Look Up!

Reading Colossians 3, I'm challenged by this statement.

  "If you're serious about living the new resurrection life with Jesus then act like it!"

 It goes on to encourage me to stop looking at the ground, shuffling along absorbed with the things right in front of me. 
I'm hearing this exhortation while considering what's next on my home improvement list? Ouch! 
Just this morning I had a sweet time reading my Bible and sitting contemplating Israel's wanderings and rebellions. How easy it was for me to read of those people and how thick-headed and stubborn they were. 
Didn't they get it? God was taking care of them, providing for their needs. Setting up laws to abide by so that they could live full and rich lives. 
Isn't it easy when it's all about those people? 
I'm "those people". Restless and impatient, eyes downward only seeing what's right in front of me. 

Choices.
Reading further in Colossians, I'm reminded that my old life is dead and my new life - which is my real life is with Christ in God. He's my life. I'm invited into a life of love dressed in compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. 
I'm to be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. It's the peace of Christ that will keep me in tune with others. The instruction is clear and I want to be serious, yet gravity is pulling my vision south. 
Oh Jesus, may I be alert to what's going on with You. May my gaze be focused up, seeing things from your eternal perspective. 

"Let the peace of Christ keep you in tune with each other, in step with each other. Every detail in your lives - words, actions, whatever - be done in the name of the Master Jesus, thanking God the Father every step of the way."

True Friends

Have you seen the movie Thelma & Louise? It's a tale of two repressed women who embark on a fishing trip, but end up transformed into outlaws. 
In the final scene, they are cornered on the cliffs overlooking the Grand Canyon and to avoid capture they make a decision to drive off the cliff. 
The film ends with a freeze frame of the car in mid-air as the credits begin over a montage of their happiest moments together over the weekend. 
Does one weekend of mayhem and fun constitute real friendship? I hope not! 
Here are some truer words to consider;

"Encourage one another and build each other up."
"Be kind and compassionate to one another."
"Let the peace of Christ keep you in tune with each other, in step with each other. None of this going off and doing your own thing."
"Speak encouraging words to one another. Build up hope, so you'll be all together in this, no one left out, no one left behind."
"Forgive one another as quickly and thoroughly as God in Christ forgave you."

This is the kind of friend I want to be.These are the friends I need. I want to be honest, willing to share truth and open to asking and answering the hard questions. 
Truth-telling friends will humbly evaluate their relationships on the basis of whether their actions and words help their friends move closer towards Jesus.

In truth-filled friendships, friends don't let friends drive over cliffs!

Come and See

When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. “Where have you laid him?” he asked. “Come and see, Lord,” they replied. Jesus wept.

Death takes many forms. Broken relationships, unrealized dreams, financial hardships, divorce. In all of these places, we're faced with disappointment and longings that for now must remain. Our hearts are broken and we are vulnerable. 

Mary wept at Jesus’ feet and he wept with her. “Where have you laid him?” Those around Him replied gently, “Come and see, Lord”. Her friends answered his question because Mary was overcome with grief and her loss and longing was all she could see. 
I sometimes see only my pain and loss. It clouds reality and becomes “the thing” that consumes my thoughts. It’s hard to see anything good. 
How can I fall at Jesus’ feet, inviting Him to “come and see”? 
Could I open my heart and let Him see inside? 
Isn’t it nutty that I think He doesn’t already know what I'm afraid to say? 
There's absolutely nothing too great or too small that His loving eyes do not see. Jesus knew where the tomb was and who was in it and how long Lazarus had been dead. 
He just wanted them to tell Him what they needed. 
Jesus wants to know how I feel and how you feel. 
Jesus would raise Lazarus from the dead with tears running down His face. 
Why? Because he loved them so much that their grief was His. 

Jesus loves us so much that our grief is His grief. 
Do we think Jesus doesn’t hear our pain? Or doesn’t really care? Maybe He is too busy, or our pain isn’t that great. 
Is He not interested, or unable to really understand? 
Jesus weeps with us. 
May we go to Him with open hearts, crying; “come and see”.

Winter

Today when I left my house I was surprised at the beauty of the quince bush at the foot of our planter. 
For most of the year it's a big green bush that has rather ordinary leaves, uninteresting form and a shape that's oversized for the planter.
 I have found myself wondering how I could convince Peter that it needed to come out! I even toyed with the idea of grabbing some shears and hacking it back. 

Thankfully, I was too tired to attempt the pruning.  
But, yesterday I was struck by its wintery beauty. The exposed branches were just beginning to bud with beautiful white flowers. They have a sculptural quality that begged me to pause and enjoy its splendor. New life was emerging. It's stunning and I'm enjoying the view every day. 

As I walked around the block I thought about my life in this recent season. 
I was preoccupied with me, what wasn’t fair, and how I was under-appreciated. 
I was like that big ordinary green bush taking up space without adding to the landscape. 
My self-focused attitude took up a lot of space, leaving little room for growth. 

Thankfully, the Master Gardener is a skilled pruner and He knows just what to cut away in order to expose the beautiful form and structure waiting to emerge. 
My season of pruning continues. 
There are places of loss, regret and longing that are still present. 
I want to grow and spread my branches exposing the beautiful places that He's revealing, yet I know in order to grow well I must submit to the pruning.

This is hard and the winter of this season can be very cold. 
This brings me to the joy of "Continuing the Conversation". I need to be in relationship with women who are willing to join me in learning to trust Him. He who has begun the good work is faithful to complete it.

 Where are you being pruned? 
Or maybe this is your season of splendor. 
God is speaking. Are we ready to listen?