Philippians 3:20
"But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a saviour from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables Him to bring everything under His control, will transform our lowly bodies, so that they will be like His glorious body."
I write this post for the glory of God and in loving memory of my husband's brother, who went to be with Jesus on May 27, 2008. What a year it has been, and as I look back and reflect, I am touched all over again by God's amazing grace!
Last May, the Sunday night before Memorial Day, my brother in law "BIL" was in an ATV accident. His body was completely broken. We were warned before we saw him, of his brokenness. It was bad! At some point, the next day, one of the ICU nurses, believed that we didn't have a grip on the gravity of his condition, so she took ,what looked like a long piece of receipt paper, and listed his injuries. Eventually, in the hours to come, we began to see that it was more a matter of when, than if he would die. As a family, we agreed to take turns sleeping, showering, etc...
Never before have I seen a person leave their earthly body, and to this day, it still takes my breath away. My husband and his sister and I were called from the waiting room late in the night, as it was about to "happen". BIL's body was beginning to fail. I stood on one side of the bed with a hand on his head, the other on his chest. My husband was calling the family, and his sister held BIL's hands. She and I knew many moments of panic as we felt him leaving, and our own powerlessness to stop him. I remember whispering to him to please just wait, for just a little longer. I begged God to touch my heart, to calm it and to give me a song that would soothe my anxiousness. My father, did just that. The song He sang to my heart: "My Redeemer". Over and over, He spoke the words, "My redeemer is faithful, and true. Everything He has said, He will do, every morning His mercies are new. My redeemer is faithful and true." And then He drew this picture on my heart. I'll try to describe it for you.
Remember the scene in the movie Forrest Gump? Jenny was yelling for Forrest to run and he tried, with his crippled, braced legs, to run. And indeed he did! He ran until the braces broke and fell to the ground. He ran from danger, he ran from infirmity, he ran from rejection and from all that held him back. But what was he running to? BIL's heart raced under my hand and God showed me that, like Forrest, he was running. And while I begged him to stay in his broken body, he continued to run. I don't believe he ever even heard me calling him back. He had seen Jesus. He heard Jesus, say to "come."
Redeemer- one who buys back, repurchases; rescues with a ransom
Isaiah 43:1
But now, this is what the Lord says- He who created you, O, Jacob, He who formed you, O Israel: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine."
BIL heard Jesus call him by his name and he ran. He ran right out of his lowly, broken body and he has been made like Christ. He is at home in heaven. All of us will leave our lowly bodies at some point. It is a medical and biblical certainty. The question is, will you hear your Heavenly Father say, "come"? You can.
John 3:16-17 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. For God did not send His son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him."
All of us, everyone in this world sins. Our sins make us slaves to death. Jesus is our ransom. He was perfect and He died for us. Do you believe that you sin? Do you believe that you deserve hell because of your sin? Do you believe that Jesus died for you? Do you believe that His death on the cross was and is enough to pay your ransom? Are you redeemed? I love you, my friends! I pray that the truth of God's love will touch your heart today.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Maryland Crab
Matthew 5:6
"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled."
I have missed posting lately as my life has been especially busy with "stuff". More about that later, but for now, it's crab, that I want to discuss!! If I seem weird, well I am, but I kinda can't help it. My mom is from Maryland, my dad is from California, I was born in England and brought to the states only to be raised in the south. Most summers as a child, my family traveled to Maryland to see relatives. Our excursion, however, always included the best of Baltimore: The Harbour, The Aquarium, The Science Center, Fort McHenry and the Orioles. But most importantly, our trips always included crabs-Maryland crabs, that is!
In Maryland, you eat the center, not the legs of the crab, because that is where all the meat is. And the crabs are covered in seasoning. It's a really big deal. You sit at a table covered in newspaper, with citronella candles all around. You get everything ready before you start; napkins, tools, a drink, everything. Because once you start, it gets messy, but you don't want to stop. Your hands get covered in Old Bay, and as you pull the shell off and expose the meat, the seasoning from your hands coats it. And you eat, and eat. It is a lengthy process, sometimes you get a big lump, but not always. Usually you get little bites along and along, and you don't really get overstuffed, because you are steadily working for the next bite, taking each morsel and savoring it. Do you see where I am going with this, yet?
Some people grill hamburgers and hot dogs to fill up on, and just eat one or two crabs. They either don't want to devote the time or patience to the process, or they just can't stand being messy for very long.
The other most popular way to eat Maryland crabs, is by going to a restaurant and ordering a lump crab cake. I have found myself sorely disappointed over the years, as I have tried many crab cakes that claim to be from Maryland, claim to be "real", and even boast of being "with real, lump crab meat". Here's the problem. In Maryland, the meat is fresh. It is rare to a season, and it is rich. Yes, someone else has done the work, and quite a bit of it, at that. The cakes are nothing but meat. There is some type of invisible, edible glue and maybe five bread crumbs holding it all together. There is no stuffing, no fluff. It is just rich meat, laboriously compiled, and expertly prepared. And only those who participate in crab picking feasts, can appreciate the delicacy of a real Maryland crab cake, for they know the time effort and dedication it took to make just one crab cake.
A friend of mine is flying to Maryland this weekend to receive a degree from a University there. She's never been, and I desperately want her to experience the whole "crab thing". It would just seem a waste if she went all the way there, and didn't get to. She would still think that the crab legs you get from the man with the yellow truck, or the stuffing cakes with a couple threads of "real lump crab" are good. She would still have no idea what she was missing. And I am so sure, that she would love the real thing, if she ever had it!
Lately, with all the "stuff" I've had consuming my days, I feel as if I have settled for filling up on burgers and hot dogs, while only sampling a bit of crab. Because walking with the Lord is a lengthy, involved, messy process, and it takes preparation. But when I commit to it, to seeking the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness, the process is as good as the actual meat I consume. For along the way, I become focused, I experience the joy of the large lumps of meat, while being sustained by the smaller pieces. And I am spending some calories at the same time, so that I am not miserable. There is fellowship in the shared experience and encouragement in seeing others, as they come across those lumps of rich meat.
And Sundays, are like going to the restaurant for the crab cake. That is, if it is the real thing! I find that many churches serve a fluffy, stuffed service, with very little real meat. I am thrilled by God's provision in a church home, where each participant of the service has worked hard to serve the real thing. God's word, whether it is presented in music, sermon, prayer, offering, communion, or ministry, should always be rich and pure. I appreciate each aspect of the service, when I consider, the process it took to deliver it. Many people took time and effort to pick apart God's word. And then, with the help of God, they presented it for my consumption. The meat: Jesus body, broken and given for me.
Have I made you hungry for Maryland crab? That's not a bad thing, but I hope that today, you are hungry for God's rich word. And what's more, I hope that you long for the process of picking it apart and then feasting on it. Church is a wonderful part of God's plan. But if that was all you had, to nurture your spirit...you'd be missing all of the goodness of the process of walking with the Lord. May you hunger and thirst, today!!
"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled."
I have missed posting lately as my life has been especially busy with "stuff". More about that later, but for now, it's crab, that I want to discuss!! If I seem weird, well I am, but I kinda can't help it. My mom is from Maryland, my dad is from California, I was born in England and brought to the states only to be raised in the south. Most summers as a child, my family traveled to Maryland to see relatives. Our excursion, however, always included the best of Baltimore: The Harbour, The Aquarium, The Science Center, Fort McHenry and the Orioles. But most importantly, our trips always included crabs-Maryland crabs, that is!
In Maryland, you eat the center, not the legs of the crab, because that is where all the meat is. And the crabs are covered in seasoning. It's a really big deal. You sit at a table covered in newspaper, with citronella candles all around. You get everything ready before you start; napkins, tools, a drink, everything. Because once you start, it gets messy, but you don't want to stop. Your hands get covered in Old Bay, and as you pull the shell off and expose the meat, the seasoning from your hands coats it. And you eat, and eat. It is a lengthy process, sometimes you get a big lump, but not always. Usually you get little bites along and along, and you don't really get overstuffed, because you are steadily working for the next bite, taking each morsel and savoring it. Do you see where I am going with this, yet?
Some people grill hamburgers and hot dogs to fill up on, and just eat one or two crabs. They either don't want to devote the time or patience to the process, or they just can't stand being messy for very long.
The other most popular way to eat Maryland crabs, is by going to a restaurant and ordering a lump crab cake. I have found myself sorely disappointed over the years, as I have tried many crab cakes that claim to be from Maryland, claim to be "real", and even boast of being "with real, lump crab meat". Here's the problem. In Maryland, the meat is fresh. It is rare to a season, and it is rich. Yes, someone else has done the work, and quite a bit of it, at that. The cakes are nothing but meat. There is some type of invisible, edible glue and maybe five bread crumbs holding it all together. There is no stuffing, no fluff. It is just rich meat, laboriously compiled, and expertly prepared. And only those who participate in crab picking feasts, can appreciate the delicacy of a real Maryland crab cake, for they know the time effort and dedication it took to make just one crab cake.
A friend of mine is flying to Maryland this weekend to receive a degree from a University there. She's never been, and I desperately want her to experience the whole "crab thing". It would just seem a waste if she went all the way there, and didn't get to. She would still think that the crab legs you get from the man with the yellow truck, or the stuffing cakes with a couple threads of "real lump crab" are good. She would still have no idea what she was missing. And I am so sure, that she would love the real thing, if she ever had it!
Lately, with all the "stuff" I've had consuming my days, I feel as if I have settled for filling up on burgers and hot dogs, while only sampling a bit of crab. Because walking with the Lord is a lengthy, involved, messy process, and it takes preparation. But when I commit to it, to seeking the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness, the process is as good as the actual meat I consume. For along the way, I become focused, I experience the joy of the large lumps of meat, while being sustained by the smaller pieces. And I am spending some calories at the same time, so that I am not miserable. There is fellowship in the shared experience and encouragement in seeing others, as they come across those lumps of rich meat.
And Sundays, are like going to the restaurant for the crab cake. That is, if it is the real thing! I find that many churches serve a fluffy, stuffed service, with very little real meat. I am thrilled by God's provision in a church home, where each participant of the service has worked hard to serve the real thing. God's word, whether it is presented in music, sermon, prayer, offering, communion, or ministry, should always be rich and pure. I appreciate each aspect of the service, when I consider, the process it took to deliver it. Many people took time and effort to pick apart God's word. And then, with the help of God, they presented it for my consumption. The meat: Jesus body, broken and given for me.
Have I made you hungry for Maryland crab? That's not a bad thing, but I hope that today, you are hungry for God's rich word. And what's more, I hope that you long for the process of picking it apart and then feasting on it. Church is a wonderful part of God's plan. But if that was all you had, to nurture your spirit...you'd be missing all of the goodness of the process of walking with the Lord. May you hunger and thirst, today!!
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