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When God Veers the Path
Maybe you expected God to swoop in and save you by now, but instead, the path you were traveling has left you lying on the pavement, bruised and battered. Perhaps you even feel God has left you there and carried on his way without you. You look up in complete confusion with those same questions. What is happening? What in the world is God doing? Why did He veer me off my path? Maybe you even ask, Where do I go from here? Why did God forget me?
Is Jesus Enough?
“I just wanted Jesus to be enough,” flashed in my mind with a faith-battering force as I sat frightened and alone in the Turkish psychiatric hospital. My life had imploded. I was the wife to an adoring husband, the mother of 4 beautiful children, and lived my days as a missionary in a predominantly Muslim country sharing hope in Christ. Childhood trauma, effortlessly concealed behind a well-manicured appearance, gnawed away at my mind going unnoticed by even those closest to me. Dangerous thoughts, strangely coexisting with Scripture, had taken up residence in my mind, secretly threatening my life by irrationally presenting death as the only option of escape.
Why So Long, Lord?
The other day, someone made a comment and it re-opened wounds that I thought had healed. It was completely unintentional on her end, and I was able to stay focused on the conversation with my friend. But her innocent proclamation unleashed a flood of torment in my soul. The anguish I felt came from a reminder that a long-term prayer request of mine has never been answered. It’s just dangling in the wind, waiting for God’s wisdom, and timing to dictate its resting place. Why did God answer her prayer and not mine?
Feminism With a Biblical Worldview
Perhaps the title of this article sounds like an oxymoron to you, but let me assure you, it isn't. It's no secret that there is much controversy over gender roles within the church today. In recent years I have heard of many sex scandals in news media involving trusted religious leaders and Pastors. I’ve listened to an uproar of people exclaiming women in the church are belittled or oppressed, and I sadly watched as a famous and well-respected Pastor openly shunned and mocked a fellow Christian woman for her leadership position in ministry. So regardless of your stance on this topic, the issue I raise today is likely not new to you.
Why Can’t I Surrender?
I was on a conference call when it happened, but I could have easily been on the phone with one of my young adult kids, or in the kitchen when my husband came home, or having lunch with a good friend. Someone made a comment that shattered my peace and filled me with dismay and devastation. The rest of my world stopped while my thoughts started spinning. How can I solve this problem?
Where is Your Promise, God?
I’m the queen of both romanticism and nostalgia. This means that my vision of an upcoming change in life doesn’t always match reality. If we decide to move across the country for my husband’s job, I tend to romanticize the change with cautious optimism while greatly minimizing its challenges. Or, if time ushers in a new life stage, such as the beginning of middle age, I go to the other extreme and embrace nostalgia while despairing that the future will never be as enjoyable and meaningful as the past. In either case, my tendency to imagine the future creates expectations that slam into reality and produce disappointment and discontentment once one chapter closes and another one opens. Can you relate to either of these? Whether we are optimistically romantic, or hopelessly nostalgic, our presumptive nature is a tactic to help us manage our expectations and quiet our fears.
Can I stop hiding behind the pretty pieces of my life?
Confession: Just after I had babies, I purchased several pairs of Spanx because I found that they held in areas of my body that I didn't know were humanly possible to tuck in anymore. I haven't worn them in quite some time because as I approach the age of 40, I have decided that breathing is much more important to me than sliding into a sausage casing that compresses my bodily organs to one another. And let's be real here- no one has really ever just "slid" into a pair of Spanx, have they? I have legit wrestled myself directly to the ground in an attempt to squish my mom-body into these mysterious spandex contraptions before.