Praying Doxologies

While I was driving to Cedar Rapids yesterday, I was praying and thinking about prayer. After I had prayed for some time about chronic concerns, I suddenly realized that I was getting depressed. Then I simply prayed, "Lord, You know my concerns" and tried instead to recall scriptures and hymns that express praise. I think it is possible to actually become discouraged and depressed during prayers that are full of supplication for suffering people or chronic personal concerns.

Isn't it ironic that the devil can use the wonderful gift of communion with God and twist it to gain a foothold of discouragement in our lives? I think we need to be alert to this possibility, and--if we notice that we are becoming discouraged during prayer--try to redirect our thoughts from supplication to praise.

In my devotions from Ligonier's Tabletalk magazine this morning, I read that beautiful doxology from Jude 24-25: "Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen."

Instead of laying my usual litany of specific supplications before God, I found great joy in simply praying: "Lord, You are the only One who is able to keep me from falling away from the faith. Please keep me from stumbling; present me blameless before the presence of Your glory with great joy. You are the only God, my Savior through Jesus Christ, my Lord. To You be all glory, majesty, dominion, and authority before all time and now and forever. Amen."

Christmas Reflections

After being polite and well-behaved through a day of three extended family celebrations, my grandson Gabe fell asleep in a chair on Christmas Eve. We were blessed with some wonderful times of family fellowship celebrating the miracle of God with us.

Reflecting on Christmas, the two terms that stick with me are "Incarnation" and "Immanuel." Both emphasize the miracle of God cloaking His divinity with human flesh and dwelling with us.

I recently wrote the following poem, which appeared in the Christmas issue of Christian Renewal:

First Snow

Now wash me
and I shall be--
the old-time
favorite rhymes,

while sunlight
on first snow
dazzles eyes
long blind.

Spirit-directed vision
plucks spars—
optimally opens—
and the eye perceives:

Mud and snow,
rags and linen,
dimly reflect
dirt and divinity.

But in a stable,
divinity cloaked
itself in
dirt.

On a cross,
rags washed in
blood became
linen.

Then first snow
becomes a nival
primer on nativity.

Winter Solstice

Today is the winter solstice. The sun rises at 7:45 and sets at 4:45. Tomorrow it will again rise at 7:45, but it will set at 4:46! After today, every day will be longer until June 22.

I would like to celebrate by taking my daughters out to lunch, but one may not be able to break away from work and the other may have plans with friends. Even if I don't go out, I'm celebrating now by taking note of the day and praising God for being a God of order and progression who is sovereign over time and the changing seasons.

Taking Pleasure

There are some very small things that give me very great pleasure. I love noticing how the colors of my robe match the colors on my pajamas in the morning. I love the pungent smell of Earl Gray tea when I tear open the packet containing my morning teabag. I love drinking water from my large stemmed glass. And I love watching the birds at the feeder while I eat my solitary lunch.

"Taking pleasure" sounds hedonistic. It seems to emphasize "taking" over "giving" and "pleasure" over "contentment." But there's absolutely nothing wrong with taking pleasure in God's small and His greater gifts. It's when we develop an attitude of thankfulness for even the smallest of God's gifts that we are able to live in a state of continual doxology.

If man's chief end is to love God and enjoy Him forever, which it is, that must include taking pleasure in small things and thanking God for them as well as for the more obvious blessings from His loving hand.

Relativity

Temperatures can be amazingly relative.

A week ago, I would have considered a 26 degree high and a 15 degree low frigid.

After several days of lows below zero and highs hovering in the single digits, however, tonight's forecast for a low of 15 degrees sounds moderate and today's projected high of 26 degrees sounds downright balmy.

What I did this morning

My husband and I aren't exactly polar opposites, but his interests lie somewhere along a latitude of 80 degrees north while mine are more like 80 degrees south. He's a man of outdoor action; I prefer to read in front of a fire.

That's why it's difficult to say who was more surprised, him or me, when I volunteered to go deer hunting with him this year.

We were in place about an hour before sunrise this morning in 19 degree temperatures. I kept checking the time on my cell phone (set to "silent" mode) and, as soon as season opened, I went on high alert.

About ten minutes after sunrise, a deer walked directly in front of me. I thought: It's not that big; it doesn't have a massive rack, but it's too good a shot to pass up. As I aimed the .357 pistol, I thought: Behind the front leg and about a third way up. I shot. The deer dropped.

End of story.

Breathtaking

Dave is home today, nursing a bad back, and he just pointed out two deer sleeping in the woods south of our house. We had about three inches of snow last night, so today would be perfect for tracking and he is anxious for first season to begin the day after tomorrow.

I'm thankful that it's not opening day since it's only about twenty degrees and the fierce wind would take one's breath away.

The rising sun sparkling on the new snow is truly breathtaking.