A.S.K. (Ask, seek, and knock)

Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. (Matthew 7:7-8)

Are you holding YOU back?

I play drums. I am still learning and my new thing is to master 16th notes on the hi hat. When I took up the instrument almost two years ago, I had a badly frozen shoulder.  For those of you who don’t know what that is, frozen shoulder can happen when tendonitis goes untreated, and your arm fuses with your shoulder blade, by means of scar tissue. (It’s painful as all else tearing through that scar tissue.)

Anyway, the constant movement of playing the drums dramatically improved my condition.  I enjoyed playing immensely! There was just one thing: I still had a limited range of motion on my left arm, so I had to twist my drumstick in a funny way just to hit the snare. I chose to play with matched grip, but I could never get both my hands in the same position. Yet, I coped and even started playing in public this past year.

Why am I telling you all this? Well, the other day, as I was practicing my 16th notes on the hi hat, I thought to myself, “Self, why is your left hand twisted? Set it correctly for matched grip.” So, I fixed my hand position and it was much easier to do the exercise.

It only took me until last evening to recognize that I had been holding that stick incorrectly for how many months, when my arm had been healed that entire time! I was in the habit of thinking my hand could not do something properly, and I never checked that it was better.

I was holding myself back from going forward, when all along, I had what I needed.

Do you ever do that?

All we have to do is ask, seek, and knock

Jesus never speaks in “sort ofs” or “well maybes”. He tells the truth.  I know this, because He was always saying: I tell you the truth. Then why when He tells us to ask, seek, and find, do we often do nothing?  Why do we choose to steep in our stresses?

Just yesterday I was feeling overwhelmed because there is a lot currently on my family’s plate, and there is always a sub-plot with my own health struggles.  I was very upset trying to figure out how to handle a certain medical situation.  I was playing out every possible scenario in my mind— what I would do and say—and I was riling myself up to a good state of dizzy-tizziness. Then suddenly, the Holy Spirit smacked me upside my head with a nerf bat. I thought, “Oh YEAH! And I started praying for the Lord to intervene and give wisdom to the doctors and protect me from false diagnoses.” I felt a lot better, and silly for not praying in the first place.

Just ask. Jesus said so.

Another thing about me is that I misplace everything.  I am definitely the person who would lose her head if it weren’t screwed on in the first place. One thing I am grateful to God for, is that He finds everything for me.  I mean, He is the King and Mighty One, yet, He doesn’t mind telling me where I put my keys.  Many times I search high and low for things and I have no clue what I am doing.  Finally, I give up and pray. Invariably within no time, I am led to a weird place in my house and there is what I tore the place up for, right in front of me. Often, I crack up. (I think God laughs at me, too.) But more seriously, when I was starting to read the Bible and I wouldn’t understand something in it, I would pray to Him to help me find the answers.  The next thing I knew, someone was giving a lecture on the topic, our small group leader would decide that’s what we were studying next, a sermon would address it, or a friend would just offer the information I saught.  It was freaky, but cool.

Just seek. Jesus said so.

I was a believer as a wee kid. To have the faith of a child…man, that’s a solid faith. I was deeply spiritual with a calling to serve and minister, and I loved Jesus and thought He was from my neighbourhood. (Not much difference between Nazareth’s reputation and Verdun, Quebec’s at that time.) Hard times at home and disillusionment from my denomination took me away from the church as a teen, and for many years, I only trusted God, but not His people. The problem with not corporately worshipping, is that you often stop learning.  I believed, but I was not letting myself be strengthened and supported.  I cannot list for you all the mistakes I made with my life then.  I did some pretty horrible things. But, as a mature adult, I decided to trust again, and I asked to be let back into a new church, made new friendships, started using my musical gifts to serve, recommitted myself to the Lord through baptism, and found myself spiritually complete again.

Just knock. Jesus said so.

Snakes and stones…

…may eat and break your bones, but the Lord will never deliver them. Jesus tells us that if we are flawed beings, yet we know how to be kind to our children when they need us, then how much more will our Father in heaven give to us?

Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?  Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! (Matthew 7:9-11)

Further, Jesus says in John 16:24 that if we ask Him, we will receive, and we will be whole in the joy He brings. Now, I know there are times when you ask for things and you are upset when you do not receive them. Remember that God has a plan for your life, and He knows what is best for you. Assure yourself with the knowledge that He will not metaphorically give you a snake or a stone—something that will damage you—but He will give you what you need, and the full power of His strength, peace, joy, and comfort will enable you to endure. Just believe that He is there, and He will richly bless your soul.

Don’t hold yourself back from all that He has to offer.  You have Who you needed all along. The Lord is really there for you.  Jesus always told the truth, right? So, it’s true.

Ask, seek, and knock. Then prepare to be amazed.

February 17th, 2012 | Category: All blogs, Encouragement, Faith, Reverence, Support, Wisdom | Leave a comment

Without hope, there is only despair

““What strength do I have, that I should hope?
And what is my end, that I should prolong my life?
Is my strength the strength of stones?
Or is my flesh bronze?”
(Job 6:11-12)

Ever feel like that?  C’mon, now, even you mature Christians, fess up if you have.  It’s books like Job that convince me that the Bible has stories about real people in real situations.

Job was steadfast in his belief in the Lord, but he became subject to all sorts of afflictions, including the deaths of all his children. Finally, when he became very ill with a wasting disease, he was confused as to why God was punishing him.  (In those days people believed that trials were punishment for sin. Job’s friends did little to comfort him by coaxing him to admit any wrongdoing.) Job remained bewildered, because as he recounted his life’s decisions, he could not recall anything that he had done to deserve his current state.

Even though he was a person of strong faith and who trusted God, he came to a point where he was losing hope.  What is sad about this, is that all of his so-called friends did little to comfort him and just told him to repent.  Every time Job defended himself, they in so many words called him prideful and wicked.

When you are pushed to the brink, and it even gets hard to pray for yourself, what type of people do you want around you? Those who tell you that with enough faith, your problem will go away? Or, those who comfort you by saying: “No matter what happens, God will be with you, to give you the strength to face this difficult time, and we your friends will be right by your side.”

I want friends who will pray for me, when I am too overwhelmed to pray myself.  I know God still loves me, but every person can be walloped by the challenges of this life.  No one is indestructible that way. There will come a time in each person’s journey when they will face something that will rock their world.  Before that happens, I suggest that you do two things:

  • Discover who God really is, and how He can bring a peace that transcends all understanding.  Grow in your faith by learning about Him, praying to Him, and serving Him, so you can build that trust that He truly goes before you and has your back.
    ..
  • Pick and choose your friends carefully. Reflect on the people in your circles.  Who are those anam cairde (soul friends), who will encourage you to go the distance and help you carry your burdens?  I like to think of them as my “two o’clock in the morning” people.

At a ladies conference I recently attended, the speaker taught us the value of hoping.  She told us a story about when she was just pushed to the brink and a friend told her to keep hope alive. She admitted that she was too stressed to hope, so her friend said:

That’s OK.  I have enough hope for the two of us, so you can have some of mine.

And as simple as that sounds, it was enough for the woman to get through her situation. She even remembered those words after all those years, and it still moved her to tell them to us.

I love the words of the prophet Isaiah:

but those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.
(Isaiah 40:31)

Sometimes we are deceiving into thinking that hoping is some fool’s errand, and we try to be realistic about our current dilemma.  We look to statistics, medical findings, and whatever seems more rational to believe. Even while those facts might be true, failing to add hope into the mix will change how you deal with the situation.  Because if something is God’s will, then it will defy what we think we know. Also, even if what seems like the worst thing does happen, somehow that hope in the Lord allows us to get through it in ways we do not fully comprehend.  We find that our needs are being met, seemingly “out of the blue”, and no matter how bad things get, somehow we are staying afloat. We don’t realize it, but we are being bombarded will a thousand tiny miracles, which added up, help us thrive.

Our guest speaker at the conference described the absence of hope as despair.  That is not a place for anyone to be.  Please know that you are not alone. There is a loving God who is available to all people.  He hurts when you hurt, because you are His creation. Let Him comfort you, as the perfect Father that He is.  Let Him provide for all of your needs, because He wants to.  He might not change your situation, but He will change how you face it, because He will lead you through it.

Just follow Him. He knows what He is doing.

O Israel, hope in the Lord;
For with the Lord there is mercy,
And with Him is abundant redemption.
(Psalm 130:7)

May your hope be in the Lord, and may He grant you loving people who reflect His love for you.

February 3rd, 2012 | Category: All blogs, Connecting, Discipleship, Encouragement, Faith, Love, Reverence, Spiritual Battle, Support | Leave a comment

2012: I resolve to pray more often

Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, [Jesus] went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed. (Mark 1:3-5)

This is the last devotional of my Resolutions series. By now, if you have resolved to 1) get in shape, 2) spend more time with friends and family, and, 3) not stress out so much, then you are going to really need to keep this resolution. You need to start praying.

For those of us who believe, prayer is a gift from God. It’s like having a smartphone whose battery never dies, and no call is ever dropped. (I saw something like that on a friend’s wall, and it’s true.) The Lord makes Himself completely accessible to us, 24/7. It’s not only that He is above us, in heaven, but He also sent His Spirit to be within us, as a constant guide. God is omnipresent and He wants to listen to what we have to say.

One of the smartest things the apostles asked of Jesus (in Luke 11:1) was, “Teach us to pray.” Christ responded (in Matthew 6:5-8) by telling them not to orate with empty words that go on forever, showing off like some do in public. He instead said that they should go into their room, close the door, and pray. He even gave them an example of what to say, which is what we now call The Lord’s Prayer.

Jesus says that the Father knows our words before we even say them. So, you might wonder why you should say them at all? I think it’s a simple answer: we need to tell God because it benefits our souls to say the words, and it grows our relationship with Him.

Think about your relationships with people. Have you ever been so close to someone that you suspected they knew what was on your mind, and when you spoke out anyway, you felt this huge weight off your shoulders? Didn’t you end up feeling closer to that person afterward?

Those of you who are parents: have you even seen one of your small children admit they did something wrong, which you absolutely knew they did, and as they looked up to you with their big eyes and confessed, you just wanted to scoop them up?

If anyone does something for someone else and receives a word of thanks, even though you knew they would say that, isn’t still wonderful to express and receive gratitude?

God knows you inside and out, but to Him, you are His little child, who confesses problems and expresses gratitude and praise. Knowing what you are going to say doesn’t mean He wants you to keep it to yourself. He wants to communicate with you. He cares for you in more ways than you can imagine.

Does God answer us when we pray? Yup. In my experience and what I have observed, the Lord gives us customized responses. It can be a thought of revelation the bolts into your head. It can be events and people that pop out of nowhere, and you just know these are His doing. It can be a still small voice, or a major wake-up call. My favorite answer is the overwhelming sense of peace that comes in the middle of a situation that is devoid of peace.

When you pray, try to steal a moment alone. Praying with others is grand, but sometimes you need that one-on-one time with the Lord. If you don’t know how to pray, you can start of with the Lord’s prayer, but then just try speaking in your own words. Tell God why you are happy, sad, grateful, angry, lonely, busy, confused, sick, joyful, and whatever else you can think of. Even better, try to set aside a time each day to do it, like exercise for your spiritual health.

Jesus was surrounded by people when He carried out His mission on earth. So, knowing how important it was to pray to His Father, He woke up early, and found a quiet spot. A good example for those who are very busy. I personally know people who do this, people with a lot on their plate, and they have told me that it helps them tremendously. I can even see how their souls are contented by the look in their eyes and the joy they express. Yet, they still have a lot on their plates. The difference is that they know in their hearts that God is leading them through each day.

Remember this quote from four weeks ago?

For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. (1 Timothy 4:8)

You need to pray to be godly, because we tend to imitate the person with the biggest influence over us. Let that be God!

My prayer for you reading this is that you know that you are truly loved and the door is open. The Lord wants to hear from you. Just believe it, and start talking.

Peace be with you as you go forth this year.

January 28th, 2012 | Category: All blogs, Connecting, Encouragement, Faith, Love, Resolutions, Series | Leave a comment

2012: I resolve not to stress out so much.

Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time,  casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. (1 Peter 5:6-7)

I hate to admit it, but I am a worrier.

Through a medication mishap two years ago, my chemistry took a bad spell, and I have been battling obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) responses to stress and fatigue.  Thankfully, my nature is to be laid back and optimistic, and that coupled with a lot of help from God is taking me out of this acute state. I find OCD fascinating in a way.  For me, I could be merrily chatting, and then a brain hiccup would occur and I would worry about something for a few seconds, and then resume my conversation where I left off.  I called them OCD commercials!

Any mental illness can be a real trial.  For me, the worst part is the reaction from others.  Those who are ignorant will coax you to “snap out of it.” What I say to that is, “Hey, buddy, if I could fix things in a split second, don’t you think I would?”  My heart goes out to my fellow soldiers who battle their brains each day.

There is something else about me that many do not know.  I have magical powers.  Yes, it’s true.  I can draw all sorts of useless situations and trouble my way without even trying.  I am not a drama queen, I am a drama magnet! I have no idea how I even do it. One moment I am minding my own business, just being myself, and the next, people start freaking out around me.  Perhaps I should tell them to snap out of it…

And there’s my body.  As soon as I triumphantly climb out of one hurdle, a new part of me goes dreadfully wrong.  Maybe I should just tell my body to snap out of it, too.

I am a worrier.  Not an unreasonable one, but I am one.  How about you?

My situation is not that unique.  I bet many of you think you have drama-magnet powers, too.  I know we all at one time or another face problems with our health, both mental and physical.  And there are just so many other things that can occupy our head-space:

  • children
  • parents
  • spouses and partners
  • neighbours
  • finances
  • work environments
  • political tensions
  • church atmospheres

Many of us know that “do not worry” message that Christ taught us.  Hands up all of you who want to say to Him, “Yes, but…”

What do you want to tell Jesus after the word, “but”? I suggest that you say it to Him in prayer. He can take it. He also can do something about it. Just have faith that He’ll do it, even the teeniest bit of faith.  He’ll take your teeny bit of faith and grow it in you, if you let Him. Remember He said:

So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. (Matthew 17:20)

The mustard seed is the smallest of seeds, but when it grows, it’s like a tree. When Christ talks about the mountain, we can take that as a metaphor for our greatest challenges.  What is the mountain that you need to move, by His strength?  Notice that He says that nothing will be impossible for you? Jesus is not mincing words.  He is stating as a fact that even with a little faith in Him, He will take you where you need to go, to get through whatever faces you.

A few years ago a woman in our small group kept forwarding e-mail from this other woman who was dying of cancer.  I can still remember how blown away I was by her sheer joy.  She talked about the word terminal, and likened it to a bus terminal, saying that she was reaching her destination, and she seemed to be looking forward to it! Every moment she was still alive, she cherished her life.  I’ll never forget how very close to her death, her husband bought her a ring.  She described its glitter and hues with such rapture, it was like she understood beauty and color in a way that we had all forgotten or had taken for granted.

When I heard that she finally died, I was happy for her, because she was so very happy herself. I remember thinking, “Wow, now that’s is a way to go.” One thing about this lady, was that she had such faith in the Lord.  She knew beyond a doubt in her heart that He was waiting for her, so she peacefully enjoyed the last days of her life, unburdened by worry.

The Irish have an expression: Don’t borrow trouble.  We stole it from Jesus, Who said:

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. (Matthew 6:34)

Sometimes when there is too much on my plate, it’s a good thing.  I reach this place when there is so much I can worry about that I see how ridiculous it is.  I just say, “Forget it!” to the stress and hand it over to the Lord. (Now, if I could I just relinquish it sooner, that would be awesome.)  One thing that really helps me is relying on faithful friends of faith! They encourage and pray for me when I cannot do it for myself.  Their love and support gives me strength, and a shared burden is so much lighter.

So, do yourselves a favour.  Don’t snap out of it.  Don’t suck it up, either. Starting talking.  Start sharing. With God, and others. Face your trials with loving people surrounding you. Know that an ever-loving God goes before you every step of the way.  With Him, nothing is impossible, and His will for your life is perfect.

No matter how big your but, is, don’t worry. You still look good in those pants. 

 

 

January 20th, 2012 | Category: All blogs, Encouragement, Faith, Resolutions, Series, Spiritual Battle, Support | Leave a comment

2012: I resolve…to spend more quality time with friends and family

Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.  I speak as to wise men; judge for yourselves what I say. (1 Corinthians 10:14-15)

Huh?  Why the heck did you choose that verse, Cait?  What does idolatry have to do with not being able to be with friends and family?

Well, whoever said that, it has everything to do with it.

OK, we know that idols can be god-like statues that some people worship in place of the Lord.  While I am sure that many people reading this do not have those types of things at home, I bet that they still fall prey to idolatry.  You know how I know? Because there are just too many distractions that can take our minds off God in this modern world.

Whatever occupies your thought so much that you push aside time with God and your loved ones…that is an idol.  We all do it, too.

I have written about this topic before, but it never hurts to read it again.  Our minds, like a room, can get cluttered with stuff and junk. And just as you cannot manoeuvre properly in such a place, you cannot get around a plethora of mental distractions.  Why is it so many of us feel guilty when we just choose to take some time for ourselves to relax?  That guilt is so wrong, it’s not funny. And there is nowhere in the Bible that commands us to fill every second of the day with stress so we just collapse under the pressure.

What are your idols that prevent you from truly being with the people God has given you?

  • Work?
  • Sports?
  • Food?
  • Financial gain?
  • Material possessions?
  • Clothes?
  • Busyness?
  • Worry?
  • Health?

You might be wondering why I included health as a idol.  It does seem unfair, but I can justify it.  On one extreme, you can pursue your physical fitness with so much activity, that you exclude others.  On another, you can obsess so much about your lack of health or perceived lack of health that you have left no place for God to give you peace. Personally, my health is a 24-7 maintenance game and I catch myself talking about it all the time.  Then I think to myself, “Aw, we could have used that time to have more fun. Why did I go on like that?”

While it is important to take responsibility for your life, like a good steward of the blessings God has given you, it is equally important to remember to enjoy your life!  It’s not all supposed to be one big trial or stress.  Yes, work, but don’t stay at a place that is making you ill, or preventing you any opportunity to unwind.  Yes, we need some clothes and material objects, but put limits on yourself and don’t equate possessions with happiness. Yes, be concerned about your finances, but don’t think about that every waking moment, and be content with what you have if you are living comfortably. Yes, don’t be bone idle, but don’t let your busyness get out of control to the detriment of relationships and health. Sports?  I have no idea why I wrote that.  There is nothing wrong with too much football…

Jesus tells us not to worry (Matthew 6:25).  He also tells us that it’s easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich person [who thinks only of wealth] to get into heaven (Matthew 19:24).  Most importantly, Jesus is standing at the other side of our door, waiting to be let in (Revelation 3:20)!

Whatever you are doing to prevent yourself from having time to connect with God and others, please, stop it or tone it down.  It just is not worth it.  If you are carrying a burden alone, then please, invite others to carry it with you.

We are not meant to walk this life distracted and on our own. Write a list of what is preventing you from connecting.  Then, pray for wisdom to change the top two items to:

1. Spend time with God.

2. Spend time with friends and family.

Your relationships are the only thing in this life that are truly valuable. Pursue them in love, and leave all your worries and cares in the Lord’s capable hands.

 

“O God of mine, I’ll have no idols…” ~Rita Springer (Listen to song)

January 13th, 2012 | Category: Accountability, Connecting, Discernment, Encouragement, Wisdom | Leave a comment
 
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