Bear the Cold

Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens. Psalm 68:19 NIV

We went car shopping today. Again. In a subtropical storm. We got rained on, the wind blew and the AC units were working overtime. Silly me forgot a sweater or jacket. I bore the burden of being cold all day. Very cold. Shivering cold. Since we've been driving a borrowed car, we didn't have our usual accoutrements with us, so I suffered in cold. As we drove home tonight I realized how much strain my shivering had put on my neck. It's now sore and tight.

But it will go away. I'll get warm and comfy and snuggle in my bed and tomorrow I'll be fine. For people who have chronic pain, they'll wake up tomorrow with no relief. They'll once again bear the burden of their pain, all day every day. I can't even imagine.

Jesus bears our burdens. Every. Single. Day. Every. Single. One. This leaves us to test and sleep on peace and wake up free from worry or pain.

Let God bear your burdens, even the ones you feel are too heavy.

Still Anxious

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. Philippians 4:6 NIV

OK. "God, we need a car. Ours is toast, nada, caput. Not by our own hand either. We need a car. And yea I'm anxious about it. I'm only human. It's been a lot of stress on us. I've gained weight and lost sleep. The hubby is down too. How can we not be anxious?

But Lord I'll trust that you know better. I'll trust that you know our situation. I'll trust that you've given us the wisdom to know which one we need get. I'll trust that you will lead us to the right one. But I'll still be anxious because that's how humans work."

So that's my request. Simply stated. No flowery words. God knows my heart. He knows your heart. No need to sugarcoat anything. Just tell him what you need.

Then be sure to tell him thank you when he answers.

Steadfast

Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Psalm 51:10 NIV

I'm not very steadfast these days. Between the loss of my mother and the car accident (and subsequent fallout) I've been more than a little off sorts. And I've definitely not been anything resembling steadfast, except in my resolve to not get lost in it all.

It's in these times I know that God is carrying me even if I don't know it. I have to believe and have hope that he is working good in me even through these rough times. In fact, I eagerly await what he wants me to learn through all this, if anything.

So yes my prayer is that of the Psalmist. Create in me Lord. Renew my spirit. Help me keep moving forward.

The Bodyguard

What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? Romans 8:31 NIV

Much ado about bravado is displayed on a daily basis. I just did 3 self defense classes for fellow employees and one if the recurring questions was that self defense is often geared towards women. But men display a certain amount of machismo and tend to get in bar fight type brawls, not abductions or muggings. So I taught them a couple moves they could do if someone threw a punch. There's not much I can teach them if someone pulls a weapon, but at least they had one or two tools in their belt. But it's not like walking around with your own bodyguard.

With God, that's exactly what it's like. The perpetrator may even get to you and injure you, but God is there working a good thing through you.

Walk with confidence knowing you have angels around you acting as your own personal bodyguards.

Fight or Flight

"For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say "no" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age,". Titus 2:11-12 NIV

I've been a martial artist for the last ten years. One of our tenets is self-control. We teach the students that martial arts isn't just about kicking and punching, but the knowledge that you can defend yourself when needed, and the self-control over your emotions if that should ever occur. Our bodies are made for fight or flight and self-preservation, which in today's world translates to a microscopic view of what constitutes personal rights. This fight or flight mode often kicks in when adrenaline is pumping. Knowing how to control it puts you one step above others.

The grace of God is your spiritual sensai, teaching you self-control to say no when you need to say no. Teaching you to maybe say nothing at all if you have nothing nice to say (who knew our grandmothers knew that lesson all along?). Teaching you to understand you have obligations - to your finances, your parents, your children, your spouse, your employer, your friends - and that it's not all about you all the time. There are sacrifices we all must make every day and recognize that there is a greater purpose than our lives here will ever bear witness to.

To live in this present age and say no to a lot out there is hard. It's a daily struggle for an old martial artist like me, one who grew up in the church. I can't imagine what it would be like as a new Christian. Which is why we must pray for each other and help each other, not tear each other down. Live in grace. Live with self-control. You will reap the benefits.

The Heavy Lift

Whoever pursues righteousness and love finds life, prosperity and honor. Proverbs 21:21 NIV

I hope this doesn't apply when you're so tired and stressed that you are irritable and not very honorable. But then again I know well enough that the word of God applies no matter how we are physically feeling. It's also a good thing that God understands we may not feel very honorable or prosperous at times.

It's certainly been that way for me. It's been a rough few weeks and I'm more than ready for some relief. I don't know when it will come. But I do know that as I love through each day God cares about each step I'm taking. No matter what my feelings are, his spirit guides me in love and righteousness, putting me where I need to be and ensuring I don't stray too far. That assurance is enough to keep me moving.

So when you don't feel you can pursue love and righteousness, know that God's spirit will do the lift for you.

Don't Be Perfect

Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Proverbs 31:30 NIV

We've all heard about the Proverbs 31 woman. She is chaste, faithful, never tired, patient, hardworking, never angry, kids are perfectly behaved, house is immaculate, dinner on the table by 5, ....ok, I made some of that up, but you get my drift. The Proverbs 31 woman is perfect; in other words, she doesn't exist. I'm not perfect. Are you? Probably not. I get angry. I get tired. I hate to clean. I work full time too so why must the woman cook dinner?

Because today is Mother's Day we can make the case that perfect does not necessarily mean unflawed. It's the flaws and cracks in our pottery that make us unique and valuable. It means we have been tested, people have tried to break us but we didn't. We are standing tall with all our cracks fully exposed.

I used to feel inferior because I knew it was humanly impossible to live up to the ideal written in Proverbs 31. But now I understand that God knows we are not perfect. He doesn't call us to be perfect. He calls us to be made perfect in him and to use our story to inspire others. So don't be perfect. Expose your crocks and let others see how strong you are and how God can use you and me.

The Little Things

"Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NIV

This is not today's verse, but after the last couple of weeks, it was a gentle reminder from God to be thankful for the little things. So here's my list.

I'm thankful that I was able to fly home, with no delays I might add, to see my momma for a few precious hours before she passed.

I'm thankful for a job that paid the extra airfare so I could get home to see my mother and gave me the days off I needed during a busy time to grieve and rest.

I'm thankful for friends who stepped in to help with the service, publications and such so we could honor my mother at her service.

I'm thankful for prayers that brought everyone home.

I'm thankful that our car was the only thing damaged in an accident last night. Things can be replaced; people can't.

I'm thankful the young mother and her son were not injured and her car not damaged when we were pushed into her after getting hit ourselves. As bad as it was, her young son in the back seat could have been severely hurt. Maybe, just maybe, God put us there to take the hit. Or maybe, it was just an accident that happens in life.

I'm thankful for insurance! I never thought I'd say that, but our insurance company really did step up and get us moving. The tow truck arrived almost as soon as the police did; our car is on it's way to the body shop with just a phone call.

I'm thankful for tow truck drivers and police officers who do their job with a smile on their face no matter what kind of day they've had.

I'm thankful for resources such as the ability to rent a car, a credit card, and family to help out. These resources may not seem like much, but when something happens, these social capital resources are a true blessing.

I'm thankful for the wisdom to know we might need resources like these some day and plan in case something happens. Adulting isn't easy, but it's necessary and there are so many things we learn throughout our lives. I pray I have the wisdom to pass on what I have learned - Yoda says we should.

And last but not least, I'm thankful for my family and friends who jumped in and asked what can we do. I don't know what I'd do without them. From getting us to the ER, to changing plans at the last minute and then getting us to the rental car lot. Family does for family and I couldn't be more blessed to have them in my life.

Hug everyone today and be thankful for the little things.

God is Close

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. Psalm 34:18 NIV

I've missed a few days here. We've been not busy busy but otherwise occupied. The business of death is profound in ways you don't really know or understand until it happens. And even then it's nigh incomprehensible. When telling people a loved one passed away they inevitably ask if it was expected. In reality, all death is expected for we know this physical life is fleeting, some shorter than others. At best we may have 90 -100 years here, then it's on to eternity.

But knowing my mother is no longer here has been a lot for me to process. I've not yet come to terms with it, maybe because I am already broken hearted for my girls upon my passing at some future point, which in the natural order I would go first. So I hope one day these words will comfort them: God is close to the brokenhearted.

I've felt this over the past couple of weeks. Not in some sort of magical potion way, like pain meds easing the pain out of your body. No, it was more like when I couldn't move for the sorrow in my heart, God was there putting one foot in front of the other. When I couldn't do a task at work, God moved my hands to get it done. He brought family together because he knows there really is strength in numbers. He illustrates that concept over and over again in the Bible. And he knows you need to grieve and he will let you do so.

God is close to the broken hearted. I'm so thankful for these words today.