No More Tit-for-Tat

Gracious there are times when the Lotd, quite simply, grabs your attention. Not always through some magestical way, but sometimes in the quiet of the morning. I've been very slack in reading and praying through the chaos of my life lately. As I wrote to one friend - does it look like everything is going well in my Facebook posts? - yeah, that shows you how deceiving Facebook is! And for some reason, I shut down when the going gets tough, instead of reaching out to God. And that brings on anxiety. What a vicious circle.

So this morning, after several nights of no sleep, I'm awake in my dimly lit bedroom, reading the Girlfriends in God devotional that I've been ignoring forever. Today's message was good, about those God moments where the overwhelming desire to praise Him can occur in any life moment. And they said to read Psalm 63. 

I opened my Bible app and the verse of the day appeared. I usually glance at the first lines that show but rarely click on it To read the entire passage. Today I clicked. 

“To you who are ready for the truth, I say this: Love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer for that person. If someone slaps you in the face, stand there and take it. If someone grabs your shirt, giftwrap your best coat and make a present of it. If someone takes unfair advantage of you, use the occasion to practice the servant life. No more tit-for-tat stuff. Live generously. (Luke 6:27-30 MSG)

Two things stand out - (1) To you who are  ready for the truth. (I am often not! And therefore the Lord's message will not be revealed until we are ready!) and (2) If someone takes unfair advantage of you, practice the servant life. No more tit-for-tat stuff. Wwwhhhoooaaa. That's definitely not what society teaches us!! Living the servant life - no society teaches we live to be served. It's ME driven. Not THEE driven. 

So this concept of a servant's life keeps popping up in various places for me. Enough that I am recognizing this message. I pray I can have a servant's attitude because it's definitely not what I currently have. But it is what the Lord wants. 

Sleeplessness Sucks

I hate not being able to sleep. I woke up at 11:30 with my glasses on and the lamp on. Settled in properly to only wake up again at 2:00 am and not go back to sleep. Ugh. A coworker and I were saying today how getting enough sleep really impacts your health. And you have to retrain your body to want to sleep. Mine hasn't learned yet.

Y'all know I'm crazy for my nieces. Sweet Niece #1 turned FOURTEEN in February. Heaven help. It's hard to believe. Next year she starts high school. HIGH SCHOOL. Unbelievable. Already we see less of her, but she's a busy teen now. 

 This poor girl - she told PawPaw she was seeing "sun horns."  Since she already has eye issues we are concerned about, mom made an appointment with the eye dr immediately. We were so worried it was a detached retina. Not sure why there was a massive delay at the dr but she and mom were there FOUR HOURS.  A three-year-old. In a doctor's office. For four hours! She was exhausted, starving, stressed, just wiped out when they left. She slept all the way home and then on PawPaw's lap for several hours. The doctor thinks it's visual migraines. Her mama and daddy both get horrible migraines but PawPaw only gets the visual part. Hopefully, Macy won't inherit the headaches. 

If you have a little one in your life, you probably are familiar with Reading Across America and Dr. Seuss' birthday. Macy has preschool two days a week. One day she was to dress like her favorite Dr. Seuss character. She insisted on THING 2. Not Thing 1 because Thing 1 is the crazy one. She wanted to be Thing 2. And I thought she was an adorable Thing 2. (The other day this week she was to wear green for Green Eggs and Ham day).  

I'm doing a morning devotional that is emailed to me from GIG (Girlfriends In God). I've done it on and off again but I really do gain a lot from it. And they refer back to the scriptures which I believe is so important. 

In several places I keep seeing two messages: find joy in adversity and be positive in all situations.  It's tough. As one person said it, "Don't waste the hurt - learn what God is trying to teach you through it!"  

I've tried to make a concious choice throughout my day to be quieter, less sarcastic and less judgemental. I keep telling myself: reflect God in your actions, Beth. You are all some people know of Him. Give thanks. Know He will pull you through every trial and hardship in His way and in His time. It's still tough but with that in mind, there is always hope. 

Well it's now 4:30 am. Might as well get up an sew a bit. Accomplish something other than wadding up my blankets in a tangled mess. Y'all have a great weekend. :) 

Friday's Letters

Hello weekend! I see you peeping around the corner... don't worry, I'll get you soon!

Dear Flu - you are ruining everyone's happiness around here.  First you attacked my b-i-l, which made sweet niece very unhappy since she was banned from the house. She REALLY missed her Daddy.  Then you attack the babysitter, but only after Macy was already there for the day. Oops. That visit was cut short. So how about packing your bags and moving on outta here, ok?

Dear Christmas - I'm almost ready for you.  Almost. I need to get two more gifts and do a lot of wrapping to be totally ready.  And make lots of cookies, which starts tonight! Hopefully Sweet Niece #1 will be able to help me this weekend.

Dear God - You really answered prayers for my family this week.  Dad continues to be bladder cancer free, based on his test this week - THANK YOU! and other blessings I am so very thankful for... Thank you, Lord.

Dear Book of Job - you are killing me.  Man, I just ache with sadness reading this book! I'm doubling up on my reading, trying to find the light at the end of the tunnel.  One thing I did learn, however, is more often than not, the best thing you can do to be a good friend is to listen and pray.  "O that you would be completely silent, and that it would become your wisdom!" Job 13:5  As Charles Stanley writes, "Very often - more frequently that we know - our best counsel and most helpful advice is to say precisely nothing.  'Even a fool, when he keeps silent, is considered wise; when he closes his lips, his is considered prudent.' Proverbs 17:28 "

Dear friend - Thank you for my surprise at my desk this week!!! I called in Monday so I could go to the doctor and hopefully get some meds (I did, but they are so powerful they scare the dickens out of me, so I won't take them anymore!) - as I ran by the office to get packages, I discovered this SUPER COOL SCARF on my desk! Whoa... you rock for this! Thank you Thank you Thank you! (and thanks to photo programs that hide the spots on my two front teeth. Awesome!)

Dear Prayer Peeps - anyone that is a praying person, our church seems to have been hit with sickness and sadness lately.  I've also had personal prayer requests that a few of you know about. So Prayer Peeps, please pray for my personal family and church family, if you don't mind. God will understand your intent  :)  Thank you.

Well folks, I hope you have a festive weekend of family and friend fun.  Hopefully I'll take more pics this coming week to make these posts more exciting! :)

Releasing Secrets, Restoring Hope.

This morning, reading my Girlfriends in God devotional in bed, I felt so moved to share this message.  I've been burdened since Sunday when my preacher mentioned 55 million babies have been surgically aborted in the US - this doesn't account for the "morning after" pill or illegal abortions. 55 million babies. Each one of these children were created by God, lovingly knitted together by Him with Divine purpose - and each one now gone.

I definitely am not trying to point fingers, but to pray for these women in these situations, that they get the help they need to handle what has already been done and not go down that path again. Furthermore, we ALL have some secret that we want to push deep down inside of us so that it never sees the light of day, but maybe it's time to release the fear and have faith in God's forgiveness.

Please read this devotion and if you feel compelled, pass it on:

January 24, 2014
Releasing Secrets, Restoring Hope
Gwen Smith

Today’s Truth

Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame.(Psalm 34:5, NIV)

Friend to Friend

For years my abortion story went untold. It was a secret held tightly by a locked heart - my worst nightmare and darkest memory. Not something I wanted to talk about. Certainly not a story that I thought could be used for good.

Conversationally, it was unapproachable… simply impossible to discuss. On the rare occasion when I allowed my mind to go there, I wished I had a different story: one of life, not death – of joy, not pain. A story of a time when I’d made the best choice, not the worst choice.

But that’s not my story.

And because it’s not, for years I was convinced that my mistakes demanded silence. That because of what I’d done and where I’d been, I was bound to be quiet whenever the sacred topic of life arose. Certainly, I had no right to speak… or so I believed. Shame buttoned my lips.

Then I came to know a deeper grace. A grace found in the testimony of redemption. God’s grace. A grace that testifies of hope, healing and restoration. A grace found in the sharing and releasing of my broken heart-places. Amazing grace that boasts in the truth that all things can work together for good to those who love God and who are bound to His will and purpose (Romans 8:28).

By the grace of Jesus Christ, I now understand that – knowing what I know and having been where I’ve been – I am actually uniquely qualified to speak and encourage others toward life… forgiveness… and hope.

A few years ago, the Lord led me to participate in a post-abortive Bible study and a weekend retreat that allowed my heart to experience healing in places that I didn’t even know were wounded. I was given the opportunity to sift through my grief, to name my child, and to honor her tragic, unlived life in a beautiful memorial service. My story is now one of healing – and I will tell it until I take my last breath and meet my precious baby in heaven.

HEALING

For those of you who share my broken story, I encourage you toward this sacred healing – toward deeper grace. Death’s grip is suffocating and scary… but it’s not more powerful than the forgiveness and love found in Jesus. Don’t allow fear and shame to keep you from the restoration that God longs for you to experience. Call your local pregnancy care center and ask about their post-abortive Bible studies and retreats.

COURAGE

For those of you who are pregnant and afraid, I encourage you to choose life. I know the fears you are facing and the doubts that are screaming relentlessly to your heart. Silence them with the hope found in the center of grace. Whatever this looks like for you – whether it’s parenting or adoption – I implore you, from the deepest recesses of my heart, to allow your baby a chance to breathe, love, laugh and live. It will be one of the best choices you will ever make.

SUPPORT 

For those of you who don’t share my story, but who support the efforts of life-affirming ministries on the front lines of this battle, I encourage you toward generous giving. I applaud you for your participation. Because of you, lives are being saved… and diapers are being changed… and dreams are being dreamed… and God is being honored. Because of your support, sacred hearts are beating. Thank you. A thousand times: thank you.

But where sin increased, grace increased all the more,so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 5:20b-21)

Let’s Pray

Dear God, with a trembling heart, I approach Your throne of grace today in reverence and humility, fully aware that You are holy and I am not. Speak, Lord. Show me the plans You have for me. Bind me to Your Word and to Your strength so I will have the courage to obey, to forgive and to accept forgiveness. May my brokenness be restored for the beauty of Your glory. Please help me to trust your plan and grace. In Jesus’s name I pray, amen.

Now It’s Your Turn

Okay … take a deep breath with me! Some of you may feel disturbed that a locked door in your heart has been nudged open. I also know that 30-40% of you that are reading this devotion share my experience of abortion. There is healing and forgiveness for you, too. Through the help of my local Pregnancy Care Center, I went through a post-abortive Bible study that helped me to know complete healing. If you have not taken that step toward healing, I encourage you to contact the Abortion Recovery CARE line at 1-866-4-My-Recovery (1-866-469-7326) visit www.AbortionRecovery.org - or call your local Pregnancy Care Center today to sign up for a post-abortive Bible study or retreat.

Is there someone you know who needs to read this message? Forward this email. Post it on your social media sites. Share the hope of healing.

More from the Girlfriends

Welcome to my personal pulse. This type of transparency is always risky. My pulse races each time I expose the broken places of my past and my present – but GOD is always faithful to use it in some beautiful way. Some of you may feel this devotion was written specifically for you. Don’t ignore that. Explore it. Click here to listen to a song that I co-wrote and recorded called Broken into Beautiful, and leave a comment sharing your heart with me. We will pray over each of you!

My full testimony is featured the book, Broken into Beautiful, along with Scriptural truths and stories of how God has brought restoration the hearts of many other women who had painful life wounds. God delights to transform lives … including your own. Experience God’s healing and hope in your life today as you read Broken Into Beautiful! To order the book, go to Amazon or for a signed copy, click here.