As Matthew is leaving for the train station to pick up the young person they have arranged to come live with them, Marilla reminds him they have asked for a boy. They are both growing older and the work on the farm has become too much for them to do alone. There is a glut of orphans in Nova Scotia, so it seems to be the perfect solution.
When Matthew arrives at the station, the “boy” they have been sent turns out to be a slight, eleven-year-old girl. Anne Shirley quickly charms her way into Matthew’s heart. Marilla is much more difficult to convince; and Anne’s vivid imagination, flair for drama, and inclination to fill every silence with conversation nearly drives Marilla to distraction. Nevertheless, the Cuthbert’s decide to make a place in their home and in their lives for this peculiar young woman—and Green Gables is never the same.
While Anne of Green Gables focuses on the adventures and misadventures of Anne Shirley, her new wards, and the friends she makes as she moves into the community; it also presents a picture of adoption as the opportunity to experience a life that is full of promise. Because of her freckles and red hair, Anne thinks she is so unattractive that she could understand why the Cuthbert’s might not welcome her. In spite of her best efforts to do the right thing, Anne manages to make one profound blunder after another. She willingly admits that she deserves to be sent back to the orphanage.
In her imagination she has a fully developed picture of how miserable her life would be if that were to happen. Her dread of that possibility touches even the stoic heart of Marilla. As they all learn to live together as a family, we have the privilege of watching them each experience more of the abundance of life than they would have if they had decided not to stay faithful to their commitment to become one family.
Paul tells the Ephesians that, “God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure” (1:5). Perhaps you wonder if God would welcome you into his home. You may be afraid that some of the things you have done have ruined your chances of finding your place in God’s family. Let me assure you that God is ready to show you grace beyond measure—grace that will make you more than “kindred spirits” or “bosom friends”—grace that will enable you to believe that God truly is your Father.
Friday, May 13, 2011
Friday, May 6, 2011
Your Place on the Team
When was the last time you saw a group of kids standing around the ball field trying to decide who is going to be on whose team? I wonder if it ever happens these days with all the organized leagues and kids dressed in uniforms that rival the pro’s.
Perhaps you can remember playing in the front yard when one of your neighbors walked by and let you know there was going to be a game at the field in thirty minutes. You ran inside to tell your mom where you were headed, grabbed your glove, and took off.
Just a handful of kids were there when you arrived. You even wondered if there would be enough to make one team, let alone two. Within a few minutes a few more kids had showed up. A couple had a ball. Two or three bats appeared from somewhere. It was time for a game.
Now came one of the most significant—and anxiety-producing—events in your life. It was time to choose up sides. Somehow two kids (not always the oldest or the strongest, but usually) were standing on either side of home plate and pointing at one kid and then another, saying, “I choose you.”
If you were always one of the first couple of kids who were chosen, then you probably don’t remember that knot that started growing in your stomach as the “captains” continued to pick their teams and treat you as if you were invisible. Some of you will remember waving your hand as you tried to get the attention of the “captain” of the team you wanted to be on; and then turning away when it came time for the other “captain” to choose. Still, being chosen to be on the “wrong” team was better than being chosen last or—worse, yet—not being chosen at all.
It may not have begun on the ball field, but many people continue to carry that nagging question in the back of their minds, “Would anyone choose me?” It is a question that can trouble people in many different areas of their lives: professional, relational, and spiritual.
If this is a question that haunts you, hear this good news: God chooses you! Yes, God wants you to be on the team. Your new life in Jesus Christ means that you are not meant for the sidelines. God has a place for you in the game.
May you come to realize your value to God and your importance to the community of faith as you hear God say, “I choose you!”
Perhaps you can remember playing in the front yard when one of your neighbors walked by and let you know there was going to be a game at the field in thirty minutes. You ran inside to tell your mom where you were headed, grabbed your glove, and took off.
Just a handful of kids were there when you arrived. You even wondered if there would be enough to make one team, let alone two. Within a few minutes a few more kids had showed up. A couple had a ball. Two or three bats appeared from somewhere. It was time for a game.
Now came one of the most significant—and anxiety-producing—events in your life. It was time to choose up sides. Somehow two kids (not always the oldest or the strongest, but usually) were standing on either side of home plate and pointing at one kid and then another, saying, “I choose you.”
If you were always one of the first couple of kids who were chosen, then you probably don’t remember that knot that started growing in your stomach as the “captains” continued to pick their teams and treat you as if you were invisible. Some of you will remember waving your hand as you tried to get the attention of the “captain” of the team you wanted to be on; and then turning away when it came time for the other “captain” to choose. Still, being chosen to be on the “wrong” team was better than being chosen last or—worse, yet—not being chosen at all.
It may not have begun on the ball field, but many people continue to carry that nagging question in the back of their minds, “Would anyone choose me?” It is a question that can trouble people in many different areas of their lives: professional, relational, and spiritual.
If this is a question that haunts you, hear this good news: God chooses you! Yes, God wants you to be on the team. Your new life in Jesus Christ means that you are not meant for the sidelines. God has a place for you in the game.
May you come to realize your value to God and your importance to the community of faith as you hear God say, “I choose you!”
Friday, April 29, 2011
A Whisper through the Rain
The storms that marched across the southeast on Wednesday and Thursday left behind a trail of damage, destruction, and devastation that will take weeks, if not months, to fully assess. In communities from Mississippi to Virginia we have seen images of homes and businesses reduced to rubble, trees snapped in two, and cars and trucks covered with debris and left crumpled in ditches, fields, and even on top of one another.
If the storms had only damaged property, the cost would be significant; but the storms took an even greater toll—the loss of human life. The expanse and the degree of the destruction are making it difficult to know how many people have been killed. With each passing day the death toll continues to rise. Emergency workers are spending their time these first few days going from house, searching for survivors, and leaving their report in spray paint on whatever is left standing.
It will take quite some time to account for all those who are missing. Few are willing to even guess what the costs may be for the property damage. And yet, in the midst of this immense catastrophe there has been a recurring affirmation of faith.
As the news crews have put a microphone in front of survivors, one after another has testified that even though they have lost their home or business; they are thankful that God has brought them through the storm, and they affirm their faith that God will continue to bless them as they work to recover and rebuild.
These testimonies reminded me of a song made popular a few years ago by the contemporary Christian band, Casting Crowns, called “Praise You in this Storm.” Reflect on these words from the chorus: “And I'll praise you in this storm / and I will lift my hands / for You are who You are / no matter where I am / and every tear I've cried / You hold in your hand. / You never left my side / and though my heart is torn / I will praise You in this storm.”
Some people find it difficult to believe they are blessed even when things are going pretty well for them. As you begin to discover the new life you have in Christ, you learn that the reality of being blessed by God is not determined by your circumstances. Even when the thunder rolls, the storm is shaking the foundations of the earth, and the wind is blowing away everything you worked a lifetime to build; the voice of God whispers, “I am with you!”
That may be the moment when you truly understand what it means to be blessed.
If the storms had only damaged property, the cost would be significant; but the storms took an even greater toll—the loss of human life. The expanse and the degree of the destruction are making it difficult to know how many people have been killed. With each passing day the death toll continues to rise. Emergency workers are spending their time these first few days going from house, searching for survivors, and leaving their report in spray paint on whatever is left standing.
It will take quite some time to account for all those who are missing. Few are willing to even guess what the costs may be for the property damage. And yet, in the midst of this immense catastrophe there has been a recurring affirmation of faith.
As the news crews have put a microphone in front of survivors, one after another has testified that even though they have lost their home or business; they are thankful that God has brought them through the storm, and they affirm their faith that God will continue to bless them as they work to recover and rebuild.
These testimonies reminded me of a song made popular a few years ago by the contemporary Christian band, Casting Crowns, called “Praise You in this Storm.” Reflect on these words from the chorus: “And I'll praise you in this storm / and I will lift my hands / for You are who You are / no matter where I am / and every tear I've cried / You hold in your hand. / You never left my side / and though my heart is torn / I will praise You in this storm.”
Some people find it difficult to believe they are blessed even when things are going pretty well for them. As you begin to discover the new life you have in Christ, you learn that the reality of being blessed by God is not determined by your circumstances. Even when the thunder rolls, the storm is shaking the foundations of the earth, and the wind is blowing away everything you worked a lifetime to build; the voice of God whispers, “I am with you!”
That may be the moment when you truly understand what it means to be blessed.
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Risen Indeed!
“Christ is risen!” “He is risen, indeed!” That is the great good news of Easter. In obedience to God’s plan, Jesus gave his life on the cross as a sacrifice for the sin of all humanity. Now God has raised him from the dead and given him new life. Jesus, who was resurrected from the grave, is now our Savior and our Lord!
That is not where the good news stops, though. Through Christ’s resurrection, God has demonstrated his power to defeat death, and has made it possible for all who put their trust in Jesus to experience new life themselves.
Easter is more than just an occasion for wearing new clothes. Easter is more than an opportunity to share a special meal with your extended family. Easter is more than a day to decorate the church with pretty flowers. Easter is the culmination of the expression of God’s grace for you. Easter is the undeniable evidence that God can transform your life.
We will begin to explore our new life in Christ this Sunday, but there is so much more to it than we can cover in a single message. Paul uses six adjectives to describe elements of this transformed life in his letter to the Ephesians: blessed, chosen, adopted, accepted, redeemed, and forgiven. We will be exploring each of these more thoroughly as we move toward the celebration of Pentecost.
As you celebrate the resurrection of Jesus, I pray that you may also come to a more complete realization of the life that God has made possible for you. God’s grace is truly amazing!
“Christ is risen!” “He is risen, indeed! Alleluia!”
That is not where the good news stops, though. Through Christ’s resurrection, God has demonstrated his power to defeat death, and has made it possible for all who put their trust in Jesus to experience new life themselves.
Easter is more than just an occasion for wearing new clothes. Easter is more than an opportunity to share a special meal with your extended family. Easter is more than a day to decorate the church with pretty flowers. Easter is the culmination of the expression of God’s grace for you. Easter is the undeniable evidence that God can transform your life.
We will begin to explore our new life in Christ this Sunday, but there is so much more to it than we can cover in a single message. Paul uses six adjectives to describe elements of this transformed life in his letter to the Ephesians: blessed, chosen, adopted, accepted, redeemed, and forgiven. We will be exploring each of these more thoroughly as we move toward the celebration of Pentecost.
As you celebrate the resurrection of Jesus, I pray that you may also come to a more complete realization of the life that God has made possible for you. God’s grace is truly amazing!
“Christ is risen!” “He is risen, indeed! Alleluia!”
Friday, April 15, 2011
Too Easily Confused
You are driving through a town you’ve traveled through many times before; but this time there are signs ahead: “Detour!” Reluctantly you turn off your familiar route. The arrows mark the turns clearly—left, right, left, right. You are seeing parts of the city you’ve never seen before. Fascinated by the new scenery, you become distracted. You miss a turn and in a few moments you realize are totally turned around—disoriented and confused.
Your first reaction may be to curse the Department of Transportation. “Why do they have to work on the road when I want to use it? Why don’t they make the signs bigger? Why don’t they have people out here directing traffic?”
Or perhaps this has happened to you: You show up for work and there is a notice that the company will soon be switching over to a new software application. A workshop to introduce the new program is scheduled for next week. The announcement promises greater ease of use and increased productivity; but you were here the last time management decided change things. You remember how difficult it was to do your work with the “improved” system—all the extra hours you had to put in just to accomplish what you were originally doing. You still remember things about the old system that worked better.
Or, how confusing is this? An annoying health issue has finally led you to make an appointment with the doctor. The doctor orders a battery of tests. All the tests disrupt your life for a couple of weeks. Once all the results are in, the doctor shares the news…and it’s not good.
It’s a confusing world. Just when we think we have everything figured out, something happens to throw it all into question. That is, if you begin to question what kind of God we serve.
As we move through Holy Week and recall the passion of our Lord Jesus Christ, may the evidence of God’s goodness, faithfulness, and grace save us from the despair that is born of confusion. Let us hold fast to the truth Paul shared with the Romans: “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (5:8).
Yes, God’s grace is truly amazing!
Your first reaction may be to curse the Department of Transportation. “Why do they have to work on the road when I want to use it? Why don’t they make the signs bigger? Why don’t they have people out here directing traffic?”
Or perhaps this has happened to you: You show up for work and there is a notice that the company will soon be switching over to a new software application. A workshop to introduce the new program is scheduled for next week. The announcement promises greater ease of use and increased productivity; but you were here the last time management decided change things. You remember how difficult it was to do your work with the “improved” system—all the extra hours you had to put in just to accomplish what you were originally doing. You still remember things about the old system that worked better.
Or, how confusing is this? An annoying health issue has finally led you to make an appointment with the doctor. The doctor orders a battery of tests. All the tests disrupt your life for a couple of weeks. Once all the results are in, the doctor shares the news…and it’s not good.
It’s a confusing world. Just when we think we have everything figured out, something happens to throw it all into question. That is, if you begin to question what kind of God we serve.
As we move through Holy Week and recall the passion of our Lord Jesus Christ, may the evidence of God’s goodness, faithfulness, and grace save us from the despair that is born of confusion. Let us hold fast to the truth Paul shared with the Romans: “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (5:8).
Yes, God’s grace is truly amazing!
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Shelter in the Storm
The world is a dangerous place. Tornados . . . earthquakes . . . tsunamis . . . and that was just last month. Besides all of the “acts of God” (as the insurance companies call them), wildfires and nuclear radiation have pushed warnings about the dangers of global warming from the front page of the national news.
American troops are engaged in armed conflict in three different areas of the world. That’s not good; but as the news of another civil war breaking out in another country seems to become routine, it may certainly cause you to reconsider your plans to travel internationally.
Have you looked at a local crime map recently? If you have, you know there are some places where you better make sure the doors are locked and windows are rolled up when you park your car. Even the short stroll from the car to the front door can feel like a sortie in enemy territory.
It all makes you think you might just be better off if you stayed close to home. The problem with that is over half of auto accidents occur within a five-mile radius of your home. Staying home is not a solution, either. As people spend more time at home, they raise their chances of getting injured in their house.
Danger, trouble, even calamity may cause you to wonder what you are doing wrong. Let me remind you that Jesus told his disciples, “In this world you will have trouble” (John 16:33b). The apostle Paul certainly experienced trouble: opposition, riots, threats, beatings, imprisonment, ship wreck, just to name a few. And yet, Paul tells the Romans, “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us” (8:18).
How can Paul make such a bold claim? It is because he has faith that the God who saved him by grace will be with him to preserve and protect him. Grace does not leave us defenseless. Indeed, God’s grace assures our security—and not just from the threats from natural disaster, environmental destruction, or civil unrest. God’s grace is the reason you can stand confidently when it seems that there is an all-out assault against your soul.
How do you respond to questions and accusations that trouble your conscience? How do you deal with fears and doubts that unsettle your heart? Paul invites us to consider several important questions in Romans 8:31-35 that lead to an unshakable confidence of God’s grace.
It’s truly amazing!
American troops are engaged in armed conflict in three different areas of the world. That’s not good; but as the news of another civil war breaking out in another country seems to become routine, it may certainly cause you to reconsider your plans to travel internationally.
Have you looked at a local crime map recently? If you have, you know there are some places where you better make sure the doors are locked and windows are rolled up when you park your car. Even the short stroll from the car to the front door can feel like a sortie in enemy territory.
It all makes you think you might just be better off if you stayed close to home. The problem with that is over half of auto accidents occur within a five-mile radius of your home. Staying home is not a solution, either. As people spend more time at home, they raise their chances of getting injured in their house.
Danger, trouble, even calamity may cause you to wonder what you are doing wrong. Let me remind you that Jesus told his disciples, “In this world you will have trouble” (John 16:33b). The apostle Paul certainly experienced trouble: opposition, riots, threats, beatings, imprisonment, ship wreck, just to name a few. And yet, Paul tells the Romans, “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us” (8:18).
How can Paul make such a bold claim? It is because he has faith that the God who saved him by grace will be with him to preserve and protect him. Grace does not leave us defenseless. Indeed, God’s grace assures our security—and not just from the threats from natural disaster, environmental destruction, or civil unrest. God’s grace is the reason you can stand confidently when it seems that there is an all-out assault against your soul.
How do you respond to questions and accusations that trouble your conscience? How do you deal with fears and doubts that unsettle your heart? Paul invites us to consider several important questions in Romans 8:31-35 that lead to an unshakable confidence of God’s grace.
It’s truly amazing!
Thursday, March 31, 2011
What a Mess!
If you have ever dropped a full, unopened jar of prepared spaghetti sauce on a hard tiled floor, you know it makes one of the worst kinds of a mess. If it happened at the grocery store, your first impulse was probably to look up and down the aisle to see if anyone saw you. If not, you were most likely tempted to flee the spot as quickly as you could. If it happened to someone else, you probably just turned and walked away.
It can be an even bigger mess when it happens at home…in the pantry. Not only does sauce go all over the floor, it seems to splatter onto everything in an eight-foot radius…and not just in a straight line. And you can’t just wipe it off—the stain remains! On the cartons. On the walls. On the napkins and towels and dishrags you grab to wipe up the mess.
You have to be very careful, though. You never know how far the glass has spread. Sometimes the sauce does seem to keep the glass a little closer to the impact site. (It certainly is not as bad as dropping a piece of Corelle® dinnerware. It can take months to collect all the pieces—and the smallest ones are mere slivers…and so sharp they’ll cut you in an instant.) Scooping up sauce and glass is particularly troubling as you realize there is no way to save what was going to be your dinner.
Nevertheless, as big a mess as a shattered jar of spaghetti sauce can make; it is nowhere as big as the mess people make of the relationships in their lives on a much too regular basis. Sometimes friendships are broken through the same kind of careless inattention that knocks the jar off the shelf. Other times, people seem intent on seeing how much grief they can cause their mothers and father, sisters and brothers. (Imagine folks hurling jars of sauce at one another.)
While you may have never had the misfortune of watching a jar of sauce hit the floor, you have probably experienced the brokenness of a significant relationship. Even now, you may be wondering if there is anything you can do to make things right.
There is one thing you should know: God is in the business of reconciliation…of restoring broken relationships through the power of grace. And God is not just concerned about how you are getting along with your neighbors; God is committed to restoring your relationship with him…through the life, death, and resurrection of his son, Jesus.
It is truly amazing!
Good news!
And another way the grace of God can transform your life.
It can be an even bigger mess when it happens at home…in the pantry. Not only does sauce go all over the floor, it seems to splatter onto everything in an eight-foot radius…and not just in a straight line. And you can’t just wipe it off—the stain remains! On the cartons. On the walls. On the napkins and towels and dishrags you grab to wipe up the mess.
You have to be very careful, though. You never know how far the glass has spread. Sometimes the sauce does seem to keep the glass a little closer to the impact site. (It certainly is not as bad as dropping a piece of Corelle® dinnerware. It can take months to collect all the pieces—and the smallest ones are mere slivers…and so sharp they’ll cut you in an instant.) Scooping up sauce and glass is particularly troubling as you realize there is no way to save what was going to be your dinner.
Nevertheless, as big a mess as a shattered jar of spaghetti sauce can make; it is nowhere as big as the mess people make of the relationships in their lives on a much too regular basis. Sometimes friendships are broken through the same kind of careless inattention that knocks the jar off the shelf. Other times, people seem intent on seeing how much grief they can cause their mothers and father, sisters and brothers. (Imagine folks hurling jars of sauce at one another.)
While you may have never had the misfortune of watching a jar of sauce hit the floor, you have probably experienced the brokenness of a significant relationship. Even now, you may be wondering if there is anything you can do to make things right.
There is one thing you should know: God is in the business of reconciliation…of restoring broken relationships through the power of grace. And God is not just concerned about how you are getting along with your neighbors; God is committed to restoring your relationship with him…through the life, death, and resurrection of his son, Jesus.
It is truly amazing!
Good news!
And another way the grace of God can transform your life.
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