Trust and Obey

Posted on by Wendy
God can use anyone to serve His purposes. We only need to trust and obey.
God can use anyone to serve His purposes. We only need to trust and obey.

I’ve been participating in an online Bible study on the Book of Daniel. It’s fascinating stuff. It’s the stories I remember as a child, displayed on that black felt board, about fiery furnaces and lion’s dens, but when I read it as an adult, it means so much more.

I’m in chapter three and King Nebuchadnezzar has built a golden statue that he says everyone has to bow down to whenever they hear any type of music from horns, flutes, harps, etc.. This guy was clearly an egomaniac. He seriously wanted everyone in his kingdom to stop whatever they were doing anytime they heard music, to worship his image.

What’s even more ridiculous, is that in the chapter before, he had proclaimed Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego’s God, the God of all gods. He seemed to have forgotten that proclamation fairly quickly, but isn’t that often the case when someone is given absolute power? They forget promises they made to get where they are, whenever it’s convenient.

But, here’s what screams at me about this story: God can use the enemies of His people to prove His love and faithfulness to those who love and obey Him.

In the previous chapter, the same king had a dream no one could interpret. The same narcissistic king was going to kill all of the wise men in his kingdom including Daniel and friends. Daniel respectfully asked the king for some time and he and his friends prayed. God gave Daniel the answers that saved him and his friends and elevated them in the king’s court.

A little while later, when the three friends are ruling the provinces that the king put them in charge of, he comes up with the golden statue law. The friends refused to bow. I suspect it was tempting. They were fairly high on the totem pole at that point. Why rock the boat?

They knew beyond the shadow of a doubt, that God had put them where they were. They had been true to their faith from day one. They weren’t about to cave. But, I love what they told the raging king when they were brought in for judgement.

“O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.” Daniel 3:16-18

God, of course, used this egomaniac king to show His power and rescued all three from the fire without a hair singed. I imagine as they were being tossed into that fire, that they were wondering if God had abandoned them. If they prayed for deliverance, I doubt seriously, it could have been in the way that God provided. But, oh how God provided.

He had a plan all along. He rewarded their faithfulness and who knows how many spectators became believers as well, because of their obedience?

I think it’s so important to remember that God is always listening. He’s in control. He can use the worst of humanity for His purposes if He chooses. I can think of some pretty awful world leaders right this very moment. I’ll bet you can too.

All we need to remember is that we are loved by the Almighty God and if we are faithful and obedient, He will save us, maybe not in the manner we expect, but in one way or another, just like Daniel and his friends.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Lessons from a Shingle

Posted on by Wendy
It's impossible for one shingle to keep out the rain on its own.
It’s impossible for one shingle to keep out the rain on its own.

I learned a fair amount about roofing on my Salkehatchie summer mission trip. I learned that shingles are heavy. I learned that you can’t walk on them when they get hot because it shortens the life of them. I learned to wear gloves when handling them because you will get pieces of fiberglass in your fingers that become painful later.

But, probably the most important lesson, was that a shingle only does its job when it is in unity with other shingles. There’s a black tar line that runs along the center of a shingle. It must line up with the ones on either side or the roof will eventually leak.

They have to work together to keep the inhabitants of the home warm and dry. If just one shingle is in the wrong place, the roof can leak. Leaks lead to all kinds of problems from mold, to wet ceilings, to eventual ceiling collapse, if the roof isn’t repaired.

I was reminded of the importance of shingles working together, at a team meeting at church last night. We are desperately trying to build communication between all of our church committees, so that we can all work together and grow together in unity, and avoid any leaks which happen when we get out of unity with each other and with God.

It’s a lot trickier with humanity than with shingles. Inanimate objects stay in a nice straight line once they are nailed down. But, people, well, we are all over the place. We are broken and we tend to take our focus off of God and place it on ourselves. That leads to all kinds of leaks and problems.

It has been said that churches are the most peaceful and wonderful places ever, until you put people in them. Yet, that’s what Jesus has called us to do. He’s called us to come together as a family and create a solid line, like those shingles, and call as many people as humanly possible, to join with us and build his kingdom.

Knowing that we have an enemy who would love to see us fail in our mission, has made all of our church members pray constantly for guidance and unity. We know that when you are in a war, you really should expect some resistance.

But, I wonder what our world would look like if all Christians came together and prayed for guidance and unity. What if we all used the Bible as our straight line and prayer as the nails, and joined together? I think we would be impenetrable to anything and everything that comes against us.

When the shingles are nailed together, the people in the house, stay dry during storms.
When the shingles are nailed together, the people in the house, stay dry during storms.

Maybe we could learn a lesson from shingles. Maybe it’s time for more unity among all Christians. If we all worked together, who knows what the outcome would be? I imagine it would be spectacular.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Love is Active

Posted on by Wendy
Christian love is active.
Christian love is active.

I was recently talking with a friend of mine about my summer mission trip and she said she would like to go next summer. She said it always made her feel really good when she was helping others. I immediately agreed with her, but the concept continued to run through my mind, long after our conversation was over.

My friend was right. Doing good to others always makes me feel good, but there’s something going on that’s much deeper than just feeling good. I think Christians have an intrinsic desire to love others because Jesus loved us. Love often translates into helping others.

But, it has to, doesn’t it? Love is active. We can say we love people all day long, but until we do something physical to show it, how do they know?

Jesus set the example of active love throughout his ministry. He healed others. He cast out their demons. He friended those who were friendless. He wept with his friends. He prayed with his friends. He listened to those who sought him out, even those who society deemed to be unworthy. He called out those who were on the wrong path, not to condemn them, but to save them. Ultimately, he died for us all so that we could live eternally.

Jesus’ examples of love for mankind were anything, but passive.

So, if we want to be Christ like or true followers of Christ, shouldn’t we follow some of Christ’s many examples of active love? I think it becomes really easy to show up to church on Sundays and put our offering in the plate and show up the next week and do the same thing.

Can we honestly consider that to be actively loving others?

I think the Holy Spirit gets really energized when we reach out and help those in need. I think we are filled with a special kind of joy that can only come from the Spirit. That’s the reason we feel so good when we are doing good for others. It’s a desire placed in our hearts before we were even born. It’s that pull to worship God and follow Jesus.

We often can’t name it, but it’s there deep inside, just waiting for us to listen and act, not because it’s required of us, but because we want to.

The Bible tells us, “Therefore, as we have the opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” Galatians 6:10

So, if we are seeking some true joy in our lives, perhaps we should seek a way to help someone in need. The world is truly desperate for Christians to share our light and love. Let’s let it shine in any way we can.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Inner Peace is a Choice

Posted on by Wendy
Personal peace is a choice.
Personal peace is a choice.

I once had a dog, Sadie, who was terrified of thunder. The minute the first rumbles started, she would begin pacing. No amount of talking to her, or petting her, would calm her down. We eventually had to put her on anti-anxiety meds during thunderstorms. Yes, I had a dog who was on Xanax.

But, we really didn’t have much of an alternative. She weighed 115 pounds. Calming an agitated dog that size, was not an easy task. And if a thunderstorm rolled through during the night, nobody got any sleep.

The most frustrating part of the matter was that she was never in any danger. She was always completely safe. We were just unable to make her understand that. She lived with an unnecessary fear.

How often do we react exactly like Sadie did? How often do we walk around white-knuckled and terrified because there are thunderstorms raging in our lives that we just can’t understand? We didn’t plan for them. We didn’t expect them and when they occur, we are terrified.

Sometimes the storms are short-lived and we are frightened for a little while and when they pass, we go right back to living exactly the way we did before they popped up. We could take the time, when they pass, to seek some peace and be ready and calmer for the next round, but we often don’t.

Nope, it often takes a full-blown tornado; think of situations like a cancer diagnosis or a marriage ending; that make us really seek the one source that can truly calm our terrified hearts. By the way, the solution doesn’t come from the pharmaceutical companies.

Peace comes from a close walk with Jesus. He was called the “Prince of Peace,” before he was even born. He told his disciples, “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

Peace is also a fruit of the Holy Spirit.

So, why is it so hard for us to be at peace? Maybe it’s because as Christians, we so often forget that although we live in this world, we are not of it. We focus most of our time on our physical selves and not the spiritual; that’s the part that lives forever.

We get caught up in life’s storms and like Sadie, we are needlessly terrified.

I ran into a friend of mine at the grocery store yesterday. I hadn’t seen her all summer, but in the spring, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She was angry. We talked about it at the time, and I assured her that was normal. She finished all of her treatments and has healed.

When I saw her today, she was a different person, all smiles and so much at peace. We talked about her future plans for work and she was looking into different things, but she said she knew God has a plan. She was completely at peace.

She survived a tornado. She held Jesus’ hand and he took her to the other side. She learned that the storms really aren’t that frightening after all, as long as she has her faith.

Unlike my dog, we have the ability to choose peace. My friend did. I think it’s worth pursuing.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Rainbow Reflections

Posted on by Wendy
The rainbow represents God's powerful promise.
The rainbow represents God’s everlasting promise.

My mama texted me this picture of a rainbow that my sister took on her family vacation. I’ll have to admit that I found it stunning. It’s rare to see a complete rainbow extending in a full arc, even rarer to see the second one behind it. She also wrote that she was supplying some possibility photos for my blog. She has always been one of my loudest cheerleaders.

The next day, when I was scrolling through my Facebook feed, someone had taken a picture of another beautiful rainbow. Her caption was “the storm that came before it wasn’t nearly as lovely.” No kidding, I thought. Isn’t that always the case?

But, the two rainbow pics, back-to-back, made me feel like God wanted me to read the flood story, so I headed to Genesis.

There are so many fabulous examples of God’s love for His creation and of His mercy, in the account of the flood. Because one man, just one, was righteous, God saved him, his wife, his sons and their wives. Ever feel like what you do doesn’t matter? Ever wonder what’s the point of following God and trying to keep His Commandments when no one around you does?

God is watching. He knows. Noah’s salvation from the flood is a powerful testament to that.

God also gave Noah very specific instructions on how to build the ark. Noah followed them to the letter and he and all of his family, as well as all of the animals were saved due to his exact obedience. He didn’t ask God why He was flooding the earth, or decide to do it his own way, or decide that he would listen to parts of God’s instructions, but not all of them.

Just like Noah, God has given us a set of instructions to keep us safe from life’s floods. If we follow them, we too can be kept from disaster, but the key is that we’re not supposed to pick and choose. We’re supposed to be obedient, even when we don’t understand. I can’t imagine that Noah could even begin to fathom what was coming in his future, neither can we.

In Genesis 7:16, the Bible tells us that after Noah did what he was told, God shut him in. God wasn’t taking his freedom; He was keeping him safe. When God shuts doors behind us, He is doing the same. We shouldn’t try to pry them back open.

Most scholars believe that Noah and his family and all of those animals, were on the ark for a little over a year. Try to remember that the next time you are really struggling to wait on God’s timing. Chapter 8 tells us, “God remembered Noah.” God remembers us too.

When God finally told Noah and his family to come out, He blessed them. They had been obedient and steadfast and God made a covenant with them, and all of their descendants, and every living creature, and He gave them a sign.

“I have set my rainbow in the clouds and it will be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life.Whenever the rainbow appears in the cloud, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.” Genesis 9:13-16

Can you imagine the awe that filled Noah and his family every time a rainbow appeared in the sky after the flood? It was a physical manifestation of God’s promise. It had to have been breathtaking. Reading Noah’s story reminds me of the wonder that Noah must have felt. It makes me pause and reflect and give thanks.

Maybe you needed a reminder too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Don’t Neglect the Rehab

Posted on by Wendy
Spiritual healing takes time and work, but the results are life changing.
Spiritual healing takes time and work, but the results are life changing.

A few years back, my daddy had knee replacement surgery. It was a long and painful road for him to get to that point. He had considerable pain in his knee for quite some time, but it was a pain he was familiar with. The surgery was a different kind of pain altogether and it was unfamiliar. So, he waited.

He lived with the discomfort for a long time and limped sometimes which caused other parts of his body to suffer. At some point, he and his doctor finally decided that the time had come and he reluctantly agreed to the surgery.

He was told going in that the most important part of knee replacement surgery is the rehab that comes afterward. When the surgical wounds finally begin to heal, you have to go to regular physical therapy sessions to make the new knee move with the leg like it’s supposed to. The sessions can be grueling.

Many people just refuse to go because they can’t deal with the pain involved with the healing. But, the ones who do go and perform all of the required exercises, feel like brand new people. In time, their new knee works better than ever. They are pain-free and have a new lease on life.

I watched Daddy go through all of that and he came out on the other side like a champ, even though the days in between were sometimes dark.

I was thinking how we have a tendency to carry around old injuries like Daddy’s knee that needed replaced. We sometimes carry anger, resentment, regret, emotional pain and guilt, wrapped securely around our hearts. We know it’s not healthy. We know it’s painful, yet it’s something we are familiar with. We are reluctant to let it go because we don’t know or trust what will be on the other side.

When, at some point, for whatever reason, we are convicted to let these things go and lay them at the foot of the cross, we want to believe that’s the end. While it’s true that we are granted forgiveness, whenever we repent and ask, healing takes some time. True healing is like rehab after knee surgery.

We have to begin our day with prayer about that healing. We can seek out others who are on the same path. We can find a church and a small group within, who will love and support us. We can find a wise, Christian mentor to help us along the way. We can read our Bibles to fully appreciate God’s grace and mercy.

Healing takes time and work, but when it’s done, Jesus heals all of it. Even the most impossible cases can be totally transformed. The key is our willingness. Just like physical rehab, the spiritual rehab has to be done by a willing participant. It can’t be forced.

But, the results, well those are life changing. They even have eternal implications. We have to remember not to neglect the rehab. It’s just too important.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Never Stop Praying

Posted on by Wendy
Sometimes we need a reminder.
Sometimes we need a reminder.

Yesterday, after I saw my kids off to school, I prayed that God would help them arrive safely. I always pray that prayer, since my daughter started driving. But, yesterday, as I sat down to read my daily devotion, I found myself praying that prayer again. I wasn’t sure why. I wasn’t stressed or worried that something was wrong; I just felt led to pray for their safety, so I did.

I went on about my business and finished my devotion and folded some laundry, when I received a text from my daughter.

“Crap” (Sorry y’all she’s a teenager!)

The next words had the hair standing up on the back of my neck. “I just saw a really bad wreck. Someone got t-boned at the 4 way stop.”

I caught my breath and asked her if she was parked. Yes, they were safely at school, but the car was right in front of her and had been pushed off into the ditch. She was wondering if she should have stopped.

I assured her that she had done the right thing. She knows no first aid and has been driving for less than a month. She did everyone a favor by moving on and not blocking the intersection. That intersection is very busy and I was sure someone had already dialed 911.

I immediately thanked God for the intervention with tears in my eyes. That car was just one car in front of my children and I had been lead to pray for them that morning. Coincidence? I don’t think so.

The Bible tells us to “Never stop praying.” 1 Thessalonians 5:17 We are supposed to be in constant contact with God through prayer. Whether times are good or bad, peaceful or turbulent, we are supposed to pray.

I find that the more time I spend praying, the more often people or situations pop into my mind. When that happens, I pray for them. That happened yesterday with my kids. That is the work of the Holy Spirit. He helps us pray when we don’t even know what to pray for and He intercedes.

Prayer helps and covers us all of the time in countless ways that we often are completely clueless about. We rarely know when someone may be praying for us and causing some type of intervention and we are all called to pray for each other.

But, yesterday was one of those special moments when I saw the immediate results of prayer and I could feel the presence of God protecting my family and quite frankly, it was just too good not to share.

Never stop praying. It truly works.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

 

 

You Are Always Welcome at His Table

Posted on by Wendy
We are all welcome at His table.
We are all welcome at His table.

Yesterday, my pastor asked us to really think about what it means to take communion. He said that many of us think of dainty little cups with dainty little wafers. We politely sip and go on about our business. He said that coming to the table with Jesus wasn’t a one time polite invitation and that we are truly missed when we are elsewhere.

He then went on to talk about being welcomed to Sunday dinner at different people’s houses while growing up and how friends can really become family.

I was reminded of my own Sunday dinner experiences. My mama always had a big Sunday dinner and there was always room for extras. I had one friend in particular, who would call me right after church and ask what we were having, almost every Sunday. She would then be over in a flash.

Mama always welcomed her at our table and Daddy would ask where she was if she didn’t show for the Sunday meal. She was always welcome. She was family. We knew it and she knew it. We loved her and she was missed when she was away. My parents always told her so.

Mama always had a way of making all of my friends feel welcome and she always kept extra food in the freezer for extras who might show up. There was always enough. I never really had to ask.

Now that I have teens of my own, I try to provide the same welcome that my mama always did. When my daughter has friends over to study, we always invite them to stay for dinner. At first, they acted surprised at the invitation, but they usually accepted it.

Now they are completely comfortable and expect it, which is fine with me. My daughter has one particular friend, just like I did, that has her own chair at our table. She always sits in the same spot and considers it hers.

We like to engage the teens in conversation and ask them what’s going on in their lives and they like to talk about themselves. They feel comfortable helping themselves to seconds. They feel welcome. They feel like their presence matters to us.

When I don’t see one of my kids’ friends for a while, I always tells them that I’ve missed seeing them.

My pastor pointed out that Jesus feels the same way when we are absent from His table. We are all welcome. We are all family when we come together. We are missed when we don’t show for whatever reason. But, He saves a chair for us and He welcomes us back, no matter how long our absence may be or whatever the reason.

The invitation is always open and the banquet is always ready, but not for that polite, four fork, linen napkin in your lap, meal. Nope, this invitation is for real fellowship over a real meal. Think fried chicken, corn bread and iced tea. This table is for authentic communion and community.

There’s always enough. We never even have to ask. Why in the world, would we want to miss it?

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

 

Middle School Wisdom

Posted on by Wendy
The faith of the very young and very old is equally impressive.
The faith of the very young and the seniors can be equally impressive.

Last Sunday, my hubby and I started teaching a middle school Sunday School class. We had taken a break for the summer while school was out. We had done a little soul-searching about teaching this year. We started teaching middle school when my daughter was in middle school. My son came two years after and now we had two high schoolers.

Was God still calling us to teach young teens or was He calling us to plug in somewhere else? We both felt that we were supposed to continue with the middle school class and on our first class, we were reminded why.

We had been talking about how every person is special to God and that when we let the opinions of other people who label us as good, bad, popular, nerdy, etc…, matter, we take our focus off of God. His thoughts about us are the only truths that matter. We also talked about how when we label others with those same labels, we are criticizing God, who created everyone. Do we really feel qualified to do that?

One of the girls said, “Well, not when you put it that way.” Score!

We also talked about being a Christian, and the same thirteen-year-old, shared that her best friend admitted to not being a believer and that it upset her so much that she spent an hour trying to convince him otherwise. She shared that something inside her just couldn’t let it go.

I told her that she was listening to the Holy Spirit. She hadn’t really thought of that.

Therein lies the beauty of working with middle schoolers and young believers. They are passionate about their faith and they want others to be as well. They are actually concerned about their friends who aren’t Christians.

Most of us lose that deep conviction along the way. We grow up. We have families, and bills to pay, and groceries to buy, households to run, meals to cook, and so much uncertainty. We still believe, but we are so busy and tired. It may concern us that our neighbors or friends aren’t Christians, but certainly not enough to discuss it with them for an hour. We might be labeled as judgemental.

But, this teen girl was truly worried about her friend. She witnessed out of love, not out of judgement or condemnation. The love makes all of the difference.

My hubby and I talked about it afterwards and we were so impressed with her tenacity. Have you ever noticed that the seniors and the very young in the church, are often the most open about their faith? One group believes because they have no reason to doubt due to the fact that they haven’t done much living yet. The other group believes because they have been through the fire and have had the privilege of seeing God at work.

Those of us in the middle could learn a lot from both of these groups. We could slow down and breathe. We could worry less and trust more. We could pray about everything and listen to our hearts more.

Who knows what our world would look like if we did?

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Trusting the Director

Posted on by Wendy
If we listen to the Divine Director, we can be unstoppable.
If we listen to the Divine Director, we can be unstoppable.

I volunteered to help hand out marching band uniforms yesterday at my son’s high school. He’s a freshman so this was a first time for me. High school marching band meets throughout the day in sections. The first class of the day was drumline which includes all of percussion.

When the kids arrived for class, the band director spoke with them for a few minutes and then told them to get out their instruments. The noise and chaos (or so it seemed to me), that ensued, was close to deafening. Everyone was playing a different beat on a different instrument. I knew intellectually, that the director had been teaching band for years, but the noise, the noise….

What seemed like forever later, although in reality it was only a short time, the director took the podium. The room was silent. He gave some instructions and they played together. It was still incredibly loud, but it was music, with a beat. They were good. It made sense.

The next class was brass instruments. There were a lot more of them that in the drumline. The same thing happened. The director spoke with them for a few minutes and the noise began. Those tubas and trombones made every bit as much racket as the percussion group.

Once again, the band director took the podium, pin drop silence occurred first and then beautiful music. Towards the end of the class, I was tapping along and wanting to yell out a cheer with them. Who would have thought out of all that chaos, that beautiful music could be produced?

Well, everyone but me, I suspect. The band director knew and the band members knew too. It was the casual observer, the outsider, who didn’t know.

Later on that day, he would bring all of the rest of the groups together with the first two and have them march and play as a team. The result would be fabulous.

After I went home and took a couple of Advil, I pondered the workings of the marching band and how similar they are to the Christian Church.

To the outside observer, we often look like a mess. We run in different directions and are passionate about so many different callings and causes that it seems like we could never really come together and accomplish much of anything.

But, our Divine Director, changes everything. When He takes the podium and we listen to Him and follow His directions through the Bible, and through prayer, we become a Divine Marching Band of Christian Soldiers. We produce beautiful acts, beautiful music and we can change the world. We are a force to be reckoned with and we are unstoppable.

All we have to do is be willing to listen and follow. The results are nothing short of miraculous. Anyone feel like marching?

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂