Adversity To Greatness

 Have you ever reached a goal or acquired something to discover it wasn’t really what you wanted?  We live in a society that enjoys disposing of possessions, relationships, jobs or simply whatever gets old or too difficult.

One of my husband’s favorite sayings is, “Adversity produces greatness.” It’s a phrase that calls for perseverance, no matter what:  difficult people, negative words, sickness, school, an irritating job, or maybe a troublesome marriage.   David calls it working through the “have to” side of your brain versus the “want to.”  Success pushes through and lives in the “have to.”

Nursing school was one of those times for me.  The very first day Dr. Johnson announced we would be responsible for writing two papers over the coming two semesters a minimum of 30 pages each, one on illness and one wellness.  I wanted to cry or die, either would’ve been fine at the time. This was back when we still used typewriters and word processors.   I was slow with typing and had always struggled with spelling.  When I received this assignment, I could hear my college English teacher from high school saying, “Did you not learn I before E except after C?”  Ah what a humiliating moment!  So with this assignment came a flood of discouragement.  Not only did I NOT want to do it, I didn’t think I could do it.  I spent a lot of time on my knees pleading with God for help.  I lived in the have to all the way through nursing school.  I wanted to give up and run away.  But I knew I had to persevere.  God hadn’t brought me that far to let me fail, and I knew it wasn’t His will for me to give up.

Joshua 1:9 and Proverbs 3:5-6 became my life verses.  I would fill in my name and recite them daily, which I recommend to anyone needing encouragement.  God was preparing me through the have to to later become a Critical Care nurse, which required tenacity every day on the job.  He was also readying me to write.  He knew then that He would later use it in my life (imperfections and all) for His glory.

This is why James said, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers {and sisters}, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything” (James 1:2-4).

So adversity does produce greatness! It’s like gold, purification comes when it’s melted by fire.  Through trials and the have to, we learn and grow as Jesus purifies us. Fire does not feel good.  As matter of fact, I burned my finger tonight and wanted to cry.  I can attest to it, fire is painful and so is adversity!  Pain and struggles don’t define us, they refine us!  Through them God leaves us fitted to do what He’s calling us to do, mature and complete not lacking anything.  It’s not God’s will for us to always be looking for the easy way out.  He has an awesome plan for each of us that far exceeds anything we can imagine.  So when the going gets tough, trust in His plans and keep on keeping on!

Just A Bunch of Eves

Often my conversations with women inspire me to write.  Over the past couple of months one of my dear friends and I had a difficult conversation.  With her permission, I’m writing.  And for the sake of confidentiality I will call her Distressed.

Distressed confided, “I want nothing to do with my husband.  I don’t even want him to touch me, let alone have sex with me.”  She went on to confess that she finds herself thinking about a man she knows from her church.  Ironic isn’t it?  And this man has thrown out subtle hints that he’s not happy in his marriage.  In her mind, he’s everything her husband is not.  And he pays special attention to her, which meets some need in her long unmet.  They’ve written one another and had brief conversations.   Now, she finds herself unable to shake these feelings.  She knows it’s wrong and carries a lot of guilt as a result.

Obviously there’s a lot more to this story than just a woman who doesn’t want her husband.  There are reasons behind it all.  But that’s the thing, there’s always “more to the story.”  That’s just how the enemy works.  Satan and his demons don’t normally destroy a person’s life overnight.  He slowly and subtly waits for the climactic moment when all falls into place.  Then he goes for the jugular, “like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour.”  The Bible says Satan wants to steal, kill and destroy.  If you are a child of God, you are a moving target.  There’s a definite unseen, spiritual war going on, and anyone resembling or following Jesus is Satan’s enemy.  He’s a God hater and the prince of this world!  But the beauty of it is, if you belong to Jesus, he can’t win.  He who is in you (Jesus) is greater than he who is in this world (Satan).  So, resist the devil and he will flee from you.  And he knows prayer in the name of Jesus and the Truth from God’s Word are your greatest weapons.

C. S. Lewis wrote, ‎”The tempter always works on some real weakness in our own system of values: offers food to some need which we have starved.”  Isn’t that the truth?  It’s not the area most fulfilled in us that longs for more.  It’s those areas of brokenness that desire more.  The empty places desire the filling.

Who better to fill us than Jesus?  But we have to let Him be the One doing the filling and not someone or something else.  That’s normally where we get off track.  We look for earthly things or people to fill us, to give us confidence, to meet our needs.  My friend, Distressed, is being tempted to fill her void with another earthly man.

Let me just say this loud and clear, if you’re looking for the perfect man, you’ll never find him.  He doesn’t exist!  Amen?;)  My husband and I have a great marriage, but don’t think for one minute I love him the way I do because he’s perfect.  He’s not, I’m not, nor is our relationship perfect.   Our unconditional love for each other is a choice!  The Bible tells us to “take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”   I have to flip my way of thinking.  I choose to recognize and emphasize the things about my husband that I love.  It’s the Philippians 4:8 way of thinking…whatever’s pure, lovely, true, admirable, noble, praiseworthy,  and right.  I think on those things rather than the things that drive me crazy about him!

Sorry if this busts your bubble, but if you’re looking to have the perfect marriage, you’re never going to have it!  No earthly relationship is perfect.  No man, no woman,  no friend, no job title is going to make you whole, confident and secure.  Jesus is absolutely the ONLY One who can do that!  With that said, get to know Him.  Call out to Him in your distress, Distressed!   Pray, pray, pray!  Call on His name, “Jesus,” and your enemy has to flee.  Time spent kneeling before God will give you the confidence to stand before anybody, including Satan!

The Bible mentions the heart being desperately wicked, so it’s no wonder we have feelings and thoughts that deceive us.  Often, what we are feeling or thinking doesn’t line up with the truth.  It’s like Eve in the garden.  God said don’t eat of that fruit.  Satan twisted words, changing her feelings and thoughts.  Suddenly that fruit sounded so much better than all the rest.  She fell into his trap only to find that her sin would lead to death.

We’re all Eves who’ve tasted the bitter fruit of deception, aren’t we?  Maybe you know someone, or maybe you find yourself in the middle of a lie right now, and you feel like it’s too late to turn back.  Well it’s not, just ask Jesus for forgiveness and help.  Get out, turn away, repent, or whatever you want to call it.  Shed light on it by telling a trusted friend, so you can be held accountable and begin healing.  Satan will feed you a thousand lies why you shouldn’t.   And again, take all those thoughts captive, and point them back to Truth.

Most of us know before we get ourselves into a situation how we’re going to respond once we’re there.   So if there’s something tempting you, avoid it all together.  IF you’re blindsided and you find yourself face to face with it, RUN!!!  The Bible tells us to “flee,” in other words, leave,  get out, good-bye, adios, Au revoir, Hasta la vista baby!

To sum it all up,  learn to recognize your enemy and fight, know where your security lies, seek Truth at all costs, and flee.   Play with fire and you WILL get burned! So it’s simple really, just don’t play with it!

Associated verses:  John 10:10; 1 Peter 5:8; 1 John 4:4; Genesis 6:5; 1 Corinthians 6:17-19; James 4:7;  2 Corinthians 10:5

MY One Word

It’s here at last.  We get to share our words!!

Last year was my first year doing the One Word challenge in place of a New Year’s resolution.  Many of you read my One Word blog post last week and have been praying about your word for the year.  I can’t wait to hear what God gave you.  If you are just now joining us, you can also go to www.myoneword.org to read more.

For me, if I look back over the past few years in my journals, I see and recall themes and seasons, even before I ever heard of picking one word.  Like I said, my word for last year was steps.

The year before that would’ve been courage.  That was a year of facing my fears to share my story and  to speak to large groups of women.  It was a year of so many scary firsts, it had to have been courage.

The year before that was wait. There was a lot of God saying, “Wait. Not yet. Be still and know that I am God.”

The year before that was the year my grandma was still living with Alzheimer’s.  I think my word that year would’ve been contentment.  It was a challenge to find contentment in those mundane, sometimes stressful moments.  Looking back I see that God did give me contentment and peace, and those moments with my grandma I’ll always treasure.

Hind sight’s 20/20.  It’s easier to pick the word in retrospect.  Picking a character changing word to move forward with God is much harder.  It takes an inward look at the areas that may need work, and zoning in on just one.

MY ONE WORD for 2012 is GO!  It’s a little word packed full of punch.  It may seem simple and similar to steps to you, but for me it means so much more.

With this word, I feel like I’m being given a green light from God.  To me it says, “move, say yes and do what God says do right then, have courage, persevere, set goals and achieve them.“  See?  I told you.  This is character changing for me because sometimes fear speaks making it difficult to set goals and have the courage to persevere through.  So GO, as small as it seems, is actually the biggest, most life-changing word I could think of.

When Jesus healed people during His ministry on earth, he would often say, “Now go in peace, your faith has healed you.”  So when I think of that word, it reminds me to trust God.  It hinges on the words “faith, peace and healing.”

Ok, that’s mine.  Now it’s your turn, and I’m beside myself with anticipation!  So, what’s your ONE WORD and how did you get to it, or why did you choose it?

Frazzled

Laundry is piled high. It NEVER seems to end.  Dirty dishes line the countertop.  They haven’t made their way to the dishwasher.  Thank goodness for dishwashers.

Haley and I are home sick.  So thank you for understanding that I don’t have long writing in me today.

I guess while I’ve been laying around sick, feeling a little overwhelmed and frazzled, God’s put this on my heart.

He’s in control.

He’s Healer.

He’s God who makes sense of messes.

And when I feel like I and all that’s around me is coming unglued, He comes along to glue me back together.

When it feels as though those mountains of laundry have turned into literal mountains that are avalanching down on my head, then He whispers,

“…if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.” Matthew 17:20

When I’m feeling frazzled and a complete mess, He’s the only One who can pull me back together.

I read Psalms and they sooth like salve…

 O LORD my God, I called to you for help and you healed me. Psalm 30:2

Love the LORD, all his saints!  The LORD preserves the faithful/ Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the LORD. Psalm 31:23-24

You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing to you and not be silent.  O LORD my God, I will give you thanks forever. Psalm 30:11-12

Drinking my OJ and smiling, I put one more load in to wash.  He is faithful!

Do It Big

Most often a song is sung best by the original artist.  And on occasion someone comes along who does it better, but it’s always with their own stamp.  They tweak it a little to make it fit their style.  Never, never, NEVER  does anyone perform a song  like the original artist and do it complete justice.  Like I said, when they DO it’s because they’ve done it THEIR way and not the original artist’s way!

Remember that old saying, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery?  And it is no doubt, but there’s something a little annoying about being copied, isn’t there?  Especially if you’ve worked really hard to be yourself, and unique.

On the flip side, most of us have had someone we’ve admired and then began copying because we wanted to be like them.  I know I have.  Believe it or not, when I was a teenager I loved Dolly Parton, and for a VERY short season wanted to be a country music artist.  Note I said VERY short;)  It’s a little different for me now, because I don’t have those childish obsessions over people.  But I do admire people and their abilities.  I recently read Ann Voskamp’s  book, One Thousand Gifts and had a really tough time not being influenced by her writing.  I found myself having a writing identity crisis.  Lost my own style for a bit.  I saw myself mimicking her style in my writing, and for some reason so easy for me to do.  Now, I’m back to my old self, but while I was reading her book, it was tough.

Here’s my point, don’t be a copy cat!

Be who God created YOU to be.  What were you made for?  How did He design you?

Whatever you do, don’t compare yourself to others.  Don’t measure yourself against everyone else’s standards.  Don’t try to be what He’s created someone else to be.  It’s one thing to be inspired and admire others, it’s quite another to copy and compare!  Let God do the measuring.  He designed you just the way He wanted you for such a time as this, and He makes NO mistakes.

Maybe you look in the mirror and just don’t see it, His perfection.  Maybe you see ordinary you with no great abilities.  Listen, God has all the ability you need.  If ordinary you is willing to say YES to Him and His plans for you, He will turn your ordinary into extraordinary!  But ONLY HE can do that!

Surely there’s something about you that’s uniquely you.  You must be great at something.  Maybe it’s the gift of putting people at ease, or working with children, or serving others.  I know you have it in you. If you don’t have a clue what IT is, pray and ask God to show it to you.  He will.  He’ll bring it to your attention:)

So don’t sing someone else’s song and be an imitation, mediocre at best, of the real deal.  Find your song and sing it loud.  Find your instrument and play it loud.  Find that special thing about you, harness it and ride it like the wind.  Don’t just play around, GO ALL OUT!

Do it big and do it for God, and watch Him bless it!

I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Marvelous are Your works,
And that my soul knows very well.
My frame was not hidden from You,
When I was made in secret,
And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.
And in Your book they all were written,
The days fashioned for me,
When as yet there were none of them.  Psalm 139:14-16

One Word

Every year we start with some resolution that ends up trashed by the end of the month.  We set out to lose 35 lbs or determine we’re going to start exercising 7 days a week.  We set our goals to unattainable heights, and then end up defeated by feelings of utter failure.

A few years ago, Mike Ashcraft, senior pastor at Port City Community Church in Wilmington, NC launched the One Word campaign at the start of the New Year.  This is tradition at PC3 now.  Instead of resolutions, this church is encouraged to pray about their one word.  It’s a word that God wants to use throughout the year as a reminder, one woven into the fabric of your being.

I did this last year with my women’s group.  We prayed about it individually, then came together to share our one word.  In time spent alone with God, He showed me in His word, then confirmed it through other sources.

My one word was STEPS.  Yep, I know, a little strange, but that was it!

God wanted me to be willing to follow Him with my steps.  Looking back I’m able to review my walk with God.  My steps weren’t always giant, but they were His steps for me.  One foot in front of the other.  My one word hinged on obedience and faith.

Sometimes, the enemy wanted me to freeze in fear.  But all along, even in fear I could hear God whisper, “Steps.  Lift your foot to take the next step, and I’ll show you where to place it.”  So my one word helped keep me moving slowly but surely.

I’m currently praying about my one word for the year 2012.  Would you like to join me?  Then in a week or two, we can come back and share.

That one word of tremendous significance, maybe it’s a word God’s already placed on your heart over the last weeks or days.  Maybe He’s yet to reveal it to you.  IF you had one word last year, I would love to know your word and how God used it to help you grow.  IF you already know your one word for this year, please share!

Is It Holly and Jolly?

It only takes a few minutes out there shopping, watching people fight for parking places and cashmere sweaters for the “holly jolly” to turn into, “really?”

Maybe this Christmas isn’t at all the way you envisioned it, due to finances or sickness.  Maybe you’ve experienced loss and you’re flooded with memories.  Memories, good or bad, can evoke the ebb and flow of grief to resurface like a tidal wave.

For a couple of weeks Hunter, Haley and I have been praying for some way to be a blessing to someone over Christmas.  We were able to visit a dear, 86 year-old friend in the hospital the other day.  She was delighted to see us, but she seemed a little down.  She commented that it felt nothing like Christmas this year.  Being hospitalized  to have surgery was not what she anticipated, I’m sure.  Fortunately we had the foresight to take her some Christmas music and other selections we thought she might enjoy:)   She loved on my children and they loved on her.  We sang per her request, “Great Is Thy Faithfulness.” The smile on her face was priceless, and in that moment we were all in awe of the faithfulness of God.  IV’s, Foley bag, BP cuffs and all, we knew we were on holy ground… with Jesus in our midst.   We prayed together, then reluctantly exchanged hugs, kisses, and goodbyes.

During our drive home, my son commented “that was the most fun I’ve had on Christmas break so far mom!”  My children were so excited that they had been a part of making someone’s not-so-holly-jolly Christmas a little more jolly.

If your heart is heavy today, find a way to make it about someone else.  Reach out to make someone’s Christmas more jolly.  Bless someone, and you will find yourself being the one blessed!

And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.  Galatians 6:9-10

Christmas

It was a routine day for Mary when the angel Gabriel came to tell her she was favored by God and would conceive a baby boy by the Holy Spirit.  Afraid, she trusted and was willing to do whatever God asked.

What a day in Mary’s life!  Luke 1:26-38

Then there was Joseph who was worried about what to do…believe Mary or not, divorce Mary or not.  Then God’s angel came to him in a dream and told him the truth about the situation and how to proceed.

What a day in Joseph’s life!  Matthew 1:18-25

Then Jesus was born and an angel came to the shepherds in the field.  They were terrified but faced their fears and listened to the angel.  Quickly they went to see the long awaited Messiah, Jesus.

What a day in those shepherds’ lives!  Luke 2:8-15

All were reminded by angels sent from God that He was at work and there was no need to be afraid.

Have you ever felt like there’s no way God would ever want to use you?  Have you been crippled by fear believing you don’t have the look, talent, or status?  Like that was then, and this is now?  Well the truth is God used ordinary, imperfect humans with fear and worry and no special credentials to fulfill His perfect plan. He simply chose people with a willingness to say YES!  And He still does the same thing today, because nothing about Him has changed from then to now.  He’s the same yesterday, today, and forever!

Help us today Jesus to step out to trust you to say YES and do what you’re asking us to do.  You can do through us what we alone can’t.  Thank you for your promise that ”with God all things are possible,” and “we can do all things through Christ who gives us strength.” Amen!

You Need to See It To Believe It

Have you ever wondered if God is real?  Is He really alive?  And if He is, does He care about you?  If you know without a doubt that He’s real, do you ever have trouble “seeing” Him in the world, in other’s lives or in your own?  If you answered yes to any of these questions, you’re not alone.  The majority of people in the world feel the same way.  If you’re a visual, artistic, or relational person like me, you probably need to see to believe.

Did you know that the one thing that separates Christianity from every other religion in the world is that we worship a God who is alive?  Yes alive.  Jesus is alive today and at the right hand of the Father in Heaven.  And God lives in our hearts in the person of the Holy Spirit.

Enough of a Bible lesson, right?  You still need to see.  If Jesus is alive, why can’t we SEE Him?

This weekend, I was thinking that same thing.  I believe that with my heart, but I wanna believe with my eyes too… I’m visual, I can’t help it!!

Sunday morning, I stood in the middle of the worship experience at my church, just not feeling it to be completely honest.  While others were singing and raising hands, I stood there like a statue.  I closed my eyes to drown out the distractions and prayed, “Jesus, I need to see you today.  Be glorified to reveal yourself to me in a very real way in this day!  I know You’re with me, but open my eyes to see You and ears to hear You.  Speak to my heart.”

Mike Madding, my pastor and friend, began speaking about an unconventional take on the Christmas Story, the exact same story I had blogged about a couple of months ago.  You may remember the title, “Get Up” http://riveradouthit.wordpress.com/2011/09/14/get-up/.   Mike used that same phraseology, “Get Up, get moving, flee if God says move”!  Wonderful point if I do say so myself;)  So I thought,  ”Okay that’s cool. Either God gave us the same ideas, or Mike read my blog:)”  It was all good either way.  Could I see God in that?  Sure, maybe a little!

A little history behind the next point is that I bled my heart out penning my thoughts on Saturday about temptation, thought life, keeping a marriage pure and so on.  This writing came as a result of a few conversations, one in particular, over the past couple of weeks.  The beginning of my thoughts on this conversation produced the “Time to Chat” post last week http://riveradouthit.wordpress.com/2011/12/14/time-to-chat/.  Bits and pieces of Saturday’s bleeding out were going to make up a post for today.  (Stayed tuned.  It should be posted tomorrow instead).

To make a really long story short, Mike Madding went on in his sermon to talk about much of what I had written on Saturday.  Even his scripture references were the same.  Could I see God in that?  Absolutely!

Not only that, but I randomly listened to a message this week during my morning walk about prophecy and end times.  The person teaching read from Revelation 19 about Jesus riding in on a white horse and kicking butt in the last days.  As if the other points in Mike’s message weren’t in my face and crazy enough, at the end of His message, Mike read that very same scripture, Revelation 19.

It was as if God was screaming in my ear, “See Me now?  Is that enough for you or do you need more?”

During the message, God was also speaking to my heart very clearly to speak to the woman beside me.  First I argued that I didn’t know what to say to her, then I did it!  There’s a really awesome story with that too.  Maybe that’ll be another blog post, a different day.  But boy was God ever-present!  He wowed me with one thing after another.  Did He have to?  No!  But He chose to.  He loves me, and that’s relationship!  That’s doing life, that’s being real and showing Himself to be alive and active and present!

I wanted to share this so you too could witness God revealing Himself in a real way, following a simple prayer prayed in faith.  He will do the same for you.

It’s really sweet and endearing of Jesus to humor me by showing Himself to me.  But I’m reminded of what Jesus said to Thomas,

“Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”  John 20:29

Oh and by the way, I would highly recommend listening to Mike’s message this week at www.covechurch.org  #good one!

Moved

Remember the bleeding woman? There are so many layers to her story.

One, she was moved by her faith that Jesus could heal.  She acted on it.  She knew it so deeply that her actions spoke it loudly.

When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment. For she said, “If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well.” Mark 5:27-28

And immediately, not sometime later, but immediately “she felt in her body that she was healed.”  Isn’t that beautiful?  The result of her faith was right then!  She believed, acted on it, and stood stunned by the response.

Jesus questioned who had touched Him in the crowd.  She knew she had to fess up.  She faced her fears, fell face down at His feet and confessed “the whole truth.”  What a beautiful picture! Instead of condemning her, He comforted her, “woman your faith has healed you, now go in peace.”

Wow, how relieved and free she must’ve been in that moment!  Isn’t that just like us?  We beat ourselves up, we expect the worse case scenario, we even suspect that God couldn’t possibly heal or forgive or love…not after what we’ve done.  But clearly not so.

I want to be like this woman moved to radical action by faith in the One whose able to do immeasurably more.  How about you?  Is there something you know God wants you to do but you’re too afraid?  Step out to do what you can, and He’ll be faithful to do the rest, and then some.

Is there something you need to confess, but it’s crippled you for so long on the inside you’d rather just not go there?

It’s worth the risk.  Get close enough to Jesus to touch His garment.  Fall on your knees and pour your heart out to Him.

You’ll be amazed by His response! 

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever!” Ephesians 3:20-21