Monday Morning Memo: For HIS Purpose

“It’s not about you.”  If that statement sounds familiar, it probably means you have read Rick Warren’s book, The Purpose Driven Life.  It is the very first sentence in chapter 1.  He goes on to say, “The purpose of your life is far greater than your own personal fulfillment, your peace of mind, or even your happiness.  It’s far greater than your family, your career, or even your wildest dreams and ambitions.  If you want to know why you were placed on this planet, you must begin with God.  You were born by his purpose and for his purpose.”

 

It also may sound familiar to you because I have shared those words with you before…but they came back to me recently because of a Facebook post I made.  If you are a “friend” of mine on Facebook, you may have read these words:

 

This will probably be a controversial post…but that hasn’t stopped me in the past :-). I've seen influencers the past couple of weeks, buying Easter baskets for their kids that in my honest opinion...are ridiculous.  They have more in them than we bought our kids for Christmas.

 

I think this is a contributing factor to seeing parents freaking out because they don’t have the money to buy their kids extravagant Easter baskets. Friends…hear me on this…it’s ok. We NEVER bought our kids an Easter basket…yes, I know that may be shocking for some of you…but our poor, underprivileged children never got one. And do you know what? They grew up to be wonderful, amazing, productive adults…even without an Easter basket. I have never heard them say, “Well, you know mom, our life would be so much better if we just would have gotten baskets at Easter”. Nope, never heard it.

I’m not bashing you if you buy your kids baskets. If that is something that is important to you in making memories…go for it! But I just wanted to let those parents know, who maybe can’t buy them this year…your kids will be fine. Your 1- and 3-year-old won’t remember it anyway, and if your kids are older…they will be just fine if they don’t get one. Let them know all about the real meaning of Easter…that will have a much more positive, lasting effect on them!

 

I’ve thought more about this Facebook post of mine during the days since…and Rick Warren’s comment has been in the forethought of my mind.  Why?  Because I fear we are raising a generation of children who think everything revolves around them.  Don’t get me wrong…I wanted my kids…and now my grandkids…to have times of fun by receiving gifts…but it just seems like now we have to buy them something at every holiday, putting the attention on them instead of the meaning of the day we are celebrating.  

 

Why must we put our focus on what we will receive at a holiday?  I hate to disappoint you…but Easter has nothing to do with the Easter bunny and if our kids see us put the emphasis on an Easter basket filled with toys, games and chocolate…they are once again getting the signal that it is all about them. 

 

Even in sports today…everyone receives a participation award…because heaven help us if they must realize they weren’t on the winning team.  I even noticed at some of our grandchildren’s games, when announcements were made on upcoming tourney games, they wouldn’t say “The team that wins will move on to play next Saturday at 10:00 am and the team that loses will play next Saturday at 9:00 am.”  Instead, they said something to the effect of, “The team that wins will move on to play next Saturday at 10:00 am, and the other team (or sometimes the team that didn’t win) will move on to play next Saturday at 9:00 am.”  They were so careful not to make the kids feel like they lost.  

 

Now, I understand that we don’t want to hurt our kid’s self-esteem…but life isn’t all roses and there are times we must face the thorns.  But if we are constantly made to feel like we are the focus…we are not going to be ready to face the failures that life will surely throw our way.

 

Some day that child will get a job and they will probably realize fairly quickly that the focus won’t be on them.  They will have to make sacrifices and work for the good of the “team”.  We need to prepare them while they are growing up for times such as this, but if we are always making them feel like they deserve something at every turn…we have not done our “job” as parents.

 

Now, I can hear some of you say, “LuAnn, come on.  It’s just a basket…or a gift…or a reward.  Don’t be such a party pooper!”  I know…I get it.  We all want to do everything we can for our kids…but we also have the responsibility to make sure they are prepared for the days, months and years to come.

 

Instead of giving them an Easter basket…why not prepare a basket with them to give to someone who needs it.  There are so many people in nursing homes who never have any family visit them…they would be thrilled to receive a basket with some special treats.  Or gather items to give to kids who are in the hospital…or living in homeless shelters.  That sweet child of yours will not only learn much more but will also have the feeling that comes when you bless others…and that experience will be remembered for a lifetime.

 

Raising kids is hard and if you are like me…you will make lots of mistakes.  But I think if we can keep our focus…and theirs…on what is truly meaningful in life…our kids will grow up with something worth much more than an Easter basket.  Because as Rick Warren reminded us, wewere born by HIS purpose and for HIS purpose.

Monday Morning Memo: Picking Up the Torch

Back in the early 2000’s, a family came to our church who we didn’t know.  We had several opportunities to be around them and really liked them from the start.  But my friendship with the wife, Nancy, really took root when she posted on Facebook that she had an extra ticket for a local Christian radio station’s Women’s Day Away the next day, on Saturday.  She wondered if anyone wanted to go with her.

 

I responded that I would love to go and trust me, spending a day with Nancy was unforgettable.  We laughed until it hurt and talked throughout the day and by that evening, a cherished friendship was cemented.

 

Little did I know then, that 22 years later, Nancy would ask me to come over to her house because she wanted to go over details for her funeral with me.  That is something you don’t expect to do with a friend in her late 40’s.  She had been diagnosed with MS in her early 20’s and by the time we discussed her funeral, she was living in a frozen body…unable to move.

 

Nancy loved her Jesus.  You couldn’t meet her and not know that fact within a very short time.  She talked about Jesus all the time and witnessed to anyone who would listen.  That’s one of the many things I loved about her…she was never shy to speak out about what she believed and about her love for her Lord and Savior.  Nancy made such an impact in this world and one of the main reasons was that she believed in the truth and beauty of the Gospel - that Jesus came and gave His life for all of us.  Even in the midst of doubts and pain…she held fast.  Even as she wrestled at times with what was happening to her and why it was happening…she knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that God loved her.  Her faith is what fueled every facet of her life and impacted everyone with whom she came in contact.

 

If you were a friend of Nancy’s…you were blessed with a special kind of friend.  Nancy cared SO deeply for everyone and she was the greatest prayer warrior I have ever had the privilege of meeting.  Here she was, unable to move and living oftentimes in horrible pain…but she always wanted to know how she could pray for me.  When I would tell her of a need of mine, she was always so good about checking back with me to see how my prayer request turned out.  If you wanted something taken to the Throne of God…you knew to ask Nancy to do just that.  She had a direct line to her Jesus…a relationship with Him that was inspiring.

 

I remember asking her one day about her MS and if she thought a lot about how her life would have been without it.  I asked her if she wished she would have never had it and her answer shocked me.  She said that while she wasn’t happy that she had MS, she didn’t wish that it would be taken away…because she said she never would have had such a close relationship with her Jesus without it.  She knew that this diagnosis made her rely on Him every single day and she said there wasn’t anything she wanted more than to be close to Him.  You see, the desire of Nancy’s heart was to allow the power of Christ to work through her in the good times and in the bad.  What a wonderful example to follow.

 

A month ago today, on March 6th, at the age of 52, I am confident Nancy heard the words, “Well done, my good and faithful servant” as she took her last breath on earth and her first breath in Heaven.  Nancy was finally whole…completely healed with no traces left of MS.  She was now with her Savior…the One she so faithfully served in the good days and in the bad.

 

I had the privilege of speaking at her funeral, and I shared a couple of verses in the Bible found in 2 Timothy 4:7-8 and I personalized them as a tribute to my dear friend’s life:

 

“Nancy fought the good fight, she has finished the race, she kept the faith. Finally, there has been laid up for her the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to her on that Day, and not to her only but also to all who have loved His appearing.”

 

Nancy left such huge shoes to fill and the words which have haunted me since that day are “Who is going to pick up the torch that Nancy so faithfully carried?”  The world has lost an amazing prayer warrior and witness for Christ, and I know she would want me and you to pick up where she left off.  

 

If I’m honest, I must admit that I don’t think I’ve done a good job lately on carrying her torch.  I have so much to learn from Nancy’s example…and a long way to go to be the faithful servant she was.   I must ask myself if I am  willing.  Are you?  We are living in a dark world that needs to be told about our Jesus and if they don’t hear about Him from us…they may not hear about Him at all.  Let’s make it a point this week to pick up Nancy’s torch…raise it high…and let others see Christ through us.  

 

HEALTH UPDATE:  I had another CT scan and met with the lung surgeon and was told that no surgery is needed at this time.  That is a praise!  My lungs have greatly improved according to the CT scan…the only problem is that the pain and tightness remain.  I am currently on another round of antibiotics and once those are gone…they want me to try and go three months without any medicine to see what happens.  Another CT scan will be taken at that time and if it looks good…we will know the infection is gone.  If the lungs don’t look good at that time, I will return to the lung specialist and we will talk about surgery.

 

I asked the surgeon if this is possibly my new “normal” with my lungs and the pain and tightness will never go away.  We know my disorder, Hypermobility Syndrome, is the base cause of all of this, so it is possible that my lungs are damaged and won’t improve.  The surgeon said that is a possibility…but we will hope healing will take place.  

 

Thank you SO much for your prayers.  You all have been such an amazing prayer “army” for me and I can’t thank you enough!

Monday Morning Memo: Our Last Resort

Last week I shared with you some of my current life “detours”, and it got me thinking about something that I hear quite often.  It is a statement that, if I’m honest…I’ve been known to say more than once.  I think we often say it without “hearing” what we are saying, and I can’t help but think if we really listened to the words…we wouldn’t say them again.

 

When circumstances don’t make sense…when a diagnosis knocks us off our feet…when the world seems to be unhinged and out of our control…we often hear/say these words, “Well, I guess all we can do is pray”.  Hmmmm…sounds kind of hopeless, doesn’t it?

 

Unfortunately, I think prayer is often our last resort…our last-ditch effort to make things right after we have tried everything else.  When all else has failed…I guess all we can do is pray.  When things don’t go the way we think they should go…I guess all we can do is pray.  When there are more questions than answers…I guess all we can do is pray.

 

Sadly, I think we sometimes use this statement as a cop out.  When we don’t want to have to take action, but still want to sound spiritual, we quip, “Well, I guess all we can do is pray”.  Then we either don’t pray about the situation…or we do pray but never listen for an answer…because that might mean we have to do something we don’t want to do.

 

If we would really grasp to Whom we are praying…it would become our first choice instead of our last resort.  We can have a conversation with the One who created everything.  The One who is all-powerful.  The One who knows absolutely everything about us.  The One who knows our yesterday, today and our tomorrow.  The One who loves us more than we can imagine.  The One who will never leave us or give up on us.  The One whose plan for us is perfect, so we should desire to do whatever He asks…so that this plan will be fulfilled.  The One who is available seven days a week, 24 hours a day and we never get a busy signal or a lost connection.    What a great opportunity we have to take everything to this One who has given His all…so that we can have a personal and vibrant relationship with Him.  

 

We are all living in a world that seems unhinged, and I’m guessing that many of you may have additional stresses in your life which no one else even knows about.  Whatever you are facing today, know that this One…this One who even knows the number of hairs on your head…is waiting for you to pour out your heart to Him.  Don’t wait until He is your last resort…turn to your Jesus first and allow Him to speak into your soul.  

 

If the world could see us turning to Him first, maybe, just maybe, they might want to turn to Him also.  Our confused world needs to see the hope that we have in Him; they need to see the power that we have available to us even when life throws us a curveball.  They need to see that when things don’t go our way, we don’t fall apart, wringing our hands in despair…because our hope and faith are in this One with whom we can immediately turn to in prayer.  

 

I’ve been thinking…if we can make going to Him in prayer our immediate reaction, maybe our new response to our next life detour will be, “Oh what a great opportunity to go to my Jesus in prayer!”  That my friend…doesn’t sound hopeless at all!

“God's there, listening for all who pray, 

for all who pray and mean it.”

Psalm 145:18 (The Message)

Monday Morning Memo: Not a Village

This will be long and I apologize for that.  But the Lord has laid this on my heart to share…so I will be obedient.

 

There is a saying that many of us have heard often and it is that it takes a village to raise a child.  I’ve also heard that it takes a village for everyone to get through this life…but after this past week…I don’t agree with that statement.

 

I looked forward to the plans for our evening, because we were getting together with our small group from church.  Twice a month we meet and enjoy dinner together, then study God’s Word and end by spending time in praise and prayer.   We were eating a fabulous meal accompanied by wonderful conversation this past week…when I felt my phone buzz.  I checked it and saw that I had a new message in my medical portal.  I debated for a second as to whether I should check it or leave it until the evening was over, but as they say, curiosity kills the cat and I had to find out what new information was waiting for me.

 

I clicked into my account and began reading the message from my pulmonologist.  I read it once and then read it again…because I was not prepared for what I was being told.  I then looked at my husband who happened to be sitting across the table from me, and I’m guessing I had a “deer in the headlight” look.  He knows me well and of course immediately knew something was up.  He asked me what was wrong and I wasn’t even sure I could find the words to say.

 

Of course, at this point, the entire small group was looking at me, and everyone was wondering what was going on.  I proceeded to explain that I had just gotten a message from my pulmonologist and it wasn’t what I was expecting.  As some of you know, I’ve been dealing with pulmonary issues now for 21 months.  It started with bronchitis and I’ve had double pneumonia and then was diagnosed with MRSA in both lungs.  No one has ever been able to figure out how in the world I developed MRSA…but then again…no one has ever been able to figure me out…period.

 

They finally told me that I have focal bronchiectasis in my right lung…which complicates the situation.  I am currently on a new medicine that just became available the day after I was diagnosed with this, and it costs over $7,700 a month.  Thankfully, I qualified for assistance from the Patient Assistant Fund, and they are picking up the cost for me.  I am so blessed.

 

I have lived on antibiotics most of the 21 months, because every time I have gone off them…the infection flares.  I have lost count at the number of doctors I have seen, with each doctor finally telling me that I am a “special” patient and trust me…they don’t mean that in a good way.  My body just doesn’t react like anyone else, and they have not been able to figure out what to do to get me well.

 

They did finally discover that all eight of my sinuses were also filled with infection, so in January I had surgery to clean them all out and it was discovered that I have MRSA in those too.  The surgery was considered a success, and the first two follow-up appointments were encouraging.  But by the third follow-up appointment, I knew before ever walking in the door that the infection had returned.  I had also ended my antibiotic, hoping that I wouldn’t need it again.  But instead, not only had infection returned in my sinuses, but my lungs had flared up big time…telling us that there are still major issues that need to be dealt with.

 

Enter the message from my pulmonologist.  I had messaged him that morning to let him know that my infection had returned and that my lungs were once again not doing well.  I fully expected him to say that he was referring me to Cleveland Clinic, because we had had that conversation at an earlier appointment.  Instead, he told me that he was afraid my options were very limited, and his recommendation was for me to see a Cardiothoracic surgeon and have the right lobe of my lung removed.  To say I felt broadsided with this news…is an understatement.

 

Our small group was amazing.  They let me talk and try to sort out my feelings.  They commiserated with me…which was greatly needed.  I didn’t need them to just say, “Oh well, you know God is in control and He will see you through”.  Yes, that is true…but at that moment…I needed them to empathize with me.  I needed them to try and feel what I was feeling…and they did just that.

 

We ended the meal and went through our time of study.  I then began leading our praise and prayer time and asked what they had to share and one of the members stood up, took her chair, put it in the middle of us and said, “First of all…LuAnn get in the chair.  I’m following the Holy Spirit’s direction…and we are going to pray for you.”  I sat down in the provided chair and our small group gathered around me, laid hands on me and began to pray.  Person after person lifted me up to God’s Throne.  They went to battle for me…asking God to work in a powerful way.  They asked for strength, for peace, for healing, for wisdom, for direction.  They asked God to meet me where I was and lead me to where He wanted me.  As they prayed, I felt peace fill my soul.  I felt surrender fill my emotions.   I felt the presence of my Heavenly Father who created me and knows every cell of my body.  It was so powerful.

 

The next day, I had some family and friends who I knew I needed to update with this information.  They told me they would pray.   One dear friend asked me if she could share my need with some of her friends who I don’t even know and by the end of the day, she told me I had been added to four prayer chains from groups where I know absolutely no one.  I felt SO humbled and blessed.

 

I’m here to tell you that after this past week, I’m convinced we don’t need a village.  What we need is an army.  We need an army of people who are willing to storm the gates of heaven with our requests.  We need an army of people who will listen when we need to process…love us when we feel desperation…surround us in prayer when we need to feel their touch on our shoulders.  

 

The dictionary says that an army is a “large organized body of armed personnel trained for war; a body of persons organized to advance a cause.”   We are living in a dark world which is filled with people who are hurting.  They are hurting physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually and what they need is an army of people who are willing to surround them.  People who are willing to go above and beyond what is expected to make sure the person knows they are loved and being lifted up to God’s Throne.  People who are willing to arm themselves with the armor of God…ready and willing to get in the middle of the “war” that people are going through.  You and I need an army.

 

I have no idea what is ahead on my journey.  At this point, I have another CT scan scheduled to see what the current status is of my lungs.  Then, we are in the process of getting an appointment with the Cardiothoracic surgeon to see what his opinion is of my options.

 

What I do know is that I am so blessed to have an army to walk this journey with me.  But I realize that many people aren’t as fortunate as I am.  If you are one who doesn’t have an army…I would encourage you to surround yourself with Christian brothers and sisters who will go to battle for you.  I know there are Christians who believe you don’t need to be a part of a local church…but I disagree.  We need that fellowship.  We need that support.  We need that army of people who won’t run away when the going gets tough.

 

Because of this revelation this past week, I am currently working on something that will hopefully be of help to those who don’t know where to start.  For those who need an army and for those who are willing to be an army for people they may not even know.  Time is of the essence my friends, the battle is on and we all need to be willing to pick up God’s armor and go to war with those who are in need.

 

Stay tuned…but while you wait…be the army for someone this week.

 

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the 

strength of his might.”

Ephesians 6:10

 

“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another.”

Hebrews 10:24-25

Monday Morning Memo: A Raving Success

I love to cook and bake, which isn’t always a good thing.  Since I started grinding my own wheat a little over a year ago, I’ve baked more bread than I probably have my entire life and while that’s good…it isn’t always the best thing for the waistline .

 

I love to look for new recipes, especially on the Internet, that have rave reviews from other cooks.  I take time to read their thoughts on whether the recipe should be made just as written, or whether they think it is better with their own personal “tweaking”.  I always laugh though when a reviewer says they just loved the recipe…but then go on to list change after change they made to it.  In other words, they didn’t make the original recipe, they made up their own recipe!

 

It never ceases to surprise me though, when I make one of these tried and true concoctions, and we hate it.  Sometimes hundreds of other cooks say that this combination of ingredients is the best thing since sliced bread, and we can hardly swallow it.  I have to chuckle when my husband always says the same line when he doesn’t like my new dish: “You don’t ever have to make this again.”  That’s my cue that this particular recipe needs to be destroyed 

 

Does this failure stop me from trying new recipes?  Absolutely not.   Do I give up and tell myself that I guess I wasn’t meant to be a cook and I should resort to just serving TV dinners?  Of course not (especially since my husband hates them!).  Just because this new dish or bread wasn’t a success, doesn’t mean my next attempt won’t be a raving success.

 

Just like I wouldn’t give up cooking because of a failed attempt, I shouldn’t give up easily in other areas of my life when I fall short.  Unfortunately, I see it happening too often in the lives of those with whom I come in contact.  They try for a new job and don’t get it, and they feel like a failure and give up.  They discipline their child and the end result is not what they were expecting, so they throw up their hands and let their son or daughter do whatever he or she wants.  They step out of their comfort zone to attempt something new for Christ and their actions are not met with rave reviews, so they resort to just being a “pew warmer”.

I’m afraid our society puts a lot of pressure on people to make sure they never fail at anything. Even young kids are all given a medal in many sports, because they don’t think kids should experience any loss.  But we all have times of failure or loss and we need to learn how to handle those times.   

 

None of us like to fail at anything.  But our failures shouldn’t define us as a person.  We need to remember that it isn’t the failure that will destroy us but our attitude towards the failure.  I read this quote from Chuck Swindoll, “We cannot change our past... we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it. And so it is with you... we are in charge of our attitudes.” 

 

There is so much truth in these words.  Our attitude is key when we come up against a failure or life throws us a curveball.  Will we beat ourselves up or will we stand back up, dust ourselves off and resolve to try again?  Remember that Matthew 19:26 tells us, “Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”  Do you believe that today?  If so…make sure your focus stays on Him as you endeavor new and challenging opportunities that will help you grow to look more like Christ.  You just never know when one of these ventures will turn out to be a raving success!

Monday Morning Memo: NO Assumptions

Yep, I must be getting old and yes, I probably should be a little embarrassed to admit what I’m going to admit to you today.  But that’s never stopped me before J

 

Here’s my big admission…I had no clue that yesterday was the day for the time change.  Never crossed my mind.  Dan and I had mentioned it in conversation a couple times that it was coming up…but I don’t recollect an actual date being talked about.  But again, I am aging so maybe I just forgot.  Sure, I knew we changed time…but I thought it was more in the spring…and not while it was still winter.

 

The crazy thing is that usually more than one person will post on social media the day before the time-change day to remind their friends to spring forward or fall backward…whichever is appropriate.  But this time?  My friends let me down.  Yes, if you consider yourself to be my friend…I’m here to tell you that it’s your fault I didn’t know.  Now if I’m honest…I wasn’t on Facebook much on Saturday, but still, you know my age and you should have made a point to remind me J   

 

Before you picture me getting to church an hour late, I’m sure you will be relieved to know that we were even early to church.  Fortunately, I had set the alarm on my phone to go off at 5:30 am, and since it automatically changes time, it did its thing appropriately.  The funny thing was that I have another very old clock on my nightstand, and it said 4:30 am when I got up and that still didn’t trigger my mind to think of the time change.  I just figured that when I dusted this past week, I must have accidently hit the “hour” button and messed up the time.  Yes, the men in white coats are probably on their way now to get me…

 

So, while I’m sure this post has been captivating to read so far…you are probably wondering why I’m making this unflattering confession.  The reason is this:  while I got ready for church yesterday morning, all I could think about was the fact that I didn’t know because no one specifically told me that the time change would be on March 7th.  Should I have figured it out myself?  Yes, I probably should have, and fortunately, not knowing wasn’t a life and death situation…but the fact is that I didn’t know because no one made a point to warn me.  At least that’s my story and I’m sticking to it!

 

The rest of the day, I just kept wondering how many people don’t know about Jesus, because I have failed to tell them.  Yes, they probably should investigate and try to learn everything about Him on their own…but what if they don’t?  What if I just assume they already know…or that someone else will surely tell them (isn’t that our pastor’s responsibility?)…but neither of those things happen and they are never told or never shown what a life with Christ looks like?  Am I really a true friend if I just say things which I know won’t “step on their toes”?

 

In this scenario, the outcome is much more devastating than me not knowing about the time change.  This scenario impacts eternity…it may affect whether someone spends eternity in heaven or in hell.  When I think about this…it shakes me to the core…because I don’t want to stand before Christ someday and have Him say, “LuAnn, why didn’t you tell them?  Why didn’t you care enough to make sure they knew that I died for them?  Why?”

 

Time is of the essence.  All we have to do is look around at the world events which are taking place to know that the days may be short before we all stand before Him.  I need to be willing to tell those who may not know that there is a Savior who loves them more than they can imagine. I dare not assume.  And as your friend I need to make sure you know…neither should you. 

 

Monday Morning Memo: At HIS Feet

I have the privilege of being a year-round volunteer for Operation Christmas Child.  My responsibility is to lead the Prayer Team for our area.  One of the things we do is put together a Prayer Calendar each month, which we share with the entire area team which currently consists of 19 people. 

This past week, I was working on the March calendar and the words “Spend time at HIS feet” just kept going through my mind.  I’m guessing the reason these words were on my mind was because Satan had been on a rampage for a few days…trying to get me discouraged.  So, I stopped and took some time to study on why we should spend time at the feet of our Jesus. 

Matthew 11:28-30 tells us, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”  Sitting at the feet of Jesus provides the calmness and peace we so desperately need in this world.  When Satan is on a rampage…taking the time to sit at Christ’s feet is where we can find comfort and rest. In a noisy, crazy world filled with distractions, spending time in His presence offers peace for our weary souls. It is during this time when we can bring our burdens to Him and He assures us that He will give us rest. When we intentionally choose to sit at His feet, His love can heal our hearts and transform our anxiety into joy as we surrender our worries to Him.

Proverbs 1:5 says, “Let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance.” Taking the time to sit at His feet, allows us to learn from Him and receive His guidance for our lives.  Sitting with Him is an act of worship where we focus exclusively on Him and allow His wisdom to permeate our minds.  This time will draw us closer to Him and allow us to look more and more like our Savior.  We need this time to learn to recognize His voice so we can receive His direction in our lives.

We read in Ephesians 2:8-9, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.” When we take the time to sit at His feet, we will be overcome with His love and grace.  He offers us unconditional love that can heal our hearts and souls.  We can be transformed during this time and become vessels of His grace to those around us.  We can find freedom from those things in our past which Satan throws in our face which weighs us down, and we can receive Christ’s forgiveness and compassion.  It is only by sitting at His feet that we can grasp the full depth of this divine love and extend that same grace to others.

So, why wouldn’t we want to spend time sitting at His feet?  We would be crazy not to.  So, let’s be intentional in the coming days to spend time receiving His calmness and peace so our joy can be restored.  Let’s make it a time of worship where we listen for His guidance and direction.  Let’s bask in His love and grace…throwing off those things from our past that weigh us down…and then let’s extend that love and grace to those of whom we come in contact.

 

Yes, the more I think about it…there’s just no better place to be…than at HIS feet.

 

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we

ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within

us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus

throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.”

Ephesians 3:20-21