Talk

I have to laugh sometimes. I've been told I know a lot of people and a lot of things about people. I really don't, I just listen and watch and engage in conversation.  I talk.....to a lot of people......at random times. I laugh because I used to be quiet and reserved.

When I met my husband all those years ago, he was a talker. I remember early in our relationship we were at the mall. You know he was trying to impress me because he really hates going to the mall....unless he's going to get something. Haha. Anyway, we were walking through the food court and he just started talking to an older gentlemen for about 20 minutes. What they discussed I don't remember,  but when we walked away I asked him who that man was. He said..."I don't know, I just met him". This was foreign to me. To go up to a total stranger and engage in that type of conversation seeming as you've known the person for years......?? What? How is this possible?

Back in the day,  I was a bit on the shy side. I liked going places with my husband because I could just stand there and not have to say anything to most people. He would do all the talking for us both. It kept me in my comfort zone. It kept me safe. It kept me from having to reach out and make myself uncomfortable. This was a nice part of being married......especially to an extrovert. Maybe I'm exaggerating all this and how I was. Maybe I wasn't as shy as I seem to think I was? I don't know,  but my husband was my cover. That I do know.

As the years went by, I was put in situations where I had to talk to people. His health isn't the best so some things I had to tackle by myself. One year (maybe in 2001) my husband signed us both up to teach VBS at church. I had no clue what I was doing or why he raised his hand to volunteer. I was upset and scared......but then I figured I'd do what I always did. Stand behind him as he talked and be a helper in the class. That's it, I won't have to do any hard work, but help. All the teaching and talking will be on him, at least that's how it played out in my mind. Then 3 nights into a 5 night week, he got sick. Some  virus would keep him home. I was a mess. How was I going to do this teaching and talking thing by myself? Oh golly. He encouraged me that night telling me he would pray and I'd be fine. That I did know how and God would help me. This left me with no choice but to do it. I couldn't let the kids down and not show up.....I couldn't let the other teachers down and put more on them, I had to face my fears and go for it.

That night was awesome! I went there and my church family prayed for me before it began. They knew I was brand new at this and helped encourage me with the class. I believe that all those years ago, God allowed my husband to be sick to show me what He needed me to do. He needed me to step out of my comfort zone for His glory. He proved that in two hours that night. This evening was the first step in many, many other stories of how God uses broken people (like myself) to do His work. That night might have been a turning point in my life as far as people go.

As we grow in God our desires change. Now, I can talk to just about anyone and listen and not be afraid. In fact, I chat more now with people than my husband does. He tells me about it too......which is so funny cause I turned into him that way. He taught me well I guess. Haha. It's funny how we grow and change even after we are grown ups. It's amazing to me how God can still use us and chooses to use us despite our shortcomings. We just have to be willing and have the desire to do so. People are amazing and getting to know them is such a pleasure for me. I know I don't sound "normal", but I don't care. God is good and that's all that matters. ☺️

Lukewarm

We are told in the Bible that being lukewarm for God is totally wrong. When we aren't sure where we want to be with God we are in the middle. There is no middle ground when it comes to following God. We have to be on His side or none at all. We can't "ride the fence"......as I used to tell the youth group all those years ago. It's hard living the Christian life. It's hard to live like Jesus calls us to. The influences of this world will constantly come after us.....no matter how old we are or how close we are to God. The key to overcoming our temptations to follow the world is to spend time in prayer with our Maker and follow His words. This will help tremendously. We will still be tempted but always have a way out......

I found a list of ways to how NOT to be a lukewarm Christian......

1. Praise God......This is easier said than done. How often do I get frustrated and forget to praise Him. Even in my frustration I am still shown grace. I'm still alive and can move my body. I can still walk and talk even though I'm frustrated. I need to praise God anyway, even when I don't "feel" like it. 

2. Seek out ways to love  people.......again easier said than done. How can I love better? I wrote a New Years  blog on this topic. Spending time with people is fun. Being intentional in forming relationships to share eventually about Jesus is another way to love better. Just being kind and compassionate is another way to love better. Listen when people talk......which I do at my job. (When people check into thr ER they spill all their problems on you.....I'm glad I can be there to listen and offer support, but that's beside the point) 

3. Receive and extend grace. .....we get grace from God and if we claim to be Christians we need to extend that grace to others. This one is simple, but one we need to keep doing. 

4. Seek to understand others, verses judging them.......I've always reasoned to myself that people act the way they do for a reason. It could be reasons that we can't understand, but this would play into the one of seeking ways to live people better. Once we get to know the situation, we can better understand. 

5. Always proclaim the gospel......Jesus was/is God, born to a virgin for the sins of mankind. He died on a cross for the very sins that separate us from a holy God. He took Gods wrath in our place. For those who believe this in their heart and repent, they are chosen for eternity with God. We need to tell ourselves this as well as others. This is vital to our Christian walk. We need a reminder each day of what Jesus did for us. We need to keep the gospel in the front of our mind......always. Jesus gave up heaven to come to this sin cursed earth for us. The least we can do is remember his sacrifice for our sin and give him praise and glory for it all. 

All these things can help us not be a lukewarm Christian. We always need our savior and he deserves our praise and honor. 

Grass is greener?

We all know the line....."the grass is greener on the other side". This is a statement we usually deem false. Showing us that when we chase the "other side" it's usually not worth it. That we would have been better off staying the way we know and not fall for a lie.

However, recently, I knew of someone who changed jobs and told me that the whole grass is greener thing really is true. This was different for me to hear. Usually people regret things when they say this line. This particular individual was very happy with choosing the "other side". So this has me wondering......can this be true? Can this be an option? Can we look at different areas of our life and know they would be better on the other side? There really is only one way to find out......

Think of the chronic pain patient who needs meds constantly to stay out of pain, when the surgery they been putting off, may be a better option. Think of the child afraid to tell anyone how her parents drink too much for fear of being taken away, yet a new home without all that may be better in the long run. Think of the wife who cheated because she wanted the other side, maybe let her go so he can heal. Think of the abused woman who is too used to what she lives in, unable to fathom another way of life. All these situations could have better outcomes and the grass would be greener, possibly.

This is a matter of opinion. What may be greener to me may not be to others. One thing I do know......before I knew Jesus I thought I was on the greener side of my life.
Enjoying my sin.....indulging in one pleasure after another....no one to answer to. I had it made. I had all I wanted with my life......guys, alcohol, cigarettes, parties, friends, and fun times, whenever I wanted.
All this fun and no peace. I found out years later that only Jesus could bring peace to my messed up life. Only He could forgive my wayward ways and heal me from the inside out. I never knew this Christian life would be the truth to say.....the grass really is greener on the other side. I know this now. My Jesus is my life and living for him is so worth it. I still have hard times and struggle, but I have his support and love to help me. I didn't have that before.  Have you taken the jump to the other side with Jesus?  You may just agree with me that it really is greener on His side because His side is what we were created for.

Mass casualty

Mass casualty is a term EMS, fire fighters, and police know all too well. It is a reference to situations where there are more people injured or fighting for life than there are personnel to help them at the given time of the situation. For example.....last week there was an accident involving 35 cars or so on thr highway.....this is a mass casualty. When these situations happen, the ones involved in the accidents, will be triaged and taken care of according to the severity of their injury. More severe ones are priortity.,...naturally. This term, mass casualty, got me thinking this week.

I am currently studying through the book of Exodus in the Old Testament. I have returned to the OT this year to go back and learn more. I read about Moses and how it was a miracle he survived at all.....this is only an act of God and His sovereignty. At the time, the Jews were getting too numerous and the Pharaoh instructed all baby boys born to Jewish women needed to be killed. Moses survived and went on to become a great leader to Gods people. He wasn't happy initially with being chosen for this task as he gave excuse after excuse trying to convince God to select someone else.....but it didn't work. God chose Moses and he had work to do for our God. Moses couldn't get out of how God planned to use him.

Moses was instructed to go to Pharaoh and tell him the Jews need to be released so they can go worship their God. Pharaoh usually said "no" as he was using the Jews for slaves.....but sometimes he said "yes", but changed his mind at the last minute. Many plagues fell on thr Egyptians as a judgement on them for not releasing Gods people. The plagues consisted of the land being covered with frogs, gnats, flies, locusts, darkness,and hail. All water in thr land was turned to blood. People were covered with boils. Their livestock was affected. The last plague to fall on them was the firstborn male of all Egyptians was to be killed......including animals and the pharaoh's son. The Jews were Instructed by God to put lambs blood on the doorframes of their house so the Lord would pass over the houses of His people. I realize our God didn't need the blood on the doors to know where His people lived......but they were called to be obedient to our God. They had to obey or pay the consequence. Obedience isn't an option when we claim to love God. Well....Pharaoh finally took God serious and let His people go. He saw Gods glory and things happened in just the way and time God had planned. The Jews were no longer slaves In a strange land.....they were free to follow God.

Mass casualty comes to my mind here as all the plagues took place. There were far more people
affected than people to take care of them.....at least this is how I see it. In my experience, even in death, in the grieving process, people need compassion and someone to help them through it as well as when physical ailments happen. Did the Egyptians comfort each other? Did they realize Gods transcendence? Did they realize what the Moses  already knew? Here is what I do know.....God gets
His glory for Himself one way or another. He allows things to happen for His glory
alone......including mass casualties. He knows how we will react and how it will all work for good. Most of what God does is a mystery. All we have to do is trust that He knows what's best.....and in this trust we will have true peace in this life.

Frustration

This has been one of the most frustrating weeks I've had in a long time. I'm not going to go on and on and whine and complain.....but this has been something I'm not used to. Usually I can roll with all the nonsense and be ok. I'm still ok, just frustrated in the mix of it all.

When I have these kinds of times, I regress back to my "old ways" of thinking and how I respond to others. It's my old nature that I'm not proud of that when comes out. My old nature before I knew Jesus has a lot to be desired. They always say "old habits die hard". This is true. This is reality. Just when you think you kick some "old habit" even for years on end......suddenly it resurfaces and it's not good. It come back around all shiny and new.....presented in a brand new way. We will never totally kick our old ways until we get to heaven. So....Until then it's a constant fight.

This is where all I read and study and know about God is needed. This is where all that is locked in my brain needs to surface so I can fight off the nonsense. This is where I need to stop and pray, be still, and wait for my God to rescue me from myself. This is the valley I seem to be in for longer than I want to be. This valley is where the frustration is.....yet the valley is where we become sanctified. We can only become more like Jesus when we are in that place. Avoiding temptation isn't easy, but knowing the steps to avoid is is key. My temptation to be frustrated with things and life and other peoples isn't easy to contain at times. So....when I fail, I need to repent. Simple as that.
1 John 1:9......my elder friend calls this dyslexic 911. He's wise in his thinking and makes things easy for me to understand. This verse tells us that when we confess our sin, He is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. AMEN! I'm glad that even in the valley and being frustrated doesn't have to be a way of life and I don't need to stay there. Just need to remember that we can't get to the mountain top without first going through the valley. Our God is good. Always good! ❤️