MY BLOG POSTS

I haven’t written in a while because, frankly, I didn’t know what to write. What do I say? What do I not say? I’m a non-confrontational people-pleaser.  I get anxiety watching the news and getting on social media. I’d say I just want to lock myself in my house and not deal with any of this, but even that could be construed as an argument.

But then, a few days ago, I felt God reminding me that when Jesus was on earth, he lived in a tumultuous political climate. How did He deal with that?

He didn’t.

The religious leaders expected the Messiah to “clean house” politically – to make changes, establish His kingdom, punish the opposition. In fact, that’s why they rejected Jesus: He wasn’t who they expected.

What did Jesus do? He loved people. Especially the outcast and marginalized. He didn’t condone sinful behavior. Rather, He sat with sinners, told them the Kingdom of Heaven is so much better than their sin, encouraged them that what they were thirsting for couldn’t be found on earth.

Jesus did what His Father told Him to do – even when it was unpopular, even when no one understood, even when it made Him unpopular.

In considering this, I am reminded that my people-pleasing attitude is sinful. It places the focus on me (What do others think of me? Do they like me? How can I make sure they like me?). God has called me to think about others, to love others, and to seek first His Kingdom.

This world, with its problems and its pleasures, is temporary. I shouldn’t spend my energy on it. I can have opinions, but those opinions shouldn’t be what drive me. When I see the anger and fear in others, I shouldn’t be anxious, I should be compassionate. I should pray for them – this is a difficult time for so many. We’re all trying to navigate a world that is changing faster than we can keep up.

I need to be like Jesus, knowing people disagree with me, but that their frustration doesn’t need to be mine. I can respond with grace. I can spend my days looking for people to love, to encourage, to point to Jesus.

Let’s remember why we’re here and Whose we are. Let’s never forget that we have a real Enemy, but that enemy isn’t flesh and blood.

Friends, we can see this time in history as awful and scary, or we can see it as an opportunity to be reminded of what really matters. I’ve personally spent too much time being afraid. I want to live in victory, in love, in grace, and I want to share that with those around me.

This is one of the most comforting truths I know. It’s especially comforting during uncertain times, like these — times when life just doesn’t seem to make sense.

God is in control.

The longer we walk with God, the more we can look back and see His hand in our lives. I was just telling my son about one of my “Look what God planned” stories…

In 1998, the summer before my senior year in college, I found out I was pregnant with Emma. I was 23, and Dave and I had been married 2 years. I planned to wait at least another 4 or 5 years to have children. I wasn’t ready!! Also, I was an Education major, and my student teaching was planned for the semester I was due. I had to scramble — I couldn’t have a baby in the middle of my internship! I went to my academic counselor, who advised me that switching majors was my best option; so I changed, senior year, from English Ed to English Lit. I took 18 hours – all Literature – that first semester, so I’d have a lighter load when I was due. Switching majors made no sense. How could I be an English teacher without an English Ed degree? And we planned to move to Texas after I graduated, so Dave could go to seminary. I was going to work full-time to get him through. What would we do now?

Even though I couldn’t see it at the time, all of this was God’s perfect plan! Being a young mom in Midlothian Texas was just what I needed. There were so many other young moms – and older moms! They loved Emma and me, and they taught me how to do this most important of jobs.

Speaking of jobs, one of my mom friends connected me with a community college, where, because I was an English Lit major, I could teach remedial English. I was able to work my classes out when Dave was home, so he got time with the kids (the other 2 were born in Texas). The majority of my students were non-native English speakers, so I had to learn to break down our language. I also saw, through my students, that learning a new language takes time. Especially as an adult! I had to tell them so often to give themselves grace, to not be so hard on themselves. The language would come eventually, but it wouldn’t come overnight.

Those lessons were incredibly helpful when, in 2005, we moved to Costa Rica to learn Spanish. I was able to help fellow missionaries break down the grammar, and I was able to encourage them – and myself! – to give grace and not be so hard on themselves. The language would come eventually, but it wouldn’t come overnight.

All of this from one “random”, unexpected event!!

I have so many more stories like that, so many more ways God has worked in ways I wouldn’t have imagined. I’m sure you do, too. And these are the stories we need to remind ourselves in times like these, when so many of us are in the middle of “why is this happening??” moments. God is at work! He has a plan. And He is FAR more concerned with our character than our location or our comfort.

What is God trying to teach you right now? To trust Him? To worry less? To look for ways to help others? To pray more? Ask Him!

And, when you get to the other side of the story He is writing right now, share it with others! Remind them of how good God is, that He loves us, and that He is in control.

I’m re-reading The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom. (If you’ve never read this book, read it!!) This is the third or fourth time I’ve read this story, and as you readers know, great books get better with subsequent reads. Knowing where it’s going, I’m catching more of the reasons why Corrie Ten Boom begins the way she does – with stories of her life in Holland before the war, of lessons she learned from her family, of circumstances that seemed unfair but were, in reality, what she needed to prepare her for what was to come.

I’m “of an age” now where I can understand more of the “why’s” for my own past. I see how God used a variety of situations and circumstances to prepare me for what’s to come. And, though I’ve never had to endure the kinds of horror that Corrie Ten Boom faced, I can, like Corrie, see God’s hand in my life.

Looking back in this way helps me to look forward. I see that the major back surgery I had at age 13, which led to me being held back a year in middle school (which I thought was the worst thing EVER!), resulted in me being exactly where I needed to be when I needed to be there. I see that the painful breakup in college was actually a blessing, because it brought me closer to the Lord and it freed me to meet my husband. I see that the move to Texas, with a 6 month old baby, wasn’t the tragedy I was sure it would be, but was actually one of the greatest blessings of my life to that point, and a preparation for more moves in the future. And so on and so on and so on. I can see, over the decades, how God used what seemed, sometimes, to be random or awful or unfair to prepare me and grow me, to teach me and even bless me.

Reading books like this reminds me that the Author of our stories doesn’t waste a “page”. And what may seem minor or inconsequential may actually be character-building, foreshadowing, or simply the exposition for the next chapter. Whatever is happening in our stories, we can be confident there’s a purpose. Corrie Ten Boom, from a young age, learned to find joy in every day activities. She learned, from a young age, to seek God daily and to love others, even if they were different than she. And God used those lessons in amazing ways as she matured.

God will use this “page” in your story — in HIS story — because He loves you, He has a plan for you, and He is good.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jer. 29:11