The Ingredients for Change

As so often God does, I was moved by the words of a song today. And as a song often does, it spoke to current life circumstances. I have often said over the years "well, so and so will never do anything unless forced." Or "you know that person will never change unless God makes them." Well, you know what? Turns out I should stop pointing fingers because I, too, am guilty of such stubborness. Sometimes life lines up changes like an arrow on a bow. Sometimes the changes make sense and sometimes they leave you scratching your head. Have you had this experience? But every time a change is right, God gives peace. This has been the hard lesson for me. Many times I have made a change in my own strength, my own timing, my own way. But not this time. This time God will lead and guide every step of the way. 

Let me give you those precious lyrics:

Just for me, many doors you've closed

Just for me, Sometimes you will say no

So I'll be tested in your fire to purify my desires

So my blesssings won't be just for me. 

So caught up in myself I couldn't see

The world did not revolve around me

So storms are in your will

So I can feel what others feel 

Their needs, if I could speak honestly

It don't feel good. But growing never does

It don't seem fair for you to call this love

But if necessary pain is the ingredient for change

Even when life may be bittersweet...it's working

Just for me. All the moments I missed

That were just for me. Because I chose not to wait patiently

Before every mistake was the same amount of grace

That kept my blessing waiting just for me

But trust in your timing is not easy

And what I want's not always what I need

Somewhere I forgot You are God and I am not

("Just for Me" Kirk Franklin)

See, God knows what it's going to take to make us move. Sometimes it's the unfathomable loss of a loved one. Or maybe a humbling so strong you will never forget. Perhaps you just had enough of a certain behavior and learned to stand up for yourself. God has used finances and struggles to get my attention at times. And several times an unmistakeable wave of "aha" has washed over me so big it was like Jesus Himself was giving me a heart hug. Whatever the case is, lean in. Listen to Jesus. He loves us. He knows us. And there is growing in the waiting. In the listening. In the doing. Be blessed today all.

Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth Does not become tired or grow weary; There is no searching of His understanding. He gives strength to the weary, And to him who has no might He increases power. Even youths grow weary and tired, And vigorous young men stumble badly, But those who wait for the Lord [who expect, look for, and hope in Him] Will gain new strength and renew their power; They will lift up their wings [and rise up close to God] like eagles [rising toward the sun]; They will run and not become weary, They will walk and not grow tired.

Isaiah 40:28‭-‬31 AMP

Trust in and rely confidently on the Lord with all your heart And do not rely on your own insight or understanding. In all your ways know and acknowledge and recognize Him, And He will make your paths straight and smooth [removing obstacles that block your way]. Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord [with reverent awe and obedience] and turn [entirely] away from evil.

Proverbs 3:5‭-‬7 AMP

I would have despaired had I not believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord In the land of the living. Wait for and confidently expect the Lord; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for and confidently expect the Lord.

Psalms 27:13‭-‬14 AMP

Can I get an amen?

Sometimes the words to a song can trigger such a response in me. Have you been there? Sorta like somebody reached inside you and grabbed ahold of something deep inside your heart. I have been struggling lately with the outlook of the church as a whole on certain subjects. Insert song lyrics:

Can't nobody count nobody else's sins

Don't nobody know nobody else's role

Can't nobody say where noone else has been

Don't nobody own nobody else's soul

Can't nobody see nobody else's heart

Can't nobody tell nobody else's story

Can't nobody hold nobody else's scars

Don't nobody know nobody else's glory

Let the people say (Amen)

Let the world say (Amen)

Let the CHURCH say (Amen)

Let us all say (Amen)

Can't nobody steal nobody else's shine

Can't nobody make nobody else's sound

Don't nobody kill nobody else's vibe

Can't nobody snatch nobody else's crown

Somebody can, somebody can, somebody can love you where you are. Love you right where you are.

Somebody can, somebody can, somebody can love you where you are. Love you right where you are.

(Blessing Offor "Amen")

I recently told somebody dear to me that until somebody walks a mile in my shoes I don't want to hear it. And I mean that. Until we try to understand each other. Until we try to see where another person is coming from. Until we offer love. We have ZERO business judging. Judgment and using scripture as a tool to thump people over the head with should never. EVER be our first place to start. I offer you these scripture for your own study and interpretation. Please. PLEASE!!! For the love of God (and I mean that too) love others FIRST!! Because until you do, they will never see the Jesus in you. And if you can't love others first, I question if Jesus IS in you. I said what I said.

Matthew 22:37-39

Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself

John 8:1‭-‬11

Jesus went unto the mount of Olives. And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down, and taught them. And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst, they say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou? This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not. So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground. And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.

Philippians 2:12‭-‬15

Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. Do all things without murmurings and disputings: that ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;

John 4:5‭-‬27

Then cometh he to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour. There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink. (For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.) Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans. Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water. The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water? Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle? Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: but whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw. Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither. The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband: for thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly. The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet. Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things. Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he. And upon this came his disciples, and marvelled that he talked with the woman: yet no man said, What seekest thou? or, Why talkest thou with her?

1 John 4:7‭-‬13

Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us. Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.

Childlike faith

Sometimes God puts people in your path to hold a mirror up to you. And sometimes what you see is painful! I am aware that I have previously blogged about healing and giving grace to yourself. There is a time for that. But healing doesn't always look smooth and easy. Sometimes it's messy and hard to sit in. Ecclesiastes 3 says there is a season for everything. So here we go!

Today I was reflecting on relationships I had as a child. Do you remember how that went?  I do. I would strike up a friendship with a neighbor kid, or a kid at the pool, or someone at school, or at the beach...we would play for hours on end, non stop, dawn to dusk, anything and everything. And then there was a fight. You took my toy, you made me feel left out, you said something mean, etc. Then there was an argument, and then what? Then we were right back playing again. Strife forgotten, offense forgiven, because the time with that other person was short and the relationship was too important to let a silly fight get in the way.

So why can't we do that for each other as adults? Is it because we are "older and wiser"? Or because childhood relationships are not like real life? Or is it because we have become hard and wounded? Putting up defense mechanisms because pain hurts? And we all know hurt people hurt people. Why do we hold onto these things that are so damaging to others and ourselves? These mechanisms that keep everyone at arm's length? Here's what I think: because they're comfortable. They're familiar. They're the well worn path.

What is that saying? If you do what you've always done, you're going to get what you always got. Right? God has often given me a machete to cut new paths through the wilderness of my thinking, my circumstances, my relationships, and my view of Him. A new path that brings about change. The thing about that is this: it's hard work!! And it takes a lot of faith. You don't always know what direction you're going and you're afraid the blade is getting dull, and you can't see, and you're getting scratched up, and you just want to give up sometimes. But when you reach your destination you realize why the work was so important. Thank you Jesus!! It is worth it!

So I'm allowing people to help shape me and show me my faults. To let them tell me their perception and their experiences of me...and boy does it hurt sometimes. But you know what? Jesus is my balm of Gilead. My comfort. My strength and my truth. The Word of God is my sword. With my armor on and my spiritual first aid kit available, I am opening my arms wide...allowing myself to be shaped by the Master. Sometimes by people, sometimes by the Potter Himself. Today's a new day! Let's pitter patter.

Proverbs 27:17 As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.

Exodus 15:26 If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the Lord that healeth thee.