Redefining Realistic

The other day I was talking to a friend about her life plans. She shared some admirable goals but then said “I haven’t told my extended family because they’ll just tell me to be more realistic and that it’s too hard.” My heart just broke for her. I think this is not an uncommon experience. Since we’d already discussed how clearly she believed that this plan was given to her by God and the legitimate reason she felt that way, I encouraged her not to give up.

In the days that followed, I thought and prayed on this situation and God brought another time to my mind that some were discouraged to follow a dream, despite the promise of success from God.

In Numbers 13:1-3 the Lord says to Moses “Send some men to explore the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelites.” Ummm... pretty clear what God’s intentions are, right?

As we continue to read in Numbers we learn that Moses did exactly as God commanded. The men spent 40 days exploring the land and came back to Moses with a report that, just as God had told them, it was flowing with milk and honey….. BUT, they reported that “the people who live there are powerful, the cities are fortified and very large… We even saw descendants of Anak there… and the Amelekites, Hittites, Jebusites and Amorites.” Now, for those who don’t know what it means to see descendants of Anak or Amelekites, Hittites, Jebusites or Amorites a little further reading provides a clear explanation. In verse 31, “We can’t attack those people; they are stronger than we are” and in verse 33, “we seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.” Now I’m not exactly sure what the men on the reconnaissance thought they’d find… short wimpy men… villages of beautiful women… signs saying “Welcome Israelites! We’ve been waiting to give you our land!” Regardless, the sight of what it took to gain the promised land freaked.them.out! I hate to say it but there have been times that I’ve been just like the Israelites but let's look at the facts in this particular situation.

Fact #1: God himself... the Creator that had just saved them from slavery in Egypt, divided the Red Sea for them to cross, guided them throughout the desert to a land that he said would be flowing with milk and honey... God said he was giving this land to them.

Fact #2: The land was inhabited by big dudes that could smash the Israelites to pieces.

Get my point? I totally understand where the Israelites are coming from on this. They were scared. This was going to take work. The cities had walls. The dudes were big but what they forgot is God is bigger! I think we sometimes forget that too.

Several years ago I wrote Galatians 6:9 on a whiteboard to memorize and it has sunk deep into my soul and has carried me through many days and given me strength at times that I wanted more than anything to just give up:

“Let us not grow weary doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”

Whether it’s that or Philippians 4:13: “For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength”

or

Romans 8:31-32 “What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?” the truth remains the same. We can and should bank on the promises of God not the size of the battle involved.

So, as I said to my friend, I say to you… God is not the God of reality as we define it. Look throughout scripture and whether it be a flood that did not seem realistic to those who knew Noah… a lowly carpenter’s son claiming to be the messiah whose arrival they’d been awaiting for generations for the Pharisees… or believing that Jesus had been resurrected from death for Thomas, one of Jesus’ very own disciples… In each of these cases, and many others, you will see God redefine what it means to be realistic. If you are looking toward a promised land in your life… If you know that that promise was from your creator,

DO.NOT.GIVE.UP

If God is for you, who can be against you?

An unexpected week...

Well, I had full intentions to add something to this blog earlier this week but it did not go quite as I'd expected. Thursday morning began with a call that I'd expected to come sooner than later but, honestly, didn't want to take. I answered the phone to hear these words:

"Grandma won't wake up!"

When I pulled into my hometown, this was the billboard I passed and had to stop on the way out of town to take a picture. Certainly, the Lord does go before us each day.



On Thursday my precious Grandma Houston, after sleeping most of the day, rallied to give us about 20 minutes of sass and laughter and then joined Grandpa in the presence of Jesus. In more ways than I can emotionally handle sharing today, God showed up and as I requested of Him last week, HE AMAZED ME!

Tonight, as I have locked myself in my room, giving myself permission to cry, be alone, and take care of only myself, I longed for something to write but I came up completely dry. So I'll leave you with the scripture that God brought me to in my grief and of course, it is perfect!

O God, you are my God,
earnestly I seek you;
my soul thirsts for you, in a dry and weary land
where there is no water.

I have seen you in the sanctuary
and behold your power and your glory.

Because your love is better than life,
my lips will glorify you.

I will praise you as long as I live,
and in your name I will life up my hands.

My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods;
with singing lips my mouth will praise you.

On my bed I remember you;
I think of you through the watches of the night.

Because you are my help,
I sing in the shadow of your wings.

My soul clings to you;
your right hand upholds me.

Psalm 63:1-8

Lord, I'd certainly die without you. Without you, a single breath would be too painful to take. Thank you for being the water in my moments of grief that I thirst for relief so badly that I know death would be less painful. THANK YOU for allowing us to see you in those moments with Grandma, when she was Grandma. Surely you lived inside her, choosing her as your sanctuary as you do all believers, and I know that it was you that gave us those moments to treasure. I did, in fact, see you in your sanctuary this week. You just make me laugh, Lord. You brought me to a verse that talks about the richest of foods to comfort me at the loss of the greatest of cooks! You are the LORD! As we sing your praises, I KNOW that our souls will be as satisfied as our bellies were leaving Grandma's table. Thank you for giving me a man that has let me sit on this bed for hours so that I'd be sitting on my bed when I read these verses, reminding me that your word is alive. Great Counselor, allow me to cling to you as you hold me up in your right hand each day for the rest of my life. I love you.

Welcome 2011!

As I begin a new year I am just eager with anticipation. Who, but the Lord, knows what this year holds! I'm really excited this year. I can hardly wait to get it started. I've been fidgeting all week wanting to get going. I’m not big on resolutions though. I am, however, a list-maker and goal setter. I don’t know what the difference in an actual resolution and a goal is, other than calling it a “New Year’s Resolution” makes me feel like I’m setting myself up to fail, like I have to get it right all the time in order to say that I achieved my resolution. Seriously, I just can’t do that. Now, I know that I tell my kids all the time that we don’t say “I can’t do…” but I also tell them to be realistic so bear with me here… Somehow calling it a goal makes me feel like I’ve got a little wiggle room to try, fail and keep on trying. And I know me. I need to know that should I fail, I can keep on trying. It’s just who I am. Sometimes I fail… okay, I fail a lot… I don’t, however, give up. I’m kind of annoying that way.

So, I started the year by doing two things that are a part of my goals and have been for a year now and since I just love it, I'm keeping at it: I got up before everyone else in my house… not difficult when they were all up screaming, tooting horns and throwing confetti WAY past their normal bedtimes… I listened to some praise music and I prayed. As I listened to a beautiful soundtrack that included “Your Grace is Enough” by Matt Maher, “Love Has Come” by Mark Schultz, and “Trading My Sorrows” and “In Christ Alone” both by Travis Cottrell, the word “amazed” continued to come to my mind and I realized that it should be my word-of-the-year. Now, I’ve never had a word-of-the-year before but I kind of like the idea. I can’t take any credit for it though. My sweet, wonderful, wise and beautiful mentor does this and has for years. I figure it’s suited her well and God put the word on my heart, so who am I to argue? So, on this first morning of 2011 I chose my first ever word-of-the-year: Amazed. My prayer this morning was this:

Dearest Abba Father,

You alone know what this year holds… what your plans are… in detail. I know that whatever this plan is it will be to prosper me, to give me a future and a hope. All that I ask, Lord, no matter what else happens, is that you allow me to see YOU and YOUR CHARACTER—your abiding love, unending faithfulness, amazing grace, eternal joy, boundless peace– knock me off my feet in amazement of you! Be relentless, Lord, be relentless!

And just because I loved it so much this morning, here's a little song for you: