A Lesson from the Poet’s Daffodil
Tax season…ugh! Thank You, Father, that everything is done except for getting things in the mail. Thank You for the ability to persevere!
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Over the last several days, I’ve passed these flowers on my elementary route, their beauty frequently catching my eye. Yesterday, I swung by and took a picture. They’re lovely, aren’t they?
I wasn’t sure what kind of flowers they were, but taking pictures helped me to identify them. Their scientific name is Narcissus poeticus, but they are more commonly known as the poet’s daffodil (narcissus) or the pheasant’s eye. Nature can teach us a lot about God, but the biggest connection with this flower and a lesson that we can learn is that of the “person” from whom it gets its name.
A character named Narcissus in Greek and Roman legends was known by all for his beauty. He rejected all advances from those who saw him and eventually fell in love with his own reflection in a pool of water. In time, he died in agony at being kept apart from this reflected love, and in his place sprouted a flower bearing his name. A little crazy? For sure!
The character of Narcissus is the origin of the term narcissism, a self-centered personality style characterized as having an excessive preoccupation with oneself and one’s own needs, often at the expense of others.
While many psychologists believe that a moderate degree of narcissism is normal and healthy in humans, there are also more extreme forms that fall into the category of mental illness.
The Apostle Paul in Philippians 2:4 states,
Do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. AMP
In his writings to Timothy, he also declared,
For people will be lovers of self [narcissistic, self-focused], lovers of money [impelled by greed], boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy and profane, [and they will be] unloving [devoid of natural human affection, calloused and inhumane], irreconcilable, malicious gossips, devoid of self-control [intemperate, immoral], brutal, haters of good, traitors, reckless, conceited, lovers of [sensual] pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of [outward] godliness (religion), although they have denied its power [for their conduct nullifies their claim of faith]. Avoid such people and keep far away from them. 2 Timothy 3:2-5 AMP
All of us can be a bit narcissistic at times, thinking only of ourselves and not of others, but as followers of Christ, we should heed His words as recorded in Mark 8:34,
“If anyone wishes to follow Me [as My disciple], he must deny himself [set aside selfish interests], and take up his cross [expressing a willingness to endure whatever may come] and follow Me [believing in Me, conforming to My example in living and, if need be, suffering or perhaps dying because of faith in Me]. AMP
Apr 14th, 2024, Sun, 6:26 pm
Sidle Up Close
Father, we are trusting You with all the many aspects of our lives. Grant us patience, love, and compassion in all we do. Amen.
2 Corinthians 1:8-11 (<<click here to read the passage)
Every time it happens, I am amazed! My opening prayer is just a simple thing, but time and time again; it is a precursor to what God wants to teach me that day.
Today’s opening prayer simply reflects some of the things we are dealing with – nothing major, just regular life stuff. Sometimes, even the small stuff can pile up and feel overwhelming. Even in those times, we must realize that it is best not to depend solely on our own skills and abilities. We are more prone to turn to God when we feel at a loss to help ourselves, but we cannot forget that He is with us through all the ups and downs of life.
Honestly, that is one of the best benefits of our relationship with our Heavenly Father. The more we realize our powerlessness without Him—attempting to tackle all of life on our own—the more we realize our need for His constant help in our lives. It all makes our relationship with Him stronger than ever. The reality of our being powerless helps us to tap into His infinite power. We may run dry, but He never will! Oh, that we would humbly acknowledge our dependence on Him.
The Apostle Paul was the one who stated,
Rejoice always and delight in your faith; be unceasing and persistent in prayer; in every situation [no matter what the circumstances] be thankful and continually give thanks to God; for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 AMP
Keeping in touch with Him—praying—on a daily, regular basis keeps those communication lines open—and it’s not just an us-to-him kind of thing. Doing so enables us to hear Him more readily as He steers us in the right direction or, often, maybe out of the wrong direction.
So, even in the storms of life, as well as the usual ebb and flow of everyday life, our dependence upon our loving Heavenly Father will encourage us to sidle up close to him and not turn our backs on Him, thinking that He doesn’t care…for we know he surely does.
Lord Jesus, enable us to rely on You throughout each and every day. Amen.
Apr 11th, 2024, Thurs, 12:43 pm
Share My Sufferings, Share My Comfort
I am grateful, Father, for the comfort of our home, food and drink, and my beautiful and talented companion, who has joined me on my journey. I am truly blessed!
2 Corinthians 1:3-7 (<<click here to read the passage)
This post will cover quite a bit of ground right from the get-go. As I read through the passage, my mind went to the importance of being trained by someone with experience for whatever we’re getting ourselves into—a new job, school, taking up a sport, or a musical instrument. Good, solid training is a great asset, at the very least, and a must in many circumstances.
As I thought along those lines, it brought to mind the training I received to drive school bus. I figured I had written about those experiences at some point, so I did some digging and confirmed that I had. Reading through those stirred many more thoughts. Here’s a synopsis.
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In the spring of 2018, a seed was planted. A dear friend and former co-worker stopped by the Kohl’s store where I worked and shared that several new routes were going to open up for bus drivers in the school system she worked for.
I wondered, could I do this? Would it be something I would enjoy? After much thought, discussion, and prayer, I pursued the opportunity; believe me, it was not a speedy process.
I poured a lot of time into meeting requirements, one-on-one training, in-service training, and pre-service training. The plan was to complete it in a relatively short period, but unfortunately, in the process of it all, I officiated six funerals in four months, had two root canals, had carpal tunnel surgery, and was officially diagnosed as a diabetic.
Three months in I began to really struggle with whether or not becoming a bus driver was the best course of action for me. In the middle of October, I experienced an incredibly difficult day. I was questioning; I was worn out. I kept thinking, “Lord, I can’t do this. I’m heading into the craziest time of year for both Kohl’s and my churches – it’s just too much!” I turned on some music through my Spotify app, which happened to be a Southern Gospel mix.
Well…one song really touched me. I had never heard the song before, but The Booth Brothers sang a song entitled He Saw It All. The lyrics are a little long, but it makes so much more sense if you read the beginning of the song and then read the second full verse (I bolded it), which is the one that touched me so. I felt God was telling me I wasn’t going it alone; He was with me all the way.
I was working in town one afternoon
Attending some business affairs
I heard a commotion a couple streets over
And wondered. “What’s happenin’ there”
A young man was running from in that direction
And stopped just to catch his breath
I asked him to please tell me what was the hurry
He smiled up at me and he said.
I was trying to catch the crippled man
Did he run past this way?
He was rushing home to tell everyone
What Jesus did today
And the mute man was telling myself and the deaf girl
He’s leaving to answer God’s call
It’s hard to believe but if you don’t trust me
Ask the blind man, he saw it all
Go ask the blind man, he saw it all
So my friend if the troubles and burdens you carry
Are heavy and dragging you down
You’ve tried everything you can possibly think of
There’s no relief to be found
That very same Jesus that altered the future
Of a blind man, the deaf, and the lame
Is still reaching out in your hour of trouble
One touch and you’re never the same.
You’ll be trying to catch the crippled man…
So, long story short, with the prayer support of innumerable people, God’s help, and the tenacity only He could give – even amid the season’s first big winter weather advisory with local schools canceled and my training school on a 2-hour delay – I passed my test! And the rest is history!
But going back to today’s passage, it was a grueling experience but the “suffering” has afforded me many opportunities since to bring comfort. Others who share my sufferings can also share in my comfort. (verse 7)
Apr 10th, 2024, Wed, 12:55 pm
(Here’s a very nice video recording of the song if you’d like to hear the song.)
Sin Is a Lot Like Poison Ivy
Father, some things are lying heavy on my heart today that I cannot shirk. I must address them head-on. I pray for wisdom – not mine, Father, but Yours. Your love and wisdom must prevail, or all could be lost. Amen.
2 Corinthians 1:1-2 (<<click here to read the passage)
One winter in high school, I got it in my head to clear off an empty lot behind our home. I was young and relatively ignorant when it came to poison ivy. My thoughts were, no leaves, no problem! WRONG! I had such a bad reaction that I ended up having to get a shot to get it taken care of!
The problem with poison ivy is that the plant’s oil—found in its leaves, stems, roots, fruit, or sap—is like grease. Think of the grease you would use to lubricate a piece of equipment. It’s very hard to get off of your hands. At least you can see grease. Poison ivy oil is clear…you can’t really see it or even feel it!
In recent years, I learned that the only way to get it off is to scrub it with a cloth in warm, soapy water and then rinse it off—not just once but three consecutive times, getting in all the nooks and crannies. Scrub between your fingers, too. It takes a lot of concentrated effort.
Sin is a lot like poison ivy oil. If we come in contact with it, it will impact us – no one is immune. But the thing is…we cannot get rid of it. No matter what we do, in and of ourselves, we are incapable of ridding ourselves of its stain and ultimate penalty…death. Only by acknowledging Jesus’ substitutionary sacrifice, admitting our wrongdoing, and accepting His free gift of salvation can we be made whole. That is the only way out…period.
Given the devastating effects of sin, it’s baffling why we persist in its embrace! Yet, that’s our recurring pattern, a cycle we seem unable to break.
Even the church is not exempt. Today’s text is the beginning of what is, in actuality, the fourth letter (according to theologians) that Paul wrote to the struggling church in Corinth. The Good News of Jesus touched and changed so many lives, but sin was everywhere!
The city [of Corinth] was a flourishing trade center because of its seaport. With the thousands of merchants and sailors who disembarked there each year, it had developed a reputation as one of the most immoral cities in the ancient world.
Paul founded the church in Corinth on his second missionary journey (Acts 18:1ff). After that, he wrote 1 Corinthians to address divisions in the church. When his advice was not taken, and their problems weren’t solved, Paul visited Corinth a second time. That visit was painful both for Paul and for the church (2:1).*
Our world is no different today. We, as individuals and even the church, struggle with keeping ourselves separated from sin. Jesus is eager to help us fight the battles, but for many, it’s just easier to ignore His wisdom and go it alone, with sin rearing its ugly head along the way.
Lord Jesus, may we be diligent in daily giving ourselves over to You and Your control. That is the only path to victory!
*Life Application Bible
Apr 9th, 2024, Tues, 12:37 pm
Good-bye…
Father, thank You for enabling me to be somewhat focused today. I’ve been easily distracted, but there has been work to do. I give You the credit for what I have been able to accomplish.
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Etymology is the study of the origin of words and how their meanings have changed throughout history. I am not a big student in this field, but I often find it interesting. For example, our closing hymn this Sunday is God Be with You till We Meet Again. I regularly use a wonderful website called Hymntime.com (it used to be called CyberHymnal). It provides lyrics, along with information on the author and composer. It will occasionally give a biographical or historical connection to the hymn itself.
The information on this hymn was taken from a prominent gospel singer and composer, Ira D. Sankey, of the late 19th century. In his book My Life and the Story of the Gospel Hymns, written in 1906, he wrote,
Written…as a Christian good-bye, it was called forth by no person or occasion, but was deliberately composed as a Christian hymn on the basis of the etymology of good-bye, which is God be with you.
I had never heard the etymology of the word good-bye before! Even an old dog can learn something new! The word first appeared in the 1590s and was derived from godbwye (1570s), a contraction of God be with ye (late 14c.) So, good-bye is a shortened form of God be with you!
For me, at least, the origin will pop into my head when I say good-bye to anyone. God be with you!
Written in 1880, God Be with You till We Meet Again, as noted by Sankey, was just a take-off from that simple phrase. Many churches have used it as a closing hymn for ages.
Good-byes are often difficult moments in our lives – family going off into the military, sons and daughters heading off to college or returning to their homes far away from our homes. It is exceptionally difficult when loved ones cross the threshold of death…good-byes seem so final. But God be with you gives us the proper perspective. Good-byes do not have to be eternal for those who have yielded themselves to God’s love. In God’s timing and in His love, we will meet once more.
I’ve included the lyrics here of a few of its eight stanzas and also attached a link of a group called Gentri that I specifically enjoy. Read and listen if you would like. (You may read all the stanzas by clicking on the hymn title.)
God be with you till we meet again;
By His counsels guide, uphold you,
With His sheep securely fold you;
God be with you till we meet again.
God be with you till we meet again;
When life’s perils thick confound you;
Put His arms unfailing round you;
God be with you till we meet again.
Refrain
Till we meet, till we meet,
Till we meet at Jesus’ feet;
Till we meet, till we meet,
God be with you till we meet again.
God be with you till we meet again;
Keep love’s banner floating o’er you,
Strike death’s threatening wave before you;
God be with you till we meet again.
Refrain
Apr 4th, 2024, Thurs, 12:31 pm