Now, I am no geography whiz, but I do know that these 3 locations on a map have very little in common and even less proximity. I do know that God is working uniquely in each place and last night, I got a beautiful picture of His great plan.
My aunt and uncle have been in Ukraine as missionaries for the past 14 months with a short stay in Laos to teach English and preach the Gospel whenever they were given an opportunity. After sharing dinner together, they showed us pictures of their adventures and talked to us about what life had been like for them in these 2 very different countries.
My uncle described the sweetness of genuine fellowship and faith that the Ukrainian believers had - unencumbered, it seems, with the many comforts and distractions that I encounter on a daily basis. The aftermath of years of Communist rule has left many of these people stripped of the ability or freedom to think for themselves - many still need to hear of the Freedom available in Christ and of the depth of His riches.
The people in Laos are inundated with statues of Buddha everywhere they turn - confusion and blindness abound in this country of monks and Hmong people. Jesus is virtually unknown in this land - our God that cannot be contained or represented in a man-made form longs for the hearts of these people.
So, what does any of this have to do with Lynnwood, you ask? Well, that is where I come in. Lynnwood is the center of my universe and I can get so darn short-sighted and tunnel-visioned as I hole up here in the northern region of the Puget Sound. The fact is, I am a missionary to this unglamorous, strip-mall overrun section of the world just as my aunt and uncle are missionaries to foreign lands. There is a giant shrine just over the freeway from me to the god of materialism - fueling the hearts and passions of many a follower that tithe regularly to it. There are idols in my own home - buried deep inside my heart that God wants destroyed as much as He desires to see Laotians destroy the bronze statues of Buddha.
The big picture that I glimpsed last night is that the world really isn't all that big and we are not really all that different as people. Each of us, created in the image of God, wascreated to worship the Creator. Each of us erects idols of our own making that we worship in the place of the all-satisfying God. Each of us is called to share the transforming power of the Gospel in the place where we are placed - starting with living out the Gospel daily in our own homes and lives. Each of us should have our eyes and eyes open to RECOGNIZE that Jesus is working all around us and that we are invited to join the adventure - He is redeeming lives in Ukraine, Laos - and even Lynnwood.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
My own Psalm 77 questions
I have been in a desert for the past few days - of my own doing primarily - and I really need to get out. I cracked open my Bible this morning which I admit, sheepishly, that I had not done in several days. God led me to Psalm 77 by way of the random question - what shall I read this morning? In God's sovereignty and intimate knowledge of my heart, that really is never a random question because the Scriptures are alive and active and able, at any moment, to speak words of comfort and conviction - addressing the specific needs of my heart. Today was no exception.
The psalmist of 77 .... "made a diligent search:
7 “Will the Lord spurn forever and never again be favorable?
8 Has his steadfast love forever ceased?
Are his promises at an end for all time?
9 Has God forgotten to be gracious?
Has he in anger shut up his compassion?”
In his diligent search of both the character of God through history and his troubled heart, the psalmist lays out 5 questions to God. I so appreciate this view into the doubt and darkness of the psalmist's heart. I have been existing in this doubt and darkness because of my sin of independence from God and His Word these past few days. My questions have been along these lines:
1. Why God am I feeling this way?
2. Do you really know the desires of my heart?
3. Are your promises and your ways really for my best?
4. Why do I look to people instead of you for comfort and definition?
5. Will you forgive me AGAIN for trading your presence for some temporal, small satisfaction?
The psalmist then leads me to a place of remembrance:
10Then I said, "I will appeal to this, to the years of the right hand of the Most High." 11I will remember the deeds of the LORD; yes, I will remember your wonders of old.12I will ponder all your work, and meditate on your mighty deeds.13Your way, O God, is holy. What god is great like our God?14You are the God who works wonders; you have made known your might among the peoples.15You with your arm redeemed your people,
I have forgotten the wonders of His love for me, the depth of His provision and that He is the Keeper of my soul. His ways are HOLY and He has redeemed me but I have stopped fighting to see the Truth. In the darkness, Lord, I appeal to the Light - you alone can illuminate my heart and bring me back to the place of comfort and confidence in you alone. I know that is you in the darkness - I RECOGNIZE the strength of your arm as You break my fall.
The psalmist of 77 .... "made a diligent search:
7 “Will the Lord spurn forever and never again be favorable?
8 Has his steadfast love forever ceased?
Are his promises at an end for all time?
9 Has God forgotten to be gracious?
Has he in anger shut up his compassion?”
In his diligent search of both the character of God through history and his troubled heart, the psalmist lays out 5 questions to God. I so appreciate this view into the doubt and darkness of the psalmist's heart. I have been existing in this doubt and darkness because of my sin of independence from God and His Word these past few days. My questions have been along these lines:
1. Why God am I feeling this way?
2. Do you really know the desires of my heart?
3. Are your promises and your ways really for my best?
4. Why do I look to people instead of you for comfort and definition?
5. Will you forgive me AGAIN for trading your presence for some temporal, small satisfaction?
The psalmist then leads me to a place of remembrance:
10Then I said, "I will appeal to this, to the years of the right hand of the Most High." 11I will remember the deeds of the LORD; yes, I will remember your wonders of old.12I will ponder all your work, and meditate on your mighty deeds.13Your way, O God, is holy. What god is great like our God?14You are the God who works wonders; you have made known your might among the peoples.15You with your arm redeemed your people,
I have forgotten the wonders of His love for me, the depth of His provision and that He is the Keeper of my soul. His ways are HOLY and He has redeemed me but I have stopped fighting to see the Truth. In the darkness, Lord, I appeal to the Light - you alone can illuminate my heart and bring me back to the place of comfort and confidence in you alone. I know that is you in the darkness - I RECOGNIZE the strength of your arm as You break my fall.
Monday, February 2, 2009
Thank you Dad!
I just received word that my dad is headed to the ER with serious pain and unknown diagnosis. I am praying hard that Jesus spare and heal him because I want my dad around for many years to come. There is much more life to be lived for my dad as a husband, father, grandfather, uncle, brother and friend. God has been very gracious to my dad - it was just 2 years ago that He delivered Him from a lifelong battle with alcohol and brought him to a place of brokenness. Out of those ashes, God has worked a story of redemption in my dad that has impacted his marriage, his fathering and his legacy. I wanted to record some of my thoughts of gratitude to my Heavenly Father for my earthly father while they are fresh on my heart:
1. Thank you, Dad, for the many years of passionate support you have given to me as your daughter. You have always encouraged me in any endeavor I have undertaken. True, some of those undertakings were ones I needed to be protected from, but in your absence, I was protected by my Lord. You both demonstrated and allowed for a needed understanding that Jesus alone is my Fortress and my Rock.
2. Thank you, Dad, for allowing me to share with you the deep, dark, painful secrets of my heart and for holding me in my pain. Your tears were a healing wash of love over my heart. True, your willingness to listen and heartbreak over my story came later in my life than I would have desired - but they HAPPENED. I dreamed of that day for years and I am grateful to God that He broke through your sin and mine so that it was a longing fulfilled.
3. Thank you, Dad, for many memories of fun-filled, laughter-soaked moments with you leading the way. You will always be the consummate teaser and joke-teller; able to lighten the mood on the darkest of days. True, your teasing is ill-fitting and excessive at times, but your consistent willingness to state your love for me speaks volumes. You have never withheld words of love and affirmation - I choose to believe, even in the midst of your cajoling, that the depth of your love for your children is vast. Truer still, I have come to know the love of Jesus in deeper ways - His love for His children is infathomable.
4. Thank you, Dad, for loving my mom better each day. It gives me great joy and confidence, even as a grown woman, to know that my mommy is loved and protected and will not be abandoned by you. True, I have many a memory of you and Mom fighting over the years - worrying that the next fight may be the last. Thank you for persevering through the years filled with joy and trial so that God is now glorified through your marriage.
5. Thank you, Dad, for failing me at times so that out of sheer desperation, a deep desire for the arms of a father - I was driven into the arms of my Savior. I have no bitterness, not a shred of anger or unforgiveness in my heart for you. ONLY deep love and gratitude for the Daddy you have been to me over the years. Imperfect yet devoted, absent at times yet very present now - you are a picture of redemption and a tangible reminder of grace in my life. I RECOGNIZE Jesus in you now more than at any point in my life.
Please Father - heal my father so we can continue this beautiful story together.
1. Thank you, Dad, for the many years of passionate support you have given to me as your daughter. You have always encouraged me in any endeavor I have undertaken. True, some of those undertakings were ones I needed to be protected from, but in your absence, I was protected by my Lord. You both demonstrated and allowed for a needed understanding that Jesus alone is my Fortress and my Rock.
2. Thank you, Dad, for allowing me to share with you the deep, dark, painful secrets of my heart and for holding me in my pain. Your tears were a healing wash of love over my heart. True, your willingness to listen and heartbreak over my story came later in my life than I would have desired - but they HAPPENED. I dreamed of that day for years and I am grateful to God that He broke through your sin and mine so that it was a longing fulfilled.
3. Thank you, Dad, for many memories of fun-filled, laughter-soaked moments with you leading the way. You will always be the consummate teaser and joke-teller; able to lighten the mood on the darkest of days. True, your teasing is ill-fitting and excessive at times, but your consistent willingness to state your love for me speaks volumes. You have never withheld words of love and affirmation - I choose to believe, even in the midst of your cajoling, that the depth of your love for your children is vast. Truer still, I have come to know the love of Jesus in deeper ways - His love for His children is infathomable.
4. Thank you, Dad, for loving my mom better each day. It gives me great joy and confidence, even as a grown woman, to know that my mommy is loved and protected and will not be abandoned by you. True, I have many a memory of you and Mom fighting over the years - worrying that the next fight may be the last. Thank you for persevering through the years filled with joy and trial so that God is now glorified through your marriage.
5. Thank you, Dad, for failing me at times so that out of sheer desperation, a deep desire for the arms of a father - I was driven into the arms of my Savior. I have no bitterness, not a shred of anger or unforgiveness in my heart for you. ONLY deep love and gratitude for the Daddy you have been to me over the years. Imperfect yet devoted, absent at times yet very present now - you are a picture of redemption and a tangible reminder of grace in my life. I RECOGNIZE Jesus in you now more than at any point in my life.
Please Father - heal my father so we can continue this beautiful story together.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
What do I want from Jesus?
This sermon http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=fpc-031506 is a great challenge to me as both a Christian and a mother. As I desire great things for my children, do I desire for them the blessings the world has to offer or the eternal blessings of the Kingdom that come at great cost? They are breathing in (being influenced by) the true desires of my heart that I breathe out every day - do I RECOGNIZE Jesus in those desires? What do I truly want from Jesus - do I demand it for myself? For my children?
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Love Incorruptible
I stumbled across this phrase a few weeks ago while reading Ephesians. Paul ends this great letter with these words:
Grace be to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with love incorruptible. (6:24)
The phrase jumped off the page and I immediately began to think about its implications.
- I can only do this because Jesus embodies LOVE INCORRUPTIBLE
- He is both the model and the source of it
- My story is full of examples of love corrupted and defiled
- When do I let my heart be corrupted by loving something or someone more than Jesus?
- Do I RECOGNIZE where Jesus redeeming and purifying my corrupt heart?
- How do I keep my heart loving Him in this way?
So much to consider - I will be thinking on and answering these questions in this blog and for the rest of my lifetime. In the meantime, praise Jesus for His incorruptible love and for the grace to love as He does.
It's all relative.....and real
God has been teaching me much about suffering lately - mine and others. In the past, I didn't have room in my life for both - I have always been very consumed with my own stuff. But this time, as I recover from yet another surgery (#15 to be exact), God has given me eyes to see suffering more how He sees it.
I heard today of a friend who is having very major surgery that will alter the course of his life FOREVER. In light of what I have just been through, I am tempted to be ashamed for considering my own suffering of any consequence. After all, his is much more serious, difficult and extensive than mine. On the other hand, many of my friends would look at my trial of the past few weeks and tend to feel silly at the thoughts of how naughty their children have been or how little time they've had to connect with their busy husbands.
We are creatures of comparison. We look to the right and to the left, above and below, behind and ahead to measure up where we fall in the spectrum of trial and suffering.
I heard today of a friend who is having very major surgery that will alter the course of his life FOREVER. In light of what I have just been through, I am tempted to be ashamed for considering my own suffering of any consequence. After all, his is much more serious, difficult and extensive than mine. On the other hand, many of my friends would look at my trial of the past few weeks and tend to feel silly at the thoughts of how naughty their children have been or how little time they've had to connect with their busy husbands.
We are creatures of comparison. We look to the right and to the left, above and below, behind and ahead to measure up where we fall in the spectrum of trial and suffering.
"Mine is bad but it is certainly not as bad as his - but, wait, what's she complaining about? How dare she think she's got it rough - try walking in my shoes for even a moment!"
The internal dialogue continues as we measure out the suffering continuum and plot our location from day to day. Our level of suffering may seem relative compared to our fellow man but it certainly is real. Whether it appears monumental or trivial - it is our reality. The question is not, "How much am I suffering compared to the next person?" but "Where do I RECOGNIZE Jesus in my current suffering? Where do my eyes need to be opened to His character, His Truth and His redemption in my life?"
God is grieved at the suffering His children have to endure on this earth. And yet, He promises hope in the midst of it and final triumph over it one day. He sent His Son to suffer incomprehensibly so we would not have to suffer eternally. Compared with His suffering, ours is relatively small and yet, very real. Dump the vain pursuit of comparing and focus on Him who suffered for our ultimate deliverance.
Monday, January 26, 2009
REJOICE!!
I like to use ALL CAPS when I write. I realize that their use is to be reserved for the occasion of yelling or strongly emphasizing a point. I like to emphasize a lot (gesturing with hands right now)so I use ALL CAPS a lot. So, the significance of ALL CAPS in the title of this post may be lost due to my overuse of the technique. Maybe with the added bonus of 2 exclamation points you'll get it.
I really, truly mean to yell the word as Pastor Mark did for over an hour last Sunday. He is preaching through 1 Peter and getting us fired up about the fact that it isn't just some nice Christianese platitude that claims we should rejoice through trial. It is Truth, it is Possible, it is Necessary. Interesting timing for me - I had to listen to the podcast as I missed the actual Sunday service due to recovering from major surgery. As I lay in my bed, chaffing with bed sores and a catheter tube sticking out of me - I began the sermon with low expectations. Sure, I get the whole concept in theory but certainly it didn't apply to me right now in practice. Little hard to rejoice through the veil of pain and tubing of urine. About half way through - my heart broke. Faithful as ever, God caused me to RECOGNIZE Jesus in my circumstances. Today, He comes disguised as bedrest and a bladder bag reminding me that this world is not my home, this body too will be recreated after a short time on earth and that He is so much bigger than my puny life. I truly can REJOICE!! because of Him alone.
I really, truly mean to yell the word as Pastor Mark did for over an hour last Sunday. He is preaching through 1 Peter and getting us fired up about the fact that it isn't just some nice Christianese platitude that claims we should rejoice through trial. It is Truth, it is Possible, it is Necessary. Interesting timing for me - I had to listen to the podcast as I missed the actual Sunday service due to recovering from major surgery. As I lay in my bed, chaffing with bed sores and a catheter tube sticking out of me - I began the sermon with low expectations. Sure, I get the whole concept in theory but certainly it didn't apply to me right now in practice. Little hard to rejoice through the veil of pain and tubing of urine. About half way through - my heart broke. Faithful as ever, God caused me to RECOGNIZE Jesus in my circumstances. Today, He comes disguised as bedrest and a bladder bag reminding me that this world is not my home, this body too will be recreated after a short time on earth and that He is so much bigger than my puny life. I truly can REJOICE!! because of Him alone.
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