The Gospel According to Cinderella

The other morning,‭ ‬I was in that transition between full-on sleep and rolling out of bed‭ ‬-‭ ‬not quite asleep,‭ ‬almost awake‭ ‬-‭ ‬when I began to consider how the story of Cinderella parallels the Gospel story.‭ ‬Maybe it began in a dream,‭ ‬maybe it was a Revelation from the Father,‭ ‬I can’t say,‭ ‬but what follows is more or less what occurred to me Sunday around‭ ‬6‭ ‬am.
Her early memories of joy and love in the bosom of her father are very much like the joy and love Eve‭ (‬and Adam‭) ‬experienced in Eden,‭ ‬or our own early days of innocence in life.‭ ‬Then tragedy struck.
In Cindy’s case,‭ ‬the loss of her father left her to the not-so-tender mercies of her step-mother and‭ ‬-sisters,‭ ‬and living in the shadowy edges of the home they had stolen.‭ ‬From her.‭ ‬In our case,‭ ‬sin broke the fellowship with our Heavenly Father and left us trapped with our Snaky Deceiver in the burnt out cinders of our hopes and dreams,‭ ‬slaves in the ruins of our inherited home.
Her day to day life was filled with dreams and hopes for rescue,‭ ‬our desire‭ (‬often sub-conscious‭) ‬is to return to those days of innocence and joy in fellowship with our Heavenly Father,‭ ‬a quest that seems even more far-fetched and impossible than a scullery maid longing for a Prince to rescue her.
Suddenly,‭ ‬in the midst of the gloom and dark of her daily struggle,‭ ‬a ray of hope broke through,‭ ‬and someone she had never known gave her the opportunity to meet the Prince.‭ ‬In one of the few‭ ‬accurate uses of this phrase,‭ ‬she said,‭ “‬I haven’t a thing to wear‭!” ‬With a few waves of the wand,‭ ‬Cindy is cleaned and coiffed and covered‭ ‬-‭ ‬through no power of her own‭! ‬Yes,‭ ‬just like her,‭ ‬all that we have in God’s eyes is‭ “‬filthy rags‭”‬.‭ ‬We’d‭ ‬never be fit for His Presence...without His intervention‭!
Then,‭ ‬at the Ball,‭ ‬she not only meets the Prince,‭ ‬he chooses her for love‭!! ‬That’s right,‭ ‬the very thing she’d been hoping for was coming true right before her eyes,‭ ‬so she did what so many in her place would‭ ‬-‭ ‬she ran away.‭
OK,‭ ‬you’re going to remind me about her deadline and everything turning back into pumpkins and mice yadda yadda.‭ ‬But in our story,‭ ‬when faced with the Promised Fulfillment,‭ ‬we often run and hide,‭ ‬either in shame or fear or astonishment,‭ ‬definitely knowing we’re not worthy of such Love.‭
So Love comes searching.
Do you think we would love the Cinderella story if there weren’t a‭ “‬Happily Ever After‭”? ‬The Gospel of Cinderella really is Our Gospel,‭ ‬because it has the only Happy Ending that matters.

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ— by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. Eph 2:4-7

Another Day Closer

How does your diary read? Remember when we were kids, and right after Halloween we began to really realize that Christmas was coming? If I had kept a diary, along with stories about my wonder dog Useless and my annoying baby brother, I honestly believe that there would have been many times I would have boldly (with exclamation points!!) written “Another Day Closer To CHRISTMAS!!”
Now that’s not to say we weren’t anticipating Halloween - more than a few hours were spent ogling magazine pictures of fancy store-bought costumes and planning our home-made copies. And of course, Thanksgiving, with its built-in expectation of eating yourself into a stupor. But Christmas was the Big Day, combining the gluttony of Thanksgiving with the greed of Halloween in a wonderful melange of pseudo-religious (Saint Nick, anyone?) nervous anxiety. Plus edible decorations! Not to mention mangers and stars and wise men and shepherds in the annual Christmas Pageant.
So we began the Countdown. As I write this, I found a website that has an active countdown to Christmas, marking Days, Hours, Minutes, AND Seconds. (78 Days, 14 Hours, etc.) At this point in my life, that’s TMI (Too Much Information, Geezers). Days are quite sufficient, especially since it will still sneak up on me and catch me by surprise somehow anyway. Ah, the Desperate Hours of Christmas Eve picking-over-the-ruined-remnants Shopping! (Not that I’ve EVER done that for YOU, my sweet little Pie-maker!! Besides, Christmas Jerky is delicious.)
But as it is written, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined the things that God has prepared for those who love him.” 1 Cor. 2:9
I’m looking forward to Heaven, and these Holiday SADs (Seasonal Affective Delights, to improve a phrase) are good training grounds for that. I suspect that if you’ve thought much about Heaven, you’ve thought of it in the sad and tired old fictional imagery of “Halos, Harps, and Happy Clouds” - none of which are mentioned in the only document with comments from actual inhabitants and visitors, the Bible. No, what you find in that Book are descriptions of a never-ending “Rave”, with music, dancing, and general celebrating. That’s definitely something worth counting down to, and maybe we should consider getting a little more “aerobic” with our worship, and little less “funeral parlor-esque” in anticipation. (smiley face goes here)
His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ Matt 25:21
“...into the joy...”
Now that deserves some exclamation points! Getting into Heaven is getting Into The JOY. All the joys of Christmas’s past rolled up together with whipped cream, a cherry, AND sparklers is only a taste of the joys to come for those who love Him. Every day really is “another day closer”, and that’s worth counting down to!

Trash to Treasure

There’s an interesting piece of real estate in California called the Glass Beach. Fort Bragg has been around a while, right on the Pacific Coast. Beginning at least in 1906 through 1967, they did what many towns did. They dumped their trash in a convenient location - the ocean. They were dumping so much out there that sometimes they had to burn it to keep it from blocking the view (I guess). But for 61 years, they had merrily dumped everything they could think of - from household trash to automobiles, including a LOT of glass bottles.
Then the wind and tide got to work.
One day, someone went down to the “Old Dump” to look around, and they noticed that the ‘sand’ on the beach was...colorful. And it still is. It somehow at the same time looks both man-made and natural.
Now my expectation when I first heard of Glass Beach is that it would be much more enjoyable from a safe distance. (I’ve been wrong about other things, too.) One of the pictures I found showed a person walking the beach bare-footed. Sans sandals. Naked toes! Apparently, time and tides not only “...wait for no man.”, they don’t waste their time idly either. They work, tumbling, polishing, shaping, transforming.
Made me think about the Hebrews coming out of Egypt. When they crossed the Red Sea leaving the broken remnants of Pharoah’s mighty army sinking out of sight, they were FREE. After 400 years of slavery, their chains were gone!
At least, the ones they could see.
But they had been dramatically warped by their slavery. Why else would they whine about going back to Egypt every other day? They had a lot of trashy thinking to get over, and it didn’t happen over night. 40 years of wilderness wandering was what it took to transform them from a rag-tag gaggle of discarded junk into a conquering covenant army.
An interesting tid-bit: somebody estimates that it takes 40 years to turn trash glass into Sea Glass, discards and junk into highly collectible treasures. There’s sea glass jewelry, an online magazine, a festival, and lots and lots of collectors that see the beauty and value in what once shared space with old coffee grounds and used diapers.
So the next time you’re wondering why it’s taking so long to get really free from the sins and failures of your past, remember Glass Beach. You didn't get where you were overnight, odds are you won't get over it overnight either. The transformation may take time -and trials - to get there, but it will be beautiful.
We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. 2 Cor. 4:8-10

Cross of Glass

At first, I noticed the colors. White, green, blue, yellow red, orange - even a little pink. They were all shapes and sizes. And then I saw that they were shards of glass, just pieces that had been chosen, sanded a little, and then carefully fit together in the shape of a Cross.
Brokenness made Beautiful.
Our lives, our heart’s desires get broken, shattered into a million pieces by any number of things. Cancer. Divorce. Death. Dementia. Autism. War. Accidents. Sin.
I don’t know what broke you, but I know you’ve been broken. We all have, because that’s what happens to fragile things in this fallen and dangerous world.
When Jesus saw the damages of sin, He didn’t despair. He chose to do something about it.
The Cross.
Those who come to Him with their broken bits of life find Him carefully arranging and fitting them together beautifully, skillfully, Masterfully.
There are some - not me - who hold to Chaos Theory, that order eventually comes out of chaos without an Artist. My experience has been in the opposite direction. Order degenerates into chaos, and left to itself, chaos just increases.
In this life, Chaos is only brought to Order by the Master, and He only does it through the Cross.
For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are dying, but to us who are saved it is the power of God. 1Cor 1:18

Time Travel

Ecclesiastes 3:1 For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven:

The Future is something everyone reaches at the rate of sixty minutes an hour, whoever he is, whatever he does. CS Lewis
Life's not made up of the breaths you take, but the moments that take your breath away.

Time travel is one of the favorite inventions of fiction. Ever since HG Wells' The Time Machine - and probably before - people have been interested in the possibility of jumping into the past to some big event or into the future to see what's going to happen next. Who wouldn't want to be present at the signing of the Declaration of Independence, or with the Wright Brothers at Kitty Hawk, or watching the Red Sea part, or Resurrection Morning? That's why I'm sure time travel will remain in the world of fiction. Otherwise, the thousands of significant events of history would have been crowded with on-lookers and sight-seers - and rubberneckers are not known for quietly staying in the background! (Hey, Moses, would you do that again? Everybody smile and wave this time!)
We'd all love to skip some parts of our lives. Dentist visits. Flu. Civics class. Anything painful or boring - or painfully boring - brings up the delicious fantasy of jumping to the end. The movie Click explores that fantasy and its major downside, that life is made up of moments and you never know when you'll find the ones that take your breath away. Take Jacob, for instance.
He was on a journey he didn't want to be on. He was not known for his adventurous spirit or out-doorsy ways, but his mother was concerned that his brother was planning a Cain and Abel reenactment, so she bundled him off for a visit to her old home place. On the way, he camped out at the ruins of a place called Luz, and had a dream: Angels were going up to and coming down from Heaven, and God passed on to him the Promise of Abraham.
Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.” Genesis 28:16
I don't imagine he was expecting to meet God on this journey. Most of us never do, but the Lord is the Master of perfect timing. Jacob's little vacation was going to be the defining point of his life, because God had a plan. Did you know that when God has a plan, even the apparently insignificant moments of your life - or better yet, the disastrous ones - can be charged with meaning and purpose?
And we know that for those who love God, that is, for those who are called according to his purpose, all things are working together for good. Romans 8:28
I'm not saying (and neither is the Bible) that "there is a reason for everything", or even "it's all going to work out". What the Bible IS saying is that for those who are on HIS side, God is working things out with an eye to Eternity.
He has made everything beautiful in its time...Ecclesiastes 3:11
So? Enjoy the moment, what's about to happen may matter more than you know!

What the Heck is THAT!?

The people of Israel ate the manna forty years, till they came to a habitable land. They ate the manna till they came to the border of the land of Canaan. Exodus 16:35
I have known people who always eat the same few things every day. I personally don’t know how they do it. Got to have a little variety, myself.
Well, with enough picante sauce, I can get by, but I don’t think the Israelites had access to jalapeños. Nope, they got Manna - a Hebrew word meaning “What the heck is this?” It appeared every morning like frost and flakes on the ground. (“Frosted Flakes”, pre-Kellog! They were Grrrr-eat!)
It was pretty exciting. They’d go out Sunday through Friday and collect a couple of quarts apiece for their - ahem - daily bread. (Give us this day our daily...you know.) Except on Friday they had to gather twice as much to tide them through the Sabbath. A few lessons were forcefully and vividly imprinted on them through this: God Really Can Provide. Just do a little math. Basically a million people had to get fed every day. How could any human agency provide enough sustenance for so many out of thin air?! In a desert? Only one word for that: Miraculous!
God expects His people to follow His instructions. That’s right, there were rules for His amazing Free Lunch Plan. Gather enough for everybody for the day, use it all or destroy it before morning. If you kept it overnight, it got nasty. Except for Friday night. Then it would still be good for Saturday. Because God said so, that’s why!
What God provides is good. Wafers and honey. That’s what it tasted like. Do an internet search for “perfect food”, and honey is what you find. Biscuits and honey with a dash of cinnamon is hard to beat. This wasn’t skimpy, unpalatable survival fare. They thrived on it. When they weren’t complaining about it.
Whining about God’s provision is never a good idea. Well, duh. But we do it anyway, don’t we? Human nature, I suppose, but our imperfect memories and voracious appetites (lusts) lead us to anguished complaining about the “same old same old”. Which gets us in trouble. Every. Single. Time.
The methods and means may change, but it is still God who provides.
When they got to the Promised Land, the manna stopped. Instead, they got to enjoy the Promise Fulfilled. For generations, they had been dreaming of “a land flowing with milk and honey”. That was the Promise Deferred. When they were ready, God fulfilled it even better than they expected, in ways they never dared to dream.
Here’s a hint for your life. God doesn’t tell you every good thing He has planned. He always has wonderful surprises waiting in the wings. Don’t get so attached to todays blessings that you can’t enjoy tomorrows!
And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19
Fear not. Faith on!

Shine it up!

Mythbusters did a segment on “Can you polish a poop?” based on a saying they often used around their shop when someone was being too nitpicky about something “You’re just trying to get a shine on that ... “stuff”. They gathered various kinds of “scat” from a local zoo and tried a couple of different techniques without success. Then they learned about the Japanese art of “dorodango” - turning balls of mud into shiny...well...balls. It actually worked! They even geeked out and tested the reflective qualities of their poo-balls with a machine that declared they were indeed 'shiny'.
But it was still poop.
All they did was superficial. It didn’t change anything about the content of their “material”. They were quite thrilled with their results, because they accomplished their goal. I found it fun to watch, even interesting, but I’m happy to say I wasn’t there.
With the smell.
Not to mention the memory of spending that much time up close and personal with something so...personal.
Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old things have passed away. Behold, all things have become new. 2 Cor. 5:17
New car smell is a good smell. Fresh baked bread? Amazing! But what God does in a sinner’s heart is even more amazing. He takes something used, abused, and nasty and makes it NEW. When you put your trust in Christ, it’s like being reborn.
That’s why Jesus told Nicodemus he had to be born again. Nothing else in our experience compares. It's a reboot that makes the hard drive brand spanking new!
And if it doesn’t begin there, all our charities, good works, church attendance, and good intentions are just poop-polishing. No matter what kind of shine we put on the outside, if it doesn’t come from a changed heart, it’s wasted. Not to mention, disgusting!

Traveling Right

When preparing to travel,‭ ‬lay out all your clothes and all your money.‭ ‬Then take half the clothes and twice the money.‭ ~‬Susan Heller
I learned the value of that advice a while back.‭ ‬My Little Pie Baker and I were invited out to west Texas for a weekend,‭ ‬and since they gave us plane tickets,‭ ‬we decided to go.‭ ‬After about the‭ ‬13th stop for a rest on the Death March from the parking garage to the terminal‭ ‬-‭ ‬DFW is mathematically laid out so no matter where you park,‭ ‬you have to cross two county lines and a time zone to get to your gate‭ ‬-‭ ‬I wiped my brow and congratulated my bride.‭ “‬Honey,‭ ‬I never would have thought to pack a toaster oven and‭ ‬14‭ ‬tons of shoes for a weekend trip.‭” ‬For those of you who aren’t paying attention,‭ ‬yes,‭ ‬that was sarcasm.
Anybody who has flown lately knows that there are strict limits on luggage weight and harsh penalties for exceeding it.‭ ‬As in cash.‭ ‬Lots and lots of cash.‭ ‬Airline ticket agents are‭ ‬thrilled to see that scale show‭ ‬1‭ ‬ounce over the limit.‭ “‬Cha-CHING‭!” ‬they say,‭ ‬and‭ “‬Thank you very much‭!” ‬they chirp as they introduce you to their Friendly Customer Service Rottweilers.
What has brought up this particular topic is fairly obvious,‭ ‬I’m sure.‭ ‬In a couple of weeks,‭ ‬I’m joining a group going to Central America for a week.‭ ‬Just yesterday,‭ ‬I received a list of packing suggestions‭ ‬-‭ ‬what to wear,‭ ‬what to pack in my carry-on,‭ ‬what to pack in the single bag‭ (‬49‭ ‬lbs,‭ ‬15‭ ‬Oz,‭ ‬and not a Dorothy or Toto more‭!) ‬I’m allowed to check.‭ ‬Then we talked about what was appropriate to carry‭ ‬-‭ ‬mosquito spray,‭ ‬yes.‭ ‬Anti-tarantula blowtorch,‭ ‬probably not.‭ ‬Tuxedo‭? ‬Not needed.‭ ‬Toilet paper‭? ‬That’s a BIG‭ ‬10-4,‭ ‬little buddy‭!
But I intend to be stingy,‭ ‬because I’m not going all that way to be a Baggage Handler.‭ ‬I don’t want to have to worry about where my‭ “‬stuff‭” ‬is,‭ ‬or what might be happening to it.‭ ‬That was Jesus‭’ ‬advice,‭ ‬anyway:
He said to them,‭ “‬Take nothing for your journey‭ – ‬no staff,‭ ‬no bag,‭ ‬no bread,‭ ‬no money,‭ ‬and do not take an extra tunic.‭ ‬Luke‭ ‬9:3
Talk about traveling light‭! ‬Truth is,‭ ‬we all need to be traveling light,‭ ‬not keeping up with old baggage but discovering God's ability to generously provide.‭ ‬You see,‭ ‬those who intend to follow Him are on a narrow,‭ ‬difficult path.‭ ‬Baggage gets lost,‭ ‬or stolen,‭ ‬or becomes a heavy weight and encumbrance.‭ ‬We are WAY better off‭ “‬down-sizing‭”‬.‭ ‬Then all that energy,‭ ‬attention,‭ ‬and sweat we had been devoting to the luggage can be focused more profitably,‭ ‬and we can concentrate on traveling Right.

Therefore,‭ ‬since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses,‭ ‬let us also lay aside every weight,‭ ‬and sin which clings so closely,‭ ‬and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,‭ ‬looking to Jesus,‭ ‬the founder and perfecter of our faith,‭ ‬who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross,‭ ‬despising the shame,‭ ‬and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.‭ ‬Hebrews‭ ‬12:1-2‭

Home Made

Her children stand up and encourage her, as does her husband, who praises her:“Many women have done wonderful things,” he says, “but you surpass all of them!” Charm is deceitful and beauty fades; but a woman who fears the Lord will be praised. Prov 31:28-30
To all of you precious Moms out there who would love to strangle this virtuous paragon you hear about every Mother’s Day (and half the funerals you attend), she didn’t do it all with toddlers in the house. It was a life time achievement - and she had servants to help! So, husbands, if you want the full Proverbs 31 Wife, be prepared to hire staff!
This year, I fell back on an old family tradition, and made my Mother’s Day gift with my own hands. Really brought back memories of my grubby little hands putting dandelions in jelly jars or fingerpainting “beautiful” drawings for Mom to put on the fridge. When you’re little, anything you have enough money to buy is pretty junky, and anything nice enough to give, she would end up paying for anyway, so plaster hand prints and macaroni covered cigar boxes figured prominently among my gift options. And as a parent myself - what goes around really does come around, doesn’t it? - I’ve been on the receiving end of such delightful treasures. There is something incredibly precious about a hand made gift, especially when the hands are very small and the love is very, very big.
So I baked a pecan pie.
For those of you who (quite rightly) fear for her safety, I was not alone in the kitchen. My own little Master Pie Baker was right there, talking me through every step. Did you know that when it says “a cup of flour”, you fill the measuring cup and rake off the top so it’s EXACTLY a cup? News to me!
But I followed instructions and used all the ingredients (and nothing extra - not even a LITTLE bit of jalapeno).
And Mom? I remembered something else you taught me, and washed my hands first. With soap!
It was actually kind of fun, and it gave me a chance to relive those golden days of yore - with a little less mess in the kitchen. A little. The love was about the same, though. Which brings me to the important part.
Nothing I could give God would ever come close to what He gave - and continues to give. The very best I could afford is meaningless, and the very best I could make with my own hands? Well, the Louvre won’t be calling any time soon. But when the love that fills my soul overflows toward the One to Whom I owe everything, I like to think that’s what He keeps for his Heavenly refrigerator door - smudges and all.
I love the LORD, because he has heard my voice and my pleas for mercy. Because he inclined his ear to me, therefore I will call on him as long as I live. Psalm 116:1-2

Everything?

He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in their hearts, yet so that man can’t find out the work that God has done from the beginning even to the end. Ecclesiastes 3:11
I read somewhere that if you want to keep your mind fresh and young - and not give way to Old-Timer’s Disease - then you should keep learning new things. Some scientific studies - Science is On Our Side - say that the act of learning is effective in delaying the onset of dementia. Since those who know me best say I live altogether too close to that state now, I guess I’d better pay attention! One of my inspirations was a retired college professor, who in her 80‘s decided to quit saying she wished she had learned to play piano when she was younger, and do something about it. So she started taking lessons from my wife. True, it wasn’t easy for her, but what a joy to see the delight she had in even the smallest improvement.
In that spirit, I’ve got a couple of new things going on now. Many of you had your portrait sketched by Joe McKeever when he was staying with us recently. I was impressed with how disarming and fun it was to sit in the cafe or church and sketch away, so I decided to take it up. Joe told me that you learn fastest by sketching live people right in front of them, so if you see me with a pad and pen I’m just trying to stave off old age. Oh, and an important disclaimer. He figures that it took him about 500 or so attempts before he got good enough that the sketches were “keepers”, and I haven’t even got to 50 yet. Don’t take it personally if I ball up a few and throw them away without letting you see. It’s for your own good!!
“So what,” you ask “does that have to do with Ecclesiastes?” Why, just everything.
We live in the Information Age. Want to find out about sharks or lasers or sharks that shoot lasers? There’s a good chance you can from the comfort of your computer chair - in my case, a Lazyboy, but keep your smart aleck remarks to yourself. But as much information as there is, there is also Mystery, an unfathomable mystery so that no matter how much you learn about one or two aspects of Creation, you can’t grasp it all. Yet fascination with the Mystery of Eternity is hard-wired into all of us. And that means that no matter how much we learn, there’s always more, and in the right circumstances, more is beautiful. That’s the way God made it!
Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and the knowledge of God! How unsearchable His judgments and untraceable His ways! Romans 11:33
My advice? Learn something new. If nothing else, it might save your brain, or at least give you more material to bore...uh, interest your spouse or friends. Now stop bothering me, I’ve got faces to sketch.

The Juggler

I possess a few skills, carefully honed over a lifetime of discipline and effort to an almost butter knife level of sharpness. I can cook on an outdoor grill without ever once - in 40 years - burning down a house. I can vacuum a carpet or squish a bug - often at the same time! I can drive a stick shift, 3-, 4-, even 5-on-the-floor, not to mention 3-on-the-tree. Impressive, I know. But one of the skills I’m most proud of is, of course, my juggling.
Many years ago, I came across a book in the library that promised to teach anyone how to juggle in just minutes a day. I checked it out, read a few pages and looked at diagrams, and then did something that few attempt. (All the self help books on your shelves are no use if you don’t actually help your self!) I grabbed 3 tennis balls and went out in the backyard (to minimize damage) and tried. And tried. Amazingly enough the book was correct. Any idiot CAN learn how to juggle!
Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will stand before kings, not unimportant people. Proverbs 22:29
I like to think I have a reasonably accurate grasp of my limitations. I never acquired a level of skill that would get me on TV, not even cable access. And I have yet to be informed of a Command Performance for any semblance of royalty. Three balls with the occasional drop is as far as I’ve gotten, but I did get one other thing out of my afternoon in the backyard - a glorious sense of accomplishment, and a sneaking suspicion that my Dad was right - I really CAN do just about anything I set my mind to!
I can do all things through him who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13
Yes, I really can. I can discern what’s going on in people’s lives - not mind reading, spiritual awareness from the Spirit of God. I can stand firm on the Truth of the Gospel. I can love the unlovely, forgive the unmerciful, bless those who curse me, bind up the wounded, search for the lost. Everything that God wants me to do, He empowers me to do. I stand before the King of kings and Lord of lords, juggling for the souls of men and women.
I used to hear people say about people who were full of themselves, “He has delusions of Grandeur”. Me? I don’t even have Delusions of Adequacy, which is great because instead of trusting in my own skills and talents and resources, I’m forced to trust in His. No, I don’t have an Inferiority Complex, just a valid assessment. And I’ve learned the Secret. His resources are Abundant. Sufficient. Superior to the best humanity has to offer in every conceivable way. The skill that stands me before my King is not some parlor trick learned in afternoon once upon a time, it is Faith, the activity of the Redeemed - Forsaking All I Trust Him.
Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will help you; I will hold on to you with My righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10
Is anything too hard for Him? I don't think so!

The Right Tool?

He gave some to be apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, shepherds and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, to the work of serving, to the building up of the body of Christ; Ephesians 4:11-12

I went in to the bathroom the other day and saw something on the counter that really disturbed me, so much so that I just had to ask my wife about it.

“Honey, I know I don’t know much about make up or beauty products, but I can’t imagine what a woman as pretty as you are needs with a steak knife as part of your equipment.”
Happily, there was a logical explanation. The shampoo bottle had a little sticker over the mouth that she couldn’t get open with just her fingernails, and her normal opener (me) was unavailable. At least, that’s HER story, and of course I believe her. But I’m watching my step, and if it shows up in the bedroom, I’m sleeping on the couch!
You know the saying, “The right tool for the job”? I carry a Swiss Army knife most of the time, so I’ve usually got a tool I can use, at least for small jobs, and I know that in pinch, “Any tool can be the right tool”, but mostly you’re better off with the tool that was meant for the job, and there are quite a few jobs that would ruin the wrong tool.
That’s why you have people with different skills and inclinations in the church. We are tools in God’s hands, crafted for a purpose and intended for use. I know that some people have their tools carefully placed on a pegboard in their garage and even outlined so they have a visual cue about which tool goes where - although I think that’s more about decoration than anything else. Wouldn’t surprise me if those tools are as fresh as the day they were purchased, never moved once placed, with the working tools kept in a box in the work area. But God doesn’t do “decorator tools”. He always has purpose for the tools He chooses - even you.
For some reason, people want to act like decorator tools, potentially useful but very surprised if they’re pulled off the shelf. But if each of us is available to God, then things that are either being done poorly or not done at all will instead be done well. Another good old saying: “Many hands make light work.” By uniting our efforts, we share the burdens, making them lighter and we share the joys, making them sweeter by the sharing. Be the right tool in God’s hand, and be worthy of that highest of blessings: “Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of your Lord.”
And let’s keep the steak knives OUT of the bathroom!

The Vine

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. John 15:1
For nearly as long as there have been people, we have cultivated and used grapes. The ancient Code of Hammurabi even includes tips on growing them. The first mention of vineyard in the Bible is in Genesis. After the flood, Noah planted a vineyard and made wine, and in the Bible, the mention of a vine painted a picture of home and comfort.
Throughout history, the march of civilization carried viticulture with it. When people and nations began to move and trade (and conquer), their favored wines and grapes went with them. And when Europeans came to America, they tried to bring their own grapes - even though there were so many varieties here that the Norse called the part they saw "Vinland." Trouble is, European vines - notably French ones - didn't survive here. They would start well, but before long they would just wither and die.
Time passed, and in the 1850's, it is believed that the reason for their failure stowed away on a steamship to France, a little bug called "phylloxera", a sort of aphid which attacked the roots and poisoned the vines. By 1863, what became known as the Great French Wine Blight was in full swing, affecting up to 40% of the harvest. No pesticide seemed to have any effect, and it appeared that the French wine industry was doomed.
Obviously, there are still snooty Frenchmen getting people drunk and convincing them to eat snails and wear berets, so someone found a solution. It seems that this native American bug did not harm the native American vines, so all they had to do was (swallow their pride and) plant the American rootstock, then graft on to it the favored French branches. The only reason that we have high-priced hoity-toity French wines today is because of American vines. You know that has to sting - which is why you probably never knew about it until now!
I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. John 15:5
French wines and grapes have been world renowned for quite some time. The combination of climate, soils, dedication, and varieties have made them elite, but it comes back to the Vine. Without that living rootstock, it would all just be a memory. Branches on the native vine are doomed, but transplanted onto the Living Vine, they not only have life, they have abundance.
If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. John 15:6
If you've never been grafted on to the Living Vine - Jesus - you are on the doomed, dying vine of this world system. The Good News is the Vinedresser is not only able but willing to graft you in and pour the life of Christ through you. Choose life that you might live!
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. John 10:10

God's Messing

If you are not praying and not going to church, may I tell you why you're not? Forget all the theological junk. You simply do not want God messing with you. Admit it. We want His blessing but not His messing. Joe McKeever
There was an old time "fire and brimstone" preacher filling the pulpit in a small country church. He started off by warning about the perils and dangers of alcohol. A sweet little (old) lady sitting near the front just beamed out Amen after Amen. He moved on to the problem of lust and pornography, which got her to throw in a couple of extra "Praise Ga-a-a-a-w-w-wwd"s. When he jumped on the smokers, she jumped up and shouted "Preach it, Brother!", and it just kept rolling and rolling. But when he started in on those who had a snuff-dipping addiction, she hollered on her way out the door, "You've done quit preaching and gone to meddling!"
“Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and don’t do the things which I say? Luke 6:46
I bet that woman had never taken a "drink" in her life. She probably wasn't struggling with lustful thoughts, and if she thought about smoking, it was only to comment, "That stinks, and it's killing you!" But when it got down to her personally, it was a different story. Most of us have more in common with her - and the Pharisees - than we'd like to admit. Seeing someone else's struggles is much tastier (easier) than dealing with our own, isn't it? But then, when we're faced with our own guiltiness, we'd rather run away than face it and deal with it. When God's Holy Spirit starts doing His work in our life - convicting of sin, righteousness and judgment - we'd much rather avoid it. And to avoid it, we avoid the places He's likely to show up - our churches, Bibles, and Christian friends. If only God would let us come and get a Warm Fuzzy Feeling and not trouble our consciences!
Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven; but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Matthew 7:21
Umm, did you get that? God's "messing" IS God's Blessing! If He left us to our own devices, we would choose lives of selfish indulgence that would lead us to destruction, so He blesses us with indignation at our sin so we won't assume we're all right when we're not. When we seek His blessings, we are really seeking for His messing, too, which is good since they are a "package deal". You don't get one without the other, because they are 2 sides of the same coin. His blessing is for His own, and His own do His will - even when it goes against their human wants. And I really like what someone much wiser than I said: "God's Will is what we would choose if we had all the facts."
We never have ALL the facts, but we can trust the One who does, so let God's messing lead you to God's Blessing!
Don’t be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what is the good, well-pleasing, and perfect will of God. Romans 12:2

Metamorphosis

Don’t be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what is the good, well-pleasing, and perfect will of God. Romans 12:2
When you compare a caterpillar with a butterfly, you find a host of differences. The caterpillar eats leaves, the butterfly sucks nectar. The caterpillar looks yucky to most girls - hence the squeals and squirms - while the butterfly is gorgeous - hence the "ooo"s and "ahhh"s. And of course, one crawls slowly and the other flits gloriously. Who would ever imagine there's a connection between them?
Maybe you've done what I did as a child. I watched a caterpillar spin a cocoon about itself on a limb, took the limb and placed it in a mason jar with holes punched in the lid, and waited an eternity (10 days or so) until the butterfly emerged - when it was admired, and then released.
They call that "metamorphosis", from the Greek for "change of shape", usually translated transformed in the Bible (like in that verse at the beginning). The change in our minds from a relationship with Christ is supposed to be a metamorphosis - such a dramatic reorganization of our attitudes, actions, and goals that it's unimaginable that one springs from the other. It's miraculous to find that a lowly caterpillar becomes a lovely butterfly, and it's even more miraculous to find a person transformed from sinner to Saint. So how could such a thing happen?
From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Matthew 4:17
The Greek word for "repent" - metanoia - is a sort of word cousin to metamorphosis, meaning "change of mind". As a person repents - turns from their sinful ways and turns toward the life of faith - a transformation begins. It doesn't always look lovely, it's never very easy, often painful, and sometimes it seems to be taking forever, but it IS happening. We are being transformed from objects of disgust and disdain to inspirations of Joy and Wonder.
Do you see us in our caterpillar phase and doubt we'll ever soar to the heavens? Honestly, we do too. But we are Standing on His Promises, Acting on His Principles, and Becoming like His Portrait, and so can you! Repent, and begin the Metamorphosis to a Heaven-bound Glory...
Beloved, now we are children of God, and it is not yet revealed what we will be. But we know that, when he is revealed, we will be like him; for we will see him just as he is. 1 John 3:2

Something Amazing

Behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. This man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. Luke 2:25-26
In the movie The Incredibles, Mr. Incredible is a super-strong former hero living a government ordered quiet life undercover. One day, furiously frustrated with his life and his car, he picks it up off the ground and is about to hurl it into the air when he hears a small boy behind him. He puts the car down and walks into the house with exaggerated nonchalance. The next day when he comes home, the little boy is there, so he asks "What are you waiting for?"
"I don't know. Something AMAZING I guess."
"Me too, kid. Me too."
I love that scene. It reminds me that I often find myself waiting for something Amazing, too. Especially when there's a tree in my house and wrapped boxes under it!
But look at Simeon. Day after day, week after week, waiting for the revelation of God to come to pass. Was it years, maybe even decades? I get antsy waiting in line at the store! But Simeon endured patiently. Having received God's promise, he believed it and kept watching for it. And one day, Something AMAZING...happened!
[Simeon] took [baby Jesus] up in his arms and blessed God and said,“Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation..." Luke 2:28-30
Mr. Incredible spent his days and nights reminiscing about days gone by, his "Glory Days". His dreams of the future are the simple desire to relive the past, but better.
But Simeon has a different perspective. He is keeping his eyes open, and he is putting himself in a position to be part of something New, and yes, something Amazing - the fulfillment of God's Promise.
If you're reading this, the hysteria over the Mayan calendar has gone the way of the Y2K bug and the many other End of the World scenarios that have captured popular imagination over the years. Many times when we think about the Promises of God, that's the kind of scene we think about. Fire from Heaven. Earthquakes. Devastation. Antichrist. Those things WILL happen...in God's good time. But the promises I'm thinking about are pretty Amazing without a Doomsday feel. Promises like "My joy will be in you, and your joy will be complete", or "Lo, I am with you always", or "Peace I give to you. MY peace I give to you," or "Come unto me you weary ones, and you will find rest for your souls."
In this season, we remember Something Amazing because of Some ONE Amazing, the One Simeon found. When you find that carols and trees and lights and packages don't open the Amazing door, come to the One this season is named for. Come to the Lord's Christ, and let the amazement begin!