Posts Tagged: Christian

He cares

There are times that we think of something we want.  And we think of ways to make this thing we want happen.  So often we don’t talk with our Creator about it.  We rely on our strength to make it happen.

Recently there was something in my life, that I have wanted for a while and originally when the opportunity came up I passed on it because of lack of finances.  This opportunity was possibly coming up again.  This time around I prayed and I envisioned myself taking advantage of the opportunity.  I thought through several options so that I could take advantage of the opportunity.  But God decided to take care of the finances so that I can take advantage of the opportunity!

A couple weeks, I was talking with a friend about their life and she told me that God recently provided her a sewing machine and a kitchen table.  The kitchen table was the exact color she wanted and it matches her kitchen cabinets!  These are both items that she wanted but due circumstances she was not able to get these items herself.

God does really care about our wants and needs!  “Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” – Luke 12:7  I love that God cares for every detail of our lives!  He delights in providing for His sons and daughters.  God cared enough to not only provide a kitchen table for my friend but He cared enough to make sure it was one that matched her cabinets perfectly and it was the right size for her kitchen.  These are details that are so small but they made a huge impact on my friend and her faith.  In my situation, God cared enough to take care of the one barrier that was in my way and might I add it was a large barrier in my eyes.  But in His eyes the barrier was nothing!

So the next time you think that something is too small to take to God, think again!  Speak with Him about your wants and needs and then let them in His hands to take care of them for you.  And there are times that He will give us what we want.  He will always provide us our needs.  I am not saying that God is a genie that He will give you your every want and desire.  But I am saying that He want to hear about your wants and needs just like you would tell a friend about them.

The costs of being jaded

I have been in social services for almost 10 years and in these 10 years I seen and experienced a lot.  I have gotten to meet many people through the years.  Many I was able to help but more importantly there were many that taught me life lessons.  I think of the man who taught me how to be present and actively listen rather than think of the next thing I am going to say or do  I think of the individuals who have worked so hard to get ahead but life keeps hitting them with hard moments.  But they chose to continue working towards their goals and not allow life circumstances to determine their direction of their life.

As I continued to work in social services, I became jaded.  Webster’s dictionary defines jaded as: fatigued by overwork or made dull, apathetic, or cynical by experience or by having or seeing too much of something.  And I almost wore this jaded filter as a badge of honor.  I thought it was okay to view my clients that I worked with through this jaded filter.  In some ways, I thought I was being wise when I looked at my clients with this jaded filter.  I remember telling a coworker that I can tell she is early on in her career because of the hope and optimism that she has in a situation with a client.

I was on the way to work one morning and someone was talking on the radio about people who are jaded.  And how this jaded filter is not something that we should have.  It caught me by surprise but the more I thought about it, I realized this person was right.

I believe that every decision and belief have reactions with they good, bad or both. And having the jaded filter has reactions in our lives and the lives of those around us.  The problem with being jaded especially in social services, you are indirectly telling that person they are going to fail with what ever they are working towards.  And being jaded causes you to be cynical rather hopeful not only in the lives of our clients but also in our own lives.  Being jaded also has you always looking for the worst in a person or you have the belief that the person will never change.

I think often we adapt this jaded filter because it “protects” us from being hurt or vulnerable with others.  Another thing that happens when you have a jaded filter for a long time is that you quit dreaming for yourself and others.  This keeps most of our relationships more at a surface level and we miss the blessing that can comes from being willing to walk beside someone in their journey.

And the last affect that the jaded filter has, we are deciding the future for the person from our point of view.  We are believing what society, life circumstances or labels say about someone rather than what God says about them and who they are.

When in relationships with people, we need to be wise but we also need to be willing to get vulnerable and show them that their journey matters to us and more importantly to God.  And live in a way that others see that the belief that no one is too far gone and that they can be redeemed by God.  And they can live in the blessings that God has for them.  We are called to build relationships with others and God, walk the journey with them and believe in others even when they do not believe in themselves.

So have you become jaded?  If so what is being jaded costing you and those around you?

 

 

 

Unexplained Tears

Last night I experienced something at church that I did not understand but yet there was a peace and sweetness about it.  When worship started, I felt the need to walk away from the crowd and find a spot to sit against the wall.  At my seat I started to get teary eyed.  But once I sat down against the wall on the floor in the back of the room, the tears started and did not stop.  As I sat there in my Father’s presence, I could not figure out why I was crying.  Rather than getting frustrated I just sat in the presence of God and let the tears fall.

During the time of me being present with my Creator, the only word that came to me was healing.  And two images came to mind.  The first image was my Father standing there with His arms open for an embrace.  The next image was me laying my head against the Father as if I was an embrace with Him.

While I was sitting there, I remembering wishing someone would come to pray with me.  I then felt the need to go to the next steps room for prayer during worship and I told God “I am not sure what I am asking for prayer, since I do not know why I was crying and I don’t know what is going on right now.”  A still voice said to me “You don’t need to know.  I know and I will give the person the words to say.”

I walked up to a friend, she hugged me and asked me “if everything is ok?”  I explained to her that I have no explanation for my tears, I can not stop crying and that I am not sure what was going on but I feel the need for prayer.  The Holy Spirit was right!  He did give her the words to pray and the exact words that I needed.

All this to say, sometimes God does something that we have no idea what is happening but through it there is a peace and sweetness.  I still am not completely sure what happened last night and I pray that I will understand someday.  But even if I never know what last night meant, I would do it all over again just to spend time in His presence.  There was a peace and sweetness in His presence that I want to experience over and over again!

 

He listens!

Recently God has shown me that He listens to everything I say or think even the smallest things.  A week before Valentine’s Day this year, I wrote down in my planner a desire that I had “God, I want flowers for Valentine’s Day and I didn’t care where they came from.”  I did not tell anyone about this desire or thought. Normally I don’t care about Valentine’s Day and whether I get something or not.  The morning of Valentine’s Day, when I came into work and there was a ceramic flower on my desk from a coworker. I did not have time to process it till later on in the morning.  Once I did I realized that God gave me the flower I wanted through my coworker!  As I was getting to head out of the office for a meeting later on, my CEO came into my office and gave me a real yellow rose. He had bought a rose for all his female staff for Valentine’s Day.  So not only did God fulfill my desire for a flower once but twice in one day!  

He listens to us and cares about even the smallest things like me wanting flowers. The ceramic flower will always be a reminder to me that God does listen to me.

You still created me!

You knew the shame and guilt I would struggle with and you still chose to create me!

You knew my failures in my life and you still chose to create me!

You knew the fears that would hold me back and you still chose to create me!

You knew my frustrations and you still chose to create me!

You knew my struggles and you still chose to create me!

You knew the insecurities I would struggle with and you still chose to create me!

You knew the pain and hurt I would carry and you still chose to create me!

You knew there were things I am going to choose over you and you still chose to create me!

You knew everything about me and you still chose to create me!

I created you because I knew that this world needed you in it.  I created you for a purpose that only you can fill.  And guess what, when I created you I told all of heaven with delight “look there is my beautiful daughter!”  “My daughter, I love you more than you can imagine.  Daughter, just as the grains of sand at the beach, the stars in the sky and the rain drops in a rain storm can not be counted.  My love for you can not be counted.”

 

It is Well

In life, we have some days when we are celebrating and other days when we are struggling.  But no matter where we are at in any particular day, we can have a peace in our Father.  The song “It is Well with my soul” was written in some of the toughest circumstances.  But yet the writer, Horatio G. Spafford, was still able to say it is well with my soul.

Although Horatio was a successful business man in Chicago, him and his wife had several loses within a couple years.  They lost their son at a young age in 1871.  Then went on to lose most of his business the same year in a fire.  Two years later, Horatio’s wife Anna and his 4 daughters were on a ship headed to Europe from the U.S.  The ship they were collided with another ship.  As a result of the collision, his four daughters died.  Anna was the only one that survived from the family.  Anna sent a message to Horatio “Saved alone, what shall I do?”  Horatio booked a passage to join his wife.  While he was on the ship headed to his wife, he wrote this song.

“When peace like a river attendeth my way
When sorrows like sea billows roll
What ever my lot you have taught me to say
It is well, it is well with my soul

Though the devil will ruin, though trials may come
Let this blessed assurance control
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate
And He shed His own blood for my soul

It is well, with my soul
It is well, it is well with my soul

My sin, oh the bliss of this glorious thought
My sin not in part but the whole
Is nailed to the cross and I bear it no more
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, oh my soul

And Lord haste the day when my faith shall be sight
And the clouds be rolled back as a scroll
The trump shall resound and the Lord shall descend
Even so, it is well with my soul” by Horatio G. Spafford

This is one of the most beautiful hymns written in history.  Some of the most beautiful things come out of the most broken people or circumstances.  This song was written by a man whose heart was broken and lost almost everything in a short span of time.

After hearing this story, this song has become my favorite hymn.   It is also reminder to me that even when life is hard and it does not make sense, it is well with my soul.  Because of who my Savior is.  He is Sovereign, Prince of Peace, the ultimate Lover, Comforter, Rock, Redeemer and Deliver.

So when life is tough, confusing, uncertain and painful, we can say it is well with my soul because of who our Savior is.  I challenge you to find joy and peace in your Father as Horatio did in tragic times.  It is in these moments that when we find what we need in God, we are hopeful  And hope is what gives the strength to go to the next moment and to keep going from there.

 

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FexGqNDBK3g&w=560&h=315]

 

God celebrates baby steps

Sometimes in life we think that we need to have do big milestones before we can celebrate or before God celebrates with us.  And because of this we become paralyzed and might not start anything at all.  Or we don’t think baby steps that we started are worth celebrating.

But in reality God celebrates every step we take.  And He especially celebrates the baby steps.  Sometimes the hardest steps are the baby steps because it may mean the beginning of something new.  Many times, there is uncertainty in it.  Which requires us to trust in God when we are taking these first baby steps.

These baby steps could lead to a milestone in our lives.  For me one of my milestones in my life is to be the first one in my family to graduate from high school and college.  While these are great accomplishments and God celebrated with me when they were accomplished!  But God also celebrated every time I was dedicated to study for a class.  Studying for a class is many baby steps of a larger goal of getting a diploma.

It is hard for me to fathom in my human brain that God has the time to care about my baby steps.  The amazing thing is that I don’t need to figure that out for me to celebrate my baby steps.  As a human, we are not meant to put God in a box.  And this is something we do often when we try to figure out God.  So, when I put aside my human rationalization, it is exciting for me that I have Father who created the universe rooting for me and celebrating every step of my journey.

As society, I believe we do not celebrate enough. There are many examples in the Bible of celebration.  “We see celebration not only here in Nehemiah 12, as Israel dedicated the wall, but we also see celebration throughout the Bible. The shepherds, wise men, and angels celebrated the birth of Jesus with gifts, songs, and prayer. God gave Israel many celebrations in the Old Covenant such as the Feast of Booths, year of Jubilee, etc. In the New Covenant, he has given us the Lord’s Supper and baptism. We also see future celebrations such as the wedding of the Lamb and the wedding feast with Abraham.”  We sometimes think it is trivial to celebrate the baby steps.  Baby steps give us the hope to keep going to the next steps.  And eventually many baby steps lead to a milestone goal completed.

So celebrate baby steps whether they are yours or someone else’s because our Creator celebrates them!