Why God’s Healing Is More Amazing Than You May Have Realized

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If someone gave you a million dollars, what would you do with it?

I posed this question to several friends and family members, and their answers included things like “pay off all my bills” (actually, this one was the one most often mentioned), donate to worthy organizations, buy a new car, take a vacation, and set aside money for kids’ college expenses.

Some of those options sound pretty great to me. I bet you’d be thrilled to be able to choose some of them, too.

Now keep all this in mind as you imagine yourself in another scenario: You’re in deep financial debt. You struggle to make the monthly payments on your debt at the same time as you worry about whether the electric company’s going to cut you off. You’ve become a master at knowing which bills must be covered and which can go unpaid, at least for this month. There’s certainly no money for extras like eating out; in fact, sometimes there isn’t enough money to buy groceries. Seeing a doctor when you’re sick is now a luxury because you can’t afford the co-payment. Your husband tells you that his company is considering layoffs in his division, and your day-care provider (the only affordable one you could find) decides to get out of the day-care business and go back to school. And then your car breaks down and the mechanic tells you it’ll cost $1,200 to fix it.

How much stress would you be under?

How desperate would you be for relief?

Pretty desperate, I imagine. Anyone in that situation would probably spend a lot of time crying out to God. God, do something! God, I’m drowning!

God, help!

Now let me ask you a question: What kind of relief would we be crying out to God for? Or maybe a better question would be, how much relief would we ask for?

Most of us probably wouldn’t raise our eyes much beyond the present circumstances. We’d beg God for financial assistance, but even then, we probably wouldn’t be expecting much. A couple thousand dollars would make us tearfully grateful. If God were to completely lift our financial burden by giving us the money to pay off all our debts and restore ourselves to $0, we’d be ecstatic beyond words. And if He gave us a million dollars to enjoy on top of that? Riches beyond our comprehension.

Realistically speaking, however, God is probably not going to give you or me a million dollars, free and clear (wouldn’t that be nice?).

But that’s okay. Because what He does intend to do is far better.

We moms suffer in many different ways. We suffer as a result of guilt, difficult relationships, or heartbreaking losses. And when we suffer, we cry out to God. We plead for Him to take away our pain, or at least lessen it so that we’re not drowning emotionally.

Now let me share with you one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever realized: God intends not only to heal our pain (as if that weren’t amazing enough), but to bring us to a place where we can experience His riches in ways we’ve only dreamed about.

In other words, He has more in mind for us than pain relief.

Much more.

God’s healing grace not only lessens our pain, but also grants us the ability to enjoy the warmth of a gentle sun on our face or delight in the sights, sounds, and smells of a major-league baseball game. He heals us not merely so that we can be free from distress, but so that we can be free to exult in the pleasures of His creation.

His healing not only relieves our suffering, but also grants us the ability to let offenses go when we know they don’t really matter, or to be at peace even when someone mistreats us. We become not only free from pain, but free to be who we were made to be.

His healing does far more than mitigate tragedy; it enables us to receive blessings we’ve never experienced, or that we never thought we’d experience again.

God’s healing is way more amazing than most of us have ever realized.

So yes, when your soul is in agony, cry out to God to heal your pain. Yes, keep on beseeching Him until relief comes, and then, when it does, rejoice in His deliverance. But don’t forget to look for the blessings He has prepared for you.

They’re worth far more to your soul than a million bucks.

Psalm 103:2-5—Praise the LORD, my soul, and forget not all his benefits—who forgives you all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. (NIV)

What It Takes to Be a Good Mom

DieterRobbins / Pixabay

In high school and college, I auditioned for and was accepted into various choirs. I have a good voice, though there are plenty of people whose voices are better than mine. But one area in which I excel is my ability to hear when a singer is on pitch.

Which, of course, means that I also know when someone isn’t on pitch. 10-year-old Lindsey is the one of my children who seems to have inherited my ability to detect tiny variations from what the pitch should be. So when she and I were watching a televised singer recently, we spent the first couple minutes cringing at almost every note.

“I guess you don’t have to be a good singer to be famous,” Lindsey said, after we had hit the ‘mute’ button. “You just have to be hot.”

She was right, in a way. The most famous singers are not always the best singers. In other words, you don’t always have to be good at your job to be successful.

Which got me to thinking: What does it take to be a successful mom? Does it require perfection? Can you be a “good mom” while still having faults that others might notice?

Let’s be real for a moment. You (if you’re like most moms) and I are experts at identifying our real or perceived faults and feeling guilty for them. We hesitate to call ourselves “good moms” because we’re all too aware of the things we do wrong daily, and sometimes minute-by-minute. If someone were to ask us if we’re good moms, we would probably reply something like, “Well…I hope so.”

My fellow sister in Christ and my companion on this amazing, crazy journey called motherhood, let me tell you something: God does not want us to live with the discouragement and uncertainty of wondering whether or not we’re good moms. He’s told us exactly what it takes to be “good.”

Hear His words: “He has told you, O [mom], what [constitutes] good. And what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” (See Micah 6:8.)

Go back and read those words again, maybe even more than once. Let them soak into your soul. Hear what He’s saying, and what He’s not saying.

“Do what is right. Love kindness. Walk humbly with Me.”

Let’s look at those one by one.

“Do what is right.” In other words, like we tell our children, “Behave yourself.” Simple. (Not always easy, but always simple.)

“Love kindness.” Apparently, the word there is the Hebrew word hesed. This word has to do with loving people unconditionally, no matter what they do. Sound like something we need to practice every day with our children?

“Walk humbly with your God.” We all know what this means. We know when a child is humble towards us and when he or she isn’t. Thus (humble) we are to be toward God.

Now that we’ve looked at those, let me paraphrase Micah 6:8—“He has told you, O mom, what it takes to be a good mom. All you have to do is behave yourself, love your kids no matter what, and make sure your heart is submissive toward God.”

That’s it. Just those three things. No mention of hand-sewn anything, good looks, creativity, a spotless house, or any of the myriad other things we make ourselves feel guilty for not accomplishing. It’s fine to excel at these things, but none of them is what makes you a good mom.

True, God may direct us to do these things as part of His plan for us and our family, but they are not what makes us good moms. Submission to His will is part of what makes us good moms.

So the next time you’re wondering if you’re any good at this mom thing, don’t look at any of your abilities. Look instead at your heart.

Are you behaving yourself? Do you love your children unconditionally and forever? Is your heart humble toward God?

If so, you’re good. You’re a good mom. Rest in that.

Micah 6:8—He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justice, to love kindness, And to walk humbly with your God? (NASB)

Leaving It All on the Field

LincolnN / Pixabay
LincolnN / Pixabay

By now, if you live in North America, you’ve probably heard that the Chicago Cubs won the 2016 World Series. If you read last week’s devotion, you know how happy this makes me. What you may not know is how I reacted to their win (after screaming with joy in a way that went beyond words).

Why would you care how I reacted to their win? Well, maybe you don’t, at least as far as baseball is concerned. But hang in there with me, because the surprising way I found myself reacting applies to my whole life, not just this one event. Maybe it applies to yours, too.

I spent the evening with a longtime friend from college. She invited us over and prepared “baseball food” for us (hot dogs, chips, etc.); we all watched the game on her large-screen TV.

I say “all,” but by the eighth inning, when things really started to get interesting, only my two youngest daughters and I were still there. Throughout the eighth and ninth innings, our hopes rose and fell with every swing of the bat. My heart seemed to stop and start far too many times; I alternately cheered and closed my eyes (and reminded myself to breathe).

Then, the game went into extra innings. Then, there was a seventeen-minute rain delay. We waited there in my friend’s living room, not knowing whether we were awaiting victory or defeat.

Of course, you know the rest. When the tenth inning started, the Cubs started to score. The Cleveland Indians couldn’t match them, and with the final ball to first baseman Anthony Rizzo, the game was over. The Cubs had won!

We screamed (repeatedly). We raised both fists high into the air (again, repeatedly). We rejoiced.

Finally, at some point, I stopped screaming. I stopped cheering. I fell quiet. Instead of crying, as I openly did when the Cubs won the League Championship Series (and, thus, advanced to the World Series), or continuing to cheer along with the rejoicing I saw onscreen, I simply sat and watched as the win soaked in.

“I have nothing left,” I said to my friend.

I’ve been a lifelong Cubs fan, and my desire to see them win has gone largely unsatisfied. I’d followed them through the Division Series and the League Championship Series. I’d watched every single game of the World Series, and I’d loved them and supported them with all my heart and all my emotion.

That’s why I had nothing left. I had given everything I had. Just like my beloved Cubbies, I’d left it all on the field.

Jesus knows all about loving people until the very end—and no, I’m not talking about what He did for us on the cross. I’m talking about what He did for the disciples prior to that.

I’m sure you know about the part of the Last Supper where Jesus washed the disciples’ feet. But do you know what John says right before that?

John reminded his readers that it was just before the Passover Festival. He then pointed out that Jesus knew what was about to happen. Then—and don’t miss this part—he talks about how Jesus had loved the disciples and continued to love them until the end. And he gives the example of Jesus’ washing their feet as an example of how He continued to love them.

Despite the fact that Judas was about to betray Him, and He knew it, Jesus washed their feet. He illustrated for them in visual fashion what He was trying to teach them with His words, despite the tremendous mental and emotional strain He must have been under, knowing what would happen to Him in just a few short hours.

He washed their feet, and later He died for them, and when He did, He had given everything He had—not just His life (as if that weren’t enough), but all the love He had for them as their God, Creator, and Friend.

He had nothing left.

To slightly paraphrase Erma Bombeck, “When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of [loving] left, and could say, ‘I used everything you gave me.’ ”

Because even more than I love the Cubs, I love my family. When someday Jesus calls me home and I leave my loved ones behind, I want them to be able to say, “She loved us as fully as it was possible for a human being to love. She gave us everything she had.”

May I so live now that they can say those words then.

May you do the same for your loved ones.

Leave it all on the field.

John 13:1—It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. (NIV)

How Parenting is Like a Roller Coaster, and How God Can Help You Through It

(Guest post dictated by Kenny Breedlove, age 11.)

KennyHey, Mom, I have an idea for your devotional. You could write about how parenting is like a roller coaster. It has ups and downs, and it sometimes has fast and slow moments. Like it’s fast when kids grow up too fast. It’s slow when you have a hard time being a parent. Down is when kids are being bad and you have to punish them. Ups is when you first get your kids, and bonding with your kids and having fun moments with them. Sometimes, you can be scared on a roller coaster, and you can be scared at moments in your parenting life. Like you might be scared or worried when you’re looking for part-time jobs to raise money for your kids. And you’re scared when it’s your first time parenting and you don’t know what to do, or finding the right babysitter when you’re gone and it’s just your kids.

God sometimes plans crazy lives similar to roller coasters, or sometimes just smooth, normal lives like a running river. And if you’re ever scared or afraid, you can look up to Him, and He will help you with your parenting. After all, He planned the life, and He knows everything.

God can also help you know how to teach your kids to worship Him when they’re older, if you don’t know how. Also, if you have a crazy life similar to a roller coaster, God can help you go through it all calm and smooth.

Sometimes, roller coasters go all the way upside down, like your life suddenly changes once you figure out you’re pregnant and you become a parent. Your life is upside down, and you’ve got more to take care of, more to worry about, and a kid or kids to care for.

Sometimes, you have to buy tickets for a roller coaster to get on and have fun, as you would have to buy equipment and things your babies would like for them to have fun.

Sometimes, you have to wait in line to even get the tickets for a roller coaster, like you sometimes have to wait in line to get tickets for your kids’ favorite puppet show or favorite movie.

Almost always, you have to get tickets for a roller coaster and decide how many people get on and who gets to get on. Like in parenting, to get kids, you would have to find a husband, get married, afford to host a baby shower, and afford the bills of a hospital to produce the babies. If you’re a woman, that is.

So moms and future moms out there, if you are having trouble parenting, you can either read this a couple more times, or look up to God, and maybe He’ll have some answers for you. Good luck with your life.

When You Need to Do Your Part

No homeworkIn this story, I’m going to call them Child A and Child B, because I don’t want to embarrass Child A. But I want to share the story with you (paraphrased, mind you) because I have the sneaking suspicion that, if you have any school-age children, a scenario like this just may have played itself out in your home.

Child A: “Mom, my schoolwork is so boring. I hate it. I’ve already worked on it for a little while. Can’t I take a break?”

Me: “Yes, but you know when it has to be done. If you don’t finish it, you won’t be able to go to Great Wolf Lodge with me and your other siblings.”

Child A: “But Mom, I tried. I really did. And it was just so boring. And schoolwork is always boring.” (Begins to cry.)

Me: “I’m sorry, but you had enough time to do it, if you had gotten started when I first told you to. If you don’t get it completed, you know the consequences.”

Child A (with more tears): “But can’t you just help me? What if I don’t get it done?”

Child B: “Actually, you could be doing it right now instead of sitting here complaining.”

Score 1 for Child B, by the way. And, for those of you who might be wondering, Child A did eventually finish his/her schoolwork with plenty of time to spare (and he/she even told me it wasn’t as bad as anticipated!). But the point is…well, what Child B said.

Sometimes, instead of complaining about a problem, we just have to buck up and do something about it.

As Christians, you and I believe that God will protect us, take care of us, and a whole host of other wonderful things. And that’s true. He will. But too often, instead of taking action to make things better for ourselves, we sit around waiting for God to visit deliverance upon us.

Don’t get me wrong—there are absolutely times we need to wait on God’s timing. But there are also times we need to take action and not just sit around waiting to be rescued.

Take, for example, that day when Moses and the Israelites stood at the shore of the Red Sea, having fled Egypt. Pharoah’s army was behind them; death by drowning was in front of them. Or so they thought. So everybody stopped right there, and Moses said, “Don’t worry! Just stand right here. God will rescue us. You just wait” (my paraphrase).

You would think God would praise Moses for his trust, right? But instead, He said (and this is a direct quote), “Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on.” In other words, He said, “Why are you just standing there? Get going!”

But wait just a minute. That was the Red Sea in front of them. They could have drowned. Didn’t they do the right thing by waiting on God?

Apparently not. Maybe (and this is speculation on my part) God wanted them to trust Him so implicitly that they just waded into the Sea and watched the water evaporate. I don’t know. But whatever God had intended, having them stand there and wait for a divine rescue was not it.

I’m not suggesting that any of us should take action to solve a major dilemma without consulting God, or that we should just run out willy-nilly and make things happen on our own. Not at all. What I’m saying is that we need to be aware of the possibility that God might want us to do something to participate in our own deliverance.

Maybe He wants us to seek counseling and work on our issues, instead of complaining but taking no action.

Maybe He wants us to go back to school instead of merely grumbling that our job doesn’t pay much.

Maybe He wants us to learn how to better discipline our kids instead of spending so much time complaining about their behavior.

I can’t tell you exactly what God wants you to do in your situation, or if He does, in fact, want you to persevere through a time of waiting. But I can tell you that when you face the Red Sea, you (and I) need to be asking Him whether we should wait, or take action, or some combination of both.

Let’s not rush off like loose cannons and try to solve our own problems. But let’s also not presume upon God by standing by passively and waiting for Him to do all the work.

God can, and will, do His part. Always. But let’s make sure we ask Him if we need to be doing our part, too.

(See Exodus 14 for the story referenced in several places above.)

When You Need Practice

Football practiceI didn’t think picking up Cheerios was such a big deal.

Apparently, it was, at least to Timmy, who didn’t want to pick up the bag of Cheerios he’d dragged into his room for use with his Cheerios book.

“Please pick up the Cheerios and put them away,” I said.

“Aagghh!” Timmy yelled. “I’m mad! And angry! And shout-y! And I’m never going to clean up anything!”

“Oh, yes, you are,” I said firmly.

“I’m bad at cleaning up stuff,” Timmy grumbled in a last-ditch protest.

“That’s why you need practice,” I said.

There then ensued an hour-long battle over whether Timmy was or was not going to pick up the Cheerios. I told him he could sit in his room until he was willing to put the package back on the counter; he refused and kept escaping from his room; I kept putting him back.

The problem was eventually solved by Jessica, who went into Timmy’s room while I was otherwise occupied and convinced him to pick up the Cheerios. But that’s not the point.

The point is that I think that God sometimes has to do the same with us—that is, give us opportunities to practice things we’re not good at.

I don’t know why most struggles and trials happen. I don’t know why we sometimes have to keep dealing with the same thing over and over and over. But I bet that sometimes—on occasion—the reason God allows us to keep facing the same issues repeatedly is because we need practice in dealing with them.

Sometimes, it just takes us awhile to get things through our heads. Sometimes, we know in our heads how we ought to speak or think or act, but we’re not yet ready in our hearts to put those things into practice. And even when we are ready, and have the best of intentions, we still mess up.

We need practice.

It’s kind of like studying for a test or training for an athletic competition. We study, or put in the physical effort, beforehand, so that when the time of testing comes, we’re ready. Likewise, we need practice in dealing with certain issues so that when they arise, we can handle them right, or at least better than we did last time.

Not that practicing is fun. It’s not. Nobody likes struggling to hold back the words she really wants to say, or to have a good attitude when she wants to scream. Nobody wants trials or struggles. But we all want the ultimate result—being able to handle even negative situations without getting upset, and in the process, pleasing Christ.

So we’re going to have to practice. “Practice” may or may not be the purpose in our struggles. But as long as we have to struggle, let’s not waste those opportunities. Let’s use them as a way to help us progress toward the ultimate goal of being like Jesus.

God wastes nothing. And neither should we.

Hebrews 12:11—No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. (NIV)

Waffles and Clowns

waffle clownMy son Timmy’s 4th birthday is fast approaching, and he can’t wait. If I had a dollar for every time he’s asked, “Is it my birthday yet?” I’d have a lot of money. Recently, my daughter Jessica turned 8, and Timmy was upset. “Why isn’t it my birthday yet?” he asked. Then, yesterday, when I was getting a gift bag out of the hall closet to put my godson’s birthday present in, Timmy saw the back and suggested, “Let’s get my birthday started!”

But my favorite comment of all was when he said, “I’m going to tell you what I want for my party. I want a helicopter, and I will want some of my own clowns, please.”

Later, as we were looking at Paw Patrol cakes online so he could choose one for me to make for him, he abruptly changed the theme of his party to construction vehicles. And the next day, he told me he wanted waffles for his party.

Apparently, this is supposed to be a party with construction-themed paper goods for decorations, with clowns for entertainment, and with waffles for refreshments.

It’s a theme I never would have thought of.

But you know what? It works for Timmy. Timmy doesn’t care that clowns and waffles have nothing to do with each other, much less with bulldozers. All he knows is that those three things are what he wants at his party.

Clowns. Waffles. Bulldozers.

I think there’s a lesson to be learned here. And I think it’s one we all need to take to heart.

Timmy is a little boy who likes lots of different things. He’s not afraid to be himself and make choices that reflect the unique person God created him to be.

Wouldn’t it be beautiful if you and I could act the same way?

Too often, we spend our lives trying to censor the things that make us unique. We squelch the likes and dislikes that make us different from our neighbor/best friend/mom. We bury our hopes and dreams because they don’t match up with what we’re “supposed” to want. We spend our lives trying to fit into the mold that produced someone we admire (and who, we’re certain, does things much better than we do).

In the process, we lose the unique, fearfully and wonderfully made individual that God created us to be.

Granted, there is one very important way in which we’re all supposed to be the same: We’re all meant to be like Jesus. Being like Jesus is what’s important. It’s irrelevant if we’re like a certain person at church, or our sister, or some other woman we know. As long as we’re walking in God’s ways (as revealed in Scripture), we’re free to be whoever He made us to be.

Do you like cats? Fine. Do you hate carbonated beverages? Fine. Do you dislike cooking or love jogging or hate serving on committees or love painting landscapes? Fine, fine, fine, fine.

God made you to be you. He didn’t intend you to be a cookie cutter version of anyone else; He intends for you to be who you are meant to be, because if you live into His design for you, you will reflect His glory in a way that nobody else on this earth will reflect Him.

If you want waffles and clowns for your birthday, go ahead and have them. And maybe even throw in a bulldozer or two.

I bet God would love that.

 

Jeremiah 1:5—“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born I set you apart.” (emphasis mine) (NIV)

When God Won’t Give You What You Want

Chocolate chip cookies“Mommy, can I have a cookie?” Timmy asked.

“No,” I said, “we’re going to eat dinner soon.”

“But I want a cookie!”

“Sorry. It’s almost time for dinner.”

“But I LIKE cookies.”

“After dinner.”

By this point, Timmy was getting distressed. “But how can I eat a cookie if you won’t LET me?” he begged.

The answer, of course, was that he couldn’t. No cookies unless Mommy lets you have one.

I can understand his frustration. After all, I don’t like it when I don’t get what I want, either. Especially if it’s sitting right there in front of my face, looking for all the world like it should be mine.

Just as we sometimes say no to our children, so God sometimes says no to us. When He does, what we wanted—what we thought should be ours—suddenly becomes forbidden fruit.

Spiritual discernment is required to discern what God’s will is. But if I just keep trying to force the issue without ever considering that maybe I’m striving to obtain something God doesn’t want me to have, I won’t know what His will is.

At least Timmy asked me for my answer. Too often, I don’t ask God for His. I just pursue what I want and expect Him to bless it. Oh, God, forgive me!

You see, Timmy understood what you and I don’t always think about: If a parent says no, then it’s no.

But what if it’s something we really want? What then?

Here’s where it comes down to faith. We say in our heads that we believe God knows what’s best for us to have. But do we really believe it?

Apparently not, if we keep begging for “yes” when He’s already said “no,” or if we complain about “no.”

I wonder what difference it would make in your life and in mine if, instead of “fighting [God] for something we don’t really want” we would “take what [God gives] that [we] need.”

If we would accept God’s gracious provision as just that—gracious—and be content.
Philippians 4:12—I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. (NIV)

What Do You See?

Weeds cemterpieceLook at the picture accompanying this devotional (it’s over to the right).

Go ahead, look at it.

What do you see in the foreground?

The other day, as I was walking into the kitchen, Lindsey met me as she was coming in from the back yard. Beaming, she held out a fistful of grass and flowers. “Aww, thanks,” I said, smiling. And then, because I was holding the little guy I babysit, I said, “Would you please go get the little vase you made me and put them in there?”

“Yes, ma’am,” she responded cheerfully. Then she bounded off to do as I had asked.

Lindsey added water to the vase, stuck the flowers in, and placed them in the center of our dining room table.

What do you see when you look at the picture?

A bunch of helter-skelter weeds in a bumpy vase?

Or a beautiful centerpiece, gathered and assembled with love?

Because I’m a mom too, I know your heart for your children, and I know you would answer, “I see a beautiful centerpiece.” That, of course, is what I see, too.

What do you think God sees when He looks at you?

A bunch of deficiencies, wrapped in sin and imperfection?

Or a beautiful treasure, which He made and assembled with love?

My friend, I know you’re not perfect. I’m certainly not, either. I sin and make mistakes every day. I do some things wrong and fail to do other things right.

But I’m so much more than my actions. And so are you.

I carry too much weight between my waist and my knees, my hair spends most of its time in a ponytail, and I have wrinkles.

But I’m so much more than my physical appearance. So are you.

My family lives on a budget, we have a modest home, and my kids don’t take gymnastics lessons.

Yet I am so much more than finances. So are you.

You and I are more than our pasts. We are more than our lack of talent or athletic ability. We are more than our physical, emotional, or mental handicaps.

So much more.

That’s because, when it gets right down to it, all of those things don’t really matter. Our circumstances or position in life are not what define us.

They are not who we are.

We are not “someone who has few friends.” We are “someone who is deeply loved by God.”

Nor are we “a screw-up” or “a failure.” We are human beings made in the image of our Creator, who is neither or these things.

We are not insignificant—we matter so much to God that He sacrificed Jesus in order to win us. (Do you realize what that means? You are worth Jesus to God.)

We are not ugly; we are fearfully and wonderfully made (see Psalm 139:14).

I could go on and on, and I’d love to, because convincing precious women of their worth and beauty in Jesus is one of my favorite things to do. But instead, I’m simply going to point out that you and I have a choice.

We can either see ourselves as worthless, friendless, ugly failures—or we can acknowledge that that we really are is deeply beloved, made in the image of God, tremendously significant, and beautiful.

We can either see ourselves as a collection of weeds and a lumpy vase, or as a beautiful centerpiece.

In reality, you are a beautiful centerpiece, precious friend. I pray you see yourself that way, because God does, and I do, too.

Isaiah 43:4a—You are precious in my eyes, and honored, and I love you. (ESV)

When One of These Things is Not Like the Other

different thingsDid you watch Sesame Street as a child? I did. I loved it.

One of my favorite segments was the “One of These Things” game. They would show a square evenly divided into four smaller squares. Then, they would add one item to each square, three of which were similar, and one of which was obviously different from the other three. (For example: fish, bird, cat, sun.) Then they’d sing the song:

One of these things is not like the others.
One of these things just doesn’t belong.
Can you guess which thing is doing its own thing?
Guess before my song is done.
And now my song is done.

They would ask which item didn’t belong, and kids everywhere would point to the screen and call out their answers.

I loved that game. It was fun to try to figure out which thing didn’t match the others.

Of course, nowadays, being an adult, this game would hold no challenge. It’s pretty easy to tell that a bicycle doesn’t match a pizza, an ice cream cone, and a bag of chips.

It can be much harder to determine when things don’t match up in life. For example, who would ever have thought that a woman who dislikes domestic pursuits but who loves action, excitement, and intellectual challenges would match well with the calling to be a stay-at-home mom? Or that a brother who is on the autism spectrum would be a good match for two sisters who are extremely sensitive to people acting “not normal” in public? Or that a woman with a traumatic childhood would be a good spouse for a man who grew up in a loving, secure, godly home?

Not very many people on this earth would have made these matches.

But God did. He put all three of these in my family.

Mismatches? Apparently not. Because God always knows what He’s doing.

There are some mismatches that are caused because of sin or poor choices (ours or others’). But those matches ordained by God are never “mis-.” To say otherwise is to say that God makes mistakes.

So when you and I don’t understand how life could have ended up like this, we need to realize that insofar as God has ordained the matches, we are perfectly matched up.

My personality and interests, combined with the circumstances of being a stay-at-home mom? Perfectly matched. Maybe not for smooth sailing and pleasing circumstances all the time, but for that which God wants to accomplish in my life.

I can either set my own happiness as my highest goal, or I can focus on the joy of God’s will being done in me. Which will I deem more pleasing? My temporary pleasure, or my eternal character?

I don’t know what seeming mismatches you face. But I do know this: God doesn’t make mistakes.

It’s not just probable that He has some good in mind for you that is far higher than the good you had envisioned.

It’s a certainty.

Isaiah 55:8—”For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD. (NIV)