Sometimes, the road we're on brings unforeseen bumps and sensitive bruises. I know, all too well, how patience gets weary, how the light at the end of the tunnel often looks like a train instead of the light at the end, and the urge to sub come to the thought of giving up almost looks bearable. I want to encourage us with truths from God's Word:
Isaiah 40:29 He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.
Isaiah 40:31 but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.
Matthew 11:30 "For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
I titled this post the "weight" of the "wait". What weight are you carrying?? First of all, ANY weight we carry around is excess. Jesus says His burden is light. If I'm heavy with burden, obviously, I'm carrying weight needlessly.
But, even knowing this, the weight of the wait still attempts to overtake me. I've had expectations fail, trials arrive, hopes explode, promises break, and my bubble busted more than once. I've longed for change for so long, that when change finally does occur, sometimes I have become so discouraged, I miss it.
Throughout my life, I've found myself waiting numerous times: waiting on the bathroom to open up; waiting for the stoplight to change; waiting for the person on the other end of the phone line to answer; waiting for an expected email to arrive; waiting ..... waiting ..... waiting ...... waiting for the next visit with my husband; waiting for the test results; waiting for the other shoe to drop; waiting for healing; waiting for my husband to come home; waiting .... waiting .... waiting .....
Is the wait bearable?? Can I stand up under it?? NO WAY - not in my own strength. God's Word says in 1 Corinthians 10:13 "No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it." I desperately need the Lord's strength. I need the Lord to help me wait. I need the Lord to carry my weight through the wait.
What are you waiting for?? The miracle you have been waiting for could be just around the next corner. Don't give up!! With God's help, the weight of the wait is do-able; and it's worth it!!
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Tuesday, May 08, 2007
Mother's Day
Mother's Day brings a mixture of emotions for me. Over the course of my life on this earth, I've experienced an array of emotions in the 14 Mother's Days I have had the honor of celebrating. As a single mother for many years, with gifts being my primary love language, I have had to come up with inquisitive ways for my boys to "help me out" with Mother's Day Celebrations. In their younger years, I'd give them construction paper and crayons and "hint" for them to make me a card; I've even gone so far as to give them extra allowance and "greatly encourage" them to spend it on me.
Nonetheless, Mother's Days seem to be an emotional time. Is it because I have such high hopes and this day doesn't meet my expectations, or could it be because I don't see myself as being important enough to honor for even one day, or is it because the world really doesn't seem to acknowledge the intense sacrifice Mother's make for their families? Whatever the reason, my past Mother's Days have been low times.
It is during times like these, times that I feel down-trodden or less than worthy, that the Lord reaches down, takes a hold of my heart, and reminds me of truths like "I am his daughter", "I am deeply loved and completely accepted to the Creator of the universe!", "I have been bought with a price", "I am His princess", "I am royalty!"
This Mother's Day, regardless of how it turns out, I am making a conscious decision to believe the truth from scripture, about me as a daughter, about me as a mother, about me as a wife and about me as a woman. I am listing references below to the Proverbs 31 woman. Being a Wife is a noble task, as well as an honor! Standing beside our husbands, raising our children, and doing our part, IS making a difference.
So, on this Mother's Day, if you're a woman, wife, mother, or daughter, my encouragement is to celebrate the gift God made when He made YOU!! You are worth celebrating!! And if you're not one of the above, I'm sure you could send a "Happy Mother's Day" to someone that is.
Excerpts from Proverbs 31 (NIV)
10 A wife of noble character who can find?
She is worth far more than rubies.
11 Her husband has full confidence in her
and lacks nothing of value.
12 She brings him good, not harm,
all the days of her life.
20 She opens her arms to the poor
and extends her hands to the needy.
25 She is clothed with strength and dignity;
she can laugh at the days to come.
26 She speaks with wisdom,
and faithful instruction is on her tongue.
27 She watches over the affairs of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness.
28 Her children arise and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her:
29 "Many women do noble things,
but you surpass them all."
30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.
Nonetheless, Mother's Days seem to be an emotional time. Is it because I have such high hopes and this day doesn't meet my expectations, or could it be because I don't see myself as being important enough to honor for even one day, or is it because the world really doesn't seem to acknowledge the intense sacrifice Mother's make for their families? Whatever the reason, my past Mother's Days have been low times.
It is during times like these, times that I feel down-trodden or less than worthy, that the Lord reaches down, takes a hold of my heart, and reminds me of truths like "I am his daughter", "I am deeply loved and completely accepted to the Creator of the universe!", "I have been bought with a price", "I am His princess", "I am royalty!"
This Mother's Day, regardless of how it turns out, I am making a conscious decision to believe the truth from scripture, about me as a daughter, about me as a mother, about me as a wife and about me as a woman. I am listing references below to the Proverbs 31 woman. Being a Wife is a noble task, as well as an honor! Standing beside our husbands, raising our children, and doing our part, IS making a difference.
So, on this Mother's Day, if you're a woman, wife, mother, or daughter, my encouragement is to celebrate the gift God made when He made YOU!! You are worth celebrating!! And if you're not one of the above, I'm sure you could send a "Happy Mother's Day" to someone that is.
Excerpts from Proverbs 31 (NIV)
10 A wife of noble character who can find?
She is worth far more than rubies.
11 Her husband has full confidence in her
and lacks nothing of value.
12 She brings him good, not harm,
all the days of her life.
20 She opens her arms to the poor
and extends her hands to the needy.
25 She is clothed with strength and dignity;
she can laugh at the days to come.
26 She speaks with wisdom,
and faithful instruction is on her tongue.
27 She watches over the affairs of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness.
28 Her children arise and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her:
29 "Many women do noble things,
but you surpass them all."
30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
15 Minutes
Philippians 4:4-8 (The Message)
4-5 Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean, revel in him! Make it as clear as you can to all you meet that you're on their side, working with them and not against them. Help them see that the Master is about to arrive. He could show up any minute!
6-7 Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.
8-9 Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.
____________________________________________________
I've been challenged recently to live out loud! Definition meaning: share not only the good, the pretty, the pleasant, but sometimes, share the ugly. In this manner, others will see that it is the "I AM" that brings about change.
With that being said, I'm feeling down today. A a wife of a TC Student, learning to keep conversations to 15-minutes has been a struggle. Well, honestly, keeping any conversation to 15-minutes has ALWAYS been a struggle for me! Nonetheless, this season has been no exception.
I've made mental lists of what to talk about in advance, and then, when the call comes in, I forget everything I wanted to share. We've enjoyed conversations together where all we've done is laugh as we've shared about our week. We've also had our share of hang-ups whereas one of us will choose to end the call sooner than our 15 minute time slot.
For me personally, last night's 15-minute call was one of those. Sparring all the "gory" details, I woke this morning burdened. I felt my shoulders slump as I stepped out of bed. I felt the dried tears crusted in the corners of my eyes. I felt a longing for just one more 15-minute call. It was at that time that I popped in a CD I received from Larry Low.
In this teaching, he shared the above referenced scripture from Philippians 4. As the Lord massaged His Word into the wounded places of my heart I heard that sweet, still small voice reassure me, "Be still and KNOW that I AM God!!" It was during that ironic 15-minute teaching that I gave my burden to the Lord. The burden lifted. I then poured out my brokenness, insecurity, and loneness, and the Lord took those as well. In their places, I received acceptance, peace and security.
Soon after that, my phone rang and I received a quick 2-minute call which consisted of "I'm sorry", no "I'm sorry", no "I'm sorry" and the cycle TRIED to repeat itself yet again. This time we both recognized it and quickly agreed to the others apology, said our "I love you's" and said "good-bye".
Looking back, I wouldn't trade either of these 15-minute experiences. It took the second 15-minutes to remind me of just how much the Lord loves his kids. I seemed to have forgotten that after the first 15-minutes. And the bottom line truth is that to the Lord, time means nothing. If I would have asked Him immediately, He would have spoken this truth to me IN A MINUTE.
So, no matter what you might be going through, know that HE is GOD! He's asking for a minute of your time, what will you offer Him today??
4-5 Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean, revel in him! Make it as clear as you can to all you meet that you're on their side, working with them and not against them. Help them see that the Master is about to arrive. He could show up any minute!
6-7 Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.
8-9 Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.
____________________________________________________
I've been challenged recently to live out loud! Definition meaning: share not only the good, the pretty, the pleasant, but sometimes, share the ugly. In this manner, others will see that it is the "I AM" that brings about change.
With that being said, I'm feeling down today. A a wife of a TC Student, learning to keep conversations to 15-minutes has been a struggle. Well, honestly, keeping any conversation to 15-minutes has ALWAYS been a struggle for me! Nonetheless, this season has been no exception.
I've made mental lists of what to talk about in advance, and then, when the call comes in, I forget everything I wanted to share. We've enjoyed conversations together where all we've done is laugh as we've shared about our week. We've also had our share of hang-ups whereas one of us will choose to end the call sooner than our 15 minute time slot.
For me personally, last night's 15-minute call was one of those. Sparring all the "gory" details, I woke this morning burdened. I felt my shoulders slump as I stepped out of bed. I felt the dried tears crusted in the corners of my eyes. I felt a longing for just one more 15-minute call. It was at that time that I popped in a CD I received from Larry Low.
In this teaching, he shared the above referenced scripture from Philippians 4. As the Lord massaged His Word into the wounded places of my heart I heard that sweet, still small voice reassure me, "Be still and KNOW that I AM God!!" It was during that ironic 15-minute teaching that I gave my burden to the Lord. The burden lifted. I then poured out my brokenness, insecurity, and loneness, and the Lord took those as well. In their places, I received acceptance, peace and security.
Soon after that, my phone rang and I received a quick 2-minute call which consisted of "I'm sorry", no "I'm sorry", no "I'm sorry" and the cycle TRIED to repeat itself yet again. This time we both recognized it and quickly agreed to the others apology, said our "I love you's" and said "good-bye".
Looking back, I wouldn't trade either of these 15-minute experiences. It took the second 15-minutes to remind me of just how much the Lord loves his kids. I seemed to have forgotten that after the first 15-minutes. And the bottom line truth is that to the Lord, time means nothing. If I would have asked Him immediately, He would have spoken this truth to me IN A MINUTE.
So, no matter what you might be going through, know that HE is GOD! He's asking for a minute of your time, what will you offer Him today??
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