So far this has been a busy week (this is the first evening I have been home since Friday), but I wouldn't trade it for anything. It's been a week of a lot of stuff with my family, and except for a few moments, I've really enjoyed it all. My sister and her husband have been in town and that means we've had everyone together a lot.
This week I've been reminded again of the incredible family I'm blessed to have - my Mom, my Dad, both of my sisters . . . and now two brother-in-laws. Honestly, at first I thought it would be strange to have two more guys at the table for family dinners, but I love it. My sisters have picked some quality guys and I've enjoyed getting to know them better this week. All to soon, it seems like, Sunday will be here and my sister and husband will head home.
I don't think I've always thought of my family as a blessing. They are days when they drive me up the wall and all I want to do is escape from them. But, I think I've also taken them for granted sometimes. Rather than see how rich I was in having parents and sisters, and now brothers, who were there for me I just kind of assumed that was normal and I deserved that. I'm realizing now that they are a blessing.
I have no idea why God has seen fit to give me such an amazing family, but He has. With my youngest sister and her husband not living here I think I've realized that all the more. I treasure the time that they do come to town for and I treasure the time I get to spend with my other sister and her fiance and my parents. We laugh about silly things and tease each other about stuff we used do, or in some cases still do. We make a point to spend time together just to be together - there doesn't always have to be a reason.
I guess tonight, in the midst of a busy week filled with family, I'm feeling an overwhelming sense of gratitude for my family. They're the people I know that I can count on to be there and the ones I call first with news of any kind. They're also the people who I probably argue with the most and who can annoy me the most, but that's because we are close.
So, to my family, who may read this blog . . . thank you for being who you are. Thank you for all the laughs and tears and for just being willing to enjoy life. You are the biggest blessing in my life. I love you all!!!
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Monday, July 12, 2010
nothing is hidden from God
"Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to Whom we must give an account." (Hebrews 4:13, NIV).
I don't know about you, but when I read that verse I have two seemingly conflicting responses. One is relief. Relief that there is one Person with whom I can let down every guard and be the most authentic me possible. The other is dread. Dread because it means no matter how well I've hidden things I've done or said from other people, I've never hidden them from God.
In many ways, this is kind of a circular pattern of thinking. Thinking about there being nothing in my life that is hidden from God may be a bit fearful at times, but as I dwell on that thought longer and realize that, in spite of knowing and seeing it all, He still loves me brings me to feeling relief that I can be completely real in one relationship in my life. And then, I go back to thinking about the things I've done that I wish I could have hidden from God, which brings in an element of dread. But, then I go back to relief that He loves me anyways. This is one circle of thinking that really could go on forever.
Hebrews 4:15 goes on to explain an even greater reason why knowing that nothing is hidden from God's sight brings relief and peace into our lives when it says, "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are - yet was without sin." (NIV). Jesus knows what it's like to be in our shoes when we face temptation- He's been there. That means that not being able to hide my struggles from Him doesn't surprise Him. And because He understands what it's like and can see them anyways, I can confidently go to Him (Hebrews 4:16) for help to resist temptation and forgiveness when I give in to temptation.
I don't know about you, but when I read that verse I have two seemingly conflicting responses. One is relief. Relief that there is one Person with whom I can let down every guard and be the most authentic me possible. The other is dread. Dread because it means no matter how well I've hidden things I've done or said from other people, I've never hidden them from God.
In many ways, this is kind of a circular pattern of thinking. Thinking about there being nothing in my life that is hidden from God may be a bit fearful at times, but as I dwell on that thought longer and realize that, in spite of knowing and seeing it all, He still loves me brings me to feeling relief that I can be completely real in one relationship in my life. And then, I go back to thinking about the things I've done that I wish I could have hidden from God, which brings in an element of dread. But, then I go back to relief that He loves me anyways. This is one circle of thinking that really could go on forever.
Hebrews 4:15 goes on to explain an even greater reason why knowing that nothing is hidden from God's sight brings relief and peace into our lives when it says, "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are - yet was without sin." (NIV). Jesus knows what it's like to be in our shoes when we face temptation- He's been there. That means that not being able to hide my struggles from Him doesn't surprise Him. And because He understands what it's like and can see them anyways, I can confidently go to Him (Hebrews 4:16) for help to resist temptation and forgiveness when I give in to temptation.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
times in the desert
The other day when I was reading in the book of the prophet Hosea, something in a couple of verses hit me. Hosea 2:14-15 says:
It struck me that God was going to lead Israel into the desert to draw them back to Him and restore Israel. By removing Israel from all the other distractions around them, God would be able to draw them back and then restore what Israel had that they had lost when they wandered away from God.
It got me started thinking about our lives. I think God still desires to lead us out into the desert at times, because He has plans for us that require it. But we seem to be very set on avoiding the desert, spiritually speaking, at almost any cost. It is not necessarily a pleasant place to go and so we try to keep ourselves from it. But, I have started to wonder what we miss because we try to avoid going there.
I know when I look back at my life, I can see how the times when I did end up in the spiritual desert were times that I grew the most and I left those times with far more from God than I went into them with. When we find ourselves in the desert we do not have anything that is distracting us from God and what He wants to say to us. We may feel like there is no way that God can be present in those times because all that we find familiar seems to be gone. But, it is in exactly those times that we are in the best place to hear from God because there is nothing to distract us from hearing His voice speaking tenderly to us.
Maybe, as followers of Christ, we need to change our thinking about spiritual deserts. Rather than seeking to avoid them at all costs, maybe we need to allow God to lead us into them when He feels that it is necessary for our growth. As we see in Hosea, God was wanting to use the time in the desert to draw Israel back to Himself. And I believe that He often does draw us closer to Him through those times in the desert, as we have nothing else to turn to so we turn to Him.
But, God goes on to talk about that which He desires to restore to Israel while in the desert. I believe God wants to use our times in the spiritual desert to restore things to us as well. As He draws us closer to Himself, He can restore a passion for His Word, for worship. He can restore an excitement for a dream He has given us. He can give us a desire for serving.
God does not lead us into the spiritual desert to be cruel. He does it to draw us closer and to restore to us things we have lost in the busy-ness of life. It is for our good, not our harm.
What would happen if we changed our view of the times in the desert?
It probably will still be hard to be in the desert. A desert is, afterall, a pretty harsh place to be. But, if we began to see the time there as for our good, rather than just to be cruel, I think we would begin to see things in our lives that we never dreamed of.
What is your response to being led into the desert? Do you try to avoid it at all costs? Or do you follow willingly?
What has been at the other end of the time in the desert in your life? Has is been worth that time in the desert?
What do you think would happen if the next time you felt like you were being led into the desert you went willingly, rather than trying to fight it?
Therefore I am now going to allure her,God is speaking in these verses of how He is going to win Israel back to Himself by taking her out into the desert and then restoring what she had to her.
I will lead her into the desert
and speak tenderly to her.
There I will give her back her vineyards,
and will make the Valley of Achor a door of hope.
There she will sing as in the days of her youth,
and in the day she came up out of Egypt. (NIV)
It struck me that God was going to lead Israel into the desert to draw them back to Him and restore Israel. By removing Israel from all the other distractions around them, God would be able to draw them back and then restore what Israel had that they had lost when they wandered away from God.
It got me started thinking about our lives. I think God still desires to lead us out into the desert at times, because He has plans for us that require it. But we seem to be very set on avoiding the desert, spiritually speaking, at almost any cost. It is not necessarily a pleasant place to go and so we try to keep ourselves from it. But, I have started to wonder what we miss because we try to avoid going there.
I know when I look back at my life, I can see how the times when I did end up in the spiritual desert were times that I grew the most and I left those times with far more from God than I went into them with. When we find ourselves in the desert we do not have anything that is distracting us from God and what He wants to say to us. We may feel like there is no way that God can be present in those times because all that we find familiar seems to be gone. But, it is in exactly those times that we are in the best place to hear from God because there is nothing to distract us from hearing His voice speaking tenderly to us.
Maybe, as followers of Christ, we need to change our thinking about spiritual deserts. Rather than seeking to avoid them at all costs, maybe we need to allow God to lead us into them when He feels that it is necessary for our growth. As we see in Hosea, God was wanting to use the time in the desert to draw Israel back to Himself. And I believe that He often does draw us closer to Him through those times in the desert, as we have nothing else to turn to so we turn to Him.
But, God goes on to talk about that which He desires to restore to Israel while in the desert. I believe God wants to use our times in the spiritual desert to restore things to us as well. As He draws us closer to Himself, He can restore a passion for His Word, for worship. He can restore an excitement for a dream He has given us. He can give us a desire for serving.
God does not lead us into the spiritual desert to be cruel. He does it to draw us closer and to restore to us things we have lost in the busy-ness of life. It is for our good, not our harm.
What would happen if we changed our view of the times in the desert?
It probably will still be hard to be in the desert. A desert is, afterall, a pretty harsh place to be. But, if we began to see the time there as for our good, rather than just to be cruel, I think we would begin to see things in our lives that we never dreamed of.
What is your response to being led into the desert? Do you try to avoid it at all costs? Or do you follow willingly?
What has been at the other end of the time in the desert in your life? Has is been worth that time in the desert?
What do you think would happen if the next time you felt like you were being led into the desert you went willingly, rather than trying to fight it?
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