Wanted to write about my mom today but couldn't find the quote I was going to start out with. So, I'll save that topic for another day. Just had a cousin of John's stay with us for a couple of days. He's a great guy. We had lots of fun and conversations about life, ourselves, and how we fit into the grand scheme of things.
Which brings me to today's topic. I wanted to share one of the analogies that Lysa Terkeurst makes in the book Becoming More than a Good Bible Study Girl. It was one of the best parts of the lesson for me because it was simple yet powerful.
Think about your life as the planting of a seed . We all know that, eventually, a seed grows up and becomes something lovely. But the process of becoming that beautiful flower, or plant, or shrub is oftentimes painful. Like when the seed gets pulled out of its safe little package and is pushed down into the muck and mire - to a deep dark place where it's not even noticed. Then, horror of horrors, the seed is watered and begins to disintegrate. Seems like the end of everything for that poor little seed, or is it?
John 12:24 The truth is, a kernel of wheat must be planted in the soil - Unless it dies it will be alone-a single seed. But its death will produce many new kernels - a plentiful harvest of new lives. (NLT)
Slowly but surely what pops up out of the soil is the beginning of something beautiful. A flowering plant, or tree, or flower rising up out of the death of something else.
Even though the "safe place" for the seed was its packet, think of how much it would have missed if it would have stayed where it felt secure. Granted, it would have survived if it remained there. But, it would never have felt the soil or received the water to grown and blossom into what it was always meant to be.
So, I guess what I came away with from this study was to be more bold - less afraid. Pray for things to be hard, and, in that difficulty, blossom and flower into the girl I was meant to be.
What about you? What's your "safe" place? Is it holding you back from being all that you were created to be? Yes, playing it safe, seems, well, safe. But if you don't experience the dark places or the nourishing rains, you will never know the joy of bursting out of the ground, basking in the sun, and growing to be so much more than you ever expected to be.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
crazy stuff
I bought a shirt not too long ago. It was perfect, exactly what I'd been looking for. Took it home, wore it a couple of times and, to my dismay, splattered tomato sauce all over it one day while I was canning. I put stainwash on it, put it through the washer a few times, and, lo and behold, the stain did not come out. Bummer. I hate it when that happens - particularly to clothes that are my favorites.
Have you ever had that happen to you? You buy something that's brand new, and, without fail it gets dinged up, or scratched, or it falls in the toilet, or gets stains on it that just won't come out. Why does that have to happen to all of our stuff? I don't know about you, but I hate it that most of my stuff, okay, all of it eventually turns into junk.
The older I get the more I begin to realize something - nothing on this earth is going to last forever. Nothing. Not my favorite shirt, not our big screen tv, our mixer, our washer, dryer whatever it is that I treasure, none of it will last. Eventually, even my favorites, are destined to be another big pile of junk in the nearest landfill.
So why do I bring this up? Well, I'm glad you asked, because I'll share my thoughts about all of our stuff - the stuff that doesn't last. Jesus knew a little bit about "stuff". Knowing that our treasures are important to us, he preached a pretty good sermon on the topic. But, he didn't tell us to buy a lifetime warranty for our favorite things. He didn't tell us to stick our treasures in a sealed container. Nor did he tell us to keep our couches covered, our carpets cleaned, and set 24 four hour surveilance on all of our things. No, this is what Jesus had to say about all of our worldly goods.
Do not store up for yourselves treasure on earth where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasure in heaven where moth and rust do not destroy and where thieves do not break in and steal. Matthew 6: 19-20 (NIV)
I guess Jesus did know a thing or two about our stuff. So what exactly are we supposed to store up? Treasures in heaven; what are those? Well, I know it ain't my favorite chair; pretty sure I won't be taking that to heaven.
So what lasts? Here's what I think. The stuff that lasts are the treasures that are invisible to the human eye. Want some examples? The love between a dad and his son. The sacrifice a soldier makes to defend his country. The bake sale funds that are donated to a local food bank. The conversations I have with my mom over the phone. These are the treasures I should be storing up. Because all of these have something in common - they demonstrate the most important treasure of all - love.
Loving my neighbor, my family, my friends, those are treasures that last. I can always go out and buy a new shirt, but how many more times will I get to chat with my mom on the phone? I could clean the house til it's immaculate, but how many more times will my three year old ask me to play ponies with her. Those kind words, those deeds that go unnoticed, those memories - all of them are lasting treasures. Real ones. Treasures that you can take to the bank.
Stuff is nice. But if you're only storing up treasure on earth, not only will you eventually lose it all, but you'll have missed out on the most important treasures. The ones that last.
Have you ever had that happen to you? You buy something that's brand new, and, without fail it gets dinged up, or scratched, or it falls in the toilet, or gets stains on it that just won't come out. Why does that have to happen to all of our stuff? I don't know about you, but I hate it that most of my stuff, okay, all of it eventually turns into junk.
The older I get the more I begin to realize something - nothing on this earth is going to last forever. Nothing. Not my favorite shirt, not our big screen tv, our mixer, our washer, dryer whatever it is that I treasure, none of it will last. Eventually, even my favorites, are destined to be another big pile of junk in the nearest landfill.
So why do I bring this up? Well, I'm glad you asked, because I'll share my thoughts about all of our stuff - the stuff that doesn't last. Jesus knew a little bit about "stuff". Knowing that our treasures are important to us, he preached a pretty good sermon on the topic. But, he didn't tell us to buy a lifetime warranty for our favorite things. He didn't tell us to stick our treasures in a sealed container. Nor did he tell us to keep our couches covered, our carpets cleaned, and set 24 four hour surveilance on all of our things. No, this is what Jesus had to say about all of our worldly goods.
Do not store up for yourselves treasure on earth where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasure in heaven where moth and rust do not destroy and where thieves do not break in and steal. Matthew 6: 19-20 (NIV)
I guess Jesus did know a thing or two about our stuff. So what exactly are we supposed to store up? Treasures in heaven; what are those? Well, I know it ain't my favorite chair; pretty sure I won't be taking that to heaven.
So what lasts? Here's what I think. The stuff that lasts are the treasures that are invisible to the human eye. Want some examples? The love between a dad and his son. The sacrifice a soldier makes to defend his country. The bake sale funds that are donated to a local food bank. The conversations I have with my mom over the phone. These are the treasures I should be storing up. Because all of these have something in common - they demonstrate the most important treasure of all - love.
Loving my neighbor, my family, my friends, those are treasures that last. I can always go out and buy a new shirt, but how many more times will I get to chat with my mom on the phone? I could clean the house til it's immaculate, but how many more times will my three year old ask me to play ponies with her. Those kind words, those deeds that go unnoticed, those memories - all of them are lasting treasures. Real ones. Treasures that you can take to the bank.
Stuff is nice. But if you're only storing up treasure on earth, not only will you eventually lose it all, but you'll have missed out on the most important treasures. The ones that last.
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
There is a fundamental need inside most girls to be liked. We want some people of the female variety to totally get us and walk away thinking we are pretty neat.
~Lysa Terkeurst from Becoming More Than a Good Bible Study Girl
I can completely relate to what this author is saying. I find my identity in what people think about me. If I can tell a really good joke, or write a good story, or cook the perfect dinner then I'm worthwhile. After all, what others think of me is sooo much more important than what God thinks. Hmmmm, does something seem wrong with this picture? Believing I'm only as good as what I can accomplish, or what others think of me, falls pretty far short of the way God wants me to view myself.
Remember the kids' book by Max Lucado; You are Special. The creatures in this story are called Wemmicks. The Wemmicks like to give out stickers, and their "system" of giving them out works like this; if you've done something special, something amazing then other Wemmick's give you star stickers. However, like the character Punchinello, if you're a complete dud at mostly everything you do, you get dot stickers, lots and lots of them. One day Punchinello meets someone who doesn't have any stickers - dots or stars. Punchinello is completely fascinated by this Wemmick. Why don't the stickers stick to her? Her response is simple and sweet. She has learned to care more about what the Maker thinks of her. What other Wemmicks think about her simply doesn't matter.
The story goes on and one day Punchinello decides to visit the Maker for himself. At first when he enters the workshop Punchinello is scared. The Maker is very big and powerful. What will he think of such a failure? But the Maker welcomes Punchinello warmly - telling him how much he's been hoping to see him. During their visit, the Maker goes on to tell Punchinello that he loves him dearly, and, that his opinion of Punchinello is the only one that matters. When Punchinello leaves the workshop that day he says to himself, 'I think the Maker really means what he's saying. And, just in that moment, a dot sticker falls off of him.
Okay, so how does this relate to our lives? Well, there just so happens to be the perfect psalm to address the issue of what really makes us worthy. Psalm 139, one of my favorites, tells us that we are valued and treasured by God, not because of how much other people like us, or because of what we can do. On the contrary, God loves us because we are his prized creation. He loves us because he made us, and, God don't make junk.
Psalm 139:13-14 You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother's womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous-and how well I know it. (NLT)
A great psalm, worth reading the whole thing. So, I guess what I'm learning can best be summed up in the words of Lysa Terkeurst, "No amount of worldly achievement whisks away insecurities and that fundamental desire to be accepted. I know. I've tried." I think I'll quit trying to gain acceptance from others and focus on the One who loves me unconditionally. After all, He knows me better than anyone else; He's the One who made me.
~Lysa Terkeurst from Becoming More Than a Good Bible Study Girl
I can completely relate to what this author is saying. I find my identity in what people think about me. If I can tell a really good joke, or write a good story, or cook the perfect dinner then I'm worthwhile. After all, what others think of me is sooo much more important than what God thinks. Hmmmm, does something seem wrong with this picture? Believing I'm only as good as what I can accomplish, or what others think of me, falls pretty far short of the way God wants me to view myself.
Remember the kids' book by Max Lucado; You are Special. The creatures in this story are called Wemmicks. The Wemmicks like to give out stickers, and their "system" of giving them out works like this; if you've done something special, something amazing then other Wemmick's give you star stickers. However, like the character Punchinello, if you're a complete dud at mostly everything you do, you get dot stickers, lots and lots of them. One day Punchinello meets someone who doesn't have any stickers - dots or stars. Punchinello is completely fascinated by this Wemmick. Why don't the stickers stick to her? Her response is simple and sweet. She has learned to care more about what the Maker thinks of her. What other Wemmicks think about her simply doesn't matter.
The story goes on and one day Punchinello decides to visit the Maker for himself. At first when he enters the workshop Punchinello is scared. The Maker is very big and powerful. What will he think of such a failure? But the Maker welcomes Punchinello warmly - telling him how much he's been hoping to see him. During their visit, the Maker goes on to tell Punchinello that he loves him dearly, and, that his opinion of Punchinello is the only one that matters. When Punchinello leaves the workshop that day he says to himself, 'I think the Maker really means what he's saying. And, just in that moment, a dot sticker falls off of him.
Okay, so how does this relate to our lives? Well, there just so happens to be the perfect psalm to address the issue of what really makes us worthy. Psalm 139, one of my favorites, tells us that we are valued and treasured by God, not because of how much other people like us, or because of what we can do. On the contrary, God loves us because we are his prized creation. He loves us because he made us, and, God don't make junk.
Psalm 139:13-14 You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother's womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous-and how well I know it. (NLT)
A great psalm, worth reading the whole thing. So, I guess what I'm learning can best be summed up in the words of Lysa Terkeurst, "No amount of worldly achievement whisks away insecurities and that fundamental desire to be accepted. I know. I've tried." I think I'll quit trying to gain acceptance from others and focus on the One who loves me unconditionally. After all, He knows me better than anyone else; He's the One who made me.
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Entanglement
Hebrews 12:1 Therefore . . . let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.
When I used to read the above verse from Hebrews, I thought that to "throw off sin" meant to avoid sinning altogether. And, I think that, to a degree, that is what the above verse is saying. But, I am also thinking there may be a deeper meaning to it. Another picture comes to mind. I'm wearing a heavy coat, the "coat of guilt" and I can't seem to shake it off. The problem is that even when I've confessed a sin, I keep "wearing" the guilt. Much like a winter coat, it is heavy and cumbersome. I struggle to get it off, but it entangles me to the point that I can barely walk, let alone run.
Hebrews 12:2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus the author and perfecter of our faith . . .
The good news is that when I take my eyes off of my guilt and shame, when I look up, I see Jesus leading me. "Fix your eyes on me," he seems to be saying. "Let the sin go. Let the shame go. Let the guilt go. Because of the price I paid, your sins are forgiven. Live out that truth." These words encourage me to take off my "coat of guilt." It's much too heavy to be running in anyway.
When I used to read the above verse from Hebrews, I thought that to "throw off sin" meant to avoid sinning altogether. And, I think that, to a degree, that is what the above verse is saying. But, I am also thinking there may be a deeper meaning to it. Another picture comes to mind. I'm wearing a heavy coat, the "coat of guilt" and I can't seem to shake it off. The problem is that even when I've confessed a sin, I keep "wearing" the guilt. Much like a winter coat, it is heavy and cumbersome. I struggle to get it off, but it entangles me to the point that I can barely walk, let alone run.
Hebrews 12:2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus the author and perfecter of our faith . . .
The good news is that when I take my eyes off of my guilt and shame, when I look up, I see Jesus leading me. "Fix your eyes on me," he seems to be saying. "Let the sin go. Let the shame go. Let the guilt go. Because of the price I paid, your sins are forgiven. Live out that truth." These words encourage me to take off my "coat of guilt." It's much too heavy to be running in anyway.
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