Let It Be

I read a blog post this morning by Oriah called “Let It Go.” One particular sentence stood out amongst all the others:

“I have found the inner directive to "let it be" somewhat more fruitful in helping me loosen a desperate grasp and rest in what is.”

After that sentence, her blog post went in a different direction than what I was hoping for – she went back to using “let it go.”

“Let it be,” however, seemed VERY insightful and almost perfect.

“Let it be,” releases judgment, releases opinion and allows God to control it. It allows me to ride the waves of whatever the situation is. 

“Let it go,” to me, means I have to forget about it, and I just can’t do that. I care too much (yes, about everything).

I can, however, “let it be” what it is and allow God’s plan to play out.

The Beatles, apparently, had this figured out decades ago!

Matthew 26

Matthew 26 and its multi-layered depth and beauty has truly awakened my soul.

So much happens.

Each happening means something.

All the lessons are significant.

Every verse is so rich with meaning and purpose and guidance and love.

As Easter approaches, I pray that I would spend it all on Jesus like Mary.

As Easter approaches, I pray that truth would always turn me toward Jesus, unlike Judas.

As Easter approaches, I pray that I would know that whenever I rely on my own strength, I am even more weak than Peter.

I pray fervently that God would use me in ways that I do not even know I am being used. That He would use me in ways that have a positive eternal significance.

posted from Bloggeroid

Waiting Becomes Living

In church this morning, I heard this line:

"When the evening comes, please find me singing."

In BSF this past week, we talked about Matthew 25, and the lecturer said, "While we wait for Lord's return, waiting becomes another word for living."

So why not be singing His praises while I wait/live?!

Sing out, my songbirds! Sing out in joy for all He has done, continues to do and will do! Sing out! So when the evening comes of his return, He will find you singing!

posted from Bloggeroid

Creamer Addiction Solved with a Mini Cooper‏

I wanted to break my addiction to creamer, so God gave me my most favorite car.

I tried a few things on my own (very nonchalantly.) One day I tried abstaining all together, one day I tried a creamer I didn't like, one month I tried homemade creamer. I never prayed about, I never even really worried about it. I figured it would just work itself out.

And boy did it!

A couple weeks ago, God gave me my most favorite car, a Mini Cooper!

One thing I didn't know about an itty bitty European car is that the cup holders are itty bitty. And in this particular itty bitty car, the cup holders are under all my controls, so I needed a small footprint AND a short cup.

Needless to say, I didn't own a cup that matched those particular measurements. I'm an American. We like super-sized cups filled to the brim. I like mine with some coffee and a LOT of hazelnut creamer. ('Blond' doesn't even begin to describe how much creamer I like.)

So, I kept trying to use my 20 oz Old Glory Starbucks cup that I have had for over a decade. I tried holding it, but holding a cup with a manual transmission in stop-and-go traffic just doesn't work. My husband tried giving me a smaller cup, about 16 oz, but that didn't help. It actually made it worse, because it was too small to hold itself up between the emergency brake and passenger seat.

I kept trying and trying. I kept growling every time I realized my coffee was spilling all over the carpet and the seat and the e-brake boot. I kept telling my husband I wasn't going to take any more drinks into the car.

And then, God gave me the perfect solution to help me with my creamer addiction. The most adorable itty bitty 8 ounce cup that fits perfectly in my itty bitty cup holder. (And only holds about a teaspoon of creamer.)

Unexplainable

The missing Malaysian airliner MH370 is a horrible story. It’s sad, it’s tragic, it’s scary, it’s unfortunate, but at its best it is unexplainable.

I pray for the victims, for families of victims, and for all the bystanders relying on technology to provide answers.

I think that what the human race really needs at this moment is to NOT know.

I think that what the human race really needs at this moment is to realize that technology cannot be trusted.

I think that what the human race needs to know at this time is that there is something bigger than us.

In an age when we know everything and we know it faster, relying on our own knowledge and understanding is not the final answer.

I think that what the human race really needs to know at this time is that God is in control. 

Isaiah 45:6-7 That people may know, from the rising of the sun and from the west, that there is none besides me; I am the Lord, and there is no other. I form light and create darkness, I make well-being and create calamity, I am the Lord, who does all these things. 

Romans 1:20 “For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.”

Right now is not about what happened to the Malaysian Airliner, but that humans need Jesus.

John 3:17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

Relying on ourselves and relying on our technology and relying even on other humans doesn’t get us where we are trying to go.

John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 

The inability to explain what happened to MH370 and all the people aboard gives me hope, because God is infinitely smarter and bigger and has a much better plan for me than any computer or news reporter ever could.

Unexplainable, sometimes, is the best we can hope for.

Additional verses:

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. 

Isaiah 55:8-11 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it. 

Job 12:10 In his hand is the life of every living thing and the breath of all mankind. 

Isaiah 41:10 Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. 

Genesis 50:20 As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.

Jesus IS the "Stumbling Block"

Just one quick little nugget for you today...

1 Corinthians 1:23 reads "...we preach Christ crucified, and to Jews it is a stumbling block and to Gentiles it is foolishness."

A small verse - cryptic even, but so deep and beautiful and enlightening.

The whole section, 1 Corinthians 1:18-31 purposes to explain the misunderstandings of God's message of the cross. And without the Holy Spirit to illumine me, I wouldn't understand it at all.

Once, in a children's ministry, it was broken down as simply as "God's plans and ideas and ways are upside down."

Christ's crucifixion made him weak in eyes of Gentiles and certainly not a role model.

Jews rejected him because he didn't save them from the oppressive Romans.

Because God asks Jews to accept Jesus as their Savior, they are locked out of Heaven. Christ IS the stumbling block.

Because God asks Gentiles to accept Jesus as their Hero, they are locked out of Heaven. Christ IS the rock of offense.

Paul tells us the Law reveals our sin. Similarly, Jesus' light is offensive to darkness.

Come to Jesus with Empty Hands

Last night’s discussion of grace (Matthew 19:23-21:17) brought about this quote, “God gives where He finds empty hands.” (St. Augustine of Hippo)

A Google search for more information brought me this blog post, which is fabulous. The orange juice analogy really is good once you figure out what the blogger is attempting to say.

But I think St Augustine wants us think about more than stuff. I don’t think he meant literally empty hands of tangible items. I think he meant empty like a blank slate. I think he meant empty like not trying to prove my worth.

And this blog about having “empty hands of repentance,” was good in a whole different way.

God’s grace is so thorough, so life-changing, so deep, so earth-shattering, so all-encompassing that it requires empty hands of repentance.

God, in his great love, wisdom, and mercy is not content to condone our sin. Rather, he is intent on forgiving it, cleansing us of it so it might not rule over us. When we come clinging to our sin, we are in no position to receive.

We cannot cling to our sins with justification or reasoning or acceptance and expect God’s entire grace. We have to have empty hands.

Empty of merit, of justification, of expectation.

Come to Jesus with empty hands that He might fill them up with peace and joy and love beyond measure.