Let's "Do the Work" that We Might Be Unashamed...

Some years have gone by....

Enough years now, that time's soothing balm worked her magic.

Still, I carry in my soul, memories of the hard of the situation....

It happened at a turbulent time in the life of our family...

A roller coaster of highs and lows of emotional ebbing...

A time when there was just a lot going on in individual family's lives -

Trials, difficulties, and painful situations aplenty...

I could tell my heart almost couldn't handle one-more-thing.

And, then......one-more-thing.

Surprisingly, that one-more-thing caused more pain in my spirit than any of the other things that were happening around me: as a family we weren't on the same page. 

We weren't unified on the home-front.

There were diversities of opinion.

Division of thought.

Strong-minded points of view.

Did we still love one another?

Of course!

We are family...and family matters.

We just weren't seeing eye-to-eye...

As a mom, and as a mom who ranks high on personality profile testing in the area of HARMONY, well, you can see the problem, right?

I needed this fixed...and I needed it fixed RIGHT NOW!

Yet, easy fixes weren't quick to the rescue.

The differences needed identifying.

They required research - particularly, theologically, before we could fix them relationally.

They required prayerful hearts -

Ultimately, the fix needed a deep understanding of the problem and a willingness to accept, adapt, and apply wisdom and love above the need to be right.

The memory of these weeks (or, were they months?) came swirling around me this morning as I was praying for the healing of our nation, for the church to take advantage of a rare season to be good-news-givers, to be of one mind and one heart, so that the seeds of the gospel might be scattered, take root, and grow...

I have a tendency to put the hard behind me and move on with life once the dust has settled, so, the fact that I thought of this at all, seemed significant.

And, I wondered...once again, about the Father as He is looking at His children.

Does He weep over the divisiveness?

Does He long for His kids to get on the same page?

As Jesus sits interceding at the right hand of the throne of God is He praying we find the commonality for which we can all gather around and work together?

Is He trying to get our attention that we might identify, educate, pray, and then apply that knowledge in the form of wisdom-in-action?

I guarantee it!

This is our starting place:

Identify where the problems are around us...
(Today I heard of a young man who works at our local Walmart being racially harassed by customers...and, no one speaks up for him. What a simple thing to do to make it a point, to encourage everyone around us with words of kindness...it's not hard to say, "thanks for all you do to serve us here..." And, maybe, just maybe our KIND words can be louder than the words of those with evil hearts.)

Educate. Educate. Educate.
(May I be a bit bold? I don't need the opinions of others...there are too many voices trying to push their agendas. The spin is ridiculous. It's confusing! So, where do I need to begin? By going to the Words of Truth found in the Word of Hope. What does our Father tell us? THESE ARE THE WORDS TO LIVE BY!!! We need good solid theological teaching before we can fix things relationally....)

Pray.
(I'm asking the Father to show me if I'm off base. I am human. I do not have all the answers. But, I know if I ask with a hungry heart, He will answer that prayer --- He delights in hearing and in answering our prayers. I want Him to be my counselor, my teacher, rebuker, corrector, and TRAINER IN RIGHTEOUSNESS; and, I want Him to show me my role in the fix.)

Look for ways to apply the learning.
(The needs are everywhere. There are marginalized folks EVERYWHERE: the Native American that live all around me, the unborn who are being led to the slaughter on a daily basis - even in my community, victims of spousal and child abuse, young women and men kidnapped to sell into sex-slavery, our black brothers and sisters, AND...are you aware that the most marginalized of all people groups around the world are Jesus-Followers?)... How can we speak up for those who are being oppressed? I don't want to just simply be a rescuer, or send money to some organization I have no clue about. My desire is to be instrumental in helping the marginalized onto a path that leads them to LIFE...

More importantly, as I listened to a message by Alistair Begg this week, I was reminded:

America needs the GOSPEL of GRACE. 

The time is ripe for some GOOD NEWS.

Loosen your tongue.
Open your mouth.
Speak the words that bring LIfE.

If we keep the main thing the main thing (the gospel)...all of a sudden, we will find ourselves drifting toward UNITY...

...and the Father may be able to wipe away the tears He sheds over the divisiveness of His children. 

...and, then, let's do the work needed, especially that of fanning into flame the unique spiritual gifts God instilled in us, that we might stand before the Lord as UNASHAMED workmen who are attractive to the LOST around us!