Introvert or Extrovert

I am an introvert, but I am not particularly shy or withdrawn. So many people equate shyness or stand-offishness with being an introvert. They are not the same.

Extroverts get their internal batteries recharged by being around others; they feed off the energy in the room and the stimulation of the situation. I imagine the recent lockdown was traumatic for them because when they are without stimulation for long periods, they get worn down and start getting anxious and depressed. Introverts are the opposite. Too much stimulation for long periods is wearing on our nerves. Anxiety and depression set in, and we have to get away. The lockdown was a relief. No more did I have to go to the office every day. I did not have to deal with the grocery store, meetings, or chance encounters. The only thing I missed during the shutdown was going to church. Meeting together with fellow believers and worshipping together. Thankfully we only missed four weeks. (One week was Resurrection Sunday, which was awful!).

I recently had houseguests for two weeks. It was wonderful to have them, and I would not have missed the opportunity for anything, but it was taxing. I never got to be alone and never fully recharged my batteries. It sounds terrible, but I was happy to drop them off and drive home alone. To have a bit of "me" time. That might sound selfish, but for an introvert, it is crucial to survival. My mom is the only person I can be around and still recharge. Perhaps it is because I do not feel like I have to be "on." 

We are fearfully and wonderfully made in the image of our Creator God (Ps 139:14; Gen. 1:27) . Whether we are extroverts or introverts, we are exactly how we are supposed to be created. It is astonishing how creative God is! Look at all the personality types in your family and circle of friends. How boring it would be if we were all alike. 

Of course, most of us fall in the middle of the introvert/extrovert spectrum. People who are constantly manic or reclusive are in danger of mental illness. God wants us to enjoy each other, but He also wants us to enjoy Him quietly. God gets our attention best when we are alone – look at Moses and the burning bush. Jacob in a wrestling match, or Jesus in the wilderness.

Introverts, understand that your more outgoing family and friends need stimulation to feel alive! They need to be around others and have activities planned. Extroverts, your loner friends want to go out and have fun too. However, they cannot work all week and go out on both weekend days. They need downtime to get charged for the new week.

Have grace with each other and enjoy the differences!

Heavenly Father,

Thank you for making each of us in Your image

yet so different from each other.

Help us to show mercy and grace to those

We might not understand.

Teach us, Lord

to come before you in quiet adoration and worship

and shouting joyful praise and thanksgiving

We love You and pray in Jesus name

Amen

Do unto others...

Do unto others as they do unto you.

Do unto others before they do unto you

Do unto others as you would have them do unto you

Over they years, I have heard all these versions of this familiar phrase, but what does it mean? Those connecting words, the conjunctions for your grammar nerds, are vitally important in the above examples.

Do unto others AS they do unto you keeps score. In some ways this can be kind and thoughtful. Sally was nice to me so I will be nice to her. John raked my yard so I will bake him a pie. Other ways it is mean and selfish. The green car cut me off so I am going to ensure they cannot get back in this lane. Johnny lied about me so I will spread gossip about him. Remember, Love does not keep a record of wrongs - 1 Corinthians 13:5. Leviticus 19:18 tells us not be bear any grudge but to love our neighbor as ourselves.  Keeping a record of rights can lead to the resentment also. See also the post titled Love is Fish Slime (Feb. 2021) for another example of love/service that does not expect anything in return. Doing unto others as they do unto you does not fit in the Christian worldview.

Do unto others BEFORE they do unto you, a slippery slope. Mary will need help with childcare next week. I am going to volunteer before she has to ask. Rick might say something bad about me, I will tell others about him first. Anticipating and acting on the needs of others can be a wonderful act of love and kindness. In this scenario we are reaching out with no expectation in return, or maybe we are expecting something in return. If I do XX then Jean will be obligated to do YY for me. Perhaps that person has bullied you in the past, so you are going to hit (physically or metamorphically) first. You must consider why you are doing something. Is it to garner glory for yourself, to gain points with God, or to truly be of service to others? Maybe it is ensuring the other person cannot hurt you or you are seeking revenge beforehand. Again, not a Christian worldview. 

Do unto others as you would have them do unto you (Luke 6:31). The NASB says to treat others the same way you want them to treat you. Even other religions and worldviews use this philosophy, they call it karma. Galatians 6:7 reminds us that it is deception to think we can mock God; we will reap what we sow. If we treat others with grace, dignity, and respect, that is what we will get in return. Perhaps not right away (did you expect glory and gratitude?) but Paul goes on in his letter to the Galatians and tells us that if we sow or cultivate things that are worldly that is what we will get in return. If we cultivate things of the Spirit, that is what we will reap.  We should not tire of doing good, in due time we will reap eternal life if we do not grow weary (Gal. 6:8-9). 

We are in the time of planting and sowing in Alaska. If I plant a tomato seed and expect to reap a cucumber, I will be sorely disappointed. If I plant an apple tree and expect fresh apple pie in the fall, I will be disappointed. Do not grow weary of doing good. God has marvelous things planned for His children. The apples you plant today might be gathered by another, but the tree will bear fruit. 

Lord, Heavenly Father

Sometimes it is difficult not to treat others like they treat me

Sometimes it seems impossible not to lash out or 

keep score.

Jesus, I praise You for loving me through all 

the times I have not been loving, for not keeping score!

Guide me especially when I grow weary, remind me that the harvest 

is coming and that which is sown, will be gathered together. 

Thank you for the ability to love others, to serve them according to Your Will.

In Jesus precious Name I pray, 

In Christ alone

Amen

Getting started

I feel adrift in my own life. No work, no school, no structure except that which I create for myself.  Have you ever wanted to do something, knowing it is God's will that you do that thing, but not know where to begin? 

Me too.

I lived in the Alaskan Bush for over 20 years. I have a lot of stories inside me, struggling to be free. I want to let them out to run free across the pages of a book. My struggle begins at the beginning - should this book be fact or fiction? If it is non-fiction, then it should be as true to life as possible, nothing embellished, and no literary license taken. In the immortal words of Joe Friday: Just the facts, ma'am. By my way of thinking, that could be summed up in one word. Boring!

So, I do not see an autobiography in my future. Remember, I lived that life; our adventures and trials were just part of living. We did the things we did because we had to; it was how we survived. It would be like someone writing a book about how they survived corporate life. One day was much like another, but combined, they were special, just like your life is to you and your family. 

That leaves fiction, or perhaps more accurately faction, fiction based on true-life events. Written in this genre would allow for more dialogue, embellishment, and combining several events into one or two to further the story. So that is what I will write...once I get started. 

Oh, that intimidating blank paper! How it is longing to be filled with symbols that represent letters, put together in such a way that they create words and phrases, morphing into sentences and paragraphs. Even better, morphing into something others want to read. 

I tried Once Upon a Time (for all the best stories thus begin), and, at the end of the page, a children's story had been written, then two, then three. In my mind's eye, I see illustrations for these stories, but I am not an artist. I showed them to several friends but heard nothing in return. Back to the beginning, starting again.

I often wonder how Paul got started. He was in prison, writing letters to friends most of the time. Not something I want to imitate, but he never forgot who his audience was or Who he was writing for; it was always to God's glory. 

So, I shall allot myself time each day to write/read/edit regardless of whether it will end on the cutting room floor or make it to print. I shall only wonder if the story is good enough once there is enough to be measured. I shall work to God's glory and forget my own.

Lord, Help me to always remember

that You are the Author of my life. You allowed me to 

live adventures that others cannot fathom. Guide my writing to Your glory and Honor.

Help me to show others Your power and Majesty as You

guided me through times of trial and times of plenty. 

In Jesus' name and in Christ alone,

Amen

Tolerance

 We hear a lot about tolerance these days. But what does that really mean?  

According to Webster (1828), it is the power or capacity of enduring; or the act of enduring. The Bible tells us that endurance is the ability to bear trials, have fortitude, persevere, and be patient. (Strong's 5278 ὑπομένω) 

According to Dictionary.com,  tolerance is a fair, respectful, and permissive attitude or policy toward people whose opinions, beliefs, practices, racial or ethnic origins, etc., differ from one's own or from those of the majority; freedom from bigotry and from an insistence on conformity.

These two definitions of the same word convey very different meanings. While both dictionaries use tolerance as a noun, Webster indicates tolerance is something to bear, and Dictionary.com points to practice. Historically to be tolerant was to endure. Now, one must not only show respect for but have a permissive attitude toward those with whom you disagree. 

Do we have the right to treat others with disrespect or bigotry because they are different or have contrary beliefs? In the words of the Apostle Paul; May it never be! Those with whom we disagree are children of God, as we are. God so loved my (drunkard, pothead, transgender, homosexual, adulterer, unsaved) neighbor that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him should not die but have eternal life. For God did not come into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. (John 3:16-17 NASB)

What about the "other side," you might ask. It seems like those yelling loudest and pushing hardest for tolerance are not being tolerant. Why don't they have to be tolerant of my beliefs or opinions? What about them respecting members of a different social group? From what I have read and seen, the answer is - no; they do not have to be tolerant because they see themselves as the oppressed in modern society. 

Does that mean that we, Christians, should fight fire with fire? Should we yell louder, hurl more insults, or dismiss others out of hand because they sin differently? May it never be! Our first responsibility is to pray for those who persecute us; we need to demonstrate the love of Christ to a fallen world. We cannot enable sin to continue in our midst. We can remove it from our lives and sphere, but we should replace it with love and compassion. 

Those trapped in sin are trying to fill the emptiness inside with something (drink, drugs, pornography, sex, fame) other than God. We will never reach those who are searching if we yell, demean, disrespect, or otherwise see a group rather than an individual. To our detriment, we have lost the art of agreeing to disagree, being able to tell someone that I cannot tolerate a particular behavior, but I can love you with the Love of Christ Jesus. We have to have relationships with people before they will see beyond the stereotype and see Jesus in us. James tells us twice that we will be blessed if we remain steadfast, or endure, under trials (James 1:12 and 5:11). 

Jesus cannot tolerate sin; God will not tolerate sin in His presence. When you have reached the end of your rope, and you are tempted to lash out against those not who are not tolerant, remember James. Let everyone be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Be doers of the Word, not hearers only (James 1:19-20, 22). 

Lord, guide my steps.

Help me to always be aware of Your love. Show me how to share 

Your love with those with whom I disagree, with those who do not know You yet.

Give me the wisdom and courage to love others as You love them. 

Keep me from falling into sin in the name of tolerance or getting along.

We cannot get along with sin but must love our neighbor as ourselves. 

Help me to find and stay in that balance.

In Christ alone

Amen

Perfectionism

God tells us in His word to be perfect even as He is perfect (Matt. 5:48), so I guess that means we have to be perfect, right? Wrong. This perfection is the result, not the process. God knows we are sinners, saved by His grace alone (Eph. 2:8), but He also expects us to grow in our Christian walk. 

Just as a child grows from infancy to toddlerhood and finally to adulthood, so we are to grow from salvation to perfection. The theological term is sanctification, and that is simply allowing God to work through us to bring us to spiritual maturity. We do not expect our children to have the skill or understanding beyond their maturity level, but we expect them to mature and acquire skills and knowledge.

It is the same with our Heavenly Father. Once we are born into His family, we are expected to be babes in the faith, longing for the pure milk of His Word (1 Pet. 2:2), but as we mature, we put aside childish things and begin to long for the meat of the word (Heb. 5:13-14). We want to dig deeper; we long to know the reason and the how behind the glorious promises He gave us. 

Interestingly, the same Greek word is translated as perfect and mature. Those who are spiritually mature will be perfected in Christ Jesus. They will be complete in Him and have moral maturity and character. Yes, even wisdom and discernment. Just as a child moves from a tricycle to a bicycle to a car, so we should move from simply reading stories to understanding the character and flaws of the people in the Bible. We should learn from the lessons they learned so we do not have to repeat them. 

A popular saying is, "Choose the hill you are willing to die on." In childishness or maturity, that hill will change. It is for the mature to help the children choose wisely. 

The mature Christian will understand that even though we are all one family, we will have disagreements. Those disagreements should be broken into two categories - heaven or hell issues and everything else. If the dispute is based on eternal destiny - the Deity of Jesus, for example- it is a hill worth dying on. If it is not eternally based - the method of baptism, for example, then we should learn from each other and perhaps change our perspective or agree to disagree. 

Heavenly Father,

Help me to maturity, guide my footsteps ever closer 

to you and your will in my life.

Please help me give grace to those with whom I disagree and

the wisdom to know when I need to review and revise my understanding.

Thank you for bringing me closer to the perfection found in Jesus Christ,

In Christ alone,

Amen

The Catalyst

 I have read the whole Bible through many, many times. I have a degree in Christian Studies and consider myself well-versed in Scripture. Yet, I was humbled and dumbfounded today. 

"But the chief priests planned to put Lazarus to death also; because on account of him, many of the Jews were going away and were believing in Jesus." John 12:10-11 NASB

Wait! What? The same people plotting to put Jesus to death wanted to put Lazarus to death too? Why had I not seen this in my previous readings? More importantly, why did they want Lazarus dead? After all, he was a village neighbor, a brother to Mary and Martha—a friend. 

This was the last straw, or sign if you will. The Jewish leadership knew the Messiah would be known by the miracles He would perform. Jesus had already caused the blind to see and the lame to walk. He had healed lepers, a woman who had an issuance of blood and even raised others from the dead. Why was Lazarus different?

The physicians and magicians of the day also performed some signs and wonders. The difference is Lazarus had been dead for four days. Not four minutes or hours so to claim he was not dead at all, but four days. If you have hunted or been around dead animals, you know they start to smell in a few hours. In four days, rotten flesh is rank; it seems like the odor permeates your clothing and even your very pores. So Lazarus was not just dead; he was rotting. 

The fact that Lazarus was alive proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that Jesus was the Messiah. Lazarus' sisters, Mary and Martha, other family and friends, and professional mourners witnessed Jesus' miracle. John writes that because of Lazarus, many came to believe in Jesus. The Jewish leadership was about to lose its power and prestige. Lazarus must also die - again.

John then goes directly into Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem on what we celebrate as Palm Sunday. I had not connected the raising of Lazarus and the triumphal entry so closely before. The two events were separated by two, maybe three weeks at the most. Lazrus' resurrection set into motion the rest of Jesus' earthy ministry. His hour had come. In less than a week, Jesus would be dead. 

Friends, life can shift in the blink of an eye. Events can change the focus of our lives in an instant. But, it does not have to be as dramatic as a friend raised from the dead. It can be a quiet phone call or a chance encounter with a stranger. Who will you turn to when life gets in the way of your plans? Turn to the One who is never surprised by circumstances. 

Lord God, Creator, and Sustainer,

 Someone is reading this who may not know you.

Or they might be caught in the circumstances of life. 

We all need You, Father. We need to know that You

hold the world, and our lives, together. 

The future does not surprise You or challenge You.

You knew Lazarus' resurrection would lead directly to the Cross

Yet you did not hold back. 

As we go into Holy Week, I praise you for your Mercy and Grace

I pray that all who do not know You will turn to You 

that they will find peace and comfort in Your arms.

In Christ alone

Amen

 

Just Write

I wrote the following a couple of years ago. I was having a moment while in school and not wanting to do what I needed to do. I have a much better idea of what the next thing in life is going to be. How it is going to play out, I still do not know. Perhaps one of you knows who I should talk to, who I should contact to learn the next step.

In the meantime, I will Just Write.

I am in school. As I write this, I have homework and studying that I could be (should be?) doing, but I choose to write instead. Just writing the previous sentence is funny because 75% of my homework is writing or researching my topics. The other 25% is reading. (ugh! research!)

I enjoy school; I should have pursued my degree many, many years ago. But sometimes, I just need a break. I need to put it aside for a few minutes and do something else, like simply writing. If I had gone back years ago, I doubt I would have pursued the degree I am earning now. I would have done something practical; business management or teaching. But I am earning a degree in Christian Studies. I do not know what God has in mind for me, but I want to use what I am learning for Him. 

I suppose this blog is the beginning of my dream job. To write. I want to write a story based on my life in the Bush. I want to write devotionals for people who need practical guidance. I want to write (and maybe teach?) Bible lessons for those who are not necessarily new believers but not old-timers. Maybe newer than older. I can explain difficult concepts in ways that can be understood by everyday people. People who do not necessarily speak "church."  

I have no idea how to earn a living doing any of that, though. I don't know how to get my words in front of people, let alone get them to buy them. God has it under control. He knows where He wants me, and He will direct my paths. 

Lord, thank you

 for those moments in life when we can set aside the “should” for the “want.”

Thank you for teaching us that our spirits need as much rest as our bodies.

I will learn to Trust You to guide my path

I will Trust You to show me to put myself aside and know Your will

Lord, guide my mind and my hand as I bring glory to You

With the skills You gave me.

In Christ alone

Amen