Motherhood; my new calling

As a parent, I do many things for my child. I feed, clothe, shelter, and nurture her. But out of all the things I do as a parent, one of the greatest and most important things I must do is show my child the glory of God. As a parent who is journeying through the stages of parenting, this is by far one area that I am learning to be diligent enough in – praying for my daughter to LOVE GOD. Often times we feel that we have all the power or control in how our children turn out. I have learned the exact opposite. Our energy is better spent praying and releasing control to Jesus rather than getting uptight and overworked on managing behavior and freaking out.

When we falter, and we will, we can point out to our children that we are not perfect but like Jesus was, we strive to be like Him. Jesus was love personified. He was full of love, slow to anger, compassionate, and gracious. This is what I, as a parent, I should strive to be like. I have received grace and one of the biggest life lessons my child can see is me on my knees praying, asking for forgiveness when I sin.

When I realize I will have far greater influence on my child than anyone else, then I must realize that every word I speak, every act, every response, my attitude, even my appearance and manner of dress affect her life. The influence of a mother in the life of her child is beyond calculation. It is always a choice to do the right thing even when I am not sure what the right thing is but am confident that in feeding her what the bible has fed me then she will be fine and when I am not there to guide her then that same word will keep her…and to forgive myself, over and over again, for doing every other thing wrong.

Motherhood is not a hobby, it is a calling. You do not take care of your children because you find them cuter than stamps…hehehe maybe partly. It is not something to do if you can squeeze the time in. It is what God gave you time for.The Bible is clear about the value of children. Jesus loved them, and we are commanded to love them, to bring them up in the nurture of the Lord. We are to imitate God and take pleasure in our children. Children know the difference between a mother who is saving face to a stranger and a mother who defends their life and their worth with her smile, her love, and her absolute loyalty.

When my sister tells me, “Your hands are full!” I am so thankful that she already knows what my answer will be. It was the same one that I always give: “Yes they are—full of good things!” Live the gospel in the things that no one sees. Sacrifice for your children in places that only they will know about. Put their value ahead of yours. Grow them up in the clean air of gospel living. Your testimony to the gospel in the little details of your life is more valuable to them than you can imagine. If you tell them the gospel, but live to yourself, they will never believe it. Give your life for theirs every day, joyfully. Lay down pettiness. Lay down fussiness. Lay down resentment about the dishes, about the laundry, about how no one knows how hard you work.

“Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 19:14). And then, as Matthew tells us, “he laid his hands on them” (Matthew 19:15).When Jesus did this, both for his day and for our own, he marked himself as an advocate for children. Let the little children come to me. This means, in a beautiful way we can’t quite fathom, that Jesus loves your children more than you do.

David wrote that the one place he most wanted to be was in God’s presence. “One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple” (Psalm 27:4).We have the privilege of showing our children that everything in life pales in comparison to enjoying God and being in his presence. Everything else in life will let us down, break, or turn out to be less than we expected, but God always satisfies.

Imperfect Wife,Perfected By Grace.

It has been a while since my last post but it has also been a good time of reflection and rejuvenation. We all strive for perfection; in our homes ,workplaces ,relationships and even within ourselves.

One scholar once said that the three hardest tasks in the world are neither how we look nor our intellectual achievements, but moral acts: to return love for hate, to include the excluded, and to say, “I was wrong. This I’m absolutely in agreement with.

Some days I look around and can’t help but think that I don’t measure up. Don’t we all? But what is our standard of measurement. We think I’m not a hockey mom, a trophy wife, top chef, or Angelina Jolie. I’m just me.

Barely five feet tall, I look up to other women in more ways than one. I still have this feeling that if they divided the women in my neighborhood into two teams I’d be somewhere there. I’m not the life of the party. And I wake up with the wildest hair that needs to be tamed, not always.

Insecurity—it’s a lie that Satan wants us to believe. We aren’t perfect and he’s sure to point that out to us every single day. He’ll never show us our importance because in doing so we wouldn’t realize how important we are to God.

If we hope to live in victory, we must keep our eyes off of the world and on the One who perfects us through grace.

Moses didn’t think he could be used by God because he wasn’t eloquent enough. And when God called Gideon to save Israel from the Midianites his reply was, “Oh my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? Behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.” (Judges 6:15)

How many times are we held back because we’re not good enough either? How many days are we discouraged because we don’t realize the extent of God’s grace?

I’m not a perfect wife, but I cling to the verse in Proverbs 12:4, “A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband.”With joy I’m reminded that I’d rather be a crown than a trophy wife, and that I’d rather have virtue than vogue.

Who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is far above rubies. – Proverbs 31:10

You’re so much more than just another pretty face; you’re deeply loved by a God Who numbers your hair. The same God who lights up our skies with a myriad stars created you, redeemed you, and knows you by name.

Have you surrendered your life to the Lord? Here’s merely a glimpse of who we become through His grace:

A friend:

Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.

– John 15:15

His children:

But as many as received him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.

– John 1:12

Joint heirs with Christ:

And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

– Romans 8:17

Free:

Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.

– Galatians 5:1

Redeemed:

In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;

– Ephesians 1:7

A New Creation:

So then, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; what is old has passed away–look, what is new has come.

– 2 Corinthians 5:17

Seated with Christ:

[He] hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: – Ephesians 2:6

And the list goes on…

Seriously–does any of this compare to a bad day, or what people might think about you?Do people point out your flaws, your mistakes, or your past?Who you were can never compare to who you are in Christ.

You were bought, you were purchased, you were redeemed, you were set free, and you–yes YOU are loved by an almighty God!

MODESTY:Humility in Clothing

I was first shocked when I saw the incident of a woman stripped by a group of men that happened at Pipeline Estate in Embakasi.Then another incident happens in Mombasa. When the men were asked they claim that it was because she was wearing a miniskirt but clearly this is not the case in the second incident. The lady was dressed in long pants, so is the society to blame for this?And by this I mean the two parties(the crowd, the victim).If your daughter/friend comes out of the house dressed in a manner that is offensive, why not tell her and advise that being uncovered is not Dignity?.If your son/father/friend participates in these heinous acts of stripping women, then is it a representation of the kind of sons we are raising. Men who cannot respect women. Has decency acquired a new meaning in society? Is decency women wearing what we want because it’s our choice or because it dignifies us? OR Is decency men taking matters in their own hands and using ‘reason’ to claim otherwise?

On one hand, we may decide to look the other way, blame the ladies and accentuate that it is right to do so. But Why not cover her up instead of stripping her? How will a society progress or be better if Humiliation and blatant abuse is a way of teaching appropriateness. The process of teaching society what is right is really important, and its starts at the family level. Are these men part of the family? I guess so. Why not start from there. Why not teach our daughters that dignity is based on the principles and the word of God? Let us teach her that the woman who loves the savior avoids immodesty because she doesn’t want to distract from or reflect poorly upon the gospel. God has provided us with a very clear pattern for Christian woman’s dress. Apostle Paul sums its up: “I desire then…that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control”(1Timothy 2:8-9).This sums it up, it is not about our choice but about modesty which means ‘A way of practicing outgoing love towards others’.

On the other hand, we may blame the crowd and accentuate that it is my choice to wear what I want regardless of the other people in society. This is also NOT RIGHT. What we wear should line up with, speak to, and be consistent with our profession of faith. Our dress should intentionally and carefully show our desire to glorify God in all things. The clothes we wear are what people see. The outward signs are important because they reveal something of what is inside. In choosing what clothes to wear, we make a choice. Who am I trying to identify with through my clothing? Where is my allegiance? With your dress, what are you guilty of?

I agree to a certain degree that what I wear is my choice #MyDressMyChoice but why not make the right choice, that not only dignifies and respects us and others but also PLEASES GOD. The virtue of modesty needs repeating, reminding, retweeting in society because we so easily forget the loveliness of a modest heart (that does not strip people) and the refreshing beauty of a modest dress.

Power of the tongue

Hey,Vraiment raté mon blog(‘Really missed my blog’).A little french jig wouldn’t hurt, courtesy of a good friend,hope I said it right.Its been quite crazy since my last blog post,but above all just greatful.Alright,let us talk about words…..words….words…words.

Words are powerful, and if life and death are in the power of the tongue (Proverbs 18:21); how much more awareness do we need in conversations with our spouse?

I can’t begin to count how many times I’ve spoken without really thinking about what I was saying or how I was saying it. (Yep, we’re going there.)

I’ll let you in on a little secret about my roommate (yes, I have his permission). Tone is everything. He will hear how you say something before actually hearing what you say. Definitely a blessing and a challenge.

In the beginning…

Before dating, we were friends. We believed in the same values and morals; we enjoyed the same activities and had the same group of friends. In a nutshell, communication came easy. As time went on, we began finding communication slightly more difficult.

Been there, done that…

A familiar scenario to married couples might look something like this: he says something to try and “help” her. He does it out of complete innocence. He’s just being a loving husband and trying to help…hahahaha.

She starts to read into “it” (ladies, you know what I’m talking about). Before you know it, both are simmering with agitation. He doesn’t know why she’s mad, and she’s mad at him because he should know?! Right?…..hahahaa.Cannot stop laughing while writing this.

We have all been there. For us wives, it’s so much more than words. It’s how it’s communicated.

He wrote it beautifully on Facebook: “Husbands: It’s your job to know how to talk to your wife and communicate in a way that edifies and uplifts her! Logic and reason mean nothing if it’s not communicated in love.”

True love is present when the feelings are absent. Actually there’s no better time to love your spouse then when you don’t feel like it.

And how quickly and easily the harsh words come flooding out to our spouse.

Of course there are days where I don’t feel like communicating lovingly. In fact, I deliberately communicate harshly to get a point across (auch…transparency!)

After I’ve had my (not-so) brilliant moment I typically feel convicted and need to spend some time going to God, asking for forgiveness and grace.

To speak and how to speak….

I’m constantly reminded that honoring and respecting Pat cannot be rooted in duty.

It MUST be rooted in love. A love that stems from understanding the simple and powerful message of the gospel; that grace and love were poured out for us through the work that Jesus Christ did on the cross.

Otherwise selfishness becomes the motivation and honor and respect goes out the window.

Soon after selfishness sets in and you’re saying what you want, when you want and however you want, you risk leaving your spouse’s heart trampled, broken and distant.

True, authentic, 1 Corinthians 13 love is not selfish. It can’t be.

We can only love because He (Christ) first loved us (1 John 4:19) and it’s only by His grace that we communicate to our spouses with that same love.

Next time

When the opportunity comes, as it surely will, to choose your words out of love or selfishness – pause and listen for the Holy Spirit. He is faithful to lead you in what to say, how to say it and when.

Communication is one of the many areas that we need to allow God to transform us to be more like Him. Loving, kind, compassionate and selfless.

Parler la vie(Speak Life guys).Ending with my French jig…..hahaha.

I pray….

“You do have a mountain to climb.  But I know you have it in you to do this and that God can empower you to do this.  You can’t do it on your own.  I completely agree that if you try to do all of this yourself, it’s impossible.

So it will involve beginning to use those faith and trust muscles in God that haven’t been getting much use.

Our God has HUGE plans for you, precious wife!  You are the one who is going to be the hero for this family.  I pray that God will let you see just a little glimpse of His plans and dreams for you and your family!  And of His incredible love for you.  His perfect love drives out all fear.

Your eyes are on the waves – I pray that you will get your eyes off the storm and onto Jesus.  He has this.  You don’t have to struggle.  You don’t have to try to walk on water yourself.  He’s going to lift you up to do this.

I pray that each wife reading this prayer will be able to get up and stand in confidence in knowing that the blood of Jesus has washed away every stain of sin.  I pray each wife will determine to serve You as Lord of her life and live in obedience to You no matter the cost.  And I pray that she will know that she is a daughter of the King of kings and Lord of lords  – she is not a pauper’s daughter!  She has access to all the riches of heaven.  Help her to begin to see that she can use the gifts You have purchased for her and that she is not powerless, she is not a victim.  She is far, far from worthless.  She is a precious, lovely, beautiful, important, valuable, cherished daughter of the King.  I pray she will know the width, depth and breadth of Your love for her, Lord!!!!  Open her eyes to see herself as You see her. Let her read the promises in Your Word and stand on them, not her own understanding.  Let her see that your wisdom is much higher than her own.  Help her to lay aside her wisdom and feelings and put on Your wisdom and Your armor and Your righteousness. Give her the gifts of heaven out of your mercy, grace and generosity for her to bring great glory to You.  Let her be found faithful when she enters heaven’s gates!

Raise up her head.  Give her the support she needs.  Give her the vision she needs.  Help her to crucify her old self and old desires and old ways of thinking and see the new thing that You are doing in her that is going to bless her family with Your power!  In all things she is more than a conqueror!  Fill her mind with Your praises and with Your Word.  Let her turn the knob to let Your Spirit flow in abundantly and in power to work in her, to remove all the filth and rot that offends you and that is destroying her.  Renew her mind and heart.  Fill her with good things from You.  Change her life, her soul, her marriage, her family and let them bring the greatest possible glory to Jesus!  Your will in her life, Lord!  All of Your will and nothing but Your will!

Remove the oppression of Satan from her mind.  Flood her soul and mind with Your light and hope!  Give her the faith to stand and begin to fight the enemy and see her family rescued from Satan’s snares.

In Jesus Name,AMEN.”

 

When taste overrules hunger

It’s everywhere in our society and churches, yet almost never talked about.

We like to say all sins are “equal” in the eyes of God, that there is no scale of less or worse sins, that a white lie or a homicide alike would have been enough to require Christ to die on the cross. We say this in theory, but in practice, we know that a white lie won’t get you kicked off the church leadership or worship team. And a homicide likely will.

In practice, there are some sins that are socially acceptable, even in the Church. There’s one sin in particular that has pervaded our society and churches so silently we hardly give it a second thought, and that is the constant hunt for more over what is enough. Or, in an uglier terminology, what is known as gluttony.

At its simplest, gluttony is the soul’s addiction to excess. It occurs when taste overrules hunger, when want outweighs need.

All desire for excess stems from a lack of satisfaction. I’m not satisfied with my portion—be it the portion on my plate, in the marriage bed, or in my bank account. Because I’m not satisfied with my portion, I then seek a greater portion. But because every portion is a finite part of a finite whole, I am constantly chasing an excess that can never satisfy.

This is the story of Genesis 3. What was the sin in the Garden of Eden if not a desire for excess? Adam and Eve were given beautiful sights and beautiful tastes in the absence of shame, but what made the garden a paradise was not any of this. It was a paradise because God walked in the cool of the day with them. And yet, Adam and Eve’s downfall was because they deemed even this as not enough. They weren’t content with their portion of paradise, and they reached out—to disastrous consequence—for more.

Like them, we are ravenous beings. We embody bottomless cravings that constantly paw at the next attractive thing. Our appetites are as strong as death, Proverbs 27:20 tells us. We are always on the move for the next thing that can satisfy and slake our restless thirst. This endless pull is the engine of gluttony. It propels our souls ever toward excess.

And yet, the desire for “more” is often misdirected. What we need is a relentless appetite for the divine. We need a holy ravenousness. Our craving souls can turn and become enthralled by a goodness that is found in the presence of an all-glorious God. There is only one infinite source of satisfaction that can satisfy our bottomless cravings.

In pursuit of lesser portions, our tastes have dulled. We’ve become numb to our real hungers, filling them with lesser fare. But when we return to the source, we taste a new.

Psalm 34:8 challenges us to see the difference for ourselves: “Taste and see that the Lord is good.” I think Paul understood this verse when he told the people at Lystra that God gives food and gladness so that our hearts would turn from vain things and turn to the ultimate satisfaction of who God is (Acts 14:15-17).

Consequently, God has ordained that His goodness can be tasted and seen .First, it means that every finite pleasure and satisfaction is meant to point us toward the infinite pleasure and satisfaction of God. My admiration for a sunset, then, need not stop at that horizon, rather it can curve upward into praise and gratitude. Second, it means that if our desire for “more” is misplaced, then certainly it can be redirected to something good as well.

Do we relish the chance to spend a few more minutes in prayer, hidden away from the world for just one more taste of the divine? When was the last time we lingered long over the pages of an open Bible because we just couldn’t stop admiring the honeyed flavor of an ancient truth? If the Bible is the story of the only infinite good, why do we spend so much of our lives at lesser tables?

My prayer is we would feast on an infinite God who offers fullness of life, rather than these lesser tables with the far milder flavors of money, food, sex and power.

In Pursuit

I have been snooping around the Amazon and got a really good excerpt from an eBook writer Amy, Pursuit of Proverbs 31. This article made me ball like a baby–in a good way! hahahaha. Needless to say, every wife has her own perspective of this woman. Trying to match up with her, in pursuit of her. What made her so great to be recognized by the wise writer of Proverbs.

She really intimidated me. Her standards were up there,Whooop,you know, to the roof. Most of the time I don’t have it all together  but she does, she knows who she is, what is expected of her and even conquers the world at every turn.

Here’s the excerpt.

……………………………

In Pursuit of Proverbs 31, by Amy

Many of us are fascinated with, and at the same time terrified of, the woman in Proverbs 31. This woman was a wife, mother, manufacturer, importer, merchant, manager, realtor, farmer, seamstress, upholsterer, and the list goes on and on. She is intimidating to say the least. I’ll admit I’ve snarked at her under my breath on more than one occasion.

We still try to be like her though, don’t we? And when we fall short we don’t want to face it. Instead, we try to hide behind strength and facades of perfection. But, there is always the One who can see right through us. He sees our hearts and our intentions. He knows what the neighbors would have never guessed; we don’t have it all together.

I, too, thought I was conquering this short snippet of time called life. At one point, I worked my fingers raw cleaning my home and crafting items I had no interest in. I memorized Scripture so that I could quote it at the next Bible study. I kept my hair in a trendy, but easy to manage, style and I spent lots of money on fashionable clothing so I could look nice at church functions. I smiled and laughed even on some of the worst days of my life. I didn’t allow myself to be vulnerable or to break. I was more than super-woman. I was super-Christian-woman. I can do all things, right?

Yet, even in the midst of wearing the super-woman cape I echoed the questions that have plagued the hearts and minds of so many:

Why can’t I get it right? How can I find more time to get it all done? Why isn’t God helping me?

Aren’t those the kind of thoughts and emotions we go through? Life brings us obstacles and we make it our responsibility to conquer them. On the outside we look like we have it all together. We roar while standing on top of a basket of freshly folded laundry when on the inside we are meowing and begging for someone to see us, to take notice.

Somehow we miss the one thing the Proverbs 31 was praised for: her fear of the Lord.

As I read and meditated on the Scriptures and tried applying them to my life, something odd happened. I became filled with anger, bitterness, anxiety, and was more overwhelmed than when I started. When I heard other women speak about all the Proverbs 31 guidelines they had achieved I would feel myself cringe inside. Why was I different? Why couldn’t I just get it?

………………………………………..

Have you ever felt this way?

It may not always be easy because we will have to overcome some mindsets we may have formed.

Only Christ can completely fulfill Scripture. He did so on the cross. That was His job. My job is to accept that and follow Him. We aren’t expected to do all that is written in Proverbs 31 and yet, in our imperfections we are still worth “more than rubies.”

The skills of a Proverbs 31 woman are the result of her relationship with Him. Her relationship with Him is not the result of her skills.

This is a simple, biblical approach to living up to your God-given potential.

Hugging it out

Last week was a crazy week for me.I actually thought people were out to frustrate me starting from the matatu tout,to the bank teller,to friends and the list goes on.Above all the happenings I learnt that forgiveness is a choice.And as C.S Lewis says “To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you.”

The concept of forgiveness can be a hard thing to digest.  If someone wronged us, granting forgiveness can feel almost as if we’ve been hit twice.

Our minds cannot grasp some acts deserving forgiveness.  Can you think of something that has been or would be hard to forgive?  I’m sure you could—I just thought of three in about five seconds flat.  Forgiveness doesn’t always appear justifiable.  Why should we let our perpetrator off the hook?

“Forgiving those who hurt us is the key to personal peace.”~ G. Weatherly

This residual weight strapped to our shoulders is not only a nuisance, but can be draining, tormenting, and even suffocating.  To choose to carry this pain can feel as if the incident is recurring with each passing day.  Neither party wins.

My Glimpse in the Mirror

I’ve recently asked myself, “Where would I be if I was never granted forgiveness for my own transgressions?”  Sadly, the answer wasn’t pretty.  We all appreciate forgiveness for our mistakes.  God forgives us over and over again every single day.  Upon acknowledgement of our blunder and a sincere request for forgiveness, His mercy awaits.  So wouldn’t it be hypocritical not to reciprocate this generosity to others?

“Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”

Ephesians 4:31-32

We are left with a choice:  do we forgive, or do we carry the weight?  It’s not an easy decision.  Given we make the decision to forgive, our next step(s) toward allowing that act to transpire can be even harder.  Here’s where prayer comes in, asking God to locate the strength and perspective within us to not only want to forgive but also follow through with that desire, surrendering to His wisdom when our need for justice yanks us backward.  We give our Father our torment and baggage and embrace the metamorphous of our heart.  We do this each and every day, over and over again until we are able to welcome this road as if no other choice had ever been appealing.  We simply can’t do it alone.

Why do we continue to hand out forgiveness—shouldn’t we reach a threshold at some point?  We don’t have a limited bank of forgiveness to grant.  God emulates for us limitless love, grace and mercy.  He doesn’t issue this sparingly.  Forgiveness is a choice, not a well that will run dry.  The option will always be available.  So what stops us from giving it?  Only ourselves.

“Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, ‘Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?‘ Jesus answered, ‘I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.’”

Matthew 18: 21-22

The choice is ours.

Larry Liza

Larry Liza is one fun christian,person,poet and friend.I could not stop laughing the first time I met him at Mamlaka church.That is normally hard since my sense of humor is wuuuuh…...you know.He captures the essence of the theme in his poems.He is one kenyan poet who is taking our kenyan roots to another level through poetry all over the world.

He really graced our wedding day and believe you me, my husband and I had fun the Liza way.

One of my favorite Liza poem is THE PEOPLE OF FACEBOOK.It got me cracking up all day because I just fitted the ‘likist‘ category.Awww snap!

With his permision,Here’s a preview of it from his collection of Petals Of Poetry 2014 

The braggarts – ujaluo ni gharama
‘At JKIA first class lounge’
‘Heathrow Business Lounge’
Never to see ‘Mogadishu airstrip’

The yappers – post it all
‘Woken up’, ‘Showered’
‘What’s for dinner?’
(as if we cook for you)
‘Yawn’ ‘Boredom’ ‘Diarrhea’
‘Brazil lost’ (as if we didn’t know)

The murderers – of language
‘Xaxa, 2me2pana’,
‘rotflol’, ‘hbd’, I 4c trabo
‘Don no wen’ ‘ai het pipo!’
4get kapxar azn c-oni, 2chat ltr
‘Lawd, tsa hawwwt’

The whiners – vuvuzelas
‘This gov’t is stupid’
‘I hate lazy people’
‘Left key at home’ (so, we bring it?)
‘KRA must style up’

The photosees
More selfies than meals
The nails, food, the cat, toes
The wind, the smell, the tout!
Groundies, roofies, toppies
Anyone for graveyards?

The silent ones – last post 2011
Be fooled not, they the snoops
The spiritual –‘Thank you Lord’
‘My Jesus, my bwana’
‘They that wait upon the Lord’

The sharers – this, that, any
Shared Humans of New York photo
Joel Osteen’s status, Churchill’s photo
No shared monies whatsoever

The know-it-all lecturers
The likists
The feelings feelers
What are you?

Larry Liza © Petals of Poetry 2014

Kudos Larry,Keep up the good work.We celebrate you.

My scars tell my story.

“Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18.

I have had my fine share of painful periods in life. On the flipside, God has graciously given me a mild reprieve, but I still spend a lot of time thinking about all that happened and the way God used trials and tribulations to remold and reshape me.

What do you do when everything you have placed your hope and faith in is swept out from underneath you like a rug, leaving you hopeless and literally on the floor, asking, “Why, God?”

As dramatic of a description as that may seem, I know what it feels like to lose out on a dream. It’s heartbreaking. And for me, even though it was a rude awakening, it was also a fresh beginning and a chance to truly, for the very first time, trust God and give him the pen of my life’s story—including my most of all my faith story.

We can never let ourselves forget that the struggle is part of the story. The nightmare we may be living—or have lived at some point—is something God can use to remind us of our need for Him. He can take our broken pieces and make them into something beautiful if we only trust Him. I know because I have experienced it.

Beauty for Ashes.

“As for you, O Lord, you will not restrain your mercy from me;

your steadfast love and your faithfulness will ever preserve me!” {Psalm 40:11}

 In these hard times, we often have to hit rock bottom before we realize our true need for God. In these times, we find Him on our knees. And when we do—when we humble ourselves before the Lord and ask Him for help—that is when we are reminded of whose arms will never fail us, whose ears will never tire of our cries and whose shoulder we can always lean on.

“I waited patiently for the Lord; he inclined to me and heard my cry.

He drew me up from the pit of destruction,out of the miry bog,and set my feet upon a rock,making my steps secure.He put a new song in my mouth,a song of praise to our God.” {Psalm 40:1-3}

 When I was forced to deal with the broken pieces of life that came my way , the Lord opened my eyes to see that the life I had been living was utterly self-focused. He had so many wonderful purposes for allowing my struggle! I realized that I had been so narrow-minded in getting what I wanted most that I placed some important relationships in my life on the back burner.

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.

For as the heavens are higher than the earth,so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” {Isaiah 55:8-9}

 And as the Lord continued closed some major doors in my life, I had to learn to dance in the hallway until more of them opened up. And, even now—even though many doors have opened and many changes have taken place in my life—I am still dancing in the hallway in some areas. But I have hope that even if the doors I want opened remain closed, God knows better than I do, and His ways are not my ways.

Today I pray that God would open the eyes of everyone reading this to see that His ways are best. And even when struggle and scars come, those struggles have a purpose and an important role in our stories. Let the struggles draw you closer to God and teach you true dependence on Him alone.