Laced With Grace

I have a son who needs to learns things the hard way. When he was little I told him the stove was hot, but he had to touch the stove to see for himself. When I told him not to eat something, he had to taste it for himself. Now as we enter the teens, things become a little scarier. He still tends to have to learn things for himself. When we tell him his behavior in 8th grade is going to affect his classes in high school, he still tries to skim the line to see how far is too far. As a parent I would get frustrated and want to say, “why don’t you just take my word for it!”

When Jesus rose from the dead he appeared to two men walking towards a village called Emmaus (which is just outside of Jerusalem). They did not recognize him and Christ asked them what they were talking about…and they replied:

“About Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning but didn’t find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see.”

You can almost hear the disappointment and mumbling in their voice, “..but we had hoped that he was the one.”

Christ replied to this:

“How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself. Luke 24:25-27

After Christ traveled with them, they invited him in for dinner. It was then their eyes were open to he was.

How many times do we read God’s promises and when things do not happen as we imagined them, we are caught mumbling, “but I thought…or I had hoped.” How quickly as Christians are we just like my son, we need to see, test, taste, to believe. I to have been guilty of this. But I am here to say I believe whole heartedly:

“I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there you may be also” (John 14:2,3). JESUS SAID HE WAS COMING AGAIN!

Heavenly Father, please forgive us when we are slow to believe your promises. Thank you that we can rest in the assurance that we will see you face to face. And if there is anyone who does not know you as their personal Savior I pray their eyes are open to your salvation. Amen

“True faith is that which marks a beginning, but you keep it active by your actions. True faith keeps on believing right on to the very end.” ~Stephen Potter

Do we have true faith? Can we continue to believe and trust when the situation looks hopeless? Thinking today about faith and trust I wonder at times about my own. Marsha, the mother of missionaries to Africa, told me a couple of months ago, that “many people don’t have faith to pray for a situation for the long haul”. We can’t see the end. We don’t know the answer. Are we still going to believe for what we can’t see? Are we willing to say to Him, Lord, I don’t know what You are doing in this child of mine’s life….but I have faith in You and I trust that this child I gave back to You when she was born is under Your watchful eye. The child. No matter how old they grow to be, they will always be your child. They are being watched.

However, the child has a will. To do right or wrong. To choose good over evil. The choice is a gift God gave to each of us. We have the right to determine which path to take. The wide one that looks easy as pie? Or the narrow, winding, sometimes even treacherous road that at times has a fog on it so thick you can’t see your hand in front of you. That’s the road that is toughest in the here and now. But it’s the “then” —the “eternal” that we are trusting for . It’s what we are believing for.

When you give birth to that precious little babe, they don’t come with a tag like washing instructions….”pre-shrunk—will not shrink, machine wash gentle cycle, no bleach, tumble dry low, iron medium heat if necessary”. There is no label that says, “rebellious, firm hand, but loving, sniff clothes regularly”.

It is hard to say—or point to a day when the loving child turns into the prodigal. The one that wants to take all his or her possessions and leave for “the better life”. Humph. Better indeed.

The passage labeled as the “Parable of the Lost Son”, has a few verses I want to point out. You know the story by heart. But read this:

“When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.’ So he got up and went to his father.  “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. Luke 15:17-20 NIV (emphasis mine)

While he was still a long way off. The KJV says “great way off”.  In my minds eye, I see that father.  I think the father watched the roadway every day with “expectation”.  Not only did he desire his son to come home, he expected him to come home.  He wasn’t sure what condition he would arrive in.  But he knew he would come home.  In the deepest part of his heart, he knew that at some point he would reach the end of himself, and that his selfish ways would bring him to his knees.  Right smack-dab in the middle of the pig pen. 

I believe he watched expectantly for years.  I don’t think the prodigals funds were lost in a week.  Not even a month.  I believe it was years.  The Bible clearly tells us what the ”lost son” was doing —but until the son arrives back home in a state of shame…the only thing we know that the father did while his son was away…was watch and wait.  I think he watched everyday.  The Bible makes no comment about the mother of the son.  She may not have even been living.  But if she was, I like to believe, that while the father was outside watching the roadway, the mother was inside on her knees praying for the child to find the right road home.

Sometimes the mother does both.  Watching and praying for each prodigal to make it home.  

Oh, by the way, go ahead and get their garments ready, get the family ring shined.  Get the bathtub set, the water just right, soaps, towels all in place.  For isn’t that him?  Coming just now, down the road? 

Father, my heart cries out to You for each prodigal.  I was one.  You, O Lord have never turned Your back on one seeking You.  You have lavished us with Your love and attention.  May we each love our own prodigals as You have loved us.  With compassionate love.  Forgiving love.  Merciful love.  Teach us Your ways O Lord.  I praise Your holy name for all that You are, all that You desire to be in me, and all that You are bringing to pass in our lives for Your glory.  In Your holy name I pray~Amen.

The past few years has brought an interesting shift in the television industry.  Years ago when I was growing up there was an abundance of comedies, sitcoms and game shows on television.  However today they’re really not as popular any more.  Today, it’s all about reality.  Almost every television station has its own reality based show. (Survivor, Big Brother, The Bachelor, American Idol and the list goes on…)   While they may all have different themes they’re still basically all the same.  The shows starts with several people, and at the end there is only one man/woman standing.

These shows are all about, winning out over the competition and being the last one left on the island, or the one to get the girl or the guy, the record contract etc.  Most of them are about backbiting or undermining the competition and finding strategies that will get them what they want.  To achieve this end contestants form alliances with other members, not because they genuinely like them, or want to be around them but simply because they feel that they can use them to achieve their own end. 

 “…and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” Hebrews 12:1

 I  press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.  Philippians 3:14

  I am not by nature a very competitive person.  Hence, when I look at these shows I am always grateful that I don’t have to compete against my brothers and sisters in Christ for my place in the kingdom of God.  As a part of the body of Christ although we are all running the same race and pressing towards the same goal, we don’t have to fight each other. The prize we are pressing towards is enough for everyone who wants it.  Therefore, we can all work together to help and encourage each other because we are all in this Christian race together and we need each other to survive.  

When I was in primary school one of my teachers constantly made our class repeat what I until recently thought was part of a poem but it’s actually a song.

No man is an island

No man is an island,
No man stands alone,
Each man’s joy is joy to me,
Each man’s grief is my own.

We need one another,
So I will defend,
Each man as my brother,
Each man as my friend.

Lord, thank you for placing friends along the way in this journey to inspire us, encourage us, cheer us on and run this Christian race with us.