Let's "Face" It...

Before we go any further in this “blog-lationship” (like relationship, but only pertaining to blogs), there is something I need to share with you. Are you ready? Here it is:

I really like washing my face.

Yeah, I know it’s weird. Weird that I would like washing my face, and equally if not even weirder that I would take the time to notice the emotion I feel towards it. But despite its apparent and undeniable weirdness, the truth doesn’t change: I really enjoy washing my face.

This affinity toward facial cleansing is odd, I admit, but it’s not without reason. In fact, I have some very good reasons for feeling this way. For instance, washing my face is incredibly refreshing; after washing it, my day can get off to a good start. And it’s also the perfect end to my day, since it lets me rinse away all the grunge and dirt and stress that accumulates without fail. I love how the water temperature affects how I feel: if I want to relax, I use warm water; if I need to wake up, cool water does the trick. Like Orbit gum gives your mouth that “good clean feeling,” an old-fashioned face washing does the same for my skin. And, boy, does it feel lovely!

In addition to these benefits of facial cleansing, there is an even more important aspect for which we should account: pimples. Ever since middle school, this red-dotted, white-headed nuisances have taken up residence on my face, and—despite regular eviction notices and constant threats—refuse to leave. No, on the contrary, these “squatters” regularly rise up as if to stage a coup and take over my entire face. The nerve! But luckily, though, I have my trusty arsenal, my facial cleanser hit squad, that unleashes a counter attack two times a day. And, thus, by washing my face, these arch nemeses of every teenager’s life are kept at bay. (Nevermind that I am no longer a teenager. My skin seems to have missed the memo that I’m not 13 anymore. Grrr.)

Okay, I know I am being goofy, and I admit that I get carried away sometimes. But I really do enjoy washing my face. And really do wish I didn’t have acne…

But the point of this blog isn’t just for me to ramble on and on about how my facewash completes my life. I’m supposed to tie it into a deep thought or lesson about life. I know what you’re thinking right now: “How could she possibly have a deep life lesson about facewash?” (Or alternatively, you are thinking about how badly you need to go to the bathroom. If this is the case, you have my permission to leave. Just come right back. And don’t forget to wash your hands.) Oh, trust me, I do. Just you wait.

The other day, I didn’t have time to wash my face before heading to my first class. I had gone to the gym and was running late, and I really need to make it to my class on time. Something had to give, and it was washing my face. All during the class, I couldn’t help thinking about how gross I felt and how I couldn’t wait to get back to finish my facial cleansing ritual. The minute that the lecture was finished, I skedaddled back home to do just that. As I splashed the cool water over my skin and lathered the face wash all over it and rinsed it off, I felt a wave a sweet relief. It was as if by washing my face, my whole body felt cleaner and my day suddenly became brighter. (This sounds cheesy, I know, but it was a very moving moment). And then also in that moment, I realized something else. Something far more important than the “Hallelujah Chorus” being sung on my face.

You see, I would never skip washing my face in the morning or evening. And when I was forced to postpone it, I jumped at the chance to fix it. My twice-daily facial cleansing ritual is important to me. I do whatever I can to make it happen. It’s one of my top priorities, and without it, my day is incomplete and wholly thrown off.

Is the same true for my daily time spent with Jesus?

No, as much as I hate to admit it, it’s not. When I get in a rush, time with Him is the first thing to be cut and the last to be made up for later—if at all. Day after day, I come to the end before I realize that I forgot about Him. I washed my face twice. But I didn’t talk to or listen to my Savior once. Huh. There is something fundamentally wrong with that. Very, very wrong. And yet, day after day, I make the same mistake again. And night after night, I lay down to sleep before I remember that I should have read my Bible or prayed.

It’s not like I don’t have reminders to change this. “Spiritual acne” pops up, and it’s impossible to miss: When I don’t spend time with Jesus, my mind is full of selfish desires and pride, my mouth becomes contaminated with unkind and thoughtless words, and my heart is weighed down by sorrow and guilt. I know I’m not supposed to feel or act this way, and I understand that my daily “soul cleansing” ritual, so to speak, can help me overcome and avoid this. I realize that Jesus is my Refresher and my Comforter, leading my soul beside quiet waters and making me lie down in His green pastures. He calls Himself the “Living Water”; this is no coincidence. And yet, day in and day out, I live in perpetual dehydration, with grime and grease and dead skin cells covering the pores of my heart.

It makes no sense to live this way; I know that sure as anything. So why do I do it anyway?

I don’t have a good answer for that question, as much as I have wrestled with it. The only conclusion to which I have come is simple: I’m human. In fact, we all are. And as a result, we tend to doing things we know are wrong and shy away from things we know are right. Just as greasy skin is prone to breaking out with pimples, so our hearts are prone to wandering away from our Savior and doing what hurts Him.

But luckily, there is a solution. Spending time with God and getting into His Word is the best defense against “greasy spiritual skin.” Rather than defensive, though, think of it as a proactive approach (pun very much intended). Whenever we consciously make and/or take time to be with our Savior, He cleanses us anew from the dirt and grime of our sin. Just like a daily or twice-daily facial cleansing, He refreshes and renews us and makes us pure again.

So that’s my hope and prayer for you—and for me—today: That we would prioritize Jesus, the Living Water, and the One who makes us clean. And while I’m at it, I might pray for some clearer skin too. ;)

In Theory

(This is something I wrote a while back, but thought was worth sharing. Enjoy.) :)

In theory.

These two words make up a tiny little phrase, but it packs a pretty powerful punch.

When added to a sentence, these two words add an entirely different dimension and can completely change the meaning.

Don’t believe me? Well, then let’s try these examples on for size. And don’t worry; they’re preshrunk, so they won’t disappear when you stick them in the dryer.

Example #1: I like kids… in theory.

(This is true. Children are wonderful little critters… as long as you can return them to their parents when they start crying.)

Example #2: Your outfit is cute… in theory.

(This can be applied to a variety of different outfit choices; if you need more specific visuals, please reference my yearbook photos. Yuck.)

Example #3: I like celery… in theory.

(Yes, I realize that celery is good for me. Yes, I understand that celery has negative calories, meaning that the act of chewing celery burns more calories than the celery actually contains. But that doesn’t change the fact that I have never been able—and will never be able—to stomach celery. Not even as disguised as “ants on a log” with the peanut butter and raisins on top. Blech.)

Example #4: Riding full-speed downhill on a bike and making a sharp ninety-degree turn into your driveway is a great idea… in theory.

(It’s all fun and games until you become blood-brothers with the concrete. Don’t ask me how I know.)

Example #5: The Grand Canyon is an amazing vacation destination… in theory.

(I’m from Kansas. I hate heights. The Grand Canyon is very high. Let’s just say that when I looked over the edge, I wish I had invested in Depends. Enough said.)

Example #6: A Calculus 2 class at 7:30 a.m. Monday, Wednesday, Friday your first semester of college is the perfect addition to the history major’s schedule… in theory. Or not even in theory. That’s just a terrible idea all around. Who in their right mind would do something that absurd? … Ummm… No comment.

Anyway, you get the point. Lots of things sound fantastic as ideas, but the reality can be a different story.

That’s how I feel about Jesus sometimes. I want to obey Him and do His will for my life. I want to count the cost and take up my cross daily and follow Him. I want to surrender everything—my whole life, all my gifts and talents, and my very being—to Him alone…

In theory.

Reality complicates things, doesn’t it? It muddles everything up. It gets in the way. I want all these qualities, I desire this wholehearted devotion to Jesus, but sometimes—the vast majority of the time, really—it seems too overwhelming and too impossible. I’m good at loving Jesus when it’s comfortable, when there’s nothing at stake, no risk involved. But when the going gets tough, I’m too weak to get going. This fair-weather, “theoretical” Christianity is so tempting, and, at the same time, so disgusting. No wonder Jesus says He’ll spit the lukewarm out of His mouth. Yuck.

So, then, what can I do? How do I overcome this dichotomy, this barrier, this wall between living safely and cautiously—daintily dipping my toes into the water—and living adventurously, out of faith—doing a running leap into a cannon ball with a splash big enough to soak the lifeguard? I don’t know about you, but sitting on the edge of the pool can be pretty boring. Sure, you may improve your tan a tad (or completely fry), but the real fun happens in the pool. They call it a “swimming pool” and not a “get UV radiation pool” for a reason. I don’t want to sunburn; I want to dive in! But how?

Fortunately for me—and for you too—God isn’t theoretical. He doesn’t say, “I love you… in theory” and “I’m with you… in theory” or “I’ll help you… in theory.” On the contrary! God loves us, is with us, and helps us—in reality. He sent Jesus to show us the reality of His love and concern for us. And after Jesus ascended into heaven, He gave us His Holy Spirit to fulfill that role in each of our lives. He promises to help us through everything, whatever comes our way. And, if we let Him, He’ll even help us overcome our own lukewarm nature and become the Christ-followers that He created us to be.

And He might even help me like celery. You just never know… in theory. :)

A Story to Ponder

When I returned from Austria, many surprises awaited me. One such surprise was that I was suddenly my sorority’s chaplain. Normally, positions such as chaplain begin in the spring semester and continue through the fall semester; rarely do they switch people in the middle. Well, it just so happened that last semester’s chaplain got engaged and became “inactive,” and as a result could no longer be the chaplain. So, our house was in need of a new chaplain. Somehow or another, I was chosen to fill that role. Though very unexpected, this surprise was a happy one for me, for just before leaving Graz, I prayed that God would use me in Kappa Delta in new ways. Apparently, this chaplain position was His answer to my prayer. But little did I know how much He would use this Bible study to influence me.

Tonight was our second meeting. Last week, we just discussed what we wanted to talk about this semester; we decided on Ephesians, and our assignment was to read the first chapter. Tonight, we met to talk about what we had learned. And after listening to what my sorority sisters had to say, I was completely blown away.

In the first chapter of his letter to the Ephesians, Paul focuses a great deal on the blessings we have in Christ. Specifically, he talks about how we are holy and blameless in God’s sight and how God lavishes His grace upon us by adopting us as His children. It’s a couple paragraphs positively chock-full of beautiful language and hope-giving images about how much God loves us. In other words, it’s awesome.

But despite its obvious awesomeness, I somehow managed to overlook the main message of this chapter when I read it before. Tonight, though, I was reminded about how real God’s grace is—and what exactly that means for all of us.

After forty-five minutes of awesome discussion about this chapter, my younger sister Kirsten (also known as “Rascal”) shared a story with us. She’d heard it when she was eight or nine years old, but it has stuck in her mind over the years. And I am so grateful that she decided to bless us with it tonight. Here it is:

One day there was a terrible fire in a house. A family of three lived in the house: father, mother, and son. Both of the parents perished in the fire, but the little boy was rescued by a stranger who happened to be nearby when the fire broke out. Because the little boy had no other family members, a judge was asked to decide who should adopt him. A wealthy family came forward and explained that they could give the boy everything he could possibly want and more. A large family from out in the country said that he would have plenty of brothers and sisters to play with, running around outdoors in the sunshine.

Finally, a single man hobbled forward from the back of the room. Deformed, crippled, and badly scarred, the man looked like the last person the boy or the judge would possibly choose. Still, upon seeing the man, the little boy sprinted to him and hugged him with all of his might, crying with excitement and joy. This was the man who had saved him from the fire; his deformities and scars came from his sacrifice for the child’s life. How could the boy possibly choose the other families when this man loved him enough to risk his life for him? He couldn’t. There’s no way. Never in a million years would he reject his savior.

Then how could we? Jesus came down from heaven, became human, lived among us for 30+ years eating our stale food, smelling our foul odors, and watching our sinful ways. And then He did the unthinkable: He died for us so that we could live. He gave up everything He had to save us. He was the ultimate sacrifice.

So how could we possibly choose worldly wealth, selfish ambitions, or anything else? How could we pick any of these things over HIM?

I know this. I understand the gravity of this concept. I realize that I should choose Jesus. But then why do I reject my Savior again and again? Why do I leave Him hurting in the corner all alone, waiting for me? I don’t know why I do these things. I hate that I fail Him. Yet I keep doing it, over and over again.

But though my sin is deep, His grace is deeper.

His grace, freely given to us, is the most precious gift ever offered. He covers our sin with His holiness, washing away our stains and making us white as snow. Because of His grace, we can be clean. By His sacrifice, we are redeemed. Life doesn’t get any better than that.

So my prayer for you and for me today is that we will, by His grace, turn our backs to the temptations, distractions, and trappings of this world and RUN—run full-speed and with abandon to the One who saves. And know that He stands waiting for us, with His arms wide open.