Debbie met Carl in late Autumn of 1998. They quickly took to one another, and spent most of their time together. It seemed that the world melted into an unintelligible blur when they were together, and the moments were glacial while apart. It truly was love, and a strong love at that. In late January of 1999, Carl proposed. Debbie, all red from excitement and astonishment, said yes, and the two were wed that July. Time went by, and the two couldn't have been more happy. Two years passed in blissful happiness, but, August of 2001 nearly wrecked their marriage...
One morning, Debbie woke up, alone in bed. Debbie busied herself by getting ready for the day. She showered, brushed her hair, and dressed. At 7:30, Debbie left for work. She pulled out of the garage and closed the door. She went about her daily routine. After work was over, she headed home. When she arrived, a car was in her drive-way. It surprised her to see a car there. She cautiously pulled into the garage and entered the house. A man was at her stove cooking dinner. She took in the man's frame and sandy hair. "Carl," she asked timidly. "What are you doing here?" Carl turned around and looked at Debbie, obviously confused.
"What are you talking about, Debbie? I live here." Debbie was taken aback. She didn't remember Carl moving into her house, and he wasn't here this morning when she woke. Debbie just stared at Carl, she didn't know what to say. "Quit kidding around, Deb, and help me make supper." Debbie slowly set out two settings on the table and chopped random vegetables without really knowing what they were. Her mind was too busy running through her memories trying to remember Carl moving in. All she knew, though, was that they had only met a handful of times. It was absurd to think that Carl actually lived here. She barely knew the man!
Dinner was finally ready, and they sat down to eat. "I'm sorry, Carl," Debbie began, "but I don't remember you moving in. All I know is that we have met maybe four times. Why do you say you live here?" Carl busted out laughing at her words, which caught Debbie off guard. "I'm being serious, Carl! This is really weird. Why do you say you live here, too?" Carl's laugh caught up short in his throat. He cleared it out, and stared at Debbie, too stunned to speak for a second. "Really, Debbie? You don't remember us getting married two years ago?"
"Two years ago! I only met you for the first time, last week! What are you talking about?" Debbie was on the verge of tears. Two years, she thought. How could we have been married for two years? And why would he even say that? Debbie was looking at her plate while she thought. She heard Carl's fork hit the plate, and the noise snapped her out of her reverie. She found Carl's face and saw the tears streaking down. She had hurt him, and hurt him deeply. Was it possible that they were married? No, it couldn't be! She met him last week. Carl scooted his chair back and stood. "Come with me," he softly commanded. Debbie rose from the chair and followed Carl into the sitting room.
Carl reached under the coffee table and pulled out a large photo album. For several hours, Carl patiently went page by page, picture by picture, describing the day and what happened and what was going on in each picture. Finally, he reached the pictures from their wedding. Carl tried to describe the day, but his emotions choked his words. He handed Debbie the album and got up from the couch and headed to the bedroom. Debbie just stared at the pictures from the wedding, confused. There was so much evidence pointing to her and Carl being married, but she couldn't remember even dating the man! How could the last three years just be erased from her memory?! She reached the last page of the pictures and a piece of paper fell out. Debbie reached down and picked it up. She unfolded it and read the words written on the page:
"Through life and death, sickness and health, riches and the lack of them, I will love you. If you should happen to wake one day and not know me, I will love you. If came between a choice of your life or mine, I will gladly give mine to show you my love. There is nothing I will not do for you, my love, my desire, my sweet Deborah."
The date on the paper was July 15, 1999, the date that her wedding was supposedly on. Tears flooded Debbie's eyes when she began to realize what was going on. She had somehow forgotten her first love. Her true love, but he didn't forget her. He even did everything in his power to show her his love once again. Debbie sat there for another hour, constantly reading and re-reading the words of Carl's vows to her.
Carl came back out and found her sitting on the couch holding the paper. He had found her engagement and wedding rings lying on the dresser, she hadn't put them on this morning. "I believe these are yours, love," Carl said, the tears thickening his voice. Debbie turned to see him, the tears flowing freely from her own eyes. "I'm so sorry, Carl," Debbie said as she took the rings from his hand. "I don't know how I could have forgotten this...forgotten you." Carl placed a finger on her lips and pulled her close to his chest. "It doesn't matter, love. What matters is that you know how much I love you. You can re-discover your love for me, because I won't ever forget you." Carl kissed his wife's lips and they sat up the rest of the night talking, and Debbie re-discovered her love for Carl.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
"There is an epidemic of spiritual amnesia going around, and none of us is immune. No matter how many fascinating details we learn about God's creation, no matter how many pictures we see of His galaxies, and no matter how many sunsets we watch, we still forget." --Francis Chan, Crazy Love
Despite the fact that Debbie forget she was married to Carl, she was still married and Carl still loved her. It is the same with the Church, Christ's Bride. Even if we forget that we are Christ's Bride, Christ still loves us and we are still His.
Monday, April 26, 2010
Monday, April 19, 2010
Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow...
"Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Praise Him all creatures, here below. Praise Him above, ye heavenly hosts. Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen."
These are the words to one of the greatest hymns ever written. Yes, it's that short, but how powerful are those words?! Quite recently, as in the last 40 hours or so, I was given one of the greatest things to rejoice over: one of my great friends received his long-overdue lung transplant! It is simply too overwhelming to write down. I am oozing with a joy that was placed in my heart by the Holy Spirit and a love that reciprocates that of my Father. This great, spectacular, monumental occasion is, without a doubt the best news I have heard, or will hear, all year.
However, I find it oddly discouraging that it takes this to bring such a swell of joy and love out of me. Don't get me wrong, this is exactly that kind of miracle. God, once again, proved His faithfulness to His children. We are told, however, in Philippians "Rejoice in the Lord always, again I will say; Rejoice" (Phil 4:4). That isn't a suggestion. Paul isn't saying, "Oh, it would cool if you did this." No, this is a command! Rejoice! Praise God all the time!
Again, Paul addresses this idea in Romans 5, "We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope" (verses 3-4). James, likewise, tells us to "count it all joy, my brothers, when you face trials of various kinds" (James 1:2). What are they saying, then?
They are saying that it is easy to praise God when the good things happen in life, i.e. a much needed lung transplant, but what about when something stressful happens in your life? Do you "count it all joy"? Do you say, "Thank you God for this time of testing"? Do you even look on that situation as a time of testing? I know I don't every time. Yet, that is our command and encouragement. That is the attitude that allowed Paul to share Christ with the "whole Praetorian guard," as he writes in Philippians (Phil 1:13). Paul shared Christ with the very guards who held him captive. That is what true rejoicing looks like. True rejoicing and praise comes when we know that it is only by God's power and will that a situation is good. Paul knew that it was only by God's power that he would be able to share Christ with the guard, and he knew that it was God's will that he be in chains so that could happen!
So, as I sit here and think through this amazing time of God's faithfulness and blessing, I am fully aware that it is God's will that Ryan receive this transplant now, and I am fully aware that it is by God's power that Ryan will recover, and I know that it is also God's will that Ryan not keep God's power quiet, but that he share it with the world.
So, the next time you are faced with a difficult test, remember to thank God and praise His name that you have been given the opportunity to grow and show God's glory.
"Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Praise Him all creatures, here below. Praise Him above, ye heavenly hosts. Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen."
These are the words to one of the greatest hymns ever written. Yes, it's that short, but how powerful are those words?! Quite recently, as in the last 40 hours or so, I was given one of the greatest things to rejoice over: one of my great friends received his long-overdue lung transplant! It is simply too overwhelming to write down. I am oozing with a joy that was placed in my heart by the Holy Spirit and a love that reciprocates that of my Father. This great, spectacular, monumental occasion is, without a doubt the best news I have heard, or will hear, all year.
However, I find it oddly discouraging that it takes this to bring such a swell of joy and love out of me. Don't get me wrong, this is exactly that kind of miracle. God, once again, proved His faithfulness to His children. We are told, however, in Philippians "Rejoice in the Lord always, again I will say; Rejoice" (Phil 4:4). That isn't a suggestion. Paul isn't saying, "Oh, it would cool if you did this." No, this is a command! Rejoice! Praise God all the time!
Again, Paul addresses this idea in Romans 5, "We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope" (verses 3-4). James, likewise, tells us to "count it all joy, my brothers, when you face trials of various kinds" (James 1:2). What are they saying, then?
They are saying that it is easy to praise God when the good things happen in life, i.e. a much needed lung transplant, but what about when something stressful happens in your life? Do you "count it all joy"? Do you say, "Thank you God for this time of testing"? Do you even look on that situation as a time of testing? I know I don't every time. Yet, that is our command and encouragement. That is the attitude that allowed Paul to share Christ with the "whole Praetorian guard," as he writes in Philippians (Phil 1:13). Paul shared Christ with the very guards who held him captive. That is what true rejoicing looks like. True rejoicing and praise comes when we know that it is only by God's power and will that a situation is good. Paul knew that it was only by God's power that he would be able to share Christ with the guard, and he knew that it was God's will that he be in chains so that could happen!
So, as I sit here and think through this amazing time of God's faithfulness and blessing, I am fully aware that it is God's will that Ryan receive this transplant now, and I am fully aware that it is by God's power that Ryan will recover, and I know that it is also God's will that Ryan not keep God's power quiet, but that he share it with the world.
So, the next time you are faced with a difficult test, remember to thank God and praise His name that you have been given the opportunity to grow and show God's glory.
"Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Praise Him all creatures, here below. Praise Him above, ye heavenly hosts. Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen."
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus, Ye Soldiers of the Cross.
"Share in suffering as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him." 2 Timothy 2:3-4
This is from Paul's last letter. He is concluding his earthly affairs and attempting to pass on just a few more pages of wisdom to his "son in the faith", Timothy. Timmy boy is now a pastor at a church he and Paul started while on their missionary journeys, and, though he is still young, Paul clearly thinks he is qualified to handle the tough stuff. The verses listed above follow Paul's heart-cry to Timothy: "What you have heard from me in the presence of many witness entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also" (2 Timothy 2:2).
Paul's desire is that this fire that he started for the cause of Jesus Christ, not be snuffed out. He over and over commands Timothy to teach and instruct and to carry out his instructions. Why does he do this? Why does he so forcefully and fervently want Timothy to do this? Because Paul understands that it is only through the teaching of the Word, that man can hear who God really is. So Paul encourages and commands Timothy to pass on what was passed on to him.
Let's look back to the original passage now. Why are we called to share in the suffering of Christ? Why must we do this? Well, to be honest, you don't have to if you don't want to. You don't have to follow Christ. You don't have to love Christ, but why wouldn't you want to? Over the last couple days I've been reading through Francis Chan's book Crazy Love, and it is extraordinary! It challenges everything I know about myself and my walk with God. It makes me ask, do I really love God the way I'm supposed to love Him? And that isn't a bad thing at all. Do you readily agree to face the discrimination you will undoubtedly face for being a soldier of Jesus? Are you willing to be cast aside and looked down upon because of your stance? I know I wasn't, probably still not when the fire is the hottest, but I pray that God will change that about me.
Have you ever tried to swim across a river with a strong current? I have. It's tiring work. You have to pick a spot you want to go for, then aim about 30 yards or so up river, and swim to that spot, just so you come out at your intended destination. Now, say that river is this life you are in. The "current" is your culture, friends, family, and anything else you hold in priority. In this situation, you are trying to swim away from a waterfall behind you to a safe spot upstream. What will happen if you pause, even for just one second? Everything will be lost! You will be swept downstream, away from your prize, which is Jesus Christ. It's impossible to do on your own! Which is why Paul continues on into verse 4.
"No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits..." What does that mean? For those of you who are from a military background, you might understand this better. Paul is saying (and this was far truer in his time than in ours) that a soldier only does what he is commanded. He doesn't worry about "buying, trading, and negotiating," as the great evangelist Junior Hill once said. Instead, a soldier "aim[s] to please the one who enlisted him." A Marine must obey his superior. This happens at every rank. If it doesn't, then the entire Marine Corp suffers.
So, for us non-military folk, that means that Jesus called us and we answered His call and were enlisted in His army. We serve Him, and our aim is to please Him. So, we are no longer in charge of ourselves, but He is in control of us. Therefore, live your life accordingly. For, which man in military history has served a commander who has died for him and won the war before he enlisted? The answer is none. Which commander has died to save his soldier's lives out love, not duty, and bought them their freedom, and provided them with everything they have ever and will ever need? The answer is one: Jesus Christ.
So, knowing that, how can we not respond with love? How can we continue to "get entangled in civilian pursuits"? How can we continue to think that just appearing at church one or two days a week be love?
God, save me from my own stupidity. Save me from my own disloyalty. God, forgive me for my lack of love and create in me a new heart full of love for You and Your creation. Help me start anew in my ruthless pursuit of You.
This is from Paul's last letter. He is concluding his earthly affairs and attempting to pass on just a few more pages of wisdom to his "son in the faith", Timothy. Timmy boy is now a pastor at a church he and Paul started while on their missionary journeys, and, though he is still young, Paul clearly thinks he is qualified to handle the tough stuff. The verses listed above follow Paul's heart-cry to Timothy: "What you have heard from me in the presence of many witness entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also" (2 Timothy 2:2).
Paul's desire is that this fire that he started for the cause of Jesus Christ, not be snuffed out. He over and over commands Timothy to teach and instruct and to carry out his instructions. Why does he do this? Why does he so forcefully and fervently want Timothy to do this? Because Paul understands that it is only through the teaching of the Word, that man can hear who God really is. So Paul encourages and commands Timothy to pass on what was passed on to him.
Let's look back to the original passage now. Why are we called to share in the suffering of Christ? Why must we do this? Well, to be honest, you don't have to if you don't want to. You don't have to follow Christ. You don't have to love Christ, but why wouldn't you want to? Over the last couple days I've been reading through Francis Chan's book Crazy Love, and it is extraordinary! It challenges everything I know about myself and my walk with God. It makes me ask, do I really love God the way I'm supposed to love Him? And that isn't a bad thing at all. Do you readily agree to face the discrimination you will undoubtedly face for being a soldier of Jesus? Are you willing to be cast aside and looked down upon because of your stance? I know I wasn't, probably still not when the fire is the hottest, but I pray that God will change that about me.
Have you ever tried to swim across a river with a strong current? I have. It's tiring work. You have to pick a spot you want to go for, then aim about 30 yards or so up river, and swim to that spot, just so you come out at your intended destination. Now, say that river is this life you are in. The "current" is your culture, friends, family, and anything else you hold in priority. In this situation, you are trying to swim away from a waterfall behind you to a safe spot upstream. What will happen if you pause, even for just one second? Everything will be lost! You will be swept downstream, away from your prize, which is Jesus Christ. It's impossible to do on your own! Which is why Paul continues on into verse 4.
"No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits..." What does that mean? For those of you who are from a military background, you might understand this better. Paul is saying (and this was far truer in his time than in ours) that a soldier only does what he is commanded. He doesn't worry about "buying, trading, and negotiating," as the great evangelist Junior Hill once said. Instead, a soldier "aim[s] to please the one who enlisted him." A Marine must obey his superior. This happens at every rank. If it doesn't, then the entire Marine Corp suffers.
So, for us non-military folk, that means that Jesus called us and we answered His call and were enlisted in His army. We serve Him, and our aim is to please Him. So, we are no longer in charge of ourselves, but He is in control of us. Therefore, live your life accordingly. For, which man in military history has served a commander who has died for him and won the war before he enlisted? The answer is none. Which commander has died to save his soldier's lives out love, not duty, and bought them their freedom, and provided them with everything they have ever and will ever need? The answer is one: Jesus Christ.
So, knowing that, how can we not respond with love? How can we continue to "get entangled in civilian pursuits"? How can we continue to think that just appearing at church one or two days a week be love?
God, save me from my own stupidity. Save me from my own disloyalty. God, forgive me for my lack of love and create in me a new heart full of love for You and Your creation. Help me start anew in my ruthless pursuit of You.
Saturday, April 17, 2010
On the Side of the Road...
Recently, I've gotten heavy into The Classic Crime, and I am currently stuck on one song: "Salt in the Snow." It is a cry of desperation for help from God, but in it, the writer makes a great observation. He says, "Give me wings, give me peace, these are the things that I need. I'm tormented, broken and chained...and give me shelter from the storm. I know it's a lot to ask for, considering how recent I've piled the dirt on your name."
How often do we do that? How often do we do whatever we please, and then turn around and ask God to help us out when the consequences come our way? We can't have our cake and eat it too. We either live our lives the way we want and expect nothing of God, or we live for God. I know, I know...it's not that black and white. But why isn't it black and white?
Paul says in Romans 6: "Shall we continue in sin so that grace may increase? May it never be! We died to sin! How can we who died to sin, live in it any longer?" Paul's thought is simple. Christ freed us from sin, why do we continue to subject ourselves to living in its grasp day-in and day-out?
No, I haven't forgotten what Paul says in Romans 7 about "I have this to be a law within me, when I want to good, evil lies close at hand." Paul says there, "I do not do the good things my mind tells me I should do, instead I do the evil things I know I shouldn't." How are these reconcilable? On the surface, they aren't. However, Paul isn't very "surface-friendly."
Paul says in Romans 6 that we are free from sin and its hold over our lives, so we should no longer live in the sins that control us. In chapter 7, though, he says that he has a battle going on that tests him every day. With his mind and soul, he desires to please God, but his physical body still wants things for itself. It's a thin line to walk.
Please don't take this to mean that I think I'm perfect or that we can be. That's an absolute lie. I do sin, and, unfortunately, that sin sometimes runs rampant in my life. It's at those times I need to check up and go before God and ask Him to cleanse me. It's at that time I need to cut things out of my life that aren't good for me. My goal and desire is to live my life to glorify God, which means that I cannot have anything other than Him controlling my life.
This last Wednesday night, I talked a bit about consequences. Every action has a consequence, whether good or bad. Unfortunately, the act that we perform, whatever that may be, is not a stand alone event. There are things I've done in my past that will affect me for the rest of my life, and I have to accept that. I can't go to God and say, "Hey, I didn't really know what I was doing when I did that, so, can you, maybe, stop the effects of it?" God doesn't work that way.
Instead, allows us to learn. That's part of this ability to choose what we do. We have to take the good with the bad. Take heart, though! Paul does give us a promise of God we can cling to: "We, who love God and are called by Him, know that everything that happens will work out for something positive later in our lives." Usually, that turns out to be a teaching experience, where we can pass on wisdom.
So, what does this mean? It means that we should accept the consequences of our actions and know that God loves us. He has given us a way to defeat sin in our lives.
This song, combined with a great blog on Transparency, have greatly shaped this post. So I'll leave you with a final thought:
"Is this where I am for Your sake, stuck between sleep and awake? My mind is dreaming of things. Are you listening? I took You for granted again and threw you aside and pretended for one minute that I had control of my life and the direction it seemed to be in. I was wrong again. I've heard that winter's cold will give way to summer's warmth. Oh no! Like salt in the snow, I'm melted and left all alone on the side of the road."
Be like salt in the snow. Melt yourself away and leave it alone and live for God's glory.
(All Scripture in this post were from my own paraphrase.)
How often do we do that? How often do we do whatever we please, and then turn around and ask God to help us out when the consequences come our way? We can't have our cake and eat it too. We either live our lives the way we want and expect nothing of God, or we live for God. I know, I know...it's not that black and white. But why isn't it black and white?
Paul says in Romans 6: "Shall we continue in sin so that grace may increase? May it never be! We died to sin! How can we who died to sin, live in it any longer?" Paul's thought is simple. Christ freed us from sin, why do we continue to subject ourselves to living in its grasp day-in and day-out?
No, I haven't forgotten what Paul says in Romans 7 about "I have this to be a law within me, when I want to good, evil lies close at hand." Paul says there, "I do not do the good things my mind tells me I should do, instead I do the evil things I know I shouldn't." How are these reconcilable? On the surface, they aren't. However, Paul isn't very "surface-friendly."
Paul says in Romans 6 that we are free from sin and its hold over our lives, so we should no longer live in the sins that control us. In chapter 7, though, he says that he has a battle going on that tests him every day. With his mind and soul, he desires to please God, but his physical body still wants things for itself. It's a thin line to walk.
Please don't take this to mean that I think I'm perfect or that we can be. That's an absolute lie. I do sin, and, unfortunately, that sin sometimes runs rampant in my life. It's at those times I need to check up and go before God and ask Him to cleanse me. It's at that time I need to cut things out of my life that aren't good for me. My goal and desire is to live my life to glorify God, which means that I cannot have anything other than Him controlling my life.
This last Wednesday night, I talked a bit about consequences. Every action has a consequence, whether good or bad. Unfortunately, the act that we perform, whatever that may be, is not a stand alone event. There are things I've done in my past that will affect me for the rest of my life, and I have to accept that. I can't go to God and say, "Hey, I didn't really know what I was doing when I did that, so, can you, maybe, stop the effects of it?" God doesn't work that way.
Instead, allows us to learn. That's part of this ability to choose what we do. We have to take the good with the bad. Take heart, though! Paul does give us a promise of God we can cling to: "We, who love God and are called by Him, know that everything that happens will work out for something positive later in our lives." Usually, that turns out to be a teaching experience, where we can pass on wisdom.
So, what does this mean? It means that we should accept the consequences of our actions and know that God loves us. He has given us a way to defeat sin in our lives.
This song, combined with a great blog on Transparency, have greatly shaped this post. So I'll leave you with a final thought:
"Is this where I am for Your sake, stuck between sleep and awake? My mind is dreaming of things. Are you listening? I took You for granted again and threw you aside and pretended for one minute that I had control of my life and the direction it seemed to be in. I was wrong again. I've heard that winter's cold will give way to summer's warmth. Oh no! Like salt in the snow, I'm melted and left all alone on the side of the road."
Be like salt in the snow. Melt yourself away and leave it alone and live for God's glory.
(All Scripture in this post were from my own paraphrase.)
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Single Minded Obedience
Man, I've been missing out. I read an excerpt from Dietrich Bonhoeffer's Cost of Discipleship and was blown away by it! Have you ever considered the concept of "costly grace" versus "cheap grace"? It won't leave my head alone!!
Here is the concept, in case you aren't familiar with it: Cheap grace says that I don't have to do anything for God. God saved me and gave me His grace, and that is all I need. Costly grace, however, says that I am called to serve and give of myself because Christ gave himself up for me. This is evidenced by what Bonhoeffer calls "Single Minded Obedience". This is when we obey completely and not look for loopholes in God's call.
For his example, which I will borrow, Bonhoeffer used the Rich Young Ruler from Scripture. This man asked what he had to do in order to inherit eternal life, and Jesus replied that he must adhere to and keep the commandments, which the man had done. Jesus also adds that he must sell all that he has and give the money to the poor. At this command, the young man turns away from Jesus and goes away in sorrow because he was attached to what he had and couldn't get rid of it.
Bonhoeffer argued that, today, most of us would look for a way to hang on to our stuff and still "obey". He said that we would try to detach ourselves from our possessions, and believe that was all God was commanding. We are, however, called to a strict obedience. We cannot half-heartedly obey. What was Christ actually commanding this young man to do? He asked this man to leave all his comforts and get rid of anything that might keep him from following Christ whole-heartedly. Christ gave the man the opportunity to believe, and obey, but the young man couldn't do so.
If you remember, this was the same command he gave to Peter and Levi when he called them. Peter, a fisherman, was called to leave his nets and boats (in actuality, his entire livelihood) and follow Christ, knowing not where he would sleep each night or if he would even eat every day. Levi, a tax collector, was, likewise, called to leave his table and follow Christ. These men, though probably not rich, still left everything they had and didn't return to their former lives. They were given the opportunity to trust in Jesus, and though they only knew Him by what they saw (possibly rabbi's robes), they followed without delay.
That is the kind of obedience God desires from us. Obedience without delay and without compromise. Peter and Levi definitely didn't starve, and God provided for them. If God calls us to do something, He will provide. I've seen it happen, and still I'm hesitant. Why do we find it so hard to obey so completely? Why does it stretch our faith so much to trust God? He hasn't failed anyone, anywhere...ever. Why would we be any different?
Here is the concept, in case you aren't familiar with it: Cheap grace says that I don't have to do anything for God. God saved me and gave me His grace, and that is all I need. Costly grace, however, says that I am called to serve and give of myself because Christ gave himself up for me. This is evidenced by what Bonhoeffer calls "Single Minded Obedience". This is when we obey completely and not look for loopholes in God's call.
For his example, which I will borrow, Bonhoeffer used the Rich Young Ruler from Scripture. This man asked what he had to do in order to inherit eternal life, and Jesus replied that he must adhere to and keep the commandments, which the man had done. Jesus also adds that he must sell all that he has and give the money to the poor. At this command, the young man turns away from Jesus and goes away in sorrow because he was attached to what he had and couldn't get rid of it.
Bonhoeffer argued that, today, most of us would look for a way to hang on to our stuff and still "obey". He said that we would try to detach ourselves from our possessions, and believe that was all God was commanding. We are, however, called to a strict obedience. We cannot half-heartedly obey. What was Christ actually commanding this young man to do? He asked this man to leave all his comforts and get rid of anything that might keep him from following Christ whole-heartedly. Christ gave the man the opportunity to believe, and obey, but the young man couldn't do so.
If you remember, this was the same command he gave to Peter and Levi when he called them. Peter, a fisherman, was called to leave his nets and boats (in actuality, his entire livelihood) and follow Christ, knowing not where he would sleep each night or if he would even eat every day. Levi, a tax collector, was, likewise, called to leave his table and follow Christ. These men, though probably not rich, still left everything they had and didn't return to their former lives. They were given the opportunity to trust in Jesus, and though they only knew Him by what they saw (possibly rabbi's robes), they followed without delay.
That is the kind of obedience God desires from us. Obedience without delay and without compromise. Peter and Levi definitely didn't starve, and God provided for them. If God calls us to do something, He will provide. I've seen it happen, and still I'm hesitant. Why do we find it so hard to obey so completely? Why does it stretch our faith so much to trust God? He hasn't failed anyone, anywhere...ever. Why would we be any different?
The Date (Part 3)
After I parked in front of her house, Stacy looked me in the eyes briefly, then looked down at her hands worrying over her keys. She kept turning them over and over in her hands, and would occasionally ask me a simple "Yes or No" question about my past, while glancing up ever so slightly at my face. She would bite her lip after she asked, as though she were thinking through something really hard and couldn't reach an acceptable answer to her problem. I stole a glance at the clock which read 10:45, and quickly looked back at her. "Am I keeping you from something," Stacy asked.
Crap. She noticed me look at the clock. "No, not at all. I was just wondering what the time was," I explained quickly. I really didn't have anything to get to. I was actually cataloging how much time we were spending together, but I didn't think that response would be well received. "Oh, okay," she replied. "Well, I think I'm gonna go in anyways. It is getting pretty late." Her eyes fell again to her hands still worrying over her keys. I wasn't ready to leave her yet, so I got out, and went around to her door and opened it for her. I walked her up to her door, and we stood there looking at each other again. She was still worrying over her keys in her hands. My mind, all night, had been seeing the scene from Hitch playing in my head, as if Will Smith was teaching me what to do instead of Kevin James.
As I'm about to awkwardly make my move, she suggests, "You know, you don't have to leave right away. If you don't want to. My room mate is probably already asleep and the living room is on the other side of the house. We could talk some more in there." My face lit up as she said that. For one thing, I was saved the possible embarrassment of going in for the kiss when she didn't want one, and, two, I got to spend more time with her. "Yeah," I answered, "that sounds great."
She opened her front door and we go in and make our way to the living room. "Make yourself at home," she says when we reach the living room. "I'll be right back." She went into a room just off the main living room and closed the door. I went and found the bathroom and ran water over my face attempting to wash the sweat and dirt off. I took my shirt off and splashed some on my armpits, hoping that would cut down on any odor that escaped my excessive use of deodorant earlier. I threw my shirt back on and went back out to the couch and was left to my thoughts. These ranged from everything to "Does she want me to kiss her?" to what she was doing in her room.
I didn't have to wonder about that much longer, for she came out and I saw that she had changed into, presumably, what served as her pajamas. Stacy sat on the couch and looked at me. "There," she said, "I'm much more comfortable now. Sorry, I don't have anything for you to change into. I'm sure you want to get out of those clothes."
"Don't worry about it," I told her. "I'm fine." After that, we keep talking, taking turns asking questions about our pasts and what we see ourselves doing in the future. We talked for a long time, and as time passed, we inched closer to each other. I didn't really notice it at first, but I looked one time and we were several feet apart and the next time, we were only about 18 inches apart. I, then, started watching her whenever she shifted positions. I began to realize she shifted so that she was closer to me, and I, subconsciously, was reciprocating the movement. We got a little closer, and then the moment came. I looked up and we locked eyes again. This time, I wasted none thinking through. I moved my head towards hers and she reciprocated. My eyes closed when our lips touched, and I was suddenly hyper aware of her proximity. My hand moved to her face and softly caressed her cheek, while one of her hands wound its way under my arm to my back.
My next conscious thought came a minute later as our lips came apart. "Well," I said, letting the word speak for itself.
"Yeah," she countered. She looked back at me and smiled. She bit her lower lip again, but this time she didn't look like she was thinking through a hard decision, more like remembering something exciting. Her eyes looked as though they were smiling wide in joy. After a moment, she curled herself into my side, pulled my arm over her shoulder and intertwined our fingers and said, "I guess this counts as date number one."
The End.
Crap. She noticed me look at the clock. "No, not at all. I was just wondering what the time was," I explained quickly. I really didn't have anything to get to. I was actually cataloging how much time we were spending together, but I didn't think that response would be well received. "Oh, okay," she replied. "Well, I think I'm gonna go in anyways. It is getting pretty late." Her eyes fell again to her hands still worrying over her keys. I wasn't ready to leave her yet, so I got out, and went around to her door and opened it for her. I walked her up to her door, and we stood there looking at each other again. She was still worrying over her keys in her hands. My mind, all night, had been seeing the scene from Hitch playing in my head, as if Will Smith was teaching me what to do instead of Kevin James.
As I'm about to awkwardly make my move, she suggests, "You know, you don't have to leave right away. If you don't want to. My room mate is probably already asleep and the living room is on the other side of the house. We could talk some more in there." My face lit up as she said that. For one thing, I was saved the possible embarrassment of going in for the kiss when she didn't want one, and, two, I got to spend more time with her. "Yeah," I answered, "that sounds great."
She opened her front door and we go in and make our way to the living room. "Make yourself at home," she says when we reach the living room. "I'll be right back." She went into a room just off the main living room and closed the door. I went and found the bathroom and ran water over my face attempting to wash the sweat and dirt off. I took my shirt off and splashed some on my armpits, hoping that would cut down on any odor that escaped my excessive use of deodorant earlier. I threw my shirt back on and went back out to the couch and was left to my thoughts. These ranged from everything to "Does she want me to kiss her?" to what she was doing in her room.
I didn't have to wonder about that much longer, for she came out and I saw that she had changed into, presumably, what served as her pajamas. Stacy sat on the couch and looked at me. "There," she said, "I'm much more comfortable now. Sorry, I don't have anything for you to change into. I'm sure you want to get out of those clothes."
"Don't worry about it," I told her. "I'm fine." After that, we keep talking, taking turns asking questions about our pasts and what we see ourselves doing in the future. We talked for a long time, and as time passed, we inched closer to each other. I didn't really notice it at first, but I looked one time and we were several feet apart and the next time, we were only about 18 inches apart. I, then, started watching her whenever she shifted positions. I began to realize she shifted so that she was closer to me, and I, subconsciously, was reciprocating the movement. We got a little closer, and then the moment came. I looked up and we locked eyes again. This time, I wasted none thinking through. I moved my head towards hers and she reciprocated. My eyes closed when our lips touched, and I was suddenly hyper aware of her proximity. My hand moved to her face and softly caressed her cheek, while one of her hands wound its way under my arm to my back.
My next conscious thought came a minute later as our lips came apart. "Well," I said, letting the word speak for itself.
"Yeah," she countered. She looked back at me and smiled. She bit her lower lip again, but this time she didn't look like she was thinking through a hard decision, more like remembering something exciting. Her eyes looked as though they were smiling wide in joy. After a moment, she curled herself into my side, pulled my arm over her shoulder and intertwined our fingers and said, "I guess this counts as date number one."
The End.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
The Date (part 2)
Option C:
She finally responded to me. I was so anxious to see what she would say that during the waiting time I lived on Facebook and constantly refreshed the page, hoping to find her response. When it did, I didn't know what to think. I spent so much time imagining the conversation we would have and what would happen afterwards, I never paused to think about this response: "Hey! Yeah, I'm going to be hanging out with some friends from church on Thursday if you want to come. We'll be meeting at the park for some Ultimate Frisbee then getting some coffee afterwards. We'd love it if you came! 7:00 on Thursday."
Well, it wasn't exactly a "no," was it? I didn't really know what to think about it at all. I was so excited about getting to know her as a potential girlfriend, that I totally skipped the friend stage. Maybe this would work out better?
Well, I wrote back, "Sure, I'll be there. No doubt," and prepared myself for hanging out with several people I didn't know. On the one hand, she seemed liked she geniunely wanted me to come, so that was exciting, and I didn't really specify if I wanted it to be just us, so I guess I'll take what I can get.
Thursday came, and I left home at about 6:45 to get to the park. When I got there, several people, including Stacy, were warming up and throwing the frisbee around. As I was walking up, a guy threw a frisbee real deep, over Stacy's head, and she came running after it. I figured it would be way out of her reach, so I ran to make a play on it. She was much faster than I gave her credit for, and we collided with each other and the frisbee fell to the ground. Her knee hit mine and her shoulder rammed into my chest, which knocked me backwards onto the ground. Stacy fell on top of me, and we hit the ground hard. "Ow," said Stacy as she rolled over to see who she ran into. Her face had a look of frustration on it until she recognized it was me. "Oh, hey, Chris," she said breaking into a dazzling smile. "Sorry, I didn't see you there."
"It's ok," I said, smiling back, though mostly because I didn't want her to get up. "I should have just let you catch it anyway, but I thought it was out of your reach." The sentence trailed off and we found ourselves in one of those weird movie moments where the girl doesn't get off of the guy she accidently knocked down until it gets awkward. Well, about 3 seconds past awkward, she realized she was still on me and got up. She blushed a little, and said, "Come on, I'll introduce you to everyone." So, we went over to the rest of the group, who were, if I wasn't just imagining it, giving her a look that asked, "Who is this and why were you laying on him?"
She introduced me to everyone, and I quickly forgot most of their names, seeing as my mind still wanted to be pinned down by Stacy. Soon after, though, we got started. It had been several years since I had last played Ultimate, but remembered my form soon enough, and in no time, I was bombing throws down the field for Stacy or one of the other guys on my team. After the game, Stacy came up and gave me a big high-five, and invited me to go hang out with them. I told her I would and we started heading toward our cars. I noticed Stacy hanging back, talking to one of the girls, and then she looked over at me. I turned my head and kept walking to my car, when I heard her call, "Hey! Chris! Hold up!" I stopped and turned around. Stacy stopped in front of me and said, "Julie is gonna go home, and I rode with her over here, do you think I could get a ride with you?"
My heart started beating faster than at any point during the game as I said, "Sure. That's fine." My mind was yelling and I was doing backflips inside my body as we walked to the car. We got in and headed to the coffee bar. We stayed there with everyone for about an hour, just talking and joking around, and then, one by one, people started leaving to go do homework or go to bed since they had to be at work early and other various activities. Luckily, the public schools had a day off on Friday, and so did I, so Stacy and I stayed behind and talked more. We sat there talking until a barista came up and said they were closing, so we got back in my car and left. I looked at her and asked if she wanted me to take her home, and she said sure and gave me directions.
When we pulled up in front of her house, she looked at me and...
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Choice number 2:
A, B, or C.
She finally responded to me. I was so anxious to see what she would say that during the waiting time I lived on Facebook and constantly refreshed the page, hoping to find her response. When it did, I didn't know what to think. I spent so much time imagining the conversation we would have and what would happen afterwards, I never paused to think about this response: "Hey! Yeah, I'm going to be hanging out with some friends from church on Thursday if you want to come. We'll be meeting at the park for some Ultimate Frisbee then getting some coffee afterwards. We'd love it if you came! 7:00 on Thursday."
Well, it wasn't exactly a "no," was it? I didn't really know what to think about it at all. I was so excited about getting to know her as a potential girlfriend, that I totally skipped the friend stage. Maybe this would work out better?
Well, I wrote back, "Sure, I'll be there. No doubt," and prepared myself for hanging out with several people I didn't know. On the one hand, she seemed liked she geniunely wanted me to come, so that was exciting, and I didn't really specify if I wanted it to be just us, so I guess I'll take what I can get.
Thursday came, and I left home at about 6:45 to get to the park. When I got there, several people, including Stacy, were warming up and throwing the frisbee around. As I was walking up, a guy threw a frisbee real deep, over Stacy's head, and she came running after it. I figured it would be way out of her reach, so I ran to make a play on it. She was much faster than I gave her credit for, and we collided with each other and the frisbee fell to the ground. Her knee hit mine and her shoulder rammed into my chest, which knocked me backwards onto the ground. Stacy fell on top of me, and we hit the ground hard. "Ow," said Stacy as she rolled over to see who she ran into. Her face had a look of frustration on it until she recognized it was me. "Oh, hey, Chris," she said breaking into a dazzling smile. "Sorry, I didn't see you there."
"It's ok," I said, smiling back, though mostly because I didn't want her to get up. "I should have just let you catch it anyway, but I thought it was out of your reach." The sentence trailed off and we found ourselves in one of those weird movie moments where the girl doesn't get off of the guy she accidently knocked down until it gets awkward. Well, about 3 seconds past awkward, she realized she was still on me and got up. She blushed a little, and said, "Come on, I'll introduce you to everyone." So, we went over to the rest of the group, who were, if I wasn't just imagining it, giving her a look that asked, "Who is this and why were you laying on him?"
She introduced me to everyone, and I quickly forgot most of their names, seeing as my mind still wanted to be pinned down by Stacy. Soon after, though, we got started. It had been several years since I had last played Ultimate, but remembered my form soon enough, and in no time, I was bombing throws down the field for Stacy or one of the other guys on my team. After the game, Stacy came up and gave me a big high-five, and invited me to go hang out with them. I told her I would and we started heading toward our cars. I noticed Stacy hanging back, talking to one of the girls, and then she looked over at me. I turned my head and kept walking to my car, when I heard her call, "Hey! Chris! Hold up!" I stopped and turned around. Stacy stopped in front of me and said, "Julie is gonna go home, and I rode with her over here, do you think I could get a ride with you?"
My heart started beating faster than at any point during the game as I said, "Sure. That's fine." My mind was yelling and I was doing backflips inside my body as we walked to the car. We got in and headed to the coffee bar. We stayed there with everyone for about an hour, just talking and joking around, and then, one by one, people started leaving to go do homework or go to bed since they had to be at work early and other various activities. Luckily, the public schools had a day off on Friday, and so did I, so Stacy and I stayed behind and talked more. We sat there talking until a barista came up and said they were closing, so we got back in my car and left. I looked at her and asked if she wanted me to take her home, and she said sure and gave me directions.
When we pulled up in front of her house, she looked at me and...
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Choice number 2:
A, B, or C.
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