With Him

Someone once told me the hieroglyphic for "impossible" was a person walking on water. I haven't been able to substantiate that, but anything to do with a water miracle and the ancient Egyptians makes sense. In Matthew 14:22-33, is the account of Jesus walking on the water. If what I was told about "impossible" is true, that would be sort of ironic: Jesus choosing to walk on the water to demonstrate nothing is impossible for Him or with Him. It is the "with Him" we're talking about today.  

Matthew's account begins with Jesus instructing His disciples to get in the boat and head out onto the sea. Didn't Jesus know the storm was coming? Didn't Jesus care He was sending them into a terrible situation? I believe He knew and He cared. When the car breaks down in the middle of nowhere, or we get that call late at night --an accident or a child who has not returned home; when the foreclosure notice has been served, or the diagnosis is terminal, Jesus knows. He knows it long before any of us. And, as He was while His friends were being battered on a dark and furious sea, He is there.

Matthew says it was about 4AM when Jesus came to His disciples. He had been praying by Himself on the hillside. Surely, the Creator of the sea, the One the wind and waves obey, could have simply spoken a word from his location and put a stop to it all. No, He comes to them. He wants them to see Him. And they do. But they think He is a ghost. Wrongly, perversely, people have always believed in ghosts. Likely, one of the Adversary's means of getting humanity to think casually about demonic spirits and their activity. Some commentaries say the disciples may have believed, as many other seafarers over the ages, that the spirits of those claimed by the depths still haunted the waters and would come for them in a storm. Regardless, they were afraid.

Jesus immediately identifies Himself, and Peter responds, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” Peter, a seasoned fisherman, should have had a healthy respect for the sea, one that would have prevented him from thinking he could do what Jesus was doing. His knowledge, possibly, of those he knew who may have been lost at sea or barely survived a sudden storm, should have prevented him from thinking this was a novel or easy thing to do. Most likely, you and I wouldn't try walking on the water at a public pool, much less on a volatile sea in a violent storm. Yet Peter says, "Command me to come to You on the water." 

Often we read this and think, "What tremendous faith!" only for our hearts to sink two short verses later. Peter has turned away, taken his eyes of His God, lost his faith. But maybe it wasn't great faith at all. Maybe we're putting him on too high of a pedestal and, therefore, his fall seems so great. Maybe it was love that drove him to Jesus' side. Maybe Peter was saying, "Jesus, I want to be where You are." Or maybe it was fear. Perhaps Peter saw being by his Master's side, exposed to wind and standing on contrary, turbulent waves --with Him --as a safer place to be than in the boat without Him. Not where experience would have told him was "safe." Not with his other friends who were panicked as well were huddled. Not spanning the distance of a raging sea. 

But ignoring the impossible, disregarding the conventional, and with Him.

Midweek: Wanted: DEAD (2012)

Evangelism. Personally, it's one of the most difficult things Jesus requires us to do. I am not an off-the-cuff sort of conversationalist. I am fine before large groups, even without notes; but one-on-one, looking another person in the eye, and telling them about anything --even telling them about myself --makes me uncomfortable. Oddly enough, however, I have been teaching a chapter on evangelism in our weekly Bible study, and as I walked the other morning with a wonderful evangelist, the topic arose. Broken To Breathless is my attempt at evangelism. Born out of gratitude and formed in the medium most familiar to me --the written word --it has proven the best way I know to prepare an answer, familiarize myself with Scripture, and share the Gospel with those who find themselves on this common ground. May the following post from 2012, encourage you to share the Good News of Jesus wherever you go! 

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Acts 20:24 ~

"However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me —the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace."

In June 2009, I began Broken To Breathless.  I felt it was something God wanted me to do. I'm still not convinced He would have me abandon it, but several months ago the "inner voice" I've come to trust as the Holy Spirit within me said, "It's time to stop writing about this, and go out and live it." 

So, that's what I've been doing -- slowly stepping out of my comfort zone, reaching beyond my family and close friends, and walking without fear. My goal, Lord willing, is to share with you all my journey of obedience and my discovery of life. But just so you know, it begins with death.

The Lord blesses each of us; there is no doubt. As I walk through the woods on crisp fall mornings, or past dewy, manicured lawns in the spring, it occurs to me that all of this is a miracle. Genesis 3 tells us that because of mankind's sin, poverty, failure, death and decay were allowed to freely roam the earth; we chose that over relationship with a perfectly loving Father! Based on our choice, we should never even have the experience of love, or fragrant flowers, or vibrant colors, or the warmth of a child's hug. But God, in his infinite mercy and abundant grace has held the consequences of our choice in check and allowed us the pleasures of life amidst our preference for death! Somewhere along the line, may we become grateful for that; and if your experience is anything like mine, it begins like a spark inside your spirit and slowly grows to a raging fire -- one that cannot be contained, one that shines from the windows of your eyes and stokes the engine of your heart.

Three years ago, the blessings of family, and health, and happiness lit my spark -- the spark that led to Broken To Breathless. As I wrote, I searched the Scriptures for applicable verses, or to double-check my amateur theology; the pages of God's Word caught that spark and stoked a great fire. I loved studying the Bible! God's Word was with Scott and I as we returned to my home church, dealt with family situations, launched our own business in a terrible economy, tithed of our money and time to individuals and charities, and began experiencing a true evolution of faith. We share the Gospel of Jesus Christ whenever we can, but not just in words and not just within our own circle. The Gospel is living, and while it requires a certain amount of meditation and study -- hearts and minds, it requires arms and legs, hand and feet. The Gospel is hugging those to whom you never thought you'd speak. The Gospel is feeding those with whom you never thought you'd share your table. The Gospel is putting away all pretense, eliminating any preconceived notions, tearing down all walls, and dying to self -- becoming the arms and legs, hands and feet of Christ!

Always Welcome

We endured all of last summer with tarps and towels stuffed into the rafters of our brand-new canopy out back. My husband had done a beautiful job replacing our pop-up seasonal pavilion with a more permanent structure. He became busy with work, however, and was starting to see the effects of the heart issue he had unknowingly developed. (There's a blog lead-in if I ever heard one. More on that another day 😉) The inside work to our roof remained incomplete, and birds built their homes in the rafters. The mess they created on the deck below was unbelievable, and their kamikaze-style entrances under the eaves were startling. When the earliest round of tenants was through with their broods, my husband stuffed the rafters to prevent any further move-ins.

Just the other day, as the weather began to break, we watched a couple of mourning doves scope out the once again exposed rafters. Mama had already picked a spot, safe from the elements and out of reach of the local cats. (Sadly, our dog is terrified of our avian squatters and provides us with no defense whatsoever.) Papa was standing by awaiting her final nod before he headed off to find building materials. 

I love the sound of the doves. Their melancholy coos in the morning. Oh, how wonderful to give a home to these gentle creatures and watch them raise their little ones! But with birds --I know --comes a huge mess. We had to serve notice before they ever got started. But as my husband began making our canopy a little less enticing, the couple sat on a nearby shed waiting for him to let down his guard. Mind you, the shed is equidistant from our deck and the cedar tree in which the doves typically nest. Year after year, they've built their nest in its branches, finding it hospitable. Apparently, this year, they were looking for an upgrade. Their determination was wondrous to me. Birds so peaceful and mild, yet they were steadfast in waiting and watching for the opportunity to defy their eviction and rest where it was most suitable.

This morning I started in Psalm 91 (Alter):

He who dwells in the Most High's shelter,
in the shadow of Shaddai lies at night --
I will say of the LORD, 'My refuge and bastion,
my God in whom I trust.' 
For He will save you from the fowler's snare,  

Those who dwell in the Most High's shelter, in the shadow of Shaddai at night take their rest, they are not displaced. Not by the Owner, for He is willing and able to deal with the mess; He does not find it impractical or inconvenient. Not by the threat of enemies, for His dwelling is ethereal, high above claws and snares; He is well able to protect those in His custody. Not by life's storms or scorching sun, for we are well within His care, nestled so far under His eaves we feel only the refreshing mist of summer rains or the gentle warmth of its breezes; all time and space and weather --inclement or otherwise --is under His sovereign power and plan.

Are we, His gentle doves, fixed on Him? Determined to find shelter where it is most suitable? Are we stationed nearby, awaiting the opportunity to run to Him for rest and protection? Or are we flying around frantically plotting ways to resolve our relationship problems or searching for the resources we need to feel secure? 

Let us be like the birds, ready to roost in the shelter of the Most High, longing to lie in His shadow at night, safe from the storms and snares, and never unwelcome.

Worthless, Aimless, but Now Free!

We don't "do the bunny" at our house. Even as a kid, I always thought of Easter as some sort of second-rate Christmas. When the snow was gone, and all the glass Christmas balls were either smashed to pieces or safely packed away, there was Easter. It was something to do, something to anticipate. Not so. Our pastor calls it the "Super Bowl of the Christian World." This is it! The culmination of the Christmas story and the birth of eternal life's story. Our only tradition these days is worship. Celebrating the resurrection of our Savior! But what would you say if I told you I'd rather dig through chemical-laced plastic grass and pick tiny jelly beans from the bottom of a basket than be a legalist? Apparently Simon Peter would agree.

From time to time, I come across these "when-did-they-put-that-in-there?" verses. I've read the Bible cover to cover --more than once; I went to a Christian school, attended Sunday school, and spend as much time as I can studying Scripture, BUT every once in a while, there's that verse, the one I DO NOT remember seeing before. When did they put that in there? Hebrews 4:12 tells us God's word is alive, and by that, I don't mean changing, but it hits differently sometimes. It's like the method speech teachers or acting coaches use, where they make you say a multi-syllable word again and again, transferring the accent to a different syllable each time: SYL-lable, syl-LA-ble, sylla-BLE. 

Anyway, the WDTPTIT? verse --Okay, two verses --I was meditating on today, was 1 Peter 1:18,19 (CJB):

You should be aware that the ransom paid to free you from the worthless way of life which your fathers passed on to you did not consist of anything perishable like silver or gold; on the contrary, it was the costly bloody sacrificial death of the Messiah, as of a lamb without defect or spot.

Did you see that? "The worthless way of life which your fathers passed on to you." Worthless. The New King James Bible says, "your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers." Aimless. And handed down, preserved, taught to the folks Peter was addressing at the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. These people had "inherited" a tradition of legalism. And how legalism does decimate! The hypocrisy, deep and choking roots, confusion, abuse, pain, unbearable burdens, soul-crushing guilt, frustration, broken relationship, and death. What father would do that? A father who had himself been handed the same tradition, perhaps. Worthless, aimless, and yet, preserved and shared. Not even as valuable as a basket loaded with plastic grass or sitting on the lap of an underpaid retiree in a bunny costume. Those may seem like silly things to do, but at least they bring people together; they make for great pictures and yield laughs and memories. There is something profitable in those traditions; there is purpose. But a religion, an entire system of rules and conduct, a dogma handed down and observed for generations? God, through Peter, calls it worthless and aimless. He says we were redeemed from that, purchased with "the costly bloody sacrificial death of the Messiah," Jesus.

Remember the lockdowns of a few years ago? Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years --holidays and holiday traditions cancelled. People were losing their minds! What are we gonna do? No turkey at Tia's, no ho-ho at Holly's, no Auld Lang Syne at Andy's. Traditions mean something to us: routine, expectation, celebration. But legalism is worthless and aimless, a tradition that keeps us in bondage to exercises without meaning and manmade regulations without relationship. Not what God intended. Jesus came that we might have life; He gave His life that we might be reconciled to God through our relationship with Jesus. And, yes, we love Him so much, we become so much like Jesus we no longer act as we once did. We desire to please Him with our behavior, but it's relationship with our Savior that determines our "rules" of conduct. Every imperative of Scripture (what we are to do for God) rests on the indicative (who we are in our relationship with God), and the order is not reversible. We respond to what Christ has done by becoming who His work has made us. I like to envision a young child. He or she is the child of the king, the heir to the throne. His/her birth has made him/her so. However, there's a lot to be done before the child is ready to rule, to step into that crown. Education and training comes in the classroom and at the king's side. As the child submits to the lessons, he/she grows in wisdom and stature; that crown that has been reserved for him/her begins to rest securely and perfectly on the heir's head. And so it is with us. We are heirs, but there is education and sanctification that brings us closer to being who we are. Obedience, submitting to teaching and transformation, is how we respond so that we might become, by His grace and work, the heirs that we are. 

Following Jesus is not a "worthless way of life." It is not "aimless conduct received by tradition from [our] fathers." We are called by the Holy Spirit, and we respond with our obedience. And it is daily --not just at this time of year --we give thanks for the work we could not do, work enacted by our Savior's "bloody costly sacrificial death." Because of Him, we are free from legalism. If Peter was here today, he might just tell us Easter egg hunts make for better religion --at least there's chocolate!