Tag: hope

REMEMBER YOUR ROOTS

The previous day had been difficult.  Then that night I had gotten too little sleep, the weather turned cold and rainy.  How comfortable my bed covers felt and how cold the apartment was.  Not a “zippity-do-dah” day!  I wasn’t prepared for what happened at work that morning when I ended up with two phone calls from what I will politely call “screamers”.  Definition: customers who assume if they don’t like the explanation that they should keep ratcheting up the volume hoping to beat the other person into submission. I was rattled.

A BELIEVER IN A VIRULENT SOCIETY

After a few other things that went wrong, I finally arrived home and nestled into the couch.  Within ten minutes, the phone rang and it was just what Doctor God ordered.  My friend at the other end is also a believer who also finds the work world, especially in the existing culture, challenging. We had a lively discussion regarding what it means to be a believer in a hostile and increasingly virulent society.  If you still exist in a sunny bubble where life is not challenging, either the tide will soon turn on you or else Satan doesn’t feel he has much to fight over in your life, especially with the decisions you have been making.

CHURCH LIFE CAN BE MESSY

What does God say in light of this? “Remember your roots.” It’s not an hourlong sermon. A common theme to the letters to the 7 churches in the beginning of the Book of the Revelation is that church life can be really messy.  False teachers and heresies were coming out of the woodwork, people were getting caught up in following their culture, and a great deal of believers were drifting along with sin.  Many were floating along with the current without making waves over what was right and wrong.

ALMOST DEAD

In Revelation chapter 3:1-3 is the note for the church at Sardis: I know all the things you do, and that you have a reputation for being alive—but you are dead.  Wake up! Strengthen what little remains, for even what is left is almost dead. I find that your actions do not meet the requirements of my God.  Go back to what you heard and believed at first; hold to it firmly. Repent and turn to me again. If you don’t wake up, I will come to you suddenly, as unexpected as a thief.

NO ONE PLANS ON LIVING SPIRITUALLY DEAD

“Dead” is not exactly a stellar description. Goggle defines the word as: “deceased, extinct, lifeless, referring to something that does not have or appear to have life. Dead is usually applied to something that had life but from which life is now gone.” I don’t think anyone in Sardis ever got up in the morning and planned that day to live as if they were spiritually dead, however they had slowly adopted a new persona. God was fed up.  He was saying, “Run back to the basics! Remember what it felt like to be spiritually new in Christ?  Recall what you earlier would have staked your life on? Turn around back to Me.  If you don’t, things will definitely not go well.” (My paraphrase).

SPACE IN BETWEEN GOOD AND EVIL

I recently read a well-researched novel about the persecution of the Jews in WWII. The plot’s location is Poland, where at least 3,000,000 Jewish people lost their lives.  This quote stayed with me: “There is evil and there is good and there is the space between.  We are given free will to choose where we stand. Evil thrives when good men choose the space between.” Barratt, Amanda. Within These Walls of Sorrow: A Novel of World War II Poland)

THERE IS HOPE

To those of us who have been merely floating along with the current, there is hope. In Revelation 3:19-21, Christ says: I correct and discipline everyone I love. So be diligent and turn from your indifference. “Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends. Those who are victorious will sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat with my Father on his throne.”

RUN BACK TO YOUR FIRST LOVE

Yes, as a believer, maybe you are having a rough time right now.  I believe that life will grow increasingly difficult.  However, don’t just walk, but run back to your First Love, Jesus Christ.  Let Him give you the backbone you need and the wisdom for these times.  There will be lots of days ahead that will rattle the bones of all believers.  Remember your roots!

LISTEN FOR THE SKYKLARK

Has God sent a skylark to you during this past year?  Maybe you have forgotten to look up and to listen.

I talked to a friend recently about the shutting down of businesses in her home town.  Crime has gotten so bad that even the Walmarts have closed their doors.   Cracker Barrel has also shut down, however my friend didn’t even know they had a Cracker Barrel, so that point was moot. A spirit of fear can fill our hearts.

A SURVIVOR

Corrie Ten Boom was a survivor of Ravensbrück concentration camp. If ever there was a place for fear, it resided at that death camp.  The largest concentration camp for women in the German Reich, it was second in size only to the women’s camp in Auschwitz. The first prisoners interned at Ravensbrück were approximately 900 women in May 1939. By the end of 1942, the female inmate population of Ravensbrück had grown to about 10,000. In January 1945, the camp had more than 50,000 prisoners, mostly women. Can you imagine the despondency, terror, and desperation of the women interned there?

A BIRD SONG

Corrie recorded in her memoirs regarding Ravensbrück,“Once, while we were on a roll call, a cruel guard kept us standing for a long, long time. Suddenly, a skylark began to sing in the sky, and all the prisoners looked up to listen to that bird’s song. As I looked at the bird, I saw the sky and thought of Psalms 103:11. “O love of God, how deep and great; far deeper than man’s deepest hate.” God sent that skylark daily for three weeks, exactly during roll call, to turn our eyes away from the cruelty of man to the oceans of His love.”

FORGOTTEN WORDS

Has God sent a skylark to you during this past year?  Maybe you have forgotten to look up and to listen.  Maybe you have forgotten to let Him drill into your soul these truths: “For the word of the Lord holds true, and we can trust everything he does. He loves whatever is just and good; the unfailing love of the Lord fills the earth. The Lord merely spoke, and the heavens were created. He breathed the word, and all the stars were born. He assigned the sea its boundaries and locked the oceans in vast reservoirs. Let the whole world fear the Lord, and let everyone stand in awe of him. For when he spoke, the world began! It appeared at his command. The Lord frustrates the plans of the nations and thwarts all their schemes. But the Lord’s plans stand firm forever; his intentions can never be shaken. (Psalm 33:4-11) Listen for the skylark!

For further reflection, read This is My Battle Cry

WHEN THE TRAIN GOES OFF THE TRACKS

It was one of those weeks. Tired, frustrated, exhausted.  Bummer day after bummer day.  Days when I felt not only like I’m not hitting the mark, but I didn’t even know what the target was.  It’s not that bad to have an occasional “off” day, but a row of them takes its toll. I’ve been on this track before.  Discouragement leads to depression, which leads to darkness, which leads to the pit. The train’s off the tracks. I’ve been derailed.

GOD IS RAINING ON MY PITY PARADE

How dare the psalmist write Psalm 96?  Verse after verse, he describes a party that is in full swing.  There’s a whole lot of singing, praising, exclaiming, offering, and worshipping.  Reading those words, I realize that God is raining on my pity parade.  He is transporting me from my circumstances to Who He really is.  It doesn’t matter what my friends, co-workers, acquaintances, or what the world news is saying.  The truth of the matter, in the midst of my mess, “The Lord reigns!”  God is not asking me my opinion or my take on my circumstances.  He reigns.

WE CAN ENDURE!

I’m to exist in the truth that “He will judge the world with justice and the nations with His truth.”  Can you hear this thundering in the distance? The roar of the angels? God’s purpose steamrolling down the tracks? Through the clouds He will lead us, straight into glory. Finally, all the evil and craziness of this world will be terminated because there He reigns, forevermore, oh, forevermore. We can endure!

JOIN THE CHOIR

Believers are offered the power to wait, by the grace of God, with patience so that not one minute is wasted that God gives us on this earth, no matter the adversity we face. As I’m writing this, the train has not arrived, but it is very close and I can see it in the distance. He will soon be coming. Yes, even though my vocal cords may be unwilling, I will “sing a new song to the Lord!” Read Psalm 96. Are you choosing to join in with the choir?

For Further Reading: Win the World With Singing

MY GROANINGS

Have you ever looked back at your prayer life and come to the realization, “I’m so glad that God didn’t answer my prayers the way that I wanted”? As early as I can remember, I found my identity in music – directing choirs, coordinating productions, coaching and teaching vocal students, and performing solo.  If you had asked me who I was, the word “musician” probably would have been in the first sentence. Then God slowly pulled me away, kicking and screaming, from that world. It was my season of groanings.

GOD WAS SHUTTING THE DOORS

Yes, I knew Jesus as Savior but I had no idea how I still fit into God’s plan. I felt robbed by God.  About 1/3 of my singing voice had departed due to overuse.  Due to arthritis, a lot of my instrumental skills were out the door.  With my eye issues, I even had trouble reading straight across a musical page.  What a mess! No matter how I prayed, God was shutting doors. It was not pretty.

HOW DOES THE SPIRIT PRAY FOR US

While I was groaning about this, God was patient.  I had fast lost patience with Him, but He still loved me, even though it took so long for my groaning to become God-centered instead of me-centered.  John Piper writes regarding Romans 8:18-27: How does the Spirit pray for us, is that He moves powerfully in our hearts to create groanings – His groanings experienced as our groanings – which are based on two things: 1) a deep desire and ache of heart that Christ be magnified in our lives, and 2) a weakness that leaves us baffled and unknowing as to how this is going to happen or should happen. So we are not sure how we are to pray, but we are sure that we want Christ to be magnified in our bodies.

GOD’S SPIRIT FOR US AND NOT AGAINST US

The Father searches our heart and he hears this groaning. He hears the Christ-exalting yearning in it, and He hears the Spirit’s clear intention that certain decisions and circumstances come about in the exact way that will bring the most glory to Jesus. One of the reasons this matters so much is that it means that in the very moment of some of our deepest frustrations, our groanings are the very work of God’s Spirit FOR us and not against us.

MY GROANS WERE NOT HIS GROANS

Daily, during that time, I commuted to work in tears because I deeply missed both music and the classroom.  The Holy Spirit heard a whole of groaning coming from me while I was making the drive to work.  God was not heartless.  God was not deaf.  However, my heart didn’t really want to hear God’s plan.  My heart was deaf.  I wanted the familiar; not the unknown. My groans were not His groans.

BECAUSE OF THE DOORS GOD SHUT

I’m so glad that He stuck with me as my Abba Father. I could never have imagined the life I have today because of the doors God shut. God has opened an entire new world for me in knowing Him better.  He has given me huge opportunities in writing. I even have the privilege to coach others in writing, seeing them grow into far better writers than I will ever be. One of my greatest joys is that I also get to work as a shepherd, helping to draw women closer to knowing the Good Shepherd.  God has given me a front row seat in seeing His hand mend lives in ways I could have never imagined. 

GROANINGS FOR THE GLORY OF CHRIST

I wish someone would have told me these words of wisdom: experience the wordless groanings of your heart as groanings for the glory of Christ. And trust the Spirit of God to intercede for you about the specifics. Trust Him, that because He is praying for you, your Father will bring about decisions and circumstances that will magnify Christ in the best way – in the very midst of your ignorance and groaning.

FOR US AND NOT AGAINST US

I am strong willed, thick headed, and often dumb as a doornail, however God has plans that exceed anything we could even imagine. Would I want to repeat the seasons of intense pain? No!  However, they have been necessary for God to bring me into this new season, the best season of all.  I just had to realize that in the very moment of some of our deepest frustrations, our groanings are the very work of God’s Spirit FOR us and not against us.

GOD’S PLAN FOR A GREY AND RAINY DAY

The day was grey and rainy.  Perfect for staying in bed and shutting out the world.  No way did I feel like running towards life with a big enthusiastic grin on my face, eager to take on all its challenges.  Due to extensive pain, I could barely move.  It was a time in which I would have appreciated all the sandpaper people in my life to leave town. Why didn’t God’s plan line up with mine?

MY GOD IS A STEAMROLLER

Isaiah 45:2b-3 describes some of God plans for me: I will go before you and make the rough places smooth; I will shatter the doors of bronze and cut through their iron bars. I will give you the treasures of darkness and hidden wealth of secret places, so that you may know that it is I, The Lord, the God of Israel, who calls you by your name. (NASB)  My God is a steamroller smashing those things that cause me terror in the night.  He is a Bulldozer with a plan, despite my pain.

I ARGUE WITH GOD

Yet, it is disconcerting when I look at the last part of this passage. Verse 9: What sorrow awaits those who argue with their Creator. Does a clay pot argue with its maker? Does the clay dispute with the one who shapes it, saying, ‘Stop, you’re doing it wrong!’ Does the pot exclaim, ‘How clumsy can you be?’ That’s my whole attitude in a nutshell.  I argue with God when I don’t think that things are going my way.  I accuse God of bad planning. I have forgotten Who He is.

WHY DOES GOD ASK ME TO PERSEVERE

I don’t want to go through seasons of darkness; those times when life seems filled with more than a soul can bear.  Those periods when one’s faith (or lack thereof) is stripped to the core.  Why does God ask me to persevere? It is His promise: I will give you the treasures of darkness and hidden wealth of secret places, so that you may know that it is I, The Lord, the God of Israel, who calls you by your name. There are untold riches that can only be uncovered by walking through the depths; through those seasons when we just don’t have any more strength, any more smiles, any more anything.

I TRULY GET TO KNOW WHO GOD IS

These difficult seasons are when I really get to know Who He is.  When I come to the end of myself and stop pretending that I am strong, smart and resourceful. That is when I truly get to know God.  The Lord, the God of Israel, who calls you by your name.  Wow – He knows my name and He calls me even though He knows how frail I am.  The journey may not be pretty and the landscape may appear bleak, but I dearly want to know this amazing God, regardless of the pain and discomfort I will meet along the way. He really does have a plan. I guess it is worth getting out of bed after all.

A classic book that may lift your spirits: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=tramp+for+the+lord+corrie+ten+boom+book

A podcast that may open your eyes: https://compelledpodcast.com/episodes/todd-nettleton

THE BEST THING THAT EVER HAPPENED TO ME!

No longer were the words dry. God physically pulled me close and whispered in my ear. 

The young man was in his early thirties; the prime of his life. Everyone remarked on his eloquence, his love for the unlovable, his inability to lie.  Jesse’s friend were devastated when he was suddenly diagnosed with a terminal disease.  His death was not one of those Hallmark movies of quiet lovely goodbyes.  No, Jesse suffered terribly.  The end finally came.  At the service, hundreds of people went through the visitation line to pay their last respects. All those in hearing distance were shocked when an individual in line jumped up in the air with a fist pump and yelled, “Whoo-hoo! Jesse’s died!  This is the best thing that’s ever happened to me!”

PETER WANTED TO STAY WITH JESUS

That attitude of that one person in line is the mindset that Jesus was describing in John 16.  Jesus was trying to prepare His disciples for the coming days, the tumult of the coming crucifixion, the resurrection and the aftermath. However, the Apostle Peter simply did not want to hear it.  Peter was probably sticking his fingers in his ears, loudly humming and ignoring the words of Jesus.  His objections may have been: “So what’s going to happen to us? Things are fine as they are.”  Afterall, they had invested three years of their lives in Jesus.  Peter didn’t want things to change; he wanted to stay with Jesus.

THE MAJOR ADVANTAGE TO JESUS’ DEPARTURE

Despite Peter’s objections, in the Gospel of John, chapter 16, Jesus began to point out one of the major advantages to His departure – the arrival of the Holy Spirit (Advocate; Comforter).  All believers for centuries to come would be blessed even more by the arrival and indwelling of the Holy Spirit. This far outnumbers the few who received the opportunity to live with Jesus during those three years.

THE BEST THING THAT EVER HAPPENED TO LOVERS OF JESUS

The norm of the disciples was to be afraid, awkward, self-centered, and immature before Jesus’ death and resurrection, .  After Jesus’ departure and the blessed arrival of the Holy Spirit in the upper room, believers became wise, loved unselfishly, gave freely and were courageous.  The difference was night and day.  We could rephrase the loud declaration at Jesse’s funeral to: “Whoo-hoo!  This was the best thing that ever happened to lovers of Jesus!” I wonder if there were some fist pumps in the Upper Room?

EVERY WORD OF TRUTH IS OFFERED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT

Those in the Upper Room now experienced that the words of the Father which had been passed to the Son were now passed to the Holy Spirit Who then gives them to all believers.  This was a whole new playing field. Christ followers who walk by faith in obedience to the Father were now to be guided by the Holy Spirit in all truth.  Let me repeat – every word of truth which our Heavenly Father wisely decides we need He offers us by the Holy Spirit.  Whoo-hoo!!!!

GOD WHISPERED IN MY EAR

One of my most vivid memories as a new a believer was opening my Bible to read one of the letters to the Church of Corinth.  No longer were the words dry. God physically pulled me close and whispered in my ear.  All those words on the page, God now made alive to me.  This was the best thing that ever happened to me.  Whoo-hoo!!

THE BEST COMPANION/TEACHER EVER

The greatest thing is that the indwelling of the Holy Spirit has had a broader and more effective ministry across the world to millions of believers than what the Apostle Peter could ever have imagined in his daily life during Jesus’ three-year ministry tour on earth.  Millions of us can yell “This is the best thing that has ever happened to us! We have been given the best Companion/Teacher ever – the Holy Spirit. Whoo-hoo!” Is there a fist pump out there?

WEAK, BUT STRONG

My responsibilities were exploding on my calendar.  How could I keep up?

When I entered this past September, I experienced great deal of panic that I couldn’t keep up with life or my schedule.  I was still dragging from the pulmonary embolism. My responsibilities were exploding on my calendar.  How could I keep up? I honestly looked at the month and quaked with fear. Facing my anxieties and handing all those commitments over to God, I entered the month.  I expected to end the month alive…..but barely.

THE GOD MOMENTS

This morning, Sept. 30th, I was taking a tally of the number of God moments which happened during the month. I was honestly blown away. God was my Provider, Sustainer, Fortress, Savior, Father, Comforter, Strength-Giver, and Source of all wisdom (besides many other things). 

I FELT LIKE I WAS PLAYING PING-PONG

One of my greatest concerns was that it was my month to I begin leading a new Writing With God session.  Every Thursday evening we would meet for class.  By the following Tuesday each participant was to send me their completed assignment.  I would then write in possible edits and notes and send a return email.  They often would send me a 2nd draft.  I read that submission and emailed back more possible changes. And so it went.  One eager participant loved to send me many drafts.  I felt like I was playing ping-pong.  It took a lot of thought, time, and grace to encourage and correct at the same time. 

WHEN I FELT MY WEAKEST, GOD STOOD FIRM

God was there.  Every moment.  Each week.  I was blown away at the gifting of the new participants and the growth in my regular students.  Their stories made me laugh, cry, and rejoice in their honesty.  What works of grace I was able to read and be part of.   To be able to witness growth in others is always such a bonus.  For me, the greatest miracle was that when I felt my weakest, God stood firm.

I AM HAPPY TO BE WEAK

I can bear witness to the testimony of the Apostle Paul.  He was undergoing a severe health issue which he repeatedly asked God to heal.  Paul wrote that in response to his prayers: He (God) answered me, “I am all you need. I give you My loving-favor. My power works best in weak people.” I am happy to be weak and have troubles so I can have Christ’s power in me.  I receive joy when I am weak. I receive joy when people talk against me and make it hard for me and try to hurt me and make trouble for me. I receive joy when all these things come to me because of Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (II Corinthians 9-10)

I testify that for me this past September, I was weak, but God came out strong loud and clear.

WHO CAN UNDERSTAND HOW POWERFUL HE IS?

He never reads instructions or watches videos. God just speaks and it is.

It was the pandemic. A lot of us were going stir-crazy. I looked around my living room and was bothered by a rather rough piece of furniture I viewed daily. There was no money to replace it so I thought “Why not refinish it?” I watched YouTube videos and read instructions on how to do the work. I redesigned it in my head.  Then I began the physical work: sanding, stripping it down, taking it apart, painting, and then adding the hardware and coats of sealant.  Never once during this time did I ever go to my back porch (that was my work area), sit there and expect a new piece of furniture to instantly appear.  I needed the materials, the ideas, the sweat equity and the hard work to put the piece together.

I AM POWERLESS

The Holy Spirit’s approach to creation is totally different than mine. He has the ideas, the sweat equity and the hard work, but He is so powerful that He speaks the words and it happens. By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and all the host of them by the breath [Spirit] of His mouth. (Psalm 33:6) God has never had to go to GR Mitchell for His materials. He never reads instructions or watches videos. God just speaks and it is. His words are limitless in their power: He gathers the waters of the sea together as a heap; He lays up the deep in storehouses. (Psalm 33:7) I have never presumed that I could gather up all the oceans in a heap. I am powerless. Often, I have found plenty of furniture projects tedious and frustrating. The Holy Spirit has a different view of work. He doesn’t get burnt out in what He wonderfully creates.  He makes no mistakes, never fumbles, and whatever He does is awesome.  We are the ones that pour the refuse and junk on His creations.

CREATING A WORLD THAT WOULD GO SIDEWAYS

When our earth’s physical clock began ticking at creation, The Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. (Genesis 1:1-2) “Hovering” is the idea of a bird sitting in a nest, sitting and brooding over her eggs, caring for these new little lives. He cares. He cares eternally. Even then, He loved us, even though He knew He was creating a world that would choose to go sideways.

SOFT WHISPERS WE HEAR FROM HIM

If you want to know God better, I especially recommend you read John 38-42. Previous to this, there is one observation of Job regarding God that is spot on: His (God’s) breath made the skies bright and clear.    His hand wounded the serpent that glides through the sea. Those are only on the edges of what He does.    They are only the soft whispers that we hear from Him.    So, who can understand how very powerful He is? (Job 26:13-14 NIRV)

I AM CREATING FURTHER BROKENESS

God, The Holy Spirit, is hovering over your life.  He cares, even when your life goes sideways.  I have found it futile when I spend a lot of time reimagining my own life, stripping it down, taking it apart, painting with a big smile, and sealing it all under my own power. I can make all the resolutions I want, try my hardest, but I am creating further brokenness.  The only One Who can create truly new life in me is the Holy Spirit. He is hovering over me. Are you letting Him hover over you? 

THE RECIPE BOX

I began to question my purpose.  How was I supposed to continue educating these little ones, giving them the love, attention, and care they deserved when my whole world was turned upside down?

Sunday was a good day to make some soup.  The pitter patter of rain on the roof, the gray gloomy clouds darkening the sky, and the cooler temperature made me crave a delicious meal of homemade soup and bread.  I reached for my old-school recipe collection, ready to search for the spinach tortellini soup given to me by a colleague years ago.  My collection is a hodge-podge mess, housed in an old rectangular tin.  The recipes are haphazardly tucked inside following no structure or organization:  hand-written index cards, computer printed papers, recipe cards neatly written from my wedding shower 30 years ago, and many torn from magazines and newspapers.

SUDDENLY THE SEARCH FOR THE RECIPE DIDN’T MATTER

Then I came across a treasure far more outstanding than the tortellini soup recipe I was searching for.  It was a clipping from My Daily Bread dated Sunday, April 27, 2008 entitled “Following God’s Plan”.  Attached to it was a handwritten note from my mother who died ten years previously.  Suddenly the search for the soup recipe didn’t matter. 

TELLING GOD WHAT HER PLAN WAS

The Daily Bread message was about a high school teacher who taught eight years and wanted to quit her job. She needed the money for her family but felt depleted by the pressures of grading papers, lesson planning, and testing.  Feeling desperate, she took off the day from work to evaluate her career.  As she prayed, she realized that she was trying to follow her own lesson plans for her life instead of God’s plan.  All along, she had been telling God what her plan was, instead of asking Him to help find her purpose. 

CHALLENGES BECAME OPPORTUNITIES

She began changing her prayers from “Help me get out of teaching” to “Help me find your purpose for my life.  If it is to be a teacher, help me to accept it.”  Over time, her attitude toward her job began to improve.  Challenges became opportunities for growth.  Even though many days still brought stress and exhaustion, she had a renewed sense of hope knowing God’s purpose was clear. 

I BEGAN TO QUESTION MY PURPOSE

After my son died two and a half years ago from leukemia, I went back to the classroom teaching second grade.  I began to question my purpose.  How was I supposed to continue educating these little ones, giving them the love, attention, and care they deserved when my whole world was turned upside down?  How was I supposed to compartmentalize my grief so that my children didn’t see this side of their teacher? 

MEANT TO BE SHARED

While I continue to wrestle with these challenges, I know God hears my cries.  Sending me this little reminder tucked inside the recipe box was His way of telling me that He is in control and His plans for my life are so much bigger than mine.  1 Corinthians 12:4-6 reads, “There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.” Gifts given to us are not meant for us to keep, instead, they are meant to be shared.

GOD’S PURPOSE IS CLEAR

My mom, who had left the note, who was also a former teacher.  She wrote, “Kimmy, I know you were meant to be a teacher and God’s purpose is clear. Peace. Love, Mom.” 

ASK GOD TO HELP YOU

Are you struggling with your job or circumstances in life? Give up trying to make your own plan for your life.  Instead, ask God to help you to know the plan He has for you.  May you find fulfillment in the work that you do, knowing God’s purpose is clear. As the soup simmered on the stove, I thanked God for nourishing my soul with an unexpected message from my dear departed mom.

MY DISMAL JUGGLING SKILLS

I can’t even juggle tennis balls.  I am hopeless at juggling life.

Recently, I have been juggling a lot of different responsibilities.  Alas, I will never be on America’s Got Talent, juggling chainsaws in the air.  I can’t even juggle tennis balls.  I am hopeless at juggling life.

THE RIPTIDE OF RESPONSIBILITIES

As last week progressed, I felt pulled out by the riptide of responsibilities.  I was failing at juggling them all. Then I came across a wonderful quote by the wonderful man of God, Charles Spurgeon. “I have learned to kiss the wave that throws me against the Rock of Ages.”  Hmm, kissing the riptide?  That’s quite foreign to my mindset. It is helpful to know the context for this Spurgeon quote. Michael Reeves in his book Spurgeon on the Christian Life: Alive in Christ wrote:

HIS MIND WAS NEVER THE SAME AGAIN

Aged twenty-two, as pastor of a large church and with twin babies at home to look after, Spurgeon was preaching to thousands in the Surrey Gardens Music Hall when pranksters yelled “fire,” starting a panic to exit the building which killed seven and left twenty-eight severely injured. His mind was never the same again.

STRESS BEGAN TO TAKE ITS TOLL

Then, from the age of thirty-three, physical pain became a large and constant feature of life for him. He suffered from a burning kidney inflammation called Bright’s Disease, as well as gout, rheumatism, and neuritis. The pain was such that it soon kept him from preaching for one-third of the time. Added to that, overwork, stress, and guilt about the stress began to take their toll. And all this was in the public eye and was jumped on by his many critics, not making it easier to bear. The suffering, they argued rather predictably, was a judgment from God.

JESUS FEELS WITH THE WEAKEST OF HIS CHOSEN

Again and again Spurgeon, returned to the theme of Christ’s compassion for his suffering people. In an 1890 sermon titled “The Tenderness of Jesus,” for example, he spoke, while feeling his own weakness, about Christ as the High Priest who feels for us in our infirmities. He said: “. . . . Jesus is touched, not with a feeling of your strength, but of your infirmity. Down here, poor, feeble nothings affect the heart of their great High Priest on high, who is crowned with glory and honor. As the mother feels with the weakness of her babe, so does Jesus feel with the poorest, saddest, and weakest of his chosen.”

CHRIST DRAWS NEAR TO US

In suffering, then, it is not only the case that we get to draw nearer to Christ, becoming more like him and leaning more fully on him. In such times Christ draws near to us to walk with his people in the furnace. And not only to walk with us but to bear us through.  https://www.crossway.org/articles/did-you-know-that-charles-spurgeon-struggled-with-depression/

HE WANTS TO HANDLE THE JUGGLING

Yes, the chainsaws of life are still there, but as I lean into Christ, He wants to handle the juggling.  He may have three chainsaws in the air, He might have only one, or He might say, “Let’s take a break from the chainsaws right now.” Jesus is walking with me and will bear me through.  What a wonderful Savior Who can handle the handle the stressors of life.

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