Love Your Enemies

After being wounded so deeply by people I endeared as mentors in my life, finding forgiveness and the freedom to love was a difficult journey for me. I hosted a rather lengthy conversation about loving your enemies on my Facebook wall a few months ago and out of every thought provoking status I post, this was one of the very few that no one disagreed with. We are to love our enemies. The question remains, just how do we love the people who have been the most vile to us?

Why do countries have to beat war when they can simply love each other? Why must the Democrats and Republicans be at war with one another when they can love each other? Do people even know why they are enemies? What makes them an enemy? 

So what can you find in common with your enemies? What do you and your enemies both love? If we apply this thought provoking article to the 'Christians' we view as our enemies, then what will we see? 

Wait a second!

Why do we view other Christians as our enemies? Maybe they hurt you. They probably did. Christians are known to be some of the most hurtful people.

Lets not try to sweep that fact under the rug. We all know it's true. 

Don't try to compare the ways Christians hurt one another with the way Hitler hurt the Jews. There is no comparison. Pain is pain. Betrayal is betrayal. Sin is sin.

Countries put aside their differences in order to participate in the Olympics. They also put their differences aside to continue commerce. We know that putting aside our differences is possible. 

God put aside his differences with humanity and sent His own Son to die and resurrect so that we can become reconciled to our Father. It wasn't for his love for Coca Cola, to play in the Olympics, or to buy gasoline that he put aside his differences. It was for love. He loves His creation!

While we were still sinners, He died for us.

Father, forgive them, they don't know what they're doing.

Such powerful words, but do we understand the weight those words carry? He died to save his enemies. He loves his enemies. It's no wonder he asks the same of us.

Since we know Christ told us to love our enemies, then surely he loves them too. He asks us to forgive seventy times seven. I have to believe that He does the same. He tells us to turn the other cheek. 

Is God a Father who says, "Do as I say, not as I do"? 

John 10:37-38, "If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me; 38 but if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father."

Jesus is One with our Father. Jesus forgave, because Father forgave. The gospel is GREAT news to ALL people. He forgave everyone before they were even born. Believe that He loves you and you can learn to love your enemies too. 

Or does he wait for us to jump through religious hoops in order to receive his forgiveness?

Colossians 1:19For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

1 Timothy 2:  5For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man^a6who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time. Christ Jesus

Luke 17:20 Once, having been asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, “The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, 21 nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is within you.”

Lisa

That We May All Be One

With so many denominations in Christianity and each one insisting they have it right in more areas than any other denomination, how are we to choose who to believe?

Is Christianity really THAT difficult to understand? It's no wonder so many people reject it. The whole "we're right and they're wrong" angle is absolutely confusing to most people. Except the ones who think they're on the 'right' angle, oh wait..that would be most of you. That's right... you're all right? If you're all correct then why do you all insist everyone else except your denomination, is wrong? Someone once asked me why there were so many variations of Baptist churches and all I could think to tell him was, "They can't agree". 

But let's not narrow it down to just the Baptists. There are a variety of Pentecostal denominations, as well as Reformed, that have differences. A friend of my daughter's said that she was going to a church in an office complex. This church was right next door to another one. Their churches were divided by a single wall and during worship, the girl could hear the next church's music. They were singing the same song. So why the wall?

Some church's feel strongly about evangelism by door knocking, while others believe it's by serving the people in the community. A paper tract and invite to church versus loving their neighbor by action. The paper tract church insisting they are the only ones in town who 'win souls the right way', while the other insisting they shouldn't be pushy, but rather be an example to the community.

Then there's the debates about the End Times, judgment, and the afterlife. In all my studies I have come to one conclusion that I know I can stand firmly on. My salvation is not contingent upon my understanding of the English translations per the handing down of our religious forefather's interpretations right after they left the Catholic Church.

Have you ever noticed when a person leaves a church they were in for a great length of time? Ever notice how their theology is a bit mixed with what they are discovering, while they retain some teachings from their former church? If you have ever studied the writings of some historical figures, you can see how their beliefs began to evolve over the years. Even Billy Graham's beliefs have evolved over the years.

Who do we think we are to be so arrogant to think we know it all, the closest to the Bible, and the best interpretations? The answer is simple, arrogance. Arrogance will plant us right smack in the middle of thinking we have finally arrived at some biblical knowledge utopia and create ourselves our own little ownership of interpretations.

The next rite of passage is to write out what we believe as if to create some teachings for others to follow. People will begin to come with intrigue to discover what we believe and why. Some might agree and some might question us. Some may even question with such severe inquisition that you feel persecuted and belittled.

I have had the pleasure of studying for two years with some incredibly intelligent theologians from all over the world. I am fascinated with where they're 'coming from'. In all my studies, I continue to learn and grow and even though there are different interpretations I know WHOM I have believed and that, to me, is far more important than WHAT I believe. Although, I do feel that WHAT we believe shapes how we love one another.

Galatians 5: 22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. 26Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

It has wisely been said, "Know what you believe and why you believe it." But even better is that I know WHOM I believe and that He loves us all.

In all our quests for understanding the bible, may we do so in love for one another and may our discoveries lead us to loving God and others more and more.

John 17:20“I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, 21that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one,23I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.

~Lisa

The Battle Between Law Givers and Grace Embracers

As I sit here and listen to music by Mela Kamin, my heart and mind is drawn to a place of sadness for those who continually battle with the Law. I always find it so amazing when God speaks to my heart through His musicians. In the Old Testament days of battles, it was the musicians, the worshipers, that went forth ahead of the armies of God. I don't think He is drawing me into a state of sadness within myself, but rather a realization of this battle between Law givers and those who embrace grace. 

I think of Mary, as she sat at the feet of our Messiah, worshiping him while Martha wanted Christ to give a command to Mary to help in the kitchen. I noticed something about Mary. Mary didn't argue with Martha. She didn't even respond. She sat silently, admiring the beauty of our Lord.  Did Martha not understand grace yet? Why was she so quick to be a 'law giver' to her sister who was adoring the very person of grace?

Then her brother, Lazarus, was laid to rest in his grave. Now, Martha is frantic wondering why Jesus wasn't there. Jesus waits a couple more days before coming to see these sisters. Upon His arrival, Martha questions him. It seems as though she doubts his love for them. Again, showing a demanding spirit towards our Lord. He groans in his spirit and he weeps. He doesn't rebuke her, he lavishes grace upon them all as He raises Lazarus from the dead. They did nothing to deserve that, he simply loved them.

How many times will our own brothers and sisters make the same demands, the same giving of the Law, to those who have experienced grace? Why must those who walk according to the Law demand that those who walk in grace by faith, leave that faith and walk according to the Law? The Law was a schoolmaster, but we have no more need of a schoolmaster.

Galatians 3:25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.

We can't force people to stay in school well after their training years are over. That would be bondage. There comes a time in each person's life when they begin to really walk by faith. When we try to force them to walk by the Law after faith has already come, we are stealing their walkabout with God. We are yanking the very faith right out from under their feet. It's time to let them go.

Those who do walk by faith are excited, they are joyful, they are experiencing the 'walking on water' that Peter experienced. The walk of faith. As Peter and John said, "We can't help but to speak those things we have seen and heard" Acts 4:20 The Law givers forbade them from speaking of this grace, this walk of faith, but they continued to speak.

Acts 4: 29And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, 30while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” 31And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness. 

If Peter and John had been preaching the Law, the Law givers would not have silenced them. It was because they spoke of faith in Christ, the grace that lavishes mankind. The Law givers don't like grace. Some struggle with grace, secretly they long for it, but perhaps they are afraid of it. They want to jump ship and walk on the water with Jesus, but will they sink like Peter did when he doubted?

There is always the risk that they will sink, but Jesus didn't forsake Peter. He was still there with him. He is with you...do you want to walk in grace by faith?

So what do you do with the Law? We walk in the Spirit and we love. We allow love to be our Law, not the letter. The letter of the law kills, but love is life by His Spirit. 

I'm not going to give a point by point 'how to' walk in grace by faith. There isn't one. It's stepping out where there is no visible step, believing there will be a stepping stone, believing by faith.

Just ask Him to be your guide. What is the worst that can happen? Life is going to throw you lemons, and sometimes have them thrown at you. You might fall, you might not. You'll never know, but Christ does and He will always be with you.

~Lisa

Dangerous Grace

Grace. That word that frees the soul, yet frightens so many to the core. The very grace of God through Christ that offers us hope, forgiveness, and love tends to be twisted into a 'sin' and rejected by so many. Some believe that grace is our 'ticket' to the afterlife, but certainly not for life while we're still here on earth. So grace is only allowed for eternity and not for the everyday living?

It's grace that frees us from the bondage of the competition to be perfect. Christ is our perfection that He has given us. If we attempt to be perfect, we'll be running around chasing our tails. It's like the carrot dangling in front of a horse. We'll never get that kind of perfection in this life. Then we hear some people say that we shouldn't give up. Give up on trying to be perfect? Give up on being a perfectionist? I've tried being a perfectionist and it almost tore my family apart. That's when I realized...

grace is for the everday life

Such dangerous grace. That grace that allows me the freedom to not get so tied up in my perfectionism that leads me to not being able to rest at night if the baseboards aren't dusted yet. Grace, that dangerous word that shows me that I don't have to worry if I can't get the grease out of my husband's work pants. That utterly wreckless grace that releases me from having to punish my children if they don't get straight A's in their school work. When I realize that grace frees me from perfectionism, then it also releases my children from the bondage of a mother who insists that they be perfectly well behaved, totally compliant, robots. When my children fall short of my expectations it is then that I realize I am holding them to a standard that they can't live up to without fail. We all fail, but we can fail forward. Their failing forward teaches me to be gracious to them.

Grace, that word that frightens people. They're frightened that they'll fall. That's where faith comes in. The faith we have in Christ to keep us firm as we walk in grace. That's the difference. If we take grace as a reason to 'jump off a cliff' without faith, we'll certainly suffer the consequences. But is Jesus asking us to jump off a cliff? No, of course not. It's not 'jumping off a cliff' to hear rock music in the grocery store or western music when you're buy your husband work boots at the western outlet. If we think we're going to plummet into an abyss of sin when we walk by grace, then we are admitting we lack faith.

Grace, that word that seems hideous to some conservative women when other women work outside the home. That word that sends them into a frazzled fit of rage that emerges when a friend says her husband decided the kids would do better in the public school. Why do we live in such fear when The Victor lives within us? Are we denying the grace of Christ in our everyday lives? If we deny grace for ourselves, we're sure to deny it for everyone else around us. As a matter of fact, I think that when we see people refuse to allow us to speak of grace, walk by grace, or write about grace, they are actually admitting that they don't really believe in it.

It takes faith to walk by grace. If we don't have faith, then grace will continue to look like a hideous sin that you fear will send you into the abyss of utter darkness. But that's not the grace our Christ has brought us. He wouldn't bestow upon us GRACE if He thought it was going to destroy us.

Don't be afraid of grace, and don't let anyone frighten you away from it.

Colossians 1:27 Christ in you, the hope of glory

~Lisa

Steadfast and Quivering at the Feet of my King

The last couple of days I was thinking about the turmoil I see on 'fair and balanced' news programs, political and religious debates on Facebook, multiple fear factor YouTube videos, and the war between the Law and the Spirit in the blogosphere. Someone on Facebook tried to cast fear upon me in regards to Islam and another person said Rapunzel fleeing her captor was a rebellious act. Sometimes I really struggle with using words of grace, because my flesh wants to say, "Oh brother!"

And yet people want to know where we stand on such issues and I believe we all have the freedom to speak up about how we feel without fear of reprisal. Is it abusive of me to say,"Oh brother!" ? Am I uncaring for thinking some people are crippled by fear mongering and narcissistic behaviors? OOPS! Did I just label a behavior in a way that casts judgment? How in the world do you remain steadfast and still quivering in humility before our Lord?

Then He whispers into my ear, "Naaman's handmaid." I remember this story from when a 3rd grade girl's Sunday School teacher taught about being a peacemaker in difficult circumstances. I was a 21 year old assistant to this teacher and yet I felt like I was one of the 3rd grade girls listening to this story. She was kidnapped from her people and forced to be a servant. I would have to imagine this was not what the girl wanted, but there was nothing she could so about it. Somewhere along the line, her parents must have been compassionate parents who raised her to be obedient to her elders, even if she didn't like what they are doing. For this little girl to speak out against her captors could have meant a whipping, death, or imprisonment. She had to obey.

There must have been times when her parents had taught her the reason why we obey those who have the rule over us, even when we disagree. In addition to this, I would imagine they also taught her when it's good to speak up about what we believe, even if it means death. I see in the story that she had discernment to know when to keep silent and when to speak up. Then I pondered in my heart, "How do we speak up in the face of such serious consequences and remain respectful?"

He then whispered again, "Esther." I also learned about Esther from the same Sunday School teacher. Esther knew that going before the King, her very own husband and head of household, could mean death. She knew that coming to him about a law, that he was deceived into making, would be a challenge of his authority in the land. Doing such a thing would have tremendously difficult consequences for the entire land. It was a sensitive issue to question the king and his highest servants.

Esther and the little handmaid were both steadfastly quivering before their authorities. They both spoke up when it meant destruction if they did. They knew there could be criticism from many for 'challenging' the authority of those over them. As a child of God, a handmaiden for our Lord, a servant of the King, a wife, and a mother, I saw all sides of this dilemma.

The still small, yet powerful voice, encouraged me, "You can be both steadfast and quivering."

I sighed deeply and let that sink in to my soul. We have boldness to come before the throne room of our God and know His scepter of grace will be extended. We can know that even if we have a misunderstanding, hurt feelings, anger or even despair, that he will listen.

He listens when we cry out to him in anguish that we don't understand why we are taken into captivity, or that our families are in danger of Haman's laws to 'kill' our families with his legalism. I think He dislikes it more than we do, yet He allowed it. He allowed the handmaid to be kidnapped and He allowed Esther to be forced to marry. In those circumstances is when His power was revealed in their lives. That didn't mean it was right for the army to steal the little girl. It didn't make it right that Esther was forced to marry the king. But God had a higher purpose that was much grander than they knew at the time.

We don't get angry with the little handmaid's story nor are we angry with Esther. We don't accuse them of disobedience for speaking up about what they had gone through or that they shed light on the corruption that was taking place. We applauded them for their bravery!

And yet we live in a world where we are criticized by our own brethren when we speak up about the government and abusive legalism in the households of faith. So here I am, steadfastly quivering at the feet of my King. I am steadfast that I can boldly enter his throne room in quivering humility beseeching His grace and mercy for the victims and their captors.

Did Namaan realize how much the little girl would miss her family? Did he realize how much pain it would be to have her taken from her loved ones? I don't know, but I know God used her to bring him to the prophet for healing when leprosy plagued his body. In doing so he became a believer in the Living God. Is leprosy somehow an imagery of legalism or spiritual abuse?

Did the king know how much a young lady wants to actually fall in love with the man she would choose to marry? Did it matter to him that her heart longed to be with her family instead of isolated in the castle? I don't know, but I do know that her act of obedience and bravery saved the entire Jewish race. Is this an imagery of how we withhold freedom from others?

I don't know why God allows children to be abused, whether physically, sexually, or spiritually. But I do know that as God delivers us, we have the opportunity to speak up about what he has delivered us from. As a believer, it makes me so sad when other believers accuse the testimony of Christ in another. We all make mistakes as children of God, as parents, as friends. Forgiveness for one another frees our own hearts from bitterness so we can be lamps for the Light within us. He wants to shine through our cracks and cast His Light upon the world to show them the way. The Light bleeding through the cracks is naturally going to also show those cracks and we tell where those cracks come from. We tell about the cracks, because if those cracks weren't there, how would the Light shine through? 

Why do Christians try to cover the cracks?

"Don't tell anyone how those cracks got there! You'll bring a shame to the ones who caused those cracks."

Then don't tell the story of how the handmaid was kidnapped and forced into slavery. Don't you DARE tell the story of Esther and how her king forced her into marriage. Heaven forbid you tell about Queen Vashti and her mistakes. But through all those details is how the Light shines through to this dark world. You can't hide the Light under a bushel, He's meant to sit on a hill. He's meant to shine in the 'darkness', because it's in the darkness that the Light is needed.

The darkness is all around us and we can't hide darkness. The Light is going to find His way to shine in that darkness. Shall we hide the Light and remain in darkness? Shall we continue to stumble? The greatest darkness of Christianity is that of hiding the Light in the household of faith. Christianity doesn't want it's covers stripped. It doesn't want it's cracks revealed and in doing so it's followers don't want Christ to shine.

Allowing Christ to shine in Christianity would mean we see the clergy who abuse children, who cheat on their wives, on deacons who force hierarchy control over their families, on wives who live in fear of telling her husband that is spanking tactics are out of control, in the world where children are afraid to say they don't believe in hell out of fear of going there.

Christianity has become the place where teens are cutting, anorexic, and closeted, without the parents knowing, because they fear rejection and loss of love and relationship. 

Christians live in just as much dark as the world around it and they have the Answer to their problems living within them. They just don't want to have Him revealed, because it would reveal their cracks.

What are we afraid of? The same thing we all fear, rejection from our loved ones. Because we fear deep down that they won't extend to us the grace our Lord has lavished us with.

Did Haman want Esther to speak up? Of course not, but it was needed to save her people. And here I am, speaking up for my people... I am steadfastly quivering before the feet of our King...

Christianity has cracks and they are there because of the stones hurled at glass houses. Many became transparent and the modern Pharisees saw through the glass walls and hurled stones at what they saw. The walls are cracked and falling apart. And all they need is grace so they can heal. No amount of bandages can heal or cover the cracks or what is inside the households of faith. Only Love covers these multitudes and grace doesn't want to hide, it wants to shine. In doing so, we will know how the cracks got there, but can we offer grace to the modern Pharisees? Can the modern Pharisees stop casting stones and pointing out sin? Jesus covered our sin, why do we want to uncover what He covered?

The Scepter of Grace is such a powerful weapon. It reveals that we are quivering daughters trying to be steadfast in a dark world of legalism. But Mercy embraces each of us as we embark on our individual walkabouts with God. He lavished Grace on all of us and we each have unique testimonies where God's son is revealed and heaven forbid we hide that lamp He has created us to be. Every single crack reveals His Glory.

~Lisa

The Heart Strings of Prayer

Can prayer be different somehow than just reciting scripture to God to tell Him what we need? Is there a different manner in which to pray than just quoting Psalms or man written prayers? Does it ever seem like your prayers float against the ceiling of your room, never penetrating the Kingdom of God?

Some prayers don't seem to make it past the mighty doors of His throne room. Moments like these seem to yoke me to a ball and chain, sometimes it feels like I've been tossed into the sea and my prayers weigh me down and drowning in sadness seem inevitable.

He tells me that His yoke is light, which makes my imagination soar like a helium balloon dancing on the puffy white clouds in the brilliant blue sky. I close my eyes and listen as He sings His joy into my soul. What's that music I hear? His melody is glorious. His notes give me a breath of fresh air. But my heart feels a sadness and a weight that is difficult to bear.

Then He asks me to make my own melody. I sigh long and slow, not meaning to complain, but my heart is so heavy, how can I make a melody in my heart? He lifts my fingers to the strings and simply says, "Strum".  I strum. I strum the strings of my heart with a sad chord. I stop and sigh a long slow breath with heaviness and a tear streams down my cheek. He whispers gently, "Strum again and follow your heart."

I begin to pluck at the strings as my emotions pour into the song, the song from my heart, and the tears flow faster, gliding down my nose, and dropping to my knees. He encourages me, "Keep playing the melody of your heart." My pain and my sorrow pulls at those strings, then strum again, back and forth, the melody takes shape and the notes crescendo. My heart throbs with the hard fast music of my pain. Then I decrescendo to a stillness, a calm, a peace in my soul.

The unspoken words of my painful heart find tranquility in the forgiveness of a broken heart and then the miracle comes. As a royal princess descending from the palace staircase, in all her glorious beauty, Grace enters the ballroom of my heart and soul. Compassion walks across the ballroom floor and reaches out to Grace. Grace and Compassion take hold of each other's hands and begin their dance. My music begins again. My fingertips reach out to the heart strings of those I love, those that had broken my heart and I strum. They begin their dance steps across my heart and I sigh that long deep breath into the chords.

Slowly I strum and glide my fingertips across the strings as my heart cries out to my loves. My dear ones who are broken as well. These hearts that have misunderstood, who cry out in anguish over deceptions that plague us and cause rifts in the fellowship. He silences me and says, "Feel their hearts, sense the reverberations of their pain." The tears roll down again. 

{Pat, pat, pat, splash.}

The puddles of tears are overflowing. He catches them in His bottle. My tears, their tears, these tears are precious to Him. He lifts my fingers to the strings again and says, "Play our melody."

Grace and Compassion consummate their relationship and conception begins. The majestic beauty of Agape begins to form again, a new heart beats within my soul. My heart crescendos, I feel the reverberation of Agape on the strings of our hearts as the gentle nudge of a baby's foot in the womb does. I strum. I strum their heart strings in prayer. 

He lives in them as well as in me. His Spirit within me speaks to His Spirit within them. The heart beats of Agape nudges their heart's womb. They feel something. He says, "Don't stop..keep playing" Agape is nearer than I can imagine, nearer than any of us realize. The pains of birth are coming, they cry...their breathing is heavy..their tears flow. 

{It hurts so}

Deep down inside, it hurts...He whispers to them, "Rest, breathe, trust." He embraces them, He holds them closer. My plucking of the strings plays harder with each measure, louder the notes cry out! Their hearts burst, their tears flow, and they drop to their knees before our King. 

The music played deep into my prayers has brought them back to life, as Life is birthed in them. Agape appears in all His glory. They weep. They hold that new born life and embrace the miracle. The miracle of reconciliation, the life that was needed by all of us. 

Can prayer be like this? Can it make a difference? I cry. The sobs pour out of me and I hear a knock at the door. I rise to my knees and pat my tears from my eyes. I open the door and there they are. We embrace over long tight hugs and streams of tears. The Heart Strings of Prayer. 

{Yes, prayer can be different}

~Lisa

There's No Comparison

There's this illness that seems to be plaguing women in Christianity and I wonder sometimes if it affects women of various other faiths too. Your heart starts to beat hard, you might break out in hot flashes, anxiety becomes overwhelming, then under the weight of it all, you either lash out or crash hard.

Comparison

Why do we struggle so much with comparison? It was just a couple of weeks ago that Ann Voskamp spoke so beautifully about how we blog for the audience of One, yet in just a short time later, the comparison bug infects us again and again. But it doesn't just happen in the blogosphere, it's happening in the churches and it causes strife between friends and sometimes relatives too.

It's that pesky tree again. That glamorous looking fruit that seems right in our own eyes. It just takes one bite and we become hypnotized again... by the lie that is laced in it's flesh. We think we can rightly judge right from wrong, good from bad, and then attempt to live up to those deceitful expectations that our flesh wants to live up to.

Why aren't we fully satisfied in Christ? Why does this fruit hold so much power over us? It's not even real fruit, it's like styrofoam dipped in poison and coated in sugar. Empty. Meaningless. But for some reason we keep thinking we can find satisfaction in living up to who someone else is. Why do we want to be like those women?

We're unhappy with ourselves.

Maybe we just really don't understand who we are in Christ.

You see, because of Christ, we are new creatures. And it wasn't because we fancied ourselves wise enough to choose Christ. It's because He chose us. He first chose us. Yes, we responded to Him when God revealed His Son in us, as He did with Paul. But let's leave that out of the equation so we can be sure to make this all about Him and not about us.

He chose us before we responded to Him. That's pretty special! We didn't have to get new clothes, a bigger house, clean our closets out, or put on acrylic nails and highlights in our hair. He chose us before all that. If He was willing to choose us first, then that DOES make us special. But it has nothing to do with us, it has everything to do with Him. It has to do with Grace.

Maybe we need a big fat dose of humility to show us where grace is.

Grace is where you wake up in the morning with bad breath, messy bed hair, and wrinkled pajamas.

Grace is when you live in a small apartment with milk crates and plywood for coffee tables and leftover popcorn for breakfast.

Grace is knocking at your door with the glass slipper for YOUR foot.

You see, Grace doesn't care about what we look like, how we dress or what kind of furniture we have. Grace will arrive dressed as you are dressed so you feel at home with Him. Grace will pray over your popcorn breakfast and feast with you in gratefulness. Grace gives you the glass slipper even if you stay in your wrinkled pajamas all day long.

Be cautious about your words and your heart. There is no need to apologize for your milk crate tables or the leftover popcorn. It is He who gave those things to you. He doesn't want you to become like Lady Stepford Wife. He doesn't expect you to have a home like Mrs. Pastor's Wife. He isn't even hoping your blog will be like the one Ms. Barbie Blogger has. He loves you as you are. His beautiful bride.

I was pondering these things lately and realizing how we may be truly missing out on what grace really is and maybe it's because we miss the fact that Grace is a person named Christ. He resides in us. He took up His home within you and me. He lays His head where you lay your head. And He's perfectly happy with your pillow, your blanket, and your milk crate tables. It's you that He enjoys and He enjoys us all so much more than we can even fathom. Just ask Him to reveal that to you.

So when it comes to those other women out there, just remember...

{There is no comparison}

Ephesians 1:4

Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes.

Lisa