Category: Jesus Jabbers

March 21, 2020

Today as I woke up and fianlly decided to get out of bed and start my day, I did what probably most of us are likely doing in the circumstances we are facing with COVID-19,  I started scrolling Facebook.

As I did, I came across posts of Churches moving to online opportunities, so you can still attend, just via a screen from the comfort of your couch.  I saw posts of people sharing scripture or asking “what scriptures are you leaning on” during this season of life where we are facing many uncertainties.  I also came across several Coronavirus updates; another case for our county, government mandates, and finally one that said 627 people had died in Italy from Coronavirus from Friday-Saturday (24 hours!).  That one stopped me in my tracks.  I was shocked. Stunned.  I’m sure there have been numbers like that before in China or other countries, but today, it stood out even more.

I finally was able to scroll on and when I did, I came across a post from Natalie Grant.  Her and her husband were sitting at the piano and while he played she sang to Jesus, in the simplistic ways of her worshiping her heavenly father.  The video had a few different songs and lasted about 10 minutes; it was beautiful.  Bernie, her husband, plays the piano in the most brilliant of ways and her singing with him was simply a work of art, one that helped bring some solace for me in that moment.

As I continued to listen, I thought to myself, why is this happening?  Why couldn’t this outbreak have been quarantined immediately, why wasn’t it stopped?  Natalie sang words of “letting the storms be tamed and that everything that comes against us be bound by Jesus’ name.”

As I kept listening to the words of the songs, songs I even know and worship to, I wondered what about the person who doesn’t know Jesus would say as they are watching this.  “this” being this video of worship or posts about online opportunities to watch your pastor or scriptures.  What is in their head?  Are they saying “but Jesus let the storm come and rage against us”?

So I text one of my dear friends…”I’m a Christian.  You’re a Christian.  We love Jesus.  People are saying it’s time for the Church to rise up.  But…if i was a non-believer, my first question would be, ‘if your God is a God of Love, why is He allowing this.  People are dying.’ and so what do we say”

SIDE NOTE:  Before you crucify me with your comments, please think about how you came to know Jesus.  Some of us were raised in church, it was our upbringing.  That’s why we know and act and do what we do today.  So please keep in mind that “non-believers” doesn’t always mean those with addictions who we want to classify or assume that they have shunned Jesus”.  No, sometimes “non believer” simply means they grew up in a homelife that wasn’t as fortunate as some of ours.  So simply put, lets just be heartfelt and open for a moment about the “non believer,” because we were all that at some point.

As we chatted and I continued to ask other folks this same type of question:  why is this all happening.  I got answers like “this IS the end time”, or perhaps only “signs” of the end times, and also maybe it’s simply to “get our attention”.  That we as a people are too focused on ourselves (#selfish) and our lives, and we need to slow down.

As this days begins to end, I came to my own conclusion of sorts.  I don’t think I’d have an answer for the non believer who would ask me why Jesus is letting this happen.  Because from my heavy heart today, I don’t want to be a person that scared them into knowing Jesus or scares them away, I think I would simply be honest and say, “I don’t know, I have that same question myself.  But what I do know, is that He is still God of this world” (and use examples in my own life that reminds me daily, He’s still there, and share those).

I think what’s most important in this very critical season we face, is that we, “we” the Church, “we” the Christians, “we” the ones that know Jesus, have to love like Jesus loved.  That’s all.   It sounds so simple, I know.  But Jesus was simple.  He didn’t necessarly share with folks things that would scare them.  I feel like by telling anyone “it’s the end of times and you need to know Jesus” or more or less trying to “scare” them to know our loving God, is not going to work.  The way in which the Church should rise up, is by being the literal “hands and feet” of Jesus; which is what we are called to do afterall.  We can take lunches or coffee or gloves or supplies to those on the frontlines.  You can cook a meal for that elderly person down the street that you know doesn’t know Jesus.  You can call and check in on your co-workers that you now don’t get to see because of shut downs or working from home office.  You can share your toilet paper! (Because seriously people, if we love Jesus and aren’t sharing TP, we got problems-LOL).

So I hope today, that somehow this post simply urges you to share with those around you, in some way/shape/act/form, how Jesus simply loves you daily.

Stay Safe and Healthy.

 

 

What is Enough?

Webster defines it as “occurring in such quantity, quality, or scope as to fully meet demands, needs or expectations.”

• Meeting demands.
• Meeting needs.
• Meeting expectations.

Anyone else familiar with those? I know I am. I think we all are. But let’s go one step further with this question…

Is Enough ever really Enough???

I can guarantee you will NOT find the answer to that question, in this blog post. HOWEVER, it will give you some qualified insight from a sensational writer, who will probably lend you the best advice on this topic you’ve ever read.

Who is it you ask? I thought that was obvious… (Yeah Yeah, I don’t have the best jokes, whatever)

So let’s just start with how I came to this question today, as I was driving home from church with tear-filled eyes. (Don’t worry, I pulled over to keep from harming other drivers since I was essentially blind from the waterworks).

Today and for the last weeks, maybe even months. Okay, Okay, I’ll be honest, the whole year. All 365 days of 2018 and likely 2017 and 2016… Anyway…for some period of time, I have been weary. Tired. Exhausted really. Still putting on a smile. Still putting my best foot forward. Still praying. Still trusting. Still ordering and processing and managing. All of the things. All of the time.

Yet…all this seems (and is) in vain. It seems we do these things, and through the processing, the managing, the putting on a smile, etc…we end up just Existing vs living. We get caught up in being “enough” for everyone else, that we forget why we are here: To show love. Be Love. Give Love. And…ENJOY and actually LIVE life.

So today. Today I knew I’d had “enough”. I was tired of trying to “be enough” for everybody, and I simply needed to melt down (in other words…have a good cry). Yet, I needed to melt down into someone whom I trusted more than anyone else. This has been the only person I have ever been able to “melt into” with tears and strife and weariness and exhaustion. I am afraid to do it to most, as most cannot handle the level of heaviness that comes with a meltdown, however this Amazing woman of God can and thankfully, she’s an awesome prayer warrior and mentor to me! So, as we spoke and prayed today, she felt my heaviness and simply held me and cried with me. She prayed. She spoke words of encouragement. Words of reminders, that our Heavenly Father is just that…our Father, our Papa, our Daddy. And that He longs to give us rest. And to let go of my need for order.

Wait. What?

I argued this point with her.

Yes! Yes, I argued with what my mentor prayed over me. Don’t judge me! I question things that go against my true nature and THIS…THIS ludacris talk of “letting go of my need for order” definitely needed to be questioned.

However, in some of her next statements she told me if I prayed nothing else this year, simply pray God’s will for my life. HOW SIMPLE.

And when she said that and as I left church feeling less “heavy” today, I thought about what I’d been doing the last week since I”ve been off from work.

What is that?

• Watching Christmas Movies? No
• Sleeping? No
• Resting? No
• Baking? No

It has been making lists of ALL THE THINGS, I felt I needed to “get in order” before 2019 started.

God has a HUGE sense of humor. He thinks He’s so funny! Well I’m sure not laughing!

Anyway, a week ago I had made a list of family members and I wanted a scripture for 2019, for each person, so I could pray that verse over their life. I really searched and looked and thought and “processed” and “ordered” this list. All to find out today…really it’s simple…Pray God’s will for their life!

So sometimes…we just have to be simple. Let go of meeting demands. Meeting needs. Meeting expectations. And…Just be.

I leave you with these final words of a song (Let it Go, by James Bay) that spoke to me months ago, but I wasn’t really sure why. Now I know. It’s a secular song, more-so about a break-up, but the chorus so Perfectly fits. And as I finished my drive home from church today, in a silent car, I started singing this: (The Parenthesis are my additions)

Come on let it go

Just let it be

Why don’t you be you (Jesus)

And I’ll be me.

Everything that’s Broke

Leave it to the breeze

Why don’t you be you (Jesus)

And I’ll be me, And I’ll be me

So instead of trying to fix everything that’s broke. Instead of trying to collect all the things and make everything right…Just “let it go” and let Jesus be Jesus and you be you. (Again…Jennifer Busby interpretation of the chorus only)

And know this.  As you ‘let it be’ for your problems and situations and life, then “You’re Gonna Be OK”  (I just found this song last week…LOVE IT!)

 

Romans 3:23-for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

All have sinned.

Or in the singular version…we all have Sin.

Defined, Sin is the wrongdoing against the divine law of God.

Wikipedia notes, sin can be viewed as any thought or action that endangers the ideal relationship between an individual and God.

So to sum up…We are all sinners.

No one is perfect. And likely, even on our best of days, we have still sinned.

Last night, as I listened to an Easter message, I heard the pastor say “The one who had no sin was crucified for our sins”. Now, I’ve heard this for years…But…as I listened last night and know that daily I “fall short” I was amazed at my Jesus. He walked this earth and was subjected to all the same things that I am faced with daily and yet He had no sin. Then…

He took my place. He took your place. He took our place.

And as one of my favorite songs says…

With all I am

In your grace I stand

the greatest of all romance (*favorite line*)

Love of God, my Saviour

*Link to song: Love on the line

Truly it was the greatest of all romance. No person would go through that for ALL humanity. Just think, in your small circle of people you know on this earth, you might be willing to die for 1, maybe 10 depending on the size of your family. But to be brutally beaten, whipped, hung on a cross for ALL humanity…

ALL meaning…that family member that you may not see eye-to-eye with, the friend that quit being your friend years ago and the grudge still lingers, that co-worker that knows exactly how to push your buttons, those FaceBook drama starters that are always willing to debate on your post or any post, government officials in any country/city/town (including President Trump and Hilary Clinton)…

But God…

God sent his only son, to die for ALL. Literally every person on this earth, and He took All our sins with Him. We need to do as 1 John 1:9 says…confess our sins and he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins (and make sure He’s living in your heart of this isn’t the case)

So, while we all have sinned and still fall short…Jesus took it all to the cross for us…took our place, as the greatest of all romance 😊

Ever feel that way? Like that sometimes we simply cannot handle the truth. Maybe it’s the truth that a loved one just received a bad report from the doctor. Or the truth that it’s Sunday night and tomorrow is Monday and your are simply not ready to adult again. Or the truth that all parts of your life *feel* messy and it’s just making you “sick and tired”.

Well that’s where I was at the end of last week.

And while I know better, I even decided to camp out there. I decided that it was “OK” to let these emotions and these thoughts flood me and that while I was camped out, I might as well through my “Debbie-Downer” self a nice “pity-party.” To which I sucked my husband into as well.

THANKFULLY, he stayed strong and tried his darndest to keep redirecting my thoughts and encouraging me. Of course in ever-so slightly subtle ways, as he knows if he pushes too hard in doing good and encouraging, I will push him away, declaring that he’s not giving me adequate time to, as the old country song says, “I just wanna be mad for a while”

Now mind you. My week started out pretty normal and on Tuesday, as we entered the 2nd New Month of the New Year, I wanted to encourage everyone with a FB post essentially noting to evaluate your 2017 goals for the month of January, start fresh in February, and Be Intentional.  (Very motivating if you ask me)

So why, you might ask, did my week end so sour? Well. After that post…

All. Hell. Broke. Loose. (Sorry to any offended by my use of *hell* but shew golly, sometimes you just gotta be real!)

Work=draining.  Draining emails. Draining situations.  People were draining. Now I love my job, but last week seemed to either bring negativity about loosing so many battles where we were trying to “bridge the gap” or “manager guilt” about my team.  I left Friday with the deadlift of defeat.

Children. They are 4, 2, and 8 months. Enough said.

Marriage. It’s just hard people! We had a conversation this weekend about how 7 years is a solid time and my husband was under the impression we’d really overcome the main obstacles. I told him…it’s only just begun.  But really, when you cut through the messes of our marriage (because come on, we all have messes–unless perhaps there is a 0.1% who truly have no messes while the other 99.9% of us do or are simply being real about it…) it circles around communication.

Small Group. It was starting in less than a week and I felt unprepared to handle my own life, much less help others’ lives to be impacted by Jesus. And if anything, I was running the opposite direction of Jesus.

But in the midst of trying to run the other direction, even when He knows we want to run and hide, He still comes looking for us (He did it for Adam and Eve and still does it).  And isn’t it funny how God can then enable us to “handle the truth.”

Because you see, then there was Sunday. After my Friday and Saturday of settling into Defeat Dungeon, there was Sunday.  The day my family chooses to congregate together, with fellow believers, and worship Jesus. And in that worship. In the melody of soft music playing.  An atmosphere of divinity.  There were tears.  Tears that streamed down my face. And when the opportunity was given for prayer with a counselor, I moved. And in that moment, with a dear friend, I stopped running. I fell into His arms. The one who ultimately holds my future. Who wants what’s best for me, but it comes with a price. Because to grow in Him, I must grow WITH Him. And sometimes the truth of that growth…that stretching and pulling and tugging from the ugly and yucky and “messy” parts of life…seems like a truth we can’t handle.

And we can’t- Not on our own anyway.

Why do you think there is so much “junk” in our world?  (I should let that sink in a while longer, but I’ll keep moving on…)

When we do it on our own, we aren’t “doing” life as God intended. But if we cling to him, and resist the enemy, he (the enemy) will flee.

And that’s what I did Sunday.

Clung.

Resisted.

And then rested, in Him.

I truly believe that all of us have some anxiety when it comes to travel, especially alone. For some it’s probably suppressed deep-down, almost to the point of non-existence & for others it’s like a “glow.” You know, like the “pregnancy glow,” which by-the-way I’m not certain why it’s called a glow, it’s just sweat from all that extra weight you’re now carrying around…anyway, kind of the perfect analogy.😉

On one of my many traveling excursions, it turned out to be quite life-changing. One, which of course held moments of blatant obvious anxiety, that I hide SO well, but where as soon as I landed back home, I would know the exact purpose for my whole trip. So let’s begin, shall we…

You know the old saying, “Third time’s a charm,” well sometimes that’s even true with airline check-in desks…

Just like everyone, I started my journey at the check-in desk, only to find I was actually in line for the “Cargo” check-in. For those like me, this is Not for the average traveler, thus I looked like a fool standing at the desk. Just waiting. Thankfully a nice Delta agent asked if I had cargo, “yes, but I only need to check one of my bags.”🙈  He politely informed me I was in the wrong line, so I proceeded to move over…to the United Check-In (I was flying Delta). Again, the nice man picked up on my “glow” & asked if I was flying United. Of course, still unaware at the time (yes, one can be THAT blonde), I replied “No, flying Delta.” Let’s just say, I finally made it through security, onto the plane, and in Germany.

After sitting in economy for an 8+ hour flight, overnight, feeling like death as you start your day in Europe (this never changes), I had somehow thought it would be a great idea to head to our company headquarters for a meeting. Meaning, after picking up my luggage & getting my rental car, I headed to the airport’s womens bathroom to “get ready” & slip into a business suit… Hindsight is 20/20. Never. Again.

As the trip proceeded, there weren’t many high points above what I’ve already noted. No WIFI. Rain everyday. Forgot my umbrella. No fridge in my room (for the Cokes I packed-Duh!). Practically falling asleep at dinner with my colleagues (that same first day when I had decided it was a good idea to attend a meeting after no sleep in an airplane seat for 8 hours). And the worst migraine ever!

At this point I’m sure you’re wondering how I ever gained purpose from this trip.

Me too!

Turns out, it was all about the flight home. Every piece that contributed to a negative experience was All worth it for what I was about to encounter.

About halfway through our 10 hour flight home, I noticed this woman. A mom. Like the rest of us. Put together enough to look like we “have it all together,” but inside we are tired & worn out from the endless demands of motherhood. She was traveling with her young son, somewhere about the age of 3-5. Her son had been good but was getting to the point of being “over it.”  Mind you, my kids would have been obnoxious about the time they make the announcement that it’s safe to use electronics, so I wasn’t complaining. As I turned around, I saw her. The real her. Wiping up her spilled drink from her son’s tantrum that he was beginning to throw, & I could sense her urge to want to break down…but how could she? On a plane, surrounded by at least 80 people, who would become witness to a solo parent having a breakdown, & no one to console her. So I went to her.

I offered my iPad, but as I’d observed, she said he was simply ‘over it.’  Now I could have returned to my seat, felt like I had obeyed the unction of the Holy Spirit, or how some say, I had “done my duty,” but I hadn’t. So I bent down beside her, placed my hand on her arm, & God did the rest. I told her it was Okay the point her son was at, & not to stress. I encouraged her to know that those who have kids understand & those who don’t, don’t have a clue. I prayed with her. I let her know that if she needed anything the rest of the flight, I’d be glad to help. And I went back to my seat…feeling like I should have done more. At that point, I just prayed. For her. Her son. And an opportunity to help more if needed.

As we landed & went through passport security, retrieving luggage, customs, security, etc…I would see her. Never in a moment to offer help, but randomly.  And at the same time, I saw others see her. Mis-judge her. Critique her parenting. Comment on the child’s behavior, who at this point had been up for 15+ hours, drug through airports, sat on the longest flight of his little life, & still had to endure more. Are you kidding people?? At that point, even I want to act like him and throw myself onto the floor in refusal to remove my shoes for a security checkpoint, when I’ve never even left the airport.

And as I saw all of this, I realized how we are often too quick to pass judgement on others, offer them our expertise, without knowing what time their day started, or what flight path they have just disembarked from.

“Be kind. For everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.” ~Rev John Watson

I read this at the start of that trip. Such words have never rang so deep in my soul.