Isaiah 26:3

There are so many great verses in Isaiah, which is why I decided to pull this week's verse from this beautiful book again!

Isaiah 26:3 ~ "You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in You."

This simple verse just kind of hit me when I read it today. Oftentimes, I will go over something in my head again and again, letting it consume me and control my attitude or emotions. It's extremely humbling to think how often I don't trust God to work things out in my life. I try to do it all myself and have zero peace about it. When I give it to God, an act that should occur daily, not only does he give me peace about it, but he also works through the situation in a way that exceeds my expectations each and every time. When will it finally sink in that I can have perfect peace by keeping my mind steadfast and trusting in God? Easier said then done, I know, but I believe God honors those who set their feet on the path of steadfastness, despite the fact that stumbling will occur.

'Tis the season

In anticipation of the expenses of college books, I got a job at Target this winter break. I was placed in the food service area, which means that I ring up and make up the different food orders. Customers, or "guests" as we employees are instructed to call them, range from patient and very polite to extremely rude and condescending. 

I find it interesting that this time of year, which is supposed to be filled with Christmas cheer and joyfulness, is drastically replaced when shopping with the feeling that everyone is trying to make a deadline. I'm not going to harp on the commercialism or the loss of Christianity in Christmas, but I do want to pass along a reminder that a "guest" gave to me the other day.

The other day an older woman approached the counter. I smiled and said my usual line of "What can I get for you?" She smiled in return but did not answer with words. Instead, she touched her hand to her ear and to her mouth while shaking her head. She then placed her hand on the counter and imitated the motion of writing.

Following her initiative, I grabbed a paper and pen and handed them to her. She wrote down what she wanted, and I gave her some information and then the price of her order. After filling her order, she gave me a sweet smile of thanks before walking away.

I couldn't help but think about that interaction afterward. This woman seemed so calm, so patient with life. She didn't seem at all flustered with the process of crazy Christmas shopping. I wondered how long she has been deaf. Maybe she was born deaf? Or did something happen that caused this silence?

I thought what it would be like, especially during this season. What would it be like to not be able to sing Christmas carols? What would it be like to not be able to say Merry Christmas to family and friends? What would it be like to not be able to hear the story of the birth of Jesus Christ?

As simple as it sounds, this woman reminded me of how much I take for granted. I am ashamed to say that I can grow numb to hearing the story of the birth of our Savior, because I've heard it so many times. I can also easily zone out while listening to a sermon or even while singing Christmas songs.

How does that happen? How can the most extraordinary event that has ever taken place become so common that I do not fall on my knees and praise God whenever I think about it? I don't really have an answer, but I do have a reminder from a kind old lady in Target. She reminded me that I need to stay calm and patient in a world of chaos. She also reminded me that I cannot take anything for granted. Because, despite the fact that singing some Christmas carols and listening to a sermon seem like simple things to do, they are really incredible things when given the alternative.        

Isaiah 41:9

 I absolutely love this verse! It's hard for me to pick a favorite verse, but this one definitely makes the top 10:

Isaiah 41:9 ~ "I took you from the ends of the earth, from its farthest corners I called you. I said, 'You are my servant'; I have chosen you and have not rejected you." 

I love how the book of Isaiah displays the forgiveness of God. It is amazing how often God's people ignored him and worshiped other gods despite all the times he showed himself to them. It is even more amazing how often God showed the people his forgiveness. This verse is such a reminder that, despite my sin, God has chosen me. He didn't choose me because I was the best or because I was a convenient choice. God reached to the farthest corners and the ends of the earth for me. What I love most about this verse is that, despite the fact that God knows my every sin and knows me better than I know myself, he has not rejected me. That is something I will always find comfort with.   

Patience is a virtue

The best things in life are worth waiting for. All things come to him who waits. Patience is a virtue. These are all sayings or quotes that people hear or say hundreds of times throughout life. They're easy to throw out there when needed, but they can be really frustrating to hear.

I am an extremely impatient person. Long red lights drive me crazy, and unless I really want or need something, I won't wait in a line that's too long. I'm trying to be better, but this patience thing is tough.

It is also hard for me to be patient about the major things of life, such as the future. I have often told God it would be really convenient for him to either work on my time table or just send me a quick text letting me know what's coming. Unfortunately, he doesn't really work like that, and so I have to work on my patience just like the rest of the world.

There are certain things that I feel like I have been waiting my whole life for. Everyone has something like that in their life. There's that one thing that you have always had a desire for, but God hasn't brought it about yet. It seems like it is always in the back of your mind and heart, but some days it feels stronger than ever.

I read a verse the other day from the New Testament that said how Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness. That sent me on a mission to find out how long Abraham had to wait before God fulfilled his promises. Abraham was 75 when God made his first promise, saying that Abraham would become a great nation. That's kind of hard to accomplish without any kids, so I can imagine how excited Abraham must have been, thinking that he and Sarah were finally going to be parents.

Fast forward 24 years. Sarah still has not had any children despite God's promise. If it had been me, I would've felt abandoned and angry at God for teasing me with a promise only to not fulfill it year after long year. But finally, God speaks about his promise again. He tells Abraham that he will finally be a father to Sarah's child...in another year. Talk about testing one's patience!

After reading up on Abraham and Sarah and how they had to wait 25 years from hearing God's first promise to the fulfillment of that promise, it gave me a new look on being patient. It showed me that God's timing is not my timing, but he is always faithful and always fulfills his promises.

Abraham and Sarah had their moments of impatience and frustration with God, but God was faithful in the midst of their impatience. And despite the fact that it can be cliche and an overused saying, the best things in life truly are worth waiting for.     

2 Corinthians 4:8-9

Sometimes this is just the reminder that I need:

2 Corinthians 4:8-9 ~ "We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed."

These past couple weeks have been pretty stressful with classes ending and with finals. It's easy to get frustrated with the little things and think that nothing is going right, and things are just too difficult to deal with. But we're reminded that nothing can break us. No matter how tough life gets, we will not be destroyed. So as much as my finals can stress me out and perplex me, I won't be in despair! 

Habakkuk 2:3

Habakkuk was one of those books that I rarely read because I just didn't get it. Until, however, I heard a short sermon series on it that opened my eyes to what God was saying. Despite the fact that Habakkuk and God are talking about Judah, I find it very easy to relate this book to different areas of my life.

Habakkuk 2:3 ~ "For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay."

This verse reminds me of how faithful God is. No matter how long it's been since I've heard God's voice or since God fulfilled a promise to me, I can know with certainty that his timing is perfect. Whatever he has for me has its own appointed time. Despite the fact that I think certain areas of life take forever to get to and others take forever to get out of, I can have peace knowing that nothing ever lingers in God's timing. Nothing is ever late or false with God. However long you feel like the road has been, know that God's revelation for you will certainly come and will not delay!

Philippians 4:8

The verse for this week is something that God has really been putting on my heart lately. It's one of those verses that we all know and can recognize, but because of that it can also be one that we glance over because we have heard it so many times.

Philippians 4:8 ~ "Finally, brothers, 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."

I struggle a lot with letting Satan control my thoughts. It can be so easy to let him in without even realizing it. For a long time I fought with my thoughts, never realizing that Satan was feeding every one to me with a smile. I struggled with not only putting myself down by using my thoughts, but putting others down as well. Pretty soon I caught on to his little game and grew to love this verse.

I'm just setting myself up for disaster when I tell myself things like, "It's your own fault things ended up this way," or, "Of course he was just leading you on by saying that, because he's never going to keep his word, and you're not really good enough." So I have to ask myself: Is any of that true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent or praiseworthy? Because if it doesn't fit into any of those categories, then I need to give it to God and tell the devil to get lost!

Besides, I'm not only damaging myself by doing this, I'm also damaging my relationship with others by assigning to them whatever bad thought I have for them in that moment. And that's just plain not fair! So try to catch yourself whenever you go down the path that brings self pity or damaging thoughts, and recite this verse to yourself. From personal experience, it does help!    

In the spirit of giving thanks

It would not be hard to guess what I was talking about if I said pumpkin pie, more food than you could eat in one sitting (although you would try) and a time to say what you are thankful for. I’m pretty sure everyone would have the same word on their mind: Thanksgiving. Isn’t it interesting that we have a holiday based off of a meal? Of course, that’s not all there is to it, but it can be easy to forget what we’re really celebrating.  

After doing some research to refresh my memory, I found that there are a few different ideas of what really went on during those days in 1621. Sure, we have a general idea, but depending on the source, the story can be twisted into different ways. For instance, one source I found on the ever reliable Internet said the Pilgrims celebrated what we now call Thanksgiving after they massacred a handful of Indians. Another source said the only reason the Indians were there was because they heard the gunfire from the men hunting and thought a war was about to start. And still another source said Indians were invited guests to the feast.  

What most people accept as the truth, however, is that the Indians and Pilgrims had an alliance. After a terrible winter, the Indians taught the Pilgrims how to produce food from the land. As a result of this, that fall there was a harvest and therefore there was also a celebration.

Despite the fact that every detail between the Pilgrims and the Indians is unknown, we do know enough to know that a group of people who wanted religious freedom chose to leave everything they knew to travel to a free land. After nearly half of them died over the course of the journey and then the following winter, they still chose to celebrate.

While this was a time of celebration for them, it was also a time of praise. They took seriously the time of giving thanks to God for how he had provided for them. In one of two primary sources found, Edward Winslow described what that day was like. As I was reading an excerpt, this part caught my eye: “And although it be not always so plentiful, as it was at this time with us, yet by the goodness of God, we are so far from want, that we often wish you partakers of our plenty.”

The first thing that I thought when I read this was, “How can he be so thankful to God?” He just spent more than 60 days on a ship followed by a terrible winter. Add to that all the disease, deaths and days of starvation and you get…a group of people praising God and offering what they have to others? I felt so spoiled and selfish after reading that!

Things were definitely put in perspective for me. Just thinking about the months on a ship at sea followed by more months staying inside the ship while shelter was built makes me thankful for my comfortable home. Thinking about all the disease that went around that ship during those months creates in me a thankfulness for fresh air, a good immune system and modern-day medicine. And thinking about what their Thanksgiving meal consisted of makes me thankful for what food I am blessed to eat daily, let alone on Thanksgiving!

After brushing up on my history and realizing how the Pilgrims used this meal as not only a celebration, but also a praise and worship time to God, I started thinking of everything I am thankful for. And things I’m not thankful for that I should be thankful for. Would I thank God even if I had just lost loved ones? Would I thank him if I had been starving for months on end? Would I thank him if I had to leave my home just to have religious freedom? I hope I would. And I hope you would, too.   

Romans 5:1-5

The verse for this week is actually a few verses that I have been working on for a couple weeks now.

Romans 5:1-5 ~ "Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know

that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us."

This was put on my heart because I have been struggling with putting my hope in things that disappoint instead of putting my hope in God. This verse has been teaching me that no matter what I go through, I won't be ashamed if I put my hope in the glory of God. And because of this hope, I can get through whatever struggles I face. 

Battle wounds

As girls, we tend to classify scars as ugly reminders of whatever pain or blood we suffered through. The worst is when something really stupid happens and you end up with a scar. Like when you cut yourself shaving. Or like the time I was playing capture the flag.

I was running full force down a hill when someone came up behind me and tagged me. The force of the tag plus my momentum sent me out of control, arms flailing, down the rest of the hill. Things turned into slow motion as I tried to put on the breaks, noticing the people around me staring with sympathy, knowing this would probably make it to my top 10 most embarrassing moments.

Sure enough, my legs tangled together and I went down hands and knees first. And of course, I waited until the concrete was available as a landing site before I hit the ground. That was more than three years ago, and I still have scars on my knee and three different places on my hand.

I think that some people have the wrong idea when it comes to scars. Most of the scars I have are from playing sports and from surgeries. I consider those my battle wounds. I’m proud of them and would be disappointed if they had not scarred.

They are a reminder of what I went through. They are symbols that I am strong enough to overcome pain. I was talking about this with a friend the other day and realized the strong parallelism that can be drawn between physical scars and emotional scars or scars that come from the pain that life brings.

Just like physical scars, emotional scars can be looked at in different ways. I can look at my scars and think how ugly they are. I can think they are only a reminder of the hurt that I have gone through, and I can try to hide them. Plus, if touched a certain way they can still hurt. It is easy to get caught up in thinking that we have to appear perfect and untouched. That people will look at our scars and will either back away in disgust or give unwanted sympathy.

Thinking about our scars in this way only holds us back and makes it easier to make the same mistakes over and over again. This is the way I choose to look at my scars: They are a reminder of God’s faithfulness. Each scar was once an open wound that was painful and unpleasant and messy. But God healed the wound and left me with a reminder of what I went through.

My scars are a daily reminder that you cannot go through life without getting hurt at times, but God will always give you strength to get through, and he will always heal you. My scars are also a reminder to not repeat past mistakes. If my past mistakes just went away, and I never thought about them again, I would most likely make the same mistakes all over again. But because I have reminders, I think twice before going about something the same way.

This does not mean you should expose the world to your every scar, but it does mean you should not be ashamed. So how will you look at your scars? Will you try to cover them up, embarrassed because they show how human you are? Or will you thank God for them, realizing how he showed you his grace through each and every scar?

Snapshots of love

It’s so hard for us to fully understand the way God loves us. How can we ever understand the concept that, no matter what we do, God loves us? How can we even begin to comprehend the fact that God is jealous for us? 

I believe that God gives us examples in our daily lives that show us a snapshot of what his love is all about. These snapshots are all around us, and we sometimes forget what they look like. We become so used to them that we have to be hit over the head to start recognizing them again.

I was hit over the head this summer. God blessed me by giving me a beautiful picture of the way he helps us through our pain and suffering. 

After my first surgery, I experienced a few unexpected reactions. These complications caused me to be in so much pain that for the first few days, I could not sleep. Each night was a little different. Some nights, I would watch a few movies in bed, hoping I would eventually just fall asleep. Other nights, I would put on music to try to distract my mind from the pain. But one thing always remained constant during these restless nights: My mom was always right by my side. 

One night, I woke up late into the night and was in so much pain that I could not go back to sleep. My mom took my hand in hers and started speaking to me to distract me from the pain. I still had a few more hours to go before I could take more pain medication, so all she could do was sit there with me, holding my hand and talking to me. 

My mom didn’t take my pain away from me. She didn’t give me any medicine because it wasn’t time for that yet and would not have helped me in the long run. But she sat there with me and helped me through the pain. She spoke to me even when I didn’t respond. She told me I could squeeze her hand as hard as I wanted to and said she would stay next to me for as long as I needed her to.

Not until I was talking to a friend about this did I realize that God used my mom to paint a picture of his love for me. We all have different physical, mental and spiritual pain in our lives. Just because we are in pain does not mean that God is not with us. It’s just not time for our medication yet. We would not be able to respond to healing in the way that God intends if he healed us automatically every time. 

But that does not mean he doesn’t care. It does not mean that he is not speaking to us, coaching us through the pain and telling us that we can hold on to him as hard as we can and for as long as we need to.

The pain I felt this summer was not something that I enjoyed. But from that pain came a stronger relationship with my mom. She showed me what the love of Jesus looks like. All the pain we go through in life can teach us something. And if we so choose, we can gain a better relationship with Christ through the pain. We just have to listen to his voice and let him walk us through the pain. Because the pain will not last forever. But God’s faithfulness does last forever. 

2 Corinthians 4:16-18

"Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."  

The danger of thinking

We all go through life experiencing different firsts. The first time you drive a car. The first time you move. The first time you go out of the country.

A little more than a week ago, I experienced a first in my own life. This kind of first I wouldn’t have minded going my whole life without experiencing, but it was inevitable. I had surgery. Nothing life threatening or terribly dangerous, but that doesn’t mean it has been easy. And in less than two weeks, I have to endure another surgery.

Life post-surgery has been interesting. Thus far, I have learned what it’s like to actually need to ride in a wheelchair, what it feels like to be in so much pain that you cannot stop the tears and what it is like to depend on people for your every need.

But it hasn’t been all terrible. I have now mastered the crutches, and taking a few laps around the first floor of my house is mere child’s play. And, I must admit, I’m not complaining that my siblings are willing to bring me food, pop in movies and retrieve whatever I need for me.

Despite the fact that I have basically been living on the couch for more than a week now, which to some might seem like the good life, I have recently started to feel a little restless. If this was just one surgery, then I would just enjoy the down time and be done with it. But just knowing that this is going to last about seven more weeks makes me restless.

I think about the fact that I am not making any money this summer, and that makes me anxious about college bills. I think about the fact that I cannot do any cardio exercise for who knows how long, and I feel out of shape. I think about how much harder it now is to get together with friends this summer, and I feel out of touch.

Each time I think these things, I come to the same conclusion: I have absolutely no right to be complaining about any of this! I get myself into a destructive attitude by letting my thoughts get out of control. I know that I am not alone in destructive thinking. We all allow ourselves to walk down that path every now and then.

I heard something during a Bible study once that has stuck with me. Every time I allow thoughts to come into my mind that will only cause the destruction of my attitude for the next few hours, I start thanking God for the blessings in my life. I am reminded that Paul tells us in Philippians not to be anxious about anything, and he had learned to be content in any and every situation.

It is then I realize that, while my pain is temporary, some have to live their whole lives in pain. I realize that, while I cannot walk for eight weeks, some cannot walk their entire lives. And I realize my “problems” and the things that I thought were ruining my summer were actually teaching me a lesson from the God who provides me with everything I need.

I would encourage everyone to give this a try. Each time you start to let your thoughts get out of control, praise God for every blessing he has given you. Pretty soon, you won’t be thinking about how frustrated you are with your life. You’ll realize how blessed you truly are.   

Days like today

Days like today are the kind that one pictures when thinking about lazy summer days – the sun is shining, there is a soft breeze blowing and the smell of fresh cut grass, which I happen to love, is drifting in the air. 

Days like today, I just want to lie under a tree with a glass of lemonade and a good book. Days like today, however, are about so much more. Today is not just about getting a good tan or finishing that exciting chapter in my book. Today is about remembering my grandfather and my great uncles who gave so many years of their lives to serving this country. Today is about realizing how wonderful it is to be able to sit under a tree and read a book in a free country.

I cannot understand how people can look at pictures, walk through memorials and listen to stories about brave men and women giving their lives so we can live ours freely and not feel pride. Every time I think of my grandfather, who was a rear admiral in the Navy, and about my great uncles, some of who were POW's, I get an overwhelming feeling of pride. Not only the fact that they fought to ensure a better future for their family brings pride, but also the fact that they fought to ensure a better future for strangers, for their fellow Americans, brings pride.

Today, instead of just enjoying the good weather, we also remember the fallen. We remember those who have given their lives to protect this country. We remember and thank not only the family members, but also the strangers who have put aside a normal life of lemonade and reading books under trees to give us all something that is worth fighting for.    

They fell, but o'er their glorious grave
Floats free the banner of the cause they died to save.
~Francis Marion Crawford