Advent 2022 - Ponder PUZZLE

My sister and I love doing puzzles. We have 'puzzle rules' or etiquette when we work puzzles together. We sat down with a friend once to work on a puzzle, and she reached across the table to grab a piece, and you could almost hear the gasps as my sister, and I looked across the table at one another - that's not proper puzzle etiquette! I chuckle when I remember that event. We also visited a family member we hadn't seen in many years. She and her husband had a puzzle set up in their den, and we were fascinated by how they arranged their puzzle pieces. They had a system too. Little things like assembling the edge first, sorting by color, placing all the pieces on the table, or leaving them in the box to search like a treasure hunt. Everyone has their favorite method of working a puzzle.

A bit of trivia - the word puzzle, used as a noun to describe a game like we commonly use it now, is a relatively new definition. When I looked up the word puzzle in my 1828 dictionary, it wasn't even mentioned. The puzzle definitions are as follows: 1) To be bewildered, to be awkward. 2) perplexity, embarrassment. 3) To make intricate; to entangle. As Mary journeyed through her pregnancy she had to be puzzled. Bewildered, embarrassed, perplexed, how could she not be these things? Telling people she was pregnant, and by some miraculous method? Definitely puzzling.

When I work on a jigsaw puzzle, I always want to have certain things in place. I like to know that all of the pieces are present. I want an excellent picture to follow to visualize what the finished puzzle will look like. I want clear areas to work on, especially when putting together a puzzle with another person. When I ponder Christmas, it is much like a puzzle. I want a clear calendar schedule of all the traditional things I want to do. I want everything to be in place and to go as planned. There are certain areas that everyone in the family works on to make our Christmas season follow tradition, at least in my mind! I want everyone to follow the same plan I have, to feel like I feel. 

I just read over that and paused; wow. Mary had none of that! She had no clear picture of what was to come. There is no way she could imagine life after she gave birth, given how her pregnancy started. She had to wonder how all the pieces of life would fit together. Bewildered and perplexed don't seem like good descriptions of what she must have felt. Yet she was obedient and trusted God.

I want to approach Advent this year as an unknown puzzle. Instead of a familiar picture, where all the pieces fit perfectly together, and I arrive on Christmas Day when the last piece is put in place, I want to approach these next weeks as a mystery. To be open to exploring new ways God may reveal Himself to me. I want to be like Mary, trusting and willing to be obedient. Sometimes I get so caught up in the familiar, the expected, that I leave no room for surprises. Working on a puzzle without a picture can be frustrating or seemingly impossible. None of us have a clear picture of what life will be, yet we can approach each day with wonder and awe. Taking one piece at a time and seeing how it all fits together, one day, we will see the beautiful picture God has planned for us. 

Challenge:

1. Do one thing today that is a challenge.
2. Step out of your ordinary routine and ponder what God has for you.
3. Ask "why," then accept the message you receive from God and see where that piece, that hard thing, fits in your life.

It may be to call someone that has come to your mind. Or dust off writing paper and pen a letter to a friend or relative. Or it could be to talk to the neighbor you have lived next to for years but never talked to. Perhaps God is asking you to do something you think is impossible!

When Mary went to visit Elizabeth, they were both pregnant, she was greeted with these words: "You are blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what he said". Luke 1:45 NLT

Prayer: Lord I want to believe you have great things for me. Open my heart and eyes with wonder to listen for Your guidance. Help me set aside my plans and expectations and move forward in obedience to follow You. Help me not be so focused on the final picture, but embrace the piece of life that You have for me today. 

Advent 2022 - Ponder GIVING TUESDAY

 Bombarded by 'days': Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday, and Giving Tuesday. The first three mentioned have to do with shopping. Then today is all about giving. It is interesting to research why all of these names came to be. Giving Tuesday was established in 2012 and is touted as a 'global generosity movement unleashing the power of people and organizations to transform their communities and the world.' It is one of those things that, at first glance, seems like a good thing. A day for everyone to focus on giving. I'm going to step out and share something about myself; I don't like big non-profit organizations that spearhead massive movements like this. I can be very cynical about them. While millions have been donated to worthy causes on this one day each year, I wonder why it is so easy. 

It kind of gets me thinking about checking boxes and appearances. "Oh, it's that time of year again!  I give to a worthy cause, I gather the family together to attend church together for the second time this year, I took my donation to the food bank for Thanksgiving.......". See, I get very critical. I spent some time this morning looking inward. Do I need to donate to some worthy organization today simply because my calendar says it is time to do so? Many of us are feeling the pinch right now in our bank accounts. It caused me to ponder how I give, why I give, and my motivation.

Giving is a personal thing, and there is nothing wrong with giving during the holiday season. Angel trees, Salvation Army bell ringers, and local organizations that support needy families and children are all good things. I challenge you to think about all of these things and wonder: do families only need a meal between Thanksgiving and Christmas? The gift given on Giving Tuesday may go to an organization that helps throughout the year, yet I think that is the easy way. Give a monetary gift once a year, then check off that box. I guess the reason this gets me thinking is that I can't write the big check. I can't support these causes as much as I would like simply because I have needs to be met. So I find myself thinking that I need to help more. 

Giving for me is God-directed. I'm not talking about tithing and giving to my church; I'm talking about what I give to others because I genuinely believe God wants me to, as an act of honor to Him. I'm blessed to be part of a church body that gives all through the year. From numerous care services to meat provided regularly, there is a spirit of help every day, not just on one designated day of the year. Every Sunday, as I drive onto the church grounds, I see the steers in the pasture and realize they are there to ultimately provide food for those in need. That is their purpose. Giving is part of my honor and praise to God. My purpose is to give of myself as an act of worship to God. 

Yesterday we pondered why; today, I challenge you to expand on that and ask yourself why you give. If you choose to give during this Advent season, what is your reason? 

God gave us Jesus, the ultimate gift. The greatest gift I can give is to share Jesus with others. As with any gift, how it is received isn't up to me; only the giving is my responsibility. How will you share Jesus today?

Challenge: How do you feel when you give? What is your motivation for giving? Do you expect something in return when you give? Ponder today how giving impacts your life.

For further reading, dig into 2 Corinthians chapters 8 & 9. Paul writes extensively about generous giving.  Ponder this: They even did more than we had hoped, for their first action was to give themselves to the Lord and to us, just as God wanted them to do.2 Corinthians 8:5 NLT

Prayer: Lord, help me to have a giving heart. To listen for Your voice and seek to only serve You. Direct my giving in ways that will lead others to You. When I give, multiply that gift so that others will see You and desire to serve You. Lead me in generosity, whether it be money, services, time, or prayer. Let all that I do be to Your glory.  In Jesus' name, Amen. 

Advent 2022 - Ponder WHY?

 Perhaps you have heard the story of the young woman who always cut the ends off each time she prepared a ham. When asked by her new husband why she did that, her answer was, "That was the way mom did it." This sparked the couple to start asking why. When the woman's mother was asked, she said, "That is how your grandmother did it." Grandma had died years earlier, but the woman asked her grandfather why grandma cut the ends off of the ham.  His answer "So it would fit in the pan."

Often we do things because we learn them by example or simply because our parents said so. As adults, we then don't often stop to ask "why"; we just go along. As we move through this Advent season, part of pondering is asking why. Why do we celebrate Advent? This question prompted me to do a little digging. I grew up and later worked in a protestant church that always celebrated the Advent season. I looked forward each year to the ceremonies and traditions, usually focused on waiting, expectation, and preparation. I never really questioned why we did those things. I simply used the time to focus my prayers on the coming of Christmas, trying my best to put Jesus at the front of the season.

This year I dug a little deeper. I found one fascinating article that pointed out that Advent celebrations in history often had a twin focus, that of the second coming of Christ and the focus on his birth. If you would like to read this author's point of view about Advent, here is the link:

The History of Advent 

There are many instances throughout the day when we can ask "why." When difficulties arise, we may shake our fists at God and say, "Why are you allowing this?" Do a quick search in your Bible app or concordance and discover numerous instances of people asking why.  Answers don't always come; keep asking. Dig deep to learn the why. 

Why do I believe in Jesus? Why do I keep praying for loved ones when they don't seem closer to turning back to God? Why does my faithful, God-loving friend suffer from an ongoing debilitating illness? Why did my friend withdraw from me for no apparent reason? Why do I love baseball? (Sorry, had to throw a lighthearted one in there!) The questions continue, just like a curious toddler discovering the world. 

Today explore some of your "whys." 

Challenge: Take notice today of something you always do and ponder why you do it.

One verse that keeps me focused:

Your promises have been thoroughly tested; that is why I love them so much. Psalm 119:140 NLT

Prayer: Father God, help me today as I ask why. Reveal things to me, and change me in ways that may not be aligned with You. Help me to see why I make the decisions that I do, and help me accept Your will even when I don't know the answer why. Help me trust. In Jesus' name, I pray, Amen.

Advent 2022 ~ Ponder

It has been several years since I wrote a daily advent devotional, and I decided to give it a go again this year. I write these mainly for myself, and if anyone else gets a thinking prompt or draws closer to God, that is just a plus.

Each year I choose a word of focus for the year. My word for 2022 is ponder. 

Definitions from Webster's 1828 Dictionary: To weigh in the mind; to consider and compare the circumstances or consequences of an event, or the importance of the reasons for or against a decision. To view with deliberation; to examine. 

A lot of thought goes into my process of choosing a word. I usually spend the week between Christmas and New Year's Day in the process of prayer, listening for various word possibilities, then examining my life to determine what I want to focus on in the coming year. I look at synonyms, I do word definition trees, and finally, in the silence between God and me, I decide on a word. When I was considering ponder I came up with this general statement: to search, to scrutinize, to explore, to discover the truth. To me, it was so much more than simply thinking!

Like for all of you, 2022 was a year of ups and downs, unexpected pleasures, and disappointments. All in all, just like any other - interesting. Looking back over 2022, I have been blessed with new and treasured friendships that I didn't expect (though I prayed for). I have taken a once-in-a-lifetime trip that was a total surprise. I have sat in hospital and emergency rooms with loved ones, wondering what was coming next, crying out to God for protection and healing. I have started a new educational journey, which was a giant leap! I turned 65 and joined the ranks of "old" people. My list could go on and on, and I pondered decisions and possible outcomes with each one.

As we enter the season of advent, waiting for the commemoration of Christ's birth I ponder what comes next. Just as Mary faced the unexpected and seemingly impossible I choose to go boldly ahead in the direction God has for me. It may be scary, and seem impossible, but if God says go, I will go! How will you approach the unknown? When God presents you with something unbelievable, will you go forward in faith and obedience? 

Today I am committing to going forward, even amid significant doubt and fear. Perfect love drives out fear, and I know God loves me perfectly, as He does you. I pray that you will join me in pondering what God has for us this advent season, and perhaps like Mary, we will experience unbelievable and magnificent gifts from God. 

Challenge: Ponder what you would like to hear from God this season. How will you respond to what you hear? 

Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. Proverbs 3:5-6 NLT

Prayer: Lord, hear my voice as I cry out to you. Make the way clear as I ponder what you have for me. Soften my heart so that I am ready to go where you lead and discover the unimaginable wonders that you have for me. Help me love perfectly as you do and banish any fear that remains in my heart.  In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

*I will post these advent thoughts each day on my Facebook timeline. If you want to read them elsewhere, you can click the link on this blog post and receive them in your email. I will not send a separate email like I did in the past to not clutter up inboxes that may not want to receive them.