Jan 20, 2010 | Stories, The Good Word
How often have you heard that statement? A few times too many? Enough to get you in trouble? Sometimes I hear it from people who I feel pretty certain I shouldn’t trust. Sometimes it comes from the guy on your doorstep trying to sell you some miracle cleaning solution or oceanfront property in Kansas.
More often than not, it’s not a serious statement — and it can almost be an indication that you ought to take lightly whatever the person you’re speaking with is about to say next. I always picture Aladdin saying it to Princess Jasmine just before they jump off a building and land in a sand pile, and I guess he was trustworthy. I digress.
What if God says “Trust Me?” Â Is that a different kettle of fish for you? For the past wee while, Mark and I have been praying about some decisions regarding our next steps here in South Africa — about perhaps getting part time employment to make ends meet, or trying to raise more support or — whatever other direction the Lord might lead us in.
Can you guess what the Lord’s response has been as I’ve brought this before Him in prayer? Yup. Trust Me. No booming thou shalts, no other thoughts or directions, just a still, small Trust Me.
I have found hearing a Trust Me from the Lord really encouraging. It has given me an expectation that He is going to do something great…that He’s going to come through for us in some unexpected way…or at least that something is going to happen. But today as I was spending time in the Word and in prayer, I noticed a heaviness on my heart.
The first thing that came to mind was “my thoughts are a mess.” As I went over what I’ve been thinking about and dwelling on. You know those random thoughts you find swirling in your head while you’re shampooing your hair or waiting for the baby to finish his bottle or driving along or absent-mindedly stirring a pot on the stove? Those are the meditations of your heart. They’re a good indication of what’s really going on in there.
And what’s been going on in there ain’t none too purty. I’m full of fear and worry, and mis-trust. Un-trust. Non-trust. Well whatever it is, it ain’t trust! It is really remarkable that Trust Me was God’s Word for me, before I even knew I needed it.
The Bible has a really simple solution to this issue. Would you like to hear a few thoughts on it, dear one? Great! Today I returned to II Corinthians 10 which talks about, among a lot of other really good things, “bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.” What I understand from this is that I should consider the thoughts in my head in the light of God’s truth. If they don’t line up with what His Word says, I need to get to a place in my heart and mind where they do line up.
What does that look like? Well, let’s say I’m worrying… be reminded, dear ones, worry is actually a sin…we are specifically instructed not to worry or be anxious about anything! Nevertheless, I am in process and working on this, so let’s say I am worrying about provision for the future. I’m worried about our finances and how all the ends are gonna meet. What does the truth have to say to this concern?
Therefore, do not worry, saying ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. (Matthew 6:31-33)
That’s a great answer, hey? It’s a good idea at this point for me to ask the Lord to forgive me for not trusting Him and for giving so much of my heart over to worry and to fear. Then it’s a good idea for me to begin thinking about that promise from God’s Word, and exchanging my yucky meditations for meditations on God’s Word…His truth and His promises. Think about it until you’re convinced! I think it is good to think about what you’re thinking about…don’t you think?
I look forward to telling you how the Lord brings things about in the days ahead, but in the meantime, perhaps we can all learn and grow and be a little more conformed to His image thanks to the opportunity we’ve all been given to simply trust the Lord, and believe what He says.
The Sermon in a Nutshell: Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God. (Corrie Ten Boom) And take some time to do some thinking about what you’re thinking about! (Me)
Jan 16, 2010 | Stories
As I’m sure many of you have been feeling, my heart aches as I see all the destruction and devastation resulting from the earthquakes in Haiti. We don’t have TV at home, but when we’re at the gym I’ve been watching the news footage constantly, and it is such a strange and unsettling and surreal feeling to stare at the little TV screen on the Elliptical, see the hurting faces of so many children and adults, and just keep working out as if it’s just another day. I’ve been praying for the people who have lost loved ones, the loved ones who are trying to find each other, the survivors still in the rubble waiting to be found, and those hurting and waiting for medical attention, for someone to touch them, to help them, perhaps even just to tell them it’s going to be okay. May the Lord bring peace in the midst of chaos, rescue and reunion, and restoration.
I’ve also been thinking a lot about the Haitians overseas, seeing the expatriate actors and politicians of Haiti who are around the world pleading for people to help, to give, and to go. I remember that I’d only been out of the country for a few months when Katrina hit back in the US, and my heart ached to see “my people” suffering so much. I remember praying for my sister when she travelled down to New Orleans to help. I remember how sad I was to see the devastation, the sorrow, the anger, the outrage, the blaming, the places where it looked like things hadn’t come together as they should have…things that even looked a lot like chaos. It is hard to be far away watching and feeling like you’re helpless to make a difference. To the Haitians living abroad wondering if your family is okay, waiting to hear some good news, perhaps heavy-hearted to be far away and unable to help, I’d like to say hold on to hope, and if you believe in prayer, keep praying. I hope you find encouragement in knowing that people are thinking of you, and praying for you, too.
I hope we can continue to pray, to give and to go. I have a lot of respect for Compassion as a ministry agency, so I’m attaching their link below, in case you’d like to consider giving to help the relief efforts in Haiti.
Lord, please be with those suffering in Haiti, and please bless us with the peace which surpasses understanding when things don’t seem to make sense.
Jan 13, 2010 | Baby Photos, Stories
Parenthood. The magical, wonderful, whimsical whirlwind that can occasionally provide insight into what the Lord might think when He looks at you. It is so good, and I am learning so much.
As you probably already know, the Bear LOVES his little car. Like ride-it-till-his-toes-bleed loves it. He has worn through a pair of shoes since we began letting him ride it around outside, (in late December!) and he is now working on a second pair, which we have ‘reinforced’ with super glue and bike tire inner tube (Mark is a keen mountain biker, so we do have that on hand).
Last week, I began taking him for longer strolls around the neighbourhood, much to his delight. We came to the other end of the complex (a good 15 minute walk at little-bear-on-his-little-car pace) and as we rounded the cul-de-sac for the return journey, he stopped at the plant and rock feature in the centre and chose a rock. I thought this was rather amusing. There were tons of rocks there, but apparently, this one was special. He sat the wee rock atop his wee car steering wheel, and began the journey home. I thought it was adorable and wished I knew what was going on inside his head.
Apparently, what was going on in his head was:Â I have found golden treasure. Precious treasure. I must go slowly. I must be careful. I must not lose my precious golden treasure rock. Are you hazarding a guess I got tired of the golden rock pretty quickly?
Golden-treasure-rock-carrying-pace is even slower than little-bear-on-his-little-car pace. In fact, golden-treasure-rock-carrying-pace is a pace at which you must stop regularly, to make sure golden-treasure-rock is still there. And if said treasure should slip from the steering wheel, even just so that it’s balancing between the inner circle of the steering wheel and the outer circle (where your mother might have the opinion that it’s quite safe), still you must move the treasure-rock back to its proper place, in the centre of the steering wheel, where there is a bumpy Winnie-the-Pooh feature, and treasure-rock actually has very little hope of staying put. Should treasure-rock fall onto the ground, well then you must reach it…you must fetch, you must grab it, you must get it back onto the steering wheel as quickly as possible. And if treasure-rock has fallen out of reach, you must notify Mommy as quickly as possible, in order to make sure treasure-rock returns to steering wheel. ASAP. ASAP ASAP.
Those were the rules, I discovered, of the golden-treasure-rock game. This meant the Bear was driving into curbs, going up driveway edges in a sideways fashion (which almost made him fall over once, car and all), and zig-zagging from one side of the street to the other. Why? Because he wasn’t watching where he was going. He was keeping both eyes firmly planted on his new-found pride and joy, the stupid golden-treasure-pet-rock. Insert Big-Mommy-Sigh here. Sigh…
During this joyful adventure in learning patience, I began to wonder how often the Lord might watch me carrying my own pet rocks. I wonder if I might get so distracted by the little things of the world I’m holding so dear that I’m not even paying attention to where I’m headed. I’m zig-zagging all over the path I’m supposed to be travelling on, losing track of my ultimate direction, and the bigger picture of the journey of life, because I’m concentrating on making sure I hold onto what I feel it’s most important to hold onto. I do think I have some pet rocks in my heart. And I’m beginning to ask the Lord to help me see what they are, so I can refocus on what’s ahead, and perhaps put the rocks back to the curb where they belong. Do you think you have any pet rocks?
Eventually, we came to a driveway full of rocks. This was after going at snail’s p golden-treasure-rock-carrying-pace for what seemed like hours. Probably 30 minutes, who knows. And the Bear saw a glorious sight. Treasure-rocks. Tons of them. And he puzzled and puzzled till his puzzler was sore. Not really. He thought for a moment and picked up another rock or two or four, until I eventually encouraged him that he couldn’t take these rocks, since it looked like someone had paid to have laid there as a feature of their front garden. So he returned the other rocks. And then he put the golden-treasure-rock he’d been carefully carrying, clutching and fretting over for all that time down, too. I was very glad he decided to let it go. I’ve since discovered what he’d already figured out: there will be new rocks to pick up and put down tomorrow!
Jan 8, 2010 | Baby Photos, Stories, The Good Word
Since this post is a little bit on the heavy side, I though I’d start you out with a nice, refreshing, happy picture before you dig in. Complements to my husband, who’s doing some great photography these days. 🙂
As I’ve shared a little bit with you so far this year, I’ve been challenged to go deeper with God, and in a way, to re-engage, when it seems like I had switched to auto-pilot and was just doing my own thing.
I was challenged by a question I read the other day: “How different would your life look if you stopped believing in God?” I was challenged because I really had to think about it. As I spent some time in prayer this morning, I was thinking about my life and my faith lately, and I honestly think they would best be described as half-hearted and lukewarm. I repented this morning, because I think instead of genuinely chasing after the Lord, I’ve been going through the motions.
Here’s an example. Let’s say I want to pray about something, to ask the Lord for His will, His word, or His direction. I might ask once, twice, maybe a few times. But half-heartedly. Not sincerely seeking, just “if you wanna let me know, that’d be great. K, thanks.” And if I didn’t hear anything, instead of going deeper, seeking the Lord’s face, and going after Him, I’d just let the decision get made for me (perhaps by Mark or by life in general) or else I’d just weigh the pros and cons and call the shots for myself.
In my prayer time I’ve been half-hearted. Going through the motions. Praying for certain people on each day of the week, but more as a checklisttogetthroughsoIcanstarttheday than an opportunity to meet with my Creator and really be with Him.
And on the subject of sin, I sometimes find myself thankful, not particularly that the Lord has saved me from my sin, but more that He has saved me from the punishment for my sin. The difference might seem subtle, but there’s a lot to that if you care to take a moment and ponder it.
The thing I’m being challenged about that I really want to share is this: The Lord is constantly warning us about people who think they know Him and think they have a relationship with Him, but get to the end of their lives and are dead surprised no pun intended when Jesus says “I never knew you.” It is so easy to pray a prayer once, make a commitment down at the altar at twelve years old, start out running the race for Jesus and get sidelined by the cares of this world, to the point where the only difference between you and the guy next door is that you cuss a little less and don’t sleep in on Sunday mornings.
We shouldn’t assume we’re the good soil. We shouldn’t assume we’re not lukewarm. We shouldn’t assume we’re the ones who are doing for the least of these. We need to judge ourselves. We’re instructed not to judge others, but YES, to judge ourselves. Are we actually doing for the least of these? Are we actually carrying a cross? Are we even willing to get out of our comfort zones? Or are we just doing ‘enough’ to get by? Enough to hopefully squeak through those pearly gates?
I don’t know whether this next statement will surprise you or not. I don’t know what your expectations might be for the life and faith of a missionary on the field. I’m very thankful for the blessings of God. I’m celebrating the highs and occasionally going to Him with the lows. But lately I’ve been lukewarm, and I don’t want to walk that way for another day.
Once many years ago when I was just beginning to walk with the Lord, I was discouraged because I’d disobeyed Him, and I really didn’t want to mess up. (Lately I don’t have that same attitude — but I intend to!) The Lord met me with encouraging words from Deuteronomy 4:29, which He has met me with again and again ever since. “But from there you will seek the Lord your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul.”
Wherever you are, wherever I am, whatever situation we find ourselves in, we can get back in the game. We can start running the race again. We can start going after God. Reading the Word, doing what it says, and following the leading of the Holy Spirit. Â This was my prayer this morning in response. Feel free to make it yours:
“…Lord… Help me to re-engage. Please forgive me for letting my love grow cold. I want to walk in Your ways, seek Your face and run after you with passion. Help me to take the first step toward showing You I love You by obeying your commands, today.”
Jan 7, 2010 | Hometastic Goodness, South Africa, Stories
If you’re a regular on the show, you might be aware that I’ve been hoping for a dishwasher. Very much hoping. For the sake of better time management. For the sake of our marriage. For the sake of the poor baby who makes lots of dishes dirty and tugs at my skirt tails waiting for me to get my hands out of the dishwater and do something for him. And because a big part of our ministry is welcoming people into our home, feeding them, enjoying opportunities to pray together, and just sharing life. And it kind of stinks to waver between deciding to chill out in the living room with the guests or run to the kitchen to start on the big labour of love looming ahead of you.
Our finances are rather tight at the moment, and a dishwasher seemed like a dream…far off in the distant future…waving back at me, as if someday we would see each other on a beach, and come running slowly toward each other…me with my arms extended, dishwasher with her door open, drawers bouncing and clanging, and cords and pipes trailing behind her. Yes, I think she’s probably female. We would run slowly and purposefully like the lifeguards on Baywatch and the theme song of Chariots of Fire would play somewhere in the distance, we’d embrace, and I would walk her home, for Mark to install her, and she would be my new BFF. Anyway, it was just a hope and a dream!
However! The Lord is good. And very big. And able to make things happen that don’t seem possible. You may have noticed that we mentioned our friend Lorna giving us a Christmas present a few weeks ago. She sent us an encouraging word, that when she has felt like she should trust the Lord for something, for example to own her own home, she felt directed to purchase something, like a visitor’s book, as an act of faith that the Lord would come through. So she sent a gift toward our dishwasher fund (which made up the entirety of the fund at the time) and a package of dishwashing rinse aid. It majorly stirred up my heart and reminded me that with God, all things are possible! (Thanks again, Lorna!)
When we returned to Gordon’s Bay after Christmas, we spent some time going over our budget, looking at places where we can hopefully trim some edges, and thinking about how to keep balanced moving forward in the New Year. Signing up for a phone contract, instead of doing pay-as-you-go was a potential money-saver we’d been considering for a while, and it finally seemed like the right move. This all ties in, I promise!
So Tuesday, we signed up for a phone contact for Mark. It’s a small one which gave us a cheapo handset we probably won’t use and a small number of minutes per month… at least it has a flashlight! But signing up for the contract gave us 3,400 Rand (about $470 or £290) of in-store credit at Dion Wired (the electronics store where we signed up for the contract) or their partner store Game, which is kind of like Walmart-esque everything store. But not as huge and over the top with the eons of choices that now seem to make me dizzy whenever I’m home. And you may have guessed where we’re headed with this…
YES! Dion and Game sell dishwashers! 3,200 Rand dishwashers even! So without spending a cent (other than signing up for the phone contract which we needed to do anyway) we brought home with us a lovely new dishwasher with a beautiful large and functional inside and a two year guarantee and I am over the moon and full of run-on sentences with excitement! And thanks to Lorna’s contribution to the dishwasher fund, we can extend the warranty for another two years, if we decide that’s a good plan. 🙂 YES!
So, you’re now being introduced to my new BFF. She is as beautiful as she is functional, and a glorious sight for scaly hands. And since we didn’t meet on the beach after all, she isn’t one bit sandy. With God, all things are possible, even the provision of a dishwasher when it didn’t seem possible. YAY! Here she is…
Any name ideas from the crowd? Please comment with them! She needs something glorious. I titled her picture Sally in the meantime, but we’ll keep thinking. Thanks for rejoicing with me!
Thank You, Lord, for the character and relationship-building time Mark and I have shared whilst taking turns washing the dishes. Thank You that we already have everything we need in the glorious riches of life with Jesus. Thank You that, although a dishwasher is nothing when compared to the amazing goodness of new life in Christ, You still bless us with these special gifts of undeserved exceeding abundance anyway. We have so much to be thankful for. Thank You!
Jan 2, 2010 | Baby Photos, Stories, The Good Word
I was thinking of sharing an encouragement with you about the New Year, and perhaps challenging you to consider really really diving into God’s Word in a new way. Spending time in it every day, and allowing it to transform your life. But then for a couple of days I was struggling, not really able to put my finger on the source of it, but just ill-at-ease about life in general, and fearful awake and asleep. It took me a while to figure out what was really going on in my heart. I could see places where I was afraid when I didn’t need to be. I could see fear instead of faith leading my course of action. And I could see that I was ultimately struggling to trust God, and therefore trying to figure out how to move forward in my own strength.
But finally, this morning as I was reading, the true issue, the root, and the heart of the matter came to the surface. I was struggling to believe that God really loves me. Yes, we all know the words to “Jesus Loves Me” and we all remember that the Bible tells us so. But sometimes, when things are tough, when life gives you lemons, when things aren’t going your way, when your bank account isn’t pretty, there’s a snake in the grass ready to whisper in your ear…Does God really love you? And if you are caught unaware, little seeds of doubt can begin to produce big fruit — fear, mistrust, an unsettled mind, perhaps even a desire to throw out the baby and the bathwater.
But what good and glorious news I have to share with you this morning! What good and glorious news brought me to my knees, weeping in the shower? God loves me. That’s it, and that’s the truth. He really loves me. He really cares about what happens in my life. He really wants a relationship with me and He really wants what’s best for me.
It’s Greater Love than This
Do you have kids? I hope someday you do. Every day I have with the Bear inspires poetry in my heart — songs and music of thankfulness. I really, really love him. I really care about what happens in his life. And I really want to lead him and help him to learn how to live a life that will please God — where I know he’ll experience something greater than any other way of life available. But the point I’m trying to make is, I really, really love him. And the way I love that little boy, if you could put it on a calculator and add it up to some numerical value, absolutely cannot compare with the love the Lord has for me, with a thousand calculators. Just me. Little Caroline Collie from Washington, North Carolina — who has this many hairs on her head and has had this many dreams about chocolate on Tuesdays and has seen this many sunsets.
He knows everything about me. And He still loves me. And I am so glad to hold that truth in my heart in a fresh way today. It is absolutely glorious.
So if I could still issue a New Year’s challenge to you, I might encourage you to get into the Bible like never before. To spend time with your Creator and seek His face. But perhaps today, more than any of that, I just want you to know how much He loves you. No matter what you do. It’s unconditional love. He doesn’t need you. But He really, really wants you. You bring Him joy just being who He created you to be. You bring Him joy just being. His desire is for you. And He’s been chasing after you.
In the year ahead, I hope you let Him catch you. Let Him choose you. And let Him shower you with His amazing love. If you do, you’ll want to dive into His Word to know Him better and let Him change you. You’ll want to get up early and get away to be with Him. You will become a part of the greatest love story in history — the story of a loving God, and the generations and generations of people He has demonstrated His love to. In the midst of the billions, the God of the universe wants to know you. Happy New Year.
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