Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Living becuse of God...

I have got to share with you something that has been rocking my world since I read it this earlier this month by Mike Donehey from Tenth Avenue North. It is a journal entry from the band's website about not living for God, but living because of God. Here it is:

Break Me Down

“Come, let us return to the LORD.

He has torn us to pieces
but he will heal us;
he has injured us
but he will bind up our wounds.”
-Hosea 6:1

Excuse me, what?!!
Who has torn us?
Who has injured us?
The Lord?!!!
Wait a second there Hosea, didn’t you mean to say Satan has torn us?
Or maybe bad people?
You sure that’s not a typo or something?

Personally, I think one of the most difficult things I’ve ever had to reconcile in my head
and my heart is this idea that a loving, merciful, compassionate God
would hurt me.
And not on accident either, but purposefully and willfully.
God will unapologetically tear me into pieces so that He can heal me.
And you.
Strange huh?

And I suppose it isn’t so terribly surprising coming from a prophet who was made
to marry a harlot. If anyone would know something about being hurt by the
Lord it would be him right?
I don’t know if you know the story, but
I mean, just put yourself in his place for a second.
There you are. The man. The dude. You’re the prophet over all of Israel, and
you’ve been keeping yourself pure, praying every day for the woman that God will
give to you and then He finally speaks, but its not at all what you were hoping for.

God: “Hosea.”
Hosea: “Yeah Lord?”
God: “It’s time.”
Hosea: “Ahhhh Yeaaahhh! That’s what I was hoping you were gonna say.
Time for a wife right Lord?”
God: “Yes Hosea, it’s time for a wife.”
Hosea: “Ooohh, I can’t wait!!! Just tell me though God, is she hot and holy?
Cuz you know, I’ve been keeping myself pure, and I just know you’re gonna
reward me with a wife that’s hot and holy. That’s all I’m asking for because,
hey, that’s what I deserve right?”
God: “Well, not exactly. I don’t think she’s quite what you had in mind.”
Hosea: “Wait, what? …..Oh… I see! She’s even hotter and holier than I thought!
Oh yeah Lord, I know how you work!
God: “Well, no.”
Hosea: “What you mean, no?”
God: “Hosea, I don’t know how to tell you this, well, of course I know how to tell you this,
I’m God, it’s just, well….she’s a prostitute.”
Hosea: “prosti-what?”
God: “Prostitute. Whore. Lady of the Night.”
Hosea: No, no, I know what it is, but a PROSTITUTE!!!
God: Yeah, I know that’s not what you were planning, but its what I was planning, so you’re
gonna marry her.
Hosea: “I’m gonna do what?”
God: “you’re gonna marry her, but then of course, she’ll cheat on you, and sell herself
so you’ll have to go buy her back.”
Hosea: “Go what?”
“Yeah, you’re going to forgive her and buy her back and when she cheats on you again
and has children with other lovers you’re going to love them and take her back again.”
Hosea: “Come again?”
God: “you’re going to love her kids and take her back.”

Long awkward silence

Hosea: “What’s her name?”
God: “Gomer.”
Hosea: “Oh Come on!!!”

Now I apologize if you’re name is Gomer, but you do have to admit,
it’s a rather unfortunate name, and an even more unfortunate situation.
But the Bible records that it did happen.
Maybe not exactly like that, but God did tell Hosea to marry an adulterous wife.

And the reason that the Lord supplies in Hosea 3
Is that their marriage was to show us how he loves his people.
He loves his people like an adulterous wife.

And the story is so insanely beautiful when you see it from that angle,
but when you look at it from Hosea’s angle it’s just plain crazy.

Think about what you’d say if your pastor got up in front of the congregation and
announced that he was about to marry a whore. What would your response be?
Now, I’m not suggesting that every one go out and marry someone from the local
street corner, but I am saying that it is evident that God will do whatever He has to do
to bring you to a place where all you want is Him.

He’ll break you, He’ll hurt you, He’ll ruin your plans, and He’ll tear you into pieces,
and He’ll do it all out of a perfect holy love.

And look, I know that sounds crazy, but think about it for a moment.
A lot of people want to use God to give them something other than Himself.
If we’re honest, we’ll admit that we all do it on some level.
For instance, we don’t have sex until we’re married, because then God owes us a virgin.
We give 10% of our income to a church, because then God owes us prosperity and wealth.
We pray and pray and pray, and then God owes it to us to answer and give us what we want.
And in all those cases, Jesus is no longer the end, but simply a means to something else.

You’ve got to see that in Hosea’s case, or perhaps in the case
of that one friend of yours who thinks marriage is the goal of their existence.
Don’t laugh. It might be you.
But if you think about it, It would actually be unloving of God to go
and make our marriage perfect and make that person fulfill our every hope and dream.
Why?
Because that person will die.

That marriage will end, and if your whole life and existence and joy depends on another
human being, you will inevitably be in for heartache.
Just read the Twilight series (it’s true. I’ve read it, though I’m not proud of it)
and see how the heroine Bella, how her entire life falls apart when her vampire
lover leaves her. Put simply, If our joy rests entirely upon human love or
vampire love, or any other kind of earthly love for that matter,
then one day, our joy will be destroyed.
Is this making sense?

Of course, marriage is just one example.
Money. Security. Fame. Obedience. Sex. Drugs. Worship Music.
If our hope is set in anything but the living person of Christ, then we’re just setting ourselves
up for failure. And so God, in his infinite and everlasting love, will do whatever He has to do
to break, bend and conform his people’s hearts to Him.
He will no longer be the means to some other end, but the end Himself.

Like a surgeon who has to cut you open,
so God must tear us apart to create in us a new heart.
A heart that is obsessed with Him alone.
But unlike a doctor, He doesn’t just use a knife. He uses the most bizarre people,
circumstances, and tragedies to change our hearts until they only treasure Him.

He will break us down.

And it will be painful, scary, and altogether beautiful.

Friends, if the Lord is tearing down your world today,
if all the walls on your so carefully constructed plans are caving in on themselves,
then ask Him in faith, God, are you my treasure?
And if you find the answer is no, then ask Him to bring it on.
Break out the scalpel. Tear down the walls. Let loose the storms.
Ask Him to do whatever He has to do, until you can proclaim with the psalmist,

“Whom have in heaven but you,
and earth has nothing I desire besides you.”
(Psalm 73)

All this world is fading away anyway right?
Then take heart.
This life is not about succeeding.
It’s not about changing the world.
It’s not about living with purpose, or leaving a legacy
or making the maximum impact with your life.
It’s actually not even about living your life for God.

Did you hear me?
Don’t live your life for God.

Live your life because God.

Because He has loved us, redeemed us, and because He is all that our hearts are longing for.
It’s no longer about what you do with your life at all, because He is your life.
May He do whatever it takes to open our eyes to see that.
He is the means and He is the end. And everything in between is from his hand.
It can be terrifying at times, I know, but its worth it.
Believe me, and I guess more importantly believe Him.
It’s worth it.

“I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing
with the glory that will be revealed in us.”
-Romans 8:18

“”Come, let us return to the LORD.
He has torn us to pieces
but he will heal us;
he has injured us
but he will bind up our wounds.

2 After two days he will revive us;
on the third day he will restore us,
that we may live in his presence.

3 Let us acknowledge the LORD;
let us press on to acknowledge him.
As surely as the sun rises,
he will appear;
he will come to us like the winter rains,
like the spring rains that water the earth.”
-Hosea 6:1-3

There is more expounding on the idea of not living for God, but living because of God. Here is the link to Mike Donehey's Journal:

http://tenthavenuenorth.com/blog/2009/02/28/dont-live-for-god-chapter-6-continued/

Love,

Darsey


Monday, April 27, 2009

Two post in one day...

I guess I am making up for lost time, and I have something else to blog about.

Recession + suffering = a gift??? Check out these links and let me know what you think...

http://media.austinstone.org/

http://www.marshillchurch.org/media/rebels-guide-to-joy/the-rebels-guide-to-joy-in-suffering\


My thoughts:
It is encouraging to know there is a reason/purpose to today's recession that includes a gift/blessing/promise through the suffering some are experiencing today. Being a direct casualty of the recession, I am encouraged from these messages to suffer well, and that this experience should not be wasted, but instead, used to gain perspective on the life I was living pre-recession. Wasteful...yes, fearful...yes, entitled...yes, really trusting God no matter what...no.

I am so glad that God is teaching me so much during this time. It isn't pretty sometimes. I've had at least four temper-tantrums in the past six months that rival my two-year-olds daily outbursts. I've never seen a purification process that is pretty. A diamond comes from black coal being pressurized over a long period of time. In order to get all the impurities out of gold, it has to undergo a melting process. Many people feel like they are experiencing pressure and melting in their lives today...including myself at times. Could be due to the recession, or maybe something else. Maybe its your health, maybe its the death of a loved one, maybe its debt, maybe it's and unhappy marriage...whatever. Could it be that this pressure and melting is a blessing? Each and everyday we forge through this trial, I am finding that it is.

Thursday, April 23, 2009

A New Start

Well, it has been FOREVER since I have made a blog entry. Most of you know how crazy our lives have been the past few months. We said a sad "goodbye" to Fort Worth and "hello" to the Texas Hill Country, Wimberley to be exact. Our lives have changed dramatically. We want to thank everyone who has been praying for us. We definitely have needed you prayers. We have good days where we can see God refining us, sustaining us and starting something new in our lives, but then we have bad days when we can't understand why so much has been taken away, or why Chad's business is still a mess, or why we can't move on with our lives until EMG is straightened out in whatever way.

There is no way around it, we are going through a trial. We've been frusterated with God at times. We've heard it said that He is big enough to handle however we feel. God knows us better than we know ourselves, so we figure we can't fool him with a contrived facade of how we think he wants us to feel. In all honesty our hope has been bruised, and it hurts to hope sometimes. As I was driving home from helping my Dad at the restaurant last week, I expressed to God that my soul is just groaning and aching for for Him to redeem and restore...not just what is going on in our lives, but for others we care greatly for as well. We know that is what God is in the business of doing...redeeming and restoring, and we are beyond ready to see that happen. A lot of the Christian cliche's have been hard to stomach, but God's Word has been faithful to encourage and support us through this difficult time. Here are some promises we are clinging to right now.

Psalm 9:10
"Those who know your name will trust in you; for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you."

Isaiah 41: 9-10
"You whom I took from the ends of the earth and called you from its farthest corners, saying to you, 'You are my servant, I have chosen you and not cast you off.' Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."

Isaiah43: 18-19
"Forget the former things. Do not dwell in the past. See, I am doing a new thing!...I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland."

And good ol' Jeremiah 29:11
"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for wholeness not for evil, to give you a future and and a hope."

Although we desperately miss all we left behind, we are forging ahead with our lives here. We are really enjoying our families. Over the past few months, we have gotten to celebrate birthdays and holidays that we haven't gotten to celebrate together in years. We are really enjoying the outdoors. The pics below are of an afternoon visit to Perdenales Falls State Park (only 30 minutes away). We are really enjoying our friends who have come to visit us from Fort Worth. We are glad to be the Hill Country connection for everyone!!! We are really enjoying the church we've been attending...Austin Stone Community Church in Austin. Jesus is moving in powerful ways at this church! If anyone wants to go with us, there is always an open invitation. There is an awesome energy there, a young crowd, alternative/rock music and a message that will surely penetrate your soul.



It is my hope to be better about keeping up with this blog and share our lives (the good, bad and ugly) more consistently. I keep up with a few blogs where people are open and vulnerable enough to share their struggles, and it really is inspirational to read how God is working in their lives and circumstances. We do live in a fallen world where people suffer and go through painful experiences. I do believe that God uses struggle and pain to make us more compassionate and loving people, and also to reveal his power in our lives. I hope this blog finds you all doing well.

Love,
Darsey