yes...you SHOULD be here...

last week, as i was traveling home from a couple of weeks in the states, i had a frustrating and eye-opening experience.

my first flight was nine hours of massive discomfort trying to sleep in an economy seat cruelly designed for people much shorter and skinnier than myself. my chair didn't recline and the armrest had broken piece that kept digging into my hip. the gentleman sitting beside me was about 6 ft. 5 in. so, together, we were both trying to "politely" get as much leg room as we could to keep circulation going down to our feet... not easy.
definitely not comfortable.

having dozed through the in-flight meal, i arrived in amsterdam hungry, sore and frustrated. i had a nine hour layover. i started walking around the airport trying to think of how to pass nine hours...
being a true-blue matheny, food was first on my agenda... i headed upstairs to a food-court and paid WAY TOO MUCH for a burger and a coke. only partially satiated, i continued to walk around. only 8 hours and 20 more minutes to go.... sheesh....
i walked and walked, browsed in the stores, watched people, drank from the water fountain, walked some more.... only 20 more minutes gone by...

i went back up to the restaurants to find coffee and somewhere to chill and out of the corner of my eye, i saw this...

beautiful, inviting, warm... and somewhere in the back of my mind, i thought i remembered my dad telling me something about my ticket and a lounge i could rest in... am i allowed in there??? as i contemplated walking in to ask, the magical glass doors open and out walk a group of business men in expensive suits. at the same time, a couple of ladies from behind me walked in... they had super high heels and expensive smelling perfume. i stood there in my jeans, t-shirt and $3 body spray from walmart, watched as they were greeted by the hostess, and feeling sufficiently assured that i would not be allowed in, turned around and went to search for my coffee. for which i paid $9 (like, 800/=!!)

i found a place to sit and i waited and waited. as time went by, i started to feel the effects of the way-too-expensive caffeine wearing off and my long night of battling the tall guy for leg space coming on.
i contorted myself in my chair to try to get some sleep.
then it got cold.
really cold.
and i didn't have a sweater or jacket.

finally, exhaustion, cold and tearful frustration meshed together to create a desperate boldness. i went back up to the lounge.
the crown lounge.
i walked in and hesitantly went to the ladies behind the desk.
"i'm not sure i should be here," i said to one of them.
she asked to see my ticket, which i sheepishly handed over, fully expecting her to turn me away.
but she looked up at me, smiled, and said these words...

"yes. you should be here."

i walked around the desk and what did i see? a buffet. soups and salads. bread. stew. fruit and cheese and .... oh my gosh!! a cuppucino maker!! all for FREE! all for me!!! huge, big chairs!
places to rest comfortably! warm carpets on the floor... it had been here for the 8 hours i had been suffering downstairs...
it was all just waiting for me to claim it!!

i felt relieved and FOOLISH at the same time!
HOW could i not have had the boldness to ask before?!?

well... i enjoyed my one hour in the crown lounge, then onto my next flight.. :)

here's what i thought... my wonderful dad has spent YEARS travelling in uncomfortable seats, spent hours on long layovers in freezing airports... he's done it all, and as the result of the price he paid, i now get to enjoy the benefits of all the miles he's travelled.

he paid the price - i get the reward.
i'm not the rich businessman or the ladies in high heels and designer perfume.
i'm the chic in jeans and walmart body spray.
but i belong here too. why? cuz dad made the way.
i just have to walk in and enjoy it.
if i remain outside because i'm intimidated and not sure i qualify... well, that's sad. and that's how SO MANY of us are as believers... we're outside, cold, hungry, being "ripped off," when the free-flowing cuppucino is just WAITING for us! our DAD has paid the price for us to enter the "crown lounge"... we are royalty! we qualify!!

so... in case you are tired, sore, hungry and frustrated from the journey... you need to remember the price has already been paid for you...

yes... you should be here...

kill or keep??

one of the most famous stories in the Bible is the story of abraham offering isaac... but let me take a few minutes to point out some interesting things from this story that stand out to me...

i'm sure you're familiar with the story... abraham had been promised generations that would number as many as the stars in the sky... all of these were to come from the one son that he had miraculously been given: isaac. his wife, sarah, gave birth to isaac when she was far past child-bearing years. isaac was the promised child. he was the prophecy fulfilled. he was the joy of sarah, the hope of abraham.

then, one day, God speaks to abraham. "take your son, your only son, isaac, and go to the land of moriah - sacrifice him there as a burnt offering." (genesis 22:2) what sounds totally absurd, and even cruel, abraham responds to with immediate obedience.

he takes isaac on the greatest journey of faith - they travel to the region of moriah, to the mountain God showed him. once they got close, abraham said to the servants, "stay here with the donkeys. the boy and i are going over there to WORSHIP..." (gen.22:5)

first thing to note: this is the first time the word "worship" is mentioned in the Bible. it's not related to music, singing, a band, lyrics, dance... none of the that. the first time worship is mentioned, it's referring to obedience, sacrifice, trust, total faith. WOW!!!

when isaac and abraham are walking up the mountain, isaac says, "dad, we've got the wood and the flint... but where is the sheep for the burnt offering?" (gen. 22:7 paraphrased)

second thing to note: isaac was abraham's flesh and blood - his offspring. when you are on the path to obedience, many times your flesh will speak up and start pointing out what is missing... or try to talk you out of what you're going to do. i don't think isaac was intentionally doing that (to be honest, though scripture doesn't say, i don't think isaac knew what was coming... he was just making observations). still, the point is... this was a dad going to sacrifice his child - and on the way up, his beloved son spoke up and pointed out the very thing that was breaking his heart - there was no sheep. isaac was to be the sheep. how tempting it must have been for abraham to just turn around and forget what God had said.

once they got to the place God showed abraham, he prepared the altar, laid out the wood, and then tied up isaac and laid him on the wood. again, the Scripture does not go into much detail here, but i absolutely cannot imagine a young boy eagerly and happily laying on the altar of his own death. even if he was submitted and willing to obey, you know there must have been fear, tears, amazing conflict to trust. imagine what it must've been like for abraham - looking down at his beautiful son, seeing the struggle in isaac's eyes to trust that his father know's what he's doing...perhaps doubting abraham's love, maybe crying out, maybe struggling against his father... oh my gosh, it must've been such an emotional moment for them both. for abraham, having to fight his will and his understanding and his reasoning - struggling with submission in the moment of sacrifice.

and at the greatest moment of the test, the climax of conflict between his spirit and soul, when abraham raised the knife to slay isaac....

"just then an angel of God called to him out of heaven, 'abraham! abraham!' 'yes, i'm listening.'" - genesis 22:11

third thing to note: in the most emotional, stressful, challenging moment of his life, abraham was still able to hear God's voice. he didn't let his emotions override the moment... he was still sensitive, still listening, still attentive... he heard the "now word" of God.

if abraham had gotten swept away by the feelings of the moment, he would've missed out on what God was saying...

he would have killed what God intended for him to keep.

i want to challenge you today - what is God saying to you NOW?? abraham WAS indeed walking in obedience to what God had said... but he was also tuned to the fresh word, the "now" word. are you? are you letting the emotions, the sacrifice, the pain, the questions, the frustration override your choice to listen to God? what is He telling you to do? listen out for what He's saying... over every voice of fear, doubt, anxiety, hurt... listen for the voice of God!!

...i'm sorry, i'm just too busy...

"Jesus answered by telling a story. "There was once a man traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho. On the way he was attacked by robbers. They took his clothes, beat him up, and went off leaving him half-dead. Luckily, a priest was on his way down the same road, but when he saw him he angled across to the other side. Then a Levite religious man showed up; he also avoided the injured man." - Luke 10 (the Message Bible)

this story that Jesus told was stirred in my heart this morning. it's about a man who has been hurt, beaten, robbed and desperately in need of help. the first person to pass him by is a priest - a spiritual leader. we don't know why, but for whatever reason, this "Christian" crosses over to the other side. the second man to pass the beaten man is a "Levite religious man".... but Scripture says he "avoided the injured man."

sadly, and shamefully, this is often so true of my life
and the lives of so many believers.
we are too busy.
we are on our way to somewhere really important.
we have responsibilities.
we have an agenda.
we have our program.

how often do we, the Church, walk right past those who are hurt, beaten, robbed and desperately in need of help... so often, we don't even have the eyes to see them. if we DO see them, then we don't have the "time" to meet the need...we're too busy....
how often do we "avoid the injured" and find it easier to look for those who won't cost us too much time, finances or personal sacrifice/involvement.
by our actions, we can so easily send this message:
"i know i have the power to put a smile on your face.
i know i am capable of meeting your need.
i know that if i just took a few minutes out of my day,
i could make your day so much better,
i could encourage you and strengthen you.
i know you've probably been ignored, looked down on,
rejected, pushed aside and you're questioning if anyone sees you.
i know i could make a difference...
...i'm sorry...i'm just too busy."

while i may not have the resources at my disposal to radically invest in turning someone's life totally around, i can do SOMETHING - i can buy one extra loaf of bread at the store and give it out to someone in need, or take a few flowers home to my mama, or smile at the kid who's begging at my window and find out his name...i can speak life. i can remind someone that they are VALUABLE, that they matter... i can do something.

there was once a man who was so distraught at seeing the blind, the beggars, the crippled and the orphaned in the streets that he cried out, "oh Great God! how can Thou,
being a Good Creator, do nothing about this horrible suffering?"
and God's answer?
"I did do something. I made you."

"Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing
because he could only do a little." ~Edmund Burke

you can do something.
you can make someone's world a better place TODAY!
you can SHOW the love of Jesus TODAY!
you can warm someone's heart TODAY!
you can be the answer to someone's prayer...

if you see the need, then most likely, you're the one God put there to meet it.
don't pass by... don't look the other way...

"Act as if what you do makes a difference.
It does."
~William James

...come higher...

something way down deep inside you knows
beyond every nagging voice of doubt, disappointment and fear
that there is meant to be MORE in this life...
more than frustrated, dull days of repetitious duties,
pointless conversations,
shallow love,
petty issues,
making ends meet....
something way down deep inside you is crying out for LIFE, ADVENTURE, PURPOSE and MAJESTY.

that is the voice of God.
that is Him saying, "I created you for something GREATER.
I did not create you to exist... I created you to LIVE!
see past what your eyes tell you... look into My realm...
see things from My perspective...
you are called to make a difference.
you are called to BE different."

your circumstances don't need to change...
it's time for YOU to change....
rise UP!!! rise UP!!! RISE UP!!!!!!

there is so much more!!
there is so much more than confused attempts at significance!
there is so much more than horrid cycles of sin!
there is so much more than human wisdom, earthly perspective and fleshly pursuits!
come higher...come higher....

COME HIGHER!!!
listen to that little voice...listen to the whisper
listen to the yearning desire that you so easily wave away as lofty ambitions
DREAM AGAIN.
DREAM AGAIN!
DREAM AGAIN!!!!!!

come on! you KNOW you were meant for more!
the past may tell you don't qualify,
the present may tell you it's impossible,
and even the future may tell you it's hopeless...

but the Cross of Calvary is shouting out,
there. is. a. way.
it may be a quiet shout, but it's persistent...
when the voices of failure, hurt, bitterness and hopelesness stop to catch their breath
the TRUTH is still speaking, for HE never stops.

you were made for more...
you were made for more...
you can be more...

....come higher.....

..but without love...

when you stop to think about what marks us as followers of Jesus Christ, it's not signs and wonders, miracles, amazing giftings, talent or abilities...

"your love for one another will prove to the world that you are My disciples.”
- john 13:35 (new living translation)

love is the hallmark of the believer of Jesus.
love is what sets us apart as His.
love is what identifies us as His followers.
love is the proof and the evidence that we belong to Him.

love - a word we so often mistake for romance, lust, fluttery feelings, comfort, ease, preferences...

love is giving when it's easier to keep.
forgiving when we'd rather hold a grudge.
believing when it's easier to give up.
smiling when we'd rather frown.
serving when it's easier to demand.
sacrificing when we'd rather hold back.
showing kindness when it's easier to show justice.

in fact... 1 corinthians says that i could do AMAZING THINGS for God (eg. give away EVERYTHING i have to the poor, even be a martyr!), BUT without love... it's nothing.

the absence of love negates whatever i've done...
if i give without love, the gift is nothing from His point of view.
wow.

"...if i could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, i would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.

if i had the gift of prophecy, and if i understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if i had such faith that i could move mountains, but didn’t love others, i would be nothing.

if i gave everything i have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, i could boast about it; but if i didn’t love others, i would have gained nothing.

love is patient and kind.
love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude.
it does not demand its own way.
it is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged.
it does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins...
love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful,
and endures through every circumstance..."
- 1 corinthians 13 (new living translation)

so take a moment and ask yourself...

if i was to be judged by love alone, how i treat people, my attitude and actions towards others...would the world know i belong to Jesus?

"go after a life of love as if your life depended on it — because it does."
- 1 corinthians 14:1

...He knows you're hungry...

i love Jesus. as in, a LOT! He is so in tune with what we need. in matthew 15, one of the most beautiful stories of Jesus is told - one that shows how real He is.

"they came...all sorts of people in need...He healed them...but Jesus wasn't finished with them. He called His disciples and said, 'I hurt for these people...they have nothing to eat. I can't send them away without a meal - they'd probably collapse on the road.'" (from matt. 15, the message)

"'I am deeply moved for the crowd...I am not willing to send them away hungry...'" (amplified bible)

honestly, that is one of the most beautiful, caring scriptures in the whole bible to me...He's not willing to send me away hungry. Jesus had been healing people, but, as the message puts it, He wasn't finished them after healing the disabilities... He knew and was aware of the fact that they were hungry. and it stirred sympathy and concern in His heart towards the people.

their hunger caused Him to be moved. not their deep spiritual needs - their fleshly, natural needs. He payed attention. He wasn't disconnected from their reality - yes, they are excited and blessed to be healed...yes, they are willing to follow Him, to walk after Him, to seek and find Him in order to be healed... but that requires energy. and energy is found in food. :)

Jesus knew that without sustenance, their pursuit would be cut short. they would collapse, they would falter....

that's my God. that is my Lord!! He's so AWESOME! He KNOWS we get tired. He KNOWS we are hungry. He KNOWS that even though we are thrilled to be a part of the miraculous, we have everyday, ordinary needs that can distract us from receiving the extraordinary - He knows we need daily bread. rent, school fees, a husband, a wife, a business contract, groceries, parking fees, bus fare, an encouraging word, a smile, a hug.... the basics. the "not so spiritual but still REALLY important" needs! :)

Jesus is not willing to send you away hungry. He's not finished with you. even though big things might be happening, He hurts for you, knowing that you truly want the big things but still need the "small things"... He's not going to finish with the "big stuff" and then leave you frustrated and your needs unmet.

"everyone ate. they had all they wanted." (from matt. 15, the message bible)

isn't He just wonderful?? :)

don't dig up the beans!

"there is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:
a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.
...He has made everything beautiful in its time..." - ecc. 3:1-8 & 11

a few days ago, kirk franklin posted this via twitter : "remember: fruit out of season will kill you!" wow.

the one thing that differentiates fruit from being sweet, refreshing, juicy and delicious or being bitter and poisonous is this : the season. the timing.

i've really been challenged in this area of late... allowing God to make things beautiful in their time. it's easy for me to want to rush the process and try to hurry things along... i often feel i have a better sense of timing than God does! ;)

i remember when i was young, i planted some beans in a small pot of soil and placed the pot on my window sill. after a couple of days of faithfully watering and waiting, i couldn't stand the suspense any longer, so i dug around to find the beans so that i could check on the progress. needless to say, not much had happened in two days. i buried them in the soil and again waited...for maybe a day, then i dug around and looked again. this kept going on until finally i killed the all the little plants whose process kept being interupted by this little eager yet ignorant farmer! :) the point is, i wasn't willing to wait for the process to happen naturally... i kept feeling like i could help things along.

this often happens in my life... i sow the seed, and water it but after some days, i start feeling the need to "check on things"...to hurry them along. or, maybe as SOON as i start seeing buds, i harvest too early and instead of yummy fruit, i've got bitter, useless or even dangerous fruit.

it's important to let time do its work. there's a time for everything. and we can make it happen, but only HE can make it beautiful. the right thing at the wrong time is the wrong thing. timing is critical. timing is essential. timing is everything.

"in due time".... a phrase we've heard so often before. how often do you see an expectant mother, who's around her 5th month of pregnancy say, "you know, i'm very tired of morning sickness and swollen ankles - it's time for this baby to come." ??? no, we see mothers valiantly brave every season of carrying that child until the due time.

the baby's arrival is not dependent on the mother's (or father's, for that matter ;)) feelings... the arrival is dependent on the due time for the child... when the process in the womb is complete. it's a process we guard and protect and monitor closely...

i don't know what things you are waiting for...but i do know this... there is a flow when the right time comes. there is a sweetness when the right time comes. there is BEAUTY in the right timing...
and hurrying the process, pushing something out before time, uprooting and replanting over and over will only harm what God intends you to have. don't dig up the beans!! you do your part... plant, water, pull out the weeds, make sure there is sunlight... the rest is up to Him.

daniel 2:20-21a "...blessed be the name of God forever and ever! for wisdom and might are His...He changes the times and the seasons..."

oh Lord, give me the grace to wait patiently for the seeds to grow and mature. give me the wisdom to know the right time to harvest. i pray that i won't despise what i was meant to enjoy simply because i didn't wait for the right timing. You are the Gardener. wisdom and might are Yours. You know what to do... may i follow You. amen.