To the woman that needs this reminder today, (just like I did) here you go:
Leave the mess.
The sink full of last night’s dishes.
The unvacuumed floors.
The crumb-covered tables.
The toys and the socks and the shoes strewn about.
Leave it all.
Not forever, but just for a moment.
Sit down.
Yes, I know it’s hard to feel peaceful in the “messy”, but I assure you- you can.
And it’s good for us to learn,
because sometimes life throws bigger “messes” at us- that we can’t control- that aren’t fixable with a quick clean up.
And so we need to practice by finding peace, in the midst of little messes first.
I want you to close your eyes.
Listen to your breaths going in and out.
Place your hand to your to neck and feel the constant thump of your pulse.
HEAR and FEEL these very real reminders, of two things you can’t control- and yet God has had them all along.
He’s never failed to make your lungs breathe or your heart to beat, your whole life.
That’s how you are reading this right now.
And yes- there will come a day for all of us, when those two things will cease. And we will be face to face with Him.
Let’s not get wrapped up in any fear about that, though. It won’t be a scary thing, for those of us who know Him. It will be a coming home.
But it’s also a good reminder- that there’s something that comes BEFORE the house, and all the things…
It’s the family.
The relationships.
And He’s at the top of that relationship list!
It’s the lingering in moments together and soaking them up, filling up in them!
Letting the dishes soak in the sink, for just a little bit longer. (As a bonus, just know the longer they soak, the easier the gunk comes off. 😉)
Take a moment, and just be still with Him. Greet him with a “Good morning!” ☀️ Give him a “cheers” ☕️ 💕 to another day, of doing life and loving others together!
Thank Him- that no matter who else you get to do life with- or even if you live alone, or feel lonely, you AREN’T alone.
He’s right there with you.
Keeping you company.
Cleaning up the messes, beside you.
Occupying your mind with His goodness so that you CAN keep cleaning, keep serving, keep working, keep loving, keep living, keep doing all the other things that He’s called you to do.
Breathe all that truth in.
And linger in it for an extra moment this morning.
And you’ll find yourself able to do it all from a renewed fullness.
Time with Him is SO good. Like basking in the Son. ☀️
You know what I love about God? Nothing is too big or too little to bring to Him. Literally nothing. He cares about it all.
So here is my little “isn’t He amazing?!” story of the day.
This is my coffee maker. I’ve had it for a few years now and I love it!
(I’m sure you can tell how well-used it is by the fingerprints on it that I was tempted to clean off for the photo but then thought 🤷🏼♀️ “Let’s just be real!”)
I love how it has a frother, to give me that little bit of foam on the top of my cup. ☕️
I love how I can make just a cup if I want, because that’s all I drink each day…
or a travel mug of hot tea every morning for my hubby before he goes to work…
or a whole pot when I have guests and we chat with coffees around my kitchen table. ❤️
I even pack up this baby and take it camping with us when we go, even though our camper is small and this takes up an unreasonable amount of space on the counter.
So anyway- and I know this sounds silly- but the last time we went camping a few weeks ago, I packed up this coffee maker as well as the trusty toaster we have had since we got married, and I got them out to make breakfast with and NEITHER OF THEM would work!
I tried multiple plug ins, I tried connecting them directly to the electric box. I literally tried everything.
Got them home, and the same. Googled it, You tube’d it, to see if there was a solution and there was nothing I could find.
The toaster I shrugged off because- well, it was a cheap toaster to begin with, and it had lasted 16 years. I figured it had gotten its use. And replacing it wasn’t going to cost us much.
But the coffee maker? Well it may be cheap to some but $100 wasn’t cheap to me, and it had only been a few years, and we did not have money for another because a lot of expenses have been coming up. And I was feeling super pouty.
And then God prompted me to pray.
((Me))- Pray over my coffee maker?? Like for real?
((God))- Yes. Just do it.
((Me))- Ok, God. You’re God. I’ll do it if you say so. Can’t hurt.
So I pray over my coffee maker and I kid you not- I did NOTHING else to it. And the error message went away, and it started working again and hasn’t missed a beat since! 😯
So then of course I pray over the toaster. Because replacing it would only be like 25 bucks but 25 bucks is 25 bucks. And more so really- because miracles are AMAZING! It’s so cool watching God do what he does.
And I know it’s a “little miracle” –
it’s not like when he gave me baby C after 5 losses,
or like when he made ends meet for us month after month after month when it looked impossible,
or like when he parted the waters in Egypt…
But I truly relish EVERY MIRACLE he performs!
And He did it again!!!
The toaster that I had declared “toast” at the campsite, that still wouldn’t work when we got home, that I just hadn’t taken the time to throw away yet, suddenly WORKED. With no explanation. When it hadn’t worked 20 seconds or 20 minutes or 20 hours or the 20 other times I tried it before.
Y’all. I don’t always get answers the moment I pray. And sometimes I don’t get a yes either. But when God prompts you to pray for something, or someone, JUST DO IT. You never know. And what do we have to lose anyway? A whole lot less than we have to gain- which is a REALLY cool story, of how personal God is, and how much he cares- about the big things, the little things, and everything in between. ❤️
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God is able to make ALL grace abound to you, so that in ALL things at ALL times having ALL that you need, you will abound In every good work. ~ 2 Cor. 9:8
I wrote this last year but I know a lot of people who have lost loved ones this year and so I’m sharing it again. Because during the holiday season especially, people are fighting battles we know nothing about. And they- more than ever- need grace. ❤️
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This morning started out so wonderfully. Big snow flakes falling gracefully from the sky. Toddler eyes, full of wonder, squealing with joy. Husband and kids around the table, enjoying Sunday biscuits & gravy and sparkling juice just for a treat. Balsam candle burning, wafting tones of the coming holidays into the air. Music flowing through a speaker, the instruments stroking chords of joy in my soul.
I looked around and felt nothing but gratitude. Even as I reflected upon how different this Thanksgiving was going to look. As I prepared my heart to receive and live in the days gratefully, focused more on what remains than what has gone away this year.
So much has gone… 2020 has left holes in me like a Jenga game. For each block that’s been pulled out, God has stacked them. Built me up. Closer to Him. But the truth remains that the holes are real. And they leave an emptiness that we seek to fill. Loved ones missing. Some by force, some by choice. Some sitting at the table with Jesus this Thanksgiving, and some just distanced like never before. Traditions broken. Places closed. Situations changed. Feelings raw.
Yet here we are, still standing. Because that’s all we can do. Trying not to totally fall apart, we must choose moment by moment to carefully steady our spirits by securing ourselves in gratitude and God’s grace instead of allowing ourselves to be knocked down.
Sometimes you can- steady yourself, that is.
Sometimes you can see the change, the feeling, the loss coming and you can prepare yourself for it.
But sometimes life, emotions, the tiniest hiccup they catch you by surprise.
Sometimes you think you’ve come to a place where you’ve settled into your new “configuration.” Knowing there’s a void that’s not meant to be filled- the loss of a parent, a spouse, a friend. Whomever it is that is gone, for you. {For me, my dad.} And it’s NOT ok. But we are, because we have to be. So here we are…full of holes, aware of them, but resecured.
But life, especially this year, feels like Jenga, doesn’t it?
The repositioning and pulling out of just one more block makes the weight shift again.
And you feel like you might topple over.
And just the slightest, unintentional bump… just one more little block being pulled out- a misunderstanding, a disapproving or even misread look, a minor disappointment, an unexpected change in plans, another absence around the table, an illness that saps you of energy for the activities you had been looking forward to, an unaccounted-for expense that requires a scaling back of grand intentions- completely sideswipes you and you find yourself in tears again.
And then moreso because this freshest “bump” that sent you over, probably wasn’t even something big. Not something you’d normally fall apart over, if it weren’t for all the other holes. And the fact that you’re crying makes you madder!
2020, y’all. It’s been rough. The enemy has really been doing some pulling. Sometimes it’s not been felt as mightily. (Like in Jenga when you pull a loose piece out.) But sometimes it’s been really difficult. Impossible-feeling, even.
But still, the enemy is not in charge. God is. Still God is using even what is being taken from us, strengthening us to stand taller, to grow, with Him, around those holes. Because of them even. (Just like the Jenga stack can’t get taller without pieces being pulled out.)
Still, he’s there, constantly restacking, Re-securing. Re-connecting us with others (Like the top layers, the fresh layers, of Jenga where we are placed next to other blocks again.)
Still he’s there, making beauty from ashes. Watering His seeds in us with our tears. Preparing a harvest of His righteousness in us and through us. Exchanging our messes for his redeeming grace.
In this season I’d venture to say there’s not a person who isn’t feeling some “holes”.
So- if I, if they, topple in front of you. If you are tempted to feel offended because we react “dramatically” to the slightest of bumps… please pause and try not to take it personally. It’s probably not you. It’s a lot of things. We may not even be able to identify what all it is. We just feel vulnerable. Like the clay jars that we are. Full of holes and cracks, but doing our best to let His light shine through. Yet fragile, just the same.
We know that he always puts us back together, but it’s a process. It doesn’t happen automatically. It’s an intentional work. It takes time. And we need grace. His, and yours too.
If I fall apart around you this holiday season, please know it isn’t you. Please don’t run or judge. Just remind me that this moment, too, shall pass. And sit with me, for a moment, encourage me to get back into God’s presence where he builds me back up. Help me see myself as whole, through Him, until I feel it once again.
🎵 “Turn your eyes upon Jesus (the Son, the Light ☀️) Look full in His wonderful face. And the things of Earth will grow strangely dim- in the light of His glory and grace.” 🎶
The last week I had gotten so deep into details of things- even things He had led me to do- that I got completely overwhelmed. The stress ended up weakening my immune system, and I ended the week with a really bad cold.
Yesterday I spent some time recharging. By doing not much of anything actually, which is rare but was much needed. And then today I took some time to recharge spiritually with Him.
I had just set down and entered the quiet place with Him, came out with the material for my next podcast that I can’t wait to record and share, and then walked upstairs to use my bathroom.
When I came out, in perfect timing, the light of the sun-set was spilling through my bedroom window, casting a perfect, illuminated shadow cross on my closet door!
The luminescence was breathtaking! You know those moments- where the setting of the sun makes an orange-ish pink glow, and EVERYTHING it shines upon is more beautiful?!
This was that moment. And this is what He spoke to my heart. (It related to what He had just brought to mind for my podcast.)
That is what I do, for the soul. The Son. Settling upon you, and your heart.
I make everything more beautiful. More luminescent. More warm.
More peaceful.
Bask in me. Ask me to set my glow upon your soul. Whether evening, or morning, I will. 🌅
Sometimes we (as in people) have to pause in our pursuit of a “greater” purpose, and realize that God’s purpose for us is in everything. And that is truly great!
It’s finding gratitude in everything, and giving it all to Him!
In the marvelous. & the mundane.
The once-in-a-lifetime. & the everyday.
The appreciating the blessings that come to us. & the “being sent” to bless someone else. With cookies and a carol, perhaps, but even more importantly, maybe, with just a smile. Just His JOY! ☀️
It’s stopping to enjoy the sunshine spilling through a window, and accepting it as a hug from heaven.
It’s seeing “hidden crosses” everywhere, along with the opportunity to deny our humanly hurried-nature, take up our crosses, yoke ourselves to Him, and learn his unforced rhythms of grace.
It’s stopping to appreciate our children as the treasures that they are. Not because of anything they’ll learn or do or be (though I do believe God has great plans for them), but just because of who and whose they are. And then letting it sink in for a moment- that God the Father feels the very same way about us. He’s proud of us for some things we do, but He also just loves us because we are His. 🥰
It’s taking a moment to see our spouses, REALLY see them, outside our own routines. And appreciate who they are as a person, and that out of all the people in the world- they chose to make home base with us. That’s worth thanking God for, for sure! None of that “I’ve found the one my soul tolerates” stuff. Choose to stay in love!
It’s learning to be blessed and a blessing wherever we go. Knowing that each place can be a divine appointment if we see it that way. An opportunity to love and be loved, beloved. An opportunity to teach and an opportunity to learn. An invitation to get outside our own selves, outside our own screens, outside our own routines and four walls and just BE. Alive, and grateful, and gracious and savoring every single moment.
Because maybe our earthly life is short, and we can’t control that, but we can choose to make it SWEET! And that’s so much better than living sour because we are constantly in search of something greater than what’s already right in front of us.
If God sends us to “greater” – however we would define that – we can be a blessing and blessed there too. But I wonder how much more peace we’d all experience if we paused to enjoy each and every moment along the way. Not just going- but growing- as God gets us there. Finding joy in all the “little” stuff, which is really the biggest and the best!
This morning I was reading in the book of Psalms, and this one stood out to me in a new way, being that euchre season (AKA winter ❄️ ) in Indiana is starting up! ♥️♠️♦️♣️
Not that there’s ever necessarily an off-season, but our family tends to play more in the winter.
So first I want to share the verse, and then I’ll share what it brought to mind for me:
〰️〰️〰️ Psalm 18:20-24 MSG-
“God made my life complete when I placed all the pieces before Him.
When I got my act together, He gave me a fresh start.
Now I’m alert to God’s ways; I don’t take anything for granted.
Every day I review the ways He works; I try not to miss a trick.
I feel put back together, and I’m watching my step.
God rewrote the text of my life when I opened the book of my heart to his eyes.”
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So y’all, my husband’s family are SERIOUS euchre players.
As in- we started dating when we were 15, and right away I was told I better learn to play if I wanted to be part of the family lol. Because that’s what they do for fun. And I have a lot of fun with it now too!
But anyway- when I watched them play the first few times I felt totally overwhelmed.
And when I heard some of the rules I wondered how I’d ever remember them…
♣️Jacks are worth more than aces, but only if they’re the right color?
♥️Whatever trump is, both jacks of that color are the two highest cards?
♠️If I have a card that would have followed suit, but I throw a trump card out instead, and the other card comes out later, then that’s called reneging and the other team gets TWO points?
♦️If I have a lot of trump cards and I “go alone”, I can potentially earn 4 points instead of just 1 or 2? But then I don’t get to access what’s in my partner’s hand? (Unless we play partner’s best?)
All this is a language I understand now but 20 years ago sitting around that table listening it was all over my head and I didn’t think it’d ever make sense.
And my father-in-law?
Well I didn’t always know how to take him back then, because he always seemed harsh, but he just had me jump right in.
His theory was that you can watch all day but it’s not until you get in the game yourself that you’ll really understand.
And no easy treatment for beginners.
There was no shame in making a mistake and losing a trick in those early games (there’s a little more pressure once you’re seasoned because you should know), but the rules were the rules.
But that helped me learn quickly!
And now, not to toot my own horn, but I’d say I’m pretty good at it.
Especially when I play with my husband as partner, because we know each other’s tendencies well.
But you know what? The same is really true of my faith.
Even though my mom took me to church from the time I was an infant, it wasn’t until I really “got in the game” (of life) myself – which was really messy at times – that I began to learn.
And it wasn’t until I received the Holy Spirit that I REALLY began to learn, because until then I was blind and trying to navigate life by myself, which was just about as fruitful as someone playing a game of euchre without ever having listened to the rules or watched anyone else play, or been taught hands-on.
Except life is no innocent game! The stakes are high. The losses are REAL. The wins are wonderful, but can you imagine how few and far between they’d be if we didn’t even understand what we did to win them?
Picture a kid randomly throwing out cards- throwing out responses to life’s “tricks”- and trying to understand if or how they won or lost a particular one, without having anyone explain it to them?
Wouldn’t they be lost?
And if that went on forever in this game of life- because that’s the only game we are all really in- (whether or not we know it)- how could we ever expect them to come out victorious?
They might accidentally win a hand or two, but they wouldn’t win the game. It would be impossible!
Life is life, just like a game at my father-in-law’s table was a game. Whether you were a seasoned player or a beginner. Rules are rules. Just like Truth is Truth.
Trying to change Truth to fit our hand and our desire to win, is about the equivalent of trying to change rules of a euchre game so that we can come out on top. What would anyone else sitting at the table say? Especially if it was an official tournament, and not just a for-fun game around the family table?
What would the official judge say?
“I don’t know what game you’re playing, but you’re never going to win this game playing like that. Rules are rules. Learn them. And play by them. Or you’re going to lose.”
Y’all.
We are ALL sitting at God’s table right now, whether we know it or not.
The earth is his footstool.
He is the judge! He’s loving, yes, but he’s just too. Rules are rules. And he wants us to win, He’s gave us every advantage to be able to do so, but we still need to know how it works and play by HIS rules!
Ephesians 6:12 says “This is no afternoon athletic contest that we’ll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is FOR KEEPS, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels.”
Don’t you see?
We are ALL playing.
And the stakes are HIGH.
And what’s in it…to be won or lost, is our SOUL.
And who we are playing against is the enemy.
And if we don’t take God’s offer of the Holy Spirit as coach-
If we just come to the table of life, like a teenager with an attitude, thinking it doesn’t matter anyway- it’s just a game- not understanding what’s at stake, and so not desiring to understand- we will LOSE. Guaranteed we will lose.
In this game of life, there are many different cards. It’s hard to always define which ones are bad and which ones are good. It’s mostly relevant. A jack of hearts is terrible if trump is spades. But it’s the best card in the deck if hearts are trump!
Playing “in the natural” – we may win some and we may lose some.
And it seems to be consistent that we always do better with a good attitude.
We have noticed that our card nights will often go the way our mouths turn. Frown all night and it seems we’ll end up with even worse cards by the end. I don’t think that’s actually true, but I do know we play then a whole lot better with a clear head, unclouded by bad attitudes!
But God showed me something this morning as I was reading this psalm, and it hit me so deeply that I have been sitting here, chewing on it by writing for over an hour and a half now. Learning from the “game” master!
And here is the gold he just gave me. The “trick” to ALWAYS winning, ALWAYS coming out on top, ALWAYS being victorious: It’s partnering with JESUS!
It’s getting to know Him as a partner, just like I know my husband, and we play best with each other. There’s no one I play better euchre with than Brett Byers.
And why?
Because for 15 years I have sat across that table from him, studying how he responds to each “trick”.
I know his facial reactions.
I know his body language.
I know his demeanors.
All without any cheating, or across-the-table talking.
It goes beyond words.
And even though I don’t know what cards he’s holding in his hand at any given time, if, given the same hand, I know that I would play them almost identically, because my husband is the one who taught me to play over the years!
He’s the one who sat beside me and let me watch him play when I didn’t know how.
He’s the one who sat behind me and guided me through months of my own games.
He’s the one who sat across from me, “Programming” me to respond to his cues as I was learning the game. Did he groan when I threw a card out? Hmmm…What does that mean? And I would ask what I did wrong so that I could learn to become a better player, because there’s not much more I love than pleasing the man that I love. (Even though he loves me just the same when I make a mistake. ❤️)
In life, my husband is also a really great partner, but I never started being victorious until I understood- (which is a progressive thing because I’m still growing and learning to understand) -that JESUS is available to be my partner!
To be EACH of our partners!
We don’t have to fight over Him!
(We aren’t playing against each other either. That’s the other thing we need to understand!)
Each of us has one common opponent: The devil.
And Jesus wants EACH of us to choose him as our partner!
And you know what?
The deck is stacked! Jesus ALWAYS has the best card in his hand. He always has trump and it’s the HIGHEST of trump! The card that defeats any other!
“What?! Well that’s unfair!” some may think.
But it wasn’t free. No. Not at ALL free! He bought it with a perfect life, and a surrendered-in-love death. On a cross that should have been ours.
It’s the card that God gave humans, back in Eden.
The one that Adam and Eve had lost for us, when they tried to “go alone” instead of taking their partner, God, in on every trick. And Satan got the upper hand on them!
Jesus gave his LIFE to get that card back.
And he asks each one of us- “Will you partner with me?”
And at His table- In this world- He ENCOURAGES “partner’s best.”
In this world- even though by sight it appears we are “going (it) alone”- and whether we have good cards or bad…
We play by His rules, and in EVERY round, He gives us His best. His victory!
Make no mistake- that card WILL come out!
So- whatever round we are on- 2, 3, 4, 5… even if it seems we have a super crappy hand and the enemy is going to win, we don’t have to fear. JESUS HAS THE STOPPER! The enemy isn’t gaining much ground on us.
My husband always says we should be able to “count on our partner for one.”
Jesus says: “You can count on me for EVERY ONE!”
“Play bolder, because you KNOW me.
You don’t know what’s all in my hand, but you DO know I have the authority.
You do know I have the highest card in the deck!
You DO know that God make the rules, and that he allows for partner’s best!
You NEED TO KNOW, that I want you as my partner, but you have to choose me too!
You NEED TO KNOW that I got you. And that in EVERY ROUND I have the enemy’s stopper, but that we aren’t having a “defense-mode” mindset. That’s not my vibe. We are always going for the victory!
The deck is stacked in my favor! So in OUR favor, if you partner with me! I’m GUARANTEED to win.
Do YOU want to win? If so- you need to choose your partner well.
CHOOSE ME. (Says Jesus.) Let me give you my best! And let me guarantee you the eternal win!
Satan and I are both sitting at the table. (Says Jesus). We are on opposing teams. We will always be on opposing teams. Until I take him out entirely.
Whether you realize it or not, you’re always partnering with one of us.
Examine closely to see who that’s been.
(Have you been chasing after the “world’s best”?) If so- you need to switch sides.
(Have you been hostile or prideful or resistant towards my people? Towards the (capital C) Church?- not a building or a religion, but the ones who have made me, Jesus, their boss, and are partnering with me?)— If so, you need to switch sides.
(Have you ASKED me to be your partner, to do life with you? To work together and give me what’s in your hand and let give you my best?)— If not, you need to switch sides.
Because it’s only when you partner with me- and learn from me how to play this life-game, that you’re going to ETERNALLY win!
Losers will lose their souls, lose their lives.
Winners, who have “risked it all” will get it all back and then abundantly more! That’s what’s in store for those on Team Jesus!
My youngest was like obsessed with that movie for awhile. He begged us to watch it every day. So I think we all could act out the scenes now! 😂
But you know what, God can speak to us through anything! Even kids’ movies!
Anyway- the part that keeps coming to my head is this:
“Turn right to go left”
Like- when I want to run from Him in busyness, I need to turn to Him instead in stillness FIRST, And then I find myself in the right place of peace, where my soul was actually wanting to go! And I’ll be right “on track” to then do all the things that I need to get done. (Like my pun there?😜)
This morning I was about to get up and jump right into productivity mode, since the rest of my family is enjoying our first day we’ve had in awhile of being able to really sleep in.
I came on to post my podcast, and a friend’s post caught me eye, and it was about how she was about to jump right into all of her things too, and God called her to be still and enjoy a moment with Him first!
Such a great reminder! The more of those we see, the better for us! The tugs toward “all the things” never go away, and we all need those authentic friends to share how God tugs them gently to Him- because he uses those to tug us back in that moment to Him too, so we can do everything else FROM full, not for it.
“Let me fill you in on a little secret, my daughter”, God said to me as I was marching around my living room in prayer and singing praise music yesterday, battling some fears.
“It wasn’t the marching that took down Jericho’s walls. It was ME. I took down those walls, single-handedly. But what moved me to take them down was seeing my child, Joshua, trusting and obeying me and honoring me to the point of not being afraid of looking foolish in front of anyone, because his eyes of faith were on ME and nobody else!”
Me: Wow. That’s pretty cool, God. I want to honor you like that.
God: Wanna know something else?”
Me: OF COURSE!! ALWAYS!
God: “It wasn’t David or his stones that took out that giant either. That was all me too. But what moved me to do it- to take that giant out for him- for them, was his heart! His heart that sang to me, that worshipped me, that faced the lion and the bear and killed them and gave ME all the glory, really knew inside that it was me who was protecting him even if I used his hands to do it. That’s a faith that MOVES ME TO MOVE!”
Me again: WOW! God you are so amazing! I want to have a faith like that.
God: “I’ve already been working on that. 😉 That doesn’t have to come from you either. The reason I say all that’s required is a mustard seed (the smallest seed) of faith, is that the only faith you have to muster up is the faith to tell me you can’t do anything on your own, but you’re willing to do whatever I ask you to. I already know you are powerless without me, and you don’t have to feel bad about that. I never designed you to be self-empowered. I designed you to carry whatever power, whatever spiritual weapon ⚔️ I place in your hands at any given moment, and just follow my instructions on how to use it. SAY WHAT I SAY, DO WHAT I SAY TO DO, AND YOU WILL SEE WHAT I SAID. 👊🏻 I’ve got this. Those walls keeping you out of the places I’m sending you, and those giants trying to stand in your way- they’re coming down!”
Friends- faith isn’t easy. But you can do hard things, with God. And he will make them look effortless to others. But you will know. You will know that all the effort in your entire being couldn’t have ever pulled off the things that he does for you. Mountains move when he tells them to. And he moves mountains for us, as we do what he tells us to do.
Lap by lap. Song by song. Stone by stone. Step by step.
Facebook memories brought up this post I wrote 5 years ago. And I wanted to share today, because it matters just as much as the day I wrote it. I am SO passionate about my personal relationship with Jesus. And SO passionate about the importance of gathering in-person. If He says something is important, there’s a reason for that, and a Truth we can experience for ourselves.
My daughter in the car this morning: “I want to see a scarecrow, Mommy.”
Me: “Ok, maybe we can go to the library and find a book about scarecrows.”
Her: “We’ve been reading books in school about it. But it’s not the same. I want to SEE a REAL scarecrow! I want to know if it’s really scary or if it’s only scary to the crows!”
So my to-do list now includes somehow finding a scarecrow for my daughter to see. 😉 I love her heart that earnestly seeks after something real! She understands even at this young age that there’s a difference between reading about something, or watching something on a screen and actually experiencing it.
I attend Bible college on Saturday evenings. They have an online option for out of state students as well as for weeks our schedule really conflicts. And that availability of technology is wonderful, but there’s a HUGE difference in what I get out of the class the weeks that I can be there in person versus the weeks that I’m watching a video. The teaching is the same. I’m hearing the same words. But when I’m there, I’m interacting. I’m immersed. I’m connected to the people in the room with me. We feed off each other’s energy. There is a palpable enthusiasm in the room!
For many years Jesus was just a story character to me. A wonderful character. One I still put hope in to take me into paradise at the end of my life. But it wasn’t until about a year ago that he became REAL to me. My FRIEND. A partner to do life with. A counselor when I needed advice.
There’s a HUGE difference between ritualistically going to church on Sundays, reading the Bible and devotions occasionally, and murmuring rote prayer requests, versus forming a RELATIONSHIP with God. I didn’t get it before, though. How is this even possible? I mean, this isn’t like a long-distance relationship. I can’t even FaceTime him from afar. He doesn’t call me on the phone so I can hear his voice. I don’t get letters in the mail from heaven. No emails either. So how can I have a REAL relationship with him?
I don’t know when exactly it transformed into that to be honest. I think it has come out of desperate prayers and pleas for him to take over for me. From trust in deep waters that I have gone through. Through seeing him care for me in my times of need through family and friends and church members and people I didn’t even know. Through watching him open doors for me that I had been banging on for years to no avail. And ones I hadn’t thought to knock on too. Through the knowledge he pours into my heart when I earnestly ask him for wisdom and seek his will in prayer and bible reading. Through seeking to make my heart more like his so I can know him more.
I am well aware that to some I have become a religious nut. But religion has nothing to do with it. It’s the RELATIONSHIP that has drawn me in! Our relationships are what matter most to us in this life. We would sacrifice all else to save them. And once you experience a relationship with Jesus, it’s just the same.
Just like my girl, I’m no longer satisfied with a book. I want something REAL! I want to share something real with the world!
Reminders God has to send my way often, that I wanted to pass along to you:
With Him, we can:
Stop fighting emptiness & Start focusing on Him, to receive fullness
Stop fighting fear & Start focusing on Him, to receive boldness & faith
Stop fighting a sense of inadequacy & Start focusing on Him, to receive a proper perspective of the His-part-to-our-part ratio. Receive the reminder that HE is the difference between not enough, and more than enough!
Stop fighting the lies about ourselves our situations the “helpless” state of this world that dis-courage & Start focusing on the Truth- Him- who encourages! Who takes the impossible and makes it possible! Who breaks through all the things, to bring break-through, when we stop trying to fix it all ourselves and simply ask Him to!
Sometimes we just have to stop. So he can get started, in us. ☀️
From Full 