It won't cost much, just your voice.

The right word at the right time is like a custom-made piece of jewelry, And a wise friend’s timely reprimand is like a gold ring slipped on your finger.  Reliable friends who do what they say are like cool drinks in sweltering heat—refreshing! (Proverbs 25:11-13 MSG)

Timely words are like custom-made jewelry.  Hello...What girl doesn't adore custom made jewelry?  Sign me up for that!  I LOVE when people spell my name correctly.  I know it has a lot to do with the fact that my name is easy to mess up and spelled differently than it's pronounced.  Thanks mom and dad, appreciate the creativity there. When someone refers to me as Mrs. Zach or Pastor Zach's wife, I might as well be invisible.  Don't get me wrong, I LOVE my husband, almost as much as I love custom-made jewelry but honestly how weird would it be if others referred to him as Mr. Dennisa or Pastor Dennisa's husband (teehee).  But when someone actually takes the time to figure out how to spell it and pronounce it, it makes me feel like a million bucks.  You see, we add significance to others when we refer to them by their God-given name.  We are saying you are important enough to know or to get to know.  This not only expresses the uniqueness of who they are but it honors them as well as their creator. 

In the same way, when we truly take the time as a friend to speak a wise or timely word into others, it makes them feel special.  It doesn't take much time or effort but much like adding spices to a dish, a little bit goes a long way.  So many times we can get lost in our own mess or caught up in our own lives that we don't take the time to reach out and speak life into others.  I've heard the analogy that in every relationship there is a "reacher" and a "settler."   In fact, my husband often jokes that he is the reacher and I'm the settler in our relationship.  The jury is still out on that debate but the point is that we all have been in situations where we've reached out to others only to be turned down.  This not only happens in relationships but also in friendships.  We have all had our share of seed scattering moments.  Where you send out a text and wait patiently impatient for a response.  Maybe through a lunch invitation or with a party invitation that clearly says RSVP, which in today's culture is translated to: Respond Sometime if you plan on coming or neVermind or just show uP!  We wait for a response and maybe calculate someone's lack of response as a lack of interest.  Don't get me wrong, we've all been in situations where we've over-promised and under-delivered.  Maybe there have been a few seasons where we've underestimated our capacity and said yes to lots of things only to find that our plate is too full.  There is nothing more respectful to others than knowing your capacity and understanding your season.  If you are unable to reach than, perhaps you've overextended yourself and have to go back to the drawing board to decide which things you are going to prioritize in this season.  

Over the past few years, I've realized that in the majority of situations, I am a reacher.  It's true.  Whether this is a product of nurture or nature, I have yet to conclude.  However, I first discovered this by taking a look at my text messages.  When I would send out text messages, my inbox was full.  When my inbox was full, my schedule was also full.  I had meetings every breakfast, lunch and dinner for weeks based on my initiative.  When I stopped texting, there were no messages in my inbox and no meetings on my schedule.  I started to look back into my childhood to see if I could find any patterns or trends that confirmed my theory.  What I found is that the same was true even early on in my life, if I initiated phone calls or passing notes (this was back in the day before cell phones) I was "miss popularity."  One thing I also noticed was that majority of my friends came to me for advice and felt confortable sharing secrets with me.  What I discovered is "my voice."  

Growing up, my favorite Disney annimated film was "The Little Mermaid."  Not only did I know every line to every scene, I had a full collection of mermaid memorablia.  If you've ever seen the movie, you'd know that the irony of the film is that this teenage mermaid princes Ariel, falls in love (more like infatuation) with the human Prince Eric.  Because 'parents just don't understand' Ariel decided to make a deal with the evil sea witch, Ursela.  She trades her voice for three days as a human with Prince Eric to convince him to fall in love with her.  Wow, this is a horrible message to send to children.  That's beside the point.  The point is, that there's one line in the movie that gets me every time, Ursula says to Ariel, "it won't cost much...just your voice!"  So many people in our generation have given up their voice.  We have relied soley on our looks, our talents, our charm or appearance when the very thing that this world needs is our voice.  This world needs a voice of reason, a voice of value, this world needs a timely word. Even if you find yourself doing the majority of the reaching, and it seems one sided, nothing goes unnoticed.  You are planting the seed.  You have the opportunity to bring refreshment to those around you.  

Will you take time today to do one of three things:

1.  Call a barista, waitress or cashier by name and watch their face light up! 

2.  RSVP for that invitation on your fridge or in your inbox even if the response is no.

3.  Send a timely word of encouragement to the first friend that comes to mind.  Discover your voice!

A timely word from a reliable friend is like an ice cold lemonade served in a mason jar (I heart mason jars) on a hot summer day!  So, when life gives you limones, you have the opportunity to make lemonade!  

LABOR DAY WAGES

"But he replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I did you no wrong. Didn’t I agree to pay you a denarion? Take what belongs to you and go. I want to give to this one who was hired last the same as I give to you. Don’t I have the right to do what I want with what belongs to me? Or are you resentful because I’m generous?’ So those who are last will be first. And those who are first will be last." (Matthew 20:13-16 CEB)

I don't get it. I mean there are parts of scripture that make complete sense to me. Like 'love your neighbor as yourself'  cause clearly those who love themselves should learn how to extend the same kind of love to others. But this part of scripture makes no sense to me, at all. I mean I side with the workers, if I show up to work at 8am and labor all day but homeboy shows up half an hour till closing, and still gets paid the same amount as my tired butt, I'm gonna be looking for a new job tomorrow. 

It feels unfair. It seems like the boss doesn't know how to run a business. It feels like at best the boss has checked out emotionally with his employees and at worst he's playing favorites. There lies the problem or so it seems. Clearly the boss is the one with the problem and not the grumbling workers. I mean unless the workers are plain out lazy or disrespectful, it's easy to empathize with their frustrations. 

In our home, I play the role of "mommy." Even with two of the sweetest and best behaved children on planet earth, I have found myself in situations where I am last. Last to shower, last to dinner, last to bed, last to relax, last to lots of things. You get the picture. In this case, I can relate to the employee who showed up last. I mean, I meant to get there on time but somewhere between making my kiddos breakfast, washing the dishes and slopping some make up on my face (some things take a little more maintenance than others), I came in last.  I've always been late. In fact, early seems foreign.  Like if I'm the first person to show up for an event or party, I will literally pull out the invitation to make sure I didn't mix up the date or something. 

Getting back to the story, I guess I can also relate to the late employee more than I care to admit. So when the boss in the story says, 'don't I have the right to do what I want with what belongs to me?  Or are you resentful because I'm generous?' I would say yes to both. Yes the boss can do whatever he wants with his belongings. And yes I am resentful because of his generosity toward others. I'm much less resentful when he is generous toward me. So does the problem lie with the employees or the boss? It's the employees. There's an absolute double standard when it comes to the employees response to the boss' actions.

 I've always heard this story explained in regard to the kingdom of heaven. It's about the idea of God's children. Those who serve God their entire life and those who choose to serve Him on their death bed recieve the same reward... entrance into heaven. Yay, mystery solved time to move on! Except, I think that maybe there are even deeper truths to this parable. I think many of us can relate to both employees in the story. As the 8am-5pm, faithful worker, you have earned your wages and have completed an honest days work. You can go home and enjoy the fruit of your labor. You can sleep with a clear conscience and wake up to repeat again without a second thought. If you never knew the other employee had recieved the same wages for less, you'd be a happy camper. Ignorance is bliss. As the late employee, you're just relieved you have a job. You're relieved that you didn't get punished or penalized for showing up late. You are on the receiving end of the boss' mercy.  

Perhaps the story has nothing to do with the employees and more to do with the boss. The boss in this story is God, himself. The boss has rights. The boss can do whatever he wants with His belongings. He can hold onto them or give them away. He can choose to be merciful and generous or he can choose justice. We don't have control over His choice, we only have control over our choices. He calls us friend. He can do no wrong. He does what He agrees to. He can start at the back of the line and quickly make His way up to the front of the line. What He decides is best. Simply put, God's ways are higher than ours. He has more insight and investment into the lives of His people than we do.  The way the world does things is not the way God does. He uses the foolish things to confound the wise.

 If I think something He does seems unfair it probably is because it's a direct display of His mercy. 

The wages that sin pays are death, but God’s gift is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23 CEB)

Every one of us "employees" have earned the wages that sin pays. As a result of our humanity, we have earned the wages of death whether we started at 8am or half an hour before closing.  We have earned equal wages because of our sinful nature. But as a gift, our boss has decided to give us what we could never earn no matter how early we show up or how hard we worked, He chose to give us life. Life beyond what we currently see and understand. This eternal life has been purchased at a high price, the life of another who didn't earn the same wages as us, because He didn't sin. This employee is a real life "undercover boss" who has chosen to trade wages with us. Remember we earned death because of our sinful nature. He didn't. As the boss, He can do whatever He wants with His belongings. He has chosen to give them away, starting with His life. Each of us has earned death for our work on this earth yet God chose to be generous! His generosity may never make sense to me but I'm super grateful that He chose to be merciful and not give me what I've earned. 

If you are reading this and can relate to what I've shared whether you're struggling with resentment or having a hard time receiving grace. I invite you to say this simple prayer with me: "Jesus, I don't understand your ways. I know that you both are a God of justice and a God of mercy. I know that your ways are higher than mine.  Your thoughts are more complete than mine. You see the whole picture and I only see it in part.  I invite you into my heart. I invite you into my thoughts. I invite you into my life. I am so grateful that you chose my wages, the wages of death, so that I could have abundant life. Help me to walk in this new life. Help me to honor your sacrifice and respect your choices, even when they don't make sense to me. Teach me to do what pleases you. In Jesus name, amen." 

3 Easy Lessons for a "Fixed" Life

Today is the day that the Lord has made...I will rejoice and be glad in it!  Are we rejoicing?  Are we grateful for today?  I find myself convicted as I write this, sadly my ability to rejoice often relies on my circumstances.  Whether I am hungry or full, whether my house is clean or dirty, whether it's raining or sunny outside, whether my account is in the black or in the red, whether I'm tired or fully rested, whether, whether, weather!? You get the picture.  I'm sure you are not much different from me, you sleep the same way (with both eyes closed hopefully), breathe the same, live on the same earth, under the same moon and enjoy the same sun! 

Lesson #1: Dress in layers.  Start with Jesus.  I grew up in the Rocky Mountains, being Colorado born and raised, you learn early on that the weather is pretty unpredictable.  In fact, people joke about how you can experience ALL four seasons (Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter) in a single day.  It's important to dress in layers because although the forecast might predict a snow day with road closures and school cancellations in the morning, by noon, you can be sledding down the hills near your house wearing shorts and a t-shirt.  EXTREME? Yes!  If you're studying to be a meteorologist good luck predicting the weather in Colorful Colorado!  Predicting the weather is unpredictable.  Since we've transitioned to a more tropical climate, Zach and I receive up to date weather information any time it snows, or hits anywhere near or below 30 degrees in Colorado.  It's purely informational and not intended to make us feel bad one bit (smiling cause I'd probably do the same).
  

Photo courtesy of my BBFF

In life, we can get tossed around like a leaf blowing in the wind by external circumstances if we are not internally prepared.  As Christians, if we are not disciplined and intentional about clothing ourselves with the attitude of Christ we can and will reflect the attitude of the world around us.  Ephesians 4:24 "Yes, you must be a different person, holy and good.  Clothe yourself with this new nature."  

Lesson #2: Be YOU!  It's the highest compliment to your creator. 
Your perspective is ethnocentric by default. What I mean by that is, sometimes our perspective can get in the way of our ability to see things unbiased.  We all have a unique set of experiences, life circumstances, upbringings, strengths and weaknesses that have shaped us into the person we are today.  Although similarities can often unite us, they don't make up for the fact that we are all uniquely made.  Psalms 139:14 (NIV) "I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful and I know that full well." When we fall into the trap of comparing our bloopers to other's Emmy nominations, it's unfair.  There is nothing more attractive than knowing who you are and "owning it." 

 Lesson #3: Fix your thoughts.  It'll fix your life!  Phillipians 4:8 "...Fix your thoughts on what is true and good and right.  Think about things that are pure and lovely, and dwell on the fine, good things in others Think about all you can praise God for and be glad about."  I wonder how drastically our lives would change if we lived by this verse.  If we fixed our thoughts on the truth, the good things in this world, the things that are going right in our lives.  If you're anything like me, you tend to notice what's wrong in a picture before you acknowledge what's right.  

Here's a test to see if this is true for you, take a selfie...go on, do it. Then, tell me what's the first thing you notice? 

When something's broken, we must fix it but we can't always do it on our own.  If you don't already have someone in your life who you can trust to be honest with you and tell you when your thoughts are broken, it's imperative that you find that person and FAST! 

So whether the weather drastically changes or not, we can be ready for anything if we remember these 3 easy lessons:  Dress in Layers, Be YOU, and Fix your thoughts!