Missing Miracles

Then turning toward the woman he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? Luke 7:44 (ESV)

Lately, things feel a little upside down don’t they? There are all these things we are adjusting to that people are calling the new normal. And, given the day the requirements are different. We are all just trying to make it work - figure out how to manage life with the new expectations. Layer on top of that the fact that in trying to respect different people’s comfort levels, it can get very distracting.

I was in this state. I was distracted with how to handle my new normal. I was distracted with handling various work situations and how to still connect for different ministries. I was so distracted that I was hyper focused on the problems I was having and not the miracles that Jesus is doing around me.

Sad. But true.

You see, in the midst of the mess, Jesus is still working. He is still speaking to hearts; he is still working things out; he is still comforting and convicting. He is still talking. PRAISE!

One of the things I miss when I hyper focus is people. During this time when everyone is figuring it out, God is putting people in my path. People to talk to. People to help. People to pray with. I think maybe I am missing the miracles in these moments.

Maybe he is saying to me, like he said to Simon "Elaine, do you see this woman?” Or maybe “Elaine, the man on the other end of the phone, do you hear his heart? Are you listening to him truly or are you missing it because you are looking at the wrong things?”

That’s what happened to Simon. He completely missed what was happening inside her heart because he was only looking at what he saw on the outside. But Jesus didn’t. Jesus never does. He always sees the heart.

I want to be like Jesus. I want the circumstances that swirl around my life to melt into the background so I see the hearts he puts in my life. I want to live his heart no matter what is happening in the mess.

Dear Jesus, I cannot do this alone…..only with the help of the Holy Spirit and daily surrender will I be changed. Please help me. Make a miracle in me. Amen

When I Am Afraid (or Uncomfortable)

When I get really afraid I come to you in trust. Psalm 56:3 (MSG)

The last few days I’ve had this knot in my stomach. You know, the knot that just sits there and if you even think for just a second about why it’s there, it grows so your entire body feels like a spring about ready to snap. That’s where my state of mind has been if I even pause for a second to think.

It’s not COVID that is making me feel this way. It’s another person. I found out that someone I care about has been doing something hurtful to me and others. And, I need to address it. And…I don’t want to.

There are a host of reasons I don’t want to but I assume they are the same reasons we use whenever we don’t want to do something. When we see an injustice and we need to confront it. When we need to establish boundaries in our life. When we have to make a decision to stand up for what is right when it’s really, really messy. When God calls us to do something and we can think of a host of reason why this isn’t going to work.

Being afraid isn’t always about fear for your physical self. Sometimes, it is just the fear of facing the uncomfortable. It is uncomfortable to tell someone what they are doing is harmful. It’s even more uncomfortable when you know (from past conversations) that they are not going to listen and you’ll have to take further action. All of this puts a knot in your stomach the size of Texas. Especially when you care about them.

This is where I’ve been sitting for a few days. And it’s made me drop to my knees. It’s made me plead with God for wisdom, peace and his love in my heart. It’s made me ask him why. Why would you allow this? Why did you put this person in my life? You knew this would happen. Why don’t they care?

As I’ve knelt there with all the questions circling in my head, I have been reminded of a few things.

1. God did know this from the beginning and he has a plan.

2. In all situations if I follow his lead, his name will be glorified. That is the most important thing.

3. I may not see all the reasons for everything now, but one day….maybe on the other side….I will understand. The most important thing right now is to keep walking.

4. I trust Him. I trust that he is walking this with me. I trust that he will breathe wisdom, courage, peace and most importantly his heart into this situation.

I still don’t like it. I wish I didn’t have to do this. But God is in it with me…..he promises….and I believe him.

Faith over Fear

For God has said, “I will never leave you; I will never abandon you.” Let us be bold, then, and say,

“The Lord is my helper,
    I will not be afraid.
What can anyone do to me?” Hebrews 13:5-6 (GNT)

Yesterday was a hard COVID day. Someone we love very much was exposed to the virus. We are praying. Someone we love very much has a relative that has the virus and is in critical condition. We are praying. We know lots of people that are not working and are so unsure of what’s next. We are praying. We know people on the front lines working to help those in need. They are overwhelmed and exhausted. We are praying. We know people whose businesses are in real trouble. We are praying.

As I lay in bed this morning, I pondered all this. And slowly, slowly a fear began to grip my heart. There are so many people that need help. So many people that are facing unimaginable things. Lord, where are you? Why don’t you stop this? And as I went down this path, the fear began to grow into a knot in my stomach.

And the thought popped into my head “What do you put your trust in?”

And I remembered. I remembered that I put my trust in a God that will never leave me or forsake me. I remembered where my help comes from. (Psalm 121) I remembered that who I believe in can’t always be seen (Hebrews 11:1). I remembered that God is with us wherever we go. (Joshua 1:9) I remembered that when we walk through the waters, we will not be overcome. (Isaiah 41)

As I remembered, the knot in my stomach and the fear in my heart began to dissipate. I felt a peace. I know who holds the future. I trust him. I trust that he loves us. I will not be afraid.

At least for today….tomorrow I may need to remember again. And that’s OK.

Help Wanted

He said to them, “There is a large harvest, but few workers to gather it in. Pray to the owner of the harvest that he will send out workers to gather in his harvest. Luke 10:2 (GNT)

The other day I was on a ZOOM call with someone sharing Jesus. As we talked, questions were asked and answered, stories shared and Jesus became a little more known. PRAISE! At the end of the conversation, my friend thanked me and said that our conversations were changing his life. This made me really uncomfortable because it wasn’t our conversations, it was the Holy Spirit. I shared that with him.

As I thought back over that moment a few days later, I realized something. If I had not said yes to this “job”, someone else would have. God has openings all over the place waiting for people to fill. And there are people willing to fill them.

This “job” of sharing Jesus can be filled by anyone. The job description would look something like this:

Required:
Love Jesus
Love People
Be willing

Skill set:
Able to pray for direction and whenever you come across something you don’t know (which is always)
Spend time reading the Word. When unsure of where to find a text, able to Google Bible texts to share
Willing to spend time with others (whether in person or via Zoom depending on the circumstances)
Understand your job. Your job is to share. The Holy Spirit’s job is to do everything else.

God has openings everywhere. In every neighborhood, every workplace, every family there are “Help Wanted” signs. When life gets harder, more signs are posted because more people need comfort.

Do you want to hear something really cool? I believe the more inexperienced you are, the more you get to see Jesus move. When we are more dependent on Jesus, the Holy Spirit fills in where we can’t. It is a life altering experience to watch. This is definitely the most exciting “job” I’ve ever had.

Equipped

Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Ephesians 6:13 (NLT)

Good Day! Or is it? These days it’s hard to tell, right? Things are so uncertain and every day we wake up to not so good news. Actually, the news is quite devastating and depressing. I’ve talked to so many people who are overwhelmed and when they listen to the news, it gets even worse.

I was reminded as I read through Ephesians with a friend that God told us there would be battles. As a matter of fact, he gave us tools to prepare for them. Those tools are:

1. The Belt of Truth - We protect ourselves with truth. Everything we do needs to be wrapped in truth. Our truth comes from the Bible and from God.

2. The Breastplate of Righteousness - Righteousness means being right with God. We do this by accepting the covering of Jesus and by living our lives according to God’s plan.

3. Shoes of Peace - As Christians, our hearts need to be at peace because we stand firm in the promises of God and in the belief that he is stronger and mightier than what we see.

4. Shield of Faith - Our faith in Jesus is a protective shield around us. Hold it up! Use your faith to get through the arrows thrown at you.

5. Helmet of Salvation - Cover yourself with the salvation that comes from Jesus’ life, death and resurrection. That was for you. Fill your mind with the knowledge that you are loved.

6. Sword of the Spirit - The sword of the Spirit is God’s Word. Read it. Use it to stab at the negative thoughts that pop into your head….the thoughts that say we can’t survive this. Lean on God’s Word. There is so much wisdom there and reassurance for our hearts. Here are a few Scriptures to ponder today.

Don’t be afraid, for I am with you.
    Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you.
    I will hold you up with my victorious right hand. Isaiah 41:10 (NLT)

Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong. 1 Corinthians 16:13 (NLT)

6 For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ. 7 We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves. 8 We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. 9 We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. 10 Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies. 2 Corinthians 4:6-10 (NLT)

Trust in the Lord with all your heart;
    do not depend on your own understanding.
Seek his will in all you do,
    and he will show you which path to take. Proverbs 3:5-6 (NLT)

This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:9 (NLT)

Jesus told us there would be battles. But he also said he has already overcome. Trust in that as you navigate today and tomorrow and forever.

Trusting When It's Weird

Remember the former things, those of long ago;
    I am God, and there is no other;
    I am God, and there is none like me.
10 I make known the end from the beginning,
    from ancient times, what is still to come.
I say, ‘My purpose will stand,
    and I will do all that I please.’
11 From the east I summon a bird of prey;
    from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose.
What I have said, that I will bring about;
    what I have planned, that I will do. Isaiah 46:9-11 (NIV)

The other day my husband told me that the grocery store across from his work had a line outside to go in. They would only let a limited number of people in at a time and when you were in there, they monitored how close you were to other people. This just seemed so weird to me.

The next morning, I realized we needed some food for the house so I decided to go to a grocery store near our home. I decided to go early just in case they would only let so many in at a time. I got there before the store opened and there were 2 people in line ahead of me. We were spaced strategically apart. I started a conversation with the woman in front of me and we were talking about how bizarre this all seemed.

People continued to come and get in line. Everyone was more or less spaced out. Some more careful than others. Some joined in the conversation and some didn’t. Here’s what I’ve noticed most though during this time. People’s eyes.

As you walk around the store (or anywhere for that matter), people are afraid. No one trusts anyone. There are looks of fear as we glance at each other almost afraid to make eye contact. They wonder where you’ve been. They wonder if you are secretly carrying a virus. They wonder if you can make them sick. I wonder if I say anything or interact if it is against the rules. The warmth is gone. The humanness is missing.

As I pondered this on the way home, I realized it would be super easy to get depressed in this situation. I am a people person and I just want to go up to people and hug them and love on them. (I’d probably get arrested.) I want to let them know that God is in control.

And he is. I know during times like these that is hard to see. I know that it seems like he’s not if he is allowing this to happen. But he is. God is still God. He has not relinquished his authority over our world. He is still all-powerful and completely in control of everything.

I don’t know why he is allowing all this. I ask him to take it away. But, I do trust him. I trust his decisions and I trust what he allows. I know his plan is more complex than my understanding. Most importantly, I trust his love. How can I not? If I don’t, then I don’t trust Jesus either. And I think that would be more devastating than any virus.

Fishing with God

1 One day as Jesus was preaching on the shore of the Sea of Galilee,[a] great crowds pressed in on him to listen to the word of God. 2 He noticed two empty boats at the water’s edge, for the fishermen had left them and were washing their nets. 3 Stepping into one of the boats, Jesus asked Simon,[b] its owner, to push it out into the water. So he sat in the boat and taught the crowds from there.

4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Now go out where it is deeper, and let down your nets to catch some fish.”

5 “Master,” Simon replied, “we worked hard all last night and didn’t catch a thing. But if you say so, I’ll let the nets down again.” 6 And this time their nets were so full of fish they began to tear! 7 A shout for help brought their partners in the other boat, and soon both boats were filled with fish and on the verge of sinking.

8 When Simon Peter realized what had happened, he fell to his knees before Jesus and said, “Oh, Lord, please leave me—I’m such a sinful man.” 9 For he was awestruck by the number of fish they had caught, as were the others with him. 10 His partners, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, were also amazed.

Jesus replied to Simon, “Don’t be afraid! From now on you’ll be fishing for people!” 11 And as soon as they landed, they left everything and followed Jesus. Luke 5:1-11 (NLT)

As I read these verses today, I had an epiphany. I act just like Peter in this story. It goes something like this.

I have been working hard. I’m tired and I want to go somewhere and sit by myself and not talk to anyone. Something comes up and I hear God say “Go. I have something for you to do.” I reply “God, I’m tired. Can’t you see how hard I’ve been working? I want to stay home.” Pause. “OK. I’ll go but only because you said to.”

I go. I experience the most amazing conversation with someone who wants to know God more. I am elated. I am so happy I went because I got to experience Jesus in the middle of my circumstances. I praise God and am humbled at the same time. My heart drops to a prostrate position and I am overwhelmed.

I am overwhelmed because that conversation where someone wanted to know more about God has just set me up to share that. I feel completely inadequate at this moment. How can I possibly do that and get it right? Can anyone truly share that in such a way that glorifies God as he deserves? I get scared.

And God say “It’s OK. I am here. This is not you but me working. Don’t be afraid.” And even though I am still scared, I go. Because fishing with God is way better than anything else I had planned.

Being

He appointed twelve that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach Mark 3:14 (NIV)

Jesus came to this world to show us a better way. He came to reveal God to us. He came to a world that had religion so defined, there was no joy. There were lists upon lists of things to do. Everything was about what you were doing, how you were doing it and if you were doing it well enough.

And here we are today, somehow doing the same thing.

Jesus spent an entire night in prayer before he called the disciples (Luke 6). He was talking to and listening to His Father before he made this huge decision. I am sure there was some wrestling. I wonder if there was a lot of discussion about Judas. I wonder how he prayed over each and every person that was being considered. I wonder if he discussed their strengths and weaknesses. Gosh, I would love to hear that prayer so I could learn how to pray with the heart of Jesus.

He came off the mountain and offered the invitation to these men. But notice, he didn’t invite them to hone their skills. He didn’t invite them to use their gifts or work on their weaknesses. He didn’t even gift them a task at first. Mark says “he appointed the twelve that they might be with him.”

Before he sent them to preach, they needed to be with him. Before they were to cast out demons and heal the sick, they needed to spend time with him, learning who he was….who God was. They needed to live life together to see how his Kingdom worked. They would watch him love on people, speak into their hearts, heal them and lead them to God.

It was only after that, only after experiencing who he was, that they could even think about their calling.

Each one of us has been invited. We have been invited to “be with him.” Do we have gifts to use? Yes. I know lots of gifted people. Jen, is great at organizing things. Steve is amazing at orchestrating the flow of events. Roni is so creative when teaching children. There are so many people with extraordinary abilities. But that is not what Jesus wants from us first. First, he wants us to spend time with him. He wants our hearts. Nothing else matters.

When we spend time with him first, then and only then, are we able to truly live the life we are called to live. Only then will we make an impact in our world for his glory. Being a Christian is more about being than doing. Spend some time with Jesus just being. The doing will come. But when it does, it will be born from your heart, not your to do list.