MY BLOG POSTS

I have a student – let’s call him “Tuck” –  who keeps getting into trouble. He gets into trouble at school. He gets into trouble at home. He gets caught, he gets disciplined, but he doesn’t stop his trouble-making ways. He pauses, at times, he complains, he gets stressed. Very stressed. But the trouble just keeps coming.

One thing I really appreciate about Tuck, though, is that he doesn’t try to hide the fact that he’s getting into trouble. He doesn’t even justify it. He just walks in, hopes he won’t get caught, then (did I mention the stress?) he gets very stressed when he does get caught. He talks about the trouble, to a degree (he assures me I wouldn’t want the details), and he talks about the stress.

“Let’s call it what it is,” I say. “You’re sinning and you’re being convicted of the sin, but you don’t want to stop sinning.”

“I just don’t want to get caught,” he says.

“And that’s why you’re stressed, Tuck.” I give my best ‘teacher eyebrow raise’. “God loves you far too much to let you continue to sin. He’s allowing you to get caught because He loves you. Your parents are disciplining you because they love you. It’s not beneficial for your soul, your character, or your future to continue sinning.”

“So what should I do?” Tuck asks.

“Confess your sin,” I say. “Ask God to help you.”

“I do!” Tuck shouts. “I ask God to help me all the time. I ask him to help me not get stressed and not get caught.”

And the conversation spirals from there. Tuck wants a God who will wink at his sin and help him cover it up. A God who’s more like a buddy or a wingman. Tuck wants sin and God.

As I tell him, you can’t have both! God hates sin. But He loves us. That’s why He sent Jesus — because we have no way to free ourselves of the penalty of sin. So Jesus paid that price for us and gives us the gift of salvation. That gift is received when we confess our sins. But confession requires a “turning away”. Confession isn’t just an acknowledgment of sin. It’s not the “I shouldn’t have done this,” followed by a shrug. It’s “I sinned against God, I’m so sorry, and I want Your help to never do this again.” Confession recognizes that God is holy, that He is in control, and that His ways are best.

I keep praying for Tuck. God is pursuing Him. I see it. And one day, I pray, Tuck will see that too and run TO God rather than FROM God. I pray He’ll understand that God’s amazing love is so much better and more satisfying than any sin.

Maybe you have a Tuck in your life. Maybe you are a Tuck: You’re feeling stressed and frustrated and misunderstood. God wants to help. But God helps on God’s terms. Not yours. He is love. But He is also just. He is God. He knows far better than we do what we need. Trust Him. Look to Him. Surrender to Him. You won’t regret it.

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” I John 1:9

Last week, my husband and I hiked up to the top of Stone Mountain, GA. The hike was beautiful – difficult in parts – but the view at  the summit was totally worth it! Even though it was cloudy, we could still see all the way to downtown Atlanta. We also saw beautiful lakes and forests full of trees just beginning to turn colors.

What I found most interesting, though, was what we saw growing along the way. It’s called “Stone Mountain” for a reason: It’s all stone! Pretty amazing, actually. In an area where the mountains are full of vegetation, this one is just pure rockface.

And yet….in random spots along the mountain, we saw vegetation. A shrub here, a tree there, little bits of grass and weeds. How were they even growing? This wasn’t just the “rocky soil” of the parable. It was actual rock! Yet, somehow, those trees and shrubs and bits of grass found something nourishing inside that rock, just enough to hang on to and grow from. 

I thought of how the Christian life is like those plants. Many of us, in 2020 especially, have been placed on some “rocks”. And when that happens, our tendency is to shrivel up. There’s no water. No good soil. No food. Conditions are harsh and it isn’t fair and why did this have to happen…? 

However, it is during times like this that we need to “grow up”. James talks about how trials can develop perseverance, strengthen our faith, give us hope. We do that by pushing past the difficulties and finding nourishment in Christ. We can choose to look around us and give up, or we can look beyond ourselves – to our Creator and Sustainer – and receive all that we need to thrive. 

Circumstances may not be what we wish they were. There’s pain in so many places, on so many levels, and “normal” seems to be in the past tense and not the future. But our hope isn’t in what we can see. Our hope is in Christ. Our joy comes from Him, too, even in the difficult times. So, friends, if you’re feeling spiritually dry and hungry, know that there is hope and joy. We can grow, even in the most difficult of circumstances, if we only reach out! 

James 1:2-4, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

Have any of you guys played the pool game, “Sharks and Minnows”? It’s the one where everyone in the pool is a “minnow” who starts on one side. The “shark” dives in on the other side and tries to tag the minnows as they swim across the pool to safety.

I feel like I’m in that game every time I log into my social media. Or turn on the news. Except that the sharks seem to outnumber the minnows and the pool is full of blood.

I get that folks have opinions. And I get they feel strongly about those opinions. And I get that the issues we’re dealing with aren’t minor. Many on both sides are seriously concerned about the future of our country, about decisions that will last for generations, about current issues that affect the here-and-now. These are life-and-death issues. I get it!

But it seems like a lot of people, in their passion for their position, forget that those who disagree are still humans. They’re still made in the image of God, still worthy of respect.

We can disagree without being disagreeable.

How do we do this?

Stick to the issues. Argue your point, don’t attack those who disagree with it.

Pray for your enemies. It’s tough to be nasty to someone you’re praying for! And prayer reminds us of the value that each person has, as a creation of God.

Shut your mouth. The 24-hour news cycles have created a climate of saying the same thing 100 different ways. State your position, interact with those who disagree, then be quiet! You’re not going to filibuster someone into your position. You’re just going to annoy them.

Think before you post. Most political posts are completely ineffective. I don’t know anyone who was moved to “switch sides” by reading an article shared or a rant in someone’s story. I’m not saying never post anything political – it’s a free country! But just because you can post it doesn’t mean you should.

For example, my husband noticed a post he disagreed with a couple weeks ago. The guy that posted it is a good friend. So Dave picked up the phone and called him. They had a really great conversation. Both shared their perspectives, clarified misconceptions, and ended up laughing at the end. They didn’t agree with each other, but they got along. And they respected the other person. We need more of that, friends!

Pray some more. There is no politician on this earth who can solve our problems. We are a people in need of a Savior, no doubt – and that Savior is JESUS. Pray for ALL our politicians, ALL our citizens. Pray for God’s mercy and grace. Appeals to Him will go much farther than arguments with others ever will.

“If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” Rom. 12:18

Jane Vaquez is on the volleyball team at school. She’s ignored by her coach every game – never getting to play, not even being used as a sub. And she’s been on club teams since she was 10! Jane knows she’s a good player. So she sits on the bench and gets more and more frustrated. She watches her teammates play and yells out corrections, calls names, makes sure everyone around her knows that she should not be on the bench. In fact, if the coach just got his act together, she wouldn’t be on the bench, and maybe the team would actually win a game once in a while! Jane goes home after each match angry, planning what she’ll say next game, fuming that she is overlooked and underappreciated. Her mood carries over into her other relationships, and hardly anyone wants to be around her. Jane notices people avoiding her at lunch, rushing to their cars after class. Volleyball is ruining her life! And it’s all her coach’s fault.

Sally Lu is also on the volleyball team at school. She’s also overlooked by her coach, benched every game. She is also tempted to give into feelings of frustration. It’s tough sitting the bench game after game, when she works so hard in practice to be given a shot on the court. But when those thoughts come, she recognizes them for what they are – tools the Enemy uses to get her focus off Jesus. She knows that giving into those feelings of anger and frustration would just make her more unhappy. So she refuses to give those thoughts any real estate in her mind. Instead, she asks God what He wants from her – and she tries to encourage her teammates, to cheer for those on the court, to support her coach. Sally goes home after each match surrounded by friends. Those friends seek her out on weekends, invite her over for movie nights. Best of all, those friends ask her for prayer when they’re struggling because they know that there’s something different about Sally – they see her attitude and want to know how she can remain so positive, even in the face of negative circumstances. Volleyball is giving Sally so many amazing opportunities! And it’s all because of Jesus.