Wednesday, December 21, 2011

the road

The Road Not Taken
[Robert Frost]
TWO roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

Friday, December 16, 2011

risk

The weekend I got married, one of my most beloved friends told me something quite divine and profound. On her way back from Africa, the Lord gave her a scripture for R and me: Genesis 12, the story of Abram and Sarai's command to leave their homeland.

This week I've been thinking so much about their story and using it as an overlay for the next chapter of our story. It is the call of Abram to an unnamed and unknown land; a call to be a blessing. It comes with a command and a promise: "Don't be afraid. I am your shield, your very great reward." As I reflected and let this story seep down within me, I started writing down words as they arrived in my mind: risk, grace, favor, adventure, calling, submission, obedience, vision without seeing.

For my life, it's the end of the reign of perfectionism. There's a new ruler in all my actions and affections - faith and grace. Faith and grace are the only ways I'll ever be pleasing to God, the one I so want to impress.

Then something else happens. Grace comes with the new covenant and a change in relationship (circumcision: being intimately marked as His own). Abram becomes Abraham, Sarai becomes Sarah. The Hebrew word for Sarai means to rule, govern or dominate. But when God changes her name to Sarah, she becomes submissive. Her submission sobers her and allows her to give birth at the age of almost 100 years old.

I'm undergoing the same kind of name change. I'm going from always controlled to submissive and obedient. I'm more relaxed than ever and allowing my Father and husband to lead me where I used to only want to go myself. I cannot do this alone or in my own strength and knowledge. I'm being led so that I might give birth - to my dreams and passions, as well as to those we're called to live beside and little ones who will one day carry on where we leave off.

And that is worth every bit of risk, because grace will always rescue the unworthy.

Thursday, December 08, 2011

marketplace

“I simply argue that the cross be raised again at the center of the marketplace, as well as on the steeple of the church. I am recovering the claim that Jesus was not crucified in a cathedral between two candles, but on a high cross between two thieves: on the town garbage heap; at a crossroad so cosmopolitan that they had to write His title in Hebrew, in Latin and in Greek…. At the kind of place where cynics talk smut, and thieves curse and soldiers gamble. Because that’s where He died. And that is what He died about. And that is where churchmen ought to be and what churchmen should be about."

- Dr. George MacLeod, Scottish Theologian

Friday, December 02, 2011

5

Today marks the fifth anniversary of the togetherness of Rico and Angela. Five years together. In my celebration of these years, I went searching for the spiritual significance of the number 5 in the Bible. What I found are significant answers to the hidden questions I've only asked in my head but that I know God has wanted me to believe for quite some time. Rico has actually been very instrumental in helping sort through them with me. I wanted to post a few of them:

- The number 5 represents GRACE.
- The number 4 represents man's weakness and falleness. The number 1 represents Divinity. Therefore, 4+1=5, Strength made perfect in weakness. POW!
- Grace means favor. But what kind of favor? Favor shown to the miserable we call mercy; favor shown to the poor we call pity; favor shown to the suffering we call compassion; favor shown to the obstinate we call patience: but favor shown to the unworthy we call GRACE!
- The number of stones David used to slay Goliath was 5. "His own perfect weakness was supplemented by Divine strength. And he was stronger in this weakness than in all the armor of Saul."
- The number 5 is the number of God’s grace or goodness toward man. The number is mentioned 318 times in the Bible. The Ten Commandments have 2 sets of 5 commandments — 5 toward God and 5 toward neighbor.
- The Psalms are divided into 5 books. The 5 books of the Law are also known as the Pentateuch. The 4 Gospels plus Acts equals 5 books or the New Testament Pentateuch — revealing Jesus’ teachings concerning the Law and the Prophets. 
- The apostle John wrote 5 books centered on the grace of God and eternal life. Five is the number of grace, and 5 x 5 = 25, or "grace upon grace" (John 1:16).

I'm certain now that a fresh season of experiencing God's complete and glorious grace is upon us. Hallelujah!