An Attitude of Gratitude

I spent my younger adult years trying to find answers to all the questions about life, particularly my own, that still taunted my spirit. I had had enough exposure to biblical truth that I knew God had the answers I wanted and needed, but my basic understanding of God seemed to shut out those answers because I neither heard them or saw them. My God was distant and punitive, and a forgiving God of grace who wanted to embrace me in my fears and misunderstandings was unheard of. But then, God began to unfold what my heart longed for, and in time, He helped me put together a study that could unfold those same truths for others, “Running With Freedom.” In the process of writing, God gave me still more understanding, and the study would present truths like acceptance, love, sufficiency, trust, surrender, wisdom, spiritual disciplines, and perseverance, each with their biblical foundation and a life application that was highly personal. I remember God so clearly telling me during the writing process, “Bev, you need to write about gratitude as well. It’s so important in this whole process.” I really didn’t understand what God was saying about the importance or place of gratitude, but I opened my heart to listen, and followed as He taught me about something that hadn’t seemed so important. By the time I had written and asked questions about Job and the New Testament lepers, the ups and downs of life, and trusting God in all of it, I concluded the lesson with a closing word....... A spirit of gratitude infuses my spiritual walk with energy. It enables me to keep my eyes on God, to be aware of His presence, and His care. It feeds my motivation to obey, to worship, and to give. And gratitude can be mine, if like the leper, I pause long enough to acknowledge the Giver and to recognize His gifts. If there was one thing I learned most about gratitude at that time, and I have continued to learn, is that a spirit or attitude of gratitude changes my perspective on what is going on in my own world and in the world around me. I also wrote in the lesson that really God and I both wrote, "Almost every life will have its share of hardships, and most of us will also be privileged to enjoy some of the good things life has to offer. Gratitude though really has more to do with acceptance and trust and with attitude and focus than it does with the particulars of our circumstances." Not too many years later, I attended my first Umbrella Ministries conference, and Daisy, UM’s founder, spoke to a conference room full of grieving moms, and encouraged all of us to have an attitude of gratitude. I had to ponder what she was saying, but then I began to understand. It’s like looking at myself and my circumstances in the reflection of a mirror – and it will give me a vivid picture that pulses with the depth and pain of loss. I could choose instead to allow my grief and my pain to frame a window through which I can focus on my God who wants to wrap me in His love and His grace while He carries me through the journey of grieving the loss of my child, even while my love for my child never stops. And as I look through the window, I see my God and I recognize His gifts, and my heart can say Thank You. And I can choose the mirror or the window in whatever is happening in my life. I could even write down the gifts God has given/ is giving, in a Gratitude Journal, and simply tell God Thank You. Try it when you struggle in a relationship with him or her, or you’re struggling with the muck of life.......... – Bev (Related Bible reading: Luke 17: 11 - 19)

Winds of Change

Deuteronomy 10:12-13 “And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in obedience to Him, to love Him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to observe the LORD's commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good?” There are a lot of changes going on in my life right now and when change comes, it has a way of making me feel extremely uncomfortable. It is during these seasons, in the midst of the winds of change, that I enter in to His throne room to pray even more than I ever have before. In my prayer time, when I come before the Lord, I continually lay my concerns, my fears, my burdens and my worries at His feet, but there is an age old question that seems to always come from my lips, “what do you want me to do, Lord?” He never seems to give me a direct answer to this question, but I feel a lot better when asking it, knowing that He is listening, that He cares about every little detail and that He is sovereignly in control of all that is occurring in my seemingly insignificant whirlwind of events. The most difficult task for me in buckling down and weathering the windstorm of change that ultimately shifts and shapes my life is being at peace with the unknown aftermath that will occur and, of course, maintaining a right heart, a godly attitude and obedient conduct in the midst of each windy gale. I know that change is good, and my Lord always brings a fresh new season, but when it touches every single area of my life, I seem to get a pit in my stomach where a knot of fear just sits and I am the kind of person that feels like I need to do something, and that is where I get into trouble. Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” The enemy is constantly whispering lies into my ear in the midst of uncertainty, and he can dramatically affect what I believe about myself in these seasons of uncertainty, “you are not good enough,” “you are a failure,” “you don’t really belong,” and on and on it goes. Sometimes I feel like I am just surviving and weathering the winds of change and God seems so distant that I may begin to believe that He has forgotten about me. But that is the furthest thing from the truth. The reality is He is right here with me, cheering me on, wooing me to Him, taking incredible delight in me and drawing me near to Him with His gentle songs of deliverance when I am afraid of the storms of change that are deliberately whipping around me. I have come to a place where I realize that at this moment in time, I must be on my knees, seeking the Lord, searching for His plan for me, petitioning Him to show me what to do, where to go and then, I must wait for His direction. I don’t want to just do something just because this is what I’ve always done; I don’t want to go somewhere, just because that is where I’ve always gone; I want nothing less than God’s best for me in every single area of my life. Every time I get ahead of my Lord, when I make choices that are contrary to His perfect and divine will for me, I am carrying out my own plans, my own agenda and usually the reason why I’m doing what I am doing is because of my own shame, my own guilt and my own fear. When I make decisions based on these emotions that seem to want to drive me, I miss out on His perfect plan for me, His divine purpose for me’ and I don’t want anything less than His will for me in my life. So I will stay the course; I will keep my eyes on Jesus, the author and the perfector of my faith; I will walk in obedience to Him, I will love Him with all of my heart, all of my soul and all of my mind and when the winds of change gently bring me to the next destination, He will be there, waiting there for me to greet me with open arms, telling me how valuable I am to Him, showing me how much He loves me, revealing to me that He was there guiding me all along and then I will be still and I will wait for Him to show me the next indicated step. I will be at peace because of who He is, I will see His power, His might, His protection and His provision being orchestrated in the midst of every detail and no matter where I am, I will always be home. -- Melody

This is God........

A metal, painted plate hangs on my bathroom wall with words that greet me every morning. “Good morning. This is God. I will be handling all your problems today.” There are many days those words have given impetus to my giving the discomforts, the confusions, the hardships of life to my God who loves, who cares, and who embraces us in His arms. This day would be no exception. I already knew it was the anniversary of the passing of someone I had loved, and still love, someone himself who had known the hardships and difficulties of life. I knew his widow and his now adult children would be grieving with their memories, and with the emptiness death leaves behind. As my day unfolded, I was reminded of two friends, one in California who had been my friend, my mentor, and my encourager for over two decades, and the other was a new friend in South Carolina and God had brought our paths together. Both of them were in the hospital, and both were fighting the fears of life threatening situations. I prayed for both of them throughout my day, praying with utter dependence to the only one who really could handle their difficulties. My husband and I had planned to close out our day with a pizza dinner, with our oldest son and his family – always a Friday-night “have to,” and delight. And then my phone rang, something I would normally ignore during our Friday night delight. But, my heart was already heavy with the needs of the day, and I knew right away, the one who was calling was one who has shared much of life with me, and we continue to do that. And her life has been caring for Charlie, who is now 14, and also lives with her. And Charlie’s adoptive mom also lives with her, and has faced her own critical health needs for the past year and a half. And today, those needs had climaxed, and Charlie’s mom was in the hospital, and her critical health needs had brought a life threatening situation My friend and I shared our concerns and our tears together as we talked. “This is God. I will be handling all your problems today.” My heart was heavy, and my prayers were continual. Arriving back home after leaving our son’s home, I called my friend back. She had been able to stay with Charlie’s mom until the ambulance came, and her sister and her adult granddaughter, stepped in to do what she was unable to do. She was thanking God for His provision, but like mine, her heart was still heavy, and all the questions for the tomorrows were still there. Charlie’s words though brought all of us in the midst of unanswered questions, churning emotions, fears and exhaustion, to remember the words on the metal, painted plate, “This is God. I will be handling all your problems today.” Charlie in essence simply said, “God’s got it, and His plan has been putting all the pieces together.” It’s been a day to reflect too on the words of David............ “I will praise the Lord at all times. I will constantly speak his praises. I will boast only in the Lord; let all who are helpless take heart. Come, let us tell of the Lord’s greatness; let us exalt his name together. I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears. Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces. In my desperation I prayed, and the Lord listened. .... Taste and see that the Lord is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him!” This is God. I will be handling all your problems today. In the morning. At midday. In the evening. And all night long............. – Bev (Related Bible reading: Psalm 34:1- 22)

Don't Worry be Happy

Mark 4:3; 7 "Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. Some seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain.” As I sat down to do my morning devotion, I could not concentrate; the words in my Bible were just a blur on the page as my mind went elsewhere. The subject of my thoughts is most likely the same as every single person who has been here, concern for a loved one who I want to be safe, who I want the best for, and who is enmeshed in a battle that I cannot control. How often have I let my worries, my anxieties and my fears control me and rob me of what God has for me? I must admit, far too often. It’s interesting; I was just thinking about how these past years I have been able to just sit before the Lord and soak up His goodness, His grace, His mercy, His love, His comfort and His peace. It took the death of my precious child for me to come to a place where worry was no longer an issue, because after all, my mind always takes my worry down the rabbit hole to the same place where I would ask myself, what is the worse that could happen? And it did. The worse thing I could ever have imagined actually occurred; my child passed away; he is gone and he now resides in his eternal home in Heaven. Matthew 6:25-26 says, "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” This passage of Scripture tells me that my Father in Heaven cares about me and that I am valuable to Him. He promises me that He will take care of me and that I don’t have to worry like an unbeliever does. God knows exactly what I need and all I have to do is look up and focus on Him and He will lovingly provide for me. Unfortunately, sometimes I think I need to get in there and fight the battles myself and when I do this, I tend to get frustrated, not only with the fact that I cannot control what other people do, but with God for not doing what I think He should be doing. Matthew 6:33 says, “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” When I read the words of Jesus, at times my thoughts tend to catapult me to that grassy slope where I am standing with all the other people who came to listen to this unique Man who spoke these astonishing words with such authority. He wasn’t speaking from experience; He was speaking as God, as our Creator, as the One who knows how we will function best. In September, 1988, Bobby McFerrin released a worldwide hit song entitled “Don’t Worry, Be Happy.” It became the first a capella song to reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, a position it held for two weeks. People are starving for an answer on how to combat worry and this song, which was the famous theme song in the Disney movie “Lion King,” urges us and our children not to worry and to just be happy, but this is the world’s answer to worry. All this does is slap a platitude on our worry and it says, just don’t do it. Does that really help? Our Lord, teaches us something completely different. Jesus says, “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (Matt. 6:34) and then He says, “I have come that you would have life and have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10) The answer to worry is simple, His name is Jesus. I guess you could say that I don’t have to worry about Elisha any longer because he is now safe in the arms of my Savior, right? Unfortunately, there will always be someone else I that I love or something else that I will have a tendency to worry about. When I will apply His truth each and every morning, I am able to “listen,” I am able to trust, I am able to look up and focus on my Savior and when I do, all of the worry, all of the distractions of this world fade away and do not choke out the fruit that a personal and intimate relationship with my Lord will bring. -- Melody

Something is Rotten in Denmark

Proverbs 27: 23-24 “Know the state of your flock and put your heart into caring for your herds, for riches don’t last forever, and the crown might not be passed to the next generation.” The phrase “something is rotten in Denmark “comes from William Shakespeare's play “Hamlet.” In the play, Hamlet comments on the troubling state of affairs of the kingdom of Denmark, specifically the corruption. The Bible warns us to pay attention to our land. We are to be like farmers who are constantly aware of their herds' health and farmlands. As I look around my nation, I, too, see a nation in a troubling state. The Bible tells us that where there is moral rot within a nation, its government topples easily. That is what gives my heart concern. Life is uncertain. We need to pay close attention to our home and family. Rot doesn’t start at the top. It begins in each one of us. It is a heart issue. I wonder what my grandchildren, daughter, and son-in-law will face after I am gone. I am almost at the end of my journey here on earth, Yet I know that the younger generation has a lot to undo of what we have allowed. I pray for them and try not to be discouraged or afraid. The Bible tells us in Psalm 27:14 to wait on the Lord, be of good courage, and He will strengthen your heart. I pray for hearts to be strengthened and for us to be courageous in our faith. I know the end of the story, and we are told that all who believe in the Lord will live with Him in eternity; that is what I hold onto. Lord, I thank You for Your Word and for helping me through those times of fear. I love You, Lord, and I thank You for Your promises. – Michele

Shaped, or Imprisoned???

Rick Warren impacted my own life when he developed and explained the SHAPE concept -- an acrostic that represents the aspects of the life of a believer that God literally weaves together, fashions together, or even distinctly initiates, to shape the believer in such a way that is compatible with His will and purposes for that believer. As an acrostic, it is simply each letter of the word “SHAPE” representing one of those key aspects – Spiritual Gifts, Heart (or heart passions for greater clarity), Abilities, Personality, and Experiences. In my own teaching, I have attempted to simplify Rick’s teaching by briefly explaining that God “shapes” us with ...... Spiritual gifts that are uniquely, individually, given to all believers to enable us to serve Him and others, through gifts like teaching, leadership, encouragement, giving, mercy, discernment, and still others. Heart passions that are unique to our own individuality and are reflective of the very passions He grows within us. Natural abilities such as those skills we have practiced and honed, or we have educated ourselves to become better at. Personality distinctives – introverts, extroverts, doers, thinkers, those who empathize, those who are quick to tell you “how to do it,” leaders, followers, and a whole lot more. And, our life Experiences beginning in childhood and continuing through today. Life experiences that influence us on a personal level, but they also help us to relate to the life experiences of others. God doesn’t waste anything. But we can cocoon ourselves with thoughts and beliefs that thwart the purposes God has for us. And, literally imprison ourselves within that cocoon. Michele, who writes for and gives leadership to Umbrella Ministries, says, “No matter what we face, the death of a child, divorce, mental illness, a wayward child or any trials Satan throws at us, God’s Word promises we will be more than a conqueror. So what does being more than a conqueror look like? ..... We can walk through our trials being angry and bitter. We can take what has happened to us and bottle it up and let it fester. Or, we can take what has happened and turn it into something we never thought possible. When I lost my daughter Katie, I thought my life was over. Nothing good could ever come out of such a loss. Oh, how wrong I was! The Lord has taken a wasteland of grief and turned it into a land of milk and honey." The experience of loss does not have to be the defining moment of our lives, writes Jerry Sittser. Instead, the defining moment can be our response to the loss. It is not what happens to us that matters so much as what happens in us. Sittser knows. A tragic accident introduced him to loss of a magnitude few of us encounter. In an instant, a tragic car accident took the lives of his mother, his wife, and his young daughter. Most of us will not experience such a catastrophic loss, but most of us will still experience some form of loss, and many of us will know the dark places resulting from hurts, wrong choices, addictions, and again, still more. So as Jerry alludes to, how will we respond when our experiences, or even our natural abilities, passions, or personalities, seem to bring us up short, inadequate, or deeply wounded???? We could look at some wrong choices we sometimes make at this fork in the road, but it is far better to fully face what could either shape us in God’s direction for us, or imprison us with our sense of loss, inadequacy, or failure. Face it; feel the consequences we believe have been imposed, and put it all in the hands of our God with whom we can walk forward in utter dependency, and find the fullness of the plans and purposes He has shaped us with. – Bev (Related Bible reading: Ephesians 2:8-10; Isaiah 40:28-31; Proverbs 3:5,6)

David Prays..........

David prays. “ Lord, how long will you forget me? Forever? How long will you look the other way? How long must I struggle with anguish in my soul, with sorrow in my heart every day? How long will my enemy have the upper hand?” “Lord, hear my plea for justice. Listen to my cry for help. Hide me in the shadow of your wings. Protect me from wicked people who attack me, from murderous enemies who surround me. They are without pity. Listen to their boasting! They track me down and surround me, watching for the chance to throw me to the ground. They are like hungry lions, eager to tear me apart – like young lions hiding in ambush.” As David himself says, his prayers come from honest lips. He knows his enemy. He is overwhelmed by his enemy. His enemy taunts, and burdens his heart with sorrow. My enemies. Your enemies. David’s enemies. They may all be different, but they are all destructive; they gain the upper hand, waiting to inflict their pain, physically, emotionally, spiritually. But David does what believers often hesitate to do. He comes before his God in utter dependence, and such a dependence necessitates not only honest lips, but an honest heart that acknowledges the need, acknowledges the destructiveness of the need, and acknowledges the inability of the one who prays to blot out the need, or even cope with it in some compromising way. And David reflects our own inabilities when life throws its enemies at us. But David’s focus begins to intentionally change as his utter dependence on God re-shapes within his own heart, the image and reality of his God. He says to his God, “You are my Master! Every good thing I have comes from you. Lord, you alone are my inheritance, my cup of blessing. You guard all that is mine. You are the one who guides me; even at night my heart instructs me. I know the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me.” Seeing his God with a renewed perspective that is utterly dependent on Him, he is able to feast on all God wants to give. “You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence. My heart is glad, and I rejoice. My body rests in safety. I trust in your unfailing love. I will rejoice because you have rescued me. I will sing to the Lord because he is good to me. I am praying to you because I know you will answer, O God. Bend down and listen as I pray. Show me your unfailing love in wonderful ways.” David’s request for God to bend down and listen as he prays, reflects the yearning of my own heart, and if you are still reading this, probably your heart yearns in the same way. It’s the closeness of a young child with the Papa he is dependent on. It’s the certain knowledge that our Father-God never abandons us, and He is the one who bends down so we can know His closeness and His care. –Bev (Related Bible reading: Psalm 13, Psalm 16, Psalm 17, and you can find still more........)