May Easter remind us of the sacrifice given, the miracle that occured and the life exchanged.
Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.
1 Corinthians 12: 28 (NIV)
A friend sent me today’s picture. It was the first thing I saw that morning. It pinged in at 7:19 a.m. Along with the text:
Sometimes I think God is showing off.
I replied
He does every day - and He should. It’s His artistry. Most people don’t see, or they don’t recognize His work. LOL. Have a beautiful day. Love you!
I should have also included:
Thank you for sharing.
or
Thank you for sending something so spiritual.
or
Thank you for sharing God and for feeling safe enough to do so.
It was a wonderful start to my day. Not so much because of the photo, though it was beautiful and God is a masterful artist, but because I knew that a friend was comfortable sharing God with me. I think that’s hard to do these days. Share simple acts of God as often as we share funny moments, family issues, silly stories, or heavy ones.
My friend and I have wonderful, pondering talks about our faith. We talk of God in a normal, human way—sharing pictures, spotting angels, having great conversations that often begin, “What do you think about…” — and then we have dialogue—pondering dialogue. It’s wonderful, a gift.
Being open enough to reveal spiritual joy and vulnerability is a blessing. As Christians, not trained pastors or worship and Bible study leaders, or anyone with some Biblical training, but children of God, it is a vulnerable place to live — asking questions, pondering, and seeking a back-and-forth about our supernatural creator. Trying to make a Christian life feel like everyday life. Isn’t that what it should be? Not all conversations around the Lord have to be about theologian-type stuff from a proven theologian. It can be about sunrises and sunsets. Finding lost things. God winks.
Sharing faith. Talking about Christ. Asking questions. Seeking answers and searching for meaningful purpose are in our DNA, but it feels hard these days to have the inquiring discussions. The world feels more asleep now than at any other time I can remember. Maybe it’s just my 60 years, and I’m more dialed in as my days get shorter.
I do recognize I used to sleepwalk my faith. Humanize certain things so I could justify actions or places other sleepers, including myself, thought or believed. Then God asked me to choose. A friend called seeking help with her cancer-stricken sister, my childhood friend. He gave me a choice. Be busy and say I’m so sorry, keeping myself asleep. Or say when. Where.
I chose the latter and the journey I took with her, walking the road to her death — watching her come to terms with it, having friends share stories of her interacting with folks who didn’t seem to be in the same room as they were, or listening to her say how beautiful it was wherever she was — I saw her faith reawaken. The belief that had been planted in her youth came out of slumber and grew exponentially, not into fear, anger, or regret, but solace and excitement, eager anticipation for what was to come.
It made me ask myself, where am I in my faith, my belief?
I’m better at speaking about my Christianity with words on a screen than in dialogue with a friend, acquaintance, or stranger. Probably easier for me to hide a bit, too. Since COVID and the world shut down, the isolation and separation that the pandemic created have made conversations almost obsolete when differing opinions are at the center of any discussion. I fully admit to being an emotional person. I pick up the energy others project onto me, and then I project it right back. I get too emotional when I speak about God face-to-face because I do believe in Heaven and Hell. I do believe the Bible is the divine instruction manual for living a moral, Christ-like life. I don’t believe it’s filled with metaphorical stories. I believe it is the word of Christ, and I believe we are such screw-ups that God created a very simple plan to get us home.
Believe in the one – his son.
Believe that his sacrifice was our cleansing
Believe he rose from the dead.
If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
Romans 10:9 (NIV)
Everything else, everything in between, is muddled. It’s blurred. Side shows to distract. Sleeping pills to make us slumber. Poisons to make us sick. All with the goal of Lucifer claiming his prize – us.
Life is God versus the Devil. God extends his hand, saying, “I want you,” and Lucifer grabs our ankle, saying, “But I got you.”
A God circle of everyday folk talking about the everyday God moves us closer to living a cleaner life. Not everything is meant to be understood. It is not meant to make one feel uncomfortable either, as brothers and sisters seek deeper understanding.
I am blessed to have friends who include me within their God circle, freely sharing their faith. God flows in and out of our conversations. This gives me courage — the opportunity to practice getting comfortable speaking easily about the one so dear. As strongly as I believe I am saved, I am still guarded in sharing. I haven’t figured out why. It’s an internal battle that baffles. Even as I write this, I am nervous, cautious, overthinking how others will read it and respond to it, when all God asks for is courage to speak it. Do my best to live it. Be open to discussing it. Grow.
We are in the Holy Week. Churches will fill with believers - asleep and awake. Which are you? Which am I, still? Do you have a God circle? Feel comfortable enough to be in one? Start one?
Sunday morning church and Bible studies are important. And I need to be better there, but having a group of friends who can talk about God and what He is doing in their lives as easily as they can chat about what they are currently binge-watching is a place I hope all can sit one day, conversing organically, stress-free.
I pray for that. I want that. I seek that, and it may actually start with something as simple as a picture. A beautiful sunrise from someone who trusts another and who openly claims their belief.
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Have a great week. Be kind. Look for those who are kind. Together, stay kind. I’m back next Wednesday with our weekly morning pondering.
He saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.
Titus 3:5 (NIV)
HAPPY EASTER!
Yes — that’s really the heart of it. A Christian life is meant to be lived in the ordinary parts of life, not only on Sundays, or in a small group study..
These are all really good and have their place in our walk.
Scripture also calls believers to let faith shape daily thoughts, choices, and actions.
to put it simply, My Christian life is not something I add to my day; it’s the way I try to live my day..
if that makes sense.. Its not aways easy but sometimes I like to think I did a good and that He thinks so too...