Lessons from Linus!

   
     Most of us know the obvious lesson that Linus teaches us in the Peanuts Christmas special.  He stands in the spotlight and tells us all the true meaning of Christmas.  This year as I watched the Great Pumpkin I realized Linus teaches us some great lessons here too!

     Lesson #1: Never stop talking to God.  Linus writes letters to the Great Pumpkin.  He asks for things we wants, tell the pumpkin how great he is and discusses the problems he is having with others.  This is just like prayer for us.  We come to God with all of these things. Just like Linus we should keep praying even if others think we are ridiculous.  Linus' friends and family laugh at him and doubt whether he can get his letter to the pumpkin.  The world doubts the power of prayer too.  They think it is just a waste of time and doubt whether our prayers ever get to God.  They go so far as to doubt whether God is even listening or if He is even really there.  So let's be like Linus and keep those prayers ascending in spite of the world's doubt and criticism.  "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God." (Phil 4:6)

     Lesson #2: Be firm in your faith.  Linus is firm in what he believes about the Great Pumpkin.  He tells about him with confidence.  Lucy, Charlie and Snoopy all laugh in his face and behind his back.  Linus stays resolute in his belief.  Lucy even tells him how embarrassing he is to her when she has to explain him to her friends.  It doesn't faze him.  The other kids remind Linus what he will miss out on (trick or treating, a party) because of his beliefs.  He stands firm that it is more important to wait for the pumpkin than do those other things.  We often face these same trials as Christians.  When we stand firm in our faith in Jesus Christ, others laugh and tell us all the fun of the world we will be missing out on.  Linus teaches us to stand up and stand strong for what we believe in, even in the face of great adversity.  He is even willing to lose the school election to stand up and tell about the Great Pumpkin.  We too have to be willing to lose or give up some worldly things to stand firm in our faith.  "Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm". (Eph. 6:13)

     Lesson #3: Share the Good News with others.  Linus wants to lead others to the joys of the Great Pumpkin.  He tells everyone about it and even brings Sally to the pumpkin patch.  He is excited to have her come with him and joyfully explains all about the "sincerity" of the pumpkin patch.  We should also find this joy in leading others to Christ.  Even when Sally worries about her reputation in being there, Linus reassures with patience and gentleness that she in the right place.  Christians will often have worries like these and as their brothers and sisters in Christ can react with the same patience and gentleness.  "With all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love." (Eph. 4:2)

     Lesson #4: Beware of false prophets.  Or beware of false great pumpkins in this case.  Snoopy comes along and fools Linus and Sally into thinking he is the Great Pumpkin.  We often come across Snoopys in our walk of faith.  They can even lead us or our brothers and sisters astray.  We see this with Sally.  Snoopy leads her to believe there is no great pumpkin and she is ticked.  She tells Linus that he "owes her restitution".  When people doubt God is real they often get mad at other Christians and the Church.  Linus wavers just a pinch and cries out, "Oh Great Pumpkin, where are you?".  He doesn't give up, He stands firm in the patch even though he is alone.  As Christians we know that we are never alone.  God is always standing with us.  "I will never leave you nor forsake you." (Heb. 13:5b)

     In the end the Great Pumpkin doesn't come.  How often do we feel like this.  When God doesn't answer our prayer or we don't see Him working in our lives.  Linus doesn't give up and neither should we.  Linus is already planning for next year much to the surprise of Charlie Brown.  Charlie says, "I've done a lot of stupid things in my life too".  Linus doesn't think it is stupid, he still has faith.  Just like Linus we know that God is always with us, even when we can't see Him. "For we walk by faith, and not by sight". (2 Cor. 5:7) Linus still has faith and so should we.  Have a great, fun, faith-filled Halloween everyone. 

P.S. Once last little lesson: "Never jump into a pile of leaves with a wet sucker"!

HIS plan...Not mine!

Nothing is too hard for God!  Jeremiah 32:7 makes this bold statement. Today, at this point in my journey, I know this to be true.  I know this to be true because God's strength has brought me through some life situations where my human strength

got up and ran like it was being chased by a horror movie monster. There have been a few in my life but the horror movie monster I think of at this time of year is breast cancer.  The great mobs of pink brings memories to the surface that are usually hidden away.

I love the support that is shown this time of year. 

I was especially proud of the girl's volleyball teams here at St. Paul's this year.  They showed such love and support for their coach, whose sister is battling breast cancer.  I love all the supportive posts and pink clothes. (After all pink is one of my favorite colors.) It all however makes me a little trepidatious.          Ok, trepidatious is a timid word, sometimes it causes me totally guys lurking in the cornfield across the street, fear! It starts a trail of spiraling questions that sounds something like this...

Is it back?

How long until it comes back?

Will it be worse?

Do I have the strength to do it all again?

Will I survive?

These thoughts come at other times of year but they seem to be triggered more in the month of October.  I remind myself: Nothing is too hard for God! I can't let myself cave to the insecurities. I have been there, and done that.  

When I was first diagnosed we were on a mountaintop of life.  We were about to adopt our three foster children and become a forever family. One day in the shower, I felt a lump in my right breast.  I always checked myself once a month in the shower, something I learned in high school health class, and it just stuck.  Totally a God thing.  When I felt it I told myself, "no it couldn't be, your too young for that." (I was 29 at the time.) I finally got up the courage to tell Tim and my Mom.  They said I needed to get it checked out, but I was too young for that.  I went to my doctor and during the exam she felt something too.  She sent me for a mammogram with the words: "don't worry, you're too young for that."  During the mammogram the tech told me not to worry it was probably just fatty tissue, because you guessed it: 

After that they send Tim and I to sit in this little room to wait for the results.  Someone came in, I don't remember who, and said there was definitely something there and they wanted to do a biopsy.  The gentlemen who did the biopsy told me again not to worry, I was probably benign because I was just too young.  Well at this point I am worried!!! A lot worried!!!!

We went home to await the results. It was only a few days but time went by sooooo slow.  
Then the call came. I answered. It was my doctor. Not the receptionist, not the nurse, my actual doctor was on the phone.  I knew the news wasn't good.  I had cancer! But I was too young for that!!! We were about to adopt these three amazing kids.  This could not be possibly happening.  Why would God do this when everything was going so well? (A question the devil was very happy to hear me ask.) What would happen to my new family if I was gone?  And then the thought that made me take things into my own hands.  
Would they let us adopt our kids if I was sick?  Would they take them away if I was possibly terminally ill? (A diagnosis I made up in my head, no doctor ever said this.) The devil circulated all these scenarios in my head.  I made a decision.  A decision not to rely on God's perfect plan, which had led us to the mountaintop.  I take things into my own hands.  We just wouldn't tell the agency.  My surgery was to take place about a month before the adoption.  We would have that done, the kids would be adopted and then chemo would start.  No one would ever be the wiser.  And that's exactly what we did!

We went to the court room.  I was still moving very slowly but I kept my head up and moved as naturally as possible.  The day went off smoothly, but I was so scared that somebody would find out. 

We went about life. 

I started chemo, my hair fell out. We were in Meijer one day and ran into our adoption social worker.  It was pretty obvious that I was ill.  (Riding around on the motorized cart with no hair.) I broke down weeping right there in the middle of the store and told her the whole story.  I asked her to forgive me for being deceptive.  She smiled kindly and told me all was forgiven.  She wished we had talked to her so they could have supported us.  There was no need to hide anything.  It wouldn't have affected the adoption.  

I believed the devil when he told me those lies.  I forgot Jeremiah 32:7.  Nothing is too hard for God.  I doubted and let myself be led astray.  I was so overwhelmed when all of this came out.  I was awed by the power of forgiveness.  NOTHING is too hard for God! He brought the situation to light and healed a wound I had felt so guilty for.  Jesus was in that Christian woman who showed me forgiveness.  He was there all along even when I turned my back.  NOTHING is too hard for God.  This isn't a tale of God helping me to survive cancer.  It is so much bigger than that.  This is a tale of God saving me from myself, from my sins, and the power of the devil.

It's October and the devil is shooting those questions at me again.  After every mammogram, I wait with baited breath.  When I hear someone else was diagnosed, I twitch with a bit of anxiety.  Sometimes I even take a tiny little step into the doubt the devil brings.  Then I turn and tell the devil: That I know, without a shadow of a doubt, NOTHING IS TOO HARD FOR GOD!

Give It All Away!

Have you ever given something away and then really wished you had it back?  Maybe accidentally donated something you really loved?  Do you have problems getting rid of things in general?  I know I do, especially with clothes.  I am going to share something with you now that not many people see, my closet...it's actually a room.

Yes I know,

it's a bit ridiculous. (Especially when you know there is a full closet behind that too, wink wink). There is always that thought that I might have need of that discarded item of clothing someday. Now I love clothes and I usually spend very little money on them but we are not really going to talk about clothes today.  We are actually going to talk about how we do this with our thoughts and burdens.  I know I like to hold on to things mentally just in case I can use it, and most of the time not in good and healthy ways.  These thoughts and burdens stack up and make a mess out of my brain and emotions. It is like the show hoarders inside of my brain.

The mess makes me weary and burdened.

Hey, those are Bible words!! Matthew 11:28 tells us if we are weary and burdened to go to Jesus and He will give us rest.  But in order for Jesus to give us this rest we have to release everything over to Him.  This isn't so easy for my mental-hoarding self. I doubt God's power and want to rely on myself to figure out the situation.  I want to hang on to the slight against me, that juicy piece of gossip, and the bad things I think about myself.  I create huge mountains of junk and trash that suffocate me from the inside out.  

"Come to me...and I will give you rest," Jesus says.  Jesus gives us a way out of our hoarding tendencies.  He is the Goodwill of our burdens, cares and junk thoughts. We can give it all away.  And best of all, Jesus isn't picky.  He doesn't care how ugly, broken, or stained our mental stuff is.  He wants it all!!!! There is no reason to feel ashamed or embarrassed.  Just drop your junk at the feet of Jesus, let Him take it all and leave it with Him.  

Wait a minute!!! Here's the trick.  Don't go back.  But what if it is my pretty antique vase my Grandmother gave me? (Just turn that into whatever thought, sin or grievance you want to go back and retrieve.) Nope, we need to leave it with God.  We need to trust in His power and goodness.

Can we do this perfectly? Of course not! We will sneak back in and take things back from God because we think we know better.  That will not give us the rest we are seeking. God knows this and He is ready and willing to receive it again when we are amiable to give it back to Him.  

This seems like an endless circle if we keep taking things back from God. 

 

God wants to lead us through the process of letting go. He wants us to participate in these unforced rhythms of grace. We don't have to build an ice castle and isolate ourselves like Elsa.

We have someone who wants to hold our hand and help us through.

Thanks Pastor Bruner!

We don't have to "hang in there" alone. We are being held in the loving hands of our Savior.  So give it to God, let it go, and He will give you rest! 

Here is a great song to help us meditate on this! Give It All Away by Ryan Stevenson

 Hope you all have a great day in the Lord! 

A Winter Garden

I know, I know it's not winter yet!!! Trust me I am the last person who would be wishing for winter.  Actually the weather right now is just about perfect in my opinion.  But winter is coming....(giggle) and I don't like it.  I love being outside! I love being in the garden!  I love, love, love to have dirt in my toes.  Winter does not allow for any of that.  It's usually cold and brown and nothing really looks alive.  

Some of you see beauty in this picture and I think that is wonderful but it is just not there for me. 

And it's even worse when there is not even any snow to make things have a little glisten.  The Bible is full of illustrations about gardening. Let's look at a couple of these Biblical gardens as we get ready for that season that seems to be without life. 

John 15:1-17 is one of those passages.  It got me thinking about how we are connected to God.  Firstly it shows us what our relationship is to God.  He is the gardener!!!!  That simple statement is so freeing.  We don't have to plant ourselves, we don't have to water ourselves, we don't have to pick our fruit, and best of all we don't have to prune ourselves.   Let me tell you why this statement is so freeing for me.  I love the self-help genre of books.  I would say I am pretty much obsessed with it as a matter of fact.  But just the title of this genre should give me a hint as to the problem, self-help!!  God is the one who is supposed to be doing the pruning and trimming.  I don't think I am going to ever break the cycle of reading these books, after all how else will I know how to fold my socks so they are happy or remind myself of my inner bad ass.  

But the danger for me comes when I forget where my strength comes from.  When I forget to give everything to God.  I take the pruning shears right out of God's hands.  Why on earth do I do that?  Why would I want to take things from the Lord, the strongest force in the universe, and put it back on my plate?  Who knows, but I do it all the time.  Somewhere my connection to God gets lost.  I seem to experience this most in the winter time.  It's kinda like seasonal allergies but pertaining to my connection to my Lord and Savior.  

I feel most connected to the vine, the Lord, when I am outside.  When I am running, in the garden, hiking or on the beach.  

So you can see where this is going, winter time is especially hard for me.  Sometimes my connection to God starts to resemble the weather; foggy, grey and frozen.  It's when I have to be intentional about strengthening the connection and turning the channel, but it is so tempting and easy too.  When I see something on TV that I don't like I can change the channel, there are only a billion other things on.  I can just forget about the last thing I was watching and totally remove it from my mind.  It is easy to do the same thing with God.  If I am on a different channel then I can just pretend He is not there.  I can get bogged down in my woes: oh its so cold and grey, oh my body hurts, oh my clothes don't fit because I am sitting on my butt and eating too much junk!  You know the drill.  Then I turn to my self-help friends and try and get myself out of the hole I've dug.  And yes some of the practical ideas I find are not in themselves bad things, but I cannot rely on myself for the strength I need to get our of that hole.  I have to remember where to turn to.  

This leads me to another garden in the Bible.  Genesis Chapter 1, the story of creation, the beginning of the vine and branches so to speak.  In the winter I tend to ask the question "What's so good about God's creation?" One of those questions I ask when I am deep down in the woe hole!!! My pessimistic winter self is rearing her ugly head.  I have to put my heat miser away and see all the beauty around me. 

God's creation is a 3D picture of Him for me to see, feel and touch.  Do I need to go out into the cold and blustery wind to see it?  Do I have to ski, snowboard or snowmobile to get that in the winter?  Absolutely not.  Some people can but not me.  But I can see it in the kid's at our school having fun in the snow on the playground outside my picture window.  I can see it sitting in front of our (fake) fireplace snuggled up with the perfect mate He has sent me.  And because I am made in His image I can see it in the mirror.  And I can share the image, that 3D picture of Him to others!!

So even in the bleak midwinter snow my relationship with God is still the same.  He is the gardener and I am the plant in His garden connected directly to Him.  He created this garden for me (and my brothers and sisters) so that I would take care of it and we would take care of each other as He would do.  I am not in charge of my pruning or anyone else's.  That is the work of The Gardener.  He will prune me and it will be for my own good.  It enhances the work he puts before me in the garden.  And when we see each other in those woe filled winter holes (whether they happen in winter or not) we can reach out a Christ-like hand and help each other.  So why did I write this in late August?  Well, I did start it last year and time has also gotten away from me a little bit.  But I also wrote it as kind of a challenge to myself, maybe to you too if the message sounds familiar.  I need to challenge myself to not change the channel when the woe is overwhelming, I need to see God in new and different ways, and I need to strengthen my connection to God with His word! So bring on dark, dreary January, I am ready to find His beauty all around me.  (Just not yet!)