The Real Scandal

Every day it’s a new scandal, a new divisive issue.

• Race issues.
• Gender issues.
• Abuse issues.
• Political issues.

You know the names. The places. We see and hear them all day, every day. Our newsfeeds overflow with opposing points of view. We share the ones we agree with, furthering the furor. We discount the opinions of others without attempting to understand them.

And I have to ask the question, cliche as it is. What would Jesus do?

2015 - Forget it! Or Remember?

“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?" Is. 43:18-19

Isaiah's words from God seem like the perfect verse to usher in the new year along with Paul’s words from Phil 3:13-14 =

“But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

Seems like starting a new year gives us opportunity to do a lot of forgetting.

Yet I also recall verses that tell me to do just the opposite – remember!

Repeatedly in Scripture the Lord urges His people to remember – His covenants with them, what He has done for them (and us), what they (and we) had been, how they (and we) angered God, how He forgave.

In fact, Isaiah himself who wrote “forget the former things” also wrote “Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me.” Isaiah 46:9

So what’s a girl to do? 

Forget or remember??

Probably a little of both.
<<click to tweet>>

Profiles in Courage

Last night, I saw the movie "42." It was excellent on so many levels, but mostly because it told the story of the faith and courage of two great men , Branch Rickey and Jackie Robinson of the Brooklyn Dodgers.

Jackie Robinson's story is well known in history, the first black man to play in major league baseball. His number "42" is retired on every team in baseball. Not because he had the courage to fight, but because he had the courage not to. He endured humiliation and persecution and he did not speak up against his accusers. He modeled the behavior of our Savior.


Branch Rickey's story was as powerful as Robinson's. The team's general manager was intentional in his search for a black player to integrate his team. When Jackie asked him why, Rickey told the story of a time when he was a young player and didn't stand up for a black man. As a man of deep faith, it bothered him all his life. He was finally in a position to right a wrong he had committed.

2000 years ago, another young man persecuted followers of Jesus Christ. Paul went from town to town looking for Christians to jail and kill. On one road to Damascus, he encountered Jesus Himself. Paul's life was transformed and he spent the rest of his life fighting FOR Christianity instead of against it.

Two years ago, a high school friend found me. We had a falling out in our senior year. She seriously hurt me and we stopped talking. I can't remember what she did, only that I never wanted to see her again. Years later, she searched for and found me on facebook. We began to correspond and then reunited when she made a trip back to NJ. The first thing she wanted to do was right the wrong she had committed and asked for forgiveness. We're now close friends and because she was so good at keeping in touch with people, I've had the joy of reconnecting with several of my long lost friends. Most importantly, we've discovered we're both believers now which doubled our joy.

It's never too late to right a wrong we have committed. In righting his wrong, Branch Rickey changed history, and not just in baseball. He was a catalyst for the entire civil rights movement.

We can change our history. If we have offended someone, we must do what we can do to make things right. Paul says in his letter to the Romans:

"If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men.  Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God,….Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." Rom. 12:18-20

"So far as it depends on you" - we must do what we can, but only what we can. Don't fret about what others do or how they respond. They are responsible for their actions as we are responsible for ours.

Do you have a relationship in need of repair or a wrong that needs to be addressed? I encourage you to pray and seek what God would have you do to restore peace with all - men, women, and children.

And please leave a comment with how I can pray for you.

PS - Don't forget to enter the contest for a $25 Amazon gift card giveaway! Click here for details. If you're already a Blog subscriber, Twitter follower, or Facebook friend, just let me know. And if you have a wedding story to share, I'd love to hear it! 

If It's Possible....

Illustrated Wall Art by Mandipidy
http://www.etsy.com/listing/105657216/live-peaceably-with-all-romans-1218

If I'm honest, I have to admit it. It's not easy to always live at peace with everyone. People can be foolish, angry, bossy, hostile, offensive, stuck-up, needy. Some people push our buttons. Sometimes it's deliberate. Other times it's unintentional.

The to-do list of behavioral mandates the Apostle Paul gives us in Romans 12 seems daunting:

     v. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind

     v. 14 Bless those who persecute you

     v. 19 Do not take revenge

     v. 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good

But tucked within these verses is a beautiful sentence that qualifies the rest. Click here for my post about Romans 12:18 and the possibilities for peace-filled relationships it brings.
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Get Rid Of It - For Real

I was so proud of myself.

I've been digging, sorting, and clearing out stuff.

I bagged it, washed it, and carted it to the car to be donated to Ditto, the "upscale resale thrift shop" that raises funds for my kids' alma mater.

Felt like a real accomplishment.

The problem is Ditto's hours of operation aren't in sync with my hours of operation ;D  I can't seem to get there before closing time.

And so I have been driving around with my discarded stuff for a week. I went through it - did the inventory. I identified and separated it. I even moved it. But I haven't really gotten rid of it. I plan to, but it's still there hanging around. Moving around. I stopped short yesterday to avoid a car that ran a stop sign, and heard a symphony of shuffles as the stuff in back slid toward the front.

In order for me to actually get rid of this stuff, I have to make a change. I need to change my habits and rearrange my schedule. I have to move out of my comfort zone.

I have some other stuff I'd like to get rid of. Fear, anger, resentment, jealousy. I have done some soul-searching. Taken inventory. Identified what needs to be addressed. Felt some pride and a sense of accomplishment in that.

But that stuff is still hanging around. An unwelcome remark or a difficult situation becomes like that car running a stop sign bringing all that stuff toward the front, a symphony of emotions sliding around my interior. So how do I actually get rid of it - for real?

Paul says, "Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice." But he doesn't leave it at that.
He continues with, "Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other just as in Christ God forgave you." (Eph. 4:31-32)

James instructs us, "Get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent" 
And like Paul he goes on, "and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. Do not merely listen to the word, .. Do what it says." (James 1:21-22)

To get rid of these unwanted emotions and behaviors, I need to move beyond identifying them. I need to replace them with desired behaviors. Clearing out the old creates a void and the old will slide right back in if there isn't something already in its place.

Replace resentment and anger with forgiveness.
Replace doing evil with doing what the Word says.

Then I'll be getting rid of it - for real!

How about you? Do you have unwanted stuff hanging around? How can you clear it out? For real? Let's talk about it.

The Perfect Comeback

I almost did it.
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Have you, like me, ever yearned for a perfect comeback to someone discourteous, but couldn’t think of a thing until hours later, and only then after mulling over all possible options for hours?
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Today, I almost had my moment.
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Of course, it’s a dicey situation, isn’t it? What if that person walks into my office tomorrow or my church on Sunday, not to mention the fact that I represent Jesus who is always with me. But today, as I muttered to my steering wheel, it came to me. The perfect comeback. And I almost had the opportunity to express it.
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Here’s how it all went down:
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I met my husband and son at the Post Office needing to renew our three passports. The clerk, Ann, had just taken their mug shots photos and seemed a little annoyed that she had to stay in the chilly lobby to take yet another one. [OK, I get that.]
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My husband’s joke, “Can I get a different background?” was met by stony silence. No smile, headshake, or even an acknowledgement that he had spoken, despite the chuckles of other patrons stamping their letters nearby.
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After my quick headshot, we returned to her station to proceed with the paperwork. Tony reminded her to process my son’s application first because he needed to leave quickly. Her steely-eyed glare was almost as cold as her reply, “I heard you the first time.” Ouch, that was a little harsh, but giving her the benefit of the doubt, my husband can have a tendency to make sure things are done “right.” [Luv ya, hon ;D]
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As she continued to process the many papers, photos, and payments, her attitude continued to deteriorate from abrupt to curt to downright churlish.
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Tony and I walked away mumbling to each other about her. My photo horrified me. For the next 10 years, I will be identified by a ghastly auburn slash of bang bisecting my forehead. Come on, I’m a girl, you’re a girl, can’t you clue me in before you snap?
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But later I had to return to mail the applications with a “traceable delivery method” and I would have my chance. At least I thought I would. Here’s how I had it worked out in my head:
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“Hi, again. Are you having a bad day today? Because I’d like to pray for you.” [genuine sweet smile]
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“Hmmmpphhh…”
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"But if you’re just ordinarily surly, I’ll pray differently for you. [wink, not so genuine huge sweet smile] Thank you so much. Have a great day.”
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When I returned to the scene of the crime, alas, at clerk Ann’s counter stood Charles; Ann nowhere to be seen, perhaps gone for the day. The momentary disappointment that I wouldn’t get my chance for the perfect comeback was partnered with a flood of relief that I couldn’t share that perfect comeback.

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In the movie, You’ve Got Mail, Kathleen Kelly (Meg Ryan) longs to hurl a perfect comeback to her adversary, Joe Fox (Tom Hanks). Only when she finally does, it came with the realization that her words left her feeling worse for having said them. “Do you ever feel like you've become the worst version of yourself? That a Pandora's Box of all the secret hateful parts -- your arrogance, your spite, your condescension -- has sprung open. Someone provokes you, and instead of just smiling and moving on, you zing them. I didn't get any satisfaction from it," she types, "I just felt mean. When you say the thing you mean to say at the moment you mean to say it, remorse inevitably follows.” I knew I’d feel the same way.
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So, what is the perfect comeback? It is to come back to the Lord and allow Him take care of any consequences my “adversary” deserves. I spent half my day invisibly tethered to a mean-spirited postal worker. What a waste of time and energy.
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Instead, I decided to honestly pray for her. You never know why God puts certain people in your path, and it may be that I’m the only one praying for her. For the next 10 years, my bifurcated forehead photo will serve as a reminder, not just to pray for Ann and others like her, but to keep turning the other cheek, going the second mile, and loving the unlovely, for as Jesus said, “If all you do is love the lovable, do you expect a bonus? Anybody can do that. If you simply say hello to those who greet you, do you expect a medal? …In a word, what I'm saying is, Grow up. You're kingdom subjects. Now live like it. Live out your God-created identity. Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you." Mt. 5:46-48 MSG





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Forget It! ... or Remember it??

Happy New Year!

On Jan. 1st, I updated my facebook status to read:
“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?" Is. 43:18-19

Seemed like the perfect verse to usher in the new year along with Paul’s words from Phil 3:13-14 “But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

Seems like starting a new year gives us opportunity to do a lot of forgetting.

Yet I also recall verses that tell me to do just the opposite – remember!

Repeatedly in Scripture the Lord urges His people to remember – His covenants with them, what He has done for them (and us), what they (and we) had been, how they (and we) angered God, how He forgave.

In fact, Isaiah himself who wrote “forget the former things” also wrote “Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me.” Isaiah 46:9

So what’s a girl to do?

Forget or remember??

Probably a little of both.

Alas, I find myself remembering things that have little value, hurtful things, foolish things, things that should be long forgotten. These are the things that Isaiah says to forget – “do not dwell in the past.” In Paul’s description of the race of life, these things are weights that drag us down and keep us from pressing on toward the goal.

What we are to dwell on, to remember, is the God that is like no other. The One who redeemed us when we were unworthy, the One who sustained us when we couldn’t go on, the One who grants us peace beyond understanding, the One who helps us to love the unlovable and who loves us unconditionally, the One who made us and REmade us.

The lyrics from one of my favorite bands Tenth Ave. North says:
    You are more than the choices that you've made,
     You are more than the sum of your past mistakes,
     You are more than the problems you create,
     You've been remade.

     'Cause this is not about what you've done,
     But what's been done for you.
     This is not about where you've been,
     But where your brokenness brings you to

     This is not about what you feel,
     But what He felt to forgive you,
     And what He felt to make you loved.

     You are more than the choices that you've made,
     You are more than the sum of your past mistakes,
     You are more than the problems you create,
     You've been remade.


So in 2011, what will you remember? And what will you forget?

And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you. Phil. 4:8-9

 

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I Hate Chipmunks!

In September and October, you walk our front pathway at your peril. We have the most aggressive acorns you’ve ever seen, or felt. Honestly. The dents they render to a car’s hood or roof are nothing compared to the bumps they produce on your noggin.

Then in the spring, I tackle the unhappy chore of removing of hundreds of tiny oak trees sprouting in my garden. So this week, I decided to pre-empt those suckers and rid the garden of them before taking root. Not as easy as I thought. Like giant pistachios, they had already split and many a root sprouted, burrowed firmly in the soil.

Although there were hundreds, maybe thousands, most were on the surface, fairly easy to dig up, but here and there I uncovered clusters of acorns hidden in the stone wall, under the branches of low bushes, concealed among the stalks.



Then I found it - the Mother Lode, the Cave of Wonders, the Pirate’s Booty. No way was this pile the result of falling acorns. This was a secret stash, a stockpile surreptitiously buried in some clandestine plot. This was the resident chipmunks’ winter preparations.

The outward appearances of these adorable little furballs belie their true identity - hideously destructive varmints. They burrow holes in the soil, loosen the supporting rocks, and now hoard potentially damaging future oak trees.

I didn’t see any chipmunks as I was working. No, they save their activities for when no one is around to witness their detrimental deeds. But the evidence of their handiwork is apparent.


Of course this got me thinking….

These acorns are like the barbed comments that people fling our way. And they hurt, not a bruise on the head, but on the heart. Zingers that find our soft spot, and embed themselves. If we let them take root, they will grow and fester and bear bitter resentful fruit. The longer the root remains, the stronger it gets and the harder it is to remove. It is easy to narrow our eyes at the perpetrator, to retaliate, to judge. But Scripture tells us:


… make sure there is no root among you that produces such bitter poison. Deut. 29:18
See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. Heb. 12:15

After wasting useless minutes fuming at these critters, I realized -
             they are just doing what chipmunks do.
All my anger isn’t going to make them more sensitive.


I can’t change them, but I can change my root structure:

So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in Him, rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. Col. 2:6-7


Instead of hating the chipmunks, I have a choice.
And with those whose comments dent my soul, I have a choice.
I can let them fester, develop bitter roots, and ultimately poison me. Or I can respond as Jesus did. "Father, forgive them. Those chipmunks just don't know what they're doing." Well, a loose paraphrase, but you get the idea.

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. Eph. 3:16-19

Do You See What I See?

Betsy, as promised, here’s the story…

At training camp last week, I entered the primitive shower stall ever-so-gently, trying not to waken my sleeping cabin-mates. And there it was. A cricket on the floor of the stall. Shudder!!

Have I ever mentioned - I have a thing about crickets. I absolutely LOATHE them. If they stay outdoors in their proper habitat, I can manage, barely. But should they dare to enter MY habitat, they become an endangered species.

It all goes back to the summer of ’79. A rainy summer it was, that first year my friends and I rented a summer cottage (think - converted garage) in the Hamptons. By summer’s end, we had enough of the rain, especially since it brought crickets and their incessant chirping inside. I learned to ferret out their hideaways, anticipate their jumping trajectory, and have my flip-flop poised, ready to trounce. I became a serial cricket-murderer.

[by the way, one of the kids at training camp told me that when he first heard the term serial murderer, he wondered why anyone would want to kill cereal. But I digress, sorry]

Now toward summer’s end, I developed a fierce case of bronchitis. When my friend, Donna, went out for the evening, I rested on the couch in the living room. Delirious with fever, not quite awake or asleep, but somewhere in between, I see it. Sitting on the coffee table beside my bed. Staring at me with its hideous eyes. Antennae quivering. A giant, white albino cricket. And I do mean giant - it was the exact length and width of the coffee table. Frozen under my sheets, I sense it poised, waiting to pounce at my slightest movement. My lungs constrict as I ponder its possible trajectory.


Ah! Lights flash in the driveway. A car door thud, followed by the crush of gravel underfoot. The screen door creaks and Donna enters the room. Courageously, I shout a warning, “LOOK OUT FOR THE CRICKET!” Baffled, she asks, “What cricket?”


What cricket??? Is she blind?


My arm pointing to the offender, I shriek, “THE GIANT ALBINO CRICKET ON THE COFFEE TABLE!” And then with a huff, I turn my back to both Donna and the cricket.


In my mind’s eye, I saw both Donna and the imaginary cricket, so I pose the question:

How can she miss what I can see so clearly?

Which, in my illustration-grappling mind, translates to “Why doesn’t everyone see things my way?”


Ok, so that time, it was a fever-induced hallucination. But there’s many a time that subconsciously we picture ourselves as “the smartest person in the room,” so why isn’t everyone listening to ME? And though we may not say it, we wonder - Can’t you see my brilliant wisdom?? Can’t you see the situation or the solution as clearly as I do?


Be it is a colleague at the office, a fellow team member with a differing leadership style, someone in our circle of friends or a family member, somewhere along the line, it is certain that we will encounter a thorn in flesh, and when we do, we need to get over ourselves.

When I have that prideful attitude, I’m wrong even if I’m right. In his letter to the Phillipians, Paul says it this way:


If you've gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if His love has made any difference in your life, if being in a community of the Spirit means anything to you, if you have a heart, if you care— then do me a favor: Agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends. Don't push your way to the front; don't sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Don't be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand.


Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself. He had equal status with God but didn't think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn't claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death—and the worst kind of death at that—a crucifixion.







Because of that obedience, God lifted him high and honored him far beyond anyone or anything, ever...

The Christian life is not a “my way or the highway” life. Before insisting on our way, we need to consider others better than ourselves. Who knows? God used a donkey to speak to a prophet. Imagine what can He do with me when I set aside my own agenda.

Stains and Devils

There's an unwritten (though oft spoken) rule in our house. My husband coined it, and my kids swear to it. The rule is this:

When something is spilled, it is either I who has spilled
or someone else has spilled on me.

I have learned to face the ugly truth:
I am a mess-magnet.


If you hear a crash in a restaurant, you can be sure that I am sitting nearby. When my dog hears me squeal "Oh no!" she makes a beeline for wherever I am, knowing that she might get a lucky mess to slurp off the floor.


This week, I exchanged an ill-fitting Christmas gift for a pretty new coat. I have always had black coats, yet for some reason, this pale pink faux shearling caught my eye. My daughter said it's the ugliest thing she's ever seen (she hates pink), and my husband thought it looks like pigskin, no not football pigskin leather, but a real pig's skin. Despite their blistering fashion critique, I loved it.


I wore it the next day. As we were returning home, my husband asked me if I knew that there was blue ink all over the front of the brand new coat. The blood drained from my face when I saw the mass of squiggley road-map-blue lines staining the front of the coat. "That's why you always have black coats," said my astute husband.


So to deal with the crisis, I sought wise, experienced counsel.


Unfortunately, the trip to the dry cleaners confirmed my worst suspicions.


There was no hope.




But wait....


On my laundry room shelf was a product that had worked for me before (remember I am Stains 'R Us).

Carbona Stain Devils

Good Christians everywhere avoid this product because of its name. Who wants a devil in their house?

But unlike that other devil, these devils remove stains.

Using #3 - the ink/crayon devil, I carefully followed the instructions, blotting out the ink and voila! No more stain!
Can you hear the Hallelujah chorus in the background as I jump around the laundry room?

And can you figure out where I'm going with this?

"God's Stain Removal Guide"

After King David’s sin was exposed, he was filled with remorse. He cried out to the Lord asking for cleansing and renewal, asking for his stains to be removed. “Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion, blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin…. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me” Psalm 51:1-2, 10


Though a murderer, David’s sins were no greater or worse than mine or yours. All sin separates us from God (Is. 59:2). But in His love and desire to be reunited with us, God got into the cleaning business.


He set up a sacrifice system under the law to cover sins, but then, Jesus came and paid the cleaning bill in full.


For our possessions, there are stain-devils to remove all kinds of stains, even blood.


But for His precious possession - us - He used His blood to remove our stains and to overcome the devil.


The stains on my pink coat rendered it useless, good only for the garbage heap, but with the cleansing, it is now a useful, functional asset to my wardrobe. When we’ve been cleansed and renewed, we become useful, functional assets to His kingdom.


"...Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to Himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. Eph. 5:26-27


(Ooooo, He removes our stains and our wrinkles! )


It's a good thing for a mess-magnet like me that God is in the cleaning and renewal business. It may have appeared that there was no hope for me, but that wasn't the truth. He longs for us to be restored to Him.
So, my friend, how has He restored and used you?

Susan

What's So Good About Good Friday?

The following passage from Isaiah 53 paints a picture of the "Suffering Savior." Written 600 years before Jesus the Savior faced that ungrateful crowd and was condemned to die a criminal's death, the prophet Isaiah penned these words:

1 Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
2 He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.
3 He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
4 Surely he took up our griefs and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted.
5 But he 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.
6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
7 He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.
8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away. And who can speak of his descendants? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was stricken.
9 He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth.
10 Yet it was the LORD's will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the LORD makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand.
11 After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities.
12 Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.


As Christians, we are aware that on the cross Jesus, who knew no sin, bore our sins (iniquities) allowing us to be forgiven and to have fellowship with God restored.

But have you noticed that He also bore our sorrows? In verse 4, we see that He bore our griefs and our sorrows. What a comfort to know that when we cannot bear our sorrows, He has borne them for us. We can surrender our pain, our suffering, our sadness, our despair to His loving presence. There is nothing too tough, too hard, too depressing, too painful for Him.

And in verse 11, we see that after His suffering, He was satisfied! Satisfied!! How amazing is that! He didn't curse those who caused His pain. No, He came out the other side victorious, and that is what is so good about Good Friday. His victory becomes our victory when we trust in the One who bore our penalty and our sorrows.

Is there someone in your life causing you pain? Think of this - that person is giving you an opportunity to develop Christ-likeness that you would not have otherwise. Christ died for us while we were still sinners, long before we ever repented or asked for forgiveness. He died for those still screaming, "Crucify him!" and He prayed "Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing." But they did know what they were doing, didn't they? They were calling for His death. What they did not know was WHO they were doing it to, and WHAT His death would accomplish for them. So if we can see the offensive person our life as He does, and forgive them, we will be freed from the bondage of resentment and bitterness and will become a little more like Jesus. And to think that painful person is giving us such a sweet opportunity!

To paraphrase Tony Campolo, we can endure Friday because Sunday's coming! Praise the Lord!

Susan