At the request of some friends, (thank you) I’ve decided to write down some thoughts. I would love it to be a casual way to chatter about life, and insights good or bad, nonsense and seriousness. Things I have learned, humour, bible and hopefully conversation inducing ramblings. Regular? Highly unlikely, but God willing I will do my best.
Mary Magdalene was one of the many, many people that Jesus touched as he travelled around teaching about the Kingdom of God, healing sick people, casting demons out of people and even raising some dead people to life. But for the sake of this post we will focus on Mary.
What we do know about Mary Magdalene from the bible:
Where does the label, “prostitute” come in?
One common suggestion (this one according to the BBC website):
“At some point Mary Magdalene became confused with two other women in the Bible: Mary, the sister of Martha, and the unnamed sinner from Luke’s gospel (7:36-50) both of whom wash Jesus’ feet with their hair. In the 6th Century, Pope Gregory the Great made this assumption official by declaring in a sermon that these three characters were actually the same person: Mary Magdalene, repentant saint. The Catholic Church did later declare that Mary Magdalene was not the penitent sinner, but this was not until 1969. After so long the reputation still lingers.”
Poor Mary Magdalene ended up being framed as a prostitute for centuries. There are many, many stories and images of this. Whatever way she ended up with seven evil spirits, Jesus touched her and healed her. Mary Magdalene became a devoted follower of Jesus and helped finance his ministry.
The woman that washed Jesus’ feet with her tears and her hair, and poured out her costly perfume, in the book of Luke chapter 7 was termed ‘a sinner.’ We don’t know what she had done to earn this title. However if you turn to this story, you will see the tenderness and compassion with which Jesus treated her.
God does not remember or categorize these ladies as the world has. He remembers their expressions of love towards him. He loved them first! He created them! He counted them as His beloved, and when they left this mortal planet they would have gone on to be with Jesus eternally.
So, “was Mary Magdalene a prostitute?” The more important question might be, “was Mary Magdalene a Christian?” (A Christ follower?) Yes, indeed according to scripture she was; regardless of her past.
(Romans 3:22-26)
Isaiah 55:8,9 NLT
“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord.
And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine,
For just as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So my ways are higher than your ways
And my thoughts higher than your thoughts.”
Do you have a penchant for ‘fixing things?’ Do you love to ‘be the answer’ to someone’s problem? I can say I truly love helping people. I love listening to, empathizing, supporting, encouraging and simply ‘being there,’ for others.
That sounds pretty good doesn’t it? Well I think those are nice gifts and qualities to have and employ in service for God, and yet lately God has been teaching me things like…be still…rest…wait. These words are not easy words for me and I’m sure in this society, not for many of you either.
Psalm 32:8 NLT: The Lord says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.” How cool! Then I read verse 9: “Do not be like a senseless horse or mule that needs a bit and bridle to keep it under control.” (Insert downcast face)
How many times have I read this scripture?! How many times in my ‘helping, fixing, forging on ahead’ mode have I run straight into this word picture? Many, many times. I have seen myself as a headstrong, wild, shiny black horse, who loves to be free and run full steam ahead with the wind blowing the mane, neighing crazily, across the hills and dales. Then I see myself inside a corral, prancing and snorting and occasionally kicking at the fence, like a bucking bronco… if anyone attempts an approach. Can you picture yourself like this?
The last five years have actually been a ‘taming’ process for me. The Heavenly Father teaching me, that ‘submission’ (I know…cringe) can actually be a good thing, in that one is cared for by another. Lovingly provided with food and shelter, grooming and a new purpose! Perhaps for racing! Perhaps for war! The possibilities are endless in the hands of the Lord.
Another analogy I will use to explain this situation of learning to rest that God showed me was a picture of a wee child ‘helping’ mom make cookies. “Can I help? Can I help?” It takes a patient mother to say yes to this child, knowing full well that the ‘help’ will actually slow the process down, as the small child’s hands are not strong enough to stir the batter without flinging bits on the walls, not to mention the many ‘taste-tests,’ and other various accidents throughout the process. At the end of this undertaking, we thank them for being a good helper.
Did the child have good intentions of being a good helper? Yes.
Was the child really a good helper? No.
Why? The child did not have the same understanding of baking as the adult.
I really sense that my loving Heavenly Father has said, “Sure, you can help me, Susan, if you really want to,” with the look of amusement, meaning it will take a lot longer that way, but we can do that. (again)
God led the Israelites through the wilderness by a cloud by day and fire by night, when it was time to move on. I had a thought yesterday that it would have taken even longer than forty years to reach the Promised Land if instead of ‘following,’ they ran headlong into the cloud or the fire. I’m quite sure I’ve experienced this spiritually.
When Peter voiced his doubt about Jesus going to the cross (Matt. 16:23 NLT), stemming from his limited understanding of the situation, Jesus actually said, “Get away from me, Satan! You are a dangerous trap to me. You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.”
Let us be aware that our understanding of life circumstances compared to the omniscient God, are childlike at best. Let us pray for faith to wait for His direction, and not upon our own intellect or hunch alone when moving forward in our own lives or when comforting others that are hurting. We can do damage to others if in the name of God or the Word of God we give advice to others that was unsolicited or that came out of a different place than the ‘living water’ within us that refreshes and heals.
Proverbs 3:5,6 NLT
Trust in the Lord with all your heart;
do not depend on your own understanding.
Seek his will in all you do,
and he will show you which path to take.
Footnote: Once as a girl I was (unwillingly) mixing ingredients for a meatloaf at my mother’s request in a large earthenware bowl. I found the mixing was very difficult as I tried with my small hands and scrawny arms to stir the heavy hamburger. While tilting the bowl somewhat, it suddenly shot out of my hands and sailed through the air, only to smash unceremoniously against the kitchen cupboard. It splattered to the floor in a mélange of bowl and meat. That didn’t go over well. (She thought I had done it on purpose, but I hadn’t) Regardless the mess was the same.
Many are the Afflictions of the Righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.
Psalm 34:19 ESV
“For the mountains may be
removed and the hills
may shake,
but my lovingkindness will not
be removed from you,”
says the Lord, who has
compassion on you.
“O afflicted one, storm-tossed, and not comforted,
Behold, I will set your stones in antimony,
and your foundations I will lay
in sapphires.
Moreover I will make your battlements of rubies,
your gates of crystal,
and your entire wall of precious stones.
Isaiah 54:10-12 NASB
Suffering. The bible talks a lot about suffering. Why would I talk about suffering at “the most wonderful time of the year?” you may ask. Well…Suffering is not a respecter of seasons. Bad things do happen to good people. What then? I would like to address this post to those that are in the midst of a difficult life experience at this time of year. I will share with you things I have learned, in the hope that they may bring you solace if you have found yourself in difficulty.
When/if we find ourselves in a crisis, some things to avoid:
Try to skip over the “this isn’t fair, I don’t deserve this” phase.
The blame game, “it’s got to be YOUR fault; spouse, neighbor, friend, God!” or potentially more damaging, “I deserved this.” These veins of thought are irrelevant, and will get you nowhere. Stop it quickly.
The thought of, “I give up, I can’t.” “I can’t do this, I can’t stand this, I can’t take it!” Oh YES YOU CAN – hidden in Him. Well technically, perhaps YOU really can’t, but HE really can get you through this.
Proverbs 18:10 NASB The name of the LORD is a strong tower; The righteous runs into it and is safe.
Sometimes an even greater ‘problem prolonging’ stance to take through gritted teeth is, “I can do this,” “I’ve got this,” because there really are times that you are not humanly meant to do this. This may be too ‘big’ for you. (yup even you, oh mighty warrior, and a good thing to learn) Hide in His grace & mercy. Isaiah 55:9 NIV
And the “WHY??” Not time for this right now. Your head is potentially scrambled.
Some things that will help:
Embrace the things you have been taught in church:
Be thankful. Yes thankful. Not necessarily for the crisis, but for God. For His presence. His goodness…His faithfulness. He never fails. He cannot lie. This too will pass.
Quiet down. Don’t say things you may regret later.
Turn to God first, then humans. There are times and places your current experience will take you, that even your nearest and dearest may not understand. They may try to help you by saying inappropriate things or clichés that are meaningless to you at this time. God’s words, whispered by His Holy Spirit, or found in the bible, are never empty or hurtful. Those childhood Sunday school verses that are wafting in and out of your consciousness are a gift from Him.
Read the Psalms. They are comforting.
If you are waking at night with stress, or sorrow or dread, talk to your Heavenly Father. Pray in the Spirit. Tell Him you trust Him and love Him. Pray for others. I know this may sound impossible but trust me, this is the path to healing, and spiritual growth.
Forgive everyone involved in the situation. Out loud, at once. This is an act of your will, and God will enable you to do this regardless of whether you feel like it or not. He gave us the ability to do this on the cross. Luke 23:34 NIV This will not mean what happened was right or ok. It means that you are not going to add bitterness to your poor self to carry.
Ask for prayer. Be real. There are people you can trust that will pray for you. You are not meant to be a hero in your own trauma. Galatians 6:2 NIV Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.
There is a way to ‘ride the wave of circumstance’ rather than ‘staring at it and getting slapped in the face and knocked down by it.’ It is by yielding to God within the adversity. God is good. Always. The tragedy, heartbreak, depression, anxiety, financial loss, confusion, betrayal will not separate you from the love of God. He will indeed see you through this storm, and in fact promises to make good out of it. Even if ALL seems lost.
Gen. 50:19-20 NASB
Afterwards you will be different. Better. You will have weathered the storm well, hidden in Christ. Your soul will be ‘deeper’ rather than ‘shallow.’ There is sweetness and purity that cannot be found any other place other than bottomed out, yielding to God, no matter what. This sweetness becomes living water deep within you that will be available for yourself and others to be refreshed and revived with. It is so worth it all.
1 Peter 5:10 NIV And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.
Ephesians 1:18 NIV I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance.
Yesterday I had a full day. It was a good day of good deeds, and appointments. However unexpected things happened, which found me running through downtown with new high heels, with bare feet in them. I was running back to my apartment to jump in the car and meet the next appointment on time, (or at the very least a few minutes late.) My feet by the time I reached home were feeling pretty sore. The time was also getting away with me. I ran into the building and directly down to P6 to jump into the car and off to North Van. Ouch, my feet. No time for lunch or shoe changes.
Suddenly I recalled I had a pair of ‘emergency flip-flops’ in the back for spontaneous beach excursions. A snap decision was made to take an extra 90 seconds to run to the back of the vehicle, dig them out and put them on. Hucking the high heels on the floor of the front, a smooth exit was made out of the garage, while praying for safe travels and some kind of time marvel that I would arrive there at pretty well the same time I left the garage.
My next appointment was the dentist. I had realized my dental insurance for the year, ended May 31/15 (this week) and I hadn’t used much of it, so had called their office to see if any miracle could fit my appointment in earlier than next week as booked. It worked! Now I was stuck in North Van traffic and pondering the preponderance of awful drivers in North Van as opposed to downtown. (sorry, I know others would reverse this statement.) I had called earlier to say I would be late, pulled into their FREE parking and again made a snap decision to walk into that office wearing grubby brown, worn out flip-flops, with my rather sophisticated black dress pants and silk top, to save my feet, and the dentist’s time rather than my ego.
Yes, tilted back in the dentist chair, those grubby flip-flops and red swollen toes leered at me as I tried to concentrate on the television set (with earphones) so kindly provided by the dental office. Thankful at least the swollen toes were polished, I chose to re-focus on the news, thus dimming the drill noise, and the feeling of the Hoover dam they had jammed into my mouth. (just swallow, just swallow, you won’t die)
That evening when I noticed I had a black (shoe color) open blister on my heel, I actually took the time and cleaned and dried it and applied nice soothing healing stuff before bed. Oh my! So kind to my poor little feet! It’s been many years since having a shoe blister, but in the past I would have continued to wear those sucker shoes forever, all the while the blister becoming a deep cavern of pain. (so sorry for descriptive blister talk, but really I am going somewhere with this…)
When I looked at the blister today, I noticed it was quite nicely healed considering everything, and these words came to mind, “Sometimes life wears you down. Take time for it to heal.” Originally when I had looked at the blister the usual kind of self-talk began, “what an idiot! Who does that to their feet?!” “What judgement error did I make to allow this to happen to me?!”
Do you think that every little thing that happens in life was ‘orchestrated by the Lord,’ to teach you something? I think that is close to the truth, but not truth entirely. What I have found to be true in my life and the lives of loved ones, is that in in this world, ‘stuff happens.’ Sometimes you do everything right and wrong things happen. Yes, bad things happen to good people. It rains on the just and the unjust.
After saying this we must turn to the scripture, Romans 8:28 NIV And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. That pretty well includes all of us who believe the gospel message and call ourselves Christians.
Did God cause me to buy a pair of shoes that proved to be too tight? No.
Did He cause me to have a blister to learn something? No.
Did stuff happen? Yes.
Is God present to help, comfort, heal, teach, and bring others to Christ through the things we suffer? Yes.
Every hardship that we ride out with faith brings gifts… afterwards. Do we want those gifts? We do when we don’t understand how they… may… arrive. We want the gifts of the Spirit…love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. We want many other gifts that the Holy Spirit brings. We really want them. We pray for them. We pray for them to be in our homes, in our offices and on the skytrain.
Anyway.. I digress…what I felt like God was saying to me through the blister was this…. Ready?…
Life events can wear me down, similar to my skin literally being worn off from the constant irritation of the shoe. The reason for the ‘wearing’ in this context is irrelevant. The actions I took to take care of the wound expedited the healing. Choosing to take care of my feet, rather than suffer the embarrassment of my ‘fashion faux pas’ at the dentist, was the right choice for healing. (some of you are thinking, “duh of course,” but I’m telling you, the diehard fashionistas are thinking, “you could have made it into the dental office with the cool shoes, and then had your feet up the entire time anyway! Toughen up girl!”)
Healing can come in many forms. I took the time this morning to let some emotional ‘sores’ of this past week heal. I usually do this by turning to God in prayer, reading the bible, study material or listening to worship music. Today I added sitting with my coffee and leisurely watching, “Cityline FASHION FRIDAY!” on tv. (Marilyn Dennis is even better) Then I wrote this all down to remember later.
Basically life is beautiful, blisters and all. And ‘bad stuff’ brings ‘good stuff’ afterwards if embraced rather than raged against. Stuff like love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
*Disclaimer: the word “embraced” here, does not mean “become a doormat, a yes-woman, or a wimp.” It means yield to life without always having to retaliate or be right. Stuff happens.
In Susan's Opinion 
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