Barefoot Souls

I love this lady and am humbled she loves me
- toenails and all!

     Delana Barber of Daphne, Alabama, psychology teacher and pastor's wife, is known for saying off-the-wall things that take people by surprise. She likes to shake things up. For instance, she's known to say, "I love your toenails, girl." (She's known for a lot more than that, but that's what I can quote in this blog.) The first time she told me this I felt both disgusted and comforted: disgusted at the shape of my toenails yet comforted that someone would love me in spite of them. After all, we can't feel truly free with someone when we have to hide our flaws.

     The two verses from "Jesus Calling" today prove God loves us down to our toenails, regardless of their condition. The verses also contrast how the same holy God worked in the soles of Old Testament faithfuls with how He works in the souls of believers today. 

To Moses:
 “Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals. The place you are standing on is holy ground.”  Exodus 3:5

As Moses stared into the burning bush on the back forty acres of the desert, God told him to remove his shoes and bare his soles. Later Moses climbed Mount Sinai and walked through camp to the tabernacle to spend time in God's shining Presence.  His soles revealed how much time he spent in the Presence of God.

But to believers in Corinth Paul wrote:
"Don’t you know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit? The Spirit is in you. You have received Him from God. You do not belong to yourselves."  1 Corinthians 6:19

      Moses walked to and from God's Presence, removing his shoes to show reverence and to symbolize that nothing stood between him and his God.  However, souls don't wear shoes so there's nothing between us and God's Spirit. He resides on the fertile ground of our belief. We live with His Spirit burning in us, burning away darkness and shining through us to bring others into His Light.
       When we accept Christ as our Savior, there's no stepping into or out of God's Spirit. We carry Him - His shining Presence - in us and become His burning bushes, His Mt. Sinais, His tabernacles, His lions' dens, His fiery furnaces, His still small voices, His messengers, His prophets, His temples, His lights on dark hillsides, His salt to preserve and to add flavor, His shining stars, His upper rooms, His prison dungeons, His platforms and microphones. We become whatever He calls us to be wherever He can use us to reveal Him to the world. With God in us, it's our souls, not our soles that reveal how much time we spend in His Presence.

Father, You alone know how to shine best through each of us today. Thank Your for taking up residence in such humble homes. Just as Jesus was born in the manger, You choose to dwell in our dusty souls.  Please, transform us into whatever - whoever - will best reveal You to people who need You.  Thank You that we can't hide anything from You. Fill us with the joy of knowing we live barefoot before You: known for who we are and loved down to our toenails.  

In the Name of Jesus Who washed the dusty feet of His disciples  

Tuesday, April 5, 2011 - What A Ticket Can Buy

Delana Banana and the Georgia Peach,
a.k.a., Mutt and Jeff

"Then Jesus went with His disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, 'Sit here while I go over there and pray.' He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with Him, and He began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then He said to them, 'My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with Me.'" Matthew 26:36-38

     From the moment I saw the first trailer of "The Passion of Christ," Mel Gibson's tribute to the last 12 hours of Jesus' life, I dreaded the moment it would arrive at our local theatre.  I've seen some gory and emotional movies that left me queasy and uneasy, but I knew "The Passion" would dig down deep and stir more than a physical response. However, I felt duty-bound to support Gibson's effort by purchasing a ticket and dedicating 127 minutes to watch what Christ did for me. . .  and you . . . and the people in His violent world . . .and the people in our apathetic world.
     I asked my friend and pastor's wife, Delana, to go with me. She wasn't pumped and I had to use all the tools in my arsenal to get her to the theatre. She fought me every inch of the way, even as we purchased our tickets.
     Delana: "Now, why are we seeing this?" 
     Me: "Because we need to support a movie with this message and we need to know what's in it so we're ready when people talk about it." 
     We didn't buy popcorn; it seemed sacreligious to munch while Jesus suffered. We entered the theatre and Delana still bucked me.
     Me: "Where do you want to sit?"

     Delana: "In the parking lot."
     Normally, I would head to the exact middle of the theatre so I should have examined my own heart when I was relieved to find two seats next to the aisle and near the exit. After we were seated:
    Delana: "Do you want to see this? We know what happens."
    Me: (rolling my eyes) "No! I don't want to see it but that's part of the sacrifice."
    The movie started and there was Christ alone in the dark misty Garden of Gethsemane, shivering and tormented. We made it through the Garden torment and temptation. We made it through the slithering snake all the way through the heart wrenching betrayal and right up to the scourging scene.
    Me: "I have to go to the bathroom and I'm not coming back."   
    Delana: "I'm right behind you."
    We did return later with our big, strong husbands and stayed the full length of the movie. Still, one of the most poignant moments was in the Garden when Satan pretended again he was on Jesus' side while doing his darnedest to undermine Jesus' identity and purpose.  Jesus, Son of God, Son of Man, alone, neglected by His closest friends and betrayed by someone He had chosen to have near Him, fought the agonizing temptation to throw in the towel and go Home. Once the soldiers appeared, His decision was final, but while He struggled with His purpose to carry the world's sin to the cross, Satan whispered how unnecessary His suffering was.  
     The difference between watching Jesus suffer and people battle and suffer in other movies lies in the fact that Jesus suffered for me. . . .  and you . . . and the people in His violent world . . .and the people in our apathetic world.  His story reaches in and makes me ask myself, "Would I have stayed awake? Would I have stayed with Him when I couldn't even stand to watch the movie depicting His suffering? Am I staying awake now? Am I standing by Him now when there are no soldiers waiting to arrest me?" 
Lord, I'm such a weak vessel and You suffered intensely for me. You don't condemn me but my own heart does. Forgive me for not even trying. Forgive me for running from discomfort, much less actual suffering and pain for Your Name's sake.  
HOWEVER, All things are possible with You! You fill weak vessels with the Treasure of Yourself and anything becomes possible. 

"But we have this treasure in jars of clay 

to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us." 

2 Corinthians 4:7

You don't want perfection, in fact, perfectionism and humanism block Your Light and keep You waiting until we repent and rest in Your salvation.

"This is what the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says:  

'In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, 

but you would have none of it.'" 

Isaiah 30:15

Teach us to glory in our weaknesses as Paul did as we learn to boast only of what You, the Light and Savior of the world, do through us and through Your other followers. May we appreciate Your suffering in our behalf by depreciating ourselves for Your Name's sake.
In the Name of Jesus, Son of God, Son of Man, Who conquered death and hell while on His knees in the Garden.
Inspired by My Utmost for His Highest and The Passion of Christ
photo from family album, Delana Barber and Robin Noland, October 2010