the pesky little tick

Walking through a dead, grassy field today, I found myself reminded of the season I spent in Georgia. "Christy...you're in Canada now...there are not ticks or snakes under these piles of brush." Spending most of my growing up years in Northern Maine, I was used to free, mostly clean and critter-free woods. Working at an outdoor day camp in the middle of a humid Georgia summer changed forever my perspective on walking in the woods. I could no longer stroll, eyes to the sky, just wandering wherever my feet took me. I had to be alert, intentional, deliberate. Danger, icky bugs, and poisonous plans lurked around every corner. Poison ivy, poison oak, poison spiders...The only question I found myself asking time and time again in the woods was..."what can I step on?"

One critter in particular which I was not over fond of was the 'tick'.
People talk about ticks and you think nothing of them until they're on you.
The worst part about a tick is that you don't always recognize its presence right away.
A tick can jump, leap or cling to you at a moment's notice and until you realize it, you're stuck with the consequences - which if not treated in a timely manner can lead to sickness and perhaps death.

The first time I heard tell of these sickening little creatures we were on a nature walk with a group of counselors - doing prep work and exploring the trails we would be taking campers on for the remainder of the summer. Our leader convinced me that as long as I sprayed just my feet and ankles with bug spray, the ticks would stay away. I believe him...until people started finding "super ticks" on their shoulders...faces...heads...and backs. ICK! How did those get there? I thought we'd prepared and cleaned ourselves up enough that we couldn't be touched! Nevertheless, the ticks found a way. I was no longer convinced that merely covering over one area of myself would prevent tick encounters.

I became obsessed with checking myself for ticks...and had at least a dozen encounters. Thankfully, none of them ever embedded in me deep enough to need medical attention. What's the scariest part about having an encounter with a pesky little tick? Well, the first part we've already explored - you don't always recognize it's there. The second and perhaps more important aspect is that once you do recognize its presence, it doesn't leave easily. A simple sweep of the hand does nothing but raise one's anxiety level in realizing this little sucker is literally stuck to them.

Hitting, patting, scrapping...none of this will remove the tick...and if the slight possibility of it actually working does occur...the tick usually quickly attached itself to the finger, hand, etc. which was sweeping it away. This doesn't make the situation any better. To remove a tick, one must squeeze the surface of the skin and pull the tick away from the skin. Sometimes we don't catch these surface dwelling ticks and they somehow bore their way beneath our skin - this requires some serious digging on behalf of a medical professional.

So why all this elaborate talk about ticks? I was reminded in the field today that ticks are sort of like the sin in our lives. Sometimes we're just walking along, uncovered, unprepared, unknowledgeable about what's around us, unfamiliar with the woods which we seek to explore - and we believe what others tell us in terms of "getting by" or "making things right". Much like ticks, sin attaches itself to our lives in such a way that we don't always notice it right away. If we leave it long enough that area of our lives will likely swell, rage with infection, and make us absolutely sick. The tick, or sin will become so engorged we won't be able to fathom how it ever got rooted beneath our skin in the first place.

Another aspect of this I realized is that sin is never easily swept off the surface - it fights, it clings, it burrows, and if we try to approach it with the naive belief that we can somehow sweep it away, it will undoubtedly attach itself somewhere else - likely the nearest exposed area it sees. Getting rid of ticks can be painful and hard work...it can be frustrating and hurtful and sometimes seem not worth the work it requires - but it's necessary. Not dealing with it will lead to rotting flesh. We need to approach the sin areas of our lives with intention, a deliberateness that is willing to pinch however hard it takes to squeeze the rotting goop out of us.

Sometimes the sin our our lives...much like an engorged tick, is so deeply rooted, that it requires the assistance of a "medical professional" or a brother/sister in Christ to support us in the situation. Christ created the "body", the "church" because we are relational people - and we need one another to function, to thrive. We are called to love and serve one another in such a way that we reflect the heart of the Kingdom, the Father's heart. "Where two or more are gathered, He is in their midst" (Matthew 18:20).

With all this said, I feel as though I need to make one final thing clear - just because ticks are around and the risk of them attaching to our lives is available daily - does not mean we are to walk around living in fear of these ticks...of sin. We need to walk boldly and confidently by the power of Christ in us, as the Bible instructs us - not in fear. When we accept Christ as our Savior, the old man is gone and we are given a new nature, created to be like Christ Jesus. This doesn't mean that "ticks" no longer exist, just that we walk with greater awareness and preparedness when we know they are around.

As Christians, we also become more accustomed and consistent in "checking ourselves" before the Lord to see if there is any sinfulness in our hearts or lives. Checking and examining oneself is vital to our spiritual health and growth, as well as uncovering those pecky little 'ticks' we didn't realize took up residence on the surface/under our skin!

fading

Fading slowly, fading fast.
Freedom, freedom, here at last.
Fading slowly, fading fast.
Freedom, freedom such a blast.
But wait...
Just one moment...
an unexpected turn...
just waiting now to crash and burn.

Breathe in.
Breathe deep.
The ship's begun to sink...
overboard you go...to the depths below.

Fading slowly, fading fast.
Why does the freedom never last?
Regrets and failures plague the mind,
Rotting a person from deep inside.
Expectations run rampant, yet the heart remains vacant...
Fading slowly, fading fast.

Thousands of questions long to know why
Why, oh why, do I ever try?
Inadequate, worthless, lonely, and still...
You lovingly hold me and calm the greatest chills.
God my God, why must this torrent rage?
Can I truly weather the storm?
Or will I fail in shame?

Purpose and process...
My heartbeat at last.
Wonder when someone will just think to ask.
How are you? Where are you?
Can I know you a bit more?
Oh friend, dear friend, we have much in store.

Created for relationship, yet alone in a crowd.
Heart full of love covered in a cloud.
Light and darkness fighting ever so hard...
to determine whose side you shall walk upon.

Aching, breaking, crying and still...
Mended, yes mended, Your Word in me stills...
the greatest of pains in this strange heart of mine...
the deepest of wounds that once chained me like a vine...
the driest of seasons where my thirst could not be quenched...
the place in my soul that so often felt wrenched.

Restore, restore...quickly Lord come!
The fountain is waiting...Your life water and blood.
Teach me Your ways, that I might know and do...
No longer fading...but rather made new.

senior class

Here's a semi-complete photo of the senior class at Bethany Bible College.
A handful of us are graduating this May, while the rest of this rowdy crew is
heading out all around the world on their 5-6 month internships!

go go going

Ever stop to catch your breath?
Ever stop to breathe in deep?
Ever stop to seek?
Ever stop to see the unseen?
Ever stop to care?
Ever stop to consider or think?
Ever stop to dare?

Go go going, it never seems to stop.
Go go going, creates a messy slop.
Go go going is not always the best.
Go go going, eliminates one's rest.

How do we rest?
How do we work hard?
How do we balance without going crazy?
How to we achieve without being lazy or obscene?
How do we seek and think and rest and be...in the midst of a culture that demands:
Go go going...

curling...

Recently I learned how to curl.
I guess I can officially say Canada is my "half home native land".
We go every Friday at school during lunchtime.
I've been twice so far, and it is a blast!!!
Shortly before this picture was taken, my team won 2-0! :)

night of worship

Last Saturday (January 30th) I had the privilege, along with my wonderful teammates (Eli, Dan, Andrew, Kaylie & Shane) of leading worship at the University of Maine at Presque Isle: UMPI. Transformations Ministries has had the vision recently of beginning a worship movement in our local area - encouraging the community to connect together, to unite as the body of Christ in worship - to spread the fire of the Holy Spirit and to see revival birthed in the North.

Saturday was the first ever Night of Worship also known as N.O.W. It was a blessing to be in the presence of the Lord and humbling to lead worship. Certain points were a battle and I struggled with my voice, but after having my throat anointed and being prayed with by the prayer team, a new boldness came over me, and we worshiped with every last ounce of energy, breath, and joy we had. I was blown away by the hearts of my teammates, selflessly pouring out their time, energy, and gifts into being a part of this night. Watching the Holy Spirit move in their hearts blessed me beyond what mere words can begin to describe - and having the Lord do a healing, cleansing work in my own heart was sweet as well.

There were moments of breakthrough during the night of worship, and I truly believe God was doing work in hearts beyond what we heard about or were able to see. I believe seeds were planted, healing work was done, restoration begun, and purpose discovered. I believe people had a love encounter with the Love of God, and will never view worship the same. I say this, not because of anything that I have done, but simply because it amazes me how when we ask the Lord to use us - how creatively, intricately, intentionally plugs us into just the right places, for such a time as this to serve Him - to advance His Kingdom - to reveal His glory!

My team will be leading a few more times this spring - so continue to pray that God will awaken our local area, and the hearts of university students to come and meet with Him - to discover the life-altering, plan disturbing Love of God - true Love - real Love - cleansing, healing, restoring, peace and joy unspeakable!

The lyrics to one of our songs have particularly struck me these last few weeks - they are from a song "To the Service":
"We will worship, like it's the last time we will...and we will worship, like it's the last time we will..."
If we gave all of ourselves to God - all the time - how much different would everyday life be? If our worship was not merely lip service - but a sacrifice of daily love? What if we knew we would never have another chance to worship God? How intense and intentional would we be that last time? It should be that way every time!