Revelation to Inspiration

It’s funny how unexpected life can be.  The choices people make affect those around them.  Paths never foreseen are under our feet and we meet people on the sojourn.  Think about it.  If those choices were not made then those influences would never have been instilled into your life.  Can you imagine never having known certain people once they’ve imparted themselves into your life?  Whether good or bad the folks we meet in this life journey impact us for better or for worse.  We however have the choice to take the bad with the good, to learn and grow or let it bury us in the ground of despair and thus become stagnant people.  Personally, I choose growth.

It’s ok to make mistakes and to learn from them.  Isn’t it better to look into the mirror of truth and improve oneself than to feed off the lies and become embittered in self-pity?  Yet, it seems we live in an age of “self”-awareness in the negative context.  Meaning, it’s all about “me, me, me” and what can “I get” and what can you “do for me”?  Altruism is considered a prehistoric ideology and criticized by the mainstream.  Yet, the revelation is that goodness is worth standing for.  We meet people along the way who encourage us to be better than the “norm” of today.  There are people who inspire us to dream and to go after those dreams.  Those who lend out a hand to pull us up when we’ve been knocked down, and walk with us a little longer to make sure we are strong enough to continue on.  People who believe in us when we don’t believe in ourselves and encourage us to step into all we can be and we're meant to be. 

God, I thank You for using the confusing and unexpected choices of others to get me on the path you planned for my life, and for all of those people you put along that path. I don’t know if those were detours or original routes but I know I can trust that no choice any of us makes surprises You, and that You have a way of working everything out for our good and Your glory.   

Thank You for those who are so gritty that you use them like sandpaper to smooth my own rough edges.  For those who inspire and encourage and motivate me to move forward towards the destiny you have for my life.  I pray for the strength and courage to stand against the “norm” of today’s society and to keep compromise far away from my heart so that I can encourage and strengthen others who desire to do the same.  Let my life be an inspiration and a light to others as those who have been a light and inspiration were for me. Link each one of us together to become like a great chain connected to one another until we wrap the world completely in Your love and goodness!

Getting personal

Ok, I'm going to get personal in this blog entry.  I doubt anyone is even really reading it.  I mean there are billions of people in the world and you put something out there online, and in reality it truly can be obscure and never reach a soul.  This was going to be an outlet for me to put my thoughts out there into cyber space in hopes that maybe something I said could maybe, just maybe encourage someone somewhere in this little big planet of ours.  But fact is.....lately, I've been needing the encouragement myself.

There have been many big changes that have occurred in my life recently and still I am in limbo....floating around like a loose helium filled balloon over a forest of pine trees.  So often lately it seems like I'm losing my air and eventually going to pop from landing on one of those pine needles and be lost forever.  I'm not talking faith here....but myself.  Everything for the past few month's has felt like a wilderness.  I'm not alone.  I am surrounded by family who loves me, but yet, something is missing.  Connectivity.

We live in a day and age where social networking is supposedly bringing people together...but in reality it seems like it's tearing us apart from real human bonding.  All of us are seeking to belong;  to be liked;  accepted...loved.  Yet we live in an age of walls of isolation and our ideas of relationships are rated by how many friends we have on facebook or followers on whatever blog or twitter we have.  Yet, with all of this "social" networking people are more lonely than ever.  I guess this is where I am at.

One of the major changes was a big move halfway across the country.  I wish it was the picture perfect little package with job, home, moving truck, etc.  But it wasn't.  It was a leap of faith.  One leap where I felt pushed out of the boat to make.  I guess I wasn't budging on my own.  The jobs came pretty quick and with incredible favor.  Now though, how do I connect to others?  I have faith and I am passionate about my relationship with God and His Son.  I want to be a reflection of His light and love while I'm alive in this world.    sigh.....This entire journey has been challenging my attitude.  I have to choose how I'm going to react to our circumstances.  Be careful what you pray for I guess because if you pray for a pure heart.....you're going to be challenged beyond your comfort zone.  Hopefully you'll choose an attitude of gratitude rather than a pity party.  At first I found myself peeking into that party more than I'd like to admit.  I'll be honest...I can still hear the loud music no matter how much I try to distance myself from it, but I refuse to go back inside.  So...every time I here those negative thoughts pop up in my head I say to myself out loud something that opposes those thoughts even if my feelings aren't quite caught up with them yet.  Not easy but not impossible either....again, it's a choice.  Ugh...sometimes I don't like free will.  Some days I just want God to make me do what I need to do so it gets done.  He has my permission to kick me in the right direction!

Back to the lonely thing.  Where are the hungry people??!!  I went to church when we first arrived and loved the message the leadership was going to preach on:  The Kingdom of Heaven.  I mean YEAH!  After the very high tech video intro I was so geeked that I couldn't help but yell.  However......it was dead silence all around and my yelp was too obvious.  I wasn't embarrassed for myself, I was sad for the people.  HOW am I supposed to meet people in what's supposed to be a "safe and friendly" environment when all you can get is a pasty smile, a weak hand shake and crickets in the sanctuary?!  Yeah, I went a bunch of times.  Loved the messages and took notes in my heart.  God, where are your children?!?!

Now, I have this job that keeps me working every weekend and holiday.  Not so bad really, but it puts a damper on opportunities to meet people.  You know how it is in new work environments?  You are the outcast.  The awkward one.  But I don't want to be too friendly with people I work with.  Gossip!!!!  That's why!  I am grateful for the job and the socialism although limited.  It is a blessing.  We need the income.  But I want to connect to people, not just do business transactions.  Wilderness, floating above the pine forest.

What did Jesus endure when he went into the wilderness?  I read it and read it.  His life is our example right?  He suffered loneliness and isolation.  His only followers weren't on Twitter, but was Satan tempting him to worship him.  Here is God as flesh and having to wander alone in the wilderness of the middle east.  YUK!  That makes my mouth parched just thinking about it.  I don't like sand or even the mere idea of desert sand, or even of desert.  Nope, not for me.

Back to Jesus' experience.  What happened to Him for those 40 days and nights?  I mean we only glean a glimpse, but I would imagine it sucked.  I know what I"m dealing with is the pits emotionally.  Darned feelings.  And I have people around me.  But he was literally alone AND not eating - even worse.  Like salt on a 2 inch gash on the most sensitive area of your body.  Jesus....how did you do it?  What were your thoughts?  What did you feel?  How did you wrestle with your flesh and with Satan and not succumb to temptation?  Couldn't you have given us a little more input?  God, why do we feel alone when we are surrounded by people?  What is the problem here?

I thought I had friends from where I moved from, but I guess I was mistaken.  Getting really tired of hearing about how busy people are.  You have time to watch tv 4 hours a day or play on the computer for 2 hours doing absolutely nothing productive and you're too busy to write me back?  Ugh.  Yeah, said I was needing the encouragement.  I forgive them and let it go.  Que Sera Sera right?  Still miss them though, even if they have forgotten my friendship to them.

I'll write more later.  Have to go to bed now because, praise to God, I have a job!!!  :) 

Wrestling with Faith

How many times have you questioned God about why something is happening to you?  Why you were going through this terrible trial?  Why was He not getting you out of it or changing the circumstances in your favor?  So often we wonder if He’s even paying attention at all or if He just doesn’t care about us and we feel so alone and often confused.  The thoughts occur to us that our faith isn’t good enough or else He would answer our prayers.

 

Personally, I’ve wrestled with my faith a few times.  One time I was so distraught and angry that I told God I was done with Him.  I shook my fist at Him and told myself none of it was real.  He wasn’t real and everything I’ve believed about Him, well that too was all a fabrication.  Things at that time in my life were not making any sense, especially because I had been so faithful to God and I was asking, seeking and knocking as He told us to and yet there was silence….no reply to my petitions.  

As I sat down after clenching my fists at the air and spewing words of disappointment to an empty audience, I collapsed in my chair, dropped my head forward, sighed and became silent.  It was very early in the morning and the only sounds around me were the house creeks.  Then….a still, small voice spoke to my mind.  It sounded like my own inner voice, but it didn’t belong to me.  “Are you finished?” it asked.  Not condemning, but kind of like a parents voice of love and authority.  I took in another sigh and spoke audibly and defeated, “yes.”   Then came the Words….the many I had read for years in my private devotions to the Lord.  They flooded my mind, soul and spirit as though they were living and breathing and pouring new life into my very being.  There was something not natural taking place in that moment of my absolute defeat and despair.  Something supernatural was occurring – God was revealing Himself to me through His Truth.  Like a bubbling brook or a deep spring it just poured upwards into all of me like refreshing waters to a parched ground. 

“Lean not on your own understanding, but in all your ways acknowledge Me.“  “My ways are not your ways, nor are my thoughts your thoughts, but as the Heavens are higher than the earth so are my ways and my thoughts higher than yours.” And many more that spoke to my life at that time.  He WAS with me, just as He said “I will never leave you or forsake you.”  Yet, I did not understand why He stood so silent when I had believed and needed Him so much.  Not then anyway, but later I did.  Later everything made sense.  Later I received my answers.  They were just around the corner but I was ready to give up and throw it all away because of my own disbelief and impatience.  I thought He should have done things my way and misunderstood that it is always best to wait upon the Lord to do things His way.  But so often we think our way IS His way, but more often than not that is just not the case.

Jesus is the Rock and as we stand on Him
 He will hold us up through the storms of life.
Those are His hands coming out of the rock.
(This is part of a sculpture I made a few years back)

This occurred a few years ago and although I have not wrestled nearly as bad as that time, I have still wrestled and every time I do I am reminded again and again that I am His creation, not Him and although I am adopted into God’s family and am now His child, He IS still the Father, God of ALL creation who is not bound by time or sin and death.  When I slip into a lack of faith I make myself remember Who God is and who I am to Him and boldly and confidently come before His throne and ask Him for strength to endure; to trust, and to wait patiently while His plan works itself out in my life and in the lives of those around me.  Even now I am waiting still as my family has been in a dark, dark storm for several years.  What keeps me going?  His Truth.  I confess it out of my mouth daily.  I may not “feel” it, but I speak it regardless because His Truth is not limited to my emotions.  No His Truth is the rock I stand on to keep me from being tossed into the storms of life.  I’m not saying I don’t get knocked around, wind -blown, wet, cold, lonely, discouraged or even doubt, but because my feet are firmly planted on the Rock of Christ, He won’t let me fall into the torrential sea.  It’s the promise of Who God is that I hold on to and not my own understanding of the situation.  Is this easy? NO!  But Jesus never said it would be easy. 

Too often we blame God for the atrocities in our world.  There is so much darkness and despair, pain and suffering and we wonder how He could just let it happen.  But He doesn’t let it happen.  He gave us free will and lets us choose for ourselves.  Our world is fallen.  That means creation is fallen…all of creation, from the plants, the animals and to all of mankind.  We are born in sin because the world is fallen.  I think we forget that part.  We hear of the miracles of Christ occurring throughout the world in other’s lives and we want that in ours as well.  I too question God and ask Him why there are not more healings in the Church Body to show His power and glory on the earth.  He does not answer me.  But, what I am learning is that I must remember what He HAS done in my life and in the lives of those around me.  We must remember the times He took care of us, healed us, provided for us and even embraced us with His comfort and protection.  Otherwise we become like the Hebrews who were delivered from Egypt and forgot all that God delivered them from.  What they failed to understand was that it was through their wilderness experience God was trying to make them better people.  He was trying to get the Egypt out of their hearts and get their hearts to be more like His own. 

When we forget all that He has done we begin to wrestle with our faith.  We must remember and stand on His Truth, even when nothing makes sense around us.  What we don’t understand in our lives now, one day we will.  Whether in this life time or the next, but until then, to keep hope alive remember the times God revealed His love to you, even if all you have is the salvation you received at the Cross of Calvary.  Shouldn’t that alone be enough?  God loves us….God loves you.  He…loves…you….

Coping with the storms of life

Rain storms can be a good thing for our environment.  They are a necessity for nature.  Lightening provides nitrogen; rain nourishes and cleanses the earth.  There's many more benefits of storms but I'm not going to get into all of that here.  But what about the storms of life and the parallels from natures storms and our own?

Some have said (myself included) that they love a good thunderstorm.  This is certainly true when I am tucked safely in my home.  But driving in such a storm can bring on deep anxiety and stress.  A thunderstorm can put a damper on outside events because it can bring unexpected dangers.  Our first response with such storms is to find safety.  Whether getting out of the water when there's lightening or pulling off the road when the rain is falling so hard your vision is limited.  Whatever the situation we all instinctly protect ourselves from natures severe thunder storms.

What about the storms of life?  How does one prepare for those?  I don't know that we can, but rather get through them and wait them out.  Many of us have encountered many storms in our lives from financial strains and losses, to death, illness, disease, accidents, crimes, etc.  Yet, more often then not, most of us tend to get through them one way or another.  Still, there are so many emotions we encounter in the meantime:  fear, frustration, anger, confusion, sorrow, grief, anxiety, discouragement, hopelessness and more I'm sure.  How do we cope?  How do we allow ourselves to "feel" without letting our feelings take over?

Lord, my prayer to You is for peace through the storms of life.  It's so easy to get so focused on the circumstances that we lose our peace and get tossed around like wild waves in an hurricane.  You are the Lighthouse on the Rock I look to in the midst of the chaos, and I pray that as You call out to me in the darkness of the storm that I can hear and turn towards Your light.  Instead of fighting and kicking the torrential waves, help me to ride them until I am safe in Your presence, standing on a firm foundation.  I pray for hope to illuminate my heart and mind so I can with confidence trust the sun will shine on me again.

Lord, we can't avoid the storms of life because they just happen.  But my heart asks of Yours to be merciful and patient towards my own when I struggle with doubt and discouragement.  My promise to You is that I will praise you through the storms and trust You work all things out for the good to those who love you.  Thank You for the seasons in our lives that cultivate faith, trust, hope and courage.  Thank You for Your promise that no matter how dark our trials are You will never leave us or forsake us.  Although we may not understand, we can have peace in knowing You see the greater picture...the finished one.

Questions

How do we know?  How do we know when something is a divine appointment or merely a coincidence?  Can we know for certain when something is received from God or merely the creativity of our imaginations?  How come it seems some are on the right path because things are going so well for them and others, though of noble character, may seem slighted on the path they are on?  What is the difference?  So many questions in a life of faith, yet so few answers.  Why does faith have to be so complicated? 

Did Abraham wonder about that night he and God spoke under the stars?  Were the questions running through his head if it even really happened or if it was even God at all?  How did his waiting affect his daily walk with God?  What about his daily life with his family and friends?  Did discouragement ever enter his heart?

Did Joseph (NT) know for sure it was an angel that appeared to him in a dream about Mary being impregnated by the Holy Spirit?  After all it was only a dream and don’t we all dream?  How could he know for sure if it was divine or just his own wishful  subconscious because of his love for Mary? 

A confident teenage Joseph seemed so certain of his purpose in life following a dream; yet, he was betrayed by his brothers and sold into slavery!  How was he able to look at his life as being blessed when all the while he was really a slave?  For years he waited before he saw some real favor in his life…maybe even with the fulfillment of his interpretation of Pharoahs’ dreams about the famine in Egypt.  How did he keep his faith?

How does anyone keep their faith and continue to step out in the unknown of the prophetic, the unknown and the waiting periods of life? How do we discern what is Your voice from our own and even those from the outside?  How do we continue living a life of faith when waiting sees no end in sight to fulfillment? 

Lord, encourage our hearts with a love that trusts deeply even when our own reasoning confuses us.  Let us stand on Your character and faithfulness when ours lacks and falters.  Carry us when we collapse from discouragement and restore a renewed strength to hope so we can take a stand on Your promises. Draw us into Your word in such a way that it flows through our veins and is the life blood of who we are.  We need to always remain hopeful, but without Your Spirit to quench our thirst we become parched in a wilderness of despair.  Only You Lord can call water from the rock in the barrenness of our soul. Please forgive us when we doubt, and renew our faith!  There is hope; there is power; and there life in Your name Lord Jesus.

I wish…

By Holly Fisher

I wish…

I had the words to say,

Words to take the pain away,

Words to lighten a heart so gray

But I haven’t any words to say.

I wish…

            There was something I could do,

            Something meaningful just for you,

            Something so you wouldn’t feel so blue,

            But I can’t think of what I can do.

I wish…

            Your days would always be sunny,

            And your life would be sweet like honey,

            That you could live with all in harmony

            But where would go your testimony?

I wish…

            For you only the very best,

            For you to find a time of rest,

            That your life wouldn’t be such a test,

            But it’s through these times you’ll be blessed.

I wish…

            Your heart could see past the pain,

            That you could believe it’s not in vain,

            That through the trials you’ve much to gain,

            But from your anger you must refrain.

I wish…

            That one day you’ll understand,

            That your life had been in God’s hand,

            He hasn’t left you alone to stand,

            And His plan for your life is far more grand.

I wish…

            That you’ll keep praying for hope,

            And through the trials you’ll continue to cope,

            That you’ll remember this when you mope,

            And look beyond the moment with hope.

I’ve no more wishes to wish for you,

For I’m lifting your life to one so True.

He’s the only One who can help you thru,

And makes every morning bright and new.

Compassion

Pain does not discern between causes.  Whether the pain of tragedy, disease or a broken relationship, it all hurts the same.  The heart does not differentiate from one or the other.  The ache is the same.  The tears are all wet;  the sorrow is felt in the pit of the womb, and the heart still feels like it’s cracking open. 

More often than not we live in our little parts of the world about our business and things are just fine.  But somewhere in other parts of the world, maybe even as close as next door, there is a cloud of sorrow indwelling.  In other places there is rejoicing, celebration, excitement.  When one person is hurting not everyone hurts.  When some are celebrating, a wedding for instance, others are grieving over the loss of a loved one.  There are people falling in love at one place and others breaking apart in another.  A baby is born and a baby is lost.  Tragedy, rejoicing, sorrow, joyfulness…at the same time in different places. 

Some how it feels wrong to be happy when others are sad.  But when I look at the goodness of the Lord and see how He cries when we cry, laughs when we laugh and rejoices when we celebrate it makes me think.  God is aware of all of the injustices, all of the sorrows and of all the joys in the world.  He knows of every man, woman and child and their circumstances.  He can step into each life at the same time.  He simultaneously weeps, laughs, grieves and rejoices with us. Who can fathom such compassion and love? 

Compassion is to cry with others who are crying;  to laugh with those who are rejoicing; to hope with those who are praying; to stand alongside of our neighbors in whatever season they are in, just as Christ does with us.  We can’t be in all places at one time, but we can look around us right where we are at and open our eyes to see if there are those near us who are in need.  Sometimes the need is someone to share their tears, their hurts, their fears, their good news, bad news, answered prayers, prayer requests or whatever it may be.  Sometimes we all just need some compassion, not correction or instruction, just someone who cares.   Can we be willing to take on the sorrows of others when we are celebrating?  Can we still rejoice in the blessings of God while others are suffering? 

Lord, help us to be sensitive to those around us, but to also show gratitude for the seasons of joy in the lives of others as well as our own.  When sorrow comes to our lives bring others alongside of us to share in our heart aches as we share in theirs.  Let us live lives of love and compassion towards all we encounter. Help us to see the opportunities before us that we may reflect Your love light.  Give us eyes to see the seasons in the people around us.  Give us the same compassion in our hearts that is in Yours.

A drop of light

As I was sitting at the dining room table this morning and battling discouragement, about to toss in the towel of my faith I glanced out my window at something that caught my eye. I saw a blinding little light in the tree in our yard. Something clicked in my spirit and heart at that precise moment and gave me hope again.

It's so easy to feel invisible in this world. A grain of sand lost in the sands of time. Feeling like we make no difference in this world of 7 plus billion people. Yet, the sands touch together. We as people are all affected by each other. Every grain of sand rubs against others.

This little bright twinkling light in the morning sun shared some encouragement with me. This little droplet of water was reflecting the radiant light of the great sun. I could see it in the bright daylight. There were no others to witness this little day time reflector, but I believe it was just meant for me to see. Maybe it was a strange coincidence but it returned to my heart hope. That in all things, as we reflect the Lord's light in this world, we can make a difference by touching the life of just one person. By this we've doubled our portion. Maybe then that person can light up and affect another and now our portion is tripled. And so forth.

My point is it's impossible to not impact the world we live in even as a lone grain of sand or a lone droplet of water. Whether we are rubbing up against someone and causing friction or being a reflection of the Light of the world we make a difference.

Lord let my light shine because You are my source. Forgive my faithlessness and help me to remain faithful when hopelessness abounds around me like a wild storm. Encourage my eyes to gaze towards Your glory so that I may reflect Your light right where You have placed me in this world.