Last Quarter Review: Three Top Posts of 2021

Grandpa smelled of comfort; the rich, warm scents of coffee and Aqua Velva. Quiet and witty, his brown eyes glinted when I’d beg him to play. Just one more time, pleeease. We’d construct palaces of red, yellow, and blue rectangles or clutch our stomachs as my words garbled together in earnest attempts to recite old-fashioned tongue twisters.

But my favorite pastime with Grandpa? Dancing.

Sliding my feet atop my grandfather’s, I’d gaze upward–confident.  Whether gliding like a cloud on a lazy Sunday afternoon or dizzied by the tilting and twirling of sudden dips and turns, I knew there was safety in Grandpa’s arms.

What if Jesus wants me to dance with him with the same sort of childlike faith?

What if Jesus Wants Me to Dance?

There are human-rooted reasons for my not having been as trusting with Him as I once was with my earthly grandfather. But Abba Father is patient and those tender, hurting places somehow grow light as I lean into Jesus. His all-encompassing strength calms my anxious heart and I gaze toward heaven.

This is what it means to be treasured and loved.

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When laughter abounds and praise flows with ease, I slip into the presence of Christ. We dip and turn; I can almost imagine a smile of pleasure splitting His face because I’m learning to follow His lead more and more.

I Am the one who will guide you. 

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During the dark times and I’m sure dancing is done? I don’t slide my feet atop His. Instead, He wraps me in His arms and enfolds me in mercy. The frenetic whirling stills. The blur of decisions, fear, and circumstances grows small when my God–the King of the dance–is greater than any of it. 

He turns mourning into joy (Jeremiah. 31:13) and the dirge into dancing.  Dancing with Jesus…it’s become a favorite new activity.

He’s there for you, too, friend. Slide your feet on top of His and let him lead you step by step through this life. The Father’s heart is to love and protect His beloved daughter and in the circle of His arms, you’ll discover a place of safety and security. Won’t you join the dance?

Worn journals, stacked in a basket near my bedside table, reveal promises kept. I’ll pray for you. When the words rolled off my tongue, I’d meant them. Some are difficult to read as if an unexpected bit of water rained down from above. Anguished prayers wrought from the soul for the friend who hurt so deeply or the loved one with wounds that descended as deep as the devil’s domain. 

All are a reminder to continue.

Glancing at the left margin of each page, I notice the name of each person listed. The year and the date are recorded along with the plea I raised heavenward. Next to some names, I’d placed a simple checkmark a page or two later. The petition had been heard and answered.

Many other names remain unmarked. They are the dear ones living without margin; the ones seeking answers Elsewhere. They live for smaller gods searching for fulfillment in something, anything, or anyone that will give them joy. Purpose. Meaning.

They live for smaller gods searching for fulfillment. Click To Tweet

A few of their names boast a triumphant checkmark near the left margin while others continue from one journal until the next; year after year. Why do I continue praying? Because God loves a tearstained journal filled with the names of people ushered into the kingdom.

Why Persevere in Prayer?

The prayers I’ve journaled or spoken aloud are nothing special of their own accord. They can neither impress God with their beauty nor cause Him to turn away because they lack in some way. God is interested in my heart and yours. From the beginning, the Father invited His children to commune with Him. To walk with Him. To know and be known by Him.

Through prayer, our spirits engage in communion with the Creator. #communionwithGod Click To Tweet

Through prayer, our spirits engage in communion with the Creator.
Scripture affirms that prayer is:

• powerful-“Make this your common practice: Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you can live together whole and healed. The prayer of a person living right with God is something powerful to be reckoned with.” (2 Peter 3:9 MSG)

and,
God is:

• patient-“Don’t overlook the obvious here, friends. With God, one day is as good as a thousand years, a thousand years as a day. God isn’t late with his promise as some measure lateness. He is restraining himself on account of you, holding back the End because he doesn’t want anyone lost. He’s giving everyone space and time to change.” (2 Peter 3:9 MSG).

We cannot tire a limitless God nor burden the omnipotent Master. #limitlessGod Click To Tweet

We cannot tire a limitless God nor burden the omnipotent Master. Instead, He invites us to participate in the work of reconciling the world to its rightful place and position under His care through our poorly uttered prayers and petitions in the quiet places of our homes, in the cozy nooks of coffee shops, or the full pew on a mid-week service.
Even Jesus said:

• persevere-“Then Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray always and not to lose heart.” (Luke 18:1 NRSV)

   

The Names in the Margin

When the names in the margin remain year after year, the ink sometimes blurs. Skepticism steps inside eternity’s doorway and pushes hope aside. But the names in the margin need us more than ever.

God is patient. Prayer is powerful. And living in the margin diminishes day by day.

Persevering in prayer is a call to live a life of love.

 

I can’t sleep. Anxiety wakes me before dawn and I feel it’s vice-like grip wrapping around my stomach, pressing hard on my chest.  Thoughts roil and spin as my pulse quickens. Bile rises in the back of my throat as one silent message after anotherfe ticks across the screen of my mind like the captions of a silent movie.

Help me, Lord! I don’t utter the words aloud, but they pour from my soul thick with worry and fear.

When You Can’t Imagine a Good Outcome

I know I’m meant to pray, and I resort to intercession for the dear ones on my heart. I can’t imagine a good outcome. How could anything worthy or beautiful come from an ugly, sin-ridden situation like this one? How can God possibly bring something beautiful from the rubble?

So, I continue whispering my prayers and sending them to the heart of the Father. I’m still restless throughout the day, even preoccupied at times. But the sensation of a weight sitting on my chest is gone. In its place? I’m reminded again and again of His faithfulness to His children.

When Naomi lost hope, God gave her Ruth.
When Mary heard of Christ’s impending birth, God sent her to Elizabeth.
When David faced the sword of the king, He offered protection through Jonathan.
When Shadrack, Meshack, and Abendego walked through the fire, the Lord stood with them.
When the waves washed over Peter, Jesus pulled him from the depths.
When the enemy laughed because He’d thought he’d overcome, Christ rose from the grave.

I am not the only one to experience both joy and sorrow, celebration and grief, or delight and despair. Because we live in a world designed by God but polluted by the enemy, time will oscillate between glimpses of heaven and encounters with hell.

For. A. Time.

Then Christ will scoop each of His children up in the arms of eternity. The sorrow? Destroyed. The grief? Overcome. The despair? Decimated. Instead, we will only know and remember the love, mercy, and grace of the God who brought us through it all.

I long for the timelessness of all that is good and beautiful, don’t you? In the meantime, our wrestling with worry, anxiety and fear can take a back seat to the faithfulness of God.

If He extended grace before the cross, what will He do for you now? You are safe beneath His wings. #whatnow Click To Tweet

If He extended grace before the cross, what will He do for you now? Oh, Friend, you are safe beneath His wings. Perhaps you’re struggling this week in the same way I have. Why not recite these words of hope as a proclamation of God’s love for you. Complete the __________ with your name as a reminder that you are beloved by Him.

When _______________ lost hope, God gave her Jesus.
When ________________ knew of impending trials or accusations, God sent her Jesus.
When ________________ faced the sword of the king, He offered protection through Jesus.
When ________________ walked through the fire, the Lord stood with her.
When the waves washed over _________________, Jesus pulled her from the depths.
When the enemy laughed because He’d thought he’d overcome __________________ , Christ rose from the grave.

Peace and grace,
Tammy

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Tammy Kennington

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