Fly Together

Our worship story tonight was about geese, and how God made them to fly in their distinctive V-shape. They fly together to help each other. They take turns leading when one gets tired, they can fly easier in this formation, and supposedly the ones in the back even honk to encourage the leaders to keep going!

I'm so grateful that Jesus gives us opportunities to journey together. There is nothing sweeter than knowing you are not alone as you march on, with Jesus at the center of the way, and as a constant companion. We were made to help each other, encourage each other, and lift each other up. Each of us has a place in God's family. Each one has something valuable to offer. It's often hard though, to reach out to others, especially if we are feeling weak ourselves. But Jesus' grace is more than enough. He understands our weaknesses, and in fact says that His power is best revealed then (2 Corinthians 12:9).

Walking together is not about having it all together, or pretending we do. It's about showing up, being honest, being real, sharing together, and giving God permission to use us. Although I regularly fail at this, I have to admit that some of my greatest blessings in life have come when I've taken a chance and shared with someone.

The inspiration for this blog was the work Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan. In the first book, Christian journeys much of the way alone, and faces great trials, often losing his way. But in the second book Christiana travels in company with others. They even have a guide to accompany them. While they still face great trials, they face them together and encourage each other along the way. God designed us to be a community of followers. In the New Testament church the believers even shared all things in common (which I imagine included living spaces, food, money, etc). Just thinking out loud here, I wonder what it would take to make that kind of church again? The kind of church (group of believers) against which the gates of hell cannot stand? Can't wait to get to heaven, where there will be an eternity of enjoying Jesus together with fellow pilgrims.

Feeling grateful today for those who journey with me. Thank you Jesus for this sweet taste of heaven.

A Grateful Heart

  So, I've been thinking a lot lately about how to live a life of contentment. After 3 or 4 attempts to write a blog about it, I decided that it’s just too big of a subject to cover all at once. So I’ll start with one of the key aspects of learning to be content: living gratefully. Sometimes it’s easy, sometimes it’s difficult, but cultivating a grateful spirit can be life changing. It’s just really amazing to me how perspective can change when focusing on the blessings. I've heard it so many times before, but I want to explore how to make it a practical reality in my own life. I’m starting off by taking a 30-day "Choosing Gratitude" Challenge. Every time I feel tempted to complain or feel sorry for myself, I’m trying to redirect to something I’m thankful for. And I’m trying to be more intentional about sharing these things out loud, with others. The number of things that I have to be grateful for is just astounding. But for now, here are my top 10:

Above all else, I’m grateful for Jesus. His presence in our lives is absolutely the biggest blessing that we could ever wish for. I’m grateful for every moment I have with Him, for knowing Him more deeply, and for the best that is yet to come.

I’m grateful for love and grace. Where would I be without it? There is nothing higher, or better, or bigger than the love of God, and we receive showers of His grace each day. Every breath, every moment of life, everything we have and are is due to His grace. It’s unfathomable, but even though I can’t fully grasp it, I am eternally grateful for it.

I’m grateful for family. Jesus is so good, He knew we all needed to be a part of a family, and I am privileged to be a part of several. The beautiful, wonderful family I was born into – they are the ones who have been with me from the beginning and continually care for me and show their love and support. The special people God has connected me with who have welcomed me into their lives and demonstrated the love of God in so many ways. Friends - who have shared their journeys with me, and walked beside me. The great, big, family of God, made up of people who are very different, but all united in love for our Jesus. My heavenly family - all waiting in anxious anticipation for the day we can all be together.  What a wonderful blessing it is.

I’m grateful for hope. Hope is what gives us the courage to get out of bed each day. It’s what gives us the strength to keep on trying. It’s what motivates us to live. One who has no hope cannot survive. By the grace of God, I have a blessed hope that gives my life meaning and purpose. This world is not the end. I have an eternity of glory to look forward to, side by side with my Jesus.

I’m grateful to be free. The debt I owed was immensely larger than I could ever hope to pay. But due to Jesus’ great sacrifice for me, I can live free, and forever. I am not bound by the chains of sin and guilt, but I’m free, because of God’s amazing grace.

I’m grateful that all my physical necessities are provided for. The sad reality is that many people are dying each day because they lack the basic necessities.  I not only have what I need, but more left over to share (and I ask God to help me learn to be more generous).

I’m grateful for health. While I certainly long for the day when our bodies will be made new and disease free, I’m grateful that I can walk, and talk, and think. I can see and hear and breathe.  I’m grateful that Jesus gives me strength, day by day.

I’m grateful for the natural world. Everything God made helps us to gain a clearer picture of Him. Every little plant and bird speaks of His love. All things were made for our benefit and enjoyment. The majestic mountains, the rushing stream, the melodious songbird, the fading evening rays; all have their place in the Creator’s grand plan. (Lately I’ve been especially grateful to be able to wake up to pretty little bird songs outside my window each morning).

I’m grateful for the Good Shepherd. I have no doubt that I am as silly and naïve as a lamb, but the Good Shepherd leads me, guides me, and carries me in His arms. He protects me and takes such good care of me. He is tender and kind, compassionate and patient. I want for nothing when He is near.

I’m grateful to be included in God’s great plan. His will is for every person on earth to become a part of His family.  He loves us all so passionately and wants the very best for us. Wise as He is, He has given me (and each one) a part to play in His plan. Now, I can’t say I always do my part faithfully, and there are often times I don’t understand, but there is such great joy in being used by Him and being able to be a part of the work He is doing in every heart.

Thank you, thank you, Jesus, for each and every blessing.

Note: I deeply apologize to any grammatically correct readers. This post, especially, is full of errors I'm sure, but it comes from the heart!

God is Good

The traditional chant from my high school years went like this: God is good, ALL THE TIME! and all the time, GOD IS GOOD!

 It's true 'ya know. It's true when the sun is shining and I'm lying in my hammock enjoying the breeze. It's true when the sky is dark and there are nothing but storms in sight. Sometimes His goodness feels like happiness, sometimes it feels like pain, as He opens wounds to heal. Sometimes His goodness looks like bright opportunities and hope for tomorrow. Sometimes it looks like waiting and trusting. 

  In C.S. Lewis' The Chronicles of Narnia, Lucy voices the question I think we all really want to know: Is He safe? 'Course He's not safe! He's not a tame lion. But He IS good. Meaning that God is not someone who can be put in a box or controlled. He is God after all. His ways are so much bigger than ours, and the only way to live is by simply trusting in His goodness.

  Recently I decided to begin compiling a kind of master list of meaningful verses, inspiring quotes, and encouraging words from friends that I've received lately. The thing that immediately struck me, was that I had something for almost every single day. Every day God had spoken to me, words of comfort and hope. It was a reminder that God is not silent (I just don't always listen). And He is good, so understanding of our needs and weaknesses.

 Just now as I was searching for a quote above, I stumbled across this beautiful blog post (http://www.itakejoy.com/course-he-isnt-safe-but-he-is-good-he-is-not-a-tame-lion/). I love where she says 

"You can’t just read God’s Facebook profile and suppose you can be close to His heart. To be near to His heart–understanding His heart, believing He really loves you, experiencing His personality, requires hours and hours of real life in His presence".

   Understanding God's goodness requires understanding/knowing His heart. It requires a real, live relationship, something built on daily experiences (maybe even mostly mundane experiences). It's walking side by side through good times and bad, experiencing life, together. 

  My God is not tame, but He surely is good. I pray that as I seek to be with Him day by day, His heart of love and goodness will be more fully revealed, both to me, and in me.

The Extraordinary Life

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live an extraordinary life? Most of the time it seems like life on this planet is all about survival, trying to fit in, be normal, and make it through. But recently I've become pretty discontent with this way of living, I think there ought to be more.  Jesus says, "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full" (John 10:10).But what does it mean to live an extraordinary life? What does it take? Actually, I think every follower of Jesus is called to an "abnormal" life, one that doesn't meet the status quo or follow the rules of society, or even logic. 

    While I'm still very much on the journey, here are some things I've gleaned so far, relating to what I believe an extraordinary life looks like. 

1. Jesus only

    An extraordinary life focuses above all on a relationship with Jesus Christ. He becomes first, best, and only in our lives. He is our best Friend, Comforter, constant companion, and the provider of all we need. This is radical, really radical. It changes everything about your life. Not for the faint of heart (unless that faint heart is given to Jesus, and He'll make it strong :) Honestly, I should stop right here. Knowing Jesus is the definition of an extraordinary life. It's all about Him. Really. I saw this  today and I plan to claim it as my personal mission statement:

    Mission:

To know Him and

To make Him known

2. Love

     Human beings cannot survive without love. Love is synonymous with God. It was for no other reason than love that we were created, and also saved. We cannot love on our own, we can only love and be loved through the grace of Jesus. Vital to true living. 

3. Eternal perspective

    The easiest way to avoid an extraordinary life is to forget that this planet is not our permanent residence. Don't get comfortable! We're just passing through. There is more to life, there is a promise of eternal life for those who know Jesus. Rethinking things with an eternal perspective really impacts the way you live your life. Take money for example, once I realize that it's all God's money anyway, I don't have to stress so much about having it or not. Once I remember that a day is coming when there will be no more pain, sorrow, or sickness, then I can deal with those things a little easier, knowing they're not permanent. Once I realize that I really don't belong here, I don't have to worry so much about fitting in and conforming to society's norms. I can focus on my mission.

4. Connection

     We were created to connect to each other, to have community, work together, share together, help each other out. I've read so many studies recently which find that positive social interactions and meaningful relationships contribute greatly to happy and healthy lives. Family and close friends are the people who help you through the hard times, encouraging you to keep going. It's also part of God's plan for sharing Him, enlarging the circle of love as Lee Venden puts it. But as I've noted before, true connection requires vulnerability and hard work. The results, however, can be life-changing.

5. Hope

     People who have survived some great tragedy often cite hope as the only reason they made it through. Hope is trusting in God, having faith that He'll come through, even when your eyes can't see.  Hope is living every day standing on the firm promises of God's word, doing battle, claiming victory, knowing the outcome is sure. Hope is clinging to Jesus through the storms of life. Hope is enduring the now, with eyes fixed on the bright future to come.

6. Believing Truth

    I almost titled this one positive thinking, but they're not quite the same. Believing Truth (and living like you believe it) is about something real, not simply pie in the sky, as they say. It's choosing to believe God and take Him at His Word, whether it's about who He is, or who I am, or what He can do. It's choosing to focus on these things, dwell on them, remember them. Researchers say that it takes a 3 to 1 ratio of positive thoughts to negative thoughts. This is a particular area of struggle for me, the devil loves to place all kinds of negative (mostly untrue) thoughts in my mind. But praise Jesus He is strong enough to combat this and fill us instead with His beautiful, lovely Truth. Focusing on the positive gives you momentum in that direction and can actually help change your course in life.

7. Lifestyle choices

    Living an extraordinary life really doesn't feel that extraordinary most of the time. It's about making little, unimpressive choices every day that leads to victory. These might be things like physical health, being active and choosing good foods, drinking water. It might include spending time in nature, meditation, learning healthy mental habits, laughter, expressing creativity, expressing gratitude, taking breaks from technology, focusing on the important things in life, getting rid of clutter (both physical and otherwise). The key is that all of these choices are based on a larger goal. The goal is not reached instantly, but instead, step by step, choice by choice.

     

8. Being you

   There is only one you. God created each of us uniquely and lovingly. He has a plan for each life, a purpose to be fulfilled. A video I watched today said that one of the top 5 regrets people have on their deathbed is that they wished they had had the courage to be themselves, instead of who everyone else told them they should be. Don't let doubts and fears, insecurities and the opinions of others, stop you from being who God created you to be. There is such beauty in opening this treasure to the world. And no one else can do it, only you. Let God renew you and refine you, choose to trust Him and reveal His breathtaking creation to the world.

So the question is: who are you going to listen to? (I ask myself). On the one hand, the devil and the world tell you that you are destined for nothing better than an ordinary life, so work hard to try and find some comfort and happiness on your own. On the other hand Jesus invites you to a live an extraordinary life with Him, for eternity. The price is steep (it costs all you have), but the joy is unfathomable. What will you choose?

His Presence

Two different people shared this devotional thought with me recently, and it really resonated.  We are grateful for the many earthly blessings He gives, but the reality is that His presence is truely all we need, and more than we could ever hope for. (Unfortunately I don't know the original source to credit).

"I, the Creator of the Universe, am with you and for you.  What more could you need?  When you feel some lack, it is because you are not connecting with Me at a deep level.  I offer abundant life; your part is to trust Me, refusing to worry about anything.

It is not so much adverse events that make you anxious as it is your thoughts about those events.  Your mind engages in efforts to take control of a situation, to bring about the result you desire.  Your thoughts close in on the problem like ravenous wolves.  Determined to make things go your way, you forget that I am in charge of your life.  The only remedy is to switch your focus from the problem to My Presence.  Stop all your striving, and watch to see what I will do.  I am the Lord!"

"What, then, shall we say in response to this?  If God is for us, who can be against us?  He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all -- how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?"  Romans 8:31-32

"But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me."  Micah 7:7

Just to Be With You

The story of Young Joe takes place during a dark time in our nation's history, a time when men were openly bought and sold as slaves. Well, this particular young man was the picture perfect slave, at least physically. He was big and strong and appeared as though he could work for hours without growing weary. But the problem was that he was quite unwilling to work. All day long he would yell at those who came to examine him: 'I won't work! It would be a waste of money to buy me because I won't work even a second!', and he would scoff and sneer. Finally one middle-aged man stepped up and decided to buy Young Joe. So the man handed over an exorbit amount of money and was given the key to Joe's chain and they loaded Joe in the wagon. All the way home Joe kept up his chant of 'I won't work, I won't work'. Soon they arrived at a cute little cottage at the edge of the woods. The man got out, took Joe inside, and then did a strange thing. He unlocked the shackles and tosses them aside. 'Welcome home, Joe,' he said. This is your house now, you're a free man. Still not comprehending the situation, Joe kept raging 'I won't work a day of my life for you!'. The man said 'Joe that's ok with me." Suddenly Joe understood what this man had done for him, and immediately fell at the man's feet and said, 'master, I will work for you until the day I die!' Once he understood what had been done for him, everything changed!

I've heard it said that a man would climb a mountain

Just to be with the one he loves

How many times has he broken that promise

It has never been done.

I've never climbed the highest mountain

But I walked the hill of calvary

Just to be with you, I'd do anything

There's no price I would not pay

Just to be with you, I'd give anything

I would give my life away.

I've heard it said that a man would swim the ocean

Just to be with the one he loves

How may times has he broken that promise

It can never be done

I've never swam the deepest ocean

But I walked upon the raging sea

I know that you don't understand 

the fullness of My love

How I died upon the cross for your sins

And I know that you don't realize

how much that I gave you

But I promise, I would do it all again.

Just to be with you, I've done everything

There's no price I did not pay

Just to be with you, I gave everything

Yes, I gave my life away.

("Love Song" by third day)

There are no words to adequately describe the immensity of what Jesus has done for me. I was a slave to sin, but he saw my great need and came to resue me, set me free, cut my chains. But it wasn't just benevelance or sympathy that brought him here. No, His motivation went much deeper. His love for me is so deep and vast and strong that He was willing to do whatever it took, just to be with me, just to show His love and give me the chance to be His friend. Once I understand this, everything changes. Just to be with me, just to be with you, He gave everything. 

There is no possible way to repay this debt of love, but I pray that, by His grace, my daily response will be to fall at His feet and worship, saying, 'Master, take this life, it's all I have to offer. And I will gladly serve you in love, all the days of my life".

He Leadeth Me

The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
2     He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
     he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
    for his name’s sake.

Even though I walk
    through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil,
    for you are with me;
(Psalm 23:1-4)

He Leadeth Me

He leadeth me, O blessèd thought!

O words with heav’nly comfort fraught!

Whate’er I do, where’er I be

Still ’tis God’s hand that leadeth me.

Refrain

He leadeth me, He leadeth me,

By His own hand He leadeth me;

His faithful follower I would be,

For by His hand He leadeth me.

Sometimes mid scenes of deepest gloom,

Sometimes where Eden’s bowers bloom,

By waters still, over troubled sea,

Still ’tis His hand that leadeth me.

Lord, I would place my hand in Thine,

Nor ever murmur nor repine;

Content, whatever lot I see,

Since ’tis my God that leadeth me.

The doctors told her she had only months to live. It was cancer, and there was much pain. 10 years later she is still here, still in daily pain. Recently her pastor stopped by to visit and she asked him, 'Why in the world is God keeping me alive? I can't do anything, I have to stay in bed most of the time. What is the purpose of keeping on?'. The pastor responded, 'Well, is there anything about your life that is different than before?' The lady immediately responded, 'Oh, yes. I am so much closer to Jesus!' As I listened to these words it struck a chord in me. Although my situation is certainly nothing compared to this woman's, I've been wondering lately why Jesus is keeping me here in this frustrating place I'm at in life. I feel like I'm not really doing anything useful, and I have been wondering what is the point. But when I ask myself the question, what is different about my life now than before? The immediate and joyous answer: I know Jesus like never before! The Bible is clear that God is never the author of pain and suffering, or trials and tribulations, but if we choose to let Him, He can use these situations to bring glorious blessings to us and draw us nearer and nearer to Him.

I've been reading lots of verses about waiting on God (hoping in Him, expecting great things from Him), and about trusting Jesus, but we all know it's often hard when we can't see the end from the beginning. Then I heard the words to this beautiful hymn. The author, Joseph Gilmore, writing in the darkest hour of the Civil War says, "God’s lead­er­ship is the one sig­nif­i­cant fact in hu­man ex­per­i­ence, that it makes no dif­fer­ence how we are led, or whi­ther we are led, so long as we are sure God is lead­ing us." The song also reminds me that it is God's own hand that is leading, His very own nail-scarred hand. This is not some impersonal guide who cares nothing for my welfare, but instead the Good Shepherd who gave His life so that He and I could be friends. It doesn't matter where He leads me, or how long it takes to get there, or which path He chooses, as long as I'm with Him I can be sure that I am safe. He never promised us an easy journey, but He does promise the joy, peace and wonderfulness of His company and guidance. As long as I have this, I have no need to fear.

Jesus, forgive me for spending so much time focusing on small and momentary troubles. This week help me fix my eyes on You and look up, content to follow wherever You lead, and thankful for your dear company along the way.