Italy

Sitting around the table, voices lilting up and down; the candlelight reflecting on laughing faces as the shadows dance in patterns on the wall.
"You're going to miss this", my head says.  "Shut up", I tell myself.  But over and over, all I can hear is that voice, telling me to take it all in because when I leave, I will never know the feeling of home as I know it right now.  I will be different, changed...and yet somehow the same person.  Not so naive, maybe a bit more hardened.  Still confused, still not knowing what to expect, but hopefully more full of faith than I am now.  Hopefully more fearless and less doubting than I feel currently.  Not full of wondering if traveling halfway across the world is the right thing to do; not wondering if things will be changed so much that I won't fit in anymore.

Fitting in is never something I've been good at doing.  I get along with people and I have a gift of being able to understand and feel others' pain, but I rarely feel as though I fit in.  Maybe I'm not meant to; I don't know.  There are a few places where I feel as if I belong and I guess I'm scared that a prolonged absence will change the few places I feel safe.  But growing up isn't about being safe, is it?  It's about stepping out of my realm of normalcy and trying to live life the way an adult has to.  Learning the hard way, through my own mistakes and rash decisions - figuring out what is solid ground and where my life contains quicksand.  Trying to grasp the idea that life is a vapor in the wind and the things that seem to loom over me at the moment are really irrelevant compared to what comes after this life.

Life is a learning process.  My parents always say that the minute you stop learning, that's the minute you die.  So, I'm learning.  I'm learning to love, even when it hurts to let go.  To never give up on something that seems impossible, because if it's supposed to happen, God blesses the effort.  I'm learning that every tear and every heartache and every trial is just boiling down the dross to reveal the silver.  Because we all have silver; it's just buried deeper for some of us.

So now...I welcome Italy.  I welcome the joy it will bring me, the tears I will inevitably shed, the memories I will cherish, and the relationships that will develop.  I welcome the pain of growing up, the challenges of keeping strong relationships while an ocean separates us.  I welcome it with open arms because it's going to change me in ways that will glorify my Creator.  Every single thing I go through will cause me to either fall on my knees in sadness or joy - but my knees is where I need to live my life.
So now...I think I'll go buy some knee pads.  Because I'm going to need them even more than I do right now.

Can't you sleep?

Most kids I know grew up hearing children's books read to them and in time, read them to their own siblings.  (I'll admit, I'm still a big fan and continue to peruse such "children's" books on rainy days.)  One of my favorites is by Martin Waddle and titled, "Can't you sleep, Little Bear?".  Before I rush into things, let me give you a quick synopsis of this book.

Big Bear and Little Bear live in a giant cave.  One night, Big Bear tucks Little Bear into bed, but Little Bear cannot sleep.  Little Bear says he's scared of the darkness all around him.  So Big Bear brings out a tiny lantern for Little Bear and tucks him in once more.  Little Bear's fear is voiced again and again as Big Bear attempts to quell his fears by bringing out larger and larger lanterns.  After the cave is flooded with light from the largest lantern, Little Bear should have no reason to complain of darkness, and yet he tells Big Bear that he's still scared of the darkness outside.  Thoughtfully, Big Bear picks up Little Bear and carries him outside to watch the moon rise.  Once they're bathed in the moon's light, Little Bear falls into a deep sleep, comfortable and safe in Big Bear's arms.  Cute story, right?  Now let's take it from a different perspective!

Think about you, the Christian, as Big Bear.  Picture Little Bear as the people who are lost and scared and searching.  We provide comfort and light to those who need answers.  Maybe our light starts as an itty bitty lantern, but no matter where it starts, it must lead to the moon.  As the fears and questions are voiced, our light shines brighter as we speak and glorify the One who has made us whole and justified.  Pretty soon, our light will not be able to get brighter, so we point to Christ, the brightest light that there is.  And when we bring the restless and burdened and questioning people to that point, that is when they find rest and peace and answers.

Let's be faithful to step out and be the tiny spark that can lead to the bright Light - the power of Christ is with us, so what can stop us?!  Step out in faith, even when you're weary this week, for great is your reward in heaven.

<3 Mik

Communion

When I think of communion, I must confess that my first thought is of grape juice and broken up crackers.  To a non-Christian, communion must seem like a completely stupid and meaningless thing that we do every so often, just because we get hungry in church.  Oh, how little truth there is in that thought!  Communion has nothing to do with grape juice and crackers, but so much to do with the Man who sacrificed Himself so that we can live with a hope and a joy that can never be smothered.

Communion is normally something that passes pretty much in the same manner every time; the elements get passed around, the pastor takes a passage from 1 Corinthians, there's a prayer, and then you drink the grape juice and eat the broken cracker.  End of story, right?  Not so today!  I was on the point of zoning out when my pastor said something that I've never contemplated before.  I tried to put it in my own words; here's what struck me today.  When we take communion, we not only declare our faith to those around us, but also to the spiritual realm; to principalities - angels and demons alike.  And I thought about it and realized woah, this is interesting!  So, what he's saying is that when we take communion and strengthen our relationship with our Savior, we're being spiritually marked.  And I got this picture in my head of all of us sitting in our chairs and above us, on one side, angels.  And on the other side, were demons; neither group doing anything but looking down, and as I followed their gaze, I saw they they were looking down at our heads and there were markings on the tops of our heads.  I can't explain to you exactly what the markings looked like or what they were made of, but they were a deep maroon color and they were only over the heads of those who have a personal relationship with Christ.

It never occurred to me that we might have marks on us.  It makes sense to me now, but I confess that I haven't thought it over before today.  It actually fills me with awe, to realize that everything we do is marking us; not just in this realm, but also in a realm that we can barely catch a glimpse of.  It gives me something to consider and wonder about and it also gives me reasons to alter some of my would-be actions.  How about you? 

<3 Mik

Christ

I was at work yesterday and I suddenly had to get this out.  I'm preaching to myself mostly, but I thought I'd share it with y'all.

The funny thing about coworkers is that you can laugh, roll your eyes, crack jokes, work together...and never once discuss a serious matter.  Sure, you can make an impact on their lives by being different, but it's rare that you ever have time to sit down and discuss important issues.  Issues about life and death and whether this life is all there is. The only things that really matter in this life are completely overlooked or pushed aside for "later".  Will we ever realize the things we shy away from are the very things we need to bring into the open?  This life is not all there is; Heaven and Hell are not storybook places.  Our souls, after we die, will go to spend eternity in the place we ourselves have determined for them.  The debate, "Do people who've never heard of Jesus go to hell?" isn't something I'm going to discuss right now.  But let me tell you this; if we know the truth, and never speak about it, it is not anyone's fault but ours.  And in the whole scheme of life, wouldn't you rather you took a stand for what you believe, rather than being just another ant in the anthill? 
Jesus Christ was never silent about what was right and true, so why are we?  Christians are supposed to be "little Christs", but if we're not emulating Christ, we might as well be labeled, "Satanians".  As Christ Himself said, "He who is not with Me is against me".  Let's get it together and stop handling others' spiritual conditions as though they were second place.  This is our fight; this is where we make a stand.  Open your mouth - if you're obeying our Lord and Savior and answering your call as a follower, He will bless it.  Every word that you speak for His glory, He will use.  Maybe it's not the way you thought it should go, maybe it happens the exact way you pictured; regardless of all that, God has a magnificent plan and even if you can't see it, He has used and continues to use your words to glorify Himself. 
We all make mistakes; not one of us is guilt free.  But the breathtaking beauty of God's grace is that it covers all of our sin.  If you are a drug addict, or a pastor's kid, your sins are equally forgiven.  The choice to follow Jesus and seek Him with every fiber of your being means that every sin you have committed is washed away in the flood of His lovingkindness and grace.  Oh, the joy and peace it brings me to know I am counted blameless in God's eyes!  The doubts I have in my foolish moments are but shadows that I myself have created.  The expanse of God's love far exceeds any doubt I could ever have.  I live because of His grace.  Many times have I been near physical death, and many times He has seen me and rescued me.  I don't deserve to live, I don't know why He found it fit to save me, but I do know that I have a purpose.  The Lord Jesus has redeemed my soul, so it is only fitting for me to give Him my life.  Jesus, I love you.

<3 Mik

Thoughts running through my head after Japan

People sometimes ask, “What are the things that change your life?  What are the things that shape it?”  Maybe it’s appreciating every day, maybe it’s having a place to live; or maybe it’s knowing that there’s a heavenly Father who’s got your back.  I’m not sure about every single thing that changes us or shapes our lives, but I do know one thing: tragedy speaks to our hearts like nothing else.  It breaks us, it causes us to rediscover the joys of taking a breath, and it draws us together because we all have something in common, whether we’re Muslim, Christian, black, white, English, or Spanish.  It is disaster that brings us together and it is a pity that it’s often the only thing that forces us out of our self-protected little bubbles and shakes us into the reality that life isn’t all sunshine and rainbows.  

If we were a nation after God’s own heart, our earthly hearts would be burdened every single day for every single soul that has not yet heard the Gospel.  As it stands now, the majority of the world only prays for the other nations when they’re in a situation of need; do you not realize that nations are always in need?  Every morning when people wake up, it’s one more second that they don’t know the Good News, and it’s one breath closer to an eternity in the pit of Hell.  Get off of your cushioned little seat and do something about it!  Don’t suddenly pray for Japan because of the incredible damage done there, and then forget about it in a few months; your were born to serve God and to bring His Word to all nations, not just to hang out in a community group and blab about how much Jesus means to you!  It’s great to commune with others and to encourage the body, but spending hours on your knees in the throne room, interceding for those who have no idea where they’re going to spend eternity, may be where God wants you right now.  Maybe He wants you overseas, maybe He wants you to be on your knees, backing up those He has sent out; whatever it is that He is calling you to do, do it and do it with every fiber of your being.  Don’t do it because everyone else is doing it, do it because we are all called to be missionaries, and if we’re not praying for lost souls, we’re not doing our job.  And if we’re not doing the job our Father has instructed us to do, well then, He certainly has every right to punish us.  I thank God for His incredible grace because with all of the mistakes you and I make every day, I should have been dead by the time I was a day old.  But because of His incredible mercy and love, we are alive and vessels of His; use every breath wisely, because, who knows?  It could be your last.

<3 Mik

The little things

My parents have been married twenty-four and a half years and are, even now, very much in love.  How did they make their relationship work for that long, and how are they still in love?  The little things.  The way one looked at the other, noticed how tired their spouse was, and offered to make dinner.  The way Dad sends Mom flowers with a love note at random times, just to make her feel special.  The way they forgive quickly and look back at their failures together and each only remembers the good about the other.  Neither of them have to make sure the other has their back; they're married and they know that it's for life, but they keep the fire alive by doing the little things and not letting the wedge of complacency settle into their relationship.  How does this relate to me, you say?

Our relationship with Christ is similar!  Our relationship grows stronger when we start to see Him in the little things.  When the sun shines in your window in the morning, do you take it for granted?  Or do you thank the Almighty who makes the sun rise every day?  When we begin to see His blessing in our every day lives, we begin to sing His praises even without thinking about it!  Psalm 34:1 says, "I will extol the Lord at all times; His praise will always be on my lips."  By praising him continually, we build up a loving relationship.  It's one thing to say you love Him; it's quite another to tell Him that every single day, with every single breath.  Like a married couple, we must build each other up or our relationship will never last.  God encourages us daily, but how often do we tell Him the things we love about Him and the things that make Him so amazing to us?  We are the bride of Christ but we can never make our relationship work unless we are totally committed to each other.  Christ is committed to us, but how committed are we to Him?  I don't know about you, but like my parents, I don't want to have to question whether my spouse has my back or not; I want to know.  And the sooner I start building my relationship with Christ, the better.  So I'm going to put into practice the things that I don't usually make a priority; singing praises to my Savior when I can't see the good in my situation, thanking Him for every breath that I breathe, and dancing for His glory...because in the end?  It's the little things that matter.

<3 Mik

Stars

Genesis 1:16-18 says, "Then God made two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night.  He made the stars also.  God set them in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth, and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness.  And God saw that it was good."
The part I want to focus on is dividing the light from the darkness.  Let's link it over to Philippians 2:14-15 that says, "Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe..."

As Christians, it is our responsibility to shine like stars.  Yeah yeah yeah, we've heard it before...but did you ever think about it this way?  We DIVIDE the light from the darkness.  We draw the line of righteousness.  We are called to be different because we show the dividing line between the righteousness of God and the darkness of the devil.  If we aren't shining brightly, how will the world understand the difference of right and wrong?  Younger generations learn from what their parents do, what their siblings do, what their friends do.  If we do nothing, how will they know the difference of right and wrong?  "Oh they've got Godly friends", you think "they'll be fine".  WAKE. UP.  How dare you place your burden of responsibility on someone else's shoulders!  This world is going down the tubes and all you can say is "They'll be fine"?!  No.  I want to live for the higher call of Christ, I want to divide His light from the darkness.  I want to be the changing point in the lives of everyone I meet.  I want to change this world for CHRIST.  I don't care if I'm the only one fighting for change, because "those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” (2 Kings 6:16b)  What can man do to me?  I've got Jesus on my side!

So be a light and divide this world, don't be an airplane with its light going on and off.  Don't be hot and cold for Jesus!  It's so easy to sink into the everyday routine and forget your devotions; fight it!!  An airplane is in the sky and it floats across the blackness of the night, but eventually it disappears from sight.  Do you want to disappear from sight?  Because if we are lukewarm about our duty as Christians, we will disappear without changing any lives.  Let's go out kicking!!

<3 Mik