Category: Redemption

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All In

All In

I am not much of a gambler…really. But when Texas Hold’em became quite popular back in the early 2000s, my husband and his game-loving family taught me how to play. They will be the first to tell you that I don’t have much of a poker face. I can’t bluff to save my life, so it’s a good thing there is no money involved. The player who ends up with all the chips simply acquires bragging rights. Until the next time anyhow! I am competitive, so that’s enough to suck me in right there. You know what? Now that I think about it, I believe I still possess those bragging rights.

Ending the Game

As it turns out, there is a limit to my competitive nature. Texas Hold’em just so happens to be the game that revealed that. You see, we generally play it at night when the tank is already running low. I enjoy it for a while, especially when I have a pile of chips in front of me, but then I lose interest. I start taking more risks with my bets, attempting to bluff even. Sometimes that pays off, but not usually. Do you know what the magic words are when you are tired of playing? ALL. IN. That generally ends the game rather quickly!!

The Rest of the Story

If you read my most recent post, you know that the Holy Spirit has me focusing on God’s extreme nature lately, specifically calling my attention to the words all and always. This is Part II to that post.

Self-Sufficiency is Tiring… (and Impossible)

Life is good, yet rarely easy. There are seemingly new challenges that come with each passing day. And they come in all shapes and sizes. If I’m being honest, the control freak in me often tackles life’s challenges in my own strength and wisdom first. God is my last resort more often than I care to admit. Can you relate? It’s tiring!

There’s a better way. His name is Jesus.

“Jesus answered, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. The only way to the Father is through me.”

John 14:6 ERV

Jesus–The Ultimate Gift

God went ALL IN on you and on me when He gave us Jesus, but it wasn’t because He was tired. He simply wanted to be with us, which meant that He had to solve the sin problem. Through the death and resurrection of His one and only Son, we have been made right with God through faith in Jesus. God, the Father, and God, the Son, went ALL IN for us.

Our Response

How shall we respond to the Ultimate Gift? He himself answered that question by giving us what is deemed the great commandment.

Jesus answered, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.”

Matthew 22:37 ERV

There’s that word again–ALL. And it shows up three times in that one verse. It seems to me that God desires a reciprocal commitment from us. He wants us to go ALL IN too!

An Invitation to Rest

Are you tired of struggling and striving to do life on your own? I have good news for you. It’s a personal invitation from Jesus himself:

“Come to me all of you who are tired from the heavy burden you have been forced to carry. I will give you rest. Accept my teaching. Learn from me. I am gentle and humble in spirit. And you will be able to get some rest. Yes, the teaching that I ask you to accept is easy. The load I give you to carry is light.”

Matthew 11:28-30 ERV

Called to Quit?

I have been described in a number of ways over the course of my lifetime but rarely has the word “quitter” been used. Just ask my mother-in-law about baking Christmas cookies with me! Stubborn—yes, quitter—no. Well, in this case, I am going to condone it because I think quitting is exactly what Jesus is calling us to do in these verses. Quitting, in this case, looks like surrendering your life, with all its complications, to Jesus.

In “The Gambler,” a song made popular by Kenny Rogers, he says/sings, “you’ve got to know when to hold’em, know when to fold’em.” Friends, it is time to fold’em. Lay your cards down and end the game right now by going ALL IN for Jesus! I promise you won’t regret it.

Enjoy your rest.

All in for Jesus

 

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Unfair Trade

Unfair Trade
All Trades are Not Even

Have you ever been involved in an unfair trade? All trades are not even. As a child, I learned that lesson firsthand. I collected baseball cards as a kid. My cousins from New York did as well. I always looked forward to their summer visits and the opportunity to “play” with our collections. 

 

An Uneven Trade

One particular trade we made stands out from the rest. My cousins offered me 100 cards for ONE of mine. That didn’t quite seem like a fair trade. I was shocked that they would propose such a trade as I clearly was getting the better end of that deal. After all, 100 > 1. How could I possibly turn that down?

The Trade of All Trades

Did you know that God makes some unfair trades? It’s true! In fact, He is the author of the most lopsided trade in history. God gave us something priceless, Jesus, in exchange for something worthless, our sin, to give us the right to become part of His family, His children. Why would He do that? Because of love! 

 

Reaping the Benefits

That trade is a done deal; however, to become His child and experience the abundant life that comes with that position, God requires something of us. He simply asks us to receive Jesus Christ as our Savior from sin and to fully trust that He alone is the way of salvation. God offers salvation to anyone who will receive it from Him. 

 

“But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.”

John 1:12 NLT

 

What a deal! And it was all made possible by an unfair trade. 

 

Shortchanged

About that unfair trade I made with my cousins–it turns out that they were the ones who got the last laugh. I did get 100 cards in exchange for my one. The problem—that one card I traded away was Roberto Clemente! Ugh….

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Makeup

As you most likely already know, I’m going to be playing the role of “mother-of-the-bride” fairly soon. With this gig comes a lot of pressure! According to my mom, my appearance can only come in 2nd to the bride. Have I mentioned pressure? I knew I would need to step up my game to pull this off, so, earlier this week, I went on a field trip to Ulta for makeup.

Leaving My Comfort Zone

Makeup doesn’t exactly land on my Top 10 list of important things. In fact, it falls closer to the Bottom 10. I wear it, but I’ve never invested much in the way of time or money on it. By the time I was done being made up at Ulta, they had me looking pretty good without making me look like someone I’m not. That’s the goal!

How Much?

Once I had given my permission, the girl who worked on me retrieved the products that she used, put them in a little basket, and sent me on my way to the checkout counter. I didn’t know if I was to pay her for her time and efforts, or if payment indirectly came through the purchase of products. I quickly learned that answer when the cashier told me the cost. (Insert multiple emojis with eyes wide open) I spent more money on makeup in one trip to Ulta than I have in my entire existence! I got the goods, now it’s up to my sister, Jayne, to apply it. I’m not going to bear this pressure all alone!!

Is It Even Necessary?

All this talk of makeup and improving my outward appearance got me thinking. First, I’m so thankful that God loves and accepts me just as I am, blemishes and all. He’s more concerned with my inner beauty anyhow. There is no need to hide behind a mask, makeup or otherwise. He already knows everything about me. And He knows everything about you too. Yet He still loves us beyond our wildest imagination. Perhaps you need reminded of that today. You and I were carefully constructed by the God of the universe.

“So God created human beings in his own likeness. He created them to be like himself. He created them as male and female.”

Genesis 1:27 NIRV

Let that sink in for a moment. We were created by God and in His image. Remember, He doesn’t make mistakes.  David recognized God’s handiwork in Psalm 139:

“You created the deepest parts of my being. You put me together inside my mother’s body. How you made me is amazing and wonderful. I praise you for that. What you have done is wonderful. I know that very well.”

Psalm 139:13-14 NIRV

But then there’s that matter of sin which brings me to my second point. When Eve took a bite of that forbidden fruit, sin entered our world and separated us from God. He, of course, had a solution for that too. His name is Jesus.

Solving the Sin Problem

“For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And it was not paid with mere gold or silver, which lose their value. It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God. God chose him as your ransom long before the world began, but now in these last days he has been revealed for your sake.”

1 Peter 1:18-20 NLT

“The blood of Jesus is the covering that allows us to enter into the presence of a perfect and holy God. It was shed on our behalf, and it grants us membership into a divine family and access to God’s presence. It is the most precious treasure, and we should never lose our gratitude toward it.”

~Dr. Paul Chappell

The Perfect Makeup

The shed blood of Jesus covered our sin. I guess you could say it is the ultimate makeup. The Ulta makeup was pricey, but the ultimate makeup—it is priceless! May we never forget who paid the bill for our sin and what it cost Him.

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Surrender or Control?

The word surrender generally evokes negative feelings, doesn’t it? The dictionary defines it as ceasing resistance to an enemy or opponent and submitting to their authority. It sounds a lot like giving up! Conversely, control is generally viewed in a positive light. Control is defined as the power to influence or direct people’s behavior or the course of events.

My flesh desires to be in control, not surrender. But spiritually speaking, I am called to surrender. In Christianity, that means believers completely give up their own will and subject their thoughts, ideas and deeds to the will of God. But He is not our enemy or opponent! No one did it better than the sinless Son of God, Jesus. He, in the ultimate act of surrender, died a criminal’s death on a cross to pay the penalty for our sins—past, present and future. That certainly gives me perspective when it comes to surrender!

Who is Really in Control?

I like to control outcomes, or at least think I do. But the truth is, I’m not in control at all. I spent two years attempting to avoid surgery on my left shoulder due to a previously failed surgery. After exhausting all non-surgical options about a year ago, I met with a new surgeon. He placed me on his schedule after two brief meetings in April. I was all set for surgery at the surgical center on May 25. Or so I thought!

Plan B

Upon further investigation, my surgical team concluded that, due to high risk, my surgery needed to be performed in a hospital. They called on May 23rd to tell me and reschedule my surgery. Needless to say, I was unhappy with the change of plans, more so when they said the soonest it could be done was July 9. During the wait leading up to my original surgery date, I wasn’t exactly at peace based on my interactions with the surgeon. Nonetheless, I had myself prepared to go through with it by the time the plan went up in flames.

Plan C

In spite of my anger, the rescheduling fiasco afforded me time to seek a second opinion from a surgeon I had seen over a decade ago for my original bad shoulder (right). Surprisingly, he made me feel like surgery was the best option. And he wasn’t afraid to do it, unlike 10 years ago! He listened intently to my history and set me up with the appropriate people to clear me for surgery on June 2.

His Plan

I share this story with you as an example of a blessing in disguise. In the absence of peace with the initial plan, I prayed that God would either give me that peace or put a stop to the surgery. But honestly, I wasn’t expecting the latter. I surrendered, yet, somehow, I still thought I was in control! Even though I prayed that prayer, I was still mad when the plan crumbled. It didn’t occur to me in that moment that this was the answer to my prayer. It was only after sleeping on it that I was able to look at it through a different lens and see it as an opportunity. I was reminded of one of my favorite verses:

“We know that God works all things together for good for the ones who love God, for those who are called according to his purpose.”

Romans 8:28 CEB

Notice it says ALL things, not some things. Things that seem anything but good are used by God FOR good. Our perspective is limited, but God’s isn’t. He sees the big picture. We can trust in His plan because He demonstrated His unfathomable love for us through Jesus.

By taking advantage of the unexpected opportunity to seek a second opinion, I found something additional in the process—His peace.

“Peace is what I leave with you; it is my own peace that I give you. I do not give it as the world does. Do not be worried and upset; do not be afraid.”

John 14:27 GNT

The Outcome

I went through with the surgery on June 2. It was a LONG summer of rehab, but when I turned the corner, I progressed quickly, much to the surprise of my therapist. By the time I finished PT, my right shoulder was once again the bad shoulder. I’ve grown accustomed to those limitations over the last 10+ years though. I’m thrilled to have one fully functional shoulder again.

With or Without Peace

Who is to say how things would have turned out with the first surgeon? Perhaps the outcome would be the same, but I don’t think we should sell peace short. Its presence, or lack thereof, made all the difference in my outlook in the days leading up to both surgery dates.

Surrender: The Key to Peace

I don’t know the trials that you are currently facing, but I want to encourage you to surrender control to Him. Seek the peace that only Jesus can give before taking your next step. You can trust in His plan, even when it doesn’t align with yours, knowing He will bring good from even the most difficult circumstances. That is my prayer for each one who is reading this post.

Until next time, you might find me out on a golf course. My successful surgery has allowed me to return to a game I once enjoyed following a 10+ year hiatus. The best part—it doesn’t hurt!