Laurie Hopkins

December 9 2022

A Season of Light – It Has Made ALL The Difference

It has been a long time since we sat together and chatted. For a while, it was more because I did not have anything new to share and then later, because I had so much to share, I could not find a place to start.

But today I find myself right here, at the table, ready for a chat with you…….

This morning I stood in my kitchen and realized my Easter/Thanksgiving/Christmas cactus is blooming. I am never sure which type it is because it blooms at the oddest times.

For some reason it really caught my attention. I stood still……admiring its colour and the fascinating shape of its bloom. Had I ever stopped and looked closely at it before? I cannot say with certainty that I have or have not, but this morning it struck me just how beautiful it is.

Two full blooms and I see another one starting. Usually, I am lucky to get one bloom.

“It is in the direct light,” I thought absentmindedly, “that has made the difference.”

In the light

That has made the difference

Why was it so much more captivating today?

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, upon them a light has shined. Isaiah 9:2

When I read this verse from Isaiah, I often wonder how these people, the ones who walked in darkness, felt when the light shined upon them? Were they grateful for what they could now see? Afraid of what the light revealed? In awe of all that they had missed while in the darkness? Did it alter the way they saw things? Did “dark things” bother them less when bathed in light and “things in the light” cause them to pause more often?

The last 3 plus months have been a time of great challenges in our home. A lot of appointments and tests, a lot of waiting, leading to an unexpected and unwelcome diagnosis for my husband. Followed by more tests, appointments, waiting, chemo treatments, side effects, long days and even longer nights.

Some days I have felt like “those who walked in darkness”.

If I were to be completely honest, there is something about the darkness that can cause us to burrow in deep, covered securely by its weight and its ability to obscure how and what we see. There is, oddly enough, a comfort in the dark, weight of it.

Early on in this recent journey, I was reminded of John 8:12 “Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.””

As I thought on that verse, reminded that as a follower of Jesus, I am not one that walks in the darkness, but one who walks in the light, I wondered…in this moment, in this particular situation, did the light that was shining on me change things? Did I feel grateful for what I could now see walking in this light? Was I afraid of what the light was revealing or might reveal? Was I in awe of all that I had missed when I walked in the darkness? Was this reminder of the light I walk in, altering the way I would see things? Did the “dark things” in my life and in this journey bother me less when bathed in the light and the did the “things in the light” cause me to pause more often?

My captivation with this cactus this morning, blooming in the direct light that made the difference caused something to shift within me.

I remembered that walking in the light of Jesus always makes the difference.

Walking in the light of Jesus impacts my perspective (my capacity to view things in their true relations or relative importance). (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/perspective)

Despite the challenges, the uncertainties, the fear, the concern and worry for what is and what might be, when I choose to remember that as a follower of Jesus, I walk in the light, not in the darkness, things change.

I KNOW that I feel more grateful for what I can see when walking in this light – God’s truth.

I am LEARNING not to be afraid of what the light reveals about me, about others, about situations – because the light always leads to God’s truth.

I AM in awe of all that I miss when I walked in the darkness – once you know the truth you don’t want to go back.

This light I walk in, DOES alter the way I see things – “the truth will set you (me) free” (John 8:32).

The “dark things” in my life and in this journey bother me less when BATHED IN THE LIGHT – it doesn’t make it go away or always make it easier but it grants a peace that “passes all understanding” (Philippians 4:7) – the truth reminds me – in the end we win – “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” (Romans 8:18).

Walking in the light changes my perspective and DOES cause me to pause more often, to see the beauty in the little, basic, and everyday things – truth shows you what is really important.

This is a season of lights. Christmas tree lights; lights decorating houses, doors and outdoor trees; flickering candles. All meant to represent the coming of the Light of the World, the Lord Jesus.

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, upon them a light has shined. Isaiah 9:2

Those people that walked in darkness, what light was it that shined on them? Just a few verses later we read:

For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever. Isaiah 9:6-7

This Child is the light – the light that shined in the darkness of the people who previously had walked in darkness. The Christ Child, born at Christmas to give His life for us at Easter that we may walk with Him, in His light, eternally.

This morning’s captivation with the blooming cactus, in the direct light, that made all the difference, was a necessary reminder of the light that I am to walk in everyday. A reminder that I am not to get bogged down or comfortable in the weight of the dark, but that I am to be captivated by that which I can see – God’s truth – when I walk in His light. Regardless of what the situation I am in, looks or feels like –“for we walk by faith, not by sight”. (2 Corinthians 5:7).

Does that mean it will always be easy, work out the way we want it to, or feel comfortable?

No, it doesn’t.

But it does mean that I will walk in truth and peace and that my “enlightened” perspective will allow me to see the beauty in the little, basic, and everyday things that are really important in the whole scheme of things.

In the light

It has made ALL the difference

Category: Life, Moments | 3 Comments

June 12 2022

Shifting Gears – Who’s Strength Are You Moving In?

I will lift up my eyes to the hills—from whence comes my help? My help comes from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth. Psalm 121:1-2

How is it two months since we last chatted? It is an interesting writing season – although the thoughts come fast and furious, the release to share them is happening a lot less often. There are seasons like that – when what God give you, is really more for you than for others. He is a gracious Father and He knows what we need and when we need it.

Last time we talked about learning to let go when seasons change. That has been a hard lesson for me – so I have been sitting with that one a lot lately. I would love to hear how you are doing with learning to let go. It is always nice to share with others; it helps us to feel less alone in our journey. What we are learning could also be the lesson someone else is waiting on. Feel free to share in the comment section below.

The weather has been wonderful of late – I love the spring, as the days get progressively longer and warmer and I feel more like being outside and less like hibernating inside. Now it is almost summer, and last night it was still bright after 9pm. This makes me very happy.

For the last few weeks, I have been biking with my husband – we started with 10 kms and are now up to 20 kms. I love biking. The wind in your face, the speed. What I have not always liked about biking are the hills. Hills are hard. And I am competitive. Therefore, if my husband does the hill without getting off the bike and walking up, I want to do the hill without getting off the bike and walking up (even though he bikes A LOT more than I do).

The first few days we biked, I was determined to make all those hills – they were pretty gradual ones, but I still had to work hard to build up speed before the hill and then make a fast run at it to have any chance of getting to the top in one piece. It was exhilarating but exhausting.

My husband pointed out that I was not shifting my gears. Now, in my defence, my old bike had terrible gears that practically threw me off the bike when I shifted. Because of that, I never got in the habit of using them. My husband pointed out that the bike I am using now has nice smooth gears that shift easily and he showed me how to shift into the lower gear when going uphill.

Because I am in a season, where I am also trying to do new things – even though change is scary and difficult (even when you know it is good for you) – the next day when we biked I tried out the gears. What a difference!

The next day when we were biking, I was happily shifting gears all over the place – and feeling pretty good about my new skills. Still, there were more lessons to be learned. As we were approaching the last gradual hill on the way back (about 17 kms in), I was peddling fast to build up speed before the hill, expending a lot of energy, when I heard God say, “You don’t need to run the hill, just shift the gear down and maintain your normal speed.”

Now, you may think it was odd for God to be giving me direction about how to use my gears (although He does speak to us in the little everyday things), but He had a bigger lesson for me.

I slowed down my fast pace and shifted the gear as I hit the bottom of the hill. To my surprise, He was completely right! I made the hill with energy to spare at the top. YEAH!

As we continued on, God spoke clearly, “you have been running the hills fast and furiously, expending so much energy, doing it all in your own strength when all you had to do was use the gears – that is what they are there for”.

While I was still processing that, He continued, “you have been doing the same in your life, all of your life – running the hills fast and furiously, expending so much energy, doing it all in your own strength – but I have given you the Holy Spirit –the gears for your everyday life –use what I have given you. You do not need to do it in your own strength – know how to access and use the power you have within you – the power I have given you. In your strength you can get to the top of the hill, exhausted, discouraged, maybe even disillusioned. When you use your gears and go in the power of the Holy Spirit, wait and see where I will take you, in my strength, not yours.”

WOW!

Pause for a minute and let that sink in.

Did that hit you as it hit me when I heard it?

Did it hit you as it has hit me every day since?

If not, then maybe you need to sit with it a little longer.

After a few days, we went beyond the 8km mark one way and hit the BIG hill. It is a winding, back and forth, very tall and steep hill. Remember the competitive me. My husband graciously offered to walk up the hill with me (even though I knew he could do it without getting off the bike). I said to him, “can you bike up the hill?” He said yes and I said, “Well I am going to give it a try.” This time I did not run the hill, I maintained my speed, used the gears the way they are meant to be used and I made that hill on the first try! YEAH!

More importantly, in the last few weeks, as God continues to remind me that I do not need to do everything (anything) in my own strength, I am learning to access the power of the Holy Spirit that is within me. Do I get it right every time? No. I am learning. Is it always easy? No. Nevertheless, I will never learn unless I choose to surrender, submit, and lean into the strength of the Father.

We were never meant to be independent and self-sufficient. We were meant to live in relationship with an almighty and powerful God and in community with one another.

Whose strength are you moving in today?

Are you ready to shift gears?

As always, it is so wonderful to chat with you. Drop a comment below and let me know how you are doing. I would love to hear from you!

Until next time,

Remember,

you are valuable,

you are loved,

where you are,

just as you are!

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. Proverbs 3:5,6

Category: Life, Moments, Nature | 3 Comments

April 24 2022

Learning to Let Go- When Seasons Change

To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven.

Ecclesiastes 3:1

How have you been? Really? The last time we chatted, we talked about “living in the what if?”

Has that begun to percolate, not just in your mind, but also in your spirit? Have you sat with it and allowed it the opportunity to shift your thinking? If not, you may need to go back and revisit it.

One of the truths I have come to learn this year is the importance of sitting with the information we are reading, hearing, and learning. We are a society that loves to devour information – the more information the better. However, I fear that our devouring is superficial at best. When was the last time you sat and thought about what you read? Discussed it with someone else? Prayed about it? Allowed it to get down deep into your thinking and into your spirit? Gave it the opportunity to make a difference in your day-to-day life? Before moving on to the next reading, conference material, sermon, etc.

I think we need to question our intention in devouring such vast amounts of information. What do we actually intend to do with it? Do we intend to learn, change and grow? Or are we just checking off “done” on some invisible checklist, trying to prove that we are smart and capable, that we belong? I am a bit embarrassed to admit that I was caught up in that cycle. Reading, listening, watching but never really participating. I was working hard to try to fill a void inside with “learning”. Only to find that even just a few days later I couldn’t recall many of the details of what I had given away so much of my time for; it had been devoured by the next thing. I was left feeling rushed and disillusioned with my inability to find what I was looking for, despite all the “learning”.

These days I am working on watching what I am taking in, how much I am taking in and being intentional about the time I spend with what I am taking in. This means I am sharing less on my blog as well. Moving from sharing just to share, to sharing when there is something to share.

If you have not spent some time in the last blog and wish to stop right here and go back to take a look. Or if you want to start from here and spend some time in today’s chat. Whatever you choose to do, please consider taking the time to sit with what you read. Think about it. Talk about it. Pray about it. Wrestle with it. Comment on it. Ask other readers, or me, questions about it. However you choose to do it, don’t just devour it and move it- participate, engage with it, and allow it to settle deeper than the surface.

Now, onto our thought for today. How many of you are happy that Spring is finally here? Nico the cat loves the longer days (more time to lie in the sun)! I have been enjoying more walks outside. The woods trail I like to walk in was groomed for cross-country skiing only all winter, so I am excited to be able to walk in the woods again. There is something about being out in the midst of the trees and beside the river.

The first time I got back onto the woods trail, I must admit, I was distracted thinking about how beautiful it had been in early winter, snowy, untouched, soft snow falling and covering the surrounding trees. Right then it looked bare, somewhat dirty, and unkempt even. As I walked, I heard God say, “Are you ready to let go?” “Let go of what?” I quickly responded. I was in the process of much change and He could have been referring to many things. His answer – “Everything.” That was all I heard for some time.

I have been thinking about this for a few weeks now. The question pops up frequently and at the most unusual times, “Are you ready to let go?”

Has anyone else heard this of late? Perhaps something similar? It has been my experience, that when God speaks to me about things, He is also speaking to others about the same or similar things as well.

How have you responded? Do you know what you need to let go of? Is there one thing in particular or are there a few things on the potential list?

Today as I walked, I heard it again, “Are you ready to let go?” This time I answered, “Yes, I am ready, but you need to show me what I need to let go.”

I paused and I heard the sweetest voice whisper in my ear, “When seasons change, there is a time of transition – there is beauty in the transition that you must learn to see –it may look and feel barren- but the barrenness is just an emptying so there is room within you to receive. When seasons change, you must learn to let go, to be emptied, so you are ready to engage – and to be filled with the beauty and joy of the next season. The season is changing – what do you KNOW you NEED to let go?”

The new season is not just about doing something different, trying new things, gathering new information, being a different you. The new season is mostly about what you let go of. The doubts, the fears, and the lies you have built your current foundation on. The obstacles you have placed in front of yourself.

I stopped in the middle of the woods path, beside the beautiful river, and saw for the first time this spring, the new buds on the trees, the new sprigs of green poking up through the dead leaves, the yellow flowers. At that moment, I was able to stop longing for what it looked like in the winter (what once was) and waiting for what it will look like in the summer (the expectation of what is to come), and in doing so, I saw the beauty of the moment.

It is a new season. I need to learn to let some things go. What about you?

Are you ready to empty so you can be filled? Can you let go so you can be in the moment? There is beauty in the transition if we are only open to seeing it.

As I finished my walk, God was gracious to help me to see some of the things I need to let go of. Self-sufficiency was number one. We were created for relationship – relationship with God and then people. We were never intended to figure it out or to do it on our own. Foundations built on “I can do it on my own” are foundations built on the sand. Structures or systems in our life that we have created to “survive” need to be deconstructed and reconstructed with the truths that only Jesus can show us. That foundation will be a foundation built on the solid rock.

What about perfectionism and false responsibility? Doing as a way to prove your worth or to earn your existence? Running fast and hard to outrun that “thing”?

I don’t know about you, but these are all things I need to learn to let go.

As I stood in the woods, by the bridge, over the river, I lifted my palms upward and gave it all to Jesus. I asked for His forgiveness, not for building the structures I needed to survive at certain points in my life, but for turning away from His offers of help even when I knew, the structures “I built” no longer served me.

“And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace.” (John 1:16)

The Passion Translation says it this way:

“And from the overflow of his fullness we received grace heaped upon more grace!”

In the letting go, in the transition, in the moment, I found His grace.

Do you know what you need to let go of? Are you ready to offer it up to Jesus? He is not waiting to pounce on you and condemn you when you lift your palms upward. He is waiting to hold out His hands to receive what you are ready to let go of and to hold out His arms when you are ready to run into His.

It is a new season. I am choosing to let some things go. What about you?

This is not a word to devour and move on. This is a word to sit with. Take the time; allow it to seep below the surface. Then respond and watch what God will do, not only in your life but also in the lives around you.

Thanks for stopping in for a chat! I always enjoy our time together.

Drop your thoughts in the comment section below – I would love to hear from you!

Until next time!

Laurie

Category: Moments, New Beginnings | LEAVE A COMMENT