Identity Crisis

Identity Crisis. An extremely simple definition is as follows… “the shock when personal ‘sameness’ changes.” And may I add,.. when one will find they have to leave behind or move from that ‘sameness’ due to this shift or change. As soon as I thought of this definition, the picture of gray hair flying in the wind generated by a red convertible dissolved. This type of ‘change of plans’, happens quiet often throughout our lives. The way we accept these shifts in our lives will make the difference between crisis or not. In the bible we find a woman who was in the midst of an identity crisis of sorts. She was ultimately challenged on where she placed her identity and how she accepted the identity of the one who stood before her.

The book of John, chapter 11 begins with a crisis in progress. Lazarus the beloved brother of Mary and Martha had just died. By verse 21 Jesus has arrived at his good friend Lazarus’ tomb. Martha runs to Jesus and says, “If you had been here, my brother would not have died.” Jesus then said to her with all authority, “Your brother will rise again.” She most likely, fixated on the cold tomb with its death inside and huge rock in front, gave a rote theological answer in accord. But Jesus knew that her heart was not in her words.

There are times when a crisis hits and we wonder, “ Where is the Lord in all of this?” “Why didn’t He do something before it happened?” What Martha didn’t know was that Jesus was at work the whole time. He was going to do a miracle that went beyond what she could imagine. Yes, He would raise her brother from the dead, but the real miracle would happen in her heart. He would reveal His true Identity and challenge where she placed hers.

It goes on to say that Jesus said to Martha, “ I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in Me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in Me shall never die.” I picture Jesus taking Martha and lovingly turning her gaze from the tomb to His eyes. Forget about death and look into the eyes of eternal life. At that moment, with His words “I Am” Jesus reminded her of His deity. He was her friend no doubt, but even more so, His identity as God. Her God.

His Identity: As believers, we can forget or become complacent on Who Jesus is, His true identity, His authority and power. We may sing songs of Him as our Savior and Lord of all, but our lives and actions show us running to other things for comfort or protection. Our prayers can sound full of faith, but lack a true believing heart. Do we really grasp His control and plans over our days? And do we really look into His eternal eyes when crisis hits? Do we see Him as the great “I Am”?

Our Identity: We can also forget, especially during crisis, our true identity found in Him. Jesus says, ”Whoever believes in Me”.. the words ‘in Me’, implies a personal relationship and trust. We need to refrain from seeking after the identity of this world, and find our rest in the mighty hands of the King of Kings. In His secure dwelling place, the cold tombs of doubt and discouragement will not distract our hearts from the One who gives life. And the heavy rocks of crisis will no longer block us from seeing His miracles, when we truly believe who Jesus says… “I Am the Resurrection and the Life.”

Lastly, Jesus asked Martha and us, “Do you believe this”?


“I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe Him.”
Ephesians 1:19 NLT

God's Country

“This land is your land, this land is my land
From California to the New York Island
From the Redwood Forest to the Gulf Stream waters
This land was made for you and me.”

In 1944 these lyrics came to life from the pen of Woody Guthrie to become one of the United States most famous folk songs. In response to his belief that “God Bless America” was too unrealistic and complacent , Guthrie took the melody of an old Baptist gospel hymn and created what seemed to be a more intimate and inclusive portrayal of ‘our land’ as he viewed America.

There are times that we may stand back in our spiritual life and view ‘our land’, the land that God has placed us in. ‘Our land’ that the Lord has us walking through at this time may be a wonderful land of promise, a quiet land of patience or a refreshing land of praise. In the later part of the book of Genesis, Joseph reflects on yet another type of land that God had him in for the past 20 years. A land of affliction. Honestly, that is a land that most of us would like to bypass altogether in our lives. Remarkably we find in Genesis 41:52, while naming his second son, Joseph reflects on this dark land with a different perspective.

And the name of the second son he called Ephraim,(interpreted: fruitfulness)
“For God has caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction.”

The dictionary describes affliction as a condition of great physical or mental distress. Earlier chapters show us that Joseph knew the meaning of affliction all too well. From hatred and death threats by jealous family members, to betrayal and slander by evil masters in a foreign land, Joseph literally experienced the darkest pits in the land of his affliction. Though even in the mist of the lowest dungeons of Egypt, Joseph sees how God gave him the energy and peace to go forward in Him. Regardless of the conditions, God caused him to be fruitful.

With that said, it is of great encouragement to know that regardless of the ‘type’ of land that we may be in at this time, God is always faithful to cause us to be fruitful. Even in the dry brittle ground of the land of affliction, God can bring forth a bounty. In faith, we can respond to His voice in whatever ‘land’, and allow the Lord to bring forth His fruit. And in time, we, like Joseph can look back and see God’s hand at work in all situations and ‘lands’ that we journey through with our Great, Redeeming God

Can You Hear Me Now?

“Can you hear me now?”
The calm spokesman in the dark rimmed glasses holds a small black phone to his ear with a confident smirk. He listens and responds, “Good” as he confirms his cell phone provider’s reliability. Verizon started this slogan in 2000 to bring to light their far reaching ability in cell phone technology. However, we all have lost connection from time to time, and have learned that tapping into frequencies is a tricky business. Though annoying, we quickly excuse our petite phones for their inconsistency, for the very pleasure in knowing that most of the time there is connection and we are heard.

Genesis 21:16, brings us upon a scene of a woman who is desperate to be heard. She stumbles across the dry, rough ground and collapses across from her son as he lays dying under a small tree. Hagar’s resources had literally dried up with the heat of the dessert sun and she had never felt so alone. Little does she know as she cries bitterly, that her son with one of his last breaths, asked for help from the God of Abraham. The Lord calls down from heaven to Hagar letting her know that the voice of her son was heard in His heavenly throne room loud and clear. What relief must have filled her heart to find that they have a direct connection with the God of the universe and He hears.

Over and over the Bible reminds us that our God hears. Isaiah 59:1 “Behold the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear.” From cries of desperation to whispers of a humbled heart, our God hears. He is never too distracted, too busy, or too tired to hear from us. The noise of this world cannot interfere or limit His audible range. Though as believers, we would be remiss if we didn’t read further onto verse 2 and be aware of a ‘drop zone” that we, ourselves can create. Verse 2 says, “But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.” Unchecked sin in our lives can create a disconnection or spiritual ‘dead zone’.

Thankfully, Psalm 139 encourages us in steps to restore our connection, “Search me, O God, and know my heart, try me and know my thoughts and see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” Let us allow the Lord to search our hearts, forgive us of our sins and strengthen our connectivity with Him. That we may walk in His way with humble hearts, and enjoy His unlimited coverage.. with no dropped calls.
Can you hear me now,Lord?
Good!

Who's Rockn' the Boat?!

In 1973 songwriter Wally Holmes wrote a popular song titled “Rock the boat”. In the chorus, the singer is asking the pointed question, “So I’d like to know where you got the notion …to Rock the boat..don’t rock the boat baby, …tip the boat,… don’t tip the boat over”. The music was catchy, but I believe the lyrics sold the records...it was relatable. We as humans, do not like our boats or lives rocked. We love smooth sailing and calm seas. It is in those times on glassy seas that we can look ahead, plan our course and set our sails. All is right in the world.

But when the breeze starts to whip and the waves begin to grow, our peace is quickly replaced with worry and dread. Our boat begins to rock and we bellow, “All hands on deck!”. We find ourselves criticizing our fumbling crew and wondering who is to blame. Who made our serene vessel lurch and sway and caused our trusty compass to spin? We cry out frantically, “Who is rocking the boat!?”

Thousands of years ago a mighty boat began to rock and pitch. A family of eight huddled in its belly. The creaking of the hull was deafening as the waters pounded the sides. Hanging onto their faith was the most secure thing that Noah and his family could do in the mist of such a colossal storm. You see, Noah and his family knew who rocked the boat.

It was a holy and loving God that rocked their boat. Through the violent waters he lifted them from the filth of a corrupt society. Through the raging currents He carried them high above the muck and mire. In all the rocking, pitching and lurching they were being saved. In 1 Peter 3:20 it tells of the “eight persons that were saved by water”, we see that the same waters that brought death to the wicked, brought life to the righteous.

Yes, God will rock the boat at times. He will cause the waters to rise, not that we drown, but that we are lifted from the dangers below. His tide moves us on and to not become complacent. To get rid of those barnacles of this world, to unleash the anchors that slow us down. To encourage us to rest deep within His hull and find our salvation and security in Him and not in ourselves. Yes, our God will rock the boat, and we can trust and know that it is good, for He is good.

“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you and through the rivers, they will shall not overwhelm you…for I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your savior.” Isaiah 43:2,3

Box of Chocolates:

Picture a box of chocolates. You know those fancy boxes that have the chocolate company name in gold proudly printed on top. The box is open and you are given the opportunity to pick two for yourself. You look down at the neatly nestled varieties in all their shapes and sizes. You breathe in their united chocolate aroma, as your hand hovers over their tiny swirled tops. Why the hesitation? Why the uncertainty? Why not just grab two and be done?

Because you have learned at some point that not all chocolates are equal. That somewhere in the confectioners' history timeline, there was someone who thought fluffy pink cherry filling would be a big seller or maple nut centers would have them on their knees. Well, at some point you were on your knees alright, spitting the thing into the nearest trash can. Forrest Gump even commented on this hidden trap, waxing poetically, how in a box of chocolates, you never know what your gonna get. Surprise! ack! So did you give up on these cute little morsels? No, you adapted with the fine art of hovering. Carefully sizing up the configuration of each piece, knowing that what matters is in the inside. That this is not a unified body of sweet treats, but a box of good and bad.

Jeremiah 15:19 "If you will extract the precious from the worthless,I will make you My spokesman." The Lord challenged Jeremiah to separate what would be of use, from that which was useless - for only then could He work through Jeremiah's life. But like looking over a box of chocolates, that task can be very daunting when everything looks the same. How would Jeremiah be able to see clearly in order to separate?

In the sentences that are prior to this charge, God lovingly gave Jeremiah the key directive to be able to perform such a feat. "If you return, I will take you back"...in other words, you come to me Jeremiah and I will be your eyes, I will be your voice and I will whisper in your ear my wisdom. By staying close to God, Jeremiah could see through the cloaks that try to mask the worthless things that lead to decay and see clearly the things that are precious and good.Like that simple box of chocolates, it can be a little confusing when we try to, on our own, to decipher exactly what is of value in our lives and what is worthless. We sadly end up in our walks just hovering, and never fully being used of the Lord. But when we draw close to God, He promises to draw near to us ( James 4:8 ). And through the help of the Holy Spirit, we will be able to see things we never saw before.

Just like the small map that is hidden underneath the lid of some chocolate boxes, we are guided to the good and precious things, that please the Lord. And in the same manner, be are able to discern and throw out that which is worthless and can cause us harm. So be encouraged my friend, like Jeremiah, God desires for you to be close to Him and to be able to use your life for His glory! Chocolate is just an added benefit :)~Psalm 34:8 Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good;Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!

Diamonds are not forever..

Diamonds are not forever


On September 2nd, 2009 Gregory Randall escorted his true love, Linda Messerman, down a narrow, white, wooden pier in San Simeon, California. The old boards creaked under their feet as they strolled hand in hand. With the Pacific Ocean stretched out before them, they breathed in the sea air at the end of the picturesque pier. Gently turning Linda towards him, Gregory stoops to one knee and opens a small box.

The 1.2 karat diamond glistened in the afternoon sun. He gentle plucks the custom made, white gold ring from its nesting place and proceeds to propose to Linda. She holds her breath and listen to his loving words and then answers, Yes. Maybe it was nerves or the excitement in that moment, but Gregory’s fingers lost all memory of the precious ring that they held. Stumbling to regain the grasp, the tiny ring bounced and fell through the splintered slats of the pier and into the sea below. The clear diamond still glistened as it entered the water, until the murky green engulfed it 20 feet below. It was gone in an instant.

After reading about such a disappointing event two groups can quickly emerge; those that would quickly say that it would never happen to them. And those that are more prone to say, yes I could totally see that happening to me! I am personally more of the later group. Regardless, the question lies exposed to all, What do we do when things do not go as planned? When ideal dreams slip away or good ideas sink into the murky depths. What do you do? How do you react to the feeling of the delete button being pushed on a gift, or that all your time and energy towards a goal is erased? How do you cope?

The story goes on to say, after a noble attempt by the local Sherriff’s underwater rescue team armed with an underwater detector, the ring was officially declared lost at sea. Despite of the consequences, I believe that Gregory Randall realized that he gained more than he had lost. His lovely Linda had answered yes. The ring was only a token, a gift. The real value laid in Linda’s acceptance, in their love relationship. With that in mind, Gregory surmised to look on the bright side. “Maybe a fish ate it and a fisherman will catch the fish and find the ring. Maybe the fisherman will be down on his luck and it will help him.”

Gregory could let go of his ‘ideal proposal.’ He could move on because his priorities were right, not that the ring was not special, but it was not what held their relationship together. We too can let go. When our castles of sand wash away, we can know that it is ok, because the Creator of the universe loves us. Our relationship with Him, is more important than our plans or gifts. That we would continually allow things, whatever they may be, that glistens or distracts us, to dim in the light of our Lord. Under His direction and His love, we can move on, possibly even leave it to someone else as a blessing. May we pursue our eternal loving relationship with our Lord and never allow the temporal to eclipse that pursuit. John 17:3 “And this is eternal life. That they may know You, the only true God”