Not Offended

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Colossians 3:12-13

12 Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. 13 Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.

During a recent walk with my neighbor, I was shocked when out of nowhere she blurted out, “Jodie- I don’t want to hurt your feelings, but you don’t work? You need to make some money so you can take care of yourself and your children. What if Doug runs off with another woman? What would you do?” “Well,” I quickly replied “I trust God and I trust my husband so I have no need to fear.” As she continued to plead her case, my mind began to wander…….

“dang! this woman just insulted my worth as a stay at home wife & home-school mom AND she’s accusing my husband of wanting to be unfaithful!!!”

But then the Holy Spirit gently interjected “she does not know me….she does not trust me…”

As my mind re-engaged in the conversation, my friend said again, “you know, Jodie, I don’t want to hurt your feelings…I just don’t trust NO ONE, not even my husband.”

DING, DING, DING- there it was, blinking like a neon sign right in front of me, exactly what the Lord just revealed: she trusts NO ONE.

Fortunately, instead of reacting in anger and becoming greatly offended by her false accusation the Lord poured out His Spirit and allowed me to show mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience towards my new friend. It was also God’s perfect timing because it was only the day before that she confessed that she was lonely- and needed a friend. It was only the day before that she wept, telling me that her beloved dog had just passed away. It was only the day before that she shared about her belief in Buddha- and that she was trying so hard to be a “good person.” It was only the day before that my heart ached and my eyes filled with tears as I realized how lost she was. It was only the day before that I told her about Jesus- the greatest friend she could ever know. It was only the day before that I asked God to continue to use me to draw her to Himself.

Every day, God gives us the opportunity to love our “neighbors”….whether its our spouse, our children, our extended family, our co-workers or those that live next door or down the street. The question is: will we be offended by their words or actions towards us, or will we allow the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit to help us love them?

Luke 7:23

And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.”

Thief

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John 10:10

10 The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.

During a recent trip to Lowe’s Home Improvement, I decided to buy a new bird feeder to replace our broken hummingbird feeder. While looking through the various designs, our son offered a bit of wisdom “Mom, you need to get that cone thing like Mema & Papa’s so the squirrels don’t eat the food!” “Nah,” I replied “we don’t need that…I’ll just hang it somewhere they can’t get to.”

Lesson #1: Don’t ignore a warning

Yesterday morning, as I gazed out our kitchen window I watched in horror as an obese squirrel hung upside down from the branch of our dogwood tree, eating all the bird seed out of our new feeder!!! “UHHHH!” I yelled. “That dang squirrel has stolen all the food!” Maguire confidently replied “I told ya Mom…you need that cone thing. I already scared ‘em off 3 times this morning.”

Lesson #2: Don’t be naïve to think that you can avoid a thief

After Doug went out and chased that pesky squirrel away, he didn’t come back for quite a while. In his absence, the hungry little birds, whom the feeder was intended, darted back and forth for a few nibbles of food. Eventually, however, their enemy returned. By the time he was finished stealing all the seed, his belly was so full he could barely climb down the tree!

Lesson #3: You can’t chase an enemy away a handful of times and think he’ll stay gone

After watching the scenario between the squirrel and the birds unfold before me, the Holy Spirit whispered “this is exactly how the enemy works in your life.” My loving Father provides me with all the seed I need to sustain not only my physical body, but my soul and spirit as well. All I have to do is flap my little wings over to His feeder and gulp Him in through worship, prayer, bible study, etc…and I have a rich and satisfying life. BUT, if I make the mistake of ignoring His warnings about the enemy I open myself up to being robbed. Then, if I choose to pretend he’ll leave me alone, He’ll take even more from me. If I finally face my fears and boldly stand up to him, he’ll flee…but he won’t stay gone for long. For his sole purpose is to steal, kill and destroy my life because he hates the One who feeds me.

1 Peter 5:8

8 Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.

Thankfully, all I need to do is return to the feeder for strength to fight my great enemy- for the battle is the Lords…and HE will save me from every attack.

2 Timothy 4:18

18 Yes, and the Lord will deliver me from every evil attack and will bring me safely into his heavenly Kingdom. All glory to God forever and ever! Amen.

Endurance

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Romans 5:1-5

5 Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. 2 Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.

3 We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. 4 And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. 5 And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.

I’ve had the undeserved privilege of snorkeling in the waters off Maui, Oahu, The Bahama’s and The British Virgin Islands. My first attempt was on our honeymoon and the seas were especially rough that day. I struggled to learn how to breathe only in and out of my mouth and forcefully blow air out of the snorkel to expel water. Early into our excursion, waves began crashing over my heard and I began to panic, feeling like I was going to drown. After swallowing too much water I was forced back to the catamaran while Doug dove to the depths, petting sea turtles and snapping pictures of exotic fish.

Having snorkeled a handful of times since then, I felt confident that I would thoroughly enjoy 6 days of exploring the uncharted waters off Peter Island, but my maiden voyage was cut short. On our first full day on the island, Doug and I strapped on our flippers and facemasks and dove into the crystal clear waters of the Caribbean, swimming towards the rocky edge of White Bay. In the first few minutes I saw more fish then I had on all my other snorkeling adventures- combined! I was stoked. But then…we entered deep waters with powerful waves that continued to pull me towards the gigantic boulders on the coast. As salty water continued to pour into my snorkel, I tried and tried to remember to do as I had been taught, but I quickly began to panic. I surfaced multiple times, asking Doug for help and he patiently re-iterated what I needed to do. “Relax, Jodie…blow in and out of your mouth (not your nose) and when water comes in your snorkel, blow out….hard!” After a few more failed attempts, he even switched masks with me- thinking perhaps it wasn’t user error. It was. Switching back to my original mask I stuck my face back in the water, determined to see more fish.

Gurgle, gurgle, choke….swim to the surface…..spit.

I was exhausted, my stomach hurt and I was DONE. As I made my way back towards the beach I asked the Lord to help me relax and be able to enjoy snorkeling with my husband for the remainder of our trip.

Two days later, we donned our snorkel gear again, jumped in the water & headed towards the rocky coast of Honeymoon Beach. This time I rode the waves – just like a professional. I encountered schools and schools of beautiful fish and dozens of exquisitely designed coral. Reveling in my new found freedom to roam the seas, I began asking the Lord “would you pleeeease let Doug and I see a stingray?” Three days later, while riding the waves on my 2nd attempt to stand up on a paddleboard in Dead Chest Bay, I caught a glimpse of a moving rock. It was a stingray!!! I yelled at Doug on the shore and he quickly ran to grab our snorkel masks. Both of us were able to follow (at a safe distance!) that extraordinary creature and watch him glide across the bottom of the sea. The following day, I swam across a starfish in the same area. Bonus!

When I began feeling like I was drowning in my marriage a decade ago, I clung to God’s promise of restoration and redemption to endure the fierce waves. Even when the waters continued to pour over my snorkel and choke the breath out of me, God was developing strength of character in me. Even when Doug continued to disappoint me and our lives felt like we were being smashed against the gigantic boulders on the shoreline, God was developing confident hope in me.

When we had 4 children under the age of 7, with 1 of them labeled “special needs,” I clung to God’s promise of training them in the way they should go to endure the fierce waves. Even when the waters continued to pour over my snorkel and choke the breath out of me, God was developing strength of character in me. Even when I would have to discipline our children over and over and over again for the same defiant, manipulative, deceitful behavior, God was developing confident hope in me.

Now, as I look back over those years, I realize every problem and every trial has helped me develop endurance, strength of character and a confident hope in the only One who offers salvation from the fierce waves. And I can honestly say, I have not been disappointed.

 

 

 

Mama Jean

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Psalm 9:1-2

1 I will praise you, Lord, with all my heart;
 I will tell of all the marvelous things you have done. 2 I will be filled with joy because of you.
 I will sing praises to your name, O Most High.

During breakfast the first morning of our vacation, Doug and I smiled in amazement as we watched a spunky, tiny little woman sing and dance through the restaurant. She greeted guests as if they were long lost friends- and some she gave great big bear hugs to after pouring them their first cup of hot coffee. A few days into our trip we realized that she was the “Mama” of the staff and her job was to make all the guests of the resort and spa feel like they were right at home.

While flipping through one of the many magazines in our room, I stumbled upon an article about Jean Kelly that put all the missing pieces of this exuberant woman together….except one.

Jean and her husband have worked on Peter Island for more than 25 years. Every morning they catch the 5:30 am ferry boat from Tortolla to begin their duties for the day. Jean’s husband serves in landscaping and Jean has become the spokeswoman/figurehead/mascot of Tradewind’s Restaurant and their famous french toast. Management has even made t-shirts in her honor!

After days of watching Mama Jean serve dish after dish of the fabulous looking entrée, & having read raving reviews about the breakfast item online before our trip- Doug decided he’d skip the buffet and order the coconut encrusted french toast. Just like every other morning, Mama Jean came dancing out of the kitchen with the dish- but this time she sat the golden brown fried bread in front of my husband.  She then spent the next few minutes getting to know this happy couple from a distant land….

A few days later, we were chatting with her again when she rather casually mentioned Jesus Christ. We winked at one another and then smiled back at her- realizing that we had discovered the missing piece of the puzzle; the joy of the Lord. Later that day, while eating lunch at Deadman’s Grill, Mama Jean came floating through the restaurant and stopped to give us a quick hug. Doug reminded her of our conversation earlier in the day and said “hey- Mrs. Jean…I just wanted you to know that I really appreciate your boldness in saying the name of Jesus Christ….we’re believers too!” Mama Jean squealed with excitement, did a little jig right there in the middle of everyone and proclaimed “I love you even more now—you are my brutha and sista! (in her Brittish/Jamaiccan/Caribbean accent)” More hugs were exchanged and then we all began sharing about the goodness of God.

Jeans joy was a direct reflection of a heart filled with love for her Creator- and His created. Each day, her soul overflowed with gratefulness towards her Master who chose to wake her up and allow her to sing, dance and serve His children from all over the world on a tiny piece of land in the middle of the British Virgin Islands. Mama Jean wasn’t just serving delicious french toast, she was dishing out plates and plates of life!

Thank you Mrs. Jean for reminding me that no matter how small the task, no matter how insignificant my service may seem, I can use it to tell of the marvelous things God has done in my life!

Be & Know

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Psalm 46:10 Be still, and know that I am God!

During the multiple seasons of transition that our family has endured the last few years, the above verse has continued to resonate with Doug and me.

Be still!

It’s a command- yet I rarely obey it.

Know that I am GOD.

I know who He is in my mind, but I don’t always know Him intimately in my soul.

As the Holy Spirit has ever so gently continued to whisper this truth to me I have tried, in my own strength to make myself be still and know Him. But, realizing that I’m more of a visual & hands on learner, God, in His infinite wisdom took me out of my every day rat race and plopped us down on a private island last week to MAKE me be still!

All of God’s creation is beautiful, but there is something about the aqua blue waters of the Caribbean Sea, the lush vegetation, the rugged coastlines and the white sandy beaches of her islands that captivates me. Although I tried numerous times to articulate to Doug the overwhelming sense of being at home while I was there, I was rendered speechless. For words could not adequately describe how I felt…

-lying in a chase lounge, listening to the waves lap upon the shoreline

-watching the numerous palm trees bend and sway in the breeze as a storm approached

-snorkeling over magnificent coral teaming with brilliant colored creatures

-catching a glimpse of a stingray in the waters below me while paddle boarding

-gazing across the bay and seeing another stingray jump out of the water!

-watching pelicans dive down at lighting speed into the water at the marina to catch their dinner

-following an iguana to snap a closer picture of him eating a piece of fruit

-swimming in the shallows and discovering a star fish lying all alone on the white sand

-staring at the horizon as the sun set over the surrounding islands…cascading a yellow, orange and pink curtain across the sky

Be still!

Know that I am God.

It’s not just another thing I am supposed to do- like the many items I check off my “To Do” list. It’s a spirit connection to the One who created me- and the land and sea. It’s a mind, will and emotional connection to the One who willingly laid down His life for me so that I could spend decades of life–to–the-full on the Earth He created and eternity with Him in paradise.

Paradise.

That’s probably the only word that can encapsulate my experience last week. Webster defines paradise as “a place or state of bliss.” Not surprisingly, it also lists “Heaven” and “Eden” in its attempt to convey its meaning.

Eden.

It’s how my husband described the view from Dead Man’s beach as we laid in our lounge chairs, beneath the grape trees, soaking in the sights and sounds of the bay near Dead Chest Island.

Eden.

The perfect place God created for man and woman to be in constant relationship with Him -and to be one with each other.

Many of the US and British Virgin Islands have been untouched by man….left exactly the way the Father formed them in the beginning. They are absolutely perfect- just like Eden was. But, even the islands that have been overpopulated and polluted by locals and tourists are exquisite, for they are in the process of being redeemed and restored to their rightful place: paradise. And, so it is is we me; I have been overpopulated and polluted – but my soul is being restored and redeemed to its rightful place: paradise….by being still and knowing that He is God.

Father,

Thank you for creating the Caribbean Sea….and me. Help me to continue to be still and know you- whether I’m sitting on a private island or in my Lazy Boy recliner in the privacy of my bedroom.

Amen

Deep Waters

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Genesis 1 New Living Translation (NLT)

1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.[a] 2 The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters.

I’ve lived in states that border an ocean my entire life. I’ve swum and boogie boarded in the waters of the Pacific and the Atlantic. I’ve also been fortunate enough to visit several of the Hawaiian & British Virgin Islands. By far, my favorite waters are the crystal clear blue-green of the Caribbean. Not only are they spectacular to behold from the heights of an A320 Airbus, they are equally breathtaking to gaze upon while lying on a lounge chair on the white sandy shoreline.

Maybe its because I’m a city girl at heart and prefer a concrete pond over the mossy covered ones that lie stagnate in the blistering heat of a muggy NC summer day. Or maybe it’s because when I swim or snorkel into deep waters, I want to SEE if a predator is looming in the waters beneath or around me! In short- I like to be in control of my surroundings.

Unfortunately, I’ve learned the same controlling tactics in trying to protect my soul. As long as I can SEE what is in the deep waters surrounding my life, I’m good. But, as I continue to discover: that’s a lie. The truth is, there are depths and canyons of my soul that I cannot SEE. There are chasms so dark and hidden that only the One who created me can reach.

Ephesians 3:18-19 New Living Translation (NLT)

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.

But the Lord gives me the choice to either:

-submit my will to His & follow Him into the depths

or

-to live safely in the shallows, where I think visibility is 100%.

Ask any snorkeler or scuba diver and they’ll tell you, there are hidden treasures to behold in the deep waters, but you must be willing to face your fears to go there. The same is true in the depths of my soul. Even though I may not understand why or how they’ve remained hidden, there is beauty buried in the darkness that needs to be subjected to the Light, brought to the surface and shared with others.

Proverbs 3:5-6 New Living Translation (NLT)

5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.6 Seek his will in all you do,
and he will show you which path to take.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLqTZ07ja7g

 

 

Temptation

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Luke 4:1-13

New Living Translation (NLT) The Temptation of Jesus

4 Then Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan River. He was led by the Spirit in the wilderness,[a] 2 where he was tempted by the devil for forty days. Jesus ate nothing all that time and became very hungry.3 Then the devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become a loaf of bread.”4 But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone.’[b]”5 Then the devil took him up and revealed to him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. 6 “I will give you the glory of these kingdoms and authority over them,” the devil said, “because they are mine to give to anyone I please. 7 I will give it all to you if you will worship me.”8 Jesus replied, “The Scriptures say,‘You must worship the Lord your God
    and serve only him.’[c]”9 Then the devil took him to Jerusalem, to the highest point of the Temple, and said, “If you are the Son of God, jump off! 10 For the Scriptures say,‘He will order his angels to protect and guard you.11 And they will hold you up with their hands
    so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.’[d]”12 Jesus responded, “The Scriptures also say, ‘You must not test the Lord your God.’[e]”13 When the devil had finished tempting Jesus, he left him until the next opportunity came.

I’ve only fasted a handful of times in my life- the longest being 24 hours, so I can’t even begin to imagine the pain Jesus’ body endured when he ate nothing for 40 days.

Why on earth would the Holy Spirit lead him into the wilderness to be tempted on an empty stomach? Why would God the Father send His son into a vicious battle with the enemy without the strength to fight him? Because God was in control….and His power is made perfect in our weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9).

In my life, I have endured many temptations, just as we all have. Some have been physical, some have been emotional and some have been spiritual. The hardest ones by far are those in the wilderness, where I felt unprepared to fight.

When we are starving for something we cannot fulfill ourselves, the enemy will use every opportunity he can to force us to bow down and worship him. The question is: will we ignore the pain in our body that is crying out to be fed, or the pain in our soul which is demanding justice for something that happened to us that isn’t “fair” or will we engage our spirit, set our will and let the Holy Spirit battle for us?

When we choose to worship the Lord God and serve Him only, not only will He nourish our body, soul and spirit, but he will use our wilderness experiences to display His glory to those around us. Because God was and always is…..in control.