Broken swing
One day I saw a dad pushing his daughter on the swing. She was small 12 months or so. She was so happy and safe. He was looking right at her, no phone in hand and they were completely enjoying each other....completely smitten and in love...
Immediately I thought to myself...
This is what heaven must be like, a child face to face with her Father, enjoying each other. No worries, no cares. No disease or divorce, pain or heart break. No anger or fear. Just pure joy. Joy in His presence. (Psalm 16:11)
Today I saw a broken swing at the park....
it reminded me of my vision of heaven.
Then it clicked...
Maybe this world is like a broken swing.
The swing was created for a purpose. It had a designer and a plan for its use.
It was going well for a while... but now it's just broken...
A broken swing is sad...
No child to sit on it... no parent to plop his child on it... not even a place for a teen to sit and goof around.
The broken swing appears to be useless.
But you can imagine what it was...
God created the heavens and the earth.
Gen 1:1
He has a purpose and a plan for His world
Jeremiah 29:11
But the world is broken.
The world is under the sway of the wicked one ...
1 John 5:19
Beauty is distorted and women are not valued how she was intended..
Prov 31:30
A man is valued not by his heart...but by his bank account and "look" on social media.
1 Samuel 16:7
The world is broken...like the swing.
But one day, we'll be in heaven with our Abba and all tears will be wiped away.
He will twirl us around and make us laugh til our cheeks hurt.
We will enjoy His presence and we'll battle valiantly and have new names given by our King.
Revelation 2:17
It's coming....
we must hold fast and not let the pollution of this world make us cynical.
People need Jesus
Older people younger people those who drive and those who wait for buses
We need His eyes
We need to see each day with His proper Father eyes.
Yes the world is broken, but one day it will swing again
Monday, August 7, 2017
Friday, June 16, 2017
Salute- To Dads, you're the Real MVP
Salute.
Shout out to all the unsung heroes out there.
To all the fathers who bear the name "dad."
Just like in the movie boyz in the hood -the father says "any man... can become a father but it takes a real man to be a dad to his child."
Shout out and salute to the dad wakes up in the middle of the night to help give comfort or a bottle.
Shout out to all the dads who attend their daughters dance recitals.
Salute to each and every dad who goes to appointments with their children.
Salute to the dad who stuck around when they said "your child will have special needs all his life"
Salute to the dad who wakes up every day and goes to work when he has back pain.
Salute to the dad who works a job that he's not passionate about - but he does it to put food on the table.
Salute to the dad who wakes up at night because he hears a strange noise or a car turning down the street and wants to protect the home and family.
Salute to the dad who will drive a car way past it's "cool" to allow the kids to be in sports and other activities.
Salute to the dad who takes his children on one-on-one daddy/daughter or daddy/son dates even when they're exhausted from working all week.
Salute to the dad who prays with his kids every night.
Salute to the dad who puts a hand on his wife's forehead at night and prays over her.
Salute to the dad who sets aside a little bit extra money for his child's college education.
Salute to the dad who takes his kids on vacation but he doesn't really consider it fun ...he will sacrifice his own fun for the joy of the child.
Shout out to the dads who always double check that the car seats are buckled in right.
Shout out to the dad who knows the difference between infant diapers and pull-ups.
Shout out to the dads who have children with food allergies and sacrifices for the child's special needs.
Shout out to the dad who puts an Internet security block on the home computers and phones to protect not only the kids but themselves from looking up on evil.
Shout out to the dad who wakes up an extra hour early to read the Bible and get fresh manna from Gods word every day.
Shout out to the dad who visit others in the hospital when they're sick or hurting.
Shout out to the dad who lives out the image of Christ in their daily living.
A dad is not a cartoon bald headed Homer Simpson with a doughnut in his hand. A dad is one who is willing to take the financial, emotional, and spiritual bullet for the family every day ---day in and day out.
Thank you Heavenly Father for giving us earthly fathers who exemplify your love and sacrifice for wives and children all across the globe.
Shout out to all the unsung heroes out there.
To all the fathers who bear the name "dad."
Just like in the movie boyz in the hood -the father says "any man... can become a father but it takes a real man to be a dad to his child."
Shout out and salute to the dad wakes up in the middle of the night to help give comfort or a bottle.
Shout out to all the dads who attend their daughters dance recitals.
Salute to each and every dad who goes to appointments with their children.
Salute to the dad who stuck around when they said "your child will have special needs all his life"
Salute to the dad who wakes up every day and goes to work when he has back pain.
Salute to the dad who works a job that he's not passionate about - but he does it to put food on the table.
Salute to the dad who wakes up at night because he hears a strange noise or a car turning down the street and wants to protect the home and family.
Salute to the dad who will drive a car way past it's "cool" to allow the kids to be in sports and other activities.
Salute to the dad who takes his children on one-on-one daddy/daughter or daddy/son dates even when they're exhausted from working all week.
Salute to the dad who prays with his kids every night.
Salute to the dad who puts a hand on his wife's forehead at night and prays over her.
Salute to the dad who sets aside a little bit extra money for his child's college education.
Salute to the dad who takes his kids on vacation but he doesn't really consider it fun ...he will sacrifice his own fun for the joy of the child.
Shout out to the dads who always double check that the car seats are buckled in right.
Shout out to the dad who knows the difference between infant diapers and pull-ups.
Shout out to the dads who have children with food allergies and sacrifices for the child's special needs.
Shout out to the dad who puts an Internet security block on the home computers and phones to protect not only the kids but themselves from looking up on evil.
Shout out to the dad who wakes up an extra hour early to read the Bible and get fresh manna from Gods word every day.
Shout out to the dad who visit others in the hospital when they're sick or hurting.
Shout out to the dad who lives out the image of Christ in their daily living.
A dad is not a cartoon bald headed Homer Simpson with a doughnut in his hand. A dad is one who is willing to take the financial, emotional, and spiritual bullet for the family every day ---day in and day out.
Thank you Heavenly Father for giving us earthly fathers who exemplify your love and sacrifice for wives and children all across the globe.
Saturday, May 20, 2017
What happened David?
What happened?
When we drive by a car accident we ask "what happened?"
When we learn of a drug overdose, we sadly say "what happened?"
When a couple that appeared to have it together, divorces we scratch our head "what happened?"
When I read 1 and 2 Samuel look at the beautiful God-journey Shepherd-walk of David and Yahweh and then HALT, you arrive at 2 Samuel 11, enter Bathsheba... we ask, "What happened David! No, not you! Not the sweet psalmist of Israel, not the author of Psalm 23, not the Goliath killer, not the king, not you David! What happened?"
“It happened in the spring of the year, at the time when kings go out to battle, that David sent Joab and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the people of Ammon and besieged Rabbah.
But David remained at Jerusalem.
Then it happened one evening that David arose from his bed and walked on the roof of the king’s house. And from the roof he saw a woman bathing, and the woman was very beautiful to behold. So David sent and inquired about the woman. And someone said, “ Is this not Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?””
II Samuel 11:1-3 NKJV
Later we see Uriah...
David learns Bathsheba is going to be his "baby mama" and so he tries to get Uriah to sleep with his wife and pretend like this child is Uriahs.
Look at Uriah's response:
“And Uriah said to David, “The ark and Israel and Judah are dwelling in tents, and my lord Joab and the servants of my lord are encamped in the open fields. Shall I then go to my house to eat and drink, and to lie with my wife? As you live, and as your soul lives, I will not do this thing.””
II Samuel 11:11 NKJV
What a contrast. David acted with a "me first" attitude and Uriah acted with a "God first attitude"
Let me explain....
Here's David.
Served the Lord as a child -check
Anointed by Samuel to be the next
King-check
Fought and killed Goliath-check
Fled from Saul -check
Recaptured the ark of the God-check
Defeated many pagan territories to conquer the lands as God promises Moses and Joshua- check
Present day and time- Spring- "although I should be going to war...been there done that...I'll just walk around my roof top and think of something to do..." WRONG!
He should have been about his Father's business.
Men are visual and David is bored. So what pops into his mind? Sex.
He has lovely wives, true, but he's never had a Bathsheba before.
Now go back to Uriah
“And Uriah said to David, “The ark and Israel and Judah are dwelling in tents, and my lord Joab and the servants of my lord are encamped in the open fields. Shall I then go to my house to eat and drink, and to lie with my wife? As you live, and as your soul lives, I will not do this thing.””
II Samuel 11:11 NKJV
I want you to notice Uriah's priorities.
God first, then others (the people of Israel, and military) self (spending time with his wife).
Davids priorities in 2 Samuel 11
I'm Bored
I'm hungry
I want to try Bathsheba
(Self, Others and God last)
The Lord has been speaking to me a lot about "self" lately.
What an amazing God we serve to reveal these insights to 2 Samuel 11 and the David, Bathsheba and Uriah incident.
Notice what happens when we focus on self...
Even when we put "me myself and I" first notice what God's Word says
“And when her mourning was over, David sent and brought her to his house, and she became his wife and bore him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased the LORD.”
II Samuel 11:27 NKJV
Davids selfishness caused him to sin greatly. The thing he had done displeased the Lord.
Sin separates ....we all know that...
But here we see how a man who once had great pleasure in spending time with the LORD and loving on the Lord falls terribly and tragically ...
Yes David was tempted...but what I think Davids first problem was, was a shift in his priorities. In stead of God first, it was David first. This is so evident in our culture today.
I like what Charles Stanley says about temptation:
"through the presence of the Holy Spirit, we have the ability to screen, select, admit, and cultivate what goes into our minds. By his power we can prevent our minds from taking a wrong turn and wandering into evil, but we must choose to focus on what is godly and good" (Philippians 4: 8)
Self.
Jesus tells us to die to self.
Jesus tells us He prayed in the garden not my will but THY will be done.
Instead of focusing on "me" let's focus on "Thee"
We'll save ourselves a lot of trouble if we KEEP our priorities straight
1. GOD 2. OTHERS 3. SELF
Or "JOY"- JESUS
OTHERS
YOU
Sunday, May 14, 2017
Self and Self Forgetfulness
Self
Oh boy isn't it a problem?
But we won't start with our self...
We will start with others in the Bible who were full of themselves....
Saul- at first thought low of himself
(I'm the least from the tribe of Benjamin, then became obsessed with himself and jealous of David when they sang "Saul killed his thousands and David killed ten thousands ) (See 1 Samuel and 2 Samuel)
Nebuchadnezzar- so full of himself he made a large statue and demanded worship, then later was humbled like a lowly animal and admitted "the Lord alone is God" (See Daniel 3:1-6; Daniel Ch. 4)
David - a humble shepherd boy, the youngest of his brothers, ( 1 Samuel 16) later promoted to King (2 Samuel) , then pride took over via the vehicle of lust ( 2 Samuel 11) , then humbled again when the Prophet Nathan called him out (2 Samuel 12:1-7) (I'm so thankful for the "Nathan's" God uses to gently show us with are in sin)
Id ego and super ego
Even Martha (Mary's sister) had a self problem- "why isn't she helping me Jesus ! Make her help me!" (Say in a whiny voice) She should have been amazed to serve Jesus in stead she was caught up in making the Pinterest perfect meal, again so she could get applause. (see Luke 10:38-42)
A good friend recommended a book ---
"The Freedom of Self Forgetfulness: the path to true Christian Joy" by Timothy Keller to my husband. He couldn't stop talking about it and sharing nuggets with me...
For example:
When you look at someone on tv and say, "Wow, look at her! She's so fit... I need to start working out"
you aren't saying that because you're proud of her or glad for her... what you are really saying is "she's more fit than me...." and once again it goes back to the attention being on self.
Timothy Keller explains that it's not about thinking less of your self, or thinking more of your self it's about
THINKING OF YOUR SELF LESS (that is the self view has no power over you)
This a challenging concept to summarize and I suggest you buy the 30 page book Timothy Keller book from Amazon (or other site)
Basically, Paul in writing to the Corinthians encourages them to think less of themselves. Don't pull rank and be full of pride, don't walk around saying "I'm garbage, I'm no body" both of these views are incorrect for the Christian.
We should simply say
"Christ loves me, and it is His opinion that matters, nothing more nothing less"
Keller goes on to explain that our American Culture is obsessed with performance based verdicts. It's all about how I perform, then I look in the mirror and give myself a grade. Or, how I perform, then I put it on social media and let my friends give me a grade. Or I serve at church and I beg God to give me a grade.
All of these are wrong.
In thinking of ourselves less- we already have a view of completion because of the finished work of Christ.
We don't have to perform.
We don't have to look at ourselves harshly, or highly...
No
We simply look at Christ and then "do" as the Spirit leads...
CS Lewis noted in Mere Christianity (and cited by Keller) that if we met a truly humble person... we would not remember them thinking "wow that guy was humble" no... what we would remember from meeting a truly Gospel- humble person is how much they seemed to be totally interested in us. Because the essence of Gospel-humility is not thinking more of myself or thinking less of myself, it is thinking of myself less.
John the Baptist said it so well
"He must increase and I must decrease"
Let's practice this thinking and re-train our brain (with prayer and Gods working it in us course) . Let's put others first. Let's imitate Christ. Let's get over our selfie.
Oh boy isn't it a problem?
But we won't start with our self...
We will start with others in the Bible who were full of themselves....
Saul- at first thought low of himself
(I'm the least from the tribe of Benjamin, then became obsessed with himself and jealous of David when they sang "Saul killed his thousands and David killed ten thousands ) (See 1 Samuel and 2 Samuel)
Nebuchadnezzar- so full of himself he made a large statue and demanded worship, then later was humbled like a lowly animal and admitted "the Lord alone is God" (See Daniel 3:1-6; Daniel Ch. 4)
David - a humble shepherd boy, the youngest of his brothers, ( 1 Samuel 16) later promoted to King (2 Samuel) , then pride took over via the vehicle of lust ( 2 Samuel 11) , then humbled again when the Prophet Nathan called him out (2 Samuel 12:1-7) (I'm so thankful for the "Nathan's" God uses to gently show us with are in sin)
Id ego and super ego
Even Martha (Mary's sister) had a self problem- "why isn't she helping me Jesus ! Make her help me!" (Say in a whiny voice) She should have been amazed to serve Jesus in stead she was caught up in making the Pinterest perfect meal, again so she could get applause. (see Luke 10:38-42)
A good friend recommended a book ---
"The Freedom of Self Forgetfulness: the path to true Christian Joy" by Timothy Keller to my husband. He couldn't stop talking about it and sharing nuggets with me...
For example:
When you look at someone on tv and say, "Wow, look at her! She's so fit... I need to start working out"
you aren't saying that because you're proud of her or glad for her... what you are really saying is "she's more fit than me...." and once again it goes back to the attention being on self.
Timothy Keller explains that it's not about thinking less of your self, or thinking more of your self it's about
THINKING OF YOUR SELF LESS (that is the self view has no power over you)
This a challenging concept to summarize and I suggest you buy the 30 page book Timothy Keller book from Amazon (or other site)
Basically, Paul in writing to the Corinthians encourages them to think less of themselves. Don't pull rank and be full of pride, don't walk around saying "I'm garbage, I'm no body" both of these views are incorrect for the Christian.
We should simply say
"Christ loves me, and it is His opinion that matters, nothing more nothing less"
Keller goes on to explain that our American Culture is obsessed with performance based verdicts. It's all about how I perform, then I look in the mirror and give myself a grade. Or, how I perform, then I put it on social media and let my friends give me a grade. Or I serve at church and I beg God to give me a grade.
All of these are wrong.
In thinking of ourselves less- we already have a view of completion because of the finished work of Christ.
We don't have to perform.
We don't have to look at ourselves harshly, or highly...
No
We simply look at Christ and then "do" as the Spirit leads...
CS Lewis noted in Mere Christianity (and cited by Keller) that if we met a truly humble person... we would not remember them thinking "wow that guy was humble" no... what we would remember from meeting a truly Gospel- humble person is how much they seemed to be totally interested in us. Because the essence of Gospel-humility is not thinking more of myself or thinking less of myself, it is thinking of myself less.
John the Baptist said it so well
"He must increase and I must decrease"
Let's practice this thinking and re-train our brain (with prayer and Gods working it in us course) . Let's put others first. Let's imitate Christ. Let's get over our selfie.
Monday, March 20, 2017
Oh Snap!
Oh snap!
Do you find yourself easily annoyed or irritated?
Then this blog is for you...
Ephesians 4:29
Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them
Colossians 4:6 Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer every man.
Oh Lord forgive me for my short patience. Oh Lord Jesus please forgive me for being well "snappy."
For being short with people or annoyed or even with my body language showing that I'm irritated.
I have a confession to make. Sometimes autism just gets to me. I love my son I love him more than life and he is a precious child. God created him special ... God is the potter and Isaac is the Clay. How dare I ever look to the potter and say what are you doing why did you make him different?
No I don't want to ask God why I want to trust in His character in that He is the Master potter the Master builder and He knows exactly what He is doing - He is Lord of all creation. God knit our family together, one boy one girl one typical child one on the autistic spectrum -that's what God designed for our Gonzalez family and I'm good with it. However there are times where I am just flat out irritable.
I'm annoyed at the checker for the way that she's looking at Isaac. I'm annoyed at the long line at the drive-through window because don't they understand kids with autism have a hard time waiting? I have never thought of myself as an impatient person but I find myself losing patience getting frustrated with people, the clerks, teachers, etc. For example the other day I explained to Isaac's teacher and to the aids that we are trying a new therapy with Isaac and we are no longer giving him veggie tales or Larry boy or any type of characters like that. He had a meltdown and pinched a teacher because of a veggie tales book in the library. I wrote a long email and even had a meeting with the principal and program specialist explaining the need to not allow Isaac to have any veggie tales books at school. Then the next week in Isaac's log there's a note from the teacher that says "Isaac did well today and he was able to check out and return veggie tales book from the library."
I was extremely annoyed. After all of my efforts to explain to the principal, program specialist, teacher and aide that we do not want this... something still was lost in communication.
These type of things sometimes cause me to go over the edge. I am so sorry Lord for this. I do not like when my flesh rises up within me .. you might be reading this and think well I can't really relate I don't have a child with autism.
However search your heart, there might be certain triggers or certain things that cause you to snap. Maybe it's that you're hungry or maybe it's that you've been sitting in traffic all day or maybe it's that your spouse asked you a question and you were asked the same question 20 times during your day. Then the moment your spouse walks in the door there you go you snap because you are annoyed that yet another person asked you that question.
Snapping or being irritable or being annoyed is sin. This is something the Lord is reminding me lately when I am short on patience. I can try to minimize it or say that I need to give myself grace in this area because I'm a special-needs mom. Stop.
No.
I'm not going to do that !
I'm going to call it sin. God wants me to be a Spirit filled person a Spirit filled mom a Spirit filled wife. The problem with irritability getting easily annoyed or snapping is one word -the flesh. When the kids were younger I used to take "mommy time outs" and I would go in the restroom drop to my knees and pray alone in a room and say "God please help me to be a spirit filled mom I don't want to be a yelling mom"
Think about it. When you are getting annoyed or irritated with another person you're failing to use grace. God wants us to be gracious people I want to exercise those fruits of the spirit not just let him sit there stagnant. Think about those fruit that go uneaten in your fridge. What happens? They rot. We don't want to have rotten fruit. We want to be spirit filled believers - Galatians 5.
Love Joy peace long-suffering kindness goodness faithfulness gentleness self-control. If you feel like me your flesh is rising up for this reason or that do not make excuses for it. Take a time out or whatever you want to call it -take a break. Take a prayer break- go talk to the Lord and confess to Him that you can seriously feel your flesh rising up and you're about to go postal on someone. Ask the Lord to help you to calm you to soothe you breathe and pray put on worship.
Also, I want to point out that when you do snap at someone you never feel good after you feel guilty and you feel bad that you snapped on an innocent victim. Oh snap. Please Lord help us not to snap but instead to confess our sins to you and to ask you to calm us and soothe us. Holy Spirit show us what the triggers are so we will not snap at others and hurt the feelings of others when they are sometimes just trying to help us.
Do you find yourself easily annoyed or irritated?
Then this blog is for you...
Ephesians 4:29
Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them
Colossians 4:6 Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer every man.
Oh Lord forgive me for my short patience. Oh Lord Jesus please forgive me for being well "snappy."
For being short with people or annoyed or even with my body language showing that I'm irritated.
I have a confession to make. Sometimes autism just gets to me. I love my son I love him more than life and he is a precious child. God created him special ... God is the potter and Isaac is the Clay. How dare I ever look to the potter and say what are you doing why did you make him different?
No I don't want to ask God why I want to trust in His character in that He is the Master potter the Master builder and He knows exactly what He is doing - He is Lord of all creation. God knit our family together, one boy one girl one typical child one on the autistic spectrum -that's what God designed for our Gonzalez family and I'm good with it. However there are times where I am just flat out irritable.
I'm annoyed at the checker for the way that she's looking at Isaac. I'm annoyed at the long line at the drive-through window because don't they understand kids with autism have a hard time waiting? I have never thought of myself as an impatient person but I find myself losing patience getting frustrated with people, the clerks, teachers, etc. For example the other day I explained to Isaac's teacher and to the aids that we are trying a new therapy with Isaac and we are no longer giving him veggie tales or Larry boy or any type of characters like that. He had a meltdown and pinched a teacher because of a veggie tales book in the library. I wrote a long email and even had a meeting with the principal and program specialist explaining the need to not allow Isaac to have any veggie tales books at school. Then the next week in Isaac's log there's a note from the teacher that says "Isaac did well today and he was able to check out and return veggie tales book from the library."
I was extremely annoyed. After all of my efforts to explain to the principal, program specialist, teacher and aide that we do not want this... something still was lost in communication.
These type of things sometimes cause me to go over the edge. I am so sorry Lord for this. I do not like when my flesh rises up within me .. you might be reading this and think well I can't really relate I don't have a child with autism.
However search your heart, there might be certain triggers or certain things that cause you to snap. Maybe it's that you're hungry or maybe it's that you've been sitting in traffic all day or maybe it's that your spouse asked you a question and you were asked the same question 20 times during your day. Then the moment your spouse walks in the door there you go you snap because you are annoyed that yet another person asked you that question.
Snapping or being irritable or being annoyed is sin. This is something the Lord is reminding me lately when I am short on patience. I can try to minimize it or say that I need to give myself grace in this area because I'm a special-needs mom. Stop.
No.
I'm not going to do that !
I'm going to call it sin. God wants me to be a Spirit filled person a Spirit filled mom a Spirit filled wife. The problem with irritability getting easily annoyed or snapping is one word -the flesh. When the kids were younger I used to take "mommy time outs" and I would go in the restroom drop to my knees and pray alone in a room and say "God please help me to be a spirit filled mom I don't want to be a yelling mom"
Think about it. When you are getting annoyed or irritated with another person you're failing to use grace. God wants us to be gracious people I want to exercise those fruits of the spirit not just let him sit there stagnant. Think about those fruit that go uneaten in your fridge. What happens? They rot. We don't want to have rotten fruit. We want to be spirit filled believers - Galatians 5.
Love Joy peace long-suffering kindness goodness faithfulness gentleness self-control. If you feel like me your flesh is rising up for this reason or that do not make excuses for it. Take a time out or whatever you want to call it -take a break. Take a prayer break- go talk to the Lord and confess to Him that you can seriously feel your flesh rising up and you're about to go postal on someone. Ask the Lord to help you to calm you to soothe you breathe and pray put on worship.
Also, I want to point out that when you do snap at someone you never feel good after you feel guilty and you feel bad that you snapped on an innocent victim. Oh snap. Please Lord help us not to snap but instead to confess our sins to you and to ask you to calm us and soothe us. Holy Spirit show us what the triggers are so we will not snap at others and hurt the feelings of others when they are sometimes just trying to help us.
Saturday, March 4, 2017
Hug for Daddy
Hug for daddy
Children with autism are sensitive to touch. Many (not all) children on the spectrum do not like to be hugged. This is extremely hard for us parents. I must admit, when I see a child run up to his mom and squeal "Mommy!" And wrap his little chubby arms around the mother's neck, I become jealous...Isaac doesn't do this.
Isaac has improved and he will let you hug him, but it doesn't feel genuine. Again, this is painful.
On Feb 19, 2017 Isaac had an accident. He fell very hard and there was blood (thank God no stitches)
Chuck was sharing with me how Isaac ran to him and cried and sobbed and bled.
He hugged him.
A real hug.
How many times is this true of us?
We go to our Heavenly Father and give Him a half hearted "side hug"
It's not until we fall, (emotionally, sick physically, mentally spent, financially, hurt with a relationship problem, etc) THEN we give our Father a genuine hug. An embrace that says "I'm hurting and you're the only one who can comfort me"
The Holy Spirit is the Comforter.
John 14:15-18
“If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.”
John 14:15-18 NKJV
So thankful for our Heavenly Father's embrace and comfort.
Children with autism are sensitive to touch. Many (not all) children on the spectrum do not like to be hugged. This is extremely hard for us parents. I must admit, when I see a child run up to his mom and squeal "Mommy!" And wrap his little chubby arms around the mother's neck, I become jealous...Isaac doesn't do this.
Isaac has improved and he will let you hug him, but it doesn't feel genuine. Again, this is painful.
On Feb 19, 2017 Isaac had an accident. He fell very hard and there was blood (thank God no stitches)
Chuck was sharing with me how Isaac ran to him and cried and sobbed and bled.
He hugged him.
A real hug.
How many times is this true of us?
We go to our Heavenly Father and give Him a half hearted "side hug"
It's not until we fall, (emotionally, sick physically, mentally spent, financially, hurt with a relationship problem, etc) THEN we give our Father a genuine hug. An embrace that says "I'm hurting and you're the only one who can comfort me"
The Holy Spirit is the Comforter.
John 14:15-18
“If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.”
John 14:15-18 NKJV
So thankful for our Heavenly Father's embrace and comfort.
Wednesday, January 11, 2017
Trial Season
I recall years ago I was in the middle of my first year in law school. I saw an old Sociology professor of mine and she asked me " how is law school?"
I said "ugh! This is the most intellectually challenging time of my life, it's so hard!!"
She responded, "Good to hear!
That's wonderful news!"
I'll never forget that moment. I thought this woman is crazy. My brain is fried and she thinks it's a good thing?
But now I get it....
Trials and tests are good for us.
Gulp.
We want blessings and favor and happiness.
But what we really want in those "easy" seasons is to be left alone.
God you are good in that safe little box. Sure, I'll thank you for that pay increase or giving me an upfront parking spot, and I'll thank you for new friends at church, but other than that, I'm on cruise control and please don't allow any detours, bumps in the road, new construction or other hiccups.
I'm doing fine.
God allows trials so we may realize :
1. who God is
2. We are not God nor were we ever in control.
Count it all joy.
Oh boy. How can I count this all joy?
You might say "I'm suffering, my life is a mess, I can barely hold on, and I'm supposed to be joyful?"
Yes.
Why?
Because we are partaking of the fellowship of His suffering.
Phil 3:10
That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His death; (KJV)
Phil 3:8
More than that, I count all things as loss compared to the surpassing excellence of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ
1 Peter 4:13
Instead, be very glad--for these trials make you partners with Christ in His suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing His glory when it is revealed to all the world.
I think we have an incorrect view of the word "joy."
My professor became joyful when I told her I was being challenged.
Why?
Because challenges produce growth.
She became joyful, because in her experience, she knew my current intellectual pain (the "challenge") was sure to produce exciting results....
She knew....
I was learning.
That caused her to smile.
Every trial and failure I have faced ...God used it. It was like "boot camp" for the battle I would later face.
Just look at David:
1 Samuel 17:34-37
But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep his father’s sheep, and when a lion or a bear came and took a lamb out of the flock, I went out after it and struck it, and delivered the lamb from its mouth; and when it arose against me, I caught it by its beard, and struck and killed it. Your servant has killed both lion and bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, seeing he has defied the armies of the living God.” Moreover David said, “The Lord, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.”
David and the Lord had history. God helped David conquer the bear, then the lion. God built David's faith, one trial (one mini-Goliath) at a time.
So when the BIG ONE came, David was ready. He was not reliant on His own abilities -but God's. That's the key---may I decrease and may You increase Lord.
This is my encouragement- don't think God hates you, or is mad at you, or delights to keep you in this trial.
No.
That is not the character of our God.
Look at your trial as "boot camp."
You want to be a warrior don't you?
You want to be used by God don't you?
Then count this trial as joy- because God is preparing you for something bigger.
Pray big and bold- because Satan wants to kick you while you're down...
But remember God wants us to partake of the fellowship of His suffering to answer our very own prayer:
" LORD MAKE ME LIKE YOU! "
I said "ugh! This is the most intellectually challenging time of my life, it's so hard!!"
She responded, "Good to hear!
That's wonderful news!"
I'll never forget that moment. I thought this woman is crazy. My brain is fried and she thinks it's a good thing?
But now I get it....
Trials and tests are good for us.
Gulp.
We want blessings and favor and happiness.
But what we really want in those "easy" seasons is to be left alone.
God you are good in that safe little box. Sure, I'll thank you for that pay increase or giving me an upfront parking spot, and I'll thank you for new friends at church, but other than that, I'm on cruise control and please don't allow any detours, bumps in the road, new construction or other hiccups.
I'm doing fine.
God allows trials so we may realize :
1. who God is
2. We are not God nor were we ever in control.
Count it all joy.
Oh boy. How can I count this all joy?
You might say "I'm suffering, my life is a mess, I can barely hold on, and I'm supposed to be joyful?"
Yes.
Why?
Because we are partaking of the fellowship of His suffering.
Phil 3:10
That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His death; (KJV)
Phil 3:8
More than that, I count all things as loss compared to the surpassing excellence of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ
1 Peter 4:13
Instead, be very glad--for these trials make you partners with Christ in His suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing His glory when it is revealed to all the world.
I think we have an incorrect view of the word "joy."
My professor became joyful when I told her I was being challenged.
Why?
Because challenges produce growth.
She became joyful, because in her experience, she knew my current intellectual pain (the "challenge") was sure to produce exciting results....
She knew....
I was learning.
That caused her to smile.
Every trial and failure I have faced ...God used it. It was like "boot camp" for the battle I would later face.
Just look at David:
1 Samuel 17:34-37
But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep his father’s sheep, and when a lion or a bear came and took a lamb out of the flock, I went out after it and struck it, and delivered the lamb from its mouth; and when it arose against me, I caught it by its beard, and struck and killed it. Your servant has killed both lion and bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, seeing he has defied the armies of the living God.” Moreover David said, “The Lord, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.”
David and the Lord had history. God helped David conquer the bear, then the lion. God built David's faith, one trial (one mini-Goliath) at a time.
So when the BIG ONE came, David was ready. He was not reliant on His own abilities -but God's. That's the key---may I decrease and may You increase Lord.
This is my encouragement- don't think God hates you, or is mad at you, or delights to keep you in this trial.
No.
That is not the character of our God.
Look at your trial as "boot camp."
You want to be a warrior don't you?
You want to be used by God don't you?
Then count this trial as joy- because God is preparing you for something bigger.
Pray big and bold- because Satan wants to kick you while you're down...
But remember God wants us to partake of the fellowship of His suffering to answer our very own prayer:
" LORD MAKE ME LIKE YOU! "
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
