Category: His Word

His Word, My 'Farm', Series, Soul Relationships

Apples & God

Michelle

I’m in the process of moving old content to this new space…so I’m going to be posting some repeats…here’s the first of many. I hope you enjoy this. It was originally published on September 24, 2013.

I recently discovered that an apple tree in my backyard produces the most ah-mazing apples! They are the perfect combination of tart and sweet and produce the perfect crunch when you bite into them. The kids and I spent quite a while basking in yesterday’s glorious, skin-warming sun picking these little red treasures.

While they went onto ride bikes on the road surrounded by this year’s corn and soybean crops, I pondered long and hard about the many options for my apples. I grabbed a large bowl, my peeler, a knife and the basket of apples. I took my place on the front porch, with the long shadows of the house and the trees surrounding me and set about peeling the splendid riches God provided.

As I was peeling these apples, I couldn’t help but contemplate that this is how God means for us to be. He wants to peel away our tough exterior – the protective coating – the shell we use to try to keep all things at bay. He strives to shave away this covering so that we can be transparent – vulnerable – exposed so that we can be a witness to others around us.

Apples & God

As I was cutting out the bad spots in the apples, I realized this is how God prepares us too. He turns us all around, looks us over, and removes the ‘bad spots’ – things like selfishness, greed, laziness, pride, envy. He desires for us to grasp that we are more than our exterior – by what the world judges us.

Once my work with the apple was complete, I was left with a misshapen, grouted, ‘holey’ apple on the outside. It looked ANYTHING but perfect…you know, perfect like the ones you see in the stores – all perfectly apple shaped, perfectly polished and perfectly shiny – on display to be chosen as the best looking, sweet, crisp, perfect treat. But one bite into this deformed beauty would have your taste buds dancing!

It began to dawn on me that that is how we Christians can be made to feel – that we have to have it all together – we have to be perfectly smooth, impeccably glossy; perfect in our outward appearance. But what God glorifies in – – – what He lives, and loves, for, is allowing us to be bruised, broken, misshapen, and vulnerable on the outside, so that, when He peels back our dirty exterior, prods out our bad spots like pride and vanity, we can be cut into to be used in a recipe for something greater – something we may know nothing of…we are just trusting in the Master Baker. So when we have fulfilled our purpose, we don’t see ourselves as the beginning product – the ugly apple – we only see and experience ourselves as the beautiful finished product – an ingredient in God’s recipe for delicious apple crisp – tart and sweet at the same time.

Because life is full of moments that are tart and biting, ones that make us pucker up. But it’s also filled to the dish’s edge with sweet moments – those we know we should savor. And it’s the combination of these moments – the ‘good’ and the ‘bad’ – that make us a creation of the Creator’s…a reason to cling to His goodness and rejoice in every acidic and sugary sweet flash in time.

His Word, Kids/Parenting

Nature…or Nurture?

Michelle

Recently, Emma got sick. It was no fun…for me or for her.

When I took her to the doctor, one of the first questions they asked me was if either of us had been out of the country within the last 21 days. I thought back to our recent trip to Chicago. While technically, it wasn’t geographically out of the country, I certainly felt as though I were in a foreign land.

One thing I’ve discovered about myself is that I am a bona fide country girl. I belong in the city like “Fifty Shades of Grey” belongs in the children’s literature section. Not a good choice.

But I digress…as I’m sitting here in the Barnes & Noble Cafe, listening to the typical bookstore music selection, with my daughter next to me, reading away, I begin to allow my thoughts to wander…

You know how they say the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree? Well, I believe that’s true in both good and in bad situations.

When someone has lived their life and been surrounded by negativity, then negativity will prevail. The same can be said for the opposite.

This takes us back to the age old question of nature or nurture. Is a child’s behavior a result of their inherent nature or is it a result of their environment growing up? For the most part, I think that children learn what they see. If they see giving, then they will be giving in nature. If they see greed, then they will have a greedy nature.

On this trip to Chicago, we got around much in the same manner they did in Biblical times…on foot. If you’ve been to the Michigan Avenue area of Chicago, you can imagine some of the sights we saw and experiences we encountered while walking.

Huge storefronts for retail giants like Nike, Tiffany & Co., The Disney Store, and Under Armour covered the street fronts. Clearly, this is THE place to be if you’re wanting to partake in a little retail therapy.

It was on this street in this big city where I felt like a fish out of water, that I realized {hold onto your seats here, folks} my children HAVE been listening to me…

While waiting for one of the walk signs to change, we met a man begging for money. This simple event changed the entire nature of our trip. The first to notice was Elijah. He began to tear up. He was upset because he had found a $5 bill in the hotel lobby earlier in the trip. He had tried to find the rightful owner of it, but couldn’t. At the time, I told him to hold onto it, that God would present him with an opportunity to bless someone with it. And here, he felt, was that perfect opportunity, and yet he couldn’t find the $5.

My nephew was also visibly shaken and began crying. Emma was the third to be affected. By the next street, I had two sobbing children on my hands. Elijah was disturbed that the man apparently didn’t have enough to eat. While Emma’s sobs came in between mutterings of, ‘We have so much, Momma, and he has so little.’

I was able to stop in sidewalk traffic, which is no easy feat on this heavily traveled path, long enough to tell the kids that God was so happy with their hearts right now. That He sees how burdened they are by the tragedy of the poor and oppressed. We also took some time to pray for him and any others that we may encounter.

For you mommas out there, you can imagine how much my heart was bursting with pride in my children. Pride that they ARE hearing me. Pride that they are allowing God to work in and mold their little kid hearts. Pride that this one event, shows me that they can be more affected by nurture than nature.

The three of us then agreed to find a store where we could find food to buy and hand out to anyone who may be in need. We found a Walgreens later in the trip. We bought water, bananas, and granola bars for two people.

I have to admit, my flesh began to get weak. I was annoyed that, while this was a great idea, spurred on by my children, naturally, I was the one carrying the bags for most of the trip. {Emma did her fair share of carrying them.} But every time I began to allow this to creep into my thinking, I remembered the reactions of my children.

We ultimately found two people to bless with these bags. And Elijah eventually found his $5 and was able to pass that along as well.

During the course of the events of this 24 hours, I had several thoughts running through my mind. Of course, being an adult, and being jaded by people, my natural reaction was to simply pass these people by without another thought. There were times when I thought, why would I give them any money, they’re probably just going to spend it on drugs or alcohol or cigarettes.

This was a possibility the kids and I even discussed. But then I reminded myself, and them, that we are to give as God calls us. It’s not our place to judge how the receiver uses it. Having said that, I do believe that God will give us a spirit of discernment regarding our giving.

Luke_6_38

If you’ve made it this far in the post I need to tell you that I’m not sharing all of this with you to pat myself on the back. I’m not trying to bring attention to myself. What I am trying to do is remind you that God’s word will not return void. He WILL accomplish His goals, whatever they may be.

I think that kids learn what they see. I have tried very hard to model a generous spirit to my children. Not so I can brag, but because people have been so generous to me. I want my kids to know that if you pay it forward, it really can make an impact in the lives of others.

And, continuing the verse in the graphic, in Luke 6:38, we find a reminder that, “The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.”

His Word, Random

Sorry

Michelle

Beauty

I’m tired…of trying to prove my worth and value to someone who refuses to see it…

I’m done waiting for you to acknowledge the gift that I am…

One day, someone will come along who treasures and cherishes the heart of mine that I will freely give…

I’m sorry that you can’t see the woman who stood before you, with all of the care and unconditional love that one person could offer…

See, this? This is not what I want my daughter to witness. I don’t want her to see me not valuing myself for who God made me to be…

I want her to see a strong, confident woman who knows she has her Father’s love and acceptance…no questions asked.

I’m sorry I expected more of you than you were willing or capable of giving…

I’m sorry that I thought – based on your words and actions – that we were on the same page…

I’m sorry that you can’t see past my exterior to my inner heart and soul…the part of me that loves with every. ounce. of. my. being.

I’m sorry that you feel like, because you’ve been hurt before – no wait, that’s not strong enough – you’ve had your world rocked to the core – you’ve had the bottom fall out on you – you’ve been crushed – devastated – destroyed – and you’re trying to put yourself back together by yourself…see, that’s not for you to do – that’s all God.

I’m sorry you feel you can’t trust and no one is there for you or strong enough to love you through the rough times…or to help you put the pieces back together again.

I’m most sorry that you don’t have the strength to open up – to allow someone in – to be brave and courageous to love again.

Because you see, that’s what life is truly about…loving and being loved…

I’m sorry – no, actually, I’m not – that I need to move on – I need to close our door – this chapter of my life.

See, I’m not honoring God by continuing to hold onto something He has removed from my life. He can close doors no man can open and open doors no man can close.

 

His Word, Random

Unacknowledged

Michelle

Lewis Carroll said it best, “One of the deep secrets of life is that all that is really worth the doing is what we do for others.”

Have you ever done something for someone that you felt they really needed? That you felt you would appreciate if you were in the same circumstances?

Have you ever given them encouraging words when you knew times were tough for them?

These may have been things that weren’t really extraordinary for you, but you hoped that something you said or did made a difference in their life.

Recently, I offered encouraging, life-giving words to someone I knew was struggling. I could feel it in my soul, before they even shared what was going on, that they were going through a rough time. God laid them heavy on my heart. And I responded by lifting them up in prayer to Him.

I felt good about doing this. I felt like I had made a difference. I felt that they appreciated my uplifting words.

Until they weren’t acknowledged.

Then I began to feel all yucky inside. I began to feel inadequate…less than…not good enough…

This really made me start thinking about why we do things for others. And why others do things for us.

Recently, a friend of mine toted me and my kids to the ER when I was feeling terrible. I knew I couldn’t drive myself. I was in a position that I desperately needed her help. I think about how she had to rearrange her schedule to do this. I think about how she did it so selflessly and without complaint.

This same friend is picking up my son to take him to a 4-H meeting tonight because my daughter came home from school not feeling well.

I have another friend that has taken both of my kids on fun outings because she wants them to go. Or because I had something to do.

In turn, I’ve kept one of her kids for her because she had something to do.

My point is, this is what we do…we help each other out…we encourage and love and lift each other up in prayer and do for one another because God never intended us to live in solidarity. He made us to be relational beings. We were made to be in relationships with one another.

It takes a village, people. No matter if there are two adults in the household or just one – as in my case – we all need each other.

Proverbs 18:24 tells us that, “There are ‘friends’ who destroy each other, but a real friend sticks closer than a brother.”

We read in 1 John 4:21 that, “…Those who love God must also love their Christian brothers and sisters.”

Jesus tells us in Luke 6:29 that if someone wants our coat, we are to offer them our shirt too. Meaning, we are to withhold nothing from our brothers and sisters.

Someone once said, “If you give and regret the giving, your heart will be as empty as your hands.”

I say all of this to come to this point…it’s not my responsibility how people react to what I do for them. Just like I tell my kids all of the time, you have no control over anything anyone else says or does. The only things you can control are your actions and your words.

God doesn’t expect me to concern myself with how the other person responds to how I treat them. God wants me to be concerned with obeying Him and stepping out in faith and love to be the hands and feet of Jesus.

I’m to come when He calls. I’m to pray when He places a burden on my heart for someone. I’m to give when I’m led to give. That’s where my responsibility ends.

How I react when He calls me out is what I will have to give an account for. Nothing more. Nothing less. Was I obedient to Him when He called me?

His Word, Series

Five Minute Friday – Plan

Michelle

I’m a planner. I like to have a schedule. It’s my nature to know what the heck is going on and what is coming up. I’m not a ‘fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants’ kinda gal.

This works to my advantage when the control of everything relies on me. But let’s be real here. That is not reality. I don’t control anything. Except maybe myself, and that’s only if there aren’t Double Stuf Oreos around. Then I don’t even control myself.

Sunset

I have to remember the words we find in Proverbs16:9, “We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps.” 

Or those found in Proverbs 19:21, “You can make many plans, but the Lord’s purpose will prevail.”

Or my favorite found in Psalm 138:8, “The Lord will work out his plans for my life—for your faithful love, O Lord, endures forever. Don’t abandon me, for you made me.”

All of these verses remind me that I can have the greatest plans in the world, but if it doesn’t align with God’s purpose or his plans for my life, then all of my planning is in vain.

All of my hard work. All of my investment. All of the blood, sweat, and tears in trying to do what I felt was ‘just perfect’ for me and mine.

Saint Augustine said, “Pray as though everything depended on God. Work as though everything depended on you.”

I think this is a pretty good view to have.

And when all else fails, I can remember the words of Paul in his letter to the Philippians, “And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.”

Be blessed today dear readers…until next time…