More Than a Fairytale

I've always enjoyed fairytales. A story of a handsome Prince. A beautiful Princess. Love sought. Romance. Purity. A time when just holding hands awakened feelings deep within. Eyes meet. Heart beats quicken. Pulses race. The unfolding of dreams. Simplicity. Royalty marrying commoner. Identities hidden. Position denied. Glass slippers cherished. Authenticity embraced. Honesty rewarded. Love found. The famous last words, "And they all lived happily ever after". I'm so thankful for their happiness, but the greater point is that they lived.

Often I wish I could crawl inside the pages of those fairytales. Life wasn't perfect. Hardships were everywhere. Damsels were in distress. Dragons needed slaying. Robin Hoods stole from the rich to give to the poor. Wicked witches poisoned apples and evil step-mothers imprisoned step-daughters. Yet, even within all the heartache, there was such passion. Passion to live. Passion to love.

Where are the Cinderella's of our day? Women who rise from adversity because they have been rescued from a life of slavery by the King of Kings? To borrow a title from Robert Munsch, sadly, too much of life is lived as the "Paper Bag Princess."

Circumstances steal our joy. Dragons smash our dreams and breathe fire to consume us. Our castles tumble. Breathing becomes our existence. Routine fills our day. Nothing excites us. We've lost our joy.

Life is meant to be lived. Christ came to give us not just life, but life to the full (John 10:10). Waking up every morning needs to overwhelm us with unexplainable delight. God has given us one more day. The Creator of the Universe meets with us a new each morning. Our Prince has rescued us. Royalty has married commoner. Vows pierced on a wooden cross. Promises made. Sin forgiven. We've been clothed in gowns of righteousness. A tiara of salvation adorns our head. The Kingdom is my royal inheritance. The Prince finds me lovely. I'm His choice for the first dance at the Grand Ball. His Hand is offered. I place my hand, my life, my trust in His.

One day, our Prince will come again.

Happy Valentine's Day Friends! Love to you all!

Whirlwind

“Then the LORD answered Job from the whirlwind” Job 40:6

This was the first verse in my daily reading the other morning, and quite honestly I didn’t need to read any further. God had spoken.

I have been unable to write here for quite some time. Some of you know the “whirlwind” that has attacked. Some of the ‘damages’ are visual, some hidden, but all have left me confused and unable to focus. Reading and writing have both become a challenge. Thoughts swirl and I’m unable to catch them and string them together with any clarity or coherence. I am in that whirlwind.

A whirlwind is defined as a weather phenomenon in which a vertically, rotating column of air forms due to instabilities and turbulence created by heating and current gradients. Whirlwinds occur all over the world and in any season. They are described as being a violent or destructive force, impetuous and speedy.

A whirlwind has swept me up in its clutches. My life is defined right now by instability and turbulence created by the heat and current of circumstances, medical exams, Dr’s reports, surgery dates and emotions. Whirlwinds can occur anywhere at any time. I am caught in that rotating column of air that is threatening to spin my life out of control. The weather in my "season" is unsettled. BUT...God can answer me from the whirlwind. FROM the whirlwind. Do you know what that means? Can you grasp the reality of what that is saying? He's in there with me. I am not alone. That brings a sense of calm and peace to the swirling currents already. He's in there....with me...and so until He speaks, I am going to reach over for His Hand and hold tight, because He is IN THIS current phenomenon.

And…what is a phenomenon? Why, it’s a remarkable development. It is extremely unusual and extraordinary. In its original Greek it means, that which appears or is seen. God allows whirlwind experiences because He desires to do something marvellous and significant in our lives so that others will see Him. He desires to make my life phenomenal and He wants me, and others watching, to see Him in the whirlwind. A whirlwind makes God visible.

It surprises me the singularity of the definition of a whirlwind. It’s “a” current, “a” column, “a” force. Does it not often seem like a whirlwind is multiple storms? Maybe it’s because of all the debris it acquires when we allow it to gain momentum in our hearts. Our minds race ahead and accumulate worthless what if’s, worry and urgency. Trust me, I’ve been there.

Has an unstable disturbance rocked your world recently? Is your life currently characterized by disjointed thoughts, sleeplessness, change in appetite, anxiety, concern, back aches, racing heart and agitation? You too are in a whirlwind, but you are not alone. God came to Job not only with an answer, but AS the answer. Insert your name in the verse above, “Then the LORD answered Joy from the whirlwind”.

Today as I sit poised in the unknown with decisions still ahead, I will be listening for God to speak to me from the whirlwind.

Choosing Not to See

Disappointed in not finding the item I was searching for, I headed for the store exit. Funny, I had felt so compelled to stop here. I hadn't left the house planning on coming this way, but an inner voice had persuaded my direction. Now I was frustrated. It was freezing cold outside. I really hadn't had the time for this extra stop in my travels. I needed to get home. My husband just had oral surgery and I should be checking on him and playing "nurse".

My departure was detained by a young woman leaving the store. At first I didn't see why she was walking so slowly. Completely immersed in my own little world, I was unaware of her need. Upon closer observation I realized she was pushing a baby stroller with one hand, while pulling a fully loaded cart with the other. A human "train" so to speak. She obviously was doing some Christmas shopping and had been more fortunate than I by the appearance of the shopping carts contents.

As she headed towards the parking lot struggling to keep all her treasures within her grasp, a thought filled my mind. Joy, offer to help her. Immediately that idea was dismissed. The kind gesture was counteracted, convincing me such an act would be foolish. I reasoned that she would refuse my help. These days everyone is skeptical of others who offer their services. She would be concerned about 'stranger danger'. She certainly wouldn't allow me to push her stroller, and I questioned, would she trust me with hundreds of dollars worth of merchandise? Offering to help would only make her nervous. She was handling everything alright. I should just leave her alone.

I turned a blind eye. I chose not to see. I walked to my car. Unlocked the door. Sat inside. Glanced quickly back. Then it happened. As she tried to maneuver it all over the curb, the shopping cart swayed and several of her items fell to the pavement. Frustration and exhaustion were written all over her face. As she picked up the skillet, looking for dents, I could almost hear her sigh and see the tear. How could she do it all? Care for an infant, shop, look after all the details of Christmas, and in this unbelievably cold weather too. Surely her baby would rather be at home sleeping in a cozy crib, but she had gifts to buy and time was running out. So much needed to be done. She was so weary.

And there I sat. In a warm car. Opportunity missed. Stricken with guilt gut.

The image of her face at that moment still haunts me. My heart is aching with my own selfishness. I can't turn back time. How I wish I could.

Yes, I know many of you would have helped without hesitation. You would have even gone the second mile, loading her car, returning her cart, making Jesus visible. I made a wrong decision. No excuses. No justifying. Just remorse.

Oh Lord, how I pray it’s not too late. Please don’t give up on me. I don’t want to live a life that is shy of Your best for me. Please forgive me for the many times I have not obeyed Your voice. I can’t go back, but I can move forward. Help me become someone You can turn to and say, “I’ll ask Joy. She embraces My plans for her, trusts Me and steps out in faith.”

I had felt compelled to go to this store, yet I didn't purchase one thing or understand the promptings neccessity. I believe now that God placed me there for the purpose of being His hands and feet to a young mom in need, but instead of letting her meet Jesus in an over crowded parking lot, I said 'no' and walked away. And so tomorrow, and the next day, and the day after that, and all my tomorrow's, I will be looking for that one in need. For the weary and wounded. For the broken and betrayed. For the forgotten and forsaken. For the lonely and the loveless. For the abused and abandoned. For the busy and the burdened. For the harried and the harassed. For whoever God places in my path. I will listen for His voice. I will risk rejection. I will face fear. I will combat complacency. I will choose Christlikeness. I will live loud. I will say 'yes'. I hope....

What about you?

"Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity." Colossians 4:5 (TLB)

The Hidden Killer

"The tongue can bring death or life..." Proverbs 18:21

After discovering her body and trying to grasp the 'why's', a suicide note was found. Two words. "They said..."

The power of life and death truly is in the tongue.

Words alone are weightless, yet they can crush or empower. Build up or tear down. Encourage or devour.

Our words can be weapons of mass destruction, but are we even aware of the devastating and debilitating effect they can have on an often already wounded soul? On their own they are neutral. It's the coupling with our heart that fuels them for good or evil. Recently this truth embedded itself on my heart as I heard the following illustration.

Imagine with me for a moment a precious woman rises one morning and dresses in clothing made entirely from sticky notes. Before she even leaves her bedroom she is criticized and the first yellow square falls to the floor. As the day continues words that shame, ridicule, question her worth, make her feel inadequate, insignificant, guilty, unloved, and homely are inscribed over her life and more of her outfit crumbles away, mirroring the broken fragments of her heart as it slowly disintegrates. Some who see the clothing malfunction, try to re-attach the squares with positive feedback and encouraging words but the notes won't stick. The damage has been done. By the close of the day, she finds herself sitting at home, feeling insecure and completely exposed.

It is a terrible thing to be part of any relationship that highlights the negative and the mistakes. When criticism and correction continue, a life is characterized by unending, recurrent pain and insecurity. When faults and failures are all that are noticed, eventually one simply stops trying. What's the use? The effort takes too much energy. The results always the same.

She feels the effect so greatly, it's as if permanent marker has ruined her wardrobe. She looks in the mirror before going to bed at night, despondent, receiving and believing the lies. Crawling into bed she curls up inside the pain. The tongue does kill. She's buried alive in a pile of words.

In the silence a Hand reaches down. He sees. He knows. His love is unconditional. She is treasured and loved. Brushing off the syllables that left her slain, He dresses her in robes of righteousness. Broken, she falls into arms of love.

Abandoning Jars

As our eyes met, I dropped the luggage weighing me down, and ran into open arms, leaving behind all my personal possessions. Suddenly worldly goods lost their value. They meant nothing compared to the love and acceptance of a friend.

In John Chapter 4, we read of a Samaritan woman who encounters the Savior at Jacob's well. Their eyes meet for the first time, and verse 28 says, “Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town...” In essence, she dropped her 'suitcase' and ran into arms of love.

She had come to the well with a jar and a plan, she left with a joy and a purpose. A thirst was quenched and a jug was forgotten. No hesitation. No clinging to the object. What motivated such complete abandon? An encounter with Christ.

Letting go of our 'jars' isn't always easy. Yet we don't see the Samaritan woman weighing the odds or debating a decision. Unlike the rich young ruler who struggled with letting go of his wealth, this woman didn't even have to think twice.

We all come to Christ with jars. They come in various shapes and sizes. We fill them with people, possessions, property and plans. We hold on to them with a death grip. They give us purpose. We often allow them to define us. Our 'jars' are who we are. Yet, when the Samaritan woman met Christ, her jar was left behind.

We can't embrace Christ fully if our hands are full.

The Samaritan woman's jar was her familiar and her comfort, but it represented her pain and her past. She had to let it go. Her past was not her future. We too must learn to let go. Clinging only paralyzes us. When we cling too long our hearts become diseased by the deterioration of the things we refuse to surrender. Our unwillingness to release things keeps us in bondage, unable to move on, and get on with our lives.

Today God desires to meet you at the well of His grace and love. He is concerned about you and the 'jars' you carry. “Jars” of bitterness, jealousy, grief, guilt, envy, pride, unforgiveness, fear, and insecurity. "We curse ourselves by hanging on to the past and bring disease to our own spirits by refusing to let go of old, unhealthy habits."

Our 'jars' could also represent a relationship or a dream. The Lord does give us dear friends and He also places desires in our hearts. "He delights in doing so, but never with the intention that they should become the center of our existence, our oxygen or our lifeblood. We need to release the jars that keep us rooted to the spot where we now stand. Don't cling too tightly. God will not be relegated to second place in our lives."

The framework and foundation of our identity can be shattered if we build our entire world around our 'jar', whether it be a person, thing or dream. The line between the love of our 'jar' and idolatry is a thin one. If you can't bear the thought of leaving your 'jar' behind and living without it, it has become too dear.

The woman left her jar at the feet of Jesus. She came to the end of herself and let go. When we finally do this, He surprises us with things better than our eyes have ever seen, our ears have ever heard or our hearts have ever imagined. He knows what we want and need better than we do. When we least expect it, He comes bearing an unbelievable new 'jar' filled with all our heartfelt desires and dreams come true.

After the woman left her 'jar', she went back to the town. Today we will live, work, and travel in our 'towns'. We need to discard what we do not need for the journey ahead. Ask yourself, what do I need to leave behind to move forward with Jesus today?

Philippians 3:8 says, “I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Jesus Christ my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ.”

We have to say goodbye in order to embrace a new hello. It take faith to say goodbye..and faith to say hello.

In her Bible study “No Other Gods”, Kelly Minter writes, “The real travesty is going through all the pain of a goodbye but never enjoying the fulfillment of a new hello." Every follower of Christ will have to take that walk to the well - it is the bridge between the old and the new. A 'jar' will have to be placed at the feet of Jesus, and that takes faith. "There is a finality that must be faced. Yet there are some surrenders that are purely necessary for life to blossom. Certain things - and I won't name them, because you already know them in your soul - choke us, wound us, and bind us in ways that keep us from moving forward. They deserve a farewell. Still we cling because the painful familiar is often more comfortable than the foreign amazing."

I believe God is watching us release 'jars' today that we have been clutching to our hearts and He is cheering saying, 'Now I can do amazing things. I'm ready to take you to the other side.' The question often is, will we let go and follow?

A New Grade

"Joy honors Me with her lips, but her heart is far from Me." (Matthew 15:8, Joy's personalized translation.)

Not exactly the words one wants to hear God speak. Convicting, yet not condemning. Words that have gripped my heart in recent weeks and provoked a deliberate time of soul-searching, hence my silence for over a month.

Words come easy to me. The writing of them is familiar. A pen is no stranger to my hand. It feels natural. Comfortable. Home. It's too easy to write what I know others want to hear, while hiding my heart.

Although many times I could have returned here over the past month, I have purposefully stayed away. It would have been easy to articulate the anticipated and echo the expected and no-one would have been the wiser, but I would have known the truth.

My heart began to detour as I was caught up in the gifts God was sending while ignoring the Giver. I began making poor choices. I have been a wanderer and a prodigal, not in the physical sense, but in my heart. I had strayed from my first Love.

A perfectionist, I give great attention to precise and proper words. Precise and proper living. There is a danger to perfection. It can be an enemy to authenticity. Legalistically I had been reviewing and evaluating my performance. Taking stock of where I was going spiritually. A good exercise to do occasionally, but my test results spoke of failure. Falling so far from the standard I had placed on myself absolutely overwhelmed me. Seeing my shortcomings and always aware of my inadequacies, my thoughts were again holding me prisoner to feelings of depression. I felt caught between that rock and hard place. It's been a time of inward reflection and contemplation. The view has not been pleasant. My heart has been laid completely bare. Secrets disclosed. Walls crashing. Freedom.

The Lord had to wean me from other dependencies. "The main danger of misplaced dependence is that it can border idolatry." (Streams in the Desert) Honestly friends, in the past I have sat by my computer for hours waiting for a message from a friend, but I was not waiting for the Lord with the same earnestness. God was saying to me, "Cease striving and know that I am God." (Psalm 46:10 NASB)

I had been lingering some distance from God. I had fallen short in my responsibilities as I've allowed and chosen other things to interfere with my prayer life. "Christ becomes more real to those who persist in cultivating His presence." (Streams in the Desert) My intimacy with God was hindered by my preoccupation with other people and things.

Wholeheartedness opens the way for genuine intimacy. As I lay my heart at His feet, He reminded me that nothing I do, or fail to do, could ever separate me from His love. When guilt conspires, God gives grace.

Oh Lord, how I long for love and passion for You to consume me. The Lord responded to this plea and my desire to know Him, by bringing circumstances into my life where I must trust Him more.

God has called me to step out in faith, with hope, and rely completely on Him. In the weeks ahead there are mountains ahead of me, roads to travel, unknowns and uncertainties, but God has already graded my paper and told me this time I've passed. Victory was secured by my obedience. The outcome no longer is of any consequence. I'm already celebrating my "A" and praising Him for the deliverance already promised!

"I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you." Genesis 28:15

Faith's Journey to Hope, Part 7: The Best Friend Club

"We all let people into our lives, but you will find that really good friends let you into your own."

All my life I've wanted a "best friend". I don't know why I've never had one. Not for lack of desire. It just hasn't been. Seemed like everyone else always had one. Envious of others who wrote of such a precious relationship, an emptiness remained. Throughout the years I would watch from the sidelines as best friends did best friend things. Sleepovers. Swapping clothes. Chick flicks. Late nights. Secrets shared. Giggles. Laughter. Hugs. Boyfriend talks...OK..so I'm many years too late for that one!...but we can still share dating stories! :) I would longingly watch best friends as an observer, not a participant. I didn't belong to that club. At least, not yet.

Over the course of the next nine days God knit two hearts together. The stitching was elaborate. The thread, His Spirit. The design, a breathtaking original. One-of-a-kind. Diane had an uncanny sixth sense, instinctively knowing my little girl dreams and as if on a mission, she set out to reclaim childhood lost.

A drive to "The Love of Chocolate" for "Girlfriend candy".
"Fried Green Tomatoes" and Kleenex.
Shared Napoleon dessert at the bakery.
A road trip to North Carolina.
Late nights. Later mornings.
Hands held. Prayers spoken.
Shared clothes. Shared secrets.
Giggles. Laughter. Tears. Hugs.
Comfortable silences that speak beyond the power of words.

"The best kind of friend is the kind you can sit on a porch and swing with, never say a word, and then walk away feeling like it was the best conversation you've ever had."

We enjoyed the refreshing of those wordless retreats. An understanding that flows beyond audible communication. Time on the "porch swing" to just enjoy the treasure of being in the company of one another. Kindred spirits surpass the need for words.

Every day, along with the tangible gifts I received, I unwrapped another of much greater value. Acceptance. Love. Trust. Loyalty. Faith. Hope. Diane gave me the key of friendship and extended a welcome with a lifetime guarantee.

Today I continue to thank the Lord for the cup of blessing she has poured into my life. I thank Him for the good times warmed by her lighthearted laughter. I thank Him for difficult times made less challenging by her support and prayers. I thank Him for sharing times that wouldn't be the same with anyone else. God has been so gracious to allow me to join the "Best Friend Club". Nothing will ever compare to the precious memories I hold so dear to my heart.

What continues to make our friendship so special, is that we share the same Father. Together we crawl up on His lap for one another. We rejoice in His presence. Weep at His feet. Kneel in prayer. Worship the One who continues to weave His Presence through our lives. "A cord of three strands is not easily broken." (Ecc.4:12) Lord, thank You for being the One who knits our hearts as one.

"How lucky I am to have known someone who was so hard to say goodbye to." Unknown