As If

by Macy Johnson

“You turned my wailing into dancing;

you removed my sackcloth

and clothed me with joy.”

(Psalm 30:11 NIV)

 

One Sunday morning our congregation sang “Thy Mercy, My God, Is the Theme of My Song” as our Hymn of Praise. As I sang the second verse I thought of my recent injury and how my heavenly Father brought me through the pain and recovery. Then I looked up at the choir and caught the tear-filled eyes of one of the sopranos. She recently experienced a close brush with death and the words touched her heart, too.

His Face

 by Macy Johnson

“My heart says of you, ‘Seek his face!’

Your face, Lord, I will seek.”

(Psalm 27:8 NIV)

 

Someone remarked that every time they thought of Moses, they pictured Charlton Heston. As the star of the 1956 film, The Ten Commandments, his face was solidified in the minds of moviegoers. Jonathan Roumie of The Chosen series has provided viewers with a face to put with Jesus. Jonathan recalled in a documentary how he is often stopped on the street by people who request prayer for their needs. They feel a connection to God through Jonathan.

Rough Seas

by Macy Johnson

“A strong wind was blowing

and the waters grew rough.”

(John 6:18 NIV)

 

I looked out my window one summer morning and watched the wind blow the trees to and fro in a frightening manner. The water on the lake bounced back and forth. Waves seemed to dance on top of each other. Overcast skies hinted at much-needed rain, but it was not in the forecast. What is God trying to tell me? I thought. Am I in for some rough spiritual weather?

Ordinary People

by Macy Johnson

“But we have this treasure in jars of clay

to show that this all-surpassing power

is from God and not from us.”

(2 Corinthians 4:7 NIV)

 

Robert Redford won an academy award for directing the 1980 film, Ordinary People. It is about a typical family’s struggle with death and reminds the viewer no one is immune from the pain of everyday life. I am reminded daily my frame is frail. My first thought every morning is to give my heavenly Father my body for His use, to be a page in His Word. I am an ordinary messenger.

God's Empire

 by Macy Johnson

“Let us consider how we may spur one another on

toward love and good deeds.”

(Hebrews 10:24 NIV)

 

My husband, Jeff, and I enjoyed Chimp Empire, a documentary series on Netflix. Filmed in the remote Ngogo rainforest of Uganda, this film recorded the daily lives of chimpanzee communities.

 

I was enthralled with the nurturing gestures displayed among the family groups of chimps. The most important sign of affection and acceptance was to groom each other. Those chimpanzees who were not groomed by another chimp were considered outcasts. One large community split into two when the oldest male chimp was challenged, and battles often ensued between the two factions.   

Holy Experiments

by Macy Johnson

“I pray also that the eyes of your heart

may be enlightened in order that you may know

the hope to which He has called you,

the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints.”

(Ephesians 1:18 NIV)

 

Oswald Chambers wrote, “If you will give God your right to yourself, He will make a holy experiment out of you. God’s experiments always succeed!”

 

Our yard is my husband’s laboratory. As the descendent of a long line of New Jersey farmers, he has dirt in his blood. When he retired from manipulating inventory data for many years, he was trained to become a Master Gardener. Now he can organize and rearrange plants instead.

Not Heaven

by Macy Johnson

“Record my lament;

list my tears on your scroll –

are they not in your record?”

(Psalm 56:8 NIV)

 

Sunday morning I glanced out my window to catch an exquisite pre-sunrise. Shades of pink and purple splashed across the sky and announced the sun’s arrival. I walked out on my balcony to thank my heavenly Father for such a brilliant display of His glory. Hummingbirds whirred below me in the salvia bush while purple martins swooped over the water by the dock.