Saved for a Purpose

A few weeks ago, I wrote about my granddaughter's reaction to seeing my fully decorated Christmas tree for the first time.  She was really in awe of this new addition to the living room.  However, it didn't look so lovely the morning before she saw it.  We bought this tree a few years ago because it was pre-lit, which sounds wonderful in theory, but not so much in practice.  After a couple of Christmas seasons, it has begun to look at little worse for the wear.

The trouble with pre-lit trees is that sometimes one or more strands of the lights that are attached will burn out.  In this case, the top and bottom of the tree were glowing, but the middle section was a black hole.  Not only that, but I think this tree was related to the Charlie Brown Christmas tree.  There was no mistaking this one for a real tree because the branches were sparse and you could see through to the center of the tree and it in no way resembled an actual tree trunk.

Anyway, as we set the tree up and added a set of lights to the dark center, my husband said that we were getting too old to put up with having things that didn't really work and had to be messed with all the time, so in his opinion, it was time for the tree to be tossed and replaced.  A day or so after Christmas, I found an unlit tree that looks very realistic marked down almost 70% and some light strings on sale as well, so out with the old and in with the new!

That brings me to the disposal of the old tree.  Rather than taking it to the landfill, I decided to advertise it on some of the Facebook yard sale sites as a freebie.  Within minutes, I got a text from my friend, Scott, who thought he could use it in his business office.  Now, I had been very candid in the Facebook ad about all that was wrong with this tree, so I asked him, "Do you want it even with its imperfections?"  Almost as soon as I sent the text, I thought the same thought that he texted back to me - "Sounds like a good sermon or your next blog topic".

I guess he was right because here it is.  Aren't you thankful that in your life, God is more like Scott than like me? (At least as it pertains to our attitude about this tree anyway.)  The world rejects us when we are not performing the way it thinks we should. The enemy is constantly whispering in our ear to convince us that we aren't worthy of anything.  He magnifies every flaw, picks at every failure.  But just like Scott was willing to take the tree and let it continue to serve a purpose, Jesus accepts us with all of our imperfections and makes something beautiful out of our lives, if we will allow Him.

Scott will set this tree up next year in the office.  He may take the time to add some additional greenery to fill it out a little.  He will add lights to the dark spaces and hang ornaments.  It will be a beautiful addition in that space.  He'll make something lovely out of something that was rejected.  He kept it from being discarded, but he kept it for a purpose.  Jesus didn't just claim you to keep you out of the landfill of hell, but to put you to use here - in His business office called planet Earth.  As you step into 2019, make it your priority to function as He has designed you and to discover what purpose He has for you.


Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:13-14

(Im)perfect Gifts

I am the world's worst at wrapping gifts.  I just don't seem to have either the visual or fine motor skills to get that paper on the box neatly and evenly. I seldom even bother to add bows or ribbons because it's sort of like putting lipstick on a pig.  Yet, never once have I had someone reject a package from me because of its amateur wrapping job.  On Christmas morning, when my son, his wife, and our granddaughter come to the house, I doubt very seriously if my gift wrapping skills (or lack thereof) will even be mentioned. We will enjoy our time together and what is inside those clumsily adorned boxes will bring smiles to the faces of my family.

My friend, Natalie, makes the most beautiful and delicious cupcakes.  They are the kind of baking creation you look at and say, "That's almost too pretty to eat".  Mine - not so much.  I don't have the equipment or expertise to do pretty things with the frosting, so it gets slathered on with a table knife and that's about it.  However, my banana cake with cream cheese frosting tastes amazing, even if it's not as easy on the eyes.

Did you ever watch one of those talent competitions when a very unlikely looking "star" comes on stage?  The judges sort of smirk and roll their eyes as this person takes their place and nervously raises a microphone.  Then that first beautiful note of song comes out of their mouth and the jaws of the judges drop in amazement.  What was important was the talent, sweetness, and value of what was on the inside of them - not their outward appearance.

Sometimes, we think our efforts aren't worth offering to anyone, because we know someone who does it better.  If we wait until we have a perfect product to present to the world or even just to our church family, we'll never do anything in this life.  Whether what you do looks "Pinterest perfect" or it's a "Pinterest fail", there is still value in the offering.

Maybe you've said to yourself, "I really love working with little kids, but I know that Sister Sweet and Nice is a great teacher to them, so nobody needs me" or "I love people and I love to study the Word, but I couldn't lead a small group like Brother Been at the Church Forever" so you just sit back and soak in what God is providing for you without stepping out to present your messy gift or your ugly cupcake to the world.  I have news for you - Sister and Brother Whoever started out serving while making mistakes, saying the wrong thing sometimes, feeling awkward, but they served and they grew and now you think they've mastered something that you could never even attempt. 

You just have to start the same way they did.  Be available, be open, look for opportunities, ask your pastor where you can serve.  It takes so many hands to do Kingdom work and many times people are taking on a massive number of roles to make sure that everything is done and done well.  We want things to be excellent but we aren't expected to be perfect.  Excellence is giving your best, with your whole heart. Everyone loves a gift.  Please share yours.

A Safe Distance from the Altar

(This post is from my old blog and was written a couple of years ago, but as I was determining what to share tonight, I looked over some of my older pieces and this one really jumped out at me as being timely right now.  I think there are many who are right on the edge of returning to God, but something is holding them back. Feel free to share this with someone who might be in that very situation.)

The other night I went to a revival service in a little country church where my pastor was preaching.   The message was powerful and the time of altar ministry was sweet.  As the service ended and people began leaving the sanctuary, my pastor turned and pointed to a lady standing next to me in the aisle. He said to her, “God is after you!”  Then he turned and began to talk to someone else. What she said to me after he turned away has made a huge impact on me so I’ve written her a letter that I want to share with you.

Dear “Lady from the Revival”,

When my pastor turned to you after the service this evening and said, “God is after you”, you said to me, “I’m staying a safe distance from the altar”.  We talked casually as you stood waiting for your sister and you said you used to serve God, but you weren’t living for Him now. I said that I had also done that at one point in my life.  Maybe I should have said more, but people were milling around the room, gathering their belongings and their children so they could exit the building. It just didn’t seem to be the right time to pursue the subject with you, but what you said has stayed on my mind for all the hours since I heard it.

You see, I may not know what caused you to walk away or what sin you think keeps you from coming back, but I do know what it’s like to run from a calling and I know what it’s like to avoid being in a place where I might have to acknowledge my need to turn back to God and His plan for my life. I remember wanting to do things my way and feeling that all those people who were urging me back to God were just being narrow-minded. Later in my life, I remember feeling that I’d messed up too much and degraded myself far beyond God’s willingness to restore me, so there was just no use in coming back to Him.  There were a lot of wasted years when I could have been making a Kingdom difference, but I was living a frivolous, shallow life. 

Then one day, I found myself in a church service much like the one where I met you.  I realized all the areas of my life where I had tried to make changes on my own could not be changed without a true transformation – one I was not capable of making on my own - so instead of staying a safe distance from the altar that night, I made my way to the safety of a loving Father who began to make all things new.

When you said you were staying a safe distance from the altar, you said it the same way a woman on a diet says she's going to avoid going to a candy store or a shopaholic trying to break a spending habit says they aren’t going to the mall.  It’s not because you don’t want what is there; it’s because you do want what’s there and you know that if you get that close you won’t be able to resist the pull of the presence of God any longer.

It boils down to this - the altar is the only safe place there is in this world.  It’s not necessarily a physical altar, but it’s the altar in our hearts where we lay down our “stuff” and allow God to do His work in us.  What is it that you are holding on to that makes you safer where you are than in His loving arms?  What do you think will happen if you return to Him?  Are you afraid that His purpose for you will finally be fulfilled? Don’t you know that until you find that purpose and walk in it, you will never truly be satisfied with anything in this life?

If you walked with Him once, you must have heard this scripture.

For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38-39 KJV)

The only thing separating you from His love right now is your choice to keep Him at arm’s length.  

Nothing else.

I’m not conceited enough to think that my few, simple words here would be persuasive enough to bring you to a place where you would run back to that altar of forgiveness and acceptance, but I will be praying that you do just that. Sharing the gospel can be as simple as telling others the good news of what God has done for us. So when He lifts you back up after you surrender again to Him, do the same for someone else.  Share your story and point them back to safety.

Love,

Jan

Lessons from a Baby #13: Wow! Look at That!

Yesterday I put the Christmas tree in the corner of our living room and added the lights and decorations in anticipation of our little Bella and her parents coming over to spend a few nights to weather the predicted snowstorm with us.  When they arrived, I carried her into the house and put her down in front of the tree.  "Wow! Look at that!", she said as she gently touched the lower limbs and their ornaments.

The next morning when she woke up, I opened the front door to let her look through the glass storm door at the falling snow and the white-covered neighborhood. "Wow!  Look at that!", was her reaction.

Oh, to have the wonder a little child has!  Everything is new, exciting and interesting.  I think we get so used to the world the way we have experienced it that we forget to really see what is right in front of us.

I can look into the eyes of this beautiful, busy, almost two-year-old who God placed in our family and say, "Wow!  Look at that!"  I can look around my house and think how impossible it is in the natural that we even own a home, given some of the financial challenges we have had.  Wow!  Look at that! 

When I look around in my local church I see two women who Jesus rescued from drug addiction. I see two more who have survived brain tumors.  Wow!  Look at that!  I see my pastor who once contemplated suicide, now serving God and leading a group of people into radical Christianity.  Wow!  Look at that!  Everywhere I look I see people who have new lives and are living over their circumstances. Wow!

Exodus 15:11   Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?

In this special season, sometimes we do stop and really look for and appreciate the blessings around us, but I'm setting a challenge for myself to really notice those "wow" moments in the coming year and for the rest of my life.  Our God is awesome.  He is good and he does good.  There is so much around us that we take for granted.  We need to remember how to be amazed.

Is Your Wood Wet?

As Christians, we all go through various seasons and stages in our lives.  We have times of great testing as well as times of tremendous breakthrough.  We have quiet seasons of rest when there is not much drama as well as seasons of upheaval.  We are by turns confident and insecure, faith-filled and fearful, joyful and sorrowful, fervent and complacent. 

I've recently been in a season that I did not understand. All the circumstances in my life were good.  I had no major situations that might tempt me to worry. I should have been thankful for the time of rest between battles - jubilant and excited - ready to "charge hell with a squirt gun", but instead I just felt disconnected. I remember a particular Sunday morning when God was moving in the church service, working in the lives of people, and tremendous joy and excitement was all around me.  I felt strangely unmoved, even though ordinarily I would have been thrilled at the ministry that was all around me.  It was one of those services when someone could have said, "If that don't light your fire - your wood's wet!"

By that definition - I guess that was me - a big piece of wet wood.  I sought counsel with a couple from my church who shared some godly wisdom with me about how to cope with the way I was feeling.  I put some of their advice to work, but it was just like a big cloak of lethargy had settled over me and I had a difficult time motivating myself to even take the steps I needed to take.

One day I was just rolling all these thoughts around in my mind, wondering what was wrong with me.  I remembered the "your wood's wet" analogy and wallowed around in that mental picture for a little while and then the Holy Spirit spoke to me and said, "Wet wood isn't a problem for me."  Just that quickly, I remembered the story of Elijah and the prophets of Baal.

The people of Israel had sinned against God by worshipping false gods and Elijah challenged them to make a choice that day to follow the true God - one that would send the fire to burn up the sacrifice that was offered to him. (1 Kings 18 tells the story)

Elijah rebuilt the altar of the Lord, which had been torn down, using twelve stones to represent the twelve tribes of Israel.  Then he dug a ditch around the altar, put wood on the altar and laid the pieces of the bull for the sacrifice on the wood.  Then he commanded the people to fill four jars with water and pour it on the meat and on the wood.  He had them repeat the soaking with the water three times. The water was running off the altar and filled the ditch around the altar.

When the time came for the evening sacrifice, Elijah went near the altar and prayed, asking God to prove that he was the God of Israel and Elijah was his servant.  He asked God to show the people that he was indeed God so that their minds would be changed.  

Then fire from the Lord came down and burned the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the ground around the altar.  It also dried up the water in the ditch. When all the people saw this, they fell down to the ground, crying, "The Lord is God! The Lord is God!"

When God Himself reminds you of what He is able to do, it's much easier to let Him motivate you than for you to motivate yourself.  I'm on the way back to a richer, fuller relationship with Him, instead of remaining disconnected.

I know that we live by faith, not by feelings, but often our feelings are signals that we need to examine ourselves to make sure that we are in alignment with God.  There will be spiritual highs and lows in all our lives, but I know a God who is able to light that fire within us when we've grown weary or complacent or sorrowful.  No matter how wet your wood is - God is able!