My Heavenly Soothsayer

Sometimes I want God to be my magic 8 ball.
I want a clear "yes to this, no to this".
I want to open up my Bible to a random page and have a verse pop out like a flashing neon sign where I can shout out, "THAT'S IT!"

And sometimes, God has worked liked that.

There have been times where circumstances clearly dictated direction, or the Lord's Spirit clearly led me to make a certain decision, or accept or reject particular happenings.
And, to be honest, I tend to prefer that.
It makes it so much easier when I can go, "this is obviously it" or "this is how a certain thing will play out". Even if I'm less than ecstatic with something, if I am convinced the Lord is orchestrating, it's sometimes easier to accept.
I feel more at peace that way.
I feel more confident and unshakable.

But sometimes, God doesn't spell it out for me.
In those cases, I go to God and say, "Ok, You're letting me decide. Fine. But at least tell me this then: what happens if I go with A and what happens if I go with B? If  I know how those scenarios will play out, I can make my choice even though You haven't clearly led me to pick either. And oh, what if there is option C as well?"

So...basically I want to know everything.

I wouldn't go to a fortune teller because that's "un-Christian", but I realized I often treat God like my Heavenly Soothsayer.
It may seem deceptively more respectable, but it's still wrong.
What of faith?
What of trust?
What of surrender?
What of the desire to know God and see Him glorified being of greater importance than having everything play out as I want it to, neatly packaged with a big red bow?
What of growth?

I was listening to a podcast that accompanies my current Bible study, and she commented that, as an infant, our Mom picks out our clothes, but if you were still asking her to at 16 she'd say, "Are we still here?"
And yet sometimes we're like that with God: still acting like infants when He wants us to grow.
I'm certainly not advocating being reckless. We should seek the Lord and ask for wisdom, certainly, and sometimes it comes down to God saying, "Ok, now it's time to implement what I've taught you instead of sitting there paralyzed while I do it for you."
The Lord is so gracious even in those times of paralysis and carries me when necessary, and even more gracious in that while He meets me in them, He wants to get those faith muscles back in working order.

I don't need to know the future - the future belongs to God.
And so do I.

A Genie, a Princess & a Street Rat

Oh Disney. You're great at making me feel all sorts of emotions. Recently I watched Aladdin and was dancing around the room to "Friend Like Me" and "Prince Ali" (even though my brother looked at me like I was nuts heh heh). Then the final scene came (shown above) and I watched it on repeat. I may have shed a tear. God can use even Disney movies to hit me with truth.

Genie wants Aladdin & Jasmine to be happy. He seeks their good even though it means Aladdin won't have a remaining wish to free Genie with. Of course Genie desires this for himself, but even greater than this desire is his love for his friend. He is willing to make a tremendous sacrifice so his friend can be with the girl he loves. Even more astoundingly, using that final wish for Aladdin to become a prince was Genie's own suggestion.
And at that suggestion, Aladdin immediately protests because he made a promise to Genie to free him, and also wishes his friend's happiness, even though it would mean he can never be with the girl he loves.

Love is not self-seeking. Love does not insist on its own way. Love means action, commitment and sacrifices. Love is rejoicing in another's blessings, and recognizing that it is a blessing in itself to be able to give to another.

When the world, and my own sinful heart scream out "look out for numero uno" (aka myself), here is God using a cartoon to whisper a different story to my heart.

I am called to love selflessly too. Am I at least willing? How often do we give of our time, energies, and lay down our desires for the good of another? What would change if I loved like that? What would change if we loved each other like that? How much thankfulness and joy and truth would characterize our lives?

Then the Lord reminded me that Jesus loves me like that. He loves me. It is so easy for me to forget. He loved me so much that He willingly became a sacrifice to reconcile me to God even though it cost Him dearly. That's an even greater display of love! When I remember that, it is then I am filled with gratitude, and from there I can love others, albeit imperfectly, with even a fraction of that love.

1 Corinthians 13:4-5

Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil...

Philippians 2:3-8

 Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,  who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross

John 15:13
Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.

Voice of a Generation

It took a stranger to reveal my pride.

It was summertime & I was talking to someone about pastimes. Upon learning that I sing, the very first thing I was asked was, "So are you the voice of our generation?"

I was completely thrown off by the question. It was unexpected and I didn't know what to say. "What?" I asked. The question was restated and I still did not have an answer, but inwardly I revelled in the idea that someone thought that I could be a supreme talent. I knew it wasn't true, and yet I wanted to be thought highly of. Though I cannot remember my exact answer, I know that in that moment my words failed, my pride won, & I stammered out a response that I'm sure reeked of self-satisfaction attempting to disguise itself as humility.

It was dumb because it was God who gave me my voice in the first place.

It was dumb because I have lost it before and I know firsthand it's not something I can depend my life on.

It was dumb because it was God wants my voice to be used to give Him glory & not steal it for myself.

It was dumb because my worth is not found in the validation of man, but in the unconditional & undeserved love of Christ.

It was dumb because I know all this, and yet I still failed & will fail many times over before my life on earth is through (unless God takes me home right this moment). How patient & faithful the Lord is!

It's ironic because in my last blog post I touched on how your talent & worldly accomplishments don't mean much at the end of the day, but your relationship with Christ does.

"Are you the voice of our generation?"  Well, no, but I do have a voice, and I am part of a generation. So are you. What are we going to use our voices for?

John the Baptist was one voice. He used it to herald the coming of the Messiah & call people to repentance.

Esther was one voice. She put her life on the line & used her voice to to plead with the king on behalf of her Jewish people, who were scheduled to be murdered.

Paul was one voice. He used it on missionary journeys to share the gospel & instruct believers and his letters ended up being a significant portion of the New Testament.

There are myriads of examples to be found, but for the sake of brevity, we'll leave it there.

Now, if you're anything like I sometimes am, you may be looking to exclude yourself from something that could be difficult: "I'm not going to wear camel hair & eat locusts & honey. I don't have kings to appeal to, and I'm not called to write the Bible under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit...phew! This doesn't apply to me!"

Friends, no matter what, you have a sphere of influence. You have friends, coworkers, and family members who do not know the good news of Jesus Christ. And even if you were off on a desert island all by yourself and never spoke to another human being again, you still have a very powerful voice because it can be used to call on a powerful God. You can get on your knees & plead before the God of heaven for repentance & revival. You can pray for the persecuted church & millions who have never heard the name of Jesus. You can speak with the Creator of the universe. What it reaps is eternal. I'd say that's a darn good use of a voice.

Truth From a Conman

"You pile up enough tomorrows, and you'll find you are left with nothing but a lot of empty yesterdays."

-Harold Hill ("The Music Man")

Harold Hill may be a conman (and a fictional character), but what he said is true.

You pile up enough tomorrows, and you'll find you are left with a lot of empty yesterdays...

Yes, there are times to wait, but there are many times we simply procrastinate. Whether from laziness, fear, indifference, or some other reason, we push off things that should really happen today.

What are some things we postpone?

   

Reconciliation & restoration.      

Responsibility.

Quitting bad habits.

Looking after our physical well-being.

Serving in the church.

Loving those around us 

Witnessing

Etc.

And, most devastatingly: the Lord.

We do not know what will happen tomorrow. We do not know how long we will have breath in our bodies. Nor do we know how long we will have the chance to interact with those who are put in our lives.

Do we want to look back and say any of the following:

"I wish I had said I'm sorry."

"If only I spent time with them"

"Why didn't I listen?"

'Why didn't I speak?"

"Oh...wow! Umm wow...God, You are the first, last and everything in between and I gave You the same attention I give the lint screen in my dryer." (aka not very much)

And we pile up tomorrows until we have a bunch of empty yesterdays consumed by cell phones, social media, sports, television, and other modes of self-absorption and idolatry.

Not very significant in regards to positive world contribution. 
Even less significant in light of eternity.

But God gives abundant grace and that our time-wasting can change today. And if/when we fail, we can start again right away because of that same grace.

What are you postponing that you shouldn't?

For He says:

      “ In an acceptable time I have heard you,
And in the day of salvation I have helped you.
Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.
2 Corinthians 6:2

Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, making the most of the time.
Colossians 4:5

Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.” But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. 

Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.

James 4:13-17

Lions & Tigers & Heirs....Oh My!

A whle ago, Mom & I went to went to a free zoo ("free" and "zoo" may be one of my favourite word combinations).
I was in awe of God, the brilliant Creator. I don't know what it is about animals, but they capture my attention and my heart and spur me to worship the One who made them.
I'm pretty sure I could have spent a couple hours watching a giraffe walk in circles. (If I were to assign a hashtag to that last sentance it might be: #thatsstrangebutImokwiththat)
From the humourous Kenya Crested Guineafowl (a bird with a mohawk!) to the resounding roar of the lion, no would could rightly accuse God of having no imagination.

And in the evening, He nudged me.
God's animals are very beautiful, but it was mankind that was the climax of His creation. It is mankind that was made in His image. It is the sins of man that Christ bore on Calvary. It is mankind from which God elected & adopted heirs. It is people that have souls. And do I marvel at this masterpiece of His? I cannot say that I do in the same way. We don't see those animals everyday, but we see people, so it becomes commonplace.

But it shouldn't.

Each individual uniquely reflects our Lord. Each individual desperately needs Him. And we are called to love.
But indeed, it's something I am only beginning to learn how to do.

What about you?
My prayer is that we would love people and see them as God loves and sees them.
Not just our family, or our best friend, or the person who has a lot of money, connections, or emotional validation to offer us in return, but the foe, the poor, and the difficult too.
May we have an eagerness to discover the ways individuals reflect their Maker, and the courage to find out.

Genesis 1:27

So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him;

male and female He created them.

Lessons Buttered Lime

Last night, when we had my Oma over for dinner, I made this lime butter for our veggies.Who would have thought that when I journalled later that night, I would end up meditating on it?

When you've tasted something you really like, more of you gets involved than just your tastebuds. When my Oma had the butter on her brussel sprouts, her enjoyment of it was written all over her face. She went "mmm". She told me it was delicious - more than once! She wanted more. That's similar to the reaction you'll get from me over Southwest Potato Skins from Boston Pizza. Mmmm! You've gotta taste this! Mmmm! (I wish BP would pay me in potato skins for my shameless promotion).You tell others when you've enjoyed something. You want them to share the enjoyment, but you can't do it for them. They must taste for themselves.

And that brings me to the verse I read that got me thinking about all this.

Oh taste and see that the LORD is good,

Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!

Psalm 34:8

Taste. It's one of the more intimate senses. It requires direct contact and is an internal and personal experience. Is our response to the Lord like my Oma's reaction to the butter or my response to the potato skins? (Really, our reaction should be exceedingly greater, because God is exceedingly greater than any perishable food item). How beautiful it is that God is not just some distant figure in the sky with a list of dos and do-nots. He wants us to know Him and enjoy Him!

And furthermore, when we have tasted of His goodness, we can see it too. Once we've tasted that the Lord is good personally, we can look at our circumstances and see God's hand at work. And even in the moments where we do not see His hand, we can trust that He is still there and up to something marvelous because we have tasted of His goodness and known Him. Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!

Christian friends, when was the last time 

     ...our delight in Him was written all over our faces?

     ...we told God more than once how good He is?

     ...we shared with someone about Jesus because we so wanted them to share in the joy?
Non-Christian friends, when was the last time you saw that in someone who indentified with the label "Christian"? I'm sorry if that has not been your typical experience and I pray you will come to know Christ as He really is and what life with Him is really like. Though Christ-followers are not perfect, and the road at times is hard, I want you to know that dullness is not real Christianity.

I want to be a woman who intimately knows Christ. One who can't hide how good He is and that others would see that something wonderful has happened and would want to taste for themselves. One that daily comes before the Lord just to be in His presence. One that can face the trials that will inevitably come because I have tasted His goodness and know I can trust Him. 

And what's lovely is that He wants us to know Him like that.

John 6:35

And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. 

He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst."

The Little Engine That Could...n't

The past few days, I have been having recurring feelings of inadequacy. Ever been there? Things you think you should know, but don't. Things you wish you could do, but can't. Why can't I be perfect and good at everything and be that way now? Ha...! Today there was an extremely simple and inconsequential matter that I could not immediately get the hang of, and rather than laugh about it, I fought back tears instead.
Where does that come from? I'm sure some of it's pride. Wanting to feel accomplished, maybe even a tad superior. This is wrong, I know.
I can be proud, stubborn, fearful & foolish.
I sometimes strive under the illusion that I, in my human-ness, have all the strength & qualifications I need to get by, and if I don't, I just need to believe in myself more and try harder.
But tonight God wasn't reminding me how ridiculous I can be.
What was He reminding me?

That He loves me.

He loves me not because of what I can do, or should do, or have done, or want to do.
He loves me not because of how I look, or where I've been, or who I know, or what others think of me.
He loves me. Unconditionally.

The God of the universe loves me because He is holy. He is Love. He knit me together in my mother's womb. He created me and said, "I have a purpose for you. I am going to transform you into the image of My Son. I am going to bless you with Myself for eternity. You don't know just how cool this is. You do not yet comprehend the depths, the height, & the width of My love for you, but rest in this:
Christ didn't die for you because you can; He died for you because you can't."

Christ didn't die for me because I can    [insert whatever]    ; He died for me because I can't.

Romans 5: 6-8

For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.  For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

You see, my inadequacies go far deeper than the superficial. My sin separated me from my God. And yet, He came and died, bearing my transgressions. But He conquered the grave & brought me to Himself. And now? 

He calls me child.

He calls me beloved.

He calls me friend.

Because of Christ, I am holy & blameless in the sight of God. Not because of who I am or what I can do, but because of who He is and what Christ has done on the cross. I'm a mess. But somehow He looks at this mess (which He graciously calles a 'work in progress' instead) and says, "I love you. You are precious to Me." 

I can't say I've wrapped my head around that, but even so, "awesome" seems like an understatement.