I sustained a broken vertebra in a car accident and had been in a brace for more than 14 weeks when the doctors had told me it would only be 9 – 12 weeks at most. I wasn’t healing as fast as I was supposed to. So, friends at bible study kindly laid hands on me and prayed for my healing. But I wondered, will God really heal me? What If Healing Me Is Not Part of His Plan?
“If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.” This is advice we should all heed. Or should we? There was a point in my life when I thought if I just tried harder, I would stop letting God down. I knew that He forgave me when I sought forgiveness. But I was convinced that because I kept making the same mistakes again and again, I was a huge disappointment to God.
Sometimes, we all just need a little reminder. I was losing my mind and taking it out on the poor security alarm repairman when he gave me a half-smile and pointed towards me, indicating I should look down. That’s when I realized I was wearing my “Be A Nice Human” T-shirt. So, I immediately shut my mouth, burst into tears, then apologized profusely. The kind repairman handed me a Kleenex and said, “It’s OK.” I try to remember to always offer kindness because you never know what someone else is going through.
Women in today’s culture wear many hats. We cook, clean, and care for the family’s needs, all while balancing a career, ministry, or volunteer work. Some say women are genetically predisposed to caregiving. Others would say it’s because we are socialized from the time we are born. But regardless of why this is the case, women are under a lot of stress. In fact, we should wear a cape instead of our many hats. It’s no wonder self-care has become such a hot topic in today’s culture.
People say we won’t change unless the pain of remaining the same is greater than the pain of changing. But why is it people hate change so much? Change is inevitable. Circumstances, finances, homes, jobs, people, relationships, and seasons all change. “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.” (Ecclesiastes 3:1, NIV) However, there is one thing we can rely on that does not change: God and His love.” For I the Lord do not change.” (Malachi 3:6, ESV) “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end” (Lamentations 3:22, ESV)
Have you ever run away from God? I have. When I became a Christian I kept hearing about how I was supposed to behave. But because of my rocky childhood, I was a survivor. My coping mechanisms were keeping busy ,being perfectionistic with myself and others, and being angry when I and others couldn’t live up to my impossible expectations. But even worse, I saw God as a judgmental parent who rejected me because I wasn’t good enough.
I’ll be honest, this has been a tough week. I have had another relapse of an infection I have been fighting for close to 3 months. My husband can’t hear out of one ear due to a previous illness. And the doctors just don’t seem to have answers for either one of us. Then yesterday, a close friend was in a motorcycle accident and is now fighting for his life. But despite the storms raging all around us, I still have faith that God is good, even when life feels gloomy.
After I became a Christian I was told I was reborn spiritually. And I read this verse. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come”. (2 Corinthians 5:17, ESV) The problem was I didn’t feel like a new creation. No matter how hard I tried, I was the same old me, making the same old mistakes. So I pursued perfection and tried to please people But this was a no win situation
I used to know a guy who always talked aloud to himself, saying, “Keep It Simple, Stupid.” I would politely giggle and chide him for putting himself down. But sometimes I wonder if perhaps he wasn’t onto something. After all,…
When someone sneezes, “God Bless You” pops out of our mouth without a thought. It’s an automatic, polite habit. But what does it actually mean? And why do we say it when someone sneezes. But, here’s an even bigger question: What if I said our greatest blessings may actually come through heartache?
