A little perspective adjustment

This morning I awoke full of anticipation of the wonderful things God was to show us today. This is the first day of the re-establishment of Christ Central Alachua and we have been looking forward to this day with much joy.

You know how you just know that the enemy is going to attack you when you are in God's Will ... but you are still caught off guard? Well, this is one of those times. About half way through our morning preparation for church, the electricity went off. Not just a blip. Not even just a few minutes. I was standing there with my hair still wet, my clothes not yet ironed, trying not to panic. My husband, the stalwart man of faith that he is, chided me for allowing the enemy to get to me. Until he couldn't find his belt. If I weren't already chagrined at my own lack of spirituality, it might have been tempting to chuckle at the sudden loss of his.

Plan B it is then. After regrouping, we made it out the door for church on time.

With nearly 90 in attendance, the service was awesome, culminating in at least one salvation! The sweet people of the church have been through some difficult times in the past few months, but the Lord heard their cry and has brought them a new pastor with a new vision. Next week, we move to the middle school auditorium for our Sunday services.

This afternoon, when my husband was moving some equipment for his job, I got a frantic call from him - he had been in an accident. He assured me he was alright, but someone in the other car had a broken arm. Begging the Holy Spirit to calm me, I really tried to drive cautiously to the site of the accident. Both vehicles appeared to be totaled. The ambulance was leaving the scene with the other vehicles' occupants inside. Craig was shaken, but physically unharmed. He kept to himself mostly, very introspective. We drove home in silence. I beseeched God to heal the injured people and intervene in this entire mess.

Craig has spent the last few hours struggling with the "why" of it all. We are stepping out in faith, doing what God has called us to do. Now this. Right on the heels of victory, there is a vicious attack and an apparent defeat. We understand that the enemy isn't particularly happy with our obedience to God, and that he isn't going to leave us alone. But why did God allow this to happen? I encouraged Craig and prayed for him, trying to believe for myself the very words I was speaking.

Standing at the sink, washing dishes, I was asking God to help me understand "why". We are in covenant with You, Lord. We are doing what you asked us to do. Why this, why now, why us? I stopped cold as I felt God speak to my heart - "Don't you understand? I spared his life today." The Holy Spirit then revealed to me that all the physical attacks over the past few years have been on Craig, individually and intentionally. Not our family, not me, not the kids. On Craig. God has anointed Craig to do something for His Kingdom, and the enemy is fighting tooth and nail to take him out.

How ungrateful I felt as I ran to tell Craig! We prayed and cried and rejoiced in God's preserving Hand. In an instant, our perspective changed from human to divine. Rather than feeling sorry for ourselves and questioning our lot in life, we are humbled and awed that God would use such fragile, wretched creatures. He doesn't have to, you know ... use us, I mean. He can do it all without any help from us. But He wants to involve us. And that still amazes me.

Just point me toward home...

The mostly rural area in which I live constantly delights the wildlife lover in me. On the property, I've seen huge families of wild turkeys with lots of bitty babies, many deer and several foxes.

On Saturday, I was privileged to experience something new. Sitting at the computer that morning, something snagged my attention outside the sliding glass door beside me. I turned to see the back half of what appeared to be a scrawny kitten disappear around the corner of the house. It just didn't look quite right. On a hunch, I grabbed the camera and ran to the kitchen door.

Slowly opening the door, my eyes widened in amazement at the sight before me. There, about fifteen feet from my door, heading toward the back of the property, was a baby fox. From his slow and unsteady gate, he appeared to be sick or exhausted. I looked beyond the baby fox about 20 yards and saw that Mama Fox was watching Baby and me. Afraid to move, I positioned the camera to capture what I could before they could run off. As I raised the camera, I saw Daddy Fox come racing from the side of the house toward Mama Fox. They both stopped and watched me. Baby Fox was stumbling and looked as though he would drop in his tracks at any moment. I knew Mama and Daddy Fox wouldn't come that close to the house after they had seen me, so I knew that I had to herd Baby Fox back to his family's den.

So I walked slowly a few yards behind him, constantly checking my position to steer him in the direction of the den, which is about 100 yards off the back of our house. Mama and Daddy Fox were frantically trying to lure me away from their baby even though I kept assuring them that I was helping them. But they didn't seem to understand me! ;)

As I neared the den, I saw several of Baby's siblings hanging out on the top of the den, watching me approach them. I'm not sure who was more fascinated - them or me! After about fifteen minutes of slowly herding Baby Fox, with his head hanging and his little tail drooping, he joined them on the top of the den. Some of the pups were frightened enough at this point to go inside, but a couple of them stood their ground and warily stared me down. I stood twenty feet from the door of the den and watched them, clicking the shutter as long as I dared before walking slowly back to the house. Mama and Daddy Fox had long since hidden themselves and were no doubt watching in despair from the brush.

I figure that Baby Fox must have ventured out of his den in search of a little adventure. Somehow he had ended up toward the front of the property, and Mama and Daddy had found him and were trying to get him to follow them back home. The little tyke probably hadn't ever been more than 5 feet from the door of his den and surely wasn't prepared for what he would encounter outside the arm of parental protection.

The animal lover in me wanted to pick up this precious little pup and cuddle it and take it back to it's den.

Instead, I just pointed him back home.

We have a Shepherd that will leave the 99 to find the lost one and bring him home. Like those frantic fox parents, who left the other four babies in the safety of the den and went out to find the wandering child and bring him home, Christ chases after His lost lambs. He relentlessly pursues us throughout our lives until He finds us.

Many times, we as Christians encounter a Brother or Sister who is wandering down a path that leads to destruction. We have a responsibility to point them home. We are, indeed, our brother's keeper. We cannot pick them up and take them home. That's not our job. Ours is to love them, guide them, pray for and with them, and herd them if necessary. Ultimately it's God's responsibility to take them all the way Home.

I had to find the binoculars and keep them posted by the kitchen door so that I could keep tabs on my new babies. Yesterday, I watched Mama and Daddy Fox bringing dinner home for the pups. And I just grin from ear to ear -- all their babies are home!

Invitation to Adventure...

When I sat down with my most recent issue of Discipleship Journal and read the cover - Invitation to Adventure: What happens when we say yes to God - I had no idea what God was preparing me for.

My church home for the past seven years is the sanctuary of my life. I live for the next service - for the soul refreshing that I receive when I worship with my Family, for the Word that is rightly divided, for the fuel that my soul desires and needs. My husband has received offers of promotion if he will move out of the area but I've told him "No. I'm not leaving Christ Central." (Not that he was at all keen on the idea of moving in the first place, so don't start thinking that I rule the roost!) We have both been blessed to be intricately involved in ladies' and men's ministry, the worship team and ushers' ministry. Our youngest daughter finds joy and fulfillment in her service to the Children's Church.

So I'm in my comfort zone. Cruisin' along, making plans for upcoming events, relishing in the afterglow of those God-moments, doing ministry and sharing life with my friends. There are always bumps along the way in any ministry. But none have been insurmountable. This is our church home. No, it's our home. I shall not be, I shall not be moved .....

So. According to the articles I was reading, I should have seen the writing on the wall. I was RIPE for adventure. But I didn't see it coming.

I was floored when our Executive Pastors and dear friends, Mark & Tina, announced five days ago that they were leaving to pastor Christ Central Alachua, our 7-year old church plant that is to be re-established. Sure, it's only 30 miles down the road, but I still felt like my right arm had just been severed from my body.

Craig and I cried out to God for healing and for peace. And for direction.

In the space of 72 hours, The Almighty unveiled His Will and Plan for us, step by step. Every question and concern we had was answered -- in fact had already been answered. I know He delighted, as any proud Father would, in watching our pain dissolve into joy and excitement.

We now have peace in knowing that we are called to go to Alachua and serve alongside Mark, Tina, and the congregation as we labor in His Service.

When I sit back and look at how He had this whole situation set up before I even realized it was a situation, I just laugh in delight and in awe of His goodness. He wants to keep amazing us over and over again.

Oh, and I'm ready for the Adventure, too! I've already claimed a front row seat to watch the miracles unfold.

The Big C's

Earlier this month, my parents celebrated 50 years of marriage. We were privileged to host a celebration in their honor and invited a host of their family and friends from the past 50 years of their lives together.

I’ve been reflecting on what holds a marriage together for that long. I’ve determined that there are a couple of things that a lasting marriage is built around. Love is certainly what begins a lifetime together, but the feeling called love that we are familiar with fades with time. And therein lies the problem. Love cannot always be a feeling. Lasting love has to be much more than pheromones and hormones. When those things fade, all you have left is a choice. To love or not to love. As followers of Christ, we are all called to Love. Not only our spouses, but ... everyone.

The truth is: there are a couple of Big C’s involved in real love - the God-kind of Love.

Love is a Choice.
Choice is part of that whole free will thing that God has given us. We have the freedom to choose, to consider and select freely. Having a choice means we have the power, the opportunity or privilege to choose freely.

When I first heard the statement Love is a Choice, I thought “well, that’s a very nice sentiment, though not very practical.” Until the Holy Spirit reminded me how God loves me despite my rebelliousness, disobedience and lack of respect. He chooses to love me. If God acted on His feelings, I’d be in a whole lot of trouble … and I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t be alone. Think about that friend who betrayed you, the office gossip, that insubordinate employee, or ________ (you fill in the blank). If we acted on our feelings, most of us would say that we dislike or even hate that individual. If God did that, just where would I be? But, no. He chooses to love me, to give me another million chances, dispensing new mercies and pouring more grace over my life.

As followers of Christ, we should be constantly morphing to more-Christ-likeness every day. Christ made an outrageous choice to love us when He gave up His life for me and you. Since we have the Mind of Christ (I Corinthians 2:16), we too must make that selfless sacrifice, to choose to love the hard to love and even the unlovable.

Love is a Commitment.
Webster defines Commitment as an agreement or pledge to do something in the future; the state or an instance of being obligated or emotionally impelled.

I thought about the commitment that my parents kept every day during the last fifty years. When times were tight financially, when the disappointments of life stretched them too thin, when they argued about anything … trivial or important … they may have disagreed, there may have been tears and loud voices, there may have been hurt feelings, there may have even been fleeting thoughts of giving up and going their separate ways. But instead, a choice was made to love each other, even though it may have been difficult to conquer that feeling of un-love. They have not taken their commitment to each other lightly.

You’ve been married now for a few years, and you reeeeeeeally know your spouse by now. He’s got some junk in his life, doesn’t he? He’s not as perfect as you thought, is he? Before you agree too vehemently, ladies, we aren’t either. Over time, we tend to pile up our personal junk right in the middle of our relationships. No marriage is impervious to this. Only a committed mate will make the effort to climb over the junk to restore and renew the relationship. I know my parents have had junk in their marriage. The difference is: they made a choice to love in spite of the junk. Their commitment to God and to each other took priority over any hurt feelings or emotional distance between them.

In marriage, we would all agree that a commitment has been made. A pledge was made to your mate to love him or her for the rest of your life. But what about the rest of the human race? There has been no pledge given to love them, right? Keep reading.

Love is a Covenant.
Christ ordained two institutions: The Church and marriage. Interesting that the Church is the Bride of Christ ... the Bridegroom. Marriage on this earth is a parallel to and, indeed, a rehearsal for, the Marriage relationship we will have in Heaven with the Bridegroom. Marriage on this earth between a man and woman is the ultimate human relationship, and a covenant. God was the first to forge a covenant with man. God understands covenant. He does not break a covenant. When God is the center of a marriage covenant, He is the third cord referred to in Ecclesiastes 4:12. Without the strong third cord, marriage, which is already difficult, becomes treacherous. Thank God my parents have always kept Him at the center of their marriage and lives.

Love is a Commandment.
In Matthew 22:37-39 (NIV), Jesus said “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.” If the only two commandments Christ gave to the Church are to love God and to love each other, then love is pretty important to Him, isn’t it? It is interesting to note that, by the very definition of the word “command,” the One who gave the command is Someone with the authority to give such an order. Who else that ever walked about in human flesh has the authority to command us to love?

When Jesus saved me, I made a commitment to follow and serve and obey Him. There’s the commitment. I made the commitment to Jesus to obey Him, therefore I made a commitment to love the rest of the world.

Everlasting Love
Many times I wonder how God can love me with all the junk in my past, and the newly collected junk that threatens to overtake me every day. I’m glad He’s not like me. If I were Him, I’d get awfully tired of the repeated disobedience and spiritual adultery. When someone has repeatedly done me wrong, it’s very hard for me to forgive and to love. (Be honest, it’s probably hard for you, too!) I may say that I’ve forgiven, but sometimes I sure don’t feel like I have. But if I repeatedly tell myself that I have forgiven and I do love and not falter in that statement, eventually my heart will line up with my words. Love requires forgiveness. Forgiveness requires love.

Jesus loves His Church. Sure, she isn’t perfect. Many times she isn’t faithful. She is too easily turned aside to partake of worldly pleasures. Her affections are like the wind, they vacillate to and fro with the culture of the day. But Jesus loves us anyway, regardless of the sin that infests us.

We are the Body of Christ, The Bride. We are called to love EVERYONE. We have already made the commitment to Christ, now we have to put feet on that commitment and choose to love them, even when they may be unloveable. Remember … none are righteous, no not one. Yet, He loves every one of us.