Cheryl Lea's Blog

After a recent string of painful events, including the loss of our dog, Dexter, suffering has been on my mind again. I often have to remind myself that nothing happens without God allowing it, and everything God allows is ultimately for His glory and our good (Romans 8:28). But I also need to remember that “good” doesn’t always equate to something happy, or even pleasant.  Sometimes the road to that “good” thing is painful.

There are many reasons that God allows suffering (Romans 5:3-5; James 1:...

I’ve been telling my daughter to “be different” for years. And sometimes I have to remind her (and myself) that being different also means you have to be bold and brave. It can be a hard and occasionally lonely life, but choosing to be in the world but not of it (John 17) means that you are pleasing and glorifying God, and that, above all, needs to be the aim of true Christians.

Do This, Don’t Do That

The world lives so far from God’s commands that it’s pretty easy to see many of the negative co...

God moments are awesome! You know, those times when there can be no doubt that you just experienced God working in your life?

I had a God moment recently. It started as a really, really bad afternoon. (Ever notice that we usually only perceive God at work during a period of trauma, sadness, or pain?) I felt defeated and exhausted with life. I felt unloved, unnecessary, and completely alone. In my head, I knew that wasn’t totally true, but when you have a giant heartache, those are the kind of thoughts that can creep in. And this was bad enough that I quietly cried myself to sleep in the middle of the day. When I woke up, not only did I not feel any better, I had developed a huge headache, as well.

So, I finally did what I should have done right out of the gate—I gave it all to God. I didn’t ask Him for anything. I just told Him how I was feeling, and cried on His shoulder for a little while. Then, I dried my tears and tried, for at least the 37th time, to write a complete blog post. But God had other plans for me.

The Rescue

Just minutes after sitting in front of my computer, my phone rang. Someone, whom I only talk to a few times a year, called and said (this is the highly abridged version of the conversation), “Hey, are you busy? Because I need you.” She and some friends had gotten into a situation on the Appalachian Trail. It was getting close to sundown, and they needed someone to come and pick them up right then. I could do that. So, she “dropped me a pin” for her exact location so I could find them on the trail, and I set out for who knows where.

It took a while to get to them, so during the drive I listened to some of my go-to podcasts (Ligonier Ministries, Cooper Stuff, Alisa Childers), and spent the time thinking about my unusual day, while trying not to get lost or skid off the gravelly washboard mountain roads. I was still sad, but also grateful for the distraction of an unplanned rescue situation, and glad that I had filled my gas tank earlier in the day.

When I arrived, as I drove around the final curve, my headlights lit up four tired, but elated, young women, literally jumping for joy. I only personally knew one of them, but they all treated me like a long-lost friend. I got giant hugs, and over and over they thanked me, grateful that I had been able to come right away. During the hour-long drive to their car, we all talked and laughed, and I got even more much-appreciated hugs when I dropped them off.

My heart was healed, my headache gone. Those sweet girls thought I had rescued them, but they had rescued me! I think I smiled all the way home.

I’m sure you’ve already joined the dots together by now, but it was only on the final leg of my impromptu journey that I realized what had actually happened. I had told God I felt lonely and unneeded, and suddenly someone called me, specifically because she needed me, and I met three new friends! God answered a prayer that I didn’t even articulate. But the Holy Spirit knew what to pray when all I could do was weep (Romans 8:26). God let me know that He was with me, and that I am absolutely needed. Some might call that coincidence, but I don’t believe in such silly things.

It was a memorable God Moment, and a humbling reminder that I can and should trust my heavenly Father in every situation, big or small, good or bad.

Memorable God Moments

There are a lot of instances in the Bible concerning Christian suffering that eventually led to some pretty awesome God moments:

In 2 Timothy 3:11 (ESV), Paul talks about his “persecutions and sufferings” and says that “from them all the Lord rescued” him. You can check out 2 Corinthians 11:16-33 to learn about some of Paul’s sufferings. His whole life, from the Damascus road, forward, was filled with God moments!

The entire book of Job is about suffering. Simply as a test of his faith, Job lost everything, including his ten children—seven sons and three daughters. But when his trial ended, “the Lord blessed Job in the second half of his life even more than in the beginning” (Job 42:12a NLT). “He also gave Job seven more sons and three more daughters” (Job 42:13 NLT). God didn’t just give Job more children, he gave him the exact number of sons and daughters that he had lost. God made sure Job knew where his blessings came from.

David had to hide from King Saul’s murderous wrath for years (1 Samuel 19-31), until he was finally able to take his God-ordained place as king of Judah (2 Samuel 1). From outlaw to king. Epic!!! 

And then, of course the big ones in the books of Genesis and Exodus, like the flood (Genesis 6-9), the ten plagues in Egypt (Exodus 7-12), and the parting of the Red Sea (Exodus 14). 

Biblical examples of God’s merciful, gracious, healing work in the lives of other sufferers are reminders of God’s sovereign power and His love. They can give us hope and comfort when we are struggling. Perhaps my own simple story of God’s involvement in my recent grief might give someone else hope in the midst of their own sadness and cause them to seek God’s solace, too. I hope so.

Hidden God Moments

But, as much as we want God’s rescue from actual turmoil, and are thankful when He provides that God moment for us, we should also be thankful for the hidden trouble that we never have to face in the first place. Every time we arrive at a destination safely, ace a test, or just wake up in the morning, we are experiencing a God moment, and should acknowledge and thank God for His protection, guidance, wisdom, and faithfulness. He is with us in our joy, our sorrow, and our most mundane, uneventful days. We have God moments even when our life isn’t feeling momentous—even when our lives are falling apart.

Now, I might not be the crispest chip in the bag on this subject, so I’ll defer to Solomon, the crispiest chip who ever lived (1 Kings 3). He tells us:

“In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider: God has made the one as well as the other, so that man may not find out anything that will be after him” (Ecclesiastes 7:14 ESV).

God is sovereign over everything. He might not cause our adversity in every situation, but it doesn’t happen without Him allowing it, and the same goes for our prosperity. And both situations are good and right. Prosperity brings us joy—Yay! But it can also bring out our pride—Yikes! So we can all use a big dose of humility at times, and adversity is often the perfect agent. It’s all a balance, and it’s all from God. And while our recognizable God moments are there to lovingly remind us who is really running the show, our hidden God moments are there, too, quietly bringing us along in our sanctification.

In All Things…

Never forget that “God is for us” (Romans 8:31b NLT). He “causes everything to work together for the good of those who love [Him] and are called according to his purpose for them” (Romans 8:28 NLT).  Celebrate those visible God moments, but don’t ignore the ones that happen quietly in the background. Give God the praise, the honor, and the glory He deserves, in every situation, every day.

(That beautiful image of the lion and lamb is by Jeff Jacobs from Pixabay.)

 

The post God Moments appeared first on Cheryl Lea.

Can your God move mountains? I’ll bet so. For Christians (and maybe even a few non-Christians), it is hard not to see God in everything that is majestic, massive and mighty. Think of sunrises and sunsets, earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes, mountains, oceans, planets, moons, stars, and galaxies. We don’t necessarily expect to see God physically moving mountains, but we have no problem believing that He can, if He wants to. Of course He can! He parted the Red Sea. He brought down the walls of Jericho. Shoot, He spoke literally everything into existence!

So, why is it so hard to grasp the idea that He cares about the small, seemingly inconsequential things, as well?

For a long time, wrapping my head around the concept of an almighty powerful God meant only seeing Him working in the enormity of life—world events, newsworthy accomplishments and tragedies, Billy Graham-sized crusades. I thought that God couldn’t be bothered with the trivial things in the world, and that included me. Oh, I believed that He created everything—from the galaxies, all the way down to tiny ants, and even microscopic particles. But I didn’t really believe that He involved Himself in the details of every single thing that He created.

 

With God out there keeping our world spinning on its axis, He certainly doesn’t have time to think about my migraine headache. Right? Right.When a hurricane is brewing in the Atlantic Ocean, headed straight for a major metropolitan city, God isn’t even aware that a thousand miles away, a toddler just flushed his mom’s heirloom wedding ring into the city sewer system. Well, duh!What difference could it possibly make in the grand scheme of things if a box turtle makes it from one pond to another without getting swooped up by a red-shouldered hawk? It’s just one turtle and one hawk. God has much more important things to be concerned with than that. Boom!

Oh, I thought I knew so much.

But, in viewing Him that way, rather than having a big-G God, I had a small-g god. By restricting God’s scope, power, and love to only major events, I was actually thinking of Him as limited, weak, and uncaring. I had to seriously up-size my understanding of who God really is.

When discussing anxiety over life’s basic needs in the book of Matthew, Jesus compares God’s care for us to His care for birds, lilies, and grass, which all have everything they need to thrive, without doing anything to earn it. Then he says, “your heavenly Father knows that you need them all [food and clothing]. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:25-34). In other words, God will provide for you just as He provides for the needs of the things of nature. And, even though we, as God’s children, are more important to Him than birds and plants, His attention to us does not require Him to neglect anything else. And, likewise, He won’t neglect you—even for a simultaneous world-changing event.

Similarly, over in Luke 12, when He is telling his disciples not to fear the hypocritical Pharisees, Jesus says, “What is the price of five sparrows—two copper coins? Yet God does not forget a single one of them. And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows” (Luke 12:6-7). It’s easy to see that Jesus is saying that the disciples are more valuable than birds, but don’t ignore that phrase, “more valuable.” Because, it is not saying that you are valuable and sparrows are not. “God does not forget a single” sparrow, so they are important to Him, too. God watches over you and sparrows at the same time, just as He watches over the universe and you at the same time.

But, those are theoretical examples. What about a real-world story? Do you know the story of Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4:1-42)? That particular woman was at the well at noon, the hottest time of day–a time when no one else would have been there. Due to her immoral lifestyle it is assumed that the other women in the town would have despised and ostracized her, so she couldn’t go to the well during cooler hours. I’m guessing she felt lonely and insignificant. Then, along comes Jesus, a Jewish man, who not only acknowledged her, a Samaritan woman, but He spoke to her respectfully and at length. And because of her subsequent testimony, her whole town came to believe in Him. But, what did she say to the townspeople? “Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ” (John 4:29)? Jesus knew the intimate details of her life and He still cared for her, a woman considered the lowest of the low in her social sphere. And the fact that He was simply aware of her little life, ended up making a major difference in an entire town. No detail of your life is insignificant to God.

Omniscient. Omnipresent. Omnipotent. God knows everything for all time, is everywhere at once, and is all-powerful. So, He is actively involved with everything, from the largest star in the universe to a single atom on a fuzzy dandelion pappus, floating through the air—and that includes us, individually and personally.

God can keep the earth spinning, oversee hurricanes, and comfort you during a headache or a heartache, all at the same time. You can count on Him. He’s the ultimate multitasker!

And that, my friend, is a BIG-G God!

 

The post How Big Is Your God? appeared first on Cheryl Lea.

I’ve got this dog. Dexter. He’s a mixed-breed rescue, and he’s got a few issues. He’s a little over-protective of his family, but he’s a fantastic guard dog. He ignores me when I call him, unless it involves food, but at the first sound of thunder or a gun shot he’s in my lap trembling. He doesn’t know how to play, and he sleeps a lot, but he gets great joy from sliding head-first down steep hills on his back. He knows how to work sad puppy dog eyes better than anyone, but he has an adorable smile. We love him, but, lately, he’s been sad.

You see, last week, after several days of odd behavior (odd even for him), we discovered that Dexter has diabetes. So, his life has had to change. Besides enduring twice daily injections, Dexter has had to learn to eat a strict diet on a strict schedule–the same food, every meal, at the same time of day, with zero snacks or treats in between. For a dog used to yummy dog treats and raw carrots as rewards, and occasional popcorn or even table scraps, he is devastated.

Dexter may think he is in some kind of trouble. He hasn’t had a single treat in a week, but every time he comes in from a walk he still runs to the door where the treats are kept, expecting his reward. And when it doesn’t come, his ears droop, he sits in a tight little ball, and he brings out those pitiful eyes. Oh, those eyes! Then he starts tapping my leg, just to make sure I know he’s there. Waiting patiently. Feeling sad, confused, and deprived. Hurt. I believe he thinks I don’t love him anymore. But I do, of course. It’s because I care about him that I am restricting him from those things he enjoys so much. But he doesn’t understand that. He has no idea that, if I wasn’t withholding those delicious treats, he might get sicker, and even die.

Why?

How often are we in Dexter’s predicament? We are cruising along in life, when suddenly everything starts to fall apart. The promotion you’ve been working toward for the past five years goes to the new guy who arrives late and leaves early every single day. After months of searching, you finally find your dream home, only to lose the bid on it by just a thousand dollars. A previously healthy spouse or child becomes extremely ill. Your parent is in an accident and is facing painful, long-term rehabilitation, and you are the lone caregiver. Or maybe you got a flat tire, in the middle of the interstate, at rush hour, on the way to catch a flight to visit your best friend in hospice, for the final time. Any of those scenarios would leave us feeling distressed and asking questions, the first of which would probably be, “Why?” “Why me?” “Why now?” “Why at all?”

When Joseph’s own brothers sold him into slavery (Genesis 37:28), I doubt that he was thinking, “Well, that’s okay, because I’m eventually going to be Pharaoh’s second in command, and in about 22 years I’ll save my family, and the entire nation of Israel from starvation” (Genesis 37-46). No. My guess is that, while being led away in chains, he was asking God, “Why?”

As Moses’ mother, Jochebed, placed her baby boy in a waterproofed basket in the Nile, trying to save his life, she wasn’t comforted with the knowledge that eventually he would grow up and become a prophet of God, instrumental in freeing the Israelites from Egyptian slavery (Exodus 1-14). No. At the edge of the Nile she had to have been grief stricken, and she was probably asking God, “Why?”

Facing a furnace “heated seven times hotter than usual” (Daniel 3:19 NLT), Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego weren’t anticipating a heavenly visitor, a promotion, and a changed king who praised their God with them (Daniel 3). No. Facing a furious king and a raging fire, they proclaimed their faith, but undoubtedly also felt fear, and wondered, “Why?”

By His Power, For His Glory

God is sovereign and He is omnipotent. That means He is in charge of absolutely everything and He is all-powerful, able to carry out anything He desires. So, God can give you a promotion, or a house, or healing, or prevent something as common as a flat tire, just as easily as I can give Dexter a treat. But we have all experienced times when we don’t always get what we want, or even what we feel that we need. And sometimes, just like Joseph, Jochebed, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, what we do get feels like punishment, or even brutal agony. Could those be times when God is protecting us from something more harmful, preparing us for something important, or bringing us further along in our sanctification? No matter the reason, be sure it is ultimately for God’s glory, for as Paul tells us in Romans 12:36, “For everything comes from him and exists by his power and is intended for his glory.”

Viewpoints

From Dexter’s viewpoint, I am either mad at him or don’t love him anymore. There is no logical reason in Dexter’s mind for me to be treating him so unfairly. He wants something, and it’s within my power to give it to him, but I don’t, and that just doesn’t make sense to him. But, from my viewpoint, I am protecting him. Withholding treats and making him eat bland food on a strict schedule is not only what is best for him, it is also protecting him from further harm. Dexter is sad and confused because he doesn’t understand that he is actually being loved and cared for. And, because Dexter is a dog, I have no way to explain the situation to him so that he can understand why he is experiencing this pain.

Fortunately, we, as humans, have something that Dexter doesn’t. God created us with the capacity to reason and to understand on a much higher level than an animal. Not as high as God’s understanding, but high, nonetheless (Isaiah 55:8-9 NLT). And knowing why we are suffering makes it easier to endure. But, very often, we never learn the purpose behind our misery, and even if we eventually do see a reason for it, most likely it is in hindsight, long after that suffering is past us. So, what do we do when we are right in the middle of calamity, especially when it seems like it is never going to end? As Christians, we have one more advantage. We can turn to God and His Word for comfort and wisdom. And God has spoken on this very subject more than once.

You can look these passages up in your Bible or, if you click on the links, you can read them on your device at www.BibleGateway.com:

2 Corinthians 1:3-11 – God comforts us in our troubles so we can comfort others.

John 16:31-33 –Take heart, Jesus has overcome the world.

Job 36:15 – God gets our attention through suffering. (I can personally attest to this!!!)

Psalm 119:71 – Suffering teaches us to pay attention to God’s decrees.

Psalm 37 –Trust in the Lord; wait patiently. The Lord rescues the godly; He is their fortress.

Isaiah 26:4-15 – Trust in the Lord always, for the Lord God is the eternal Rock.

1 Peter – Suffering is part of God’s grace for you. (The entire book of 1 Peter was written as encouragement for suffering Christians.)

Trust God Anyway

Pain and suffering are a given in our fallen world, and it can come from a stranger, a friend, family, ourselves, or just, seemingly, out of the blue. No matter how it arrives, however, God has permitted it and there is a good purpose for it, even if He doesn’t reveal that purpose to us in the moment, or ever. But, regardless of the suffering, or the absence of a rational reason for it, as Christians, we know these things: God loves us, He is working out His plan, which includes us, and He is absolutely trustworthy. We don’t have to see from His point of view, we just need to remember that His vantage point is much greater than ours.

No one would deny that suffering is hard, or that irrational suffering is excruciating. And God understands perfectly because, remember, He chose, in the person of Jesus Christ, to suffer His own agonizing death just for us–a bunch of unworthy sinners. And He is not going to give up on us now.

So, even when it’s hard, even when you don’t understand, trust God anyway.

 

 

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The publication of my book, Faith Storm, made for an exciting week for me. But, it was also a week of reflection. Faith Storm was a three-year project that actually took decades to come to fruition (I talk about those decades in the book). For the past three years, I have written and edited the manuscript, learned how to format a book for publication, created a custom book cover, built a website from scratch, and published a book. Except for the writing and editing part, everything else was brand new for me. There were many, many set-backs, tears of frustration, and a few insecurity meltdowns, including threats to quit the project completely. But there were also amazing revelations, accomplishments, and godly assurances. In the end, I can confidently say that, while it was difficult, it was also completely worth it.

However…

As I was considering this journey, and how blessed I’ve been to have experienced it, I was also breathing a big sigh of relief. “It’s over! I can relax now. God wanted me to write this book, and It. Is. Done!” Then, during my private Bible study time, I came across this verse and I can’t quit thinking about it:

When Joshua was an old man, the Lord said to him, “You are growing old, and much land remains to be conquered” (Joshua 13:1 NLT).

Scholars believe Joshua was between 85 and 100 years old when God spoke those words to him. He had spent the previous seven years battling, and defeating, thirty-one kings. I wonder if Joshua had been planning his retirement, or at least an extended vacation, after his successful campaign for God? Maybe a little R&R on the banks of the Jordan River? Or a therapeutic trip to the Dead Sea Spa? Surely well deserved, right? However, God had other plans for him. Joshua needed to continue to lead the Israelites and divide up the land between the tribes. His assignment wasn’t over yet.

Now, the world would tell us that God is selfish for “taking advantage” of an old man like Joshua who had earned a nice retirement. But, for Christians, part of our joy is in knowing that God has a Purpose and a Plan (uppercase “P’s”) for us, His children, and that He is allowing each of us to participate in His Plan by giving us our own personal purpose and plan (lowercase “p’s”) to assist Him, no matter how old (or young) we are.

Joshua died at the age of 110. It appears he never did get the kind of restful retirement we dream of in today’s modern world. But, perhaps, he had something better. In some of his last recorded words before he died, Joshua urged the Israelites to “fear the Lord and serve him wholeheartedly” (Joshua 24:14a).  Then he let them know exactly where he personally stood on the matter: “But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15c). Right up until the end of his life, he had the joy of knowing he had obeyed and served his Lord well. Not necessarily perfect, but well. No regrets.

It was not my idea to write Faith Storm. It is like nothing I ever envisioned that I would write. (As a writer, I’ve always had more of a Southern Gothic bent.) But, as it progressed, and kept coming together in spite of my inadequacies, I knew that I was doing exactly what God wanted me to do. And I discovered something. There is nothing quite so satisfying as knowing that God gave you a directive and you followed it through to completion. But the best part for me was realizing that I was only a bit player in this scene. God was the heavyweight. He didn’t give me a task and then walk away. In the person of the Holy Spirit, He rolled up his sleeves, guided me on the easy days, and carried me on the hard ones. All I had to do was follow. What an awesome God we have!

I started the week breathing a sigh of relief. But, I ended it looking forward to my next assignment to do the impossible again with the God who makes all things possible (Matthew 19:26). As I told a friend recently, “There is more coming…. I just know it ain’t over yet.” If God is willing, I am ready.

Much land remains to be conquered.

Be watchful. God may be giving you an opportunity to serve Him right now—an opportunity to be a conqueror, blessed by your obedience to Him. If God is willing, are you ready?

 

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I’ve got exciting news to share with you today!

 

 

My new book, Faith Storm: Salvation to Relationship is now available for purchase on Amazon.com!

Whether you are new to the Christian faith, bewildered by false or non-existent teaching, or just wanting to deepen your relationship with God, this book is for you. Using both current and Biblical examples, this book will take you through the five basic elements needed to experience a truly God-filled Christian life. Includes thought-provoking questions suitable for group discussion or private reflection.

Salvation is only the beginning of your faith journey. Relationship is why you were created. A Faith STORM  can change your life.

 

 

 

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According to the Red Cross, approximately 50% of the population cannot swim well enough to save themselves from drowning. I’m in that 50%. I’ve taken lessons multiple times and tried to learn on my own, but I just can’t make it work. I always end up sinking to the bottom of the pool. So I have a very healthy fear of water. I know my limits, I do everything possible to avoid being in a situation where I could drown, and I have a rudimentary plan for just about any scenario where I might find myself in water over my head. My number one rule is this: stay out of deep water.

But have you ever felt like you were drowning in life—where no prevention plan could have stopped it from happening? I certainly have. In those times it’s as though, no matter which way you turn, you are surrounded by a heavy fog of trouble with a solid shore nowhere in sight. You could be an Olympic swimmer, and still not have the strength to find your way to safety.

Then, out of the fog, someone throws you a lifebuoy—actually, more than one. Hallelujah! Not only will you be saved, but you have your pick of devices. There’s a large, shiny, orange buoy with grab lines, and even a flare gun attached, just in case you need to call for more help. Then, there’s a red rubber inflatable buoy, maybe more of a child’s toy than a life-saving device, but it looks clean and sturdy. And a hard foam ring that has obviously seen better days. It may have been painted red and white at one time, but the paint is peeling in big chunks, and a grimy rope is trailing off one side. Which one do you choose?

Okay, you are in a life-or-death situation, but you’ve got options, so taking a moment to consider them is the prudent thing to do.

That shiny new orange one looks a bit slick, but wow! It comes with all the newest safety features, and it’s obviously expensive, so whoever threw that one probably has a nice boat to go along with it. The inflatable buoy might work. It’s probably easier to grip than the orange one, but it’s just a basic ring. And, finally, besides being grungy, the hard foam ring actually has a fishy smell, too. And that rope! It has slimy seaweed wrapped around it. No way you want to have to touch that.

You grab the shiny orange one. The other two lifebuoys float away, and now all you have to do is wait to be rescued. That was easy. Now breathe a big sigh of relief as you wait patiently for your rescuer to come through the fog and pull you out of the water.

You wait. And wait. And wait. Fire the flare gun into the thick fog. And wait some more. The shiny buoy is starting to feel too slippery to hold onto and those grab lines are cutting into your hands. What is taking so long?

Suddenly you realize the problem–there is no lifeline attached to this buoy! The only lifebuoy with a lifeline attached is long gone. Although you are no longer drowning, you are still alone, adrift in rough water, being tossed in the waves and carried by the tides. All you can do is hold on as tight as you can, hoping the fog will lift and someone will see you before dehydration takes over or a hungry shark shows up for his lunch.

The world offers us so many slick fixes to the troubles we face in life. If we will just compromise our values or morals, we are told, not only will many of our problems easily disappear, but rewards will follow. Like that shiny orange buoy that had extra safety features attached, in case the original rescue effort didn’t work out, there are contingency plans to count on. But, that’s like firing a flare gun into thick fog. Even if someone sees your faint call for help, it’s likely they are in the same fog as you, unequipped to come to your aid, and possibly in need of assistance themselves.

So maybe you are thinking the red rubber inflatable ring would have been a better choice. It wasn’t fancy, but there was definitely nothing slick about that one. It looked practical and dependable. But it didn’t have a lifeline attached to it either. When we make personal decisions that are based on nothing but logic and common sense, both good, practical and dependable qualities to have, we are being shortsighted. That’s how to handle just what we can see in front of us, keeping our head above water, and hoping our lifebuoy doesn’t spring a leak before we can paddle ourselves to an unseen shore.

Now let’s look at the third option—that grungy, smelly, hard ring. You know … the one with the slimy lifeline attached. That’s what following Jesus often looks like. The world looks at Christians like we are crazy for choosing to live a life it views as boring, dumb, unenlightened, and even evil because we don’t endorse its ever-changing agenda. Even our own human nature sometimes tries to convince us that life would be so much better/cleaner/easier, if we just told that white lie, looked the other way, or simply denied our faith out loud while keeping it secretly in our hearts. But, when we truly choose Jesus, we need to grip that hard ring at any cost, getting our hands dirty, and our nostrils filled with the occasional fishy stench. We need to cling to it as if our life depends on it. Because it does. And in the process we are developing endurance and strengthening our character. Our suffering for Christ’s sake is never for nothing.

“We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.

 

“When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation. For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son” Romans 5:3-10 NLT.

No matter how difficult hanging on is in this life, Jesus, who already proved His love for us by dying on the cross, is now continually pulling us in—getting His own hands dirty for us, if necessary. He is taking up that slimy lifeline, hand over hand, to draw us closer to safety. Home. Our eternal home. He doesn’t leave us drifting in an open sea, hoping against hope for a rescue that will never happen. And He does this over and over and over again, without ceasing, bringing all the chosen saints safely home. No need to polish that buoy or attach a spiffy new line. In the right hands, that old lifebuoy works just fine.

Is there a lifeline attached to your buoy?

 

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How do you handle deception? I’ve never met anyone who wants to be on the receiving end of a lie. No one. And discovering that you actually believed a lie is even worse, especially when it came from someone you trusted, whom you thought cared about you. Not only do you discover the lie itself, but you also learn that the person who lied to you has little, if any, respect for you. That hurts. But what about self-deception? Is that any different? Is it any easier? When truth is staring you in the face, but you dismiss it because it’s inconvenient, painful, embarrassing, or hard, what happens when that truth is finally revealed and you can’t ignore it anymore? That’s when you realize you only have yourself to blame for the mess you’ve gotten yourself into. What then? So many people are going to be in that predicament eventually because they would rather believe in Satan’s easy lie of self-rule, rather than the hard, uncomfortable truth of God’s holy rule.

Looking at the big picture, when all is said and done, it doesn’t matter whether or not you believe that Jesus is Lord. Disbelief does not alter God’s existence. He is still God. He is still in control. His Plan will still work out exactly as He has already determined. (Spoiler alert, God wins in the end). But let’s look at a smaller picture. Your personal eternity.

Think about how slow childhood feels when you are still a child, but how fast it seems to have come and gone once you are an adult. Then you have adulthood for what feels like a long, long time, if you are fortunate. But, what if…? What if adulthood is actually passing you by as quickly as childhood, but you won’t realize it until you move into the next, and final, phase—eternity. Eternity is forever. Let that sink in—F O R E V E R. That is a long time, by anyone’s standards. And once you are there, that’s it. No more chances. If you don’t have an eternal perspective, and aren’t giving any serious thought to where you want to be F O R E V E R, then maybe today is the day you need to change things up a bit.

Or maybe you are just an unfettered soul, living for the moment, one day at a time. You think that what happens after you die is a moot point. Even if there is a hell, who cares, right? There are plenty of jokes about how much wicked fun sinners will have in hell, so, Party On! You just want to be your own god while here on earth for maybe 60-80 years. I get it. I don’t care much for someone else telling me how to live my life, either. And it’s comforting to believe the easy lie that says life can be whatever you want it to be, with no consequences. But what if your time on earth is just a warm up for eternity, and hell is not only very real, but it isn’t exactly the celebration Satan wants you to think it is (Matthew 13:41-42)? What if the joke is actually on you? Satan is, after all, the father of lies (John 8:44). He is a master gaslighter, always seeking to convince us that what we instinctively know to be true is actually not true, and that a little self-deception is harmless. Check out Genesis 3, and see how that worked out for Adam and Eve.

But let’s say that you do believe in Jesus. You good with that? How does your belief look to your family, friends, neighbors, and co-workers? How does it look to God? Satan believes in Jesus, too (James 2:19). Yet he schemes against Him at every turn. Satan wants to be worshipped. He wants to be a god. He wants to be in control (Matthew 4:1-11). And we all know how his story ends (Revelation 20:7-10). Obviously, just knowing who Jesus is won’t win you points with God. You also have to actually trust in Him, which alters your life, inside and out. And trusting in Jesus, while satisfying, is also hard. Jesus lived out this truth and even warned us about it (Matthew 10:16-25). Sometimes the difficulty comes from our internal struggles against sin, sometimes it comes from the world, and sometimes it comes from everywhere at once (ask me how I know this!). Being human, sometimes we will triumph, and sometimes we will fall. But difficult times are when the so-called rubber meets the road, and you learn in your heart what you really believe and in whom you really trust. When is the last time you talked to God? When is the last time you listened to Him? All still good? I hope so.

So, what’s your perspective? Ultimately, it comes down to one of two choices: do you believe Satan’s easy lie and live life on your own terms, with a finite, worldly perspective; or do you believe God’s hard truth and live life on His terms, with an eternal, heavenly perspective? That’s it. Either way, eternity awaits.

Choose wisely.

 

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After almost six years away from blogging, I’m taking it up again, but in a completely different direction and for a totally different reason.

For five and a half years I had a craft blog called Ink Up. It’s still out there, if you are interested, but it hasn’t been maintained. Some of the links may not function, but you can still see my creations there. I used that blog as a way to share my passions–mostly papercrafting, specifically cardmaking and bookbinding. Like every hobby, participants are at all levels of expertise. I was by no means one of the rock stars of the craft, however, I was, and still am, really proud of the artwork I produced. But it wasn’t always quick, easy…or clean work. It often took 8 hours or more, and this kind of chaos:

Chaos on the Craft Table

 

To produce something truly unique and beautiful, like this:

Gardening Tools in Pencil

 

But, like I said, this blog is different. My passion has changed. There is, however, a point of convergence.

Almost six years ago I began a journey that simultaneously wrecked and restored my life. It took me through pitch-black days and nights where I literally wanted to die. But instead of dying, I suffered. Minute after miserable minute. Two years of unrelenting physical pain. My entire life was in chaos, and I saw no way out.

Rheumatoid arthritis had come out of nowhere. Like a stealth ninja, my own body attacked me from every angle, with all the physical force of a relentless sledgehammer. To say I was angry is an understatement. Crying. Screaming. Cussing. Blaming. Denying. Wallowing. Hurting. I had very brief moments of respite, but they were just enough to give me the false hope that I was physically recovering. Then, that horrific pain would resume and my mental state would deteriorate right along with my body, and God was the primary target for my rage. This was obviously His fault.

Among other things, I think of God as a maker—the Ultimate Maker. I don’t know that He has a craft table where He does all His work, but if He does, I am sure that I was on it for many years. Not just those two years I’ve been talking about, but for most of my life. I couldn’t see beyond the chaos and confusion on the table, but God had a vision for me, and He kept crafting away until that vision was complete. Every trial, every setback, every success, everything I have ever experienced was necessary for me to become the person that God envisioned. And, it was only when He was completely satisfied in His creation that He revealed Himself to me, allowing me to truly know Him and to have a better, though not perfect, understanding of my unique purpose and place in His Beautiful Plan. And, that is what led to this blog, which I hope will encourage and enlighten others to seek, trust, and obey God, regardless of the circumstances in which you find yourself.

As angry as I was in the midst of my suffering, I’m not sorry for what I went through. I eventually gave up to self-pity, which did nothing for me. But when I finally gave in to God, that one moment of surrender changed the rest of my life. Now I’m grateful for having gone through that pain. Without it, I didn’t have the time or the inclination to even think about, much less follow, God.

As the Creator, He knew what He was doing from the very beginning. As the creation, I didn’t need to know anything. I just needed to trust the Maker.

Because sometimes chaos is necessary to create something beautiful.

 

 

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