"Be Still"

"Be still and know that I am God." Psalm 46:10.

God has been using this verse a lot in my life lately.  I keep trying to figure things out, things that seem so complicated to me and He just says- "Wait, Be Still, and wait..."  But that really is not an easy thing to do when you have 5 children and another little one that you are busy with.  I want to Be still, I want to sit at His feet and listen intently to all that He has to say to me. But I get the busy's going and can't seem to stop.

I am often reminded of the story of Martha and Mary and how Jesus used that moment as a teachable moment for Martha.  She just didn't get it.  Things needed to be done, and she really wanted help doing them.  To her the importance was to get the meal prepared and things done in the right way.
But to Mary, being still at Jesus' feet was the better choice.

Luke 10:38-42 (NIV)

³⁸ As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. ³⁹ She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. ⁴⁰ But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”

⁴¹ “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, ⁴² but few things are needed—or indeed only one.^[a] Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

That’s the key… “Few things are needed…Indeed only one is”- Him.  But as Martha we get so “distracted” with the things of this world that we keep putting the Lord off. 

So He waits, so patiently He waits.  Sometimes He uses situations to get our attention so that we have to see that He is in full control and He can get our attention if He really really wants to.

A recent example of this in my life, was when I was helping to lead a camp at Refreshing Mountain (www.refreshingmountain.com) this past summer, for our CE Summer Assembly Conference.  The theme for the week was Surrendering to Him.  I think God not only wanted the teens to understand what that fully meant but me as well.  It was mid-week and our speaker had already felt earlier in the day the Lord was speaking to him about switching up what He was going to talk about that evening.  It would still be about surrender but in a different perspective than what He had originally planned.  As he spoke the lights flickered a few times, and then poof they were gone.  We lost all power.  No lights, no audio visual help, nothing.  This was actually a good thing, for many of us were probably distracted with other things and this sudden power outage got all of our attention.  I was able to give our speaker my phone so he had a flashlight to follow along in his notes.  But the students listened intently.  I think God had all of our attention, including me.  Just prior to that, I had been distracted with the printer in trying to print some items off for the speaker, and it just wouldn't work.  God shut that down too.  He knew what we needed for that evening and what we didn't.  Just as the speaker was wrapping up someone from the camp came down to our meeting room and was able to get us on the generator.  We had a different plan in mind, originally for the evening.  But God had something different all together in mind.  We stayed in our meeting room after the session and enjoyed playing some really fun games, that we may never had played as a whole group.  It was a really neat time of connecting with all of the students together as one.  

Our second example of this was on our last evening, we had "planned" in our schedule a campfire.  At the campfire, the students were going to be challenged to throw in the fire masks that they had made earlier that day.  On the masks were written different areas of their life in which they were struggling to surrender to God completely.  Just as we were dismissing the students to go to their rooms and prepare for the campfire it began to pour.  So... we came up with a plan B- or as I would like to think, God said, "Okay this is how it's going to be...".  We gathered in a circle in our meeting room with a box in the middle of the room.  We placed a couple of glow sticks in the box to symbolize the fire and then we allowed opportunities for the students to share, if they would like and then tear up their mask and throw it in the box.  Some students just tore it up and threw it away, others shared all that God was stirring withing them.  This "campfire" went on for over 2 hours.  It was such a moving time for many.  Students were bold and were embraced by God's love and grace of others.  It was so awesome to see other students uplift one another in prayer and embrace them with grace and love.

I was also thankful for the opportunity that our group had to break up in to 3 small groups on Wednesday and do the Fun Team Building Activities, that the camp had prepared for us, to go along well with our theme for the week.  This really challenged them, to think, and work together as a team.  That every move they made would have an impact on another.  One of the challenges even helped them see how each one of us has a talent and a gift and how we can use those talents and gifts to help one another or try and manipulate others with our own "gifts". They were challenged to work together to build each other up, by each one given 2 blocks of wood, all different shapes and sizes to form a tower of wood, as we should in the body of Christ.  This is a key in surrendering as well.  We need to often surrender our own needs or wants for the benefit of those around us.

It all came together as the week went on, from beginning to end, for me.  This week wasn't at all about me or what "I had planned".  This was God's week from start to finish and He not only wanted the students to see that, but me as well.  He was the one in charge, not me.  He wanted me to "Be Still and know that He is God."  And as I stepped back and watched all that He was doing, I was in awe.  It was His moment to shine, His moment to "Be"  and to help all of those who were there to know who He is. The God of the Universe.  The one who still has control of the weather, and all of the things that surround us on a daily basis.  

He also helped me see that I can't get upset when things aren't going as I may have had planned, because He already has it all figured out.  I just have to trust Him and all that He has and is going to do.

My challenge for you is wherever you are in life,  don't forget to just "Be Still"  to allow Him, to be the God He was created to be.  He wants all of us and He wants us to want all of Him.  He is God, and He does have it all figured out, even when we think we do, we don't.  Trust in Him and believe in the plan He has set before you.  Sometimes that may mean waiting awhile, a long while.  But be patient and think about how extremely patient He has been with you, with us.  But He is willing to wait because that's the kind of God He is.  He loves us and wants us to just rest at His feet, just like Mary did that night. 

Be- Just Be, not do, but Be.
Still- Wait on His leading
Know- He is there, He has not abandoned you, nor will He.
I Am- God said to Moses, “I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelite's: ‘I am has sent me to you.’”  Exodus 3:14
God- He is and always will be God, the one who holds the master plan

 Reflect and think about what this means to you... Are you being still?  Are you waiting at His feet?  are you allowing Him to be in the center, in full control of your life?

 My prayer for you, is that you will desire to do that.  That you will want to know Him more intimately and realize what an incredible gift it truly is to sit at His feet and be in His presence.

 <refreshing mountain>

 <team building activities>

I have been struggling a bit lately with feeling overwhelmed with all of the extra responsibilities I have had.  Many of the things are good things, and I am glad to be a part of each and every one of them but at the same time it can be a bit taxing...

Then I was looking through some devo's that I wrote last year- & was reminded once again that I don't have to try and do this thing called life on my own.  For God has so graciously given us a helper- the Holy Spirit.

I wanted to share with you some of those thoughts:

Helper

(One that helps; to give assistance or support to)

God is our helper; He is there to help give us the strength and support we need to get through what lies ahead.  We will face valleys that are too deep to go down alone and we will need to conquer mountains that are too high to dare climb ourselves.  Yet there is one we can call when we hit the places of uncertainty.  God has blessed us with a tool that we often forget to use and that is the Holy Spirit.  John 14:16 says that when Jesus was preparing for His departure from His time here on earth he told His disciples; “I will pray to the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever… the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.”

                So in the darkest of hours in the loneliest of places we need to just call out for the Holy Spirit to comfort us, to give us peace and to give us strength.  The Holy Spirit can guide us when we aren’t sure which way to go.  When we need wisdom, it can intercede for us to God.  It is an awesome resource that we need to tap into.

                God loves us so much.  He is with us now and always- as long as we call out to Him.  We need to take the initiative.  God is always waiting with open arms to help us, but we first need to go.

Have you discovered the power you can have through the Holy Spirit?

How can the Holy Spirit help you every day?

Was there a time that you can remember, that you didn’t ask the Holy Spirit for help and you should have?

Additional scripture reading: Psalm 54:4 and Psalm 118:6

I am so incredibly thankful for that "Helper".  The days that I feel the loneliest I know God is right by my side.  His Holy Spirit dwells within me and gives me the direction and certainty I need.  

Thank you God for always loving us and always being with us.

Surrendering to Him

I am preparing a week of camp for my job and the theme I have chosen this year is "Surrender To Him". Little did I know that when I picked that title God would be reminding me daily what that means.

I was reminded this past weekend by the speaker, we will be having for the week, as he was sharing at a meeting, how daily we need to surrender... not just once in that day, but the second we wake up- to the minute we lay down for the day and all of the times in between. 

I am realizing this more and more, especially as a parent of 5.  As each of my children get older I need to become even more dependent on Him.  That sounds easier said than done, doesn’t it?  But that’s what God wants.  He wants all of us all the time.  We try so hard to hold on to certain areas in our life that we think we can be in control of, but honestly He can do a much better job with it than we can.  Especially with our children.  

He has entrusted us to raise them, but they are His.  We have to remember that... I have to remember that.  And sometimes that is really really hard to accept.  He wants the best for them, even more than I do.  

As my oldest is on the brink of turning 18- I can't believe it.  I am seeing how my role is changing.  We, Dave & I, have the hope that we have raised her in a Godly home and have taught her what it means to surrender fully to Christ and now we begin to let go.  Not completley but slowly.  Allowing her to begin to make some decisions on her own.  Decisions that we pray and hope will be wise ones.  

But... with the surrendering comes the trusting.  Trusting in her, as well as God.  He has her back and I know that He will not abandon her, or any of our children as they move towards adulthood or any new season in their lives. I know it in my head but I have to believe it in my heart.  

So as Webster puts it: "Surrendering means “To give the control or use of (something) to someone else”.  So to surrender fully to Him means, that we are willing to give complete control over to Him!  I want to give that control over to God. I really do,  but I am not going to lie.  This past year has stretched me quite a bit.  And I am sure I will be writing about that in another blog... ;)

As for today though, my prayer for you and for me is:

Lord please help me to learn how to be willing to be willing to surrender all of me to you daily. All of things in this world that I want to hold on to, those things that are the closest to me and I cherish dearly. I know you love & cherish them more.  Help me to trust you and to know that you are in full control.  You are the creator of the universe.  You say it and it's done.  You have shown me over and over again how much you love and care for me and for all of those I love.  May I hold on to that truth and not allow the enemy to sway my faith.  I am in awe of your presence and humbled by your love and grace for me.  May I continue to lay those things I hold on to so tightly at the cross. I love you Lord and I am so thankful for you.

  

Chain reaction...

In April I was in a car accident with 3 of the youngest in my van.  I was driving down one of the roads I drive down almost every day.  Off to the right I noticed that a police officer had pulled someone over for speeding.  My knee jerk reaction was to look down at my speedometer to make sure I wasnt' speeding. I wasn't, which I was thankful to see... However when I looked up from the speedometer I realized that the 2 cars in front of me were at a dead stop.  The 1st car preparing to turn and the 2nd car waiting for that car to turn.  I tried stopping as quickly as I could but it just wasn't quick enough and before I knew it we were rearending them.

All 3 of the kids in the vehicle started crying, more out of fear of what just happened then anything.  Once I assessed all of them and saw they were okay, I got out of the van to check on the woman in front of me who still hadn't left her vehicle.  She said she was in shock mostly and would probably be feeling most of the aches the following day. (As you we all did, actually the next 2 days...)

When I turned to go back to the van I realized at that point how bad the damage was to our van.  As the water from the radiator continued to pour out.  I had a feeling at that moment that this was probably the last day the "Brodish Mobile" would make a family outing.  (And I was soon to find out this was indeed the case.)

As a result of the accident, my two youngest boys; Evan and Kienan, are dealing with the after effects of this accident.  They are overcoming a concussion and the emotional trauma that can affect one through an accident.  Its hard for me at times to see  how hard it has been for them.  Since they really didn't do anything to deserve such turmoil.  My 3 year old niece, Bella, bounced back immediately and thankfully is doing great!

As I reflected on that day though, with one of my daughters, I shared how all of this started by one man speeding.
I am not blaming him for my negligence but I do think it is something to think about.
You see often times we do something with out really thinking about how it will effect anyone else.  Our actions always have an impact on someone or something either positively or negatively...  We just don't always take the time to think it through all of the way.  My actions effected many people that day.

I guess my question for  you today is... How are you effecting those around you?  Are you impacting them in a positive way or a negative way?  I could even take it one more step by saying-  Are the things you are doing moving others toward Christ or away from Him?  I know this may sound profound for some.  But it really is worth thinking about.  Every single thing you do today- going to the store, driving through town, going to your work place, ministering at church, going to church.... It all has a chain reaction in one way or another...  What kind of reaction do you want to have on someone today?

(Proverbs 12:18, 28) (I Corinthians 15:58, 16:13-14)