Garage-Kept

Today I was thinking about how many of my friends consider themselves to have a relationship with God and yet they choose not to attend a church. I get that, I really do, because I understand the politics, the drama, and the overall ritualistic nature of the church scene that can make such a commitment feel like an empty and pointless pursuit. I’ve heard thousands of excuses and added a few of my own to the mix at some points in my life. I also was thinking about the church crowd and how very many of them are nothing more than pew warmers putting in their time so they can give themselves a pat on the back for being a good “Christian” boy or girl and then leave toting with them an attitude of superiority and a lifestyle of hypocrisy.

We’ve all heard said that going to church doesn’t make you a Christian anymore than sitting in a garage makes you a car, and I’ll agree with that. I’d like to take this analogy a little further; however, and say that most of us would also agree that a garage-kept car is in much better shape than one who that is continuously facing the elements and rarely sees TLC from its owner or a professional mechanic. So, while there are cars that become nothing more than show pieces only occasionally rolling out of their garages to grace us with their magnificence and looking down at us from their sleek and shiny frames and all the while getting the same bug guts all cars get caught in their grills, there are also the cars that are never given shelter from the grueling heat or cold, who have enjoyed no respite from the miles and miles that they’ve traveled, and do not have anyone who cares enough to give their gears an oiling or their engines a tune-up. Neither car is enjoying its purpose to its fullest potential, one is mostly leisure-driven and ineffectual and the other may run just fine in the beginning yet will not last over time.

The best-running car is one that is garage kept but puts in its miles. It is babied with regular fluid fills and its gears are soothed with oil. It has regular visits with its mechanic and it takes its tune-ups like a champ. It gives and has been given jumps from a fellow vehicle. It has someone cares enough to scrub off the road dirt, change the tires, and even occasionally point out and help remove the bug guts. This car will stand the test of time…no matter its make, model, or year.

The most effective and flourishing Christian is one that has found themselves a good fit church-wise (keep in mind, there are no perfect people on this planet and that means no perfect churches, pastors, or church members…even the best of friends, coworkers, and family members experience points of contention, personality conflicts, and even the occasional falling-out) and becomes faithful to participate and to give of themselves to learn, grow, and help others, in and out of the church, to do the same. This Christian knits themselves with a few honest and caring individuals who will support them in the tough times that come in life, who will pour words of comfort and love over their aches, and who can give wisdom, understanding, agreement in prayer, and have a knowledge of God’s word and His heart. This Christian also receives “tune-ups” from his friends and leaders like a champ. Tune-ups refer to any sort of correction, redirection, or challenge issued in love for the betterment of the Christian and the Kingdom of God. This Christian is a life-giver and gives as good as he/she gets in the most positive of ways!

(Remember that every person who walks into a mechanic’s place cannot work on a car, not every employee will work on your car when you leave it, and the head mechanic may only delegate the work so that all cars can be tended to…it is an unrealistic expectation to believe that you can seek help, close friendships, counsel, and/or support from every member or leader in your church. A pastor is only one person and cannot possibly attend every momentous life event of every member and their immediate family’s lives, he is not perfect, or without sin…go ahead and accept this and it will save you and him/her a lot of heartache. Another disclaimer that should come on the bottom of church membership cards is that you will get hurt, and you will be offended. If you rationalize that there are only 4 or so people in the average American family and the dynamics of that people group alone are enough to keep psychiatrists, psychologists, pastors, counselors, social workers, etc. in business until the end of time, then imagine a group of 50+ people joined together sharing life’s sorrows, joys, and celebrating, learning, and teaching one another about the most vital and important relationship we will know, our relationship with God. There will be conflict, there will be tears, there will be pain…but if you can accept that and move on to making a commitment to working through those things there will be resolution, redemption, healing, and GROWTH. If you really live connected to the Father within those relationships, there will also be JOY, unspeakable and full of GLORY!)

This Christian understands that we are relational and we thrive when we are empowered by one another. This Christian understands that we were not meant to do life or Christianity alone and that church was designed to bring Christians together to spur one another on, to sharpen one another, and to hold one another accountable. This Christian knows that he needs the fellowship, teaching, “tune-ups,” encouragement, and support that coming together regularly (aka Church) brings. This Christian will stand the test of time…no matter their social class, their family history, their looks, their education, their gifting, or their age.

This “Garage-Kept” Christian will stand the test of time!

Why blog? Because words are powerful...

Words are powerful. My favorite book, the only book to be made flesh, says that there are life and death in the power of the tongue. So, I don't take blogging, writing, or any words from my mouth lightly. I make an effort to ensure that every word I speak over my marriage, children, and future is positive and life-giving…though humor, sarcasm, and even complete nonsense have their place. Although, I have a tendency for humor that lets me laugh for a minute but leaves me thinking for much longer.

I described myself recently to a friend as being motivated by the Holy Spirit and God's creativity; infected with a passion for big dreams and fresh vision; and not the least bit concerned with what's traditional, with dead rituals, or the latest religious fear tactic. I am driven by a passion for the kingdom of God, uncompromising in my Faith and my relentless pursuit of Truth (with a capital 'T') and by a fierce need to see Christians reflecting God’s love to the world...this occasionally leads to some friction between myself and others. And I remain unapologetic concerning my faith; yet; I pray that you feel that I've considered your view and treated you with the respect you deserve.

My prayer is that in your reading something that I have written it will resound within you and bring you closer to our Father (the way, truth, and life.) I can't bear the thought of your living without the love that is beyond all comparison and the joy that supersedes all circumstances...This is bigger than me and much more than pretty words, this is reality and the most unbelievable of dreams made real.

I pray you'll see that my life is a testimony to that...

"I'm a people."

So, sometimes I just feel the need to make someone smile. And today is one of those days...So, I'm going to share a conversation my daughter and I had this morning. Grace is one of those kids who was blessed with taste buds for healthy things...she loves nearly every vegetable, she doesn't like a lot of calorific pastas or potatoes, and she loves the lean meants. She recently decided, however, that she no longer cared for lettuce. She has been refusing it on tacos, won't eat salads, and doesn't want it on her sandwiches. So, this morning I asked her why she no longer liked it. And she replied, "Lettuce is just Grass, Mommy. I'm not a cow. I'm a people."

Kid logic, gotta love it!

Do you want to be counted wise, to build a reputation for wisdom? Here's what you do: Live well, live wisely, live humbly. It's the way you live, not the way you talk, that counts. Mean-spirited ambition isn't wisdom. Boasting that you are wise isn't wisdom. Twisting the truth to make yourselves sound wise isn't wisdom. It's the furthest thing from wisdom—it's animal cunning, devilish conniving. Whenever you're trying to look better than others or get the better of others, things fall apart and everyone ends up at the others' throats.

Real wisdom, God's wisdom, begins with a holy life and is characterized by getting along with others. It is gentle and reasonable, overflowing with mercy and blessings, not hot one day and cold the next, not two-faced. You can develop a healthy, robust community that lives right with God and enjoy its results only if you do the hard work of getting along with each other, treating each other with dignity and honor.

I wish I could take credit for these wise words but I cannot. These words are straight out of the Bible (specifically, The Message translation) from James 3: 13-18. God is working something in me right now...learning from my own stupid actions and the unfair treatment of others towards me has been a painful process in the last couple of months. My hearts cry is to not be a prideful, arrogant know-it-all and refuse to bend...or possibly break...with this new wind that is blowing through my life (the wind blows away the chaff, after all). I remind myself that when I ask God to give me His heart, to teach me His ways, to grow me to a greater measure of faith that what I'm really asking for are opportunities to test myself in each of these areas. And, because I want to go deeper and deeper still, I have to accept that the situations I face may break my heart a little, test my compassion a lot, and bring outrageous blows to my pride. And, instead of whining and pouting, and asking why me? (stomp, stomp), I have to draw on my Father's strength to respond to people with gentleness and reason and to be overflowing with mercy and blessings even when they would love nothing better than to see me flat on my rear! That, in itself, is a lesson in humility. I thank God for the gift He gave me to use words, but if my heart is not pure, humble, and full of wisdom what use is my tongue (or typing fingers, for that matter)???

I want a beautiful life and I want to leave a legacy of righteousness and prosperity to my children...but this may well be one of the most costly endeavors of my life, leastways costly to my flesh (flesh is religious speak for the earthly, weaker, baser part of what makes a person vs. the spirit which is superior OR, for comparison, the flesh is more ignorant and frail compared to the possiblities of our spiritual nature).

Proverbs 4: 3 tells this little story, "When I was a boy at my father's knee, the pride and joy of my mother, He would sit me down and drill me: "Take this to heart. Do what I tell you—live! Sell everything and buy Wisdom! Forage for Understanding! Don't forget one word! Don't deviate an inch! Never walk away from Wisdom—she guards your life; love her—she keeps her eye on you. Above all and before all, do this: Get Wisdom! Write this at the top of your list: Get Understanding! Throw your arms around her—believe me, you won't regret it; never let her go—she'll make your life glorious. She'll garland your life with grace, she'll festoon your days with beauty."

I don't want to be one of those people who boasts the wisdom I have, which is usually precious little, while twisting the truth to suit my own selfish purposes. And while I have faulted some others with this nastiness lately, I have come to realize that we all are guilty of this at some point. Including myself, (A little lower, Lord, and lower still ;) And because I desire to be better than this (without the mean-spirited ambition mentioned above) I have resigned myself to the fact that it is going to take a mad and relentless pursuit of my Father through the trials of life to GET WISDOM and compassion, humility, and all other manner of good things.

And yet another thing that God is teaching me is how to use wisdom in ministry...for while it is wonderful to have applicable wisdom at use in your own life, it is another thing altogether to know when to share that and how. Proverbs 9: 7 says, "If you reason with an arrogant cynic, you'll get slapped in the face; confront bad behavior and get a kick in the shins. So don't waste your time on a scoffer; all you'll get for your pains is abuse. But if you correct those who care about life, that's different—they'll love you for it! Save your breath for the wise—they'll be wiser for it; tell good people what you know—they'll profit from it. Skilled living gets its start in the Fear-of-God, insight into life from knowing a Holy God. It's through me, Lady Wisdom, that your life deepens, and the years of your life ripen. Live wisely and wisdom will permeate your life; mock life and life will mock you." This is one that I still haven't grasped (I've been slapped and kicked in the shins lately...lol) except to know that I never want to be a scoffer myself and want those with more wisdom than me, in whatever area of life, to pour into me! Thanks to my recent pourers!!! I LOVE you! Keep pouring!

It is a misconception that wisdom is gained through age and experience...because we all know people who continue to make the same stupid mistake over and over, no matter their age...wisdom is gained through the insight that the Father gives to His children who diligently seek Him (through time with Him in prayer and in His word). So, I know that my continued efforts will be made in prayer and in reading God's word...and gleaning from those God has placed in my life. I also know that I will continue to face challenges and growing pains...that I will still occassionally be kicked in the shins and slapped...that the more Godly wisdom I get, the more unpopular with some I may become and the harder it may be for me to swallow..But that these things are necessary for the work God is doing in me!

I shared this with you so that you will keep me lifted in prayer and also to encourage you to not grow weary in your own quest for Godly wisdom. I know (gosh, do I know!) that growing in wisdom and faith can be painful; but, with all that I have in me, I know it is worth it. One final happy thought 1 Corinthians 2: 6
"We, of course, have plenty of wisdom to pass on to you once you get your feet on firm spiritual ground, but it's not popular wisdom, the fashionable wisdom of high-priced experts that will be out-of-date in a year or so. God's wisdom is something mysterious that goes deep into the interior of his purposes. You don't find it lying around on the surface. It's not the latest message, but more like the oldest—what God determined as the way to bring out his best in us, long before we ever arrived on the scene. The experts of our day haven't a clue about what this eternal plan is. If they had, they wouldn't have killed the Master of the God-designed life on a cross. That's why we have this Scripture text: No one's ever seen or heard anything like this, Never so much as imagined anything quite like it— What God has arranged for those who love him. But you've seen and heard it because God by his Spirit has brought it all out into the open before you."

We cannot even imagine what things God has in store for us!!!

Two thoughts for this day...

The following was actually written Wednesday, March 10, 2010 at 9:37pm

1. "How enlightened is wearing God like some do Versace?” ~Vanna Bonta

Don't wear Christianity like a proud woman boasting a high-end label, get a relationship and share it with others! We are ambassadors representing the most powerful Kingdom in the universe and sometimes I think we missed our briefing on how to conduct ourselves among and connect with the local culture and customs! You've heard it said 1000X..."We're the only Jesus the world sees!" And right now the identity we're presenting to a world in need is very duplicitous...We say He loves unconditionally and we hold back from those WE deem unworthy, we say we are ALL created in His image (the MOST powerfully masterful Creator and the Father of all invention) and then we look down our noses at the "secular" world's humble and, at times, misguided attempts to create from the depths of their searching and lost souls, we say He wants us to 'Love one another as He loved us'' and "Christians" are among the first to ostracize and judge (even their own brothers and sisters). God called us to encourage one another, share His love, and be a light in the darkness; but I keep seeing Christians walking around looking at the world with a glass-half-empty mentality and looking down from their all-so-superior place of righteousness just like the pharisees! We've all fallen short, so give a hand to a fellow brother or sister! Quit judging and start loving, quit demeaning and start encouraging, quit letting jealousy rule your heart and start rejoicing with God's children in their triumphs, and quit avoiding what challenges you and start embracing the opportunity to grow! I'm enthusiastic to embrace such a lifestyle; but, most importantly, I'm enthusiastic to embrace YOU! ;D No qualifiers and no strings!!!

&

2. “While one person hesitates because he feels inferior, another is busy making mistakes and becoming superior.”~Henry C. Link

Life's messy and full of humbling moments (just read about Peter, David, Saul, etc.) but that's when you know you're doing it right! In the frequently spoken words of one of my fave men of God "Keep on keepin' on"...Don't fret over your mistakes and keep pressing forward! One great book I read said, "run with patience the race set before you." You'll get there!
"Do you see what this means—all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we'd better get on with it. Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we're in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now he's there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls!" Hebrews 12: 1-3 (The Message)
Remember!!! We're not competing, we're running together!

Our deepest fear...

My creating a blog coincides with a new chapter of my life. I want to capture my newest journey in this weblog as a testimony to the workings of God in my life and share it with those interested as an example of the

failings, struggles, insecurities,

successes, triumphs, victories,

fear, faults, pain

love, joy, and gain

that make up every believers life, including my own. This "new chapter" has begun with embracing myself, as I am and how I was created to be, and my own unique destiny. God has plans for my life and up until now I have allowed so much to hold me back; but, no more!

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that frightens us most. We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and famous?' Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that people will not feel insecure around you. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us, it's in all of us. And when we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically delivers others." Nelson Mandela

I have realized that in holding myself back and not pursuing my destiny in the Kingdom of God I haven't been helping others to feel less intimidated by or insecure around me; I didn't gain any new friends during the dark period of my life where I behaved like everyone else, dumbed down my vocabulary, dressed more plainly, and tossed my dreams and identity out the proverbial window; and I wasn't fulfilled and, more importantly, neither was anyone around me. And, although, I have been out of those dark days for some time now, I hadn't fully stepped into something more. I've been in the 'gray exile' that David referred to in Psalm 51:12-13. And just like he cried then, my cry is, "Bring me back from gray exile, put a fresh wind in my sails! Give me a job teaching rebels your ways so the lost can find their way home!"

Recently, I have dug those long-buried dreams out of me like a diamond miner in a deep quarry. And, in the fashion of the universe's greatest altruist, God is giving me opportunity after opportunity to make these dreams possible in my life. The ministry I am involved in (Frontline Ministries) has just moved to a town full of 'rebels' looking for their way home and my heart is so burdened for these people. I am also playing the Keyboard/Piano in our Praise Band and I continue to leap past the fear of failure/judgment and into the heart of worship where it's all about encountering my heavenly Father. The relationship my Husband and I share continues to bless me and amaze me on a daily basis, I really never dreamed of this kind of love as hokey as that may sound to even my own ears. Motherhood is a constant challenge that is frightening and liberating all at once...my relationship with my children astounds me and my fierce love for them helps me to understand my Father in a way I never did before them. I have ongoing dreams for my family and new ones I am discovering along the way. But, perhaps the greatest and most humbling dream I have is only in it's very beginning stages...and that is writing. I know that God's timing is everything and that at this season in my life, with two very energetic and curious toddler's in tow, the 4 novels I have outlined are probably not going to be written out for some time yet. And, yet, what is wrong with the very thing I am doing at this minute...I have seen more fruit from blogging than almost anything else I have ever done. So, it's a start...

This is me, Beth Crowe, the flawed and nasty parts; but, also, the God-inspired and fearfully & wonderfully made parts. Matthew 5: 14-16 says this, "We are here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in this world. God is not a secret to be kept. We're going public with this, as public as a city on a hill...Keep open house; be generous with your lives." So, as I am open with my life and share with you the wondrous relationship I share with the Creator of All and the Lover of My Soul, I hope you can embrace a more authentic version of me and that you will strive for the same in your own life, as well.

I close my first official blog with a quote from one of my favorite authors and a few questions for you.

"When you are being your authentic self, animated by the joy of God-connection, and someone fails to receive you, don't think that you 'failed the test.' Perhaps those who rejected you failed the test that heaven was giving them." Perrianne Brownback

So I ask you, are you allowing fear of rejection, fear of failure, or fear of your light to hold you back from the unique destiny God has for you? Do you have dreams that you have buried in a hardened quarry of your heart that you need to dig out? And are you willing to embrace an authentic version of you?