Be a Butterfly

Many people live in the cocoons of their own habits unaware that a butterfly is possible! The Bible describes this almost unimaginable process in 2 Corinthians 5:17: "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he (and she) is a new creation; the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come."  God, through the Bible and nature, shows us that transformation is possible! Butterflies emerge from cocoons!

     Trapped in darkness and swathed in unremarkable larva, the insect gradually slips out of its cocoon into the light, now adorned with wings of beauty. Our lives hold the same possibility. The first step in our transformation takes place when we encounter our Lord Jesus.    We recognize our darkness, our struggles, and admit our brokenness. 
     With willingness to repent and by our invitation, He comes to release us from our cocoons. His finished work on the cross as our sacrificial Lamb bestows the gift of unconditional love upon us and delivers us into beautiful possibilities. We abide in His light and depend on Him for our new life of redemption. He takes residence in our hearts. It's too good to be true, but it is!  Take heart! The Lord removes cocoons and off we fly! Beautiful!

My husband Poet Paul Samuels describes transformation in his poem 

"Metamorphosis."

The caterpillar climbs a tree and finds what it considers an appropriate place 

It creates a cocoon, a safe haven for the process of re-birth

Somehow, without dying it ceases to be what it once was 

Perhaps the process is without pain. No one really knows except the caterpillar

And those memories stay in the cocoon, for the butterfly moves too freely  

To carry a burden of any sort but what of me?

How do I find a safe haven for this process of rebirth occurring within me? 

Surely, I'm not dying, it just feels that way 

as old patterns of survival are revealed 

as trails to destruction of relationships which count 

and cannot take the strain   

But I cannot climb. There is no cocoon!

The process isn't hidden and there is pain 

Yet, even in this hurt that cuts deep within to those

Places which contain the ways of the past 

There is hope, because the surgery in process

Is being performed by the Spirit of God 

Who has the power to heal in such a way

So that as time passes, I too, can leave behind

Those burdens too heavy to carry, in a cocoon,

I cannot see and move along

As the butterfly-FREE

(c) 2013 Expressions of Life 

www.paulsamuels.com

Small Beginnings

President Teddy Roosevelt

   I love history and minored in it when I attended college. In films and books, I enjoy documentaries, biographies, and autobiographies of people who changed the world in a compelling way. I highly regard past and present history as a valuable resource to provide context for current events.  

     Recently I researched a few famous inventors and ran across Italian-born Guglielmo Marconi.(1874-1937) Beginning in the early 1890s, he began experimenting in his attic drawing on previous research from other scientists who had not considered the possibilities of using it to enhance communications. His experiments finally led him to invent wireless technology.

      His first transatlantic transmission gained success 1903. It was former President Teddy Roosevelt (September 14, 1901 – March 4, 1909) who helped Marconi make history when he sent the first transatlantic wireless telegram message from America. Its recipient; Britain’s King Edward VII. 
   Here are the messages:

"In taking advantage of the wonderful triumph of scientific research and ingenuity, which has been achieved in perfecting a system of wireless telegraphy, I extend on behalf of the American People most cordial greetings and good wishes to you and to all the people of the British Empire."  THEODORE ROOSEVELT Wellfleet, Massachusetts Jan. 19, 1903
     Response from England's King Edward VII:Jan.19, 1903  "I thank you most sincerely for the kind message which I have just received from you, through Marconi's trans-Atlantic wireless telegraphy. I sincerely reciprocate in the name of the British Empire the cordial greetings and friendly sentiment expressed by you on behalf of the American nation, I heartily wish you and your country every possible prosperity."  

Marconi with his wireless equipment

     
Are you struggling with small beginnings?  Here is scriptural advice: Zechariah 4:10  "Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin, to see the plumb line in Zerubbabel’s hand.""It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and threw into his own garden; and it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air nested in its branches.”

   Even though he won a Nobel prize in Physics in 1909, Marconi, in his wildest, most brilliant dreams, could not have imagined today’s wireless capabilities. I wonder though how often Marconi felt frustration about his invention in his decade of trial and error? Did he question himself? Lose heart? Consider giving up? Yet, know that he was indeed persistent because he eventually enjoyed a success which was world-changing. 
     What can we draw from this historic moment more one hundred and fifteen years ago? Many of us have either founded businesses, ministries, organizations, or churches. Days and even months and years passed by and we wondered, "Will this work? How do we survive financially? Are we on the right track?" 

     We also face the same questions in our personal lives. Maybe we are dealing with overcoming a circumstance or sin and we are not progressing quickly. Even falling. And often. Maybe we are trying to have consistent Bible study and we are missing weeks in a row. A marriage needs repair and we are frustrated. Two steps forward. One step back.

     Take a moment to reflect on a baby’s first steps. A baby is not an expert with first steps. They fall. Wobble. Cry. And yet, they keep their adventure alive struggling to stand up. God has placed within us an innate sense of drive. A baby finally walks and becomes the rip-roaring toddlers we love and chase after until we are exhausted. It’s a process. Step by step. Like Marconi. Like every great undertaking, invention, project, life skill and relationship.  Luke 13:19  "It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and threw into his own garden ; and it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air nested in its branches."  #TakeHeartTreesGrow

The Divine GPS

     When I was in elementary school, my Daddy taught me how to read a road map and to calculate the best routes from town to town and state to state. It has served me well since he taught me such a useful skill, especially when I got my South Carolina driver’s license the day I turned 14! Yes! In those days, 14-year-olds could get their day license. As a teenager, I felt the exhilaration of liberation!

Hungary/Romania Road sign
Photo Credit:Romania-Insider 2013

     My husband grew up in the south Bronx. New Yorkers'   massive public transportation system made car ownership  un-necessary. I serve as the official navigator and often drive.  One of Paul's nicknames for me is a “human compass.” My greatest achievement occurred when we drove from Switzerland to Romania in 1991 with a road map, trying to decipher signs in other languages and confusing roads. We didn’t make one wrong turn. My husband was amazed. That was in 1991 before Global Positioning Systems became fully available to the public in 1995.
     Most of us now rely on some sort of GPS using Google, WAZE, or built-in navigation. Often though, when Paul and I are on a road trip nothing substitutes for a consultation with my Atlas road maps! I enjoy looking at the bigger picture and the colorful maps.

     As in all amazingly astounding inventions, ideas, creations, and guidance, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob created the first GPS. He led the enslaved children of Israel out of Egypt after 400 years; leading them into their previous territory that had likely changed drastically after 70 Israelites migrated to Egypt under Joseph’s rule. His heavenly GPS took the form of fire and cloud. An organic way to implement directions! He WAS the GPS. By day, they turned toward the cloud and by night the fire. Exodus 13:21 describes it this way: “By day the LORD went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night.” NIV

     Exodus 13:22 reiterates the cloud and fire combination: “Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people.” The Israelites’ ancient journey informs our walk with the Lord in our modern-day world. If the Jewish people trusted the cloud and the fire, the Presence of God, they stayed on the correct route. When they whined, complained, and transgressed deciding that they could not trust God’s direction, their lives fell apart. They even wanted to go back to Egypt rather than follow the pillar of cloud and fire. Instructive for us!

     When we keep our eyes on God for direction, we remain in the best place possible. Rocks and ruts may fill the road but the right direction is Ever Present. Looking to Him, His word and His counsel sustains us just as He sustained the children of Israel for 40 long years. Sometimes, even our fancy GPS systems are confusing.

Yet, the Lord never fails us. Day and night, let’s continue to look to Him, our true GPS!

Love and Unity Hand in Hand

     Our world is desperate for love. When the body of Christ works in unity, others are drawn to His love. Yet, when the world sees discord and division within the Christian community, our light flickers and sometimes goes out.
     The antidote for discord and division is choosing to focus on the essentials. Every other facet of our faith flows from two facts of history: The Lord Jesus Christ died on the tree for our sins and three days later, rose up from the grave. That is the bedrock of what Jesus said about His mission on earth. It's what His disciples highlighted as they preached the Good News near and far after His Ascension. Paul  said in 1 Corinthians 2:2 "that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures."
     When we set our minds on the essentials asking the Lord for His Holy Spirit’s aid, our unity is enhanced. The lyrics of a familiar hymn written in the 1960s by Fr. Peter Scholtes says in part, …” We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord, And we pray that our unity will one day be restored, And they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love, Yes, they'll know we are Christians by our love.” His song was inspired by what Rabbi Jesus said to His first-century Jewish disciples in John 13:35,  “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."
     Love makes unity possible and reflects the parts of a whole like instruments in an orchestra. And just like an orchestra practices their unity in many rehearsals prior to their concerts, we in the Christian community must practice unity to express God’s love to a world that needs it.

Photo Credit: Atlanta Symphony Orchestra

     Achieving unity is a process. We must be intentional, allowing each other to express our own special purpose by following the model of a well-tuned orchestra. Imagine yourself as an instrument in an orchestra. Would unity be achieved in the following scenario? What if the violin said to the cello, you must look like me! Or the clarinet said to the piano, your notes must sound exactly like mine. Should the flute say to the cymbals, play musical notes like I do? Of course not because there are four distinct groups of related musical instruments; woodwinds, brass, percussion, and strings. Yet, they all read from the same sheet music.
     A full-size or philharmonic orchestra has 50 to 100 musicians. Like every orchestra, beautiful music requires a skillful conductor. The conductor is familiar with every instrument, knows every note of the musical score and gives the exact timing and entrance of each instrument. For example, the conductor knows when one instrument must play softer and when another has missed a cue all the while understanding that each instrument is necessary for the composition. Under his careful direction, unity and harmony blend. Looking to their conductor, members of the orchestra learn respect for the part each instrument must convey including their own.
     In the body of Christ, composed of many denominations, we have a Heavenly Maestro Who wants to unify us so that we may express His love to the world. Like the four sections of an orchestra, we are diverse and each has a part to play. And similar to an orchestra reading the same sheet music, we read the Bible. Using the same “biblical sheet music” a world looking for love will find it when we are “one in the Spirit and one in the Lord.”
     Practicing unity to strengthen our expressions of the Lord’s love is beneficial to us too!  Psalm 133:1 says it best. “How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity! “

#ImitateOrchestralUnity

Passion Governed by Wisdom

     We're living in an election season where passions enliven conversations. Passions can easily transition into incivility, unkindness, and downright confrontational conflict.  We have passions about, for example, what the Lord places on our hearts, pursuing lifelong interests, parenting, professions, goals etc.
     Yet, when encountering injustice or mistreatment, this definition of passion can come into play: "a strong and barely controllable emotion.”  I easily identify with this definition since it is challenging to control emotion while simultaneously believing in something I view as important. And as a parent, I have marched into situations as a "Mama Bear" where I was defending my children. Now in my seventh decade of life, I remain an activist with strong opinions. I have grown to appreciate and embrace as best I can that my passions must be governed by wisdom. Wisdom requires self-control. I can't access self-control unless I ask for the power of the Holy Spirit.
     The bible gives signposts, warnings, and promises:
• Proverbs 29:11 “Fools give full vent to their rage, but the wise bring calm in the end.”  Wise people will aim toward calm while simultaneously expressing passion about what or who they value.
• Proverbs 3:13 “Blessed are those who find wisdom, those who gain understanding.”  It’s good to be reminded that blessings come when we find wisdom.
• James 1:19-20 “My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.”  This verse is also instructive.  Take note of these words HUMAN ANGER. Human anger will lead to name calling, abusive conversation, and yes, fights, murders, and wars. 
     Another kind of anger is RIGHTEOUS ANGER. Its definition is “a reactive emotion of anger over mistreatment, insult, or malice of another.” It rests on divine or moral law where anger rises up during unjust, mean, or unworthy situations.
     Our best example for righteous anger- also called indignation- is Jesus Himself. This story is told in all four gospels. Matthew 21:12-13 “Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. “It is written,” He said to them,“ ‘My house will be called a house of prayer, but you are making it ‘a den of robbers.’”
     Scripture went on to say in John 2:13-16, “And making a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and oxen. And He poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables. And He told those who sold the pigeons, "Take these things away; do not make my Father's house a house of trade."  It was clear that Jesus was defending His Father in heaven and was angry that the house of prayer had been overtaken by buying, selling, and commerce. The Temple’s purpose had been subverted from holy into profane. Religious leaders of the day had allowed the Temple to become a place of greed rather than glorifying God.

Photo Credit: The Word in Pictures

     In modern times, Martin Luther King and Mahatma Ghandi displayed righteous anger-in civil and gentle ways- for just causes where others had suffered mistreatment. They displayed passion governed by wisdom!
     I found a quote by St. Thomas Aquinas, (1225-1274) who was a venerated theologian, jurist, and Italian Dominican Friar. Here’s his viewpoint articulated in his Summa Theologiae: “He that is angry without cause, shall be in danger; but he that is angry with cause, shall not be in danger: for without anger, teaching will be useless, judgments unstable, crimes unchecked.” His conclusion was that “to be angry is therefore not always evil.”
In summation, “Be angry but do not sin.” Ephesians 4:26
#KnowTheDifference

Treasured Things

My Mom's Evening Bag

     During hurricane season, when we lived along the coast of South Carolina, I kept a few boxes handy filled with irreplaceable mementoes and pictures in case the Governor ordered us to evacuate. When hurricane season ended, I put these little treasures back on shelves where I could enjoy seeing them. Some of my treasured things included my childhood choir pins, baby pictures of my children, a small porcelain 80-90-year-old statue my mother gave my grandmother, one of our wedding pictures from 1977, my mother’s evening bag for dressy occasions, and a photo of my parents taken on one of their train trips to New York City in the 1940s.

     Not one of these sentimental things has any value over $20 I’m sure! Yet, when I look at them, they evoke tender, precious memories of loved ones and my childhood.   How do my simple treasures relate to our Heavenly Father?  In Deuteronomy 14:2 we read about God persistently teaching His detailed list of instructions to create the early culture of the Jewish people. Right in the middle of all these minute details about marriage, sacrifices, laws, and every aspect of life, Moses makes a rather startling statement to God’s Jewish people: “Out of all the peoples on the face of the earth, the LORD has chosen you to be his treasured possession.”  This is such an affectionate, powerful statement during a busy, task oriented “day at the office” attempting to organize 12 tribes of almost a million people.

My Church Choir Pins

     While we know that God fashioned the Jewish people and culture as His vessels to transmit His laws, scriptures, and ultimately His Beloved Son through them, we also know that God made an additional provision.  The Old Testament royally sets the table for us non-Jews (Gentiles) when we embrace the concept of our adoption in the New Testament. We are adopted into the tribe! We don’t replace His Jewish people, the people of His eternal covenant, but we do partake of the privilege of being grafted in to the ancient Olive tree of Judaism. Judaism is the root of our Christian DNA.
     While my sentimental treasures don’t have a high monetary value, God places a high value on us! I don’t even comprehend it quite honestly. Yet, when I  think of my small treasures, it does serve to remind me of how the Lord views us. We are so highly treasured by God the Father that He sent His beloved, one and only Son, to redeem us from the pawnshop of sin and darkness.  Whether we think of ourselves as treasures or not, that’s God’s viewpoint of us.  Difficult to comprehend, but oh so joyous when we glimpse the truth of God’s limitless, lavish love. We are HIS treasures.
     What are some of your treasures? When you think of them, remember YOU are a treasure in God’s eyes.
#YouAreTreasured

Personalized

Circa 1981

     My husband and I lived on Hilton Head Island, SC the first eight years of our marriage. When we first moved there, we described ourselves as a poet and singer looking for creativity inspired by beauty. We found it on this idyllic South Carolina barrier island. 
     In 1976, only one stoplight interfered with the island’s population of 6,000.  We shopped at the only grocery store, the iconic Piggly Wiggly. Everyone knew everyone and we lived “a wonderful life.” We slept at night to the sound of waves washing in from the Atlantic Ocean and roamed the beach with our amazing German Shepherd “Moondance.” We slogged in the pluff mud’s unique perfume harvesting oysters, and steamed them outdoors over wood fires. 
     Several years later, I opened a singing telegram company. Singing telegrams were popular back in the 70s and 80s. The island’s population grew and so did my business, Southern Onion Singing Telegram and Balloon Company. My singing characters were quite popular:  Scarlett O’Southern, a tuxedoed troubadour, Curley the Clown, and the “wildly” popular Gloria Gorilla. 

Gloria Gorilla

     I became quite adept at loping into a restaurant announcing myself with a kazoo, locating the birthday or anniversary recipient, and belting out an acapella song. The gorilla suit was so real looking, it frightened guests in restaurants so I quickly solved the problem by asking a friend to make a pink tutu. I topped it off with a pink ribbon on the mask and sported a pink T-shirt that proclaimed, “Ape for you.” Gloria Gorilla was famous on Hilton Head and restaurants sold more drinks and food because the songs made everyone so happy. 
      The songs were not just an ordinary “Happy Birthday to you,” but an original song set to a familiar tune, and totally personalized for the recipient. I found that almost always no one had ever had a song written just for them. When they ordered a singing telegram, loved ones and friends secretly provided the information beforehand. With my handy, now tattered Rhyming Dictionary, I created an original song. Recipients laughed, cried, and especially loved the gorilla hugs dispensed by Gloria.  Pictures captured all the excitement. 
     The concept of “personalized” really held great meaning.  An anniversary or birthday song lit up a recipient’s eyes as the crooner-whether a gorilla, clown or southern belle- sang about their college, birthplace, favorite color, hobbies, children, spouse, and so on. I learned that many islanders framed the copy of their song which was presented after the serenade. Having a personalized song or any other personalized gift  is special to most of us.

     And God Himself is the Designer of Personalization.  Psalm 139:13-16 beautifully describes it this way: For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.  My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.”
     Think of it!  God has created billions, maybe trillions, of unique human beings. He personalized each one of us with appearances, talents, abilities, interests, and ethnicities.  Then He designed a redemptive plan available to everyone He ever created. He offers us a Gift and the freedom to either accept or reject it.  Isaiah 49:16 describes this magnificent gift with a profound personalized message which bespeaks of Jesus, our sacrificial Savior: “See, I have written your name on the palms of My hands.”   
     While God the Father offers us the same magnificent Gift of His 

Scarlett O'Southern 

beloved Son, we encounter the Lord in many unique ways that God personalizes to reach into our hearts and introduce Himself. It may be a friend, a book, a pamphlet, a dream, or a crisis which awakens us to Him.God allowed me to see the importance of personalization and the impact on people through my  silly singing telegram company. But more significantly, it opened up for me a new understanding of God’s love and His personalized design for every one of us.  I hope that you too will embrace more of His PERSONAL interest in you! 
                 And remember, God has composed a life song just for you!

#GodWroteASongForYou