Cut it Off

In Matthew 5, Jesus tells us (para) that if our eye or hand causes us to sin, it would be better to cut it off than to condemn the entire body to Hell. (Dang.)

Can you imagine how painful ... to intentionally sever yourself, to * cut off* what is causing our bodies sickness (and our God grief) for our eventual spiritual good?

I can.

It is painful. The illustration He uses is meant to convey the self-sacrifice & pain it requires to follow Him, and to resist sin (specifically surrounding adultery in this passage).

It has taken me a long time to finally 'get' that some friendships are simply not profitable.

If they don't lead you back to Jesus, and if the entirety of the situation is not bringing God the honor and glory He's due ... it is not profitable. Even if they are *godly* - it is not profitable.

So what choice is there? I don't think God ever desires severed relationship... but He also requires holiness.

Whatever it is that is causing our feet to stumble, our minds to slip, our eyes or hearts to sin - must be cut away.

Cut it off.

Then, heal.

Forgive.

We must choose to continue down Lit paths, in persistent brotherly Love (though perhaps a little more guarded, & with notable, marked distance).

In the Interim

Even When It Hurts (Praise Song) - Hillsong United

I'm not Ann Voskamp.

My blog is not interlaced with beautiful shots of Canadian farmland, 'the hard things', 'the farmer's hands', or the ethereal language and grace that God has so evidently and supernaturally grafted into her. No. My keyboard is more attuned to the interlacing of pumpkin spice cake crumbs with key cracks (which some would argue is beautiful) ... it's all true, though. I'm white, it's October, I admire Ann, and apparently you need to know that these kinds of things are happening in the world.

Along comparison-drawing, you also need to know that even now, the people-pleasing shadow that once followed around a corpse, still sneaks up behind me whispering all kinds of evil: 'who do you think you are? Who gave you the authority (or the assignment) to do any of this?', and I have to squeeze my eyes and believe my God, and shut that shadow down - not unlike Gideon who shook before men even though he was already Named 'warrior'.

Anyways. The point of this post is to perhaps re-direct our focus to God during times of uncertainty. Are you waiting on God, and I'll push you: what are you doing in the waiting?

Do we treat the 'waiting' as something to be endured, to grind our teeth and 'just get through it' in order to truly arrive at the next thing - the thing we were really after? Friend, I'll ask: what if the 'waiting' is the point?

Do we faint or lose heart when God's direction is not clearly spelled in the sand, or proclaimed from the skies? Will we wait well, or second-guess Him, or simply (more easily) slip into a vegetative state from a lack of perceived 'movement' on His part? Plainly put ...

{Is our thinking of God's movement in our lives toward 'the next thing' - or toward holiness?}

Let's face it: there's not always going to be a 'next thing'. We see this throughout scripture and in the character/nature of God. If our God is the god of quiet, humble things - it makes sense that the valley/desert/flat-line experiences that force us to wait (or, remain dependent!) are of the utmost value to Him. It's where He does the majority of His surgical work in us, and where we, in turn, do our most growing.

Maybe it's dismantling the worldly idea that Kingdom work is only 'successful' if it's shrouded in glory. Listen - glory and grandeur belong to God, not necessarily our adventures. We are the King's vessels waiting for marching orders, and we must make a pact to not take a moment for granted, even the ones where we wait. What if waiting is the point?

So while we're flipping through metaphorical magazines - we can always come back to one blood-stained, grace-soaked page for growth in the interim:

God, how can I Live well today?

One step in front of the other, hour by hour (moment by moment), one thought, one interaction at a time clarification: Lord, show me how to Live. well.

To Love. To leak Grace (L. Harper). To forgive. To be patient. To be still.
God, train us while we wait.

From one of the four honest chambers

I'm weary of this paralytic liturgy.

I guess it doesn't matter how many of her pictures you like. Or how many people you love {or love you} or who you favor or have over. You're not mine & I'm not yours. That's the end. I release my heart of this; I've released you a thousand times over this at the foot of my brokenness & crossed beams. God, do you even still hear me? This irregular heartbeat?

When Strivings Cease

I look around lately, and it's like we all have the same symptoms to this disease no one will name.
It's like a clamp around every heart, pressing down when we least expect it, causing shooting pains and other classic warning signs.
Like we're all aching to just take in a full breath.
"Busy-ness".

I was struck by this line from an old song recently; I hope it can be the burst of oxygen we all need:

When strivings cease.

To the stay-at-home parent who feels overlooked/insignificant in the "grand scheme" of how the world works ... when strivings cease.

To the working parent who feels like they're failing ... when strivings cease.

To the overtaxed leader ... when strivings cease.

To the woman who looks in the mirror and just sees things that need to be "fixed" ... when strivings cease.

To the parent/friend of kids/teens feeling dejected ... when strivings cease.

To the person feeling rejected ... when strivings cease.

To the older person who feels irrelevant ... when strivings cease.

To the younger person out to prove something ... when strivings cease.

To the person who feels invigorated/dejected by a full/empty calendar ... when strivings cease.

To the woman who feels like she has to be a part of {or have a hand in} everything ... when strivings cease.

To the woman who attempts to control everything (because she secretly feels out of control) ...

when strivings cease.

To the provider, the leader, the mentor, the father, the mother, the friend ... when strivings cease.

As these days continue to slip between our fingers, and with time so short, let it be our collective thinking & prayer to surrender daily, *ALL* to Jesus. Our Captain, our Protector, our Friend ... apart from Whom we can do & be... nothing {from dust to dust}. 

See, when our striving ceases, His Love and Power are magnified & then unleashed {in and through us} out into the hurting world that so desperately needs it. Are they worth it? And are we willing to let go?

Run!

It's time to get off the ride and RUN.

6 So Potiphar gave Joseph complete administrative responsibility over everything he owned. With Joseph there, he didn’t worry about a thing—except what kind of food to eat!

Joseph was a very handsome and well-built young man, 7 and Potiphar’s wife soon began to look at him lustfully. “Come and sleep with me,” she demanded.

8 But Joseph refused. “Look,” he told her, “my master trusts me with everything in his entire household. 9 No one here has more authority than I do. He has held back nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How could I do such a wicked thing? It would be a great sin against God.”

10 She kept putting pressure on Joseph day after day, but he refused to sleep with her, and he kept out of her way as much as possible. 11 One day, however, no one else was around when he went in to do his work. 12 She came and grabbed him by his cloak, demanding, “Come on, sleep with me!” Joseph tore himself away, but he left his cloak in her hand as he ran from the house. - - Genesis 39:6-12

Reading this, I ask: what is the right response when tempted {sexually/romantically}? Do the right thing... How do we maintain our integrity, morality, and purity before both God and men?

{The short answer is - we can't, apart from the imparted righteousness and saving redemptive work being done in our lives, daily {hourly!} by Jesus. He takes us out from our cloud of confusion and self-infused slavery, into the Light as new slaves to righteousness (Romans 6). We no longer operate by default deaf, dumb and blind to sin, feeling our way through the dark, but rather knowing better, are now found without excuse... or fault. (Praise God for the mystery of His Grace!) He showed us, by example, how to withstand temptation (Matthew 4:1-11), and goes so audaciously/wildly/ beautifully further than we can ever humanly expect or grasp, by promising the safety/provision of His seal - of Himself - of His very Spirit - to do the work in, through, and for us, to light and guide us from the inside out... if we will just yield to Him (1 Corinthians 1:21-22). Who is this God?}

So what is the right answer?

On our human level, I see "the right thing" in Joseph when he tells her, "how could I do such a wicked thing? It would be a great sin against God (v.9)", but also his failings (the warning/lesson): in sticking around (at first) (v. 10), and in being alone with his temptation (v. 11). Satan works some of his best tricks in secret places.

I also see the win - "Joseph tore himself away... as he ran from the house" (v. 12).

He ran.

He. ran.

Why wait in a heartsick wasteland? Why wait to fall, for ruin? Why wait when the answer is to run?

{The ultimate answer then becomes - know and love God, then act.}

Know and love God more than *them*, or "desire", or the illusion of what sin may bring.

See, without smoke and lights, an illusion is actually very lame - it's a dingy stage on a Tuesday night with a pair of gloved hands building a mirage out of tired tricks, hiding in the darkness trying to make people see something that's not actually there, to believe in something that's not real ... our enemy is the master magician (John 10:10, 1 Peter 5:8).

Your marriage (body, virginity, celibacy...) is a gift; you must fight for it, protect it; guard it with everything you've got... pray, RUN. Be fierce in protecting and honoring the LORD in your heart/person.

Stay on guard (Ephesians 6), and run when hit, in the opposite direction of death - to renewed vision and perspective in Jesus. He is the vantage point; the Truth over circumstance, and the quiet stillness that settles over the stage when the illusion is shattered, and we're ready to go home.

For Us By Us

In seventh grade, I was a tomboy. I borrowed my brother's clothes and used words like 'sweeeeeet' (with too many e's) and 'dude' and tried to teach myself how to skateboard on the weekends. {I know.} None of it stuck (thankfully), but a part of that time did - the ability to get hung up on labels. {...I know.}

I was thinking yesterday about FUBU (a clothing line that was semi-popular (?) in the late 90's/early 00's.) One of the shirts I borrowed and wore *a lot* that year was a long-sleeved black FUBU shirt that said FUBU05 on the front in bright yellow lettering.

*pretty close

I guess the running understanding is that FUBU is an acronym for 'For Us By Us', meaning, clothing made by African-Americans for African-Americans {*face palm* whoops}.

Even now when you google FUBU, one of the top results from their own website describes their line as an "urban streetwear label known for their following among rap artists." 

Since I am very much so a) not a rap artist and b) straight up glow-in-the-dark white, this grave under-assessment on my part was made all the more embarrassing that I actually wore this shirt around proudly for a year.

So why tell of this delightful snapshot... the acronym had me thinking:

{The Church and her activities are/were never meant to be For Us By Us.} 

There's an event coming up at my church, that I'm really looking forward to, and I think it's largely because it is outreach-minded... like, we exist to reach out into our communities and the world! That's the point when Jesus said He came for the sick and not necessarily for the healthy. This is not to negate the nights and programs that exist to build up the church; it's all necessary and all works together to point people to Jesus.

The second, lesser point of the FUBU story: the only label I attach to myself that gives me Worth - is Jesus. On the inside of my shirt it should just say Loved; the stitching on the back of my sheepskin boot should just say Bought Back, and nothing outside of that matters or gives me worth. If you're like me in this, say it over and over: Jesus alone gives me Worth. Whether my shirt says Mossimo or Loft; the me inside the clothes doesn't change. My price remains the same - already bought and paid for. Besides that, any label outside of 'Jesus' can be misleading. ;)

1/26 Thought: Good Gifts

A big part of January (to me) feels like 'coming down' from the holidays, which had me thinking yesterday.

{What if we viewed and shared our spiritual gifts the way kids do on Christmas?}

Track with me here - think about the joy & innocence of it all - shrieks of laughter, boxes passed back and forth, the eager expectation & glee while shredded wrapping paper ignites the atmosphere.

"Look what I got! Oh COOL, you got that?! What else is there? What is Daddy opening? Mom, did you see this!?..." etc.

This joy through shared experience... I want to believe that it can be like this for us too - but with the even better gifts God gives.

Right!?

Like, "whoa, that chick can TEACH! Have you talked to so-and-so? She gives an incredibly encouraging word... you have to talk to her!" Or "Have you seen this? God literally serves through her when she hosts parties or takes people in." He sings; she's merciful. These gifts; the potential for unity and strength within the body, and influence within the world...

...if we could just die to 'self'!

To simply bask in who God is & in what He does - in and through not just us... but others. 

To starve the envy within us that's rotting our bones {Prov. 14:30}, to stop bickering at Satan's perfectly-timed cues, and to genuinely celebrate and be happy for each other's various giftings and callings. To see how it all contributes to the Body (and to the world that needs it) - to really see these good gifts with child-like vision.

What influence could we have? How much more darkness could we push back against in this terminal world? I don't know... but the potential is promising.

The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ. Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit. Yes, the body has many different parts, not just one part. If the foot says, “I am not a part of the body because I am not a hand,” that does not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear says, “I am not part of the body because I am not an eye,” would that make it any less a part of the body?  If the whole body were an eye, how would you hear? Or if your whole body were an ear, how would you smell anything? But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it. How strange a body would be if it had only one part! Yes, there are many parts, but only one body. The eye can never say to the hand, “I don’t need you.” The head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you.” In fact, some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary. And the parts we regard as less honorable are those we clothe with the greatest care. So we carefully protect those parts that should not be seen, while the more honorable parts do not require this special care. So God has put the body together such that extra honor and care are given to those parts that have less dignity. This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other. If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad. All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it. Here are some of the parts God has appointed for the church:

first are apostles,
second are prophets,
third are teachers,
then those who do miracles,
those who have the gift of healing,
those who can help others,
those who have the gift of leadership,
those who speak in unknown languages.

- - 1 Corinthians 12:12-27

Stupid Clusters

A lot of the time around here for breakfast it's a variation of yogurt, fruit, & granola. Today it's honey Noosa, blackberries, & granola... only it ISN'T granola; it's these weird pomegranate cluster oat things from King Sooper's faking their way through some kitchen-cabinet charade as granola. Yeah.

Deception, happening right now.

So I'm sitting here trying to break these giant clumps up into real granola, pounding and chipping away with a spoon when it hits me: this is totally how it is in some of my relationships.

Hammering, chipping, pounding away, trying to make this *thing* into something it's not, and what it may never be. You can't make yourself matter to someone. At some point, you have to accept the weird-amorphous cluster chunk, bite down, chip a tooth, and let it lie.

Make the Right Choice

Something I tell my kids frequently is to "make the right choice." This usually makes my 5-year-old's eyes roll back into her head, and my 3 year old continue to cartwheel around the living room - but - just the same, I tell them: when you're fighting with your brother, when your feelings are hurt, when it's hard to share, when you don't get what you want, when you don't want to go to bed, when you have to apologize, and especially when you have to forgive ... make the right choice.

And it's not any different for us. Every day is broken into 24 hours and a thousand-fold more opportunities to... make the right choice. Like, for example, today at lunch.

Today at lunch my meal came with a drink. As usual I stared down my options at the drink tower, but this time Dr. Pepper was staring back... for a little too long if you know what I'm saying. Eventually I fought him off (creeper) and chose my first love (unsweetened iced tea), but sheesh ... let's just say it wouldn't have been weird if I had turned to the restaurant and shouted, "I chose TEA, people! I chose the TEA."

That's how temptation works though. It comes on fast, from seemingly out of nowhere, and often strong enough to where 'the right choice' is nothing more than a vague concept {and feels like a total victory when we can *actually* say no.}

We can always, always, always say no when tempted, by the strength and grace of God:

"The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure." (1 Corinthians 10:13, NLT)

The Dr. P rejection is just one example of 'the pull', and the ability to say no (or... to make the right choice).

No, I'm not going to call attention to that. No, I'm not going to say what I'm thinking right now. No, I'm not going to go to that place. No, I'm not going to text that person I have no business texting.

To make the right choice.
{... the choices that make up the days that make up a life.}

"So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." (James 4:7, NLT)

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart;
    do not depend on your own understanding.
Seek his will in all you do,
    and he will show you which path to take." (Proverbs 3:5-6, NLT)