When It Rains, It Pours

Here in Alabama, it has been raining. A lot. For the past four days I have felt like I live in Washington state, except here, it's 70 degrees one day and 25 degrees the next. Short sleeves one day, bulky sweaters the next.

Outside, people are sporting rain jackets, boots, and umbrellas. You can't take a step without splashing in a mud puddle. The sky is a solid layer of white. Not a tint of blue to be found. Just cold, wet, and what some would call miserable outside.

I was looking at the forecast earlier and finally saw hope. Friday, the sun is supposed to pop out and make a grand appearance and actually stay around a few days. Everyone I talk to seems to be sick of the rain and will welcome the sunshine with open arms and closed umbrellas. The count down is on...just a few more days.

The weather outside has made me think about the weather changes that go on within our hearts. I'd be rich if I had a dollar for every time I heard or read the statement about proverbial rain,  "When it rains it pours."

Isn't that how things can happen in life? In Alabama we say, "If it ain't one thing, it's another" or one that makes me giggle, "If it ain't one thing, it's your mother."  Seems like if your car breaks down, you also have a leaky roof on the same week you gained five pounds AND to top things off, you got an unexpeted bill in the mail or had a confrontation with a friend or family member.  It's not just raining, it's pouring.

But, just as we have hope that the sun will shine on Friday of this week, we can have hope that God will one day reign again on this earth. And those of us who know Him will be with Him where every day will be perfect. No pain, no sorrow, no strife, no clouds. We know not the day nor the hour, but we can rest in peace knowing that He is coming (Matthew 24:42)

Until He comes to us or we go to Him, we can protect ourselves from the elements of this world by covering ourselves with and living under the umbrella of the Holy Spirit. We can clothe ourselves in a jacket of faith and trust in God's goodness, grace, and mercy. We  can slide our feet into the rain boots of the Word to repel the enemy's plan and walk out our destiny and purpose rain or shine.  And we can have hope that the Son is coming. The countdown is on.

She was a Heifer: An Unexpected Friendship

There is a lot of truth to the old saying, "You never get a second chance to make a first impression." When people look at us, they begin to process us through various stereotypes and experiences to make a decision about who they think we are regardless of whether that is right or wrong. It's natural. It happens.

About thirteen years ago, I began a new job at an insurance company. I met a girl there who was a few years older than me, dish water blond hair and a major attitude. Since I am typically the warm and fuzzy type, it was hard for me to work with her. She was blunt, abrupt, and hurt my feelings on a regular basis.

To protect the innocent, I will call her Wanda.

One day she made a rude comment along with a rude gesture to me. I snapped, and it was the beginnings of a beautiful friendship. I think I earned her respect that day, and I realized she wasn't as rough and tough as she might portray.

You see, I try and get along with everyone, and most importantly, I try and understand people and where they might be coming from in life. Everyone has a story. Everyone has walked in a different set of shoes. Where their shoes have traveled can ultimately shape them into the person they become.

My first impression of Wanda, you ask? Heifer.

For you northerners, that doesn't mean a lady with fat ankles. You southerners need no explanation of what makes a heifer a heifer. A heifer is someone you see as, well, unpleasant to put it nicely.

I spent some time getting to know Wanda. I got to know her story. I inquired about her life, and low and behold, she grew on me. I appreciated how she didn't beat around the bush. I appreciated how she put it all on the table and would honestly tell me her thoughts without adding extra sugar to soften the blow.

Don't get me wrong, we all need a friend who can be comforting when we need them to be, but we also need a friend who will tell us, in love, how it is. I know if I want honesty, I can ask her. And she trusts that I will receive her words in love and not bite back. I value her role in my life.

I am so glad I gave Wanda a second chance and spent some time getting to know her. She is one of my closest friends.

Psalms 44:21 says,  "Would not God search this out? For He knows the secrets of the heart."

No, we are not God. We can't completely know another person's heart, but we can emulate Jesus and spend some time trying.

God puts us in the path of people. People that can inspire us. People we can inspire. Is there anyone you need to give a second chance? They might make an unexpected difference in your life.

Have You Slept with the Maidservant?

Most are familiar with Abraham and Sarah's story in Genesis. God promised them an heir, a son, and after waiting and waiting, both doubted God. Sarah even laughed at him. After all, Abraham was 100 and Sarah was 90. How on earth could Sarah bear a son at her age?

As the story goes, they took matters into their hands. Sarah convinced Abraham to sleep with their maidservant, Hagar, who did, indeed, become pregnant and bore a son for Abraham. This impulsive sin led to a multitude of problems, including Hagar becoming unmanageable, Sarah becoming bitter and resentful, and direct disobedience to God by both Abraham and Sarah.

How many times have we put God on our timeline instead of following His? It's so easy to get worried, troubled, distressed, depressed and anxious about tomorrow even when we have the everlasting promise of the Creator that He holds tomorrow and us in the palms of His mighty hands.

In a "microwave world" of instant gratification and impatience, we want it now. We don't want to wait. In fact, most of us hate to wait....for anything. When times are at their bleakest, hope is nowhere to be found, and pain runs deep, be encouraged!

What God has in store for you is worth the wait and better than anything you can imagine. He will make good on His promises.

Has there been a time you have taken matters into your own hands when God has promised you He would deliver? What "maidservant" did you sleep with to get your way and in your own time instead of in God's?

Have you bread something not of God? Just like God was able to bless Abraham and Sarah after disobedience, He is still able to bless us and clean up our messes. We just have to allow him in.

"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; will uphold you with my righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10

"God, help us to be patient and wait upon You. Help us to trust your timing and never doubt You when we things feel overwhelming. Forgive us for times of doubt and unbelief. We thank You for being our dependable provider, comforter, and friend. Thank You for always being right on time. Not a second too late or too soon. Amen"

Letting God Write the Music to Your Life

I discovered a couple of verses recently that I have read before, but I received new revelation when I read them this time around. Both are found in 1 Corinthians where Paul is talking about how to set up the church. Even though these verses are speaking mostly about the church, I think they carry every day application.

The first is:

"For God is not a God of disorder but a God of peace." 1 Corinthians 14:33

The second and, perhaps, the most captivating to me is:

"Even in the case of lifeless things that make sounds, such as the flute or harp, how will any one know what tune is being played unless there's a distinction in the notes." 1 Corinthians 14:7

As I meditate on each of these verses I think about music. I am definitely not a trained muscian or professional; however, I do love music, always have, always will. As I thought about the flute and the harp and the distinct sounds they make, I started wondering what a song about my life would say. What types of notes would be played? What words would frequent the song? Is there a distinction in the notes I play that separates me from the world?

Here are the questions I asked myself:

1. Am I singing what I am playing? In other words, do I practice what I preach? Do my actions speak louder than my words. Do I live out Christ? In music, some lyrics just don't go with some music. Same in life, acting one way and speaking another is very confusing to the watcher/listener.  No one ends up enjoying it. Easy enough.

2. Does the music I play draw people to me or repel them away? Is my life song inviting? Do others want to be around me or stay away from me? Do the notes I play make people want to hear more or do they wish I had a volume button so they could turn me down or mute me all together? Of course, we all hit wrong notes now and again, but am I living consistently?

3. Am I uplifting or destructive? Most of us have been moved by a song. Songs hold the power to control our emotions and make people feel good, bad, ugly, indifferent, sad, moody and so forth. I want to make sure that I am uplifting to people. I want to edify the spirits of others not tear them down.

4. Do I help get Jesus stuck in the heads of others? We have all had a song stuck in our head for some reason or another. Sometimes, we wish we didn't, but we just can't stop singing it. So I ask myself, does my life emulate the life of Jesus? Does my presence make them think of Him? If they are around me enough, will they get to know my Jesus?

5. Am I a peaceful song or am I singing out of key? As the verse above states, God is a God of peace and order not a God of chaos and disorder. Any good piece of music has order. It flows flawlessly from one note to the next. Am I able to remain calm in the heart of the storm? Do I let my life get chaotic and out of control? Or am I able to remind others of the wonderful peace of our Savior by exuding peace, joy, mercy and grace myself?

Let God write the sheet music to your life. He will put every note in the perfect place. He never misses a beat. Practice the music. Become the music.

By the way:

Here's a song worth getting stuck in your head.

Breaking the Approval Chains

"For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins." Matthew 6:14-15

I think almost everyone that knows me well will say that I get over things very quickly. I might cry. I might get mad. I might snap and spout off something I don't mean, but, in general, I recover and move on. My husband always tells me that he is amazed at my ability to get over life's jabs. We can have a heated argument one minute and an hour later, I am talking to him like nothing ever happened. This "skill" doesn't come as easy to him. He holds on to things a little longer, and it's harder for him to let them go. I have always felt a little smug about my ability to "forgive and forget" until a recent conversation with my husband.

My husband keeps me grounded. He is able to look at situations through the eyes of pure logic and remove all emotions. I have no clue how that is possible, but it is, and he is a master at it. We were having a conversation about forgiveness. The situation didn't involve our relationship but rather my relationship with someone else. I was looking for perspective.

I didn't really want to hear what he had to say at that moment, even though he was right, because the pain I was feeling was too raw for the salve of logic to soothe. In a nut shell, he was telling me that I needed to forgive the "wrong doer" and move on.  I told him that I wasn't sure he was the best person to give me advice on forgiveness since I forgive a lot easier than he does. His reply was stunning and filled with more truth than I was ready to swallow at that time. With all the love in the world he said, "Jen, you don't always forgive. You're just really good at forgetting." Wow! It was like a punch in the throat. A punch that I needed. After listening to his argument, I did what I usually do. I took time to reflect on what he had said and time to pray.

Could this be true? Do I really just forget when I feel wronged as opposed to actually forgiving the person? Had I spent most of my life forgetting the pain, the hurt, the sorrow instead of digging to the root issue and honestly forgiving those who I felt had wronged me? Really? Have I been doing this unknowingly for  32 years? The answer is simple. YES! There are numerous situations and people from my past that I probably "forgot" as opposed to truly forgiving. Whereas, my husband might take a little longer to forget about it, but when he does, he is able to truly forgive and move on.

For me, if you truly forgive a person, you have a peace in your heart about the situation. It doesn't torment you, you don't waste energy thinking about it, analyzing it and replaying it over and over in your head.  They no longer have a hold on you. You are FREE!

Forgiveness is different for each person. Everyone does it differently and on their own time. I have a deep compassion for people and I show an abundance of grace and mercy, but maybe I don't forgive like I should. Maybe I do just "forget." Now that I am aware of this, I can begin to make a change.

From this point on, I want to be a forgiver and not just a forgetter. You?