Interrupted by Grace 2015: An Ordinary Man

I'm blogging daily in April. Learn more about the series here.

Would you look at that!  One week of this year's interrupted by grace April series is already behind us.  Time flies when the weather starts to get nice and you're blogging every day!  Have you been on the look out?  Have you experienced the Lord interrupting your program to bring you an announcement of His love for you, conviction of sin, a burst of thanksgiving, or something else?  Share your story with someone; testify to God's activity in the world even now.  He is near and He is good.

After reading through John during Lent, I thought I'd give another one of the Gospels a shot over the next month.  Yesterday I was in the second chapter of Luke, moving along nicely through the story of Jesus's birth and shepherd's visit.  Then I got to the account of Jesus's circumcision and the family's visit to Jerusalem to present Jesus to the Lord, another custom.  All along, I had in my head that Simeon was a priest in the temple and part of the ceremonies.  Boy, was I wrong!

Here is what the Word says:

"Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout.  He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.  It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord's Christ.  Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts ..."

Simeon was not a priest.  He was not part of the religious elite.  He was a man in Jerusalem.  He was righteous and devout.  He obviously listened to the Spirit.  But he was just a man.  That interrupted me.

What interrupted me by grace was the glorious hope that God can make big promises and do amazing things in an ordinary life lived for Him, just as much as He is willing to in the life of someone more  earthly notable.

I imagine that Simeon was an unassuming fellow who loved His God and built his life around loving and serving Him.  No pomp and pride, just ordinary, day-to-day, run-of-the-mill faithfulness.  And did you see that promise God made to him by the Spirit?  HE WOULD SEE THE MESSIAH, THE CONSOLATION OF ISRAEL BEFORE HE DIED, a promise God kept.

This grace interruption makes me want to continue in faithfulness, not because I hope to receive a cool promise like Simeon's, but because it reminds me that God sees and knows and loves each one of His children, even me.  I want to love Him back with some ordinary, day-to-day, run-of-the-mill faithfulness!

Jesus replied, "Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them."  John 14:23

Photo Credit

Interrupted by Grace 2015: Full House

I'm blogging daily in April. Learn more about the series here.

August 2013

When we moved into our house, one of my hopes and dreams was that we would be able to use all the space God had given us to serve others.  I'm so thankful for this house and the story of how God brought us here.  But it is big and, to be honest, sometimes it overwhelms me.  We started with Elizabeth in a hard-to-exaggerate-how-tiny apartment.  When we had Elizabeth and Brian, we enjoyed the luxury of a two-bedroom apartment.  When Katherine was born, we lived in a rented house in Pittsburgh that was laid out so strangely that I couldn't take it all in the same way I do this place, and it was smaller.  I guess you could say that we've been moving up in the world, but there are days I long for that two-bedroom apartment again.  Most of the time, however, I am properly thankful for this place we call home and the freedom it gives us to have people over for a morning, a day, or an overnight or two.

Have I mentioned that the kids and I recently started hosting a Monday morning playgroup?  God laid it on my heart before the winter to host a playgroup - copying my friend Chrissie from Pittsburgh! - because there is not much to do here in these parts and being a mom with young kids can feel isolating when the weather turns cold.  With school responsibilities, however, I wasn't sure how to make it happen.  In February I realized we could do 4-day school weeks and still get in our proper number of days before the end of the school year.  Voila!  God provides a space in the schedule to host playgroup!

Yesterday was the forth week we've hosted.  The weather was beautiful, the yard teamed with running, smiling "big kids," and the living room was crowded with moms, babes, toys, and conversation.  I was interrupted by the grace of a full house, God making dreams come true.

*     *     *

As I share my stories through the month, I truly want to hear yours too.  Keep your eyes and heart OPEN!  Be on the look out!  God is at work in your life and He loves you so.  Feel free to leave a comment any time to testify to His goodness.

Interrupted by Grace 2015: Confirmation

I'm blogging daily in April. Learn more about the series here.*

Oh how I do hope you were interrupted by grace over this Easter weekend!  I mean, what a better time of the year to reflect on the grace of God than Easter, right?  The cross, the curtain torn in two, the empty tomb, WOW!  Maybe I should end the post right here.  Just kidding.

I had many interrupted by grace moments this weekend, not the least of which was the overwhelming joy that filled my being yesterday being with our people at church and worshiping our Risen Lord!  I had trouble falling asleep after "being the bunny" and finishing up some food prep on Saturday night, so I hadn't had much hope for an awake and joyful morning.  But God was so gracious to me!  (I did crash pretty hard just after dinnertime though.)

The highlight of the whole weekend, however, was being interrupted by confirmation.  You know how sometimes you commit to things and at the beginning you know it is what God wants you to be doing or pursuing, but as time passes you start to wonder and you lose the energy of the early days of the endeavor?  Well, sometimes I have those moments about this blog or a new resolution.  This weekend God specifically used our pastor, Rick Hurley, to interrupt me by grace, not once, but thrice!

In his meditation on Maundy Thursday at the service, Rick spoke about how we can feel so alive and spiritually strong on the mountain tops with the Lord, but then we return to life in the valley and find ourselves with less resolve and betraying Jesus just like a Judas or abandoning Jesus like the rest of the disciples.  Have you seen the title of this blog?  LIFE IN THE VALLEY!  Through that sermon, not only did the Lord encourage me with Rick's reminder that Jesus knows we're going to betray Him, but He loves us still, but He also impressed upon me the need to keep writing.  The title of this blog is Life in the Valley, because most of life is lived in the figurative valleys.  We can press on in the valley till we live forever with the Lord in the heights!

Then yesterday in Rick's sermon he was talking about God being the God who makes the impossible possible.  And in his message he said that WE NEED TO BE OPEN.  In my head I was like, Are you kidding me, Lord?  Twice in one weekend?!  Wow.  Thank you!  If you have been reading along here this year, you know that God gave me the word OPEN as my theme word for 2015 and I have been writing reflections about that on Tuesdays.  I was interrupted by the grace of God encouraging me to keep being OPEN, to keep letting Him stretch me.

I grabbed Rick for a short conversation during the church Easter brunch to let him know how much his sermon meant to me and he said chuckling, "I was convicted by my own sermon!  I hate when that happens.  I felt my need to be open to the Spirit, rather than relying on my own thinking or routines."  Um, interrupted by grace much, Heather?  You may recall that this whole series is all about being on the look out for Spirit-breaths of fresh air in the staleness of life lived on autopilot.

So on this Easter Monday, I stand in awe of a God who interrupts us by grace not only in HUGE ways - like the whole awesome message of Easter - but also in very personal, intimate ways that speak to our hearts, You are my child and I love you.  Press on with me!

Interrupted by Grace 2015: The Suffering of Good Friday

I'm blogging daily in April. Learn more about the series here.*

It is difficult to miss grace on Good Friday.  What makes the Friday good is grace: the Son of God, hanging on a tree, suffering an unjust criminal's death after a hasty and illegitimate trial, enduring the mockery of those He came to save, and drinking the cup of the wrath of God the Father, so that His people never have to.  That's grace.

For the first and only time in history, fellowship in the Godhead was broken.  But the curtain at the temple?  The curtain that separated God's dwelling place from common man?  IT WAS TORN IN TWO!

Because of that blessed act of love and obedience,

because God the Son left the beauty of heaven to walk the dusty roads of earth,

because redemption was always part of God's plan,

Good Friday opened up the door to God for us!

I don't think there is a good-er Friday that ever was or ever will be.

I was interrupted by grace yesterday while reflecting on Jesus during the Journey to the Cross, a stations of the cross type event at church.  The focus of the stations was on Jesus, the suffering servant.  Jesus had the power and the resources He needed to escape His desperate situations, but He continued silently, submissively, lovingly down the Via Dolorosa, for you, for me.

We were invited to consider the difference between Jesus's obedience and suffering from Gathsemene to Golgatha.  We were also invited to consider our obedience in comparison ...

How undeserving we are of Jesus's gift of love!  We are so feeble and weak, crumbling at the thought of suffering, let alone the experience of it!!  I said to my daughter later in the day - she had gone with me to the Journey to the Cross - that I was quite struck by Jesus's endurance in suffering because I go out of my way to avoid suffering.

Grace suffers for the object of her affection.

And grace interrupts us, especially during Holy Week, beckoning us to come into her home and experience something greater than we ever have before - a life of freedom, joy, love and hope - not at our expense, but at the expense of Jesus.  By His wounds we are healed.

Once settled into the home and family of God, grace sustains us in whatever brief and momentary sufferings we may be called to endure here.  Our Christ and His cross, (and the empty grave, but we're not there yet this weekend!), strengthen our desire to live and love and suffer well for His praise, honor, and glory.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.  Hebrews 12:1-3

*I forgot to mention in my intro post, that I don't write on Sundays during monthly series, so I'll see ya on Monday.  Happy Easter!

Photo Credit

Interrupted by Grace 2015: Make Good Times Praying Times

I'm blogging daily in April. Learn more about the series here.

Often I hear people talk about how it is easier to draw near to God when we're feeling desperate, but when things are good, we forget about Him and kinda do our own thing.  Right now I feel like I'm in one of those "good times" periods.  I definitely don't want to fall into thinking I don't need God!  In fact, I'm thankful to Him for this time of rest from the intensity that life can bring so suddenly.

Good times can also draw out fear in us: Oh boy, things are going too well. I wonder when disaster will strike, like on that after school special I saw that one time!  We have this strange perception that we deserve a certain amount of difficulty, and rather than enjoy the peaceful seasons, we can live in perpetual fear of their end, imagining all of the terrible things that could happen to us.  That's a bad road to go down, friends.  A VERY bad road.

But even beyond thinking we don't need God or that we need to live in anxious anticipation of life's next trial, when times are smooth, we can settle into the cozy couch of complacency.  Snuggled up there, we miss many opportunities to love and serve our Great God, and others.

There are a few folks I am praying for right now who are in difficult circumstances that are wearing them down emotionally, physically, or spiritually. I was thinking of them and praying for them as I washed up dishes post-lunch yesterday.  I was interrupted by grace when God revealed to my hear that they reason they were on my mind at that moment, was because I didn't have major struggles of my own wearing me down.  Light bulb moment! - The good times are perfect times to pray and take action to have faith and strength for those who can't for themselves!

Do you ever find that it is easier to have faith and hope for others than it is to believe for yourself?  I do!  We need each other so very much.  In our good times, we have extraordinary freedom not to put our feet up, but to put God's Word's into action:

Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.  Romans 12:15

I look forward to seeing the Lord work in and through my friends' circumstances.  I believe He has good in store for them.  It is a privilege to join them in prayer and to pray on their behalf when they can't.

If you are in good times, get up under the burdens of some other folks, and lighten the load for them with prayer and any practical help too, of course!  If you're feeling the weight of the world today, get in touch with some folks who can help you carry the load by praying for you.  Let us love one another as Christ loved us and let His peace rule in our hearts.

Have a blessed Good Friday,

Heather

Photo Credit

Interrupted by Grace 2015: "Peter, Do You Love Me?"

For an introduction to this series click here.

Wow, yesterday I was interrupted by grace early, before I wrote the intro post to this series, in fact.  And it wasn't subtle! Like being unexpectedly punched in the stomach, the Word of God took my breath away and I was laid out in my spirit.

I have been reading through the book of John this Lent, and by the way, it seems extra special to be starting an interrupted by grace series out on Holy Week.  Can't really miss grace this week, can we?!  Anyway, so I've been reading John and yesterday I was in the last chapter.  Jesus is back and He has appeared to the disciples a couple of times; the darkness of Good Friday has been eclipsed by the  resurrection of the Light of Life.  But at the same time, it's clear the disciples aren't sure what to do now, because they're out fishing, and having a tough time of it one day.  Jesus arrives on the shore, gives them some instructions, and they have an unbelievable catch!  THEN, the guys are like, "Hey, it's Jesus!"

While the rest of them row to shore, Peter jumps out of the boat and swims or runs to get to Jesus first!  He CANNOT WAIT to be with His Lord.

Now, do you remember what happened to Peter after the soldiers took Jesus away?  Jesus had told him he would not be as faithful as he planned, that he would actually deny knowing Jesus.  And that is exactly what happened.  In Jesus' most desperate and lonely moments, Peter pretended he had no idea who Jesus was.  When the rooster crowed, Peter sobbed.  He had, in fact, denied His Lord, who He so passionately loved and followed.

There's not time here to go into Peter's full history with Jesus, but know that Peter was the first to call Jesus the Christ; Peter was with him on the Mount of Transfiguration; Peter was the first to defend Him in the garden.  And, he denied knowing Jesus on Good Friday.

Yet he still runs to Jesus when he sees Him on the shore.

After Jesus and His disciples eat some of that catch of fish, Jesus has a little conversation with Peter.  This was my punch-in-the-gut interrupted by grace moment yesterday.

When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” 

“Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.” 

Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.” 

Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” 

He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” 

Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.” 

The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” 

Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.” 

Jesus said, “Feed my sheep. 

Do you see what Jesus does here?  For each denial, Jesus hears and I love you from Peter and gives him work to do.  There's no, I told you you so!  Jesus' relationship with Peter is based on grace, one night's denial did not sever their relationship.  Peter loved Jesus so much.  How much he must have grieved the day Jesus died, especially knowing he had not been faithful to Him!

I was interrupted by grace with the reminder that Jesus knows how much I love him and how much I struggle to be faithful to Him.  He shows me He loves me by being faithful to me and continuing to call me to live for Him.  And from Peter I learn, no matter how far I've strayed, to always run to the grace-filled arms of Jesus!

Amazing grace, how sweet the sound,

that saved a wretch like me.

I once was lost, but now and found,

Was blind but now I see.

Photo Credit

Interrupted by Grace 2015: So It Begins

Today I begin the forth annual April Interrupted by Grace daily series!  Last Thursday I gave you an idea of what you can expect over the next thirty days.  To summarize that blost, here's the general idea:

 During the month of April, join me as I share stories of God interrupting me by grace during my generally common, uninteresting days.  When Katherine was an infant, I shared with a friend my surprise at how often God had interrupted me with grace in the chaotic and tiring early days of her life.  That got me to thinking that I probably was often missing ways the Spirit was whispering (or even shouting!) at me, and I miss it because I live so often on auto-pilot.  So in April, I'm going to be on the look out for God at work, interruptions in my mind and heart and day that point me to Him. 

He cares so deeply for us, friends.  Let's not miss the beauty and blessing of His presence!  Every day!!

***My desire is for this to be interactive, not between you and me, but between you and God!  You are invited to open up your eyes with me.  Perk up the ears of your soul and ask God to clear your vision to hear and see Him interrupting you by grace, too!***

I finished reading the book of John this morning, and here is how "the disciple that Jesus loved" wraps up his Gospel:

Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.

Jesus is alive!  He is still at work!!  There are so many stories to tell of His movement in our lives and the lives of those around us.  This Interrupted by Graces series is an opportunity for us to take note, mental and/or written, of the many things He is doing in our lives in April, 2015.

Are you ready to get interrupted?!

What to expect from this series

• I plan to write every day this month and will do my best to be brief, so being a reader is not burdensome.
• I will write about the previous day's interrupted by grace moment, so I'm not up till midnight every day to make the series happen.  (I did that the first time around - not wise!)
• The last week of the series, I will announce a giveaway of treats of some kind, because I think that is fun!

I think that's about it.  Now, how about YOU!

• You can share in the comments ways God is interrupting by grace in your life.
• If you blog, join in and write about this as many times as you wish this month.
• Share your stories in other arenas: conversations, Facebook, etc.  We could even start the hashtag #interruptedbygrace.  Trendy!

Photo Credit