Laced With Grace

Thursday, an Aero-med helicopter crashed into the top of the hospital. Our class was at a baseball game when we heard the news – one of my co-workers has a nephew that works at the top of the hospital, so he was concerned.

As more news came out, we found that there were no serious injuries (praise God). We also found out that there were no patients on board. There was a pilot and an FAA flight instructor.

The pilot and the “co-pilot”.

It seems to me today that it matters not who my co-pilot is, if I am still the one clinging to the controls. When I am paying attention to the Spirit, when I am in Scripture, when I am in prayer…God is my pilot and He is in control. When I am controlling my life and getting my fingers into things – being my own pilot…things get messed up.

A few weeks ago I was flying from Grand Rapids to Chicago. We were the last plane out in that direction and the weather was very ugly…VERY UGLY. The pilot told us that we were going to up hard and fast to try to get above the storm. He told us that we were not to leave our seats for any reason. He told us that the flight attendants were not going to leave their seats for any reason. Don’t expect water, coffee, beverages, don’t expect to see the attendants. DO expect a bumpy flight.

And it was a very bumpy flight. One of the only times I’ve every thought I might need “the bag”. But we were in the hands of a competent pilot who knew the plan.

God is the pilot who knows the plan. Sometimes the ride is going to be bumpy, but He knows the plan and He is in control. If I had been the one who had any part of flying the plane that day, it would have been a very bad thing. I cannot fly a plane, but I trusted the pilot to get us where we were supposed to go.

Again I am reminded that if I am the pilot, and God is pushed over into the co-pilot position, I had better move over.

I can imagine one of my conversations with God:I can’t do this.

Yes, you can.

I don’t want to.

But you need to.

I don’t know how.

I will help.

I’m all alone.

I’ll be there.

I don’t know what to do.

I’ll show you.

We have a counselor and comforter who is always with us. He guides us and prods us,; He convicts us of right and wrong and gives us strength. He reminds us of who we are in Christ and

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.

But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. (John 14: 17-18, 26-27 ESV)

WHAT BROUGHT THIS ON…

My class went to a movie yesterday and I’m going to give it a plug. It’s not a “Christian” movie, but there are so few movies out there that are truly “safe” that when I see one I want to let people know about it.

“Nim’s Island” is an adventure story with no bad language that I remember (and I was listening for it), very little violence (the worst of it was catapulting lizards and nobody got hurt – even the lizards) and zero sex.

Everybody was a hero. If you have kids, please go see this.
One of the heroes struck me. He was a character in a book, yet he was very real to the writer.

There are many stories that have things or characters that remind us of something very different. This hero (Alex Rover) was one of those things.

His role was something akin to the encouragement of the Holy Spirit in the life of a Christian (although Rover was made up, had an imaginary body and left.) The writer (played by Jodie Foster) was agoraphobic – but she got this email from a far away island from Nim – a plea for help.

The writer (also Alex[andra] Rover) had not been outside of her apartment for 16 months…and with the encouragement of the character (Alex Rover) found herself on a plane to Borneo.

In this secular movie, there is an opportunity to talk to kids about right and wrong, independence and interdependence. There is a place to discuss the Holy Spirit and His role in our life.

If we make things like this an opportunity to introduce theology (the study of the nature of God and the relationship of the human and divine), our kids grow up loving the nature of who God is.

This post is 1) a reminder of our Helper and Counselor, 2) an enouragement to look for “teachable moments” and 3) a plug for a good family movie in a world where there are not very many of them.

God bless you all on this day.

I’ve been re-reading a book by Jay Adams, “From Forgiven to Forgiving” – a reminder that I read from time to time.

I am reminded that forgiveness is a three-fold promise.  When God forgives me, He has promised to never hold it against me – not to Him, not to others, not to me.

I am also reminded that if I am to forgive as the Father forgives, I also give that same three-fold promise.

At my house, we don’t do the “say sorry and give your sibling a hug” thing.

“I was wrong” or “I sinned” AND “Please forgive me” are followed by “I forgive you”.  We know that is a three-fold promise.

One of the turning points in my relationship with my daughter was when I “Jay Adams-ed” her.  I was the one who has sinned – that time (there was enough to go around).   We talked about the Jay Adams book, the three-fold promise and my statement of “I sinned, please forgive me”.

Later, it was her turn and later still, I did bring it up.  And she held me to that promise.  She is my sister in Christ, as well as the daughter of my flesh.  And she held me to that promise.

These days, if something reminds us of that time, it is not her and it is not me.  There is no hurt left – and I believe it is because of her knowledge that the three-fold promise is real.

These days also, I am reminded that when there is an issue in my past that Christ has covered with His blood – if it comes up again, it is not Him bringing the accusation.

I am covered, and my sins are forgiven.  The three-fold promise.

“…as far as the east is from the west, so far does He remove our transgressions from us.”  (Psa 103:12 ESV)

“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”" (Roman 8:1 ESV)

I thank You, Father, for the promise.  I stand before you now with no condemnation, no reminders from You.  I admit that there are times that I bring my own sin up against myself; that stands against the promise.  Thank you again for the promises that You are faithful always to keep.