Contrary to what many people think, Jesus wasn’t killed, even though He died on a cross. He gave up His life, or the cross never would have happened. His accusers, His enemies, were not able to take His life, though many think they did. This is a really crucial distinction...one not to miss.
You see if Jesus was truly God’s Son, He must have power. And if He’s not God’s Son, then He’s a liar and I, for one, wouldn’t want to follow Him. In fact, I would be a fool to follow Jesus unless He is the Son of God. Without His deity, He’s a lunatic, and I prefer not to follow lunatics. So He had to have the power not to die...not to be killed, and He did have that power (read John 19). Not only did He powerfully die, but He’s powerfully alive. The tomb, and all the natural laws of biological science, could not contain His death.
But how do I know He’s alive? I know because He lives in and with me. His Spirit is my Comforter and my Counselor. His Word gives me daily food to sustain me, and His joy will not be traded for anything. Can I understand how all this spiritual stuff can be? No. But there are lots of things I don’t understand, which I believe in, such as love, hope, elaborate mathematical equations, astronomical facts, etc. The proof, for me, is His presence with me. A presence which cannot be understood unless it is experienced... And it cannot be experienced without belief.
Therefore, I hope that many will come to believe and follow Him – for their benefit. It’s the best decision one could ever make in life, and it’s the only decision that will ever matter in death. And despite what some people think, it’s not a sign of weakness. It’s a sign of power – of faith in the power of God.
There is a weak sort of Christianity going around. A Christianity that has become a religion more than belief in a powerful, merciful God… I despise that religion for diminishing my Lord. Jesus was not killed on a cross; He went to the cross intentionally (for my sake), and powerfully gave up His life, and powerfully got it back again, and powerfully lives in me. Belief, with the very power of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, is not any old belief. It’s not just another religion. It’s a truthful, powerful way of life and death...with joy that will not be traded for anything.
If you can find someone better to believe in and follow, let me know. For of course there’s no box to check that says “I don’t believe in anything.” Choose this day who you will serve.
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Who is Jesus?
Lately, I’ve been reading through the book of John, and I’ve found myself wondering how many people in the U.S. really know who Jesus is? Do they realize the names He was called? Do they know the things He was accused of, ridiculed for, and eventually crucified because of? Here are a few things He did, and was called, according to John:
Do people really pause, consider, and determine to follow this Jesus? This one who was hated by religious leaders so much that He was called a devil?
Jesus said: “Why should you be angry with me for healing a man on the Sabbath? Look beneath the surface so you can judge correctly.” John 7:23 & 24 (NLT) Maybe we should try to look beneath the surface a little more… When I look beneath the surface of my own heart, it’s pretty ugly. Then I read the truth about me in Isaiah 49:16 (NLT):
Jesus wore my name on the palms of His hands - on a cross. He purchased my freedom from all the ugly things in my heart. My heart has been made new! This is who I follow. This is who gives my life meaning.
I’m incredibly honored to be a follower of Jesus Christ and all that He stands for. Who are you following?
• Jesus talked to a particular woman, when it was politically incorrect to do so, much to the surprise of His disciples.
• Jesus broke the Sabbath law several times.
• Jesus talked about God as His Father even though it was dangerous to do so.
• Jesus was deserted by many followers because His message was too hard to accept.
• Jesus was called a fraud, a deceiver.
• Jesus was declared demon possessed.
• Jesus was called a Samaritan devil.
Do people really pause, consider, and determine to follow this Jesus? This one who was hated by religious leaders so much that He was called a devil?
Jesus said: “Why should you be angry with me for healing a man on the Sabbath? Look beneath the surface so you can judge correctly.” John 7:23 & 24 (NLT) Maybe we should try to look beneath the surface a little more… When I look beneath the surface of my own heart, it’s pretty ugly. Then I read the truth about me in Isaiah 49:16 (NLT):
“See, I have written your name on the palms of my hands.”
Jesus wore my name on the palms of His hands - on a cross. He purchased my freedom from all the ugly things in my heart. My heart has been made new! This is who I follow. This is who gives my life meaning.
I’m incredibly honored to be a follower of Jesus Christ and all that He stands for. Who are you following?
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
God is stronger
Why would a conference begin with preaching about our “galactic God” and end by inviting certain people to stand and be prayed for and others to sit and be prayed for. I mean, isn’t that just like us humans? And why does this particular exercise bug me so? Perhaps because I was in the sitting group, and once again I felt like I was not one of the “good Christians.” Nevertheless, even so, why do I really care, I ask myself? If I don’t agree with the “exercise,” which I ended up sitting through, who really cares, and why should I? It’s not that big of a deal, right?
I can only answer this by saying that I think it was the tipping point for me… It was one too many restrictive boxes that people, and not God, have tried to put me into my entire life. It was the final human-built straw that broke my very spirit and sent me into the ladies room to have a good cry.
The pastor who conducted this final prayer “exercise” had good intentions, I hope…and I really do think he did. And perhaps it was a strategic exercise for some in a positive way. All I know is that evil tried to use it for my harm. It wagged its ugly finger at me one more time to try to get me to give up and shut up. And I refuse.
I may be a woman, and a divorced one at that… I may not be perfect; I've had to confess many wrongdoings in my life. And at the final resurrection I absolutely will be unable to claim any merit of salvation but by the blood of Jesus Christ. And I declare that I refuse to let the blood of my Lord be wasted! I am free from sin; I’m a slave of Jesus Christ and no one else. People can try to keep me in my “place,” and preachers may be able to keep me in my chair, but Jesus has elevated me to a status that no one can take away: redeemed! I am His treasured daughter, who can and does approach the throne of grace boldly to receive grace to help in my time of need.
I’m really, really tired of human structures and human exercises. Even though I hope and trust no ill intent was in play, I also know that ill intent was in play by forces unseen. Forces which wanted to derail me once and for all…which wanted me to give up and accept shame as my cloak. And I renounce those forces. My God is stronger. He’s galactic!
I can only answer this by saying that I think it was the tipping point for me… It was one too many restrictive boxes that people, and not God, have tried to put me into my entire life. It was the final human-built straw that broke my very spirit and sent me into the ladies room to have a good cry.
The pastor who conducted this final prayer “exercise” had good intentions, I hope…and I really do think he did. And perhaps it was a strategic exercise for some in a positive way. All I know is that evil tried to use it for my harm. It wagged its ugly finger at me one more time to try to get me to give up and shut up. And I refuse.
I may be a woman, and a divorced one at that… I may not be perfect; I've had to confess many wrongdoings in my life. And at the final resurrection I absolutely will be unable to claim any merit of salvation but by the blood of Jesus Christ. And I declare that I refuse to let the blood of my Lord be wasted! I am free from sin; I’m a slave of Jesus Christ and no one else. People can try to keep me in my “place,” and preachers may be able to keep me in my chair, but Jesus has elevated me to a status that no one can take away: redeemed! I am His treasured daughter, who can and does approach the throne of grace boldly to receive grace to help in my time of need.
I’m really, really tired of human structures and human exercises. Even though I hope and trust no ill intent was in play, I also know that ill intent was in play by forces unseen. Forces which wanted to derail me once and for all…which wanted me to give up and accept shame as my cloak. And I renounce those forces. My God is stronger. He’s galactic!
Monday, September 19, 2011
Strength and kindness
I’ve sought to embody strength and kindness for at least ten years now... While I don’t remember what initially got me thinking about strength and kindness – no doubt something I read or heard – I do know that the concept has helped me, and been reinforced to me over and over in God’s Word.
Recently I finished the book, Power and Love, by Adam Kahane, which got me thinking again about "strength and kindness." He says in the introduction:
So the principle of strength and kindness (similar to power and love), is that strength alone results in bully-type behavior and kindness alone results in sappy, ineffective behavior. The two must work together. Jesus was both, of course. He stood up to the religious leaders of the times with incredible pluck, and He was incredibly kind to the weak, the broken-hearted, and many people that the religious regularly judged.
Jesus illustrated that love is strong, which sometimes means being obstinate in standing up for the unpopular belief or person, and that love is also kind, which can mean withholding judgment, offering respect, and extending mercy. And who can deny the strength and kindness He displayed as he walked to the cross for me, when He could have used His power to call it all off?
When do we stand up for our rights with people…with organizations? And when do we thoughtfully remain silent? When do we tow a tough line upholding our religious beliefs (ever? depends on one's definition of religious, I guess...), and when do we sync our beliefs with the life and teachings of Jesus? I find that the day to day scenarios that raise these questions don’t often have obvious, easy answers, yet it’s in the wrestling with these situations that God’s Spirit…God’s Word speaks words of wisdom, words of comfort and words of action, or inaction.
I’ve cried out to Him several times recently when I didn’t know whether to wield some strength through countering argument, or whether to be strongly silent. Both of these particular times He led me to silence. And should anyone think silence is weakness, try being silent when your natural self wants to argue! Those are times I’m very aware of my need for God’s strength.
And it doesn’t end there. For just as soon as I temporarily master silence, He typically leads me to speak up about something, and I find myself once again in need of His strength - this time to act in His power. And on and on it goes...
So following Christ isn’t easy. And yet it is. It isn’t, because it requires continuous seeking and wrestling with conventional wisdom in order to discern and follow truth. It is, because truth is found through the power of the Holy Spirit, and in the power of Jesus - The Word. It involves a lot of calling out to God for wisdom and help, but with sure results: He always answers. This makes following Jesus easy, and enables us to be both strong and kind.
Recently I finished the book, Power and Love, by Adam Kahane, which got me thinking again about "strength and kindness." He says in the introduction:
“Power and love stand at right angles and delineate the space of social change. If we want to get unstuck and to move around this space – if we want to address our toughest challenges – we must understand and work with both of these drives.”He discusses the two sides of power: generative (power-to) and degenerative (power-over). He also writes about the two sides of love: generative (when love is empowering) and degenerative (when love suffocates power). It's a good read if you like reading about how to facilitate social change. What it caused me to think most about, however, was the "strength and kindness" motto I embraced years ago.
So the principle of strength and kindness (similar to power and love), is that strength alone results in bully-type behavior and kindness alone results in sappy, ineffective behavior. The two must work together. Jesus was both, of course. He stood up to the religious leaders of the times with incredible pluck, and He was incredibly kind to the weak, the broken-hearted, and many people that the religious regularly judged.
Jesus illustrated that love is strong, which sometimes means being obstinate in standing up for the unpopular belief or person, and that love is also kind, which can mean withholding judgment, offering respect, and extending mercy. And who can deny the strength and kindness He displayed as he walked to the cross for me, when He could have used His power to call it all off?
When do we stand up for our rights with people…with organizations? And when do we thoughtfully remain silent? When do we tow a tough line upholding our religious beliefs (ever? depends on one's definition of religious, I guess...), and when do we sync our beliefs with the life and teachings of Jesus? I find that the day to day scenarios that raise these questions don’t often have obvious, easy answers, yet it’s in the wrestling with these situations that God’s Spirit…God’s Word speaks words of wisdom, words of comfort and words of action, or inaction.
I’ve cried out to Him several times recently when I didn’t know whether to wield some strength through countering argument, or whether to be strongly silent. Both of these particular times He led me to silence. And should anyone think silence is weakness, try being silent when your natural self wants to argue! Those are times I’m very aware of my need for God’s strength.
And it doesn’t end there. For just as soon as I temporarily master silence, He typically leads me to speak up about something, and I find myself once again in need of His strength - this time to act in His power. And on and on it goes...
So following Christ isn’t easy. And yet it is. It isn’t, because it requires continuous seeking and wrestling with conventional wisdom in order to discern and follow truth. It is, because truth is found through the power of the Holy Spirit, and in the power of Jesus - The Word. It involves a lot of calling out to God for wisdom and help, but with sure results: He always answers. This makes following Jesus easy, and enables us to be both strong and kind.
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
"Let me lead..."
You never know when God is going to speak to you... Two weeks ago, the setup for His voice began while I was dancing a Brazilian dance with a random man in Chicago’s Grant Park.
I can’t believe I just typed that. This is because: a) I’m not much of a dancer. I do love music, and can keep a pretty good beat, yet Norwegian-blooded people aren’t typically known for their dancing exhibitions... And, b) I’m not one to hang out with random men in Chicago – or anywhere.
This was a special night, however, as the family girls had gathered for a weekend in Chicago and we were excited about having some dancing fun together. I’m not sure exactly how it happened, but I do know that I ended up moving to the beat (sort of), on the huge wooden dance floor, under the sky-scraper-studded Chicago night sky. Well, the next thing I knew, I was paired with this stranger, who actually knew this hip-swinging, partner-twirling, Brazilian dance, which, clearly, I did not.
There was no dancing (or other) chemistry between us, but he did kindly try to lead me through the steps and twirls, and in the short while we danced, I bet he smiled and said at least four or five times: “Just let me lead.” One of the last times he said it I wondered if he actually thought I had control issues. And then I wondered if I did...
Well, later that night – while fast asleep, safely back at the condo – I had a dream. I dreamed that I was again dancing with this guy, and after hearing over and over, “Just let me lead,” I suddenly and totally released myself to his lead, and…..twirled around and around, dancing perfectly, like I had never danced before in my life! It was so much fun. And I couldn’t believe how well I was dancing! It really worked when I let him lead.
Then, still in my dream, I thought, “Hmm, this must be what God wants me to do. He wants me to simply, and totally, let Him lead. And…I wonder what that would be like? Would I be able to do things that I’ve never been able to do before?” And the final thought, still in my dream: “I should blog about this.”
I’m not too surprised that since that night in Chicago I have heard God’s voice over and over say to me, “Just let me lead.” And as I, more and more, release myself to His leading – release my fretting and my seeking to control things – it becomes more and more fun, and things seem to go better and better. I’m not saying that all is lovely, and that everything is turning out perfectly, but relaxing and allowing my Lord to lead is bringing me new peace and confidence in the day to day steps and struggles of life.
I’ve told a few friends this story, and they said they were blessed by it. I decided it was time to agree with the thought in my dream and blog about it.
I can’t believe I just typed that. This is because: a) I’m not much of a dancer. I do love music, and can keep a pretty good beat, yet Norwegian-blooded people aren’t typically known for their dancing exhibitions... And, b) I’m not one to hang out with random men in Chicago – or anywhere.
This was a special night, however, as the family girls had gathered for a weekend in Chicago and we were excited about having some dancing fun together. I’m not sure exactly how it happened, but I do know that I ended up moving to the beat (sort of), on the huge wooden dance floor, under the sky-scraper-studded Chicago night sky. Well, the next thing I knew, I was paired with this stranger, who actually knew this hip-swinging, partner-twirling, Brazilian dance, which, clearly, I did not.
There was no dancing (or other) chemistry between us, but he did kindly try to lead me through the steps and twirls, and in the short while we danced, I bet he smiled and said at least four or five times: “Just let me lead.” One of the last times he said it I wondered if he actually thought I had control issues. And then I wondered if I did...
Well, later that night – while fast asleep, safely back at the condo – I had a dream. I dreamed that I was again dancing with this guy, and after hearing over and over, “Just let me lead,” I suddenly and totally released myself to his lead, and…..twirled around and around, dancing perfectly, like I had never danced before in my life! It was so much fun. And I couldn’t believe how well I was dancing! It really worked when I let him lead.
Then, still in my dream, I thought, “Hmm, this must be what God wants me to do. He wants me to simply, and totally, let Him lead. And…I wonder what that would be like? Would I be able to do things that I’ve never been able to do before?” And the final thought, still in my dream: “I should blog about this.”
I’m not too surprised that since that night in Chicago I have heard God’s voice over and over say to me, “Just let me lead.” And as I, more and more, release myself to His leading – release my fretting and my seeking to control things – it becomes more and more fun, and things seem to go better and better. I’m not saying that all is lovely, and that everything is turning out perfectly, but relaxing and allowing my Lord to lead is bringing me new peace and confidence in the day to day steps and struggles of life.
I’ve told a few friends this story, and they said they were blessed by it. I decided it was time to agree with the thought in my dream and blog about it.
Sunday, July 10, 2011
A beautiful ending
What do we do when we feel like the pre-prince Cinderella? What if we – the protagonists in our respective stories – feel under-appreciated, forgotten, underemployed, tired, hopeless, or unimportant? (Or am I the only one who has these moments, these days…these seasons?)
As I struggle with places in my storyline that are less than inspiring to me, and as one who seems to want and need significance, in relationships and vocation, almost more than anything else, I cry out to God for His wisdom and His reassurance that I’m not off the path of His good pleasure and His providence for my life.
This week, and always, He reassures me with Himself. With His loving heart toward me…because all my sins have been forgiven by the blood of Jesus Christ. That’s all that really matters. I don’t have to strive or worry or be afraid. I’m in His will if I’m resting in His sovereignty, and in my forgiven place, as a redeemed, loved child of my Maker.
Yet, what about my story? What if I screw it up? Well, I already have, and continue to at times, despite the fact that I earnestly don’t want to. But this is an amazing piece of what God does... He takes the things we, and others, mess up, and redeems them, crafting them into exquisitely beautiful stories – despite our mistakes and despite the harm from this world. But the best is yet to come...
Barlow Girl has a gorgeous song called Beautiful Ending which asks: “So tell me, what is our ending? Will it be beautiful, so beautiful?” The sister trio sings: “At the end of it all I wanna be in Your arms.” That’s the ending of my story. I’ll be safely in His arms!
When your story – when my story – feels ordinary, is a lot of work, or is filled with seemingly unbearable grief, as some of you are experiencing, take heart: the ending will be glorious. We are not forgotten or lost or hopelessly off-track in the mess of this life. In fact He is using the sad, lonely, harmful stuff of our lives to write a more beautiful ending. An ending which will make our hearts soar as never before.
My story on this earth is still being written. Some times are remarkable, like my trip to Cameroon in January and February. Some times are ordinary and my destiny feels forgotten, like this week. But the ending is known. It is glorious. If I abide in Christ, He has already written the end of my story on this earth, and it will be beautiful. I will be in His arms.
As I struggle with places in my storyline that are less than inspiring to me, and as one who seems to want and need significance, in relationships and vocation, almost more than anything else, I cry out to God for His wisdom and His reassurance that I’m not off the path of His good pleasure and His providence for my life.
This week, and always, He reassures me with Himself. With His loving heart toward me…because all my sins have been forgiven by the blood of Jesus Christ. That’s all that really matters. I don’t have to strive or worry or be afraid. I’m in His will if I’m resting in His sovereignty, and in my forgiven place, as a redeemed, loved child of my Maker.
Yet, what about my story? What if I screw it up? Well, I already have, and continue to at times, despite the fact that I earnestly don’t want to. But this is an amazing piece of what God does... He takes the things we, and others, mess up, and redeems them, crafting them into exquisitely beautiful stories – despite our mistakes and despite the harm from this world. But the best is yet to come...
Barlow Girl has a gorgeous song called Beautiful Ending which asks: “So tell me, what is our ending? Will it be beautiful, so beautiful?” The sister trio sings: “At the end of it all I wanna be in Your arms.” That’s the ending of my story. I’ll be safely in His arms!
When your story – when my story – feels ordinary, is a lot of work, or is filled with seemingly unbearable grief, as some of you are experiencing, take heart: the ending will be glorious. We are not forgotten or lost or hopelessly off-track in the mess of this life. In fact He is using the sad, lonely, harmful stuff of our lives to write a more beautiful ending. An ending which will make our hearts soar as never before.
My story on this earth is still being written. Some times are remarkable, like my trip to Cameroon in January and February. Some times are ordinary and my destiny feels forgotten, like this week. But the ending is known. It is glorious. If I abide in Christ, He has already written the end of my story on this earth, and it will be beautiful. I will be in His arms.
This protagonist reflects
People have asked me lately how my blog writing is going, and, “have you started a book?” My answer has generally been that I’m in a bit of a pause… a sort of unplanned writing break which has no predetermined length (by me), and will likely contain spurts of writing within. I’ve been asking God a lot about the next steps of my story, including the next steps of writing my grandparents’ stories. Friends are praying with me about this, and I know He will lead…
This week, however, I’ve been thinking about characters in good stories. Like me, have you ever wished you were a character in a favorite story? I remember as a young girl wishing I was the real-life version of the girl in one of my picture books. This girl had found a sick little duck. She put a soft blanket in her wagon and hauled the duck home where her mother helped her take care of it and nurse it back to health – when of course she brought the duck back to the wild and freed it. I remember earnestly looking around my land-locked neighborhood for any sick little duck that may need me. Surprisingly, none were found.
I then thought about the popular Cinderella fairy tale. What little girl hasn’t at some point in her childhood dreamed of being a real life Cinderella? (I’m sure there are a few who haven’t, but I wasn’t one of those few.) Dreamed of being discovered by a prince who would rescue her from her misery? A prince who would relieve her from a life where she’s taken for granted and not considered anyone special? A kind, handsome prince who wants to be with her so much that he would search an entire kingdom to find and marry her?
Well, I’m wondering this week how often, with a happy story or movie ending, do I quickly forget about the stress or strife during the story? For example, I have never dwelled for long on the fact that Cinderella was emotionally, if not physically, abused by her stepmother or stepsisters. All the troubles she encountered, all the dull, sad moments of the story I have quickly and virtually forgotten with the stunningly beautiful ending. The ugly parts of the story were there to make the ending soar with joyful emotion. But who dwells on them once the story has ended - once the beautiful ending is known?
Did I ever once think about the duck poop the little girl must have encountered? Or the lost playtime as she cared for the duck? No, what I remember is the victory she gave the duck, by helping him back to health and setting him free. The selfless care she gave him looked like complete fun and passion, on the pages of this book which I was sure would have a happy ending.
Which brings me to the point I’ve been thinking about: A great story, while in the midst of it, may feel dull, sad, disconnected, or even wrong, to the protagonist who trusts there will be a happy ending, but feels far from it.
This week, about an hour into some spur of the moment babysitting for a friend, I discovered that the three-year old had a case of the “runs.” I immediately found that I did not particularly like this storyline of my day. While I felt badly for the ill child and sought to reassure her and care for her lovingly, I was also feeling badly for me, and was not particularly pleased with my “calling” for that evening, especially after a tiring day at the office. It did not feel exciting, like the story I want to be part of. I was disappointed, not only in the un-pleasantries of the evening, but in my responding attitude...
I sensed God’s Spirit gently reminding me, “Annie, it will not always be fun. Did you remember to count the cost of not living for yourself when you told me you wanted your life to be a better story? And remember, just because it’s not fun right now, this does not mean you’ve stepped out of the story we are writing together.”
But oh how I love the fun times, God! Yet not more than You… I do want to bring glory to you through my life. I do want a beautiful ending.
This week, however, I’ve been thinking about characters in good stories. Like me, have you ever wished you were a character in a favorite story? I remember as a young girl wishing I was the real-life version of the girl in one of my picture books. This girl had found a sick little duck. She put a soft blanket in her wagon and hauled the duck home where her mother helped her take care of it and nurse it back to health – when of course she brought the duck back to the wild and freed it. I remember earnestly looking around my land-locked neighborhood for any sick little duck that may need me. Surprisingly, none were found.
I then thought about the popular Cinderella fairy tale. What little girl hasn’t at some point in her childhood dreamed of being a real life Cinderella? (I’m sure there are a few who haven’t, but I wasn’t one of those few.) Dreamed of being discovered by a prince who would rescue her from her misery? A prince who would relieve her from a life where she’s taken for granted and not considered anyone special? A kind, handsome prince who wants to be with her so much that he would search an entire kingdom to find and marry her?
Well, I’m wondering this week how often, with a happy story or movie ending, do I quickly forget about the stress or strife during the story? For example, I have never dwelled for long on the fact that Cinderella was emotionally, if not physically, abused by her stepmother or stepsisters. All the troubles she encountered, all the dull, sad moments of the story I have quickly and virtually forgotten with the stunningly beautiful ending. The ugly parts of the story were there to make the ending soar with joyful emotion. But who dwells on them once the story has ended - once the beautiful ending is known?
Did I ever once think about the duck poop the little girl must have encountered? Or the lost playtime as she cared for the duck? No, what I remember is the victory she gave the duck, by helping him back to health and setting him free. The selfless care she gave him looked like complete fun and passion, on the pages of this book which I was sure would have a happy ending.
Which brings me to the point I’ve been thinking about: A great story, while in the midst of it, may feel dull, sad, disconnected, or even wrong, to the protagonist who trusts there will be a happy ending, but feels far from it.
This week, about an hour into some spur of the moment babysitting for a friend, I discovered that the three-year old had a case of the “runs.” I immediately found that I did not particularly like this storyline of my day. While I felt badly for the ill child and sought to reassure her and care for her lovingly, I was also feeling badly for me, and was not particularly pleased with my “calling” for that evening, especially after a tiring day at the office. It did not feel exciting, like the story I want to be part of. I was disappointed, not only in the un-pleasantries of the evening, but in my responding attitude...
I sensed God’s Spirit gently reminding me, “Annie, it will not always be fun. Did you remember to count the cost of not living for yourself when you told me you wanted your life to be a better story? And remember, just because it’s not fun right now, this does not mean you’ve stepped out of the story we are writing together.”
But oh how I love the fun times, God! Yet not more than You… I do want to bring glory to you through my life. I do want a beautiful ending.
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