Resurrection

For the season of Lent, I did not use Facebook or write on my blog.  Today is Easter.  The time of darkness has past; the computer is turned on.  Resurrection has come.  Redemption has come home.

Obviously, this is the day that we as Christians remember that "He is not here.  He is risen!"  These words were spoken by the angel at the tomb when the women went to see the body of Jesus.  Today, death is found powerless.  Today, darkness has past from us.  Today is the day of Resurrection and we are free from sin and the grave!

It is also a day when many of us take back some of the things we "gave up" for Lent.  I have already perused though Facebook this morning.  Amazingly, it looked pretty much like it did 40 days ago when I signed off for the last time.  While, I was slightly disappointed with the posts I read this morning, I am sure within a few days I will be back to checking it several times a day lest I miss something important.  Funny isn't it.  I don't think I missed anything truly important over the last six weeks.

Today is also a day of redemption.  Before Jesus faced his own crucifixion and death, he stopped at the grave of a friend who had been dead four days.  Martha, the friend's sister, warned Jesus, "There is already a stench!"  Jesus told the people to remove the stone which covered the face of the tomb.  When Jesus called, "Lazarus, come out!" the dead man walked out of the tomb.  But then Jesus had to tell the people, "unbind him."  Many people walk through life bound up by the past.  We might not literally be dead, but we cannot be fully alive if we are still tied up by the past

A little over a week ago, I received the call to be unbound.  I received word that I was accepted to law school.  Suddenly, it felt as if my life had changed.  I was not dead, but the past still hung on me like the cloths that held the dead.  Today, I am alive, free, and looking forward to a better tomorrow. 

May your day of resurrection and redemption come swiftly.  May you be blessed as you find yourself unbound from the past.

Smaller

Last week, I was out of town. Therefore no blog post. Thanks to the people who noticed (and mentioned) it was not here.

A few days ago, I posted on my Facebook status, "I want to get smaller." Almost immediately the questions came, "Smaller how?" " Do you want to lose weight?" "Do you want to be a Hobbit?" Yes, I like many people want to lose weight. No, I do not want to be a Hobbit. "Smaller how?" is the better question.

I am not 100% certain how I want to get smaller. I know I want to leave less of a carbon footprint. It is why I carry reusable bags to the grocery store, use compact fluorescent light bulbs, try not to jackrabbit start from the stoplight when I am driving, and I pull the weeds from my lawn by hand (no poison, please)! So, I want to have a smaller negative impact on the world in which I live and the world I will leave for future generations.

I think even more than being smaller in the carbon footprint legacy (which as a fairly typical Texan is way larger than I want to admit), I want to be smaller in terms of what people perceive when they come in contact with me. Several years ago, I had the opportunity to spend some time working with the Missionaries of Charity (think Mother Teresa). I was with several guys, big guys actually. After only a few minutes in the presence of these women one of us said, "I want to get smaller." These women are led so deeply by the Holy Spirit and come so much as the presence of Christ, that the women themselves almost disappeared. We, in our big, bold, brash Texas ways were out of place and out of sorts with this self-giving of the sisters to God, to their Order, and to the neighbor. (To read more about this adventure, you can read the book The Mystic Way of Evangelism by Elaine Heath.)

I want to get smaller. In that vein, I am working on being more diligent in prayer, listening more than speaking, waiting more than rushing, and putting God and family before anything else. To be smaller means to seek the mind of Christ, the will of God, and the leading of the Holy Spirit. I am not sure I am really getting smaller, but I pray that it may be so.

Why do people stop following Jesus?

This question, "Why do people stop following Jesus?" appeared as the status of a friend's Facebook. Many people gave comments, a few wrote novels. A few days later, I decided to make it the subject of my blog. I think any one answer will not do, and even the few I give are far from adequate. These are just a few of the thoughts that have stayed in my head on the question.

The Junior High Answer-No one else seems to be doing it, so why should I?

This is kin to the "But mom, everyone is going to be at this party!" When you feel like no one else is on the journey with you, it is easy to decide to stop following Jesus.

The Whining Answer-It is too hard.

Following Jesus, I mean denying yourself and picking up your cross following Jesus, is hard. Let us be honest about that. Sometimes it seems impossible. So, we whine and drag our feet and eventually stop.

The Archery Answer-I missed the target.

This may be the most common answer. Did you know that "sin" is an archery term for missing the mark? We don't have to be far off the mark to find ourselves straying from the goal and, without correction, we look up one day and we are no longer following Jesus.

The Used Car Salesmen-Selling you something that is not Jesus.

This one bothers me the most. But many pastors and churches "sell" something that is not Jesus. By this I mean it is not salvific, it is not resurrecting, it is not hope-filled. They sell something that akin to, "Let's all try to be good people and love one another." I am sorry, Jesus is not Barney the Dino. Jesus is the Savior of the world. Let's get this one right, people.

Thankfully, Jesus is always ready to receive someone who wants to follow him. Yes, we may stumble, miss the target, get tired, and just plain quite from time to time. Still, the angels in heaven rejoice every time one of us sinners says, "I will follow."