Tuesday With Teri

  This year, as I post this annual devotion, I am on our boat off the coast and headed towards Charleston SC.  Life certainly has changed and is always bringing new adventure, challenges and  perspectives.  I miss meeting up with friends for Easter service, seeing all the littles dressed in their finery and giggling over hidden eggs, clutching their Bibles.  This year we will be listening to our Easter sermon online.  If this season of life finds you far from home/shore/family join us at New Spring Church online (live.newspring.cc)  It is not lost on me that no matter where I am, what season of my life I am in, when I am in a good place spiritually, when I am far from my faith in my journey, no matter how far I am from where I need to be…my GOD STILL waits for me.  His love for me is the same this day as it was the day He allowed His son to take on my sin, die on the cross..it is the same intense, undeserved love and forgiveness that He gave on this day when Jesus rose victoriously over death…In Him alone is my hope, my salvation, my life.  Here it is once more…Abigail:

I love sharing this post each Easter and remembering the lesson God brought to us that year.  This lesson will be with me forever.  God’s grace is truly amazing,  I cannot earn His forgiveness, I do not need to, He offers it to us all because He loves us….I never want to forget at what cost this gift was given.  I pray this Easter you too accept His precious gift of forgiveness and know you are loved by a grace giving God!

“Abigail”

      I’ve lost track of how many years ago it was, yet each Spring I can’t help but recall my introduction to Abigail.  I was a high school science/Bible teacher for a small Christian school at the time. One of my students was a football sized young man named Nick.  He worked for a local farmer who had offered him a young lamb to take home.  Nick’s mom, apparently destined for sainthood, not only allowed him to bring the lamb home, but he got to keep it in his room!  Early that Spring Nick brought photos to share.  To my amazement, there, wedged beside his bed and amid typical teenage squalor, was a carefully built pen, complete with wood rails, chicken wire and hay.  Abigail the lamb had found a perfect home.  Over the next few weeks Nick would have numerous stories to tell of Abigail’s antics.  I couldn’t wait to see her for myself, so I invited Nick to bring her to school one morning.

I ushered my entire class outside and we waited like giddy preschoolers for Abigail’s arrival.  I am certain I will never be able to adequately describe what I saw that day.  I will do my best.  We watched as Nick emerged from his vehicle with Abigail cradled in his big burly arms.  We stood transfixed by the sight of what can only be inadequately referred to as “precious”.  Her pure, white coat seemed almost translucent, radiating light under the bright blue, cloudless sky.   Her tiny nose was a perfect, pink velvet triangle perched just above her little pink mouth.    As I placed my hand on her sweet little head she looked at me.  I found myself staring into the depths of clear, brilliant blue eyes.  I realized I had been holding my breath in awe.  We were expecting to see a cute lamb, somewhat off white in color.  I had not considered that, unlike the lambs at the local petting zoo, Abigail had been living in a clean, loving, environment.  After everyone had made Abigail’s acquaintance, Nick left to return her home and we settled back into Bible class.

We soon realized the relevance of Abigail’s visit as we continued our study of Passover.  The original Passover took place when Moses was leading the Israelites out of Egypt.  God instructed them to mark their door post with the blood of a male lamb.  This was to protect them from the final plague which was the death of all first born in any home not so protected. (Exodus 11&12)  The yearly commemoration of this event required the father to select the best, blemish free lamb and set it apart for the Passover…four days prior to the celebration.  My students and I began to consider something quite startling.  There was a good chance that the lamb would have been brought into the house or yard during that time.  This perfect little lamb, probably as precious and sweet as our Abigail, may have clamored under their feet while they did chores, fed out of their hands and shared a living area.  After four days, this lamb, which by now had become even more precious to the family, was to be sacrificed.   Suddenly one can imagine the cries of the children, the quite sob of their mother, the sorrow in the eyes of the father who knows a blood sacrifice is required.   For the first time, since meeting Abigail, we could truly envision the “sacrificial lamb” of the Scriptures.

The continued observance of Passover was a powerful object lesson for generations of Israelites.  Every family member would be reminded not only of God’s protection and provision when He freed them from slavery, but also of the cost…the blood of their most precious lamb.  This Easter we consider the final sacrifice.  Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, perfect and precious beyond description, was sacrificed for our sin.  Many movies and videos have stirred the heart of man as they depict the brutal crucifixion of our Christ, yet none can compare to the vision of Abigail.  As we celebrate our freedom from sin and death through the resurrection of our Lord, let’s never forget the cost.  Praise God His love and grace make us worthy of such a sacrifice!

1 Peter 1:18-19  “knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold…but with precious blood, as a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.”

I think I can confidently say I have perfected FALLING.  As evidence, I present a few of my accomplishments:

• Getting into or out of my Kayak (each one, and there have been many, more hilarious and humbling than the next)
• Off boats (one from mid-ship, while barely underway, others were ungraceful attempts to exit a boat.
• Down stairs: Missed steps getting out of pedestal bed on boat (don’t judge, it was dark and early in the morning!), sliding down last few steps on landings.
• UP the stairs. (yes, you read that right, UP the stairs, not even sure HOW it happens, but it happens fairly frequently)
• I have landed on my backside a few times doing nothing more than walking, (down a ramp, on a cobbled stone street or on an icy sidewalk)

There have been numerous lessons learned from my “falling” experiences….”Be More Careful”,  “Hold Handrails”,  “Watch Your Step”,  “Ask for Help”,  “Slow Down”….but of all my “falling” lessons, the greatest is this:  Falling is NOT always failing….The GETTING UP MATTERS!

This lesson is vital, because not all falling experiences are physical. My imperfect walk through this life has landed me squarely on my rumpus literally AND figuratively.

• I have fallen out of good habits.
• I have fallen away from reading the Bible.
• I know what it feels like to fall out of favor with family or friends.
• I have found myself on the floor emotionally, discouraged, disheartened or displeased with myself.

I have discovered that after my fall, satan likes to sit on top of me. His messages assault my heart.. “Don’t bother getting up, you’ll just fall again.”, “People are looking and judging you, pretend you didn’t fall”, “Stay down, its easier and no one will notice.”

Falling is not the hard part, the hard part is the getting back up. GETTING BACK UP is the difference between falling and failing.

Later today, my hubby and I are heading out to do some kayaking. This man has sure seen some impressive falling skills from me over the years. I have no doubt that he will be doing all he can to reduce my chances of falling. He will steady my kayak for my entry or exit. He will keep an eye out for me at all times. He will make sure I have adequate safety gear. Most importantly, IF I do fall, he will be there to help me…when he is done laughing of course! He is always there for the “getting back up” parts of life.

Likewise, my God is prepared for my falls. He walks with me through difficult times. Sometimes He prevents my falls. Often, He allows my falls to change me. But at ALL times, He is there for the “getting back up” part of life.

Today is Good Friday. Today my heart is heavy as I think about the death of Jesus Christ.   His crucifixion was a part of God preparing for me to fall. My God knew I would fall short of being without sin.

How could I, a sinner, have a relationship with a Holy God? I can because with His death on that cross, He bore my sin, and all the eternal condemnation that comes with falling down in life.

Because of His death, His burial and RESSURECTION, we can go before God and ask forgiveness for our sin. This is AMAZING GRACE. We do not deserve forgiveness, yet God sent His son to make a way for us, that whenever we fall, we can seek Him, He will forgive us and HE will be there for our “getting back up”.

If this season of life finds you struggling from a fall, know this…God is with you, His forgiveness is available, and His grace (unearned favor) is sufficient. It is time to get back up!

“For it was the Father’s good pleasure to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of the cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven. Although you were formerly alienated and hostile mind, engaged in evil deeds, yet He has now RECONCILED you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach…” (Colossians 1:19-22)