Tip of My Iceberg

Our Colorado family members love to camp.

The only problem lately has been the extreme heat and the number of active fires happening around the state. Smoke is a problem for many, so typical summer outdoor activities need to be reassessed for safety and comfort.

Rather than give up the fun of camping, Courtney and her family decided to set up their tent in the basement, creating a campground experience without the threat of smoke inhalation or getting burned.

I did ask if they also decided to build a campfire in the basement.

Courtney chuckled. It wasn’t appropriate to build a fire on the floor.

There are many times in life when circumstances push us to unexpected, inappropriate actions. Not necessarily bad, just not anticipated.

When John and I got married, I taught high school English. It was the degree I received in college, but it was a major I felt forced to pursue by several family members.

I couldn’t stand teaching. I was a good enough instructor, but it sapped the life out of me and wore me down. After a year, John and I decided to join a ministry to share the wonder and awe of Jesus. I quit my job a week before the new term started. It wasn’t appropriate; I should have given them more time. The administrator understood and released me from my contract with his blessing. Not an anticipated action.

Jesus made a pivot in His life the last week of His ministry on earth. He had faithfully preached the hope and forgiveness of salvation by grace, a marked movement away from what the religious leaders were teaching.

One day Jesus entered the Temple where He often preached. What He saw angered Him deeply. It was during the Passover season, and the Temple courts were filled with merchants, selling animals, such as sheep and doves, for sacrificial purposes. The money changers exchanged Greek and Roman coins for the special Temple currency, often at an unfair exchange rate, cheating the Jews who were already struggling under the heavy Roman taxation. He entered the Temple and began knocking over tables and chairs, scattering coins everywhere. “He said to them, ‘The Scriptures declare, ‘My Temple will be called a house of prayer,’ but you have turned it into a den of thieves.”” Matthew 21:19.

Too often, Jesus is seen as mild-mannered and meek. He was a passionate, strong, and vibrant Man who lived a life faithful to His convictions, having given up the glory of heaven to live among us to show us God. During Passover, the Jews were reminded of the time when the angel of death passed over the homes of the Jews in Egypt because they spread lamb’s blood on their door lintels according to God’s command. Jesus came to be the perfect Passover lamb, shedding his blood to cover our messed-up lives so we could live.

That kind of action takes courage, strength, and compassion, a nobility that isn’t seen in much of life. Jesus could have chosen not to forfeit heaven for us, but He chose to love us instead of playing it safe.

Unexpected grace. Unmerited favor. That’s what Jesus offers us. He sees us as worthy of His sacrifice. He gave His life for us so we could know the hope of heaven.

Like Beck and his parents, they pivoted with a plan to make the best out of a difficult situation.

Jesus had a plan to make the most out of challenging circumstances. His forgiveness for our messy lives.

Unexpected, yet wonderfully generous.