hEAR mE rOCK

.. it would seem as though I put myself back in the desert. Not in a bad way. But I’m a firm believer in you can’t be on the mountaintop without walking through the valley. And life is nothing more than a series of mountaintops.. which in turn creates a series of valleys. I used to think that we had ups and downs with God because we’re emotional creatures.. and emotions are never constant. While that may be partially true, I’m beginning to understand the sentiment that you cannot fully appreciate the highs without lows.

Why the mass of geographical analogies? Because that’s the only way as a human I can begin to understand who God is. See the thing is.. God is on this whole other level… and while many may claim to understand him, the truth is we can only understand the parts of him he allows to be seen and only to the degree at which our minds can comprehend.

Have I lost you yet? It’s probably because you’re not walking down my road with me so you’re not seeing what I’m seeing. Let me show you what see…

If I look behind me I see the hill I just rolled down. I was up on the mountaintop, enjoying the fresh air, beautiful view, and I was that much closer to God. But through a series of events, I lost my footing and stumbled down to the valley. It wasn’t sin that brought me down. It was more just the circumstances of life. If I look down at my feet, I’m knee deep in swampy crap.. because that’s the lowest point of the valley. See I’d been walking around in the valley for the last couple weeks focusing on all the things around me that sucked. Only to discover that I wasn’t really watching where I was going, and I stumbled into the swampy crap and got stuck. So for the last couple days, I’ve stared at the swampy crap and wondered why it was there. Thursday was low. Friday was lower. Saturday was hard. Sunday was miserable. Then this morning something caught my attention. I looked up to discover that the swampy crap was actually the base of this big amazing mountain. No.. this is no ordinary mountain I’ve climbed before. The other mountains I’ve climbed look like small rolling hills in comparison to this Everest. No this mountain is going to be a long hard climb. But at the top of it I see something amazing. Something Godly. Something I can’t put into words. But I’m reminded my road isn’t ending in the swamp.

Did I overuse the term “swampy crap?” Probably. But that’s the best describer.

I’m surrendering.

If you love something.. or someone.. sometimes you have to let them go. While my head knows it’s the perfect thing at the perfect time, my heart still aches for the loss. But I know I haven’t lost them. I just put them in God’s hands.

In Proverbs we’re told to “guard our hearts, for it is the wellspring of life.” Now I ask the question, “Guard your heart? What does that even mean?”. And in searching for the answer I find this… your heart is where you store the wisdom you receive. As believers and teachers, it’s our job to take that wisdom and use it to give life to others. So our hearts are overflowing with life… but how do we guard it? Well you turn a few pages to Philippians and you learn that “the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will GUARD YOUR HEART”.. Stick with me… How do you get that peace? The beginning of the verse tells us that we receive that peace when we are “not anxious about anything. But in everything by prayer and thanksgiving presenting our requests to God.”

I made some difficult decisions, and you may wonder how I could have peace. You can wonder because it’s that peace that surpasses all understanding.

That pretty much means… you’ll never get it

… my hope is found. He is my light, my strength, my song. This cornerstone. This solid ground. Firm the fiercest drought and storm. What heights of love. What depths of peace. When fears are stilled and strivings cease. My comforter. My all in all. Here in the love of Christ I stand.

In Christ alone who took on flesh. Fullness of God in helpless babe. This gift of life and righteousness. Scourned by the ones he came to save. Till on that cross as Jesus died. The wrath of God was satisfied. For every sin on him was laid. Here in the death of Christ I live.

There in the ground his body laid. Light of the world by darkness slain. Then bursting forth in glorious day. Out from the grave he rose again. AND AS HE STANDS IN VICTORY. SINS CURSE HAS LOST IT’S GRIP ON ME. For I am his and he is mine. Bought with the precious blood of Christ.

No guilt in life. No fear in death. This is the power of Christ in me. From life’s first cry til final breath. Jesus commands my destiny. NO POWER OF HELL AND NO SCHEME OF MAN COULD EVER PLUCK ME FROM HIS HAND. Till he returns or calls me home. Here in the power of Christ I’ll stand.

This weekend, I had the absolute pleasure of serving the congregation on Easter morning. After so many years of acting like I cared about other people, it’s funny how God can change someone’s heart to be more like his. To be concerned and compassionate not just towards the people who need it, but towards those who I feel like don’t deserve it. As I stepped into service for a few moments Sunday, I stood in the back and listened to the choir sing “My Redeemer Lives.” That’s when I realized. EVERYTHING I do in my life, everything I work for every week, everything I am - is based on what happened on Easter 2,000 years ago. I’m not just celebrating a holiday. I was celebrating life. Jesus’ life, my life and the life that’s available to anyone who wishes to seek it.

As he stood in victory, sin’s curse lost its grip on me.

And I’ve heard A LOT of people recently make comments like “That’s how God is” or “Sometimes God does that.” As very limited minded humans, who are we to tell someone else what God is and what he isn’t or what’s he thinking or feeling. We can read the bible, and we can encounter him in our own way. But ulitimately, who am I to explain why God does what he does? Only he knows that. The only thing I can do love him and love others. And hopefully along the way, he’ll show me what love really is.

The last 3 weeks have been exhausting. After some soul searching, VERY emotional meetings, tearful conversations, angry prayers… I’m reminded that life goes on.What God has called me to do is different. So, now I understand that means the battles I fight are going to be different and there are going to be very few people around me who can understand what I’m experiencing.Redefine is the word God has used to help me understand what he’s called me to do. It’s my passion to redefine what it means to be a follower of Christ. Definition brings security. People struggle with Christianity because it’s undefined. We have allowed our relationship with God to be defined by emotion, and emotions are unstable. We define people by their clothes, how well they can catch a ball, what grade they receive on a project, how well their children behave, what kind of car they drive, the words they choose to speak, how they treat us, how well decorated their home is, how clean their car is, the places they go and the hobbies they practice.But what if we created a generation that defined people as valuable children of the Father? What if we cared enough about people to get to know them and then define them by who they are and not just what we see?Redefine yourself… Redefine your community… Redefine the world