Category: Forgiveness

Thankful for EVERYTHING 

​  “And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” – Ephesians 5:20 NLT (http://bible.com/116/eph.5.20.NLT)

This verse gives me pause. “…give thanks for everything” …??? Surely God doesn’t expect me to give thanks for the physical pain men have caused me, or the emotional Rollercoaster of hurt and anguish my life has been? Certainly He means for us – for me, to be thankful for the rescues and the good things that have happened, and for all of the blessings I have received, Right? I think; I know differently. God doesn’t stutter, and He doesn’t give Words of confusion in His Book. “And give thanks for everything….” That’s is clear and succinct; no need for confusion or interpretation. “Everything” is all inclusive. 

What do I do with this? It’s so easy to sit here on my back porch with a blanket and a little dog on my lap and be thankful for what I have here. (He was quite insistent that we go outside!) Even though it’s a cool, foggy and misty day, I’m thankful. I have a beautiful home, and a dear partner to share it with. The dogs and cats and my therapy hens (yes, they are my entertainment and a source of joy) are easy to be thankful for. My best friend lives down the street, I have family in the area, I have food and clothing and shelter. I have much to be thankful for! These are the easy things. 

By this command of my LORD, I am to be thankful for everything, not just the easy stuff but the ugly stuff, too. Here goes.

LORD, thank you for the bronchitis I’m dealing with – frustrating as it is to have sick for so long (and I’m especially thankful for my caring doctor who is determined to get me well!). Thank you for releasing me from my job, and for the financial instability that is accompanying that loss. LORD, it’s really difficult to acknowlege bad things as things to be thankful for!! Thank you for the difficult bosses and coworkers I’ve had. I’ve actually learned quite a lot from each of them. Thank you, LORD, for the men who abused and terrorized me. Thank you for the homelessness I have experienced. There is so much more….

As I write this, and think of some of the things I have experienced so far in this life, I’ve come to realize that out of every painful, dark experience, I have learned something and sometimes something good came out of them. At the time, all I could see was the dark, and it’s dense intensity and fear. Through the abuse, I have a testimony that there is hope. God has never left me alone at any point in my life. I couldn’t see Him or feel His presence much of the time, but He never forsake me. Where would I be now, and what would I be, if my life hadn’t progressed the way it did? I’ll never know, and it really doesn’t matter, because without every single one of the pieces, I wouldn’t be who I am today. Who am I? I am the daughter of the Most High King! Can you say with any clarity who you are?

  “But I trust in Your Unfailing LOVE. I will rejoice because You have rescued me.” – Psalms 13:5 NLT (http://bible.com/116/psa.13.5.NLT)

Fear to Joy

​  “I prayed to the LORD, and He answered me. He freed me from all my fears. Those who look to Him for help will be radiant with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces. In my desperation I prayed, and the LORD listened; He saved me from all my troubles.” – Psalms 34:4‭-‬6 

How many times I have called out to the LORD to rescue me! So many of the plans I have made have ended in disaster – the plans I made. Why is it so difficult to listen to Him in the first place, and heed His answer? Why do we persist in being so stubborn? God created us with a free will to choose for ourselves to love Him and worship Him, and we continually choose the bling of the enemy over the true beauty of the LORD. We let ourselves be blinded by the lurid colors and false delights of the world over the indescribable beauty of our Lord. We choose to believe the enemy’s lies and make our plans without regard to God’s desires. 

  “How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog – it’s here a little while, then it’s gone. What you ought to say is, “If the LORD wants us to, we will live and do this or that.” ” – James 4:14‭-‬15 

Over the millenium since God created the heavens and the earth, He has kept His temper remarkably well consider how terribly His creation has mocked Him and reviled Him. When I’m painting or making something, when it doesn’t go my way I want to destroy it – and often have. When training a horse or a dog and they turn on me, I have to watch myself that I don’t hurt them in my anger. That’s just one creature, and God has millions of humans essentially spitting in His face. He has had ample reasons to completely destroy mankind and start over, and He hasn’t, because He loves us with an amazing Love.

  “Thank You for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.” – Psalms 139:14

God created us for one purpose; to have eternal life in His worship and companionship. Rather than wiping out humanity’s existence, He did something incomprehensible to me. He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, a part of the Triune God, as a sacrifice for my sins. Jesus was sacrificed for me, and He was sacrificed for you. Had there been just a single human in the entire earth, if I had been the only living soul, He still would have died just for me or you. Incomprehensible Love. 

How do we become one again with our Creator?

  “And this is The Way to have ETERNAL Life—to know You, the only True God, and Jesus Christ, the One You sent to earth.” – John 17:3 

  “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.” – Matthew 6:34 

When we accept Jesus into our lives, and we acknowledge that He is LORD, we should not longer be worried about the future. That statement is MUCH easier said than that put into practice! Matthew isn’t saying that we should just float along in life believing that God won’t let us starve or let anything bad happen. We are responsible for doing our part. What Matthew is saying is to not worry. Ask God for His guidance in everything, listen for His answer, and follow Him. He always answers prayers, and often I don’t like the answer. Then, when I do my own thing….. 

BOOM!

……. and there’s that disaster I knew was coming. Remember what Paul says:

  “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 4:6‭-‬7 

AMEN.

(All scriptures are from http://bible.com/116/.NLT)

Oops, I Slipped!

​  “Give your burdens to the LORD, and He will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall.” – Psalms 55:22 NLT (http://bible.com/116/psa.55.22.NLT)

I couldn’t guess how many times I’ve heard someone say “Well, they must not be a Christian because a Christian wouldn’t do/say such a thing!” News flash: being a Christian doesn’t make me perfect, it means I know how broken I am and that I have asked Jesus to wash me clean. Jesus doesn’t want the perfect, He wants the broken. The only difference – emphasizing that: the ONLY difference between me and the most evil, depraved person is not anything I can do, no matter how good and kind and caring I can be – the only only difference is God’s Redeeming Grace. The evil, wicked person can be redeemed by God’s Grace, as simply as you and I can be. In fact, that’s why Jesus came. Listen to what He says:

  “Then Jesus said, “Come to Me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.  Take My yoke upon you. Let Me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For My yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” – Matthew 11:28‭-‬30 NLT (http://bible.com/116/mat.11.28-30.NLT)

When we are weary, sick and tired of being sick and tired; when we are exhausted from dragging behind us all of our life baggage, that’s when Jesus can help us the most. From the most caring of souls to the most broken, wherever we come from, Jesus can help us. The reason we slip and fall as Christians is the same reason non-Christians sin. We take our eyes off Jesus and think we can take care of something ourselves, and we set ourselves up to fail. It doesn’t matter if it’s the whisper of gossip behind someone’s back, or the violent outburst of anger resulting in someone getting hurt or killed. Sin is sin.

  “Everyone who sins is breaking God’s law, for all sin is contrary to the law of God. And you know that Jesus came to take away our sins, and there is no sin in Him. Anyone who continues to live in Him will not sin. But anyone who keeps on sinning does not know Him or understand who He is. Those who have been born into God’s family do not make a practice of sinning, because God’s life is in them. So they can’t keep on sinning, because they are children of God.” – 1 John 3:4‭-‬6‭, ‬9 NLT (http://bible.com/116/1jn.3.4-9.NLT)

That section seems harsh, but it’s simply God telling us how it is. The big question today is the elephant in the room. If I am a Christian, does that mean I will never sin again? No, not at all. We are sinners saved by Grace, mended by the Potter, healed by the Healer, and washed clean with His blood. As a Christian, anytime I take my eyes away from Jesus, I am then looking at the world and doing things my way. Jesus doesn’t let us go when we falter. He holds us in His arms until we finally look up to Him and see that we have fallen. It may be immediately, and it might take a while (years, even). The only thing we have control over in this world is whether or not we will look to Jesus, or abandon Him for the enticing beckoning of the world – Satan’s playground. 

I know from my own life experience that I will stumble and fall, and I will continue to stumble. It happens every single time I take my eyes off Jesus and I don’t commit every decision through prayer to the Holy Spirit. It happens when I pray and I don’t like the answer so I do whatever I think is right. My way. Ha. There’s a comment I’ve heard and I’ve used myself: “My way or the highway.” Think about it, and rephrase it: “Jesus’ Way, or the highway of Satan.” There are two roads through your life. I chose Satan’s highway for years, and can’t even begin to tell of all of the wrecks that happened. When we travel the broad and glittering highway of the world, we become battered and bruised and broken. Traveling the path with Jesus doesn’t mean we will never get hurt. In fact, because it is a narrow path, with precipices and deep valleys to go through, we have to hold on tightly to His Hand to stay on the correct path. When we take our eyes off of our guide, we will stumble and fall. The difference is that Jesus heals us of the hurts, and the enemy rubs salt in our wounds. Why do we think that’s better??

Keep your eyes on Jesus! He will guide us the way we need to go, and never, ever let leave us.

Thanks to my friend, John Lawton, for this depiction of the mountains and valleys we go through.

Good Old Days?

  “Don’t always be asking, “Where are the good old days?” Wise folks don’t ask questions like that.” –Ecclesiastes 7:10 MSG (http://bible.com/97/ecc.7.10.MSG)

We have selective memories. The “good old days…” What exactly was so good about them? Would they be the days of childhood? Sure, most of us didn’t have the responsibility of an adult, and we had opportunities to run and play with other kids. There were also plenty of less pleasant times, too, but as children we were better able to gloss over them and even forget them. Were the “good old days” The days before television and video games? Before telephones and refrigeration? Before the internal combustion engine? The “good old days” translate very differently from person to person. For me,  I wouldn’t mind pre-adult days when my responsibilities were few and I didn’t have to “adult.” Bleh.

  “We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because He has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with Love.” – Romans 5:3‭-‬5‭ NLT (http://bible.com/116/rom.5.3-5.NLT)

  “God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important. As a result, no one can ever boast in the presence of God.” – 1 Corinthians 1:28‭-‬29 NLT (http://bible.com/116/1co.1.28-29.NLT)

God doesn’t want me to sit and wish for things and times that are past – the “could’ve, would’ve, should’ve” past. It’s over and done. Depression and frustration dump me back there. Paul suffered from despondency; Moses struggled with insecurities, David was an adulterer and a murderer. God doesn’t pick winners, He picks losers. He provides the confidence and forgiveness we so desperately need. On days like today when the sky is overcast and rainy and cold, all I want to do is hibernate. God, give me strength to face the world! Amen.

Control Your Anger

​  “Control your temper, for anger labels you a fool.” – Ecclesiastes 7:9 NLT

Wow. Can it be any more clear than this? Just for fun, let’s check a couple of other translations… (check out YouVersion for all of your Bible needs at http://bible.com).

Let’s start with some old English in the American Standard Version (ASV), then the King James Version (KJV). 

  “Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry; for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.” – Ecclesiastes 7:9 ASV

  “Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.” – Ecclesiastes 7:9 KJV

Personally, I switch between the NLT, the New Living Translation, and the NIV, the New International Version. They are both easy to read and understand, and it’s good to read both to help in understanding scripture. Here’s the NIV:

  “Control your temper, for anger labels you a fool.” – Ecclesiastes 7:9 NLT 

Finally,  I get to share the one called The Message. It’s written more for teenagers and young adults, but I love the bluntness. 

  “Don’t be quick to fly off the handle. Anger boomerangs. You can spot a fool by the lumps on his head.” – Ecclesiastes 7:9 MSG

It should be pretty clear by now that controlling anger is important!

I don’t know about anyone else, but I can vouch to going through life with “lumps on my head” – maybe not too visible to me, but certainly visible to others, especially my family as they prayer for me. I know that my anger made me physically ill at times, and I have residual lingering effects from the years I spent nursing anger and grudges against others. Was the anger worth it? Absolutely not. I spent so much of my life embroiled in the pain and hurt that I missed out on so much, including being able to raise my daughter. I was killing myself by holding on the the anger and letting it consume me, both literally and figuratively. 

How are you doing today? Is the someone, or several someones, that you just can’t seem to get over?  I get it, I really do! I also know how impossible it is for me, on my own, to let go of my anger. There’s really only one way to let go of that deep-seated anger that has been stoked by resentment and frustration over the years, and His Name is Jesus. 

Revenge, resentment, and retaliation are not the answers. Only Jesus. We can’t do it alone.

Did you get that? On my own, there is no way – no way – for me to let the anger and hurt go. It has been a process, because when you nurture something like this for years it doesn’t just dissappear overnight. I have had to visualize handing a particular person and situation to Christ over and over. At first, it felt like I was saying “Here, God, take it” every minute of the day. Then gradually add few times per day, and finally…. finally…. it’s only a couple of times a month. I am not capable of forgiving on my own. It is only through Jesus Christ and His Grace that I am able to live a *mostly* anger free life today. My prayer is that you can get there, as well.  

Guide Me

​  The Lord says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.” – Psalms 32:8 NLT (http://bible.com/116/psa.32.8.NLT)

Okay, God, not to be irreverent or disrespectful, but I would LOVE to have a clearer picture of my path. A fax or an email, a letter, or a tweet…. even sky-writing would help! I wonder how many other people feel like they can’t see the path God has laid out for them. Should it be that difficult, really? I look at people like Mother Teresa, Billy Graham, and Florence Nightingale. It appears that they were called early in their lives for a particular purpose, and they heard the call; they listened and responded. So many of us have heard God calling early in our lives and blew Him off so that we could do our own thing. (Yes, I am talking to myself 😕 )

So now, wherever we are in our lives, we need to untangle the world messages from the God message, and that can be a daunting task! Years ago, my Dad wrote a poem for me, untitled:

“Life isn’t an easy road,

  Never was, said the fly to the toad.

Seems like you’re always hopping around, 

  Never really getting your feet on the ground!

For instance, we flies are a delectable dish

  But harder to catch than a slippery fish.

Frustrating to you, Mr. Toad, I know,

  But to me, it isn’t the best way to go.
The wise frog, overhearing the two, 

  Sat very still, thinking it through. 

Speaking from years of experience in life, 

  He sagely gave these words of advice:

Hopping about, never settling down,

  Is one sure way to live life with a frown.

Rather, set your goal and patiently work,

  And a smile will be yours instead of a smirk.
The same is true of the human race,

  You see so much unhappiness on everyone’s face.

Instead of accepting God’s most precious gift, 

  We hop to and fro seeking a lift.

Jesus said,  “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life”,

  Accept Him today and end all your strife.” 

               – Bill Henry 

I still don’t know what, exactly, God has in mind for me, but I am learning to be still and trust Him, knowing He is in control. Are YOU there, yet?

Wonderfully Made

The Bible is a book of beautiful poetic passages. Contemplate this passage from the Psalms:

  “If I say, Surely the darkness shall overwhelm me, And the light about me shall be night;  Even the darkness hideth not from Thee, But the night shineth as the day: The darkness and the light are both alike to Thee.  For Thou didst form my inward parts: Thou didst cover me in my mother’s womb.  I will give thanks unto Thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: Wonderful are Thy works; And that my soul knoweth right well.  My frame was not hidden from Thee, When I was made in secret,  And curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.” – Psalms 139:11‭-‬15 ASV (http://bible.com/12/psa.139.11-15.ASV)

The psalmist is praising God for the wonder of birth; how we are formed in the womb. He acknowledges that the Creator God is with us from the moment we begin in the womb; at the first joining of egg and sperm. God made creation so that when a man and a woman join, He – God – is there. He knows us intimately. He knows our future, and He knows what our choices will be throughout our lives. He rejoices for the good choices and He mourns our bad choices. 

Have you ever thought about that? He already knows that I will make bad choices in my life, and He has already suffered for those sins on the cross. He suffered for the lies we tell, and the half-truths and the omissions. He suffered for the gossip we spread and the snubs we give to those we deem are beneath us. He suffered for every ugly thought and deed we have entertained. It’s difficult to comprehend. From little white lies to murder, sin is sin and is all the same to God. That, to me, is impossible to grasp. All sin is the same to our Lord, and He bore all of those sins while He hung on the cross. Think about that! ALL sin, past, present, and future. From the moment we are conceived, God is there. Even before we are conceived, He is there. He is ALWAYS with us, whether you acknowledge Him or not. He knows it all, already, yet He still wants us as His friends; His family. Pretty amazing, no ABSOLUTELY amazing. Amazing Grace…..

Amazing Grace, How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me
I once was lost, but now am found
T’was blind but now I see

T’was Grace that taught my heart to fear
And Grace, my fears relieved
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed

Through many dangers, toils and snares
We have already come.
T’was grace that brought us safe thus far
And grace will lead us home,
And grace will lead us home

Amazing grace, Howe Sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me
I once was lost but now am found
T’was blind but now I see

Was blind, but now I see.

Together

​  “Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ.” – Colossians 3:23‭-‬24 

The Church of Christ Jesus is inherently diverse culturally and ethnically. I am so tired of the racism and division between “religions” and denominations.  Christians need to be – should be – united, not divided, over His teachings. When we find that we are wrong in a belief, why can’t we just admit it and move on with the business we share of introducing others to Jesus Christ and His Savings Grace?

  “Among the prophets and teachers of the church at Antioch of Syria were Barnabas, Simeon (called “the black man”), Lucius (from Cyrene), Manaen (the childhood companion of King Herod Antipas ), and Saul…..So after more fasting and prayer, the men laid their hands on them and sent them on their way. So Barnabas and Saul were sent out by the Holy Spirit. They went down to the seaport of Seleucia and then sailed for the island of Cyprus.” – Acts of the Apostles 3:1,3‭-‬4

It’s fascinating to me to read the Gospels and the New Testament and see the diversity of the early church. Wealthy or working class, educated and illiterate; African, Jew, Greek, and Roman…. they all followed Christ. Oh, would that we could embrace that today! “For the Word of God will never fail.” – Luke 1:37 NLT (Some manuscripts read “For nothing is impossible with God.”)
In spite of all our human failings, isn’t it about time we let our prejudice fall away? God doesn’t care what color our skin happens to be, and he doesn’t care if you own the most toys or you have absolutely nothing. When He created Adam and Eve, they had every color gene in the. From that one couple came every color, every facial feature, every bit of the DNA that binds us each together as human beings. Jesus didn’t let situations or appearances or wealth or lack of it interfere with His ministry.

Into the Light, or into the darkness… it’s our choice, every day of our lives. We weren’t created to make this journey through life alone. Jesus is patiently waiting, with me and for me, always beside me. Never alone, never without Him, through the fires and the valleys and the shadows, to the tops of the mountain. What about you? Will you continue to go it alone, or are you ready to take His Hand and let Him be your Guide and your Protection? Without Him in us and beside us, we cannot tell others of Him and expect them to believe in Him.

** All scriptures are from http://bible.com/116/NLT

Immortality 

​  ” “The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right, and his ears are open to their prayers. But the Lord turns his face against those who do evil.” Now, who will want to harm you if you are eager to do good?” – 1 Peter 3:12‭-‬13 NLT (http://bible.com/116/1pe.3.12-13.NLT)

It’s an introspective kind of day. As I sit and look at all of the memories surrounding me, I can’t help but wonder what difference it all makes in the grand scheme of things. I began a letter to the executor of my estate, to give her some perspective on it all… and it is turning into an epic. I have lots of stuff. Probably junk to others, but meaningful to me. (It kind of sounds like I’m a hoarder, but I’m really not!) It breaks my heart sometimes when I go to estate sales, looking at what was obviously important to someone, reduced to how much money someone else can get for it.

Doing the “right thing.” In God’s eyes, what is the right thing to do with all this? The selfish part of me wants to hold on to my stuff, my memories, and I want to know that it will all be treasured when I’m gone. My Grandma’s dinnerware, the drawings and paintings by family and friends, furniture hand-built expressly for me…. collections from my adventures and travels, quilts…. how important is it? 

Well, in the grand scheme of things, even the most precious of my things is meaningless. What difference will they make to eternity? The short answer is: Nothing. Nada. Zilch. The saying “you can’t take it with you” is exactly right. I won’t be here to oversee the distribution. Most of all, when I’m gone, I want my executor and my heirs to understand that even though my house is filled with memories, these things are not my legacy. My prayer is that they see that above all of the things, my love for my Savior is my legacy to them.

I fail miserably at showing the Love of Christ to all men/women. I am human, imperfect and broken. Still, I want to do good. Today, my prayer is that God will show me clearly the right paths I need to be on for His Glory. His Kingdom. The question Peter ends with is profound. Who, indeed, wants to harm us? Again, there’s a short answer: Satan, the enemy, does everything he can to harm us and turn us off the path God has laid out for us. The more eager we are to do God’s will and to do good in this world, the more difficult the enemy will make it for us. 

When someone dies, there is the potential for a tremendous amount of strife, as heirs fight over whatever is there. I’ve seen it in my parents’ families when my grandparents died, leaving bitterness between relatives, and in friends families. It is so important to remember that family relationships are so much more important than any amount of money or stuff! I have been fortunate to have been given things by my parents and grandparents, and although there were things I would have liked to have had from my grandparents estates, it’s not worth losing relationships over. Doing the right things when engulfed in grief is difficult, but I know God will honor that by offering peace to your heart. The enemy can’t hurt us if we remain firmly rooted in Christ. He may cause temporary anguish, but I know that God will prevail… and so does the enemy. 

The question to ask in difficult situations is “what difference will it make in view of eternity?”

Thankfulness: what do I have, right now, to be thankful for? 

Love: what do I have in my life right now: Friends, family… God?

Revenge against those who caused or are causing pain, emotional or physical: what will it change; what good will it do?

Grace and Peace: have I received it? It can come from people, but the real Grace comes from Christ Jesus!

  “The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.” – Lamentations 3:22‭-‬23 NLT (http://bible.com/116/lam.3.22-23.NLT)

Believe it and receive it!