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What is Real?

When Adam and Eve first saw each other in the Garden of Eden we know that they were naked and not ashamed.  I can imagine that they viewed and thought of each other as they really were, created in the image of God, with no needed accessories.  Then after they had sinned, Adam and Eve realized they were naked and they became ashamed.  They tried to become something that they were not and could not become, and because of that sin, realized that they did not measure up, and the LIE was that somehow this was not okay.

God asks us to look at ourselves, and then no matter what fears, shame, or guilt we have, open ourselves completely up to Him and let Him see, have, and experience us for all that we truly are.  I think this understanding of Jesus is critical and beautiful.  There is a wonderful conversation in the Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams that helps illustrate my point almost perfectly.  This story is a beautiful encounter between toys in a child’s playroom.  The toys want to be real and in many ways have even created hierarchies so that they might know who is real and who is not. The conversation goes like this:

 

 

“‘What is REAL?’  asked the Rabbit one day, when they were lying side by side near the nursery fender, before Nana came to tidy the room.  ‘Does it mean having things that buzz inside you and a stick-out handle?’

‘Real isn’t how you are made,’ said the Skin Horse.  ‘It’s a thing that happens to you.  When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real.’

‘Does it hurt?’  asked the Rabbit.

‘Sometimes,’ said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful.  ‘When you are Real you don’t mind being hurt.’

‘Does it happen all at once, like being wound up,’ he asked, ‘or bit by bit?’

‘It doesn’t happen all at once,’ said the Skin Horse.  ‘You become.  It takes a long time.  That’s why it doesn’t often happen to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept.  Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby.  But these things don’t matter at all, because once you are Real you can’t be ugly, except to people who don’t understand.”[1]

 

 

To have an open and honest relationship with God and others in true community is to be real.  This is a place where one cannot be ugly due to the realization that we are all the same.  We were all sinners and, by the grace of God through Christ, we were all made acceptable, desirable, and pure.  Some may understand this and others may not, but this is not the point.  The point is that real and honest relationships have a grace that far outweighs any temptation to be perfect or to fake perfection.  This is what God has made available to us through Jesus.

~Rod

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[1] Margery Williams, The Velveteen Rabbit. Public domain.

Barkly

If you were at church this past week you had the chance to see how well-behaved my dog Barkly is.  If you weren’t there, you missed a rather fun object lesson.  John 14:15 says, “If you love me you will obey my commandments.”  While I was teaching, Barkly was on stage with me showing everyone how obedient he was.  Sitting when I said “sit.”  Lying down when I said “down.”  Walking obediently right by my left leg when I said “heel.”  And running to me from across the stage when I said “Barkly come.”  He performed quite admirably showing himself to be a very obedient dog.

It was a different story Sunday afternoon.

I was upstairs reading when Reesah came running into my room and said, “Dad, come quick!  Barkly is playing too rough with Max and isn’t listening to anyone.”  As I ran out to the backyard I saw Barkly jumping up on Max and thoroughly ignoring any command Max gave him.  Compared to his behavior earlier that morning it was as if I had two different dogs.

As I thought of Barkly’s drastically conflicting behaviors I was reminded of what the Apostle Paul said in Romans 7.  In that chapter he talks about his own duality.  One day walking in obedience to the master, the next day walking in sin.  In verse 23 he says that there is a war being waged within.  A war between his spirit’s desire to please God and his sinful desire to please the flesh.

Amidst this struggle he laments, “What a wretched man I am!”

Do you ever feel like Paul?  Or Barkly?  One moment committed to obedience and the next moment choosing disobedience.  I think both Barkly’s Sunday afternoon antics and Romans 7 epitomize the plight of the human race.

Thank God (and I mean that – thank God!) for Romans chapter 8.  In light of our goofy and ongoing duality it could be really easy to become discouraged and wonder how in the world could God love knuckle heads like us?!  Yet Romans 8:38 & 39 brings peace to the conflicted and self-incriminating mind.

“I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, neither height nor depth nor any powers, nor anything else in all of creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Nothing can separate us from the Love of God.  Nothing!  Not even our sinful disobedience.  Wow this is good news.  In my “Barkly moments”, I am prone to get really discouraged and to berate myself.  These two verses remind me that God’s grace has me covered even when I am at my worst.

So hear this my friend – I still love Barkly a ton even though he was stupid yesterday afternoon and God still loves you even in the midst of your own “Barkly moments.”

~Rob

Angry Birds

Ok. I admit it. I enjoy playing the game “Angry Birds.” I’m not going to say that I’m addicted to the game, but I am certainly attached to it!

“Angry Birds,” for those of you who are unfamiliar with it, is a game where the premise is that the pigs stole the eggs of the birds, and now the birds, who are justifiably angry, are seeking revenge (and, I assume, the return of their eggs).

The game is set up this way: in each level (progressively becoming more and more difficult to solve), there are several of the offending pigs in bunkers, which are constructed with various materials including wood, glass, steel, and rock. The birds line up behind a slingshot and you, the player, determine by the angle of the slingshot where the bird will land, knocking himself silly while, hopefully, destroying all or part of the protective bunker, eventually obliterating the pig. As the game progresses, different birds with different attributes or skill sets are added to the mix of birds offered to complete the level. Some of the varieties divide into three, some drop eggs which act like bombs, some actually become bombs, some hurl themselves at the target like a kamikaze. You get the idea.

While praying this morning about Jesus’ words, “…and the gates of Hell will not prevail against [you],” I was reminded that  Jesus is implying by these words that we are to go after those gates, tear them down, and rescue the captives held within. We are in no danger of those gates coming after us; that’s not what Jesus is talking about at all!

The captives referred to here are those who are living under the influence of the lies of the enemy and walking in a life that is less than the abundant life Jesus died to provide for us; anyone who lives in the grip of the enemy in any way. We are called to become an army who, working in cooperation with the Holy Spirit, actively overtakes the enemy and brings the captives out.

The connections to “Angry Birds” are these:

• Our calling is to “hurl” ourselves at the gates of Hell – under the direction and initiative of the Holy Spirit. In that, we are fulfilling our destiny.
• It takes a village. Each type of bird has different gifts, and each gift, or skill set, is designed to accomplish a certain part of the task of breaking down all the bunkers. Each of us has been given certain gifts. No one of us is assigned or expected to tear down the gates of Hell on our own. We are a “village,” and together we have the promise that those gates will not prevail.
• The enemy is clever about erecting barriers and bunkers to prevent the rescue of the captives, or, in the case of “Angry Birds,” to prevent the demolition of the pigs. Nevertheless, we have the infinite cleverness of the Lord on our side, and the enemy is no match for Him. As we work in His power and under His authority, we have nothing to fear.

There are probably more parallels, but this will do for a start, and you can take it from here.

~Judy

Click

Consider the click of a television remote.  It sounds like this:

Sometimes people matter

to us

and other times

they do not.

Usually if we can see them people have the potential to matter

at least a little bit.

But more than likely if they are out of our sight

people are usually

out of our minds.

The other day I saw a little girl on the television.  She was starving.  Her stomach was bloated and she did not have any clothes.  I did not know her name and the injustice was too difficult to witness.

So . . . . . . .

I changed the channel.

Changing the channel was everything I wanted not to be.

People matter.

People on television are the same as those not on television.

People who are starving are the same as those not starving.

People who are different from me are the same as me.

Human beings are worth the greatest sacrifice, the greatest gift, and the greatest life.

People are worth my greatest sacrifice.

If Jesus sacrificed for me.

I can sacrifice for people.

If Jesus died for me.

I can die for people.

Or . . .

I can change the channel.

Click.

Click.

Rod

Rest

I find myself going from one thing to the next, oftentimes not being fully present in the current duty because I’m thinking ahead to the next thing or managing what had just passed.  Whether it’s dinner with the family, leading a meeting, walking the dog, transporting the children, filling out an excel sheet, navigating vision, answering email, or getting a document notarized for our next adoption … there is always the next thing that must be done.  Life can seem very hurried.

Then I look at Jesus’ life.  He had the greatest responsibility the world has ever known and He was very busy.  In the span of a day, Jesus would heal everyone in a village, teach in the synagogue, spend time with His disciples, confront Pharisees, and drive out demons.

How did He do it?

Throughout the gospels the writers tell how Jesus regularly got alone with His Father.  This wasn’t out of duty, it wasn’t so God would be happy with Him.  Jesus got alone with the Father because that is where He drew His strength.

Spending time with Abba allowed Him to be fully present in every encounter.  Spending time with Abba allowed Him to be busy but not hurried.  Spending time with Abba empowered Him to prioritize.

Do you find yourself easily irritated by people, glum, hurried, tired, unsure?  This is not the full life God promises.  This is not the path God has marked out for you.  God has purpose for you.  Your life is meant for others, to expand God’s Kingdom for His glory.  How can we do this if we are so hurried and not fully present?

Jesus says, “Come to me all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

May you daily climb into the lap of Abba and allow Him to be your strength.

God Bless You.  You are loved by the Father.  He desires your rest, joy, and peace.

Wil

Lost in the Woods

Last weekend I took Jake, our 13 year old son, and four of his 13 year old buddies backpacking down in the Smokey Mountains.  We arrived at our spot around 7:30 Friday night.  We had a 3 hour hike down the mountain ahead of us.  Things got interesting when the sun went down an hour in and it was pitch black with 2 hours to go.  Things got even more interesting when with an hour and a half to go to the campsite the skies opened up and the rain fell in torrential sheets.

One young man kept saying, “Mr. Link we missed the turn!  We missed the turn!”

Another said repeatedly, “We’re lost, we’re lost!”

A third was quietly crying.  His nerves were shot.

But one young man was as peaceful and joyful as can be.  While the others were nervous and scared, he was relaxed and confident without a care in the world.

What was the difference?

The difference was the fact that he was walking closest to the son.  This peaceful young man was Jake’s tent partner and closest friend amongst the group.  He was the one who had spent the most time at our house just hanging around.  He has had Jake over to his place multiple times.  Compared to the other three, he knew the son very well.

And the son knew the father.

Jake knew that his dad (me) had been a backpacking guide for years.  He knew that my experience as a backcountry guide were more than enough to overcome some rain and darkness.  Jake trusted without question his dad to see things through.

And the peaceful, joyful young man caught the optimism directly from the son.

Do you see where this is going?  The best way to have peace and joy in life – even when it’s dark and rainy – is to walk closely with the son, Jesus.  He knows his father’s heart and will implicitly.

The best way to walk in the blessings of the Father is to know his Son. So walk with Jesus my friends.

Your Attention, Please!

I’m sitting here with my laptop in my, well, lap…struggling to funnel some inspiring words into this blog.  More of a clog than a blog at the moment I’m afraid.

My son, Isaac, is at my feet.  He’s rummaging around in his stash of Legos, looking for just the right piece to complete some sort of hydro-galactic-cruiser.  He holds his creation 2 inches from my nose every few minutes, looking for feedback.  This persistent distraction is destroying any hope of me completing a thought, let alone this blog.  Argh.

I suppose this is how it is for God, trying to get my attention amidst  the busyness and misdirected efforts of life.  There have been moments when I sense He is right in front of my nose, and yet I choose to look right around Him.  To ignore Him and do my own thing.  But like Isaac, He does not give up!  There’s always something new and creative He wants to show me. And thankfully, God is persistent, or I’d be an even bigger mess than I am.

How is God trying to get your attention?  Through your rambunctious kids?  Your weary spouse?  A friend in need?  Maybe it’s a TV commercial, a stretch of road construction, a new recipe or a thunderstorm.  God is just begging us to be a part of His story.  To interact with, and be led by Him daily.

Well, I guess that’s my blog.  God’s calling me to close the laptop and help my son build a Lego landing strip…thanks for paying attention.

-Doreen

“Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.”  Proverbs 19:21

Summer Break.

It’s here.  Ahhhhh…

All students young and old love summer break.  No more homework.  No more forced early rising.  Ahh, summer break.  For you non students, do you remember those days?

Without question it is a great time of year.

Without question it is a spiritually dangerous time.

Here’s why.  With summer comes vacations, looser schedules, a departure from routine, and much needed relaxation.  With such good things comes a propensity to get lazy in our walks with the Lord.  Amidst the summer relaxation we can relax in our intimacy with Christ.

Here is my encouragement to you.  In the midst of the joys of summer do not let up in our pursuit of Jesus.  Enjoy the laid back nature of summer.  Yet do not sacrifice your times with the Lord.  Even now at the beginning of summer break, bust out your schedules and schedule in your daily time with the Lord.  Get in the Word.  Pray.  Listen.  I guarantee that if you do such things your summer will be even better.

Peace and Joy

Rob

Weeds

Some years ago, a friend gave me some lily-like plants from her garden that provided a lovely ground cover. I didn’t know what to expect of it, and had no real idea of where to plant it, so I stuck it in the middle of some ivy which was planted in a large bed of ground cover. I thought it might spread a little and be a nice contrast to the ivy. Wrong. Over the course of the years following, it did spread, but not in any way that could be considered attractive. After several summers of gazing at it with regret, I finally got down to it and pulled them all out. As I settled down to the long, tedious task, I muttered to myself, “I repent of ever planting these things!” It was in that moment that God began to show me a spiritual lesson. You see, for all the regretting I had done over the course of previous years, there was no change. The plants were still there. Actual “repentance” only came when I got in there and did the hard work of digging those babies out by the roots. Because they were allowed to continue for as long as they did, there were plenty of roots to dig. As I was working for the six hours it took to get the job done, I had plenty of time to consider the many spiritual parallels; among them is this: having feelings of regret for lifestyle choices is not helpful. One must get in there with determination and dig out, by the roots, those things that we’ve foolishly planted there.

After I finished with the lilies, I moved on to some weed-like ground cover the previous owners of our house had planted, and God continued His lesson. This time, it was not some foolish choice I had made, but something done to me by someone else. Whether it was done with good intentions, maliciously (certainly not, in this case), or out of ignorance, the results were the same: I had an out-of-control weed taking over massive areas of my garden, and it needed to be eradicated. Which I did, and as I did, God showed me the application: again, it’s possible to overcome that which has been done to us, but we need to get at the roots. In order for our gardens to be set free, we must be vigilant and get at the roots, and continue to be watchful for any signs the plant has survived and is returning.

Then I started in on the dandelions. Same principle, only, in this case, these are things that are simply the result of living in a fallen world. No one planted them in my yard; I surely didn’t put them there! They just show up, and if you don’t go after them, they will reproduce and fill your whole yard, as well as the neighbors’. And, again, if you don’t get the root, they will just come back.

The dandelions (and other undesirable plants) of our lives can and often do get the best of us. The good news is that there is healing to be had. To be sure, we need to be willing to get down and dirty and do the hard work, being determined to get at the root of the matter and being vigilant against any reappearance. There is a difference, though, when we’re talking about our lives versus merely talking about weeds. We have an additional, powerful, resource when those things get into our lives, though, regardless of the source. Our God is right alongside us, and it is He who, through the power of His Holy Spirit, completes the healing.

God bless you as you seek and experience His healing!

~Judy