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Never Beyond the Grace of The Crucifixion

September 19, 2011 in POTSC with 10 Comments

There are two movies by Mel Gibson that I believe speak of grace and the need for it.

The first is The Man Without a Face. He plays a man – Justin McLeod – whose face is disfigured after an accident in which a young boy was killed.  Accusations of pedophilia and a conviction of involuntary man-slaughter exile him in the community in which he lives.

He begins tutoring a young boy – Chuck – who wants to leave home and attend military school.   Chuck looks beyond the scars and the accusations.  He sees someone who needs a second chance.  He sees him as someone who can give him a chance at a new life.

The second is The Passion of The Christ.  For obvious reasons this is an epic telling of the death of Christ.  He took of the “rose colored” glasses that have so many times washed over the tellings of Christ’s sacrifice.  He offers blood and lots of it (because there was lots of it.).  But what sticks with me about this movie is, Mel stepped into it.

During the scene of nailing Jesus hands to the cross beam, Mel took the hammer and drove the nails himself.   Gibson said “It was me that put him on the cross. It was my sins that put him there.”

Despite all of Mel Gibson’s failings, he recognizes that he’s a sinner.  He knows that he needs a savior, he needs a second chance.  And isn’t that the first step in being able to accept grace?

Realizing that you need it.

Choosing Tears of Joy (a repost)

September 15, 2011 in Community with 12 Comments

As I clicked the link in Twitter yesterday, I knew what to expect.  And before I read the first word my eyes were brimming with tears that could not be contained the rest of the afternoon and evening.

Blogger Duane Scott calls these moments the hard hallelujah.  The moments where joy of wholeness and healing drips with the pain of loved ones gone to be with their creator.  We rejoice because soon our beloved friend Gitz will soon be healed, but pain tears our hearts over the loss of such a dear friend

Last year I wrote a post about Gitz.  I wanted to share that with you during this time of hard hallelujah.  Gitz is a fighter, a perseverer.  She made an intentional decision to choose joy, and lived every day breathing it.

From her condo in Iowa, she has impacted and touched the lives over literally hundreds of people across the globe.  She’s gone places her body could never go through the power of social media.  I know I can say for everyone whom she’s touched, we love you Gitz.

When I first checked out Git’z blog, I didn’t stick around.  For some reason even though I was heart broken for this lovely lady, I just didn’t click.  However, that slowly changed.  Something inside did click one day and the next thing I knew I was adding her to my daily reads.

Here was a kind hearted, compassionate woman who was enduring more than most do in their lifetime.  One of the things that stands out to me most about Sara is the amount of grace she has.  While her disease reigns her life she doesn’t allow it to rule it.  What I mean is she doesn’t play the victim.  She’s open with her readers about her daily life and the struggles she endures but she doesn’t point a waggering finger at God and blame Him.

She trusts Him.

I’m not saying she’s never questioned God, because even the best of us would.  But she lives like the Apostle Paul.  She trusts that God can heal her but for His greater purpose has allowed her this “thorn in the side”.  And if that reason is only to show some people across the globe the grace that she can have and the endurance that He gives her than his purpose is being fulfilled.

One day Gitzy will be healed and will be whole.  She will be able to walk, run, and dance free of the pain that has taken up residence in her body; and I guarantee you she will not dance alone.  Her family and friends (readers) that live across the world will dance with her.

Over the months that I’ve daily read her blog I’ve grown to love her.  God has made her dear in my heart.

What Gitz has impressed upon me is to endure in the most difficult of times and to live my live full of grace.  Like her I have a choice to allow my circumstances rule my life or to trust in God.

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(original post)

Is Grace Stronger Than Racism?

September 14, 2011 in Grace, OneWord, POTSC with 18 Comments

Is everyone never beyond the depths and reaches of God’s grace?

I’ve struggled with this question since I learned who this week’s POTSC Never Beyond Poster is.  When I read the email my whole body wretched.  In my mind, I’d found someone who I felt was beyond God’s grace.  Beyond mine.

I’m not sure why it affected me so much.  I’ve never been personally affected by it, but seeing the letters KKK in black and white screaming the need for grace and forgiveness sent me into a loop.  As I mentioned, my whole body wretched.  My heart screamed never.

I wondered how could I give forgiveness to people who in the name of Christianity abuse, kill, terrorize, and birth fear.

I couldn’t find words or compassion.

Then I read this quote by Phillip Yancy from his book What’s So Amazing About Grace:

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“Grace is Christianity’s best gift to the world, a spiritual nova in our midst exerting a force stronger than vengeance, stronger than racism, stronger than hate.”

After I read these words I stopped and reread them.

Grace is a stronger than vengeance.  Stronger than racism.  Stronger than hate.

I find it atrocious that men and women hate persecute a fellow creation of God based solely on the color of their skin, the race into which they were born, or the religion they choose to follow.

But God’s grace & God’s forgiveness is stronger than this hatred and persecution.  God’s grace reaches down, sees behind the cowardly masks and beholds broken, hurting people.

While I may struggle to find an ounce of forgiveness, God holds out His hand that is overflowing.

Elements of Grace: A Confession of Self Righteousness

September 9, 2011 in Grace, OneWord with 6 Comments

I don’t always wear grace.

Often I wear judgement.  It’s a comfortable shawl on my shoulders.  I clothe myself in a sheath of self righteousness and righteous indignation.

A look.  A sneer.  I could give the most Pharisaical a run for their money.  I wear a badge of grace, but in my heart I pass deadly judgement.

I’ve learned through these eight months of grace meditation just how depraved I am.  How judgment rises some days with every breath.  How sin lurks in the crevices on my being.

And I wonder how God could love me.  Jesus’ greatest enemies were self righteous.  Men who’s legalistic lives, regulated their tithe down to the tenth of their spices.  Who couldn’t see the joy in a man healed but were more concerned with their fabricated letter of the law, rather than the intended spirit of the law.

While my judgements may not necessarily be in the legalistic Christian vein, seeing their attitudes endeavors me to shout from my tippy toes:  “this is me.  i’m a pharisee.  i don’t live the life of grace i claim to!”

But also shame and guilt beckon me to dark shadows, because dark shadows are comfortable when you realize your sin.

I, obviously, don’t want to live this way, where my righteous indignation makes self righteous judgements about how you should live, act, dress, etc.

This choice to live like Christ is one that is easier said than done.

So, this morning I ask God to clothe me in His grace.  That prayerfully it will seep into my fibers and become like breathing.

The Claustrophobic Noise

September 7, 2011 in Grace, Guest Blogging, Life with 1 Comment

As an introvert I crave silence.  I crave those alone moments on my couch.

Life often gets noisy.  My skin crawls and I as if with all the noise I could implode.

Today I’m posting at Elora’s site, Love Wins.

I share more about this claustrophobic pressure and the grace God gave.

Read here.

The Slipping

September 6, 2011 in Faith, Life with 7 Comments

I feel the dew as hope seems to slip through tightly clenched fingers.  I stand on this cliff once again with wavering faith.  Struggling to believe that God’s welfare for me will occur.

And with tight eyes, I try to shut out the disbelief.  When impatience and the weary of waiting rests upon my shoulders I stand here.  I feel doubt slipping in where hope slips out.

I seem to lack the faith that God will accomplish that which He see’s fit for me.  I believe lies that He will never act.  That in this place of desertness I’ll remain.

My hope seems feeble and I peer over this sharp drop and see it failing.

I find my self envious of others green pastures and the goodness and welfare they have received there.  And as I toss in my bed, I pull back the strings of my bow and shoot arrows into my heart, reminding myself that love is not jealous.  Love is not jealous. Love is not jealous.

In these quiet moments where my mind tends to exhaust itself with thinking, I try to seek out the source of my hope.  The one who takes fear and disbelief.  Who replenishes my hope like oil in a widow’s jar.

And I breathe truth.  Truth which takes disbelief and tosses it over this cliff on which I stand.

(Photo Source)

Shouts For Joy in The Dark

September 5, 2011 in 1000 Gifts, Grace with 4 Comments

I will sing for joy at the mercy of my Lord.  The one who opened Heaven’s gates to a sinner like me.  In the dark I will shout the amazement that bursts out of my heart regarding the grace of my Jesus.  In the quiet moments I will whisper of His goodness to every generation, remembering His graces in my life…

0021  Coffee pressed.
0022  Saturday afternoon naps on the couch.
0023  Conversations with my best friend.
0024  A couple hours of quietness, when life was pressing in.
0025  Lengthy kisses from my beloved.
0026  Yellow daisies in a green vase.
0027  Being appreciated.
0028  Reminders that not only does LOVE cover sin, but it also casts out fear.
0029  The feel of onion skin pages between my fingers.
0030  Forgiveness.
..

Never Beyond Forgiving Our Father

August 31, 2011 in Grace, OneWord with 10 Comments

I’m trying to imagine what it would be like to be Luke Skywalker, and be told that this man who you must go up against, betrayed and killed your father.  And then to learn that he actually is your father.

I can’t.  I can’t imagine being told this.  The rush of emotions and anger that would flood me seem insurmountable.

So, I’m attempting to step into Luke’s shoes.  Could I forgive this man who left my sister and I orphans?  Could I forgive this man who killed my mother because of his lack of self-control?  The man who killed my mentor?  Who because of his pride, ego, and lust for revenge & power killed multitude of others?

The world would say that Luke had every right to not forgive his father.  It would be said that Luke deserved to hold a grudge against him, to even seek revenge against him.  The world says we are entitled to being unforgiving when wrong has been done to us.

However, we don’t operate the way the world does.  We live the way Jesus did.  We live in the skin of grace and forgiveness.

So… we chose to forgive.  We daily seek God to help us live this out.

If Jesus can bear the sin of the world (yours & mine included) and still offer forgiveness to us & those who whipped and drove nails into His hands & feet, I think we can do the same.  After all, we have the power of the Holy Spirit which is greater than the Dark Side [cookies & all ;-) ].

Overwhelmed

August 25, 2011 in Love Letters with 12 Comments

Honestly, some days I don’t feel a maddening sense of love for my husband.  Please don’t misunderstand me, I love him every day around the world and back and to the furthest reaches of the heavens and back elebinty billion times.  But there always isn’t a rush of love that bowls me over like a Weeble in the hands of an excited toddler.

But some mornings when I wake up, the growth of my love for him seems tangible.  When my heart feels as if the love inside will cause it to explode.

Moments in time experienced, that I tuck away.  I secret them away in my heart.

Today is one of those days.  Where work beckons, but my heart would rather be knitted next to his.  When his picture stirs up sappy, deep feelings and I realize I love him more than mere words could express and that the love I felt yesterday was miniscule compared to what I feel for him today.

Have you expressed your love to your beloved today? ♥

Never Beyond Second Chances: Mike Tyson

August 24, 2011 in Grace, OneWord, POTSC with 14 Comments

When I learned that this week’s Never Beyond topic was Mike Tyson my first question of myself was, “What am I ever going to write about Mike Tyson?”  But I quickly realized how much he reminds me of Peter, even with the exception of severing an opponent’s ear.

Mike Tyson, a man who has done it all and had it all – and lost it all.  From rape to drugs.  Infidelity to throwing punches outside the ring.

A man with a quick temper.  Stubborn.  Slow to think of the consequences of his actions.  A man who has lost his plethora of financial well-being and his daughter to accidental death.

A man who has experienced glory and defeat.

When I see the parallelisms between Mike Tyson and Peter I realize that Iron Mike is never beyond the second chances of God’s grace and mercy.  If Peter – a man who also had a quick temper, was stubborn, slow to think, and denied the fact that he even knew Jesus – was specifically given a second chance and that second chance reaffirmed, how much more is a man like Mike Tyson worthy of a second chance not only by God, but by mankind?

And this gives me hope.

Would you give Mike a second chance?
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