Easter Appearances

    Shadows shrouded the garden in the wee hours of morning. There were hesitant footsteps on the way to a tomb. Voices whispered in the dewy morning, sorrowful, yet determined to perform this last act of honor. Then fear at the sight of angels in the tomb, and finally a quiet voice, "Mary."
    In the uncertain gloom of a dingy house, men were gathered pondering the strange happenings. In startled amazement, they saw their Leader appear among them. One, in doubt, demanded to see the imprints of nails in order to believe He was real. Then came the cry of wonder, "My Lord and my God!"
    Along the Emmaus Road, two walked together, speaking of all that had happened. In sorrow, they pondered what the future held. They welcomed a stranger who wished to travel with them. As they sat together to eat, the Stranger blessed the humble meal, and the two looked at each other, eyes bright in recognition. "Did our heart not burn within us?" 
   The story of Easter is just as relevant today as it was many years ago. Sometimes, we, too, feel all hope is gone. We struggle to believe, and sometimes don't recognize the very One we long for as He waits for us to see His plan for our lives.
    Shadows rise before us, sorrow makes the way we travel look unbearably dark. Perhaps it is the loss of a loved one, the disappointment of a shattered dream, or the disaster of a broken relationship. None of our despair is lost upon the Savior as He waits for us to look to Him. And in the stillness of our despair He speaks my name. He speaks yours. And in the sound of that gentle voice, Hope once more springs to life.
    In the gloom of our own doubts and fears, we may wonder if it is even possible to believe. Can we have faith that the gift of Saving Blood was for me, personally? Often we find through the words of a song or the faithful lines of the Bible, a nail-scarred hand is presented to us, and we find the courage to believe, crying out in shame at our doubtfulness and wonder at His love, "My Lord and my God!"
    We walk together as Brothers and Sisters, pondering often what the future will hold. We search for direction, and beg that our hearts be united in spirit. So many times as we sit together, there comes a moment, a stillness about us, and we know. We know He is there, the future is not hopeless, and we gaze at one another in awe, for have our hearts not burned within us?
    This Easter, may we again thank and praise our Father for a love that allowed His spotless Son to become the sacrifice for a hopeless people. May we rejoice at the wonder of an open tomb, reach for His hand and feel the wound that we may grasp the wonder of the story, and feel our spirits burn within as we attend the morning worship where hearts unite in awe at the sacrifice that allows Love a place to live today, and every day until our King returns.
    Wishing you each the Love and Wonder of Easter!

Purpose

     For years the question has been discussed in learned society: What is the purpose of man? There is an entire book, maybe more than one, dedicated to discovering the reason for man's existence. Great minds have pondered the question, and men who could find no answer have given up on life itself. 
    Christians have been aware of the answer for years. It's written plainly in the Word of God. "Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him." (Isaiah 43:7) Such a simple answer, yet so profound.
    But still, many of us seem to have missed an important connection. This gives man his meaning, yes, to bring glory and honor to God, yet focusing solely on that point may leave some in confusion. 
    Does this mean we are mere pawns, playing out some fantastical game for a distant God? Does He not care about me, my needs, and my desires? Is it all about Him and His will, and I am placed against my desire into a world of pain and sorrow in order to glorify a harsh and careless master? What kind of God is this that we serve anyhow?
    A while back something clicked in place for me. 1 John 4:16 says "...God is love..." There is no question. The statement is plain. And suddenly I began to find new understanding about the piece of man's purpose I had been missing. We are to bring glory to God, that is true, but we forget what came first. 
    Love, by it's very nature, cannot be hoarded. It must be shared. The Bible doesn't say God is like love. It doesn't say that He is good at loving. It says God is love. This is a significant difference. God's very existence needed to be shared. And so He created man.
    He created us to lavish His love upon. He made us to be the apple of His eye, the crown of His creation. We were created to bring Him joy by giving Love a place to dwell. 
    When we can understand that God did not create us to live in a miserable world just so He could sit back and watch us stumble through life, but rather created us occupants of a world thirsty for a Love that only He could give, it completely changes the picture. 
    He gave us a choice to accept or reject Him, and it is in acceptance of Love that we find a place to fulfill our purpose of glorifying Him. Accepting the magnificence of His love grants us a burning desire to do all we can for the One who cares so much for us.

    This new picture of the creation and purpose of man has helped me so much. Realizing that my acceptance of His love and the plan of salvation is in itself bringing glory to God has made my purpose not seem like such a vague, distant thing to fulfill. 

    Giving us a choice was a risk God chose to take when He created humans. What honor would it be to Him were we created to accept His love and love Him in return without an option to do otherwise? Love is a gift, offered free for all, but we must first believe it exists, and then choose to accept it.

    As we "...grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever..." (2 Peter 3:18) We will also come to a clearer understanding of obedience and submission, both of which are fruits of understanding God's love, choosing Him, and fulfilling our purpose to glorify our Creator.

    I don't pretend to understand everything. Love is a mystery. But I want to live my life full of meaning. I want to choose Him every day in every way. And someday I want to see the mystery revealed as I stand at His throne, worshipping and praising Him for all He has done. And I pray you will be standing there, too. 

    Love to you all, and wishing you each a wonderful week of fulfilling your purpose!

On the Mercy of a Stranger

    I was dutifully attempting to wash my car. It was an old fashioned wash that called for quarters and elbow grease. I had allowed myself ten minutes at most, five at best to finish the job before needing to arrive at another appointment. To say I was in a hurry would be accurate. 
    I hopped confidently out of my car and dropped the required quarters in the slot. The wash went off without much of a hitch. True, 'twas a bit of a lick and a promise, but at least it was something. I hung the hoses back up and prepared to leave. That was when I realized I couldn't. I was locked out of my car.
    Panic surged through me. There were groceries in there! My parents were out of state at the time. My sister was teaching school. I certainly didn't know any other phone numbers to call. Sure, my door has a lock code, but I'd never bothered to memorize it because I'd never needed it. Faulty logic, yes, but it made sense at the time. Besides, knowing I have a very low affinity for numbers, I'd saved the code on my phone which I always had with me. Except now it, too, was in the car. 
   There were only two other people at the car wash. One was a grumpy looking woman, my age or a little younger. The other was a middle aged man. He was just getting in his car to leave. I walked over to him.
    "Excuse, me sir," I said, "Do you have a phone I could borrow?" I explained the situation. I wasn't sure if I could trust him, but what choice did I have but to throw myself on the mercy of this complete stranger? The situation seemed even more dubious when he produced two phones and deliberated between which number would be most likely to be answered. He smoked steadily as he tried calling a locksmith. 
    "No, he's busy," he said, "Tell you what, I'll call the sheriff's office." And he did. When no one answered there, he said, "I'll just call the sheriff himself. He's my cousin anyway." 
    At last he found someone willing to come. In fact, two official cars showed up and after about a ten minute struggle they managed to get my car open. I was so thankful. I thought I might cry from relief.
    Yes, I had prayed and God had sent a stranger as an answer to that prayer.
    It occurred to me that this story contains some elements of faith. It was scary to boldly ask for help from a complete stranger. I was helpless. He had all the power in the equation. 
    In our Christian lives the elements of the faith we live by are sometimes scary. We don't understand everything. We may feel helpless. But we are not putting our trust in a complete stranger. At least, we don't think we are. We know God, right?
    Yet I wonder sometimes how fully this is true. Do I understand to the depths of my being that God is Love? Do I recognize that He has no desire to harm me? That He wants to give me joy, grant me peace, send rain upon the parched fields of my heart? 
    Or am I afraid to ask? Sometimes we think we are not good enough. There are days we feel too insignificant, our needs too small, ourselves not worth it.   
    Yes, there are unknowns in the future. There are those things that look impossible with our human vision.  But "faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." (Hebrews 11:1) To live in faith is to live in the midst of the unknown, not completely without fear, for we are human, but rather to find peace in the unknown, learning we can place those fears in the hands of an all powerful God. 
    Is it easy to live by faith? To trust through circumstances we don't understand? To grasp His promises of forgiveness and peace? Certainly not. Yet we must remember He is Love. We must be willing to be a little scared, placing our future in His hands with fear and trembling. 
    Living by faith is a grand adventure that will lead you to unexpected places. It may unlock doors you didn't even know existed. Throw yourself boldly on the mercy of our Heavenly Father. Don't let your fear hold you back. Walk forward with God. He's waiting to take your hand.

Remembering Christmas

     Have you ever had a bad Christmas? I have. Well, maybe it wasn't Christmas day itself, but the days before.

     School had dismissed for the holidays. My sister and I, both teaching at the time, were home alone. Our parents planned to return from their current job late Christmas Eve. 

     I don't remember exactly which tragedy struck first. One of them, however, was the lack of firewood. It was cold, at least to a southerner, and there was no way to heat the house except for a feeble space heater or two. 

     Things soon went from bad to worse. The lights started flickering and dimming randomly. When we tried to run the microwave it refused to operate properly. We checked the breaker box. Nothing wrong there, but something was clearly amiss. Because it was late, we turned off all the electrical items we could and sat huddled in jackets and blankets under the dim glow of a single lamp.

     That was the same Christmas there was a water leak Christmas morning that caused the entire community to have the water shut off until an hour or two before lunch. 

     It was Christmas, but I for one did not feel joyful. Instead I suffered from an acute bout of self pity.

     There is another Christmas that stands out in my memory. I was no older than eleven. My parents had warned us children that there would be no Christmas trip to visit far-away relatives. There would be no gifts either. There simply wasn't money. 

     But I remember that Christmas because it was one of my favorite celebrations ever. Our family spent the day in our tiny house. Mom turned down the lights and lit candles. We sat on the floor and played games. We laughed and sang and read the story of the first Christmas night. It's possible Dad made some of his famous caramel popcorn, but I don't remember the details. They weren't important. The thing that mattered the most was the true Spirit of Christmas, the Love we shared.

     Neither of these memories depicts a perfect Christmas, but the first Christmas wasn't perfect either. There was an inconvenient tax, a weary, travel-worn couple, and a dank and dusty stable. The characters in the story had every right to feel miserable. The shepherds were desolate on the hill, perhaps lonely and forlorn. The world lay in silence, hope nearly forgotten. Many believed the promised Messiah of the ancient writings was surely a myth rather than a Man. The darkness resting on the souls of mankind was heavy, suffocating, crushing.

     But then there was Love. Love, born into darkness. Love, lighting up the night. Love, taking away the loneliness, the fears, the desolation. Love, prompting shepherds to leave their sheep, moving Wiseman to embark on a journey of hundreds of miles. Love, moving the very angels of Heaven to break the subdued silence on earth with joyful songs and the proclamation that a Savior, the very definition of Love had arrived.

     Where do you find yourself this Christmas season? Have you found yourself cold and miserable, pitying yourself amongst the bleakness of the world around you? There are plenty of things gone wrong. You needn't even look for them. It may not be a lack of firewood or faulty electricity, but it could be a canceled trip. It could be bills overdue, a loved one astray, a mental struggle you are fighting, a hopelessness and disappointment in how life has turned out, a little voice that whispers it doesn't pay to try. Perhaps the world is big and black and ugly, and you feel cynical and afraid.

     But there is an answer for whatever situation you are facing.

     Christmas morning doesn't need to dawn a perfect day to contain the true Spirit of Christmas.  Love can saturate the most humble of celebrations.  Love can be felt when you forgive and welcome home the family member with whom you have shared differences. Love is there to warm hearts when someone tries to politicize the conversation over the Christmas ham. Love is there to light the way when it is the first lonely Christmas after you've lost someone you loved. Maybe it won't be perfect. Maybe there will be painful moments and even tears, but Love thrives in any situation when you let Him in. It doesn't matter if you are rich in earthly wealth. You can still be rich in Love from the Lover of All.

     Merry Christmas to each one!

Giving is a Heart-Set

     Thanksgiving. We tend to go heavy on the thanks part. We list our thankfuls, post statuses, and buy signs to prop on the front porch that proclaim our gratefulness. But the word thanksgiving does not stop at thanks. It continues with giving. 

     Thankfulness and giving are intricately intertwined, but many people find that neither one comes naturally. Usually, Thanksgiving is focused on giving thanks. This is as it should be, but just for a moment let's turn our minds to thanks and giving.

     Christ-inspired giving always finds itself rooted in a spirit of gratitude. In such an atmosphere love permeates everything. True giving is not an obligation or a self-worth booster or a tax break. True giving is not a mindset, but a heart set.

     Have you ever wondered why, out of all the months of the year, we have two major holidays so close together? It seems like all the traveling and big meal planning and business all runs together into a giant blur of frantically trying to fulfill our responsibilities.  But maybe having Thanksgiving so near to Christmas is not an accident. Maybe it's part of a perfect plan. 

     As we spend November evaluating our blessings and looking at the vast array of gifts we have recieved from the storehouses of Heaven, we automatically become prepared for the true spirit of giving in the month of December. Giving will come more naturally if we have spent time sincerely looking at ways we've been cared for. 

     Our acceptance and amazement at God's love for us will lend itself to every gift we buy, every window we clean, every dish we bake.

     Paul wrote an encouragement to the Colossians: "And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father by him." (Colossians 3:17) The foundation of any offering, word or deed, should be thankfulness. It doesn't matter what our gift is. It can be as small as a smile, as large as contributing a substantial sum to a stranger's hospital bill, or as sacrificial as our time. Whatever gift has been made ours to give becomes more beautiful by passing through a thankful heart.

     Thanksgiving is important. Thankfulness incites all believers to live in a giving heart-set. Not only for November and December, but for the whole year.

     Happy Thanksgiving!

    

The Gorilla and the Lion

I first heard this story in a sermon and loved it.

Now I've shared it with you.

I do not know who the original creative mind behind it was.

    

    Once there was a man in tattered clothes who wandered the streets of a great city. It had been three days since his last meal. He was weary and cold. As he trudged forlornly through the unfriendly streets, he happened to pass by the zoo. “Maybe there is work at the zoo!” he thought, “I could feed animals at least!” And so, since there was nothing to lose, he stepped inside to inquire.
    The zoo manager listened to the homeless man’s query. At last he shook his head. “No,” he said slowly, “we don’t need any more keepers here. But I have a proposition for you. How would you like to be a gorilla?”
    “A gorilla!” exclaimed the man.
    “Yes,” the manager replied. “Our gorilla died recently, and he was a big attraction here. If you would be willing to dress up in a gorilla costume, I’ll pay you well. All you have to do is hang out in the gorilla cage and not let on that you’re really a human.”
    The man thought it over. What did he have to lose? Sure, he’d never been a gorilla before, but being a gorilla was bound to be better than being homeless. So he agreed to give it a try.
Being a gorilla wasn’t as hard as he feared it might be. In fact, the man rather enjoyed it. He lay on the sunny slope of his enclosure and soaked in the sun. He made fierce faces at the visitors to the zoo. He walked on all fours and sometimes grabbed the bars of his enclosure and shook them as if he wished to escape.
    “Look at that gorilla!” zoo goers would say. “Isn’t he strong and handsome? Isn’t he fierce? He looks so intelligent!"
    The compliments were nice. It became comfortable being a gorilla. Oh, there were days he wished to be a regular human again, when the gorilla suit felt itchy or when he wished to do normal human things. Yet he was comfortable here with a costume and a cage between him and everyone else. It felt safe.
    One day the man-gorilla was feeling adventurous. He walked to the far side of his enclosure where he rarely explored. Tired of the same scenery day in and day out, he climbed a small tree near the wall separating the gorilla enclosure from the enclosure next door. He clambered out onto a limb that hung over the wall and sat there.
    The crowd was delighted.
    And because a happy crowd meant job security, the man-gorilla decided to put on a show. He bounced up and down on the limb, then moved even further toward the end of the branch.
    Suddenly there was a sharp crack and the man found himself plummeting to the ground. He landed with a thud. He shook his head, which was a bit confused after the fall, and picked himself up off the ground. It was then he realized to his horror that he had landed, not in his enclosure, but on the other side of the wall.
    He was in the lion’s pen.
The watching crowd was screaming in excitement. What would happen when these two great beasts met? Would there be a fight?
    The man had never wished harder to be a real gorilla. But he knew he wasn’t. He knew the best costume in the world couldn’t hide the fact from the lion that he was not really a gorilla.
He looked around for a way out, but there was none. Should he call to the crowd and ask for help? If he did, he would certainly lose his job. Maybe he could bluff his way out of this. He turned and looked up the little hill in front of him. His heart nearly failed within. Just at the top of the rise, coming toward him at a frightening pace, was the lion.
    He took a step back toward the wall. The lion kept coming.
    He took another step. The lion kept coming.
    He took a third step back and felt the rough concrete wall behind him. The lion slowed and stopped about ten feet away. Then it took another step forward.
    The man was sweating inside his gorilla suit. Surely his life was worth more than his job! But even if he cried for help, would anyone hear him? Would anyone be able to come to his rescue?
    The tawny-coated lion took another step forward.
    The man threw caution to the wind. At least, he tried to. He wanted to yell for help, but all that came out was a whispery voice. “Help!” he said.
    The lion paused. It lowered it’s head. Then it spoke. “Be quiet!” it hissed. “Do you want to get us both fired?”

    Where do you find yourself in this story? Are you wearing a gorilla costume, wishing to be human? Does your gorilla suit feel like security? What
would it take for you to be willing to take it off and be yourself again?

    Our Jesus isn't fooled. He knows you are human. After all, He is your Creator. He "looketh on the heart" (1 Samuel 16:7). He says that His grace is sufficient. Our strength, He says, is made perfect in weakness. (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)

    If you are afraid, don't let your fear hold you back. Reach for the zipper and the buttons holding your costume on, even if you fumble and make mistakes. Ask for help if you need to. He will be there, as he has promised, to "guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought... you shall be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water whose waters fail not." (Isaiah 58:11)

    The world today is full of people wearing costumes. They don't all look the same, but they are there. All the costumes covering up our fears and doubts and disappointments. But underneath the costumes we all are people. 

    So take off your gorilla suit. Lay aside the mask. Share who you are, who you really are, with those around you. Be the person you were created to be, blossom into the beauty of trusting God with your costume and with your fears. He's waiting.

 

Dancing on the Shore

     I watched her dance along the shoreline, reveling in the sand and the gentle breakers. She twirled and pirouetted, a charming picture on a grayish day. I smiled as her pink shirt fluttered  and her hair streamed out behind her. Her mother sat on the rocks nearby, taking an occasional video of her daughter. Once or twice the girl ran to her with a question, but mostly the two did not interact. 

    To the casual beachgoer, it may not have even been evident they had any connection as mother and daughter, but just happened to be occupying the same stretch of sand. I was a little upset. I thought the mother could be taking this chance to connect with her daughter, and here she was, hardly acknowledging her daughter's presence.
    I think I sometimes believe God is like this mother, only there for me to run to once in a while. He isn't an active participant in my life, but a distant being. He cares about hunger and famine, but He doesn't care so much when I forget to keep a promise or cry over a broken heirloom.
    The truth is so much better. The God we serve is active in our daily lives. He runs with us down the sandy beach, He pulls us back when a rogue wave would dash us to the ground. Should a crab latch onto a toe, there is no need to run to Him, for He has been walking with me all along. We need not fear the waves that sometime billow. He knows every hair of my head (Matthew 10:29-31). He is with us (Genesis 28:10) and will not leave us. Our God is not a parent that merely observes His children, but an active participant in every aspect of our daily lives. 

    He is there when you crack open heavy eyelids and stretch in the morning. He is there when you spill your coffee on the way out the door and have to go back and change. He rides with you while you dodge potholes and slam on the brakes when you spot a trooper by the roadside. He is there as you try to come up with the perfect response for a challenging message. He understands your disappointment when you have to give up supper plans because of sickness. He is there when you go to bed at night, and He watches as you sleep.

    There are days we feel sad and lonely, or times when life doesn't go as we want it to, and we try to shove Him away. He stands at a distance, waiting for us to invite Him back, to share our lives with Him. 

    Don't wait to invite Him closer! He delights with you in the things that make you smile, and He is willing to listen when you are facing sorrow.

    He created life. He created you. He doesn't sit, an absent mother on the rocks. He is beside you, waiting. Take His hand and let Him be a participant in your life. With Him, you need not fear the waves. You need not worry about the pain you may face. You need not feel alone. For He is there, laughing with you as you run along the shore. He's always been there. And you can trust Him not only with today, but with your tomorrows and your forevers. He will be there.