Wall Ball

When my brother was a young boy, he used to go outside, throw a ball at the side of the house, and spend hours catching, throwing and running after it. Sometimes I could tell if he was upset about something because he would throw that ball with all the strength his young body could muster.

Recently I realized I’m kind of doing the same thing. Not with a ball, but with life issues: disappointments, failed goals, insecurity, and uncertainty. I stand tall and make my declaration that I am done with a particular issue. I pray over it and throw that ball of concern to God. But instead of turning around and leaving with certainty that God would take care of it, I’d run as fast as I could to retrieve the very thing that was weighing me down.

I don’t necessarily do this consciously. But it’s pretty evident when I am overwhelmed and overburdened over the same problem that I’m still holding onto it. That’s when I realize I never gave it away at all.

Why? Do I not trust God to handle the issue? Am I that much a control freak? Do I fear God won’t handle it the way I would? Do I struggle with waiting and being patient on God’s timing?

Philippians 4:6-7 states, “Don’t worry about anything, but in everything through prayer and petition with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses every thought, will guard your hearts and mind in Christ Jesus.”

By retrieving the concern, I’m losing the peace God has promised me. When I walk away from the burden, the peace promised keeps my mind settled on God’s will and His timing. I begin to see the things God places in my hand, those things he wants me to manage, and I know His blessing is attached to each for success. I can feel it.

Getting rid of the stuff I can’t control has allowed God to fill up my life with grander opportunities.

Remember the song “What A Friend We Have In Jesus”?

Oh what peace we often forfeit.

Oh what needless pain we bear.

All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.

I think I’m going outside and throw some balls of concern to Jesus. And, I’m not picking up one of them. Not this time. This isn’t a game. It’s my declaration that I do trust God to handle the things I cannot seem to manage on my own.

Do you have a ball of concern you need to throw to Jesus? If so, don’t snatch it back just to worry over it anew. Affirm that Jesus can handle your concern. Kiss it goodbye, throw it as hard as you can. Turn around and walk away. Jesus has a large mitt and never fails to catch everything we throw His way.

God bless you always!

From Fractured Lives to Fullness in Christ: Part 4

Scenario #2: “I’m worried about everything.”

            My friend, Jodi, is not alone. Worry is pervasive in our society. I understand. Every time I turned the TV on I become anxious. Child abducted. Police Officer shot down. ISIS. Local business closes. Racial unrest escalates. Families in crisis. Job security at all-time low.

            This is the short list.

Across the world people worry, but when it comes into our lives worry has the potential to get deep-seeded—it follows us throughout our day, dictates our mood, robs us of sleep, and lounges on our shoulders. Feeling anxious about something is unpleasant and in extreme conditions can lead to health issues and death.

            Jesus tells us that we cannot handle everything. Some things are just beyond our ability to change. “And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life?” Therefore, worrying is a choice you make about the circumstances you find yourself in.

            My father-in-law used to say, “Worrying is as useful as sleeves in a vest.” He was right. Worry wrings us out emotionally. What’s the purpose?

Worry is like a rocking chair. It gives you something to do but doesn’t get you anywhere.

Worry is the misuse of your God-given imagination.

Worry is an old man with bended head, carrying a load of feathers which he thinks are lead.

            Matthew 6:33-34 states, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all things will be provided for you. Therefore don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

            Each day has enough trouble of its own. Isn’t that the truth?

            Sometimes when we sit in the pit of worry, we begin drawing out all the other things in life that are seemingly going sour. Worry supersaturates itself until we are too waterlogged to see the surface of reason.

                        Think about this . . .How many times in your life have you worried about something, lost sleep, and eaten a sleeve of Tums only to have everything work out on its own? Please someone give me an AMEN over that one!!!

            Worry cripples the mind, choking out the Word of God, leaving us unfruitful and unsatisfied.

Jodi had a lot on her. No one would deny that. She felt the burden of her family’s welfare. “I’m so worried. We’re sinking, and I feel it’s all my fault.”

 “Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties today of its strength.”

~Corrie ten Boom

            Worry.

            We all do it. But what happened during that luncheon with Jodi changed how I view worry.

            Just as Jodi finished her confession to me, a coworker of hers came by and said, “I’m concerned about John’s reaction to the sales report. Let’s get a team together and brainstorm some ideas to present to him at next week’s meeting”

            We sat silent a few minutes before Jodi asked, “Did you hear him?”

            Not knowing where she was going, I crinkled my face and nodded.

            “He used the word concern instead of worry. I don’t know about you but the word concern just lightened my load and opened up a world of possibilities.”

            I’m still in the confused zone, but her face began to glow. I could almost see her mind twirling in the field of feasibility.

            “Okay, talk. What are you thinking?”

            Her change was contagious. “I’m thinking promotion instead of getting fired!”

            Before I could answer, Jodi picked up her pocketbook, hugged my neck, and left. As I sat there, I kept pondering the words worry and concern. The difference in feel and usage was tremendous. Jodi felt empowered rather than defeated. Not all of us will rally this effectively, but even a small change of thought opens up new options.

            Never forget there is power in words. If we have a word that seems to tie us into an emotional stranglehold, then let’s replace it with a word that is more manageable. If our initial reaction isn’t desperation then it’s easier to stop and process the situation.

            Today when I begin down the “worry” road, I quickly retrieve the word and express my concern. And it’s true . . . being concerned keeps us from total ownership; so, we don’t have to beat ourselves up for everything that goes wrong. Concern distances you just enough to begin to see things more clearly. It’s easier to talk to God about what’s going on and easier to give it over in prayer. Even the waiting becomes more doable.

“It is certainly right to be concerned about things which are your responsibility and over which you exercise control. God expects us to be responsible, to be concerned that we follow through on what is ours to do. But worry is concerning yourself about things over which you have no control. Worrying is allowing care and concern to escalate beyond the realm of responsibility and into the realm in which you have no authority or control—God’s realm. And that kind of concern, which is worry, is sin.” Dr. David Jeremiah

            What’s worrying you today?

            What happens when you exchange the word worry with the word concern?

            Does it make it easier to take it to Jesus and give up control and ownership? Does it open up possibilities rather than erecting walls?

God bless you always!

Fractured Lives Part 2

How do we fight off fear, worry, depression, and feelings of loss?

            These feelings are mind traps. They become so ingrained in the way we think that we begin to own them. What we don’t understand is that these four robbers steal our joy, happiness, confidence, and more important our faith and trust in God. We spend so much time looking around us for answers that we forget to look up for THE answer.

When we worry, when we’re afraid, when we feel lost, or when we are fearful, we take our eyes off Jesus and elevate these emotions to godhood. We give them our time, our energy, and our devotion. It’s all we can think about. Our lives become entangled in a negative mesh that begins to steal who Christ says we are for what other people think and our culture erratically proclaims we should be.

Often these conflicting views leave us feeling like failures and losers, and the aftermath escalates our insecurity. Words piled upon words, burying us deeper and deeper into the mire.

We’ve all felt these avenging words slip into our consciousness: round upon rounds of onslaught that eventually wear us down.

How do we break this damaging thinking?

            Let’s go back to the image of being in a mire, a cesspool of filth.

            Both feet are stuck tight.

            As you struggle to lift one foot out, you hear a loud “suction”sound released, and your foot is free. One foot freed lightens your load. You can breathe easier. It gives hope, increases resolve and determination to continue.

            You extend that freed foot forward, and it lands in the mire again. This time there is little to no sound. The foot is accepted as the mire rolls up, around, and over the foot.

            This process is repeated over and over again.

            It is tiring, totally exhausting, but it is also purposeful and intentional.

Did you notice something in this process?

            Lifting the foot out of the mire is followed by a loud suction release sound. When you place your foot back in the mire it is readily accepted. It is definitely harder to get out of a mess than remain in it. Can I get an amen?

            Satan wants you to stay in the mire, keeping your eyes downcast as you struggle to free yourself.

            This is a true phenomenon . . . keeping your eyes down increases the struggle. It adds to the weight of what you are doing. BUT if you raise your head and keep your eyes forward or up, then your whole body is elevated, feeling lighter and stronger.

            It takes effort and determination to be free of sin’s mire, but the effort is worth it. Each step is closer to solid ground where we will immediately feel the full expression of freedom by the Deliverer.

Psalm 18:28-29 “Lord, You light my lamp; my God can attack a barrier, and with my God I can leap over a wall.”

            This is one of my favorite verses, but please open your Bible and read all of Psalm 18, Praise for Deliverance. Read it over and over again until you believe these words:

            “I love you, Lord, my strength. You are my Rock, my Fortress, and my Deliverer, my God, my Mountain where I seek refuge, my Shield and the Horn of my salvation, my Stronghold.”

There is power in the name of Jesus . . . break every chain, break every chain, break every chain!

Stay tuned for the rest of the story on fractured lives. Oh . . . you thought I was finished. Nope. Let’s go back to those scenarios and take a closer look.

God bless you always!

Fractured Lives Part 1

Two real-life scenarios to ponder:

“I don’t have any joy in my life.”

            I sat across from my friend not knowing what to say. She was dead-on serious. No joy.

            Scooting closer to her, I put my arm around her shoulder, and asked, “What’s going on?”

            Through tears my friend began her story. “My life is not what I expected. I feel like everything I touch goes sour. I’m not a good mom. My kids are horrible. They never listen. And my husband is distant. I feel I’m a shadow roaming the halls of my home. I’m scared.”

“I’m worried about everything.”

            Lunch had been unusually quiet. I knew something was up, but decided to keep the conversation light, hoping my work associate would cheer up. When she didn’t, I laid my fork down, and waited. I knew her well enough to know something was wrong.

            “John told me if my sales aren’t up by the end of the month I’ll need to find another job.”

            Our boss wasn’t the most tactful man, but he knew Jodi was the bread winner. Her husband hadn’t worked in three years due to an accident on his job. Their son stayed in trouble, and their daughter was in rehab from a drug overdose. Couldn’t John have given a gentle warning and another chance?

            “I’m sorry,” I began. “We’re halfway through the month. How are things going?”

            Jodi looked down at her lap. “Guess I should be looking for a job. I can’t afford to miss one paycheck. Dan’s disability has been denied again. Court expenses for Jason have eaten away our savings. When Mary Ellen gets out of rehab . . . guess what? She coming home, again. I’m so worried. We’re sinking, and I feel it’s all my fault.”

Fractured lives.

            No joy. Worried. Fearful. Depressed. Lost.

            I hear these kind of stories a lot. They come within normal every day conversations, emails, phone calls, and texts. Women, especially, seem to be overflowing, over-tight, and overstretched with life.

            Our lives are becoming more complex. We don’t budget our time; we expend it at a rapid-fire rate. There is nothing left.

Do you see yourself or someone you know struggling with life?

How do we manage to keep our lives balanced and joyful?

            Stay tuned for Part 2 of Fractured Lives.

God bless you always!

(Picture found on tonysmusings.blogspot.com. I did not generate the image. If you love the picture, read Tony's poems)