Lose Everything to Gain Everything

This morning I sat down to eat breakfast, and the TV was on. One of the first things I saw was a noisy advert for an Easter Sale. It interrupted my calm morning, and reminded me that even over Easter nothing shuts down.

We can't bear to go without anything for even a few days. It made me wonder, What would we do if the whole country shut down for the whole five days? (ANZAC day is the extra day for non-Australian readers.) It made think that we would probably rely a lot more on each other - run out of something, maybe we would have to go talk to a neighbour, or pool our resources with a group of friends. We would probably focus more on people, on our family and friends, rather than running off to a "Once In A Lifetime SALE" that happens every other month anyway.

If we stripped away everything we normally rely on to keep us safe, and fed and entertained, what would we turn to?

I know the answer is God.

In the Western world I think it is harder for us to really get the concept of fully relying on God. Because we don't need to. We are prosperous and secure and so take it for granted that is actually God that gives us all that. What will it take to remind us that God is everything - that at the end of the day he is all we have, and all we need?

I think we may have seen a bit of what it takes. Far from just a short shut down on a public holiday, all over the world people are experiencing events that strip them of their usual lives, their possessions, the things they normally rely on. In floods and earth quakes and tsunamis, all our control is taken away.

I don't think God is causing these things to happen, as some sort of punishment. But it's an idea that we struggle with - Why does God let bad things happen?

I don't have the answer to that, but I do know that God works all things together for good. If out of this even a few people rediscover the God that supplies all their needs, then there is good. What is it that really matters? Our earthly temporary lives and comfort, or our eternal lives with God?

We don't need to "mourn like those who have no hope". (1 Thessalonians 4:13) We have eternity - anything else means very little in comparison. And truthfully, a lot of us will find this Easter that our greatest hardship is worrying that we will run out of milk and the shops won't be open.

Don't wait for a natural disaster to strip you of everything, to realise the EVERYTHING that you really need.

"If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it." Matthew 16:25

Lessons Learned from Flat Pack Furniture

We've just got the keys to our newly built house, and so several weekends I can foresee are going to be dedicated to setting up the home and putting together furniture.

I'm not the handiest of women - when I was in school my Tech teacher ended up making most of my projects for me. So when faced with a floor full of pieces and bits and doodads from a box of flat pack furniture, my initial reaction is to feel a bit overwhelmed.

When it's all laid out like that, it seems like you can't possibly imagine ever being able to put it all together into something resembling furniture.

But the funny thing was, as I went through the instructions step by step, I realised it was all there for me. The bits were designed to go together. The instructions we ordered in a way that showed me when and where to put things.

And as I got near the end, and had an almost complete, and reasonably sturdy piece of furniture in front of me, I had a thought.

Maybe this is why God never seems to show us his whole plan. We always want him to. We always ask him "Just show me where this is all going, what is happening, what's coming up!" And we are often frustrated by what seems like a lack of answers. He might show us a glimpse of the goal we're aiming for, and he's given us the ultimate picture of heaven & eternity. But he doesn't always show us all the pieces and all the parts of that plan that have yet to be put into place before we get to that final picture. Most often we find he only shows us the next step when it's ready to be put in place.

It's frustrating to us, but we've got to assume God knows what he's doing. Maybe he's not just being mean and secretive - maybe he's giving us as much as we need, and what he knows we can handle and what he knows will be right for us at that time.

Perhaps he knows that if we saw the whole plan laid out on the floor, we would be frozen in the face of something so complex we wouldn't know what to do with it. God's plan for our lives, for the world, has so many pieces and parts that need to go together, to be put into place at exactly the right time. If he showed it all to us at once, we'd be overwhelmed. His plan is far more intricate and complex than any piece of flat pack furniture.

It's like making the furniture when you're in the middle of the steps. "I know this will eventually be a cabinet, and I think this part I'm working on now will be a drawer." If we focus on that, and just pick up the next piece that we need it seems achieveable. But if we look around at all the pieces still lying there, all the things that we still ahve no idea what they are or what they're for, or where they might go, it all seems like such a giant task again.

Imagine the distance between my (zero) understanding of carpentry compared to a carpenter who has been making furniture all his life. Then times that by about a million, and I still don't think we come close to comparing my understanding of life to God's understanding!

"My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,' says the Lord. 'For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts." Isaiah 55:8-9

Fortunately for us though, even though there are so many pieces and the timing has to be just right - our part is actually simple. We take the parts God has put in our hands right now, and we put them where he shows us they need to go. We don't actually have to be in control of all the pieces, or the timing of things. All we actually need to be responsible for is keeping our focus on the Master Builder, who we can trust to show us the right steps at the right time.

Even when we mess up, he still provides. When I was making the chest of drawers I put the wrong pieces in at an early stage, then realised I was short two pieces later on when it was too late to get those pieces out again. But then I realised when I made an earlier piece of furniture, there had been a couple of bits too many, so I kept the spares. They were just the pieces I needed.

God does that for us in life. When we make mistakes because we looked away from his instructions or his plan, or tried to do it our own way - and then ultimately realise we've stuffed up - even though it may have been our own fault, he always provides. He always gives us a way back. Even our biggest mistakes are no match for an awesome God.

"I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please." Isaiah 46:9-10

If you are looking at your life now and it feels like the contents of flat pack furniture laid out on the floor, or if you are trying to see into the furture and wondering where everything is going -  rather than feeling overwhelmed or frustrated, take another look. Take a look at what it is God is placing in your hands right now, and ask him to show you where to place that piece.

He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. Ecclesiastes 3:11

 

Follow your heart?

This is a follow up post to a comment made on the 'I don't Feel like it' post, which asked a great question.

The phrase "Follow your heart" is something we often hear when it comes to make decisions or living life - so how do we follow our hearts if our feelings can't always be trusted?

First of all, I think the "follow your heart" advice has a few different meanings - we may actually be saying "Go after your dreams", "Don't do things just because of others expectations", "Don't be cold and emotionless in all your decisions in life". Those things maybe be closer to what we are actually trying to say with "follow your heart", rather than "listen only to your feelings".

But sometimes when we say "follow your heart", we are meaning - go with your feelings. And I don't like that saying in that cas. I think it's unbiblical and liable to get us into trouble.

If "the heart is deceitful above all things" then it's probably not to be trusted with our life decisions.

In the Bible, the heart outside of God's control is not looked on very positively. Gen 8:21  every inclination of his heart is evil from childhood.

I think the saying "follow your heart" is a worldly idea, because in the world people believe that we are the masters of our own hearts, and should make our decisions based on our own inner most desires. But as Christians we know we have a different master, and One who has greater purpose than we can even dream.

So instead we should say, "Follow God, the one who knows our hearts, and has our best interests in His." That doesn't mean our feelings or dreams or desires don't matter - God placed them there, he knows them, and isn't going to neglect the things we hope for. But he also knows the far bigger picture and knows what will be right and wrong for us. He knows the deceptive parts of our hearts, and knows when we need to bring them under his control.

Trust God with your heart, and then you will be able to test and discern your feelings. Then rather than going on emotion or 'intuition', you will be going on the promptings of the Spirit.

Is 16:7  But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."

1Kings 8:61  But your hearts must be fully committed to the LORD our God, to live by his decrees and obey his commands

Psalm 26:2  Test me, O LORD, and try me, examine my heart and my mind.

I don't FEEL like it.

With children, we know that even though they don't feel like eating their veges, brushing their teeth, cleaning their rooms, doing their homework, they still need to because we know that it is good for them.

The problem, as adults we don't always learn the same thing. We are society ruled by feelings. Whether we think we are a hedonist or not, a lot of us unconsciously follow that way of thinking. (The heart is deceitful above all things - Jeremiah 17:9) If it feels good, it is good. If it doesn't feel good, it must not be good. Sure, we may know that we have to go to work, pay taxes, do the housework even if we don't feel like it. But often, deep down, we hold the belief that feelings rule. We just have to look at the state of marriages, the attitudes towards sex and drinking, towards health, food and exercise, to see that so many people are clinging to the roller coaster of feelings.

I know I have definitely let myself be ruled by feelings in my life. So I have done a lot of things that haven't been good for me because, either it felt good at the time so I did it, or it didn't feel good, it didn't seem fun, so I didn't do it. Like when I was trying to learn an instrument, and it was difficult and didn't feel much fun because I couldn't make a good sound straight away, I gave up. Or when I wanted to drink alcohol or go out with guys, I felt like it, so why not?

This is a very worldly attitude. And we're can notice and criticise this attitude when it comes to things like bringing up children (though because of the attitudes of so many adults, this is even being lost for children.) But often not so good when it comes to ourselves.

And especially when it comes to our relationship with God.

We base it on how we feel. We don't feel like praying, like reading our Bibles. Even when we do pray, God doesn't feel like he is there listening. It's all very easy to praise and worship God when we feel like it, when it feels like God has done something for us. But when life isn't so easy, we don't feeling like praising and thanking God. It doesn't feel like he's doing anything good, so I don't feel like praying. I don't FEEL anything. Is God really there?

But has God ever said, "When you can feel me, that's when I'm here" ? No, he says, "I'm here."

Has he said, "When life feels easy, that's when I'm looking out for you."? No, he says, "I will NEVER leave you nor forsake you."

And if we feel like doing something because it feels good now, why should we not do it? Because we know there is more to life than just what is in this earth.  

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.  But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6:19-21

Even when we don't feel like doing something, when it feels hard or painful, why do we do it? Because like a child eating their vegetables we know God has told us it is good for us, even if it doesn't feel like it. Folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline will drive it far from him. Proverbs 22:15

We when don't feel like God is near to us, or listening to us, we know he still is. How? Because he said he  always will be.

Feelings are not bad - but we have to recognise them for what they are - subjective and changeable. We should pay attention to our feelings, but not let them have the final say.

If we live letting feelings rule us, life is a roller coaster of emotions. We won't end up being very healthy or stable, and that includes spiritually.

When have you done something that went against your feelings, and been rewarded? Or when have you just followed your feelings and what have been the consequences?

Facebook is here to stay & I'm an advocate.

Ok, so Facebook doesn't really need an advocate. I'm sure it will continue to thrive whether I support it or not.

But in some circles, Facebook does need advocates. And not just Facebook, but all social media and technology. I think it's an amazing phenomenon, and although there are downsides and things we need to learn to manage, technology is revolutionising our lives. Whether it's good or bad, don't you think it's amazing that our lifestyle, especially for young people, is even rewiring the way their brains work! This is something we need to know about, not something to ignore.

Technology, and social media, in particular has changed the way we live life and the way we socialise. It's been moving so fast that I don't think we've really caught up with ourselves. In schools, for example, there are policies against using mobile phones and i-Pods in class, but then every student has or is being given a laptop and everyone is trying to incorporate IT into curriculum. The old boundaries are limited, and the new boundaries are becoming blurred, so schools are finding it difficult to embrace. What happens to these individual policies when you have a phone that essentially IS a computer? And where do Tablet PCs and iPads fit? And these new technologies and medias are so much a part of whole generations, that we are neglecting a large part of their lives it we ignore it.

Rather than working harder to ban these things, I think we should be taking a more proactive approach and being at the forefront of how we can USE these things. Young people already are using them, every day. All these new things don't show any signs of just going away, even if people want them to. If we don't get on board with what is happening, it will happen anyway - and we'll be left behind.

I've heard people say "We may wish Facebook would just curl up and die, but it won't." Half of that statement is wrong to me, half of it is right, but as a whole it is completely off the mark.

One, even though I may smile and nod sometimes to keep the peace, I'm not actually one of those people that wishes Facebook would 'die' - I use it and love it. As to the second part - they are most likley right in saying Facebook isn't going to go away - it's firmly entrenched in many people's lives and I think has more going for it to prevent it going the way of MySpace. But that statement is also off the mark - people blame the social media, the platforms. But the truth is they do come and go. They surge in popularity, then die off. But even when they go, that's not the end of it. People haven't all just suddenly logged off the internet never to return - these things die off because something else is replacing it.

Social media is here to stay. Why not embrace it? No media like this is essentially good or bad in and of itself - it's the way we use it. And if we don't get on board, it's still going to evolve and change and grow. It will just grow and change without us, until we are totally left behind.

There can be many benefits of using this media, whether in schools or in ministry - it is such an easy, convenient and interactive way to connect and reach groups of people, such as through creating facebook groups, or Twitter accounts for church announcements.

People argue that we want to create genuine relationships, and connecting through technologies is not genuine. I agree that if you only ever connected with people through technology, then that would be artificial. But used as another facet along with in-person socialising and connecting, I think it is an asset. For a generation of people for whom the online, technological world has become a large part of their lives, ignoring that it is a valid part of their entire worlds is a bit insulting. People are longing for community and connectedness - do we tell them it's only valid if you do it the old fashioned way? Do we neglect this sphere of engaging them?

And of course there are all sorts of privacy issues, and other problems that have been brought up through online presence - but I don't think these issues are new, they've just taken a new dimension that we haven't learned to deal with yet. On the whole, for most people, using common sense and privacy settings is enough to protect ourselves. It's like driving our car in to a huge public parking lot and displaying all our contact and personal details in the window for everyone passing by to see - we wouldn't do that. It sounds ridiculous in that context, so why do we do that in the most giant public space of them all, the internet? And the the issues aren't going to be resolved by us keeping out of it.

The problem is, because of it's rapid advance, we haven't learnt to manage it all yet. But that, to me, is the biggest reason of all for getting involved. Young people already are - they've got a huge part of their lives entwined with technology, but not all adults are in there with them. It's a whole world - and who is bringing them up in it and teaching them how to live in that world? It can't be us; we've got our heads in the sand wishing that it would just disappear. So who's bring them up?

They are teaching themselves and each other what's right and wrong in this world, what's appropriate and safe.

There is a reason kids have parents - because growing up, even the most mature young people are still developing their skills of rationalisation, their ability to understand right and wrong, and the consequences. When it comes to technology, it's a world community responsibilty

If we aren't in that world, not only are we missing out on new and creative ways of connecting with people, were are doing our young people a disservice. We should be setting the standards, teaching young people how to use it creatively but safely. We should be proactive in molding this technology into something positive, innovative and game changing.

The "Old Testament God" is the same God as now.

People are confused by the old testament - people think the old testament God seems harsh, distant and impersonal. We don't like thinking of God as someone who would just strike us dead on the spot because we did something wrong. And because it's difficult, we often gloss over it, ignore it, or never try to actually understand it.

We like the nice side of God, the all forgiving, all loving, kind side. Which is of course all true, but without considering everything about the nature of God, the 'love' and 'forgiveness' we are thinking about is really just fluff and nothing. It loses any depth or meaning. We start to treat God like he's a nice little friend we can put in our pockets to pull out for help when we're in trouble.

The old testament tells us of a God who is absolutely, incomparably holy and righteous. A God who had to be hidden and who a very select few could even approach, only after very strict requirements were followed. A God who requires perfection beyond anything any human being can hope to even approach. Whose standards meant death to those who disobeyed him.

It's no wonder we don't like to think about this God so much - most of us already struggle with feelings of low self worth or inadequacy in our lives. Why am I reminding you how far short we fall of God's standards?

Because without grasping the righteous, holy and all powerful nature of God, how can we really understand the depth of his grace and love? If we don't realise how deep a chasm of sin separates us from God, how can we understand how utterly amazing the gift of Jesus was to bridge that chasm? If we don't get how sinful and far short we really fall on our own, how can we appreciate the gift of mercy? Without knowing the awesomeness, perfection and power of the presence of God, how can we even begin to comprehend the depth of God's love that he has provided a way for all of us, any one of us, to come personally into that presence?

If we don't see those things, and try to understand the God presented to us in the old testament, then we are missing half the picture - the half that provides us with the depth and gravity of what God has done for us. If you don't know why you needed redemption, how can you appreciate that you've been given it? Far from making you feel more unworthy and useless, it will convince you to your very core that God loves you, you personally, so much that he would save you. It will prove to you how much you are worth to Him.

Since God is the same yesterday, today and forever, the God of the old testament is the exact same God of today. Are we missing half the picture of who God is, in all his glory, majesty and righteousness, in all his amazing love and mercy, because we are afraid to confront those things that confuse, unsettle or challenge us? 

Read Hebrews 10, which started me thinking about this post.

Afraid of Love

We live in a world that doesn't really know what love is. It takes many different forms, from getting confused with lust or attraction, to "I love shoes".

 As Christians we feel like we have a different view, the real view. But the truth is, a lot of us are still walking around afraid of love. Of it's wild and consuming nature. Of what it really means.

But if we are afraid of love, we are also afraid of God. God is Love.  (1 John 4:8)

Usually the reason we are afraid of something is because we don't really understand it. We shouldn't be afraid of God, or of Love, because if we understood it completely we would know that as well as being big, and consuming, and powerful, God also promises to never let us down, never leave us or forsake us...so if we are completely safe, why are we afraid?

 

God is love - There are three ways to emphasise that statement.

GOD is love.

What is love? GOD is love. So when we are searching for the real meaning of love, the answer is God. Everything that God is, that is love. Eternal, powerful, compassionate, forgiving, holy, perfect. So when we show other people love, we are showing them God.

God IS love.

God doesn't just show love to us. He IS love. He is the embodiment of love. So everything he does will be about love - because that's who he IS. It's like everything you do will come from being a woman, or a man, because that's who you are. You don't just act like one, you ARE one. That doesn't change like a feeling, it isn't influenced by circumstance. Where ever you are, whatever you are doing, you are still a woman or a man. So in whatever situation, whatever context, whatever is going on - God IS Love. It's not a feeling that might change, it's not dependent on how good or bad you've been. It is as constant and unfailing as God himself. He IS love.

God is LOVE.

Who is God? He is LOVE. Perfect, amazing, unconditional, unending love. So when we are unsure what God is like, what hiss attitude towards us is, how he is going to respond to us, when we wonder "Who is he?". The answer is love.

We tend to be afraid of love because we sense that it is meant to be consuming and powerful, but we feel like anything like that is dangerous. That is makes us vulnerable. And we have been taught in our lives on earth that being vulnerable is not a good thing because it allows people to hurt us. And it unfortunately is often true in life that we will be hurt by other people, because we all have an  incomplete, imperfect view of love and fail at showing it to other people.

But make sure you are separating the fallibility of humans from the real love that comes from God. Go to God with your search for an understanding of love. It seems dangerous, it seems big and overwhelming. You will need to make yourself vulnerable to Him. But you can be completely assured that His love is safe. That he will never let you down.

Without God, there is no love. God is love. You cannot separate the two. You cannot have one without the other. So no wonder the attempts at love in the world are failing so badly. No wonder we have no idea what it really means, that we've taken it and totally perverted it. We've tried to discard God and still have love. But that's just not possible.

So if you are afraid of Love. Afraid of loving someone, or letting someone love you, then the first, and only place to go is God. Find your definition and meaning and security in Him. Rather than searching for love in the world, let all your focus be on finding God's love. Let Him love you, and love for and from other people won't seem so hard anymore.

1 John 4: 7 - 12  

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.  This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.  Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.  No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

A Letter to Single Women

Dear Sisters,

I want to tell you a bit about my experience with relationships, because there are so many things I wish I could have realised BEFORE I made all the mistakes and had to learn the hard way.

A lot of us have grown up believing there are just two options when it comes to finding love:

1. Either fairytales exist, and we are waiting for our Prince Charming to come and sweep us off our feet and rescue us and complete us.
   
2. Or fairytales don't exist, and we should settle for what we've got, because nothing better is coming along.

However, there are a few things wrong with those options. The first option suggests that we are waiting for someone perfect, and that once we've found them, life will be 'happily-ever-after', which is unrealistic and sets us up for disappointment.

But that doesn't mean we have to take option 2 - that suggests that we accept whatever comes along. Thinking like that encourages us to live with things that aren't good for us, or feel like we'll take anyone who shows interest in us, because maybe there's no one else.

We won't have a 'happily-ever-after' fairytale - men are not there to rescue and complete us, and life will not be perfect once you have found a man. But neither should we settle for someone who is not right for us.
My parents used to say to me, don't settle for someone who feels less than 100%. Not even 90%. I didn't really get what they meant then. How can anyone be 100% what I want from a man? Surely I have to compromise. No one is going to be perfect.

But now I see what it means - Not perfect. But perfect for us.

When I was in relationships, a few of them were completely wrong, and I knew it, but was too afraid to leave because I felt like I couldn't be alone. A few of them were almost right, but not quite. I knew this too, but didn't admit it to myself until afterwards, because I felt like there may not be better - maybe I was being to picky and should just overlook the things that weren't quite right, or weren't quite what I wanted in a relationship. I'm not talking about things like "Oh, he has brown eyes, and I want a guy with blue eyes", but things like "He's great in every other way, but he smokes." Or "We have fun together doing certain things, but he doesn't always get or accept my interests".

Often the things we see as being not quite perfect, but maybe we should just ignore it so we're not being fussy - these things often mask or represent deeper and more significant issues that we don't want to look at out. Because we're afraid. Because we don't feel like we deserve more. We don't believe there is something more.

But there is. We are so valuable that we don't need to settle for less than perfect - perfect for us. This doesn't mean that life will be happy and trouble free - we'll face problems and conflicts. The perfect person for us is sometimes even someone who makes us face some of the rough edges of our lives and personalities, so that we polish each other and encourage each other to grow.

Just don't ignore those niggling feelings. Be assured of your own self-worth and value before you even think about getting into a relationship so that you don't feel tempted to place your worth in another person.

Which brings me to the biggest problem - which is that we believe we need to pick an option. That we have to be waiting for someone. That we need a relationship.


First of all we need to find the freedom in knowing that we don't actually NEED to get married. (See 1 Corinthians 7 for Paul's discussion on this topic) Obviously if you want to have a sexual relationship and have children, then yes, marriage is part of God's plan. But I think so many of us feel the worldly pressure that if we're not in a relationship then there is something wrong with us.


That is the most important thing I wish everyone knew - you don't need a relationship to be complete and whole. In fact, if you are searching for a relationship because you don't feel complete, then you probably aren't ready for a relationship.


God, our author and creator, is the only one who can complete us. If you haven't been convinced of your worth and wholeness in Him, then you are only going to find disappointment and emptiness in relationships. I wish I had realised this before I started seeking approval, acceptance and self-worth from people. I came out the other side of relationships feeling even emptier than before.


If you realise that you don't need a relationship, then that can give you amazing freedom. Freedom to focus on God, freedom to be open to whatever he has in store for you. Freedom to want a relationship, but not have your value bound to finding one.


When you find that freedom, then you can realise there is far more than the two options we grew up believing. There is a life of fulfilment and value and substance, with or without a boyfriend or husband.

And if you still want to be in a relationship, it gives you the freedom to go into it without any baggage or burden of expectations for either of you to place on the other person.

Don't wait for man to complete you. Only God can. Don't settle and accept things you know aren't right for you. Ask God to help you guard your heart and convince you of your worth in Him first. Don't accept the lie that you need a relationship to be complete or to have a full life. So if a relationship is part of your present or future, you don't need to go into it with fear or insecure needs - you can accept the freedom God has given us to be complete in Him, and the freedom to choose!

My heart breaks for the girls I see come through my door who have no idea of how valuable and beautiful they are. My heart breaks to see them seeking to feel something from empty relationships. To see them so confused and hopeless because they can't understand why they just end up feeling more empty and less fulfilled. Because I've been where they are, and know how they feel, and don't want anyone else to make those same mistakes.


Sisters, look after eachother. Remind each other of our worth in God. Our freedom in Christ.


All my love and prayers are with you!
Love Jessie

I'm a Caterpillar who has been afraid of Butterflies.

Caterpillars are a temporary life form...it is one stage in eventually becoming butterflies, but first they've got some things to do.

A caterpillar spends most of it's time eating and growing. The final stage is the butterfly, but before that it goes through several periods of growth, shedding out of it's skin a few times as it gets bigger. Once it is fully grown and can't get any bigger as a caterpillar, then it will find a secure, protected place to prepare for the next stage.

In their cocoon, while it looks like it's a time of rest, there's actually a lot going on inside there, preparing to emerge as a butterfly.

That is a very unscientific look at the lifecycle of a butterfly, but I think it is an analogy for my growth in God.

I'm a caterpillar. I feel like I've gone through many stages of life, with God teaching me things and feeding me his word so that I grow. A few times I've been sure that I've been changing for good, shedding an old skin and taking on a new one, only to find I'm still a caterpillar, just a bit bigger than before.

But it is all in preparation for that final chrysalis stage. A lot of nutrients are needed for the caterpillar to transform inside the cocoon. If a caterpillar tried to become a butterfly before it was fully grown, it wouldn't be able to handle it.

And right now I feel like I may be getting into that cocoon stage. I've found a sheltered, protected place. It feels like I'm resting. It looks like maybe not much is going on. But inside I'm being majorly transformed.

I don't know how long this stage lasts, but I'm excited about what is happening now. And you should be too - whatever stage you are at in growing in God. Each stage is necessary before the next. Keep eating - feeding on God's word. He'll direct you to the next stage. He'll let you know when it's time to break out of the old skin and into the new. Don't be discouraged if it feels like you're not getting anywhere. Look back, and I'll bet you'll see that while you still feel like a caterpillar, you're probably a lot bigger than you used to be.

The funny thing is, I've always been afraid of butterflies. A wierd phobia, but to me they seem flutter around, free, uncontrollable, unpredictable. And now I'm comparing myself to turning into one. And funnily enough, I've always been afraid of the metaphorical butterfly as well.

I like to dream big, but then sometimes have trouble actually realising the dream - not because it's not possible, but because I'm afraid. Afraid to be free, because it seems too scary and unpredictable.

Recently God's been helping me to see that it's ok to be good at things. It's ok to succeed. Being humble doesn't mean being self-depreciating. God has given us gifts to be used, not to bury away. Are we afraid that he doesn't know what he's doing?

Don't be afraid of what God is doing in you. Don't hold onto the old skin, because you're afraid of the new. Don't walk around ignoring those wings on your back, or second guessing yourself, like maybe God made a mistake in giving you wings, so you better not try to use them in case you fail. "I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground." Matthew 25:25

There's no need to be afraid. You may not fly right away - even once a butterfly emerges it takes a little while for it's wings to dry. And then it can fly. Not because it's so clever to have done it on it's own, but because that's what God designed it to do.



(Thanks Mum, for passing on this message to me :)

Sharing a Link

Just wanted to share this great post about how much God loves us

http://itsalmostnaptime.blogspot.com/2008/11/god-thinks-you-rock-casbah.html

Glimpsing Heaven

I feel like I got a little glimpse of heaven today. In a real way, not in a "Is that a giant closet twice the size of Oprah's filled with free clothes and shoes all for me?" heaven kind of way. It wasn't tangible in a physical sense, and I'm sure it's going to be really hard to explain in words what I felt.

I didn't see streets paved with gold or hear angels singing. But I felt like I just got a little step closer (a tiny, tiny step compared to all there is to know) to understanding what heaven is. Being in total communion with God, and with all Christians. I am a separate person, and lay down my own life to be used by God, but it doesn't diminish me, it fills me with strength and joy. I am just one person along with many others, but that makes me more significant and we are all together a part of something amazing.

We are built to long for heaven. To long for complete communion with our creator. It is why here on earth we long for acceptance, to be part of something. It is why we come away from worship or fellowship feeling all warm and fuzzy and uplifted. Because we were designed for it. And every time we get a tiny hint of what it feels like to be in perfect harmony and unity with God, or with others - for even those who don't believe in God will know the feeling, - our souls recognise it.


And on the other side of this, realising just a tiny bit more clearly what heaven is, I also realised what hell is. It's not about a pit of fire with demons jabbing you with red pitchforks. It's not even about some sort of eternal physical tourture and pain. It's the opposite to heaven - complete and utter separation from God.

I think we get caught up in questions about heaven and hell in wondering about their physical place, imagining heaven as a place in the sky,  hell below us, as some places we just move to when we're not on earth any more. And heaven will be really pretty and happy, and hell all dark and firey. We think of it in very earthly terms, according to what we find pleasurable and painful here on earth.

But I think because it is difficult for us to comprehend, often we don't make it past those surface thoughts to really get what heaven and hell are. More than just an arbitrary reward or punishment for being good or bad, it is the outcome of the purpose we were created for.

We were created by God, designed to be with Him. If we reject him, we miss out on that. That is heaven and hell. Either being completely with God, or completely without Him. And I don't think we fully comprehend how that will either be far better than any feeling we've ever had on earth, or it will be far worse than any pit of fire or physical pain.



I'm sure my words don't really describe at all the understanding I had in that moment, and it's one of those glimpses that was so clear and real at the time, then quickly fades when you try to remember it. It will always be the way while we live here in our earthly bodies. But that doesn't mean we stop seeking.