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Peek-a-boo

9/27/2015

I remember when my kids were very young and what delight they got out of playing peek-a-boo. I would cover my eyes and then suddenly pull them away, yelling peek-a-boo! It was like it was new every time we played. It didn't get old until they got older and then it took much more to keep them entertained.
As Christians we sometimes still like to play peek-a-boo. Except now it is not so delightful and it does get old fast.
We know by the Word of the Bible that Jesus came to earth, born as a baby, lived and died as a man on the cross, rose again and now sits with the Father in heaven. Why did He come? He came that we might find the only way back to fellowship with the Father. Sin had separated us from God in the garden of Eden and up until Jesus came, the only covering we, as mankind had for sin was for an animal to be sacrificed on the alter in the Holy of Holies. Once a year the High Priest would go into the Holy of Holies and sacrifice an animal with great ceremony and ritual and make a blood offering to cover the sins of the people for the next year. Each year following, the same thing was done again, and again, and again.
Christ came that there would be a better way. He became our High Priest and made that blood offering for us, once...for all. He made that sacrifice as a man, born of a virgin, and since man can only die once, that act was done and as He said on the cross, "It is finished".
He came, not so that our sins would just be covered as in days gone by, but that our sins would be erased, eradicated, or as it says in Hebrews 10:17, "Their sins and iniquities I will remember no more." Gone, disappeared, departed, vanished. Good-bye, adios, and sayonara. Psalms 103:12 puts it this way, "As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions (sins) from us." That means that as far east as you can go, you will never be west. If you draw a line going east, it goes on into eternity. That's as far as far can get. I was thinking about this the other day. Why would it say that? Not only that He has forgotten our sins, but that He has taken them as far from us as is possible.
That brought me to when Jesus, on the cross cried, "My God, my God, why has thou forsaken me?" God did not turn His back on His Son, but rather on our sin. The sins of mankind so ugly, so dark were at that moment all carried on the back of Jesus. He died for every human, for every sin. Personally I believe that the reason that God says that He remembers our sins no more, that He has removed them as far as east is from west is because to remember our sins again would be to remember that ugliness that Jesus carried. He never again wanted to remember His beloved Son, so pure and so holy marred by the blackness of our iniquities. He has chosen to forget them, rather than to dwell on the past and what was annihilated, eliminated, and expunged on the cross.
So if the Word of God is true, all of it, then this is truth too. Our sins are gone, not just whited-out. Imagine a mud stain on a white shirt. Now imagine that mud stain has a stain of blood on top of it. It sits and that becomes hard and crusty. IF you could get that blood stain out with some industrial strength cleaner, every last bit of it, then the mud that was underneath would come out also. IF the blood came away, so would the original stain.
So why do we live in regret, looking in the rearview mirror all the time. Why do we re-hash our past mistakes and sins, when God says He has forgiven them? Why, if we have repented and asked forgiveness do we act like those ascetics of old who would flagellate themselves with a whip as some kind of penance for their sins?
Through Christ we are freed from that bondage of sin. We are exonerated, free to leave that prison of self-condemnation, because if God has set us free, we are free indeed. No more peek-a-boo with our past sins to see if they are still there. No more closing our eyes hoping that we won't see our sins again. Open your eyes wide and see that the God who loves you, who formed you has also forgiven you and wants you to walk in the bright light of day, free and pardoned, now and always.

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Acknowledged

9/22/2015

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Sometimes in this busy world that we live in it is hard to believe that there is anyone who thinks about us, who cares about us, who acknowledges us. I remember that show in the 80's called Cheers; the theme song talked about a place where everybody knows your name. Now you are singing that theme song in your head, aren't you? Every time someone walked in, the whole bar would yell their name, the one I remember most is "Norm!". Seems sad to think that a bar would be the only place you would feel welcome and acknowledged.
I live about 15 miles from where our business is. Most days I take the scenic route on Hwy 89A, which also has the most terrible drivers, but that's another story...
Anyway the days I have errands to run I go the front route in past where my son Aaron works on Hwy 69. I often see him outside so I started honking every time I drove by, just to say hello. One short honk, one longer. That way he would know it was me. Many days I don't see him physically, but the front door is open, so I'm pretty sure he can hear me inside the building. Whether I see him or not I just want him to know that I am thinking about him. Acknowledging his existence and saying hey I know you're there! I hope it makes him feel thought of and loved and I know it makes me feel a bit of joy knowing he feels that.
As much so-called interaction there is with social media with all the tweets, posts, pics, texts, etc. it seems that more people are feeling lonely and forgotten today than in years gone by. Most of what passes as honest communication is really just an impersonal way of getting OUR lives and thoughts out there. We live in a box called a house. Climb in another box called a vehicle and go to another box called work. Then in our spare time we pick up another box, our computer or cell phone and have real, true and honest dialogue with others in our circle of friends and family. NOT! Don't get me wrong, I like going on Facebook and Pinterest and Instagram as much as the next person to see what's up and get caught up but that in no way takes care of my need for real human contact. For a face to face conversation, for a reassuring hug or just even a good hearty laugh, usually at my expense! We live in a busy time, running at a frenetic pace and wonder why we feel alone and lonely. I think what we truly miss, what we truly need is knowing that we are loved and thought of and precious to someone.
I think of when I drive past my son's work. How in the middle of whatever he is doing, he hears that special honk and gets a smile on his face. I know how I feel, hoping that I have put a smile on his face. Just a honk, but so much more.
There is someone who goes to so much more trouble than a honk to show acknowledgment and love. That someone is our God and Father. There are days that I feel alone. Even when I am in a crowd of people. It is easy to feel lost and unappreciated. It is easy to feel forgotten and alone. But then I look around me and I see those signs of a God who loves me. A God who thinks of me and cherishes me.
I see signs of His love everywhere. In a world filled with beauty that He created for our pleasure. Mountains, trees, animals, oceans, stars, flowers, all created by a God who loves us, not by some flatulent explosion of gas. I look at the intricacies of our bodies and see how a creative God had to have made things just so. I hear a baby's cry and think God has not forgotten us. I see the storms rolling in with our monsoon season and I hear the thunder and see the lightning and think God is powerful and on the throne. I hear the trees blowing in the wind and think God's Spirit is still moving on the earth. I think this is a God who wants to know me and who wants me to know Him. He takes delight in knowing I am looking for Him. That I am listening for His voice in this cacophony of noise we call daily life.
I go back to that honking of the horn. That show where everybody knows your name. Our basic human need to be recognized, accepted, approved of. Well, everybody may not know my name. And many days I may not feel accepted by those around me. But I do know that the One who fashioned me, who knows my very thoughts, who even numbers the hairs on my head thinks of me. He loves me. He cherishes and adores me. He calls me His own. He delights in me. Even when I cannot see Him, He makes it known that He is there. That I am not alone. That Someone knows my name, and shouts out so I can hear "Gail"!! I don't need everybody to know my name when I know that He knows my name.

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Mirror, mirror on the wall

9/8/2015

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There is a very funny commercial for an insurance company that shows a man up in the middle of the night talking to an insurance agent. His wife comes downstairs thinking that he must be cheating on her because it is the middle of the night...I'm sure you've seen it. She grabs the phone from her husband and asks who it is, and then says, "she sounds hideous" and then the husband says, "well that's because she's a guy".
For more years than I can count I have dealt with a low self-image and lack of self-worth. I'm sure it started when I was very young and just got worse as I got older. Being overweight for most of my younger years did not help, nor did the comments that other kids made. Gym class was a nightmare for me; being shy and insecure and unattractive as well made me a target for some of those girls in the locker room. As I have grown older I have taken measures to present myself in a different way, but sometimes those voices play over and over in my head. There are days when as I leave the house, I hear those words from that insurance commercial in my head, but instead they say, "she looks hideous". And that is all it takes to send me back in time to those thoughtless teenagers and their judgmental words.
It is hard on our own to get past those words that are on an endless loop in our heads. It takes the power of the love of Jesus to do that. To realize that no matter what anyone else thinks, that even no matter what we ourselves think, He values us. He thinks we are worthy. He thinks we are beautiful. And to Him we are His beloved.
My value as a person does not come from my own merits. It does not even come just because of my accomplishments or achievements. It comes because I have been chosen. It comes whether I am overweight or thin. Whether I have the right clothes or shop at the thrift store. It even comes whether or not others see me as valuable. It comes because His is the last word and His last word says that I am of infinite value to Him. I have been chosen. I have been called. I have been set apart.
We have to get to the point where we are able to turn off that soundtrack in our head and instead listen to the words of our Father. The words that say He formed us in our mother's womb. That He knew us before the foundation of the world. That we are fearfully and wonderfully made. That does not sound hideous. The word hideous means appalling, awful, disgusting, dreadful. The only thing hideous here is the lie that we listen to. The lie that says we can never measure up. That we are not good enough. That no one loves us. Even the lie that says He doesn't care and does not hear us when we cry out in our pain and hurt.
The point of that insurance commercial was that the agent was available at all hours, any time we need them. That is a nice thought, but I am so grateful that truly, the God of the universe, the Creator of all is never unavailable. He is always as close as a prayer. He is nearer than my heartbeat, because He is my heartbeat. He hears my thoughts before the words leave my mouth. He knows me and loves me, warts and all. He has given me value just by that fact that I am His. He counts me worthy because His son took my sins upon the cross and died for me. He loved me even before I said yes to Him and will continue to love me until I one day see Him face to face in heaven. The Bible says that we see through a glass darkly now, but one day we will see Him face to face. That gives me hope and joy. It is like some days my mirror is dirty, I cannot see myself clearly, I see my flaws, whether real or imagined. But I know that He sees me clearly. And He loves me dearly. And He has given me a new mirror to look into...the mirror of His eyes.

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And now the 'rest' of the story

9/1/2015

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I have been sitting here for a few minutes, trying to think of what to write today. Usually when I sit down to write my latest post I have a definite idea of what I am writing. Today I am kind of just free-wheeling...
It is very quiet in the house. I can hear the cicadas buzzing outside. Hear a small airplane fly overhead. Hear the ticking of the clock on the wall. It feels restful. Life gets so busy that I don't usually have time to just sit here and 'be'. There is that saying, "You are a human being, not a human doing". I can relate to that. We get so caught up in all that needs to be done, we begin to feel that all is pressing and urgent and we forget to just take a moment and relax. Take time to just breathe in and out. To let our minds wander, not to our to do list, but just ponder life and truth and the fascinating world around us. Time to just rest.
God said in Matthew 11:28, "Come unto me all that labor and are heavy laden, and I shall give you rest". He did not say here that we would not labor or work, or even that our labor would be easy; He did say that even when we do strenuously exert ourselves we would still find rest. Most of us barely find time for sleep, let alone rest. And sleep can seem so far away on the nights that our minds won't stop thinking of all that we have waiting for us the next day. All the bills, all of the commitments, all of the drudgery ahead of us.
No, the rest that the Lord is talking about is different. It is like when you working hard on a hot day and you take a break to have a drink of ice cold water. That refreshing that comes from savoring that revitalizing draught.
But that invigoration is only temporary. It comes and goes so quickly, that soon you are just hot and sweaty again and in need of another drink. The rest that God is talking about is different. In the Hebrew that word rest means more than just a transitory interlude. That word means to cause or permit one to cease from any movement or labor in order to recover and collect his strength, to give rest and refresh, to keep quiet, of calm and patient expectation. It means that as we rest in Him, we are not harried or stressed or frantic. We become peaceful and calm and refreshed. We become, in the midst of our work able to breathe and focus and actually become more productive. That rest is promised to us as His children. When we enter into His love and His will, we enter into that rest. When we seek His mind and thoughts, we enter into that rest. When we walk the path that He has for us, no matter how arduous it may be at times, we enter into that rest. And that rest is a permanent thing, as long as we stay in His love, His will, His path. It becomes a never-ending drink of cold water, refreshing our spirits, minds, souls and bodies.
I am reminded of when Jesus met with the Samaritan woman. He sees her at the well and asks her for a drink of water. She wants to know why a Jew would want water from a Samaritan as they would normally not associate together. He says that if she knew who was asking for the drink and knew of the gift of God, that she would have asked Him and He would have given her living water. She wants to know what this living water is and how He will get it as He has no bucket to draw from the well. Isn't that just amazing. We can look at this in hindsight and say how could you not see who He was? But we often do the same. We forget what He came here for. To live and die and be resurrected, that we might partake of that living water. And just like that woman at the well, we will be told that if we take of this water, this living water, we will never thirst again. We will not only consume that water, but it will consume us. It will fill us to overflowing. It will bring life and rest and peace. It will bring healing and restoration. It will bring renewal and strength. As humans we cannot live for very many days without water. It is said usually three to five, but maybe as long as two weeks, depending on the circumstances. If we had the choice, we would not go a couple of hours without water. We know we need it, we know it refreshes us, we know it strengthens us. Why, oh why would we choose to go a minute without the living water that the Lord has for us. Why, once tasting and seeing that the Lord is good, would we not choose to rest in that goodness every minute of the day. To drink of that water that brings life and rest, to live refreshed in the midst of a stressful day, to show the world the peace and joy that comes from Him alone.
Take time to rest today, all day. Take the gift that He has given and cherish it to the point of not relinquishing it. Don't squander that gift for the sake of stress, frustration, irritability, anger, resentment or dissatisfaction. That is really a lousy trade for all the the Lord has for us.
So truly, that is the 'rest' of the story, the 'rest' of our story. The story of His undying love for us and His desire that we rest in Him.

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Peek-a-boo

Acknowledged

Mirror, mirror on the wall

And now the 'rest' of the story

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