Good News for Getting Dressed

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Good News for Getting Dressed

I’ve bought my daughter the same dresses since she was two. Every year, I sell the too-small ones, and I hunt for a deal for the right-size ones. It’s a whole thing, but the colors, the comfort, the simplicity of outfit-choosing, and the twirl factor make us both happy. In a world crowded with decisions, it’s nice to think, “Tomorrow she can wear the pink dress. Or the purple. It barely matters.” Sometimes I’m jealous because I can’t seem to figure out the grown-up version of this for my closet.

But then again, even if I somehow managed to perfectly capsule my whole wardrobe, even if the “what to wear” question became as simple as “pink or purple?”, deciding what adorns us is never as easy as all that.

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Compassion

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Compassion

True story: I met a woman who was sponsored as a child by Compassion International, and within minutes of hearing her story, I noticed years of unacknowledged cynicism and suspicion towards missional organizations began to unravel. In an attempt at discernment, I’d become distorted. This startled me, and I immediately began to repent to the Lord for my hard-heartedness! I’d been haughty and arrogant, thinking I’d discerned the hearts of men when only God can do that, thinking I had total command over “my” resources when God’s plan has always been to bless his people that they might bless people. Another problem: I’d been so nervous about and disgusted by saviorism that it prevented me from trusting my Savior. Whew. (More on that another time. This is worth unpacking.)

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The Story of Home

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Every year I present the big story of the Bible from a new angle: The Story of Light, The Story of Hunger, The Story of Water, The Story of Song — and this year, The Story of Home. When I decided 2020’s concept last October, I had no idea how fraught it was going to be. This year, the concept of home has deeply pressed itself into our hearts, both because we have been trapped in our homes and because we have been prevented from seeing those who feel like home to us. Home is something we have both lived and longed for. Home is a concept that’s tangled up in both our traumas and our treasures.

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"O Come, All You Unfaithful"

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I have sung “O Come, All Ye Faithful” about 700 times. I enjoy singing it, though a certain worship pastor/friend always made me sing about 3 verses too many. (Hey, Adam!)

But when someone messaged me with a song by Sovereign Grace Music called “O Come, All You Unfaithful,” I gasped. In a year in which many of us do not feel faithful, joyful, and triumphant, the lyrics of this new song cracked my heart open. “Oh come, all you unfaithful / Come, weak and unstable / Come, know you are not alone.” I have listened to it no less than 500 times, and I have been totally captivated by the gospel because of this song. It is almost constantly playing at my house.

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With: Gospel Truth When Separation Feels Sharp

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With: Gospel Truth When Separation Feels Sharp

Most of the pains we experience are separation pains at their core: the loss of a loved one, a severed or damaged relationship, being misunderstood or unheard, the feeling of being different from others, the yearning for a child or spouse, the betrayal of a friend, divisive words, the loss of a church home. I think this is part of why this year has sliced so deeply into our souls. Separation is sharp.

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