The One Who Sees Me

I will be the first to admit that I've never focused much on the story of Hagar.  Hers is a story of being overlooked and overshadowed.  In the Bible, she is tied to the story of Abraham and Sarah, and for obvious reasons, their story overshadows Hagar's.  BUT, that doesn't mean that just because she is a minor character that God can't show us great truths from her story.  In fact, if history has proven anything to us, it is that God often uses the minor to make things major! 

Hagar was the slave of Sarah.  Sarah had given Hagar to Abraham to produce a child for him (Genesis 16:3).  Sarah was great in age and did not believe herself capable of children but wanted Abraham to have descendants.  After Sarah found out that Hagar was pregnant, which was what Sarah had wanted to happen in the first place, Sarah began to mistreat her.  She mistreated her so much, that Hagar ran away. 

It's here that Hagar's story really begins.  Hagar was wandering in the wilderness when an angel came to her.  Upon questioning where she was coming from and where she was going, Hagar admits to the angel that she is running away.  Running away from the mistreatment, the shame, from injustice, from despair.  Upon hearing her reply, the angel responded in a way that many of us might not have expected - he tells her to go back (Genesis 16:9)!  Go back to the prejudice and injustice and despair.  Go back to a mistress that doesn't appreciate her.  Go back to a job that she isn't happy with.   It's here that many might begin to question God's decision....why put someone through that?  But in His great wisdom, God was planning out Hagar's redemption story.  He promises that if she will return, He will multiply her offspring, so many so that she will not be able to count them all.  He even tells her how to name her child. 

Hagar's response to the angel is one of my favorite verses in the Bible.  "So she named the Lord who spoke to her; 'You are El-roi' for she said, 'In this place, have I actually seen the one who sees me?'" (Genesis 16:13)  Hagar may not have understood how or why her life had taken the turns that it did but she was certain after her encounter that she could face them with a new outlook and a promise for her life.  She didn't have to tell God how bad things were or what injustices she had faced, God already knew....He had seen her!  He knew what she had come from and He knew where she was going.  How wonderful to know that God doesn't miss a step.  He sees what we struggle with, He sees what grieves us, He doesn't allow us to hide from our problems - and yet He doesn't leave us alone.  He is there always beside us, walking with us in love and truth, to help us navigate the trials of life and show us their purpose.  How wonderful that God sees us just as we are, just where we are, but doesn't deem to leave us there!  

If you are struggling, remember that Hagar's story is one of redemption and hope; she shows that we can come out of the wilderness that is life and fulfill our purpose for God's greater mission.  She shows us that though we may struggle that God sees that struggle and will reward us for staying faithful and "fighting the good fight".  She also reminds us that we have seen the One who sees us.

What's YOUR burning bush?

When God wanted Moses to go and rescue the Israelites from bondage in Egypt, He caught Moses' attention through a burning bush. God probably knew that ANYONE would stop when seeing a tree on fire that was NOT being consumed. God knew he would need to wake Moses up and used some pretty dramatic imagery to do so. What's your burning bush? Has God been trying to get your attention to complete a mission He has set aside for you? Has the business of life caused you to miss your burning bush? Has the fear of failure caused you to turn away and ignore God trying to get your attention? Life is busy, trust me I know! Just this morning I was looking at my calendar and every day is getting fuller and fuller, but we all need to take time to breathe and ask God to open our eyes to the things that He wants us to do. Let's try this weekend not to get so caught up in our "busyiness" that we forget to tune in to what the Lord has for us. I pray this weekend that you seek from the Lord and ask Him how you can best fulfill the mission He has for your life. I pray you keep your eyes open for YOUR burning bush!

But then...

How often do we find ourselves out on the boat in the middle of the storm?  The waves are crashing and threatening to overtake us, the lightning is striking nearby, and the fear is threatening to send us back to the safety of the shore.  Sometimes the storm is in our minds, so tangled in our daily lives that it is always threatening to start.  Sometimes the storm is in our jobs, watching others rush ahead of us that we wonder if our boat is leaking.  Sometimes the storm is our marriage, so complicated and volatile that we can’t see a way to the sunshine again.

But no matter what storm we are facing in our lives we have a God who can calm the storms and offers peace.  The key is that we must trust, believe and have faith.  Even the disciples struggled with this.  In the middle of a lake, in the middle of the storm, they struggled to remember that Jesus would always care for them and that God held them in the palm of his hand.  As the waves battered the boat and the winds whipped them around, the disciples cried out in fear of perishing.  But there in the middle of the lake, walking on the water was Christ.  He admonished the disciples for having little faith and wondered why they were so afraid (Matthew 8:26).  But then, instead of questioning them more about why they couldn’t believe him, why they didn’t trust that He would keep them safe, He calms the storms.  The wind quiets down and the waves still.

That’s the thing about God, He always has a “but then”.  No matter how much we question him or how much our faith lacks when the storms of life batter us, God always comes through.  He may not stop the storm like Jesus did for the disciples, but He will take our hand and help us guide the boat through the storm.  He will walk with us until we come out on the other side and see the sunshine.  God calms the tumult of his people in the midst of their storms (Psalm 65:7), the only thing He asks is to have faith.

fear NOT

F

E

A

R

It’s amazing what FOUR letters can evoke in us.  If we are honest with ourselves we all fear something – spiders, heights, death, the line at the DMV – the list could go on and on.  As I’ve gotten older I find that my list of fears has grown:

What if I’m a failure?  What if I can’t do my job well enough?  Can I be the perfect Christian?  Do I look good enough?  Can I match up to others expectations of me?  Will I be considered a successful mom?  What if I get sick?  What if something happens to my babies?  Will my marriage last?

Somewhere along the line, I came to be ruled by my fears.  I did not realize it was holding me back until about a week ago.  Our women’s life group leader, Karen, was teaching on the Ruth Anointing and some things she said stuck with me.  I had one of those introspective kinds of ah-ha moments the following day when talking to a coworker.

1.  “This is an anointing to resurrect our dreams that we have buried” – how many dreams have we been given by the Lord and have put them on the back burner out of fear.  There are things I want to do in life, dreams that I know the Lord has given me to fulfill and I have held off on pursuing them because of fear of failure and not being good enough. 

2.  Ruth gave up everything to follow Naomi, expecting nothing in return and gained more than she could have asked for or dreamed of.  Ruth could have missed a blessing by letting the fear of the unknown stop her.  How many times have we missed a blessing that God has reserved for us because we are fearful of what will be required of us, where we may need to go, or what we may have to leave behind to pursue it.

3.  IF we want the Ruth Anointing, we cannot live our lives in fear.  I have been doing that for months, maybe even years.  I’ve been letting four little letters, the wrong four little letters, often times determine the outcome of my days. 

But the Bible says at least 80 times “fear not”….we have been given a guidebook to follow on how to face what scares us most. 

Isaiah 43:1 “Don’t fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are MINE”

2 Timothy 1:7 “For God has not given us a spirit of fear but of power and of love and of a sound mind”

Nahum 1:7 “The Lord is good, a strength and stronghold in the day of trouble; He knows those who take refuge and trust in Him”

Psalm 55:22 “Give your worries to the Lord and He will care for you”

The next time you feel the cold claw of fear begins to grip you, turn to the promises our Savior has made and use His word as a guideline for breaking free from the grip of fear!  Reach for the dreams God has planted in you; fulfill the destiny and plan He has laid out before you and tell Satan and the fear he is instilling in you where they can go! 

It’s time to stop letting fear rule my life….fear of failure, fear of not being good enough, fear of mistakes…I HAVE a Ruth Anointing on my life but my dreams have been buried!  It’s time to resurrect my dreams and take back what Satan has stolen!  I’m willing to leave my comfort zone to experience the life God has for me.  Are you?

God is NOT a Microwave

We live in a world where we want things and we want them NOW!  I don’t want to wait for the pizza delivery guy when I want a hot cheese pizza, I don’t want to wait for the car that is driving the speed limit (and don’t even get me started on the left lane), I don’t want to wait in the car line at school when they should have opened the door 4 minutes ago! 

We live in a world of the microwave culture.  We have become so used to getting things at a fast pace, that waiting drives us crazy.  We want to move things along.  As a society, we have come to apply the microwave mentality to everything.  We use self-checkout lines because we believe we can do it faster.  We use the restaurant’s drive-through because it takes too long sometimes to run in and place an order.  We stream music and movies instead of going to the theatre or going out to rent them because we can get them instantaneously.  We rush our children to hurry along and grow up excessively fast.  We even sometimes turn to God and want Him to deliver things to us at microwave speed.

However, God is NOT a microwave.  God does not always rush along with the things we want.  When we pray to God for an answer, a solution to a problem, or a blessing, we expect Him to deliver it right away.  We expect God to hear our prayers, microwave us up a solution in seconds, and deliver it to us.   Thank God that He does not work that way!  Now, do not get me wrong, sometimes God gives us the answers right away, sometimes the blessings appear just when we need them most….but sometimes they don’t. Remember what 2 Peter 3:8 says, “but do not forget this one thing dear friends: with the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day”.  God knows the bigger picture and in his infinite wisdom, He decides that we are not ready. 

Maybe God knows that if we got that blessing right away, we would not be as grateful for it.  Maybe He knows that the answer to the prayer will require some sacrifice on our part and He knows we are not spiritually or emotionally ready for that commitment yet.  Maybe He knows that there is a lesson to be learned from the mistake we made, a problem of our own creation, and God knows if He solved it for us we would never learn the lessons we need to.  Maybe it is a lesson on how to trust Him and have faith, and those often times end up being the hardest lessons to learn.  Life is not that burger place (you know the one) and you cannot always have it your way!  

God may not do things at microwave speed, but we can trust that He is always working for our good.  He hears our prayers; we just have to learn to trust His timing.  Acts 1:7 says “He said to them ‘It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by His own authority’”.  So the next time you ask God for something and perhaps His response does not come as quickly as you like, remember, God is working on your behalf to make sure that what you’ve ordered up is perfect in His sight and His will.  Take comfort today in knowing that good things are coming, just not necessarily at microwave speed, but at “God speed”.  

The Shining Face of God

My mom was having a mini crisis.....she was scheduled to have breakfast with the new VP of her company and some other folks.  It was going to be the first time she had met this woman and she had heard LOTS of things about this lady, and I don't mind telling you that most were not good.  Mom had some apprehension, some nervousness, and some discontent.  

We were on FaceTime and discussing the situation.  My mom was concerned about how this woman would receive her and what she would think of her.  She was concerned that this woman was going to make a decision on the type of employee she was based on this one meeting and her decision could impact mom’s future with this company.  She was worried about the impression she would make. 

Now I also don’t mind telling you that my mom and I share a trait – everything, and I mean everything, that we are thinking and feeling is written on our face!  It’s hard for us to hide when we are happy, sad, angry, or think you are an idiot.  As I was talking to my mom it was written all over her face how she felt about the situation.  I knew she wanted to make a good impression and I also know that my mother loves Jesus.  I wanted to make sure that she was reflecting the love of God when she spoke and looked at these people. 

I thought about something our pastor had preached on several weeks ago.  He told the story in Exodus 34 where Moses receives the tablets and commandments from the Lord.  When Moses came down from the mountainside his face was so radiant with the glory of the Lord that they had to put a veil over him because it hurt to look at him.  Could you imagine the scene?  Here comes Moses who no one has seen for the last 40 days and nights because he has been with God.  And now here he is and they can’t even stand to look at him!  God’s power and glory and love and graciousness in not leaving these people to die is written all over Moses’ face! 

That was what I wanted these people to see when they looked at my mom.  I wanted them to see a woman who loves God, who is compassionate and gentle in her spirit, a woman who prays without ceasing for those she loves and even those she doesn’t.  I told mom to remember the story of Moses and to pray that when these people talked with her and looked at her, that all they saw was the glory of the Lord on her face. I also talked to her about remembering her worth in the eyes of the Lord and whose she was – but that’s another blog for another day….

I don’t know what you are facing or what set of giants you are about to meet but I do know you are not alone.  I know that the love of the Father can shine brighter than any circumstance you have.  Maybe you are meeting people who will be deciding your future, maybe you are meeting someone who has hurt you, maybe you are just meeting strangers along the way….either way I encourage you to show the glory of the Lord on your face.  Let God’s power, glory and love shine so bright that people have to look away and say “where can I get that radiance”.

Well Hello....Again

Yes, I know, I promised to be back and it’s been a while but once again LIFE.  It is inevitable that life is going to creep up and bite us when we least expect it.  I would love to tell you that while I’ve been gone that I won the lottery, moved to a tropical island and everything has been sunshine and roses but I don’t want to lie to you.  Life has been an absolute mess for the last several months and I have had to adjust to more things than I ever thought possible…..dome good, some bad, some just some. 

The one thing I have held on to though has been Jesus…..He has been my guide and my comforter; my shield and fortress as life battered the walls of my heart; the anchor as my ship of belief was tossed.  I’ve come out on the other side stronger and only because the Lord has never once left my side.  So I’d love to say that I’m going to be back full time, every day but I don’t want to deceive myself or you.  So, I’ll be back, as life allows and more importantly as the Spirit leads me.  I’ve learned so much since April and since my world tilted on its axis and I hope to be able to share the things I’ve learned as I know the Lord has given me a story to tell.

Stepping Out of the Comfort Zone

I'm pretty sure that when Jesus called Peter to step out of the boat that there was some hesitation.  I don't know that for certain but I have to imagine that Peter, like many of us, would have had to pause and assess the situation.  I'm on a boat, in the middle of a lake, with a storm blowing, and now Jesus wants me to get out of said boat and walk to Him.  Peter, a mortal man, was going to WALK on water....sure.  But he did.  Peter walked out on the water.....until he became afraid and started to sink.  Peter had to step out of his comfort zone to go and meet Jesus on the water.

So many times in our lives we are like Peter.  We want to walk out and do what Jesus is calling us to do but we are fearful.  It's scary to be out of our comfort zone!  We become fearful of what others will think, what others will say, fearful of what it may cost us (and I don't mean just a monetary cost), fearful of whether we can carry out his commandments. 

Recently God called me to do something.  Well, let me correct that...He called me a while ago and I put if off.  I put it off because I was fearful of what others would think, of whether I would  be accepted, if I would have the support of friends and family, if my church would understand.  Could I do what He was calling me to do?  Somewhere in the process of trying to decide if I should, I forgot about Philippians 4:13.  I can do everything through Christ who gives me strength.  If God is for me then who could possibly be against me.  If God is for me it does not matter who is supportive; I'm trying to please God, not man.  One of the greatest feelings of freedom is doing what you know God wants you to and not worrying about what others may think. 

So the next time you hear God calling you to something and asking you to step out of your comfort zone, don't hesitate to jump!  Take hold of the Master's hand, step out of the boat, and walk into what God has called you to do.

This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.  Joshua 1:9

Where ya been?!?

Oh my goodness folks!  Long time, no blog! 
So, where ya been?!?

Life, people, life.  I'd love to say that I did something crazy like won the lottery or backpacked through Europe or something, but no....I've been home, and work, and church.....I've been running around being a mom and wife and teacher and friend and daughter.  I've been swamped and lazy.  I've been well and sick.   Mostly, I had been distant with God. 

"Oh my gosh" you may say - a Christian blogger admitting she had been distant from God!  Yes!!  Come on people, let's be real....we all have those times where our faith gets tested, we don't pray as often as we should, we doubt God's promises.  If someone tells you they have never felt this way before, PLEASE point me in their direction... I NEED to know their secret!

Yes, I stepped away from my blog for a while because I got super busy living my life but also super uninspired.  Something happened within our church family that really caused me to question A LOT of things.  I needed to take a step back and re-evaluate some stuff.  I needed to re-assess who I was in Christ.  I didn't talk about it with people (in fact when my mom reads this it will probably be the first she has even heard of it - sorry mom) and I just sort of bottled it in.

Over the last several months, God pulled at my heart strings and has dealt with me in many different ways.  It has been a wonderful experience.  Coming out on the other side has shown me many things.  It's shown me where my true passion in Christ lies.  It's shown me that I want to be a better daughter, mom and wife.  It's shown me that I don't have to worry about what other think about me, as long as I am doing what I am doing for the King.  It's taught me who my true friends are.  It's taught me to obey God when He tells you in that still small voice to do something for Him. 

Being away from God doesn't mean that He has left you, it means you have left Him.  Sometimes in life we need a step back period and that is what I had.  But now I am back and ready to take up the mantle that God has given me and do something great with it.  There are sooooooo many exciting things that have been brewing in the last month and I can wait to share them with you over the next several weeks.  SO come along, and let's get back on this journey TOGETHER!

Social Media is NOT Your Battlefield

We recently had an acquaintance who was let go from her job.  I knew her to be a nice lady and a Christian, but I was shocked when she immediately took to Facebook to air all her grievances about her former employer and how unfairly she felt she had been treated.

This opened up the flood gates of comments from her "friends" about how terrible the facility was, how she should sue, bashing other people who worked at the facility, and the list goes on and on.  To make things worse, she participated in the comments and the bashing.  Now don't get me wrong, this might have hurt the facility's image just a little bit, but it more than anything hurt her Christian image and how I now viewed her Christian walk.

I'm not trying to bash my friend, I understand that she was upset and wanted to vent, but social media cannot be your battlefield and should never be the first place you go when upset.  When you find yourself in a situation where you feel wronged, or hurt, go to the Master.  Tell Him, not social media, about your problems and how you feel and let Him work it all out.

Your "friends" will immediately give you advice, tell you how sorry they are, and take your side - but none of them will actually come to your aid.  Not a single person who was commenting on her post was going to march to that facility and get her job back, BUT God could open a window to a new situation for her, a better situation.  Exodus 14:14 tells us that God will fight for us but that we have to be still and allow Him to work.  If you ask, God will even send his angels to fight for you (Psalm 91:11). 

So the next time you feel wronged or are just having a really terrible day, go to the Father and tell Him all about it.  Pray to Him to help you, not your "friends".  I've learned from experience that usually when a door slams shut in your face, He's waiting to open another one, we just need to ask.

God Bless the USA

As we approach this holiday celebrating the foundation of our Nation, I encourage you to pray for our country. You don't have to agree with everything that goes on and it doesn't have to be political, it only has to be human. Pray to our Lord for guidance for our leaders.  Pray for those who live in our country without homes, without jobs, without health care.  Pray for the plight that drugs have caused in our country and that those who suffer from addiction of any sort will come to know the Father that can make them whole. Pray that we learn as a country to love our fellow man. Pray that those who do not know the love, care, mercy, and grace of our mighty Lord and Savior will come to have a personal relationship with Him. May God bless and protect the United States of America

Master Teacher

I am so thankful today that I have a God who forgives me when I fail. We all want the be the A+ student in the school of life but there are times when we find ourselves failing the assignments the Lord gives us. However, like the master teacher that He is, God allows us to have do-overs, to have retakes, to correct our mistakes. And for that I am most grateful because even though I try to live like I'm suppose to I know that I fail - I make mistakes, I sin - but I have a God who is bigger than all of that.

If you find yourself not doing as well on the test of life, then turn to the Master and ask Him to show you the way. Pray for His help and guidance. Pray for Him to show you areas of your life that you are failing. Then trust that He will help you correct those things and guide you down His path. There is no greater teacher in this crazy life than God, and for that, I'm so thankful.

Take Courage

Tonight if you find yourself wondering what to do or where life is going to take you next, take courage that the Lord is working behind the scenes for you!  He knows you are worried /anxious/uncertain/afraid.  He knows you are questioning if you are enough, if you can do it. He knows you are judging your options and trying to make the right decisions. Take courage - God is for you, who or what can be against you.

He knew your yesterday and He knows your tomorrow. He knows your worry is a burden you were never intended to carry. Take courage that the Lord is walking with you on this journey. He's got you. Take courage, PRAY, and rest in the knowledge that the Lord knows exactly what is right for you and exactly when is the right time to make it happen!

God's Flashlight

Today while playing a game with our oldest daughter, she cheated. We were playing Clue and at some point she looked at the cards while my husband and I were out of the room. I mean there was no other way she could have known that it was Mrs. Peacock in the kitchen with the knife. I know because my husband and I realized we didn't have enough players to really make the game work. When talking to her about why she had done it, it wasn't so much about winning the game (she and I were playing on the same side), for her it was just curiosity of what the future held, what the outcome of the game was going to be.

That got me to thinking...don't we do that with God?  How often have we wanted to take a peak at the hand God has dealt us, just out of curiosity, just out of wondering what the future game of our life will be like. The interesting thing about God is that when he deals, he doesn't give us our whole hand at one time. God, in his infinite wisdom, knows that in the grand scheme of things we probably couldn't handle it all - the good and the bad - so he just gives us little glimpses every now and again.

My Pastor's sweet wife, Sheree, once told me that God gives a flashlight and allows us to shine it around and we see bits and pieces of his plan but never the whole picture at one time. He never illuminates the whole room that is our life in one go. Maybe it's to protect us, maybe it's to give us the time to rely on him, maybe it's because he knows we couldn't handle all of the marvelous things he has in store for us. Whatever it may be, I think Sheree was right - God only gives us a small flashlight so that we have to keep coming back to him to see in the dark. She was a pretty smart woman and God is a great God.

So tonight, if you are wondering what God has in store for you or what is next down the road. Relax and rest in the knowledge that God has it and he has you and when you are ready, he'll give you the flashlight.

Revealing Your Works

As I was scrolling through social media, I saw a post where someone was talking about all the things they had done for others and how through those actions they had shown God's love.  At first, my reaction was "oh that is great", but then the longer the post went on the more it became about them and the less it became about God. 

Proverbs 27:2 encourages us to let others sing our praises and not ourselves.  It is easy to want others to know what we have done and the accomplishments we have made.  We fear if we don't tell people, then they won't know.  The problem with that is that it can very quickly turn from how God has allowed us to do all these wonderful things that will glorify Him, to glorifying ourselves and our actions. 

Now, don't get me wrong, praise isn't discouraged in the Bible, but self-made praise is.  You have to be careful not to brag or boast.  God desires us to have a humble heart and attitude.  He wants us to give Him the glory and to remind others that we cannot do things without Him.  SO the next time you are tempted to let others know about all your good deeds, hold tight - the Lord will reveal your works for His glory, in His time, and will reward you for how you advance the Kingdom.

God Is Bigger

Life is hard, but remember you serve an awesome GOD!  He can make mountains move with the whisper of His voice.  He can calm the storm with a wave.  He will be with you on the best of days and hold you on your worst. 

If you are standing on the mountain tops enjoying the beautiful view, give thanks to the One who created it.  If you are in the valley, remember that you won't be there forever.  Even now, the Lord is working behind the scenes to lead you out and take you back up to the mountain tops.  While you are on the journey back up, thank Him for guiding you. 

Remember, life is hard, but the God we serve is bigger than anything we will ever face!

Little Whispers

Sometimes in life we have to make decisions.  Sometimes they are easy things like "what are we going to eat for dinner?", though if you ask my husband he will tell you that sometimes this is the hardest decision to make.  Sometimes they are major life questions like should I move or should I take this job.  For years I have asked myself both the easy and hard questions and often times when asking the advice of others they say, "just pray."

While I am a firm believer that you should go to pray for all decisions (OK maybe not the what am I having for dinner decision), I also know that sometimes things happen so fast or need to happen so fast that you can't spend days or weeks or months in prayer.  Sometimes you have to make immediate decisions and your prayer has to be quick.

But there is another aspect that I think God gives us in the middle of quick decisions and that is the feeling - the feeling of the Holy Spirit.  God knows.  God knows that at times you can't pray as much or as long as you would like but He knows you want his guidance and you want to do what is in His will.  I think it is times like this that God allows the Holy Spirit to nudge us in the direction that God was going to send us anyway.

This happened today - to me.  I needed to make a decision on something pretty quickly.  It would be something that would in many ways change my whole world.  It would affect me, my family, my friendships.  I needed to make a decision but it had to be quick, so praying for days or weeks on it wasn't an option for me.  Sure, I prayed on my way to work and I prayed while I was preparing for my day, but I still hadn't heard the Lord in his booming voice say, "Heather, this is what you should do"  (I'm not even sure that's what God really sounds like).

But then I started thinking about why I wanted to make this decision - was I doing it for the right reasons; was it really worth it?  Then I had a conversation with someone about the decision I needed to make and while in that room, I felt peace.  I knew before I walked out of there what my decision was going to be.  In fact, if I'm honest with myself, I knew what my decision was going to be before I even walked in the room.  It was there, just a little whisper, just a little nudge.

Sometimes God doesn't answer with a big booming voice from the Heavens, sometimes He sends the Holy Spirit to place His hand on your shoulder and say "I've got you".  So the next time you need to make a decision or need God to answer a prayer, don't just listen for the big boom, listen for the little whispers too.

5 Minutes With God

It is easy in our day to day life to get weighed down with all there is to do.  On any given day I find I am running around putting out fires at work and then fires at home.  My mind is always moving to what needs to get done next, how many piles of laundry I have, the dishes that never seem to end, what we are going to eat for dinner, homework for the girls, and my list goes on and on.  Everyday life bogs us down and as much as we may want to spend hours in God’s word, if we are honest with ourselves, it rarely happens.  And often the time we spend with Him is disrupted with thoughts still yet of what we need to get done and what won’t. 

If I’m being honest, I would love to be able to spend hours studying the Word, reading devotionals, working on the blog - that's where my heart's desire is at the moment.  But that isn’t how my life tends to go.  Things have been so busy in my life that I cannot devote the time to the things I want to - trying to get blog posts up lately because of work and the girls has been a trial in frustration for example - but yet I persist.  

That is the great thing about God though, no matter what, it isn’t the quantity but the quality of time we spend with Him.  He knows we lead busy lives because He is with us during the busiest of times, but He still desires for us to make time for him.  If you only have five minutes to spare, then spend that time with God and make it worthwhile.  During that five minutes you have devote that time completely to God – focus on thanking him for that time, meditate on a particular scripture, or spend that time in praise and worship.  Try not to think about what you need to get done but put your sole focus on God and His goodness to you.  Because it’s not about how much time you have but what you do with it. 

You and Him

Sometimes God asks us to do hard things.  Maybe it is leading a bible study, maybe it is getting up at a certain time of the day and spending it in the Word, maybe it is a job change for the Kingdom, maybe it is singing in the choir - often times God asks us to do things that make us feel uncomfortable.  For me it was head covering (but that's a topic for another post one day). The point is, what is hard for you may not be hard for me, and vice versa.

But no matter what, I guarantee that it gives you pause, it makes you think, and sometimes it probably makes you fear.  What if I'm not good enough?  Surely someone can do this better?  What if I don't have time to commit to that?  What will people say about me?  Will I look weird?  Who's going to judge me?

No matter what the Lord is calling you to do today - no matter what you think people will say or think or believe - just do it!  I have heard it over and over that the Lord does not call the qualified, He qualifies the called.  The Lord has called you to do something to uplift the Kingdom, something He is going to get the glory for in the end.  Don't worry about what others think because in the end it isn't about you and them, it's about you and Him.

The Things That Are

I love when I open up my Facebook account and there is a TobyMac #speaklife image in my feed.  They are always so encouraging and usually I end up sharing them.  The one from the other day really struck me.  It said, "letting go doesn't mean giving up, but rather accepting that there are things that cannot be."  This struck me and I immediately had to share it but also write it down.

Sometimes in life we have to let things go - a relationship that is toxic to us, anger from being hurt, a dream we having been dreaming for a while - there are so many things in our lives that we hold on to and we usually believe that we cannot live without those things.  There is also the inevitable lingering in the back of our minds that if we let go of them then we have somehow failed, we've given up on the dream or we've given up someone.

Perhaps a better outlook is not that we are failures or not that we have given up but that God is maybe protecting us.  Maybe God knows that your relationship will never work because he has someone better picked out for you.  Maybe God knows you need to let go of your resentment towards the person that hurt you because that bitterness is affecting your relationship with him.  Maybe that dream wasn't right for you, maybe God has another dream he wants to plant inside you so that he will get the glory when it comes to pass.  Maybe you won't get that promotion because God is protecting you from missing out on time with your family. Remember that in Jeremiah 29:11-13, God says he knows the plans he has for us and that they will prosper us, never harm us - they are to give us a future and hope.

We are so quick to think that when things don't happen we have failed or that it is the end of the world.  Maybe we need to remember that God wants us to "accept there are things that cannot be" because in the background he is working on the things that are.