Fun in the Son…Freedom with Christ
So, if the Son sets you free, you shall be free indeed. (John 8:36, NIV)
July 20th, 2022
RELINQUISH: WOOD, HAY, STUBBLE
Lessons are everywhere. Sometimes we don’t even need to look. They find us. My parent’s home is being sold. Even prior to my dad’s passing, my husband and I and my parents were in the process of buying a home together so we could care for them in the same home instead of miles between us. My mom has lived with us since end of October, after my dad’s passing. She has used these months to relish their life together, to go through it and examine it and package the memories for the family to share with others along the journey. It’s now time to sell the house.
So, the other day, we discovered, that in our absence for a few days, someone had broken into her house and rummaged through it, made himself at home, helped himself to my parent’s belongings, and stole their car parked in the garage when he departed. It wouldn’t be long before he would make a silly mistake and be in custody, the car and my parent’s belongings now tainted and stained with betrayal and violation and drug paraphernalia. How despicable! What degradation! The final days my mom would have their home and their car now influenced with a sour taste, a disgraceful film coating what already has been painful.
My husband said (early on, when we first learned of the burglary and theft and were in the beginning stages of paperwork, filings and complaints), “Maybe this person will get apprehended and end up in prison and there we can tell him about Jesus. Maybe he’ll be on my caseload and he and I can have a chat.” What a ‘come to Jesus’ meeting I imagine that would be! (Peter works in the prisons and does reentry efforts on the outside when men and women are released.)
But it truly was a bold reminder of our purpose, our mission, our passion. In fact, it is humbling as I thought about the many men and women in prison, and those being released, that we have a rare opportunity with. Out of all the people in this world, God would give me/us, a heart and desire and purpose to take Jesus to those marginalized men and women who many have given up on, discounted, taken out with the trash, walked away from—due to their actions and choices. What Satan meant for evil—the violations, the invasive offenses—God desires to use for this man’s good and his eternity! We have a unique responsibility to extend forgiveness and share Jesus with the least of these, even a thief who intended harm toward us.
It is my prayer that when the Lord looks to see if He can find some who are available and willing to love the unlovely, to give grace to the ungraceful, to forgive the unforgiveable, to see others through His lens—the same lens that sees me unblemished when I actually am the unlovely and ungraceful and have done the unforgiveable—I pray He finds you and me. In the meantime, it is important for us to hold loosely everything we have on this earth, because it is material and temporal and tangible, and what really remains that is important, is the lasting effect sharing Jesus with others might have in their lives—and then the lives of those they go on to reach for Christ. That’s the Gospel right there! and no amount of holding on to this world and what little it has to offer will ever measure up to the beauty of His words someday, “Well done, My good and faithful servant,” as He looks us in the eyes and sees into our hearts, and finds, not worldly possessions, but eternal worth.
I Corinthians 3:12-15, ‘Remember there is only one foundation, the one already laid: Jesus Christ. Take particular care in picking out your building materials. Eventually there is going to be an inspection. If you use cheap or inferior materials, you’ll be found out. The inspection will be thorough and rigorous. You won’t get by with a thing. If your work passes inspection, fine; if it doesn’t, your part of the building will be torn out and started over. But you won’t be torn out; you’ll survive—but just barely.’ (MSG)
Out of all the living things God made, He created mankind to BE. Whatever, whoever, you are, Beautiful You, BE the best version of you; BE the change this world needs; BE filled; BE free!
