by wendy | Nov 11, 2021 | Direction, Encouragement, Encouragement For Your Heart, Encouragement from the Word, Focus on God, Trusting God
I was recently told, by a person who has been exposed to the Word their whole life, that Scripture just doesn’t hold their attention. I can understand that – especially if it is perceived as an assigned reading that “should be done.” I can remember trying desperately to comprehend my high school history book, but no matter how many times my eyes moved over the words, my brain simply refused to enter the information. It just was not interesting to me – it seemed to have no bearing on my life.
I have, at times, felt the same way about the Bible. Rote reading that didn’t make sense and certainly didn’t seem to apply. Once I began to understand though, that Scripture is a book of stories – accounts of the lives of real people like me who struggled – reading it became a lifeline instead of a chore. Suddenly, reading the Bible illuminated the darkness of my crazy life, helped me make sense of the chaos, called me to focus on the important things, and gave me courage to keep going. Scripture not only holds my attention – it compels me!
Yesterday, I was studying our Youth Sunday School lesson. We are using The Gospel Project curriculum and it is taking us consecutively through the Bible. The current unit carries us through the Exodus and wandering of the Israelites in the wilderness. Because we have been traveling through Scripture in the order that it happened, we are invested – familiar with the whole story. We have just experienced the awesomeness of God’s power as He orchestrated the release of the Israelites from Egyptian captivity and brought them through the impossible obstacle of the Red Sea. His people have been led and protected every step of the way, but as soon as they felt some discomfort, they fell to doubt, fear, and complaining. Under the commentary in my lesson, I wrote the following message: “When we focus on the challenge, we shake in fear. When we focus on God, we are encouraged.”
That lesson resonated with me. It seemed like a phrase I might need some day to encourage someone. I closed my book and continued on with my plan for the day – a busy one full of appointments with new shops and processing orders. By the evening, I was feeling overwhelmed by the growth of my business and the increase in my responsibilities. The things I had prayed for were happening – and it was scary!
As I crawled into bed, feeling anything but relaxed, I texted with my mom. “This is stressful.”
“Just focus and trust the Lord,” she replied. Those specific words were like a flashback!
I left my bed and pulled out my notes from earlier in the day.
“When we focus on the challenge, we shake in fear. When we focus on God, we are encouraged.” I had been right – I would need those words to encourage someone – that someone was me! The lessons learned by the Israelites wandering in the wilderness were a blueprint for my own wandering. As I read their story, I am reminded about the amazing show of power, provision, and protection God has showered upon my own life. When I read about their doubt and fear, I recognize my doubt and fear. When I see the kindness and grace that God showed them over and over – the patience He displays in their hard-hearted and hard-headed struggle to move forward – well, let’s just say that I can relate.
This world can seem like a meaningless, chaotic, mess – there isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t need to be encouraged. I’m thankful that we have been given a guide – not a dry, academic manual of instructions – but a narrative of grace and a reminder that the God of the Universe is alive and active and cares about me!
“Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.”
Exodus 14:13-14
by wendy | Nov 11, 2021 | Encouragement, Encouragement For Your Heart
I opened my Bible Study (“Brave” by Angela Thomas) to this page today, and my first thought was, “Yes! I am broken – and I am so glad!”
That might seem like an odd response to you – but let me explain. I am glad I am broken because I like who I have become through the brokenness.
Before I was broken, I was full of myself, unable to see out through my own lens of selfishness. Pride – only based on lack of knowledge and experience – colored my thoughts and judgments of people around me and prevented me from living with compassion. I neglected to encourage others because I didn’t understand the source of true courage. The gleaming shell on the outside merely kept me from leaking out love.
Hardship, disappointment, failure – all difficult teachers – have cracked that shell. As bits of my pride and selfishness have seeped out, I find that they have made way for joy, peace, love. Less of me – more of Him. Brokenness comes with a price – it is not an easy place to reach – but the result is such sweetness. To use my suffering to encourage another, to have compassion for one who is feeling a similar pain, to leak love through the rough edges only to find that it refines them in the most beautiful way – this is being fully alive!
I am broken – and because of Jesus living in me – I am more complete than I have ever been.
For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
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.
Ephesians 3:14-21
by wendy | Nov 11, 2021 | Direction, Encouragement, Encouragement For Your Heart
The fall is upon us and very soon the leaves will turn all shades of amazing colors. This time of year is spectacular to behold – but it also reminds me that change is upon us. It is the end of summer – the end of a season – the end of life as we know it. Fall is a sign that we are entering a period of rest. As the trees drop their leaves and bear their branches in the cold darkness of winter, we will long for new life with the reassurance and hope that it will come.
I love change. I know that makes me strange, but I always have. I grew up in a military family that moved, and while I didn’t have to relocate as often or as far as some military families, it was enough to set the tone of transition for my life. In the early years I became someone who appreciated the ending of one thing and the fresh start of something new. I came to love the opportunity for a new room, a new school, a new set of friends.
That love of change extended into my adulthood as I became a teacher. One of my favorite aspects of the school year is that it has an ending – and a new beginning. I have been able to translate that concept into each day as it comes to an end and then a new day begins. The end becomes a beginning, death becomes new life, change becomes a fresh start, putting away the old opens up the opportunity for a new creation!
As painful as change can be, it is a sign of the grace of our good God. Just as He has planned for the autumn leaves to fall, He has allowed things to end in our lives as well. Though we cannot see the work of new life forming within the tree, He is working in the secret places of those trees and us to bring about new life that will show itself in season like the tiny new leaves unfurling in the spring sun. The death of one thing prepares the way for the life of another.
Romans 2:4 asks, “Do you show contempt for the riches of His kindness, forbearance, and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?” It is His love that allows things to come to an end. He knows what we need and He knows how to get us there.
This revelation leads me to ask myself, “Will I see those falling leaves in my life as the love of God preparing me to weather the storms ahead? Or will I stomp my feet and wallow in self-pity, unable to consider that those dry leaves hanging on would simply add weight to my brittle branches in the heavy snows that come during the winter of life? Will I rejoice in the beauty of the colors of change and swirling of leaves blown in the breeze? Or will I tuck my head and grumble at the mess I must clean up as the leaves pile all around me?”
I will choose to see the love – I will remind myself to gaze upon the beauty – I will marvel in awe at the awesome power of God, who is able to turn the end of something old into the beginning of something new! So I will say, “Lord, Let your love fall all around me!”
“See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.” Isaiah 43:19
by wendy | Nov 8, 2021 | Encouragement, Encouragement For Your Heart, Trusting God
Several years ago I attended the HOPE WMUV Get Away Conference. Our keynote speaker was Sylvia DeLoach and she kept us in stitches while giving some very powerful tips about Loving God with All our Minds! At some point during the message, Sylvia made reference to the Sons of Issachar in 1 Chronicles 12 – and I decided to read more about them. It turns out that the context of the passage brought great encouragement to me and I hope it will to you as well!
David was anointed King by God – called to office – but he had to wait a long time before he actually stepped into that role. When the time came, God sent warriors from all over to join David.
I love the words used to describe the men God sent to help David achieve what God had appointed him to do: armed warriors, able, brave, ready for battle, famous, designated by name, those who understood the times and knew what to do, experienced, prepared, fully determined. And to top it all off, they came with plentiful supplies! It is clear that God rallied all the troops – literally – to make happen what He purposed to happen.
I especially love this passage:
“We are yours, David! We are with you, son of Jesse! Success,success to you, and success to those who help you, for your God will help you.”
1 Chronicles 12:18
In the waiting, it can often seem like we are alone. The enemy would like to convince us that God has forgotten or that He never called us in the first place. But we must stay true to the calling God has placed on our lives and trust that He will bring it to fruition at His appointed time. He has all the resources and He will make it happen – we are only to be faithful each step of the way.
“When the time is right, the Lord will make it happen.”
Isaiah 60:22
His plans are always on time and He will provide all we need!
And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others.
2 Corinthians 9:8
by wendy | Aug 9, 2021 | Encouragement, Encouragement For Your Heart, Focus on God, Trusting God
Our Sunday School lesson last week focused on the story of Elijah and his announcement of a Great Drought. (1 Kings 17) Elijah was a prophet of God and his calling required him to call out the sin of the people. When Elijah announced that there would be no rain or dew in the land for several years, he was simply reminding the people of a consequence of their sin – the refusal to acknowledge God as their sustainer. A drought in the land was divine punishment that would affect the fertility of the land and cause a famine. The very people that refused to give God the credit for producing the rain would find out in a very real way just how powerful God was.
Sometimes things dry up as a result of sin.
Our God is a God of mercy and grace and He does allow things to dry up as a result of our sin and disobedience. When this happens, it is painful – but it is not permanent! God’s love is so great that He would rather see us suffer for a time in order to bring us to repentance and a right relationship with Him than to allow us to be separated from Him eternally. He longs for us to turn from sin and to run to Him.
“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”
2 Chronicles 7:14
Elijah’s announcement of drought for the people meant that the source of water would be drying up for him as well. I wonder if Elijah had concerns as he proclaimed the punishment. But God had plans for His servant, and He sent Elijah to a brook where he would find water to drink and birds to bring him food. Relying on ravens to feed him must have required a great deal of faith, but imagine how Elijah must have also marveled at the clear water that flowed through that stream during a drought!
Have you ever found yourself in a season where you were abundantly aware of the blessings poured out on you? When God places His hand of protection and provision upon you in the midst of difficulty in the world, it can be extremely faith-building. I imagine that Elijah gained strength in that time – and he would need it! When you find yourself in that place, be intentional about your praise and gratitude – be purposeful about cooperating with God to grow and strengthen your faith – and be prepared for what is to come!
“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”
Jeremiah 17:7-8
Sometimes things dry up to cause us to move.
Wouldn’t it be glorious to stay in that place? Drinking from the clear, flowing water, eating food dropped from the sky, resting and hiding from the troubles of the world – just you and God and nature. Elijah might have been content to stay there forever, but he wasn’t functioning in his calling there. God used that time to strengthen and sustain and grow Elijah, but the time came when God was ready to use him again – so He dried up Elijah’s source of water and told him to move!
It often comes a surprise – and not a happy one. The stream of income dries up. The sweet friendship dries up. The desire to create dries up. The opportunity of a lifetime dries up. Whatever it is – the thing that has quenched your thirst or fed your soul – it just goes away, it stops, it dries up. And its not because that thing was bad, or because you did something wrong – it may simply be time to move on. It may be time to get back to work – doing that thing that God has called you to do.
“Some time later the brook dried up because there had been no rain in the land. Then the word of the Lord came to him: “Go at once to Zarephath in the region of Sidon and stay there. I have directed a widow there to supply you with food.”
1 Kings 17:7-9
Let’s not miss the order of events here! First, the brook dried up – then, the word of the Lord came to Elijah. I don’t know about you, but I would prefer it to be the other way around. I like for God to give me directions first so I can feel comfortable with the way things go down, but this is not usually how God operates.
“God’s ultimate goal for your life on Earth is not comfort but character development. He wants you to grow up spiritually and become like Christ.”
Rick Warren
God wants us to develop confidence in Him. The more we learn to trust in Him, the more effective we can be in following Him and doing the work He has called us to do.
Sometimes things dry up to increase our faith.
Each step God led Elijah through increased his understanding of God, of God’s character, and of God’s power. God commanded natural elements (rain and flowing water) as well as animals (ravens) to provide for Elijah’s needs. Once Elijah was confident in that provision, God moved him to a place where he could see God work in a different way – through a desperate widow with free will. Each of these instances grew Elijah’s faith and confidence in order to prepare him for the next thing.
Sometimes things dry up to increase the faith of others.
One might assume that just because Elijah was a prophet that he always viewed things through a lens of faith. But let us not forget that Elijah was a man. When God dries up what seems like a good thing in my life, I tend to wonder, “Why me – why now?” It often takes hindsight to see that it was never all about me in the first place!
The widow that God sent Elijah to was an unlikely candidate to provide anything for him. She was without a provider herself and laden with responsibility for her child. She was down to her last hope, seemingly without any options. No income, no food, no family, no rain – and she had accepted the fact that she and her son would die. This woman did not know God. She was worthless in the eyes of the world – but God saw her and loved her. God used the widow to provide food for His prophet and He used Elijah to provide hope for her! God could have accomplished both completely on His own but He chose to invite them to witness and participate in His work – and He does the same for us!
Oh that I may have eyes to see God moving, a heart to love as He loves, and a spirit willing to be used.
“Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.”
Romans 12:11
What is drying up in your life? Spend some time in prayer, seeking God and His direction. Ask Him the following questions:
- Is there sin in my life that begs for repentance?
- Is God asking me to move (physically, emotionally, spiritually)?
- Am I cooperating with God’s desire to grow my faith? Am I trusting Him to protect and provide?
- Is God using my situation to grow the faith of someone else? Am I willing to be used by God?
Whatever is happening – turn your eyes upon Him. Let go and allow Him to work in whatever way He will. You can be certain that He is working for your good and new things are on the horizon!
”Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.”
Isaiah 43:18
by wendy | Jul 29, 2021 | BarnaBus - Scattering Seeds of Encouragement, Direction, Trusting God
“And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of His glory in Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 4:19
Jerry and I are converting a school bus into a tiny home on wheels! This isn’t a new thing in our lives – we have been researching and planning for over a year and we actually began the conversion process several months ago – but we only recently began to share the process. The response from friends and family has been wildly mixed – some think we have lost our minds and others are living their dreams out vicariously through our adventure. And an adventure it is! This project is unique, difficult, frustrating, and exciting all in one. But the best part of the story for us is that we believe we are following God’s plan for our lives in this season and we love watching Him at work.
Building a bus requires planning ahead and thinking through each step in advance. Even though we are nowhere near ready to build the bathroom, we realized that we needed to know what size shower we would use before building anything else. The drain has to work around the wheel wells and fuel tank, so the placement of the shower base determines everything else in the bus. We have been discussing all kinds of solutions, but they are expensive and will still need to be modified to fit into a bus!
Yesterday, we set out to visit a truck salvage yard in search of a seat for the passenger (another thing that will determine placement of other things!) Unfortunately, the salvage yard didn’t have what we needed, so we decided to make use of the trip by checking out the Habitat Restore. It was near closing time, but we quickly browsed the store and a young man that worked there asked if we needed help. We explained that we were looking for shower stalls and he directed us out back to see what was in stock. It only took a moment to realize that all of their shower stalls were too large for the bus, so we made our way back in. He checked on us again and asked if we found what we needed. As we described our bus project, he immediately agreed that they had nothing that would fit.
Jerry and I continued to browse – we are looking for lots of things right now – and suddenly the young man reappeared with a bewildered expression.
”Are you faithful people?” He asked. “Do you pray? Who is this bus for?”
We weren’t quite sure what this kid was asking, but Jerry replied, “Yes we pray.”
“The bus is for us,” I answered, “But we are hoping it will include a ministry, so I guess it is for God too! Why?”
The boy still looked incredulous. “Because a man just pulled up out back and he is donating a shower the exact size you are looking for!”
Jerry and I chuckled and followed him out back to check out our new shower. We are always in awe of God’s provision – but not surprised. He has a way of showing up at just the right time. We were blessed by the shower – but the best part of the whole experience was watching the faith of the young man that discovered it for us! As he helped us load the shower into our car (remember we weren’t expecting to buy a shower stall that day!) I reminded him that if God provided the shower then He would certainly make a way for it to fit – and it did!
In my Instagram post, I noted that we must be building the bus for God – or maybe He is building the bus for us – but I truly believe He is building this bus for His work and for HIs glory. We just get the privilege of participating!
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him who have been called according to His purpose.”
Romans 8:28
