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On Thanksgiving Day, I was playing cards with my parents, sister and brother-in-law, with my almost-3-year-old niece sitting at the table. I’m a pretty competitive person, and wasn’t too pleased with some of the hands I was being dealt. At one point while I was losing badly, I let out a loud “ARRRRRGGH” to voice my frustration. My niece then piped up, “Lisa, you’re not a pirate!” Now, Grace has played pretend with me before; we’ve pretended to be princesses and baseball players. But I suppose that at that moment, she felt the need to remind me that I was not who I sounded like.
It’s handy to have someone who really sees us as we truly are and isn’t afraid to let us know it. I’m blessed with several friends who are quite discerning and know when they need to remind me of my true self and put me in my place. While there are times I wish they’d placate my selfish moods and let me get away with more than they already do, deep down I know what a tremendous gift it is to have people in my life who know me so well—and better still, who love and accept me in the midst of knowing me so well.
Having people in my life who see past the façade that I try to wear is dangerous business. It requires a great deal of vulnerability and trust, two things that are not easily given. But when I let my guard down and reveal my true self, warts and all, that’s the only way I will find true acceptance. There is something powerful about having someone in your life who has seen you at your worst and still talks to you, still loves you.
Not only do I need to be humbled at times and reminded of who I truly am, but I also need to be reminded of WHOSE I am. I struggle with self-confidence issues, and there are many times when Satan’s whispers in my ear seem to drown out everyone else around me. “You’re not this, you’ll never be this, you can’t do this,” he tells me. Again, I am thankful for the people in my life who come to my rescue and reassure me that, because I am God’s, I am NOT the person that Satan tries to convince me that I am.
In John 8:44, Jesus unveils Satan’s deception. “…He [Satan] was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”
If Satan’s not using pride to make us see ourselves as better than we are (as with Adam and Eve in Genesis 3), then he’s taking the opposite route of trying to convince us that we are miserable creatures who will never conquer our trials or amount to anything. It’s crucial that we have a fellowship of believers in our lives who know the truth and use it to help set us free from Satan’s attacks.
What lies are you buying into? That you’re a screw-up? That you’ll never overcome temptation? That things will never get better for you? That you don’t need God, or anyone else for that matter?
Now ask yourself, who in my life truly knows me and isn’t afraid to reveal me for who I truly am? If you can’t think of anyone who you can be the real you with, what steps can you take to have that fellowship in your life? For those of you who do have truth-bearers in your life, what advice would you give to those seeking people to remind them of who and whose they are?
Yesterday I joined millions of other people in that time-honored tradition of insanity: the Day after Thanksgiving Sales. Now, I wasn’t one of those crazy people who camped outside of Best Buy at 4 a.m.; I slept in, enjoyed my morning coffee and read the newspaper before venturing out into the crowded Montgomery streets mid-morning.
One of my favorite parts of the Christmas season is finding just the right presents for the people on my shopping list. I try to pick items that the person has asked for, or that I suspect they will really like, the right size, their favorite color, etc. Isn’t that what we’re all looking for when we’re shopping for Christmas gifts? I don’t think that any of us looks at a potential gift thinking, “I hope they really enjoy returning this!”
I couldn’t help but think of Matthew 7:9-11 yesterday as I shopped: “Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!”
I know it’s easy to say that Christmas has become commercialized, that all the frantic gift-shopping has caused us to lose the true meaning of Christmas. But think about it—wasn’t Christmas born out of (no pun intended) a gift that God gave us? Without the gift of Jesus coming to Earth as a baby, living as a man, and dying for our sins, there would be no celebration, no Christmas, no reason to rejoice.
It’s pretty awesome to me that not only did God give us the most precious gift of His Son, but that He also continues to shower gifts upon us. And these are not some last-minute, Christmas Eve desperation, Dollar Store gifts either. As Jesus said, if we messed-up, sinful humans know what gifts our children want and need, how much better does the omniscient God know and give us what we want and need? How quickly I forget that God really does know what I want and what I need, and that He is always acting in my best interests in a way that brings Him glory.
I’ve been feeling spiritually blah lately. Not dead, but not fully alive either. A spiritual coma, I suppose you could call it.
This is not the result of things going awry in my life. On the contrary, several good things have happened, several unexpected and marvelous blessings have rained down into my life. It’s not that I’m not grateful; I truly am. But so quickly and stealthily, Satan distracts me.
I haven’t been praying much lately. I feel a tug at my heart to do it, and I make excuses about praying later, when I have more time, yadda yadda yadda. Last night we had an awesome praise service at our church, more than a thousand people cramming the pews and lifting up incredible music to God. And in the midst of this symphony of praise, I find myself more in awe of the actual sounds than of the God whom we’re praising. Then I find my mind wandering, thinking about what I need to do at work this week, what I’m making for Thanksgiving dinner, and other mundane thoughts that steal the joy of the moment.
I can sense that my attitude at work, even among good friends, has shifted into a more selfish one. Like Paul, I find myself doing and saying things I do not want to do and say. What a wretched woman I am! I want to live a life fully aware of and alive to God’s power at work within me. I realize this is a lifelong struggle, and I am not alone.
Even Jesus’ closest companions, who were with Him day in and day out, fell asleep on the job. In His greatest hour of anguish, Jesus had to warn them to “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Matthew 26:41).
This morning I prayed for the first time in a few days. Funny how even a few days without prayer can make me feel so distant from God. I am incredibly thankful that His compassions are new every morning (Lamentations 3:23). His mercies for me are never-ending. But I know that Satan will try all the harder to distract me and get my focus off of God, onto myself or someone or something else. Please pray for me; I’m not fully out of the coma yet.
I'll admit, I am not always the most patient person. (I can hear my friends snickering now.) But I do TRY to be patient with other people. However, there is one sect of people who push my patience to the limits. You know them. You've seen them. Perhaps you're one of them.
I call them Walmartians.
Walmartians consist of two groups: employees of Walmart, and shoppers of Walmart. I won't launch into a tirade about the downfall of customer service in American society, but let's just say that Walmart is not known for being the poster child for customer service. And while I'm sure that there are rude shoppers everywhere, there seems to be a higher concentration of them at Wallyworld for some reason.
Since Walmartians particularly try my patience, I try to avoid going there. But last night I had a long grocery list, so the low low "falling" prices lured me there, like a siren beckoning a ship to run aground on the rocky shore.
After I'd navigated the clogged aisles with the worst shopping cart (somehow I always manage to get the ones with the squeakiest or most dysfunctional wheels), I was ready to checkout. I stood in a long, non-moving line for a few minutes before realizing that the check-out clerk had abandoned their post and was no where to be seen. The other five or six lines that were open had huge amounts of people waiting in them with cartfuls of items, so I hit upon what I *thought* was a good idea at the time. I headed for the check-out at the garden center. There were about five people in line, but all had just a few items, so I thought I'd get out of there pretty quickly.
Apparently the lady at the check-out register had other plans. She was agonizingly slow to check people out, and when I got to the front of the line, another woman (a friend, perhaps another employee), came up and the two started having a conversation. The line is building behind me, I'm frustrated and can sense the frustration of those behind me, but this Walmartian clerk seemed oblivious to the fact that we were all tired and ready to go home.
By the time I finally got into my car, I was huffing and puffing to myself about how inconsiderate Walmartians can be. And with the holiday season upon us, it's only going to get worse as more and more people come out of the woodwork and decide they need to be at Walmart for hours on end. I vowed to avoid Walmart at all costs for the next month and a half.
Once I calmed down and got over myself, I was reminded that God created Walmartians, too, and they are precious in His sight. Even if I do manage to avoid Walmart til 2005, I'll still have encounters with rude, inconsiderate people, because they're really everywhere. And I am guilty many, many times of being that rude, inconsiderate person. How thankful I am that God has limitless patience with me, especially when I'm behaving like a spoiled brat who thinks the world should move according to her whims.
I Thess. 5:14-15: "And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone. Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else." (Emphasis mine)
So all year long, and especially during the holidays, remember that the guy who just cut you off in traffic, or the slow check-out clerk, or the telemarketer are all God's creation. Remember that Jesus died for them too, just as He died for me and you. Try to see them as God sees them. That will go a long way towards making life a little more tolerable.
Last night I bought a new journal. My previous one had lasted me about a year and a half, through MANY ups and downs, trials and triumphs. Let me give a quick plug for the art of journaling. If you're not in the habit of keeping a journal, I highly suggest you do so. Since the majority of you are probably fellow bloggers and therefore already in the habit of writing, keeping a journal is not that much of a stretch for you.
I've kept a journal for years. I don't write in it every day--sometimes I've gone weeks without writing in it, while other times I've written in it twice a day. That's part of the beauty of it--no one but you is going to read it, so no one but you gets to dictate how often you write. But I recommend writing on a regular basis, at least once a week.
For me, journaling is cheap therapy. Now, I'm not discounting the need for therapy--trust me, I have considered seeing a Christian counselor several times throughout various heartwrenching trials in my life. But many times when I'm feeling apprehensive, or irritable, or just plain confused and can't put my finger on why, I take out my journal and just start writing what I'm feeling. This is probably an easier exercise for women than for men, since women are much more emotionally wired to readily answer the dreaded "What are you thinking about?" question. But men, I think you can greatly benefit from this too. It's amazing how many times I just start writing what I'm feeling and suddenly I have an epiphany.
I write pretty much anything and everything in my journal. Much of it consists of prayer requests, special verses or quotations, answered prayers. I especially enjoy re-reading entries and seeing how God answered specific prayers.
If you don't already have a journal, get one. Find a style you really like. Last night I bought a scarlet linen-covered journal with lined pages. It's thin and light enough to pack (I like to take my journal with me when I travel). Find a pen you like as well, one that writes well. Any color will do--black, blue, red, purple--this journal is for YOUR eyes only, remember that. And then write away. Hold nothing back. Let the thoughts flow unhindered. Above all, be HONEST--this is strictly between you and God.
Some days, some weeks it seems that God is not listening to my prayers, let alone answering them. And then there are days and weeks where, out of the silence, He bursts forth with such activity and so many answers that there's no doubting that He is God, Ruler and Master of everything.
The past few weeks have been incredible, blessing-filled weeks where God was so evident. I could see His hand as clearly as my own. I'll share a few examples. A friendship that I had more or less given up for dead, buried and mourned over, was miraculously revived. (I say miraculously because it involved overcoming a lot of my own selfish pride, something that I could not do on my own!) This was something that I'd prayed over for many months, cried out to God for reconciliation, and yet I was so stunned when it actually happened. It was truly God at work.
Other examples abound. As I've lived by a stricter budget lately, God has provided for me financially and materially in truly unexpected ways. Work projects that were under deadlines were finished thanks to God's provision. I received a gorgeous bouquet of flowers sent by dear friends who were prompted by God to encourage me.
I could go on and on, but you get the picture. I'm trying to record these blessings in my journal to remind me of how providential God is. I know times will come where it seems like I'm going through a blessings drought, and Satan will try to convince me that God isn't listening or doesn't care about my needs and desires.
I'm reminded of Eph. 3:20-21: "Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen."
Sometimes during those "blessings droughts" I think of those verses and believe that God CAN do more than we ask or imagine, but doubt whether He WILL do that for me. I thank Him that He DOES long to bless me, even when Satan tries to convince me otherwise. Some blessings are more evident than others.
Thank God that His love and faithfulness to me is not dependent on mine for Him. These blessing-filled weeks have strengthened my views of His abundant love for me, although I know I've only scratched the surface of that love.
Next week I’m going on a cruise for work. Seriously. Believe me, there will be a great deal of actual work involved—I won’t be laying around the pool. At least not the entire time. I know, I know, you feel for me. I can hear the violins tuning up now…
It’s been so busy here at work that I haven’t really had a chance to think about the cruise, much less get excited about it. I have a thick stack of documents to read through advising me about what to pack, what ID to bring, etc. that I haven’t had a chance to read. I’ve known for a couple of years now that I’m going on this cruise, but it really hasn’t sunk in (no pun intended).
At least not until yesterday. Yesterday I received my travel documents and confirmation that I am indeed cruisin’. Now that I have living proof on both paper and computer screen that I’m a registered passenger on board, it’s starting to seem more real, and I’m getting a little more excited. I'm finally thinking about what to pack, how much spending money to bring, etc.
How similar that is to my thoughts about Heaven. I know I’m going there, but some days I get so bogged down on earthly matters that I don’t give Heaven a second thought. It’s kind of like some distant retirement village that I’ll move to a long time from now. It’s in the back of my mind, but rarely the forefront. Why is that? If I had some slip in the mail that had a Heaven confirmation number with my name next to it, would I start to get more excited about where I’ll spend eternity?
How can we be more Heaven-focused when the here and now tends to crowd out thoughts of the eternal?
"An anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up." Prov. 12:25
I'm a word person, always have been. I love the written word, the spoken word. We all know how words can destroy, but words can also bring life and healing.
Consider this:
Someone you know needs to hear you say "I love you."
Someone you know needs to hear you say "I'm sorry."
Someone you know needs to hear you say "I forgive you."
Someone around you needs a compliment.
One of your co-workers needs to hear "Good job, great work!"
A family member needs to hear "I appreciate you."
A friend needs to hear you say "I'm here for you."
A child needs to hear you say "You can do it. I believe in you."
The Wal-mart greeter needs someone to tell THEM to have a nice day.
The waiter or waitress needs to hear you say "Please" and "Thank you."
Someone needs to hear that Jesus loves them.
Don't let your day end without using your words for good. God has put you into certain people's lives for a reason. Say what needs to be said today. Your words have the power to change someone's life.
It's November. According to the forecast on weather.com, the high temp today is supposed to be 83 degrees. Eighty-three degrees in November! Having lived in Alabama for most of my life, you'd think I'd be used to seemingly endless summers, but I'm not.
I long for fall. I want to turn off my air conditioning and put on sweaters and walk outside without breaking into a sweat. The calendar says it's fall, but the weather is decidedly summery.
In life, there are times when it seems like the season I'm in will never in. When I feel trapped in some endless routine that will never change.
Thankfully, things are not always as they seem. As we're reminded in Ecclesiastes 3, "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven:".
So that seemingly perpetual season that I'm in is just temporary. Seasons will eventually change, even here in Alabama.
