Seeds of Hope

Easter = spring, poofy dresses, ties, button up shirts, hats, bunnies, chicks, chocolate, eggs, family, church and... Jesus' birth.... no wait! Jesus dying on the cross?... Jesus coming from heaven?....

I recently watched a video where a group of youth students interviewed people in Seattle, WA asking strangers what Easter was about and who Jesus was. The responses shocked me! Yes, I know that bunnies and eggs are greatly advertised this time of year, but surely people know that it's the day we celebrate Jesus' victory over death. We assume a lot in our lives; sometimes it's little things; the dishes have been washed and put away or the children brushed their teeth. Sometimes it's bigger: She's in church, surely she's saved. His shirt says he loves Jesus so he must be a Christian.

I was talking to someone recently about relationships and really getting to know peoples stories and what makes them, them. He quoted a friend saying "a lot of people's relationships are a mile long but only an inch deep" we're so worried about fitting in that we forget that we are the most inspired by the people who stand out and make a difference. You don't have to go up to a person and say that they're a sinner and need Jesus RIGHT NOW! Relationships start with a seed being planted, "why is she helping me?", "why is is he always so nice?", then watered "Tell me more about Jesus" and cared for as it grows "Bible study tonight!", All you have to do is begin and plant the seeds of God's Hope.

My directors, Byron and Shelley Tlucek seek to do just this by sharing God's love and the good news of Jesus' death and resurrection in ways that our preschoolers will understand and that will plant deep seeds in their hearts. The preschoolers heard about Jesus' birth at Christmas and have been learning about Jesus' life, His miracles and the disciples over the past couple months.

The last two weeks before Easter vacation we began sharing Resurrection Eggs with the preschoolers; each Resurrection Egg has an item that symbolizes a small part of the Easter story; starting with Jesus entering Jerusalem and ending with the empty grave. The kids LOVED them! By the end most of them could tell you what was in each each egg and the oldest class could tell you what it symbolized!!! 

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The last two days of preschool the kids put together salvation bracelets to help them remember the Easter story and to share it with their families. Each child was given a bag with 5, different colored beads and a piece of leather

We went over the the different colors and what they mean as the preschoolers carefully put together their bracelets

One of our 2's ready to tie and finish her bracelet!

Black for our sin. Red for Jesus' blood that was shed. White symbolizing Jesus washing our sins away when we accept His gift of salvation. Green for growth as we learn and grow with Jesus. Gold symbolizing the streets of heaven, where we will go to be with Jesus when we die.

Such a fun and easy way for the kids to remember!

Each child also received an Easter coloring book, retelling the story of Jesus' death and resurrection in kreyol

A box of crayons

And a plastic egg with 30 jellybeans inside, the same amount that Jesus was bought for. The King of Kings bought for the mere price of a slave. 

We pray that these children share the message of hope and joy with their families and that seeds would be planted in all of their hearts and communities and that the seeds they plant will then sprout and grow

Because seeds grow and change, and as they grow and change the world around them changes and; if one preschooler shares with one parent and then they both share with two other people and then those four people each share with one person.... we can change the nation of Haiti and the world for the glory of God!

Will you share Jesus' story this Easter with someone you don't know? Will you plant seeds with your words and actions? Thanksgiving isn't a religious holiday per say, (though religious people take this time to look back and thank God for all He's done the past year) but, Thanksgiving is when most people, religious and nonreligious, seek to reach out and feed the homeless, why? Because we're going to eat a feast ourselves. So, what should we do on Easter? Shouldn't we spread hope since, if Jesus didn't rise from the dead we have no hope?! How can we? Invite ISI students to your Sunday lunch, sunrise service at the homeless shelter or at the park across the street? I don't know how God is leading you but I do encourage you to pray about it. See where God takes you; most likely its out of your comfort zone..... but it's all worth if for the glory of God!

To Fix

To fix, the Merriam Webster Dictionary gives these definitions: 

Fix
: to make (something) whole or able to work properly again: to repair (something)
: to deal with or correct (a problem) : to attach (something) in such a way that it will not move : to connect or join (things) physically

We're told to "fix" our eyes on Jesus in Hebrews 12:12(NIV) and in devotions over the last couple months God keeps bringing this back to me and to "be still and know that He is God" Psalm 46:10. I'm not good at being still; I like to be working on something, reading, listening to someone or music, doing something at all times otherwise I don't feel like I'm doing, anything... ha funny right? Sometimes we have good intentions, our servant hearts are pounding away, our eyes take in all the need and our hands and feet move and move and move. But, if our eyes are not fixed on God; if He is not driving us and moving us; it's all for not. Jesus says in Matthew 7:21-23 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!"

I had a deep talk with a wonderful friend a while back who, along with her husband, is the head of mobilization with an organization that is very close to my heart. We talked about how being a missionary is tough, both stateside and overseas. The: culture shock, asking people to sponsor you, learning the language, illness, dealing with the hardest of hearts, cultivating relationships etc, is all tough but I think all missionaries will tell you that the culmination of all of that and what is driven out of you is the toughest. I'm not talking about exhaustion. I'm talking about deep spiritual things, that "dark side" you didn't know you had, the past that you can't get away from that rises to the surface because becoming a missionary, you are not transformed into a perfect person when you step off the plane or start a Bible study etc in your hometown. You're just not. Sorry to burst y'alls bubbles but you are still you and if you have things that you have tucked away, hidden out of sight they will rise up and it's not a pretty thing. Some people come back broken and needing counseling, I know a handful of them stateside. 

I'm not saying these people failed or if you're there that you are failing. No. We're all in the same boat. We're all humans and hopefully this will be a good reminder not a beating.

We tend to forget that God is our Friend and Healer. We put Him in this box where He's God. And that's it. He's way up there and He's God. Too high to care about me, too high to accept my guilt and shame, too high and mighty to be anything but... God. Well; why don't you let God decide? Why don't you trust God with all of that? Let me put the definitions for fix a little differently:

Fix
: For God to make you whole or able to work properly again: to repair/heal you

: For God to deal with or correct a problem : For you to attach, to draw near in such a way that you will not be moved by the world : to connect or join spiritually

Put's "fix your eyes on God" in a different light, right? It's not "look at God"/"Look but do not talk or touch God. No, it's trusting God. It's letting Him heal and work in and through you. It's being held in His arms and being His daughter or son and not trying to do it yourself because, though you might be able to carry on for awhile you will eventually stumble and fall. I know because I've been there. I still stumble and fall and try to pull that burden back onto my shoulders. I wrestle. But God, He is continually chipping away and sculpting me into something beautiful. He doesn't make mistakes.

I love butterflies. They are a constant reminder of God's transforming power, you might feel imprisoned by your chrysalis, the change hurts and it's taking f.o.r.e.v.e.r...... but, we are new creations in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17) and it's always worth it! God doesn't put us through unnecessary pain, His chisel didn't slip, that wasn't an "oops" because God doesn't make mistakes. How incredible and wonderful is that?! 

This next week, as we think on Jesus' sacrifice I encourage you to fix your eyes on Jesus, to let Jesus take those hurts and pains to the cross, to hand whatever it is over and let Him deal with it, to draw near to Him so that you can stand strong and continue on. The choice to let go is not easy but once you've opened your hand it's gone, it's truly gone.