So, it's been FOREVER since I've posted anything and again, I've decided to do devotionals. This time, with a twist! I'm a person who has read the Bible on several occasions, sought it out to find answers when I was lost, just read it to establish a relationship with Dad. In the many, many times I've used my current Bible, I've highlighted things that spoke to my heart, wrote myself notes in it, etc.
I feel that God is easier to hear, if we're allowing ourselves to come into the relationship with him...expecting him to talk to us. Many people claim they never hear God or that God has never spoken to them. But, I beg to differ. Sometimes he talks and we hear then and there. Sometimes he talks and we don't listen. Sometimes he talks, but we don't get it until after the fact.
Below are just a handful of stories from my life experiences that show God does, indeed, speak...do we listen?
Story 1 - The 11 Year Prayer
To keep the stories short, I'm only going to tell what is important. My father was a Christian raised by Christian parents, baptized. He is a farmer, welder, was a Sheriff's Deputy. He was drafted into the Vietnam war. He saw many horrors and on more than a few occasions nearly lost his life. When he returned home, he was "changed". He had PTSD and basically said God couldn't exist and let the horrors of Vietnam go on.
I was (just getting back to being) a fervent prayer warrior. I prayed all the time...even in school, around my town, with friends, etc. I was in a good relationship with God and often referred to him affectionately as Dad. I could feel my own dad's hurt and need for affection. I tried as a teenager to show him my love and that things will someday be right. It just wasn't working. So, I had to pray.
I began praying for my father to come back to God in August 1993...I was 10. I had just met my best friend Becky and her family. I had just come to the realization that God can do ANYTHING and even something like bringing my daddy back around was possible for him.
I prayed for my daddy daily...sometimes more than once, but daily for 11 years straight. Oh, boy! I got frustrated with God. Mad at God. Sometimes I felt he was ignoring me, but He was and is God. He must know what he is doing. Eleven years later (not sure if it was to the day or not), my daddy called me. I was outside of the Red Lobster @ 95th & Metcalf meeting my friend Bre for dinner to discuss God. I was waiting for her and floundering in my prayer as to how I could better help her.
When my dad called, he said "Bubba," long pause which made me worry, "I got something I gotta tell you." Then he broke down crying. I was 21 and had NEVER heard my daddy cry. I started crying...thinking the worse. My mom? My brother? My neice? What? My daddy took a big breath, "Sorry for crying. But I knew you'd be the one to understand. He found me, Bubba." Now I paused. Did I hear him right? Was this the same "He" that I knew? Or was it someone else. Hesitantly I asked, "Who found you?" "God found me, Bubba. Hard and fast and I had to let you know." He started crying again. We talked about it, but I was very grateful that after 11 years, my prayer "itch" had been scratched. Remember that God's timing is always perfect even if we don't understand it.
Story 2 - The Fleece Before God
I liked Josh. He seemed to like me, but he was very girl shy. We always hung out with Bill Jr., Burnie, and Heidi. How was I going to convey to Josh that I liked him? Everytime I told a guy, the answer was "Um, NO." or it was a bad and sometimes bitter relationship. I wanted something more now.
I laid my fleece before God one night. Simple as it was, it was a profound statement of faith on my part. "Dad, here's my fleece. If Josh asks me out, I know we're going to get married." WHOA! Big statement huh?! Marriage if he asks me out...hahahahaha. I even laugh at it now. But, it's true. I was ready for the next step in life and felt that God knew what he was doing.
All our friends said he would NEVER ask me out because he was too shy. On a Monday evening everyone but Josh and I had plans...Burnie was working, Bill had a date, Heidi and class...Josh and I decided to do dinner together so we wouldn't have to eat alone. Afterwards, Josh wanted to drive the I-435 loop to just talk...needless to say neither of us wanted to spend a nice night at our apartments alone.
Around the loop discussion sorta flourished. It got to the point that I offered to set him up with a girl named Emily who was a teacher because he wanted to take a 3 week trip along the Pacific Coast Highway. Fair is fair...he had to set him up with someone.
"Well, I was going to set you up with me, but since you're setting me up with Emily, I'm not sure what to do now." He replied with his eyes intent on the road. "I haven't done it yet!" I said looking at him with questions in my eyes. "Well, fine. I'd like to date you and see how things go, if you'd like to." Glancing at me, I said "Sure." And we sealed the deal with a high five!
That was in February of 2005. In May of 2005 he popped the question. And on August 13, 2005 we were wed.
Story 3 - The Elusive Elk & The Farm
Did you know God has a sense of humor? While vacationing in the middle and southwestern parts of Colorado with our friends Jason and Jana, Josh was ever on the hunt to see elk. He loves elk and he rarely gets to see them in the wild. We were on the last 2 days of the trip and Josh was really bummed because we'd been ALL over the mountains of Colorado and hadn't seen even 1 elk.
"Maybe you should ask God to see an elk." Jana ventured as we drove toward Cortez and Mesa Verde. "Yeah, that sounds like a great plan, Jana. Josh, maybe you should ask God. He's always answering prayer." I said looking at him. "Oh, fine. I just don't think it will work. He's probably got better things to do." "Nah, he's ready for you." Jason said as the final encouragement.
"God - Is it too much to ask? I just want to see an elk. I'm not saying there has to be a lot. Can't you let me see at least one before this vacation is done. Amen." There...he had done it. He had said his prayer and now we'd all wait to see if it would be answered in a timely manner.
Ten minutes later I called excitedly, "I see an ELK!!!! Look! There it is!!! And the antlers!!!!" "That's not what I meant! I meant I wanted to see a WILD elk...!!!" Josh complained as we passed the ELK FARM of Cortez. Sitting in the middle of a pen next to the highway was a huge bull elk in all his glory. Everyone in the truck began to laugh uncontrollably at the sight of the elk.
"You weren't specific though, Josh. You never mentioned it had to be wild!" Jana roared. "Yeah, you just said an elk! Guess God got you good on this one huh?" I rolled in laughter.
I like to think in that moment, God was sitting upstairs laughing with us as Josh tried to find the humor in it all.
Now that we know God hears us and talks with us, we'll beging the Bible study tomorrow. I will being going from Genesis through Revelation study 1-3 verses each devotional. These verses will be ones that I have highlighted or attempted to highlight or mark, but wasn't successful in.
Tomorrow, we will be looking at the following verses:
Genesis 1:1
Genesis 1:31
Genesis 2:18
Genesis 2:21-22
Genesis 2:24
I know this is more than 3, but all these versus kinda sum up creation. See you here tomorrow sometime for the continuation!
Enjoy!
Showing posts with label Relationships. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Relationships. Show all posts
Monday, June 4, 2012
Friday, September 23, 2011
A Time for Everything - Devotional Day 3 - September 23
Scripture: Ecclesiastes 3:1, 6-7 - A time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak.
Today's lesson looks at a time of relationships...which ones are forever relationships, which ones are the ones that are just for a short period of time, which should be let to pass silently, and which are the ones to go loudly? Relationships are hard. They can be tricky. They take work even if it's just a brief relationship. Good businesses establish relationships with their customers and work to keep them.
"It's easier to purge when it comes to things, harder when it comes to people." When was the last time you actually did "spring" cleaning at your house? Josh and I are getting ready to do it this weekend as we change out summer clothes with fall clothes and tidy the house for a home visit from our foster worker. It's easy for me to let go of most material items...I guess I've watched too many of the hoarder shows and seen how it can wreck relationships. I also realize that I will not be able to physically use most items, don't have a place to store them, or know that they are no longer needed/wanted. But what do you do when it comes to purgine people or relationships from your life?
"...there are times when we have to decide if we are going to maintain certain friendships, cut them abruptly loose, or quitely let them slip away. We have to discern if a difficult or broken relationship warrantes mending or tearing, if we need to speak up and reach clarity or closure, or if it's best to let things go unspoken and allow the relationship to die of natural causes."
Maintaining friendships can be a chore. They take work especially if that friendship is long distance. My best friend, Becky, and I have been friends since the 5th grade when her family moved to Eads...that's a total of about 18 years that we've known each other. (Goodness! I never realized I was so OLD!) Our relationship has been through it all! Jealousy, Rage, Happiness, Joyfulness, Idleness. It has had it's ups and downs, it's twists and turns, but it's been worth it. We were brought together by God and will be friends until the end, no matter what. It's a relationship that both of us know is worth it. Our relationship was very easily maintained while we both went through high school. But after we graduated, I parted for KC and she stayed in Eads for a while. Then there came Dallas for her and that first summer, Michael (good friend) and I drove down to see her for a week. Then she we didn't see each other for 2 years. We were able to meet her fiance on a beach trip that year. The next time I saw her was the day before her wedding...I actually got to see her whole family too! Then we went again without seeing each other for several years. But a relationship like ours is worth maintaining. Through each phase of our relationship where we go long periods without contact, I think of the song Becky wrote down for me on a card once..."Friends are friends forever if the Lord's the Lord of them."
Hear the full song "Friends" by Michael W Smith at (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tF0UPv20kUA)
Cutting a relationship abruptly loose can hurt very much and yet at the same time be the best thing you do. The relationship that was hardest for me to cut loose (at least at the time) was my engagement to Rich. Rich is from Canada and we had know each other for many years. My first year of college I took a trip to see him and he proposed. I said "Yes". I knew this long distance relationship would be tough to maintain...as I wouldn't go back until my last semester of school...or so was the plan. The relationship had lots of opposition...my mom was against me which was tearing deeply at me and Rich's family wasn't supportive of his happiness at the time. What tore at me more was that at the time, Rich had decided he would only go to church on the big days, not weekly with me. This weighed heavily on me because God is very important in my life. After several thought crippling weeks of thinking it through and calls to Rich and emails back and forth, I knew I could not marry him if he could not commit to God...it wouldn't work. I called him and cut it off. The next several months were the worst months of my life. Rich had been a staple for years and now? Now, I couldn't talk to him for fear I would let the wrong choice reign. I cried myself to sleep almost every night for 2 months...it cut deep and hurt so much! But, it was the right decision. After Rich, came Josh.
Quitely letting a relationship slip away is almost a mutual decision made by both parties. Because, let's face it, if one side wanted the relationship to continue, they would attempt to keep it afloat. The relationship that strikes me here is my friendship with Heidi. We became great friends during college spending much of our free time together or with the "gang" (Josh, Bill, & Burning). During our friendship, she said she liked Josh. She was the shy type so, being Josh's friend for 24 months at the time, I told her all my tips...his likes, dislikes, and ways to flirt with him. After 8 months of divulging all my secrets about Josh, I realized that I really, really liked him. I went to Heidi and told her this...any good friend would be open about it and not conive around their friend's back. She assured me it was okay because he wasn't her type afterall. Within 3 weeks she refused to return my calls and the last time I spoke with her was 3 weeks before my wedding when she came to church before leaving for Iowa. This was a relationship that she didn't want to carry on and a relationship I had to learn to let slip by. It was meant only to last us through our trials of college and be no more. We learned great leasons from each other and had many great memories, but it's not a relationship to take you full hilt.
"But I do know that when we pray and bring these situations before God, He will direct us in how and when to resolve them." This line gives me comfort. It let's me know that our God is willing to take time to deal with a minimal item such as our feelings and dealings. He is willing to look through time and tell us how we should go forth with each friendship.
"The forever ones [relationships] sparkle even more when we realize how rare they really are." How many forever relationships do you have? How do you cultivate your forever relationship? Have you thanked God for the forever relationship?
Today's lesson looks at a time of relationships...which ones are forever relationships, which ones are the ones that are just for a short period of time, which should be let to pass silently, and which are the ones to go loudly? Relationships are hard. They can be tricky. They take work even if it's just a brief relationship. Good businesses establish relationships with their customers and work to keep them.
"It's easier to purge when it comes to things, harder when it comes to people." When was the last time you actually did "spring" cleaning at your house? Josh and I are getting ready to do it this weekend as we change out summer clothes with fall clothes and tidy the house for a home visit from our foster worker. It's easy for me to let go of most material items...I guess I've watched too many of the hoarder shows and seen how it can wreck relationships. I also realize that I will not be able to physically use most items, don't have a place to store them, or know that they are no longer needed/wanted. But what do you do when it comes to purgine people or relationships from your life?
"...there are times when we have to decide if we are going to maintain certain friendships, cut them abruptly loose, or quitely let them slip away. We have to discern if a difficult or broken relationship warrantes mending or tearing, if we need to speak up and reach clarity or closure, or if it's best to let things go unspoken and allow the relationship to die of natural causes."
Maintaining friendships can be a chore. They take work especially if that friendship is long distance. My best friend, Becky, and I have been friends since the 5th grade when her family moved to Eads...that's a total of about 18 years that we've known each other. (Goodness! I never realized I was so OLD!) Our relationship has been through it all! Jealousy, Rage, Happiness, Joyfulness, Idleness. It has had it's ups and downs, it's twists and turns, but it's been worth it. We were brought together by God and will be friends until the end, no matter what. It's a relationship that both of us know is worth it. Our relationship was very easily maintained while we both went through high school. But after we graduated, I parted for KC and she stayed in Eads for a while. Then there came Dallas for her and that first summer, Michael (good friend) and I drove down to see her for a week. Then she we didn't see each other for 2 years. We were able to meet her fiance on a beach trip that year. The next time I saw her was the day before her wedding...I actually got to see her whole family too! Then we went again without seeing each other for several years. But a relationship like ours is worth maintaining. Through each phase of our relationship where we go long periods without contact, I think of the song Becky wrote down for me on a card once..."Friends are friends forever if the Lord's the Lord of them."
Hear the full song "Friends" by Michael W Smith at (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tF0UPv20kUA)
Cutting a relationship abruptly loose can hurt very much and yet at the same time be the best thing you do. The relationship that was hardest for me to cut loose (at least at the time) was my engagement to Rich. Rich is from Canada and we had know each other for many years. My first year of college I took a trip to see him and he proposed. I said "Yes". I knew this long distance relationship would be tough to maintain...as I wouldn't go back until my last semester of school...or so was the plan. The relationship had lots of opposition...my mom was against me which was tearing deeply at me and Rich's family wasn't supportive of his happiness at the time. What tore at me more was that at the time, Rich had decided he would only go to church on the big days, not weekly with me. This weighed heavily on me because God is very important in my life. After several thought crippling weeks of thinking it through and calls to Rich and emails back and forth, I knew I could not marry him if he could not commit to God...it wouldn't work. I called him and cut it off. The next several months were the worst months of my life. Rich had been a staple for years and now? Now, I couldn't talk to him for fear I would let the wrong choice reign. I cried myself to sleep almost every night for 2 months...it cut deep and hurt so much! But, it was the right decision. After Rich, came Josh.
Quitely letting a relationship slip away is almost a mutual decision made by both parties. Because, let's face it, if one side wanted the relationship to continue, they would attempt to keep it afloat. The relationship that strikes me here is my friendship with Heidi. We became great friends during college spending much of our free time together or with the "gang" (Josh, Bill, & Burning). During our friendship, she said she liked Josh. She was the shy type so, being Josh's friend for 24 months at the time, I told her all my tips...his likes, dislikes, and ways to flirt with him. After 8 months of divulging all my secrets about Josh, I realized that I really, really liked him. I went to Heidi and told her this...any good friend would be open about it and not conive around their friend's back. She assured me it was okay because he wasn't her type afterall. Within 3 weeks she refused to return my calls and the last time I spoke with her was 3 weeks before my wedding when she came to church before leaving for Iowa. This was a relationship that she didn't want to carry on and a relationship I had to learn to let slip by. It was meant only to last us through our trials of college and be no more. We learned great leasons from each other and had many great memories, but it's not a relationship to take you full hilt.
"But I do know that when we pray and bring these situations before God, He will direct us in how and when to resolve them." This line gives me comfort. It let's me know that our God is willing to take time to deal with a minimal item such as our feelings and dealings. He is willing to look through time and tell us how we should go forth with each friendship.
"The forever ones [relationships] sparkle even more when we realize how rare they really are." How many forever relationships do you have? How do you cultivate your forever relationship? Have you thanked God for the forever relationship?
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