There once was a little boy who wanted to meet God. He knew it was a long trip to where God lived, so he packed his suitcase with Twinkies and a six-pack of root beer, and he started on his journey. When he had gone about three blocks, he met an old woman. She was sitting in the park just staring at some pigeons. The boy sat down next to her and opened his suitcase. He was about to take a drink from his root beer when he noticed that the old lady looked hungry so he offered her a Twinkie.
She gratefully accepted it and smiled at him. Her smile was so pretty that the boy wanted to see it again, so he offered her a root beer. Once again, she smiled at him. The boy was delighted! They sat there all afternoon eating and smiling, but they never said a word. As it grew dark, the boy realized how tired he was and he got up to leave, but before he had gone more than a few steps; he turned around, ran back to the old woman, and gave her a hug. She gave him her biggest smile ever.
When the boy opened the door to his own house a short time later; his mother was surprised by the look of joy on his face. She asked him, "What did you do today that made you so happy?" He replied, "I had lunch with God." But before his mother could respond, he added, "You know what? She's got the most beautiful smile I've ever seen!"
Meanwhile, the old woman, also radiant with joy, returned to her home. Her son was stunned by the look of peace on her face and he asked, "Mother, what did you do today that made you so happy?" She replied, "I ate Twinkies in the park with God." But before her son responded, she added, "You know he's much younger than I expected."
Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, and honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around. People come into our lives for a reason, a season, or a lifetime. Embrace all equally!
~AUTHOR UNKNOWN
Tuesday, November 26, 2013
When "he" doesn't love you, "He" always loves you!
And the Lord God said it is not good that man should be alone. I will make a helper comparable to him. Genesis 2:18
I like to post from life experiences because I never know who is reading at any given time and how that particular post may have a positive impact on the reader. One of my goals in life is to make a difference; to be able to impart some words of comfort through the sharing of my lived experiences, whether those experiences made me cry with joy or cry in pain. For I know that as Christians we are going to suffer, however, we can turn the suffering into learning lessons for ourselves and others. 1 Peter 4:12; 2 Corinthians 1:4
So this takes me to the above verse from Genesis. None of us want to spend our lives alone. Even those of us who like solitude, at a certain point, would like to share time with a special person. Unfortunately, some times that special person doesn't turn out to be as special was we would like for him to be.
The pain of realizing someone's feelings for you are not nearly as strong as yours are for them can be quite devastating. You are left to wonder why he doesn't love you like he told you he did. You vacillate between moving on and staying, thinking that maybe he isn't good at expressing himself. You are torn between his overt actions and his inner feelings. And no matter how much advice you receive from those who don't like seeing you hurt, you cannot stop loving him. Eventually reality sinks in like a blow to the midsection.
We cannot make people love us the way we want them to, and even though we close our eyes to the truth, that moment will come and when it does, it hurts. Love is strong; it wields a power like none other! The certainty is, no one can and will love us the way the Lord does! Yes, I fully understand that knowing this does not ease the pain. It doesn't make the feelings go away, or diminish the need for companionship. God, in His infinite wisdom knew that and He made Eve for Adam. But life has taught every Eve is not guaranteed an Adam and every Ruth will not have a Boaz. We have to accept it! Nope, not an easy task to accomplish. However, we can, through prayerful communication with Our Father, do anything! We have to learn to put every part of our lives in God's capable and loving hands, and not take it back. We have to move the anxiety aside, knowing the Lord is going to provide us with all our needs and some of our wants. But, it will be according to His will; and that may not include a mate. Philippians 4:6-7; 13
Rest assured when "he" doesn't love you, "He" always loves you with a love that is unconditional! 1 John 4:7-18.
I like to post from life experiences because I never know who is reading at any given time and how that particular post may have a positive impact on the reader. One of my goals in life is to make a difference; to be able to impart some words of comfort through the sharing of my lived experiences, whether those experiences made me cry with joy or cry in pain. For I know that as Christians we are going to suffer, however, we can turn the suffering into learning lessons for ourselves and others. 1 Peter 4:12; 2 Corinthians 1:4
So this takes me to the above verse from Genesis. None of us want to spend our lives alone. Even those of us who like solitude, at a certain point, would like to share time with a special person. Unfortunately, some times that special person doesn't turn out to be as special was we would like for him to be.
The pain of realizing someone's feelings for you are not nearly as strong as yours are for them can be quite devastating. You are left to wonder why he doesn't love you like he told you he did. You vacillate between moving on and staying, thinking that maybe he isn't good at expressing himself. You are torn between his overt actions and his inner feelings. And no matter how much advice you receive from those who don't like seeing you hurt, you cannot stop loving him. Eventually reality sinks in like a blow to the midsection.
We cannot make people love us the way we want them to, and even though we close our eyes to the truth, that moment will come and when it does, it hurts. Love is strong; it wields a power like none other! The certainty is, no one can and will love us the way the Lord does! Yes, I fully understand that knowing this does not ease the pain. It doesn't make the feelings go away, or diminish the need for companionship. God, in His infinite wisdom knew that and He made Eve for Adam. But life has taught every Eve is not guaranteed an Adam and every Ruth will not have a Boaz. We have to accept it! Nope, not an easy task to accomplish. However, we can, through prayerful communication with Our Father, do anything! We have to learn to put every part of our lives in God's capable and loving hands, and not take it back. We have to move the anxiety aside, knowing the Lord is going to provide us with all our needs and some of our wants. But, it will be according to His will; and that may not include a mate. Philippians 4:6-7; 13
Rest assured when "he" doesn't love you, "He" always loves you with a love that is unconditional! 1 John 4:7-18.
Thursday, November 14, 2013
Imagine Hearing This
Imagine
praying and hearing this:
"Thank
you for calling My Father's House. Please select one of the following four
options:
*
Press 1 for requests.
*
Press 2 for thanksgiving.
*
Press 3 for complaints.
*
For all other inquiries, Press 4."
What
if God used the familiar excuse:
"All
of the angels are helping other customers right now. Please stay on the line.
Your call will be answered in the order it was received."
Can
you imagine getting these kinds of responses as you call on God in prayer?
*
"If you'd like to speak with Gabriel, press 1.
*
For Michael, press 2.
*
For any other angel, press 3."
*
"If you want King David to sing you a psalm, press 6."
"For
reservations at My Father's House, simply press the letters J-O-H-N on the
keypad, followed by the number 3-1-6."
"For
answers to nagging questions about dinosaurs, the age of the earth and where
Noah's ark is, wait until you get here!"
"Our
computers show that you have called once today already. Please hang up
immediately."
"This
office is closed for the weekend. Please call again Monday."
End
of message.
Thank
God, you can't call Him too often!!! You only need to ring once and God hears
you. Because of Jesus, you never get a busy signal. God takes each call and
knows each caller personally. When you call and the Lord will answer; you will
cry for help and He will say: "Here am I."
And
when you call: Emergency Phone Numbers
*
When in sorrow, call John 14
*
When men fail you, call Psalm 27
*
If you want to be fruitful, call John 15
*
When you have sinned, call Psalm 51
*
When you worry, call Matthew 6:19-34
*
When you are in danger, call Psalm 91
*
When God seems far away, call Psalm 139
*
When your faith needs stirring, call Hebrews 11
*
When you are lonely and fearful, call Psalm 23
*
When you grow bitter and critical, call 1 Cor. 13
*
For Paul's secret to happiness, call Col. 3:12-17
*
For idea of Christianity, call 1 Cor. 5:15-19
*
When you feel down and out, call Romans 8:31-39
* When you want peace and rest, call Matt. 11:25-30
*
When the world seems bigger than God, call Psalm 90
*
When you want Christian assurance, call Romans 8:1-30
*
When you leave home for labor or travel, call Psalm 121
*
When your prayers grow narrow or selfish, call Psalm 67
*
For a great invention/opportunity, call Isaiah 55
*
When you want courage for a task, call Joshua 1
*
How to get along with fellowmen, call Romans 12
*
When you think of investments/returns, call Mark 10
*
If you are depressed, call Psalm 27
*
If your pocketbook is empty, call Psalm 37
*
If you're losing confidence in people, call 1 Cor. 13
*
If people seem unkind, call John 15
*
If discouraged about your work, call Psalm 126
*
If you find the world growing small, and yourself great, call Psalm 19
Emergency
numbers may be dialed direct. No operator assistance is necessary. All lines
are open to Heaven 24 hours a day!
The
best form of spiritual exercise is to touch the floor regularly with your
knees.
Wednesday, November 13, 2013
CONDUITS OF COMFORT - Part Three: Overcoming
In this short series, I’ve talked about pain and loneliness.
I want to end it with an explanation of the title, Conduits of Comfort and how to overcome
not only pain and loneliness, but everything that sends us to a bad place and
causes us to take our focus off the most important entities in our lives; our
Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ and the Father of us all, the Almighty God.
According to Merriman-Webster, a conduit is defined as: 1) a
pipe or tube through which something (such as water or wire) passes; and 2)
someone or something that is used as a way of sending something (such as
information or money) from one place or person to another.
Let’s be enlightened by the second definition; for that
someone is Christ and that something is His Word, the Bible. The information
being transmitted is hope. We have hope in Christ through the Word for
overcoming every –and I mean every – obstacle in our lives! No matter how much
pain we have been in or are in, there is no comfort like that found in Jesus Christ.
No matter how lonely we are, there is no friend on whom we can depend on to be
with us like Jesus Christ. Don’t you just love saying that name! Jesus - “Jehovah
is salvation” “the healer” “the Soter or Iesous” (meaning savior of his people)”
and Christ – “Christos or the anointed” “Excellent”
“Messiah or anointed of God”. Just the meaning of His name should give us
immeasurable comfort! I love Jesus with every fiber of my being! When I think
about the pain that has been inflicted on me, when I think of the pain I go
through daily just by living in this world, I counter the pain with beautiful,
wonderful, tearfully happy thoughts of my Savior. Have you been so happy until
you can’t do anything but cry “thank you Lord!” Well that is just what we need
to do when that pain hits us; thank Him! Thank him that we can go through it
that we’re not so hard until we don’t believe He is going to help us get
through everything! When I become lonely and feel like crawling in a dark
corner, I counter the loneliness with thoughts of my Lord, Jesus. I know that
the loneliness will only be for a season and when the season has come to an
end, I emerge stronger, more ready to do His work!
Jesus and His Word are our conduits of comfort. See for
yourself; know that He loves us and gives us strength to face the pain, to face
the loneliness, to face to the ugliness of a selfish, cruel world. Remember
that the Lord is good and kind, our ever-present protector and provider of
comfort in times of need: Deuteronomy 31:8 The LORD himself goes before you and will be
with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be
discouraged. Joshua
1:9 Have I not
commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be
discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go. Psalm
119:76 May your
unfailing love be my comfort, according to your promise to your servant. John
14:27 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. Romans
15:13 May the God of
hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may
overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. 2
Corinthians 1:3-4 Praise
be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and
the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can
comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.
Finally, the 23rd
Psalm says it better than I ever could: 1 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet
waters, 3 he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness
for his name's sake. 4 Even though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death, I will
fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and
your staff, they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with
oil; my cup overflows. 6 Surely
goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I
will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
As I complete this post, there are
tears in my eyes because I know that as this day goes on I may experience both
bouts of pain and loneliness. But the tears are not for that, they are for the knowledge
that I am going to make it through because I know the Lord! I know Him! He is
my everlasting conduit of comfort!
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
CONDUITS OF COMFORT - Part Two: A Disease Called Loneliness
Depression. Insomnia. Sleeping too much. Weight loss. Weight gain. Lack of Appetite. Hypertension. Digestive Problems. Ulcers....Sounds like a disease diagnosis doesn't it? It is! And the disease is called loneliness.
Many of us has had, and some still suffer from this disease. The malady of loneliness has been widely studied. Health care professionals and social scientist alike all agree that loneliness is a real, serious disease. University of Chicago's social psychologist, John Cacioppo suggests that chronic loneliness can have significantly adverse effects on the cardiovascular system, causing a chain reaction that consequently leads to other problems that are just as serious, such as high blood pressure and diabetes.
You can be socially connected to 1,000 people on Facebook and still be lonely. Not because your life isn't crowed, but because your world is empty. Being lonely is not the same as being alone. People are usually okay being alone. Being alone are the times that help us to renew our minds, discover our inner-selves, and commune with an awesome God! But loneliness? Loneliness is like looking in the mirror and nothing stares back. It is like an echo; when you cry out, the only voice that comes back to you is your own; hollow, blank, lifeless.
God did not make man (woman) to be alone. He knew that it wold be an unhealthy state to exist in. That is why being lonely is so devastating. It is so easy to see how this disease can strike. The mental immune system is weak, allowing the germ of loneliness to infiltrate the system. It can become all-consuming, reeking havoc on the mind and body.
However, as with most diseases, there is a cure. Also, as with most diseases, the cure is not a simple or easy fix. There are steps that must be followed; guidelines to adhere to or the results sought will not be realized. First and foremost we must remember that if God made us (which he most certainly did!) He knows our needs. It is not His desire for us to be alone. If we've never experienced real love, He wants us to. But we have to be willing to understand our role and be amendable to following the instructions on the prescription bottles.
One thing we do know is that Christ also suffered loneliness in a very brief moment when he felt His Father had left him. Matthew 27:46 "And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?" that is, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" Also take comfort in the fact that Christ absolutely understands our loneliness.Hebrews 4:14-16 "Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need."
We also have to remember that God will never leave us; he will never forsake us! He will give us what we need. What we need to do is first of all trust in Him and know that He will provide us with what we need to get through the next day of loneliness, and the next day, and the next day. Give it over to Him and wait on Him. Do I think it's easy? Heck no! Sometimes the loneliness I feel is so overwhelming that I cry, and cry, and cry; so hard until I wonder how I am able to even breathe! Do I lose faith sometimes? You bet! But then I remember that "He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds." Psalm 147.3 He will hold me up, hold my hand, hold it so tight that I can't let go! Isaiah 41:10 "Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand." Am I still scared? You better believe it! However, I've found that focusing on the needs of others helps tremendously. Taking me out of the way and putting my energies in working for His kingdom feels takes away the pain.
We need to learn to trust God to provide for our needs. We cannot expect Him to answer our prayers, to provide for our needs and to comfort us in times of loneliness and we do nothing in return. Our prescription includes reaching and encouraging others; believing in God and doing what He says to do - [like] keeping His Commandments! We have to live by every Word of God. The entire Bible is written by inspiration of God (2 Timothy 3:16), so we must believe the Bible and live by it.
Do I get tired sometimes? Absolutely yes! Loneliness is a disease can tear us down, cause depression
and negatively impact our health.. But our Father says He
will take care of everything! He provides for the sparrows; He can certainly
provide for us (Luke 12:6-7). God is a loving Father who loves us even
more than any parent loves his or her little child. Learn to trust Him
to care for every need you have. Lean on him; when you find yourself falling, wrap your arms around him. When you want to give up, wrap your legs around him, feel the warmth of Him; hear the steady heartbeat and don't let go! Your battle is won, just let Him do it in His own time!
Many of us has had, and some still suffer from this disease. The malady of loneliness has been widely studied. Health care professionals and social scientist alike all agree that loneliness is a real, serious disease. University of Chicago's social psychologist, John Cacioppo suggests that chronic loneliness can have significantly adverse effects on the cardiovascular system, causing a chain reaction that consequently leads to other problems that are just as serious, such as high blood pressure and diabetes.
You can be socially connected to 1,000 people on Facebook and still be lonely. Not because your life isn't crowed, but because your world is empty. Being lonely is not the same as being alone. People are usually okay being alone. Being alone are the times that help us to renew our minds, discover our inner-selves, and commune with an awesome God! But loneliness? Loneliness is like looking in the mirror and nothing stares back. It is like an echo; when you cry out, the only voice that comes back to you is your own; hollow, blank, lifeless.
God did not make man (woman) to be alone. He knew that it wold be an unhealthy state to exist in. That is why being lonely is so devastating. It is so easy to see how this disease can strike. The mental immune system is weak, allowing the germ of loneliness to infiltrate the system. It can become all-consuming, reeking havoc on the mind and body.
However, as with most diseases, there is a cure. Also, as with most diseases, the cure is not a simple or easy fix. There are steps that must be followed; guidelines to adhere to or the results sought will not be realized. First and foremost we must remember that if God made us (which he most certainly did!) He knows our needs. It is not His desire for us to be alone. If we've never experienced real love, He wants us to. But we have to be willing to understand our role and be amendable to following the instructions on the prescription bottles.
One thing we do know is that Christ also suffered loneliness in a very brief moment when he felt His Father had left him. Matthew 27:46 "And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?" that is, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" Also take comfort in the fact that Christ absolutely understands our loneliness.Hebrews 4:14-16 "Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need."
We also have to remember that God will never leave us; he will never forsake us! He will give us what we need. What we need to do is first of all trust in Him and know that He will provide us with what we need to get through the next day of loneliness, and the next day, and the next day. Give it over to Him and wait on Him. Do I think it's easy? Heck no! Sometimes the loneliness I feel is so overwhelming that I cry, and cry, and cry; so hard until I wonder how I am able to even breathe! Do I lose faith sometimes? You bet! But then I remember that "He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds." Psalm 147.3 He will hold me up, hold my hand, hold it so tight that I can't let go! Isaiah 41:10 "Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand." Am I still scared? You better believe it! However, I've found that focusing on the needs of others helps tremendously. Taking me out of the way and putting my energies in working for His kingdom feels takes away the pain.
We need to learn to trust God to provide for our needs. We cannot expect Him to answer our prayers, to provide for our needs and to comfort us in times of loneliness and we do nothing in return. Our prescription includes reaching and encouraging others; believing in God and doing what He says to do - [like] keeping His Commandments! We have to live by every Word of God. The entire Bible is written by inspiration of God (2 Timothy 3:16), so we must believe the Bible and live by it.
Thursday, November 7, 2013
CONDUITS OF COMFORT - Part One: When Does the Hurt Stop Hurting?
Have you ever been hurt so badly until you felt
as if the wound would never heal? I don’t mean a physical pain, although
physical discomfort is usually the catalyst. The hurt I am talking about is a
mental pain, one that deeply pierces your heart with a throbbing of such
intensity until it makes you feel as if you will explode! That is the kind of
hurt I am talking about; the kind of hurt that makes you cry out in torture.
And all you want to know is , when does the hurt stop hurting?!
Imagine that you are a newlywed, embarking down
the road of marital bliss with the man whom you think will be your mate for
life. He is loving, pays so much attention to you, the proverbial “tall, dark
and handsome” and you are so looking forward to sharing your life with this
man. But there is a very, very dark side of him that you do not see until you
say “I do”. It doesn’t take long for that dark side to emerge.
Now imagine one day the both of you are watching
television, talking about the sitcom characters and you innocently call one of
them a punk. Nothing bad, just a simple not-so-horrible word; and all of a
sudden you find yourself drenched with a cold glass of milk that has been
thrown into your face. The milk is so cold until you can’t catch your breath
and the sudden shock of the icy liquid hitting your skin causes you to
convulse. You wonder where in the world that came from and what had you done to
deserve it. That is just that the beginning. The next time, you don’t agree
with something that he has said and suddenly you find yourself locked out of
the bedroom. You live with your grandparents, so you don’t want them to know
what is going on and you proceed to go and sit on the cold, damp basement steps
where your grandmother finds you. How do you explain what has happened? You don’t
of course, you just lie and say you locked yourself out of the room and your
husband is sleep. The first lie of many.
Then other little abuses begin to happen, a quick
slap in the face when you’ve “talked too much”. A swift push into a door when
you’ve “disobeyed” him. Several rights to the jaw; a kick in the behind that is
so forceful, you actually fall through the door, all because you forgot to
bring something from the grocery store. Oh yeah, there is the push down six
flights of stairs while your eight months pregnant. Then there’s the hard slam
into the car door because you refused to sit and listen to someone humiliate him!
There is the time you’re knocked down so much until you don’t even have the strength
to pick yourself up so you just lie there. There are the times that you find
out he is cheating on you; sometimes with women that you thought were your
friends. There are the countless times that you’ve stood in the middle to
absorb a blow meant for one of your children. Innocent little children who did
not understand why daddy hated them! And what about the many, many times you
tried to get away only to have your plans found out and been punished for being
“bad”. Then you were threatened with fatal harm if you ever tried it again. Or,
make that worse, your children were threatened. At this point, it stops becoming a physical pain but a mental hurt.
A hurt that makes you want to die, but you cannot stand the thought of leaving
your children to the care of him. You haven’t shared anything with your family.
You are terrified! The hurt intensifies as your situation becomes hopeless and
your feel your life, your spirit, just draining away. What do you do? What did
you do? When does the hurt stop hurting? You blame yourself because certainly
there has to been something that you did to induce the hurt. You were not a
good wife. You were not pretty enough, or smart enough, or did not satisfy him
in the many a ways a wife was supposed to. You were not spiritual enough. You
did not make a good impression on his family. You were just so inadequate in so
many ways until improvement was impossible. The hurt was unbearable and it just
would not stop! Your only solace is in the comfort of your prayers to the Lord.
It was decades that the abuse went gone on. Your children
have grown up, they are now self-sufficient. You don’t have to protect them
anymore, now they are protecting you. You don’t want them to be your protector.
You have a protector, the Almighty, the Omnipotent, the Greatest and now is the
time. You don’t take the abuse anymore. You don’t give in anymore. You find
that courage to finally issue an ultimatum…that marriage becomes history! You
don’t care that he has made a last ditch effort to belittle you and plummet
your self-esteem even lower than it already is. You try to look past the ugly
words he tosses at you as he laughs in your face: “You are ugly and fat and you
will never find anyone else!” You ignore it, but you are still left with the
hurt and it continues to hurt.
Now you are left to pick up the pieces and contend
with the hurt that others hurl at you; the biting, stinging words, spoken out
of ignorance. Things like, “I would have never stayed in that marriage”; “Just
one time and I would have been gone”; “It was your fault for staying”; “You
were the fool”, “I would not have given
him a second chance”…….yada, yada, yada…and all of this is fine and well. And
when you look back it, sure you stayed in the marriage too long. Perhaps you
should have left the first time. You were just married, you were confused, for
a long time you blamed yourself. However, none of those who had such wonderful “after
advice” lived your life; faced your threats; feared for their children’s world;
feared for their very own existence; or wanted to go to a corner, curl up in a
ball and quietly die. But whatever the truth, no one had the right to judge
you! Whatever the truth, nothing gave him the right to be abusive…to feel that
it was okay to physically and mentally hurt someone whom he stood in front of
people and God and swore he would love and cherish until death did them part.
No one has that right…No One! So when does the hurt stop hurting?
It never stops hurting. But when you are a Christian,
when you are in the family of Christ, through His love you find a way to look
past the hurt. When it becomes the proverbial monkey on your back, as it most
certainly will from time to time, you know that you have the unfailing love of the
One who will never hurt you! “For he will
deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence; he
will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his
faithfulness is a shield and buckler”. Psalm 91:3-4.You think of so many
verses to show how much God cares for you, even though you did not see at the
time you begin the realize how much the Lord actually brought you through! “God is our refuge and
strength, a very present help in trouble”. Psalm 9:9. He has always been your refuge, always been your strength,
your stronghold. He has always heard your prayers and knew your tears “For
he has not despised or abhorred the affliction of the afflicted, and he
has not hidden his face from him, but has heard, when he cried to him”.
Psalm 22:24
No, the hurt never
stops hurting but the Lord’s promises are indeed true! “Even though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for you are with
me; your rod and your staff, they comfort”. Psalm 23:4 And there will come
a time when you feel the hurt less, and when that little monkey decides to scuttle on back as I told you he
will, your Father will be there to send him right on back where he came from; just wait on Him. Praise
be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, The Father of compassion and
the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can
comfort those in any trouble”. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4a The hurt never stops
hurting and the Lord never stops loving us and will never leave us to hurt
alone. Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you."
Hebrews13:5.
Monday, November 4, 2013
First Things First
Therefore do not worry, saying, "What shall we eat?" or "What shall we drink?" or "What shall we wear?". For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all those things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. (Matthew 6:31-33)
When I was in my early twenties, just embarking on my journey into adulthood, I used to dream and want, and want and dream. I grew up in a religious household and understanding the need to read and study the Bible. But as I grew up, I became so fixated on what I wanted that I forgot "first things first."
I lived a pretty typical young adult's life; working and waiting for the weekend, so that I could party; sometimes so much so until when Sunday morning came around, I would be too exhausted to go to church. I forgot "first things first."
Then I got married, suffered through 21 years of unhappiness; and kept asking: Why me? Why Me? You see, I forgot "first things first."
When I got divorced, I became a rebel at an age closer to 50 than 40. I wanted to experience all of what I thought I had missed out on being married at 25 and for such a long time. I forgot "first things first."
My post-marriage experience turned out to be nothing but a frantic grasp at trying to live a life I thought would make me happy and give me fulfillment; I forgot "first things first."
During my fruitless attempts at self-awakening, I went through a myriad of crazy emotions and far-reaching impulsive adventures that were exciting and truly destructive. I played games I would never had done before. I became reckless, getting involved with two "bad boys", and all while harboring feelings of uneasiness throughout both relationships...I was just seeking a bit of happiness; looking for a reason to justify my foolishness. I forgot "first things first."
With my divorce came the crushing reality I was left alone to pick up the financial pieces of a broken marriage. Bills were mounting and I felt the walls were closing in and I was emotionally drowning. I forgot "first things first."
During that time, I lost three people who were extremely close to me; my mother and my 'play' mother. Then I lost me. I struggled to make sense of everything that had happened to me. I struggled with trying to make ends meet I struggled with an overwhelming loneliness. I struggled with those loss. I struggled with no one to turn to for encouragement. I forgot "first things first."
I began to start worrying. I worried about everything. How was I going to pay my bills; sometimes how was I going to get food to eat; how was I just going to make it from day-to-day. I was a mess because I forgot "first things first."
It has been thirteen years that I've been struggling with all of this. Thirteen years of not looking up when I felt my world crashing around me. Thirteen years of not handing my problems over to the One who has taken on the cares of the entire world and continues to do so every day-every hour-every second. Thirteen years of forgetting "first things first."
Now as I pen this post, I can smile. My life is still a mess; I still struggle with paying bills and making ends meet; I still suffer from overwhelming bouts of loneliness; I still sometimes feel inadequate. However, now I know that through my Savior, I can do all things. (Philippians 4:13)
Christ loves us and we can lay aside all worries. He has already given us everything we need. We have an all-inclusive promise from the Lord in Matthew 6:33. We don't ever have to worry how are bills are going to be paid; if we'll have a place to live; if we'll have food to eat, or even if we will have someone special in our lives. The Lord is ready and able to give it all...and He will! But, we have to realize and do our part. We need to look up and never forget "first things first!"
When I was in my early twenties, just embarking on my journey into adulthood, I used to dream and want, and want and dream. I grew up in a religious household and understanding the need to read and study the Bible. But as I grew up, I became so fixated on what I wanted that I forgot "first things first."
I lived a pretty typical young adult's life; working and waiting for the weekend, so that I could party; sometimes so much so until when Sunday morning came around, I would be too exhausted to go to church. I forgot "first things first."
Then I got married, suffered through 21 years of unhappiness; and kept asking: Why me? Why Me? You see, I forgot "first things first."
When I got divorced, I became a rebel at an age closer to 50 than 40. I wanted to experience all of what I thought I had missed out on being married at 25 and for such a long time. I forgot "first things first."
My post-marriage experience turned out to be nothing but a frantic grasp at trying to live a life I thought would make me happy and give me fulfillment; I forgot "first things first."
During my fruitless attempts at self-awakening, I went through a myriad of crazy emotions and far-reaching impulsive adventures that were exciting and truly destructive. I played games I would never had done before. I became reckless, getting involved with two "bad boys", and all while harboring feelings of uneasiness throughout both relationships...I was just seeking a bit of happiness; looking for a reason to justify my foolishness. I forgot "first things first."
With my divorce came the crushing reality I was left alone to pick up the financial pieces of a broken marriage. Bills were mounting and I felt the walls were closing in and I was emotionally drowning. I forgot "first things first."
During that time, I lost three people who were extremely close to me; my mother and my 'play' mother. Then I lost me. I struggled to make sense of everything that had happened to me. I struggled with trying to make ends meet I struggled with an overwhelming loneliness. I struggled with those loss. I struggled with no one to turn to for encouragement. I forgot "first things first."
I began to start worrying. I worried about everything. How was I going to pay my bills; sometimes how was I going to get food to eat; how was I just going to make it from day-to-day. I was a mess because I forgot "first things first."
It has been thirteen years that I've been struggling with all of this. Thirteen years of not looking up when I felt my world crashing around me. Thirteen years of not handing my problems over to the One who has taken on the cares of the entire world and continues to do so every day-every hour-every second. Thirteen years of forgetting "first things first."
Now as I pen this post, I can smile. My life is still a mess; I still struggle with paying bills and making ends meet; I still suffer from overwhelming bouts of loneliness; I still sometimes feel inadequate. However, now I know that through my Savior, I can do all things. (Philippians 4:13)
Christ loves us and we can lay aside all worries. He has already given us everything we need. We have an all-inclusive promise from the Lord in Matthew 6:33. We don't ever have to worry how are bills are going to be paid; if we'll have a place to live; if we'll have food to eat, or even if we will have someone special in our lives. The Lord is ready and able to give it all...and He will! But, we have to realize and do our part. We need to look up and never forget "first things first!"
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