Author: [email protected]

“Therefore to keep me from being conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh..”  11 Corinthians 12:7

Thorns represent sin, sorrow and hardship, but  the crown of thorns used on Jesus was also a brutal instrument that caused much agony.

Life’s little thorns can sometimes end up being lessons in disguise.  Last week, Randy noticed that water was pouring out of the meter in the yard between us and our neighbor, but more on the neighbor’s side.    We called the water department, as I was secretly thanking God that it wasn’t our yard!  Long story short, it turned out that the leak was between our houses, so they ended up digging up all my 30 year old juniper to get to the leak.

As I was moving the left over juniper brambles, a thorn or thistle lodged in my hand, and I immediately thought how sometimes everything goes wrong.  A thorn in the flesh can hit us with the chance to enjoy a good dose of self pity.

Thorns together with roses are said to represent pain and pleasure.  The thorn is an emblem of Christ’s passion, but it is defined as “anything troublesome”.  The latter statement helps put it in perspective for me.  Jesus wore an entire crown of thorns to demonstrate how much he loves us.

It’s easy when things are going well to thank God from whom all blessings flow, but when thorns crop up among the beauty of our lives, that’s another matter.  I read recently a quote by George Matheson which reads, “God, I have never thanked You for my thorns.  I have thanked you a million times for my roses, but not once for my thorns.”  It’s the thorns in life which make us value the the roses all the more.

We fall to our knees during thorny times, and it is during these times that we learn to value the thorns in our life.  It takes the thorns to push us into the corner of surrender where we totally rely on God for the sufficiency we need to get through our difficult situation and realize these are necessary conditions for blessings.  Thorns can be evidence of God working in our lives.  Sometimes it’s through tears that rainbows are seen.

The water leak is fixed, new juniper plants are planted, and the thorn is removed.  Sometimes God just needs to get our attention so we remember to be thankful for the thorns.

Christ wore that crown of thorns to the top of a hill called Calvary and there died to take away all our sins.

 

 

 

Don’t assume that you know it all.  Run to God.  Proverbs 3:7

Years ago when we were serving in Bowdon, Randy decided to take on the project of putting together a swing set for the kids.  If you know Randy, then you ascertain, correctly, that this is a monumental task for him.  He ordered the set, unloaded it into the basement garage, and locked himself down there for the duration.  It was to be a surprise.  On the second day of listening to banging, frustrated words, and  out of sheer curiosity,  I went down to check on the progress.  Now, I assumed that he was putting it together in sections and would then move the sections outside to assemble.  Never assume.  I really hated to mention that the set might  not make it through the garage doors, so I simply asked if he had measured to be sure?!  The answer was “no.”

A few weeks ago, I was the “Mystery Reader” for my youngest grandson, Reese’s class.   I assumed that I would be reading the book, but Reese surprised me and showed me what a great reader he is!   He read it sight unseen!  I was so proud!  Never assume!

I wonder how many times we assume a lot about others just looking on the outside.  There are many times when I hear of a divorce, an illness, a suicide, an addiction, or other terrible situation, or even more happily an unexpected accomplishment, and hear myself and others saying, “Well, I would have never guessed that about them.” We assume that all is well, but we haven’t bothered to listen to what they are Not telling us or showing.  We don’t bother to check in and see how people are really coping with life.  We hesitate to get involved because we think that we might be seen as nosy or judgmental.

In the day to day perfunctory greetings of “How are you today?” and the usual answer of “Fine, and you?”, we forget that our purpose is to get involved in the lives of others who might need us.  We shouldn’t assume that people don’t need the support we might be able to lend.  Never assume.

 

 

 

“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”  Ephesians 2:10

I have a really bad habit of shopping for gifts when they are on sale, putting them away, and then forgetting I bought them.  This means that sometimes for Christmas, a birthday, etc., I have more than enough items for a gift.  Some of them must be returned after the event.  The other day, I had items spread out with corresponding receipts.  Randy came through and said, “Oh, are these the items that didn’t make the cut?  Are these the things that weren’t good enough??”

In this world today, I hear many stories of people who think they aren’t good enough to live and function in our society.  Atelophobia is defined as “fear of imperfection or fear of not being good enough”.

It’s hard to see people who are berated by others in our society.  Social media has opened doors that allow some to bully or berate others, especially our children. What I’ve found is that the ones least qualified to judge you are the ones most eager to do so.  The One most qualified to judge you, won’t.

In our society filled with school violence, bullying, anorexia, depression, and so many other things which might result from feeling inadequate or feelings of not being good enough, it’s time to make sure each person knows how much they matter and that we are all good enough.  Christ is more than ready to meet all of us and cover us up in His grace which is greater than any feeling of inadequacy or unworthiness.

“God’s strength is enough to fight and win our battles, God’s riches are enough to supply our needs, God’s wisdom is enough to teach and direct us, but most of all, God’s love is more than enough for all of us.”  copied

The Kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed which a man took and sowed in his field; it is the smallest of all seeds but when it is grown, it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.  Matthew 13: 31-32

“When Jesus told a parable, he lit a stick of dynamite and then covered it with a story.”  Clarence Jordan

Teachers of all kinds are very familiar with what is known as “teachable moments”.  These are the times in your classroom, your home, the ball field, the grocery store, and other places when you throw out the lesson plans for the day and go with the moment.  It may seem like a small thing, sometimes even an annoyance, but this deviation is usually the result of a question that is asked, a curious child, a wrong that must be righted, or a lesson that needs to be taught.  It must be addressed in the moment to be effective.

Jesus  liked to deal in “small things” and “teachable moments.”  He could have chosen hundreds of disciples, but He chose 12.  He could have performed thousands of miracles, but only 37 are recorded.  He could have come up with food for the five thousand, but He chose to use the five loaves of bread and two fish to make His point.

I don’t think He had lesson plans, but I do think that He used parables as teachable moments.   Parables are defined as earthly stories with a heavenly meaning.  People around him were drawn to the simple stories which taught them morals and spiritual truths.  Jesus engaged the people in the discovery of the gospel by using questions to guide their thinking so they would understand and believe.  How many parables contain questions like, “Which one of? Which of these? Who will?” to guide understanding?

The truth of God is understood spiritually, thus those interested in understanding the truth of the message will understand, while those uninterested will remain without understanding.  God gives people every chance to accept the message of Jesus and accept Him as the Messiah.

So many people could be won to Christ if we all threw out our lesson plans for our day, week, year, and ignited an explosion all around us by engaging in those teachable moments we encounter every day.

 

 

 

The spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness.  Mark 1:12

Wilderness is defined as a “wasteland, desolate tract, or no man’s land”.  When I picture a wilderness, I equate it with a desert.  It is dry, hot, sandy, and lonely.

The Bible says that the Spirit sent Jesus out into the wilderness right after his baptism for 40 days where he fasted, was tempted by Satan, lived among wild beasts, and was ministered to by angels.  It is thought that He endured these things so He could identify with each of us.

There are physical wildernesses, emotional wildernesses, and spiritual wildernesses that we can encounter in this life.  These wildernesses can be ones brought on by sickness, grief, emotional instability, unworthiness, bad choices, anger, bitterness, and so many other things.  It is at these times, when we realize that we can’t always make it on our own – we need help to find our way out of the wilderness.

If we can be open to the presence and guidance of Jesus, He can lead us through the wilderness to find grace and peace offered through His forgiveness.

I am a visual, hands on learner, and I saw a perfect example of forgiveness and grace lately.  People were invited to write the areas of their life that exemplified a wilderness in sand with a nail or their finger.  When it was written, they were asked to look at it, pray about it, then with their hand, erase it.  As quickly as that word disappeared, is the same way Jesus forgives and grants you grace.  The sin is gone.  In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven.

When I got home, I got a bag of sand, a tray, and made my own wilderness eraser.  Each day of the remaining days of Lent, I will write an area or wilderness of my life which needs attention, pray about it, and erase it.  With this act, I will remember that Jesus forgives and cleanses just that quickly.  In the name of Jesus Christ, I am forgiven!  So are we all!

 

 

 

“And when He had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet.”                     Luke 24:40

All through my childhood and the childhood of my children, we seemed to frequently have a problem with dirty hands.  The kids would come in from playing in the yard, school, or some other activity, and we’d always say, “Go and wash your hands.”  Many times, they would return, swear they’d done this, and hold out their hands with their palms down.  At this point, we would always say, “Show me your hands, but turn them over.”  When the palms are turned up, the dirty hands are visible.

There are different ways to look at dirty hands.  We can look at them as people might have looked at the lepers in Jesus’s day as unclean; we can view them as a symbol of neglect or laziness; we can look at them as unacceptable; or we can look at them as those hands which are committed to service to God.

My PaPa worked all of his life as a lineman for Georgia Power Company.  When his work days were through, he would come home and work as a heating and air conditioning specialist at night and weekends.  No matter how hard he scrubbed them, he could never get all the grease, oil, and dirt completely gone from his hands.  He always worked hard, did things for others, and loved serving his God.  His dirty hands were  a symbol of how he lived in service.  I loved those hands.

In Jesus’ time, purity was the law of the Pharisees.  I am pretty sure that with all the traveling on dusty roads, the work of a carpenter,  the healing of the unclean, the teaching and holding of children, the washing of the disciples’ feet, the raising of the dead, the turning of water into wine, and all the other personal contact associated with His ministry,  Jesus violated the purity laws.  He was never afraid to get those hands dirty in service to others.

All of us will be asked to show our hands one day.  I pray they will be dirty from our service to others.

I thank God for the life of Robert McMichael and his hands which were always lifted in song, praise and service to his Lord.

Let my hands perform His bidding,                                                                                          Let my feet run in His ways,                                                                                                        Let my eyes see Jesus only,                                                                                                          Let my lips speak forth His praise.                    All For Jesus by Mary James

 

 

 

“Behold I stand at the door and knock; if any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in and sup with him, and he with me.”  Revelation 3:20

In my high school French class, our teacher would sit on her desk, speak a phrase in French and say, “Respondez  s’il vous plait”.  The class was then expected to respond collectively to that question in French.  Imagine, if you can, a group of South Georgians responding collectively in French!  It was quite a memory.  I learned just enough to get by.

My mother always taught us that when you receive an invitation which asks for an RSVP, you respond to it with a “yes” or “no” answer.  It was/is considered very rude not to respond -it’s the polite thing to do.

In this world of evites, the RSVP is now “yes”, “no”, or “maybe”.  The commitment has ‘wiggle room’ so that you don’t have to give a definitive answer.  Times have indeed changed, but a hostess/hosts still deserves a RSVP.

God has asked each of us to RSVP to His promise to dwell in Him and He in us.  All we need to do is commit.  When we do, we find that Christ will meet us wherever we are and shower us with His love and grace.

In the everyday experiences of life, there are many chances to encounter God, but unless we are open and have RSVP’d to His tug on our life, we will miss them.  Author William Barry says, “Whether we are aware of it or not at every moment of our existence we’re encountering God who is trying to catch our attention to draw us into a reciprocal conscious relationship.”

Wherever we are in life, Christ is ready to meet us, accept us, forgive us, and set us free.  All He needs is for His invitation to be acknowledged.  During this Lenten season, we  need to consider a “yes” RSVP to all He freely gives!  Our host has a place reserved at His table for each of us.

 

“Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring.”  Proverbs 27:1

“Never put off until tomorrow what you can do today.”

In the movie, Gone With the Wind, Scarlet O’Hara declares that she will “think about that tomorrow.”  I hear that phrase a lot around my house along with the ever popular, “I’ll do it later”, which could mean an hour, a day, a week, or never.  I am guilty of saying it, too, and even though I have good intentions, in my heart I know it is a mistake to assume that later or tomorrow is promised.

There are many times when I know that God is asking me to do something, but I file these requests in the “to do” file in my mind.  The trouble with filing things away is that most times other things take precedence in the file, and I never get around to doing those Godly requests.

The time in between doing what God asks you to do and when you actually do it, is the Devil’s time.  This is the time when “he” convinces you that there is no hurry to send that card, make that phone call, take that friend to lunch, prepare a meal for a sick friend, give that hug, do that Bible study, or visit that family member.  I have learned that the opportunity to “just do it” can be taken away in an instant.  You can be talking to a person one day, and they can be gone the next.  You can’t “do it later”.

These “do it later” moments are the ones I most regret in my life.  There were many opportunities for ministry that I missed by letting myself postpone something I knew I should do.

We vacationed in Sedona this fall, and there were three mule deer that were always lined up facing the road as we drove past to our hotel room.  Every time we passed, them, I always said, “I’ll get a picture of those cute things later.”  On our way to the airport, I finally got around to preparing to take the picture as we left.  This picture is what I got!  I got what I deserved for assuming I could “do it later.” 

“For the Lord will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being caught.”  Proverbs 3:26

The story is told of a second string quarterback who was called up by his coach to go into a football game with his team behind by two touchdowns and two minutes left in the game.  The quarterback strapped on his helmet, and begin to run out on the field toward the huddle.  He suddenly stopped, turned around, and trotted back to the coach.  When he faced the coach, he unstrapped his helmet, took a squirt of water, and said, “Coach, I forgot to ask you, do you want me to just tie this game or go ahead and win it?”  Now, that’s confidence!

Confidence is defined as trust, faith, and assurance in something.  I am confident of many things – night will follow day, the earth will spin on its axis, spring will follow winter, doctors will make good decisions about  health issues, pilots are well trained to fly  an airplane, and eternal life will follow death – just to name a few.

There are people I know who must exhibit confidence each day in things ranging from addictions to illnesses and everything in between.  These folks have trust, faith and assurance, not only in the worldly things, but in God.  Confidence in God yields contentment.  I see this contentment when I look at them.

Confidence is also boldness.  There are people I know who exhibit this boldness by acting on their beliefs.  They don’t just talk about what God can do, they act on it.  They know God personally and believe He is able to do whatever they ask in His name.  I believe in that kind of confidence.  Grace is the face I see when I think of this kind of confidence.  She has confidence in miracles – great and ordinary.

God wants us to be confident that he’s pouring His strength into us so that we can do whatever it takes to overcome the obstacles in our life.  He wants us to ultimately find our confidence resting in Him.  God tells us that our confidence is secured in Christ, and we can have it to the fullest.

This Super Bowl weekend, I pray that we, just like the quarterback in the story will face each day with confidence, boldness, contentment, and assurance.  Grace, you are that quarterback to me!

“For I am confident that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities, nor things presents, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  Romans 8:38-39

 

“This is my commandment that you love one another as I have loved you.”  John 15:12

“Whoever devotes themselves to themselves will have nothing to show for themselves but themselves.”  Anonymous

In this world of “I” – I-phones, I-pads, I-cloud, etc., it’s an awakening to realize that the world doesn’t revolve around the “I”‘s in our lives.  Each generation has a plan for how life and the world should be, but God’s way is not always their way.  At this point, there are three generations in our immediate family, and there is certainly a huge gap between the oldest and youngest in terms of the world view.  I like to think we teach each other a lot!

There are six different generations living in this world today.  The first is the Traditionalists or Silent Generation who grew up in the depression and  exhibit characteristics of morality, loyalty and are team players.

The second is the Baby Boomers who grew up in the 40’s and 50’s and are characterized as disciplined, self sacrificing, driven, and optimistic.

Thirdly, is the Generation X folks who are described as entrepreneurial, self absorbed, and individualistic.

Fourthly, the Millennials who have never known a world without computers.  They need to be told over and over again that they are special, and they expect the world to treat them that way.  They prefer a relaxed work environment with a lot of hand holding and accolades.

Lastly, the Generation Z or Centennials who must have a cell phone (even young children), TV’s in every room, and video games.  They are savvy consumers who know what they want and how to get it.  The Alpha babies of today will be the sixth generation, and we will have to wait for their characteristics.

These generations are so far apart in their view of religion, Christianity, politics, social issues, moral issues, finances, and almost everything else.  The fact that longevity of life has increased, raises the question of how all these different life styles can come together for a common good.  It is my opinion that each generation has something of value that could be shared with all the others if we would but open our hearts and minds to it.

Perhaps a common ground could be the investment in others.  When  you invest in another person, you actually give yourself a gift, because you can’t light someone else’s path without brightening your own.  Each generation has something to offer that no one else can give.  If we put “I” aside and focus on “we”, what a difference we could make together!