Wednesday, April 14, 2010
The Faithful Confidant
Tonight I was thinking about the Lord being one who carries the heaviness in our hearts. He actually likes to take the heaviness that is mine and carry it for me. And that’s just what He did by dying. He took those things that were against me that I was guilty of and carried them for me. But it’s not only sinful things. I believe He wants us to enter into His peace now, even in this lifetime. I believe He is calling us to live in a place of trusting Him no matter what our situation is. In the face of such circumstances that cause us to fear or worry, He wants us to know the Rock in which we stand upon. He is calling us to carry the lightness of his burden. The Holy Spirit, who is a fantastic teacher (He would definitely win teacher of the year), wants to teach us how to live by allowing Him to have those things we worry and stress over. Instead of carrying them ourselves, He wants us to live in peace, like a child standing safely with their father. Even in times when we don’t know what’s ahead and we can’t see how life circumstances will change, we can trust with confidence that His faithfulness is our shield. One of my favorite verses is Psalms 131:2, “Instead, I have calmed and quieted myself, like a weaned child who no longer cries for its mother’s milk. Yes, like a weaned child is my soul within me.” David had learned the lesson of trusting God. He was not like a child crying and needing milk. Instead, he learned to not complain or worry about his situations. He had matured to the point of trusting the One who had proved Himself to be faithful. His heart could wait quietly and trust that God saw Him and knew His situation. Though war raged around Him, He lived in God’s peace inwardly.This is what He is calling us to…to enter into this place of rest He has created for each of us. We are not meant to live in stress, anxiety, and fear. He wants to lift that off of us and teach us to learn from His heart. There is nothing like His presence. I am so thankful for the One who wants to lift the heaviness in our hearts and teach us to live in peace and trust! He is a faithful confidant!
Sunday, March 21, 2010
God's Pleasure in Day to Day Events
In looking back at my life up to this point, I see the journey with a completely different perspective. It's a powerful thing to have lived long enough to look back at one's life from a different angle. I'm not sure if it's just the fact that with age comes the wisdom of seeing situations with a more mature perpsective or if it's something else. Maybe in another ten years, I'll be able to answer that question with a more profound understanding.
What has truly changed in my understanding of life is how important and precious our days are to the Lord. Not only are our day to day events hidden deep in the heart of God, but the different seasons, which consist of numerous days and months are a part of the treasure He calls our lives. We can not fully understand how He sees our lives. I can only imagine the emotions He must feel when He sees, before His eyes, what He thought of before time began. Every life consists of many changes, big and small. I think of my own Mother when I ponder on this issue (only because I know her life well). I think of the many different stages she has gone through in her life, which resembles many women in our culture. She grew up in a large family of 5 girls who lived in a rather small house and spent much of their time working to help make ends meet. In a small Colorado town of not more than a few hundred people, she spent her time in 4-H and other community events throughout highschool. She soon got married and moved off with my Dad. After 7 or so years of being married, they had their first child, Cristy. Three years following, Sherri came along, and then a year later me. I can only imagine what it was like having three little girls running around the house. I'm sure that she didn't have much time to call her own having to care for us! The day came when we were all out of the house and she got to enjoy retirement, which is the season she is in today. Although my Mom is a quiet woman who has nad no problem living in the background, her days and seasons are not only precious to the Lord, but are full of purpose and destiny that she cannot fully comprehend. Just like my mother's, my life, as well as yours, is full of purpose and importance that we can't fully grasp or understand.
Think of your own life and the changes that have taken place. You may not have had as many changes as my Mother, but everyone who stops to look back can see how life is full of different seasons. The time line of our lives is being watched ever so delicately by the one who knit our very lives together in our mother's womb. He is watching with such delight as we take steps closer to fulfilling our God-given plans on this earth. The time line of our lives is very precious to Him and one day, when all is said and done, we will see the tapestry of our lives with clearness and understanding. In that moment, we will see the wisdom of God in every situation, the patience of God throughout our mistakes, and the sustaining love of God that helped us endure through pain, confusion, and sorrow. And (I write this with much excitement), we will never feel that pain, confusion, or sorrow again as we will forever live in the presence of God and see His face. May we not let the day to day boredom stop us from knowing that we are not merely living, but we are walking out a time line full of purpose and destiny that was thought up by God Himself. When we live in that truth, there is no place for devaluing our lives or having the feeling of being unimportant. When we feel as though nothing is happening in our lives, just remember it is part of a bigger picture that will have a glorious ending. For some, death is the end. For others, it is a glorious beginning of true life! I know on that day we will not be disappointed!
What has truly changed in my understanding of life is how important and precious our days are to the Lord. Not only are our day to day events hidden deep in the heart of God, but the different seasons, which consist of numerous days and months are a part of the treasure He calls our lives. We can not fully understand how He sees our lives. I can only imagine the emotions He must feel when He sees, before His eyes, what He thought of before time began. Every life consists of many changes, big and small. I think of my own Mother when I ponder on this issue (only because I know her life well). I think of the many different stages she has gone through in her life, which resembles many women in our culture. She grew up in a large family of 5 girls who lived in a rather small house and spent much of their time working to help make ends meet. In a small Colorado town of not more than a few hundred people, she spent her time in 4-H and other community events throughout highschool. She soon got married and moved off with my Dad. After 7 or so years of being married, they had their first child, Cristy. Three years following, Sherri came along, and then a year later me. I can only imagine what it was like having three little girls running around the house. I'm sure that she didn't have much time to call her own having to care for us! The day came when we were all out of the house and she got to enjoy retirement, which is the season she is in today. Although my Mom is a quiet woman who has nad no problem living in the background, her days and seasons are not only precious to the Lord, but are full of purpose and destiny that she cannot fully comprehend. Just like my mother's, my life, as well as yours, is full of purpose and importance that we can't fully grasp or understand.
Think of your own life and the changes that have taken place. You may not have had as many changes as my Mother, but everyone who stops to look back can see how life is full of different seasons. The time line of our lives is being watched ever so delicately by the one who knit our very lives together in our mother's womb. He is watching with such delight as we take steps closer to fulfilling our God-given plans on this earth. The time line of our lives is very precious to Him and one day, when all is said and done, we will see the tapestry of our lives with clearness and understanding. In that moment, we will see the wisdom of God in every situation, the patience of God throughout our mistakes, and the sustaining love of God that helped us endure through pain, confusion, and sorrow. And (I write this with much excitement), we will never feel that pain, confusion, or sorrow again as we will forever live in the presence of God and see His face. May we not let the day to day boredom stop us from knowing that we are not merely living, but we are walking out a time line full of purpose and destiny that was thought up by God Himself. When we live in that truth, there is no place for devaluing our lives or having the feeling of being unimportant. When we feel as though nothing is happening in our lives, just remember it is part of a bigger picture that will have a glorious ending. For some, death is the end. For others, it is a glorious beginning of true life! I know on that day we will not be disappointed!
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Friendship With God
It seems I am in an inward tug-a-war as I realize the battle between knowing truth in my heart and actually walking it out. I would tell anyone that I am completely uninterested in religion, yet I unknowingly walk in it most of the time. I can talk the talk nicely, but I want to see my life as it really is, not as I think it is, covered in mere religious words and ideas. I think everyone would agree no one needs or wants anymore religion. I really want to know and experience Jesus. If it is possible for a heart to encounter God in such intimacy, than I want to be a candidate. With a bit of fear and trembling, I'm asking that a bull's eye be placed on my heart and that God would find a place in my heart that He can relax, enjoy, and find rest. I want to stop caring so much about religious duties and begin caring about God Himself. May we be those that honestly care for God -- what is really on His heart! Things that we care for are cultivated. Whether it's the main things in life, such as our families, or smaller less important things like yard work or gardens, we give our time and energy to making sure those things are in tact. It is no different with God. He really wants us to cultivate friendship with Him and be those that carry His heart to others.
I add "with a bit of fear and trembling" because, though I don't know a lot about the subject, the invitation to friendship with God is more than what I once thought it was. I think about whom the Lord called His friends throughout the Bible and I realize the life lived in friendship with God is one that is costly -- at least with the perspective of earthly things. It is laying aside what we think we deserve or need and with joy in our hearts sharing the thoughts, burdens, and cares that the very God of the universe carries in His heart. This is a daily struggle for me personally as I encounter nearly every day the selfishness in my heart as to what I think I need or deserve. If only I would lay aside temporary things to carry the perspective of heaven in my heart so much so that I die to what I want, think I need, and believe I deserve. It is truly a narrow path that many in the Western world criticize and call unnecessary. Yet to God, it is a life lived in wisdom and an invitation to greatness in His Kingdom. We lay down our lives to gain Him. We say yes to a life of being poor in spirit, of being desperate for His touch on our hearts, spending our energy for the sake of others, and being willing to carry His heart for the poor and forgotten of the earth. Although foolish to many, I would think that those who find this place in God would begin to believe that the temporary pleasures of this earth are as nothing compared to encountering true pleasure that flows from God's heart to those who hunger for Him. Bitterness has no root in them because they walk the way of tenderness, forgiving others and walking in humility and love. Jesus, be the love of our hearts -- that we would not walk in religion, but in real encounters with you.
I add "with a bit of fear and trembling" because, though I don't know a lot about the subject, the invitation to friendship with God is more than what I once thought it was. I think about whom the Lord called His friends throughout the Bible and I realize the life lived in friendship with God is one that is costly -- at least with the perspective of earthly things. It is laying aside what we think we deserve or need and with joy in our hearts sharing the thoughts, burdens, and cares that the very God of the universe carries in His heart. This is a daily struggle for me personally as I encounter nearly every day the selfishness in my heart as to what I think I need or deserve. If only I would lay aside temporary things to carry the perspective of heaven in my heart so much so that I die to what I want, think I need, and believe I deserve. It is truly a narrow path that many in the Western world criticize and call unnecessary. Yet to God, it is a life lived in wisdom and an invitation to greatness in His Kingdom. We lay down our lives to gain Him. We say yes to a life of being poor in spirit, of being desperate for His touch on our hearts, spending our energy for the sake of others, and being willing to carry His heart for the poor and forgotten of the earth. Although foolish to many, I would think that those who find this place in God would begin to believe that the temporary pleasures of this earth are as nothing compared to encountering true pleasure that flows from God's heart to those who hunger for Him. Bitterness has no root in them because they walk the way of tenderness, forgiving others and walking in humility and love. Jesus, be the love of our hearts -- that we would not walk in religion, but in real encounters with you.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Singleness
I have found that even though people seem to be getting married later in life, being single in our culture is not the most popular choice. And, by all means, it shouldn’t be. Yet, there are many who struggle with the idea of singleness and who long for the husband or wife that God has prepared for them. It is true that there are both positive and biblical ideas about the topic of singleness, but it is clear that it is not for everyone. For those who are waiting for their mate, it can be a difficult and lonely time full of questions and concerns about God’s timing. I am certainly one that can talk about the issue of singleness since this is the path that God has put me on up to this point in my life.
I want to encourage those, who like me, are on the path of singleness. Whether you are young and have many years ahead of you for God to bring your mate, divorced, or older and have never been married, I want to speak what I believe is the heart of God to you…an encouraging word, so to speak.Like all of you, I know friends and family who decided to get married in their early 20s. I loved watching the excitement of having the fist child, purchasing a home, and celebrating yearly anniversaries. I loved the conversations about the child’s first words, their first day of school, and the first friends they made. I love all of the mothers in my life and have the highest respect and honor for my friends and family who are one. It is a God-given gift and responsibility that is just incredible.
I love that God’s plan for our lives is not set in stone and we are not all wedged out of the same “cookie cutter” so to speak. His plan for each of us is so unique and precious to Him no matter what it may look like to us. We often wonder why our lives can’t fit into a mold to look like a certain somebody’s that we know. But to God, it is precious in His eyes no matter what our circumstances are because He is the one writing the book about your life. We aren’t the author – He is! Because of this truth, it takes much trust and dependence on knowing that God sees us, is aware of His timing for our life, and, even though we are at times tempted to ask Him, cares about our needs and wants (as long as our wants and needs fall within the boundaries of His will).
Whether you are single or married, that is not the most important issue. There is something much deeper that God wants to give us. Contentment. To be content in every situation and circumstance is of much worth in God’s eyes. The topic of being content can cover every issue in our lives and goes far past just being single or married. In talking with a friend the other day about the difficulty of waiting for her mate, she finished with this statement, “These issues I am so concerned about are nothing in the light of eternity.” That is so true! At the same time, God cares about our needs and desires and has a time clock that is important to Him to bring about each stage in our lives to completion. Take advantage of the period of waiting – God can work a beautiful inner quality within you that will help you throughout future seasons in your life.
Therefore, whether you are single or married, I encourage you to find contentment in every circumstance, to set your mind and heart upon eternal things, to be a peacemaker in all areas and relationships of life, and to be servant hearted before God and others. Is it not true that our first and most important desire should be to please God? It is not in doing things that pleases Him – it is in the quiet inner trust that makes us aware of God’s eyes upon us and allows us to enter into His peaceful rest and assurance of His marvelous love. Place your needs, desires, and wants on the back burner and begin to walk with the humility of pleasing God with an attitude of meekness in every relationship and season of waiting. In doing that, I promise that you will get God’s attention.
I want to encourage those, who like me, are on the path of singleness. Whether you are young and have many years ahead of you for God to bring your mate, divorced, or older and have never been married, I want to speak what I believe is the heart of God to you…an encouraging word, so to speak.Like all of you, I know friends and family who decided to get married in their early 20s. I loved watching the excitement of having the fist child, purchasing a home, and celebrating yearly anniversaries. I loved the conversations about the child’s first words, their first day of school, and the first friends they made. I love all of the mothers in my life and have the highest respect and honor for my friends and family who are one. It is a God-given gift and responsibility that is just incredible.
I love that God’s plan for our lives is not set in stone and we are not all wedged out of the same “cookie cutter” so to speak. His plan for each of us is so unique and precious to Him no matter what it may look like to us. We often wonder why our lives can’t fit into a mold to look like a certain somebody’s that we know. But to God, it is precious in His eyes no matter what our circumstances are because He is the one writing the book about your life. We aren’t the author – He is! Because of this truth, it takes much trust and dependence on knowing that God sees us, is aware of His timing for our life, and, even though we are at times tempted to ask Him, cares about our needs and wants (as long as our wants and needs fall within the boundaries of His will).
Whether you are single or married, that is not the most important issue. There is something much deeper that God wants to give us. Contentment. To be content in every situation and circumstance is of much worth in God’s eyes. The topic of being content can cover every issue in our lives and goes far past just being single or married. In talking with a friend the other day about the difficulty of waiting for her mate, she finished with this statement, “These issues I am so concerned about are nothing in the light of eternity.” That is so true! At the same time, God cares about our needs and desires and has a time clock that is important to Him to bring about each stage in our lives to completion. Take advantage of the period of waiting – God can work a beautiful inner quality within you that will help you throughout future seasons in your life.
Therefore, whether you are single or married, I encourage you to find contentment in every circumstance, to set your mind and heart upon eternal things, to be a peacemaker in all areas and relationships of life, and to be servant hearted before God and others. Is it not true that our first and most important desire should be to please God? It is not in doing things that pleases Him – it is in the quiet inner trust that makes us aware of God’s eyes upon us and allows us to enter into His peaceful rest and assurance of His marvelous love. Place your needs, desires, and wants on the back burner and begin to walk with the humility of pleasing God with an attitude of meekness in every relationship and season of waiting. In doing that, I promise that you will get God’s attention.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Intimacy With God
Oh to be known fully. Oh that the depths and chambers of my heart, thoughts, and emotions would be searched and known by another. There is a cry in all of us to be known and to be seen even more than just our outward appearance and the shallowness of everyday acquaintances. For it is on the inside that we are defined and it is in this place of inwardness that God’s description of us is formed. To describe the inward man is not an easy task. It is made up of chamber after chamber, longing after longing, passion after passion, and an endless pool of emotions and affections. One can not come close to bringing to perfection the blue print of our inward lives. But there is One that can. He not only has words to describe each of our unique inner qualities, but He has the ability like none other to reach into the depths of each of our hearts and know exactly what moves us, quiets us, and stirs us. Coming from this beautiful array of majestic and holy pleasures is the jealous love in which God draws each one of us into sweet communion with Him. It is when our hearts touch His that pleasure beyond any worldly experience occurs. Intimacy, being the greatest gift God has given, is available to any and all who open their hearts in holiness and hunger. Deep cries unto deep. The depths of our hearts, though we may not know it, yearn for something greater, something deeper, and something that will bring definition and identity to our lives and give us worth.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Adopted
Of all the different aspects of who God is, I think the one I like best is that He is a Father - one who brings us into His family, close to His heart, and embraces us with belonging and acceptance. Working in the past and present with children who live in tough situations, I find that the revelation of my Father and His love for little ones like these is often one that resides in me. Six years ago, I worked at a battered women's shelter. During my time there, I got to connect and spend time with children who had been abused on every level. Memories of when I got to visit the children who lived in the city dump in Ecuador also fill my mind. As I held the baby in my arms whose diaper had been used over and over again and whose body was covered with filth, my heart began to realize just how much this God of extravagant love gave for them. Though it has not been much, I am blessed to have spent time among the poor, the fatherless, and the forgotten. For it is in looking in their eyes, that I see the my Father. It is in sitting with them, talking with them, and befriending them that I learn about the heart of friendship my Father longs to extend to us. It is in opening my heart to them that I realize the incredible truth that Jesus' heart is open to us. My Father loves extravagantly and He is not afraid to embrace us in our weakness and imperfection. "He gathers the lambs in His arms and carries them close to His heart..." Isaiah 40:11 He wants to pull us in close to His big heart where there is room for everyone. He has enough love to heal every wound and scar of the past and wants to nurture us to completion and wholeness by His love. There is a place in His family for everyone...and oh it feels so good to have this kind of Father...it feels so good to be in His family!
Sunday, January 17, 2010
From Rags to Royalty
It is amazing to me that God has written a book about my life which includes my birth, my death, and everything inbetween. He has recorded the day I rode my bike off a cliff and broke my arm when I was five, the day I wrecked the mail man's truck at a carwash , and every choice I have made whether big or small. There is one thing that will not be in that book...my mistakes, my weaknesses, my sin. I am grateful that He is keeping track of my life and all the while forgetting when I fall short. Because of His amazing ability to look upon my life with a happy heart and a smile, I have hope knowing that one day I too will be able to fully receive His love for me with no shame or fear. Though I stumble, I am perfect before Him...blameless with inward beauty which comes from His own reflection. He covers my multitude of sin and loves me faithfully in the middle of testings, doubts, and confusion. All because He stands as a mediator between me and the Father. He takes my sin and makes me pure. Therefore, though we struggle with our sinful nature on the earth, we can know we are truly loved, important, delighted in, and enjoyed by the one who loves best.
I am so thankful that He has chosen to treat me better than I deserve. He has taken me in my rags and made me into a princess! I am poor, yet He makes me rich! I am of low estate, yet He invites me to sit at the table of a King. Like Cinderella, He chose the lowest of the low in whom others wouldn't have chosen and has brought me into His royal family. He is my good samaritan. When no one noticed me, He did. When no one stopped to care for my wounds, He did. When I had no covering, He became my covering. When no one else cared, He did. He stopped and He listened. He bandaged my wounds and spoke words that no one else had spoke into my heart. He saw me differently and I am not ashamed to say that He is the love of my heart...not because I am so dedicated, but because He did for me what no one else could do! What's even more amazing is that He is not ashamed of me. He is not ashamed to say that I am the love of His heart and He is not ashamed to stand with me through every season as a faithful friend and partner. Even if I had the strongest love this world had to offer, it would be nothing compared to the love He has for those that open their hearts to Him. No one...and I mean no one has ever loved me like this!
I am so thankful that He has chosen to treat me better than I deserve. He has taken me in my rags and made me into a princess! I am poor, yet He makes me rich! I am of low estate, yet He invites me to sit at the table of a King. Like Cinderella, He chose the lowest of the low in whom others wouldn't have chosen and has brought me into His royal family. He is my good samaritan. When no one noticed me, He did. When no one stopped to care for my wounds, He did. When I had no covering, He became my covering. When no one else cared, He did. He stopped and He listened. He bandaged my wounds and spoke words that no one else had spoke into my heart. He saw me differently and I am not ashamed to say that He is the love of my heart...not because I am so dedicated, but because He did for me what no one else could do! What's even more amazing is that He is not ashamed of me. He is not ashamed to say that I am the love of His heart and He is not ashamed to stand with me through every season as a faithful friend and partner. Even if I had the strongest love this world had to offer, it would be nothing compared to the love He has for those that open their hearts to Him. No one...and I mean no one has ever loved me like this!
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