Living on Mane Street

Only in having some awareness of the endless goodness of God can we trust Him in the moments He is doing His transforming work.  We can be changed by growth, by surgery, and by being called to face our fears.  We prefer the gentle rain and sunshine kind of maturing...the easier slow-paced seasons of His work.  The other times are for the courageous and faith-filled, but we are no less safe with Him in those places than we are in the summer-kissed garden.

He is both Lion and Lamb.  We are blessed when we know Him intimately by both names.  I wouldn’t be so interested in a God who was always gentle; I am fascinated by His power.  Being able to trust Him in it is a blessed place to come to, a place to find deeper rest.  I am most at peace when I am willing to live on “Mane” Street, doing life with a Lion of a God in a community with all its glorious celebrations and its dark back alleys, following Him where He goes on His powerful mission to bring hope to broken hearts and freedom for captives.  We need to know both the reassurance of Him curling up with us and bringing comfort and understanding, and the fearlessness of His roars against all that would harm us, even if He is asking us to face something inside ourselves.  Life changes when we know He is still utterly good in His greatest power.    

Photography from morguefile.com by mattbowen

The Way of Wisdom

Listen to your heart, but listen also to your spirit and mind and trusted friends, remembering the foundations you want to rest on and the person you want to become.  Otherwise, what feels for all the world like momentary freedom might be leading to chains.

Photograph from morguefile.com by Jacky

Let's Go

Last night we were in a discussion about risk and faith with a small group of disciples who are getting to know one another and are trying to lean into their faith in Jesus, to grow, to live in a way that is honest, and reflects the love we have received.  We are usually a dozen strong, but we are becoming knit together as we share.  It is getting more clear that these inividuals are desiring to become more attuned to offering back the life we were given for our dead one.  

We talked about whether or not we are a risk-taker, and we talked about our fears.  When we spoke about risk, we seemed to immediately start penciling a mental calculation of the loss factor.  Some of us defined ourselves as a risk-taker and acknowledged that sometimes it was reckless thinking and led to problems.  

Faith begins to get traction when we will follow Him where we see no way of saving ourselves and will go where He calls anyway.  (It helps if we take to heart what He says about Himself and watch for the ways in His people’s story, the ways in our own life, and the ways in the lives of those around us that show His care, His guidance, His faithfulness, and His ability to take faith and work miracles from that key ingredient.)  There aren’t often small stories when faith is present.

As we believe more and more we will do less skirting around the edges where we are only ankle deep in His waters.  We will jump.  

Photograph from morguefile.com by lauramusikanski

Letting Him Wash Up On Your Shores

There is forgiveness of wrongs, resurrection of dead things, mercies that are new every morning.  Check out the other gods’ lists of expectations.  Nowhere else can you come and be loved in your brokenness, be embraced as family in your debt, and be invited into a new start for your precious life.  We are to call one another on to follow His ways of living and to trust in His ability to strengthen and heal and restore.  It’s hardest to be vulnerable and honest with one another.  

One problem is that we’d like to be part of our own solution and have a way to crawl out of our holes to earn our place.  When it comes down to it, we aren’t so comfortable with free gifts of mercy and grace and so are inclined to keep records of wrongs and stay in our measly tally system, trying to manage our own account and resisting the bottom line of our great need.  By ourselves we will always come out in the red.  And astonishingly, He poured red completely and adequately over us...His own blood to cover what our own sacrifices and efforts could never have accomplished.  

We will never change the basics of His way, the extravagant gift and blazingly honest one:  “Blessed are the poor in spirit [those who are aware of their great need], for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “  The only ones who get the kingdom are those who will receive it.  It is why, even after “significant sin” David was called “a man after my own heart.”  This great earthly king, minced no words about his actions and ran back to the heart of a Father (read his cry in Psalm 51) who would receive His prodigal son in a heartbeat.

Photograph from morguefile.com by AlexandreHenryAlves

Take Him...

The Bible is rich.  It is a history book, a love letter, a guide book full of wisdom and instruction.  It is a biography...His story told in all the gory detail, and a romantic true account of how much He loves and how far He will go to have us.  It is an adventure story also, full of people who were in ugly predicaments and the ability of the One who would rescue them.  It is a foundation that puts something beneath us to walk on and gives strength as we open its cover and turn the pages.  It is a book that will breathe its breath into you, will both comfort you and challenge you.  It should wrestle you to the ground and lift you back up in its story of forgiveness and hope, surely it is a resurrection story.  It is a lifeline to the weary and both a knife that can do delicate surgery to perfection (He is no butcher) and a balm that will heal our wounds.

Open the pages newly.  Explore.  Soak.  Take Him at His word.  

Photograph from morgeufile.com by cbcs

A Psalm

Soak me, Jesus, in Your presence today.  I am feeling dry, spent, over-extended from these busy past few months and there doesn’t seem to be enough time or clarity or “me” to accomplish everything that needs and wants attention.  I feel like I am in a gigantic game of “catch up.”

I know You have a plan and a pace and a goal, and that mine easily meanders from Your ways or becomes far to short-sighted.

I have seen over and over again that a willing heart to trust You as I go is the most essential part..  Pausing to remember and to sink roots deeper into You today will not be a waste..  As I look back I can see that You have always come through, landed me where I didn’t even realize I was heading, opened doors and ways that I never saw coming.  

This day isn’t running on the whims of time, it is securely in Your steady and creative hands.  I can feel a bit of refreshment seeping into me as I consider again who You are and how very capable and amazing You continue to be.  You don’t end.  Ever. I can exhale the stress and breathe in your grace.  

Photo from morguefile.com by kakisky

Unexpected Sums

I have a life where the total just doesn’t add up.  

I am aware this morning that even though mistakes and challenges of numerous kinds have occurred, the toll isn’t what it should have been.   What has tipped the scales is the presence of a God who has promised to care for me and who calls me by name.  It isn’t that there haven’t been ramifications of my choices and the choices of others, but that all of those things seem to become precious ingredients in His hands as I trust Him.  I am not suggesting carelessness on our part because He will magically come in and fix everything, but as we crawl, limp, hobble, walk or run through life, giving Him room and permission to have at us will somehow work our circumstances for good.

I don’t know how He does it, but I have seen over and over again that good things rise up where they would never be expected.  It doesn’t mean that it is easy.  It just means that if you trust Him, fruit will always be born.

Photo from morguefile.com by lunar