joy in new resurrection

Not surprisingly, inspiration and desire to write for www.whateverhesays.blogspot.com came this Easter weekend, and I wrote some of what was in my heart and mind. Belinda was delighted to receive something from me again, so here it is, posted today, the day after I wrote it:

Resurrection, Revisitation and the Big Picture

A post by Meg

We are in Eastertide, living freshly with the remembrance of our status as an Easter people, people redeemed by the precious blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, people who live in His resurrection power if we have surrendered our lives to Him, accepted His redemption, and His lordship of our lives.

As we revisit and re-member these timeless truths in extra special ways for a few days each year, we are reminded once again of who we truly are. My daily readings at this time are in Deuteronomy, full of God's reminders to His people of all that He had done for them, and of the power and promise of living in that remembrance, and the consequences of not doing so. It seems that all of Scripture does that...calling us to be our true selves, to live in the light of our destiny, to remember that we are part of God's Big Picture, and that the small details of our everyday lives are also part of the big picture of our whole lives.

God gives us other ways to re-member Him and ourselves and our lives, through revisitation, and of course resurrection of much that has hurt us or died in our lives and our hopes and dreams. Always being true to His promise to make things new, we find Him busy restoring, renewing and refreshing us and others, even as we, in our human tendency to doubt His faithfulness, expect things to not go well or to not work out. Of course there are many situations that cannot be changed, but somehow God can restore what He was trying to do with us in them, and bring us to a fresh realization of His presence with us at that time and His ongoing commitment to work with us, our choices, and the decisions of others.

I have never forgotten the quote by an unknown author: "Our lives are shaped by those who love us, by those who refuse to love us." We can lament the latter truth, and rejoice in the former. It seems a timeless truth, but far above and beyond it is the timeless truth of God's abiding, faithful, intervening love for us, which shapes and moulds us, and leads us forth, through all our trials, into eternity with Him.

This Easter marks the fulfillment of plans we are making to revisit some scenes of hurt for me in my earlier adult life, alongside reconnecting with friends and enjoying a special tour to places unseen. For me it is extra special because the trip is across the ocean and back across several decades in time. As we planned the trip, I felt the Lord nudging me to make it a pilgrimage of revisitation, so that He could show me His resurrecting power. I have felt His guiding hand in the details, and have grown in joy as I see the results in my spirit.

In this process He has also resurrected the song I wrote about on July 23rd, 2008. It is also what I have chosen to sing as a solo at a special upcoming service. With the choosing and the singing come the remembrance of the occasion of hurt in which God spoke to me through the words of the song, reminding me of His call on my life, His commitment to the fulfillment of His purposes in my life as I would journey onward from that place and time, looking forward and not backward, not worrying about what others would think of me, but rather rejoicing in my place in Him.

I believe this song is for all of us who live and abide in Him. It is a song about the call of Jeremiah. We are called to a prophetic role in relation to this world, and we all feel so unable to fulfill it, so dependent on His strength and power. And that is how it will always be. Let us this Eastertide celebrate these truths in all our lives:

Oh the Word of My Lord (Song for a Young Prophet)

Chorus:
Oh the word of my Lord,
Deep within my being,
Oh the word of my Lord,
You have filled my mind.

Verse 1
Before I formed you in the womb
I knew you through and through
I chose you to be mine
Before you left your mother's side
I called to you my child
To be my sign

Verse 2
I know that you are very young
But I will make you strong
I'll fill you with My word
And you will travel through the land
Fulfilling My command
Which you have heard

Verse 3
And ev'rywhere you are to go
My hand will follow you
You will not be alone
In all the danger that you fear
You'll find Me very near
Your words My own

Verse 4
With all My strength
You will be filled
You will destroy and build
For that is My design
You will create and overthrow
Reap harvests I will sow
Your word is Mine

CCLI Song #740510
© 1978 Kevin Mayhew Ltd
Damian Lundy

joy in more kindergarten lessons

In my January basement cleaning I discovered a personal lesson to share, through listening to a radio program. It was short and simple and worth sharing. I offered it for www.whateverhesays.blogspot.com, and Belinda put it on the Wednesday slot, about walking with Him. I was honoured. After not writing something for their blog for so long, I hit the spot that suited me for this time! Here it is:

Getting the Stories Straight, Caring About the Details



by Meg

I listen to an interview on CBC radio as I clear the basement room and clean the floor. The producer of Slumdog Millionaire gives the real story about how the child actors from India were treated by their company. It sounds more than fair: wise, careful, insightful, culturally relevant, generous. I am convicted. I remember joining the chorus of critics and mentioning my concerns on a blog post last year the week after I,among millions, was very touched by this movie. Like so many people I assumed that the "information" I read was true...that there was unfair treatment, etc. The producer stated that their well thought out plans for present and future provision for these actors were all made before there was public outcry and inquiry into their welfare,before the movie won lots of oscars and made tons of money.

I thought of how many times I have been wounded by people not getting the story straight about me, to the point that I have learned to stop caring a lot of the time, or just to assume that it will happen that way. I recall our experience in Africa - being slandered and misunderstood, charged with false motivation and self- interest. Then I put it down to culture clash, jealousy, spiritual warfare. But it's often hard for me to remember how easy it is to do, how prone we all are to latching on to an impression, some hearsay, and then running with it. How often do we have the passion to get the whole story? How often in my life as a missionary was I guilty of a "smaller" version of the sins that were visited against us?

I ponder my future plans: to sit with others to hear their untold or mistold stories; to be the safe person who allows the unexpressed to be spoken, the trauma to be revealed, the hurt to be healed.

Jesus says that it is being faithful in little that counts. If we can't do it there, we can't be trusted with the big stuff.

I turn back to my floor clearing, picking up the little bits of stuff that could get in someone's shoe, finding missing pieces for some treasure yet to be discovered in the boxes still needing sorting. I am more than ever thankful for this humble, hidden task, and opportunity to pray, to ponder, to listen to the world talking on the radio.

In these later years of my life I am learning more kindergarten lessons. I expect it will continue til the day I die.