From China with Love

"The people could not distinguish the sound of the joyful shouting from that of the weeping..." 

Ezra 3:13

I read an article several weeks ago by Michael Kelly, editor of Homelife magazine. In it he reflects on the above passage and says this, "We are the people of the already but not yet...we live in the dual realities of what God has done and what he is going to do."

I'd like to just share his whole article right here (but I won't) because this dual reality is one of the most profound, beautiful and befuddling aspects of my Christian faith. Today we are remembering Good Friday; the day that Christ was crucified and bore in himself the sin of us all. The day our savior died a criminal's death and we call it "GOOD." Dual reality. "It is finished!" he cried as He breathed his last. It is finished! And yet, the process of us becoming more like Him in this life is not complete until we meet him in that promised eternity. 1 Peter 1:8-9 says, "You are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls." Already and not yet.

Last night we celebrated the Jewish Passover and Christian communion, a ceremony known as the Seder meal. In it we were instructed to partake of bitter herbs and charoset, a sweet mixture of apple, cinnamon, raisins and walnuts. The Lord instructed the Israelites to eat them TOGETHER. We take the good with the bad. The suffering with the joy. Dual reality. Truthfully, in my faith walk I have experienced the greatest beauty out of the most excruciating pain and loss. Like manure is for the growth of plants is the pain God has used in my life to ready us for this journey towards international adoption. It can honestly be described as a journey of blood, sweat and tears. The moment Christ had in the garden before he was betrayed by his friend and led to the cross was the same. The dual realities of suffering and glory that exist when we step out in faith are the two very elements of faith that make us more like him. James 1:1-2 says, "Consider it pure joy my brothers when you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. And Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and COMPLETE not lacking anything."

I am not sure that we as Christians fully understand that to be like Christ we must suffer. I don't mean that we must be somber, sad people. On the contrary, we are people of joy! But Phillipians 3:10-11 is clear, "I want to KNOW Christ, and the power of his resurrection, and the FELLOWSHIP of sharing in his suffering, becoming like him in his death, so that somehow I may be raised to life!" If we truly want to know Jesus intimately, we must be willing to get dirty. Get messy. Be rejected. Be isolated. Be disliked. Touch the untouchable. Love the unlovable. Do the unthinkable. If we want to experience life, we must learn to die to self. 

Jesus said, "If any of you would be my disciple, you must deny yourselves and take up your CROSS and follow ME." Matthew 16:24. Follow Jesus. Not a religion or a rule book. Not a program or a person, but Jesus. How can you follow him if you don't KNOW him? How can you know him? By digging into his word and seeking Him in prayer. 

Almost two years ago the Lord started drilling into me, "Fix your eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of your faith" (Hebrews 12:1) It was clear he was telling me, "Stop FIXATING on everything else and fix your eyes on me." 

As we continue on our path towards China, I picture the cross and I fix my eyes on him:

Jesus' children were suffering. They did not know him. They did not have freedom. They were unloved, condemned, and without hope. He walked the road of suffering for them because he loved them. He loves us. 

"For the JOY set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the Father!" Hebrews 12:2

 Did you see that? The author of Hebrews says fix your eyes on Jesus. He is the author and perfecter of your faith. Don't look from side to side. Don't weigh your circumstances and try to figure it all out. Just keep watching him and he will show you what to do. What is Jesus doing when I fix my eyes on Him? Is he hiding? Is he fretting or running away. No, he is suffering because he knows that there is JOY on the other side.

"We are the people of the already but not yet...we live in the dual realities of what God has done and what he is going to do."

God has already done a mighty work in me, but he is not finished with me yet. He is still perfecting my faith, making me more like him. He has already written my story, but it is still playing out. He already has my daughter picked out and a beautiful plan for our family, but we don't know it yet. I am rejoicing in the already AND in the not-yet. I am weeping with anticipation and will be weeping when they place our daughter in my arms, and you will not be able to distinguish the weeping from the joy.

For more encouragement and inspiration concerning the mystery of this dual reality and the miracle of Hope in Jesus, check out my friends' new book Hope Heals at www.hopehealsbook.com/ or discover their blog at www.hopeheals.com