dare to reimagine

Reimagine.
Life has a glorious, thrilling and often times hair-raising way of turning out so very differently than we imagined, doesn't it? When, as a young girl of six, I watched my parents divorce and move to separate states, I never imagined I would be walked down the isle with my arm linked in my Dad's sixteen years later. As I watched my mother marry my stepfather who I spent years loathing and being loathed in return,  I certainly never dared to imagine my Dad would return to our family and remarry my mother.  But in God's glorious providence and grace, that is exactly what happened. My life was reimagined by a good God.

Not every turn ends in what feels good. Life certainly has a way of beating us up, too. Burying my sweet Daddy after only getting him back in our life for twenty-three short years was a blow to the gut from which we are all still recovering. But in God's abundant grace, it was not before he placed his faith in Jesus and walked a fruit bearing season of life with his Savior for whom he was ready to meet face to face when called Home.

Sitting in the pew next to my dearest people one Easter Sunday, watching the artist paint the empty tomb and enormous rolled away stone, I silently begged the Lord for the salvation of my Dad. Open his eyes, oh God, to his need for you and his willingness to turn to you!

If I can move the stone from that tomb, I can move the stone from his heart, Came the response in my soul so clearly I had to look around to see if anyone else felt it.

And sure enough, two more years passed and my Daddy came home one evening to my mother with the words she had longed to hear since her own recent conversion, I placed my faith in Jesus today and surrendered my life to my Savior.

It was after supper when my phone rang with my mother's joy-filled words of eternal hope and answered prayer. Life was being reimagined by a faithful God, yet again.

Pondering the turns life has taken in 43 short years of experience, it seems to mimic a roller coaster more than a scenic stroll. But around every bend and in the midst of every plummet, my God has been so faithful just as 2 Thessalonians 3:3 promises and He will continue to be for always. We can entrust this life to His imagining and reimagining because He alone works all things for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28) So let's dare to reimagine and then dare to let Him amaze us.

grace and peace

Receiving help from others can be difficult. Our pride wants to rear up and assume we have it covered. Like a two year old, we think, "I'm fine. I don't need help." And we proceed headlong into a project that proves otherwise; often leaving us looking like fools.
Not only can receiving be tough, but so can giving. Sometime it is easier to give to strangers than to give to those we love the most. Crazy, but true. I am quicker to bake cookies for the new neighbor than to remember to bake my husband's favorite brownies. I can easily say yes to taking a meal to a sick friend but find my heart grumbles when 4:30 rolls around AGAIN and I have no plans on what to make for dinner tonight.
But as 1 Thessalonians opens, along with most of Paul's letter greetings, we find he, Silvanus and Timothy giving freely to those they love...those in the Thessalonian church. They are freely offering grace and peace in that first scroll of the hand on the page.
"Paul, Silvanus, Timothy, to the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace."
Over and over Paul extends this gift of grace and peace to the churches he writes to. This is not just a traditional greeting. But by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, it is intentional wording. it is extended to all believers through all time. Grace. Peace.
See the grace and peace Paul speaks of is not from Paul. It is from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. So it can extend through all time and pulsate right in the heart of our mundane lives.
Grace. It is a leaning in and towards, from God towards me. Right here in the choices and attitudes and decisions of my day. Jesus leans into me. Question is, am I willing to lean into Him?
Pausing to pray rather than check social media.
Running to Him with the decisions of my day rather than picking up the phone.
Meditating on a verse He is teaching me rather than flipping on the TV.
Nothing is wrong with social media, per say, it just robs me of leaning into Jesus when I need Him most, if I choose the easy over the eternal.
Peace. This is not the peace that comes when all is well. Rather it is the peace that comes when all is not well. Peace of mind when circumstances are twisting. When I'd rather yell at the kids or run away or just eat more cake...peace comes when I look to Jesus rather than turn to selfishness.
These are gifts Paul extends to the church. they are gifts Jesus extends to you and me today, too. Grace. Peace. It is up to me to receive them. Those who have received grace, extend it. Those who have received peave, extend it.
If I am leaning into Jesus and keeping my eyes on Him, then it will be evident. Not to those I can fake it with, but those right here in my home and who know me best.
Am I extending grace to my husband when he upsets me? Am I walking through my day with peace and rest in my spirit when my kids argue or push my buttons? Keeping my eyes on Jesus is the only way to open our day with the grace and peace Paul extends in the opening of 1 Thessalonians.

Oh Lord, work this into my own heart.