You Are Loved

“Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”  1 Corinthians 13:4-7

“So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”  1 Corinthians 13:13

I recently read the story of author Mary Ann Bird.  In the article, she shared this very personal story in The Whisper Test. She wrote, “I grew up knowing I was different, and I hated it. I was born with a cleft palate, and when I started school, my classmates made it clear to me how I looked to others: a little girl with a misshapen lip, crooked nose, lopsided teeth, and garbled speech.”

“When classmates asked, ‘What happened to your lip? I’d tell them I’d fallen and cut it on a piece of glass. Somehow it seemed more acceptable to have suffered an accident than to have been born different. I was convinced that no one outside my family could love me.”

“There was, however, a teacher in the second grade that we all adored—Mrs. Leonard [was her] name. She was short, round, happy—a sparkling lady.”

Annually we had a hearing test . . .

Mrs. Leonard gave the test to everyone in the class, and finally it was my turn. I knew from past years that as we stood against the door and covered one ear, the teacher sitting at her desk would whisper something, and we would have to repeat it back—things like “The sky is blue” or “Do you have new shoes?” I waited there for those words that God must have put into her mouth. [They were] seven words that changed my life. Mrs. Leonard said in her whisper, “I wish you were my little girl”

Ever feel alone?  Left out?  Different?  Rejected?  Less valuable than others?

Ever wonder if God REALLY wants you in His family?   After all... you did or said what you did or said.  Can’t take it back and can’t change the past.  

Worry no more.

God wants you.  

God won’t reject you.

God won’t send you away because you’re different.

God loves different.  God CREATED different.  

It doesn’t matter how you think you look today.  Or how badly they made fun of you.   Who you are in Christ is defined by the One who knit you together not by the ones trying to pick you apart.  

You could have broken dreams, a broken heart, or be broken in spirit...  imperfect or all-together wrecked.

God wants you to know something today.

You are not an accident.

You are not less valuable than anyone else.

You are loved.

Let that sink in a second... the one Who started your heart beating is in love with it.   He declares His devotion to you over and over in scripture.  He doesn’t have you confused with your overachieving brother... or the rich lady down the street... or the perfect parent at the pediatrician’s office.  

He is talking about you. 

He wants you to know that your past doesn’t define you and your future has yet to be written.  

You are loved.

Rooted

“If they obey and serve him, they will spend the rest of their days in prosperity and their years in contentment.”  Job 36:11

A little girl walking in a garden noticed a particularly beautiful flower. She admired its beauty and enjoyed its fragrance. “It’s so pretty!” she exclaimed. As she gazed on it, her eyes followed the stem down to the soil in which it grew. “This flower is too pretty to be planted in such dirt!” she cried. So she pulled it up by its roots and ran to the water faucet to wash away the soil. It wasn’t long until the flower wilted and died.

When the gardener saw what the little girl had done, he exclaimed, “You have destroyed my finest plant!”

“I’m sorry, but I didn’t like it in that dirt,” she said. The gardener replied, “I chose that spot and mixed the soil because I knew that only there could it grow to be a beautiful flower.”

That flower battled insects, wind, and the occasional flood.  It resisted the worst that the world could throw at it... it persevered... and grew to be beautiful. Then it was picked.  It became separated from it’s source of strength and provision.  It stopped growing and eventually withered away.  Under God’s plan, that flower would have thrived and grown to live a very long life.

Separated from His plan... it shriveled.  

God could have had that flower come to the earth in a bouquet... never touching the soil... never having to overcome any obstacles.  

But He didn’t.

He knew that the flower would grow stronger and even more beautiful by braving it out in the ground.  It’s roots would grow deep... it’s very sustenance dependent on God’s rains and beautiful sunlight.   The flower needed to overcome the challenges to be what it was created to be.  

We are no different.

Whatever you face today... difficulties, distractions, disunity, or dishonor... decide now that you are going to face it with the right attitude.  Remember, our happiness is based 10% on our circumstances and 90% on how we deal with them.  

Ask yourself:  Am I content with what God’s allowed me to have?

Am I happy that I have a fresh day?  Or am I disappointed all the time that it’s not where the grass seems greener?

Am I looking at the world through God glasses?  Seeing each person, circumstance, and transition as opportunities and not obstacles?

Am I allowing the enemy to convince me that my happiness is based on my feelings and not the eternal love of my Savior?

Fact is, our attitude through adversity determines our ability to achieve happiness.  

Can we be happy when life tries to uproot us?  Yes. 

Why... because what we are going through is a season.  A brief time in a prayerfully long life filled with great successes and challenging knockdowns.  Each one of us experiencing peaks, valleys... and many periods of in-between.  The pain we feel has a purpose... the disappointment we find is for a reason... Why?  Because God wants to punish us?  

Far from it.   Sometimes it takes a flood to help us appreciate the sun (Son) more.  

You are beautiful... just like that flower... rooted in God with a purpose for your life.  Allow Him to help you stand strong against the darkness and rain of hardship, distress, and trial.  And when the sun comes back out... and the warmth of it’s glow hits you... you will shine against the azure sky like the masterpiece that you are.   

Take a few moments out today and thank God for what’s going on in your life... if it’s storming... thank Him for the roots He’s got under you holding you firmly.  Be content in the purpose of your circumstance and watch God reveal a better life than you could ever imagine.  

Steph and I are lifting you up in prayer… stay strong… God’s got you!

Seeing It

I love reading biographies.  My favorites are of thinkers… doers… people that overcame the odds and reached the potential for which they were created.  One of my favorites is the story of Walt Disney.  

He was a remarkable man of vision. He never gave up. Early in his career a newspaper fired him because they thought he had "no good ideas". That just made Disney try harder. When he was starting out in Kansas City he couldn't sell his cartoons. Some hinted that he had no talent but Walt Disney had a dream so he set out to conquer his foes. He found a minister who paid him a small amount to draw advertising pictures for his church. Disney had no place to stay, so that the church let him sleep in the mouse-infested garage. One of those mice which Disney nicknamed Mickey, became famous -- as the world knows. 

When Walt Disney World in Orlando ,FL. opened in 1971, Mrs. Disney was sitting beside Walter Cronkite. Walt Disney has passed away several years earlier. Walter Cronkite wanted to say just the right thing to Mrs. Disney, so he leaned over to her and said, "Wouldn't it be great if Walt were here to see this today." Mrs. Disney wisely replied, "If Walt had not first seen this you would not be seeing it today."

Years before the final brick was put into place...  Walt Disney saw the finished product of Disney World in his mind.  He could mentally walk its streets...hear the sounds of children running to the next attraction... smell the popcorn on Main Street.  

When workers wondered if it could be done, Mr. Disney reassured them that it could.  If people doubted the layout, Walt reassured them it would be the best way to do it.  How could he be so confident?  Why didn’t he worry?  Because he knew what was coming.  He was convinced of what would be.  

He saw ahead of those that couldn’t see it.  

So often we worry.  We fret... become dismayed... feel crushed by the weight of something that has hit our lives with the force of a freight train.  Our reaction typically ranges from tears to tempers... drifting between a feeling of abandonment to agony.  We begin to ask the same questions we’ve asked hundreds of times before...

What if?

When will..?

Who can?

Why try?

Which direction...?

We get scared because we can’t see what’s coming.  We get frustrated because we can’t control the outcome.  We get depressed because we think we’re being paid back for some past failure.  It gets dark and in those shadows we allow the faceless voice of the devil to challenge us with his lies.  

We must know the truth. 

God doesn’t worry.  He doesn’t wonder if you’ll make it through or if you’ll have enough. 

He doesn’t wring His beautiful nail-scarred hands in heaven and doubt your success.

Why?  Because He knows what’s coming.   In fact, He’s prepared to lead you there. 

“‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ says the Lord. ‘They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.’”  Jeremiah 29:11

“And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?”  Matthew 6:30

“So don't worry about these things, saying, 'What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?' These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.”  Matthew 6:31-33

God not only loves and cares for you... He knows what is coming in your life and is preparing your heart for it.  

Your trials?  Strengthening exercises.

Your doubts?  Chances to fortify your faith.

Maybe you can’t see what’s coming in your life like Walt Disney could in his park... but be assured that if you have Jesus Christ as Lord of your life, you don’t have to worry. God stands at the finish line of the road you’re on.   

He’s holding out His hands... waving at you with a message... 

Keep moving forward and trust Me.   I know what’s coming.   

And you’ll be ok.

Blessed

As I was preparing for a weekend teaching, I came across an interesting study conducted by Duke University.  They sought to discover the modern sources of stress...what makes people’s blood pressures rise and their tempers flare?   The results were quite surprising.   As you go through the list... if you identify with one of  their reasons... take a minute and read the Bible verse below it.   God hasn’t designed us to carry so much pressure... and He gives us His words and promises to help counter it.  

According to Duke University, what are the main causes of today’s stress?  What does the Bible have to say about how to handle each of them?

#1:  Suspicion and resentment. Nursing a grudge was a major factor in unhappiness.

What the Bible says to do:  “But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too.”  Mark 11:25

#2:  Living in the past. An unwholesome preoccupation with old mistakes and failures leads to depression.

What the Bible says:  “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”  2 Corinthians 5:17

#3:  Wasting time and energy fighting conditions you cannot change. 

What the Bible says to do:  “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.  Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.”  Proverbs 3:5-6

#4: Withdrawing and becoming reclusive during periods of emotional stress.

What the Bible says to do:  “And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.”  Hebrews 10:25

#5:  Indulging in self-pity when life hands you a raw deal.

What the Bible says:  “And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.”  - 1 Peter 5:10

#6:  Rejecting basic virtues—love, humor, compassion and loyalty

What the Bible says to do: “And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.”  Philippians 4:8

#7:  Expecting too much of yourself. 

What the Bible says:  “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”  Romans 3:23

#8:  Becoming self-centered.

What the Bible says to do:  “Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. 4 Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.”  Philippians 2:3-4

Remember, no matter what the world throws at you... the Bible has an answer. 

You weren’t meant to carry as much stress as you do.  It’s time to make a change.

Are you ready?

Today… if the world knocks you down to your knees... remember, that’s the best place to pray.  Stay there... turn to your Heavenly Father... and let Him know what hurts.  Leave your problems with Him... and resist the temptation to run back over and pick them up.  He is big enough to shoulder what you’re struggling with and loving enough not to give them back to you. 

Pray more 

Stress less

Breathe easier

Live healthier

Give the glory to God.   

You were meant to be blessed not stressed. 

Dig

I read of a woman, Bobbie Oskarson, who recently had quite a find.  While vacationing in Arkansas’s Crater of Diamonds State Park, she unearthed a diamond that weighed in at 8.52-carats.  In fact, she found the stone in her second scoop of dirt…  It was the fifth largest diamond ever uncovered at the park and is worth tens of thousands of dollars.  

Just sitting there.  For free.   An immense treasure just waiting to be claimed by someone willing to dig for it.  

It reminded me of forgiveness.   So many times we do things in our lives that we carry for far too long.  A messy past relationship taking up a corner of our brain…  A lost job… a word we shouldn’t have said… a lie we were caught in.  Sure, we’ve asked the offended party to forgive us, but the residue remains.  We still feel guilty.  We still suffer in silence.  We still think about the pain we caused or the heart we broke.  

We’ve even asked God to forgive us.  

But we haven’t forgiven ourselves.  

The Bible tells us that when we ask forgiveness from God, we are eternally separated from that mistake.  Forever.  God deletes it from our lives with love and mercy.  Psalm 103:12 puts it this way: “He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west.”  Why East and West?  They never touch.  Ever.  

God has forgiven you for your past mistakes.  

Read that again.  Out loud.  To yourself.   Only this time, change it a little. 

God has forgiven me for my past mistakes.

Feel better?  Maybe not.  Why?  Because you think it can’t be that easy.  I can assure you… it is.  God’s love for us is immeasurable and complete.  His forgiveness isn’t based on anything you do for Him… it comes from the overflow and abundance of love in His heart for you… His masterpiece.  In His mind, it is over.  Done.  Never to be brought back up or thought of again.  You are free from the ropes that have held your heart down for so long.   

Now comes the tougher part…. The part where you have to dig a little.  Right below the surface of your guilt is a gem called forgiveness of self… and it’s attainable.  Reach for it.  You may have to do it every hour for the first couple of days.  Forgive yourself.  Let it go.  Allow yourself to accept the fact that God doesn’t hold it against you.   In fact, try this… write these three words down on an index card.  “I Am Forgiven”  

Put that card someplace you’ll see it.  It’ll act as a reminder of the truth.  

You are forgiven.

You aren’t forgotten.

You are loved.

You aren’t left behind.

You are healed up.

You aren’t held down.

God has forgiven you for what happened.  Forgive yourself.  You can’t go back and change the past… you can simply learn from it and move forward.  Repair what you can.  Seek forgiveness from those you’ve hurt.  Ask God to forgive you.  And allow yourself to be free from the prison of self-imposed guilt.  In our minds, we build very strong prisons that God never intended for us to live in.   Unlock that cell and break free from the shackles of pain.

The diamond is sitting there… just waiting for you to pick it up.   Self-forgiveness.  

Make today the first day you aren’t carrying the weight of a busted past.  You aren’t that person anymore.  What happened then has helped sculpt you into what you are now…  Would you change some things? Who wouldn’t.  But you can’t.   Please accept that.    There’s a good reason why the windshield is much bigger than the rear view mirror in your car.  Because moving forward is the goal…  Will you make future mistakes?  Bet on it.  

Will you learn from them?  Prayerfully so.  

Learn and move on.

Forgive and let go.

Leave it at the cross and refuse to go back and get it.  Ever.

When we figure this out… we gain what no diamond or wealth could ever give us… peace.  

You can do it.  Steph and I will be praying for you as you forgive and move forward.  

Independence

“In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation.”  1 Peter 5:10

Maybe you woke up today with the weight of the world on your shoulders.

Sometimes it’s what life throws at you.  Sometimes it’s discipline for a bad decision.  Every time it’s tough.  Really tough.  Hard to believe that you’ll be able to bear up under it.  Stresses, confusion, anger, bitterness, worry, and wonder... all mixed together in the soup of our day.  Life gets very very hard.     And in the midst of our pain, the devil sits nearby whispering...

“If God loved you...you wouldn’t be going through this.” 

That voice sounds so familiar.  It’s the one that tells you that you aren’t good enough... or that God has left you... or you don’t matter.

He just doesn’t let up.  

   

The saddest truth is that some of us have become convinced this is true.  It’s far easier to believe we are being punished for something than it is to think that God is allowing it to happen for us to grow.  We don’t like discipline.  We don’t like not knowing.  And if we’re being honest... we don’t like to wait on God’s timing when our own seems like a better plan.

God knows what He’s doing.  

He truly does.  

After going through a season of severe anxiety myself, I know this... You WILL be victorious over what is holding you down.   How do I know?

1. What you are feeling is for a SEASON.  

“In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation.”  1 Peter 5:10

That pit in your stomach. The tears that sting your eyes.  The lies.  The abandonment.  The loneliness.  You won’t feel these forever.  Look at the verse... it says your suffering is not a permanent condition.  Of course, a little while to God may seem like an eternity to us….but God’s timing is perfect... and we need to keep in mind that there is a purpose to the pain.  It may feel like Winter now... but Spring is coming.   Endure the season... but while you are going through it... thank God for His continued love and protection.  

He is building you... one season and one challenge at a time.

1. What you are feeling is for a reason.

A man found a cocoon of a butterfly. One day a small opening appeared. He sat and watched the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to squeeze its body through the tiny hole. Then it stopped, as if it couldn’t go further.

So the man decided to help the butterfly. He took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bits of cocoon. The butterfly emerged easily but it had a swollen body and shriveled wings.

The man continued to watch it, expecting that any minute the wings would enlarge and expand enough to support the body. Neither happened. In fact the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around. It was never able to fly.

What the man in his kindness and haste did not understand was that the restricting cocoon and the struggle required by the butterfly to get through the opening was a way of forcing the fluid from the body into the wings so that it would be ready for flight once that was achieved.

The butterfly was meant to go through struggle to make it capable of thriving in its life.  

Look again at today’s verse:

“In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation.”  1 Peter 5:10

The very reason you hurt is because there is something in it that will refine you...  You will learn something about the depth of your faith...the strength of your God... and how very much He loves you.  

Pushing through builds perseverance.  Enduring under the weight brings strength.  Leaning on God when it hurts develops faith.  

You’ll need all three to become the person that God has created you to be.  Perseverance...strength...faith.  If life were always easy, you’d struggle with all three.  

You were designed by a loving God to stand strong in the face of adversity.  To fly.  Instead of running from the troubles or looking for shortcuts around the trials... embrace them.  It won’t be easy... Maybe you’ll want to be a martyr... or blame yourself or someone else... or feel like a victim.  

You aren’t.  God is bigger than anything you will ever come up against.  The season you are in has been long and difficult... but you’ll make it.  Never quit.  Keep moving forward... even tiny steps if you have to.  

And when the clouds part and the sun comes back out... break free... spread your wings and be a living testimony of Christ’s goodness and love.  

Facing the Son

Have you ever seen a field of sunflowers?  It’s one of the most amazing things you’ll ever witness.  As the sun passes overhead, the flowers turn to face it. 

No matter what.  

When the warm sun moves... so do the sunflowers.  It’s beautiful.  In unison...a blanket of bright yellow flowers all pivoting toward the source of their warmth and provision regardless of external circumstances.  

They never lose sight of the sun.  

We could learn something from those sunflowers.

When life gets challenging... we want to turn away.  Quit.  Look down.  Turn our faces from the One who immeasurably loves us. 

We want to stare at the ground... or wring our hands... or question God’s existence... 

God is nudging us to keep looking up.  Towards Him.  He wants us to remain confident... Remembering that He has never been defeated.  At anything.  Ever.  He created it all.  He’s experienced it all.  He knows it all.  And He has the power to change it all... in a heartbeat.   God wants us to soak in the warmth of His love... stay focused on His provision... and count on His consistency.   Just like the daily life of His sunflower.

As I continued to read about these plants, I discovered something else that I think might help... 

At night, the sunflowers never lose track of the position of the sun.  They don’t take the night off... they don’t forget.... they keep their faces pointed to where the sun is.  Not where it was during the day... but where it currently is.  As they sit in darkness, they remember... just because it’s no longer visible... doesn’t mean that it isn’t still present.  The sun loses no power during the night... it’s just illuminating another part of the world.  The sunflower knows this and stays pointed at it.  360 degrees... 24 hours a day... facing the source of the light.  

Ever been in a dark place?  Ever wonder where God went or why He seems to have abandoned you?   There’s a man in the Bible who felt that way.  His name was Job.  He lost everything.  His family, his property, his wealth... all gone.  If anybody had a right to curse his circumstances, it was him.  His sun had turned to darkness... and scripture tells us that Job had the opportunity to break his connection with God and stare at the ground.    Defeated.  Irreparable.  Desperate.   

But he didn’t.  Despite his circumstances... Job kept his eyes upward.  Tracking God’s every move.  Look what he was able to say in Chapter 23:

“For I have stayed on God’s paths;

    I have followed his ways and not turned aside.” Job 23:11 

And because Job kept that critical connection... He prospered.  Make no mistake... he suffered.  His pain was intense.  He thought it would never end... that He was never going to feel better...  

But then He remembered to look up.  God was there.... unsurprised by Job’s circumstances.... but rejoicing in his faith despite them.   Job continued to track God even when He couldn’t see Him, feel His protection, or fully understand the “why”.   Like the sunflower, he remembered that God was still there.  In the darkness.  When he felt most alone... God was there.

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”  Deuteronomy 31:6

What does that word “never” mean?  

It means never.  Ever.  Not happening.  God isn’t going anywhere.  

God knows His way into your marriage... He can find your hospital room... He was there at your wedding... He follows your children around the hallways of their school... You can’t outrun Him and He won’t go away.  God is ever-faithful... always present... unselfish... and willing to extend grace to those that haven’t even requested it. 

Feeling His warmth yet?  Even if it’s night in your life right now.  God’s still there.  Stay pointed towards Him.  

When the flowers want to see the sun, they look up.  

The Son you’re tracking is there too.  At the right hand of His Father.  Waiting for you to take that burden and lay it at His feet.  What are you carrying today?  Have you lost sight of where God is?  Forgot how much He cares?  Is it dark where you are in life?  Wondering if He lost track of you or forgot how much you hurt?

He hasn’t forgotten.  You matter to Him.  

He isn’t taking a break or pushing you past your limits in revenge for some past sin.  He isn’t hiding just to see if you’ll come looking.  He’s on the same path He’s been on since the Earth came into being.  But there’s only one place you’ll find Him. 

Look up.