The idea of going deeper is scary at times and reckless at others; it all depends on your perspective.
I remember swimming at a family friend's pool and having to stay in the shallows because my parents weren't in the pool, but were right at the edge watching. I desperately wanted to move into the deeper end because then I could jump in and actually swim, not just stand. I longed for the deeper water, but it was reckless. My mother was worried about me going to the deeper end alone because if I went there by myself there was no certainty of what would happen, no control. But then something happened, my Dad jumped in the deep end and treading water began to call out to me. After longing for the deep waters, now that my Dad was there I began to swim to him. However, after a few short strokes I pulled up short, suddenly fearful of what would happen in the deeper end. I questioned myself, "Am I a good enough swimmer?" "What if I can't do it?" "What if I'm not strong enough?"
So I stopped just at the point in the shallows where the incline into the deep waters began, yet I could still stand with my head above water, barely. My Dad again called out to me, "Lauren, come on. I'm right here. I've got you." I stood there and looked at him and then back at the shallows where I could easily play, where I could easily CONTROL my surroundings, my actions, and the majority of the response. I fully trusted my Dad, I just didn't trust myself enough. I doubted that I would fail before I could reach him and that would put everything and everyone in jeopardy, not just myself.
We do the same thing with God. We have this intense longing to push out into the deeper waters of a more intimate life with Him. This venture into the deep requires total trust and casting off all doubt. It also requires us to realize that we cannot control our lives or our future. Rather, we must trust God to control it, to align everything as it should be for His will. We must relinquish our grasp on our doubts and these things we can control, and instead take that one step that will take our heads beneath the surface and into the incline of the deep.
In the same way that my Dad was at the other end of the pool beckoning me into the deep place that just moments before I had longed to go to, God is looking at us and motioning to us to come on and take that step. He is saying that He is right there and we have but to take that step and move into the deep. The amazing thing is that when we decide to go for the deep, HE IS ALREADY THERE! He knows what is coming, what will happen, and who we will become in the process.
So we have a choice, we can continue to look upon the deep and never step foot out of the shallow waters or we can act. That summer, in that pool, I realized that if my Dad was already there that it would all be okay, whether or not it went as I though it should. This was based in the knowledge that my Dad cared for me, loved me, sought to protect me, and wanted to push me to do more and be more than I ever had been or done. In order to do that it would take courage, the courage of venturing into the deep.
So now, in this position of my life where I have often ventured into the deep with my God, I find myself looking at an ever deepening water. I look back over my life and realize that every deeper place over time becomes a new shallows and that all too soon I come to another incline that beckons me ever deeper. How incredible it is that we have a heavenly father, a God who wants us to come ever deeper into a depth that knows no bounds. There is not point at which we have gone as deep as we can because there will always be more to know in God and in His will for our lives.
I pray that you have the courage to move into the deeper, however that looks for you and your life right now. Just move. Listen. Hear Him - He is calling you out and into that depth. In His love. In His promise. In His plan. In His will. As you move into the deeper look around, for I know that I will be there too, moving ever deeper. I am sure too, that if we continue to look around we will find that we are surrounded by others pushing to go to the depths, as well.
Tranquility
Thursday, February 25, 2016
Tuesday, February 23, 2016
The Story Scars Tell
If I were to say the word dots what would you think of?
To a nurse, there might be a quick flash of images of measles, chicken pox, or some other rash-like nastiness. To an artist, the thought would stray to pointillism wherein a series of what looks like dots up close, in reality when viewed from the correct perspective is a beautiful picture or masterpiece. To a fighter, it could be the dots in their vision after an upsetting loss by knockout. To a parent, it could be the fingerprints that seem to be everywhere just after cleaning up. To a car aficionado, it is the spots of bird feces that find the windshield just after a fresh wash and wax. To a teacher, there are thousands of things it could be from periods forgotten at the ends of sentences to marker marks on children's faces and so much more.
When I think of the word dots, the only image or thought I have is scars. I believe that every scar tells a story; some of these stories are of tragic wounds, others of courage and bravery, some of victories and triumphs, and still others of heartache, brokenness, or loss. Scars are important, not to take us back to the things we encountered that could have destroyed, broken, or ruined us, but to remind us from where we have come and to give us hope for the future yet in front of us.
I have scars that can be seen, others that can be hidden if I so choose, and still others that are invisible to the eye. I am not the only one; we all carry scars. Every now and again my scars will ache and I am immediately transported back to a moment in time, a memory, a laugh, a conversation, a smile, a tear, heartache, or joy. There are scars from relationships, friendships, grief, loss, courageous moments where I stood up for others, injuries sustained, and in one instance the hope and promise of new life. Now the new life that I speak of in this instance is not the life that I have received in Jesus, or the promise of new life given through bearing a child. In this instance, the scars I have that are from the promise of new life are scars that I bear proudly because they were for my Dad.
My Dad.
He was courageous. He was brave. He was both a man's man and a sensitive man of compassion and hope for others. He was a man who unashamedly loved his wife and truly would shout it from the mountaintops for ALL to hear and whisper it in her ear with his words dripping with the magnitude of his love. He was a man who sacrificed his time, sleep, and so much more for his children and family. He was not perfect and would openly talk of his flaws, but lived with in the knowledge that he was a good man with a good heart and a life that was better than anything he could have created or imagined for himself. My Dad had non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. One of the later courses of treatments he encountered was the need for a bone marrow transplant. As such, his siblings, myself, and my siblings were tested to see who was the best match. After a series of events, I was chosen to be the bone marrow donor as I was a full match to my Daddy. I am not going to go into the intricacies of how they pull the bone marrow or the length of time the surgery took; it is too much information and would warrant a separate post. I will tell you that across my lower back I have seven dots. These dots are the entry points for the surgery that removed the bone marrow that was then given to my father that began a work in him. A few months after the transplant, my father ended up receiving the ultimate healing in that he went home to the home we were created for, heaven.
But, the dots remain.
These dots, these scars were the promise of new life in and for my Dad. The promise of healing and cancer defeated and a life yet to be lived. My dad taught me this lesson throughout my life and in his death, we are not finished when we are defeated, we are finished when we quit. My Dad never quit and I will never quit. I will never quit feeling my scars. I will never quit loving people whether they love me or have wronged me. I wear these dots, these scars; most of the time they are hidden - not to keep them a secret, but because I seek modesty and they are on my lower back after all.
When these scars ache I think of my Dad - the good times, the hard times, the lessons learned, and the love given. These scars have marked me in a physical way that will never fully disappear. I relish in these scars because they were an opportunity to give to someone everything I had in a way that could never be repaid, pure love - a love that requires nothing in return.
In the same way, there are scars that you and I, as well as people past and future, have caused and are yet freed by. Those scars lay upon Jesus Christ and provide the promise and truth of new life. That new life is found in Him and is not limited by our short time on this Earth, but rather is eternal, forever, and unbound by time. Those scars are a physical representation of the sacrifice He bore to ensure that we did not have to pay the punishment for our mistakes, our choices, our sin. Rather, through Him, we are able to experience and live out salvation, forgiveness, mercy, grace, and love. He loves you. It doesn't matter if you return it. It doesn't matter if you think you don't deserve it. It doesn't matter how poorly you see yourself. It doesn't matter how far you've fallen or how dirty you have become. He loves you. That is not going to change. He loves you.
Just in case you need to hear it one more time, HE LOVES YOU!
That is the story scars tell.
To a nurse, there might be a quick flash of images of measles, chicken pox, or some other rash-like nastiness. To an artist, the thought would stray to pointillism wherein a series of what looks like dots up close, in reality when viewed from the correct perspective is a beautiful picture or masterpiece. To a fighter, it could be the dots in their vision after an upsetting loss by knockout. To a parent, it could be the fingerprints that seem to be everywhere just after cleaning up. To a car aficionado, it is the spots of bird feces that find the windshield just after a fresh wash and wax. To a teacher, there are thousands of things it could be from periods forgotten at the ends of sentences to marker marks on children's faces and so much more.
When I think of the word dots, the only image or thought I have is scars. I believe that every scar tells a story; some of these stories are of tragic wounds, others of courage and bravery, some of victories and triumphs, and still others of heartache, brokenness, or loss. Scars are important, not to take us back to the things we encountered that could have destroyed, broken, or ruined us, but to remind us from where we have come and to give us hope for the future yet in front of us.
I have scars that can be seen, others that can be hidden if I so choose, and still others that are invisible to the eye. I am not the only one; we all carry scars. Every now and again my scars will ache and I am immediately transported back to a moment in time, a memory, a laugh, a conversation, a smile, a tear, heartache, or joy. There are scars from relationships, friendships, grief, loss, courageous moments where I stood up for others, injuries sustained, and in one instance the hope and promise of new life. Now the new life that I speak of in this instance is not the life that I have received in Jesus, or the promise of new life given through bearing a child. In this instance, the scars I have that are from the promise of new life are scars that I bear proudly because they were for my Dad.
My Dad.
He was courageous. He was brave. He was both a man's man and a sensitive man of compassion and hope for others. He was a man who unashamedly loved his wife and truly would shout it from the mountaintops for ALL to hear and whisper it in her ear with his words dripping with the magnitude of his love. He was a man who sacrificed his time, sleep, and so much more for his children and family. He was not perfect and would openly talk of his flaws, but lived with in the knowledge that he was a good man with a good heart and a life that was better than anything he could have created or imagined for himself. My Dad had non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. One of the later courses of treatments he encountered was the need for a bone marrow transplant. As such, his siblings, myself, and my siblings were tested to see who was the best match. After a series of events, I was chosen to be the bone marrow donor as I was a full match to my Daddy. I am not going to go into the intricacies of how they pull the bone marrow or the length of time the surgery took; it is too much information and would warrant a separate post. I will tell you that across my lower back I have seven dots. These dots are the entry points for the surgery that removed the bone marrow that was then given to my father that began a work in him. A few months after the transplant, my father ended up receiving the ultimate healing in that he went home to the home we were created for, heaven.
But, the dots remain.
These dots, these scars were the promise of new life in and for my Dad. The promise of healing and cancer defeated and a life yet to be lived. My dad taught me this lesson throughout my life and in his death, we are not finished when we are defeated, we are finished when we quit. My Dad never quit and I will never quit. I will never quit feeling my scars. I will never quit loving people whether they love me or have wronged me. I wear these dots, these scars; most of the time they are hidden - not to keep them a secret, but because I seek modesty and they are on my lower back after all.
When these scars ache I think of my Dad - the good times, the hard times, the lessons learned, and the love given. These scars have marked me in a physical way that will never fully disappear. I relish in these scars because they were an opportunity to give to someone everything I had in a way that could never be repaid, pure love - a love that requires nothing in return.
In the same way, there are scars that you and I, as well as people past and future, have caused and are yet freed by. Those scars lay upon Jesus Christ and provide the promise and truth of new life. That new life is found in Him and is not limited by our short time on this Earth, but rather is eternal, forever, and unbound by time. Those scars are a physical representation of the sacrifice He bore to ensure that we did not have to pay the punishment for our mistakes, our choices, our sin. Rather, through Him, we are able to experience and live out salvation, forgiveness, mercy, grace, and love. He loves you. It doesn't matter if you return it. It doesn't matter if you think you don't deserve it. It doesn't matter how poorly you see yourself. It doesn't matter how far you've fallen or how dirty you have become. He loves you. That is not going to change. He loves you.
Just in case you need to hear it one more time, HE LOVES YOU!
That is the story scars tell.
Sunday, February 21, 2016
Fairy Tale Syndrome
Growing up, there were many things that my family did together. We went for hikes and walks, played basketball on the gravel driveway, watched movies, and read together, just to name a few. One of my favorite events in the evening took place just before bed, the reading of stories.
I love books and reading; I actually kind of have a problem with books. Between my classroom library and my personal collection, I have too many, enough in fact that I should probably just start my own library. Books fascinate me, not in the escape from reality way, but rather learning from someone else's story. Everything we encounter has the power to change us, if we allow it. Every single story matters.
When I was a child, my parents read to me every evening. For that, bed time was one of my favorite parts of the day. Not only did I have my parents attention, but we were immersed in a story together. The selections were vast, from animals to pirates to classic children's books to fairy tales. This is a tradition that I hope to one day continue with my own family.
I loved all the stories; I hungered for books in the way that someone who is starving hungers for a simple crumb. Some of the stories read were fairy tales. Fairy tales have similar plots. It begins with a main character who is genuine and compassionate going about every day life. Then, they randomly encounter a handsome stranger. Next, they have an encounter with a villain who challenges everything and puts the main character into an impossible situation. Then the main character is rescued by the stranger who turns out to be a prince. The villain is vanquished and the prince and the main character live happily ever after.
Oh the power of those three words, happily ever after. They instill hope and delight in the mind of a small child. But, what happens when a generation of young children grow up believing that they are to be rescued out of their situations by a handsome stranger riding in on a white horse, only then to be swept off their feet and live happily ever after? Now understand, I believe in the power of fairy tales in that they show children that they can be brave and do more than they ever believed possible.
But, somewhere, some lines got crossed and little girls everywhere became young women and adults who are stuck with Fairy Tale Syndrome. Look, believe in love and love at first sight. But, also know that love, real love, agape love, takes work and selflessness. Life is not the perfection of a simple fairy tale; there are real struggles and real issues.
Young women - you do not need to wait on Prince Charming for rescuing. Instead you need to RUN to the KING, your heavenly father. The struggles or circumstances you face are refining you for your future. The victories and triumphs you are experiencing are to be shared with others to encourage them. Run hard for God and His plan for your life and at some point along the way, Princess, the Prince that GOD has for you will appear. However, it will not be to rescue you, but to run alongside you that you may both run hard toward God and His perfect plan for your life. This does not mean that you can keep looking over your shoulder or to the right and left saying, "God is that him? Or what about him? Or that guy over there?"
Stop.
Focus on God. Trust in God. Let go of trying to write the story and realize that God has it and is waiting on you to just start running to Him and He is going to turn the page and either continue the chapter in which you find yourself or begin another.
I love books and reading; I actually kind of have a problem with books. Between my classroom library and my personal collection, I have too many, enough in fact that I should probably just start my own library. Books fascinate me, not in the escape from reality way, but rather learning from someone else's story. Everything we encounter has the power to change us, if we allow it. Every single story matters.
When I was a child, my parents read to me every evening. For that, bed time was one of my favorite parts of the day. Not only did I have my parents attention, but we were immersed in a story together. The selections were vast, from animals to pirates to classic children's books to fairy tales. This is a tradition that I hope to one day continue with my own family.
I loved all the stories; I hungered for books in the way that someone who is starving hungers for a simple crumb. Some of the stories read were fairy tales. Fairy tales have similar plots. It begins with a main character who is genuine and compassionate going about every day life. Then, they randomly encounter a handsome stranger. Next, they have an encounter with a villain who challenges everything and puts the main character into an impossible situation. Then the main character is rescued by the stranger who turns out to be a prince. The villain is vanquished and the prince and the main character live happily ever after.
Oh the power of those three words, happily ever after. They instill hope and delight in the mind of a small child. But, what happens when a generation of young children grow up believing that they are to be rescued out of their situations by a handsome stranger riding in on a white horse, only then to be swept off their feet and live happily ever after? Now understand, I believe in the power of fairy tales in that they show children that they can be brave and do more than they ever believed possible.
But, somewhere, some lines got crossed and little girls everywhere became young women and adults who are stuck with Fairy Tale Syndrome. Look, believe in love and love at first sight. But, also know that love, real love, agape love, takes work and selflessness. Life is not the perfection of a simple fairy tale; there are real struggles and real issues.
Young women - you do not need to wait on Prince Charming for rescuing. Instead you need to RUN to the KING, your heavenly father. The struggles or circumstances you face are refining you for your future. The victories and triumphs you are experiencing are to be shared with others to encourage them. Run hard for God and His plan for your life and at some point along the way, Princess, the Prince that GOD has for you will appear. However, it will not be to rescue you, but to run alongside you that you may both run hard toward God and His perfect plan for your life. This does not mean that you can keep looking over your shoulder or to the right and left saying, "God is that him? Or what about him? Or that guy over there?"
Stop.
Focus on God. Trust in God. Let go of trying to write the story and realize that God has it and is waiting on you to just start running to Him and He is going to turn the page and either continue the chapter in which you find yourself or begin another.
Wednesday, February 10, 2016
Safe on Shore or Brave the Deep
Every Saturday morning for the last few weeks, I have woken up early and driven forty-five minutes to one of my favorite places, Assateague Island. Once there, I stand in awe as I watch the sun rise over the Atlantic Ocean. It is different every time; it is majestic every time. The last few times I have gone, it has been below thirty degrees plus the wind coming off the ocean. It can be brutally cold and some of my friends have asked, "Why do you do this? You drive all that way to see the sunrise then get back in your truck and drive home. It makes no sense. Why?"
What they fail to see is that the purpose of these trips to see the sunrise at Assateague is to stand in awe of the majesty of God. In addition, it is about getting away from normal life to a place where I can be alone and separate myself to be immersed in the presence of God. On these mornings, I sit and read, journal, worship, walk the shoreline, and stare in wonder at the glorious creation that surrounds. It is at the same time overwhelming and centering; it brings both peace and passion.
This past Saturday, I was walking the shoreline and stopped to stare out at the ocean and as far as I could see East, the ocean stretched out. Now, next to me on the shoreline the water was shallow, freezing, but shallow. However, if I were to venture out into the water in a vessel, the further from shore I went, the deeper the water would become. These thoughts inundated my mind as I realized that in learning to trust God fully, we have the choice to stand on the shore or press out into the deep.
Now pressing out into the deep will cost us some things. It will cost us hopes and dreams that we will have to surrender to God's will. It will cost us our pride and our strength. It will cost us to let go of the fear which so easily grips us because of the uncertainty of the next steps and grab hold of God alone.
It is easy to say and to think that we trust God when we are standing safely on the shore. This is because standing on the sand, while not as firm as concrete, is still something that we are used to standing on. Standing on the shore, we speak trust and belief in God and this is good. But, at some point we are going to have to get into the water and push out into the deep. If we are to do that which God has planned and envisioned for our lives, then we must take courage and move. Pushing out into the deep requires trust and it will build trust within you as only times of hardship or difficulty can. It is only in trying times, difficult circumstances, or through heartbreak that total trust in and reliance on God can be formed.
I am still learning what it means to truly trust God in every single situation, especially when His will for my life doesn't line up with what I thought was coming next. The bottom line is that to trust God is to brave the deep, knowing that He will take care of every moment past, present, and future, and living in that knowledge and love.
What they fail to see is that the purpose of these trips to see the sunrise at Assateague is to stand in awe of the majesty of God. In addition, it is about getting away from normal life to a place where I can be alone and separate myself to be immersed in the presence of God. On these mornings, I sit and read, journal, worship, walk the shoreline, and stare in wonder at the glorious creation that surrounds. It is at the same time overwhelming and centering; it brings both peace and passion.
This past Saturday, I was walking the shoreline and stopped to stare out at the ocean and as far as I could see East, the ocean stretched out. Now, next to me on the shoreline the water was shallow, freezing, but shallow. However, if I were to venture out into the water in a vessel, the further from shore I went, the deeper the water would become. These thoughts inundated my mind as I realized that in learning to trust God fully, we have the choice to stand on the shore or press out into the deep.
Now pressing out into the deep will cost us some things. It will cost us hopes and dreams that we will have to surrender to God's will. It will cost us our pride and our strength. It will cost us to let go of the fear which so easily grips us because of the uncertainty of the next steps and grab hold of God alone.
It is easy to say and to think that we trust God when we are standing safely on the shore. This is because standing on the sand, while not as firm as concrete, is still something that we are used to standing on. Standing on the shore, we speak trust and belief in God and this is good. But, at some point we are going to have to get into the water and push out into the deep. If we are to do that which God has planned and envisioned for our lives, then we must take courage and move. Pushing out into the deep requires trust and it will build trust within you as only times of hardship or difficulty can. It is only in trying times, difficult circumstances, or through heartbreak that total trust in and reliance on God can be formed.
I am still learning what it means to truly trust God in every single situation, especially when His will for my life doesn't line up with what I thought was coming next. The bottom line is that to trust God is to brave the deep, knowing that He will take care of every moment past, present, and future, and living in that knowledge and love.
Sunday, February 7, 2016
Are you just existing?
In the hustle and bustle of busy adulthood it is easy to look up from life and find that you've aged years and that a chunk of your life has gone by. In today's society, people are encouraged to keep running from place to place, trend to trend, event to event, and so on. This leads to lives that are fast-paced and busy. However, rather than lives well-lived and lived deeply, the majority of people just exist in their life. It is as if they are placeholders in their own story waiting for the day that they can chase after their dreams and goals, but until that day comes just existing in the revolving door that is the daily routine of life.
The time has come to stop existing. You were created for more than simply existing. You were created for more than a basic life of busyness. Rather than trying to exist in a life full of events, you needs to live a full life. This means to take courage and chase after your dreams now. This also means that it is time to get dirty and do the work that prepares you in your current place for your next place.
Existing has bred a mentality of shallow living in the hearts, minds, and souls of people. Wherein people live and move on the surface only and disregard real depth. You were made for the depths. You were created to feel and feel deeply. You were created to care for others deeply, for your heart to break for people even when your own heart has been played, cheated, hurt, broken, betrayed, or destroyed. Do not become callous and begin to simply exist through your life. Choose to live deeply even in pain or sorrow. It is in deep living that you become capable of truly doing life with the people around you.
Whatever you do, do it deeply and with all that is in you.
If it is grieving, grieve deeply.
If it is loving, love deeply.
You must feel and you must venture into the depths and be transparent with those around you. This is not to say that you should live in a constant state of sorrow or defeat if that is what you are feeling. Rather, the point of this thought is that living, really living requires depth, passion, courage, trust, and faith.
So stop existing and start living.
The time has come to stop existing. You were created for more than simply existing. You were created for more than a basic life of busyness. Rather than trying to exist in a life full of events, you needs to live a full life. This means to take courage and chase after your dreams now. This also means that it is time to get dirty and do the work that prepares you in your current place for your next place.
Existing has bred a mentality of shallow living in the hearts, minds, and souls of people. Wherein people live and move on the surface only and disregard real depth. You were made for the depths. You were created to feel and feel deeply. You were created to care for others deeply, for your heart to break for people even when your own heart has been played, cheated, hurt, broken, betrayed, or destroyed. Do not become callous and begin to simply exist through your life. Choose to live deeply even in pain or sorrow. It is in deep living that you become capable of truly doing life with the people around you.
Whatever you do, do it deeply and with all that is in you.
If it is grieving, grieve deeply.
If it is loving, love deeply.
You must feel and you must venture into the depths and be transparent with those around you. This is not to say that you should live in a constant state of sorrow or defeat if that is what you are feeling. Rather, the point of this thought is that living, really living requires depth, passion, courage, trust, and faith.
So stop existing and start living.
Monday, February 1, 2016
My Very Center
Life-giver.
World-changer.
Hope-bearer.
Healer.
Love.
These are only some of the words that apply to Him who is my very center, Jesus. I think of a life without Him and am washed over by despair and pain; my heart breaks for those who have yet to know him or who once knew him but have turned away. I think of the darkest and most difficult days of my life and the choices I had to make in those moments; choices to cling to Jesus in hope and hold out for better days to come.
Life comes with its share of triumphs and trials, people who seek to love and provide hope and people who seek to tear down and destroy, and both hurt and healing. I am so glad that Jesus is a life-giver, literally. He gave His life so that all would have the opportunity to encounter and engage with God despite our wickedness or sinful ways. He gave His life so that the world could be changed, so that all would have the opportunity to know God fully and know that they are known by Him. He gave His life to bring hope to a world filled with despair.
(3) Having true love for the people in our lives requires selflessness and sacrifice.
There is this idea floating around Christian circles that salvation is a "free gift." However, nothing could be more incorrect; there is nothing free about the gift we have been given in salvation. Salvation required rejection, demoralization, torture, and ultimately death. A death that was given by Jesus Christ. Now, the story of salvation doesn't end in death because Jesus beats death, was resurrected on the third day, and is ALIVE. The gift of salvation had a cost and it was a cost that was willing to be paid by Jesus because of the depth, width, breadth, and height of the perfect and unconditional love He has for each of us. A love that would require Jesus to sacrifice his life.
What would it look like if we responded to the lives around us with such a love. A love that knows no borders or boundaries. A love that requires no payment or purchase. A love that requires to likes or favorites on social media posts. A love that is founded in the selflessness of caring about someone more than we care for ourselves. A love that is centered in Jesus Christ. A love that fights for the heart of the people we love even if they are no longer fighting for our hearts. A love that brings us to our knees until our knees are tattered, torn, and shredded from the weight of the prayers that have been laid down. A love that can transform the world one heart at a time.
Oh, to love like that...
World-changer.
Hope-bearer.
Healer.
Love.
These are only some of the words that apply to Him who is my very center, Jesus. I think of a life without Him and am washed over by despair and pain; my heart breaks for those who have yet to know him or who once knew him but have turned away. I think of the darkest and most difficult days of my life and the choices I had to make in those moments; choices to cling to Jesus in hope and hold out for better days to come.
Life comes with its share of triumphs and trials, people who seek to love and provide hope and people who seek to tear down and destroy, and both hurt and healing. I am so glad that Jesus is a life-giver, literally. He gave His life so that all would have the opportunity to encounter and engage with God despite our wickedness or sinful ways. He gave His life so that the world could be changed, so that all would have the opportunity to know God fully and know that they are known by Him. He gave His life to bring hope to a world filled with despair.
"Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends" (John 15:13).
There are so many significant realizations that can be drawn from that one verse.
(1) There is no greater display of love than that which Jesus did by giving away His life in exchange of our own.
(2) We are called His friends - the magnitude of that statement has the potential to overwhelm.
(3) Having true love for the people in our lives requires selflessness and sacrifice.
There is this idea floating around Christian circles that salvation is a "free gift." However, nothing could be more incorrect; there is nothing free about the gift we have been given in salvation. Salvation required rejection, demoralization, torture, and ultimately death. A death that was given by Jesus Christ. Now, the story of salvation doesn't end in death because Jesus beats death, was resurrected on the third day, and is ALIVE. The gift of salvation had a cost and it was a cost that was willing to be paid by Jesus because of the depth, width, breadth, and height of the perfect and unconditional love He has for each of us. A love that would require Jesus to sacrifice his life.
What would it look like if we responded to the lives around us with such a love. A love that knows no borders or boundaries. A love that requires no payment or purchase. A love that requires to likes or favorites on social media posts. A love that is founded in the selflessness of caring about someone more than we care for ourselves. A love that is centered in Jesus Christ. A love that fights for the heart of the people we love even if they are no longer fighting for our hearts. A love that brings us to our knees until our knees are tattered, torn, and shredded from the weight of the prayers that have been laid down. A love that can transform the world one heart at a time.
Oh, to love like that...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)