Lessons from a Carpenter

Sure I was disappointed when the picnic table which matched the rustic wooden chairs and love swing started to rot - very badly - enough that the thought of sitting on either bench gave us anxiety. It was time. I saw the two braces for the table and pointed out that they looked like crosses. They were already attached with a spike and so an idea was born. One day we would erect a larger Cross in the pretty little patch in our backyard where we had installed lighting and Birds of Paradise. 

One year went by. Then two.Then three and on and on. This is year 7 and that is a perfect number, so we figured why not stain, seal and install Jesus's Cross on Resurrection Day? 

Please allow me share a short story about this wooden Cross and why we wanted to install it there in our backyard before we even uncovered the two small crosses from the rotting picnic table. Every year for 25 years for our anniversary we vacation in Anna Maria Island, Florida. Our very first year we went we found a motel-type of accommodation on the beach and with a beach-front park and restaurant just out front. It was so special and beautiful though a modest efficiency with a Juliet balcony (love!). It was pet friendly and on the beach and perfect for us. 

However, the best part was just below our Juliet balcony, a dark-stained very large Cross stood with a royal purple fabric drape. It was Easter time and the owners loved the Lord. I can still envision looking down and seeing the dark purple fabric wave in the salty breeze. Overhead Australian pine trees rustled in the wind as I imagined angels flying overhead and making the swirly drafts just to see the pine needles dance (Isaiah 55:12 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah%2055&version=NIV).  

Fast forward and here we are 25 years later. We gathered all of the parts for our very own large Cross. The smaller 2 - which represent the Thief on the cross and the other who was hung. As I stained the pieces today in the hot midday sun, I was reminded of the sweat and tears Jesus shed on our behalf. I saw my sweat hit the plastic tarp and was convicted not to complain as the pain Jesus endured for me was so much greater. I became thirsty and immediately thought of how Jesus thirsted while on the Cross. They gave Him gall to drink. Which was not kind. It is not water but vinegar and would have increased His thirst. How often do I pass by a stranger thirsty for a smile? Or worse, how often do I offer gall to someone who is thirsting for life-saving advice or just someone to care? 

I stepped aside to drink a cup of water. It was cold and quenched my thirst. Jesus provides all of my needs and water is a need which is spoken about so much in the Bible. A favorite verse is John 7:37-39 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=john+7%3A37-39&version=NIV. 

I had a moment of doubt that the stain was too dark from what I imagined and God reminded me like Thomas, to not doubt (John 20:24-29 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=john+20%3A24-29&version=NIV). Much prayer went into this project and my husband's choice of stain allowed me to see the grain as the wood quickly dried in the hot sun. It was not just what I had imagined - it was so much better. We plan, but ultimately it is God who orders our steps. Yes, this was the perfect stain. 

I thought I was done staining all the pieces and then saw the large vertical beam to the side of the tarp. It was too large for the tarp so I had set it aside. I had forgotten the most important part of our project. I had already taken off the rubber gloves and put the stain away.

Unlike our imperfect nature, God never forgets anything. He even is going to present us a white rock with a special name that only He could come up with when we get to Heaven! In the Bible, there is only one reference to God giving us a white stone with a new name: “To the one who is victorious, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give that person a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to the one who receives it” (Revelation 2:17).

As I hoisted that long beam up to place it in the shade against the house to stain, I was reminded of Simeon Luke 2:25-35 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=luke+2%3A25-35&version=NIV. What was he thinking when he carried Jesus's Cross? Did he know where he was going or was just following those who sought to kill the King of the Jews? 

I chose a shady spot so I could recover from the sun. I felt refreshed. Jesus spent time with His Father in the Garden the night before His death. He often found rest and relaxation in nature - on a mountain, under a tree - so many places He found to rest in God's creation even though the Bible tells us He had no place to rest His head! Matthew 8:19–20; Luke 9:57–58.

The dark staining resumed. Darn! It splatted onto the white gutter. I wiped it up and resolved to cover it with rags so I would not make a mess again. Before I covered the gutter, I thought of the blood that was shed at Calvary. My stain was not red but it was dark and reminded me of the darkness of our sin. How we make a mess of it all. How our sin leaves stains though we try so hard to hide the residue of
our mess. 

Yes, I got to the gutter too late and it had dried stains which I could not clean up. The gutter is white. God sees us as pure as white snow when we repent and come to Jesus with a pure heart. Romans 8:9-11:

⁹ If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰ For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. ¹¹ As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.”^[a]

We will one day wear robes of white. The dark stains of sin do not show - not even a residue of the sins of our past. This is only possible because Jesus is standing in front of us and God only sees His perfect son who is blameless. This is what Jesus did on the Cross. He removed our sin. I like the vision of rose-colored glasses. Ever wear a pair? The whole world looks pretty. Pretty in Pink. We are Pure in White when we are humble and come to Jesus.

I placed all the rags (which were also white) onto the white gutter to protect it. I finally finished staining. I looked down at the gutter and saw big blobs of stain on the white rags. When I removed the rags, the gutter was white with no marks where the fresh blobs had hit. I thought I had used all the rags and so I smiled when I saw that one was still folded from where I grabbed it from the garage. I could not help but be reminded of the grave clothes which had been folded in the cave where Jesus was carefully laid after His death on the Cross. If His grave clothes were not folded one may have assumed Jesus was not conscious. There was no one with him in the sealed cave who could have folded those clothes so neatly. The folded grave clothes are just another example of love God gave us that day. God wants us to "get" it. 

I was not prepared for the surprise I got when I moved the small crosses and horizontal beam off of the blue plastic tarp. I was aghast and then sat down and cried. I was so humbled to see the outline in stain on the tarp. At first I thought of when there is a crime scene and the bodies are outlined in chalk on the ground. Do you know what I am talking about? Anyways, Golgotha was a crime scene so I should not have been surprised by this. A crime was committed by all of us. No one is deemed innocent as we put Jesus on the Cross. But God planned this before the foundation of the world before any of us took our first breath or were even conceived. Some people struggle with this. They feel it is cruel and unthinkable for a Father to allow his son to suffer and die and especially in the way Jesus did. Jesus had not done anything wrong. And then to let the thief Barnabas go! A lot to unpack when we think on that Resurrection Day...

And I have heard others say, "I will not trust a God who does that to his own son." 

I get it. But because God allowed Jesus to suffer and die for our sins, this is the greatest Love Story of all time. Adam and Eve ushered in sin for all generations. That outline at a crime scene would be our fate if not for Jesus. The story would have ended there. In the morgue. But it didn't.

And so, I did a little cartwheel in my mind and turned that blue plastic tarp over. I laid on it and did a snow angel right there in the hot FL sun. And yes, it remained blue without a hint of a crime scene. Our sin was paid. Our crime paid. All residue of sin and stain gone forever.....

The second to last step before digging holes and filling with cement was sealing. Of course we used outdoor polyurethane. However, God seals each person who comes to Him in repentance and belief (Romans 10:9-11 again) with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the third member of the Trinity and leads, guides, and directs and convicts the child of God. The Holy Spirit is our Counselor. Jesus left the Holy Spirit when we ascended to Heaven. 

For our project today, I know the sealer will preserve these special Crosses. Also it will help repel insects, rain and stop the stain from fading. When I think on my Christian walk, I think of Bible study, worship, and serving God as protective and necessary elements in my daily and weekly existence. I do not do any of these things because I have to but because I want to. I am sealed with the Holy Spirit. I am forever in the family of God! 

The last step was digging the holes. I was not prepared for the challenge of digging the holes. First, we had to make best choices after choosing our first spots because there were water pipes and electric lines. When we realized the second best spots for each, we also realized digging would take much longer and not be as easy as we had anticipated due to the rocky, sandy ground. We got through it after several dips in the pool and icy drinks. And the verse that came to mind is a powerful one!  Psalm 40:2 https://biblehub.com/psalms/40-2.htm. The rocks were dug out and scattered around the finished projects as a reminder of the firm foundation we have in Christ.

Hebrews 9:12, 26

So by saying “it is finished” Jesus was signaling to the Jewish world that there was no more need for sacrifices or temples because that his work brought ultimate fulfillment to what their sacrificial system foreshadowed.

And it is finished. And so is our beautiful and special Easter project which was born 25 years ago in our hearts and our minds but the time was not right until now. God's timing is perfect..

Thank You Lord. What a special time of worship. And my hope for whoever reads this blog today is that you will pause and take time to look up. Count how many planes or birds go by. Look for clouds that look like animal crackers. Take a deep breath. Inhale the Goodness of the Lord. Smell the roses (or the polyurethane). Make a snow angel in the grass even if it is 85 degrees and a paint tarp is your pretend snow. Just do something that makes you smile and feel alive. Someone else today is Alive. He is Risen! He is Alive! He is no longer there . And this in that cave. 

This why we celebrate. I hope you enjoyed this blog entry today. Please reach out to me if you would like to know more about Jesus. I would love to study His Word with you and answer any questions you may have. You can also find me at https://www.bluewaterbro.com. Blessings! xoxo Christina

Light Me Up!

Matthew 25:3. During my Zoom small group time with wonderfully wise women this past Thursday morning, I was smacked in the face with a vision of standing with oil in my lamp. We were discussing our homework and the question focused on Matthew 16:27-28.

I particularly like the ESV Version, "27 For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done. 28 Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”

The parable of the Ten Virgins is basically that 10 virgins went out to meet the Bridegroom (Jesus Christ) and half had not only their lamps but had extra oil and the other half - well not so prepared.

And then my mind goes to living in South Florida during Hurricane season. After many years of making sure we are prepared - just in case, we have a cabinet in our garage with lots and lots of batteries, led candles, Spare water like crazy and in our backyard shed - extra gas for our generator. Not only that, but we take our generator to get tuned up just in case. Not to mention we have shelf stable foods in our pantry for the entire hurricane season as well as extra food for our pets.

Back to the story.... ALL of the virgins fell asleep while they waited for the Bridegroom. At midnight He arrived. All of the virgins woke up and "trimmed their lamps." A lamp is trimmed when the wick is turned either up or down to regulate the amount of flame. If a lamp is empty of oil, it does not matter how much one trims it—the lamp will go out when the oil is consumed.

Okay so - - - I immediately ask myself at this moment in reading the parable, Will I be the wise virgin and my light will shine brightly? And question two, Will I share my oil with the foolish virgin beside me? Because the virgins (not sure how many out of the 5 with an oil shortage) did insist (rather pushily I might add) that the wise virgin(s) donate some of their oil. They did not ask basically.

The answer was, "No." The 5 virgins were more focused on the Bridegroom and not having their light burn brightly before their God. So the foolish virgins ran out to Home Depot to buy more. And as they were having their oil scanned at the Self Serve Checkout - Jesus arrived!

And boy did they miss a banquet worthy of a King! The door was shut. Ouch! Bunny trail - we also covered Isaiah 22:22 in my small group time this past Thursday which was truly a bow on this gift of the Parable of The Ten Virgins.

Isaiah 22:22  22And I will place on his shoulder the key of the house of David. He shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open. - ESV Version.

The door shutting is actually even more painful as I read that after the foolish virgins hoofed it back to the waiting place (and they must have knocked or yelled loudly - not sure which). The called out, "Lord, Lord" and asked Him to open the door to them. Jesus's response, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you." is quite surprising, no?

So the end of the story in this parable is the exhortation basically to keep watch because you do not know the time - the hour when Jesus Christ will return. So keep your lamp full, have extra in your Hurricane Cabinet and get ready to grab it! 

When I ponder my own life and ask myself if I am ready. I feel I am halfway ready. I have oil in my lamp, but not the extra jar. What I mean is, I am so focused on other earthly endeavors that often I am not 100% truly prepared for Jesus's return. I SO relate to those 5 who had to make the road trip to stock up. I mean, I would remember to bring my lamp and it would be full of oil but I would most likely not bring extra unless I had it on a sticky note on the stearing wheel of the car.

Is that sad? Yes. I make To Do Lists, Costco Lists, Fresh Market Lists, and on and on daily but neglect the One True List - my What Are You Doing For God Today List.

I should not need a list at all to remember God. To be prepared with my light burning as long as need be so that I am ready and waiting for whenever that Wedding Banquet may be. I don't want to have the door shut in my face and be told No by my Creator. I mean, It is a wedding after all and I cannot imagine being late to my own wedding so how much more does God deserve my preparations being a priority?

How about you? Are you ready? Are you now inspired to become ready? Or even questioning why a lamp and extra oil are mentioned in this parable when Jesus could have just shot straight with a mandate of Be ready for My return! 

God loves us so much He wants us to GET IT so he spoke in Parables in the Bible. I want Him to light me up and stay lit on into eternity..........

Tick Tock. Tick Tock.

Tick tock. Tick tock. She stared at the ceiling for what seemed like hours as the clock in the hall seemed to be the only sound outside of her head. 

In her head thoughts ran like a kitchen faucet forgotten for hours. Then the memories flooded her mind in a staccato pattern. These were like a coffee pot percolating like the old-fashioned one she grew up listening to in the early hours every day of her childhood.

Sleep seemed elusive. Everyone in the house was soundly asleep in dreamland enjoying sweet rest. She had no rest and rest was not to be had. Or so she thought. She was wrong. 

Her thoughts then led to counting sheep. She counted to 100 and still her head was filled with next day To Do's and yesterday's Did Not Do List. Regret. Remorse. Restlessness.

Then the sweet voice of her God gently nudged her soul with a wonderful thought placed in the midst of the clattering thoughts in her head. My beloved, "Why don't you pray?" 

It was as if a wind rose in her heart - a beautifully gusty autumn breeze. The kind of gentle whispering of air freshly ushered in from the ocean. And her heart swelled with a wave of hope. For it was no longer about her needs and regrets and have-to-do's. It was about others.

She prayed that night. She talked to God about not knowing how to pray for so many because the needs were so great. She admitted how overwhelmed she was with all that was happening to so many in the world. Tears flowed as she grieved over so much loss and pain so many faced. Names came to mind of others who asked for prayer specifically. She admitted only God could meet those needs and change those hearts and heal those wounds.

Something happened in those few minutes. Her breathing slowed and her mind stopped racing. She no longer heard the Tick tock Tick tock from the hall. She closed her eyes as the tears evaporated. She took a deep breath then fell into a deep sleep. Peacefully in her Father's arms she slept as the angels danced overhead. She finally understood that counting sheep would never give the peace which prayer provides.

And the next day she arose rested and full of joy. And the next night and the night after and many nights after when the racing thoughts and regrets came - - - she never again listened to Tick tock Tick tock but instead to her Father's voice. She prayed and she slept peacefully. Again and again.

In peace I will both lie down and sleep, For You alone, O LORD, make me to dwell in safety.- Psalm 4:8 NASB. 

And she did.....

Be blessed! Revelation 5:11, Isaiah 6:3