WELL, WHAT WOULD YOU GIVE?

For we who worship by the Spirit of God are the ones who are truly circumcised. We rely on what Christ Jesus has done for us. We put no confidence in human effort, though I could have confidence in my own effort if anyone could. Indeed, if others have reason for confidence in their own efforts, I have even more! I was circumcised when I was eight days old. I am a pure-blooded citizen of Israel and a member of the tribe of Benjamin—a real Hebrew if there ever was one! I was a member of the Pharisees, who demand the strictest obedience to the Jewish law. I was so zealous that I harshly persecuted the church. And as for righteousness, I obeyed the law without fault. I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith. I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!

Philippians chapter 3, verses 3 thru 11; from the New Living Translation (NLT)

“Well, what would you give?” Sounds like something a car salesperson or someone having a yard sale would say. Unfortunately, this is what some folks think that God asks us when it comes to having a relationship with Him. Shock Time! That’s NOT the question He asks. It’s close, but no cigar. Remember, closeness only counts in horseshoes, hand grenades, and nuclear bombs. The real question that God asks us has one more word; and that word is UP!

The question God asks to each and everyone of us is: “What would you give UP for a relationship with me?” Leaving out that 2-letter word makes God into a negotiator. And when it comes to that relationship, God is not a negotiator. That little 2-letter word changes the dynamics between The Creator and the created. Admit it, all of us would give something for that relationship. But what would we give up for this wonderful relationship? In other words, where do we want to maintain our sense of still being in control. Maintaining control is the illusion and delusion that sin offered Adam and Eve–and still does the same thing to us.

And here’s the thing: Satan uses this illusion and delusion whether one considers themselves in the progressive thinking camp or the conservative thinking camp. Many conservatives want to point the finger that progressives think like this. They don’t want to give up who they want to have sex with or their gender dysphoria. But long before progressives wanted to hold onto what they wanted to hold, conservatives were doing it; even refining it to an art form, even a science.

They want their kind of preacher; their kind of music; their kind of worship. They wanted to determine who should or should not be a part of “their” church. They wanted to control how their facilities would be used. Yes, even down to the color of paint and the style of carpet. And most of all, they want to be the final authority on what the Bible means. And all the while, they also wanted a relationship with God. Crazy, right?

It’s not what we are willing to give for this Relationship–it’s all about what we are willing to Give Up! This is the point Paul was making to the folks at Philippi. Paul had his stuff that he believed was so important, that he just couldn’t give them up. And his list of stuff was very impressive, at least by the Jewish standards. And he wasn’t about to give them up. In fact, he kept working on his stuff, polishing and shining it up–that is–until that day he met Jesus just outside of Damascus. And in his blindness, it all came into focus for him.

And so he tells the folks in Philippi: I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. I love how The Message put it: “All the things I once thought were so important are gone from my life. Compared to the high privilege of knowing Christ Jesus as my Master, firsthand, everything I once thought I had going for me is insignificant—dog dung. I’ve dumped it all in the trash so that I could embrace Christ and be embraced by him.” All his stuff was reduced to doggie poop when The Truth knocked him down.

Why would Paul give UP everything? Not because he found something better for his life. Nope, that wasn’t his reason. He found the best thing of all; and he put it like this: I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. And the only way we can experience that mighty power is to give up everything that we place value upon–for the best life of all. So. . .what are you willing to give up to know Jesus, the real Jesus?

Advertisement

WHERE ARE YOUR ROOTS?

“And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow Him.  Let your roots grow down into Him, and let your lives be built on Him.  Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.”

Colossians chapter 2, verses 6 & 7; from the New Living Translation (NLT)

What is your favorite place to “get away from it all”?  No, I’m not talking about that place where you have to save and save or max out a credit card to get there.  I’m talking about that place that is just a short walk or drive away.  My “fortress of solitude” (remember Superman?) is the woods.  It doesn’t have to be an enormous National Forest; just a place where there are enough trees to keep the view of the real world at bay for a moment.  It is there I take a deep breath to regain my composure, or seek insights into what I should preach (or write), or simply but powerfully reconnect with my Savior.  Perhaps I am drawn to the woods and trees because The Savior–my Savior, your Savior, and the world’s Savior–BECAME that Savior by dying on a rugged wood cross. 

Not long ago I went for a walk in a new stretch of woods.  I was not seeking to resolve any issues or find something to write about.  It was one of those mornings when I just wanted to take a walk with The Savior.  At the moment, I needed nothing from His hand; just to hold His hand was all I wanted.  I was walking up a slight hill and I came to a level place, so I stopped for a moment just to take it all in (which is another way of saying I needed a rest).  It was then I noticed it.

There was this tree I had stopped beside.  Oh, I know there were lots of others trees around, but this one caught my attention.  At eye level, it looked as if it were dead.  Its trunk that should have been straight was bent and twisted.  Obviously this tree, at some point, had encountered a severe storm and that storm had changed its shape.  I also noticed that about half of its trunk was missing from near its base upwards to about 4 feet.  Insects and perhaps disease had moved in after the storm that changed its shape.  From my viewpoint, looking straight ahead at eye level, this tree had died and would soon fall and eventually rot away.  And I also knew that process was a part of the cycle of life.  This dead, decaying tree would provide nutrients for new life.

It was at that precise moment that I looked upward.  I do not know what made me look up; perhaps it was The Savior who knew I was looking at the wrong part of that tree took his hands and made me look up.  And I am glad He did because it changed my perspective about this twisted, bent tree.  Right over my head, exactly over my head, there it was:  a limb growing upward with green leaves.  I am not a horticulturist by trade and I have never taken a botany class, but I knew enough to know that dead trees cannot produce green leaves.  That limb was growing upward toward the sun and this happened because the tree was still alive even though at eye level it looked dead. 

I took this experience as something the Savior was trying to teach me.  The very first thought that entered my mind was, “The roots of this tree are still alive, so this tree isn’t dead!  It’s alive!”  (I know, I know, it doesn’t take much to amuse me!)  At eye level there was not a single sign of life but below the surface life abounded, the roots were still working and there was still a connection in that bent and diseased tree to those roots, sending that life giving substance upward to that limb that was reaching up to the sun and producing leaves, that sign which said, “I am still alive!  I am bent and damaged, but I AM alive because I am still connected to my roots!”

And this casual “for no particular reason” stroll though the woods became a classroom where I discovered an important lesson straight from The Savior.  I reflected on the many storms that had happened in my own life; things which threatened to destroy me which were not my fault.  I also reflected on the things I had done which allowed the insects and diseases to come into my life and start to destroy me.  By the way, these “insects and diseases” are better known as “SIN”!  I looked back and I knew there had been times in my life when at “eye level” I must have looked dead, to myself and certainly to others.  But The Savior had another view, and that was at the roots of my life.  HE is where my roots grow that holds me tight and gives me nourishment.  He does this faithfully, even when I may not even be aware of His gracious work.  In that bent and damaged tree, I saw my life, and in that limb reaching up toward the sun, I remembered my roots.

Paul, in writing to the believers at Colosse, gives us words to live by and certainly words to give any and all of us hope.  The life of a tree is not in how straight its trunk is, but in how deep and how strong its roots are.  Paul told the Colossians, and us, to let our roots grow deep in The Savior.  We do this by being faithful to our private devotion times, by being faithful to worship and service as the Body of Christ, we do this by a daily persistent prayer life, and so many other ways.  Our roots grow deep in The Savior when we focus on Him, His love and grace for us.  And nothing makes our roots grow deeper than when we spend time at the foot of The Cross, The Cross made from a large straight growing tree.  The more time we spend kneeling at The Savior’s Cross allows our roots to be stronger and deeper.

Perhaps there have been times in your life when storms, by no fault of you, have come along and bent and twisted your life.  The dreams you held have now vanished like the early morning fog.  The urge to throw in the towel on those dreams may be strong.  If this is you right now, then I want to say to you the same thing The Savior said to me in that early morning stroll, “Remember the roots.”  The storms do not change God’s purposes for your life.  If anything, the storms you weather adds purpose to your life.  Just as that tree taught me a lesson, so your life can teach others life changing lessons about the power of relationship–the relationship with The Savior because your own roots are growing down in Him.

Perhaps the disease and insects of sin have invaded your tree.  You look eye level at yourself and may sincerely think that you are finished.  You may feel that you have lost your usefulness in the Kingdom.  If this is you this morning, then I want to say to you the same thing The Savior said to me in that early morning stroll, “Remember the roots.”  Allow your roots to grow down into The One who still speaks those same words to every broken sinner, “I will not condemn you.  I will release you to go and have a new start.”  Grace and mercy are always available when we admit our inability to save our self and we intentionally choose to grow the roots of our life in Him.

And I discovered another lesson that revealed something about me that I thought I had managed to conquer, and it just hit me.  (See, learning is not over just because you leave the classroom.)  You may be familiar with this expression:  “Don’t judge a book by its cover.”  Well, God taught me a new expression:  “Don’t judge a tree by its trunk at eye level.”  I hate to admit it, but I must, that from time to time (and even once is not acceptable to The Savior) I judge people at eye level.  I allow a bad experience, a moment of mistreatment, that eye level experience, to continue to shape my opinion of that person.  I cannot see their roots, so I have to look up toward the Son and remember that there is still hope when there is still a connection to the roots.  And by the way, if you have not figured it out yet, there is no way I or you or anyone can see the roots.  Father, forgive me for my judgments and thank you for reminding me (again) that you are the judge, not I.

Let us pray:  Father, above everything else, I want my roots to grow deep in you.  I need the life giving substance of Your Spirit.  Help me engage my life in those practices and disciplines that will keep me alive in You.  Thanks for keeping this bent and diseased tree alive with new growth.  And Lord, help me to stop making eye level judgments, not about trees, but about people.  Amen and Amen!

HE’S UP TO SOMETHING!

He’s up to something! Ever heard that? Ever SAID that? Usually it’s not something good. But Someone else is up to something today–in this very moment that you are reading this! And it’s more than good; it’s GREAT!!! Who’s up to something great? So glad you asked. It’s God! Every day, every hour, every minute, and every second of your life God is up to something! And while some may think or even say that it’s not good–they are WRONG! Others may give up–YOU may even give up! Give up on things getting better. Give up on a certain person. Give up on yourself. But not God! Listen to what He said so very long ago:

For I am about to do something new.
    See, I have already begun! Do you not see it?
I will make a pathway through the wilderness.
    I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.

Isaiah chapter 43, verse 19

Whatever I was facing–whatever I am facing–and whatever I will face–God is the Great Turner-Arounder! Divorce. A mother will Alzheimer’s. Watching your dad die. Losing a child. Losing a child who has gone to the “far country”. It does not matter. God is prepared and is already on the move in your life. Even if you don’t believe me. Even if you can’t see it. God doesn’t wait for us to believe He is at work as the Great Turner-Arounder! Remember, those disciples on Saturday after Jesus had been crucified. They didn’t believe it and they couldn’t see it. But their perspective did not prevent The Resurrection! And your doubts–well, God is up to something right now FOR YOU! Just trust even when–especially when–you can’t see it or believe it. I leave you this morning with a song:

his bed

This morning I am thinking about yesterday. I know, oh, do I know! As followers of Jesus we’re not to live in the past. But here I am! Honestly I don’t know how people live in the past–be it sad, bad, or even good. But like an old snapping turtle, yesterday has bit me and it’s not about to let go–and it’s painful. So, what has caused this harbinger of Good News to do the very thing he counsels people in hard times not to do? Let me tell you and perhaps it will help me let go.

Yesterday it didn’t rain, so I headed off to Dad’s. There’s still a lot to sort out and make decisions about. No one wanted Dad’s bed, so Debbie and I decided to get it. Tuesday Debbie will have a “foot overhaul”. The bed she and I sleep in is high–his bed is low to the floor. It will be easier for her to get in and out of bed after surgery. There were some other things he wanted us to have still there–so off I went. My truck and trailer headed out, and when I got there, I and a good friend started to work. As we went into his bedroom, I remembered the last time I saw him there. The hospice nurse had changed his clothes and made up that bed–and for the first time in a long time he didn’t look like he was in pain. But I was–I was visually reminded of how life changes. And now there was no bed in HIS bedroom–and what’s a bedroom without a bed?

When we arrived back home, we immediately went to work unloading and moving things around. And last night as I prepared to lie into that bed, it hit me hard. I was sleeping on HIS side of the bed–the same side I last saw him in HIS home. And this morning–Yesterday is doing a number on me–in my heart and mind. Did I sleep good on that bed last night? Sure–but I was physically exhausted. I could have slept good on a floor. And this morning–I am sorting through the morning after. And truthfully, I haven’t done well with it. And as God and I were sorting through this heavy grief, He came to me. Not with answers, but His very Presence.

Has my ache and pain disappeared? Absolutely–NOT! I am just as heartbroken right now as I was Yesterday, and This Morning. The snapping turtle that bit me doesn’t seem to be inclinced to let go of me–if anything, he seems more determined. But I am different–different because God sent me Himself, my very best friend–The Holy Spirit. So, I know that this voracious snapping turtle will release his bite on me–at some point, because he has no choice because I am leaning into and leaning on The Holy Spirit. This moment’s power filled truth came into my heart as I listened to this song. I pray it speaks into you as it is speaking into me–as I deal with Yesterday!

I Say, Hold On For Just A Cotton Pickin’ Minute!

Are you on hold? Maybe you’re calling that alleged “customer service”, only after you’ve been yelling at a computer or punching in 3,678 numbers, and you’re on hold. Maybe you just answered the call about your car warranty about to expire and you’re on hold. Maybe you just called about the latest electronic innovation but you’re having issues getting it up and running, so you hear “Your call is very important to us. Please wait for the next available ‘customer service’ agent.” You’re on hold.

Waiting is not a new human experience, though some treat it that way. We don’t like to be put “on hold” because we see it as the obstacle to the resolution we most desire. Being put “on hold” isn’t enjoyable! And the music you are forced to hear. . .geez where do they get that stuff? Musicians and composers who couldn’t sell a single record? “Alleged Experts” say that elevator music is calming down the person on hold. Really? Who did they interview? Twiddle Dee and Twiddle Dum? Being “on hold” is annoying and frustrating to the point that no amount of elevator music is going to calm us down–regardless of how they hope it will! So what’s a person to do?

May I make a suggestion–with no elevator music involved? When life feels like you are on hold, switch those 2 words on hold. Now it reads “hold on”. Now, YOU say those 2 words out loud: “Hold on!” Why are you reading my next words when you haven’t done what I asked you to do? . . . I’m waiting! . . . I’m still waiting!! . . . Now you’ve got me “on hold”! OK, you’ve said it. Now I want you to shout it loudly: HOLD ON! Is that as loud as you can scream? Come on, try it again, this time even louder!

Hold on are the two most important words to shout and scream when we need help! But don’t say it to yourself or any other person. Say it to God! Shout it out to God! Scream it to the top of your lungs to God! When everything seems to be falling apart–and when you’re loving it because the plan is coming together–and in every moment between these 2 extremes–we need to allow God to hold on to us. When we are at our best–and especially when we are at our worst–we need to ask God to hold on to us.

God wants to–longs to–hold on to us in the most loving way possible. But He will not–until we allow Him. This is what I learned in this morning’s worship time–and it came through this song. Listen to the words–and when you are not “someone you believe in”–well just listen to the song!

Mountains And Floods!

• 

• 

What mountain is between you and the kind of life you deeply long to have today? At this exact moment, what flood is sweeping you away from the life you once knew? Where does your hope come from that says you will get over that mountain? Who will rescue you from that flood? IS there a source of hope AND strength that will simply get you through today without being crushed and broken? IS there even hope for a better tomorrow? What source of help has been tested and proven true over and over? IS there such help?

Image if you will, a new car manufacturer comes up with what they claim is the best, safest, and most reliable car ever. Imagine if you will, they claim it will get 60 miles per gallon of gas and go from 0 to 70 in 4.6 seconds. But then they also say, “We haven’t tested it yet. Heck, we haven’t even tried to crank it! But we just know it will do what we claim!” Would you be the first in line at the dealership to buy one?

Imagine if you will that you see an ad for a used car; the picture looks like that car is in immaculate shape. You go to see it and the first thing the salesperson says is “Well, sometimes it runs great, and sometimes it won’t run at all.” Would you pay Kelly Blue Book full retail price? Maybe even throw in a couple of thousand extra, just because? As nonsensical and preposterous as this sounds, yet this is what many do when facing mountains or when being swept away by some raging flood.

You will never be able to climb that mountain, and that flood will sweep you away–unless and until you trust God enough to surrender completely into His hands. He may not do it in the fashion you want–but He will do it. Trying to conquer that mountain or trying to be rescued from that flood by any other method (see my pun? I’m a Methodist!) will always end in disaster. Cry out to Jesus in this moment–and He will help you climb that mountain. And He will rescue you from this flood. This is His promise:

When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.

Isaiah 43:2-3 (NLT)

TICKS!

This past Friday afternoon I committed to a decision to work on another place to hunt. It was in the woods behind my house. So I cleared me a path to it, found a good spot for a feeder and to make a mineral lick. I needed to clear a lot of undergrowth and to make a couple of shooting lanes from my stand. It was exhausting, but I made a lot of progress and felt really good about my efforts; at 65 years old, too!

Being a bit sweaty, covered in dirt and what the chainsaw threw back on me, I headed for the shower. As I was about to step into the shower, I noticed a tick on my right leg. It was firmly imbedded and was feasting on my Type O negative blood. It took a pair of tweezers to dislodge him from his dinner table. End of story, right?

Wrong! The next morning as I was sitting outside and enjoying the Living Waters (a.k.a.) coffee, I found another tick. This one had already been feasting overnight on MY blood. I carefully removed him, sending him to Tick Hell! Then I found another–and then another! Three that morning who had spent the night enjoying my Type O negative blood. And it was those 4 Ticks that got me to thinking about this morning’s musings.

Ticks are blood-sucking ogres who want something from me–and they don’t care what they do to me. Some of them even carry serious diseases such as Lyme Disease and the infamous Rocky Mountain Spotted fever. Ticks are not insects, they are classified as arachnids, or relatives of spiders, scorpions and mites. Ticks also are found in other forms.

Some Ticks come in the form of feelings. Feelings such as fear, depression, despair, anger, bitterness, remorse, regret, uselessness, or memories of past failures. Some ticks come in the form of persistent sin in our life. They attack and attach themselves deep within us. And they do not want to let go. After all, they are getting free food from you.

And sometimes nature’s Ticks come in the form of human beings. I’m not talking about vampires or zombies. I’m talking about real, live, walking and (unfortunately) talking human beings. And like those small Ticks, they may not be noticed at first. But from the first moment they attach themselves to you, they begin sucking the life right out of us. Examples are people who dwell on and spew the venom of the negative; those who like you only for what you can do for them; those who are living in self-destruct mode but they want others to self-destruct with them; and of course–abusers! Abuse can be verbal, mental, physical, or sexual. We call these toxic relationships because they are deadly to us.

And like nature’s Ticks, emotions and toxic relationships get bigger the longer they stay attached to you. While a small nature’s Tick may not be all that noticeable at the beginning, the longer they remain attached the more obvious and ugly, they become. See?

So what’s person to do if they finally see the ugliness of their “Infestation of Ticks”? Do what Paul recommended to the Colossians:

⁸ But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language. ⁹ Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds. ¹⁰ Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him. ¹¹ In this new life, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free. Christ is all that matters, and He lives in all of us.

(Emphasis mine) Colossians 3:8-11

If you will give me a little liberty with Paul’s words, I would say to you: “In this new life, it doesn’t matter who you are, or who you used to be. And you are not defined by those toxic relationships. Jesus has and will continue to deliver you from all of that!” Don’t let those Ticks ruin your life. Jesus has the best life of all for you!

RECALL ALERT!

Recall Alert! No, not your vehicle. Not some baby product. Not your C-Pap machine. Not the food in your pantry or freezer. Not your coffee maker. Not your hair dryer or curling iron or flat iron. Not some power tool. Not your washer, dryer, refrigerator, or freezer. It hasn’t been on the news, but it should be. Are you wondering what I’m writing about this morning? Well, let me first tell you a short story.

One Sunday morning at my previous appointment, I was talking with someone about something (I forgot what it was), but as I was talking, I forgot some key point of the story. The person I was talking with was Dr. Joe Cooney, a physiology professor. I told Joe, “Oh, man! I can’t remember! I’m losing my memory.” And in his usual calm manner, Joe told me, “No, you’re not loosing your memory. It’s up there. You’re having a RECALL problem.” God bless Joe! I wasn’t loosing my memory, and he’s spent his whole life understanding and teaching about the human body, including the brain!

Recalling that episode this early morning got me to thinking–about Recall! And what does Recall have to do with this thing called the Journey of Life? Sometimes I forget. Do you? It acts like memory loss–but it’s a Recall issue. As a matter of fact, life can be, scratch that, life IS difficult to say the very least. You don’t need this old preacher to remind you of this reality.

Problems at work. Problems at home. Problems with our health. Unexpected deaths. Failures. Divorce. Abandonment. Loss of job. Foreclosure. Depression. These are just a very few of the moments in life that will cause us to question–question the Only One who loves us and takes care of us no matter what happens. Or am I the only one who has ever questioned the faithfulness of God? Felt abandoned by God? Felt like He just doesn’t care? When those moments overwhelm us–we act, think, and feel like there are no memories of how faithful God has been to us. But He has been–we just need to Recall those memories of other overwhelming moment when no doubt, God was with us!

One of my favorite memories was in July of 1971. At a youth service the Holy Spirit moved in my heart and invited me into this relationship with Jesus. I fought so hard that I held on to the pew in front of me–and I said NO to God. Why is this a good recall for me? Because a year later, that same Holy Spirit spoke that same message to me–and this time I said YES!

In September 2003, another of my favorite memories happened. I was a total train wreck, and the darkness was strong in me because of my divorce. I had performed a wedding ceremony for a very good friend’s nephew. A friend called me that next week and told me I really impressed one of the wedding directors and that I really needed to call her for a date. Debbie became God’s Gift to me in my darkest times. And on November 13, 2020 we celebrated our 16th Wedding Anniversary.

It’s not easy–but if we stop focusing on what we have forgotten–and start to Recall, well–it just changes everything. We recover the Truth that God hasn’t abandoned us or forgotten us. Recall is a good thing–an excellent thing. May I suggest, as I did this morning–to Recall moments when God overwhelmed us with love, mercy and grace.

Don’t wait until the crucible heats up–every day Recall something that God has done for you. And if you are having a Recall Problem and can’t remember–then think about Jesus on that cruel Cross. Look at the Cross–and the Recall Problem is resolved!

This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.

1 John 4:10 (NLT)

Ridding Yourself Of The Poison.

Today I’m continuing to reflect on my recent medical emergency and the lessons I am learning. If you didn’t read the first one, here is the LINK to where this all started. So here is today’s Lesson:

Get Rid Of That Poison!

As you probably know, when the appendix ruptures it release a toxic poison into the abdominal cavity. No one really knows the exact function of the appendix–lots of hypotheses–but no certain conclusion. That’s right, our body is locked-and-loaded with poison. As long as it stays where it belongs, no harm, no foul. But when it gets out–the story line changes.

Here’s how it continues to change my story line. I still have a drainage tube which requires my attention. Twice a day I take a 10-cc syringe of sterile saline, take an alcohol wipe and clean the connection, attach that syringe, turn a value and inject half of it into my abdominal cavity, turn the valve again and flush the line, and return that valve to the original position. It may sound painful but it’s not really painful. Then I measure what’s in the drainage bag and record it in a journal for my doctor.

Some may think this is another inconvenience–but my perspective tells me it’s necessary for my healing. If this poison remains in me then sepsis will set in. Sepsis happens when an infection you already have—in your skin, lungs, urinary tract, or somewhere else—triggers a chain reaction throughout your body. Untreated it is fatal. Knowing the outcome of what happens if I don’t flush out my abdomen, it’s not really inconvenient.

And it’s not just the body that internal poison is harmful–it also happens in the heart and mind. Some of those poisons are greed, fear, bitterness, resentment, guilt, shame, anger, lust, revenge, unforgiveness–these are just a few of the poisonous toxins. If untreated, they are as fatal as sepsis to the heart, mind and spirit. And as in my physical case, there are ways to get rid of those poisons. We can’t get rid of the poisons alone–we need our Heavenly Father to show us how to get rid of that poison. And they are worth the effort–because they work.

So, don’t allow those poisonous toxins create spiritual sepsis. Jesus delivered us on that Cross–and He continues to deliver us. It’s not always instantaneously–but He always makes us whole!