One of January’s lessons – when God calls you to STOP, to Withdraw, to “Be Still” and sit in a Mary Season, it’s not The World’s Kind of Peace you’re going to sit in. I admit, I love an afternoon chasing the world’s peace – sitting on my porch, knitting a few rows, reading a few chapters, but that’s a faux-kind of peace.

The World’s Peace starts
when you open a book, losing yourself
in the black and white pages,
savoring a cup of wild apple ginger tea
stirred with honey smackerals, or
when all lost socks
are rejoined with their mates,
and the dinner dishes are put away,
and the sweet lullaby has soothed
the littles to sleep to nap
and floors find themselves
swept of family dog sheddings

The World’s Peace evaporates
at a book’s The End,
when the cup of wild apple ginger tea
is empty and the taste of honey
a memory on your lips,
or when the little ones wake from nap,
the pots, pans and plates are brought out
to start dinner yet again,
when the day ends and the socks are piled anew
with golden hair stuck to the soles.

a man-made peace this World’s Peace
with scheduled beginnings and endings
hard to grasp, incomplete
fleeting refreshings
The world’s peace, as ineffectual
and unreliable as humanity’s consistent
selflessness, nobleness, and goodness

. . . The World’s Peace as undependable
as God’s peace proves dependable

That January and February sojourn – God wasn’t taking me into a peace that would evaporate the minute I re-entered the tasks from which he’d called me. He was calling me into time with Him that would produce a more durable, real, soul-deep peace. A kind-of-peace that wouldn’t end when the time for a task designed for a catch-my-breath moment ended.

I was looking to reread the Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence. My minister had recommended it to the congregation in January. I’d seen it before Christmas. As I was looking, I found The Way of a Pilgrim on a tableside stack of books waiting – for at least a year. After a few days of rummaging through everywhere, I settled down with The Way of a Pilgrim. Brother Lawrence’s book would show up exactly when God wanted it to show up. . . and something wonderful happened.

The Way of the Pilgrim is a testimony of the power of vocally saying The Jesus Prayer, Lord Jesus Christ, Have Mercy on Me. The pilgrim of the book was encouraged speak The Jesus Prayer 3,000 times a day.

“The Prayer was my comfort and my courage in all my wanderings, encounters, and situations.,” the pilgrim said. . . “Without frequent prayer, it is not possible to find one’s way to God, to understand truth, and to crucify the lusts of the flesh. Only fidelity to prayer will lead a person to enlightenment and union with Christ.”

As I read through the book, I realized ruefully God was drawing me into my 4th year of Lessons of Prayer with God. Prayer, I’m learning, is something deeper, more powerful, more redeeming, more healing, more relationship-building with God, more binding to His side yet more liberating, more peace infusing, joy-filling, more than I realize I can wrap my brain around. So much more than what a cup of coffee or a book of the week can do for my peace of mind.

No, I didn’t pray, “Lord Jesus Christ, Have Mercy on Me” 3,000 times a day. At least I don’t think I did.

First, I started out saying The Jesus Prayer when thoughts of the challenges I struggle with would pop in my mind, tempting me to obsessively think about them. I would repeat the prayer over and over. In the kitchen while I cooked and cleaned. In the car when I would take the grandkiddos to school. In traffic that tried to rile me up. In the clean-up of a spill. In the waking and drifting to sleep. In the rainy cold or the blue sky. In good and uncomfortable moments. When worries of my grown-up children would creep in. When all the up-side down things in our country would come to mind. When the hurts tried to reopen. It’s surprising all the places my mind goes in 5 minutes, in an hour – in a day. Places God says I don’t have to go if I trust Him.

Lord Jesus Christ, Have Mercy on Me, I prayed. Some days it seemed all day long.

and peace came in. . . His kind of peace. One that doesn’t end on the strike of a clock or the close of a book.

. . . joy came in. . .

It’s like I’d been haunted, stalked, and it stopped. Those thoughts from challenges that come and beat you up do that. The Jesus Prayer stopped that, stopped it and helped me keep focused on Him. I didn’t have to have the answers. He’s the keeper of the answers and solutions. I’m just to stick close to Him – and this prayer helps me do that.

Some people wake up chirping like a bird in the morning. I wasn’t one of those people – I’ve been more like a surly morning person who doesn’t want anyone words until I wake up – and even then, it takes a while for my sunshine to warm up my heart.

I started waking up chirping like a bird.

I remember telling God last year that I wanted to be a person that laughs with joy.

Laughter has been bubbling up from within. My heart feels light, regardless of circumstance . . . . relationship with God is not about circumstances being fixed; it’s about relationship with Him. I’m finding peace through relationship regardless of circumstance.

Shifts and movements within and without have been happening. The more I prayed, the more I stopped focusing on my challenges – and praying for those facing challenges around me.

In the book, The Jesus Prayer [taken most likely from, “God have mercy on me a sinner” (Luke:18:13 ); “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” (Luke 18:38)] is bumped up a notch, “Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of God have mercy on me, a sinner.”

Lord Jesus Christ,
Redeem the Lost Lambs.

Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of God, Have Mercy on Me, A Sinner.

Lord Jesus Christ,
Have Mercy on the Lost Lambs.

Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of God, Have Mercy on Me, A Sinner.

Lord Jesus Christ,
Break the hearts of the saved
for the lost lambs.
Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of God, Have Mercy on Me, A Sinner.

Lord Jesus Christ,
Have mercy on those hurt
by the business of church.

Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of God, Have Mercy on Me, A Sinner.

Lord Jesus Christ,
Have Mercy on the Fatherless
who are crying out to be redeemed.

Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of God, Have Mercy on Me, A Sinner.

Lord Jesus Christ,
Have mercy on those who struggle
with your authority
and convict them of your truth.

Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of God, Have Mercy on Me, A Sinner.

Lord Jesus Christ,
Have Mercy on believing mother’s children
and turn their hearts towards you.

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, Have Mercy on Me a sinner!

Remember Me Monday: #88 & Link-up

“I’ll make a list of God’s gracious dealings,
    all the things God has done that need praising,
All the generous bounties of God,
    his great goodness to the family of Israel—
Compassion lavished,
.    love extravagant.”
~ Isaiah 63:7, The Message

In the Old Testament, God repeatedly, quietly and loudly, tells his children, “You have forgotten me!”  (Jeremiah 3:32, Ezekiel 22:12, to name a few). It’s a heart cry from a father to a child who has forgotten all the love, all the saving, helping, little and big blessings – and it leaves me stunned when I realize our Father, the creator of the universe, who knows things I cannot begin to fathom, who authors storylines that leave me amazed, delights in all of us so much, He cries out, “Remember Me.”

While every day is a Remember God Day, I am inviting you to join me on Monday mornings to come by and remember what God has done for you, for your family. Maybe God sent a cardinal darting out in front of you, as if to tell you, “I’m here,” or broke a child’s fever after you laid it all down at His feet in a 2 a.m. bedside vigil. Maybe He stood with you in the wait of a prayer sent out, or brought someone you loved to Christ. Maybe He healed your broken heart, gave your courage, or you gave Him your dreams as a love offering only to have Him give them back in an unimaginable way. Maybe God helped you survive to bedtime after a crazy Monday, or forgive yourself for missing it with your kiddos –– Whatever it is, let’s Remember Him. . . in a “Remember Me Monday” love letter.

“My mouth will tell of your righteousness,
Of your salvation all the day long,
Though I know not its measure.
I will come and proclaim your mighty acts, O Sovereign Lord”
~ Psalm 71:15-16.

Let us delight in Him by telling the  stories of what He’s done!  If you wrote a blog post remembering what He’s done for you, join the linky. If you didn’t but still want to praise Him for what He’s done – write it in the comment section. Then visit a comment before or after yours! One of the beautiful things about the blogging community is the relationships it builds!

Rules?  Write long or short, a list or a story, include photos or not. Just Remember Him and what He has done, and let the gratitude of your heart guide you. Let’s make Monday so Rejoice, that the goodness of God spills into the rest of the week!

Places I’m Linking at This Week:
 Inspire Me Monday,   Instaencouragements, 
Legacy Link-Up, Recharge Wednesday
 Faith on Fire, Tell His Story, Grace&Truth
Let’s Have Coffee Wednesday Celebrate Your Story
Scripture&Snapshot, Sunday Scripture Blessing