Victory Dance

(by Lorie Codispoti)

I love a good victory dance!

We’ve all heard wonderful testimonies of people that have overcome incredible odds and won great battles. Victories are part of what make every story great and its heroes memorable.

When we hear the word “victory” it's typically paired with the word “over.” As in, “I’ve gained victory over ____.” (Fill in the blank.)

Victory is defined as “an act of defeating an enemy or opponent in a battle, game, or other competition.” It carries with it the idea of success, triumph, and defeat.

The ability to overcome obstacles is worth rejoicing over, but I think we inadvertently limit this gift by relegating it to the end of the story. What if we broadened the scope, to see that victory is just as attainable in the middle of our trial as it is at the end? It’s not always about gaining victory over something; sometimes victory travels alongside brokenness and defeat as we press on in our faith.

Genuine faith is realized when the battle rages. It’s when we’re in the thick of our trial that we discover victory - not in the sense of winning the battle necessarily, but in discovering Who enables, Who provides, and Who gets the credit. “Thanks be to God, who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Corinthians 15:57)

Ultimately, we will see victory overcome every obstacle; God promises that. But God also provides victories IN our difficult and trying circumstances. It’s part of the cumulative process He uses to sanctify us and draw our hearts to Him.

I know a woman who gets up every morning, and goes to bed every night, with a debilitating condition. She has battled it for years, and barring a miracle, she will continue to fight her condition until she dies. Does the fact that she battles, but has never conquered her condition mean that she will never taste victory this side of eternity? Absolutely not! In fact, if you knew how victorious her life has been, you'd be awed at the God who has enabled her to run her race with such grace that she inspires all who know her, including me.

Victory has not been relegated to the end of our story. God never placed that kind of restriction on victory, nor did He place a cap on the number of victories we can have as we "fight the good fight." Discovering this truth is liberating.

Our idea of what it looks like to be victorious boxes us into a very small frame. In reality, the picture is much bigger than that.

Did you know that the Hebrew word for a song leader is linked to the word for victory? When we lift our hearts in praise it boosts our confidence in God and strengthens our resolve. Anxiety and fear are pushed out of the way and gratitude fills the void.

It was no coincidence that God appointed worshipers to lead in battle. Victory starts at the gate and follows a warrior all the way to the finish line. When our enemy hears us singing to the only One with the power to throw “horse and rider into the sea” (part of Miriam’s song of praise in Ex.15) he does the back-step-shuffle. He knows what it means when God's children begin to sing and dance.

I may not be able to dance like I used to, but I'm still practicing my moves. I plan on singing my Savior's praises as I dance my way home. I want to be ready for the party!

Earth Day

(by Lorie Codispoti)

Earth Day marks the anniversary of the environmental movement that began in 1970. According to one article, it’s the largest secular observance in the world, with over a billion people promoting awareness and involvement. While I think recycling is a great idea, love hugging trees, and am all for saving baby turtles, the extreme politics behind the movement prevents me from supporting the majority of ideas promoted by those in this camp.

Does that mean I can’t celebrate the day? On the contrary; I think Christians should be celebrating like no one else.

Due to God’s revelation in nature, Christians have been given a unique lens. Our planet is like no other in all of creation, and the brush strokes of our Creator reveal things about Him that cultivate an awareness of an amazing Artist.

When I take time to observe the variety of mountain ranges, each with their own design and unique color pallet, I am in awe of the Designer. When I drink in the beauty of the underwater world I am inspired to cultivate a relationship with the One who created this one-of-a-kind canvas. Understanding that God masterfully planned and executed the design of this earth before sculpting mankind out of it reveals to me the loving care He had for us long before anything even existed.

While I believe that our natural world displays the evidence of God’s existence, and gives us a basic understanding of some of His attributes (Psa.19:1-3 & Rom.1:20), I do not believe that we can know God and be saved through that awareness. Author, Don Stewart puts it this way: “Any conclusions about God's character and purpose one might make from nature must be evaluated in light of what God has said about Himself and what Jesus revealed about God when He invaded history. Nature is a witness to God's might and power but it does not supply all the knowledge a sinner needs to develop a personal relationship with God. That is the job of God's written Word-the Bible.”

This year’s Earth Day theme is “Restore The Earth.”

I love this theme, but it’s not because I dance to the beat of the climate changer’s cadence. In their view, they alone have the ways and means to bring about change; believing that the power to restore lies within their hands. What they don’t realize is that their efforts are futile.

This theme is notable because it’s prophetic.

Every Christian knows that the Earth is dying. The death sentence was pronounced when sin disrupted God’s created order and turned our world upside down. (Mtt.24:35 & 1Jn.2:17) No man can fix what sin did to our world, and no man will prevent the inevitable destruction to come. And that’s good news!

This theme echoes God’s promise to restore what sin broke. (Isa.65:17-25, Rev.21:1-5, 2Pet.3:10-13)

The incarnation of Christ set in motion God’s redemptive plan and His death and resurrection secured that plan. Consider a world where pain and suffering have been removed, where there is no more crying over sickness and death, and gone forever are the consequences of living with theft, betrayal, greed, envy, murder, etc.

Another great feature of this theme is that while it points to what’s coming, it speaks to the current restoration already in progress.

When I surrendered my life to Christ, it was at that moment that He began making “all things new.” (2Cor.5:17) The work won’t be completed until Jesus comes back, but I don’t have to wait until then to see that restoration began with my salvation. Jesus said, “I am making everything new.” (Rev.21”5) That statement is in the present tense. It’s happening right now! This proclamation energizes my soul.

So go ahead and plant a tree, clean the beaches, and do what you can to save the forest animals and sea creatures - God called us to be good stewards of His creation. But, don't forget to celebrate Earth Day because of the One who created this amazing planet. He not only tasked us with caregiving, but He invited us to be an active participant in His redemptive work to restore what was stolen.

The beauty that I view from the lens of redemptive eyes is awe-inspiring, but it is veiled like velum over a masterpiece of art. The day is coming when the overlay of sin will be removed. Our lens will change again, as the radiance from the Light of the world displays a canvas of beauty that is beyond anything we can reference or imagine in our world.

Choose The Bruised Fruit

(by Lorie Codispoti)

Several bushels of peaches were in the kitchen waiting to be canned the day we arrived at my friend’s house. After lunch, her children were anxious for us to try some of the "best ones" they had picked from their orchard.

Something was strange though: The children purposely searched for and selected the bruised peaches. “Here’s one!” they declared with great enthusiasm, and they searched until they found a bruised one for each one of us.

When I questioned their mother about it later, she told me that when she was growing up "snacks" were found among the family's fruit trees. In order to prevent waste her mother convinced the children that the best peaches were the ones with bruises because they contained the sweet spots. My friend carried on her mother’s frugal tradition, and in the process taught her children to be content with what was provided. Her children had picked out the very best pieces to serve us that day and I was greatly humbled by their generosity and joy.

How often have you picked up bruised produce only to cast it aside for a more perfect piece? I’m not advocating the purchase of bruised produce, but there's a great lesson to be caught and taught here.

(Interesting fact: Up to 30 million dollars a year is lost in potatoes alone due to the damage caused from shipping and handling. The produce industry is continually looking for ways to preserve the quality of their product, from the time it leaves the field till it arrives in your hand. This is because our culture demands perfection.)

Ever heard of Esther Ahn Kim?

Esther was an upper class, Korean woman who was imprisoned by the Japanese during World War II.

Long before her imprisonment she began to feel the Lord preparing her for the prison ministry she would have as an inmate.

Though they could afford otherwise, one of the ways that Esther prepared herself for the poverty and deprivation she saw as part of her calling was to relocate with her mother and sister to the poorest neighborhood in their community. There she purchased complete lots of poor produce from the nearby market and culled through them for the edible pieces. She gave those pieces to her mother and sister while she ate what was left in preparation for the rotten food she expected in prison.

Several years later Esther was in prison, and her physical condition was deteriorating. As she lay in her cell, preparing to die, she had a strange craving. She prayed and asked the Lord to give her one, whole apple to eat.

Later that same day, Esther overheard the soldiers talking about a shipment of rotten apples that no one wanted. She asked for and received the whole shipment. Due to the condition of her teeth she would have never been able to eat a crisp, firm, ripe apple, so her heart was filled with thanksgiving for the brown, soggy apples the Lord provided especially for her that day.

Esther did not die in prison. She was physically revived enough to press on, and after the war she married a godly man. They ministered together for many years before she died in her nineties.

What are we teaching our children about contentment? About hardship? About suffering?

The apostle Paul testified in Romans 8:18, “I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” Are we learning to embrace the suffering that God allows in our lives and trust Him with the outcome?

We live in a culture that encourages us to avoid suffering at all costs. The same technique we employ in the produce department is what we teach our children - avoid the bruised fruit. Rather than choosing and embracing the bruised fruit we’ve cast it aside and labeled it “bad.” What we’ve failed to understand is that while this may be a good technique for grocery shopping, it’s not the best one for harvesting good spiritual fruit in our lives. And it certainly won't produce joy.

I heard a father instruct his children to note the marks of great Christians, not by there popularity or what they have attained in this life, but by what they have suffered for the cause of Christ. These are the lessons that build faith and produce the kind of fruit that can be harvested and shared with others.

Though most of us will never suffer the way that Esther Ahn Kim did, we will all experience a measure of hardship and watch those we love suffer.

Whenever I walk through a hard place now, I’m not interested in hearing about the lives of those that appear to have it all together. My Father has taught me to search out the bruised fruit among my brothers and sisters in Christ. Their stories are the ones that encourage me to persevere with contentment and joy.

I exhort you to spend some time walking through the orchard, searching out those whose lives have been bruised and used by God. Look for the ones who testify, “I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.” (Psalm 27:13)

Then make a pie and invite your friends over. It will be the sweetest spot in your day!

Bloom

(by Lorie Codispoti)

I’ve always loved the phrase, “Bloom where you’re planted.” It’s full of hope and it makes me smile.

Remember the story of Naomi? The book of Ruth opens with this woman grieving deeply over the loss of her husband and sons. All she has left is her two daughter-in-laws. In her love and concern for their futures, she tearfully implores them to return to their homeland, where she’s convinced their chances for a brighter tomorrow reside. As far as her own future, however, she remains broken and hopeless as she tells them, “…the hand of the Lord has gone out against me.” (Ruth1:13b) Even after Ruth chose to stay with her she remained unconsolable. They traveled to Naomi’s hometown and when the women there saw them coming they were excited. They asked, “Is this Naomi?” to which she replied, “Do not call me Naomi (which means “pleasant”), call me Mara (which means “bitter”), for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me.” (Ruth 1:20) She goes on to say that when she had left Bethlehem to follow her husband her future was hopeful, but now she was returning empty from God’s affliction.

As a bride-to-be, Naomi probably envisioned her life as one being settled in one place, raising a family, and watching generations grow up and bloom all around her. I imagine she took the seeds of all she had learned growing up in her father’s house and planted them in the rich soil of her new home. How many seasons of blooms did she enjoy? Likely many if she watched her sons grow up and get married.

But one day tragedy struck and the unexpected happened. Violence ravished the landscape of her life, ripping her roots from the soil of everything she had meticulously cultivated over the years. In an instant it was all gone. Imagine the shock - the grief - the heartache.

Transplanting is necessary.

Just as the Bible tells us there are times and seasons for everything in this life, we know there are times when God transplants us.

Personally, I like the fact that we’ve lived in the same place for several decades. I grew up in the military and by the time we got married and moved here I had moved 13 times. I can remember telling John, “I really want to be from somewhere.”

If you’ve ever worked a flower bed you know how messy and ugly everything looks when you have to get in there and thin things out. It’s hard because sometimes everything looks picture perfect, but you know that if you don’t get in there and work that bed the plants are going to crowd and choke themselves out of a space to flourish.

The same thing happens to us. Seasons change and because God is the Master Gardener, He knows what needs to take place in each one (physically, emotionally, and spiritually) in order for the soil of our hearts to be cultivated and nourished into the blooms that show off His radiance in our lives.

Do you know what I love about Naomi’s story - my favorite part? It’s at the end of the book, when Ruth gives birth to a son and the women proclaim to Naomi, “Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you this day without a close relative; and may his name be famous in Israel! And may he be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age…” (Ruth 4:14-15) This heartbroken widow, who felt like she was too old to bloom was filled with hope after God transplanted her.

Although we have enjoyed many seasons of life rooted in this location, the landscape continues to change with every season. My young self was never a fan of change, but I have learned (am still learning) to let God have His way with the soil. It’s very messy at times, as He digs in and separates me from the things I want to hold onto, but He always reminds me that while I may currently be “from somewhere,” I have not yet reached my final destination. In my forever home He will root me in a garden more beautiful than I can even imagine. And the flowers there never stop blooming where they are planted.

(Origin: While the sentiment is clear, "Bloom where you're planted." does not come from Scripture. It was derived from something a bishop wrote in the 16th century... “Truly charity has no limit; for the love of God has been poured into our hearts by His Spirit dwelling in each one of us, calling us to a life of devotion and inviting us to BLOOM in the garden WHERE He has PLANTED and directing us to radiate the beauty and spread the fragrance of His Providence.”)