"You know what I think heaven will be like?" my friend asked me as we were walking back to the dorm after going to church together. We had just finished hearing a powerful testimony from a man who found God as the source of His healing and redemption. "I think everyone will get to share their personal testimonies and stories about how awesome God is."
I smiled in agreement because we both had been touched by the testimony of the speaker that morning. My mind flashed back to the past Saturday night after dinner when I met with two friends at a coffee shop. For an hour and a half, our entire conversation centered around the Lord and how He had been working in our lives. We shared story after story about how wonderful and faithful He is, even in the most difficult trials. Our time together was full of smiles, laughter, and joy at who God is and what He does. Maybe heaven will be a little bit like that, too, I thought to myself.
There is nothing as motivating, inspiring, and stirring as a personal testimony to the goodness of God. But why wait until heaven to share it? I do believe heaven will be a place where we will meet all our brothers and sisters in Christ and share stories with one another about the glory of God. But at the same time, I believe that we are called to bring a little piece of that heaven down to this earth.
We all have a testimony or "God-story" about how the Lord has been active in our lives. Sometimes it is the story of conversion, struggle, or victory. And sometimes, it is just a story about how God worked in your life in some small way yesterday. No matter how simple or profound it may be, it is worth sharing!
Your story is powerful enough to bring joy and life to others because God Himself is the author of that work. When we all begin to share our stories openly and frequently, we will experience great joy and encouragement - and possibly a little piece of heaven on earth.
January 30, 2011
January 26, 2011
Undeserved Grace
This semester I am reading a book by C.J. Mahaney titled Living the Cross Centered Life. With only the introduction and first chapter under my belt, my mind is already thinking about many deep things. I not only recommend the book, but I also want to share with you something that I have been thinking about since I started reading.
It is easy for Christians to say, "I know all about the cross. I've got that part of the story down, so it is time for me to move on to deeper and more mature things." But Mahaney points out that we never move beyond the cross, only deeper into it.
The more I think about the cross, the more I think about God's grace, which is absolutely and wonderfully free and undeserved. I tried to think of a moment in my life, apart from God's grace, when I felt like I recieved a gift that I did not deserve. I could not think of one thing. Everything from grades to scholarships to gifts to coupons are all things that I have worked for or earned in some way. Yet God's grace is not like this. It is completely undeserved! Isn't that amazing?!
I realized that I do not fully understand God's grace, but my desire to understand it in its fullness is so strong. This has been my prayer this week: Gracious God, thank you for your gift of grace which is undeserved. Thank you for giving me such a huge gift that I did not earn. Lord, teach me about your grace in a deeper way. I want to grasp it and immerse myself in your grace and love.
It is easy for Christians to say, "I know all about the cross. I've got that part of the story down, so it is time for me to move on to deeper and more mature things." But Mahaney points out that we never move beyond the cross, only deeper into it.
The more I think about the cross, the more I think about God's grace, which is absolutely and wonderfully free and undeserved. I tried to think of a moment in my life, apart from God's grace, when I felt like I recieved a gift that I did not deserve. I could not think of one thing. Everything from grades to scholarships to gifts to coupons are all things that I have worked for or earned in some way. Yet God's grace is not like this. It is completely undeserved! Isn't that amazing?!
I realized that I do not fully understand God's grace, but my desire to understand it in its fullness is so strong. This has been my prayer this week: Gracious God, thank you for your gift of grace which is undeserved. Thank you for giving me such a huge gift that I did not earn. Lord, teach me about your grace in a deeper way. I want to grasp it and immerse myself in your grace and love.
January 20, 2011
Still Creating
With the start of this new year, many people challenge themselves to read the Bible through in one year, myself included. Being a college student with all kinds of required readings and studies, it is kind of intimidating to look at the readings for every day, knowing that once you get behind, it is even more intimidating to try to catch up. That is why I am challenging myself this year to read 365 key chapers of the Bible. It is only a chapter a day, so you still get the treasures of the Bible - just in smaller portions. These portions are perfect to start or end the day with feasting on God's truth.
Whether you have read the entire Bible, wanted to but never finished, or never even tried, I invite you to join me in this year long journey. I know it is already January 20, so we are getting a late start. But I just started last night, so it is a perfect time to jump right in and start the race. If you just read two chapters a day for the next couple of weeks, you will be caught up by early February!
Last night I read the creation account, but from a unique perspective. I tried to read it from the perspective of the Creator, God. I wonder, when God created light, did He think about Jesus being the light of the world and healing the eyes of the blind? When he separated the waters, did He think about dividing the Red Sea for Moses and the Israelites? When he caused the ground to produce fruit, did He plant the seeds for those giant grapes that grew in Canaan? Do you think He thought about the fruit of the Spirit or how believers would produce fruit for Him just like the land produces fruit? When he formed the sun, moon, and starts, did he flash forward and picture the sun standing still for Joshua or the star guiding the magi to see Jesus? When he filled the earth with fish, birds, and animals, did He picture the fish that would swallow Jonah, the donkey that would carry Jesus into Jerusalem, or the lamb that would one day lie down with the lion? And when He created man, I wonder if He thought about me. I wonder if He pictured you. I wonder if He looked at Jesus and saw Him as a man one day.
As God was creating the entire world, I wonder if the whole story played before His eyes. Did He plan it all out as He fashioned the cosmos? Or did He already know long in advance how perfectly His plan would fit together? And here we are, right in the middle of that creation story. God still creates light in our darkness. He separates the waters for us. He helps us produce fruit. He guides us with His light through the night and day, and He is continually creating us in His image. Our Creator God is still creating, and we are right in the middle of this great drama, which was planned before the creation of the world.
Whether you have read the entire Bible, wanted to but never finished, or never even tried, I invite you to join me in this year long journey. I know it is already January 20, so we are getting a late start. But I just started last night, so it is a perfect time to jump right in and start the race. If you just read two chapters a day for the next couple of weeks, you will be caught up by early February!
Last night I read the creation account, but from a unique perspective. I tried to read it from the perspective of the Creator, God. I wonder, when God created light, did He think about Jesus being the light of the world and healing the eyes of the blind? When he separated the waters, did He think about dividing the Red Sea for Moses and the Israelites? When he caused the ground to produce fruit, did He plant the seeds for those giant grapes that grew in Canaan? Do you think He thought about the fruit of the Spirit or how believers would produce fruit for Him just like the land produces fruit? When he formed the sun, moon, and starts, did he flash forward and picture the sun standing still for Joshua or the star guiding the magi to see Jesus? When he filled the earth with fish, birds, and animals, did He picture the fish that would swallow Jonah, the donkey that would carry Jesus into Jerusalem, or the lamb that would one day lie down with the lion? And when He created man, I wonder if He thought about me. I wonder if He pictured you. I wonder if He looked at Jesus and saw Him as a man one day.
As God was creating the entire world, I wonder if the whole story played before His eyes. Did He plan it all out as He fashioned the cosmos? Or did He already know long in advance how perfectly His plan would fit together? And here we are, right in the middle of that creation story. God still creates light in our darkness. He separates the waters for us. He helps us produce fruit. He guides us with His light through the night and day, and He is continually creating us in His image. Our Creator God is still creating, and we are right in the middle of this great drama, which was planned before the creation of the world.
January 19, 2011
But God Can Do It
Today was my first day of classes for the spring semester, and I always approach this day with a sense of both excitement and fear. One part of me can't wait to get started with my first round of clinicals, but the other part of me stacks up all the schedules and says there is no way I can do all this. Maybe I just get overwhelmed too easily, but the first day of classes always seems to freak me out. I lay in bed with my head spinning trying to figure out how I am going to take seventeen hours of difficult classes while balancing club stuff, activities, projects, and committments so that I still have time to spend with the people who matter to me the most. But I have been bombarded with this stress every semester, and it always turns out okay. So I have to remind myself over and over that it is not going to be as bad as it seems. I am like the little engine, telling myself, "I think I can...I think I can...I think I can..." as I chug up another hill.
The time of the new year tends to make people feel the same way. In fact, some people are now saying that new year resolutions are pointless and even harmful because they are just too hard to accomplish. Why set yourself up for failure and disappointment? they say. But I believe that God designed us to push forward, to run the race marked out for us. What better way to remind ourselves of that purpose than to set goals?
As this new year rolls around and comes into full swing, I am fully convinced that setting goals will help us grow closer to the Lord. And I am also convinced that no matter how hard the tasks ahead of us seem, we can do it because Christ is our strength. It may seem impossible to accomplish our tasks or goals on our own effort, but that's okay because God is fighting for us. And He is mighty strong! So instead of saying, "I think I can...I think I can..." as we chug up our mountains, let us fix our eyes on Christ and proclaim, "I know God can!" We may not be able on our own, but God can absolutely do it.
The time of the new year tends to make people feel the same way. In fact, some people are now saying that new year resolutions are pointless and even harmful because they are just too hard to accomplish. Why set yourself up for failure and disappointment? they say. But I believe that God designed us to push forward, to run the race marked out for us. What better way to remind ourselves of that purpose than to set goals?
As this new year rolls around and comes into full swing, I am fully convinced that setting goals will help us grow closer to the Lord. And I am also convinced that no matter how hard the tasks ahead of us seem, we can do it because Christ is our strength. It may seem impossible to accomplish our tasks or goals on our own effort, but that's okay because God is fighting for us. And He is mighty strong! So instead of saying, "I think I can...I think I can..." as we chug up our mountains, let us fix our eyes on Christ and proclaim, "I know God can!" We may not be able on our own, but God can absolutely do it.
January 13, 2011
Love Flurries
I couldn't stay away from the window. Although there were others things that I could be doing, I could not make myself take my eyes off the beauty of the gentle snowfall. I sipped hot chocolate and watched those little snowflakes dance and twirl. The window was my big screen television, and I was enjoying the show of a lifetime.
Something about snow makes the world turn gentle, pure, and quiet. I love watching the snow pile up on each branch of the trees until the whole forest turns white. I watched little yellow finches and vibrant red cardinals hop on top of the snow and leave their tiny footprints. (Why are birds so much cuter when they play in the snow?) When the sky turned dark, I watched the snowflakes dance in the light from our back deck. Soon, a fresh, soft blanket of snow wrapped everything I could see in it's beauty.
"Nature is not primarily functional; it is primarily beautiful." (John and Stasi Eldredge, Captivating.) God, the Creator of each snowflake, sends us snow flurries not to keep the world in motion, but to captivate us. As I looked out the window at that beautiful snow, I felt a romantic feeling inside of me because I knew that each snowflake was a gift from God. Each one floated down from heaven with a little message of "I love you" attached to it. Maybe that's why I couldn't take my eyes off the window. And maybe that's why I couldn't help but bundle up and play outside for a while. Maybe that's even why I felt romantic inside. God romances us. And He sends us gifts that are sometimes even as small as a snowflake, just to convince us how much He loves us.
Something about snow makes the world turn gentle, pure, and quiet. I love watching the snow pile up on each branch of the trees until the whole forest turns white. I watched little yellow finches and vibrant red cardinals hop on top of the snow and leave their tiny footprints. (Why are birds so much cuter when they play in the snow?) When the sky turned dark, I watched the snowflakes dance in the light from our back deck. Soon, a fresh, soft blanket of snow wrapped everything I could see in it's beauty.
"Nature is not primarily functional; it is primarily beautiful." (John and Stasi Eldredge, Captivating.) God, the Creator of each snowflake, sends us snow flurries not to keep the world in motion, but to captivate us. As I looked out the window at that beautiful snow, I felt a romantic feeling inside of me because I knew that each snowflake was a gift from God. Each one floated down from heaven with a little message of "I love you" attached to it. Maybe that's why I couldn't take my eyes off the window. And maybe that's why I couldn't help but bundle up and play outside for a while. Maybe that's even why I felt romantic inside. God romances us. And He sends us gifts that are sometimes even as small as a snowflake, just to convince us how much He loves us.
January 10, 2011
Deeper
As you stand with your feet in the sand, the gentle waves lick your toes and the salty breeze dances in your hair. Just being so near to the ocean makes you feel the need to be still, to just quietly soak up the sights, sounds, and tastes of the sea. Something about the vastness about the ocean makes you feel small, yet significant.
I once heard that the ocean is shallow enough for a child to play, yet deep enough for a whale to swim. The ocean is a fascinating place, and to just pause with your ankles in its waves is enough to create in you a sense of awe. Yet when I stood in the shallows of the shoreline of Hawaii, I also felt a desire to know what lies in the depths. Standing at the shore draws you deeper into the ocean.
I am also reminded of an old hymn titled “The Love of God.” The imagery in the song compares the ocean to ink and the sky to a scroll. The chorus says:
God’s love, deeper and wider than the ocean, is gentle enough for a child to play and deep enough for a whale to swim. His love is so great that when we stand at the edge of it, we desire to move deeper and deeper into it. His love calls us out into deeper waters, into a deeper and more intimate relationship with the Creator of all. May we move with the waves of God’s love until we are swimming in a love that is over our heads.
As the song “How He Loves” says, “If grace is an ocean, we’re all sinking.”
I once heard that the ocean is shallow enough for a child to play, yet deep enough for a whale to swim. The ocean is a fascinating place, and to just pause with your ankles in its waves is enough to create in you a sense of awe. Yet when I stood in the shallows of the shoreline of Hawaii, I also felt a desire to know what lies in the depths. Standing at the shore draws you deeper into the ocean.
Ezekiel 47:3-5
As the man went eastward with a measuring line in his hand, he measured off a thousand cubits and then led me through water that was ankle-deep. He measured off another thousand cubits and led me through water that was knee-deep. He measured off another thousand and led me through water that was up to the waist. He measured off another thousand, but now it was a river that I could not cross, because the water had risen and was deep enough to swim in—a river that no one could cross.
I am also reminded of an old hymn titled “The Love of God.” The imagery in the song compares the ocean to ink and the sky to a scroll. The chorus says:
To write the love of God above
Would drain the ocean dry
Nor could the scroll contain the whole
Though stretched from sky to sky
God’s love, deeper and wider than the ocean, is gentle enough for a child to play and deep enough for a whale to swim. His love is so great that when we stand at the edge of it, we desire to move deeper and deeper into it. His love calls us out into deeper waters, into a deeper and more intimate relationship with the Creator of all. May we move with the waves of God’s love until we are swimming in a love that is over our heads.
As the song “How He Loves” says, “If grace is an ocean, we’re all sinking.”
January 5, 2011
Beauty in Desolation
In Volcanoes National Park on the big island of Hawaii, I stepped foot on a real lava flow. The cooled lava created a unique pattern of swirled gray rock. In some places, I could almost see the lava running when it was red hot. Metallic colors of the rainbow sparkled as they were reflected by the sunlight on the lava. I expected the lava rock to be hard, but it was brittle and porous as I stepped lightly over it. Each footstep made a crunching sound like I was walking on potato chips.
The path where the lava had flowed many years ago left a barren wastleland. I tried to picture what that enormous dried lava field had looked like as it swept through the valley, uprooting trees and setting fire to everything is touched. Now, all that was left was a solid blanket of cold, hard, sharp stone. Looking around, the eerie lava field made me feel a little sad.
But then I stopped to look at my feet, and a huge smile spread across my face. There, growing up out of the ashes, was a tiny green plant blossoming with little plump red fruits. Against all odds, that tiny bush had found a way to take root and flourish in the middle of a desolate place.
It reminded me of Isaiah 61 where God says that He will "bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes." Only God can make such a beautiful plant prosper out of hardened ashes. And only God can help us to bloom and produce fruit in our hardened places. Out of the ashes, God creates beauty.
January 3, 2011
Up Close
The wind whipped through my hair as I sat on the edge of a motorized raft that zipped across the ocean bay to Molokini island. I was headed with my family to our very first snorkel site. It was two days after Christmas, and it was 80 degrees in Hawaii. With the sun on my face and an occassional wave splahing on my warm skin, I was enjoying this not-so-traditional holiday activity.
Suddenly, the boat made a sharp turn off course, taking us away from the island ahead of us where we were going to snorkel. I turned my head, noticing that everyone was looking in that direction as a few of our fellow travelers were pointing to the horizon. In the far distance, I glimpsed a small spray of water in the air - a Hawaiian humpback whale! The boat picked up speed until we reached the spot where the whales were sighted. "Over there!" We all turned our heads just in time to see two gigantic whales wave their tales in the air before slapping them down on the water with a huge splash. Starting up the boat again, we approached the whales even closer. We were not whale-watchers, we were whale-chasers!
The next spray of water we saw was even closer to our boat. Everyone oohed and aahed as the two whales waved their fins at us and slapped their tales on the water. Even when they stayed underwater for a few minutes, we waited patiently and let the boat rock with the waves. Just when I thought the whales were gone, another blow sprayed water up into the air. This time, it was only twenty feet from our little boat! I have always known that whales were big animals, but when you can see the hairs on the noses and the bumps on the backs from only twenty feet away, you literally stand there with your mouth hanging wide open. I couldn't believe that those wild whales were so close to us!
For the next hour and a half, we chased whales across the bay. We watched two males fight by slapping their tales at one another. We saw the backs, fins, noses, faces, and tails of perhaps ten different whales. One whale repeatedly flapped his tail in the air over and over again while we clapped and cheered for him. We even watched a mother and her calf play. I promise that the little calf waved to us with his fin. For the grand finale, we witnesses a humpback whale breach completely out of the water. I thought that only happened on Discovery Channel or in National Geographic, but I got to see it with my own eyes from about 100 feet away. I think I could have made a Planet Earth video out of the whales I saw that day.
When we finally made it to Molokini island to snorkel, I was a little bit hesitant to jump into the cold, deep, turbulent water. We were actually snorkeling off the back side of a volcano crater, so we were swimming up against a huge wall that dropped off into ocean depths. I couldn't even see the bottom, just the huge waves crashing into the rocks close-by. Were there really fish down there? My dad jumped in first, and the look on his face was all it took for me to jump in right after him. When I first opened my eyes, I forgot all about the cold water or the crashing waves because I was swimming in a tropical aquarium. Huge fish with the colors of the rainbow painted all over them swam within the reach of my hand. There was so much to see that I didn't know which way to look. Schools of colorful fish sparkeled in the sunlight and the corals swayed with the rise and fall of the waves. When I held my breath, I could hear whale echoes in the distance. Through the crystal clear water, I watched beautiful, glorious, colorful fishes swim all around me without fear.
When we arrived back on shore, I asked my mom, "Did that really just happen?" I could not believe how close we had been to God's indescribable creation. Swimming in God's aquarium and watching His whales swim, splash, and play so close to us seemed too unbelievable. God showed us how beautiful and creative He is, and He gave us front-row seats. We were blessed to experience His glory up-close and personal!
Suddenly, the boat made a sharp turn off course, taking us away from the island ahead of us where we were going to snorkel. I turned my head, noticing that everyone was looking in that direction as a few of our fellow travelers were pointing to the horizon. In the far distance, I glimpsed a small spray of water in the air - a Hawaiian humpback whale! The boat picked up speed until we reached the spot where the whales were sighted. "Over there!" We all turned our heads just in time to see two gigantic whales wave their tales in the air before slapping them down on the water with a huge splash. Starting up the boat again, we approached the whales even closer. We were not whale-watchers, we were whale-chasers!
The next spray of water we saw was even closer to our boat. Everyone oohed and aahed as the two whales waved their fins at us and slapped their tales on the water. Even when they stayed underwater for a few minutes, we waited patiently and let the boat rock with the waves. Just when I thought the whales were gone, another blow sprayed water up into the air. This time, it was only twenty feet from our little boat! I have always known that whales were big animals, but when you can see the hairs on the noses and the bumps on the backs from only twenty feet away, you literally stand there with your mouth hanging wide open. I couldn't believe that those wild whales were so close to us!
For the next hour and a half, we chased whales across the bay. We watched two males fight by slapping their tales at one another. We saw the backs, fins, noses, faces, and tails of perhaps ten different whales. One whale repeatedly flapped his tail in the air over and over again while we clapped and cheered for him. We even watched a mother and her calf play. I promise that the little calf waved to us with his fin. For the grand finale, we witnesses a humpback whale breach completely out of the water. I thought that only happened on Discovery Channel or in National Geographic, but I got to see it with my own eyes from about 100 feet away. I think I could have made a Planet Earth video out of the whales I saw that day.
When we finally made it to Molokini island to snorkel, I was a little bit hesitant to jump into the cold, deep, turbulent water. We were actually snorkeling off the back side of a volcano crater, so we were swimming up against a huge wall that dropped off into ocean depths. I couldn't even see the bottom, just the huge waves crashing into the rocks close-by. Were there really fish down there? My dad jumped in first, and the look on his face was all it took for me to jump in right after him. When I first opened my eyes, I forgot all about the cold water or the crashing waves because I was swimming in a tropical aquarium. Huge fish with the colors of the rainbow painted all over them swam within the reach of my hand. There was so much to see that I didn't know which way to look. Schools of colorful fish sparkeled in the sunlight and the corals swayed with the rise and fall of the waves. When I held my breath, I could hear whale echoes in the distance. Through the crystal clear water, I watched beautiful, glorious, colorful fishes swim all around me without fear.
When we arrived back on shore, I asked my mom, "Did that really just happen?" I could not believe how close we had been to God's indescribable creation. Swimming in God's aquarium and watching His whales swim, splash, and play so close to us seemed too unbelievable. God showed us how beautiful and creative He is, and He gave us front-row seats. We were blessed to experience His glory up-close and personal!
"How many are your works, LORD!
In wisdom you made them all;
the earth is full of your creatures.
There is the sea, vast and spacious,
teeming with creatures beyond number—
living things both large and small."
Psalm 104:24-26
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)