Prayer

Infinitely More

/ Jodie / Leave a comment

Ephesians 3:14-20

14 When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father,[a] 15 the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth.[b] 16 I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. 17 Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. 18 And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. 19 May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

20 Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.

I’ll admit it: when something breaks in our household, it ticks me off! The inconvenience of an item not functioning properly, the amount of time it will take to fix it, and the extra money invested in parts and repairs can sometimes turn me into Oscar the Grouch.

During the last few weeks, however, God has been showing me a different perspective of life’s little inconveniences.

Item #1:

After we installed a new deck, purchased a used hot tub and paid a licensed electrician to wire it, the dang thing wouldn’t turn on! Somehow I knew that God had a lesson in all of it, so I prayed: Lord, please help me not to blame the electrician…let this install somehow be a blessing to him. Would you pleeeeeease miraculously fix the wiring so we don’t have to hire anyone else.”

He didn’t answer my prayer exactly as I asked, but He did send a friend over who switched the wires and POOF! The jets turned on. As the kids (they too had been praying for the Jacuzzi to be miraculously fixed) and I went screaming into the backyard, shouting “Thank you, God! Hallelujah!” our friend smiled, realizing that God had answered our prayers.

infinitely more than we might ask or think…..

(I won’t go into great detail of the leak that started pudding inside the frame of the hot tub a week later…because God sent another friend to fix that in about 2 seconds and the rest of the night we sat encouraging one another, as we all are enduring an extremely busy and difficult season in life).

infinitely more than we might ask or think…..

Item #2:

When the 2nd time in 4 months that our fridge stopped cooling, I had had it! “Lord, would you pleeeease fix this supernaturally- or send us a new one FREE of charge!” After the repairman came to assess the damage, we realized we just needed to replace another part that had worn out. So, I changed my prayer “Lord, let us not have to pay for the repair- at all! (since the same company had worked on it 4 months before, I assumed this was their fault. Boy, was my heart completely wrong.) Two days later, once the part was replaced, the service man turned to Doug and said, “Hey, man- I hope you don’t mind me eavesdropping, but I overheard your family praying together the other day. It encouraged me. Normally, I only pray at meal time- but now I’m praying at other times too!”

“All glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think!”

AND, if that wasn’t enough…..the repairman didn’t charge us for labor- just the part and the service call.

The Bread of Life

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John 6:35

35 Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.

During my junior year at Methodist College (it has since become Methodist University) I had a once in a lifetime opportunity to go on a singing tour of France with my college chorus. We visited the Eiffel Tower and The Louvre, but my most memorable experience was the 7-course dinner we had with the town leaders of our sister city, St. Avold. Thirty plus members and I joined at least that many more guests in a gorgeous banquet hall for a fabulous French feast. Each course was perfectly plated, made with only the freshest ingredients and paired with, of course, an exquisite glass of French wine. Never before, or since, have I consumed such a life giving meal. Although our hosts spoke very little English and only a few of our students could understand conversational French, we found common ground through our palates and our voices as we began singing some of the worlds most beloved choral arrangements together. After 3-4 hours of eating, drinking, singing and laughing our bellies were full- and so were our hearts.

These days, when our family is swayed by one of those pesky cows to “eat more chicken,” our feast only lasts a measly 3-4 minutes! Never once have I gotten up from the table or out of the car with a full belly -and heart. In fact, an hour or so after the quick service food has broken down into nothingness I’m usually hungry again. The same phenomenon applies when I use the drive thru to pick up a little snack from God, instead of sitting down to a 7-course meal to eat and drink Him in.

When I first began following Jesus I lived off fast food experiences:

-church on Sunday

-an occasional skim through a devotional book during the week

-tune in to a Christian radio station during part of my commute home

-watch a tv evangelist once in a while

I rarely cracked open one of the many bibles that sat on my shelf, and prayer only happened when somebody else forced me. I had NO idea what Jesus meant when He said He was the bread of life. That is, until I began making the time to sit to His table, read the word, pray and worship Him for who He is. Only then did I feel full- no longer thirsty or hungry an hour later. The same discipline is still true today. When my calendar is over booked and I hit the ground running, taking only a few minutes with Him before I start my day, I usually feel the pangs of hunger rather quickly:

-a kid cops an attitude with me and I react in anger

-Doug says something that I don’t agree with and the “heated debate” is ON

-a friend or family member sends me a message and I am immediately offended by their words or emoticons

-I call my neighbor an idiot when she almost runs me over during my walk through the neighborhood

-blah, blah, blah….

However, when I take the time to engage in a 7 course meal:

-worship

-thanksgiving

-repentance

-forgiveness

-submission

-bible study

-journaling

with my Creator in the morning I always reap the nutritional benefits of the final course, just as it was served in France: wine, cheese…and fresh fruit.

Galatians 5:22-23

22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control.

Exposed

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John 3:16-21 New Living Translation (NLT)

16 “For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. 17 God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.

18 “There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son. 19 And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. 20 All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed. 21 But those who do what is right come to the light so others can see that they are doing what God wants.[a]”

This morning, as I was complaining (out loud) about an “issue” in the house, my husband gently deflated my rising frustration by whispering, “there’s probably a lesson, or blog somewhere in this….”

I quickly responded, “NO- I don’t think so! (silence) “yeah….you’re probably right.”

About a week ago, my keen sense of smell alerted me to something amiss in the house. As I went from room to room, sniffing like a bloodhound, I discovered the location of the stench: our son’s bedroom. As I got down on all 4’s for a closer inspection, I quickly deciphered the odor on the rug: non-human pee.

How had I not seen it before?

How had I not felt it before?

How had I not smelled it before?

It was hidden in plain sight.

I was completely unaware of its existence.

I grabbed the spray bottle of vinegar and a rag and began grumbling and scrubbing it out with a bit of elbow grease.

A few days later, after the hot August sun had been shining through the windows, the light and heat re-ignited the odor. Upon closer inspection (this time I flipped the rug over) I realized that there was not 1, but 2 large pee stains on the rug! The kids and I then drug the 8×8 carpet outside to be steamed cleaned with a deodorizer. We left it on the driveway to dry overnight to ensure that the odor- and stain were completely eradicated.

This morning, to my horror, when I walked back into our son’s room, it still smelled like pee. The urine had seeped all the way through the rug and into the hardwood floors!!!

(it was in this moment when my husband intervened…..and offered me the opportunity for another life lesson)

What in the world could I learn from a pee stained rug?

Plenty.

You see, the enemy uses the same hidden in plain sight tactic with us. When we sin, he is allowed a foothold and his presence stains and stinks up our lives. Even though we may be completely unaware of their existence, those sins can seep down deep into our soul, affecting not only our life, but also those around us.

In order to expose the darkness in our heart, we must:

a)    be in constant relationship with the Lord and regularly ask Him to reveal areas of sin in our lives (often times a stench is a good indicator of a problem!)

b)   have godly friends (I’m not talking about those “friends” that we have superficial “it’s all good” conversations with…I’m talking about iron sharpens iron friends) that will rebuke us, in love, by helping to flip over the rug to reveal the stain underneath.

After those areas are exposed to the light, we can either:

a)    choose to fix them ourselves (like I did when I tried to scrub those deeply embedded stains out of the rug, by hand, with just a rag and some vinegar)

b)   repent, seek God’s forgiveness and be cleansed (the Holy Spirit uses a fabulous steam cleaner with odor eliminating detergent!)

Father,

Thank you for loving me so much that you sent your son to die for me, so that I may spend eternity with you. Thank you for shining your light on the dark places of my soul, so that they can be exposed, eliminated and cleansed.

Amen

Rest for my Soul

/ Jodie / 1 Comment

Matthew 11:25-30 New Living Translation (NLT)

25 At that time Jesus prayed this prayer: “O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, thank you for hiding these things from those who think themselves wise and clever, and for revealing them to the childlike. 26 Yes, Father, it pleased you to do it this way!

27 “My Father has entrusted everything to me. No one truly knows the Son except the Father, and no one truly knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”

28 Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”

Last night, as Doug and I walked around the track at the soccer field, I began reciting “The List” to him (“The List” is anything and everything having to do with our lives, our marriage, our children, the job and the ministry that needs decisions made or things done). He patiently listened and empathized with my struggle, but in the end he offered several points of wisdom and encouraged me to pray- and wait.

I don’t like to wait. I want an answer NOW, because when I have “The List” all checked off, I can rest!

This, however, I am learning, is not true rest.

On New Years Day 2012, the Lord gave me a vision of myself in a yoke with Jesus. I was leading…running ahead, straining myself, and I was completely exhausted trying to navigate the road ahead. Even more frustrating was trying to decide which road to take!

Almost immediately, I knew what God was trying to show me. I was failing to humble myself before the King of Kings and allow HIM to teach – and lead me. Instead, I was striving to do everything by myself. The consequences for my actions were heavy burdens, which did not belong to me, and a yoke that was impossible for me to carry.

This morning as I was praying, this same passage of scripture came to mind…and I was reminded of the vision.

“Surely, this must be for someone else, Lord….not ME again?!?” (flash back to last nights conversation with Doug…and how overwhelmed I was feeling).

Uh….yeah….it’s me.

Once again, as the demands of life have begun piling up, I’ve inadvertently started picking up burdens, which aren’t mine to carry, and the weight of answering & fulfilling the “The List” was beginning to crush the yoke around my neck:

-Doug hasn’t been paid for multiple weeks of consulting work….and the bills keep rolling in.

-Our oldest is starting High School in another year. How will I be able to teach her and ensure she meets all the requirements she needs for college?

-Our middle 2 daughters want to be involved in theatre, but lessons are costly and I want them to honor God in all that they do, without having to compromise their beliefs.

-Should I plan more play dates and extra-cirricular activities for our son (so he stops pestering his sisters)….or should Doug just take him outside every day and body slam him!?!

-We have a mound of paperwork and scheduling that needs to be done for the ministry… …when am I gonna be able to get it all done?!?

God promises that if I surrender myself to Jesus’ lead, within the yoke He designed for me, I will be able to pull the burdens He gives me to carry with ease. Even when the road ahead seems treacherous and difficult to maneuver, I can trust Him to lead me, and I will find rest for my soul.

Jesus beckoned me to come to Him again this morning…..and when I did, He lovingly showed me that I had not submitted “The List” to Him. Once I realized this, I repented for trying to carry the burden on my own- and not trusting Him to lead. The result was a miraculous and instantaneous one: my burden was lightened and my yoke was made easy.

After I rested in Him for a while, I began asking questions pertaining to “The List” and wouldn’t ya know it- He answered some of them immediately, and others, He said “wait….”  That’s exactly what the man who leads me- and our family- said last night! (there’s probably another lesson here that Jesus wants to teach me about trusting my husband, and following his lead, huh?!?).

Yes or No?

/ Jodie / 2 Comments

Matthew 1:18-24 New Living Translation (NLT)

The Birth of Jesus the Messiah

18 This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit. 19 Joseph, her fiancé, was a good man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement[a] quietly.

20 As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. 21 And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus,[b] for he will save his people from their sins.”

22 All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord’s message through his prophet:

23 “Look! The virgin will conceive a child!
    She will give birth to a son,
and they will call him Immanuel,[c]
    which means ‘God is with us.’”

24 When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded and took Mary as his wife.

 

When Joseph “considered” what to do about the embarrassing situation with Mary, I assume he didn’t ask God: “Do I marry her? Or do I call the whole thing off?” Hence the reason the Lord used another method to relay His will to Joseph..… disturbing his sleep! God answered the question that was never posed: Yes, Joseph…you should marry her. After hearing the message from an angel, Joseph changed his mind about Mary. Despite the possibility of being falsely judged for fathering a child out of wedlock or marrying a woman who appeared to have been unfaithful to her betrothed, Joseph chose to obey God. His actions proved that he was more concerned with pleasing God than pleasing others.

I still find myself struggling with this. Often times I don’t inquire for an answer from God before responding. When someone asks me to do this or that or tells me I should or need to do this or that, my natural reaction is to say “yes!” because I don’t want them to feel rejected. The result of my knee jerk, put my foot in mouth, lack of self control decisions usually leaves me feeling angry, over committed and overwhelmed. Almost immediately I experience “buyers remorse” and then try to find a way to manipulate the circumstances to be able to give an excuse and then say “no.” As a result of my disobedience and cover up, not only do I suffer, but so do the people whom I was trying not to hurt or offend.

Recently, God spoke to me (again) through a few wise women who reminded me that although I am supposed to love my neighbor- and serve them, my FIRST & greatest “yes” is to God. When I ask Him what to do (or not to do), He will give me the peace to say “no” without guilt and the tools necessary to say “yes” without feeling like my world is spinning out of control.

There is no decision too mundane or miniscule to ask Him about. He wants to be my constant companion- and helper for EVERYTHING in life!

God, how do you want me to respond to this request?

Lord, should Doug and I go on a week vacation next month?

Father, do I need to show grace to my child in this situation?

God, should I join this small group?

Lord, should I teach a home-school co-op class this semester?

Father, do I need to volunteer to serve on this team?

As God continues to bring revelation to the areas of my heart that are not yet fully surrendered to Him, I pray that I will have the faith and courage to do as Joseph did- despite what others may say. May my “yes” be His “yes” and my “no” be His “no.”