A thing no longered marred

You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.
“Once you had no identity as a people; now you are God’s people. Once you received no mercy; now you have received God’s mercy.” (2 Peter 2:9-10)

Too many of us overlook the "as a result" in this passage. Because we are chosen by God, made into a holy body of believers, we can show others the way to find grace. There are times we feel like God could never use our story or talents, but nothing is further from the truth. We all have been called to move away from darkness into the light of his grace. We may not occupy a pulpit, but we have a story to tell and it begins with grace.

Once we had no identity worth speaking of, but that all changed the moment we said yes to Jesus. What did mercy change in your life? How did God's grace make a difference in your choices? There is a message in the answers to those questions. A message you are uniquely fitted to share right there in your circle of influence. If you don't tell it, who will?

Many times we think God will use the beautiful, but I have found many a thing someone else labeled as junk and brought it back to a thing of beauty to be used in a totally different way. Maybe this is what God does with us. He takes what has been labeled as junk and remakes it by grace. Then the thing that once had a somewhat marred and stained past becomes a thing of beauty to be used anew in his hands. Perhaps we should see ourselves as he does. Just sayin!

You are beautiful - inside and out

Don’t be concerned about the outward beauty of fancy hairstyles, expensive jewelry, or beautiful clothes. You should clothe yourselves instead with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God. This is how the holy women of old made themselves beautiful. They put their trust in God.... (I Peter 3:3-5)

I might just burst your bubble today - that new hairstyle is nice, but your real beauty comes from within. The more 'beauty' your heart develops, the greater the true beauty within your life will begin to shine forth. This type of 'beauty' is only possible for those who have said a resounding 'yes' to Jesus' authority in their lives - not a casual acquaintance with him, but a deeply committed relationship with him. Some have used this passage to say we should not wear make-up, dye our hair, or adorn ourselves with jewelry, but this was not the meaning. The goal of these verses is summed up in the beginning of verse 5: They put their trust in Jesus. This is the only thing that will produce lasting beauty when all the other forms of 'adornment' begin to fade. A gentle and quiet spirit is not the byproduct of anything this world has to offer us. It is the byproduct of spending time with Jesus. The beauty produced in just a few dedicated moments with him in the quiet of your day can surpass all the masking of any beauty product, tuck, or peel you can find on this earth. We search for beauty in various places, but it is found at the foot of the cross. The moments we spend with him each day begin to soften our hearts - clarify our minds - and settle our emotions. Nothing produces such a beautiful 'adornment' as these three!

Was does it mean to put our trust in God? It means we stop trusting in the things 'we' can do for ourselves, and we begin to trust in the things God has already done for us. I had to see how the dictionary actually defined beauty and this was the first definition I found: the quality present in a thing or person that gives intense pleasure or deep satisfaction to the mind, whether arising from sensory manifestations (as shape, color, sound, etc.), a meaningful design or pattern, or something else (as a personality in which high spiritual qualities are manifest). That part about a 'meaningful design' caught my attention. Why? I think God has given each of us a 'meaningful design' that only he can create and complete within us. That 'design' doesn't come together by casual encounter, but by consistent contact and submission to the one who loves us so much. Our 'design' is realized at the cross - it is completed with each contact we have with the one who makes all of life 'meaningful' - Jesus. So, get your true beauty on today by taking the best of your day and spending it with him. Your heart, mind, and will will be transformed so that the highest spiritual, mental, and physical qualities are manifest. Just sayin!

From rags to riches

Do you ever put something on, thinking it would make you look good or would be of the newer fashions available in the stores, then immediately pull it off, replace it back on the hanger and return it to the rack at the store? Your first impression was, "I have seen others wear this style and it looks so cute!" Your first impression on you: "Uh....this does not look good on me!" Maybe it is a "girl thing", but I think guys go through this frustration once in a while, too. They may just not admit it! There is one form of "attire" which will never disappoint, never look odd on us, and always flatters us! It never goes out of style. Everyone can 'wear it', but no one wears it quite the same, yet they look so very good in it. That attire is none other than the grace and peace of God. It is what scripture references when we hear about the 'garments of righteousness'.

I will sing for joy in God, explode in praise from deep in my soul! He dressed me up in a suit of salvation, he outfitted me in a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom who puts on a tuxedo and a bride a jeweled tiara. For as the earth bursts with spring wildflowers, and as a garden cascades with blossoms, so the Master, God, brings righteousness into full bloom and puts praise on display before the nations.
(Isaiah 61:10-11 MSG)

We are "dressed up" in a pretty remarkable way whenever we are wearing the "suit of salvation"! Nothing is more appropriate for whatever the occasion may be, more flattering to our "frame" than even a custom tailored outfit, or produces the "wow" experience we all are hoping for. The "suit of salvation" is not hand-made, but it is 'custom tailored' in a sense. We can try to "cover up" our "frame" in many different ways, but only one thing truly covers us - the blood of Jesus. Think of the wedding - bridegroom all decked out in the tux. Pants with a razor sharp crease, collar and cuffs starched, shoes gleaming with a fresh coat of polish, and the tails flowing gently down the back. He cuts a right fine image, does he not? No flaw is seen at that moment - only the beauty of his frame awaiting his bride. 

The bride - all adorned in bejeweled gown, lotions and potions applied, with the freshest of scents, hair all adorned by the veil, topped by the tiny tiara twinkling in the light. She also captures the attention of those who behold her beauty - no flaw is apparent - all they see is her radiance and his anticipation. As she approaches the altar, her beauty seems to radiate even more. The groom's appreciation of his bride seems to be set on his face and glimmering in his eyes. The crowd is set at awe in that one moment that expresses the beginning of a bond that will not be broken. The garments do much for those who wear them, don't they? They aren't creating the moment, but they sure lend to it!

Outfitted in a robe of righteousness - even in the more intimate times when we can really "let our hair down", so to speak - God outfits us with righteousness! We don't wear our housecoats or bathrobes out into public, but tend to wear them around the house - where we are who we are - getting really comfortable and relaxed. Even in these times of "relaxed intimacy" of being our true selves, we are outfitted in something far better than we could ever imagine - right standing with our Savior. It is amazing, isn't it? God takes care of our "covering" both for public view and for his private enjoyment! Even in the quiet of our home, God adorns us with grace beyond measure, peace without limits, and joy unspeakable.

As our passage points out, even the earth is adorned in beauty - even this earth presents an image of the righteousness of God. I marvel whenever I see the Arizona cacti in full bloom and the desert floor radiant with all manner of wild flowers. Have you ever wondered how something so beautiful can come out of something so dry, prickly, and ugly. The surface looks like nothing good could come forth - then as the desert floor begins to come alive, the blooms surface, adorning what looked so "unfruitful" with tremendous beauty and glory. The barrel cactus wears a crown of flowers. The saguaro wears many little crowns. The ocotillo blooms brightly with rich red flames at its tips. Even the floor of the desert is alive with orange poppies, pink desert peony, fuscia trailing windmills, and the rich redness of the firecracker bush. God leaves his mark even in nature. He adorns and brings beauty out of what is the hardest, driest, prickliest, and sometimes the ugliest stuff within us, doesn't he? Where you see no sign of beauty, just wait. God is at work! He is going to bring forth that beauty in ways you never thought possible! Just sayin!

A Heavenly Scent

In some cultures, the wearing of 'floral' adornments is quite commonplace. Leis or garland wreaths for the head are part of both the Polynesian and some Asian culture. In the islands, they use this as a welcome gift. They are worn at weddings and ceremonies. Natural flower petals and leaves of the area are gathered and then worked into a beautiful display of the most divine smelling adornment.  In a sense, these flowers are like "garland" - adorning the visitor with beauty and anointing them with the aroma of the beautiful flora of the region. In scripture, there are times when 'adornment' is spoken of as being 'garlanded' by some form of interwoven vine, foliage, or even flowers. God has a type of "garland" he would like us to adorn ourselves with that definitely leaves a 'heavenly scent' in one's life. That garland? Grace!

Take this to heart. Do what I tell you—live! Sell everything and buy Wisdom! Forage for Understanding! Don't forget one word! Don't deviate an inch! Never walk away from Wisdom—she guards your life; love her—she keeps her eye on you. Above all and before all, do this: Get Wisdom! Write this at the top of your list: Get Understanding! Throw your arms around her—believe me, you won't regret it; never let her go—she'll make your life glorious. She'll garland your life with grace, she'll festoon your days with beauty. (Proverbs 4:4-9)

To be "garlanded" with grace suggests being encircled with grace. As a child of the King, we are 'garlanded' or 'adorned'. Buy wisdom and forage for understanding. Interesting words - buy and forage. In translation these are written as "get" and "develop". Either way, both words are suggestive of action - no sense of inactivity or passivity is displayed in either of the terms. When one goes off to "buy" something, there is first an investment - one has to have something with which to complete the transaction. When we think of wisdom, we are thinking of the person of Christ. God is simply reminding us of the importance of bringing our whole self into the relationship - being willing to lay down self in order to obtain wisdom. It isn't that we are 'buying' wisdom as much as it is that we are yielding ourselves, much as is the custom when receiving a lei in the Polynesian islands. One bends slightly while the one doing the adorning bestows the garland, symbolizing a great deal of respect and honor.

To forage, one has to invest a whole lot of work into searching. This reminds us of the effort we need to apply in gaining wisdom and understanding. It is one thing to be given an object; quite another to "uncover" it by diligent seeking. To get or develop also implies some type of effort on our part. I don't believe God is implying that we get wisdom (Christ) by any effort of our own, but that we are willing to make the investment into the relationship which will cause us to grow in grace - grace bestowed and then we see it develop more and more until that 'heavenly scent' of grace begins to permeate all of our being. When we do our part (seeking with our whole hearts, committing the word to memory, and staying on course), look at what we can count on in return. Wisdom will guard our lives - her oversight will never be missing. This gives me hope because I know my tendency to wander without purpose. Wisdom (Christ) gives me purpose and his oversight provides me with all I need in order to walk uprightly.

Nothing adorns the life of a believer quite like the "aroma" of grace - it is indeed a 'heavenly scent'. Did you ever stop to think about grace having an aroma? Well it does! There is something divine in grace - and divinity exudes an aroma of forgiveness, love, compassion, and long-suffering. The "aroma" we exude is in direct comparison to that which we allow to "adorn" our lives. If it is the Spirit of God's grace, we can count on a heavenly aroma being exuded from our lives, stimulating the spiritual senses of all those around us! Just sayin!

Is any of that for real?

I have a observed this trend to get eyelash extensions, lip puff ups, and other types of augmentation. If you have them don't be mad at me right now, but why on earth do some of these gals get those eyelashes almost an inch long? It is like they almost need to work at opening their eyes! Those lashes are so long and with all the mascara on them to boot, they must catch the focus of their eye a whole lot. I also notice the lip enhancements with some form of stuff that is meant to puff them up, the eyeliner that goes on forever, and the six inch heels with the pointy toes. Mom had always taught me to leave the house "presentable". This does not mean I dress up, or 'super-enhance' what I have, but simply that I don't go out in my PJs or with hair every which way! Silly, isn't it, how much we focus on the external as our "view" of being presentable or beautiful to those around us?

So, friends, we can now—without hesitation—walk right up to God, into "the Holy Place." Jesus has cleared the way by the blood of his sacrifice, acting as our priest before God. The "curtain" into God's presence is his body. So let's do it—full of belief, confident that we're presentable inside and out. Let's keep a firm grip on the promises that keep us going. He always keeps his word. Let's see how inventive we can be in encouraging love and helping out, not avoiding worshiping together as some do but spurring each other on, especially as we see the big Day approaching. (Hebrews 10:19-25)

Presentable INSIDE and OUT! This should be our goal! Jesus knows exactly what we are like - it doesn't matter how we "dress ourselves up" - he knows us inside and out, just as we are underneath everything we try to 'add' to our appearance to give some 'other' impression of what we are already! Amazingly, he loves us exactly as he knows us - exactly as we are! There is no hesitation in approaching God when we do it through relationship with Jesus - because 'in Jesus' we are made as beautiful as we could ever hope to be. Just as every home needs a doorway by which we enter, so access to God is through the blood sacrifice of Jesus. There is no other way to God EXCEPT through Christ. It is this relationship which gives us the boldness to enter into God's presence - no longer fearful of what he sees when he looks upon us. Why? Simply because he sees Jesus and the effect he has in our lives when he looks upon us!

We often hesitate to enter God's presence because of some guilt over past or recent sin, kind of like when we have curlers in our hair or no make-up on and don't want to be seen in public. The truth of the matter is God already knows about our sin and he has provided a perfect "covering" for our sin - the blood of Jesus. We need not avoid contact with God simply because we have sinned - in fact, we need to confess our sin and move right up close to God for his healing touch! The confidence of being fully presentable (inside and out) is something we need to appropriate and believe in our lives. We live far below our potential when we listen to our own mind's arguments of our "worth" or "value" or "beauty". The very thing which gives us supreme value and beauty is Christ inside of us! There is no other action which makes us "more presentable" or "more beautiful".

The good news is the "clean-up" or "transformation" of our lives has begun, but it isn't finished! We come to Christ with all our "baggage" of past hurts, wrong actions, and selfish deeds. He takes them, one-by-one, and replaces them with the perfect touch of his grace. We need a firm grip on what keeps us "centered". Plainly put, this is the Word of God. The more we allow the Word of God to get INTO us, the more it will affect what comes OUT of us (inside and out equally affected). No amount of 'self-beautifying' effort is more rewarded than the time we take getting the Word into our lives. The good news is we don't need to look into the mirror of the Word alone - we have been given each other to spur each other on - to help each other take frequent and long looks into the mirror of God's Word. No race is easy to run! In fact, whenever we "ramp up" our momentum, there are usually multiple obstacles to overcome. This makes it all the more important to not run alone! We need each other! A spur "digs in" and causes the one being spurred to become acutely aware of the action required. It is good to have others who will alert us to action and to assist us in "ramping up" when we need to! So, blemishes and all, don't be afraid to enter God's presence! Who knows - maybe his touch will leave you with so much inward beauty you won't care about those 'artificial beautifiers' any longer! Just sayin!

Beauty is more than skin deep

Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last; but a woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised. 

(Proverbs 31:30 NLT)

I was taking a look of some recent photos of movie actresses as they are now in their seventies or older. They look nothing like what they used to! In fact, those who have chosen to "stay young" by getting all that botox, collagen, and who knows what pumped or implanted into various areas of their bodies look a little bit "morphed" from what they were! Maybe they see this as an improvement over the wrinkles and natural sagging process of older skin, but eegads - it can be scary! Those voluminous lips stand out like nobody's business! The perfectly toned skin is obviously stretched to capacity - it barely moves when they blink, talk, or smile!

Audrey Hepburn once commented about "true beauty". She said, "The beauty of a woman must be seen in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart, the place where love resides." She was so right! Those stars can primp this, puff that, and plump whatever, but their eyes tell a much different story at times! They often betray the true emptiness of their heart - the misery of the years of living in the constant "circle of attention" they have endured. Try as they might, they cannot "mask" the absence of peace, love, and true joy that is only there when one has made Christ the center of their lives.

One of my favorite quotes about beauty comes from musician David Allan Coe: "It is not the beauty of a building you should look at; its the construction of the foundation that will stand the test of time." The foundation is paramount to what is built upon it. A bad foundation creates a less than reliable building! I have a great BFF who isn't afraid to go without make-up or just hang-out on vacation in our baggy sweats or even enduring "hat head" after a long day fishing. We don't have to "put on airs" to be together - we can be real with each other - and I value what has been built upon that foundation of genuine concern for each other's well-being more than anything else in the world. Without it, I don't know where I'd have gone astray!

Beauty is fleeting unless it is built upon a great foundation. No matter how much you try to "apply it", it comes from much deeper. It isn't applied, injected, repaired, or "refreshed" by any substance. It is the result of a right heart, a settled mind, and a restored spirit. Just sayin!

Beware...beauty may be deceiving

While fishing by the shore of Showlow Lake in the White Mountains of Arizona, I observed what is known as the "cow killer" - a solitary red velvety ant or wasp-like creature. Although the red velvet appearance of the wasp-like insect made it quite attractive and enjoyable to watch as it made a track across the rocks along the shoreline, I found out it has the sting capable of bringing down a full-grown cow! It destroys bee colonies by laying eggs in their hives and then the young kill all the bees in the hive. While it looked beautiful on the outside, the awful venom in that single sting was something that none would soon forget.

Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight. (I Peter 3:3-4 NLT)

Sometimes we evaluate others by what we see on the outside. They may look like they have their life all put together and kind of like everything is well under control, but I wonder how many times we admire the "mask" of what they display while being totally unaware of the venomous condition of the heart under that mask. The outward beauty isn't always an accurate reflection of what is much deeper. Maybe this is why we get the expression of beauty being only skin deep!

While Christ didn't possess some magical power to read someone's mind, he could accurately identify what was at the core of someone's soul. He didn't rely upon the image portrayed, but examined the actions that revealed the heart. The superior attitude of the religious leaders, for example, was something he called out as masking a problem at the heart level known as pride. They masked their pride with all manner of religious piety, but it was still front and center for anyone with eyes to see.

I think we often are deceived by the image portrayed and then wonder why we got burned in a relationship. We fail to look beyond the beauty on the surface and then find out we really couldn't trust the real person under that mask of beauty. In order to see beyond the surface we need to learn to uncover the heart within and I think we don't do this without Christ's help. He helps us see the true person below the surface by revealing little bits of their inner character. In time, we begin to see the traits we can appreciate as true beauty and rely less upon the beauty simply displayed on the surface!  Just sayin!

Nothing too anything

Look on me with a heart of mercy, O God, according to Your generous love.  According to Your great compassion, wipe out every consequence of my shameful crimes.  Thoroughly wash me, inside and out, of all my crooked deeds. Cleanse me from my sins.  For I am fully aware of all I have done wrong, and my guilt is there, staring me in the face. (Psalm 51:1-3 VOICE)

Singer and song writer Natalie Grant has a new song out entitled "Clean".  One word which implies so very much - each of us realizing just how much being "clean" can be so dramatically different for each one.  There are just a couple of lines in this song which continually catch my attention whenever I get to hear it.  They are:  "There's nothing too dirty that you can't make worthy. You wash me in mercy...I am clean." Ponder those words just a few minutes, will you? There is something powerful in Natalie's message - and I daresay, there is something powerful which has been worked out in her life in order to pen such deeply profound words. Some might not know, but she overcame an eating disorder (bulemia), now able to "be the girl God sees".  I don't think her struggle with self-image leaves her standing alone - there is a huge crowd of men and women alike who can join her in saying it has been a hard, long haul to get to the place they can just be content being the "guy or gal God sees".

There's nothing too dirty...words which might not seem like much at first, but when you really stop to consider those four simple words - they are profound. Nothing in our past, nothing in our present, nothing we are going to face - nothing is "too" anything for God!  Too dirty.  Too hard.  Too messed up.  Too deeply ingrained in us.  Nothing is "too" much for God.  Most of us don't live for awards - we just want to see what God sees in us - exactly the way he sees us.  We often see ourselves through the eyes of others - making the "image" of what is portrayed just a little skewed because they don't always see us as God sees us.  They have a tendency to judge us, while God has an ability to see us only through the eyes of grace.  I began wearing eyeglasses in fifth grade.  For about two years, my eyes were getting weaker and weaker, finding myself choosing the desk at the front of the classroom, squinting to make out the board.  Then one day someone noticed my struggle and the eye appointment revealed I needed "corrective lenses". What those lenses did was bring into focus what had become so "unclear" - they helped me to see things with a new perspective.

God sees us through the perspective of grace - something which brings things clearly into focus for him - seeing in us all the beauty and depth of character he knows resides deep within each of us just waiting to be brought to the surface. Nothing too dirty that he cannot make worthy as Natalie so aptly says it.  All our secrets no longer needing to be masked. All the lies we have told ourselves or others have imposed upon us - nothing but truth stands between us and God. He sees us as we are and loves us nonetheless - nothing being "too anything" to cause him to turn away or look upon us with disgust.  That may be hard for some to comprehend, but it is how the "lens" of grace can zero in on the beauty in the ashes!  Just sayin!

Where do we find beauty?

WorkingWomen.com posted a picture of a weathered, elderly female with the caption: "A beautiful face will age and a perfect body will change, but a beautiful soul will always be a beautiful soul."  I could not agree more!  We spend so much money and time trying to attain/maintain the perfect complexion, avoiding any signs of the aging process having occurred, and so little time actually looking into the eyes to see what the soul behind the face really reveals.  I catch a show on TV now and again where women are trying to "redo" their bodies for totally cosmetic reasons, not because they have some birth defect, life-altering scar from a traumatic event, or the like - just because they want smaller this or bigger that.  What does all this effort produce?  For most of them it still leaves a sense of dissatisfaction because they are "career lifters/fillers"!  They aren't fulfilled by their first attempt to get the "perfect image", so they go back time and again to "redo" what has been done. Let me just say I am so God looks at the inside and doesn't notice my wrinkles, gray hair, or even the occasional "wild hair" on my chin!

Don’t focus on decorating your exterior by doing your hair or putting on fancy jewelry or wearing fashionable clothes; let your adornment be what’s inside—the real you, the lasting beauty of a gracious and quiet spirit, in which God delights. (I Peter 3:3-4 VOICE)

I don't think God wants us to let our bodies "go", but I also don't think he wants our outward appearance to be the overarching focus of our lives.  In fact, he spends so much time in scripture telling us to focus on allowing change to occur in our "inner man" that he really doesn't have much to say about the outward appearance at all.  There are a handful of occasions when scripture mentions the individual had "ruddy appearance", or something along the line of "Abishag possessed stunning beauty", but really the emphasis always comes back to what is on the inside that really matters.
It doesn't matter if you follow a gluten-free, Paleo, or low-carb diet.  It doesn't matter if you spend 10 hours a week at the gym, or if you wear out a pair of Nike's every two months from running each morning.  Spend time with God and allow him to fine-tune your inner spirit and you will be MORE beautiful than all of this effort combined could ever produce!

So, I have had some people tell me they really don't know how to spend this time with Jesus every day.  I guess I have tried a lot of things over the years, but nothing has proven to be more effective in my life than just getting my eyes off everything else for a little while and allowing him to speak to me through his Word, good music, or the comforts of nature around me.  Let me assure you that the times of burying myself in the books were good - but I didn't really notice the change in my life until I just began to feel comfortable with God.  It isn't as though I am saying I just "hang" with him, but I don't have to be all "formal" about my time with him to make it count - to have it affect my inner person.

I love music, so putting on a good worship station, or streaming some songs I enjoy may just set the stage for God to begin to speak into my life.  I enjoy listening to the birds, watching them bob around the yard, and skitter here and there.  In those moments of watching them, or even observing the industrious labor of the ants on an anthill, I see little bits of truth God wants me to lay hold of in my life.  Things like how he provides to even the sparrows of the field, with seeds, small insects, and even the occasional considerate "bird-feeder" in the neighborhood - so why would I worry he doesn't do that on a totally magnified level when it comes to my needs?  I see the ants scurry hither and yon, all working together, and I think of the beauty of being part of a gigantic family in Christ - all with a mission / purpose to serve him.

Most importantly, when I just allow his Word to begin to speak to me - taking in even small portions of it (2-3 verses a day), it begins to change the way I think, how it is I make my decisions, and for whom it is I make those choices.  Instead of making all those choices to please others, I focus a little bit differently on pleasing him.  It isn't in the volume of time you spend - it is what occurs IN the time you spend.  It isn't in the volumes you read or take in from the printed page - it is what begins to transform the "inner you" that matters.  As much as we might want to be "totally put together" today, trust me on this - God isn't finished with any of us, so stop trying to rush perfection!  Just sayin!

Not just a cracked pot

As I photograph things, I don't look for the "perfect", but am willing to accept the "imperfect", for there is something of great beauty in the tree set askew by the wind, the broken branch protruding from the gentle waters, or the windblown dunes of the ever-changing landscape.  Some of us think of "being perfect" as what we are attempting to attain - as though it is a destination at which we arrive at some point in time because of some effort we take in life.  The truth is - we will live in imperfect bodies, in an imperfect world, with other imperfect people all our lives!  The pursuit of perfection is kind of over-rated!  What we fail to see is how God sees each of us - as made perfect through the blood of his Son! God looked at the "imperfect" in each of us and saw something of beauty he just didn't want to discount, or turn away from.  Just as I capture those photos of the broken, ever-changing, and kind of askew in nature, God reaches out to capture the lives of those who are "cracked pots" - imperfect, broken people!

But this beautiful treasure is contained in us—cracked pots made of earth and clay—so that the transcendent character of this power will be clearly seen as coming from God and not from us.  We are cracked and chipped from our afflictions on all sides, but we are not crushed by them. We are bewildered at times, but we do not give in to despair.  We are persecuted, but we have not been abandoned. We have been knocked down, but we are not destroyed. We always carry around in our bodies the reality of the brutal death and suffering of Jesus. As a result, His resurrection life rises and reveals its wondrous power in our bodies as well.  (2 Corinthians 4:7-10 VOICE)

God doesn't look for "perfect pots" to house the beautiful treasure of his presence and peace.  He looks for "cracked pots" - imperfect people with needs often as apparent at the cracks in the pot!  I am so grateful he doesn't just pass over the "cracked pots" in this world - because if he did, I'd be at the top of the heap of discarded "pots"!  The treasure of his presence is placed into "cracked pots" so all will see the beauty of the pot as he fills it with all he is - not the imperfect places and deep fissures in the character of the pot.  

What leaves all those cracks and chips?  Clearly it is all the many things in life which come to afflict, bewilder, beat us down, and bring suffering to us.  Some of the cracks and chips are just because we didn't care for the "pot" as we should, kind of oblivious to how our mistreatment of the pot created the perfect environment for it to become marred and chipped by life.  Other cracks and dings are there because someone else didn't exactly treat the "pot" as well as they should, bringing painful fissures difficult to repair.

At best, we can "glue" the pieces of our lives together in some way which makes the "pot" we call "us" a little more appealing, or closer to "normal" than it was before we applied whatever that "glue" may be.  The truth is, we cannot hold water!  The "glue" isn't going to show the cracks anymore, but it won't hold up to the test of hot water!  Why?  The cracks aren't gone - they are just "masked" by the glue.

My neighbors had a large cracked urn in their yard for the longest time.  As I'd make my way to the mailbox, I was continuously reminded that even cracked pots have a purpose - it may not be what was originally planned for the pot, but never discard the cracked pot, for you never know what thing of beauty may emerge from those cracks!  You see, I saw this cracked pot, not as cracked and unworthy of use, but as that which could bring forth the most beautiful of budding plants, tiny blossoms all intertwined and displayed in the brightest of color. 

Their pot sat in the midst of gravel and dried leaves.  In my mind, I saw the possibilities in the pot, not the lack of them! I think God may just see each of us this same way - not for the lack of possibilities we have, but the vastness of beauty he can produce in and through those "cracks" in our character!  If you have a few cracks in your pot, don't mask over them - and certainly don't view the pot as worth nothing more than to be discarded!  God doesn't see us as needing the mask, nor does he want us to be left barren and useless buried under some dead leaves somewhere.

God wants to bring glory and beauty into the cracks and fissures of our broken lives.  Those cracks and fissures are just a means by which he may bring forth the most beautiful display of his glory!  Don't curse your cracks, but allow God to begin to bring forth beauty from deep within those broken places!  Just sayin!

More than just another beauty in an evening gown

Every now and again I catch one of those shows on TV which feature women all decked to the nines, competing against each other for some Miss USA, Ms. Universe, or the like.  It isn't often that I see those with the "truest" of beauty actually win in these events, though.  The outward is dazzling, but I don't know that the inward "character" and "beauty" of the individuals who actually win these contests consistently measure up to the standard of "beauty" God has for his kids.  These women can move across the stage in glamorous sashays and then dazzle us with their comments about world peace, dreams of saving the starving children in some third world country, or the like.  Deep down inside, they are not "bad" people, but all the outward grace and beauty can actually fool us to what is really at the core of what it is which "drives" them.  God is more concerned the with the "beauty" and "grace" which comes from a "right internal drive" than he is with the outward beauty and grace we can put on display for others to see.

Grace and beauty can fool you, but a woman who respects the Lord should be praised. (Proverbs 31:30 ERV)

 

Truthfully, if we were all to admit it, we somehow strive to have some form of outward grace and beauty - this is just part of human nature.  We don't strive to be "ordinary" or "run-of-the-mill" - we actually comb our hair, put on a little make-up, select the best fitting outfit, and make our way out into the world hoping we have put our best "appearance" out there.  Mom frequently asks me why I won't go out to get the newspaper on a Sunday morning before I take my shower.  If you have ever seen my "bedhead" you will know the answer to that question!  I am a little too vain to let my neighbors see me with my hair going this way and that!  Now, my BFF on vacation, over a cup of coffee on a leisurely start to our morning - that is a different matter.  We don't have to "dazzle" each other with our outer beauty, because we understand the "inner beauty" of each other already!  A woman who respects the Lord is much to be desired.  This is something I tried hard to impart into the lives of my own daughter and all of the teens I have worked with over the years.  It isn't the outward fineries which make a woman, but the inward peace, joy, and rightness which comes from being in right-standing with God that comes through the loudest.  

What are some of the most beautiful things we can display "in" our lives which come through the clearest on the "outside" of our lives?  I think they may be:

- Gracefulness.  This is not the gracefulness of being able to sashay across the dance floor in flawless motion, but rather the gentleness of kindness and depth of love which embraces the unlovely, forgives the unkind, and reaches out in compassion to the disloyal.  We might equate gracefulness to the elegance of the beauties we see on the stage, but God equates it to the "beauties" he sees reaching for the lost, helping the infirm, and compassionately restoring the fallen.

- Truthfulness.  We can put many an idea or philosophy on display in our lives, but all will come across as shallow and lacking in deeper meaning unless they are founded in the rock of Christ's love and truth.  Philosophy is based on thought and investigation - regardless of whether it is thought into the truth or not.  We can have many a life "philosophy" which is misdirected or awry, depending upon where it is we choose to investigate.  When we are spending time in the Word of God, our basis of action and belief becomes solid because truth begets truth.  Within those moments of introspective investigation into the truth of God's Word we find life-transforming truths which begin to "right" our thoughts and transition our focus from self to others and self to God himself.

- Gratefulness.  Most of the world's gratitude is based upon the actions of another, not a condition of heart.  In other words, when someone does something for us, we are grateful.  When they neglect some action toward us, we are less than grateful - maybe even a little angered or hurt by their inaction. A heart of gratefulness is one which finds joy in the simple things, looks for the best in each circumstance and individual, and appreciates the many blessings one already has rather than constantly searching for those yet to be realized.

These aren't rocket science, my friends, but they are significant enough to God that he enjoys seeing these "beauties" on display in our lives over and over again.  These are just three of the "adornments" he provides in our lives which give us rich character, deeply rooted in his love, grace, and peace.  Just sayin!

Sandpaper anyone?

Probe:  To search into; examine thoroughly; to place under scrutiny.  Some call this being "under the microscope".  As long as someone is only viewing with the "naked eye", what is seen is not always what it appears to be.  But...put the same object under the microscope and you see things hidden from view!  It is like when you thought you dusted well, then the sun comes shining through the window, or you turn on that bright light in the room, and poof - all the dust on the shelves you "missed" is quite apparent!  You just didn't "probe" far enough with the duster!  Yet, you thought you had "cleaned house".

Close the book on Evil, God, but publish your mandate for us.  You get us ready for life: you probe for our soft spots, you knock off our rough edges.  And I’m feeling so fit, so safe: made right, kept right. God in solemn honor does things right, but his nerves are sandpapered raw.  (Psalm 7:9-11 MSG)

God has a way of "probing" which goes after areas we thought we could ignore without anyone discovering them, doesn't he?  He goes after the soft spots.  Why do we "feel our fruit" at the grocer?  Isn't it because we are probing for soft spots?  If we find those soft spots, we may put it back, thinking it is too ripe, bruised, or just not of the texture we'd like to consume.  If it is an avocado, we might actually like it to have a little "give" to it, but if it is too soft, it will not hold up well in our guacamole!  The purpose of the "probing" is  to discover what we cannot always see with the naked eye.  The process of "probing" is part of "selection", is it not?  We "select" based on what it is we discover in the probing.  I don't think God selects based on the same criteria!

Now, if God goes after the "soft spots" in our character, do you think it is to put us back on the shelf, rejected because we have a few "soft spots"?  Certainly not!  He only probes for the "soft spots" because he knows they impact the health of the rest of the "spots".  If we were to purchase the apple with a soft spot, bring it home, then carefully "excise" the soft spot, we'd still be left with a lot of good apple, right?  God's plan in discovering the "soft spots" in our character is quite similar - he wants to remove the damaged parts so the good parts are all that remains.  Some of us think there are too many "damaged" parts in us for God to find anything good - but I beg to differ!  Even the apple with "soft spots" has seeds!  What are seeds?  They are the potential for infinite growth!

We don't always appreciate the probing.  It seems invasive and kind of painful at times.  The process of probing is connected to the purpose of probing - without the probing there would be no discovery.  I had a father who loved to work out in the shop.  He had all kinds of power and hand tools.  He could craft things with his hands.  He showed me the value of "taking off the rough edges".  If we simply left a piece of wood with all its rough edges, it might actually cause us more problems in the long run - giving us deeply-seated splinters which would be hard to remove and set in as a festering, painful sore.  So, we "worked the wood".  We took the sandpaper, planes, and the like to the wood.  How were the rough edges removed?  Under pressure!  As we exerted pressure of the rough sandpaper against the rough edges of the wood, those rough places began to smooth out.  We'd change "grit" of sandpaper from very course and rough to smoother and fine.  Why?  If we continued with the course grit, we'd damage the wood.  If we further smoothed it with the finer grit, we'd soon have it smooth as silk.  

The smoother the wood, the easier it was to take on the stain.  The purpose of the stain - to enhance (bring out) the beauty of the grain.  The purpose of stain was not to "mask" the beauty, but to highlight it!  The stain came after the sanding - not before it.  Sometimes I think we get things mixed up in our minds when it comes to beauty in our lives.  We think beauty is something we can "put on" - but truthfully, it is only something we can "bring out".  The sanding "brought out" the beauty of the wood.  The actions of God's probing in our lives does exactly the same - it brings forth the beauty of the "grain" in us.  The grain in wood is indicative of something - growth.  

Dad always looked for wood that did not have a whole lot of "knots" in it - a few were good, but many were not.  Sure, a knot was a sign of growth, but it presented an area of "weakness" to the wood.  If there were too many knots, the wood would be less likely to hold up under pressure.  Why does the knot exist?  It was a place of growth - connection to a portion of the wood that is no longer there.  A branching off, of sorts.  Those reminders of the past "branches" exist in the finished board, but the branches aren't part of the finished product!  We have lots of "knots" in our lives - places where we "branch off" a little here and there.  God knows that in order to give our live integrity and strength, they need to be removed.  As he removes them, we grow taller, stronger, and in a more "upright" manner.  Yet, the "knot" will remain as a reminder of the branch.  

We cannot escape our past - it is like the knot in the tree - a reminder.  God highlights the "knots" which lend to the beauty of the finished product.  He eliminates those which don't.  In the end, the thing produced is a display of his probing and "sanding".  Just sayin!