STINKY THINGS AND BEAUTIFUL MUSIC

 

Here’s a pretty picture to jump start your week -- a humongous landfill! Probably full of stinky fishbones, and diapers, and rusted metal, plastic, warped shoes, bubble wrap, and ... well, you get the idea. Makes you wanna sing, doesn’t it? That’s why I go visit landfills, to be inspired with ideas for the Broadway musical screenplay I plan to write someday.

A few months ago, I watched a documentary about slum children in Paraguay. Some genius musician went to the local dump site, pulled out ooky discarded objects, and fashioned musical instruments. The children were taught to play, and a band was formed. Lives were changed, both the children’s and those who watched and listened to them play.

In pondering that rancid pile of trash, I had an invigorating thought -- that used to be me. And now you’re thinking, “How offensive! How dare anyone say they’re trash, God doesn’t make trash! I am certainly not trash!”

Well, I partly agree. “In the beginning ...” God did not create trash. He created perfection. However, due to the infamous Adam/Eve fiasco, all subsequent generations were born spiritually dead ... and stinky. How do I know this? Well, my creator God told me so. I was “dead in trespasses and sin” (Ephesians 2:1). My heart “is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick” (Jeremiah 17:9). I was once unrighteous, unable to inherit the kingdom of God, due to my sin (1 Corinthians 6:9-10). Yes indeed, I was born into a spiritual landfill, ...

But God! When I was dead, He made me alive, pulled me out of the sin-landfill, raised me up with Christ, and seated me with Him in the heavenly places (Ephesians 2:5-6; Colossians 2:13). I’m included with all other refurbished sinners, part of the Lord’s well-designed plan. How wonderful to know that God uses the “dead” and foolish and weak, to set into the Body. The disciples were only uneducated fishermen, but they had been with Jesus (Acts 4:13) and were changed.

 

My Father, how truly awestruck I am when I consider that I was born spiritual garbage, but you washed, sanctified, and justified me in the name of my Jesus and in the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:11). You did that with me, and for me, so that I would be made useful. In Your hands, with Your Spirit, because of Your Son, I am a chosen instrument to play Your “music,” for Your glory and Your purpose. I could not feel more blessed!

ONE !!

1

It’s now a few days past New Year’s with its huge headlines of shiny new babies and glistening new beginnings. But by this time, most people have already experienced the annual trauma of making resolutions, and then watching them go splat on the floor. These self-promises usually involve trying to morph our torsos from flub to fab. I totally commiserate. I myself have spent years attempting to dedicate myself, to set my mind firmly to develop healthy habits. It requires work. And I’m sad to confess, I don’t always wanna work. I seldom have the correct mind-set. Yes, I have chronic congenital mind-flub.

 

I’ve seen a t.v. commercial that talks about how wonderful it would be if all we had to do was eat 1 piece of rabbit food and voila! no more diabetes, or do 1 pushup and ta-da! no more heart issues! It would certainly make life a cakewalk, wouldn’t it? Sadly, things just don’t work that way in this world.

 

Except for 1 instance about 2,000 years ago ... when Jesus “offered one sacrifice for sins for all time” (Hebrews 10:12). “Christ died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God” (1 Peter 3:18).

 

My Jesus, how thankful and awed I am, that You were so determined that You resolutely and steadfastly set Your face to go to Jerusalem (Luke 9:51), to go to the cross. You never had mind-flub, You had courage and commitment, for the Father’s glory and for my salvation. Please cause me to develop the same mind-set of commitment to You, to grow in You, and to know You more each day.