GET UP and SHOW UP

Sometimes life is difficult and it is hard to come up with the extra energy it takes to creatively think of ways to bless others. There is so much need all around us and we cannot possibly take care of it all. Yet, we know that God wants us to be blessed and be a blessing. I started talking with God about this and waited to hear what he had to say. 

God often talks to me through experiences. I was on my way to a prayer group and stopped by the store to pick up some flowers for a friend’s birthday. I got out of my car and walked a few steps just as an older woman was finished putting her groceries in her car and I offered to take her cart for her. She was appreciative. I walked the cart to the entrance of the store where another older woman was looking for a cart. I gave her the cart and she was appreciative as well. Just then God spoke to me that all I have to do is “get up and show up” and that he will give me what others need so that I have it to give. And he will also bring the person in need. He is the one to choreograph the entire experience. We walk through life, put one foot in front of the other, and God will bring into our paths things for us to be obedient to. God is looking for hearts that are open and willing to see the need in front of them. 

When God showed me this, I was greatly relieved that I didn’t need to add to an already very busy schedule. I just need to get up and show up. I just need to walk through life with my antennae up, receiving and giving according to what God puts in my path. 

I invite you to pray with me: Father God, I want to stay in step with you. I surrender to you and ask you to direct my steps. Will you please bring to me what others need so that I have what they need to give to them. God, will you please alert me to the needs of those around me that you would have me meet. Thank you, God, that you would use me in this way resulting in me being a blessing and being blessed. Amen.

A Secret to Healing -- Forgiveness

Forgiveness – what a loaded word! God wants us to forgive but what exactly is forgiveness? And how do I do it? These were my questions as I began my journey with forgiveness.

Let’s start with addressing the first question with my best definition. Forgiveness is the releasing of offense from your heart. Sometimes it helps to define what it’s not as we work towards figuring out what it is. Forgiveness doesn’t mean instant healing. Choosing to forgive actually begins the journey of healing. It begins the process of releasing negative emotion from your heart. Without forgiveness, you can hold the negative emotion inside indefinitely. A myriad of physical, mental and emotional health problems can result. Forgiveness also does not mean reconciliation. For full reconciliation of relationship to happen (according to God’s role modeling), there must be true repentance and forgiveness working together. While reconciliation is dependent on repentance, forgiveness is not. We are called to forgive regardless of repentance.

So how do we forgive? We first must calculate the debt (Matthew 18:21-35). In accounting terms, you cannot write off what you have not calculated; you cannot let go of what you do not acknowledge is there. To calculate the debt, ask yourself: What did the offense do to me? What did it cost me? How did it make me feel? What wrong messages did it send to me? What lies did it cause me to believe about myself? Or about God? Then, we hand it all over to Jesus (1 Peter 5:7). We will need God’s grace – which is his power and enablement – to accomplish this. Forgiveness is something we choose to do regardless of feelings. That is the good news; we don’t have to feel like it to do it.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father God, will you please help me to identify and release all of the hurt, offense, pain and trauma. Help me to not use it for self-protection. Please help me with good boundaries in cooperation with you for my protection.

I now choose to forgive ___(WHO)__________ for ___(WHAT THEY DID)______________ and making me feel _(WHAT IT DID TO YOU/HOW IT MADE YOU FEEL/WHAT IT CAUSED YOU TO BELIEVE)_.     

(Place hand on heart): Jesus, I give you all of this hurt, all of this negative emotion, all of the wrong messages that were sent and caused me to believe the wrong thing and all of the wrong decisions, actions and directions I went in because of this and I ask you to take it all away. Will you please fill in those places with more of you and more of your peace, love, joy, comfort, etc.

I now release ___ (WHO)_________ from my judgment and hand them to you, Jesus.

Jesus, will you please shine your healing light and heal my heart. Please correct all of the damage done and bring me into alignment with you. Thank you, Jesus.

I Broke My Relationship, What Do I Do Now?

A broken relationship is one of the most painful experiences in life. Alternatively, repairing a broken relationship is one of the most rewarding and joyous things in life. It is devastating to our hearts to have broken relationships with friends and/or family but even more if we have a broken relationship with God. Often times we don't realize that distance from God is the source of our depression and anxiety. Often we do not realize that what we really long for is a relationship with our Creator. So the question is "How do we repair relationship?"

Repentance is the key to repairing broken relationships. Whether the relationship is with people or with God, when there is distance or brokenness the solution is to come and humbly apologize with the intention of not making the same mistake again. To maintain good, strong, healthy long-term relationships we need to prevent the hurt from growing into a mound so big that we can no longer connect. The way we keep the garbage cleared out is to apologize well. A good apology is not empty words to toss in someone's direction to now obligate them to let it go. A well done apology is humble, sincere, and is a commitment to change. It helps the other person be in a better frame of mind to offer much needed forgiveness. Repentance and forgiveness are the ingredients for close relationship. You cannot have a repaired relationship without these two working in harmony. Repentance always has to take the lead and come first and then forgiveness needs to follow in order to have reconciliation. (Forgiveness is a topic for another blog post.)

God is not shocked or surprised at any of our sin. He knew it was going to happen and made provision for it. That is why he sent his son, Jesus. Jesus paid for our sin with his very life. God does not require that we live perfectly. However, our sin creates distance from God. So what is the solution? We come to God and apologize with a commitment for change. God wants us to acknowledge what we did wrong and tell him we are sorry (Jeremiah 3:12b-13a). He then is faithful and just and not only forgives us but he also washes us clean (1 John 1:9). Repentance repairs relationship with God. God is our role model for how to repair our earthly relationships. Reconciliation does not happen with God without repentance; and in the same manner reconciliation does not happen with people without repentance.

Apology is a beautiful thing. It washes our hearts and it repairs our relationships. True genuine repentance is not condemning self. The need to apologize is merely a part of our human existence. It is something that we all will need to do in life (Romans 3:23). It is those who are willing to apologize well and as a lifestyle who will have the most satisfying relationships--with people and with God.

It really is amazing how something so simple can have such a significant impact. Repentance is simply apologizing with a commitment to change. We can't live perfectly but we can live repentantly. When we apologize we repair relationship. I encourage you to try it and see what happens.

I invite you to pray with me.
God I repent on behalf of myself, my family line, and my nation for all the ways that we have not served you and where we have served your enemy instead. I'm sorry for all doubt/unbelief, rebellion/witchcraft, addiction/drunkenness, sexual immorality/lust, pride, anger/rage/hate, gossip/slander, strife/division, abuse, theft/greed, lying/deceit, jealousy, and being critical/judgmental. I'm sorry for all I've done to break relationship with you and with others. I'm sorry for                 . Jesus, thank you for forgiving me and washing me clean. I receive the work you did for me on the cross. Please help me to live according to your ways. Please bring me into close relationship with you. Please help me to repair my relationships. Thank you! Amen.

RESOURCES:
When Sorry Isn't Enough: Making Things Right With Those You Love
     by Gary Chapman & Jennifer Thomas
Scriptures on Repentance:
2 Chronicles 6:36-39
Isaiah 30:15
Jeremiah 5:3
Ezekiel 18:32
Luke 15:7
Acts 3:19
2 Timothy 2:25
2 Peter 3:9

Does God Have Foster Children?

Not all, but a lot of foster children struggle with feeling and knowing that they are loved and accepted. A life with so much hurt and rejection makes it extremely difficult to trust. Trust was broken. Sometimes they act out because of their lack of trust and because of all the pain. They misbehave, break the rules, throw fits, and run away. They don’t know where they belong. They long for a sense of legitimacy. It is a very complicated task for a loving foster parent to convince a wounded streetwise child of their love. How they handle the acting out will make or break the situation. If they are harsh and unloving, they will lose the heart of the child forever. But if they love unconditionally, there are times that the child’s heart will soften. The foster parents who are able to communicate to the child the honor of being chosen, will win the heart of the child. But ultimately, the choice belongs to the child on whether to believe them or not.

Sometimes we act like a foster child with God. This world is hard on us and we often feel hurt and rejected. If our authority figures have broken our trust, then it’s hard to trust God. We tend to doubt God’s love and acceptance so we test it. We misbehave, break the rules, throw fits, and run away. How God handles our acting out makes or breaks the situation. The Good News is that our loving Father God responds to us with grace. He made provision for us by sending his son, Jesus, to pay the price. God loves us and is never harsh with our brokenness. He gave us the honor of being chosen. He has given us our legitimacy. We have been adopted/grafted in. We are bloodline legit—the blood of Jesus pulses through our veins. We are God’s children. Now we have a choice to make. Are we going to believe God or not?

So to answer the question: Does God have foster children? The answer is, no. He has adopted us and brought us into full inheritance. Let us whole-heartedly embrace what God extends to us.

I invite you to pray with me:
Thank you, Father God, that you chose me. I now choose to be a part of your family through the precious blood of Jesus. I hand over to you all of my hurt, rejection, fear and broken trust. I hand over to you the people who hurt me and I release them from my judgment into yours. I invite you, Jesus, into the hurt and broken places to bring healing. Thank you, Father God, for your forgiveness, your kindness and your grace. Thank you for adopting me and grafting me in. Thank you for making me your legitimate child. Thank you for full inheritance. Thank you for your love and acceptance. I choose now to believe you and to receive all of what you have for me. Amen.

Romans 5:8 (NLT)  But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.
Isaiah 42:3 (NLT)  He will not crush the weakest reed or put out a flickering candle. He will bring justice to all who have been wronged.
Romans 2:4 (NLT)  Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?
1 Peter 2:9 (NLT)  But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.
Ephesians 1:5 (NLT)  God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.
Romans 11:17b (NLT)  …And you Gentiles, who were branches from a wild olive tree, have been grafted in. So now you also receive the blessing God has promised Abraham and his children, sharing in the rich nourishment from the root of God’s special olive tree.
Ephesians 1:11 (NLT)  Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan.
1 John 3:1a (NLT)  See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are!...