Loving Care

One day a young boy was eating potato chips and had made a terrible mess on the floor.  His father entered the room, noticed the mess, and told his son that he would clean it up for him.  The boy quickly replied... “No dad, I’ll do it!”  The dad thought a second and said, “No, if I let you do it, you’re going to make a bigger mess.”  The boy protested... “No I won’t!”  So the father relented and let his son clean up the chips.

The result?  As expected, the boy made a bigger mess.   

When we hear this story, we can be too quick to dismiss it as something only a child would do.  But take a second and think about it... don’t we do the same thing with God?  Time after time in scripture He tells us that He will take care of things for us... revenge, provision, fulfillment, peace.. and so much more.   Yet, we tell God all the time... “I’ve got it!”  And the result, a bigger mess.  Proverbs 21:2 says “A person may think their own ways are right, but the Lord weighs the heart”   God knows best... and when we try to help Him handle our lives, we typically just make things more complicated.  Make the commitment today to take God at His word... Let Him do what He says He wants to do for us... and praise Him when you experience the blessing of His loving care.

What You Need

I found this passage...written by someone who suffered with cancer....

“When I was diagnosed with Cancer:  

My first friend came and expressed his shock by saying, "I can’t believe that you have cancer. I always thought you were so active and healthy." He left and I felt alienated and somehow very "different."

My second friend came and brought me information about different treatments being used for cancer. She said "Whatever you do, don’t take chemotherapy. It’s a poison!"  So she left and I felt scared and confused.

My third friend came and tried to answer my "whys?" with the statement "Perhaps God is disciplining you for some sin in your life?"  He left and I felt guilty.

My fourth friend came and told me, "If your faith is just great enough God will heal you." She left and I felt my faith must be inadequate.

My fifth friend came and told me to remember that "All things work together for good." He left and I felt angry.

My sixth friend never came at all.  I felt sad and alone.

My seventh friend came and held my hand and said, "I care, I’m here, I want to help you through this."  She left and I felt loved!

-Linda Mae Richardson

God says the same thing to you.

You may not be dealing with cancer today.  But you could still be in need of care.  It might be a broken marriage, a jaded heart, or an empty bank account. 

People will mean well when they try to help.  They’ll use logic, their related past experiences, and researched information.  Some will stick around.  Some won’t.  Even your very best friend in the world can’t do what God does.  

God is different.  He looks past what you’re calling out for and gives you what you need.  He sees your scars and counts the tears that roll down your face...reminding you that He Himself was scarred and wept so that you could ultimately spend your eternity free from pain.  

God is consistent.  His feelings for you don’t change.   You can’t make Him love you more... and He isn’t going to love you less.  You are infinitely flawed and infinitely valuable to Him...and He will never quit on you.  He doesn’t promise you constant sunshine... but He does guarantee His presence in your storms. He won’t leave your bedside.  Feeling alone?  Nothing helping your situation?  Ready to give up?

Don’t you dare. 

If you are going through something today.  Simply stop. Sit somewhere and read through this verse:

“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

God is telling you something.  Do you hear it?  He is telling you... 

I care.

I’m here.

I want to help you through this.

Grab His hand and never let go.  

The Real Story

Xiang Junfeng’s wedding was an incredibly special day in her life.  So much so that each day she gets up and puts on her wedding dress… or one of her other wedding dresses… and spends the entire day in it.  When asked why she does this, she says that the gown represents the proudest day in her life and wearing it reminds her how happy she is to have married her husband.  

Sound strange?  There’s more to the story.

She wasn’t just a celebrating being a bride that day… she was celebrating her freedom.  Earlier in her life she had been kidnapped and sold as a slave… forced to marry an elderly man and spend 15 years plotting an escape in a life she never wanted.  As she ran from where she was being held captive to Liujiazhuang Village, she met a woman who did whatever she could to help.  Not long after Xiang met this woman’s brother… they fell in love… and got married.  

How many times do we rush to judgment when hearing about someone’s life?  If I would have stopped after the first paragraph, many of us would have walked away thinking this woman is eccentric… odd… someone who needs to come to grips with “the right way to act.”  But when you hear the rest of the story, things get clearer and start to make more sense.  She isn’t wearing a wedding dress everyday just because she’s a happy bride… she wears it as a symbol of emancipation and of the true love she’s found in her heart for her new husband.

As we head in to 2017… let’s dedicate ourselves to digging below the surface in the lives of those we know.  Let’s stop with the pleasantries and spend the time getting to really know people.  Jesus modeled this so many times in scripture… His discussion with the woman at the well (John 4), his talk with the woman who committed adultery (John 8), and his choosing of the original disciples (Luke 5).  Christ didn’t judge any of these people by who He saw on the surface… He pushed through the apparent and uncovered the potential.

There are people all around you today that are begging you without words to ask that second question.  Rather than just “How are you doing?”… they want “How can I help?  What do you need?  or Is there more you need to share?” They want you to ask for the story behind the story and genuinely care about it.   There is so much more to people’s lives than a first impression.  And if we are really going to love them like Christ does, we have to be willing to hear them out and get the whole picture.   

Want to be a real friend?  Dare to ask questions, seek understanding, and get involved beyond the surface of the relationship.  It will help illuminate, enhance, and bring maturity to a bond that can last a lifetime!

Care

I found this passage...written by someone who suffered with cancer....

“When I was diagnosed with Cancer:  

My first friend came and expressed his shock by saying, "I can’t believe that you have cancer. I always thought you were so active and healthy." He left and I felt alienated and somehow very "different."

My second friend came and brought me information about different treatments being used for cancer. She said "Whatever you do, don’t take chemotherapy. It’s a poison!"  So she left and I felt scared and confused.

My third friend came and tried to answer my "whys?" with the statement "Perhaps God is disciplining you for some sin in your life?"  He left and I felt guilty.

My fourth friend came and told me, "If your faith is just great enough God will heal you." She left and I felt my faith must be inadequate.

My fifth friend came and told me to remember that "All things work together for good." He left and I felt angry.

My sixth friend never came at all.  I felt sad and alone.

My seventh friend came and held my hand and said, "I care, I’m here, I want to help you through this."  She left and I felt loved!

-Linda Mae Richardson

God says the same thing to you.

You may not be dealing with cancer today.  But you could still be in need of care.  It might be a broken marriage, a jaded heart, or an empty bank account. 

People will mean well when they try to help.  They’ll use logic, their related past experiences, and researched information.  Some will stick around.  Some won’t.  Even your very best friend in the world can’t do what God does.  

God is different.  He looks past what you’re calling out for and gives you what you need.  He sees your scars and counts the tears that roll down your face...reminding you that He Himself was scarred and wept so that you could ultimately spend your eternity free from pain.  

God is consistent.  His feelings for you don’t change.   You can’t make Him love you more... and He isn’t going to love you less.  You are infinitely flawed and infinitely valuable to Him...and He will never quit on you.  He doesn’t promise you constant sunshine... but He does guarantee His presence in your storms. He won’t leave your bedside.  Feeling alone?  Nothing helping your situation?  Ready to give up?

Don’t you dare. 

If you are going through something today.  Simply stop. Sit somewhere and read through this verse:

“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

God is telling you something.  Do you hear it?  He is telling you... 

I care.

I’m here.

I want to help you through this.

Grab His hand and never let go.  

Steph and I will be lifting you up in prayer.  

He Felt It Too

God knows you.   After all, every single cell in your body was by His design.  You are intentionally made and have a purpose that is as unique as your fingerprint.  Isn’t it comforting to know that God not only made you...

He cares about you.  

Not in a “hope everything works out” kinda way.  God cares specifically...intimately... in a way that only He can.  

But how?  How does an infinite God know how a finite human feels pain?  How can an everywhere-at-one-time God relate to how much we hurt at times?

He became one of us.   He felt our pain.  

He was crucified and sacrificed Himself for all of us.

John 19:28-30  “Later, knowing that everything had now been finished, and so that Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips. When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.”

But Jesus’ time with us was far from over... 

John 20:11-18  “Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.

They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?”

“They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.” At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.

He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?”

Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.”

Jesus said to her, “Mary.”

She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”).

Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”

Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that he had said these things to her.”

All-powerful God...coming to Earth as a baby.... spending time with His creation... feeling the pains of the human condition... being nailed to a cross for the sins of the world... and walking triumphantly from a tomb three days later.  

All of that so He could look into our hurting eyes and say...

I know how you feel.  I felt it too.  

I know what it feels like to have your friends walk away.

I know what it feels like to lose someone you love.

I know what it feels like to cry.

I know what it feels like to feel alone.

I know what it feels like to be accused of something you didn’t do.

I know what it feels like to hurt.

  

Without sinning, He did it all.   Just so He could feel what we feel.

While we wonder if anybody in the whole world... all seven billion of them... understand or have ever felt like we do.

Jesus does.  

Christ isn’t sympathetic to what’s hurting you today.  He doesn’t tell you that He hopes you feel better and then goes back to running the universe.  It’s not a passing sentiment... or hollow words of comfort sent your way... or empty rhetoric that everybody gets.  

He’s been there.  He’s been hurt.  

He’s empathetic.  

He feels it WITH you.  He hurts WITH you.  He goes through it WITH you.  He doesn’t abandon you to your challenges and turns a semi-understanding ear in your direction.  He runs to you with scarred arms wide open... ready to embrace you as you suffer.      He not only understands your pain... is not only working ahead of you to relieve your pain... He wants you to know that He himself has suffered your pain.  

He knows it hurts.  He also knows that it may look dark now... but the sun is about to rise on the shadows in your life.  Stay strong and remember...

God restores.

God empathizes.

You are loved more than you’ll ever know.  

Keeping An Eye On You

Not long ago,  Apple released a new lineup of iPhones... faster, sleeker, and all even able to use your fingerprint as a security key!  One feature that hasn’t changed since its launch is the phone’s ability to locate where you are at any given time. This isn’t exclusive to the iPhone... if you carry a cell phone... yours can do it too.  At any point during the day, your exact location can be pulled up on a map by your service provider or law enforcement.  Many would see this as an invasion of privacy.  But what would you say if I told you that it was happening long before the brick cell phones of the 80s were even thought of.

God’s been tracking you for years.  In fact, He was doing it before you were even knit together as a baby.   And if you think your cell provider knowing your latitude and longitude is personal... God knows your thoughts.  Every thought.  Those that we admit to and those that we hide in the deep recesses of our hearts.  In Psalm 139, David asks God the rhetorical question “Where can I go from your Spirit?”.  Of course, he knew the answer.  God knows where you are, what you’re doing, and what is going through your mind.  Every day.  But why?  Shouldn’t this scare us?  Of course not!  God knowing where we are should be a comfort.  He is always with us...even when we feel like we’re alone.  And God knowing our thoughts challenges us to think His way in our lives... We don’t need to fear God’s direct involvement in our day-to-day... we should embrace it... and give thanks that the God of the universe sees us important enough to keep His loving eye on.  

Immediately

“Meanwhile, the disciples were in trouble far away from land, for a strong wind had risen, and they were fighting heavy waves.  About three o’clock in the morning[a] Jesus came toward them, walking on the water.  When the disciples saw him walking on the water, they were terrified. In their fear, they cried out, “It’s a ghost!”

  But Jesus spoke to them at once. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “Take courage. I am here!”

  Then Peter called to him, “Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.”

  “Yes, come,” Jesus said.

   So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus.  But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted.

  Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. “You have so little faith,” Jesus said. “Why did you doubt me?”

  When they climbed back into the boat, the wind stopped.  Then the disciples worshiped him. “You really are the Son of God!” they exclaimed.”  Matthew 14:24-33

If we are going to accomplish great things for God... we have to get out of the boat and trust Him.  Peter experienced something the other disciples didn’t... simply because he trusted his Creator enough to step over the side and trust.   Today, I want you to go back to this verse and look at one simple word that teaches a powerful lesson. 

That word?    

Immediately.

The passage says that Jesus “immediately reached out and grabbed him.” 

I love that!  Many times when we think about this passage (or we see a picture of the scene), we see Jesus several yards away from His young pupil... beckoning him like a parent does to a toddler just learning to walk.  That’s simply not the case.  When Peter takes his eyes off of Christ and starts to sink... the Bible says Jesus is one arms length away.  Let that sink in a second...  Jesus was right there.... Ready to immediately catch him.  Never leaving his side.

Do you know what?  When you decide to climb out of the boat... to take a risk... to go after becoming the person God’s created you to be...

You’ll be one arm’s length away from Christ too.  

He’s not going to have to run to you when you call... He’s not going to sit back and watch you struggle...or fail...or cry.  He will be right there alongside you.  He’ll save you if you start to slip.  He’ll never let you out of His sight.  You are in good hands.  

Be bold.  Step out.  Have faith.  You are safe.