Day 65: My Personal Harvest Worker Hall of Fame

Luke 10:1-16

New International Version (NIV)

 ¹ After this the Lord appointed seventy-two^[a] others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go.² He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.

I thought and thought about what to say about this passage that hasn't already been said. And then I realized... I can't. What I can do, though, is share a personal account of a few of the few... harvest workers who are answering the call and inspiring others to do the same. Each of them are working in their own unique ways and with their own unique talents, and each of them have been a personal inspiration to me. I want to be more like them. If I had just a little bit more of each of them in me, I would be a much, much better person, and an incredible harvest worker.

I want to be more like my dear friend Whitney Burgess, who is a true prayer warrior. When I am concerned about something - anything - I know that Whit is the number one person I want to approach the throne room for me. I feel so blessed every time I get a message from her saying, "I've been praying it up for ya." (Not to mention that she takes Hebrews 13:2 more seriously than anyone I've ever known.)

I want to be more like my mother, Dianne Tays. No one will ever know how much she had done and given and sacrificed for other people. She's the very definition of service, and she has spent her life washing feet. Sometimes I feel discouraged because I know I will never be the wonderful example, encourager, and servant that she is. But I just keep trying because Brennan deserves a mother like I have.

I want to be more like Cory Collins, whose gentle spirit and positive attitude infects everyone around him. He always knows what to say and when to say it, and he never has a harsh or bitter word for anyone. His words and his life make people understand what Christianity is all about.

I want to be more like Joey Krieger and my father, Mike Tays, who give 100% every single day to the calling to which they've dedicated their lives. They give all of themselves to the children who have been placed in their care, and challenge them to be more than they ever thought they could be. I want to have that kind of focus and dedication in my own life.

I want to be more like Nicole Hagood, the sister of my heart. She has faced the trials of life with a beautiful grace and an unshakable faith. Everyone who knows her loves her, because she has a heart big enough for each one of them and it shows. She is the woman of God that I pray to one day be.

I want to be more like Anne Russell. She's the busiest person I know, but she always, always makes time for more ministry, more serving of others. She always has time for me, and I know a hundred other people who feel the same way about her. There is no limit to her giving. 

And these are only just a few of the hard, hard workers who have blessed me. What about you? Who are the harvest workers who have influenced your life? Are you the harvest worker that others can look to?

Day 64: Stark Raving Mad

John 10:19-21

New International Version (NIV)

 ¹⁹ The Jews who heard these words were again divided. ²⁰ Many of them said, “He is demon-possessed and raving mad. Why listen to him?”
 ²¹ But others said, “These are not the sayings of a man possessed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”

Raving mad. I have to admit... the first time I read this, I found this a little bit shocking. I mean, after all, this is the guy who healed Legion (you remember him... the guy who lived in a cemetery, naked, and ran around screaming and cutting himself and scaring people all day). And yet, the old Jews are calling Jesus "raving mad"?

Seriously?

It just goes to show you that no matter what you do, some people are going to have a problem with you. I'll say that again: no matter what you do, some people are going to have a problem with you. These guys looked at the Lord God Himself, and said, "Look at all the amazing stuff he's done. He must be demon possessed." They took what was good and twisted it into something evil.

I'm sure this has happened to you, because it happens to all of us. Someone takes something you meant for good and twists your words, or your actions, or both, and uses it to attack you. Just remember that the Lord truly understands. He's been there. And remember that some people saw the truth: "Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?" If he was stark raving mad, then all I have to say is, "Gimme some of that!" I want to be too.

What a blessing to have a savior who truly knows our sorrows. Blessed be the name of the Lord.

Day 63: I Am A Sheep

John 10:7-18

New International Version (NIV)

 ⁷ Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. ⁸ All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. ⁹ I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.^[a] They will come in and go out, and find pasture. ¹⁰ The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
   ¹¹ “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. ¹² The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. ¹³ The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.
   ¹⁴ “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— ¹⁵ just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. ¹⁶ I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. ¹⁷ The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. ¹⁸ No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”


Well, it's been a rough week in the Eastep house. A baby with bronchitis (plus taking steroid meds which made him C-R-A-Z-Y), a hubby in serious pain, stress on the job... all made for a tired mommy/wife/employee/person. I don't know many times I've said (usually while rocking Brennan in the dead of night or making yet another pot of chicken soup) that I didn't think I'd make it through the week. And yet... here I am!


I had planned to write a post tonight about relative truth; about the fact that Jesus claimed to be the gate, the way of salvation. I had planned to focus on the way the world has perverted truth to the point that by claiming that one gate, we are labeled closed minded at best, bigots at worst. 


But as I come to the end of a long, hard week, I find myself wanting to focus only on the great love that the Great Shepherd has for me. I want to remember that He came for me, his sheep. Because He loves me. I just want to be led by the still waters of His grace. 


I'm reminded of the beautiful devotional song, I Am A Sheep. Following are the lyrics and even a recording of it. The words are perfect.... He is constantly watching over me.


I am a sheep and the Lord is my shepherd
Watching over my soul.
My soul to keep guarding over me ever,
Watching wherever I go.

And when the winds blow He is my shelter
And when I'm lost and alone He rescues me.
And when the lion comes He is my victory
Constantly watching over me
He is constantly watching over me

We are his children and he is our Father
Watching over our souls.
Great is His love for His sons and His daughters,
Watching wherever we go.

Day 62: Navigating the Land of the Grey

^{John 9:39-41}

³⁹ Jesus said,^[a] “For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.”

 ⁴⁰ Some Pharisees who were with him heard him say this and asked, “What? Are we blind too?”

 ⁴¹ Jesus said, “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.

As far as hard sayings go, this is one that, for me, tends to slip under the radar. But it's certainly food-for-thought, and one that I'll be mulling over in the days to come.

Kids (and when I say kids, I mean teens) will often ask about this very thing. Obviously they don't use this language, but the gist of the question is: At what point does something become "wrong"? And it's a valid question. This is usually brought up somewhere amidst the how-far-is-too-far/how-short-is-too-short discussion. Some things are black and white, sure, but what about the many (many!) gray areas? 

Well, for me, these verses are a good, valid answer to that question. Jesus is talking to the Pharisees about their own hard hearts, but I certainly think the principle applies today. Our maturity, our understanding, our growth is something that the Lord keeps in mind, and it's something he takes into account when he views our lives. Some things are not clearly right or wrong, but we must constantly be striving to be something better. To mature in our faith. And as we do, we will find more and more things to change about ourselves and our actions. It's not necessarily that we were doing "wrong", per se, before; it's just that we find a more excellent way. And when your eyes are opened to that more excellent way, it is God's intention that we never revert to our former ways.

When I was in college, I wore clothes that were much shorter than what I wear now. I was a naive kid... honestly. I would have denied - vehemently - that it was even possible that what I was wearing could "cause my brother to stumble".  (I've been challenged on this: "Come on. You know you knew what you were doing." I submit to you that I was so absurdly naive that I didn't think anyone ever lusted after anyone, period. It was that bad.) One day, and I don't remember what was said or who said it, but I came home to my dorm room and looked at my clothes, and I realized that some of them had to go. I could "see", so to speak. And from that day on, it would have been wrong for me to keep wearing those clothes. I had to get rid of them, that very night. A few months later, I purged again, more this time, because I had matured some more. 

That's the process. Do I believe that I would have been condemned for the clothes I was wearing prior to that night? No, because I was "blind" to their inappropriateness. But would I be judged if I took to wearing those same things now? I believe I would, because "now that you... can see, your guilt remains". Now, is this an excuse to never learn/grow/mature? Of course not. We must grow. But growing is good. A great experience. 

As the song says, I will never be the same again. And that's a good, good thing.

Day 61: Living Miracles

John 9:34-39

New International Version (NIV)

 ³⁴ To this they replied, “You were steeped in sin at birth; how dare you lecture us!” And they threw him out.

Spiritual Blindness

 ³⁵ Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he found him, he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” ³⁶ “Who is he, sir?” the man asked. “Tell me so that I may believe in him.”
 ³⁷ Jesus said, “You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you.”
 ³⁸ Then the man said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him.
 ³⁹ Jesus said,^[a] “For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.”


Boy... in some ways, don't you envy this guy? He saw (literally!) the work of God with his very own eyes. He saw it in a powerful and undeniable way. It sort of makes you think, why does God not do miracles like that today? Then everyone would believe! They would have to believe!

But the truth is, that lots of people saw this miracle with their own eyes. Even the guy's parents saw it - firsthand - and yet it didn't result in a lifechanging faith. It's difficult for me to fathom, but as usual, the Lord was right... some people's hearts are rocky and unfertile.

The good news is that this man did respond to what he saw. When he realized the power of God, he acknowledged it, and he worshipped God. Even so, the fruits of our lives as Christians will result in action in those whose hearts are "good ground". The question is, do we produce fruit for others to see? Or do people view us any differently from the world around us? There was no question in this man's mind that Jesus was of God. Is there any question that we are of God to the people around us? It's a question worth asking ourselves. We are the only "miracle" the world will ever see.

Day 60: Sold Out Parenting vs. Sell Out Parenting

John 9:8-25

 ⁸ His neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging asked, “Isn’t this the same man who used to sit and beg?” ⁹ Some claimed that he was.

   Others said, “No, he only looks like him.”

   But he himself insisted, “I am the man.”

 ¹⁰ “How then were your eyes opened?” they asked.

 ¹¹ He replied, “The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see.”

 ¹² “Where is this man?” they asked him.

   “I don’t know,” he said.

The Pharisees Investigate the Healing

 ¹³ They brought to the Pharisees the man who had been blind. ¹⁴ Now the day on which Jesus had made the mud and opened the man’s eyes was a Sabbath. ¹⁵ Therefore the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. “He put mud on my eyes,” the man replied, “and I washed, and now I see.”

 ¹⁶ Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.”

   But others asked, “How can a sinner perform such signs?” So they were divided.

 ¹⁷ Then they turned again to the blind man, “What have you to say about him? It was your eyes he opened.”

   The man replied, “He is a prophet.”

 ¹⁸ They still did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight until they sent for the man’s parents. ¹⁹ “Is this your son?” they asked. “Is this the one you say was born blind? How is it that now he can see?”

 ²⁰ “We know he is our son,” the parents answered, “and we know he was born blind. ²¹ But how he can see now, or who opened his eyes, we don’t know. Ask him. He is of age; he will speak for himself.” ²² His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders, who already had decided that anyone who acknowledged that Jesus was the Messiah would be put out of the synagogue. ²³ That was why his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.”

 ²⁴ A second time they summoned the man who had been blind. “Give glory to God by telling the truth,” they said. “We know this man is a sinner.”

 ²⁵ He replied, “Whether he is a sinner or not, I don’t know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!”

Long passage tonight, but I couldn't really see a way to break it up... it's too important. Lots of material here - lots and lots and lots - but there's one thing that has always gotten me about this passage. It's the cowardice of the parents, and it's heartbreaking. 

Of all the people on earth, this man's parents were the two who knew full well what Jesus had done. When other children were discovering the world around them, mimicking the actions of their brothers and sisters or copying a goodbye wave, their son was locked in a world of darkness. They tried unsuccessfully to describe a sunset, and the way moonlight reflects beams across the waters. They watched him struggle to find work, and maybe to find a wife. They wept for him.

And then he met Jesus.

Suddenly, he could see. Their son could see! What an incredible, indescribable gift! And yet, go back and read verses 2-23. They deny the power of Christ, and even sell out their son, for fear of being ostracized by their collective community. When the rubber met the road, they sold out. Devastating.

And yet, the truth is that I see this all the time. Maybe not to this extent, and certainly not this exact situation, but sell out parents are commonplace in our society. You'll know them when you see them. They let their daughters wear tiny little bikinis to the class swim party because it's not worth the fight. Their kids don't come to Bible class or devotionals or youth activities, and when asked they'll say, "I don't make them come because I don't want them to resent the church." They're the first to rebuke you when things aren't going their way, but the last to jump in and help.

On the other hand, I also know some 100% sold out parents. They're the ones who pick their kids up early from practice so that they won't be late for the service project. Their kids never ask, "Are we going to Bible class tonight?" because they already know the answer. One sold-out parent I know just threw away a pair of her (college-age) daughter's brand new shorts because they were too short. You know how well that went over, and she knew too, but she did it anyway, because it was the right thing. She reminded me that the tough decisions, where the rubber meets the road, are the ones that define us. They're the ones that separate our kids from the world. And we just can't afford to be like these parents, who were sellouts when that defining moment came.

Rock on, sold out parents. Rock on.

Day 59: What Is Work, Anyway?

John 9:4-7

New International Version (NIV)

⁴ As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. ⁵ While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”
 ⁶ After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. ⁷ “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means “Sent”). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.

Aaaaand we're back. I've been gone a few days, and I'm sorry to have been a slacker. But I (think I) have had a pretty good excuse. Last weekend I headed up a tiiiiny little fundraiser with President George Bush. That's what I do in "real life". As you might imagine, it was an enormous job with lots and lots and lots of fun and very stressful requirements. I came home, not to a relaxing couple of days as I'd hoped, but to a sick (read: up-all-night) baby. And my hubby had surgery yesterday. It's been wild around the Eastep casa, to say the least.

Bren was feeling better today, and he let me sleep last night, so I'm feeling less zombie-like than I have in a week. So when I pulled out the scripture for tonight, I must say that I was a little bit taken aback but the topic. "Night is coming, when no man can work." When I read these verses, I always think of that song, "Work, for the night is coming, when man's work is done. Work as the day goes brighter, work blah blah blah blah..." I actually do like the song, but do you ever think, "I just. Can't. Do. Any. More." I'm at my limit, I'm over my limit, and there you singing me a song about work and work and work and work and work. What did Jesus mean here? Is there no room for rest?

Well, first of all, I had to go back and take a good look, and nowhere in these verses does it say (or imply) the words/feelings I've always associated with them; that I've-got-to-keep-going-even-though-I'm-about-to-pass-out sort of thing.

Are we called to work? Yes. Are we called to action? Certainly.

But what do we do during crazy, my-kid-is-sick-busiest-work-week-of-the-year-oh-and-the-hubs-is-having-surgery times of our lives? The more I think about it, the more I really believe that the key is considering those things a part of our work. Not in an add-more-stress kind of way, but in the sense that I must always be aware that my Christianity does not dissipate during those times. Instead, that should be where it shines. We've got to do our best to show grace and mercy and love during those imperfect life moments. And in that way, we will still be working toward that future and ultimate goal. People will see that peace and joy in us. And we will be the light of the world.