A time to weep and a time to laugh; A time to mourn and a time to dance.

Today I was thinking about friends who have been going through some devastating events in their lives. I, like many of you, have had some heart breaking things happen in my life, yes, even devastating things, things that gutted me to my core, things that hurt so badly that my heart physically was hurting.  When we go through those things, honestly there are people and friends I avoid because they are great to talk to about "it" but they always remind you how horrible whatever you are going through is... come on we all know those people. They mourn with those who mourn and weep with those who weep.. sometime I think the look for those who are weeping to make their own situations seem not as bad.  When you are done talking with them you feel worse.
  None of us have to go through what our friend may be going through to know how they feel. BUT, we have all gone through devastating things. There are things my friends have gone through that I look at and think .. man I would be gutted if that happened to me, I don't think I could ever handle that... and there are things that have happened to me that some might say the same things about. Their are degrees of devastating things but there are also degrees of how they may effect us... We've all had the thoughts when we see a friend going through what we have perceived as a little thing and they just can't function and think man it's just whatever this thing is... why an't they get over it??? or it happened so long ago, why can't they move on? We all have the different tools and abilities to cope in situations resulting in how we heal. But life continues.
  When many of us are struggling we wish we could go back to our "normal" life. The life we had before this tragic thing happened. Pondering "normal" this morning I was thinking about that idea of "normal" life. Events happen in our lives that change everything and I would want to never undo those events. Think about it. In the past few years my children graduated - my life changed, moved out - my life changed, married - my life changed and soon a grandchild will be arriving - my life will change. After each of these amazing things happened my "normal" life changed and I NEVER want to go back to that old normal life. So why do we want to go back to "normal" when bad things happen? I know because we didn't want those things to happen.  In these same years my mom and aunt passed away, I lost a job I loved, my son's marriage broke up and I faced a heart breaking moment when my birth mother refused to want to meet me.  I have done some grief counseling over the years and have explained what I've learned. When life hanging events happen.... life changes. What was once normal is no more and there is a new normal. (until a life changing events happens and then there is a new normal..... until a life changing thing happens and there is a new normal....until a life changing thing happens and there is a new normal get it? Life is always changing, if it wasn't that would be boring.
 So how do we handle it? Well the bible tells us that there is a time for everything, a time to weep and a time to laugh; a time to mourn and a time to dance. While we may be in a mournful time.... sometimes there are still times to dance. When my son told me about a very difficult time in his life, I was hurting for him and losing sleep and hurting myself..... then that week my daughter told me I was going to be a grandmother.... I mourned and danced at the same time~!!! I gave myself permission to do both.  When we are mourning there should be no guilt when you dance or laugh. Those emotions are just as real as the weeping and mourning and DO NOT taking away from the life changing event that has hurt you to the core. The new normal changed your life but you see you're still alive and life continues around you. Do not misunderstand me. Mourn as much as you need to, cry as much as you need to, feel what you need to feel, they are valid feelings and need to be expressed. But.. remember to look up once in a while and see life around you.... laugh at funny things, dance to music. Live a new normal life. (until life changes and there is a new normal).
Psalm 3:3 says "But you oh LORD are a shield about me, my glory and the lifter of my head"
Look to our Heavenly Father and He will lift our head so we, in our pain, can see the times to dance and to laugh. And also to see those how mourn and weep so we can encourage them that they are not alone and can some day face their new normal and see the dance.

Love vs. consequences

  The other day I had an interview of sorts and was asked to describe myself. I said a few things then quoted what some of said about me... that nothing can separate you from the love of Miss Pattie. Not to boast of myself but to boast of Christ in me, I have striven to be an example of how Jesus would love you. Those who have experienced this know that once you are in my heart.... ya don't leave... What you do doesn't not effect how much I love you. With that in mind... because you know I love you.... I can usually get away with "kicking you in the pants" when you do stupid... or sinful things.  I, being an ambassador of Jesus,  will also not condemn you when you're "stupid" or making stupid choices. 

So... I do a lot of thinking while I walk Punim (aka puppy) and was thinking of the verses about nothing separating us and therefore there is no condemnation. I finished the walk (and her her business) and went to google those verses. You know how verses get into your head, you know them by heart but don't remember their addresses. Well I looked these two up and had a wow moment. Did you remember that both of them are not only in the same book of the Bible but the same chapter!!!!!! 

We find in Romans 8:38-39 (NLT)

And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.  No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

And Romans 8:1

Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

I "pondered" on these verses for a while... and wanted to write a thought or two. It's so easy to take these verses out of context and just think I can do anything because He won't stop loving me and I won't be condemned.. 

WRONG

True there is no condemnation and He loved you so much that He gave His life as a perfect sacrifice. Nothing changes that fact in Christ. However, nowhere does it say that because of those things there won't be consequences  for what you did. You see, He loves you so much that there will be consequences for what you did. The degree is up to Him. The old adage, "you play with fire you get burned" is true. The degree of burn is up to Him. 

Don't think the Jesus (or Miss Pattie ;)  )  has stopped loving you because of your consequences of your actions... He will love you through them all trying to make you (and me) more into His image. A reflection of His unfailing, sacrificial love to those in your path. 

I once went through a very difficult series of events, one after another, and I strove to get through the fire and come out not smelling like smoke.  I challenge you to do the same. 

Are you limiting God?

Lately I've been directed to verses about God's plans and provision. Before I go on I want to be clear that I do not believe in the name it and claim it theology that says just believe and claim what you want and God like a magic genie will grant your every wish. 

Yesterday's devotion included these verses:

TRUTH FOR TODAY:
2 Corinthians 9:8, “And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” (NIV)

Philippians 4:19, “And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.” (NIV)

God does promise to meet our needs not all our wants. 

Recently I've been looking forward to something new. We've been looking for a new house, new opportunities, something to look forward to and I think that I have been limiting what God could do. The houses we look at at all in great need of something. The opportunities I'm looking at are just enough. 

This morning I was thinking that my planning, seeking etc may be getting in the way of the abundance He may have in store for me.  Ephesians 3:20-21 say that He is able to do exceedingly abundantly more that we can image. Today I will try to stop imagining what He will do because the Bible says I can't. 

Instead today I will choose to sit back, trust in Him and watch Him do His thing in my life and in yours.

A new idea, a new blog

Yesterday I was sitting in church during worship and we were singing "God of this city" and I started to think about the lyrics. It says

Greater things have yet to come

And greater things are still to be done in this city

The words "greater things" kept running through this small mind and thought about what greater things were. We often think of great things as awe inspiring, grand, the whole world can see, headline news kind of things. But that's man's limited view of "great" things.

I looked around at the people singing along and saw great amazing things that can't be seen with the naked eye. Marriages that are together for decades. Generations of families sitting together. Wayward children just there in church. Friendships that will last a lifetime. Children born and yet to be born. And so much more. 

All these things are great.... some of them even greater still. 

Great things don't have to be visible. They may not even draw any attention. But in God's eyes the littlest things in our eyes are magnificent in His.

Don't  go looking for the grand when you want the greater things.  You may miss the greater things yet to come.