Crossing The Jordan - Part 2

In Crossing the Jordan, Part One, we began to explore our role in following the Presence of God and carrying it in front of others as it relates to the journey of the Israelites in Joshua 3.  Today, as I’m rereading the passage once again, verse 5 is glowing at me in neon lights.  Here, Joshua gives an order..not just to the officers or the priests..but to ALL the people.  He tells them to CONSECRATE themselves. Some translations say consecrate; others say sanctify, make holy, or purify. This command from Joshua was similar to the command Moses gave the people in Exodus 19 at Mt Sinai.  In both situations, God was about to do something spectacular and He wanted His people to prepare for His Presence.

What does it mean to purify ourselves?  Yes, Jesus set us free from sin when He sacrificed His life at Calvary.  Salvation is a free gift that we only have to accept.  We may no longer be required to go through the ceremony of “purification” that the Israelites had to perform, but we DO live in a fallen world.  Evil is in a constant battle with good.  Distractions are everywhere, and many things are competing for our attention.  Some days, we may not even feel saved.   God is always with us, but sometimes, the circumstances of life cloud our vision and reduce His importance in our lives.  I don’t know about you, but those times don’t make me feel like I’ve crossed the Jordan to “freedom” on the other side.

Sometimes, it’s busy-ness and simple neglect of our relationship.  Other times, it may be outright blatant sin that we’ve allowed to creep in and take priority in our lives.  It may be bitterness or unforgiveness in our heart that separates us from Him. Perhaps it’s the guilt of past wounds or mistakes that make us feel like we’re never quite worthy to be in His presence. 

Water has to go through a purification process before it is drinkable.  Air often needs to go through a purification process before it is safely breathable.  Gold must go through a purification process in order to discard the less precious metals and allow it’s true value to be recognized. 

Joshua was commanding the people to purify themselves because “tomorrow, the Lord will do AMAZING things among you.”  He was urging them to take special care to make themselves clean because God was about to show up in an amazing way.  Like the water, air, and gold, it takes a process to remove impurities from our lives and hearts. It is not done haphazardly or carelessly.  It takes time and focus. People’s lives depend on the impurities being removed from water and air.  Gold will never be worth its true weight with the less desirable metals attached.  In the same way, we must separate ourselves from sin and pursue purity if we desire to experience the fullness of His glory.

So what does the purification process look like for us?  Rather than a magic formula, each of us needs to find the answer individually through Bible study and prayer, since Jesus wants us to have personal encounters with Him that allow us to be shaped to look more like Him. However, a great start is intentionally focusing our hearts and our minds solely on Him through devotions, worship, prayer, & fasting.  As He begins to speak to our hearts and deal with us on our own issues, we may find it necessary to make some radical “clean up” moves.  (In my head, Dora and Barney are singing their clean up songs and getting rid of clutter J).  Our process may involve some sacrifice, throwing out some things that are cluttering up the God-shaped hole in our lives.  It may require pushing away our plates or turning off our favorite shows for awhile out of desperation to see the AMAZING move of His presence that is right around the corner.  It may require new habits and new hangout spots, even a new vocabulary. Sometimes when we want to see the Amazing, we have to do the Radical.

We’ll talk more about the signs and wonders that followed in our next issue, but just know this. True freedom ALWAYS comes with a price.  It is costly, but hindsight always shows it to be worth the sacrifice.  You’ll see that crossing to the other side of the Jordan comes in a miraculous way. When He writes our stories with His Presence, the results always top a Hollywood Blockbuster. Stay tuned for more.

The Brickmaster

Whew!  It's hard to believe winter is actually over (especially with the extended cold and snow season).   Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years passed.  The pages turned on Valentines Day and St Patricks Day.  Even the Easter Season has come to a close.  And I have been missing in action from blog-land. In an effort to catch up, I am posting some articles that should have been posted a few months ago.  Please forgive the time lapse.  But...its a new season!  Here is the first, published in the Winter edition of the Victorious Woman newsletter I am honored to be a part of.

The Brickmaster

Unless the LORD builds the house,

those who build it labor in vain.

(Psalm 127:1)

Like many 9 year old boys, my son is a certified Lego fanatic. Grandiose fighter jets, intricate submarines, and transforming robots captivate his attention. He is meticulous about following the manual and assembling each tiny piece in the correct place, in the proper order, to make a masterpiece.  A few years ago, we had a Lego mishap in our home that rocked his world.  Friends visited while he wasn’t home and found their way to his room.  Before I realized what was happening, in mere minutes, his masterpieces had become true fighter jets.  As they crashed together, the pieces became a jumbled mess. Kevin and I spent hours sorting and separating the pieces, the best way we could, to begin the repair.  When we broke the news to Jaedyn, he was devastated.  He didn’t even want to look at his beloved Legos. For over a year, they remained in the bags we had sorted.  He refused to touch them.

Recently, we discussed redecorating his room.  With a vision in mind, he finally was coerced into opening a bag containing one of his ships.  It was painful to watch as he began the process of reconstruction, instruction manual in hand. Most things had to be torn apart to be put back together.  It was exciting to see his hard work pay off with the first finished project to display in his new room.

One day, he called me into his room. There was a brick missing.  He could not continue building without it.  I dug through bag upon bag, trying to find the elusive piece.  Several times, I thought I had the one.  Each time, he pronounced it the wrong color, shape, or size.  In frustration, I wondered why he couldn’t just substitute the piece I offered. But, even though it looked good to my eye, it didn’t do the job properly. It didn’t fit. Other pieces couldn’t build on it securely to make the envisioned piece if it didn’t have the attributes called for in the instruction manual.

Sometimes, I feel like one of those Lego ships.  Sometimes, I feel broken after a battle and feel like I’m in a bag fighting for air.  Other times, I try to order the pieces of my life without consulting the “instruction manual” God has given me for success. His Word holds the key to wholeness. Studying the manual is my only hope for finding the right pieces to fulfill the vision God sees for my life.

As women, our hearts are pulled in many directions.  Our minds run a thousand miles a minute with a never ending task list to be accomplished.  We wear many hats and fulfill many roles. We may feel as if there aren’t enough hours in the day, or enough love in our hearts, to accomplish our goals and succeed in the many facets of our lives. Out of frustration, it is easy to hastily build with pieces we think will do the trick.  However, when using counterfeits, we soon find ourselves out of balance and dysfunctional.  Like a car running on unbalanced tires, our life becomes a bumpy ride.

At the beginning of the year, it is customary to refocus and examine the things in our lives that need attention. We set goals, dream, and determine to “start fresh”.  It is a good time to return to our manual, the Word, to see what God is speaking about building us.  He desires that we live a life of wholeness and purpose that can only come from proper balance and the right pieces in the right place.  Don’t be dismayed, discouraged, or disillusioned if your current season doesn’t feel very purposeful.  Purpose defined by the world is counterfeit, like using the wrong Lego. Wiping snotty noses, sorting smelly socks, and teaching bedtime prayers are purpose in the life of a young mother.  Holding an aged hand, sitting quietly by a bedside, and listening to stories are purpose in the life of a caretaker. Whatever season you’re in, live it and build on it with the pieces the manual instructs.

We must remember that building a masterpiece is a process.  The stuff epitaphs are made of at the end of the journey is built upon colorful bricks from different life seasons.  The finished product may have been torn apart and rebuilt numerous times along the journey. It is tedious work, and sometimes trial and error.  That’s why it comes with a manual.

The manual helps us recognize the pieces we need and where to activate them in our lives. It helps us recognize counterfeits that well-meaning others suggest as a substitute for the real thing.  It teaches us about the fruit of the Spirit.  It shows us how to build a firm foundation for ourselves and our families. It teaches us about moderation, modesty, grace, forgiveness, marriage, parenting, evangelism, health, giving, and prioritizing. Within its pages there is a formula for success in every area of our lives.  It is steady and sure. Though seasons change, His instructions remain the same.

This year, I am making a concentrated effort to return to foundational truths, even if I need disassembled to be reconstructed the way He planned.  His masterpieces are complete and whole, lacking nothing.  There are no “misfits” with the Brickmaster!

Sweep Around Your Own Front Porch

This weekend, I got an overwhelming urge to Fall-ify our house.  Our curb appeal has had a split personality since September.   The oversize mum and collection of pumpkins combined with the leftover summer wreath have been a very eclectic mix.  Something overcame me on Saturday, and with the scent of pumpkin pie and the anticipation of Thanksgiving family gatherings at the forefront of my mind, I decided my home needed some autumn attention.

As visions of Pinterest projects danced through my mind, I convinced my wonderfully accommodating husband to journey into the attic.  :)  Once again, I'm thankful that he loves me unconditionally, even if he occasionally rolls his eyes at my requests.   Armed with boxes having yet to be unpacked, I tackled the tablescape in my dining room before journeying to the front porch. (Note: this no longer resembles a homeschool table and all further studies will convene to the desk in the schoolroom where they belong instead of trickling over to my Better Homes & Gardens photoshoot...at least until after Christmas!  Now my kids are the ones rolling their eyes.)

I suppose a sliver of my desire to nest came from the sudden realization that I completely missed the homey decorating of my favorite season last year.  At the peak of fall, we were in full travel mode, spending maybe 3 or 4 days in our temporary home the entire month of October.  In fact, last October, this same weekend, we were here in Cumberland interviewing for the position we are now serving in.  I remember whispering quietly with Kevin late Sunday night in a hotel room with the kids sleeping nearby as we searched the internet and newspaper for available homes.  I remember finding the perfect home for us on a less than perfect street...and wanting to turn my head and cover my children's eyes as we drove down that street to view the house.  The elaborate..and frankly, scary...Halloween displays on many of the houses made me want to immediately do a U-turn.

Just a few days ago, those Halloween decorations came back to haunt me.   This is home now, and I still want to turn my head and cover their eyes when we drive home each day.  But this is the season we are in.  And, truth be told, although I am not a fan of Halloween, I adore Autumn.

As I stood on my porch giving it a Fall makeover, I thought about those houses.  I wished their porches could be free of skeletons, spiderwebs, tombstones, and scary faces and instead could reflect the beauty of the season...like mine.  And then,  moving things around,  I discovered an intricate spiderweb in the corner.  It was a masterpiece...and it had obviously been there for some time, receiving no attention from me.  As I looked closer, I saw that though my porch was being decorated with beautiful things, it was in desperate need of attention that a new wreath on the door would not solve.    As I picked up the broom and begin to rid my porch of the cobwebs, dust, and debris, the Holy Spirit whispered quietly to me "Sweep Around Your Own Front Porch".

My broom stopped its motion as the words began to penetrate my heart.  I thought about how I might have judged who was living inside the houses down the street by what the exterior looked like and the decor they chose to represent them.  My heart filled with sadness as the more I cleaned, the more I realized how much had gone unnoticed on my own porch simply because the pretty wreath on the door had drawn my eyes upward.  As I walked around the exterior of my our house, I found more tell tale signs of neglect.  Don't judge me, but I found Christmas wreaths from last year still leaning on one porch.  Granted they were no longer hanging, but they had never made their way to the attic.  I said don't judge me :).

In the beautiful way that the Holy Spirit writes parables for me to understand, I realized that if I'm not careful, it is so easy to fall into this same trap when relating to others outside the realms of seasonal decorating.   I'm talking to myself here, but I know I'm not alone.  We are quick to find fault in others for the inadequacies or bad choices they wear like a billboard on their chest.  But all the while, beyond our smug got-it-all-together exteriors lays a neglected heart corroded with debris that needs our attention.  Jesus address this in Matthew 7:5 when he instructs us to remove the beam out of our own eye so we can see clearly to remove the speck from our brother (or sisters) eye.  It's so easy to ignore what we need to fix when our vision is clouded and our attention diverted by what annoys us most about others.  We need to examine the hidden places on our porches, the nooks and crannies, where it is easy for things to creep in unnoticed when our focus is in another direction.  Things like jealousy, bitterness, busyness that leads to lives out of balance, mediocrity, and pride can cause nasty, sticky spiderwebs when left unattended.

When I am offended by others or pass judgement on them in some way,  I need to look at myself and make sure my curb appeal is all that it can be.  I need to let Jesus sweep away the dust that has clouded my eyes from seeing the truth.  Upon closer examination, I may find areas like the trail the birds left on my doorstep..that take more than just a broom and need a deeper cleansing.  Like my porch needed a pitcher of water, my heart may need the cleansing river of the Holy Spirit to saturate it.

In a few weeks, the ghosts and goblins and all other signs of darkness will vanish from the porches of my neighbors.  I hope they are replaced by more festive decorations as we journey into the true Holiday Season.  But my primary responsibility is to make sure my entryway is swept, welcoming, and maintained regularly.  I'll make sure the glass on my door is sparkling clean to reflect the light of the season.  I'll do the same with my heart.  May I sparkle enough to reflect His light clearly to a world in need of hope.  And may I always, when tempted to complain about the neighbor's landscape, get out my broom and sweep my own front porch first!