Roadblocks

For anyone who drives and plans their trips in advance, we all know there are moments where we think things are great: everything is going according to plan, and we're confident we're going to make it right on time! What could possibly go wrong, right? ... But then, half way through the trip, there seems to be flashing lights up ahead. No, it's not an accident, at least not from what we can see, as we peer over the cars in front of us, but as we get closer we realize we've encountered a legitimate roadblock.

This scenario literally happened to me on a sunny Saturday morning in May.... Now, in this moment I had to choose how I would respond, because ultimately, I have full control and responsibility in my responses to any situation I am presented with. When I saw the roadblock these two choices ran through my mind immediately:

1. I could shout or whine, saying something along the lines of, "Are you serious?! Why they gotta block the whole road like that? I'm gonna be late, this sucks." And continue to fume, and treat this moment like it's the end of the world... ultimately shifting the outcome of my day to a potential pool of anger and discontentment....

OR

2. I could simply say "Okay.... I guess we'll take the scenic route today." Choose to trust the outcome will still be a timely arrival, in this case, and be truly thankful to hear my GPS sound off its famous line, "recalculating..." (and then, of course, write a blog about this moment).

I chose the latter, and I'm glad I did. I made it to my destination on time, and the day was still sunny by sunset.

Sometimes we may get a bad report from the doctor for yourself or a loved one; we may find it difficult to secure a job or we are having difficulty moving on to the next role or, even worse, we lose it; our friendships become complicated or seem to come to a complete halt for reasons that could have been avoided; our kids prove that selective hearing is a choice, or maybe not even our kids, but rather, our spouses... whatever the case... these are moments when we have to choose. To choose our response to the situations we're faced with.

We can become discouraged, worried, and stressed out when things don't seem to be going our way... or we can choose shift our perspective to see the potential in our problem, because roadblocks aren't all the bad. They're preventing us from encountering something that can harm us which is up ahead. However, depending on your responses which come from our hearts, I believe we may have a control issue or, as some people would call it, a "trust" issue. So if I am, do we really trust God to see us through?

This quote is from a devotional called "Facing the Unpredictability of Life" by Sherene Ellen Rajaratnam:

If you are going through a difficult time right now, if your dreams seem shattered overnight, I would encourage each of you to hang in there and look to the God who created you and who knows you better than you know yourself. He is sovereign and He will lead you through it, if you would dare to trust Him. We need to trust that all our days are ordained by this God who created us and when we look back we will be thankful that it all turned out good.

Rajaratnam couldn't have said it better. We need to trust God to see us through, and by believing in His Word we will have continued hope during our difficult circumstances. And for those moments when we or someone we know has hit a roadblock, let's not try to give them an answer or explanation as to why we have been obstructed... but rather, let's reassure each other that God is still with us in the chaos, on the detour, and that He'll provide a way around/over/under/through the struggle.

We know that God makes all things work together

for the good of those who love Him

and are chosen [called] to be a part of His plan.

Romans 8:28 NLV

~~~

When the climb is easy, the peak isn't worth reaching. 

Quitting is not an option.

- Trent Sheldon

If You Can....

A few weeks ago, my mom, nonna (grandma) and I were praying to God for healing in my nonna's legs. She has been a diabetic for a over two decades, and it has become more apparent in the past few years that her nerve endings are damanged, as they are responding the way they other diabetics have said that they would. Diabetic peripheral neuropathy is what they call it, but I won't be going into detail on how it all works because all I know is that nonna has been experiencing a great deal of pain in her legs and feet because of it.

So there we were, praying. We've been praying, and waiting, and believing, for years. But in this particular moment of prayer my mom said something like "Lord, if you can heal her... wait, we know you can, but we ask if you will, please heal her..." Mom corrected one verb in her prayer and shifted the entire request in a different direction. When she finished praying, I looked at her and said, "I'm glad you changed the 'can' to 'will' because God really can do anything".

The words 'can' and 'will' are both verbs. According to Google their meanings are as follows:

Can; be able to, be permitted to.

Will; expressing the future tense; expressing inevitable events.

While God "can" do anything, it is by His "will" that He does what is pleasing to Him. When we ask if He will do something, it is with faith, hope and expectation that a future outcome will occur. Although... I believe we limit God by our limited faith; I know this statement can be controversial since I previously stated my belief that God can do anything. Faith is a sure requirement when receiving what we've asked for in prayer:

And whatever you ask for in prayer, 

you will receive, if you have faith,

Matthew 21:22

Therefore I tell you, 

whatever you ask in prayer, 

believe that you have received it, 

and it will be yours.

Mark 11:24

Jesus even says in Mark 9:23b that, “Anything is possible if a person believes”.

Here's the story, Mark 9:14-29 NLT paraphrased by yours truly:

So there was a father who's son was possessed by an evil spirit that wouldn't let him talk. The son would experience violent convulsions, where he would foam at the mouth, grind his teeth and become rigid. "So I [the father] asked your disciples to cast out the evil spirit, but they couldn’t do it" (verse 18). Jesus was not impressed, He immediately called for the boy to be brought to Him. When the boy came near to Jesus he experienced yet another violent convulsion...
Verses 21- 24: “How long has this been happening?” Jesus asked the boy’s father. He replied, “Since he was a little boy. The spirit often throws him into the fire or into water, trying to kill him. Have mercy on us and help us, if you can.”“What do you mean, ‘If I can’?” Jesus asked. “Anything is possible if a person believes.”The father instantly cried out, “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!”Jesus then rebuked the evil spirit and he experienced a third convulsion, but after the spirit left him. The boy appeared to be dead, but Jesus took him by the hand and helped him to his feet, and the boy stood up. Later on, "when Jesus was alone in the house with his disciples, they asked him, “Why couldn’t we cast out that evil spirit?” Jesus replied, “This kind can be cast out only by prayer [and fasting].”"

This passage of scripture is a little more graphic than what nonna is experiencing in her legs. It may have been years, but our asking God to heal my nonna has not stopped because God didn't answer the way we were expecting. After all, He is God, He can do whatever He wants. And we as His children need to trust that He knows what He's doing even when it doesn't make sense to us.

Chorus from the song "Anyway" by Martina McBride:

God is great, but sometimes life ain't good

When I pray it doesn't always turn out like I think it should

But I do it anyway

I do it anyway

So let us continue in prayer; asking God to heal us and meet us where we're at. But just because we're experiencing problems, doesn't mean we can't still experience God's peace which is found in His presence. Invite Him into your everyday; ask Him to be part the simplest tasks, the moments of confusion and uncertainty, the routine of our seemingly mundane days... You'll be surprised how quickly He'll show up when you welcome Him to.

Fitting In (The Trouble With)

How often do you find yourself on the outside looking in?

Lately, this has been my experience at my new workplace. I mentioned a few posts ago that I had received a promotion and moved to a new branch closer to home. I wrote about how I had waited and waited and waited for this day (approx. 912 days). So... here I am. New branch, new role, new challenges.

(I'm going to do my best to stay positive while I type this because sometimes it's just too easy for me to feel sorry for yourself and have a small perspective.)

While at work there will be moments of conversation, and there's usually a lot of conversation, with multiple team members gathering to participate in the hype of sharing thoughts and opinions... yet from my perspective, while everyone is circled up over there, I am over here. 

By myself and uninvited.

Perhaps it's because I'm usually working on something or serving a client (because I lean towards the idea that we're paid to work, and not wasting time talking), but in all honesty, I feel like an outsider. And I so desperately want to be a part of it. These types of questions cross my mind: How on earth do I fit in to their already established group? What could I possibly add to show I have a valuable opinion or strong understanding of whatever it is their talking about? 

Last Tuesday, I was sitting between two co-workers who were pretty much talking through me... what I mean is, there was one person on either side of me and they were having a full out non-work related conversation, while I sat in the middle feeling invisible. 

I started thinking I wonder if they know I'm still here. But as they were chatting away, there was a phrase that kept coming to mind, "In the world, but not of it". And as they conversation continued it was on repeat, "In the world, but not of it".

And while I don't have a specific step by step 'how to be in the world but not of it", I do know where to start looking. In John 17, Jesus was praying for His disciples when He said:

I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world.

John 17:14-18 NKJV

The Word of God has been a constant source of encouragement, correction, and wisdom to me. It's the owners manual on how to live life, and live it well; despite all the challenges and issues anyone may face. And as a Christian I have been called to be the light of the world and the salt of the earth: although I am no longer "of" the world, I am still in it.  

Jesus’s true followers have not only been crucified to the world, 

but also raised to new life and sent back in to free others. 

- David Mathis, desiringgod.org

~~~

I realized that I, personally, need to change my thinking in order to overcome this feeling of being left out while at work. God's given me the opportunity to be a this particular work place at this particular time, to be surrounded by these particular people, so that He - in His perfect, yet mysterious, way - can work in the lives of those around me. 

So steps that I am personally going to take to continue to grow and know who I am in Christ, is by spending time with Him through prayer and reading the Bible. I will also surround myself with family and friends who build me up. And if I catch a negative thought, I'm going to cast it down in Jesus name and replace it with something positive or truth-filled. 

The God Who Sees

This is an old journal that I wrote:

~~~

October 29, 2016

I'm looking through old notebooks (full of sermons, journal/diaries, and prayers) and I stumbled upon two entries from October 2007 & December 2007. They were referring to a season of depression due to feeling the need to get approval from the wrong people... But I've come to a wonderful conclusion!

God always sees me through.

Not because I deserve it, and not even because I beg or ask Him to... but because He loves me. Seasons last for a while (that's why it's referred to as a season, right?) but God's faithfulness surpasses them all. I can always count on my God and for this I am grateful.

~~~

She said, "You are the God who sees me."

Genesis 16:13 NLT