12.22.2007

Luke 2:8-14
And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."


Hello!

I hope that you are doing well and that the Lord is continuing to teach and stretch and grow you. The Christmas is just about upon us, and I’m sure we’ve all had our fair share of shopping, or Christmas music, or card-writing, or even rejoicing that you get to have a break soon either because the school semester is done with or because of a work holiday.

I was listening to a song by The Myriad today and some lyrics stuck out to me. I thought I would share:

“I’m waiting with my arms up high
My eyes pulled tight to lines of worry
That you won’t meet me here tonight
Am I reaching enough?
Am I reaching at nothing?
Am I reaching enough?
Am I reaching at all?”

Sometimes I feel like I could echo this lyric with ease, especially “Am I reaching enough? Am I reaching at all?” I’m sure that you’re not a complete stranger to this feeling either. But before we go and wear sackcloth and ashes on our heads in mourning about how much we feel like a disappointment to God, let me point out something that’s really important.
As you know, it’s around this time of year that we hear one of the names of God tossed more so than other times: Emmanuel. Emmanuel means “God with us.” Think about that for just a moment. Let it go from your computer screen to rest in your mind and settle somewhere in your soul.

“God with us.”
“God with us.

God
With
Us


To other religions this kind of idea, the idea of God dwelling with His creation, is totally outrageous. But this is exactly what Jesus did: fully God and fully man. Divinity wrapped up in human flesh. God coming down to live with humanity. Let me repeat that: God coming down to live with humanity. When Jesus ascended into heaven, then the Holy Spirit came to dwell with every believer. God with us.
While it’s important for us to yearn for God and seek His face, it’s crucial to remember that God reached down to us way before we even wanted to reach for Him. In all His amazing grace and humility the Almighty Creator took the initiative in making our relationship with Him right. He took the initiative to be a sacrifice for sins so that we can have a relationship with God at all.

How freaking crazy is that?

Rather than bury your head in “I’m not reaching enough,” look up and praise the Lord for coming and reaching down to you! There isn’t an amount of reaching that is going to make up for the distance He’s taken to bring you lovingly into His presence. We ought to pursue God and pray to God as a reaction to how amazing His love is. I pray that I can do that; I pray that you can do that. I pray that we are continually humbled by God’s redemption but also overflowing with thankfulness.

I pray that your Christmas and New Year’s will be joyful as you celebrate our Savior, Emmanuel, “God with us.”

In love and in Him,
Your sister,
Yvonne

12.10.2007

Psalm 37:4-7
Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.

Matthew 6:33,34
…Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.


Hello friends!

A lot has been going on since the last time I wrote out the Weekly Thing (should it now be the bi-Weekly Thing??). But one primary reason that I’ve been lax in getting this out is due to some rather distracting events. Nov. 26th, I was involved in a minor car accident – from which I am not injured, nor is anyone else. But in case any of you were wondering: a sedan type vehicle is no match against an SUV. Due to related reasons I’ve decided to do without a car right now. This isn’t as big of a deal because I live in the middle of a big city, so public transportation is easily accessible.

However, in some ways it is a big deal. Now that I am without a car, and because of other current circumstances, I’m really feeling the sting of my desire to be independent. Let me explain. Having my own vehicle meant that I could almost go where I wanted whenever I wanted to go. Without a car, I need to humble myself and depend on others and ask for a ride – which will sometimes mean I’ll need to be forgiving and patient and still grateful when a friend is late; and that I shouldn’t be manipulative by talking someone into giving me a ride. Not only that, I also need to find out the when’s and where’s of public transportation.

Sounds pretty simple, right? But on the inside I know I don’t want to depend on others for little tasks that I once could do so easily myself.

Yet the most important and biggest thing this all points to is that God is probably teaching me to just TRUST and DEPEND on Him first and foremost. I have to trust that He is going to provide the means for me to get to places, and that He’ll keep me safe in the process (taking public transportation or walking at night in the city can be a little unnerving!). I have to trust that He’s going to sustain the relationships I have with others outside the city, and simply allow myself to be fully present in the place I live. There’s a lot more that I could probably go into, but the point is this: God wants me (and surely all of us?) to trust Him more with the finer details of our lives. Sometimes that means we need to sacrifice something in our lives. Sometimes that means He’ll take that something away, knowing that in so doing it gives us the opportunity to respond in faith and trust. I can’t say that I understand it completely but this is where I understand it at the moment, and I’m praying He continues to teach me to be less independent, and more dependent on Him as my provider and sustainer. I ask myself questions such as these and use them to encourage you: Did He not provide for so many of the men and women in the Bible, like Abraham and Moses and Ruth? And if He's provided Jesus, won’t He provide everything else?

I pray the same for all of us, so that in faith we can grow more as God’s children, knowing that our Father is good. I also pray that He teaches us to be more reliant on Him in all circumstances, having our hearts and minds transformed more and more into the image of Christ.

In love and in Him,
Your sister,
Yvonne