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What’s Your Story?

Sometimes I’m asked how we ended up all the way across the country, after growing up in upstate NY. I tell them we always had a hankering to go west and, when an opportunity presented itself, we went for it. The move itself is quite a story, with smoking trailer wheels, near accidents, lost pets, and trailer hitches falling off while pulling a trailer at 65 mph.

Our time since arriving in Washington has been a tale in itself, with several moves, a couple years living in our trailer home with no running water and a porta-potty for a bathroom, financial ups-and-downs, and seeing God open door-after-door (and close a few along the way). It’s been an adventure, but we’ve seen God work in amazing ways so many times. It’s not a perfect story, but it’s our story.

Through the apostle Peter, God tells us to “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.” (1 Peter 3:15 NIV). In other words, always be ready to share your story.

Witnessing doesn’t have to be complicated. Just like I tell others about how God has led us since leaving New York, just about your journey with God. Talk about your struggles, about the times you were tempted to let go of Him, and what made you hold on in the end. Tell about the good, the bad, and the ugly, and how He made something beautiful out of all the highs and lows.

Hearing the story of someone like you, someone who’s messed up, but still has found hope in Jesus, might just be the thing which helps someone else take that first step of faith into a new relationship with Jesus. And then they may end up sharing their story with someone else, and then they might share with another. Who knows? You may be surprised, when you finally stand before God’s throne, what an impact your story ended up having for His kingdom.

So, what’s your story? It doesn’t have to be perfect or even pretty. It just has to be yours. May God guide you today and give you courage to share your story with a friend today.

I’ve been blessed with long legs and I can cover a lot of ground quickly – sometimes too quickly!

Ana’s legs are not as long as mine and many times when we’re at the store I catch myself leaving her behind. When this happens I have to consciously make myself slow down, because I don’t want to walk ahead of her. That’s just rude. No, I want to walk in step with her, both in the store and in life.

Often I catch myself doing the same thing with God, running ahead of His plans for me, impatient to get where I want to go. At other times I end up falling behind, too timid to walk boldly through the doors He’s opening up for me. Either way leads to frustration and disappointment.

In contrast, Paul tells us “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.” (Galations 5:25 NIV). The only safe way to walk through this life is to walk with God, not running ahead, not falling behind, but staying by His side every step of the way.

Today, if you will “keep [your] eyes always on the Lord”, keeping “him at [your] right hand, [you] will not be shaken.” (Psalm 16:8). Stay in step with the Spirit and He “will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go…” (Psalm 32:8). Keep walking with Him, stick close to His side, and He will guide you safely Home.

I didn’t get a post out yesterday because we had a minor crisis at our house. My daughter discovered water coming up through the floorboards of her basement apartment. This is never a good thing.

I finally tracked the source of the problem to a slow leak in the supply valve to the tub upstairs. It had been slowly dripping through an opening in the floor into a downstairs cabinet for probably several weeks and had now spread under the laminate flooring in the basement.

It’s amazing how much damage a little water can do. By the end of the day I’d torn out the cabinet, part of the ceiling, and ⅓ of the flooring. It was a mess! An expensive mess!

Like those little drops of water, it is amazing the damage little words can do. A few whispered criticisms or angry words, spoken in the heat of the moment, can wound deeply and leave permanent scars. Poorly chosen words can lead to hurt feelings and permanently damaged relationships. It’s no wonder James says the tongue “is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.” (James 3:8 NIV).

But, while unkind words can wound, “an encouraging word cheers a person up.” (Proverbs 12:25 NLT). Kind words can heal a broken heart, soothe an anxious soul, and build bridges between people, and even nations.

As you interact with others today, remember little words, like little water drops, can have a huge impact, for good or evil, in someone else’s life. No matter who you’re talking to, “let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.” (Ephesians 4:29).

Have a Happy Sabbath!

Every morning, when I return from my walk, our two cats meet me at the door, asking to be fed. They follow me down the hall, curling around my legs and generally getting in the way, all the time yowling about how hungry they are. And every morning, without fail, I feed them. It doesn’t matter how good they’ve been, whether they’ve been climbing on the furniture or have left hair on the floor, I still feed them, because they are mine and, for some bizarre reason, I love them.

Like the cats, every morning I come to my Heavenly Father, asking to be fed the Bread of Life. I open His Word, expecting to be fed, and every morning, without fail, He fills me up. It doesn’t matter what I’ve done the day before or how good (or bad) I’ve been, He still feeds me, because I am His and, in spite of all I’ve done, He still loves me with an everlasting love.

The Bible promises that “The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.” (Lamentations 3:22, 23 NLT).

No matter what you’ve done you can still come to the Father. Come just as you are today and ask Him to feed you from His Word. Just as my cats trust me to feed them each day, you can trust the Father to take care of you. He will never fail you.

Come to the Father today. You can trust Him. He will always give you what you need. Why? Because you are His and He loves you too.

In five days something is going to happen which I’ve been looking forward to for a long time – my Mom is coming to visit! I haven’t seen her in over a year and that’s way too long. I’m looking forward to catching up all the family news, watching her interact with her great grandkids, and just spending time together.

As much as I’m looking forward to the day Mom steps off that plane, there is another day I’m looking forward to even more. On that day “the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God…” (1 Thessalonians 4:16 NIV).

What a day that will be, the culmination of all our hopes, and the beginning of a new life that will never end. Loved ones, long separated by death, will be reunited. All our aches and pains, worries and cares, will disappear in a moment. Best of all we will see Jesus! With a glad shout we will declare, ““Surely this is our God; we trusted in him, and he saved us. This is the Lord, we trusted in him; let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation.” (Isaiah 25:9).

However, unlike with my Mom’s visit, where I know exactly what day and time she will arrive, we “do not know on what day [our] Lord will come.” (Matthew 24:42). Therefore, we must each day “be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when [we] do not expect him.” (Luke 12:40).

This week I will be putting the final touches on Mom’s room, preparing for her arrival. In the same way, as you look forward to Christ’s return, “Don’t let that day catch you unaware.” (Luke 21:24 NLT). Instead, “make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him.” (2 Peter 3:13, 14). Through daily Bible study and prayer, prepare your heart and mind, so that when He appears you can welcome like I plan to welcome Mom – with a shout of joy!

The route I take on my morning walks isn’t always as smooth as I would like it. The pavement has cracks and crevices, which could (and sometimes do) trip me up. The sidewalks dip down and then up as they pass driveways. Some areas are uneven or broken. If I don’t watch my step it would be easy to fall.

However, one thing I know about the route I walk is, in spite of its imperfections, if I stay on the path, putting one foot in front of the other, it will eventually lead me home. The path may not always be smooth, but it always leads me where I really want to go.

Jesus told His disciples, “small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” (Matthew 7:14 NIV). He also warned, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33).

The path God is leading you down may have its ups and downs, its narrow spots where you can’t see around the bend, but God is guiding your steps. So don’t lose hope. Don’t give up. The road you’re on may be narrow and rough, but it is the only road which leads where you really want to go – to Life!

Have you ever had one of those moments when you knew you were right where you belonged, doing the thing you were made to do? Everything just seems to flow and you’re loving every minute.

I had one of those moments tonight. I was leading out in presenting the Full Plate Living Program at our church. Full Plate Living teaches how we can eat healthy and lose weight and still enjoy our food. It’s an excellent program provided by the Ardmore Institute of Health and I highly recommend it. Best of all, it’s free! You can learn more about it at FullPlateLiving.org.

Anyway, as I was leading out tonight, I got the feeling I was right where I belonged at that moment, doing just what God wanted me to do. I love preaching and doing public speaking and I often get that feeling when I’m up front, the bigger the audience the better. It’s kind of weird, because I’m not all that good one-on-one, but when I’m up front I feel like I’m in my element. I feel the same thing when I write sometimes.

The Bible says we each have a place where we belong, something God planned especially for us to do. It says, “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:10 NIV).

There is no one else like you. God has a special place prepared where you are to work for Him. If you will give Him your life today, give Him first place in your heart, then He “will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go…”. (Psalm 32:8). He will lead you to that place He’s prepared just for you – the place where you belong.

Psalm 37:4 has always been one of my favorite Bible verses. It promises, “Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.”

Don’t you love that? It’s almost like magic! If I just find delight in God, He will give me everything my heart could desire.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem to work that way in real life. Many a time I’ve wanted something with all my heart, but God didn’t come through. So, what’s going on?

As I’ve grown in my relationship to God, I’ve come to realize I’ve been reading that verse wrong. God isn’t saying He’ll give me everything my selfish heart desires. What God is really promising is that, if I delight in Him, He will give me new desires, desires that are pure, untainted by selfish interests.

But in order for this to happen. I first need a heart transplant. God promises, “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you…” (Ezekiel 36:26). No longer do I live for self, for “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.” (Galatians 2:20).

With a new heart and new spirit comes new desires. Christ’s desires now hold sway and my entire priorities are changed. I no longer live for myself, but to glorify God and to serve others. When this happens God will happily give me the desires of my heart, because now my heart beats only for Him.

Who does your heart beat for today?

Do any of you have days when you feel totally inadequate, way in over your head? Do you have times when life is asking too much of you and you just feel like throwing in the towel, giving up? Do you ever find yourself pleading with God to take you out of the situation you’re in, to rescue you from a burden that is more than you can bear? No? Well, count yourself blessed, because I sure do and I think everyone does at one time or another.

Paul felt that way. He says, “I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.” (2 Corinthians 12:7 NIV). He doesn’t say what this thorn was, but it left him feeling helpless, stressed out, and desperate for relief. Three times he pleaded to God to take it away, to pull out the thorn, but the only answer he got was, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (v. 9).

I’m sure that’s not the answer Paul wanted, but it was the one he needed to hear. It is only when we come to the point of desperation, when we realize how inadequate we are, that we realize how desperately we need God’s strength and it is only in total dependence on Him that we can attain total victory.

Today, when you’re feeling totally inadequate, when you feel like you can’t go on, can’t take another step, lean on Jesus. In your weakness hold on to His strength. Trust in Him and He will carry you through to a brighter tomorrow. No matter what challenges you face, His grace will be sufficient for you, because in Him even the weak become strong..

This morning, while walking past the Walla Walla University campus, I came upon a squirrel busily gathering acorns. It was so involved with the task, it didn’t notice me approaching until I was about 2 feet away. When it finally did see me, it frantically ran for the nearest tree, a precious acorn clenched in its teeth.

It’s easy to be like that squirrel, so caught up in our busy lives, scrambling to gather as much stuff as we can, we’re unaware of what’s happening around us. We can be so focused on the little things we lose sight of the big picture.

Jesus warned us about this. After telling His disciples about some of the things which would take place just before He came again, Jesus told them, “Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you suddenly like a trap.” (Luke 21:34 NIV).

Now, most of us don’t have much of a problem with “carousing” and “drunkness”, but we all sometimes are “weighed down with…the anxieties of life”, and they can be just as distracting.

This week, don’t make that squirrel’s mistake. Don’t yourself be so distracted by “the anxieties of life” you lose sight of what’s really important – preparing for Christ’s soon return. Instead, “Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.” (v. 36).

Jesus is coming soon, my friend. Don’t be like that squirrel. Keep watch!