You are safe here! (Week 2, Day 3)

Last week my oldest son, Daniel, had an allergic reaction to a prescribed medication. His symptoms worried me and his theatrical tendencies only added fuel to the fire. While he dragged himself to bed, he gave me his most pitiful look and said, "See you in the morning, if I am still alive... ." After that, I let my thoughts run out of control and my anxiety skyrocketed. This came as a complete surprise to me because, even though I have been closely acquainted with fear, it has been a while since I have gone there.

I had my first panic attack at age nine. I was very fearful of death, and this fear became increasingly crippling. Even when I became a believer at age 14, things did not change. Later on, during my pregnancies, my feelings of panic became almost unbearable. Ironically, I would wish for death, the thing I feared so greatly. I would plead with God to remove this fear, plaster my wall with Bible verses, and ask others for prayer. Still, nothing changed. When I went into labor with my sixth child, Hanna, I feared for her life and mine so strongly that I needed sedatives in order to endure the delivery. I felt completely defeated.

Three months later, Hanna contracted a respiratory virus. Her breathing suddenly became so labored, I was not sure we would make it to the E.R. in time. At her release from the hospital, four days later, I was admonished by the nurses to keep Hanna close to me and listen to her breathing at all times. Here I was, exhausted but unable to sleep as I was remembering the death of my first daughter, Anita. Ani had been exactly the same age as Hanna when she was not able to breathe at night. I had felt responsible for Ani's death, guilty for having slept when she needed me. Now panic overwhelmed me again because keeping watch every minute was beyond my ability.

Then and there I decided to put Philippians 4:6 into practice: "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God."

I thanked God for planning Hanna's life and for loving her more than I ever could. I confessed that I could not do anything to prolong her life beyond His plans. I thanked God for his goodness, trusting that Hanna was safe with Him. After that prayer, I slept.

There was a noticeable change after I had learned to thank God for His promises, rather than being controlled by my emotions. During my next pregnancy I was free from anxiety and able to enjoy every moment. (as soon as the morning sickness subsided). My fear of death was so completely gone that, when my doctor suspected I might have a type of cancer with a 95% fatality rate, all I could feel was the joy of getting to see my Savior's face sooner than expected. I thought anxiety was something of the past.

But last week when Daniel reacted to the medication and anxiety reared its ugly head again, I realized that faith needs to be exercised anew each time a difficult situation arises. It is not something we overcome and then possess for the rest of our lives. Each day provides new opportunities to trust God. Speaking out truth and thanking God for it are very practical ways of taking our thoughts captive, replacing them with God's thoughts, and placing our lives in God's hands, irrespective of our emotions.

I chose not to feel defeated because of my anxiety, but to run to Jesus instead. As I thanked Him for his compassion, for sharing my humanity, for His complete control, for loving Daniel more than I do, and for holding the future in His hands, I experienced what is promised in Philippians 4:7: "And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

·       What helps you understand that you are safe with God? Look up the following Bible verses as you formulate an answer and record your thoughts below: Isaiah 41:10, Isaiah 41:13, 2 Samuel 22:3.

                                                                                                                           

                                                                                                                           

                                                                                                                           

                                                                                                                           

                                                                                                                            

This is where you belong! (Week 2, Day 2)

When my 3-year-old starts feeling tired, she says, "I want to go home." Then she curls up on my lap and goes right to sleep. It is so beautiful to be able to provide that sense of home for my daughter. Recently my best friend, Megs, related similarly how her daughter had said to her, "I am home wherever you are, Mommy." This is such a sweet sentiment from a 13-year-old. Both of these girls enjoy a sense of belonging that many yearn for.

When I met Jade, she was living in her friend's basement apartment. "If only I had a place where I did not have to do dishes in the bathtub, I would feel home," she lamented. Just a few weeks later her "dream" came true – an apartment with a kitchen sink. "If only I had a house with a garden," became her new desire. Astonishingly, she soon found an affordable house. Care to guess what she said shortly after she had settled? "If only... ." Growing up with an abusive father, Jade has never felt at home. She will always be longing for this sense of home until she discovers how God the Father satisfies this desire. God has already blessed Jade with that sense of belonging; all she needs is to let the Holy Spirit lead her into this truth. What a wonderful homecoming this will be.

Perhaps the best example of returning home and belonging is found in the parable of the prodigal son. There are actually two sons in this story and not just the “prodigal” who need a better understanding of what it means to return home and “belong.” The Father addresses the older son when He says, "Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours" (Luke 15:31). The older son needed a new understanding, and like him, we must first grasp what it means to be “home” before we can be set free by it.

· Read Luke 15:11-32 and ask God to give you that sense of belonging. As Neal Lozano says in his book, Abba’s Heart (page 127) "God can drop 'I belong' into your heart and overcome the lie that you will never find your place." Write your thoughts in the space below.

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· Read more about God giving us a sense of belonging in John 17:24 & 1 Peter 2:10

You are Mine! (Week 2, Day 1)

My 13-year-old son, Daniel, is Southern to the core. He is an accomplished hunter, an award-winning fisherman, and he knows how to hull sunflower seeds in his mouth – something I will probably never master! Recently, Daniel decided to give his mom an introduction to some of his favorite country songs and, contrary to my expectations, I actually really enjoyed them. One song in particular strongly resonated with me. "He is Mine!" is what country singer Rodney Atkins declares about his teenage son, who comes running to him for safety. Despite the fact that his boy is in trouble with the neighbors for smoking and shooting beer bottles while trespassing on their property, the father embraces and claims him wholeheartedly. "He is mine," he proudly tells them, and no action on his son's part could ever change this.

Through his song, this father gives us a perfect example of unconditional love, without condoning any part of his boy's actions. Atkins clearly reflects the father-heart of God, just as God himself says, “You are mine,” in Isaiah 43:1b. Even when we get into trouble, He still claims us as His own. My tendency is to hide from God in shame when I have sinned against Him. Like Adam and Eve I doubt that He would still want to be with me (Gen. 3:8). But God longs to embrace us as we come running to Him, just as Rodney Atkins communicated in his song.

Nothing we do can cause God to stop loving us. God claims us completely, and not only when we are doing well. Sometimes it takes a Southern boy and his favorite country song to help me really grasp this truth!

·       What does God the Father say about you in Isaiah 43:1b?

                                                                                                              

                                                                                                              

At age 16, after being out of touch with my father for seven long years, I flew halfway across the globe to see him again. What would I call him? Daddy? Papa? Such intimate names seemed too laden with hopes and expectations, too full of potential disappointments, too vulnerable. What if he didn't want the job description that went with the name? I chickened out, opting for his first name. It seemed like a safer call. Fear of rejection is what kept me from calling him "Papa." Years later, I learned that we are to respect our parents, not because of their character, but because of their position. I then started calling him "Papa" as one way to give him honor. It felt awkward at first, but I said it anyway, knowing that it blessed my father to do so.

There is no doubt about the appropriate way to address our heavenly father.

• ·       What did He call us, even before we could think about what to call Him? (1 John 3:1)

                                                                                                                    

• ·       What did He put into our hearts to call Him? (Gal. 4:6 & Rom. 8:15)

                                                                                                                     

Even now, it sometimes feels awkward for me to call God "Daddy". It seems inappropriately intimate for a God who is all-powerful and whom the angels only approach with the words "holy, holy, holy". But He has reserved for us the right to confidently come before the throne calling him "Daddy".

·       If you have never done so, try it today. Write a prayer to God your Dad in the space below.

                                                                                                                         

                                                                                                                          

                                                                                                                          

                                                                                                                          

                                                                                                                          

The Blessing of Belonging (Week 2 intro)

"He predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of His will, to the praise of His glorious grace, with which He has accepted us in the Beloved." (Eph. 1:5-6)

What do you do when you are stuck in the house on a rainy holiday? Last week, our family had the crazy idea to experiment with blue hair dye. By the end of the day everybody who was game, including me, had blue streaks or tips. That was when Toria, my 8-year-old, made this priceless request: "Mama, can you come to my class so that everyone can see your blue hair? When the kids see that my hair is like yours, they will think I am so cool!"

While I revel in knowing that my daughter would think of me as so cool that she would be considered cool by association, this statement also underlines her dependence on others' opinions. She is not alone in this. Focus on the Family published a survey in which school-aged children were asked what their greatest fear is. The majority feared, above all else, being viewed as uncool because of something they did, said, or wore. Of course I could also relate to this fear from my own experience. For decades my fear of rejection had dictated how I related to others.

I believe one of the greatest gifts we can give the children God has put into our care is to teach them how they are viewed by God. 1 Thessalonians 2:4 states, "Just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts." The key is to show our kids that they are approved by God. From my own experience, I know that the more I understand God's approval, the less I struggle with desiring the praise of others, freeing me up to be who God wants me to be. Then I can seek to do God's will, rather than wasting my energy on worrying about how I am viewed by others.

Our acceptance is not based upon what we have done or who we are, but on the fact that God made us His sons and daughters. He will not leave us as orphans (John 14:18). Along with this adoption are some underlying blessings  God speaks over each one of us. We’ll look at some of those this week.

You are valuable! (Week 1, Day 5)

It took me 40 years to find out that I had value. All those years I had believed the lie that I was worthless. Our worth is found in our identity, but I did not know who I was. Perhaps I would have introduced myself as a mother of seven, a pastor's wife, a Christian, a college graduate, a world traveler. But not until I learned to identify myself as a child of God did I realize my own value. We are valuable because God made us and chose us. A piece of art is made valuable by the artist. Even a few squiggles by Monet or Van Gogh would be worth a small fortune. In the same way, you are of extreme value because the One who made you is famous. He is the king of the whole universe and He chooses to call you His child. Inasmuch as paintings are made valuable by the painter’s fame, so gold is made valuable by the amount someone is willing to pay for it. Consider how valuable you are since God gave His most precious possession for you, namely His only son, Jesus.

·       Look up the following Bible verses to meditate upon and to ask the Father to show you how valuable you are to Him. Write down the verse that is most meaningful to you: Psalm 139:14, Isaiah 43:4, Deuteronomy 32:10, Matthew 10:29-30

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·       Write your thoughts or a prayer of thanksgiving to the One who has made you valuable.

                                                                                                                        

                                                                                                                        

                                                                                                                        

                                                                                                                        

                                                                                                                                     

You are my favorite! (Week 1, Day 4)

My children frequently ask me, "Mommy, who is your favorite?" Often I cup my hands over my child's ear and whisper, "You are my favorite, but don't tell the others." "Oh, Mommy!” each one replies knowingly, "You say that to each one of us!" But they still like to hear it and refer to themselves as "Mommy's favorite." Jesus is God's favorite. The Father loved the Son before the foundation of the world (John 17:24).

· According to John 17:23, how much does the Father love you?

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· Put your name in the blank:

God the Father loves ___________________________as much as He loves Jesus.
Of all the disciples, John grasped this truth the best.

· How did John, the disciple of Jesus, refer to himself when writing his gospel (John 13:23, 19:26, 20:2, 21:7)?

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John identified himself as such, not because he was loved more than the others, but because he was secure in Jesus' love. Jesus came to show us what the Father is like. Knowing Jesus' love means knowing the Father's love. Therefore let this be your new identity: 

“I am ‘the one whom Jesus loved’. (John 20:2) I am His favorite!”

I love you completely! (Week 1, Day 3)

"For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Rom. 8: 37-39)

Do you know why none of the things mentioned above can separate us from God’s love? Because all are part of God's love. In Ephesians 3:18, Paul prays that we "may have power... to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ.”
We all love to experience the height of His love – the ecstasy of His presence and the exhilaration that comes with the joys of life and the amazing beauty of nature. It is uncomfortable, even scary, to think about a God who is willing to allow hardship and remove the hedge of protection, even to the point where evil seems to win the day. It explodes our neat picture of God, removing Him from the box we have placed Him in. Suddenly we agree with the Narnians in C.S.Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia, exclaiming, "He is not safe!"

It is true that God does not tempt anyone to evil, but in His sovereignty he sometimes chooses to allow it. I have experienced some of these depths:
- when checking myself into an orphanage as a teenager.
- when going through four years of depression.
- when losing our beloved firstborn daughter and walking through the resulting marriage crisis.

That is when we stand with Job, crying out, "Why?", hammering our fists on the chest of the Almighty, only to realize that we are not to expect an answer. The key to grasping the purpose of these depths is "being rooted and established in love" which is the verse preceding Ephesians 3:18. By understanding that God is for us and that He loves us, we no longer shrink back in fear when hardship comes our way. Knowing that God chose to allow suffering even in His only begotten son's life does not provide answers, but it does enable us to trust that God is good and that his thoughts are higher than ours. Jesus descended lower than we will ever have to, He went to the depths of hell, for our sake. This gives us the courage to trust that, in His compassion, He will only bring about pain necessary for our ultimate healing.

In all these things, God purposefully removes any confidence we’ve placed in our own strength, or in the support of others, to satisfy our aching hearts, as we finally come running to Him. If we are willing to trust God, our hard times will allow us to know Him more intimately and will create in us a yearning for more of Him. The depth cannot separate us from God's love; God meets us and embraces us in the midst of it.

Therefore, let us pray with Paul that, "being rooted and established in love, we may have power, together with all the Lord's holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ." (Eph. 3:17-18)

· Recall occasions in your life which have caused you to doubt God's love for you.

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· Choose to lay these things down before God the Father, trusting that He uses all things for your good. Read Deuteronomy 1:31 and Romans 8:28. Record your thoughts or prayers below.

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