SANCTUARY

 

We had a sign in Farmerville, where I grew up, as you entered the city limits which recognized us as a bird sanctuary.  A small town, like so many others of the day, which were so like Mayberry.  What a wonderful time and place to grow up!  In all fairness, you might not have recognized the sanctuary if you saw some of the local youths sporting their BB guns or sling shots.  POOR birds were fair game.

My entire adult life I have surrounded myself with a bird sanctuary.  When we lived in the midst of 5 acres of woods, I was in bird heaven!  I had feeders galore--of every type and spent hours observing and enjoying the feathered friends.  If you feed them, they will come!  I still feed the birds, but unfortunately do not have the number and variety I once had due to a lack of trees.  The hood was clear cut before it was developed and I live smack dab in the middle of it.  I have a few trees in my yard, but not near enough.  Those who live on the edge of the hood are more fortunate since we are surrounded by undeveloped land.  I do enjoy those birds who come.

Today in my daily readings, the scripture came up which explains the "sanctuary city".  If you were accused of killing someone and it was accidental, you could flee to designated sanctuary cities and escape the consequences.  There were 6 cities designated as sanctuary cities where the perpetrator could flee and request sanctuary from the ones pursuing him.  The cities would allow him to stay within their walls once they granted the request.  There were a list of rules about how this was to happen, but the bottom line is the one guilty would be allowed the safety of the city gates because he did not intend to inflict harm.  This was all directed by God.

The question might be---Did the guilty party escape justice?  Was he allowed to avoid punishment in this sanctuary city?  My question to you is ~ Do we ever really avoid the consequences of our sin?  Perhaps on the surface it appears the guilty did not get what they deserved, BUT they did suffer consequences.  They were forced to flee their home and loved ones, they were marked by society for their sin and treated accordingly, their life was forever altered.  

There are times we cry out for justice and think justice was never served by those who sin against us.  We should remember we do not know the whole picture.  There are consequences---we might not see.  Sin always has consequences---we are not the judge---we do not know how God acts.  I assure you though, there are consequences.  Do we trust God to be a righteous judge?  Are we willing to turn over judgement to Him?  DEEP THINKING OVER HERE!  If we trust God to work all things for our good and His good purpose, can we not also trust Him to be as just with others as He is with us?

"The Lord is gracious and compassionate;

Slow to anger and great in mercy."

Psalm 145:8

FLASHING LIGHTS

As I walked the Wonder Dog this morning, an ambulance with lights flashing pulled into the Hood.  I have been accused of being the Gladys Kravitz of the Hood.

 

NOW, in my defense, I am out walking 3-4 times a day with the one who pulls my strings (or leash).  I HAVE to be thinking about something as we make the same circles over and over.  Observing my neighbors and what is happening at their homes  keeps my mind off the mind numbing repeat of steps.  TELL ME--you would not wonder what was going on when you spot an ambulance WITH FLASHING LIGHTS pull into to your neighborhood of 100 houses.  We all know each other--at a minimum we know who goes here and who doesn't.  I am concerned!  About a third of the neighbors are retirement age, so we have a built in neighborhood watch.  That is a strong base for keeping an eye out for anything amiss.

We need one of these signs

I had a neighbor stop me in the grocery store to tell me how her husband heard someone drive through the hood at 4:00 AM with their music really loud.  She said, none of the neighbors would do that--so it had to be an outsider.  AND if their music was up really loud, they obviously were up to no good.  NOW, perhaps I am off track, but if I were trying to do some meanness, I would be as quiet as possible to not get caught.  I DIGRESS!  All to say--we have each other's back in the hood.

WHERE AM I GOING?  Two of my neighbors stopped to ask did I know what was going on when the ambulance pulled into the hood?  (My reputation of neighborhood busybody is getting around) With so many of us counted among the senior citizen group, it could be stopping at any number of houses.  The question becomes not Why?" but "Who?".  When you get to a certain point in life, you know where the story is headed.  How you get there becomes the question.

SO--do we sit and wait for the inevitable or do we keep marching down the road -business as usual?  As long as possible, I hope to be marching down the road.  I will say, my movement down that road has become much more intentional.  How I would love to have had this piece of wisdom decades ago.  I didn't, so all I can do is from this point forward, move with intent.  

I have my eyes and ears open.  I am watching for flashing lights and listening for shrill sirens.  As long as I am aware of what is happening, I am moving forward.  I am loving my neighbor more than myself, seeking God in every moment, and knowing He has my back.  Thankful for good neighbors who watch, and a loving God Who knows.

"The Lord's acts of mercy indeed do not end,

For His compassions do not fail.

They are new every morning;

Great is Your faithfulness.

The Lord is my portion, says the soul.,

Therefore I wait for Him."

Lamentations 3:22-24

MERCY!

MERCY!  I find myself pleading "Mercy" quite often.  Almost every time I go to my weights class--at some point---and often at MANY points when we finish a body part--I exclaim loudly, "MERCY!"  The instructor is VERY gifted at ignoring my pleas--and off we go to the next body part.  In fact---sometimes I seem to intensify her efforts to drag my sorry excuse for a body back into shape.  Often I wonder if I wore my age on a tag around my neck if she would cut me a little slack---that would probably backfire on me too!

The sun is shining---the temperatures are warming--and ONCE AGAIN--I decide I need to hit the road.  My idea of hitting the road these days is walking.  Interestingly, this part of Fort Worth is VERY hilly ---very similiar to Ruston.  If you head to the western edge of Fort Worth--it flattens out and stays flat until you fall off the edge of the road into New Mexico.  Perhaps on a really clear day--you can see all the way to New Mexico from here--it is that flat!  I diverge---this seemed like a really good idea---I began walking at the Y on the treadmill (YUCK!)--and now I have hit the roads again.  As I climb those hills---I manage to restrain myself until I crest the top---but at that point---I plead "MERCY"!

I love having my sweet little grands over---BUT after a couple of hours and them pulling EVERY thing out ---and strewing it from one end to the other and eating every loose morsel in my kitchen--with a trail of crumbs throughout the house---I often exclaim "MERCY!" as they walk out the door and I survey the damage.

Are you seeing the pattern?  I am pleading for mercy AFTER the fact---NOT when I am in the midst of the moment!  AFTER I have tried to handle the moment of struggle/crisis/pain myself AND failed, THEN I cry out MERCY!

I am so thankful that God has poured His mercy over me---before I make my mess.  As I walk through the day---struggle with my inadequacies--face lonely moments---veer off the path----His mercy covers me.  Jesus---OH JESUS---He provided the cover---He supplies the mercy.  What a wonderful gift!

"The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works."

Psalms 145:9