At Water’s Edge

Tension and stress take a toll on the soul. Extreme tension and extreme stress take an extreme toll on the soul. We are designed by God to be people of peace, but inside and outside forces are constantly bombarding us in ways that are disruptive, harmful and sometimes fatal. Every person who lives on the East Coast anywhere from the Bahamas to Canada knows this after Hurricane Dorian surged through.

But go back a second. Do you realize you are designed to be a person of peace? What does that mean to you?

The Hebrew word for peace, shalom (שׁלום) is derived from a root denoting wholeness, completeness, soundness, health, safety and prosperity. Its frame of reference throughout Jewish literature is bound up with the notion of shelemut, meaning perfection, and carries with it the implication of permanence.

From the very beginning of life in the Garden of Eden, we were created to enjoy shalom. Adam and Eve had every thing they needed. They had each other. They had beauty, sustenance, things that delight, and most of all, they had a relationship with God, walking with him every day in a place of perfection. They were perfectly at peace until disobedience in the form of an apple entered the story.

I think that connection is a strong one. Is your lack of peace a result of your disobedience? Is God calling and directing you to do something that you are resisting?

I have a lovely friend who was resisting God’s call to peace with a relative who is especially challenging. You met her in my devotional, “I’d Rather Cut Off My Arm.” She realized that God was urging her to “pray for her enemy” as a visit with this person approached, and so she did. The result was wonderful: God brought her into a place of peace as she was able to resist responding to her relative’s outbursts and craziness, and they had a good visit. Her peace was even able to bring peace to the relative, and a change in demeanor was the result. It was her obedience to the call to pray that brought her this shalom.

Where is your lack of peace connected to your lack of obedience? Are you consuming things you are being told not to touch? What is your “apple?” Drugs, alcohol, affairs, inappropriate movies and books, anger, bitterness, resentment, grudge-holding…taking a bite out of these things surely will destroy your peace.

Jesus came to restore shalom. Through the forgiveness of apple-eating, he brings peace back:

Isaiah 9:6-7 New International Version (NIV)

6 For to us a child is born,

    to us a son is given,

    and the government will be on his shoulders.

And he will be called

    Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

7 Of the greatness of his government and peace

    there will be no end.

He will reign on David’s throne

    and over his kingdom,

establishing and upholding it

    with justice and righteousness

    from that time on and forever.

The zeal of the Lord Almighty

    will accomplish this.

We weren’t meant to live in strife. We were made by our creator to be people of peace. Take this message today, and lean on it. Learn from it. Root out the source of your stress, and throw that rotten apple away.

Isaiah 26:3-4 Contemporary English Version (CEV)

3 The Lord gives perfect peace

    to those whose faith is firm.

4 So always trust the Lord

because he is forever our mighty rock.

Shalom, y’all!

Photo by Allison Brown.

Cyber bullying. Decreased sleep. Decreased exercise. Anxiety. Depression. Extreme self-consciousness. Obsession with the number of likes and comments. Low self-esteem.

These are some of the effects of social media use. According to a recent study, social media is hurting our young people, especially girls. A recent study in The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health Journal involved interviews with almost 10,000 teenagers between the ages of 13 and 16. The researchers found that social media may harm girls’ mental health by increasing their exposure to bullying, and reducing their sleep and exercise. For boys, the impact on mental health seems to be due to other reasons, so further research is needed, the authors said. Scrolling through social media apps at bedtime was highlighted as particularly harmful to both genders.

This is very scary. If you have a teenager in your life, I bet you have seen this firsthand.

Thousands and thousands of years ago, “social media” came in different forms. Words have been destructive since the beginning of time, whether they come from a verbal exchange, a written source, or through the internet. People much wiser than I have cautioned about the hurtfulness of words, and have encouraged us to “guard our hearts” against such damage:

Proverbs 4 (The Message)

Learn It by Heart

20-22  Dear friend, listen well to my words;

    tune your ears to my voice.

Keep my message in plain view at all times.

    Concentrate! Learn it by heart!

Those who discover these words live, really live;

    body and soul, they’re bursting with health.

23-27 Keep vigilant watch over your heart;

    that’s where life starts.

Don’t talk out of both sides of your mouth;

    avoid careless banter, white lies, and gossip.

Keep your eyes straight ahead;

    ignore all sideshow distractions.

Watch your step,

    and the road will stretch out smooth before you.

Look neither right nor left;

    leave evil in the dust.

Keep vigilant watch over your heart. Avoid careless banter, white lies, and gossip. If that doesn’t sound like WhatsApp, Instagram, FaceBook, Twitter, and the rest, I don’t know what does.

I think social media hurts ALL of us. I say that with the full realization that I can only access you all through social media. Like everything else on this earth, social media can be used for good or for evil. For example, hundreds of thousands of dollars have been raised for hurricane relief in less than 48 hours through social media. It is a viable and extremely effective way for GOOD words to be shared among God’s people.

But the temptation to compare our lives with the polished and photoshopped happy-family portrayals we are exposed to is not a good thing at any age. And anything that takes our eyes off of God for prolonged periods of each day cannot be spiritually healthy.

God invites us to keep our eyes on HIS message. Those who discover God’s words LIVE, “and really live; body and soul, they’re bursting with health.”

Where will you spend time today? Will you turn to the ancient scrolls of God’s word and bury your heart there, or will you continue to bury your head and keep scrolling through junk?

The choice is yours every day. Choose well.

Photo by Michelle Robertson.

In case you thought this was going to be about my running partners and me….it’s not.

The Outer Banks is known for our herd of wild horses who have lived here for over 500 years. Located mainly on the northern beaches, these beauties have been here from the time of the first settlers. Thought to be the progeny of the original horses that swam ashore from shipwrecked sailing vessels, the mighty mustangs have survived in conditions of sparse vegetation, high winds, encroaching civilization, cars strikes, and even hurricanes.

Some have asked this week if the horses get evacuated, and the answer is no. Instead, the colonial Spanish mustang herd will likely ride out the winds and rain as their ancestors did before them — in huddles, “butts to the wind,” according to obxtoday.com

“They have an institutional knowledge of where it’s high, dry and safe,” said Meg Puckett, herd manager for the Corolla Wild Horse Fund. “It’s one of the few times we see a lot of the different harems come together.”

Kinda like people. Storm prep is a time for the islanders to come together and look out for each other. I received several offers from younger folks in our community who wanted to help our elderly church members. When I checked on them to see if they needed help, the answer was always the same: our neighbors have already taken care of everything. Huddled together, butts to the wind, God delivers us through the hands and sweat equity of the compassionate ones who huddle with us:

Isaiah 49 (The Message)

8 God also says:

“When the time’s ripe, I answer you.

    When victory’s due, I help you.

I form you and use you

    to reconnect the people with me,

To put the land in order,

    to resettle families on the ruined properties.

I tell prisoners, ‘Come on out. You’re free!’

    and those huddled in fear, ‘It’s all right. It’s safe now.’

There’ll be foodstands along all the roads,

    picnics on all the hills—

Nobody hungry, nobody thirsty,

    shade from the sun, shelter from the wind,

For the Compassionate One guides them,

    takes them to the best springs.

I’ll make all my mountains into roads,

    turn them into a superhighway.

Look: These coming from far countries,

    and those, out of the north,

These streaming in from the west,

    and those from all the way down the Nile!”

Heavens, raise the roof! Earth, wake the dead!

    Mountains, send up cheers!

God has comforted his people.

    He has tenderly nursed his beaten-up, beaten-down people.”

This passage really speaks to me today, as hurricane Dorian will hit us full force tomorrow and we are under a mandatory evacuation order. I see our beautiful community already fulfilling Isaiah’s prophecy that there will be people who will help resettle families on the ruined properties. Others will provide food for the hungry and drink for the thirsty ones who will flood back from “out of the North” and “streaming in from the West” when the order is lifted. (Did you notice that? We evacuate mainly to the north and the west. God’s word is amazing!) For those who stay, neighbors are already offering shade from the sun and shelter from the wind. That’s who we are here. That’s what we do. The Compassionate One guides us to protect one another, provide for each other, and huddle together.

So we stand together, butts to the wind, and say to Dorian, “Bring. It. On.” With God’s help, we will help each other and come through this storm just like we have all the others. We may be beaten-up and beaten-down for a moment, but joy comes in the morning. Thanks be to God!

Photo by Michelle Robertson.

Sand dunes grow. They are a complex, living infrastructure of sand, water, vegetation, and wind. Along the Outer Banks, the dunes protect the inner parts of the island from the encroaching seas. We boast of having the largest sand dune on the East Coast here in Nags Head, called Jockey’s Ridge. This massive, moving dune is so big, it has swallowed up a mini-golf course in its eastward trajectory.

The Outer Banks has recently undergone extensive beach nourishment along our coastline. Erosion, seas and winds have threatened our beaches for decades, and so our towns have responded with a nourishment program that effectively extended the beach by pumping off-shore sand onto the shoreline.

The Baby Dune effort then began in hopes of stabilizing the protective dunes. Baby dunes are intentionally planted with vegetation such as sea oats, hearty grasses, and dense patches of dune mats that take root and hold the dune together. If the vegetation is damaged, the dune will fail, the water will breach, and roads and homes are affected.

The most threatening thing to baby dune growth is people. People ignore the “Keep Off” signs and walk over the dune rather than go a few hundred yards away to a groomed beach access. Beach goers, not wind, are the biggest threat to the stability of this fragile ecosystem.

Colossians 2 (The Message)

My counsel for you is simple and straightforward: Just go ahead with what you’ve been given. You have received Christ Jesus, the Master. Now LIVE him. You’re deeply rooted in him. You’re constructed upon him. You know your way around the faith. Now do what you’ve been taught. School’s out; quit studying the subject and start LIVING it! And let your living spill over into thanksgiving.

This passage talks about taking root in Christ. One of the interesting things about the dune grasses and vegetation mats is that their roots aren’t exceptionally deep, but they spread over the top of the dune and provide anchoring to the top layer of sand. Their extensive system of creeping underground stems keeps the dune intact in the winds.

Much in the same way, rooting ourselves in Christ protects our lives and keeps us intact when the winds of change begin to blow hard. In the midst of adversities, when in the blink of an eye something changes, those matted, secure roots of faith, fellowship, meditation, prayer, worship, and scripture reading can provide resistance.

A friend suddenly lost her mother last week. The death was unexpected and has caught the family terribly off guard. As she is slowly negotiating her new reality, it is her roots in Christ and the interconnected family around her that is keeping her together right now. Another friend is struggling with her spouse’s addiction. The vegetation mat of hope, help, and knowing she is not alone is keeping her strong in her storm.

I don’t know what kind of figurative or literal (!) hurricane you are going through this morning, but hear this: you are meant to just go ahead with what you’ve been given. You are meant to receive all that Christ died to give you. You are well constructed on him, and no wind of change, no matter how strong, is going to blow you over. Now do what you’ve been taught! Stay strong, stand firm, and let your living spill over into thanksgiving, even in the storm. God’s got you…and he will never let go.

Storms with high winds often result in “Red Flag Days,” when swimming at the beach is prohibited. It is always a sad sight on a vacation day to pull up to the beach and spot a red flag flying with the words “NO SWIMMING,”and realize the surf is too rough to play in. Of course there are some who ignore the warnings. Some surfers look forward to red flag days, as the surf produces huge waves. A red flag is posted at every beach access warning people away, so if you are visiting the Outer Banks and see one, go to the aquarium!

The phrase “red flag” has long been used as a warning against something. Teachers will report that a child’s behavior was a red flag pointing to a situation that required further attention. Spouses can discover something about their spouse that is a red flag indicating that something is very wrong. Currently there is a federal bipartisan bill being discussed in the Senate called the Red Flag Law which would enable those who have seen warning signs (aka red flags) to seek a court order to intervene and temporarily prevent someone who is in crisis from having access to a firearm. 

Think back to a time when something went wrong in your life. Can you go back a little farther and spot a red flag? One that you ignored?

I think the temptation to sin is often accompanied by flaming, flying red flags. You know the signs: that feeling you got just at the moment that you let a “harmless flirtation” (no such thing, by the way) turn into a full blown affair. That flash of warning that went through your mind before you yelled at your child in full blown anger. That thought of “I shouldn’t do this” as you raised your hand to strike, or lift a glass to your lips, or steal something, or to shoot something in your vain. That juicy piece of gossip that you couldn’t resist passing along even as your mind was warning you not to….

Red flags are the work of the Holy Spirit, who works hard on your behalf to keep you safe, whole and right:

1 Peter 1 (NIV)

Be Holy

13 Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming. 14 As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. 15 But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16 for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”

17 Since you call on a Father who judges each person’s work impartially, live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear. 18 For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. 20 He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. 21 Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.

That power of God that accomplished the salvation of the world is accessible to you in red flag moments. Even before the creation of the world, God was working on a plan to save you….from yourself. We are called to live out this time on earth in “reverent fear,” and are reminded that God judges each person’s work impartially. That, right there my friends, is a red flag with eternal consequences.

So be holy. Make holy decisions. Choose holy choices. Look out for the red flags God is putting up, and run fast and far away from that temptation that is sure to pull you into its undertow. You no longer live in the ignorance of evil desires. God calls us out of an empty way of life to live a holy life: our faith and hope rest in the safety of his grace.

Just…DON’T.

This headline fairly jumped off the page in an advertisement from my denomination’s publisher. It came unwanted and unbidden on a sunny day in August. You can probably already guess what they were selling: Christmas resources.

Yes, it is time to order Advent materials. No, I don’t feel the anticipation beginning.

You see, I live on the Outer Banks. I anticipate SEPTEMBER. September is a magical month where the weather is gorgeous, the beaches are less crowded, the air is cooler, the restaurants are still in full swing, and you can actually navigate the by-pass without getting stopped at all NINE stoplights between Colington and Kitty Hawk, which is only a four-mile trek. (Seriously, the by-pass traffic is a THING. I once wrote a song called “The By-Pass Blues,” and made my entire congregation sing it.)

Ahhh, September!

Perhaps that should read, “Ahhhhh, (hopefully hurricane-free) September!” When we get through the early fall unscathed by tropical depressions that turn into storms that turn into hurricane-force winds that turn into Cat 5s, we have had a good fall indeed.

Now that’s something to anticipate! (And BTW, stay away, Dorian!!)

Simeon was one of the best anticipators in the Bible. I offer this with an apology: it was not my intention to bring you a Christmas scripture in the late summer, but here it is. Apparently I should work for Cokesbury.

Luke 2 (NIV)

25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. 27 Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, 28 Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:

29 “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,

    you may now dismiss your servant in peace.

30 For my eyes have seen your salvation,

31 which you have prepared in the sight of all nations:

32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles,

    and the glory of your people Israel.”

33 The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him. 34 Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, 35 so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”

Wow, so much to unpack here, but let’s stay focused on Simeon the Anticipator. He was waiting for the Lord’s Messiah, and was empowered in his waiting by the Holy Spirit. He had been assured by God that the Messiah would actually come in his lifetime and he believed that so much, he went to the temple that day led by the Holy Spirit, anticipating that he would see Jesus.

Let that soak in.

What are you anticipating today? Are you waiting with full assurance that you will encounter Jesus? Are you making your way toward his saving grace with confidence that you will be delivered?

Anticipation tells us that whatever we do, wherever we are, whatever sin we have committed, whatever burden of grief we bear, no matter WHAT, Jesus is ready. He is ready to heal, to direct, to rebuke, to fight for you….Jesus is ready.

Simeon teaches us to anticipate with hope. We are invited to stand firm on the promises of God in our lives and EXPECT to be delivered. There is nothing that can separate us from the love of Jesus:

Romans 8 (NLT)

35 Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? 36 (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”) 37 No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.

38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. 39 No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

“Neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.” God always delivers on his promises. Simeon saw Jesus, and we can too. Anticipate that, my friends!

Photo by Michelle Robertson

Sunday was a day filled with lots of children’s events at church, thus bringing out lots of children. As I waited by the back door, three kids ran past me to get to the sanctuary. They were from different families, and all three were shoeless.

I have adjusted to acolytes in flip flops, a common sight in my church but not common elsewhere. I love our laid back Outer Banks style. I love comfortable footwear on 10 year olds carrying the candlelighter with the seriousness of a welder powering up his flame. I especially love happy, shoeless kids running through the sanctuary to take their seat and wait for the fun to begin. I was two seconds away from taking off my own heeled pumps when I had a last minute “maybe-that’s-not-appropriate” thought flash through my mind.

Or is it?

I think the shoeless kids feel some kind of connection to the idea of “special, set apart and sacred” and want to have full physical contact with that holy ground that is the sanctuary. The joy of running on the old, worn, red carpet in a place that feels homey and safe is a delight to behold. Maybe we should all take off our shoes! Moses did:

Exodus 3 Contemporary English Version (CEV)

God Speaks to Moses

3 One day, Moses was taking care of the sheep and goats of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian, and Moses decided to lead them across the desert to Sinai,[a] the holy mountain. 2 There an angel of the Lord appeared to him from a burning bush. Moses saw that the bush was on fire, but it was not burning up. 3 “This is strange!” he said to himself. “I’ll go over and see why the bush isn’t burning up.”

4 When the Lord saw Moses coming near the bush, he called him by name, and Moses answered, “Here I am.”

5 God replied, “Don’t come any closer. Take off your sandals—the ground where you are standing is holy. 6 I am the God who was worshiped by your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”

Moses was afraid to look at God, and so he hid his face.

Why the command to take off his shoes? Perhaps it was a way to warm Moses up for the BIG ASK that God was about to deliver. God would tell Moses that he was to go from that place at Mt. Sinai to confront Pharaoh and demand he set his people free from slavery in Egypt. Taking off his shoes was a reminder to Moses that God’s presence had made this place holy ground. Middle eastern tradition required the removal of one’s shoes before entering houses and temples, and so God was asking Moses to humble himself before both God and his plan. The shoes that bore the contaminants and dirt of the non-sacred places were to be set aside so that God could deal with him in a pure and vulnerable state.

This is what the children innately understand. Their purity and vulnerability are a sign to the big folks that we should emotionally and spiritually take off our shoes and garments and stand soul-naked each time we enter God’s presence. All of the fakery, the conceit, the embellishments, and the hypocrisy need to fall away before God can be encountered. When we submit to this stripping down of our facades, God can finally reveal his presence and plan to us.

What do you need to “take off” so that God can reveal your next step to you? What accessories are you hiding behind that block you from entering into God’s presence fully and humbly? Are there conceits that have you so conceited that the humble, holy ground has no appeal to you? Are you trodding around in shoes covered with the contaminants and dirt of the non-sacred places you frequent? Lay it down. Let it go. Take off your shoes and get over yourself.

God calls us to his Holy Ground today. Let us run barefoot into his presence, and be ready to receive whatever he has planned for us.

St. Simon’s Holy Ground by Kathy Schumacher

Littered every five to seven miles along the coastline, the Outer Banks’ famous Lifesaving Stations stand tall as reminders of a long ago era of shipwrecks and survival. Known as the “Graveyard of the Atlantic,” this area of the North Carolina coast is particularly hazardous for ships. The confluence of the warm waters from the Gulf of Mexico mixing with the cold Labrador Current makes the sea here particularly turbulent. Add the hidden sand bars, rough shoals, and unpredictable weather, and you can see what makes this part of the coastline treacherous.

In the days before electronic communication and GPS navigation, ships depended on the efforts of coastal lighthouse keepers and rescue surfmen stationed at these places to stay alive. The Outer Banks has a rich maritime history that includes famous shipwrecks, pirates, Civil War activity, World War II German U-Boats, sunken ironclad ships, and the like. Many people died off this coastline, but many others were saved.

Take a look at this passage from Paul where he reveals part of his own lifesaving strategy:

1 Corinthians 9 (NIV)

Paul’s Use of His Freedom

19 Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. 20 To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. 21 To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. 22 To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. 23 I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.

I have always loved how Paul used all the the facets of who he was to woo others to who Jesus is. To the Jews, he was a Jew, to the Gentiles, a Gentile, to the Romans, a Roman citizen…..all in his attempt to live in and serve a culture in order to preach the gospel of salvation and be heard.

This scripture reminds us that Lifesaving Stations look different depending on the people who need saving, but they all perform the same function.

Some look like houses of worship.

Some look like rehab centers.

Some look like inner city homeless shelters.

Some look like pastors’ and counselors’ offices.

Some look like dorms that house addiction recovery groups.

Some look like AA, NA and AL-ANON meeting rooms.

Some look like prayer ministries.

Some look like Bible Studies and small groups.

Some look like home.

God is in the lifesaving business and his opportunities for helping you are endless. Most of the challenge is to admit that you need saving. Getting to a Lifesaving Station is the next step. It can be scary, humiliating, difficult, embarrassing, expensive….and can heal you and make you whole.

There is a Lifesaving Station near you that is ready to help. How much longer will you drown? Save yourself, and get to one today.

The beautiful arched Lifesaving Station architecture is still intact at the old Kitty Hawk Station #6, now the Black Pelican restaurant. This is where the Wright Brothers came to telegraph home about their first successful flight in 1903.

This misleading title might have you thinking that I am talking about a particular leadership style. Actually, a gentle leader is a type of dog harness that fits over the nose. Much in the same way that a bridle directs a horse, a gentle leader applies pressure to the sensitive snout area, thus giving the walker more control over 100 lb. terrorist Labrador retrievers. Strong-willed and strong-necked dogs can pull a walker down in their excitement to chew a squirrel if they are wearing a common collar/leash arrangement. Gentle leaders allow the walker to re-direct such nonsense into a more controlled and less hazardous experience for both dog and human.

Sometimes gentle leaders can be mistaken for muzzles. “Is that dog muzzled? Why is your dog muzzled? Will it bite??” No, m’am, my dog is not muzzled. As you can see, her mouth is not constrained by the thin strap over her nose. As to whether or not she will bite, just keep talking….

OK, so in full disclosure, I am going to talk about a particular leadership type. I was just using the dog to lure you in.

Matthew 11 (NIV)

28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

If you love Handel as much as you love Hamilton, you will recognize that this passage is a beautiful part of Messiah. It is a lovely expression of Jesus’ call to come to him. He assures us that in him we will find rest and peace unlike any the world has to give. Jesus’ love for us comes from the gentle heart of a shepherd for his sheep.

The yoke described in this passage is a reference to the yoke born by two animals as they work in concert together. When a young ox is yoked to an older and more experienced ox, the heavier part of the metal yoke is strapped to the older one; thus the young ox experiences being yoked together with a leader, but having the easier part.

Jesus longs for us to yoke ourselves to him. He takes the heavier part. We are yoked in prayer, in purpose, in mission, in thought, word and deed….we are especially yoked together through the word. But too often we slip out from under the yoke and go it alone, confident in our ability to lead our lives and our ability to control everything.

Maybe you can’t find rest right now. Maybe your work load is so heavy that you long to just put it down and run. Perhaps peace is elusive and circumstances are crushing you under. Possibly you are trying too hard to control everything, and that is getting you nowhere. But that is not what Jesus wants for you:

John 14:27 New International Version (NIV)

27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

Jesus reminds us to COME. Come unto him. Submit to his authority, let him take the lead in everything, and simply walk humbly beside him. HIS yoke is easy, and his burden is light. Just come, and do not be afraid.

Such a good girl…with her gentle leader.

The beautiful majesty of sailboats heading out to the Albemarle Sound is a pleasure we get to experience every Wednesday night in Colington Harbour. At 6:00PM we see sailboats from every canal making their way to the harbor and circle up until all are gathered. It is a stunning sight, one which I can see from my westward-facing deck. I’ll never forget the first week we lived here. I was washing dishes and looking out the eastward-facing window when suddenly I saw a huge “pole” moving behind the houses across the street. For a brief moment I had a “War of the Worlds” flashback, and imagined that this was the first landing of some kind of alien invasion. It turned out to be the mast of a large, fast-moving sailboat that was going to the weekly community sail. What a relief!

Check out what James has to say about sail boats:

James 3-4 New International Version (NIV)

Taming the Tongue

3 When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. 4 Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. 5 Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 6 The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.

Yikes! Your tongue is a rudder with the potential to steer you WRONG. It’s a world of evil! So wrong, it might corrupt your whole body, set your life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. How is that for a how-do-you-do wake up call this morning?

That is enough to make you want to just stop talking. For some of us, that would actually be a great idea.

How many times have you wished you hadn’t said something? How often do you wish you could just take something back? Do words of anger bring hours/days/years of regret? Do you dwell in the remorse of knowing your judgmental words brought pain and shame on someone you love?

Well then, shut up.

Seriously. Shut up. The reason God gave us twice as many ears as a mouth is so that we would listen twice as hard and speak half as often. If you were to be honest, wouldn’t you like to go back to some (many) points of time and simply choose not to respond instead of spouting off at someone?

Last week I talked with a woman who would give anything to go back in time and choose to shut up rather than spew out. The incident she was recounting was one where she “flew off the handle” and said things she can never take back. It escalated to include many more people, and has compromised her integrity. She is now dealing with the aftershocks of her words. Another woman regrets her harsh appraisal of her teenage daughter, fearing that her judgment has propelled her child into an unhealthy situation.

If only we could take it all back. If only we would use our “rudder” appropriately. If only we would learn to shut up.

Today’s scripture challenges us to speak less, and listen with our two ears to that inner voice that is warning us to not say something. God invites us to listen carefully to what others are saying and resist the urge to respond with anything that is not loving, uplifting, kind, useful, and encouraging. And if that isn’t possible to do, then simply choose to shut up, smile and nod.

You will never regret the thing you didn’t say. Sail on, and use that rudder wisely.

Photo by Tim Neal.