Worthy

I have a worn dollar bill tucked away in my wallet. It's away from the other bills that are crisp, folded and ready to spend. There is a tear that almost splits the paper in half, and without a little clear tape--it's not likely to be accepted at any store. It's my reminder of value.

There is one place that will take that dollar. In fact, they will take it and give me a brand new crisp dollar bill in return for it. The bank actually has an agreement with the place the dollar came from: the Federal Reserve. If you read the bill carefully, you can find out a lot about it's origin and age. Signatures, imprints and serial numbers call out each bill as unique.

For every dollar they get, that government entity recognizes it as legal tender. Dollar for dollar, coin for coin. As long as it's a little over half there, they count it as whole.

Counterfeit bills don't make it back out into circulation. You can't even get an even trade for it. Once it's flagged, it's bagged and the route from which it came is traced to the culprit who tried to fool the system. Fire is it's destination.

Real currency that is torn, stained and ragged is returned to the Federal Reserve where they print more to replace them. And the tattered money is incinerated. Never to be seen again.

I know people who wouldn't pick up a penny, much less a damaged dollar bill. They can't see the true value laying at their feet.

Have you ever looked into the eyes of someone who's been torn apart by the world? How about someone tattered by substance abuse? What about those who are half there because a physical or emotional abuse have left them hanging? Or have you crossed paths with the one who wears their sin as clear as a torn dollar bill, and can't seem to fix it on their own?

The world will say there is no value in that person. The world will say to lock them up, take them out of circulation...they add no value to this earth.

But the Creator of that soul knows full well the value of that human. They have His imprint, His signature, He strung together their DNA...He knows their name and the path that has dropped them at His feet. Where others will step over them and abandon them, God stoops, reaches out and grasps them in His fingertips.

"There you are! I knew I'd find you...my treasure!"

And in God's hands, something amazing happens. That torn human becomes reborn. The tattered life is renewed, the battered soul is bright and fresh again. Where once stood a devalued life, now stands a priceless child of God--ready to face the fire that would've suffocated them before. Because a new life is not without it's trials and consequences.

It's time to spend your life wisely.  The price has already been paid for us. Let's look forward in 2017 and dream of God-possibilities!



"Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it? And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” Luke 15:8-10

See Glass

Sometimes when I am collecting shells on the beach, I find small treasures of broken glass. They aren't sharp shards that cut. The ocean has tumbled them into nuggets of what looks like frozen gelatin. The pieces have lost their slicing ability and have a soft beauty.

The colors can range from browns (beer bottles) to greens (soda pop or wine bottles) to blues (medicine bottles). It's interesting how there can be beauty in a broken object. The use is long gone, because the object is in pieces--never to be glued together again. The labels are long gone, the color whispers of a possible past the bottle had.

I like to collect them and keep with my shells, like frozen water droplets. Others create mobiles or wind chimes out of driftwood and fishing line. Still others make one-of-a-kind jewelry.

What has been broken in your life dear reader? How many out there have shattered dreams, lost loved ones or fragmented lives all jumbled together and cutting deep? No matter how you try to carry it, a sliver works it's way into your heart.

Some days I will visit the ocean at sunrise. I pour out my broken heart to God and my tears mingle with the salt spray. And He takes my fragile pieces and tumbles them in the waves and washes my soul.

I still have the broken pieces, but the edges are worn soft and the labels are washed away. He creates something new out of them. Something to share with others. The beauty of healing shines through and I can move forward and know that a new purpose has come out of that pain...

You have kept count of my tossings; put my tears in your bottle. Are they not in your book?
Psalm 56:8

What's Cookin?

Here's a cooking tip for you if you need an easy way to peel garlic: turn it on the flatter side and press with the heel of your hand until you hear a "pop". That loosens the outer peel that contains the clove inside. You can then peel the garlic clove easily so it can be prepared for cooking.

So why would I put a cooking tip in my blog? Well, sometimes when I am doing the most mundane things like peeling garlic, God says "Write this!"

As I was popping and peeling my garlic cloves a verse came to mind from 2 Corinthians 4:8 "We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed".

The weight of that verse sat on my heart...so many have felt something heavy in their life. Sometimes it's just this old broken world that we live in. But could it be that sometimes, the loving Father in Heaven is causing this pressure? Could it be that the all-loving Creator literally has his child in a tight spot on purpose? Would God do that to His kids? Of course He would.

We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed.

How else are we to grow stronger? If he doesn't remove that tough outer husk of "self" after some pressure, how are we going to enjoy the real flavor of life?

Garlic is most pungent when it has been broken off the whole bulb, pressed and peeled...and yes crushed. And the more you break down that tiny piece of plant, the "louder" it gets with the fragrance. Pretty soon someone in the other room can smell it!

Have you ever met a real Christ follower who has had an easy life? A life of no problems, no issues, no sin? I think not. If you are a Christian and haven't come upon hard times, well then you better get ready!

My dear reader, one day you will awaken and find yourself in God's kitchen and He's stirring the pot of your life. And you will find yourself like that little garlic clove, getting pressed until you feel like you're going to break. But remember, this recipe is not for disaster but a magnificent culmination of His will intersecting with your life. And what an amazing recipe that is!

So when that day comes, pray, seek His will, ask others to pray that you will persevere and that your life becomes so fragrant to others they will be drawn to Christ from near and far!

As some comfort remember this: He wouldn't ask you to go through anything that Jesus had already been through Himself. (Check out Isaiah 53:5)

I'll get back to my roasted tomato and pepper salsa...and garlic cloves. Why don't you check out your Bible today and see what He has to share with you?

Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him! Psalms 34:8

If it ain't broke...

I was reading an article in Worshiper* magazine today. It started with an idea that spurred my thinking. Rev. Smith said that the "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" mentality is "Sage wisdom from a culture in which the measure of all things tends to be results and success. Whatever's working, go with it!" His article goes on to talk about how that concept does not work for the worship of God.

If you've been a Christian for a while, you've found that Jesus does not fit the mold of the world's thinking. Some of His teachings clearly go against the norm...if someone strikes you, turn your cheek...if a brother asks you to walk a mile with him, walk two miles...if someone demands your coat, offer your shirt...

So I wondered what Jesus would think about that proverb "If it ain't broke, don't fix it". I think He would reword it to say, "It ain't fixed until it's broke." Doesn't make sense to you? Let's look at some scripture on that.

In Mark 6:30-44 you see an event similar to Woodstock. Thousands of people followed Jesus to a remote area just to be with Him. Note that the 5,000 it mentions was just the men they counted--there were women and children too. As the day wore on, the people needed to be fed. There were no food tents, no kosher hotdog vendor who followed the crowd. Nobody thought to bring the kids a happy meal or protein bars. The situation needed a fix. They found they only had five loaves and two fish. ..so Jesus' solution? Break the only things they had all to pieces...and the fragments fed everyone. They even had leftovers!

Ruth Stull said, "If my life is broken when given to Jesus, it is because pieces will feed a multitude, while a loaf will satisfy only a little lad."

You see, there's more to life when it's broken apart. Only then does Jesus have something to work with. If our lives are comfortable, orderly and perfect...how can He get any glory? How can there be any hope for that unbeliever who's life has just crumbled around them?

Nothing gives more volume to a Christian life than the experience of brokenness. If you really get to know a strong Christian, you will find their life has been broken in some form or fashion--probably more than once!

When we praise God despite illness, bankruptcy or death...that's when Jesus is revealed to unbelievers. It's the broken vessel that allows Living Water to pour out to others.

It's a scary prayer to think of, but I'm finding it an amazing step in faith. Can you take this adventure with me? Then pray, "Lord, give me the gift of brokenness."

Life isn't fixed until it's broken. Jesus knew that, or He would not have laid down His life for you. You see, we never could have earned eternal life on our own. The gift of eternal life was achieved only when His own life was broken for us. How can we not do the same for Him?

And when He had taken {some} bread {and} given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them, saying, "This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me." Luke 22:19

*Worshiper Summer 2008, When It Is Broken by Rev. Scotty Smith