Ken Lovelace Ministries


CHERISH THE TIME (ponderings) by Lygia Lovelace Are you busy? Do you have a moment to rest -- to pull up a chair and read? I want to ponder with you for a moment... Since Bracken came for a visit just over a week ago -- his first visit since he left for the Navy, I've had some things on my mind. I guess I've been reminiscing -- thinking over this journey of life. Do you ever do that? Now -- some of you only have babies, or perhaps all of your children are grown and gone. Some of you don't have children at all. It doesn't matter, because God uses each of our different circumstances to teach us what we need to know. When you live for Him, He orchestrates your life into beautiful music -- sometimes joyous, sometimes sad and mournful. But it's still your life -- something no one else ever has gotten to experience. I hope you don't mind a little pondering of my own today...feel free to "ponder right back"! Right after Bracken was born, a difficult thing happened. A friend of mine was watching Bracken for me in the mornings, while I went to class. Bracken was so tiny, so needy! I would drop him off every day, wishing I could just take him with me. After a few months, a baby in my friend's home died while little Bracken was there. Oh, it wasn't anyone's fault. The precious little girl just died in her sleep -- during her nap. She died of SIDS, and couldn't be revived. Though my friend tried desperately to revive this baby, it was in vain. She tearfully called and told us to come and get Bracken. At the same time we were leaving her little apartment with our healthy son, paramedics were carrying out this tiny dead child -- with grieving, shocked parents, and my traumatized friend, following close behind. All that day my mind kept repeating the same questions to the Father. "Why, Lord?" "Why not Bracken?" "Why do some die and some stay?" These unanswerable questions tormented me, even as I held Bracken close that evening in my rocking chair at home. My heart grieved for the other family who wouldn't be holding their little one on earth again. "Then, Lord, I don't want to miss a single minute of this child's life -- for as long as he is in our home, Lord, I want to enjoy every moment!" This single event launched me into life at home with my children. I dropped out of classes that same week and became, to the best of my ability, a full-time mom. I'm so glad I did that. I've never regretted it. Even though at times it's been hard financially (and certainly full-time parenting is not always easy!), I wouldn't trade the time with my children. And it goes so fast. Bracken is now 19, and gone from home. I am no longer able to hold him physically close. All time is fleeting, and life on earth is so short. To the Father, our lives are but an inch of time -- but yet so valuable to Him that He monitors our every heart beat! He cherishes our time on earth, you know. He doesn't want to miss a single moment! He wants to be included in each event -- good or bad. When I went to live in Jerusalem, Israel for a summer, I was just a college kid. I was in tears as I waved to my mom from the gate, before I boarded an airplane full of people I didn't know. Though I wore a pin signifying I was with a certain group of students traveling to Israel, I found no one else wearing the same pin. I was tempted to run away, or to just go back home with my mom. But I took a deep breath and tearfully found a seat on my flight. I sat next to an elderly couple who were lonely for someone to talk to (besides each other!). The woman mothered me and chattered happily. When our conversation lulled, I pulled out some card games I had brought, and we laughed hilariously as we played Old Maid together. Once I got there, I found my time in Israel to be valuable, fun, and fulfilling...but I was also homesick for the familiar. And do you know what was amazing? Every day that I spent in Israel, I received a letter from my mother. She missed me, and thought of me daily. Even if the letter was just routine news, I hung on every word. Those letters came from someone who truly loved me, no matter what! I was interested in even the mundane, because it was a letter from someone I loved and knew I would be seeing again soon. My daily letters from my mom became intriguing to the lovely Arab people who worked in the hospice where we stayed. In broken English they would ask me -- almost daily... "...so WHY does your mother write you every day?" I would always smile and give the same answer, "...because she loves me!" Do you know that the Father has written you (His Word), for every day of your life? He thinks of you, constantly. He truly loves you, no matter what! He plans to see you again soon, and wants to fill you in on all the news of how to have an abundant life on earth. Do you hang on His every Word? Do you look for His letter daily, as I looked for my mom's letters in Israel long ago? Do you anticipate reading His Word? Do you wake up with Him on your mind? If you read His letters daily, others will notice. They will wonder about your God, who loves you so. I guess you're probably wondering why I "harp on that" so much. Because it's the answer! Daily time in His Word, prayer, and obedience are what sustain me in my relationship with God! It sustains me through life! It has rescued me -- from worry, from depression, from emptiness! But what about when you don't feel like getting into His Word, the Bible? What if you become bored, or your prayer time seems dull and lifeless? Well... Have you ever tried to look through a frosty window? It's hard to see out into the wintry day -- ice and frost take shelter on the outside of the window. And there is even a cloud of frosty whiteness on the inside. Looking through that window can be difficult -- as soon as you wipe away the fog on the window, another appears with your next breath. That's the way it is for me sometimes when I seek the Father, especially when it's early in the morning. Not only are my eyes a little hazy, but my mind and heart are cloudy -- full of thoughts crowding around me -- and remembrances from the day before. My eyes don't focus well on the words in my Bible, and when I try to pray, I grasp for words. Sometimes it gets better, as I wake up. My prayer time appears strong. I communicate effectively and openly with my Heavenly Father. Reading His Word is not a struggle, and I quickly grasp what the Father desires to tell me. But at other times -- and perhaps more often than not -- it is not that easy. Sure, I'm sleepy, but that doesn't seem to be the problem! I seem to be praying through a fog...but I don't stop praying. I fight against distraction, I confess my sins, and I pray for power through His Holy Spirit. And I persevere. Pursuing a close relationship with God is definitely a journey -- a difficult one. But why does it have to be so hard? And is it worth it? It's hard because of our humanity. There is a barrier of fog between our sinful selves and a holy God. Jesus Christ is the only Way to the Father. And how can we approach Him without being overwhelmed with the fog of sin that overshadows our own life? It makes communication a struggle. But for me, that's where faith comes in. God's Word tells me that I can approach His throne confidently, even though I wear a fogginess -- like Pigpen wears his cloud of dirt in the Peanuts comics. Through faith, I persevere in my prayers, whether I feel like it or not, because I believe that He hears me through my confession and through my Brother, the Lord Jesus. Whether or not it interests me at the moment, I read His Word, OUT LOUD if I have to, so as to make my time with Him the first priority in my life. After all, why does my relationship with God have to be based on feelings? I'm not going to leave my family just because I don't feel like being at home! I'm not going to refuse to cook for my family just because I don't feel like cooking! I'm not going to cancel all of my piano lessons, just because I don't feel like teaching! I know myself well enough to know that I cannot trust my feelings. I'm wishy-washy! Sometimes my moods are dictated by my circumstances! That's ridiculous, but it's the truth! And commitment is so much deeper than that. And yes, pursuing this close relationship with the Father is definitely worth the trouble, and the sleeplessness. I am committed to my Heavenly Father -- even more so than I am committed to my husband, or to staying at home with my children. I was serious when I gave my life to Him. It's His now, and it's short. So I will indeed cherish the time. Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength, and whose heart turns away from the Lord... But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit. Jeremiah 17:5-8

CHERISH THE TIME
(ponderings)

by Lygia Lovelace

Are you busy? Do you have a moment to rest -- to pull up a chair and read? I want to ponder with you for a moment...

Since Bracken came for a visit just over a week ago -- his first visit since he left for the Navy, I've had some things on my mind. I guess I've been reminiscing -- thinking over this journey of life. Do you ever do that? Now -- some of you only have babies, or perhaps all of your children are grown and gone. Some of you don't have children at all.

It doesn't matter, because God uses each of our different circumstances to teach us what we need to know. When you live for Him, He orchestrates your life into beautiful music -- sometimes joyous, sometimes sad and mournful. But it's still your life -- something no one else ever has gotten to experience.

I hope you don't mind a little pondering of my own today...feel free to "ponder right back"!

Right after Bracken was born, a difficult thing happened.

A friend of mine was watching Bracken for me in the mornings, while I went to class. Bracken was so tiny, so needy! I would drop him off every day, wishing I could just take him with me.

After a few months, a baby in my friend's home died while little Bracken was there. Oh, it wasn't anyone's fault. The precious little girl just died in her sleep -- during her nap. She died of SIDS, and couldn't be revived. Though my friend tried desperately to revive this baby, it was in vain. She tearfully called and told us to come and get Bracken. At the same time we were leaving her little apartment with our healthy son, paramedics were carrying out this tiny dead child -- with grieving, shocked parents, and my traumatized friend, following close behind.

All that day my mind kept repeating the same questions to the Father.

"Why, Lord?"

"Why not Bracken?"

"Why do some die and some stay?"

These unanswerable questions tormented me, even as I held Bracken close that evening in my rocking chair at home. My heart grieved for the other family who wouldn't be holding their little one on earth again.

"Then, Lord, I don't want to miss a single minute of this child's life -- for as long as he is in our home, Lord, I want to enjoy every moment!"

This single event launched me into life at home with my children. I dropped out of classes that same week and became, to the best of my ability, a full-time mom.

I'm so glad I did that. I've never regretted it. Even though at times it's been hard financially (and certainly full-time parenting is not always easy!), I wouldn't trade the time with my children. And it goes so fast. Bracken is now 19, and gone from home. I am no longer able to hold him physically close.

All time is fleeting, and life on earth is so short. To the Father, our lives are but an inch of time -- but yet so valuable to Him that He monitors our every heart beat! He cherishes our time on earth, you know.

He doesn't want to miss a single moment! He wants to be included in each event -- good or bad.

When I went to live in Jerusalem, Israel for a summer, I was just a college kid. I was in tears as I waved to my mom from the gate, before I boarded an airplane full of people I didn't know. Though I wore a pin signifying I was with a certain group of students traveling to Israel, I found no one else wearing the same pin. I was tempted to run away, or to just go back home with my mom.

But I took a deep breath and tearfully found a seat on my flight. I sat next to an elderly couple who were lonely for someone to talk to (besides each other!). The woman mothered me and chattered happily. When our conversation lulled, I pulled out some card games I had brought, and we laughed hilariously as we played Old Maid together.

Once I got there, I found my time in Israel to be valuable, fun, and fulfilling...but I was also homesick for the familiar. And do you know what was amazing? Every day that I spent in Israel, I received a letter from my mother. She missed me, and thought of me daily. Even if the letter was just routine news, I hung on every word. Those letters came from someone who truly loved me, no matter what! I was interested in even the mundane, because it was a letter from someone I loved and knew I would be seeing again soon.

My daily letters from my mom became intriguing to the lovely Arab people who worked in the hospice where we stayed.

In broken English they would ask me -- almost daily...

"...so WHY does your mother write you every day?"

I would always smile and give the same answer, "...because she loves me!"

Do you know that the Father has written you (His Word), for every day of your life? He thinks of you, constantly. He truly loves you, no matter what! He plans to see you again soon, and wants to fill you in on all the news of how to have an abundant life on earth.

Do you hang on His every Word? Do you look for His letter daily, as I looked for my mom's letters in Israel long ago? Do you anticipate reading His Word? Do you wake up with Him on your mind?

If you read His letters daily, others will notice. They will wonder about your God, who loves you so.

I guess you're probably wondering why I "harp on that" so much. Because it's the answer! Daily time in His Word, prayer, and obedience are what sustain me in my relationship with God! It sustains me through life! It has rescued me -- from worry, from depression, from emptiness!

But what about when you don't feel like getting into His Word, the Bible? What if you become bored, or your prayer time seems dull and lifeless?

Well...

Have you ever tried to look through a frosty window? It's hard to see out into the wintry day -- ice and frost take shelter on the outside of the window. And there is even a cloud of frosty whiteness on the inside.

Looking through that window can be difficult -- as soon as you wipe away the fog on the window, another appears with your next breath.

That's the way it is for me sometimes when I seek the Father, especially when it's early in the morning. Not only are my eyes a little hazy, but my mind and heart are cloudy -- full of thoughts crowding around me -- and remembrances from the day before. My eyes don't focus well on the words in my Bible, and when I try to pray, I grasp for words.

Sometimes it gets better, as I wake up. My prayer time appears strong. I communicate effectively and openly with my Heavenly Father. Reading His Word is not a struggle, and I quickly grasp what the Father desires to tell me.

But at other times -- and perhaps more often than not -- it is not that easy. Sure, I'm sleepy, but that doesn't seem to be the problem! I seem to be praying through a fog...but I don't stop praying. I fight against distraction, I confess my sins, and I pray for power through His Holy Spirit. And I persevere.

Pursuing a close relationship with God is definitely a journey -- a difficult one.

But why does it have to be so hard? And is it worth it?

It's hard because of our humanity. There is a barrier of fog between our sinful selves and a holy God. Jesus Christ is the only Way to the Father. And how can we approach Him without being overwhelmed with the fog of sin that overshadows our own life? It makes communication a struggle.

But for me, that's where faith comes in. God's Word tells me that I can approach His throne confidently, even though I wear a fogginess -- like Pigpen wears his cloud of dirt in the Peanuts comics. Through faith, I persevere in my prayers, whether I feel like it or not, because I believe that He hears me through my confession and through my Brother, the Lord Jesus.

Whether or not it interests me at the moment, I read His Word, OUT LOUD if I have to, so as to make my time with Him the first priority in my life.

After all, why does my relationship with God have to be based on feelings? I'm not going to leave my family just because I don't feel like being at home! I'm not going to refuse to cook for my family just because I don't feel like cooking! I'm not going to cancel all of my piano lessons, just because I don't feel like teaching!

I know myself well enough to know that I cannot trust my feelings. I'm wishy-washy! Sometimes my moods are dictated by my circumstances! That's ridiculous, but it's the truth! And commitment is so much deeper than that.

And yes, pursuing this close relationship with the Father is definitely worth the trouble, and the sleeplessness.

I am committed to my Heavenly Father -- even more so than I am committed to my husband, or to staying at home with my children. I was serious when I gave my life to Him. It's His now, and it's short.

So I will indeed cherish the time.

Cursed is the one who trusts in man,
who depends on flesh for his strength,
and whose heart turns away from the Lord...
But blessed
is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him.
He will be like a tree
planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.
Jeremiah 17:5-8