The Goal

(continued from previous post)

“The Father is the goal and purpose of my life.” (John 14:28 MSG)

In order to reach our goals, we have to climb the ladder one step at a time. We push off from the last rung and pull ourselves up to the next rung. We stretch and strain, using all our abilities to move up. We cannot skip any steps. Each step takes us a bit further from the stability of the ground. The higher we are, the more precarious our position. We keep our eyes forward, trying not to look down too much. But what if after we get to the top, we discover we are not where we should be?

“People may spend their whole lives climbing the ladder of success only to find, once they reach the top, that the ladder is leaning against the wrong wall.” (Thomas Merton)

For the first few decades of my life, I leaned my ladder up against wrong walls. Each time I realized my mistake, I climbed down humbly. I have rearranged my ladder, readjusted my priorities, and reevaluated my direction several times over the years. I know now that God is meant to be the goal and purpose of my life. However, I am not yet at the point where I single-mindedly pursue God. Instead, I find myself regularly distracted by desires for worldly validation, security, and comfort. My fondness for these things weighs me down,  lowers my concentration, and often causes me to lose my balance. Yet, I press on--relying on grace to help me move forward to the utmost goal.

Achievement and Failure

“I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,” (Philippians 3:13 NIV)

Yoga requires a great deal of stretching and straining. When practicing new poses and positions, there is always some discomfort. Sometimes the soreness lasts for days. However, if we persist, yoga can improve our flexibility, balance, and strength. Not everyone can do all the poses equally well. Yet, we won’t know what we are capable of until we try each position multiple times.

Achievement requires us to stretch to our full potential. Unless we go through pain, discomfort, and multiple failures, we shall remain stiff and stagnant. Continual stretching enables us to move fluidly, to know our limitations, and to keep pushing forward. It makes us flexible, supple, and resilient. As we lose our balance and correct ourselves, we find our center. As we breathe and extend ourselves further and further--we lean in, we press on, we give everything we’ve got to achieve our goal.

(to be continued)

Purple Heart

My dear friend, Sandy Rolling, passed away early this morning. Sandy made such a huge impact on my life, and now there will be a huge hole in that spot. I’m sure that she left an impression on everyone else who knew her as well. Most of us hope to make a positive difference in this world. Well, Sandy definitely accomplished that.

I met Sandy in 2008, when she gave us our beloved dog, Sydney. Over the next few years, Sandy and her husband, Mike, became part of our extended family. Sandy taught me about dogs and people. She had a gentle and graceful way of handling both animals and humans. She exuded kindness. She modeled patience. She spread joy. I knew she was a cancer survivor. She had been in remission for almost five years by then. She was so energetic and full of life that I couldn’t imagine anything diminishing her vibrancy.

Then, in 2011, the dreaded cancer came back. Sandy approached it with her characteristic courage and optimism. Over the next few years, she taught me about love, faith, trust, hope, suffering, strength, and endurance. I was always amazed by her positive energy, even in the most dire circumstances. She rarely complained or wallowed in self-pity. She constantly reminded me to trust God, to practice faith, and to hope unwaveringly.

I know the Purple Heart medal is given to soldiers who are wounded or killed in battle. If any civilian deserves a purple heart, it would be Sandy. She battled cancer with courage and endurance, unwilling to quit fighting until the very end.  Sandy was like a brilliant purple flower with a golden heart. She taught us about strength and faith. She accepted everything with humility and grace. She continually expressed God’s glory and love to all of us.

Sandy, I’m glad your pain and suffering is finally over.  Yet, I will still miss you terribly. I shall keep reminding myself of all that you have taught me and find peace in knowing that you are now rejoicing with Jesus.

Fire

“The main character in this drama—compared to him I’m a mere stagehand—will ignite the kingdom life within you, a fire within you, the Holy Spirit within you, changing you from the inside out. He’s going to clean house—make a clean sweep of your lives. He’ll place everything true in its proper place before God; everything false he’ll put out with the trash to be burned.” (Matthew 11:12 MSG)

Humans discovered the power of fire a long time ago. We used it for cooking, lighting, and heating.  Our early ancestors used fire to scare away predators, to steam bend wood for bows, arrows, and spears, to make metal tools and pottery, to clear farm ground, and to burn waste. Firepower has been used to fight enemies and conquer kingdoms. To this day, we use it to cauterize wounds, solder broken connections, and even melt scented candles that suffuse the air with fragrance.

The Holy Spirit is often portrayed as fire. The Spirit lights our path, making the invisible visible. He simmers the indigestible, until it is digestible. The Holy Spirit protects us against the Enemy. He bends us into useful tools and weapons. He molds us into properly shaped containers according to God’s purpose.  He solders together what was once broken and cauterizes our wounds. We are ignited with passion for God because of His influence. He burns the waste, clearing anything that is false, purifying our thoughts, words, and behavior. The Holy Spirit melts us from the inside out--releasing His fragrance that is contained within us.

Don't Look Back

‘Turn to God...” (Matthew 3:2 NLT)

The worldly life is a paved road. This popular route is marked with clear road signs. It passes through civilized towns, giving the traveler access to all sorts of conveniences. Those who travel on it have similar goals--ambition, achievement, and accumulation. The godly life is unpaved. It meanders through the wilderness. Those who choose it crave to know God, to love and serve Him. However, the road is not well-marked, conveniences are sparse, and the journey is often lonely.

Both roads run parallel to each other for a long while before they turn in different directions. When you are on the paved path and see people taking the dirt road, you wonder why they are so foolish. It’s hard to imagine why any sane person would choose to take the difficult, unpopular path. Those travelling on the dirt path know they want something different in life. They sense that the popular route won’t get them there. Yet, the temptation to get back on the easier path is always there.

Once you decide to turn to God, don’t look back. The temptation to doubt your choice and to turn back will be strong. Keep your attention fixed on God. Don’t get distracted. Stay focused on your ultimate goal--to be in God’s presence, to soak in His Grace.

Jesus, help me to follow you...and not look back.

Following Directions

“God’s angel showed up again in Joseph’s dream and commanded, ‘Get up. Take the child and his mother and flee to Egypt.’” (Matthew 2:13 NLT)

If I had a dream in which an angel appeared and told me I needed to move to a different country with my newborn child, I would talk myself out of it. I would decide that it could not be from God because it was reckless and impulsive. My common sense would prevail.

How does one know when a conviction is from God?

I have sensed nudges that I think are from God, but I’m never sure. I have read a lot about this subject. I have talked to others about their experiences. Here are a few hints that I have picked up:

The conviction has a certain heft to it. It feels significant. You sense the need for prayer--to ask God for strength and direction. You become aware of God’s presence. You feel compelled to follow. The pressure stays with you for a long while. You receive external confirmation--a line of scripture, a song that comes to mind, a word from a friend or stranger.

If we choose to ignore divine nudges frequently, our ability to sense them will eventually disappear. The more we follow, the more attuned we become to God’s revelations and directions. However, even when we obey, the outcome is not always favorable. Sometimes, we don’t get to see the positive effects of our actions. Be satisfied with knowing that you have followed directions, and let God take care of the rest according to His will.

Lord, help me to understand Your will and follow Your directions.

Art Restoration

“Has the LORD redeemed you? Then speak out! Tell others he has redeemed you from your enemies.” (Psalm 107:2 NLT)

Art restoration is time consuming. The restorers work meticulously, one section at a time. They clean the painting and touch up faded and chipped paint. They bring back the artwork to what the original artist intended it to be. In order to do this, the restorers have to be deeply familiar and respectful of the original artist’s work.

The Lord is our redeemer. He restores us to what the Father intended us to be. He works on us inch by inch, through our entire lifetime. He cleans us, fills in the gaps, and brings us back to our former glory. He is patient and diligent. He is passionate about this work. When we remain in the Lord’s  presence, when we are open to Him and open with Him--His grace cleans away the layers of grime, freeing us to be who we were created to be.

Has the Lord restored you? Has He freed you from oppression? Then speak out! Express your gratitude. Share your restoration with others and give all the credit to your Redeemer.