In the shadows

“Where life brings you shadows remember that means there is light.”

I recently did some off-roading in search of the yellow aspens of Colorado.  As much as I love shade on a hot day I found the shadows to be the hardest roads to navigate because they were the hardest to see what the road conditions were like.  It was those shadowed spots that required slower speeds and lots of trust for the unknown of what the tires might find beneath the shadows.  It’s interesting that something so refreshing in other circumstances can also be the most unsettling and blinding.  So many things in life feel shadowed and unknown.  They require slower speeds and more trust.  While the road I drove was hard to see at spots I had seen other cars coming and going and so I knew that I could trust the road.  Whatever shadows life brings we can trust the road is taking us somewhere for behind every shadow there is light.  Slow down, trust the light, and enjoy the ride.  

“Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.”

James 1:17 NASB

Even in scripture shadows have conflicting representation.  While we can find rest in the shadows it is also the shadows that bring deception and trials.  James is encouraging believers to persevere in trials knowing the goodness of our God.  He is the Father of light, except in His Light there is no shifting shadow.  He won’t deceive us.  He is constant and true in His goodness.  So then no matter what shadows we walk through, no matter how many pot holes lie unseen in the shadows we can trust His goodness to see us through.  We can trust Him to show us the way through every shadowed road knowing He is a good God, giving good gifts to His children.  If you can’t see any gifts remember that behind the shadow there is light, His light there to guide you through every shadow.    

Check out this song, Hidden by United Pursuit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqa8O1ktxk8

“Now I am hidden, in the safety of Your love

I trust Your heart and Your intentions

Trust You completely, I’m listening intently

You’ll guide me through these many shadows”

What Really Matters

“Sometimes you have to look past the things on top to see what really matters.”

A day after the shooting at Charleston I was watching the news and they were interviewing a state politician about his thoughts on gun laws and flags at half mast.  I just kept thinking, ‘that’s not what really matters right now.’  I’ve been pleased to hear many other stories of people responding with what does really matter.  Stories of forgiveness and standing together remind me of what really matters.  While I agree there is a time and place to discuss many different things, I also find sometimes we miss what really matters.  It’s harder to look past the surface into the heart.  Yet, it is there that lies what really matters.  Many things matter like jobs, finances, health, belongings.  Yet, what really matters are the people.  Don’t miss the people in the midst of all the other things.  Don’t miss your heart in the midst of all that pulls on it.  Don’t miss what really matters in the midst of all the chaos.  

“For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ’s return.”

Phil 1:10 NLT

Paul is applauding the people of Philippi for the ways they have shared Christ and praying this would continue to be true.  His prayer is that they would continue to grow in knowledge and understanding, loving well.  He wants them to understand what really matters.  Paul says this while in prison.  Paul is the first to be able to look past his circumstances and see that it’s not his circumstances that really matter.  What really matters is that we know Christ and make Him known and that’s exactly what he is doing from prison.  He wants those who love him to see the same.  I wish I was more like Paul, yet as I struggle to see past my circumstances I cling to this prayer for you and for me.  May we follow the prayers of Paul and understand what really matters, knowing it’s not our circumstances.  It’s not based on a job, relationship, finances or health.  What really matters is loving God and loving people.  May that truly be what really matters in our lives.  

More than Dabble

Change requires a full immersion of who you are and the patience to keep doing it. 

Dabble means to take part casually or partially. It’s fun to dabble and try new things to see what you like.  The problem is that often times I dabble expecting lasting change.  Change isn’t likely to come when we dabble, but rather when we immerse ourselves and give ourselves fully to a direction.  I recently listened to a health practitioner talk about this idea with his patients.  He stated the biggest obstacle to change was this idea of dabbling as opposed to training.  I see this so often when I’m teaching but unfortunately I see it most often in myself.  I complain that something didn’t work realizing that I only tried it a few times.  We want the quick fix but the real change takes time.  What if we gave ourselves fully to the change we want to see?  What if we took that dabbling a step further?  What if instead of partial we gave all of ourselves?  Let’s do more than dabble, let’s immerse ourselves.  

“…being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience…”

Colossians 1:11

I love this part of Paul’s prayer to the Colossians.  He prays they would have great endurance and patience, but first he prays for the Lord’s might.  It’s the only way we can endure the things of this life.  We want things to happen now.  We want the fast road to change.  Unfortunately most of the lasting change we’re after doesn’t happen like that.  It happens slow.  This requires great patience and endurance on our part, which does not come naturally for us.  So then we too must ask that we would be "strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that we might have great endurance and patience."  For the change is worth the wait, it just takes time.  What I find as I wait is that I get more of Him, which is the greater change as I wait for change.  

Love Moves Slow

The journey of the heart is best if you let it move slow.

After my recent trip to Asia I am reminded how real the effects of jet lag are on our bodies.  In the midst of my slow recovery a friend reminded me that we weren’t made to go that far that fast.  I can’t help but think that’s true for more than jet lag, but with our hearts as well.  I often find that I want my heart to move faster than it does.  I want healing faster than it comes.  The journey to freedom has no shortcuts and forgiveness takes longer than I want. So then I must wait.  I must go slow with my heart and let it take as long as it takes.  It’s not a race but a journey.  The journey of the heart is best if you let it move slow.       

“Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!”

Psalm 27:14 ESV

Wait!  You see this command many times throughout scripture.  It seems I’m not alone in my impatience for God to move.  I wanted Him to do things yesterday and yet He is in no hurry.  Sometimes it’s hard to trust that His timing is timely.  Sometimes He seems to move so slow.  Yet when I question His timing I can’t help but be reminded that He made time.  He is the author of time and the overseer of all times.  I’m reminded of all the times before where I saw His timing work out and was even thankful it didn’t happen as quick as I wanted.  He is so patient with me in my frequent slowness to turn to Him.  Yes, let me wait for Him!  Let our hearts take courage and wait for Him.  His timing is worth the wait.  His love moves slow, yet His love is always moving.  May it move you to wait and trust the Lord.  

Check out Audrey Assad’s song, Love Moves Slow…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8F10nKgPp9o

Room for Hurdles

Make space for hurdles, give room for obstacles. 

As I prepare to leave for Southeast Asia for a month I’ve been thrown off by all of the unexpected obstacles.  (That’s my subtle way of letting you know that you won’t be receiving these emails for a few weeks. You can email me if you would like to be included on my updates) In driving school they advise you to leave distance between you and the car head of you.  This gives you time to react to unexpected stops and objects in the road.  As the road conditions decrease the advised distance increases.  So with rain the advised distance increases and then even more with more severe conditions like ice.  The same principles are needed in our daily lives.  Sometimes I pack my day so full that I leave no space for the unexpected.  Whether it’s a friend that stops by unexpectedly or the appliance that breaks life is full of things we didn’t plan.  When we already have space worked into our day we have room for these surprises.  Then they don’t take quite the same toll on us because we have made space for them.  The tricky part is learning to increase the space needed as conditions change.  If the conditions of your life are requiring more of you then greater space is required.  It doesn’t mean we aren’t capable of handling things it just means the conditions require more of us and that means more space.  Either way, whether it’s clear sailing or stormy we need to keep some space.  

“I’ve told you all this so that trusting me, you will be unshakable and assured, deeply at peace. In this godless world you will continue to experience difficulties. But take heart! I’ve conquered the world.”

John 16:33 The Message

Jesus is preparing His disciples for His departure.  Yet, not only for the actual event but for the years following.  He is also preparing us for that same reality of life.  He says that we will continue to experience difficulties.  So it seems that we should plan for that. This doesn’t mean we do this with a ‘woe is me’ attitude of pessimism but instead with the sober perspective of what is true.  For Jesus doesn’t say to go be upset because of the difficulties but instead to ‘take heart’ because the greater truth is that He has conquered the world.  So everything we are walking through has ultimately been conquered by Him.  Where does that leave us?  It means that yes we can expect life to be hard; Yes, we can anticipate hurdles along the way.  However, it’s also yes that we can be unshaken, assured and at peace when we remember God has conquered the world and everything in it.  

Worth the Wait

“The worth is in the wait

So put your wait in the worth.”

Feel like you’re dying…life is coming, feel like you’re suffering…joy is on its way, feel like nothing’s going your way…breakthrough will soon be yours if you are willing to wait.  Through death comes life, through suffering comes joy, through sorrow comes rejoicing, through chains comes freedom, through sacrifice comes redemption, through…the list goes on and on.   Those who have suffered much appreciate much and find greater joy in life.  It is only ‘through’ that we come to the other end.  It is only when we have waited that we experience the worth.  But while we are in the place of going through, that is all we can see.  It overwhelms us, unless we choose to keep the worth and the good in perspective.  When we are in it, it’s too close to see the big picture.  We have to take a step back or come to the other side in order to look back and see how the thing that seemed to be killing us was actually saving us.  The bad refines us to good if we are willing to wait.  It won’t be easy, but it’s worth the wait.  You are worth the wait.  And worthy of that which you are waiting.  So remember to keep waiting with your eyes on the worth…it’s worth the wait.  

“God's Spirit touches our spirits and confirms who we really are. We know who he is, and we know who we are: Father and children. And we know we are going to get what's coming to us - an unbelievable inheritance! We go through exactly what Christ goes through. If we go through the hard times with him, then we're certainly going to go through the good times with him! That's why I don't think there's any comparison between the present hard times and the coming good times. “

Romans 8:16-18, Message

I am so quick to forget, so let us together be reminded that Jesus is worthy and worth the wait.  He overcame death after a painful sacrifice (understatement of the century) so that we could be free and live.  People waited many years for Him to come, but it was worth the wait.  So now He calls us to wait even when it’s hard because He knows it will be worth it.  He has given us something worth waiting.  And He believes that you are worth the wait.  So He will keep coming to get your attention until you see that He has created you as His child through the hard and the good times.  You can trust the One through the waiting because He is worth the wait.  

Come Now

Stop waiting until you have it all together.  Come now and we can have it all…together.

We all love to be invited.  There is something about receiving that invitation that speaks to our desire to be wanted.  While I love getting dressed up for weddings and other events my favorite invitations are those that come with no requirements.  They don’t say ‘You’re Invited as long as you look just right’ or ‘You’re Invited as long as you have it all together.’  Instead they just say, ‘You’re Invited.’  This is the invitation, to come just as you are, to come now.  Yet, somehow we find reasons that we aren’t good enough to come.  What I’m starting to love about life is that so much of it is not black and white.  Things are not always all good or all bad but there is some of both.  There is hope in the midst of despair, there is joy in the midst of pain and there is brokenness in the midst of wholeness.  Often we think it’s one or the other and that one disqualifies us from the other.  Instead, we are broken and wounded and yet still loved and still invited.  So come now, brokenness aside and join together with those who are broken too.  

“I shall make mention of the lovingkindness of the Lord, the praises of the Lord, According to all that the Lord has granted us,  And the great goodness toward the house of Israel,  Which He has granted them according to His Compassion And according to the abundance of His lovingkindness.”

Isaiah 63:7 NASB

This message comes in the midst of a book about the coming destruction.  I love that in the midst of such bad news from the prophet comes such words of hope.  It seems like it would be all one or all the other but that is not how God works.  While He is a God that brings discipline He also is a God that loves so deeply.  His compassion for you is so great and His lovingkindness is abundant.  There is no end to it.  So even in the midst of the coming pain there remains His great goodness.  Our brains don’t always know what to do with that truth.  Yet, still it remains true.  He is a God very familiar with brokenness and not having it all together.  That’s not a good reason to miss out on His compassion.  So come now.  Come now to His compassion though you find yourself wounded, frightened, angry lonely.  You’re still invited.  Nothing disqualifies you.  He loves you right in the midst of it.  So come now!

Don’t miss this from Brennan Manning, “…He loves you as you are, not as you should be, cause you’re never gonna be as you should be…”

Compassion - Brennan Manning Sermon Jam

by Refresh Ministries

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_K56V86j2ng)