Overindulgence Encouraged

“Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him” (Psalm 34:8).

Six weeks post New Years Eve, how are your resolutions going? Did your list include trimming back on unnecessary expenses in order to live more fiscally balanced? What about your diet? Are you eating less but still not healthy? Were you like me; feeling undernourished and over stimulated after the holidays? Has the thought of consuming anything sweet lost its appeal? Have you abandoned those well-crafted goals and reverted to overspending and overeating just in time for today’s Super Bowl parties? Maybe it’s time to go to a place where overindulgence is encouraged. Care to join me?

As I wrote the goals and dreams in January I hoped to accomplish in 2010, I did something different this year. I prayed for God to give me a list that reveals what He wants to do through me and in me. In years past I’d make the list without consulting Him; then pray for His help to fulfill my desires. I had it backwards. God does not exist to serve me, but I to serve Him. His plans are perfectly designed to transform me into the image of His Son. In the end, following God’s resolutions will find me happier than checking off a self-constructed list of items I hope to experience one day.

Asking Jesus to help me formulate my list, I held nothing back as He encouraged overindulgence of Him. God wants me to spend as much time as possible feasting on the tenderness of His words written to satisfy every hunger soul. God never says to us, “You’ve had enough of Me, Mary. Go away and stop grabbing one more morsel of truth from my Scriptures. You’ve prayed so much you are overflowing to maximum capacity.” On the contrary! God is always offering us more of Himself without limitation.

Of all the sweetness that life’s pleasures hold, there is none as satisfying as the love of my Lord. God is always willing I partake in the bounty of His presence. The Bible is full of God’s delightful recipes that are blessings for our lives beyond anything we can create ourselves. My desire for the rest of my days is to fill my palate with all that the Father wants to give me. The Scriptures are a paradox of delicacies that quench my deepest longings while leaving me hungry and thirsty for more. What a treat!

Won’t you come to the table the Lord has prepared for you to sample His goodness and mercy? It’s the place where sinners are welcome and forgiveness is granted when hearts are repentant and surrendered to Christ. His soul-food menu is an all-you-can-eat buffet, and your bill has been paid with His shed blood. Jesus extends the invitation to everyone to accept His sacrificial payment, but you can’t join this feast until you respond with heartfelt thanks.

One taste of His heavenly sustenance will find you increasing your helping size. You will joyfully discover He delights when we overindulge on all His offerings. We cannot be overweight in the goodness of God, only underweight if we push ourselves away from the table believing we’ve had enough. No need to worry about portion control—keep asking for more! God is a generous giver and wants His children to be well fed. “Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him” (Psalm 34:8).

Your fellow sojourner,

Mary

Tunnel Vision

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When Jesus spoke again to the people, He said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12).

Looking around my neighborhood this January evening there are many families, like ours, whose homes still brightly adorn their Christmas lights. We are one of the first households to put ours up, as well as the last to remove them. Their vibrancy is such a comfort to me at a time of year when the days are short, the nights are long, and the skies are cold. Yet in the midst of all the festivities of the 2009 holiday season I found myself wandering in mental and emotional darkness. Was your vision was obscured too?

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In essence, I let the cares of the world weigh heavy on my small shoulders and exhaust me to the point of tears. Perhaps you were like me; one who took her eyes off of the Creator of light while trying to conjure it up yourself. Praise God for forgiveness of confessed sin, and a revelation of what my New Years resolution should be. Maybe it is your resolution too.

It’s hard for me to resist entertaining any time of year. Much as I’ve tried to shelve it, my God-given gift of hospitality cannot stay dormant for long. The promptings of my heart always lead me to volunteer to host an array of celebrations. Many times the Lord uses these occasions as ministry opportunities. My dilemma this Christmas wasn’t the parties we hosted, but my frustration over lost peace and joy. I’d shut down my spiritual lantern.

The demands of work were robbing me, and I was angry. I wanted a slower pace to be able to delight in the mystery of the nativity more. Instead, my mind was cluttered with an endless list of tasks to complete. The harder I worked the further away from soul-rest and physical rejuvenation I ended up. My reaction to life’s hectic pace sent me out of balance.

Crying out to Jesus I confessed my anger and waywardness. To an outside observer I was functioning normally, but God and I knew the real truth. My energy was drained because I’d rushed through the most important part of the day, my quiet time with God, in my haste to tackle my to-do list. Falsely believing my normally perky personality was enough to carry me through the onslaught of Satan’s daily attacks, I neglected to let my Savior fight the battles for me. His light implanted in my spirit was dimmed.

Thankfully, God left me in the blackness long enough for me to discover that all my best attempts cannot create a light that sustains life. Only the Giver of all life Himself can. Today Jesus illuminated my bleak thoughts with John 8:12: When Jesus spoke again to the people, He said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life, and Genesis 1:3-4: And God said, “Let there be light, and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and He separated the light from the darkness.”  

     

Several truths brightened my mind after pondering those Scriptures. First, the source of the light’s existence is God, not I. Second, God said the light is good and the light of the world is Jesus. Third, God separated the light from the darkness. This indicates a life of distinction that shines, not one that blends in with the dark side. When light mixes with blackness it becomes gray, just like my mood was. If I want more peace, joy and fulfillment my luminary has to be the Holy Spirit. I project whatever is inside me, good or evil. The only good light is the heavenly One, the holy One Jesus Christ.

As God’s daughter I am asking Him to ignite my soul afire with His passions for my life so the only resolutions I make and keep are the ones He’s purposed for my life. May we all desire His glory overshadow the demands and pleasures of earth so that the glow beaming out of us is ever-pointing others to Jesus. In a world that is often gloomy, I pray many in 2010 will be drawn out of their tunnel as they believe these words: When Jesus spoke again to the people, He said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12).

Your fellow sojourner,

Mary

You Will Find Me in the Garden

“The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest field” (Matthew 9:37-38).

September is one of my favorite months--a time to welcome the harvest season as we savor the last kiss of summer. All my life, September represented change. It was the start of each new school year, the month I moved from familiar surroundings to begin anew elsewhere, and the month I got married. September generally finds me full of life and energy; welcoming the new beginnings I have been afforded. This year, however, some events feel more like endings. The season of plenty has been shaken up; I question what seeds I have been sowing in life’s garden.

The first jolt struck after our San Francisco trip. Prior to vacation there were three recruiters in my corporate job, whittled down from eight this spring. Last Monday I discovered I would be working solo. Grateful for a paycheck but upset over logging in fifty-hour weeks; I feel completely depleted. I want to write, want to do my Bible study, respond to social invitations all without labeling these another “project” I have a deadline to complete. The under tow of life’s current is strong right now. I have to fight to breath in God’s truth that sustains me. As if this news wasn’t challenging enough, another wave came that toppled my spirit.

A loved one is drowning financially and spiritually. My husband and I have been one of God’s lifelines for them over the last four years, supporting them in prayer, monies, words, and temporary shelter. There have been glimmers of hope along the way when employment filled the gap, but it never lasted. Neither has love for this individual. They are alone and getting harder to reach despite our best efforts. They tell us they have all but given up on life and anything good happening. Bankruptcy is in their future, and we are deeply saddened. I found myself grieving the last week or so, wondering why this torture continues to haunt our lives. I know God loves this person more than I do, yet I am conflicted over why someone I have battled for is sinking deeper. Through tearful eyes I read my Bible and wait for the Lord to answer, and then He does.

At present, God does not give me insight into why these events are happening. He only promises me peace that comes when I trust in Him, and that He is longing to gather others into His family. Surely the Lord can do this without my help. He is Almighty and needs no one. But He has asked me as His child to join Him in this task, and harvesting requires action. Taking my focus off my feelings and listening for God’s voice, I hear a stirring in my soul that has emboldened me to share His love with others like never before. With my co-workers I reveal I am praying for them, and that God will be their protection in this storm. People seem more open to hear these words of hope because they are disillusioned by the empty promises of man. In all of the brokenness of life Jesus is making a way for His light to sign into dark lives. Although I may not feel like it, He assures me I am one of His small lanterns.

As I pray for and minister to my loved one who needs a spiritual and financial miracle, I sense God asking me to have faith that He will answer my pleas. He is not guaranteeing bankruptcy for this person will be avoided, but that He can use these tragedies for good. My greatest desire is to walk beside those I love in heaven with Jesus forever. My joy is not complete in knowing I am saved when my heart’s burden is so heavy for those who are lost.

Looking out my window I see a rose bush filled with tiny pink blossoms. This variety is a fairy rose with petite petals and flowers. It blooms in every season here, and thrives in the worst of drought. Gazing upon its beauty I have often overlooked the fact that this delicate flower is surrounded by thorns, yet never stops growing and glorifying its Creator. This is where I want to be found, working alongside God cultivating His garden. With Christ’s help the thorns of life cannot choke out the beauty of His light in me. All is not in vain. Jesus at work in me will produce a great heavenly harvest where the eternal rewards are spectacular. That’s the best workforce I could be a part of! Care to join us? “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest field” (Matthew 9:37-38).

Your fellow sojourner,

Mary