Calm within the storm

Most are familiar with the “calm before the storm” effect, but what do we do when the storm actually hits? Panic? I do. It is so easy to relax when times are easy then go into full-on panic mode when life’s storms find their way across our paths. As I’ve read my bible and prayed, God has shown me this is not the way. Times of peace and calm are meant for us to relax, but also for us to prepare for what may come. Don’t people build cellars or store food for a time when both may be necessary? God doesn’t want us to breeze through easy moments like vacations just to get to hard ones and lose control. He wants us to prepare our hearts with His word and His light, not because we are afraid of what may come, but so we are not rattled and shaken when the storms do come.

By Your Side

Have you ever been laying on your bed late at night lost in a river of thought and realized you really missed someone in that moment? Sometimes, it’s a person you saw recently, maybe even earlier that day, but despite how long it’s been since you saw that person, you still miss them terribly. That happens to me quite often. I’ll realize I haven’t seen an old friend in years, or think about how, even though I go to school with my best friend, we barely said anything more than a few greetings and had a short casual conversation. I start to realize I miss those people and want to see them now. In that moment, the people you miss seem so far away, even if they only live two minutes down the street.

Often, I fit God into this same category of friend. I tend to think about him like a person who I have to get up and go see or give them a call and invite them over. It seems like I have to wait for both of our schedules to be clear at the same moment to talk and spend time with him, but here’s what I forget: God is everywhere in everything. Stick with me now, because this is a really strange concept. When God says he’s “with you wherever you go” in Joshua 1:9, he means it literally. Are you going to the store to get some groceries? God’s coming too. Are you sitting at home reading your favorite book again…for the fifth time? God is right there next to you just waiting for you to flip the page and cry when your favorite character dies. Just because we cannot see him does not mean he’s not there. It’s like Harry Potter and his awesome invisibility cloak…except a thousand times cooler! Jesus is the greatest friend you can ever have because he’ll always be there for you. When my friends say they’ll always be there for me, they really mean that they’ll be there whenever they can because they can’t physically be there all the time. When Jesus says he’ll always be there for you, he means it! He’s always ready to comfort you when something goes wrong and to celebrate when something goes perfectly right. Everyone needs a friend who’s always ready to protect them, comfort them, give them strength and encouragement, give them a nudge in the right direction, and lift them up when they’re down. Jesus is that friend.

Even in times where it feels nobody is with you, you can trust God to be there. We all go through hard times, though they look different for every one of us, and in those times it can feel like nobody–nobody can possibly see or understand or help. It can look like nobody is even there for you when you need them, but that’s not quite right. The truth is that most of the billions of people on this planet are not going to be there for you. Sometimes, not even one will be there because either they don’t see or don’t care about what’s going on. Other times, people can see you’re hurting, but they don’t know how deep or bad your situation is, so once they you smile for a minute, they thinks everything’s alright and dandy and ok to move on, but that’s not always true, is it? One person you can rely on, though, is Jesus, and he’s not necessarily limited to our small world. He’s everywhere at once, but he’s also right there beside you. The best part is He knows exactly what’s wrong and exactly how to help and comfort you. Psalm 139 says God has searched us and known us. He knows when you sit down and rise up, and he knows every one of your thoughts. He searches out your paths and knows every way you go, habit you have, and thing you do. Jesus even knows the words you are going to speak before you say them and the “days that were written for you” before we were even born. Come to think of it, he sounds a little like Sant Claus…but maybe less stalker-like XD.

Jesus cares so much about you that he takes the time to not only learn about you, but he also takes time to personally know you. He’s not like those Facebook “friends” who seem to think they know everything about you based on what they see on your profile page. Jesus is a genuine friend who wants to talk to you and know your thoughts and feelings. That sounds a little contradictory when I just said he already knows your thoughts and feelings, but it’s true that he already knows them and wants you to tell them to him. With my friends, I can tell when they’re having a rough day or really excited something. I already know why sometimes, but I still ask them to tell me about it anyway. Why? Because it gives them a chance to express their feelings, talk about them, and get another person involved with their life. I might get super excited or cry with my friend because of what she just told me. Jesus is like that. He already knows every single detail (that’s more than what any of us know), and he still wants you to tell him about your day, or how you’re feeling, or even what’s going on tomorrow. No matter what’s happening, he’s right there with you. If you’re feeling ashamed or guilty about something, he understands and will forgive you, then help you recover. If you’re really frustrated, tired, angry, hurting, sad, worn down, or upset, he’s right there ready to comfort and help. If you’re happy, excited, amazed, or joyful, he’s with you then, too. The Bible says there’s nowhere you can go where God isn’t (see Psalm 139), so you can always count on one friend being there for you in every moment of every day of every week of every…ok, you get the point. Even though it may not always feel like it, remember God is with you wherever you go.

Personally, it’s hard to remember this and trust God all the time. I can’t always seem to understand that he’s been in the exact same spot as me before, so he knows what I’m feeling. I’m not always willing to trust Him because I cannot see him, but slowly, every day, He gives me more and and more reason to trust him. Over time, I’ve crept closer and closer to believing that trusting the unseen One is far better than trusting anything I can see or touch. And every day he shows me how much I really can see him: in the beautiful sunrise, in the care and love from my family and friends, in lovely, delicate flowers and leaves, and most of all, in the person he’s made me to be. Maybe I’m not physically setting my eyes on God, but I can certainly “see” him through all he’s made. It’s like seeing a painting and knowing there was a painter who was probably happy because of all the bright colors he/she used. The more I “see” God, the more I know about him; and the more I know about him, the more I know I can trust him. If you’re having trouble seeing God, try praying and reading the Bible. I like to go to a pretty little park in my neighborhood and have a chat with God over a little snack. You can pray anywhere, anytime, anyhow. Talk to him like you would a best friend, and it will become less awkward every time you do it. Over time, you’ll find yourself trusting God more and more and coming to him first whenever you need help or have something good to share. The Bible can be a little more difficult to read than it is to pray, though, and can look boring at first, but I have found so many great devotions and not boring stories in the Bible you might enjoy. I’ll post about those another day, so keep you eye out ;). Don’t ever forget how much God loves you and cares for you, and that he’s always with you wherever and whenever you need him!

A bit of encouragement :)

Hey guys! Looks like it’s been since a while since my last post. I just thought I’d drop in with a bit of encouragement.

Earlier this year I memorized Psalm 23 not knowing how much it would come to mean to me. Every time since then I had a bad day it was going through a rough time, I could whisper this Psalm to myself and feel God’s comfort come over me. Today, I challenge you to memorize your favorite verses in scripture. Whenever you feel down, remind yourself of that verse and take comfort in the fact that God is always with you! Happy early Thanksgiving everyone!

Sweet 16

So here it goes…the big number “16”. This past Tuesday was my birthday, and I turned sixteen. I cannot believe it. All day I was telling myself, “you’re sixteen…you’re actually sixteen.”, because I just couldn’t get my mind wrapped around the notion. I had a really good day; my best birthday so far. It wasn’t huge or super me-centered, but so refreshing. I walked into school that day and my friend had brought me a little bouquet of my favorite flowers: white daisies and carnations. Throughout the day many people wished me a happy birthday, and my principal/teacher, Mrs. Smith, gave me a hug. I went through the day thinking about so many things and trying to wrap my mind around them all.

Along with the flowers, my best friend wrote me a letter. She claims she has no prowess with the art of writing, but she can sure make a girl cry when she’s putting her thoughts on paper. Basically, it took her two pages (ha! I would have taken twenty cuz I can be so wordy;) ) to say she didn’t really know what to do for me for my birthday because no gift could really show how much she cares. It was so sweet. (If you’re reading this…Thanks twin!) That got me thinking…(we’ll come back to this thought in a moment). Before Tuesday I had told her I didn’t really want anything for my birthday except to spend the day with the people I loved. Truly, deep down in me I knew I didn’t want anything, and still don’t. God has taught me to be content. So when she said she had no idea what to do, but wanted to do something amazing, I told her I didn’t really need anything like that. Sure the flowers were beautiful and much appreciated, but didn’t she care about me before the flowers? She didn’t care because she bought flowers; she bought flowers because she cares. Back to my thinking: isn’t this how our worship is to God? I spent the entire day pondering this on and off.

Of course I know my best friend cares about me, and the only way I know how much she cares about me is because I care so much about her. Now, this goes for my other friends and family too, but I’ll stick with her as the example because she was what started me on this train of thought. She was a bit down because she felt like nothing she could ever do—even if she had all the time and money in the world—could ever show me how much I mean to her. This is completely true. It goes the same for me: nothing I have done, can do, or will do can plainly spell out her value to me. The reason is because she is priceless. This is how our relationship with God is. He cares about each and every one of us so much that he himself gives each breath and heartbeat to us. He ensures that we get the food we need and are taken care of, and never abandons us when the deep waters get rough. God created everything, so nothing we can do will ever amount to any kind of gift that shows our love back to God. Like the little child proudly giving you gifts from your own jewelry box would be us giving gifts to our God. My five year old sister saw me open a couple presents and wanted to give to me too. She took one of the bags, walked into her room, and filled it with little stuffed animals, many of which were mine when I was younger. She was so proud of her gift and had no idea it was of so little physical worth. To me, though, her gifts were priceless. She choose, out of her love for me, to bring me the best gifts she had. My best friend realized she could never give me a gift that would show how much she cares, but she still got the best one she could find.

This, I thought, should be our attitude in worship. I have such a hard time with this myself, especially when it comes to singing and music. I’m not completely confident in my voice, and sometimes don’t like to lift it above the crowd to God because of the people around me. Though songs are a beautiful way to worship, they are not always my preferred method. I’d much rather sit with a brush in my hand and use the talent God gave me for watercolor and create something for his glory. Even though I’m pretty much just giving his little stuffed animals right back to him like my sister to me, I am offering all I can with what I do best.

Worship is offering your best to God because of what he has done for you. Jesus has saved you from all your sin, and rescued you from a life of, well, torture that separation from Him brings. Even though we have to give only what he already owns, we must take our very best and give it as a gift to God in worship. Our gifts, when given fully from our hearts, are priceless to Him. So next time you’re in church or listening to Hollyn on the radio, raise your voice. We’ll do it together. Next time you have an opportunity to use a gift for the glory of God, use it. If you are a teacher, teach truth; if you are a leader, lead with zeal; if you encourage, do so with abundant patience. Let God have your very best, and he shall give you his very best in return. God’s best is better than the best best you can imagine. Try it and see!

2 Corinthians 10:31

So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

Who are you?

The Caterpillar and Alice looked at each other for some time in silence: at last the Caterpillar took the hookah out of its mouth, and addressed her in a languid, sleepy voice.

‘Who are you?’ said the Caterpillar.

This was not an encouraging opening for a conversation. Alice replied, rather shyly, ‘I — I hardly know, sir, just at present — at least I know who I WAS when I got up this morning, but I think I must have been changed several times since then.’

‘What do you mean by that?’ said the Caterpillar sternly. ‘Explain yourself!’

‘I can’t explain myself, I’m afraid, sir’ said Alice, ‘because I’m not myself, you see.’

‘I don’t see,’ said the Caterpillar.

‘I’m afraid I can’t put it more clearly,’ Alice replied very politely, ‘for I can’t understand it myself to begin with; and being so many different sizes in a day is very confusing.’

‘It isn’t,’ said the Caterpillar.

‘Well, perhaps you haven’t found it so yet,’ said Alice; ‘but when you have to turn into a chrysalis — you will some day, you know — and then after that into a butterfly, I should think you’ll feel it a little queer, won’t you?’

‘Not a bit,’ said the Caterpillar.

‘Well, perhaps your feelings may be different,’ said Alice; ‘all I know is, it would feel very queer to me.’

‘You!’ said the Caterpillar contemptuously. ‘Who are you?’

Which brought them back again to the beginning of the conversation. Alice felt a little irritated at the Caterpillar’s making such very short remarks, and she drew herself up and said, very gravely, ‘I think, you out to tell me who you are, first.’

‘Why?’ said the Caterpillar.

-Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

In Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Alice, on a very long, odd journey home, meets a caterpillar who asks her a very relevant question: who are you? To this Alice has no answer. She, like everyone at at least one point in their life, cannot answer this short question. At the end of the conversation the caterpillar leaves her with an even shorter, more perplexing question: why?

Everyone, including me, asks these questions, and very few have found the answer. Even those who find the answer still struggle with knowing who they are. I know girls my age struggle especially with this in the area of beauty and self worth, so I’m going to focus on that. Over the past couple years I’ve had a hard time finding who I am, and that is perfectly normal. Just recently, with some help, I’ve started to find an answer to that question. It’s been so hard, and I know I’m no where near the end of this journey. Now, though, I have a light to guide my feet on this long, confusing path.

1 John 3:1 says, “See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him.” We are children of God. Those who have chosen to accept Christ and take part in the gift he offers us become his daughters and become his sons. It seems like such a simple concept that so few of us understand. You can scroll through Instagram and Snapchat and see what kind of awesome stuff other people have: perfect families, breathtaking vacations, Hollywood style sweet sixteens, expensive gifts, beautiful selfies, a hallmark card life, and I could go on forever. What we don’t see is what goes on behind the scenes. Anyone who’s ever taken a selfie knows that it never comes out right on the first try. It may start as an innocent, “Oh I like my makeup today. Let’s get a quick picture so I can show my friends”, and ends up thirty selfies later with that annoying out of storage button popping up (I hate those😒). We only ever end up posting one picture though—and that’s after cropping out your photobombing little brother, fixing that zit on your forehead, and adding your favorite filter that always makes your skin glow. You want to put up your best picture of you. Now, there’s nothing really wrong with wanting to look nice, as long you aren’t letting it be your focus and letting it bother you, but my point stands. No one else sees how much effort you put into getting your nails done, touching up your makeup, pinning back your hair, setting up your backdrop, and editing the photo afterward. All they see is the finished copy, and that is all you see of them.

We spend so much time comparing our behind-the-scenes with other peoples’ highlight reels. That’s not really an accurate picture of anyone’s life, is it? No one wants to post how crummy their family is, how they just got into a huge argument with their best friend, or that embarrassing picture from freshman year. I wouldn’t want to post any of that, and neither does anyone else. My pastor at church has said two things that I think are very powerful: comparison is where contentment ends, and there is no ‘win’ in ‘comparison’. Looking at everyone else’s highlight reel will always leave us feeling empty. We cannot win when we are not content with how God made us.

God loves us no matter what we’ve done, no matter where we’ve been, and no matter what’s been done to us. He made you as his beautiful daughter and called you very good (Genesis 1:31). Psalm 139:14 says, “I praise you for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it full well.” God made us just as he wanted us to be (1 Corinthians 12:18), and created you exactly as he wanted you. He created me exactly as he wanted me to be. I know for girls it can be so hard to accept that. Wouldn’t it be nice to be pretty like her, or sing like her, or have a house like hers? Maybe I’d be happier if I had a family like hers, friends like hers, or talents like hers. None of those things define you, though. God gave you the talent(s) you have, the family you live in, and the body you have for a reason. Like Job, we may never know why certain things happen to us, why we have/get certain things, or why we can or can’t do certain things, but we must have faith that God knows. Psalm 139:6 says God’s knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it. We don’t always understand God’s purpose in us and through us, but he works all things in us and through us for good (“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Romans‬ ‭8:28‬) according to his good character (Psalm 34:8 “Oh taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!”).

Instead of focusing so much on whatever God didn’t give you, try rearranging your attitude to focus on what God did give you. Please, don’t take this as a free ticket to being arrogant: don’t flaunt your gifts to others. Instead, use them to bring glory to God. I cannot tell you how amazing this will make you feel. “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” 1 Corinthians 10:31. Remember, God does not call qualified people. If he did, no one would be called. God qualifies whoever he calls. If God is calling you to be a leader and you’ve never had any experience in your life at leading, don’t shut down and walk away because you don’t feel right for the job. He won’t just throw you into a mess and walk away. God will be by your side and never leave you nor forsake you (Deuteronomy 31:8). Have confidence in what He has given you, and be ready for anything he will call you to do.

You are a child of God. We are his daughters, and he is our King. Ever wanted to be a princess? Well guess what! You are! Trust your Father because he loves you (Job 10:12), you are a daughter of the King (Romans 8:14), you are priceless (Proverbs 31:10), you are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14), and you are a child of God (1 John 3:1). Last of all, pray. Pray God will help you find who you really are and understand what it means to be his child.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.Hebrews‬ ‭12:1-2‬ ‭<