The Blessing of Halloween--Whaaaat??

 

              Some Christians enjoy Halloween, some don't. Say what you will about the day, but as I walked around the town I currently live in this evening, a strange town at that, I noticed something interesting. This “holiday,” technically All Saints Day eve, has managed to do something that the Church has not been able to, at least not here. This historic Southern city which sits quite nicely upon a pleasant bay, has a population consisting of upper-middle class white people and lower class black people. And they don't mix. After being in this town just a few days, I had quickly figured out which streets were which—which were white, which were black, and which one was both. Because, like I said, these two just don’t mix.

                Earlier this week I had an interesting discussion with the woman who comes twice a month to clean the house I currently live in. By the way, she’s white, as am I. We both grew up with black friends, and for me, Hispanic and Asian as well, and we have both found the distinct racial separation in this city disturbing. As we were talking I made a comment about how I noticed these two people groups don’t really integrate here. She responded, saying that the black people in this area will rarely look at the white people as they pass them on the sidewalks. And they almost never say hello. I noticed this too. And I don’t like it.

For the most part, the white stay in their nice houses. The black stay in their neck of the woods. And just like hot and cold water faucets in England, the two just never come together. The reason I don’t like it is that both people groups, the white and the black, are missing out on something the other has to give. I’m not even going to mention that sometimes white people (especially women) are quite frankly afraid of black people (mostly men)—oh wait, I just said that—but I believe there are lines that haven’t been crossed because of fear of the unknown. The African American culture is very different from the European American culture, and the people in this area have kept themselves to themselves, content with what they know, with what is comfortable for them. And so, in my opinion, they miss out. I think both groups of people have something to give and something to receive, something with which to bless the other and something to learn. But unfortunately, the two groups just don’t normally come together.

Except tonight. Tonight, when it’s all about the kids (and for the kids, it’s all about the candy). It was strange, but delightfully so, to see black people with their super cute little Spidermans and princesses and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Renaissance ladies-in-waiting and even a working traffic light (no joke!) walking down the street mixing with white people sitting out on their porches waiting for them with candy. People were smiling and talking and integrating; this doesn’t usually happen. The older white people, because mostly here they are older, demonstrably enjoyed the lively young ones, who politely approached them with the traditional “Trick or treat!” and the parents of the children were able to meet the pleasant white people who live just a few blocks from them but who they rarely encounter. So whatever your opinions about Halloween, today has positively brought people of different races and economic statuses together, something that even the Church has not been able to accomplish, not in this neighborhood. And from what I have seen, both groups have been uniquely blessed.

Wasting Time

 

Is anybody else tired of wasting time? I know that what I have done and been through in my life has been valuable and it was all allowed and used by the Lord. But sometimes, I really feel I could be more effective for the Kingdom. I have to be careful about who I say that to though because there are people who would get offended by that comment. Mostly they are people who know that they too could be more effective for the Kingdom, but they enjoy their lives and don’t want to think about it too much. So, I try to keep it quiet. But I will tell you, I want to do more. And I’m going to. The Lord is opening doors for me to go and do and I am excited about that. But sometimes, I look around and see people with large callings on their lives just…sitting….wasting time…allowing society and our western culture to numb them to what God has called them to. And these are people who know what God has called them to, yet still, they just sit…waiting for…what? I don’t know.

As I seek the Lord in this season of rest, which it currently is for me (and let me tell you, seasons of rest are absolutely necessary in the Kingdom), I increasingly feel like a race horse standing at the starting gate, waiting for the door to open so I can bolt out. I’m ready to run. And I am reminded of two things. The first is Keith Green. Most people younger than me have no idea who he is. But he was a prophetic Christian leader and songwriter who I believe truly impacted the Kingdom. (Don’t believe me? Read his biography) But you know what? He was a Christian less than 10 years before the Lord took him home. His wife said that he always had a sense of urgency about him, as if he knew his time was short. And it was. At the age of 28 he and two of his young children died in a plane crash in Texas. But while he lived, he made a difference.

The other thing I am reminded of is an encounter a man named Mike Bickle had with the Lord once when he was a young man in his early 20’s. He was a Christian preacher during this time, trying his best to be what he thought he was supposed to be, doing what he thought he was supposed to be doing, trying to read the Word, forcing himself to pray, but mostly just going to Church meetings, planning this, that and the other.  But in this encounter, he stood before the Lord as if it was the end of his life and the Lord said to him, “You’re saved, but your life was wasted.” I’ve heard Mike tell this story and still the sense of regret he had at these words is so tangible to him, even 35 years later. This encounter drastically changed his life and his story convicted me when I heard it. I may not know much, but I know one thing, I don’t want to waste my life.

So I will go. My desire is to do the will of my Father in Heaven and to accomplish every purpose He has for my life. Whatever that means.  I want to join Paul in saying that I desire to know Him and the power of His resurrection and share with Him in the fellowship of His sufferings. And I will look to that Day, the Day I see His face knowing that everything I have gone through on this earth, every trial, every ounce of suffering is made worthwhile, because He is worth it all. But in the meantime, I get to partner with Him in the glorious work He is doing on this earth. What a privilege! The Creator of the universe has invited me to work with Him! Which means I have to get on with my Father’s business! Because whether I have 50 years left or not, my time is short and I refuse to waste it.

 

 

God Most High

Stir a fire in us

With Your power inside

We won't waste our lives

 

God Most High

Strong and mighty in us

Be our passion, our prize

We won't waste our lives



Sun Stand Still (Elevation Worship)

 

Ladies, Don't Settle

Watch this: I Will Wait For You

BY JANETTE IKZ

So it seemed that it was cool, for everyone to be in a relationship but me.
So I took matters into my own hands, and ended up with him,
him who displayed the characteristics of a cheater, a liar, an abuser, & a thief.

So why was I surprised when he broke into my heart?
I called 911, but I was cardiac arrested for aiding and abetting,
Cause it was me who let him in…
Claiming we were “just friends”.
It was already decided for me by the first date, that even if he wasn’t!
I was gonna make him “The one.”
You know, I was tired of being alone.
And I simply made up in my mind, that it was about that time,

So I decided to drag him along for the ride,
Cause I was always the bridesmaid & never the bride.
A virgin in the physical, but mentally just a grown woman on the corner in heat
Who was tired of the wait!
So I was gonna make him “The one.”
He had a… form of Godliness… but not much.
But hey, hey I can change him! So I’ll TAKE him, I mean he’s close… enough.
Ready to sell my aorta for a quarter, not knowing the value of its use to me.
Arteries so clogged with my will, it blocked His will from flowing through me.
So, I thank Christ that His blood pressure gave this heart an attack,
That flat-lined my obscured vision, put me flat on my back
Through my ignorance He saw,
Through my sternum He sawed & cracked open my chest
To transplant Psalm 51:10
A new heart & a renewed right spirit within!

So now I fully understand,
Better yet I thoroughly comprehend,
How much I need to wait… for you.
See, the bad thing is that I knew he wasn’t you from the beginning..
Cause in the beginning was the Word
And he didn’t even sound or shine like Your Son
Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks,
And all he could whisper was sweet, empty nothings –
Which meant NOTHING.
He couldn’t even pray what I needed him to,
Asking him to fast would be absurd!
So forget about being cleansed & washed with water through the Word…
But I know you..
You were already praying for me.
Even never having met me,
Let me assure you, I will wait for you.

I will no longer date, socialize or communicate with carbon copies of you
To appease my boredom or to quench my thirstiness I have for attention
And short-lived compliments from ‘sorta kindas’.
You know….
He ‘sort kinda’ right, but ‘sorta kinda’ wrong?
His first name LUKE,
His last name WARM.
I won’t settle for false companionship
I won’t lay in the embrace of his arms,
Attempting to find some closeness,
But never feeling so far apart cause, I just wanna be held
Cause ”all I gotta do is Say” No!
No more ‘almost sessions’ of ‘almost coming close’
Passing winks & buying drinks,
I’ma, I’ma, I’ma flirt!
Who flirts with the ideology of,
‘Can you just tell me how much I can get away with & still be saved?’
NO more.
I’ll stay in my bed alone, and write poems, about how I will wait for you.
He won’t even come close,
Our fingers won’t even interlock
We won’t even exchange breath
Cause I have thoughts that I’ve ‘saved as’ in a file that God has only equipped you to open.

I will no longer get weighted down,
From so-called friends & family talks,
About the concern for my biological clock
When I serve the Author of Time.
Who is NOT subject to time,
But I’M subject to Him,
He has the ability to STOP, FAST FORWARD, PAUSE, or REWIND at any given time…

So if we could role play,
You would be Abraham & I would be Sarah
Or you could be Isaac & I can be Rebecca – a servant’s answer to prayer
I am bone of your bone, flesh of your flesh,
Made up of your rib Adam!
And once we meet, like electrons
I will be bound to your nucleus, completely indivisible atom.
We even speak the same math: 1 + 1 + 1 = 3, which really equals 1 if you add ‘em.
We were all created in His image,
But you have the ability to reflect, project & even detect the Son.
If I were to explain what you looked like,
You would have to look like a star,
A son of the Son..
I would gain energy simply from the light that you shine on me.
I would need you , in order to complete my photosynthesis
I await your revelation, but once again from the genesis, I will wait for you.

And I will know you… because when you speak I will be reminded of Solomon’s wisdom,
Your ability to lead will remind me of Moses,
Your faith will remind me of Abraham,
Your confidence in God’s Word will remind me of Daniel,
Your inspiration will remind me of Paul,
Your heart for God will remind me of David,
Your attention to detail will remind me of Noah,
Your integrity will remind me of Joseph,
And your ability to abandon your own will, will remind me of the disciples,
But your ability to love selflessly & unconditionally will remind me of Christ.
But I won’t need to identify you by any special Matthews or any special Marks,
Cause His word will be tatted all over your heart.

And you will know me, and you will find me,
Where… the boldness of Esther meets the warm closeness of Ruth.
Where the hospitality of Lydia is aligned with the submission of Mary,
Which is engulfed in the tears of a praying Hannah.
I will be the one, drenched in Proverbs 31… waiting for you.

But to my Father, my Father who has known me before I was birthed into this earth
Only if You should see fit…
I desire Your will above mine,
So even if You call me to a life of singleness,
My heart is content with YOU – the One who was sent.
YOU are the greatest love story ever told,
The greatest love ever known
You are forever my judge & I’m forever Your witness
And I pray that I’m always found on a mission about my Father’s business
Oh, I will always be Yours!
And I will always wait for You Lord, more than the watchmen wait for the morning,
More than the watchmen wait for the morning…

I will wait.

Be Here

One thing the Lord has been speaking to me over and over again in this season is a simple two word command: “Be here.” I am part of a generation that has gotten itself sucked into something our grandfathers would have never imagined and I believe, would have abhorred. It’s the propensity to not be where we are. And unfortunately, that is enabled by the very thing that lies next to our heads every night, the very thing that travels with us everywhere we go, the very thing that is always at our fingertips—our phones. I am not condemning phones or the advantages they provide. The communication available through phones is quite frankly phenomenal. However, I have been in so many situations, sitting in a room full of friends, going out to dinner with my family, and what am I doing? I am existing in another realm, completely oblivious to what is going on around me, and texting someone thousands of miles away, who I could probably text later when I’m not in a room full of friends or out with my family. I am not “here,” I am “there.” And that, I believe, is not the Lord’s heart.

When we do this not only is it incredibly rude and boring for the people we are with who are being considerate and not texting someone somewhere else (If you do this, don’t think I’m condemning you, we have all done it…a lot…), but it steals from us. We miss out on the very people the Lord has put in our lives at this precise moment in time. There is a reason you are where you are. There is a reason you are with the people you are with. I read once (I think in this book) that there is no one you cannot learn something from, and I think it’s true. But how can we learn from people we ignore, preferring instead to communicate only with the people we choose to communicate with, those on the other ends of our phones?  

Part of “being here,” is recognizing the gift of where you are. That means recognizing that you are where you are at the moment you are because the Lord has something for you in it. And you will probably miss it if your head is buried in your phone. Part of “being here,” is being grateful for where you are. If you recognize that it is a gift to be where you are, wherever you are and with whomever you are, you will be grateful for it. If you spend your hours existing in another realm, investing more in what is on your phone (or on the other side of your phone) than in the people around you, you are missing out, my friend. I want to learn from people, I want to bless people, I want to be challenged by people, I want to enjoy people. And the people the Lord has put me with at this time are the ones He wants to use right now for those purposes.

I’m not saying don’t invest in friendships with people you can only communicate with through technology. I have a lot of friendships like that, and I am so thankful for technology that allows me to keep in contact with those friends because I’m not willing to let those friendships go. But I am saying, don’t sacrifice the relationships with the people in the same room as you to do it. I believe relationships are eternal and that one day we will be held accountable for how we have handled them. Let’s get the balance right and invest the best way possible.

 

From a Chair to a Pillar

You know, when the Lord kicks out our props, He does it on purpose. Believe it or not, there are times He actually causes us to fall. "Heresy," I hear you say. No, it's not. Listen. You know why He does it? It’s not so He can be cruel and watch our lives fall to pieces and then look down and say, “I told you to make me your everything.” No, it’s so He can catch us and in that, show us His power. He doesn’t want us relying on anything else but Him because He is the best and He wants the best for us.

 

Think of a chair. It has four legs. Say He is one leg, but my significant other is one, my method of income is one and my health is one. I am not completely relying on Him, am I? But He wants me to rely on Him completely. So what does He do? He starts taking things away. Maybe my boyfriend leaves me. Things at work are in shambles; nothing is going the way I planned, and I’m afraid I will lose my job. To make things worse, I need to have my gallbladder removed. Little by little, He breaks the legs, and the chair begins to fall over. I have no control; the chair is going to fall. It cannot stand on just one leg. So it topples, on a crash-course; destination: obliteration.

But just before the chair of my life hits the ground, that’s when He catches me, if I’ll let Him. He doesn’t want me crashing to the ground. He doesn’t want my life in shattered pieces. He wants to stretch out His mighty hands and lift me back up. He wants to be my full support. He wants to be my pillar. This is where He shows His power. This is where He reveals more of His character. That’s what He wants. And through what will no doubt be a painful process, He takes what used to be the chair of my life, and He makes it into a mighty pillar, a rock on which I get to stand. He shapes and molds me and my life so that there’s only one thing supporting me now, and He will not fail. No one can knock Him over. No one can take Him away.

There are times we go through pruning seasons, seasons we feel we have lost so much. But it has purpose in our lives. There is a reason and He has a strategy. I don’t know much about gardening, my mother can attest to that, but I do know, when a gardener prunes, he does it so that the plant can bear more fruit. He removes some buds. He takes away some of the fruit. And the plant in turn produces more fruit. It’s exactly what He does with us. He takes away a little, so we can bear much more. He wants more for us. Always. So if you’ve been in a pruning season, if the Lord has removed some things, some people, from your life, ask Him why. Probably He has taken them away because He has better for you and He has more for you. Trust in His goodness and allow Him to be your pillar, your strength so that in Him, you can never be knocked over.

For You, O God, have tested us;

You have refined us as silver is refined.

You brought us into the net;

You laid affliction on our backs.

You have caused men to ride over our heads;

We went through fire and through water;

But You brought us out to rich fulfillment.

Psalm 66: 10-12

He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother

I have got to share a story with you. My mom just this morning pulled some books for me from her eclectic collection of paperbacks that she thought I might like. Apparently my writing reminds her of a specific author, but you know, “it could use some work.” I don't doubt that. She recommended one book, and I began reading it this afternoon. It’s the story of a man on a journey through the darkness of depression, and the commentary of his experience in a psychiatric ward really spoke to my heart. I have friends who are…going through some stuff, shall we say. And, having just been through some stuff myself, although nothing nearly as dark as this author’s journey, I understand a little bit better, and my desire is to stand with them, in encouragement, support, intercession, however I can. And I also have friends on the other side who are standing with their friends who are struggling in the same manner.

So, if you’re in the first boat and have some “stuff” going on, be encouraged: you are not alone. Even if it looks like no one is standing with you, I bet there is. In fact I know One who is absolutely fighting for you. And if you’re in the second boat, be encouraged. Your fight for your friend(s) definitely makes a difference.

We are one Body, so as Paul wrote, let us “bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ,” (Galatians 6:2). Which law is that? The law of Love.

“In the dark days when Christ came to me as I lay there on my mat in the glare of the brake lights—or was it in the dust, begging alms at the city gate, or beside the pool whose waters promised healing if only I could reach them in time, or along the road where one could make mud for the eyes from spittle and dirt, or on the road to Mary and Martha’s house, where the crowd jockeyed for position and a good seat, or in the tomb with Lazarus himself, wrapped in bandages, beginning to rot, alone in the dark—on the day when Christ said to me, “Do you want to be healed?” it was Norma who kept saying yes, not me. I was too tired, too ill, too afraid, too uncertain, too ready to die. It was Norma and my sister and my friends and a couple dozen strangers who took me to the Healer.

     “'Your faith has made you whole,' said Jesus to one He had healed. In fact, in many cases [ex. Mark 2:5-12] it was the faith of those who came running through the town to tell the cripple that the Healer was nearby and convinced him that it was worth the effort to try and get there. It was the faith of those who carried the litter, pushed through the crowd, tore off the roof tiles, lifted the litter, struggled across the roof in the sun, lowered the rope, and ran downstairs to tell Jesus that the man who was coming through the roof was ready to be healed, whether the man knew it or not. It was their faith, or hope or desire or concern or wild dream or crazy idea, or something. In the end, it was their love for the cripple that made him whole."

--Robert Benson, Between the Dreaming and the Coming True

I have a friend, a brother I love dearly. That boy is 200lbs and one day, he jumped on my back. I was shocked I didn't immediately fall over. But, silly me, I tried to walk. I couldn't even take one step. Literally, not one step. But this, I can do. In Christ Jesus, I am strong enough for this. It may be a long road, but you know, the load doesn't weigh me down, 'cause he's my brother.
 

          "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother"

The road is long
With many a winding turn
That leads us to who knows where
Who knows when
But I'm strong
Strong enough to carry him
He ain't heavy, he's my brother

So on we go
His welfare is of my concern
No burden is he to bear
We'll get there
For I know
He would not encumber me
He ain't heavy, he's my brother

If I'm laden at all
I'm laden with sadness
That everyone's heart
Isn't filled with the gladness
Of love for one another

It's a long, long road
From which there is no return
While we're on the way to there
Why not share
And the load
Doesn't weigh me down at all
He ain't heavy, he's my brother

He's my brother
He ain't heavy, he's my brother...

 
He Ain't Heavy... (The Hollies)

Our God is fighting for us always! Open Up Our Eyes (Elevation)
 

Grace

More about change later…

I’m realizing more and more that I am on a journey. And so is everyone around me. I was made by the Master Craftsman, but you know, He is still working on me. I am not finished by any means. I’m not even close. There are so many flaws in me, broken pieces and sharp corners, places that need to be smoothed, places that need to be fixed. And I’m coming to the conclusion that I need more grace. For others but also for myself.

I have always had high standards for others as well as for myself. And consequently, I get disappointed a lot. But taking a moment out of my disappointment to reflect, I am hit with the thought that some who have disappointed me really are trying their best. It wasn’t their motivation or intention to disappoint me; probably it has more to do with a lack of maturity, and even more than that, it has to do with the expectations I placed on them (whether I realized I was placing expectations on them or not). Granted, they are responsible for their actions, and there is always room for growth. But I’m learning that I need to have grace for them. I think that’s related to my earlier post Love Endures. I read today in Proverbs 19 that “the discretion of a man makes him slow to anger, and his glory is to overlook a transgression.” Overlooking a transgression. That’s grace. That’s the love that endures all things. I’m not advocating the lack of accountability or communication in our relationships. I’m not saying we should take our disappointments and sweep them under the rug and pretend we were never hurt. But to learn to take our hearts to the Lord, ask Him to help us forgive those who have disappointed us and then extend grace to those people. The Lord will work on their hearts; that’s not our job.

Our job is to cultivate our hearts and care for our own vineyards (Song of Solomon 1). We don’t have to have it together all the time. And it’s foolishness to pretend that we do. I think maturity is admitting to ourselves that sometimes we are a mess and we need Jesus to come and help. That’s extending grace to ourselves. And I think we need more of it. Not to excuse our bad behavior or our sin, but to do our best to honor the Lord and others in all we do, knowing sometimes we’re going to slip, but also knowing He reaches down with His mighty right hand and He picks us back up. Every time. I was reminded recently of something one of my friends says so often: He is so faithful He will not leave us as we are. It’s true. He is committed to this work of art He started. The Author and Perfecter of our faith will indeed finish the good work He began in us. And believe it or not, it is His joy to do so.

Encouragement:
Mainstream Wait and See (Brandon Heath)
Old School :) Please Be Patient with Me (Albertina Walker)