Go and Learn What This Means

We are probably all familiar with Matthew 9. The pharisees in all their blind pharisee-ness asked why Jesus was eating with sinners. We can all roll our eyes here, but Jesus didn’t. He wouldn’t even roll His eyes at us if (when) we said it today. Instead, His answer blows me away still.

Jesus told the pharisees that He had come for the sick, not the healthy, in verse 12. But then the part that gets me is verse 13, “But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” He wants us to show love and kindness instead of proving how holy and perfect we sometimes think we are.

There was an assignment given to Jesus’ listeners and us today: “Go and learn what this means.” He knew we wouldn’t get this right and that it would take a lifetime of trial and error. He knew then, like He knows now, that we are slow learners. We try to do the right thing and be an example of virtue. We get caught up in trying so hard that we lose sight of helping those who need us. We essentially tell them, “Hold on, Imma going to get to your problem as soon as I show God and all you people how great I am.” Sometimes we deny ourselves thinking it makes us more holy when what would have more impact would be to reach out.

The best part of this is that it is never too late to start doing good. Even if we got off on the wrong track and only worked on getting our own house in order, we still have time to eat with “sinners.” Even if we ignored everyone’s needs around us because those vacations weren’t going to deny themselves, God is patient with us. There is plenty of room for living a good life AND bringing food to a hurting neighbor.

I’ll be honest. If I were Jesus, I probably would have blasted us off the earth by now. I’d rip off my sunglasses and throw them across the room. (Not sure why I picture myself needing sunglasses, but I do. So they’re in the scenario.) I would pick up my nearest Bible and thumb through all the verses and passages that spell out what is asked of people. I’d mumble to myself how I just want them to love me and love each other. I requested for people to act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with me. I would want them to not judge others’ sins as worse than their own and instead tell those people what I have done in their lives. I would want them to invite people who are different than them over to their houses so they could find all the ways they are the same. But no, Jesus keeps giving us chances to catch on.

So, we are here another day. Why? To keep learning what Jesus meant when He said, “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” He would rather compassion than a pretty life. He wants us to step into someone else’s shoes and not shine our own. When we mess this up, the important thing is to try again. And again. Never stop trying to get love right.

Linking with Holley Gerth

Justice is Not the Same as Vengeance

The world is a scary place, and not just because of the evil that happens. Everyone has an opinion and those opinions are hurled at whoever will hear them. We cry out for justice, but I feel like we have forgotten what that means.

Justice sometimes means mercy and understanding where vengeance means an eye for an eye.

Justice can be empathy and a second chance but vengeance makes assumptions.

Justice means remembering what the victim endured while vengeance attacks whoever we feel caused the problem.

Justice requires a cool head but vengeance is achieved swiftly.

Justice is an attempt to be fair while vengeance wants to be right.

Justice may not always be achieved but that does not justify vengeance.

These are just a few of the things I see happening now. Soon I expect to see people running by my house with pitchforks. Don’t get me wrong, horrific things are done. However, attacking the people who disagree with us will not achieve anything. All it does is divide us and open the door to hate.

God forbid anything ever happening to one of my children that I thought I could have avoided. I would live with the guilt for the rest of my life, so I wouldn’t need strangers heaping it on me. There doesn’t seem to be mistakes anymore. Instead, tragic events are avenues for vengeance.

Then there are the cases of violence against women. We know the perpetrator deserves a harsh punishment, but that punishment isn’t up to us. We elect officials to carry that out, which means we put it in their hands. Wishing horrible things upon them makes us look bad.

We can’t forget acts of terrorism that leave us reeling. We sometimes have a tendency to put the blame on someone: parents, country, spouse, laws, etc. It can be easy to forget that people lost their lives tragically and to speak out in fear. Thought out responses are always better. None of us will understand what led them to senseless acts, but we are better off holding our tongues.

What is appropriate when scary events occur? Praying for the families or survivors. Reaching out to loved ones and making sure they know how we feel. Helping those who need us, whether locally or globally. Reminding people of the good that is still in the world.  When all we see around us is sad or evil, we must be the good.

I don’t know about you, but I prefer mercy and justice to blind vengeance that isn’t even mine to take.

Linking with Holley Gerth

Gifts That Make a Difference

Today is Black Friday, which means people are losing their minds over sales. But what if we decided to buy gifts this year from companies who are making a difference in the lives of their employees? How about we help struggling communities around the world with our dollars?

Here is a list of some amazing companies. Happy shopping!

Mercy House Kenya

Three Cords Haiti

Yobel Market

Ruhamah Designs

Batik Boutique

Sak Saum

107 Market Street

Back to Africa

Eternal Threads

Joyn

ViBella

The Refugee Project

Hands Producing Hope

Grain of Rice Project

Threads of Hope

Clothed in Hope

No. 41

Rahab’s Rope

Village Artisans

 

Linking with Holley Gerth

Your Yes Matters

Last year I read an amazing book, Rhinestone Jesus. Author Kristen Welch tells her story and shares about how God led her away from her simple, surface-level life and into the great adventure He had planned for her. After a mission trip to Kenya, Kristen felt led to open Mercy House Kenya, which houses pregnant teens and single mothers. When she heard the sickening statistics, she knew she needed to help.

Annually, 21,000 women are hospitalized from having an illegal, unsafe abortion in Kenya.

13,000 Kenyan girls are kicked out of school for being pregnant.

25% of pregnant women in Kenya are HIV positive.

Every 30 minutes, a woman is raped in Kenya.

More than 20,000 children are sex trafficked in Kenya.

1,500 women die in childbirth every day across Africa.

Kristen knew God was calling her to help, and she said “Yes.” From the US, the Welch family started Rehema House (rehema is the Swahili word for mercy) in Kenya. Pregnant girls and new mothers are safe, counselled, educated, and receive medical care. They are taught skills to support themselves but more importantly, they learn about God’s love. These teenagers are safe and loved, possibly for the first time. What an amazing ministry.

However, Kristen didn’t stop there. Mercy House started a ministry last August, called Fair Trade Friday. Rather than give women money, FTF seeks to empower them. When you join the Fair Trade Friday club, you receive a box the first Friday of each month for $31.99 (including shipping.) Each box contains 3-4 unique fair trade items in a handmade bag. Attached to each item is a card with information about where it was made. There is also a card in the box telling you how many women your box employed that month. (Mine usually say 6 or 7!) You see right away the difference you are making. You can keep some things and give some as gifts (but you will want to keep it all!)

The items in the Fair Trade Friday box have a wide range. Jewelry, t-shirts, headbands, journals, and many other things are included. They are all beautiful and from one woman to another.

I won’t lie-getting these boxes each month makes me giddy and more than a little teary. I get to help a woman provide for her family and keep them together. I help give her dignity and a purpose. When she gets up in the morning, she has hope for her babies’ futures and she gets to hug them at night, which is more than many women around her get.

What have been my favorite items so far? Glad you asked! I would have to say my earrings made in Ecuador, picture frame made in India, and journal made in India. (Shocker that I loved a journal, right?)

God has so much in store for Kristen Welch, Mercy House, and Fair Trade Friday, and I am so honored to be a small part in that. If you would like more information about Mercy House Kenya, here is their website. You can make a donation or shop there. If you would like to be part of Fair Trade Friday and experience the joy of empowering women around the world, head to their website here. You won’t regret it!

As Kristen said in Rhinestone Jesus, “We aren’t called to do big things; we are just called to do something that fulfills this command: Love God. Love others.”

Love God. Love others. Yes, let’s make the world a brighter place.

Linking with Holley Gerth, Faith Along the Way, and We Are THAT Family.

Forgive the Small Stuff

You ever keep hearing the same topic come up and still think, “well, that doesn’t apply to me”? I hope you are smarter than me and actually take notice when this happens.

The idea of forgiveness has been brought to my attention lately and until the end of this week I was thinking of someone else who needed to hear it. Bless my heart.

Because I am pretty good at forgiving the big things, I kind of gloss over the command to forgive 70 times 7. I get it, Jesus. You want us to forgive. Can we move on now? There have been big events in my life that I have forgiven people for, in time. My struggle is with the small things. The slights, the people who hurt my feelings, the times I am left out- those are the situations that trap me.

How is it I can forgive people who did big things on purpose but not those whose transgressions toward me are unintentional? What is wrong with me?

It occurred to me that I might not be the only one. Do you have a hard time with not holding a grudge when someone hurts your feelings? I wish I could say no, but some things I will rehash in my mind. It may not be a big deal, but by golly, by the time I am done analyzing it, it will be. The person may not even know what they have done that I am mentally punishing them for!

Several times this week, small slights have occurred that were never intended the way I took them. I guess God needed to get my attention so He could help me fix it. One is even that a new friend has not returned my text. There are many reasons this could have happened, but I jumped to: she must not really want to be my friend. (Cue sad sound.)

Let’s be honest, there are some people just naturally like this. Many of their actions can be seen as hurtful, so they are repeat offenders.

Give them grace.

People will leave you out unintentionally.

Cut them some slack.

You will think someone is ignoring you on purpose.

Believe they have a reason and give them another chance.

Someone will brush you off.

Assume they were busy and move on with life.

Your friend will say something that they knew would hurt your feelings.

Love them anyways.

Life is too short to walk around angry or frustrated with people, especially when they don’t know what they did. We (meaning I) need to work out our feelings and love unconditionally. Even holding small grudges is detrimental to our spiritual well being, so the faster we can learn to let go of the small things, the better. It won’t be easy for me, but I know I can do it with God’s help.

He’s always got my back.

Matthew 5:7 Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

Linking with Faith Along the Way

Maximum Impact

This weekend my happy place, Facebook, was taken over by heartbreak. The little boy left by his dad in a hot car (yes I am tired of this story too) had new details come out every 5 minutes. Then there is a local college student who was hit by a drunk driver last year. Her family is facing the suspect in court this week. Wow. I have been following her progress this year and seen the love and devotion her parents have for her. I can’t imagine the emotions they are feeling.

People on Facebook, and in general, seem to have that mob mentality down. Trial by the media is how things are done these days. In both of these situations, wrong was done. No one can doubt that. I saw in regard to the drunk driver that someone wanted justice served and hoped the boy would get the maximum sentence. That thought kept rolling around in my head. I agree with justice served, but the maximum sentence part gets me. What do I want to come out of these situations? Maximum impact. I want people to see the results of drinking and driving, through Emily’s life. I want people to make sure their baby isn’t left in the car. I want people to seek help if they are mentally unstable, not do something drastic. More than anything, I hope the lives of these men, their families, and the victims’ families have maximum impact. I hope we see radical change, radical forgiveness, and radical hearts for God.

God certainly doesn’t want these men to rot in jail and then rot in hell. He doesn’t want the families to live with bitterness and anger for the rest of their lives. He wants the impact of stories like these to ripple out and touch many lives. He wants mercy and grace to be lived out. God knows it is one thing for us to read about grace in the Bible, but it becomes real when we see people pouring it out now. The human reaction is to think we can never forgive. We can think of excuses all day to justify our hatred, but nothing can make it right. Or we ask how someone could this. WE would certainly never do something so horrible. We live so long with the plank in our own eye that it obscures our vision.

Micah 6:8 sums up our responsibility perfectly. “And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” Justice, mercy, and humility: what a difficult combination for us to grasp. They seem so different from each other, especially justice and mercy. Then there is the walk humbly part. We aren’t better than anyone else. We may not be guilty of their sins, but we sure have plenty of our own. God loves people with “big” sins just as much as He loves us. He longs to be with them in eternity too. The sooner we realize this, the easier it will be for us to exhibit justice and mercy and to fully hold Jesus’ hand in humility.

 

Linking up with the magnificent Holley Gerth today!