What I learned from $309

As he stepped away I peaked inside the envelope.  Immediately I thought "How did he know?"  A close friend of a close friend had approached me after church.  He explained that his wife had recently inherited some money.  They had decided to have the Lord tell them how to  use it.  The Lord had told them to give us what was in the envelope.

Inside the envelope was a check for $309, not $300 or $310 but $309--the exact amount we needed.  Dick was midway through seminary and I was the "bread winner."  We each had a couple of part time jobs.  Our budget was tight so when Dick's father passed away, the last minute plane tickets were well beyond our meager contingency plans.  We hadn't thought to ask the Lord.  I'd called my dad for another potential loan.  (Thanks, Dad, for always saying yes!)

The envelope contained the exact amount of the plane tickets!  They didn't know us well enough to know 

the destination or even if we flew; or 

I'd had my wisdom teeth pulled the day we got the call about Dick's dad; or 

I'd lost a week's income because I didn't have vacation or sick leave at my job.

There was only one way they knew the exact amount-- God told them and they listened.

This week I read Mark 9:2-13, verses describing what is commonly referred to as The Transfiguration.   Jesus takes Peter, James and John to a high mountain.  There He is transfigured and His clothes are dazzling white.  Mark emphasizes  "whiter than any bleach could bleach." (Sounds like a good advertising line for a TV commercial!)

Then Elijah and Moses appear for a chat with Jesus.  Peter has an idea and shares with Jesus that it's a good place to put up three shelters for Jesus, Elijah and Moses.  Mark parenthetically adds that Peter was so frightened he didn't know what he was saying.

At this point, a Cloud appears and envelops them.  A voice from The Cloud says:

"This is My Son,

            I Love Him,

                        Listen to Him."

Suddenly they no longer saw anyone but Jesus.  As they came down the mountain He told them not to tell what just happened until He had risen from the dead.  They wondered what that meant.  So they asked him about what the teachers of the law taught about Elijah coming first.

Listening to what Jesus said was the disciples job at this point in His life and ministry.  It must have been overwhelming confusing because Jesus was bringing a new order to their world.  The teaching of their youth and culture seemed diametrically opposed.  They asked Him questions but never seemed to understand His answers.

The Cloud gave them guidance--Listen to Him. Listen carefully. Listen for the exact details.

The Cloud's message reminded me of another miracle in my life when God provided exactly to the dollar my need, even when  I hadn't thought to ask.  Our friends listened and obeyed exactly as they'd been told by God.

Jesus surprised the disciples with a glimpse of His Glory.  One of the points of this divine experience must have been to get their attention and remind them to Listen to Him.

These verses in Mark remind  me that amazing things happen when I carefully listen to Him.  God used Ben and Myra to show me a glimpse of His Glory because they listened closely to the Lord.

God knows my needs.

God will provide for me.

God really does love me.

Shouldn't I be listening carefully to Him?

Choice Time

"In the span of eternity, how important will this be?"  My mother posed this question often to her teenage daughter demonstrating excessive drama at life's events.  She was making me gain perspective and make choices.

When I read through Mark 8:27- 9:1  I thought Jesus was likewise challenging the disciples to use spiritual perspective to make the right choices.

Jesus asked His disciples who people said He was. The disciples listed John the Baptist, Elijah, one of the prophets.  Then He asked them who they thought He was.  Peter answered "You are the Christ."  Jesus warned them not to tell anyone.

Then He taught them that the Son of Man must suffer and be rejected by the elders, chief priest and teachers of the law.  He must be killed and after 3 days rise again.

Peter took Him aside and rebuked Him.  But Jesus turned, looked at His disciples and rebuked Peter with "Get behind me Satan!  You do not have in mind the things of God but the things of man!"

Then He called the crowd to join them.  He told them that any who would follow Him must deny their own self and take up their own cross.  Whoever would try to save their life, on their own, would lose it.  But if they would give up their life to Him the gospel would save it.  He posed the question, "What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?"

Jesus was teaching the disciples and the crowd that it was time to choose.  He presented the two choices, the things of man versus the things of God. 

The Great Divide: Spiritual versus  physical.  As our world becomes more complicated, cluttered and busy, it's difficult to choose a side.  Too often we try to have it all, pretending our quest for stuff will somehow be spiritually rewarding. 

Jesus instructs the disciples that the choice of the spiritual, the things of God, will have eternal rewards.  It will cost them in the physical realm but He reminds them that the stuff of this world will stay in this world.   

Too often we try to make choices thinking we can live on "both sides of the fence."  Jesus fully discloses that choosing the things of God will be costly by the world's standards.  Others will try to shame them.  Jesus reminds us that the world is sinful and fickle. 

The world teaches us to seek the tangible, that which we can see, touch and possess.  Yet it's a lie.  All the tangible stuff of world can be gone in a blink of an eye.  It can be lost, stolen and destroyed.

Jesus offers us intangibles, love, hope, security, eternity.  No one can steal or destroy these things of God.

The world purports to offer the real stuff but the world's stuff is surreal.  The world offers us stuff that is strange and unrealistic.  The things offered by the world are a dreams we chase and never fully capture.  When we think we have achieved, we experience the let down of "is this all there is?"

The real power is in God's kingdom.  The real security is in God's kingdom.  The real life is in  God's kingdom.

I need to get my perspective on! In the span of eternity, how I choose to live my life will have eternal consequence!  Every day, every moment, choose the things of God.

My Coworkers Will Like This

"It's one of Life's great mysteries!"  I can see my coworkers cringe when I give this answer to the question of the source of a technological miscue.  I am brave enough to reboot and/or unplug a computer so I'm called for advice often.  I have a pretty good "fixed it" rate but very limited "why" knowledge.

Verses 22-26 in Mark Chapter 8 land in the great mystery category.  Jesus and the disciples arrive in Bethsaida when a group of men bring a blind man and beg Jesus to touch him.  Jesus took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village.

After He spit on the man's eyes, Jesus asked him "Do you see anything?"  The man looked up and said "I see people. They look like trees walking around."

So Jesus put His hands on  the man's eyes again.  The man's eyes were opened, his sight restored and he saw clearly.  Jesus sent the man home telling him not to go into the village.

What does this mean?  Why spit? What about people walking around like trees?  Why did the guy have to go home alone? (Would he know the way since he was blind when he came from home?)

I've been thinking about these questions for a few days.  My coworkers will smile.  I'm giving myself the answer I've given them:  it's one of Life's great mysteries!

Yet these verses taught me something just like rebooting the first time fixed a computer issue.  When something works do it again.  My lesson from these verses, when I can't see clearly go back to Jesus for a second touch.  Jesus didn't just give the man sight, He gave him clear vision.

Jesus is the source of clear vision.  I don't have to comprehend the why and the how.  Jesus will show me the next step.  I think the man knew exactly how to get home because Jesus gave him that gift too.  Jesus wouldn't leave the man lost in a new world of sight.  Jesus would also have given the man the ability to get on with his new life.  The man didn't need to go back to his friends for help to get home.  Jesus gave him the way home.

So I may not comprehend the why and how but when I go to Jesus, even if I need a second time, He will get me on with my life.  It may seem like I live in a world of "people walking around like trees" but Jesus will get me through a crazy world if I keep going to Him for seconds.