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Do You Hate to Admit When You’re Wrong?
Pride hinders our relationship with God because refusing to acknowledge our shortcomings is an attempt to deny our imperfections. Whether we mean for it to or not, that implies that we are equal with God, and that robs Him of the praise and glory He deserves. We can’t be humble when we have things to hide.
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.
Soggy Footballs and Hardened Hearts
While my husband made his way over to the shallow end of the pool to check on me, he couldn't help but laugh the entire way, and I couldn't help but feel embarrassed at the arrogant claim I had made just seconds prior. It was almost too perfect for my husband.
Christian, while I hope you got a chuckle out of my story, I also found a lesson for all of us buried within.
Authentically, Imperfectly Human
I’m going to let you in on a little secret: most days I’m a hot mess. And by hot mess, I mean I’m usually trying my best, while juggling all my imperfections and the ups and downs of parenting, homeschooling, being a wife and friend, working a few part-time jobs, and everything else in between.
While I love this little life I have, sometimes I wonder if I’m doing anything right. Do my kids feel loved, or am I ruining them? Is my faith strong enough? Did I turn in a winning work project, or did I miss the mark? Does anyone truly relate to me, or am I alone and crazy? It’s hard being a human!
Does God Really Know Best?
Many times, my prayers feel a lot more like pleas. They aren’t faith-filled requests respectfully submitted to God whom I trust. They were desperate desires that I begged all-powerful God to provide. Do you know what I mean? Whether it is a prayer for healing in my friend’s marriage, a job for one of my children, or faith for me to trust God in the love life of another child, I find myself behaving like a frustrated child, begging God to wield His power to my will instead of asking Him to provide and trusting Him to act wisely.
Deep down, I wasn’t trusting in God’s character to do what’s best. I wanted God to fix things. Do you feel the same way?
Why Do You Keep Talking About What You Have Done?
I was in a conversation recently when a woman said to me, “I hope when you move, you can move on and not talk about your story anymore. Maybe you can finally forgive yourself.” I was taken aback by the statement and also saddened at the misunderstanding of where I am on this journey and why I do what I do. While I am excited about the opportunity of a fresh start in a new place, it isn’t so I can be silent about who I am or become a new person, hiding what I have been through.
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.
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.
Can You Wrestle with God and Win?
“I’m so proud of you, and I can’t wait to see what comes next!”
This is a common phrase that I see on social media when parents want to mark the end of a significant chapter in their children’s lives. Their child’s last high school athletic game, band concert, dance, graduation, or even move-in day at college all cause parents to swell with pride and share this milestone on social media. I totally get it. I’ve shared my kids’ milestones as well. But when I read, “I can’t wait to see what comes next,” I feel like that doesn’t tell the whole story.
Is God Big Enough To Deal With This?
I remember as a little girl, one particular day, we had ventured to the beach. I was sitting at the water’s edge with my cousins when a fierce wave came crashing in and began to pull me towards deep water. As the force of this wave began to pull me out and just as I was beginning to panic, I felt my Mom’s arms swoop around me drawing me to safety. To this very day, almost 40 years later, I can still remember the moment of pure peace and comfort in my Mother’s arms just moments after sheer panic.
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 .”
What if I doubt God?
Recently, one of my children came to me with an intense look of fear in their eyes. They began asking me what would happen if they had feelings of doubt about God's existence. Some Christian parents might get worried in this instance- but I didn't. I know this child's heart all too well, and while they struggle with a bit of anxiety here and there, I am confident that they love Jesus with all that is in them. Furthermore, I understood that same feeling of doubt and the fear that often rides shotgun along with it. This doubt, especially as a young Christian, can feel paralyzing.
Can Hope Still Be Found?
In Luke 8:40-56, there is a story written about a young girl who was dying. Her father went seeking Jesus, pleading with Jesus to come to his house and heal his daughter. Before they reached the house, this man’s daughter had died. It seemed all hope was lost, until Jesus brought a miracle to their home. Luke 8:54-55a reads “So he took her by the hand and called out, “Child, get up!” Her spirit returned and she got up at once.”
How Can I Hear God?
We so often think we know exactly what we need. A new job, more understanding from our spouse, a better attitude from our kids, healing, more money, deliverance from a trial. How could any of those desires differ from what God wants us to have?
How Can I Trust In The Unknown?
In the last few months, my life has quickly changed, taking a turn I did not anticipate. My husband received a promotion and I could not be more proud, the joy I have for my man is beyond measure.
However, with that promotion comes a relocation to a place far away from where we are now. While this can be an exciting change, it has brought on a roller coaster of feelings.
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.
When Wedding Vows Go Up In Smoke
While most newlywed fights start over silly matters like him leaving his underwear on the floor or her burning dinner, our marriage started with us learning to manage a blended family, having a child together who had severe medical issues, and Justin was traveling often for his job. As we tried to juggle it all, we both realized that, to make matters worse, each of us had brought a lot of prior baggage to our relationship. The fights were frequent, and resentment ran rampant. Now this was happening, and I worried we wouldn’t survive it.
From Brokenness to Depth By Jodi Rosser
Two of my favorite things were combined to make this magnificent masterpiece that hangs by my front door.
Beautifully broken glass pieced together like a mosaic on top of a gorgeous rod iron tree with deep roots.
This artwork mirrors my story.
Brokenness. I could relate to that. The shattered dreams and smashed hopes of my own life resembled those broken pieces.
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?