"DO IT AGAIN...DO IT AGAIN"

"Do it again, do it again!!!... Do it again, DO IT AGAIN!!!" That's what I hear every holiday when I'm with my little 4 year old nephew.

You see, when he was maybe 2 years old I taught him how he could do a flip by walking up my legs while I held his hands. This took a considerable amount of time due to the fact that he was afraid of me to begin with. It took time just to coax him from behind his mommy's leg. I had to get down on my hands and knees and reach out my hand. I had to lay down flat and coax him with high pitched "c'mon's " before he would finally come jump on me and pull the hair on my chin. After more and more time playing he became more and more comfortable with me. He would hold my hand and I began to teach him to walk up my legs. He couldn't understand at first but eventually he caught on. He would take 1 or 2 steps up my legs and jump back to the floor. It took time and it took patience but finally he did it. He walked up the legs and I gave him a quick flip before he could jump back down to the floor. Once he did the flip and he experienced the thrill, and realized that I would hold on to his hands...well, he wanted to do it again.

Now, almost 3 years later, whenever he sees me he immediately grabs both hands and starts walking up my legs. He will do it over and over and each time he yells while giggling, "DO IT AGAIN, DO IT AGAIN!!!" Now there is no fear of me and no fear of flipping. He now likes to hang upside down for extended periods before he finishes the flip. Full confidence in his ability to flip and full faith I won't let go. Total trust.

Yeah, I'm that little boy doing flips while holding the hands of God. It took time, it took patience, and it took alot of coaxing. But I've done a few flips now and there is nothing like the thrill or excitement of putting yourself in a position where you are totally relying on God...where if He doesn't come through, your gonna fail BIG TIME.

Well God showed up again for the holidays and He was yelling my name. "Come here Son, it's time for something new." The flips were scary but it's been a couple years since I did the last one so I was getting pretty comfortable. Now it's time to get uncomfortable again. This time He is throwing me high in the air and letting go. I am praying I don't lose sight of Him. It's gonna take total trust and full faith that His hands will be there to catch me. I know they will be there because He is always faithful. Once I fall into His hands safely I'm sure I'll be quickly yellin, "DO IT AGAIN, DO IT AGAIN!!!"

Trusted Friends

Trusting someone does not mean that we have thoroughly tested that person out and proved that they are trustworthy. Our trust is not based on proof but on a sense, or a instinct, or maybe a feeling. Trust comes from some experience of the other person. Most often trust grows in a relationship of mutual love. One in which we have loved and been loved by the other.

In my efforts to overcome lifelong struggles of insecurity, loneliness, and deep emotional wounding, I have been aided immeasurably by trusted and trusting friends who, with no ulterior motive, see something in me I can't see in myself. They don't just tell me, they relate to me in a way which shows me that I do have value, I do have something to offer, and that I am lovable.

Honesty with others and with ourselves is seldom found in the world or even in the church. To disclose dark secrets to another is risky business. People often sense that if I bare my soul, I will be abandoned by my friends and ridiculed by my enemies. It takes trust and true friendship to confess who you really are and what you are truly feeling and thinking.

But what means the most to me is if a word of correction is needed and the friend offers it directly. ACCOUNTABILITY. I need it! Big time! I admire a friend who has the courage to tell me something unpleasant but necessary - you know, something that others should tell me but don't. (I believe they don't for fear that I won't like them or that I will be angry with them. However they are doing me a huge disservice because they are more concerned with keeping me happy, or not hurting my feelings, than growing me spiritually. ) Just as I need trusted friends to reveal the positive attributes in my life that I don't see, I need them even more to reveal the negative attributes I don't see. It stings at first but when it comes from a trusted friend I know it's because they want whats best for me.

Proverbs 27:6 Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses.

Can You Zip It?

Is keeping something secret really that difficult? Is keeping something to yourself wrong? I think it's no secret that most of us don't believe in secrecy. Anonymity is not our thing. We want people to know how smart, successful, and generous we are. We seem to come up with subtle, socially acceptable ways to promote ourselves and our image. If we give money we seem to want to tell others or give to causes where our name gets out. We tell where we serve or volunteer. We name drop about people we know. Does every good deed need to be shared with the world? Does every juicy secret we hear have to be shared in our next conversation? Didn't Jesus model this for us? I found several times where Jesus told others to keep their mouths shut about things he did.(Thanks to an exhaustive concordance) Like the leper in Mark 1; Peter, James and John in Mark 9;and the parents of the dead girl Jesus brought back to life in Luke 8. Other verses that come to mind about keeping our mouths shut about what we do are Matthew 6:1-6. We can do special and secret things for God alone and he will delight in them more because we did them with a pure heart and not for recognition or reward. Jesus gave generously and graciously not looking for a return. He did it for one reason and for one purpose; to honor his Father. Secrecy acknowledges that not all good deeds need public recognition and not all information is public information. Some things just don't need to be shared. We all have choices about what we say and don't say. Sometimes keeping our mouths shut brings honor to God and to each other. It's a great way to prevent further gossip, slander and rumors. (I think there is a verse about that somewhere too but I'm too lazy to look it up now) When we keep our mouths shut we create trust. We create a safe place for people to be who they are without fear. We also learn how to give, serve and love others without recognition, which ultimately brings glory to our heavenly Father. So, can you zip it?

The Question

Our small group has been going through a Charles Stanley study called "Pursuing A Deeper Faith". It is intended to be a 10 week study but we seemed to have turned it into a 10 month study. Anyhow, one of the questions in this past week's study asked, "What new insights do you have into spiritual growth toward intimacy with God?" My response was the following:

"Spiritual growth has nothing to do with time or years of being saved or going to a church. It has everything to do with love, passion, desire and choices. Everyone is on the same playing field. It just depends on which direction, if any, that you want to go. Some just face the direction they want to go but never move. Others run in circles because they can't let go of the world. Some run in the wrong direction, some run in the right direction. Some walk, some crawl, some just lay down. Many say the want to grow and I believe it. They just don't want to put forth the effort that is required to achieve it. It's not about reading a book. It's not about going to and serving at a church. It's not about praying before every meal. It's about control. It's about giving up total control of our lives to God. It is then that we grow."

After I read my answer at group I just felt like I forgot something. It still made sense to me but it was as if God was wanting me to see something that I wasn't seeing then. I woke up the next morning still thinking about that question. It stayed on my mind for days and then finally it hit me. TRUST!

How can you ever expect to give up control of anything to someone that you don't trust. I think the first key to spiritual growth is trust. I have to trust God enough that He knows what's best for me. This is difficult at times. When things are going smooth I often feel as if it is going smoothly because I'm in control and making all the right decisions and choices. During the tough times I find it much easier to trust him because I have already lost control of the situation anyway.

So, why do I find it difficult to trust God sometimes?

I asked myself this question. The first response in my head was that I've never had to trust anyone with my life. That was a stupid thought. I trust every person driving down the highway at 65 mph only 3 feet from me. I trust every airline pilot that flew a plane I was on. I trusted the person who packed my parachute when I went skydiving. I trust every cook or chef or grill person at every restaurant I ever ate at. I could go on and on. How can I trust a person I don't know, whom I have never seen, and who doesn't love me? I trust them with my life and don't find it difficult. So again, why do I find it difficult to trust God? He created me, he loves me, he has proven himself trustworthy over and over. I know him and I have seen him work in my life and in the lives of many others. He is all knowing, all powerful. He is God. So why?

Stay

I was doing the spring clean-up thing today in our landscape. Twenty years in the nursery business doesn't make it any more fun, maybe just a little quicker and easier. We just moved to our present home last September so I haven't spent much time working on the outside of our house. There is a big island in our front yard. It has several mature trees and some HUGE rocks and a small pond. There are all kinds of shrubs, perennials and herbs planted throughout the island. I was pruning, trimming, weeding and raking out the fallen leaves from last fall. As I was working in the landscape John 15 just kept coming to my mind. I understand it so well but applying it, not so much.

John 15:1-5
¹"I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. ²He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. ³You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. ⁴Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. ⁵"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

God is our gardener. He gets his hands dirty working in our lives. It is the hands of God that plant, water, weed and prune. Hands that are intimately familiar with the dirty soil of this world. Hands that dig in deep, that hold up straight, that carefully inspect and provide every need. God does not garden from a distance. It is in his intimate presence that we grow.

He then watches and works, cuts and prunes. Cutting and pruning causes pain and loss. Sometimes this seems so cruel and careless, but it is essential. Fruitless branches steal nutrients and energy that the rest of the plant needs. Healthy, fruitful branches need to be kept in check so they remain strong and in turn produce more fruit.

Next comes our job. It couldn't be any simpler. Stay connected to Jesus, the vine. STAY. Before we go, we stay. Before we grow we stay. The Vine knows exactly what it must do. The Gardner knows exactly what he must do. All the branch needs to do is stay. It is when we stay that we will know. Our job couldn't be any simpler. All we have to do is stay. Remain, abide, stay. It's amazing how I struggle and strive and stray when all I've been asked to do is stay. The promise is clear. Stay with me, connect with me, draw your life from me and you will grow and bear fruit. When that happens we have something of worth to offer this world. We have grown, we have changed. We are not supposed to be the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. That's God's job!
Our job is to stay in Him, grow and give what has been freely given to us.

The Gardner's job is never done. Just when things begin to grow and bring life, disease enters in, weeds sprout up, rain doesn't come, and to top it off, a dog comes and pees all over me. It's not just the elements and the environment. I know I don't help much. I refuse to stay still. I refuse to grow. I refuse to remain. I refuse to trust the gardener.

Why am I so intent on taking care of myself when I'm told I can do nothing apart from Him? Why do I work so hard trying to create a life that is safe and comfortable? Why do words like love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control seem more like good ideas than actual realities in my life? Why do I find it so difficult to trust the one who planted me and desires what's best for me? Why don't I just stay?