This study had its genesis in the summer of 2020. The hopes that Covid would have blown over by then had dissipated and it was becoming clear that life as usual was not around the corner and that we were hunkering down for an indefinitely long haul. Amid ongoing prayers for mercy and healing, I often found myself praying that I/we as God’s children would be attentive to whatever He was saying, whatever He was revealing about how and where we had gotten misaligned and how to walk with Him in these turbulent and uncertain times. I often ended these prayers with a bit of a frantic plea, “And please, please Lord don’t let us miss what you are saying”. During one such time, while praying with my dear friend Paula, a word came to the forefront of my mind – Awaken. It was so sudden, so other, that it had the markers of the Lord’s voice. This propelled me to begin to look at all the scriptures that had the word awake, awaken and related words like alert, ready, watchful, prepared, sober-minded, on guard. 

Two things became evident as I looked at these scriptures; first was that many, many of the passages referred to the second coming of Christ in his glory. The second was that there are certain behaviors that accompany this condition of being awake. It is these behaviors that not only indicate whether one is living awake to the real presence of God, but it is also these behaviors that stimulate one to stay awake. Here are the patterns that I identified:

Awake to Jesus’ return

Awake to living by faith and by the power of the Holy Spirit

Awake to holy living

Awake to repentance

Awake to hope

Awake to prayer

Awake to obedience to God’s calling

Awake to Satan’s schemes

Awake to the needs of the world around us

As I meditated on these verses, I recognized that these attributes have been common for all believers for all time. Could it be that I have grown so comfortable and secure in my church, in my freedoms, in my daily life that I have lost sight of His desires for all His followers? And could it be that the  shaking that we are experiencing is akin to a rumble strip on a highway that is intended to alert a drowsy driver that he is drifting away from where he is supposed to be driving? And could it be that this message is not just for me? Which is how these studies came to be. 

I invite you to consider what the Lord might be saying to us, to you. How are we to obey and live out His call to stay awake? I hope that these studies may be a help in answering that question.

-MM

This morning I took a walk at the old limestone quarry with my two dogs. Hurricane Sandy had just passed through and after being cooped up inside, it was good for all to get outside and go back to this very popular walking place, one we had been to perhaps a hundred times. This time however the parking lot was empty and the familiar, well-trod path was now covered with leaves and branches and even at various points small downed trees. Having walked the trails so many times, the terrain was very familiar but I was surprised by how confused I became without a cleared path.  Even the dogs strayed far more than usual as there seemed to be no trail to follow, just the woods. At one point on my walk I realized that I had actually departed from my usual trail as I found myself at a sign and bridge that I had never seen before. How in the world did I lose the trail? Where had I turned off? I didn’t think it was possible to have departed from a trail I thought I knew so well.  But now everything in the woods looked the same, evenly coated under rust and orange oak leaves.

It was then, as I stood at the unfamiliar bridge, that I realized that there is a way to stay on the trail even when it lies hidden under leaves and debris – trail markers. Since I hadn’t needed them before, I hardly noticed them; but there they were at regular intervals, a blue cross and an occasional blue arrow indicating the trail. It was from that time on that I looked for the markers to successfully keep to the trail for the remainder of my walk.  

Walking closely with the Lord throughout our  lives  in a way that honors and obeys Him can be a bit like my walk in the woods after the hurricane. The visibility of the trail of faith can often  become obscured by storms leaving internal or external debris. External debris clutters the landscape of our culture and the path of living a life that pleases the Lord can be buried under the stresses, demands and fears that we all face. Internal debris from storms of fear, doubt, disappointment  can confuse my own ability and frustrate even my desire to keep to the trail. Just as I needed to look at markers at regular intervals to keep me from straying in the woods, God has given me markers to follow after Him through the Word of God. Within the text of the Bible are stories, instructions, promises, commands, and revelations all of which are available to be used by the Holy Spirit to keep me walking “in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake”. I need to consistently consult the Word of God to be sure I am following Him through this leaf and debris strewn world. 

The need to follow clear markers to remain true to God’s course reminds me of a story from one of my favorite C.S. Lewis books, The Silver Chair. In the beginning of this story from the Chronicles of Narnia, Polly is given four signs by Aslan the lion, the Christ figure in these tales. He requires her to repeat these signs over and over again until she has them memorized. These are the signs that she is to use on her mission to find the lost prince. “Remember, remember the signs. Say them to yourself when you wake in the morning and when you lie down at night and when you wake in the middle of the night. And whatever strange things may happen to you, let nothing turn your mind from following the signs. And secondly, I give you a warning. Here on the mountain I have spoken to you clearly: I will not often do so down in Narnia. Here on the mountain, the air is clear and your mind is clear; as you drop down into Narnia, the air will thicken. Take great care that it does not confuse your mind. And the signs which you have learned here will not look at all as you expect them to look when you meet them there. That is why it is so important to know them by heart and pay no attention to appearances. Remember the signs, believe the signs. Nothing else matters.”

The air will thicken, storms will come, leaves will cover the trail so that the ability to recognize paths of righteousness may be surprisingly difficult. Perhaps this is what God knew Joshua would face when entering the promised land which is why he counseled him with these words recorded in Joshua 1:8.

This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth,

But you shall meditate on it day and night 

that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. 

For then you will make your way prosperous

and then you will have good success. 

So what about you? Do you find yourself confused and disoriented at times, as I did in the woods? The path of following Jesus isn’t always clear as we look at the world around us. While we may not find the specific path we are looking for in the pages of the Bible, we do find principles and truth that are timeless and lead to life. These are a  lamp for our feet and a  light for our path. As you pray for direction, ask the Holy Spirit to lead you to those passages and promises that will serve as trail markers for your journey and follow the signs.

We finally finished the last bit of our raking for the fall. Most of the trees had shed their leaves in a timely manner, except the oaks. In fact some oaks will tenaciously cling on to their brown limp leaves throughout the winter. Why do they do that? The crumpled leaves no longer feed the tree by creating nourishment from the sun. They no longer exhale oxygen. Yet there they hang dry, lifeless, adding neither beauty nor function. They are a sad reminder of former days when they were supple, green and served a life giving purpose.

As I ask the question of the oaks, why do they hang on to what is no longer lifegiving, suddenly the question points inward. Why do I hang on to things, some role, some pattern or practice which has outlived its usefulness? It may have served a purpose in its season but has that season gone by? Is it time to shed those leaves? 

As I ask the question of the oaks, why do they hang on to that which no longer has life in it, the question also points outward. Why do churches hang on to practices and patterns that have outlived their usefulness? They may have had the vibrancy of Christ’s life flowing through them at one time, but has the season passed? Is it time to shed those leaves? 

Leaf shedding is hard. Leaf shedding often brings sadness. I am still identifying, and with God’s help, addressing patterns and practices even from childhood that served the function of getting by. Hanging on to these often hidden patterns keeps me from developing mature life-exchanging relationships. As a parent, I quickly learned that what “worked” with one child is not necessarily transferable to the next. A new set of leaves was needed to bring love and life to that unique child. Today our youngest moved out. After unexpected comings and goings from our other children and their families throughout Covid, this feels final. So the leaves of children, even adult children in the home need to slowly be released to make room for what is new and next. We can’t always see this or do this on our own.I am so grateful for the help I receive from others to undertake this difficult process. Time to shed those leaves in order to receive what breathes life. 

As we gather as a church, are there patterns and practices that once carried the life of Christ and the breath of the Spirit that have since become dry and crusty? It is easier to tenaciously cling on to old leaves, convincing ourselves that they will turn green and supply life exchanging vibrancy once again; that program, that style of worship, that model. It “worked” before, surely if we hang on and reimplement it, it will work again. Just as the crumpled oak leaves will never return to their former state, it may be time to release the old to make room for the new.

Some things do not change. Like the oak, the roots, trunk and branches remain, and there is life in them even in a season of dormancy. These distinguish it as an oak. The power of the gospel, the centrality of Christ, the life of the Spirit, the truth of God’s word, the call to be light and salt in this world, these and many other features remain. These distinguish us as the Body of Christ.

Our identity, our value and the image of God within remain. These distinguish us as His unique creation, as His children.

The leaves come and go.

What about you? Are there areas of your life that resemble brown oak leaves? Is it time to ask God to help you let them go in order to make room for that which brings growth and life? What about your expressions and practices as the Body of Christ? Is there really life exchange happening in your worship, in your small groups, in your Sunday services, in your life outside the walls of the church? Is it time to ask God how He would like to express Himself through new leaves?

Remember not the former things,

Nor consider the things of old.

Behold, I am doing a new thing:

Now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?

I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.  Isa.43:18-19 

You have put off the old self with its practices

and have put on the new self which is being renewed in knowledge

after the image of its creator.  Col.3:9-10

One summer storm years ago turned unusually violent. In the northeast our weather is not prone toward generating tornados. However in this storm as the front moved in, the wind suddenly reversed and started blowing in the opposite direction. In the midst of this sudden shift in the direction of the wind, trees in our back woods could be heard popping and snapping. The next day’s inspection revealed that a small tornado, or microburst had touched down behind our house and decimated a cluster of trees, leaving a circle of still standing white pines overlooking a tangle of twisted, snapped trees and limbs. 

A decade or more has gone by and the circle of pines remains overlooking the now overgrown, rotting tangle of trunks and branches. Standing in the middle of the circle, I look up and feel dwarfed by the stately pines surrounding me on all sides. I call this realm the council of the Almighty. It is a place I often go to and lift my head and my voice to inquire of God. Why is my friend languishing in her illness? What am I to do with a wayward child? What am I to learn from this difficulty? What is on your heart God for our nation? For the hurt and hurting of this broken world?

Often my questions resemble the landscape on the forest floor all around me. They are littered with dead branches and tangled vines and broken trunks, truly a ghastly sight. Life is sometimes a ghastly sight. But I lift my eyes up and the council of the Almighty stands above it all, verdant, stately and strong. I am comforted and quieted by the lofty pines all around me. “In quietness and in trust shall be your strength.” 

I don’t know that I have ever had an immediate answer to my struggling questions in the council of the Almighty, but that is okay. Merely stating them and looking up is an answer. The trees are unbowed and unaffected by the disorder below. Like the Psalmist wrote in Psalm 46, when I am stilled and quieted, I know that He is God.” He is exalted above the earth.” Shalom can be present even though I stand in the midst of the debris of this fallen world. 

What about you? Is there a place where you sense the order of the Almighty amidst the chaos of the world? Is it in looking up into a starry sky, whose Creator knows each luminary by name? Is it beside the ocean where its vastness and the rhythm of its lapping waves remind you of His immeasurable faithfulness? The answers may or may not come but the assurance that He is above it all may be all that we need

As you know, this blog site is entitled An Open Door. The title is taken from a phrase embedded in Revelation 3:8,” Behold I have set before you an open door “. I referenced in my  About the Blog section that I had written more on these verses. Here is a very personal reflection on this verse and how it was a significant impetus in creating this blog.

This is the full text of Revelation 3:8

I know your works.

Behold, I have set before you an open door which no one is able to shut.

I know that you have but little power,

And yet you have kept my word

And have not denied my Name.

The words, “I know”, are the ones that stopped me short as I read this. Jesus was speaking through John to the church of Philadelphia. The Spirit of Jesus was speaking through the words of John to me.” I know. I know you. I know your capabilities. I know your works, that you have been writing for years about the things that I have shown you.” 

“And I know that you have but little power.”  In thinking about compiling my written pieces into a blog, this was absolutely accurate. I am technologically challenged to say the least. If God was leading me to create a blog, it seemed to be an unconquerable task given my aversion to most endeavors that require some computer proficiency. 

The “I knows” don’t stop there, however.” I also know that you have kept my word and I know that you have not denied my name.” This is true of my intentions and sometimes my actions. My intention is to obey the God I love and to live in such a way that honors who He is. I have certainly not always lived according to my intentions, but there are times that I have. These phrases acknowledged and even validated my true heart’s desire.

So then we came back to the open door, which for me was the invitation to put my writings into a blog. “I know you are afraid to do this, I know you think that you are incapable, I know that you want to obey me, I know that you want to honor my name. I know it all. I also know that I am holding the door open for you, I, the One who has a habit of choosing weak vessels to display My power. Will you trust Me and cross the threshold of this open door that I have set before you?”

You now know the answer, but you don’t know the process. I needed help, a lot of help. My wonderful daughter-in-law Lucia, my husband Michael, my son Evan, my accountability buddy Ruth, my soul sister Jenny and many others have carried me over the threshold.

What about you? Is there an open door set before you? Has it been there for quite some time, held open by the patient and yet persistent Doorkeeper? Have you been telling Him all the reasons why you cannot possibly step through? Has He been countering with His “I knows”? Then perhaps it is time.

— MM

This particular snow fell when the temperature hovered just around 32 degrees. As a result, it was a sticky snow which clung to every surface on which it fell. Out in front of our house is a mature maple tree with sturdy outstretched limbs which support a multitude of branches which in turn carry hundreds of twigs. As a result of the sticky snow, every one of these was perfectly piled with as much snow as each could possibly carry. It was truly a stunning sight. As I looked longer, I noticed that the underside of all of the limbs, branches and twigs remained uncovered by the snow. Of course, snow falls from above, not below.

 In that moment came a realization, no doubt from God the Spirit; from my vantage point, which is below the tree, I still see unadorned brownish gray limbs. If I could look down from above however, all I would see is white.

As I stand below at the base and I look up at the branches of my life, I see the raw and rough bark of my humanity, I see the wounds of lightning strikes, the dead branches that still hang off the trunk, healed over scars from limbs that long ago detached. While I can see the white of the snow draping over the edges, the uncovered blemished bark is in full view. 

But what would I see if I looked from above? Nothing but white. Does it mean that the rough undersides do not exist? Of course not, but they are covered. Could this be how God sees us when we receive His gift of forgiveness through the sacrifice of His Son?

 Is this what God was saying through Isaiah when he wrote, “Though your sins be as scarlet, I shall make them white as snow, though they be red like crimson, they shall be as white as wool.” Isa. 1:8

Is this what God was prefiguring when the Israelites put the blood of the lamb on their doorposts so that the angel of death might not see what was below and pass over?

Was this what John the Baptist alluded to when he announced the arrival of Jesus at the Jordan River as the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world?

Is this what John the apostle reminded the first disciples of when he wrote, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness?

I cannot even tell you how many times this picture of the snow-laden tree has come to mind. I have lied, I have judged, I have said something hurtful , I have been angry, impatient, I have felt ashamed, unworthy. Nevertheless what does God say about how He sees me? I see the ugly branches. Do You really still see the snow? Am I truly robed in the righteousness of Christ my savior. The image of the snow- draped maple tree in my front yard adds a powerful visual to the promises of scripture.

“For our sake, He made Him to be sin who knew no sin so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.” 2Cor.5:21

 His view is the true view no matter what I see from below.

What about you? How does this picture of a pure white tree help you to believe that that sin, that thing that seems so unforgivable, when brought to Christ and confessed, is covered by the blood of the Lamb of God and made white as snow? The One who dwells above sees from above – white as snow.

–MM