My Vision...again.

I'm back. I have to God  is really busy in my life.
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A couple of years ago, I had cataract surgery. The eye professionals had been telling me for a long time that I will have to have it done in my 50's-60's, which is much earlier than typical. My surgeon was truly used by God and everyone got blessed, whether they realized that it was a God-thing , or not.
This year I noticed that I had floaters,or a film beginning to cover my left eye. My vision started to become obscured, like looking through smudged windows. I saw my regular eye doctor, who validated my description. It turns out that when the cataract surgery is done early, the eye tries to grow another lens. Look at the remarkable nature of God's creation. 
No lens will actually grow there but rather leave a film to obscure the vision. What I'm looking at is not distorted, mis-shapened, nor fuzzy. It's just my body trying to do what is unneeded or necessary. But it is a hindrance..So she said that it is a simple fix. She referred me back to one that is more skilled and has greater expertise in fixing the problem. He will dilate the one eye, laser clean the film, and send me on my way. 
Our spiritual vision is the same way. When we are born-again, Jesus gives us new vision, new understanding and clarity. Then our flesh wants to grow something that is unneeded and unnecessary, hindering our vision. We can't even blame satan for it. He doesn't  get credit for that. It is our own flesh in the way. If we will but go to the Holy Spirit and confess our problem, the rest of the Triune God goes to work. And if we will submit to their work, as in a surgeon's chair, things get cleared up in fairly short order.
I was ready for them to do the cleanup right now. Alas, i have to wait my turn for the human beings. However, not so with God. There is no line,no wait.  Just ask.
Romans 12:2

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

A Cause for Reflection

So where do I begin? 
Like many of  you, I recently saw the  movie, The Black Panther. That was an amazing experience that I will, Lord willing, repeat.I just have to. The movie was so multidimensional, that you really only get the  surface stimulus, and a little of the messages. One of the powerful images that I didn't miss, was the power of Black Women. We were honored, respected, and celebrated for all of our multifaceted personhood. I was particularly struck by the general of the army. Disciplined. Focused. Well-trained in her skillset. Not to be messed with nor played. And she bore a regal beauty of her own. Wow.
The character that I most connected with was Nakia, played by Lupita Nyong'o. Nakia is passionate and focused on her calling. Her heart is to see those of the diaspora included in the blessings that Wakanda  enjoyed. She is a spy and recognized the enemy. She could see, hear, and detect the workings of the enemy and the wisdom to speak. Her dark skin was a comfort to me. I still remember being a very young girl and hearing neighbor children comment that I was dark, 'but nice though'.
So my dark skin not a good thing? I attended a really white school, so my physical presence, in my young mind, would never be acceptable. Twisting my sense of worth into a depressed mess. Nakia reinforced what God had already been working on in me. So many movies, including all-black casts, the lead female roles were very light-skinned women. further endangering my already fragile sense of beauty. My brain, my intellect, seemed to get me no where. Nakia helped put the last nail in that coffin. 
Nakia did something else for me. She put more fuel on the fire of my heart. You see, I long for the Black Church congregation to share her spiritual wealth with our brothers and sisters on the Continent of Africa. So many have not heard the gospel of Jesus. So many live in countries with governments hostile to the gospel. So many still live in places where the Enemy of our souls has convinced that all Americans are white. That all missionaries are white. That we have forgotten them. We hold in our vessels the wealth of the Holy Spirit, the genius of Scripture, and the freedom that comes salvation. Like Nakia, my heart is to bring those that are lost into the Kingdom. For this cause, I reflect on the power of Jesus in me.
#waitingforinstructions#marchingorders

In My Face

In my face.
Blessings.
Missed them completely.
Blessings.
I visit my sister regularly, but  I never thought that items in the guest bathroom were for my use. She asked me if I liked what she had put in the bathroom, and I had to confess that I hadn't thought about them as being for me. Eucalyptus and lavender in abundance. Spa products, lotions and shampoos, and just so many blessings to encourage me. No, I was pulling small items out of the basket at WalMart. God was using my sister, and I didn't recognize it. She had to bring it to my attention. I imagine the perplexed look on her face is the same look God's face when I don't recognize the blessings that He has placed right in my face. Those little things that bless me and encourage me and give me Comfort. I love soaps and lotions and things that bring me refreshment. Now I know. I need to pay more attention.
Forgive me, Lord, for overlooking the many blessings and comforts and acts of encouragement that you have put right in my face. Forgive me for thinking so small. You are a BIG GOD, and I was thinking way too small. You keep putting  blessings right in my face. Now I need to open my eyes.

Flourish

Sparla was born feral. Long line of feral cats.
When Ben rescued Sparla, she was covered in fleas. Newborn, 4 week old kitted don't run around asking fleas to hop on. Theyare simply part of her life as a feline. Mama got fleas, baby got fleas. Ben chose Sparla out of the litter. We bathed her in warm water and original Dawn to rid her of the fleas. As Sparla got older, she became able to tolerate the medicine for ongoing protection from fleas. Unfortunately, the medicine  is not a permanent solution. It must be reapplied monthly. Meanwhile, I also comb her. Slow, painstaking process. Yet, I noticed that Sparla leans into the combing. She turns the most affected parts to me for combing away very tiny pests that irritate her. Sparla gets regular and frequent brushing to keep her fur from getting matted and snarled.  Matted fur is dull, painful to fix, and simply ugly. Sparla leans into her brushing.
Why can't we be like that? Like Sparla, we are born into the fact of pests - sin. Like those fleas, sin sucks the blood/life out us. Especially deadly for kittens. Like feral kittens, we need a Rescuer. We are born helpless against predators and pests. We need big strong hands to scoop us up out of a flea-infested environment into His kingdom. There we are regularly washed  and cared for. Our Rescuer  makes sure that our living space is clean and the the food is appropriate  for our development. My job - to come alongside Ben to aid in the care of the now full-grown pet that we love.
But we are not pets. We are co-heirs with Christ. How even more important that we join our Rescuer in the work of disciple care! Because we are children of the most high God, not pets, we should not only lean into His care, but run to Him for it. When our appearance starts to look a little (or a lot) shabby, we need to stand still and submit to the brushing out. Sparla is now a choosy eater. She is not eating any old thing given to her. Why do we? Sniff it out. Examine closely. Then choose to eat, or walk away. Feasting only on the Word of God trains our spiritual palate to know  what is good, and reject anything not like it.  Sparla is actually  beautiful and smart and approachable, winsome. Unless she smells an intruder. but that battle lesson is for another  time.  

Psalm 92:13New Living Translation (NLT)

¹³ For they are transplanted to the Lord’s own house.
    They flourish in the courts of our God.

if you look up flourish in Merriam-Webster, you will be encouraged.

Brown paper bags

Recently, one of my sisters posted a picture of a simple brown paper bag with a smiley face on it. It contained a few simple treats and was given by our younger sister's Sunday School class. It was a very simple and old-fashioned thing to to do. Yet, it also has profound meaning. That simple brown paper bag contained symbols of life lived honestly and grounded. There were oranges in the bag. Fruit of the earth, tangy and juicy. Often sweet, as well, The orange reminds me that life is a mix of flavor and texture, from the juice that refreshes and bites, to the skin that requires work to peel off and reveal the succulence. That same peel adds zest to recipes that nourish friend and family. Then there are a variety of nuts. Some of our best, most reliable and grounded friends are well..a little nutty. We wouldn't trade them for anything. Let's be honest.  We are all somebody's eccentric bud. some of us a hard to get into, but season life with heartiness as we work to know them from the inside. Throw in some candy.The hard things in life tends to work the sweetness in us as we learn that experience and adversity take their time to do what God has in mind. Throw it all into a non-descript simple brown paper bag, especially with someone's name on it. Who needs glitter and sparkle?  It's why kids play with the box. The imagination and the heart take over. I took example from Reita's Sunday School class and made a few bags for the team at work. Things are  intense in retail this time of year. Lots of customers, long shifts, and requests that take a bizarre turn. You would have thought that I gave everyone double overtime. It diffused the tension, and brought smiles to great folks that needed to breathe. Simple brown paper bags. Powerful.

Back to Basics

¹⁶ “Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean;

Remove the evil of your deeds from My sight.
Cease to do evil,
¹⁷ Learn to do good;
Seek justice,
Reprove the ruthless,
^[a]Defend the orphan,Plead for the widow.

Isaiah 1:16-17New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Why do we make it all so hard? Why is there so much talking and committee work? Must there be endless conversation about this? My first thought was to  look up how much money and time the governmental agencies spend talking about and researching justice, family, and poverty. But the truth is, Jesus told the believers to do justice, support families, and care for the defenseless. God gave that to the people called by His name. I find it interesting, no, convicting that God first tells us to repent. Before we can fulfill the Holy Mandates, we must take care of our own personal messes. Man, you mean I don't get to point my finger, place blame, and give angry protest at social and government agents? You mean, I can't pump my fist and make demands? Darn.

So here I am a professing Christian, proclaiming my love for God and His Christ. Now that I know, what am I going to do about it? I know that I need to keep a guard over my mouth. I know that I need to be more encouraging to my son. I know that I need to stop rolling my eyes. Evil thoughts and attitudes bring me to the throne of my God to repent, get clean of my deeds. With my Bible open, I see my marching orders. First learn to do good. It doesn't come naturally. By nature I am a selfish beast. So I have to learn to good. 2 Timothy 2:15 tells me Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth. Deuteronomy 10:18 tells me He executes justice for the orphan and the widow, and shows His love for the alien by giving him food and clothing. 

See? Basics. Feed, shelter, care. 

That was  a quick meeting.

Pots, Jars, and Empty Vessels

A couple of weeks ago, I mentioned that I'd attended a wonderful women's retreat. That was such a refreshing and inspiring time. One of the many blessings of that time was 1 Kings 17.
Here is my big take-away verse: ¹⁶ The ^[k]bowl of flour was not exhausted nor did the jar of oil ^[l]become empty, according to the word of the Lord which He spoke through Elijah.

You see, in this portion of Scripture, God sends the prophet Elijah to another country to find food and water. Things are pretty bad in  Israel, with famine drying everything up. God directs His man to the home of a widow, a single mom, who is actually not doing any better. He asks for  a cake to eat. The widow responds that she has just enough oil and meal to make a small meal for she and her son. Then they would die. This sister was in a hard place. No dreams, no hope for the future, no resources. But the man of God tells her not be afraid,  make a small cake for him first, then make for she and son. the widow does as instructed.  The record doesn't indicate that she had any thoughts or words of resistance. Good thing, too, because Elijah further tells her,
¹⁴ For thus says the Lord God of Israel, ‘The ^[i]bowl of flour shall not be exhausted, nor shall the jar of oil ^[j]be empty, until the day that the Lord sends rain on the face of the earth.’”
 What an amazing promise! At that moment the single mom widow chooses to believe God and verse 16 happens. God has made many precious promises in His Word. And even as I write this, I'm not sure about a particular circumstance in my life. But I am certain that God has a plan to meet the need. I am fully persuaded that my God will, and has, supplied all of my needs from His riches in glory. I am a clay jar that will never run empty because I have Jesus living in my heart. I have no need to despair because

⁷ But we have this precious treasure [the good news about salvation] in [unworthy] earthen vessels [of human frailty], so that the grandeur and surpassing greatness of the power will be [shown to be] from God [His sufficiency] and not from ourselves.2 Corinthians 4:7Amplified Bible (AMP)

God fills me up each day that I submit myself to Him. The power of Christ is there in me to experience His wonderful grace. No more empty pots.