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Failure leads us to Christ

Jun28

I was praying about how I should get involved or even if I should get involved. This person was dear to me. I wanted to help. But what would help look like in this situation. I prayed and the answer was quick to come,”failure leads us to Christ.”.

I struggled with that because failure is difficult for everyone. It’s hard to be the failure and hard to watch someone you care about fail, especially if there was something you could do to prevent it.

I told God that. He said back to me, “do you trust me?”

He’s always asking me that in situations like these. He knows that I know that He is God and I am not. “Yes,”I said, “I trust you.”

He lead me to Matthew 8 where Jesus was sleeping in the boat and a storm came up. The disciples were freaking out. In their fear they woke Jesus up. This storm is going to kill us and you’re sleeping!? We thought you cared!” In other words how could you sleep during our time of need. Jesus didn’t apologize or go back to sleep. “You’re faith in me is still immature. You should know by now just being with me is enough. ” He turned to the storm rebuked it and it came to a sudden halt. The disciples were amazed. They hadn’t seen that coming.

I wonder what the conversation was like then. Did Jesus just go back to sleep or did they talk about it? Did the disciples apologize for their unbelief?

My friend was in a boat in dangerous waters. I alerted the Lord. He reminded me that even though He might appear to be sleeping he is still in the boat. Failure leads us to Christ. If my friend gets in too deep Jesus is right there to rescue him. There is no need for me to wake Jesus up. Have faith He is telling me. Have faith in me. Not in the boat or your friend or even in yourself to understand or intravene. This storm is mine, this boat is mine. I am in control trust me. There are things worse than failure….and that is sucess without me. Failure without me. Life without me.

Failure leads us to Christ

Jan19

I was praying about how I should get involved or even if I should get involved. This person was dear to me. I wanted to help. But what would help look like in this situation. I prayed and the answer was quick to come,”failure leads us to Christ.”.

I struggled with that because failure is difficult for everyone. It’s hard to be the failure and hard to watch someone you care about fail, especially if there was something you could do to prevent it.

I told God that. He said back to me, “do you trust me?”

He’s always asking me that in situations like these. He knows that I know that He is God and I am not. “Yes,”I said, “I trust you.”

He lead me to Matthew 8 where Jesus was sleeping in the boat and a storm came up. The disciples were freaking out. In their fear they woke Jesus up. This storm is going to kill us and you’re sleeping!? We thought you cared!” In other words how could you sleep during our time of need. Jesus didn’t apologize or go back to sleep. “You’re faith in me is still immature. You should know by now just being with me is enough. ” He turned to the storm rebuked it and it came to a sudden halt. The disciples were amazed. They hadn’t seen that coming.

I wonder what the conversation was like then. Did Jesus just go back to sleep or did they talk about it? Did the disciples apologize for their unbelief?

My friend was in a boat in dangerous waters. I alerted the Lord. He reminded me that even though He might appear to be sleeping he is still in the boat. Failure leads us to Christ. If my friend gets in too deep Jesus is right there to rescue him. There is no need for me to wake Jesus up. Have faith He is telling me. Have faith in me. Not in the boat or your friend or even in yourself to understand or intravene. This storm is mine, this boat is mine. I am in control trust me. There are things worse than failure….and that is sucess without me. Failure without me. Life without me.

Waiting

Jul23

Waiting:

Pastor Mark talked about active waiting in Sunday’s  message. Active waiting? I always considered waiting a passive thing to do, it’s like a rut, you can’t move forward or back, you’re just there…. waiting. Like waiting for the train to go by, or the light to turn green, or the lady with the coupons to finally pay for her items. Waiting to see the doctor, waiting for the dentist to be finished, waiting for the mail, that phone call. Waiting for the diagnosis, your spouse to return, your children to come home.

The message this morning made me think about waiting and here are some of those thoughts.

The word wait is mentioned at least 71 times in the Bible. Other words for wait include expect, hope, long for, reserve, and yield.

I thought of the responses I have often said or heard when there is nothing left, I can do to change the situation like “I guess there’s nothing left to do except to sit back and wait.”  Or “All we can do is just wait and see what happens. “And my favorite, “All we can do now is just wait and pray.” Passive waiting is not the same as surrender.

Waiting is not an invitation to give up.  It was never meant to be an excuse to worry, or doubt God’s faithfulness to His Word, or His promises to me.  Its purpose is to develop in us perseverance, expectant hope, anticipation for answered prayers.

That’s so easy to say if I’m not the one in the waiting place. Some of us are waiting for God to move in our marriages, our children, at our workplace. Some of us are waiting for the next paycheck, the next meal, the next day off.  Some of us are waiting for true love, recognition, validation. We will all be there at some point, and we will all be there frequently.

Waiting is not passive.  It is not the final page or the last scene. It’s just another space – another place to practice and exercise our faith. Waiting does not mean, “Fine, God, Whatever! I give up.”  Spoken out of anger or frustration or maybe, do I dare say it, impatience.  Instead it’s a time  to press on, to persevere, to never give up on God and His promises, His Word and His unconditional love for we His prized possession, children of God.

It’s both a waiting room of the unknown and a “weight room”.  A place to seek God’s direction Proverbs 3:5,6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, lean not on your own understanding in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight. 

A time to draw near to Him and experience His presence as He draws near to you. (James 4:8)

In the “weight room” it’s a time for us to build our spiritual faith muscles. Pulling ourselves up by His Word. Renewing our minds with His promises and working out our salvation.

There can be restlessness in the wait, or there can be rest.  There can be anger in the wait or there can be peace.  There can be doubting in the wait or there can be faith.  There can be questioning, doubting, giving up in the waiting or there can be worship.

 

-Kathy White

07/22/2019

 

 

Memories and photographs

Jun18

I should be sleeping but ⁰⁰days. Pictures from when we were little kids to today. Camping pictures and other family trips. Countless pictures of dad’s garden or flowers he grew. Random pictures of myself or my brothers and sisters. Holidays spent the aunts and uncles and cousins. Some celebrated at our house or Aunt Mary’s or my grandmas house. And with each picture is a memory an unanswered question a wonder if or a what are they doing?Legacy,.traditions. It all makes up the fabric of my life. And brings me back to my dark room with heavy eyes and happy heart. Leaves me feeling ready to sleep.. and thankful for the memories

Wear it like a jacket

Aug26

 

Humility is an act of love.

It’s the choice between accepting things as they are not as you think

they should be.

It’s the choice of not responding to sharp words with your own sharp words.

It’s the act of turning the other cheek and giving sacrificially.

Giving without expecting thanks or recognition.

It’s saying, “Look at you”, instead of “Look at me.”

It’s saying, “You go first–I’ll go last”.

Humility is the opposite of selfishness.

Humility is the expression of selflessness.

Humility is not shame, being ashamed, timidity or fear.

Humility is radiant, confidence, boldness and courageous.

It is the understanding of Who God Is.

Who I am in Christ. 

And how I view others through the eyes of Jesus. 

It is joy-filled service to others and to God.

A proper perspective of self in the grand scheme of things. 

The jacket of humility is soft, and comfortable and warm.  It’s a good fit.

“True humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less.” –C.S. Lewis

James 4: 10 Humble yourself before the Lord.

Micah 6:8 The Lord has told you what is good and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

Philippians 5-8  Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself. He had equal status with God but didn’t think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn’t claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death—and the worst kind of death at that—a crucifixion. (The Message Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson)