Casandra Martin

Our daughter is home from school. Another semester of classes, papers, library visits, and late night studying is behind her. She came home with piles of laundry, notebooks, bedding, and, of course, shoes. One look around our house announces that she is home.

It is amazing how one girl can change the feel of a house. Her presence fills every corner. Stuff is piled against the walls. New items are stacked on the tables. Different dishes line the counter. A much more pleasant aroma floats down the hallway. It only takes a few hours for her presence to change the order, smell, rhythm, and feel of the house.

I love it when she comes home. Every time I look at the way her presence fills our house, I learn a new lesson about Jesus. Through her, He gives me a living, breathing picture of what it means for Him to fill my life. I tend to want things to stay well-ordered, neat, and predictable. Jesus wants to move in and rearrange, redesign, and refashion. He wants to touch the simple places where I invest my heart. He wants to have a say in what’s in my kitchen, the books on my shelf, the movies in my cabinet, and the way I walk through the rooms of my life.

My Jesus Resolution today is to let the mess be a mirror. I want the presence of Jesus to be as obvious in my life as the piles of shoes proclaiming the arrival of my daughter. I want evidence of His nearness to be trumpeted through every part of who I am. I want His aroma to fill the hallways, His holiness to permeate my choices, and His goodness to be felt in the corners of my heart. I want to look in the mirror of His grace and ask if someone can easily see the presence of Jesus in my home. Is it obvious that He has taken up residence in my life? Does He feel at home in my heart? My daughter is home, and that is reason to smile. When Jesus is at home, it is pure joy.

The sky is filled with clouds today. A soft layer of grey covers the blue, filtering the sunlight through prisms of mist. The world looks softer today. Wrapped in a blanket of clouds, the earth waits – a little quieter, a little cooler, and seemingly a little slower as the weight of the clouds presses in on the atmosphere.

Clouds should do more, however, than remind us to pick up an umbrella. The Bible is filled with pictures of clouds. Clouds announce the presence of God. They trumpet His nearness, calling us to prepare our hearts and bend our knees.

Clouds can remind us of the way God covers us, protects us, and leads us. Israel walked under a canopy as the pillar of cloud led them to the Promised Land. The pillar of cloud provided very visible, tangible evidence of God’s love and presence.

Clouds can help us focus on God’s holiness. In Exodus 19, a thick cloud covered Mount Sinai as Israel prepared to meet God. The cloud helped to showcase His awesome nature, His majesty and might, and the holiness to which He called His people to live.

Clouds can call us to pay attention to Jesus. Standing on the Mount of Transfiguration, a voice called out of a cloud, proclaiming, “This is my beloved Son; listen to him.” (Mark 9:7)

Clouds can heighten our anticipation for the return of Jesus. Clouds play a large part in the pictures of the second coming painted in Revelation 1:7 and I Thessalonians 4:17. Every time we see a cloud, it should make our heart beat in wonder and our eyes look for His light.

My Jesus Resolution today is to watch the clouds. Clouds are more than vapors of water molecules bunched together in the sky. Each cloud testifies to the movement and majesty of God. The way the clouds wrap around the earth can remind me of the way I am enfolded in His love. The way light plays off the clouds can help draw my heart deeper into the light of His holiness.  Nahum 1:3 paints the neatest picture of clouds –“His way is in whirlwind and storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet.” Every time I look at the clouds, I am going to see them as trails that trace the movement of God through my day.

I had the neatest reminder of an important truth today. Our four year old friend was riding with me in the car. He is into comparisons – who is bigger, faster, stronger, and tougher. He compares dinosaurs, superheroes, cars, birds, kids on the playground, and wild animals. After making an exhaustive list and concluding that a cheetah could outrun a dinosaur, he announced the most important news of all. “But you know, God wins everybody.”

I need to remember that God wins everybody. Kids aren’t the only ones who spend time on comparisons. We compare our bills with the money in the bank, our struggles with our strength, our worries with our wisdom, our appearance with the television, and our to-do lists with our resources. Inevitably, I come up short. The mountains are too high, the oceans too deep, the problems too vast, and the lists too long. I spend time worrying and fretting, keeping my eyes on the shadows when God calls me to look at the Son.

God wins everybody. There is no giant that can defeat Him, no enemy that will beat Him, no mountain that matches His strength, no problem that can outsmart Him, and no struggle that is too hard for Him. Whatever I am facing today is not bigger, stronger, faster, or tougher than my God.

Paul put it this way. “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” – Romans 8:31.

God has promised to walk with us through the darkest circumstances, the brightest joys, the deepest worries, and the fiercest storms. He faced death so we can have life. He lived in our shoes so that we can walk by His side. He defeated sin so that we can have victory in grace. He calmed storms, raised the dead, healed the sick, and cast out demons so that we could spend today absolutely sure that God wins everybody.

My Jesus Resolution today is to make the right comparison. I am going to measure whatever comes my way today by the size of my God. I am not going to let the shadows of the world’s giants pull my eyes from the cross. I want to lay every problem, struggle, storm, and worry in His hands and watch them be swallowed up in His all-sufficient grace. God really is bigger, stronger, and faster. The world may try to dazzle me with its speed, strength, and smarts, but God really does win everybody.

“See the kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are.” – I John 3:1 

I have great kids. Every day they open my eyes to the presence of God, His incredible mercy, generous grace, and amazing love. They teach me how to count my blessings…slowly and with a smile. They help me understand the inexpressible value of a word of gratitude, a gesture of kindness, and a simple touch. God blessed me with children because He knew that through them I would see Him in richer, fuller, deeper ways than I ever could on my own. They are my telescope into the vast reaches of God’s love.

Here are a couple of lessons my children have taught me this week.

Kids have no problem recognizing that they are under construction. Transformation is a part of their day. They expect to change, grow, and mature. Adults tend to put up an “I have it all together” finished product mask. Kids know that they are works in progress. They delight in the ways that they are becoming who they are supposed to become.

Children know how to celebrate. Kids are big celebrators. Give them a reason and they will do it up right. Leave them alone, and they will find their own reasons to express joy. They seem to understand the value of stopping and acknowledging the moment. Too often, I rush through on my way to the next “big thing”. I don’t take the time to praise God for the butterfly, cheer someone on for their step of faith, or notice the quiet triumph of kindness or sacrifice.

Kids love to be included. They are imitators by nature. They learn best when they stand alongside you, get their hands dirty with you, and match their steps with your own. In their desire to “help” they show me a picture of God’s delight. They are mirroring exactly the heart God wants me to have as I walk with Him. He never rolls His eyes and thinks that it would be so much simpler to do it all Himself. He loves it when we mismatch the forks, spill flour on the floor, or let the pitcher overflow because He knows that the best growth is found in moments when we try to match His steps. Just look at Peter, Moses, and David. My children regularly teach me that a wobbly step of faith is worth more than all of my good intentions combined.

My Jesus Resolution today is to be like my children. I want to grow up to embrace transformation, celebrate His presence, and imitate His heart. I want to anticipate the changes that tomorrow is going to bring to my heart and delight in the truth that I am a work in progress. I want to be someone who celebrates quickly and often. I want to count blessings before I complain about burdens. I want to spend my day playing Follow the Leader, matching my steps to His, eager to do whatever I see Him doing. Watching my children teaches me how to be His child.

It hasn’t rained in months. The ground is dusty, cracked, and thirsty. A brown haze fills the sky as the unceasing wind pulls the dry earth into a dance with the cloudless blue. Withered crops crumble in the fields. Livestock move aimlessly looking for green pasture. Fire leaves scars on the ground as evidence of the ravages of rainless, sun-soaked days.

Drought is not pretty. It wounds the land, stabbing its fierce heat into the heart of the soil. It eats away at life, pulling the green we recognize as signs of growth and health out of the landscape. It leaves dreams in the dust, hope withering under its fury, and a sense of desolation and destruction in its slow, choking wake.

Droughts don’t happen overnight. They take slow steps forward as days without rain take their toll. At first, no one thinks about a week without rain. It is only when weeks turn into months that people start seeing the effects the lack of life-giving moisture has on the life around them. Defined by a reality that first impacts the basics of soil, roots, and seed, the drought takes hold deep in the heart of the land, tightening its grip with each rainless day.

Droughts of the soul are even more devastating than droughts that ravage the land.

“O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.” – Psalm 63:1

Droughts of the soul can only be answered in the refreshing, renewing presence of God. The only way to quench the thirst burning in our hearts is to dive into the deep well of His grace. The Living Water is the only answer to the cracks and deep brokenness revealed in times of spiritual drought. Our roots need to be buried firmly in His Word. Our ability to thrive and grow is nurtured in dependence on His faithfulness. The shade of His presence is our best refuge from the scorching heat of the world.

My Jesus Resolution today is to drink deeply from the water of life. Farmers have no choice about a drought on the land. They know the value of water. They would choose drenching rains over the terrible wastefulness of drought any day. Droughts of the soul can be caused by inattentiveness, lack of focus, or dipping into the mirages offered by the world. Today I am going to be deliberate about immersing myself in the pool of His mercy. I am going to seek His face and soak in the delight of His love. As I pray for rain for the land, I am going to pray for Him to reign in my life, quenching the deep thirst of my soul with His presence and power.

It was a beautiful room in a great hotel. The bed was soft, the pillows were fluffy, and the amenities made everything very comfortable. I settled in for the evening, waiting for the morning flight that would take me home.

Wrapping a warm blanket around my shoulders, I looked around the room and admired its features. Much thought and planning had gone into making this a comfortable space. There were clean linens, a wide work space, and a television with more channels than I could count. There was a little refrigerator in case I wanted a cold beverage, bedside reading lamps for finishing the novel I had started, and a luxurious bathroom designed for pampering.

There was only one problem. It wasn’t home.

Looking around the room, I appreciated its beauty and comfort, but didn’t even think about settling in for the rest of my life. This was a temporary home. A place to lay my head and dream about where I really belonged. It was a stop on my journey – a journey that was propelling me toward open arms, wide smiles, deep love, high fives, and inexpressible joy. I got up in the morning, glad for the good night’s rest, but ready to move on. I packed my bag, saying goodbye to maid service, stacks of pillows, and the perfectly coordinated, professionally pulled-together room in order to travel to the place where my heart can truly rest.

I am thankful for home. I am also thankful for the lessons of the hotel room. It reminded me not to get too comfortable here in this world. This is a temporary home. A place to enjoy and appreciate, but that is meant to open our eyes to our real home. Our souls were never meant to settle here. Our hearts were meant to stretch homeward – to a place where we are deeply loved, intimately known, and graciously received.

My Jesus Resolution today is to remember what is temporary and what is permanent. If I can’t take it home with me, then it deserves hotel room status. Useful, enjoyable, but temporary. I tend to invest way too much of myself in the things that will be left behind at the end of my stay. I am going to let home realign my priorities and redefine my possibilities. Today I am going to look around with the eyes of a traveler – thankful for the blessings that are mine today, but always with an eye on the journey that is taking me home.

She is in the third grade and cute as a button. Her strawberry blonde hair falls over her freckles. In her eyes, you can see the promise of the graceful woman she will one day become. Her heart, however, is already stunningly beautiful.

She loves God’s Word. Excited about learning something new, she leans forward to tell me lessons from David and Paul. She talks about wanting to learn more about Jesus. She anxiously tugs at her mom for permission to dive in and soak up more.

I want to be like her. How long has it been since a passion for God’s Word overwhelmed your heart? Like a sponge soaking in the ocean’s goodness, she lets lessons about God’s grace, love, mercy, and purpose shape her soul. Her heart creates a path for the light of His presence to direct her steps. Already a radiance  plays on her face because she spends time with God.

“Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day.” – Psalm 119:97 

My Jesus Resolution today is to love God’s Word. I want to do more than read it; I want to see God in its pages. I want to do more than listen; I want to anticipate the gentle whisper of His presence. I want to do more than dryly digest the words; I want to taste and see that the Lord is good. I want His light to shine from my eyes, His love to shape my soul, and His goodness to flow through my words. I want to be so in love with His Word that it inspires someone else to take a fresh look at Jesus.

We were on the top of a mountain. The air was clean. The sky was blue. The view was magnificent. Lush green valleys gave way to strips of sand holding back the vastness of the ocean. We drove to a lookout point near the top of the mountain, and hiked to the summit. We spent our time exploring, taking pictures, marveling at God’s glory, and chasing kids.

Stopping for a picnic lunch, we enjoyed the beauty that was carved into the stone around us. These walls had seen more sunsets than I could count. These trees were older than my great grandfather. The intricate play of life all around me spoke to the intimate involvement of God on this mountain.

One of the neatest things to see was the cloud line. The mountain rose against the sky and pushed its way up through the cloud line, allowing those who stood at its peak the opportunity to stand above the clouds.

Clouds look different from the ground than they do from the mountain. On the ground, clouds can look menacing. They can block the light of the sun, bring an eerie darkness to our days, and appear threatening as they fill with wind and lightning. From the mountaintop, the clouds are beautiful. Standing on the summit, you are protected from the storms that are playing out below.

Driving back down the mountain, my children were fascinated as we descended through the cloud bank. We stopped on the side of the road and let them touch the clouds. They tried to put one in their pockets. In that moment, the clouds took on a different feel. They understood that how we view the clouds depends on where we stand.

My Jesus Resolution today is to remember the lesson of the clouds. What seems dark and scary to me is perfectly clear from God’s throne. He knows exactly which way the winds are shifting. He can see the temporary nature of the storm that threatens to overwhelm me. He invites me into His presence and offers to help me see things from the vantage point of eternity. Clouds don’t have the substance they appear to have when you stand beneath them. Today I am going to remember that clouds are something you pass through on your way to the mountaintop.

It is a play day at our house. I picked up our four year old friend from school, and we set out for an adventure. He settled into his car seat, wiping the sweat from his face and dumping the sand from his shoes. “Did you have a good day at school?” I asked. “Yes! It was a super star day!”

Super star day is a phrase that developed from another dear friend to help our little guy get over his nervousness about starting a new school year. Now a super star day describes any day that is filled with joy.

What would it take for today to be a super star day for you? Our minds usually jump to big, grand pictures, but for my little friend it is the simple blessings that make the day extra special. All it takes is a chance to play outside, friends who are kind, outrunning the girls on the playground, any kind of pasta, and seeing a cow or a helicopter as we drive down the road. Regular, ordinary, everyday things are all he needs to have a super star day.

I want to find that much joy in the simple treasures that fill my day. Many times I am too busy, too stressed, or too distracted to see the super star things that are all around me. I want the chance to be with friends to make me grin. I want the sight of a butterfly to stop in my tracks. I want to be fascinated by the sound of rain or the soft fur of a puppy. I want to be delighted to tell the story of Daniel, or sing Jesus Loves Me at the top of my lungs.

My Jesus Resolution today is to have a super star day. I want to expect joy. I want to anticipate the peace and purpose that walking with God is going to bring to my day. I want to keep my eyes open for all the ways Jesus is present. I want to catalog my blessings, catching each one in its moment and holding onto it with all the determination of a child. I am going to have a super star day today. How about you?

We live in a 24/7 world. We expect stores to be open, the internet to be accessible, and television to run its programming 24/7. There is tremendous pressure to be productive, prolific, and profitable all the time. Busyness is a sign of good business. We seem to comfort ourselves with full calendars, hectic agendas, and overcrowded days. Anything less than a packed, 24/7 kind of schedule is viewed with suspicion.

The result, however, is far from the grace-paced life designed for us by God. Stress and worry are the main hallmarks of our hearts. Exhaustion takes its toll as we try to push a little longer, stay up a little later, and make it all go a little farther. We work hard to keep everything under control, and even harder when it seems like things are spinning out of our hands.

Rest is a word filled with blessing. In rest, we learn to align our hearts with the rhythm of His grace. In quiet, we hear the cadence of His voice. In stillness, we experience the pulse of His heartbeat. Our souls are starved for rest. Our hearts crave the respite of His presence, and yet we push off rest, treating it like a burden rather than the blessing God intended for it to be.

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” – Matthew 11:28-29

Twice in these two verses, Jesus makes a precious promise – rest. It is a recipe for simplicity in the midst of a complicated, fast-paced world. Come, take, and learn. Come to Jesus. Rest anywhere else is only an illusion. Take my yoke. Hold my hand, and walk in my presence. It is so much easier than the world of care and weariness that you are trying to carry on your own. Learn to live in the rhythm of my grace.

My Jesus Resolution today is to rest. Really rest. Today I am going to stop, soak in a few moments of stillness, and let quiet open my eyes and ears to His presence. Rest will mean changing the pace of my life, the rhythm of my heart, and the cadence of my soul. Stopping will put me out of sync with the world, but in tune with God. In rest, I may just find the melody that my heart has been too busy to hear or sing.