Sunshine Eternal

Sunshine Eternal is one of my favorite paintings by my nephew, Demar Douglas (demardouglas.com).  The bending, twisting buildings remind me of urban blight and the calamities associated with survival.  The rose lets me know that beauty can not only exist in the struggle, but flourish.  The face in the rose depicts volition - I choose to be at peace and rise above temporal circumstance.

“In that day shall this song be sung in the land of Judah; We have a strong city; salvation will God appoint for walls and bulwarks.  Open ye the gates, that the righteous nation which keepeth the truth may enter in.  Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.  Trust ye in the Lord for ever: for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength:” ~ Isaiah 26:1-4 (KJV)

New Every Morning

Yesterday I met a brother with bright white shoes. He said his son took pride in keeping them clean.  He went on to say, he worked with a guy that wore a new tee shirt everyday because he was compulsive about them being bright.

This morning the Holy Spirit reminded me of that brother, and the word in Lamentations 3:22-24 (KJV):

“It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in Him.”

I'm thankful for the blood of Jesus.  Our souls, like the shoes, have been cleansed by the son (of God); and like the bright tee shirts, God's mercy and compassion towards us is new every morning.

The Power of a Smile

In customer service call centers, it’s said that the mighty smile can transcend phone lines and be heard.

The self help industry is inundated with research about the power of smiling.  They instruct us to “fake it until we make it.”

In Paul Laurence Dunbar’s poem We Wear the Mask, the smile can be disingenuous, cloaking our pain.

The song, Smiling Faces Sometimes (written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong, originally recorded by the Temptations, but popularized by the Undisputed Truth) tells us that smiles can sometimes lie.

Most folks can distinguish between fake and sincere smiles.  The world hungers for happiness, peace, and love that smiling is indicative of.  Without a relationship with Jesus, smiles are so temporary.

Even as Christians we get bogged down with the cares of this world and find it difficult to smile.

Having worked in group homes, and visited many convalescent centers, I was amazed at how this generation warehouses, discards, and neglects it’s loved ones.  Sure, I understand that not every one has the capacity to meet the personal care needs of the elderly and disabled; but some residents never had visitors.

The work was emotionally and spiritually draining.  Every day I was confronted with tortured, lonely souls who agonized for companionship.  There was a continuous plea for help.  At the very sound of my footsteps a person would cry out, “wait, whose there, please talk to me….”

Most of the employees had become callous to the pleas of the residents, and only performed the bare minimum physical care of bathing, feeding, and medicating.

I found myself assimilating.  My smiles that cut through the despair and clinical treatment were less and less frequent.  Having a burden for souls, I began to feel like the Greek mythological character Atlas, with the weight of the world on my shoulders.

Just when things seemed hopeless, a friend asked me to accompany her on a visit to her mother’s convalescent center.  At first, I hesitated because I knew her mother was a death mute, I didn’t know sign language, and how could we possibly communicate?  On top of not being able to hear or speak, her mother had a debilitating bone disease where both legs and an arm were amputated.

Walking in the room I almost stumbled at the presence of God.  This lady, seemingly with so little, had so much.  She struggled to sign with her remaining hand, but her simple smile spoke volumes.  In the midst of her affliction, she had found the peace and joy of God.

I felt guilty for taking so much for granted.  I was encouraged that the other residents could all have what this lady had found.  My purpose for working in group homes and visiting convalescent centers was revitalized.  My smile and labor of love were not in vain.

In church there’s a family with a baby that sit in front of me.  For no apparent reason this baby always smiles at me.  Her smile reminds me of the lady from the convalescent center.  Like the baby and the lady, I too smile.  I realize that we all have care givers that supply us with happiness, peace, and love.

Repentance

This simple song was born out of my struggle with iniquity, where my habit of sin had become a lifestyle.  The sin–repent cycle was so repetitive, I doubted that I was truly forgiven.  I failed so many times, I no longer believed it was possible to be free.  It was hard for me to comprehend that God forgave me, when I could not forgive myself.

I was working late one night, monitoring a mentally ill patient, and began humming to relax him.  He fell asleep, and I continued humming and doodling.  My doodling became a written prayer.  Every time I wrote out a confession of sin, the Holy Spirit brought a scripture to my remembrance.  The exchange of kicking myself, and God comforting me, brought about deliverance.  The hum took on a melody, and the song Repentance was birthed….

Verse 1:

I’ve been guilty of vain repentance

No fruits of change I see

For the same old habits, weights, and sins

Are plaguing me

I’ve said some pretty prayers

Made some earnest pleas

For forgiveness far too

Habitually

Chorus:

(I need) freedom from the pain

Cleansing from the stain

That sin leaves

(Being) entangled once again

In the yoke of sin

The Holy Spirit grieves

Redemptions price was paid

Provisions for me made

To be born again

For the stench of my old sin

New mercy He gives

Every morning

Verse 2:

In sin shall I be found

That grace may abound

Being dead to sin, yet living therein

God forbid

When troubled times arise

In His pavilion I shall hide

In the secret of His tabernacle

I am hid

Repeat Chorus

Consider the Dog

I was reading the scripture in Proverbs 8:34 (KJV), “Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors,” and the Holy Spirit reminded me of what it is like having a dog.

When the master returns home he is greeted with unconditional love, exuberance, and excitement.  The dog has been waiting, and knows it’s not an intruder, but his master.  He simply yearns for the fellowship and provision found in the master’s presence.

Ivan Pavlov is credited for discovering that conditioned stimulus provokes a conditioned response.  We, like Pavlov’s salivating dogs, should expect to hear from God.  It’s in daily fellowship we are renewed, strengthened, and directed.

I was also reminded of a sign posted in an office reception area stating, “Wagging accomplishes more than barking.”  It speaks to our posture in waiting.  While barking dogs don’t go unnoticed, we are drawn to dogs with wagging tails.  God is drawn to folks with waving hands in worship.  We need to invoke His presence, before barking out our complaints in prayer.

Biographical Statement

Brent Terry was born the youngest of six in the small college town of Ypsilanti, Michigan.  The son of a factory worker, graduated first in his high school class, and went on to study computer engineering at the University of Michigan, College of Engineering in Ann Arbor.

Professionally, Brent has been an architectural information systems specialist; a software engineer in robotic controls; a financial consultant in the insurance industry; and is currently a hospital administrator.

Being raised in a suburb of Detroit, Brent developed a love for Motown and singing.  While his family did not attend church, gospel music was played every Sunday.  In college he joined the campus gospel choir, and became curious about the song lyrics.  This was the start of his relationship with Jesus.

Brent became active in campus and community evangelism.  He was a Sunday school teacher, deacon, and choir member throughout his late teens and twenties.

The “dirty” thirties brought about a decade of struggle, failure, and addiction.  With outward success and inward turmoil, Brent soon embraced a lifestyle of destruction.

At the age of 40, God magnified His redemptive power and grace in Brent’s life.  It’s been Brent’s mission to expose the devices of Satan, minister deliverance to disavowed believers, and applaud restorative change.

“For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:  So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth:  it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.  For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace:  the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.” - Isaiah 55:10-12 (KJV)

Potter's House (Jeremiah Experience)

Being made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27), and filled with the spirit of God (Roman 8:9, 1 Corinthians 3:16) I believe we all are creative.  I’ve been yearning for a creative outlet, and last week I decided to obey the unction and tour a local art center for inspiration.  My intentions were to get information about a drawing or pottery class.  The pottery instructor spent a significant amount of time showing me the studio and explaining the potter’s process. I felt like the prophet, Jeremiah….

“This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord:  “Go down to the potter’s house, and there I will give you my message.”  So I went down to the potter’s house, and I saw him working at the wheel.  But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him.  Then the word of the Lord came to me.  He said, “Can I not do with you, Israel, as this potter does?” declares the Lord. “Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, Israel.” - Jeremiah 18:1-6 (NIV)

Seeing the different pieces, in different stages of creation reminded me of humanity.  We are all clay being fashioned in the hands of God (Isaiah 64:8, Romans 9:21).  While the finished works were amazing, the flawed ones held my attention.  There were warped plates, cracked vases, shattered sculptures, and cups with broken handles.

The instructor explained that some pieces warp because they lacked balance; some pieces crack because the edges are too sharp; some pieces brake because the foundation they dry on is inappropriate for absorbing moisture; some pieces shatter because the plastic covers are prematurely removed and they dry too fast; and handles usually fall off when they are not part of the original design, but attached as an afterthought.

I asked why the flawed works were still there.  The instructor explained that the class met once a week and the students had not seen their flaws yet.  She further explained how the pieces would be ground up, made back into clay, and reformed.  The pieces that were structurally intact and hardened by a bisque firing, would receive an additional glaze firing.  If the glaze was unattractive, they could apply additional layers of glaze to add depth and cover the imperfections.

My “Jeremiah Experience” showed me the frailty of humanity and the grace of God.  I pray that we realize the importance of being balanced and easy-going; the necessity of a sure foundation in the word of God; the protection in the covering of a local church assembly, and the value of moving in the purpose God has for our lives.  I thank God for showing us our flaws, reforming broken vessels, and glazing us with His blood to cover our imperfections.