Our Next Chapter

It’s a beautiful Tuesday morning.  The sun is shining and I’m sitting in a cozy chair in my bedroom, you know the one, the chair that had dreams of being used for relaxing and reading, maybe doing some work, but in reality is always covered in laundry… either fresh from the washer or preserving the previously worn clothes, that could be worn again.  But today it’s cleaned off, for the first time in a long time, and ever since I cleared it last Friday, I’ve been planning to sit in it to write this blog post.

It’s a simple thing, I’m finding joy in the peace of my bedroom, while in the bedroom next door my oldest is working.  She doesn’t live at home anymore, but has come home for this time, for companionship, safety, and probably, most of all food.   My college student is attending online classes now that Spring Break is officially over, and my younger two are in their respective corners working on their schoolwork for the week.  My husband is grilling up some meat in between work meetings in the living room and on the deck.  This is our new normal.

In just a few short weeks, our world has gotten smaller, we run considerably less errands, all those meetings and places and things that we are always running to have been kept at a distance.  If this were a vacation it would feel relaxing to get away from it all, however, nothing about this feels relaxing.  And it’s more than the things we don’t get to do, but it’s also the people we don’t get to see, the people we know who are suffering. People who have lost jobs, who are fighting to keep their businesses alive, are fighting for their health, fighting depression and isolation.  People confined to their homes in unhealthy relationships, stuck at home with nothing to do but worry about the future, ministries struggling to keep supplies on their shelves and so much more.

We are writing the next chapter of our stories, individually and as a community.  How my brain receives this information and processes it, very much depends on the voices I allow to be the loudest.  My memory of this time will, in large part, reflect what I choose to pay attention too.  There is so much that could hold my attention, choosing the hope & joy and the life-giving is a conscious choice I have to make.

The stories are endless.

Writing an Epic Story

Our rural school district has gone to online school, while knowing that not all of our kids have access to internet and have lost their access to lunch & breakfast.  So, what are they doing about it?  They are sending out buses, every morning to central stops and offering free breakfast & lunch to any kids who show up.  Those buses are also offering wifi hot spots for those kids to download/upload their assignments for the week.

A local ministry is having trouble keeping the basic food supplies on their shelves, today a friend is dropping off two 50 lb bags of rice that we purchased to help.  Others are doing the same, it’s not a lot, I’m limited to one bag of rice per day just like everyone else, but together, we can keep them running.

A local upholstery company got a shipment of medical mask material.  What did they do?  They made it available for free to anyone willing to sew medical masks for their community. One person with a giant roll of mask material can help, together, we can take a huge step in supporting our community.

I’ve seen picture after picture of hearts in windows and sidewalk art to encourage our neighbors.  We are not alone.  We see each other, we see you.  One encouragement can save a life, together, we can save a whole nation.

Local Churches are rising to the challenge, offering online services, worship, youth meetings, prayer.  Individually they will provide hope to some, together, they can show the world the hope of Jesus.

Today I choose to sit in my chair and share the good stories.  I choose to be in the moment, not the future.  Today the sun is shining.  Today my chair is clean.  Today my kids are home with me.  Alone, I can focus on the good and share it with those I love, and we can write a better chapter, together, we can write a great one, and epic one.

“”None of us, including me, ever do great things. But we can all do small things, with great love, and together we can do something wonderful.”                                                      – Mother Teresa 

Our Rescue Story

In Need of Rescue

When I was 12, I moved.  It wasn’t my first move, as the daughter of a career Army family, moving was a regular thing, but this time was different.  Our previous assignment had been in a German community away from American Bases, and so, for the first time in my life, I had connected with people that didn’t move every few years.  Additionally, that assignment was 4 years long, I had never stayed anywhere that long before, and it was definitely home. My unwillingness to leave my home, partnered with the awkward age of starting Middle School in a new country did not make for a smooth transition.  Turns out the cultural differences between pre-teen Germany and California in the 80s were significant. For the first time in my life, I didn’t fit it.  I wasn’t up to date on the current trends, styles, make-up or even the right TV shows. That first year was hard, I was lonely, depressed and homesick, but had managed to form a small circle of friends.

Rescue is Coming

My new best friend invited me to youth group.  Her parents were making her go and as her friend, I felt obligated to go with her. Church in and of itself held no particular appeal. I was raised in a family that went to church on Christmas eve, primarily out of tradition.  God was the Jeanie in the bottle you prayed to when you wanted or needed something, usually an item or a fun activity. What I found there was my own rescue.

I met this group of people who loved each other, had great friendships, were real about life- they were family and I was hungry and desperate for that. I wanted to be a part of this so I attended youth group for several months, continuously turning down offers to come to church.  Finally, after months of attending only youth group, I agreed to go to church.  I couldn’t tell you what the message was but I do know that the Pastor asked us all to bow our heads and say a prayer- when it was done- he said if you prayed those words for the first time and meant them, that you were now saved and to connect with someone who could help you get to know Jesus and what salvation meant. That started and amazing life with Jesus- not always smooth, but my life will never be the same. The rescuers in my story, include that Pastor who ultimately made the alter call, but the path to that day, included teenagers who loved me, included me, invited me; volunteers who offered rides, repeatedly invited me to church, talked with me, and taught me; and parents who valued my attendance as much as their own kids’.

Called to Rescue

March is here, and with it comes the promise of Spring, of new beginnings, and very soon the Easter season will be upon us.  As we get ready to celebrate the greatest rescue of all, we would like to spend the next few weeks talking about everyday rescue.  We were rescued and now we are called to rescue. 

So, this month we will take a look at rescue, what exactly is it that Jesus is calling us to.  I would like to suggest that rescue may not be about fixing or saving, that’s what Jesus offers, but that our rescue of each other is found in offering moments of hope, of holding space for each other, for simply being present. 

Cayla’s Story – Dec 2017

Two days ago, my dad had a severe heart attack. They have had him sedated for two days. He has a machine breathing for him, another is pumping his heart for him, there is a machine for everything his body should be doing. I have spent a lot of time staring blankly at walls. I still have so many unanswered questions and prayers waited to be fulfilled.

But I have to tell you something about people. In the coldest winter I have ever felt, people will not let me shiver. They are astonishing.

When I arrived at the hospital Wednesday morning, someone I loved waited and walked in with me. When the nurse brought me to my mom, she was surrounded by people we loved. While we waited hours to hear what had happened, they all stayed and prayed. While they prepared my dad for the ICU, my siblings and I were whisked away for a few hours of distraction and joy. When I tried to run away, my friends gave me a place to rest. While my brother had to experience his 18th birthday without my dad to sing to him, the people who love us carried the tune, and brought cards and balloons and cupcakes. While my world is so many question marks and I don’t knows, people surround us and pray. And pray. And pray.

I owe my people more thanks than I could ever speak aloud. When my world feels like darkness, they come and light candles. There are hundreds of people that deserve endless thanks right now:

The people who have refused to leave my mom alone in the hospital: thank you.

The people who have texted, commented, or spoken their regards and prayers: thank you.

The people that bought my brother cupcakes and cards and sang to him in the midst of crisis: thank you.

The people that took my car keys from my hand and began fixing it without being asked: thank you.

The people that have taken in my siblings and I, with unconditional love, comfort, and kindness: thank you.

The people that have held me close and let me cry, made me laugh, and just held my hand while I stared blankly: thank you.

That’s all I have. That’s all I can give. I will thank you and thank you and thank you until my voice goes out, because you have overwhelmed me with love. And I will sing hallelujah until my vocal chords burn because God has given me all of you.

When Love Hurts…

We live in a broken world.  This is not the world the way God designed it, our human relationships aren’t what God envisioned when he set us up in the garden.  There was intimacy and trust and a natural balance in our world which we have lost as a result of the fall and so very many bad choices since then (Adam & Eve aren’t the only ones who blew it).  I’ve made my share of mistakes; I’ve been a distracted friend, an impatient mother, a frustrated wife, a disengaged employee, and an unreliable volunteer… my guess is so have you.  Not always, not even mostly, but it’s there.  And then there’s the other side, I have been hurt by friends and family and employers and coworkers…. my guess is so have you.  Not always, and not even mostly, but certainly there have been seasons and moments that the pain has felt like too much to carry.

So, how do we still love, keep moving forward in the face of betrayal, abandonment, or even just invisibility?  We’ve all heard the lessons about forgiveness, that forgiveness is more about us than the person we are forgiving, and I believe that wholeheartedly.  Harboring anger and resentment will eat you up from the inside and leave the person you direct it at relatively unscathed in comparison.  But even as we move in obedience to forgive, our hearts ache.  There is always a loss of some sort in broken relationships.  So how do we fight for our hearts?

Grace & Truth

We are at war.  Our war is a generational blood feud and we have been born into it and have been fighting even before knowing our enemy – he has come in like a thief and told us lies, lies about men, lies about church, lies about society, lies about women, lies about God, and lies about us.   He has been our accuser , he has called us too much and not enough, he has called us shameful and worthless, he has called us unloved, unprotected, not worth fighting for and even before we understood all the words,  we agreed with him, in a million small ways and later in life in bigger ways.  And the reality is, the most painful hurt we receive from those we care about, are that they appear to be in agreement… a guilty verdict.

The same war we are battling, the same ways we have failed, our loved ones battle and fail too.  Their accuser, their lies, their fears, look so much more like ours than most of us believe.  They do not wake up in the morning thinking “How can I hurt someone I love today” the offence usually comes in a moment of reaction to their own wounding.  So, can you spend just a moment sitting in their shoes, knowing what you know of their story (while understanding you barely know anything), and see where their brokenness showed up?  Not to excuse their actions, but to understand them.  To feel their hurt, and their insecurity, and in doing so, can your anger turn to grief.  Grief for their heart and their identity.  Can you stand in Jesus’ shoes for just a moment… Father forgive them, they don’t even known what they’ve done.  Can you honor your pain, by acknowledging the lie it poked at? Honor your relationship by standing in empathy with the person who hurt you for just a moment? And then, can you ask Jesus to step in and heal you both.

Restoration

Someday this world will come to an end, at that time the proper order of all things will be restored, with God at the head, us by His side, and everything else beneath that.  We will see each other clearly the way we were designed to be, the way God already sees us, in the meantime the path to loving well even when it hurts is to trust that Jesus sees it all more clearly and to lean into Him.

Andschana Aljets is the Executive Director of Finding Zarephath. 

She loves to share the things she is learning and hearing and

invites you to journey with her. 

Loving God

The Heart of Jesus

A few years ago, I was going through the study “Captiving” by Staci Eldredge. In it, Staci was talking about Genesis describing us as being created in God’s image, male and female He created us, but then she went on to say “we bear the image of God, but in a way only women can. What does that tell you about the heart of God?”

It feels like a simple question, but let that sink in… I can’t even tell you what these words did to me. I was in my mid 30s and had spent most of my life apologizing – I’m too needy, I’m too emotional, I’m sorry I need you to tell me you love me, I’m sorry I need you to pursue me, I’m sorry I still need to hear that you like me and want to spend time with me, etc. I’d spent so many years thinking of this is a feminine weakness, neediness, insecurity and in an instant I realized, it’s not that at all.

This is the feminine heart of Jesus – this is a reflection of Him and His desires – he wants to be desired, to be pursued, to be known. He wants quality time, He wants words of joy and enjoyment, He wants all of me and wants me to want all of those things with Him. Those desires are holy, God-given – I was just looking for answers in all the wrong places. I was looking to my husband and my family and my friends, and yes they have a role to play in this, but this bottomless ache, this empty void, is a place only Jesus can fill and it was meant for him.

Andschana Aljets is the Executive Director of Finding Zarephath.  She loves to share the things she is learning and hearing with the rest of you and invites you on the journey with her.  “None of us have arrived, I am closer today than I was 10 years ago, and will be closer 10 years from now than I am today.”

Dreams

I have been privileged to be made aware of this newly founded happening called Finding Zarephath.  I understand that the vision for this endeavor was birthed by a (divinely inspired) dream.  A dream that revealed the need for a place of safety, a place of rest, a place of God’s continued provision.  A place of serving and being served.  A place of life and resurrection, of miracles and revelation.  A place of respite for battle weary Christian women who have been serving in various capacities in ministry.

Probably the main reason for my opportunity to pen this piece is that I too, had a dream. The parallels of my dream to Zarephath are extraordinary.

My dream was situated in what appeared to be a congregation of Christian people gathered in what was recognizable as a church like setting.  Instead of the traditional service accoutrements most of us are familiar with, the people were up out of their seats ministering to one another from a heart of sincere caring and concern.  A man came and sat beside me.  From his loving demeanor and caring and thoughtful presence, I experienced a euphoric sensation of joy and peace that truly “passed all understanding”.  My thoughts were, “Is this the way it is in heaven”?  “Is this what God intended for us to experience when He commanded us to love one another”?  Now months later, though muffled by time, I can still recall the comfort to my soul.  This elevated elation was taking place throughout the congregation.

Since the night of the dream, I have pondered its meaning.  I think I understand now what was happening.

Unraveling the Dream – A call to Love

Scripture speaks to us in numerous places about how important it is to hear what the Son has said in these last times.  Jesus said if we just hear and don’t DO, it is a recipe for failure (Matt.7:24-27).

As Bible believing followers of Christ, we understand that God IS love and we humans are created in His image.  We are commanded to love as He loves (sacrificially); Him first and foremost and each other in the same manner (Matt.22:36-40).  All the law God has put forth for mankind hangs (depends) on those two precepts (v 40).  Carrying one another’s burden’s fulfills the “LAW” of Christ (Gal.6:2).

When Jesus says, “I AM the way, the truth and the life”, what do we think He meant?  Throughout the Bible, from the beginning forward,  and in these last days by the Son, we hear God saying that MY WAY is to love (sacrificially).

Our (mankind) way is often to serve God by doing something that seems to us to be worthy of His approval (see Isaiah 58 and Rev. 2:1-5) but is missing the most important ingredient.  I believe with all my being that the Son is loudly calling out for us to hear Him in these last times:

“MY WAY IS SACRIFICIAL LOVE, NOT DUTIFUL SERVICE”

 The Lord is diligent in His desire that we hear Him.  Not easy to process but yet it IS the Word of God, if any worthwhile endeavor in His name is not flowing first out of a heart full of love for Him and for other people, it will count for NOTHING! (1 Cor. 13:1-3).  Paul said that in Christ Jesus, the only thing that matters is “faith activated and expressed and working through love” (Gal. 5:6).

To repeat for emphasis:   GOD’S WAY IS LOVE—–NOTHING ELSE WILL COUNT FOR ANYTHING

I believe that when we focus on just doing what the Son has said to do and actually do it, we receive the power to function as children of God (John 1:12).  It is a power that changes us into the image of Christ (2 Cor.3:18). The transforming power to change us into the image of Christ is the power of love, and the power of love is the power of God.

According to Ephesians 3:16-19, when we are “rooted and grounded in love” we will be so strengthened in our inner man (heart) that we will “experience” first hand for ourselves, the awesome power of God (Eph.3:16-19). 

When we have found that place, I submit to you, I believe we have found Zarephath!

Michael J Gibbs is the founder of Dawning Light Ministries.  A Christian for over sixty years, Michael resides in Colorado Springs, Co. with his wife of forty-eight years, Sue. They have a son and a daughter and four grandsons.  They all share a love for Jesus and the great outdoors.  Michael can be reached at mike@newlifeadvisorygroup.com

Fully Alive

“Look out ’cause here I come 
And I’m marching on to the beat I drum
I’m not scared to be seen
I make no apologies, this is me.” – The Greatest Showman, This Is Me