Hope Hype

There is a lot of talk these days about hope. Many people have had their hope renewed by our new President. Last week I heard lots of people interviewed. Over and over I heard people lay that they feel like they woke up to a new world and that they felt like they needed to do more to be a better American. This is very interesting to me. Isn't it strange that people are so simply motivated. That their hope could be so simply placed.

Now I like Obama. I almost voted for him. I think he will make a great President. I am praying for him and his family. I cried as I watched him sworn in. So this is not a statement about him. I actually feel like this is not fair to him. I don't know how he could ever deliver all that people expect of him. I trust he will do a great job.

However President Obama has no affect on who I am. James 4:1 asks us "What is the source of the wars and the fights amoung you? Don't they come from the cravings that are at war within you?"...then goes on to say in verse 7 "therefore submit to God but resist the Devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you."

So who I am should not be based upon who others are. I am influenced by others just like everybody. I sometimes joke to harshly because I know people think it's funny....I am human and I am sinful. I don't always want people to know I am weak. I say I am okay when I am not. I make things sound harder than they really are just to make myself look stronger than I really am. I realize that I need to do better not because someone else is better...not because they make me want to BE better. I realize no person who has that control over me. Even if I could whip it for a while I would go back. Even if I volunteered 5 hours to community service....this doens't make me better....But there is one who can.

I want to be a good American, a good citizen, a good neighbor, a dependable friend, a good employee and a good caretaker of this earth These are not based upon wither I like my neighbor, or a like my President but because God calls me to it. My hope is in Him....not in my country. I am a citizen of another city....who's builder is God. I am greatful for this great country. I pray that she will be used by God to do good things for the world...to bring hope to hurting people....mostly I want this to be true of His church. May we draw near to God. Trust Him for our future. Give to Him our present and repent of our past. I thank God for a country that can learn from it's mistakes. That we could elect and move an Africian American Presidental family into a house that was built by slaves. I am grateful we can change and learn to do better as a country. It reminds me that God could do that within me to....renew me...make me different than I was...I need that hope.

This is true hope. Not just temprorary hope that fades in 100 days....hope that is simply hype. This is hope that changes everything..everywhere....for all time.

My Un Christmas Letter

I really love Christmas Cards...I love the photos. I am a photo person. I actually keep Christmas photos up all year on a bulletin board in our kitchen. I like to look at them. Most of the people I don't get to see except on really special occasion yet many of them are very special to me. Some of these are childhood friends, college friends, friends from Brian's childhood that I only know because of him and their annual card, family members, friends from previous ministries and a few here in Lincoln. I love the letters that come with the pictures too. Yet it seems sometimes my jealousy gets stirred up as I read them. Am I the only one this happens too? We get a glimpse into someones life..it seems "picture perfect." I have a friend whose husband took control of their Christmas Letter because he wanted it to not be so perfect...not just the victories but the honest struggles too. Their letter I always look forward to. Now I have no judgment on these cards because if I were to write one I would do the same thing...I do it all the time on this blog. So this is not about the letters this is about what goes on inside of me. I admit that I want a Christmas Card life...you know the one I am talking about...everyone is smiling, we are on a beach, a mountain, or maybe the snow is all around us and all we hope for our new year is to lose weight. The one where our kids are happy to be in our family, everyone is dressed cute, we all match, everyone loves each other. Yet this is not always the way my family is....as a matter of fact last year (Christmas 07) we couldn't even pull it together long long enough to snap the picture by the tree. Does this happen to anyone else?

So this morning while the towels were drying and the bacon was cooking in the oven and I had a quiet moment to journal some thoughts I remembered how thankful I am for my unChristmas Card life. I am thankful for my friends and family who accept my unperfect kids. They are often selfish, they judge others, they have lied, they have stolen, they have been too harsh, they have been a bully, they have been mean, they have causes pain instead of brought peace. They have repeated things they shouldn't have. They do not always use their manners. They have not learned the important lesson's of High School Musical (I II or III). You know that we're all in this together so stop looking out for just you! I realize that sometime in the future my kids may be the ones to tell your kids that their is no such thing as Santa or about what "sex" really is. Maybe they already have? They may drink beer, drive to fast, look at porn on your computer, or many other things I don't want to think about or type. My kids aren't perfect even though I would really love it if they were. I used to struggle a lot with this and feel like their flaws were some type of reflection on me. This is true to a strong degree but mostly they aren't perfect because they are sinful humans. God is at work in them but this is mostly between them not me. After all He is really the One who made them. I have had to learn to trust God with them and stop trying to control every little thing in their life.....

Back to my gratitude. So I am thankful for friends who will accept my children as they are. I am thankful for all the ones a long the way that have reminded me of where to let go and where to stand my ground. These conversations have happened in the hallways of church, on the phone, around a table, at Starbucks, on walks, in books I have read, in prayers together, .....So today I am thankful for the people in my life who know my life is no greeting card (and I know yours isn't either) but a life where God is at work redeeming all the broken parts. He is moving those of us who cherish Him through our journey's with mercy and grace. Thank God for the reminder that He gives us through our children of how deep and wide that mercy and grace can run. Thank God that we can understand that He wants more Good for us than we could ever want for ourselves because we fill this way about our own children. God knows us not the snapshot of a great moment but all the small insignificant moments and even the really ugly ones...He accepts us anyway. Help us God to be that way with each other.....more grace in Jesus name.