Heather Holleman's Blog, page 48

A Rainy, Cozy Day

I love waking up to rain. I love pouring the hot coffee, curling up in the mustard recliner, pulling up the soft blanket, gathering the journal and Bible, and enjoying the cozy feeling of rain on the window while I’m safe and warm inside. It’s the season of warm, cozy feelings. Let’s elevate coziness every chance we can! For me, this means cardigans, fuzzy socks, soft music, candles, and a fresh journal.

Keep Going

I learned that when I don’t take a daily walk, joint pain returns. It’s counterintuitive, but moving helps your joint pain, especially arthritic pain. Keep going. Move the synovial fluid around and soothe your joints!

Continuing the Themes of Weakness

This morning, I spent time reflecting on Isaiah 40. I love thinking about how eagles soar— instead of frantically flapping their wings–because they know how to tap into an unseen power force: the thermals. They find columns of rising hot air and they soar! The eagle shows me how I’m to live today: dependent, God-focused, and relaxed. I allow the Holy Spirit to lift me up and help me soar today. 

In Isaiah 40, I also see how God explains Himself in light of the complaints of the people. We’re tempted to think God has forgotten us or isn’t interested in our problems. But hear this:

Why do you complain, Jacob?
    Why do you say, Israel,
“My way is hidden from the Lord;
    my cause is disregarded by my God”?
Do you not know?
    Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
    the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
    and his understanding no one can fathom.
He gives strength to the weary
    and increases the power of the weak.
 Even youths grow tired and weary,
    and young men stumble and fall;
 but those who hope in the Lord
    will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
    they will run and not grow weary,
    they will walk and not be faint.

As I continue learning about weakness, I also note how God, when offered our weakness, gives us strength, power, and renewed energy. And I remember what it means to soar; soaring indicates rising high up, flying without any power at all other than God’s. Let’s soar! 

When Peace Makes No Sense

In 2 Thessalonians 3:16, we read this beautiful prayer: “Now may the Lord of peace himself give you his peace at all times and in every situation. The Lord be with you all.”

I’ve been thinking about this because of the remarkable power of God to give us His peace through the Holy Spirit when everything about our situation should actually unsettle, disturb, frustrate, confuse, discourage, or terrify us. I’ve spoken to so many people who have endured calamity but say things like, “God gave me His peace. It was amazing. I had complete peace during that situation.” I love it, too, when people describe how God’s peace “washed over them” like a great wave when they might have fallen apart. Or I hear that God’s peace “carried them” and “moved them to action.”

I think it’s a feeling that “all is as it should be” or “everything will be OK” or “no matter what, you are loved.” Maybe it’s a sense of Jesus’ presence. Maybe it’s an assurance of eternal security. Whatever it is for you, it’s real and available.

What an indescribable gift of God!

In Your Helplessness

I’m loving what I’m learning about becoming weak to become strong. The counterintuitive way Paul writes about boasting in weakness to manifest God’s power more and more makes sense to me as I grow older, as I endure difficult situations, or as I step out in faith to work as God leads. I’m embracing helpless feelings; finally, I’m starting to get it. Helpless means I’m living by faith. Helpless means I’m relying fully on God. Helpless means that Christ shines, not me. How glorious and freeing to live a helpless life! 

As I’m thinking about these things, I write in my journal how I lived helplessly all weekend. I drove a rental car by myself to Ohio. I felt helpless against what felt like a treacherous drive at times on I80. As a traveling public speaker, I stay alone in hotel rooms, feeling helpless and homesick. I stand up on stages in front of many people; I feel helpless to say the thing their soul really needs. When I walk up the steps to the podium, I say in my heart, “I am helpless. You are everything, Jesus. I bring nothing but You.” And guess what? Something happens that I don’t orchestrate or manipulate.

I turn to Hannah Whitall Smith’s words about being an instrument in God’s hands. She writes, “The strength of an instrument lies in its helplessness. Because it is helpless to do anything of itself, the master can use it as he pleases.” Earlier, she explains that “the moment resistance is felt in any tool” that’s the very moment it becomes utterly useless to the master. What a picture of lying still in the Master’s hands, helpless and dependent, so God can perform His mysterious and marvelous work.

Remember This

This morning, I loved proclaiming this truth to my heart from Psalm 86:

For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you.

What kind of lives would we lead if we remembered this moment by moment? God is good. Forgiving. Abounding in love.

A Few Little Seeds

When my daughter decided to plant tiny seeds to create a garden full of miniature pumpkins, I couldn’t predict how much I’d enjoy the lovely harvest. We gave little pumpkins away to the neighbors, scattered them around our front porch, and lined the windowsills with them. I love the simplicity of fall decorations in the kitchen. I also love that the seeds cost less than a dollar. We’re definitely planting these again next year. As I wash dishes, I think of simple pleasures like little pumpkins in the window.

Back to Living with Flair

This morning, I remembered to shake the pumpkin spice creamer. All the good stuff settles at the bottom, and a good shake swirls it up. I stood there in the kitchen and remembered the joy of ordinary moments of meaning and joy. I thought about how life shakes us up; it’s not a bad thing. When I feel shaken, it might just be the way God is stirring up something good that’s settled to the bottom of my heart.

Simplicity

Today some professors and I talked about simplicity. What would a life look like that valued simplicity?

I return home, and I gather the afternoon harvest of raspberries–just enough to top yogurt or stir in oatmeal. As I rinse the berries and store the uneaten ones in the freezer for a winter evening when a raspberry cobbler would warm the kitchen, I smiled. Simplicity. 

Each His Own Task; Each His Own Labor

This morning, as I read Number 3-4, I couldn’t help but notice how God gives such specific assignments to those caring for the tent of meeting. Every person enjoyed a special task–whether they carried a peg or a goatskin. I read this: “Aaron and his sons shall go in and appoint them each to his task and to his burden.”

I talk to my daughter about this as we drive to school. God delivered special assignments to each person. Everyone had his own task and his own burden. What if they tried to take on more than God assigned? What if they carried burdens God didn’t ask of them? Sometimes I think we carry too many burdens and work on too many tasks God has not actually assigned us. Imagine the confusion and stress of too many people trying to do the wrong things!

When I feel overwhelmed and that my tasks are no longer “easy and light” (Matthew 11), I consider whether or not I’ve taken on something not assigned to me. I continue my drive to campus, and I remember Philippians 2:13: “For it is God who works in you both to will and to and to work for his good purpose.” We can pray God gives us the desire and the ability to follow His exact instructions for the day. May we not take on more or less than the task and burden God gives today. And we can rejoice when we see others working on their own tasks. We don’t need to live in jealousy or comparison when we remember God’s organization in Numbers 3 and 4.