We Are Family

We Are Family

 

“What did you swallow?” the triage attendant asks incredulously.

I brace myself and repeat for the hundredth time. “I swallowed the tab from a soda can.”

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“What did you swallow?”

“How’d you do that?”

I know. I already feel stupid. Who does this sort of thing?

I’m not your everyday ER patient. I’m not a child who put something weird in her mouth. I wasn’t drunk or otherwise impaired. I’m just a mom who was watching her kids at swim team practice.

Earlier that morning, when I grabbed a can of La Croix and dashed out the door, I had no idea how the day was about to change. When the darling, adorable child pulled off the tab and dropped it inside, I didn’t know I should throw the can in the garbage right that very moment. It never crossed my mind that one could actually swallow something as big as an aluminum tab – before even realizing what had happened.

Nope, I didn’t know any of that – until today.

Now I’m rather an expert on such things.

Two sets of x-rays, 5+ hours in the ER and an endoscopy… still no tab. It left its mark – I can feel the scratch down my throat. But the tab itself has officially gone into hiding.

Quite a frustrating, unpleasant day. Not one I’d like to repeat. Ever.

But it wasn’t all bad. In fact, as I ponder it in retrospect, I’m struck by one thing – the Body of Christ is truly an amazing gift.

My sweet friend at swim team practice dropped everything and drove me home, then cared for my kids all day. My precious hubby cleared his schedule and sat with me in the emergency room. My family and church family prayed. Lots of people sent offers of help via text message. And the GI doctor, who called me after I left the hospital, asked if he could pray for me over the phone. His prayer brought me to tears. He called on God our Healer and Provider and lifted me before the Lord in Jesus’ name.

We Christians have been born again into a truly incredible community!

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We are family!

Church friends, long-time friends, new friends, even total strangers…if we’re Christians, we all have one thing in common. We love Jesus. And because of that, we are family.

Right now, story after story is washing over me as I remember God’s love poured out through His people.

Like when our whole church rejoiced at my oldest child’s baptism.

And when concerned friends brought meals during my sick days of pregnancy.

And when a dear man from church sent my little boy a note to say that he’s praying for him.

And when loved ones cried with us as we grieved a miscarriage.

In joys and sorrows, achievements and losses – we’ve been through it all together. This is how it’s supposed to work. This is the Body functioning as God planned. What a beautiful gift!

I know, it’s not happiness and harmony all the time. We the collective Church are human. We’ve been forgiven and made new, but we don’t always act like it. Sometimes we hurt each other – sometimes even on purpose. Oh, how the devil loves to tear us apart!

But we need each other. We need committed friendships and regular fellowship that we aren’t quick to walk away from. It’s worth working at, working through, and working beyond the issues that separate. It’s worth swallowing our pride and admitting when we’re wrong. It’s worth overlooking offenses, extending forgiveness, accepting differences and learning from each other.

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Who do you do life with?

“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor. If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken” (Eccl 4:9-10, 12).

This gift of community is priceless.

So today, I’m asking myself – how well am I contributing to the Body of Christ? Am I as willing to serve others as they have been to me? Am I pursuing growth and unity out of love for Jesus?

How about you? How are you doing? What community of believers do you do life with and how have you ministered to one another? I’d love to hear!

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Welcomed Home

Welcomed Home

I never understood, until I looked into their eyes.

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Waiting to be loved

There are always children waiting to be adopted. But we don’t need to adopt, because we have our own kids.

Seriously, that’s how I used to think. I’m ashamed to admit that, but it’s true.

My mindset changed, however, when I went to Bangkok and looked into the eyes of needy children, abused children, vulnerable children. And I realized, adoption isn’t about the wants or needs of a parent. It’s about welcoming a child into your heart and home and lavishing love on them.  Through adoption a child gets a new life, a new identity, a new family. They gain an advocate – someone to look after and provide for them. They receive a relationship with the parent who has chosen to love and accept them.

I find great joy in knowing that God has done this for me.

“God decided in advance to adopt us into His own family by bringing us to Himself through Jesus Christ. This is what He wanted to do, and it gave Him great pleasure” Eph 1:5.

He didn’t need me, as if the Self-sufficient One could be in need. But He wanted me. He longed to pour out His love on this needy soul, to take me “under His wing” and provide for me, to bestow on me a new name and a heavenly inheritance.

He chose me and I became His treasured daughter.

On the day of my adoption, everything changed. All my sins, which I wore like filthy rags, were taken away. He gave me a new heart. I was washed clean and clothed with the righteousness of Jesus. He made me fit to be His child and granted me direct access to His heart. He made me part of His worldwide family and He Himself came to dwell in me through His Holy Spirit.

I am safe now. Safe in the care of the Father who loves me. And so are you, fellow Jesus-follower!

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I’m adopted!

What facet of your adoption into His family is most precious to you and why? Please join the conversation– I’d love to hear from you!

 

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Don’t take my word for it! Check out these verses: 2 Cor 5:21, 6:18; Gal 4:5-6; Eph 1:4-5; Heb 10:17-22

 

Readjusting the Lens

Readjusting the Lens

Sometimes our vision changes.

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Walking with Jesus

When I set out on this blogging journey, my goal was to chronicle my walk with Christ. I was at the tail end of a pretty dark season. Life had recently come crashing down around me, and everything I thought I believed came into question. (To read more, please check out My Journey.)

“Two things I’m certain about,” I confided in a friend. “The Bible is the Word of God, and I’m saved by the blood of Jesus. Beyond that, I just don’t know right now.” Specific Christian doctrine, practical Christian living…it all needed to be reexamined.

Thankfully, those two certain beliefs are the bedrock of our faith and our God is a Master Rebuilder.

For a time, I thought I needed to rebuild my faith through prayer and Bible study, but then I came across the following verse in Colossians 2:7: “Having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith…” All those verbs – they’re in the passive tense, meaning I’m not the one doing them. Rather, I’m receiving the actions of Another.

Maybe that seems trivial, like mere semantics, but it took a weight off my shoulders. I realized that, just as God rooted me in Him at salvation, so He Himself is building and establishing my faith. My role is to abide in Him and welcome His work in me. (See John 15.)

During the course of this rebuilding project, I’ve learned that “identity” is a core issue in the Christian faith – most importantly, an accurate knowledge of God is essential. Of secondary, but also vital, importance is knowing my own identity as a child of God. These two things are like lenses through which I view and interact with the world around me.

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Looking at life through the lens of identity

God showed me that my understanding was flawed in both areas. So I’ve been taking notes as I read through Scripture of everything I see related to those two issues. My big, thick journal is almost full because, guess what? God has LOTS to say about identity. (And I’m not even half-way through the Bible yet!)

He longs to be known! And He wants us to know who we really are, too.

So I think it’s time to shift the focus here, or rather to “zoom in” on this aspect of our faith. I’d like to share with you what I’m learning, and I’d really love to learn from your journey, as well. Together, in the Body of Christ, we have the greatest treasure the world has ever known – friendship with God. Because He drew near, we can know Him and be secure in Him.

So stay tuned and prepare to be…encouraged!

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Identity Crisis

Identity Crisis

“Congratulations on turning 65!”

I stared in disbelief at the letter I had just received from a life insurance company. I looked at the envelope again. Yup, it was addressed to me. Sixty-five? That’s decades away! I laughed and tossed the letter in the trash.

Sixty-fivesoonA few weeks later, I got an invitation to an informational dinner hosted by an assisted living community. Then came another letter regarding my supposed upcoming 65th birthday. Each piece of correspondence was from a different source. What seemed at first like a crazy fluke began to hoist proverbial “red flags” in my mind.

Has someone stolen my identity?

Then I looked more closely at the intended recipient – it was addressed to me, but with my maiden name. Memories crashed into my mind like a flash flood. About fifteen years ago, when I was single, my identity was stolen. It took months to unravel the mess and clear my name. I wonder, could this senior citizen mistake be somehow related?

Protecting one’s identity is of great importance, and mine was in question.

In the spiritual realm, a similar crisis exists for every single believer. Our enemy, called “the accuser” in Revelation 12:10, is constantly telling us lies about our identity. He wants us to believe that we aren’t really that different from our old selves apart from Christ.

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New Creation

He loves to remind us of past sins – or even of present sin struggles. His web of deception can easily entangle us if we believe his lies.

Just as I am neither 65 nor single, I am also not the same person I was without Jesus – and neither are you, fellow Jesus-lover. When the Holy Spirit takes up residence in a believer:

  • He breathes life into a formerly dead spirit.
  • He breaks the chains of addictive sin.
  • He adopts us into His family and calls us beloved.
  • He forgives every sin and cancels the record of charges against us.
  • He makes us more than conquerors
  • He begins a transforming work that He will be faithful to complete.

God defines our identity – not the accuser, not other people, not our feelings, not our circumstances.

Much is at stake here. For just as identity theft damages its victims, so we will miss the riches of God’s work in us if we believe Satan’s lies about our identity.

Victorious Christian living and intimacy with Christ hinge upon knowing and believing the truth. And when we know this truth, astounding freedom will be our reality (John 8:32).

Now it’s your turn! What lies have you believed about your identity? What aspects of your new identity in Christ are most exciting to you? Please join the conversation!

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Praying Through Rejection

Praying through Rejection

Rejection…oh, how it stings.

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We don’t live long on this planet before encountering it. So many emotions come into play – pain, anger, disillusionment, loneliness, despair…

Jesus knew this pain well.

On the night before His crucifixion, Jesus shared an intimate meal with His closest earthly friends. Only two people in that room knew what was about to transpire. Judas, chosen as friend and disciple, would soon betray his Teacher into the hands of murderers. Jesus knew of Judas’ plans, yet He knelt and washed Judas’ feet. His dusty, dirty feet. Feet that would lead the killers to Jesus.

What an act of unheard-of grace.

Jesus knew He would also feel the ruthless pain of abandonment. Each of those beloved friends would run and hide during Jesus’ darkest hour. Except one – Peter would follow at a distance, but when questioned, he would deny even knowing his Friend.

Oh, how deep the pain of rejection.

Even so, Jesus spent the evening loving on His unfaithful friends (Jn 13:1). He washed each of their feet. He prepared them for difficulties to come and gave them promises to hold onto. And He prayed for them (Jn 17).

Jesus saw past His own pain to the needs of His friends.

He told Peter “I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers” (Lk 22:31-32).

He knew that Peter would feel unusable, unforgivable. He would grieve the choice he had made. In rejecting Jesus, Peter’s own heart would break. But Jesus prayed that Peter wouldn’t stay in that dark place – that his faith would not die, but that he would turn back to his friendship with God.

Then Jesus went even further. He prayed for Peter’s ministry after God walked his heart through grace.

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Yes, Peter would sin. He would choose self-preservation over faithfulness. He would break the heart of the One he’d pledged faithfulness to unto death (Lk 22:33). But God would bring good out of it and enable Peter to strengthen others as a result.

What beautiful grace radiates from this passage.  Grace for the unworthy. Grace for the unfaithful. Grace for the one inflicting the pain. Grace poured out, even before they asked for it.

When I encountered this story a few days ago, God did a deep work in my heart.

This is rarely my response to rejection. I often feel defined by the one who hurt me. Many a time, my world has come crashing down when someone hurt me.

But Jesus did not allow the opinions or actions of others to define Him. He knew His identity and didn’t try to prove Himself or keep men’s approval. (See Phil 2:6-7.) He was free to love, to forgive and to extend grace.

O God, teach me to rest in Your approval. Renew my mind in who You say I am. Then enable me to pray for those who hurt me – for their faith, for their walk with You, for their future ministry.

What about you? How do you respond when faced with rejection? What difference does it make to be “accepted (by God) in the Beloved (Jesus)”? (See Eph 1:6, KJV.)

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