Who Moved the Fence?

Michael Yaconelli articulates this powerful story in his book, Messy Spirituality—God’s Annoying Love for Imperfect People. Chronicled during World War II, he recounts the actions of a group of soldiers and one old priest in the rural countryside of France:

“During an intense battle, one of the American soldiers was killed. His comrades did not want to leave his body on the battlefield and decided to give him a Christian burial. They remembered a church a few miles behind the front lines whose grounds included a small cemetery surrounded by a white fence. After receiving permission to take their friend’s body to the cemetery, they set out for the church arriving just before sunset.

“A priest, his bent-over back and frail body betraying his many years, responded to their knocking. His face, deeply wrinkled and tan, was the home to fierce eyes that flashed wisdom and passion. Our friend was killed in battle,’ they blurted out, ‘and we wanted to give him a church burial.’

“Apparently the priest understood what they were asking, although he spoke in very broken English. ‘I’m sorry,’ he said, ‘but we can only bury those of the same faith here.’ Weary after many months of war, the soldiers simply turned to walk away. ‘But,’ the old priest called after them, ‘you can bury him outside the fence.’

“Cynical and exhausted, the soldiers dug a grave and buried their friend just outside the white fence. They finished after nightfall. They next morning, the entire unit was ordered to move on, and the group raced back to the little church for one final good-bye to their friend. When they arrived, they couldn’t find the gravesite. Tired and confused, they knocked on the door of the church. They asked the old priest if he knew where they had buried their friend. ‘It was dark last night and we were exhausted. We must have been disoriented.’

“A smile flashed across the old priest’s face. ‘After you left last night, I could not sleep, so I went outside early this morning and I moved the fence.’”

Isn’t that truly the power of God’s grace through Christ’s death and resurrection? Jesus through taking our sin upon himself on Calvary’s cross changed the rules of the game. Those who were at one time outside the fence now are included in God’s plan of salvation. The Apostle John in one of the most famous verses in all the world says it so eloquently, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” God showers on the world that would reject his love grace upon grace through his Son, Jesus Christ. Who moved the fence? Jesus did. Why did he move the fence? Because of his love for the world. How did move the fence? By taking on himself the sins of the entire world. And what does that mean for us? If we believe in him we will not perish but live life eternal reunited with the Creator. I am so glad he moved that fence and included me in his kingdom.

Written By: B. Keith Haney

Husband for 25 years. Father of six, and Mission catalyst helping plant new churches and congregations find shepherds in Northern Illinois. All the while serving an Awesome God. You can find him on the web at http://revheadpin.org/

Life in the Wilderness

“If you’ve not been there yet, you will be”, “Everyone has a wilderness”, “It’s part of growing in God” These are just a few descriptions from others about living through a “wilderness” in their relationship with God, or even in everyday life. Yes, I have journeyed through times that I would consider a wilderness. Some of these such times were traveled with grace and it was a time of learning and growth. While in other times my human nature took control with impatience and wanting to know the end result first.

Take a moment and examine this verse with me…

Deuteronomy 2:7 (NIV)

The Lord your God has blessed you in all the work of your hands. He has watched over your journey through this vast wilderness. These forty years the Lord your God has been with you, and you have not lacked anything.

The term “wilderness” can be different for each of us. Your place of wilderness might be from an area of life that is not yet submitted to God, wilderness could be from an ongoing illness or a family member’s illness, or maybe a time when hearing God’s voice seems difficult even though we know He is still there and will never leave us or forsake us.

Wilderness does not necessarily mean we have rebelled against God as the Israelites in Deuteronomy. In the Old Testament we see David spent much time in the wilderness being prepared for a new role as king of Israel, although at the time it was unbeknownst to him. Jesus was led into the wilderness to overcome temptations. As both God and man, Jesus experienced temptations in the wilderness and defeated the enemy. In doing so Jesus became our High Priest interceding on our behalf because he experienced and overcame temptations that are common to man. Jesus understands the struggles of a wilderness journey.

Instead of focussing on the reason behind the wilderness, what can we take away from this passage about the journey through the wilderness itself?

1. The work of their hands were blessed. Even in the wilderness the Israelites were prosperous.
2. God watched over their every step. Father God knew exactly where they were, where they were going, and where they had been.
3. In the wilderness the Children of Israel lacked nothing. God provided a place for them to dwell, food and drink not just for their survival but for their to be health, and leadership so they could live in unity.

Regardless of what brought us to the wilderness, we can trust that just as the Children of Israel were blessed, watched over and provided for during their wilderness journey so are we! When the end of this wilderness journey comes we will look back and see God was leading us and guiding us day and night.

Written By: Carlie Venkler

Friends call me Carlie, my husband calls me Sweetie and our children call me Mom. I enjoy sharing God's precious words with others through blogs and journaling. If you enjoyed this devotion feel free to read more at carlievenkler.wordpress.com

Making The World A Better Place

“And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”  Luke 2:35

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For Lent each year, my three kids make their own crown of thorns out of Play-doh and toothpicks. Then, over the course of the next 40 days, they focus on trying to do kind things for others. Each time they do, they take a thorn out of their crowns. The idea is: if they are helping someone else, they are helping Jesus. Their kind actions remove the thorns that caused Him so much pain.

The other day Zack came home from school and asked if he could take two thorns out of his crown. I asked him what he had done to help others. He explained that during recess, he had retrieved Brock’s tennis ball twice when it went out of play.

I am calling this boy “Brock” to protect the “not so innocent.” The “backstory” is: Zack has been friends with two other kids for years. Last August, Zack and I were thrilled to find out that his two friends were placed in his fifth grade class this year. Consequently, it has been a great school year since… up until a few months ago.

This classmate Brock decided that he didn’t like Zack. He has spent every recess since winning Zack's two friends over, and excluding Zack from whatever game they are playing that day. Zack and I have spent hours talking about it, crying about it, and strategizing how to respond to it all. It’s one of those difficult situations that, unfortunately, so many kids go through. It’s also one of those situations where there’s no guidebook for how involved I should be. So I have been leaving it up to him to call the shots.

When Zack told me about retrieving the tennis ball, I had a glimmer of hope that perhaps they were now including him in the game. When I asked him, he said no. Yet again, Brock wouldn’t allow Zack to play with them.

His answer was like a knife to my heart. How dare this kid steal my son’s friends, exclude him from recess games, and then use him as a gopher?! The mama bear in me rose up and wanted to knock this Brock kid into next week! When I shared my indignation with Zack, telling him that he doesn’t have to be anyone’s servant, his response was, “But he didn’t ask me to do it. I did it to be nice.” My sweet, innocent son.  Although I am in awe of his giving heart, I still so desperately want to protect it.

I have NO idea how Mary and Jesus did it! HOW did Mary stand by and watch her Son suffer the way He did? HOW did Jesus’ heart not shatter into a million pieces when one friend betrayed Him, another friend denied Him, and all but a few completely abandoned Him when He needed them most? Moreover, HOW did He forgive every single one of them, and still continues to forgive us when we do the same things?

What impresses me most is that Zack’s focus was more on helping others, than it was on himself. His concern was more about easing Jesus’ pain, than easing his own. Despite the fact that the mama bear in me is still growling for revenge, I need to recognize that Zack is the one in the right, not me. Although I will continue to be vigilant, coaching him so he doesn’t become anyone’s doormat, I also have to remember that all that Mary and Jesus went through had a purpose. They knew and lived out the fact that the only way to heal this broken world is through forgiveness and love. I need to put my own pain and indignation aside, and follow right alongside my little “peace maker” as he too makes this world a better place.

Written By: Claire McGarry

Claire McGarry is a mom of three young children, and the founder of MOSAIC of Faith: a ministry through which she offers evening retreats and monthly groups for moms, service projects for kids, and a weekly mommy-and-me program. She posts weekly at “Shifting My Perspective” where she writes about how Scripture always helps her to see the gifts in the midst of the challenges of motherhood and life in general. You can visit her blog at www.shiftingmyperspective.com.