Experiencing a Bit of Heaven on Earth - Jesus' Heart for Us

In every heart lies a great desire to love another to the point of moving their heart. When our hearts are touched by another, our emotions are stirred and we call it being “moved.” It is intimacy we long for. It is intimacy we are made for. No one should be sorry for longing for this, for our hearts are made to have such sweet moments both with God and others. We are meant to both receive and give this kind of love. Whether it is a friend, a spouse, or a family member, our hearts are made for such kind of relationships. It is inside of every single person and we can’t deny the fact that we love being loved and love giving love. We were made for this.

In the heart of God, it is the same longing that is found. Deep within His heart lies such desire for friendship and intimacy with us. It is not the angels that His heart desires, though they must be glorious. It is humans like you and I that catch His glance. Though He is high and lofty sitting on a throne, He stoops so low as to look at us, calling us by name and longing simply that we would open our hearts to Him. He wants to serve us, help us, come along side us, and love us. What kind of God is this that truly wants to be involved in our lives? He wants to hear our voice, but not out of duty. He loves when we are sincere...when we actually think about what we are telling Him, and not say a quick prayer for the sake of checking it off. For who wants to be talked to simply out of duty? He longs for sincere words from us. Just like us, He loves to be moved and He loves to be loved. And just like us, He wants someone to share His thoughts with. And just like us, He wants to be listened to and enjoyed.

Next time you talk to Him, think about what you are saying. Don’t be so quick to say the list of needs you have before hitting the sack. Yes, He wants you to ask for things. He absolutely does! But make it a goal to stop for a moment, quiet your heart, and tell Him how you feel about Him. In doing so, be ready to listen to Him as He begins to unfold His heart towards you. You will begin to experience the tenderness and compassion that He has for you. Stick with it and you will find that your heart will become more and more aware of His presence until you too are moved by His thoughts and affection towards you. It is an invitation for all of us – young, old, poor, single, married, etc. It’s an invitation to experience a bit of heaven on earth – the heart of Jesus for us.

God's Parenting Skills - How He Deals With Us

I was three years old as I stood in front of my house in the tiny town of Campo, Colorodo. Wide-eyed and ready to make a run for it, I had set my mind on one thing. My grandma’s house. She lived across the street and was ready and willing at any time for me to eat her candy. My little three year old mind knew this and was ready to take action for that to occur. Before the coming of this day, I would stand in front of my window and gaze across the street dreaming of being at my grandma’s house, a place where candy had no boundaries! This particular day I was ready to go beyond the gazing and make a run for it! Who knows if I had shoes or decent clothes on. I’m sure I didn’t and I didn’t care. I crossed the street and ran into my grandma’s house who was oh so happy to see I had come. A sweet hug and smile were exchanged, and then the candy came out. I was soon a very happy little girl! Not long after, I heard a voice yelling, “Marci, Marci!” It was a voice I knew oh so well. My daddy. He was coming to get me and take me home. I’m sure he explained to me the dangers of crossing the street and not having an adult. I just wanted some candy. I went back home with my daddy and listened to what he had to say. Then, without hesitation, when his back was turned, I made my way across the street again to be with my grandma and eat her candy! As you can see, this situation became a training opportunity for my parents. From what they tell me, it took awhile for the lesson to sink in to my little mind! The above story occurred over and over again, day after day! My parents should have just given me candy and it would have solved the problem! J Ha!

I just want to write a few thoughts on what our Father is like. How does He handle all of us? What does He do when He has a “kid” like me, who is so stubborn? What are His ways in changing and disciplining us? Oh how I love the way He deals with us! I love the heart of our Father for weak and broken human beings!! There is no doubt that He is intimately involved and committed in training us to become who we are meant to be. Life is full of lessons to be learned, and often it takes several situations for us to mature to the point of having the wisdom He wants us to have. Mistakes are both necessary and beneficial if we let them be.

There are so many different theories on parenting. Some parents believe in spanking, others believe effective communication will do the trick. There are so many different strategies out there. Our Father has His own way of changing, training, and “parenting” us. And it is perfect. He is the perfect parent! I can’t go on without including one of my favorite verses, “…He doesn’t treat us as our sins deserve, or repay us according to our sin.” (Psalms 103) It’s scary to think what we really deserve. Yet, God doesn’t give us what we deserve. He treats us much better than we deserve. There are so many things He overlooks and forgets concerning our lives. Because of Jesus, we can actually have peace with God (Romans 5:1). That means we can be friends with Him and our sin no longer stands in the way. He has made a way for weak and broken human beings to actually come close to God. This is incredible! I mean, this is INCREDIBLE! So, what I am saying is…God is just really super nice to us. Beyond what we even realize. He is WAY nice. I love that He is this way!

So, if He doesn’t treat us as we deserve, how does He change us? Do you know He has a goal for you in mind? Do you know He is so excited about who you will become? And do you know that what you will become is how He sees you TODAY? When my stubbornness stopped me from obeying my daddy, He knew that I wouldn’t always have that problem of crossing the street without being cautious! He knew I would grow up one day and be able to process in my mind that a car could be coming and I might want to look both ways before crossing. My dad knew I wouldn’t always have that problem of not obeying Him in that situation. God knows the struggles and weaknesses we have now won’t always have a hold of us. He probably says things like, “Yes, (your name) is not so good at that, but you just wait…wait until you see what she/he becomes. It will blow your mind!!” That’s why it’s so important we have hearts that are set on eternity. This world is so temporary. Everything about it will fade away in time. I can’t wait for what’s next, and God can’t either! He is so excited about YOU! His heart swells with pride when He thinks about you. Yes, life on this earth is cruddy at times, especially when we realize our worst enemy is often ourselves. We don’t have the power to change us. We simply can’t be good on our own. But, this life is an itty bitty tiny part of the big picture. What lies after this 70 or 80 years on the earth will be glorious beyond what we can even think or imagine. God dreams of that day too – because you will be all that you are meant to be. He sees you today, not as a messed up individual (though you may be), but as someone who will be very useful to Him in the age to come. He has plans for all of us, more than we can think or imagine! And you will love Him with all of your heart. The things that you struggle with now will be gone in just a little while longer. We won’t just be floating on clouds and singing lullabies. So, one way God changes us is through communicating truth to our hearts of who we are through His eyes. When we know His heart towards us, we are more likely to turn to Him in dark times. If we believe the lies about God, that He is distant, mad, and disappointed, we tend to not turn to Him and stay in our shame and despair. The fear of what He thinks or feels about us is enough for us to stay away. Oh Lord, break the lies in our hearts that we might know the incredible truth you have to say about us! He really, really likes us!

Finally, I want to mention Psalms 103:13-17.

“As a Father has compassion on His children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him; for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust. As for man, his days are like grass, he flourishes like a flower of the field; the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more. But from everlasting to everlasting the Lord’s love is with those who fear him…”

Ok, everyone smile really big now! Time to be happy and have hope!

A New Perspective on Life: Knowing Our Importance and Trusting God's Timing

I had a dream last night that made a big impact on me. I’ve been thinking about it all day. I saw my life. Not as it is, but instead as a round checker piece being played on a checker board. I wasn’t the only piece on the board, but there were several others. Actually, I was surrounded by checker pieces. I was one of many. I saw the actual hand of God reach down and begin to move and shuffle certain pieces around me. I knew the one red checker piece I was looking at symbolized my life and the others around me were relationships I have in my life now. I couldn’t tell you who they were right off hand, I just knew that what I was looking at was a picture of how God had moved people into my life. It was the people in and around my life. There was divine purpose involved in every move of His hand. The sense I had was that each piece was in the exact and perfect place for God’s purpose to unfold. In that moment as I looked at my life being displayed on this checker board, God began to show me several different things.

First of all, I realized that this thing I call “my life” is a very small part of a huge plan. It wasn’t that my life was any less important, I just saw it from a different perspective. It was as if I thought I was the only checker piece on the board and I was shocked to see that there were others, lots of others involved. It is good for us to realize that our lives aren’t only about ourselves. This keeps us from living in self-pity and helps us to have the perspective that life is about others, not just our personal wants and needs. What we tend to forget is how important our life really is to others. We get caught up in the things we need and want, or wish we had, when God has placed us right in the middle of His perfect plan. That plan is not about us getting everything we think we need. A large part of it is how our life fits into others around us. The role we play in other’s lives is huge. We tend to forget this. Selfishness often sneaks into my own heart and stops me from being everything God desires me to be in the lives of those around me. Just like you, I play lots of roles in my life. A daughter, sister, friend, coworker, teacher, and aunt are a few of them. Each role is different than the other and we help fulfill someone else’s life in each one. If we choose the way of self-pity, we tend to isolate ourselves and the relationships we are meant to fulfill are left on the back burner. We so easily get consumed in our own lives that we forget we are made for community. We aren’t made to live life alone, but walking with the other relationships that God has divinely put in our lives. When things aren’t going our way, sometimes God’s answer is not to pick up our checker piece and move it. Sometimes we need to stay right where we are at. It’s not about what we need, but we have to realize where God has placed us has a much bigger purpose than ourselves. If we can get our eyes off of ourselves and begin to see the need in others around us, to be a blessing to them and stop living in self-pity, we will indeed begin to see our lives as God wants us to

Ok, this next one really gets the best of me. It is God’s timing verses our timing. Sometimes my impatience gets the best of me. There are things in all of our hearts we want to happen. We all have dreams we want to take place in our lives. Waiting for those things to happen probably produces more character in us than if they were to happen in our timing. Waiting does incredible things on the inside of us!! It is NOT fun! Sometimes we wonder why God hasn’t moved us on to the next stage of our lives when there is a purpose in the waiting. It’s especially hard when He has put things inside of us that are from Him that we want to do in our lifetime. We often want to rush it. What a reminder to trust His leadership and timing in our lives. To know that His hand is the One that is making the moves can bring such a peace inside of us. We can trust Him….we can trust Him with our entire lives! When His response is simply to wait, or if He says “not yet,” we know it is for our benefit. Even in the waiting, we are being formed and prepared for what God wants to do next in our life. He is always doing something in us! Knowing He is good is enough for us to trust His decisions in our lives. May we not get offended at what we do or don’t have in our lives. He is good and knows what is best! Sometimes this is all we have to cling to when we don’t understand the situations that are taking place in our lives. And really, that’s all we need to know. His love for us is enough.

Lastly, I hope you know how incredibly important your life is. Some may feel alone, others surrounded by others, yet with a sense of emptiness. God wants to remind us of His purpose for us, that we aren’t meant to live life feeling like we are a gerbil on a wheel. Before time began, so much thought was put into your life. And you are one of those checker pieces that God has strategically placed in the position you are in. It’s not easy sometimes, but trust that your life is bigger than the things you see. You are not only needed, but so important and valuable to this journey we call life.

He Knew What He Was Getting Into When He Saw Me

God is not shocked by our disfunction, inability to perform perfection, and lack of wisdom in situations. We often forget that we are children, grown-ups who have a long ways to go and who won't ever reach our full potential on this side of time. If you are a little (or a lot) competitive in nature like me, it becomes very difficult to live out of a place of child-likeness. In thinking that I am strong enough to make things happen in and among myself causes a lot of extra problems in my life that could be avoided if I would learn the lesson of leaning and depending in God. God has a way of setting up perfect situations for us to learn. He is dedicated to us becoming who we are meant to become, even if it means bringing brokeness by His kindness in allowing things to happen that will change us.

Just this morning I found myself again face to face with how weak I really am. The Lord is so gracious to shine his light on our hearts, especially when we feel we are making more progress than we really are. The fact that we are keeping tabs in progress is what the lord wants to change in us, or me anyways. If my heart could just learn to rest and quit analyzing my own condition, whether good or bad! There is a beautiful place in God of knowing who you are, yet saying yes to Him without shame. It is about taking a posture of humility and servanthood.

So this morning as I bawled and complained before God at the many ways He needs to change my heart and how He can't use me until I'm "better," He made me bawl even more at His response. I felt Him smile over me and reassure me that He is in this thing with me for the long haul. He is WILLING to help me. He says yes to the process in my life and is patient with me. As Misty Edwards sings about Him, "he knew what he was getting into when he saw me." He isn't shocked by our immaturity. He doesn't forget we are children, learning along the way! So I am ok....even though I do have a long ways to go. Im ok! The desire to please Him weighs a lot more than the mistakes we make along the way.

Friendship...Learning to Carry His Heart for Others

As I get older, I love friendship more and more. I think it’s probably because I realize the value of it. I know that if a person has a few people they can truly call their friends in a lifetime, they are blessed. I’ve been on a journey of learning about what it means to be a friend. There have been a few key people in my life that have taught me how to be a friend. I have learned to open my heart in honesty and sincerity, to be one that communicates, and one that listens. I wasn’t good at any of that. I still struggle with it now, but have come a really long ways! I’m still learning and am blessed to have true friends that I can learn from.

I believe a true friend is not just someone that you can have a good time with, although this is certainly true. I think we limit it to this definition when there is so much more that our hearts were made for in the subject of friendship. I believe true friends have the privilege of going on a lifetime journey of getting to know the other person, seeing how the Lord sees them, and helping them to become that person. The Lord wants to speak to us about our friends. He wants to partner with us so we know His heart for each other. I am a better friend when I carry His heart. It is when we share the actual emotions of His heart for someone else that we can know the intimacy of friendship. Do we know how powerful it is to actually know what God thinks of another? To not only know His thoughts, but communicate them to someone? This is available to us – He is ready and willing to speak to us about other people in our lives. May we begin to ask Him what His thoughts are concerning others.

Oh how the Lord must love friendship. Hidden in the chambers of His heart is a love and longing for friendship. God is so affectionate. His emotions are so pure and undefiled that nothing earthly can compare to the endless flow of love and affection that flows from His heart. He is calling us to take hold of this part of His nature and He is most willing to teach us. He wants us to experience the full measure of friendship on the earth. It is a part of Him – and we are meant to walk in it because we were made in His image.

All of the baggage that comes from the past is not enough for God to be unwilling to teach us how to be vulnerable to each other. He will teach us to open our hearts when all we’ve had is others crush us in the past. Although we won’t be perfect at it, He will give us grace to walk this gift out called friendship. May we experience ALL that we are meant to…and friendship being one of the many experiences God wants to give us!