Our Disgrace...His Grace

Have you ever been disgraced? Felt ashamed? Have you ever just stood in the middle of a big mess of rubble paralyzed with embarrassment? I am pretty sure we have all been surrounded by rubble at one time or another...the rubble of disobedience, the rubble of selfishness, greed, gossip, pride...and the list could go on and on. We forget that we are children of the King...living in the Light. The Light dims as we stray into the gray...and finally slip into complete darkness. The walls around us start to crumble...we stumble as we separate ourselves from our Father. Then...there we are standing knee deep stuck in a big ole' mess...in disgrace...ashamed. That is pretty much where the Israelites found themselves...otherwise surely they would have started to re-build the wall again on their own.

Rebuilding is much harder than building from scratch. New building starts out with a nice flat space that has been cleared off and is ready for the laying of the foundation. Rebuilding means you have to clear away the rubble first...toss out the broken and ruined....clean up the space before beginning to build again. Before we can rebuild our broken souls...we must feel our shame....which motivates us to repentance. And here is the thing...we can't do it ourselves! He covers our shame...He cleans us up....He claims us once again...He covers our disgrace in His grace.

God sent them Nehemiah. Did they need encouragement? A plan? Maybe they needed inspiration? A leader? God nudged Nehemiah...Nehemiah listened. Nehemiah then motivated the people to pick themselves up, dust themselves off, and get moving! AND...he joined them in their efforts. No finger shaking in the face...instead Nehemiah rolled up his own sleeves...using the words "we" and "us". They were no longer living in disgrace...and to make it extra sweet...this task was completed in record breaking 52 days! Just so the world would be totally clear that God's hands did the rebuilding...not by regular human efforts. Did God need their help? Of course not...but maybe a little sweat and work is good for the soul...might have been the first record of community service. Helps you to appreciate the value of wall...

Isn't God just so incredible? He just takes us where we are and does something amazing...mess and all. Are you in the middle of the rubble? Or maybe you are just a regular ole' cup bearer...and God is whispering in your ear. We might be the rubble...or the tools...but no mistaking who is the Builder!

Shoulder to shoulder...carrying each boulder...

Clearly my mind is on missions after our heart grabbing mission Sunday. But...it suddenly struck me while reading chapter two of Nehemiah one more time...Nehemiah was a missionary. He was clearly on a mission. His trip to a people in need was funded by an outside source. His trip was led by God through answered prayer and opened doors. He got the call...he made a plan...he moved into action. What happens next is fascinating to me. He gathered this discouraged, ragged, and pitiful band of folks and pulled them together as a community. "Come on, guys...let's rebuild this wall!" It is believed that each family built the portion of the wall that protected their domain. This ensured that the wall would be strong. Because after all, if you are building your own section to protect your own bunch...you will build it extra strong...right? Just human nature...I wonder if there could have been a little "who can build the strongest wall competition". Nehemiah rallied the troops...he was rebuilding more than a wall...he was assisting God in rebuilding a sense of community and pride in the people.

Have you ever been a part of community of brothers and sisters serving others? There is nothing like the mountain top experience that comes through exhausted efforts when you work along side others to serve. What a blessing to be part of a giving, living church...a body of believers. Is the church perfect? Goodness, no...not when it's full of people! We are a mess. It is God who is perfect and He does such a mighty work in us. One person can set a work in motion...when that spark starts a fire and one becomes many...Satan better get out of the way! Nehemiah was the spark...with his God-led guidance a community of families rebuilt the wall in fifty-two days...record time!

What kind of wall would you have built to protect your family? I'm pretty sure my husband and I would have built a mighty wall to protect our little brood. We have three kiddos, two spouses, and six grands. Side by side, shoulder to shoulder, passing boulders up and down the line we would have worked with vigor to build something that would endure the most aggressive of assaults. Have we worked as tirelessly to build spiritual walls around our families? Have we "built" Godly children that can endure the many assaults of the world? My prayer is for the gathering of many Christians of different ages, cultures, and backgrounds to work together side by side to build our faith...

Hey, we'll scoot over; let's lock arms...come find your place on the "wall"!

My Broken Heart...

Nehemiah was a cup bearer to a king (he was the fellow who drank the drink before the king to make sure it was not poisoned). Although this might have been a somewhat stressful job...it sounds as if he was living a pretty nice life. While 'wintering' with the king's crew...Nehemiah questioned some guests about his people...a Jewish remnant that survived the exile. He inquired about Jerusalem...the Jewish holy city. He was distressed to learn things weren't well there..he knew it wasn't great...but it was much worse than he had imagined. When hearing the survivors were in great trouble and the walls to the city were broken and the gates burned he grieved. The Word says Nehemiah sat down and wept. He mourned, fasted and prayed.

Today is 9-11. I couldn't help but be reminded of how on this day twelve years ago we all stopped and wept for our fellow countrymen. Regardless of who you were...or where you were...time seemed to stop for a day or so. As countrymen we all joined to mourn lost lives...lost innocence. It didn't matter that we were Texans...or from New Mexico...or Oregon. We grieved. New Yorkers were in pain and we were connected by our common love of country. Suddenly...our perspective was crystal clear. All non essentials were put aside. For a while, as a country we turned fully to God for His guidance, His peace, His comfort. From the pain and the ashes the best of man emerged, filling us with fresh sprigs of hope.

We live in such a bountiful country it is easy to forget the Giver of all good things and become selfish. We can become oblivious to the pain of others. When we grieve for others...we are not numb! I don't want to be numb to the hurting...do you? It is God's kindness that leads us to repentance. Kelly Winter's words pierced my heart when she said,  "God loves me so much He doesn't want to share me with anything...even the American Dream!"

I know I struggle with selfishness. I want to know my sin of selfishness. I want God to break my heart. I want God to change me...use me. I want to live a life that is noble and pure in heart. I want to be set apart...and fully aware. It is only then that I will be fully alive in Him.

                 

                    All of me, None of You
                    Some of me, Some of You
                    Less of me, More of You
                    None of Me, All of You

Nehemiah...a heart that can break by Kelly Winter

Have you ever had a "Standing on Holy Ground" moment? Kelly Minter describes a moment in her life while she was making her bed, as clear as a bell God spoke to her and said, "Nehemiah". It was a passing moment...over shadowed by a series of events that required her immediate attention. But later she realized God had already placed in her soul to study the book of Nehemiah...before she even knew there would be a need for it. I haven't had a moment quite like her moment...but there have been times when I felt my thoughts were being directed by Him...and not me.

I sometimes call them "God Winks"...moments when I feel there is a special connection to the Holy. I have to say it has never been while making a bed! But don't you sometimes feel that He is nudging you? Do you budge when there is a nudge? I wonder if there are times when I stand lock-kneed still and determined that surely He was not whispering to me! I am too busy or too tired or too over worked to do one single thing more...and yet He whispers...and prods. It is uncomfortable. It can be irritating...and certainly unsettling. 

It takes a lot of courage to open your heart to hear His voice...to pray..."Here I am with all I am, my whole heart...what can I do? Where can I go? Where can I help?" Do you have the courage to pray it? You know if you do...that's when the excitement will begin! He will hear you...He will lead you...it won't be easy! But He promises that He is enough...

Maybe I'll make my bed tomorrow!