8/28/2018
To Fall In Love All Over AgainTO FALL IN LOVE ALL OVER AGAIN
I watched the young bride to be. Two days before the “I do’s”. The winds of work all around her. Like walking on water, her eyes fixed only on him. Pure joy in the eyes that beheld her groom. Unabashed love filled the heart that was his. No care for the lack of helpers. Oblivious to the hard work her hands were doing, the many jobs before the big day, the late nights and lack of sleep. 11pm. Endless wedding chores had filled her day, and yet, she couldn’t wait to get home and talk to the love of her life. Sleep could wait. And so I thought on my own marriage. Those early years when he was the most important thing in the world to me and my love for him was much greater than my love for myself. Time changes things. Self pity gets the upper hand far too often. Today I will remember. Today I will choose to say “I do” again. And then I thought about HIM, my Savior, and how often self has pushed Him aside. I remember when I first fell in love with Him so many years ago. That love has feigned. I was willing to do anything, go anywhere, serve wherever needed. All with joy in my heart. I would take on any responsibility in ministry, all for the love of HIM, and as the sun went down and stars illuminated the evening sky, I was never too tired to talk to HIM. There were no complaints about not getting help with the endless work ministry calls for, because my great love for HIM was my motivation. Like a young bride, my every breath held His name. My heart was totally His. Somehow, too often along the journey, my joy gets lost in serving because I take my eyes off of HIM and turn them instead toward myself. Today I will choose to say “I do” again. I will rekindle the love I lost. I will remember the day He filled my heart and left no room for self to squeeze in. I will love Him with my everything. I will serve Him entirely. I will rejoice in the joy only He can bring. I will walk on water towards Him. My eyes only on Him. No self pity. No self love. No complaints about all the others behind me in the boat that aren’t walking with me, because all I need is HIM. Yes, today I will say “I do” again. “I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience....and for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted. Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love....Remember...”. Revelation 2:2-5 “Now the end of the commandment is charity (love) out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned:” 1 Timothy 1:5 “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.” I Corinthians 10:31 Matthew 14:29-33 “That I see Him walking on the waves, no shore in sight, no success, no goal, just the absolute certainty that it is all right because I see Him walking on the sea. It is the process, not the end, which is glorifying to God. God’s end is to enable me to see that He can walk on the chaos of my life just now. If we have a further end in view, we do not pay sufficient attention to the immediate present: if we realize that obedience is the end, then each moment as it comes is PRECIOUS.” Oswald Chambers 
8/21/2018
When You’ve Been MistreatedWHEN YOU’VE BEEN MISTREATED
I just want to wallow in it. I’m fighting the pricking of my heart because~ I. Deserve. To. Wallow. How many times can a person get mistreated? How many times can I get knocked down and pick myself back up again? I don’t want to get back up. I want to be angry inside. I want to cry. I want to run away. I definitely don’t want to read my bible or pray. Not now. My heart knows what God is whispering to it~ I block my ears like a little child. It’s not fair It’s too hard I can’t do this anymore. Let me have my moment. But God keeps whispering~ He will keep bringing me back to this place over and over again~ Until I realize Jesus. Today I only realize Charisse. God knows my circumstances. They aren’t accidental. He wants me to see Jesus in every moment~ Even in the mistreatment and hurt. He whispers to my soul~ Be kind Be tender hearted Forgive~ as I forgave you. I am undone. His words pierce my heart. I can forgive I can be kind I can be tender hearted I can love again Because~ I can do all things through Him~ And that’s exactly what He would do. “To the saint, personal insult becomes the occasion of revealing the incredible sweetness of the Lord Jesus” “The disciple realizes that it is his Lord’s honor that is at stake in his life, not his own honor” “Never look for justice, but never cease to live it” Oswald Chambers        
8/14/2018
Shyness And AllA few years back, someone was having a conversation with my son in law and told him that they thought his mother in law was snooty. Can I tell you how deeply that bothered me? Pretty deep. Of course my sweet son in law tried to assure them that I was not snooty, just very shy. He even added-“if you knew her, you would know she’s not that way at all”. It was very kind of him to stick up for me. After the blow of hearing that I was described as snooty, my first reaction was to defend myself~ “I’m not snooty, I’m just extremely shy! I can’t help it.” But then my thoughts went inward. I convinced myself that this was how God made me and He loves me just as I am and understands that I am shy. Can I say~I still believe all of that. God does love me as I am. God does know I am an introverted, shy preacher’s wife. But.... (Yep, but...) He asked me~ Are You a picture of my Son? When people are with you, do they see Jesus shine through that shyness? Even before they know you? Obviously the answer was no, and I knew right then that I needed to be a picture of God’s grace~ shyness and all. It’s something I ask Him to help me with on a daily basis. ~Let them see Jesus in me~ Too often we convince ourselves that we can’t help our demeanor. We argue that that’s just how God made us, but we forget the part of the Bible that says~ We are made in His image. We are known by our fruit. We are a light to the world. Love is everything. In word, in deed, in demeanor. We can do ALL things with Christ help. So I will step out of my comfort zone, put on a little extra deodorant (because I know I’ll be sweating bullets)~ and with Gods help and His power~ I will show the world Jesus. Shyness and all. Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.” Matthew 5:14-15 “But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.” 2 Corinthians 3:18
8/8/2018
Lift Your Hand And Let GoThere is a sphere. It continually turns, as water gently cascades across its surface. It sits in a waiting room and when my children were younger, the first time they saw it they were in awe. It was limitless. It was powerful. It was beautiful~yet, with the simple touch of their tiny hand they could stop it all. Without realizing it, we often limit God’s power in every hard situation we face. We compartmentalize what we believe God can and can’t do in our lives. In our messes. In our anxieties, in our fears, in our unknowns and in the world around us. We might hear the trite words~ “God does everything for a reason”. Or~”you just need to pray about it more”. Although meant to be, these aren’t words of comfort. They are often pet answers from a sincere heart that has no answers. Perhaps a heart that hasn’t truly been intimate with God’s power. And we limit God. God can do anything. ANYTHING! Just like that sphere, when our hands interfere and our hearts disbelieve-God’s beautiful glory no longer cascades across our lives and the lives around us. And we ask “why God, why?” And the whole while our sweet Father is telling us-“lift your hand of disbelief away and allow my power and my glory to wash over you. Let Me show you what I can do in your life.” In the waiting. That job situation. That school situation. That hurting marriage. That crying infant. That rebellious teenager. That health scare. That loved one’s illness. That unknown future. I used to watch my children as their tiny fingers touched that sphere and think about how big they looked next to it, as if they had the world in their hands. They held the power to control its beauty. And then, I couldn’t help but think~ My God is so much bigger. The reality of our minute stature hits me hard~ He holds our world in His hands and we hold His power in our hearts. With Him, anything is possible. ANYTHING Lift your hand. Let go. Watch God’s power, glory and beauty cascade over your life and just believe. Just believe. “Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,” Ephesians 3:20 “God hath spoken once; twice have I heard this; that power belongeth unto God.” Psalms 62:11 “Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God.” Matthew 22:29 “Now also when I am old and grayheaded, O God, forsake me not; until I have shewed thy strength unto this generation, and thy power to every one that is to come.” Psalms 71:18 “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:” John 1:12 “But I will sing of thy power; yea, I will sing aloud of thy mercy in the morning: for thou hast been my defence and refuge in the day of my trouble.” Psalms 59:16 “And they were all amazed at the mighty power of God.” Luke 9:43a “Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me?” Jeremiah 32:27 “I know that thou canst do every thing, and that no thought can be withholden from thee.” Job 42:2 “Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.” Psalms 55:22 “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” 2 Timothy 1:7 |
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