Shelly Busby's Blog

A Good Day to Exercise Trust in God

Today was a beautiful day with sunshine, blue skies, and fiercely blowing winds bringing intermittent blasts of arctic-like cold. It was a good day for an exercise in trusting God.

Driving home, I braced the steering wheel as the wind pushed and pulled at my little Cooper. Making way through traffic, I saw a man standing on the narrow median, clutching a sign, defying the wind. My heart went out to him as he stood firm against the cold blasts buffeting him.

It’s not unusual to find people with signs asking for monetary help in any weather, but for some reason, this man caught my attention today.

His sign read, “Three-time veteran Afghanistan and Iraq.” He didn’t appear sloppy or unkempt. He held his post with dignity –despite the cold, forceful wind.

An Invitation

I sensed the Holy Spirit inviting me to reach out to this stranger on the far side of the road.

Shoot! The only cash I had was a $20 bill. It was my gas money.

Shoot! I would have to drive up the road, turn around at the market, then drive back to make my way to the point where he was standing. My free time was shrinking -again.

Shoot! Why do I always say shoot, thinking of myself first even when it’s an invitation from the Lord to reach out to others?

I accepted the invitation and made my way towards the man stood with his sign.

Rolling down the window, I clutched the $20 bill praying the wind wouldn’t whip it away as I waved it, beckoning the man. I thanked him for his service and gave him my gas money feeling sheepish for having questioned the Holy Spirit. His eyes revealed weariness as he smiled, “Thank you, ma’am.”

A Holy Nudge

The Holy Spirit nudged again. Your book. Give him your book.

I locked eyes with the man, “Sir, do you like to read?”

His eyebrows rose, then crinkled in confusion before he nodded, “Yeh, I do.”

I keep extra copies of my book with me for times like these.  There was one on the seat beside me.

“Want a book?”

“Yeh, sure.”

I handed him my book before the traffic started moving forward again. He looked at the cover of the book back to me, then he cocked his head and replied, “Thanks.”

Thoughts swirled in my head as if caught up in the wind as well.

Lord, will this guy get anything from my story?

Street lights swung in the wind as I caught sight of pages of my book held in the man’s hand, flapping wildly in the wind.

Who Holds Your Story?

My life-story held in the hands of yet another stranger. Would it get tossed onto the street? What if pages were torn out and run over? I imagined the guts and treasures of my life blown all over, littering the road.

Lord, is this the destiny of my story?

His gentle reply settled my thoughts;

Daughter, have you forgotten you placed your story –your life in My hands? Trust me. (He has to say that to me often).

Trusting God 

Without the aid of a traditional publisher, I am, for the most part, responsible for my marketing.

The destiny of each book is a faith walk for me. Days like today stretch me, but in the end, I am grateful. Perhaps it is better this way.  A Book, A Stranger and a Windy Day

Could it be that God is the best marketer knowing who, when, where, and how to use what He, Himself inspired?

What if pages of my story did litter the street? Maybe some curious soul would pick up a page and read a few lines. It only takes a few words of life to pierce one’s heart. To that effect, I would gladly have pages of my story ‘litter’ on the streets.

What about your story? Have you entrusted it in the hands of God? Do you see Him woven throughout the pages of your life? Have you recognized the power and impact you can have on the lives of others?

I don’t know if that soldier will open the book and read my story, but now he will be covered in my daily prayers with all others who read my story.

Friend, our stories hold power. Be diligent in recognizing God in your story and being generous to share it wherever the Lord gives you an opportunity. You can never fully know what the Lord will do with it.

They triumphed… by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony. Revelation 12:11

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The post Trusting God with Your Story appeared first on Shelly Busby.

I was terrified

We rounded another curve snaking through the Bighorn Sheep Canyon. My clammy hands gripped the steering wheel as Anna and I made our way to Cotopaxi, Colorado. Anna rafted as a child, but today would be my first experience river rafting. That is if I found the courage to overcome the fear that chasing me down.

I crept below the speed limit. “Mom, you can go a little faster.” The steep canyon walls loomed ominously on the left while cresting white waves of the Arkansas River rushed rapidly to our right.

“There’s no hurry, Anna.” Secretly, I pondered excuses to turn around and go home.

Why was fear back, again?! It was as if I was breathing a toxic gas that clouded my thoughts and blurred my vision.

Colorado had record snowfall over the winter. The swollen river now flowed with elegant force and speed. Every time I glanced at the water, I mentally measured the mass tonnage forging through the canyon.

Finally, we arrived at our Rock-N-Row rafting destination. The river raced before our eyes a hundred feet in front of us. We were early, so I mused while we waited for check-in. We’re probably the only ones in all of Colorado rafting today.

Recent reports of river rafting fatalities compounded my fears. Dangers of the high river flow made the nightly news numerous times in recent weeks.

Fear trickles, then floods

Anna looked at me with her brows knit. “Mom, you sure you want to do this?”

I smiled weakly, “Of course, that’s what we came here for right?” I began to doubt that I the courage to this.

As we checked in, the staff said one of the other parties canceled. One party was still due to arrive.

Great…I bet they don’t show up either. Anna and I are the only ones ignorant enough to place ourselves on a raft on water moving 29,000 cubic feet per second.

 Eventually, the other party arrived. I was only slightly encouraged. We won’t be the only ones to make the news tonight.

They gave us helmets, PFDs and waivers to sign. Okay, I’m officially signing off that I am stupid enough to do this! And I’m taking our daughter down with me.

Next, came the safety speech; what to do if someone else falls out, you fall out or the whole raft upturns! Aaahhh! Any self-willed courage I had died right then and there. Whirlpools of fear swirled in my mind as they handed us yet another waiver.

Fear brings shame

Anna offered a way out, “Mom, we don’t have to do this. I’ll come back with Dad another time.” I didn’t want to let her or myself down. “No darlin I’m fine.” Eventually, the bus arrived at the drop-off site. “Okay folks, last chance to use restrooms.” They unloaded the inflated rafts.

I studied the river passing only feet away at a nauseating speed and panicked. “Anna, I can’t do it. I’m sorry.” Ashamed and embarrassed, I addressed the guide, “Please don’t unload that second boat. I’m having stomach issues, and I don’t think I can make it without a bathroom.”

Fear is a liar!

Wide-eyed with shock, Anna instantly jammed me up. “Mom! Tell the truth.” She was right. I was miserable with fear and mortified that I outright LIED. I looked at the guide and blurted. “Yes, it’s true. I’m terrified.” Finally, the truth was out. Smiling kindly, our guide reassured me, “We don’t want you to do anything you are uncomfortable with.”

Truth leads courage to harness fear

I looked at the river, the raft, the guide, and my daughter. Anna whispered, “Remember who you are Mom. Whatever you decide, I’m good.”

Alas! My wise daughter Anna called me out with truth and turned me back to the source of truth. Remember who you are.

How easily we forget that we are God’s children and as such, fear has no place in us. I looked at Anna and the guide. “I can do this.” Anna’s eyes searched mine. “You sure?”

Finally, as I focused on truth, peace flooded in, capsizing fear.  “Yes, I’m sure.”

The journey through both calm and rough water was exhilarating. Admittedly, I was grateful we only hit class-three rapids, but I truly enjoyed the experience.

Christ works courage in us

Even when we lack courage, Christ at work in us provides all the courage we need.

When you pass through the waters,

    I will be with you;

and when you pass through the rivers,

    they will not sweep over you.. .  Isaiah 43:2

With my thoughts in check, I saw the river differently. Instead of a deadly force ravaging its way through the canyon, it became a reminder of the mighty presence of God working His way in and through us carrying life in a forward movement.

So then, don’t let fear steal your joy –or tempt you to lie! Above all, remember, the peace of Christ, like a mighty river, floods out all fear and carries you to places you would not go on your own.

Shelly Busby is the author of the book The Girl Who Walked in the Shadow of the King. Click here to find out more about Shelly’s story.

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The post How Courage Overcame Fear on an Arkansas River Raft appeared first on Shelly Busby.

Ever wonder if you are ready and how you will respond when you meet Jesus face to face? That’s a one-day reality I love to ponder.

Our daughter Jess lives over 700 miles away. We have a close relationship though we’re far apart. Keeping in touch regularly helps us stay connected between occasional visits.

I think about what she’s doing, and I enjoy picturing her at work, making dinner with her husband or playing with their new pup. She’s part of our daily reality though we don’t physically see her except a few days a year. Surely you have those special loved ones in your life too. They’re deep in your heart but they are far “as the crow flies”.

Our Jess was missing the family (of course -we’re a great bunch!) She thought it would be fun to come unannounced so she planned a surprise visit. She booked a flight and made arrangements with our daughter Anna. Jess flew to town unbeknownst to my husband and me.

Our girls orchestrated it so Jess could casually just ‘appear’ to Brad, my mom and myself separately, stunning and blessing each of us in the process.

All three of us had the same reaction and said the same thing, “Whaaa whaaa whaa what are you doing here?!”

Check it out (these are phone videos, so they very grainy)

Hi Daddy

Hi Mom

Hi Grandma

Maybe this is a more realistic picture of how I’ll react when I first fully see Jesus face to face.

Who knows? What about you?

We know He’s there –on the other side of the invisible veil of eternity, but we don’t know when we’ll see Him or how we’ll react.

I love Mercy Me’s “I Can Only Imagine.” It’s a great song to help recalibrate our thoughts to the reality that one day we will see Him. What will that day be like?

I can only imagine what I will see w hen your face is before me.

Will I dance for You Jesus o r in awe of You be still?

  Will I stand in Your presence or to my knees will I fall?

Will I sing Hallelujah  –will I be able to speak at all?

Let the truth of that one-day reality wash over you.

One day He will show up.

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The post Ready or Not? appeared first on Shelly Busby.

I used to be one of those guys who didn’t care about anyone or anything but myself and I wanted nothing to do with God.

If God was real I figured He had to be a cold heartless son of a gun. I’d seen too much pain and heartache watching my Dad suffer in and out of the hospital for years.

My Dad was a quiet man; the kind who walked tall and carried a big stick. You didn’t mess with him, but you knew he was one of the good guys.

He worked hard, played by the rules and demanded respect for himself and others.

For eight years I watched him fight a losing battle with an unknown disease. Dad’s condition was a mystery even to the Mayo clinic. He would appear to get better to the amazement of the doctors and then six months later he’d be back in the hospital fighting for his life.

Each setback left me more numb than the year before. I became and emotionally void. Hope seemed nothing but a cruel tease.

Eventually sickness took over and the battle was over. I was 21 when my Dad passed away.

God?  I didn’t want or need Him. 

If praying for a good man like my Dad didn’t work, then what hope was there for an ornery cuss like me?

Later, I met a young woman and love dared to flicker in my heart again. I buffered myself. I would love, but only at a safe distance. I wouldn’t let my heart get yanked around the way it had before.

The truth is my wife and I were both damaged goods. It was only a matter of time until our marriage hit a wall.

I had nowhere to turn but to God. Would He fail me again?

This time I couldn’t just walk away. We had a son and his future weighed in with our decisions.

God didn’t answer all my questions, but He answered the ones I needed.

Where are you?

I am here.

Why God?

This is not My doing –but I will be with you through it.

Is there more than pain, suffering, sadness and failure?

Yes. Walk with Me.

So I did.

That’s when I began to understand the presence of God is not the absence of suffering or hardship. His presence is what helps us thru the struggles in this messed up world. He didn’t mess it up –we did.

Bit by bit I let Jesus into my heart. He exchanged peace for my anger. And when I dared to hope again I began to see past the pain and frustration.

I did the things Jesus talked about like forgiving others and trusting Him.

My marriage changed too. I was able to love more deeply and was free to be transparent. My role as husband and father gained substance. I became someone my Dad could be proud of.

I don’t know if Dad believed in Jesus. It’s too late for me to talk to him

I tell others “Don’t waste time. Get right with God and get right with others.” Jesus is real and He can change stone cold hearts.

You don’t know how much time you or those around you have. So live with purpose. Take action and reach out. You won’t regret it if you do, but you may regret it if you don’t.

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The post BJ appeared first on Shelly Busby.

My years as a child and youth were a picture of unfaithfulness. I had been sexually abused when I was three, my parents were divorced when I was 7, and I chose a lifestyle of sin to cope with my pain. In response to tragedy, I hid in the empty comfort of sex, drugs, and alcohol. These vices kept me numb to pain and spoke security to my heart and mind. In truth, they only dragged me deeper into their clutches. This mixed up exchange began when I was thirteen and by the time I was 18, I was entrenched in darkness. My emotions shut down, joy was gone. I had no purpose.

But there was a knock on the door; quiet at first, yet continuously resounding through family members, friends, and teachers.

I began to question my bondage and asked friends, “Do you ever want to stop needing alcohol?” My questions were met with a scoff. “Alcoholics for life!” they jeered.

Though the quiet questions in my mind lingered, I continued with my sin. It was what I knew, and I was not willing to let go.

I wrestled back and forth, wanting to be free of the heavy weight of sin but secure with the familiarity of it. I finally came to a point where I had to choose.

I was driving drunk on the freeway when I lost control. Everyone in the car was safe but my car was totaled. I knew the Lord wasn’t giving up on me.

Two days later I was in South Africa serving the locals in need. There, far from home, as we served the locals I wrestled with sobriety, condemnation, and grace.
In the midst of my wrestling God asked me to turn and fully face Him. In one transforming moment, I turned and said yes.

I still had unanswered questions when I left South Africa, but freedom was in sight. Over the next four years, I found healing from the abuse of my childhood.

I struggled with the meaning of purity and continued to fall into old sin from time to time. With each failure I would turn again to the Lord. Every time, He opened His arms with grace, acceptance and even comfort as only a father could give.

I still considered myself defined by my past; that I would never be “pure”.
The Lord was relentless. He pursued me, wanting every part of me; even the filthy, dirty parts of my past.

I never would have guessed that God would use a man who was saving himself for marriage to reach the depths of my shame; to accept me as his “pure bride”.

This man was captivated by my heart. He desired more than my body; he sought the deep love of God in me -body, soul and spirit. When he learned of my past he didn’t turn away. Instead, he took me in his arms for our first kiss and spoke words of purity and healing over my shame.

God taught me that ‘Lover’ really means one who loves and pursues with deep longing and intimacy of the heart. His love stretched far beyond where impurity could ever reach.

God didn’t take anything away. Instead, He redeemed my sexuality and restored my self worth. He established a better foundation. Not only do I see myself now as pure, but my husband and I enjoy a healthy, fulfilling and satisfying exchange in each area of our lives. No shame!

Through my husband, Jesus clothed me in righteousness, and called me His own.

God’s still working on me and in me, but as I follow His lead I walk in peace and confidence. Once bound by shame, I am now a picture of faithfulness because Christ, the Lover of my soul is is faithful to me.

 

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The post Kacie B appeared first on Shelly Busby.

I was a happy child, full of joy and childlike faith. I loved Jesus.

Things changed when as an adult I took my eyes off the Lord. I was married to a good man who adored me. We had three beautiful children, and a good life.

It started with a simple touch; a seemingly accidental brush from an acquaintance. One bad choice led to another and another. Soon my life spiraled out of control.

I found myself where I thought I’d never be; deep in the middle of a sordid affair.

Guilt drove me to divorce. I never even gave my husband an explanation, much less the opportunity to forgive me and save our marriage.

I’d sabotaged my marriage, our family and our future. I was too ashamed to turn back to the God of my youth. I still believed in Him, but I’d wondered so far away.

Instead of turning to God, I turned to another man and remarried. My second husband had his own issues and later went on to abuse my children. My marital sins where heavy enough, but now my choices were impacting my kids.

Weakly, I crumbled under the weight. It was as if I wore a wet blanket; a heavy cloak of shame and condemnation. The thing about this “cloak” is that it doesn’t just cover a matter or person –it consumes.

I was so consumed with guilt, shame and self-loathing that I didn’t see past myself. I hid my head in the ground, hoping all would work out for my kids once they eventually left the home.

Though l believed in God, grace and forgiveness were now foreign to me. I wore that heavy cloak for over 40 years until one Sunday when I went to church.

The message was about loads and burdens. It was as if the Pastor looked into my life and wrote the message specifically for me.

For the first time, I saw the heavy cloak I’d been wearing by not allowing myself to receive forgiveness from God. All those years I spent trying to hide the truth; not confessing; not sharing the weight and knowledge of my sins helped no one. In fact, it only hurt the ones I loved and added more weight to my burden.

I woke up when the Pastor said, “There is no healing in the hiding.”
Did I really believe Jesus died and paid the price specifically for my ugly sin?

Yes. I do!

As I embraced truth, my heart began to lift. I saw the cloak of shame for what is was. It had shaped me into something different than who He created me to be. I had only to turn it over to Him.

When I took time alone to listen to Jesus I realized He wanted me to give Him the burden. He wants everyone to do give Him their burdens. That’s why He went to the cross. His shed blood is for all who will not only believe, but receive the gift that trades our sin for His grace.
I even realized that all those years of trying to carrying my burden myself was dishonoring to what He had done and distanced me from receiving His will for my life.

When I gave Him my burden an incredible weight lifted off of me. I became free.

That freedom allows me to realize His blood established that I (and you) are worthy to walk with Him.
When I confessed this to others, power, grace and love welled up in me in a strong way. I was surprised at the bold confidence that spilled out of my mouth.

Jesus presence and joy replaced my shame. I’m not proud of my past, but grace empowers me to tell others that Jesus takes our heavy burdens –without shame!

He who the son sets free, is free indeed! John 8:36

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The post Merry T appeared first on Shelly Busby.

The enemy works overtime to convince us that we’ve been abandoned, or that we’ve failed too many times to be forgiven, or that we’re too broken to ever be healed. But as Shelly’s story so beautifully reveals, that’s not what’s going on. Shelly’s story will inspire women at every point in their journeys, whether they are seekers, new believers, or seasoned women of faith dealing with brokenness in their own lives.

Sheri Miller

Director of the Women Ministry Leadership Team , Springs Church, Colorado Springs

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The post appeared first on Shelly Busby.

Shelly’s is a powerful story of redemption and restoration. I’ve personally walked with her over two decades as she’s not only experienced victory in her own life, but empowered others to do the same. As a pastor, I’ve told Shelly’s story countless times in ministering to men and women choosing to lay hold of freedom in Christ, and I know that her story in print will impact even more lives. As Shelly’s life so beautifully illustrates, there is freedom and healing in Christ—for all of us.

Steve Collins

Founding Pastor, Church Eleven 32

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I’ve never read a book with such fascination and interest, wondering how God was going to work in, and speak into, the life of its author. If you need encouragement that God is ALWAYS THERE, I’d encourage you to seek Him with your whole heart, as Shelly does, and you’ll hear His still, small voice whispering to you, too.

Eric Elder

Author, St. Nicholas: The Believer

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I loved this story. And what I loved most of all is that Shelly gives us a peak into the unseen Kingdom realm where God is fighting for us—and what she shows us is wonderful and powerful. The tenacity of God’s redemptive plans for each of us is unrelenting. He never “writes us off.”  Even when we don’t see it, He is there, continuing to pursue us for the purpose of redeeming and healing us.

Sheri Miller

Director of the Women Ministry Leadership Team, Springs Church, Colorado Springs

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