Salvation n stuff

My kids are quite the comedy show these days; Kate is nearly 10 and Lily just turned 6, so to see life through their lens is always a treat. Yesterday, we were talking about salvation and what guarantee's you a place in Heaven someday as it's been something Kate has been thinking about a lot lately. Kate confirmed that she has Jesus in her heart and asked Lily, in a big sister "Nacho Libre, I'm concerned about your salvation n stuff" sort of way, if Lily had Jesus in her heart. Lily scrunched her nose and said she didn't know, even though we have this conversation quite regularly! She then quickly recalled the time she was Four years old and I sat on her bed and we prayed. Phew, Kate was relieved her family would all be joining her in Heaven one day.

Lily said, "what about daddy?"

I did not say a word, I just wanted to see how the conversation would play out.

She says, "you know, I'm not so sure about daddy, he does have a knife in his office you know!"

It's a decorative sword he has displayed on a shelf, but she said she envisions her dad taking a break from studying in his office to pull out the knife and wield it around like a crazy person!

And he probably does do that.

I love conversations like that with my kids, conversations that challenge them to ponder the things of God and how it all works into this crazy life here on earth. I also loved that not one of the girls said "Daddy is a Pastor, of course he has Jesus in his heart." To my girls, he is simply "daddy." Sure the conversation then turned to the girls suggesting that daddy hold a summer camp that teaches people how to preach, of course, Joey loved hearing he is the best preacher. A knife wielding preacher, that is.

I love how simple salvation is. I love that the Bible says in Romans "that if you confess with your mouth, and believe in your heart, that you will be saved."

Yep, it is indeed that simple. That's why a person can be on their death bed, cry out to Jesus in the last flailing moments of life, and if a genuine belief rises in their heart, eternity in Heaven is their very next step. In the same token, this simplicity is why a young child can accept Jesus and grow up living a life that reflects that simple salvation.

It is simple. But it's not always easy. Why? Because you so desperately want to play with knives? Well, no. BUT, we have to believe. That's not always easy for us to do, is it. Because if we believe in someone then we have to actively put our trust in them. So when difficulty arises in our lives, it's very easy for dis-belief to set it in and we begin to question what we ever believed in to begin with.

When we face struggles and sin is standing at our door, we question if our belief is worth more than the feeling that sin will bring us.

When God does not answer our prayers according to our expectations, we wonder if what we believe in was ever true at all.

Oh these sentences pain me to even write but the reality of the feeling is so true for many.

When we go to Disneyland, my girls become enamored with all things make believe! It's all about Princess' and Castles and Characters and magical stuff right? Forget that someone is stuffed into a giant character head all sweaty and unable to breath well. Forget that once the park closes, the germs have to be cleaned out, the trash has to be emptied and reality comes alive once again.

It's so fun to believe, isn't it? To just see life through the eyes of a kid and simply believe. Let's do that today, shall we. Let's simply believe. Let's believe that God is who He says He is. Let's believe that we are made righteous through the blood of Jesus. Let's believe that we can conquer any mountain of difficulty that comes our way. Let's believe that if God is for us than nobody can be against us. Let's believe that Jesus loves us with an everlasting love that won't fade away nor will it be based on our performance. Let's simply accept His sweet salvation n stuff...

And probably don't play with knives. Otherwise my 6 year old will greatly question your salvation...

No Parking Baby!

Worry stinks. I worry a lot. And then if I'm not worrying, I worry that I'm forgetting something I should be worrying about. But I don't have issues AT ALL right? Maybe you can relate.

I love the Bible. I love the truth it holds, I love the promises that God offers to us as we follow His instructions, I truly truly do. But I have to say, one of the most read verses in God's infallible Word is one of the most difficult verses for me to follow.

Good old Philippians 4 says, "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."

The Bible talks a lot about worry; Jesus tells us in Matthew not to worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. But honestly, it's not worry about tomorrow that holds me, I'm pretty good with tomorrow. I can give God my fears of the future as He has walked with me many, many years to get me to a place of ability to do that. So it's not tomorrow that causes me worry, it's today. It's problems that loved ones face today. It's issues that friends face today. It's anything that I need to work through today. It's worry that rears its ugly head...today.

So I'll share something with you that God shared with me last night; I figure if God helped me with it, perhaps it can help someone else too.

Last night I had a conversation with my husband that got me thinking about this subject in a way I had not thought of it before; it really challenged me to take a look at what my worry was doing in a larger scope than I was seeing. Why does he always have to be right? Good thing he's handsome...

So anyhow, as I laid in bed I was pondering what we had talked about as the truth of the matter was slowly sinking in and I could feel freedom rising in my heart! You see, I had been worrying about a situation that I really can't control, as is most generally the case with worry isn't it? And as I was lying there I was talking to the Lord, as I do at night on my way to sleep. But I found myself saying the phrase of a song to Him: You are Great, you do miracles so great! And all of a sudden I felt God stop me and ask me this question: "Do you believe that?"

Well of course I do Lord, I absolutely know you can do miracles that are so great. Yes, yes I believe that.

"Then let Me do it."

Then let me do it. That was God's reply to my Spirit and boy that sure got my attention. As long as I'm worrying over a situation, I'm not giving God room to move in the situation. As long as I'm controlling the situation, attempting to fix it in my strength and power, I imagine God just waiting for me to finish doing what I think is best so that He can get involved and do what's really really the best.

So today I share this very personal thing with anyone that will read it because I know the obsessive thoughts that come with worry. I know what it's like to hold stuff in my mind so tightly, not giving God room to move and perform that great miracle that He is simply waiting to do. I know what worry feels like...that's why Philippians 4 is a scripture we need to do more than just read, we need to digest it, we need to rehearse it, we need to obsess over it.

It brings tears to my eyes right now to think of the goodness of God displayed in that scripture. That if I will not be anxious over ANYTHING, but if I will give my worry over to Him in prayer, thanking Him for the outcome and LEAVING the worry within that request, I'm guaranteed the peace of God to wash over every area of my own understanding...and then He goes above what I can comprehend. That's why He is the only one that truly can do miracles that are so great. If I could understand His ways, they would not be great.

So today, I'm not going to worry. I'm not going to be anxious. I'm going to take the issues and present them to God as a request for Him to intervene. I'm going to thank Him for the outcome. And then I'm going to leave it alone. I'm not going to give the worry a permanent parking place in my mind for today. I'm going to get out of the way and "let God do it." That old song comes to mind, "no parking baby, no parking on the dance floor." No parking! God's trying to dance in our situation, let's get worry out of the way...