Ice Cream and Doubt

"Then Jesus answered, "Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted." And her daughter was healed from that very hour."  Matthew 15:28

“I don’t want {sob} you to leave, mommy {sob}.”

 It was the second time in 4  days I’d heard this tearful plea from my youngest.


First, just before my trip to Atlanta for a Women of Faith conference and now, again, as I tried to leave early to help out with the Law Enforcement Summit.

“Sweetie, I love you so much.  But you know who loves you more?  Who will never leave you, even when mommy has to?” I said, hugging her tightly.

“God,” answers my oldest, who’d been listening from across the room.  “Yes, that’s right.  God.” I affirmed.

“But I can’t see Him,”  Her eyes were honest and pleading and filled to overflowing with tears. 

Rewind to 4 days ago at 3:30 am…

“Mom, you’re gonna break my heart if you go,” she cried as she clung to me.

“God is with you, baby, and He will comfort you and be with you, even when mommy isn’t.”

We prayed and as God's peace eventually settled over us we were able to enjoy the sweet treat of having the next couple of hours together, just she and I ~ exactly what both of us needed.  {But God is just awesome that way, isn't He? Always providing for our needs, often in unexpected ways, when we pray and ask for it.  I love having a Heavenly Father who lavishes us with his blessings. Tweet this!} 

Fast forward to today...

"We are doing this, again?" I internally question.  The same tearful plea to stay.  The same gracious God whose peace settles us down, again.  This time, though, her honest question of doubt resonated within me:  "But I can’t see Him…”

As part of the reward for her settling down, I made a promise to join her for lunch.  So when work obligations caused me to leave a little later than expected, I became impatient.  Then encountered an unmarked police car on the interstate and became frustrated.  So much so that I ended up missing the intended exit.

Doubt kicked into full gear:  “I’m not going to have any time with her.  I’m going to miss her whole lunch hour.  I might as well turn around.  {Lightbulb moment!}  God, what should I do?“ 

“You should trust me.  Don’t you believe that I am with her always?  That I can be trusted to care for her and comfort her when you aren’t around?  Isn’t that what you told her this morning?  Don't you believe it?“ 

Surrender and peace washed over me.  I slowed down.  And railing against my sinful, doubting instincts…I stopped for ice cream!  What a joy and freedom I felt in surrendering to God’s truth, the knowledge that He could do anything, that He was with Bella to comfort and protect her.  Tweet this!  In that instant, I'd moved from doubt to belief and the realization that I didn't need to know all the details of how or why.    

Arriving at the end of her lunch period, with she and her classmates getting ready to depart the lunchroom, I honestly didn't know what to expect.  Was God going to teach me that his grace was sufficient when missing a promised lunchtime visit with my daughter?  Would He turn back the hands of time? Nope.  Neither of those. 

What He did was, nonetheless a miracle.  He prompted the teacher to offer to allow my child to stay past the normal lunch hour in order to enjoy an ice cream with me, the late-to-lunch mom.     

As Bella and I enjoyed our special, divinely provided time together, I thanked God for the big scoops of faith He always provides me with peace sprinkled on top.

"The LORD gives strength to his people; the LORD blesses his people with peace."  Psalm 29:11

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."  John 14:27

 "The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged."  Deuteronomy 31:8

Faith "&" Works

“And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.  And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.”  1 John 5:14-15 (ESV)

Jesus continued from there toward Jerusalem and came to another village. Martha, a resident of that village, welcomed Jesus into her home. ³⁹ Her sister, Mary, went and sat at Jesus’ feet, listening to Him teach. ⁴⁰ Meanwhile Martha was anxious about all the hospitality arrangements.  Martha (interrupting Jesus): Lord, why don’t You care that my sister is leaving me to do all the work by myself? Tell her to get over here and help me.  Jesus: ⁴¹ Oh Martha, Martha, you are so anxious and concerned about a million details, ⁴² but really, only one thing matters. Mary has chosen that one thing, and I won’t take it away from her.  Luke 10:38-42

Poor hardworking Martha.  Being a Martha-type myself, more of a doer than a thinker, I’ve always related better to her than Mary. 

Need a volunteer at church?  I’m your girl.  Co-room mom?  Sure.  Girl Scout Co-leader?  Of course.  Finances tight?  I’m on it.  Fill in for a coworker?  Absolutely.

Recently, my bestie and I went to my friend’s Semi-Annual Women’s Clothes Swap Event. I normally detest shopping for clothes but the lure of next-to-free clothes and a girls night out proved more than I could resist. 

Before the event, we visited the vendors' tables set up around the church gymnasium.  With tight budgets, we were hesitant to waste anyone’s time, but we soon found that the ladies were happy to just talk.  Pretty bags and bows over here.  Hair and skin products over there. Interesting things to look at as we passed the time.

So the Holy Spirit is the only explanation I have for what happened next.

Glancing around the room to ensure I hadn't missed anyone, I was drawn to lady who seemed to radiate peace.  Was it her kind eyes, gentle smile? No, something more.  I could literally feel the sweet spirit surrounding the table pulling me towards it.  As I got closer, the items on her table became clearer. 

A puzzle card?  That’s neat.  Children’s books.  Cool.  Serving dishes and cups.  Okay.  Though a wide variety of items, a common theme became obvious...these were faith-based pieces, infused with scripture.   

Penny shared with me her story of Mary & Martha, the company for which she consulted.   She expressed gratitude that proceeds from her sales had funded cancer research, adoptions and mission trips, her husband being a pastor.  How she still got chill bumps when she thought about how each shipment is prayed over.  And it was just her story, not a sales pitch.  No pressure, just a feeling of peace.  I could almost envision her, a Mary, at the feet of Jesus, listening intently.

Days after the event, I was still thinking about Penny and Mary & Martha.  Though I felt the Holy Spirit leading me to call her, I resisted. 

No time.  No energy.  No resources.  I don’t know enough people. I've never done anything like this before. My plate is so full already.  In an instant, old familiar worries and excuses rose up like flames, threatening to consume me. Tweet this!

Like so many times before, I was at a cross roads.  Which path would I take?   

Memories of His goodness rushed in like flood waters, filling me to overflowing with His peace in an instant.  He reminded me of His command to go and tell the world about Him, the Good News.  He reminded me He would be my helper and hadn't I been praying for just this thing? 

For Him to use me, give me more opportunities to share about my faith and encourage others in theirs, provide a way for our family to continue rebuilding our financial security and freedom, to help us provide some of the basic needs for the newest member of our family, Olga? 

His words of comfort reminded me of what He had told Martha over 2,000 year ago, “Oh, Patty, Patty, you are so anxious and concerned about a million details, but really, only one thing matters. Choose that one thing that will not be taken away from you.“

So I am choosing obedience to Him in traveling this new path He has set before me at Mary & Martha.  And I'm so excited to be a part of a faith-based company where we are encouraged to live in the "&" - that place that brings together our faith and our works.  Tweet this!

“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”  Hebrews 11:1 (ESV)

 “For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.”  James 2:25 (ESV)

“In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”  Matthew 5:16 (ESV)

“He says, ‘Be still, and know that I am God;…”  Psalm 46:10(a) (NIV)

The {Word} Wednesday, September 25: Fear

Definitions:

Fear - an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or a threat.  [terror, fright, horror, alarm, panic, agitation, trepidation, dread, consternation, dismay, distress, anxiety, worry, angst, unease, apprehension, nervousness, perturbation, foreboding]

Fear - regard (God) with reverence and awe [revere, reverence, venerate, respect]

God gave us the emotion of fear as (1) a warning signal to keep us safe and (2) a way to experience a healthy boundary with, and view of, our Holy and Almighty Father.  But when we allow fear to go beyond these purposes created by God, we are falling prey to one of the devil’s greatest lies. One that he loves to use on us Christians because it paralyzes us, renders us useless, and holds us back from obeying Jesus. 

What does the Bible have to say about fear? 

You will find the command “fear not” in variations in Scripture nearly 150 times, most often accompanied by a loving reassurance from God. 

Consider just the following samples:

Genesis 15:1 - “Fear not, Abram, I am your shield.”

Genesis 26:24 - “I am the God of Abraham your father.  Fear not, I am with you.”

Genesis 28:15 - “I am with you.”

Exodus 33:14 - “My presence will go with you.”

Psalm 23:4 - “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.”

2 Chronicles 20:17 - “Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed.  Tomorrow go out against them, and the Lord will be with you.”

Isaiah 41:14 - “Fear not, you worm Jacob….I am the one who helps you.”

Jeremiah 1:8 - “Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you.”

Consider the following samples about fearing God:

Psalm 111:10 - “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding.  His praise endures forever!”

1 Peter 2:17 - “Honor everyone.  Love the brotherhood.  Fear God.  Honor the emperor.”

Proverbs 19:23 - “The fear of the Lord leads to life, and whoever has it rests satisfied; he will not be visited by harm.”

Proverbs 14:27 - “The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, that one may turn away from the snares of death.”

Proverbs 8:13 - “The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil.  Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate.”

How do we combat sinful fear?

Prayer.  It’s your 24/7 hotline straight to God. Your Father, the Creator of the Universe, has access to unlimited resources and longs to pour out His peace and blessings on you, if you will only seek Him through prayer.

God’s Word.  It’s your sword and shield in the battle against the devil‘s lies.  Hide it in your heart by memorizing verses to use when you feel afraid.  Verses that empower you and remind you of His sovereign and wholly good character.

The Church.  Not the building.  The people.  The fellowship of believers.  Foster strong relationships with His people and reach out to them in times of distress. 

When we do these things, it will remind us that our human view is limited and faulty and will encourage us to trust the One who knows it all.  Instead of losing hope for the future, we will begin to see a future with Him in it, actively helping us.  Instead of worrying, it will help us stop predicting things that may not - and most likely will not - come to pass.  But we must surrender control of our lives to Him daily. 

Because we live in a sinful, fallen world, sinful fear permeates our lives but that doesn’t mean we have to succumb to it.  Instead, we should engage ourselves in an intentional battle of spiritual warfare against this force that threatens to disarm us and render us useless for Christ. 

We can draw comfort from the promise Jesus made to his disciples, which is still true for us today -  “I am with you always to the very end of the age.”  Matthew 28:20

Taken in part from “4 Reasons Why We Fear” by Pastor Mark Driscoll, May 9, 2012  <http://pastormark.tv/2012/05/09/4-reasons-why-we-fear>

My “go-to” verses in dealing with fear:

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything.  Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.“  Philippians 4:6 (NLT)

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

“For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord.  They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”  Jeremiah 29:11 (NLT)

“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.” Romans 8:28 (NLT)

“I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”  Philippians 4:13 (NLT)

“ Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. . . . And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? . . . For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them. Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you.”  Luke 12:22-31

Questions for thought/discussion: 

What fears have you paralyzed today? How are you dealing with those fears? Is your method of battling fears working? Why or why not?