Covered

The Brookstone in Chattanooga closed down.   Brookstone is a chain of retail stores across the country that specializes in high-end gadgets such as helicopters, expensive massage chairs, and high-end kazoos.  Though it saddens me a bit (probably because the massage chair was reasonably close to the children's corral), it does not surprise me.  As much as I love home, and everyone else seems to love Chattanooga, we are not necessarily known for indulging in the 'elegant'.  We are a matter-of-fact city, built on the backs of mill workers and continuing to offer the option of selling any type of insurance you prefer.  

The absence of Brookstone is causing major issues in the way that approach Valentine's Day.  DISCLAIMER:  I am terrible at this holiday for many reasons.  I am not a good gift giver:

• I bought my grandmother an electric popcorn popper for Mother's Day in 1995
• I made Hope a scrapbook that is the essence of phrase 'recurring joke' in our household
• All perfume makes me sneeze
• I cannot get by the thought that the way to a woman's heart is, somehow, tied to new athletic shoes, regardless of whether or not she realizes that essential truth

I also am not good at Valentine's Day outings.  I prefer to avoid the crowd and go on the 15th.  This, in and of itself, is not a problem.  However, it does cause issue when, on your first celebration of this 'holiday', you take your girlfriend-and-eventual wife to see a terrible pre-prequel to Silence of the Lambs that was made only for the sake of money after eating at a local burger chain.  

Obviously, when it comes to bows and arrows, I prefer Legolass, Katniss, the Green Arrow, Hawkeye, and Darryl Dixon to Cupid.  Brookstone was my go-to.  I have no idea what to get for a birthday? Here is a neck massager.  What do you get for that family member who has everything? A sweet, sweet robe. 

One year, I bought Hope a blanket.  It is the perfect weight.  It is described as "cozy, warm, and completely relaxed".  This description is very reassuring because, if there is anything I hate, it is a cold, stressed out blanket.  It is a perfect gift. 

It just is not a perfect gift for me.  For all of its comfort and quality, the blanket that I purchased just is not big enough.  If it is covering my feet, it is not covering my legs.  If my shoulders are cozy, I need to be wearing thermally lined sweat pants and wool socks. For everything the blanket does well, it does not do those things enough.   It never seems long enough.  Or wide enough.  Or enough enough.  For all of its completeness, it is incomplete.

For many of us, the notion that we can be 'righteous' is laughable.  

Why the humor?

• We know what we think about
• We know what we don't think about
• We know what we do
• We know what we should do
• We are savvy enough to have interacted with the 'public.'

For all that we do to cover up our exposure to the elements, there are so many things about us that stick out and sense the cold.  These exposures are both intrinsic and external.  We wrestle with the inadequacy of the while something else comes along tries to yank it off.

One of the key elements of Christ, His cross, and resurrection has been to point out our inadequacy.  It is not pointed out in order for us to fix the problem. It is pointed out to let us know that we cannot.  As the Scriptures take us to that Easter weekend, we see this unfold in a number of ways:

• The promise of a Messiah for an inconsistent people
• The inability to keep God's law apart from God's grace
• The declaration of a Great Commandment that a religious superstar is 'not far from'
• The most well-written NT author declaring that he wants to 'do what he should not do'

This is, in no way, an exhaustive list.  We are, however, able to see the inability of natural people to behave supernaturally in their natural strength.  So...

We twist.  

We turn.  

We endure the elements. 

We hope that we are covered enough to go unnoticed.  

In and of itself, this displays an incomplete understanding of the righteousness of Jesus.  Why?

Sin for us is unavoidable-therefore He becomes sin so that we may become the righteousness of God.  

Sin is the essence of our shame-He endures the cross and scorns the shame is tied to it. 

Sin is death-He overcomes death to declare life is possible. 

In short, the righteousness of Jesus never stops being the righteousness of the believer.  He is not a throw that is used to make a couch look better-He is the roof, the vents, and the fireplace.

His work is not supplemental to our righteousness. It is shelter for our unrighteousness.

He doesn't claim that we can seek security because of what He did.  He shows us that we live secure inside of Him. 

So, for every time that we look to be what we are unable to be and do what we do not have the intrinsic power to do, let's consider the words of a favorite preacher of mine:

"Lay your deadly doing down

Down at Jesus' feet

Stand in Him, in Him Alone

Gloriously Complete."