Blog # 1016

In the account of the woman caught in adultery in John 8:1-11, many people feel her sin wasn't given its full weight, that she got off too lightly. The idea that Jesus could simply say a few words and let this woman go on her way, forgiven, seemed unfathomable to many but especially among those of the "righteous" standing around her. This accusation comes to light due to our insistence on doing something to warrant forgiveness. Let her spend a few months as an outcast and see if she doesn't straighten out her act and maybe then we will forgive her! Let her make restitution and then she will deserve forgiveness maybe! But what we fail to realize is that forgiveness was never meant to be earned. It seemed perfectly natural and fair to Jesus so what are we missing here?

Wouldn't it be fascinating to be able to see the look on their faces, especially hers as she's scanning the faces of all those standing accusingly around her waiting for Jesus to condemn her. Looking at the faces in the crowd seeing murder and judgment in their eyes and hearing it in their jeers, what do you think she saw when her eyes rested on Jesus' eyes? What do you suppose happened inside her spirit when she saw Him looking at her with love and compassion on His face?

It doesn't take much to imagine Jesus looking directly into this poor woman's heart, His gaze breaking the bonds of sin in her life. Do you suppose He looked at her from the elevated angle of the cross in His near future? It doesn't take much to imagine Jesus seeing her genuine repentance and sorrow. Or the joyful surprise that replaced her fear and anguish, even in the midst of her harrowing ordeal that day. Hearing the prayer of her heart, what look do you suppose was on His face when He released her, forgiven and admonished to sin no more? And what do you suppose her heart cherished the most?

When Jesus came He completely and forever changed the way we approach our heavenly God. And this scene from John's gospel shows how the "righteous" people's eyes were on retribution and punishment while the sinner's eyes were on the source of her forgiveness. No, Jesus didn't let her off too easy. He gave her the same second chance that He's given you and me.

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Another day, another blog. I'm a little late in posting because I decided to make Michael a coffee cake this morning. I made the same recipe for my small group on Tuesday and Michael got just a taste of it that I brought back for him. He really liked it so I thought I'd put it together again for him. It's not the easiest coffee cake I've ever made, that's for sure, but it's really, really good. It all fell apart when I tried to get it out of the angel food cake pan Tuesday morning and so I sprayed it with cooking spray this time and I hope it will come out in one piece.

I have no plans for the day. I have my exercise class tonight at 6:00 and I'd just not go except that I was the only one who showed up last week and I have the feeling that I might be again tonight. I love the class (but, truthfully, I hate the actual getting up and going part) but it just hasn't taken off here at my church. I hate to see her drive all this way to teach the class and then not have anyone come. I know she can't help but take it personally and she shouldn't. It's just that people stay so busy these days. I know this is an excellent opportunity to de-stress once a week but people just don't see it that way. I mean, I'm like everyone else. I'd love to stay home on Wednesday nights but I go because it's something I'm supposed to be doing for myself and for Jenn, but my church just isn't interested in it.

Evelyn and I are talking about trying to keep the small group going after the 40 Days Campaign is over. That would be so neat if we can manage to keep everyone interested in meeting. She and I could trade off on the refreshments or we could rotate it through the group. That way Evelyn wouldn't have to do it every week. I suggested we study Hebrews or Philippians. Hebrews is a more difficult class to teach and it's much longer so I'm leaning toward one of the little letters: Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, or Colossians. I think I would enjoy teaching one of them and it doesn't matter which one because they are all good. Evelyn said she's going to have Michael and I over for dinner along with Rita and Daryl and see if we can't get Michael interested in coming too. That would be so neat if we could get him interested. I lift that up to prayer right now. That God would just reach out and touch his heart. We don't do anything else so it's not like he'll be too busy. Please, Lord. Please. Please. Please. Please.

I have to tell you about my answered prayer. When Michael and I were on our way home from Jackson Sunday night my brakes started making this horrible grinding sound when Michael would step on them. Oh, great! I thought. Another problem. (It's really ironic because my sister had given me our Christmas money earlier in the evening so I figured I could probably have a brake job done if I really had to, but then I wouldn't have any money left to buy gifts for everyone.) I kept my fingers crossed that it was just a glitch in the works or something and that when I drove over to the small group meeting the next morning maybe it wouldn't make that horrible racket. Well, I backed out of the driveway and pressed on the brakes and sure enough there was that horrible sound. As I went around the block over to Gold Strike it ground every time I pressed on the brake peddle. And I don't know what happened but I really let God have it. He has been trying to teach me to pray specifically for things and not pray so much in generalities the way I tend to do, so I had been praying about the front end on my car needing work to stop the wobble. That somehow God would provide the means to get that taken care of and I'd been praying about it for several weeks. I told Him, here you ask me to pray specifically and what happens??? You give me another problem to worry about!! I did not mince my words and I've never spoken so boldly in prayer. I mean, it came from my heart and I just asked Him what He wanted from me. What had I not surrendered to Him? Why was this happening just when I started praying for my car? What did he want me to do? And in the back of my mind I was thinking about the fact that the Israelites' clothes had not worn out during their 40 years of wandering in the wilderness and if God could do that for them, then He could do a miracle for us. Well I have to tell you, my brakes haven't made noise since I prayed that prayer! I don't know, maybe I need to get in a snit more often with God. LOL! I've even tried to make it make that noise but it has been just like normal ever since that prayer. So I'm considering it an answered prayer. I just had to share that miracle with my readers. And even if no one reads today's blog, I've still praised God to the angels. Hallelujah!!!

Well, it's almost noon and I'm still in my pjs so I better get around and get some things done. I still have my chores to do and then I want to read today's devotional in The Purpose Driven Life. I don't want to get behind again. I had gotten 3 days behind and I sat and read those three chapters yesterday and promised myself I wouldn't let myself get behind again. So until tomorrow ...