Unto You

My friend Tara said that as she watched me during church on Sunday that she could tell that I was "in the zone". (She also told me that my hiney was tiny which cracked me up and made my day!) Anyway, Tara was right. Sunday God did a lot of speaking to me through the music and message at church. Even though I try to be intentional about arriving at church expectant for what God wants to say, there are those Sundays when I leave the building largely unchanged. It's not the staff's fault and certainly not God's fault, but so often I have that gap "between the altar and the door" with which all of us struggle at times.

God had been working overtime to prepare my heart for Sunday. He knew the topic ahead of time even if I didn't. I came into the building with my heart feeling tender and sore. I've been writing about a couple of the things that have brought me to a place of humility and need. My kids' transition into middle school and high school has brought me face to face with how fast time is charging ahead. God has also been speaking to me loud and clear about sharing my faith with those who are lost and floundering around me. That's a good message, but I had begun sinking into a little despair. I was mired down in pondering lost opportunities and worried that I'd never actually be able to do and say all that I feel called to do and say.

One more big event left me sorrowful and hurting Sunday morning. On Saturday, my Uncle Dick had emergency surgery, and he was diagnosed with colon cancer that has spread to some of his organs. He is a rugged, athletic outdoorsman who sends wickedly hilarious cards to my mom on her birthday. Everybody loves him, and nobody expected something like this.

So I drug myself into church needy and hurting--in just the state God loves to be able to speak His grace and mercy to us. The topic? THE CROSS. The whole service was about the cross--its purpose, it's power, its mercy, its grace, its sufficiency. And God spoke to me. He reminded me that to feel a failure about evangelism is still making it about me. Focus on the cross. He gently encouraged me that His care for my children is even greater than mine and that He provides for them. Focus on the cross. He declared that His great exchange at the cross bought hope for a fallen world: my sin for His righteousness, my failings for His power, my upheaval for His peace and my physical and spiritual sickness (and my uncle's) for His healing.

The believer's only response to The Cross can be worship. Our pastor, Nathan, shared that an old phrase for being saved was to "be seized by the great affection". Let's just say I was "re-seized". I was "in the zone". It was an outpouring of repentence, gratefulness, love and peace. Unto You, Lord, be all the glory, honor, power and praise. We thank you for The Cross. What do you need from The Great Exchange today?