Oct
2010

Courage

categories: Courage, Faith, Haiti, Trust

I will be leaving soon for Haiti.  I have read and heard many of the stories of the devastation and unbelievable circumstances I will witness on this journey. Many people think I am brave for leaving the safety of my country and going into one that is in such chaos and turmoil.

I am not brave; I am confident. I am not restless; I am at peace. I am not fearful; I am courageous. I am not doubtful; I am trusting. However, I need to make it abundantly clear that all of my confidence, peace, courage and trust are from our God.

About three years ago I had a friend go on her first-ever mission trip to Africa. She was very afraid, but when she arrived there she no longer thought about herself and all of her fears. She began to embrace the beauty of the people and the hearts of those who were so thirsty for love. She has been on several mission trips since that time and shares with me that there is nothing more rewarding and fulfilling than seeing the love of God in the children’s eyes.

I look forward to fulfilling a dream that I’ve had since I was a young girl. When I was about 11 or 12 years old I would watch Sally Struthers as she stood in the slums of other countries and advocated for “Feed the Children.”  Oh, how my heart desired to send money to the aid of those children. I was delighted when I had the honor of being chosen to represent our congregation when I was about 14 years old as an exchange student on mission in Mexico.  It was an incredible trip and one I will never forget. But all those memories and desires got lost somewhere deep inside as I grew older and took my life into my own hands.

Suddenly over the past few years, the yearning has returned. I thought I was headed to Africa, which didn’t happen, and then I thought I would be traveling to Turkey this past September, but that didn’t work out either. There was discussion of another trip to Africa with a group of my friends, but it didn’t come together for me. Now, here I am, headed to Haiti, and I couldn’t feel more honored to make this mission.  I didn’t know it would turn out this way; that I would be journeying to the most impoverished country in the Western Hemisphere. I didn’t know that immediately after I purchased my airline ticket, there would be an outbreak of cholera that would be slowly moving toward the capital city where I will be traveling. Here is the amazing and wonderful thing about it, I am at peace. I am at peace knowing God is with me. I walk in His love; I thirst to walk with Him into the places and lives to which He leads me. James 1:27 shares with us that “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”  The Bible shows us that orphans and widows hold one of the most precious and softest spots of the Lord’s heart. I am grateful for the opportunity to serve God in this mission.  I am thankful that I get to be a vessel of His love and light in a country that has all but lost its hope. I know God doesn’t need me to accomplish what He wants.  I know nothing is too hard for Him; but I know too, how much He loves for His children to come together to share His incredible love with the world.

I could not be making this journey if I did not believe that God is who He says He is, He can do what He says He can do, I am who God says I am, I can do all things through Christ’s strength and God’s Word lives in me! Five years ago, I would have said you were absolutely insane if you told me I would be making this trip. I couldn’t even walk out of my flat in Australia for all my fears at that time! Today, I am alive and nothing matters about what I do except to bring Him glory and honor by living for Him out of His strength. This is how God’s love has changed my life.  It may not be the same for you; we are each uniquely designed and a masterpiece in the eyes of our God to be used for His glory!

Perhaps your mission field is your neighborhood, your community, your school or your work. Have you traveled to a foreign country for missions? What about another state? What is it that pulls your heartstrings and creates a desire for you to share God’s love with others? Is it through mission trips or daily missions in your life? Where ever it is, trust that God is with you every step of the way and will clear the obstacles for His will.

“Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.” Mark 16:15 (NIV)

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9 (NIV)


Oct
2010

God’s Amazing Love

categories: He is Risen, Jesus, Love, mercy
He is risen from the dead!
He is risen from the dead!

“But God demonstrates His own love for us in this; while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8 (NIV)

God has loved us since before we were born, when we were knit together in our mother’s womb. All our lives He patiently waits for us to turn to Him and love Him back so He can strengthen us through His abundant love and undeserving mercy.

We go through many experiences that seem to be the end of life itself; but somehow we pick up the pieces and keep moving. It could be any number or combination of circumstances we experience on our journey. Perhaps you can relate to some of these:

We lose a job due to cutbacks; We lose a home in foreclosure; We have a wayward child; Our spouse is unfaithful; We have a prolonged illness; We lose a spouse suddenly by death

All of these events are difficult and hard to manage on our own and sometimes we wonder, “How could a loving God let something like this happen to me?”

God does allow all things to happen. He is in control of all time, matter, and events, which are either tragic or victorious. When something happens in our lives or of those we love, we are being taught to rejoice in these times. Why and how can we do this?

We do this is because as His children, it brings glory to Him. It isn’t that God is a torturous God, it’s that He loves us and wants to teach us how to deal with hardship and trials so we will know Him deeper and utterly depend upon Him for our breath.

One of the first ways we can start to do this is to accept that God loves us no matter what we thoughts we have had, what words we have uttered or what actions we have made against Him in our lifetime.  No matter what losses, no matter what victories, God loves us. He loves us enough not to leave us where we are, so He sent His Son to give His life for ours.

Secondly, Jesus Christ died on the cross as a criminal for the forgiveness of our all our rebellious ways. He too, was mistreated and lived a life of persecution and scoffing.  His death frees us from the burden of our sin for the past, present and future. He won the victory over sin through His death. Once we genuinely profess that Christ is our Savior, ask for His forgiveness with a heart of repentance and invite Him into our lives to be the One in control, a mighty work begins in us.  It may take one day to begin change in our lives, or it may take more than forty years. Usually it is the latter.  I have known many people who were misled when they were younger about the truth of God, thereby resulting in years of poor choices, turmoil, loss and emptiness. But in the climax of the moment of hopelessness chose to trust God and depend on Him alone. In fact, I was one of those people.

A final point, but the most important, is that Jesus Christ died for us while we were still out of control, being controlled by our sinful nature. He was raised from the dead and before ascending to heaven to sit at the throne of God, He sent the Holy Spirit, as the gift of eternal life, to live in us as our guide. The effect in our lives is not what we have done, but what Christ did for us.  God is in charge of all time, He can go in and out of time wherever He chooses; He is Sovereign. When He dies for us, while we are still sinners, we die with Him and are born again into a new life of freedom. The same power that raised Christ from the dead is the One that raises us out of our lives of emptiness and doom to a new life in Christ. He begins a work in us manifesting His character and His love. When we receive this from God, allowing Him to do a work in us, we receive peace, hope and joy as we have never known before and beyond any man’s description.

The heartaches and tragedies, the pain and writhing, the despair and emptiness are allowed by a God who loves us so much so that we will turn to Him! It sounds funny doesn’t it, but it’s true! In loving Him, He will build up strength in us that a world full of armies cannot overcome.

God is a loving God, but He is also a wrathful God who will have justice and reveal all truth about everything in our lives. There is a day that comes for each of us, and we will either choose to live in the refuge of our mighty God, bringing glory and honor and praise to His name through our lives, or we will choose to keep on living in our own strength and our own way, resulting in emptiness, loss, tragedy, hopelessness and constant worry.  There is a path that a man thinks is right, but in the end it is death.

God loves us! He wants to bring us into His love so we can live with Him, bringing praise and glory to His name for eternity. His allowance of events and His wrath in our individual lives and world is a way of protecting us now and for eternity because He loves us so deeply.

I often wonder why it took me so long, but today none of that matters, I am forgiven. I am new and have been made clean. God promises this for those who believe Him.

What can we do to improve our lives in Christ?  Do we know Him and His love? Are we free to live in Him?

Scriptures for further reading: Psalm 139:13; 1 Peter 1:5-7; 1 John 3:16; John 3:16; Galatians 5:22-25; Acts 2:24; Psalms 62:1-3; Galatians 2:20


Sep
2010

Listening

categories: Listening, Thankfulness
Are you REALLY Listening?

I remember the conversation well. It was early in the morning before school started and I was talking with my six-year old grandson.  I was teaching him about being a good listener and paying attention. He was headed out for the first day of school in the first grade. Because of his uncertainty of what to expect, he was excited and a bit timid at the same time.  He’d been to kindergarten last year, but this was different, it was big school, it was first grade after all!

I sat with him and shared words and hugs to console him and instill in him courage for the day.  I talked to him about listening and paying attention, and if he did, how he might learn something. I talked about not talking when someone else was talking, how rude and disrespectful it is to interrupt and how important it is to always look in the eyes of the person who is talking to you, giving them your undivided attention.  This shows people you are listening, you respect them and that you are paying attention.  Seeming to understand what I said, and with me sensing he was feeling much more confident about the day ahead of him, we hugged and kissed one another goodbye.

Later that morning, I was in my car, leaving an appointment and listening to messages on my mobile phone.  I checked both ways before pulling out to turn left and maneuvered my way quite well across the four lanes of traffic.  After looking back over my right shoulder, before moving over one last lane, I heard someone blowing the horn incessantly.  Looking up I saw a woman screaming, while pointing her finger at me, through the glass window! I laughed to myself thinking she was having a really bad morning and I showed a gesture of apology, while underneath I was confident she was the one in the wrong!

She went on her way and turned right onto the same street I too would momentarily turn.  After completing my call and turning right, I approached the next intersection preparing to stop where the light had turned red.  Surprisingly, this woman was right beside me! Looking over toward her, I lowered my driver’s side window and she lowered her passenger side. I expressed to her my apology for almost hitting her, even though I really did not think it was my fault. She started screaming at me, telling me I wasn’t paying attention to where I was going, what I was doing and that I was too busy talking on the phone. I was taken aback by her attitude, but nonetheless, I apologized again, stating to her how thankful I was to God that we had not collided and what a blessing it had been for us both.  The light turned green and without acknowledging my words, she sped away.

As I drove from there, I started thinking about what she said. I had a revelation, she was right; I was not paying attention! I was on the phone, too engrossed in listening to my messages to realize that because of the pain it caused, I couldn’t turn around far enough to see her coming in the lane next to me. I did almost run over her! It was a blessing that we did not have impact, and she was justified in her anger toward me for almost causing a major interruption in her day!

My mind then carried me back to the conversation I had earlier that morning with my grandson and how I had shared with him that by listening and paying attention, we might learn something.  I learned something big about myself; a bit of arrogance was still hiding deep inside, and though I thought I was innocent, I was not!  The hornet was at work!

I am thankful God has taught me and reminds me daily to listen to Him. When I don’t pay attention and listen, I become a hazard to others and myself. The reason He asks us to, “Be still and know that I am God . . . ”  (Psalm 46:10, NIV), is because he desires for us to listen to Him so He can direct our ways.

Whew! Even though I wasn’t listening or paying attention to begin with, He still showed up and freed me from a possible injury to someone, a huge delay in my day, and the possibility of increasing my insurance costs! He taught me a HUGE lesson in listening and paying attention to the small stuff through the very words I had used with my grandson earlier that morning!

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Jul
2010

Thankfulness

categories: QUIET TIME, Thankfulness

 

Thankful for the Journey Ahead

I have been weary lately.  I have begun to feel the hardship of the circumstances around me, yet I know deep in my heart that there is One in me that will not fail me.  Even knowing this I begin to lose the stillness that my soul so thirsts for and I start to see things from a different perspective.  I lose the sense of thankfulness that was so prevalent in my heart, soul and mind as I begin to whine about my circumstances.  I lose touch with what is truly important, not only for my own life but those around me. I begin to think that I have lost the battle and I start floundering as a fish does when out of water.  I lose the precious sense of peace that it was once there and I am left wondering how it has been possible that I have lost what was the cornerstone of my life.

I stop, I let things go, I release whatever is not working in my life to God and allow Him to take control. Slowly I begin to feel a sense of inner peace and I suddenly have more time to dedicate to the things that are genuinely important in this life.  I get back into my quiet time, I am in prayer with the Almighty One and instantly I begin to see Him in my life again. It was never He who left me; it was me that left Him.  I begin to realize how no matter what the circumstances are around my life, He has so strategically planned and designed them all.  Nothing is by coincidence. Everything is in place to prune me, to eliminate the things that no longer are a source of true life and will hinder me from intimately knowing His love.  I begin to see prayers being answered again, I see how people in my life are supposed to be there and I realize without any doubt that each one is placed here for a purpose.  Though I am not God and cannot be one-hundred percent certain of the path I am on, I have great confidence and hope that He is leading me because of seeing His promises and faithfulness come alive in my life and the lives of those I love. I can see my life is different and it is better than it has ever been.

I begin to pray in the back of my mind softly, like a whisper that is ever-present. It is the Spirit of God that lives in me and gives me life. I am so thankful for each of the circumstances.  Though I have walked this earth for more than 50 years, it took me half a century to realize that God loves me infinitely, He has plans for my life and no matter what tries to thwart His plan, He will not allow it. He will consistently bring me back to where He wants me to be!  Yes, it is my choice to surrender all I have and am to Jesus Christ, the Savior and Redeemer of my life, but if I do not choose Him, over time He will allow things in my life to cause me to turn to Him.  This is clear in the way He vengefully pursued me. I lost everything that was important to me and I was left with nothing but God to turn to for comfort and rescue. He brought people into my life each step of the journey before and after He revealed Himself to me. He opens doors and closes doors along the way for me to realize that He is in control of all things. Why shouldn’t He be? He created them all and also each of us.

My prayer today is one of immense gratitude and thankfulness that each and every circumstance in my life has been and is an opportunity for me to love another.  In professing to be so in love with Jesus Christ, I too have a responsibility to Him out of that deep love to love others in the same way I am loved by Him. He is a merciful, forgiving, loving and just God and He wants nothing more than for us to love Him and one another the same.