There are many places in the world that have a delicate, beautiful smell come spring. With all the blossoms popping up and people out cutting grass, there’s a part of us that awakens after a long winter’s sleep. Well, in Alaska, we certainly wake up after a long winter’s sleep, but the smell isn’t always so beautifully delicate. We usually have three seasons: winter, break up, and summer. Each season has its own footwear – snow boots, break up boots, and flip-flops (our feet have to breathe at least once a year). Break up is the smelliest of the entire year – even taking into account when we shed the boots for summer.
When you have animals, break up is especially smelly. Not only do we have melting snow, but then there’s the thick layer of ice that has to thaw. We’re a muddy mess for a good month or two – and that can be extended when it decides to rain or snow and then freeze and then thaw… again and again and again. Going out to do any yard work or poo-patrol is accompanied with squishy, suction-y noises that only seem to make the smell worse. We have two dogs in the family; one belongs to our teenager and the other belongs to me.
We try to share the responsibilities with the dogs. Poo-patrol is the one we hate the most. Especially at break up. We recently had a few sunny days in a row, nice breeze flowing through, and I worked up the courage to tackle my half of the yard (I got to pick the half since I went out to work on it first. It pays to not procrastinate!) As I was working on poo-patrol, I was reminded of the Doberman Brownie story that my husband told during his youth pastor days. It’s a fairly popular story, but here it is:
A teenager wanted to go to a movie and asked his dad if he could go. The dad, in turn, asked what movie, what it was rated, and what it was about. The teen told him a little about it and said that it didn’t have much bad in it; just a tiny bit of language and such, so it really wasn’t a big deal. The dad responded with, “Let me think about it.” The day of the movie came and the dad surprised his son with some freshly made brownies. You know the kind: warm, flaky on the top and a tiny bit gooey on the inside. The teen was drooling, but as he reached for a piece, the dad gave a warning: “Just so you know, there’s a tiny bit of dog poo in there… it’s not a lot, and it’s not really a big deal but it’s still in there.”
I’ve been wrestling with myself lately when it comes to what I tend to “mix in”. Have you ever noticed that when a prayer isn’t answered the way we want or when we want, we immediately start thinking about an area we know that we’re not measuring up in? Or when something doesn’t go the way we envisioned – it must be something I did wrong… Something didn’t happen because I didn’t do my part. I feel as though I need to go back to the beginning; re-learn some things that is so essential for a life of peace.
“But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions – it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2:4-9 (NIV)
I’m not opposed to doing the right thing, trying to be a good person, and doing good works. I marvel at the individuals around me who have dedicated their lives to furthering the kingdom and they don’t seem to even break a sweat. One friend of mine in particular is actively involved in a recovery program that helps individuals overcome addictions in a Christ-centered way. That same friend is also part of a prison ministry team, volunteers at a local crisis pregnancy center, and is active on the church ministry team. And she does it so effortlessly!
My friend works hard, always putting in 100% of herself for all of her endeavors. But it’s not work for her, but rather joy. Our work, as Christians, should mirror what Jesus tells us it should be. Jesus says,
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30 (NIV)
Our work is our yoke. What is a yoke? If you were to look it up, you would find that a yoke is a type of harness used for two animals; typically for plowing and such. Normally, the weight is evenly distributed. Can you imagine having two rookie oxen learning how to carry and work under the yoke? It would be madness! That’s why the young are usually trained by being yoked together with a more seasoned ox. This is a pretty accurate picture of how it is to be yoked together with Christ. The well-seasoned ox carries the load, trains the young ox, and the young ox gets to share in the joy of a job well done. Did the young ox actually do anything other than walk with the seasoned ox?
We get the amazing grace of having Jesus carry the yoke that we don’t even feel the weight of! We get to walk with our Creator, learn from Him, and see the fruit of His labor. The yoke that He carries is described in Isaiah 53…
“Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” Isaiah 53:4-6
The yoke Jesus carries for us is the weight of our sorrows, our infirmities (physical and mental weaknesses), our transgressions (breaking His Law), and our iniquities (immoral behavior). Everything that separated us from a relationship with God – all that we could never carry – He took the load! The Bible doesn’t say that we will never mess up again after becoming yoked with Jesus, but we’re never supposed to be held down by the weight of the guilt and condemnation that used to accompany it! Praise the Lord!
Not everyone is called to be a pastor. Not everyone is called to be a worship leader. There’s even dozens of other options that may not be what we’re called to do. While I admire the beautiful things my friend does, I know that I’m not called to do the same. I have my own calling and it’s not work to me, but joy! When we do what God has laid on our hearts to do, it will be a work of joy and peace and rest! Jesus poured sweat – He bled – so that we wouldn’t have to. I’m washed in His blood, not my own.
I want to break up. Break up from being so used to the “mixing in” of my own blood and sweat and tears to gain my salvation. I want to break up with the part of me that is self-condemning. I want to, freshly, take on the yoke that Jesus suffered dearly to carry… just so we could have a chance to walk together. Only when we break up with the old can we take on the new.
“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.” Isaiah 43:18-19 (NIV)
The former is all about saving ourselves through our own good works – we could never do it. We would always be wondering if we had slipped up in some way. But Jesus did a new thing! He never sinned, and He didn’t just take one or two sins. He became sin. He became everything that we were so that we could become everything that He is.
“For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.” II Corinthians 2:15 (NIV)
Let’s break up with our past. Break up with toiling to measure up. Break up with doing and start being. In this, we can be a Christ-like aroma during a season that is usually pretty smelly.