Tag Archives: life

Survival Mode

11 Saturday Aug 2012

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“I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” ~ John 10:10b

I’ve been realizing lately that somehow, somewhere, over the past two years, I think I got stuck in survival mode.

You know the feeling; you’re doing whatever it takes to get by day-by-day, but not much beyond that.  Anything creative, personal, or extracurricular has taken a backseat to just making sure that things function at a minimal level.

It’s good for getting things done, but not much else.

So my project for myself, over the upcoming few months, is to try to step back and figure out how I would really like my life to run, not just the sanity-maintenance way.  I know that this is part of having a toddler, but now that my little boy is old enough to express himself considerably more (and you know it’s been a survival mode kind of day when he’s asking for extra hugs), I figure I have time to evaluate.

Jesus wanted us to live life to the full.  I know I’m not there yet.  Are you?

SPG

23 Monday Jul 2012

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“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” ~ John 10:10

I have discovered that, sometime during the past two years, I have come down with a terrible case of SPG.

Single Parent Guilt, that is.

And while it sounds made up, it really isn’t.  Google “single parent guilt” and you get all kinds of results (3.1 million, to be exact), many of which are written by psychologists and parenting experts, geared toward helping people cope with it.

I have found quite the adversary in my guilt as a parent, because no matter how I provide for my son, I can’t fix the one thing that I desperately wish I could – I can’t bring his dad back.  No matter how much time I spend with him, no matter how many toys he has, no matter what I do, this fact of life is irreversible.  I run myself ragged trying to fill the gap, when the reality is I can’t.

But I’m not meant to live a life plagued by guilt – as a single parent or a person.  Christ died so that we could live life to the fullest, not be bogged down by all the things that are beyond our control.  Nothing is beyond His control, and He didn’t miss the fact that being widowed also meant I would be a single parent.  I’m still not sure I approve of the whole plan, but I do trust that He has one.

Whatever it is in your life that has you feeling guilty – give it over to God.  He will help you through it.  It may mean making changes (sometimes guilt exists for a reason), or it might simply mean that it’s time to let go of unrealistic expectations.  Christ gave His life so you could have one – never forget that.

Given In Exchange

22 Sunday Jul 2012

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“Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” ~ John 15:13

The newspapers all over the country have been flooded with information regarding the tragic shooting that happened just a few days ago in Aurora.

I can’t help but cry when reading the descriptions of the victims, lives cut short by a lunatic.

But the most amazing thing to read is how at least two of the victims died protecting the person they were at the movie with.  Using their own bodies as a shield, they threw themselves in the line of fire to save another person.  What a humbling gift the two survivors have been given, knowing that someone else died to save them.

We all have been given this same gift.  Christ died to save us from the terrible fate we faced – eternal separation from God.  He put Himself in the line of fire so we wouldn’t have to face spiritual death.

The question is, do you live your life with the same humility, knowing that Someone gave up His life for you?

Beautiful Life

17 Thursday May 2012

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“Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” ~ Matthew 6:26

A friend and I were discussing today how outside influences can negatively impact life.

Perhaps you are happy where you are, content with what God has given you and overall pleased with life.  Then something happens that is beyond your control or reach, and wham – all that contentment flies right out the window and you find yourself panicked and upset.

I think too often we worry and fret about things beyond our control (the future, in general), and it robs us of the joy that God means for us to experience in our daily lives.  A very applicable quote says something to the effect of, “Worrying never takes the sorrow from tomorrow, it only takes away the joy from today.”

When we feel we have to be in control all the time, we find ourselves worrying about things far beyond our reach.  However, Jesus reminds us in Matthew that we aren’t meant to worry about so much, but to let the Father take care of us instead.

Relax in the Father’s care, and you will be able to more richly appreciate the beauty in the life He has given you.

Capital Offense

01 Tuesday May 2012

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The LORD God commanded the man, saying, “From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die.” ~ Genesis 2:16-17

Then the LORD God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us, knowing good and evil; and now, he might stretch out his hand, and take also from the tree of life, and eat, and live forever”— therefore the LORD God sent him out from the garden of Eden, to cultivate the ground from which he was taken. So He drove the man out; and at the east of the garden of Eden He stationed the cherubim and the flaming sword which turned every direction to guard the way to the tree of life. ~ Genesis 3:22-24

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” ~ Romans 6:23

Since my husband’s death, I’ve had a lot of time on my hands to complete what it really is we, as Christians, believe in.  Because he was so young when he died, I couldn’t quite get on board with the idea that death is a natural part of life – we all experience it, there is nothing as universal as death, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera.

Well, I don’t buy it.

Death isn’t a natural part of life, any more than all the women in Hollywood are natural beauties.  There is nothing natural about it.  It’s ugly and unfair, no matter how old you are.

So I came to this conclusion: my husband’s death was murder.

Now, before you start slowly backing away and calling for the men in white coats to take me away, hear me out.  Death was not and is not part of God’s design for us.  Death was introduced into the world after Adam and Eve were tempted into sinning.  The serpent’s wide-eyed, silver-tongued lie about the outcome of their disobedience thrust the entire universe sideways, and only then did death become part of our existence.

The enemy’s plan wasn’t just to get Adam and Eve to sin, it was to destroy the human race by killing them – albeit via their own rebellion.  The enemy committed a capital offense that day – premeditated murder, by distorting the truth and tricking God’s beloved creation into to bringing about his own downfall.

Satan’s plan for this world is simple: destroy it all.  He seeks is to obliterate God’s people by separating them from God.  And as a Christian, you are that much more of a target to him.

Fortunately for us, God did not leave things the way they were when Adam and Eve were driven from the garden.  He took it upon Himself to make a way for us to reach Him – through His Son.  This generous gift is beyond comprehension, when you consider the very recipients were the creatures that fouled things up in the first place.  Never, ever doubt His love for you.  God has bridged that way from us to Him, and the roadblock of death is nothing He hasn’t overcome.

Mama Says

01 Thursday Dec 2011

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“Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.” ~ Proverbs 22:6

One of my favorite things about being a parent has to be listening to what comes out of my mouth on a daily basis…

“No, no, do NOT put Bunny in the sink (that’s full of dirty dishes).  It won’t be good for him.”

“What on earth happened to the pickle I just gave you?”

“Let’s not wedge the lazy susan open with a bottle of eye drops, okay?”

And that was all before lunch.

Raising an energetic little boy means I am now viewing the world through his eyes – and it’s a pretty fun place with all sorts of things to get into!

But since he’s little, he needs lots of guidance.  I can’t just set him down and expect him to grow into a well-manner young man.  He’ll need a lot of training and instruction to reach that point, all of which happens on a daily basis, starting with the small things.

I’m thankful God does the same thing with us.  He doesn’t just have unrealistic expectations floating out there in the universe, hoping that we’ll somehow find our way to them.  Instead, He hands us His Word, full of lessons, guidelines, and instructions on how to live.  He even sent His Son to earth, to model for us what our lives should look like.

Our lives are meant to mirror Christ, but we must depend on Him in order to get there.

So Fast

26 Wednesday Oct 2011

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“Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” ~ Psalm 90:12
“We are here for only a moment, visitors and strangers in the land as our ancestors were before us. Our days on earth are like a passing shadow, gone so soon without a trace.” ~ I Chronicles 29:15
“As for man, his days are like grass, he flourishes like a flower of the field; the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more.” ~ Psalm 103:15-16

Today, as I watched my little boy toddle across the room, I was struck by the speed at which life moves.

Only a handful of months ago, I was delirious from lack of sleep, sure that I would never get rest again as this tiny baby cried to be fed multiple times a night.  But here he is, already a year old, and those days are only a memory now.

Being a teacher, I get to watch my students long endlessly for summer, sure that the fun days of freedom will be so much better than the daily grind of classes and homework.  Then, as seniors, willing the time to move quicker, so they can get started on the adventure that is college.

But now, as I am years down the road from where they stand, I can’t help but wonder in amazement how quickly the time really went.

The Bible repeatedly teaches us that this life is soon over – the three verses I chose for today are only a sample of the many more there are on this topic.  God clearly wanted us to understand that our time, and our opportunities to be a light for Him in this life, are very limited.

Cause & Effect

05 Wednesday Oct 2011

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“For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” ~ Philippians 1:21

As I’m sure you’ve seen all over the news, Steve Jobs died today.

I heard it on the radio earlier this afternoon, as I was driving home from running a few errands.  What surprised me was how sad the announcement made me.  Normally, when you hear someone famous has died, you think about it for a moment, and then go on.  But this actually slowed me down a bit, feeling the grief that comes from the death of another person.  It wasn’t even that he was fairly young, because at 56 he got to live twice as long as my husband did.

However, I think the reason that I think it’s sad he’s gone is because I’m sitting here, typing my blog post on a computer that his company designed.  I listen to my iPod in the car all the time.  His company actually had a direct impact on my life, in however small a way, because I use the products that they created.

It made me wonder how I could have that kind of tangible impact on the world for Christ.  When I die, how will people be able to look around and see what I’ve done that truly lasted?  After my death, my house and things will be sold, my belongings shared with family or given away, but what will remain?  What kind of impression will be left from me living my life?

A good question – one that all Christians should grapple with on a daily basis.  What can we do to leave a lasting memory for Christ?

Three Cheers for the Mundane

17 Tuesday May 2011

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“So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” ~ I Corinthians 10:31

Some days, like today, I sit down to write and I really have nothing deep or meaningful to say.  I’m doing a massive pile of laundry, for which I only have myself to blame and working on a presentation for a class I’m teaching tomorrow.  There are toys all over my family room and sitting next to me on the couch is a ball of yarn with a knitting needle stuck in it.  A script for “Peter Pan” rests on my kitchen table, waiting for me to pick out scenes for Thursday morning’s auditions.  And my little boy is sound asleep, napping away in his crib.

And I am thankful for all of it.

Yes, it would be grand if life was always an amazing adventure, but even Jesus had to stop and eat sometimes.  And I so glad that He sets this example for us.  By coming to earth and living an everyday life, He demonstrates that the little things that fill our days are equally important to Him, too.

Oswald Chambers writes about this in his wonderful devotional, “My Utmost for His Highest.”  My favorite daily reflection, hands down, is entitled “Shallow and Profound.”  Using the verse I have chosen for today, Chambers reminds us that we shouldn’t ever be tempted to pose as a profound person, acting dismissive of those more shallow than we are, because we must remember – God became a baby.

All the little things in our lives are just as important as the big ones.  Just like the ocean has a shore, our lives have deep parts and shallow parts.  Don’t forget to enjoy them both – that’s how God created you to be.

Death for One = Life for All

25 Monday Apr 2011

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“He died for everyone so that those who receive His new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.” ~ II Corinthians 5:15

After the Easter festivities were over, we were home from church and dinner, and things were being put away, I spent some time thinking about what Christ’s death really meant for all of us on earth.  Death is still strange to me, even after having spent so much time recovering from its presence in my family.  It is something that we, as humans, were not designed to comprehend – simply speaking, we weren’t created to understand death.  It wasn’t part of God’s original design.

But Christ’s death changes everything.  My husband’s death, while leaving a gaping hole in my own life and the lives of his family and friends, had an impact on many people, but certainly not everyone.  While his life was a wonderful example for Christ, his death was not the one that conquered the grave.  But Christ’s life on earth was a perfect example for how we should live – and His death meant a resurrection that would overcome the hold that sin had on the world.

It’s incredible to think that one life could be given so that all would have the opportunity to live – but that is exactly what Christ did for us.  One in exchange for all.  If you haven’t taken God up on the offer of His Son – please do so today.  He gave everything so that we might live – and live eternally.

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