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

A couple days ago, my husband Jay tore up a picture.  And he did it out of love for me… let me explain.

We were in town at an internet cafe, and Jay had loads of work to do online.  I had just come down with bronchitis, and after a short time in the internet cafe I started feeling quite sick.  He was my ride home, and I asked him if we could leave early despite knowing he had important things to take care of for a few hours.  He had a moment of hesitation and looked frustrated for a couple minutes, but agreed to leave his work behind so I could rest.  And that was that, he did not complain about it for the rest of the day.

My very wise mother-in-law once said something to me that has stuck with me ever since: tear up the picture or tear up the person. We often get an image in our head of how we want something done, how we want something to look, or how we want something to go.  We have an ideal situation painted in our minds in most situations, and are disappointed when our plans do not fall in to place as expected.  In those times we must learn to tear up our ideal picture and paint a new one instead of hurting those we love out of frustration.  Jay chose that day to tear up his picture of an ideal afternoon getting work accomplished online in order to keep the picture of our relationship intact.

Do you ever tear down people when your ideal situation is compromised?  Are you good at painting new pictures when plans fail?  How do you do this?  Hopefully we can all get into a habit of practicing this more!

Michelle

I have spent the last week on a farm in Costa Rica, and two thoughts came to me when I was feeding the pigs:

1.  The slops we poured into the trough were so disgusting.  Peels, left-overs covered in bugs, and other miscallaneous things humans can’t digest.  The pig LOVED it!  But as I was watching the pig eat, I was reminded of the story of the Prodigal Son, who ended up eating pig food because his decisions had brought him to such a bad place.  Meanwhile his father would have had the best food at a table for him if he only came back.  It made me wonder, in what areas of my life do I eat pig food when God has so much more if I am willing to obey?
2.  The trough itself was nasty.  It reminded me that Jesus, the saviour of the world, was born in a manger-which also was used by animals.  What a humble beginning, and what a way for God to make a point.

Girls, Jesus died for us so that we would not have to eat pig slop.  He died so that we can live triumphantly, freed from the bondage of sin. But Jesus was also born in a manger, reminding us that we must humble ourselves before God and others. Let’s keep this in mind this week!

Michelle

One thing I hear people say to me sometimes is this: “Michelle, you’re such a good person.”  Have you ever had this experience?  I think the world is sometimes fascinated when someone chooses not to get drunk at parties, attends church regularly, or goes on mission trips to serve the poor.  When people treat others with respect and dignity, go out of their way to do acts of kindness, have integrity in the workplace, or have a positive attitude despite circumstance, they are seen as radical and different from most others.  These are all things I strive for, so it should not be a surprise when others label me as a “good person.”

But to be honest, it makes me sick.

If people see me as a good person but fail to see Jesus, my good acts are leading everyone astray.  If people think that I am who I am and do the things I do out of my own ‘goodness’ and strength, they are led to think that it all comes down to human effort.  Subsequently, there is no need for a saviour. 

For those of you that know me and think I am a good person, here’s what I have to say: It is ALL Jesus.  If you think I love others, it is because Jesus first loved me.  If you think I have integrity, it is because the Holy Spirit convicts me to do what is right. If you think I have wisdom, it is because God gives it to those who ask. If you think I am pure, it is because Jesus died for my sin, cleansed me form all unrighteousness, and allows me to live in victory over impurity.  If you think I am going to heaven, it is not because of my good works but because of the Cross.  That’s it. 

SHAME ON US FOR TAKING THE CREDIT FOR WHAT JESUS HAS DONE IN OUR LIVES.  We must make it clear to the world that He is the reason we are different.  It would be cruel to mislead people by telling them that we are good on our own.  The Bible says that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.  But when we believe that Jesus died for us on the cross and ask Him to be our Lord and Saviour, He begins to mold us and shape us to be better people. 

If you are a Christ-follower and people see you as a good person, make sure you give credit where credit is due.

Michelle

Lately I have had it on my heart to write a post about the Gospel message.  Pure and simple.  I know many of you who read No Boys Allowed are believers in Christ, but chances are some of you are not.  Maybe it’s because you’ve been jaded by the church or you think being a Christian is boring and lifeless.  But maybe, just maybe, it’s because you have never heard about what Jesus did for you. 

I was raised in a Christian home, and assumed I was a Christian because I was a good kid and had Christian parents.  I knew all the Sunday school songs, had verses memorized, and was familiar with all the Bible stories and characters.  But in the summer between grades six and seven, I attended a prayer meeting at a Christian camp and my life changed forever. I was sitting there with my eyes closed, and suddenly I envisioned a gift being held out to me.  The gift would only be mine if I accepted it, and I hesitated.  I realized for the first time in my young life that Jesus was offering me the gift of His life and salvation, but I had to accept it in order for it to be mine.  So I did. I made the decision that day to follow Jesus and I haven’t looked back since.  It was the best choice I have ever made!

Here’s the Gospel Message in the words of author Max Lucado:

When we come to Christ, God not only forgives us, he also adopts us.  Through a dramatic series of events, we go from condemned orphans with no hope to adopted children with no fear.  Here is how it happens.  You come before the judgment seat of God full of rebellion and mistakes.  Because of His justice He cannot dismiss your sin, but because of His love He cannot dismiss you.  So, in an act which stunned the heavens, he punished Himself on the cross for your sins.  God’s justice and love are equally honoured.  And you, God’s creation, are forgiven. 

The Bible says that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. None of us are good enough.  All you need to do is look around you and see the brokenness of the world to know that this is true.  But the good news is that God so loved the world that He gave is one and only Son, so that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.  Jesus lived the life we should have lived and died the death we should have died.  But it didn’t end there: He rose from the dead, conquered death and sin, and offers life and hope to all who believe.  This is SUCH good news!  If we come to Him with humbled hearts, admit that we can’t be perfect, and confess our sin and brokenness, He is faithful to forgive us.  The Bible says that if we confess with our mouths that Jesus is Lord and believe in our hearts that God raised Him from the dead, we are saved.  Saved not only from eternal separation from Him and all that is good, but saved for a life of purpose and meaning here on earth.  I can’t tell you how full my life has been since giving it to Jesus.

No matter how far you’ve fallen, no matter how “non-religious” your background, no matter what you have done, no matter how “bad” you are, no matter how little you know about church, Jesus offers you hope and life in Him.  But you need to receive the gift He is holding out to you.  It is my prayer that you do!

Love you ladies,
Michelle