The Uninvited Guest
Esther. That would be the one.
If there is a character in the bible that I can most relate to, it would be her. We all have one. That one person we identify with above all the rest. Of course we always think it is because of the strengths this person displayed when in reality it is all about the weaknesses they battled.
…Yes, I meant to write that.
It is the flaw that causes us to make the connection with these characters and not so much the victory although that too is undoubtedly a part of the attraction.
Esther: an average girl turned royalty.
100% me…the average girl part that is.
Oils, spices, and ointments were all at Esther’s fingertips. Kingdom affairs, riches, and power were all at her disposition, but her most valuable advantage was access to the king.
Yet this access was limited to when she was invited to appear before him. Approaching the inner court without an invitation could cost Esther her life. For this reason she had to remain in an acceptable form pleasing to the king at all times as he could summon her at a moment’s notice.
But as life can sometimes do, Esther was put in a desperate situation and she approached the king’s throne as an Uninvited Guest. Though she wore her royal apparel, the burden of her situation weighed heavy on her person.
And to her surprise, the king extended his golden scepter to her so that she might live.
Like Esther, I have been the uninvited guest many a time. Though I have been called to remain in an acceptable form pleasing to the king at all times, it is more the times that I haven’t been than the times I have.
I have approached His throne weighed down by a million and one things…regrets, confusion, doubts, disappointments, fears…all the things that have no place in front of a flawless king. And just as I think He is going to reject me…He extends his golden scepter to me and welcomes me to the inner court.
Many things are offered by this world…riches, fame, power, but I have come to understand that my most valuable advantage is access to the king; even as an Uninvited Guest.
The Hard Thing
As many of you know I had the opportunity to speak to a Christian group in Pakistan via skype recently. When I first received the invitation, I can tell you I was both excited and hesitant at the same time. I mean it’s no secret that Christianity is not exactly accepted in Pakistan.
– Who exactly was this group?
– What were they teaching the people in the group?
– Were our beliefs the same?
-Would their views align with mine?
These were just some of my concerns as I contemplated whether or not this was something I wanted to do. After kicking the idea around and after having a conversation with the voice of reason <my mom>, I realized I really didn’t have a choice in the matter. It was an assignment given to me by G-d and not only would I carry it out, but I would carry it out with a cheerful heart.
Blessed to be a blessing were her exact words!!
…And she knew exactly what she was talking about like all good momma’s do.
You see this group reminded me of how we ought to ask G-d for The Hard Thing.
About 20 of them gathered in what seemed to be an empty room with a banner displaying their name in the back. On their knees and sitting in rows on the floor they greeted me with the most genuine smiles showing both appreciation and reverence. I’m not sure if my favorite part was when they asked me to sing a worship song or when they waved hello at me through the camera. And for those of you who know me, you can breathe now…No, I did not sing! I’ll save that for the next time <wink, wink>
My message was about G-d’s faithfulness. Yet in spite of the fact that I was the one who brought the Word, I can tell you that they were the ones that brought the testimony!
There was no fancy sanctuary filled with comfortable chairs, nor were their flashy lights or top of the line instruments. All there was, was a people who had learned to ask and depend on G-d for The Hard Thing.
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For peace amongst the turmoil
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For water in the dry place
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For protection in the middle of the chaos and violence
For all the things that you and I take for granted every day because they come with our territory.
You see for them, this is The Hard Thing. What can only happen on a daily basis with the intervention of a faithful G-d.
Like always, my mother was right…the blessing was for me. I will not settle for the little things but will confide in an all-powerful G-d to perform The Hard Thing(s) in my life.
Praying you do the same….
I’m Getting My Groove Back
40…yeah that was the magic number! I certainly wasn’t going to be one of those women. Long beautiful flowing hair from the back that leads you to think she’s 16, but one glance at her from the front and you realize she’s actually 60.
Just as my birthday approached is when I made up my mind…long hair after 40 was a Don’t for me… and so I chopped it all off!
It was basically an overnight decision. I made the appointment at the salon, went in and without remorse watched as they swept away my mane which was enough to make a wig or two out of.
I left feeling light and refreshed and as if 20 years had been taken off me…ok, maybe not 20 but at least 10.
I’m not sure what it is about milestones in our lives. But they cause us to do some of the craziest things. Things that we would normally not do.
That was October of last year and today as only time can do, it has revealed certain truths that 9 months ago I wouldn’t have understood.
You see my whole life I never had the courage to cut my hair past my bra strap. It was as if though my identity was found in my hair. Without it, I just knew I wouldn’t feel like myself and all my strength and everything pretty about me would be gone. But turning 40 and believing that crazy story about long hair at 40, pushed me to finally take the step I had been scared to take my whole life.
Although it seemed to be about the hair, it really wasn’t.
It was about a mindset!
…A mindset that was comfortable with the familiar and didn’t want to let go of what it had always known. A misplaced identity that didn’t know how to separate physical beauty from internal value and worth. Both of which kept me
growing something for so long for the wrong reasons.
None of the things I thought would happen when I cut my hair happened.
-The sky didn’t fall
-Elephants didn’t fly
-I didn’t lose my strength
-….and the Jensing still thinks I’m cute
The only thing that changed was my mindset. Because sometimes we have to cut things off in order that they may grow back at a different time and for the right reasons.
Whether short or long, my hair isn’t the sum of me but just an expression! Short was fun while it lasted but now it’s growing and I’m getting my groove back!
The Invisible Man
The Invisible Man huh? Sounds a little cartoony or maybe straight out of a superhero movie? Well that’s not exactly the invisible man I’m referring to. The invisible man I speak of can be our next door neighbor, our co-worker, the person sitting next to us at church, or even the one we work out with at the gym.
The invisible man can be anyone.
About two weeks ago we were in Orlando on a short weekend vacation. As we were hunting down a place to go for breakfast, we exited the highway and came to a stop light right at the bottom. Now this was no ordinary light. In fact, to call it long is an understatement. We sat at the light and it wasn’t until several minutes later, just as the light was about to turn green, that I noticed someone who had been standing there the whole time. He tiredly held up his cup and just as I took notice of him, Rain asked from the back seat if we could give him some change.
How could I have possibly not noticed him? He was in my face the whole time and I would hardly say he was easy to miss.
But just as Rain filled his cup and he stood at our car window, I caught sight of something even harder to miss than his physical self; the pain in his eyes.
Now, G-d truly has a sense of humor! It seemed that for the rest of the week following that incident, I continued to run into invisible men and women everywhere.
About 2 days later as I scrolled down my FB news feed, I came across a picture of someone I hadn’t seen in a long time. In fact, it had been so long that I had forgotten we were friends on FB. But when I read the post more carefully I realized it was a memorial. How could it be? We taught the same grade level, were classroom neighbors, laughed and had lunch together. What did I miss? Had she always suffered from this depression…the one that would lead her to take her own life?
There are invisible men and women everywhere. Some blend in with our city streets such as this homeless man and yet others blend in with the crowd. Some function in society and others don’t. But the pain is just as real for both. It’s a pain that masquerades itself with smiles and normality, and fears being discovered because of what “they” might think.
It’s a deep rooted, raw pain. One that if left undisturbed will grow and grow and choke the life out of its host.
Its antidote is a well-adjusted mind. The kind that comes only from guarding ours because everything we do flows from it (Proverbs 4:23).
If you are living with this kind of pain today, know it is not G-d’s fullest plan for you. Reach out to those around you and come out of the shadows.
– No matter who they are or where they come from, every person on earth has two identities. The way they see themselves and the way the world sees them. I pray your eyes would be open to the invisible people around you and that you would offer a hand of hope.
A Pinch of Desire
Those who know me can tell you that I am not a “cook”. The kitchen is the last place you can willingly find me, but of course out of obligation < husband and two lady bugs that insist on eating everyday> I do spend a lot of time there. However, on occasion I have to admit that a good recipe catches my eye, and since it seems that recipes are floating all around social media, I get inspired to make my way into the kitchen and experiment. Because even us “non-cookers” have our occasional motivation!
So I’d like to share with you today a recipe you might find useful. I hope it gets you cookin’, though not necessarily in the kitchen. Please make a note of the following items that you will need for this recipe:
INGREDIENTS:
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A pinch of Desire
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½ teaspoon of faith
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1 heaping cup of effort
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1 ½ cups of persistence
DIRECTIONS:
- Any good cook can tell you that all good recipes begin as a thought before they ever hit the kitchen table. Have you ever had an idea, thought, concept, or something you’ve wanted to do but has never matured past the state of being just that; an idea? If you have, you’re in the right company. It is this idea that will be your “pinch of desire” in this recipe. Because every big plan starts off as a small idea first. Oh, and don’t let the “pinch” fool you. Some of the best recipes most important ingredient is the smallest in dose.
- And speaking of small doses, we will need to add ½ teaspoon of faith to our pinch of desire.
Faith, like baking powder, will act as our leavening agent in this recipe.
Once we put it into the mix, it will grow the dream. It will make our desire rise and reach its maximum potential. We don’t need a lot of it to begin with because
faith is one of those unique ingredients that multiplies itself.
- Once those two ingredients are mixed, set them aside and in another bowl add 1 cup of effort. You will need an electric mixer or you can mix it by hand. Keep beating the effort until all clumps are gone. You may get tired of mixing but keep going and give it all you’ve got. You must fully exert yourself and put in all your energy. Don’t mix it on low, make sure the setting is on high. (Warning: This is the point you may begin to feel like giving up because it no longer feels like fun but instead feels like work…keep pushing).
- While continuing to beat the effort, slowly begin to add 1 ½ cups of persistence. Mix it in at a consistent pace. Making sure that the persistence is equally measured and you are not putting in more at the beginning than at the end.
- Mix all ingredients together and put it in to bake. The temperature will rise and test your dedication, commitment, and patience. But whatever you do, do not pull it out until it’s done! Set the timer on, and when it goes off you will have taken a pinch of desire and turned it into an accomplished dream!
Enjoy!
Do Not Resuscitate
I had never heard the term before… – DNR- , what exactly did it mean? All I knew was that we were being encouraged to sign one, as at that point nothing else could be done. It was 4 years ago today that my father showed me what a DNR was. He passed away undisturbed, without any pain, and his body was allowed to just go through the process. After all, that’s what we wanted, the least invasive, most natural death possible.
Hesitant at first to listen to the doctors who made such a recommendation, it slowly began to make sense. The time for him to go was soon approaching and trying to keep him alive with CPR would just contribute to a more painful death. Though it’s never easy to make such a decision, without a doubt, at times it really is best.
Do Not Resuscitate.
I think back today at the place I was in mentally 4 years ago and how so much has changed. Where in the days leading up to my father’s death I was having a hard time letting go and understanding that keeping him alive was not the most beneficial thing, today I see it clearly.
But DNR’s are not strictly for those lying on a hospital bed. In fact, DNR’s extend far beyond the hospital room and into our daily lives. In this 4 year reflection period that I’ve been having, I can think of many other things in my life that have come to an end, many of which I should have let die years ago. Yet some have remained around much longer than they should have because I have kept giving life to that which was already expired. In return for this life extension, I have received many heartaches, sleepless nights, and drawbacks because
resuscitating something that’s meant to die only brings pain.
I’d like to blame it on ignorance, and say that many times I haven’t known better. But the truth is that my first responder complex has been the culprit.
My father taught me a very valuable lesson that day.
Some things in life just have to die.
Next week, I have the privilege to speak to a beautiful group of women called the LILIES. I will share with them my experiences of letting certain things in my life live on way past the time they should have. I’m believing that they too will reflect on what they have been giving a life extension to, and that by the end of the day they will commit to sign a DNR with me.
Because somethings in life do not need to be resuscitated!
Believing you are letting go of the expired things this week!
The Event Planner
I don’t remember ever taking logistics in school but it was certainly amongst the courses offered. It never called my attention back then and I can’t say that much has changed. I mean, figuring out all the little details of anything has always been tedious work for me. Yet at the same time the little details are what make up the big picture.
Just this weekend the Jensing and I were analyzing our options of schooling for Sky as she gets ready to go into high school next year. Boy oh boy, was that a process! The choice as far as which school was a better selection was quite obvious, but did I get stuck in the logistics of this decision or what?! Transportation, school hours, after school activities etc. By the end of our conversation I was drained!
Of course these are things that need to be thought out and planned, but is there such a thing as too much planning? Well I suppose that would depend on whether or not we step from planning into control.
This morning, in keeping with the planning overload we experienced yesterday, it seems I woke up ready for round two. The only difference was that I switched subjects. I found myself beginning to worry about an event I will be attending later this month -over which details I have no control-, and wondering about how I could make sure every specific would function according to my satisfaction.
This was control at its finest working undercover as planning.
I quickly caught myself and that’s when it hit me, “Just Show Up”.
I mean, after all, who died and made me the Event Planner for every single affair in life?!
You see, as much as I’d like to know how every aspect of anything I am remotely involved in will work out, sometimes it’s not for me to know.
It was then that I remembered that I have a fulltime Event Planner on staff that is there to work out all the factors of all my occasions and I simply have to …show up.
-Life is certainly easier when someone is working out the details for you!
Have a Blessed Week!
The Unexpected Outcome
I Love it when a Plan Comes Together
is the line made famous in the popular series A-Team. Although quite simple, it was also quite catchy. I mean, who doesn’t love it when things work out just as planned right?!
But what about when what we planned is nowhere near working out and instead we begin to feel as though we just hit a wall? Usually at this point we lose all hope and begin to count our losses…UNLESS of course we experience an Unexpected Outcome.
Unexpected Outcomes are those things we never imagined would work together for our benefit. In fact the most famous Unexpected Outcome story is one we just celebrated last weekend.
The savior of the world is falsely accused, viciously put to death on a cross, and then buried and sealed in a tomb. Talk about hitting a wall! Those that were followers of Christ were left with nothing but a memory of the one that came and revolutionized their world. All hope was lost and as much as they wanted to believe there would be a favorable outcome their limited thinking impeded them from seeing it.
And three days later just as time had convinced them of the death of a dream and stolen the last bit of hope that remained, the Unexpected Outcome AROSE (literally)!
I’m not sure about you, but that’s the G-d that I serve!
-One who shows up with a solution at the last minute!
-One who parts the red sea and lets a whole nation of people through!
-One who brings down walls!
-One who makes the mountains low and the valleys high!
A supernatural kind of G-d…
The G-d of the Unexpected Outcome!!
Believing that Unexpected Outcomes will ARISE in your lives this week…
References Available upon Request
Recently, someone I know and greatly respect was selected to be ordained as a deacon at his church. If there was someone I could truly see deserving of such a position, it was Ron. There are many reasons I knew Ron was the man for the job, but if I had to base my case on one, it would have to be because he is a man of integrity.
As part of being considered a deacon candidate, Ron would have to endure a time of cross-questioning where he would be examined in order to make sure he was both ready and the right person. After this process, Ron shared that it was an intense time but that he answered from the heart and felt good about the outcome.
Although he didn’t get into the questions and answers, there was one question he did share that had impacted him, and really left me meditating…”Are you above reproach”?
You know…above reproach…Blameless, Guiltless, Faultless, Clean??
Boy, is this a hard question to answer honestly!
Which reminds me of a book I recently read titled, How to Influence People by John Maxwell. Although every chapter in this book is a winner, my favorite is: A Person of Influence has Integrity with People. It’s the word integrity that strikes a chord with me. Defined as:
the quality of being honest and having moral principles
having integrity is what would qualify us as being above reproach.
Although easy to define, it is harder to live.
You see, integrity is what happens when nobody is looking. It is being able to get away with something with no one ever finding out, yet choosing not to. It is committing to others and keeping our word. It is not compromising our belief system for the convenience of the moment. It is taking the longer route and not cutting any corners. It is choosing character over gains.
Integrity is having References Available upon Request.
Which brings me back to Ron. Just a short time after the above mentioned examination, Ron was officially ordained as a deacon. His solid character I’m sure was the determining factor in his promotion. Ron was indeed above reproach!
Not only would I vouch for Ron, but there are many other people I know would too. Because integrity builds trust and trust is the key to successful relationships.
How many references do you have on your list today?
How Thirsty are You?
Thirst can cause us to do some desperate things. There have been many a story of people stuck at sea that resort to drinking seawater due to being completely parched. Though the outcome for ingesting water with these levels of salt are not favorable, can we blame those in such desperate situations for opting to take their chances?
Thirst is a force to be reckoned with; desperate thirst at that. The kind that keeps us awake at night. Though I’m certainly including physical thirst, I’m more so referring to a deeper inbred thirst. The kind that causes us to try option after option, chance after chance, all in hopes of achieving a certain goal or outcome.
Perhaps you recognize this thirst by a different name; passion, purpose, or desire.
Whatever you may call it, if you’ve ever experienced this type of thirst I’m sure you would agree with me that at its core, it demands to be satisfied.
Now, thirst existed even in biblical times. During his time in Gerar, Isaac dug up several wells in order to satisfy the thirst. Though there was quarreling over the first two wells he dug, and Isaac had to give those up to locals who claimed it as their own, the third well resulted in a keeper for Isaac.
As you can imagine, digging involves lots of work. The ground may be hard and it is easy to lose focus of the water (our goals) and become consumed with the dirt in between. Yet, if Isaac would have stopped digging after the second well, he may not have ever found the one that was meant for him.
Which reminds me of a well I recently dug just this week.
When I began to consider the idea of digging, I was tempted to quit even before I began.
I mean G-d doesn’t need my help anyway, so why even bother?! If He wanted to give me a well then He could just do so without me lifting a finger… He doesn’t need me to do anything on my part, just sit back and wait on Him right??
That was the thought process leading me to reason my way out of the work ahead. That is until I remembered,
Faith without works is dead
You see, if the thirst is desperate enough, we are willing to dig as deep and as long as necessary. Though we wait on the Lord, it is an active wait where if one well doesn’t produce, we move on to the next one, not afraid of the effort it will take on our part and never wavering in our belief that it is only a matter of time before we reach the water.
I pray you are Actively Waiting on the Lord today. Keep Digging…!!!