Trials that Land on Us

 Recently a lady was driving along a highway, when a small plane crashed landed and hit her car. She was not hurt, but thankfully she was the only one in the vehicle. If there had been passengers, they would have been crushed. 

When you drive a car, you know accidents can happen, but you don't quite expect them to drop out of the sky!

Sometimes it feels like trials in life drop out of nowhere. We don't see them coming. They're completely unexpected. And they can be very crushing. They can crush our dreams, our plans, our relationships, our health and make our life feel like a wreck.

They may be airplane sized or the size of a stone. It doesn't take much to crush us. Even a sentence somebody says to us can shake us.

But just like that lady was kept safe, God keeps us safe when we put our trust in Him. He is our safety. He may not keep us physically safe, but He will hold us in His hands. Everything that comes to us has to first pass through His loving hands.

Psalm 55:22 says, "Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved."

We need to give the heavy things in life to God. Then instead of our faith being crushed, it will grow and glow. 

We need to look up and set our affection on things above. We can't stop trials dropping on us, but we can stay close to God, our safety. We can choose to trust in God. We can choose to pray and give our burdens to Him. We can choose joy and forgiveness.

"Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that i desire beside thee.

My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever.

...It is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord GOD, that I may declare all thy works." Psalm 73:25,26, 28

Beautiful on the Inside

 This book is old, faded, out of shape, and smoke damaged. It has literally been through the fire. But it is filled with such treasure. The most beautiful hymns, stories and devotional thoughts. 

Maybe you feel like this book. Maybe you have been through the fire, so to speak. Maybe you are weary of the battle. Maybe your body is breaking down. Maybe your life feels out of shape.

But may you also be like this book on the inside. Filled with the priceless treasure of trust in God. A faith that has been refined by fire. May you be filled with beautiful songs, stories of what God is doing in you, and may your thoughts be on things above. 

“For this cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.

For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight
of glory…” 2 Corinthians 4:16-17

Dam Climbers

At the Cingino Dam in Italy, there is something unusual and incredible. There are dam climbers. These rock climbers are alpine ibex.

The reason they climb the dam is because their body craves salt. And the rocks on the top of the dam are rich in salt. So, the ibex rock climbs the dam to lick the rocks. Although it is very dangerous to climb the dam, their need for salt outweighs the danger. 

This reminds me of what Habakkuk said. "The Lord God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds' feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places."(Habakkuk v3:19)

The Cingino Dam looks impossible to climb. And things in our life can also seem impossible to handle. They can seem too steep. Too much to handle. Too hard. Impossible. 

Maybe it's a fiery trial. Or maybe it's responsibilities or a job that God gives us to do. Maybe just surviving each day seems too hard.

But when God is who we rely on for help, we can do amazing things. When God is our strength, He will enable us to walk on high places. He will enable us to go through the deep waters and come out better for it. He will give us the strength to obey Him and follow His leading.

The ibex need that salt for their bodies to function properly. The only way for them to get it is by climbing up. Just like they have a need for salt, we have a need for God. We need God to function the way we were intended. God is the only One who can truly satisfy the human heart.

Trials and the other things that seem too hard for us are what can push us up closer to God. Because without God's help, they're too steep. But when we know something is too hard for us and we depend on God for help, He can enable us just like He enables those ibex. Then all the credit is His. And then those trials and responsibities become blessings.

When a mother ibex climbs the dam, her kid will follow because they have a very strong bond. If your child follows your example, where will they go? Will they be led to the One who can satisfy their deepest cravings?

 

Small Regular Deposits

On January 15th, 2009, an airplane made an emergency crash landing on the Hudson River after hitting a flock of Canadian geese during takeoff. It is called The Miracle on the Hudson as all 150 passengers and 5 crew members survived.

The pilot, Captain Sullenberger, was later asked how he managed such a perfect water landing. I find his answer interesting.

 "One way of looking at this might be that for 42 years, I've been making small, regular deposits in this bank of experience, education and training. And on January 15, the balance was sufficient so that I could make a very large withdrawal."

Although it was a miracle that all lives were saved, God used the pilot's experience. He still did his best to land safely. Like he said, all his previous experiences had prepared him for this moment.

I like the idea of small regular deposits in the bank of experience, education and training. We can apply it spiritually. Think of Joseph. When he became the prime minister of Egypt, he was ready. He had made regular deposits of trust in God, integrity and faithfulness in his work. Then when his big opportunity came, he was prepared.

And there's David. He learned to trust God as a shepherd boy and fight wild animals. When he faced a giant enemy of Israel, he made a withdrawal from his "bank", and it was sufficient.

I like this verse from Ezra 7:10.

“For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments.”

When we learn and hide God's Word in our hearts and put it into practice in our lives, we'll be ready to teach and share it with others. We'll be able to withdraw from our bank of knowledge and memory. If we don't deposit it, it won't be there to withdraw from.

When we memorize, study and meditate on God's Word, we are making deposits. Then when challenges and trials come, we'll be able to make large withdrawals.

God is not limited, and He can do miracles regardless of us, but He does promise that when we hear God's Word and do it, we are preparing for the future storms (Wise and Foolish man). We are making deposits that we will be able to withdraw from.

So, fill your "bank" with regular deposits. You never know when you'll need to make a big withdrawal! And if you have children, make small regular deposits in their bank. It's the best investment you can make.

It's painful!

As I sliced feijoas for Lydia to enjoy, I pretended the feijoas cried, "Ouch!" For feijoas to be eaten, they have to be cut down the middle with a sharp knife. A lot of food has to go through a painful process. They're chopped up, grated, melted, put into the hot oven, put through the food processor or the whizz.

Do you want your life to bring spiritual refreshment, enjoyment, strength and nourishment to other Christians? Do you want your life to be food?

My life prayer has been that God would use my life like He used the little lad's five loaves and two fishes. To feed the multitude.

If we want our life to be like food that benefits others, guess what? It's going to be a painful process! How many of the beautiful psalms came out of hard places? What about Paul's letters? If his life was a piece of cake, would he have had anything worthwhile to share that would benefit others? How many Christians have found hope through Job's story of loss? And what about all the hymns that have encouraged Christians down through the years? A lot of them were written out of loss and painful trials.

For our life to be food, we may feel like we are sliced, chopped, melted, whizzed and put into the oven for far too long. We may cringe, cry, feel embarrassed, even criticized and misunderstood, battle fears, and grieve. We may have to wait a long time like dough does when it's rising. And we surely have to die to ourselves. But that's part of the necessary process.

God is the Master Chef, and He knows what He's doing when He's at work in our life. Make sure your life is in His wise and loving hands. Surrender to the chopping, the waiting and the pain and see how God blesses you to be a blessing!

 

 

Sleeping Through Fires?

Echidnas have an amazing ability! Instead of running from wildfires, they bury themselves into cool soil and go into a hibernating sleep called torpor. Their body temperatures are lowered, and their breathing and metabolism slows down. They survive the fires by sleeping!

This reminds me of the promise in Isaiah 43:2-3, "When thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. For I am the LORD thy God.."

When fiery trials come into your life, don't run. Bury deep into the promises of God and rest in His Word and character. When you do this, you will survive the fire and come out like refined gold. You will be better off having experienced the faithfulness of God and His Word.

From Ugly Bulbs to Stunning Beauty!

 My husband planted an ugly bulb sometime back. Now we have a beautiful gladiola opening up and blooming. God turns bulbs into stunning bright flowers! 

When God is the gardener of our life, He does the same for us. He takes the ugly and hard things and over time makes them into something beautiful. It may take lots of waiting and some dark days of feeling “buried”, helpless or hopeless. 

But trust God. Submit to Him. Learn all you can in the process. And know that one day your “bulb” will be turned into beauty!

“Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer.” Romans 12:12

Prison Experiences

 Sometimes we have circumstances or situations in our life that feel like a prison. We feel trapped. Maybe it’s something we can’t get out of or we can’t fix. Like a health problem. Or a disability. Or maybe it’s something that we could get out of, but we know we shouldn’t. Like a ministry or responsibility that God has given us. It could be a pregnancy, motherhood, marriage, or any ministry we do for God that is hard and never ending.

We may not be able to escape our prison. But we have the choice of how we handle our prison. We can be like Paul. We can learn to be content in whatever prison we are in through God’s strength. We can trust God in our prison. We can take our prison to God in prayer and find that God’s grace is sufficient. We can do whatever ministry we can in our prison. For Paul it was writing letters and sharing the gospel to anyone around him.

We can be like Joseph. We can do our best in our prison and live in the presence of God. We can be a blessing to the people that we are around while living in our prison.

And then there’s John Bunyan. God is unlimited. But I do wonder if The Pilgrim’s Progress that has helped so many people would have been written if John Bunyan had never had a prison experience. And when Paul writes about joy and contentment, would it have the same meaning to us if it had come from a palace instead of a prison?

And how many beautiful hymns and books have been written from a prison of pain and trouble? Amy Carmichael, missionary to India, was bedridden for twenty years of her life. From the prison of her bed, she wrote at least 35 books which have blessed and helped a lot of people around the world.

What will you do in your prison? Will you trust God? Will others be blessed because of your prison experience? Will you bring glory to God in your prison?

Beautiful Snowflakes

This morning at preschool, I taught the children how to make simple paper snowflakes. They enjoyed it very much, and I loved seeing them enjoy it!

To make a snowflake, you need to fold a square piece of paper a few times. Then all you need to do is cut out small shapes. When you have finished, you open up the paper, and you have a beautiful snowflake.

Thinking about it this evening, I realized that our lives are like that square of folded paper. We also get "cut." Trials are like scissors that snip pieces out of our lives. Any kind of loss that we experience is like a painful snip.

What we don't always realize is that the snips are necessary to being a beautiful and useful person. Without them, we'd be like a plain piece of paper. 

What matters is that our lives have been put in the hands of the One who cuts out of love. If our lives are not in His hands, we may simply become a square of paper that is snipped to pieces.

If our lives are submitted to God, He won't allow any more snips than necessary. 

Each one of the children's snowflakes was different and beautiful. And so, in our lives, we all have a different mixture of trials to make us into a unique person.

And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;

And patience, experience; and experience, hope:

And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.--Romans 5:3-5

 

When All You Have is God

 The Red Sea is in front of you, and cruel soldiers are chasing you from behind. There is a quote that says, "Sometimes the only way out is through." But sometimes there is no way through. Sometimes you are trapped. You can't move forward, you can't stay still, and you can't go back. It's hopeless!

The Israelites came into this hopeless situation by following God's lead.

The Israelites had no boats, no ferries, no bridges, and no airplanes. All they had was God. All they had was the One who made the sea. The One who can make a way where there is no way. The One with whom nothing is impossible. 

All they had was all they needed. It was nothing for God to make a path through the sea just for them! It was nothing for God to bring the waters back down on the Egyptian soldiers so they would never bother them again.

Do you feel trapped sometimes? Do you panic like the Israelites did? Is all you have God? Our God is the One who can easily make a way through our Red Seas. It is nothing for Him.

But are you following Him? Or are you your own boss and guide? When we are following Him, we can have full assurance that when He leads us into a trap, He will also lead us through. We can know for certain that He has a good reason for this.

Look to the One who made the Red Sea. The One who makes a way where there is no way. Have full confidence in Him that He will get you through this for His glory.

Change and Autumn

 Yesterday we drove a long way to a church in another town, and we saw so many beautiful colors along the way.

The beauty of autumn colors comes with a lot of loss. The trees lose their leaves. But amongst the loss is the beauty of the colors.

And when there is change in our lives, there is loss of some kind. But there is also beauty. The beauty of God's unchanging faithfulness. The beauty of God's promises. The beauty of God's provision. The beauty of God's comfort. The beauty of the good that God brings from loss.

When you have loss, remember autumn. Ask God to open your eyes to the beauty and focus on that, rather than the loss!

"But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive."~ Joseph to his brothers.

A Good Reason for Hot Water

"Mum, why are you boiling water for no reason?" my daughter asked me as I prepared dinner.

"I don't boil water for no reason!" I answered. "The frozen cauliflower on the bench is going to go in there."

My daughter didn't mean the question the way it sounded. But it made me think. If we think of hot water as being like hard and difficult things in our lives, then maybe we question God as to His reasoning. 

Is there a reason for trials? Or God does "boil water" for no reason?

It looked strange to my daughter to have a pot with only water in it. And what God does in our life sometimes seems strange. But it is never without good reason.

Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:

But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. 1 Peter 4:12-13

 

My Cup Overflows

 If the Lord is your personal Shepherd, then you can say, "My cup overflows with blessings." You can say this because even your trials are turned into blessings when they're in God's hands. He has promised to work them together for good. That means they're blessings in disguise!

You can say this because the Lord is taking care of you, leading you, giving you strength and rest, comforting you, and so on. If the Lord is your Shepherd, your cup runs over with blessing!

Is this your mindset?

The Things We Can't Change

 This morning we were eating breakfast before school.

"Mum, is there any way to take away Down Syndrome?" asked one of my children.

"No," I answered.

"Would you if you could?" was her next question.

I had to stop and think about that question. Would I "remove" Lydia's Down Syndrome if I could?

My conclusion was that there are some things I would definitely like to change about Lydia's Down Syndrome if I could. There are some things that I find difficult and very patience testing. But on the other hand, there are certain aspects I would not change about Lydia. Her sweetness, friendliness and the way she brings joy wherever she goes. I also wouldn't change all I've learned through having her, my growth in knowing God and the relationships that have been built.

So, removing Lydia's Down Syndrome would also remove a lot of blessing!

I share this, because although you most likely don't have a child with Down Syndrome, you have your own hard things. The things you can't change. Maybe a health problem, the sins or choices of others that have affected you, the death of a loved one, or any other thing that challenges you. Would you change it if you could? What would you miss out on if you changed it?

I love op shopping! Getting good things for a low price--bargains! But, in life, getting God's blessings doesn't come cheap. There is a price.  Knowing God and being a blessing to others will have a cost.

Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: Philippians 3:8

or in another words...

Everything else is worthless when compared with the priceless gain of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.

Testing Times

 There are times when God feels so close and the verses in the Bible feel like they were written personally for you. You see God answering your prayers. It's exciting!

 But then there are the times when it feels like God has forgotten about you. You pray and pray and see no sign of your prayer being answered. Nothing particular in the Bible stands out. God seems to be silent.

In those times I like to remember this thought...

When you are going through something hard and wonder where God is, remember that the teacher is always quiet during a test.

In those moments of feeling like God is far away, maybe you are going through a test. When students are taking a test, the teacher is quiet. The teacher doesn't answer questions like they usually would. But there is a good reason.

When teachers give a test, they prepare their students first. First they learn about something, then their knowledge is tested. The student has to remember what they've already learned. Although they may not be able to remember everything, they have already learned everything they need for the test. And when we go through testing times, we can take comfort in the fact that we have been prepared for this. (That is, if we are learning from our Teacher) We need to remember what God has already taught us and it will help us through this test. 

Teachers do not forget about the student during a test. Being silent doesn't mean that they don't care or that they're not there. And when you are walking with God and He seems far away, don't presume He's not there or that He doesn't care. A name for God I recently learned is Jehovah Shammah which means "The Lord is there." God is always there even when He seems silent. So don't stop praying and reading the Bible when God is silent, because He is always there and He does care. He is no less close than at other times. Tests don't last forever. They always pass.

Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:

But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. 1 Peter 4:12-13

Wit's End

Do you ever feel like you can't take something anymore? Sometimes things get too much and you feel like you are at your wit's end. Maybe it's a sick baby, financial stress, a difficulty in marriage, someone in your life who gets on your nerves, endless waiting etc. 

In those stressful moments, it's easy to make rash decisions. As I was thinking about this, my son, Joseph, gave me a good example. He was stressed about lego. "I'm NEVER making anything with lego again," he told me in frustration. Of course he will, he was just over it all at that moment.

Do you ever make big decisions when you are at your wit's end? There are many different examples--leaving a church, choosing to homeschool or to put your children in school, divorce, no more babies, shifting, getting a job, quitting a job etc. Or it may be something much smaller.

Every decision we make should be done with much prayer and with our wills surrendered to God. Making rash decisions when we are stressed out can bring regret.

A devotional I read this week compared it to being in a valley. It said we should make decisions on the mountain top, not when we are in a valley. That way we can see clearly. Then we will move from mountain top to mountain top, rather than from valley to valley.

Wit's end is not where we should jump ship. Wit's end is where we should cry out to God in our desperation. He promises to help us and to make our storm a calm. He will give us the wisdom to see clearly and to make the right decisions.

Irritations

 Life is filled with irritations. One winter, we had wet wood. This winter, we've had a dog, which for me has brought new irritations! Sometimes it's ants, flies, doctor appointments, rain, mud, drought, heat and sometimes it's things that have broken.

At the moment our washing machine doesn't work properly. On Saturday, as Johan had to work, I took all the children down to the laundromat to wash our dirty laundry. Since it was raining and the washing from the day before was still drying, I decided to use the dryer aswell. The driers are stacked up two high. I put my washing in the bottom drier, paid for my load and turned it on. I was highly annoyed at myself when the empty top dryer started up. I had paid for the wrong drier! And there was no stopping it. I had used my money to dry nothing! But I chose to laugh at myself and once again paid for my load.

If we wait until we have no irritations to be happy, thankful and content, it will never happen. When one irritations passes, there's usually a new one there to replace it. 

What we should do is learn to be content in whatever state we are in. We can be thankful for the irritations we don't have and all the blessings we do have. We can also remember that pearls come through irritations and that pearls are simply victory over irritations.

Life on earth would not be worth much if every source of irritation were removed. Yet most of us rebel against the things that irritate us, and count as heavy loss what ought to be rich gain. We are told that the oyster is wiser; that when an irritating object, like a bit of sand, gets under the “mantle” of his shell, he simply covers it with the most precious part of his being and makes of it a pearl. The irritation that it was causing is stopped by encrusting it with the pearly formation. A true pearl is therefore simply a victory over irritation. Every irritation that gets into our lives today is an opportunity for pearl culture. The more irritations the devil flings at us, the more pearls we may have. We need only to welcome them and cover them completely with love, that most precious part of us, and the irritation will be smothered out as the pearl comes into being. What a store of pearls we may have, if we will! ~Richard Seume

A Quick Fix

 When Joseph was younger, we were getting ready for school. Joseph had a cold. I happened to see what was in the pockets of his school shorts before we went out the door. It was full of vitamin C tablets and peppermints.

"Joseph, you can't have all those today." I told him.

"But I want to get better," he exclaimed, bursting into tears. My heart melted, but I had to empty his pockets.

Joseph wanted a quick fix for his cold. And yet, it would have done more damage than good.

I am sometimes like Joseph. I like quick fixes. I want out of any problem or pressure. And yet, how much I would miss if I always had a quick fix. It would do more damage than good.

If I'd had a quick fix when Lydia was born, I would have had no book to write as a testimony of God's grace helping us through that hard year.

If I always had quick fixes, I wouldn't have much to write about or share. Because most of what God teaches me is through pressure and challenges.

Abraham wanted a quick fix in having a son. So he married Hagar. It caused more trouble than good.

Rebecca and Jacob wanted a quick fix in getting God's promise. So they deceived Isaac and cheated Esau. As a result, Jacob had to leave and he never saw his mother again.

If Jesus had a quick fix when he was on the cross, there would be no salvation for sinners.

Are you are going through a challenge or waiting time? Be patient and trust God to bring you out in His timing. A quick fix will do more harm than good!

My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;
Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. James 1:2-4

Wings as Eagles

 I was reading my children a devotional story (Keys for Kids) at breakfast time. It was about having wings as eagles.

"The eagle is a unique bird... When there's a storm, other birds try to avoid it, but the eagle flies straight into it and uses the storm's own winds to lift him above the clouds."

"With God's strength, you can be like an eagle and fly straight into the storms of life, instead of running away from them. Then you can use those hurts or troubles...to grow as a Christian."

These words struck me. I don't know about you, but it is in my nature to run from anything hard or uncomfortable. There are MANY times I would have escaped my problems/challenges if it had of been possible. I thank God that I couldn't! Because those problems forced me to depend on God and His strength. As a result, I was able to rise above and fly like an eagle.

What about you? Do you run from anything that is outside your comfort zone or difficult? 

You can run from those things or you can let those difficult things push you up to God. You can learn to fly!

Flooding, Fun Ideas, and a song

A new vlog

A new song that relates to what I talk about on my vlog. It is based on Isaiah 43:2 and inspired by swimming with Lydia. It is in the deep water that Lydia needs me the most.