Snow Globe

Snow globes are so pretty. As you gaze at a snow globe placed carefully on a high shelf, it's so easy to see the calm, the still, the tranquil in whatever scene is encased in the glass. But by simply shaking the snow globe, the beautiful, tranquil scene is suddenly awash in snow or confetti or glitter. And bubbly water. For a moment, chaos overtakes the scene. Tonight I was reminded how much life can be like a snow globe. Yesterday my friend Crystal & I were working out details for a fun girls morning. (Peaceful, tranquil, calm.) Tonight, we're exchanging texts about devastating news that her family received today. Suddenly, life is turned upside down and shaken. The bad news comes in like a flurry of snow and bubbles and nothing in life resembles that tranquil scene. Chaos surrounds. And you're left clinging tightly to your faith until the flurry settles. But somehow, the flurry does settle. See the thing about snow globes is that all of that pretty scenery is anchored to a foundation. It holds fast to what it's rooted in. That's so much like how our lives are. As our lives our shaken, we are held fast by the roots of our faith. Roots that are deep in the foundation of the promises God gives us. As our world shakes, our God doesn't. As turmoil swirls around us, God provides a safe refuge. And, even if our circumstances don't immediately change, peace overtakes our storm.

The mountains might shake. The hills might be removed. But my faithful love for you will never be shaken. And my covenant that promises peace to you will never be broken," says the Lord. Isaiah 54:10

Ashes, Ashes, We All Fall Down

I was talking with a friend earlier today who shared a little bit about being judged for her past. A distant past. It's a place I've been before. Maybe you have, too. It's probably the least fun place to be. To know that God has forgiven you, restored you, blessed you and allowed you to not only leave your past behind, but use it as part of your life's ministry...but that's not good enough for some. It's seemingly as if they've placed themselves in a place above God...or have they? Today, as I was praying for words to encourage my friend, God gave me words that encouraged me, too. And maybe they'll encourage you. See these words really put a new perspective in my heart for those who live perched on a judgement seat. Here's what I told her:

We can look at our past and see the beauty from ashes. They look at their present (or maybe a past, too) and still just see ashes.

Trust me friends, those words are not from me. Those are straight from my Father knowing that in encouraging my friend, He would also be teaching me a lesson in compassion. As I thought about those words, I remembered times when all I could see were the ashes of my life. The burnt remains of a past that I wanted nothing more but to leave behind. But with God and over time, beauty came from those ashes. Not by any doing of my own, but by HIS hand at work in my life. And the more I let Him work in my ashes, the more beauty He made. The more I let Him work in my ashes, the more my ashes became my story. The more I let Him transform my ashes, the more my story has the power to speak to someone else's ashes. And maybe help them see beauty. If there's anything I've learned in this life it's that we all fall down. Maybe your past isn't full of color...or maybe your's is in full technicolor...either way, we all have ashes. But we don't have to stay in ashes. God will bring beauty, amazing beauty, from your ashes. All you have to do is let Him.

Sorry...Did I trip you?

Every once in a while a song comes along that kicks me square in the gut...in a good way.  You know the kind.  It challenges, convicts and moves you all at once and causes you to look at yourself in a painfully real way.  The song that's done that to me all too often lately is "Jesus, Friend of Sinners" by Casting Crowns.

This song could honestly produce a blog series, given that the first line is what this blog is based on.  But we'll stick with just one line.  I had a pedicure today and don't think my toes can handle that much being stepped on.

In the opening of this song, is the line: "the world is on their way to you, but they're tripping over me."  Ouch.  How many times have I been the reason that someone else stumbled? How many times have my actions done damage to the work God is trying to do in someone's life? How many times have my judgements, my opinions, my lack of mercy, grace and compassion driven people further from Christ instead of towards him?

For me, it's all too easy to forget that God hasn't called me to save the world.  He hasn't called me to change people.  He's called me to love like Jesus loved.  He's called me reflect Jesus to the best of my ability.  He's called me to live my life in a way that points people to Him.  And to let Him handle the rest.  He's allowed me the opportunities to speak lovingly into someone's life, but not to judge or condemn.

This line in this song reminds me so beautifully that God has a plan.  And His plan works.  God has a path.  And it's often not at all what my idea of a path would be.  God wants to work.  And if I'll just stay out of His way, He'll accomplish a beautiful work.

Do I have a part in that work? Of course I do.  But it's His part, not mine.  And when I do my best to do the part He has for me, my chances of tripping someone else on their way to Him all but disappear.

I'm Free, Not Perfect

Do you struggle with being a perfectionist? Does the slightest detail being out of sorts add to the number of gray hairs on your head? This is a battle I fight in my head daily.  I want things to be right.  I want things to line up just right.  Have I mentioned before that I struggle a bit with control issues? That tends to lend itself to a bit of perfectionism.

See, I all too often set myself up for the disappointment of falling short of perfection.  It's a vicious cycle.  I've gotten better over the years, but I still have a ways to go.

Yesterday at church we continued with a series called Running With the Giants.  It's been a great series, but yesterday's was the best by far, at least for me.  (If you'd like to watch that message...and you should...click here.)  The message was based on the life of David.  One statement came out of that message that spoke to the core of my perfectionist heart.  "God's power inside of me gives me the power to live in freedom.  Not perfection."  Wow.  That hit me like a ton of bricks.

Living in the freedom that my life in Christ brings, doesn't mean that things in my life have to be perfect.  That doesn't mean I have to be (or pretend to be) perfect.  It actually means I can live in complete freedom from the need for perfection.  

As that concept made it's way through my brain, I began to feel such freedom. God doesn't call me to be perfect.  He doesn't expect me to have it all together all the time.  All He wants me to do is walk in the freedom he gives me.  The freedom that allows grace for my shortcomings.  The freedom that helps me to overcome my shortcomings.  The freedom that allows me to be less than perfect.

Today, let go of the need for perfection and walk in freedom!  He's got it under control.  And it's His way that's perfect.