The Sinful Woman

I was looking at a passage in Luke 7 this morning. Do you remember the sinful woman who anointed Jesus' feet? Cassandra Martin in her study "Fragrance of Faith: Discovering the Aroma of Christ in the Beatitudes," looks closely at the way Jesus interacts with this woman. She asks the reader, "In what way have you stood in this woman's place?"

I'm reviewing this particular lesson, so my answer was written months ago, maybe even a year ago. But reading it, I was transported back to the time I mentioned, feeling the pain and longing all over again. I had written, "Several years ago I was desperately wanting God in my life again, ashamed of the direction my life had taken and not knowing how to get back to the Lord and faith that I had turned my back on."

This was such a difficult journey for me. It's probably a story for another day. Needless to say, God is merciful and His grace reaches even me.

These are the words from Cassandra Martin that touched my heart today:

"The very way in which Jesus interacts with this woman is a picture of the way He wants to connect to you. Love will carve a path, open the door, and allow us to stand in His presence."

He carved a path for me. And not only that, He stood with open arms and a heart that sung. For I am His beloved. I didn't know it then. I don't fully understand it now. But I rest in it.

Irregular People

This summer my aunt mentioned a book to me, "Irregular People," by Joyce Landorf Heatherley. I forgot about it for a while, only thinking about it lately. It is now on my wish list at Amazon.

The book deals with those people in your life that really really bug you. I guess not everybody has such a person. But many of us do. My point in this blog, however, isn't to give advice on how to cope with irregular people. I'm assuming Ms. Heatherley does that in her book.

My desire is to share something I read in Oswald Chamber's "My Utmost for His Highest." It was from the devotional for September 11, and it was one I had read several times before. But I don't remember it having the impact on me that it did this week.

"Watch the kind of people God brings around you, and you will be humiliated to find that this is His way of revealing to you the kind of person you have been to Him."

Uggh. Sometimes God's object lessons are horribly painful. Not only do I need forgiveness for an uncharitable heart toward someone He has put into my life, but also for my behavior toward the One I claim to love with all my heart, soul, mind and strength. I really do not want to be God's irregular person.

My Tennessee Mothers

Do you ever wonder why God has plopped you where you're plopped? Sometimes we know right away, sometimes years later, sometimes not at all. There are also those times when we think we know, only to be totally clueless in reality. It is sufficient that God knows.

Having said that, I am thoroughly enjoying the new things about this move. I have blogged before about one major difference in my stateside churches. That is, the presence of white hair. In California, I had that. It wasn't for the first time I guess, but it was such a noticeable difference between California and Germany, that it caught my attention. Also, I was more willing to listen to the wisdom of my elders at that point.

Last night I went to a dinner with women from the church here. It was at the home of one of the members. It was a beautiful home. In the midst of tasteful home furnishings I learned a little bit about this woman's life. None of us, regardless of wealth or lack of it, get through life unscathed.

The most interesting thing to me, was in this group of 30 some women, I, at 46, was the youngest. By a long shot. I felt like such a little girl. Several of these women I think have already adopted me in a way, and surprisingly, it is a very comforting feeling.

For the first time in a long time, I've felt out of my league. Many of these women have been Christians for longer than I've been alive. Despite hardships and suffering, they've walked faithfully. Etched in the weathered skin is the likeness of their Lord. And the joy I wrote about yesterday is reflected in their eyes.

As we sat around the dinner table, they talked about various things. Corn light bread. What is that? What makes it different from regular cornbread? And is that how you even spell it? Or is it lite bread?

They talked about their mothers and their grandmothers. Many of these women were in the 80s. As I listened I realized I was listening to living history. These were stories that go back into the 1800s (their mothers' stories, that is). What a blessing the night was.

I have a tendency to think I'm special in God's eyes. I feel that sometimes He does things just for me. Whether that last sentence is true or not, I do know that He loves me. So I think part of the reason I'm in Tennessee may just be that these women have some things to teach me. I've prayed many times for a teachable heart. May that be the case here.

Joy

This is my first blog since landing in the Bible belt. Tennessee will be our home for the next few years. Maybe longer. It's not what I thought would be in our "someday" plans, but it's good. God is good.

We finally got the internet connected yesterday. I've had access to a computer at the library, but 30 minute sessions twice a week with a line of people waiting, doesn't get me more than my email cleared out. So I'm very thankful to have it in my home again.

Most of our furniture is still not here. Actually, I'm not sure where it is. The stuff coming from Germany seems unaccounted for, wih no one able to trace it. The black hole that is the Army transportation system has swallowed most of my material possessions. But we have a computer, a bed, a few dishes, a TV, books. And a home.

Have I posted on joy before? I don't remember. But it's been on my mind for a while now, so I want to write about it today. A friend called last week and we talked about rejoicing in suffering. The subject of the Wednesday night Bible study last week was "what steals our joy." Two of the books I've been reading this week have had chapters devoted to it. And as I read through my daily Bible I am confronted by Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Job, who had specific things to say about suffering and joy.

I don't understand it all. I understand very little of it, in fact. But I do know that if I want to walk in this pilgrim way in a manner that is pleasing to God, I must learn to rejoice in this day. Every day. Regardless of what is put in my path. I don't think joy is optional for the Christian. It is part of the fruit of the Spirit to be sure, but I believe it's also a command. Paul says, "Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I say rejoice." He doesn't say, rejoice if you feel like it.

The last couple of weeks I've been reading Jeremiah's writings and the historical context in which they were written. Jerusalem was about to be destroyed. This man was called by God from before his birth to minister to a people who would reject him. Everything around him would be destroyed and he himself would be abused and eventually carried away into Egypt by his own countrymen. Lamentations is one of the most heartwrenching books of the Bible as our writer pours out the anguish of his soul. But right smack dab in the middle of that short book is a passage that one of our most joyful, beautiful songs comes from. I am betting that most people don't realize the context of the verses as they sing in praise to God these few words:

But this I call to mind
and therefore I have hope:
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases,
His mercies never come to an end.
They are new every morning,
Great is Thy faithfulness.
The Lord is my portion says my soul.
Therefore I will hope in Him.
(Lamentations 3:21-24)

Jeremiah shared something with the other ancient writers. He viewed all events from a Biblical perpective. Specifically, the New Testament writers viewed all events in light of the Resurrection and the ultimate triumph of the risen Christ. John Ortberg calls this "eschatological thinking."

That is where we find our joy. The apostles' world caved in on a Friday afternoon long long ago. What they didn't understand was that things aren't always what they seem. They had not yet understood truth. Truth was not some abstract concept. It was and is and always will be the God With Us, Jesus. And he'd be in their midst again. What they hadn't yet grasped was that Sunday was coming. What a glorious Sunday it would be.

Our Sunday is still coming as well. It's been promised, pledged, guaranteed, and we've even been given a deposit on it. What's more, we've been filled with the very power that brought Christ up out of the grave, along with peace and grace to make it through the more difficult moments.

Rejoice in the Lord always.