Sellotape and String

Recently, God's been doing so much in my life that I've started to wonder just who I am to deserve it all. As if He hasn't blessed me with so much already! But among these blessings have been some valuable lessons... Things I had already heard but happened to be too busy to be listening to. To be honest, we should never be ' too busy' for God. If we're working together with Him as our guide, then we can cope. After all, He never gives us things too big for us to deal with. When we don't listen to Him, things do become a bit more tricky, then they build up, and before you know it, a situation is seriously damaged.

So we try to fix it. We sellotape it together, or tie it with some string, and hope it will hold 'till we have time to fix it properly, or to take it to be mended. When I was younger, if something was broken, Dad fixed it. Dads are good at fixing stuff. Broken toys, punctured bike tyres, or even a grazed knee. Dad could make it better. The trouble is, when you grow up, your problems become bigger than a broken toy, a punctured bike tyre and a grazed knee. Bigger things get broken. Hearts, relationships, lives.


Sometimes, we think we can try to fix it. but we end up binding our hearts, relationships, lives and other situations with so much 'sellotape' that it becomes too difficult to get back through to the problem itself. Sometimes we tie cliches and kind words around our situations, hoping that it will just fix itself, or somebody else will do it. We use excuses and evasion tactics to try and avoid the issue. The whole time, there's our Heavenly Dad, reaching out to take our hearts, lives, relationships and difficulties into His hands and show us how He can really fix it.


The trouble with all our procrastinating and sellotaping is that it sometimes makes the situation worse. Wrapping things in sellotape sometimes means it takes a lot longer to fix them... You need to remove all the pieces one by one to get back to the original issue under all the problems on the surface. To make it easier for God, and easier on ourselves, we need to stop using sellotape and string, excuses and sayings, evasion tactics and kind words to fix everything. If you take your broken heart, broken life, broken situation to the foot of the Cross, and ask the Lord for help, he will help. He will break the sellotape and string binding your problems together, and cast your sin as far as the East is from the West. He will break your chains, and heal your heart.

At the foot of the Cross,
Where I kneel in adoration,
And I lay my burdens down,
I exchange all my sin,
For the promise of Salvation,
And your name across my brow.

We will wait at the cross,
a hungry generation
With our broken hearts and lives
Will You hear?  Will You come?
Will You fill our desperation?
Oh God, let this be the time.

Forgiveness

I've actually learned something from my cat this week. She isn't as mean as I make out sometimes... And she can forgive, so I guess she's on pretty good ground, morally speaking.

On Tuesday morning, I got ready for college as normal, went into the kitchen, and made a drink before I left. I shut the kitchen door, and didn't think to check where the cat was. I came home at about 6 that night, and was surprised to find that the cat wasn't standing in her normal place on the stairs, looking at me a little bit funnily, wondering why on Earth I would want to go outside, of all places... Didn't I know it was much more fun to see how far I could climb up the curtains?!

Niether was she in her bed, using her litter tray or eating her food in the living room. No. The cat was in the kitchen, where I'd shut her in that morning by mistake. Needless to say, I felt terrible about the situation, but she was so casual about it, and forgave me instantly, even jumping up on to my lap that evening for a cuddle. She's quite nice sometimes.

Anyway... the point is this: If my cat can forgive me so readily for an atrocity like shutting her in the kitchen for ten hours, alone, bored and hungry, why can't I forgive my sister so readily for borrowing my clothes without asking? And why do I struggle to be patient with people who so easily dismiss my faith as nonsense?

I guess the answer has got to be because I'm human. But while being human is challenging at times, we shouldn't use it as an excuse to misbehave. We also shouldn't just expect to be able to really forgive ourselves until we truly repent... So unless I've actually stopped doing things I know are wrong, or made every effort not to do them, then I wouldn't say that I was truly forgiven.

It's pretty hypocritical of me to expect God-or my friend- to forgive me for slapping her (Example only, it hasn't happened!) If I apologise, and then just do it all over again. If you were to ask me why I'd done it (I'm serious, it's only hypothetical!) I couldn't just shrug and say 'It's okay, as long as they forgive me, right? After all, I'm only human.'


Acts 2:38
'Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."'

So I guess it's time we stopped blaming each other for everything, accepted responsibility for our actions, and made like my cat and started forgiving.

Meow.

Who am I?

'Who Am I, that the eyes that see my sin

Would look on me with love, and watch me rise again?

Who Am I, that the voice that calmed the sea

Would call out through the rain

And calm the storm in me?'

Really, who am I to deserve this sort of love? I'm a sinner. And yet this wonderful, Holy, Almighty God cares about how I feel, feels my pain, and comforts me. He forgives me when I deserve it least, and carries me through when I need it the most.

Psalm 139 v 1-5


' 1 O LORD, you have searched me
and you know me.

2 You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.

3 You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.

4 Before a word is on my tongue
you know it completely, O LORD.

5 You hem me in—behind and before;
you have laid your hand upon me.'

He knows everything I've done, and everything I'm going to do. Things I'm not even aware of yet, and things I might never understand. What's more, He knows why I do what I do. He knows my weaknesses, and He knows who I am.

I am a lot like my Mother. I look quite a bit like her, and I have the same sort of sense of humour. I also share her passion for chocolate. I'm a lot like my Dad, too. I love reading, and word puzzles. And sometimes, people say we look alike too. But just how alike am I to my Heavenly Father, the one who created me?


Psalm 139 v 13

'13 For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother's womb.'

I believe that God is Love. To me, this next quotation really reminds me of that. Sometimes, it becomes so easy for us to forget that God isn't just a big presence in the sky, but a presence within our hearts, too.

I Corinthians 13:1-7

'If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. '

Let's try replacing the word 'love' with the name God...

God is patient, God is kind. He does not envy, He does not boast, He is not proud. He is not rude, He is not self-seeking, He is not easily angered, He keeps no record of wrongs. God does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. He always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Yeah... Now that sounds like my God. The God who gave me free will, who forgives me for doing things I know I shouldn't, even, at times, when I struggle to forgive myself. He protects me, loves me, and has promised He will never leave me.

Psalm 121 v 1-3

' 1 I lift up my eyes to the hills—
where does my help come from?

2 My help comes from the LORD,
the Maker of heaven and earth.

3 He will not let your foot slip—
he who watches over you will not slumber'

If I trust in God,and do what He tells me is right, then it will work out the right way in the end.

Proverbs 3:5

' 5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding'

Shoes

I know, shoes are a bit of a girly subject, as pointed out in the IT crowd :

Jen walks into the room, emphasising her new shoes. Roy and Moss look puzzled.

Jen: (looking angry, and storming from the room)The shoes-ah!
Moss: What was all THAT about?!
Roy: Well, like all women, she's shoe mad.
Moss: That's a bit sexist, isn't it?
Roy: Do you know one woman that isn't obsessed with shoes?
Moss: No, but I only know one woman- and she just left the room shouting "The shoes-ah!"

Do you have a pair of favourite shoes? Not favourite, at the moment, but all-time favourite? They could be jelly sandals from when you were a toddler, they could be the shoes you wore to your sister's wedding. They could be the shoes you longed for, then saved up to buy all those years ago.

When I went to Auschwitz, the thing that upset me most was walking through a corridor lined with shoes of the people from the concentration camp. Shoes are a very personal thing. You chose those shoes for a reason, and whatever the reason might be, they mean something to you. You wouldn't be happy if you lost them, or worse, if you lost one. (I've done that before, it's really annoying- I still haven't found it.)

But eventually, you won't be able to wear them anymore. They might get too small, if your feet are still growing, or they will wear out. Throwing shoes away is something I find really hard to do. They hold so many memories, and no matter what, you won't be able to get the same ones, exactly the same ones, ever again. I don't remember many shoes from when I was growing up, but I remember my purple trainers, and a pair of vans I had for a few years. I remember throwing both of those pairs of shoes away... And part of me didn't want to. But they were worn out, and I didn't have any use for them.

There are a lot of things that the same rules apply to really, like friendship... Sometimes the shoe doesn't fit in the first place, and we need to try on some more. We don't give up though, we keep on trying. In the same way, we get on so much better with some people than we do others. Some shoes last a long time, the shoes that are made well, but some are flimsy, and fall apart very quickly.

But even the best of shoes can fall apart if we don't look after them... They should be cleaned, polished and above all, not dragged across the floor. Now, I'm not suggesting you get out some polish, and try to make your friends shiny... That probably wouldn't work out too well. I'm also guessing that your friends can clean themselves, so I'd let them take care of that. Still, don't drag them across the floor, I can't imagine that would help matters.

Smile at them, (your friends, not shoes) look after them, help your friendship stay supple enough to withstand the traumas of everyday life by praying, spending time together, and looking to the best example of friendship there ever was;

John 15:13 "Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."

Superheroes

If I say 'Superhero' or 'Hero', what springs to mind? For me, Hero reminds me of chocolate, and dog buscuits from Asda. Superhero makes me think of a cape rippling in the wind, amazing powers, emotional distress and the struggle of separating right from wrong.


What do superheroes do?

They help save people. They serve a community. They strive to separate good and evil. They have amazing gifts to use for others' benefit. They often remain anonymous. They drop everything to help someone.

Doesn't that sound like an amazing Christian to you?


Helping people be saved, serving people, being completely Holy by removing sin from their life, using their gifts to help others, having humility and being there for other people.

You could be a hero
Heroes do what's right
You could be a hero
You might save a life
You could be a hero, You could join the fight
For what's right.

(Superchick- Hero)

Through Christ, we are all called to join the fight for what's right, and good.

Phillipians 4:8
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

Spiritual warfare has no weapon but the word of God. We're called to follow him, which is easier than it sounds sometimes. We, as Christians, are to fight the good fight.

Soldiers of our God, arise!
The day is drawing nearer;
Shake the slumber from your eyes,
The light is growing clearer.
Sit no longer idly by,
While the heedless millions die;
Lift the blood-stained banner high,
And take the field for Jesus.

The real Heroes in this world are the single mothers who manage to raise a child well. Or the person who has the courage to ask if you need some help. The ones who accept people for who they are, and refuse to judge them. But the biggest superhero of them all is Jesus. He fought the ultimate fight, and triumphed over death and evil. As cool as his spider-suit is, I don't think Spiderman can do that alone.

Jesus- The Reason That Outweighs The Cost.

The only thing that God asks in return for joy, a new life, stainless and free from sin, is the old life. The broken heart. For us to take it upon ourselves to strive to follow the commandments He laid out for us. The ones there to protect us. For us to take up our cross, condemn ourselves in the world's eyes, and follow Christ.


Mark 8:34 "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 35For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. 36What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? 37Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? 38If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father's glory with the holy angels."


How many times have you denied God? Like Peter, you may say you wouldn't, but you don't have to speak to deny Him. Ignoring what you know is right, in favour of what you want, or what others expect of you. In this 'adulterous and sinful generation', it's easy to feel ashamed for doing the right thing, when others might laugh at you, or reject you. But being ashamed of perfect love is ridiculous.

What good is it to gain the whole world, yet lose your soul?

Why do we cling onto the things that cause us so much pain? We torment ourselves by thinking we can fix it. We keep using sellotape and pritt sticks to piece our lives back together, when God is standing next to us with the blood of Christ, a substance far stronger, to bind us back together. But we dismiss him, because, of course, we know ourselves better than anyone else ever could. Wrong.

'You've known me, and You've loved me, since before the world began.'

Jeremiah 1:5 "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
before you were born I set you apart;
I appointed you as a prophet to the nations."

This piece of scripture isn't just talking to the prophet. It's as relevant today as it was then. As relevant for you as him. God had an amazing plan for your life, whether you know it yet or not. He knew you far better than you know yourself now before you were even born. And nothing you can do can change the fact that He loves you, because He loves you, because He loves you.


It's difficult to trust in someone who you can't see. Without wanting to sound cliched, I'd say that God is like the wind. You can't see Him, but you can see the changes He causes. You can hear Him, and You can, above all things, feel His presence. It's difficult to trust in something without definite proof, I know.

' Its so hard to touch what is out of our hands
To know and to trust what the heart understands'

When you're truly at one with God, your heart will understand things that you can't explain. Peace that passes all understanding, love uncomprehendable and joy unbounded.

' Everyone suffers some loss
Still we have faith in it
Childlike hope
Theres a reason that outweighs the cost'

The reasoning behind this is Jesus. If God didn't love you, why would He sacrifice His own son, a part of Himself, to save you?

Yahweh- God unchanging.

I change. I fail. But my God, unchanging, never fails.

Once again, He's done his stuff and worked what seems to be a miracle. A long time ago, probably about a year ago now, I was feeling far away from God. I got a Psalm number in my head one evening, and when it wouldn't go away, having no idea what it contained, I looked it up, only to find it captioned 'A prayer for God to be near'. I read through it, it gave me comfort, and the next morning, I couldn't remember what it was.


Turns out it was Psalm 13.

I put a facebook status up today, indicating that I was fed up with other people's answers, and wanted some from God. Sue sent me a message, asking what answers I was looking for, and I replied. We had a chat, and she asked if I'd like to go to Clare's birthday dinner. All of a sudden, after dinner, I found myself telling Clare and Jean an idea that had come up out of the blue, through a situation with Canterbury College. We chatted it through, and agreed a course of action.

I got in Sue's car, and one of the songs was called 'Psalm 13' At this point, I had absolutely no idea what that Psalm was, but the song seemed to make sense, so I thought I'd look it up when I got home. And there it was.

1 How long, O Lord? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me?
2 How long must I plan what to do in my soul, and have sorrow in my heart all the day? How long will those who hate me rise above me?

3 Look on me and answer, O Lord, my God. Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep the sleep of death.
4 Or the one who hates me will say, "I have power over him." And those who hate me will be happy when I am shaken.

5 But I have trusted in Your loving kindness. My heart will be full of joy because You will save me.
6 I will sing to the Lord, because He has been good to me.

This version really caught me... For a long time now, I've been struggling with what I'm supposed to do with the next few years, and it seems everyone but God has been telling me what plans to make for my life. The one idea that feels right is the one that nobody else told me to do. I got a feeling, I applied to go back to college, and the form got lost. So I'm redoing it, but I'm now reconsidering my course choices, and I'm going to talk to someone at the college about which choice is best for me.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." '- Acts 17:11

That is fast becoming one of my most used verses... Realising I need to keep giving it all back to God, I was again reminded of the (slightly cheesy sounding, but very good) quote at Disciple College the other night.

When the going gets tough, the tough get GROWING. (Do you see the pun there? It's really quite amusing!)

This made me think about what feels comforting when things get a bit difficult in my life. It's easy to make excuses, and blame it on things that aren't under my control, but when I remember it's all under control, and that God has the whole world in his hands, I relax. And get praying.

Because Jesus' blood NEVER fails me.

He is capable. I'm not, and I'm forever forgetting that... Just one of life's lessons I need to learn again, and again, before finally understanding it.

The enemy has been defeated, and death couldn't hold You down. We're going to lift our voice in victory, and make your praises loud!

Through it all, we need to keep praising God, because happiness isn't the same as joy. Happiness is temporary. True joy can only be found in one place, and that's when you are truly at home with God.

Shout to God wtih a voice of triumph, Shout to God with a voice of praise!

Take my life, and let it be, consecrated, Lord, to thee.