Picking up Trash

For most of my life, my time with the Lord was satisfied on Sundays, Wednesdays and Bible studies. It wasn't until 2008 that my quiet times were times I desired and carved out to spend with the Lord. In the beginning, it was something I knew I was suppose to do and I did my best to complete whatever days of homework I could, never sacrificing my sleep or play time to get it done. If I had 30 minutes to get it done, I would, otherwise, nada! Time with God was never something I craved, until I was desperate and then I coveted it.

As I walked through the season of healing beginning in 2008, meditating, confessing, claiming, memorizing The Word of God was absolutely necessary. I had tried everything Google had to offer but they didn't work. God didn't allow it to. I believe the whole reason He allowed the season of physical crisis through panic attacks was to get my spiritual attention and cause me to cling to Him. Of course any thing other than Him would fail. He caused them to fail. Some techniques helped but nothing would heal me. Like a prescription pill that my life depended on, I took a dose of Jesus every morning before my feet hit the ground, throughout the day, through the evening and even during waking nights. I clung fearfully to the Cross.

It was nothing but desperation and obedience that drove my devotion and time with the Lord. It was something I had to do even when I did not feel like it, I knew it was necessary to my life-walk. Until that point, I hadn't been able to stay on task and be disciplined to study or spend time with Him or in His Word. And, I had no accountability. No one in my life asked me about my walk. Bible study questions don't reflect personal relationship. They simple reflect you could find the right answer.

 My love for God really didn't match my time spent with Him. But, as days went on, I found that my obedience began to shift to desire. I began to feel His power again. I sensed His peace deep in my soul. I heard Him again for the first time in a loooong time. I soon realized I made lots of excuses. I dismissed the warnings that I was headed to a cliff. I began to see His heart for me. He gave me strength when I was weak. He made me feel life again. He was my only hope. He became my greatest love, not because of all He was actively doing for me, and not even for what He had done in Calvary for me, but for who He is. I cannot help but anticipate time with Him alone, to worship at His feet with complete awe and joy and reverent fear. 

I fell in consuming love with my Lord God, Abba Daddy, Friend of Sinners and Prince of Peace. He redeemed me and set me free from captivity! What a great God! What great love! What great patience! How stubborn and righteous had I become trying to be good enough. What amazing grace that saved a wrench like me. I once was blind but now I see. I was lost and now I am found!!! AMEN!!!

Just as our relationships between each other grow, so did mine with the Lord. The more time you spend with someone, the more experiences you have and history develops. You get to know their heart and spirit. My relationship with the Lord deepened greatly through this process of depending on Him for my everything, including my next breath. I got a glimpse of His goodness and power, realizing the depth of His love. I pray to now forever, faithfully walk in it.

A few months after I celebrated complete freedom from the bondage fear had once had on me, PRAISE THE LORD, God took me through lots of exercises and applications and I am impacted by one of them I thought I'd share with you, it was kinda fun, although inconvenient. He told me to pick up trash. Yes, trash, on the floor, anywhere, but not just everything I saw. I felt the nudge in my spirit which trash to get and which to walk past. It was a surreal experience. I was honestly a little annoyed at times. I'm not a huge germ-a-phobe, however, I do like germ-free environments, hands, high charis, tables, car seats, shopping carts, door handles, etc. Part Mom, part Michele!!

Anyway, I would be walking into the store and God would say, Pick up that one. And knew which one. I'd even go to grab an extra piece next to it and I would would sense the No! Don't touch. I didn't understand it then but I do now. Listen and obey. It doesn't always make sense to us and it simply doesn't have to. God is God. He is the Potter and we are the clay! And yes, my kids thought I was silly. I didn't make a big deal about it at the time cuz how crazy?!? They would play the "game" with me thinking they were being good samara tins and sometimes I couldn't take it. They had to deal with what they had. You are probably thinking the same thing right now!! I know, I was right there too!

After I realized what He was trying to show me, it would be hard to pen it all out, but I think you get the just of it, my soul developed a readiness to listen and heed to His voice. I learned a lot from this exercise of listening, obeying, God's way vs mine.

Let go of Pride: I didn't want someone to see me carrying the trash, thinking I or one of my children had done it.

It was gross to me to touch someone elses' trash. I wasn't always convenient...to my car, into church, in a hurry to get in and out, other stuff in my hands, etc. 

Listening better: I began to hear His voice over mine. He mattered more.
Ownership: I was responsible for my (hypothetical) trash, no one else's and no one to blame for what I was responsible for.  

Anticipation: There were times I attempted to be distracted, hoping God would not call on me, but He did. It was almost like a game, and it was mildly amusing. Like I could fool God, good grief. I learned humble obedience and keen awareness of His presence.

A few months later, God began to stir in me and I felt His familiar nudgings...whether it was bringing people into my path to encourage or deal with, choices I had to make that weren't pleasant, sensing warfare around me quicker, doing something I needed to do even when I didn't want to....I trusted and depended on His leading. It is true...we are sheep that have gone astray and we need to know the Shepherd's voice. We are lost without Him and will take 40 years to make an 11 day journey if we walk pouting, kicking and screaming, avoiding or making excuses, complaining all the way across the desert.

Serving God is not always easy or convenient. Just like handling the dishes, dusting, dealing with difficult people or situations, I do them out of obedience wishing I didn't have to but because I love my family and it's my love for them that I do, because I'm supposed to. Eventhough I greatly love the Lord and am sensitive to His nudges, there are still days and weeks I don't wanna pick up "trash." Sometimes, loving is just faithfulness to keep on towards the goal...which is living for Him..His way, not mine. 

Loving God IS easy. Out of that overflow, we can more readily serve others as He chooses, in the way He chooses. We are never wasting our time if we are doing what God tells us to do!! 

Nothing is just as it seems. Be intentional on listening for His voice. Be careful not to have a one way relationship with God. Speak to Him AND listen to Him. Wait on Him. Do whatever He asks and it's okay to ask why but know He may not be able to explain it to you. It's better to just ask "how Lord?" Sometimes it is about you, but often it is about someone else. You never know what God is working out around us. Maybe we will help, plant seeds, intercede, rebuke as we go. How can we love someone else if we don't have that love first? How do we share hope if we ourselves don't have any? How do we know what to do if we can't hear Him? How do we know where to go and what to do when we get there? Which way do we turn at the crossroads? Trust your Shepherd.

May you too begin in simple, intentional obedience if you must and allow God to mold your heart, open your mind and stretch your spiritual muscles so that you can run the race set before you, endure the trials, receive the grace He has for you....you may have to deal with some trash! You will soon be led by desire and not discipline. Forget Google and Go to God!!!! It will be through this discipline to listen, follow and obeying that blessings will come, with the biggest blessing being The Lord Himself, knowing Him more. Deeper love. Genuine love. Get it and go!

 Listen. He is calling you.

God, please translate!!!

This past Tuesday night in the Ladies Bible Study I attend, we were asked to share a brief testimony about ourselves. It is bizarre to me that you can be both equally afraid and excited at the chance to share what Christ has done for you!! I realized in my preparation that eventhough the heavy chains and bondage of fear has been removed- (AMEN!!!!!)- there still remains random anxiety strings. Will I say the right thing God wants me to? Will I speak clearly? Will I be boring to listen to? Will I make sense? What if, What if!! I am still praying for the day where fear is completely absent from my heart and mind and I no longer have to push through it, I will simply jump up and proclaim "YES Lord!!!" In my heart I do. I can be bold here as I write and even as I share one on one, but in front of others, looking at you...woah.

You wonder how it went? Well, it went....okay. Something practical I did learn is that if you are crunched for time, it would be better to take a minute to gather your thoughts, summarize them down and speak less with a "regular speed." This is better than doing what I did, which was to speak faster in an attempt to get all 5 minutes out in 3! My mouth went faster than my mind causing me to feel random and lost as I hoped to get out at least one good encouragement through the fluttering words. I prayed that God would intercept my babble and translate into the spirits in the room as He had done in Acts 2:6, " And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language."  

Since that night, I have received messages and assurances that all went well and hearts were touched. Looking forward to some additional share time with a few!! (Yes, I am eager, especially with a cup of coffee or sweet lemon tea in my hand!!) It seems God's grace met my mouth and carried the words into the ears of some of the women. Maybe God changed the frequency of their ears to tune into His Words. Oh, how I prayed He would!!!!God is good!!!

As I walked back to my seat that night, heart jumping all over the place and my mind wondering What just happened?, I was sad that I didn't make any final points. It is my prayer and I think it ought to be the prayer of each of us that as we share our life story it should be about our journey with the Lord despite who we are. Not, who were are despite our journey with the Lord. We should be reflecting Christ's handiwork, not human perceptions. Of course, we are "fearfully and wonderfully made" and it is important to know who we are in Christ and everything we have been through is a part of our journey, but if I only talk about all my mistakes and accomplishments in my flesh, and not focus on God's hand in all of it, am I making the most of Him, or me? I pray, I pray I would make the most of Him!!! 

This was a great opportunity to reflect back on and recount where God has brought me from crisis to the Cross as I prepared to share. He really is my greatest Love!!!! 
He has been sooooo good. 
Soooooo faithful. 
Sooooooo generous. 
Sooooooo patient!!!!! 

Although each of these could be a blog all on their own, detailing how I got there and ways He taught me this, I would love to share with you some of the points I had hoped to make. They are really even the same things I tell my kids, it's simple and we need to be walking in this same consuming faith and trust, regardless of age. You may have been asked to speak this week, although we should always be ready, but I encourage you to reflect back and see where you have walked. Can be humbling and convicting, especially if you have walked a few circles around the same dirt path a few times.e

As always, I know there are those of you that read these blogs, thank you for taking the time to read-I pray God intercepts these words and translates them for your spirit, and it is my prayer that God will reveal something in each one that sharpens you and encourages you. May I remind you as long as we are here, "it's easier said than done." Just because God places these lessons or applications in my heart to encourage you, does NOT mean I too have mastered them. I do share a lot of victories in Christ, however, rest assured I am still a work in progress!

We can lead outwardly perfect lives and yet live a defeated inward life.

You can never fully know what someone else is going through. Smiles can be masks. It was even for me for a long season.

For the person struggling: keep your eyes on the Cross. The Cross is your victory!!! We are not meant to battle alone, share your struggle with "whatever" with someone...a BELIEVING, LOVES THE LORD someone. Not only does it take away the secret Satan would love for you to be ashamed of, you will receive intercession before the Lord on your behalf (which is why it is important who you share with) and you will be stronger with accountability than on your own. I have blogged plenty on accountability in the body of Christ. "Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working." James 5:16 Drop the pride, humble yourself, don't fear rejection...God has placed the people in your life for such a time as this!!

For the "other" person: funny, there really isn't a "other" person. We are ALL struggling with something and if you are not, you believe you are perfect, ask God and He will show you that His Son is the only perfect person who has walked on the Earth! In my perfection moments, my friend would ask me, "Are you Jesus?!?" The message for each of is this: keep your eyes on Him.

When we keep our eyes on Him, the Body works.

For obvious reasons, we know we should keep our eyes on Him so that we will be of right mind, gather all of our identity and peace and strength from Him but I would like to also point out that within our focus on Christ, we should be fully aware of two things: spiritual warfare and spiritual gifts. I could TOTALLY write pages on these...but I will refrain in this moment in an effort to get the point out (I am trying!!).

It is much easier to see the warfare the closer you are to Christ as He gives you His eyes to see. You also gather more strength and endurance when you fight with the power of God and are replenished with the Living Water as you walk through the wilderness. Satan roams the Earth, mountain tops and wildernesses. You are never out of attack range. Yes, God is with you always and will give you all you need for when the time of trouble comes. He will fight with you. Keep close. Stay fixed on Him. 

Secondly, spiritual gifts. You may think being a Mom or whatever title you hold is your gifting but it is not. I also thought it was my call and gifting to be the perfect Mom and Wife and church member, volunteer and friend...but these are simply the avenues in which God calls you to use your gifts, they are not your gifts. " Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord;  and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good." I Corinthians 12- read the chapter!! It was a Mom who God used to encourage me in dark season, her Momness did not encourage me, but her gift of encouragement from the Lord lifted me. It was a church member who can do no wrong in the kitchen who insisted on bringing me a meal on just the day I had no strength, it was her gift of hospitality and discernment that she unknowingly ministered to a need I had. It was retired neighbor that spontaneously checked on me often through a season of crisis, it was her gift of intercession, faithfulness and encouragement that caused her to war on my behalf when I had nothing left in me. It was a professional counselor and later mentor that walked me through application steps to walk out my daily life through this season but it was through her gift of encouragement, knowledge and wisdom that my spirit, not just my mind, were ministered to and forever changed. These gifts should be called tools, to be used by God, to be cared for by us!!!

God needs us to see what instrument He has created us to be in the world so we can be a conduit of His work. Each of us needs each other to know their gift.

It is the gift of Christ, the sacrifice of our Heavenly Father, that gives us victory over all things. It is Christ blood infused in ours that the Holy Spirit fights and conquerors the enemy before us. With His eyes of Authority, we can see the warfare. With His eyes of Graciousness, we can see our precious and powerful gifts (tools).

" If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth... Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 

And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 

And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. 

And be thankful. 

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 

And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him." Colossians 3:1-2, 12-17

Think about it? Doesn't it excite you each time God reveals Himself to you?!? Small ways. Big ways. Obvious and in hindsight. God is every where. So, what if the entire Body of Christ "put on then" that inexpressible JOY and awe-ness in the Lord and lived it to be real and true, how would our family, our city, our nation, the world...the physical world and the spiritual world be different? If we all functioned with seeing eyes and ready with tools to go to work in Jesus Name???? Talk about a revival.  

God, may it begin with....me....us. Revive our spirits and refresh The Body and make it contagious!!! Bind the evil one and his army from capturing our thoughts and stealing our strength. Guard our faith and our trust in You. Give us courage and faithfulness to love You like you deserve. Humble our hearts that You can fine tune us, shape us, mold us by whatever means necessary so that we can be effective tools for Your Kingdom, Your World. To You Lord, receive all Glory. We worship You...I worship you. amen.
 

Snow to Sand

"For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;  a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, 

and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace." Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

We have heard it a million times, "there is a season for everything," "this too shall pass." Within two weeks of each other, I packed up my family of 6 for skiing in the snow only to turn around, got it all washed (still not all put up I am afraid) only to turn around and pack us up for a weekend at the beach! From bulky layers to one piece swimsuits, boots to flip flops, funny that both required sunscreen and sunglasses! Although we had planned the family trip to the snow 3 months prior, giving me ample time to find all the gear we would need and make reservations on the slopes, the beach trip was a surprise for my 40th birthday from my Husband. I did request a beach day, but he went the extra mile and made it 3 days! So nice.

Even though it was much easier to pack for the beach, less gear, less amount of clothing, less degree of change to anticipate for, I was still thrown into the whirlwind of unpacking to packing for two completely different seasons. Both of these destinations required me to prepare and adapt what was normal for Houston. Both of these seasons brought hardships along with great joys. 

For example, the snow sure makes everything slushy and muddy. Our car needed a HUGE wash...a few times:) Evidence of the mountain clay remains on my driveway to this day. And yet, the majesty of the mountains and the memories we made were priceless. The beach left us with sand, everywhere and yet the sounds of the beach-side melted my soul! Oh, the joys and the pains in every thing.

This is how our seasons with the Lord are. Seasons can come by our invitation or the Lord in His sovereignty sometimes grants us awareness of their upcoming arrival. We sometimes have ample time to plan and prepare for them. However, there are also seasons that surprise us and throw us into what feels like a whirlwind. God tells us there is a season for everything, some of it will be fun (a time to be born, plant, heal, build up, laugh, dance, gather, embrace, seek, keep, sew, speak, love, peace), while other times are not so fun (a time to die, kill, break, weep, mourn lose, tear, hate war). To each season there are joys and pains.

Since we cannot always anticipate the change of season, we must "be ready in and out of season." What does that mean? How do we prepare for the seasons? Well, one thing we know for sure, no matter where you go, you will need gear, clothing and sunscreen and sunglasses. And something that that has become crucial with our large families and especially a family with more independent people (older kids with more freedom and younger ones learning how to do more things) is a meeting point, a bearing and accountability. When we have freedom to go our own ways for a time, it is important there is a specific point where we will unite. Even at the beach, it was super crucial to pay attention to your bearing as the current slowly but surely carried you downshore. You could not hear the warnings of those yelling out across the winds so it was up to you to continuously check your whereabouts before you went too far. 

There are basics common to all seasons. They just function differently. No matter where you go, what season you are in, you should be equipped with the basics: God's Word (Bible and Prayer), Armor of God (Ephesians 6:11-18), Faith Fruit (Galatians 5:22-23) and others (II Corinthians 13:11, I Thessalonians 5:11). In good times or bad, we need God and others. No matter where we are, we need to keep our bearing which comes from time spent in His Word. We need the meeting point which comes thru accountability.

Every season requires love. Every season demands our faith, hope and commitment to truth. We need to not only love God and others fully, but allow God and others to love us fully. Our greatest defenses are the Word of God applied in our heart, mind and soul and the intercession of others. There is a reason God instructs us to love one another and pray for one another. There is power in the Name of Jesus and that power covers us in every season. (I am resisting the urge to blog on the importance and preciousness of intercession!!!)

Whether we are slipping on ice or surfing the waves, may we always be prepared for the joys and trials of the season. One thing we have not mentioned is for how long? How long will we be there? Well, we don't always know. Our Heavenly Father, Creator of the Seasons holds them in His hands and at His command, they will change. As each season produces the fruit needed, He will move us to new ground. When the season changes, will you be ready?
 
 

"And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. May you be strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities--all things were created through Him and for Him.  

And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together." Colossians 19-17

 

 

God Bless You and May God Bless Me!! 

To GOD be ALL glory, ALL the time, in EVERY season!!!!!

AMEN!!!!!!!