Roller Coasters

I really do. I have my entire life. My favorite ones do this:

But THESE:

THESE are the ones that GET me. They give me that butterfly feeling in my chest, they make me feel woozy, they are the hardest ones for me by far. It’s that UP and DOWN part that gets me.


And when I look at the picture, with the constant up and down, the highs and the lows, I see my LIFE. I see my feelings and emotions, my HEART, my successes and my struggles, my victories and my challenges. And I feel like my entire life has been like this: one LONG roller coaster ride.


But my God told me it would be this way.


John 16:33 In this world you will have trouble.


2 Corinthians 4:8-9 We are hard pressed on every side . . . perplexed. . . persecuted. . . struck down. . .


2 Timothy 3:12 In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. . .


1 Peter 4:12 Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering


I am sometimes surprised when people are surprised when life IS hard. Of course it is. Why would we expect anything else? We live in a fallen world, controlled by the evil one, filled with flawed, sinful people. We look to others to fill something within us that only our God can fill. We have disappointments and failures and trails.


So what do we DO then, when life hurts? THAT is the question. THAT is the true test of who you are.


As for me and MY house, we will serve the LORD!!! I will choose to believe that I am a beloved child of the King and that my name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life! I will believe that I am the head and not the tail! I will believe that I am saved by the Blood of Jesus, forever sealed by the Holy Spirit of God to be with Him for eternity! And I will dwell on these things that are pure and lovely and admirable! And when life knocks me down, I’ll just get up again. . . . and again. . . and again.

And will try, oh so VERY hard, to do it with some grace and some dignity and some mercy and some love.


.

Oh, boy. . . . . .worry . . . .

Last night at Bible study, the topic of worry came up. I think worry is always an uncomfortable thing for Christians to talk about. We kind of know it’s a sin and we aren’t supposed to do it, but really, almost everyone does, on some level. Our “personal instruction manual” tells us on several occasions that we aren’t supposed to worry.



Matthew 6:27-29 (New Living Translation) Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are.


Proverbs 12:25 Worry weighs a person down; an encouraging word cheers a person up.


Philippians 4:6-7 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.


Matthew 6:25 That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing?


1 Peter 5:7 Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.


Ecclesiastes 11:10 So refuse to worry, and keep your body healthy.


But HOW, really, can we DO that? I think that above all else, we have to ask God to help us. We are just mere mortals, struggling along in our sinful flesh (thanks Adam and Eve for ruining it for everyone), trying to do the best we can. Most of the good we do in life can only be done with GOD and the HOLY SPIRIT living in us.


• ASK God to help, however many times a day it takes.


• Listen to praise and worship music.


• Read/memorize Scriptures on worry.


• Pray, committing all of your worries to God.


• Write down your worries. (I think this is especially important for people who have difficulty sleeping at night. Clear your mind BEFORE you try to go to sleep.) I am a “list” person, but even if you aren’t, you would likely be helped to SEE the things down on paper that are bothering you.


• Discuss your worries with your spouse or a friend. We are not called to go through life alone. Just make sure your friend is one who understands life from a biblical perspective.


• Remind yourself that God is in control. Knowing that our loving, gracious Father controls all things will help you rest and bring peace to your heart.


• If there is something reasonable you can do to fix a problem, do it. If you’re worrying about getting your house cleaned for your Mom’s visit, get up and clean something.


• Develop an attitude of praise. It's almost impossible for praise and worry to happen simultaneously




Medical research has proven that worry can be physically harmful. It can affect our nervous systems and make us less resistant to disease. Experts have stated that excessive worry can shorten the human life. It is ironic that we worry about our lives, but in doing so, we actually can shorten them.

The only way to stop worry dead in its tracks is to attack it with Scripture.

John 14:27 I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.


Deuteronomy 31:8 Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.”


Romans 8:28 And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.


2 Timothy 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.


I would encourage YOU to look through your own Bible or do your own internet search on worry and see what God has to say to YOU. Jesus talked about worry several different times in the Sermon on the Mount, so really, I think He means it.


God told me once, “Worry is from the devil.” I honestly didn’t realize that. I thought it was just “part of life” and that everyone did it. I have since discovered, with His Divine Intervention, that it IS possible to live a life free from the everyday worries over things that really can’t be controlled anyway.


So lay it all at His feet. He’s MORE than able to handle it.

.

Forgiveness

I find myself today in a place where I need to forgive some things. One is fairly small, and really, I should not have been holding on to it. The other is quite large, and I am coming to realize that it has impacted a LOT of different areas of my life. So I thought I would take a look at forgiveness.



That wonderful source of great knowledge (insert sarcasm font here), Wikipedia, says:


Forgiveness is typically defined as the process of concluding resentment, indignation or anger as a result of a perceived offense, difference or mistake, and/or ceasing to demand punishment or restitution.


Even WebMD chimes in on forgiveness:


Letting go of grudges and bitterness makes way for compassion, kindness and peace. Forgiveness can lead to:


 Healthier relationships


 Greater spiritual and psychological well-being


 Less stress and hostility


 Lower blood pressure


 Fewer symptoms of depression, anxiety and chronic pain


 Lower risk of alcohol and substance abuse


Whatever. . . .


We all know where we should look to learn about forgiveness: The Holy Bible, the written Word of God. In the NIV version, some form of the word “forgive” is used 116 times. That seems like a lot to me, so I would guess it’s important to Him. And isn’t our entire FAITH based on forgiveness? Don’t we ACCEPT that FROM Him when we come to Christ? Because we are so sinful, only He can cleanse us and make us worthy of sharing in His riches. And this is something that is FREELY GIVEN, by the Lord of the universe, ours for the taking, if we only accept it? And since HE gives this so freely, SHOULDN’T WE?


AH, there it is. . . there’s the rub. How can we TAKE something so precious, so easily and so often, and then not give it BACK to others just as easily?


Sometimes we think it’s complicated. People hurt people. That’s just part of who we are. We live in a fallen world, filled with sinful people, ruled by the dark one. And it’s easy for us to feel this “justified anger” at the people who have wronged us. And for some people, that “wrong” is WAY wrong. I’m thinking of things like sexual abuse of children, physical abuse, murder. The “big” ones. But other times, we are hurt by people in other ways that are quite hurtful and it’s hard to let that go.

But I don’t think the Bible asks us to forgive “just the small stuff.” That would be easy. I can forgive the guy who cut me off in traffic because maybe he was in a hurry to pick up his kid from school. Yeah, OK. I can do that. And I can forgive my husband who sometimes hurts my feelings with something he says when I know that he really didn’t mean it the way I took it.


But what about the hurts that run deep? The ones that maybe come from your childhood? From someone you love so very much and you just really, really want them to love you back? I would guess we all have something like this in our past. And I am trying very hard to deal with mine right now. And it hurts. A lot. Rejection always does, doesn’t it?


But I have decided that I can’t keep letting this hurt from the past color my NOW. And I surely don’t want to let it damage my FUTURE.


So I am working on forgiveness. Not because he has asked for it. Not because he even wants it. And honestly, not even because I really want to GIVE it.


But because He asked me to. And because He has forgiven me. And it would be selfish for me to keep it all to myself. . . .

So I am laying it ALL at the foot of HIS cross, asking Him to help me. . . to forgive, just as He has forgiven me, totally and completely and without strings attached, once and for all. I can’t do this on my own, Lord. You have to help me do it. Please, Lord, help me do it. . .