Falling

I shot my very first deer last hunting season. Honestly, I wasn't sure before the season started if I would be able to, because I love animals. Especially deer. They've got these big Bambi eyes and long delicate-looking legs. They are beautiful creatures. But, I got the fever, hunting fever. Being out in nature, waiting for a deer to walk by... it was exhilarating. And when I took that shot, I could barely stand still. I was so excited.

The non-exciting thing? My husband and I were hunting in the bottom of a ravine, too far from the main trail to drag it. So we had to go up, have it pulled about 200 feet to the top of the ravine to a trail above us. Not a bad deal. Except the incline was steep. And I'm scared of heights. Thankfully I was able to hold on to the rope that the deer was tied to, and slowly made my way to the top, the whole time praying that I wouldn't fall. 

Falling isn't always a bad thing. There are some great falling moments in life. Like falling in love. Or falling stars. Or even the taste of falling snowflakes during the first snowfall of winter. One of my favorites is falling into bed at the end of a long day. And then falling asleep. (haha! See what I did there? ;])

But life can throw us some curve balls. We lose a job, a spouse, a loved one. We try to keep moving, hoping things will get better. We busy ourselves with whatever we can get our hands on, just to keep from feeling the hurt, the loneliness, the pain. And that's when sheer exhaustion sets in, when getting up in the morning takes everything we've got.

It's in these moments that falling is okay. Falling is the best thing we can do. Because Jesus is standing right there, waiting for us to fall into His arms. We can cry, we can be hurt and angry. Or we don't have to say anything. He knows our hearts, He created our souls. He is the only one who can heal the parts of ourselves that we thought would never be restored. He can give us the gumption to get up in the morning, and add a spring to our step. Our joy can be new again. All we have to do is fall.

"The Lord is trustworthy in all he promises and faithful in all he does. The Lord upholds all who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down." Psalm 145:13b-14

Everlasting

My childhood had a whole lot of fads. There was the rolled-bottom jeans, the ponytail on the side of the head. I remember wearing two pairs of socks at a time, both a neon color; buying two sets of earrings, and splitting them up with my best friend (one being a hoop and the other a stud... boy, were we cool!). Oh, and who can forget the big bangs? I mean, the higher the better! And boy those things could get really high. I put so much hairspray on mine that they were like a weapon on my head. I used to chase my dad around, and probably looked like a goofy unicorn.

One of my favorite things, and I wonder if they're still in existence, was the everlasting gobstopper. It was HUGE. It was white, with colorful speckles, and was the size somewhere between a golf ball and a baseball. I remember keeping it in a little sandwich bag in-between the times I tried to chip away at it, but eventually threw it away because I just couldn't finish it. It tasted great, but I kinda lost interest... I mean, it would take weeks to get that thing eaten. 

Thankfully fads, like my gobstopper, do not last forever. They come and go, changing so rapidly it's hard to keep track. And because of this, many people feel lost, behind the times, anxiously trying keep up with everything. They lose sight of One who can anchor them, One who does not change and who does stay the same: Jesus. He doesn't care about fads, or being cool. He cares about our hearts, our souls, our very beings. He will never leave, never disappoint or forsake us. He will always be with us, arms open wide, waiting. And that's something we can hold on to, as our world continues to change. An everlasting that really is everlasting.

"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."  Isaiah 9:6

Deuteronomy

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up." Deuteronomy 6:5-7

These words were given by Moses, in a time when his people were soon to be led into the promised land. He would not be going with them, so he wanted to be sure they followed everything he had taught them: The laws and commands of God. But the one command he wanted them to remember, to impress upon their hearts, that would help them, was to love God with every part of themselves. And not only to remember it for their own sake, but to share this love of God with their children, who would share it with children of their own. 

You see, loving the Lord when things are going right is easy. But if our love is not rooted in our hearts, that love can turn to bitterness toward God when times get tough. God knew how hard it would be for His people to keep the commands He had in place without Moses to remind them. So Moses made sure they knew how important it was for them to love God with everything they have: heart, soul, and strength.

 

Over a thousand years later, Jesus is asked: Of every commandment, what is the most important? His answer? "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength." (Mark 12:30) Sound familiar? In loving God with everything we have, we will have His strength to get us through. We will hear His gentle whisper in our souls guiding us. Our heart will align with His. And I can't think of anything better than my heart beating alongside the heart of the One who loves me so much.

"The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged." Deuteronomy 31:8

 

Condemnation

Adam and Eve. Ancestors to all mankind. They were made in the image of God, to live their lives in peace and comfort, given everything they needed: Food in a beautiful garden, animals that Adam himself named, companionship with each other and with God. There was no fear, no worry, no death. There was just one rule to follow: Don't eat from one specific tree. Not that hard, right? Goodness, there were most likely hundreds of trees in the garden, all different shapes and sizes, some with flowers, some with fruit. Following that rule should have been a no-brainer.

We all know how that story ends. The serpent tricks Eve, Adam follows suit, fear and shame set in, the blame game ensues, and God casts them out of Eden. Before He does so, He explains the penalty to their disobedience: Pain in childbearing and pain in working the land, with thorns and thistles being introduced to the ground. Their beautiful beginning was transformed into pain, death, and finally, dust.

No longer would they walk side-by-side with God in His garden. No longer would He delight in their company, pleased with His creation. The path He created for them was simple and beautiful. But then they decided to take a different path, a path that led to terrible consequences: Guilt, shame, separation from the closeness they felt with their God. No longer did they see a future full of joy and contentment. They were now condemned to die.

But then a new story begins. A Child is born in Bethlehem, tiny and innocent. He is the Messiah, who Himself will also be condemned to die. But His story ends differently. With His death comes life. He paid the penalty for any and every sin we have committed and will commit. He rose from the grave, so that we may live a life full of joy and contentment once again. Adam was the beginning of man, but his life and his decision was not the final call. God showed His infinite mercy in sending His Son to die for us. And Jesus rose again, so that we can once again walk side-by-side with the One who created us. 

"...for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus."  Romans 3:23-24

Barabbas

The crowd had to make a choice. Two prisoners stood in front of them. One was standing quietly, not speaking, patiently waiting. The other was arrogant, disrespectful, jeering at the crowds below where they both stood. One had taught of love, how to turn from sin and receive forgiveness. He brought hope to the world. The other was full of hate, and mocked the Roman Empire. He had committed murder; he had taken a life in the name of his own cause.

The choice to free one of these two prisoners should have been easy. This man would walk their streets, shop in their marketplaces. He would be around their children. But there was no voice of reason in the crowd. The decision had already been made: They wanted the killer, the man who wanted to overthrow the government. They wanted Barabbas.

Little did the crowds know that their decision to free Barabbas fulfilled what had been written in Isaiah 700 years earlier. Because in freeing him, it meant the other prisoner, Jesus of Nazareth, would be crucified. Jesus Christ, the Messiah, was now on a path to die. 

And He did. But before that, He was beaten, spit on, and mocked. He collapsed while carrying the cross that would eventually kill Him. His head bled from the "crown" of thorns the soldiers had placed there. A written notice hung on the cross that said, "The King of the Jews." And as He hung there, struggling to breathe, He prayed, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." (Luke 23:34a). His love and compassion for the world, even those who took part in hanging Him on the cross, never waivered. He died in our place, for our sins, so that we could be saved.

Barabbas. Because his life had been spared, Jesus was able to fulfill what God had planned for Him: To die in exchange for our sins, to save our souls, even the soul of a scoundrel like Barabbas. Whether he turned his life around or not is not recorded in the Bible. But because of his freedom, we now have freedom in Jesus. 

"But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed."    Isaiah 53:5

Atonement

"I'm sorry." Those two little words can be the beginning of wonderful things. They could comfort a hurt, mend a friendship, even change someone's life. When I was growing up, just a quick "I'm sorry" would not be enough. Mom would ask, "What are you sorry for?" I remember thinking, But Mom! You know what I'm sorry for! Do I have to actually say it? I struggled with it, but would find a way to choke out the offense, which was painful to admit. And honestly, painful to hear.

Mom's question taught me a big lesson. Now, I do my best to always explain the why behind my sorry's. It means more. It shows that I've put thought into it, and want to make things right. I'm not saying it's easy; it can be downright hard to admit when I've said something wrong or had a "dummy moment." But it's worth it, worth setting down my pride and admitting my mistake. Because after the "I'm sorry" comes the mending and repairing. 

What amazes me is what Jesus did for us. Jesus never sinned. He never had to apologize. He suffered and died, knowing that His life would save us from our mistakes, from our sins. He knew, even as He was dying, that we would still have moments we would regret, and things we would need to apologize for. But He did it anyway because He loves us so much. Talk about true atonement. 

"... he had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted."  Hebrews 2:17-18

A-Z

Okay, so I know we all know the alphabet. As little ones, we mimicked others around us, learned how to say "hi" and "mama" before we knew what the alphabet was.

When I was in kindergarten, my teacher used a newer curriculum (now vintage...yikes!!)  to teach her fidgety little students. There was Miss A, known for her "a, a, a, a choo" and Mr. B, who was made of beautiful buttons. But my all-time favorite was Mr. T (known for his incredibly tall teeth), because at that time there was an eccentric celebrity with the same name (as he explained in an old 80's sitcom, "First name: Mister; middle name: period; last name T'"). He had gold chains and a mohawk. And he was awesome. 

All that to say, my blog posts are going to star a letter of the alphabet, beginning with Miss A. Err, I mean, the letter A. But I will warn you ahead of time: Not all subjects will be easy ones. I just hope and pray that this blog will be an encouragement, for you and for me. Because I'm not doing this alone. I'm a Christian, a daughter of the King. I will never say that I'm anywhere near perfect. But, I strive to be like Christ, and with Him by my side, we can do anything. 

"Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness."  Lamentations 3:22-23

Until next time! Make this day amazing! :)