Jesus Knows Your Name

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May you come to know that the Lord sees you and loves you; he knows your name.

‘‘But Mary stood outside the tomb weeping. As she wept, she knelt to look into the tomb and saw two angels sitting there, dressed in white, one at the head, the other at the foot of where Jesus’ body had been laid. They said to her, “Woman, why do you weep?"

“They took my Master,” she said, “and I don’t know where they put him.” After she said this, she turned away and saw Jesus standing there. But she didn’t recognize him. Jesus spoke to her, “Woman, why do you weep? Who are you looking for?”

She, thinking that he was the gardener, said, “Mister, if you took him, tell me where you put him so I can care for him.”

Jesus said, “Mary.”

Turning to face him she said in Hebrew, “Rabboni!” meaning “Teacher!"

John 20: 11-16, the Message

I love these verses of scripture.

Although simply written, these words give us the message of Easter Morning.

The writer, John, provides all the details we need to hear and feel Mary’s despair and confusion.

Don’t you kneel with her and look inside the tomb? 

Can’t you see her face and feel her pain?

Life without her precious Savior is more than she wants to bear…

Jesus was all she needed, and all she wanted.

No other person could be her Teacher, her Savior, or her Master.

No item or thing could replace the joy and peace He offered.

The angels were not enough for Mary…

The disciples left her side…

A kindness of a mortal gardener was not the comfort she sought…

She only wanted Jesus.

And, Jesus loves her so much…

He could have been anywhere in all of creation....

And, we find Him near the empty tomb waiting for her.

Can’t you see his feet in the dirt of the garden?

Don’t you wonder of the tone of his voice?

And, He does the most amazing thing…

   the most personal of things…

   He calls her by name…. Mary….

The sweet the sound of her name must have rested in the garden air!

She immediately turns to seek His face and exclaims… “Rabboni!”

One can feel her joy come through the pages of John’s Gospel.

Mary’s mourning is transformed into joy…

She is with her Jesus…

Mary went to the empty tomb seeking Jesus, but in truth, she is the one who is found…   

What an incredible relationship He invites us into…

Jesus loves us tenderly, personally.

He never leaves our side.

He understands our every need.

He lives and walks with us each day.

Jesus, the Risen Savior, calls us by name…

I pray that you have a wonderful Easter with your family.

Jo

Prayer Thoughts

• In the front pages of my study Bible I have these words: STRIP Prayer. They may seem odd, inappropriate, and/or lewd; however, they are not meant to be. They are simply written there as a reminder that my deepest growth, joy, and peace comes when my heart STRIPs in prayer before my God. I gain nothing by pretending, defending, or avoiding the real issues I need to discuss with my God. I gain him when I say it all – the good, the bad, and the very ugly. And friend, He is Enough…. As a teacher, I’ve worked on how and when to teach this STRIP prayer. In today’s blog, I hope I figured it out:

“Stripped to the bone!”  We understand the meaning of these words; they lead us to conjure mental pictures of being bare, exposed, and naked of flesh.  Being both vulnerable and visible to the bare bones is an experience we often avoid and fear. It is not the nature of our flesh heart to embrace the exposure that comes with being stripped – stripped of defenses and pretenses. However, it is the nature of a transformed heart.

Since the garden, God has never shied away from dealing with the uncovered heart of his children. The heart is his favorite place to get down to business!  Through grace, God woos, pursues, cleans, and redeems.

A heart transformed by God’s grace, welcomes being stripped to the bone by him.  There is no fear in perfect love. Therefore, come my friend to the Lord of All in prayer. Let Abba love you.  Let the Almighty plunder through every square inch of your heart. Throw away the “off limits” signs. Stop hiding. Stop letting shame keep you from seeking his face. Trust him. Thank him. Love others.  Worship.  In prayer, embrace the stripping away of everything to the One whom is Lord of All.

Here is my simple STRIP Prayer formula; may it lead you toward his grace and peace.

STRIP Prayer…

S  --- say it all/confess it all/ hold nothing back

T --- true thanksgiving

R---requests

I --- intercession

P – praise and adoration

Blessings, 

Jo 

At some point, we all grieve. None of us are immune to the process of experiencing significant loss and adjusting to what I refer to as "the new normal".  The above poem was written during a personal journey of grieving; however, I think the message echoes the sentiments of many people whom have trusted me with their story. Loss, and the various, confusing, and painful feelings it spawns, is so easily gripped in our hands. As a counselor, I remind myself and others that God is all compassionate and loving. He is kind and tender. He is close to the broken-hearted.  God sees us, and he sees our sorrow.  He is our Comforter, and he can be fully trusted  during our most difficult of times. 

Grief is a normal and natural response to loss. While grieving is an innate response to the loss of life, people can experience grief as a reaction to any significant loss. Further, whether anticipated or totally unexpected, grief falls heavy upon the heart of a person. If you are walking alongside someone who is grieving, here are some helpful points to consider: 

Friends Show Up. Both your presence and participation in another’s life communicates caring concern.

Avoid Fixing It. Grief is a journey; it cannot be solved like a math problem.

Do Not Compare. People grieve differently and with varied timing. We can unknowingly add pain to pain, if we expect people to grieve on a time frame or within certain expectations. 

Listen. Listen with patience, encouragement, and compassion.

Pray. Prayer should be our first and best offering of "help" to others who are hurting.  

Blessings, 

Jo 

God is Mine

“The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
 He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
 he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
for his name’s sake.
 Even though I walk
through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
Surely your goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.”

—Psalm 23 (underline & italics added)

David, the writer of Psalm 23, had a personal relationship with God. He sought to know God and to be known by God.  When it came to sharing with God, David held nothing back. David whined, cried, begged, vented, sang, danced, marched, rolled, and rested in the shadow of God’s love; David lived there. He embraced God’s presence with both hands and he pulled it close. David understood that God’s love was personal; he accepted it as truth.

Do you?

The beautiful, far-reaching shadow of the Divine never left David’s sight.  God’s full presence – God’s companionship – was David’s to embrace, and today, we can be thankful that it is also mine and yours to embrace. David’s very words, in the familiar scripture above, echo our heart’s desire: God is our personal Shepherd, and he tenderly, lovingly tends us.

In the busy pace of life, God and his love can feel more like a long distant relationship than a moment-by-moment bond. However, today and every day, God is invested and interested in cultivating a  personal relationship with us. He is close, and likewise, we should be close to him. Read back through the scripture above and consider the wording. Let the eyes of your heart focus on the “God and me” centered message. If there was ever a time to cartwheel with joy over something being “ours”, it is now. God is ours. Or, as David put it: God is mine.

Don’t let the scripture with which you are most acquainted become antiquated. God’s Word falls fresh each day.

Blessings,

Jo

Adonia Prayer

LORD, when all I can perceive is a stormy sea,  

            lead me to fix my eyes upon you.

LORD, when I can barely catch my breath,

lead me to inhale the aroma of your presence.

LORD, when all I can hear is a howling wind,

lead me to discern your voice,

LORD, when all I can taste is failure and doubt,

lead me to taste and see that you are good.

LORD, when I feel lonely and alone,

lead me to feel your hand in mine.

Adonia, when I am afraid,

lead me, by whispering my name.

                                                -Jo Crosby

Stand

One of my joys is taking photographs beside the wrestling mat; this shot is a favorite. Here, I capture my son’s determination, dedication, and readiness. In mere seconds, I see the hours and hours of practice that built the grit necessary to put oneself in this position.  In this photo, I see focus on his face; I see his hands carefully placed – no random moves here; and, I see a glance of his thoughts. My son’s thinking: Stand! Escape! Take My Stand!

In wrestling, this is the standard, down position; one’s opponent starts on top. At this point in the match, it’s no longer a question of if one’s opponent is coming, but rather when and how.  Life can be a lot like a wrestling match.

In the letter to the church in Ephesus, the Apostle Paul writes these words:

“Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, and with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.” Vv. 13-15, NIV

In life, either by our choice or another’s, we are placed in the down position.  We should not be surprised. Scripture tells us that the opponent is coming. However, we are not left unprepared, and we are told to stand, to stand, and to stand again!  We live through moments defined by knowing and trusting God. It is in these moments that we must fully lean into knowing that our stance and the ability to stand is not characterized by our opponent, but rather by the armor we are wearing and the one to whom it belongs. In God, we are fully equipped.

If God were taking your photograph, what expression would he see written across your face? Your heart?  What thoughts would he glimpse? Have you built the spiritual grit necessary to stand when facing opposition?

Look for the intersection of God’s Word and your life.  

Blessings,

Jo