Lessons from Mistletoe

 What comes to mind when you think of mistletoe? It's likely your thoughts are  linked to a Christmastime tradition—a small section of greenery that's known as a kissing plant. Whoever passes beneath the mistletoe at the same time is supposed to kiss one another. It's a fun tradition (mostly) and one enjoyed during the holiday season. But mistletoe isn't just for Christmas, and it may surprise you to find out that it's a plant considered to be a parasite. Yep—that pretty bunch of greenery with white berries is a parasitic plant.

One day in November of last year, my husband and I were playing around in the front yard with our puppy when he noticed a new growth on our pear tree. He recognized it right away as mistletoe, grafted into the branch of our Bradford pear. I had never seen that before on the trees on our property, and it was discovered that two of our trees had a rogue growth of mistletoe. This encouraged me to read up on this plant and do a little research—having a landscaping business, it's great to know about these things. What I discovered had an astounding lesson—a great lesson for us as Christians. 

Mistletoe finds its way to a host tree from a bird who carries the seed of the plant after enjoying their white berries. Gross as it sounds, a bird passes the seed through droppings in the safety of the tree branch. As that seed lays, it may or may not grow and attach itself to the new tree. If conditions are ripe for the seed, it will successfully germinate and penetrate the bark of the host tree. As it grows, it steals nutrients from its host plant. While mistletoe grows relatively slow, over time, the host tree will be deprived of essential nutrients and loses its health.

Mistletoe must be removed completely from its host, or it will eventually destroy the tree it's attached to. The only effective way to remove it is to cut away the affected branch—cutting it off at least 12" under its attachment. Pulling away the mistletoe without taking the necessary steps will not destroy the parasite and regrowth can be expected. Now think about the lessons this plant can teach us as it pertains to sin.

Just like mistletoe, sin can destroy our "tree" if precautions are not taken. While we all deal with the daily wrestlings against temptation and sin, some are allowed to take root in our lives and while it's a seemingly slow process, Satan uses his  resourcefulness to allow that sin to penetrate us and slowly dismantle our testimony for Christ. He may whisper that it's okay—normal—and no big deal. And so it grows and removes the nutrients from our spiritual healthiness. It's in essence, a parasite of the worst kind.

Because of the prevalence of sin, we often become quite numb to its presence in our lives. I know I don't "examine myself" as we read about in the New Testament, as often as I should. And even when I do, I often fail to recognize the sneaky ways Satan filters into my mind with prideful thoughts and a need for control. If I don't realize its grip on me, that parasite grows and grows. The only way to remove it successfully is to remove it completely and allow Jesus to wash me clean. 

As my son sawed off the two branches with mistletoe growths, my heart was reminded of the need to purge sin from my own life at its root. If I fail to, it will grow and begin to take over the health of my "tree". I'll never look at mistletoe the same way again, and honestly, I think it's another amazing reminder from creation that teaches us godly principles and demonstrates our need for rescue from a holy God. 

May we be ever mindful of those seeds that come in the form of temptation—words we want to say, and things we want to do and filter them through what Scripture teaches us. Will they honor God, or will they take root and bring about spiritual decay or ruin that will bring dishonor to God? May we carefully guard our testimonies and prune any root of sin that we've allowed to germinate in our hearts and minds. 

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9, ESV).

Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit (John 15:2, ESV).

Hester's Shame

     Perhaps one of my favorite required novels to study in high school, was the infamous Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. The tale is sordid and a real page turner- drawing in the reader for more. I fell in love with Hester Prynne, even as the fictional community in which she lived, destained her. After the assumed death of her husband, and a moment of vulnerability, she had an affair with Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale, resulting in her pregnancy, and birth of their daughter, Pearl. At this time in history, it was extremely uncommon for someone to have a child out of wedlock, and so her shame was a real, tangible thing.
     The basis of this novel is that Hester protects the Reverend from being exposed, and bears the sole public shame of her condition. As a result, she is forced to wear a scarlet "A" on her clothing, revealing her identity as an adulterer. Reverend Dimmesdale goes on with his life- free from the public humility of what he had done. He isn't exposed. He doesn't carry the burden. Hester does. I remember thinking, as a young teenager of how unfair this was- and it truly was unfair. This is a sin of two- not one, yet she paid the price alone.
     I don't think any of us are walking around with physical letters emblazoned on our chests, spilling the details of our sinful history. For this, I thank God! For if this were required, none of us would be without our own various letter jackets, full of multiple offenses. And yet, we often carry the burden of our past within our very souls. We refuse to release ourselves from the identity of our crimes, even though as Christians, God has erased them. And I think if we look a little deeper, we will see that we carry these burdens, because we often, in like manner, assign past offenses to others.
     Let's think a minute about some people that will give you further insight to what I mean : Michael Vick. Monica Lewinsky. Anthony Weiner. Tonya Harding. Paula Deen. Lindsay Lohan. Tiger Woods. Chris Brown. Lance Armstrong. Charlie Sheen. Now this is a short list, but if your mind went to doping, dog fighting, prejudice, sex scandals or violence, you understand the correlation between how we think of others- often, by the very thing they did wrong. These people may not wear badges displaying their dishonor, but we assign them anyway. Honestly, when I think of how I'm guilty of this, I'm ashamed.
     What unwelcome sins do you carry around from your own past? Do they negatively impact your identity? Do you believe them louder than what God says about you? We have this ugly part of our human tendency to hold onto our shame- and to remember the shame of others. This is not a habit easily tossed aside, and will take consistent effort to abolish from our mindset. The blood of Jesus has freed us from our sins- it washes us whiter than snow! Can I encourage you, dear sister or brother, to refuse to carry around the sins that Jesus already forgave? And can I also encourage you to release others from carrying their past burdens?
     I love how Christ Jesus has given us new life, and a new identity. Even sins we have committed as His children- they are covered by His blood! You are an heir to His heavenly kingdom. We are His sons and daughters. He has released us from the chains and bondage of sin- we are to live as free! Friends- let's eradicate the letters we choose to carry, and embrace His wonderful gift of grace. And let's not stop there- let's shower that same grace on others, refusing to see them as anything less than forgiven. We have kingdom work to do, and we can best do it when we believe we are who God says we are- forgiven!

Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:13-14 (ESV)
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 2 Corinthians 5:17 (ESV)
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9 (ESV)

Dear Heavenly Father, we are so grateful for your gracious gift of forgiveness. You are so loving and kind, and we thank You for Your grace. And yet, Father, we often hold onto our sin- assigning it to our identity. Help us to abandon this unhealthy spiritual habit, and to fully embrace our identity as Your children- free and forgiven! In Your name, we pray, Amen!

I Love You More, Blue Pooh

     I don't have many relics saved from my childhood. I'm not a hoarder of things, and often like to purge and clean out my drawers and cabinets. In the span of fifty years, plenty has been thrown away- but not my Winnie-the-Pooh. I'll never forget a childhood trip to Disney World. In the eyes of a little girl, is there any place more magical? We rode rides, ate lots of food, waited in lines, and watched parades. And while it wasn't as commercialized then as it is today, it still held a pretty big thrill in the heart of my little girl world. I took away memories that would follow me through life, but I also took away a little Winnie-the-Pooh stuffed animal as a souvenir to remember my trip. 
     It was a typical hot Florida day and on the way home from the park we stopped for dinner. As much as I wished to take Pooh inside with me, my parents told me he had to stay in our van. And so I tucked him in the floorboard of the van, and headed in for dinner. When I came back to the van later, I scooped him up, only to see that one of my blue crayons had melted all over his leg and lower body. My eyes filled with tears, and there was no way I could return him to a pre-blue state. He was stained forever. 
     Maybe it's the fact that I always seem to root for the underdog. Maybe it's the fact that my heart hurts for the hurting. Maybe it's because I feel sadness for the outcast. Or maybe, I loved that Pooh extra, because I saw myself in him.  I connected with him, because I often felt unpopular and insecure, as a small child. No stuffed animal ever rivaled the love I had for that blue-stained bear. His flaws made him more special to me. He was always placed closest to me in bed, and always came along for adventures. In him, I could see the broken loved and accepted. That blue stain didn't disqualify him from my love- it made me love him more.
     Maybe that Pooh was preparing me for loving broken people, I'm not really sure. But maybe he also showed me a little picture of how God loves us. Stained. Broken. Messy. Different. Yet all of those things are the very reason we desperately need Jesus. Because in the heart of every human being is the intense craving to feel wanted, accepted and loved. People can only fulfill that craving to a degree, but only God can fill it perfectly. I'm just like that blue-stained Pooh, looking for love and acceptance, and only through the blood of Jesus do my stains wash away. And only through the cross can I be made clean again. Through His great gift of salvation, I can be accepted into God's family- secure in His love, and free from the sin that once stained me. 
     What blue stains do you carry around? Is it abuse? Betrayal? Are you dirty with sexual sin? Do you carry around guilt from your past? Whatever your "blue" is, it doesn't have to stay with you. You can be free. Not only unbelievers are carrying around stains- we often do, too. One of the most beautiful things in life is to see the broken made whole through the blood of Jesus. I'll forever be grateful for His love that removed my sin stains, and gave me exactly what I needed - His perfect love. If there's something you carry around with you still- something that eats at your soul, take it to the Cross. Jesus has great compassion for the hurting and the broken. And like I loved that crazy, blue Pooh, He loves us infinitely more. My little bear was stained forever, but thank God our sins can be forever wiped clean!

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Psalm 51:10 (ESV)
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 1 John 1:7 (ESV)
Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God. 2 Corinthians 7:1 (ESV)

Dear Heavenly Father, we thank You for washing away our stains and giving us freedom from the guilt of our sins. No one loves us like You- and in Your love, we find acceptance, joy, hope, peace and life. Thank You, Father, for loving us and for offering Your Son as a way to make us clean and whole. In Your name we pray, Amen!

Temple Cleaning

          Has a mess ever made you want to pitch a fit? My mind only has to go back about 15 hours to the last time I felt that way. A well-exercised dog left while we did our "corona virus evening walk" (replacement exercise for our usual gym routine) ended in a terrible mess on my carpet. My daughter was first in the house and promptly came out to warn me and said, "Mom, you're gonna be mad." Honestly- I knew immediately what had happened, yet even that couldn't have prepared me for the state of my floors. Thank goodness for carpet shampooers and some elbow grease. Now- my house isn't quite a temple, but it's our place to enjoy and relax. I like things clean and neat, but I also love that dog! 
     I've been thinking lately of Jesus when He entered the temple and "threw a fit" (as a good southerner might say). Preceded by cursing a fig tree that didn't produce fruit in its off season, He enters the temple to see it being used for making a profit by some local merchants. This place, expected to uphold the holiness and dignity of a place of worship, had been turned into a "den of thieves". Jesus essentially walked in and said "this doesn't belong here", and began turning over the tables and casting out the money changers. 
     My body, according to 1 Corinthians 6:19, is a temple of the Holy Spirit. He lives in me, because I belong to Him. If Jesus was angry over things that don't belong in the temple, He has reason to be angry with me. What have I allowed in- and how does it make the Holy Spirit feel? The thing is- I can look like I have it all together on the outside, and be a total mess on the inside. While there was no way for the people to hide from the eyes of others, the filth allowed within the temple walls, it may not be so easy to see inside of me. While I may be able to fool others, God sees straight into my temple. 
     What mess could use a good cleaning inside of you? Maybe you struggle with pride, pornography, jealousy, or materialism. Maybe you have an addiction or have unconfessed sexual sin. Maybe you are unkind to others in your thoughts. Maybe you have a sharp tongue or a lack of grace toward others. There are so many dust bunnies tumbling around in our temples, and we need to clean them out daily. I don't say this to each of you without acknowledging my own need for some housecleaning. Pride and jealousy come easily for me- so easy, that I am too used to their presence, and don't often realize they are still tumbling around in my temple. And while they seem like regulars in my spirit, they are unwelcome invaders against the Spirit within me. 
     May I encourage you today to take a few minutes of your time to confess your mess to our Savior? Whatever things you've allowed to dirty up your temple- resolve to remove today. Will it just get dirty again? Likely- because we are human, we will need to practice our temple cleaning on the regular. Just as I would not be comfortable in my own home until that dog mess was removed and cleaned, the Holy Spirit doesn't like living in the mess I allow to junk up His temple. God- open my eyes to the messes I've grown accustomed to, and give me the courage and the help to do some temple cleaning. May my body, Your temple, be a place that glorifies You!

Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 1 Corinthians 6:19 (ESV)
For you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. 1 Corinthians 6:20 (ESV)
Put to death what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. Colossians 3:5 (ESV)
I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Romans 12:1 (ESV)

Dear heavenly Father, help us to keep our temples clean. May our hearts long to remove the things that are contrary to the Spirit within us. Only then can we enjoy complete fellowship with Your Son. In Your name we pray, Amen!

Clean Feet

     Nothing stings quite like betrayal- especially when it comes from your spouse. It's painful and unexpected, yet it happens more frequently than we'd like to think. Forgiving betrayal isn't easy, and takes working through a complicated process of emotions. Some never get past it, while others are able to with time. Jesus was no stranger to betrayal, and He understands our feelings and emotions as we face our own Judas's. The marked difference in how I face being betrayed, is my own sin throughout the process, and my failure to see myself as a Judas to Jesus in my own ways. 
     In my personal Bible reading, I've read a lot about Judas lately, as we walked through the story of Jesus being crucified and raising Himself back to life. I love how we can read scripture over and over again, and yet new things grab you each time. A particular scene caught my attention- one of Jesus washing His disciples feet in the Upper Room before the Passover Meal. He removed his garment and wrapped a towel around His waist, and got to work. He didn't exclude Peter- knowing Peter would deny Him those three times. And He didn't exclude Judas- even though He knew his betrayal would be the catalyst allowed to lead to His own death. And I have no doubt, had I been there, that He would have included me- dirty with my own sin.
     I wonder about Judas, and the thoughts following his betrayal of Jesus. I don't really believe that Judas didn't notice Jesus was different- special even. But I do believe that money mattered more to him in the end. Maybe he was tired of living a simple life without riches and the comforts of the world, as was the way of Jesus and His disciples. He wanted something more, and money seemed to be the answer for him. But I also wonder if he ever looked down at his feet, clean from the careful cleansing of the Master, and felt shame. Did his mind go back to Jesus washing his feet and being told that he wasn't clean, because Jesus knew his traitorous heart? And did he remember Jesus calling him "Friend", when he kissed Him to signify to those seeking to capture Him that He was the One they sought?
     The ways of Jesus should always be the pattern I follow in my own life. Judas deserved harsh treatment from Jesus in our way of thinking- but He asks us to reconsider our thirst for retaliation and justice and do something ultimately harder, though much better. As Christians, we are asked to mirror the grace of Jesus in our own life choices and behavior. While an extramarital affair is a painful situation, it would be worse to have my husband hatch up a plan that led to my death- and even in something of this magnitude, Jesus loved Judas. If you're walking through life with feelings of bitterness and anger over your own betrayal, allow me to suggest the freedom we find in letting it go. We may or may not get the remorse and apology we so desire, but we do have the ability, through Him, to forgive without them. We can see the heart of Jesus more clearly when we allow ourselves to picture washing our own betrayer's feet with love and compassion, knowing what they would do to us. Living like Jesus isn't easy, but to hear Him say of us in a coming day, "well done, My faithful servant" will make it worth all the sacrifice. How will you love your Judas? Are you willing to love them like Jesus? It will be hard, but it'll be rewarded in a coming day, and His reward is always worth it. 

But Jesus said to him, "Judas, would you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?" Luke 22:48 ESV
For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. Matthew 6:14-15 ESV
After saying these things, Jesus was troubled in his spirit, and testified, "Truly, truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me." John 13:21 ESV
And when they heard it, they were glad and promised to give him money. And he sought an opportunity to betray him. Mark 14:11 ESV

Dear Heavenly Father, help me to love and forgive others like You do. When I am heartbroken and angry from the sting of betrayal, may I extend grace- even then. May I remember that on my best days, I'm still no better than a Judas- guilty and dirty from my own sin and failures. Father, help me to serve others like You taught us, by washing the feet of Your disciples. In Jesus's name I pray, Amen! 

Hands

     I remember, as a new mom, looking at my son's hands and wondering what their history would be. What would they do? Who would they touch? What would they feel? Would they be loving hands, or hurt others? These were my thoughts as his little fingers gripped mine. Hands physically connect us to others, and his tiny hands were precious to me.
     I've always loved my husband's hands. They feel like a man- they tell a story of hard work and care. They fix things, they create, they instruct, and they please. They are much bigger than mine, and my hand felt safe and secure in his. But when I discovered his unfaithfulness, his hands told a story I didn't like. They now included deceit and I wondered many of the same things about them that I had wondered about my son's tiny hands. What had they done? Where had they been? Who had they touched? These thoughts wounded my spirit.
     I could choose to get stuck in that negative thought pattern, or I could take a good look at my own hands. What is their history? Who have they hurt? While my hands have often been loving, they have also been unkind. As a kid, these hands hurt my siblings. My hands have touched things they had no business touching. My hands have neglected the needs of others. My hands are also guilty of a less than upstanding history. 
     This draws me to think of another pair of hands- hands that have scars. These scars tell a story of sacrifice and love beyond comprehension. They were the only hands that have no history of sin, yet they had nails cruelly placed in them. They were hands that healed others, fed the hungry, embraced children, and reached out to any that would come. They never hurt. They were hands that were full of compassion, and they stretched out in love on that cross of Calvary. 
     I look at my own hands now- dirty with sin, and I am thankful for those scarred hands. For in them, He washes the dirt from mine, and gives me hands that are clean before the Father. While my hands have a history of sin, through His precious sacrifice, they are clean.  No matter what they have done, before our Savior, the dirt of sin is washed away with His blood. This helps me to look at the hands of others with new eyes- eyes that see His ability to erase the sin history of our hands, and give us hands willing to serve Him. Thank You Lord, for forgetting the sins of my past, and giving me a future full of grace, and fresh starts. 

Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. James 4:8 ESV
Let us lift up our hearts and hands to God in heaven: Lamentations 3:41 ESV
Lift up your hands to the holy place and bless the LORD! Psalm 134:2 ESV
Let the favor of the LORD our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands upon us; yes, establish the work of our hands! Psalm 90:17 ESV

Dear Heavenly Father, help my hands to be busy with Your work. Help me to look at my own hands, and what they have done, rather than looking at the hands of others. May my hands be kind, gentle, useful and compassionate. While my history holds disappointment, my future is full of opportunity. May my best days of service start today. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen!