A few days ago I listened to a message on purity by Amy Groeschel from LifeChurch.tv.  This is the question she asked during her message:

“If clothes could talk, what would they say about you?”

She proceeded by listing off a bunch of possible answers:

• I’m insecure
• I’m easy
• I’m cool
• I’m hiding
• I need love
• I’m pretty important
• I need your attention
• I’m proud
• I spend a lot of money

Do any of these descriptors apply to you?  Now go and take a look at your wardrobe - do they reveal something different than you’d like to admit?

For those of you who are Christ-followers, how is your identity represented in your clothing?  Are you obsessed with pictures of yourself and all your clothes? Are your clothes a bit on the sleazy side so you can flaunt your stuff to guys around you?  Or are you hiding behind baggy sweatpants and over-sized sweatshirts because you hate your body?

Remember that you were created by a loving God, and when you are in Christ you are Holy, chosen, pure, and BEAUTIFUL. Steward it well.

For more info check out the Modesty Survey by Rebelution.

Love you girls!

Michelle

Jay and I are currently living in a Mexican town called Zirahuen, and this past Saturday we took a day trip to the nearby city of Morelia.  While we were sitting on a park bench admiring the beautiful weather and children blowing bubbles, a man missing an arm and a leg wheeled himself over to us and asked us if we wanted to buy some gum.  We brushed him off with a “‘no gracias, lo siento,” and watched him continue on his way.

After a few minutes Jay said, “you know, this man is mentally handicapped, has lost two limbs, and is trying to sell gum in order to survive in a country where people like him can easily fall through the cracks.  He could just resort to begging on a street corner like so many others, but has taken the initiative to wheel himself around to offer something of value to people who reject him time and time again.”  I watched Jay call the man back over and buy two packs of gum, and during the transaction Jay asked for the man’s name.  The man, Luis, was shocked that a gringo would care enough to ask for his name and smiled from ear to ear.  I was grateful for Jay’s willingness to see past the surface and show dignity to this man.

Two hours later we were sitting in a trolley, taking a historical tour of the city. We stopped and all got out at a church that looked like this:

Not seeing anything special about this church compared to the others I had seen that day, I was tempted to not go in at all.  In comparison to the others, it was quite boring in appearance.  To my delight however, all my preconceptions were shattered when I walked through the doors and saw this:

As we left the church Jay and I commented that we never would have known, based on the outward appearance of the church, that so much beauty was held inside.  I realized in that moment that the words I had read in the Bible earlier that morning were being demonstrated before my very eyes.

My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don’t show favoritism. Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in.  If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “here’s a good seat for you” but say to the poor man, “sit on the floor by my feet,” have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?  (James 2)

Ladies, how often do we show favouritism based on appearance? How often do we give special attention to people who are beautiful, or popular, or smart?  God’s word truly came alive to me that day in Morelia, and I know that this is an area I must work on.  Let’s look beyond the outward appearance this week and truly love people as Jesus would love them.

Michelle

Grade 9 math class.  The subject was never my strong suit, and I was slightly nervous as I sat down next to my friends on the first day while our teacher introduced himself to us.  It didn’t take long until we discovered our teacher to be a short-tempered man who often seemed aloof as he gazed out the window during our individual work time.

One day I whispered to my friend to borrow and eraser, and our teacher thought I was trying to cheat.  He exploded.  The phrase that almost brought tears to my eyes was, “you’ll never amount to anything in this class or in this school!”  Out of spite, I was determined to prove him wrong.  I worked harder in his class than any other math class in my school history, and received the highest mark in the class that year.  “So there,” I thought.

The following semester our math teacher did not return to school.  I found out his son had died in a car accident.  Jesus worked on my heart of stone towards this man, and I decided to hunt down his address and send him a card.  The following semester he was back at school, and I remember our first interaction like it was yesterday.  He came up to me in the hall, and with tears in his eyes he placed his hand on my shoulder and simply said, “thank you Michelle.”  Every bit of bitterness I still had towards him vanished in that moment.  Later I found out that he had lost another son before I had attended his class.  Oh how I had misunderstood this man.  When I graduated from high school, I stayed in touch through letters.  Our letters often discussed faith, pain, and God, and I started to see that I was perhaps the only Christ-follower he knew as a friend.

Two years ago I had the privilege of having him and his wife in attendance at my wedding.  A man I hated in grade 9 had made it on our guest list of loved ones 7 years later.

I have often wondered what would have happened if I didn’t follow God’s leading in sending that card.  As Christ-followers we are to be set apart.  We should be experts at extending grace to difficult people.  Sometimes I think I was way better at this in high school, and need Jesus desperately to keep my heart compassionate and gracious on a daily basis.  If we don’t love difficult people, who will?

Is there is a difficult person in your life right now?  How are you extending Jesus’ grace to them?

Michelle

Right now I am in Caye Caulker, a small island off the coast of Belize.  Yesterday was the picture perfect beach day, and Jay sat in the shade reading a book while I splashed around in the ocean and feel asleep in the sun.  There really is nothing better than drifting off to sleep with the warmth of the sun all around you!

Turns out the warmth I felt earlier morphed into a real heatwave of pain as I discovered a nasty sunburn on my back at night.  I could hear the words of my mom, “you should have been more careful with the sunscreen!” echoing in my head, and the next day I was definitely seeking more shade.

Sin is like a sunburn isn’t it? Whether it’s gossip, lust, greed, pride, jealousy, or any of the other issues we struggle with as human beings, it doesn’t feel all that bad when we are “lying in the sun surrounded by it” so to speak.  In the moment it often feels quite satisfying actually.  But the Bible tells us that the wages of sin is death.  Death of relationships, death of joy, death of community, death of desire…or even physical death.

As summer approaches and we start enjoying the warmth of the sun, let us be conscious not only about our skin, but the health of our mind, heart, and spirit.

Have a great weekend!

Michelle

Right now I am working in a kitchen in Costa Rica, and yesterday a new guy got hired to be the dish washer.  Today he had to work from 6 am to 10 pm, and the entire time he scrubbed dishes and washed floors.  By the end of the day he was drenched in sweat and looked completely exhausted.  When the chef was around I told the dish washer that he was doing an amazing job, trying get the chef to acknowledge his hard work as well. Sadly the chef didn’t take the bait, and instead launched into a story about how many dishes he has scrubbed and how this dish boy has it easy compared to what he had to do.

I call this the ‘been there, done that’ syndrome.  When we go through challenging or even devastating circumstances, there are two ways to incorporate that into our lives. The first is to look down on others and say, ‘well I got through it so suck it up.’  The second is to allow the pain or frustration that took place to shape us into more compassionate people.

I can’t even begin to express my gratitude for people who helped me through my dating drama in junior high, through math class in high school, and through the death of my best friend when I was 20.  If these people had ignored me in my time of need because they had ‘figured it out and therefore I should too,’ I would have struggled alone.

So ladies, let’s not look down on other peoples’ troubles or hardship with pride that we got through it ourselves.  It is my hope that our circumstances shape us into women of compassion, empathy, and action.

Love from the jungle,

Michelle