The Gaps and the Babies - Babies

This is “PART 2 the Babies”. In my last post I dealt with the gaps in our teeth and spiritual walk. Now I am dealing with the babies. I encourage you to read my last two posts (Lessons From Braces? and The Gaps and the Babies – Gaps) before reading this one as it will aid you in your understanding of the message.

Baby teeth are good while you are a child because they fit your mouth. But as you get older and mature your bone structure changes and your jaw gets bigger. This is why we have adult teeth (God was pretty thorough when He created the human body). Baby teeth are only good for a short amount of time as they are not meant to be in your mouth forever.

After you’ve lost most of your baby teeth and your mature adult teeth have grown in you will notice a difference in size. The new, mature ones are a lot bigger than the babies.

When I first got my braces (ask me to tell you the story of my first screening sometime, it’s pretty funny) I still had baby teeth. When I went in for my screening the orthodontist told me that I had baby teeth and although he could give me braces I would eventually have to have surgery on my mouth. My adult teeth were stuck in my jaw bone and couldn’t come down on their own.

So I did get braces… and it hurt (don’t believe the people who tell you otherwise because they are lying)! After a while of having them on the time came when they told me I had to have my surgery because my treatment would no longer be beneficial without it. I asked them, “Can’t I just keep my babies? I don’t want to have to go through the pain!” They told me that I couldn’t because after a while my baby teeth would rot away as they are not meant to be in your mouth for an extended period of time. So I had surgery.

Okay, now for the lesson… you were thinking that I would never get to it, weren’t you?

When we first come to Christ we are like the “Babies”. We are supposed to read the Word, grow our relationship with Christ, and become mature Christians. Sometimes we choose not to do that and remain “Baby Christians”.

But this is extremely dangerous. Remaining an immature Christian will cause God not to be able to use you as much as He would like. If you do not grow and never become mature, you will likely become just like my baby teeth and rot away. Your relationship with the Father will be quenched and you will fall away from Him.

“A farmer went out to plant some seeds… seeds that fell on the shallow soil with underlying rock spouted quickly because the soil was shallow. But the plants soon wilted under the hot sun, and since they didn’t have deep roots, they died.”

Matthew 13:3, 5-6

The Gaps and the Babies - Gaps

In my last blog I mention that my teeth (before braces) were an overall mess. Filled with gaps and babies.

But I didn’t really explain the spiritual similarity of this, so I am now. But because the lessons are so good they deserve their own entries (grins to self). So this is PART 1 focusing on the gaps.

Gaps between teeth are no good. They allow food to get stuck between your teeth this can look gross and feel uncomfortable too. They also can cause all kinds of bad stuff to happen like cavities which require a lot of trips to the dentist to get the problems fixed. They can also make you feel insecure with your smile and like you need a lot of work to become attractive.

Ready for the spiritual lesson? Good!

Gaps are like the chasm that separates us from God. Things get put in the gap to make it bigger and bigger which separates us from Christ even more. In our own power we cannot get to God. It was only through His son, Jesus Christ, dying on the cross that a way was made.

We cannot close the gaps in our teeth by ourselves. It requires braces and a retainer (see my last post for the spiritual lesson about that). That chasm that separates us from the one true, holy, and just God can never be bridged in our own efforts. It requires God, the “bridger” of all gaps, the ultimate orthodontist! (Grins to self).

So how do we get across the giant gap?

Well it’s quite simple. Since we cannot bridge the gap ourselves; we simply walk over the one that Jesus has already made for us. Ask for forgiveness of your sins and tell God that you want the chasm that separates you from Him to be done away with. Tell Him that you want a relationship with Him, and ask Him to live in your heart. There is nothing we can do to get to God, except acknowledge that in our own power we can’t do it and then ask Him to do it for us. Because He is the ALMIGHTY and can do anything!!!

I encourage you, get rid of the gaps. I’m glad I did!

Spiritual Lessons From Braces?

Something I've been learning lately is that the things we dislike most and cause us the most problems are really what mold and shape us.

I had braces for 3 years and 9 months (a stinkin' long time). I hated everything about them. The pain they brought, the inconvenience they were, and the general displeasure they brought me.

My braces were taken off on Friday! Praise Him!

My teeth before the braces looked completely different than what they do now. Before they had gaps and some of them were babies. An over all mess. But the braces fixed all of my problems and now my teeth look wonderful.

The thing is that I have to wear a retainer all the time to keep my teeth in perfect alignment. Without it, my teeth would go right back to their natural positions. Even after all that time, effort, pain, and discomfort.

"So what's the lesson?" you may be asking. Well, read on I tell you!

What I've learned is this.

As sinners, we are like my old teeth. Unable to be fixed by our own efforts. It requires a force greater than our own (That's JESUS, by the way) to make the changes. Sometimes the changes are painful and they hurt, they bring us unhappiness and occasionally discouragement.

But the very thing that causes us pain is the thing that grows us into a more beautiful creature and more pleasing to God. The changes create alignment with God (and let me tell you, you want to be aligned with God!!!).

But it doesn't stop there. The "Jesus Braces" aren't enough. Submitting our sin and making the initial changes isn't enough. We need a retainer.

We are not going to remain on the right track without a "Spiritual Retainer". This retainer is the Holy Spirit. We have to have the Holy Spirit in our lives to guide us and keep us in check. The Holy Spirit is our power over sin and our power over Satan, himself. Without the Holy Spirit it is impossible to walk in victory over Satan and the powers of darkness. It is impossible to live a life victorious over sin.

The Holy Spirit, our retainer will allow us to remain the beautiful creation that God has created and will help us to always be in right standing with God, aligned with Him.

Thank God for His braces and retainer!

God Always Gives Us What We Need

I was out with my mom today getting gifts for a baby shower that we had to go to a little later this afternoon. As I was out, I got a phone call from a friend telling me that I absolutely had to come to church with her tonight. A great message was going to be taught and I just had to be there.

The church is about 40 minutes away from my house and since I had a baby shower to go to, I didn't think there was any way I could go to the shower and then go home, get my car, and drive all the way there. So I told her that I didn't think it was possible. But then she said "Well, I'll give you a ride home." Now I had no excuse... I had to go.

This service was led by the youth in Master's Commission (a super awesome God-focused program) all of them about my age. And it was good. After the service was over there was just a time of prayer for different people in the church...

As I mentioned in my last blog, I've really been seeking the Lord in how my life is supposed to work out and if I'm really doing what he has called me to do. Everything has seemed to kind of be working out but the long-term picture hasn't been in focus.

I had been praying all through the service that God would speak to me and just bring me peace and reassure me that I'm on the right path.

My friend who invited me asked if I had been prayed for. I told her no and that I couldn't think of anything that I needed prayer for. She told me that I was wrong and that God definitely had something for me.

She brought me over to one of her friends and they began to pray. Immediately, her friend began to sob. And just said...

"The care and compassion that you have in your heart is really pleasing to God and He IS going to use it in a massive way. I don't know you, or anything about you but God wants you to know that He has big, no, HUGE plans for your life. Bigger than you can ever imagine. You are going in the right direction. Don't forget that he is guiding your steps. He wants you to remember Jeremiah 29:11 - For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, they are plans for good and not disaster, plans to give you a future and a hope. - He'll give you the direction and guidance you've been asking for in His time, not yours. Learn to be patient.

WOW!!! GOD ALWAYS COMES THROUGH AND HE ALWAYS GIVES US WHAT WE NEED.

How does it all work together?

Sometimes I wonder how all of the different pieces of my future are going to fit together. God is very particular about revealing certain aspects of our future to us, probably to keep us from freaking out. He knows that if he tells us too much at once we won't be able to handle it. Which leaves me wondering how the pieces will fit.

I know I am supposed to be a photojournalist.
I know I am supposed to travel.
I know I am supposed to be a wife.
I know I'm supposed to be a mother.
I know I'm supposed to work with youth.

So how does it all fit? How can I be a traveling photojournalist, mission worker when I have a husband, family, and youth group at home?

How does it all work together?

It works together for my good, that's how.

"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose."
Romans 8:28