Becoming A Stream

“This is what the LORD says— he who made a way through the sea, a path through the mighty waters, "Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.” (Isaiah 43:16, 18-19)

So I know this is supposed to be about Jesus (aren't all versus in the Bible? lol) but today I wanted to let this verse speak into my life by itself, without commentary, without researching the author's original intent or elaborating on the historical context.

Forget the former things. Do not dwell on the past.

Yowzers. I SO do not do this well. There are times I will lay awake at night reinventing a conversation I had with someone over 15 years ago - simply because I don't like the first take. Or when I will imagine how making a different choice than I did (like not leaving MHC, or dating that other guy instead, or treating a certain girl with more kindness) would have "improved" my life or at least made it different.

And why do I do this? Especially when the next sentence of this verse sends electric-excitement through my soul - "See, I am doing a new thing!" THAT is so much more appealing that these dumb mental re-writes of my past I waste time on. A NEW THING. I LOVE new things! Change is GREAT! Bring it on!

I think... Unless the new thing is yucky. Unless I won't like it. Unless it means changing the relationships I've grown comfortable in. Unless it means more stress. Unless it means freaking out my son and husband who DON'T like change very much at all...

Ah, to heck with it. Today, of all days, seems the perfect day to forget about the past and anticipate the new things God is making in my life. (You KNOW my brain just went to "maybe it will be a baby" - when will I EVER get past that one??!!) Maybe the new thing He is making isn't something extraneous. Maybe it isn't someTHING at all, but rather, someone... Ha! I just looked back at the verse and realized it doesn't say he is MAKING anything new, but DOING something new. Hmm... that really changes my line of thinking. The Lord doing something new in my life? What would that look like? Maybe, instead of being stuck in the same spiritual rut I find myself in over and over and over I will get to move on and get rolling - or at least hang out in a different rut! But God doesn't say He is making a new desert or different rut, He promises "streams in the wasteland." Boy, have I felt like a wasteland lately... it sure would be nice to be a stream instead. May that be the new thing God does in my life today, next week... this year... may He he take my dirt and replace it with his Living Water.

Have Peace, Take Heart

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

The IVP Commentary has this to say regarding the above passage:

[Jesus’] conquest, in turn, enables the disciples themselves to conquer the evil one…

Until death itself becomes a revelation of God the disciples can be troubled in the world, the place of death. Their joy cannot be stable and secure until they see him again and he sees them.. Then will they reap the benefits of his conquest by becoming one with him as he pours out the Spirit. They will not ask him, but rather they will be one with him, asking the Father in his name. So their joy will be full--the joy of union with God in Christ by the Spirit. They will know God's glory and will manifest his glory as they, in union with the living Christ by the Spirit, bear fruit as Jesus did, asking for what Jesus did. Their focus and source will be God, and thus they will have peace no matter what the world may throw at them.

IVP New Testament Commentaries

What does it look like to take heart and live with peace? If I understand it correctly, the commentator is saying that the disciples would be troubled until Jesus saw them again, after the resurrection and after he poured his Spirit out on them. My take on this is that, with the Spirit, they (and WE) are ONE with Christ NOW – therefore our joy is full and we know God’s glory and we will manifest his glory as we bear fruit as Jesus did. If my focus is on God, I will have peace no matter what.

I am one with Christ. My joy is Full. I know God’s glory. I not only can, but WILL manifest his glory as I bear fruit. Seriously? Grrr! When I read stuff like this I want to smack myself! Why do I ever complain? Why do I ever get depressed? I know God’s Glory! I can manifest his glory – Today! I love and hate that this actually is up to me. I have the choice today to bear fruit or not. To live "just another day" or to Live Today – looking for the Divine – looking for opportunities to be kind, gentle, faithful, peaceful, loving... I am also to “ask for what Jesus asked for.” In Jesus’ prayers recorded in the gospels, He asked for God’s kingdom to come, to be on earth as it is in heaven (Mt 6); the dead to rise (John 11); forgiveness for his enemies (Luke 23); and for oneness of His Church that the world would believe (John 17).

Lord, Show me your Glory today. Send down your presence. Fill me with your Spirit that I might bear your fruit today. Lord, I ask for your kingdom to come – for your will to be done on earth as it is in heaven. Hasten your return, Father – that we may enjoy the wedding of all weddings with you in Heaven. Raise up those are spiritually dead – fill them with your breath of Life. Feel free to raise up those physically dead, too, Lord, if it might bring anyone to a saving knowledge of you as it did for those around Lazarus. God – forgive your enemies… especially me for the times when I commit treason against you (so many more times than I care to admit) Forgive me Father. Give me the Spirit that I might in turn forgive my own enemies completely – letting go of resentments, hurts, and negative thoughts about them. Give me a love for them that is inexplicable but through the Power of You. Above all else, Lord, let me not partake in anything that contributes to the divisiveness of your Church. Let me be a unifying factor in my own small way. I pray against any denominational differences that keep us from acting as one body and ask Father that you would cause your Church to rise up and unite – that the world might know we are one with each other and we are one with you – in the same way Jesus and the Father are one. Praise be to God and to our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Waiting for the Wedding

"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. (John 14:1-3)

I lucked out for my first entry because I recently read about it in a book by Rob Bell where he gave this exact verse a greater context which added so much more meaning for me. Jesus is speaking to his disciples and, according to Bell, they aren't hearing anything new in what he is saying. In the Jewish culture at this time, an engagement (betrothal) was initiated with the groom going to the bride's home and, among other things, giving a speech, which told her "In my father's house are many rooms. I am going there to prepare a place for you. I will come back and take you with me that you also may be were I am." And that is exactly what he would do. He would go back to the home of his parents and build a room or rooms off of their house that would be his and his wife's new home. Then, when it was done, he would come for his bride and they would be married.

So when Jesus said this to the disciples, they totally recognized it as the "groom's speech." I don't know what this would have meant to a group of guys, and that's not the point of this blog - but I offer this additional information from Bell because of what it meant to me - I think more about the young woman of that day who was more than likely so consumed with wondering who she would marry, when, would he be a good man from a good family, etc... imagine her thoughts once the speech had been given and the offer accepted. Imagine the sense of worth, the sense of security. This isn't to argue about a woman's sense of worth or security coming from a man, that's not my point and if you think it is, you obviously don't know me well. But in that day, a woman was so much safer in a family, with the protection and care of a husband. This must have meant the world to a young woman, scared about her future. The change in her from before the betrothal must have been pronounced. No more worries - just lots and lots of joyful preparations and excited anticipation!

Once I think on this, the logical place to go is to realize Jesus is saying this to me. I am the bride and he is the one building a place for me. I wonder what my room will look like? I wonder who will have rooms next to mine? I wonder how much longer it will take for him to finish? I wonder what preparations I need to do? And... I wonder how in the world Jesus could love me so much to want me. Me.

And then I can't help but wonder why do I worry, where are my "joyful preparations" and why is trusting Him so darn hard?

I don't expect an answer... this is just me, being me - full of more questions than answers and more wonder than knowledge...

My Turn at 40-Days

A dear friend of mine just completed the challenge to blog for 40 consecutive days as a way of being mindful everyday of the work she is doing on growing into a more complete version of herself. I was truly inspired by the work she did and promised her, when she was getting discouraged around day 20, that if she completed the task, I would take it on myself.

Thus begins 40 days of blogging - Erin-style. Each day I receive a "verse of the day" which I typically read and dismiss rather quickly. For the next 40 days however I am going to take these verses and respond to them via this blog.

I welcome your comments and contributions and appreciate your participation in my life!