Charisa Stories

Category: Uncategorized

  • Putting On This Lens Changes Everything!

    Putting On This Lens Changes Everything!

    The grand kids love the spectacular optical effects of 3D movies. They feel like they can reach out and touch the images floating right in front of them. It takes sophisticated film techniques and amazing creative talent to produce these stunning results. But there is one component that is essential to seeing all of the beauty, magic and wonder of a 3D film. A special pair of glasses that cost a few pennies make the millions of dollars of 3D production come to life.

    IMG_6945

    During one spectacular nature scene we were surrounded by a flock of birds. We fought the instinct to duck as they came flying right at us. Then I took off the glasses and the magic was gone. The image was blurry and flat. There was nothing special about the images without the 3D lens.

    There is another lens we can put on that changes everything. It is the lens of grace. The lens of grace doesn’t cost even a few pennies. That ability to see others as Christ sees us was paid in full on the Cross. This  lens is completely free and always available. When we put on the lens of grace we can see the beauty, magic and wonder in a world that often seems blurry, angry, and confused.

    When I put on the lens of grace I see my relationship with Jesus in full and guilt free clarity. I see Jesus standing at my side and explaining that I am completely changed. I see Him telling me that my sins are forgiven and I can quit relitigating past mistakes. I see Him explaining to me that all of those things that used to be true about me are no longer true. I see Him repeating that, because I tend to nod my head without really believing it. Jesus explains to me that no matter what the accuser might say, those things that used to define me are dead and buried at the Cross. I see Jesus telling me that I have the Holy Spirit to comfort me and provide an unshakable source of strength.

    He reminds me gently that I don’t have to grit my teeth and try harder to win favor and please Him. He tells me for the ten thousandth time that sin does not have power over me anymore. And I see His demeanor being just as patient and kind as the first time He told me that truth.

    And putting on the lens of grace changes how I see others in remarkable ways. Looking through that lens reminds me that I am the Prodigal son who bowed before the Father with nothing to other.

    Yet the Father ran to forgive me when I acknowledged my sin and need. While I was still dirty and clothed in filthy garments of sin, I was forgiven, accepted, justified, and wrapped in the robe of righteousness. I was no longer condemned. Satan would have me forget that the robe of righteousness is wrapped lovingly around me. The author of lies reminds me (constantly) that I still wear dirty clothing. He suggests that I don’t deserve to wear the robe until I clean myself up. That is the power of this story. The robe of righteousness is never earned. It is a gift of  grace. Even on my worst day the Father wraps me up in this precious garment because of His Son, Jesus.

    How differently I would live if I remembered that truth every day. I am a saint. I am wrapped in the robe of righteousness. I am a new creature who is forgiven, accepted, and cloaked in this incomprehensible gift of grace. Even in my failure Jesus loves me anyway and just as much.

    The more I understand the depth of grace the more I am compelled to give grace generously and freely 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. Through the lens of grace I seek to understand instead of condemning. I see those irritating people as children of God seeking the same dose of love and grace that I need everyday. And yes, the lens of grace keeps me from hating those who oppose me and allows me to pray for them.

    The lens of grace reminds me of my mission.

    My life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—
    the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God. (Acts 20:24, NLT)

    The lens of grace changes everything. I just need to remember to put them on.

    (Parts of this article were excerpted from Waking Up Slowly: Spiritual Lessons from My Dogs, Kids, Critters, and Other Unexpected Places)

  • Watch for Postcards from God

    Watch for Postcards from God

    What if we are stubbing our toes on the sacred every day and not realizing it?

    That is one of the taglines promoting my book Waking Up Slowly. The book suggests that we are the most connected culture in history but arguably the most disconnected from the awareness of God’s presence. I examine twenty-one different attitudes and actions that cause me to miss the sacred moments that I believe can be found in every day.

    But like the believers of the early church at Galatia I have an amazing ability to forget what I have learned (and written). Paul could have addressed this to me in recent weeks.

    You were running the race so well. Who has held you back from following the truth? It certainly isn’t God, for He is the one who called you to freedom. (Galatians 5:7-8, NLT)

    I run along smoothly for a day. Sometimes two. Then I forget who I am. Not my actual name. I generally can recall that. I forget who I am in Christ. I forget that God has my back and my future. I fret about silly things. The answer to Paul’s question about who has held me back from the truth is simple and convicting. That would be me.

    And then I get a postcard from God in the most unexpected way.

    During our annual beach trip to Gulf Shores, Alabama I was wading in the Gulf with daughter-in-law Holly and almost two-year-old Madeline. Nestled in her Mom’s arms she giggled when the waves crashed around her. Suddenly we heard this frightening bombshell from Madeline.

    “Paci…wawa!”

    Her beloved pacifier had fallen into the Gulf. Parents and Grandparents know this moment of abject panic and Madeline was predictably unhappy. I began frantically searching for it but Holly assured me there was a backup and a backup to the backup at the house.

    I decided to go to edge of the surf anyway and see if it might wash ashore. Nothing. A few minutes went by and I gave up the search. I walked a few yards down the beach and explained the story to our neighbors.

    “If you happen to see a pacifier wash up on the beach you can be the hero of the week! We are in the yellow house over there.”

    They laughed and we chatted a bit more. I started to leave with this line.

    “If Jonah’s whale spits up the pacifier let us know.”

    As I turned to rejoin the family I looked down. To my sheer amazement I saw  this incredible sight two feet from my two feet.

    Pacifier

    I am not proud of my reaction.

    “I think that is her pacifier,” I said knowingly as if pacifiers routinely roll in with the tide and I had to double check to make sure this one was hers. The couple was amazed. A young man in his twenties had been listening to the exchange and he responded with the most honesty.

    “How the H*** did that happen?”

    I just laughed. I had an idea that God had just sent a postcard to his forgetful child in the most playful way. I had written from Psalm 139 that God knows everything about me. That He is everywhere I am. And that God ordains everything about me.

    What are the odds of a pacifier depositing itself two feet from me on the beach several minutes after it went in the drink? By the way, the current was very strong that day. I know it is possible. I know that some will write it off to coincidence. I am choosing to believe that a loving Father decided to have some fun with His child. The God who created the Heavens and earth can no doubt direct a little piece of plastic to a predestined destination. I don’t mean to compare my little water miracle to the deliverance of the children of Israel but I can proclaim His greatness.

    “Who is like you among the gods, O Lord—
    glorious in holiness,
    awesome in splendor,
    performing great wonders?  (Exodus 15, NLT)

    You should have seen the look on Holly’s face when I returned with the treasure. Even better was the joy on Madeline’s countenance. She may not get the theology yet but she sure understands gratitude.

    Call it luck if you wish. I call it something else. A postcard from God.

    Join me on a journey to become more connected to God and one another.

  • Jesus Message about Children was Revolutionary

    (This is an excerpt from my book Waking Up Slowly. I don’t care how pundits, politicians, and propagandists cherry pick the words of Jesus to support their side. I do care about how the radical rabbi viewed these precious children. His teachings rocked the culture. They still should.)

    Jesusloves

    Jesus had some subversive teachings about children and women. We forget how revolutionary His message was in that culture. Children were viewed as expendable. In his book When Children Became People: The Birth of Childhood in Early Christianity, historian O. M. Bakke details Jesus’ radical teaching among the people of His day. An infant boy was not named until the eighth day, and an infant girl was not named until the ninth day, enough time for parents to decide if they wanted to keep their child. Those less fortunate infants, ones who were deformed or just happened to be girls, would often be killed or left to die of exposure. Bakke makes a compelling case that civilization changed because of a radical rabbi’s actions in moments like this from Mark’s Gospel account:

    One day some parents brought their children to Jesus so he could touch and bless them. But the disciples scolded the parents for bothering him. Mark 10:13, NLT

    I always read this through modern eyes. The kids were just annoying the  grown-ups. Go somewhere else and play!

    But the real truth is that the adults believed those children had no right to be there.

    When Jesus saw what was happening, he was angry with his disciples. He said to them, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children.” Mark 10:14, NLT

    Some translations say Jesus was indignant. As a general rule, I would prefer that Jesus feels neither angry nor indignant toward me. Here comes the good  part and I like the way The Message describes the scene.

    “Don’t push these children away. Don’t ever get between them and me. These children are at the very center of life in the kingdom. Mark this: Unless you accept God’s kingdom in the simplicity of a child, you’ll never get in.” Then, gathering the children up in his arms, he laid his hands of blessing on them. Mark 10:13-16, MSG

    We can’t comprehend how radical Jesus’ words were to the people hearing them. This was a remarkable declaration of value. Children were truly disenfranchised in the Roman and pagan culture. Unwanted babies were left in public places as “unclaimed things,” which could legally be claimed by whomever might want the child for whatever purpose. The child could become a slave, a play companion for another child, or a prostitute. Another could be mutilated, then sold for begging purposes. A Roman father could sell his son three times before he was declared free. Children were even treated as pets. Some children were loved and educated, but many, if not most, were kept simply for entertainment or gratification. This is uncomfortable to write about, but it helps to clarify how truly revolutionary the teaching of Jesus was and why the establishment hated Him so much. Jesus truly upset the “good old boy” system of both the pagan and religious cultures.

    It is heartbreaking that our culture still does not take the words of Jesus seriously enough about the value of children and our responsibility to instruct and protect them. To be sure, children are born with a sin nature. But they are also born without prejudice, bigotry, and classism. They are unimpressed by status and wealth. We adults teach them those things by our words, our lives, or our indifference.

    Excerpted from Waking Up Slowly

  • A Tribute to My Leader of the Band

    A Tribute to My Leader of the Band

    Dan Fogelberg was a gifted songwriter who wrote “Leader of the Band”.  Fogelberg’s father was a musician and he passed that talent down to Dan. Parts of the lyric made me think of my own dad in his final years..

    The leader of the band is tired and his eyes are growing old
    But his blood runs through my instrument and his song is in my soul

    I thank you for the kindness and the times when you got tough
    And, papa, I don’t think I said ‘I love you’ near enough

    My dad knew how much I loved him. Still I wish I had told him more. But this is the portion of the song that continues to impact me as his son.

    My life has been a poor attempt to imitate the man
    I’m just a living legacy to the leader of the band

    Paul Burchett was a wonderful, kind, loving, and flawed man. I have the flawed part down. I hope I am learning to live out his legacy of joy, kindness and love that he modeled so well. I realize with each passing year how much the leader of the pack impacted me. Every dad impacts the lives of their children. Children sporadically listen but they always watch.

    Only with the perspective of age and life experience can I begin to comprehend what this man accomplished. Born in the dirt poor Appalachian hills of Kentucky, he never achieved higher than an eighth grade education. Yet he became a career success in corporate management by having a Masters in Common Sense and a Doctorate in Kindness.

    Perhaps he couldn’t help me with calculus or composition but he taught me that all of God’s children are to be valued. That everyone is important and deserves to be treated with dignity.

    He taught me the concept of grace. When I was in junior high I somehow manage to establish “credit” at a hobby store. I ran up a debt that was monumental in those days. When my dad found out I was terrified. But he taught me that grace means unmerited forgiveness for obvious guilt. He taught me what forgiveness looks like and what it means for someone to pay for your mistakes when it is undeserved. I got a little foretaste of how Jesus would pay a debt for me that I could not pay later on in my life.

    He taught me that humor is a gift from God. That laughing at life and especially at your self makes it a whole lot easier to deal with daily frustrations.

    He was not perfect. Like all men he made mistakes but even in failing he taught me valuable lessons. He modeled with his humility and deep contrition the wisdom written by the Apostle Peter.

    Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins.
    1 Peter, 4:8, NLT

    My Dad taught me it was okay to say “Forgive me” and “I’m Sorry”. God’s Word consistently paints an image of God as our Father. Many people struggle with that picture because they can only relate to an angry, dominating or distant father. I thank God that I was blessed with a father who gave me a clear image of how I can relate to God as my Heavenly Father.

    My friend Bart Millard of MercyMe sings a powerful song about seeing his dad when he makes it home to Heaven some day.

    I’m gonna wrap my arms around my daddy’s neck, and tell him that I’ve missed him. And tell him
    All about the man that I became, and hope that it pleased him. There’s so much I want to say,
    There’s so much I want you to know.

    When I finally make it home. When I finally make it home.

    I am so grateful that I had a dad that helped me to understand the real love of a father and what it means when God says I am His child.

    How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!
    And that is what we are!  –1 John 3:1

    That is what we are! A child of God. Even if your earthly father fell short I pray you can believe that amazing promise today.

  • The Outrageous Extravagance of Grace

    prodigal

    This line from poet Nancy Spiegelberg may be the most indicting summary of my misunderstanding of grace for decades.

    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.

    One of the most compelling illustrations of God’s extravagant grace is the story of the Prodigal Son. The son rebelled, sinned, and suffered the horrible consequences of his actions. The son realized his sin and in humble desperation decides to throw himself on the mercy of his father, believing he had lost all his privileges of being a son.

    But nothing had changed for his father. It reads like a Hollywood story of tear-jerking redemption. A child who is lost and hopeless. A father who never quits believing in and loving his son. The son trudging toward an uncertain homecoming with eyes downcast. Hearing a commotion down the path that sounds like distant shouts of joy. Is it a party at the home that was once his? Then the sound of sandals pounding on dirt causes the lost son to look up. What he saw was one of the most remarkable grace stories in history.

    And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son.’

    “But his father said to the servants, ‘Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet. And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with a feast, for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’ So the party began.

    Luke 15:20-24

    The father placed the finest robe on his wayward son, most probably his own. The robe that was worn on the most special of occasions. The custom would have been for the son to bathe, don clean clothes, and then put on the robe. But in a stunning gesture of compassion, the father placed his robe over his son’s filthy garments. What a gift of unconditional acceptance. Brokenness and all hope of self-salvation stripped away. We all fall on grace when we are completely honest with our hearts.

    The story is the same today. The Father ran to forgive me when I acknowledged my sin and need. While I was still dirty and clothed in filthy garments I was forgiven, accepted, justified, and wrapped in the robe of righteousness. I was no longer condemned. Satan would have me forget that the robe of righteousness is wrapped lovingly around me. The author of lies reminds me (constantly) that I still wear dirty clothing. He suggests that I don’t deserve to wear the robe until I clean myself up. That is the power of this story. The robe of righteousness is never earned. It is a gift of grace. On my worst day the Father wraps me up in this precious garment because of His Son Jesus.

    How differently I would live if I remembered that truth every day. I am a saint. I am wrapped in the robe of righteousness. I am a new creature who is forgiven, accepted, and wrapped in this incomprehensible gift of grace. Even in my failure Jesus loves me anyway and just as much.

    Life gives me sadness, loss, and loneliness, but when I trust Jesus I have hope in the darkest storm. It is hard to live in a community of grace. Legalism is so much easier than grace because it allows me to assess the situation and apply a verse or assign a task. If that person rejects that biblical admonition or task, then legalism allows me to withdraw because he or she is disobedient. Grace does not give me that option. Grace demands that I move toward the struggle of my brother or sister and not away in judgment. No wonder grace is a tough sell!

    Grace wears me out and lifts me up. Grace is frustrating and exhilarating.  My old nature screams that people who make bad decisions over and over get what they “deserve.” They don’t “deserve” to be pursued and loved and restored. They made their bed—now let them lie in it. But there is a small quiet voice in my heart that tells me that they have value. That they are loved by their Creator. And that voice asks who am I to decide who “deserves” anything?

    Would you open the outrageous gift of grace and accept it as a mind blowing outpouring of love from a Father who delights in you? Whenever you feel sad, unworthy, stressed, angry, frustrated, or unloved, return to that open gift of inexhaustible grace. And bring a bucket this time.

    Taken from Waking Up Slowly by Dave Burchett copyright © 2017. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.

  • Busyness is NOT next to Godliness!

    Busyness is NOT next to Godliness!

    Regular consumers of my humble ramblings know that I love to use song lyrics as a springboard to spiritual meditations. A song from the country group Alabama hit home during a hectic week.

    I’m in a hurry to get things done
    Oh I rush and rush until life’s no fun
    All I really gotta do is live and die
    But I’m in a hurry and don’t know why.
    It seems those lyrics describe the norm for many of us. Especially the life’s no fun part when we are crazy busy. Slowing down was a big part of my motivation in writing Waking Up Slowly. Here is an excerpt about the danger of busyness from the book.

    Letting our busyness get in the way of our relationship with God shows how out of balance we let our schedules become. Nowhere in Scripture will you find this command.

    Be busy and know that I am God.

    Our busyness does not please God. Our faith pleases Him. And we can’t have faith and trust in someone we are too busy to know. David wrote this timeless truth in Psalm 46.

    Be still, and know that I am God. (Psalm 46:10)

    Mark Buchanan puts this into great perspective. “One of the most convicting things I have recently come to realize about Jesus is that He was never, not once, in a hurry.”

    Jesus didn’t hurry to the side of Lazarus when He got word that his dear friend was sick. He didn’t feel the need to drive himself to exhaustion to answer questions, teach and preach.

    Then, leaving the crowds outside, Jesus went into the house. (Matthew 13:36)

    It is instructive that Jesus withdrew from the crowd (and the obligation most of us would have felt) to teach His disciples. The most important thing for Jesus was to prepare His disciples and not to “friend” several hundred people on FaceScroll. Clearly it was valuable for Jesus to be teaching the crowds. But His relationship to His ministry “family” trumped the public gathering priority.

    Jesus gave us another example of priorities with time.

    Immediately after this, Jesus insisted that his disciples get back into the boat and head across the lake to Bethsaida, while he sent the people home. After telling everyone good-bye, he went up into the hills by himself to pray. (Mark 6:45-46)

    Jesus understood that He must say no to people who really wanted His attention in order to spend time where it mattered most. This passage follows the miraculous feeding of the 5,000. I would have hung around for hours to soak up the praise and accolades. But Jesus knew what He needed in that moment. Time with the Father.

    These passages are instructive. We need to know when to say no. I don’t think that these verses are in Scripture as filler. Busyness does not define worth and being a schedule martyr does not make you more godly.

    My personal belief is that one of the biggest and most damaging mistakes that the church makes with new believers is not teaching clearly and continually what happens when you put your faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. It seems that we too often get young Christians immediately into studies and activities.  We subtly (or in my own experience, not so subtly) program them to believe that growth is about doing more right things. That righteousness somehow requires busyness for Jesus. We imply that change can only happen when you are trying hard and being disciplined for God. The truth is that a dramatic change has already happened when you make that faith commitment to follow Jesus. Let’s just hit the highlights.

    • Scripture tells you that you now have a new identity.
    • You are literally a new creation.
    • You have imputed righteousness of Christ.

    That is a nice theological term that simply means that God sees you as righteous because of your relationship with Jesus. That’s it. Nothing you have done or ever will do earns that righteousness. It is a gift of grace.

    You are changed completely when you trust Christ. The trick is living out of that truth. I don’t have to grit my teeth, try harder, and be more busy to win favor and please Him. When I trust Him and let God love me I will please Him. My faith and trust is what pleases Him according to God’s Word.

    So let’s disabuse ourselves today of the notion that busyness is somehow related to godliness. Follow the example of Jesus and prioritize your schedule for quiet time with God and quality time with the most important people in your life. Life just might become a little more fun!

    Learn ways to become more connected to God and others...

  • No Condemnation Here…

    No Condemnation Here…

    I wrote Stay: Lessons My Dogs Taught Me about Life, Loss, and Grace during and after the cancer journey of my canine friend Hannah. She was a remarkable companion and I realized from her how much dogs can teach us about life. One of her sweetest characteristics was a total lack of condemnation no matter how selfishly I might behave toward her. Condemnation seems to be the starting point for disagreements in our angry social media world.

    I can carry that over into my journey with Jesus. When I trip and fail to live out the truths I espouse my first reaction is that God must be disappointed. Surely a Holy God would condemn such actions. The Apostle Paul wrote that is not the case. Here is an excerpt from Stay on that topic.

    Paul talks about no condemnation from an eternal perspective. It is the passage that contains a verse that has already played a role in this journey.

    I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. I love God’s law with all my heart. But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin. So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.
    Romans 7:21–8:2, emphasis added

    No condemnation. None. Nada. Zip. What part of no do I not understand? Yet we have a hard time believing that truth. Surely there must be some condemnation from God. It doesn’t make sense. I mean, look at how I blew it again. How can Jesus let me skate on that? Of course there are consequences to sin and bad decisions. But we need never compound that with shame and guilt that causes us to hide from the One who can keep us from making another bad choice.

    Maybe this is one more way that our canine friends can be breathing role models of grace. Hannah could be the poster puppy for no condemnation. Nothing that I do causes her to abandon me. No selfish act on my part drives her away. She is incapable of condemnation. I can ignore Hannah. Snap at her. Refuse her nuzzles. And then when I call her name, she runs to me with the undignified abandon of the father to his prodigal son.

    Hanna 0541 better-1

    What an example of forgiving grace!

    Because we are God’s beloved children, Jesus is incapable of condemning us. I know that those who fear that Christians will take advantage of grace push back against statements like that with varying levels of civility. Doug Kelly once mused that “If you want to make people mad, preach law. If you want to make them really, really mad preach grace.” Again, let me be clear. Sin has consequences, and they can be ugly. God allows those consequences to play out in order to teach us tough lessons. But I am convinced of this. He never condemns me because condemnation is the antithesis of grace.

    Taken from Stay by Dave Burchett copyright © 2015. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.