An Unpeeled Orange

Life is like an unpeeled orange. You cannot know your true state until you are peeled. And when you muster the courage to look at what’s underneath, it might scare the bejeebies right out of you. Why? It’s because the core of every human is spoiled. Upon encountering themselves, most choose to ferment, rot, give up and die, concluding that life is meaningless for a vast myriad of reasons.

And yet, dare I say that if you are willing to face yourself through God’s eyes, you may find much more than you ever thought possible. You are full of seeds. If you will trust the Master Gardner with your life, there is a hope that is sure and steadfast (John 15). You will not find this hope in the pulpy rotten juices, but in the seed within you, Jesus the King! Jesus says that unless a seed falls to the ground dies, it remains only a single seed. However, if it dies, it produces not one seed, but many (paraphrase of John 12:24). 

As my professor Michael DeFazio once said, “God can be trusted. You can only trust Him. You must trust Him.” And so, I ask, will you dare to peel back the layers and search for the seed that Jesus planted in you from the beginning? Will you trust that the plans He has for you are greater than your own imagination could ever conceive? Will you let Him replace your false interpretations of your life with the never ending story of redemption.

You are embarking on a journey with me from spiritual orphanage to adoption. This is my story, but I also believe that your story has potential to intersect with mine. Perhaps, our lives will intersect simply because you read these words. Or maybe we have interacted in person or some day will. And I pray that our lives intersect, because we share a relationship with Jesus in common. I am pleading with the Lord, that you will find God and the family that He can build around you.

For the next year, I would like to have a heart to heart with you Monday through Friday. You will hear my story from childhood to the present. I am praying for you, whoever you might be, that when you reach what seems like the end of the line, when you feel that you have failed and there is no recovery, you will begin to find life every day in the only one who can give you lasting happiness. And when you have found your rest daily within the embrace of God, I am praying that you will strengthen your brothers, sisters, sons, daughters, fathers and mothers in Christ.