July 2021 – Roberta Writes

How to lament

I was feeling a bit overwhelmed the other day. Life had me pinned in a corner and the ref didn’t see me trying to tap out. I started looking through scriptures to find passages that could helped me digest my feelings.

I started reading Lamentations 3. I have not spent a lot of time reading Lamentations. It is not a book I know well. Daniel, I’ve read many times – it’s my favourite. But Lamentations, no.

I got about 20 verses into this chapter and I thought, “Holy smokes, this is a bit over the top.” Modern man seems to feel the need to curb our sense of self-pity. I will cry and feel sorry for myself for a bit, but I put parametres around it and often start to think of others who are worse off. At this point in the chapter there didn’t seem to be any breaks or boundaries. Just full out cries of anger and despair, blaming God.

About 20 verses in the tone shifts. Even in the face of this suffering and wailing God is still good. God is still worth waiting on. I’m not sure what lesson to take from this. There are obvious cultural differences as well as the deeper meaning of the book as a whole with which to grapple.

Maybe it helps me see that we can cry out to God, he’s big enough to take it!

Lamentations 3: 24 I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion;
therefore I will wait for him.”

Self-doubt

Often when I think about the Bible I find people within it’s pages to whom I relate. I admire Esther’s courage and willingness to be used for the good of her people. I wish I were more like David, who confidently strode into battle with Goliath because of his confidence in God. I love Mary’s heart as she watches her Son become the Messiah.

Perhaps the story that hits closest to home is the story of Moses when he is called to go back to Egypt to save God’s people. Moses sees a bush burning, but it isn’t spreading or burning up. He thinks, “That’s strange” and investigates. Before he knows it he’s standing barefoot, covering his face, talking to the creator of the Universe.

God tells him he wants him to go back and rescue the Israelite people. Moses says, “What if…” God answers. Moses says, “What do I do when…” God answers. God shows him miracles he can preform. Even after all this Moses says, “I’m not a good speaker, you better send someone else.”

Moses is talking to God through a burning bush. God is showing him how to do miracles and when he says, “Go” Moses thinks, “Nah, you can find someone better.” Do you think it might enter Moses mind, that if God had a better choice he would know about it?

I am too often like Moses. My own self-doubt keeps me from feeling up to the task. I think of millions of reasons of why I am not worthy. But like Moses, this lack of confidence in oneself is actually lack of confidence in God’s ability. It was God who freed the Israelite people, it was by his power, Moses was just the vessel. I need to put my faith in the Great I Am and allow him to work in my life.

Exodus 4: 13-17 But Moses said, “Pardon your servant, Lord. Please send someone else.”
Then the Lord’s anger burned against Moses and he said, “What about your brother, Aaron the Levite? I know he can speak well. He is already on his way to meet you, and he will be glad to see you. You shall speak to him and put words in his mouth;
I will help both of you speak and will teach you what to do. He will speak to the people for you, and it will be as if he were your mouth and as if you were God to him. But take this staff in your hand so you can perform the signs with it.”

God loves me and you too

Every now and again God gives us an experience, the kind of moment that we hold in our heart and treasure. A glorious sunset, a drive home with tired kids, welcome in a gracious and giving home, a look of love from our spouse, a gentle breeze on a hot day, the list could go on.

Joy, hope and love are found in these moments. Like a beautiful sound track to a movie, they give unspoken sound to our hearts. Like jewels in our mind, glistening just out of reach and yet bouncing light everywhere.

These are the moments when I feel closest to God. Those moments when he uses other humans to help me feel His love.

God be with you today and may you feel the joy and peace of knowing that he sees you, regardless of what sorrow today may bring.

Grace is sufficient

Many of the ideas in the Bible are counter-cultural and even counter-intuitive. They go against what is instinctive for humans. The best example of this is the Sermon on the Mount. I don’t pretend to fully understand these ideas. They are a struggle – my humanness gets in the way of my understanding.

Lately, Paul’s phrase ‘my grace is sufficient,’ has been running through my head. How do we feel this in the face of personal loss? How do we understand this when our life is stuck in neutral? How do we share this when we see others facing serious trials? And yet, this is the most important idea for a Christian. Grace. Pure simple grace is enough. It is sufficient.

Wrapped up in this is the hope for a better tomorrow. The hope of reunion with loved ones. The hope of a dwelling with God. The hope of resurrection. Grace. The one complete act.

It is my job not to be distracted by the failings of life, by sin and the earthy trials. Grace! It is my obligation to not let my heart be drawn into the pleasures of earth. Grace! It is my responsibility to not be seeking affirmation from the world. Grace!

What other prize and trophy or reward could compare with grace?

2 Corinthians 12: 9-10 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

The light of men

The other night I had to go to the bathroom. I normally walk around with the lights off, but I had something stuck in my throat, so I turned the light on to take a look. It took me a few seconds before my eyes adjusted to the light. I took a look, couldn’t see anything, had a drink of water and turned to go back to bed. I now staggered in what was complete darkness. By the time I got back to my bed my eyes were starting to adjust again and I could see a little.

As I crawled back into bed, I thought about Jesus calling himself the light. What does this mean? How often do we consider how we interact with light.

Sometimes light is unbearably bright. We all know not to look directly at the sun – it’s intensity will blind us. And when we move from a bright sunny day into a dark space we feel blinded by the darkness. Light isn’t always gentle or unobtrusive. Light can be shocking, both in its brightness and in its absence. It is a basic human need, but we still need to protect our eyes from it.

When Jesus came to earth as a human, He came in a form that we can see and understand. He came as a lantern that lights a path. But His true nature would shock us. We wouldn’t be able to gaze on him directly. His light is what defies the forces of darkness. His light is a weapon.

John 1: 4-5 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

A season of change

If you are paying attention to world events, it is easy to get discouraged. We have unparalleled division. We seem to have an inability to meet in the centre. We don’t even use the same tools and language to formulate our ideas. It can be overwhelming and even depressing.

But…

If you are also paying attention to the theological and philosophical discussions, it is incredibly encouraging. We are in a major shift. I may be wrong, but I don’t see it as similar to the shift of the prewar era of the 1930; as I’ve heard others surmise. I believe we are in a change like the Reformation. How people think is changing. How we process information is changing.

I have long thought that the internet is the impetus for this change. A new technology that is revolutionizing how we process information. But something else happened in the mid 20th century. Something easy to ignore. A discovery that seems of interest only to a few academics. The discovery of the Dead Sea scrolls.

These texts are revolutionizing the way scholars are reading the Bible. There is a correction coming. It is slowly seeping out of the halls of academia and moving into the world at large. This is where the internet will play a part. This information will spread further and faster thanks to our current technologies.

It is an exciting time to be alive. If you aren’t already paying attention, start!

Isaiah 14: 27 For the Lord Almighty has purposed, and who can thwart him? His hand is stretched out, and who can turn it back?

Love the poor

We live in an affluent time. We have so much. And yet the poor are among us. This can be hard to reconcile. On top of that we, as humans, tend to equate ‘blessings’ with material possessions. The rise of the dreaded prosperity gospel is testament to this tendency within us.

The Bible is not vague about the poor. It is not vague about what our response as God’s people should be to the poor.

Last summer, when we were struggling financially and still recovering from Wes’ stroke, our neighbours looked after us. One needed help with a storm door, one needed a fence, one needed a deck – all by some coincidence when we needed it most. Do I think it was a coincidence? No, I don’t. They saw a need. They had a need and they saw a way of helping us. But not just giving us charity, but by providing the opportunity for Wes to work and maintain his dignity. Other have also done this, some old church friends as well. We have been extremely grateful for their kindness.

I found this video very interesting and thought you might too.

7 Provocative Old Testament Facts About the Poor – What the Bible Says About the Poor – YouTube

Who’s in charge

My kids are getting old enough to make plans. I’m no longer solely in charge of the family schedule and events. It is fun to watch them take ownership over their time and space. They are more involved in what they want to eat, how their room should look, who they play with, and other aspects of their lives. They are moving from childhood into adulthood. They are learning to control their own world.

In the past my children went where I planned, on my schedule. I, like most good parents, planned events that were age appropriate and that I thought they would enjoy. They had complete trust. They had little or no idea what each day would bring, but they trusted me to work it out. Most times they were happy with my choices.

Maybe this is what Jesus meant when he told us to be more like children. I need to wrestle with my own sense of control and give my life over to God. I need to let him schedule my life and chart my course. I should be like my own children used to be, a happy passenger. Humbly letting him lead.

It’s a struggle. But it is a worthy struggle.

Matthew 18: 2-4 He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them.
And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children,
you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.”

Built for each other

I have been noticeably absent or so a close friend told me the other day. I am sorry for that. Life has intruded. Not in a terrifying way, but in an “it’s too busy to collect my thoughts” kind of way. I am doing well, as is my family.

Having others check-in on us is such a gift. We all have a few people in our lives who keep an eye open for how we are doing and send a note or call when they are concerned. This is God’s work.

Community is hard to build in our crazy technocentric world. But it is so important. We are humans and it has never been good for us to be alone. God looked at Adam and decided he needed companionship and community. This is our foundation. This is one of the most important elements of humanity.

As we start to move our way out of the past years crazy isolation and fear start with community. Make time for each other. It matters.

Genesis 2:18 The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone.
I will make a helper suitable for him.”

We learn from our mistakes

My kids all like to cook. When they were younger it was a highly supervised endevour. Now as they get older it requires that I am close at hand but NOT interfering. I listen and interject when I hear statements like, “it calls for a 1/4 cup of salt.” No. Never, in any recipe, except perhaps a brine do you eve use that much salt. Or my son will ask, “What colour is this?” when cooking ground beef (he’s colour-blind).

I told my husband the other day that most times it is still easier and faster to do things myself. But, then they wouldn’t learn. He laughed and said, “Yeah, like me I had to learn how to cook after I left home.” I explained to him that what he did was keep himself alive, it couldn’t be described as cooking. I’m not a very nice wife!

When faced with my daily struggles there are many times that I wish God would just reach down and do it for me. It would be easier for both of us. But then what would I learn?

Psalm 139: 23-24 Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.