DIY (Do It Yourself)

Are you a Handy person? the one talented in fixing, mounting, and assembling? I am NOT! Luckily I have a dear friend that is a great handy man…and i am sure each of us “non-handy” persons know a friend that happily comes to your home with his tool kit to start fixing the table, hanging the frames on the walls, or just glueing back pieces of a broken vase! It is said that crisis in Europe, and specially here in Spain has led to a boom in all that has to do with DIY tool shops. Suddenly with less money, people were forced to fix their broken stuff rather than buy new ones and learn how to do it themselves rather than send it to a repair shop which will charge them quite a sum for a repair service. This even reached Kids toys, you can find now section of toys as a first “DIY Kit for kids". My daughters were so happy with the glue, they started repairing even the non-broken stuff. One day, a mug hit the floor and lost a piece, they tried to glue it but still it spilled out the milk they drink…at the end they realized it was irreparable, and became useless. What would you do with a Broken Mug?!

I was so moved reading Psalm 31 and the descriptive metaphor David uses to show how lost he felt, how useless he perceived himself:

I am forgotten like a dead man, and out of mind; like a broken vessel am I. (Psalm 31:12 AMP)
نُسيتُ مِنَ القَلبِ مِثلَ المَيتِ. صِرتُ مِثلَ إناءٍ مُتلَفٍ. (31 المَزاميرُ:12 )

Like a broken vessel beyond repair, a feeling that attacks many of us across the journey of life. The great news is that we know THE Great Handy Man in History, the one who put you together in the first place, the One that no matter how shattered in pieces your heart might be, or how broken you come out of a tough experience, He is willing to take you and make you all NEW again, New and Perfect in the eyes of the Master Potter!

"And the vessel that he was making from clay was spoiled in the hand of the potter; so he made it over, reworking it into another vessel as it seemed good to the potter to make it." (Jeremiah 18:4 AMP)
ففَسَدَ الوِعاءُ الّذي كانَ يَصنَعُهُ مِنَ الطّينِ بيَدِ الفَخّاريِّ، فعادَ وعَمِلهُ وِعاءً آخَرَ كما حَسُنَ في عَينَيِ الفَخّاريِّ أنْ يَصنَعَهُ. (18 إرميا:4)

Dear Lord, how many times we decided that all the fixing within us has to be DIY, has to come from within or from surroundings, how many times we tried to fix our broken vessel, glueing it with work, outings, self help, sports, entertainment…but still this vessel leaks and gets useless in our eyes. I thank you for the Loving Father you are, for the Comfort you send through your Spirit and for the Guaranteed Repair you offer in your eternal workshop in Prayer!

And you…Do you still have a broken Mug Somewhere? The repair shop is Open 24/7!

Keep shining my friends!

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. (Psalm 34:18 NIV)

God V2.0

The excitement of a new phone is an unparalleled feeling these days. Every phone owner knows what it feels to upgrade his handset and get the newest launched version (be it a fan of Samsung S6 or an iPhone 6 follower). Suddenly, your old phone-that used to be your amazing mind blowing super advanced phone-becomes so old and out of date. No new tricks, no amazement. Yes, One day you held it dear to your heart, you stayed in long lines to buy it, you showed it off to everyone, you posted about owning it, and cleaned off fingerprints every once a while. It is normal! With your new phone, a new leap of technology and options, a whole new level of wonder and admiration marks the first few days and weeks, and by time the passion wears of until a newer version is soon to be launched in the market.

We have been treating God the same way, we wait for the moments of launch, a new version, an excitement that mainly comes around Christmas and Easter, moments of looking at the wonders in Christ. Sooner than later, this hype wears off and we find that the world can give much more options, tangible ones that lure our eyes away, and the once Standing-in-long-lines-Church entrance, the hours-of-prayers in services, the Facebook-religious-filled timeline becomes just an old version of excitement…replaced back with the newer thing that pleases your heart. Yes you Love Christ, but may be the tricks you wait for don’t keep you that excited. You miss seeing in Him the life-changing, daily-renewing, sin-forgiving God that He truly is. You want a new trick and you are not given one!

This is not new! During the last days of Jesus, we meet Herod, who as The Book states, was so excited seeing Jesus, asked Him to show a trick or act a miracle, but Jesus knew that this man´s excitement is going to fade once these wonders become normal, Jesus knew Herod´s drive, seeking God´s pocket and wonders not seeking His heart and a life time relationship. In front of such request of a trick, Jesus stood silent, did not give him even a word! and then, as an old phone, Herod kicked Jesus out and pushed Him away in anticipation for the next excitement his servants would bring in.

"When Herod saw Jesus, he was very happy. He had heard all about him and had wanted to meet him for a long time. Herod wanted to see a miracle, so he was hoping that Jesus would do one. He asked him many questions, but Jesus said nothing. Then Herod and his soldiers laughed at him. They made fun of him by dressing him in clothes like kings wear. Then Herod sent him back to Pilate." (Luke 23:8-9, 11 ERV)
وأمّا هيرودُسُ فلَمّا رأى يَسوعَ فرِحَ جِدًّا، لأنَّهُ كانَ يُريدُ مِنْ زَمانٍ طَويلٍ أنْ يَراهُ، لسَماعِهِ عنهُ أشياءَ كثيرَةً، وتَرَجَّى أنْ يَرَى آيَةً تُصنَعُ مِنهُ. وسألهُ بكلامٍ كثيرٍ فلَمْ يُجِبهُ بشَيءٍ. فاحتَقَرَهُ هيرودُسُ مع عَسكَرِهِ واستَهزأَ بهِ، وألبَسَهُ لباسًا لامِعًا، ورَدَّهُ إلَى بيلاطُسَ. (23 لوقا:8-9, 11 AVDDV)

While the Marys that fell in Love with their Saviour Jesus, the Lord they thought was dead, and they expected to see no wonders from a dead man, they went with there essences to anoint His body, with hearts full of love few last minutes with their Master. Behold, for their Loving hearts beating Clear to the ears of our Lord, He showed them the Miracle of Miracles and the Wonder that Herod could never even dream of witnessing…they witnessed His Resurrection and Victory over death! What a Glory!

The men said to them, “Why are you looking for a living person here? This is a place for dead people. Jesus is not here. He has risen from death.(Luke 24:5-6 ERV)

Are you waiting for God V2.0, a new version every Easter and Christmas to get some excitement around the season or is it a personal relation, a life time journey, where you seek Him rather than His tricks! He has a lot for each one of us, just let´s come seeking His heart not His Pocket!

Which of them are you seeking? Are you Herod or one of the Marys?

Keep shining my friends!