Back with gratitude, forward with faith

       The last day of the year.  Good grief.  I'm finally getting accustomed to writing 2014 on checks, and suddenly, 2015 prepares to make a grand entrance.  Ready or not, here it comes.
       Don't know about anybody else, but the tail end of 2014 finds me feeling a bit weary.  My word for the year was "Joy," and it was such a joyful year in so many ways--beginning with a wonderful wedding last January.  So I'm full of thanksgiving to our generous, gracious, good God...but still, it seems just now I've been letting that joy drain out a bit.
       You know why?  Well, I think it has to do with contemplating  all those resolutions from last year that I failed to follow through on (devotions with the children every single day, for instance.  Ugh, really missed the mark there.)  It's so tempting to look back and feel regret at missed opportunities...or shame at unkind words and actions...or disappointment at failed goals or dreams, isn't it?  
       But God.  But God.  But God.
       Surely the best two words we see over and over again in the Bible.
"You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives." (Gen.50:20)
"My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." (Ps.73:26)
"Jesus looked at them and said, 'With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." (Mt.19:26)
"But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Rom.5:8)
       Time to stop looking back--except with gratitude for the blessings--and start looking forward with faith in our great God!  "Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of god in Christ Jesus." (Phil.3:13-14)
      Press on in Christ!  Time to start afresh and begin again.  So here are a few of my thoughts/goals/hopes for 2015.   First and foremost, to begin (and end) each day with gratitude and praise to God.  Always.  To choose to obey and seek God first, despite my feelings.  To refuse to give in to discouragement but instead to lean in to the Savior--keeping my eyes fixed on Him.  To memorize and hide His Word in my heart.  

       Sure, I failed this past year, but no more excuses.  No more whining.  No more dropping arms and weak knees.  Nope, as Ann Voskamp says, FORWARD!  Fall forward!  And as John Piper says, this will be my word for the year: "Christ-exalting."  My prayer, Lord--might my actions, my attitudes, my conversation, my writing, my speaking, my parenting, my “wifing,” my all, all, all be Christ-exalting.  That God would be glorified in everything that I say, think, do, plan, hope. That His name, His honor, His reputation would be exalted and lifted high in my life, family, ministry, activities.  

       Lord, show me what needs to change in my life in order to do that.  What needs to be added.  What needs to be eliminated.  What needs to be remain.  

       And, Father, help this to become a habit, not a resolution.  Again Ann Voskamp says, “It’s not what you do every now and then, but what you do everyday that changes everything...Random acts of greatness pale in comparison to habitual acts of faithfulness.”  Paul Tripp puts it this way--we need to trade “one dramatic resolution for 10,000 little ones.” Faithfulness in the many mundane small moments each day rather than focusing on some huge all or nothing, dramatic change.  Mundane, day by day, hour by hour, faithfulness.  In the large but also in the small moments of life.  Just a few examples:  

--Prayer everyday.  No matter what--talk to my Father before talking to anyone or anything else. 

--Short devotion with the boys daily, even if it’s just a quick word from the Word.   

--Checking in each day with our out-of-town children--remind them I LOVE them like crazy! 

--Asking God continually throughout the day to enable me to be Christ-exalting, even in my cooking, cleaning, reading, watching, eating, talking, studying.  

--Choosing others over self, others over self, others over self...multiple times a day.  Asking God to help me die to self and live to righteousness, daily, hourly.

--Memorizing some small portion of the Word everyday.  Word in, 

--Pausing in the middle of every day--right in the midst of the busyness--to focus upon and worship God.

--Seek to daily encourage others rather than indulge self.  Love as Christ loves.  Impossible standard...but perfect Savior who empowers.

--And writing daily at least 3 things for which I’m grateful to God.  Don't just think it--write it down.

       Just a few ideas from my neck of the woods.  How about you?  Forget the past--except as a source of gratitude. Look back with gratitude and forward with faith. 

       Press on.  Routine faithfulness in the small and everyday.  Christ-exalting.  

      The Lord Jesus is supremely worthy...in this new year and every year.  To God be the glory.

        

Don't forget to laugh

       Laughter is a gift.  A beautiful, shiny, soul-reviving, heart-filling, gaze-lifting gift.  And don't we all need that lift of laughter on the days right after Christmas?  These days can be such a let-down after all the excitement, happy gathering of family, and crazy wonder of the season.  I'm looking around at boxes, crumpled paper, candy wrappers, scattered gift cards, and tired looking decorations...all while preparing to say goodbye to the joy of having all our children home for "one shining moment."
       Yep, if you're anything like me, you're feeling weary, worn, and a bit off key, so it's good to remember that laughter is definitely a gracious and desperately needed gift from God.
       So rather than tackling the tree or the laundry or the boxes,  I'm pondering--what was that first laugh like?
       Did it shock Adam and Eve when suddenly a chuckle bubbled up from their diaphragm?
       And don't you wonder when it happened, that first guffaw?  Could it have been Adam and Eve's first stunned and happy glimpse of a giraffe?  Or maybe a lumbering bear...or a lovely leaping deer.  Was it after some affectionately teasing comment from Eve?  Or maybe it burst forth from awed and worshipful hearts after viewing the luminous colors of a sunrise.
       Whatever the source of laughter, what a gigantic, glorious gift.  Yes, life can be hard, but oh my, can't it also be so funny?  If you need some kind of prompt, watch a dog for a new minutes.  Or a toddler.  Or the birds flitting and fussing at a bird feeder.  Or recall some silly moment from your family.  We all have them--those moments of hilarity that puncture life's monotony or difficulty like a needle popping an overinflated balloon.
       So as we prepare to put away Christmas for yet another year, I couldn't help but think back to a few of those happy moments...and there's one in particular involving our neighbor's blow-up Santa Claus and our silly dog that makes me chuckle every time we drive by their yard.  Let me explain.
       Back at the beginning of December, Mr. Bingley glimpsed Santa for the first time...and pandemonium ensued.  He jumped back in terror and then began darting back and forth while wildly barking as if confronting a savage beast.  Who knew Santa could be so evil and threatening?

 (Yeah, sure, he looks friendly enough in that bright red suit, but looks are clearly deceiving.  Bingley's figured him out and was determined to warn the world.  We were worried Santa woud take great offense at this treatment and thus would refuse to bring that rainbow trout chew toy Mr. B had been begging for.  Do labs eat coal?  Fortunately, Santa displayed great grace this Christmas.)

       Know what?  Sometimes we just might need to stop taking ourselves so seriously.  Isn't it funny (excuse the pun) how quickly we can lose our sense of humor, our wonder, and our light-hearted joy, especially during this busy, sometimes overwhelming season of the year?  That is so, so wrong!  Forgive us, Father.
       Let's determine to replace all that soul-crushing worry with wonder, with worship, and, dare I say it, with some laughter.  The world won't end if you don't get an A on that exam.  The planets won't spin out of orbit if you don't get everything accomplished on your to-do list. The stars won't stop shining if your child takes a wrong turn or two in life or suffers a setback.  And God won't stop adoring you if you mess up or miss that appointment.
      Nope, God's got this.  He gives strength to the weary, hope to the worried, and infinite grace to the worn and weak.  Slow down and savor the gifts God has showered upon you.  The smells of pine trees, hot coffee, and baking bread.  The colors of Christmas still sparkling on houses and trees.  The sounds of singing birds, giggling children, and loved ones' voices.  The comforting feel of warm wool sweaters, strong hugs, and roasting fires.  The fun of board games, ball games, and beloved movies.  The joy of shared jokes and funny memories.  So much to savor and enjoy.  So much cause for laughter.  And so much for which to be grateful to the Giver of all good gifts.
      G.K. Chesterton once quipped, "Angels can fly because they take themselves lightly."
      Maybe it's time we do the same.  Let go of the punishing weight of bitterness.  Consider how infinitely much you've been forgiven by the sinless Savior...and freely forgive.  Let go of worry--it's nothing but wasted energy.  Breathe deep into faith and grace.  God's got this.  God's  got you.  God's got them.  God's got it all.
      So trust...and savor...and worship...and laugh.  Forgive as freely as You've been forgiven by the Savior.  Pause and praise.  Remember Who's really in complete control and relax.  Let go and laugh.
      Emmanuel is here--God with us--and He will never, ever leave you nor forsake you. Since He's here, we can lighten up and live this day with love and laughter.
      To God be the glory.

Home for Christmas

      Several dear friends have loved ones who are truly "home for Christmas" this year.  Beloved daddies...a sweet sister-in-law...a wonderful wife...a precious son...a dear mama.  Death is so hard on those left behind.  So hard.
      Don't we all know that season of loss?  That ache of missing the physical presence of the person you love.  Longing to hear the sound of their voice, the ring of their laughter.  Bearing a weight of sorrow in your heart...and yet carrying a winsome song of rejoicing in your soul, because they are home...truly, fully, gloriously Home.  And while gone from here, they are more vibrantly and fully alive than ever before...more alive, in fact, than all of us here still "living" on this planet.
      I well remember my mama going Home for Christmas, suddenly and unexpectedly 15 years ago, on a cold December morning.  If I close my eyes, I can still see the color of the carpet, the bare branches of the trees, the red Christmas bows and twinkling lights...all against a backdrop of shock and sorrow.  
      And yet...and yet...almost impossible to explain, but that deep sense of joy underneath all that sadness.  My mama was seeing, hearing, experiencing wonders and joys at that very moment that we could not even begin to fathom.  Oh to be truly Home for Christmas!
      Could there be a sweeter time to remember all this than right now?  Right at this time of year?  It's why our Savior came!  "The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth." (John 1:14)
      He came to set us free from the power of sin and death. He came to shine His Light into our darkness.  He came to conquer our chaos with His peace.  He came to shatter our despair with His indefatigable joy.  "In Him was life and the life was the light of men.  The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." (John 1:4-5)
       That glorious carol express it most beautifully--
Hail the heaven-born Prince of Peace!
Hail the Sun of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings,
Risen with healing in His wings;
Mild He lays His glory by,
Born that man no more may die,
Born to raise the sons of earth, Born to give them second birth;
Hark! The herald angels sing,
'Glory to the newborn King!'
       He was born that "man no more may die." He was born "to raise the sons of earth, born to give them second birth."
      Jesus was born to die...that we might be born again to live forever and ever!
      That first Christmas a little over two thousand years ago spelled the beginning of the end for satan and his hordes.  The birth of that infant-God (who can get over that?--fragile newborn housing the Almighty, omnipotent Lord!) meant the eventual certain and complete doom of death, sin, sorrow, and separation.  Because He came, we will conquer.  Because He came, our loved ones in Christ, even though they die, live.  Truly, fully, joyfully live!  Because He came, we will see them again in glory.  Forever.
     Praise God for Jesus!  Praise God for Christmas!  Praise God for our home in heaven!
      O come let us adore Him, Christ the Lord.
     To God be the glory.

The Prisoner

                          A little food for weekend thought--

      Awoke this morning with the words to "Come Thou Long-Expected Jesus" whispering, humming in my thoughts: "Come thou long expected Jesus, born to set thy people free; from our fears and sins release us, let us find our rest in Thee.  Israel's hope and consolation, hope of all the earth Thou art; dear desire of every nation, joy of every longing heart."
      Born to set us free from fears and sins.  Our hope and consolation.  The joy of every longing, suffering, waiting heart.  He is our Deliverer the second verse reminds us.  Born a child and yet a King.  The mystery of the incarnation.  Who can ever grasp the wonder of it?
      But as I contemplated this Deliverer born to set His people free, the words of Chuck Colson, founder of Prison Fellowship, came to mind, when he described a visit to a prison in Brazil.  Might his words remind us of the "inexpressible Gift" we have in Jesus this last weekend before Christmas:
      "Several years ago a Brazilian prison was turned over to two Christian laymen.  Their plan was to run it on Christian principles.  The prison has only two full-time staff.  The rest of the work is done by the inmates.  Every prisoner is assigned another inmate to whom he is accountable.  In addition, every prisoner is assigned a volunteer family from the outside who works with him during his term and after his release from prison.  Every prisoner joins the chapel program or else takes the course in character development.
      When I visited the prison I found the inmates smiling--particularly the murderer who held the keys and opened the gates to let me in.  Wherever I walked, I saw men at peace.  I saw clean living areas.  I saw people working industriously.  The walls were decorated with biblical sayings from Psalms and Proverbs.  The prison had an astonishing record.  The recidivism rate is 4 percent, compared to 75 percent in the rest of Brazil and the U.S.  How is that possible?  I saw it with my own eyes.  When my inmate guide escorted me to the notorious punishment cell once used for torture, he told me that today it houses only a single inmate.  We walked down a long cell block, a long corridor of steel doors, and came to the end and he peeked in.  He paused.  'Yes, he's in there' he said.  Then he turned to me and asked, 'Are you sure you want to go in, Mr. Colson?'
      'Of course,' I replied impatiently.  'I've been in punishment cells in 600 prisons all over the world.'  Slowly the inmate swung open the door and I saw the prisoner in the punishment cell.  I walked in and turned to the right and there on the wall, beautifully carved by the inmates, was a crucifix.  The prisoner Jesus was hanging on the cross.  'He,' said the inmate, 'is doing the time for all the rest of us.'"
      And so He is.  He came to the cradle to go to the cross, so we might be set free from our sins and fears and go with Him to heaven as His redeemed children.
      This weekend before Christmas, we rejoice in our Savior who came to set His people free.  Might we His people live to His glory and sing His praises this day and everyday.  Oh Lord Jesus, might You  "rule in our all our hearts alone."  You are infinitely worthy.
       Thank You for "doing the time for all the rest of us."
       To God be the glory.

Rejoicing

      Today, I'm rejoicing.
      Not in perfect circumstances--never this side of heaven.
      Not in perfect health--too many people I love are waging fierce battles against disease.  (Lord, I hate cancer…but I know You do too.  And You are right here in the fray with those we love who are waging war against this enemy.  Fight for them, Mighty King!)
      Not in perfect people all around me--we're all, all, all sinners.  But we're sinners saved by grace, praise God.
      And certainly not in perfect me--oh mercy, where would I even start to list the ways I fall so far short?  But again, grace…glorious, beautiful, wondrous grace.  That amazing grace was given by the Son...who was given by the Father.  "Thanks be to God for His inexpressible Gift." (2 Cor.9:15)  Gift upon gift upon gift!
      Today, I'm rejoicing in that gift of the Savior.  The One who came to set us desperate, diseased, discouraged ones free.  No, your circumstances may not be ideal.  Your health may not be great.  The people you care about may be enduring a challenging season of life.  You may not not yet be the person you long to be (but by God's grace are becoming!).
      But no matter what the outward conditions of your life, you can rejoice in the Savior who came to this broken planet to bring redemption, reconciliation, and restoration.
      "Joy to the world.  The Lord is come!"  He has come.  He is here now.  And He is coming again!  Which means He redeems our past, present, and future.
      Stop fretting over the past--it's over.  Christ has come, and He has covered every sin by His blood. If you have asked Jesus to be Your Savior, you are forgiven. Forever. Cease all that hand-wringing over mistakes of the past and live this day as a redeemed child of the King.
      Stop missing the joy of the present moment--Christ is here.  How incredible is that--the Lord of the universe is with you!  Emmanuel.  Right now, even as you read these words, He is as near as your next breath.  Oh will you pause and praise Him for His presence, His power, His nearness, His forgiveness, His grace.  Let's live this day with joy, for He. Is. With. Us.  Amazing.
     And stop worrying about the future--Christ is coming again!  The King is coming, and He will make all things new and glorious and right.  He's got the future totally covered, so we can relax and trust the One who made all things and holds all things together by the word of His power (Heb.1:3).  Worry is disbelief.  And disbelief is a sin.  And sin is why He came.  So confess that worry to Him (I'm preaching the gospel to myself), and live this day in the certain hope and joy that He is coming again.
      Today, let's rejoice in the King born in a manger…born to set His people free.  Free from fear.  Free from disease.  Free from discouragement.  Free from purposelessness.  Free from regrets of the past; free from worries over the future; and free from missing the joy and wonder in the present.
      Thank You, thank You, thank You, Lord Jesus.  Thank You for coming.  Thank You for staying.  Thank You that You are returning.  Might we join in the celestial chorus--
      "Oh come let us adore Him, Christ the Lord!"  Today, let's rejoice!
      To God be the glory.

Slugs and the Savior

                       A little food for weekend thought--

      From Tim Keller: "There's a place in one of Martin Luther's nativity sermons where he asks something like, 'Do you know what a stable smells like?  You know what that family would have smelled like after the birth when they went into the city?  And if they were standing next to you, how would you have felt about them and regarded them?'  He is saying, I want you to see Christ in the neighbor you tend to despise--in the political party you despise, in the race you despise, in the class of people you despise. 
      Christmas is the end of thinking you are better than someone else, because Christmas is telling you that you could never get to heaven on your own. God had to come to you.  It is telling you that people who are saved are not those who have risen through their own abilities to be what God wants them to be.  Salvation comes to those who are willing to admit how weak they are."
      Today a simple thank You, Father, for sending the Son and saving us weak and weary children.  Weak in willingness, weak in love, weak in compassion, weak in obedience.  Oh my, how thankful I am that it's not up to me and my puny abilities.  That it's not up to us, straining and reaching up to Him, but it's always and forever Christ coming down to us.
      And He came so infinitely far down.  Down to the depths, to the dregs.  C.S. Lewis compares Jesus' willingness to become a man to a man becoming a slug or a crab.  How would you like that?  Would you be willing to be transformed into a slug in order to reach and save the slug population? Yeah right.  Don't think so.
      And what if those ugly slugs wanted nothing to do with you?  What if they utterly failed to understand the nearly cavernous expanse you were willing to bridge in order to come down to them, to reach and save them?  I'd say "Who cares about these lowly, slimy, clueless, underserving, ungrateful slugs?!  Not me!"
        But that wasn't the response of the perfect, wonderful, beautiful, glorious Son.  No, He came.  He relinquished so infinitely much--so much further than a man becoming a slug--all to be born in a manger and die on a cross.  All for our salvation.  All for us slugs and crabs.
       So thank You, thank You, thank You, Lord Jesus.  Thank You for coming.  Thank You for loving.  Thank You for forgiving.  Thank You for dying.  And thank You for saving.
      To God be the glory.
     
     

Heroes and Christmas

       The tears keep falling.  Not so much tears of sorrow, as tears of bittersweet awe and amazement. Tears of profound respect.  And tears of thankfulness for the unconquerable hope--in this sometimes hard, bewildering world--that was born on that Christmas Even over 2000 years ago.
       Today, I saw Jesus in the flesh...and the picture changed me, made me tearful, thankful, yet contemplative.  I saw Jesus in the flesh of a far-too-young wife and mama who lost her husband a few months back.  And in her, I saw such courage, such love, such faith as she continues to live life, raise her children, pursue Christ...even with that big, empty, void of loneliness and sorrow.  Yet she refuses to give in or give up.
      It's grace lived out right before our eyes, in living color...and it's an indescribably beautiful and inspiring thing.
     And I've seen it before--with friends who've lost children or spouses or long-cherished dreams. With friends battling cancer or depression or disease.  Yet they keep putting one foot in front of the other, keep looking to the Lord for the grace for the next hour and the next minute...and He comes through again and again.  Doesn't mean it's easy or painless for them. No, not at all, but He's always enough.  He's always the manna needed for that day's strength.
      None of these folks has any idea how they have inspired and awed me and so many others.  Heroes rarely do, do they?  And heroes come in so many shapes and sizes.  Heroes as teachers.  Heroes as soldiers.  Heroes as Young Life leaders.  Heroes as regular old folks finding themselves in difficult circumstances they never ever would have chosen, yet living by grace, by faith.  And today my hero was in the guise of hard-working, grace-living, Jesus-reflecting, mom and widow.
      Grace for the lonely, the exhausted, the discouraged, the fearful.  Hope for the hard, dark places.  Strength for the weak and worn.  That's why He came--to redeem His own and bring forgiveness, grace, hope, peace, joy.
      I couldn't help but think of these words by another one of my heroes, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the German theologian.  Bonhoeffer, arrested for his courageous opposition to the Nazis and his part in a plot to kill Hitler, was imprisoned for two years during World War II and finally executed by the Nazis just weeks before the war's end.  Here's what he wrote to his fiance while he was in prison:
       "Be brave for my sake, dearest Maria, even if this letter is your only token of my love this Christmas-tide.  We shall both experience a few dark hours--why should we disguise that from each other?  We shall ponder the incomprehensibility of our lot and be assailed by the question of why, over and above the darkness already enshrouding humanity, we should be subjected to the bitter anguish of a separation we fail to understand...And then, just when everything is bearing down on us to such an extent that we can scarcely withstand it, the Christmas message comes to tell us that all our ideas are wrong, and that what we take to be evil and dark is really good and light because it comes from God.  Our eyes are at fault, that is all.  God is in the manger, wealth in poverty, light in darkness, succor in abandonment.  No evil can befall us; whatever men may do to us, they cannot but serve the God who is secretly revealed as love and rules the world and our lives." 
        Thank You, Abba, for sending Jesus at Christmas. Thank You that You came to that lowly manger, that You are our wealth in poverty, that You are our Light in the darkness, and that You are succor in abandonment.  Thank You, that as Corrie ten Boom once said in that darkest of places, a German concentration camp, "There is no pit so deep that God's love is not deeper still." Thank You that You are sovereignly in control of all things, all people, all circumstances, all places...all, all, all.  And thank You that You will always and forever work out all things for good for those who love You and are called according to Your purpose. (Rom.8:28)
       Thank You that we can trust even when we cannot see and have hope even when we do not understand...because You came.  Oh thank You for coming...and for staying...forever.  Our Emmanuel--God with us.  And thank You for heroes who reflect Your glory and shine Your light in this dark world.  What a beautiful, beautiful sight.
       To God be the glory.