At the end of my comfort zone

God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. (2 Corinthians 1:3-4)

Have you ever wondered why we go 'through' troubles instead of avoiding them all together? Jesus went through a lot of stuff while he fulfilled his ministry on this earth, not avoiding even some of the worst things a person could endure. If he didn't, what makes us think we should? Maybe the reason for going 'through' those troubles is so we can do what Jesus did - help others as they face similar troubles. It is quite possible God is making a way for us to be the hands and feet of Jesus to others as they face similar trials and troubles.

Martin Luther King, Jr. reminded us to consider where a man stands 'at times of challenge and controversy', not so much where he stands in times of comfort. I believe where we turn, who we look to, and where we find our strength in times of trial or testing is evidence of how deep our dependence is upon God, ourselves, or others. C.S. Lewis told us that if we are only looking for 'comfort', we won't find it, but if we look for truth, we will find comfort in the end. It is a bit strange to think we abandon our 'comfort zone' only to find in the midst of life's chaos comes some of the greatest comfort mankind can find.

We may not want to admit it, but God isn't finished with us yet. There are more troubles ahead that we need to walk through, but he's waiting for us at the point of our need. God's comfort may not come in the form of 'deliverance from' as much as it comes in the form of 'deliverance within'. It is 'within' the trial that we find our own comfort disturbed and miracle of his comfort surrounding us. Maybe that is the reason for the trial - to disturb our comfort and to fill us with his. Our comfort is rarely sufficient to meet the needs of another in their time of trial, but his comfort within us is always sufficient for not only our own need, but that of another, as well. Just sayin!

Leaving that comfort zone

The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you. I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you.” So Abram departed as the Lord had instructed, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran. He took his wife, Sarai, his nephew Lot, and all his wealth—his livestock and all the people he had taken into his household at Haran—and headed for the land of Canaan. When they arrived in Canaan, Abram traveled through the land as far as Shechem. There he set up camp beside the oak of Moreh. At that time, the area was inhabited by Canaanites. (Genesis 12:1-6)

Most of us would admit to having some form of a 'comfort zone' in which we live, work, relate, or drive. We just don't like to get out of that 'zone' all that often, but when we do, we sometimes face fear, a lack of trust, or a bit of overwhelming dread at what we might see or face outside of that 'zone'. Put yourself in Abraham's shoes. The son of Terah, a man who moved his entire family to a foreign land - moving them away from Ur of the Chaldeans into a territory headed for Canaan but choosing to stop in Haran and settle there with his family. So many of us stop before we ever reach our destination - all because we see something more appealing, or we just cannot push that far outside of our comfort zone. One day, God spoke to Abraham that it was time to get up and move - to leave this 'native country' - all his relatives and extended family were to be left behind. The extended family was everything in those days, so this was a drastic move on his part. Yet, he was choosing to follow God - a choice that will oftentimes challenge us to leave our 'comfort zone'.

When God asks me to do something, I have a tendency to want to know the 'what', 'why', and 'where' of his request. How about you? Isn't it hard to just 'trust God' at times? That artificial 'bubble' we call our 'comfort zone' isn't that easy to leave at times, is it? Abraham didn't exactly know where he was going - all he knew was that it would be a 'land that I will show you'. He had to trust God for the destination to be revealed somewhere along the way - or perhaps when he finally arrived wherever he was headed. All he knew was that he was to begin moving in the direction God showed him. There will always be times when God tells us to 'move' and we would rather not go until we know for certain what awaits us along the way. It is called a 'test of faith'! When God asks us to move, do we hesitate? Do we plunge in headlong and just hope for the best? Or do we move, listening and observing carefully along the way, so we don't miss out on what God has planned for us in the journey?

Do you know how far the journey was for Abraham? It was better than 2,000 miles away from where he was that day when God asked him to move. There will be times when God asks us to move beyond our comfort zone, but we could never imagine just 'how far' that movement would take us! If we drag our feet, make excuses for why we cannot go now, or just plain reject the notion of ever moving beyond our comfort zone, what could we be giving up? Give up a job - reach out to a neighbor with the gospel - become part of a new church start-up - the list could go on, but you get the idea. God may ask us to 'leave' something we have become quite comfortable with or within, but if we do so, what are the possibilities we may discover along the way? Leaving our comfort zone requires faith, but it also requires a ton of obedience. Just sayin!

Too comfortable?

Many of the people who were with Mary believed in Jesus when they saw this happen. But some went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. Then the leading priests and Pharisees called the high council together. “What are we going to do?” they asked each other. “This man certainly performs many miraculous signs. If we allow him to go on like this, soon everyone will believe in him. Then the Roman army will come and destroy both our Temple and our nation.” Caiaphas, who was high priest at that time, said, “You don’t know what you’re talking about! You don’t realize that it’s better for you that one man should die for the people than for the whole nation to be destroyed.” (John 11:45-50)

A couple of things really stood out to me after reading the account of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. Lazarus came out of the grave, after being dead a good couple of days, wrapped completely in grave clothes (hands and feet bound, face wrapped in a headcloth). There before the crowds stood a 'dead man' alive again, needing their assistance to be free of the shrouds of death that encompassed his body. Even with such a magnificent display of the power and grace of God, only some of the people believed in Jesus. Others were nothing more than worrisome tattletales. How many 'good things' need to happen right in front of us in order for us to believe? How many times are we so caught up in the worries of the day that we don't realize the presence of grace when it is right there in our midst?

As the story moves on, we see a group hurrying to the high council of the church. They were intent on 'telling on Jesus', not so much to convince the elders to take a positive stance toward Jesus, but to shut down his teaching and actions as a 'threat' to their way of life. They were more worried that the Roman government would catch wind of the great miracles, Jesus claiming to be the Son of God, and that the Romans would come into their towns with destructive force in order to 'shut down' Jesus. There is no 'shutting down' Jesus - but they don't know that! They just worry about their own circumstances - how their lives might be disrupted or made a little 'harder' in light of all the good stuff Jesus was doing amongst them. What a silly lot they were - seeing only their own comfort and missing that Jesus wasn't there to overthrow the Roman government, but to be a light and a way back to their Heavenly Father.

What makes the difference in us seeing and believing versus us seeing and being threatened? I might propose that when our 'comfort' becomes a little 'threatened' by any movement of God toward us, we have become way to comfortable with this world! We might not realize just how 'comfortable' we have become with the things this world offers us until we are faced with the amazing power of God. When his power is displayed, we can run to the world or press in closer to him. The graveclothes had to be removed in order for Lazarus to be free. Will we be the kind who stands and watches, or will we be the ones to unbind them? If we are comfortable with the world, we likely will be repelled by the 'stench' of death, choosing to allow others to do that 'dirty work'. 

Many believed - not all. Some still could not see their way past their 'concerns' and 'dreaded consequences' to embrace him. Let us not be the ones who find ourselves so caught up in our 'concerns' that we miss the opportunity to engage with grace. Just sayin!

Don't get too comfortable

Be generous with me and I’ll live a full life; not for a minute will I take my eyes off your road. Open my eyes so I can see what you show me of your miracle-wonders. I’m a stranger in these parts; give me clear directions. My soul is starved and hungry, ravenous!— insatiable for your nourishing commands. (Psalm 119:18)

If you have ever been in a situation where you kind of feel like it is 'foreign' to you, you probably felt a little like a fish out of water. You flopped around, struggling to find a way back to where you felt comfort and ease. I know moments like these cause most of us some angst, increasing our anxiety level more and more as we wander around a little lost and insecure. Being a 'stranger' isn't easy to deal with, probably because as 'sojourners' in this place of discomfort we find it hard for us to move from stranger or foreigner to being at ease dwelling where we are placed. God isn't immune to our discomfort - he has a plan for it!

Take a moment to dwell on the idea of God having a plan for our feeling a little like life is a bit 'foreign' to us right now. There is much to be learned when we are made a little uncomfortable. It is usually God 'stirring up' something within us that he is about to do within us. As our psalmist prays, he asks God to open his eyes so he doesn't miss what God is about to do. I often pray this same prayer - sometimes as nothing more than what I refer to as 'arrow prayers' - those tiny prayers that are about a sentence long, but are intentional and from the heart. The truth is our souls are kind of starving a bit and if we are to find the nourishment our souls need need, we need to get a little more than a 'bit' uncomfortable in order to be open to how God will meet those needs. 

Insatiable appetites for what God has in store for us - what image does that conjure up for you? I have those nights when nothing looks good in the fridge, pantry, or fruit bowl. I want something, but I don't know what it is. That is kind of like what it is to feel a little like a stranger in our present circumstances - we know God is working, we are hungry for something, but we have no idea what it will be that will satisfy that hunger. We are ravenous, but we aren't able to find the very thing that will satisfy that insatiability until we allow God to take us a little bit further into that place of discomfort. It seems a little like God might just be a little 'hard on us' when he allows us to get uncomfortable - feeling like life is a bit foreign - but the way to discover new the new things he desires for us is for us to get out of our comfort zone and into the place where he is free to move. 

God isn't cruel when he allows us to feel discomfort - he is exercising the greatest of kindnesses toward us! He knows we will have our deepest desire kindled at the point of our greatest discomfort. Just sayin!

Share that blessing, please

 3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. 4 He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. (2 Corinthians 1:3-4)

Have you ever stopped to consider your 'comfort' may be something you need to not just relish, but give away to others who desperately need that same 'comfort'. God's comfort isn't ours to keep - it is meant to be given away. We all experience troubles, but we don't have to be troubled. We all have the means by which to understand and enjoy 'comfort' in the sense that God is on our side, he knows our troubles better than we do, and he isn't about to abandon us to our own devices in those troubles. 

Comfort is really the reassurance that we aren't alone. We can also think of it as having one stand with us that will bring 'agreement' again to all the parts and pieces that trouble brings into our lives. If you hadn't realized it before, trouble actually brings a bunch of 'mismatched' pieces into our lives and then we are left with a jumble of mess to attempt to figure out. We can attempt to go it alone, madly trying to form those jumbled pieces into something makes sense, or we can take them to God and let him begin the work of sorting them out for us.

Do you know what it means to be 'troubled'? It carries the idea of a disturbance of our mental 'calmness'. Our contentment is disturbed and we begin to worry, get a little agitated, and even get ourselves into a place of deep distress. Trouble isn't something we really want in our lives, but it doesn't have to be the 'undoing' of our mental peace. God is more than capable of sorting out the thoughts that enter into our minds and begin to creep into our hearts - thoughts that are going to do little more than disturb our peace.

Comfort is to be embraced - fully experienced and deeply felt. Comfort isn't an idea - it is more or less a 'feeling'. I have often reminded myself that I am not to live by my 'feelings', but when my comfort begins to be disturbed, that 'feeling' that something is troubling me is a clear indication I need to take all that seems wrong at that moment to God so he can take it from me. Sometimes our 'feelings' are our first indication something isn't quite right with our lives. We need to recognized our 'disturbed comfort' is not a permanent condition, but a momentary reminder we aren't doing life alone.

There come those moments when we can actually help another understand how to achieve 'comfort' again in their spirit, soul, and mind. We must be bold enough to recognize their peace is disturbed and then reach out to bring God's 'comfort' into the moment. We give away God's grace, filling their 'spiritual tanks' with love, and then help them realize God's plan is to bring right order to the crazy mixed up pieces once again. Comfort isn't a privilege - it is a blessing and God's plan for blessings was always to share them! Just sayin!

Circling the drain?

I have some friends who are cool, calm, and relaxed no matter what comes their way. I have others who seem to get more and more frazzled by each mounting stress in their lives, until they are 'spinning' in absolute frenzy. We all have times when our days just seem to spin out of control. It is not an easy thing for many of us - we don't like to have the control of our days in the hands of anyone else! Whenever control shifts, we feel "out of control" - anxiety creeps in, frustration mingles with our anxious thoughts, until we end up on the edge of wanting to just scream, "Give me back the reigns, fool!" Okay, if this has never described your day, don't read on! If it has...maybe you'd benefit as much as I do from pondering the words of the 23rd Psalm.

God, my shepherd! I don't need a thing. You have bedded me down in lush meadows, you find me quiet pools to drink from. True to your word, you let me catch my breath and send me in the right direction. (Psalm 23:1-3)

The 23rd Psalm - most of us associate the 23rd Psalm with a portion of scripture frequently read at funerals - it is probably the one most commonly read at the graveside. So, why am I directing our attention to a psalm about "death" or "graveside" testimony today? Well, the very first three words say it all! "GOD, my shepherd." GOD - you may remember as I have taught before of the meaning of these names of God in our Bibles written in all caps. LORD and GOD both stand for the name Jehovah, the name Israel knew referenced God Most High. In the simplest meaning, it is translated, as "The unchanging one". In fact, whenever we see the name GOD or LORD in scripture (in all caps), we can count on the passage speaking something of his being totally unchangeable in his promises, permanent in every way, and becoming all we have need of in that very moment. In fact, it is his intense compassion as a loving and unchanging God which moves him into action within our lives. This should be something that helps us find comfort when our world seems to be 'spinning'.

As this psalm opens, it starts with what we all have need of in our lives when things seem to be spinning out of control - a shepherd to watch over, guide, and protect us from any and all harm! When things are spinning out of control - we need not only wise guidance, but we certainly need protection from what others can do to us and what we can do to ourselves. As our psalmist says - "I don't need a thing". We stand in need of so much...but when we recognize the Shepherd of our souls is in control...we can confidently say, "I don't need a thing". Did you really catch that one? When WE stand in need, things in chaos around us, we don't NEED a thing - not one thing! All we NEED is found in Jesus! As if being in control is the aim, the next part of the passage settles this little misconception. It is God who "beds us down" - puts us to rest. I don't know about you, but as a mother, whenever I managed to rein-in the kiddos, get them all washed up and ready for bed, those first moments of peaceful sleep I'd observe as I looked in on them before I called it at night absolutely melted my heart. Those peaceful little ones, all innocent in their rest, just took away my breath. I imagine this is a little of what God feels whenever he finally gets us to settle into his rest!

He provides lush meadows - because we don't know our lack of comfort until we experience it as he provides it. He gives quiet pools to drink from - simply because we don't know how parched life leaves us until we drink deeply from something so satisfying. Spinning out of control takes its toll on our physical bodies, but also on our spiritual reserves. No one appreciates comfort until the pain gets too great to handle. We don't appreciate a cool drink until we experience thirst. I guess pain and thirst are really early warning signs of needing to look for the Shepherd in the midst of our 'spinning'! Don't forget the purpose of the rest and the refreshing - it is in order to catch our breath so we can "live to fight another day". But...we fight from a new vantage point when we find our rest in God alone! As we let God take us into his rest, we learn from the master planner of our lives - the one who knows the ins and outs of the chaos we face. The next step we take is one with him in control. It is in yielding control where we find the best "control" we could ever bring into our circumstances. Spinning? Maybe it is time for a little rest. Just sayin!

Did I just say that?

When you talk, don’t say anything bad. But say the good things that people need—whatever will help them grow stronger. Then what you say will be a blessing to those who hear you. (Ephesians 4:29 ERV)

Notice our passage today doesn't say "if you talk", or "should you be so inclined as to say something". It says "when" - because we all have moments when our "talk" escapes us kind of unnoticed by our brains! We get those words out there and then think, "Did I just say that out loud?" By then, it is too late! The words that escape our brain's filter often hit a target we never intended to actually hit!

The things people need to hear versus the stuff that comes out of our mouths sometimes can be vastly different. The things we each need to hear are the things that help us grow stronger as individuals and ultimately as a community. When these are the words spoken, we become an immovable force the enemy of our souls cannot deal with!

What helps you grow? It is a fair question because I don't always know what will be the exact "fertilizer" the seed deep within you needs in order to grow. I know you need something, but often I don't know what it might be. It is a good thing I don't have to rely upon my own strength, smarts, or "spirituality" to get those words right! I can rely upon God's strength, his wisdom, and his Holy Spirit within to help me get it "right".

What words actually become a blessing in a person's life? They aren't always the "fluffy" ones, with deep spiritual context. They can be the simplest ones like "I care" or "I am here". We don't always think what it is we have to offer is "good enough" for another to feel blessed by those words, but let me assure you of one thing - those may be the very words that set someone into motion who has been stuck in a holding pattern for a very long time!

A few words, aptly spoken in the appropriate timing are like a treasure one discovers quite unexpectedly. There isn't any "science" to it, but there is Spirit behind it. We don't have to fear the Spirit within giving us words that will hurt - for his love and grace overshadows the words he gives with greater blessing than we will ever realize. We only have to fear those words that escape without going through his filters - for those are the ones with the potential to rip apart or tear down. Just sayin!

I need a little comfort here

All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. (2 Corinthians 1:3-4 NLT) 

Did you ever stop to consider the present is preparation for the future - what you go through now is actually going to be the platform from which you can actually bring comfort into the lives of others going through similar circumstances to what you are now living through? With God, there is no "wastage". He uses each circumstance to bring untold lessons into our lives, and then into the lives of others who are either directly or indirectly touched by our lives. God uses "multiplied grace" to reach a world hurting beyond measure - all because he can use our lives as platform from which that grace can be declared and shared!

Comfort comes most frequently in this sense of being made strong, often in ways that are far outside of our realm of "strength". With the renewing of our strength, there comes a hope. Strength and hope go hand in hand. Rarely do we see them standing alone - they are "soul-buddies". As a mother, I often rocked, jiggled, swayed, bounced, and patted all while drawing my little ones near to my heart. Notice those words, my friends. They are actions - the thing that brought comfort to my kiddos in those wee hours of the morning when they were frightened by the darkness, or when they fell down and bunged a knee weren't just my words - they were my actions.

In much the same way, God doesn't just bring comfort to us by telling us all things will be okay. He shows us they will be okay by helping us to experience his strength - renewed time and time again - not by inaction, but through action. Most know that inaction actually weakens a body. Action increases strength, even though it places demands upon the body and the body tires a bit by the action. Our hope grows best in an environment where action also is evident. It is not us taking action hoping God will bless it, but taking the action he declares to be right and feeling his comfort as we do so! 

I can remember my science teacher telling us that every action results in a reaction of some kind. One ball hits another and the other balls in sequence begin to move. One domino tips over into the other and it starts a chain reaction. One drop of water falls into a huge pool of water and it starts a ripple effect that goes way beyond the "mass" of the first drop that fell. The idea is that one thing affects the other - it sets things in motion that otherwise were not in motion. Sometimes the greatest thing God does for us in his giving us "comfort" in our times of trouble is to create a ripple effect of his grace - where things are set in motion simply because we began to receive of his strength - even the smallest of movement "with him" sets in motion movement beyond our wildest imagination! Just sayin!

Privilege and Responsibility

It is easy to see bad stuff happening in this world and then to shake angry fists at the perpetrators of this evil, isn't it?  We don't want to believe the evils are even possible, much less that they are becoming a reality around us.  As long as there is breath to breathe on this earth, evil will abound.  This is a fact we can bank on.  So, in the midst of evil, what should be our response?  In the Book of I Timothy, Paul instructs Timothy to do one thing and do it well - pray.  He begins by saying:  "The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know. Pray especially for rulers and their governments to rule well so we can be quietly about our business of living simply, in humble contemplation. This is the way our Savior God wants us to live."  (vs. 1-3 MSG)  The FIRST thing God wants from us is for us to lift to him the very things which cause us so much discontent and concern.  The object of our concern is the greatest thing we can bring to the throne room of God - for in bringing it there, we find the answers we might not have discovered otherwise.  The SECOND thing God wants from us is to lift up those who have the responsibility for the safety of others - the government or those appointed to rule.  We often neglect this step, praying for our own needs, but failing to see the course of actions around us often need to be the object of our prayer!

Since prayer is at the bottom of all this, what I want mostly is for men to pray—not shaking angry fists at enemies but raising holy hands to God. And I want women to get in there with the men in humility before God, not primping before a mirror or chasing the latest fashions but doing something beautiful for God and becoming beautiful doing it.  (I Timothy 2:8-10 MSG)

In the raising of holy hands to God, we open ourselves to be instruments of his grace and healing in this world -  a world riddled with all manner of evil, desperately needing our influence.  Our greatest influence is through prayer.  I don't think it is by accident Paul emphasizes this several times in this chapter.  He is focusing our attention on prayer because it is where we make connection with the one who sees beginning to end even before we do.  When tragedy abounds as the result of evil in this world, grace and healing is able to abound when God's people raise holy hands in prayer before God - becoming his instruments to be used to touch a hurting world.  

Paul gets right after it:  Prayer is at the bottom of all this!  It is both our privilege to pray as much as it is our responsibility.  We have been given access to the very presence of God.  I have to ask - what are we doing with this great opportunity?  Privilege is a special "right" to enter - responsibility is the "obligation" to enter.  We have access - a full access pass - into the presence of the great "I AM".  He is our "all-becoming" one.  He is our "great redeemer".  He is our "more than enough".  We have an obligation  to connect the "all becoming one" with the hurting, those in need of deep inner cleansing and healing.  We have an obligation to connect the "great redeemer" with those held captive in messed up thought patterns, emotional turmoil, or the inability to stay connected with reality.  We have an obligation to connect our "more than enough" with those who never have realized love or been so far removed from the grace of others so as to live in isolated loneliness.

We do this through prayer - first and foremost.  Then we become the hands and feet of our prayer.  Yep, you heard me - we become the "connection" point for a hurting world to make contact with the very thing they need most - Christ!  Paul makes it quite clear - we "become" beautiful in our "doing" prayer!  When we "get after" the things God desires, we are made beautiful.  We chase beauty in many places - it is found at the feet of Jesus, exposed in prayer, and exemplified in living out our prayers!  

Over recent years, we have seen what appears to be the rise of evil in this world.  Losses innumerable to "natural disasters" such as tsunami, hurricane, and floods galore.  Homes rent apart by "unthinkable horrors" at the hands of one or two people bent on destruction with the use of weapons of all kinds.  Nations pitted against nations, seemingly unconcerned with the innocent loss of life of those caught in the middle.  Our position in all this:  PRAYER.  We take both our privilege and our responsibility seriously, not just after the tragic event, but in praying for the guidance of those who might just be placed in a position to protect, guard, and lead us through to the other side of these great tragedies.  My greatest hope is for our prayers to be effective in avoiding even one of these senseless tragedies.

So, let us pray and pray often.  Let us move from the comfort of privilege to the place of responsibility - in taking our communities and our leaders to the throne room of God.  Just prayin!

Tears stain the face, but heal the soul

I have some friends who seemingly cry at the drop of a hat.  You just say something, then almost imperceptibly, the tears begin to well up and there you are, them leaking tears and you standing there holding your hat in your hand!  I've never been one of those individuals who "leaks" tears very often, but a good cry does something to cleanse our soul, doesn't it?  The most precious tears are often shed right when I least expect them.  For example, I can be driving down the road, listening to the Christian station, when a song comes on which "hits" me right where I am in life.  The words do more than carry me along - they minister to my heart.  In turn, I might just "leak" a little!

Crying is better than laughing.  It blotches the face but it scours the heart.  (Ecclesiastes 7:3 MSG)

Truth is, I like to laugh much better than I enjoy crying!  Yet, there are some definite "types" of tears which I think say much more than any amount of laughter.  These are the tears of grief, joy, comfort, and hope.  

The tears of grief:
We experience grief because we have some sense of loss.  It might be the loss of a loved one, but it could be the loss of reputation, relationship, or something more material such as a special bracelet someone made for us.  I remember losing my dad when I was around thirty.  He was a very special man in my life.  I could always turn to him.  He never judged.  His heart was always open, no matter what my behavior.  The night before he died, I went to see him after I got out of my nursing clinicals.  I was tired after a long day on the nursing floor, but I knew I needed to be there.  As I drove home that night, I recall vividly a song I have only heard another two or three times since then.  In the words of the song, a small child came home to cars and people surrounding his home.  The crux of the song:  Grandpa has gone home!  I knew this was God's way of telling me my heavenly Father was ushering my earthly father home.  He left us at five the next morning.  Yep, I "leaked" that night driving home.  But...it was a "good leak" because I knew exactly where my dad was going and I knew my heavenly Father had each of us who were left behind in his tender care.  We all experience grief - there is something quite "cleansing" about the shedding of the tears which come from a broken heart.  I think those tears are all captured in God's hand, then carefully transferred to little bottles.  Each bottle bears our name.  As God looks at each of the bottles, he sees some fuller than others, but each tear has such meaning - not one of them escaped his notice.  Not one of them is ever forgotten by him.  

The tears of joy:
Have you ever been so in awe of something someone did for you, so overwhelmed by the moment, you just "leak" tears of joy?  You know the ones I mean - the moment just ministers to your heart.  Those moments when more is spoken in one deed or one carefully chosen word than could ever be demonstrated in a thousand deeds or words.  I have been blessed with some pretty special friends in life.  Each season of my life has brought at least one specific friend who walks closely with me through that season.  In my young adult years, I had the closeness of a friend who encouraged my spiritual growth, challenged me to go to Bible College, and then even took care of my children so I could!  She changed their diapers, fed them lunch, and even helped me get them potty-trained - all while I was getting my education.  As I walked down the aisle to receive my diploma that night in 1984, I knew I was receiving this diploma for two people - because she made it possible by her sacrifice!  Yep, I "leaked" tears of joy as we embraced, she told me how proud she was of me, and I just held onto her knowing how awesome it was to have such a friend.  You see, we left within the week, never to see each other again.  Our "season" was ending.  But...oh what a time of joy we had celebrated over the years!  There is nothing quite as uplifting as having someone alongside in the journey.  In those "moments" - tears of joy are only natural.

The tears of comfort:
Lately, I have noticed myself being very sensitive to various songs of worship we sing at church, or when they come on the radio.  In the words, I find such comfort.  They minister deeply to my spirit and in turn, they minister to my mind and body, as well.  You see, God cannot touch our spirit and leave our mind or body unaffected.  In touching our spirit, he is getting at the heart of what makes us unique - for it is in the spirit where we connect with God.  The songs I am finding such comfort in right now?  Those which speak of the nearness of God.  I just am in a season of needing to experience his "nearness".  You probably know what I mean - those times when words just fail, but the presence of God just speaks volumes.  We all need these times of comfort for our soul - the best place of comfort is in the arms of Jesus.  I don't know about you, but when he holds this sinner close, I leak a little!

The tears of hope:
We all get to the place we just don't see any way things are going to work out.  We are at the end of our rope and we just see ourselves circling the drain, so to speak.  Tenth Avenue North has a song called, "Any Other Way".  The words which I'd like us to hear from this song are really found in the chorus:  "It's not enough just to say we're okay.  I need your hurt, I need your pain.  It's not love any other way."  The words are words of hope.  The Lord is speaking them.  He is saying, "YOU needed my hurts.  YOU needed my pain.  Frankly, it is NOT love any other way!"  It gives me great hope knowing God doesn't skimp on the very thing we need to be free of our own hurts and pain!  

Just some thoughts on tears this morning.  Yep, I leaked a few just writing this, but that is okay.  They are in my bottle - shelved carefully in his care.  How about yours?  

Sermon Lessons: Comfort

⁴"You're blessed when you feel you've lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you."

(Matthew 5:4)

^9-11When down-and-outers get a break, cheer! And when the arrogant rich are brought down to size, cheer! Prosperity is as short-lived as a wildflower, so don't ever count on it. You know that as soon as the sun rises, pouring down its scorching heat, the flower withers. Its petals wilt and, before you know it, that beautiful face is a barren stem. Well, that's a picture of the "prosperous life." At the very moment everyone is looking on in admiration, it fades away to nothing.

(James 1:9-11)

Yesterday we explored the importance of establishing the loss of "control" in our lives as the means of actually giving control to the one who is able to manage our lives the best - God.  Today, we will look at what "losing what is dear to us" really does in our lives.  It is in loss that we understand the need for comfort.  It is also in loss that we connect with that which is most important to us.  There is just something about loss - physical, emotional, or relational - that causes us to look at our lives again.  We become "evaluators" of where we have been, what we have done, and the cost that we have paid for where we find ourselves today.

Things are short-lived.  We tend to count on them sometimes as though they are permanent.  We expect our cars to run when we hit the ignition switch.  We don't count on them sputtering to a halt in the middle of an intersection.  When we take them to the mechanic and hear the news that the cost of repairs outweighs the remaining value of the vehicle, we find ourselves faced with tough decisions.  James' advice to us is to realize that things are really not permanent.  They change with time.  

We are often put in positions where our careers take a turn we did not expect, the economy sends us into a tizzy because ends no longer meet, or the people we thought would be there for us in times of hardship are just not sensitive to the moment.  These are opportunities for God to embrace us like he has not been allowed to before.  Our "counting on" people, things, or circumstances has kept him at arms length.  In the time of loss, he can finally pull us close.  Our defenses are let down, and he can reach into our hearts in comfort, in correction if needed, and in his healing compassion.

When God embraces us, he is taking us near to his heart eagerly - there is an intense willingness to pull us near.  He takes that which is ready to be received.  He does not force himself on us.  Comfort is only accepted by a ready heart.  Correction is only useful if the ears and mind are open to listening to it.  Compassion only connects with our misery and walks with us in the moments that cause us distress when we are open to having a "walking companion".

We may not fully recognize the "frailty" of those things, plans, and people who have been given a position of "trust" in our lives.  Yet, in the loss of these, God stands ready to reveal his love - and yes, if necessary, his correction.  The two are not opposites - they go hand in hand.  It is in love that correction brings us close.  It is in love that comfort accomplishes healing.  It is in love that we understand the strength of his embrace.  Have you experienced the comfort of his embrace lately?  

God of all comfort

 ^3-5All praise to the God and Father of our Master, Jesus the Messiah! Father of all mercy! God of all healing counsel! He comes alongside us when we go through hard times, and before you know it, he brings us alongside someone else who is going through hard times so that we can be there for that person just as God was there for us. We have plenty of hard times that come from following the Messiah, but no more so than the good times of his healing comfort—we get a full measure of that, too.

(2 Corinthians 1:3-5)

It is easy for us to believe that God is not with us in our times of suffering.  Paul makes some very interesting comments about God's comfort for us in this passage.  First, he refers to God as "Father of all mercy" or "Father of Compassion/Comfort" (depending on the translation you might be reading from). A father is one who has begotten a child - as such, he has a certain sense of responsibility for that child.  We have lost sight of this sense of responsibility in our culture today with the rampant abandonment of families by fathers, but the fact is that God does not abandon those he calls his children.

As a father, he has a consciousness of the distress of his children - that brings about a desire to alleviate that distress.  As a parent, one of the toughest struggles I encounter is knowing when to allow my children to experience the discomfort, and when to intervene to alleviate it.  There is often a lesson is allowing the child to "find their way out" of the discomfort, so intervening too soon lessens the opportunity to learn from choosing a wrong path.  God is sensitive to the emotions of his children - he is moved by them.

Second, as the God of all Comfort, or God of all Healing Counsel, Paul is presenting the side of God's character that is yearning to offer strengthening aid.  He comes alongside, as a support, to bring consolation in time of trouble, and to remove worries.  God's intention is to bring relief - encouragement, hope, and to ease the grief or trouble we are experiencing.  

Hurts are a part of life - we cannot escape them.  It has been a tough lesson to learn that comfort is found in NOT in the absence of pain, but in the midst of it.  Think about it - do you really appreciate your comfort until you are experiencing pain that you cannot relieve?  When that throbbing ache in your back, or the pounding in your head, is finally ended - isn't that when you realize the beauty of comfort?  Being comforted is not equivalent to being comfortable, though.  The term being comfortable carries the idea of being content or secure, free from doubt, stress, and tension.  The idea of being comforted carries the idea of being strengthened greatly, or being made strong - in the hope the is given, in the word of encouragement received, etc.

Comfort that comes from God is not based on our circumstances.  In the midst of the moment of our affliction, we cry out for comfort.  We think that if the circumstances change, then our comfort will return.  God is compassionate - yet some of his greatest comfort comes in giving us the strength to go on in!  We often equate comfort to deliverance - God often equates it with the strength to "bear up" under the pressures of the circumstances and to remain encouraged. 

It is in moments of deep sorrow that God brings deep peace - he is close enough to meet our deepest needs.  There are a lot of "avenues" that God travels in our lives - each one involves him coming alongside - whether it be the "avenue" of grief, anxiety, regret, or personal pain.