Jesus is Ridiculous

So last weekend I got to relive some of my Roll Tide days and spend a few nights in Alabama.

OK, not really.  I don't believe I ever once said Roll Tide unless the Cats had already been eliminated from any possible run at a title and Alabama was the only other team left standing.

I digress.

Anyway, I was down there for a yearly homeschooling moms' retreat that our church sponsors.  Some incredible ladies plan for more than half a year to come in and encourage and speak a little truth into our lives. 

And that is just what happened.  And I was able to walk away having worshiped and grown and learned. 

I could go on and on about some of the conversations the Lord and I had.  But I don't like to gossip.  ;)

I will say though that one major thing we talked about was my participation with the Yahoos.  Notice that I did not say my time with the Yahoos.  Because we all know that I spend plenty of time with them.  But being with them is not the same thing as being engaged with them.  And I was not being engaged.  I have become lazy in my investment in my kids life.  I was feeling justified in my feeding and clothing and band-aid applications of them.  But honestly I was letting the eternal things slack. 

I get tired of being intentional.  It requires so much prayer and thought and energy.  And I'm lazy.  And thinking has never been high on my list of things I like to do during my free time.  So I found myself going through the motions.  Forgoing the permanent at the altar of the immediate.

But as in typical Savior fashion he gently reminded me that I'm an idiot without Him.  And that I can never do anything of significance apart from Him.  And if I want this whole 'train your child up in the admonishion of the Lord' thing to work that I am going to have to be completely, wholeheartedly devoted to the things of Him.   And to do it in His strength.  Not mine.  And to do it in His wisdom.  Not mine.

So I am thankful for his mercies made new each morning and second and fourteenth and one millionth chances to try again.  And this week has been nothing short of miraculous.

Because I have gotten to have conversations with two Yahoos about saving their hearts for the ones they marry.  And we sat in the van for 10 minutes after we pulled in from church one night and we all shared our greatest fears and what Scripture says we should do with our fears.  And then I got to talk with Ninja about how to witness to a neighbor boy that he has been building a relationship with.  And I also got to talk to him about temptation and how we handle those areas of weaknesses. 

Holy Buckets of Glory.  All that and I've only been home since Saturday.

And I'm telling you that none of those things are me or my Yahoos.   It is only Jesus and his ridiculously relentless love and working in our lives. 

And Jesus is ridiculous isn't he?

ri·dic·u·lous

[ ri díkyələss

 

unreasonable: completely unreasonable and not at all sensible or acceptable

His constant love is completely unreasonable.  His faithfulness to me is senseless.  I don't deserve such love.   But He does.  He does keep loving.  And that overwhelms me.  And the more I experience Him the more overwhelmed I am.

So I'll leave you with this incredibly powerful song we sang this weekend.  Go ahead, sit back.  Be overwhelmed.