You Be You and I'll Be Me

For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:10 (NIV)

I met her when I was 23 and admired her tremendously. She was always calm, always polite, always sailing slowly and unhurriedly through life. She never raised her voice. She listened more than she talked. She could sit quietly and observe a situation without feeling the need to interject her thoughts or opinions. She was gentle and quiet. She had a multitude of qualities I lacked.

Me? I was seldom calm, easily excitable. Interrupted conversations in my eagerness to share my next thought. Constantly raised my voice in excitement, agitation, or passion. I was just loud. Talked more than I listened. No one would have called me quiet. Constantly moving and doing, full of restless energy. How I really and truly super wanted to be her, but it appeared pretty hopeless. I was stuck with me.

Ever felt like that? Ever noticed someone else’s qualities so different from your own and felt the lack? I’m pretty sure most of us have. Comparing ourselves with others leads to great dissatisfaction. This is not the way it ought to be. Obviously, all of us should desire to be more like Christ. All of us should ask Him to give us the fruit of the Spirit in increasing measure as we draw nearer to Him. But this doesn’t mean we will ever look like someone else. Nor should we. Nope. You and I are one of a kind. Just the way we’re supposed to be.

Ponder this. God made the teeny little hummingbird with wings that move so fast you can’t even see them. Full of energy and vitality, these tiny creatures almost never stop. He also made the graceful swan, who glides unbothered across the water. God created the massive elephant and the swift-footed jaguar. He created peonies and daisies. At least 33 different species of sparrows populate the United States. And that’s just sparrows. The diversity of creation is startling and vast. I think it’s safe to say that God loves variety.

Look how uniquely He created people. Just like no two snowflakes are exactly the same, no two people are. Ephesians 2:10 declares us to be His handiwork. Other translations use words like masterpiece and poems. He considers us pretty special, doesn’t He? He wired us with particular DNA because He likes us that way. How cool to be a “masterpiece”! Notice the way Paul shares further in Ephesians that each of us has specific work to do. Guess what? Our very uniqueness makes us capable of meeting needs that other unique humans can’t. All of us have a place in God’s wonderful kingdom. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

How about this? You just be you. And I’ll be me. Let’s not compare. Instead of wanting to be like others or change others, let’s be content that we have been made the way we are on purpose by a good God. Yes, each of us has areas of weaknesses to work on and strengths to grow, but let’s not try to make the quiet one into a talker. Let her serve in gentle, prayer-filled ways. Let’s not try to make the excitable one quiet. Let her gregariousness seek out the shy one who needs a talker. Let’s not be so quick to judge those unlike ourselves or want to change what God calls “good.” Instead of wishing we were like someone else, or wishing someone else would change, why don’t we celebrate the differences? Why don’t we admire the variety?

Thank You, Father, for the amazing and astounding variation of people, animals, birds, trees, fish, rocks, and so much more that You have placed in this marvelous world. Forgive me when I criticize one of Your creations, whether someone else or myself. Help us all to be more like Jesus. Help us all to celebrate the uniqueness of the ways You have made us. Thank You that each of us comes wired for a purpose in Your kingdom. Oh, Lord, may we fulfill your good purposes, doing the good works You prepared in advance for us to do. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Originally written and published by Sharon Gamble of Sweet Selah Ministries.

The Pearl-Fisher

Thunder answers thunder in a vaulting discourse above. Not another soul is at the river this day. None but the man with the weathered hands. He strides in with steady purpose, undeterred as the current froths a vortex about him.

His treasure is here, and he won’t leave without it.

Expert eyes dart from mussel to mussel in the Highland shallows where the clamped shells lay. Gathered together, pristine. Waiting to be harvested for pearls within.

He walks right past.

Deeper in, a jagged dimple on the surface signals rocky peril beneath.  Where most would tread with care, alter course, avoid… he locks in. His eyes flash with recognition as if to say– there. The reason I’ve come.

Arms reach, strong with time and trial, and surface water curls around as he bends low to search. He lifts a rough-hewn stone– but uncovers nothing.

He shifts his stance, lifts another, and another– repeating this search again. And again. No frustration registers on his features, though by now, his own muscles must surely ache against the ceaseless waters.

If anything, his eyes only narrow with building determination, lighting with the fire of a singular quest.

One need only watch him a moment to see: this is everything to him.

The sky is churning now, like the water beneath, but he will not leave. Heedless of the way his hands must scream with the cold, smart with a raw mark crying crimson from his palm, he reaches in again, right where the water leaps as if to push him away. Something has caught his concentration. As he stands slowly, that utter determination shatters clear away and–

Joy. Complete, unbridled joy lights his entire countenance.

He cradles something between those weathered hands.  Opens them ever-so-slightly to behold his treasure:

A solitary mussel. He runs a thumb gently over its scars. Reads a tale from the twist in its shell: the river has not always been kind to it. Cast out and away from the rest of the mussels, it took shelter in that rough terrain to anchor itself away from a world even rougher. He traces a bruise on its side- probably the very place the parasite first entered the shell, keen to live off of it, only to be transformed, moment by moment, in the years that followed.

The man knows, as all pearl-fishers do, just what such markings mean. This mussel, held and seen for the first time in decades…there is treasure within. Priceless treasure sought after by emperors and queens. Living treasure that will be cared for, kept warm in the presence of the envied recipient. Shined luminous–literally–by the company it keeps, for while unattended pearls grow yellow, those held fast against the owner’s heart gleam more every day.

The shell, hiding there in the dark, is what science calls Margaritifera Margaritifera — “bearer of pearls, bearer of pearls”. Once for each shell. Some say the word comes from the Persian word Murwari. Child of the light.

The light deepens in the man’s eyes.

Those weathered hands, they clasp gentle and strong around the sought-after treasure. He breathes deep and the air settles around him– He has found what he came for. His treasure. His beloved.

________

Many years ago, my Grandma Jean wrote me a beautiful note about pearls. About the transforming ability of the nacre around an invader. She likened them to the trials of this life, and what they can become in the hands of one who can transform. Since that day, pearls have had a special place in my heart, always with a story to tell.

This past winter, in research for a novella, I began to learn about a people with a rich history– the pearl-fishers of centuries past. While the short selection above is fictional, these are the people who braved the river waters in real life as long as it was permitted, and from whose stories I learned so much about my own redeemer, the One who transforms.

In an interview, one of these fishers– a man named Eddie Davies, said:

“In the river, what you look for is an ugly shell. I know which shells will have a pearl as soon as they come out of the water. What I look for is a crooked shell, a deformed shell, bruised-up like on the side, a twisted shell.”

Glory. How my heart skipped a beat when I read that. Is that not the very heart of our God for us? His devoted pursuit of our hearts– the way He treasures and redeems us, bringing beauty for ashes?

For these were the shells– the margaritifera margaritifera– that held the best promise for containing a pearl. Often hidden beneath rocks, and yes- cast away from the others.

Jesus said it better than I ever could– in the parable of the lost sheep. The pearl of great price. In the way he reminded us he came to heal the sick. I’m so thankful for His words, and for the way His creation truly does proclaim His glory.

Now for you and I– each of us battered in a different way by the current of life– what joy, what deep joy, that we are called children of God. That it isn’t our scars that define us, but His redeeming work through them, and in His name for us: children of light.

Originally written and published by Amanda Dykes.

10 Truths I Speak to Myself as a Mom of a Toddler and Baby

Last fall, we welcomed my second daughter to our family. Those first few weeks were a beautiful blend of exhaustion and baby cuddles. Since my daughters are almost exactly two years apart, watching their close relationship has been a joy.

But.

As anyone with small children knows, this season has challenges. My second recently started solids, sprouted two teeth (and is growing a few more, judging by sleep patterns), and is sitting up. My toddler and I are in the throes of potty training. Enough said about that topic!

The challenges of this season call me to a stronger version of myself. I don’t want to merely “survive” these little years; I want to remember and enjoy them. So when I become discouraged, I remind myself of the following truths:

1. This is a season – a very short season.

Ecclesiastes says, “There is a time for everything and a season for every activity under heaven.” (Ecc. 3:1) This season in my little girls’ lives is very short – even though the days feel long! I can fight the season, or live it well for all it’s worth. The choice is mine.

2. Time spent with my children is productive.

I’m a Type-A person, and productivity is important to me. But it’s very easy for me to put tasks ahead of people. To troubleshoot this tendency, I remind myself that time spent with my children IS productive. It’s an investment in their hearts, lives, and memories. Even though blowing bubbles for the tenth time doesn’t feel like something of eternal value, it is.

3. I am as strong a mother as I am rooted in God’s Word.

If there’s one stage of life that taught me I can’t “do it all”, it’s motherhood! If I want to be the best, strongest mother for my daughters, I have to start with the Word of God. This means getting up earlier, or juggling babies while I read my bible and take notes with one hand. It might be messy and interrupted, but what matters is that I draw near.

4. My marriage is worth the effort.

Our culture tells us marriage comes second to kids. But even my two-year-old can sense when there is tension between mom and dad, and her long term spiritual growth is impacted by how we live out our marriage in front of her. My marriage comes first, because everything in our home flows from that relationship.

5. I am not above humble service.

Jesus was not above washing feet. I thought of this last night as I washed my daughter’s dirty toes before putting her to bed. If I think there’s “something better”, something of more merit that I could be doing with my time, I’m denigrating the very actions which characterized Jesus’ life on earth.

6. This is foundation-building time.

I don’t know about you, but caring for a toddler and a baby often feels like a holding pattern. I’ve found myself wishing my oldest was six or seven; wishing we could do more activities or talk on a deeper level. But this is a season of laying foundations. How I parent my daughters now, even in this little, repetitive ways, is building the relationship I’ll have with them when they are six and beyond.

7. It is good to take time for myself.

Guilt is not from God. And while it’s normal to miss our children when investing in our own emotional and mental health, guilt should be rejected! Spending a few hours on a coffee date with a friend, uninterrupted reading, or whatever fills your cup helps you return to motherhood rejuvenated and ready to pour into your children once again.

8. My children thrive on structure.

I know, for my family, structure is absolutely necessary. We have morning and evening routines, a cleaning schedule, and regular nap times that I protect with my life! This structure frees us spend time as a family without suffering from exhaustion and overwhelm. I’ve found my daughters have more energy when awake and sleep better during naps and bedtime just by integrating routines into our home life.

9. Sometimes the routine has to wait.

Though my kids have always had structure and benefit from it greatly, sometimes the schedule is set aside. Flexibility is so important when you have little ones! Too much rigidity and you’re frustrated by shorter naps and toddler breakdowns. Too little structure and you can never get ahead. Finding that balance has been so key to my enjoyment of this season.

10. They are only babies once.

This hit me hard when my second baby turned three months. I looked at her little form sleeping in my arms and realized: She will never be a baby again. There may be other babies, but she… she will never return to how small she was in that moment. And it’s true. She’s now twice that size, has two teeth, and is starting to sit up. Time is a thief, and babies must grow – but we don’t have to miss it.

Blessings,

Phylicia

Originally written by Phylicia Masonheimer for Club31Women.

Keep Children Safe

May 30, 2017

One of the …angels…showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God.…He measured its wall and it was 144 cubits (200 feet) thick…  Revelation 21:9-10, 17

On May 22, Salman Abedi detonated a bomb in the Manchester Arena that left 22 people dead and scores wounded. As devastating as it was, the horror was intensified by that fact that the 21,000 seat arena was filled with young people—mostly girls, some as young as 8 years of age. They had gathered for an Ariana Grande concert. The evil viciousness that plotted and carried out such an attack is incomprehensible to our western minds.

I have heard numerous discussions about how parents can calm their own young children and let them know that they are safe. As I have heard the advice and counsel from professionals, I’ve wondered, “Really? How can we reassure our children that they are safe? Are they?”

While we can be extremely vigilant—while we can watch and pray– we have no guarantee that our children or our grandchildren will escape violence and disaster.  But there is one thing we can do that I have not heard the national pundits discuss.  We can make sure our children will be safe in eternity—safe inside the 200 foot walls that encircle our Father’s House. Safe forever. How?

We need to tell our children and grandchildren the truth.  And the truth is that we live in a very wicked and dangerous world.  But God knows this.  And God who loves our children sent His own Son to save them.  If they would put their trust in God’s Son, Jesus Christ, asking Him to forgive their sins and come into their hearts, they would become His own children.  He would be their Father. As a child of God, they will have certain privileges that include His own dear presence to walk with them through life.  They will have access to Him 24/7 through prayer. And whenever the time comes for them to step into eternity, they will be ushered into the heavenly Home that He is already preparing for them. And inside that Home, they will be absolutely, completely, permanently safe.

In the Father’s House called Heaven, there are no suicide bombers or bombs.  No drive-by shootings or guns.  No missiles or weapons of mass destruction.  No terrorists or secret police. No war or fights. No rapes or robberies. No strangers or kidnappers. No scary sounds in the night.  No night. No mean people or mean dogs. No bee stings or snakebites or spider bites.  Heaven is a very safe place for children.

Please.  Help keep children safe.  Forever. Tell a child this week about Heaven and how they can get there.

Sincerely,

Anne Graham Lotz

Copyright © 2018 Anne Graham Lotz (AnGeL Ministries) Raleigh, North Carolina, USA. Used by permission.  All rights reserved. www.annegrahamlotz.org