Lately, I’ve been reading a couple of books that deal with the giftings of women. Hidden in Plain View by Jacqueline Tobin and Raymond Dobard describes how the women of the 1860’s used quilts to help the slaves who were using the Underground Railroad. The different patterns on the quilts signified which direction to go toward freedom or which house might provide safety. The women hung quilts on their front fences or folded them and took them inside, depending on the signals they needed to give. These creative women pointed black people toward liberty by using design and color, disguised as a quilt.
The other book, Half the Church, by Carolyn Custis James uses insights and experiences to point out another type of slavery. James reminds us that sex trafficking and abuse occur all over the world – including the squalid jungles of our American cities. Young girls are sold into bondage to be used and abused by the lust of men and the greedy cravings of their owners. As Christian women, we spiritual warriors must put on our armor and do whatever is necessary to stop this tragedy.
James also reminds us that as women, we have many giftings and should not hide our gifts behind the cement walls of submission. Although Biblically, we should submit to leadership when a difference of opinion occurs, that does not mean we should accept a spirit of apathy about our gifts – especially when we might be able to save a life.
At first glance, these books might seem vastly different. One deals with a subject pertinent to the Civil War while the other involves our present 21st century. But in actuality, both books shout the same theme – human rights. Freedom for captives of race and gender deserves the attention of all God’s children, and we women can rally to meet the need.
Since God has gifted us with compassion and creativity, we have a responsibility to use our giftings to help others. We, the female portion of the dust people, must continue to hang our quilts to point captives toward freedom – whether that means a physical or a spiritual liberty. We, the female half of the church, must also loosen the bonds of spiritual abuse within the Church so that we can develop programs and work beside our brothers.
I challenge all of us to do whatever necessary – even if it means a march against the status quo – to use our creativity and our intelligence to be an equal half of the Church, to rescue those in slavery, to follow the radical social justice outlined in Micah 6:8.
Since Jesus risked it all to save us, can we do any less to save others?
Saturday, July 2, 2011
Friday, June 24, 2011
Signature of God
Recently, a friend gave me some information about geese. I had told her about a previous blog post and the lessons I learned from geese. She relayed an internet site which helped me learn more about these graceful and gracious creatures.
It seems that when geese fly in a V, they are using aerodynamic principles. No surprise there. But when they honk, they’re not just announcing to the world that they’re flying past us, they are encouraging each other to continue – to push past the fatigue and persevere. When one goose tires or is injured, two or three others will land and stay with him until he is well again and able to travel.
The spiritual analogies seem clear. We Christians need to keep encouraging each other to persevere – even when the world makes fun of us, even when we can’t find anything decent to watch on TV, even when the solid values of family and hard work and the inerrancy of scripture are being redefined. Honk – encourage each other to remain true and strong and faithful.
If one of us should fall, that is not a time for self-righteous judgment nor should we leave our brothers and sisters behind. Our role then is to come alongside, to actually be with each other in the middle of the mess, to grieve with each other until we are restored and can journey on.
How I love these lessons from nature that teach us Biblical and common sense principles. The nature of geese is to follow their instincts, to fly but always to endure the flight together. As we do the same, our very lives will bear the signature of God.
It seems that when geese fly in a V, they are using aerodynamic principles. No surprise there. But when they honk, they’re not just announcing to the world that they’re flying past us, they are encouraging each other to continue – to push past the fatigue and persevere. When one goose tires or is injured, two or three others will land and stay with him until he is well again and able to travel.
The spiritual analogies seem clear. We Christians need to keep encouraging each other to persevere – even when the world makes fun of us, even when we can’t find anything decent to watch on TV, even when the solid values of family and hard work and the inerrancy of scripture are being redefined. Honk – encourage each other to remain true and strong and faithful.
If one of us should fall, that is not a time for self-righteous judgment nor should we leave our brothers and sisters behind. Our role then is to come alongside, to actually be with each other in the middle of the mess, to grieve with each other until we are restored and can journey on.
How I love these lessons from nature that teach us Biblical and common sense principles. The nature of geese is to follow their instincts, to fly but always to endure the flight together. As we do the same, our very lives will bear the signature of God.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Planted in Place
During a wildflower tour in the abundant Flint Hills of Kansas, I learned about the various grasses and plants that live there. God, in one of his creative jaunts, planted wild strawberries, coneflowers and goldenrod in the tallgrass prairie. Many of the wildflowers and grasses contain essential nutrients to feed and heal animals as well as human beings. But driving through the Flint Hills, we may fail to see the beauty of the prairie or to appreciate the way God planned it.
If we were to find some of those wildflowers and grasses in our well-manicured lawns, we would pull them. “A weed – yuck – grab the chemicals and destroy the roots.” But as our tour guide told us, “A weed is simply a plant out of place.”
God places us in particular places during particular seasons of life. Whether we think geographically or within the broader scope of life’s experiences, we are planted for a reason. God wants us to be spiritually nourished with the Word, with His presence, with music and nature and friends. He longs for us to grow closer to Him, to find our strength within the joy of His being and then share that joy with others. He wants us to produce and reproduce and praise the Master Gardener. He has designed us with particular gifts and talents so that we can bear His good news of love to a hungry world.
If we follow what He has told us to do and give our all to growth, then we will see the results of a bountiful harvest. We’ll flourish like the wildflowers and grasses of the prairie, reflecting the beauty of sunsets and the glory of thunderstorms.
But if we let every wind of change and every nudge of the flesh move us from the place God put us, we’ll become weak and useless – producing nothing but empty pods of legalism and strife. In the proper place, with the best God has to offer, we produce fruit. But planted out of place in the trails of rebellion, we become weeds.
I long to bear fruit. What about you?
If we were to find some of those wildflowers and grasses in our well-manicured lawns, we would pull them. “A weed – yuck – grab the chemicals and destroy the roots.” But as our tour guide told us, “A weed is simply a plant out of place.”
God places us in particular places during particular seasons of life. Whether we think geographically or within the broader scope of life’s experiences, we are planted for a reason. God wants us to be spiritually nourished with the Word, with His presence, with music and nature and friends. He longs for us to grow closer to Him, to find our strength within the joy of His being and then share that joy with others. He wants us to produce and reproduce and praise the Master Gardener. He has designed us with particular gifts and talents so that we can bear His good news of love to a hungry world.
If we follow what He has told us to do and give our all to growth, then we will see the results of a bountiful harvest. We’ll flourish like the wildflowers and grasses of the prairie, reflecting the beauty of sunsets and the glory of thunderstorms.
But if we let every wind of change and every nudge of the flesh move us from the place God put us, we’ll become weak and useless – producing nothing but empty pods of legalism and strife. In the proper place, with the best God has to offer, we produce fruit. But planted out of place in the trails of rebellion, we become weeds.
I long to bear fruit. What about you?
Monday, May 30, 2011
Memorials
Several years ago, we toured Washington DC and discovered the difference between a memorial and a monument. Structures such as the Washington Monument stand as beautiful reminders of American history and are named for famous people or events.
But memorials, such as the Lincoln Memorial and the Jefferson Memorial, actually house the statue of the person for whom the memorial is named. I stood in front of the granite likeness of Abraham Lincoln and marveled at the inscribed words of the Gettysburg Address that surrounded him. As I remembered all that Lincoln did to help our nation survive the Civil War, I prayed a prayer of agreement with him, that “this government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”
On this Memorial Day, we honor the heroes of our nation – men and women who have left homes and families to fulfill their duty. Some of them returned to this land they fought for. Some are buried in foreign countries, remembered by their loved ones and a grateful nation.
I’m also grateful for the missionaries who leave home and family so that they can present the spiritual freedom we have in Christ to a hungry world. They live with modest incomes, rent tiny apartments and depend on the goodness of others to support them. These people are not listed on granite walls, but they are inscribed in the heart of God and someday will receive special rewards.
Missionaries are more than just monuments, human structures that designate a piece of history. They are memorials to the truth as they carry within them the image and power of Jesus. Today I honor these heroes and heroines of faith. They know what real freedom is all about.
But memorials, such as the Lincoln Memorial and the Jefferson Memorial, actually house the statue of the person for whom the memorial is named. I stood in front of the granite likeness of Abraham Lincoln and marveled at the inscribed words of the Gettysburg Address that surrounded him. As I remembered all that Lincoln did to help our nation survive the Civil War, I prayed a prayer of agreement with him, that “this government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”
On this Memorial Day, we honor the heroes of our nation – men and women who have left homes and families to fulfill their duty. Some of them returned to this land they fought for. Some are buried in foreign countries, remembered by their loved ones and a grateful nation.
I’m also grateful for the missionaries who leave home and family so that they can present the spiritual freedom we have in Christ to a hungry world. They live with modest incomes, rent tiny apartments and depend on the goodness of others to support them. These people are not listed on granite walls, but they are inscribed in the heart of God and someday will receive special rewards.
Missionaries are more than just monuments, human structures that designate a piece of history. They are memorials to the truth as they carry within them the image and power of Jesus. Today I honor these heroes and heroines of faith. They know what real freedom is all about.
Friday, May 20, 2011
The Personality of the House
Throughout my lifetime, I have lived in various houses and have found that each one has a personality. From the farmhouse where I grew up to my current duplex, I have experienced the unique pleasure of memories, colored by the personality of the house.
The adobe apartment in Honduras kept me warm during the rainy season yet cool during the hotter months. It brought me joy when my students camped inside for Bible study or knocked on the door, asking me if they could dissect frogs. The downside of that apartment was the giant tarantulas that crept into my bedroom until one of the men designed a special trapdoor to keep them out. Relief was the emotion that lived there.
My bachelorette house stood near the school where I taught in a small Oklahoma town. With two bedrooms and a cozy eat-in kitchen, I had everything I needed. My house had the only basement in the area, so when the wind twisted through tornado alley – the neighbors came running. We huddled together until the all-clear sounded. Safety was the watchword of that house.
The big two-story where my son was born sported four bedrooms, a gigantic dining room, a parlor off the stairway and a smaller living room. I re-decorated every room of that house, learning how to do stencils and wallpaper, plus scraping the nasty rubber stuff from under the carpet so that we could install tile. That was the house where my son learned to walk, where he said his first word (“kitty”) and where he came running into the kitchen to help me bake bread. We lived longest in that house, and I loved it. Security seemed to ooze from every corner.
The split level in Lawrence had everything I had ever wanted in a house. I didn’t need to re-decorate and loved looking out from the kitchen sink onto the expansive back yard. The wildflowers I planted waved in the Kansas wind. But that became the divorce house. I labeled it sorrow.
A beautiful townhome was next, provided by a wonderful couple who wanted to serve God by helping single moms. The townhome was where I learned more about trusting God than ever before. My son and I bonded as we worked through the pain. That was my healing house.
The current duplex where we now live started out as an idea – to move forward in life and eventually flip it as an investment. But the recession deleted that idea and my son was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor. My cat died, and then I lost my job. Our dog died. It seemed this house would become another structure where sadness reigned.
But then May 12th happened (note the previous post) and the Keller Williams team changed everything. Now I drive up to a freshly-painted exterior. My fireplace has been rebuilt. I walk around the backyard and smile at the abundant plants and flowers that raise their colorful heads to God’s sky. I plan exotic meals with flavors from my new herb garden. And I marvel that the personality of this house has changed. From the house of struggle, it now wears a new name tag – one I thought I might never again experience. Joy. This is my house of restored joy.
The adobe apartment in Honduras kept me warm during the rainy season yet cool during the hotter months. It brought me joy when my students camped inside for Bible study or knocked on the door, asking me if they could dissect frogs. The downside of that apartment was the giant tarantulas that crept into my bedroom until one of the men designed a special trapdoor to keep them out. Relief was the emotion that lived there.
My bachelorette house stood near the school where I taught in a small Oklahoma town. With two bedrooms and a cozy eat-in kitchen, I had everything I needed. My house had the only basement in the area, so when the wind twisted through tornado alley – the neighbors came running. We huddled together until the all-clear sounded. Safety was the watchword of that house.
The big two-story where my son was born sported four bedrooms, a gigantic dining room, a parlor off the stairway and a smaller living room. I re-decorated every room of that house, learning how to do stencils and wallpaper, plus scraping the nasty rubber stuff from under the carpet so that we could install tile. That was the house where my son learned to walk, where he said his first word (“kitty”) and where he came running into the kitchen to help me bake bread. We lived longest in that house, and I loved it. Security seemed to ooze from every corner.
The split level in Lawrence had everything I had ever wanted in a house. I didn’t need to re-decorate and loved looking out from the kitchen sink onto the expansive back yard. The wildflowers I planted waved in the Kansas wind. But that became the divorce house. I labeled it sorrow.
A beautiful townhome was next, provided by a wonderful couple who wanted to serve God by helping single moms. The townhome was where I learned more about trusting God than ever before. My son and I bonded as we worked through the pain. That was my healing house.
The current duplex where we now live started out as an idea – to move forward in life and eventually flip it as an investment. But the recession deleted that idea and my son was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor. My cat died, and then I lost my job. Our dog died. It seemed this house would become another structure where sadness reigned.
But then May 12th happened (note the previous post) and the Keller Williams team changed everything. Now I drive up to a freshly-painted exterior. My fireplace has been rebuilt. I walk around the backyard and smile at the abundant plants and flowers that raise their colorful heads to God’s sky. I plan exotic meals with flavors from my new herb garden. And I marvel that the personality of this house has changed. From the house of struggle, it now wears a new name tag – one I thought I might never again experience. Joy. This is my house of restored joy.
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Before We Ask
Like ambassadors of kindness, the Keller Williams teams poured out of their cars and onto my yard. Wearing red T-shirts that sported their motto, “Give Where You Live,” they quickly transported tools and plants to the back yard, carried ladders to the front porch and popped paint rollers together. Under the leadership of construction foreman, Kenny, teams took control of cleaning out flower beds, sawing new lumber and painting faded wood.
Somehow, through the kindness of a friend and the grace of God, I had been chosen as the recipient for the annual Keller Williams “Red” Day. On May 12th, these realtors honor the birthday of one of their founders by doing a service project – a good deed that helps the entire community and also blesses some lucky people.
This year, my son and I were the lucky ones. Throughout the long and tedious day, these realtors climbed up and down ladders, perched on my roof, redesigned my fireplace, replaced rotted wood and painted my house the beautiful new colors I had chosen. They also provided lunch, refurbished the landscaping, added mulch to all the flower beds and encouraged Caleb and me with friendly conversation. Working for 10 hours, these folks gave of their time, their muscles and their energy to make our house so much safer and absolutely beautiful.
The odd thing is that I hadn’t even prayed specifically for any of this. I knew the house needed to be painted, but I wasn’t sure how or when that would happen. In the deepest recesses of my soul, I wanted my flower beds to glorify the Creator and be a place of beauty where I could pray and rest and journal my thoughts. But I hadn’t asked God to provide new plants or mulch or paint or lumber. He just knew.
Like a loving Husband and Maker, holy God put together the circumstances of this blessing. Before I could even ask Him, He made sure that one of my friends told a realtor about the need. Before I could imagine how wonderful May 12th would be, God rearranged the cloud cover so there would be no threatening storms. Before the wood rot and the hidden ants’ nest destroyed the fireplace, my Heavenly Father made sure that several men would find the problem and fix it. Before I asked, God did it.
The morning after, I woke up to so much joy and praised God over and over for all the goodness of the day before. When I drove up to my house after work, I thanked God for all the good people who truly gave where they lived, who put up with sore muscles and paint under their fingernails and cuts on their hands so that Caleb and I could enjoy this blessing.
We didn’t ask for this, but it happened. Grace upon joy upon blessing from the heart of a loving God and people who wanted to do a good thing – even before we asked.
Somehow, through the kindness of a friend and the grace of God, I had been chosen as the recipient for the annual Keller Williams “Red” Day. On May 12th, these realtors honor the birthday of one of their founders by doing a service project – a good deed that helps the entire community and also blesses some lucky people.
This year, my son and I were the lucky ones. Throughout the long and tedious day, these realtors climbed up and down ladders, perched on my roof, redesigned my fireplace, replaced rotted wood and painted my house the beautiful new colors I had chosen. They also provided lunch, refurbished the landscaping, added mulch to all the flower beds and encouraged Caleb and me with friendly conversation. Working for 10 hours, these folks gave of their time, their muscles and their energy to make our house so much safer and absolutely beautiful.
The odd thing is that I hadn’t even prayed specifically for any of this. I knew the house needed to be painted, but I wasn’t sure how or when that would happen. In the deepest recesses of my soul, I wanted my flower beds to glorify the Creator and be a place of beauty where I could pray and rest and journal my thoughts. But I hadn’t asked God to provide new plants or mulch or paint or lumber. He just knew.
Like a loving Husband and Maker, holy God put together the circumstances of this blessing. Before I could even ask Him, He made sure that one of my friends told a realtor about the need. Before I could imagine how wonderful May 12th would be, God rearranged the cloud cover so there would be no threatening storms. Before the wood rot and the hidden ants’ nest destroyed the fireplace, my Heavenly Father made sure that several men would find the problem and fix it. Before I asked, God did it.
The morning after, I woke up to so much joy and praised God over and over for all the goodness of the day before. When I drove up to my house after work, I thanked God for all the good people who truly gave where they lived, who put up with sore muscles and paint under their fingernails and cuts on their hands so that Caleb and I could enjoy this blessing.
We didn’t ask for this, but it happened. Grace upon joy upon blessing from the heart of a loving God and people who wanted to do a good thing – even before we asked.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Valiant Men
In Sunday school, we’ve been working through the books of I and II Samuel. So many of the stories are about David and Saul, Jonathan and the Israelites. Rich stories about trusting the God who looks not on the outward appearance, but on the heart.
Last Sunday, we looked at 2 Samuel 23 which lists the 30 valiant men who followed David and fought for him. These were brave men who were willing to fight against the enemy but who were also courageous enough to go against Saul, the current king. They believed in David and in the God he loved. They lived in caves and in tents, not knowing when they might have to face the king’s army, yet willing to defend the man they believed would one day be the king of Israel.
We often scan over lists of names in the Bible, because they’re difficult to pronounce and we have no idea where places such as Anathoth or Pirathon or Carmel really are. Yet these men were real, living, flesh and blood warriors. Men such as Asahel and Zalmon and Benaiah – men who left their homes and their security to wander through the pasturelands on a quest with the next king.
The Bible describes these men as valiant – an adjective we don’t often use in the 21st century. Yet because they were part of the history of Israel and the journey of King David, they are listed – all 30 of them – in a prominent book of the Old Testament. Valiant men. Courageous men. Men who dared to fight against the status quo and believe in something better.
I wonder – where are the valiant men and women today? Are we hiding, because it’s too scary to venture into the world and be warriors for King Jesus? Or are we working and praying and fighting, but no one seems to notice.
God knows, and He is making His own list of the valiant ones who serve the King.
Last Sunday, we looked at 2 Samuel 23 which lists the 30 valiant men who followed David and fought for him. These were brave men who were willing to fight against the enemy but who were also courageous enough to go against Saul, the current king. They believed in David and in the God he loved. They lived in caves and in tents, not knowing when they might have to face the king’s army, yet willing to defend the man they believed would one day be the king of Israel.
We often scan over lists of names in the Bible, because they’re difficult to pronounce and we have no idea where places such as Anathoth or Pirathon or Carmel really are. Yet these men were real, living, flesh and blood warriors. Men such as Asahel and Zalmon and Benaiah – men who left their homes and their security to wander through the pasturelands on a quest with the next king.
The Bible describes these men as valiant – an adjective we don’t often use in the 21st century. Yet because they were part of the history of Israel and the journey of King David, they are listed – all 30 of them – in a prominent book of the Old Testament. Valiant men. Courageous men. Men who dared to fight against the status quo and believe in something better.
I wonder – where are the valiant men and women today? Are we hiding, because it’s too scary to venture into the world and be warriors for King Jesus? Or are we working and praying and fighting, but no one seems to notice.
God knows, and He is making His own list of the valiant ones who serve the King.
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