Friday, February 8, 2013

God's Post-it Notes

Yesterday, during a prolonged prayer session and as I prayed for one of my Jr. Youth kids, an image came to me of God's post-it note collection, splattered across a big wall.

I could imagine each of God's post-it notes representing every person God has ever created. Just like the picture shown, there's an array of colors of post-its, and each note has something different written on it.

This is the same with each individual person God created. Each is unique in his or her own way. God has created each one differently, as we can imagine a note keeper to write different messages on each individual post-it. A note keeper plasters the post-its across a wall to display each one, as a reminder of what each individual post-it contains.

Now obviously, observing the picture above, plastering enough post-its across a limited space means that some post-it notes will be covered by others, blocking them from view. Sometimes, we see public bulletin boards with all sorts of classifieds plastered across them. Quite often bulletin boards are left exposed to anybody, so when one wants to post an advertisement and when there's limited space, sometimes other people's posts are covered by the newer ones. Sometimes this is done because the person posting the ad believes his or her ad is the most important and wants to ensure that it is being noticed above all the rest.

I can imagine that we often perceive our world similarly to a wall of post-it notes. The newest and perhaps the most "interesting" notes are given full view, while older, "less interesting" notes are being covered up by those in front.

But God doesn't operate like the world does. First of all, His displaying wall has unlimited dimensions. It doesn't run out of space. Secondly, each post-it note on God's wall--each person on God's green Earth--is so precious to Him that He doesn't find anyone more valuable or less important than the next. So, there are no post-it notes that are covered up by others. Instead, each one has its free space on God's display. This is because God is so proud of each one that He has created. He makes room for each one for display so that He can be reminded of each one He has designed. Because God loves each one of us.

Psalm 139 reminds us just how important we are to God,
"O LORD, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD. You hem me in -- behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me." (Ps. 139:1-5, NIV).
This is because God has taken special creative freedom to make each one of us who we are,

"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made." (Ps. 139:13-14a, NIV). 

I think this is something we all need to remember, especially broken people who tend to believe the lies of the Enemy--which is Satan.

God has made special space for each of us on His displaying wall. And this is especially true for us Christians. When we come to know the Lord, God puts us on display. He is so proud of His family and loves to be reminded of each one who call Him Father.

Wednesday, February 6, 2013

Grace + ugly things = Something beautiful

Grace
Grace
She takes the blame
She covers the shame
Removes the stain
It could be her name

Grace
It’s a name for a girl
It’s also a thought that
Changed the world

And when she walks on the street
You can hear the strings
Grace finds goodness
In everything

Grace
She’s got the walk
Not on a ramp or on chalk
She’s got the time to talk

She travels outside
Of karma, karma
She travels outside
Of karma

When she goes to work
You can hear the strings
Grace finds beauty
In everything

Grace
She carries a world on her hips
No champagne flute on her lips
No twirls or skips
Between her fingertips

She carries a pearl
In perfect condition
What once was hurt
What once was friction
What left a mark
No longer stings

Because grace makes beauty
Out of ugly things

Grace finds beauty
In everthing

Grace finds goodness
In everything
The above is a song by the famous band U2. It was first released on their 2000 Album, All That You Can't Leave Behind. And it's a powerful piece because of the message and for pointing to the grace we experience from Jesus Christ.

Looking at the lyrics, you can see a number of fantastic lines that should help us understand how grace works. I mean, obviously the first couple of lines go "grace, she takes the blame, ...covers the shame, ...removes the stain." WOW!

Grace "travels outside of karma." Karma is the Hindu doctrine of reciprocation. Basically it's the idea that "what goes around comes around" or receiving ones just desserts. If you live a bad life, bad things will happen to you. If you live a good life, good things will happen to you. But if grace travels outside of karma, that means it works independently of that system; so what we deserve as wicked people, we do not receive. Instead, we receive what Paul wrote in Romans 6:23, "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (NIV) WOW! Is God really that awesome!

Grace through Jesus Christ really does make beauty out of ugly things.

I'm ugly. I'm a foolish person in my sinful nature. I have hurt people, accused people, abused people, cursed God. I deserve death because I'm a sinner.

Even in these current days I have shown that I, in my foolishness tend to burn bridges with people, young people. I have seen this start to happen even in my role as a youth worker. I do things too rashly. I do things without considering the affects or the feelings of others. For this I am truly sorry. I hope those who this applies to read this and accept my apologies in grace.

I am thankful for grace. As the song goes, it is a "thought that changed the world."

If there is one thing I would like to perfect before the Lord calls me home or returns is worship. I want to perfect worship in my life and grasp how wonderful, beautiful, compassionate and sweet is Christ's grace for me. He has already forgotten my sins from yesterday, even if I haven't completely let them go. He is good. He is my God. He is my LORD.

Thank you Jesus for Grace.