No Need for Proof

We sat on a bus in the middle of Pennsylvania, making our way back to Nebraska from a college band tour. It was late and dark with many hours ahead of us, an environment conducive to deep discussions.

"Tell me about your faith," he suddenly asked me.

"What do you want to know?"

"Are you one of those people who is saving themselves for marriage?"

I took a deep breath and answered, "Yes."

"Let's say there was some kind of tragedy in my family and I was really hurting. Being with someone could be very comforting. Wouldn't that be a loving thing to do?"

My jittery fingers were grateful for the dark. "I don't think so."

"It's not?! Sex can be very soothing. What a sacrificial thing to do for a friend."

"I don't know. I would never do that."

"So if I was distraught and needed comfort, you're saying you wouldn't sleep with me?"

"No."

"You're more concerned about your ideals than me then."

"It has nothing to do with you. God reserves sex for marriage. As a Christian I have to obey Him first."

"But isn't God a god of love?"

"Yes."

"Then it doesn't make sense. Making love is the deepest way of loving another person."

"I don't know what to tell you. All I know is the Bible says it is for marriage only."

"But that only applies if the Bible is true."

And boom, our conversation turned into debate. All I could stand on was what I knew to be true in scripture. I couldn't explain it and understood he may not be able to grasp it even if I tried since he wasn't a Christian. He waxed poetic about his enlightened state of mind while I felt very small and uncultured and ignorant.

You've been there too, I imagine, feeling like you're under a spotlight, someone challenging your "narrow" way of thinking, saying in essence, "Prove it."

But God IS. He is alive and working. His Word is Truth. I don't have to prove it any more than I have to explain how my e-mail ends up in my inbox.

If God said that Jonah was swallowed by a whale, then the whale swallowed Jonah, and we do not need a scientist to measure the gullet of a whale.

~ A. W. Tozer ~

Why do we Christians feel the need to explain God? To justify our faith? To prove our position is correct? If we believe our God is so big and powerful, is human logic and reasoning really necessary? God can reveal Himself quite nicely without us. Yes, we need to be ready to give an answer to sincere questions, but there is no need for us to get defensive and beaten down.

Jesus didn't succumb to the taunts of the devil either. He spoke truth and left it at that until Satan gave up.

Then the devil left Him, and angels came and attended Him.

Matthew 4:11

We would do well to follow His example. Let the Truth speak for itself.


To read more impressions of this quote, visit Chocolate and Coffee.

Change Can be Good

A major change came to our family this fall. Since I talked about it ad nauseum for months, I decided to let it lay for a while, but those of you who have faithfully prayed for our family deserve to know the impact of your prayers.

The boy's doing well in college.

It hasn't been easy, but he's finding his way. Quite honestly, he's surprised me in many ways. He can and DOES do laundry. He has learned to navigate in a new town. He's not intimidated by "flippant" drivers, drunk classmates or cursing transvestites (Nebraska isn't all cornfields and football, people).

The most exciting thing I'm seeing in him is a determination to follow God. I knew he would try, but I didn't fully grasp his resolve to do so. His blog posts Kicked out of the Bird's Nest and Alleviating the Ictus show me he is taking less than ideal circumstances, frustrations and worries and trusting them to God, letting Him be his ultimate source of comfort and strength. He's going to be okay. He really is. Thank You, Jesus.

And the rest of us?

My heart has been warmed to see his siblings miss him. They DO love each other. Can you hear "The Hallelujah Chorus"? Our older daughter has become our fount of information as they text back and forth daily. (She's seeing he won't forget her.) Thanks to technology, we are all staying connected pretty easily, and in some ways better than when he actually lived here. We miss him and his fun-loving nature around the house, but it does allow for other personalities to show through. I'm seeing things in my other kids I haven't noticed before too.

And believe it or not, I'm discovering the art of backing off can be quite freeing. Not knowing the specific happenings of his every day gives me less to worry about. I like seeing his desire to handle things on his own and can respect it. He's becoming a man. I enjoy hearing his already older sounding voice and love it when he pops in to chat if he sees me on Facebook. Our relationship is changing, for the better. Who wouldn't be happy about that?

I thank you, my friends, for your prayers. They have truly made a difference for this family. I praise our Almighty God who captured the heart of my son and allowed me to see it.

He's going to be okay. He really is. And so are we. Thank You, Jesus.


Related links:
Letting Go, But Holding On
Not As Tough As She Seems
We Made It!
Un-nesting
I Survived

For more Thankful Thursday posts, visit Iris. While you're there, wish her a great big "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"

The Art of Hospitality

“Hospitality is becoming an almost forgotten Christian virtue in our style of life today… In the New Testament, however, hospitality was a distinctive mark of Christians and Christian communities.”

~Alexander Strauch
from The Hospitality Commands~

In any given week, lots of people pass through my house. My kids bring friends over. Bible study ladies come every Wednesday night. It's not uncommon for people to drop by unannounced (which I love, by the way). Yet, when I read this quote, I felt like a failure.

I don't do a lot of purposeful entertaining. It's not that I mind it. I love cooking. I love the actual evening of conversation. The cleaning...well, that's another story, but I'm willing to do it for the payoff of a wonderful time with friends. I like having people in our home, but finding the time to do it is another thing entirely.

Yet again, Satan strikes. This time with a blow known as busyness.

Or is it?

Maybe he's really hitting us with inadequacy. As I think back over last week, I fed supper to three friends of my daughter's (and she took plates for three more). My younger kids had friends over to play and a couple nights they stayed to eat with us. Bible study brought another 15 people in. It's pretty common to have a few extra kids running around the house after school. So why do I think I fail? Is it because Satan has fooled me into thinking "real" hospitality involves planning, a clean house and food cooked from scratch?

I learned a lot about this subject when we hosted a college study every week. College kids are impressed with ANYTHING. They think midnight nachos are fun and they don't care if all you have to put on them is cheese. They enjoy sudden ice cream runs. They don't notice the furniture is decrepit and even take dibs on who gets it when you can finally replace it. They showed me hospitality has more to do with being available than being Martha Stewart. The biggest compliment they paid was the way they lingered (And BOY, did they linger! We stopped doing this study over a year ago and I STILL have the bags under my eyes to show for it!)

To me the main goal of hospitality is warmth. I want those who enter our home to feel comfortable enough to linger like our college kids and confident they're welcome to come back any time. My mom says a sign of a good host is when guests get into her refrigerator without asking because it shows she's made them feel at home. Hospitality is more about a feeling you provide than the environment you create.

I wish I could say my house is perfectly clean, but it isn't. Gourmet meals are rarely on the menu. The lawn needs to be mowed and my closets are embarrassing. These things aren't a priority for me and I don't think they need to be. These should not be prerequisites for inviting people in. My main goal is to make people feel welcome and comfortable. Some people find it refreshing when they catch my house in a mess (I think I've done my duty now, Linda.). I figure I do them a favor answering the door with smelly work-out clothes and no makeup. You can believe they feel better about themselves in an instant!

And let's not let the Bible intimidate us when it comes to this issue. We don't have to slaughter an animal or bake bread to practice the virtue of hospitality. Microwave popcorn and a listening ear may be all a person needs to feel welcome. Opening our homes requires opening our very selves to the people who grace our doors. THAT is where true hospitality lies.


To read more impressions of this quote, visit Joyfully Living for His Glory.

Morning Fun

My husband (most definitely NOT a morning person) shuffles into the kitchen at the same time my daughter exits.

"She didn't want any of my beautiful eggs. Look at 'em," I say, bringing the pan closer, "Aren't they beautiful?"

He drags his not-yet-awake body my way, wraps his arms around my waist and mumbles, "not as beautiful as you."

Yeah. He can be a suck-up, but I'm no fool. I'll take it and play along. "Ooh, keep talking."

He buries his sleepy eyes in my neck and admits, "That's all I got."

And I laugh. You gotta love a guy who keeps it real.

Shining For Him

It is quieter than normal in her living room. Though her smile normally lights up a room, today it is absent. Instead there are tears and confusion and deep, deep thought. She says something then stares at the floor. I hate to break the quiet and something in me tells me to wait, so I do. More pain comes gushing out and then more silence. The pattern continues and soon I find myself in wonder. My beautiful, beautiful friend is processing past hurt and emotions she has tried to avoid, simply because God says it is time.

He tells her, "Let it out, deal with it, feel it." While it cuts to her core, she decides she must because as she puts it, "I feel worse, but I know it's going to be better." Amid the sorrow there is hope. And I see the desire in her to know God more, to experience the freedom only He can give.

She knows it won't be fun. She's sure He'll ask her to do things she doesn't want to, but she'll do them. She's determined to follow Him wherever He leads. She has to. Her heart truly belongs to Him.

“Still, accepting God’s existence is one thing; honoring his command is another matter entirely, especially if we’re required to go back when we’d rather go forward.”

~Liz Curtis Higgs

And here I am, sitting on her couch, watching God do His thing, seeing her respond with humility and trust. She has never been more beautiful. My already high esteem jumps up considerably and I thank God I know this woman who challenges me to be better. God's touch is evident. I am so proud of her.

I can't help but wonder if I have that courage. Would I be willing to take a step back for God? Could I walk through pain only because God said it was necessary? I'd like to think I would, but just in case, I'll keep hanging with this girl. She's sure to lead the way.


For more impressions on this week's quote, visit Miriam Pauline's Monologue.

Mesmerized

I can hardly take it.

Really.

God is just too much.

The last two days have brought me up close and personal with His Spirit at work in people I love. Unexpected glimpses of Him have left me speechless. Wow.

Wow.

I'm completely jazzed and amazed and consumed with reflective thoughts. I find myself staring into space thinking. I linger in a chair, gazing out the window, lost in my head. (To my IRL friends--I know what you're thinking. Trust me. It's worse than usual.) I can't sleep, recalling what I've seen. And I'm not getting squat done at my house!

But you know what? I really don't care. I don't care that my kitchen's a mess and I only got two loads of clothes washed today. I have no guilt for spending a fortune on lunch or slapping together nachos for dinner. It doesn't matter that I need to lose a little weight or have a zit forming on my chin. Having a title or amazing credits to my name means nothing.

None of it matters because I've seen God!

I've had a front row seat to His transforming power. I know, I know my Redeemer lives. My body is actually tingly with excitement.

Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure.
Psalm 16:9
Wow.

He is real. He is living. He is working.

You know I have to sing again, right?

How can I keep from singing Your praise?
How can I ever say enough?
How amazing is Your love.
How can I keep from shouting Your name?
I know I am loved by the King
and it makes my heart want to sing.

Keep doing Your thing, God. Wow.

Watching the Spirit Move

God

is

working.

All around us.

Every day.

I see Him in the resolve I never knew existed in my grown son. He shines in the courage, faithfulness and trust of my dear mother-in-law. I almost hold my breath as He draws near to a woman willing to feel the pain of her past because her heart wants more of Him.

And I am in awe. He redeems tears. He holds hearts tenderly. He speaks softly. He turns meager human effort into the supernatural.

I am sucked in. I want to shake everyone around me and say, "Do you see it? Do you feel it? Can you believe it?" I can't look away. My eyes mist, yet a smile won't leave my face. I am mesmerized by His presence and my heart is pierced with one thought.

Who am I, that I get to sit so close?

Everything in me wants to sing,

There is none like You.
No one else can touch my heart like You do.
I could search for all eternity long and find
there is none like You.

I see You, Lord, and I am moved.


Find more thankful hearts at Sting My Heart.