Collision

There are moments in life that feel like a collision.  One of those ran a red light, came out of nowhere kind of collisions.  It hits, but instead of sitting still in the silence that follows after a real-life car collision, you keep moving at a pace that doesn't seem to fit. Nothing seems to slow down. 

The collision itself should have taken you out for a bit.  It shook you and it hurts.  When you actually have a little time to think about it, the tears begin to fall.  It's real and raw, but somehow you keep finding the strength to put one foot in front of the other.

You lie in bed as the sun begins to awaken all that fills this side of the earth and you see the orange and pink rays.  You smile, thinking about the beauty created in these mere seconds before the sun completely reveals itself.  All of its glory reflecting The One who deserves all the glory.

A heaviness weighs on you in these moments of the morning.  One that feels as though it will keep you from even getting your feet to hit the ground.  The warmth and safety of the blankets seem better, maybe even easier, than what may be waiting for you through-out the day.  You linger.  You wait.  Wait to see if maybe this day can just pass on by without you.

As you close your eyes you remind yourself that actually staying in the darkness cannot be an option.  The light, THE ONE TRUE LIGHT begins to shine into the crevasse of your heart and you begin to choose the way of life.  Your heart gently says to your mind, "HIS mercies are new every morning. Great is HIS faithfulness."  

But you cry to Him, that it feels like HIS faithfulness to you is running thin.  Although, you know that is not true.  The very breath you exhale is a gift. A "just for today" kind of gift.  

Life.  It is an on-going series of collisions.  Emotions, experiences, circumstances, people, trials, questions, joys, pain.  They all collide at different moments, but you keep moving forward.  Honestly, at times this movement is beyond your own comprehension, but deep in your soul you know you move because HE is making it possible.  In and through you.  Despite you.  

The hardest part comes in the choosing.  Not so much because you don't want to choose, but just because choosing the right way seems really hard some days.  It seems that the mundane of every day life or the overwhelming reality of the trial wins at that moment.  That collision of truth and reality.  The grace of the Father and the harshness of the world.  
  
But soon you're on your feet and engaged in life, moving forward.  And HE, the ONE is engaged in every detail of your life.  He sustains when the collision takes place.  That's how you choose and how you keep moving forward.  How you find the joy and hope in breaking through the heaviness.   

You know that this too will shape you and sanctify you and it will be worth it.  You also know that it is hard and real and requires of you a choice. A trusting kind of choice in His will over yours.  

You have turned for me my mourning into dancing;
You have loosed my sackcloth and girded me with gladness, 

That my soul may sing praise to You and not be silent.
O Lord my God, I will give thanks to You forever.  Psalm 30:11-12

 

    

In the Little Things

Hello again....

Last night we met with our small group, which we love, and it had been awhile since we had all been together. Our pastor is doing a sermon series on Revelation (click here to check it out!) so we are spending our small group time in further discussion about the sermon.

We discussed the July 5 sermon, and we spent a great deal of our time talking about ways in which we "deny" Christ. Denial can take many different forms and we discovered that here in our plush, un-persecuted world it is very easy to slip by having to really "stand" for Christ. It doesn't help us either that as adults we have been trained and influenced by many different fears and ways of thinking passed onto us from family, experience and worldly pressures.

I am always quieted when my five year old asks someone if they love Jesus~ he hasn't been influenced to think that that is not a good idea~ he just thinks everyone should love Jesus. He is always so excited to tell a perfect stranger that he has received Jesus into his heart. Ah!~ The beauty of child-like faith. All he knows is that he loves Jesus and this is worth sharing!

Now, don't we know that same thing? Don't I have 26 years of experience with God's faithfulness in my life, His drawing me nearer and nearer to Him, His perfect provision always sustaining me as I walk in realtionship with Him? Yes! Of course I do~ but why do I sometimes act as if I do not?

Fear, doubt, denial.

So, where do I strengthen these muscles? Last night we all agreed that it was in the small things. Developing my faith and trust in God in the small decisions, strengthens me for trusting in the big things. When I can keep walking in full trust in the daily decisions and things that pull at me, then this is my default mode when the big storms come raging. As one friend last night said, "The storm is raging around me, but I am walking on steady calm ground."

God is big and He is actively at work right now. We read in His word about a burning bush, a talking donkey, a staff that turns to a snake and we think, "Wow! What it would be like to see such a miracle." Well, stop just a minute and think of a way He has divinely provided for you in this last week. Have you seen a baby in a mother's womb? Have you been able to forgive someone through Christ? Have you read anything about the modern day persecuted church around the world? God is still in the business of miracles and I believe in everyday kind of miracles.

Trust, faith, perseverence.

Let these be the words that define us and drive us towards living a life that stands more firmly for Christ. Do not deny Christ the glory due His name anymore. Live your life in such a way that it shouts, "I belong to Christ!" See what He might do through you to reach the lives of those living in the greatest denial, which is unbelief.

Just trust me, ok?

Trust is a very BIG five letter word. It looks so innocent, we can trust the God of the universe right? Well, yes, of course we can. So, do we?

Well, so often that evil little three letter word creeps in...

But....
This is what I have come to realize about that little three letter word is that it negates everything previously said.

Yes God, I know you are sovereign and working in my best interest, but....
Yes God, You have proved yourself faithful time and time again, but....
Yes God, I know what Your word says and I believe that it is inspired by You and applicable for all times, but....

So, in one small word we have lessened the sovereignty of God, His absolute faithfulness and made His word less powerful than it most certainly is! It is not always blatant, but if it is there than He knows our doubt and we so often act on that instead of acting on faith.

Now, what is faith? Hebrews 11:1 says, "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the hope of things not seen." Things not seen is a very real idea to us, especially in today's economy. We cannot see the future of our investments, we cannot see how we will make it through the week without any income, we cannot see how we will go another day with so little sleep, we cannot see how our fear will not overcome us. The list goes on and on. Yes, it does seem quite rocky in our world today, but honestly, we have never been able to "see" all that was ahead! Not even in the times of plenty and little concern. Can you think back to a time of "plenty" in your life? Were you trusting a little easier then? Probably you were. I know that I would say I did.

Unfortunately it is probably because we felt like we were more secure. Uncertain time cause us to be uncertain. When in all honesty, they should cause us to have more confidence! Why? Becuase the GOD OF THE UNIVERSE is working on our behalf. I once heard John Piper say, "God is busy at work doing 1,000 things in your life right now, that you cannot see." Ahh! There is that "hope for things unseen." What a beautiful picture of God Himself at work on my behalf. I also love that just because things in my life change, my God does not change.

My husband losing his job, does not make God less sovereign.
My children stubbornly remaining in foolishness, does not make God less powerful.
My finances lost in the world market, does not make God less than a perfect Provider.
My unanswered questions and fears, does not make God out of touch with me.

In complete contrast, the ways of the world, which fail so often, should cause us to burst out in thanksgiving and strengthen our faith because we KNOW God has NOT changed! And, the other beauty in faith is that is only has to be the size of a mustard seed and God Himself will strengthen it! Nothing will be impossible for me, because God is on my side.

The other amazing thing about God is that He doesn't shut down the work site. When I stumble in my faith, when it is incredibly weak and I am questioning, He is still at work. He is not getting paid to do what He does for me and for you, but He is faithfully working hard for us! Some of the things we are doing right now with our lives do not seem to be collecting any benefits. Does that make them worthless time spent? Absolutely not, because we know that " in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary." (Galatians 6:9)

Are you carrying a heavier load right now due to the ways of our world? It has caused many of us to save more, work more and do with less, which is honestly sometimes a little more work. But because we can trust, we can keep doing. We do not want to be the fool talked about in James: "Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless?" (James 2:20) We want to be those found faithful in the end, hearing "Well done, good and faithful servant." ( Matthew 25:21)

Saying we have faith in our God, yet not doing the very things He is asking of us is showing that "faith apart from works is useless." We cannot fake trust. We either do trust or we don't, period.

So, where are you having to trust right now that seems beyond your own ability? That's it! You have found the perfect place in which you need to be absolutely obedient and say yes to God. For me, it is that God is asking me to work less and be home more. (Which I am more that happy to do!) Is there some fear? Yes, because lessening our income in today's world doesn't make that much sense, but... I have very clearly heard my God say, "Just trust me, ok?"