Linking Up

Smile – You’re Rebuilt, Restored, Reestablished

March 8, 2017

Important Work

I know it’s wrong, but I really envy my husband. He’s a dentist and everyday he gets to help people. What he does isn’t like what I do—he’s not washing another load of clothes, grocery shopping, correcting someone’s 1000-word essay, or delivering that same someone, or their sibling, to piano/tennis/guitar/martial arts lessons (again).

He tells me—all the time—that my job is really important, and I get it. I know what he means. I do the job that lets everyone else pursue their purpose. To paraphrase the theme song from an old chick-flick, “I am the wind beneath their wings.” But doing the same mundane things, day in and day out, can feel very purposeless. Some days I find myself longing for more, for a different kind of work.

There are jobs that give you the opportunity to make great changes in someone else’s life.

Smile Ministry

Sometimes my hubby rescues a patient from tooth pain that has been keeping them awake at night. Other times he gives them the opportunity to eat normally, for the first time in years. His work can relieve debilitating headaches or facial pain. He has even had the opportunity to diagnose other disorders like diabetes, fibromyalgia, sleep apnea, and oral cancer.

Did you know that “an estimated 164 million work hours are lost each year due to oral disease”? (ADA.org) That’s a lot of oral disease! Many people dread going to the dentist, but when you really need one, you are thankful to find a good one, like my husband.

When he finishes restoring someone’s smile, Scott likes to take an “after” picture that can be compared to the one taken before treatment. The picture at the top of this post is from a case that he completed while he was still in the Air Force. The patient had some congenitally missing lateral incisors (two of her front teeth had never formed). She’d had big gaps in the front of her mouth for her whole life. Until he placed a bridge to hold the crowns that he’d stained to perfectly and naturally match her other teeth, she had never had a normal smile.

oxforddictionaries.com

For Scott, one of the most rewarding tasks he can do is teaching someone how to smile. Some people have hidden their teeth for most of their lives. When they try to smile, their lips won’t part or they cover their mouths with their hands. When people have lived like that, ashamed of their appearance, for so long, they don’t know what it feels like to smile naturally. He has to show them, while they hold a hand mirror, how to work their facial muscles and part their lips to form a smile. What a profound privilege—to teach someone how to smile.

Smile Restoration

How many of us need a different kind of smile restoration?

Is your smile broken? Jesus is called the Great Physician, but in some ways He is very much like a dentist. In our hearts, He removes decay, restores function, and creates beauty. Sometimes He has to teach us how to smile. And like a dentist, Jesus does custom work. He doesn’t make one-size-fits-all smiles. In the same way that no two mouths are exactly alike, no two people are exactly alike. We each need the personal and individualized approach of Jesus, who said:

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives
and recovering of sight to the blind,
to set at liberty those who are oppressed,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.

Luke 4:18-19

Do you feel like you’ve lost your smile? Is heartache keeping you awake at night? Are you stuck in the middle place, waiting for restoration? Remember that Jesus is always working in the middle, for our good, and remember that He’s a finisher (Romans 8:28; Hebrews 12:2). He will accomplish what He has set out to do, in us, in His time. Jesus is God’s promise to love us, come to life.

Jesus is there with you, right now, in the middle.

Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me;
You will stretch forth Your hand against the wrath of my enemies,
And Your right hand will save me.
The Lord will accomplish what concerns me;
Your lovingkindness, O Lord, is everlasting…

Psalm 138:7-8, NASB

During Lent: We Celebrate the Waiting

March 1, 2017

THE WAITING

–The Before–
The now and the not yet,
The in between.
WAIT.
The what is and what is to come.
The HOPE.
WAIT.
For a “winter dead,”
ITS GREAT THAW.
The cold barren ground
WAITS.
UNTO SOMETHING other,
UNTO ITS UNDOING.
WAIT.
An AFTER:
A yielding of hard earth to tender stem
Unto a “Greenest Gown.”
Hope upon dead earth
Coming up green,
Out of what was,
To what is and is to come.
The unfolding of trumpets
To herald the SON.
HE IS COMING!
All the earth will bow
And the great winter will be dead.

The pictures and the poem above are by my new friend Sissy, an artist with a passion for God and His Word. Her poem was inspired by A.A. Milne’s Daffodowndilly.

On Ash Wednesday, the earth has been waiting for Spring. This time of year, we see the daffodil, echoing Christ’s power over sin and death, pushing aside suffocating dirt, bringing life and beauty, ushering in a new season. Jesus raised Himself from the grave, up from the depths of earth. This miraculous show of power and authority foreshadows His Second Coming, when He will return to raise us up from this place of sin and death, forever. There will be a new heaven and a new earth.

For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17).

Waiting, in the Middle

Lent is definitely all about life in the middle; it’s a time of looking back, remembering. Lent is also a time of looking forward, to the triumph of Christ.

As we exist in the waiting — in the middle — we hope. And our hope is not in vain, knowing that Jesus has gone before us, has made the way clear for us, is making a place for us, and will return to bring us to our new home in heaven. When we are united with God there, we will be made perfect — that is, we will be complete in every way.

Where we are going there will be no more sorrow or tears, no more pain or death. This is gospel—good news. So, here in the muck and mire, we wait with hope, because we know the ending. We know that Jesus makes life out of death.

Sissy Boone is a daddy’s girl, but not a girly girl. She’s more comfortable with paint on her hands than fingernail polish. She breathes God’s Word in deeply and always wants more. She’s fiercely passionate about her kids—ages 17, 19, and 20. Sissy loves: all things horses, boots, and barns. Football, beer, and coffee. Trees, fire, and rain. She says, “I’d rather be lost in the woods than laying on the beach. I’d rather have a steak than a salad, a great book over a movie, and the messy creative process of art over the finished piece.” Sissy is a maker who works in acrylic paint and watercolor, inspired by nature and the deep things of God. In Birmingham, you can find her art at The Neighborhood Brew and she often paints live at Christ Church UMC. Sissy is currently building a website to better share her art with you.

Broken for You

March 23, 2016

This is the last post of Lent 2016. This project has been such a pleasure! I hope you will join us next year and each year after, as we meet in the middle here, during Lent.

His Body was Broken for You

This is Holy Week — the time when Christians commemorate the week leading up to the crucifixion, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ — when He was broken for you and for me. Here at the Meet Me in the Middle Project we have been thinking of how the in-between times, the times of waiting, point to this important event.

Life is full of waiting. The Bible is full of waiting too. The people of Israel were waiting for a Messiah. Jesus was waiting to fulfill the prophecies. His disciples were waiting for His Kingdom to come in power and glory. The Pharisees and religious leaders were waiting for a chance to discredit Him and, finally, to kill Him. After His body was placed in the tomb, the women were waiting to anoint His dead body properly. And God was waiting for just the right time to demonstrate His love and power by creating the most unlikely solution to the problem of sin and death.

So often, we want to rush ahead of the waiting. We often hate “the middle.” I know I do. Right now, our family is at a crossroads. My husband will soon leave military life and enter the civilian world. In a few months, we will be leaving the home we have known for the last four years and settling in a new place. Our hearts are feeling restless to move on, but our bodies are still here. Some days, this in-between time feels excruciating.

Maybe someone you love has a difficult diagnosis? This is painful too. We don’t like having that “stuck” feeling because we want everything healed, fixed, and resolved, especially for the people we love. And when the diagnosis won’t come, or the healing is slow, or the illness isn’t ever going to resolve, we feel so helpless.

Some of you might be at home with little ones, wishing you could get past diapers and sleep schedules. Some of you might be aching just to hold your own little one, but your body won’t obey your orders or respect your wishes. Some of you might be looking for a special someone to share your life with, but you keep coming up empty. Often, where we find ourselves waiting is the last place we want to be.

How can we hold on to hope when the waiting goes long?

I know the answer and yet, at the same time, I don’t. I know the Truth, but I haven’t yet figured out how to stay there, peacefully. The Truth is a great encouragement nonetheless: all the threads of waiting are tied together, in Jesus.

The Arrival of Jesus is Always on Time

If we are packing the groceries in the car, the last thing we want to do is break an egg. Yet, as they say, we can’t have an omelette without breaking a few eggs.

There are times when brokenness is ordained.

Jesus was called to be broken for us. We are called to be broken for Him. And living in a fallen world means that brokenness here on earth is inevitable. In fact, God does His best work among the broken — that’s where He can just. plain. show. off. Because nothing is broken by chance. Nothing is broken without purpose. God is always working to fulfill His great and wonderful plan, on our behalf.

Easter reminds us that God is constantly ready to surprise us with His plans and His abilities to fulfill them. Are you feeling broken? Don’t worry, that means that you are poised and prepared to become what He intends for you to be.

I’m sharing this post at Kristin’s Three Word Wednesday:

Meeting Jesus in Marriage

March 16, 2016

I was blessed to attend the wedding of this sweet newlywed couple, my niece and nephew, Caitlyn and Jace. Theirs was one of the loveliest ceremonies that I have ever attended! The family support was evident, the pastor’s sermon was phenomenal, and the love between these two was palpable. With their commitment to Christ front and center, we really did see two become one, just as it should be, and I am grateful to have been there.

‘Praise the Lord! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns. Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure’— for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.

And the angel said to me, ‘Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.’ And he said to me, ‘These are the true words of God.’

Rev 19:6a-9, ESV

Marriage is symbolic of our life in Christ. John the Baptist called Him “the Bridegroom” (John 3:22-30) and in Revelation 19 we hear that He is “Faithful and True” (Revelation 19:11). We are told to cleave to Christ, as a bride to a groom, forsaking all others for Him (Luke 14:25-33). In coming together with Jesus, we are one in the Spirit (1 Cor 6:17). And in the light of eternity, the Second Coming of Jesus is portrayed as a great marriage feast, where He returns to consummate His relationship with His Bride, the Church (Rev 19:6-10).

Jesus is not just a king; he is a betrothed King—an engaged King. And soon he will be a married King. His betrothed bride is the people of God—the people who trust him, elect from every race and nation, the church. He came the first time 2,000 years ago to die for his bride—to pay a dowry, as it were, with his own blood. And he will come a second time to marry her and take us—his church—into the gardens and the chambers of his love and joy forever.

—John Piper

Meeting Jesus in Marriage

God gave marriage as a sign to point to relationship with Christ (Eph 5:22-32). But earthly marriages? Some give an amazing witness to the faithfulness of God and the love of Christ. But many don’t reflect accurately the relationship we are to have with Christ. Marriage can be a reminder of the brokenness of this world. Like trying to peer into a cracked mirror, relationships here on earth can distort the view of Jesus. When we look for Jesus in marriage, sometimes He is hard to see.

What does it mean when your marriage isn’t the perfect picture of relationship with Christ? How can we meet Jesus in the middle of a mess?

It’s easy to get discouraged when conflict with another person brings out the worst in you or when they let you down. But the Lord is so amazing — in every circumstance, He is always at work. So, we can see Him reflected in wonderful marriages, but if we look closely, we can see Him reflected in difficult marriages, too. Here’s how:

Difficult relationships humble us, which makes us more like Jesus, who was humble (Phil 2:1-11).
Sometimes those closest to us can try our patience, and in doing so they provide excellent opportunity for growth (James 1:1-4).
Feeling at our wits end over a spouse? This reminds us to rely on the strength of Christ, rather than our own (Phil 4:13).

The Lord is always at work, redeeming and refining. If times are hard, it can also be hard to see Jesus working, but He is. Some people meet Jesus in their singleness. And others fulfill God’s plan by meeting Jesus in marriage.

The truth is that all of our relationships are a gift from the Lord, even the tough ones (James 1:17). And God does not hand out one-size-fits-all gifts — He gives us exactly what we need, so we can be grateful to the Father for every gift/person (spouse, child, sibling, parent, friend, co-worker) that He brings into our lives (1 Thess 5:18).

As a footnote, thank you to Caitlyn and Jace for sharing their pictures with us. It was wonderful to be in attendance at the wedding of this young couple. The love and joy that Jace expressed toward Caitlyn reminded me of the way that Jesus loves and enjoys us.

I’m sharing this post at Kristin’s Three Word Wednesday:

He fills my life with good things

March 9, 2016

The Lord's plan is to fill our lives with good. Sometimes the good things are sweet, sometimes the Lord's plans for us might seem bitter. What if we...

Thank you to Liz’s Goodies for the pictures for this wonderful before & After collage!

He fills my life with good things…

Let all that I am praise the Lord;
with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name.
Let all that I am praise the Lord;
may I never forget the good things he does for me.
He forgives all my sins
and heals all my diseases.
He redeems me from death
and crowns me with love and tender mercies.
He fills my life with good things.
My youth is renewed like the eagle’s!

Psalm 103:1-5, NLT

I met Liz through my friend Tracy who is always talking about her. No wonder. Liz is a homeschool mom who has created a business that serves as a creative outlet, a second income, a ministry to others, and an enrichment for her entire family. Liz is an amazing baker, but Liz’s Goodies is more than a business, it has become a wonderful family project that fills their lives with good things.

The Lord is like that — His plan is to fill our lives with good. Sometimes the good things are sweet, like the delicious pie fillings that Liz added to these empty shells.

Sometimes the Lord’s plans for us do not feel so sweet. Are there health problems that linger? Is there bitterness in an important relationship? Are you in financial turmoil? Is the job just not working out? Yet, God’s Word says:

He fills my life with good things…

What if we accepted everything from His hand as good? Because He is good and He fills out lives with good, we can trust that everything is working together for our good (Romans 8:28). Jesus came so we could have a “rich and satisfying life” (John 10:10, NLT).

Our greatest need has been met in Jesus — rescue from sin and death — the rest of the worries and cares of this life pale in comparison to that truth. We are an eternal people and nothing on this earth separate us from “the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39, NLT). This knowledge is both rich and satisfying, should we choose to walk in it.

Can we trust God that He will bring good from the health problems?
Can we trust that God is at work when that relationship isn’t working?
Can we be faithful with our finances and trust Him to prosper us during tough times?
Can we choose to see the good in the unhappy workplace?

Join me this week — let’s accept all of God’s gifts as good.

Thank you to Liz’s Goodies for the pictures for this wonderful Before & After collage!

I’m sharing this post at Kristin’s Three Word Wednesday: