I drove the mile over to Publix this morning without my seatbelt! Daring! Gutsty! I know. Breaking the law, yeah, well sorta. Sorry about that. But I confess it’s my own little passive agressive revolt against the idea that lawmakers think they are doing society a favor by requiring them to wear seatbelts, all the while burying their head in the sand over the thousands of unborn babies aborted each year.
If abortion is protected under the guise of a “woman’s right to do what she wants with her body” (never mind the baby’s) then why can’t I drive down the road without my seatbelt? Isn’t it my body? Who am I harming? Can’t I do with my body want I want?
Geez, now I’ve done got on my soapbox. It must be the Eva Knieva in me. Climbing down. As I do, let me say this. Abortion is a tough issue. I have compassion for woman who’ve had to choose. Jesus has compassion for them, too, and offers grace, forgiveness and peace.
Look, He didn’t go to the Cross to for the right to condemn us with our weakness and sin. He went to the Cross to purchase us from the evil one, the one who does condemn us and continually accuse us before the Righteous One. In John 3:17 Jesus tells us He came not to judge but to save. Those who believe in Him are NOT judged.
The Cross, Life and Resurrection of Jesus is about qualification, not disqualification. He’s glad over you! He sings over you! He’s not mad or disappointed. He knows our frame, our weakness. Abortion or not, His arms are waiting for you.
You know what Jesus told me once? Maybe I’ve blogged it already, but it bears repeating. I was singing to Him one day after a hard phone conversation with someone. I played the keyboard, pouring out my heart, trying to get the slim off of me, and He sang back. “I’ve searched the whole earth, the whole earth, through all of time and Rachel, there is no one like you. No one.” I burst into tears, feeling, thinking, “No, that can’t be. I’m nothing. I’m ordinary.” But the truth is, in all of human history, there is no one like me. I’m unique. Song of Solomn 6:9 “But my dove, my perfect one, is unique.”
That’s me! That’s you. The King of King, Lord of Lords wants you. He must have you. There is no one like you. He loves us so much He bore the Cross to prove it. No Mohammad, no Budda, no Maharishi, no Confucius, no religious zealout, leader, guru took the thorny crown, the whipping with a cat-of-nine tails, the fist beatings, the pulling out of the beard, the nailing to the rugged, wooden Cross, the spear in the side, the pain, shame and rejection for you to have life abundantly. No one but Jesus! It’s only our arrogance and darkness that keeps us from seeing “what kind of love is this?”
All the religions of the world are about man becoming like God, man making a way to God, man appeasing God. But faith in Jesus is about realizing God became man, God made the way for man to come to Him, and He appeased Himself with Himself. Mind blowing.
Wow! I didn’t know the soap box was so tall. I’m down now.
Exhortation. I started reading the book Bonnie gave me about the life of writers/authors. Several impacted me deeply. I felt God whisper over me after reading several this morning. I’ve really carried the burden of being told I’m not great, and have a lot of work to do. I don’t want to dismiss the counsel, ’cause I know I’m not “great,” but it’s made me want to give up. So, the Lord said to me, “Rachel, you’re not great, but the One who is great lives in of you.”
Tears, of course, the tears came. I’m not in this writing biz alone. I know I have work to do. I want to get better, grow in my craft. Pull out that deep story inside of me, but I don’t have to work, walk, write alone. The Great One lives in me.
I said it before, I’ll say it again, Jesus rocks! My Father in Heaven is kind, loving, full of mercy and compassion. He loves me.
We go on vacation tomorrow and I need to get cleaning the house. I have the windows open and it’s freezing in here, but once I get cleaning, I’ll warm up. Tonight is Javi and Brenda’s ordination at Rapha Christian Center, so we are going to that.
Grace and Peace.