I am a witness, and a servant

We like to think we made things happen. After all -

we planned the trips
we cooked the meals
we rounded up the people
we bought the gifts
we made the trip
we prayed the prayers

Then yesterday, as a group of us middle-aging ladies, laughing over the silliness of our age, sitting deeper into our chairs and talked together, I was drawn to this ~

"you are my witnesses, declares the LORD, and my servant whom i have chosen.." 
~ Isaiah 43v10

Who me?
I am a witness it says. It means that I have seen things. I was there at the scene. I was privy to certain happenings. I saw it.

Some philosopher once said we are lonely until we now our lives have been noticed; that we have witnesses to our existence. Perhaps this is why we crave attention, affirmation, and if we are bold enough, pre-arrange for our funeral eulogy (why not?). There is this famous line from that movie, Shall We Dance when Susan Sarandon says:

You're saying 'Your life will not go unnoticed because I will notice it. Your life will not go un-witnessed because I will be your witness'.

We need witnesses. God has granted us unique finger prints so we know that we can leave our mark. Our lives matter, always - to someone, and in the end. 

We are familiar too with the idea that God watches over us and some of us are afraid of that dread day when our lives are played like a movie for all to watch {who came up with this scary idea?}.

But here the prophet Isaiah says God considers us His witnesses. This means that the action is happening outside of us. We are the watchers, the onlookers at Life and Grace playing out.

This means that for God to be real to us; we need to find Him real. We need to witness Him about our lives, our world. 

Witnessing God is what leads to knowing, believing, and then, understanding -

"...so that you may know and believe and understand that I am he." 

When we don't take notice of God, our faith shrinks. Growing faith confidence begins with what we notice, observe, see.

God in, God grows, God out. 

Witnesses tell of what they have seen and felt and known.

So how much of my life reveals God?

Recently, one of my favourite ways of remembering people is to think of how they remind me of God. Some of them show me His generosity, others help me remember that He is kind. There is jocularity, mercy, forgiveness, truth-telling, and more.

What of my life? What of yours?

And then, we are His servants. 

Seriously, most of Christianity today pays lip service to this. The way we talk and live make it looks more like God is serving us, isn't it? In fact, our moods, commitments and valour rise and fall according to how we perceive God has treated us. We are in the centre, and on the throne not God. 

Perhaps the two are linked. 

If we witnessed more of God, we would know our place as His servants more readily. 


We are His servants by choice - let us notice God and see how in our lives he is working to bless others.

"you are my witnesses", declares the LORD, and my servant whom i have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. 

Before me no god was formed, nor will there be one after me..."

So, have you noticed God today?

And just for parents, here: wisdom of revealing God to our children {click, and be enriched}

Moms' day--"'over-rated' / disappointed - and why i will give you a look.

So Mother's Day is two days away (for countries including: United States, Italy, Australia, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, and Turkey). And yes there are poster, stickers, photos, words lyrical everywhere... and then, 

someone, somewhere is going to say the whole thing is over-rated, we made too big of a deal, we should be nice to our mothers everyday.

If you say that to me, I will give you  my finest "you are so wrong" look.  Because -

we need special days to make everyday special. It's just us.

The baboons don't need it. My cat is happy with her routines. The fish gurgle gladly to where they were first spawned. Not us. We were made for more; so we will reach for more. 

But we forget and we lower ourselves - each day we busy with our pedestrian appetites of buying, selling, getting ahead ... we forget. We forget what truly matters. We forget how good it is to be alive. We forget how much love we have received {and so can give} - even if, yes, much of it came through broken  containers and sometimes we suffer cuts as that love is poured clumsily, fitfully through our very human mothers.

Honour a special day for it cracks your heart that bit more and Life flows into spaces opened up. And our days - they flow one into another, don't they?

Another group I will reserve the "you are so wrong look"  for will be my fellow-moms who due to a day on the calendar that has gotten us looking forward to breakfast in bed, flowers, thank you notes... and as a fellow mom* admits, we expect it and huff when we don't get it. 

What we expect can become entitlement. 

"We deserve it distorts the  the sacrifice of motherhood and spins it in dizzying, disorienting circles.

Motherhood bends. Entitlement demands.
Motherhood serves. Entitlement stomps its foot.
Motherhood delights. Entitlement keeps lists.
Motherhood laughs. Entitlement whines.
Motherhood celebrates. Entitlement sulks.
Motherhood forgets itself in favor of remembering her dimple, his fastest mile, their mouths all ringed around with chocolate.

Entitlement tastes bitterness in every bite of a day that doesn't go as planned."


Let's pray for, and do something loving for our moms, for Love never fails.

Fellow moms, let's gladden our hearts in our high calling and perhaps inspire ourselves afresh as the whole world give recognition to our calling.


Here's a bit of inspiration and something to think about then -

A good mother is a role model for her immediate family and for everyone else she meets. Her joy makes those around her happy. And every woman is called to be a mother, whether married or single, and whether or not she has had children. People notice a woman who loves God and whose primary concern is serving others.

I cannot thank God enough for the love of my own mother, and for her deep relationship with my father. Even though they could never be called "religious" people, it was obvious to us seven children that our parents loved God, each other, and each one of us. And while it was clear that our father was head of the family, he never tolerated the slightest disrespect from us towards our mother.

Many women today resent the idea of motherhood, but they forget that it is a privilege as well as a task. Once regarded as the highest calling of woman, it is now pushed aside by "real" careers and viewed as an inconvenience or even an embarrassment. While this rebellion might be understandable in the case of oppression and abuse, it achieves nothing. How different family life could be if we admitted our confusion over the roles of man and woman; if we sought to rediscover God's plan for both, and regarded one another with respect and love!

Women today hold important jobs right up to the time they go into labor, and that is admirable. But when pregnancy and children require it, a woman's first priority should always be motherhood. She should be a mother first and foremost – and only after that, a doctor, teacher, lawyer, manager, or accountant. Far from regretting or resenting it, she ought to feel that motherhood is a gift, and that in God's eyes, there is no sacrifice more worthy than one made for a child.

Finally, watch this:

Moms, these things you are. Be great-ful!

Credit: Inspiration from Johann Christoph Arnold & mom sharing taken off http://lisajobaker.com/

When you don't feel steady..

Today I went down to the hospital to visit my sister. This is day 7 after her surgery. Her surgeon, Prof Thomas had exclaimed with confidence that the operation was a sailing success and prior to the operation had told her she can expect to be home on day 8.

She feels this unyielding pressure on her head which worsens at bedtime or when she moves.

Brain surgery is a sensitive piece of work.

The porter came by to wheel her upstairs for physiotherapy. I decided to go along. The rehab room was busy even though the movements were slow and tentative. A disinterested looking tall Indian physio was introduced to us as observing for audit purposes. Slowly, they asked her to perform different tasks to assess her sense of balance and to check if any optical nerves or vestibule-related concerns need to be addressed.

Somehow watching my older sister going through this made a weakness come over me. I wasn't going to faint; but when she teared, I did too. Perhaps I felt impotent. Or perhaps all our years of growing up, working, and being successful - especially since we started in humble circumstances - fell about us and we were as vulnerable as tykes figuring out a bike: she struggled to stand steady while I wrestled to be strong for her.

Sometimes, no matter how strong we have been, we feel unsteady. But it's a temporary upset. It isn't pleasant. It may take a while before we find our feet.

The eternal God is your dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms. 

~ Deuteronomy 33v27

This uncertain journey and all the courage it took would not happen without the extensions of these everlasting arms: the prayers of many, the care and concern of friends and family. Even as I dried my tears and breathed deep, I let these Arms steady me, and help me to be present enough for my sister. 

There are important questions to ask, things to learn, decisions to make. 

Being held and present is important. 

I probed a little and finally wrote down the main areas of concern we wanted to raise with the neurosurgeon. {do that because the doctors aren't easy to catch hold of!} 

A few hours later, this phone message: thanks for coming by today.

I came by sister; but Someone never left.