Real Life by Peggi Tustan

Welcome to Real Life . Have you experienced the Christmas story? Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour which is Christ the Lord. Luke 2:10-11 A few years ago, my husband and I visited Yosemite for the first time. Before going, we viewed countless gorgeous photos of its monuments and vistas. But nothing could prepare us for the day we drove into the park. We kept pulling off to the side of the road with our jaws dropping. There was a vast difference between observing a photograph of Yosemite and experiencing the real thing. As a young woman, I knew the Christmas story of Mary and Joseph and baby Jesus born in Bethlehem’s manger. I knew about Jesus, but I didn’t know Him personally. I didn’t know that was possible. I loved singing Christmas carols. But I sang the words with little comprehension of their meaning. Bethlehem was like a beautiful photograph. Jesus, a Savior, was born. But he w...

Welcome to Real Life. How much is enough? My hobbies include eating and also thinking about the next time I will be eating. —Anonymous I’m not enough. I’m not strong enough, wise enough, holy enough. I wonder if the disciples felt this—all the time—in Jesus’ presence. And perhaps never more so than on the day they stood before five thousand hungry souls and Jesus said, “You give them something to eat.” Crowds had begun following Jesus everywhere. (Consider for a moment how exhausting that must have been!) On this particular day, Jesus withdrew to a remote location with his disciples. But the people found him. Not just a few, thousands showed up. When Jesus saw their faces, he didn’t grumble or sigh. His heart was moved with loving compassion. He welcomed them, taught them about God’s kingdom, and healed every sickness and disease. Later in the day, stomachs began growling. Unfortunately, Uber Eats did not deliver there. So, the disciples approached Jesus and said, “Lord, it’s late. Eve...

Welcome to Real Life . If I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing (1 Cor. 13:2). “I don’t always go the extra mile, but when I do it’s because I missed my exit.” —Anonymous On Antiques Roadshow , specialists appraise the antiques, fine art, and collectibles of ordinary people. When they re-air older episodes, they re-evaluate an item’s worth. Because surprisingly, some collectibles lose value with age. Today’s generation doesn’t want their parents’ Hummels. Jesus Christ shook up the religious community when he failed to value what they did. Repeatedly, he used the phrase, “You have heard that it was said… But I tell you...” Because as a religious community, we tend to pile on rules and expectations and practices that appear spiritual, but don’t always originate in the heart or word of God. It’s easy to veer off the path. We lose the plot. We strain at a gnat and swallow a camel. Thereby, Jesus was continually deconstructing man-made faith. Deconstruc...

Welcome to Real Life . My glass is not half-full or half-empty. It’s empty. Blessed are they who see beautiful things in humble places where other people see nothing. –Camille Pissarro When Jesus climbed the mountainside to deliver his Sermon on the Mount, he didn’t just see a crowd. He saw Jacob and Rachel and Paul and Martha. He saw the deep longings and needs of individual hearts. He still does. He sees my face in the multitude. He sees yours, too. Jesus begins by addressing the small, the harassed and helpless, those typically overlooked. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. The Son of God launched his public ministry in Galilee. He chose a region far from Jerusalem—the center of religious power and authority. He taught, proclaimed the good news of the kingdom, and healed every disease and sickness. Thousands began following Jesus Christ, not just from Galilee, but from the Decapolis, Judea, the region across the Jordan, and even from Jerusalem. Mira...

Welcome to Real Life . It (real life) is not always easy! It is a poverty of imagination that bankrupts hope. –Ann Voskamp, Waymaker I was a young wife, not yet twenty, when my husband abandoned me. I was devastated. All my hopes and dreams for the future had walked out the door. Then one day in church, I heard this promise and clung to it. “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11 The Lord made this promise to his people at a time when they were devastated. All their hopes and dreams—their homes, nation, house of worship—everything was gone. Israel had turned away from God and committed idolatry, even sacrificing their children to foreign Gods. [1] And so, God removed his protection and brought judgment. He allowed Babylon to destroy Jerusalem and lead his people away as captives. The Flight of the Prisoners  (1896) by James Tissot Though they cried out to God in the...

Welcome to Real Life . It (real life) is getting scary!  Don't wake me for the end of the world unless it has very good special effects. –Roger Zelaznyr “Wow! These prices are crazy-high,” I commented to the woman standing in line with me at the cold-cut counter. “This inflation is scary.” “Yes, it is. It’s biblical you know,” she replied. No doubt, the last few years have been tumultuous with a pandemic, racial injustice, deep divisions in our nation and the church, an insurrection, war in Ukraine and the accompanying threat of nuclear war, mass shootings, and now runaway inflation. Is this biblical? Do these events signal the beginning of the end? Are these the labor pains that will give birth to the final seven years of life on this planet—the Great Tribulation? I happen to be reading Revelation right now. It’s not an easy read. In his final years, the apostle John was imprisoned for his faith on the isle of Patmos. There, not only does Jesus Christ reveal himself to John, he tr...

Welcome to Real Life . What's threatening to topple you? You don’t become king without making a few enemies along the way. In his early years, David was a powerful warrior who defended God and his nation Israel. He accumulated enemies. Someone was always trying to topple him from his lofty place. During those times when David felt harassed, where did he go for comfort? Where did he find rest? He ran to God. Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from him. Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken. Though I’m no powerful leader like a king or even a CEO, I know what it is to feel harassed. We live in a stressful world. There is forever an enemy trying to topple us—war, pandemic, runaway inflation, fear, health issues, family conflicts, financial crises, hurt feelings. Because I’ve been feeling a bit harassed lately, I’m memorizing David’s psalm. Even in the midst of this crazy, stressful world, we can find a deep soul rest in Go...

Welcome to Real Life . Knock, knock. Is anyone there? A river cuts through a rock  not because of its power, but its persistence. –James N. Watkins, Author Lindsey Jacobellis knows the power of perseverance. Sixteen years ago, at her Olympic debut, Jacobellis was favored to win gold in Woman’s Snowboard Cross. On her final jump, however, she fell and lost to Switzerland’s Tanja Frieden. But Jacobellis never quit. She kept trying, kept competing, kept knocking on the door of Olympic Gold. This year, at her fifth Olympic competition, Jacobellis finally won that gold medal! Perseverance is a key element of success... unfortunately.  Because we prefer quick and easy, don't we? Perseverance isn't fun, flashy, or fuzzy-warm. It's the grimy, gutsy, grappling-alone-in-the-dark resolve that quietly wins the day. Not surprisingly, perseverance is also a key element of successful prayer. (Cue that grappling-alone-in-the-dark resolve.) Jesus emphasized this with a story. A neighbor kno...

Welcome to Real Life . What does strength look like? Those who give much without sacrifice are reckoned as having given little. –Erwin Lutzer “Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?” Isaiah asks. Because the Word from God he’s about to deliver is not an easy one to believe. In Isaiah’s day, Jerusalem was surrounded by enemies and facing annihilation. God’s people were seeking a political messiah to swoop in and rescue them. Instead, God would send an unlikely hero. Not someone to save them in the moment, but the One who could save their souls for all eternity. Who would God send? Not a Samson, but a man of sorrows, despised and rejected. It was our pain and punishment he bore. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. Seven hundred year after Isaiah's prophecy, the arm of the Lord—his strength in reaching, res...

Welcome to Real Life . Can we handle the truth? I will ignore you so hard, you will start to doubt your own existence. –Anonymous In the early 2000’s, money was easy to come by. Predatory lenders targeted low-income home buyers who could never realistically repay those loans. Rules were bent. Truth was ignored. But ignoring a problem doesn’t resolve it. The housing bubble popped. The Financial Crisis of 2008 [1] plunged our nation and world into a severe depression. Could it happen again? You bet. Because we live in a culture that doesn’t value truth, especially negative truth. Don’t tell me I can’t. Tell me how I can. Give me good news. Entertain me. We are children unwilling to heed a parent’s instruction. In the prophet Isaiah’s day, Israel had stopped listening to their Father-God. So, he sent Isaiah with an unpopular message. Judgement is coming. Because God loves us passionately, he disciplines us. He allows trials, pandemics, wars, sickness, and economic hardships. For when li...

Welcome to Real Life . It's our turn. A song popped into my head while I was out walking the other day. It surprised me. Because it had been decades since I heard it. Then, the very next day, I received a congregational email from my pastor saying his mother, Elfriede Schaeffer, was dying of complications due to COVID pneumonia. And again, the song, “Find Us Faithful,” came to mind. O may all who come behind us Find us faithful, May the fire of our devotion Light their way. May the footprints that we leave, Lead them to believe, And the lives we live Inspire them to obey. [1] Elfriede embodied faithfulness. Her late husband Donald was Senior Pastor when we started attending Grace CMA Church. The two of them laid a firm foundation for our faith community for over five decades. Death is a part of life. No one, not even someone as wonderful as Elfriede, walks this earth forever. Why, then, does her death shake the ground beneath my feet? Perhaps, in part, it’s the accumulated grief of...

Welcome to  Real Life. It's a fresh, new year! I haven’t mastered the art of sitting and smiling. –Ashely Wagner As much as I love decorating for Christmas, I also love taking down the decorations in January. The clutter is gone. My home feels fresh and clean. Similarly, as much as I fully embrace the fun and activities surrounding the celebration of our Savior’s birth, I also embrace the quiet of January. All the decorating, baking, gifting, and hosting has distracted me. I long to return to the pure, clean simplicity of my love and relationship with Jesus Christ. This morning, Mary helped me do that. In Luke 10, I read the account of Jesus’ friends, Mary and Martha. Martha graciously opens her home to Jesus and his disciples. As many of us experienced during the holidays, hosting guests takes a bit of work: planning, cleaning, shopping, meal and guest room preparations. Martha’s to-do list is long. She could use a helping hand. Her sister Mary, however, is just sitting at Je...