The Rich are like Flowers

I love flowers.

My mother in law loves flowers too.

BUT she is a realist.

She prefers silk flower arrangements over real flowers.

Why?

Real flowers only last a few days.

Then they droop, and brown, and sometimes if you don't change the water that they sit in gets downright stinky.

James says that the rich are like flowers.

They come and go quickly..they fade even as they go about their business.

Well, being on the poor side of American life this make me feel a little superior....BUT...yep, this is a big but...I'm on the excessively wealthy side when it comes world economic standing and that make me feel quite humble.

God isn't against wealth, in the Old Testament wealth was a sign of God's favor.  And I certainly know many wealthy people who have done phenomenal things with their wealth.

I have, however, seen that wealth can steal hearts away from God.

And I think this is what God (via James) is getting at.

When we invest our life in the pursuit of wealth we fade even as we live.

But if we invest our life in pursuit of God and godly things our lives gain the weight of eternal glory.

Eternal things that will not fade.

It's good to know that this is not all there is.

Thanks James, thanks God. 

Ending Hebrews Beginning James

Today I started the book of James.

I used to hate this book.

It made me mad.

Right of the bat James is just full of fun (insert heavy sarcasm here).

He says to be joyful when you suffer...oh wait, his exact words are "consider it all a joy when you face trials of many kinds."  That's the second verse of the first chapter, so I used to pretty much stop there and think,

"James!!!!  You're crazy!!!!"

I used to get mad, because who wants to suffer?

As I grew up I realized suffering is not optional.

EVERYBODY suffers.

No one is exempt.

One must look life squarely in the eye, both feet firmly planted in reality and admit that fact.

So why should we be happy about it?

Well, James goes on to say some things that are beneficial things that happen to you when you suffer and you belong to God (go ahead and read it if you want).

And those things do not include becoming a bitter victim of life's hardships.

So here's how I see it:

A) You can suffer and think there's no real purpose, rhyme or reason to it (and you will suffer...like I said, it's guaranteed in this life).

or 

B) You can suffer and realize that God uses suffering for the good of those who love him and are called according to his purpose (I didn't  make that up, it's in the Bible).

That's what James is getting at really.  

When we suffer, we grow.

We grow, we listen to God, we weed out what is of no value in this life and find out what does have value.

Suffering is a non-optional, not fun, sometimes heart wrenching thing.

But if it gets you closer to God and more helpful to humanity...bring it on.

(in small doses please)

However, not my will but God's be done. 

More in Heeeeeebrews 

Sometimes I read something that makes me leave my grown up mind and retreat into a very childlike world.

That happened today

Some of you know my favorite quote from C.S. Lewis.

"I find in myself desires that nothing in this world can satisfy,

the only logical conclusion is that I was made for another world."

You all know what this world can dish out.

There's a lot of good, but we'd have to be grossly dishonest to say this 

world only keeps more than just a thin membrane of "everything's alright" over the horror and

complete chaos on this planet.

So when I read this morning "In just a little he who is coming will not delay." I felt my heart melt just a little.

Because I want my Daddy to come get me and take me home.

So I will wait for the arrival of the one who will make everything right.

That will be a good day.

The Hebrews

I was reading in the book of Hebrews today. 

My maternal roots are in the Middle East, so I like to think that maybe at sometime my ancestors lived in the land Cannan.

It's possible.

The Hebrews were certainly unique when contrasted against other ancient Middle Eastern cultures.

They were as the Bible says, "a peculiar people"

I can relate to that.

I'm pretty peculiar sometimes.

But the Hebrews ended up with God telling them to build a very specific Temple.

The specifications were very precise.

The killed animals in that temple.

The blood of an animal would cover the sins of Israel for one year.

But every year the priest had to go into the Holy of Holies (a room with

the Ark of the Covenant in it...please see Raiders of the Lost Ark if you don't know what I'm talking about)

and kill another animal.

Hebrews (the book) explains that the animal sacrifices were a bloody picture of a final sacrifice to come.

You know who I'm talking about.

That very fabulous guy Jesus.

When John the Baptist saw Jesus he said, "Behold, the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world."

He said a mouthful that day.

Because he was right.  Jesus died and took away the sins of the world.

But unlike the annual sacrifice of the Hebrews, he only had to do it once.

Jesus is good like that.

And he can forgive you once too.

That's all it takes really, just ask him and he promises he'll do it.

Yep, he's good like that. 

Sometimes I'm pretty sure God hears me.  Sometimes I think he might be distracted by Facebook or texting.
(Not really God, I'm just kidding).  But sometimes my prayer seem to hit the ceiling and konk right back down on my head.

I used to feel inadequate when this happened.  Then I realized I just had to trust that God does indeed hear me.  Then I read the most depressing and delightful bit of scripture that I have seen in a long time.  It's in the book of Lamentations (which says enough in itself) and it's written by Jeremiah who is nicknamed the Weeping Prophet (I LOVE that nickname).

Here is what it says...he is talking about God.
Chapter 3
He has walled me in so I cannot escape; 

    he has weighed me down with chains. 
⁸ Even when I call out or cry for help, 
    he shuts out my prayer. 
⁹ He has barred my way with blocks of stone;
    he has made my paths crooked.

¹⁰ Like a bear lying in wait,
    like a lion in hiding, 
¹¹ he dragged me from the path and mangled me
    and left me without help.
¹² He drew his bow 
    and made me the target for his arrows.

(At this point I'm thinking lightening bolt...right?)

But here is where the rubber meets the road.

Verse 21

Yet this I call to mind
    and therefore I have hope:

²² Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, 
    for his compassions never fail. 
²³ They are new every morning;
    great is your faithfulness. 
²⁴ I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; 
    therefore I will wait for him.”

I think this is pretty darn good.  Honest, to the point, and frank.

I like it.

But where else can we go?

That's all I have to say.

Do You Hear Me?

Sometimes I know that God is near me.

Sometimes I don't.

Sometimes I feel like my prayers bounce off the ceiling and God simply has forgotten about me.

The past month has been a "God is being quiet month."

I know he is still there.  I know he is still whispering, "Keep walking."

But I can BARELY hear that guy you know!

So, he puts me near people who are seeing their prayers answered, people who are having miraculous things happen in their life.

There is a man in my home church who is in his 60's or 70's.

He just moved into an apartment after living with his daughter and her family for a long time.

When he moved in he had no furniture to speak of save a bed and a few other things.

A week after he moved in the woman next door to him had to go into a nursing home permanently.

The woman's daughter told the man from my home church he could have whatever furniture he needed.

He has a nice chair to sit in now and a kitchen table.  He has a microwave on the way and all the food that was in her pantry and refrigerator is now in HIS pantry and refrigerator.

God is like that.

He is the provider of all that we need.

I hope the woman who is going into a nursing home knows about Jesus.  I think her time to leave this world is very near.

So I will keep walking and waiting for God to answer my prayers.

I need money to go to lunch with a friend I have not seen in a long time.

My kids are going with me too, so they will need to eat.

I'll let you know how that turns out.

Are you listening God?  I'm waiting.

Susan Boyle

You all know Susan Boyle right?

American Idol,

everyone thought she would make a fool of herself,

and then she sang with the voice from another world and knocked everyone's socks off.

She made me cry.

I was watching her American Idol performance just a few nights ago with Oz on YouTube and she STILL makes me cry.

Do you want to know why?

Because here is this normal, plain woman who nobody thinks will do much of anything.  BUT, then she opens her mouth and out comes the most beautiful voice you have EVER heard.

Everyone wants that one shining moment.
Everyone wants that moment where people stand up and cheer.
Everyone wants to be validated.
Everyone wants to count for something.

Well, Susan Boyle did it!
She made people take notice and I love that about her.

But what about me?

You do not want to hear me belt out a tune.
I can paint, but I'm not the kind of painter that will EVER be hung in a museum.
I'm a pretty good mom and wife, but very few people know about that...and even fewer care.
I'm an okay cook.
I'm an okay friend.
I'm pretty much just okay...nothing tremendously special.

But do you know what?

God says that one day when life is done that if we have followed him as faithfully as we know how he will greet us and say in front of legions of angels and all the millions of Christians that have gone before us and he will say, "Well done good and faithful servant."

That will be my Susan Boyle moment....only WAY better.

I live to hear, "Well done."

Can't wait to see you God.