No Fair!

How many times in life have I shouted those words?

"No Fair!! I was here first!"
"No Fair!! She got a bigger piece of cake than I did!"
"No Fair!! All my friends get to go to that party!"
"No Fair!! I forgave you and now you're Not going to forgive me?!"
"No Fair!! You said until death do us part!"
"No Fair!! No Fair!! No Fair!!!"

I've muttered (or screamed) those words more times in my life than I care to mention...I've heard them from my children, from my friends, from my co-workers and from my grandchildren...typically, when I respond to someone else shouting "No Fair!",  it's with words of deep wisdom..."Get over it!  Life's not fair."  This always calms the heart and soothes the soul and makes the situation better...NOT!

Oh, but yesterday was a different story.  I had an opportunity to show grace...but nope, skipped that opportunity...I didn't show grace, nada, zip, zero, none...not even close....and although I didn't scream the words, "No Fair!"...my actions spoke them.  My attitude reflected them and my countenance wore them....NO FAIR!

BUT GOD....

Deep within, my spirit was uneasy...there was a stirring that whispered "Debbie, you are set apart.  You are here for such a time as this."  I know I'm supposed to behave differently...life really isn't fair...it was never meant to be...Jesus dying on a cross for my sins wasn't fair...and His response as He hung dying for me wasn't "No Fair!"...far from it...it was "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." (Luke 23:34)
 
I am aware that how I handle these situations is as important to me as it is to those that God has entrusted me with...and I wasn't handling this one well....not well at all.

And then God led me to Psalm 73.  Seems I wasn't the first to cry "No Fair".

Then I realized that my heart was bitter, and I was all torn up inside.
I was so foolish and ignorant—I must have seemed like a senseless animal to you.
Yet I still belong to you; you hold my right hand.
You guide me with your counsel, leading me to a glorious destiny.
Whom have I in heaven but you?  I desire you more than anything on earth.
My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart;
He is mine forever.
(Psalm 73:21-26, NLT)

You see, my attitude wasn't really about feeling that I was wronged...nope, it was pride.  It was "How can YOU do this to ME?!?  I am BETTER than that!"  

Pride makes me ugly.  It makes me think higher of myself than I do others.  It makes me critical, judgmental and holier than thou...it makes me religious...and ultimately it makes me falter, fail and fall.

And that's just what happened to me yesterday...thankfully, failure is not fatal.

I didn't fall off...but I did stumble.  And Jesus was there to help me up.  He gently reminded me that when I'm focused on me, I cannot focus on others.  When I'm self-absorbed with me, I can't give grace to others.  When I'm bitter...I can't be better.

So I've apologized to those I was inconsiderate of (a side note here, I've found that I've apologized to more people in the last three years than I probably ever apologized to in the 50 years before ...forgiveness sets you free...that's another blog post for another day though), confessed my sin to Jesus and been forgiven. (Please notice the PERIOD after forgiven...once I've confessed and turned from my sin..IT IS FORGIVEN!  That sin is cast away as far as the east is from the west - and in case you didn't know...the east and west NEVER meet....again that's a blog post for another time.)

His Word reminds me that His mercies are new everyday (Lamentations 3:22-23)...and today...I'm allowing His joy to fill those places within me that are still broken...to replace pride with humility...to replace criticism with grace...to exchange my ashes for His beauty....to allow more of Him and less of me.

My life is sweeter that way...yours will be too. 

dear daughter

dear daughter,

i woke this morning and thought of you.  
  i thought of how incredibly beautiful you are.  
i thought of how you can make me laugh without even trying.
  i thought of how you handle life so much better than i ever did at your age.
i thought of how wonderful it is to be your mom.
  i thought of how much i miss you some days.
i thought of how thankful i am that you are my daughter.
  i thought of the mistakes i made as your mom.
i thought of the journey you've had so far.
  i thought of the heartbreaking moments you've shared with me.
and the moments you couldn't share with me.
  i thought of your unwavering tenacity to push through the difficulties you've faced.
i thought of the prayers i have prayed...for you...and the prayers i have prayed for me.
  i thought of the little girl that you used to be and the amazing woman you are.
i thought of the dreams you must dream.
  i thought of the fears that you've overcome.
i thought of how deeply i love all of who you are.
  and then i thought of how much i adore you....i simply adore you.
 

love,
mama
 

Where I Am Right Now...

The last two days have been filled with some incredible lows.  I've dealt with these moments since 1994...sometimes they just cloud my day...you know, just seems the sun doesn't shine quite as bright...but then, there are times I find myself completely immersed in the pit of despair, as if I were in the depths of a musky, caliginous cavern unable to see the light.  That's where I was Sunday.

Funny thing about Sunday...if you saw me, you probably didn't even notice the depth of my sadness.  I've mastered the "I'm fine" look...I'm sure you have too.  You see, I attended church, gleefully chatted with friends there, picked up my granddaughter afterwards, spent the afternoon with her and some of my closest friends at a dance recital.  I laughed, I smiled, I fit right in....To the world, I looked "okay"...but on the inside I was screaming...alone in a crowd.  Meandering through the labyrinth of my darkness...trying to find my way out...

There was one small moment on Sunday that rescued me....I didn't even recognize it at the time...I thought it was actually for someone else...turns out, it was meant for me.

The very first thing I have learned to do, is when I'm feeling like this, I MUST go to church...even if I don't want to...I've learned that the enemy would rather have me home wallowing in the darkness...BUT GOD...He always has a plan..

I was sitting in the worship center Sunday morning before the service and there is always worship music playing.  Most of the time I couldn't tell you even one song that was played but yesterday was different.  Sitting alone, these words reached deep into my very soul:  God your plan is the best, but my heart is a mess.  I'm wondering why I'm here.  I'm so ready to be moving on, in my head I'm already gone.  But Your voice is crystal clear.

I immediately grabbed my phone and googled the lyrics...then posted it to Facebook for someone I knew would connect with the words of the song.

But this morning, I realized it was me that needed that song and those words...You see, my heart is still a mess sometimes...and I do wonder why I'm here...I could go on and on about where I thought I'd be...but that's not where I am....

On my drive to work this morning I listened to this song over and over and over - 7 times exactly in case you were wondering.  Praying...asking God to speak to me about what I needed to do to deal with the hurt that I'm feeling and how to see the joy and beauty in today.....and He, as always was faithful...


Thank you Jared Anderson for such a powerful song.


So...what did I do after listening to this song 7 times straight?  I wrote a letter...and then burned it.  There is something that breaks off within me when I'm honest and write down everything that I'm feeling about something...or someone.  Then burning it is my symbol of releasing it all to God.  There are times when there need to be conversations with people that have hurt you...and there are times that you need to release what you are feeling and let God handle the rest...wisdom is knowing the difference.

I've had the conversation before...now I needed to write the letter...and now...I'm feeling light, refreshed and renewed. You see, Jesus said, in Matthew 11:30 "For My yoke is easy, and my burden is light."  What I was carrying was too heavy...I realized I wasn't meant to carry it all. 

So if today your burden is heavy, your heart is aching, you're searching for the joy you once had...give it to Jesus...He's with you where you are right now...and maybe write a letter and burn it.

The Revelation by Sandy Gibbs, Guest Blogger and Little Sister

Today's post is from guest blogger, Sandy Gibbs...my little sister.  Sandy and her husband Ellis moved to Lexington, KY just over a year ago.  Sandy's has written often about her experience in moving...this is one that I asked her if I could share with you, my readers.

Thank you Sandy!  Your vulnerability and transparency through your journey is sure to help many!  Love you sis!!

******
I'm not completely there yet. Still very emotional. But I'm certainly on a better path.

I wrote this last week.

The Revelation

My husband and I moved to Lexington, KY in January 2014. Left a place I called home for over 40 years. Left my adult children, brother, sister, in-laws, many nieces and nephews. Left a church I attended since 1996. Left everything familiar.

The move was a direct leading from God and being obedient was important. I thought I moved willingly. My willingness, however, was only surface deep. I figured I would come to Lexington, do the "work" God had for us and then back to "home".

I have cried nearly everyday since I've been in KY. Praying for answers, praying for direction, praying "Why?"   All I could keep saying is "I want to go back!"  But I knew that would be completely against what God wanted. So, then my new philosophy was "fake it until you make it".  Then I realized nothing would please satan more than for me to fall short of God's plan.

So after a lot of communing with God, the revelation came.  There is no "going back". Even though it's only been a little over a year, many things have changed back home.

There is no going back to my job (there is someone else doing that job). Church, well, many things there have changed, also. Even my house is not the same.  Of course, my family is still there but things with them will always be changing too.

It's time to "live" here, in Lexington. Not just survive. This is not a sentence I've been given. This is an opportunity for God to be glorified. It's time for me to be a willing/working participant.

Just Think...

Too often, I find myself in a situation that my feelings are bigger than my faith.

Yesterday was one of those days.

You see, no matter how hard I try, the only person I can change is me. I cannot change my kids, my siblings, my friends or my coworkers. I cannot change how any of those people relate to me, how often they contact me or even whether they like me.

I can tell you, that more often than I'd like to admit I let how others treat me affect me.

I can tell you, too, that when these relationships are fractured or just don't seem to be everything I would like them to be, my emotions can be all over the place.

I can also tell you that when my emotions are out of control, I am apt to make some poor choices when it comes to these relationships.

BUT GOD...

I've learned in my journey of healing that the only person I need to please is Jesus....knowing that and living that out can look very different.

Yesterday my feelings were out of control. I kept replaying over and over every single bad decision I'd made in rearing my children. All the poor choices I made as a mom.  Every harsh word I spoke in anger. Every situation that I tried and/or successfully manipulated or controlled. It was ugly. Each poor financial decision I made. The list goes on and on.  I was headed for a train wreck!

So what do you do when these feelings overwhelm you?  How do you keep those emotions at bay?

You see, the Bible tells us to:  "...take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." (2 Corinthians‬ ‭10‬:‭5‬ NIV)

So how do you "take captive" these thoughts?  The Bible has an answer for that too.

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. (‭Philippians‬ ‭4‬:‭8‬ NIV)

Stop thinking about what is in the past. Yep, just stop!

Begin to think about those things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy!

What is true?  I am complete in Christ. (Colossians 2:10)

What is noble?  I am a joint heir with Christ. (Romans 8:17)

What is right?  I am a new person in Christ. The old is gone, the new has come!  (2 Corinthians 5:17)

What is pure?  I am forgiven of all my sins and washed in the blood. (Ephesians 1:7)

What is lovely?  I am loved and chosen by God. (1 Thessalonians 1:4)

What is admirable?  I am more than a conqueror through He that loves me. (Romans 8:37)

What is excellent?  He has not given me a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind. (1 Timothy 1:7)

What is praiseworthy?  I am an overcome!  By the blood of the Lamb and the word of my testimony! (Revelation 12:11)

You see, we are what we think....so today, instead of allowing your circumstances to weigh heavy on your mind, allow the mind of Christ to inhabit your thoughts!

He makes ALL things new!

Your circumstances may not change but the way you see your circumstances will change.....and that, my friend, changes everything.

Even if...

Even if…such a powerful phrase.  Too often as we go about our daily lives, we can identify circumstances that allow us to quite easily be the hands and feet of Jesus.  You know, when the elderly gentleman in the grocery store drops his keys – we smile to ourselves, bend down quickly and gently hand him the keys. 

Or the coworker you sit beside 40 hours a week comes into the office on a Monday morning completely broken.  After 20 years of marriage her husband has left home for a woman half her age.  Giving encouraging words and walking alongside her is our “Christian” duty.  That’s an easy one for us.

Even the sweet old lady that parked her car in two parking spots causing us a bit of inconvenience is typically overlooked on one of our “good” days…we just smile and park a bit further away. 
You see, it’s really not difficult for me to encourage those that I determine “deserve” encouragement.  To walk alongside those who haven’t hurt me, misled me, wronged me or stabbed me in the back – well that’s a piece of cake.  But there are others, and if I’m honest, I think they just don’t “deserve” my kindness, my joy, my love, my encouragement or my time.

Oh, you have them too…those “others”…you know, the husband that apparently has the inability to complete the seemingly simple task of putting his dirty socks in the laundry basket after 8 years of marriage?  Or the brother that just “forgets” you exist and you can’t seem to make it right?  Or maybe it’s the mom who’s always defending your sister whose life is a complete wreck?  It could be the coworker that just got the job that you were entitled? 

BUT GOD…There is always a BUT GOD…

You see scripture reminds me that “even if” it doesn’t make sense, “even if” I don’t understand, “even if” things aren’t going the way I want them to, “even if” I’m afraid, forgotten, abandoned or mistreated…God is still in control. 

In Daniel 3, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego told King Nebuchadnezzar: 

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you.   If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. But even if he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.” (Daniel 3:16-18)

You see, they knew something we need to remember today…God sees us, He has a plan and purpose for us, and His plans are never, ever dependent on what others may or may not do to us…or for us.
Friends, today, no matter how you may feel…even if you feel there’s been an injustice against you… even if you go home and find several pairs of dirty socks you need to pick up and put in the laundry… even if   you’re called to help train the person that was hired for your position…..let’s do what Jesus has called us to do….let’s do good… even if…

For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps. (1 Peter 2:21)

Let’s do what’s right… even if you suffer…

But even if you suffer for doing what is right, God will reward you for it. So don’t worry or be afraid of their threats.  (1 Peter 3:14)

Let’s submit to the authority in our lives – whether it’s our husband, or our supervisor…. even if…

You who are slaves must submit to your masters with all respect. Do what they tell you—not only if they are kind and reasonable, but even if they are cruel. (1 Peter 2:18)

In the same way, you wives must accept the authority of your husbands. Then, even if some refuse to obey the Good News, your godly lives will speak to them without any words. They will be won over.  (1 Peter 3:1)

Let’s trust Him… even if you’re afraid…

Though a mighty army surrounds me, my heart will not be afraid. Even if I am attacked, I will remain confident. (Psalm 27:3)

Let’s trust Him… even if you’re wronged…

Even if that person wrongs you seven times a day and each time turns again and asks forgiveness, you must forgive.” (Luke 17:4)

Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when he judges the world. (1 Peter 2:12)

What is your even if today?

But I will rejoice even if I lose my life, pouring it out like a liquid offering to God, just like your faithful service is an offering to God. And I want all of you to share that joy. (Philippians 2:17)

Hope After Death

Death – noun \ˈdeth\ : the end of life : the time when someone or something dies

It’s such a cold word…death.  There is so much finality to it.  It’s the end.  Nothing is ever the same after the death of someone you love.  It's as if your whole world stops revolving for a while.  Emotions run rampant.  Fear.  Sadness.  Loneliness.  Hurt.  Pain.  

In the cold, dark moments of losing someone we love through death, too often, grieving and pain and tears often overshadow everything we've ever known.  Whether death creeps in slowly after years of pain, incredible suffering, heart wrenching memory loss and a lifetime of disease; or suddenly and unexpectedly snatches our sister or husband or grandpa or child … the agony of losing someone you love can be almost unbearable. 

And yet…even in the depths of the most excruciating loss, there is hope.  How do I know?  I’ve been there.  Perhaps you have too.

You see, the scripture says:

 "We do not grieve as those who have no hope." (1 Thessalonians 4:13b)

Who are those who have no hope?  Well, for a while that was me…I had no hope…I had put all my hope in things of this world.  You see my hope was resting on my mama and my daddy...they loved me, had my best interest at heart, nurtured me, disciplined me...and yet, they left me.  Not intentionally.  They didn't want to leave.  Yet, they failed me.  They abandoned me.  You see, death shattered my world.  Just about 18 months apart...they left me.  And I grieved as  someone who had no hope…. everything I was clinging to was.....gone.

BUT GOD….

In the darkness of my grieving and the profound sorrow that saturated every fiber of my life, I saw a tiny sliver of hope…Jesus.

You see everything in this life will pass away, but Jesus remains.  And He promises that in Hebrews 13:5:

“Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”

Not only will He never leave you…He is close, and He is recording every sorrow and collecting every tear.

“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; He rescues those whose spirits are crushed.” (Psalm 34:18)

“You keep track of all my sorrows.  You have collected all my tears in your bottle.  You have recorded each one in your book.”  (Psalm 56:8) 

So, today, if you are grieving the loss of someone you love dearly, perhaps they were your whole wide world…cry out to Jesus.  He’s waiting for you…He will meet you just where you are and carry you through this dark valley.  He promises us this:

“I will be your God throughout your lifetime – until your hair is white with age.  I made you, and I will care for you.  I will carry you along and save you.”  (Isaiah 46:4)

Friend, the heartache is real, the pain is intense and the nights may seem like an eternity.  But this too shall pass, for He says:

“Weeping may last for a night, but joy comes in the morning!” (Psalm 30:5)