Posts Tagged: Christianity

Each Person Matters

Total cases: 492,416

Total deaths: 18,559

(According to CDC, on 4/11/2020)

This week the statistic of the COVID-19 pandemic hit me in a new way.  Prior to this week, they were just a statistic and sad to say they were not much more than that.  I look at this number of deaths this is 18,559 people who have died since January 21, 2020(that is only 81 days).  There is a person with a name, a family and a life behind each number.  A person is a person no matter who they were or what they did.  They are still a person that God created to be on this earth for a time.  People matter to God so they should matter to us.

There are people who will argue that this statistic is inflated or incorrect, that some of those people died of something else but tested positive for COVID-19 or let us not forget the numerous conspiracy theories that are out there surrounding COVID-19.  Can we stop arguing?!? The fact is that 18,559 people have died in the United States in 81 days! This number does not include the people who have died that are not related to COVID-19.

Let that sink in for a little.  18,559 people have died in 81 days in the US.

How does this not bother us?  How does this not sadden us?  How is this not like a sucker punch to our gut when we hear it?

Can we put aside all politics, conspiracy theories, etc? And mourn with the people who have lost loved ones?

Most likely these family and friends will not be able to say goodbye to their loved ones for a while due to the funeral being postponed.  Meanwhile, they continue living life feeling and seeing the void their loved one left behind.  Put yourself in their shoes.  Think about how that would feel, how it would be hard to face each day and how they feel when they see us arguing about where COVID-19 came from or who is responsible for it.  At this point, in my opinion when we are pointing the fingers to someone else we are forgetting what is important.  Reality is that we are in a health pandemic worldwide with a highly contagious virus.  And we all have a responsibility to respond wisely and do our part to help minimize the spread.

While I am on this soapbox, I am going to share something else that I have seen that sends me from zero to one hundred.  Some Christians have claimed that this is religious persecution because we are not able to gather in our churches together to have church.

First, this is not religious persecution.  Our governing authorities have put things in place to protect us.  And we as Christians have a responsibility to follow what our authorities ask us to do.  “Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.” Romans 13:1  The government authorities have not taken away our religious freedom at this time in the United States.

Second, the church is more than just a building.  We(people) are the church, not a building.  This pandemic has caused Christians to look at how we do church and why we do it this way.  It has caused a pivot in churches.  Most churches are holding services online.  Most of my family is Old Order Mennonite and they have held church services in a building for many generations.  They are now doing a hotline call where their congregation can call in and listen to the message.  They do not have internet and/or TV so doing church online is not an option.  This is a monumental change for this church! This would have not happened if they did not need to think creatively on how to provide a message for their congregations.

Can we put ourselves aside and think of others during this time?  This will look different for each person.

It might mean that you stay home and practice social distancing.

It might mean that you wear a mask when you go grocery shopping.

It might mean that you find creative ways to connect with others. Such as phone calls, video calls, send snail mail, etc.

It might mean that your business pivots to be able to continue to serve your clients.

It might mean you work from home now.

It might mean that you no longer have the distractions that you had and you have no excuse not to do the thing you have been putting off.

It might mean that you support essential workers by staying home. As they are putting their life on the line to make sure people have what they need or the care they need.

10. Lessons in the Valley

Nine months ago two days ago, I left my 9-5 job in social work.  Leaving that day I left that day broken what felt like a million pieces.  I did not know what was next in life.  There was so much uncertainty about my future.  But there was one thing I had and I knew for sure.  That I had peace.  I knew I was doing what God was asking me to do.  As scary and uncertain my future looked that day, I was resting in this unshakable peace.  I was leaving my job without a plan not knowing what was going to be next.

As I look at these last nine months, I see the lessons that God had for me in this valley:

Listen to yourself and your body – Your body gives you so many clues on where you are at emotionally.  My body was giving so many clues that I was not listening to long before I realized it.  It showed in my eyes and the way I carried myself.  It was not until weeks after I was not working I saw a brightness in my eyes that I had not seen in a long time.  I shared more about it in my last blog post in this series.

Be willing to take care of yourself even when it seems selfish. – This is something we hear so much self-care but most of us are really bad really practicing it.  Self-care looks different from person to person.  There are times I would come home from work and watch TV for the night and then go to bed.  I have learned that this is not self-care this was a way that I used to escape from what I really needed to deal with or to numb what was going on in my life.  But I learned self-care for me looks like going on a drive with my camera and take pictures of things in nature, going for a walk at Longwood Gardens, taking time to connect with God on my own or at a church service, journaling, listening to music, having dinner with a friend, traveling, painting, and spending time with my family.  I needed a season of just being in life and not having thinking about anything else.

God always has a plan even when we can’t see it. – If you had told me on the day that I gave my six-week notice that nine months later, I would not have a 9-5 job, I am not sure I would have been brave enough to make that decision.  I am an extremely logical person who makes decisions out of logic and reasoning and not emotion.  I am grateful that God does not let us look into the future.  Actually, I believe this is a gift.  Because I would have been paralyzed by what these last nine months brought.  Looking back I can see God’s hand through it all.

God is faithful and He keeps his promises. – God has provided for me in the last nine months in all areas of my life.  Relationally, He has brought a great group of friends into my life.  I have been grateful for their friendship through one of the hardest seasons of my life.  Emotionally, He has begun to pick up those million pieces that were broken inside of me and started to repair what was broken.  Financially, He had provided for me every month to meet my financial needs and then some.  Spiritually, I have learned to trust God in a deeper place than I have before.

It is ok to try something but find that it is not what you want in life. – Through this season I have tried several different things and I have learned that some of the things that I have tried are not what I want for my life.  Like I love traveling alone but two weeks is too long for me to travel alone.

Education and mentoring is a great thing! – In the last 9 months, I have taken some time to further my knowledge, especially with business and entrepreneurship.  I have learned so much about myself in the process.  And who I want to be in this world.  What I do and don’t want to do in life.

It is ok to take a season of rest and to take a slower pace in life. – In our world today it is about the hustle and always being on the go.  These last 9 months have truly been a season of rest for me. I am grateful that I have had this opportunity to rejuvenate and rest.  I would hate to see where I would be if I had not done so.

I need to travel several times a year. – I love traveling and going to new places.  Although I hate packing to leave for a trip.  Travel was not something I prioritized in my life.

God has created me with a gift of creativity. – When you suppress a gift that you have been given, you will feel like something is missing.  I was a high functioning burnout, I did not use my gift of creativity often because I did not have the energy to do so.  And I was not feeding part of who I am.

I am a person who loves people and being in relationship with people. – I love to walk beside people on this journey called life.  And it is a gift that God has given me.  And when I don’t do it, there is part of me missing in my life.  It is something that I can do easily.  But just because it is easy for me it does not mean that I do not need to be careful about who I choose to do it with and how many people I choose to do it with at one time.  I am also an introvert so people can drain me and it leads me to a place that I do not want to be.

Taking a moment out of your day to say hi or have a conversation with someone can be life-changing. – I have had countless people who have stopped their day to ask me how I am doing.  Some have even helped me process what I was going through that day.  Many have stopped their day to pray for and with me.

Just because I am independent, it does not mean that I need to do life alone. – For anyone that knows me personally, knows that I am one of the most independent women you will find.  But if I had stayed to myself and not been vulnerable with friends, family, my counselor, and other people in my life, I would not be where I am today.  I would be in a lonely place.  I am in a place and do life with people that love me for me.

Vulnerability is a good thing. – Being vulnerable can be one of the hardest things in life.  You risk getting hurt.  You are letting someone see what you are struggling with or what your weakness is.  I can so easily tell someone I am good when I am not.  I can hide behind a mask of independence.  But this season has taught me that hiding behind a mask does not help me.  It actually hurts me.  There is no one to share my burden.  I have learned that when I choose to be vulnerable it gives others the courage to do the same.

It is ok to take risks even when you are not sure about them. – I generally make decisions on the side of caution.  But sometimes I have to take a risk and see where it takes me.  God is right there with me no matter the decision that I made.

When you are experiencing emotions, take time to process them and don’t ignore them. – I am not the greatest at identifying and processing my emotions.  A large part of this is the culture I grew up in did not encourage you to do this.  Actually, it was an unspoken rule.  Through the years I have learned that I need to allow myself to experience them, process them but also look at the truth.  Sometimes our feelings are the opposite of what the truth is.  My feelings do not negate the truth even when I don’t understand my feelings, the circumstances, or the truth.  This is something that I learned last summer when I was processing a friend’s death.

When I am feeling fear and anxiety, I am usually trying to control something. – Recently I experienced fear and anxiety, I was trying to figure out why as I am not generally a fearful or anxious person.  It occurred to me that I was trying to control something that I was not meant to control.  I was trying to take the control out of God’s hand and put the control in my hands.  Looking back I realize it was a foolish thing to do but it is something that I try to often because I think I know what is best.  Reality is God who created me knows what is best for me because He is sovereign over the whole earth and He sees the whole picture.

 

 

***This is part of a series of blog posts of me sharing about burnout and things I have been learning through this.  They are numbered in the order that they are written in and to indicate that they are part of this series.***

 

Faithful Artist

You meticulously and brush the sky with the stroke of your paint brush.  You do this with intention.  You place the clouds in the right place so they can highlight the colors you choose to light you the sky with.  You have colors in your paint palette that we don’t even know exist.  You choose to paint the sky each morning and evening.  You delight as you watch your creation as an artist when light dances across the sky with each sunrise and sunset unique in its own way.  No single one is the same!  You love when we stop and marvel at your masterpiece that you create. 

When we choose to marvel the painted sky, we are reminded of you, the Creator, who does this faithfully every day without fail.  If you are faithful in something like the sunset or sunrise, then how much more faithful will you be for me? I was created in your image.  And you delight when I trust you, my Creator, to provide for me faithfully in every moment.  So I can choose trust you in your promises because you are faithful.

9. Trying to Hide my Brokenness

Since leaving my career in social work, I have come to realize how unhealthy I was emotionally. While I was in it, especially in the last year, I knew life was hard but I thought I was dealing with it ok.  If you had asked me, “how are you doing?”  I would have probably say “ok” or “good” and I truly believed that.  The funny thing I thought I was carrying it well and that I was fooling the people around me. But in all reality I was not doing well and I was not fooling those that were around me especially those that were the closest to me.  And when you are not doing well emotionally, there are signs that begin to show physically and emotionally.

Physically, I did not have the energy that I needed to get everything done that was needed to get done.  I have been told by friends that I had a glaze in my eyes especially at the end of my career in social work.  And that I looked like I was carrying the weight of the world on my shoulders; that I carried myself in a slouched manor.  Weeks after I left my career in social work, I personally noticed that my eyes seemed to be brighter.  And I had so many people compliment on my eyes.  I thought it was amusing because my eye color had not changed.  About a month after I quit, I had a friend who was talking to me and in the middle of this conversation, he stopped and said ” you have really pretty eyes.  Its like they are glossier than normal eyes and I can see joy in your eyes.”

For me emotionally, I would have crying spells and not knowing why.  Or things would not get done that needed to get done or they would take me twice as long as they would.  I did not have the ability to focus on things like I should have.  It took me 5 months after, I started therapy to admit that I was depressed.  Even to this day, it is hard for me to admit that.  I know that is crazy but it is the truth.  I know some of this is because of the stigma depression carries in our society.  And the other part is that I was the person who was helping others through their life trials and emotional illnesses.  I was the one who was the strength and the advocate for others as a social worker.  It was hard to admit that I, the pillar for others, was just as broken as the person I was helping.  I was just broken in a different way.

Reality is, that we all have something that we are struggling with no matter where you are at in life and what your economic status is.  Economic status is not the only definition of poverty.  Poverty is the lack of resources in these areas of your life: financial, language (ability to speak in formal register), emotional, mental, spiritual, physical, support systems, relationships/role models and knowledge of middle class hidden rules(this is according to Dr. Ruby Payne).  I look at this list and last year I was impoverished in more than one area of my life.

So no matter how much I tried to hide my poverty and brokenness, it still came out in ways that I could no longer hide.  Maybe if I had to be willing to admit this sooner, I might of not gone through everything I went through.  But reality is that some of these things were going to happen no matter either way because some of them were out of my control and others needed to happen for me to reach the end of my rope.  And once I reached the end of my rope, I was willing to trust God to lead my life.  I was no longer trying to figure things out because I did not have the energy to.  I was just resting in His presence because that was all I could do.

Life is a journey and it is in this journey that we walk through some valleys and mountain tops.  And no matter whether we are in the valley or the mountain top there will be storms that we are going to weather.  It will be hard to weather these storms but you don’t need to do it alone.  God is right there with us as we walk through this journey called life.

“Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” Psalm 23:4

“Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9

So if you are not doing well, be willing to admit it and reach out to someone who can help you through it.  Sometimes this is God, a friend or a licensed counselor.  If you need a counselor, look for a counselor in your area or check out Open Path Collective.  Admitting you need help is not a weakness but a strength.

 

 

***This is part of a series of blog posts of me sharing about burnout and things I have been learning through this.  They are numbered in the order that they are written in and to indicate that they are part of this series.***

The Hamster Wheel of Busyness

We have been fed this lie that being busy is a good thing.  I think as a society we have become addicted to being busy.  We think we have to be busy all the time.  It is to the point when someone asks us “How are you doing?” A common response has been “busy.”  When has this answer become ok.  And in my opinion it is a masked answer for how we really are doing.

There are seasons where we will be busy and this is enviable.  But when busy becomes part of our lifestyle is where we get it wrong.  Because if we are always busy there is a time where you will burnout from always being so busy.  You can only go so long before you will crash from being busy.  You will not have time to do the things that fill you up.  That help take care of you and your sanity.  And we don’t have time for the relationships that are important for us.

Resting and not being caught in this hamster wheel of busyness is good for you as a whole especially emotionally.  Being in the hamster wheel of busy there is an anxiety that comes with it because you have to always think about what is next.  You miss the small blessings and miracles that are right in front of you in your day to day life.  I can say this from personal experience.  If I am not well emotionally, it throws the rest of my life off track and not seems to works well.  If we are always busy, we are not taking the time to process what is going on with us and around us.  I know when I do not take the time to process emotionally it is a recipe for disaster.  Maybe not right away but eventually.

When we are always busy, things get missed because we can’t do everything well.  When we try to so everything, we usually are operating outside of our gifts because we are trying to do everything.

The other thing about buying into the lie of having to always be busy, we rely on ourselves much more than we are suppose to.  We don’t take the time to see if there is someone else in your life that would be better suited for the task than you.  And we also tend not to take the time to seek and trust God.  What if God doesn’t give you an answer before you need an answer?  We tell ourselves it is easier to rely on ourselves and not on God or anyone else.  We are created for community with God and others.

When God created the earth, He put a day of rest in for a reason.  He knew that we need  to rest so that we can be productive for the rest of the week.  He even to took a day of rest when He created the earth.

By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.” Genesis 2:2-3

So is your busyness for a season or is it a lifestyle?  And is it a mask to cover up something else you don’t want to deal with?

8. When Waiting Gets Tiring…

Have you ever waited for something for a while and it takes longer than you expected it to be?  You think I have waited long enough and whatever you are waiting on can come to fruition anytime now.  This is where I was a couple weeks ago.

Part of my season of rest has been waiting for God to lead me to my next step.  It is easy to say “I am good and just trusting God.” when asked how are life is going.  But then there are times that this isn’t true.  In the beginning, the waiting wasn’t that bad.  But after a couple months of resting and waiting on God’s timing, it caught up to me.

It was a Monday afternoon and I was watching a Steve Harvey clip that came up on my Facebook.  In this clip, Steve talked about how God got him to where he is today and that if God can do it for him then God can do it for you too.  And as I heard those words tears started to come to my eyes. I realized at that moment the waiting in this season was being to wear on me.  And that even though I trust God and His timing for my life, I realized in that moment I was starting to doubt.  I was getting tired of my season.  In this season of rest, I have gotten so many no’s and the no’s started to wear on my spirit and emotions.

I started to doubt and question… If I had done the right thing by quitting my job with no job in sight? Was that really what God wanted me to do?  Was it what I needed to do for myself?

That night I went to the Bible study and we chose one person to share what we were struggling with.  And when it was my turn, part of me wanted to just shut down what I was feeling but I knew I needed to share.  As I began to share with my friend, tears came to my eyes again and they kept coming as I talked about my feelings and doubts.  After my friend prayed for me and I shed some tears, I felt better.  My doubts and feelings were still there but after that I was reminded that I was not alone in my journey.

I realized it is ok for me to have these doubts and feelings but it is what I do with them that is the important part.  If I decided to dwell on my doubts and feeling rather than sharing them with someone else and giving them to God.  It would have lead to worry, worry to anxiety, and anxiety to stress.  Worry, stress and anxiety robs us of our peace and joy.

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.  If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.  – Matthew 6:25-34

Another lesson I have learned through this season of waiting and rest, is that I do not have the right to say when my waiting is up.  Because when I try to make things happen that are not meant to happen yet, I am taking the role of God in my life.  I am not trusting Him.  He is  sovereign and knows what is best for me.  He sees the whole picture, I don’t.  I only see life through my view.  The reasons as to why my waiting period has not ended could be limitless.  There maybe something that God is trying to teach me or He wants me to truly learn what it means to trust Him or maybe I am suppose to be available to help or encourage someone.  But I do know that God can deal with my questions, feelings and doubts.  When I make the choice to go to God with my feelings, questions and doubts, though they may not all be solved, my peace and joy returns because I am trusting Him in the season of waiting.
***This is part of a series of blog posts of me sharing about my burnout and things I have been learning through this.  They are numbered in the order that they are written in and to indicate that they are part of this series.***

7. Rest

At the beginning of this year, the words God gave me for this year was rest and trust.  In January, I had no idea how that would how literally this would play out in my life this year.  And honestly when God gave me these words I did not understand why He gave them to me.

Ten weeks ago when I quit my job, my plan was to take a week off (that was going to packed full of things) and then start a new job the next week.  Key words here is MY PLAN.  Not God’s plan.  I did have a job offer but I turned it down for numerous reasons.  So I ended my last job with no new job.  During the week after I quit my job, God pressed it on my heart to take a significant amount of time off before I start something else and for me to go away by myself.

In the first month of not working, I had no desire to work any job.  And it caught me by surprise that I did not want to work.  Anyone that knows me personally knows working is something that I have always done and I see value in it.  And it would give me anxiety when I do not have an ongoing income to pay bills and live on.  But not having the desire to work showed me that I needed this time to rest.  I needed time for my physical body, emotional being and my spiritual being to be able to rest and heal.

Six weeks after I quit my job, I went on vacation by myself for 12 days! Yes, you read that right, I went by myself to the Finger Lakes region in New York.  During this time I was able to sight see, meet up with a total stranger to trade a photoshoot, I visited a new church twice, chased the sunset one night, try iced custard made out of duck eggs, sit at a local coffee shop and work on my business for a few days, read a couple books, go see a movie alone, reconnect with some family that was in the area, and most importantly I took the time to connect with God and listen to his voice.  Where I was staying there was not internet or TV to distract me from hearing God’s voice.  In these 12 days God spoke to me and I learned what it means to rest and just stop without rushing to the next thing.

I am grateful for this season of rest.  I do not regret that I took time for this season.  It was a season that I needed.  In this season, God has provided for me in more than just finances.  And He has given me clarity and direction as to where He has called me to.  He met me in the moments that I was anxious and unsure that I had done the right thing.  He has spoken to me through the Bible, my time with Him and through other people.  God has walked with me through this season of rest and healing.

Out of this season I have gained and learned some things:

  • I have joy again.
  • I truly have peace now.
  • I am happy again.
  • I have learned more about myself.
  • I have learned more about who God created me to be.
  • I have learned more about how broken I truly was and how other people saw it in me.
  • I have learned that I had even deceived myself about my brokenness and emotional state.
  • I have a deeper relationship with God than I have ever had.
  • I have learned to rest and the importance of it.
  • I have learned to trust and have faith in God in a new way.
  • I have learned more about community and how it is crucial to have.
  • I have a zeal for life again.
  • I am starting to utilize my creativity again.
  • I have learned that my brokenness does not mean that my story is over.

It is important to take time to rest and take time alone for anyone but especially for those in ministry or in a profession that helps others.

“Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” (Luke 5:16)

“Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.” (John 6:15)

Jesus did this on a regular basis.  And if Jesus had to do this how much more important is it for us humans.  We need to have a rhythm and focus in our life that allows us to have rest and focus on our relationship with God.  We need to slow down in life and not always be rushing off to the next thing. While you may not be able to take time off of work for a couple months to rest like I have; it is still important to integrate rest in our lives in a regular basis.

 

***This is part of a series of blog posts of me sharing about my burnout and things I have been learning through this.  They are numbered in the order that they are written in and to indicate that they are part of this series.***

Meet Marilyn

I realized that I never did an introduction blog post about me.  So here it is; along with an announcement about some changes that are coming to the blog.

My name is Marilyn.  I am the creator of this blog and Marlo & Co.

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Photo credit: Acorns + Aperture

I am an aunt to a small tribe of nieces and nephews.  They keep me young and love to hang out with me.  I love creating memories with them.

I am a business owner of Marlo & Co.  I love to celebrate stories.  I identify myself as a photographer and storyteller.  I love to hear other people’s stories and love to capture them.  I believe that everyone has a story to tell and that their story matters.  My favorite way I do this is through my Rocking Chair Story Session.  This is a session where I get to sit down and listen to a senior’s story then capture it in a book that is created just for them.

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My love for seniors started at a young age.  My great grandparents lived with my grandparents.  I look back at the memories that we made and love that I got to spend time with them as a child.  Once of my memories is asking my great grandfather to hold a doll for us while we played.  He hated this doll.  We knew this and I think we did this to see the look of annoyance on his face.

If you have been following this blog for anytime, this blog talks about my faith and relationship with God.  This is one of the most important relationships that I have in my life.  I am grateful that the Creator of the universe wants to have a relationship with me through Jesus.  And that I do not have to do life alone.  If you want to know more about this, just ask me!

Talking about relationships, I love relationships! I have been created to be a very relational person and love to spend time with those around me.  If you ever meet me in person and or work with me, most likely we will become friends.  I believe we are all created for relationships and community with each other.

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This is one of my favorite people, Danielle, and myself at a concert in the middle of February.

In May 2019, I retired from the social work field.  I was in it for 10.5 years.  I loved every moment of it.  I left the social work field because of burnout.  I did not realize how real and intense burnout can be until I experienced it.  I am still recovering from it.  I have taken time off to just rest in God and to just be.  I am currently writing a blog series on my experience of burnout.  Here is the link for first post in my burnout series.

I am essentially starting all over in life right now.  It is a weird but exciting feeling to be doing this in my mid thirties.  I get to recreate what I want my life to look like.  This is something that not everyone gets the privilege to do so.  Or rather are too scared to do so because of the unknown.  Living in the unknown has its moments but I would not want to be in any other spot than this right now at this moment because God is teaching me valuable lessons that I will carry with me and share with others.

Fun facts about me:

Tacos are my love language!IMG_5208

I love red shoes and red lipstick.

Traveling and exploring new places is one of my favorite things to do. 

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Certified by state of Pennsylvania for floriculture and horticulture. 

My first language/dialect was PA Dutch not English. 

I have a hidden talent of sarcasm and silliness (only comes out when I am comfortable with you). 

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I bought my sister and her family a van for Christmas last year!

I am the oldest of 4 girls.

I am an introvert.

So…. here is my announcement!  I am going to be making some changes to this blog.  I will still write about my relationship with God and what I am learning along the way.  But I am going to add more content.  This content will show more of me as a whole rather than just one side of me.  It will include blog posts from my work as a photographer/storyteller and some fun personal things.  I will include more photos with the blog posts than I do now.  I am excited to share these topics with you!

I want you to do one thing so I can meet you!  Share a fun fact about yourself in the comments so I can get to know you!

 

Emotions & God’s truth

“Way maker
Miracle worker
Promise keeper
Light in the darkness
My God
That is who you are” – Way Maker

Yesterday I got news that a friend died from cancer.  He leaves behind a wife, family and friends who are grieving his death.  Tonight at church I had a hard time singing these lyrics to this song as I was processing my friend’s death.  All a sudden I could not sing these words because I started to question why God did not heal my friend.  If He is the miracle worker and promise keeper, why did He not heal my friend on this earth so that his family and friends do not need to feel this pain of him not being on this earth anymore?

There are many questions you ask when you are grieving and hurting.  And it is hard to understand why God did not heal my friend on this earth.  Why did my friend’s healing needed to include his death on earth?  Why did he have to die at such young age?  Why does his family and friends have to go through this pain? I do not have answers for these questions.   I am a person that likes to know why.   I do not know why my friend died and this truth is hard to grapple with.

Death has a hurt associated with it on earth as we as humans grieve a loss.  Because this pain hurts and it is so real.  I have felt it in the past and feel it now.  Emotions are real and they are given to us by God to help process and experience life.  But sometimes we have to be careful that we do not get caught in the hamster wheel of hopelessness when we are processing and experiencing our emotions.

In a time of grief, we can feel hopeless in our pain.  But reality is that we can feel hope in a hopeless time.  Tonight as a wrote out what I was feeling in my planner, I came to the conclusion that Jesus is my hope. Because He the source of my hope, I can have hope even when it seems hopeless.  He does not break His promises to us.  He is the source of miracles whether they are received here on earth or in heaven.  He is a way maker when it seems like there is no way out.  And my feelings do not negate these truths in this moment or any other moment.

Hannah in the Bible experienced this.  In the midst of her pain of being barren, she cried out to God with her emotions but she anchored her hope in God even though her situation and pain did not change immediately.  Her situation was hopeless and seemed impossible.  Eventually she did receive her miracle of a son.

In her deep anguish Hannah prayed to the Lord, weeping bitterly. And she made a vow, saying, “Lord Almighty, if you will only look on your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head.”

As she kept on praying to the Lord, Eli observed her mouth. Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard. Eli thought she was drunk  and said to her, “How long are you going to stay drunk? Put away your wine.”

“Not so, my lord,” Hannah replied, “I am a woman who is deeply troubled. I have not been drinking wine or beer; I was pouring out my soul to the Lord.  Do not take your servant for a wicked woman; I have been praying here out of my great anguish and grief.”

Eli answered, “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him.”

She said, “May your servant find favor in your eyes.” Then she went her way and ate something, and her face was no longer downcast.

Early the next morning they arose and worshiped before the Lord and then went back to their home at Ramah. Elkanah made love to his wife Hannah, and the Lord remembered her.  So in the course of time Hannah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, saying, “Because I asked the Lord for him.”  1 Samuel 1:10-20

So tonight as I write this blog post, I may not understand why my friend’s death occurred.  And the emotions I am feeling are real but tonight I chose to believe God’s truth over my emotions.  And I choose to anchor my hope in Jesus because He helps to carry my emotions as I walk this journey in what may seem hopeless at times.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SE_M9noEhNE&w=560&h=315]

 

 

6. Broken

I remember the day that I had my way up call, I remember feeling so broken.  Like there wasn’t anything that could take all my broken pieces that I felt that day and make sense of them let alone put that back together.  I felt like glass that was shattered into a million shards of glass.  I wasn’t sure what to do with my brokenness that day.  Along with feeling broken, I felt empty and tired like there was not left in me anymore to give.  Looking back I realize that being broken is where He wanted me because it meant that I was at the end of my rope.  And I could no longer do anything to fix the broken pieces within me because I did not have the energy or the desire to do so.

In the midst of this broken feeling, I knew I needed to give the feeling of brokenness to God. I had to rely on Him completely. At this point with feeling the way I did that day, it meant that I was at the point that I was willing to surrender and possibly walk away from everything I knew career wise.  Because He was and is the only one that can take my broken, empty and tired self and make me whole again. I knew that He would start by taking my shatter pieces, putting them together to make sense of my brokenness and that it would eventually create a beautiful picture again.

“He heals the brokenhearted And binds up their wounds.” Psalm 147:3

While giving to this feeling of brokenness to God, did not change anything physically and emotionally about my situation that day.  But it did mean that I did not have to walk alone through this journey of becoming whole again and that He is going to heal my brokenness.

“Even when times are rough and you are in ‘deep waters’ God will be right by your side, leading and guiding you through your worst.” Isaiah 43:2

 

***This is part of a series of blog posts of me sharing about my burnout and things I have been learning through this.  They are numbered in the order that they are written in and to indicate that they are part of this series.***