Creative Process

It is God's nature to create and be creative. Creation itself provides the perfect panoply of his handiwork. Every bird that sings, weed that finds refuge in a sidewalk crack or bug that scrambles homeward with its prize reflects the intricate and often complex system creatively working to regenerate an otherwise brutal world. We hardly even take notice of such wonders.

 

Joseph gets a front row seat as God reveals the sometimes painful side of his creativity.

 

God works in creative ways to restore the broken relationships in Joseph's family. This has been the overarching theme throughout the Crazy Mixed Up Family series. God restores the family by working through each broken person.  Joseph is led through a refining process that took years in the making. Joseph's refinement included a number of defining moments in which he surrendered his rights and privileges as a favorite son in order to bring salvation for his people. The process of becoming the redeemer was not without some painful regenerations along the way.

 

Salvation is an intricate and complex creative work of God. Redeeming broken people is God's life work. We can never underestimate the lengths God is willing to go in order to save a human soul. The creative, complex, redemptive work often includes moments of anguish much like that of Joseph and his family. God's creative process brings forth new life with the painful revelation of sacrifice. We must give up the old to create the new.

 

My prayer is that you find hope for your own crazy mixed up family and that you take notice of the wonder of salvation. Joseph's story reveals God's mysterious creative work in the lives of each individual family member. There were moments of destruction, pain and grief. But, God continued to work through individual decisions of sacrifice in order to reconcile the whole family. He did it through Joseph. May he do it through you.

 

But Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. Genesis 50:19-20 NIV

Go Ahead and Let Them See You Sweat!

I remember the statement as part of an advertising campaign for an underarm antiperspirant. Very smart people sat in a room together brainstorming ways to sell me something that would help me cover up the body's natural physiological response to stress. I am certain they came up with this advertising campaign slogan because they knew something about human nature. 

We all sweat.

Somehow, their underarm antiperspirant would stop me from sweating. Antiperspirant would convince others I was not sweating therefore projecting the illusion that I am cool, calm and collected under pressure. Their product would give me an edge over other people who sweat giving me the confident assurance I needed to be successful.

 

Underarm antiperspirant would make me successful? Really?

 

I was taught that blood, sweat and tears would make me successful. Hard work, long hours and sacrifice would catapult me into success if I did the right thing, performed perfectly and sacrificed consistently. Evidently, I was supposed to do all this and never let anyone see me sweat in the process. Neither the ad slogan nor the belief system work for me.

 

Maybe there is another way.

 

As a Christ follower, I take my leadership queues from Jesus. He allowed his followers to see everything firsthand: eat, drink, walk, talk, stand, sit, teach. The twelve disciples followed Jesus' every move. Except the sweating part. From scripture, the disciples observed him from a distance sweating drops of blood. How clever. Now, I am included with other voyeurs in the Garden. I hide behind the olive trees alongside other disciples.  I, too, watch every move Jesus makes and the impression of Jesus sweating drops of blood can be seared in my heart forever.  

 

Jesus let a few disciples watch him sweat in private but allowed the public to watch him stumble and struggle all the way up the hill to Calvary. Scripture records it all for eternity.  Vulnerability can be uncomfortable, even unattractive, but it's authentic. I can trust someone who sweats under immense pressure. I can identify with someone who stumbles and struggles and isn't afraid to show it.  I can love someone who isn't afraid of blood, sweat and tears. But, I will follow and try to become like someone who reveals that this is success God's way.

 

Vulnerable. Authentic. Powerful. Savior. Jesus.

 

White Tornado

I was probably in my late twenties when it happened.

 

Chaos is word that could describe my family life through my teen years. It was during my teen years when all my major distractions from following Christ took place. I was really good at blaming everyone else for the mess I was in and took pride in making my parents' lives miserable following their divorce. I call it my white tornado. I was angry, disappointed and hurt. I took most of my emotional frustrations out on my family. I didn't realize until I was about 28 the toll it was taking on my own life.

 

My dad was an easy target. I blamed him for all my poorly made decisions. I was convinced I learned from the 'best.' So, the credit card debt that I ran up in college was his fault. I was good at pinning my irritability and moodiness on my mother. My mom has struggled with MS since my brother was a baby. So, I could blame her for not being there when I needed guidance and I could convince others I was doing the best I could do with the hand I was dealt.

 

Then, God got hold of me. There is no other authority that has his kind of impact. His action was swift and perfect through Sister Mary Margaret my tournament golf partner. We were a popular duo back in those days. We were nicknamed "The God Squad." She noticed how I beat myself up after every errant shot and how my emotions effected my play. God worked through her gentle coaching to show me how my anger was working against me. Sister Mary Margaret knew my family history. I told her of my white tornado. She asked me a question I will never forget. "Are you the cause of the white tornado or does the white tornado come to you?" 

 

I was leveled. My heart was broken. I was the white tornado and my debris was scattered everywhere. 

 

I would like to say that I immediately changed my ways, reconciled with my family and that life is now a bed of roses. It's been two decades of hard work since Sister Mary Margaret asked me that question. I continue to choose the calming solution side of redemption instead of kicking up the wind speed of the turmoil. I feel God is working in me to reach my family. It's daily hard work. But, if God can calm the storm in me, imagine what he can do with you. I keep praying. God's not finished with me yet.

 

A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. Proverbs 15:1

The Ultimate Family Reunion

Wisconsin is known for its dense timber. Long ago, European settlers carved their livelihoods from portions of the timber to create a patchwork of small family farms. My ancestors were part of the progress. They came from Denmark, Poland and Germany to do the hard labor of clearing the dense forrest and creating a new life. Some of my ancestors logged the timber of the North Woods and rode the logs down the Wisconsin River. I know my family's history because we tell our story at family gatherings. Sometimes the gatherings are called family reunions.

 

There are stories that all of us love to hear. So one of us young ones throws out the bait in hopes that one of the old ones will take it. The story is usually the same but sometimes the old ones would change a detail or two. We would all correct the story and laugh. We love a great story. Telling a good story is an honor reserved for the honorable.

 

There are stories that may have only been shared once but are unforgettable. They stay stuck in our common memory as something irreducibly precious. These stories are sometimes dark or tragic. Sometimes the story is so graphic, I guard my heart from my own imagination. My ancestors lived a hard life. It was not romantic. It was heartbreak, sadness and poverty. Maybe that's why we love the good stories because there were so few.

 

We share photographs at family reunions. The photos bring memories. Sometimes the memory shared is about the garden grandpa tended, the house the cousins built or a family trip to the ocean. I love the photos. They're treated with respect like they're worth millions of dollars. I've learned to ask about the details and write them on the cardboard backing. Family doesn't live forever this side of heaven.

 

All together in one place was God's idea from the beginning. Imagine that gathering. Start with the first people born of earth to this present moment. God's desire was to have us all together forever.  Eternity is a long time to be able to share our story. Here and now, I can share bits of my story and I promise to listen as you share bits of yours. The way I see it, you and I belong to God's family. You can tell me your good stories. I love a good story. But, we will both know the right time to tell the stories that only need telling once. I promise to handle your story with care and give it with the honor and respect it deserves.

 

Sunday is a special day for us at Wheatland. It's kind of like a great family reunion. We will gather together for worship, pitch a tent, fire up our grills and share life together. Stories will be told and shared. I hope you will come. The story is so much better when you tell it. Imagine God watching expectantly with an anticipation for things to come as we engage in fulfilling his dream of being all together in one place forever.