Out of This World

I'm currently immersed in a Bible study with an amazing group of women. Until a few short months ago, I didn't even know half of these fellow sisters in Christ. But God, in his undeniable wisdom, assembled this group of women from a variety of places. Hope College. Friends of mine. Friends of a coworker. Community members.

We just began studying, The Good and Beautiful Community, the third in a series of books by author, James Bryan Smith. It's a life changing study that has touched me beyond words. This week's study collided with an earlier visual from nature. As I've shared so many times, I smile when God orchestrates my encounters around a current theme. And so it was again this past week.

On Wednesday, as I left the Keppel House on the campus of Hope College, I passed this humongous group of hydrangea bushes. I've admired their showy flowers throughout the summer. They are nothing short of spectacular. But as the crisp days of fall are turning the world into God's eye candy, so too, these flowers are aging to a pink hue.

What caught my attention was one flower. One flower that stood out among the crowd.

It was if this bright, white flower hadn't received the message that the slow death of fall was all around. This branch was an alien in the world around it. This flower was peculiar.

Today, I started reading The Good and Beautiful Community. The first chapter is entitled, The Peculiar Community. In this chapter, the author reminds us how we, as Christians, are peculiar in the world. We stand out as odd. Weird even, to the world around us. And the way we stand out, or should stand out, is in a way that catches the attention of those around us. Not for us to boast, but in a spirit of humility, with actions that surprise the world with peculiarity.

Peter talks about this peculiarity in I Peter 2:11-12 (here from my old NIV text):

Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they may accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.

Today, as I reflect on my life, I ask God to help me stand out as odd. Weird. Peculiar. May my white flower stand out among the dying blooms of the world, so that others may see, and know, that God lives in me.

Harvest

I'll admit it. While I'd like to be a country girl, I can't shake the city girl from me. When we first moved to our home twenty-some years ago, my city girl rationale thought that farmers planted sweet corn on the acres and acres of fields nearby. Oops. In my defense, the only corn I encountered as a girl was sweet corn. On the cob. That I ate. My husband still laughs at my lack of knowledge regarding field corn.

During all the years we've lived in this neck of the woods, I've enjoyed watching the growing season progress. Late spring finds the farmers hard at work, preparing the fields for planting. As summer settles in, the adage, "knee-high by the Fourth of July," is more like, "waist-high by the Fourth of July." By August, the corn on either side of Van Buren Street is so tall, it forms a wall of green, towering high above my car.

Come October, it's harvest time. The lush green stalks have turned a sandy hue and the towering wall is destined for the combine. Rows and rows of corn stand at attention. Waiting.

Jesus talks about a harvest in Matthew 9, where he tasks the disciples with praying for harvest workers:

35 Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 38 Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

We are tasked to join the workers in the Lord's harvest field. The mission field is in my backyard; in your backyard. As I ponder the Scriptures, I realize that Jesus took every moment, every encounter, every situation to share the news of God's kingdom.

So my prayer in this time of harvest will be:

Today, Lord, help me share the news of your kingdom in the ordinary encounters of my life. Nudge me and raise my awareness to those in need around me. Help me make the small things matter. The fields are ripe. Help me spring into action for you.

Lunar Eclipse

I'm a bit ridiculous when it comes to sky events. I've been know to bundle up in a winter coat and blanket and lay in a lawn chair on my deck for the chance to watch a winter season meteor shower. I've set up a telescope in the corner of our living room to get a close up look at the moon's craters. I've gotten a stiff neck watching the twinkling brights on a clear night while standing in my back yard. So it's no surprise that this morning's lunar eclipse had me giddy with delight.

Our house sits in the woods, surrounded by towering sixty foot pines, so a clear view of the lower western sky is impossible. Because of this, my first view of this morning's phenomenon was in the rear view mirror of my car. Wow-ee! At each stop sign, I turned around to get a better look, and as I headed south on the highway, I hate to admit that my focus was not on the road. Rather, my neck craned to the right in an attempt to enjoy every minute of the changing moon. At one point, I actually pulled off into an industrial drive in an attempt to take photos with my phone.

Upon arriving at work,  I scoped the parking lot for the best possible photo opportunity. Unfortunately, a cell phone is not the ideal camera and my photos turned out poorly, with grainy, blurry shots. Even so, I found a fellow sky enthusiast already at work, and I grabbed her so we could enjoy the last part of the eclipse together.

A lunar eclipse occurs when the moon passes behind the Earth into its shadow. To visualize this, sit with your back to a lamp's bright light. Make a fist with your hand and move it from right to left in front of your body. As your fist (moon), body (Earth) and the lamp (Sun) are in perfect alignment, your fist will be in your body's shadow representing an eclipse. Pretty cool, huh?

The moon does not emit its own light; its hard, rocky surface reflects the sun's light. On its own, it has no light. Likewise, when the earth gets in the way of the sun, the moon cannot reflect the sun's light, hence, a lunar eclipse. Check out the photos below for a great visual of today's eclipse (photos courtesy of Louis Kraay):

As Christians, we're commissioned to reflect the light of Jesus. Just as the moon has no light of its own, we too, can only reflect the light of our "sun," Jesus, by standing in his light. When we are in right alignment with him, we shine his light brightly for all to see. But when we allow things to get in the way of Jesus, his light gets eclipsed.

People. Stuff. Money. Busyness. Distraction. All these "things" snuff out our Jesus light.

John 3:19-21 (The Message):
“This is the crisis we’re in: God-light streamed into the world, but men and women everywhere ran for the darkness. They went for the darkness because they were not really interested in pleasing God. Everyone who makes a practice of doing evil, addicted to denial and illusion, hates God-light and won’t come near it, fearing a painful exposure. But anyone working and living in truth and reality welcomes God-light so the work can be seen for the God-work it is.”

Dear Lord, thank you for streaming your God-light into my ordinary life. Today, dear Lord, help my rocky surface reflect your light. Help me to shine brightly for you. Amen and amen.

Life.is.short.

It's been a long while since I've written. But this week was a week that screamed out,

"Life is short."

Which is God's way of telling me to pay attention.

Two tragedies this week brushed up against the ho-hum of my workday week.

My morning commute takes me southbound on US 31 into Holland. On Tuesday morning, before the 7:00 a.m. hour, the sea of red and blue police lights pierced the inky blackness in an alarm of fierce danger near the Riley Street intersection. As traffic slowed to a crawl, I silently wondered why all the police cars were present when there was no indication of an accident. No ambulance. No damaged vehicles.

Later in the day, I heard the report that a fifteen year old West Ottawa student had been struck and killed while crossing the highway.

"Life is short."

Wednesday afternoon, I received word from a friend that our former coworker had been crushed in an accident at his home. He died shortly afterward at the hospital. His wife posted a fun message on Facebook just hours earlier. And then, life changed.

"Life is short."

And just now, as I ponder a verse to attach to this blog post, Bible Gateway's verse of the day pops up:

"Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring."
Proverbs 27:1 (NIV)

Thanks, God, for reminding me of your gift of life. Today, I vow to remember just how precious life is. I will enjoy every moment of today. I will celebrate my family and the love we share. And I will try my best to be a shining light for Jesus in my speech and in my actions.