change

Fix it or Heal it?

/ Jana / Leave a comment

I had this crazy encounter with God last week. The details don’t matter except to say that I was at my wits end. I had planted myself on my couch in desperation. I read my bible, I worshiped. I sat there crying, and crying out to the Lord, that I didn’t know what to do. I was hurting, and I needed to hear from Him. My heart was breaking and I knew I needed His comfort and  His wisdom.

“How do I fix this?” I feebly said.

First came a wave of comfort like a blanket around my shoulders. Then came a wave of peace settling my mind and spirit.  Then ever so gently came His reply.

“You’re trying to fix something. I am trying to heal something,” He said.

lend-a-hand

Continue reading →

Glow in the Dark

/ Jana / 2 Comments

According to Molly Mahoney in the movie, Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium, “Sparkle” is “something reflective of something bigger that’s trying to get out.”

What is in you trying to get out? What is bigger than you that makes you sparkle?

Why does a notion like that, of more, of shining, get in our heads and knock around? An entire movie trying to tap into the hidden beauty, greatness, Sparkle within us. And here goes God revealing Himself again. Connecting dots. Showing off. Wanting us to see Him. Last week we discovered what it means to be “in the light of Your presence.” This week are the pearls tucked inside Psalm 34, Psalm 16, and 2 Corinthians.

Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame. Psalm 34:5 NIV

Now you’ve got my feet on the life path,
      all radiant from the shining of your face.
   Ever since you took my hand,
      I’m on the right way.
Psalm 16:11 The Message

When Moses came down from the mount with two stone tablets in his hand, his face was radiant. Shining from the presence of God. But he veiled himself from the people. Fast forward through the cross and you see the complete opposite. Corinthians says, “Whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. And we with unveiled faces all reflect the glory of God.”

Have you seen it? When people change before your very eyes?  I think of my friends Ben and Kristen. The difference in their faces is unmistakable. They glow. Or take Lora or Heather after a powerhouse time with God at a retreat. Talk about radiant. Even Chuck blew me away the other day. He spoke to teens for the first time in a long time. And the glory in his face was a wonder to look at.

You can’t buy that kind of makeover. You can’t work it up, plan for it or lose it. You don’t even take credit for it. You just look at it in awe. Think of it like this: Salem just bought a glow-in-the-dark ball. You can’t do anything to make it glow in the dark. You can’t argue, talk, or fake it to make the ball glow. All you can do is put the ball in the light. And then it can’t help but glow.

He is the light that has come into the world, into us.  Christ in you the hope of glory. He is the bigger thing we reflect. And it is His life that is breaking through our little realities. Go sit in the glory of God. Go soak in the light of His presence. And then we will all sit back and enjoy the sparkle of God that you become.

100% Responsible

/ Jana / Leave a comment

Do you ever have those relational upheavals that make you tired? Whether it is your mate,  your family or friends, do you hit one of those emotional oil slicks where everyone goes crashing into each other, and all the parties end up in the relationship hospital?

Sounds likes a lot of drama doesn’t it? But it happens, it really does. You can’t say the right thing, he/she can’t say the right thing, and before you know it, it’s emotional ICU, either Chaos or Ice City. Not pretty.

I am assuming you can connect the dots about why this is my chosen topic. But I am finding out (again!) that the Lord does this for several reasons.

Temperature Check

The Lord lets us bump into each other to see what spills out. It is a temperature check to see how our hearts are really doing. If I blow a gasket over something small, it could be there is a deeper issue.  Just like fever indicates infection, our reactions indicate lack of forgiveness, unresolved hurt, need for grace. Sunday morning, Rick Dunn made this great comment, “When you have a need, it shows that you are not a god, but you need one. Which God will you turn to?”  When I sense I have a relationship fever, what medicine will I seek?  Coping and denial? Or humility and restoration?

Tutoring

Relationship crashes make us better relational drivers. It only takes a couple of fender benders, or a major accident, to make you a more conscious driver. I see in my relationships that I sometimes act like a drunk driver, all over the road, ignoring signs, crashing into guardrails. I am DUI, driving under the influence of something other than the Holy Spirit. Being selfish, hard hearted, determined to be right, lacking boundaries, all of these are sure to deter my (and your) ability to properly handle a relationship. Just like the road, our relationships need yellow lines, no passing zones, and concrete dividers.  For our good and the good of others. God uses these moments to teach us how to define and defend boundaries.

Tenderize

Finally, these pile ups help to tenderize our hearts, drawing them back to God.  When we see the messes we have made, we go back to the Relationship Expert. We tap into His love, His mercy, His DESIRE for us to walk in health. He stirs a desire that we be rightly connected to Him and to others. He does that. And then He begins to create change by revealing truth, again and again. Truth: I can only change ME, rather than trying to change another person. It is in this posture before His unfailing love, that He tells me I am 100% responsible for me. Truth: I am 100% responsible for my behavior, attitudes and heart. I can’t change or fix another person. They can’t change or fix me.  But the flip side is, I can change with the Holy Spirit’s help, how I react and relate, even how I love someone else.  Even in this, loving someone, God is the source. Truth: He is 100% responsible to transform you and I into the ways of Christ. He will complete the good work He began in us.

“Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.” 1 John 4:7