"I am Yours regardless of
The dark clouds that may loom above
Because You are much greater than my pain.
You, who made a way for me
By suffering Your destiny
So tell me what's a little rain?
Bring me joy, bring me peace
Bring the chance to be free
Bring me anything that brings You glory.
And I know there'll be days
When this life brings me pain
But if that's what it takes to praise You
Jesus, bring the rain."
~ MercyMe
If we can just learn that going through trials brings us to a better place. It is such a difficult concept to grasp. We tend to get dramatic and think we are "gonna die"! But there are so many examples of this. Without taxing my brain too much, here are a few examples of trial leading to glory:
the passing of a baby through the birth canal
rain produces flowers in spring and snow in winter
the fire purifies the silver to make something beautiful
the potter molds the clay to his will and makes something useful
If we could just see the difficult moments as moments of victory, knowing that it is evidence that we are moving toward a better place. In our human-ness we tend to think we will be in this place FOR-E-VER....
May I suggest? Don't look down. Keep alert. Watch for moments where God shows you He is with you and He cares. Sometimes we are so busy feeling sorry for ourselves we miss His miracle!
I know I have found it in the extraordinary service of a waiter; or a patient accounting clerk on the phone; or the random call from my son. I also have been shown that God uses me in the same way. Yes, even me!
I will never forget the lady at the speed networking meeting I was running. As I darted around from table to table, making sure everyone found a spot, there were times I would touch someone's shoulder to get their attention or pat a back as I passed by. In the whirlwind of it all, I didn't realize until after the meeting that God used me.
The lady came up in the hustle-bustle of cleaning up after the meeting. She was teary-eyed, which is VERY uncommon at a business meeting. But I have seen that look before. Her eyes were sad, lonely, hurt. And she said to me, "You will never know what your touch meant to me."
I was kinda caught off guard because, like I said, this is unusual conversation for a business situation. And honestly, I didn't remember touching her at all. But God gave me the grace to put my hands on her shoulders again and look her in the eyes and say the right words of comfort. This was another human being, crying out for someone to notice her.
I never knew her name. In fact, I don't think I ever saw her again. But that memory keeps me in check sometimes, helping me to keep my eyes open for other wounded people in need of any small kindness.
As we experience the rain, the peace, the joy, the glory, we can truly be thankful that God has His hand on our shoulder. And because we have experienced His unending love, we can extend our hand to others.
So as we move through life today, rather than being self-absorbed looking for our answers, let's see how we can give to someone else. I always feel so fulfilled when God lets me be an ambassador for Him. It makes all of my personal rain smell sweet.
Dear God, I always want to be thankful for the life that only You can give. Help me to be better than selfishly thinking of only my problems. Give me Your eyes to see the need of others and the courage to speak, smile or reach out as You would have me to do. Thank you for all You have done so that I can boldly come to You and make my petitions known. Your eye is on the sparrow so I know You watch over me. Amen. ~Me
Real Gurl Life! Real, meaning authentic, true, and comfortable in our own shoes. Gurl, incorrectly spelled, to acknowledge that some days just don't go right, no matter how hard we try. We are messy, make mistakes, and don't follow directions sometimes. Real Gurl Life is Authentically Imperfect!
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Things Change
If you live in the northwest, you have probably heard the saying that if you don't like the weather, just hang around a bit and it will change! The web-footed ducks here in Oregon definitely keep winter clothes around all year and some keep the shorts and flip flops going all winter. One must be prepared for all weather at all times because it changes!
That's what I want to talk about today....that things change.
Not many people know that Troy Aikmen, former quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys, wrote a kids book called Things Change.
As a young woman I was very taken with Troy Aikmen of the Dallas Cowboys. While on a first trip to NYC, he was the guest at the Regis and Kathie Lee show. I actually got to see him but my efforts to get an autograph or photo were thwarted by my excitement of seeing him. As I jumped up and down and waved at my friends over at the coffee shop across the street, I completely missed my opportunity for any interaction! Later in the show Troy went out into the closed off street to pass the football with Regis. The staff came hurrying back into the studio saying they had to throw Troy into the closest cab as the crowd outside mobbed him! (Personally, I understood their emotion.)
Anyway, that book has some very poignant messages in it, not just for kids but for all of us. For example: Did you know that Troy Aikman was born with club feet? He had to wear casts on his feet and legs for the first couple of years of his life, having them changed at intervals to allow for growth spurts.
He also was not a football player but a baseball player. He had been raised in Oklahoma and played baseball, but something caused his family to move during that critical middle school period, and when they moved, the focus was all about football. The stress of making new friends and changing your primary sport at that age, well, you can only imagine.
But he made the UCLA football team and eventually was drafted to the Cowboys. But more angst awaited him as his team went 1-15 his first season as starting QB. To make matters worse, he was injured and did not play one minute of the one game that they won.
Now if we stopped the story there, we would say, gosh, how did he get through all of these extreme circumstances? Why didn't they just give up on sports when he was born with club feet? When his family moved and he had to give up baseball, why didn't he just kick the dirt and throw a fit? Why didn't the embarrassment of the first year in the NFL cause him to quit?
Because....THINGS CHANGE.
The very next year following that dismal rookie season, Troy lead the Cowboys to a Super Bowl win and was awarded the MVP of the Super Bowl game!
I have had what feels like continual ups and downs in my life. Some of the downs have been extreme. I have had a failed marriage, a failed attempt at business, a broken heart or two and at times, errant children. I have felt the sting of judgment from others who did/do not know my full circumstances or the effort it took just to breathe some mornings.
I may have been crazy, but all I knew to do was to keep putting one foot in front of the other. And it did cause some to question if I even cared about the failures that were so obvious in my life.
You know, in the gracious south, a mother teaches her children: "Don't stare. They know where their problem is located." I definitely knew where my problems were located because every where I went, there I was!
But as far away from God as I would get sometimes, I always ran to Him in my despair. I knew who the author and finisher of my life was...and I called out to Him during many anguished moments when the hot tears poured and kept my pillow wet late at night.
Though the road has not been the one I thought I would travel, it is still full of experiences, learning and becoming closer to what God wants. And I can truly say that I like myself so much better than I ever have.
I read one of my friends posts on Facebook that simply said: "Life....it goes on."
It does. The river keeps flowing. You can choose to row or not, it's up to you. But even not rowing is a choice that you make. To let the current carry you wherever rather than deciding your course....you get to make that call.
Yes, others watch you flounder. Some are kinder than others about it. I find that the ones who are kind and cheer me on understand that we all have a past. (Remember that verse, For ALL have sinned and come short?) Through it all, I personally have come to revere two precious words: Mercy and Grace.
I recently found some songs/cds that I had not heard in a while and was listening to them this morning. One phrase stuck out: Mercy triumphs over judgment.
That is the God I love. That is the God who loves me.
Don't give up. Don't lay down. Life goes on. Things change. Ask God for the strength and direction to row. His mercy endures forever.
Dear God, Thank you again for the quiet and small ways that you speak to our hearts. I love hearing a song or reading a phrase that causes You to fill my heart with words of encouragement and hope. Thank you for being with me at all times. Please let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in Your sight. Amen. ~Me
That's what I want to talk about today....that things change.
Not many people know that Troy Aikmen, former quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys, wrote a kids book called Things Change.
As a young woman I was very taken with Troy Aikmen of the Dallas Cowboys. While on a first trip to NYC, he was the guest at the Regis and Kathie Lee show. I actually got to see him but my efforts to get an autograph or photo were thwarted by my excitement of seeing him. As I jumped up and down and waved at my friends over at the coffee shop across the street, I completely missed my opportunity for any interaction! Later in the show Troy went out into the closed off street to pass the football with Regis. The staff came hurrying back into the studio saying they had to throw Troy into the closest cab as the crowd outside mobbed him! (Personally, I understood their emotion.)
Anyway, that book has some very poignant messages in it, not just for kids but for all of us. For example: Did you know that Troy Aikman was born with club feet? He had to wear casts on his feet and legs for the first couple of years of his life, having them changed at intervals to allow for growth spurts.
He also was not a football player but a baseball player. He had been raised in Oklahoma and played baseball, but something caused his family to move during that critical middle school period, and when they moved, the focus was all about football. The stress of making new friends and changing your primary sport at that age, well, you can only imagine.
But he made the UCLA football team and eventually was drafted to the Cowboys. But more angst awaited him as his team went 1-15 his first season as starting QB. To make matters worse, he was injured and did not play one minute of the one game that they won.
Now if we stopped the story there, we would say, gosh, how did he get through all of these extreme circumstances? Why didn't they just give up on sports when he was born with club feet? When his family moved and he had to give up baseball, why didn't he just kick the dirt and throw a fit? Why didn't the embarrassment of the first year in the NFL cause him to quit?
Because....THINGS CHANGE.
The very next year following that dismal rookie season, Troy lead the Cowboys to a Super Bowl win and was awarded the MVP of the Super Bowl game!
I have had what feels like continual ups and downs in my life. Some of the downs have been extreme. I have had a failed marriage, a failed attempt at business, a broken heart or two and at times, errant children. I have felt the sting of judgment from others who did/do not know my full circumstances or the effort it took just to breathe some mornings.
I may have been crazy, but all I knew to do was to keep putting one foot in front of the other. And it did cause some to question if I even cared about the failures that were so obvious in my life.
You know, in the gracious south, a mother teaches her children: "Don't stare. They know where their problem is located." I definitely knew where my problems were located because every where I went, there I was!
But as far away from God as I would get sometimes, I always ran to Him in my despair. I knew who the author and finisher of my life was...and I called out to Him during many anguished moments when the hot tears poured and kept my pillow wet late at night.
Though the road has not been the one I thought I would travel, it is still full of experiences, learning and becoming closer to what God wants. And I can truly say that I like myself so much better than I ever have.
I read one of my friends posts on Facebook that simply said: "Life....it goes on."
It does. The river keeps flowing. You can choose to row or not, it's up to you. But even not rowing is a choice that you make. To let the current carry you wherever rather than deciding your course....you get to make that call.
Yes, others watch you flounder. Some are kinder than others about it. I find that the ones who are kind and cheer me on understand that we all have a past. (Remember that verse, For ALL have sinned and come short?) Through it all, I personally have come to revere two precious words: Mercy and Grace.
I recently found some songs/cds that I had not heard in a while and was listening to them this morning. One phrase stuck out: Mercy triumphs over judgment.
That is the God I love. That is the God who loves me.
Don't give up. Don't lay down. Life goes on. Things change. Ask God for the strength and direction to row. His mercy endures forever.
Dear God, Thank you again for the quiet and small ways that you speak to our hearts. I love hearing a song or reading a phrase that causes You to fill my heart with words of encouragement and hope. Thank you for being with me at all times. Please let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in Your sight. Amen. ~Me
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