LEAN. LEAK. LIVE

These three words came to my mind this morning.
I wasn't sure what at first, they meant, and decided to contemplate them for awhile to see if they had any connection. 
I think they do.

LEAN
Probably the greatest need we all have is to "lean into" Jesus.
Many times life can throw us a curveball. We don't know what to do next. Or  perhaps we might have a clue, but we need some added input.
Maybe we are going through something that has lasted in our opinions, way too long. We are ready to give up. We have no strength left. We are just plain empty.
It is often in these times that we realize we need help. That we don't have the resources, the energy, or the stamina to keep going. Life just seems unbearable.
This is the time that we have depleted our selves of everything and we finally realize that we need JESUS. 
I don't know about you but when am I going to get it through my thick skull that I really need to go to Jesus FIRST. Why is it that I think I can handle things on my own? Granted there are things I can do on my own, but when I am in the midst of a trial, whether it be a short one or the kind that lingers for years, WHY do I think I can do this without HIM?

There is NEVER a day when we do not NEED JESUS. Some days we are acutely aware of it much more than others. But what we need most is to lean into Jesus. To cling to Jesus. To trust Jesus, even when there is no answer coming to our trial. We need to be leaning into the fact that HE LOVES US like no other. That nothing happens to us that He is not aware of. That He is the ONLY ONE who can supply us with the strength, the grace we need to keep going.
Leaning into Jesus causes us to remember we are not alone. Reminds us that He is with us every step we take, every breath we breathe. He is there. He is more than willing to supply us what we need moment by moment. 
Our only responsibility is to GO TO HIM.
Sounds easy enough. We just need to do it.

LEAK
Does your life represent Jesus well? 
To be honest, sometimes I might look a little bit like Jesus, and other times, I 
look nothing like my Savior. But I truly believe we are Christ's ambassadors (2 Corinthians 5:20) here on earth. That we are to look like Him, act like Him, love like Him, extend grace like He did. We may be the only Jesus someone ever sees. 
Our lives are to LEAK Jesus. We need to look like we have been with Him. That Jesus Christ is our role model. That we imitate Him (as Ephesians 5:1). We are to live as if we are oozing the life of Jesus in our lives. 
Even when life is not fun. Even when we don't feel like it-that's a hard one. So often I want to be a brat, be concerned with only what I want. And not to have to think what might be for the better of someone else.
Jesus tho, commanded us to "Love each other as I have loved you." (John 15:12). Love unselfishly, love extending grace and forgiveness, love unconditionally. Love when you will get nothing in return. Love as Jesus does. And when we do that, when we love like Jesus, we will LEAK Jesus out into a world that desperately needs to be loved.
The way we can LEAK Jesus, maybe the best way we can leak Jesus is to be with Jesus; to spend time with Jesus. In doing that, we come away reflecting Him. That is what we are meant to do.

LIVE
When we have spent time with Jesus, when we have sought His direction, His Words, we begin to look more like Jesus.
We are to live like Jesus did. 
Thinking of others as more important than ourselves. (Philippians 2:4)
Being humble and gentle like Jesus.
Extending Grace and mercy and forgiveness like Jesus.
Having time for others. Even when its inconvenient.
Being willing to sacrifice our lives: our time, our money, our resources for others.
We are to live for Jesus.
We are to live like Jesus.
We are to live with Jesus.
We are to live in Jesus.

If we really were aware of leaning , leaking and living like Jesus, our world would look so much different.
   
  

HEATING IT UP

Oh my, its getting hot at Woodleaf!!
I realize that for my friends living in Arizona, they have been in heat for awhile now. Not "in heat" but suffering from outrageous temperatures.
Usually the days at Woodleaf in the summer, are in the 80's-which is always my favorite temperature. This week-or the first few days of it, we are inching to the high 80's. But Friday and Saturday, its going to be in the high 90's.
So what you say? Big deal. Get over it.

Oh I wish I could.
Ask my children. When they were little, if the thermometer went above 89 degrees, I was in the " NO COOKING MODE", or as Scud aptly referred to it as the " Missy, meltdown mode".  I know, its probably the only time in our 39 year relationship that he's been RUDE.
Those 90 degree plus days were our popcorn and watermelon dinners. Mostly watermelon. I think I added the popcorn to make it more attractive for Kristi.
I still do those days. Oh shoot, that reminds me, I DON''T HAVE A WATERMELON right now. BUMMER. Note to self, get one in Chico on Thursday.

So its going to be HOT. And when you live at 3100 feet elevation, the heat might seem more profound. I think of it as being closer to the sun.
This is the time when we caution-no, we actually almost demand the campers, the work crew , the Summer Staff and our camp staff, that they really really need to increase their water intake, so that dehydration doesn't become an issue.

I am going to stock up on Gatorade because as a nurse, I find it helpful to also increase your intake of certain elements and Gatorade was designed to do that. Plus, I want to bring some added boost out to our fabulous Interns that are in the sun most of the day.

I am prepared. Well, No  I'm not.  Its too hot for me in the high 90's, but you can believe that I will do everything I possibly can to make this easier. Including raising my PG&E bill by turning on the AC. Thank God for air conditioning!!

The heating up of the temperature makes me wonder what I do when the HEAT OF LIFE strikes. How do I handle the heat of stressful times? Can I prepare for those times when life seems to be going out of control? What measures can I do to prevent me from having a boil over?

Truthfully, sometimes I can handle the rising temperatures of life's battles better than I can at others. 
If I know something is on the horizon that can threaten the seismic atmosphere of my life, I can realize that I am going to need MORE TIME WITH GOD. I can pray more. I can read my Bible more. I can recruit people to pray for me and let them know what's going on.
But what about those times when we have no idea something is about to   decimate my life for a time. You know those times when you get the diagnosis you never wanted to receive. Or that pink slip that you get (which is never really pink at all). Perhaps it was the absolutely crushing blow of the news your spouse is leaving you. Or something happens to your child-whether it be drugs or a life threatening illness. Maybe a relationship has gone bad. Whatever it may be, your life has gone sideways; a way you never ever expected.

In those very difficult times when life heats up, and you think you are about to explode, or you can't take this heat; the absolutely BEST thing you can do is what I do when I know something is happening.
Why we don't always go to the LORD first is mind baffling, but eventually we will wind up going to Him, because we know we can't make it through without Him or we go to GOD in desperation and plea bargaining.
We also need,  as followers of Jesus to spend more time with Him. We need to pray and lean on Christ more. We need to be in His Word-just to know we aren't the only ones who have ever had the heat rise.
We also need to go to our friends. They will be there to pray for us, help us with actual physical needs and how well we need their emotional and physical support. A simple hug can go a long way.

As I am preparing for the heat of this weekend, I encourage you to prepare for the next battle of your life that will cause you to possibly overheat.