On our honeymoon, we visited Capulin Volcano on a whim. We decided we might not ever get to see a volcano again. Capulin is just across the New Mexico border coming back from Colorado.As we were driving up we saw scrub brush and cactus and lots of gray dirt. When we got to the rim, I couldn't believe my eyes. The inside of the crater was bursting with life. It was green and lush with dozens of different kinds of plants. One bush was completely covered in ladybugs. Every step brought new amazing sights. When we mentioned this at the visitor's center, the workers told us that the volcanic ash makes the most fertile soil. It was astonishing that so much beauty and growth could come from something as destructive and catastrophic as a volcano.
Isn't that just like God? Not only is he the Creator that formed the volcano in the first place but he recreated something beautiful out of the ruin He can do the same for us What areas in your life has he redeemed? Sometimes it looks like a situation is so painful and bitter that nothing good can ever come from it. For me some of those have been a miscarriage, an angry, destructive teenager and struggles with depression and anxiety. These were things that were so hard that I was sure that God could not use them for good. I know the verses but for some reason I decided that either these things were not included in the list of "all things that God works together for good." (Romans 8:28) Either that or I had not done enough good deeds to balance the scale. I was wrong, though, and God has used them. Some of them have been used to shape me and teach me dependence on God. Some have been used to make me more compassionate and helpful to others in the same situation. I have been able to listen to them or give them a hug and prove that it can be overcome. I have also received hope from others who have been in similar situations, who probably felt the same way I did.
One of the verses that got me through these times was Isaiah 61:1-3.It reads like this.
The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners,[a]
2 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion—to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness,
a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.
One of my life verses is Isaiah 43:1-3.
But now, this is what the Lord says—
he who created you, Jacob,
he who formed you, Israel:
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
I have summoned you by name; you are mine.
2 When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
you will not be burned;
the flames will not set you ablaze.
3 For I am the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior
Another of my favorites is one you may not have seen. It is in Micah 7:8.
8 Do not gloat over me, my enemy!
Though I have fallen, I will rise.
Though I sit in darkness,
the Lord will be my light.
9 Because I have sinned against him,
I will bear the Lord’s wrath,
until he pleads my case
and upholds my cause.
He will bring me out into the light;
I will see his righteousness.
10 Then my enemy will see it
and will be covered with shame.
So many other verses echo these thoughts. If we release our hurts to God he can make them fertile soil for growth and service. I urge you not to fall in to the trap of holding onto anger and resentment, as tempting as it is for all of us. These are the scrub brush and cactus of our spiritual lives. may your ashes be turned into beauty.
Sunday, July 16, 2017
Thursday, July 6, 2017
Flyaway
Welcome to Unseen today. The good thing is that I have been very busy. The bad thing is that I have been very busy. Today I am returning to a post that I shared some time ago. My cousins have a child getting married this weekend and I have been thinking about letting go of my grown children.
Apparently it is a process. If you are anywhere in the process of letting go of something, read on for some encouragement.
It is actually a little scary to get our strength from God either because we feel unworthy or because we have to let go of control. It is much more effective than relying on ourselves, though.
Jesus is our example when it comes to balance. In Luke 2:52 we are told he grew in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and Man. When things got chaotic in his ministry, He was able to go and be alone with God. I am not sure if it is a function of our society or just our human nature, but balance is so difficult to find. We have to make the effort, though.
Courage is where I often fall short. Peter gets a bad rap, but he is the only disciple who got out of the boat and walked on the water. Many times when God asks me to do something, I am afraid to start. I may be afraid that I will fail and I may be afraid that I will succeed. A good example is when I started writing in earnest. I have mentioned before that I had seven really good reasons that I should not or could not write a book and almost as many why I couldn’t write a blog. Yet here we are, 3 years and two books later. Honestly much harder than letting God take care of my stuff is letting God take care of my loved ones’ stuff. Just like I watch the flyaway stunt with parted fingers and held breath, I watch my sons take flight in their lives the same way. What if they fall? What if they can’t get up? What if they don’t need me anymore? Well, they have fallen some. I watched my older son fall hard into addiction and rage, but God was faithful and caught him in the safety mat of grace and the Holy Spirit. My younger son has had different and less visible struggles, but God has been faithful to him too.
Let God and His joy be your strength. Keep your life balanced as much as you can and have the courage to let go of your perfectly good bar. You can trust God to keep you and your loved ones safe in His grace and love. Evidently it is a process.
Apparently it is a process. If you are anywhere in the process of letting go of something, read on for some encouragement.
Flyaway
Exd 15:2 The LORD [is] my strength and song, And He has become my salvation; He [is] my God, and I will praise Him; My father's God, and I will exalt Him.
The Olympics were a thrill to watch. People enjoyed the Fab Five and the way they bounced and twisted their way to gold medals. I also love to watch my teenager compete in gymnastics. He has come a long way in a short time. It takes three things to excel in gymnastics – strength, balance and courage. It requires tremendous upper body strength to support your weight, and even more to support your weight while twisting and turning. Balance is a key part in all the events. As exciting as the flips and handsprings are to watch, the slow, deliberate moves are just as impressive. Balance beam comes to mind, of course, with girls executing intricate moves on a surface less than 4 inches wide. When it comes down to it, all the strength and balance in the world are useless without the courage to put them to work. My son says that he is completely capable of doing a handstand on the parallel bars but that it is terrifying to look down and see the floor six feet away. There is one particular move on the high bar called a flyaway. This move involves working up momentum by swinging and then letting go of a perfectly good bar to go hurtling through the air backwards. I confess that I watch through parted fingers while holding my breath. Fortunately for the athletes, and the parents, there are coaches, spotters and mats to increase safety.
In life we also need strength, balance and courage to be successful. In West Texas we are notorious for “pulling ourselves up by our own bootstraps”. We are self-reliant which makes it hard to rely on God. God understood this and addressed it. The word strength is mentioned 230 times in the Bible. God does not endorse bootstrap pulling. Many of the verses follow this theme;
Psa 18:2 The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
Exd 15:2 The LORD [is] my strength and song, And He has become my salvation; He [is] my God, and I will praise Him; My father's God, and I will exalt Him.
2Cr 12:10 That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
It is actually a little scary to get our strength from God either because we feel unworthy or because we have to let go of control. It is much more effective than relying on ourselves, though.
Jesus is our example when it comes to balance. In Luke 2:52 we are told he grew in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and Man. When things got chaotic in his ministry, He was able to go and be alone with God. I am not sure if it is a function of our society or just our human nature, but balance is so difficult to find. We have to make the effort, though.
Courage is where I often fall short. Peter gets a bad rap, but he is the only disciple who got out of the boat and walked on the water. Many times when God asks me to do something, I am afraid to start. I may be afraid that I will fail and I may be afraid that I will succeed. A good example is when I started writing in earnest. I have mentioned before that I had seven really good reasons that I should not or could not write a book and almost as many why I couldn’t write a blog. Yet here we are, 3 years and two books later. Honestly much harder than letting God take care of my stuff is letting God take care of my loved ones’ stuff. Just like I watch the flyaway stunt with parted fingers and held breath, I watch my sons take flight in their lives the same way. What if they fall? What if they can’t get up? What if they don’t need me anymore? Well, they have fallen some. I watched my older son fall hard into addiction and rage, but God was faithful and caught him in the safety mat of grace and the Holy Spirit. My younger son has had different and less visible struggles, but God has been faithful to him too.
Let God and His joy be your strength. Keep your life balanced as much as you can and have the courage to let go of your perfectly good bar. You can trust God to keep you and your loved ones safe in His grace and love. Evidently it is a process.
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