Scars

Earlier this month I underwent a biopsy to properly diagnose a rare outbreak on my leg.  I’ve been doing my best to hide the scar because it’s very visible, so I’ve opted for slacks and when wearing a dress, a bandaid has done the job.

Scars are one of those things that we often try to hide, because scars cause others to stare, ask questions, and perhaps judge without really knowing the entire story.  If you’re like me, you don’t like the additional attention and you try to minimize visibility to avoid questions.

You may be wondering why I’m writing about it if I’ve tried so hard to hide it?  Jonny Diaz wrote a song I heard this morning and I had to share the lyrics because they brought tears to my eyes:

Praise God we don’t have to hide scars
They just strengthen our wounds, and they soften our hearts.
They remind us of where we have been, but not who we are
So praise God, praise God we don’t have to hide scars

As I walked towards City Hall this morning I thought about how at times we try to portray perfection because we are ashamed of our scars, our past, our failures. I was reminded how much God loves us and how he doesn’t turn us away despite of our scars.  People may judge you, remind you of your past, question whether you deserve your scars, but this morning I was reminded that God allows us to keep scars in order for our wounds to be strengthened and our hearts to be softened.

The next time you are reminded of the scars of your past, or you see them because of a memory, tell yourself, “Thank you God for this scar, my reminder of who I was, but not who I am”.

My scar will hardly be visible in a week or two, but it will serve as a reminder that although doctors thought something was wrong, that scar proved that I was alright.  The scar on my leg will keep my heart tender to love God, serve Him, honor Him, and trust Him.  How about you?  My challenge to you today is be proud of the scars!

“This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!”
2 Corinthians 5:17 (NLT)

Finding BALANCE

Have you ever looked forward to something, waited, dreamt and then when the moment finally arrives you realize that it’s not as easy as you thought?  That’s how life is!  You wait, and wait, and then when you’re finally where you should be you need a bit of help stabilizing yourself because you find yourself a bit off-balance.

Now when your off-balance while standing on firm ground, what do you do?  Sometimes we crawl back into the pit we came out of because we want to avoid an embarrassment, we don’t want to fail, and the fact that we weren’t able to hit the ground running makes us want to give up.

King David understood this and in Psalm 40 describes how he waited, and waited, and waited on the Lord,  and finally when the Lord heard his cry He helped him, pulled him out of his pit of despair, set his feet upon solid ground and steadied him as he went along.

The part of the verse that says, ‘steadied me as I walked along’ always gets to me.  I had an ‘AHA’ moment and realized that so many times we want God to take us to our destiny, God to put things in perspective, God to balance everything out, yet King David says that as he walked along God steadied him.

I’ve learned that in some areas of life, I’m going to have to wait, and wait, and perhaps wait a bit longer, trusting that moment will come because God is listening.  Yet I’ve also learned that when my moment comes, I can’t give up just because I don’t find balance right away.

Sometimes we forget that long periods of waiting translate into immobility, which in turn causes our muscles to be inactive and there is not other choice but to find ourselves off-balance.  David understood this and knew that although he was a bit dizzy and off-balance, he had to keep walking trusting God would steady him.

Today’s challenge for us all is to keep going, keep moving, keep walking, knowing that if God has placed our feet on solid ground, he will steady our feet.  Why?  Because before we know it we’ll be off and running.  Don’t give up!  Let him steady you as you walk along!

“I waited patiently for the Lord to help me,
and he turned to me and heard my cry.
² He lifted me out of the pit of despair,
out of the mud and the mire.
He set my feet on solid ground
and steadied me as I walked along.”
Psalm 40:1-2 (NLT)

Lucky

Have you ever thought to yourself, “That person has all the luck in the world!”  Unfortunately that’s the first thought that often enters our mind when we see someone achieve our dreams with what appears to be little or no effort.

Does success and progress happen because of luck, or are there other factors involved?  A Roman philosopher in the first century said something that 19 centuries later still rings true.  Seneca the Younger said, “Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.”  Is that the secret then?  It’s not about luck, but maybe about being prepared when opportunity knocks at the door.

I have learned that it is absurd to think that great things will only happen to the lucky.  I need to anticipate, be prepared, be ready so that when my opportunity comes around I don’t miss it because of lack of character, maturity, and/or preparation.

Today I choose understand that despite whatever I have achieved, I have to continue preparing, because there are opportunities awaiting me that I still need to prepare for, and I’ve accepted that this is a lifelong process.  How about you?  Are you waiting for luck to come your way, or are you preparing for your opportunity?  I’d rather prepare, because waiting for luck to knock at my door has never prepared me for anything.

“Be prepared, whether the time is favorable or not.”
2 Timothy 4:2b (NLT)

Stick With It

Have you ever quit anything?  Day in and day out people quit trying.  They quit on their marriages; quit hoping their situation will change; quit believing there will be a better tomorrow; it seems that there are more people who quit than those who stick with it.  Far too many people quit on themselves, they quit believing they could do better, that their dreams will come true.  Sadly there are those who quit believing God will do what He has promised.

In life you either quit or stick with it.  Don’t get me wrong, there are situations where it is healthy to walk away, but then there are those that we should stick with.  I’m not here to tell you what to do, I believe we each should seek direction from God and choose what’s best for us, but the problem many times is that we QUIT seeking direction from God, we aren’t ‘sure’ things will work out the way He’s promised, and we just QUIT.

I love how King David expressed what he felt when at one point he felt that God was perhaps hiding from him, feeling a  bit unguarded and maybe wondering if God had forgotten him, yet he decided to STICK WITH IT, regardless.  Take the challenge to STICK WITH IT, don’t quit believing HIS promises are true.  It might be profitable to quit some things in life, but don’t quit GOD!

“I’m sure now I’ll see God’s goodness
in the exuberant earth.
Stay with God!
Take heart. Don’t quit.
I’ll say it again:
Stay with God.”
Psalm 27:13-14 (MSG)

As the World Turns

As parents we celebrate the birth of our children with the expectation of giving them the world.  We feed them, teach them, provide for them, instruct them, correct them, and make sure they live healthy lives.  They become adults and develop their own traditions, but carry along a lot of what we’ve taught them.  Yet what we don’t keep in mind at times is that as the world turns, the unexpected happens.

I’m sure my Dad never imagined his youngest daughter, who was the most fragile of us all (or maybe just the most spoiled) would change the course of his life  by giving him her kidney.  My Dad has been around for 66 years, and he’s always been a vivacious and driven individual.  I never saw my Dad battle bouts of deep sadness and near depression until he began dialysis.  The treatments were taking an immense toll on him and the only thing that would alter his course of life would be a life-saving miracle, that his youngest daughter gave him.

Today my father is gaining strength, his organs are working, and my sister’s kidney is now a part of his body.  My sister is still in a lot of pain but she’s up walking and making progress, yet her only concern is that her kidney (that is now technically my Dad’s) is continuing to do its job.

It’s taken many years of studies, practice, and trial and error to allow us to be where we are today.  My husband was a kidney donor 14 years ago and his scar is very different from my sister’s.  Medical science keeps changing and modernizing, but today, I thank God for the thousands and even millions of people who have been a part of the miracle we celebrate today.

As the world keeps turning, things happen, changes occur, yet God continues to be our constant, steady, non-changing, everlasting HOPE in whom we can rely.  What seems like an uphill battle works out in the most mysterious of ways.  I don’t know what you’re facing, or what you’re going through, but even as the world turns, God is still on His throne using the most unexpected people and life events to remind us that He loves us.

“I’m singing joyful praise to God.
I’m turning cartwheels of joy to my Savior God.
Counting on God’s Rule to prevail,
I take heart and gain strength.
I run like a deer.
I feel like I’m king of the mountain!”
Habakuk 3:18-19 (MSG)

WHAT IF???

What if things weren’t what they are?  What if today wasn’t really April 2nd?  What if the good news I received yesterday was a mistake?  What if the uneasy feeling I have turns into something serious?

The ‘what if’ questions sometimes plague us and rob us of the peace we so desire, because worry sets in and keeps us from enjoying the peace that Christ came to give us.  It seems like worry is fed to us from the moment we are born, parents worry their children will get hurt, sick, lost.  We grow up and society feeds worry on a daily basis with warnings and bad news, and the ‘what if’ questions are never answered.

Robert Frost said, “The reason why worry kills more people than work is that more people worry than work.”  I refuse to be killed by the ‘what ifs’ that are never answered.  There are so many uncertainties in life, so many situations that we face where the outcome is not guaranteed, and if we spend our time worrying about the ‘what ifs’, we will live life without accomplishing the ultimate goal which is to become what God has destined us to be come.

This week I know I am facing challenges that can cause me to worry and rehash ‘what if’ questions in the back of my mind, yet I choose to trust God and believe that His ways are higher than mine, ALWAYS.  I challenge you to suppress the ‘what if’ questions that come to hinder you, and instead choose to trust Him, there’s NO better way!

“God is good,
a hiding place in tough times.
He recognizes and welcomes
anyone looking for help,
No matter how desperate the trouble.”
Nahum 1:7 (MSG)

Trust Issues

One of the worst things that can happen is trusting someone who doesn’t value TRUST.  Far too often I find that more and more people have trust issues.  Why?  They’ve been betrayed, they’ve trusted the wrong people, their expectations have not been met, and the list goes on and on.

What do you do when you have trust issues?  Do you live life guarded?  Do you relive the memories that keep the wound fresh reminding you to trust no one?  Do you wear a sign that says, “Don’t even try it, I don’t trust YOU!”

I wish I had the antidote to make the ‘trust issues’ plague go away once and for all, but I’ll share what’s worked for me.  I’ve had my share of heart breaks! I know what it is to know in the pit of your stomach that someone you’ve trusted has not valued your trust;  I know what it is to live life guarded with walls that instead of protecting you suffocate you; yet I’ve learned that if I put my trust in God consistently my fears begin to diminish.  Why?  Because if I truly, truly TRUST God, then I know He cares for me, He protects me, He is for me and not against me, and in truly trusting Him, my ‘trust issues’ begin to diminish as my trust in Him increases.

I don’t know if you’ve got trust issues or not, but if you’ve struggled with them, I challenge you to let it go and put your trust in Him.  Why?  Because trust issues will deprive you from enjoying the freedom God has readily available for us.  His purpose for us is not that we live life second guessing all who surround us and living suspicious of their motives, His purpose is that we would live life enjoying the freedom He freely gave.  Take the challenge: Give up your trust issues, and take up trusting Him, it’s WORTH it!

“So trust in the Lord (commit yourself to Him, lean on Him, hope confidently in Him) forever; for the Lord God is an everlasting Rock [the Rock of Ages].”
Isaiah 26:4 (AMP)

Carry You!

This morning as I was combing my five-year old daughter Bella’s hair for school, I remembered how when she was just learning to use words to communicate she would cry, extend her arms and say, “Carry you Mommy, carry you.”  This went on for a couple of months before figuring out she was supposed to say “Carry me Mommy!”  Now my baby is too big for me to carry and instead asks for hugs and kisses repeatedly.

I thought about it this morning and was thankful that I can ask my Heavenly Father to carry me.  I can use more eloquent words than my baby Bella did, but His Word reminds me that I can give Him my worries because He cares for me.  If I can’t figure out exactly how to express myself, I can be reminded that in 1 Peter 5:7 it says, “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.”  When I don’t know what to say, I can say, “Carry me Heavenly Father!” and be at peace.

So today, I don’t know what’s weighing on you, but whatever the case may be you have access to God through His Son Jesus, and you can say, “CARRY ME” with open arms.  What will God do, turn away and say He’s too busy?  Not at all!  He will carry us and make a way.  If you’re burdened and filled with anxiety, raise your hands and say, “CARRY ME”!!!

“Blessed be the Lord—
day after day he carries us along.
He’s our Savior, our God, oh yes!
He’s God-for-us, he’s God-who-saves-us.”
Psalm 68:19-20 (MSG)

Breaking Chains

Samuel Jackson once said, “The chains of habit are too weak to be felt until they are too strong to be broken.”  

Far too often I find that incredible, talented, intelligent people allow habits to become a part of their lives that in the beginning seem harmless, but then become unbreakable chains.  Young people enticed into trying things that are too weak to be felt until they are too strong to be broken, because they are chained by them.   It’s tough, because sometimes those who find themselves held captive by the chains that once were not felt want to be set free, but somehow cannot find the key to freedom.

I know I don’t have all the answers, but I’ve learned a couple of things along the way.  I cannot walk into the trap of thinking that just because I don’t feel the chain it won’t hold me down.  I need to live life conscious of the fact that there are things I just cannot become entangled with, no matter what others or my desires might tell me.  I’ve also learned that if I find myself bound by the chains I once didn’t feel, I cannot rely on myself to be set free, I need help.

I’ve met wonderful people who’ve been bound by chains and do not find the freedom they so much desire because they won’t ask for help.  The Word teaches us that He came to set the captives free, and at times our first step to freedom is acknowledging that the chains are real, and that we cannot do it on our own.

Today my prayer is that we would have the discernment and conviction to not fall into the trap of thinking that a harmful habit will always remain an unfelt, weak chain; and that those who find themselves entrapped by chains would find the freedom that God wants us to enjoy, a free life.

“Don’t be afraid, for I am with you.
Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you.
I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.”
Isaiah 41:10 (NLT)

Secret to Success

Have you ever wondered what road a successful person took to arrive at success?  Wouldn’t it be great if there was only one type of success and one way to get there?  Perhaps that would be ideal, but it’s not real.  So what is the big secret?  How do we become successful?  So many give up because they become quickly discouraged.

George Washington once said, “It’s wonderful what we can do if we keep on doing.”  So is that the secret to success?  I’ve found that it’s the best thing for me to do is to be persistent, not give up, but keep doing what I’ve set out to do.

What have you been frustrated with?  What have you stopped doing because you haven’t seen the desired results?  I’ve seen that at times if I just keep doing without getting frustrated, the results are AMAZING.

So here’s the deal: I’m not encouraging to keep investing in a stock that is failing, but I am encouraging you to continue being kind to that person who sort of irks you; keep loving those you’ve placed in the ‘unloveable’ category; keep believing and trusting that the God you serve will help you through the trial you’re facing, even when it seems impossible.  Remind yourself that you can accomplish wonderful things, if you keep doing.

So today I leave you not with THE secret to success, but perhaps one of the secrets to success, KEEP DOING!

“So let’s not allow ourselves to get fatigued doing good. At the right time we will harvest a good crop if we don’t give up, or quit.”
Galatians 6:9 (MSG)