Surrender

If your perception is false, then your emotional response to it will be false too. Just because you believe something firmly doesn’t make it true. Be willing to reexamine what you believe. (William P. Young, The Shack, pg 197.)

Truth is not about the grip - grasping, seeking, collecting morsels of information and holding onto them as if the knowledge is salvation. Truth is about the release - receiving, trusting, humbling, allowing. Open the hand, open the heart, let go of knowledge and yield to wonder like a child seeing the world for the first time. There is peace in surrender.

Picture two people on a bricked walkway surrounded by beautiful landscaping, the warmth of the sun, birds singing, and the spirit of God, the unseen guest, hovering over all. An oasis for the spirit is set as two connect in friendship and talk about spiritual matters. Appreciation for each other's paths, though different, now converge into a deeper understanding of God and self.

We serve each other so perfectly by what we bring to this life and in the process of daily living I see the Potter at work shaping each one of us into His image. No small event can be taken for granted because life is perfectly orchestrated to reveal the God we serve.

Surrender is when I am able to set aside my knowledge, stop resisting His advances, and yield to His purpose that is beyond my understanding. On that path of acceptance, I am able to receive what He and others bring.

Feed Me

I’m tired of the excess, the fat, the weight of indulgence. I nibble at judgment like a tasty morsel. I feed discontent with a saucy bite. Swallowing, swallowing, always swallowing, forcing more down the gullet when already I am satiated.

Like excess lard clinging to the bones, hateful, spiteful darkness clings to the soul. I can jiggle the excess on my body and I can spew the excess in my soul. With words and attitude like one who has had a lot of practice, I can transform from light to darkness, from grace to judgment. I’m sure you’ve seen me.

Does that ever happen to you?

Offensive

Recent news reports exposed the indiscretions of New York’s governor. As a result, many of us cluck and tsk at the governor's actions, secretly priding ourselves in our own self-control. We like to comfort and reassure ourselves that we are somehow above such traps.

The way of the world is to accuse and condemn. We become vocal in our judgment, myself included, about such risky ventures of indulgence.

If I alter my perception from judgment/worldly to purposed/spiritual, I have a different view. What I see from this perspective is the sacrifice of being exposed in a compromising pleasure. But instead of focusing on deserved judgment, I realize that even this transgression is covered by God's grace.

Offensive, isn't it. The offense of forgiveness and covering of gross immorality is distasteful - unless we happen to be in the position of needing that kind of grace.

No doubt life is painful right now for his wife and children as the force of that falling rock radiates like crashing waves from the point of impact. Eventually the waters will calm again. In the interim, my perspective has evolved from one of judgment to one of grace, something we all need in good measure on a daily basis.

The Mind Of Christ

I watched the coverage of the shooting at Northern Illinois University on television as it unfolded. It was surreal. I recognized the building in which the chaos was taking place. Waves of emotion, fear and concern, flooded my thoughts. This is crazy. Brushing tears aside, suppressing the sorrow welling inside of me, I watched.

I recalled an event not long ago when the school was closed for a day because of threats of violence. I wondered if it was connected. Many students from our community attend NIU. My daughter is commuting there two evenings a week to finish her teaching degree. She was on campus the night before it happened.

Information about the shooter was released fairly quickly, a face to put with the crime. Still surreal. Can't imagine the tragedy though my brain tries to wrap around the descriptions given by the survivors.

I hear people discussing the shooter. In derogatory terms as one would expect. But I have to tell you, I feel no judgment.

Though I wish it had never happened, I am yielded to faith and yes, acceptance.

Classes resume next Monday. I can only imagine how hard it will be on the students as they return.

But this is how I imagine the mind of Christ to be...forgiveness.

The Light Of Grace

In every darkness/evil/deception/judgment that has presented itself in my life, light/good/truth/mercy has also been revealed. The accuser is present daily - in thoughts and words spoken, by insinuation and innuendo, in attitude, presentation, or intention. In fact, I would go so far as to say accusations are more prevalent in a day than grace.

But occasionally grace manifests and I realize how blind I have been.

Grace and mercy is what I desire for myself but I am often unwilling to extend it. Grace is offensive to me at times, especially when it concerns those with whom I am at odds. I don't necessarily want to cover their imperfections, but I certainly want mine obliterated.

John 1: 5The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.

There is a popular photo of the earth with the moon in the foreground. Viewing it, I am keenly aware of the deep darkness surrounding both heavenly bodies. The earth and moon are visible only by the reflected light of the sun. The planets are not the source of their light.

That is how I see mankind. Though we may reflect the light within us and may even pride ourselves in our understanding of the Light, we are not the source of that light. God's light shines equally on all His creation. The fact that His grace offends me when it shines on my "enemies" in no way reflects His lack of judgment. It only reflects my lack of mercy.

The light shining brightest in my darkness is His grace.

Gratitude

I just watched a video of two teenage girls in Florida who were caught after stealing Girl Scout-cookie-sales-money from a 9-year-old girl. The teens show no remorse for their actions and are quite vocal about how "pissed" they are to have been caught.

My natural reaction to the unrepentant girls is one of judgment and revulsion at their blatant insolence. Adding further to the incident, the authorities said the teens weren't charged because they didn't use force or take the money directly out of the young girl's hands.

"Say what!?...there's a formula to follow to actually be held accountable?!?"

"Yes, you would have to use force or take it out of her hands or it doesn't count as stealing."

"The money is gone but apparently not chargeably stolen." **My hands and eyebrows raise in bewilderment**

Calming down and further reflecting on my response to the incident, I realize God loves the unrepentant teens as much as He loves the innocent victim. The spiritual merciful response is quite different from the natural judmental one to which I have been accustomed.

Reflecting on the teen's actions and the local authorities' interpretation of the law, I can only say I am thankful that God is the final authority and not me. Gratitude doesn't begin to define my appreciation to Him for His grace toward me when I am misguided, unrepentant, or insolent.

Therein, for me, is good and evil defined. His grace covers it all.

Perfect Love

One moment changed my perspective of life. In that moment, peace, well-being, incredible love enveloped me. Like many things that cannot be communicated but must be experienced, this was such an event.

In one stride, my perception forever altered. There was an awareness, a presence of something apart from myself and the most perfect expression of love I have ever known. An ordinary day, I hadn’t been seeking anything spiritual or praying or asking God for anything. I simply walked from one room to another…and voila`.

When immersed in this presence, I felt as if my soul was suddenly drenched in perfect love. Imagine being submerged in a swimming pool, the water refreshing and cleansing. You are aware of its buoyancy, texture, and engulfing presence. It was like that but the sensation was within. I have never experienced anything like it before or since. Nothing was required of me. It was matter-of-fact, tranquil and familiar, a state of being in which I completely relaxed and breathed.

All tension, anxiousness, distractions of the day and life, floated away. I recalled an event that was hurtful to me many years ago and in that state of being, it no longer hurt. When I say there was no longer judgment from me toward the one who hurt me, I mean there was nothing. The pain was gone and didn't cling to the offender either. It was as if the transgression had never occurred.

In an unexpected moment, I had first hand experience that in Him there is no judgment. I was aware that my sinful nature does not affect His love for me and that His love surpasses anything I or anyone else could do. Like calming the raging storm, judgment literally dissipates in the presence of Perfect Love - gone with no effort or lasting effects whatsoever.

It’s been a while since that day. Though my desire was to remain in that pool of bliss, life quickly returned to normal. I don’t strive to recreate the event but sometimes when I get frustrated with myself, others, or circumstances, I know that in His presence perfect love reigns. I am comforted by that knowledge, but there is nothing that compares to experiencing the reality of His presence and love.