Messes Everywhere - But for One

When I think of messes, I think of toddlers learning to eat on their own. All the food goes everywhere except their mouths. I think of someone cooking in the kitchen who doesn’t “clean as they go” and the amount of pots, pans, utensils, bowls around when they are done their creation. I think of me when I am done painting a room. There is paint everywhere from my head to my toes.

 I think of people. People are messy. People say things, not nice things, which leave a lasting impact on others. Hearts are hurt and damage is done. People do things that make you shake your head and wonder “What were they thinking?” People are messy. 

 Hearts are messy. My heart is messy. One minute I am filled with anger at something and the next I am feeling compassion. Our hearts can be stubborn and want their own way and then in the next minute letting go of the stubborn and relinquishing control. If I dig down into the motives of why I do things, I see that my motives are not always Christ-like. Sometimes, they are genuinely filled with love. Other times, not so much. Hearts are messy.

 One thing that is never messy is God. Now, I know from experience that following God is often messy. This is because when we follow him it involves people and our hearts…which are messy. But God himself is not messy. We know who He is and what He is about.

 We know that God loves us. In spite of who I can be at times (not pretty), He loves me. Truly, give his own heart on a cross for me, loves me. He would move worlds if He thought it would be for my good. What he wants more than anything is to spend time with me and talk. 

 God also loves every single person on this planet. Every person. No matter how good or how bad they are. They are loved equally, unconditionally, giving his own heart on a cross for them. 

 What does God want from me? He wants me to love like that. When someone does something that makes me shake my head and want to put distance between us, I go to God and say “What do you want?” And He says “Love them.” My messy heart does not want to do this. I am comfortable with the distance. But if I want to be like Jesus, if I want to be like love, then I need to do it.

 The other cliché we hear all the time is “What would Jesus do?” I’d like to rephrase that and have us ask “What would love do?” In our world of hurt, and there is a lot of it, we need to take a step toward love by reacting and reaching with love. 

Smiling Eyes

And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 18:3 (NIV)

Just after the holidays I had to go to the airport to pick someone up. They were flying in from an international trip. Not sure if you’ve ever had to wait outside customs for someone coming into the US but it usually takes a while.

The place wasn’t very full which is understandable with COVID. There is less air travel so less people waiting to pick someone up. I sat for a minute. Then I got up and stood by the railing. As I was standing there, I was watching people, looking at my phone and trying to not be bored. The time to get through customs varies. Sometimes it is really fast and sometimes it can take an hour or more. You have to show up wearing your patience.

As I was looking at my phone, I heard a high pitched squeal. I looked up to see a young girl running to someone and jumping on them. She was so delighted. You couldn’t help but smile. A short time later, I heard another squeal and again a young girl ran around the bannisters shouting “Papi! Papi!” as she jumped into his arms.

The excitement and delight in their squeals of joy was contagious. It made me wonder why we don’t do more of that. When we see someone we love, do they know we are super excited to see them? When we great a friend can they see the joy in our eyes letting them know we are happy to be together? When we live together as families, when a family member walks into the house, do we stop what we are doing to go greet them? I bet all of this happens less than it should.

As I stood there and pondered this, I remembered that Jesus said that we should be like little children. They are so delighted in the small things and everything is special. I wondered why I don’t do this more.

I seriously contemplated jumping up and down and squealing when the two young men I was picking up came into the waiting area. Then I remember that they are 15 and I think they would be so embarrassed the effort would have backfired. I did walk up and hug them and tell them I was glad they were home.

During this time of COVID, we don’t see each other enough and when we do go out, we see each other behind masks. But guess what? When you are truly smiling, your eyes smile too. Maybe we could also make it a point to smile with our eyes at everyone we meet. We all need extra love right now. Let’s love like little children.

Banquet Tables

You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows. Psalm 23:5 (ESV)

Imagine sitting at a banquet table where every part of the table is filled with bounty, with blessings. You can hardly see the table for all that is displayed before you. Imagine just as you start to dig into the array of goodness, an enemy comes to sit across from you. He/She doesn’t do anything. They just sit there.

God says “Look, I’ve prepared this just for you. Dig in.” You want to dig into the bounty but you can’t. You are so fixated on what is sitting across from you at the table, you don’t lift a finger to begin enjoying your feast. Instead, you stay riveted on the distraction that occupies your focus and you do not enjoy the gift you have been given.

It’s interesting that Psalm 23:5 says God prepares a banquet for us in the presence of our enemies. We talked about this in our Bible Study group.  A couple questions were asked. If there was a banquet table in front of you, what would be on it? And, What enemy/distraction is sitting in front of you that is preventing you from enjoying God’s provision? How would you answer those questions?

So often I find myself looking at what is causing my anxiety instead of the Person who is overflowing my cup. God’s table is always full. Even in the middle of hard things in life, there are blessings to be had. I know they might be subtle but they are there. Things like the smile of a child or the simple prayer of someone you love. Or the almost imperceptible way that God is moving in people‘s hearts.

I know there are people who are suffering. I know they look at the table before them and really can’t see any blessings. They are hurting. I bet you know folks like this too. If that is the case, maybe you can be the blessing that shows up on their table. Maybe you can reach out and show them love in a way that will change their perception of life. You can show them Jesus.

As we head into Thanksgiving, remember to count your blessings. More importantly, remember to be the reason someone is thankful.

The Village

Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself. Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ. Galatians 6:1-2 (NLT)

I have two grand kids. I adore them. They live with their two loving parents who both have very demanding careers. They love their children and do everything they can to spend as much time with them as they possibly can but in reality, they can’t be there 24x7.

So, they have a Village. The village consists of Nannies, Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, God Parents, and Friends. The Village is very active. First, it is always there to spend time together, eat meals, play, tell stories, share hugs and kisses, kiss boo boos and in general lend a hand raising up these blessings. The Village is active in everyday life. Some members are around a lot, some come and go but they are still part of the Village. They are trusted.

Sometimes, the Village is called on to do extra service. For example, if an emergency at work pops up, a call is made to the Village to see if someone can help. If something happens around the house that needs care, the Village is contacted.

This system works really well for a couple of reasons. One, everyone involved is there because they love each other. No one sees it as work or a sacrifice. It is a gift to be able to be involved and it is a blessing to be able to help. Two, everyone has one goal when they are present in the Village. The goal is to grow people in the Village to be responsible, productive, Jesus loving adults. Notice, it’s not only the kids who get care. Everyone in the Village needs love. Everyone understands this role. And while we each do that job a little differently, we all do it with the same motive. Love.

That’s how I see today’s verse. We as the Body of Christ (Jesus’ Village) each have a job to do. We are to love each other the way Jesus loves us. It’s not work; it’s not “ministry”; it’s not something we have to do because we have the name Christian. It’s something we do because we are in love with Jesus. It’s something we do because we love each other.

And just like when one of the grand kids starts to veer off track, we should gently and humbly love each other back on track. Humbly because we ourselves easily veer of track and gently because we are called to love each other the Jesus way. Helping each other back on track is not about pointing out each other’s faults. It’s about sharing the burden, lifting together and making sure we each become productive, responsible, Jesus loving Spiritual Adults.

That is the law of Christ. It is the law of Love.

Living Messy

Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love. God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us. 1 John 4:7-12 (NLT)

Lately, I haven’t been writing on this blog as much. I am not really sure why that is but I think part of is it is that life has become so overwhelming. Not in a bad way. Overwhelmingly full with God directing all the goings on. There are so many moving parts, so much God is saying. I am trying to say focused on what he is doing and what he is telling me to do.....The journey is amazing and I’m loving it. But to try to put it into words sometimes overwhelms me.

As you know, I started the process to plant a church. And I am still working my day job. There are lots of terms for this: bivocation and covocation.. All of those mean different things but I like dual vocational because honestly, you are going head on in what feels like two different directions at once. Crazy also fits some days.

My day job has suddenly picked up. A LOT. And I have been working on the church plant. Then, there is life. Family which I adore. Wash to be done, bills to be paid, groceries to be purchased and the distinct call God has placed on all of our lives to reach out to people and love them where ever he directs that day. This is what I am learning is living a life called to serve Jesus. It’s not organized. It can seem very chaotic and honestly, some days it feels like a whirlwind where you are managing many completely different things as the same time.

Here’s the problem. I am a very task oriented person. While God has been teaching me to be more people oriented than task oriented over the years when I get busy, guess what I revert back to?

A week or so ago, I got really frustrated because something wasn’t working as efficiently as it should. I was talking to God about it and complaining and in general venting about the lack of communication and the problems it caused. In my venting, I usually get around to asking him about my part in this play. As I did, he asked me a question.

Were the lives of the people I used in the Bible efficient and well put together? Or were they messy? Are there any God stories that you know that involve people that run like a well-oiled machine? Including yours? 

And there was my “ah ha” moment. God is a God of order. I know that. But he is also a God that loves people. More than anything. My tendency to want things to work well, flow smoothly and be communicated fully is fine. They are good traits to have but, never at the expense of people. 

Above all else, we need to love each other. It is only in demonstrating that love are we are going to show Jesus’ love to a world that can’t see it (both in and out of the church by the way.)

I am still a messy work in progress and thank God, he is still using me. You see no matter how efficient I am, no matter how well I can make a project run (that’s my day job), compared to Jesus, I am still a mess. And his grace covers me. That knowledge should totally change the way I live my life and the focus of my days.

Seeing With Wonder

Jesus called a little child to him and put the child among them. Then he said, “I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven. Matthew 18:3-4 (NLT)

The other day my daughter and I went shopping together. I was looking for some new clothes and a store near us was having a “Going Out of Business” sale. We took her children (one baby and one toddler). We are not crazy. We honestly didn’t expect to get a lot of shopping done but we were going to try.

In an effort to engage the oldest, I said “Will you help me find something to buy?” He looked around and pointed to a bright white and pink dress with a very full skirt and lots of glitter on it. I said “You want me to buy that?” He said “Yes, it’s a princess dress!”

Now, after my heart finished melting, I started thinking. My grandson thinks I can pull off a princess dress. Trust me, there are not many of my family members that would even suggest it. I am not really a princessy kind of person. But I loved the thought.

And then I thought that the only person who would see me as a princess (other than my grandson) was Jesus. And I am. I am the daughter of a King. I am accepted into the royal family and all the rights that are given to heirs are bestowed upon me. And you. We receive this because of the love and sacrifice of Jesus. King Jesus.

As I pondered this, I remembered that Jesus said we should become like little children. Maybe one of the reasons is so we will then see people the way he does. My grandson sees me with a heart of love that believes all the wonderful things about me that I don’t believe about myself.

Maybe that is how we should spend 2020. Believing in each other with the wonder of a child.

Happy New Year! I pray Jesus will be the center of your world in 2020!

Real Life In The Neighborhood

The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood. John 1:14 (MSG)

Each year my daughter and I have a tradition. We get together and bake Christmas cookies! We’ve been doing this for years and it is a cherished part of our holidays. We’ve invited friends to celebrate in this time with us and it’s been a lot of fun. A few years ago, she gave birth to my first grandson. What joy he has brought! And then came the second grandson and more joy! Except for during cookie baking time.....

This year, trying to juggle two grandchildren plus the “adopted” grandchildren of friends, well, let’s just say, the focus was not necessarily on the cookie baking. Mostly, they were wrangling kids while I was baking. I did get to take a moment here and there to mix cookies with the oldest (even though his attention span was short.) And I did get to hold babies in between - joy! My daughter and her friend apologized because I was doing all the baking. But you know what? No apology was needed.

You see, we make all these cookies each year and I bring them home. I don’t give many away (except to family) because I don’t think I am that great at baking. They sit in my house and eventually, I throw some away. So why do it? Because I get to spend time with them. We were still talking and sharing and caring.

The holiday season shouldn’t be about the tasks we have to do. It should be about being with each other. It should be about what happens in life together as we take care of life’s stuff. I know that as the kids keep coming and growing in our circle, baking will look different each year. And some years (like this year) we won’t get much baking done.

But we will share, laugh, love and hug on each other and the kids. We will connect once more to say “I love you.” Jesus did that. He came, he shared life and he connected with us to remind us how much we are loved.

That is what Christmas is all about and those moments are what brings joy to our hearts. So today, while you are doing your ‘list’, do it with someone. Love on someone and so what if things don’t look like they used to or like they should. Honestly, when you lean into the loving part, the end result is even sweeter!

A Minute In It - What Does Your Character Look Like?

A minute in God’s Word will change your life. Take a moment to read the text below and then answer the questions at the bottom of the post.

1 So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, 2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

14 Do all things without grumbling or disputing, 15 that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, 16 holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain. 17 Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. 18 Likewise you also should be glad and rejoice with me. Philippians 2:1-18 (ESV)

As you read through this text, what character traits does Paul say followers of Christ should have?
What character traits should define our churches?