"The greatest tragedy of life is not unanswered prayer, but unoffered prayer."
F.B. Meyer
Prayer. Just the very word conjures a range of emotional thoughts and feelings. Comfort. Duty. Guilt. Anger. Connection. This last Sunday, our pastor, once again, did a fabulous sermon on prayer. He used the above quote, and Luke 11:2-13 to remind us that we just need to keep knocking..keep seeking..keep praying. God is listening. I needed to be reminded of this great truth. However, before the sermon had even been uttered, God allowed me to be in two situations that paralleled the importance of prayer.
You know how they say in marriage, communication is key? Well you'd think, in all our wisdom ;), after 5 years of marriage, Clinton and I would be starting to grasp that concept a little more. Most of the time, I'd say we communicate pretty well, however, the gender differences often play a part in setting expectations and thus ensue a lack of communication...which can lead to some distress. Over the weekend, Clinton and I were in one of those situations that required more communication than the other was willing to give...well..ok..than I was willing to give. (Sorry honey, I need to use you to make a point)
So, Friday, I traveled to Dodge to drop off a load of our belongings. Let me preface- Clinton had been gone all week working in Liberal (an hour or so away from Dodge), and I had to load up and haul stuff out by myself- which was fine- but by Friday night, I was a bit tired. Also, he had to work Saturday. So, Friday evening rolls around, and here I am weary, overwhelmed emotionally by life right now, and stuck in Dodge City. It had been a long day, and I was thinking/hoping that Clinton would surprise me for the evening. After all he was only an hour away, right? But, I did not communicate this desire to him because, by my mistake, I thought he'd catch on to this. At first it was no big deal, I had known he wasn't coming, but I was still hoping. But, as the evening ensued, through various conversations, my hope started to disappate as he showed no signs of catching on. Thus, my reaction was to shut down, close him off, and let the hurt fester in my heart. By the time I went to bed I was a mess emotionally, - angry, bitter, sad, and the last thing I wanted to do was talk to him.
But, talking is exactly what we needed to do. After enough poking and proding, I eventually broke down and spilled my heart to him. He was completely unaware that I had even felt this way! Of course then he felt awful, but if I had just talked to him in the first place, it would not have been an issue! I allowed myself to dwell on the hurt of unmet expectations, instead of just communicating in the first place. We missed out on a perfectly good opportunity to be together, because I just wanted my need to be magically met.
This, and another couple's communicating issues (for confidentiality purposes, I will not divulge this situation), got me thinking about our relationship with God. I for one, know that when I am not communicating with God, my life is out of whack. When I go for periods of time and don't communicate with Him, my heart begins to harden, my attitude shifts, and I start to dwell on the hurt of unmet expectations. Why is it that we build walls and push God away daily? The longer we go, the harder it is to just humble ourselves and talk with Him. But talking is exactly what we need to do. In both situations over the weekend, when both parties communicated, everything turned out great..better actually! Isn't that how it is with God? When we finally surrender and communicate with Him, oh how our hearts find peace!
Today as I reflect on our humaness, once again, and our need to be self-suficient, I pray that we would be reminded of how important it is to be in communication with our true Source of Life. How tragic, how bitter, how hopeless we allow our lives to become because we simply don't talk to the One who is able and willing to help us! Obviously, unlike Clinton :), God already knows our thoughts, but the point is He WANTS us to talk to him about everything anyways. It's not to enlighten Him, it's to remind us of who is in control, and of our desperate need for a Savior in this imperfect world.
Take time today to pray, to talk to God, to offer your concerns, your unmet expectations, your hurt and of course your joys. I think God even delights in the silly stuff we bring Him, because He knows we are human and He wants to build that relationship. Don't let your day slip away without communicating with your Heavenly Father. Don't miss out on opportunities to be with Him. You never know what blessings will befall your eyes and your heart if you just offer it.
Love.
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
My Worn, Comfy, Red Couch
In my house sits a red couch. This couch was generously given to me by my parents when we moved in. I love this couch, not just because it's red, but because within it's worn out cushions, memories hide. This couch was first positioned at my parents house. It was our seating for T.V. entertainment. It was also the last place I remember Logan sitting before his wreck, and where I was sitting when our world turned upside down the next morning.
This couch started out in our first apartment- young love, first real furniture (super exciting), first real place. It traveled with us to our current residence, and since it's placement here, it has seen it's share of moments. Every morning I sit in the left side corner of that couch, cozy up with a blanket, and with little attempt to break bad habits..a silly dog curled beside. It is just the right spot to start waking up, to do devotions, and it is just the right height to kneel in prayer.It's the perfect spot for a nap, and in the evenings, to unwind with my husband.
God and I have had a lot of talks on that couch. I've written a lot of blogs, a lot of poems, and read a lot of devotionals/Bible verses. I've prayed a lot, rejoiced a lot, and definitely cried a lot. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if there is a subtle impression of my face left in it's soft cushioning. God has held me on that couch, He's cried with me, and He's filled my heart to overflowing on that couch.
Sunday, our pastor spoke about the importance of altars- not just a place of sacrifice, but a place of rememberance. Throughout the Old Testament, altars were built to remind the person or people of what God had done in their life at that particular place. Countless passages talk about the importance of remembering.
4 Look to the LORD and his strength;
seek his face always.
5 Remember the wonders he has done,
his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced, 6 you his servants, the descendants of Abraham,
his chosen ones, the children of Jacob.
My worn, comfy, vibrant couch is my altar. It's my refuge, it's my reminder. A reminder of what I've been through, where I've come from, and how God is still working. I will be leaving my couch soon, just for a period, my sister-in-law will be taking it over. But even though I am leaving, my memories of that couch remain.
Today I ask, what is your 'altar"? What in your life holds those precious God moments, and memories for you? God designed us with a memory- for good and for bad, and it can be triggered by any number of things- a song, a place, a person, an item,..a couch. I would encourage you to revisit that "thing" and take it all in. Be still and be reminded of what God has done in your life. Unless we take time to remember, we tend to forget, and those moments are ones we should treasure forever. I bet you'll discover they're still there, much like a worn, comfy, oversized couch- just waiting to be snuggled in.
Love.
This couch started out in our first apartment- young love, first real furniture (super exciting), first real place. It traveled with us to our current residence, and since it's placement here, it has seen it's share of moments. Every morning I sit in the left side corner of that couch, cozy up with a blanket, and with little attempt to break bad habits..a silly dog curled beside. It is just the right spot to start waking up, to do devotions, and it is just the right height to kneel in prayer.It's the perfect spot for a nap, and in the evenings, to unwind with my husband.
God and I have had a lot of talks on that couch. I've written a lot of blogs, a lot of poems, and read a lot of devotionals/Bible verses. I've prayed a lot, rejoiced a lot, and definitely cried a lot. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if there is a subtle impression of my face left in it's soft cushioning. God has held me on that couch, He's cried with me, and He's filled my heart to overflowing on that couch.
Sunday, our pastor spoke about the importance of altars- not just a place of sacrifice, but a place of rememberance. Throughout the Old Testament, altars were built to remind the person or people of what God had done in their life at that particular place. Countless passages talk about the importance of remembering.
Psalm 105:4-6
seek his face always.
5 Remember the wonders he has done,
his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced, 6 you his servants, the descendants of Abraham,
his chosen ones, the children of Jacob.
My worn, comfy, vibrant couch is my altar. It's my refuge, it's my reminder. A reminder of what I've been through, where I've come from, and how God is still working. I will be leaving my couch soon, just for a period, my sister-in-law will be taking it over. But even though I am leaving, my memories of that couch remain.
Today I ask, what is your 'altar"? What in your life holds those precious God moments, and memories for you? God designed us with a memory- for good and for bad, and it can be triggered by any number of things- a song, a place, a person, an item,..a couch. I would encourage you to revisit that "thing" and take it all in. Be still and be reminded of what God has done in your life. Unless we take time to remember, we tend to forget, and those moments are ones we should treasure forever. I bet you'll discover they're still there, much like a worn, comfy, oversized couch- just waiting to be snuggled in.
Love.
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Somethin's Followin You Around
Psalm 23- one of the more famous passages in the Bible. We've probably heard it all our lives, in and outside of church. In fact, I even remember it being quoted in the movie Titanic. As the boat is tilted up in the air, and people are clinging to the railing, a priest begins quoting this Psalm in the face of impending doom. It's a Psalm of hope, of comfort, of rest. Just in case you need a brush up/ reminder it's about the Lord being our shepherd, we shall not want, when we walk through the valley of death..etc... hey you could look it up and read it if you want a real refresher :)
There's so many truths and lessons encompassed in this passage. We could pick apart each section and discuss it's relevence today and the message of hope this secures for us. Today, however, I want to focus on the last verse. I met with my mentor, Annabell, yesterday, and have researching and digging into this Psalm she discovered an explanation that I found great joy and comfort in. I want to share it with you.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell[a] in the house of the LORD
Forever.
I've always thought "yah I like that. If I follow God, then this "goodness and mercy" stuff will follow me." Sounds like a good deal. In fact, everytime I hear this quote, I want to sing the song "Surely goodness and mercey shall fooolloow me, all the days, all the days of my liiiffee...." But yesterday, Annabell took it a step further than just "good stuff to have followin me around." I've never really thought about what it truly means to have God's goodness and mercy follow me. So, today, I pray that you will be encouraged by this precious gem:
God's goodness takes care of our steps, while His mercy takes care of our stumbles.
Did you get that? Read it again.
When we chose to follow Him, God knows that we are never going to be perfect. He doesn't expect perfection, He expects willingness, and He will do the rest. When we follow Christ, His goodness gives us the security, blessings, and strength for our journey. Through His goodness to us, He acknowledges our humanity, our imperfections, and thus He then extends His mercy to pick us up when we fall. What blessed assurance to know that if we allow Him, God takes care of every step we make, and when we do trip, He's right there, extending his hand, ready to help us back to our feet.
Have a wonderful day knowing that you are never far from your Heavenly Father. As you journey through this life, His goodness and mercy are following close behind.... and that's good stuff to have hangin around :).
There's so many truths and lessons encompassed in this passage. We could pick apart each section and discuss it's relevence today and the message of hope this secures for us. Today, however, I want to focus on the last verse. I met with my mentor, Annabell, yesterday, and have researching and digging into this Psalm she discovered an explanation that I found great joy and comfort in. I want to share it with you.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell[a] in the house of the LORD
Forever.
I've always thought "yah I like that. If I follow God, then this "goodness and mercy" stuff will follow me." Sounds like a good deal. In fact, everytime I hear this quote, I want to sing the song "Surely goodness and mercey shall fooolloow me, all the days, all the days of my liiiffee...." But yesterday, Annabell took it a step further than just "good stuff to have followin me around." I've never really thought about what it truly means to have God's goodness and mercy follow me. So, today, I pray that you will be encouraged by this precious gem:
God's goodness takes care of our steps, while His mercy takes care of our stumbles.
Did you get that? Read it again.
When we chose to follow Him, God knows that we are never going to be perfect. He doesn't expect perfection, He expects willingness, and He will do the rest. When we follow Christ, His goodness gives us the security, blessings, and strength for our journey. Through His goodness to us, He acknowledges our humanity, our imperfections, and thus He then extends His mercy to pick us up when we fall. What blessed assurance to know that if we allow Him, God takes care of every step we make, and when we do trip, He's right there, extending his hand, ready to help us back to our feet.
Have a wonderful day knowing that you are never far from your Heavenly Father. As you journey through this life, His goodness and mercy are following close behind.... and that's good stuff to have hangin around :).
Friday, July 1, 2011
Lessons from a Rafting Trip
Early this morning I went on a bike ride, to beat the heat, to beat the day, and in the cool of the morning, God and I had some needed time to talk. As my mind drifted from request to request, my heart began breaking at the seriousness of specific situations. My heart is so saddened at my generation, and the choices we are making. As I grow older and deeper in my faith, the realization of humanity, selfishness, and the consequences of the previous are becoming ever more apparent. We can proclaim something til we are blue in the face, but unless our lives reflect those actions, it means nothing. Everything we do ultimately affects ourselves and others in one way or another, and yet too often we neglect to recognize the severtiy of our actions.
As I was reflecting on this, God brought to my attention that too often, we find ourselves drowning. Drowning in our sin, our choices, our selfishness, our lack of strong moral conviction. And, this reminded me of an illustration my father shared with me last weekend. A little background first:
Last weekend I was so blessed to travel to Colorado Springs for my cousin's beautiful wedding. The day of the wedding, my parents, MacKinzie, and I had time to go white water rafting. The water was more intense than anything we'd been on before, and at times it was a little nerve-racking. At one point in our trip, our guide assured us it was safe to "float/swim" in the river for a bit. Trusting our guide, Kinzie and I (and a few others) decided to test the water. Although I thought hypothermia was going to set in, I floated peacefully along, enjoying my experience. Later my dad pointed out his experience of the swim:
My dad chose to stay in the raft, while Kinzie and I floated about. While I was in lala land, Dad recounted Kinzie's experience. As she floated around, the water started getting rougher, the raft starting slipping farther away, and she started drifting closer to the edge of the river. As she tried to fight her way back, her calm quickly turned to panic. Dad recalls seeing the look of fear and urgency on her face. Everything within him screamed "save her!" Here his little girl, was completely helpless, grasping for help, and he would do anything in his power to pull her out. What a powerful example of the love and urgency our Heavenly Father has for us.
As we go through life, we make choices everyday. Unfortunately, if we aren't careful, we begin to drift farther away from the security of our raft, and before we know it, we start to drown. How often do we live moment to moment when the water starts to crash in unexpectedly? Then what do we do? We panic. We can't understand how we drifted so far, why we're so desperate to be rescued. It's because we weren't paying attention. We allowed ourselves to lose sight of the boat, and go our own way. We need to wake up, this is scary business, and if we don't seek refuge, we are playing with fire and we will not win.
Galatians 6:7,8 says“7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. 8 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.”
I cannot stress enough how important it is for us to lean on Christ- to sow in the Spirit and not to the flesh.
My floating experience was completely different- I trusted my guide, I kept sight of the boat, I knew my father was watching me, and I was filled with perfect peace (now this lesson is for me just as much as it is for the next person, this is strictly an illustration to demonstarte the difference). We both started off the same, but our choices led to different endings.
When MacKinzie recognized her need for help, she didn't push further away from the raft-that could have meant injury or death. How ridiculous to go in the opposite direcition of safety! No, she knew she needed to find the raft and just get close enough for her daddy to reach out and save her. And he was right there watching and ready the whole time.
As I was reflecting on this, God brought to my attention that too often, we find ourselves drowning. Drowning in our sin, our choices, our selfishness, our lack of strong moral conviction. And, this reminded me of an illustration my father shared with me last weekend. A little background first:
Last weekend I was so blessed to travel to Colorado Springs for my cousin's beautiful wedding. The day of the wedding, my parents, MacKinzie, and I had time to go white water rafting. The water was more intense than anything we'd been on before, and at times it was a little nerve-racking. At one point in our trip, our guide assured us it was safe to "float/swim" in the river for a bit. Trusting our guide, Kinzie and I (and a few others) decided to test the water. Although I thought hypothermia was going to set in, I floated peacefully along, enjoying my experience. Later my dad pointed out his experience of the swim:
My dad chose to stay in the raft, while Kinzie and I floated about. While I was in lala land, Dad recounted Kinzie's experience. As she floated around, the water started getting rougher, the raft starting slipping farther away, and she started drifting closer to the edge of the river. As she tried to fight her way back, her calm quickly turned to panic. Dad recalls seeing the look of fear and urgency on her face. Everything within him screamed "save her!" Here his little girl, was completely helpless, grasping for help, and he would do anything in his power to pull her out. What a powerful example of the love and urgency our Heavenly Father has for us.
As we go through life, we make choices everyday. Unfortunately, if we aren't careful, we begin to drift farther away from the security of our raft, and before we know it, we start to drown. How often do we live moment to moment when the water starts to crash in unexpectedly? Then what do we do? We panic. We can't understand how we drifted so far, why we're so desperate to be rescued. It's because we weren't paying attention. We allowed ourselves to lose sight of the boat, and go our own way. We need to wake up, this is scary business, and if we don't seek refuge, we are playing with fire and we will not win.
Galatians 6:7,8 says“7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. 8 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.”
I cannot stress enough how important it is for us to lean on Christ- to sow in the Spirit and not to the flesh.
My floating experience was completely different- I trusted my guide, I kept sight of the boat, I knew my father was watching me, and I was filled with perfect peace (now this lesson is for me just as much as it is for the next person, this is strictly an illustration to demonstarte the difference). We both started off the same, but our choices led to different endings.
God is our refuge and strength,
always ready to help in times of trouble. - Psalms 46:1
Let's start taking preventive measures before our actions require saving. And, if you have drifted, have no fear, you're never to far to be saved.
When MacKinzie recognized her need for help, she didn't push further away from the raft-that could have meant injury or death. How ridiculous to go in the opposite direcition of safety! No, she knew she needed to find the raft and just get close enough for her daddy to reach out and save her. And he was right there watching and ready the whole time.
Love.
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