Shining Perspective

I opened the door and my son yells from upstairs, “Hi Momma! Come up here!” Intrigued by the excitement, I drop my bags and head up the stairs. He continues, “I got on BLUE today! And look, I got this!” (Let me take a moment to explain that since school resumed from the winter break, his kindergarten teacher has implemented a color behavior chart system. On this chart blue means: he had a great day!) “Wow! You made it to the treasure box?” I ask.  “Yeah, I got this airplane from the treasure box!” He replies. “That’s awesome honey, I am so proud of you!”  He was thrilled to fly his little airplane around as if it were the most expensive, most extravagant toy on earth. But he was more excited to share with me his achievement and receive praise for a job well done.

I have entered a season I’m going to call the season of pressure. Every direction I turn, I’m involved in something, responsible for something, have to do some part of something and well, I’m not really sure what down time looks like anymore, because all of mine is dedicated to some kind of project. Something is always waiting for my attention. So I am becoming friends with pressure. I can’t get away from it and I can’t get out from underneath it, because my friend pressure is filling every area of my life.

Pressure can be a good thing. My son now has a little pressure to work harder on his behavior. He doesn’t want to end up on yellow, or orange or red for the day, but has incentive to stay on green or work towards blue or purple which results in a tangible reward.

As our evening of celebration continued on, Isaiah was enjoying some hard earned video game time. I joined him while he played. He wanted to show me that he could do a certain “trick” on the game. As he was playing he said, “Come on, I want to make mommy proud.”

What? (I asked myself.)

Doesn’t he know how proud I am of him?

Doesn’t he believe me when I tell him how much I love him?

Does he think I won’t be proud of him if he doesn’t do this “trick” on the video game?

And then, God spoke to my heart. “Do you think I’m not proud of you? Do you think I won’t love you if you don’t get all of those “things” done on your list?”

When does pressure become a bad thing? When pressure makes me forget about God’s grace, love and mercy-it’s a bad thing. “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair.”~ 2 Corinthians 4:8. If pressure makes me forget that the God who created the universe is with me every minute of every day, guiding me, strengthening me, and enabling me, it’s a very bad thing. But when I remember that: “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” ~Psalm 46:1, the pressure will disappear.

I’m not six years old. I know what grace is; I experience it and live it and am saved by it every single day. It’s God’s grace that is typing each of the keys on this keyboard at 3:30am in the middle of my insomnia battle. It’s by God’s grace that I will make it through the day, today and every day that He gives me to live. It’s God’s grace that will balance out my to-do list, my responsibilities, my commitments and my trials, which all seem overwhelming right now. And it’s by God’s grace that I know He is in control of this season of pressure and is using it to teach me things I can learn no other way. God will meet me in my weakness as He always does. Maybe I can learn a little more about depending on His grace alone, which is sufficient. “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” ~2 Corinthians 12:9

There is nothing Isaiah can do that will make me love him more. Nor is there anything he can do to make me more proud of him. Today he was on green and I was just as proud of him as I was when he achieved blue. I know how he struggles and where his challenges are and I know he gave his best effort for the day. I love him just the same today as I did when he had a bad day and came home on red last week.

In the same way, there is nothing I can do to make God love me more. God loved me when I was a horribly angry, drug using, alcohol abusing, completely lost, and empty woman. I met Jesus while I was walking on a path that could only end in destruction. “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”~Romans 5:8

God doesn’t love me more just because I don’t live that way now. I’m not treasured because I teach Sunday school or write blogs, or attend church or bible study. It is because God loved me that He saved me from that life. “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.” ~Ephesians 2:8. It is God’s grace that is making me new everyday and it is God’s grace that transforms me and carries me through every minute of this new life in Christ.

Have you let Jesus Christ save you? Have you let God’s promises conquer all of your pressures?

If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. ~Romans 10:9

A while back I gave a guy something he needed in his home. I think I was as blown away by his reaction as he was by getting it. He tried to pay me what he could and kept saying said he owed me. I assured him he owed me nothing and need not pay me back, it was a gift, no strings attached (no he didn’t need to listen to me preach before he could leave either).

So there’s the economy we carry from material world to every other part of our lives. We think that everything comes at a price. Trust me I’m just getting used to this myself. It’s kind of the “love without condition” carried further. If by doing something for you, I expect (even eventually) something in return, maybe it’s just your friendship, or admiration, then I’m not doing it for you at all, I’m just bartering for something for myself.

I think giving is easier with strangers, maybe people you will never see again, do a random act of kindness and walk away, never expecting to see them again, and they can never pay you back. It seems a lot harder among acquaintances, maybe hardest in relationships. We’ve been raised in this “point” system; I help you with your car, later when my computer dies you help me.

In relationships, try to remember the beginning, think back to when just being with that person was the goal, didn’t matter what you were doing, just being around them was enough. Let a relationship last long enough and we tend to put it to the “point system” more and more it becomes what we’ve done for the other or what we can do, or vise versa “what have you done for me lately” or “look at all I do for you and what do I get in return?” well if you’re looking for something in return you weren’t really doing it for the other person were you?. As our relationships with God are compared to a marriage I think we tend to go down the same path, we forget where our faith began, when just knowing he was there was enough.

I’m not throwing out acts of love or intentionality that come naturally through love. But if you buy your wife flowers on valentines merely BECAUSE it’s Valentines Day, it is in your heart, an empty gesture, really, just acting out of obedience or obligation. The same can apply to our faith lives.

So now I get to the point where I may be wrong. But… we are told to go out and spread the Gospel… Gospel means “good news” I’m pretty sure the good news isn’t “well Christ died on the cross now you should feel guilty and not do anything wrong and make sure you read your bible 5 times a day and here’s a check list of do’s and don’ts”.. I’m pretty sure the Good news is the price is paid, “it is finished” not “hey, now the ledger shows you in the red so you owe me”.

Shining Perspective

“Wow, Isaiah look at the sky!” “Oh. Umm…Mommy? What about the sky?” (Ok back up! It was spectacular! I’ve tried to capture it with words several times now and I just can’t seem to do it justice, so I will just say it was absolutely beautiful! It was stunning!) God’s glory shines in each new day; He gives us a freshly painted sky every morning. I had to stop, because it was clear that we were not looking at the same sky. As I looked at it, I looked at him and identified why we weren’t looking at the same sky. Sunglasses. I removed my glasses and when I did the sun was so bright that its light actually overwhelmed the picture. I gave Isaiah my glasses and he said, “Wow mommy, you’re right that is an awesome sky!” So often it is the same with my circumstances, if they are not viewed through the cover of God’s grace and mercy, if I am not wearing my faith glasses, my circumstances are too bright, they are overwhelming and they blind me.

What do they blind me from? Not what, but who? Jesus. I simply lose sight of Jesus. We live in a world that is overloaded with gizmos and gadgets, and over-available media cramming the next “big thing” down our throats. A world that is convincing us that we need far more than we do and teaching us to constantly live in a state of discontent, essentially we are distracted. I know I am. It’s no wonder to me that many of the most amazing works, testimonies and devotions I’ve read were written sometime prior to the early 1900’s. By now the obstacles that steal my attention shouldn’t surprise me and yet they still do. I find when sitting down with the intention to write, I can get distracted by the vast choices of where I can go with a click of a button. (Somehow that doesn’t happen when I sit down with a journal and a pen.) I have also learned that even while I am serving the Lord, I can get distracted from Jesus Himself.

I am coming out of a difficult season. It has been filled with nothing but surprise after surprise, some good and some bad.  God has answered some prayers in surprising ways and I have received what I can only describe (for now) as a mind-blowing miracle in the midst of it all. Through the tough moments and wonderful blessings one thing remains…I fall so short. I almost never land where I think I will when I jump. My own will often deceives me. I repeatedly find myself left with these challenging questions that surface when I’ve been tested. Can I be as diligent in thanksgiving, in seeking Him, in the simple beauty of tarrying with Him, as I am in persistently asking for what I think my needs (my desires) are? Can I just love Jesus with the same dedication as I give to acts of service? Can I surrender all parts of my life, at all times, not just in worship or at certain times of the day, but always?

In and of myself, no I cannot. (“In whose hand is the life of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind?” ~Job 12:10 NASB) I can’t make myself breathe. I can’t make my heart beat. I can’t grow the hair on my head.  I can’t do anything apart from Him. (“For in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also His offspring.’”~Acts 17:28 NKJV. The NASB says it this way: “For in Him we live and move and exist…For we also are His children.” And the CEV says: “And he gives us the power to live, to move, and to be who we are.”We are his children…”)

When I choose to look at my circumstances, when I choose to look at the world, when I choose to walk by sight even though I know I’m called to walk by faith; I lose my clear view of Jesus. Once I take my eyes off of Jesus, essentially I lose my joy. (“…the joy of the Lord is your strength.” ~Nehemiah 8:10 NIV) I fail to see the details of my life, my circumstances through those indescribable faith glasses, where mercy and grace abound in Christ Jesus each and every new day.

What is the question that I should ask at the end of the day? The same one we all should be asking.

Did I walk with God today?

(“…walk humbly with your God.”~Micah 6:8 NIV “”…As God has said: ‘I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people’.” ~2 Corinthians 6:16 NIV)

“Christ is not so much interested in pointing us to a place or path as he is in pointing us to a Person and a relationship.” -Ravi Zacharias

Shining Perspective

Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD. Psalm 27:14

It is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD. Lamentations 3:26

I’m waiting on the Lord. Tomorrow I may receive an immense blessing or it might not go the way I hoped. I’ve struggled through the waiting process, but God has kept me busy throughout. This past week has been one of extremes. I found myself rocketing full speed up mountaintops to reach a state of indescribable joy, only to come barreling just as swiftly down to the valley below. Every day has been this way. It is in times such as these I find I am so grateful for the stability that can only be found in Jesus Christ.

Whatever state I find myself in I know I can find comfort, rest and strength in Jesus. I’ve been weary and physically exhausted as sleeplessness is something that regularly afflicts me. This past week I had the privilege of not only watching thousands of people come to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior, but I also had the honor of meeting a few of them and learning their stories. What amazing moments of pure joy. I also have the pleasure of teaching Sunday school and I’m not sure there is anything better on this earth than seeing the light go on in a child’s eyes as they get the lesson and it becomes real to them.

At the same time, I experience trials just like everyone else and sometimes they threaten to consume me. They knock me down, they test me in ways I never thought I’d be tested and I often fail in them. If there is one thing that I have learned it’s that success comes out of failure just as new life comes out of death. I have also learned that as much as I get scared of failure, my biggest fear really lies in this question: Am I missing the fullness of what God has for me?

In the light of a new day I may have to deliver a big disappointment to my six year old, maybe the biggest of his young life. I also might be stepping into a blessing I never saw coming. Whatever answer I receive and no matter what happens every day I find myself in the same situation.

The bible makes it clear, if there is one thing we are all doing in this life it is waiting on the Lord. “Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him…” Psalm 37:7. “Keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.” Jude 1:21. “Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes…” 1 Corinthians 4:5

God in His mercy is faithful to remind me what I receive as I wait for the Lord: “We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield.” Psalm 33:20 “but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” Isaiah 40:31 “Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion. For the LORD is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!” Isaiah 30:18

Back in my post Follow me….ish I talked about how some “holy” people and “teachers” use bits and pieces of scripture to lead people astray. Right now I am in the middle of reading the new testament in 1 year and yesterdays reading was Romans 16. Honestly its kinda the dullest chapter in Romans to me because its “tell everyone I said hi” over and over again and give this person hugs and kisses etc…. but then smack in the middle Paul says “One final word of counsel, friends. Keep a sharp eye out for those who take bits and pieces of the teaching that you learned and then use them to make trouble. Give these people a wide berth. They have no intention of living for our Master Christ. They’re only in this for what they can get out of it, and aren’t above using pious sweet talk to dupe unsuspecting innocents.” Back when I was teaching the children the inportance of reading for yourself I pulled the example of the bible saying “throw yourself off this cliff”, and it does, but it is taken out of context when it stands alone. This can be done from the smallest scale (a phrase) to large scale (whole chapters or books). So if you’re a seeker or follower, I encourage you to read the Bible on your own, or with a small group. make sure what you’re being taught is actually there, and be able to put it in context, who wrote it, who was it written to, why was it written. I am walking talking proof that any “common man” can do it… you need not go to seminary or be a theologian to learn and live what it teaches.

William Shakespeare said, “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players: they have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts, his acts being seven ages.Today I invite you to consider yourself as an actor in a play.

Consider yourself up on stage in front of thousands of people who have come to hear you speak. For some, this is a terrifying thought while for others, it is electrifying. No matter how you feel about it, if you are a Christian, then that is a pretty accurate analogy for the life you are living.

Jesus said,

You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do men light a lamp and put it under a [basket], but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. Let your light so shine before men that they may see your moral excellence and your praiseworthy, noble, and good deeds and recognize and honor and praise and glorify your Father Who is in heaven.

MATTHEW 5:14-16 AMP

Have you ever seen a play or watched a movie and witnessed the lack of chemistry and harmony between the actors? It’s horrible! It’s a big waste of your time because without harmony, the movie is dull, lifeless, and boring. You lose interest. You almost want to laugh at the actors attempts because they seem fake, forced and phony. Unfortunately that is the way that many people view Christianity. Many of us do not get along, we argue and treat each other with contempt, we run each other down. When we try to put up a ‘united front’ it seems anything but genuine.

But as part of this elaborate play, we have each been given specific roles and part of our job is to help one another to fulfill their roles, too. We are supposed to be working together as a team in perfect harmony. The Word says,

But if we [really] are living and walking in the Light, as He [Himself] is in the Light, we have [true, unbroken] fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses (removes) us from all sin and guilt [keeps us cleansed from sin in all its forms and manifestations].

1 JOHN 1:7 AMP, EMPHASIS MINE

The roles we play are not purely for entertainment. Your ability to effectively carry out the role our Creator has given you could be the difference between someone else having eternal life or eternal death. The Lord has the right people in the right place at the right time. He handpicked you out of the crowd. He saw you as noble, courageous, strong, brave and capable…even when you were just a random member of the crowd. You didn’t realize you were special. You didn’t know you had such a significant role to play. In fact, you are still learning how critical your role is to this play. With each scene you are slowly understanding that God is relying on you in order for this play to be glorious. This is your destiny.

Believers have no right to fade into the background. You are the LIGHT of the WORLD!

Sometimes this information is a lot to take in. Sometimes it is difficult for me to believe that God really does have a very specific plan for my life. When I look back over the years, I can see all that has happened has led me to the point where I am now, and it gives me confident hope for tomorrow. It is often times difficult to believe the incredible glory that is within our hearts. That’s because we’ve all made so many agreements with lies over the years, and only the Word of God can unveil the truth (see 1 Corinthians 2:10). My earnest prayer is that God has prepared your heart to receive the truth. The truth is this: you are much more than meets the eye. You could have been born anywhere in the world at any time in history, but God specifically chose you, your parents, your siblings, your place of birth, and your moment in time. You were handpicked for such a time as this. The time is NOW. It’s not a myth and it is not a fantasy. Before you were born you were destined to be like Jesus. Let’s read Romans 8:29-30 in The Message translation:

God knew what he was doing from the very beginning. He decided from the outset to shape the lives of those who love him along the same lines as the life of his Son. The Son stands first in the line of humanity he restored. We see the original and intended shape of our lives there in him. After God made that decision of what his children should be like, he followed it up by calling people by name. After he called them by name, he set them on a solid basis with himself. And then, after getting them established, he stayed with them to the end, gloriously completing what he had begun.

(EMPHASIS MINE)

Amen! God already called you by name. He already set you on a solid basis with Himself. He already established you and He has already glorified you! Praise God!

Here’s a question for you: what if the life we are living has already happened?

There is no beginning or end aside from God. Jesus said He is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end (see Rev 22:13). Many people believe the book of Revelation is written in past tense because the events have already occurred. Perhaps he simply had a vision about the future…but there is no future in eternity. I often speak of God’s existence outside of the confines of time. Since both the end and the beginning starts and ends with Him, He is able to see the “timeline” of humanity in its entirety. Therefore He has already destined us to be like Jesus. He has already called us by name. He has already justified us, we are already righteous through Christ Jesus and He has already glorified us – He has already completed the glorious work He began before the foundation of the world.

Wow. What does that really mean to you? Being like Jesus?

Is life really just a sum of day-to-day responsibilities?

Is that all?

What does God really expect from us? What does it really mean to be pre-destined to be like Jesus??? I’m so excited to explore this further!

A while back I was at Jiffy Lube, sitting in the waiting room…waiting. I was on facebook when the lady next to me asked what People do on facebook. I told her I’m doing a daily bible reading and posting my thoughts on what I read that day. Then the conversation got interesting.. She asked me if I thought I was better because I was a Christian. Then proceeded to explain to me how a contractor she used had the “fish” on his card and proceeded to dupe her out of money(the whole fish or cross as a marketing device is another topic). I told her it sucked when people do that and apologized for “Christians” in general. Then she asked again “do you think you’re better because your a Christian?”   What tumbled through my head was few answers. one being yes, the bible says I am, I mean of coarse I am, I have the creator of the universe residing in me, of coarse I’m better than someone who doesn’t, but that didn’t come out.  Thank you God. I actually kind of flipped it “define good, your version of good, the worlds version of good, or God’s version of good? cause I figure on the world’s version I’m way above Hitler, but far below Gandhi. I can tell you this, I’m better than I was for sure!! I sometimes judge myself against other Christians and realize that scale is even broken… I don’t know what their starting points were, what trash was in their lives that isn’t now, what they are still battling.” at this time I realized I went into my not so famous “preacher mode” and had an audience of about 5.

So I closed with this “I know this, I’m not good, but I know the one who is, and I try everyday to follow him, and when I do, and when I’m obedient, not just good things, but awesome things happen” as if on Que the guy called my name handed me my keys and I walked out.

Shining Perspective

I had just finished my shower. I dried off and was getting ready to brush my teeth and then I hear, “Mommy?” The soft seeking voice of my son breaks the sound of the bathroom fan whirring. The door slowly opens. Then silence. “What are you doing honey?” I ask standing in front of the mirror. (Of course I wasn’t wearing anything because I just got out of the shower, and I had dried off and already hung up my towel to dry.) He creeps into the room and stands next to me. Then he slowly leans into my side. I wrap my arm around him and kiss his head. I ask, “Are you alright honey?” “Yea” he replies and I say, “What are you doing?” His sweet little voice replied, “I’m loving you.” In that moment I realized that God wants me to come to Him in the same way. God wants all of us to come to Him without any hesitation.

Isaiah just wanted to express his love for me. It didn’t matter to him that we had just spent several minutes together, snuggling and sharing a whole lot of hugs and kisses. It didn’t matter that I was completely naked, or that I was behind the closed door of the bathroom. It didn’t matter to him, because I am always approachable. He doesn’t let anything stand in his way of getting to me, there are no boundaries. He comes to me with a love that in uninhibited. God’s love knows no bounds and God longs for us to come to Him in the same way with anything and everything. “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28. I had just spent quite a bit of time with Isaiah before I got into the shower, BUT it wasn’t enough. God wants me to be like that. He doesn’t want me to have a specific time scheduled for Him, He wants me all the time and He wants me to come with hunger and thirst that only He can satisfy.

That afternoon I took Isaiah to the park. Once we reached the playground, I was five years old. I entered into his world and became a child. I ran, I jumped (I didn’t know I could still do that) I slid down the slides and climbed up all the different ways I could, including walking up the slides backwards. I didn’t care who was watching me, (I’m sure I looked pretty silly) I didn’t care what anyone thought. It didn’t matter; I loved my son, in his way, on his level with no bounds. We giggled while I was the monster and he was “the people.” We went on a journey to Cupcake Island on our jungle gym boat. We loved each other while we rested at the bottom of the slide and talked.  I think that’s just where God wants to meet us. No matter where we are, no matter what we do, He wants to meet you there, on your level, in the way that only He can.

My friend recently told me “God wants to be the one you love to giggle with and tell secrets to.”  I had never had it described quite that way before, but I think it’s exactly what God wants us to do. I think it’s exactly what a child would do. “At that time Jesus said, ‘I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children.’” ~Matthew 11:25. “I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” ~Luke 18:17

Do you find yourself in a difficult spot? Maybe your circumstances have become “impossible.” Maybe the trial at your doorstep is just to remind you that your Father in heaven is longing to hear from you. I know I’ve been given some new circumstances that are bringing me to a new level of brokenness, and dependence on God and God alone. I praise the Lord that He has me in a place where my only option is to wait on Him with faith like that of a child’s. “How kind the Lord is! How good he is! So merciful, this God of ours! The Lord protects those of childlike faith; I was facing death, and he saved me. Let my soul be at rest again, for the Lord has been good to me.” ~Psalm 116:5-7

Shining Perspective

Success! We’re moved.  We are now living each day sifting through a sea of boxes.  My daily motto has become: “adopt a spirit of adventure and go on a treasure hunt!”  Seven years is long enough to collect more stuff than I ever imagined I would own.  I’ve been surprised to discover the things that I could find sentimental value in. (And I’m astonished at what my husband and son are attached to.)  However, I haven’t become attached to a building, a house, or an apartment.  I moved several times as a child and as an adult, I’ve moved more times than I want to count.  I spent the day cleaning this apartment for the last time and realized that somehow, I got attached to my little home.

Maybe it’s because it was the first apartment that I had for an extended amount of time.  So many memories were made in seven years, some good and many that I didn’t want to remember.  As I spent the day in solitude, (something I don’t get a chance to do very often) I scrubbed and vacuumed as the reel of memories played back in my mind.  We moved there just after the first year of our marriage.  My son was conceived there.  His first steps were taken there; His first words were spoken there. He got his first tooth and five years later, he lost his first tooth there.

Of course, there are plenty of bad memories too.  Memories plagued with anger, immoral living, bad choices and big mistakes.  Holes left in the walls have their own stories where a spirit of rage once reigned, and the presence of old wounds that gave birth to broken hearts still quietly lingers.

Why did I get attached to this apartment?  The one memory that will stand out, the one reason this apartment will always hold a special place in my heart is because it is where I gave my life to Jesus Christ.  I relived so many moments.  Seven years of memories, but none compare to that moment, two years ago, when I surrendered my life and opened my heart to Jesus.  I will miss that spot where I prayed a million prayers and shed a million tears.

While scrubbing the tile floor for the last time I realized that I’ve left my mark on this apartment.  The grout was dirty no matter how many times I ran that brush across it.  It seemed as though it would never come clean; it was stained.  I could continue to try and clean it, and yet my dirt remained.

The same holds true with sin.  It doesn’t matter what we try to do. Sin remains. It is only by the blood of Jesus that we are saved.  It is only by the blood of Jesus that we are cleansed.  “For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life.” ~Leviticus 17:11  “In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.” ~Hebrews 9:22

It was clear that I could not get that floor to come perfectly clean, just as I cannot make myself perfectly clean.  Since moving to my new home I’ve found myself giving Satan access again.  I’ve allowed him a foothold in my life and I seem to walk in victory but only temporarily.  Then I slip back into the same trap again and again.  But my precious Jesus reminded me that I am covered by His blood and I have been made righteous in Him.  Jesus’ blood doesn’t cleanse me temporarily; it cleanses me once for all.  I haven’t been forgiven for one sin, but all sin past, present and future.  “How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!” ~Hebrews 9:14

The amazing thing is I can’t do anything to earn forgiveness.  I can’t do anything to make myself clean.  I am free of guilt for every bad memory that was made in that apartment.  All the mistakes and all the wrongs of my life from the beginning and even the mistakes I will make in the future have been covered by the blood of Jesus. Oh, the power of the blood of Jesus.  Not only does Jesus’ blood do all of that, but it has also made it possible for us to have a relationship, a personal and intimate communion with God.  “But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin.” ~1 John 1:7  “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.” ~Ephesians 2:13

Maybe you find yourself allowing sin in your life.  Maybe you’ve just made some mistakes and find yourself far from God.  There is nothing you can do, no sin too great, no mistake too big, no blemish on your record, no stain too horrendous that the blood of Jesus cannot wash away and cleanse completely.

Shining Perspective

“that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lust and be renewed in the spirit of your mind and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.” ~Ephesians 5:22-24

It’s 7am already? How does that happen so fast? I get up every day at 5am. Well, at least I wake up at that time. On some days it takes more prayer to get out of bed than other days. I have quite a routine. I pray and put my armor on. (Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. ~Ephesians 6:11) I give Jesus the throne of my heart before my feet hit the floor every morning. Somehow there are still days when all of the steps I take, don’t quite seem to be enough to “put off” the old woman and “put on” the new woman.

Last week I had one of those days. You know, the days when every tiny detail seems to be irritating; one frustration after another. My son has been on a trend of not getting up, not following directions and just being five years old with no concept of time. On this day, the morning was full of whining, arguing, complaining about the T-shirt selection, and confrontation about the toys he wanted to bring for the car ride. You name it; he had a problem with it.

The stress has been mounting in my home as we are getting close to the deadline of moving. It is starting to affect us all. We haven’t moved in seven years which means, we didn’t have Isaiah the last time we moved. I find it quite challenging just to try and continue with the everyday routine of getting off to work and school, while everything is a disaster.

My son is not a morning person; at least not for the first half hour of his eyes being opened. I repeat myself a LOT and he gives my patience muscle a good workout. I’ve been more sleep deprived than usual (which is a scary thought, since I don’t get enough sleep anyway) add to that the stress of moving and I lost control.

I finally gave into the frustration of asking this child over and over again to do the same thing. I could hear myself yelling at him. I felt myself giving into the old way I used to deal with him; the way I chose not to deal with him now. By the time I got him into the car, and finally got us buckled in, I realized that God doesn’t yell at me when I make poor choices or when I make mistakes, not even when I disobey.

On the way to school our routine includes prayer for the day. I’m open with Isaiah. I pray whatever needs to be prayed for. On this day my son heard me repent, ask for forgiveness, lay down my stress and be renewed in the few minutes that I prayed. I surrendered it all to the Lord. I praise God for the opportunities as they arise, to show him where my strength comes from. God isn’t angry like I was on that morning, (…let every man be quick to listen but slow to use his tongue, and slow to lose his temper. For man’s temper is never the means of achieving God’s true goodness. James 1:19-20 Phillips)

The Lord gently calls and waits for me to come to the end of myself. (This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy and we will find grace to help us when we need it most. Hebrews 4:15-16) His fountain of forgiveness and grace never runs dry.

By the time I dropped Isaiah off at school, we had both received our attitude adjustments, apologized and our day was set right. I got back into the car and the radio was singing: “…I don’t’ have to carry the weight of who I’ve been cause I’m forgiven…” I could only thank the Lord, I knew those words to be true and on that morning they were being sung just for me; I’ve been forgiven of all my past, present and future sins. (But if we freely admit that we have sinned, we find him utterly reliable and just—he forgives our sins and makes us thoroughly clean from all that is evil. 1 John 1:9 Phillips)

Have you come boldly to the throne of grace?

Shining Perspective

“Mommmmmyyyyy!!!” That is the unmistakable screeching, panicked voice of my five year old son; accompanied by what sounds like a herd of elephants stampeding toward me as he flies around the corner panting, eyes wide he says, “Why did you leave me?” I responded, “Honey, I’m right here, did I leave you?” His disappointed pouty little voice replied, “Yes you did!” Now obviously I hadn’t left him. In his little world he went back into the apartment to grab a toy. As he did, I went outside to load all of our gear for the day into the car. (As usual we were running late.) I am sure with his acute hearing that he heard the screen door shut and that threw him into a panic. To him, I was leaving him.

For the moment, (we are in the process of moving) my car is parked two feet from our front door. However, it is around a blind corner and you cannot see the car from the front door or the front door from the car. The reason he panicked, he couldn’t see me. I thought to myself, don’t you trust me? Have I ever left you before? It became clear to me in that moment; this must be how God feels. Every time I say I am lonely or every time I think no one cares, every time I think I have been forgotten. God must think don’t you trust me child? Have I ever left you before?

I cannot imagine leaving my son. I cannot dream of forgetting him. I cannot fathom not caring about him. God loves us so much more than we can even comprehend. He has never left me. Even before I knew Him, He was involved in my life; I just didn’t know it then. “And the LORD, He is the One who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed.”~Deuteronomy 31:8

In the same way I want my son to feel secure, and want him to know I wouldn’t dream of leaving him, God wants the same for us. God wants us to be secure in Him “…so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you.”~Joshua 1:5. When He says: “And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:20. You can count on Him to be there.

Today I cling to these specific promises with more passion than ever before. “God is not a man, so he does not lie. He is not human, so he does not change his mind. Has he ever spoken and failed to act? Has he ever promised and not carried it through?”~Numbers 23:19. I know even when I can’t see God, even when I can’t feel Him, even when I have doubts, even when I have questions: I know His word is true. God is faithful and will not leave me or forsake me; He is evermore the same for you.