Author: The Upward Path

The Upward Path began as Encourage the Mentor, a blog for mentors, with several contributors desiring to encourage others in faith in a God who is able to complete the work he has begun in us and called us to. It is now a single author blog with the same hope of passing on to others what has been passed on to me.

Peace in Believing

This peace is an overall sense of blessed assurance that a faithful God can be trusted in any and every situation to do what is right and best for his people. It is the fruit of a life centered in, focused on and engaged with the God of hope.

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Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, he took him up in his arms and bless God saying, “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace according to your word, for my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.” – Luke 2:25-32

Simeon was a righteous and devout man, led and empowered by the Holy Spirit. He believed what the Holy Spirit revealed to him, that he would see the Messiah with his own eyes before he died. So he faithfully waited, anticipating the “consolation of Israel,” the one who would bring comfort and rescue.

And now the time had come. In joy and wonder, Simeon beheld the Lord’s Christ. When he scooped the Messiah up and held him in his arms, he knew this child would bring salvation, not just to Israel, but to the world. Simeon blessed the Lord. He blessed Mary and Joseph. His heart was full. 

Because of his faith, Simeon had peace in the waiting. He believed God would do as the Holy Spirit had revealed. Simeon, Spirit upon him, had peace entering the temple and left the temple in peace and joy. Simeon would depart from this world in peace, knowing first-hand that God, who promised, is faithful. The Lord God had brought salvation to the world through Jesus Christ. There was peace in believing.

As spirit-filled believers, we have access to the peace of God; an inner peace even in the middle of outside chaos. This peace is an overall sense of blessed assurance that a faithful God can be trusted in any and every situation to do what is right and best for his people. It is the fruit of a life centered in, focused on and engaged with the God of hope. Just as Simeon believed, according to the word of God, we too can believe according to God’s word. Our God knows us as he knew Simeon. He loves us and sent his son to reconcile us to himself. The Father gifted us with the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6), and Jesus left us with his gift of peace and exhorted us to guard our hearts from being unsetted and afraid. (John 14:22) Christ Jesus has overcome the world and all the trouble and heartache with it.

Consider what this good news of great joy really means for you today. Have you seen and embraced the salvation of the Lord; the Light of the World? Give thought to the significance of this gospel gift and allow yourself to experience the joy of the season and peace in believing!

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. –Romans 15:13

This is Love

The greatest gift came from the greatest love.

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For God so loved the world that he gave his only son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world but in order that the world might be saved through him.–John 3:16-17

In wisdom and out of the abundance of His great love, God, who is love, expressed his love for us by sending his one and only son to a world who would not recognize him. Fearing what they did not know, they killed him. But earthly power and judgment could not conquer heavenly power and resurrection love.

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him.–1 John 4:7-9

Christ was born for us among the animals without the honor due his name. Love was made manifest among us. He lived for us, teaching us his higher ways and modeling humility, wisdom, and gentleness. While we were yet in our most despicable state, he suffered and died for us (Romans 5:6-8); the sacrificial Lamb of God, without blemish or stain, was slain for our sin. In ultimate power and might, he rose in victory from the grave. Our kinsman-redeemer, delivered us from the power of sin and death. The greatest gift came from the greatest love.

As recipients of God’s love, let us, with grateful and humble hearts, bear with one another in love. As those who have been forgiven much, let us, without hesitation, forgive others and let the love of Christ dwell in us richly.

Building Trust as a Mentor

It should not be your words that carry the most weight, it should be the Word of God. Your wisdom in words and shared thoughts may be based on the Word of God, but a younger believer may assume your wisdom originates with you. We are hard-wired to worship and because of this we often worship what we see, feel, touch and hear over the invisible God Almighty. We must take care that we do not become someone’s audible, answering, personal god. Our words may be our wisdom which comes from human understanding. We must remember to guide them into the Word of God; the source of perfect wisdom.

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Life is about relationships. From Chapter 1 of Genesis to Chapter 22 of Revelation you will find that God pursues relationship with us. He knows us, loves us, and desires that we know and love him. As Biblical mentors, we pursue those younger in the faith for the purpose of building relationship with us, building community and, more importantly, leading them into a love relationship with God. Our relationship with our mentee should direct him or her to love, trust and dependence on the ever-present Almighty God. Our target, as the people of God, is summed up in the Greatest Command and the Great Commission: Love God. Love others. Make disciples.

As one who has been mentoring for years, I have grown spiritually alongside those under me. I have added resources to my mentoring toolbox and my skills have been honed and sharpened. I continue to be shaped by His grace and mercy.

As I consider all the components of building trust, I have narrowed it down to a short list of what I believe to be most vital in growing a relationship of confidence and mutual respect.

Trust is built in the knowing of one another

Get to know your mentee and allow him/her to get to know you. Truly knowing someone requires one-on-one time spent together in conversation. It’s integral to knowing and being known.

  • Actively Listen: Fully concentrate on what is being said rather than just passively ‘hearing’ the message of the one speaking. Active listening involves listening with all senses. Listen to the tone of voice. Take note of body language and facial expressions. Ask clarifying questions. Practice active listening both for understanding and for godly input (Proverbs 18:13, Ephesians 4:15)
  • Share: As your mentee shares, share pieces of your own story, not to unburden yourself but to relate to your mentee on a real life level. This is not a counseling session, but a way in which to establish trust. Trust grows as transparency allows us to see and know each other. Your experiences are valuable in this process.

Trust is built in the Example

Ephesians 5:15 Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise.

As a mentor, your role is that of guide, teacher and leader. You have a mentee following you who is observing both your words and your actions. Your mentee is your student. Your life is carefully scrutinized. You are known by your reputation, good or bad, wise or foolish, proud or humble, harsh or gentle. Paul was confident in his walk with the Lord. He encouraged others to follow and imitate him as he followed Christ. (1 Cor. 4:16; 1 Cor. 11:1). We are Christ’s ambassadors, ones who represents the sender in character and authority (2 Cor 5:20). Let us be mindful of what our lives say about the One we represent to the ones we are leading.

Trust is built on the Word of God

When responding to conversations and situations that arise, point to scripture as:

  • Inerrant 2 Tim. 3:16-17
  • Authoritative 1 Thes. 2:13, 2 Peter 1:20-21
  • Sufficient 2 Tim. 3:16-17, Ps 19:7-14
  • Relevant Romans 15:4

It should not be your words that carry the most weight, it should be the Word of God. Your wisdom in words and shared thoughts may be based on the Word of God, but a younger believer may assume your wisdom originates with you. We are hard-wired to worship and because of this we often worship what we see, feel, touch and hear over the invisible God Almighty. We must take care that we do not become someone’s audible, answering, personal god. Our words may be our wisdom which comes from human understanding. We must remember to guide them into the Word of God; the source of perfect wisdom.

Trust is built on consistency over time.

Be consistent with the first three; continue to be a student of your mentee (listening, learning and getting to know them) and build relationship, live a life that is worthy of someone following, and lead and be led by the Word of God. Study it together with your mentee. You don’t have to be a theologian. You don’t have to have all the answers but you can dig into the Word and find the answers together. Remember that in this process, both the mentor and the mentee will be encouraged and challenged.

As I have considered all that I have written from my experience as a mentor I feel I would be doing the reader a great disservice if I did not confess that I have failed in all of these areas in all of my mentoring relationships. More than once I have had to go back to a mentee and confess something and ask their forgiveness. Yet God, who is able to use my shortcomings and failures of words and actions, for my good and His glory has redeemed each situation. Each time I have been humbled and blessed by the kindness of my mentee and granted that forgiveness. Our bond has always been strengthened.

The gospel goal of mentoring is humble Christ-likeness but not perfection. Again, it is summed up in the Greatest Command and the Great Commission: Love God, Love Others, Make Disciples. We must never lose sight of this target.

Colossians 3:15-16 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts to which indeed you were called in one body and be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spirtual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

God With Us

We set our hope and faith on the steadfast love and endless mercy of God who promises his presence. When life is beautiful and bountiful, He is there. When life is difficult and seems empty, He is there.

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Your hope today is not in the depth of your wisdom or the size of your strength, but in the presence of your Redeemer with you. –Paul David Tripp

And he came to her and said, “Greetings O favored one, the Lord is with you!” Luke 1:28

Chosen by God, Mary, the mother of his Son believed the message spoken to her by the angel, Gabriel. Life was about to get very complicated for this young Jewish girl, a virgin, betrothed to Joseph but pregnant by another. How difficult it must have been to bear up under the scrutiny of the culture! How often did she ponder the words, “The Lord is with you.”? How often did she recall the prophecy of Isaiah, “Behold the virgin shall conceive and bear a son and shall call his name Immanuel.”? 

Immanuel. God with us. The words of the Prophet would be fulfilled in the person of Jesus.

So often we misset our hearts and hopes on things that have no power to set us free, unburden, strengthen or change us. We long for a way of escape or look to be rescued from our circumstances. In our short-sightedness, we set our hope on external means to make our lives easier. This kind of rescue is fleeting and temporary.

God’s hope goes much deeper than a political candidate or financial windfall. We don’t walk through this life alone. We have the promise and privilege of God’s presence. We set our hope and faith on the steadfast love and endless mercy of God who promises his presence. When life is beautiful and bountiful, He is there. When life is difficult and seems empty, He is there. He is our strength in weakness and success. He’s our grace in want and abundance. His hope does not disappoint. The pathway to peace is paved with hope—the hope of our salvation. It is in his loving, sustaining presence we have hope.

Immanuel: The hope of the world. Our salvation came as God and man so that we might know his person and presence. God with us—the source and focus of our hope.

There is no better time than today to reset your hope in Immanuel!

Interruption as Intervention

His daily rescue intercedes on our behalf fulfilling his plan and purpose. He does for us what we cannot do for ourselves. God’s intervention determines the direction of our lives like the landscape determines the course of a river.

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Proverbs 19:21 Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.

I have made many plans in my life. Planning gives order to what would be a chaotic, aimless existence. How I hold those plans is determined by how I see myself in light of my view of God. When I believe I know what’s best, despite what God has in mind, I struggle accepting the changes that have derailed my plans. It is when I confess that I am little and God is big that I find peace with change. Knowing God is loving, faithful and trustworthy I am constrained to entrust myself to Him. I must choose to surrender to His will, submit to His authority, acknowledge His sovereignty and yield to His way. In this there is hope and peace.

The average day rarely goes as planned or imagined. Though my agenda keeps my life from complete chaos, even a well-planned day isn’t complete without changes, unexpected situations, countless interruptions and surprises. It’s not unusual to think my day is going in one direction only to find my plan detoured and redirected down another path. I have learned, through practice, to accept changes and to hold my schedule with an open hand. While my tendency is to resist change, a glitch in a day is hardly something to lose my peace over! Minor levels of resistance require regrouping and rethinking.

Sadly for those of us who want order and control in our lives, change and interruptions do not remain small or insignificant. Life has a way of not turning out as we’d imagined. Accidents happen, people disappoint, health declines, jobs are lost, people die. Suddenly, often without warning, the future looks very different than we had planned or pictured. The unknown future often seems bleak. Instead of a minor redirection, it’s more of a derailment or a shipwreck leaving us grieved, fearful, lost and perhaps angry and without direction or vision for the future. We tend to resist and push back against these unwelcome changes and all that they means for us.

Lot was such a man. Two angels, appearing as men, were sent to the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to warn Lot and his family that the Lord was about to rain sulfur and fire down to destroy the cities. The angels urgently implored him to get his family out of the city and into the hills. Leaving would be more than abandoning his home. It meant a complete change of status, wealth and an unknown future. God’s consideration meant sacrifice for Lot and his loved ones. Their very real losses were God’s great mercy and kindness upon him and his family. This interruption was an intervention of rescue.

But Lot lingered. Instead of acting as a man leaving a burning building, he belabored perhaps pondering/processing what it would mean to stay or to leave. In keeping with the urgency of the situation, the angels seized him, his wife and two daughters and dragged them by the hands out of the city. As they were leaving they were told to escape for their lives and not to look back or stop anywhere in the valley.

Luke 17:32-33 Remember Lot’s wife. Whoever seeks to perserve his life will lose it and whoever loses his life will keep it.

Lot wasn’t the only one dragging his feet. Lot’s wife, who trailed behind him, looked back. As most commentators have stated, it wasn’t a mere glance over the shoulder but a regretful longing for what she’d left behind. Her treasures were earthly and therein her heart was found. And it was her heart, revealed in a disobedient look back, that betrayed her. She lost the life she desired to preserve and became a pillar of salt.

Proverbs 16:9 The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.

When God changes our plans He aligns our plans with His. Not only does he order the steps of the righteous but he protects them when they fall. He has them by the hand. (Psalm 37:23-24) His daily rescue intercedes on our behalf fulfilling his plan and purpose. He does for us what we cannot do for ourselves. God’s intervention determines the direction of our lives like the landscape determines the course of a river. God doesn’t mind inconveniencing us or interrupting our plans to meet our needs or the needs of others while revealing Himself and displaying His glory.

And so do not fear and do not lose heart. A change of plans, a life interrupted, is part of the good work our Lord is doing. He is perfect. His will and His ways are perfect. And great are His steadfast love and faithfulness toward you.

The Assigned Life

Some have said that God is still writing our story but according to scripture, our story is already written. Every aspect of what we have already experienced and what has yet to be lived out was and is fully and completely part of his plan.

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It seems reasonable to imagine a big-picture God who created the world and everything in it. We see the beauty and wisdom of his work every day in this wild, wonderful world. But God, within the big picture, is not impersonal. He is the God of the intimate, intricate details who not only appointed the stars in the sky but has given each one a name (Psalm 147:4). He knows the number of hairs on your head on any given day (Matthew 10:30). You are his handiwork, his poetic masterpiece created with a purpose (Ephesians 2:10). God formed you; knit you together in your mothers womb and set you apart for something specific before you were born (Psalm 139:13). Consider the beauty and wisdom of his work as one created by God!

There are no mistakes in our story. Just as God’s plan for salvation was set in place before the foundation of the world, his redemptive plan for our lives has been established. Some have said that God is still writing our story but according to scripture, our story is already written (Psalm 139:16). Every aspect of what we have already experienced, and what has yet to be lived out, was and is fully and completely part of his plan. He was not surprised by the ungodly, sinful paths many of us chose. On the contrary, knowing that path from the beginning, God used our choices to bring us to where we find ourselves today.

In the middle of speaking about marriage, Paul gives us an overarching spiritual principle addressing any circumstance and human condition.

1 Corinthians 7:17 Only let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which the Lord has called him.

It is the responsibility of each Christian to live their life in contentment, for God has called us to glorify him in it. He has given us this life, at this time, with these circumstances to serve him faithfully. Though our tendency is to search for a way of escape, perhaps believing we cannot serve the Lord as things are, he requires that we faithfully stay the course.

As ones who often imagine what we could accomplish if life were different, we run the risk of wasting present opportunities dreaming of what might have been or what could be. This mindset does not please the Lord or serve him well. Waste no time pondering the what-ifs or if-onlys. His way is through the great waters (Psalm 77:19) not around it. It is God who leads us through the seas of troubles and teaches us to follow. He has you here for his good purposes.

Consider the imprisoned Apostle Paul who was called to bring the gospel to the Gentiles. How does one bring the gospel and encourage the saints while behind bars? He writes letters to the churches from a cell and has them sent off by faithful brothers. These letters are the eternal word of God. Did Paul know that thousands of years later his letters would impact the world for Jesus? I’m not sure he did. God’s purpose for Paul’s imprisonment was eternal. God’s purpose for our perceived obstacles are in fact his vehicles to accomplish what he has planned.

We cannot and should not deny the hard course we have walked or are currently treading through. Life has its difficulties. But in the midst of a painful, hard season of life God beckons us to trust in his sovereignty, his wisdom and his goodness. He is not indifferent to our struggles. His steadfast love extends to the heavens (Psalm 37:5). He is working for our good and for his glory (Romans 8:28).

Psalm 77:19 Your path led through the sea, your way through the mighty waters, though your footprints were unseen.

We do not travel alone; though his footprints are unseen he is with us. It was God who brought the frightened Israelites to the edge of the Red Sea. It was God who opened up the sea for them to continue on dry land. He will direct our path as we trust in him.

Commit your way to the Lord. Peace and contentment are found in knowing and trusting in the character of the One who, not only knows you and knows your struggles but appointed you to them and promised to be with you until the end of the age.

So run with endurance the race he has marked out for you! (Hebrews 12:2). He who called you is faithful; he will surely do it (Thessalonians 5:24).

The Tree

She notices the flaws and imperfections and hates them. Her branches and leaves weep and bend in sorrow and she lives in despair…

Until the painter comes along.

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The Tree is written and illustrated by my imaginative and creative friend, Stella. Stella is a 12 year old beloved child of God who thinks and feels deeply. She is not only a good communicator, but she is able to expresses herself artisticly in drawing, as well as the written word. I am so happy to share this piece of her work with you!

The tree is unlike any other tree. Gracefully bent, helping all of the others by catching their fallen leaves and giving them someone to look down on in their straight and perfect form. All of them seem to be perfect- taller, straighter, fuller, and more beautiful than this tree. She is bent and withered. Wrapped in vines and full of knots and discolored leaves. Another tree is behind her. Short, but still straight. The tree that has lived unlike the others is prepared to help the little one. It is her responsibility – and she is used to it.

She is hidden in a crowd – but colorful and unique. Her job is to assist. Her arguments never to be won; lives to be wrong and left in a shadow. Her beauty and imperfections are looked down upon compared to that of the straighter, taller, plainer trees.

Unappreciated and unknown.

By others…

But mostly by herself.

She notices the flaws and imperfections and hates them. Her branches and leaves weep and bend in sorrow and she lives in despair…

Until the painter comes along.

The painter sees her.

The painter ignores all the flaws as imperfections and sees them as tools. The knots are good for climbing, the branches bent to suit a small girl. The vines prepared to bear beautiful blossoms. The leaves are as colorful as a rainbow drawn by a child.

She wishes to be noticed like this. Always appreciated.

But for now she’ll wait.

Until she grows…

Into the tree…

That all the others are.

Except when she does…

She’ll be more beautiful.

More graceful.

More than all the others.

Have You Room for Christ?

There was no veneer of godliness among those who followed Him. Just as the shepherds smelled of sheep, these people smelled of how they lived. And it is these same people who would, in turn, make room for Jesus, glorifying and praising God, sharing the good news with others.

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On December 21, 1862, Charles Spurgeon delivered a sermon appealing to his congregations to question whether there was room for Jesus in their conversations, their households, and especially in their hearts. “The palace, the forum and the inn have no room for Christ. Have you room for Christ?”

And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her first born son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. – Luke 2:6-7

Mary’s time had come and her baby was about to enter this world as every other child, but under very different circumstances. There was no guest room for them in the Inn. His birthplace would be that of animals. His eyes would open to a dark stable. His first smells would be typical of a barn. His first bed would be a feeding trough and his first visitors would be shepherds who smelled of sheep. 

This manger scene is a snapshot of how He lived his life. The Son of Man had no place to lay his head. Jesus was a king without an earthly home or throne. He lived in poverty and deprivation inviting others to join Him, trading earthly treasures for a heavenly kingdom. 

There was no room for Him with the scribes and Pharisees. Their squeaky clean appearance made them blind to the filthy condition of their own hearts. Jesus called them whitewashed tombs full of dead peoples bones and full of all uncleanness. (Matthew 23:27-28) He wasn’t welcome among the beautiful people whose own outward righteousness blinded them from their core unrighteousness and rendered them unable to detect the stench it produced.

During His earthly ministry He centered Himself among the poor and the needy, the blind and the sick, the tax collectors, the publicans and sinners. He called those who were considered scabs on the skin of society – the unlovely and immoral. There was no veneer of godliness among those who followed Him. Just as the shepherds smelled of sheep, these people smelled of how they lived. And it is these same people who would, in turn, make room for Jesus, glorifying and praising God, sharing the good news with others.

The human condition is still as it was the day Jesus was born. There are those among us who are convinced their own righteousness is worthy of heaven without a savior. There are those of us all too aware of our own sin and feel the need to clean up the mess before inviting Jesus to be a part of our everyday world. We keep Him in church where we believe righteousness lives and don’t take Him home with us. 

Never forget that Jesus, born in unsanitary conditions, chose to live a life among and minister to the unclean dregs of society. He is comfortable in our mess. He creates order out of chaos and restores us to a right relationship with God. He gives us a new, tender heart to replace our hardened heart. He removes our filthy, unrighteous rags of iniquity and clothes us in splendid robes of righteousness. 

Knowing the unclean conditions Jesus was born into this world and how he lived, would it not make sense to make room for him in the unholy, unrighteous places of our own lives; our homes, our work, our conversations, and the innermost places in our hearts?

Just as no one cleaned up the stable before Jesus was born, we needn’t try to clean it all up before it is fit for the King of Kings to enter. We cannot make clean what sin has stained. Only Jesus can do that. We need only to make room for him. Open up the doors of your life and allow the Savior to clean from the inside out.

Have you room for Christ?

Camper Keys and Other Lost Things

One might be inclined to think that the “magic” to finding lost things is prayer but that’s just not true. Many a lost item has been covered in prayer yet never found and many things have been found without even a scant prayer. The focus of my story is not that lost keys were found but that, as the object of God’s affection, (Deut. 10:15) God bowed down to see me and pursued my heart.

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We seek after what we value. We determine to look for what was lost until we find it. We diligently search for it. It becomes a mental preoccupation. We may go about our day as usual but our minds cannot rest until we have recovered what was lost. We keep a watchful eye out for a glimpse of it. The fear of never finding it gnaws at our peace.

Some things just wander off like children and pets, unaware they are lost. Some things are carelessly handled and get lost in the shuffle of life like a cell phone, keys and my morning cup of coffee and some things just rebel like wayward children or chained dogs who’ve broken loose and run in freedom.

Jesus, in Luke 15 told three parables; The Lost Sheep, The Lost Coins and Lost Sons. In each of these narratives, something of personal value is lost, the owner ardently searches for it, and when it is found there is much rejoicing and a calling together of people to celebrate. Peace and joy replaced troubled hearts and anxious thoughts. A thankful heart is inspired to throw a party and celebrate!

I have a personal parable of lost and found…maybe not a parable but a really sweet story. The story of the lost camper keys. The setting is a campground in northern New Hampshire. It begins as I lock the camper and tuck my keys into my bag before going out to dinner. After dinner we made a quick stop at Walmart and then headed back to the campground. Upon arrival I went to grab my keys to open the camper – gone. I searched frantically for them; in my bag, in the truck, on the ground. I prayed and searched for about 15 minutes. I called both the restaurant and Walmart but no one had turned in my keys.

My husband was not impressed. His eye-roll tone of voice revealed his annoyance. He knew where his keys were and promptly unlocked the door. I think if it hadn’t been only three days earlier that I had left my wallet at the local seafood restaurant while picking up takeout, he may have had a wee bit more grace for me. The fact that I recovered my wallet, in tact, had no bearing on the fact that I had lost it.

Now this. I was feeling a bit like an irresponsible child. I still held out hope of finding them though I was ready to resign myself to the fact that they were forever lost. Keys are, after all, replaceable.

Out to dinner again, our last night of camping, we decided to run by Walmart just to see if maybe someone had turned in my keys. In passing I made the comment that I never remembered not finding something lost that I had prayed about. There was silence in the truck.

When we entered the store everyone scattered in different directions, each in search of something different. I headed straight for Customer Service. The very nice lady held up a set of keys…not my keys. When I described the retro key ring she held up a finger signaling hold on and promptly returned with my keys. MY KEYS! I nearly sobbed!. After a somewhat awkward exchange, (I think she was taken aback by my exuberance and joy) I hurried off to find the others!

Finding the keys was remarkable! Telling my husband was more than delightful! I found my husband and his response did not disappoint. He was stunned. He couldn’t believe it! He laughed. I cried. From down the aisle our friend rushed up to us and told me he had felt badly knowing that I had prayed for keys that he was pretty sure I wouldn’t find. He laughed! We all laughed! And all the way home I wept.

There were no tears when I lost the keys. I felt badly but I wasn’t undone. I wept when I found them out of this weird combination of humility and joy. I was delighted to find them but I was undone by the grace and mercy of the Lord. On the surface, this was about keys – just keys – but underneath this was a God-seized opportunity for His glory to shine on me in my smallness but not just me. My husband and my friend saw what I saw and knew what I knew and marveled. A kind and loving God revealed himself in an ordinary place. I saw the Lord because He saw me. He is the God who sees me. (Genesis 16:13)

One might be inclined to think that the “magic” to finding lost things is prayer but that’s just not true. Many a lost item has been covered in prayer yet never found and many things have been found without even a scant prayer. The focus of my story is not that lost keys were found but that, as the object of God’s affection, (Deut. 10:15) God bowed down to see me and pursued my heart. I was confronted and humbled by His love in a small place yet in an overwhelming way to the praise of His glory!

How astounding that a Holy and Wise God reaches down to build relationship with us though a million small things over the course of a lifetime! His love reaches to the heavens and his faithfulness to the skies! And in His light we see light. (Psalm 36:5, 9)

But Mary…

And in this moment of hearing the marvelous account from the shepherds, Mary doesn’t share her own story with them. She adds this piece of God’s story to her treasure chest of knowing, seeing and confirming.

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Luke 2:8-20 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flocks by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And The angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of heavenly host praising God and saying,

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

Imagine, just another starry night out in the field with the sheep and suddenly the glory of the Lord shines, as no other source of light, and an angel appears before them. The angel has a message; good news of great joy for all the people. He tells them of the Saviors birth and where to find him. And then a host of angels, an army, appears declaring peace with God brought by the Savior. The fear-gripped shepherds didn’t speak until the angels went away from them into heaven. Immediately, they hurried off to see for themselves this thing that the Lord had made known to them.

The shepherds rejoiced in what they saw. They glorified and praised God for what they had heard and seen. It was just as the angel had said. In utter amazement and wonder, they joyfully declared this good news to others. The shepherds made known the saying that had been told to them concerning this child. And all who heard it were astounded and marveled at what the shepherds told them.

But Mary… Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. Mary already had a heart full of treasured moments. She had her own angelic experience and when she shared with Elizabeth all that the angel had told her it became real. While Mary must have had a difficult conversation with Joseph, there is no record of her sharing this news with anyone up until this moment. As Mary spoke, the babe in Elizabeth’s womb lept for joy. When Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, confirmed the identity of Mary’s yet to be born son, Mary’s heart rejoiced and filled to an overflowing song of praise.

She was the one chosen to give birth to the son of God, Savior of the world. What a fantastic realization! Mary’s song exalts God as merciful, faithful and mighty. Her spirit rejoiced in God “my” Savior.

And in this moment of hearing the marvelous account from the shepherds, Mary doesn’t share her own story with them. She adds this piece of God’s story to her treasure chest of knowing, seeing and confirming. She contemplates and reflects on past, present and future not fully knowing how it will be lived out but fully knowing it is true.

Mary has given birth to the Savior of the world.

But Mary…