If you give your son a cookie...

If you give your son a cookie...

Me, handing a cookie to Sam: Please give this to Bella. 

Sam to Bella, rudely: Saaay please!

Me to Sam: No. She doesn't have to say please to you. I gave instructions to you to give her something, from me. You don't get to put requirements on my gift.

The moment I finished speaking it out, I knew the words were for me. 

Maybe they are for you too. Let's see. 

I have gifts, talents, characteristics that I call "mine." Because I deem them as "mine" when I give them to people I often put stipulations on them. For example: I'll be kind, if you are kind back. I will be encouraging, if you are my friend. I will be generous, if you affirm me for it.

And while I may not always consciously think these thoughts outright; they are deep in me. How often are they my drivers? How often are they the reason I act & do, what I do.? Why am I asking myself these questions? 

Y'all I am... Selfish. Messy. Insecure. Controlling. The list goes on. My humanity, is all about me. All the good things that I claim, kindness, empathy, compassion, generosity, willingness to serve, joy, peace, hope... those are all from God. I was made from God's own character. The gifts I have were gifted to me. The talents I claim As "mine" were presented by God to myself. 

I'm seeing a pattern. 

The negative parts of me, the "me-centric" things are here and easy. All the positive parts of me, or anything that has grown under my care is because it was first placed there by God. 

So *insert DEEP sigh here* when I exclude people, ignore people, effect my own forms of justice, or qualify my output in any way (that is not approved by God); I am acting like Sam with the cookie. 

Saaaay please before I love you like God commanded me. Earn it before you get the encouragement, help, service, the love God has asked me to give you.

Y'all, I am sorry. I am sorry that I have acted entitled while requiring you to prove your worth. It was wrong. 

God forgive me for placing those You adore in a less than category. I was wrong.

And God, I forgive anyone who as done the same to me. We are messy.

The lovely news is still the same. "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only son that whomsoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life." John 3:16

"Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before Him He endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." Hebrews 12:2

We are not alone in our struggle to be the delivery system of God's love to His creation. Jesus made the way. His was was completely counter to societal expectations. It was through service and accountable community. It was through, dare I say it, undeserved & unqualified love. it was through, 100% submission to the Father.

We have the privilege of following His lead.

“For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭12:4-8‬ ‭

We have gifts. We are all valued the same in the eyes of God. We are called to love God and love others like we love ourselves.

"Jesus replied, '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. All the law and the prophets hang on these two commandments.'" Matthew 22:37-40

Soooooooooooooo...... what are your gifts, talents, characteristics? 

I guarantee you they were set in you, by God, for more than just your benefit.

I know the pain of withholding a gift, forgiveness, or an encouragement to someone. I can think of many moments that I held back for fear or selfishness. I want to be done with that life. I want to work at being less driven by my humanness and more like Jesus.  I want to give. DO you want to give? 

Let's give together!

If you give your son a cookie, then God will show you something new!

One Body

I wonder about the pain Jesus endured before and during His trip to the cross. He was spit on and slapped. Thorns were pressed into His flesh. He endured jeering and taunting. He was beaten beyond human recognition then forced to carry the weight of the cross on which He would die, up a hill.

Jesus felt all manner of assault. From, what many would deem as a minor insult to being nailed and hung on a cross until dead. This is important because it means that Jesus experienced every possible pain. Starting with what many may have deemed, small. 

The repercussions of a wound may not matter in the moment because whatever body part can endure the minor discomfort. But at some point, the wounds severity goes up and so does the pain. Just because pain is deemed less does not take away its' presence, nor its' impact.

When a body part hurts, no matter where, we recognize it. We don't dismiss the pain because, "oh, it is just my finger" while we wait for our femur to break or our heart to fail. 

It is our body. We look out for it, we recognize any discomfort and make an effort to find the solution; we seek healing. 

The Bible clearly outlines that WE, humans, are the body. We are...ONE body, in Christ. 

And as a body, we have the responsibility to look out for all the parts. 

Cause the thing is, we don't know which part we are. I know that I would love to think of myself as something cool, like the eye but it is more likely I am some tiny, random bone in a toe or a toenail.

Our value does not come from our function individually, but from how we work together. 

Together.

If a part of my body hurts, I hurt. 

Right now, many parts are hurting. So, I hurt. 

In all honesty, I "feel" like whatever I try to do will be insignificant. But what is not insignificant is my choosing to be more like Jesus. My choosing to stand for truth and righteousness; to lean into God's grace, seeking His perspective. In doing so, that means I will be choosing to SEE those who are not being seen and meet tangible needs of those that are not being met. I can make sure those around me, specifically my children, will be taught to be the hands and feet of Jesus... in real ways. 

Jesus took the betrayal, the slaps, the jeers, the whipping, the cross, the separation from God, & the full weight of every sin on His body that WE may have hope and freedom. That when we choose to lean into Him, He will unify us with His body, through His body. 

Because, yes His body was beaten and bruised to death, but it was also restored to LIFE, eternally. 

He experienced every moment of physical, mental, and emotional pain that WE may know restoration is possible. 

God, we recognize that it is Your Son's sacrifice that brought us together as one body. Please restore us as we stand together, stand up for each other, and stand up for our body. Hear from Heaven and heal our land. Open our eyes to see how You see. Help us love, tangibly. 

God help us. 

In Jesus name,  Amen.

Please see below for, just a few, of the many Biblical references:

John 12:34-35, John 18:12-John 21, 1 Corinthians 12:12-1 Corinthians 13,

Luke 22:47-Luke 24, Luke 4:17-21, John 8:31-32, John 8:34-36,

1 John 2:1-11, Luke 7:44, Revelation 1:18, 2 Corinthians 1:3, 2 Chronicles 7:14,

John 14:12, Deuteronomy 31:8-9, Romans 8:38-39, Hebrews 10:24-25

"He who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister is still in darkness." 1 John 2:9

"For you were called to freedom. Only do not use your freedom to indulge yourself; rather, serve one another in love." Galatians 5:13

"Behold, I am with you and will keep you where ever you go, and will bring you back to this land for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you." Genesis 28:15

"I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with My loving eye on you." Psalm 32:8

"The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace." Numbers 6:24-26

Norma Reilly, My Grandma.

When someone you love is in the preparation season before going to meet Jesus it can be difficult to balance the mixtures of emotions & thoughts. You wish for them to experience the least trauma, yet you also feel bad for even admitting they are so close to passing away. You don't want to acknowledge the season as what it is, saying goodbye. While logically you know that death is the next big event in their life, that death may ease their suffering, or that you can even feel thankful for their future in Heaven; you know are not just saying goodbye to your sick grandma. You are saying goodbye to the grandma who made cook & serve chocolate pudding every time you visited as a kid. You are saying goodbye to the grandma who yelled at you and your cousins, every visit, for picking berries and cherry tree blossoms and smashing them into pastes. You are saying goodbye to the woman who taught you how to sew, who made your 4th grade pilgrim costume, and bought you McDonalds after you helped her with her side job dropping off advertisement papers. The woman who bought you your first car and let you live with her for free after you graduated high school. You are saying goodbye to the woman who met your now husband at the door when he came to get you for your first official date. The woman who made sure to face her own deep loss head on so she could meet your first born, and say goodbye to him the same day. Then let you and your spouse live with her after the financial weight of losing that son made changes essential. The women who you stayed up late with many restless nights watching every CSI spin off. The woman who taught you the correct way to snap beans and how to properly can them. The woman who though tough as leather on the outside, loved you deeply & vulnerably. 

Grandma's house is where I learned how to be a friend, thanks to my cousins. Where I learned that truth has consequences as much as lies do. Where corners were for naughty noses, and bunnies had weird shaped poop. Grandma's house is where I learned dogs are not pets but family. And the best taste in the whole world is a ripe raspberry off the vine. 

Grandma's house. 

Grandma. 

My grandma is a specific and purposeful gift from God to me. I am the woman I am today because of her. She shaped my mother, and thru my mother and herself, she shaped me.

When the next big event in a beloved's life is death....it is okay to allow yourself to understand, hurt, and want peace for them in Heaven. It is also okay to remember. It does hurt, but while painful, it gives glory to the person who loved you so dearly.  

My grandma is in that season, and she is beloved. Any successes I have had in my life, and those of my children will be credited to this incredible woman in Heaven. 

Thank you God she is mine. Thank you so much more God that she is yours. 

Norma Reilly, I am sad I am not near you during this season of preparation. Please know you are in my thoughts, memories, and  prayers. I miss you. I love you so, so much Gram. I am so grateful for you and the life you poured out for your children, their children, and anyone who walked into your home. You are my hero. You are....in for an amazing welcome party in Heaven.

Thank you for, again, leading the way to Jesus for us.

Love, 

Crista



These photos are from 2018 & 2019 visits.
Excepting the first, which is grandma dancing with my sister Jessica & myself.