When Your Discouraged From Waiting or Lack of Results

       

      Waiting is hard.  Whether we wait for answers to health questions when we go to the doctor, for enough money to pay off our bills, answers to family problems, or even for the birth of a baby (and we know it will happen in about nine months), or a hundred other reasons, we wait!  And it’s hard.

We try to be productive while we wait, just to occupy our minds.  We pray and ask for God’s guidance..and often some clue if we are on the right track.  Still we don’t see anything moving forward and it feels like nothing is happening.

THINGS ARE STILL MOVING

But just because we can’t see any forward progress does not mean something isn’t in motion.  Even the tiny seed we’ve planted in the soil must still change in hidden ways before it pokes its tiny head through.  Growth precedes visibility!  God often works during these seasons in our lives in what might also be called “hidden ways”.  He isn’t yet ready to reveal his answer (or solution).

There may be a lesson he wants us to learn, or see our faithfulness mature before we see the fruit.  Harvest time does come, but in God’s time, not ours.   Even Biblical Joseph waited…for years… to see why God had called him to this place —prison, far from home and certainly not welcoming like his home had been (minus the jealousy of his brothers!)  But God did answer, in just the perfect time and Joseph ended up not in a prison, but in a palace, with much authority!

EVERYONE WAITS FOR SOMETHING

Again, however, like Joseph, we are forced to wait, and often we become discouraged and begin to question if an answer will ever be revealed.  So we begin comparing our journey with others who’ve gone through similar circumstances.  But each of our journeys are unique.  

Yes, there are bound to be similarities, but as God’s chosen children we each have our own path to follow.  The calling on our lives are unique to each of us.  Our lessons, interactions with other people, education, interests, background, and everything about us is directed to what God wants from our lives. 

DISCOURAGEMENT SETS IN

But as discouragement sets in, we lose motivation and find other ways to fill our days.  We stop studying (whether it’s the Bible or literal classes we might be taking), we stop praying because we wonder, ‘what’s the use?’, we fall into a hole of despair which opens the door for Satan to further unnerve us, drawing us even farther away from the God who loves us.

We forget that God is all knowing.  He can see the beginning from the end.  He knows where we’ve been, and where we are going.  But we must be willing to wait and put in the effort to get there.  It means crying out to God sincerely and allow him to work in and through us.  

WE DON'T WALK OUR JOURNEY ALONE

We need to remember, that even when we can’t see immediate answers, we don’t have to walk this journey alone or in our own strength.There is purpose for the delay, one we may or may not ever know.  

We must not give up or quit.  There is reward in ‘due season.’  We can know waiting isn’t a passive exercise, but a place where God can renew us.  God in his infinite wisdom will not fail us.  He will sustain us in this process and promised to give us His strength to carry us through.  “Those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength.” — Isaiah 40:31

We can do this!

Photo Credit:  Waiting Is Hard

When Life Feels Like Too Much

Struggles; we all have them!  The road in front of me seems foggy and filled with uncertainty.  Time passes, and still the questions keep twisting in my heart.  Am I headed in the right direction?  Is this where God wants me to be?  Who can I rely on to keep me grounded?  What happens when I fall apart again?  When does this end?

These and what seems like a thousand other questions keep battering my sense of confidence, as each day continues to remind me of what (who) I’ve lost and a sense of aloneness, I never thought possible.  I try to rest but my mind refuses to settle in and I often wake as tired as I went to bed, and yet I know I’ve slept.  

I KNOW I AM NOT ALONE

As a Believer, I know I am not alone, but I am human.  I know that I am deeply loved by God and he has his eyes on everything that has happened --and knows what I don’t: the future!  He’s not surprised with all my questions, confusion or even my doubts, and I’m certainly not the first who's had them.

Biblically, Esther faced decisions which terrified her!  She had to face the king and perhaps death.  Abraham was told to leave a place he’d always lived and journey to places unknown, and even the disciples had questions as they followed Jesus.  This is not new to God!  In these unknowns, God was still working; still in control!

LET GOD LEAD THE NEXT STEP

I am reminded in His Word that I’m not supposed to carry this weariness, my burdens, doubts, and even my fears alone.  His Word tells me specifically, to not fear.  My head hears that, and my mind believes it, just because God said it; yet my heart yearns for answers, and a calm and peace which often seems to be just out of my reach.

Yet, again, I know if I will totally trust my Creator, he will guide me through.  God’s Word is described as a lamp for my path (Ps. 119:105).  It doesn’t say it’s a grand spotlight which will lighten the entire area or even the road, but specifically, my path, and that’s enough for just today.  When I receive it, it can give me what I need to carry on for exactly where I am in this moment, in this hour, even in this day, and use it to move forward.

MOVING ONE STEP FORWARD

Take one single step.  That's what it takes.  Deliberately moving just one step in the right direction, whether it be related to family, finances, health, work, or death of a loved one and now a ‘foggy future’, God will hold, not only me, but anyone who believes, up.  He is with us as we move in faith and obedience to His Word.  

Answers and clarity do come, and often through community. Sometimes we can find them through other Believers, friends, mentors, pastors, or just sitting with His Word and seeking His face.  

God’s not finished with those of us who struggle to get through another day.  Our story is still being written. We just need to be quiet and listen to His still, small voice and cling to an all Powerful, Loving God.

Photo Credit: Moving one step forward

When You Struggle to Believe You Matter

     

       We just celebrated Mother’s Day; a day set aside to remind us how valuable mothers are in our lives.  Aside from God, they were first to love us, nurtured us as children, took care of us even when they could barely take care of themselves due to fatigue or illness; listened when we were confused; advised us a we grew; kissed our hurts away and looked past the moments that hurt to the quick, when words were spoken, or actions taken, that were inappropriate as we became teenagers. They loved us regardless of what we did, and prayed for us through it all. 

DO I MATTER?

Still, on Mother’s Day there are times when we 'older' moms feel invisible.  We feel un-needed and simply placated when things go awry.  Our children have grown, moved away and now have families of their own. We begin to ask ourselves ‘Do I really matter to my children?  Does what I think even count anymore?’

When this little voice starts whispering, it can also affect our relationship with God.  It stretches out and we begin asking the same about God.  ‘Do I matter to God?  Does he care that I feel alone and feel like I have no value?  I pray, I try to live right, so why do I feel so alone?’

WE ARE NOT ALONE

We aren’t the first to wonder about our lives in this way.  Job questioned his very existence during the time he was being and tested and experiencing horrific loss. (Job 3) Elijah felt he was a failure in his ministry and asked God to take his life. (1Kings 19)  And even David, a ‘man after God’s own heart’, cried out to God ‘What is man that you are mindful of him?’ (Psalm 8)

What’s important in all this, is to remember that our value in not based on our productivity, spiritual performance or even our emotional stability, all of which our society holds as strong truths about who we are.  

WE MATTER BECAUSE WE ARE HIS

We matter because we are God’s child.  There’s a contemporary Christian song out called ‘The Truth’ that makes me cry often when I hear it.  I am reminded that I am his, and that’s the truth—-and that’s what matters.  

        When I’m struggling, to know who I am in this season of my life, and perhaps you do too,  we can know that He’s not waiting for me to prove myself, or to present happiness when I’m sad, or to not cry when my pain becomes intense.  He loves me right where I am, regardless of my circumstances.

I KNOW I AM LOVED

Ultimately I know my children love me too.  I know they are busy with their own lives and responsibilities.  They aren’t really rejecting me, any more than God is. They just want to be who they are supposed to be, according to their priorities, and there’s nothing wrong with that.  

So I do my best to smile, accept the ‘quiet’ and know that I’m still Mom, and they know that too.  I remember the times they needed me so much I could barely keep up and just wanted to breathe; and thank God for the gift of my children; and the blessings of grandchildren.  

And if I’m still long enough, I know that God sees me too, and I am loved—not because of what I do, but because of who I am, even in my weakness when I feel alone.  I have value, and in that, reflect the image of a God who created me and does not make mistakes.

He created you, too.  And he loves you—and you totally matter, right where you are!

Photo Credit: You Matter

His Divine Will

        I’ve recently been going through a really tough time with the loss of my husband.  It’s been almost 6 months and I still grieve.  I miss him.

When he passed I was told one of the seasons of grieving, would be anger. I’m not sure I grieved in that way.  It’s weird.  I didn’t want Charles to leave me, but I believe, because it’s scriptural that ‘our days are numbered’.  Charles had been fighting an array of medical issues since Viet Nam.  It seemed every year, there was one more thing.  Death is inevitable, but no one is ever ready.

Still if ‘our days are numbered’ would it have mattered if we had been anywhere else? (We had traveled to TN.)  If it hadn’t been heart failure, my thought process insists it would have been something else—on that very day.  

But I read recently that resigning to God’s will signifies submission to God.  But more than that, we are to accept His will with a thankful heart.  I openly admit that being thankful, at least up to this point, has not been part of my equation.  

I miss my husband and don’t want him to be gone.  I’m not sure I’m thankful.  Yet this same source says if I’m not thankful, I’m denying the wisdom and/or goodness of God!  Perhaps I’m not content with the way God is dealing with my life— his Divine Providence in my life.   Willam Law 

I wonder if the writer of this piece considered the loss of a loved one? The ache is real.  I certainly agree that in most circumstances there is a silver lining, even when things look particularly stark.  I’m an optimist and try to look on the bright side of most everything.  That doesn’t mean I’m eternally content, but it’s easier when I remember God is in charge!

As I continue this journey we call grief, maybe one day, I can see the silver lining in my Charles’ passing.  Perhaps this ‘time’ was much better than letting him suffer.  A stoke that left him paralyzed for several years or comatose, in my estimation, would have been worse, or other medical scenarios which make me cringe.

Perhaps it’s God’s way of changing the path he wants me to follow for the Kingdom, that I wouldn’t have, had I remained ‘busy in my life’ with a very sick husband.  I don’t know.  Thankfulness comes hard, but there are three things for which I am totally grateful.

The first is the community in Tennessee who held my family and me up during this critical time.  It was truly amazing.  Not only the church congregation where we worship but the hospital employees loved on us (even as strangers), held us while we cried--and cried with us, prayed with us when we prayed —holding hands around his bed, taking amazing care of Charles and did everything in their medical power to save him.  I’ve said more than once; ‘If it had to happen, I’m glad it was there.’  

Secondly, God answered a prayer which I’d been praying for a very long time.  “Lord, please don’t let him suffer.”  Understand, for years Charles fought a strong, hard battle.  Every time he got sick, he’d fight back with everything he had, and then he’d go again.  But when it came down to it, God didn’t let him suffer!  He went in the hospital on November 3 and passed on November 12.  

And lastly, and perhaps most important of all, Charles was a Born Again Believer.  He went home to be with Jesus.  I know one day, I’ll see him again.   

        As I look at my last three paragraphs, I can't help but smile.  Perhaps I’m a little more thankful than I thought!  

Photo Credit: Submission To Christ

Insignificant Actions

  We just celebrated Easter, and while every day is Holy, Easter is one of the Holiest days of the year—some would even say the Holiest.  I tend to agree, with Christmas coming in close behind.  These are big events; events that are life changing and are significant enough in the  entire world, that people on every continent celebrate them, albeit perhaps differently.  And we totally should.  These events are the foundation of our faith.  

During Christ’s walk on the earth before he was crucified, big events abounded!  He gave the blind man sight; the deaf, hearing; he raised people from the dead, stilled the waters on the Sea of Galilee, and the list could go on forever.

But Jesus did more than that.  He listened, taught, spoke softly, encouraged, and even fed thousand’s because he was concerned about the people going hungry.  (Of course the feeding of 5,000 also qualifies as a big event!)  But the point is he took care of people’s needs ‘right where they were.’

We live in a society and culture where people live and breathe the attitude that ‘it’s all about me’.  TV commercials, most advertisements in any format, drive home the idea that we need to put ourselves first.  There’s even a recent commercial that’s all about shopping, but their presentation says it isn’t about shopping, it’s about ‘finding’!  It entices people to believe they need one more thing—or many things.

It’s our duty to 'out do' our neighbor with the most recent trends of what ever the ‘trend’ is at the moment.  Brand name items are a must if you’re going to fit in with the up and coming crowd.  Even our young children are aware of this phenomenon!

But what about the ‘little things’?  How does that fit in the whole picture?  When we are so focused on taking care of 'me’, how can we possibly see what our neighbor might need?  We usually can’t see it—- and if we do, we’re not sure how to respond!

Financially most people (at least in the US) are tapped out to the max, in credit cards, have bills they can’t pay, and live pay check to pay check.  When they happen to notice a ‘need’ of a neighbor, that’s when they look at their checkbook, and think, ‘There’s no way I/we can help.  We’re not making enough to even get us through!’  

That makes me wonder, then, if everything we’re working toward is even worth it!  There is a better perspective, however, that could change the way we choose to live.  It’s a much simpler way of looking at life, and it’s a better reason to live—even though it may seem outlandish!

The very idea of looking or doing something insignificant may make people cringe.  But what if instead of working so hard to be a ‘worldly success’, we choose to be a godly success?  What if we chose to do insignificant kindnesses and actions which touch people’s lives in small ways?  Very often it’s the small things that really stand out—that’s often remembered well beyond whatever is going on in someone’s life.

Consider Jesus, who just before going to the cross, washed his disciple’s feet at the Last Supper.  It was with a servant attitude; and most uncommon for a ‘leader’ to wash the feet of those around him.  What a lesson for us! What an impact Jesus made!  He's the ultimate role model.

Hold a hand, give a hug, share a smile, carry groceries, open a door, share food with the hungry, let someone go before you in line, buy a stranger coffee, and on and on.  It’s the small things that often matter most.

What impact could you make today?  The difference you make could be a profound moment in the life of another.

Photo Credit:  Offering kindness 

Putting God First

Our world is all about getting to the top of the corporate ladder as fast as you can and making as much money as possible.  It is considered the pinnacle of success!  The trap ensnares so many. People are driven to attain this position; allowing them to obtaining expensive cars, huge mansions to live in, and the glitz and glamour money brings.  This ‘hype’ causes people to do things which seem unfathomable!  

Even those who don’t necessarily ‘do’ said behaviors, worship those who are successful, with their high fashion, beautiful bodies with the perfect makeup that will hide any imperfection causing us to ‘dream and say what if’.  And the truth is, we all have imperfections!   

I can’t imagine the pain and humiliation a person goes through after being ‘caught in satan’s trap; yet it happens more than we’d imagine and to people we’d least likely expect!

I read about a person who was found guilty of bank fraud.  It cost them their CPA license, their good name in the community and the realization that the behavior for a ‘quick fix’  to his money problems broke relationship with his family, and cost him jail time.  

This was really driven home for me when some years ago a banker in our small town was arrested and convicted of embezzlement.  Our town and nearby communities were shocked, since this person was warm, wonderful, and well-known; the last person you’d expect any kind of fraudulent activity!

Because we all make mistakes, when we admit failure, there is hope beyond the situation we find ourselves.  There are still going to be physical consequences to pay for whatever we've done, but knowing when we turn to Jesus, we can begin picking up the pieces.

Our God is a patient, forgiving Master.  He said, (paraphrased) you can’t serve two masters, because you will be devoted to one and the other will destroy!  The example he used is money.  (Matthew 6:24) There are other kinds of ‘masters’, but money is notable because we use it for everything we acquire! It doesn’t mean money is bad in and of itself.  But it becomes a problem when money becomes first in our lives.

But like Eve, who was deceived by satan to eat the apple, we get tricked into thinking ‘one more thing’ surely won’t matter.  But at what point do we become so engrossed in the ‘one more thing’ mentality we totally miss what’s most important?  Devotion and obedience to God should be first and foremost in our minds and hearts.  But as satan wraps his evil spirit around us, digs his claws in just a little bit deeper while continuing to whisper the lies that keep us confused and ultimately disobedient, we forget that God is not going to knock us over to remind us what’s going on.

We have a conscience and if we ignore it long enough, satan is going to win that battle.  But God is patient and wants nothing more than for us to recognize what we are doing and realize that the only way we are going to have a relationship with him, is to walk away from that which entices us at the moment, more than Him! He is a supremely, forgiving God when we surrender to Him.

God wants us to have an abundant and successful life.  But that requires us ‘doing the right thing’ by putting him first in our lives.  That is where success really happens.  When we are focusing on God, we experience a spiritual and emotional filling that decries any of the worldly pleasures, careers, or any success attained any other way!

Our treasures should be invested in the eternal rather than what is on this earth, which is temporary.  We need to have the right priorities in order to have the right relationship with God, the Creator and Savior of the World.

        Happy Easter, Everyone!

Photo Credit: Climbing The Corporate Ladder

Worship And Praise

         

        My favorite day of the week is Sunday, which I call ‘Worship Day’!  The truth is every day should be ‘worship day’, but this is the day we get to come together corporately and worship together!  And I love to sing!  I may not do it well, but there is something so compelling about the music, I must sing!  

Once I was quite taken back by a lady in the choir who looked at me and said, “I love to watch you sing! You look like the song you are singing is coming straight from your heart.”  I was shocked.  My immediate response.  "Well it is!  Isn’t that what we’re supposed to do?”  I was completely confused!  It’s my gift back to God!

Now that said, the more ‘modern, contemporary’ music leaves some of us a little rattled.  I admit I am a Southern Gospel gal.  It’s my go to music!  However, the music even in our church service, has shifted to mostly contemporary Christian music, which I rarely listen to.  It’s not bad music; mostly it’s quite beautiful and the lyrics are often straight from God’s Word.  But I ‘wiggle’ a little when I try singing one I don’t know—-or have even never heard before.  

At first it made me really uncomfortable, but gradually I’m coming to realize it’s not about being able to sing it perfect! I sing along quietly until I pick up the tempo and then revel in lyrics!  It truly is beautiful!  

We, as Believers apparently come to church for a variety of different reasons.  It is truly supposed to be a ‘worship service’.  That for me, means we worship and praise the God we serve.  I’m not supposed to be there for ‘show’ or what I ‘can get out of it,’ although there is nothing wrong with God blessing us because we are there!  And he does!  But in my mind (and heart) we are supposed to be there to give back God and others! 

One friend shared she was so uncomfortable with the newer music where she went, she began coming in just before the sermon, thinking this is ‘what she needed’ from the service anyway; to hear the preacher.  But one day as she was reading about Paul and Silas singing in prison, her heart changed.  She realized it’s about worshipping and being 'actively present' during the service, while offering praise to our Risen Savior.

This thought process applies to the entire service.  I heard a story once about a parishioner who while in church, didn’t think the sermon had been worth her time invested.  Yet while leaving this same service, another person came up to her completely enthralled by the message!  

She went on about how much that particular sermon meant to her!  It was just was she needed to hear!  The first person was confounded and hadn’t thought that what she considered totally useless, someone else would find an answer to something she’d been struggling with!

Even when we give our tithes and offerings, it’s a way of worshipping!  God wants us to be ‘cheerful givers’ and as we drop our ‘sacrificial funds’ into the plate, we should be rejoicing with praise and thanksgiving for all He has provided!  

God is an actively living God.  He is ‘present’ with us always.  We should offer the same kind of attention to him!  Granted, our world is filled with so much ‘noise’, sometimes he gets drowned out; making it take a conscious effort to stop, and focus on him.  While we are in the worship service, however this gift of worshipping corporately, is a wonderful opportunity to shut out the noise of the world and truly feel God’s surround us as we commune with him.