drop everything to spend that quality time with that special person.  Besides, nothing you were doing before the call is as valuable as this visit.

Or when there is so much going on in your mind.  As you’re making plans for the big dinner that you’re hosting months from now and mentally compiling your shopping list and party prep plans, your mind tends to run away with every tangent possible.  Yet, let someone you don’t trust well enough to confide in ask you what’s on your mind.  The response is usually “Oh, nothing”.

Nothing seems to be the go-to response; the easy out.  The easiest way to let someone know that they either mean the very most to you or the very least.  But all the things that matter most to us can never be considered as nothing.  I’m grateful for a Saviour and His gracious way of catering to me in my nothingness.  He cares about all the fine details.

When I’m tempted to think that it’s nothing, to Him it’s everything.

That’s the best thing.

Joining up with this fabulous Five-Minute Friday community.

If you want closeness with others, then you cannot keep yourself closed off.

This is a hard reality for many, particularly for women.  And yes, even among believers. Betrayal hurts, cutting deep into the subconscious future.  The pain resurfaces when we least expect, haunting us in the cloudier times of life.  As a result of hurt, it’s easier safer to withdraw.  To bottle up your true self in hopes of deflecting negative judgement.

And while this may work for a short while, the relationships feel unfulfilled and void…of something we can’t quite label.  You’re not sure if confiding your innermost self is worth the high risk of this great investment.

Yet, this is what life is about.  In order to be close, to have a special intimacy with someone, you have to take that risk.

Christ took it for us–for you and for me.  He left the comforts of heavenly perfection with no guarantee of acceptance on our part.  He gave His all.  His very own life.  And for those of us who have accepted this precious gift, we are experiencing a closeness with Him that is unparalleled.

He’s not requiring me to die on a cross.  He just asks me to trust Him as He pilots me through the uncertainty of relationships….

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Ahhh, five-minute Friday time again.  Grab your favourite writing tool and see where today’s prompt takes you.