The Least Likely

Almost forty years ago, someone, maybe two someones, were voted Most Likely to Succeed from the Class of '74 at St. Florian High School. For the life of me, I can't remember who they were. I guess I'd have to pull out my old yearbook and take a look, but it's buried somewhere.
Being voted Most Likely to Succeed is certainly a prestigious honor, and hopefully those people lived up to those expectations. If we heard the news today that they did in fact succeed, we wouldn't be the least bit surprised, would we? 


What about those who were the Least Likely to Succeed? Their names weren't written in any yearbook. That would have just been rude. But I'll bet that you and I can remember who they were. If we heard that they actually succeeded and accomplished great things, we would be having a "Really?", "Seriously?", "You've got to be kidding me!" moment. 

We certainly are quick to write people off, aren't we? I guess that's the ugly, judgmental part of every one of us. We do it when we judge someones potential for greatness in the world. We do it when we judge someones potential for greatness ... even in the Kingdom of God. 

The atheist who refuses to consider that there is a God. The agnostic who doesn't care one way or the other. The man who wears a full metal jacket made of anger, or the woman who sells her body because once, someone stole her soul.  We call them hopeless and impossible, and unreachable, because Lord knows, we've tried to reach them, and they've never responded the way we'd have liked them to.  

"But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus." (1 Cor. 1: 27-30)

My family is full of all manner of people. We're a diverse group, all on our own journeys with God, or without, as some cases may be. Like you, I can pretty easily pick out the ones that are obviously destined for greatness in the Kingdom. We look at them, and we're wowed by the potential that we see. But, are we looking at the right ones? Are we looking at the ones that God is looking at? 

Lying dormant in a stuttering, murderer could be a Moses. In a troubled teenage girl, trying to destroy herself, could be a Mary Magdalene. In a loose, promiscuous, husband-stealer, could be a woman, clinging to an alabaster box, ready to pour it's contents on the feet of the Master, with more love than any of the righteous among us. Inside that atheist who gives approval to the death of everything that is God, could be a Paul. 

Lord, forgive us for having eyes that do not see. 

Give us your eyes. 

I prayed in earnest this morning for those closest to me that would be labeled The Most Likely Not To Succeed. It's God's way. They are closest to His heart. He came for the least and the lost and the stubborn and the unmotivated and the confused and the misinformed. He has proven that to us in His Word. 

He has proven it to me because He chose me, didn't He? 

I don't remember who was voted Most Likely To Succeed way back in 1974, but I do remember every single name, and every single story, of someone deemed "Least", who stood before me with feet firmly planted on a Rock, lifted out of a pit that almost swallowed them alive, singing a new song, placed in their heart by the One who searches for just such as these. Those are the ones I will never forget.

This morning I prayed for the Most Likely among my loved ones. But I prayed in earnest that the Least Likely of those I call "loved ones", would one day be the very ones who do the most damage to the kingdom of darkness.

That, right there, is where God receives the most glory.   

That, right there, is the heart of God. 


Linking with Shanda

...and Ann
...and Painting Prose
...and Rachel

#227 Filled to the Measure

She walked to the brook early every morning, her water jar atop her head. It was good to go early before the heat of the day. She rehearsed the words that she would say to her son when she returned home. How would she tell him that they only had a handful of flour in their jar, and only a little oil in their jug? At least she could bring home some water to serve with their last supper.

Getting nearer to the brook, she observed that what she had dreaded had finally come to pass. A three and a half year drought had eventually done it's damage. The brook was dry. She would carry no water home to her son that day. No food. No water. They would surely die. 

Tears ran down her cheeks as she gathered some sticks to take home for the fire of the last meal. As she was gathering, a man approached, asking for some water and a piece of bread.  There is no water. There is no oil. There is no bread. There is nothing. Everything is empty. 

When it's all empty, how can I give anything to anyone else?

Do you ever feel like you just don't have anything left to give? Your soul feels dry and parched. You've lost your creativity and your zest for living. You search for the One that Scripture tells you will give you Living Water in a dry and weary land, but even He doesn't seem to be near. 

People still expect things from you. They pull and they tug and they ask and they demand. All you have are a few sticks to build a paltry little fire. When it's all empty, how can you give anything to anyone else? Truth, precious one...you can't. An empty vessel is just that...empty.

I think we've all experienced seasons of emptiness in our lives. Maybe we've worked too hard. Didn't say "no" to enough things. Our circumstances fell in such a way where we had no choice but to keep running fast. We didn't eat right, sleep well, or take care of ourselves properly. We live in a world of fast. Instant. Run. Race. Drive. Work. Serve. Get up and do it all over again.    

I think it's a gradual emptying. Really we're just too busy to notice that we're about to be running on empty. Then that last poor soul asks us to do that one last thing, and we blow. We just can't. We have nothing left to give. When it's all empty, how can you give anything to anyone else?

I remember reading a long time ago, somewhere, that when you are feeling just this way, you should try and remember what you were doing during the times in your life when you felt the closest to God and the most alive. I have had to do exactly that recently, and when I remembered, I discovered the answer to the emptiness. 

First, when I am physically exhausted and poorly cared for, I am of no good to myself or anyone else. The older I get, (55 next week), the more rest I need. I'm the kind of person that runs and forgets to eat. Anybody? I've come to realize that I must eat three good meals each day. My days of surviving on coffee and chocolate are over. That's not a good diet for anyone, no matter your age. I must eat right, get to bed at a decent time, and at my age there's not one thing wrong with wanting a nap in the afternoon.  

You may have littles running around your house and you'll need to adjust what you do to take care of yourself. Eat when they do. Don't just eat the crust off of their PB & J's either. Eat well. Nap when they nap. Devise some type of quiet time for them that will allow you some quiet time as well. A well rested, happy Mom is a real blessing to those little ones with boundless energy. Eat healthy foods. High in protein and low in sugar. Drink lots of water (yuck! I know.) 

The frosted devil's food donettes are calling me from across the kitchen. 

Second, I had to learn, still learning, that it's okay to say no. It's not selfish. It's not un-Christian. It's a necessary word that you need to employ when you know that you just cannot do one more thing. Say it. "NO". Practice it in the mirror. C'mon...you can do it. When you are convinced that you have to say "yes" to everything, something is going to suffer. You can't do everything...well, maybe you can, but you certainly cannot do everything well. 

We all have the tendency to take on more and more, and then we find ourselves doing it begrudgingly, out of guilt, or fear of making someone angry. God wants us to do things wholeheartedly, being cheerful givers, not stressed out, worn down, or with the wrong motivation. Do fewer things with excellence. Many things that vie for your attention are good things, but again, you can't do it all. 

Last, and I rank it as most important, is the time and attention I give to God. Personally, when I look back, the time that I felt the most alive and the closest to God, were the seasons where I immersed myself in God-things. Quiet time, Bible reading, devotional books, Christian music, and listening to good messages on TV, filled my empty self to overflowing with the life-giving Word of God. The nourishing springs of God are only found in the things of God. 

Our minds can be the devil's playground. My mind needs to be continuously renewed with God's Word so that my thoughts are right. I need to know God's truth in order to recognize the lies of the enemy. Jesus told a story in Matthew 12: 43-45, about an evil spirit that had been driven out of a man. It sought rest in arid places but couldn't find it. So it returned to the house it had left, finding it "unoccupied", took with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, went in, and lived there. An empty mind is fertile ground for the devil to have a party in your head. Where the mind goes, the man follows. As a man thinks in his heart, so is he. (Proverbs 23: 7)

If we neglect taking care of ourselves, establishing the right priorities, and filling our minds and hearts with the things of God, we will one day find ourselves sitting under broom trees saying, "I have had enough, Lord", and praying to die like Elijah. (1 Kings 19: 4)

But...

The man of God brought a word from the Lord to the woman, not just a request for a meal. The Lord, the God of Israel said, "The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the Lord gives rain on the land." Having faith in the word of God, the woman did as the man instructed. From that point on, there was food every single day for herself, her son, and even the man of God. "For the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry, in keeping with the word of the Lord spoken by Elijah."

For...

Only God can fill the empty places. Only His Word can refresh tired minds and weary souls.  

My response is to get down on my knees before the Father, this magnificent Father who parcels out all heaven and earth. I ask him to strengthen you by his Spirit—not a brute strength but a glorious inner strength—that Christ will live in you as you open the door and invite him in. And I ask him that with both feet planted firmly on love, you'll be able to take in with all followers of Jesus the extravagant dimensions of Christ's love. Reach out and experience the breadth! Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights! 

Live full lives, full in the fullness of God. 

(Ephesians 3: 16-19 Message)

Story of the woman taken from 1 Kings 17: 7-16.

Linking with Ann
Linking with Shanda
Linking with Painting Prose
Bless a Blogger Friday Blog Hop
Linking with Rachel

Stop, Drop, And Roll

I get so sick of myself sometimes. I know that you can't relate, so let me tell on myself so that you can see what I mean. 

Once in a while, every so often, a doosey of a situation comes my way. At times it's a problem I've had to walk through before. Other times it's a brand new one that comes out of nowhere and stares me down. A Goliath of a situation. An impossibility. Then there are the ones that look like Goliath, look impossible, but really are just smoke and mirrors and not as threatening as they seem. 

I'm getting better at it, I must say, but there are days. Oh man, there are days when I forget, I jerk my knees in reaction, I open my big mouth, or all of the above. Since you can't relate, just picture it in your mind. 

Perhaps some day, one day, this will happen to you. Perhaps this piece of advice that I'm about to give will come in handy for you, one day. Coming off of a few dooseys in the last week, God gave me three little words to remember the next time I'm tempted to make a fool of myself, either privately in front of Him alone, or heaven help me, in front of some flesh and blood folk. 

You may recognize the Stop, Drop, and Roll principle from fire safety techniques. It's a method to extinguish fire from a person's clothes or hair. It is also found to be psychologically beneficial because it gives a person on fire something to focus on, instead of giving way to panic. This is the part where if I were sitting in church, I would say, "Come on, now!"

Let's take the three parts of this technique, look at them a minute, and see how they can be compared to something we can do when we are on fire from trials, problems and seemingly impossible situations. 

STOP

The fire victim must stop still, ceasing any movement which may fan the flames or hamper those attempting to put the fire out. *

The very moment that you feel yourself losing control, STOP! When a person is on fire, ferocious movements only fan the flames. Practically speaking, when you lose control of yourself, you only make matters worse. Can you honestly share a time when you were out of control in a bad situation, and it yielded good results? I didn't think so. 

Your loss of self control may actually inhibit someone from putting your fire out. There may be a very real solution to your problem, but if you are panicked, out of control, and trying to fix it yourself, you may be shutting out someone, something, or even God, from giving you a good outcome.  Just ask Sarai. (Genesis 16) 

You know how it feels when you're about to lose it. When that panicked feeling is starting to build, you can feel it in your gut, face flushed, your breathing quickens. Pay attention to the warning signs. Know yourself so that you can stop yourself.  Then...

DROP

The fire victim must 'drop' to the ground, lying down if possible, covering their face with their hands to avoid facial injury. *

The very moment that you stop, DROP! To your knees. Face first on the floor before the Lord.  Put your face in your hands to block out any other distractions and pour your ever-lovin' heart out to your God. Tell Him everything. Cry aloud. Use words if you must. He knows your heart. He knows it's breaking. He knows that you feel helpless. He knows that you have forgotten, if only momentarily, how He brought you through the fire before. He understands. 

"When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior."

(Isaiah 43: 2-3)

"We went through fire and water, but you brought us to a place of abundance."

(Psalm 66: 12)  

ROLL

The fire victim must roll on the ground in an effort to extinguish the fire by depriving it of oxygen. *

Roll your problem onto the Lord. When an object is too heavy to lift, it isn't as hard to roll. 

"Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you."

(1 Peter 5: 7)

A problem in your hands is an impossibility. A problem rolled onto God is no problem at all. In front of a holy, almighty, powerful God, your problem is nothing. No. Thing.

One of my favorite Scriptures is found in the book of 2 Kings. Faced with battling the Moabites, the kings of Edom, Judah, and Israel went out to fight. After seven days, there was no more water for their men or their animals. They inquired of the prophet Elisha and God promised them miraculous water, without wind or rain. God said, "This is an easy thing in the eyes of the Lord." (2 Kings 3: 18)   

 

Your problem is an easy thing in the eyes of the Lord!

Man's extremities are God's opportunities to show Himself mighty and to get all of the Glory!

When you roll your problem onto God, it is deprived of it's oxygen. It is deprived of it's power to torment you. You will know that the God of the Universe has your problem in His perfect hands and that you have nothing to fear. 

Once upon a time, there were three Hebrew boys who were thrown into a furnace of fire because they refused to worship an image of gold set up by an idolatrous king. The furnace was heated seven times hotter than normal; so hot that it killed the soldiers who placed them in it. Inside that furnace, the evil king saw four men, when only three were put in. He described who he saw as "one who looks like a son of the gods." 

In that furnace, with those three Hebrew lads, was not just a son of the gods, but THE SON OF GOD! 

Jesus Christ, the One and Only, Son of the Living God, is in the furnace, and in the flames with you. You will not be burned. You will not be harmed. You will come out and not even smell like smoke! (Daniel 3: 27)

Stop, Drop and Roll is a technique taught to people of all ages. It is even taught to those as young as preschoolers. If littles can get this principle, surely we can remember it when we are on fire. 

Stop, Drop, and Roll.

* Wikipedia 

(Linking with Shanda, Emily, Ann, Rachel)

As It Was In The Beginning

Happy New Year! I hope that you had a great Christmas and New Year celebration, enjoying time with family and friends. It's good to be back at the keyboard today dropping in on your day. 

Wow. The Lord really has been speaking through the Advent and holiday season. At least to me anyway. Some of it hasn't been pretty. Revelation of self rarely is. But all of it has been handed to me in a cup of grace. An overflowing, bubbling, redeeming cupful of grace. How I need it to be that way. Don't you?

I'm really geeked about something new that's happening. For the last two years, I've participated in a group that memorized two Scriptures every month for a year. This year I decided to put out a call on Facebook to those that I know more intimately, and invite them to memorize the Word with me in 2012.  Thus, the Scripture Memory Community was born. It's a small group, but it's a group of women committed to hiding God's Word in their hearts every day for the coming year. Dare I say, we will never be the same. There's just nothing like wielding the Sword of the Spirit to make the enemy flee. It's not too late to join us. Click on the link above and join the group! I'm going out on a limb, but I imagine Jesus smiling because He knows that there is dynamite power in His Word, and by His precious Spirit, His daughter's hearts will be filled with that very power.

Speaking of commitments. Did you make any resolutions for the new year? The only resolution that I made this year is to not make any resolutions for this year. Resolutions are so easily broken. A commitment, however, is more of a pledge or a promise. It carries more weight. Whether you call it a commitment or a resolution, we have an adversary who wants to derail us almost as quickly as the words, "I resolve" or "I commit" leave our lipsticked mouths. It has been that way since the beginning.

Have I told you yet how much I love my new Keurig? In a few seconds, I just brewed a fresh cup of delicious coffee.  I digress.

Back to the beginning. 

In the beginning, God created man and woman; Adam and Eve. They lived in the Garden of Eden, naked and not ashamed. They were at ease with each other, felt no fear of exploitation or evil, and walked with God in the cool of the day. The beauty around them must have been breathtaking and they were supplied with food like we have never tasted. Can you imagine? When I close my eyes, I can picture myself there...except I'm not too thrilled with the naked part. 

Seven short verses later it all fell apart. A serpent slithered. Temptation came in disguise. A twisted lie was told. A wife fell for the lie. A husband shirked responsibility and joined the feast. One bite. Everything changed. Only seven short verses later. 

Scholars believe that Adam and Eve were not residents of the Garden for very long before "The Fall". Through careful study, they say that it may have been less than one week before they ate of the fruit and the curse came upon all mankind from that day forward. Your adversary, my adversary, wasted no time.

As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. 

Things are no different today, friend. The second that Satan hears you make a commitment or a resolution to the Lord, he slithers. He comes disguised in lies, justifications, excuses and endless reasoning, to make you give up. It may be immediate, a few days, a month. Make no mistake he WILL come and he WILL entice you to quit. He hates God. He hates you. He hates any commitment or intimacy that you have with God.

You may have committed to reading your Bible and spending time in prayer, early every morning. That's the voice of your enemy whispering that it would be so much better to snuggle back under those covers and sleep a while longer. 


You may have committed to Scripture memorization. That's the voice of your enemy telling you that you're just not smart enough and it's just too hard.

Whether it's making changes to better your health, turn your back on a habit, spend more time with your family, get out of debt, get organized, or volunteer for an area of service to the Lord this year, you can bet that Satan has an excuse all gift-wrapped for you to stop you in your tracks. 

The good news is that we are not unaware of his schemes. (2 Cor. 2: 11) He can't outwit us. The secular world says it this way; forewarned is forearmed. 

If we know the enemy's tactics and methods, we will recognize them immediately when they attack us and we will not give up or give in. 

"Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." (1 Peter 5: 8)   

Your commitment or resolution for the year 2012 is completely doable if you are alert and aware that the enemy, Satan, is slithering and prowling around, just waiting to convince you to give up. His assaults on believers are fierce in these last days, because "he is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short." (Revelation 12: 12)  

Be alert. Know the voice of the enemy. Know the Word well enough to recognize the voice of God. Don't begin a day without asking the Holy Spirit to fill you. 

"[You] can do everything through Him who gives [you] strength."

(Philippians 4: 13)

As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Linking with Emily.
Linking with Shanda
Linking with Ann
Linking with Rachel