Cultivating Christ~

Today was Sunday and therefore--like many of you--it was a day to gather with our church.
Let me first say (yes, as a side-note) that if you do not have a church that you call FAMILY, you need to find one. I'm not telling you to come be a part of ours *though you are joyfully welcome to*... but whatever you do, whomever you find and wherever you go to gather as Christ's children...

GO.

Throughout the message from our pastor today, I found myself celebrating inwardly--rejoicing in the refreshment of God's Solid Word--that feeling you get EVERY TIME (no matter where you are and who your with) you take the Life Food that the Bible IS! Steve was speaking on God's desires for us--the dutiful part of being a Christian----not to claim that our actions ever win or alter our salvation, but they are written out and commanded clearly for a reason. He spoke on (and we sang one of the all-time greatest hymns together on it too) Christ being our foundation...our Rock.
Yes. We ALL know the hymn and it's awesome words.

On Christ the Solid Rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand... all other ground is sinking sand.

Sinking sand.
Like quick sand. Sand that not only falls... but SINKS... and takes you with it!

I found myself very moved to write a blog titled something like this and even took out my phone to write myself a reminder note so that 'get to a computer this second' inspiration wouldn't be lost in the lapse of time that I couldn't.

Fast forward to church dismissing.

Smiles to each and every person I could make eye-contact with--
because these days, I believe even just that can be used to bless a person.
Let me climb onto another soap-box for a second and drive a notion (one I gained from a message just two weeks prior) that every person I come in contact with, every day, is more precious than anything I have, could have or will ever have. Giving the clothes right off your back?
Yes. This is that very picture and example. So whenever you are anywhere, around anyone (ie: not alone with God) interact purposefully and genuinely with the people around you, for they may be 'strangers' but they are still your brothers and sisters whom Christ loves and sacrificed dearly for.. and you just don't know how God may use you to reach them.

Whew.
Sorry for all the preaching.
My fingers can hardly keep up with my heart right now.

Back to my previous sharings.

So, the picture you see here is not just any garden, *and by the way, this is only the front half* though I know this time of the year is one where it seems like eeeeeeveryone is posting pics of their fresh fruits and veggies and showing everyone their prides and joys of homegrown produce. Although this looks like a picture of 'just another awesome garden,' it's not the garden itself that is the true blessing (though 2000 lbs of produce this gave our church and community after one year, just last year is a pretty awesome one and impressive indeed) but it's the hands behind it.

One of the very lovable, very 'under the radar' members of our congregation--brothers of our family--quietly started this garden with a vision last year. A vision of putting his hands in the dirt--God's raw earth--planting, preening and tending to thousands of little plants so they may eventually bear fruit (and veggies) for his brothers and sisters to be nourished by.
Just today, Steve touched on the different desires Christ has for us--even warnings that come along with us not heeding these desires and commandments--and one of them was doing good things with the requirement of others recognition.
You know what I'm talking about. We are ALL guilty of pride--birthed from our sinful blood--and falling into the desire to be seen as 'good little Christians' to others, delighting and even thriving on people seeing us this way. And yes, there is no such thing anyway as a 'good little Christian', but I think there is an even more subtle part of this phrase to meditate on... 'people seeing us'... and our need for that at all. Not just how they see us, but that we need them to!!! Christ doesn't want this for us. Abiding in Him means that absolutely zero parts of this world affect or can possibly infect the Joy that He offers, daily.


The hands behind our church's garden happen to belong to a man who was once also a music student of mine. A quiet teddy-bear of a man who never married and absolutely ABIDES, still, in Christ's love.
That 43-yr-old man hugged me today while we were celebrating over this amazing vision come true--the awesome fruits of his labor and the blessings from God that have come over what this garden has become in just a year's time--

and in the midst of that genuine bear-hug that I've always known him for..
he whispered into my ear that he was just diagnosed in mid-June with terminal leukemia.


Lord Jesus, come.


Many of you now, whether in person or through a private message, have told me I'm 'inspiring' to you.
You've said you just can't get over how 'I've taken my news'... that I've 'just handled it with such grace and trust in the Lord.'
I've offered my feelings on this already, more than once by saying, Hey.. I'm just doing what it takes to get through this. This is the only way I know how.'

But today, looking at my friend--looking into his glassy eyes and listening to him joyfully say to me that with these last few years he's now been given to live--it's bucket-list time. Things like traveling to Scotland to start up a community garden for the poor. Things like retiring early so he has more time to interact with and touch lives--bring people to know the Truth, however God may use him. Things like finding outstanding new homes for his beloved little dogs that will be out-living him.
Things like...
growing our church's garden... even BIGGER and more extraordinarily than it already is (but only if he can do so quietly and unnamed.) These are the things he plans to spend his last chunk of time doing.


People.
Friends. Family.
Strangers...
You say to me you're not sure how you'd respond if you were 'one of us'... received some life-altering diagnosis, like we have. But I say to YOU....... if you DON'T know that you would respond in such joy and fortitude and want, more than ever to touch God's Spirit--dig your hands in DEEPLY and CULTIVATE CHRIST--then I encourage you to call on Him and Seek His Face more truly because it is in Him ONLY that this 'response' to our challenges and 'mountains,' comes.

I DO NOT AND WILL NOT TAKE THE CREDIT.
EVER.

My friend taught me something rich, today. Something I've *sort of* known already but now something that I can articulate and percolate on with each gift of a moment...
and I PLEAD IN PRAYER that we all, no matter where life is, no matter what our circumstances *how many times do I have to say this?!* CLING TO HIM, for ALL of our days are numbered.

SHARE HIM.

Today.
EVERY day.
Plead for His Covering.
Tend to the garden of PEOPLE He has placed around you.



And quietly--humbly--and Joyfully... Cultivate HIM~