Tuesday, August 6, 2019

the dirt



I bought this pile of dirt yesterday. It's a proud monument to our lives in transition. This pile of dirt has invited more neighbors to stop and talk than any single thing we've done to the new house, so far. Friends have come over in a nonstop caravan of cardboard delivery. This is about to become a garden with trees and berry bushes and benches for conversation. This space is about to be teeming with intentional messy life.

However, the unfinished mountain embarrasses my proud gardening soul. Sure, I see the potential, the hope and the finished product. But I also see the GIANT PILE OF DIRT. I have a hard time getting past the GIANT PILE OF DIRT that is in the middle of the yard. There's not even supposed to be dirt in the middle, actually. There's supposed to be a cute little path in the center of the yard. For now, it's DIRT.

There's no point in hiding our progress in the yard. We took down the fence, so it's on display for the entire neighborhood. We have to live out our yard-making in public. GIANT PILE OF DIRT and all.

I've been reading Everyday Church by Tim Chester & Steve Timmis. It's a book about living in deep, messy, real community to show everyone how God loves everyone. Maybe that's why the GPD (giant pile of dirt) is such a big deal for me this morning:I know that there are challenges we need to work through as a family. We're still pretty new together. I guess I'm still scared to live in a way that anyone can see us struggle together. I'm too proud most days to admit that we're sitting on a GPD of our lives.

And that's the biggest lie I'm believing: that this mess is ours. The hope of the Gospel is that Jesus took on sin itself. Jesus takes our dirt and does the heavy lifting; Jesus makes us beautiful and alive. I'm still here on my front porch looking at literal dirt and making a mental list of all of the sin habits that my family needs to "clean up". The Gospel truth is ringing in the GIANT PILE OF DIRT for anyone who will listen.

We're forgiven and restored in Jesus. Literally, made new, made healthy. I know I'll need to be reminded of this process, even when the yard looks less like a GIANT PILE OF DIRT and more like a garden. I'll need time to sit and pray in the garden. I'll need time to recognize my sin and weakness. I'll need time to acknowledge our Savior. And, even more, we'll have time together as a family and a community to work out our belonging with God. I'm so excited for the community this garden is already creating. I'm humbled and grateful for the help of friends and neighbors. And I'm starting to recognize God's own hand in every moment of the process.

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Ephesians 5

Therefore, be imitators of God as dearly loved children and live in love, just as Christ also loved us and gave himself for us, a sacrificial and fragrant offering to God. But among you there must not be either sexual immorality, impurity of any kind, or greed, as these are not fitting for the saints. Neither should there be vulgar speech, foolish talk, or coarse jesting – all of which are out of character – but rather thanksgiving. For you can be confident of this one thing: that no person who is immoral, impure, or greedy (such a person is an idolater) has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.

Let nobody deceive you with empty words, for because of these things God’s wrath comes on the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them, for you were at one time darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of the light – for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness, and truth – and find out what pleases the Lord. Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. For the things they do in secret are shameful even to mention. But all things being exposed by the light are made evident. For everything made evident is light, and for this reason it says:

“Awake, O sleeper!

Rise from the dead,

and Christ will shine on you!”

Therefore be very careful how you live – not as unwise but as wise, taking advantage of every opportunity, because the days are evil. For this reason do not be foolish, but be wise by understanding what the Lord’s will is. And do not get drunk with wine, which is debauchery, but be filled by the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making music in your hearts to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for each other in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, and submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.

Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord, because the husband is the head of the wife as also Christ is the head of the church – he himself being the savior of the body. But as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives just as Christ loved the church and gave himself for her to sanctify her by cleansing her with the washing of the water by the word, so that he may present the church to himself as glorious – not having a stain or wrinkle, or any such blemish, but holy and blameless. In the same way husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one has ever hated his own body but he feeds it and takes care of it, just as Christ also does the church, for we are members of his body. For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and will be joined to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. This mystery is great – but I am actually speaking with reference to Christ and the church. Nevertheless, each one of you must also love his own wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

hey guys