Every Good Gift is from Above

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. James 1: 17

“I’m a bad person,” my son Dylan is in the habit of saying when he gets reprimanded and disciplined for misbehaving. Our reply usually is something like: “well, you are not a bad person. You just need to be better at listening and obeying,” but then we would add: “besides, no one is good…we are all bad, really. That’s why we need Jesus!”

Sometimes we think we get disciplined by God because we are bad people. It is far from the truth, however, for we know very well that disciplining is a sign of belonging and ultimately, a sign of love. As a parent, I care to discipline my sons because I want them to grow up knowing right from wrong, and to practice the golden rule. I really don’t care enough to invest the time it takes to discipline children who are not my own. Only a loving parent goes through the painstaking effort of disciplining his offspring. Though unpleasant, likewise our Heavenly Father shows us that we belong to Him and that He loves us by keeping a tight rein on us.

No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. 

Hebrews 12: 11

On the other hand, we may also be under the impression that we might have gotten good things because we were good. The truth is that when it comes to our walk with God, this is another misconception.

Our Heavenly Father is the Giver of all good things and it has nothing to do with the receivers. No one is good, not even one…(Psalm 53: 3) so no one deserves anything good. Again, it is not about the receiver. It is all about the Giver. He is Good (Psalm 100: 5). Therefore, He cannot help but giving us the abundant life according to His plan, His timing and His design.

This Holy Monday I want to celebrate the fact that we have a Heavenly Father who loves us so much that He takes the time to care for us in a way that would refine our soul…even if by fire. He knows exactly what each of us needs to learn in the area of character development, and He teaches us customized lessons to help us attain such knowledge. I also celebrate the fact that regardless of whom I am and what I do, as a child of the Most High, I am not to be surprised to receive generously from the bounty of His goodness because it does not depend on me… I don’t receive good things because I am good. I receive them because He is Good!

If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! 

 Matthew 7: 11

Celebrating His Triumph

I cannot believe Lent is over and today is Palm Sunday! The time of preparation that began with ashes on our foreheads and in our soul has come and gone. Today we rejoice! We rejoice in the fact that Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem marks the beginning of the most important week in human history. Whether people want to recognize it or not, the events that took place during Holy Week a couple of thousands of years ago changed the course of humankind.

Today I celebrate! I celebrate Hope riding on a lowly donkey…Truth walking on human feet…Life dressed as a man…The Way opening the gate and tearing up the veil.

Today I celebrate the completion of Jesus’ years of ministry on Earth. Today I celebrate His willingness to submit Himself. Today I celebrate His sacrifice. Today I celebrate His Faithfulness. Today I celebrate his seemingly ironic Triumphal entry.

Palm Sunday is the day we remember Jesus’ entering Jerusalem to be crucified. We call it His Triumphal entry because the way He entered was very symbolic. It fulfilled Zacharias 9: 9

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!

Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem!

Behold, your king is coming to you;

righteous and having salvation is he,

humble and mounted on a donkey,

on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

The people along Jesus’ path did not miss the symbolism and they rejoiced with His appearance by waving palm branches and laying their coats and blankets on the road. They celebrated Him as their Messiah who would come to deliver them from the Roman Empire which oppressed them. They exalted Him as a new leader who would charge the rebellion that would liberate the people of Israel from the years of occupation and abuse. They saw Him as the earthly King to their earthly kingdom of their present. They saw Him as a political figure. I guess they missed the part where it said He was “righteous and humble.” Don’t they realize you cannot mix the concepts of politics, righteousness and humbleness together in one sentence?

So how can we say that this entry was triumphal if it ended with Jesus nailed to the cross?

It was triumphal because it foreshadowed Jesus’ entry into the Kingdom of Heaven. This event, though paling in comparison, paints a picture of the victory that Jesus accomplished on the cross and of the day He is crowned King of all kings and Lord of all lords. Jesus humble entry into Jerusalem is nothing but a poor reflection of His glorious entry into the New Jerusalem.

In His humble estate as a man, Jesus entered the Holy City to be slaughtered. He self-restricted the Word that speaks the universe into existence, and the power that sustains life so He could embrace His humanity and fulfill the Father’s plan. This is the triumph of this event. The Divine walking on Earth’s ground to save us, undeserving breed.

To add to the depth of such statement, He did not do it just for the nice, the good or the lovable. He did it also for the angry, the bitter, the unlovable…the sinner.

Therefore, the triumph of His accomplishment transfers also to us who receive Him. He overcomes the world so we can too.



That is why we rejoice today, we celebrate the coming of our King!

Stop the Madness!

Why is it that we are the least patient, kind, sensitive, gentle, loving, etc. with those we love the most? Perhaps I should not say “we” but just “I”…sigh…

I tell you something…I may not look it since I am able to fake it pretty well in public, but when it comes to temper…I have a pretty short one. Self-control is a constant battle in my soul. Anger wages a rough war in my heart and it doesn’t take much for me to explode at the slightest provocation. My rantings, fits and yelling are infamous at home. Even Link, our new pup knows all about it. He quickly runs to his little crate as soon as the decibels hit red.

I am not proud of it…but I can’t lie.

It has to stop!

And I can’t…

…sigh…

Only the power of the Holy Spirit can turn things around. He has already done it in most areas of my life. For example, He has given me much patience to deal with the droves of immature, spoiled, overly-indulged, self-centered, millennials that populate my classrooms…(yeah…I am so much more patient with my students now. If you don’t believe me, let me tell you that I walked out of my first teaching job back in 1998 because I couldn’t stand the kids!).

My point is, if the Holy Spirit has and continues to work and make progress in the arena of patience in some areas of my life, He will do the same in all areas of it. I just need to do my part as well. I need to be aware of the triggers. I need to be intentional about maneuvering as soon as I catch myself starting to spin. I need to consciously turn the volume down the second my pitch sounds too high. But before all that, I need to surrender it all to Him who can make it stop. I have to make it my constant prayer that He, the giver of all Goodness may make me good, the Author of all Kindness may make me kind.

I pray that He will help me turn my home into a filling station of hope, love, life, encouragement and compassion, not a dumping ground for frustration, dissatisfaction and despair.

Like I read at a Church sign a few weeks ago: I want to be a fountain, not a drain!

Today I cling tightly to Scripture that reminds me to manage my anger so it doesn’t cause me to sin and control my emotions so I’m not ruled by their whims:

"In your anger do not sin": Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. 

 Ephesians 4:26-27

My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. 

James 1: 19-20

A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control. Proverbs 29: 11

But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Colossians 3: 8

May the Lord give us the wisdom of patience, the joy of self-control and the humility to surrender our emotions to Him so that we may honor His Name even as we get trampled upon, feel hurt or detect offense.

Compassion

When the compassion train went by, I didn’t get on it. It’s that simple. I’m not proud of it, but I have to be honest. My first tendency is not toward compassion but toward judgement.

I’m thinking about this today since I am facing situations with several students in a few of my classes that are going to require me to act in either of two ways: the tough teacher way or the compassionate teacher way. In each instance the issue of second chances is at play. Do I give them a second chance even though they do not deserve it? Or do I just say NO, you messed up and you don’t get to take a makeup test!

I usually don’t struggle with giving makeup tests this much. At this time, I believe my struggle comes from the fact that in all cases it feels as if the students are taking advantage of me. So what does that mean in the case against compassion? It means that I am struggling with my own pride.

If there is something I detest is to be taken for a fool. I may not show it much, but I don’t want people thinking I am an idiot, plain and simple. I am very defensive in that area. As soon as there is a situation when I perceive that there may be someone thinking I am stupid or something I feel my blood boiling really fast.

Hmmm…

I can’t tolerate it…to the point of sacrificing being fair…to the point of sacrificing being compassionate…to the point of sacrificing being humble…

Today, I want to cling to Scripture that speaks to me about how I am commanded to act…even if I don’t feel like it…sigh…

Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Ephesians 4: 32

Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Colossians 3:12

Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. Colossians 3:13

That is why Scripture says: "God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble." James 4:6

Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. 

James 4:10

Today I praise the Lord for giving me another chance to exercise compassion and humility. I praise Him for not letting me surrender to pride and reconsider my actions thanks to the red flags He raised on my behalf.

I’m not sure what I am going to do about my students yet, but I am sure whatever I decide will be done after a consultation with my Holy Counselor, and whatever it is, I pray it is a compassionate action.

Contentment

Contentment…the state of being satisfied in whatever season we find ourselves…is, from my personal point of view and experience, one of the hardest biblical concepts to grasp and to live by.

It is hard to achieve contentment because it is a quality, a state, that seems to go against human nature. Discontentment, its evil twin, however, runs rampart throughout the world, capturing the soul of humanity, pushing it into a chaotic spin in search of the elusive satisfaction which would terminate it.

I am well acquainted with discontentment. I’ve experienced it since I was a little girl. And let me tell you something, though it is true that there are different levels of discontent, every person in every region of the world feels its poisonous sting at one time or another. It is true that the materialistic societies of the developed countries cast a stronger spell that blurs the path to true contentment, leaving its citizens endlessly wandering and thoroughly dissatisfied. But lack of contentment is a plague that spreads everywhere.

I remember growing up in Panama, one of the tiny countries of Central America, in a period of its history when economic development was a foreign concept and the majority of the people functioned on survival mode. I had everything I needed to be content. I should not have had any wants. Compared to most around me, I was in no position to complain. But of course, complain I did. My teen years were a nightmare. The raging hormones combined with unfulfilled desires and unmet dreams turned me into a gangling mess. “If only I could have a boyfriend…” “If only I could get my Mother to buy me nicer clothes…” “If only my Dad would let me go to that party…” “If only I could get a new book bag…” “If only I had nice hair…” “If only I had a smaller nose…” “If only my feet were not so big…”

As I grew up…the “if only’s” continued. Perhaps, the content was not exactly the same, but the attitude definitively was. I might have not wanted a new book bag, but I certainly wished I could have a designer bag. I didn’t think getting a nose job was necessary to attain total bliss, but I did believe that if I could only have enough money to buy more fashionable clothes I could ascend in the fractured social ladder of urban, young adulthood. If I could only be more outgoing and self-confident I could have gotten what I wanted…but nooooo…I was just a shy, poor, lonely “wanna be.”

Contentment escaped me. I didn’t know the meaning of it. I didn’t know it was possible. It took a rather ironic change in my circumstances to discover the concept. It wasn’t until I had moved into the “land of plenty” that I realized that with Jesus all things all possible, even finding a path to such elusive state of satisfaction.

It has not been easy and I am in no manner there yet at all, but I am closer than I was before. Through the trials of disappointed falsehoods and the disillusion of broken, empty dreams, Christ has taken me by the hand for the last twenty years along the “yellow brick road” of true hope.

Today I cling to that hope that only He can bring, and to the Word that reveals the secret of being content:

I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength. 
 Philippians 4: 11-13

Like Paul, I now understand that every circumstance brings us an opportunity to be content in the Lord. And even though I often fail, I try to remember that when in plenty I ought to rejoice in the fact that I can gratefully accept the abundance and share the bounty with those in need, while when in want I must also rejoice in the truth that I can rely in Him because He will always provide.

A Time...

Most people are familiar with chapter 3 of Ecclesiastes. Even if they don’t know it comes from the Bible, many people would nod in knowing agreement when hearing someone quote any of the familiar “time” expressions. A bunch of us would actually sing parts of this litany to the Blue Oyster Cult’s haunting tune “The Reaper.” This is a passage that has brought me comfort during the harshest seasons of my life. It comes easily to my mind whenever pondering a hard situation at hand. Once again, today, after much discussion in Sunday school around the topic of the undecipherability of God’s timing, plan, and our lack of patience to wait for it to unfold, this passage came to me one more time.

It is so hard to see, to discern, to distinguish the goodness of God’s plan for our life while in the midst of hardship, that if left to our own devices, we soon could be consumed by despair, fear and hopelessness. Our Heavenly Father knows this about us. He knows perfectly well that many of us are lacking in the area of trust and that some of us easily default into a state of panic when confronted with one of those hard seasons we all encounter in life. It is for those moments, when it all appears dark and our perspective is clouded by doubt, that He provides passages such as this. Not only has He provided such wisdom, but He also directs people into our paths who can point them out when we have forgotten them.

I am most grateful to those who bring up Scripture to my attention which helps me change directions, adjust attitude and regain eyesight while immersed in my personal pit of temporary desolation. In turn, I also pray that I could do the same when time comes for me to do so as well.

Today I cling to Ecclesiastes 3: 1-11 – I read it slowly. I savor every word. I recall every situation as I praise Him for delivering me every time, even now.

For everything there is a season,
a time for every activity under heaven.

A time to be born and a time to die.
A time to plant and a time to harvest.
A time to kill and a time to heal.

A time to tear down and a time to build up.
A time to cry and a time to laugh.
A time to grieve and a time to dance.

A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones.
A time to embrace and a time to turn away.
A time to search and a time to quit searching.

A time to keep and a time to throw away.
A time to tear and a time to mend.
A time to be quiet and a time to speak.

A time to love and a time to hate.
A time for war and a time for peace.

What do people really get for all their hard work? I have seen the burden God has placed on us all. Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end.

Therefore, let us rejoice in Him in any and every situation. Rejoice! (Philippians 4: 4)

A Long Awaited Yes!

Two years ago we found a house in the town we wanted to move into. At that time we were not sure what we wanted to do with our old house. We thought we would like to keep it as a rental property. However, shortly after our offer for the new house was accepted, we changed our minds and decided to list our old house. Right away we contacted the best Real Estate Agent in the world! And got busy showing the house.

For months, lots and lots of prospective buyers came and went through the house without showing any signs of real interest…no offers were received and I began to feel weary. That’s when our wonderful and very wise Realtor told me that every no we get means we are getting closer to the final yes! I carried that thought with me and hung on to it as the line of no’s continued to get longer and longer.

Life brought many challenges to us that season. Cancer diagnosis, 2 surgeries, treatment, loss of my husband’s job, lack of contentment in my older son’s experience at his new school, coping with my own Dad’s passing and all the fallout that happened after that in my family were enough issues for me to become intensely anxious. By then, our wonderful Agent had found a better career opportunity right about the same time a dear couple needed to find a rental in the area. Therefore, we went ahead and rented the house while we waited to see where the Lord may lead us. However, not having sold the house was just another thing hanging over our heads. We did not feel free. The thought of being enslaved to a mortgage that was too high for one of us to carry individually scared us.

We began to save every extra dollar we could find on our end and then started to think we really needed to sell our old house to help us take care of the pressing mortgage…The Good Lord allowed circumstances to align in such a way that right by the time we decided to put the house in the market again, the situation in our dear friends’ lives, who were renting the house, had changed and they actually needed to move as well.

The house went on the market one more time, and I started feeling hopeful again. We staged it and it looked really REALLY cute. Who would not want to live in that house? It will sell in no time, I was sure! But our new Real Estate Agent fell into some terribly unfortunate personal circumstances and that kept her from being “in the game.” My natural impatient/pessimistic outlook on life kicked in and I began to grumble and complaint once again…I tried to counter my frustration and disappointment with the way things were…not going…by sending our Agent e-mails showing her support and telling her that I was praying for her and her situation…which was absolutely true, by the way! But I have to tell you, I was going against the grain of my very fiber…all I wanted to do was yell and scream at her for not taking care of business!

The funny thing was that people kept coming in to visit the house. We had a really good parade of showings all along…but nothing to show for at the end. No offers…no hope…

By December, the personal situation in our Agent’s life had resolved not in the best of ways, but resolved none the less. She was broken hearted, but ready to move on with life. And in January, we began to see a turn in the way things were going. Of course we had to drop the price considerably which frustrated me to no end, but the strategy was working since one cold, snowy afternoon we got a phone call that there was going to be a second showing that day…a second showing? We thought…when was the first one?? It was so out of the blue. We were thrilled with the possibilities and couldn’t help but speculate if this would be it.

The events that followed went so fast and incredibly well timed that now we just laugh at the whole thing because, without a doubt, it was absolutely a God thing.

Today, about two years after the decision to sell our old house, we look back with melancholic hearts and praise the Lord for showing us His hand throughout the whole event. I remember the anxiety-filled days, the unknowns and the “what ifs.” I remember my lack of trust and impatience. I remember my anger and frustration. And I praise God for His Faithfulness through it all. I praise Him for once again, showing me that if I only sit still and let Him do His job, everything always works out the way it is supposed to be. He showed me, one more time, in His own loving and intricate way that He knows what He is doing and that I need to relax and not doubt.

House is sold…after the long line of “no’s” God granted us His final “yes.”