Uncertainty: the Birthplace of Trust

I often forget that while I am stuck in the middle of my own story, there is someone who stands above it, knowing beginning from end and everything in between. I wonder if we could really grasp this, how different our lives could be. The concept brings to mind a quote by author Margaret Attwood:

She states:
“When you are in the middle of a story it isn't a story at all, but only a confusion; a dark roaring, a blindness, a wreckage of shattered glass and splintered wood; like a house in a whirlwind, or else a boat crushed by the icebergs or swept over the rapids, and all aboard powerless to stop it. It's only afterwards that it becomes anything like a story at all. When you are telling it, to yourself or to someone else.”

I can so relate to the concept of wild, blind confusion where all the bits of life are swirling around with no apparent rhyme or reason. When things are not going to plan, it is easy to feel that our life is in chaos, that there is no rhythm or purpose or stability. It is easy, when uncertainty looms overhead, to think that these feelings are true. That we actually are lost and restless, tossing on a sea of random events. But is it true?

God tells us in His Word that He works all things together for good. He works His will in us and His purpose is revealed in all His dealings with His children. While we may feel as though things are out of control, they never actually are. We can relieve some of the discomfort of uncertainty by recognising that no matter how senseless the events seem right now, there is a time coming when we will look back and say, 'yes, I see the hand of God in that.' Life is hard. Sometimes we have to cling to that truth like a splintered board on a storm tossed sea. But this, I believe, is where we can learn to walk in the perfect peace of Christ. The peace that passes all understanding.

Uncertainty is the birthplace of trust in God, and as uncomfortable as it is (and as often as I keep saying it) it is an opportunity to deepen our intimacy with God and grow our endurance. A condition of want creates a space for God to fill. And He will. Chances are, that's exactly what He's trying to teach you.
Lean in. Hope. Someone is standing above it all.

If You've Got it, Sow it.

There is something really appealing about a person living fully alive. When individuals tap into that creative well within and begin to step forward in confidence into their gifts and calling, it is like a divine breath of life. It doesn't matter whether your calling is writing books, saving lives or making coffee. The art of living out of your sweet spot is dynamic, life giving and inspiring.
It is also...Scary.

Discovering what stirs you is one thing: having the courage to run with it, is another thing altogether. What if it's weird? What if it doesn't fit the mould? Maybe there's no job role for what it is that floats your boat. The diversity between us never ceases to amaze me. But what are we supposed to do with that unusual combination of gifts, insights and failings that make us who we are?

Run with them.
Eek. I can hear you screaming. That is all very well, you might say, but what if it doesn't work? Well, I have a simple answer.
It will work.

See there's a principle at motion when it comes to those stirrings inside us. God is a good God and he has placed a little spark within each of us. They are divine seeds and they require one thing: to be planted. Those seeds will toss around inside you like Mexican jumping beans until you get 'em out and press them into the earth. It is called sowing, and in God's economy, the return is something you can take for granted. What? You say. Does this mean that everything I do will bring a glorious harvest? What it means is this: you can't NOT do it. It is all part of moving forward into the will and plan of God for your life. Even if the harvest is not mind blowing, it is still accomplishing an important work: shaping you, making you a little older and wiser. God's blessing will be on anything you give Him, even if the outcome is different to what you anticipated.

It is a Divine principle promised to His children. He works all things together for good. Contrary to some popular belief, He actually wants us to flourish. For too long we have been tempted to think He is standing there with his pruning shears waiting to snip off any shoot of industry that should emerge in our lives. When did we forget that we are His children?

Our job is simple: If you've got, sow it. Trust him with the outcome. He will bring the sun and the rain. He will do the pruning and the staking. The life of a gardener is a life of faith: one that takes for granted the principle of life. Sometimes the seed may perish into the ground, sometimes the pests may come, but it is all working toward tomorrow's harvest. The real tragedy is to quit sowing.

Believe it or Not, the Gospel is Actually Good News

Why is it that so many of us God-loving sons and daughters have become convinced that who we are is not okay?
For too long I have struggled with a sense that I am not good enough for the God life, and I have a sneaking suspicion from conversations with others that I am not the only one.
Frequently I see people I know and love running from God because of the belief that somehow He won't be pleased with them. Somehow we have out-sinned his grace. Or we simply feel so overwhelmed at how far short we fall that we avoid Him altogether.

Where has this God-pleasing attitude come from? Because when I look at the Gospel, people ran TO Jesus not from Him. The ones who did run, were those who were full of religious pride and self righteous, judging attitudes. Jesus' simple, gracious gospel was not a good fit. It scraped away all those parts of themselves that they were counting on. Their works. Their intellect. Their position in the religious system. These were the things that filled them with pride and self satisfaction. The concept of a God who couldn't give two hoots about their accomplishments was not a good fit at all.

On the other hand, the messy, the sinful, the awkward and the outcasts were among those who sat at His table and thirstily drank up His words. They found Him to be a good fit. Full of comfort and making up abundantly for those parts of themselves that they found were lacking.

You see, in its time, the Gospel was actually considered to be a GOOD thing.
It was the mighty leveller and its emphasis shifted according to who Christ was speaking to. He warned the proud that they would be brought low. He told those who were counting on their own merits for salvation that their works were as filthy rags.
To those who were humble, honest about their failings, He gave a message of hope. They would be lifted and raised up. His grace would cover their sins and a robe of righteousness would shroud their failures.

We get it fundamentally wrong when we switch this principle. Berating ourselves for our sin, our weakness is not Godly, it's not healthy and it is NOT the Gospel of Christ. Our requirement is not sinlessness. Our requirement is simple.
Come.
Come often.
Come honestly.
Come expecting.

Father God is not freaking out over your failures. He knows them well. This Christian gig is not about getting it right. It's about adoption and the beauty of this is that the Parent is the one who assumes the responsibility for working His will in His kids.
He will guide us.
He will shape us.
He will do the work.
Don't get tricked into running, thinking you are unacceptable to God. It's one of the enemy's biggest weapons to keep you locked into guilt and avoiding the God who wants to do the work in you.

'He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble

He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty.'

Luke 1:52,53

Bitter/Sweet

I want to touch on something that I wrote about a couple of weeks back: the dynamic effect of the Cross on whatever it touches. The Cross does not necessarily change our circumstances. It does, however, provide a new lens through which we can view what is happening around us. This is the work of redemption vs the work of the miraculous. There is a time and a place for both. There are times when the Lord will remove the obstacles from our life and there are times when He will work on our muscles so we can climb over them instead. Both are necessary parts of our development. Both teach us something about God. Our victory is not limited to the lining up of ideal circumstances. It is so much more powerful than that. The cross has the power to plunge into the thick of a terrible situation and transpose our perspective, so that we can have the faith and strength we need to endure.

The Lord showed me this principal of action during a quiet time some weeks ago. He pointed me to the story in Exodus 15, where the Israelites had been three days without water. When they finally came across a stream, the water was completely bitter and unfit for drinking. God gave Moses an unusual cure:

'Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea and they went into the Desert of Shur. For three days they traveled in the desert without finding water. When they came to Marah, they could not drink its water because it was bitter. (That is why the place is called Marah.) So the people grumbled against Moses, saying, “What are we to drink?” Then Moses cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a piece of wood. He threw it into the water, and the water became fit to drink.' Exodus 15:22-25

There are no random happenings in the timeline of God's movings amongst His people. In this story we see a piece of wood transforming undrinkable water into a source of refreshment in their dire need. Some several thousand years later, another piece of wood has the power to bring the change we so desperately need. The power of the Cross lies in its ability to transform whatever it touches. Whether it is the circumstance itself or our mental stamina to handle the circumstance. Whichever way the Lord chooses to work in our individual challenges, the principal remains the same: what is bitter will become sweet when touched by the redemptive work of Christ.

If you've prayed and the circumstance isn't changing, take heart! God is inviting you to drink deeply from His sweet supply. In times when my own circumstances have been bitter, God taught me to feed from Him, day by day, sip by precious sip. As I look back on experiences in my life that were intense, overwhelming or painful, I'm surprised by how often the memory has been cleansed. While the situation was bitter, I'm left with the aftertaste of sweetness: the hallmark that God was there.
He will sweeten the circumstance or sweeten you. Either way, you're going to be ok. Just keep leaning in and let the Cross touch it.

'Trust in the Lord, and do good;

Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.' 

Psalm 37:3

When People Invade...

Boundaries.
We all need them.
Many of us find it a challenge to exercise them.

I'm having one of those days.
One where the kids just Will.Not.Stop.
They want everything, fight everything and generally treat me like a villain because I won't let them eat desert without dinner or stay up and watch movies. What's worse than people pressing in on you, trying your patience?
Letting them get inside your head.

At least that's my problem. It's not just kids, its anyone. Family, friends, even sales people calling me on my own phone! You see I have this really, really bad problem called self doubt.

It's a tricky one to have because sometimes it feels like self-awareness. Sometimes it feels like grace. Sometimes it feels like loving my neighbour more than myself. But you know what? Its not. When it comes down to it, more often than not, I give in because I'm afraid.
I'm afraid you will judge me.
I'm afraid you won't like me.
I'm afraid you'll think I'm inferior or incapable or inadequate or unkind.
And worst of all, I'm afraid that I'll believe you.

For so many years I have allowed other people's opinions and criticisms to draw the boundary line around my own behaviours. I have pushed myself beyond healthy limit. Accommodated clingy, needy attitudes that have sucked me dry. And not stood up for myself when I really should have.

But you know what I'm slowly learning? If I don't draw a boundary, someone else will. And before you know it, you might find that - like me - you have surrendered an awful lot of real estate in your own life. Or worse still, within your own mind.

People are not our enemy, but the real enemy can use their attitudes and unfair criticisms to keep us bound; to keep us from being who we are really supposed to be. Don't confuse Christian charity for giving in. Saying yes when it should be no is not helpful to anyone. It's not healthy for yourself and its not healthy for the person who just might need to hear that no.

I've decided its time to reclaim a little bit of land back.
Will you join me?

Solution Fixation

Do you ever imagine the perfect solution to the challenges in your life? Perhaps it is your husband learning how to understand you better?

Your children finally listening to what you tell them.

That pesky sickness leaving you alone...

Lately, I've been thinking about the concept of solution-fixation. (don't google it, I made it up) :)

By this, I mean the pattern of thinking we slip into when challenges are on our doorstep; we visualise solutions and tell ourselves 'if only this were to happen, then everything would be okay.'

We can become fixated on that event or lining up of circumstances that will take us away from the challenges at hand. But is this always a healthy approach?

Certainly, creativity is wired into our very being and problems often require critical thinking and imaginative solutions (mixed with a little hard work)... however, becoming fixed on a certain solution - particularly if it is one that is outside of our control or power - can actually do the very opposite of what we are trying to achieve. It can lock us into a victim-mentality and strip us of the power to exert change over our circumstances. When we hinge our own emotional and psychological well being onto a solution that is beyond our reach we lose sight of the valuable lessons that the problem might be trying to teach us. 

In case you haven't noticed, God doesn't magically disintegrate our problems nearly as much as we would like. Trust me, I know: it would be so easy if He just....(insert obvious solution here)

But He doesn't. More often than not, He has us walk through a thing.

But perhaps there is method in His madness....

In our rush for answers, we forget an important principle:

Solutions change things around us.

Problems change things within us.

There is a time and a place for both and God in His wisdom knows exactly which it is you need; and He isn't slow on solution when you really need it. Problems can be more powerful than solutions. They're not easy, but they are potential agents of change. The challenge lies in which way they will change us? Will they make us more frustrated, disappointed and jaded? Or will they lead us into deeper intimacy and dependance on God?

I have a bit of a feeling that God takes His parenting duty very seriously....let him show you what you need to learn to cope with this problem. He won't leave you helpless.

'But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing' 

James 1:4

What did He do?

For as long as I remember, I have theoretically known what Christ achieved on the Cross. Atonement. Propitiation. Sacrifice. It has become a pat, dusty little theology sitting in the unused corners of my mind for much of my adult life. Theologically dry and practically inaccessible.

I am left with a dutiful amount of gratitude but also find myself wondering, what am I missing here? Is Calvary overrated? Over advertised? Short on delivery? Because when I look around, I don't see nearly so much dynamo unleashed that you would expect given the sheer amount of real estate given this work in the Bible. The Cross was changing lives. Literally tearing them apart and making something new. As a Christian, I see the rhythmic beat of redemption in the life of His followers. The steady, quiet work as we are shaped by the Great Parent, but I rarely see the life-cracking power of Calvary grasped tenaciously, turning agony to victory, stirring hope like elixir through the bitter brew of broken lives. Why do so many of us Christ-followers seem to struggle with many of the painful pitfalls and despairs experienced by broken society? Where is our hope? Where is our power? I'm not talking vague, pat 'everything will be ok one day' mentalities... Don't get me wrong, these attitudes are good, necessary: great in fact! But where is the power of the cross in our today? Is there some powerful concept woven into the fabric of that controversial event that we are missing....a secret awaiting our discovery, readily accessible moment by moment in all our agonies and victories, trials and triumphs? And if so, what does it look like in my mind? My life? My skin?

I am no theologian, but I am beginning to reassess how I have viewed the Cross. Because, I'm getting a sneaking suspicion that I am only scratching the dust here and there just might be a wellspring beneath my fingertips. What if the Cross really was the most exciting thing to happen to mankind? What if it truly was the Great Battle Conquered: that mighty and invisible clash of worlds, where the military control of Darkness was literally overthrown and a New Kingdom was set into motion? What if it its implications are as tender as a lover, as real as Youtube and as readily accessible as a breath?
I know, right? It sounds like the stuff of an amazing tv series, but is it real? The short answer is: YES! more real than the skin we inhabit! And I have a growing suspicion that is supposed to crack open our lives, our days, our moments just as it cracked open the very earth beneath His feet.

Because when His body exhaled, an invisible, corrupting Kingdom bled into the dusty ground and began to distort the cells of Fallen Humanity. Like a viral infection leaking into the hopelessness, the despair, the injustice, the loss. Every event from that moment forth: every single exquisite, painful moment from that day until the folding up of this planet, was cataclysmically divided. Hope vs Despair. Redemption vs Destruction. Life vs Death. Within reach of fingers and hearts and minds... The word of the Lord is near.

We are offered a Kingdom. Viral. Wild. Corrosive. Accessible.
The ramifications are dynamic.
Sink your teeth into it. Get your head around it. Let it invade.
It's where our story begins.