Category Archives: Spiritual Growth

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When it Rains on Your Parade…

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And when it rains on your parade, look up rather than down. Without the rain, there would be no rainbow ~ Gilbert K. Chesterton


I love rain! I really do. There is something about the clouds opening up and water falling from the sky that leaves me in awe at the intricate way that God has designed the Earth to continue on. Our garden grows, the flowers bloom, the grass gets greener. And at times, it is nice to just sit inside and watch the rain pour down and sip some hot coffee or tea, enjoying the fact that perhaps, just perhaps, where you were so urgent to go wasn’t  that important anyhow.

Now its time for an honest confession. Just this month, thunderstorms in generally have had the reverse effect on me. Instead of being that soothing, relaxing experience I am sure they were created to be, they have left me on edge and begging God in prayer to “please take them away!” If you live in Cheverly, you know what I am talking about and why. After two large storms that brought down our biggest tree as well as left us without power for 3 days, I am a bit weary when I hear rumbling in the sky.

That’s why, last Thursday night, right as I put my head on my pillow, when I saw lightning and heard the thunder, I immediately began to pray that it would just stop and that our power wouldn’t go out. It flickered, then came back on. Whew.

On Saturday morning, it decided to rain…and rain…and rain some more. Instead of being my normal “lets stay dry” mom and do something fun inside, I decided to just let the girls go crazy in the puddles at the park. Barefoot. As you will see from the picture above, Chesed especially relished in the adventure! We all three squished the wet mud and water between our toes and giggled. We ran around in the damp grass and slid down an extra-slippery slide. It was a blast. Then we came home and I made them homemade banana bread waffles for lunch! (for mine I used whole raw milk and a mix of whole wheat flour and wheat germ). The girls and I gobbled them up and I realized what a wonderful morning we had because we chose to just enjoy the rain.

It left me thinking that I wish I always “looked up” and found the good out of every circumstance that comes my way in life.

But sometimes the storms aren’t just physical, are they? I want to talk about disappointment today. Frustration. Hope Deferred. Patience wearing thin. I’m talking about when you look forward to something with great and eager anticipation and then – it doesn’t happen. It rains on your parade. You didn’t get the job you thought you would. The house you were going to buy  fell through. The trip you were going to take got canceled. Or how about when your child gets sick and you think “Ok, I can handle this.” You’re attitude is cheerful and optimistic. But then, your other kid gets sick. And you get sick. And your spouse has to work overtime and you are left to manage yourself and the children (while you are sick) all by yourself? (This recently happened to a good friend of mine). What we say when these things happen is, “Wow, when it rains…it pours!” Meaning, sometimes in life, everything seems to fall apart at once.

I wish I had the answer to why these things happen the way they do. Why, sometimes, does everything seem to fall apart all at once? I have determined after 32 years of living on this planet that is the wrong question to be asking. The question is – when circumstances get you down, how do you handle it?

Do you fall apart?

Do you get angry?

Do you blame God or other people?

I remember when I was a kid, my mom hated seeing me hurt. She would try everything in her power to alleviate my pain – be it physical, emotional, spiritual. She was amazing. But there were some pains in life that she couldn’t fix, and I think she realized over time that this was where I had a real chance to grow. To mature. To respond well to the hand that had been dealt to me or to find a way out (on my own) of the pit I had fallen (or jumped) into.

Grace has been sick the last few days and I found out she had a fever only hours before we were going to have a wonderful Mommy/daughter date to a wedding. We had picked out our dresses, planned for a sitter for Chesed, and she literally talked about it every day for a week. I was thrilled that she was so excited and anticipatory of something like this. Then, we couldn’t go. I will be honest. At first, I was just sad with her, cried with her, hugged her and said, “Its okay, honey. We will have fun on our own.” But inside, I was a bit mad. “Why did she have to get sick now, Lord? Don’t you know how much she wanted to have this experience?“

After some grumbling prayers, the Lord graciously lead me back to James 1:2-4 – you know what I am talking about, right? I loved this translation:

“Dear brothers and sisters,when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.”

An opportunity for joy? When everything is falling apart all around you? When you are totally bummed out and discouraged? How is this a time for joy??! Like many aspects of the Christian life, this can only be understood with an eye on the eternal. Oh RIGHT…the reason I named my blog “This Eternal Moment” – because every moment, when lived for the Lord and with eternity in mind, is never wasted but well invested.

So I ought to see that this is an opportunity to teach my daughter how to biblically handle disappointment. And an opportunity for me to trust God and to serve my daughter in a different way. And perhaps, for us to rest and reflect on the brevity and uncertainty of ANY of our plans.

And perhaps, when the thunder rolls and our lights flicker, I can keep an open hand and a heart at peace and believe that whatever happens, God will give me the strength I need to handle it in that moment.

How about you? Have you had any parades planned lately that got rained on? Any major or minor disappointments? How did you handle them?  What did they reveal in you? Will you, trembling and maybe even still angry, make the choice to move towards trust and joy today (Remember that all things work together for your good and God’s glory!) and away from self pity, sulking, and pessimism?

I would love to hear the challenges that you might be going through and how we can strengthen one another in this race….because it’s a marathon, not a sprint. And what we need now is endurance to keep on putting our faith and hope in the right place – in God alone.

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What Life’s Storms Reveal

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Only one week after the Microburst, another bigger storm swept down the entire East Coast that hit our town as well. This time, instead of about 50,000 without power, it was estimated that in our area alone there were 900,000 without power. There were two known deaths from this storm. We wandered down Route 50 in search of power, only to find our neighboring cities of Bowie, Lanham, and beyond in just as bad shape as we were. The few businesses that had power also had lines of people snaking out their doors, waiting for their turn to enter the air conditioned building where they could ‘rest a spell.’

This time around, the “good attitude” was a little harder to muster, I admit, after two days without power, as we were still recovering from the previous week’s disaster and our tree was still our “ever-present reality.” As they say, “When it rains, it pours.” For our area there has been a literal fulfillment of this the last few years with a record-breaking snowfall dubbed “Snowmaggedeon,”an earthquake (which we were not used to), Hurricane Irene, and now these two storms. Grace even made up a song about Pepco, our power company, which shows that even our three year old has internalized our need for power 🙂

Last time, I shared a personal testimony about how the Microburst caused me to pause and consider what is really important in life. What it came down to was firstly, “Where do I stand with Christ?” and “Who are the people in my life?” God and people. Really, this is what matters. Since the second storm, I have pondered what else I can glean from natural disasters as well as other “storms of life.” You know, TRIALS. TESTS. THE LIKE. 🙂

It also made me recall that I have seen some pretty amazing disasters and stood in their wreckage, held their victims while they mourned, and surveyed incalculable loss. The first that came to mind was the Haiti Earthquake a few years back. We had the call to go from a friend there who had lost his wife and his home. He begged for our assistance. How could we refuse?  As we went, we surveyed the damage, a lot of which looked like this:

 

 

Nearly the entire country slept in tents, which was a physical picture of the temporary nature of our earthly dwelling places:

Then there was the Tsunami of 2005, where, during an around the world trip to 20 countries, Joel and I had the privilege of assisting folks in Khao Lak, Thailand, where damage looked like this:

 

In the rubble of disaster, it is easy to become disillusioned and think “Where is God in all of this?” I can tell you from personal experience, that in those storms, in the midst of all the damage and destruction and chaos, God was strikingly and tangibly present. We just had to open our eyes and ears. Sometimes, as in our disaster, the physical clean up and recovery takes awhile but is more of an inconvenience than anything. In other disasters, there is virtually nothing left and nowhere, it seems, to go. Everything everywhere has been destroyed. Those left to sort of their “new” reality in the midst of such devastation are often at a breaking point. Where do you turn when everything around you, everything that you have stood upon and relied on for survival is gone?

God alone is the answer.

“Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; He lifts his voice, the earth melts.The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.” – Psalm 46:6-7

He is Emmanuel – God with us. God with us in disaster. God with us in pain. God with us in trial and temptation and failure. God with us when all have deserted us. He never fails. And because of this unalterable faithfulness, there is only one proper response: joyful worship! I have seen some of the purest, truest worship in these places of devastation and disaster. Out of the rubble, worship rises. A new foundation is built on nothing but God alone.

What about you? 

What is shaking in your life? What has been destroyed? What, when the pressure and the storms of life came pressing in, was found unreliable, unsound, unable to stand?

We each have the opportunity when things in our lives begin to shake to listen to what God might be saying to us through the turmoil:

“Be careful that you do not refuse to listen to the One who is speaking. For if the people of Israel did not escape when they refused to listen to Moses, the earthly messenger, we will certainly not escape if we reject the One who speaks to us from heaven! When God spoke from Mount Sinai his voice shook the earth, but now he makes another promise: “Once again I will shake not only the earth but the heavens also.” This means that all of creation will be shaken and removed, so that only unshakable things will remain. Since we are receiving a Kingdom that is unshakable, let us be thankful and please God by worshiping him with holy fear and awe. For our God is a devouring fire. ” – Hebrews 12:25-29

Sometimes, the call is to stand and endure the storm. Sometimes, it is to pick up a shovel and clean up the mess. Sometimes, it is to re-evaluate a faulty foundation and begin to build again on what will remain. And oddly enough, when that call comes, there is often a sense of hope, of relief, of a fresh start with a new vision for something greater and more enduring than what held us up before.

 

 

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The Permissible Trap

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“All things are lawful,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful,” but not all things build up. Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor. ” – 1 Corinthians 10:23-24

“You say, “I am allowed to do anything”—but not everything is good for you. And even though “I am allowed to do anything,” I must not become a slave to anything.” – 1 Corinthians 6:12

 

I’ve been thinking lately about the power of the permissible. What do I mean? How things that are “okay” or even “legal” can become stumbling blocks to us walking in God’s best for our lives and for His Kingdom’s renown.

Twice in his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul talks about this concept of the “lawful” or “permissible” – the word literally means “to be lawful or allowed.”

Growing up in a Christian home, my parents made it clear that there were definitely things that were not allowed or permissible in our home. Foul language, lying, disrespect of elders – these are just a few of the “very clear” NON-permissible activities in our home. There were, however, things that were “allowed.” Watching up to one hour of television per day was allowed. Going to the mall with friends and spending whatever money I had earned at my little summer job on cheap earrings was allowed. Staying up all night on the weekend with my girlfriends at a slumber party was allowed. It doesn’t mean, however, that my choice to do those things would be good for me or result in my spiritual growth or maturation as a young woman.

My parents knew that they had to give me some freedoms the older that I became – freedom to choose what I would do with my money, my time, my focus and attention. For true growth only happens when there is (just that) – room to grow. Probably the most obvious example of a young person’s freedom is when they are given the car keys for the first time. A certain maturity level must be evident for the parents to make the decision. They also must have passed their driving test which evidenced that they are fit for the road. A parent can lecture and lecture a child over and over about what the “car rules” are and how they are to behave while operating the car. But once the young person turns on the engine and pulls out of the driveway, it is in their hands – choices that they make will no doubt affect them and those around them on the road.

As believers, there are some things that are clearly evident as being “NOT ALLOWED” by our Abba Father. If you are wondering if there is a list, start with the Ten Commandments 🙂 You shall have No Other Gods before Me. No Adultery. No Coveting. No taking His Name in Vain. And the list continues.

There are other things that are, well, not so cut and dry – take these examples:

whether I choose to rent and watch certain movies that aren’t obviously sinful

whether I choose to buy shoes or clothes me or my kids don’t really “need”

whether I choose to take a nap in the afternoon instead of doing something more “productive”

whether I choose to give 10% of my income to the Lord or 50% of my income

In meditating on these passages and chewing on how I should apply them to my life, a few things come to mind:

1. We are called to freedom – Galatians 5:1 – this means that we should make choices out of a place of freedom, not fear or slavery to legalistic rules that aren’t even biblical.

2. We aren’t called to use our freedom as “an opportunity for the flesh” – Galatians 5:13 – but through love we ought to serve others with the freedom Christ has given us.

3. While “all things are lawful” not all things build up – 1 Corinthians 10:23-24 – therefore, if I am being presented with an opportunity to do something that is likely NOT to build me or others up in their walk with Christ, it is best to avoid it altogether.

4. While I am “allowed” to do anything, not everything is good for me and I should never become a slave to anything – 1 Corinthians 6:12 – When I have the choice to do something or not do something that may very well cause my ruin (or someone else’s) or has the capacity to lead to my enslavement to that very thing, I ought to say a very clear “NO” to that offer.

5. I should consider how others will be impacted by my decisions (Galatians 5:13, 1 Corinthians 10:23-24) – I may very well have a clear conscience about eating that very large piece of carrot cake. But if I am with a friend who is clearly trying to exhibit self control in order to achieve a healthy life goal, it would be an act of love towards her to not scarf a huge piece of cake in her presence 🙂

How about you? Have you thought of how things that are “allowed” can rob you from what is best? Have you felt at times that your choices led to another’s growth or downturn? What can you do today to make choices that build others up, help you grow closer to God, and keep you entangled from the world? I would love to hear your thoughts!

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