Charisa Stories

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  • Gratitude is an Attitude

    Gratitude is an Attitude

    Gratitude is a mind-set, and I am praying that the response of appreciation can become a lifestyle for me, with some practice. It is easy to be grateful for the good things. Accepting with thankfulness the bad and sorrowful takes faith and trust that God is faithful with His children. I cannot claim to be grateful until I can simply say thank you for everything that comes my way, recognizing that every event will bring joy, character, perseverance, or ultimately, glory to God.

    Roman philosopher Cicero wrote that “gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others.” Hmmm. I can see how that plays out. I forgive others out of gratitude for my own forgiveness. I give grace because I am grateful I was offered grace when I did not merit that gift. I give to those less fortunate out of gratitude for my financial blessings. Cicero might have been on to something.

    The psalmist knew the power of giving thanks for the blessings of life and The Message has a creative take.

    On your feet now—applaud God!
    Bring a gift of laughter,
    sing yourselves into his presence.
    Know this: God is God, and God, God.
    He made us; we didn’t make him.
    We’re his people, his well-tended sheep.
    Enter with the password: “Thank you!”
    Make yourselves at home, talking praise.
    Thank him. Worship him.
    For God is sheer beauty, all-generous in love,
    loyal always and ever.
    Psalm 100:1-5, The Message 

    I got a chuckle thinking about having to log in to access God in prayer. Using the password “thank you” would be a pretty good way to prepare my heart, and a reminder every time to appreciate all of my blessings.

    I know that some seasons of life are difficult, and some days you just hope to survive. But I think that the majority of us would admit that we can find something to be grateful for, even in moments of frustration. Gratitude is the stabilizer for my spiritual walk. I think I can make a pretty good case that growing a grateful heart is the foundational attitude of the fruit of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

    It is that important. Gratitude keeps me from envy, if I can mentally pivot to the many things I am blessed to enjoy. Gratitude keeps me from anger, if I can be grateful for how patient God is with my myriad of shortcomings. Gratitude keeps me from frustration, when it reminds me how much worse things could be. I have programmed a trigger into my gratitude response.

    When I start getting cranky about my back pain, I think of those who live in constant pain. I become grateful that my pain is not constant, and I am reminded to pray for them. A simple mind- set change can take me from self-pity to prayer for others. I am also being prompted to pray for anyone who makes me angry with his or her thoughtlessness or rudeness. What is hurting that person’s heart so much that the response is filled with such venom? Full disclosure . . . I am not there yet. But when I can respond with an attitude of gratitude, it is the most freeing feeling. Maybe that is the best way to be grateful consistently. When I get outside my little world and see the suffering and sadness around me, I fall to my knees in thanksgiving for how fortunate I am.

    Do everything without complaining and
    arguing, so that no one can criticize you.
    Live clean, innocent lives as children of
    God, shining like bright lights in a world
    full of crooked and perverse people.
    Philippians 2:14–15

  • Opening the Gift of Grace

    Opening the Gift of Grace

    “Lord I crawled across the barrenness to you with my empty cup uncertain in asking any small drop of refreshment. If only I had known you better I’d have come running with a bucket.” -Nancy Spiegelberg 

    That quote may be the most indicting summary of my misunderstanding of grace for decades. I am indeed Waking Up Slowly to the mystery and majesty of Grace. 

    Grace.

    It is a word that has lost some of its power through misuse and overuse. We banter about the ridiculous concept of cheap grace as if we must be wary of receiving a gift from our Father in Heaven. Are you kidding me? If we view grace like a sales pitch for a time share resort we are listening to the wrong voices. There are no strings attached with grace. No fine print. No hidden costs. No promises to lure you in that cannot be delivered in reality. Grace gives you full title to the resort and every benefit of the place. Even when you one star the facilities on Yelp!

    Grace

    Grace understood can never be viewed as a cheap gift. It cost Jesus everything. If you think grace is cheap I challenge you to kneel at the foot of the Cross and look up. There is nothing cheap about the transaction that Jesus suffered for you and me. I know that some people misuse grace. There is a word for that. Sin. The truth is that grace is the only real antidote for sin and should never, ever, ever, ever be the excuse for sin. Paul addressed the heresy that grace gives us license to sin. Here is a sampling of the translations of Paul’s undisguised dismay expressed in Romans at the very thought that the sweet grace of the Gospel would be abused.

    God forbid! (KJV)
    Of course not! (NLT)
    Absolutely not! (NET)
    May it never be! (NASB)
    By no means! (ESV)

    So I think we can all agree that no matter which translation you choose rationalizing grace as a sin excuse is abhorrent. I would suggest that line of thought is  only possible when you fail to understand the amazing power of this gift.

    Grace.

    If I was given the opportunity to communicate one message to every person in the world it would be a no-brainer for me. I would beg every person to open their minds and heart to the outrageous grace gift that God offers freely to each one of us. And do my best to convince the world that all you have to do is open that gift in faith. 

    I wish that everyone who hears the Gospel message would comprehend the one-way love that God demonstrates to everyone who will receive that love. Instead of turning His back on sinners who deserved just that God chose to reach out to His creation with a radical plan for forgiveness. A plan that is unlike any other religion in history. Man-made religion always demands something to earn salvation. God’s plan for redemption requires the lost to bring nothing to the table other than sin and need. Nothing. Any other presentation of the sweet Gospel of Jesus Christ is a lie.

    Edwin Lutzer describes the prerequisite for grace.

    “When the mask of self-righteousness has been torn from us and we stand stripped of all our accustomed defenses, we are candidates for God’s generous grace.” 

    How differently we would live if we remembered the gifts of grace. We are saints wrapped in the robe of righteousness. We are new creatures who are forgiven, accepted, and wrapped in this incomprehensible gift of grace. Even in our failure Jesus loves us anyway.

    Tim Keller wrote this very annoying sentence. “The deeper the experience of the free grace of God, the more generous we must become.”

    I can’t ignore the obvious action steps in that simple statement. As I write about grace and begin to understand the miracle of grace I should begin to demonstrate what grace looks like to a hurting world. If I am receiving grace I must also give it. If I welcome the generous gift of grace I must become more generous. If I accept the gift of forgiveness I must forgive. If I marvel at God’s unfailing love I must also love others. That is what the doubting world is looking for from the church. Grace, forgiveness and love.

    As Jesus faced the horror of the Cross He offered this command to His disciples.

    So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples. (John 14, NLT)

    I ask myself as I write these words. Does my love prove that I am a follower of Jesus? Does my heart reveal that I comprehend the magnitude of His grace? Living out of grace is not a tiring burden. It is a joyous response of gratitude if we stay focused on the source of that grace.

    Jesus offers this gift to anyone who chooses to follow Him. All you have to do is trust, open His amazing gift, and enjoy true freedom.

    Today’s musing was excerpted from Waking Up Slowly. Click here for more information.

  • Celebrating Lives Well Lived

    Celebrating Lives Well Lived

    The weekly blog is a day early for a very special reason. On this Sunday, April 25th our family has the joy of celebrating the 100th trip around the sun for Joni’s uncle Lloyd Banks. I have had the privilege of knowing him for nearly half of his wonderful life. Lloyd and his 93 year old child bride Ebby have been married for seventy-four years. All of those numbers are astounding but a life well lived is about more than longevity.

    Uncle Lloyd had a truly extraordinary career fueled by the Midwest work ethic I grew up with. As a 12 year old in Creston, Iowa he acquired a part-time job sorting bakery items for Colonial Baking. Lloyd worked multiple newspaper delivery routes and cleaned chicken cage pans to earn money. Try selling that job to a young teen today.

    A fun fact about Uncle Lloyd is that he became an accomplished exhibition roller skater and even traveled around southwest Iowa performing.

    After high school he joined the railroad and started with the glamorous task of carrying ashes out of the depot. Over the next thirty years he advanced as a railroad brakeman and conductor. When most folks would be winding down Lloyd launched a new career in home building and real estate. During the next four decades he built 2,000 new homes in southwest Iowa. Uncle Lloyd was a pioneer in building energy efficient homes way before it was the thing to do.

    All of that is commendable but that is not the reason this day is special. Today we honor the character and kindness of Lloyd Banks and his wonderful partner Evelyn. His life had many heartaches. Lloyd lost his only brother at the age of forty-one. Their oldest son Larry died in a tragic work accident when he was twenty-eight years old. Yet Lloyd kept his faith in God and others through those trials. He lived his life giving, serving, and encouraging those around him. That is why so many honor him and Evelyn today.

    Ask his grandkids and great grandkids to describe Lloyd and you will hear words like fun, kind, and giving. Friends will use words like loyal, generous, funny, energetic, and kind. While all of us would like to be successful isn’t it the best measure of real success to be described in those terms? I have treasured my time hearing Lloyd’s stories and seeing first hand his heart for family and others.

    His son Jerry carries on the family tradition of community involvement and success. Last year, the Banks family donated $100,000 to the Pottawattamie County Community Foundation Women’s Fund of Southwest Iowa. The fund aims to support women in southwest Iowa through programming designed to improve their quality of life and overall well-being.

    Lloyd Banks will tell you the key to living a long life is keeping a positive attitude.

    “Have a good attitude. Don’t be mad all the time. Don’t hate people – love them.”

    King David wrote this in Psalm 34.

    What man is there who desires life and loves many days, that he may see good? Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit. Turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.

    Those simple truths make for a special life. I love this celebration for Uncle Lloyd so much. There is nothing more satisfying than seeing good men and women get to see and hear how their lives have mattered while they are still with us. Too often those memories and expressions of gratitude happen as memorial remembrances instead of face to face affirmation. And that is the gentle grace challenge I will offer to you today. Let the people who have made a difference in your life know how you feel about them. It can be a private communication or you can organize a celebration. But let them know. I have two examples in my own life that come to mind. One success and one regret.

    My fourth grade teacher was so instrumental in my life. I was not interested in reading the assigned books. She realized I was a huge lover of all thing sports so she intentionally allowed me to read and report on sports biographies and stories. She reckoned that if I learned to read sports books voraciously that would transfer to other topics. She was right. I owe my life-long love of reading to Mrs. Snyder but I never told her. I so wish I had.

    My high school basketball coach, Tom Cuppett, was a winner—a great teacher and motivator. He was instrumental in shaping me as a man. Years later I took my then teen-aged sons with me to meet Coach Cuppet. I told him how much he had meant to me. I shared how his tough love coupled with belief in me changed me and offered a template for success for the rest of my life. I will never forget the tears that welled up in his eyes and Coach telling me that he loved me.

    So many good people spend a lifetime giving to others. Can we make it a priority to take a moment of our precious time to let them know they matter? Who can you honor in your life this year?

    Today we honor the well lived lives of Lloyd and Ebby Banks while they can embrace and enjoy the moment. They simply tried to live the principle Paul wrote about to the Galatian church.

    For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

    It has an amazing impact.

  • The Rearview Mirror Is For Occasional Glances Only

    The Rearview Mirror Is For Occasional Glances Only

    The rearview mirror is critical for safe driving. But if you spend all of your time looking in the rearview mirror the trip will almost always end badly. That is a reflective (rimshot) metaphor for life. You need to glance in the past occasionally for perspective and clarity. But the rearview mirror is designed for reference only. No obsessing please.

    The quest to live in the present is best lived by looking around and just ahead. I love E.L.Doctorow’s quote about writing. I think this principle applies to writing, living and especially to living a life of faith.

    “It is like driving at night in the fog. You can only see as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.”

    That is profoundly simple and true. Life is a fog. We wish we could see farther ahead on our journey but the truth is we cannot. You can only see as far at the light that illuminates your path. For a Christian that is all we need to know. That Light (Christ) reassures me that I can (and will) make the whole trip that way.

    Paul wrote to the Church at Philippi about his past. He wrote that what he used to view as valuable he now viewed as garbage compared to the priceless value of knowing Christ. He wrote about his desire to know Christ better. And then Paul gives us a note of encouragement and a path to achieve that goal.

    No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it,but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us. (Philippians 3:13-14)

    That is the plan. You forget the past, look forward and then take one stride at a time to the finish line. You can’t backpedal and finish the race. You can’t run in place and finish the race.  You can’t take one mighty leap to finish the race. You certainly can’t stop and finish the race. It is about putting one foot in front of the other.

    Satan wants desperately to have us wallow in regret or shame of the past. Followers of Christ have an escape plan. Not easy to be sure. Sometimes professional counseling is needed to break the chains. But the power is there for healing. Bible teacher and author Warren Wiersbe offers a good perspective on this challenge as he analyzed how Paul related to the past.

    “Forgetting those things which are behind does not suggest an impossible feat of mental and psychological gymnastics by which we try to erase the sins and mistakes of the past. It simply means that we break the power of the past by living for the future. We cannot change the past, but we can change the meaning of the past. There are things in Paul’s past that could have been weights to hold him back, but they became inspirations to speed him ahead. The events did not change, but his understanding of them changed.”

    We can’t magically erase the events and pain of our past but we can break their power. We can change the meaning of the past. We can live for the future. We can believe that we are new creations because of the finished work of Christ. And we can begin to see ourselves as God sees us. God knows all of that bad stuff about us but He chooses not to remember any of it. When the accuser tries to convict us of past events his indictments fall on deaf ears. The past does not define us. Jesus does. Past events and hurts do not defeat us because we can advance, one step at a time, toward the goal set before us.

    One of my favorite Olympic memories involves a runner who was the last to cross the finish line. Derek Redmond was an elite athlete who had a chance to bring home a medal as Great Britain’s 400-Meter representative. After an injury plagued career Redmon seemed ready to leave a lasting legacy at the Games. He had recorded the fastest time in the first round and won his quarter-final race. He started well in the semi-final but about 150 meters into the race his hamstring snapped and he collapsed in agony. Medical personnel and stretcher bearers rushed to his aid but Redmond waved them off. He struggled to his feet and began to hobble around the track. He was going to finish the race.

    Cheers rang out for the winner but then the crowed of 65,000 began to comprehend the drama unfolding of a solitary figure limping in agony toward the finish. The crowd rose and cheered the courageous Redmon. Another official offered help and was brushed away. A man broke through security and ran on the track and there was no stopping this man.

    It was Derek Redmon’s father. At first Derek seemed ready to wave him off too but then he recognized this helper. He buried his face in his father’s chest and sobbed.

    Jim Redmond told his son that he was loved and didn’t have to do this. But Derek set his eyes toward the finish and simply said “Yes, I do”.

    His father replied, “Then we will finish this together.”

    Leaning on his father’s shoulder Derek Redmon limped to the finish. Near the end Jim let his son go so he could cross the finish line on his own. A standing ovation greeted Redmon. Olympic records record that Derek Redmon did not finish because he received help. I would argue that no Olympian has ever finished better than Derek Redmon as he refused to let adversity keep him from the prize of finishing the race. Not winning. Finishing. That is such a beautiful image of how our earthly race often looks. I suspect that many who achieve Heavenly standing ovations will finish with a limp and with eyes focused solely on Jesus.

    And that is how I see my race that Paul describes so beautifully.

    Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.

    When I fall or am hurt again I know that I can bury my face in the comforting chest of Abba Father and we will finish together.

    Excerpted from Waking Up Slowly: Spiritual Lessons from My Dog, My Kids, Critters, and Other Unexpected Places.

  • Want to Make a Difference?

    Want to Make a Difference?

    I believe that God uses difficult circumstances to grow us in our faith. The lengthy pandemic has given us lots of opportunities to reevaluate priorities in our relationship with God and others. The frightening uncertainty of the past year has also given followers of Jesus a chance to show how faith makes a difference in crisis. The results have been mixed.

    I used to get angry and judgemental when those who identify as Christians didn’t live up to their title. Now I mainly feel sad at missed opportunities to show how Jesus makes a difference when we trust Him during trials. Christians should have a message of hope during this confusing and anxious season. Jesus followers should be demonstrating that trusting God gives peace and hope in dark times. A song by Thomas Rhett neatly summed up how Christians can be different in a good way. We are called to show a different path and a better way.

    In a world full of hate, be a light
    When you do somebody wrong, make it right
    Don’t hide in the dark, you were born to shine
    In a world full of hate, be a light

    Jesus told His followers that we are to be a light to those around us.

    “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden.No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.” (Matthew 5:14-16)

    I don’t know about you but those challenges from Jesus can feel daunting. Sometimes I don’t feel much like a light to the world. I feel more like the dimmest bulb in the Church Light Store. A quote from one of my favorite authors gave me hope.

    “Imperfection is the only prerequisite for grace. Light only gets in through the cracks.”~ Philip Yancey

    For years I tried to patch the cracks with new disciplines and teeth gritting self-effort. Now I own each and every flaw and crack that allows the light of the Gospel into the dark corners of my soul. And when I am vulnerable to others they see that light shining right back through those same cracks of imperfection. And suddenly the command of Jesus is not so daunting because it has NOTHING to do with me. It is all about letting the light of the Gospel into my heart and sharing that light with others. Then good deeds flow out of gratitude and not begrudging obligation.

    Another of my favorite writers is 19th Century preacher Charles Spurgeon. He said this about the topic of light.

    “I would not give much for your religion unless it can be seen. Lamps do not talk, but they do shine.”

    Remember where your light comes from today and pray that you can be a light this week. Let your good deeds reflect the loving light of your Father. You might be amazed how much of a difference that can make.

  • Easter Song

    Easter Song

    I think of Keith Green every Easter week because he recorded one of my favorite songs about the power of the resurrection. 

    What I loved most about Keith Green was his passion for Christ. Like many who came to faith during the Jesus movement Green was sold out to the Gospel.

    Every Easter week I listen to his recording of the Easter Song.

    Hear the bells ringing
    They’re singing that you can be born again
    Hear the bells ringing
    They’re singing Christ is risen from the dead

    The angel up on the tombstone
    Said He has risen, just as He said
    Quickly now, go tell his disciples
    That Jesus Christ is no longer dead

    Joy to the world, He has risen, hallelujah
    He’s risen, hallelujah
    He’s risen, hallelujah

    He is risen indeed. Keith Green experienced the resurrection power of Christ when he died in 1982. I sometimes wonder how his music might have changed as he matured in his faith. His journey just before his death offers a clue.

    After striving for years to measure up to God’s holiness, at times even questioning his own salvation, Keith came into a deeper understanding of the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross — both to forgive his sins, and to clothe him in His righteousness. It was like a huge weight had been lifted off of his chest.

    It wasn’t that Keith became less concerned with purity and holiness. But now he was more motivated by love and less by fear in His pursuit of Jesus. He learned so much more about God’s grace and the importance of pausing simply to behold His glory and enjoy His presence.

    Right there with you brother. Keith Green left an amazing legacy in just twenty-nine years and I believe the Easter Song is one of his most powerful recordings.

    Hear the bells ringing
    They’re singing that you can be healed right now
    Hear the bells ringing, they’re singing
    Christ, He will reveal it now

    The angel up on the tombstone
    Said He has risen, just as He said
    Quickly now, go tell his disciples
    That Jesus Christ is no longer dead

    Clarence Hall noted that “you can put truth in a grave, but it won’t stay there.” That was the message the angel gave to Mary Magdalene and the other Mary as they came to the tomb.

    Then the angel spoke to the women. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead, just as he said would happen. Come, see where his body was lying. And now, go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and he is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there. Remember what I have told you.” The women ran quickly from the tomb. They were very frightened but also filled with great joy, and they rushed to give the disciples the angel’s message. (Matthew 28, NLT)

    As Keith Green powerfully sang many years ago…

    The angel up on the tombstone
    Said He has risen, just as He said
    Quickly now, go tell his disciples
    That Jesus Christ is no longer dead

    Indeed!

  • The Darkest Day Ever?

    The Darkest Day Ever?

    There is much written about Good Friday. The sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the Cross is incomprehensible to my puny human intellect. There is much written about Easter Sunday. Christians around the world rejoice and proclaim that “He is risen!”. But there is not nearly as much written about one of the saddest and most confusing days in history. The Saturday between the Friday horror of Jesus on the Cross and the Sunday mystery of the resurrection. Some churches do observe Holy Saturday but it was never a tradition in my faith upbringing.

    I have been thinking about what that day must have been like for those who dropped everything to follow Jesus. How crushing those events had to be. I imagine the fear they felt that they would also be killed. And for what? On Saturday they feared they had given their careers and their very souls for a false hope.

    I think in particular of Peter. I identify so much with him. Like him I throw down bold statements of loyalty to the Lord and then betray them. Like him I draw attention to my own accomplishments instead of recognizing where my accomplishments come from. Like Peter I am a generally sincere but desperately needy follower of Jesus.

    You know the story about Peter before the arrest and mock trial of Jesus. Jesus tells Peter that he will deny him three times before the rooster crows at dawn. For many years I breezed by the setup to that prediction.

    “Simon (Peter),  Satan has asked to sift each of you like wheat. But I have pleaded in prayer for you, Simon, that your faith should not fail. So when you have repented and turned to me again, strengthen your brothers.”  (Luke 22, NLT)

    Jesus had already prayerfully pleaded for Peter to be used in a powerful and redemptive way before the failure, shame and repentance that Jesus knew was about to happen. Our sin does not take Jesus by surprise. Why does His grace and forgiveness surprise us?

    Like me, Peter did not hear the tender words of encouragement from the Lord. Nope. He blustered.

    “Lord, I am ready to go to prison with you, and even to die with you.”

    After the arrest of Jesus a suddenly less bold Peter followed the crowd. He denied to a servant girl that he knew Jesus. He denied his alliance to another bystander. The crushing sorrow and shame of what happened next is hard to fathom.

    About an hour later someone else insisted, “This must be one of them, because he is a Galilean, too.”

    But Peter said, “Man, I don’t know what you are talking about.” And immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed.

    At that moment the Lord turned and looked at Peter. Suddenly, the Lord’s words flashed through Peter’s mind:“Before the rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will deny three times that you even know me.” And Peter left the courtyard, weeping bitterly.

    I imagined what the expression might have been on the face of Jesus when He turned and looked. I suspect it was a look of sadness, compassion and longing to comfort His friend. But what Peter probably saw was only disappointment and failure. Peter’s tears likely flowed until they could no longer flow. I suspect it was hard to even breathe. His heart literally ached within his chest. His mind could not imagine any future hope. I wonder if he thought about running away or even ending it all. I wonder if he could think at all.

    That Saturday was one of the worst days in history and Peter may have felt the pain of that awful day more intensely than anyone. He did not know what would happen the next day. Peter did not yet understand what Jesus had been telling him.

    When Luke recounts that Jesus appeared to the Disciples the only one mentioned by name is Peter. What gives me hope this Easter season is the tender story of Jesus affirming and reinstating Peter to be a leader who would “feed His sheep”. That is the grace that changes a heart.

    I can betray Jesus. Ignore Him. Live selfishly. At some point I once again recognize my desperate need for Jesus to rescue me. For the one millionth time I turn to Him. And what happens? He lifts my shame bowed head and looks deeply into my eyes. He tells me how much He loves me. That is grace. That is real. That is love. Maybe I won’t have a day quite as bad as Peter on that horrible dark Saturday but his story of redemption encourages me this Easter season.

    He is risen! He is risen for me! Jesus is pleading for me that my faith will not fail. What a joyous hope for all of us this Easter.