A Maundy Thursday/Good Friday Reflection

Today, I want to share with you a reflection that the Holy Spirit laid on my heart this week. My devotions have me in Genesis right now, so I was surprised by the intensity of this conviction. This was not a mere prompting, nor a nudging, but a full blown wallop!  It's hard to put into words, but I'll try my best to explain.

From Matthew 27, we learn that the notorious criminal, Barabbas, is to be crucified. We also know that the crowd demands that he be set free and Jesus crucified in his place. Usually this an altogether too familiar story. Yet, we don't know what becomes of Barabbas, or how Jesus' replacement affects his life following the crucifixion. Did Barabbas become a believer? Did he continue his life in notoriety as a criminal?

Then the wallop struck me. I am Barabbas. I am a notorious sinner. A sinner day in and day out. And Jesus took my place. He was crucified for me. For my sin. Do I realize this truth? Am I changed because of it? Or have I become complacent with the familiarity of it all? The words from Matthew 27, verse 25 further added to my reflection: "The people answered, 'Let his blood be on us and on our children.'" While the crowd was blood thirsty and only wanted revenge for their sting of betrayal, Jesus knew that their chant was the truth. Literally his blood was on us and on our children. He bore our wrath and our sin. Wow!

To place myself in Barabbas' shoes has been a humbling experience for me this week. The smack of my guilt has not been easy to swallow. But it is with joy in my heart that I thank my dear Jesus for the gift of life he has given me. This Easter season, I rejoice with renewed adoration for my King.

I hope you will join me in experiencing this week with new eyes and a truly thankful heart for Jesus' incredible gift. 

Happy Easter, dear friends. He is risen. HE IS RISEN INDEED!

Jesus in the Sand

While shelling the beach at Sanibel Island a few weeks ago, I picked up a sail catfish bone. I recognized it immediately. It was familiar to me because it was similar to the trio I have displayed on my bookcase at home.

My grandma painted sail catfish bones decades ago. Sadly, I don't remember my grandma because she passed into glory when I was only a year old. While I don't remember her, I feel like she's a kindred spirit. I share her love of writing poems. I share her love of crafting and creating. I share her love of Jesus.

Painting "Crucifix Fish" married my grandma's love of crafting to her love of Jesus. I need only close my eyes to imagine her bent over her table, lovingly painting the tiniest details onto the stark bones.

I have a postcard that explains the story of the "Crucifix Fish."

I love the poem. I love how God uses a walk along the beach to connect me to his son. I love how my grandma's passion for Jesus ignited her family's Christian heritage. I'm thankful for the joy of knowing Jesus. I'm totally undeserving of his sacrifice, but he found me worthy.

 My trio of "Crucifix fish" are a daily reminder of God's greatest gift of love.

"This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life."

John 3:16 The Message

Suck it up Cupcake!

"Suck it up, cupcake!" That's a phrase my daughter, Lorie, used to say when someone was whining unnecessarily. In other words, "Grin and bear it." "Stuff happens." "It's not what happens to you, it's how you react that matters."

I'm reading through Genesis right now. I'm taking my time, re-reading those childhood Bible stories. I'm loving the small details we overlook when we tell those well loved passages. Details like, where did the light come from on day one of creation, since God didn't create the sun until day four? Or, how catty do you think Jacob's wives were, competing for his love and attention while trying to get pregnant and have babies?

I'm just finishing up the story of Joseph.

Take a minute to reflect on his life.
Daddy's boy.Arrogant dream teller. Hated brother.Slave. Estate manager. Innocent convict. Prisoner. Dream interpreter. Warden. Pharoah's right hand man. Boy, oh boy, did "stuff" happen to Joseph. Through it all, somewhere around eighteen years worth, Joseph "sucks it up." Reading through his life story is like reading a Hollywood made-for-TV script. Drama. Danger. Injustice. And then a switch flips. Power. Wealth. Prestige.

Joseph perseveres. He is faithful. He never turns from God. He models true character.

Near the end of his story, he not only forgives his brothers, he finds them totally faultless. Innocent. Years of slavery and imprisonment are erased and he declares them not guilty. He recognizes God's plan and purpose for his life. He understands God's unbroken thread in the tapestry of his life. Wow. Plain and simple. Wow.

I can learn a great deal from Joseph. When life hands me lemons, I need to make lemonade. In difficult times, I need to stand firm in my faith. I need to see the big picture. I may not have been sent to save thousands from starvation. I will never be the President's right hand gal. But one thing I know. One truth I hold close. God is way ahead of me. He is working things out for his purposes. He has a plan for me.

My job is to be faithful. My job is to remain steadfast. My job is to persevere with joy in my heart. With JOY. And some day, I hope to hear the words, "Well done, good and faithful servant."

2 Corinthians 1:12-14 (Message):
"Now that the worst is over, we're pleased we can report that we've come out of this with conscience and faith intact, and can face the world-and even more importantly, face you with our heads held high. But it wasn't by any fancy footwork on our part. It was God who kept us focused on him, uncompromised. Don't try to read between the lines or look for hidden meanings in this letter. We're writing plain, unembellished truth, hoping that you'll now see the whole picture as well as you've seen some of the details. We want you to be as proud of us as we are of you when we stand together before our Master Jesus."

She Seeks Seashells on the Sandy Shore

One week ago, Randy and I were enjoying the beautiful Florida sunshine. We spent five days doing what we do best on vacation. Relaxing. Resting. Lounging. We also enjoyed the spectacular hospitality of our friends, John and Rosemary.

On Tuesday, we ventured to Sanibel Island to soak up some rays, walk the beach and search for shells.  I should clarify that. Rosemary and I did the shelling. Insert smile here. I learned a lot from Rosemary. I never knew about Rice, Angel Wings, Baby's Ear, King's Crown, Jewel Box or Worms. Yes, these are all shells. Who'd a thunk it! All in all, we didn't have much success in our hunt, but we did have a grand time poking through mounds of shells along the water's edge.


Now that I'm back home, freezing in the cold Michigan winter, I took time to do a little research on my own. In a nut shell, here's what I found about sea shells. Sea shells come from marine mollusks. Mollusks are invertebrate animals; you know, the kind of animal without a skeleton. To me, I think, soft and squishy. So these poor guys kind of carry around this external "armor" for protection against predators and the outside world. The shell is formed by tissue and grows sporadically. Now I'm no marine biologist, so this may not be an entirely accurate scientific description, but it works for my simple brain.

Of course, this whole sea shell thing got me thinking about what the Bible says about protection.

What do we need protection from? Our world, for one. There's a lot of crud and corruption out there. And then there's the evil one, that crafty dude who is waiting to pounce if we leave our soft, squishy selves exposed to him. Putting my head in the sand helps me ignore what's going on around me, but leaves the rest of me vulnerable.

So how do we protect ourselves? With faith, truth, the Spirit and the word of God. Paul tells us all about it in Galatians 6:10-17:

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the spiritual forces of evil int he heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God."

Are you ready for the next high tide?

Deflated

This week was rough. Not only was work crazy, I had an amazing number of commitments booked during my off hours. I had an annual assignment due by Friday. I was covering for a coworker who was on vacation. And in case you hadn't noticed, it was the end of the month. That's a big deal when you work in accounting. I went into work at 7:00 each morning and stayed later than normal every day. By Friday, I felt completely frazzled. Drained. Near tears.

Normally, I am a happy person, filled with the joy of life. I am convinced that Jesus fills me with that joy and I try my best to talk to him throughout my day. Normally, I feel kinda like this balloon:

photo waniardy.com

Not so this week. This week, my balloon was pricked and the air was literally sucked out of me. I felt as though Jesus was no where to be found. I believed Jesus had actually turned his back on me. I asked for his guidance and found silence. I felt abandoned. Alone. Crabby and downright mean. And the worse part was that I was unable to get out of the funk; unable to change my poor attitude. I felt completely deflated. I felt like this balloon:

After a restless, prayer-filled night, I woke up feeling refreshed. My week of grumpy nastiness had been replaced with happiness and joy. I realized this morning that Jesus had been there all along. He knew my heart. He knew my thoughts. He had not turned his back on me. On the contrary, I had turned away from him. And in his infinite patience, He was waiting for me. Waiting for me to adjust my focus. Waiting for me to get over my self preoccupation. 

Thank you, Jesus, for filling me with the fresh air of truth, life and love. I'm back to walking on air with the joy of knowing and trusting you.

Psalm 89:17-18 from The Message:
"Your vibrant beauty has gotten inside us- you've been so good to us! We're walking on air! All we are and have we owe to GOD, Holy God of Israel, our King!"