Refuge

I’ve been mulling over this concept for a while. The dictionary defines refuge as, “a place of shelter, protection or safety.” That about covers it. As I thought through this word, and where it fits into my life, I determined that its value to us is two-fold. First of all, refuge is something we all need. We all need safe places where we can go to get away, or to be apart. Even taking a lunch in the midst of a pressured day can be a refuge. Many of us have specific places of refuge. They can be places of natural beauty like the beach, the mountains, or the woods. They can also be man-made like a church, a library, a favorite restaurant, or even a quite room. Certainly, there are places in your life where you can relax and let your guard down for a little while. These are places of refuge. Home can be a refuge from work and, while it’s unhealthy, for some people work can become a refuge from home. That is probably another whole topic. Where do you go when you need to be alone and think things through, or just to pray? I encourage you to think about the places of refuge in your own life so that you understand their value when you need them.

Relationship can also be a form of refuge. A person, or group of people, often provides meaningful refuge. This relational refuge is often found in a close friend or family situation. Some examples from my own life include my wife (who is amazing), my extended family, my circle of friends, and our church. I also consider a relationship with God in this way. Who do you flee to? Where do you run when you’re upset or need to talk? Where can you share your true feelings honestly? These are your refuges of relationship. They are built upon trust, respect, and time. It’s important to identify these relationships and nurture them because they can be rocks of support and safe harbors when you face the storms of life. A person who is rich in such relationships has a strong fortress as their refuge, but I’m always amazed how many people live without this great blessing of strength and encouragement.

This brings us to the final point. We’ve considered both places and people of refuge. The natural progression of such a discussion must lead to our role and obligation to be a refuge for others. We have the awesome opportunity of making our homes, our churches, and other locations, a refuge for others. The same rings true on the relational front. If we are to experience refuge from others, we must constantly consider how to be a refuge as well. We must be both safe and available. That means that we can’t be overly judgmental. It also means that we must face the world with open hearts. This leaves open the possibility our being hurt, but it’s the only way to welcome others in and provide the refuge they need. We’ve worked hard to make our home a place where others always feel welcome, where they would flee to in their times of need. There is a cost to this choice. It affects privacy, personal time, and finances, among other things. But we wouldn’t have it any other way. It’s a way of living that can sometimes prove inconvenient, and even painful. Yet the rewards far outweigh the costs. You will find below a little prayer I wrote on this subject. My question for you today is two-fold. Is your door open to others? Is your heart open to others? Is your life a refuge, the kind that you would hope for in your own time of need? I sincerely hope you may know the joy of both giving and receiving refuge in your own life. So see if the words below touch your own heart.

Refuge
May our home be a refuge?
A trusted place of care
May it be a blessing
To all who enter there
May our home be an oasis
Where the weary may find rest
And pause to drink their fill of peace
So they depart refreshed
May our home be a refuge
For all who enter here
For anyone God sends our way
Today, and through the years
By Frank Carpenter ©

The Voice of God

I was visiting an unfamiliar church a few months ago. It was a different denomination than I’m accustomed to, with different traditions and surroundings. Now, that could cause a person to be distracted or judgmental, but I approached that particular Sunday morning with an open mind and an open heart … and I was rewarded for it. Since I wasn’t as engaged in the liturgy of the service it actually offered a fresh perspective on Sunday mornings. The songs, the surroundings and the style of worship varied from what I usually respond to, but the message was essentially the same. And that got me thinking about how God communicates to each person, or groups of people, in unique ways because we all respond to different stimuli. That’s the amazing thing about God and His word. He speaks across language, cultural, and geographic barriers. In fact, God has reached out to the whole world through the course of history. This reminded me of the opening verses of Psalm 19: “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.” In fact, God is speaking to us all the time. He does so through the bible, the creation, through a thousand large and small things which point to an intelligent designer. Most people consider God’s word to be written monologue, a long and sometimes tedious monologue. However, God’s word is a symphony. It certainly and most importantly is His written and holy word in the form of the bible. But these words are accompanied by mountains, the ocean, the animals and trees, the feel of the wind and the fury of the weather. God speaks volumes through his love for us and the resulting love we show one another. He whispers through the miraculous intricacy of our own bodies and the artistic simplicity of a tiny flower. God makes Himself known through all five of our senses. I see and hear Him, or at least His creative reflection, everywhere I go.

Now, some of you will read these words and respond with, “yes, I get it.” Maybe you’ll become more aware of God’s presence throughout our lives. I hope so. However, you may not see God in anything I’ve written about here. In fact, you may not even believe there is a God. That is certainly your right, because you have a free will. Yet, I encourage you to look around for a few moments and tell me that life doesn’t smack of the miraculous. It seems impossible for me to think otherwise, but you be the judge. If you don’t agree with me just think back over these words from time to time and consider whether or not there is a God, and whether or not He is speaking to you in a unique way. That’s all I ask.

For those of you who do agree with me that there is a God, one who actively communicates and interacts with us, there is something else to consider. Another thought that came to me as I sat in that unfamiliar church a while back was that if we hear God’s voice what does it mean to us? What should we do about it? That reminded me of a verse in the middle of Psalm 95 that reads in part, “Today, if you hear God’s voice, do not harden your hearts …” I felt like God was encouraging me not only to listen, but to respond. We can go to church, read the bible, pray, sing, or whatever, but if doesn’t affect us-if we don’t actually change-what’s the point. We mustn’t “harden our hearts.” That’s huge. You see, God wants us to respond to His words with our hearts and our lives. He wants to change us, and use us to change the world.

So whether you’re at church, or work, or home definitely read God’s written word as much and whenever you can. But I also challenge to you open your eyes and ears to the rest of the symphony God is playing for you, the symphony He has been performing since the beginning of time. My hope and prayer is that you may hear God’s voice, His whole voice. And when you do, don’t harden your heart. Open your heart … and let the adventure begin.

The Voice of God
The almighty God of heaven
Speaks to us throughout each day
He is revealed through His inspired word
He communes with those who pray
He proclaims himself in creation
And the mighty works He has done
Through the wondrous miracles of old
And salvation through His Son
Awesome God booms in the thunder
And lightening that shakes the earth
He proclaimed His love in sacrifice
On the night of the Savior’s birth
He spoke through the prophets and patriarchs
Whose words bring the wisdom of old
Through the apostles and saints as well
Came the words more precious than gold
The God of all the creation
Shouts in the tempest and gale
In the roar of the mightiest creature
In the song of the least and the frail
Each one of us upon the earth
Hears the Lord of Hosts proclaim
His love, His power, and majesty
And the wonder of His name
The voice of the Lord is ringing
Throughout the earth and beyond
And we who hear must choose each day
Will we harden our hearts … or respond?
Frank Carpenter ©

Time Well Spent

Sometime last year we were on vacation with friends and we passed with striking distance of Uncle Norman’s house. It was one of my friend’s Uncle Norman and, on a whim; we all stopped to visit him together. As it turned out we had a lovely visit, toured the grounds, and heard lots of interesting stories from this venerable ninety-something old man. While many of us were meeting him for the first time, all of us appreciated the value of the visit to our friend and knew what it meant to our host. I spent some time alone there, wandering through the large, overgrown yard and ended up responding with the below poem. And I got to thinking how we all have Uncle Normans in our lives who would so appreciate a visit. In fact, for many of them such a visit would make their day … or maybe their entire year. Those folks also have many stories to share, often representing the best, or even final, link to large portions of our personal and family histories. Yet, so often we’re too busy to visit, even if they live nearby. We send Christmas cards, maybe even call once in a while, but we never visit as often as they would like. The older folks especially long for our company and for our companionship, but there is more to it. That cherished visit also validates them. It sends the message that they are still important, that their lives matter because their friends and relatives still care enough to spend time with them.

Now I’m realistic. I know there are really just two kinds of people in the world: the ones who visit and the ones sit around waiting for a visit. You know who you are. If you are in the visiting half of humanity I advise that you just embrace your fortunate position, rather than resent the people who are so anxious for you to come and see them. It’s not that much trouble and it just means so much. And whether it’s your grandma, your uncle, or your own kids, just go and visit. In the end, most of us are glad we made the effort to invest in people. I hardly ever catch myself wishing I’d spent more time at work or watching TV instead spending time with friends and family. Who is your Uncle Norman? Who have you been meaning to call or go see? Here’s what I have learned from experience time and again. It’s rarely the things I do which I regret later. It’s generally the things I didn’t get around to which cause me regret in the long run. Make the call … and make the world a better place. Whatever it may cost you in time or trouble, I can guarantee it will be a good investment. Time spent on people is always time well spent.

Time Well Spent
There are always people in our lives
Whom we know we need to see
But we get so busy sometimes
That we forget how much it means
We forget how lonely they are
And what joy a visit brings
When life has us distracted
By so many other things
Yet, those older people in our lives
Have so very much to share
If we will only take the time
To call, to visit, and to care
They have so many stories
Yet to tell, and hold the key
To the wisdom of our ancestors
And our family history
They remember all the relatives
That we may never know
Saw the war and the depression
And events of long ago
They can recount mistakes made
Those they wish they could forget
So that we make better choices
And avoid what we’d regret
When we pause to call or visit
All those folks who are alone
We turn attention from ourselves
To others we have known
And show the kind of love
That honors people in a way
We hope that younger folks
Will show to us someday
Though it seems an inconvenience
We’re always happy that we went
And we’re reminded that the time we
Take to love is time well spent
By Frank Carpenter ©

Beauty

I daresay that far too often we overlook the beauty which constantly surrounds us. There is so much of it in the simplest and most humble corners of our everyday lives. We always seem to want to find beauty in the large, dramatic scenes, like a sunrise or a sunset. However, there is unfathomable splendor to be discovered in the tiniest flower, the flight of a hummingbird, or the intricate veins of a leaf or butterfly wing. There is beauty in order, as well as randomness. It’s in the music of water, the swaying of trees, or the convolution of a patch of tangled ivy. Sometimes, in the early morning, the light plays through some beveled glass on our ceiling fan lights and creates a single, tiny rainbow on our living room floor. The clear glass of a bowl on our counter distorts the view through it just enough to fascinate me. There is beauty in the taste of a ripe peach and the patient rhythm of the second hand on a clock. We can find it anywhere.

These are merely a few examples from the corner of my home where I tarried as I wrote these humble words. How much more might we discover if we turn our enlightened eyes upon the larger world we move through each day. The real problem lies in how distracting our lives have become. We’ve become so preoccupied that we neglect to look … and have forgotten how to truly see. Yet, we dare not allow ourselves to become immune to the wonder which surrounds us. Every corner of our lives is literally brimming with neglected scenes of the most exquisite beauty. We have but to sit still for a moment, and simply open our eyes … and our hearts.