patience

friends,

I wrote this post for my personal blog back in September, but it applies to the past couple of weeks I've been having. Hope this encourages you.

For you, God, tested us; you refined us like silver. 

You brought us into prison and laid burdens on our backs.
You let people ride over our heads; we went through fire and water, but you brought us to a place of abundance.

Psalm 66:10-12

- – - – - 

 

God is teaching me patience right now, and I don’t like it. And yet, I do. It’s kind of like working out… the sweat and burn is often uncomfortable, even painful, but because you know you’re working your body, it feels good. 

 

I have been extremely aware of how many opportunities God has given me to work on my patience. 

 

Running late to work? All the lights will turn red right when you approach them. Or, other drivers will be annoying. Or, you’ll have to sit and wait for a schoolbus. Or the train.

 

Having a bad hair day? The serum you put in to help de-frizz makes your hair look greasy. Or the one not straight section of your hair won’t straighten no matter how many times you go over it. Or you knock over half of the stuff on the counter when you go to put your brush down.

Well, there are two examples that happen almost every single day. And there are many, many more. I’m sure you can relate. I tend to vocalize my frustration, saying, “UGGGHHH!” or “SERIOUSLY? COME ON.” or “ARE YOU KIDDING ME RIGHT NOW!?!?” 

Slowly but surely I have been replacing those “UGGGGHH” moments with a deep breath and a quick prayer. I’ve been letting go of that dreadful “this is going to ruin my day” thought process and I’ve started finding joy and pleasure in being able to let things go.

I don’t want to let little things get to me. I want to be calm and collected and peaceful. I see that God is using these moments to test me and refine me. Every moment of every day is an opportunity to imitate Christ, and I fail again and again. These trials of my patience are nothing as serious as the trials of oppression that the Israelites faced (which David is discussing in the passage included), but they are tests nonetheless. The good news? God is bringing me to a place of abundance.

with you, there is forgiveness

friends,

Brandon Cobb read Psalm 130 during church this Sunday. I don't know about you, but I was hit hard by this passage. What an incredible example of what our prayers should look like! The author had a correct understanding of what our position before God is, and he approached God with humility, praise, hope and faith.

How can this passage influence the way you pray? It could be as simple as going to God in repentance, recognizing the power of His forgiveness and stating the Truth (such as, "For with the Lord there is steadfast love, and with him is plentiful redemption").

Psalm 130, ESV

Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD!
  O Lord, hear my voice!
 Let your ears be attentive
  to the voice of my pleas for mercy!
 If you, O LORD, should mark iniquities,
  O Lord, who could stand?
 But with you there is forgiveness,
  that you may be feared. I wait for the LORD, my soul waits,
  and in his word I hope;
 my soul waits for the Lord
  more than watchmen for the morning,
  more than watchmen for the morning.
 O Israel, hope in the LORD!
  For with the LORD there is steadfast love,
  and with him is plentiful redemption.
 And he will redeem Israel
  from all his iniquities.

holding on

friends,
What do you do when you're in a funk? I tend to collapse on the floor (or any horizontal surface) and stare into the distance, desperately trying to focus on absolutely nothing.

I'm crazy hormonal right now and battling an unfair amount of exhaustion, aches, tears... do you ever feel like you're being the worst version of yourself? Ah, the curse of the fall...

There are so many things that I want to see and do while I'm alive, but there are also days that I long for my home in heaven. There I will be made new.

But while there's still a heart beating in my chest, I must move forward. I must pick myself up off the ground and find rest and hope in the coming of Christ. I must do what I am called to do with the best of my ability.

"For we, we are not long here! Our time is but a breath, so we better breathe it. And I, I was made to live, I was made to love, I was made to know you... Hope is coming for me."
- "C.S. Lewis Song" by Brooke Fraser

(listen here)

-L

prayers for 2012

friends,

On New Year's my family sat around the dinner table and prayed, one by one, for the upcoming year. We prayed about our health and our family members who are unbelievers, we prayed for my brother and his wife, for wisdom, humility, guidance, unity...

It was a special time, and I urge you - if you haven't done so already - go to the Lord in prayer over 2012. Ask Him what He has planned for you this year.

So often we focus our resolutions on things like losing weight, swearing less, spending less time on Facebook, etc. None of those things are bad, and I hope that you do reach the goals you make this year, but I wonder what would happen if we focused more on God and on others than ourselves.

This is my resolution for 2012:

Romans 12:9-21
Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion. Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. Therefore
“If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."