Blessed. Even When It's Hard.

Then the sailors picked Jonah up and threw him into the raging sea, and the storm stopped at once! The sailors were awestruck by the Lord’s great power, and they offered him a sacrifice and vowed to serve him. Jonah 1:15-16 (NLT)

Committing to a relationship with God is not something to be taken lightly. And whether we like it or not, it always impacts those around us. This can be both good and bad. For example, if I commit to be in a relationship with God and I am blessed because of it, then my family and those around me are blessed as well.  Same is true if I commit to a relationship with God and I have to walk through some really tough times (for my growth and his glory). My family and those around me will go through really tough times as well.

When I first realized this, it bothered me....just being honest here. I didn't think it was fair and I didn't want my family to go through painful things because of my choices. Of course, I was OK with them getting the blessings. J  But isn't that how life is? If your family member chooses to drink and drive and gets into an accident, there may be ripple effects that impact everyone they are close to.  

But then I had to ask myself, “Are you the person taking care of your family or is God? Can you choose to not follow God and protect your family?”  And then I had to honestly ask myself, “Who do you think you are? God?”  Even if people experience a negative impact because of your walk, aren't they still better in God's hands than having an easy life without him?

And finally, there is the possibility that they will see God in a different way because of your journey. We are pretty familiar with the story of Jonah. He was a prophet. God asked him to go and speak to the people of Nineveh. If you look up job descriptions for prophet, this would be one of the top job requirements. Jonah didn't want to. He said no and went in the opposite direction. So God pursued him and as Jonah was sleeping on a boat, God sent a storm to get his attention. He not only got Jonah's attention, he got the attention of every other person on the boat. There was a lot of discussion about what to do with Jonah saying "Throw me overboard." I think he knew he wasn't getting out of this mess easily. The sailors, showing good human morals, didn't want to. I bet this was a terrifying, stressful situation for them. But finally, it got so bad they tossed him into the drink. The storm stopped at once.

That is where today's verse comes in. After all they went through, in the end they were awestruck by God's power and they worshiped him.

Maybe, just maybe, as we walk through life’s blessings and curses, if we commit to walk with God, those around us will be blessed – even when it’s hard.

It's a No Good - Nothing Is Working Kind of Day

There are some days when no matter what I try, I can't seem to get over myself. Everything seems so hard. I want to curl up in a ball and give up. I can't get past the feeling that it's a nogood - nothing is working kind of day. And what's worse is that on these days I am tempted to believe God is not there. I question Him, His love and His plan. What do you do when you can't get it straight? Go to the Word.

If today is one of those days for you, here are some Bible texts that offer encouragement. Pick one that hits home. Write it down/put it on your phone. Carry it around with you. Even better, memorize it. And when that really negative, down-right depressing, thought pops into your head, read/recite/remember the text. It'll get you through the day.

The Lord will perfect that which concerns me;
Your mercy, O Lord, endures forever;
Do not forsake the works of Your hands.
Psalms 138:8 (NKJV)

We do not know what to do but our eyes are on you. 2 Chronicles 20:12 (NIV)

The battle is not your battle, it is God’s. 2 Chronicles 20:15 (NCV)

No weapon forged against you will prevail. Isaiah 54:17 (NIV)

Nothing I plan to accomplish in your life can be stopped. Job 42:2

And this small and temporary trouble we suffer will bring us a tremendous and eternal glory, much greater than the trouble. For we fix our attention, not on things that are seen, but on things that are unseen. What can be seen lasts only for a time, but what cannot be seen lasts forever. 2 Corinthians 4:17-18 (GNT)

If God is for us, who can be against us? Romans 8:31 (NIV)

But blessed are those who trust in the Lord
    and have made the Lord their hope and confidence.
8 They are like trees planted along a riverbank,
    with roots that reach deep into the water.
Such trees are not bothered by the heat
    or worried by long months of drought.
Their leaves stay green,
    and they never stop producing fruit. Jeremiah 17:7-8 (NLT)

Yet I am confident I will see the Lord’s goodness
    while I am here in the land of the living.
Wait patiently for the Lord.
    Be brave and courageous.
    Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.
Psalm 27:13-14 (NLT)

Carry on! God's got this!

God Doesn't Talk

The sheep recognize his voice and come to him. John 10:3b (NLT)
I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me, just as my Father knows me and I know my Father. John 10:14-15 (NLT)
My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. John 10:27 (NLT)

Question for you. Do you think God talks to us? Do you think you can hear his voice? I do.

When I talk about this with people they usually have a couple of standard responses. The first one is "What does his voice sounds like?", i.e. Is it audible? Is it loud? Is it masculine or feminine? My answer to that is "It can sound any way it wants." It's God. He is not limited by our finite minds - He talked through a donkey after all! Now that we've established that what it sounds like really doesn't matter......

The next statement is "God doesn't talk to me." I think he does. I think he talks to all of us. I also think whether you hear him or not is dependent on if you are listening for him. If you are not looking for him, if you are not listening for him, you are going to be less likely to hear him. Think of it this way. When you get married, if you are in a crowded room and your spouse calls your name, you hear them. Your ear is tuned to their voice. It's the same thing if you are a parent. If your child calls out "Mom!" you recognize that voice right away. When you are listening for God and begin to tune your ear to his voice, you hear him and just like with your spouse or your child, you respond.

The next question that we all ask is "How do I know it's him?" Very good question. We all struggle with this one and as far as I can tell the answer is 'Practice' and 'Constant Communication.' I know God has spoken to me and I know I hear his voice. The messages are never the same and sometimes they sound downright illogical. When I am unsure, I keep going back to him and asking questions. I ask for confirmation. I ask for more information. I ask for flashing neon lights with an arrow that says "Go this way." (I don't ever get that response.) I don't think God ever gets tired of us trying to find him. So keep practicing and keep asking questions.

A lot of this article is about what I think from my own personal experience. What does the Bible say about it?  First, there are way too many statements about God talking to people to put them in a short blog. But, we can talk about a couple of them. We know God says "If you seek me, you will be found by me" (Jeremiah 29:13), so he wants to be in a relationship with us. We know that in John 10 (above) Jesus said he knows us and we can know him. He also said we can know him like he and the Father know each other. That's pretty intimate knowing. He also said we can know his voice. So it is possible to 'hear' him.

This is so important you can't take my word for it. You have to listen for yourself. Start talking to God. Tell him you want to find him. Tell him you want to hear him. And keep talking until you do. I know he will show up because he's promised. Maybe he's just waiting for you to start the conversation. 

God Specializes in Miniscule

How much bread do you have?” he asked. Mark 6:38 (NLT)

Mark records the story of the feeding of the five thousand. In that story, there is a huge crowd of people who had been following Jesus and listening to him speak all day. At the end of the day, Jesus says "Let's feed them." The disciples look around and say "With what? Do you have a feast in your pocket?" And Jesus says, "Well actually, yes I do. But I want you to be involved. How much bread do you have?" The disciples find five loaves and two fish and Jesus performs a miracle feeding everyone with leftovers.

Later in Mark, it happens again. Jesus feeds four thousand and there are leftovers (Mark 8). And somehow the disciples still miss the point. But I don't think we can be too hard on the disciples. Aren't we like this? God provides for us over and over and over again. Every single day all we have is from his provision. But, when things get hard and money is tight or non-existent, we don't trust him. We even go so far as to accuse him of not caring for us.

This thing called trust is earned. Think about it. You don't trust a complete stranger, right? You trust people the most that you've known the longest and that have consistently proven that they are trustworthy. Hasn't God done that? Why do we so easily revert back to our thinking that God is not involved and he is not going to take care of us? We rapidly forget the thing that happened a few months ago that made us swear we'd never lose faith again.

When Jesus asked "How much bread do you have?" he could easily have said "How much trust do you have?" It's really the same thing. In reality, it doesn't matter how much you have to offer. If you offer all of it trusting that God will be God, then you will have way more than you need.  

Distracted and Late

All glory to him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by shedding his blood for us. Revelation 1:5b (NLT)

18 people. There were 18 people coming to lunch after church. Normally, my husband and I pull these off without a hitch but he wasn't going to be around this day. No problem, I thought. I pulled off huge parties by myself before we were married. I can still do this.

I had a plan. First, I planned the menu and made sure that it wasn't too complicated. I had a busy week so I made sure to buy the groceries early in the week. I took Good Friday off and made a couple of the big dishes. The morning of, I knew what I was supposed to do and when I had to do it.

Did I mention I had company for the weekend? Some of my family was staying with us. And, did I mention that my grandson also spent the night? No worries! I had it all figured out. The morning of the lunch came and I was still doing OK. I knew when I had to put the turkey in the oven so it would cook while we were at church for Bible Study and the Service.

Then, my grandson got really tired super early, an hour and a half before his normal nap time. Well, I thought, I'll let him take his nap and we'll skip Bible Study and just go to service. He went right to sleep. Then, as I was prepping food, I got into a great conversation with my nephew. After a little bit, I looked at the clock and OH NO! I forgot to put the turkey in. I was a full hour late!

I popped it in and prayed that it would cook fast and off we all went to church. When we got home, the turkey wasn't done and 18 people were waiting around for it to finish. Of course, everyone was hungry and I felt terrible. My family was super gracious and very understanding but I was pretty hard on myself. I'd pulled this off so many times before - what happened? I had a plan!

As we bowed our heads to thank God for the meal, I realized that this is what Easter is all about. In spite of our best efforts, all the planning, the prepping and the good intentions, we still make mistakes. We still mess up. And God says "It's OK. Your worth is not defined by your performance; it's defined by your love for me. Relax and enjoy."

Thank you, Jesus. It's good to be able to take a deep breath and enjoy the life you have given me. And it’s good to know that it’s not all about me. Amen.

The Gift Is Not Just Yours

Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. John 11:25-26 (NLT) emphasis added

It's been a strange kind of week. I believe that every day this week I've had a conversation with someone that had brought me back to Jesus' death and resurrection and who he actually died for. Let me explain.

There were two conversations where two separate young women didn't want to introduce their boyfriends to their families because when they showed them a picture of them the family made derogatory comments indicating the person might be bad.

There were a few conversations where people struggled to forgive someone for something they had done recently and/or in the distant past.

Each time as I thought through these, I kept hearing the word Resurrection. And then again when I was reading about poverty and the negative impact it has on folks, the word Resurrection kept popping into my mind.

I wish I could sit here and say I don't ever judge people by their outward appearance. I can't say that. I wish I could say I don't judge people by their actions. I can't say that. I wish I did more to help those in need. I am praying about all these things. But, here is what I do know.

When Jesus said ANYONE, he meant ANYONE. It doesn't matter what you look like, what you do for a living, whether you are rich or poor, what specific religion you are, your stellar or checkered past or if you are a Democrat or a Republican (a little humor for the Americans). None of it matters because Jesus died for all of us. Every. Single. Last. One.

As we celebrate what the Resurrection truly means, let's remember he died for everyone, even if we don't think they measure up.

Father God, teach our hearts to see everyone as you see them. Remove our blinders and open our minds. Let us feel the unconditional love you felt that day on the cross. In Jesus Name, Amen

Your Personality Type Doesn't Matter

Do not be unbelieving, but believing. John 20:27 (NKJV)

Thomas was a pessimist. Most of the few recorded comments from him demonstrate this. But, he loved Jesus. He was even willing to die with him. When Jesus announced in John 11 that he wanted to head back toward Jerusalem, the disciples were trying to talk him out of it. "They want to stone you. Why go there?" Thomas' comment was "Let's go. We may as well all die together." In other words, if he was going to die, he might as well do it with Jesus.

When the disciples told him they had seen Jesus, he didn't believe them. And true to form he said "I won't believe you until I touch his wounds." Interestingly, Jesus takes him up on the challenge. He shows up, focuses on Thomas and says "Go ahead. Touch away."

It blows me away that here is this pessimistic, doubting person and Jesus makes sure he's on board. He had already talked to the other 10, why spend the time to convince this one? Most of us would look at someone like that and assume he's not going to amount to much so we should move on. Jesus was listening to Thomas. Thomas' comment about not believing wasn't said in a prayer. He didn't ask God to prove anything; he was simply talking to his friends. Thomas received individualized, crafted just for him, attention from Jesus. We all do.

After Jesus addressed Thomas' concerns he said "Do not be unbelieving, but believing." In other words "OK. I addressed your concerns. What is your excuse?" Whether you are an extrovert or introvert, a pessimist, optimist or realist, Jesus is showing up each and every day talking to you in just the way you need to hear him. Why? Because, it is important to him that each and every one of us believes in who he is.

What is your “Thomas” excuse? Jesus is listening.

Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” John 20:29 (NKJV)

Free....Indeed!!

So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. John 8:36 (NIV)

The dark cloud called gloom seemed to be following her around. It was hung so close to the top of her head that if she reached her arm up her hand would pierce the cold damp feeling that she carried in her heart. It had been there for weeks. And she was unable to shake it.

It started a while ago. Life was good. She was involved in a new church plant and God was moving. Her relationship with him had taken off. As she looked for him, he spoke. The entire church was having this fantastic God experience and they were growing. There was unity among the members and God was truly moving.

But then, temptation came knocking. Not just at her door but, this is her story not theirs. Temptation knocked and she threw open the door and invited him in. Somewhere, somehow, she lost sight of the special bond she was growing with God and decided that this….this would be more fulfilling than what God wanted.

And then, the Elders came knocking. She wasn't so happy to throw those doors open and after the conversation was finished, she was devastated. Not so much because they asked her to step down from serving but because this wake-up call made her realize she’d turned her back on her friend.

In the weeks that followed, the only prayer that she could utter was "Help me." She felt lost and ashamed. She had turned her back on God and had chosen a path that would temporarily make her feel better. What a hard way to learn that making oneself feel better with temporary pleasures is a fleeting experience. When the dust settled, she couldn't hear God's voice and the relationship seemed to be gone.

With a broken heart she moved through the motions of life always asking "Are you there? I'm sorry. Please help me."  Weeks went by. As she waited she realized that she had risked the best thing in her life. The closeness she felt with God over those months was like no other experience and she could not bear to lose it.

One day, as she was driving home from work she looked out the window and said it again "Please help me." For the first time in weeks a Bible verse popped into her head "If the Son has set you free, you are free indeed." As she processed this, she remembered. She remembered that Jesus’ gift to her, to everyone, when he died on the cross was forgiveness. That sin and death didn't hold her. They couldn't hold her if she claimed that gift and clung to its truth. The truth was that she was forgiven and with time she would be able to hear God's voice again. She would be able to seek him, mend the relationship and mend her heart.

Jesus died so we wouldn't be “dead men walking” but a people walking, skipping, dancing and laughing. He died so that when we mess up (and we always will) we can know that he is still there. He loved us then and he loves us still.

We are free......indeed!