God has been busy ...

What a week! God has been busy ... and for that, I am very thankful.

The kids are back into their school routines and Isaac & Sam have even started into their baseball seasons ... we’ve been surrounded by meals and visits and prayers and encouraging phone calls and emails ... my Mom was with us throughout the first part of the week and then David’s Mom and my sister were here at the end ... my week was filled with phone calls and meetings with lawyers, insurance companies, employers while trying to catch up with the piles of bills and other personal and business stuff that has been sitting to the side for months ... busy, busy, busy ... which was good and bad.

I knew that what I really needed was some down time, to rest ... and to pray ... but I haven’t been able to speak to Him, let alone pray ... for some reason worship has continued to come easily, as I always seem to have a song on my heart, which I kept trying to fight until God revealed something to me about that, too (will share later). What has been frustrating is that over the past year, praying has become like breathing to me ... over this past week I would find myself starting to shoot up a little prayer but would then stop mid-thought when I remembered I wasn’t speaking to Him ... giving God the silent-treatment ... every try that? What I discovered is that I can't go very long without breathing ...

As the week went on, God continued to speak ... to comfort ... to love ... and I kept ignoring Him ... I went to breakfast with some friends on Thursday and through those conversations, He continued to encourage ... and to love. I returned to Bible Study on Friday morning ... more encouragement, more love ... and somewhere between here and there, I turned blue in the face and finally took in a deep, deep breath of Him.

In one of my devotionals (which I tried to ignore), the Lord lead me to Hebrews 6: 1-6 ...
Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, instructions about baptism, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. And God willing, we will do so. It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the Word of God and the powers of the coming age, if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting Him to public disgrace. Land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is farmed receives the blessing of God. But land that produces thorns and thistles is worthless and is in danger of being cursed. In the end it will be burned.

Heady stuff, so let me share the same verses from The Message ...
So come on, let's leave the preschool fingerpainting exercises on Christ and get on with the grand work of art. Grow up in Christ. The basic foundational truths are in place: turning your back on "salvation by self-help" and turning in trust toward God; baptismal instructions; laying on of hands; resurrection of the dead; eternal judgment. God helping us, we'll stay true to all that. But there's so much more. Let's get on with it!

Once people have seen the light, gotten a taste of heaven and been part of the work of the Holy Spirit, once they've personally experienced the sheer goodness of God's Word and the powers breaking in on us—if then they turn their backs on it, washing their hands of the whole thing, well, they can't start over as if nothing happened. That's impossible. Why, they've re-crucified Jesus! They've repudiated him in public! Parched ground that soaks up the rain and then produces an abundance of carrots and corn for its gardener gets God's "Well done!" But if it produces weeds and thistles, it's more likely to get cussed out. Fields like that are burned, not harvested.

Are you hearing this? Now is not the time to get caught up in our childish ways, questioning if there is a God ... if He’s good ... we KNOW those answers and we can not allow the enemy to distract or delay us any longer from not only what we know to be true, but advancing ... maturing ... in Christ ... it would defeat everything that is intended for good from what we are all experiencing ... it re-crucifies Jesus! Not to mention the harvest that would be lost! I needed to hear 'Get on with it! ... Grow up! ... Let's keep going until we hear His words 'Well done!'

Once people have seen the Light ... tasted heaven ... the work of the Holy Spirit ... the sheer goodness of God’s Word and powers of the coming age ... if we turn our backs now, and pretend like nothing has happened, we are publicly disgracing Christ! Friends, we HAVE seen the Light ... we HAVE seen the work of the Holy Spirit ... we HAVE tasted a piece of heaven ... if we want to stay IN CHRIST and not loose all that we've gained, our only path is to move forward, giving praise for His sheer goodness ... trusting that our Father has taught us well enough when we were young in Him that when an assault on our faith comes at us ... like we have now ... not only should we KNOW that we can trust Him, but He should also be able to TRUST US to continue to be obedient and faithful ... even when we don't understand.

So, really nothing has changed ... even though everything has changed ... that is our great God. Even when our world is turned upside down, He never changes ... He is the rock to hold onto while the assault on our faith continues as we continue to fight for Truth ... the eternal truth that God IS good and He is in control. I will be honest in saying that I still have questions ... my sin of ‘need to know’ had me pretty stuck ... but with the encouragement and love of family & friends (I have so much to share about this love) ... and with the strength of my Jesus ... I have surrendered those questions at the foot of the cross for when ... or if ... my Father decides I am ready for answers. And for now, I turn from my childish ways and look forward to what He has for us next ... KNOWING He will take care of us (lots to share about this, too!)

So ... I'm back on the crazy bus ... crazy peace, crazy excitement ... many of my family and friends saved me a seat on what they also affectionately call the cuckoo bus ... but one thing He has said all along, and this scripture in Hebrews proclaimed again to me this week ... there is more ... and my Spirit says SO BE IT! More Lord, more!

I'm glad to have you along for the ride ... I have a feeling you might want to buckle up!