Tracy Swager

Never Too Late

It’s never too late to start. Start now.

I finished my master’s degree as I turned 40.

My mom started a successful business in her late 50s.

My uncle became a U.S. citizen at age 74.

And Caleb? Caleb was 85 years old when he took possession of the Lord’s inheritance. Read it straight from the Bible, in Joshua 14, below:

“Now, then, just as the LORD promised, he has kept me alive for forty-five years since the time he said this to Moses, while Israel moved about in the wilderness. So here I am today, eighty-five years old! I am still as strong today as the day Moses sent me out; I’m just as vigorous to go out to battle now as I was then. Now give me this hill country that the LORD promised me that day. You yourself heard then that the Anakites were there and their cities were large and fortified, but, the LORD helping me, I will drive them out just as he said.” (Joshua 14:10-12 NIV)

What courage Caleb had! We can start—and finish—like him. The LORD is helping us, too, you know. What is it that has stayed in your heart for years… your “one day” dream? What holds you back? Sometimes we look at all the steps of the whole process and get overwhelmed. We can’t solve right now every problem that might arise, so we stay stuck outside the “land” God put in our heart to take.

As for me and that master’s degree, I finally just... started. I stopped worrying about how long it would take or if I would ever finish. If I never started, I sure wouldn’t finish! I just took the one class that was in front of me. Then I did the next one. One step at a time and suddenly I was stepping across that stage at Regent University for graduation. I learned that sometimes when I’m waiting on God’s timing, He’s just waiting on me to step up to the starting line.

My mother’s starting line was her quilting business. She could have been overwhelmed with whether she could make enough money, or if she’d get all the projects done that she wanted. She didn’t do that though—my mom was not one to let any moss grow beneath her feet. She just started. She made beautiful art through quilting for years and shared the love of Jesus through it. She didn’t get overwhelmed with what she might not achieve… rather she rejoiced in each beautiful project and treasured each precious relationship.

My dad will be 75 this year. We were talking on the phone the other day as he was cleaning out some of my mom’s quilting projects. She moved to heaven a few years ago and he was giving to their friends some projects she didn’t get to finish. He was overwhelmed and weeping, lamenting all she had wanted to do, and didn’t get done. Then there was a perspective shift. We began to rejoice at all she did get to do, all the people she loved, and the joy she brought to our lives. We renewed in our heart that not knowing how much time we have here on earth isn’t a reason to hold back; it’s the reason to start now.

What “start now” is in your heart? I’m praying with you over it!

Father, renew in us the dreams You have placed in our heart. May we have the courage to take the first step, and then see what road You reveal and provision You pour out. In Jesus’ name, amen.

~

The Ingredient of Patience

Patience is not my strong suit. Nope, not at all. How about you?

The longer something takes to come about, the more I think I need to help it along. I’m sure you can imagine some of the ways this has bitten me through the years, especially with cooking. I can cook... but my lack of patience and occasional distractedness do not make for a good result.

Like that time I put the garlic toast in late. Everything else was ready. Surely it would be okay to turn up the broiler over the bread in the oven while I set the table. Oh, and got the drinks. And served the plates. What’s that smell? You guessed it! I burned the bread.

Or when I didn’t have much time on my lunch break, so I turned the burner up under the pot of chili. I really was going to stand right there and watch. But I needed to water my plants. As I put them in the sink to drain, I could hear something ding in my inbox. I’ll just take care of that quickly. What’s that smell? Scorched chili.

My lack of patience, I’m sure, has many times brought a scorched stench up to the nostrils of God. As He matures the fruit of the Spirit in me, I’m confident that patience will be among them and produce a beautiful fragrance of worship. I’m inspired when I consider the patient worship and waiting on the Lord of Simeon:

Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. (Luke 2:25-26 NIV)

When I think of Simeon, I’m inspired by his waiting for the Lord’s promise. There was nothing he could have done to speed it along. Yet, he believed. He got older, and older. Yet, he believed and waited patiently for the Lord’s promised outcome. Patience like that is worship. And then, he held the Messiah in his arms.

I desire that kind of patient and confident waiting for the Lord, and that His promises would characterize my walk with Him. I long for the day that I can move when God says “move,” but when He says “not yet,” then I can be still. Until then, I’m grateful for God’s mercy over my missteps and His grace when I try to help His promise along because I think He’s taking too long.

What are you waiting patiently for? Or perhaps, are you are seeking the Lord about a matter and struggling to be patient? Be encouraged. The Lord keeps every promise.

Thank You, Lord, that You are faithful to keep Your promises. Please grow the fruit of Your Spirit in us, so we can patiently await Your action when You’ve called us to be still. Help us to not “help You” by acting when You have not called us to act. We declare our trust in You and Your timing. May our patient trust in You be a fragrant offering of worship, as incense. In Jesus’ name, amen.

~

Rhythm of Rest

It turns out mom was right!

As I’ve matured, I’ve come to that realization repeatedly. How about you? As it turns out, it really does save time to do something right the first time. We absolutely should be kind to others. And... we can’t keep burning the candle at both ends—at least, not forever.

That last one is what popped into my mind as I was reading Numbers 29. Now, I’m the first to admit that I groan a little (forgive me, Lord) when anything from the book of Numbers is in my Bible reading for the day. Today, though, the Lord grabbed my attention and admonished me to truly listen to His Word.

“On the first day of the seventh month hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work. It is a day for you to sound the trumpets.” (Numbers 29:1 NIV)

As I continued to read through the biblical instruction to Israel about sacred feast days, I was impressed with the many occasions when regular work was to be set aside, in addition to a Sabbath every week. It’s as if the Lord knew that His creation would continually fall into the trap of overworking, overextending, and fatiguing ourselves!

The Lord prescribed a rhythm of rest, celebration, recharge… a reboot for His people! If His people are obedient, that obedience brings regular time with the Lord, plus rest for muscles, minds and hearts. Rest isn’t just sleep. It’s taking a real break, moving muscles that are stiff from being in front of a computer screen, getting quiet with the Lord, abstaining from “regular work” for a bit. Such rest often brings new perspective, new commitment to a calling, and fresh anointing for our purpose.

Jesus exemplified this in His ministry, often going to solitary places to pray.

After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them. (Mark 9:2)

If the Son of God needed to follow a rhythm of rest, how much more do we? If Jesus needed the encouragement from His Father, certainly we need it even more!

God’s desire that His people understand the importance of a rhythm of rest is unchanged. The Lord still prescribes rest. There is joy, strength, balance, and refreshing waiting for us! So how do we get there?

When my mom tried to teach me that I couldn’t keep burning the candle at both ends, I was a high school student involved in way too many activities. She followed her statement with, “Or I’ll just take your car keys away!” That gets a 16-year old’s attention! As adults, our minds and bodies begin to command attention in ways that we can’t ignore. We need to build a rhythm of rest into our lives. I like to start with some dedicated prayer time with the Lord, asking Him to help me reset boundaries for rest. How will you start?

Father, thank You for ordering a rhythm of rest in Your Word. Thank You, Jesus, that You showed us how to follow it in Your time on earth! We confess that we are often tired, and ignore our need for rest and recharge, our need for quiet time away from our normal duties, to hear from You and be encouraged by the Holy Spirit. Would You help us hear Your voice about how to keep Your rhythm of rest in our lives? Would You then help us obey what You speak to us? We are so grateful to You, Lord! In Jesus’ name, amen.

~

Tracy

Swager

Contributing Writer

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