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Wednesday, August 20th, 2008
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| Subject: | Weekly (ish) |
| Time: | 12:48 am. |
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Colossians 3:15,16
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another will all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.
Hello!
I started this Weekly Thing last week, only to find myself distracted and unable to finish it until now when I can’t fall asleep. I hope that you’ve had a good week and that God is – as always – revealing Himself to you continually. It’s been interesting week and a half (or more??) here, wrestling in prayer over many things. As if to continue the theme of my life, God has been encouraging me to be focused on Him as my provider, the One who is in control. As I was reading a book for the ladies Bible study I attend, the author talked about the Hebrew word ‘hesed.’
I’ve heard this word translated before into the English word ‘kindness,’ and various other synonyms, but the author pointed out that there are many Hebraic words in which the English translation doesn’t really get to the root of the meaning. ‘Hesed’ is really much more complex than mere ‘kindness;’ it means imparting onto another person the same sense that would be found in God’s heavenly kingdom. That’s much deeper than ‘kindness!’ In the part of the book that this is talked about, the author revealed a time in her life in which she doubted God’s ‘hesed’ for her and her family… but she also points out that despite those doubts and feeling as though God wasn’t paying attention, the truth is that God’s ‘hesed’ for us always remains and is always constant. There is no wavering of protection, provision, joy, and love in God’s kingdom… and God imparts that onto us. So this is certainly something we can take a hold of and live in our daily lives. Perhaps this is also what is wrapped up into the “peace of Christ” when Paul talks about it in his letters, saying that the peace of Christ should rule over us. What a fantastic thing to wish upon others and this is something that we can take a hold of as followers of Christ. And that is what I hope we can learn to build into our daily lives as we interact with others. Living in the city makes it hard to not get jaded and cynical towards others who are just as jaded and just as cynical. It’s hard to have a heart of compassion towards the guy who is trying to hit on you and you just want him to leave you alone (OK, so this is a female specific problem). In reflection, ‘hesed’ is hard to do. ‘Hesed’ is hard to embrace and rest in knowing God is going to take care of things when they’re rough.
What’s awesome is that God’s ‘hesed’ still doesn’t change through all of that. Hesed means imparting onto another person the same sense that would be found in God’s heavenly kingdom… and God sticks to his part of the bargain.
I’m totally blown away by that.
In love and in Him,
Your sister,
Yvonne
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Philippians 4:6
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
Colossians 2:7
… just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.
Hebrews 12:28
… let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our “God is a consuming fire.”
Hello,
Once again the “Weekly” comes to you in a not-so-weekly fashion, and I apologize for the delay. I hope you’ve been well and continuing to grow in faith, being stretched by God in real ways.
One of the things that has been humbling for me over not just the past few weeks, but for the past two months, is an incident regarding wedding gifts and cards. If you’re not married and hoping to one day, take heed: separating the cards from the gifts before they’re opened makes it terribly difficult to write thank you cards properly. My husband and I didn’t think about this until after the deed had already been done – and many of you attended my wedding, so I apologize for improperly thanking you for gifts!!
Perhaps it’s fitting, then, that it currently makes me think of the ultimate Gift and not properly thanking the Giver (not to be confused with a certain book). Last I wrote, I mentioned my own need to focus on the freedom of Christ more than my focus on the gravity of my sin. If you’re able to relate to that sentiment, this is much along the same lines… I’ve found that to focus on Christ more, I should learn to be more thankful for the salvation He’s given. There are many things that I’m worried about that I forget to be grateful for what I already have; it’s not that I forget that I have it but worry certainly clouds gratitude. I take things for granted because I’m trying to figure out how/when I’m going to get something I don’t have yet. For instance, it’s easy to take for granted that I have food in my home right now when I worry about how things might shape up in the next several months because I can’t see into the future. However, having what I need right now in the moment is something God has made possible and I have to stop myself, pause and be thankful… Gratitude and remembering that the Lord provides is actually helpful in dissipating the worry I struggle with. Many times throughout the New Testament, God’s people are exhorted to be thankful and perhaps the reason why is because it helps us to focus on NOW and not TOMORROW, and it helps us to focus on God and not ourselves.
In a similar way, salvation and the work of the Holy Spirit is a phenomenal thing that sometimes I’m not thankful for when I don’t see it in action. I also don’t think to be thankful for it when I’m wrestling with sin and wondering when in the world it will be over. However, day by day we are being transformed by the Holy Spirit; why shouldn’t we praise God for it every day? God is continually at work, even when we don’t see the work in action… and especially through difficult times. This is where we need to pause and be grateful for the salvation we have. It will probably help to develop a better focus on Christ more than anything else.
If you see a little bit of this kind of attitude in yourself we can be praying for one another… that we would learn to have grateful attitudes towards God (and also towards people!), and that we would praise Him for the awesome salvation that we have in Christ. I also pray that we can all learn to be all the more grateful overall, developing more sensitivity to what God is doing in our world and be compassionate to those around us. We all have amazing gifts to be thankful for.
Love in Christ,
Your sister,
Yvonne
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Ephesians 2:3-5
Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.
1 John 3:1
How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!
Hello,
I hope everyone is enjoying their summer days, although I also hope you’ve managed to stay cool! Also, I hope the Lord has been stretching and growing each of you… I know that God continues to stretch and grow me in much the same ways that I have mentioned in previous “Weekly” emails.
To be candid, I think one of the greatest things I’ve struggled with in my six-to-seven years as a Christian is embracing the depth of forgiveness and grace. I understand both of these concepts in my head and celebrate the fact that we have both of these things from God. Where the struggle persists is in my heart. When I don’t read Scripture as often, or don’t pray as often in a week, it’s hard for me to come to grips that God is still embracing me. Prayer and reading Scripture are good—essential, even—but God’s grace and forgiveness still remains even when we don’t always do those things. I also struggle when I fall into sin’s path (recently it looks like it’s taken a form of pride), and while I know I haven’t fall from the love of God, sometimes I feel like I have. In times like this the joy of Christ seems far from me. Yet I can turn to the assurance that Christ remains; perhaps Paul felt this way when he wrote to the Romans, “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!”
Christ still remains through all of our struggles. It is not a pass to continue sinning and take advantage of forgiveness… but how good it is to know that we can turn to Him at any stage in our life -- especially after our initial reaching out and declaring Christ as Lord. Perhaps the key thing is just this, that we always need to declare Christ in our hearts as Lord. There was a book that I read some time ago called “The Discipline of Grace,” that emphasized that we always need to preach the Gospel to ourselves. Grace is amazing, something we don’t deserve, and how good it is to fall into that grace. We must remember the reason Jesus died and raised again, always remember His sacrifice to cover our sins and bring forgiveness of trespass. Grace is easy to forget when we don’t remind ourselves of it, and forgiveness is all too easy to cast aside when our sin is our focus, and not our Savior.
Huh. I think I just figured out why I struggle with God’s forgiveness and grace…
I pray that the Spirit would continually be working in our lives to grasp the height, the depth, and the width of God’s love, forgiveness, and grace. Pray this same thing for me, that we may always be growing as brothers and sisters.
In love and in Him,
Your sister,
Yvonne
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Wednesday, July 2nd, 2008
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Psalm 94:18,19
When I said, “My foot is slipping,” your love, O LORD, supported me. When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought joy to my soul.
Philippians 1:6
… he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
Hello!
I hope that you’ve had a good week. I’ve been continually learning and re-learning this week all the things I’ve talked about before regarding worry and control, myself, and let me tell you: it’s not easy.
Last time I wrote, I spoke about people in my life that had recently encouraged me. It’s been hard hanging onto what they’ve shared with me (or what I’ve observed from them) though. There are certain heart-issues at hand that need to be resolved within me – most of which deal with trying to control areas of my life that I really don’t have control over. The phrase, “Give it to Jesus,” is a lot easier said than tangibly done …but not impossible, for nothing is impossible with God. Those of you who have been in these shoes know what I’m talking about.
God is good and whatever realm that is in our hearts that nags at us, pulls us down, or discourages us is a realm that God wants to make right. We are not meant to be people fraught with anxiety. We’re not meant for a number of things that are contrary to God’s way – whatever that might be for you. Praise God that He has a merciful and compassionate spirit that works to change our ways towards His ways. I know that because God is in control I don’t have to be worried about anything; living this way is hard, harder than I think I’ve realized before… I keep ending up in the same place just when I think I’m doing pretty good. See, God doesn’t let me (or you) off the hook. Nope. He won’t leave us in the same place that He found us or in the place that we keep falling into. He brings reminders to our ears and eyes to not only bring us back on track but to also let us know that what His intentions for us are good. For example: this Sunday was about finding the peace of Christ by relinquishing control, then Psalm 94 came to my attention when my husband pointed something out in it, and then I heard a song today that reminded me about how God gives and takes (ultimately, that He is the one in control)… then that song brought me to another song paraphrasing Matthew 11:28, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” I can probably expect more to come.
How good it is for God to bring reminders into our lives and to be continually working on us.
Whatever your personal vice is (i.e. mine is evidently worry/anxiety), God is able to make it right; He will also send you notes now and again to let you know it is something that needs to change. How it can be given to Jesus is probably going to look different for each of us, though. I pray that we can learn to lay our burdens down before Jesus, that we can allow God to open up our wounds for healing, and that He would change our ways to match His ways.
In love and in Him,
Your sister,
Yvonne
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| Subject: | Weekly Thing (ish) |
| Time: | 9:41 am. |
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Hello-
I hope that this finds you well and that this past week (two weeks??) has been full of God’s blessings and opportunities for growth.
My own week seemed to blur by even though I struggled with a day-by-day feeling that I had too much time on my hands and little activity. I’m not quite sure how that happened but somehow it has. In reflection, however, I’ve been able to notice some key areas that God is stretching me… particularly in the realm of trusting Him. And though I am reflecting I am by no means beyond this wrestling, seeing where the truth prevails and where my own stubborn heart refuses to have faith and attempting to latch onto those truths of God’s provision. But today I’ve found encouragement when I wasn’t even looking or asking for it.
Two friends of mine are in similar situations financially where things are very tight. As I learned from them what was going on, I know that if I were in those situations I would be riddled with all kinds of anxiety. While I’m certain that they each have gone through this stage, they are currently in a place of trusting God’s hand in all of it. I’m not even near in the situation they are in – in fact, pretty far from it – I find myself tense about things that are largely out of my control. Hearing their stories and where they are at I cannot help but compare my own level of trust with theirs and seeing their calm despite shaky ground.
Likewise, a family member of mine was encouraging to me on Wednesday, and now even more encouraging in a very unexpected way. My step-grandfather, who I’ve always enjoyed even though we didn’t get a chance to get very close, died on Friday morning. I had a conversation with him Wednesday, and through it we talked about a surgery he needed to get scheduled; he’s been through several, and on more than one occasion we all thought that Dan was going to die. When we spoke about all his surgeries, his level of trust that God’s timing was perfect was profound to me. Dan figured that the Lord must have kept him alive to accomplish something he hadn’t done just yet, and his overall tone was that he was ready whenever God was. Now that he’s passed on those words are even more poignant and teach me a lot about patience. God’s timetable is so much grander than ours.
Interestingly enough what God had to teach me this week wasn’t first out of Scripture but out of people who carry the Holy Spirit as believers. They might as well be coming at me from Hebrews 11, a record of men and women who trusted that God would provide based on His promises, not on what they could see happening around them. How awesome is it that the Lord uses people in this way!
Who in your life can remind you of God’s promises for where you are right now? Can you think of people who are an encouragement to you—even when they aren’t specifically trying to encourage you as you go through something? Praise God for these people in our lives, whom God uses to bring His Word closer to our lives and hearts! One of the many reasons that having a Christian community surrounding us is so important… I pray that as you go into this next week, you are able to see other believers around you who – by example of their own circumstances – encourage you and point you towards our Father’s truths.
Hebrews 3:13
...encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness.
In love and in Him, your sister,
Yvonne
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| Subject: | Weekly Thing - Married! |
| Time: | 2:58 pm. |
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Isaiah 41:10
So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Matthew 28:20 (after the great Commission)
"...And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
Hello!
I'm back from New Hampshire with my new husband, and ready to get back to ministry and living in Philadelphia. I'm going to miss those New England mountains though! Talk about being humbled by God's creation. Wow. At any rate, here's another way God humbled me this week:
I have never passed out before, or even came close to it; that is, I hadn't until this past weekend after getting back home. Combine some intense heat & humidity, some dehydration, plus walking up a flight of stairs and you get dangerously close to passing out. This is what I experienced with Scott just as we were about to get on our first roller coaster when visiting Six Flags. I felt dizzy and rather suddenly I couldn't see a thing - and since this has never happened to me before, I was really freaked out. Thankfully, Scott assured me many times saying, “I’m right here,” as he ushered me off of the roller coaster platform to get water and some food.
I was too busy trying to gain my bearings again to be embarrassed, though I felt bad because we were second in line to get on the coaster (which can be a big deal if you’d been waiting in line for an hour and a half). But the reason I bring the story up at all is because in retrospect it hits home to something I need to remember. For me, there are times when I feel like freaking out due to worry over money or what God is asking me to do or what the future is going to look like or am I doing a good job… etc. I worry is because I want to see what’s going to happen but I can’t. I don’t know what the future holds. This is when I need to go back to God’s promise that He is with me; He stays with those who follow Him, and He can be trusted. Scripturally, God assures us much in the same way Scott assured me: “I’m right here.” It’s true that we might not feel God’s hand with us when we’re very worried or unsure of what is happening around us. In fact, we might not even be aware of His presence at all; but He is there. There is nothing that can separate us from God (Romans 8:38,39). Because of God’s continual presence it’s a wonder that I worry at all, but just like the rest of us I have the tendency to focus on what I’m worried about way more than focusing on trusting that God is taking care of me. God has blessed me with a wonderful husband, and I know we will need to remind each other of God’s presence in our lives and over our marriage; we’re not any less human together than when we were apart. Praise be to God for being so much greater than our fears or ourselves!
I pray that each of us holds onto this truth, that God is with us even when we cannot see; even when things are confusing, or we don’t know where God is calling us to go. I also pray that we make it a point to set aside time to pray during those times. The worst thing I can think of doing when I’m worried or confused is to pretend like I’m not and continue on with life. I pray for each of us that we don’t do that, but rather acknowledge that we need guidance and direction from our loving Father.
In love and in Him,
Your sister,
Yvonne
P.S. If anyone is wondering if my mailing address has changed since getting married, it has NOT. If you need my address, please email me to let me know!
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Wednesday, April 23rd, 2008
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Psalm 127:1,2
Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain. In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat— for he grants sleep to those he loves.
Philippians 4:4-7
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Matthew 11:28-29
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”
Hello friends,
I hope that you’re doing well and that – as always – the Lord is teaching, stretching, and growing you through each day. As it always seems to be, things have been busy here! With wedding planning and trying to catch up with students involved with the ministry, it gets a little hectic.
This is a common theme this time of year, however; as any college student knows, this time of year can be quite stressful. It’s the time to wrap up the school year in which final projects, essays, and tests are issued over the next few weeks. It’s a scramble to get everything together and finished for most!
But whether you’re a college student or someone since graduated by many years, busy times come and go… or maybe they seem to never end. Work, work, work; go, go, go. Generally, that’s the way American culture functions and it even praises the person who can work around the clock without resting. We even work when we’re on vacation! Unfortunately, this is contrary to the way human beings are designed. We NEED rest! Not the kind of rest that induces laziness but the kind of rest that is truly restful, re-energizing, and restoring. In a word: Sabbath. This kind of rest also acknowledges that we are not the ones in control… Sabbath was designed to set specific time aside to point towards the Creator as the one who is in control of all things, and also time to worship Him. When we don’t take that time to focus on prayer, reading Scripture, or simply *being* still, then we are effectively saying that we can do all things on our own and we don’t need a God that directs and guides us.
This is a punch in the gut for me. While I know this to be true, I constantly struggle to take time off to breathe and spend time with my Father in heaven. The “urgency” or “importance” of other things snags my attention very easily—not that they aren’t important, but taking a moment to acknowledge God and ask Him for rest is more important. A common saying that I’ve been using a LOT lately is that if you give genuine time to God, God will give you time to accomplish all those things you need to accomplish. Remember how the Lord took a few scant fish and loaves of bread and fed a multitude? In some miraculous way that I’ve yet to understand, God has the ability to do that with time (but I suppose since God IS the author of time this would make sense)…
So my encouragement to all of you and a kick in the pants for me is to spend some down time with the Lord this week. Take a breather. Be still for a moment to praise God for simply being God. It’s very relieving to have God cast away our anxiety and stress and self-sufficiency. My prayer is that we can find some rest this week, and that the Spirit would work a habit of rest and Sabbath into our lives so that we can be intentional about spending time with the Lord.
In love and in Him,
Your sister,
Yvonne
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Hello friends-
A lot has been going on between now and the last email requesting prayer as I try to balance my various responsibilities. More and more I’m reminded of the fact that God is in control, and everything will be all right. These kinds of reminders are good for all of us, as are moments of craziness- I really do believe they stretch and grow each of us. Hope you’re also learning a lot in your own life!
A few days ago when I went to walk somewhere, I decided to take with me a freebie-MP3 player that I got a few years ago. On it I found a song that I hadn’t heard in a long time called, “Solidarity,” by Five Iron Frenzy. It’s a very uplifting song both in beat and in lyric. I thought I might share some of it with you this week:
To the brothers and the sisters; to all of the resistors;
all the workers broke and crying on the road that leads to Zion,
the mountain we will all climb-
All of God’s children in God’s own time.
Solidarity (x3)- United we can never fall
Let one voice ring throughout the world
Let truth be told
Let us lay our own lives down,
A greater love was never known.
I’d been thinking recently about how as Christians we can be a severely divided group of people. Sure enough, all of us have probably encountered some situation in which Christians have argued with one another: between the Catholic and Protestant churches, or between denominations, or even between people in the same church building. To be sure, sometimes there are reasons to be divided; differences in church doctrine or major points in theology. Other times the reasons to be divided are nonsensical – and I’ve been at fault for such things. In hearing this song again and pondering all these things, I have to ask my question: am I seeking solidarity?
Although superficially this song would seem idealistic, it calls back to Scripture. Truly! Jesus says in John 13:34-35, “Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” Ephesians also speaks into this idea of being united, when Paul writes about Christ redeeming both Jews and Gentiles – peoples who previously hated one another – and saying they are not two nations, but one nation united in Christ. When we don’t love one another, we act as the world expects people to act. But when we lay down our lives for others we display the love Christ had for us, “Great love has no one than this, that he may lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command.” (John 15:13,14)
How do you love like that? How can I love like that? It seems ridiculously simple to be told to love others, and I realize the difficulties (boy do I). However, if Christ is our strength and Christ has put in us the Holy Spirit… can’t we also ask how we can love like that and expect to be shown the way? This is my prayer for me, for all of us… That we can learn to love one another despite our differences or sharp disagreements. I pray that we can be people of truth and honesty, united and really standing as one body that doesn’t distort Christ’s love by our fragmentation.
In love and in Him,
Your sister
Yvonne
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Saturday, March 29th, 2008
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| Subject: | Weekly + Prayer for wedding |
| Time: | 6:43 pm. |
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Matthew 6:34
Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Hello friends,
I hope that all is well with you and that you have been learning and growing in your walk with Christ every day. There have been many things going on in the past week which is why you may not have heard from me in a while. For the same reason I am combining my usual “Weekly Thing” with a prayer request that affects my ministry in Philadelphia.
Easter had been a weekend weighted with reminders of Christ’s suffering (Good Friday) and of course His resurrection. Though now I cannot remember the hymn that God seeded in my mind for several days, I do remember that the song’s intention was to focus on the wonder of the Cross – the place of such grave suffering and paradoxically the place of glorious redemption. This is a springboard of our faith, leading to joy and freedom and peace (as well as many other things). Today I’m particularly reminded of the fact that my stress and anxiety ought to be brought before the Cross; submitting things to Christ up and letting Him have control.
As you might know, I’d been set to get married on August 9, 2008. This has changed over the past week and a half, and I am now looking to be married on May 31, 2008. You’re more than welcome to ask why this is and I encourage you to email or call me to do so! But it is the wedding planning that I must put before Christ because let me tell you: moving such an important event 3 months earlier makes things a little crazy. Throw into the mix that the location will be on the other side of the country, and you can get a picture of how things are for me right now. Once certain things are settled again I know all shall be well. Until then, I do covet your prayers and encouragement in regards to balancing ministry and everything else because my attention is extremely divided right now. Perhaps the most important thing to pray right now is for ALL things to be done to the glory of God; that in the midst of my scatter-brained state the Lord would still use me and that I would constantly remember Him in all of my dealings.
I’ve come to gradually realize that dealing with many things at once – or if it seems like I am – causes me a great deal of anxiety. Matthew 6:25-34 is like a cooling balm or a glass of cold water on a hot day to me. Please pray that I remember to seek God’s Kingdom in knowing that our Provider is going to take care of all the things that get me so worked up!
Thank you for your love and prayers, always;
In love and in Him,
Yvonne
“I can’t comprehend; I can’t take it all in; never understand such perfect Love come for the broke and beat, for the wounded and weak. Come fall at His feet; He’s the remedy.
He is the One who has saved us. He is the One who forgave. He is the One who has come and is coming again. He is the Remedy.”
- David Crowder Band, “Remedy”
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| Subject: | Weekly Thing |
| Time: | 11:42 am. |
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Psalm 51:7b, 10-12, 17
… wash me and I will be made whiter than snow.
Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
Hello friends-
I hope that this finds you well, and learning from our Lord. Many of you are going through seasons of breaking from classes and if you happen to be one of those people I hope that you’ve been able to rest! (in any case, I hope you’ve been able to rest)
To lay it out there, recently I’ve been finding it somewhat difficult to focus on Christ. There are many things going on in my life that vie for my attention and other things that should have attention but do not properly have it. There are obligations to be fulfilled and quite frankly I’m tired and feel like the joy is getting squeezed right out of me. I’m left to complaining and upon that realization I know I’ve been ungrateful.
As I continue to plod through the Chronicles of Narnia, I find more snippets here and there that resonate with my Christian experience. In one of the books, there is a character that ends up getting turned into a dragon quite unexpectedly. None of the others know what to do with him, and he stays in this condition for quite some time – miserable all the while but trying to make the best of it – before he encounters the Lion and is brought to a pool of sorts. Before he can enter the pool Aslan asks the dragon to undress. (What a silly thing to do, to ask a dragon to undress!) Like the skin of a snake is shed, the character peeled off his scaly skin. Stepping out of the skin completely, the character is dismayed to find that he is still a dragon. Thus he tries again, and again, and after the third time the Lion speaks up. Here is how this part of the story goes:
“… ’You will have to let me undress you.’ I was afraid of his claws…but I was nearly desperate now. … The first tear he made was so deep that I thought it had gone right into my heart. And when he began pulling the skin off, it hurt worse than anything I’ve ever felt. … he peeled the beastly stuff right off—just as I thought I’d done myself the other three times, only they hadn’t hurt.”
It’s this painful undressing that I think I need. I’ve gotten some rough edges coming back that need a good sanding down, a persona that’s getting built up that hasn’t really got the attitude of a child of God. It’s frightening when God takes away these rough patches because we’re fleshy and tender and most of all vulnerable once that toughness is peeled away – like a peeling sunburn, or after picking off a scab. But that’s the only way God can bring in His healing, when we’re the most vulnerable. Where does God need to come into your own life, to cut you deep to the heart and peel away the tough exterior?
As we move towards Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday, I pray that we open ourselves to God and rejoice in His Son – what He did as Lord of all creation and humble servant to the sinner. I pray that our tough exteriors would be worn down, that we would come before the Throne and have our false personas peeled away.
In love and in Him,
Your sister
Yvonne
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Thursday, March 6th, 2008
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Hello!
How are you? I hope that things are well and that the Lord is teaching you many things. It would seem that I am perpetually busy, and in being so busy there are always many things that I just want to write about.
Since I’ve never read the books before I’ve recently been going through the Chronicles of Narnia and just finished up with Prince Caspian. It doesn’t take lot for someone to say that these stories are delightful, and it’s actually quite nice to take a break from all the other books I read. So far I think the most striking scene I’ve read has been out of ‘The Horse and His Boy,’ the third (second) book from the series.
The main character from this book is a boy named Shasta who has a chance meeting with a talking horse from Narnia named Bree (they aren’t in our world, but the Narnian world). Since he wants to get away before he’s sold as a servant and since the horse wants to escape back to Narnia, they set out on the adventure together. Late in the book after dangerous mishaps, Shasta finds himself riding a horse (not Bree) in a dense fog. He starts to pity himself because he’s lost and can’t see at all in the fog. Suddenly, he realizes that there is a Thing walking with him – although fearful at first, Shasta eventually comes in dialogue with It and shares his sorrows with It.
After a key revelation, Shasta asks, “Then it was you who wounded [my friend]?”
“It was I.”
“But what for?”
“Child,” said the Voice, “I am telling you your story, not hers. I tell no one any story but his own.”
The last line said by the Voice reminds me of the following passage:
John 21:17-18, 21-22
Jesus said, "Feed my sheep. I tell you the truth, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go." Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, "Follow me!"
When Peter saw [the disciple whom Jesus loved], he asked, "Lord, what about him?"
Jesus answered, "If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me."
How often do we compare ourselves with others or question what God might be doing because we want to know why He does the things He does? Why does one have lifelong sickness, and the other does not? Why do I have to go through this, and that person doesn’t? Why does she have, and I don’t?
I think a lot of the time it doesn’t make sense to us that God would allow certain suffering in a person’s life, and that might even cause us to question God’s intentions. But, what is it to us? We must follow Christ. The point Jesus makes to Peter is that he needed to follow Him and keep his eyes on Him. The Voice makes the point that we only have our story and we’re given no other; the path we’re on is different than that of someone else. God has different things set before us to teach us in different ways. What we can offer is not questioning or jealousy, but Christ-likeness: joy in our different paths, comfort in sorrow, prayers and worship of God throughout.
I pray that we can be people who appreciate the paths given to us, though sometimes difficult and confusing. But through those times I also pray for strength, so that we can turn and continue to praise our God. I also pray that the Holy Spirit can teach us to not compare ourselves with others which can lead to jealousy, but that we can be content with what God has given us. May we follow Christ and seek Him first, not looking aside to follow other things.
In love and in Him,
Your sister,
Yvonne
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Monday, February 11th, 2008
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| Subject: | 2.11.2008 Weekly Thing |
| Time: | 2:04 pm. |
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Luke 9:23-25
If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self?
Micah 6:8
He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.
Hello!
I pray you are well, and learning abundantly from our Lord, and that you are seeing His graces every day. There has been a lot of things going on in my life recently or at least it would seem that way. Perhaps there are only a few things, but they’re weighty things so it seems like a lot. What’s good about having these weighty things on me is that it gives me all the more reason to praise God. They are a collection of good things… frustrating things… things that make me want to hold my breath. All still good things, and it opens the door for God to teach me a LOT about prayer and relying on Him.
Sunday, in going with how He’s been teaching me a lot, I was reminded of a very important element in being Christian: taking up the Cross, daily. I’m sure we hear that phrase a lot, say it a lot, or think about it now and then. We know it’s something we ought to do… right? But always good to be reminded of the simple fact that Jesus is to be central to our coming and to our going. Taking up the cross means offering myself and following the Author of life. Taking up the cross means taking God’s lead even when we want to be doing something else. Taking up the cross means – a lot of things, really. It’s the epitome of being a Christian. Repentance and forgiveness; rinse, wash, repeat. Learning and living and breathing all that it is to be a follower of Jesus Christ; doing mercy, loving justice, and walking with God.
Even when we’d rather do our own thing.
Even if what He’s calling us to do doesn’t make any sense at all.
Not just once but tomorrow, and the day after that, and the day after that. Rinse. Wash. Repeat. It’s not really easy making the decision to follow Jesus every day. What is easy is to get distracted when maybe we intended to spend time with God (guilty as charged); it’s easy to gossip about that person you really don’t like and are completely annoyed by; it’s easy to be proud about how much I know about the Bible (yes again guilty as charged). Taking up my cross daily isn’t easy but by the grace of God. And His grace… is so good. Although it is very true that we ought to move forward with all that we can towards God… that no matter what we do, God still loves us. God still loves you. He knows what you’re like on the inside, the sins you want to keep buried- He still wants you. He still wants me. He still asks us to take up our cross and follow Him.
Praise be to God!
Romans 12:1,2
Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
In love and in Him with prayers,
Your sister,
Yvonne
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Tuesday, January 29th, 2008
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There was also a post from January 17th... weeklything.blogspot.com
Luke 12:35-37
Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, like men waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him. It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes.
Colossians 4:2-6
Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.
1 Peter 1:13-16
Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy."
Hello!
How are you? I hope that this Weekly Thing finds you well and learning from the Lord. Just the other day – when I started writing this – I learned an important lesson in watchfulness: don’t go to the other room to do something else when you’re boiling eggs on the stove because you WILL forget for much longer than what eggs should boil for. And then your foot falls asleep so you make quite a scene trying to run to the kitchen to turn off the stove. (I’m sure it would have been hilarious to watch!)
Now that I’m thinking about my little egg tragedy, it actually ties into what I was going to write about today. Many times in the New Testament – either by Jesus’ exhortations or in the Epistles – we are told to be “watchful.” This is an awareness of what’s going on around us, and an eager expectation for the second coming of Christ. I would also wager to say that we are to be watchful of where God is working and how, so that when we see those things we can turn around and praise the Lord for His works. And by all means, those moments are all around us but we don’t always see them.
Having self-awareness is another important point… a self-watchfulness that is sensitive to sin; a watchfulness that stays on the right path and is careful not to trip over sinful snags. We are to watch our speech and interactions with non-believers so that our actions do not hinder the Gospel. How can I make sure that what I say won’t cause someone to stumble or be hindered in their faith if I’m not being mindful of it? And how can I be mindful of it, if I don’t know how a follower of Christ should act because I’m not reading the Bible?
If we aren’t watchful we end up like the egg: cracked, dry, and unappealing. It might also note that I did not eat the eggs because they were no longer any good to me. When we allow our sinfulness sit and go unchecked it is difficult to be a representative of God.
So my encouragement to you, and the reminder to myself, is to be watchful. Read and study Scripture. Pray. Allow others to observe the in your life so that they can help you be watchful of your behavior.
I pray that we can be watchful of our actions and careful not to stumble into sin by relying on God’s mercy, and following whole heartedly after Him. I also pray that we would be people who eagerly anticipate and rejoice that our Lord Jesus Christ will return one day, and that our hearts would draw ever nearer to Him. May the Holy Spirit be working in us continually while giving us the words and ambition to share our faith with those who don’t know Christ.
In love and in Him,
Your sister,
Yvonne
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Sunday, January 6th, 2008
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| Subject: | The Weekly Thing |
| Time: | 10:20 pm. |
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Hello and Happy 2008!
I hope that you had a joyous time over the holidays and that you’re also looking forward to what God will do in 2008. I for one am anticipating a very busy year.
As a way to start the New Year, my boyfriend recently proposed and I am now an engaged woman. As you could imagine, I’m ecstatic! This means new responsibilities to do, new things to learn, more things to grow in, and more things to add to an already busy schedule. However, over the past few weeks I’ve been reading through Proverbs and it couldn’t possibly come at a better time to remind me of the many ways that God is sovereign. In particular, Proverbs 16 is packed with verses like these:
16:1 “To man belongs the plans of the heart, but from the LORD comes the reply of the toungue.”
16:3 “Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.”
16:9 “In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD establishes his steps.”
And you know what? Those verses then cast me forward to the New Testament, specifically to Matthew 6:25-34 about not worrying, “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?” (26) “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (33)
If you think you’re life is hectic and you can’t possibly take on any other responsibilities, or if you’re stressed about finances or friendships or family, or if you think that you’ve got a plan set for exactly the way you want life to go… these are some passages to put into consideration. Let them remind you that God is taking care of you and there is a way that He has that’s best. If God is not only the creator of all things, He’s also the Lord of all things which consequently means that Time belongs to Him. Our plans belong to Him whether those plans are for tomorrow, six months from now, or five years from now. Why? Because God is the one that allows us to have that time at all! To me, it’s kind of crazy to think that every detail of my life is – or is meant to be – under the sovereignty of God. Only something infinite can take care of something finite, only something bigger can take care of something smaller. I pray that this is something I can remember as I’m making plans for a wedding, all the while also praying that all of my interactions with others will be glorifying to Him (for, “whether you eat or drink, do it all to the glory of God.” 1 Corinthians 10:31). Please pray with me in this endeavor too! I’ll probably need to be reminded of this frequently.
I pray that we can all remember that every aspect of our lives belong to the Lord, no matter what it is that we are planning to do in the future. I also pray that we would continue to grow in increasing love and grace, desiring to be the light of God in a world in need. I pray that our love and identity with Christ would be evident, and that we would not be afraid to let Him be known… in our plans, in our speech, in our actions, in our prayers.
In love and in Him,
Your sister,
Yvonne
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Thursday, January 3rd, 2008
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| Subject: | One word can change everything |
| Time: | 10:40 pm. |
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Fiancee:
noun
a woman who is engaged to be married.
1853, from Fr. fianceé, fem. of fiancé, pp. of fiancer "betrothed," from O.Fr. fiancer, from fiance "a promise, trust," from fier "to trust."
If you aren't sure what one looks like, all you need to do is find me.
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Saturday, December 22nd, 2007
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Luke 2:8-14
And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."
Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."
Hello!
I hope that you are doing well and that the Lord is continuing to teach and stretch and grow you. The Christmas is just about upon us, and I’m sure we’ve all had our fair share of shopping, or Christmas music, or card-writing, or even rejoicing that you get to have a break soon either because the school semester is done with or because of a work holiday.
I was listening to a song by The Myriad today and some lyrics stuck out to me. I thought I would share:
“I’m waiting with my arms up high
My eyes pulled tight to lines of worry
That you won’t meet me here tonight
Am I reaching enough?
Am I reaching at nothing?
Am I reaching enough?
Am I reaching at all?”
Sometimes I feel like I could echo this lyric with ease, especially “Am I reaching enough? Am I reaching at all?” I’m sure that you’re not a complete stranger to this feeling either. But before we go and wear sackcloth and ashes on our heads in mourning about how much we feel like a disappointment to God, let me point out something that’s really important.
As you know, it’s around this time of year that we hear one of the names of God tossed more so than other times: Emmanuel. Emmanuel means “God with us.” Think about that for just a moment. Let it go from your computer screen to rest in your mind and settle somewhere in your soul.
“God with us.”
“God with us.
God
With
Us
To other religions this kind of idea, the idea of God dwelling with His creation, is totally outrageous. But this is exactly what Jesus did: fully God and fully man. Divinity wrapped up in human flesh. God coming down to live with humanity. Let me repeat that: God coming down to live with humanity. When Jesus ascended into heaven, then the Holy Spirit came to dwell with every believer. God with us.
While it’s important for us to yearn for God and seek His face, it’s crucial to remember that God reached down to us way before we even wanted to reach for Him. In all His amazing grace and humility the Almighty Creator took the initiative in making our relationship with Him right. He took the initiative to be a sacrifice for sins so that we can have a relationship with God at all.
How freaking crazy is that?
Rather than bury your head in “I’m not reaching enough,” look up and praise the Lord for coming and reaching down to you! There isn’t an amount of reaching that is going to make up for the distance He’s taken to bring you lovingly into His presence. We ought to pursue God and pray to God as a reaction to how amazing His love is. I pray that I can do that; I pray that you can do that. I pray that we are continually humbled by God’s redemption but also overflowing with thankfulness.
I pray that your Christmas and New Year’s will be joyful as you celebrate our Savior, Emmanuel, “God with us.”
In love and in Him,
Your sister,
Yvonne
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Monday, December 10th, 2007
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| Subject: | Weekly-ish |
| Time: | 6:17 pm. |
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Psalm 37:4-7
Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.
Matthew 6:33,34
…Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Hello friends!
A lot has been going on since the last time I wrote out the Weekly Thing (should it now be the bi-Weekly Thing??). But one primary reason that I’ve been lax in getting this out is due to some rather distracting events. Nov. 26th, I was involved in a minor car accident – from which I am not injured, nor is anyone else. But in case any of you were wondering: a sedan type vehicle is no match against an SUV. Due to related reasons I’ve decided to do without a car right now. This isn’t as big of a deal because I live in the middle of a big city, so public transportation is easily accessible.
However, in some ways it is a big deal. Now that I am without a car, and because of other current circumstances, I’m really feeling the sting of my desire to be independent. Let me explain. Having my own vehicle meant that I could almost go where I wanted whenever I wanted to go. Without a car, I need to humble myself and depend on others and ask for a ride – which will sometimes mean I’ll need to be forgiving and patient and still grateful when a friend is late; and that I shouldn’t be manipulative by talking someone into giving me a ride. Not only that, I also need to find out the when’s and where’s of public transportation.
Sounds pretty simple, right? But on the inside I know I don’t want to depend on others for little tasks that I once could do so easily myself.
Yet the most important and biggest thing this all points to is that God is probably teaching me to just TRUST and DEPEND on Him first and foremost. I have to trust that He is going to provide the means for me to get to places, and that He’ll keep me safe in the process (taking public transportation or walking at night in the city can be a little unnerving!). I have to trust that He’s going to sustain the relationships I have with others outside the city, and simply allow myself to be fully present in the place I live. There’s a lot more that I could probably go into, but the point is this: God wants me (and surely all of us?) to trust Him more with the finer details of our lives. Sometimes that means we need to sacrifice something in our lives. Sometimes that means He’ll take that something away, knowing that in so doing it gives us the opportunity to respond in faith and trust. I can’t say that I understand it completely but this is where I understand it at the moment, and I’m praying He continues to teach me to be less independent, and more dependent on Him as my provider and sustainer. I ask myself questions such as these and use them to encourage you: Did He not provide for so many of the men and women in the Bible, like Abraham and Moses and Ruth? And if He's provided Jesus, won’t He provide everything else?
I pray the same for all of us, so that in faith we can grow more as God’s children, knowing that our Father is good. I also pray that He teaches us to be more reliant on Him in all circumstances, having our hearts and minds transformed more and more into the image of Christ.
In love and in Him,
Your sister,
Yvonne
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Friday, November 23rd, 2007
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| Subject: | Thanksgiving Weekly |
| Time: | 9:10 am. |
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Colossians 2:6,7
So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.
Hebrews 12:28,29
…since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our "God is a consuming fire."
Psalm 28:7
The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song.
Hello everyone,
By the time you get this, it’s either Thanksgiving or the holiday has passed. But! There is always reason for us to be giving thanks… While I dislike the idea of doing your typical talk about giving thanks around this time of year, it is something that we constantly need to be reminded of. I say this because it is terribly difficult to do the opposite of expressing gratitude: complaining.
In the States, it’s absolutely socially acceptable to complain about – well – anything under the sun. The government; our jobs; our lack of money; our classes; the terrible quality of television; the neighbors we don’t like; the time it takes to wait in line for something; the food we’re eating; the homes we live in; the families (or in-laws!) that we’re “stuck” with; the state of the church; the --- do I really need to go on? And those are just some of the things I hear pretty much every day either with the people I interact with, people I pass on the street, or even out of my own mouth. Some may be somewhat legitimate in the sense of something being completely askew with the way things ought to be. But most of the time I feel like we complain for the sake of complaining. There are a blessed few out there that barely complain about anything at all. I try to be one of those people, but honestly where I fail the most is in with my thoughts. I might not vocalize it but I’m still complaining. It’s also real easy for some people to get caught up in the complaints of others and just delve into a Complaining Fest.
Yet, complaining is a serious matter to God. There are a number of Scripture references that exhort us to not complain; one such passage compares what happened to the Israelites when they complained (being struck dead! Yikes! Check out 1 Corinthians 10:10 and Jude 1:16).
Complaining really comes out of being ungrateful and having that seated on our tongues rather than praise and thanksgiving to our God. There are many things in the situations that we don’t like that we can still praise the Lord for, and that’s what our focus ought to be. This isn’t something unfamiliar to Scripture, either; some of the verses above are just a few out of many in which we are told to be thankful. Being thankful changes our attitude about a situation or circumstance, and it even refocuses our outlook on life. Rather than being a dreadful place where things don’t really go the way we want them to, the world becomes a place God has made and is continuing to work in.
Now does THAT just turn everything all upside down. I really think that being continually grateful rather than ungrateful is one of God’s ways of giving us new eyes. Now if only I could keep that in mind when I’m tempted to complain about something frivolous … like unfavorable weather.
I pray that the Lord would impress upon us a sense of gratitude that is overwhelming and awesome. I pray that we would be changed in the attitude of our minds, that instead of lamenting about a situation we would be able to see what God might be doing there and praise Him for it. I pray that we would push out our tendency to complain in our hearts and with others so that we can be more and more grateful for the things God has given us.
In love and in Him,
Your sister,
Yvonne
Philippians 2:14,15
Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe
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Wednesday, November 14th, 2007
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Hello!
I pray that this finds you well and that you’re learning a lot from our Lord through whatever your circumstances – good or bad – and that you are continually growing closer to Him. There are a handful of things that He’s been pulling from my own life, and particularly pointing out things that I thought I already went through a few times already.
Recently, I’ve begun to realize more and more how much I allow busyness (and contrastly, procrastination?) to veil over my daily life. While I encourage others to be diligent in prayer and making sure to spend time with God, I’ve found that I have not been taking my own words to heart and my own personal time in the quietness of God has been lacking. This is a dreadful realization. If you’ve been keeping tabs on the Weekly for a while now, this is going to be familiar news to you: you’ve seen where I’ve talked about this before, and probably would have seen it crop up again and again. You would think that I would be able to take hold of the bugger and toss it out, right? Oh - but cyclical sinner that I am, apparently I’m having a terrible time shaking it off even when I see it coming up again. and again. and again. (perhaps there is something you deal with of another sort that follows this particular trend?) BUT-- Praise be to God our Father for being so gracious and patient! How good He is deal with, bring us back, continually love us with discipline and faithfulness. How deep is God’s love for us that He would call and treat us as His children.
And through this busyness of mind, this disordered sense that makes me feel unbalanced and weighed down, there are so many good things that peek through. This Weekly Thing, I wanted to share with you some Scriptures that have cropped up over the past few days. It has encouraged me and a good portion of it has revolved around resting and finding/having peace in the Lord. That’s what I need right now: rest. God’s peace. an assurance that He is in control. that He is using me even when I feel feeble and weighed down. I need refinement and a sharpening. I pray these passages from Scripture, through our faith in Christ, would encourage your hearts as well.
Philippians 4:4-9, 12,13
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.
know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, 23,24
Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.
2 Thessalonians 2:16,17
May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.
Praise be to God.
In love and in Him,
Yvonne
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Saturday, November 3rd, 2007
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Matthew 5:13-16
You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.
Hello everyone!
It has been quite a busy time for me; I should probably be taking more time and paying more attention to rest. I’ve been neglecting certain things that I love doing and certain things that I don’t necessarily love to do, but should get done (particularly the kind of things that require cleaning the apartment – oi!). But with that thought aside, I hope that you have been more restful than I, and have been able to celebrate the gift of down time.
As always, there is much that I could share. There are still things from the last Weekly that I sent that I’d like to talk about, and it’s amazing what can happen between now and then that brings up other thoughts. Lately I’d been in conversations about following Christ and faith; and then I’d also been thinking about serving Him where we live and having the compassion and loving the places where we live. When God called Abraham, for example, Abraham had no idea where he was going. God said “Go to the place I lead you,” and Abraham went. While I don’t think that too many of us (though some of us do) get the direct voice of God telling us where we ought to live next, I do believe that there is a purpose in being in the places you and I are currently at. This was the case with Esther, who found herself in a royal position around the same time when n edict was sent for the destruction of the Jews… she became the king’s wife and was able to plead for her people (Esther 4:14, “And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?” said to Esther when she was not completely willing to speak to the king.)
Whether you are in school, or working in a business, or working part-time while you look for a career, there’s a reason for being where you are right now. Now, I can’t tell you what that might be. But, I can suggest that perhaps you are where you are to grow as a Christian. I can suggest that maybe there is one person – maybe even the one that annoys you the most – that needs to hear/see the Gospel and the love of God. I could suggest a lot of things but the point is that it can be so easy to be discontent with the place we’re in, that once we start complaining about it we end up missing the opportunity to be blessed… or to bless someone else with the kind of blessing that comes from a servant’s heart. Our scope becomes too small, or too self-focused, or too boxed in. Worse yet, maybe we’re too busy living in our prospective future situation that we totally miss what’s going on in the present. Rather than do that, look for how God may want to use you or teach something to you in your current situation. Look for ways that you can serve those who are around you right now. Take joy in the little things you can find so that your heart can be more grateful for the fact that you have what you do.
There’s a phrase that I heard a long time ago and recently heard again: “Bloom where you’re planted.” Maybe your neighbors need to know that Christ’s love is deeper and more forgiving than they think. Maybe your coworker needs to see what a compassionate Christian looks like. Maybe your classmate’s wounds need to be healed. Maybe your family needs to see what God’s grace really looks like. Maybe you need to learn how to trust in, wait on, or depend on God. Maybe you’re not willing to budge but God really is calling you to go somewhere else.
“Maybe” a lot of things; I don’t know your situation. Take courage though: the God who saved you and holds you close is the same God that gives you strength to be a light in the world. He isn’t going to let you down as long as you look and listen to what He’s got in store for you. And that’s my prayer for all of us.
In love and in Him,
Your sister,
Yvonne
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