Party Crasher

I consider myself to be quite a good hostess. I always try to put my best foot forward and make my guests feel right at home. I don’t throw a lot of parties but when I do they are usually something special.

I only have a couple of party rules – show up on time, leave on time (just ask the guests I once politely asked to leave while I brandished a golf club. Hey, when the invite says 7-10, I don’t mean 10:30), and if you’re not on the guest list you don’t get in (just ask the famous rock band I once escorted out of my house. Hey, I didn’t know who they were.)

Parties are fun because when you put a varied mix of people together you never know what might take place. All sorts of conversations and interesting things can happen. I have never thrown a party that turned out exactly like I thought it would. And that, I think, is the great thing about them. Their unpredictability.

Take the party I threw this weekend. I had a totally different theme and plan in mind. But once the guests started showing up the party sort of took on a life of its own.

The first guest to arrive was Grief. He is a big guy and we sat down for a big old chat. I had seen him rather recently and was not expecting to see him again so soon, but I guess he had some extra room on his schedule. Then Anger showed up, followed by Doubt and her sister Unbelief. Man, things were getting crowed over by the queso dip. The guests all seemed to know each other and things started rocking along.

Anger and Doubt were having a great conversation about the state of things. About how God never kicked people when they were down in any of the Gospels. Jesus always made the people He ran into better and helped them get to where they were going. He certainly didn’t leave them as He found them. So why does He seem to have changed His MO?

Grief and Unbelief were boogieing down to some great tunes on karaoke. One of my favorites was “Broken Dreams.” Grief then did this great solo of “Apparently Prayers Don’t Matter.” This was turning out to be one of my best parties of all time.

Wouldn’t you know it, just as my Pity Party was getting hot this Party Crasher shows up. Before I can shut the door on Him, He waltzes right in and gets comfy in my big leather chair. Then He looks me right in the eye and says, “What about Joseph?”

“What about Joseph?” I shoot back. “He had a colorful coat. Besides, like You, he’s not invited.”

“What about Joseph?” Party Crasher annoyingly repeats.

“Well, he had a dream or two. He told his brothers about it. They didn’t like him anyway and this made them really mad so they threw him in a well, then sold him into slavery and tore his coat and dipped it in goat’s blood and told his dad he was dead. Then while in slavery, his master’s wife lied about him and he was wrongly thrown into prison for years. While a prisoner, he helped a fellow prisoner who got out early and that guy forgot about Joseph. And Joseph continues to linger in prison for years. Looks like God forgot about him and his dreams too.” I said triumphantly.

“What about Joseph?” Party Crasher-repeater repeats.

“Well, if you must know, the former prisoner finally remembers Joseph. Tells the Pharaoh about him. Pharaoh gets Joseph out of prison. Joseph interprets a dream for Pharaoh and saves Egypt from a massive famine. Pharaoh puts Joseph in charge of all the land of Egypt. Joseph is now the number two person in authority in Egypt.” I told Him.

“What about Joseph?” Party Crasher asks without a hint of wryness.

“As I’m sure You know,” I said exasperatingly, “Joseph is reunited with his brothers when they come to Egypt during the famine to buy grain, which Joseph wisely had Egypt store during the prosperous years. His brothers do not recognize him at first. When he finally reveals himself they are terrified at what he might do to them as he is so powerful. Amazingly, Joseph is not angry with them. He tells them it is God that brought him to this place not them. What happened to him was so that he could be in a position to save the people of Egypt. God has used the bad for good.”

“What about Joseph?” Party Crasher asks one last time.

“All his dreams came true.” I finish slowly.

And with that, Party Crasher smiles and leaves.

As I return to my party, I realize my guests Grief, Anger, Doubt and Unbelief have all left. Instead I find Peace, Joy, Hope and Faith crowded around my table enjoying some home baked cookies and a hearty laugh. No need to chase any guest away with my golf club this time.

This just might be my greatest party of all time.
 ~

The Price Is Right

I am not a numismatist but I do enjoy coins. Coins give you a little glimpse into history if you study them. A US coin has the year it was minted, a letter referencing the city in which it was minted and the profile of one of our countries historical figures.

Coins are not static either. Ours keep changing. Take the penny. It once had a “wheat” back. On its reverse side there were two wheat fronds where now there is a relief of Lincoln’s Memorial. Even the nickel has evolved over time – once having an Indian head and a buffalo. Now it has Thomas Jefferson. And recently even Jefferson got a new look on his nickel.

Because I am so crazy for coins, I pick them up wherever I find them. I realize most are not worth too much – unless I happen upon a silver dollar, which never happens – but nonetheless I always stop, stoop and scoop up the lost coin.

I was recently walking through a parking lot with a friend when I happened upon an errant penny. I stopped to reclaim it and my friend turned and wondered aloud what I was up to. I told her I had found a penny and was picking it up. She told me “Yuck! Look at it. It’s gross and disgustingly dirty. Drop it!”

“No way,” I told her. I always pick up lost pennies and such, no matter how dirty. Money is money. It spends just the same clean or dirty. Coins and money are like that – they never lose their value. A penny is worth one cent no matter if it is a shiny new 2010 penny or an old, dirty, oil stained 1974 penny reclaimed from a parking lot. And lots of times they go up in value.

Too bad I’m not a coin or other type of money that never loses my value. Because there are days when I know I am completely worthless. Truth be told I’ve been feeling a lot like that these past months and year (or two (or forty)).

You ever have those seasons? Where everything you do or touch just wilts or withers? Every time you turn around someone else is getting your promotion? Your “atta girl”? Your breakthrough? You start off feeling pretty good, pretty worthwhile but endure a long, dry season and you and I can wind up feeling pretty empty and worthless. And I don’t know a feeling much worse than worthless.

I was having just that feeling the other day, feeling down and out, when I was cleaning up a grimy penny with some soap and water and old tooth brush. (I am a nerd that way.) That’s when God hit me right where it counts – I’m just like my grimy penny.

I’m not worth less just because I’ve been beat up a bit. I may not feel my value or worth but that does not mean I’m not priceless. I’m still as valuable as the day He breathed life into me. God helped me to understand that the Creator of the universe also created me and it’s an all out impossibility for me to lose value. Ever.

He showed me my value is not based on my bank account, my job description, my address, my relationship status or any other man-made criteria. My value is solely based on who I am in Him. I am just as worthy naked and penniless and standing on a corner as I am fully decked out in Armani, with millions in the bank and sitting in a penthouse suite. It’s Who made me that matters not what I have made of myself.

God put talents and gifts into me the day He thought me into existence. He put me together in such a way that He didn’t do for anyone else. He did the same for you that He didn’t recreate in me or anyone else. We are each a “masterpiece” of God. (EPH. 2:10). By definition masterpiece means one-of-a-kind. Priceless. God’s masterpiece does not depend on man’s definition of worth.

I am valuable but like my penny I am a bit grimy. There is only one thing left for me to do – allow God to take His soap and water and old tooth brush (He probably uses a new one) and clean the gunk and grime off of me and restore me.

Like coins, I‘m not static and I have changed and evolved over time. If you study me, especially the lines in my forty-mumble face, you can learn a bit of my history. And luckily, so too like coins, you and I have worth that far exceeds our face-value.

God minted each of us that way.

Soul Sighting

As the year turns to all things new and unknown it is time that I do as well. I started this site as a place to express and expound on my journey through life via the written word. I love the art of writing and from time to time God allows me to use language to describe what truly is the indescribable - His beauty and everlasting love. I plan to continue writing and exploring even more in the New Year.

However, the written word is at times wholly inadequate. It is true what "they" say - a picture is worth a thousand words. I am constantly taking pictures of God's majestic kingdom here on earth. And I find Him everywhere. So, I have started a second site which I am dedicating to those times when words just won't do. When sightings of God or of the Spirit or Love simply speak for themselves and bring God's own words to life.

It’s called Soul Sighting. Because when I see these things God simply pierces my soul and sets my heart on fire with His love.

It is my hope that you will find your soul set on fire from time to time too.
~