The Hero Lives!

And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.

Romans 8:11 

Our culture continually produces TV shows and movies about great adventures. They are usually stories of good vs. evil. The adventure recounts the journey of the good side defeating the dark side, usually through a hero. 

Everywhere I see the Christian story retold ... or at least longed for! We are inspired by a hero. We cheer him on and rejoice in his victories. We want and need a hero.

Christ's disciples had a Hero. They lived with him and watched him restore sight to the blind. They saw him free people from the prison of guilt and shame brought on by their sinful lives. They watched their Hero heal lepers in an instant and command paralytics to walk with a word. They sighed in relief while he calmed fierce storms and watched in awe while he walked on water. 

Some even saw him bring dead people back to life!

Through all these miracles, Jesus showed his authority over disease, sin, nature ... and even death. Whether we think he does or not, the creator of the world has complete authority over his creation. This includes you and me.

After years of Christianity, one day it all became real for me. A heartfelt prayer on my knees during a desperate time was answered. When I asked God if He was really real, He showed me His face. After years attending church, I met my Hero face to face and heart to heart. And in that precious moment I discovered something that changed my life.

He loves me!

He loves me, and He accepts and embraces me completely. As His Word promises, I asked and I received. I looked for Him and found Him. I knocked and the door to a full life was opened wide, never to be shut again!

Jesus Christ revealed Himself and I entered the greatest adventure of life--a life of getting to know the ultimate Hero in a personal way, every day, for the rest of my days. 

Thank You, Lord, for the joy of Easter! Thank You that I know You are alive because I've met You. Thank You that You are indeed real and You care deeply about this world and about me!

Thank you that as we seek You, we discover that You've been here all along, for You are a living God. Thank You, Lord, that Your love changes us, and that the closer we know You and experience Your love and acceptance, the more we want to live for You. 

Your plan, Lord, is perfect. Thank You that I am a part of it. Help me today to reveal Your glory in the world, for our broken and sinful world needs a Hero, one who can save, redeem, restore, and recreate. Thank You, Lord, that You make everything new and that, when we meet You and give our lives to You, the world's best adventure begins.

Have a blessed and joyful Easter rejoicing in what God has done! 

Dr Mari

For more on the miracle of Easter, read He Is Risen! So What Does That Mean To you and Me?

But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. 
1 Corinthians 15:20-22 

 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you."
Matthew 7:7

But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.
John 3:21

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!

2 Corinthians 5:17 

I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.

Ephesians 4:1

It's Friday ... but Sunday's Coming!

Yesterday was my favorite day in the church's calendar year — Maundy Thursday. We set aside this day to remember what happened the day before Jesus died. We remember the humility and vulnerability of Jesus wrapping a towel around His waist and stooping down to wash His disciples' feet. We remember the command He gave us on the night He was betrayed — to love one another. 

I've often wondered ... did any of them get up and offer to wash His feet? Probably not. They were likely too stunned to think of that.

With clean, fresh feet, the disciples then enjoyed one last meal with their Rabbi, though they didn't comprehend the depth of what was taking place. In the Last Supper, Jesus shared with His disciples a heavenly secret they'd not grasp until later, after His resurrection. Jesus would leave behind a way to abide in each of them (and us!) in the mystery of the Eucharist.

After these moving acts of grace that were so packed with meaning, Jesus went to Gethsemane to engage the forces of evil in an unequaled spiritual battle. Through agonizing prayers, Jesus gave up His will entirely to His Father, reminding us that the victory against temptation begins in the mind and heart and is fueled by prayerful surrender to God. 

Yes, Jesus would go to the Cross for you and me. Why? Jesus deemed us worthy! 

The perfect, blameless One would give up His life for broken, imperfect, sinning you and me.

The spotless Lamb of God would fall so that this fallen race could rise.

Nothing in all of life reveals our exceeding worth as human beings like the fact that Jesus Christ, the Son of God and God Himself, would choose to give His life for each of us. 

This certainty fills me with the desire to give my life for Him, becoming a living sacrifice like Him.

This knowledge makes me want to live a life worthy of Christ's great sacrifice.

And, thankfully, the Spirit that comes to live within me as I receive Christ's sacrifice on my behalf enables me to live a life worthy of His sacrifice. As John 14:18 assures us, He did not leave us as orphans, but He left His Spirit to empower us to live for Him.

I can only imagine what it must have been like for Jesus' disciples to suddenly see Him hanging on the Cross He freely chose. This short video brings it home and points to the Hope of Easter. Before you go watch it, ponder this great truth with me:

Jesus thinks you're worthy of His death. 

How does this change you?

Worthy!
Dr Mari

For if, by the trespass of the one man (Adam), death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ! 

Romans 5:16-18

 

God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 

2 Corinthians 5:20-21

But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him.

Philippians 3:7-9 

For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Colossians 1:9-14 

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.  

Romans 12:1-3

As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him—you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house.

1 Peter 2:4-5

For more Lent reflections, read What's So Good About Good Friday?

Inspiration for Today: The Importance of Yielding

"We cannot be filled with the Spirit until we are prepared to yield ourselves to be led by the Lord Jesus — to forsake and sacrifice everything for this pearl of great price." 

(Andrew Murray)

Yield. There's an unloved word. It means to relinquish. To give up, as to superior power or authority. To surrender.

Any volunteers?

Counter-intuitive and difficult as it is, yielding our wants and desires is a path to life — the abundant life Christ offers.

As we yield, we give up our right to forge our own path. We step aside to let Another lead. And as we surrender the illusion of control over our lives and destinies, we discover a freedom previously not even accessible to the self-centered, self-actualizing existence.

Yielding involves forsaking and sacrifice — no doubt about it. But the pearl of great price is more than worth it!

Yield!
Dr Mari

Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy.”

1 Peter 1:13-16

Ash Wednesday Reflection: You Are Perfect ... Really?

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—His good, pleasing and perfect will. 
(Romans 12:2)

Today is Ash Wednesday. As we begin a journey to a deeper understanding of and closeness with Jesus, here's a great mystery to ponder about what he accomplished on the cross, “For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy” (Hebrews 10:14).

I don’t know about you but, when I look at my life, I don't see perfection at all. Yet, the Word tells us that we have been made perfect, even as we are “being made holy.” 

Really?

When we look at our lives, we see neither perfection nor complete holiness. We see victories and brokenness; we see mistakes and success. We see our humanity. And, though at times we feel redeemed, we don’t always act like it.

Yet, by God’s grace, the reality of our lives as Christians is redemption, restoration, and growth in holiness. It is impossible to stay with Christ and remain unchanged. It is not possible to behold Christ’s holiness and continue to willfully sin. The Holy Spirit living in us is always at work, as it was in Jesus. Jesus’ presence changes us—we begin to crave his righteousness. God’s promise of maturity in Christ is accomplished in us as we stay close to him.

Our destiny in Christ is not one of doom, gloom, and persistent sinning. Our destiny in Christ is to mature in him and grow in holiness. 

If we’ve been stuck in a rut feeling like we can never do what God calls us to do, our thinking needs to change. We need to fill our minds with the truth of God’s Word, which reminds us that we are not our own, we were bought with a price, and God’s plan for us is good. 

Lent is a wonderful time to dwell in God's Word daily as a new spiritual discipline. Reading the Bible helps us not conform to the pattern of this world, which can so quickly become our default in life. God's Word renews our minds and transforms us, making us more and more like Jesus. God’s Truth empowers us to surrender to His perfect will—like Jesus did. And His will is that we should be holy.
    

Ponder with me: Are you resisting God's will to make you holy in a particular area? Why?

Pray with me: Heavenly Father, strengthen me with power through Your Spirit, so that Christ may dwell in my heart through faith (Ephesians 3:16-17), and help me grow in holiness.

Have a blessed and meaningful Lent, 
Dr Mari 

This excerpt was adapted from my study of the book of Hebrews (The Radiance of God's Glory) published by Bible Reading Fellowship in the current edition of The Journey.

Risen ... That We May Live!

Here is Luke's breathtaking account of the resurrection of Jesus, the Christ:

On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, 

“Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; He has risen! 
Remember how He told you, while He was still with you in Galilee: 
‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified 
and on the third day be raised again.’”  

Then they remembered His words.
 
When they came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the Eleven and to all the others. It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the others with them who told this to the apostles. But they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense. Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. Bending over, he saw the strips of linen lying by themselves, and he went away, wondering to himself what had happened.

Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus Himself came up and walked along with them; but they were kept from recognizing Him.
 
He asked them, “What are you discussing together as you walk along?”

They stood still, their faces downcast. One of them, named Cleopas, asked Him, “Are You the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?”

“What things?” He asked.

“About Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. The chief priests and our rulers handed Him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified Him; but we had hoped that He was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning but didn’t find His body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said He was alive. Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but they did not see Jesus.”

He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter His glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning Himself.

As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus continued on as if He were going farther. But they urged Him strongly, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.” So He went in to stay with them.

When He was at the table with them, He took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized Him, and He disappeared from their sight. They asked each other, 

“Were not our hearts burning within us while He talked with us on the road 

and opened the Scriptures to us?”

They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together and saying, “It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.” Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when He broke the bread.

While they were still talking about this, Jesus Himself stood among them and said to them,  

“Peace be with you.”

 
They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? Look at My hands and My feet. It is I myself! Touch Me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.”

When He had said this, He showed them His hands and feet. And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, He asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?” They gave Him a piece of broiled fish, and He took it and ate it in their presence.

He said to them, 

“This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled 

that is written about Me 

in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.”

Then He opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.  

He told them, “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. I am going to send you what My Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”

When He had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, He lifted up His hands and blessed them. While He was blessing them, He left them and was taken up into heaven. Then they worshiped Him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God. (Luke 24:1-53, emphasis added)

May the Lord Jesus Christ open our minds and hearts to understand, believe, and receive these words, letting this Truth change us forever. He IS risen, indeed! Jesus lives, that we may have Life! Hallelujah!

Believe!
Dr Mari 

For more on the joy of Easter, read He is Risen! So What Does that Mean to You and Me? 

What's So Good About Good Friday?

One of my most vivid childhood memories involves Good Friday. In the beautiful island of Puerto Rico, Good Friday was always a quiet, reflective day. Everything stopped. Stores were predictably closed--from gas stations to grocery stores. Even the malls closed their doors! Everyone stayed home out of reverence for Christ.

Why is such reverence due a man who lived two thousand years ago? And what is so good about Good Friday?

The Gospel according to John ends with these words, "Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written" (John 21:25). This is how I feel as I ponder these questions. What I've learned about Christ over the years leaves me thirsty for more and, yet, fully satisfied. It is a precious paradox!

I have a few thoughts today about the One who's changed my life and heart and continues to transform my mind.

Born of a virgin in a lowly place, though a King. (He melts our pride with humility.)
Born into darkness yet called the Light of the world. (He can see right through the thick darkness of sin.)
Despised and rejected yet full of mercy, forgiveness, and grace. (He knows every human emotion and meets every need.)
His goodness and love were repaid on a lonely Cross--willingly chosen. (He knows all about sacrifice.)
Killed like a criminal yet called the Prince of Peace. (His sword is Truth and pierces every lie.)
Even from the Cross, He spoke forgiveness unto His accusers. (He is the definition of Grace.)
Also from the Cross, feeling forsaken, He trusted His Father and gave up His spirit. (His courage and faith can become ours.)
Risen on the third day, He lives on ... and spurs us on to higher living. (His plans for us are great.)
Not leaving us as orphans, He promises the Holy Spirit will fill us (if, having repented, we ask) and guide us into all truth. (His wisdom can become ours.)
Through the Spirit, He lives in us. (He supplies the power needed to live for Him.)
Because He lives, we can have eternal life. (We get to be with the author of life, love, and every good thing forever!)

The prophet Isaiah spoke about Jesus' sacrifice hundreds of years before Jesus walked the earth. About this awaited Messiah, the Christ, he said,

He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to Him, 

nothing in His appearance that we should desire Him.

He was despised and rejected by mankind,

a man of suffering, and familiar with pain....

Surely He took up our pain and bore our suffering....

But He was pierced for our transgressions,
He was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on Him,
and by His wounds we are healed.
(Isaiah 53:2-5)

By His wounds, we are healed. This is exceedingly good news! It means there is hope for us. There is hope for sinful man. For you and me. 

If Jesus died for the forgiveness of our sins, the price has been paid in full. His death and resurrection have set us free. We've been given a second chance. This isn't just a good Friday. This day should be called Breathtaking Friday. Astonishing Friday. Life-changing, mountain-moving, evil-defeating, satan-squashing, death-conquering Friday!

Jesus has the last word. His death and resurrection opened the door to Life. Eternal life! 

As we get ready to celebrate Easter, let us thank the Lord for His sacrifice on the Cross. Let us recommit to give our all to the One who gave everything for us. And let us receive His love and grace with open hands and hearts, that we may love others as He loves us--with mercy, with forgiveness, with grace.

He lives!

Dr Mari

Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God. (2 Corinthians 7:1)

And God placed all things under His feet and appointed Him to be head over everything for the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills everything in every way. (Ephesians 1:22-23)

For more on the joy of Easter, read He is Risen! So What Does that Mean to You and Me?

He Is Risen! So What Does That Mean to You and Me?

These words from Hillsong United's song The Stand summarize the response of a heart touched by God's grace, 

"So what can I say, what can I do, 

but offer this heart, O God, 

completely to You."

When Jesus died on the cross, eternal life was made available to all. His sacrifice was perfect. His self-giving love unmatched. 2 Timothy 1:10 tells us that, on the cross, Jesus "destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel." In 1 Corinthians 15:26, the apostle Paul calls death "the last enemy to be destroyed." What Jesus did for you and me on the cross impacts everything. His unequaled sacrifice deserves a response.

As I reflect on the depth of Christ's love,  Paul's prayer to the believers in Ephesus intrigues me,

"I pray that out of His glorious riches 

He may strengthen you with power 

through His Spirit in your inner being, 

so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. 

And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 

may have power, 

together with all the saints, 

to grasp how wide and long and high and deep 

is the love of Christ, 

and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—

that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God."

(Ephesians 3:16-19)

According to Paul, we need power to grasp Christ's love for us! Perhaps he means that, if we grasped it fully, it would blow us away. We couldn't take it. If we could assimilate the magnitude of Christ's love, it would surpass every experience we've ever had and all the knowledge an eternity of books could hold.

Christ's love is a river of mercy and grace - precisely what we need most! Because of His sacrifice on that lonely cross two thousand years ago we can live free from the grip of sin and safe from the power of death. Christ's love is stronger than death itself. And His love endures. His love never fails (1 Corinthians 13:8). His love never ends (Psalm 106:1).

So what can I say to that? And what can I do? I can give Him this thankful heart - completely, surrendering all to the One who is trustworthy and good.

When I open my heart to Christ's river of mercy and grace - by the Spirit - His enduring love pours in like a flood. When I say yes, He moves in. Even death could not hold Him and, since He now lives in me, that means death cannot hold me. That means sin has lost its grip on me. That means I have a new life.

Indeed, when I say yes to Him, I am born again!

Jesus is risen! With Him and because of Him, we can rise and walk out of every grave unto new life. "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" (2 Corinthians 5:17)

Because of what He has done, I am a new creation! Alive. Made new. Loved.

And so are you.

He is Risen, that we may have life! Hallelujah!

May we all have a blessed and meaningful Easter celebrating our Savior and our Lord!
Dr Mari

For more Holy Week reflections, read What's So Good About Good Friday?

Hope Flies Despite Broken Wings! (Part III - Transformation Series)

It is 3 o'clock on Good Friday as I remember Jesus' ultimate act of trust of his Father and his unimaginable love for us. After suffering anguish on the cross for hours, Jesus gave up his spirit with the words, It is finished (John 19:30). The work he came to do was done; he gave his life that we might live. 

To celebrate the freedom Jesus died to bring us, today we released the butterflies we've befriended over the last three weeks. The kids unzipped the roof of the habitat and, after about twenty seconds, the first butterfly flew straight toward us. Another landed on our plumbago bush, a third one headed for the roof of our house and the fourth chose to visit our neighbor's yard. 

And then there was the fifth butterfly — the one that captured our hearts. We named her Hope.

Having fallen during the critical chrysalis phase, Hope's transformation wasn't quite normal. As this butterfly emerged from its pupal stage, part of the chrysalis adhered to its left wing. Though it seemed to fly normally in the habitat where we studied them, we wondered whether she'd fly well enough to survive out in the real world. She looked like a pilot ejected from her plane, backpack in place, ready to let out the chute. 

I was able to remove some of the chrysalis off the wing with a pair of tweezers last week, and just two days ago I noticed the rest of it had fallen off. Still, having a chrysalis stuck to it affected her wing development. Hope has no back wing on the left side at all.

Notice Hope's missing back left wing.

So we released our five winged friends, but Hope stayed behind, as if she, too, was unsure how things would go outside the safety of her home. But after about three minutes, her wings began to flutter, resembling a hummingbird flapping rapidly in place. And, then, without warning, Hope soared toward a nearby live oak and sat on a leaf. As we approached her in awe of her first long flight, she flew down and rested on the ground, right in front of us, long enough for me to snap this shot.

We were thrilled to see that she can fly, and well. She flew high, like the others, and seemed able to do so without any trouble. Hope can fly despite her broken wing.

I once read that bumblebees defy the laws of aerodynamics and that, based on their shape and the size and weight of their wings, they should not be able to fly. Yet, they do, much like Hope with her broken wing. Some things just don't make sense, but our inability to understand the "how" doesn't change the fact of the "what." Hope can fly, and so can the bumblebee, and that's that.
 
On this Good Friday, we remember the greatest act in history. Jesus came as an innocent child and lived a sinless life. He healed the sick, taught about God's kingdom, and showed us what love really means. After a lifetime spent serving others and caring for the needy, the hurt, and the broken, he was repaid on a lonely cross. He chose this path willingly, and he did it out of love.

His love is the source of our hope, and this is why. Jesus ... was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. (Isaiah 53:5, emphasis added) 

Our broken wings are no surprise to God. He knew we needed mending; that's why He sent Jesus. And it is by his wounds that we are healed, that we may live in freedom and help others heal from their brokenness. We may not understand this, but that doesn't change the fact that he did this out of love for each of us. 

As we contemplate Jesus' unending love, we can rejoice in our brokenness and release it unto him, the One who is able to help us fly despite our broken wings.

Be free!
Dr Mari

* For more of this series on transformation, read Be Still and Know for Part I, Baggage-free Flying for Part II, and A Favorite Christmas Gift ... Insects! for Part IV. * 

Baggage-free Flying (Part II - Transformation Series)

It is day twelve of our butterfly watch. For several days we've observed these creatures in their pupal stage, where they hang upside down in perfect stillness as they wait to become butterflies. Sadly, only two of them ended up hanging. During the transfer to their habitat, three of the chrysalids fell. Yes, I dropped them, and felt pretty bad about it for days.

Two chrysalids house hopeful butterflies.

So we wondered, will they all make it?
Will the fallen ones survive?

It turns out they all have. They're alive and well, sipping sugar water and fluttering by as we contemplate their transformed bodies. Only one of them seems to have a problem. As the butterfly emerged from its chrysalid, part of its interim home adhered to one of its wings, which curled up on itself. The doctor in me wanted to intervene right away, but I decided to wait and see whether its own wing pumping motion would make it detach. It didn't.

So I thought, How sad. Butterflies aren't meant to hop like bunnies. They are meant to soar, to fly! They are symbols of freedom, after all. Imagine flying with a curled up wing and a permanent knapsack on your back.

As I searched for my tweezers, I thought of how some people are walking through life with all kinds of baggage on their backs. Must be tough to make progress when you're the one holding yourself back.

I found my forceps and grabbed on to my unsuspecting patient's chrysalid. As the butterfly took off, most of its old home broke off, and I noticed she did fly. She flew! I was ecstatic to see that her wings work, though I still wonder how she'll do when we let her go.

The whole experience lends itself to some great reflections. How many of us, though equipped with wings, are hopping around like bunnies or, worse, still crawling the ground like caterpillars? Do we want to fly but refuse to remove the heavy loads weighing down our wings? Are there some who have tried to help us but we've refused to receive their help, perhaps out of pride or even fearing the very freedom we long for? What could we become if we let them help us drop our load?

And have we sat long enough - gaining wisdom through trials - allowing our wings to dry before we take off again? Or do we move from one thing to the next without any time devoted to reflection and learning from past mistakes?

One of my favorite Bible verses comes from Galatians 5:1, where Paul exclaims, It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. Later on, Paul explains the purpose of our freedom, You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. (Galatians 5:13)

We have not been given wings to sit around, to crawl the ground, to wait for someone else to do what we've been called to do. We have been given wings that we may soar to new heights, trusting that the One who put us here and cares for us through each transformation of life will remain with us at every new place to which we're called. And when we travel there, we have one purpose. 

We've been set free to love.

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.

Our freedom comes with boundaries, and with a purpose. So let us be free.

Free to live abundantly. Free to serve. To give and to receive. To love.

Be free!
Dr Mari

* See Be Still and Know for Part I of this series, Hope Flies Despite Broken Wings! for Part III, and A Favorite Christmas Gift ... Insects! for Part IV. *

Be Still and Know (Part I - Transformation Series)

This week about thirty larvae arrived in the mail. Weird as it sounds, I actually ordered some insects to be delivered to our home. It's the best science experiment, and an inspiring visual life lesson. Over the next three weeks, my kids will care for these vulnerable creatures until they grow and become butterflies and ladybugs. Though they arrived as earth-bound crawlers, they will soon have wings and take flight, leaving the safety of their tiny home for a world unexplored.

Imagine that! From crawling the ground to flying ... what a transformation!

...to winged butterfly!

From earth-bound crawler...

I love to recognize that it is even possible for a creature to change in such fundamental ways. For now, these critters are mostly about one thing: eating! They eat, they rest, and in almost perfect stillness, they grow. These first three days they've been so still that we've often wondered if they're alive, but they are. They apparently need to be still, and they seem adept at listening to their body's needs. As they grow, they rest. They have no problem being still.

Humans are a different story. Inner stillness can be such a challenge for us in the 21st century. We are so complex, so sophisticated. We are technologically advanced, and we wants things now! We are very good at the moving part and the eating part, but we're awful at any kind of waiting and inner stillness. And it's a shame, because God often speaks to us precisely as we become still. 

The prophet Elijah experienced this. When he tried to escape the world and hid in a cave, he did not hear God's voice in the wind, in an earthquake or in the power of fire. God's voice came to Elijah as a "gentle whisper." And as soon as he recognized God's voice, things began to turn around for the prophet, who gained a fresh understanding of his purpose and God's sovereignty. (1 Kings 19)

Psalm 46:10 says, Be still and know that I AM God. Elijah's experience teaches us that we must be attentive to God's voice and careful to seek silence and stillness, that we may hear God's gentle whispers. 

So here's the question for us. Do we have the humility to learn — even from crawling critters — to be still, to rest, to wait? If we do, perhaps we, too, will go through our own transformation. Perhaps we, too, will be given our own set of wings.

Rest in Him,

Dr Mari 

* Go to Baggage-free Flying for Part II of this series, Hope Flies Despite Broken Wings! for Part III, and A Favorite Christmas Gift ... Insects! for Part IV. *