Baby Crabs, Boulders and Jesus' Compassion

"Hiding" Might Not Be the Right Word

Last Sunday, I took some time to go down to a rocky beach close to our house and do some preparation for preaching tomorrow. I was amazingly distracted by the view of the Sound and the over large cruise ships that seems to glide past me.

Then I noticed something at my feet. The ground between the rocks seemed to scurry. Since everyone who is anyone knows the ground doesn't scurry, I had to look closer. Under every rock that I picked up was a little crab not even an inch in diameter. There seemed to be, literally, tiny crabs everywhere on the beach.

And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” (Matthew 9:35-38 ESV)

In light of why we moved our lives to Seattle, I have a question that constantly grabs my heart's attention: If the harvest is plentiful, then why does it seem so hard to find people who are, for lack of a better way to say it, ripe?

The picture that Jesus paints is not one of anxious, desperate pleading for people to come do a job, but of a real need of workers because the harvest is ready to produce. The wheat or grapes or figs are ready and waiting for someone to come grab them and it will take more workers than those who are normally in the field to harvest all of it.

So, he tells us to pray. I like that and I will pray, but...

My trouble is that the text (the Lord!) says the harvest is plentiful, but it seems like its not the workers who are few but the harvest. Right now it feels like I have to turn over a lot of rocks. The text makes it sound like every rock one overturns will produce a scampering crab. At least now, it seems like (even if the crabs are there) the rocks are boulders.

Am I reading this text rightly? I long to see Jesus express his compassion by opening the eyes of the people we are around that he is the shepherd they are longing for and didn't even know it. We long for  them to see Jesus more than I can express.

What I know now is to pray. We will pray. Maybe he will raise up compassionate workers for his harvest from his harvest. Isn't that what he always does?

Being an Introvert is a gift...

...not a curse.

But with every gift, we can be selfish with it.

Here is a good, short article on introverts in the church:

https://ftc.gospel.io/resource-library/blog-entries/introverts-in-the-dearest-place-on-earth

Here is a good book, if you want to dig in deeper. I do not agree with everything he says or the reasoning behind it, but it was encouraging to see an introvert's role with God's people:

Introverts in the Church

A Promise to Redefine Us

"If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. 

If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you." (John 15: 18-19)

The most authentically loving person who ever walked among people was hated. There was something so "different" about his character that people either loved him or hated him.

Jesus has given to us his own nature... his ability to love people who did not love him.

Those who love everything in the world that is contrary to Jesus' nature ( "of the world") miss the beauty and fullness of who he is. He is a threat. They do not understand him...or those of us becoming like him.

And what we misunderstand, we often despise.

Somehow, to be full of a Christ-like, cross-defined love means we will be hated. I do not want to be hated, but I do want to be full of Jesus' life. I don't want to try to make people hate me to prove I am like Jesus.

But, I want the joy and fullness of being like Jesus.

And, because I can...

Promise to Walk With

"But now thus says the LORD,
he who created you, O Jacob,
he who formed you, O Israel:
'Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by name, you are mine.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;
when you walk through the fire you shall not be burned,
and the flame shall not consume you...'"

Isaiah 43: 1-2

The Secret Giver

It is as if He wants to keep it quiet to everyone but the soul who needs to know him. 

Monday of last week was the hardest day we have had in our new home so far. Adrienne and I were both frustrated and didn’t know how to communicate with each other with our (my) words sounding “like darts.” Our little girl caught on to our frustration and acted out most of the day in response to us.

There were a lot of reasons why, but the main reason is we found out we would have to wait longer for our income to get to us…and bills were coming due quickly.

When it came down to it, we were both afraid and tried and secretly asking the Father in our hearts “why is it this hard?!” and “have you left us alone in this?”

We know the right answers but sometimes our hearts wander into the wilderness driven by fear. The Spirit let us stay in that wilderness for as long as he thought best.

On Tuesday, after more frustration, I sent out a text message to a group and asked them to pray for us. To pray that we would see the Father’s faithfulness with our hearts. They graciously agreed to and gave wise counsel.

I got back to our house from meeting some people and found a letter from people we hardly know. In this letter was a very unexpected gift- they had written us a check because the Lord had put us on their hearts. Completely unlooked for. They have never done anything like this before. 

My words here do not express what the Father did in my heart. We have to pay our bills so the money is gratefully appreciated, but what matters more is that the Father showed us that we were wrong…he had not left us to fend for ourselves.

But he didn’t announce to the world that he is a Giver. He simply announced it to us. He announced it to us in a way that spoke to the secret doubts in our hearts.

But, because he is answering our heart questions I want to share with whoever listen that sometimes the Father provides in secret in order to speak to our secrets.

Eventually though, everything the Father does in secret will be shown in the lives of those who are learning to trust him.

Chic-uh-fay

I felt a sense of shame this evening that I guess I shouldn't even write about. We went to a place that we probably should not have gone. So many have warned us of it. I guess I am more of a wanderer than I believe myself to be.

Please do not hold it against us.

We met some new friends, [redacted] and [redacted] [redacted], over the last couple of days and, in a weak moment, they led us astray. We were hungry for some "old ways" and the allure of past history- things we should have repented of as we drove away from our former way of life.

Again, please do not hold it against us. It won't happen again...at least for a while.

A Promise to Treasure

 A needed reminder today from a dear friend:

"And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus."
Philippians 4:19

[Paul (by the Spirit) said this to the people who he loved who were concerned about how he was being provided for. Not only did the Spirit make Paul confident that the Father would provide for him, but also for those he loved. Even more than that, Paul was confident that all involved would rest in the truth that the Father is "rich" and a giver. He doesn't hold back to his children.]

(Thanks J.)