It is so easy to get life tunnel vision. The dryer breaks, the car is running on fumes and your not sure if these are good fumes, the kids go crazy, the bank account dries up and you start wondering if your sanity will go with it soon. You pray and pray harder, you trust and try to trust harder, but all that happens in the end is ending up in a pile of tears on the floor. I have found that I am attempting life on my own. I think God took a back seat and well if he's not going to fix it then I will! In the moment I do not think I am mustering my own strength, what it looks like to me is a desperate woman on my knees before The Lord. I am in part doing this in all honesty, but another part of me is hanging on for dear life to way I want life to steer. I am trying with all my might to hang on to the steering wheel, after all don't I know the way I want to go and isn't that the direction God wants me to go too? I have notions in my head of what I want and what I don't want and when it doesn't line up with God's, well, fine, I'll figure it out without you.
My heart has raged with jealousy this week, it has raced with frustration, and every other ugly emotion. I emailed a very good friend, who happens to be my cousin, and poured my sorry heart out to her. She gave me permission to feel these emotions, then she became a witness of God's goodness in her life. She took away the guilt of what I was feeling, it was truly freeing. Then God pointed out that life is so much more than my tunnel vision, it is so much more than simply here and now, God showed me and took my blinders off, and showed me that he is in the process of a bigger picture. A bigger picture that has my good in mind. He showed me, reassured me, to keep trusting, keeping moving forward, and to enjoy the moment, enjoy the slowness. Trust me Robin he says. Oh, to know that God has something coming, to know God is working, and not simply leaving me in a slump is oh so amazingly soul happy. I rejoice the God took my blinders off, I rejoice at the tunnel vision God was showing me I was having! I rejoice in my God, my Abba!
He has rescued me from my slump, he has turned sorrow and self pity into praise.
Friday, January 24, 2014
The bigger picture
I have been reading Desiring God by John Piper, a book I have struggled to read going on four years now. A paragraph is a chunk for me to read, simply because it contains so much brain food. My brain struggles to take in that deep of information at one time, simply too much to think through and digest in one sitting. So a chapter has taken me a week to read. I am determined to push through this book and once and for all get it read!
Something the book brought to perspective for me was the grasp of God with a wider picture. God sees our sins as short term and while it's still sin and still saddens him and he still dislikes it, God often also has a greater wider scope of what is to be done in and through that sin. Everything always points to God's glory, even our ugliness.
So this got me thinking about life's situations and how trusting God's bigger plan ultimately puts me at peace. I think of situations where someone seeks to do me harm and it's not hard to think of ways people would want to hurt me. I think of Corrie Ten Boom and Betsy Ten Boom, I think of their situation in the concentration camp. I think of all the horrible things they saw, heard, and experienced. What is the greater purpose in it? I know that these two women had the same question, but I do also know that Betsy in particular deeply believed that God had a bigger picture than their suffering in the moment. In the moment their suffering is awfully horrible and I know from their books they thought it was horrible too. But, instead of focusing on the here and now, instead of focusing on the one horrible moment, which can lead to weeks, months, and years of horrible, as it was for these two ladies. It does take work and constant abiding in the father to withstand so much horribleness and be able to continually see the bigger picture. It takes a great deal of trust, trust which unless we are abiding is impossible in my mind to remain a hold of. Without abiding within such awfulness, one would wither and faint away, if not physically than in the mind and that is just as horrible as dying in the physical.
It is with the bigger picture in mind that I press on, encouraged and delighted that there is indeed a greater picture than just the here and now. Knowing the trials and tribulations of this world are not for naught, but has a glorious and even beautiful bigger picture. It is sometimes a moment by moment trust, which means it is a situation which I must cling tightly to my Savior and not get distracted from this relationship. To get distracted, to not feed this relationship would mean death of hope and death of joy. Because, away from the presence of God I will gain a tunnel vision of despair, death, hopelessness. For, without the constant relationship and assurance of who I am and the assurance of a beautiful picture I will not withstand the worlds cruelty.
And so with the bigger picture in mind I press on, trusting not in the momentarily circumstance, but in the greater good of the circumstance. I press on knowing the race is only a means to a beautiful end of culminating a relationship with my Abba. I rejoice that Abba has a greater purpose and that despite the circumstance, even if I am not rescued from the cave with the lions, the fiery furnace, the Egyptian Pharaoh, Hitler's army, or any other trial God's bigger purpose is with me and his other children in mind.
God be praised for ever and ever!
Something the book brought to perspective for me was the grasp of God with a wider picture. God sees our sins as short term and while it's still sin and still saddens him and he still dislikes it, God often also has a greater wider scope of what is to be done in and through that sin. Everything always points to God's glory, even our ugliness.
So this got me thinking about life's situations and how trusting God's bigger plan ultimately puts me at peace. I think of situations where someone seeks to do me harm and it's not hard to think of ways people would want to hurt me. I think of Corrie Ten Boom and Betsy Ten Boom, I think of their situation in the concentration camp. I think of all the horrible things they saw, heard, and experienced. What is the greater purpose in it? I know that these two women had the same question, but I do also know that Betsy in particular deeply believed that God had a bigger picture than their suffering in the moment. In the moment their suffering is awfully horrible and I know from their books they thought it was horrible too. But, instead of focusing on the here and now, instead of focusing on the one horrible moment, which can lead to weeks, months, and years of horrible, as it was for these two ladies. It does take work and constant abiding in the father to withstand so much horribleness and be able to continually see the bigger picture. It takes a great deal of trust, trust which unless we are abiding is impossible in my mind to remain a hold of. Without abiding within such awfulness, one would wither and faint away, if not physically than in the mind and that is just as horrible as dying in the physical.
It is with the bigger picture in mind that I press on, encouraged and delighted that there is indeed a greater picture than just the here and now. Knowing the trials and tribulations of this world are not for naught, but has a glorious and even beautiful bigger picture. It is sometimes a moment by moment trust, which means it is a situation which I must cling tightly to my Savior and not get distracted from this relationship. To get distracted, to not feed this relationship would mean death of hope and death of joy. Because, away from the presence of God I will gain a tunnel vision of despair, death, hopelessness. For, without the constant relationship and assurance of who I am and the assurance of a beautiful picture I will not withstand the worlds cruelty.
And so with the bigger picture in mind I press on, trusting not in the momentarily circumstance, but in the greater good of the circumstance. I press on knowing the race is only a means to a beautiful end of culminating a relationship with my Abba. I rejoice that Abba has a greater purpose and that despite the circumstance, even if I am not rescued from the cave with the lions, the fiery furnace, the Egyptian Pharaoh, Hitler's army, or any other trial God's bigger purpose is with me and his other children in mind.
God be praised for ever and ever!
Sunday, January 19, 2014
Permission and a Wittness
Yesterday was a crazy awful day! Now, when I say awful I don't mean anything life threatening happened, nor did anything that can't be fixed later happen. But, none the less, emotionally yesterday rocked me. It rocked me because I had been in a mind set of what yesterday would look like, when it turned out to look like the opposite of relaxing, a Sabbath I so desperately needed before heading into a busy week, I lost it. Instead all I could see was all that was before me and it looked too big for me. I cried out to the Lord all day, wanting Him, needing Him to change my attitude. Wanting him to give me extra joy and extra energy. Yesterday was Saturday, which was even worse because the next day was Sunday. I have responsibilities on Sunday. Sure they only last an hour, but it's an hour that is filled with rushing, shepherding of my kids as well as other's kids, it's filled with running here and there. I love spending time with my church body, but let's be honest, it requires emotional and physical energy to get there!
I had a choice to make. I could give myself permission to stay home, to soak in a Sabbath at home I so desperately need to get my mind in the peaceful place it needs to be to tackle the week. I could give myself permission, but instead it's laced with guilt. Guilt of knowing I am needed elsewhere, but knowing my family comes first and knowing what they really need is not a busy morning, what they need is quiet time with mommy and daddy. We need to connect again, especially after a day filled with mommy and daddy stressed out. We need the connection and so do they. We need to be reminded and grounded in our love as a family. We don't need one more thing to run to, we need a Sabbath, a quiet, we need to breathe. So, I gave myself permission.
Do I need the permission of other believers, no, but is it nice? Yes! We as believers have a tendancy to think that if we are not serving EVERY Sunday or in my case miss more Sundays than you've attended when you've committed to something. Yeah, that pill has been hard to swallow. It's been hard to swallow because instead of compassion and a hug of I'm so sorry life has tackled you lately. I feel like I will get the evil eye that I'm not holding up my side of the bargain, my side of the deal.
But this brings me to a bigger picture of what the body of Christ is needing. We are sick with sin, it's inherited, you can't run away from it, you can try and deny it, but no matter how hard you try it will always be there. We eat too much chocolate because we are lonely, we yell at our kids because the weight of the world is too heavy, we love and enter into relationships that are plagued with sickness not health. We gaze at someone in a way we should not be, instead of turning away, we allow ourselves to stay in the moment. A moment of unhealthy lust.
But, the thing is, we know we are sinners. We know we are holding the short end of the stick and so we cringe and shrink back. We label our selves sinners and so instead of giving each other permission, we label and cause two directions, either they try even harder to be spiritual, to please and be Holier than thou art, attempting to earn our way out of our sin or we throw in the towel, give up, and embrace the sin. Both are covering up a sickness they don't know how to deal with. So, instead of admitting it they press on, still sick, still needing a cure, still ducking their head in shame.
What they need, what I need, is a witness! I need a witness of love. A witness to hug me, to reassure me that even in my sin, especially in my sin. God the father, Jesus the savior understands my sin, he understands my heart, and loves me still. What I need is to know that I am still loved by the body of Christ, because within knowing I'm loved by the body of Christ, it becomes Christ loving me. I'm not suppose to need anyone other than Christ and when it comes down to it, your right. But, I do also know that God often uses his people in my life to bear witness to his love and his truth! He uses them as a sword to sharpen me, to get me through furnace firings in my life. I need the body of Christ and other believers need the body of Christ to give them permission to be imperfect. Let's not judge, let's love, let's pray for one another in love. Let's rejoice that God can take a sinner, a wretch, and love them to glory. Let's give each other permission to fail, let's love them through the failure, and bring them to victory in Jesus! Let's give permission and bear witness to one another the glory of God within us! Let the light in us speak for itself. When we are abiding in Christ, our love for Christ is evident, others will flock to the peace, they will crave the peace. Let us let love bring transformation.
Let us give permission for each other to sin, to be imperfect, to drop the ball. But, let's call each other to truth and love by being a witness of being in the slum ourselves, let's give testimony, let's remember were we were when we were lost. The times we still get lost. Let's give each other permission to be gone a Sunday or Sundays because life throws curve balls. Let's give each other permission to be imperfect, let's let God do what God does best. Let's be a witness of God at his best when we are at our worst!
I had a choice to make. I could give myself permission to stay home, to soak in a Sabbath at home I so desperately need to get my mind in the peaceful place it needs to be to tackle the week. I could give myself permission, but instead it's laced with guilt. Guilt of knowing I am needed elsewhere, but knowing my family comes first and knowing what they really need is not a busy morning, what they need is quiet time with mommy and daddy. We need to connect again, especially after a day filled with mommy and daddy stressed out. We need the connection and so do they. We need to be reminded and grounded in our love as a family. We don't need one more thing to run to, we need a Sabbath, a quiet, we need to breathe. So, I gave myself permission.
Do I need the permission of other believers, no, but is it nice? Yes! We as believers have a tendancy to think that if we are not serving EVERY Sunday or in my case miss more Sundays than you've attended when you've committed to something. Yeah, that pill has been hard to swallow. It's been hard to swallow because instead of compassion and a hug of I'm so sorry life has tackled you lately. I feel like I will get the evil eye that I'm not holding up my side of the bargain, my side of the deal.
But this brings me to a bigger picture of what the body of Christ is needing. We are sick with sin, it's inherited, you can't run away from it, you can try and deny it, but no matter how hard you try it will always be there. We eat too much chocolate because we are lonely, we yell at our kids because the weight of the world is too heavy, we love and enter into relationships that are plagued with sickness not health. We gaze at someone in a way we should not be, instead of turning away, we allow ourselves to stay in the moment. A moment of unhealthy lust.
But, the thing is, we know we are sinners. We know we are holding the short end of the stick and so we cringe and shrink back. We label our selves sinners and so instead of giving each other permission, we label and cause two directions, either they try even harder to be spiritual, to please and be Holier than thou art, attempting to earn our way out of our sin or we throw in the towel, give up, and embrace the sin. Both are covering up a sickness they don't know how to deal with. So, instead of admitting it they press on, still sick, still needing a cure, still ducking their head in shame.
What they need, what I need, is a witness! I need a witness of love. A witness to hug me, to reassure me that even in my sin, especially in my sin. God the father, Jesus the savior understands my sin, he understands my heart, and loves me still. What I need is to know that I am still loved by the body of Christ, because within knowing I'm loved by the body of Christ, it becomes Christ loving me. I'm not suppose to need anyone other than Christ and when it comes down to it, your right. But, I do also know that God often uses his people in my life to bear witness to his love and his truth! He uses them as a sword to sharpen me, to get me through furnace firings in my life. I need the body of Christ and other believers need the body of Christ to give them permission to be imperfect. Let's not judge, let's love, let's pray for one another in love. Let's rejoice that God can take a sinner, a wretch, and love them to glory. Let's give each other permission to fail, let's love them through the failure, and bring them to victory in Jesus! Let's give permission and bear witness to one another the glory of God within us! Let the light in us speak for itself. When we are abiding in Christ, our love for Christ is evident, others will flock to the peace, they will crave the peace. Let us let love bring transformation.
Let us give permission for each other to sin, to be imperfect, to drop the ball. But, let's call each other to truth and love by being a witness of being in the slum ourselves, let's give testimony, let's remember were we were when we were lost. The times we still get lost. Let's give each other permission to be gone a Sunday or Sundays because life throws curve balls. Let's give each other permission to be imperfect, let's let God do what God does best. Let's be a witness of God at his best when we are at our worst!
Tuesday, December 31, 2013
Looking to 2014
The last few years I have set goals for myself. One year I wanted to learn broths and soups, another year I wanted to learn to make sauces and dips, and this year Mark and I are going to learn to relax! We are going to relearn how to relax and bring fun back into our lives. Some how in the midst of living, raising kids, and paying bills we forgot how to have a life. This year we are going to dig the fun back out of the closet.One of the ways we are going to accomplish this is honesty. If Mark's had a rough day and he needs to go get lost in the woods with his camera, then I need to be able to give him the freedom to do so. Back him a picnic and off he goes. I need him to be ready to take over the kids and let me walk out the door for a while after a stressful day of school and training the kiddos. There are going to be times Mark and I need to run away together and we'll figure out a way to accomplish it.
One of the adventures we are going to try and bring back into our lives is camping! We love camping! Camping sings to both Mark and I's soul. Living in a tent, cooking over a fire, running around in the woods, listening to the birds sing, fishing for our supper. Biking is another adventure we full intend to bring back into our world of adventure. Lansboro is a sweet little tourist town known for it's great biking trails. Lansboro has sweet little shops, fabulous restaurants, and a world re-known pie shop! Fishing is definitely an adventure we will continue. Last summer we went fishing quite a bit and the kids loved it. We have learned that if your kids are indeed going to be serious about fishing then the flimsy kid poles are not a good choice. Definitely spend the extra money and get them a serious pole that will outlast kid antics. You get the gist, we are outdoors people and the outdoors makes our soul sing!
Relaxing for Mark also looks like painting, skateboarding, sitting by a fire for hours, spending alone time with his wife, and spending time with great friends. For me relaxing looks like sitting down with a great book, cooking/baking something yummy, riding horses, and sitting with great friends shooting the breeze and eating yummy food and drinking great beverages. I love long walks with friends, pretty much anything that gives me heart to heart time with someone.
We are going to find fun, we are going to start listening to our emotional needs of fun and relaxation, this will feed our spiritual, uplift us mentally, and will heal the physical.I am looking forward to an amazing 2014! I'll let you know how our year of fun pans out!
Sunday, November 3, 2013
The Watchful Father
I have heard quite often that our relationships are an image of our relationship with God. Today, I was thinking of my relationship with my kid's and how I watch them closely and learn their in's and outs's. I know when my kid's are over tired and need to go to bed, I know how to help them before they get to a place of being over tired. I know the signs that tell me they are on the verge of a cold or some other sickness. I what their facial expressions mean and what their body language means. I know what will make their heart sings and what will fill their cups to overflowing. I know how much or how little pressure they can handle. I also know when they are giving me attitude or struggling because they need my attention and are asking without knowing it for a mommy or daddy date. They are needing one on one time with us. It is my job as their mommy to ask the Holy Spirit for guidance into my kid's. Guidance for eyes to see my kid's and their needs, issues that I might other wise miss but are important to the raising of their hearts.
Matthew 6:26 says, 'Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet their heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Another verse in Matthew says, 'Are not two sparrows sold for a penny: And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father'. Both of these verses tells me that God intimately watches us, not one of us rises or falls without him knowing. Which also tells me that he watches my heartache as closely as he watches my successes. If I will allow him God is alive and active in my life.There have been many moments in my life that like my three year olds my temper flared and I was unconsolable. Like my three year olds I did not know it was the affection and love of my heavenly Father I was needing and looking for. I in my immaturity wandered around looking for spiritual food and had no realization of what I as doing. But, God knew, my heavenly Father, saw my tantrum and knew it for what it was. He would come along beside me and either through mentors or through his word and Holy Spirit guide me to the nourishing waters of his presence. He would water my soul through his Holy Spirit giving me nourishing soul soup of his word and comfort. As I grew spiritually, I have grown to know myself more and more. I have been able to go to my heavenly father before my soul erupts into an emotional molten lava volcano.
The question I asked myself this mornings was, 'does God care for me as I care for my kid's, does God have an active relationship with me as I do with my kid's. The answer in my personal life is yes. But, we can also choose to have the relationship of a child who will not and does not want the parent/child relationship. In which case God can attempt the relationship, but it is not responded to. Relationships both with my kid's and with God are what I put into them. If I abide in Christ and he abides in me, I am therefore tapped into the vine (God) and will receive nourishing relationship.
Yes, God responds as the father, knowing me intimately. My God is the watchful heavenly Father.
Sunday, October 20, 2013
Triumph and Pain...when I don't understand...
Tonight I am reminded of Caedmon's Call lyrics, "This world has nothing for me and this world is everything, all that I could want and nothing that I need". The last couple of months I have had two friends develop cancer, both went under crazy amounts of radiation and chemo, and both had two very different results. My one friend after undergoing a hardcore cancer recipe has been declared cancer free. However, cancer has assaulted my other friends body. His wife has had to tell his children that their daddy is dying and that now it's about making daddy comfortable.
Complete opposite outcomes. I feel both triumph and udder sadness at the same time. I felt this deep stirring of emotions when the twins were born. A friend of ours had a son and he only lived a few hours. I was excited at the birth of our twins, but my heart wept and bleed for this mother who lost her baby. I cried out to the Lord in the unfairness of giving me twins and taking her one. Could He not have given us each one baby and called it good? My heart was torn.
As I mull over these two opposite reactions, as I mull over the pain in both situations, I know that God works for good even in our pain. I have found that it is in my agony and deep grief, that if I let God hold me, if I allow myself to get mad at God, if I allow myself to feel the pain and unfairness. It is in this place that God meets me, when he comes he brings peace. He does not always give me clarity, he doesn't always give me a reason, but he does show himself to me. He does show me sunshine in the darkness of my pain. He does not let me sink, he carries me, and lets me cry.
There is joy in miracles and tears in goodbyes. I don't really understand either, but I do know my God has proven himself to me over and over. I pray that when the road is dark and I don't understand, I pray God will pick me up and carry me.
Please pray for my friend who's family is getting ready to say goodbye to him. Lord, bring them your peace, bring them the strength that only you can give.
Complete opposite outcomes. I feel both triumph and udder sadness at the same time. I felt this deep stirring of emotions when the twins were born. A friend of ours had a son and he only lived a few hours. I was excited at the birth of our twins, but my heart wept and bleed for this mother who lost her baby. I cried out to the Lord in the unfairness of giving me twins and taking her one. Could He not have given us each one baby and called it good? My heart was torn.
As I mull over these two opposite reactions, as I mull over the pain in both situations, I know that God works for good even in our pain. I have found that it is in my agony and deep grief, that if I let God hold me, if I allow myself to get mad at God, if I allow myself to feel the pain and unfairness. It is in this place that God meets me, when he comes he brings peace. He does not always give me clarity, he doesn't always give me a reason, but he does show himself to me. He does show me sunshine in the darkness of my pain. He does not let me sink, he carries me, and lets me cry.
There is joy in miracles and tears in goodbyes. I don't really understand either, but I do know my God has proven himself to me over and over. I pray that when the road is dark and I don't understand, I pray God will pick me up and carry me.
Please pray for my friend who's family is getting ready to say goodbye to him. Lord, bring them your peace, bring them the strength that only you can give.
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
It's not enough to want our nation to change! It is the people that must change!
I watch our nation fall apart, I watch newscasts of government shut downs. I see republican, democrats, and everyone in between having a tantrum. I see the moral scales tilting, I see a nation I grew up to love falling apart. My Grandpa knowing that he would be drafted, entered the army willingly during WWII, serving with a medical unit on Christmas Island, experiencing horrific, horrible things my mind doesn't even want to consider experiencing. During the Vietnam era my dad too knowing the inevitable would come enlisted before he got drafted and joined the Navy. I thank the Lord everyday that the war ended before my dad God to the shores of the war, the war ended on his way to the battle fields. Their sacrifice teaches me that this country is a country worth fighting for, the freedom's it offers are worth fighting for.
I see a nation who is tolerant of affairs in marriage, a nation were marriages both in Christian homes and secular fall apart. I see a nation in which it is tolerant to be a homosexual, but Christians are being shunned and forced out of business. Someone, please tell me, how that is tolerant? It is merely taking an eye for an eye, it is giving hatred in return.
To turn our faces away from the Lord is to slap our creator in the face. Sure he's strong enough to withstand the blow, but our hearts, our hearts that need to be connected to the Saviour, our souls that hunger and thirst for God, are not strong enough. We cannot cut ourselves off from the maker and creator. I am not strong enough. Any time you take God out of the drivers seat and place a human in His place, it can only lead to ruin and a destructive crash!
Our nation does not need to change, what needs to change is the hearts of the people in our nation. A house is not made a home until a family makes it a home. America is no longer America, because it's people are choosing hatred and selfishness. The people in our nation are choosing to love themselves, they are demanding their way or no way, and they will stop at nothing to accomplish it. Is it worth it to gain a right and yet loose a nation? We have lost a love for our fellow countrymen. When the hearts of our nation change, then our nation will change. Our nation needs to change, our nation needs to not be what it once was. It needs to grow and emerge the amazing butterfly of a nation that only God alone can make it to be. Do I want the same nation as before, no, but I do want a nation were I can home school my kids without fear of loosing them. I want to live in a nation were I am not afraid of saying I love God with all my heart and all my soul and all my strength, with out the rest of the nation thinking I hate them and wish them the worse. That's not it at all! I want to live in a nation were I can learn from those around me, regardless of what their sexual orientation is, religious beliefs or skin color! I know my God is big enough to handle that and he is able to guide me through it.
What I want is for others to find the amazing peace and joy I have come to have through Jesus. I don't want to force you to have it, God didn't force me and I won't force you. But, I do want to be allowed to love the God who loves me. I do want to be allowed to do it, without you being offended. It is between you and God what you choose, but let me do it. I am not weak for loving my God, I am made strong because I am weak!
What our nation needs is healing! We need to stand in front of each other and grieve with each other. We need to grieve the lose of our country. We need to seek each others forgiveness. We need to look beyond all the crap and see each other for who we are. Sinners, each one of us, in need of forgiveness and love from each other and from God.
The hope of our nation rests in it's people, the hope of a nation rests in a nation turning from their selfishness and acknowledging others thoughts, feelings, and needs above their own. Will you be the healing change or will you be the driving force that pushes us further apart. We have a choice America! We have a choice! What will you choose to do?
As for me, I choose peace! I choose to love, I choose to love! I pray that when I don't feel compassionate God will rain it down on me. My God, My God do not turn your eyes from our nation. Send your healing, send your love, send your peace!
I see a nation who is tolerant of affairs in marriage, a nation were marriages both in Christian homes and secular fall apart. I see a nation in which it is tolerant to be a homosexual, but Christians are being shunned and forced out of business. Someone, please tell me, how that is tolerant? It is merely taking an eye for an eye, it is giving hatred in return.
To turn our faces away from the Lord is to slap our creator in the face. Sure he's strong enough to withstand the blow, but our hearts, our hearts that need to be connected to the Saviour, our souls that hunger and thirst for God, are not strong enough. We cannot cut ourselves off from the maker and creator. I am not strong enough. Any time you take God out of the drivers seat and place a human in His place, it can only lead to ruin and a destructive crash!
Our nation does not need to change, what needs to change is the hearts of the people in our nation. A house is not made a home until a family makes it a home. America is no longer America, because it's people are choosing hatred and selfishness. The people in our nation are choosing to love themselves, they are demanding their way or no way, and they will stop at nothing to accomplish it. Is it worth it to gain a right and yet loose a nation? We have lost a love for our fellow countrymen. When the hearts of our nation change, then our nation will change. Our nation needs to change, our nation needs to not be what it once was. It needs to grow and emerge the amazing butterfly of a nation that only God alone can make it to be. Do I want the same nation as before, no, but I do want a nation were I can home school my kids without fear of loosing them. I want to live in a nation were I am not afraid of saying I love God with all my heart and all my soul and all my strength, with out the rest of the nation thinking I hate them and wish them the worse. That's not it at all! I want to live in a nation were I can learn from those around me, regardless of what their sexual orientation is, religious beliefs or skin color! I know my God is big enough to handle that and he is able to guide me through it.
What I want is for others to find the amazing peace and joy I have come to have through Jesus. I don't want to force you to have it, God didn't force me and I won't force you. But, I do want to be allowed to love the God who loves me. I do want to be allowed to do it, without you being offended. It is between you and God what you choose, but let me do it. I am not weak for loving my God, I am made strong because I am weak!
What our nation needs is healing! We need to stand in front of each other and grieve with each other. We need to grieve the lose of our country. We need to seek each others forgiveness. We need to look beyond all the crap and see each other for who we are. Sinners, each one of us, in need of forgiveness and love from each other and from God.
The hope of our nation rests in it's people, the hope of a nation rests in a nation turning from their selfishness and acknowledging others thoughts, feelings, and needs above their own. Will you be the healing change or will you be the driving force that pushes us further apart. We have a choice America! We have a choice! What will you choose to do?
As for me, I choose peace! I choose to love, I choose to love! I pray that when I don't feel compassionate God will rain it down on me. My God, My God do not turn your eyes from our nation. Send your healing, send your love, send your peace!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)