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Is God Calling You to Sit or Serve?
Many years ago, when my children were very small, our family hosted Thanksgiving dinner. I spent weeks preparing, crafting the menu, shopping for needs, cleaning our home, and setting the China. The morning of Thanksgiving, we carefully balanced entertaining our children with keeping our house clean and perfectly timing the turkey for our guests. We graciously hosted an elderly couple far from family or friends who would have otherwise spent Thanksgiving alone. As I served the gentleman a generous slice of apple pie with ice cream, he turned and asked. “Is this homemade?”
Just like the Thanksgiving turkey is stuffed with dressing, the holidays are filled with expectations.
What Is Immeasurably More?
The safari was everything we hoped for, offering a brief respite for our Western sensibilities from the disease and desperate need we saw on most of our trip. Yet we quickly learned that well-dressed Ugandans think differently than the average American. “What are you looking for?” I asked our Uganda guide as he escorted us down the path towards our villa after dinner. “Hippos,” as if that was a perfectly normal answer.
“What are you going to do if you see one?” “I’ll bang two rocks together in my hands to scare the hippo.” Two rocks to scare the hippos, I thought in disbelief. “If that doesn’t work?” “Just don’t run in a straight line. Hippos can only run in a straight line.”
Obeying God feels like God wants something from me. In the case of the hippos, maybe God wanted a little more faith. Other times, He’s asking for my time, money, energy, or pride, but always faith. A water well. Obedience requires me to think more of Him and less of me. But obedience mostly feels like less of me. Like I’m giving up something for God. And this may be true in the short term. But obeying God really means more of Him.
What’s Your Impossible Prayer?
Lesson #17 on a Journey to a Water Well
Friday, June 17, 2016
Thirty to forty Ugandan construction workers gathered around the water well surrounded by a handful of spiritual giants. It was a motley crew of Ugandan men clad with grey denim-like work suits and bright yellow, orange, or white plastic construction hats interspersed between a few oddly placed mzungus (white people). The kids busied themselves with new young friends, sticks, red dirt, or anything else they could find to occupy their minds or bodies.
One at a time, the spiritual giants stepped to the podium to speak of the water that wells up to eternal life. First, the country director spoke, then Katie. But the transformation of the quiet-spoken, unassuming American engineer into a passionate orator for Christ as the Living Water captivated my soul. It was so unexpected. Too much so.His passion slowly dissipated as he lowered his head and concluded his message, making me the final presenter.
“The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.” (Luke 18:27).
What Do You See?
Lesson #16 on a Journey to a Water Well.
Thursday, June 16, 2016
For just a few minutes on a hot Ugandan afternoon, I saw what God sees. I saw a world that wasn't consumed by vanity or the preoccupation of how we look. And because they didn't spend their lives consumed by projecting or filtering the right image or by comparing themselves to how others looked, they experienced joy when they caught a glimpse of their radiant faces.
And maybe that's what God wants for all of us. He wants us to see what He sees and experience the joy of His creation instead of criticism or disapproval.
Every one of those children was distinctly different but uniquely beautiful. They were fearfully and wonderfully made.
When Godly People Give Ungodly Advice
Saying yes to God can be hard. Most of the time, it requires courage. Sometimes, it means following God in ways others don't understand or always agree.
We won't always understand what God is doing.
In Matthew 16, Jesus commended Peter for his spiritual discernment. Peter identified Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of the living God. But four verses later, when Jesus' predicted His death and resurrection, Peter rebuked Jesus. "Never, Lord!..." This shall never happen to you!" (Matthew 16:22)
I can only imagine how stunned Peter must have been to hear, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns." (Matthew 16:23)
The truth is sometimes, like Peter, godly people give ungodly advice.
Do You See Me?
Lesson #14 on a Journey to a Water Well
June 2016
“You are the God who sees me.”
(Gen. 16:13, NIV)
Do not underestimate the power of Hagar’s revelation in Genesis 16 or its relevance today.
Little girls put on frilly dresses and twirl. They want to be seen, accepted and loved. They want to be found worthy. Isn’t this the primal need at the heart of the social media craze?
How many of our daughters are desperate to be seen? Desperate for someone to bear witness to their story and their lives. For someone to look at them and say, “I see you .”
Do You Feel Imprisoned by Problems or Held Hostage by Fear?
“Be joyful always; pray continually; and give thanks in all circumstances.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18. This sounds like pithy advice, but Paul knew the difficulty and power of God’s command.
In Acts 16, Paul and Silas were unjustly jailed and bound with chains. Paul sat in a dark lonely jail cell, not knowing what tomorrow would bring. He didn’t have control over his future. Paul didn’t deserve to be beaten, jailed, or bound with chains. And I’m guessing he didn’t understand why God allowed this injustice. His physical pain mirrored his inner torment.
We, too, can find ourselves in a dark and lonely place, not understanding why we’re here or what lies ahead. And like Paul, we don’t deserve cancer attacking us, the marriage unraveling, the loss of our job, or our child going wayward.
These realities are as painful as unfair.
Our souls feel imprisoned by pain and bound by fear. Our prisons have walls of anxiety and chains of fear. In the dark and lonely cells, the enemy seeks to rob us of our ability to recognize or experience God’s provision or joy.
But God.
What Are the Ripple Effects of Yes?
Lesson #12 on a Journey to a Water Well
April-May 2016
In April 2016, Henry's preschool teacher informed us the school was taking up a collection for our trip to Uganda. I was floored by her generosity, initiative, and kindness. Especially considering we did not solicit funds. So, I wasn't sure what to do with the preschool's donation.
But I learned God wants to use our yes to impact our marriages, children, and the lives of those around us.
Look around. People are broken, hurting, and hungry for God. Won't you help them get to God? Say yes and watch God create a ripple effect from your obedience.
Rest assured. Saying yes moves us into fulfillment. When we fulfill God's Word and Will, He will satisfy our souls.
What Should We Do When It Gets Hard to Follow God?
Lesson #11 on a Journey to a Water Well
Have you ever noticed sometimes life gets harder before it gets easier?
Sometimes taking a step of faith ushers in challenges and uncertainties. Life can get harder before it gets better. But it doesn't mean we're on the wrong path. Quite the contrary, we may have finally stumbled upon God's will.
That was our experience after committing to sponsor the water well in September 2015. We were confident of God's plan for the water well and had witnessed God prepare our hearts as He miraculously positioned us to fulfill this need.
But we didn't expect life to get harder.
What Will be the Harvest of Our Prayers?
Lesson #10 on a Journey to a Water Well
One of my favorite memories from our journey to a water well happened in September 2015. After dropping Henry off at preschool, I parked in the school parking lot and drafted several emails and lists of things to do.
After allocating the proceeds of Tim's promotion in August to the unknown well, we were on track to financially sponsor a water well by the summer of 2016.
But what water well and where?
What’s the Difference between being fruitful versus busy?
Let's use the last post of 2022 to discuss margin because margin can be a game-changer for 2023.
Let's think of margin as giving God enough space to ask and do the unexpected. Few paint a better picture of the power of margin than Bob Goff.
If you've ever read the book, Everybody, Always by Bob Goff, you know Bob is an incredible storyteller and has a knack for sharing amazing adventures. The entire book boils down to one truth, love everybody, always.
God understands that loving people has more to do with experiencing satisfaction than we might realize. Maybe that's why He said, "Love your neighbor as yourself." (Matthew 22:38)
Loving everybody always may sound simple, but you may know a few difficult people. A few people, it might be challenging to love always.
Does God Give Sneak Peeks?
Lesson #9 on Journey to a Water Well.
A few days after I met my new friend on the playground in June 2015, she invited Ben to her son's birthday party.
As Ben and I walked into the party, we noticed a man sitting outside the venue, simultaneously striking keys on a laptop while nodding his head with the phone to his ear. His call ended before we passed, and he jumped up to introduce himself as the father of Ben’s friend.
When we mentioned their upcoming move, He shared the vision God had cast for their mission with Amazima Ministries and how God had connected them to Katie in Uganda. His passion was palpable and scripture coursed throughout his conversation.
.
How Do We Limit God?
Lesson #8 on Journey to a Water Well.
Have you ever heard if you do what you can do, God will do what only He can do? God demonstrated this reality in the spring of 2015. Beginning in February 2015, God initiated a series of prompts regarding financial gifts to the unknown well. After a bit of angst and a series of debates with God regarding the donations, I relented and took the steps of faith requested.
By early June, it was time to celebrate with Ben at his end-of-the-year kindergarten party with games and a special lunch. Armed with ketchup and ranch, the room mom directed me towards the children, eagerly awaiting their favorite condiments for the chicken nuggets. As I moved down the line..
Can You Hear Him? (Learning to Discern God’s Voice. part 2)
Lesson #7 on a Journey to a Water Well.
I believe most Christians want to know and do God’s will. And I think God is speaking to most Christians. But some fail to recognize His voice. Because sometimes His voice presents like a deep-seated knowing, idea, or thought. In the spiritual metaphor, His voice wasn’t in the wind, the fire, or the earthquake. It was in the still, small voice. (1 Kings 19:11-12)
His voice is subtle.
How Do You Wait on God Without Falling Into Traps?
When God planted the conviction for a water well in Africa, I thought He needed a water well and wanted to know if I would take care of that for Him. But in reality, God wasn’t asking me for a water well; rather, He was inviting me to walk alongside Him as He delivered the well to His people. The responsibility for the well was on Him, not me. He was just offering me a ride. He was offering me relationship.
God didn’t need Sarah’s help, and He didn’t need my strategies. He wanted to use my obedience, my yes, to teach who He is and how He loves.
How Do You Know When God’s Talking to You?
Lesson #5 on a Journey to a Water Well...
The question most people want to ask but don’t have the courage to say is “What makes you think God told you to drill a water well in Africa?” How do you know when the prompt, the thought or conviction, is really God speaking to your spirit? It’s a fair question. After all, even the prophet Samuel didn’t recognize God’s voice the first time God spoke to him. (I Samuel 3)
Let me share one example of how I have learned to discern His voice.
What If Loving God Is As Simple As a Three Dollar Donation And a Poorly Crafted Letter?
Lesson #4 on a Journey to a Water Well...
One day in April 2014, when my husband had finished reading "Kisses from Katie" to our children, my five-year-old son, Ben, marched into the kitchen with his wallet. Methodically, he withdrew three one-dollar bills and laid them on the counter. He looked at me and said, "Momma, write this down and send it to Katie. 'Dear Katie, ...
What’s the difference between believing in God versus believing God?
So many years before, I had doubted God. I realized that although I had believed in God, I had failed to believe God. I had thought they were the same thing.
I believed in Jesus. I believed He was good enough to forgive me of my sins, but I struggled to believe He was good enough to be trusted with my life.
Will God Use a Half-Hearted Yes?
God wants to move us from unfulfillment to fulfillment. But sometimes, we don’t realize we’re living in unfulfillment. And the path God’s suggesting doesn’t seem like the road to satisfaction. Truthfully, it’s hard to grasp the magnitude of God’s Faithfulness if we never step out of the safety and security of our well-orchestrated lives.
How Should God’s Love Impact Our Fears and Lead us to Yes?
Is anyone old enough to remember Tina Turner’s song “What’s Love Got to Do with It?” You might wonder what love has to do with freeing you from free or enabling you to say yes to God. In fact, you’d be wise to spend some time teasing out these spiritual mysteries. Fear has been in ample supply over the past two years, and we’ll hear a lot about love today since it’s Valentine’s Day. The better question is: how should God’s love impact our fears and lead us to yes?