Are there any gladiators out there?

If on any given Thursday you tuned out the world and tuned into Scandal, then you know exactly what I am talking about.

For those of you who are not familiar with one of my all time favorite shows, here is the Reader’s Digest version of the series: A former White House Communications Director starts up her own agency to deal with crisis management in the nation’s Capitol.  She works with her team to conceal people’s secrets. If you are in trouble, Olivia Pope is the first call you make. She even wears a white hat. Her agency is comprised of “gladiators.”

Gladiators are people who jump into the messiest of situations, no matter the cost.  

Then there are people like Olivia’s love interest, Jake, who wanted to run away from all of the messiness enveloping them and stand in the light.

“I want us to stand in the sun together.” said Admiral Jake Ballard.

But standing in the light means that our mess is exposed and we are left vulnerable.  

Sometimes we feel like it is easier to conceal our mistakes rather than to allow others to see our flaws.  

Maybe we believe no one will stand in our messiness with us.  

We distance ourselves from others, hoping no one will notice the weight that we carry deep within.

I wonder if that is how the Samaritan woman felt.  She came to draw water from the well at a time of day when she would not have to interact with others or be judged.

She had no gladiators to call upon when she was in trouble.

Until Jesus came to the well.

Jesus was a gladiator who jumped into the messy lives of others, no matter the cost.

“When the Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “ Will you give me a drink?” (His disciples had gone into town to buy food).  The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am Samaritan woman.  How can you ask me for a drink? (For Jews did not associate with Samaritans).  Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water .”  John 4: 7-10

Don’t miss what Jesus says here.  

“Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst again.  Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” The woman said to Him, “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty or have to keep coming here to draw water.”   He told her, “Go, call your husband and come back.” “I have no husband,” she replied. Jesus said to her, “You are right when you say you have no husband. The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband.  What you have said is quite true.” John 4: 13-18

He offers her the living water even knowing the messiness of her life.

That day at the well, He brought everything into the light and stood with her.  

Mess and all.

Friends, He knows our flaws, and jumps right into our messy lives.

He knew the cost would be His own life, and He gave it freely anyway.

Just like a gladiator.

I still have a soft spot for Thursday nights, but in my heart I know I need to follow His example and be a gladiator everyday.  

Stand in the messy places with those around you and love them as Christ would love them.

Are there any gladiators out there?

Living in a house with three men, it is common for some sporting event to be on our television.  

Football.  Basketball.  Golf.

And even though I do not always understand the rules, I do love to watch the excitement and joy that follows a victory.

Tiger Woods return to glory, winning the Masters again this past Sunday was one of those moments.  Witnessing the embrace between him and his son shortly after he walked off the course was a snapshot many will remember for years to come..

That rare and beautiful moment that takes your breath away and sometimes brings a tear to your eye.

I had a moment like that eight years ago.

It was right before Easter.  

Our friends, John and Amy had gifted a place at the beach for my husband and I to take our boys, then 10 and 8 years old.  

I had just finished my last round of chemotherapy.

Despite their generosity, it was not a journey I wanted to make.

My body ached.  I was drained both physically and emotionally.   

The thought of spending hours in a car almost brought me to tears.  

But something deep inside nudged me to say yes.   

So I packed my wig and my clothes, and away we went.

We shared the joy of being together.  Watching the boys play in the sand, eating pizza at the Grotto.

And going to church together on Easter morning.

We arrived too early for the service.  I had mistakenly read the start times for worship.

Our family was greeted by a friendly older couple who welcomed us to wait in fellowship hall, where the boys could have a snack until it was time to go into the sanctuary.

While the boys had cookies and punch, John and I struck up a conversation with the husband and wife.  

It quickly became evident why God had brought us there early.

Their daughter had just been diagnosed with breast cancer.

I listened as they shared their hearts with me. I offered what comfort and insight I could into the road that lied ahead.  Sharing my journey brought healing to me as well.

God speaks through us and to us in the most remarkable ways.

On that Easter Sunday, He used me to speak words of hope to that couple.  

And then He used my 8 year old son, Daniel to speak words of hope to me.

It is a moment that still takes my breath away.

When we had initially entered the hall, my eyes were immediately drawn up to the ceiling.

There were large poster boards dangling from the ceiling tiles, etched with words like addiction, divorce, loss of job, death of a loved one.  They seemed to represent the pain and suffering that others had overcome. I glanced at them briefly and focused my attention back to our conversation.

But my son had been studying these 30 plus boards as he nibbled on his cookies.

Excitedly, Daniel ran over to me to get my attention.  

He pointed above him, exclaiming and proclaiming:

“Look, Mommy, look!  Cancer didn’t win!”

That rare and beautiful moment that took my breath away and pierced my soul.

I knew that God had already claimed victory over my cancer.  

But even more importantly on Easter, He proclaimed victory over death.

And I cannot tell either story without getting emotional.

Friends, Christ laid down His life because of His great love for us.   

And even though He felt physically and emotionally drained, He said yes to the journey.

He proclaimed victory for us all.

On this Good Friday, share the greatest story ever told.

His love for us is too great not to share.

Amen.

“The Lord is my strength and my song, He has given me victory.  This is my God, and I will praise Him – “ Exodus 15:2

 

This beautiful picture was given to me as a gift by my friend Sharon.

The detail is remarkable.

It was created by using different colored tiny beads.

Each bead has a place, not one unused or insignificant.

Each one unique, but when arranged in just the right spots brings something of extraordinary beauty.

I cannot imagine the time and attention it took to create this picture.

If I would have looked at the directions on making this project, I would have got to step three and probably would have looked for something else.

But like the notes jump off the page for a musician, or an equation makes sense to a mathematician, these directions spoke to my friend.

That is probably how Bezalel felt when he was called by the Lord.

I’m sure you all know who Bezalel is, right?

It’s ok…I didn’t either.

But even though his name does not jump out at us like Moses or Mary, he holds a special place in the Bible.  Four chapters in Exodus to be exact.

More importantly, he holds a significant place in God’s kingdom.

“Then Moses told the people of Israel, ‘The Lord has specifically chosen Bezalel son of Uri, grandson of Hur, of the tribe of Judah.  The Lord has filled Bezalel with the Spirit of God, giving him great wisdom, ability, and expertise in all kinds of crafts. He is a master craftsman, expert in working with gold, silver, and bronze.  He is skilled in engraving and mounting gemstones and in carving wood. He is a master at every craft.” Exodus 35:30-33

Bezalel was hand chosen by God to perform any task that was involved in building the sanctuary.

“For the framework of the Tabernacle, Bezalel constructed frames of acacia wood.  Each frame was 15 feet high and 27 inches wide, with two pegs under each frame. All the frames were identical.” Exodus 36: 20

“For the inside of the Tabernacle, Bezalel made a special curtain of finely woven linen.  He decorated it with blue, purple and scarlet thread with skillfully embroidered cherubim.  For the curtain, he made four posts of acacia wood and four gold hooks. He overlaid the posts with gold and set them in four silver bases.”  Exodus 36:35-36

“Next, Bezalel used acacia wood to construct a square altar of burnt offering.  It was 7 ½ feet wide, 7 ½ feet long and 4 ½ feet high. He made horns for each of its four corners so that that horns and altar were all one piece.  He overlaid the altar with bronze.” Exodus 38:1-2

Confession?  My eyes glaze over a bit on certain parts of the Bible.  This was one of them. Why do I need to know the specifications of the tabernacle?  Why does this take up so many chapters in Exodus? It is not the parting of the Red Sea, the burning bush or the Ten Commandments.

Sometimes we miss stories in His word because they may appear insignificant.

But there is no detail in God’s eyes that is insignificant.

Let me say that again.

There is no detail in God’s eyes that is insignificant.

The word detail can have two meanings.  It can be an individual feature or to assign someone to a particular task.

Do you see how God is present in both meanings?

He hand picks Bezalel for the task of constructing the Tabernacle and then gives him what he needs to perform the tasks.

“All whose hearts were stirred and whose spirits were moved came and brought their offerings to the Lord.  They brought all the materials needed for the Tabernacle, for the performance of the rituals, and for the sacred garments.  Both men and women came, all whose hearts were willing. They brought to the Lord their offerings of gold-brooches, earrings, rings from their fingers and necklaces.  They presented gold objects of every kind as a special offering to the Lord. All those who owned the following items willingly brought them: blue, purple and scarlet thread; fine linen and goat hair for cloth; and tanned ram skins and fine goatskin leather.  And all who had silver and bronze objects gave them to the Lord. And those who had acacia wood brought it for use in the project.” Exodus 35: 21-24

God not only spoke to Bezalel, but also to all who would have a role in the building of the Tabernacle.  He spoke to those who could construct, engrave, sew and donate materials. Each person had a role to play.  No role was insignificant.

Think about how more relatable His word becomes when we feel like He is speaking directly to us.  And our hearts stir when we understand we all have a significant place in His kingdom.

Friends, God is in every detail of our lives : the occupations that we have, the tasks we perform and in what we give.

And like the tiny colorful beads used to make this beautiful picture, when arranged by His hand, we each help to create something of extraordinary beauty bringing glory to His kingdom.

There is no detail in God’s eyes that is insignificant.

Amen.

GRRR…..

The sound comes from deep within me before I can stop it some days.

This animal-like growl signifies that I have been inconvenienced, interrupted or annoyed in some way.

Maybe I have to wait longer than I would like to in the check out line, or one of the boys has asked me to get up to make food literally two minutes after I have sat down or walked in the door (If you have teenagers, you know exactly what I am talking about). Maybe I haven’t eaten or had my coffee yet.

You get the picture. It doesn’t take much to trigger our GRRR button.

The GRRR is our default setting.

It takes more effort to get to a place of grace.

But there was One who did not growl when inconvenienced or interrupted.

He did not get easily annoyed with people or circumstances,

“And the Word (Christ) became flesh, and lived among us; and we saw His glory, glory that belongs to the (One and) only begotten Son of the Father, (the Son who is truly unique, the only One of His kind, who is) full of grace and truth (absolutely free of deception) “ John 1:14

For Jesus, there was no GRRR before the grace.

He didn’t become impatient when the lines of people wanting to see Him became great. He repeatedly and consistently offered love and mercy.

“ When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.” Matthew 14: 14

“And large crowds came to Him, bringing with them those who were lame, crippled, blind, mute and many others, and they laid them down at His feet; and He healed them” Matthew 15:30.

After a long day, the disciples were tired and hungry. They were ready for Jesus to send the people away.

Jesus had other ideas.

“When the day was nearly gone, His disciples came to Him and said, “This is an isolated place, and it is getting late; send the crowds away so that they may go into the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.

But He replied, “You give them something to eat!” And they asked Him, “Shall we go and buy 200 Denali worth of bread and give it to them to eat?” Mark 6 :35-37

I am guessing this was a GRRR before the grace moment for the disciples.

They were probably thinking: does He really expect us to go into town after a long day and buy food for all of these people?

But Jesus, who also had to be tired and hungry, performs a miracle.

“He said to the disciples “How many loaves of bread do you have? Go look! And when they found out, they said, “Five loaves and two fish.” Then Jesus commanded them all to sit down by groups in the green grass. They sat down in groups of hundreds and of fifties. Taking the five loaves and two fishes, He looked up to heaven and said a blessing. Then He broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples to set before the people; and He divided up the two fish among them all. They all ate and were satisfied. And the disciples picked up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and of fish. Those who ate the loaves were five thousand men (not counting women and children).” Mark 6: 38-44

When Jesus became flesh, He did not offer the human response when He was interrupted or inconvenienced.

These were opportunities to show His love and mercy to a broken world.

Jesus offered grace spontaneously.

No hesitation.

No GRRR.

Today, may that same grace come before our GRRR …so that we, too can share His love with others.

Amen.

Now more than ever, we are saturated by news.

Even if we choose to turn off the television at home, “breaking news” seems to follow us wherever we go: going out to eat, waiting in the doctor’s office or even pumping gas (yes, even some gas stations have tv monitors in the gas pumps).

We cannot escape it.

So I have started to wonder how busy the fact checkers of the world are right now.

What is a fact checker?

The Cambridge English Dictionary defines fact checking as “the process of checking all of the facts in a piece of writing, news article or speech”. The goal is to ensure that nothing that is shared is ingenuine or fake.

“Fake news” seems to be a hot button right now for so many.

But “fake news’ is old news to me.

Let me explain.

I am 100 and it’s none of your business pounds.
That is a fact.
The scale is my fact checker.
But I can take that fact and turn the newsreel that plays in my mind into something completely different than truth.

The “fake news” commentary sounds something like this:
“You are unattractive.”
“You are undesirable.”
“You will never look as good as that person.”

Facts can apply to anything in our lives: appearance, belongings, or circumstances.
Wearing no brand shoes, the dollar signs attached to a salary, the address someone lives at… all of these may be facts in someone’s life.

Facts can be confirmed, but facts do not always equal truth.

A childhood friend had to move into an apartment following the divorce of his parents.
It wasn’t until we were adults that he shared how that fact translated into a truth for him that he did not measure up to his peers. Another friend who is a stay at home mom shared that she felt less than her peers who worked outside the home.

Friends, we do not need fact checkers in our lives.

We need truth checkers.

We need to verify what we believe to be true before allowing it to penetrate our hearts and allowing “fake news” to overrun our thoughts about who we are.

This is a daily act of choosing which station we allow to play in our minds…our truth or His truth.

Trust me, His truth is the most reliable source. There is no “fake news” in His word.

To become truth checkers, we must be truth seekers.
What does His word say about who were are?

~Valuable (Matthew 6:26)
~Set apart (Jeremiah 1:5)
~Chosen (1 Peter 2:9)
~Children of God (1 John 3: 1-2)
~His (Isaiah 43:1b)
~Known (John 10:27-28)

Father, help us to be accountable to each other, making sure we always check Your truth against our own.

Lord, Your Word says, ‘You shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free’ (John 8:32).

Amen.

Sometimes we don’t want those around us to know what we are going through.

We have our reasons.

Maybe we don’t want our loved ones to worry. Maybe we are afraid our friends will turn away from us. Maybe because we ourselves are unable to face that monster that stares us in the face. Maybe we believe that we should be strong enough to tackle this monster single handedly.

Whatever the reason, we are not ready ….not yet.

So we put on a smile and go through the motions, wanting others to believe we are fine.

We lie to ourselves, saying that no one knows.

And we breathe a sigh of relief.

That’s when it happens.

A wave of emotion so strong crashes over us that us feel like we are drowning. Even if our bodies are still, our minds are flailing and desperately wanting someone to notice us in the deep end of despair.

Sitting in the chair waiting to go back for surgery, that is precisely how I felt.

I had my reasons for not telling my loved ones. My Dad was already going through treatment for lung cancer. This was devastating enough for our family. Why worry anyone needlessly if the lump they were about to take out of my chest wasn’t cancer? My friends have enough going on in their lives to worry about me. Besides, wasn’t I strong enough to handle this on my own anyway? So I put on a smile, telling myself that it was probably nothing.

But when you are connected to IVs and prepping for surgery, you cannot escape the monster you have been hiding from anymore.

A surge of panic took over me like I had never felt before. My thoughts raced, but I could not move my body. I wanted desperately for someone to see me struggling in the deep.

Then I remembered. Someone did. Someone had been with me since the beginning. Someone knew my thoughts even if the rest of the world only saw my smile.

Psalm 139 : 1-10

1 Lord You have examined me 
and know all about me.
2 You know when I sit down and when I get up.
You know my thoughts before I think them.
3 You know where I go and where I lie down.
You know everything I do.
4 Lord, even before I say a word
You already know it.
5 You are all around me-in front and in back
And have put Your hand on me.
6 Your knowledge is amazing to me
It is more than I can understand
7 Where can I go to get away from Your Spirit?
Where can I run from You?
8 If I go to the heavens, You are there
If I lie down in the grave, You are there
9 If I rise with the sun in the east
And settle in the west beyond the sea,
10 Even there You will guide me
With Your right hand You would hold me.

And as soon as I said His name, I knew He was there. 
Sitting in that chair, I could feel a sense of peace wash over me. 
The waves of panic turned into calm because I spoke His name.
He saw me struggling in the deep and reached out His hand.
I could feel His presence in that sterile space.
My mind stopped racing.

He knew, even when no one else did.

Sisters, I do not know the monsters you are facing today. 
They have different names for each of us – cancer, addiction, shame, guilt, loneliness. 
The list is long.

But I promise you that even when you believe no one else knows, He does.

Let Him hold you with His right hand, whatever you are facing today.

He promises us we are never alone.

Amen.

They were a tangled mess.
How did that happen so quickly?
My headphones were in knots.
The cord looked like a pile of spaghetti noodles.
Would I be able to listen to my music if they were that twisted?
Would I be able to hear?

Looking at this tangled mess, I began to reflect on my own thoughts.
One minute, they are clear, confident, focused.
And then in what seems like a nanosecond, chaos takes over.
My thoughts are unsteady, uncertain, all over the place.
Just like that tangled mess.
How did I get here so quickly?

One minute I am confident in who I am and Whose I am, praising Him.
The next minute I am anxious and fearful, wondering if I matter at all.

Have you ever felt like that?

On a good day, I can stop that train before it ever leaves the station.
I do not let those thoughts penetrate my heart or my mind. 
I strike back quickly with the “sword of truth” …
“I am fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14) or “If God can be for you, who can be against you?” (Romans 8:31). I have a little come to Jesus meeting in my head and say “not today, Satan, not today.”

But then there are those other days when it takes longer for me to pick up the sword. I don’t even realize that I am under attack. When I let my guard down, it is easy for the lies to chip away at my confidence. Doubt begins to penetrate my thoughts.

My trigger word is enough. My thoughts become twisted, just like the cord.
“You don’t do enough.” “You aren’t a good enough mother, wife, friend…” The list goes on and on. Before I know it, I am far away from who I am and more focused on who I think I should be.

Dear sisters, this is the very distraction that pulls us away from the One who gave us life.
If we are too busy trying to be everything to everyone, trying to measure up, we forget we are already everything to Him. We become like that tangled mess. And when are thoughts are a tangled mess, it becomes harder to hear His truth.

In my head and heart, I know this. And when it happens for the up-teenth time, I always come back to the same question: how did I get here again? How can I keep from coming back?

The answer is simple-spend more time with Him and in the Word. Jesus went off on His own to spend time with the Father. He needed the comfort and wisdom of God over the clamoring of the crowd. Sisters, we need that same time to curl up in our Father’s lap to remind us who we are. I pray that each of us takes the time to spend with Him daily.

Now, to untie that cord…..

My thoughts raced.

Surgery? Today?

No driving for a few weeks? Right before school starts and in the middle of the boys practices and games?

I was already missing a day’s worth of activities, Open House for my 10th grader and Supper Club for our breast cancer survivors.

I am not sure what made me feel more anxious: the thought of the eye surgery or not being able to be mobile for weeks.

Focus, I said to myself quietly.

I took a deep breath and did the only thing I could do in that moment: I prayed.

And then I texted friends to pray for me.

I still was not crazy about the notion of someone sticking anything in my eye (and no, I do not wish to stay awake for this procedure…thank you very much), but I felt a familiar calm wash over me. I was able to make a few calls to get the boys situated and to my husband who would meet me at the hospital.

I have been here before, I thought. This time I know what to do.

I will ask for help.

I need help because I can’t do this alone.

That sentence seems so simple, but it is one that often makes some of us feel defeated, like we are less.
Isn’t it ironic that we all want to feel needed, but we don’t want to need anyone?

But God never intended for any of us to walk alone.

1 Thessalonians 5: 11 : So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.

I believe there is a piece missing in this verse. In addition to encouraging and lifting others up, we need to accept at times we must be on the receiving end of that command.
I could not be an encourager had I not been encouraged by others. Helping others means that I must also learn to accept help.

My first go around with a significant health problem, the last thing I wanted to do was ask anyone for help.
I thought I was strong willed enough to get through whatever I needed to do.
I was always the helper, not the one who needed help.

What do they say about pride?

God gave me a strong dose of reality with a serving of humble pie.

You need help because you cannot do this alone.

And God, who is so good, showed me that I was definitely not alone.

I was reminded daily with calls, cards, texts and meals.

Letting others help was a little like playing tug of war. I had to learn to let go and not pull back when others offered to help.

Now after eye surgery, my sight is not clear but my focus is sharp.

I can say, “I need help because I can’t do this alone.”

I no longer see my need for help as a flaw in my character, but rather focus on the blessing of having people around me who are willing to cook a meal or give rides to my kids.

Once again, God has reminded me that being too busy makes me lose sight of needing time to be still in His presence as well as needing to be present in the lives of others.

I thank Him for never losing sight of me.

“It’s just like a bump in the road.”

That is how Mom described the turbulence on a plane the first time we flew together.

Her description calmed me.  

Now at 49, flying solo to the She Speaks Studio in North Carolina, it was the pilot who calmed my fears when we hit some unexpected bumps in the road.

“Ladies and gentlemen, the tower has reported that all the planes in the area are experiencing greater turbulence than normal.  But we should be out of it in approximately 10-15 minutes and then there will be smooth skies after that until we reach our destination.”

Wouldn’t it be helpful if all of the bumps we experience in life came with some narration like that ? Maybe we would face difficulties head on if we knew that they might only last 10 minutes and there were clear skies ahead.

But the author of our lives tells us to be prepared for the bumps in the road.

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace.  In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world!”  John 16:33

We may not know the details about how many bumps in the road we will experience on life’s journey, but we are assured that He is with us.

“The Lord replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”  Exodus 33:14

Sometimes we are not sure who we can turn to when we face these challenges, but you can always find safety in His presence.

“You will be secure, because there is hope; you will look about you and take your rest in safety.”  Job 11:18

Sisters, the bumps in the road we each face may be different.  Some may last longer than others, some may run deeper. But if you seek Him, He will navigate you through each one, never leaving your side.  

Knowing Him empowers us to embrace this truth: we are never alone, never unloved.

And when life becomes turbulent, you can say with confidence,

“It’s just like a bump in the road.”  

Amen.