Eternal Time Line

I believe we live on an eternal time line.

What I mean by that is; I believe in life after death, heaven and hell, eternal life or eternal damnation.

God has ordained our moment of conception, the day and time of our arrival on earth, and the final breath we take. Ecclesiastes 3:2 says there is “a time to be born and a time to die”. In God’s eyes there is no unexpected, premature baby, there is not premature death – there is only God’s timing (which may not be ours).

When I find myself wrestling with God’s timing and why something happens which I don’t understand, I try to intentionally shift my thinking to God’s thinking, God’s timing and God’s perspective. 2 Peter 3:8 says,“But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.” 

None of this is simple or easy, but if we continuously work at hearing the voice of God, knowing God's word and shifting our way of thinking to His; then we begin the steps to seeing things through His eyes. Isaiah 55:8 says, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord." (NIV)

Many of us dedicated our children to the Lord when they were younger. Intending to teach them to love and serve God with their whole lives. Intending for them to ask for forgiveness and commit their lives to Him and obediently follow His footsteps as they got older.

When the difficult moments in life come . . . how do we really do as parents? When they are bullied at school do we teach them to find their value and self-confidence in God? Isaiah 43:1,4 says, "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are mine . . . you are precious in my eyes, and honoured, and I love you." (ESV)

Do we teach them to turn the other cheek? Matthew 5:39b says, "If anyone slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other t him also." (HCSB) As well Luke 6:28 says, "Bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you." (NIV)

Often when real life happens to our kids “Momma-Bear” opens the front door and roars – for the whole world to hear, “That’s MY kid! Who do you think you are?!” Hopefully the roar isn't so loud we miss the voice of God saying, “They are MY children and I - Love - ALL - Of - Them!”

Ugh! Are you kidding me? That makes it so much harder! That obnoxious, loud-mouthed, bully is loved by God just like my kid . . . now how am I supposed to love them like Jesus does?! If I think Jesus doesn't love them then I don’t have to either . . . or so I try to justify myself . . . but He does! He loves them enough to go to the cross in their place and give His life for them. He longs for them to know Him and to give their lives to Him.

Perhaps our reaction needs to be figuring out how to set boundaries and to love someone who doesn’t behave very lovingly.

Have I read the book? Do I have the answers to this? NO! But do we still try? YES?!

When we dedicate our children to the Lord it doesn't mean they will now go through life without any health issues . . . without any challenges in school . . . without any relationship challenges . . . without making any poor decisions . . . without any bumps and bruises along the way.

• It means we trust God with our kids more than we trust ourselves.
• It means we trust that He will be more than enough for them.
• It means we raise them to the best of our ability and trust God to fill in the gaps.
• It means we release them so He can call them to great things.
• It means we deal with our Momma’s hearts so they can go.
• It means they also live in an eternal timeline and if they've committed their lives to the Lord; one day we will see them again.
• It means we hold them with open hands and daily trust God with them.

Jo-Ann

Suck It Up, Buttercup!

“Suck it up, Buttercup!” Have you ever heard that expression? In high school, we used to say, “Grab a straw and suck it up!” Essentially, it means, “Whatever uncomfortable emotion you’re feeling, stop feeling it.” “Get over it.” Perhaps even, “Grow up and get on with life. Don’t be a victim.”

We’ve all received many messages about emotions over our lifetimes. Many of the most influential of these messages were learned in our formative years, in our homes or from our peers. Do any of these sound familiar:

“Nice girls don’t get angry.”
“Don’t be a baby.”
“Be a big girl and stop crying.”

What impact do these (spoken and unspoken) messages have on us into our adult lives? Often, we have learned to be very uncomfortable with emotions that are, well, uncomfortable. This can have us saying to ourselves, “Suck it up, Buttercup!” It can lead us into ways of trying to manage these feelings and make them go away. Keeping busy, doing lots for others, being social, gossiping, becoming preoccupied with our bodies/children/job/relationships, people pleasing, over-eating, over-sleeping, over-exercising . . . All of these can become ways of keeping uncomfortable feelings at bay.

Here is the lesson I’ve learned: When my main goal is getting rid of the emotion and “feeling better,” in the long run it doesn’t feel better. When I try to ignore, avoid, or get rid of a feeling, it actually grows bigger and feels darker. In a strange paradox, embracing those uncomfortable emotions can lighten the heaviness. When we acknowledge the truth, it gives God room to work in our lives, and to bring understanding or correction or healing to the places where those things are needed.

When our focus becomes trying to get rid of the feelings we don’t like – to make them go away, or to direct our attention to other things – we miss a huge opportunity for God to speak into our lives.

Why? Because, quite simply, God is the creator and designer of every emotion we experience: Good, Bad, and Ugly. We didn’t come up with fear, or anger, or loneliness, or grief, or joy, out of our human experience. In fact, as beings created in the Image of God, emotions are given to us as a reflection of the Divine Nature of God in us. We feel emotions because God feels emotions, and because God endowed us with the same ability to experience emotions.

Our emotions are designed to show us things; they are meant to draw our attention to things we need to address. For example, a feeling of anger may draw our attention to injustice, betrayal, or internal feelings of pride or jealousy. A feeling of despair may draw our attention to our need for hope, connection, and meaning. Fear is designed to alert us to risk, danger, things that can harm us in some way. When we are overwhelmed, we may be drawn to a realization that we cannot do things alone, that we need help, perhaps that we need to re-evaluate priorities, or take a look at our boundaries.

And perhaps, within this awareness is a huge gift to us. Maybe, just maybe, we don’t have to fear emotions – even the uncomfortable ones. Maybe we’re not meant to “suck it up!”

If we need any indication that our emotions – and expressing them – are okay with God, we don’t have to look any further than the Bible. Cover to cover, the Bible is filled with real people, feeling real emotion. And the amazing thing is that the stories often are not about how they stopped feeling that way, but rather what did they do in the midst of that feeling. Many of the Psalms speak to this, and Hannah in 1 Samuel is an amazing Biblical “mentor” in how to bring those most painful and raw emotions to God.

It’s not the feeling itself that is BAD or GOOD; it’s what we do with that feeling. Anger can bring us to action against injustice or allow us to confront issues in relationship, or we can allow it to make us bitter. Fear can make us paranoid and paralyzed, or it can lead us into a deeper level of trust in God as we walk through. It’s a choice.

I’m not talking about wallowing in self-pity, or mental health concerns. I’m talking about honest, genuine, authentic responses to the things that are happening in our lives. I’m talking about not giving in to pressure to “have it together” when I feel like falling apart.

And what I’m REALLY talking about is total openness before God. What if, instead of a prayer for God to take the feeling away, my prayer sounded more like this: “God, I feel discouraged/frightened/jealous/overwhelmed/angry/grieving . . .  This is how I feel. When I feel this kind of feeling, how can I honour you? What do you want to teach me in the midst of this feeling? Where are you trying to draw my attention?” So my prayer becomes, “What does a child of God do when she feels this feeling?”

This has been a huge part of my journey with God, this recognition that God is invested in my GROWTH more than my HAPPINESS, and that God sometimes uses painful emotions to get my attention and move me into new places of discovery with Him.

God invites us to be real – in relationship with Him and with one another. This begins with true willingness to “get real” with ourselves, to go to REAL places inside and to allow God to transform us.

Arlene M.

Reminders

I have been reminded lately that a smile, an understanding ear and encouraging words go a long way when we’re interacting with each other.

Have you ever found yourself longing for someone to encourage you to take one more step during a difficult time?

Have you ever longed for someone to lend you an ear in the midst of the craziness of your day?

Have you ever looked for an understanding smile in a sea of newness, which has left you unsettled and insecure?

These are not profound thoughts . . . at least I don’t think so, but they are reminders to us as we go about our day. Reminders to look for people we can encourage, share Jesus with and help along the way. We can give an understanding smile to the cashier at the grocery store – surely all customers can’t be like the last one! We can say a word of encouragement to our neighbour as they share about the significant things happening in their family. We can pause and take some time to listen to our friend as they talk about their new job.

Each time we do this we set aside our needs and wants and offer a piece of Jesus into someone else’s situation. Often we cannot do anything to change what’s happening in their world, but we can offer comfort, support and care to those around us.

“A gentle answer deflects anger, but harsh words make tempers flare.” Proverbs 15:1 (NLT)

“And what a relief to see your friendly smile. It is like seeing the face of God!” Genesis 33:10b (NLT)

“And may the Lord make your love for one another and for all people grow and overflow, just as our love for you overflows.” 1 Thessalonians 3:12 (NLT)

Let’s be intentional this week to smile a little more, use positive, encouraging words with others and take a few extra minutes to give an understanding ear to someone else.

Jo-Ann

Father’s Day

Father’s Day has always been special to me because it was the day when, as a baby, I was dedicated to the Lord. I don’t remember the event, of course, but it was recounted to me many times growing up, along with other family stories that were told over and over. The message I took to heart was that I was special; a precious daughter who was loved and who belonged to the Lord. When it came time for me to personally choose to follow God, my close relationship with my own dad made it that much easier to trust my Heavenly Father with my heart.

As young girls, all of us had tender and sensitive hearts that were easily broken by any disappointment or betrayal. It took time for those wounds to heal and for us to allow ourselves to trust again. You may have even been hurt deeply by your dad – and therefore your view of God as your Heavenly Father was affected. Whatever our individual past experiences, I’m so glad that there are other ways for us to learn about the character of our Heavenly Father so that we may know Him more.

June is such a great time to reflect on nature and the created world around us – Romans 1:20 says “for since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that [we] are without excuse.” Have you ever marveled at how a God that made the mountains and wild beasts, in all their enduring, rugged strength, also made the sparrows and lilies, the essence of fragility and tenderness? As women, our hearts were created tender and fragile so that we would trust Father God as our Jehovah Jirah – our provider. A much-quoted passage of Scripture, Matthew 6:25-34, urges us not to worry about tomorrow, or be concerned about where our next meal will come from. For as God takes care of the sparrows and lilies, how much more will He provide for those who are created in His image and who trust Him in everything.

We also learn more about our Heavenly Father’s character by studying the Bible. Hebrews 12:5-11 in particular gives us an interesting perspective on the spiritual Father-child relationship.  As much as we dread the dry, painful seasons of life, the Bible says that they are often a necessary part of our growth into true daughters of God. We each need pruning if we ever hope to yield the peaceable fruit of righteousness and reflect our spiritual family resemblance.

There is also no substitute for experiencing God through prayer and meditation. We need to see God, in the form of the Holy Spirit, as a warrior who desires to battle on our behalf. We must learn to cease from trying to fix things – or people – on our own. Give it over to God. Our fragile hearts were designed to trust, yield, and obey, and to allow the Holy Spirit to take the battle for us. Romans 8:37 tells us that we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. A conqueror is a warrior; so to be more than a conqueror means that we get to reap the rewards of the conquest without having to go to battle. Just as a prince fights a battle in order to take the spoil to the princess he loves, so Jesus has won the battle for us and offers us eternal life free of charge. That’s the heart of our Heavenly Father. He longs for you to know Him more so that your trust in Him can be made even more complete. That alone should be reason enough to celebrate Father’s Day with tremendous joy and hope as you marvel in the love of your Heavenly Father for you. And if you’re like me, and you have always treasured this day, be sure to honour your dad and thank him for doing such a great job at reflecting the Father heart of God. Happy Father’s Day!

Ruth-Ellen W.

What Connects Us As Women?

For some time I have wrestled with the question; what connects us as women?

It’s somewhat of a loaded question when you consider the many differences of woman: married, single, widowed, children, no children, age, employment status, rural, urban, limited income, comfortable financially, cultural background, etc. (not to mention personality traits).

Consider this: a woman stands looking out her living room window, chin quivering, watching her firstborn walk to their kindergarten class wondering if they, and you, are ready for this next step in life. Another woman, with a lump in her throat, watches from the kitchen window as her youngest child backs out of the driveway with the car loaded to the roof with first-time college items and again you wonder if the world, and you, are ready for this step in life. Then another woman, with a tear in the corner of her eye, sits on a stool going through a lifetime of treasures as her mom prepares to move to a nursing home and you wonder how much longer you’ll have her in your life.

Your heart strings might be pulled because of the situations they are in, but what REALLY connects us to each of these women?

This got me thinking, and still has me thinking, what really connects us as women? Our demographics? Our interests? Stages in life? Workplace situations? Beliefs?

What connects a 20 year old single woman, and a 40 year old divorced woman, and a 60 year old widowed woman? Singleness? Life experiences? Circumstances?

On the outside, sometimes we have nothing in common, other time situations and circumstances connect us, but can there be more than our external surroundings or our situations in life which link us to each other . . . especially us as women?

I don’t know if you have faces and names for each of these scenarios, but stay with me as I continue to contemplate and wrestle with another question.

What connects a farmer’s wife from the prairies, to a CEO in Vancouver, to a teenager trafficked in Southeast Asia? I would suggest on the outside there is typically nothing which connects each of these individuals, however if we dig deeper and put on our wide-angle lens I think we can find the connection.

As women, we are more than the circumstances we have been through, we are more than the demographic we are part of, we are more than a statistic. As women . . . we matter. We matter to God!

Genesis 1:27 says, God created us “in His image”. What could make us more valuable than being created in God’s image?

Isaiah 43:1 says, “I have redeemed you; I have called you by name”. We have been bought back and called by name – that’s personal!

Ephesians 2:10 says, “For you are God's masterpiece”. We have been made distinctly, complex by our Creator.

Typically our interests, our stages in life, the experiences we've been through, etc. connect us. I would like to suggest the deeper connection to each of these women comes from something significantly bigger than a life event or an experience. I would suggest our connection to each other comes from God. We are created in His image and we represent the heart of God. This makes us different and unique from our male counterparts, but we both clearly represent the essence of God. Side by side, equal in His sight, created in His image.

We are connected because we matter to God.

Whatever the situation or circumstance we find ourselves in we need to remember:

• We are uniquely and intricately designed by the Master Creator
• We are God’s masterpiece
• We are redeemed
• We are loved
• We are valuable

We matter to God and I hope we matter to each other – that’s what connect us to each other.

Jo-Ann 

The Essence of God

Sometimes I wonder about the God I serve and why I worship or even pray to Him (gasp! Did I say that out loud?)

Do you ever doubt the existence of an invisible God?

Sure, I see His handiwork in creation and in new born babies, but have I ever seen God? I try to figure God out or if He is even there.

Do I act like God is alive? At times, I wake up grumpy, I go to work grumpy and I come home grumpy . . . as if God is not a part of my life, living inside me, permeating the whole universe!!

“When I need answers, I start searching for the truth, and the Truth has set me free. (John 8:31, 32, 36)

Phillip Yancey states the following:  “Doubt always co-exists with faith, for in the presence of certainty who would need faith at all?”

So, on this walk of faith I have to keep reminding myself of some of the following truths:

• Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. (Colossians 1:15)
• God existed before anything else and holds all creation together. (Colossians 1:17)
• I want to make God in my image, but He made me in His image.
• God being God has the right to not reveal all things to me for my own good.
• God’s ways are higher than mine and his thoughts are higher than mine. (Isaiah 55:8,9)
• Try to live in the present moment and not in yesterday or tomorrow, I need to be intentional and focused.

“To live in the past and future is easy. To live in the present is like threading a needle.” (Walker Percy)

• Faith is trusting that God has all the answers even when I don’t.
• Honouring God in the midst of difficulty is wise and for my best.
• Looking for God in the midst of trials and finding Him living in me, and through me, is ironic.  I am the Essence of God in this world, as the Holy Spirit lives in this clay temple.

My prayer is to remember the truths God has taught me and to be mindful of them as the Essence of God lives in me moment by moment, hour by hour, and day by day.  Amen

Kristina A.