HAVING AN EDGE...

Have you ever been in a position where you felt you had an edge?  Maybe you have applied for a new job where the boss was your Father’s best friend or played on a sports team that your Uncle Bud coached.   Gone to school where your Mother was a teacher or been in a courtroom where your neighbor was the judge.  Maybe you have been pulled over for speeding only to look into the officer’s eyes and realized it was your Aunt Betty.  Having an edge in any situation may not make favorable results a given, but it certainly removes the helplessness we might otherwise feel. 

The same is true in our relationship with God if we are a follower of Christ.  When we put on Christ through baptism (Rom. 6:3), not only does His cleansing blood wash away our sins, but He becomes our mediator to the Father (1 Tim. 2:5).  How powerful is that!  The very Son of God is our escort to the throne of His Father, pleading our case and making up for our shortcomings.  We are no longer an outsider, but a joint heir to the Kingdom (Rom 8:17). 

We alone will never be good enough, strong enough, or smart enough; but with Christ as our “edge” we will be completed by His grace, His blood, and His love.  As someone totally destructible, we become indestructible when we team up with Christ (1 Cor. 15:54).  There are no words worthy of the description of how we will feel when we look into the eyes of our eternal Judge and see the eyes of our Best Friend and Savior...the ultimate edge for this life and beyond!

Roberta Pledge

2/18/13

"There's a hole in my bucket, dear Liza, dear Liza..."

I am always amazed when I face a seemingly huge problem, searching hard for the solution, and then the answer suddenly just occurs to me and, almost like magic, problem solved!  Such was the case with the “mystery of the flooding bathroom,” which plagued my home for several months. 

Unexplainably, the bathtub started leaking every time someone took a shower, and not just a little, A LOT!  The liner was in the correct place, and everything else seemed in order, but suddenly the water jetted in such a way that it leaked around the shower curtain and flooded the tile floor.  After wringing my hands and many water-filled towels, and almost calling in a professional for advice, it FINALLY occurred to me that a can of shaving gel now occupied the shower caddy just below the showerhead.  Removing the can and everything else that the water might reflect off immediately solved the problem…definitely one of those “duh” moments! 

The same is often true in life.  We sometimes have a huge problem that we repeatedly struggle with and the immediate way out lies right in front of us.  Sometimes we wrestle with procrastination, with the simple solution being JUST DO IT!  Alternatively, there are times we search endlessly in our minds for the correct answer in a dilemma, when talking it over and giving it to God would quickly give us the most beneficial results. 

This life holds enough truly difficult circumstances, so try simplifying and looking right under your nose or straight up to God for the answers. Take the solution staring you in the face before you replace the whole tub! 

Roberta Pledge

October 31, 2012

Musings from the Prayer Labyrinth...

Walking a prayer labyrinth is a lesson in reaching a center like no other. The labyrinth, upon first impression appearing to be a maze, is actually an intricate pathway.  While the bends and turns seem to lead nowhere, when followed, they will always lead to the very center.  There are points in the path where the center seems far away, but at those very points the center of the labyrinth can actually be the closest to you.  In these and other ways, the process of walking a labyrinth can be mindful of one’s personal relationship with God.

Life is often reminiscent of a maze.  The harder we try to get through, the more burdened and confused we become; we find we are constantly running into roadblocks. It is only when we comprehend that life is not a maze, but a complex pathway, that we begin to understand.  We can only start acknowledging our powerlessness when we realize that the roadblocks are often stepping stones meant to bend our will in the right direction.  Just as the labyrinth’s pathway always leads to the center, if we stay on the pathway with God it will always lead us to our perfect center with Him.

With twists and turns along the way, praying in a labyrinth is very different from praying in a seated or knelling position.   While walking the path your eyes must be open to avoid tripping; life is also very much like that.  We have to walk through it with our eyes wide open.  This means that no matter how hard we are walking towards God, there will always be distractions on our path that take our eyes off Him.  In a labyrinth it may be a stick, a bug, a weed, but in life the distractions are larger and more threatening…a sin, an addiction, a disappointment, the list is endless.  We must keep our eyes focused on our path rather than the distractions.  Distractions lead to desire, desire leads to addiction, addiction leads to sin, and sin ultimately leads to death.

Much like life, the path in a labyrinth, not a straight one, can be deceiving. Thinking you are the farthest away from the center, you find with a single turn that you are actually arriving there.  Similarly, the valleys of life that pull at our hearts and make God seem very distant are also often the very things that often turn our hearts towards Him.  Since God never moves, the illusion that He is far away is always a lie from Satan meant to deceive our hearts. 

The similarities of a prayer labyrinth and life are many, but the strongest one is that if we are focused on God, our earthly path will always lead us to Him.  Just as the intricate path of the labyrinth will always lead to its’ center, the confusion of a day, the obstacles along our path, and the distance of our hearts from Him can be overcome if we keep putting one foot in front of the others and walking towards Him.  While holding God’s Hand we can conquer whatever Satan throws our way and reach our ultimate center, Heaven.

Roberta Pledge

9/25/12

CHOOSING BLINDNESS...

Reading though the Bible we find ourselves caught up in the stories from the past.  We see God working in the lives of real people in sometimes very unreal ways.  We realize things were different during Bible times, with miracles performed through “touch Jesus” healing, knowing that those of long ago were able to walk with His physical form on this earth. 

All of these things sometimes make the looking back to the past full and real; the present moment is another thing all together.  In the present, we cannot see Jonah in a whale or Jesus in the flesh.  We cannot touch the healed leaper or hear Peter preach.  We definitely live in the present, but where do we find this Jesus from the past?

We do not have to look very far to see Him, but we do have to LOOK.  Satan wants us to see the separation of past and present and blind us to Jesus being alive and real in our daily eyes.  All Satan has to do to achieve this is to turn our eyes in another direction…simply distract us into looking and focusing on something else.  Jesus says, “I am with you ALWAYS,” meaning He is here, present, and ALWAYS with us.  Our God is not a God of the past, but One of the present always abiding with us and through us.  Anything else is a lie…straight from the father of lies (John 8:44)!

Roberta Pledge

9/20/12

FINGERPRINTS...



Frequently, a few days after my precious Harper’s visit, I notice her lingering fingerprints on a glass table or window.  These sweet prints always remind me of my precious blessing and that I miss her terribly.  The truth of the matter is her fingerprints were there all along, I had just failed to notice them.    

The same is true of God.  As we walk along with Him, He continuously touches our lives, leaving His Fingerprints all along the way.  When we are living close to Him, enjoying and aware of His presence in our lives, it is easy to see Him in everything we do.   Occasionally, however, we may move away from Him and fail to see Him working in our lives.  Although He never leaves us, we may feel distant from His presence.  Then abruptly something rocks our world, or we recognize the emptiness in our lives, and our search for Him ignites. 

Then we notice the Fingerprints, His Fingerprints, the ones that have been there all along.  We remember the peaceful times of walking close to Him and yearn to move back to that place of serenity.  Always remember, when blinded to God’s blessings, to search for His lingering Fingerprints.  They will always lead you back to His ever-abiding presence.  

Roberta Pledge
9/8/12

REAL VS. FAKE

 Psalms 32 gives us a quick synopsis of what is real vs. what is fake.  It begins by telling us that a happy person is a forgiven person, and that owning up and being real are what leads to forgiveness.  The opposite, hiding sin and being fake, we can assume will lead straight to the opposite, unhappiness.  This short chapter written by David outlines four basic results of each of these lifestyles. 

·         When we are fake:

1.       We are weak.  Verses 3 and 4 describe this weakness as coming from “deep inside” to the point of causing moaning.  The heat of a summer day can be stifling, leaving you exhausted.  This weakness caused by keeping things to ourselves and being outwardly fake is compared to the frailty caused by fatiguing heat.

2.       Guilt consumes us.  We have lives to live and work to do, but guilt can be paralyzing and leave us with little energy to accomplish anything.

3.       Happiness is fleeting.  We may experience happiness for a brief while, but guilt is always lurking in the shadows, making true happiness is impossible.

4.       Troubles overwhelm us.  Verse 10 states that “wicked people have many troubles.”  Any trouble is too much trouble, but “many troubles” are overpowering!

·         When we are real:

1.       Our guilt is forgiven and we are happy.  With the absence of guilt, true happiness is within our reach! 

2.       Troubles will not reach us or have their full brunt.  Verse 6b-7 states “…when troubles rise like a flood, they will not reach them.  You are my hiding place.  You protect me from my troubles and fill me with songs of salvation.”  This world will always have its trouble, but the knowledge that God is working always for our good keeps our troubles from being overwhelming.

3.       The Lord will give us wisdom and guide us.  Verse 8 and 9 tell this in the best possible way, “I will make you wise and show you where to go.  I will guide you and watch over you.  So don’t be like a horse or donkey, that doesn’t understand.  They must be led with bits and reins, or they will not come near you.”

4.       The Lord’s love surrounds us.  This chapter concludes with the promise that “the Lord’s love surrounds those who trust Him” (vs. 10).  

Confessing our sin, getting real with God and those we have hurt, will bring us to a life spent knowing God’s glory and love.  Growing and maintaining a relationship with our Creator will give earthly peace that cannot be accomplished any other way.  Fake is foolish in that no one will be fooled for long and God will never be fooled…He sees and know all.  Get REAL!

Roberta Pledge

8/2/12

The Assignment

There is an attraction to shining stars.  In the blackest sky, their brilliance is a remarkable sight.  

While the room filled up with teenage girls, the reason for our being there is explained, the assignment simple…sit silently in total darkness for several minutes and observe your feeling.  The ceiling, floor, and walls were all black and, as the lights were dimmed, blackness flooded the room.  As my eyes began to adjust, I started noticing tiny lights sprinkled among us.  The dial of an iridescent watch, the keys of a cell phone, and other minute lights, which would not even be noticed in a normally lit room, were seen all around.  As I tried to focus on the darkness, my mind and eyes kept returning to those small pockets of light scattered about that large room. 

Suddenly it dawned on me that we, as Christians, are to be those tiny strewn lights in this dark sin-filled world.  For those in the world who do not have Christ, our lights are to shine for them as indicators pointing the way to hope.  Because we sit so close to Christ, we may not notice the absolute darkness of our world or our own individual brightness, but those who are searching in the total darkness of this world should be attracted to the glimmer of our light. 

There is an attraction to shining stars.  In the blackest sky, their brilliance is a remarkable sight.  “You will be God’s children…but you are living with crooked and mean people all around you, among whom you shine like stars in the dark world.” Phil. 2:15