Worth It

I was reading through one of my old journals and came across an entry that I'd like to share, if only to remind myself of the message.

I've transcribed a condensed and modified version below. The original was written on March 16, 2011.

I was reading from Beth Moore's A Heart Like His, a study on the life of David. This passage stood out to me: "God is looking for qualities that remind Him of His Son, the object of His most supreme affections. These qualities are developed in us at no small cost, just as they were in the life of David; but the pleasure of God is profoundly, indescribably worth it!" (166). 

These qualities--humility, accountability, worshipfulness, dedication, justice, kindness, restoration, protectiveness, to name a few--come by walking with the Holy Spirit. 

I don't know what the cost will be...to have these attributes in my life. But I think of God looking at me, pleasure in His eyes and heart, because I remind Him of Jesus...and that seems so valuable. To  stand before Him at the dawn of eternity and hear Him say, "Well done, good and faithful servant" is indeed worth every discomfort, every sacrifice, every inconvenience, every pain, every trial. 

I ask for the grace to be humbly obedient, just like my Rescuer was. 

Treasures

Last week, a dear friend invited me over to her house for coffee simply for the purpose of fellowship and to talk about writing. It was a treat! We enjoyed good coffee and even better conversation.

It's one of the events of the past couple of weeks that has reminded me of something. These are some of the others...

My parents recently spoke at a gathering at my church, telling their story. One of points they emphasized was the importance of being plugged into the body of Christ.

My youth pastor was having a water slide day at his house, and my sister invited me to come (even though I'm not in youth). I did. It was fun!

Last Sunday I sat in on my church's young adult group, talking and fellowship with people...

I realized how much I miss relationships. True, I'm introverted and like some good time to myself, but I also realize how much I need other people. You see, other people can see things differently than I can. They point out things I may miss. They make me laugh. They let me cry. They refresh my heart. It's the way Jesus created His Body--to need on another and to bless one another. I'm thankful that people care enough to invite me...even when I've told them "no" ten times before. I'm thankful for the Church. For friends. For family. And the reason it's so good is because He's in it.

Good times. And it's just the beginning!

Family

This morning I had a sweet time with the Lord.

For a brief weekend, some old friends and new friends of mine stayed at my house. I had asked the Lord before their trip that the visit would be one of encouragement and refreshment for both parties. I can say that, at least from my part, it was.

This morning I woke up early to see them off. I intended to going to back to bed once they left, but the house was so quiet, I couldn't resist an opportunity. I had put a kettle on for some hot water and made a cup of wild orange tea. Then, in the stillness of the early morning, the sky still mostly dark, I sat in our living room and journaled. And read my Bible. And thought. And prayed.

I've had the privilege of meeting believers from various parts of the U.S. as well as some in Ireland. Some of those people I may never see again on this earth. Still, they have a special place in my heart. Yet as I reflected this morning, I was thankful at the kindness of our God, who adopts us into His family. And while we may be spread out over the ends of the earth for a while, one day, we will all be together. I love the family of God. Like any family, we have our struggles. But there is no other family I would want to have. When I think of the things that bond people together, I know that there is nothing stronger than knowing that we are saved by Jesus and have a destiny to live for and with Him.

Life is busy. Days can be long. I get caught up in to-do-lists as much or more than the next person, stressing over all that "needs" to be done. But today, for a moment, my heart was stilled. I recently learned the definition of 'peace' as it is used in Galatians 5. It means, 'To set at one again.'
We worship a kind Lord. He sets our hearts at one again. We are whole in Him. And in each other. Our Family, where Christ is Head.

Grace

Earlier this week I started reading Dietrich Bonhoeffer's The Cost of Discipleship. In chapter 1, Bonhoeffer discusses cheap vs. costly grace. He sarcastically writes, "Let him [the person content with cheap grace] be comforted and rest assured in his possession of this grace--for grace alone does everything. Instead of following Christ, let the Christian enjoy the consolations of his grace!"

This set me to thinking about the way we think about sin. I believe sometimes we focus too much on sin. Sin, ultimately, is not the issue. A relationship with the Most High God is. It is in the essence of our being, written into the fabric of our creation. We were meant for a relationship with Him. Thus sin cannot be ignored and must be dealt with seriously, but not because it merits that much attention but because it stands in the way of something that does. If sin is the great wall that separates us from God then it must be torn down--violently--but not for the mere entertainment of us watching a wall crumble. Likewise if grace is the bridge that enables us to cross the chasm that sin creates, the bridge is not built so we merely may stand on it; it is built so we may reach the other side.

I do not want to under-emphasize grace. It is one of the most powerful things in the world. Like I believe Bonhoeffer is saying, if we like grace simply because is pardons our mistakes, we do not think nearly enough of it. Grace is so wonderful because it covers our hideous sin (and to appreciate grace I think we really must see our sin this way) and allows us to have what God intended for us to have, a right relationship with Him. The pardoning of sin is not so glorious because it takes away our guilt but because it allows us to be righteous. It is not wonderful merely because it liberates us from bondage but because it brings us into life with Christ. This is why we must not use it as an excuse to keep sinning, for by doing so we misunderstand the intent of grace. Through true grace, may we see the absolute evil of our sin and the absolute magnificence of Christ.

We were helpless in our sin. But Christ is abundant in grace. So He took our punishment. Not so we could feel better about ourselves but so we could lose ourselves that we might find ourselves in Him.

The Most Costly Investment

It's funny how God can use any situation to speak truth to us humans.

Recently, I helped a fellow classmate with an essay. Since I like English and composition, I did not mind editing and drafting the paper. In fact, I spent a considerable amount of time and thought on the task of improving the piece of writing. I found myself thinking about the essay when I was in the shower and when I was in bed. I woke up in the morning thinking of it. Part of me wondered, "Why do I care so much? Ultimately, I am not responsible for this student's grade. So why I am so caught up in this?" Was it because I easily stress over my own schoolwork and this was merely an extention of that? Perhaps. But then another thought struck me. I was invested in this. I poured time, engery, thought, and emotion into this task.

After I had given the student my suggestions for the paper, I read a second draft written after my notes. I was so excited to see that the student had made the changes I suggested! Since I had put forth effort I was pleased to see that it was not in vain. The student also expressed gratitude. That made my efforts worthwhile as well. I think I learned something about the Lord in the process.

He made the greatest investment--the costliest investment--of all time when He sacrificed Jesus on our behalf. If we are happy when people respond to when we invest in them, how much more must He delight when we respond to Him? How much must He delight we when react to His sacrifice by loving His Son? How much must He value our gratitude? My investment consisted of several hours of reading an essay and a few more in thought and prayer. Jesus' investment consisted of bearing the sin of the world--bearing our sin. Can anyone possibly invest in us more than He has? The question is, how then shall we respond?

Change

I love autumn. I love cupping my hands around a warm mug of hot apple cider. The brisk air breathes freshness into my lungs. The colors on the trees light up my eyes. Fall practice reminds me of my love of baseball. Crackling fires and family time make me smile. This is a sweet season.

Yet, this autumn, Fall 2011, has also been a time of transition for my family. The transition is very good, but, like all change, is not easy. There are moments when I do not want the world to change. I want to fire the moment and live in it. But, things do change. Life does move on. Like most unknown things, the future sometimes appears frightening. I think of what a good, rich childhood I had and wonder, "Can it get any better? Or are my best days already gone?" I was having this conversation with my sister, each of us dialoging how change is hard for us. But then, I mentioned to her a thought that I have been having: "God has been the author of our story this far and it's been good. He's still the One writing our story, so we know it's going to be good!" And the most important thing is that...It's Him being our Author...and our Anchor. How sweet it is that He does not change. And with new seasons of life comes new opportunities to love our Lord more and grow in Him.

I have been reading in Exodus, and a verse caught my attention. The Israelites, upon leaving Egypt, faced a huge transition. Even though it was an exciting time for them, it was probably also somewhat shocking to go, overnight, from slavery to freedom. Moses reports about the night of the Israelite's departure from Egypt--and from all they had ever known, that "the LORD kept vigil that night to bring them out of Egypt" (Exodus 12: 42). I love that image...of Almighty God keeping watch over His kids in a time of big change for them. It gives the feeling of a protective father. God does not change. It's comforting to know that our Father, today, is protective of us. And in seasons of transition...I imagine He keeps vigil over us too.

So I can enjoy that cup of hot cider...knowing that my Father has me in His gaze. And I can anticipate the days ahead...knowing that He's writing my story...and the Ending will be Good.

Hope Rising

Here is a book which people who would be better if they read: Hope Rising by Kim Meeder. I'm not yet half way (I am a rather slow reader) but I can say already that I like it. Several times already, I have found myself crying at the tender stories of horses and humans and the amazing works God can accomplish between them.

The book is organized into an easy read, with short chapters recounting individual stories. The stories do not depend on one another so this book can fit nicely into busy schedules. (In fact, if your schedule is very full, this is a perfect book to read that will help you slow down). The stories are simple but rich. What do you get when broken horses come face to face with wounded children? A gentle miracle...