THISTLES AND THORNS

Finally… summer in Michigan!!!  Yes, it was long in coming, but the promise of spring held true: the brown and grey turned to green and growth.   I vocalized several months ago already how excited I was to get my garden planted, even though my garden boxes were still under 3’ of snow.   Once a gardener always a gardener I guess!!

Sooner that it seemed, my fingers were digging into the soil, carefully spacing those tiny seeds in the trough I’d dug, and lovingly covering them up with expectation of growth.  I’ve been known to be impatient and dig one up now and then to see how close they are to popping through the soil as actual plants.  The little roots are so fragile and small, they are easily dug up and tossed to the side.  It has always amazed me how by the end of the summer, those same tender little roots have grown deep and strong.  I’ve had plants that needed to be yanked so hard it about put me on my rear when they finally let loose of the soil!! 

By this time, you probably think this post is heading in the direction of a well known and beautiful parable about the sower and the seed.  This parable is about the importance of seed (Word of God) landing on fertile soil (our hearts) so that their roots can grow down deep and the plants can stand firm and secure against the storms  (enemy).  While that is one of my favorites and truly one of the foundational parables of the Christian life, the thoughts I’m having on roots are stemming from a different source.  Quite different actually.  Different, in that the aforementioned roots produce a positive result:  a mature, beautiful plant yielding much fruit or beautiful flowers.   The roots I’m going to talk of, however, grow deep also…but they produce destruction, ugliness, bondage… even death.

Scripture warns us clearly of this root.  Ephesians 4:31-32 tells us to “let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.  Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, AS GOD IN CHRIST FORGAVE YOU”.    Hebrews 12:15 also warns to “See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled…”.    In Matthew 6:14, Jesus even follows up His infamous Lord’s Prayer with “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you.  But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins”. 

Hold it. 

HHHmmmmm. 

Wow. 

That’s powerful stuff. 

There’s a lot of “if’/then’s” in that scripture that I’m not sure have been included in too many of the sermons I’ve heard over my lifetime.   I feel like most of what I’ve heard has been based on being sure to ASK for forgiveness of MY OWN sins… along with the suggestion we follow suit. Not so sure I read the fine print (actually not so “fine”… it’s boldly stated in the next verse) that receiving forgiveness is going to require something of me in exchange.  

Before we get into a debate that I’m not knowledgeable enough (nor brave enough) to enter… let’s head back to my garden.

If bitterness is a root, and roots do indeed grow deeper and stronger over time, then I think it’s fair to say that bitterness does as well.  Bitterness… from unforgiveness.  Things happen in life.  People hurt people.  Sometimes out of malicious intent.  Sometimes out of hardened hearts.  And sometimes out of their own woundedness.  Whatever form the wound comes in, it’s there… and it hurts.  And so the seed is planted. 

Not many of us have our own personal gardener….  Or do we in this case?? I believe so.  He comes quietly, seemingly unnoticed, often times undercover, and tends those seeds of bitterness for us.   He waters and fertilizes those thoughts and feelings… with justification, hurt, anger, pride, and replay and replay and replay.   He’s pleased as punch to see the ugly plant growing swiftly, sucking the nutrients out of the soil for itself, growing at such a pace that it blocks the sun from the other “good” plants.   Soon the good plants wither… and the secret gardener walks away patting himself on the back, ever so pleased that he once again managed to kill and destroy what was intended to be a beautiful garden. 

Friends,

I GET the hurt. 

I GET the pain.

I GET the feelings of justification.

I GET the fear of letting it go.

What I DON’T get is the vision I had the other night. 

The vision of my Savior… MY JESUS… hanging on the cross… beaten to within an breathe of his life, betrayed, spit upon, laughed at.  Hanging there, virtually naked, by spikes that were driven through his wrists and feet… blood running down His face from the thorns of the crown that MY KING was wearing.     

What I don’t get is how I could EVER stand at the foot of that cross the moment before He died and say to Him “BUT you don’t understand how horrible they were”… “BUT you don’t understand how much that hurt me”… “BUT you don’t understand how I feel…”…. “but”…. “but”…. “but”….

BUT HE DID. 

And He’s asking… no, let’s be real:  He’s COMMANDING us to do the same.  With the same heart.  A soft heart responsive to the life He led and the death He died.   A heart for loving others as He did, whether they deserved it… or not.

I challenge you to examine your heart.  Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal ANY and ALL unforgiveness in you.  And then try standing in my vision and see if you can do it.  Can you really look up at your Savior and tell Him all the reasons they don’t deserve forgiveness… and why you deserve to hang on to bitterness??  If you hear Him utter a pain-filled, but loving “do it”, can you seriously look into His eyes and shake your head “No… I won’t”??   If you can’t, then do what He did.  Give those people in your life what they DON’T deserve anymore than you did:  forgiveness.

As I planted my garden a month or so ago, I looked those seeds in my hand with new eyes.   Spiritual eyes.   I’ve committed to tend my garden carefully, allowing no bitter roots to grow… and instead enjoy the bountiful fruit thereof.

I pray the same for you.

If you’re still hanging on to  unforgiveness and just can’t let go, please drop me an email.  I'd be happy to forward some great info on what forgiveness IS and equally as important, what forgiveness is NOT.

THE PACKAGE

 

I love my quiet time.  Cherish is more the word.  And Wednesday’s was to be cherished.  Lingering in prayer before even opening a devotional or scripture, I once again found myself asking to SEE Him in a tangible way that day.  Scripture tells us that He will never leave us.  I have faith that the promise He is always with me is true, but find myself craving Him in ways I can see… touch… smell.  So, I asked.  And in His grace, He answered my request… and requested that I share. 

Call it a curse or a quirk, but I like to pick a theme each year and coordinate the wrapping of the gifts under my Christmas tree.  While most people may thrill at the idea of a store wrapping gifts for them, I turn it down if it doesn’t fit into what I have going.  This year, I’m doing kraft paper brown, plain white, and silver.   Is it 100%?? No… that’d be obsessive J.   But what can I say… it’s just me. 

 

Anyway,  in true “chicken or egg” form, I’m not totally sure what came first.  Did seeing the package launch the vision?? Or did the vision remind me of the package.  Either way… God definitely had something to say about the one silver wrapped package under the tree.  At that point, it was just silver paper… no further embellishment yet.  But the vision I had looks like the picture below.  And God began to speak. 

 

 

What I saw and heard was two-fold.  The first was a beautiful and yet simple expression of Christmas.  The silver paper represents the very Son of God.  Still God… Lord of Lords and King of Kings… part of the very Trinity that created the heavens and the earth… He set aside His crown and humbled himself into a covering of human skin.  He became like us.  A humble covering represented by burlap and plain ole’ garden twine in my vision.

 But the vision had a Part II… a part that brought me to my favorite scripture:  Isaiah 61:1-4.  The verse prophecies what this very babe’s purpose would be.   What He would do for even me.

 “The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me,

for the Lord has anointed me

to bring good news to the poor.

He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted

And to proclaim that captives will be released

And prisoners will be freed.

He has sent me to tell those who mourn

That the time of the Lord’s favor has come,

And with it, the day of God’s anger against their enemies.

To all who mourn in Israel.

He will give a crown of beauty for ashes,

A joyous blessing instead of mourning,

Festive praise instead of despair.

In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks

That the Lord has planted for his own glory.”

Back to the package. 

In both the Old and New Testament times, people would tear at their clothes when mourning, when in repentance or when in despair over events of their lives.  They would sit in burlap for long periods of time and even put ashes on their head.   But the message above is that Christ not ONLY came to give us eternal life (Hallelujah!!! And Praise God for that gift!!!)… but He also came to free us from those things.  He came to give us life.

 Life… NOW.   

 Life…. ABUNDANTLY. 

 
He came to trade our ashes for crowns of beauty.  The problem is that focusing only on the amazing gift of salvation can leave us “sitting in our burlap” in this life.

So what is our burlap??? Yours will  be different than mine.  Different than your neighbor’s.  Different than your best friend’s.  But we all have some.  Burlap that we continue to sit in.   Burlap in the form of regret, unforgiveness, wounds from our childhood, wounds we inflicted, wounds inflicted by others.  Idols we cling tightly to, generational curses and sin.  Anything , really, that keeps us from the freedom that this babe in Bethlehem came to give us.      

I invite you to unwrap the package with me.

Begin by asking God if there’s burlap you’re sitting in that’s keeping you in bondage.  Burlap that’s keeping you from fully receiving and living in the gift of Christ… here and now.

As you slowly unwrap the twine that is holding your burlap… listen for the Holy Spirit to show you what this may be in your own life.   If you ask Him to show you… He WILL.  Trust that.  Maybe not within the next 3 feet or so of twine, but He will.  Possibly, over a lifetime. 

Unwind…. Unwind… unwind.  Phew!!  Keep going… even if there seems to be an entire BALL of twine and those messy strands of burlap everywhere!!!  The gift is GOOD, friends.    

Vision in a nutshell???  This holiday season, I hope you will REJOICE from the bottom of your soul at what Christ PUT ON for us…. And that you will step into seeking what it is that He wants you to TAKE OFF…. For Him.     Because in the beginning AND in the end… it’s all about Him.  Our Christ.  Our King!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS, friends… !!!

             

Seeing through the fog

There isn’t much in this world that turns my crank more than wandering charming old country roads lined with vintage fences complete with old barns, grazing cattle or best of all…. sheep.  And that’s exactly what we stumbled upon recently on a foggy morning near the California coastline.  The winding road was barely wide enough for two cars.  The fog was thick; but the beauty was clear. 

When we came over a hilltop I saw a group of sheep… including lambs nestled snuggly against a gate.  My heart about melted.  I was moved enough (risking life and limb I later realized) to hike back up that low-visibility road on foot, figuring I’d get a few photos. 

I huffed my way up the hill, stepping into a ditch while cars, giving me the “what-the-heck-are-you-doing-on-the-road-in-this-weather” looks, streamed by.  Apparently the sheep weren’t too impressed either, because as I neared my destination, the little ones got up and trotted over to the big ones (do sheep trot?) and they all filed away:  in the opposite direction.   So much for my photo shoot. 

It occurred to me as we drove away that these sheep were doing exactly what sheep are supposed to do.  They didn’t recognize my voice as that of their master and they probably couldn’t see who/what I was either in all that pea soup.  So they turned from potential danger.  Simply walked away.

* * * * *

I want to know my master’s voice that instinctively. 

I pray for the discernment to turn from all other voices.

I thank Him for searching for me during the times I’ve been lost.

* * * * *

I managed to get one good shot before these charming creatures disappeared into the fog.   Personally, I think it’s beautiful.  Beautiful simply for what it is… but also because I saw a message in it for me.  The same message can be for you. 

Thank you God, I love you too.

Gettin' some REST

No alarm had rung yet,  but I woke anyway. 

Woke… but didn’t move.

I had no interest in moving.  In fact, it would have been physically difficult.  The weight of my body on the mattress caught my attention.  It was that… odd.  I happened to be on my back with my arms at my side… and I felt as though I had sunk down several inches.  I was keenly aware of the mattress hugging every inch of my body.  The affect was soothing, relaxing… comforting.  At that moment, I honestly thought to myself “this must be what it feels like to TRULY rest in the arms of Jesus”.  I smiled once again at the nudge.

Same mattress.  Different posture.  It was a posture of surrender.  Surrender of muscles.  Surrender of breathing.  Surrender to a natural position.   Silly as it may sound - my body had surrendered to the mattress.  And I didn’t want to move.  Ever.

I lay there awhile enjoying the feeling AND… the thought.

I wondered how often (if ever) I’ve truly rested to that extent in the arms of Jesus.  How often have I assumed a posture of total surrender and simply rested in Him.  There was comfort in that thought.  And peace.  Peace in His promise:  “I will give you rest”.

After a bit, my day was calling and I knew I had to get up and get moving.  Life.  It’s always there waiting, isn’t it.  While the mattress hug had ended… the feeling I had about resting in Christ didn’t.  I'm thankful for the reminder that He promises me rest when I surrender ALL to Him.  NOT the elimination of life’s burdens.  But rest IN them.  By resting in HIM. 

There’s Beauty in that promise of Rest.

And there’s Rest in the Promise. 

Thank you Jesus… I love you too.

Simple as that

When, then.

When/Then.

When…. Then.

Seems to be the way the entire universe works if you think about it.

When the sun sets… then it gets dark.

When I cut my finger… then it bleeds.

When fall comes… then the leaves turn color.

When I eat too many cookies… then I gain weight.

When… then.

So… if that’s the way everything works, WHY has this one verse in the Bible been haunting me??? 

“WHEN you seek Him with ALL your heart… THEN you will find HIM”.

When… then.

It’s been there all along.  Repeatedly in scripture.  That verse.  The “when, then” effect. 

But I missed it. 

Overlooked the requirement.

Glazed past the promise. 

When… then.

I’ve been a believer all my life.

Professed my faith at the expected age.
Believed my sins were forgiven and I'd spend eternity in heaven.

Sang in the choir.

Led youth group and a few women’s bible studies.

Yadda, yadda, yadda.

BUT, did I truly KNOW Him??  If I’m honest with you… no.  Not really.  Not like I do now at least!!  I had settled for less.   

If I wasn’t truly SEEKING Him with ALL my heart, though… why would I have found HIM?? Experienced Him??  Gotten to KNOW Him?? 

Why should I have expected the “then”… if I hadn’t done the “when”??

I’d have no right to.  It was part of the deal.  And I wasn’t living up to my end until now.  But once I did (seek, that is… with ALL MY HEART)…  I found Him.  I found Him as He promised, in new and real ways.  In ways I never knew possible.  And I can tell you that FINDING Him has been the best thing that’s ever happened to me.  You see there’s this whole gap of time that gets overlooked sometimes.  The period between right now, today, your sometimes mundane-sometimes crazy busy life… and that glorious day when we see Him face to face (Hallelujah!!).  There’s the LIFE that He promised you right now.  ABUNDANT LIFE that only comes through knowing Him intimately.

PLEASE ask yourself this:

Are you TRULY seeking Him with ALL your heart?? Or have you settled for less.

Do you recognize His voice in your everyday activities…

Do you find yourself smiling at His humor…

Do you notice the love notes He leaves for you…

Do you sense Him waiting for you at your quiet time spot…

Does HE sometimes feel so close there’s almost a warmth to your skin??

If your answer to ANY of these questions is no, I encourage you… actually, more like plead with you… to ASK HIM FOR MORE.  More of Himself.

And then DO IT!!!

SEEK HIM.    

This time with ALL OF YOUR HEART. 

Make it the top priority of your life… to find LIFE.  The life HE wants to give you.  

Because nothing’s more important, you know. 

Nothing’s more important that finding HIM. 

And He promises you will.

WHEN you truly seek Him. 

When… then. 

Simple as that.

***

(If anyone reading this wants to discuss how to seek Him and get to know Him more intimately, please use the email listed in the contacts section)

A Bunch of CRAP (Renovation #5)

There's something about moving that makes you realize just how much crap you have.  There's a "weight" to it that goes far beyond the pounds in the boxes. 

And there's something about living with only life's bare necessities for 6 months that makes you question just how much of it you really need. 

Alot of it really is necessary. 
And some of it is treasure.
But a good portion of it is just a bunch of crap.

Doesn't it feel so good to let go of all that stuff??
Isn't it freeing to open your closets and cupboards and actually have SPACE??
You wouldn't think that things could add stress to your life, but I'm convinced they can. 

There's a song that makes me smile called "Suitcases" by Dara McClean.  It's come to mind often as I stare at the mound of boxes before me.  Here's a link if you'd like to listen:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdWO88ZVurU

Stuff.

We all got it.

Some necessary.  Some treasure.  Some just plain crap. 

Come with me into this visual of gathering all the crap that weighs you down... that clutters the very mind of your heart.  Box it up.  Seal it with yet another roll of packaging tape (insert here the oh-so-familiar-sound of the tape gun). 

Now let's go for a walk.  To the cross.

Some of you may be skipping along, lightly tossing your box up and down in one hand as you go.  Others may be down on all fours pushing, shoving, grunting, groaning, in an all-out sweat by the weight of what's in your box.

Either way, boxes of crap are welcome at the foot of the cross.  There's always room.  Just leave them there... turn and walk away.  Done deal.  Handled.  Forgotten.

Next time you open a closet and you find yourself sighing at the sight of too much stuff,  consider taking just a couple minutes to clean it out.  Keep the treasure.  Share the good stuff with others.  Get rid of the crap.  While you're doing so, whisper for the Holy Spirit to prompt you on what needs to be cleaned out on the inside of YOU. 

Christ wants YOU to be FREE of it.

OH GIVE ME A HOME.... (Renovation #4)

I am tired.

Not just tired.

T-I-R-E-D.

I’m tired of messes.

I’m tired of boxes.

Tired of packing and unpacking.

Tired of dirt.

I’m tired of being a vagabond.

Even though I'm thankful for a roof over my head, 

I'm tired of having no real home.

I have moved 4 times in the last 6 months.

I have slept on the floor on a blow up mattress for 4 of those months.

90% of the jewelry I own can be picked up in one large knot.

I may have forgotten how to cook.

And my car looks like I live out of IT.

If you inventoried what’s in my front seat alone, you would find empty egg cartons,
wine glasses, old sheets (clean or dirty?? don't remember), a bag of rotting tomatoes, 

a Christmas present for my son, towels, a lone earring, and some artificial stick things I regret buying.  And that’s just what I can see without moving anything. 

What I long for is a HOME. 

And don’t we all???

I’ll be moving into my new home soon.  
Yes, it’s pretty cool.  
And yes, I’m SO thankful for it.  
But over the past 6 months,
I’ve come to realize it’s just one more case of “temporary housing”.  

My real home after all… the one I truly long for deep in my soul… isn’t in Holland.  

Not in Michigan either.  

Not even in our beloved US of A.

It’s back in Eden. 

And it’s what I was created for.

 

(More later).