Restoring Voice

The grand tree stands alone, perfectly decorated with little red boxes with black felt ribbons neatly tied. How the gifts are attached to the tree, I can not see, but it is a magnificent sight. I saw multiple boxes opened. Each with varying gifts. Although the boxes seemed small the gifts that poured out of them, like ribbons just kept coming. The boxes seemed to expand like a magicians hat as the gifts were shared. A small gift with immeasurable impact. The picture is burned into my mind, speaking messages still days later.

The picture of the Church. The tree representing Christ, the gifts each of His children, they are available only as they are attached to Him. So many see the small box and see it as insignificant, as if they have nothing to offer. They look at what they see and never attempt to open the gift to share what God has placed inside of it. However as they dare to open the gift, it seems to grow and grow and grow producing more and more and more than they could ever think or imagine.

Days later what strikes me is that a gift doesn’t reproduce until it is opened. It remains a small box pretty to look at, but not good for much else. However, it is not the Lord that opens the gift. The gift is only opened by the receiver.

How often do gifts go unused because we are afraid or unwilling to risk opening them? How often are the left unopened because we’re afraid they are too small or that they will just not be enough? Yet God will never force us to use when He has placed within us. He will not open the gift for us. He has provided gift to us, but only we can open it up to be used. Only we can decide how much to pull out of what He has placed inside. Others may recognize what is inside us. Others may encourage us to see it, to use it, and even try to pull on it, but only we can choose whatvwe do with our gifts.

I think the picture was what I needed in the moment. In came on the wings of a new gift being expressed through me, but I had shared with some friends in the same evening my frustration. I acknowledge some gifts I know are inside of me, I just don’t know how to express yet or use them to God’s fullest design. Other gifts, people recognize in me, but I am afraid of letting the gifts flow from me because it is outside of what I understand or out of my comfort zone. I was frustrated that I have walked with the Lord for the majority of my life and have never had anyone who really has “pulled out” the gifts in me.

I have only recently begun learning how to express some of the things that I have known were inside of me for years. I have safe space to learn to express those gifts, one that I wish I had all along.

As I step out in obedience, I have been encouraged. Its uncomfortable, and scary, and yet freeing and exelerating. It is humbling to know He is using me and exciting when He lets me see I didn’t miss the mark or mess it up. As I pull on what is in the gift box, I am surprised that what seems so little to begin with keeps coming and growing. What He was showing me, is not only a picture that the gifts are there, but that only I can open the gifts in my life for His use. Only I can open the unopened gifts He has given in my life.

There were six people or groups whose stories we read on the Bible who encountered Christ in the beginning of His life on earth. Those people included Mary, Joseph, the inn keeper, the shephards, Simeon and Anna and the wise men.

Despite these five stories, His life had been prophesied for centuries, and was available for all to discovet. The prophets had told of His coming and provided the information for those who were looking.

In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”

And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”

And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.”

And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

Luke 1:26‭-‬38 ESV

Mary, boldly surrendered to the Word. She allowed God to use her completely, regardless of the cost that could come to her.

Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us). When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.
Matthew 1:18‭-‬25 ESV

Joseph was the protector of the promise. He could have rejected what the angel told him and Mary would have been killed. He could have thought it all just a dream and just walked away without receiving the revelation. Yet in faith, he believed and stood with her. He protected Jesus as his own, and listened to the direction he received through dreams.

Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, “Out of Egypt I called my son.” But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, “Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child’s life are dead.” And he rose and took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there, and being warned in a dream he withdrew to the district of Galilee. And he went and lived in a city called Nazareth, so that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled, that he would be called a Nazarene.
Matthew 2:13‭-‬15‭, ‬19‭-‬23 ESV

Then there was the unseen innkeeper. He didnt have room in the inn. He only gave to God what was left, the stable where he kept his own and the travelers’ animals.

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be registered, each to his own town. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. Luke 2:1‭-‬7 ESV

The fourth group was the shepherds. They had an amazing sign that led them to encounter Christ. The angels appeared to them. The shepherds simply obeyed. They encountered Christ and then shared all that they had seen and heard.

And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.
Luke 2:8‭-‬20 ESV

The fifth set of people was Simeon and Anna, devout persons to God. They knew the prophecies. They both recognized Him when Jesus was presented to them. They waited thier entire lives for the opportunity to see the Lord. They recognized Him even in infant form by the leading of the Spirit.

Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said, “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.” And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him. And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”

And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived with her husband seven years from when she was a virgin, and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem. Luke 2:25‭-‬38 ESV

The last group was the wise men. They were the only ones who sought Him out. It was not a short journey, they spent thier lives studying the Word along with many others, but they are the only ones who saw the signs and sought Him out. Their seeking took years. They not only sought Him, but they came bearing expensive gifts.

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet: “‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.'” Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.” After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way. Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men.
Matthew 2:1‭-‬12‭, ‬16ESV

Even today, as Christians we have the opportunity to choose how we encounter Christ. At times we may respond like Mary and submit completely. We may experience seasons where we spend our time like Joseph guarding the promises we have received. Sadly, there will be times that like the inn keeper, we only give God our left overs because we aren’t willing to make room for Him in our lives. We at times will be like Simeon and Anna, who stand with great expectations, but wait for the Lord to come to us for our encounter. If we are wise, we will continuely seek the Lord and offer our gifts continually as we seek Him.

I had the privledge of being with our four to six year old children’s church group this week. I forgot how much the teach me in the moment. I remember how much I can enjoy the children. They bring a fresh break from my normal routine.

We were learning about the story of David and Goliath. After the lesson and all that goes into class time, I planned a game to bring home the story. I wanted something they would remember. The object of the game was to get the stone in the cup that was over nine feet away. Reminding them David’s stone had to reach Goliath in the right spot to kill him.

Each of the children took a turn being David. As you can imagine, none of them was successful with the single stone. Although David had five, it only took one. After a few rounds, they tired of trying. They declared David was successful because of God, which was a wonderful point I wasn’t even teying to make. I reminded them with God nothing is impossible.

A few of the children wanted to continue on. They were up for the challenge even after the rest of the group had moved on to just playing. The few were persistant and two of the kids actually got the stone in the cup after many tries.

One of the older boys kept going and going even after everyone else was done. As he kept trying and failing, I told him that even though David had only used one stone, David had practiced a lot before that time. I reminded him that David had killed the lion and the bear. I told him, I was sure much of David’s time tending the sheep was spent sharpening his slingshot skills. David was prepared when everyone else had given up because of this.

The little boy said “Yea, I’m David. the rest of the class is like the Israelites, they gave up.” He did eventually get the stone in the cup a couple times knocking the cup over as it entered. He was so proud of himself. I heard him as he left church telling his mom about the lesson.

I thought about the young child’s comment as I left. How many times do I look at preparation time as wasted time? I would love to think that I have learned the lesson, but too often I give up in the preparation. I grow weary of not seeing the progress I expect. I cower back in fear when the enemy comes against me because my faith isn’t where it needs to be in the moment.

When I do see success in the long term, I know the only reason I was is due to preparation. I can make the win because I put the time in during practice ahead of time. Some thing’s I am great at putting in the preparation time, but too often I get discouraged in the preparation, especially as a task oriented person.

I want to have the perserverance of David. I want he stick-to-it-ness of the child not willing to stop until he showed he could hit the mark. I want to be the person that is ready to face the battle, regardless of how big the enemy appears. I want to have the faith to stand when everyone else is cowering back. I want to be the person who never, ever gives up.

There is a gorgeous accent wall at my church, made of wood planks. For whatever reason, there is a single plank that always catches my attention. Tonight was no different. I opened my eyes to see it front and center to me. Anytime something continually catches my attention, I look for the lesson that God might be speaking to me through it. I take it as a “Here’s your sign” from the Lord. Yes, a lot of times I need that direct comment from Him to listen or in this case see.

As I thought about the plank, I realize it has a major imperfection. There is dark grain running vertical on the horizontal plank. If I had picked the planks individually, I would have put it back. I wouldn’t have used it, but the builder of the accent wall was looking at the overall purpose and aesthetics. Seeing the finished product, it is perfect.

As I kept thinking of my reaction to the plank, I realized there are still times I have that same attitude with God. I focus on all that is wrong with me. My present faults, failures, and shortcomings are many; that doesn’t even take into account my past. I wouldn’t have picked me, knowing all my imperfections.

Yet God does pick me. I wasn’t some random plank in a large slab of planks, that He purchased. I wasn’t someone He had to work with regardless of my imperfections because He had to have me to fill His purpose.  He chose me. He chooses each of us individually.  He sees all of our imperfections and stills says “That is the one I want to use.”  I have come to realize that sometimes it is percisely in my imperfections that lead Him to use me. What better person to minister to a messed up person than someone who has walked the same path of failure and imperfection.

I also thought about how I am so focused on that one plank, that I don’t see the imperfections in the other planks. When I step back and look at the bigger picture, no one, except Christ, is perfect. When I take in the whole accent wall, many of the planks have knots, different grains that catch the color differently, and other imperfections.

Every person has different faults, failures, and shortcomings. There are areas that most of us would look at in our lives as disqualifiers for our use by God. When we see those same things in the lives of others, we can see the beauty in their testimony. We can highlight thier faults as a uniqueness in their personality. We see failures as a turning point to their overcoming. We see shortcomings as a reason for their merit to serve.

How often in my own life am I so focused on all that I’ve got wrong, that I think I am the only one with anything wrong? My imperfections are magnified in my eyes because I see them up close and personal. I need to give myself the same grace that God gives me, the same grace I give to others. I also need to see how my imperfections may work next to others for them to see the need for change, the potential for overcoming, or give merit to the magificant work of God.  Others see me with the same grace I see them.

The final thing I saw, is that it is as we come together as a body that the true beauty in our lives is revealed. Alone, I might be set in the discard pile due to my imperfections. When I am submitted to Christ and working in unity with Him and those He has built me to be part of, I become asthetically pleasing. We were never designed to be alone. We are part of the body of Christ and our imperfections are covered in grace and forgiveness. We are sealed with the blood of Christ to bring glory to God.  It is in our completeness as His body that we are able to fulfill what He designed us for, His plans and purpose.

Maybe, as I am sitting in church my eyes will not be drawn to this imperfect plank.  I smile knowing if they do, I will know God is just wanting to remind me of His lessons.

That despite my imperfections:

• He chose me.
• I am not alone in my imperfections, but He can still use me for His purpose.
• My imperfections will be less noticeable when I am working in unity with Him and those around me.
• In my imperfections, His work will be seen and He will receive the glory.