My Cup Lifted

The Parable of the Fiddle Fig Plant in My House

2023-03-17T12:34:00.001-07:00

Blessed is the person who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked,

Nor stand in the path of sinners,

Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!

But his delight is in the Law of the Lord,

And on His Law he meditates day and night.

He will be like a tree planted by streams of water,

Which yields its fruit in its season,

And its leaf does not wither;

And in whatever he does, he prospers.

Psalm 1: 1-4 NASB

I bought my first fiddle fig a year ago at Costco. I had wanted one for quite some time. I loved its big green leaves that looked like umbrellas and how tall they could grow.

When I picked mine out from among the many plants piled into a display together, they were all crowded onto a flat in the center of the store. Clearly they were without sunlight, they were being watered; but maybe even over watered in their small pots and close quarters. In other words, they were languishing.

Arrow points to the first leaf
that bloomed after
getting it home.

I brought my fiddle fig home and new right away it needed a larger pot and good soil. Then when it got its first bloom, I wasn't sure what to expect, but I was excited. They usually bloom in twos or threes. Well, the first leaf that came out was, puny. It wasn't just puny, it was mis-formed. I thought maybe I had done something wrong, but in my research I learned that the blooms reflect the health of the plant PRIOR to the bloom shows up.

A small, miss-shapen leaf is the sign that it hadn't been tended well, had LACKED what it needed prior to the first visual appearance of it.

Is that not also true of us and our spiritual lives? We don't even realize it, but when we are NOT in God's word, when we are NOT praying, when we are NOT planted by the Living Water...we aren't getting nourished in a way that produces healthy fruit. We are languishing in our tiny little pots, not getting any sun, not getting any water into our roots because they aren't able to spread and grow and breathe.

I cannot emphasize enough how necessary it is these days to be in the Bible. We have to know the REAL Word inside and out in order to recognize imposters because there are so many false teachers these days who have created their own gospel and have turned away from the true Word of God.

Father God, keep the fire alive in my heart to continue to dig into Your Word, Your Law...that I may not be pulled and pushed with the winds that blow this way and that. Help me to stand firm on Your precepts and love Your Ways. Amen.

A Glimpse of the Kingdom

2023-02-26T15:51:00.000-08:00

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

Blessed are the gentle, for they will inherit the earth.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.

Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.

Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 5: 3-10 NASB

I believe it's no coincidence that on the morning of February 10, 2023 I was reading a chapter in Philip Yancey's "The Jesus I Never Knew" that dove deep into the Beatitudes from the Sermon on the Mount. As I read the commentary from Yancey, I couldn't get my mind to stop thinking, "Tonight at Night to Shine, we will catch a glimpse of God's Eternal Kingdom as Jesus is describing it here."

I believe it's also no coincidence that a week which began with a Satanic worship performance at the Grammys; a performance that glorified the Prince of Darkness, was going to end with a Super Bowl halftime performance that glorified greed and lust. But in between those two WORLDLY bookends, some of us would witness ONE NIGHT that centered on the true glory of the One True God. Yahweh Shalom...our God of Peace. The God of restoration. The God of hope.

You see, in Jesus's Sermon on the Mount, he says that the FIRST on earth will be LAST in Heaven, and those who are WEAK on earth will be STRONG in His Kingdom.

Our world; which we know is the OPPOSITE of what our eternal heaven will look like, worships fame, wealth, beauty, and physical ability. We see it EVERYWHERE. And regardless of where we are in our faith-walk, our flesh often draws us into believing in those earthly idols, and desiring them as well.

But those things stand in opposition to God, because they take our attention off God and satisfy only our flesh, and only for a moment.

Individuals with disabilities, as well as their families and caregivers, are often forgotten, dismissed and the last to be served in this world. Sure, we have seen advancements in disability rights after decades of advocacy and grass root movements. But, let's face it: Accessibility is still a battle fought on a daily basis. I mean, for real, some of these attendees who I met saw the inside of a janitor's closet as their first classroom.

While students in universities are required to take classes that enforce the need for proper pronoun usage, they will also attend classes that aren't physically accessible to them due to lack of elevators, or they will find the only accessible entrances LOCKED, and only to be opened by staff.

My daughter in particular was taking an acting class that included a play; required reading, which regularly used the "R" word (retarded, a derogatory slur used to describe those with disabilities, or used as a way to "put down" someone who may not have a disability, but is used as a way to hurt them).

BUT, rather than dwelling on the difficulties faced in the special needs/disability community, let me go back to the JOY of Night to Shine.

Jesus's Sermon on the Mount has offended some people, terrified many, and sent potential believers into tail spins because of its doctrine of seemingly impossible perfection. Love your enemies, turn the other cheek; it all seems unachievable to this flawed human race.

However, when you look at an event like Night to Shine, you start to realize that what is described in the Beatitudes is actually a picture of Heaven; where all that is upside down in this world gets flipped and becomes right side up again.

Where my daughter can see.

Where my daughter can run.

Where my daughter can speak without stuttering.

Where my daughter won't have PTSD from her countless needle-pokes and surgeries as a young baby.

Heaven is where she will be a princess, daughter of a King. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

You see, the way that Night to Shine makes this happen is with limos, crowns and red carpets. With buddies or chaperones for every attendee so that they can automatically BELONG and be a part of the festivities. They don't need mom or dad to be their best friend, because they will have someone there who is already dedicated to caring for them and making sure their needs are met. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

The parents and caregivers also glimpse the Kingdom as they have a parent/caregiver respite room where they can relax, eat, commune with others who share the same triumphs and challenges and get to encourage one another. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

The volunteers, even THEY become a part of this developing snapshot of Heaven as they see a young man smile and hear his parents say, "Oh my gosh, I haven't seen him smile in so long." Or, when the parents drop off their adult daughter and say, "We don't know how this will go. We'll be right over there because she probably won't want to stay long." But, an hour and a half later that daughter is still dancing and singing on the dance floor. Yes, even the volunteers are blessed during this event as they serve because blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.

The walls come down, and the fear fades like a firefly as dawn approaches.

Thank God, that in a world so focused on money, power and lust, we can catch a glimpse of generosity, mercy, and agape love.

That is a Kingdom truly worth aiming for. That is the God we choose to worship even when it becomes counter-cultural and unpopular.

The God who loves the lost.

The God who rescues the remnant.

The God who restores the broken-hearted.

...and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes;

and there will no longer be any death;

there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.

Revelation 21:4 NASB

The Day Evie's Homework Blew My Mind.

2022-11-13T16:48:00.001-08:00

A few weeks ago Evie was listening to a podcast for a night class she is taking at the University. The podcast was a discussion about the 30th anniversary of the ADA (American's with Disabilities Act). In the discussion, Alice Wong, a disability activist, reflects on the fact that the LAW can only give us the "standard" but it doesn't REALLY change ANYTHING if people don't follow it.

Not only that, but if people just MEET the law, but go no further than what is recommended or required as the "bare minimum" to following the law, then we still don't see a truly inclusive day to day experience for people living with disabilities. After all, there's no ADA police...so the only way we know when the law is broken is when someone goes to the trouble of filing a lawsuit, and is that really how we want to go through life?

For example, when Evie and I walk around the University, for example, there is often only ONE accessible entrance, and it's often the back of the building, through a remote parking ramp, or next to a dumpster. Huh...is that equal access? Does that feel truly inclusive if you, as a person perhaps in a wheelchair, can't use the same door all your friends do?

Alice Wong then made a statement that resonated to my core, "ACCESSIBILITY IS LOVE."

I sucked in my breath and got teary eyed and said to Evie, "THAT IS THE GOSPEL!"

Evie said, "What?"

Accessibility is LOVE!

In the Old Testament we had "The Law." The Law that God gave us showed us the standard, showed us the WAY to righteousness...but it couldn't MAKE us righteous...it could only show us HOW to be righteous. And guess what? NO ONE can uphold the standard of the Law except God. So how can we ever have ACCESS to Him if we are always falling short?

Then came Jesus...and He gave us COMPLETE ACCESS to God through his sacrifice on the cross. He DID uphold the Law, and He DID meet the standard and then He took on our punishment for EVERY SINGLE way in which we fall short. He stands as our full access High Priest before God to attest that we are worthy and in a right relationship with Him.

So, our HEART condition, our LOVE is the true path to accessibility. We can advocate, we can legislate...but that only goes to changing the LAW, it doesn't create a HEART change in people. What our world needs is Jesus. Our world needs His UNFAILING LOVE. Our world needs His Full Access Pass so that we can be in right standing with our Holy, Righteous God.

Why? If He's so loving, why doesn't He just forgive us WITHOUT Jesus's death and resurrection?

Because what is JUST about that? What would be JUST about all of our sins going UNACCOUNTED for and just giving out all access passes to all of us? That wouldn't be what we want! Heaven would be HELL! There MUST be penalties for all broken laws or there is NO JUSTICE. I want to see people pay for their sins...but then that means I MUST PAY for MY sins.

Unless Jesus pays for them.

And He has...He already has, for all of us! But we need to accept that and turn to Him and say, "I can't do the rest of this without you, Jesus! Thank you for paying for my sins...come into my life and strengthen me through your Holy Spirit to live and walk with YOU through the rest of my life...I want FULL ACCESS to what You are offering! I will no longer be a slave to my sin, I will be a bondservant of the Living God, the one who paid my ransom."

Accessibility is Love. And God showed that love for the whole world when He sent His one and only Son, that Whoever will believe in HIM will not perish, but have LIFE ETERNAL.... full access forever and ever.