Honestly, though, comparing my busy-stress to Job is such a joke. And this morning, the words of Margaret Feinberg are swirling around inside me, washing off the stuff that shouldn't stick.
"Though Job asks why, God answers who."
Dear Lord, my whole family is in a whirlwind. This morning, could I please lay all that at your feet? As I read the next verse up, could I please see it via the eyes of looking for WHO you are, rather than WHY things happen the way they do?
I Cor 1: 28-31 God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are,
29so that no one may boast before him.
30It
is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us
wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.
31Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.”
Yesterday, I didn't see this...
the things that are not
I read it. It even caught my attention. But I didn't see it. Yesterday, I was an editor who had to take a moral stand... and receive some valuable critique in return. Yesterday, I had to leave a lot undone... and got to go get my son for a weekend home. Yesterday, every member of our household faced some pretty big challenges.... and yet we got to sit around the dinner table together and laugh really hard.
the things that are not
Not sure exactly what Paul means here. Sometimes, I'm really glad for the things that are not. Today: We are not starving, we are not facing a day without computers, we are not being dragged off to jail because I wrote a public statement about Jesus Christ.
Sometimes, the things that are not seem like my weaknesses. The communicator I am not when I try to be. The wife I am not when things get too stressed. The friend I am not when those I love go through Job moments. The disciple I am not when I wanted to go through just one day without sinning. Other things I am not - I am not brilliant at math or science so that I can help my daughter with her homework. I am not very good at time management. I am not a Bible scholar. I am not someone who can remember scripture well enough to recite it to myself.
But God... tells me who I am in the middle of all my stuff.
...you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us
wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.
Yesterday morning, the tune they sang at the Beth Moore simulcast to help us memorize this declaration kept rolling through my head. I stood in the family room trying to sing it to my clan, but couldn't remember the words. Wishing I had a copy of it for my wall, I went out into the day. When I got home, this gift - my heart's desire - was tucked in a beautiful note in the mail from a girlfriend who lives it out! I decided to stick it right in the middle of my "to do" list where only the priority things are posted.
“Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.”
Yesterday, I struggled with this phrase. We aren't supposed to boast as Christians, are we? Doesn't that make us seem cocky and proud?
And yet when I started this I COR trek, I commitment to take what I read at face value... if God said to do it, then I should do it - in fact, it's GOOD to do it.
... so I'll just let yesterday be yesterday (which is a really big step for a re-hasher like me.)
Right here, right now I'm boasting about what God has made me - which is pretty obviously ALL Him because on my own all you'd see would be the things that are not!
This is my boast:
The song isn't on youtube or the Living Proof website yet. (Call me for the tune. That's the part I could remember! LOL) But, if you want to print the declaration out for yourself, I just found it here: http://blog.lproof.org/
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