Jesus Saves

Lindy has an incredible ear for music. She sings on pitch and remembers words and tempos and understands songs on a level seemingly too deep for a three year old. She is also a bit of a terrorist when it comes to what she wants to hear when we are driving somewhere in the car. Driving with her is like having a DJ on speed in the backseat. Who likes the repeat button. A lot. So lately I have decided that I am no longer going to continue to play her songs over and over just to keep her from screaming about it. I know, I’m just that kind of parent…the mean kind. I’ve taken to playing what she wants, but only if she asks politely and only once, maybe twice. And if she starts to fuss I turn her stuff off and put mine on. I listen to Christian music nearly exclusively and she knows those songs and loves them, too.

So, earlier this week I was driving her to school and she became unhappy about something and started to have a tantrum so I waited to put her music on until she quit fussing. The song I had on the cd was “Jesus Saves”…a beautiful arrangement…and Lindy usually belts it out with her hands raised and eyes to heaven. (It actually is so beautiful to see her in my rearview when she does that…) This particular day, though, she was very unhappy and I could hear her over the music in the back wailing, “Noooooo He doesn’t! Noooooo He doesn’t! He doesn’t save!!! Turn this off!!!” I laughed and laughed and told Kevin about it later and he laughed too, knowing that she really was just wanting what she wanted and was trying to get me to give it to her.

But God was not done teaching me with this yet. That whole interaction has rolled around in my heart and mind all day today. What a comparison I can draw between my interaction with my child and God’s interactions with me! When I am happy with life as God sees fit to provide it, I am singing and singing, hands raised, eyes to heaven, 'Jesus Saves!' Content, satisfied, happy…it is so easy to remember. But how often do I find myself unhappy with life as God sees fit to provide it, or more accurately, do I fail to trust Him in what He provides? During those times do I sing praising His salvation? Sometimes, yes. Other times, no. When I’ve not been content I’ve pitched my own kind of fits…ingratitude, irritability, resentment, substance abuse, self pity, futile attempts at changing things to fit what I believe I need…and in so doing I’ve said with my life, ‘Nooooo He doesn’t! He doesn’t save!!!!’ And cut myself off from the blessings He wants to give and the trust He desires I have in His providence.

 I hope and pray that as God grows me up I will choose more often than not to praise His salvation no matter what the circumstances in my life. No matter what God has playing on the radio of my life. All of His songs are to my benefit and all of His music is to His glory. I want to be part of the chorus of His praise and gratitude for the grace and love He pours out on His children, rather than be the notes of dissention and discord that cause the listeners to cringe.

I am so thankful that no matter what I think or don’t think, sing or don’t sing, feel or don’t feel, do or don’t do, indeed Jesus does save. Once for all. He is mighty to save! I am so thankful that my circumstances, (or my perception of them) don’t determine my salvation. The grace and mercy and love of the God of heaven and the sacrifice and resurrection of His precious Son determine everything. And I’m thankful that He chose me to participate in that grace and has given me the gift of passing it on.

Spiritual Car Seats

This is something I posted  in the fall that continues to be appropriate today. 

 October 17, 2011
Today I look for the gifts He gives and I want so much to have a grateful heart. My daughter Laura, who is in 2nd grade, is finishing her Fall Break today and we are spending the afternoon with my parents in-law who live about 12 miles away…..
Before coming to their house I dropped Lindy, who is 3, off at preschool.  Grandma’s house is on the way and Laura decided she wanted me to drop her off before taking Lindy. And I had no plan to do that so as we passed the exit she wanted to take she was crying and whining and telling me how we were going the WRONG WAY and how horrible life was for her because I wasn’t going the way she wanted. Then she was listing for me the reasons it would have been best for me to take her first. And I kept driving, listening to Veggie Tales worship songs.  And I thought about how like her I am with God. He is driving and He has the wheel and I am buckled in and going with Him where He goes. So often I think we need to take another way and so often I complain and cry about how I want things to be.  And I even will tell God the advantages of life going the way I want it to. Like I have even a clue what’s best for me. And yet we still go and God still drives and I get where He takes me and am always blessed for it. So I have a choice today…..I can complain and be upset with the way life unfolds, because it is going to unfold as God wills it…or I can accept and walk in gratitude for His plan. Today I choose the latter. In the mini-van of life I’ve got my seat belt on in my car seat (I’m not old enough yet to sit without a booster…) and I’m choosing to let God drive where He sees fit. And knowing that what He has planned is for His glory and what is best for me.
I'll just keep looking out the window and enjoying my Veggie Tales!

The Goodwill of Life

I was shopping at the Goodwill last Friday and was reminded of a time I brought Laura there late last summer....here is her take on the Goodwill.
"Mommy, these are the coolest clothes EVER!!!!"
What a beautiful lesson in gratitude and humility.
She loves the clothes that are the discards, the leftovers.....She doesn't know that yet, she's not savvy enough to know that yet....she just loves.
No wonder God loves children and asks me to be like one...trusting and open...He loves the people of the "Goodwill of life"-the discards, the ones a little pilly and worn...not shiny and brand new. Those who aren't quite right or popular or stylish.  
I know that unlike the Goodwill, I was not bought at a discount. I have been bought and paid for with the life and blood of His precious Son. I'm a little pilly and worn, definitely not shiny on the outside, but inside He's making me new every day.

Hide and Seek

This morning Lindy asked me to play hide and seek. This is how hide and seek goes with my three year old: “Mommmmmmmyyy…..come find meeeeee!” she says to me from the living room to the kitchen. So I walk the couple of steps between rooms and I can see her from her chest down sitting on the couch, but she has her head and shoulders covered up by the cushions on the back of the couch. And she is saying, ”Mommy……come find me…..come find me over HERE!” So I pretend not to see her and act like her location is a surprise, even though she told me exactly where she was from the moment I entered the room. And we laugh and giggle and hug and she is absolutely radiant. Then it is my turn to hide. I have her go in her room to “count” and Igo around the corner to the other side of the refrigerator where she can easily find me, but not so much that I am in the middle of the room.  (And actually as I did this today, I was filled with that childish rush of glee that I got when I played hide and seek and it was my turn to hide when I was little!) So she comes running from her room and begins tip-toeing into the kitchen where she turns to see my arm and then my face peek around to meet her eyes.  OH the excitement! She is just giddy that she found Mommy and she rushes to my arms with a hug and a kiss and says, “Let’s do it again!”

 As I was standing there waiting for her to find me I thought about how it is with me and God. How beautiful it would be if, when I think I am hiding, I actually call to Him and said “Come find me over here….” like a very young child would do. But no, when I’ve tried to hide from God, I’ve run in such a way as to hide my whole self from him, from others, and even from me.  Oh, during those times, I was “around”, happy, busy, the mask I wore was my usual hiding place, but really I was doing everything I could to keep everyone out. And all the while God, the gentle Father, was just waiting, looking for an opportunity to pursue me, His daughter who was hurting and alone. Just as I would with my children. And I praise Him that He has set circumstances in play in my life over and over again that turned me to Him and showed me over and over that I could just run into His loving arms. To receive grace, mercy, comfort, forgiveness, compassion, understanding, all that He is He gives and gives.

He is like the Parent who “hides” in plain sight on the other side of the refrigerator. When I go tip-toeing to look for Him, He is easy to find and so welcoming and loving and delighted that I looked. But I have to seek. He is there, waiting for me, but if I am not looking, not really paying attention, I will miss Him. And I am the one who misses out on the blessing. I am so grateful to serve a God who is everywhere all the time, sees everything, everywhere….knows exactly where I am in every way. So thankful that He makes Himself so available……when I ask, when I say to find me over heeeeeere….and He wants me to ask, and to seek Him….to look for Him in everything. Not because He wants to make things difficult for me, but to show me, through whatever pain or joy or circumstance, that He is Love. That He is in control. I don’t have to know why things happen. I don’t know that I really care anymore. I only need seek Him, for He isn’t hiding, and place my trust and my will in His care, and He will always tend to the rest.

And because He does that for me, I am then able to turn His blessings and share them with others….helping them see how easy He is to find. If allow His light, His grace to shine through my life, warts and all, people will see Him when they see me.  I thank God that today I don’t have to hide from Him or you or myself…..and pray that my faith in some way will point others to Him….but He is in control of that, too.  If I live in His grace and His will in thanksgiving each day I will draw closer to Him. And the seeking becomes my joy. Wonder where I’ll see Him next!

"You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." Jeremiah 29:13