Tag: Jesus

Faith

Peace

Megan

I wasn’t able to be with my kids to celebrate Advent tonight because…sometimes life isn’t peaceful. Peace is one of the things that fits under the umbrella of “already, but not yet.”

We read in Isaiah 9:6 and 7 that Jesus would be called the Prince of Peace and that there would be no end of peace. And in Luke 2:14, as the heavenly host proclaimed the birth of Jesus to the shepherds, they said, “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.”

Jesus clearly came to bring peace—not just in a quiet and calm sort of way. The peace Jesus came to bring, the peace Jesus is the “Prince of” is the Hebrew word “shalom”. Shalom encompasses so much more than quiet and calm. It involves more than just the absence of fighting and wars. Shalom is completion, health, prosperity, wholeness in relationships (both with God and man) and safety.

As Prince of Peace, Jesus has reconciled us to God, He teaches us to love and to make peace with our fellow human beings, He delivered us from the bondage of the sin that warred within us, He provides for our physical needs and heals our bodies.

And yet, our world is still broken. Wars are still fought. Relationships still break down. Our bodies still become sick. We still experience trouble and sufferings.

Let me be clear, the seeming absence of peace or shalom by no means we are out of favor with God, that we lack faith, or that He has abandoned us. No! Jesus told us that we would experience tribulation or trouble (John 16:33), and in Romans 8, Paul writes that creation, and we ourselves, are groaning and longing for freedom and the realization of our hope in Christ.

We live in the day of “already, but not yet”. We experience some shalom, but not its entirety, not all the time. We have a taste or a glimpse of what is to come, but we live in the hope of the its complete fulfillment.

It is this hope that gives us strength in the times that are not peaceful. In Romans 8:18, Paul writes, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” Sometimes we do experience suffering, hardship, troubles, and tribulation. And yet, glory is waiting up ahead.

When I read Romans 8:18, I think of a hike up a steep mountain. It is difficult. Your legs and lungs burn. But finally, you reach the top, and the view is breathtakingly glorious.

Later in Romans 8, Paul uses the analogy of the pains of childbirth—and I’ve experienced that a few times. Yet, as my youngest daughter was placed on my chest, I experienced an overwhelming sense of joy. The pain of childbirth (unmedicated that one time 💪🏻), was worth the joy of my new baby’s presence.

Whatever we face today, whatever ways we and our world lack shalom in this life, we can walk in the confident expectation of the glorious fulfillment when our Prince of Peace returns and all is made right.

Faith

Hope

Megan

As we observed Advent this evening, I was led to Genesis 3:15: the protoevangelium. This is the first Scriptural reference to the promise of the Messiah. From the Fall, God had planned to send Jesus to be our Savior. The protoevangelium is the first of mannnnnny prophecies pointing to Jesus, and these prophecies gave people hope for the day the Messiah would come.

As I told my children about these promises and the hope they gave, I was reminded that this hope is not merely wishful thinking or a lovely dream. The hope that God gave people for the Messiah’s coming could more fully be expressed as expectancy or anticipation. God’s Word is true. His promises are sure.

While Jesus walked the earth, He promised to return, and in the final chapter of Revelation, the last of the words in red say, “Yes, I am coming quickly.” (Revelation 22:20)

In the same way men and women waited hopefully for His coming, we now watch and wait and hope for His return. Though our perception of the word “quickly” may differ from Jesus’, we can be sure, we can trust that as He fulfilled promises and came 2,000 years ago, He is indeed coming again.

Faith

Already, but not yet…

Megan

Since getting married, we’ve lived in homes from the 40s, 80s, and a flipped home that was built in the 70s, but was practically new. I decided my idea home age was one what was older than my grandparents (charming and full of both history and character) or younger than I am (somewhere between vintage and new). We found a house that fit in the latter category, and when we bought it just over a year ago, I knew there were several things I wanted to change.

The first major things that absolutely had to change were the light fixtures. Not only did the previous owners have some really strange lightbulbs (think color changing in the kitchen and spinning projection type bulbs in front of the garage), our first few nights here had me feeling like I was going blind because the bulbs were so dim! I believe most of the fixtures were original to the house, but some of them were just way too small for the rooms they were in. Changing our main floor fixtures has made a huge impact.

Next on my list of changes to make were our kitchen countertops and backsplash. They were also original to the house. Our backsplash consisted of large, diagonal beige tiles, and our countertops were a very textured brown laminate with a wood front. It may have been the kitchen of my mom’s dreams 20 years ago, and she thought I was crazy for wanting to change it because it was still beautiful to her. The texture in the countertop made it less than idea for baking, and it had to be scrubbed, rather than just wiped clean. Between the color and the texture, I never felt like it was fully clean, even after being scrubbed down. The backsplash and countertops needed updating.

Unfortunately…my list got reordered when the deck balusters started falling out, and we realized the railing was rotten. As our friend was starting to replace the railing, he noticed that the other boards were also rotting and…the whole deck needed replacing. So we replaced the deck. And it’s beautiful, but it’s not kitchen countertops.

Finally, the day came when my husband took me to look at countertops! We found a few options and narrowed it down to the one. Then came the scouring of hardware stores to find a tile in a complimentary color. With new countertops, we decided to also take out the Y2K kitchen desk and replace it with a custom cabinet. Thankfully the company that built our cabinets is still in business, and we were able to have them come out to match the stain.

Our backsplash was stubborn, and it didn’t want to be pulled off of the walls. It had to be cut out and the walls re-sheet-rocked. That happened last week.

Three days ago our faucet got disconnected, and our countertops went in the next day!!!

Today the backsplash installation began! As I rock my youngest daughter to sleep, I’m excited and thankful, yet weary. It’s been three days without a kitchen sink, and it’s challenging. The backsplash is looking beautiful, but the grout isn’t in yet, so I’m not yet able to fully see my vision brought to life.

Our countertops and backsplash are in already, but they’re not yet completed. I feel guilty for my weariness and impatience when I already have my beautiful updates in process.

As I sit in this tension, I’m reminded of the tension that exists in our salvation. We are already cleansed and justified, but we are not yet made perfect and complete. Our salvation has been purchased already, but we are on earth and are not yet enjoying the glory of eternity with Christ.

Someday (hopefully tomorrow!!) my kitchen faucet will be installed and my backsplash will be grouted. And someday, I will be both with and like Jesus. While I am thankful for what Jesus has already accomplished, I anxiously await the completion when every tear will be wiped away, sin will be no more, and I will glory in the presence of my Savior for eternity.

It’s easy to become wearied by the wait. It’s easy to be weighed down by the things we see and face here on earth. But we can be encouraged because someday is coming.

Faith

Peace

Megan

I had a blog post nearly completed, and I accidentally deleted everything. So, let’s try this again!

A couple of months ago, my husband and I went on our first getaway since our kids were born. It was much needed. Our first stop was for a bike ride on an old railroad track turned into a trail. It was my first bike ride on an unpaved surface, and…it was also cold and windy. When my fingers and ears started getting cold within the first five minutes, I was ready to turn around, but we kept going. We road for about 13 miles total. The first couple of intersections we road through were highways, then there was a gravel road, and then there was a path with two worn out ruts. The farther we got away from the highways, the quieter it got. I’ll be the the first to admit, I’m not the most in shape person, and I had to stop a couple of times. One of the first times we stopped, we were stunned by the silence. It was almost palpable. Coming from living in a small/midsized city and in a house with two active and talkative toddlers, silence is rare. It was so peaceful.

This week’s Advent theme is: Peace.

What comes to mind when you think of the word “peace”?

Tie dye wearing hippies? Being out in the country? Your children’s nap time? Five minutes to yourself to enjoy a chocolate or a cup of coffee?

Peace is something we all dream of, and it’s something than can seem so…impossible.

Luke 2 tells us the story of Jesus’ birth and the angel’s announcement of His birth. Luke 2: 10-14 says, “But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, 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 heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

I don’t know about where you live, but from my perspective, the world is not a peaceful place. I’m even more convinced of the lack of peace on earth since I got married and moved to my husband’s hometown. I’ve heard more gunshots in the past (almost) five years than I had my whole life. Some of them have sounded too close for comfort.

If you don’t hear gunshots in your town, you’ve probably concluded the earth is not peaceful after a year like 2020. So what on earth were the angels talking about then?

Because of Jesus’ birth, life, death, and His resurrection, we can have peace with God.

Way back in the beginning of time, a man and a woman, named Adam and Eve, disobeyed God. When they disobeyed, sin and death entered the world, and all humanity has felt the consequences. Romans 5:10 tells us before Jesus, we were enemies of God, and through Jesus’ death on the cross, we were reconciled with God. It says, “For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!”

Following Jesus also brings us peace with others.

Jesus teaches us to love each other, live in humility, to forgive, and to be peacemakers. We’re not responsible for the responses others may have, but we are told to do our best to live at peace with others (Romans 12:18).

Trusting Jesus gives us peace in life.

In John 16:33, Jesus acknowledges that the earth is not peaceful. He says we will have trouble, but in Him we can have peace. He says, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

While the world is chaotic, we can have peace with God and others and in life because of Jesus.

Faith, Life

Wrestling with the Noise

Megan

When I think of today’s climate, this is what comes to mind.

https://youtu.be/bM-beloWExE(Hint: it’s a orchestra warming up.)

Its loud and jumbled. Everyone is trying to be heard. No one is playing the same melody.

It’s exhausting.

I’m exhausted.

I’m confused.

I’m tired of hearing the shouts of so many different, impassioned opinions. I’m tired of seeing so much division. I’m tired of the hateful words and actions of people who are disagreeing with each other. I’m tired of wrestling internally trying to figure out my own thoughts and opinions in all the confusion—knowing that no matter what conclusion I come to I could face hateful words from people who came to other conclusions.

Our country is so divided. Between Covid-19, Racial tensions, and an election year, discord is everywhere.

I want my friends and family to be safe and healthy. I know people who have been impacted by Covid-19. My husband knows people whose family members have died from it. It’s real.

But I also don’t want to live in fear. It’s also uncomfortable for my freedoms to feel so fragile. It’s uncomfortable to know I will be judged by people who want to live life as normal if I am cautious or by people who want to isolate themselves if I am less cautious.

I know that every person was created with dignity in the image of God. Let that sink in.

In The Weight of Glory, C.S. Lewis wrote, “There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilizations – these are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat. But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub and exploit – immortal horrors or everlasting splendors. This does not mean that we are to be perpetually solemn. We must play. But our merriment must be of that kind (and it is, in fact, the merriest kind) which exists between people who have, from the outset, taken each other seriously – no flippancy, no superiority, no presumption.”

No one is any more or less valuable. No one is any more or less loved. The most quoted Bible verse, John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” God sent Jesus to die for our sins before we loved Him, while we were still His enemies, while we were separated from Him, and while we were unrighteous, and He did it because even then He loved us. If God loved the World even then, I think it is safe to say He loves everyone equally. Romans 2:11 says, “God does not show favoritism.”

It is sickening to me that people are judged and treated or mistreated according to the color of their skin. It is horrifying to me that people are killed unjustly by people who are responsible for protecting our communities and our laws. It breaks my heart that my friends and family members have experienced the ugliness of the sin of racism.

It is also saddening to me that our law enforcement officers are being unappreciated, judged, and threatened regardless of their individual actions, behaviors, and thoughts. It is also disturbing that uninvolved businesses have been vandalized and stolen from.

And then…there’s a whole political scene with opposing sides bashing each other, hanging on their candidate’s every word, and often putting their identities more in their politics than in their faith.

Can I sit somewhere in the middle? Can I be cautious while not living in fear? Can I love and value people who do not look like me, despise and denounce their mistreatment, and celebrate the beauty in the diversity God has created while also valuing and appreciating the just police officers in our country and also denouncing lawless acts? Can I be a responsible, law abiding citizen while remembering that my hope is not in a political candidate and that neither the United States nor this world is my home?

Ultimately, I want to be like Jesus. I want to live like He did, trusting God and submitting to the law of the land, which happened to be the Roman Empire for Jesus (His relationship with the Pharisees and teachers of the Law is a whole other issue because they were perverting God’s law). I want to love like He loved and to honor and value those He made in His image. I want to live at peace and to be a peacemaker. I want my words and actions to be glorifying to God. I want to live in light of eternity.

What about you? Where do you stand? How are you wrestling with the noise?