Brian Dolleman's Blog

We all have hopes, dreams, and plans.

Even when I was in 8^th grade, I was making plans for my future—which included driving a Pontiac Fiero and living on a sailboat (OK, I admit it: I was a big fan of Miami Vice and I wanted to be Sonny Crockett).

When you think about the birth of Jesus in terms of God’s plans, the story is incredible. God becomes man, with the purpose of going to the cross and redeeming humanity. The penalty for our sins is paid in full.

Like the Hark the Herald Angels song says, “Peace on earth, and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled.” This plan of God’s is fantastic. The best.

But from the Mary and Joseph point-of-view, everything about the Bethlehem story seems inconvenient, less than desirable, and outside their best laid plans…

• Their engagement is interrupted by a positive E.P.T. and Joseph isn’t the father.
• An angel visits Joseph and says (I’m paraphrasing), “You have no choice in the matter. You will marry her.”
• In the final trimester of her pregnancy, Mary has to travel by donkey to Bethlehem for a census.
• Tom Bodett didn’t leave the light on at his Bethlehem Motel 6. There’s no room at the inn.
• The baby is coming and they are staying in a barn for the night.
• Mary’s child is born in the company of farm animals.

God’s plan? Yes.

His master plan actually.

Mary and Joseph’s plan? Not exactly.

And yet, in all of the inconvenience and uncomfortableness of Mary and Joseph’s Plan B, there was hope. There was life. And there was God—his presence and his work.

Mary and Joseph found a room where there was no room. It was a miracle—maybe a little one, but it was just what they needed at that moment.

I believe you also will find a room where there’s no room.

Hope in the midst of your Plan B.

Life in the midst of your Plan B.

God, right there—his presence and his work, in the midst of your Plan B.

I’m assuming in the next few weeks you will be going to a family or office Christmas party with some type of gift exchange. Yes?

And perhaps this gift exchange will be the type where everyone gets a number—representing their turn to select a present from under the tree. You know this game, right? It’s the one where you can steal a gift from someone who already selected it.

So, I have a question for you:

How do you select a gift without knowing what’s under the wrapping?

Do you select by size? Weight? How nicely the package is wrapped and decorated?

I gotta be honest—I never want the one in newspaper wrap.

I figure the weird single guy brought it.

And I’m pretty sure he picked it up at Walgreens on his way to the party.

It can’t be anything I want.

Yes, I’ll look past the newspaper-wrapped gift every time.

It’s interesting, when God gave the greatest gift of all time, he chose “packaging” that people looked right past…

Check out this prophecy (written 700+ years before the birth of Jesus) from the book of Isaiah:

There was nothing attractive about him, nothing to cause us to take a second look. He was looked down on and passed over, a man who suffered, who knew pain firsthand. One look at him and people turned away. We looked down on him, thought he was scum.

But the fact is, it was our pains he carried—our disfigurements, all the things wrong with us. We thought he brought it on himself, that God was punishing him for his own failures. But it was our sins that did that to him, that ripped and tore and crushed him—our sins!

He took the punishment, and that made us whole. Through his bruises we get healed. We’re all like sheep who’ve wandered off and gotten lost. We’ve all done our own thing, gone our own way. And God has piled all our sins, everything we’ve done wrong, on him, on him. (Isaiah 53.2-6 MSG)

Wow. Talk about newspaper wrap.

“Nothing attractive about him, nothing to cause us to take a second look.”

“He was looked down on and passed over.”

The greatest gift ever, and yet so many didn’t notice.

Maybe this should cause us to pause, think…

And look.

Really look.

Yes, God is in the big—the spectacular.

But He is also in the small—the seemingly insignificant.

The truth is, God is everywhere. He is with us. Have you noticed?

Take note of God’s presence and his work

Stop and think about it

God with you

The Spirit of God living in you

The same Spirit of God, who raised Christ from the dead, lives in you (Romans 8.11)

God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us. (Ephesians 3.20)

His Spirit working in you

You are not alone

God is with you

The other day, I went for a 28 mile bike ride.

Usually I bring my iPhone and listen to music for two hours during the ride.

This time, I didn’t bring it with me.

And I noticed more stuff along the way…

I saw an owl (for the first time in my life).

I stopped and watched a huge bald eagle searching for his lunch in the Cedar River.

I noticed homes and shacks along the trail that I didn’t see before.

I was less distracted and more in tune with my surroundings—so I noticed more stuff.

This makes me wonder, how often do I miss God?

Would I notice His presence and His work more in my life if I wasn’t so distracted?

Speaking of Jesus, the Gospel of John says, “The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood.” (John 1.14 MSG)

Matthew says, “And they will call him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us.’” (Matthew 1.23 NLT)

And the book of Hebrews reminds us,

For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Hebrews 1.3.5 NKJV)

God’s presence and His work is constant.

I want to be undistracted.

I want to notice.

And be aware.

Recognizing God, in the big and the small.

I want to see His work in my life and in the lives of those around me.

Whenever I see TOMS (you know, those little slip-on shoes), my first thought is always, “Those shoes stink.”

I’ve never had a pair of TOMS myself, but someone who lives in my house did have a pair.

And those shoes stunk.

Here’s the formula: sweaty feet + no socks + shoes = stink.

If you don’t believe me, just find someone wearing skinny jeans and a pair of TOMS—ask them if you can smell one of their shoes. I guarantee it: they stink.

Peter probably wasn’t wearing TOMS or skinny jeans, but his feet were dirty and stunk, and Jesus knew it.

Demonstrating the kingdom value of serving others, Jesus washed his disciples feet.

When it was Peter’s turn, Pete declined.

Jesus said, “If you refuse the foot washing, you’re refusing me altogether.”

So Pete quickly changed his tune. “Wash all of me then!”

I imagine Jesus rolled his eyes just a little bit when Peter said that.

He replied, “A person who has bathed all over does not need to wash, except for the feet, to be entirely clean.”

Basically, Jesus was saying, “Pete, it’s your feet—your feet stink. I’m gonna take care of that now” (John 13.10).

Peter didn’t need to get saved all over again. He was already saved. He belonged to the kingdom of God…

And his feet stunk.

He had the stink of sin on him.

It happens—to us all. Every one of us stinks like sin.

The Bible says if we break just one little rule—we’re guilty of breaking all of God’s big rules (James 2.10).

It’s really not an issue of big sins or little ones, sins that “count” and ones that don’t. Sin is sin.

We like to think if we keep our TOMS on, no one will ever know that our feet stink.

We like to think our “little” sins can be nicely decorated, covered up, and contained—and no one will ever know…

But Jesus does know.

We all carry the stink of sin and we all need to be washed by Jesus.

We all need the grace of God. Apart from the grace of God, nobody is saved—and nobody makes it into His kingdom.

The Good News is: there’s grace for us all.

God isn’t surprised by the stink of sin on us.

We don’t have to cover up, fake it, or hide.

We just give Jesus access—and let him do the work.

PS—I bet the next time you see TOMS you’ll think what I think.

Enjoy this post? Check out this one too: It’s Time To Take A Whiff

What do you think Jonah smelled like?

I’m talking about after his belly of a whale experience…

Dude spends 3 days in the belly of a whale, then gets barfed up onto dry land.

We can assume he showered. Jonah probably swung by Costco for a 6-pack of Axe body spray too.

But still.

Ew that smell.

Have you ever had a smell get into your skin?

Campfire. Starbucks. Garlic. Dairy. Grease. Animal hospital (I worked at one, so I know).

I’m convinced Jonah still smelled like the dumpster at a fish cannery for days, maybe even weeks or months, later.

I mean, Jonah was soaking in this hot nasty goo like some kind of extended spa treatment for 3 days.

Whales are known to puke up a substance called ambergris.

What’s that? According to Wikipedia…

“Ambergris is a solid, waxy, flammable substance of a dull grey or blackish color produced in the digestive system of and regurgitated or defecated by whales. Freshly produced ambergris has a marine, fecal odor. The principal historical use of ambergris was as a fixative in perfumery.”

Did you catch that? This substance (which smells like fish poo) was used as a fixative in perfumery—which means it increased the permanence or stick-to-itivenes of perfume.

Jonah got barfed up like a piece of ambergris.

Heck, he was likely barfed up along with some ambergris.

And his odor had staying power.

When Jonah finally went to share God’s message with the people of Nineveh, he smelled.

When he had a temper tantrum over God’s grace being extended to the Ninevites, he smelled.

That odor should have been a constant reminder to Jonah of his own sin and need of God’s grace.

The high-and-mighty prophet who thought he knew best what God should do and what others deserved needed to take a whiff of himself.

Here’s what Jesus had to say about taking a whiff of yourself…

Don’t pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults— unless, of course, you want the same treatment. That critical spirit has a way of boomeranging. It’s easy to see a smudge on your neighbor’s face and be oblivious to the ugly sneer on your own. Do you have the nerve to say, ‘Let me wash your face for you,’ when your own face is distorted by contempt? It’s this whole traveling road-show mentality all over again, playing a holier-than-thou part instead of just living your part. Wipe that ugly sneer off your own face, and you might be fit to offer a washcloth to your neighbor. (Matthew 7.1-5 MSG)

Here’s the bottom line: we’re all carrying the stink of sin.

Don’t ever forget it.

The moment you start getting all judgy with someone else—it’s time to take a whiff of yourself.

Just when you think that group doesn’t deserve a second chance—it’s time to take a whiff of yourself.

Feeling like “those people” have have no place in God’s kingdom?

You guessed it…

It’s time to take a whiff of yourself.