I blew it, today.

I pray regularly for the opportunity to tell others about God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. I want to tell them about the comfort, love and peace they can have by trusting in my Lord.

However, today when someone mentioned coming to church. I immediately jumped into how much we love our church. We love the people, the passion, the small groups, the programs, the sermons, the worship music, etc. Not once did I mention God. Not once did I tell them about the Savior and His presence.

I do love all of those things, but I love God more. I love the Church, the bride of Christ, I do but not like I love God. Why didn’t I mention it? What could I have said differently? Did I do that because the church programs are easier to talk about than discussing the wonderful but hard topic of salvation?

Today, God I pray for another opportunity. I ask for forgiveness, I don’t want to point others to our church without first pointing them to you. I’m so thankful for your grace. Today,

I was reading the story of Abram and Sarai in Genesis. As I was reading, I realized something new.

First, here’s what scripture has to say…  Genesis 12 says,

The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.

 “I will make you into a great nation,
    and I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
    and you will be a blessing.
 I will bless those who bless you,
    and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth
    will be blessed through you.”

As I was studying this time though, something new came to light.

Maybe it wasn’t she didn’t trust God and was trying to jump ahead.  You see God never told them how he was going to fulfill the promise, God never gave a timeline.

What if…Sarai wasn’t trying to go outside of God’s will but instead was just very confused about God’s will is?? She doesn’t know if this promise includes her. It sounds like Abram didn’t even know if this promise included her.

Have you ever been confused? Do you fill like God called you to a place, but then left you to figure out all the details? You would do His will…if you could only figure it out. You don’t want to make a mess of things, you just don’t know what to do.

The good news is this. God will meet you where you are and he will use your circumstances to fulfill his purpose. The waiting may be long. We may get it wrong.

God did eventually let Sarai know she was part of the plan but it was 24 years later.

Pray, study his Word and draw near to Him.

I have a feeling most of us aren’t trying to make a mess, we truly just don’t know what to do, so we guess. Let’s quit guessing and wait patiently on the Lord.

 

 

 

I signed up for a 5K that my company was hosting. I have done 5K’s in the past. However, this one was a little different. This time my 3 year old wanted to run the race with me. I knew this might be difficult, but look at all that energy. Surely, it would be fine. Little did I know how many spiritual lessons could be shared with this one experience.

At first, he was like a lot of us when we become Christians. He was excited, he wanted to “win”. He started out burning a lot of energy. Everyone was smiling and encouraging him. He was loving it. Then a little time goes by and it starts getting harder. He says he can’t run, he needs to walk. We slow the pace. People start passing us but still smiling and encouraging.

Occasionally, he would get a burst of energy and would take off again. He would then get tired and slow down. Then came an obstacle, part of the 5K was on a busy road and he knows that cars can be dangerous. He wanted to grab my hand, he knew it would be safer if he had my hand. He knew I would stand between him and any cars on the road. We made it past the dangers of the busy street, but after awhile, he became more tired and needed to be carried.

At the half way point, we were given some much needed water and encouragement! We seemed refreshed, ready to take off again. This time the energy didn’t last long, and things really slowed down. The body slowed down and the complaints came on strong, “I need more water”, “I need my dad”, “I don’t want to run” and finally, “I’m really tired”. I tried encouraging him with “Everything you want is at the finish line”. Isn’t that true for all of us?

We ended up having to call in back up (dad) at about the 4K mark. We didn’t quit, we just needed a little more help. We crossed the finish line. We got the water (and a snow cone). Everyone who finished before us, cheered and yelled as we crossed the finish line. They had just ran their own race, they knew the hills were tough but they also knew the finish line felt good. Oh to see that boy’s face when he “won” the race.

Doesn’t this paint a beautiful picture of our walk with Christ?

Thank you, Lord for showing me what a beautiful picture this is….

I started out so strong. I’m so excited. I want to run and shout and win. I’m running. I get tired. I see the dangers and I need you to hold my hand. I slow down. It’s hard. The harder I try, the more I need you. I need you to carry me. I’m so tired. I start to complain, I list off all of my needs. I need water, rest, my people, encouragement. You know that everything I need is at the finish line. I just need to keep going. You put people in our life to cheer, yell and encourage us. People that have been there, gone before us, know the pain and can encourage us. We need to keep running the race you have set before us. We need to rely on you. You will carry us. You will sustain us. Thank you, Lord.

I was headed to the therapist…again. This time, I was feeling a little anxious. I’m praying this time will be different. God, give me the words to say. God, show me that this isn’t all for nothing, God, I’m trying but I don’t know what else to do….etc. This is another trip to another facility with another therapist. I’m frustrated, overwhelmed, tired, and all I want to do is quit. I mean walk completely away from the situation. I walk in and walk straight into God’s love. I talk to the therapist and explain that no matter what we have tried, this child doesn’t understand. He doesn’t even want to. We are ready to give up. Don’t get me wrong, we want him to get the help he desperately needs. We want God to transform his mind in a way that shows God’s power and sovereignty. BUT we have been praying, hoping, teaching, doing therapy for years.

She had me stop and breathe…She confirmed the one thing I already knew. This has to be God. She can’t do anything to fix the brokenness, BUT God can. She has seen miracles and even though she wasn’t saying that a miracle would happen, she was saying she had seen miracles. There is hope. She encouraged me (in a way only another believer can do). My fears are fears for tomorrow. What happens next? What happens tomorrow? What do I do when he leaves the facility? How do I protect my family? How do I prepare him for adulthood? These are all fair questions…they need to be answered…they just don’t have to be answered, today. God used another believer to give me hope. He said I love you, I haven’t left the situation. She encouraged me to pray and to fast. Today, I’m going to trust God. I’m going to trust that no matter what the situation, he is on the throne. No matter the situation, he is a miracle worker. Romans 8:28 is still true.

I was reading a devotional the other day when a line struck me straight to the heart. The devotional was on Hudson Taylor, a missionary born in 1832. The line was “At the age of seventeen, he was dramatically converted through the prayers of his mother.”

A couple of things that stuck out. First, he was “dramatically” converted. Secondly, it mentions that this happened through prayers of his mother. I think the main reason these things struck me the way they did, is I happen to understand what it’s like to be in the middle of mess. (A big, messy, I literally have no clue what to do mess).  There is a lost child, one I know well, with a lot of baggage. He doesn’t see the big picture of what is going on his life and what he does see, he doesn’t care about. There is nothing in this world I want more than to see this child come know Christ. I’m hurting for him, for us, for the people he has hurt. When I read that line, something inside me wants to scream “YES!” I want to be the momma who prays so desperately that God dramatically converts this child.

The problem is we are (or were) one of those lost children. The brokenness of this child seems to be more dramatic because he was exposed to some things when he was little that most of us were not. He was neglected in ways I can only imagine. But when God looks at this child does he see more sin than when he looked at me? What does scripture say? It says we ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Romans 3:22-23: ²² This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, ²³ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, ²⁴ and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

I have heard more than one story where it’s said, “because my mom prayed”. I cannot fix what has been broken. I can seek wisdom, treatment, etc. and I will pray. There are consequences for our sin, but God is just to forgive if only we seek him. 1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Since this lost child cannot/will not seek him on his own, yet. I will seek for him. I will pray.

As I pray, I hope his story changes and someone is able to write, “he was dramatically converted”.

My 3 year old came out to the garden this morning while I was weeding. Like most 3 year olds, he is very curious. He wanted to know what I was doing. I told him I was weeding the garden, explaining that I have to remove the weeds for the plants to grow big and strong. “Big” and “Strong” Oh, how he loves these words.

As I start a thinking about what I am doing and why, God started working on my heart. I’m cleaning out the weeds to protect the plant, just like God does in our relationship with Him. If I keep the weeds out, my relationship with God will grow and more importantly be fruitful. However, If I don’t keep the weeds out, the plant will be choked out by the weeds not produce.

Then my thoughts went a little deeper…In my garden there are different types of weeds. Most of what I was removing was pretty easy. They were just on the surface, it took little effort and little time to remove it. However, there were also deep weeds, the ones I had to use tools. I had to dig deep and I had to be very careful that the roots of the weed were not wrapped around the plants roots.

I realized this is not unlike the “weeds” in our lives, some are little and easy to remove. It does require effort but as long as you get them out before they grow deep roots, you can do it. Then there are the weeds that are deep, either because I didn’t tend to them when I should have or they are just faster growing. Those require me to use tools. In the case of my garden,  I have to get down on my knees, use my tools and remove the weed while being careful not to damage the plant I’m trying to help.

Not unlike, taking care of my relationship with God. In order for my relationship to  produce good fruits I have to use my tools of prayer (getting on my knees) and use my physical tools (God’s Word).

What weeds are you facing today? Are they on the surface and you just need to take a little time to remove them? Do you need to head the shed (your prayer room) and get the tools out? The small weeds will get bigger, deeper and choke out our relationship with our Lord if we are not careful. The big weeds are already effecting our growth.

Lord, as we come before you. Please forgive us our sins. We are so thankful there is grace in Word and in your arms. Help us to see clearly anything we need to remove and then Lord give us the strength, endurance and patience to take care of our relationship with you, so that it may be fruitful. Your promises are clear, we just need to do the work you have called us to complete.

Ephesians 4:1

Thanks for joining me!

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton