Abide

I love all 90's sitcoms but definitely one of my favorites is Full House. Except for the hunky Uncle and the comical Joey and the fact that I have a Dad and Mom, the show really mirrored my life. Much like the show I had two sisters and just like Stephanie Tanner, I too was the middle child. 

           

Whenever I meet people I share that I have two sisters, one older and one younger. The immediate response is usually 'Oh, middle-child?' as if to say, "oh are you needy and starved for attention?"  I never saw myself as one that struggled with "middle child syndrome" (MCS) Thank God I had very attentive parents who were always border line obsessed with me and my sisters, that I can honestly say I never felt less loved by my parents.

I am sure we all have found ourselves in the same place as Stephanie Tanner in this clip. Maybe not dealing with the MCS but dealing with feeling left out or maybe just overlooked. We have all been at one time not invited or forgotten. Many of us have watched as people less talented have received position we knew we would be better for. We have all had a Stephanie Tanner moment "Excuse me, did any one hear me say I WENT TO MARS." 

In these times we feel undervalued and invisible, we have all been there. 

I have been learning in this season it is not so much about me feeling left out as much as it is about me not leaving Jesus out. 

Am I involving Jesus in my day to day? Am I bringing Jesus up in my conversations? Am I telling others about Jesus? Am I leaving Jesus out?

Do not get me wrong, Jesus is not a Stephanie Tanner, He is not starved for attention and He is definitely not trying to rub anything in our face for the times we have not involved Him. What I am saying is my focus needs to change from worrying about my own involvement to exploring ways of involving Jesus. 

The story of Jesus must be told, who better than us to share it? Who can share our story better than us? Who is tell about what Jesus did for me better than me? 

Let's read John 15...

John 15

English Standard Version (ESV)

I Am the True Vine

15 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.3 Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. 7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. 9 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. 10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. 11 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.

12 “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15 No longer do I call you servants,[a] for the servant[b] does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. 17 These things I command you, so that you will love one another.
The Hatred of the World


18 “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20 Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. 21 But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me. 22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have been guilty of sin,[c] but now they have no excuse for their sin. 23 Whoever hates me hates my Father also. 24 If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin, but now they have seen and hated both me and my Father. 25 But the word that is written in their Law must be fulfilled: ‘They hated me without a cause.’

26 “But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me. 27 And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning.




You see our identity is not found in our birth order, job, or even our accomplishments. Our identity is found in that fact the fact that we are a branch a part of the True Vine.

Our identity or role is now being 'involved' with the Vine (God).

Our role is sharing with others what Vine we are a branch of.

Our role as disciples is talking and sharing with others about our Rabbi, our Leader.

The less we focus on ourselves, the more we focus on the Vine, the more fruit we will bear. The more fruit we bear the more opportunity Jesus has to be involved, and the more we involve Him. The more we involve Him, the less we worry about not feeling involved, hello Stephanie Tanner.




We were chosen by God and loved by Him.

We have a beautiful invitation to abide in Him. There is a beautiful promise of abiding in Him, that He will abide with us.

All of a sudden we are the awkward middle schooler that gets invited to the popular table for lunch.

If we change our mindset and our dreams to be focused on His glory and His kingdom we find another promise 'ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you."

"16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. 17 These things I command you, so that you will love one another."

My favorite ending verse "26 “But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me. 27 And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning."

We have a Helper in the Holy Spirit!! 

I pray today for all those struggling with feeling left out or unimportant that you will speak over yourself today the truth given in John 15 

-I will abide in Him, because He desires to abide with me

-I am chosen by God

-I am loved by God

-I will love because He has loved me

-Because He loves me, He prunes me, so I can bear fruit

-I have the Holy Spirit as a Helper, I am not alone, I am not left out

-I am not Stephanie Tanner (this last one is a joke)

On a comical note the Huffington Post, captioned this photo as the 'moment he realized he is now the middle child'

Thankful this is not us, we are our own branch a part of the True Vine. 

The Google version of me

Identity


November the month I start dreading mid October. Why you ask... it's the annual celebration of my birth.

I sincerely love life, I love my God, my family and friends. I thoroughly enjoy daily life, I enjoy my job, my activities and love my church. Every year without fail, the last week of October I wake up in panic.


"Oh noooo, my birthday is coming!"

          "How was that a whole 12 months?

                            "Who am I?"

                                      "What have I accomplished this year?"


Then I usually quickly jump out of bed to escape the pity party taking place in my mind.




On one slow day in the office I decided to google myself.

    I thought to myself what would someone think of me just by looking at the google options listed. If the person just looked at this page, did no further stalking, who would they think I am? Google gathered that I enjoy twitter, "I laugh too much and smirk in awkward moments," I am an actress, and by the pictures provided it looks as if I am a selfie-taking queen, that enjoys dancing and cook books. I wondered what do I know that Google doesn't? Is there more than the first two options listed?

    God has been teaching me over the past three years about my identity. I am good enough, I have worth, not of myself but worth that He has put within me. When I look at others all I see is worth, but I need to believe in the worth that HE sees in me.


    I was having my quiet time the other day and felt the need to read John 1. I didn't really want to read John because I felt I could recite it word for word, no need to read it. So I started "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God..."


....everything felt familiar until I got to verse 9


9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

    The idea of adoption has been on my mind a lot lately and one of my family member is currently living out an example of what the longing heart of mothering an orphan looks like. Listening to her story of how this child was before her and the miraculous improvements in speech and behavior, made me so tender to the idea how God chose us all. He saw the need we all were in and chose to make the sacrifice of all sacrifice to make us a part of His family.


    This idea of adoption has always been beautiful to me but especially now, watching a true example and story unfold before me. I have always heard in church that we have been adopted by God. Romans 8:15
             For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of                        adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.


    Reading in John I felt alive in the idea of I am not only adopted by God, but He has gone above that and it says "He gave (me) the right to become "a child' of God...not born of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will., BUT BORN OF GOD."

    This truly hit me in a place where I did not even know I need to be moved. It opened my eyes to my true identity in God, I am not just chosen or adopted by Him, I am HIS completely, if we were to go on Maury's talk show for a DNA test, Maury would say "God, King..you are the Father of Amberly Rose!" In my quiet time this is similar to how I felt, Maury sitting across reading the results and God saying "see I told you, you are mine!" I have a crazy imagination, I know.

        Heaven felt so much closer in that moment, God's voice louder, and my heart so much softer. It helped put everything in perspective. I am God's, I am His child, He can't deny me, because of Jesus' blood shed for me, I am now His. It blew my mind, I grew up in church and have always heard about Jesus' blood being shed for me, the perfect sacrifice.
What hit me this week is the fact that the ultimate switch took place in all of our lives.
Everything we deserved Jesus took and everything Jesus (perfect) deserves is now ours, this included sonship. In getting what Jesus deserves, we are receiving His DNA, His blood line, what a scandal that is.


    One of my favorite verses when sharing with someone about salvation is the promise found in John 10 starting in verse 27


27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all[c]; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.”


     Nothing (no person, circumstance, sickness) can snatch us from His hand. You remember that song in Sunday school "He's got the whole world in His hand..." At my house we used to sing, "He's got mommy, daddy and sisters in His hand...He's got the whole world in His hand." There is actual theological truth in this silly song. He's has us in His hand and nothing can snatch us from our place in Him.

                                                          The one He loved


     We don't really know who wrote the book of John and we don't necessary know who is "the disciple whom Jesus loved." Many say it is John, others believe it is James but there is no actual evidence. I love the fact though that his identity is based on the fact that he is loved by Jesus. John 13:23, 19:26, 21:7 and 21:20


23 One of them, the disciple whom Jesus loved, was reclining next to him.


26 When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to her,“Woman,[a] here is your son,”


7 Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, “It is the Lord,” he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water.


20 Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved was following them. (This was the one who had leaned back against Jesus at the supper and had said, “Lord, who is going to betray you?”)


I love what Charles Pope says on this subject
"deeper purpose for not supplying the name of the beloved disciple is so that you will understand and experience in a very true sense that the beloved disciple is YOU. You are the disciple whom Jesus loves. You are the one who reclines next to the Lord at the Last Supper and first Mass (jn 13:23). You are the beloved disciple at the foot of the cross to whom the Lord said, “Behold your mother” (John 19:26). You are the beloved disciple who runs to the tomb and comes to faith (Jn 20: 8). You are the beloved disciple who announces to others, “It is the Lord” (Jn 21:7). You are the Disciple who follows after the Lord and Peter (Jn 21:20). The beloved disciple, if you are prepared to accept it, is you. "


      This week has been a week of my remembering my identity in Him, I am His daughter, His girl, I am safe in His hands, nothing can snatch me from Him, I am the one He loves!
 Hey google, I am the one He loves.
Praying this for all of us today!