Many people say,
    “We can’t find goodness anywhere.
    The light of your face has left us, Lord!”
 But you have filled my heart with more joy
    than when their wheat and wine are everywhere! Psalm 4:6-7 (CEB)

A few weeks ago, my nine year old stomped off the school bus in a huff. He’d had a very bad day. He’d lost a behavior point at school for something that was entirely NOT his fault, done poorly on a spelling test, and had a newly purchased glow stick broken on the bus. There was nothing in the house he wanted for a snack, I was insisting on homework before TV, and he had to come with my husband and I to church later that evening. Could life get any worse?

Being the mama hen that I am, I took him in my arms and held him for awhile, then got up and made him some nachos, because what problem can’t be solved with some chips and queso? After his mood improved a bit, we had a discussion about the appropriate way to handle “bad days”–namely that bad days happen to everyone and lashing out at the people who love you most is counterproductive. “Every day is a fresh start,” I told him as he licked cheese sauce from his finger. “You’re going to let this day go and try your hardest to make tomorrow better.”

One of the things I want my boys to understand is that what we put into the world is an important choice we make on a daily basis. There are always bad days (even in Australia, according to one of our favorite children’s books!). But how we respond to those bad days is the difference between bringing goodness into the world, or continuing to spread darkness.

The world is and always has been a tremendously messed up place. Violence, hate, distrust, corruption, immorality, and injustice reign supreme. As human beings, we seem to be incapable of finding the path to peace. As the eyes of the nation turn, yet again, to another senseless massacre, I wonder sometimes what the point of our faith is anyway. Jesus’ talk of love and grace doesn’t seem to be making much headway in our current culture. But then, I remember the conversation I had with my son, and I think…we have to make tomorrow better.

Psalm 4 is a song of David. Like many of David’s psalms, it begins with a plea to the Lord. David is having a bad day. David, in actuality, has many bad days. In his youth, he’s forced to flee from a madman who wants his head on a platter. He has to engage in battle to secure his kingdom, and then continue in battle to maintain that kingdom. He fails God over and over again, and a civil war erupts in his own household. David, the man after God’s own heart, is a hot mess. And yet, God redeems all of humanity through him. This is because David, for all of his faults, continues to follow God. David understands that, at some point, he is going to see God’s goodness again. And so David sings to the Lord, spreading God’s goodness and love to others looking for a light in the darkness.

As Jesus followers, this is our mission, as well. Jesus commissioned his disciples to go into the world, not pull back from it. He sent them out to share the good news of Jesus Christ to all who would hear it. Make no mistake, the disciples had bad days. They experienced personally the worst life had to offer, but they kept going because they knew that God had a better tomorrow in store for all who would follow him.

So, how do we make tomorrow better? I think, as Jesus followers, we do everything we can to put as much of God’s goodness into the world as possible. This doesn’t take heroic efforts, although sometimes God does call us to impossible tasks. Rather, we can bring God’s goodness into the world one day at a time.

Maybe you can bring God’s goodness into the world by taking a meal to a busy neighbor or a friend who is recuperating from an illness. Maybe you can bring God’s goodness into the world by unexpectedly blessing someone with the gift of time, assistance, or encouragement. Maybe you can get some friends together and volunteer at a local charity. Maybe you can commit to only posting positive and encouraging messages on social media, rather than criticizing or complaining. Maybe you can offer forgiveness to someone who has hurt you. Maybe you can stop nursing that grudge you’ve been holding onto choose to let it go. Maybe you can volunteer to tutor or mentor a child at a local school. There are millions of ways to bring goodness into the world, we just have to make a choice and do it.

This week, I challenge you (and me) to find ways to “do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the place you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as you ever can.”

Blessings and Peace,

Sara

Source: Confession 422: Because It’s Okay to Ask God for Help, Even When It Seems the World is Falling Apart

Lord, you have been our help,
    generation after generation.
Before the mountains were born,
    before you birthed the earth and the inhabited world—
    from forever in the past
    to forever in the future, you are God. Psalm 90:1-2 (CEB)

We’ve been in a bit of a rough patch lately. Actually, it’s been more of a roller coaster that culminated in neurosurgery for my father-in-law last week. He’s home and healing well, but it was definitely a process. There were times when I think everyone in our family wanted to shout at the universe, “Anything else you want to throw at us today?” But we made it through. God granted us peace and extended us his grace.

I have to be honest, though, there were times when the praying was hard. When I bowed my head to pray for my family, I thought about all of those other families in the world suffering from tragedy. I thought about people mourning the unthinkable loss of loved ones in Las Vegas. I thought about the loved ones still missing in California, Mexico, the Caribbean and Texas. I thought about battles raging across the ocean, and people who live in constant fear and terror. Is God fighting for them? Is God acting on their behalf?

Although I continued to offer my prayers, I was pretty numb. The prayers came out of a hollow place in my heart. There was little expectation. It seemed that God already had his hands full enough, and my little prayers would most likely fall through the cracks of the cupped hands in which he holds the world.

It’s not pretty to say such things. It’s not what Christian leaders are supposed to do. But I’m guessing I’m not the first or last person to ever have such thoughts. It’s not a lack of faith, regardless of what some well-intended church folk might say. It comes from the knowledge that the world is a mess, and life doesn’t always go the way you want it to, despite your best prayers.

But here’s the thing–it is precisely because the world is and always was a mess that we need to continue to bring all of our petitions, hurts, hopes, and concerns before God. Going to God in prayer allows us to let go, to look forward, to place one foot in front of the other when our feet don’t want to move any farther down the road we find ourselves on. Prayer is a safe place for us to release all of our fears, our anxieties, and our doubts because God, unlike us, is able to carry them.

God wants to hear from his children. God wants us to come to him in prayer: when we’re numb, when we’re doubtful, when we’re confused, when we’re angry, when we’re thankful, and when our lives are perfectly and blissfully uneventful.

It is through prayer that we are able to see God’s goodness in the midst of uncertainty, tragedy, and grief. Prayer allows us to remember, as the psalmist writes, that God is God from forever in the past to forever in the future. No matter what life throws our way…

God was.

God is.

God will be.

Our family witnessed a small miracle last week, in the midst of the crazy roller coaster we were on. After the surgeon shared the good news, the pastor sitting with us stood up and said, “Well, I think that calls for a prayer!” And so, we joined hands once again. We bowed in the surgery waiting area and gave God thanks for this miracle. The ride isn’t over yet. There’s still more to come. That’s part of living in this world. However, in that small moment of thanksgiving, I saw again how much God loves each of his children. I saw again that, despite the messed up nature of the world, God is there, forever and forever, working for and with his children.

Blessings and Peace,

Sara

 

Source: Confession 421: When Keeping Faith Feels Like You’re Going Against the Odds

Without losing faith, Abraham, who was nearly 100 years old, took into account his own body, which was as good as dead, and Sarah’s womb, which was dead.He didn’t hesitate with a lack of faith in God’s promise, but he grew strong in faith and gave glory to God. He was fully convinced that God was able to do what he promised. Romans 4:19-21 (CEB)

Christians love to talk about faith. We sing about it, preach it, display it on t-shirts and decorative wall art. Jesus, himself, spoke often about faith. “Your faith has healed you,” “Where is your faith?”, “Faith can move mountains…”

But, do we really believe it? What is faith, anyway? Is it a feeling? Is it knowledge? Is it something experiential?  Can we quantify faith? Does it have a molecular structure? Is faith included in our DNA?

And once we’ve figured out what faith is, what do we do with it? Do we place it on a shelf and dust if every now and then? Do we invest it in some sort of account that yields an interest? Do we use it everyday, like a washcloth or dishwasher or car? Do we hold onto it in a white-knocked fist grip as if we’re hanging from a trapeze?

I’ve been thinking a lot about faith lately, because honestly, it feels like it’s a bit dinged up. Charlottesville broke something in me. And then there was Harvey, and Irma, and Maria, and Mexico. And then there was the whole kerfuffle about who could protest and when they could protest and suddenly, protesting became an issue to protest. And that doesn’t even begin to touch the personal worries, crises, and tragedies that occur in our everyday lives.

I keep telling myself that the world was always a crazy, mixed up place–that our time is no different from any other. But, I’m not so sure anymore. Suddenly (or maybe gradually) keeping the faith seems like an all-in bet when the deck is stacked against you. The odds are not really in faith’s favor.

But then, I remember. I remember who I am. More importantly, I remember whose I am. God gave me an epiphany the other night, as I was praying a very simple prayer. “God,” I said. “Save us from ourselves.” And do you know what I heard in that moment, when the lights were off and the house was still?

I

already

did…

I think if God could drop a mic, he would have done so in that moment. It became clear to me that it is we, the Jesus people, who have to bring God’s goodness into the world. You see, God already did the work. Jesus came. He went to the cross. He rose again. And then, the mantle of faith was placed on the disciples. “You go,” Jesus said. “You bring my salvation to the world.”

Jesus is saying those same words to us today.

You go. Bring my salvation to the world. Even if the whole idea of faith seems like a long-shot.
In Romans 4, Paul discusses the faith of Abraham. Abraham had absolutely no reason to believe God would fulfill his promises. He and Sarah were well beyond the “child-bearing years”. And yet, Paul writes that Abraham “didn’t hesitate” with a lack of faith. Rather, he grew stronger. Abraham didn’t say, “You know, God. This is

• ridiculous
• overwhelming
• unorthodox
• time-consuming
• expensive
• futile.”

Abraham didn’t say, “I’m going to need some time to think about this.” Or, “I need a bit more faith.”

Abraham said, “Thank you God!” before the promise was even fulfilled.

I feel like the world is an overwhelming place right now. Contrary to Abraham, I find myself asking for more from God. I want more miracles, more signs, more direction…more faith. But God’s already given me everything I need to what he’s asking me to do. I just need to shake my faith off and get to it.

This week, I would challenge you to prayerfully consider how God is calling you to engage in our messed up, convoluted world.

• Where does God want you to go?
• What relief does God want you to send to those in need? How does God want you to give voice to the oppressed?
• Where is God calling you to take a stand against injustice?
• What love does God want you to show to someone else?

There is much work to be done. So, this week, let’s give God thanks for always keeping his promises, strap our faith to our hands and feet, and get to work, bringing love, peace, and hope to a world that is desperately in need.

Blessings and Peace,

Sara

 

Don’t be defeated by evil, but defeat evil with good. Romans 12:21 (CEB)

I’ve started this post several times now…carefully thinking about how to effectively engage and introduce a topic that’s weighing heavily on my heart. I’m thinking about John Wesley’s mandate to Do Good, which my husband preached on this Sunday, and considering how my words might seek to uplift instead of tear down.

The truth is, I’m very angry at what happened in Virginia this week. I’m very concerned about the war mongering rhetoric that’s been passing between our nation and North Korea. I’m very sad that so many innocent victims cross paths with people intent on doing harm.

There is great evil in this world. Maybe it’s no more than there’s always been. Maybe it’s just amplified with our 24 hour news cycle and social media use. But I can’t help but feel that we’re standing on the precipice of a tipping point for humanity. If we take another step toward anger and hate; greed and self-centeredness, then we’ve let the worst of ourselves triumph. However, if we take a step back, away from anger, self-righteousness, instant gratification and the need for power, then maybe, just maybe, we can pull back from the brink of self-destruction. Maybe, just maybe, we can harness our passionate nature into works that create and sustain life rather than endeavors that destroy and diminish both the earth and other people.

Doing good is a conscious choice–a difficult one in the face of increasing hate and violence. Doing good requires us to stop putting ourselves first. Doing good means we have to take our time, effort, resources, talents, and even thoughts and use them to help make the world something better than it currently is. Doing good means that instead of complaining or criticizing, we do something to counter the negative we see around us. When everyone else says, “The world’s a terrible place!”, doing good means that we say, “Let’s make it better!”

I know that sounds trite. I know it’s an oversimplification of the needs in our world. I know that part of being a Jesus follower means speaking with a prophetic voice against injustice and oppression. But if we only speak out, and never act, then we just become more noise.

Jesus understood this need to do good. Jesus was born into a society that was violent and unjust. He spent his early years as a political refugee, and came home to a country that was occupied by a foreign power. Jesus witnessed acts of violence and hate. And yes, Jesus spoke out about the evil in the world. However, he also acted. He chose to feed, to heal, to teach, to encourage, to mend relationships. In short, Jesus chose to actively love others, especially those most victimized by society’s injustice.

Jesus told his disciples, “Be a light for the world. Do good, so that God will be glorified.” (Matthew 5:16) Do good…don’t just talk about it…do good.

Paul echoes this mandate in Galatians 6 when he writes:

Let’s not get tired of doing good, because in time we’ll have a harvest if we don’t give up. 

Paul exhorts the Galatians to continue to do good, even though it doesn’t seem like it matters much. He reminds them that the world will not change overnight; however, in time (God’s time) the harvest will come.

No matter how eloquent or well-spoken we are, the world is not listening to our words. However, they may notice our actions. This is what Jesus reminded his disciples after Judas ran from the Passover meal, intent on handing Jesus over to the authorities to be arrested. Immediately after being betrayed by one of his closest friends, Jesus says,

 But I am giving you a new command. You must love each other, just as I have loved you. If you love each other, everyone will know that you are my disciples. John 13:34-35 (CEB)

Jesus’ message and example could not be more clear. In the face of evil, we are called to love. And, how do we love? We give ourselves to others.

This week, I would challenge you to intentionally do good each day this week. Seek out one opportunity every day to show love in a way that brings honor and glory to God.

When the world speaks with hate and acts in violence, choose to speak in love and do good.

Blessings and Peace

Sara

 

It is the Lord of heavenly forces whom you should hold sacred, whom you should fear, and whom you should hold in awe.

Hello Friends!

My husband and I are pretending to be empty nesters this week as our boys are at Camp Grandma and Grandpa. This is something we’ve been doing each year since our youngest was about 2. It’s good for them to spend quality time with their grandparents and create lasting memories. And, it’s good for my husband and I to be able to focus solely on each other for a bit.

I’m trying to use the quiet this week to do some discerning and get the ball rolling on some new projects for the fall and winter. I also need to clean the boys’ room and get rid of all their “treasures” that are littering the entire basement. (Seriously, I’m walking on top of stuffed animals, blankets and pillows.)  I have to do this while they’re away, otherwise, they resist. My youngest goes for a preemptive strike and hides all of the items he thinks I’m going to throw away–like the smelly beanbag chair the dog used to sleep on. My oldest isn’t as subtle. He just follows me around the room pulling things out of the trash bag exclaiming, “Don’t throw this away!”

Some of you might be condemning the throw-away vs. give-away aspect of my purging. But, honestly, there comes a point where I just need the junk GONE. However, if you really want me to ship a beanbag chair covered in dog hair, dog drool and who knows what else your way, I’d be happy to do it! 🙂 (Actually, I wouldn’t. I totally procrastinate when it comes to going to the post office.)

If we’re being honest with ourselves, a lot of us have quite a bit of internal junk cluttering our souls that needs to be trashed. God has an entire “Lake of Iniquity” where that can go–if we let him have it. What “treasures” are you holding onto that clutter your life? Regret? Anger? Disappointment? Grief? Cynicism? A grudge? Worry? Take some time to consider those items and ask God for the strength and ability to toss them out.

CAN I ASK A FAVOR?

I hate asking favors. It reeks of dependence, something this independent woman tends to hold onto, even though she knows God is calling her to let it go.

So, in the spirit of boldness, I’m asking a favor. If you’ve read Confessions of the Pastor’s Wife, would you post a review on Amazon? I appreciate all of those who have already done this. Amazon uses a logarithm when it comes to promoting books. This logarithm is based, in large part, on book reviews. Essentially, the more reviews of a book, the more the more visibility the book gets on Amazon.

As a writer, reviews help me to better engage with readers. It’s good to know what’s speaking to you (and, what isn’t). It also allows me to see how God is working through this book to lead others closer to him. And really, that was the entire point of the book.

I’m providing the link to leave a review here. If you’re new to posting reviews on Amazon, here’s what you need to know.

1. You don’t have to publicize your name. Also, I don’t get any personal information about you from Amazon.
2. You don’t have to say a lot. Just jot down a couple of words or sentences that come to mind when you think about the book.
3. Build on other reviews. If someone else said what you wanted to say, say it again. That helps me see what areas of the book really spoke to the majority of readers.
4. If you absolutely hated the book (it happens), simply mark “DNF” for Did Not Finish and move on. Books and readers are like a relationship. Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn’t.

If you haven’t read the book and want to check it out, click go to Amazon here or Barnes and Noble here. And then, tell me what you think. 😉

Thank you for sharing this journey with me!

Blessings and Peace,

Sara

Then Moses said, “Now show me your glory.”

My nine year old thinks he knows everything. He’s been like this since his personality first showed signs of emerging years ago, so I think it’s just who he is rather than a phase. Whenever there’s a problem, he boldly proclaims the answer. Whenever you tell him no, he boldly recites a list of reasons why the answer should be yes. Whenever you tell him he’s wrong, he boldly asserts how and why he’s right. My husband and I usually just roll our eyes and move on. But, I must say, I do admire his boldness.

Boldness is an integral part of success. It’s also an integral part of our faith development. God is bold. He can do more than we imagine or even conceive possible. Therefore, we need to be bold in our expectations of him. We need to come to God with a spirit of boldness, asking God to move in ways that we know we are incapable of moving. We need to ask God for big things in our lives (and the lives of others), those things that make us stand back upon completion and say, “Wow! God is amazing!”

In Exodus 33, Moses makes a bold request of God: “Now, show me your presence.” Note the use of the imperative structure in opening clause: show me.  Moses isn’t asking God to show himself, he’s demanding it. And that is a supreme act of boldness. Remember that Moses first stood in the Lord’s presence in the wilderness of Midian. God revealed himself in a burning bush, and Moses was terrified. He couldn’t even look at the bush and gave God a whole litany of reasons as to why God should choose someone else to free the Israelites. In his first encounter, Moses was a total coward.

So, what changed? How did Moses go from trembling coward to fearless demander? To put it simply, Moses engaged in a long-term relationship with God. Moses saw God’s power and might over and over again in Egypt. He witnessed God’s saving acts in the sea and the desert. He saw God come through on behalf of his people time and time again. Moses knows God, and this knowledge makes him bold. Moreover, God rewards Moses’ boldness in verse 19:

And the Lord said, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the Lord, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.”

God is willing to honor Moses’ demand. The Creator of the universe is going to reveal his glory to a man who didn’t even say please. But…there are consequences to boldness.

Have you ever asked for something you never thought you’d get, and then you get it and it’s nothing like you expected? For me, it’s my children. Parenting is nothing like I expected: it’s beautiful, frustrating, meaningful and terrifying–sometimes all in the same day. I love my children, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. But, it’s changed my life.

Similarly, we need to understand that boldness in our walk with God will change our lives. God honors Moses’ boldness. He allows Moses to experience his presence. However, God offers Moses this word of caution.

But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.”

God has to protect Moses from the full power of his presence. This should be a clue to Moses that his life is about to fundamentally change. No one encounters the presence of God and comes away unchanged. And so, when Moses descends from the mountain, he is altered. Scripture says that his face is “radiant”, so much so that the Israelites are terrified to come near him. Because of his bold request to God, Moses must veil his face the rest of his life because he has literally been marked by God.

In Moses’ story, we see that the consequence of boldness in our faith is a changed life. We don’t get to make bold requests of God and not experience change ourselves. A bold encounter with God leaves a mark. Sometimes that mark is easily noticeable. It involves a move, a career change, a relationship change or some other change in life’s circumstances. Other times, the change is internal. We become kinder, gentler, more loving, more courageous, more content. The point is, boldness leads to change, and that change is often not the change we expect or anticipate.

This week, as you pray for boldness, I would encourage you to pray also about the change that will take place in your life due to your bold requests. Ask God to help you accept and then embrace the change. Pray for courage to boldly go where God is calling you to go. And then, tell me about it! I’d love to hear the stories about God acting boldly in your life.

Blessings and Peace,

Sara

When you accomplished wonders beyond all our expectations;
    when you came down, mountains quaked before you.
  From ancient times,
    no one has heard,
    no ear has perceived,
    no eye has seen any god but you
    who acts on behalf of those who wait for him! Isaiah 64:3-4 (CEB)

This is a stupid predicament, I thought to myself as I sat on the edge of a step balancing a 100+ pound lawn mower below me. I was attempting to maneuver our push mower up a series of steep steps from the lower to upper yard. My nine year old helped me up the first few stairs, but stomped off in frustration at the final big push. As he left, I called out in desperation, “Tell your brother to come help!”

If you’ve ever met my eleven year old, you’d understand what a desperate cry this is. G weighs about 60 pounds soaking wet. His arms and legs look like skinny twigs that could snap with the slightest breeze. He also doesn’t like getting his hands dirty…literally.  I had zero expectation of deliverance.

I started scanning the horizon for neighboring lawn care workers. Just as I was thinking I’d have to sit here balancing this mower for the next six hours (admitting defeat and going back down the stairs was not an option), I heard the slow flop, flop, flop of my eldest’s sandaled feet coming down the sidewalk.

“What do you want me to do?” he asked. As I explained the situation, he narrowed his eyes and slowly walked around the mower, sizing it all up. He stopped at the front of the mower. “You want me to pick this thing up and walk backward?” he asked, like it was the most ridiculous suggestion in the world.

“No,” I clarified. “I’m walking backward. Just pick it up and push.”

He looked doubtful, and so was I. G thought for a moment, then slipped his ultra-clean hands under the mower and lifted. The task was finished in thirty seconds. Help came from the most unexpected place–a skinny little boy who’s obsessed with clean hands.

Afterward, as I marveled to him about his extraordinary feat of strength, he admitted that he only lifted the mower because he hadn’t just washed his hands. I didn’t care. It was a triumph. I learned that my son is capable of much more than I ever expected. Don’t get me wrong, I know he’s intelligent, a super reader, creative, kind and compassionate. But I never really think of him as helpful, per se. He didn’t just exceed my expectations, he set new ones.

I think a lot of us go through life with limited expectations, either of ourselves or others. We organize ourselves and others in boxes with careful labels attached as to what they can and cannot do. The thing is, we aren’t static beings. We grow and change, evolve if you will, based on circumstance and experience. Our attempt to organize and categorize our abilities and the ability of others is based on a limited perception, and that limited perception leads to inadequate expectation.

We limit ourselves, we limit others and we limit God because we aren’t bold enough to look beyond our limited understanding of the possible.

I’ve been thinking a lot about boldness and possibility the past several months. I’ve come to the realization that, while I believe in God’s power and might, I don’t really expect to see it manifested in my life. My faith has become complacent, tepid. I have underwhelming expectations of God.

And yet, in the deep recesses of my soul, God has been working. A flame has been carefully tended, and God is waiting for me to remove the damper. God has been calling me to give his Spirit free reign in my life, to let go of my underwhelming expectations and look for the great possible that is God.

And so, I’m praying for boldness. I’m praying for an infusion of the Holy Spirit in my life, that great fire that flows through our veins and spills out to others, igniting acts of love, justice and peace. I’m praying for God to accomplish things in my life that can only be done by him and which can only point back to his great work. I’m also praying for God to ignite a fire of expectation and possibility in our congregation, community, nation and world so that others might see his glory revealed.

My challenge for you is to join me in praying for boldness. Ask God for something in your life, in your congregation or in your community that only he can accomplish. And then, be ready. Because God will call you to do things you least expect.

Blessings and Peace,

Sara