Day 39 of Lent - Peace, and Peace Again

The expression on my face must have made my gratitude obvious.  Shew! It had been a long week, leading into a long day, all spent preparing to host this large gathering.  I used to be the type to go by those random punch-lists from Martha Stewart magazine. You know the ones…they had sub-headings like “One Month From Your Event”, then “One Week Out”, and “Three Days”, “Day Of”, and even “One Hour Before Your Event”. 

Those lists were my hospitality canon and I followed them religiously.

I am sure I had just finished adjusting the volume on the smooth jazz CD and lighting the hand-dipped beeswax candles, when the doorbell rang.  Nervously, I opened the door, to lay eyes on the face of a friend.

She came right in, smiling back at me, juggling her purse and two packages.  She knowingly whispered, “I brought you some homemade baguettes - they’re still warm!  There’s two, though - one for tonight, and one for later. This other loaf is just for you.  Don’t put them both out!  You guys can have the other one tomorrow with your dinner, or freeze it.”

My. Dream. Guest.  She was amazing. This friend never missed a chance to be a blessing.  She could always see past the big picture, down to the kinds of details that always made me feel so seen and cared for.  Come to think of it, she’s still that way to this day.

Can I tell you?  The bread that was meant for eating that evening was even already sliced.  I marveled at her forethought as I grabbed a large wooden board (I used ‘em before they were cool) and handed it off to her.  She went straight to work, beautifully arranging her own bread on it. She then searched my cutlery drawers for a certain kind of knife, and with a big grin, pulled two small wheels of wrapped Brie from her purse. 

“I got home from work just in time to form the loaves and bake them, then I came straight here.  Sorry I couldn’t make this pretty for you before bringing it - here’s some cheese for now...”

I interrupted her with a thankful hug, “Let me guess”, I said “the other cheese is for later.”

Check. One brie went on the board, the other went in the fridge. For later.

The gathering that night was an enormous success.  The next day, I felt that familiar, somewhat tired hospitality hang-over, as I walked through my home putting away the extra folding chairs, and getting all the linens into the washing machine.  My house always seems to linger with a special presence after events like that.  Savoring it is part of the joy of hosting.  

As I did the physical work of cleaning up, I mentally planned for that evening’s supper.  Whatever it would be, it needed to be simple.  Suddenly, I remembered that extra baguette and felt the same little flood of gratitude I had felt the night before.  That bread, with the other Brie and a simple salad would be a perfect dinner.  A small but discernible peace settled my soul.  

The little things really are the big things.

All these years later, fast-forward to today. I thought about that night my friend both gave me bread, and left me bread.  Both breads blessed me in completely different ways. Both of them were necessary for different reasons. 

She gave some, she left some.

A familiar scripture came to mind, and right here in 2021, my eyes stung with happy tears of fresh bread-like revelation.

Jesus once said, all in the same sentence, “My own peace I leave with you.  My very own peace I give unto you.  Not as the world gives, give I unto you.  Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”

Jesus gives twice, too.  But He reverses the order.  He doesn’t give and then leave. 

He leaves and gives. 

He deeply understands both the big picture, and the details.  See, He knew His death, resurrection and ascension was forthcoming, and so He was assuring His friends that He would both leave His very own peace with them....and then also give it to them.  

He accomplished this by sending His “very own” Spirit - the Comforter.  The plan all along was to leave a deposit of His presence with His friends. He said, very explicitly, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” He said, “I will not leave you comfortless, I will come to you.”

As His gift, He would leave a durable peace that would see them through the immediate trauma and difficulty of the very next days.  And then, He would also enable them to fulfill future mission, by giving His Spirit - pouring it out on all flesh, beginning with the Upper Room, and available all the way into today.

YOU are just as seen and cared for by a faithful God, as I was that night so long ago by a faithful girlfriend.  My friend gave bread and left bread, and both loaves blessed me in different but necessary ways.  Your God both leaves His peace and gives His peace.  

So let not your heart be troubled - there is peace for today’s trouble.  Neither let it be afraid - there is yet more peace for future fear.  

Freshly baked, fragrant, first-hand peace is yours, in the form of a daily infilling of a mighty Holy Ghost.

He giveth more grace as our burdens grow greater,
He sendeth more strength as our labors increase;
To added afflictions He addeth His mercy,
To multiplied trials He multiplies peace.

When we have exhausted our store of endurance,
When our strength has failed ere the day is half done,
When we reach the end of our hoarded resources
Our Father’s full giving is only begun.

Fear not that thy need shall exceed His provision,
Our God ever yearns His resources to share;
Lean hard on the arm everlasting, availing;
The Father both thee and thy load will upbear.

His love has no limits, His grace has no measure,
His power no boundary known unto men;
For out of His infinite riches in Jesus
He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again.

Day 36 of Lent - Forget 90 Days {...why not do it in 40?}

I find it hard to believe that the season of Lent is almost over.

Many people create challenges for themselves, and subscribe to the idea that they can change their life in 90 day increments. I don’t doubt that.

But I am kicking the tires on this idea:

I can change my life in 40 day increments. Because the past almost-40 days have changed me so hard! If it can be begun, it can take root and even be done in 40 days.

Today has been a super-long day of writing - but for other-than-blog-posts. So I leave you with a video of some recent studio play.

I’m going to spend the rest of my evening planning my next personal 40 day challenge - for the 40 days immediately following Easter!