“Hope is not about proving anything. It’s about choosing to believe this one thing: that love is bigger than any grim, bleak shit anyone can throw at us.” –Anne Lamott

It seems like everyone is in the middle of ‘stuff’ these days. Some of it is pretty big, like finding out your 5-year old has autism; or your parent’s cancer is back; or your future isn’t going to be what you thought because of a failed class, a relationship break-up, or an unexpected situation at work.

Some of the stuff is smaller – but seems bigger because the small things always come in batches. Like when the dog poo’s in the house just as the UPS guy rings the doorbell with a package you have been waiting for and it needs a signature. At about the same moment the washing machine overflows and the cat knocks over the remains of your cold coffee from this morning that you never did get to drink because the phone wouldn’t stop ringing. I don’t even have a cat, but you get my point. It’s the flat tire when you’re already late for work; the scorched dinner when 10 guests are arriving in 5 minutes; the realtor who shows up unannounced with potential buyers when all of your children are home with the flu; or the jeans that used to fit, but will only close today if you lay on your back and use a pliers to get the right leverage to zip the zipper.

The grim, bleak shit that comes our way…

Matthew 11: 27-29 reminds us that Jesus will give us rest if we only remember to bring our burdens to him. And, that we can take his yoke and learn from him for he is ‘gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.’

This isn’t a promise that everything will be okay as long as we have enough faith. You know, the twisted belief that Jesus is the magic vending machine in the sky who will give us what we want as long as we put in the right prayer. Unfortunately, that irresponsible concept has been perpetrated by too many doctrines for too long. Although, I would be lying if I said there was never a time I hoped it would work that way. There is a part of most of us that longs for life to simply work out the way we want it to happen. My agenda, my plan, my hopes, my dreams and my desires. Oops…

The thing is, Jesus-God has something else in mind for us. Matthew 11:27-29 is really an invitation to us: ‘Come to me…’ And, if we do, we can find rest. Now that part sounds pretty good! The really good news is he is ‘gentle of heart’. I hope that means he understands when I offer up my tirade about the disparities of life! There have been several lately…

We have to also recognize there is a middle section of the passage that talks about ‘taking a yoke’ and ‘learning from him’. Some invitation! This is beginning to sound like work! However, when we put the entire passage together, it is a simple beaconing from the one who loves us more than we are capable of knowing to come to him, to walk with him and he will help us learn his ways. It is in and through this formula that we will find peace.

Side note: For those of us from the city or suburbs, a yoke is a wooden beam strapped to two oxen so they can carry a load together. ‘Take my yoke’ doesn’t tell us we are on our own with some horrible burden. It tells us we will have help through love and find that seemingly elusive ‘peace’.

If you are like me, it’s difficult to recognize help. I want the big-guy; the royal telephone; the divine bullhorn!!! Okay, I would settle for the still, quiet voice in the wilderness and I might even stop screaming long enough to hear it if I knew it was going to say something that I could physically hear. The problem is, I want something that I recognize as a sign from God that all is right with the world, or at least my corner in it. It doesn’t work that way.

It does work when we recognize God is truly working in and through all situations; that God is always and everywhere; that God simply is. Help comes through the neighbor who asks if they can do anything for you in the situation and really means it. Help is the moment when that same, autistic 5-year old looks up at you and says, ‘I love you’. And, as we recognize those things that help us through a situation, we recognize that light will always, always, always, always, always come after the darkness.

Light…hope…come to me all who are weary with heavy burdens…yokes…we’ll work through it together…come to me…come to me…love…hope…

Now that’s a message I need to embrace!

“God doesn’t love things because they are beautiful, things are beautiful because God loves them” 

I wish I could remember where I read that one so I could give credit to someone with amazing insight. I mean -it’s beautiful! It says it all. It puts the focus back on God and not on some silly notion that we have to be something, or become something to be loved by God. It’s the old, “Just as I am…” concept. Remember that one? We used to sing it in Sunday School when I was growing up. “Just as I am, thou wilt receive, wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve…” There is nothing in the entire song that says I have to be anything. I simply need to show up “just as I am”.

The problem is, do we really believe it? Do we fully appreciate that no matter who we are, no matter what we have done, no matter who tells us otherwise – God loves us? And, it’s not all about me or you or what anybody defines as the formula to gain God’s love. We just need to know that we are loved by God.

Now, peeling the whole quote apart it’s possible to get caught up in the word beautiful. Unfortunately, our culture seems to put a heavy focus on the right age, looks, clothing, make-up and hair as we figure out this ‘beauty’ thing. Do you remember the 1999’s song “Always wear sunscreen…”? The lyrics were originally written by Mary Schmich and published in the Chicago Tribune as a commencement speech she would like to give someday…that is, if she were ever asked to give a commencement speech. (If I were to meet her, I would, without a doubt, like Mary Schmich very much.) It’s a great list of advice that includes, “do not read beauty magazines, they will only make you feel ugly.” There must be more to this beauty-thing than the lotions and potions of the cosmetic and fashion industry.

The dictionary will support our pervasive cultural idea to a point, but it impresses us with a meaning deeper than appearance. It defines beauty as, “pleasing the senses or mind aesthetically; of a very high standard; excellent.” What could be a higher standard or more excellent than what God created us to be? Flowers and butterflies are beautiful and they aspire to be nothing more than what they are. What if we were so bold as to believe it’s enough for us, too?  It’s not about becoming something so God will notice us.  “Just as I am…”

That said, let’s go back to part 2 – “things are beautiful because God loves them.” In all reality, that packs it’s own punch. It’s foolish to think we can blissfully and naively blunder through life doing whatever we choose to do because, after all, God loves us and therefore anything and everything we do is, well…beautiful. When we fully embrace that love, like grab onto the idea that this perfect entity which epitomizes all that is good looks at our chaotic, broken lives and loves us…loves us in spite of everything we have messed up, botched, ignored, and ruined; loves us when we have morning breath, wrinkles, thinning hair and warts; loves us when we berate others who aren’t like us; loves us no matter what…well, it can be a bit overwhelming. How do we know we are loved? In Romans 38-39 the Apostle Paul assures us that there is nothing in all of creation that can separate us from God’s love. “All of creation” covers a lot of territory!

The thing is, if we listen to God’s beaconing call to us and we come “Just as I am…”; when we truly believe we are loved just as we are, we are changed. The gratitude goes so deep that it envelops our entire being and we become beautiful as we transition into all that God created us to be.

Now, excuse me for a moment while I take some magazines to the recycling bin.

It was a rough day. I had a conversation with a friend that centered on two other young women who have cancer. No, the cancer wasn’t the center of the conversation – God was. Sometimes things are said by those who mean well that make God into an unlovable, horrible, callous brute.

Then, there were some family issues that were tinged with frustration and sadness at situations that didn’t need to be as difficult as they actually are. Some systems intended to keep organizations running smoothly neglect to factor in human intentions, emotions or compassion. Yet, we must somehow navigate those systems to the best of our ability without loosing hope.

The final blow was the bird. It flew directly into my picture window, leaving some of those soft, belly feathers behind. I looked out and saw the poor thing laying in the dirt. If birds could pant, it was panting. One little leg was curled in…the other stretched out and twitching. I didn’t know how to help it. I wanted to walk away, but couldn’t keep from looking back. It’s feeble, trembling breast seemed to be slowing down – indicating to me that that last of it’s life was slowly leaving that little body. The bird was a robin – to anyone who has lived through a Minnesota winter, the first robin of the spring is a symbol of hope – signifying that winter will loosen it’s mighty grip and warm weather will be a reality. Hope was dying in a pile of dirt in my front yard.

That’s when I lost it and let the tears that had been building all day flow. Where is God when these things happen? Does God cry, too? Does God feel the pain of families going through devastating illness? Does God see the futility of bureaucracies that have become more important than those they were designed to protect? Does God loose it when one of his beautiful creatures lies dying in the dirt? Couldn’t God just breathe life back into it? Or touch it like the Gospel of Thomas says the boy Jesus did, bringing it back to life? (Okay, the Gospel of Thomas is a conversation for another day – – but, I couldn’t help to think about it’s story as my little friend lay there gasping.)

I needed one more look at the bird for assurance that it was finally out of pain. That amazing thing was – it was gone! No, nothing could have ‘gotten’ it. It fell behind a short, brick wall where it was protected from predators. Besides, this was a span of about 5 minutes! It had recovered from it’s trauma – most likely it was temporary shock from having the wind knocked out of it. Apparently, it was once again going about life as a bird. Okay, a bird with a very bad headache and some stiff joints. But, none the less, it was alive!

How often do we feel like God has abandoned us? Things happen, young mom’s get cancer, situations sap our optimism and energy, birds fly into windows and hope seems to be dying. Yet, if we give God a bit of time; some trust; and the opportunity to do what God does best, we will find that God is working in and through all situations. Sometimes we simply need to look in God’s direction and pant a feeble, ‘Help’. Sometimes we need to look at a another’s pain and recognize where and how we can ease their load. Sometimes – sometimes we need to breathe deeply, stop ranting and know that God is present…even if we have to look long and hard to see God’s at work.

I guess that’s what it means to surrender it all to God.