I wonder if history has seen a time when II Chronicles 7:14 has been quoted more than it is now. We’re not very good at humility, and social media works against it, but maybe the pandemic urges us more closely toward the “humble themselves” part of the verse. Many of us have spent time giving serious thought to our sin and those of our nation, in order to “turn from our wicked ways”. Now all that’s left is for God to hear and forgive and heal, right?

There’s one more thing for us to do: “seek His face”. Do we think about God’s face? We think about who He is in history or what He gives or can give us or His creation. But seeking His face . . . Hmmm.

Scripture tells us no one can see God and live. I believe it. And to my way of thinking you don’t have to read much more than that to feel a huge amount of humility. And we know that Jesus is God incarnate, so to look on Jesus is to see God’s face. Of course others will say they see the face of God in His creation: nature, people in every walk of life, etc. Still others will say God doesn’t have a face because He is Spirit. I can’t disagree with any of it.

Still, this verse says, “seek My face”. I’ve just been thinking about finding what is beyond the usual answers. Is someone’s face the essence of their feeling and thought? Do we wear our history; our suffering and joy on our face? Can others see what we think of them when they look at our face? Do we fall in love the longer we spend gazing at someone’s face?

I think we will each come to a better conclusion if we work on this individually just now, not read what some blogger writes. If you come up with something by all means share it with the rest of us! For now, enjoy seeking God’s face. Spend time in His presence. Dwell there. See what happens. And I’ll see you when I see you – face and all.

Scripture source: If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

This morning we sympathized with Hoda Kotb, as she tried and failed to cover her feelings after she interviewed Drew Brees on the Morning Show. He made a five million dollar donation to NOLA, and it touched her especially because she once lived there. https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=hoda+kotb&view=detail&mid=8540FE5E71F40EDFE7798540FE5E71F40EDFE779&FORM=VIRE

We’ve watched some folks from the entertainment business post strange videos on Instagram and Twitter, wondering what in the world they’re trying to communicate or what feelings they’re attempting to elicit.

Slowly masks are being peeled back during this time of pandemic. Truth is showing itself. We’ve watched this reveal, if you will, for awhile as some reporters seemed more hateful and biased and politicians more divided. Now we see entertainers crumbling. At least it appears that way, but with actors you can never tell. We hear things out of the Vatican that in the past we would never have dreamed of hearing. But we also see businesses stepping into the gap and citizens doing the necessary thing, the kind thing.

I think we might view this as a Sabbath rest. We didn’t ask for it. Boy, did we not ask for this. And some in the medical community or those who find themselves figuring out new ways to do their jobs or those who are battling illness don’t feel rested at all. But many of us are at home more. Together more. Without the distraction of extra things. It is unfamiliar territory, but there are good things peeking out from behind the curtain of our usually busy lives.

Around four or five months ago, I began celebrating the Sabbath. No, I am not Jewish and I don’t do the things our Jewish friends do for their Shabbat. I was raised to regard Sunday as the Sabbath and did so all of my life. Except church responsibilities made it a bit busy. So now I have a day every week – the original day God set aside in the Ten Commandments – to rest. This is what I have found:

In order to get everything done before Friday sundown, I hurry up and do the things I used to put off. I get grocery shopping done, the gas tank filled, the house cleaned, laundry done, the bills paid, meals and desserts cooked, my usual writing work attended to, piano practiced, Sunday School lesson studied, and yard work done on another day.

It was hard at first and I still have slip-ups from time to time. But I have found a new sense of order in my life. I’ve found that I get more done. It’s true! With a Sabbath deadline, it’s amazing what you can accomplish ahead of time. My life gets a weekly reset! Saturday is my mini vacation every week now. I have more time to read, to pray, to enjoy nature, and to do nothing. The week as a whole has an extra bit of peace injected into it.

While I fully intended to write a blog on the wonders of the Sabbath, I’m led just now to post this little bit because our dear world needs comfort and peace (stat!); and that’s one of the gifts of the Sabbath rest.

When placed in God’s hands, every bad, hard, and evil thing in this world can be flipped. In fact, Joseph said: You meant to do me harm, but God meant it for good -so that it would come about as it is today, with many people’s lives being saved. While we are collectively shut down all over this world, we might just take the opportunity to gain a new understanding of what a slower pace adds to life. By subtracting, we find more! I wish you a peaceful Sabbath rest.

Kotb: Today.com; Genesis 50:20 (CJB); image: Pexels.com

I’ve been trying to eradicate Creeping Charlie from my yard. I started far too late after several years of ignoring it altogether due to reasonable excuses. Years ago I used Borax or some type of weed killer with minimal results, which tells you why I am pulling it out by the roots.

Creeping Charlie’s proper name is Glechoma hederacea. It belongs to the mint family Lamiaceae. I, however, prefer to call it “augh!”. It hides its roots and vine along the dirt or completely underneath the soil. It’s kind of pretty and smells a little refreshing if you like that sort of thing. The thing is, if you let it go, it takes over. And it doesn’t just take over, it kills anything it grows with – including plants like my thriving rhubarb used to be and grass. It’s very much like anything else in life that starts out rather innocuous- looking, and leaves us with reassurance that everything is just fine, and ends up making all sorts of trouble for us down the road. What we should have pulled up by the roots at first sight, eventually becomes death by a thousand cuts.

It took me five hours to clear a narrow strip by one fence. I’ve been out on afternoons since my initial attack and can now see some green grass. Much of it was killed by my nemesis, but some remains to hold the victory flag.

Today, I heard thunder at my back. I kept digging my fingernails under the tiny vines and roots and pulling – sometimes small bits, sometimes long vines. The long vines are the best. They help me feel like something is actually being accomplished. But they both count.

The thunder continued and a few raindrops fell. I ignored it and kept working, thinking all the while of a time in the future when Jesus will return with a suddenness that will knock us all to our knees and start our hearts beating like a stampede of wild horses with gratefulness or fear. Maybe both.

Then the rain began in earnest and I ran inside. And that, my friends, is my reminder to myself and you – if you want it – that there’s work to be done that needs to be done with all our strength because one of these days our work will be over.

Image: http://pixabay.comenlightning-thunder-thunderstorm-1845.jpg