Category: Trusting God

Sometimes life seems upside-down. When we draw closer to God, we begin to learn and trust that He has a plan for us and we can let go of many of life’s anxieties knowing that He has our best interest at heart.

A Different Kind of Peace

Posted on by Wendy
Jesus offers a different kind of peace.
Jesus offers a different kind of peace.

Every Sunday, a member of our congregation has a reading from the Bible. Sometimes it’s from the Old Testament and sometimes it’s from the New Testament.

Last week, it was from 1 Timothy. There was a newborn baby in attendance, just a couple of months old. He had been lying quietly in his carrier the entire service. He was quiet through the announcements. He was quiet through the singing. He was even quiet through the prayer.

But, when our reader began to read, right when she got to the part about “living peaceful and quiet lives,” that baby began to fuss. Our reader didn’t miss the irony either as she chuckled and continued to read, although at one point it became a bit of a competition on who could be the loudest.

His grandmother scooped him up and walked him out. She returned a short time later having soothed him in the way that only grandmothers know how.

He was quiet for the remainder of the service.

I thought about that sweet baby long after that service was over and I thought about peace and our concept of it.

So often we think of peace physically. We think of peace and quiet as in no screaming kids, or ringing phones, or even loud music. We think of it as the absence of noise or maybe that which annoys us.

We also think of peace as the absence of conflict and that is a rare state these days. We are normally involved in some type of conflict whether big or small. In the broken world that we live in, conflict between ourselves and others seems to be a given.

But, does living in regular conflict and in constant noise mean that peace is impossible?

As Christians, Jesus offers us a different kind of peace. Not surprisingly, it’s a spiritual concept rather than the physical. It’s so easy to forget in this physical life, that we are spiritual beings too, and the spiritual can feed the physical.

Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” John 14:27

He also said, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

In these times when worldly peace seems so far out of reach, Jesus reminds us that when we seek peace through Him, what is happening on a physical level doesn’t really matter that much. We are spiritual beings in physical bodies only traveling here, not staying here permanently.

But, while we are here, Jesus calls us to live with the peace of knowing that we are His and He has overcome all that is worldly, and in the end, because we are His, we will too.

A baby who was fussing in church, reminded me. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

 

Following the Pilot Car

Posted on by Wendy
Jesus is the ultimate pilot car.
Jesus is the ultimate pilot car.

We have a ton of road construction going on in our little town at the moment. Most folks who live here are discovering all types of routes to avoid it at all costs. We despise road construction of all types, don’t we?

We will really enjoy traveling on the shiny new four lane roadway, but the process of getting there is slow and painful and we will avoid it if possible.

Road construction requires us to stop or at the very least, to slow down. We don’t like that. When we travel in our cars, we have specific places to go and a set time to get there and we do not like to be taken off track.

But, sometimes, there is no way around the construction. Sometimes we find ourselves stuck in it, at a complete stop. If we aren’t running late somewhere, we become annoyed. If we are late, we can become angry.

When the traffic starts moving again, we sometimes find ourselves behind a pilot car. The pilot car moves very slowly and will often have us driving down paths that we never would, if we were in control of the situation ourselves. We can easily find ourselves traveling on the wrong side of the road where we would meet oncoming traffic head on, if there were any.

But, there isn’t any.

The pilot car is in constant communication with other workers up ahead, who have closed off that lane keeping everyone involved, completely safe. Our only job as drivers, is to slow down and follow the pilot car.

When I think about it, life is always busy with some kind of construction. Whether it’s something major like graduating, getting married, having a baby, or changing jobs, or minor, like getting a new doctor or a new neighbor, life is always changing.

There is simply no way to avoid change here on planet earth no matter how desperately we may try.

What we need is a good pilot car. As Christians, we happen to have one in Jesus.

If we follow closely behind Him and not get impatient and try to pass Him, He will faithfully see us through all kinds of construction, big and small. Even when it gets scary and we seem to be headed in the wrong lane into oncoming traffic, if we trust, if we obey, we will come out safely on the other side.

Jesus, as it turns out, is the perfect pilot car. Sometimes I need reminding. Perhaps you needed reminding today too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Backseat Freedom

Posted on by Wendy
Accepting that I am not in control, but trusting that God is, leads to peace and freedom.
Accepting that I am not in control, but trusting that God is, leads to peace and freedom.

I am currently in another season of teaching a teenager to drive. A couple of years back, I lived through a similar season with my daughter. This time, it’s with my son.

The sheer experience from the first time around has taught me that I will in fact, (most likely), survive this go round. But, this time is also different because the first time around, I was usually the only adult available for driving lessons. This time, my hubby is doing most of the teaching.

Most of the time, I find myself in the backseat, with my hubby doing the instructing. I often choose to check e-mail or Facebook, as we travel down the road, trusting that he has it all under control.

I can’t tell you how freeing that experience has been. I can choose not to worry about the path we are traveling, or the cars up ahead, or merging into traffic because I can choose to trust my son’s father.

On the other hand, I could choose to worry about what’s going on in the front seat. I could yell directions from the backseat. I could second guess every move being made by our fledgling driver and my hubby. I could argue. I could create all kind of unnecessary stress for myself.

Either way, trust comes down to choice.

Either way, I have very little control of what is taking place in the driver’s seat. The idea of me controlling the situation is an illusion at best.

This driving business got me to thinking about the similarities in my own life and my own journey.

While it’s true that I make decisions every single day regarding my life. In the end, there is so much more out of my control than there is in my control.

Things like my health, or all kinds of tragedies that could happen, or my children’s future, are for the most part, out of my control. What happens in American politics or world politics, also out of my control.

But, I worship the God who does control all of those things. The Bible says, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28

The Bible also tells us, “Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.” Proverbs 19:21

If I were to substitute “God’s plan,” for the word purpose, then I would see that God is working for the good of those of us who love Him and that in the end, God’s plan will prevail.

So, choosing to trust that, God has “this,” whatever “this” may be at the moment, is truly a no brainer. I am not in control, but God is and He loves me and He has a plan.

The same is true for you. Accepting that truth may be difficult, but it also leads to a deep sense of peace and freedom.

Riding in the backseat reminded me. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

 

The Call to Confess

Posted on by Wendy
In order to be forgiven, we have to admit we were wrong.
In order to be forgiven, we have to admit we are wrong.

I hear all kinds of things working in an elementary school office. One of the things I hear a lot of is excuses. Earlier this week I heard a little boy tell our principal that his cousin accidentally put a stuffed animal in his backpack. How exactly did that happen?

A couple of days ago, a child came into the clinic who had accidentally stuck a pencil in his nose. Again, how did that happen?

All of the daily excuses I hear, got me to thinking about human need to never be wrong.

We seem wired to deny fault.

The very first human beings, masterpieces, created by God and given all they needed not only to survive here on planet earth, but to thrive, put in paradise, not only disobeyed God, but they tried to hide their sin.

They denied it.

We live in a culture, thanks to our lawyer friends, that has taught us to never admit fault, no matter what, and in many ways it has permeated every part of our lives.

Yet as Christians, we are called to be in this world, but not of it. We are called to live differently.

We know that we are sinners, but we also know that we are forgiven. But, there is a catch and the catch is called confession.

Confession has become kind of an ugly word these days, because it is admitting we are wrong. It’s admitting we did something that we shouldn’t have and asking for forgiveness for the act.

But, it’s a step we really can’t skip.

How can we be granted forgiveness if we aren’t willing to admit we have done anything wrong in the first place? It’s an uncomfortable conversation because we don’t like to be wrong.

I love to read about King David, in the Bible. He was a passionate man, who loved God. He would even dance for God to show his adoration. The Bible says David was “a man after God’s own heart.” But, he also made huge mistakes that cost lives.

What I love about David, is that he admitted it. He asked God for forgiveness and he repented.

God forgave him. God will forgive us too, but we have to ask. Refusing to admit we are wrong does nothing, but drive a wedge between our hearts and much needed grace and redemption. He already knows the things we have said and done, just like my principal knew that no one accidentally put a stuffed animal in a backpack.

My principal told the little guy who fessed up to having the stuffed animal, that his cousin wouldn’t be in trouble as long as he left it in the backpack.  I’m sure that took a load off of his mind.

Our confession of our sins frees us too. It allows us to be forgiven. It allows us to bask in grace. It draws us closer to God and it makes us free from carrying that heavy weight around our hearts.

While we may be physically wired to deny, we have to remember that we are spiritual creatures too, created for bigger and better things than the mere physical.

A stuffed animal in a backpack reminded me. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

 

The Courage to Grow

Posted on by Wendy
God can do amazing things with people who are broken.
God can do amazing things with people who are broken.

Last summer, I decided it was time to re-pot my aloe plant. It’s not a very pretty plant, but it’s special to me for a couple of reasons. First of all, it’s a natural healer. I break off a piece and use it’s juices to heal burns and scrapes.

It reminds me that our power and our gifts come from the inside not the outside. It also reminds me that there are some things that are much more powerful when they are broken than when they are perfectly put together.

Secondly, that plant belonged to my mother-in-law who passed away ten years ago. When I found it in her laundry room window, it was yellow. It hadn’t been watered in a very long time and I wasn’t sure if I could nurse it back to health.

But, that washed out yellow, plant called to me. I often feel led to nurture all types of living things that have been injured or neglected, and I felt the need to take the plant. I also felt that in a way, it kind of helped her live on here, although she had gone home to be with Jesus.

It took some time, some new fertile soil, some water, and some attention, but that plant turned green again and thrived. As is often the case with living things that grow, it needed more space, and the time had come to re-pot it again.

I got a pot and some new soil and when I went to re-pot it, a good sized piece broke off and fell to the ground. I could have thrown it away, but I just couldn’t. It was healthy and green. I felt that I needed to give it a chance.

I didn’t have another pot, so I gently planted it in the ground of an already established bed. I had no idea whether or not it would grow. I’ve never planted an aloe plant in the ground, but I reasoned that it was in the cactus family and Georgia is very desert-like in the summer.

I am happy to report that the little sprout is thriving in its new spot. It has taken root. It’s green and standing up straight.

As I was watering it the other day, I was reminded that just like that broken piece of aloe, we sometimes find ourselves broken. We sometimes wonder if we will survive the break.

But, if we reach out for Jesus, God will take us and re-plant us in His fertile soil. It may look different from the place we came from. It may even be scary. Growth is often scary. It’s usually much more comfortable to stay in the crowded pot.

But, we are called for much more than status quo. Faith teaches us to trust even when we can’t possibly know the outcome and when we do, beautiful, surprising things can happen.

An aloe plant reminded me. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Not A Fight Against Flesh and Blood

Posted on by Wendy
Never stop praying.
Never stop praying.

Last Friday, I shared a little bit of my friend Ivy’s story which included her ALS diagnosis. I shared that she is a woman of faith. I shared that she is a prayer partner of mine. I asked for prayers for her healing.

I felt led to share how the Holy Spirit showed up.

I normally average anywhere from 100 to 150 views each day on gracefulgaines. My top number last month was 332. I always pray that Jesus will meet me at my keyboard to try to share His grace and His presence in some tangible way which may encourage others to do the same.

After spending time in prayer with Ivy, who is loved by the many people who have known her over the years, last week, I felt a clear calling to ask for prayer for her healing here in this space.

As usual, when we earnestly seek God, we find Him.

As of this writing, and it changes every time I check, 2,087 people have read the post, “Fighting for Ivy.” That’s over two thousand prayer warriors lining up to do battle for her, to intervene for her, to ask for Divine intervention for her healing.

Not only that, there are people in nine other countries besides the United States who have seen the post too. It seems we have begun a worldwide prayer chain here.

Joyce Meyer once said, “If you do what you can do, God will do what you cannot.”

We forget that sometimes. Don’t we? It’s our human tendency to figure it out ourselves or to fix it ourselves. We often go to prayer as a last resort. We forget the power that Christians wield in prayer.

We also have a tendency to forget that we fight a spiritual war on a daily basis.

Paul tells all believers in Ephesians 6:10-18: …”For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” He then tells us to put on the full armor of God; one of the parts is the “shield of faith.”

Doesn’t our faith teach us the importance of prayer?

Paul ends in verse eighteen by writing, “Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.”

Paul reminds us to be persistent in prayer. Ivy’s situation is a reminder not only of the power of prayer, but also our call to use it, not only when tragedy strikes, but persistently.

We have a lot of evil going on in our world right now. Are Christians praying like we should? Are we doing all that we can, spiritually?

Perhaps this is an Esther moment for all Christians. Perhaps now, on this day, at this time, we are called to pray and to pray persistently, for repentance for our country and for a return to God. He is still in control.

A prayer request for Ivy reminded me. Perhaps you needed reminding too. Keep praying for her and for each other.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Fighting for Ivy

Posted on by Wendy
"For nothing is impossible with God." Luke 1:37
“For nothing is impossible with God.” Luke 1:37

When I accepted a job offer at a local elementary school, a couple of months ago, I knew that God had placed me there for a reason. I didn’t know what it was, but there were way too many tiny pieces that fell into place one after another, for it to be a coincidence. My faith walk has taught me that there are no coincidences.

I have been blessed to be welcomed by a wonderful community of teachers, administrators, kids and their parents at my new school. But, perhaps the person who has welcomed me the most has been our nurse, Ivy.

She’s a quiet soul with one of the kindest hearts I have ever seen and a true healer. She loves every child who crosses the threshold of the clinic. She made it her business to tell me almost everyday how glad she was that I was there and I would tell her how glad I was to be there and I meant it.

The two of us would start the day in the office, at 7:00. The lights were still off and it was quiet, the way it rarely is in an elementary school. We would each talk about what was going on with our families in those few minutes of quiet and then we would pray together.

Afterwards, we would turn on the lights and begin the day.

Ivy, is a woman of great faith and an inspiration to me. She has recently received a diagnosis of ALS. You may remember all of the, “ice bucket challenges,” that covered social media last year. That’s ALS. The prognosis is not good. But, Ivy is a woman of faith and faith changes everything.

She confided in me that she had prayed about it and she believes she will be healed. So do I.

The odds are not in her favor. Fortunately, our God doesn’t play by the odds. We worship the God who created the earth, the God who created the human body, the God who parted the Red Sea, the God who sent us Jesus, who raised the dead and healed the sick. Do I believe He is capable of healing Ivy?

I do.

Everyone at school is asking how they can help her. Meals have been lined up and money is being raised and I know my sweet friend is grateful beyond words. She has told me so.

But, I also remember about this time last year, asking for prayers, here in this space, for a friend of mine’s sister-in-law who was going to Africa to help fight the Ebola virus, even though it would be dangerous for her. She too, was a woman of faith. God protected her and I believe we all had a part.

When we pray, we are standing in the gaps. When we pray as a group, the miraculous can happen. It has been said that while miracles do not produce faith, faith does produce miracles.

I am asking all of my readers to become prayer warriors with me for Ivy. I am asking that we remember who the God we serve is and what He can do, and the things that are possible with prayer.

One of the last scriptures that Ivy and I prayed together before she was put on medical leave was from Mark 5:34. Jesus was speaking to a woman who had been suffering for twelve years. No doctor could help her. The woman simply touched Jesus’ cloak. Jesus turned to her and said, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”

Let’s pray that prayer for Ivy and wait expectantly for big things.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

 

Cradled in Prayer

Posted on by Wendy
A Sunday morning trip to the emergency room was an opportunity to Jesus at every turn.
A Sunday morning trip to the emergency room, was an opportunity to see Jesus at every turn.

On Sunday morning, my seventeen year old daughter, came downstairs saying she wasn’t feeling well. She said her stomach had been hurting all night. Her face was covered in sweat and then she dropped to her knees at the trash can.

My hubby immediately suspected appendicitis and said we needed to go to the emergency room. I wasn’t convinced. She was obviously sick, but there are a lot of stomach bugs going around. She said she was feeling much better, but he was insistent and having had a ruptured appendix many years before, I trusted his judgement.

We brushed our teeth and put on some clothes and headed to the emergency room. There are two hospitals in our area and both are good, but one is Catholic and very open about Jesus, so that was our choice. There’s something about a hospital that has a cross hanging in every room, that I find comforting. As my daughter would later say, “Jesus was in every room I went into.”

Indeed He was.

We were treated with great kindness from everyone who crossed our paths, from the registrar, to nurses, to our doctor, to our radiologist, to the nice lady who took out the trash, and every single kindness extended to us, went noticed by this mama.

When we got the appendicitis diagnosis and were told she would need surgery, I posted a picture on Facebook and asked for prayers. We had the first prayers sent up on our behalf within minutes. Within the hour, my phone had buzzed 25 times with people offering up prayers for my daughter and each one made me a little stronger.

Our pastor arrived and he talked with her and prayed over her and the minute he finished, the surgeon walked in.

In a day that could have been filled with fear and anxiety, I literally felt like we were being cradled in prayer. All day long, into the evening the prayer notifications continued. I heard from childhood friends, high school friends, family, my daughter’s former teachers, coworkers, my church family, our Salkehatchie family and other members of my faith family.

Each time, the message was something short and simple like, “prayers for her,” or “prayers going up.”

That’s all it took to bring peace to my soul.

For all of its negativity and for all of the political rants and ugliness that can plague it, Facebook became a holy place for me last weekend, a place where the light of Christ shone like a beacon. On reflection, I realize it can always be that way, if we choose to make it so.

The surgery went perfectly. Her appendix had not ruptured. The surgeon told us it took him like twenty minutes. We went home that night.

It’s been a few days and my daughter is on the mend. In the end, I had 90 comments and probably 85 specifically said they were praying for her.

I sincerely cannot remember a time when I have felt so blessed. When bad things happen, it’s so easy to ask where God is. I have often written that He’s always here, always with us, if we take the time to seek Him with open hearts.

Last Sunday, He was everywhere, in every face of our health care workers, on every crucifix, with every buzz of my phone. I have difficulty finding the words to express my gratitude to all of those prayer warriors who intervened for us. All I can say is my cup runneth over.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

See You in Heaven

Posted on by Wendy
I will always treasure the lessons I learned on my mission trip.
I will always treasure the lessons I learned on my mission trip.

There’s a man who has been a leader on both of my Salkehatchie mission trips. He’s a retired navy fighter pilot. He’s completely white-headed and a force to be reckoned with. He’s tough as nails, just as you would hope one of our soldiers would be. He loves Jesus and he loves working with and sharing his faith with teenagers.

The kids have a deep respect for him as do I, even if they are a little intimidated by him at first.

On our last trip, we were finished up on our work site and we were headed out for milkshakes at a local restaurant called Rush’s. We were in three different vehicles. As we loaded up, he said, “I’ll see you at Rush’s or I’ll see you in Heaven.”

I kind of laughed and I must have had a puzzled look on my face, because he went on to explain that he always tells his wife that when he leaves home. He tells her he will see her when he returns or that he will see her in heaven.

I thought about that statement long after we finished our milkshakes. I thought about the faith behind the words. I thought about the dangerous job he had has a fighter pilot and then as a commercial airline pilot. Those are both jobs that I would think, would take great faith to engage in everyday.

But, I also thought about how we are never certain which day on earth will be our last. We could all go at any time. No one knows when tragedy will strike. But, my friend’s words are such a beautiful reminder that none of us are permanent residents here. We are all just travelers.

When he says confidently to his wife, when he leaves the house, that he will see her when he returns or he will see her in heaven, it serves as a daily reminder who he is, who he belongs to and where he is headed. It reminds him to make his days count, to make his actions count, to make his words count.

It reminds him to tell the ones he loves that he loves them.

The words are not morbid or pessimistic. They are a promise that when we belong to Jesus, something better awaits us. If we don’t make it back to our earthly home, today, or tomorrow, or next week, or next year, we are assured and our loved ones are assured, that we will see them again. We will one day be reunited.

They are words of hope that I feel blessed that he shared with me and I felt led to share here. See you next time or I’ll see you in heaven. I think those are words worth repeating.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Changing the View

Posted on by Wendy
I couldn't change what was going on outside, but I could change his view.
I couldn’t change what was going on outside, but I could change his view.

Last weekend, I was up before my teens and having some much needed quiet time at the kitchen table, with a cup of coffee, my laptop and my Bible. Silence is a rare thing for me these days and I was basking in it.

Then, the dogs started barking. They ran to the window in the dining room and barked to the top of their lungs. I kept shushing them, but they kept barking. There was someone walking another dog in the cul-de-sac and they were upset and stressed and no amount of shushing them would make them stop.

Have I mentioned that they aren’t the most obedient dogs on the planet?

Exasperated, I finally pulled the curtains closed, so they couldn’t see out. It worked like a charm. Immediately, all barking ceased and my peace and quiet were restored.

It was really kind of amazing. Covering up what was agitating them, was all that it took.

I thought about the resulting peace from my action over the next few days. I couldn’t remove what was going on outside of my house, but I could limit their vision of it.

What other things would have the same results?

Well, for one thing, there’s social media. Depending on who you follow and the pages you like, your news feed may be full of inspirational quotes or it may be full of political rants. If social media stresses you out our makes you angry, or makes you feel badly about your imperfect life, stay off of it. Life will go on, and quite likely, more peacefully.

Then of course, there’s the news, this election cycle is a hot mess to say the least. There’s been nothing that’s ladylike or gentlemanly like about it. Sure, we need to stay informed, but reading through the headlines in the evening before bed will probably suffice. If we all refused to watch all of the mudslinging, it may even get better.

But, here’s the bottom line, we can’t change it at the moment. The election is not until November. Is watching the daily negativity helping us in any way? If it’s causing stress and anger, we can simply turn it off, pull the curtains, like I did with my dogs.

As I continued to think about it, there are many things in daily life we could choose to block out, things ranging from office gossip to squabbles among friends.

In each situation, we could ask ourselves if participating or watching can better ourselves in any way? Will it cause us stress? Will it draw us closer to God?

If the answer is no, then perhaps, we should pray about it because that always works. We can give it to God on a spiritual level, but physically, we can just close the curtains and block it out. We can’t always change what’s going on, but we can change how we view it.

We might find ourselves living with a little more peace.

My barking dogs reminded me. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂