Anyone else for real huff and puff at God? No. Just me. Cool. Cool.
I know it’s ridiculous and I know it’s immature – but I’m just trying to be real with y’all.
Sometimes God gets in our business and we don’t like it. That’s the truth.
But you better listen. He’s in your business because He wants to make you better. He’s in your business because He can see a much bigger picture. He’s in your business because you’re His girl.
Next time you want to huff and puff and eye roll galore – maybe thank Him instead. Maybe say, “I see you, God. I see you watching over me. I see you wanting the best for me. I see you.”
Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Romans 12:12
Can I just be real with you guys a second? The last 6 weeks have been really tough for me. Wait, scratch that, back it up, let’s try this again…
The last twelve months have been really toughfor me! Twelve months, people. That’s a whole year.
It all began with this virus you may have heard of – Covid-19, times two – and ended with a very unfriendly, debilitating little condition called pancreatitis. Believe it or not, for me, pancreatitis was a whole new level of awful, even compared to Covid-19. Yep, this one landed me in the hospital for eight days, kindafighting for my life for a minute there. And,listen, eight days is a long time to be in the hospital – about eight days too many.
Add that to all the lunacy going on in the world today – a country, polarized politically, “the church,” fighting amongst ourselves over insignificant things, families in crisis, addiction, homelessness, marriages in trouble…I could go on and on and on.
So, here I am, trying to get my bearings on the many issues of life and society today – most of which I can’t remotely figure out how to fix – all the while adjusting to only eating around thirty fat grams per day. That was the last straw, I guess, because, apparently, I ate way more than thirty fat grams per day in my other, pre-pancreatitis life, that I loved so very much.
The truth is I wake up most mornings feeling anything but normal and put on a brave face, push through, silently hoping the state of the world and my lack of weekly Mexican food is just a bad nightmare.
To be honest, I’m weary, I’m exhausted, I’m concerned, I’m confused, I’m hungry.
One night I was in the hospital, unable to sleep – OK, most nights, most nights I was in the hospital, unable to sleep – and cried out to Jesus.
“Jesus, I need Your help. I need to know you’re here with me, right now, in this dreaded hospital room, not to mention this terrible hospital bed. I need You to comfort me, I need You to still me.We had all these plans, Lord, and now what? I can barely walk to the bathroom without help, how will I ever make a difference for You now?”
And very quietly I heard Him say,
“Sherra, come to Me. You need rest, not just for your body, but for your mind and your emotions. Come to Me.”
For those of you who might not know this Scripture, it’s found in Matthew 11:28-30. It says,
Then Jesus said, “Come to Me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, let Me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”
“Rest for my weary soul.” Guys, if I’ve ever in my life needed to hear those words, it was that night!
The truth is, this life gets crazy, it gets bumpy, it gets hard; there are twists and turns coming that we could never anticipate. We will all experience these times of trouble, probably several times over, and there is no way we can navigate them in our own strength. So, what do we do?
We go to Jesus – the One who understands this human life, in every way; the One who has promised to ALWAYS be with us and never, ever leave us; the One who always has our backs and knows all the answers.
That night in the hospital, I put on some worship music, one of Shane & Shane’s Hymns albums.One of the first songs that played was “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus.” Fluke? I think not.
The thing about this song is that it was my grandmother’s favorite hymn. I can remember,as a little girl, many nights, hearing her praying before bed. She’d not had the easiest life, but you never would have known it. Her faith in God was completely unwavering. Often, as she finished praying, she’d break out into the hymn she loved so much. The lyrics remind us that when we look at Jesus, our problems just seem to fade and not be nearly as clear and pressing as they were. My grandmother always modeled for me that, no matter what your problems were, Jesus was your answer. So, when you don’t know what to do, turn your eyes on the One who does.
How about you today? Are you weary and heavy burdened? Chances are you might be. Me, I still can’t eat cheese enchiladas, but I’m learning to keep my focus on Jesus, no matter what this world or our enemy may throw at me on any given day. He has the answers, Friend. Go to Him.
Oh, and I have discovered the magic of shrimp tacos.
Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus
By Helen H. Lemmel
O soul are you weary and troubledHis word shall not fail you he promised
No light in the darkness you seeBelieve him and all will be well
There’s light for a look at the SaviorThen go to a world that is dying
And life more abundant and freeHis perfect salvation to tell.
Turn your eyes upon JesusTurn your eyes upon Jesus
Look full in his wonderful faceLook full in his wonderful face
And the things of earth will grow strangely dimAnd the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of his glory and graceIn the light of his glory and grace
Can you think back to that lovely period of time called adolescence when you thought you knew it ALL? I remember my parents giving me advice, and in the back of my mind, I would think, “They have no idea what they are talking about.” What I couldn’t understand at that point in my young life was that my parents gave their advice or made decisions based on their wealth of knowledge, wisdom, and experience. They only wanted what was best for me and knew how to guide me in that direction. It’s funny how things come full circle because I am now the parent trying to guide my children and help them make good, sound decisions. And let me just tell you, with a soon-to-be teenage daughter, it is very trying at times!
The other day, it hit me. This picture looks so much like our relationship with the Father. He knows what is best for us, and He has every step of our life planned out completely. So how is it that we end up OFF the beaten path? Because even as adults, we tend to act just like those hard-headed, stubbornly independent teenagers we once were. When things are smooth-sailing, we take the reins and subconsciously tell God, “It’s ok, I’ve got this!” In the moment, we may feel like we know what is best for us, and we stop seeking God’s perfect will for our life. Sometimes, we may just downright refuse to get in His will because we are uncomfortable, scared, or anxious. But friends, what better place to be than in the divine and perfect will of the One who created us?? God will never lead us to a place where He will not also equip us for what lies ahead. Proverbs 16:9 says, “In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.” Sometimes, God may close a door that we just knew should swing wide open, and we have to trust that God sees the bigger picture. I’ve learned over the years that if God says “no,” it’s usually because He is protecting me from something I cannot see, and He has something better for me ahead. In all of our infinite wisdom, we tend to sometimes think we know how to plan our lives out perfectly. Oh, but even on our good days, we don’t even come close to being able to orchestrate our lives in the way that God does. When we choose our own free will over the path God has planned for us, we ultimately derail and will always miss out on the blessing God has for us. “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11
When I was younger, I used to sing a southern gospel song in church called, “Keep Me In Your Will” by Jessica King. The chorus says, “Put me where you want to, not where I want to be. If I should ask for things I want, just give me what I need. When I complain from time to time, forgive me Lord, I pray. And keep me in your will, so I won’t be in Your way.” Today, let’s step aside and let God lead. Trust Him completely, and know that He never steers us wrong!
I know I wasn’t for a long time. Sometimes we pray out of habit because we know it’s the right thing to do. Sometimes we just pray on a schedule because life gets too busy. Sometimes we just don’t pray at all.
The struggle is real.
A few months ago the words “be intentional” came over me while praying. These words have really stuck with me.
Was I being intentional with my prayers and my day to day life? The answer was no. Now I try to be intentional with everything I do.
From my social life to my work life. I challenge you to be intentional. I challenge you to really know what you are praying – to really know how you are spending your days honoring God.
Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always. 1 Chronicles 16:11
I recently heard something interesting about airplanes that I’ve never EVER heard before. At any given moment, an airplane may have to go off its intended flight path…Not WAY off from what the original path looked like, but some variance in the original plan is to be expected.
There are all kinds of reasons for this deviation – weather, turbulence, wind, air traffic, to avoid a specific airspace…whatever the reason, some shift in their flight plan is to be expected because of all the things that could possibly happen on the way to their destination…all the things that could affect their ability to stay exactly on course they planned.
.
The main thing is, of course, that the pilot and the plane both know where the plane will take off and where it will land, but getting there to that final destination may look differently than originally anticipated.
The pilot and the plane know the starting point and the ending point.
They know their home base and their destination.
Regardless of the groundwork done by the pilot.
Regardless of the directions from the air traffic controller.
Regardless of the information set in the GPS of the plane.
The plane may have to take a different route to get to the destination than they intended.
Sound familiar?
I’d say this flight plan scenario is a whole lot like life.
We make plans,
We plan our future,
And even plan our days minute by minute, but they don’t always go like we’d thought they would.
In fact, I’m going to take a wild guess and say that around 99.5% of the time, things don’t go as any of us want/intend them to go. This could be something as simple as spilling something on your brand new dress on the first day of school OR it could be something as big as a health scare.
The only reassuring part of this whole thing is that plans HAVE been made for each of our lives.
A path has been set…just not by us. By God.
Proverbs 16:9 – The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps.
Proverbs 16:1 – The plans of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the LORD.
What exactly does this mean for us?
It means plan away, set that path, set goals and even achieve them..but be prepared – things may not turn out quite like you thought they would.
Sometimes, it means things go in a very different direction than we anticipated they would.
Sometimes it means we’re disappointed, surprised, and even frustrated.
Sometimes it means we just flat out don’t get what we want, but –
SOMEtimes, it means we get so much more than we ever imagined possible that we’re literally in awe.
Sometimes miracles happen.
Sometimes things we least expect in life come together for us.
Many fruits of the spirit come into play when our life is being directed by God and Godly things –
A whole lot of patience, an extreme amount of faithfulness, and a HUGE amount of self control. Trust the process is always a phrase that comes to mind when thinking of God’s plans and his time compared to our own.
Now getting there is another story. Although you don’t know what this life will look like or the steps you’ll take to be all that God intended you to be, he does. You may have twists and turns you never expected, you may have to experience things you’d rather not, you may even have to do things you never imagined in a million years you’d do, but regardless, if you can be still long enough to listen and follow his lead, you’ll get there.
Just know that unlike the path of that airplane, your path is not directed by the weather or a restricted airspace – your path is directed by the one who knows YOU,
the one who knows what’s BEST for you,
the one who is protecting from sights unseen and events unknown by you,
and the one who loves you more than anything in the world – so trust him.
Even when it doesn’t go like you planned.
God knows where you started, and God knows where you’re going…and even if you don’t know how you’re getting there,
Jesus tells us, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry.”
What is spiritual hunger?
What is physical hunger?
Hunger is a feeling of discomfort or weakness caused by lack of food coupled with the desire to eat
There’s a song “Amen simple Gospel“ by Kari Jobe. I first heard this song with the passing of my mama. It spoke volumes to me, and I pretty much listen to it at least once every day. I guess it goes back to my heart feelings about hunger. Everyday when I say my prayers I ask for the hungry to be fed and the sick to be well in a way that they see it is God who provides.
When I first heard this song my heart rejoiced when I heard that the hungry shall feast because I know what physical hunger feels like, and I can’t stand the thought of people -especially children- going hungry. Now I’m not talking about you just ate and I’m still hungry.
I’m talking one meal a day and that’s all there was – no snacks in the cupboard and no munching between meals. The hungry people suffer because the last meal was little and far between. 😢
I’ve often pondered on the subject of spiritual hunger. What does scripture John 6:35 mean? Jesus is the Bread of Life. How will we never go hungry again? By eating.
We can compare our physical hunger with spiritual hunger to get our answer. Physical hunger is a feeling of discomfort or weakness caused by lack of food and is coupled with desire to eat.
To never go spiritually hungry we have to snack on JESUS! Jesus has everything we need for our spiritual state. HE said whoever comes to Him will not go hungry. Go hungry – that’s the key phrase. If you snack, eat, snack, eat and repeat you will not go hungry. I love my Jesus, and I snack on Him every hour of the day by thanking him for things throughout the day.
Talking to Him even over the littlest stuff and then eating when I’m praying and reading his word, ect…..
If you don’t eat and snack on spiritual things of Jesus your mind will become weak, you will feel discomfort, and like the body you will have desires to eat the intake of unhealthy spiritual things.
You fill in the blank because we all eat differently. This will eventually cause great hunger – ultimately lead to starving. Spiritual starvation is a terrible lonely place😢
Come all who are hungry.
One day we will feast on Jesus when we see him face to face.
Every time I try a new dress on I take a picture and send it to my sisters – cause codependent. 🤷🏼♀️
Guess what my reaction was when I put this one on? For a hot second – when I glanced at the picture before I sent it – I saw a big belly.
Now y’all, I know that’s ridiculous. My stomach isn’t big. But wouldn’t the devil love for me to believe that. For me to dwell on it. For me to be in my head over that all day long. Because let’s be honest – as women in this worldly world our focus tends to flitter that way.
And if I were in my head about that all day I wouldn’t be able to focus on my purpose, which is leading people to Christ.
Too bad for the devil that I started speaking scripture over myself a long time ago. And I challenge you to start doing the same.
In my twenties I would have listened to that voice. But in my forties – in my forties I only listen to THE voice. The voice of my savior. He said that I was fearfully and wonderfully made. He said I was born for a purpose. He said I was made in His image. He did not say you have a flaw that everyone will stare at all day and judge you for.
Just an FYI, fearfully when translated from the Hebrew means with great reverence, heart-felt interest, and with respect. Wonderfully when translated from the Hebrew means unique and set apart.
Wow!! That’s amazing, right?!
I want you to remember what I’m about to say – the flaw that you see isn’t there. It’s merely a mirage created by the devil to mess with your mind.
Sister, you are beautiful.
You are wonderfully made.
You were created for a purpose.
In His image.
Speak it.
Believe it.
“for it was You who created my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I will praise You because I have been fearfully and wonderfully made”. Psalms 139:13-14
Current mom, toddler mom, teen mom, bonus mom, foster mom, looking to adopt mom, empty nester mom etc.
Let’s talk about our babies and the relationships THEY make on this planet, and all the fear that comes with that. Will they make good choices in friendships? Will they see the bad in people before it hurts them? Will they blindly trust, and end up heartbroken? On the flip side of that, will THEY be a good friend??? Have I raised them to be loyal, trust worthy, and deserving of the type of friendship I so desperately pray they find in their walk through this world? Have I modeled being that type of friend and surrounded myself with relationships that model that?
Let’s get into this by saying this – YOU ARE A GOOD MOTHER!!! Our children are our responsibility to raise, guide, and then in the blink of an eye they are making choices for themselves. Friends hear me when I say this, before you fall into the self-blaming habits that we all end up in when they make the wrong choice. Your precious baby child is not a robot. They are a HUMAN BEINGS, with the same free will to make their own choices that God gave you and I. So, they are 100% going to make mistakes. They will never make every choice as you may have raised them to make it… Your child’s human nature is something you can not carry on your own momma shoulders.
I am willing to bet that you carry enough on those weighted down shoulders. There is nothing worse than feeling like people are blaming the mother you are on the decision your child made. As if we aren’t already carrying it, that crushing judgement can just push us over the edge of self-blame. So, I encourage us all to respond differently in these situations because the moment we judge another mom thinking “not my baby” that’s when YEP, your baby…
They will ALL make a minimum of one dumb choice, but odds are it will be much more. So, lets support each other in this thing called parenthood because we are ALL just trying to get to other side of it with good kids that were raised to know that WHEN they made a mistake, momma was still there in their corner loving them and supporting them. Motherhood is SO HARD, and we need help!!! Help from our spouses, family, and tribes of other mothers that also are raising their kids the best they can.
So, when the time comes that they start making friends and building their own tribes, how can I help them to make the “right” ones? Wouldn’t it be easier to just do it for them!!! Well yeah… but what would they learn. There is importance in those broken friendships. So many human molding lessons come from the pain of loss. There are no tears wasted in this journey called life. So, we can’t and shouldn’t pick for them, BUT we can SHOW them what it is to be a good friend and to have them. We can show them through our own responses to friends and our own losses in that area. We can model grace and forgiveness in our own relationships knowing that they are watching and learning from us. We can be the friend to our people that we hope our child chooses for themselves. We can remind them that when it comes to friendships it should always be quality over quantity, and most importantly we can remind them that love overcomes all evil in this world, and that the love of a friend is precious.
Proverbs says “a man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother”. Friends, remind your baby of this – THE BEST FRIEND THERE IS, IS JESUS. If you love Jesus, He will send you your people to walk with, and those bonds will be forever. It is so hard to sit back and watch it all happen. To watch them go from the safety of moms just putting their kids together for play dates to them coming home to tell you about this new person who has entered their world that is a stranger to you. BUT trust who you raised them to be, trust God with their hearts and in the end know these things… God doesn’t waste pain or tears, and YOU ARE DOING A GREAT JOB. Every single time you love them and support them in their journey you are a rock star.
“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” ~~~Ephesians 4:32
“Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.”~~John 15:13
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