Pesky Mosquitoes

Pesky Mosquitoes (6/13/11)

You know the popular saying, “April showers bring May flowers”? Well, at Camp Shipshewana, I’m rather convinced that the rain brought more of a multitude of mosquitoes than fragrant flowers.

Walk outside for more than 37 seconds, and you are likely to have at least one thirsty friend attempting to leave her mark. While I know that our Father created everything-big and small, endearing and agitating-I can’t help but wonder about the benefits of mosquitoes. Perhaps God will enlighten me on the matter soon, but for now I’d like to explain a recent encounter I had with the mosquitoes inhabiting campfire woods.

I decided to go on a walk. Since the campfire site is one of my favorites at camp, it seemed like a logical place to go. One thing slipped my memory-the mosquitoes made their haven there. While I determined to stand my ground as I headed toward the campfire cross, I was no match for the critters.

The closer I got, the more the attacks seemed to fight for my attention. Although I’m ashamed to admit it, I let the pests win. Conceding, I cut my time in the woods short-hurrying to a place of security and an escape from those darn mosquitoes. Failing to put on bug spray was a detrimental decision, leaving me saying, “itchy itchy, hoy?”

This interpretation may be a bit dramatic, but it has a point. In my life, sin and Satan serve as mosquitoes.  They try to literally suck some of the life out of me, and without protection and assistance, I’m a goner. Mosquitoes may carry disgusting diseases like malaria and West Niles, but a soul infected by the Enemy is a fate far worse.

I’m frustrated that I’m still susceptible. I hate the itchiness, so I scratch and scratch and scratch. Does it provide some temporary relief? Heck yes. Does it leave the bites bigger and nastier looking? You betcha. Sometimes my impatience and lack of self-control even lead to scars.

So, how do we stop this from happening? How do I squash the mosquitoes before they are even poised to attack? While I long for Spiderman-like reflexes, the fact is that I’m not quick enough or observant enough on my own to thwart the bites-especially when I’m foolish enough to go unprotected. Maybe I stop one or two and feel all proud, but I’m still left with 19 other wounds seeking to infect me. Bringing along friends who have our backs definitely helps. Maybe you only get 11 bites the next time.

I think the only way to really fix the problem is protection. The Bible serves as our bug spray, protecting us from many of the attacks (Ephesians 6:10-18).

Even if we bathed ourselves in bug spray, though, we’re still susceptible every time we go outdoors. Trying to love Jesus doesn’t equal a perfect, isolated, bite-free life. It just means that there is Someone bigger Who has the power to make it better if we let go and let Him. While that’s flipping hard to do, it’s encouraging that He’s better than any Benadryl or magic lotion that I can ever take.

So, I have a choice. I can live in isolation, in fear of the hurt that comes from the bites. I can go out unprepared and leave discouraged. Or, I can take the time; invest the resources; be prepared, and go out into the jungle. I can live faithfully, trusting that the One who loves me will work even in the attacks.

Cliché

Cliché: A phrase or expression that lacks freshness or originality

·         You are what you eat

·         The grass is always greener on the other side

·         Curiosity killed the cat

·         If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again

·         Calm before the storm

·         I’m so hungry, I could eat a horse!

There are plenty more where those came from!

Ever find a new song that you really, really like? I know when I do, I listen to it incessantly. (Ask Erika…I’m pretty sure I’ve ruined a few songs for her by repeatedly playing them in the office). Anyway, I like something, so I want more and more and more of it. This also counts for food. PB&J-classic, right? I’ve loved it since I was a kid. Eat it every day for a few months though, and the mere thought of bread, peanut butter, and jelly in the same sentence will leave you wanting to hurl. Same with the songs-after I listen to one about 87 times, I’m going to get sick of it. Unfortunately, it’s going to lose much of the meaning it once had, and I’ll more than likely not remember the song with fondness for at least a little while. “Your Love” by Brandon Heath-great song. If you play it anywhere near me in the next few weeks though, I may blow a gasket. Just kidding, but you probably shouldn’t test it.

I remember in high school English classes my teachers would always warn us not to use cliché phrases. They wanted us to find unique ways of expressing our thoughts-in our own words. I most definitely understand their reasoning and heart behind this advice, but how does a phrase or word become cliché? I mean, at one point it had to be an original thought. The first person who said, “Cool beans” probably did not realize the implications it would have for future Americans. Kidding again…but really, what makes it cliché? Does a cliché cease to have importance or meaning just because it’s been thrown around a few too many times?

So, why do clichés matter? Why am I thinking about them? Great questions! Here’s the deal: at times, I can treat Scripture verses-the TRUTH of God-as cliché. I can take the Truths handed to me by pastors & people of incredible faith and my heart can be hardened to them. I don’t think I’m alone in this, but maybe-hopefully-I am. It’s terrifying, because we desperately need to remember how in need we are of a Savior every minute of every day. I don’t want to have a hardened heart. I don’t want to take for granted the power of Scripture or the meaning of the stories I’ve heard since I was a child. Examples (more than likely, we all know these...probably even have them memorized):

·         John 3:16-“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life”.

·         Philippians 4:13-“I can do all things through Him who gives me strength”

·         Proverbs 3:5-6- “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight”

·         Galatians 5:22-23- “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law”

The list could go on I’m sure. Songs like “Jesus Loves the Little Children” are the same way. I need to keep reading those verses and singing those songs though. I need to stop taking them for granted or writing them off. I’ll admit that sometimes when I hear someone say Philippians 4:13, I’m tempted to roll my eyes. Why, Danielle? That is NOT okay. There is incredible power and Truth in that short little sentence, and having it memorized or hearing it a bajillion and 2 times should not make me view it as any less true. Yes, Jesus does love the little children-and we are included in that. Jesus loves me! He loves You! How incredibly awesome is that? Those words-Jesus loves you-may be thrown around a whole lot, but they sure do matter just as much today as they did the first time they were said.

Easter is coming up, too (obviously). I’ve heard the story about Jesus dying on the cross for me too many times to count. I know lots of people have it pretty much memorized. I know that I’ve read the account without feeling too much, and I know I sometimes view it as cliché. Since I’ve heard it and know it, I can tend to belittle it-I don’t let it keep impacting me. But, I can’t keep doing that. I cannot take it for granted. I cannot let myself just see it as a simple story. Cliché or not, the verses and songs and the Truth matter immensely.

So, I don’t want to take any of this stuff for granted ever. I don’t want you to, either.

God, please help us. Challenge us and show us if we are starting to see any part of You or our faith in You as cliché, and help us find meaning in all of it. We love You, and we need You.

You Are What You Eat

I’ve had the privilege of recently reading Francis Chan’s Forgotten God. It is a fantastically challenging, convicting, eye-opening book. Although I’m merely in the elementary stages of processing the information found in its pages, here’s a thought. It stems from the following statement made by Chan in Forgotten God:

“I know in my own life I don’t just want to do what my mentors do; I also want to spend time with them. I have found that through spending time with those I respect, I become more like them than I would by simply trying to “do what they do”. 

                       

Most of us know the popular saying, “You are what you eat”. If that’s the case, I’m a walking, talking combination of peanut butter & jelly sandwiches, macaroni & cheese, and bowls of cereal. Just kidding : ) In a similar way, I’m sure we’ve all experienced this concept in our relationships with others. We tend to conform, at least in some degree, to those we spend the majority of our time with. If I hang out with people who love well and encourage, I’m more likely to show love and be encouraging. If I’m surrounded by complainers, the temptation to complain will certainly grow. If I surround myself with those who constantly use foul language, chances are I will begin to let a few foul words of my own slip. So, what would happen if I spent more time with God? In theory, I would become more and more like Him. I’d begin to view others & myself-even the world-the way He does. I’d learn more about His love, & I would see more and more of His heart.

Obviously, God’s commands are essential. They protect us & guide us as we strive to discover what it means to live surrendered moment by moment, day by day, to our God. I do think, however, that by solely focusing on the commands and regulations, we miss the point. We miss the relationship aspect, and we risk falling into the trap of legalism.

I don’t want to miss out on communion with my Creator. I don’t want to live striving to follow all of the rules & learning to be a robot. I want my Lord to show me how to be like Him. I want to spend my time walking with Him, learning why He has given us these instructions. I do need to follow His commands, but I want to know why they are in place for us, and I need God to show me.

Seems simple enough, right? So, why don’t I spend more time in communion with my Savior then? Why is it so easy to make excuses and so tempting to find distractions? How can I ever hope to be transformed into the image of the one true God without spending quality time with Him?

So, my prayer and challenge is that we would learn to long more and more for quality time with our Creator. I pray that we would experience His character a little more fully each day and that He would give us the discipline and desire to fight the distractions and temptations that so often deter us from drawing closer to Him. I pray that His Spirit would fill us and that day by day we would look more and more like our God.

8 Weeks

8 Weeks. 56 days. 1,344 hours. 80,064 minutes. 4,838,400 seconds. That’s how long it took to forever etch Camp Shipshewana into my heart & life-to meet some of my best friends; to be simultaneously encouraged & challenged; to live in true community; to be used by the Lord as we together ministered to hundreds of children.

Well, maybe it wasn’t exactly 8 weeks. Maybe it only took a few weeks. Maybe it happened on the 3^rd day of staff training. Maybe I got it several months later when I helped with Snow Camp. Whatever the case, this quaint little camp will always stay close to my heart. How could it not?

Now, I’m incredibly fortunate to be living here. This is week 14 of my internship. I’m still learning. It’s a much, much different feel than summer camp though. Have you ever heard silence? Well, there’s a lot of it here in the off season. It isn’t bad-just a different pace of life. I went from the community of girls living in Platt 2^nd, where it was rare to not run in to a friend as you walked down to the hall or to the bathroom, to a little cottage with no occupants other than my thoughts and an occasional ant.

This Monday, I hit the official 3 month mark. It’s strange, and I have not quite decided how I feel about it yet. Part of me feels as if this has been home for years. I can hardly imagine being anywhere else, doing anything else. There’s another part, however, that feels as if I’m still just visiting for a week. This part longs for the community of Trine or of summer camp. This part of me is all too anxious for the next 2 months to pass so that the next season of life can begin.

 I can’t let this part of me rule my next 2 months here, though. In 2 months, there are 8 weeks. So, here’s to the 8 weeks of this internship that remain. May I not take them for granted; realizing if it weren’t for those first 8 weeks I spent here in the summer of 2009 my life would surely look much different than it does now.

At the Cross

Back in the campfire woods, there is an old, somewhat rugged white cross. As I walk through the trails, the farther I go from the neighborhood-the more engulfed I am by the surrounding nature-the closer I get to that cross. Its presence, clarity, and size grow with each step I take until I find myself at the feet of that cross.

The paint may be chipping and the wood full of dirt. I know its seen snow and wind and rain, as well as the bright, cheery sun. It’s heard the praises of hundreds of children, experienced countless campfires, and listened as facilitators and counselors poured out their hearts. It’s experienced the joys and pain and trials of the campers and staff over the years, and it stands firm as a symbol of our Lord Jesus Christ’s love and sacrifice for us.

Many days as I walk through the woods, the lyrics of the song Sweetly Broken by Jeremy Riddle play through my head. They are as follows:

“At the cross you beckoned me. You draw me gently to my knees, and I am lost for words-so lost in love. I’m sweetly broken, wholly surrendered.”

As we spend time with Jesus at the foot of His cross, He will begin to touch us and move in us profoundly. He will begin to heal our hearts and refresh our spirits.

What really hit me today, however, was what happened as I left the cross. I continued the loop around the campfire, and I periodically turned around to look at the cross. At first, it was still big-a prominent sight. Then it began to lose its size and lucidity. Soon enough, I couldn’t see it at all. The trees and the distance separated me from its view. I moved off the path-to the right and then to the left-but I saw nothing. It was out of view.

So it is in my life at times. I slowly move farther from the cross, frequently looking back to see if it’s still there-if Christ is still moving in my life and healing my heart. He’s still there, but I keep distancing myself. His overwhelming power fades and shrinks in my eyes, but it isn’t enough to stop me from walking. Eventually, I’m to the point that I can’t see it or feel it at all. But I have so much to do, and the busyness, the people; the buildings are calling me to get out of the woods. I’ve spent enough of my time away from the world.

That’s what I tell myself at least. But why do I move from the cross, from the only One who has the power to save me? What does the world have to offer that is worth anything? All I have to do to fix this is turn around. Stop the running and the hiding. Turn around, Danielle. Turn around! Run with all you have back to the One who heals and saves.

Spend some more time at that cross, and let yourself be filled by the One who knows you best and died to save you.   James 4:8 says, “Come near to God, and He will come near to you.” Take the time today to come near to God. I promise it will be worth the effort.

Father,

 May we the time each day to stand at the foot of Your cross. May Your love and the sacrifice You made hit us in a profound way. May we realize at the core of who we are just how much You love us and how much that means. May we be brought to our knees, lost in love and wholly surrendered to Your will, our Lord. Give us strength and a desire to keep running back to You, our Father. Draw us near to You, and allow us to be healed and filled by Your love.

Snow

I realize it is now almost Spring (Halelujah!), but here's another analogy I wrote several weeks ago:

            According to Webster, snow is defined as, precipitation in the form of small white ice crystals formed directly from the water vapor of the air at a temperature of less than 32°F.

Well, I would say they definitely got the “temperature of less than 32°F” part right. It’s freezing outside! It is a refreshing cold though, and it most definitely makes me grateful for hot chocolate or coffee and a nice, warm blanket. How often I fail to express my gratitude for such luxuries as a nice, warm place to stay and a comfortable bed...so, thank you Lord for this heated office in which I now sit and type.

            As I walk around camp and trudge through the mid-calf deep snow I can’t help but admire it. It’s so white and pure and beautiful. It covers all of the mud and dirt that was there before-trading mess and muck for a layer of glorious, pure magnificence. Especially before it has been stepped on by animals and people, the sight is breath-taking.

In so many ways, our Father in Heaven is like a beautiful snowfall in our lives. He takes the mud and the muck-the impurities, the holes and scars and brokenness-and He covers them with a layer of beautiful, pure snow. He showers it so generously that we cannot even see the dirt anymore-it’s all covered up by His love. How insanely awesome is that?

            The snow-covered ground is perfect until it gets trampled on. We too, like the ground, get trampled by life. We are stepped on by people and temptations and the various hardships of our lives. It’s painful, and it ruins the perfection of the snow that has fallen. The mud starts to show up again. And even worse, the snow begins to melt. It leaves the ground even more muddy and mucky than before. I think that we have times when we allow ourselves to fall away from God, and when that happens in our lives the snow-the protection and perfection that come from our Savior-begins to melt. We are left in the mess, and our imperfections and inadequacies are made even more evident than before.

            The snow is also cool because it comes to us in various intensities. Sometimes, the snow just gently falls to the Earth-sometimes it comes in the form of a blizzard. Sometimes the snowfall is steady, and other times it comes in spurts.

Father,

I thank You for allowing me to be in a place that is surrounded by Your glorious nature. Your fingerprints are all over this place, and I am in awe of Your creation. Thank You for giving me the opportunity to absorb this beauty.

Wind

A brief explanation of this post:
God is everywhere, and He reveals Himself to us in a variety of ways. Recently, much of what He has shown me is in the form of analogies.  This is one of them-I wrote it about a month ago:


Today as I walked around camp, I couldn’t help but notice the wind. It was strong today, and I could see it moving tree branches and feel it brush past my skin. I know that wind is often described as an analogy of faith. You can’t see it, but you can feel and view its effects. 

As I continued to walk, I kept thinking about the wind. The wind can be powerful-intense enough to knock you off your feet, and it can be soothing-a refreshing breeze on a warm day. Sometimes the air feels so still that you can’t feel the presence of the wind, but it’s always faintly with you.  Without wind, a kite would not fly. Without wind, tornadoes and hurricanes wouldn’t exist.  When the wind is blowing from behind you, it makes walking much easier. IF you are fighting the wind, however, it can be nearly impossible to keep moving forward.

So it is with us and Christ’s movement in our lives. Sometimes the movement of the Lord is undeniable-we can see things changing and moving. Sometimes He comes with gale force strength, all but knocking us over. Sometimes His power seems to destroy---but we know eventually we will see it’s because He had something even more wonderful in mind. Sometimes He comes like a refreshing breeze on a hot, dry day. And sometimes, we can’t feel Him. We can’t see His effect unless we look really closely-taking care to seek His will and His hand moving on our lives.  Follow His will and His path, and He will make the steps easier. As Jesus says in Matthew 11:30, “For my yoke is easy and my burden is light”. Try to go your own way, however and you will be in for some resistance.

Father,

As we think about wind today and watch the branches move in response to the wind, may we be reminded of Your power and movement in our lives. May we have attentive eyes and spirits to see and hear as You move in our lives. I pray that we may trust You in whatever intensity You come into our lives. May we follow Your leading and be willing to go and do whatever You ask of us. We love You, and we thank You for always being present and moving-whether noticeable to us or not-in our lives and in the lives of those around us.