Hardships

"...We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God," they said. Acts 14:22

                                                                                                         
Hours after I last posted about only three members of my family being sick, my son woke up at 3:45 a.m. with severe stomach pain. I spent part of the next day at the pediatrician's office and then in caregiving. Turns out we have a virus going around town. The day after that, I got it.
                                                                Sheesh! Life is hard.

Each day is unique, and many are filled with difficulties and obstacles we must hurdle over or go around. The Christian life is the same. The "they" in the scripture verse above, is Paul and Barnabas. These men knew a thing or two about hardships and they fearlessly taught others that it's hard to be a servant of God on this earth.

But it's not impossible because with God, all things are possible. (Mt. 19:26) We have a perfect example in Jesus Christ.

Our savior died for us and showed us that no matter how hard life is, he will be with us forever. One of the things I've learned in the past couple of months, is that Jesus is with us always. I knew that it's written in the Bible, but I mean, I encountered him myself. Jesus showed up and stood by me in a hospital room three hours away from my home, during one of our family's more difficult times.

My job now, is to write out that story and encourage others with it. When Jesus makes a promise, it's as good as done.

What promises has he made you? How has he just "shown up" in your life?

My prayer for you is that you will know the depth of God's love for you.

May you have his peace today, friend.

Compassionate Care

      I don't know how Jesus did it.

I can say this about a lot of things and ask:

   How did he keep his mouth shut while being insulted?
   How did he remain patient with people who were filled with foolish pride?
   How did he maintain a loving spirit in all circumstances?

How did he stay awake?  I think he must have been exhausted.

I'm projecting my thoughts onto you right now because I'm exhausted.

I'm exhausted, and in this state I'm finding it hard to maintain my compassion. My husband is suddenly  experiencing chronic pain. He wakes in the middle of the night with excruciating pain in one of his hips. It's coming out of nowhere and neither of us (or his doctors) can find an explanation or solution.

It happened again, around 1:30 this morning and he woke me up as a result. Bleary-eyed, I went to get him some ibuprofen and an extra blanket, but I could hardly stay awake. The poor guy was shivering and shaking and it was all I could do to keep my eyes open. I didn't really - I just held his hand and mumbled incoherently half the time.

An hour or so later he fell into a deep sleep and spent the rest of the morning snoring. And I thought, Oh for the love of Pete, can't I get a break? 

I was reminded of Christ's compassion for the sick and suffering. I felt God speaking into my spirit about the quality of His love. And I tried to do my best, I really did, but his standard is something else. 

The quality of His love is supernatural.

At least, I'm in good company. His disciples had problems staying awake when they should have been exercising compassion and friendship. In the garden at Gethsemane, he instructed them to hang out while he prayed, and when he came back they were in Snoozeville.

"Couldn't you men keep watch with me for one hour?" he asked Peter. "Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak."

Yep, weak flesh is what I've got.

           But at least my God is strong.

 
 

Mommy Radar

On the last post, my friend Les, commented and asked that I provide clarity on my idea of being mindful. Thanks for asking Les, I hope this is answer makes things a little more clear...

For me, mindfulness means paying intense attention to my actions and the actions of others who affect or influence me. Like many people, I plan out my days and weeks by thinking of the "things" I need to do/buy/get. Or I figure out the tasks I need to complete, and people I need to see in order to get things done....whatever they may be.

My problem doesn't always exist in the "getting things done" part, it also lies in the margin (space) outside of the tasks. For instance, just as I was typing the words "for instance," I get a call from school saying one of my children wasn't feeling well and needed to come home.

That was not a planned event. And now, I've got to deal with the consequences of the reason that child needed to come home...and I'll be dealing with it in one way or another for the rest of the night. That, in turn, will shuffle other planned things in my schedule around a bit. Thankfully I had a clear schedule today so it won't have a huge effect. But if it continues tomorrow, that's a whole different story.

How I practice mindfulness, is by paying intense attention to "disturbance" or tension in my mind, body or spirit. God's given us an amazing internal capacity to be aware of danger - I like to call it Mommy Radar, but some people call it intuition or conscience. I'm learning how to tune my Mommy Radar to the presence of the Holy Spirit. Paying intense attention is the best weapon of defense I have and it's producing amazing clarity. Like all new things, it takes practice though!

This morning is a good example. When the kids were getting ready to head out for school, my spirit felt like this....

I had to ask myself...WHY?


   Then I had to take the time to answer. Which started with me asking myself ten more probing questions until I came to the lightbulb moment. After that, I was able to calm down and pay attention to the day's tasks and see God in the process. Boy did I see God today!

In other forms of spirituality, I think mindfulness is defined by more of an emptying, but as I understand it in the spiritual realm, emptying the mind can be dangerous because other spirits can then enter. What you think may be God, may actually be something different. I was just reading yesterday morning about testing the spirits (1 John 4:1)...

Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

Sometimes Spirit talk can make people uneasy but it doesn't mean they're not real and waiting to influence and sometimes... take over.

When I'm praying in the Spirit, seeking God's presence and surrendering to his leading, He always answers because He promises guidance and He's faithful. I'm not always in love with the answer, but if I'm a true follower, I'm going to hear and obey.

I'm a daydreamer and an optimist by nature and I love nothing more than inventing happy stories with happy endings in my head, but the Spirit brings truth and sometimes truth hurts. Like now.

Busyness in my past life when my kids were young, dulled my awareness of reality somewhat. So I blew off some things I passed off as "normal" childhood behaviors/issues/fears. Adolescence isn't kind and some of those things I thought were normal, are manifesting themselves in disturbing ways. Now, we're having to deal with the disturbances and let me tell you, it's very costly.

I'm very grateful to God that we're able to pay for some good therapy and psychology for our kids, but had I known, I would have paid attention and made some different choices. I guess that's why hindsight is 20/20!

I hope I answered that question and feel free to ask questions anytime. I always hope people are able to profit or save themselves trouble from hearing about my mistakes:)

God Speaks

I'll never forget the first time I heard God speak.

Early one morning, about twenty-three years ago, I was pulled over on the side of a highway overpass, unable to drive. I'd stayed up all night partying with friends at a nightclub and my heart was racing from the drugs we'd consumed. I was afraid, and trying to figure out how to make the rest of the drive home. In the silence of that car, inside my spirit, I heard a voice clearly say, "If you ever do this again, you will die."

I never did drugs again.

To the best of my recollection that was about two years before I started searching for Jesus, but it was the same voice that prompted me to find him.

Remembering that morning gives me great joy, and fills me with hope for my many friends and family members who don't yet know him. I'm reminded of this passage of scripture:

I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me;

I was found by those who did not seek me.

To a nation that did not call on my name,

I said, 'Here am I, here am I.'

                     Isaiah 65:1

God knows those He has chosen, and if you're a follower of Christ, you've been chosen.

You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit - fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. This is my command: Love each other.  John 15:16-17

Do you hear Him? Are you bearing fruit for eternity?

Stuck?

I will walk before the LORD in the land of the living.  Psalm 116:9

Do you feel alive? Not physically... spiritually. Are you walking with Jesus and before the Lord in the land of the living or are there dead places inside you?

For years I was a dead Christian.

Some would say it's impossible because Christ is alive in us. I can say from my experience and many other women I know, that there are multitudes of dead Christians. Believers who were once alive in Christ and filled with His power and glory are living in a withered and powerless state.
It doesn't have to be that way.

Christ redeems. He makes things new and is an expert at raising the dead to new life in Him, but He requires our participation. He requires belief and belief requires action. Do you feel stuck? Do you want to walk in wonder and freedom with Him once again?

Let's do it together. You're not alone. There are others walking on this journey and in the weeks and months to come we'll share our stories of how the living God is reawakening those once dead areas of our lives.
                                          
   Peace and adventure in Christ to you!