Tag: bible

  • Where is God in the Shadows?

    Where is God in the Shadows?

    Jesus did not come to explain away suffering or remove it. He came to fill it with His presence. ~Paul Claudel

    We have many questions when we face difficult and tragic situations. One of the biggest is: “Why do bad things happen to good people.”

    A natural response when bad things are happening, is why? If God is good and all powerful, why doesn’t He stop the pain and suffering?

    God sits with us in our sadness. Accompanies us through the valley of the shadows. Holds our hand in our moments of fear.

    Suffering will look different for every believer in Jesus Christ. However, the desired end result should look the same when following Christ. 1Peter 4:12-13 MSG says, 

    “Friends, when life gets really difficult, don’t jump to the conclusion that God isn’t on the job. Instead, be glad that you are in the very thick of what Christ experienced. This is a spiritual refining process, with glory just around the corner.” 

    When I choose to let Him, God fills me with His presence in my spirit. I can feel strong in the middle of that weakness.

    Emotionally, it’s called a pit of despair for a reason. A hole can be dug inside us so deep that it seems everything good has been excavated from our lives.

    We all experience it in different ways. You may have lost someone you love. Or you may have found yourself in situations you never dreamed you would be facing.

    A pit is dug. And despair is the first visitor that wants to knock at your door.

    It’s in those moments I pray for God to get me out of His way. It’s those moments when I start praying for Him to change my heart for what He wants. Pray that I can be aware of the opportunities He has planned for me.

    It’s taken me a while, but I realize, this life is not about me. It’s not about my wants and desires. It is about Him. It’s about me saying yes to what He can do through me.

    It requires me to trust Him completely. It doesn’t change the loss. It doesn’t improve my earthly situation.

    But it does change the suffering.

    It allows me to not answer the door to despair and instead invite His presence into the pit. The pit looks jagged and deep. It turns out to be a God-shaped hole in the center of our beings. A hole that is dug by circumstances and choices, and we can choose to fill it with His grace.

    We all live in a place of unknown realities. He has ensured that we don’t have to suffer.

    We get to choose whether to trust Him. Then, ask Him to show us how He wants to use us.

    Then, say yes.

    With love and joy,

    Laura

  • The Luck of the Irish: Finding Blessings Beyond the Blarney Stone

    As we celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, many of us will be donning green attire, searching for four-leaf clovers, and perhaps even kissing the Blarney Stone in hopes of securing a wee bit of good fortune. But as Christians, we know that our blessings come from a much higher source than a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow.

    While St. Patrick’s Day has become synonymous with all things Irish, it’s essential to remember the real story behind this beloved saint. Patrick, a humble Christian missionary, was instrumental in spreading the Gospel to the Emerald Isle. His unwavering faith and commitment to sharing God’s love with the Irish people had a profound impact on their lives and culture.

    As we reflect on the concept of “luck,” we’re reminded that our blessings come from God’s sovereign hand.

    Jeremiah 29:11, we’re told, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

    This promise reassures us that our lives are not governed by chance or fate, but by a loving God who desires to bless and prosper us.

    So, what does it mean to experience good fortune as a Christian? Is it merely a matter of chance or coincidence? Absolutely not!

    When we acknowledge God as the source of all blessings, we begin to see that every good thing in our lives is a direct result of His loving providence.

    In Deuteronomy 8:17-18, Moses cautions the Israelites against attributing their success to their own strength or abilities, reminding them that it is God who gives them the power to prosper. This same principle applies to our lives today. When we recognize God’s hand in our blessings, we’re compelled to give thanks and glory to Him, rather than relying on luck or our own efforts.

    As we celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, let’s not get caught up in the notion of relying on luck or chance for our blessings. Instead, let’s fix our eyes on the One who is the source of all good things. May we, like St. Patrick, be faithful in sharing God’s love with others and trusting in His sovereign providence to guide our lives.

    How can you, like St. Patrick, share God’s love with others and trust in His sovereign providence to guide your life?

    With love and joy,

    Laura

  • Awaiting Grace

    Awaiting Grace

    I had some deadlines I was trying to meet, and errands that needed taken care of. I was in a hurried state as I ran the errands, causing me to be impatient.

    As I was waiting in line to check out, I realized how much time we spend waiting. And, how we are typically in a hurry!

    We wait for Uber rides, phone calls, vacations, and doctor’s appointments. We wait in check out lines and for packages to arrive.

    Waiting for answers is a fact of life—nobody gets out of it. So the question is not if we will wait, but rather how we will wait. How we wait may also determine how long we wait or if we give up!

    My impatience because I was in a hurry caused me to put my things back and leave. Now I just have to make that trip to the store again! I gave up.

    As Christians, we also wait for…

    His birth.

    answered prayer.

    His death.

    His resurrection.

    His coming again.

    Our faith is often tested by waiting. Waiting on God, means that our life is under His authority and direction. If we move ahead without God’s direction, we live in a life of turmoil, anxiety and uncertainty.

    That anxiety leads to impatience. That impatience may lead to giving up. Giving up on His direction and plan.

    Waiting on God is not a passive state. It is an opportunity for growth, spiritual development, and active engagement in His plan. A plan where we focus on faith, trust, and obedience.

    We learn about God’s perfect timing and His ability to be in charge of every detail. We so often long for proof, but that is where faith comes in. Faith is believing and trusting in God, even without seeing and knowing.

    Hebrews 11:1 gives us the definition of Faith – “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

    Hebrews 11:6 says “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.”

    In the Merriam Webster dictionary, the definition of waiting is, to remain stationary in readiness or expectation; to serve.

    So what do we do in the wait?

    Focus on the readiness of your spiritual development.

    Be in prayer – Seek God’s guidance, strength and wisdom during the wait. Ask Him to give you an open mind, a humble heart, and faithful feet. To know, accept, and walk where He is guiding you.

    Study His word – His word is truth. Allow His truth to shape your understanding and deepen you faith in the plan He is forming.

    Focus on how you can serve others.

    Serve and minister to those around you, showing compassion and love. You can do this by engaging and participating in church and/or community outreach.

    Be in the present moment. If you focus on the future, you are missing what God is needing from you now. Because if this is your life, if this is where you are at, then this is where God is too. Don’t waste time worrying about a future you have no control over.

    What is unknown to us, is not unknown to Him.

    Lent is a time for waiting. Waiting for his death. Waiting for Easter Sunday. The resurrection. The grace we receive because of His love for us.

    I pray for strength. Strength in our faith to trust in His plan. Be encouraged and take time to grow spiritually during this season.

    His gift of grace provides us His love, forgiveness, and acceptance even though we haven’t earned it. It’s a gift that can transform our lives and relationships. 

    It’s worth the wait!

    With love and joy,

    Laura

  • How do you define Joy?

    How do you define Joy?

    There are times in life when my heart and soul feel heavy. A heaviness that I can’t seem to shake. A heaviness that seems to take away my joy at times.

    I know that JOY is a choice. So, how do I choose joy when everything around seems anything but joyful?

    My youngest sister Sara, was confined to the four walls of her home the last 3 years of her life. In spite of all she experienced with her health, she chose joy.

    When asked how she defined joy, she came up with this definition:

    The unwavering trust that God knows what He is doing and has blessed me with an opportunity to be a part of it. Not despite what is happening in my life, but because of it. When everything earthly feels heavy, He gives me an internal lightness that can’t be touched.

    I’d like to break it apart together.

    The unwavering trust that God knows what He is doing…

    Unwavering – When something is unwavering, it is firm. It is unshakable. My trust, my confidence, faith and hope in God must be firm. It can’t be shaken. When life throws me lemons, I can make lemonade. I must be firm in my faith that God knows what He is doing. I must believe it and trust it.

     Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. [Proverbs 3:5-6]

    …and has blessed me with with the opportunity to be part of it.

    The life I am living is a gift from God. It is a blessing. It is a set of circumstances that I can choose to see as a gift. I have a choice to see the circumstances in my life as a burden, or a blessing. I choose to focus on my circumstances as a gift whether positive or negative. This perspective allows me to see my life as an opportunity.

    Not despite what is happening in my life, but because of it.

    Despite is to see life as a blessing without the affect of what is happening in my life. Regardless of whether I am facing negative or positive in my life, I choose joy because of life itself. Because life is a gift.

    For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. [Psalm 139:13-14]

    When everything earthly feels heavy, He gives me an internal lightness that can’t be touched.

    My life is all about Him! It’s not about me. When I focus on God, I maintain a firm belief in His plan for me and my life. No matter my circumstances, I will find the joy that is down deep in my heart to stay.

    I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. [Galatians 2:20]

    Write out this definition of JOY. Put it in a place that is easy to access and read. Better yet, define what joy means to you!

    We are in a world that needs Him. God is love. He is always with us and never leaves us. He gives us that internal lightness that can’t be touched.

    With joy and love,

    Laura

  • Limited Visibility

    Limited Visibility

    Moments in time.

    One BIG learning I have had in my life is to be intentional in savoring the little every day moments. There are moments that may not seem a big deal at the time. But, they become a big deal when they are gone.

    I learned this very quickly after losing my dad and sister. I realized that the things I missed the most were the things that I deemed little. They were even irritating at times.

    An example for me were the “dad joke’s” we’ve all experienced. Those jokes that we roll our eyes at and laugh a bit out of respect. Well, I would give anything to hear one of dad’s jokes again!

    I had the joy of spending this past week with my 1 and 3 year old grandchildren. I quickly realized that I had forgotten what it was like to get very little sleep! I also forgot that any plans I make might as well be dismissed. The kids’ plans take precedence.

    I don’t know about you, but I catch myself when I am in one moment, wishing for another. Instead of savoring the moments I am blessed with, I waste them wanting something different. When I do that, I am not appreciating the blessings God is giving to me.

    Moments are just that. Moments. Once they happen, they are gone. The moment is gone, but the memory of that moment lasts a life time. I want to be intentional in savoring every moment I have with those I love. I want to make special and joy filled memories for those I love to treasure for a lifetime.

    My eyes, no matter how clear and focused on Christ, are cloudy compared to His.

    I can’t see the beauty God is creating beyond what is right in front of me. I can’t see how He takes something that seems fearful, sad, or unjust, and shines His light in and through to redeem it into beauty.

    I can’t see ahead into the unknown and I have to remember that none of it is unknown to Him. 

    My job is to savor my moments.

    In my limited vision, at the age of 66, dad was taken away too soon. I trust that God has the vision to see where true beauty lies. I have faith and hope that He takes those times of hurt and sadness and shines His light in and through them to redeem their beauty. I choose to look for the beauty.

    He has the perspective. We have the life we are given by our circumstances. And if we trust Him, really trust Him, I believe He will always make sure there is beauty beyond our limited vision.

    And I will always praise Him for that.

    I am grateful for savoring many of the moments I had with my dad. The trips with him in the semi. The rides on the tractor when he was in the field. The days I was able to follow him around the farm and learn many life lessons. The calls I would receive from him when he was in the field. There are so many memories I savor.

    I want to create those same treasured moments for my children and grandchildren. I want to continue to create those treasured moments for me.

    I savor those moments and realize now more than ever the importance of those moments in my life. It’s those moments that I can turn to and fill my heart with joy.

    Be intentional in savoring the little everyday moments!

    With love and joy,

    Laura