There is a popular teaching out these days to help men step into their calling in the home, life and walk with God. It is an amazing teaching based on helping the heart to “Come Alive.” Women too have gleaned from the encouragement to allow the soul to pursue the God-inspired passions of the heart.
Yet, there is one aspect of this teaching I have been pondering, challenging to my core. The belief is that the woman needs to be rescued; therefore, the role of the man is to rescue ‘THE BEAUTY.”
It sounds right to me at first (I may “want” to be rescued…but do I “need” to be rescued). I have watched many women enter into relationships based on this need instead of giving God time to work out the character that unfolded the dysfunction. And too, I hear the frustration in a husband’s pursuit, “How do I rescue the beauty that doesn’t need to be rescued?” “What can I do for a woman that finds her way and strength in God and therefore does not need me?” It can be one of our enemy’s many plans against God’s children, PLACE THEIR IDENTITY AS A MAN IN THEIR ABILITY TO RESCUE OR SAVE A WOMAN! AND PLACE THE WOMAN’S IDENTITY IN A MAN’S WILLINGNESS TO SAVE HER! (How valuable is a woman when “her” man is not willing to make the sacrifce?)
If a woman has become strong in the Lord after years of His faithfulness to walk her through dark valleys and unsurmountable mountains, she is not likely to demonstrate weakness or neediness, NO, not when she has learned to lean on and trust Jesus. Christ completed her! Yet, I know for a fact this strong woman longs for a partner in the natural to share the beauty of her life. She seeks a partner that will KNOW HER as Christ KNOWS HER. She embraces the man that will see beyond all her quirks, wrinkles, temperaments, and soulish expressions and LOVE HER still. This love is not expressed merely by saying “I love you” but in a consistent demonstration of Christ-like love! That is: to encourage her when she is struggling with defeat, give her hope when life comes to beat her down, be strong in faith when she is emotionally weak, and most of all…believe the best about her when the ugliest parts of herself want to surface. Let her see herself through your eyes and let them be the eyes of Christ. Fight for her by winning the battle over your own character to put her heart before your own! And if you do, I promise, her heart will forever belong to you! No woman can resist what diminishes her flaws and develops her strengths.
His Joy, My Darkness
When I come to the place in my life that I am overwhelmed and my flesh cries out for satisfaction, sin is but a step away. Without effort I can find myself deep in patterns of worry or doubt. The path before me closes and the light at the finish line vanishes. Fear and hopelessness become my guides as I drag myself through life. This is what they call depression! It closes in like the setting sun. Slowly the light of day fades as the darkness takes over. Depression is short-sighted and cannot see past its vessel. It fears the light because it knows that “where there is light there can be no darkness.” With cunning arguments it persuades its capture the light is gone, that darkness is forever. Adamantly, it protects its greatest secret; the vanishing light is but a mirage in a time of drought! For where there is love, there is hope! And where there is hope there is faith! And where there is faith….there is a breakthrough!
There is a light that no darkness can quench. It is the light of His love! When I fix my eyes on Him who endured more than my daily struggles that I might be free, I have hope! When I remind myself of the miracle at the end of His journey, I have hope! When I look past the darkness into the light, I have hope! Then…the darkness flees and the light begins to rise and joy overtakes my fear and hopelessness. And I begin to run, not walk toward the finish line!
Do not let the darkness win! Embrace that seed of joy within and run with it so that the light of life within you will rise up! Darkness will not defeat darkness....run toward life with every ounce of strength and it will mature within you.
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. (Hebrews 12:1-3)”
Through the Eyes of Love
Thirty years ago today God gave me a son. Today, I watch over his son. Life passing on from one generation to another is such a miracle! From the tones in our voice, the facial jesters, the shape of our toes, to the amount of hair on our head; each detail a reflection of the seed that gave us life. I take joy in each step my children and my children’s children take toward life. The stumbles and the victories are like family movies that replay in my heart as I look into the eyes of the next generation. What will they come up against? What part will I play in their journey? Will they know me? Will they seek to be with me? Will they cherish their time with me?
As I ask myself these questions I consider God’s heart. Does He see His Son in me? Does He remember our journey to this point with fondness? Does He wonder, “Do I enjoy Him?” “Will I continue to seek Him?” Malachi 2:10 tells me that God is a Father to all: “Have we not all one Father? Did not one God create us?” His heart longs for children to know Him, to enjoy their time with Him as they seek Him with all their heart. Every part of my being understands God’s passion when I look into the eyes of the next generation. I want more than their holidays! I want to live in their heart! I want to be that place of joy and peace they run to when life is good and life is hard. I want to be a source of strength and an immovable foundation for the steps they take toward life.
God, today, I acknowledge You as my creator. I thank You for all that You have given me and cherish every moment we have together. I pray that I have been able to give to my children what You have given me…and that their children will reflect the inheritance of Your love in my heaert!
The Gift of Age
Where do I begin thanking and acknowledging people for all the birthday wishes? Thanks to Facebook it is impossible. I could just give everyone a blanket…THANKS, but you know that is not my style, so let me do it this way.
First, to all my fellow IIN students….thank you and I am so glad God has added you to my life.
As for all the acknowledgments from my high school buddies (and some as far back as Cherokee Elementary) we are beyond blessed to still be in each other’s lives. You are one of the reason I love Facebook! Just think about it, we have known each other for over 50 years! Unbelievable! We have watched the way of life go through so many changes together (we still had the best music at the greatest era in time). Thank you for being my friends and in my life.
Then there is this HUGE extended family of cousins! Yes, I came from a really big family with more relatives than I can count and I am sooo glad I did! You guys ROCK!
To add to those numbers, I heard from a great number of my spiritual family! God has knitted my heart together with many amazing people. I have had the pleasure to build life-long relationships with 3 different parts of the body of Christ and all 3 welcomed me with opened arms. And even when life removed me and dropped me somewhere else…you kept loving and receiving me. Like I said, I am blessed!
And then, there are those amazing women I call Daughters! Who would have known that after everything I demanded of you, you would choose to remain in my life. And not just remain, you wound your way around my heart and made yourself an extension of my very being. I love you! You will never know how much you have helped to shape and mold my confidence and hope in people. Thank you for being a part of my life.
And finally, my immediate family…nieces, nephews, sisters, children, grandchildren and husband; you have given me the strength to become the woman I am. You remind me every day why I would not change a thing. Without you, I would not be me! This independent, stubborn woman is so thankful she is interdependent on you! To say I love you is not enough! You are the love within me! You are the gift of life God gave me! For me, you are the ultimate expression of Christ’s love for me….I feel His love for me every time I think of my love for you. Thank you and thank God for you!
The Pioneer Spirit!
"The pioneer faith is neeeded as much in the world today as in any period of time." -- Elder I. Torn Perry
I love the word "pioneer." For me it is up there with words like: empower and freedom! Early in my Christian journey I attended a church that spoke of the church's lack and need of a pioneer spirit. I loved the vision it gave me to "go where no others had gone before" (a little Star Trek fan for sure). I could see myself on this adventure to leave all that was comfortable and familiar to press on for the hope of something greater. At the time, as a single mother, that meant not doing things the way I had watched generations before me. It meant....breaking the mold! For me, changing myself and letting go of the comfort of the easy way out (codependency on a significant other) and finding the strength to become the person I wanted my children to be. My Pioneer Spirit would lead me to plow through a lot of wrong thinking and emotional junk while paving a path toward a stronger, more independent me. It would mean facing "my" fears and unknown obstacles in order to take possession of a land I wanted to raise my children in. It may not have been the prairie fields of the western front but it would be new territory for me and require a great deal of strength to venture toward.
The beauty of this day and time is watching women in the church on the move! The Pioneer Spirit is calling them up and forward to the front lines of life. This is not a women's liberation army that seeks to over-take or dominate men, but rather, they are choosing to no longer hide behind them. The church is challenging the beliefs of the past to occupy a better tomorrow. Christian women are no longer afraid to change or be stretched outside their gener-
ations of comfort zone. These strong pioneers are climbing religious mountains and struggling through emotional jungles in order to occupy the land promised them in the beginning of time…”a land flowing with milk and honey!” Yes, the promises made Adam were also made to Eve! She, the woman, has the same gifts, calling, promises and purpose as the man! God intended that they walk side-by-side in His garden, each giving to creation their special talents and strengths.
It is time to let go of what we have known and take hold of what has been promised! Rise up! Fight your greatest enemy…YOU! Become the amazing woman who is called to co-labor with man and God in dominion over the earth! Embrace your strength andbeauty and PIONEER into a land generations to come after will dwell in.
Just Do Something!
One of the reasons I can get so frustrated with us as humans is that we seem to so easily fall into complacency. If we can take a pill, drive through for food, watch TV or even just read a scripture….than there is no need to reach for more. We settle into lives that require as little of us as possible while protecting our balanced solitude. In private we dream of more but quickly silence any urges to step out and actually “do” something. In our day to day life, we live vicariously through others, riding on the coattails of their experiences. Even our devotion to God can come down to reading someone else’s but to take the time to experience Him for ourselves, too much effort? Nike had it right! It is time to… “JUST DO IT!” Take a risk, shake up your life, and do something out of your norm. Live! Risk exposure to the world; what do you have to lose but your fear? I remember when I was young in my walk with God several of us would get together at a lake on a friends property. He had a very high tower in the middle of the lake with a diving board. Everyone would have so much fun climbing to the top and jumping, but not me. I was afraid of heights. I justified my inactivity with my desire to just relax and enjoy the sun. I spent most of the day watching the others enjoy themselves. Inside, I was so tired of sitting back and watching others, I wanted to join in. But my fear of heights held me back. Eventually, I went to a trusted friend and asked her to do me a favor. “If I am willing, will you go up the ladder just in front of me and when I get to the top, take my hand and don’t give me a chance to think, just take off to the end and jump….I will have to follow.” She agreed, and we jumped! It was exhilarating! And I am still alive! God breathed life into me not to sit and wait for the day I take my last breath, but to LIVE! To reach out and embrace every aspect of His creation with wonderment and awe. I no more want to live my life through others than I want others living their life through me. On that day that I stand before my maker I want to hear Him say, “Well done good and faithful servant. I know your heart and it was ON FIRE!” So we must ask ourselves, “Are we on fire for life, or have we settled for existance...riding out the years?” Maybe, it is time to shake things up in your life? What do you say, is there a ‘HIGH DIVE’ in your life? If so, it is time to take someone’s hand, and JUMP!
"To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God's creation. I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm--neither hot nor cold--I am about to spit you out of my mouth. You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. (Rev 3:14-18)
Feast Upon His Love
“I have come into my garden, my sister, my [promised] bride; I have gathered my myrrh with my balsam and spice [from your sweet words I have gathered the richest perfumes and spices]. I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey; I have drunk my wine with my milk. Eat, O friends [feast on, O revelers of the palace; you can never make my lover disloyal to me]! Drink, yes, drink abundantly of love, O precious one [for now I know you are mine, irrevocably mine! With his confident words still thrilling her heart, through the lattice she saw her shepherd turn away and disappear into the night].” (Song 5:1 AMP)
What confidence in love resides in these words, Can you hear it? Not a hint of jealousy, or doubt but passionate conviction that what they share cannot be interrupted. Jesus, expressing in overwhelming joy the fulfillment of having captured the heart of His beloved. Oh, how stirred I am to know that I am His and He is mine. Nothing, absolutely nothing, can separate me from His love. As great as I might think my passion is for Him, it is but a spark next to His fire toward me. So long (probably since birth) I have search for this undying love and yes, as the song goes, “in all the wrong places.” But, to wrap my mind and heart around the unfolding Truth that the God of all creation has also been waiting….He waited, with great anticipation for me! And He invites me to take deep all that He has for me, to “drink to my heart’s content.” How can I ever again feel less than beautiful, complete and beyond a doubt….valued?
Sister, do not let your heart grow weary. No matter where you are or what is unfolding in your life, you are worthy of the King of Kings. The Son of God has chosen you and His passion will not relent until you are safe and secure in His arms. Open the door, quickly and let Him in. He will pour over you a love and acceptance that will wash away the pain and disappointment of the past and ignite in you a fire that will burn eternal.
