It's Raining Cats and Dogs!

Just sitting here thinking about what to write, and my mind is circling around all of the problems people around me are currently having. Health is a major one right now. It seems like everyone’s family is currently affected by some type of illness. We are in our fourth week of various sicknesses…four or five completely different things happening one right after another. (Mostly to me!) Honestly, this has started to wear on me and I could definitely use a long stretch of health to get recharged!

Health is not the only issue though. Multiple friends have some pretty serious issues of other sorts going on around them. Does it seem like we go through long stretches of smooth sailing and then seemingly longer stretches of being bombarded with troubles? It can seem that way to me sometimes. And when that happens, it’s not only to me, but many people around me as well. Or, perhaps it just seems that way because I am more alert to it because of my own situation.

Thinking of this, I am reminded of a picture I sketched out many years ago- visualize a crowd of people in a wide open space. Thunderclouds are approaching and there isn’t any large man-made structure around to seek shelter beneath. The people start moaning and complaining about the fact that they are about to get drenched. When the rain starts falling, it falls on everyone, but wait…some of the people have umbrellas! They are not large umbrellas that can open up over multiple people; they are individual sized ones that can only be beneficial to each person who is holding one. These little umbrellas pop up here and there throughout the crowd and the people underneath them, although it continues to rain on them just as much as the others, they have a shelter. They have something that covers them when the rain starts to fall. It is not something they mooch off of their neighbor, but their own individual source of comfort and protection in the storm. Amidst all the discomfort around them, they can stay warm and dry.

My point in this is that it rains on all of us. If you are human and you are on this earth, you will go through stormy times- times when everyone around you seems to be getting drenched in the rain and the slop that comes along with it. The difference is, although we all get rained on, we don’t all have to be left out in the rain, exposed to the cold, the sogginess, the hopelessness…the moaning and groaning about the storm that has currently formed overhead. Those of us who believe and follow Jesus have our own little personal umbrella at all times that we can pop open and take shelter underneath. Sometimes the umbrella might be difficult for us to open at first. The hinges may squeak and be a little stiff and rusty from lack of use, but they are still strong and functional. This umbrella doesn’t leak and it is always readily available.

The apostle Paul wrote some powerful words on this topic. He knew what he was talking about because he went through some serious hard times! Here are just a couple-

We've been surrounded and battered by troubles, but we're not demoralized; we're not sure what to do, but we know that God knows what to do; we've been spiritually terrorized, but God hasn't left our side; we've been thrown down, but we haven't broken. (2 Cor 4:8-9, The Message)

He comes alongside us when we go through hard times, and before you know it, he brings us alongside someone else who is going through hard times so that we can be there for that person just as God was there for us. We have plenty of hard times that come from following the Messiah, but no more so than the good times of his healing comfort—we get a full measure of that, too. (2 Cor 1:4-5, The Message)

So as I continue to ponder the various circumstances befalling myself and my loved ones, I am going to remember the image of that personal-sized, but strong, umbrella that is covering me and thank God that He is so loving to make it available to me instead of allowing me to get washed away by the storm.

Oh, and keep a lookout for the sun because the rain can only last so long!

The Business of Busyness

I can’t stand being busy for very long. Down time is something I need in order to stay sane. It is in those times of being free from activity and commitments when I can hear myself think. In today’s culture of “Go Go Go!”, it is so easy to go through each day running around everywhere doing everything you feel like you should do, while not doing anything that has lasting value.

How is it that we can stay so busy running around doing so much, and yet do nothing that has eternal value? I call this state “busyness” I think busyness is the default mode we fall into unless we are intentional about what we use our time for. It's like being on one of those moving walkways at the airport- just going with the flow, relying on external energy to move laterally when we should be using internal energy to climb stairs and make a vertical move. There are many things we know we should do, like spending time with God everyday in prayer, studying the Bible more, spending time with a friend who is down, etc, but we make excuses and say “I just don’t have time for that, maybe when things slow down.” The truth is, we are all given the same amount of time and we aren’t ever going to get more than we have right now. It is the management of that time that we need to work on. As we procrastinate making the changes we know we should make, more time slips away…

We always make time for the things that are the most important to us.

When’s the last time that you went over a month without getting groceries? How about watching the most recent episode of your favorite TV show? Going to the gym or out for a run? I know people who get up while it is still dark outside to exercise every day. (Yes, they are crazy. But they are in better shape than I am, so, eh...whatever.) What we do with our time reveals the priorities of our heart, unfortunately. We always seem to have enough time for the things that are important to us. This is because we make the time. Sometimes this can be very convicting when we start to examine exactly what we do with all the minutes in our day. How much time is spent on social media sites when you add up all the moments throughout the day? I’m not saying Facebook is bad (I love Facebook!) or watching TV is wrong, but consider exactly what it is that you do with all your minutes in the day before you use the excuse “I don’t have time”. We have the time for what we are called to do in our lives. God has given us the time. What are you doing with it? Are you coasting along in default mode and just ending up in front of the computer or the TV when you get a moment of free time? What is it that you wish you had more time for? How can you be intentional about fitting it into your daily schedule?

Be intentional

Perhaps an awareness of what you actually spend your time doing is all it may take for you to make some needed changes. For others, it will take a plan- an intentional way of doing things. I know for me, having two small (and very active!) boys around the house makes any quiet time in the day impossible unless I plan it out. I used to think “Well, I’ll see how the day goes and if I get a moment to myself, I’ll go ahead and read my Bible for a while then”. I think I just heard a collective chuckle from all you moms out there. Yeah, I went months without reading my Bible while having this mindset. Something always came up. The truth is, I wasn’t making it a priority to do any studying. Planning ahead and yes, getting up early (ugh!) is the only way to make quiet reading time possible in this house.

Simplify

Some of us are just way too busy. We see something come along that seems fun and beneficial so we go for it. The problem with this is that spreading ourselves too thin prevents us from putting a whole lot of ourselves into any one thing. A phrase I remember from a long time ago- “It may be a GOOD thing, but is it GOD thing?” God knows how much we can handle and he has already equipped us for what He has called us to do. Just seek Him and find out only what it is that He has for you to do and get rid of all the other stuff weighing you down. That seems too simple, but that’s it. Nothing else to say about it.

Certainly, there are responsibilities we have to take care of every day, but let’s examine our priorities and make sure we aren’t getting too busy for God. I like the below verse- maybe I should start out every day by reading it!

Romans 13:11- But make sure that you don't get so absorbed and exhausted in taking care of all your day-by-day obligations that you lose track of the time and doze off, oblivious to God. (The Message)

Your Purpose in Life: Get a Clue!

Maybe you read my last post and thought “Okay, so maybe God does have a purpose for me, but I have no idea what it is. I don’t even know where to begin.” It will take some time, some introspection, prayer and some waiting on God, but I do have some ideas to get you on your way to discovering it. Keep in mind, I am also figuring this out as I go, so by no means do I have all the answers!

Before I go into details, let me first say what will probably NOT happen. You probably won’t hear a rumbling voice out of the sky that proceeds to spell out every detail of the rest of your life. Possible, but not likely. I have found that God usually speaks to us like a subtle breeze, a gentle but persistent nudge, a steady awareness in our hearts. He also leads us in steps, not usually in giant leaps. Don’t expect to know what your life will be like years down the road. Proverbs 16:9 says: In their hearts humans plan their course, but the LORD establishes their steps. Note that says steps, not leaps. We just keep putting one foot in front of the other and He directs us as we go along. I also like what James says:

And now I have a word for you who brashly announce, "Today—at the latest, tomorrow—we're off to such and such a city for the year. We're going to start a business and make a lot of money." You don't know the first thing about tomorrow. You're nothing but a wisp of fog, catching a brief bit of sun before disappearing. Instead, make it a habit to say, "If the Master wills it and we're still alive, we'll do this or that." James 4:13-15, The Message

Let’s not get ahead of God and make our own plans. (Easier said than done for some of us, I know!)

There are three areas to look at when we start to seek God’s purpose for us:

-Passions and values

-Talents and giftings

-Past experiences in our lives, pleasant or painful

What excites you about life? What topic or issue gets you fired up like no other? What brings you enormous fulfillment? What values in life are precious to you? God has planted seeds in your heart that are there for a reason. Strong feelings about certain things could be there for a purpose- so we are compelled to take action. Do you have an especially tender heart for the elderly? That tenderness could enable you to touch their lives like no other. Do you feel passionate about creating things? About encouraging people who are going through rough times? About fostering a nurturing family environment? Take some time and come up with five or ten values or passions that stand out to you. Chances are, these things were placed in your heart by God for a reason.

What are you naturally good at? What types of things do lean towards doing? If you’ve never taken a spiritual gifts assessment, I encourage you to do so. There are many of them online and most can be completed in just a few minutes. Your eyes might be opened to something you never thought about before. Check out www.chazown.com – there are some really useful tools on there for exploring your purpose! I am also reading through the book Chazown: Define Your Vision. Pursue Your Passion. Live Your Life on Purpose. by Craig Groeschel and it is a wealth of great info on this topic.

The truth is, God has handed out different gifts and talents to all of us. We’re not going to do much good if we try to be something we’re not. Find out what talents He has put in you and then use them!

What have you experienced in your life? Think back on struggles you’ve gone through, times of pain that you had to walk through, great joys and accomplishments…all those things that have combined to make you who you are. God knows every detail of our lives and many of these events were put into motion by Him to mold and shape you into the person He wants you to be…all so you can best fulfill the purpose He has for you. Don’t block out painful times in your life. What did you learn from them? What areas in you were strengthened because of the difficulty? How are you better equipped to help others because of what you went through? Chances are, God wants to use all of these things to help others and bring Him glory through it all. Maybe you dealt with something terrible as a child and now, having come through it, you have an awareness of what it’s like and you are able to give hope to those currently experiencing the same thing… just an example to get you thinking about what past experiences may have molded you.

Combine all these things- your passions in life, your talents, and your past experiences. Take some time to dwell on them and pray that God would show you how they all work together to give you clue about the purpose He has for you.

As you begin your search, it’s important to remember a few things- your purpose will go along with God’s heart for people and His character revealed in scripture. It is not going to be “step on whoever I need to in order to become the youngest millionaire in history”. God’s purpose for you will never contradict His word and it will always revolve around His love for people and point back to Him to bring Him glory.

Also, other people close to you should be able to affirm that you are on track. If you share with them what you sense to be your purpose, they may be able to say “I can totally see you doing that!” or “I’ve always thought you were made to do that!”

Your purpose may or may not be associated with your profession. I recently learned that the apostle Paul was a tent maker by trade. Many days, he rose early and went to work making tents, took a break from around noon to 4pm to go to the meeting place in town to teach, and then went back to making tents for the rest of the day. I don’t think he would say that tent-making was his purpose in life; it was simply his way to support himself and his friends while he worked to spread the message of Jesus. “Career” and “purpose” are not necessarily the same thing.

Finding our purpose in life should not be thought of as some new self-help strategy… it is why we were made- why we exist! Everything we do in life should be done with it in mind. The thought of simply coasting through life without doing what God has put me here to do is terrifying. I don’t want to get to the end of my life and look back wishing I had done everything differently. I have a new found passion to stay tuned in to what God is doing and attempt to live every day as He would have me live it.

I would love it if you would go to this website- www.chazown.com and take the assessments and go through the exercises that will help you write a vision statement for your life. You don’t have to sit down and do it all at once. You can break it up into a few sessions if you don’t have a huge chunk of time. I’m going to compile mine and (perhaps) share it with all of you in a future post.

Start taking some steps- pray that He will open your eyes to what He wants to do through you, and then start watching and listening. If you are truly submitting yourself to His will for you, He will make it clear in His timing.

The Fact That You Have a Unique Purpose...

When you hear someone talk about their purpose in life, do you think “There’s nothing that special about me. Some people have a purpose and some don’t.” Do you tend to think of yourself as just a Mom or just an employee who brings home a paycheck from a dead-end job or just another person among billions of others? If you do, don’t feel guilty about it, but know that you are WRONG. It is difficult for us to fathom, and I know this sounds slightly cliché, but you are not just one of billions of people on this planet, you are one in a billion. There is simply no other person on this planet that is just like you. You were created, by God, very uniquely, to fulfill certain purposes that He lined out for you before you were even born.

I like this thought from Rick Warren's The Purpose Driven Life- "You were made by God and for God, and until you understand that, life will never make sense." So true. Without knowing God, without having a relationship with Him, without being familiar with His character and His love for people, you will coast along and live to just make it through each day. You may get times of temporary satisfaction in certain things, but nothing real. Nothing lasting. Nothing eternal. We all have an awareness inside of us, whether you know God yet or not, that there’s something bigger, something more than ourselves. We can quiet it with busyness, media, various ambitions, materialism... but every once in a while, certain events occur in our lives and this awareness of something more gets stirred up in our hearts:

When life-altering decisions have to be made.

When something treasured gets taken away from us.

When relationships are torn apart.

When we are at the unexpected funeral of someone precious to us.

Yes, there is something more. Don’t mute it anymore. Listen to it.

God has made us who we are. Intentionally. He designed us just as we are, with all those things we view as faults and all those things we view as strengths.

Psalm 139:13-14,- For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. V16. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

What does it mean to be fearfully and wonderfully made? The complexity of the human body is a testament to its creator. From the way it all works together as a whole for us to be able to live, to the intricate details of the tiniest cell. If He took such care in designing our physical bodies that will eventually end up rotting in the ground, imagine how much more care He took to design our soul and spirit, the part that makes us who we are… the part that will be around for eternity.

Jeremiah 29:11- “For I know the plans I have for you” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future…”

He has good plans for us. He is not out to get us or cause us to suffer for his entertainment. He wants us to prosper. To do well. To thrive. To live our lives for Him.

Acts 17:26-27- From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us.

He knew every detail of when and where we would live before we were ever born. He wants us to know Him.

I like to picture the people of the world as a huge multi-billion piece puzzle. It is very colorful and interesting to look at. You are one of those billions of pieces and you have your unique shape and color and also a particular place where you fit in order to make the puzzle complete. You may be a piece that goes in the background of the picture, perhaps a soothing shade of green. Maybe you’re one of the corner pieces, and you help form the frame of the entire puzzle. Or, maybe you have crazy colored stripes and fit properly in the center of the puzzle. Whatever your characteristics are, wherever you fit in the puzzle, it is incomplete without you. Have you ever worked on a puzzle and gotten down to the end and realized a piece is missing? Ughhh! So frustrating! It simply isn’t satisfying to see a void where something should obviously be. God made you on purpose to fulfill a purpose, gave you certain characteristics and gifts, and has a place where only you can fit.

Another thought I want to throw in- don’t compare yourself with others. Don’t base your self-worth on what the world thinks of you. Don’t find your identity in who the world says you are. See yourself as God sees you and find your identity in Christ. If you struggle with insecurity or low self-esteem, I hear Beth Moore’s So Long, Insecurity is a great read and can help in that area.

A thought to wrap this up- There have always been certain aspects of my appearance that I haven’t liked very much. “Peanut” ears and “eagle” eyebrows are a couple of them. (A sarcastic thank you to my siblings for coming up with these names and scarring me forever at a very young age.) When my second baby was born, I saw that he too has my “peanut” ears and “eagle” eyebrows, and I love them. I now look at those features on myself and appreciate them, because they look like my little boy and remind me of him. I can never think of those features in a negative way again. I like to think it is the same way with God. Genesis 1:27 says:

So God created mankind in his own image,
in the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them.

He loves us exactly how we are made. The same way I can see reflections of myself in my little boy, God can see reflections of Himself in us. We are His children.

He loves you with an immeasurable love and He did create you for a unique purpose. Oh, and by the way, the purpose is not about you. It’s about God and it is an important part of His much bigger purpose for eternity. I’m already looking forward to writing the next post about ways to figure out what that purpose is! That's where it starts to get really exciting. :)