Under the Surface

"She just has it all together!" I think we all have that one friend who seems to have everything in place. Her ducks are all in a row: makeup on, hair brushed, devotional read, schedule for the day mapped out, laundry folded, car cleaned, meals prepped, and dishes done. How on earth she manages to stay on top of her social, personal, work, and spiritual priorities is beyond me!! At times life feels more like a balancing act.

If we are being perfectly honest with ourselves, there isn't any one of us that has it all together. Under the surface each of us have our own struggles, our own limitations, and our own breaking points. Beneath that bubbly personality may be several cups of coffee, suppressed anxiety, and a whole lot of unseen struggles! Over this past Easter weekend, I enjoyed a wonderful time of relaxation, celebration with family, and contemplation of the rich truths this holiday reminds us of. It was a time to regroup, refresh, and recharge as I prepared for the busy week ahead. One of the themes that continually came to mind was that of the weakness and pain that Christ took on during that dark Friday so many years ago ago. I don't think we tend to focus on this element of Easter. Sometimes we brush right past the harsh reality of the cross in pursuit of the rich joy and wonder that Sunday brought. We need to remember that if the suffering hadn't happened, we wouldn't be able to celebrate the resurrection.

Up until I turned fourteen, I had experienced very minimal physical pain. Going into high school at the beginning of that year, I felt quite confident and sure of myself. I thought I had it all together. My plans were made, and my sophomore year was mapped out! Yet all it took was one x-ray to turn my world upside down. In the space of a few moments I was confronted with the expectation of major back surgery and an extended, painful recovery. The raw reality of my helplessness and dependency left me feeling broken and shattered. Why God allowed that pain in my life was beyond my understanding. I didn't see in that moment that the hurt I faced would be so overshadowed by the growth I would go through. Being forced to throw myself wholeheartedly upon God's grace was exactly what I needed.

"Therefore [Jesus[ had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted."

Over this past Easter weekend I finished the book: "Becoming Elisabeth Elliot" by Ellen Vaughn. I've always been in awe of the faithfulness and tenacity Elisabeth Elliot showed when faced with unimaginable pain. Instead of shrinking away from or diminishing the emotional turmoil she experienced, Elisabeth (or Betty, as she was known by many) accepted it as God's work in her heart. Vaughn writes:

For Betty, the sad days weren't times to be denied, suppressed, or avoided. Betty's medical training, and her theology, did not allow her to deny the existence of pain. It was a symptom. It showed God was at work...But the problem with pain is that it hurts. Many of us...are culturally programmed to avoid pain at all costs...[But] God is not a cosmic plumber who shows up to make things run smoothly for us. When He doesn't fix broken situations in our lives, it's usually because He is fixing us through them."

"Licking her wounds, all Betty could think about were Jesus' thorns. A derisive crown had pierced His head; He had gone to the cross...Betty put it, 'To be a follower of the Crucified means, sooner or later, a personal encounter with the cross. And the cross always entails loss. The great symbol of Christianity means sacrifice and no one who calls himself a Christian can evade this stark fact.'"

Elisabeth Elliot held onto the breathtaking reality of Christ's suffering, captured poignantly in one of her favorite poems:

No wound? No scar?

Yet as the Master shall the servant be,

And pierced are the feet that follow Me;

But thine are whole. Can he have followed far Who has no wound nor scar?

Now, don't misunderstand me: Betty's life was not just one morbid cycle of sorrow and lament! She fully embraced the joys she found in her life, and she absolutely had times of rich happiness. Just because we are not constantly in the midst of intense suffering doesn't mean we are not following in the footsteps of our Savior. Yet we do need to recognize that sooner or later trials will come. The good news is, they won't take us by surprise if we embrace them with the assurance that we have a Savior who can sympathize with our weakness. He will give us every bit of grace we need to endure them.

"“He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." -Philippians 1:6

Every single one of us faces various pressures. They may be physical, social, emotional or spiritual. Even our culture recognizes this! One of the songs from my siblings' favorite Disney movie is called "Surface Pressure." The first time I watched it I remember thinking how silly the flashy animation was (and how annoyingly catchy the tune is!), but honestly there is a lot of truth to the struggles that Luisa expresses. She goes back and forth between confidence and strength to weakness and despair. "I'm the strong one, I'm not nervous!" turns into, "Under the surface, I hide my nerves and I worry somethin' is gonna hurt us...I think about my purpose, can I somehow preserve this? Who am I if I don't have what it takes?" The pressure builds and builds as Luisa realizes that her solitary strength isn't going to be enough to keep her family afloat.

The most incredible peace comes from the knowledge that we don't HAVE to have it all together. Opening up and being vulnerable about our limitations and struggles allows us to walk through them with each other. Pain hurts. Betty Elliot never denied that. Jesus never denied that. Sharing our hearts with other people is a beautiful way we can experience the grace we need to get us through that pain. Jesus never intended us to carry our crosses on our own. When we embrace the means of grace God has given us and passionately pursue our true priorities, we will be able to face whatever comes into our lives. John Piper puts it this way:

You have to spend your whole life trying to get yourself right side up because we’re born upside down. We’re born with ourselves at the center. And this text is saying that this won’t make sense if you stay at the center of your life. If you are your treasure, this will be insanity. If God is your treasure, this will make sense. You’ll understand what love is because you understand glory. His glory is the center of your life.

Pain will come. But it will never, ever come without a purpose and every ounce of grace we need to get there. No matter what is underneath your surface today, I pray this peace will capture your heart!

"“Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.” -James 1:12