The Treasure Box

In my first grade classroom I have a treasure box. On occasion my students get to pick a prize to keep for themselves. I'm always adding to it with trinkets, or toys from Happy Meals, so it's brimming with some neat things. I have a bunch of cool toys that make noise, or blink or require batteries. But those are usually wrapped in plastic wrappers so 6-year-olds can't really get a good idea of what the toy is, or what it does. So they always seem to pick a balloon, or an eraser or something?
In my mind I always think, "That's what you want? I've got all of this cool stuff and you pick that for yourself? No, no, no, let me choose a real treasure for you." If they let me choose, I 'd pick a super cool toy, and they'd never be disappointed. I know them well enough to choose a toy that would be perfect for them. The elephant stamper? Well that would go to Erin, - she loves elephants! The tattoo? Well Darius of course. A dinosaur book? It's got Olivia's name written all over it.
My students often short change themselves because they can't clearly understand all of the options. You and I get like that when we make our own decisions without God's guidance. We often look around a situation, and choose from the options we see presently. But God's got an abundance of blessings in his storehouse, and He wants to give us his best, not just the best of the options we know about.
My friend Lauskya recently vented her frustrations about her job search. "I'm not happy where I'm at. And I keep applying to really great jobs, but I'm not getting them." But she quickly added, "But I know God's got the best in store for me, so I trust Him." She's got the right attitude! She's trusting him, and waiting for Him to provide.
I'm trying to have that attitude.
I've realized God isn't going along with the plan I've concocted for my own life. I thought I had a great plan. Obviously He disagrees. But because He is a loving God, I trust He has the best in store for me. Matthew 7:9 says:
You parents-if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! If you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him?
Sometimes this verse alone isn't enough to convince me. So I've followed the example of King David, and have been reflecting on the goodness of God. I've been searching my memories for other times when God has proved himself to be my loving, caring provider.
Ironically, today is the 6 year anniversary of my wedding-that -never- was. Had I gotten my way in 1999, I would have been married to my college sweetheart. When the wedding was called off, and the relationship ended, I was devastated! And yet today when my friend Heather asked, "Are you sad [that you didn't get married]?" I laughed to myself and said "No, because I lack nothing." I'm so thankful now that things didn't go the way I'd planned! I see the opportunities I'd have missed, and the friendship I'd have never made. Coming out from the other side, I can look back at such a difficult period in my life and see the fingerprints of God all over it. He really did have something better in store for me.
So now when I'm frustrated that things aren't going my way, I entertain myself by imaging God's treasure box. As I try to convince Him that an eraser really is the coolest prize, he just chuckles and says, "That's what you want? I've got all of this cool stuff and you pick that for yourself? No, no, no, let me choose a real treasure for you!" I know if I trust him to choose, I'll never be disappointed.

New Life

When you call on me, when you come and pray to me, I'll listen. When you come looking for me, you'll find me. Yes, when you get serious about finding me and want it more than anything else, I'll make sure you won't be disappointed.
Jeremiah 29:12 (The Message)

We serve a God who longs to be known by us. He reveals himself so we might know him better.

When the poor and needy search for water and there is none, and their tongues are parched from thirst, then, the Lord, will answer them. I, the God of Israel, will never forsake them. I will open up rivers for them on high plateaus. In will give them fountains of water in the valleys. In the deserts they will find pools of water. Rivers fed by springs will flow across the dry, parched ground. I will plant trees-cedar, acacia, myrtle, olive, cypress, fir, and pine- on barren land. Everyone will see this miracle and understand that it is the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, who did it. Isaiah 41:17-20

He waits in anticipation of the day we will respond to his call home and return to him. He can meet us anywhere we are; the highest high (plateaus), the lowest lows (valleys) the spiritually barren (desert). Wherever we are he meets us, with the miracle of restored, abundant, new, life.

Do-It-Yourself

Ever since I bought my house, I've been a real Do-It-Yourselfer. Because there's not a man around the house (yet,) I've had to develop a lot of skills. I've painted walls, tore out carpeting, laid laminate flooring, fixed a leaky toilet, built a screen, dug out flower beds, and reset a water heater. I have a toolbox, a storage shed, and a cordless power drill. I even know what the term 1/4 inch round means (and no ladies, it's not our desired waste line!)

Do-It-Yourself has kinda been my mantra throughout life. Are you like that too? Let's see if you are,-finish this sentence: "If you want something done right…" Ahh! You are!
I guess it's a fine attitude to have with a house, but unfortunately it also carries over to my spiritual life as well. I have a tendency to look out for myself as opposed to letting God take care of things. Some how I have this idea that He needs my assistance, like He doesn't have to power to do it on his own. (How did He ever get by without me? What did He do before I was here in 1977?) So as soon as he offers up a great idea I try to get to work and do it myself;

"A husband? Sounds good to me, Lord. Let me take a look around and I'll choose the one I like okay?"
"New ministry opportunity? Okay, I'll create one."
"Relocating to a new city. Sure I'll go find myself a new job. "
"Change? Okay, Lord, you just sit back and relax, I'll get right on that."

Don't fret. We're not alone, and we're not the first. Sarah and Abraham are known for getting themselves in a jam too. In Genesis, God promised Abraham a son. Sarah however decided that that was impossible because she was so old, so she took matters into her own hands. Poor Sarah could only see a snapshot in time and it made her desperate.

She encouraged her husband to have a baby with her handmaiden. The handmaiden starts teasing Sarah because she can't get pregnant, then Sarah blames Abraham (although it was her idea) eventually the handmaiden and Ishmael were expelled into the wilderness, where Ishmael's descendants became hostile to Israel and to God (Psalm 83:5-6). What a disaster!

I can look in the Bible and see Sarah's idea was crazy, but it's only because I can see the entire story. I can shout at the pages, "Don't do it girlfriend! Be patient!" but it won't change a thing.

But just as we can see the entirety of Sarah's story, God can see the entirety of our story. The Message Bible puts Jeremiah 29:11 like this:

I know what I'm doing. I have it all planned out,- plans to take care of you, not abandon you. Plans to give you the future you hope for.

We can trust Him, His word, and His promises, without feeling the need to take matters into our own hands.

…patient endurance leads to godliness. Goodliness leads to love for other Christians and finally you will grow to have genuine love fore everyone…
2 Peter 1:6

You will keep in perfect peace, all who trust in you,
Whose thoughts are fixed on you! Isaiah 26:3

For since the world began, no ear has heard, and no eye has seen a God like you, who works for those who wait for him! Isaiah 64:4

But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long moths of drought. Their leaves stay green, and the go tight on producing delicious fruit. Jeremiah 17:7

But those who wait on the Lord will find new strength. They will fly high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.
Isaiah 40:31

Peace, godliness, love for others, provision, and strength in hard times are just a few benefits we reap when we relax, trust him, and let God be God. We don't have to do it ourselves!

Make Haste

A few summers back I traveled to Richmond, Virginia with my then-boyfriend, James. We were there for a wedding but also to visit his parents. While we were there, his mother, Debbie, wanted to show us the house they were building.
Now I've never been in a house that wasn't complete, but found it fascinating. Sure, we had to hike our legs up into the kitchen from the garage, but stairs are really overrated. And while there was no drywall, carpeting, or appliances, the 2x4's and windows created a skeletal frame of the house it was to become. (I saw it finished 6 months later and it truly was a beautiful house.)
At one point, during the tour of the down stairs Debbie, said, "Oh! I'm so excited. I can't wait. I wish I could move in now." However when we got upstairs, we noticed a puddle of rainwater on the floor. One of the newly installed windows hadn't been sealed properly and had a leak. It made me think, - it was a minimal problem because no one actually lived there. There was no carpet laid, no furniture to ruin, nothing but some plywood. And there's no harm in that getting a little wet. But if Debbie had actually moved her belongings into the incomplete house, a leaky window would have created a big problem. It's best that they found out when they did. The slight problem was rectified in the beginning phases and caused no further havoc. I recognized the value in waiting.
Yet, sometimes in my own impatience I rush into situations ahead of myself, and ahead of God. There have been times, as He's tried to unfold his plan before me, when I get too excited and try to rush the process along. (After all God need's my help, right?) I start thinking of 2 Peter 3:8 "… a thousand years is like a day [to the Lord]" and I begin to get a bit nervous, thinking he'll take too long!
In the end I sometimes make a mess of things. I hastily make decisions and later think to myself, "If I had waited on God, this problem would have been revealed to me and I could have taken care of it in stage one. But now that it's come out, it's just making a bigger mess."
Can you relate? Now, look at his word and see what it says in Psalm 37:

"…Commit everything you do to the Lord.
Trust him, and he will help you. .

…Be still in the presence of the Lord,
and wait patiently for him to act…

The steps of the godly are directed by the Lord.
He delights in every detail of their lives.

Thought they stumble, they will not fall, for the Lord hold them by the hand.
…Don't be impatient for the Lord to act!

Travel steadily along his path.
He will honor you, giving you the land…"

Oh wow! Patience is a good thing! No, not a fun thing, but a good thing.

Learning to Love

I recently read Blue Like Jazz. It's one of my new favorites, - I can totally relate to Donald Miller! Check out this portion from his chapter on Love:

…The problem with Christian culture is we think of love as a commodity. We use it like money...If somebody is doing something for us, offering us something, be it gifts, time, popularity, or what have you, we feel they have value, we feel they are worth something to us, and I and, perhaps, we feel they are priceless. I could see it so clearly, and I could feel it in the pages of my life. This was the thing that had smelled so rotten all these years. I used love like money. The church used love like money. With love, we withheld affirmation from the people who did not agree with us, but we lavishly financed the ones who did.
The next few days unfolded like a thick line of melancholy thought and introspection. I used love like money, but love doesn't work like money. It is not a commodity. When we barter with it, we all lose. When they church does not love its enemies, it fuels their rage. It makes them hate us more.
Here's how it worked out on a personal level:
There was this guy in my life at the time, a guy I went to church with whom I honestly didn't like. I thought he was sarcastic and lazy and manipulative, and he ate with his mouth open so that food almost fell from his chin when he talked. He began and ended every sentence with the word dude.
"Dude, did you see Springer yesterday?" he would say. "They had this fat lady on there who was doing it with a midget. It was crazy, dude. I want to get me a midget, dude."
That's the sort of thing he would talk about. It was very interesting to him…regardless; I had to spend a good amount of time with him as we were working on a temporary project together. He began to get under my skin. I wanted him to change. I wanted him to read a book, memorize a poem, or explore morality, at least as an intellectual concept. I didn't know how to communicate to him that he needed to change, so I displayed it on my face. I rolled my eyes, I gave him dirty looks. I would mouth the word loser when he wasn't looking. I thought somehow he would sense my disapproval and change his life in order to gain my favor. In short, I withheld love.
…I knew what I was doing was wrong. It was selfish, and what's more, it would never work. By withholding love from my friend, he became defensive, he didn't like me. He thought I was judgmental, snobbish, proud, and mean. Rather that being drawn to me, wanting to change, he was repulsed. I was guilty of using love like money, withholding it to get someone to be who I wanted them to be. I was making a mess of everything. And I was disobeying God. I became convicted about these things, so much so that I had some trouble getting to sleep. It was clear that I was to love everybody, be delighted at everybody's existence, and I had fallen miles short of God's aim. The power of Christian spirituality has always rested in repentance, so that's what I did. I repented. I told God I was sorry. I replaced economic metaphor, in my mind, with something different, a free gift metaphor or a magnet metaphor. That is, instead of withholding love to change somebody, I poured it on, lavishly. I hoed that love would work like a magnet, pulling people from the mire and toward healing. I knew this was the way god loved me. God had never withheld love to teach me a lesson.
Here is something very simple about relationships that Spencer helped me discover: nobody will listen to you unless they sense that you like them.
If a person senses that you do not like them, that you do not approve of their existence, then your religions and your political ideas will all seem wrong to them. If they sense that you like them, then they are open to what you have to say.
After I repented, things were different, but the difference wasn't with my friend, the difference was with me. I was happy. Before, I had all this negative tension flipping around in my gut, all this judgmentalism and pride and loathing of other people. I hated it, and now I was set free. I was free to love. I didn't have to discipline anybody, I didn't have to judge anybody, I could treat everybody as though they were my best friend, as though they were rock stars or famous poets, as though they were amazing, and to me they became amazing, especially my new friend. I loved him. After I decided to let go of judging him, I discovered he was very funny. I mean really hilarious. I kept telling him how funny he was. And he was smart, quite brilliant; really, I couldn't believe that I had never seen it before. I felt as though I had lost an enemy and gained a brother. And then he began to change... It didn't matter to me whether he did or not, but he did. He began to get a little more serious about God. He gave up television for a period of time as a sort of fast. He started praying and got regular about going to church. He was a great human being getting even better. I could feel God's love for him. I loved the fact that it wasn't my responsibility to change somebody, that it was God's; my part was just to communicate love and approval…

Community

Certain things just come naturally in groups. You never see one grape on a vine, or one grit in a bowl. Oprah always comes with Gail; Bert is lost without Ernie; and Me without Heidi? … well, it just seems a bit strange. It's just not natural to be alone. Community is important.
In Genesis 2:18 sin had not yet entered the garden, yet as Pastor Kyle Ray points out, "The Bible says that there was something that was 'not good'" Read it for yourself:

It is not good for man to be alone. I will make a companion to help him.

And I believe that's the point. Anyone who would fall into the category of 'community' (friends, family, spouse, mentor, co-worker) has been placed in our lives for help.

Let me give you another example from good ole Mother Nature: Sequoia Redwood trees. These trees are so ginormous,(that's a 1st grade word) they require a whole bunch of water to survive. Therefore they have a very, very shallow root system. Most of their roots lie just below the surface of dirt so as soon as the rain water soaks in, - boom! The roots are there to soak it up.
Only one problem; Roots are suppose to support plants! With such a shallow root system, you'd think that one good storm would blow through and…TIMBER! Down they'd go! Right? Wrong! These trees avoid an untimely death by growing in… community. (That's right, don't be shy. Just shout it out when you know the answer.) The trees grow so close together that their roots intertwine. Above, below, through, and around, they create one massive web of roots that work as support. So when storms blow through, they literally hold each other up! How cool is that? So see where I'm going with this don't you?
When we have "storms" in our lives, it's our community that holds us up. Look at some more cool verses about the support of communities in the Bible:

When others are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us…For when God comforts us, it is so that we, in turn, can be an encouragement to you. Then you can patiently endure the same things we suffer. (2 Cor.1:4)

Now I want to tell you, dear brothers and sisters, what God in his kindness has done for the churches in Macedonia. Thought they have been going through much trouble and hard times, their wonderful joy and deep poverty have overflowed in rich generosity. For I can testify that they gave not only what they could afford, but far more. And they did it of their own free will. They begged us again and again for the gracious privilege of sharing in the gift for the Christians in Jerusalem. (2 Cor 8:1)

And all the believers met together constantly and shared everything they had. They sold their possessions and shared the proceeds with those in need. They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord's Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity,- all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their group those who were being saved. (Acts 2:44)

Rescued

Gabby is my mom's dog. She was a rescued animal and came from the local shelter. While she was cared for well at the shelter, she came to my mom's home with a mix of problems. She was underweight, and had worms. She had mange that made her hair fall out in patches. She was lonely and unloved.
My mom loved her in spite of this and adopted her. Once home, Mom began the tedious process of caring for her. Potty training, obedience, frequent expensive visits to the vet, and administering medications took up a good amount of time and resources. But now, 18 months later, her hard work and investments have paid off. Gabby's had an opportunity to run and play, instead of always being cooped up in a kennel. She's received the medication to cure her illnesses, and had received lots of unconditional love. And as a result Gabby is one of the most remarkable dogs you'll ever meet. She's gentle, affectionate, quiet, sweet, loving, and extremely loyal to my Mom.
"It's almost like she remembers how it was before. " My mom once told me. "You know,- like she remembers the sicknesses and neglect; Like she remembers the bad times. That's one dog who understands that she was rescued."

I just spent 3 days in the midst of a wonderful group of Christians. Combined together, our past and present hurts would compile a laundry list of problems that would make Dr. Phil's head spin: Bitterness and unforgiveness, failing health, divorce, depression, alcoholism, drug abuse, promiscuity, abandonment, neglect and abuse. All of them have their share of struggles. But they also have the peace and joy of knowing Christ intimately. They worshiped with passion and authenticity, and through tears shared stories.

Regardless of their circumstances, they know He's adopted them into His family. He invests time in them, heals their wounds, and blesses them with unconditional love. As a result, they are gentle, peaceful, loving, and most of all loyal to Him.
Their backgrounds and stories were as individual as their personalities, yet their honesty and humility revealed a common thread, - They are people who understand they've been rescued.

Come In! Come In! Make Yourself at Home.

Last year I bought my first house. After years of dreaming and watching the TLC network I finally had a place to call my own, and decorate with my style. I signed the paperwork at 9 am and by 10:30 I had a bottle of champagne, paint in my hair, and one wall finished. Yes, my remodeling dreams were coming true, but believe me, there was a lot of work to do.
See the previous owner, Eileen, had fancied herself a crafter. The bathroom showed it. The school bus yellow walls, with purple hand-stenciled morning glory border were painful to look at. Literally. Plus, the light fixture was covered with magenta tiles and grout, resembling something a child would make at summer camp. But nothing a few hours and a trip to Home Depot couldn't fix.
"This house will be easy to make over." I thought to myself. "Paint the living room and the bathroom, and Viola! Dream house!"

However things got a little more dramatic on moving day.
Since the temperature was mild, we turned off the air conditioning to leave the doors open as we carried in furniture. My family and friends worked hard all morning, and then…the humidity kicked in. And with the humidity came a horrible smell! Apparently, along with crafting, Eileen also owned a non-potty trained dog. And while she had done a good job removing the stains from the carpet, it still lingered in the padding and even the sub-flooring. The odor resembled fish and urine- and it had to go!
A few weeks later my family and friends were once again hard at work, tearing out stinky carpet and laying beautiful laminate flooring. In the following two days I successfully added the term "1/4 inch round" to my vocabulary and created a home worthy of Ty Pennington's approval. (Oh…let's take a moment to dream of Ty…sigh. Okay, okay, that's enough. No more imagining Ty.)

But imagine with me just for a moment, how ridiculous it would have been if Eileen had tried to manage the house, after she'd sold it to me. She might have said, "I know these living room walls are white and bland, but I'm comfortable that way. I'm not a big fan of change, you know.
And the bathroom? Well, you can see I spent a lot of time stenciling the border on top. And yellow is my favorite. Let's just keep it 'as is' okay?
The odor? Well, I just love my poopsie-woopsie too much to put him outside in the hot sun. Besides, you can only really smell it in the fall…and winter…and spring. Pulling up all the carpet would be a lot of hard work. I really don't think it's necessary."

What would you say to that? Yeah, me too! " This is my house now, and I need to make comfortable so I can live here! I can't settle for this mess!"
Can I confess to you? I've acted like Eileen before. No, not with a house, but with my heart. Ten years ago I invited Jesus to live there, yet I tried to retain control of it's condition. Looking back, I'm sure the conversation could have looked something like this:

"Come in, come in Jesus! Oh, I'm so glad you're here! Please, please, make yourself at home! After all this is your home now. I've emptied out everything so you could fill it. I hope you'll like it here. I'm so excited to have you!
…er... What do you mean? What's what?…Oh! That?…well that's just a bit of jealousy. I don't really us it much, just once in a while. It's just over there for storage, really….
…And that? …Well, that's my food idolatry, - I kinda need that. I mean, what am I supposed to use for comfort? But see, it doesn't take up much room. Just that little corner really. You'll still have plenty of room.
…What smell? Oh, that? I got burned badly once. Yeah, that smell's a bit of bitterness lingering around in the air. I tried a few things to get rid of that but, - you know. I guess it's here for good. That one's not really my fault though, it was his fault…."

Just as silly as Eileen isn't it? In the same way I'd never be able to live in a home that was a stinky, crafty nightmare, Jesus can never live comfortably in a messy heart.

But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language…you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience…and the most important piece of clothing you must wear is love…and the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. (Col 3:8-15)

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. (Romans 12:2)

Jesus is in the professional renovation business. If you invite him in at 9 am, by 10:30 He's already begun to gently remodel. Is the progress slow moving? Could be. Painful? Sometimes. Worth it? Always. Just look at what we are promised in the book of Jude:

But you, dear friends, must continue to build your lives on the foundation of your holy faith. And continue to pray as you are directed by the Holy Spirit. Live in such a way that God's love can bless you as you wait for the eternal life that our Lord Jesus Christ in his mercy is going to give you. (V.20)

Let's get ready for an extreme- makeover!