Going Under the Knife

We concluded 2024 with some pretty incredible events. One such event was surgery. My husband had heart surgery. Hello! Some time in November, we were informed of an anomaly. and within weeks, he was in Cardiac ICU recovering from the required corrective surgery. I was present when instruction was given before surgery. I was present when instruction was given post-surgery. Instructions included dietary changes and lifestyle changes. Again and again we were told, changes were key. The "fix" was a fix; his body had indeed been changed. But the object of the game is, from that point forward, not to undo the correction, to take the clean slate you've been given and do right by your body this time. That's some mercy right there! The surgery changes your body. Following the proper habits and practices you are taught change your life.

Romans 5:8 promises that, while we were sinners, while we were in a state of poor health (to say the least), in a fatal condition, Jesus died for us. Colossians 1:13-14 tells us, we were rescued from death and transferred to a place of light and hope; all our sins, past, present, and future are forgiven and our slate is clean. Romans 8:1 assures us we are not condemned for anything we do. We are free to ignore the Law as a means of being made right with God. We are already made right with Him. Obedience to God's Law, to His Word is our worship. And He is worthy of the best, most consistent, most sacrificial worship we can give Him. The blood of Jesus changes our position with regard to eternal life. The disciplines of prayer, Bible reading, fasting, worship, obedience, giving --these things change our life!

How would your life change if you began worshiping God through a day dedicated to prayer once a month? How would your life change if you practiced a day of silence and meditation on Scripture once a month? How would life change if you began putting an extra one percent in the offering each week? How would life change if you volunteered to teach Sunday school every few weeks? How would your life change if you attended the annual couple's retreat your pastor has been recommending? 

Being born again, acknowledging Jesus as your Lord and Savior changes your position with regard to God's wrath. You are no longer depending on your own righteousness (of which none is righteous), your own good deeds (they are as filthy rags), when you stand before the Judge. You are now the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. But what changes your life from heroin addict to business owner, from angry neighbor to compassionate friend, from reckless driver to law-abiding citizen, from fearful agoraphobe to public speaker, from illiterate inmate to pastor, from bulimic mom to blogger and teacher --what changes your life is the self-discipline that the Holy Spirit effects in you as you submit to the changes He desires to make! Positionally, we are changed at the rebirth, but we must follow the orders of the Great Physician. We must welcome and obey the Spirit of power and love and self-discipline who now lives within us. No more evenings at the bar or late-night raids on the refrigerator, the fellowship of saints rather than fraternizing with snakes, standing on truth when we once crumbled under the weight of lies, whole-hearted devotion over self-indulgent faddism. Study, memorization, prayer, worship, church attendance --work, practices, habits that may not always be the easiest or most appealing but will change the lives of those positioned under the grace of our Savior's work. Hearts made new must receive care, the care of one who desires to live for a long time!

Midweek: Where Are We Going?

"I don't trust you because I don't know where we're going." More words of wisdom from our youngest. Well, maybe not wisdom, exactly, but words that struck right at my heart. Isn't that the essence of what I tell God every time He tries to take me some place I've never been before? every time He wants to do something new in me and I can tell from the outset it's going to be uncomfortable? I don't trust You because I don't know where we're going! What usually follows is me trying everything I can to gain control over the circumstances; late night scheming and scheduling, What ifs and Buts, conversations with others who've been down this road before, WebMD. Not there those things have no validity whatsoever, but a simple I'm trusting You, Lord FIRST can set those things in a right perspective.

That day our youngest missed out on a snow day at the playground, hot chocolate from the local convenience store, rolling down powdery hills with other children from the neighborhood. And it made me sad. Now, I'm just gonna leave that right there and you can tell me what you think. Maybe we were wrong in not forcing him to go. Maybe we were wrong in not divulging our intentions. Maybe we played it just right. He's been with us more than a year. We've explained everything to him down to the last detail on many occasions. We've left things up to surprise and exploration on others. On those occasions, even when things have been difficult or unpleasant, we've not abandoned one another. I'm not trying to justify our choice; I'm merely trying to provide context. And, maybe, see things the way our Heavenly Father sees them. 

Put It Down

I hate this backpack! our youngest fumed. A ridiculous statement --he'd carefully picked it out himself -- but completely appropriate for a boy of his age. He'd dashed down the steps, his bag slung over one shoulder and dropped to his knees to put on his shoes. The backpack swung around and crashed to the floor, violently jerking his shoulder and landing right in the middle of what he was doing.

Put the backpack down, I urged. Tie your shoes and then pick up your school bag. 

I know, was his response as he kept the backpack exactly where it was and powered through what he was doing.

My mind immediately went to the burdens we carry, the feelings we have toward them, and the ways we foolishly try to circumvent them. 

I live with a burden every day. (I AM NOT a victim here, so please don't think that's what I'm saying.) Long ago, a situation I was unable to process or escape was part of my life. In response, I turned to a coping mechanism most people refer to as "an eating disorder." Did I turn to Jesus? No. Should I have? Absolutely, yes. At the time, however, I did not have the necessary information or resources to do otherwise. That is not the case today. I have a wonderful husband, family, friends, Christian counsel, and of course, Christ Himself to turn to when my thought life goes awry and gives rise to feelings of inadequacy, self-loathing, and loneliness. Put the backpack down. Instead, I power through. Before my first jar of coffee is empty in the morning (I keep Mason jars full of java in my fridge --Don't judge me) I've already come up with some new way or made some new commitment to control my eating. Only eat fruits and veggies today, or When temptation strikes, put on praise music, or I will set my alarm to pray on the hour throughout the day. Now, none of those things is a bad idea, but what happens when I break one of those commitments? Do I listen to the condemnation? I knew you couldn't do it. You have no self-control. You have failed God again. Why can't you just trust Him when you are triggered? This is idolatry, plain and simple. Again, not saying those things don't have a ring of truth to them. However, to follow after this path, to believe I can do nothing but follow this same way, is a lie. Put the backpack down. This eternal life is life lived through Christ in a cursed world. It's a process, a journey, but for those in Christ, we are not alone. We have a place to lay our burdens, nail-scarred hands open to take our backpack and lead the way.  

When I break those promises I've made to myself --easy to do when I've chosen to believe the lies the Accuser whispers into my soul --when I break those promises, I'm being given a second chance, a chance to change course and put my burden down. Should I have done it right from the beginning, chosen to eat a balanced meal rather than the bag of tortilla chips, or chosen to go for a pleasant walk rather than remain in my pjs for the day? Yes, but to walk the empty bag to the trash, or get out of my pjs at the end of the day just to put clean ones on, those things, like a swinging, crashing backpack, can be a signal to change course, to seek and receive the truth from my Father God. 

Romans 8:1 is a powerful verse I keep in my arsenal: There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. That doesn't mean we get it right all the time. In fact, it sort of indicates we won't; but when we falter, we seek forgiveness and we repent, knowing the truth. We don't continue carrying that backpack full of lies and trouble that will way us down and come crashing down right into the middle of the work we are to be doing for Jesus. We don't add to our misdeeds and assent to temptation by further wallowing in shame and condemnation, foolishly trying to "power through." If we are Christ's we are reborn of the Spirit, and we walk by His power and direction. If we are Christ's we have a Savior who bore our sins and continues to bear our burdens. Put the backpack down.