Only Jesus Could Do This

(This is a re-post from a prior year.  Happy Easter!)

Hallelujah!  He is risen!  

I make a lot of fuss about Christmas, but Easter has the most tender place in my heart, because today we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus.

Only Jesus, being the son of God, could bear the weight of the world's sins.

Only Jesus, being both man and God, could both die and conquer death.

Only Jesus, the sacrificial lamb, could reconcile us forever with a God who is both just and merciful:

He took on our sins to satisfy God's perfect justice.  

He rose again to embody God's perfect mercy.

That mercy is God's amazing gift to each of us.  Today: make it your own.  Remember, celebrate, and thank Him.  He is risen indeed!

My Christmas Hope for You

Hi there, long lost friend.

Oh wait, it's me that's been lost.

Not lost, really...just living life offline.  But you gotta know, I still love ya.

I love each and every one of my readers and miss you when I am gone.  So I wanted to pop in to wish you--yes, you--a very Merry Christmas.  I hope it's absolutely perfect.

I hope your days are merry and bright.

I hope you're surrounded by the people, animals, and things that warm your heart.

I hope you enjoy good food without worrying too much about your waistline, and if you insist on eating kale instead of cookies, I hope you enjoy it!

I hope most of all that you will embrace the beauty of the season.  A beauty not made out of ribbons and bows, or sugar and spice, or even those sweet babies' eyes when they see what Santa brought.

I hope you will embrace the beauty of a God who loves you so deeply, so profoundly and so thoroughly that He became like you in order to reach you.

Divine Creator, come to Earth as a baby.  Because Lord knows we can't reach high enough to get to Him.  We can't be good enough, do enough great things, or love people well enough.  Left on our own, we can't reach Him.

But He can reach us.  And He did.

He made a way.

That way is Jesus.  A savior who reconciles divine holiness with human mess.

My Christmas hope for you is that you experience His unbridled love for you today.

Because I love you, dear reader, but He loves you so much more.

Blessings!

Where We Find Peace

Didn't mean to drop off the planet for the last two weeks!  Between traveling and school starting, it's been a busy time.  Despite the blazing heat I feel the seasons changing--new routines and schedules as we settle into school and the coming fall (bless it can't it get here already!?!)

In the midst of this season of transition I've also been reminded that this fickle, random, broken world will disappoint us, will knock us around and sometimes bludgeon us nearly to death.  Last week I found myself at the hospital, hugging and praying with an old friend while her little boy suffered in agonizing pain.

Once again, Lord, we cry out: why?

Why is he suffering?  Why is anyone?  We want to understand...but these things can't be understood. The other day I stumbled across a re-broadcast of a Charles Stanley sermon.  I love him.  He was preaching about suffering, and about why God sometimes puts us through some things.  (Can't you just hear him saying "Watch this?")

I love Charles and that man's got wisdom, but watch this: not all of this hardship is from the Lord. Does God sometimes allow or cause trouble in our lives?  Sure, I believe that.  But I also know that most of the time, he doesn't need to.  The world does enough of that on its own.

The good news--sometimes the only good news--is that we are never alone in our suffering.  As we cry out, Jesus is right there crying alongside us.  Remember, He's already suffered under every sin of this fallen world, including those that make no sense.  And remember, in Him alone we find our victory.  In Him alone we find peace.

In painful moments sometimes all I can do is bring my broken heart and hand it over to the one who knows it best.

Today, if you are asking why, look to Jesus.  He may not answer the why but He has already overcome it...and through Him, so can you.


P.S. These pictures were taken at Graylyn and in the nearby Reynolda Gardens in Winston-Salem, NC.

Sock Treasures (A Guest Post from Joy Reclaimed)

I have a treat for you! I'm welcoming Laura as a guest to the blog today.  This special lady is a new friend of mine but was once my hubby's Sunday School teacher!  Laura is also a mom who is currently raising her five-year-old grandson.  She recently started a blog, Joy Reclaimed...would you please take a moment to check her out there as well?  Here's just a taste of what she has to offer:

Bedtime at our house is filled with typical five year old antics–stalling, more time in the bathtub negotiations, tooth brushing, water drinking and the ritual of choosing the toy of honor that gets to share the bed for the night.  “No, you can’t sleep with that one, you’ll roll over on it in the middle of the night and wake up!” Then a story, bedtime prayers and lights out.

These are normal activities for households with small children, except that we were supposed to be empty nesters.

Last night, I was helping Zachary get ready for bed when he warned me as I reached for his foot to remove his sock.  “There’s art supplies in there!”  In his sock?  Since school?  Sure enough, carefully peeling his sock off his foot revealed seven  brightly colored broken pencil leads that he had collected and placed there for safe keeping during craft time at school.  I asked the obvious questions.  “Why did you save these?” and “Why did you put them in your sock?”  And I got the obvious answers.  “Because I liked them.”  and “Because I didn’t have a pocket!”  Oh.

Against my looks-like-trash-to-me-so toss-it instincts, each tiny colored piece was carefully placed in a dixie cup and several seconds were spent marveling over how pretty each was in the bottom of the cup.  “I like the red one best!”  And then after prayers and kisses; a moment to double check that the small cup with the treasures inside was safe until morning.

I am blessed to again be able to experience the joy of ordinary moments. The ones that really matter. Once again, I get to see the world through a child’s eyes.  Coming from a place of understanding I couldn’t possibly have known as a young parent, I am amazed by how much of what is really important I missed the first time around and am determined to make the best of this second chance.

The road to last night’s bedtime ritual was paved with the stones of poor choices; resulting in bumps, delays, detours, potholes and heart breaking consequences. But it led to a beautiful place of joy I would never have found any other way.

(Isn't this a great reminder for all us moms?  Again, please take a moment to check her out at Joy Reclaimed, and thank you!)

What Easter Means to Me

Hallelujah!  He is risen!  

I make a lot of fuss about Christmas, but Easter has the most tender place in my heart, because today we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus.

Only Jesus, being the son of God, could bear the weight of the world's sins.

Only Jesus, being both man and God, could both die and conquer death.

Only Jesus, the sacrificial lamb, could reconcile us forever with a God who is both just and merciful:

He took on our sins to satisfy God's perfect justice.  

He rose again to embody God's perfect mercy.

That mercy is God's amazing gift to each of us.  Today: make it your own.  Remember, celebrate, and thank Him.  He is risen indeed!

Seeking Beauty in...Difficult Times

This post is part of a continuing series called Seeking Beauty.  To see all the posts in this series, click here.

Sometimes, its hard for me to find the right words, and this post is a perfect example. How can I communicate how to seek beauty in the middle of tough times?  Sure, I could tell you stories.  Stories of children with cancer, other children gone too soon.  Of sickness, violence, addiction.  God has blessed me with an overdeveloped sense of empathy, so stories stick with me.  I often have to pray over strangers before the story of their suffering will recede in my mind.  And if you are like me, looking around at the chaos and destruction and suffering in our world, you are calling out, "Why?  Why do such terrible things happen to innocent people?  Why is there such suffering?"

I wrote a post a couple of years ago about that "why." It is actually one of my most popular posts.  It is called Pain and you can read it here.  It takes first steps in explaining why, as a person of faith, I believe suffering exists.  The headline: suffering is the necessary consequence of free will.  It results from a fallen world.  And, more importantly, this: when we suffer, we have a chance to look upon the face of God. 

So, this post isn't about why.  It's more how.  How to see beauty in a world that is so messed up.  I think--and of course you are free to share if you disagree--the only real way to do it is by looking for Jesus.  Sometimes the most beautiful moments I have with the Lord come directly out of difficult times.  A painful experience which will cause me to seek Him, to witness His work in my life, to be acutely aware of His presence.  This has happened for me especially as friendships ebb and flow, and that stinkin' empathy catches up with me.

For many of us, we had to get pretty low in order to lift our eyes to Heaven and acknowledge our weakness.  I want you to know that I searched for years before coming to Jesus.  I researched and read and visited churches and other places of worship.  I had a lot of knowledge...and it didn't get me very far.  What did?  Sinking into a deep pit of depression and loneliness, and crying out for a God I still hadn't acknowledged to help me.  And when he did...it was Jesus.  I truly couldn't believe it, and honestly didn't want it to be Jesus.  Until that point, I was sure Christians were a hypocritical and judgmental bunch, not to mention wrong.

But then, when Jesus claimed me from the edge of a cliff and started opening my eyes, I experienced true relief from suffering for the first time in my entire life.  I began to learn from him, lean on him, trust him as he led me forward to belief, baptism, and a life with him.  I could not have experienced that immense beauty without first suffering.  BUT.  I had to look to him, too.  I couldn't reject him anymore.  I had to open up his word and read it.  I (being hyper analytical) also had to try and understand some of the mysteries I found there.  And then, I also had to learn to trust when understanding wasn't coming.

Paul talked about suffering a thorn in his flesh (some kind of suffering) which he pleaded with Jesus to take away from him.  Instead, Paul was told "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."  Paul concluded, "That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties.  For when I am weak, then I am strong."  2 Cor. 12: 7-10.

If this seems completely contradictory to you, you are right.  Jesus can be that way sometimes. His logic is not the same as our logic...it's better.  And we are in no way promised an end to our suffering here on earth, that is very clear.  Jesus tells us, "In this world you will have trouble. But take heart!  I have overcome the world."  John 16:33.  He knows we will go through trying times, and he's looking for you, even there.

Want to find beauty even in the middle of difficult times?  Look for him.

This is heavy stuff.  Please feel free to comment publicly or send me a private message at thatmommyblog{at}gmail{dot}com if you have any thoughts to share.

  

Here's to Happy!

Happy New Year!!!

I absolutely love this time of year--it always brings a renewed energy for paring down, getting simple, eating right, organizing everything...you know...all the biggies.

I'm not making any resolutions this year because certain failure is disappointing, ha!  Nor do I have a word of the year or a theme or anything.  I want to be better at everything and yes, I will certainly give that my best shot.

But the main things for me are to seek God, love others, enjoy life.  Oh well if my floors are mostly dirty or my linen closet re-org lasts for only a month, or my kitchen remains unpainted for another year (I'm looking at you, 2015 resolution).  Oh well if my veggie shake gets supplanted by breakfast from Bojangles every once in a while.  Oh well if the kids' toys finally succeed in their quest to overtake my home.

But enjoying where the Lord has placed me, doing good work in those places, and seeking Him? I have confidence those goals will get me somewhere.  How do I know?  Because they already have! Here I am, talking to you, after all, which is one of my favorite things to do.  So cheers to the author of all goodness today!  Here's to happy!

Seeking Beauty in...Small Things

The greenway near my house.

Recently I was here talking about the way God has been calling me to seek beauty in the everyday. You might be wondering what exactly that means, beyond noticing actual beautiful objects in the world around us.  Yes, I am into beauty for its aesthetic value, or else I wouldn't get all foolish over Target's Christmas section.  Gorgeous.

But what I really mean when I talk about seeking beauty in the everyday is this: catching a glimpse of the holy.  Catching a glimpse of God's face here on earth, experiencing his peace in the midst of turmoil, turning my ear toward his voice.

How?  Well I have quite a few thoughts about that, too many for one blog post.  But for now I just want to talk about seeking beauty in the small things.  Most of our lives are spent in small moments. Preparing meals, caring for babies, cleaning house, working at jobs we may or may not love.  What I want to say is that these moments, be they boring or irritating or simply required, are the gist of our lives.  I'm one to fall into the trap of waiting on that next big vacation, promotion, or celebration...looking so much forward to it that I discount what's right in front of me.  But God didn't place me in one long vacation of a life.  He placed me in a life of small moments, and every single one is brimming with potential.

So I'm trying: when I fold the laundry, to enjoy the smell of it.  The accomplishment of another load washed and folded.  The feel of the fabric in my hands.

I'm trying: when the kids are a wall of noise, to revel in their giggles instead of focusing on their volume.

I'm trying: when the dog is bonkers and needs a walk, to notice what's beautiful about that walk. Appreciate the exercise.  Enjoy the repetition of the same old route.

I'm trying: when everyone wants to eat yet again and usually just when I cleaned up the kitchen, to at least give a brief "thank you" that we have plentiful food and multiple ways to prepare it.

I suppose this has something to do with mindfulness.  Lots of people have written about that practice. My specific inspiration is found in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, which says "Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."  Always means always.  Every moment, big or small.  Every moment, happy or sad.  Every moment, pained or healthy.  (That last one is a real thorn in my side.  Also cleaning toilets.  I hate cleaning toilets.)

So if you give this a try today please let me know your thoughts about it.  And if you figure out how to rejoice in cleaning toilets, you must let me know!

On Grown-Up Friendships

My family was on vacation last week, our only beach trip this year.  We were so blessed to be able to meet up with our closest friends, spending three days laughing and playing together.  I was especially struck by the pure joy of the children’s play.  My two boys and our friends’ two girls see each other only three or four times a year, but when they are together they are the best of friends.  It’s just so easy.

Don’t you wish it were that easy for us grown-ups?  I know I do.  I have written here before about friendships, about how hard it can be to make meaningful bonds with other women.  But it’s been a while, and it’s strange to think I’ve circled back to this place again.  Oh, I have been blessed with a few amazing, deep friendships and thank God for them all the time.  I would never want to minimize that blessing or shrug it off.  But there have been a number of friendships in my life that have been more…difficult.

Do you experience this kind of relational trial too?  Sometimes for me it has come in the form of realizing that the friendship is just limited…by too-deep differences in faith or values; perhaps by my boundaries or hang-ups or those of my friend.  Sometimes simply temperament, demanding schedules, or differences in the ages of our children has gotten in the way.  Sometimes everything seems to be going along wonderfully…and then there’s some kind of falling away that might not ever be fully explained.

The truth is, every rift or disruption in a friendship just hurts.  Maybe when empathy is one of your strongest qualities (like me), or maybe mostly when you’re PMS-ing (like me), or maybe just for everyone.  And it’s also so confusing, as in, “I’m 38 years old and haven’t I figured this out yet?”  But the older I get, the more I believe that I’m not alone in this particular struggle.  We all seem to be flailing about to one degree or another, seeking connection and understanding, comfort and compassion.

So, I’m praying through this again lately and thought maybe you would join me.  Join me in praying for those solid girlfriend relationships that can carry us through; praying for healing for the places we’ve been hurt; praying for grace to forgive whatever resentments we’re hanging on to.  Prayer to the One who loves me, who is my best friend, is the best comfort I have found when things get tricky.  I welcome your prayers, and I welcome your comments here or via email.  I would love to hear about your experiences in this thing called friendship.

The Pool Moves With Me

Have you heard about this guy Ben Lecomte?  At the end of this month he is going to jump into the ocean in Tokyo and swim for eight hours a day, every day, for six months.  He will eventually end up in San Francisco, having crossed the entire Pacific ocean.  That's just amazing to me, that someone out there can actually do that (he crossed the Atlantic in 1998), and also that someone would want to (I'm not exactly a swimmer).  His goal is to bring attention to sustainability and the environment, especially overfishing.  I just think it's awesome.

But the thing that really got my attention was what Lecomte said when asked about the challenge: "I never jump into the water thinking about the entire ocean, I just cut it into small pieces.  When I am in the middle of the ocean, I think about being in a pool and the pool moves with me."  Source: NPR.

"The pool moves with me."

Could he cross the Pacific if he was thinking about all those miles ahead?  Maybe not.  And in this way, maybe I actually can relate to Lecomte.  Alas, I will probably never even swim across my local pool, but there have been many times in my life when I needed the pool to move with me.  When my sister died, I was thrown into an ocean of grief...and I had to simply keep treading water...day after day, for years, until life became different.  I reached a new shore. When years ago I faced difficult relational issues I learned to recite (and focus on) "One Day at a Time."  Later, as mom to toddlers, it was more often "One Minute at a Time."

The best news is that while we focus on our small pool or our one minute, God is holding onto us and our futures. When Paul was imprisoned in Rome and awaiting trial under Emperor Nero he wrote to the Philippians, exhorting them to rejoice in Christ and live by his example.  Paul, imprisoned and subjected to all kinds of difficulties and discomforts, told them "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."  Phil 4:6-7.  He didn't say we would receive peace by handling everything, or by knowing the future; rather it would be through prayerfully and thankfully seeking God.

Paul goes on to say that he knows the secret to being content in any circumstances.  Through any trial, through any vast ocean, the secret is Christ.  "I can do everything through him who gives me strength."  Phil 4:13.  So often this verse is interpreted as a blank check, as if through my own strength I can achieve all manner of success by merely attaching Christ's name to my efforts.  That's a hollow interpretation.  The way Paul meant it was this: the world and its circumstances will grieve you, but you can overcome through Christ's strength alone.

What ocean have you thrown yourself into, or been plunged into through no fault of your own?  I hope its encouraging to remember that you don't need to handle the whole thing right now.  Take it one minute at a time.  Imagine shrinking that ocean down into the size of a pool, and let the pool move with you.  Then, trust God with the rest.  You can overcome any trial when you allow Christ to strengthen you.

As I hit publish, I am praying for God's peace to be with you.  And stay tuned...I'm super excited to be making a big announcement later this week!

Waiting, Whining, and Joy

Hello friends!  How are my lovely peeps hanging in?  Is it too late to wish you a Happy New Year?  I started this post in early January, and I just looked up and it's almost Valentine's Day.  Life, right?

Several people have asked me why my blogging dropped off in the fall, and I wanted to share a little bit about what happened.  Both boys are at school five days a week now, which is an all-new experience for me.  I spent the fall exploring some professional options for myself, and ended up applying for a part-time job in my field.  All throughout the application and interview process my husband and I prayed that the Lord would close doors if the job wasn't right for our family.  And our prayers were answered with a big fat closed door!  Funny how you pray for it, but it still stings.  Ever since, I've been doing a lot of processing and I now totally accept that I wasn't supposed to be there.

Where am I supposed to be?  The Lord is asking me to wait on Him.  His plan, His timing.

Man, waiting is so hard.  I don't mean to sound like I am whining, but actually yes I do, a little.  Most of you reading this are probably "do-ers" more than "wait-ers" am I right?  So maybe you can relate. When God is asking me to wait it is so tempting to fill up the time with projects new and old, so easy to cast about haplessly, searching for anything to fill that emptiness of time and ambition and creative energy.

I've written here about the refining fire of pain, and that is hard too.  But waiting has its own challenges.  It doesn't insist upon itself, like pain does.  Pain focuses attention; waiting scatters my attention so far that I forget I'm waiting on Him, not the next big thing. Not the world or its many distractions, not even the worthwhile ones.  So I'm attempting to walk by faith and not sight, trusting that He has got this, and expectantly watching for His promptings.  As with most valuable pursuits, it is so much easier said than done.

In the meantime, I am spending a lot of this downtime with this guy:

Friends, meet Angus.

He's a goldendoodle, and I think he's pretty cute.

He's also really, really good at bringing joy.  Even in the times where things are hard or maybe aren't as clear as I would like, there is always joy.

Interrupted: A Review and a Giveaway!

Y'all.  I have an awesome opportunity for you to win a copy of Jen Hatmaker's new book, Interrupted. It is actually a re-release and according to Jen is the most important book she's ever written, "the story of my heart," she calls it.  I admit to being dubious, considering that 7 moved me to tears multiple times and I am still digesting it after reading it in April.

But Interrupted?  It is amazing.  I love Jen's writing and wish I could go grab a beer with her right now. In true Jen Hatmaker style this book had me laughing out loud over and over, which is good because the message of this book is powerful--dare I say prophetic?-- but it is also hard. It has rocked my world, challenging me to see how I live my faith through brand-new eyes. Let me see if I can sum it up--essentially, her message is that the gospel message of Jesus is to become a servant.  That American Christians are missing the point, to our own detriment.  That "the largest factor in feeling unfed is not feeding others."  (p. 232)

This book is the story of why and how Brandon and Jen came to found a new church in Austin, but it is bigger than that, too.  It's a call to do better by heeding the most direct of commandments Jesus gave us.  To serve others, feed them and clothe them.  Literally.  To carry His truth to them through service.

I gotta be honest: this book has messed me up.  It's addictive to read, and I couldn't get my nose out of it. But all the while I've had this growing conviction that something in my life needs to change also--that I could do so much more to alleviate suffering, and not only that I could: that I must.  And, strangely, it has also been a relief to read it.  It confirms what has felt like a disconnect for me in my spiritual life, specifically that so much of our Christianity is "all about me."  And I long to do better than that.  What that will look like for me? I have no idea...right now I am just working to digest this message. Not everyone is uniquely positioned to plant a church, of course.  So I'm asking, where will God take me as a result of reading Jen's words?

And I want a generation of Christians to read them, and ask the same question for themselves.  So, I am giving away the hard copy of the book that Tyndale sent me.  To enter, just leave a comment here, letting me know who you will give this book to after you read it.  The giveaway will be open until this Friday at noon, and I will announce a winner on Friday!



In addition to the giveaway, Tyndale is offering my readers a 20% discount through July 31st!  So if you would rather not take chances on the giveaway, click right here to order your own copy at a discount.

And when you read it let me know!  I am dying to talk to everyone about it.  Good luck!

***This Giveaway is now closed***

Inspiration for Those who Mess Up. Repeatedly.

“People who know better, do better.”  Have you heard this saying?  It’s from Maya Angelou, who was a sage among us mere mortals, and it was popularized by Oprah.  I think it means that in any given area of life, people won’t do better until they’re educated in that area.  We can forgive ourselves for mistakes we’ve made when we realize we just didn’t know how to act right. 

But what happens when we do know better, and we still don’t do better?  I’ve been asking myself that question a lot lately, as I struggle with some familiar shortcomings.  I’ll just look up one day and think, “My God, haven’t I already conquered this?!?”  If you are even remotely self-aware, you might begin to notice that when you go astray it’s down a very familiar road.  There are the same stumbling blocks, the same places you’ve been bruised before.  Possibly, you too find yourself walking that dark and dreary road in spite of believing that you’ve already conquered this area of struggle in your life, that God has enabled you to move past this issue or temptation.  For me, I can get so discouraged when I realize that my negative attitude is repeatedly an issue for me.  Maybe for you it’s relational drama, food, anger, or a sexual sin.  What I have noticed is that we don’t all just “do better” even after we struggle, go to God, learn how to behave better, and move on.  Sometimes we find ourselves, against our better judgment, repeating the same old stuff, different day.

I’m not immune from discouragement here, but I do have a few thoughts and I wanted to share them in case you ever find yourself in this scenario.  First, I know God works with us through our issues, even when we repeat them time and time again.  Just as he doesn’t always offer immediate cures for physical illness, he doesn’t always heal our psychological hang-ups after our first bout either.  Sometimes, he is allowing us to continue to grow by showing us there is more work to be done.  Sometimes, he is humbling us and preventing pride from leading to a greater fall.  Sometimes, we haven’t genuinely asked for healing.  Sometimes, he wants us to seek him more, or teach us about a specific type of prayer, or show us any number of truths.  I’m not advocating dwelling on past issues if you are truly over them (if you are, great!  Praise God!)  but I am saying this: you are not alone in repeating yourself.

A second thought here: perhaps, in the places where we struggle most, it isn’t so much about knowing as it is about doing.  Do you struggle with envy?  With attitude? With pride?  Be intentional about asking God to give you contentment, to soften your harsh mindset, to make you humble.  Your shortfalls are guideposts to where your character needs work; use them to direct your prayers for God’s intervention in your life.  Then simply do.  Once you have done better once, it becomes something you can practice and it gets easier over time.  And once you have done better, you can know better because the truth will play out in your own life and give you wisdom. 

I’m reading a study right now by Dick Woodward called A Spiritual Compass.  Woodward points out that Jesus himself advised us to first do and then to know.  In John 7:17 Jesus tells us to obey the instructions of the word of God, and then see if by obeying we can tell whether they are true.  That’s shorthand for letting your actions lead you to faith.  Don’t stop trying, because each small victory makes it easier to grasp, deep in your heart where change “sticks,” that the path of righteousness is superior to our chosen path of sin.

Finally, please don’t be discouraged when you try and fail.  I say when, not if.  You are a person, and this is a process.  When I was working as a child advocate I had to learn to meet parents where they are.  I couldn’t meet with a single mom who hadn’t even graduated from high school, who lived in public housing and struggled with addiction, and expect her to be the role model her kids needed.  It was enough to just make sure the kids were safe at home; I couldn’t expect her to have deep insight into why they were acting out or to recognize the importance of curfews or tutor them in algebra.

Similarly, I believe God meets us where we are when we earnestly seek him.  And because we are human (meaning flawed) we may have to earnestly seek him from the same sinful place over and over, broken in self-disgust, humbled by our inability to “do better” this time.  The good news?  He meets us there.  I know, because he has met me here, time and again.  I hope that you can be encouraged to know you’re not alone and no one is perfect: don’t give up!  Seek him, and keep on doing better.