God is so gracious

I had a run-in with my car door in that there is a crack in the shell. Normally this is not a huge deal but the crack just so happens to be located on the driver side just below the latching/locking mechanism. Go figure! Therefore my driver's side door was stuck closed. I now have to climb through the passenger's side to get into the driver's seat. The Dukes of Hazzard boys crawled through windows so this should not have been a problem...wrong! Take into account that I have RA and discs in my back are compressing. The extra twisting and turning was making things much worse for me!

I started praying for any help the Lord saw fit to bless me with...actually I was praying that the van door could be fixed for around $50 since money is hard to come by these days. After numerous calls to auto repair places and collision repair places as well as salvage yards it looked hopeless. The car is a 1994 and therefore so obsolete that working on her is just impossible. I was in a panic...now what?

Just when I was about to sink into despair and completely lose it, the phone rang and it was one of the salvage yards that I had contacted. They had found a door that would fit my car! Even though it is a disreputable looking door and blue...did I mention that my car is red...it is a working door where I can actually get in and out without wrenching my back.

God is so gracious and while I think my door broke as a lesson to me in humility. He pulled me through and I now know not to take the little things for granted! The door is being installed today by a family friend who is absolutely amazing, always there when needed. I will eventually have the door painted to match the car, but for now, in the dead of winter, I will drive my red car with the blue door. It will be a reminder of God's graciousness and His ability to keep me safe and bring me through hardship.

This is not my normal type of post, but I wanted everyone to be aware of the way the Lord is moving in my life.

God Bless.
~Micki

Are You An Abigail?

Are You An Abigail?
Meek, Gentle, Humble Creature of God

You may be asking yourself, “Abigail?”

Yes, that’s right, Abigail. We meet Abigail in 1 Samuel. She is married to a most despicable, barbaric cad, Nabal. “His name was Nabal and his wife’s name was Abigail. She was an intelligent and beautiful woman, but her husband, a Celebite, was surly and mean in his dealings.” (1 Sam. 25:3 NIV) Nabal is brutish whereas she is intelligent and beautiful.

She possesses both brainpower and loveliness. Abigail puts both to work quickly when she learns from her servants of Nabal’s crude responses to David’s messengers. “David sent messengers from the desert to give our master his greetings, but he hurled insults at them.” (1 Sam. 25:14) Upon hearing of this distressing news, Abigail gathers offerings and races to intercept David. She does so without telling her husband.

As David and his men of four hundred descend toward the camp of Nabal, Abigail intercepts, armed with “two hundred loaves of bread, two skins of wine, five dressed sheep, five seahs of roasted grain, a hundred cakes of raisins and two hundred cakes of pressed figs” (1 Sam 25:18) loaded on donkeys.

Four hundred men are riding in with David to destroy Nabal and his family for their impertinence. Four hundred men rein in their mounts and gape. Some gape at the food; others at the beautiful woman. She is gorgeous and she has brought a feast for the weary men. Just imagine the picture that made! A beautiful woman standing in the middle of the road with a great feast bundled on the backs of donkey! That is enough to make even the most peculiar person stop and gawk.

The importance of this moment is so immense and Abigail knows that she is the final obstacle between her family and certain death. Collapsing at David’s feet, she pleas for her family’s lives. “My lord, let the blame be on me alone. Please let your servant speak to you; hear what your servant has to say.” (1 Sam. 25:24) Abigail does not protect Nabal or make excuses for his barbaric behavior. Instead she agrees he is a wicked man. She begs for forgiveness, not justice, accepting all blame when she deserves none. “Please forgive your servant’s offense.” (1 Sam. 25:28) She presents the gifts from her house and encourages David to let God deal with Nabal and avoid the oppressiveness of penitence.

David cannot refute Abigail her appeal. “David said to Abigail, ‘Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, who has sent you today to meet me. May you be blessed for your good judgment and for keeping me from bloodshed this day and from avenging myself with my own hands. Otherwise, as surely as the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, who has kept me from harming you, if you had not come quickly to meet me, not one male belonging to Nabal would have been left alive by daybreak.’ Then David accepted from her hand what she had brought him and said, ‘Go home in peace. I have heard your words and granted your request.’” (1 Sam. 25-32-35)

David and his four hundred men return to their camp. Abigail returns home to Nabal. When she returns home, she finds Nabal too drunk to speak with, so she waits until the next morning to relay how close David had come to their home and Nabal close to death. The news upset Nabal and “his heart failed him and he became like a stone. About ten days later, the Lord struck Nabal and he died.” (1 Sam. 25-37-38) When David heard this news he went to Abigail to make her his wife.

Humbleness saved the day for Abigail and her family. Abigail’s kindness inverted a river of fury. Humility has amazing power. Apologies can defuse anger. Contrition can disarm rage. “Through patience a ruler can be persuaded, and a gentle tongue can break a bone.” (Proverbs 25:15)

Abigail teaches us much, the infectious power of benevolence, the strength of a gentle, compassionate heart. Her greatest example though is to take our eyes off her beauty and set them upon someone else’s. She transfers our thoughts from a rustic path to a Jerusalem cross. Abigail in no way knew Jesus; she lived a thousand years ahead of his sacrifice. But looking at her life, it prefigures his life.

Look at the facts. Abigail positioned herself amid David and Nabal. Jesus positioned himself amid God and us. Abigail asked to be punished for Nabal’s sins. Jesus allowed heaven to punish him for our sins. Abigail turned away David’s anger. Christ protected us from God’s wrath.

Christ is called a mediator. “For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men – the testimony given in its proper time.” (1 Tim. 2:5-6) Who is a mediator? One who stands between? What did Christ do? He stood between the wrath of heaven and us. God treated his blameless Son like the guilty human race, His Holy One like a lying villain, his Abigail like a Nabal.

Are you trying to cope with your Nabal world? Do as David did, stop staring at Nabal. Instead shift your eyes onto Christ. Focus on the Mediator and ignore the troublemakers. “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12:21) One Abigail can rescue a family. One co-worker can change unethical policies. Keep your eyes firmly fixed on the cross and find the beauty that surrounds you.

Once you find that beauty, you will become an Abigail and radiate the beauty of your inner strength. You will show the world that you too are a mediator with a benevolent spirit and a gentle compassionate heart.

New Content Coming Soon

Hello to all! I have been amazingly busy these past several weeks. The Lord has really kept me moving and shaking things up!

I have started to do more freelance writing and have clients scattered across the globe. They have kept me pretty busy. Along with them, I have some young people that I have been working with on mentoring and they have kept me on my toes. Not that I am complaining...they are a delight to work beside as they discover His love and plans for their lives. I remember being that young (fresh out of high school) and not having an idea as to where He would lead me. How lost I felt! 

Now I am content to be walking the path He set my feet upon and am learning so much about myself, the Lord and the people He has placed in front of me. My prayer time is filled and I am finding my alone time with the Lord to be more fulfilling as I give up my control over matters. He is the one in control of my life and He will direct me. It took me almost 15 years to figure that one out!

I will soon be writing again for this blog and it is my hope that all who read it are uplifted and encouraged by my words and the things the Lord is doing through me. 

God's blessings and protection on all of you!
Rev. Michelle

No Exceptions!

“All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.” Acts 10:43

This is an all-encompassing promise that the prophets have declared is for everyone. How great is that? All you have to do is believe in Him and your sins are forgiven. Could it be any simpler? Jesus died on the cross at Calvary for you and I and he conquered death for you and me. To receive forgiveness for your transgressions is a marvelous gift. There is a downfall however and that can be found in Matthew 6:14-15 “for if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” Forgiveness is there for the taking, however we must so our part and confess our sins and forgive those who have sinned against us.

One of my students had a quarrel with her best friend and swore she would never forgive her friend for the betrayal she felt. After praying with her and going through Scriptures, she felt that she needed to talk it out with her friend. Once communication was open, forgiveness soon followed and the friendship -- while unsteady at times -- did survive. That is all it takes with the Lord. Open up to Him, talk to Him in earnest, and ask Him to cover you in forgiveness. He is there, waiting.

With Christ

“You forgave the iniquity of your people and covered all their sins.” Psalm 85:2

This is a promise that is so intense I have a difficult time accepting it. I have a brother and a sister who turned against me and portrayed such evilness in their words and actions. Other family members, me included, were deeply wounded by both their words and actions. The Lord states in Matthew 6:14-15 “for if you do not forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” I know that in order for my heavenly Father to forgive my sins as I confess them to Him, I must not withhold forgiveness.

After the situation with my brother and sister this really tested my faith. I spent so much time in prayer and finally came to a place in my spiritual walk where I could forgive them. I still have no contact with them for although I have forgiven them, they remain unrepentant of their words and actions.

I know as I go to the Lord in prayer that He has blessed me. I have obeyed His command and offered within my heart forgiveness to those who have greatly offended me. My God will hold me up as I walk and will wipe my slate clean of my sins which I have confessed to Him.

Blessed by Forgiveness

“I will forgive their wickedness and remember their sins no more.” Hebrews 8:12

Sin is sin, we are taught this in Sunday school and Bible studies, ministers preach it from the pulpit. Yes, it is true that sin is against God and He encourages us to confess our sins. Our Lord sent His son to die a horrific death in our place, giving us the gift of eternal life through confessing our sins. The ultimate sacrifice became the ultimate gift!

I never considered myself wicked, a little off track definitely but surely not wicked! The first time I read Hebrews 8:12 I was certain it did not apply to me. One of my good friends who I love argue with about the Scriptures explained to me that wickedness referred to the sin that was committed, not the actual person. A person can be living a Godly life yet will gossip about the man in the moon, gossip is considered a sin and is therefore wicked. But fear not, the Lord promises that if you come to Him and confess your sins (and turn away from the sin), those sins will be forgiven and erased.

When I was teaching my daughter this concept I took a small dry erase board and wrote down a list of sins that she had committed that day – lying, cheating on a test, disrespectful. I left them written on the board for the rest of the day and moved the board from room to room with her so she had to look at the list all day long. The next day I explained that Jesus had died for her and that He washed away her sins, but that in order for her sins to be washed away she needed to confess them to the Lord and repent or apologize. As she said each sin – lying, cheating, disrespect – I took an eraser and erased that sin from the board until the board was wiped clean. It is that easy, yet it is one of the hardest things we have to do.

Deliver Me

“He will deliver the needy who cry out, the afflicted who have no one to help.” Psalm 72:12

A few months ago, I felt everything unraveling and felt helpless. I was overwhelmed at work, felt lacking as a mother, and felt completely lonely and exhausted. One morning, I was sitting at my kitchen table, picking at my breakfast—soggy Cheerios—when a switch was flipped in my brain. I went into my bedroom and began a time of prayer.

After about an hour of prayer, the Lord gave me Psalm 72:12. I was completely convicted! I had forgotten the promise the Lord had made. He is there for me, to lift me and carry me through my trials. I needed to be reminded that even though I felt overwhelmed by my students, all I needed to do was call out to the Lord, and He would be there. My exhaustion and loneliness stemmed from essentially cutting myself off from the Lord and forgetting His promise.

I spent several days in serious prayer, I petitioned the Lord to stay by my side and keep prodding me to open up to Him. It did take a few weeks of going to the Lord every day and getting back into the habit of laying my fears and insecurities at the cross before the heavy clouds stifling my heart began to dissipate. Now, while I still have doubts and insecurities and students who drive me insane, I know that the Lord is with me and I just need to remember to cry out to Him when I need help and peace within my soul.

First Things First

“Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Matthew 6:33

How many times have you worried that telling someone the truth or being completely honest with someone would just hurt their feelings too much so you have to tip-toe around the truth to soften it for them. Being nice rather than being honest has become the norm in society but the Lord teaches us that we should take a first-things-first approach. “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness.” By first going to the Lord and becoming more Christ-like we are seeking His kingdom and His promises. Jesus during His time upon the Earth did not soften his words when someone was seeking the truth. He delivered the hard truth even when those did not want to hear it. How refreshing that would be to ask a question and know that you are going to get the absolute truth, no sugar-coating, no half-truths, but the complete unbiased truth. Of course our feelings would be hurt from time to time but true friendships are built on truth and when it is spoken in love we can learn and grow from it.

When we align ourselves with the Lord and seek Him in all we do He promises to take care of us, walk beside us and never forsake us. That is an amazing promise and for us, being of Earthly flesh, it is a little far-fetched to believe. Someone to always speak the truth to us and never leave our side no matter what we have done or how far we pull away is an idyllic myth and so foreign to what we know.

Growing up I had a sister who was a complete narcissist, everything had to revolve around her and when it did not anyone in her path paid dearly for her unhappiness. She never sought the truth; she desperately wanted you to sugar-coat the truth so it made her look good. When she would ask me if she was a good sister, I would have to say that she was or she would get vicious. I bear a slight scar on my face from telling her that she was a selfish person. She is still the same way today – four children and fifty pounds later. Watching her children when they were younger I saw the unhappiness they felt at having to compete with their mother’s ego for attention and affection. Her love was always conditional, still is to this day. Now that I am an adult and able to see her clearly, I understand that she always put herself above anyone else; her husband, her children and even the Lord. In her quest for self-love and self-satisfaction she became a very jealous and unhappy person. Having her as a role model growing up – every little sister looks up to their big sister – I had the hardest time believing that Jesus sacrificed His life for my sins. There had to be some kind of ulterior motive, and there was; but it was a motive that benefited me not Him. God loved His people so deeply that He sacrificed His son to a horrific death so that we had the ability to draw closer to God. What a love that must be!  Once I figured out that the Lord wanted me to seek Him and His word before all else, I understood the unhappiness that my sister felt. She put herself before the Lord – her wants and needs were her first priority, not her relationship with her Lord.

I have in the past several years since my daughter’s birth taken my wants and needs out of the equation and focused on my relationship with my Lord first and my relationship with my daughter second, all else in my life comes after and I know that He is here with me as He promises in Matthew 6:33. By focusing on Him, He is there to pick me up and carry me if need be. He promised to be there and provide for me but He did warn of trials and tribulations in this life. My true reward will come after my journey has ended in this life.

Refreshment, Anyone?

“I will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint.” Jeremiah 31:25

I had a good friend tell me one time that she had no clue how I did all the things I did and not be overwhelmed. I sat back and thought about what she had said. To me, this life – all my activities and chores; even my past excursions – have made me who I am today. I have been doing these things for so long, having daily routines that cover a myriad of activities so that I do not feel overwhelmed or weary. I liken myself to the farmer who rises every morning at 4:00 a.m. to tend his farm. Although I admit to not ever-rising at 4:00 a.m. I do have a set time for doing things and all that I do, I enjoy and am at peace.

One of my other good friends told me she thought I was amazing because of all I do. I do not feel amazing, in fact, I feel wonderfully ordinary. When I was younger I was always told that it was my responsibility to become someone extraordinary and forge a path for others to follow. Where this path might lead I had no idea. Most of those expectations melted away when I became pregnant just like an ordinary young woman acting out. As I matured, I found a wonderful new hobby – people-watching. There is nothing more entertaining to me than to sit in the local mall's food court and watch people rush here and there through the corridor of shops. You learn a lot about people that way. But now I have wandered off-topic.

Back to refreshing the weary and satisfying the faint; what an amazing promise! Even though my daily life is routine to me, there are still times when I become so tired – when my daughter turns into a stubborn mule and we butt heads all day long; or when a puppy is feeling under the weather and I am up and down with her for several nights straight. Being weary can drag on my immune system and after a time I start to feel the effects. I am getting much better at going to the cross as soon as the first signs of weariness set in. I used to tell myself I could handle it, I did not need to bother the Lord with every little thing. As I have grown in my faith and become more comfortable in my place with Christ I have discovered that He encourages us to come to Him with all trials and worries no matter how trivial.

Psalm 55:22 says just that, “Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous be shaken.” (NIV) When weariness starts to take over, everyone in my household knows. No matter what I am doing, if I start to feel weighed down I will put my praise and worship music on and start singing and dancing; usually Zumba-inspired dance since starting a new workout regimen. My students are starting to realize I am not ignoring them when I pop an earbud in and go into my own zone for about five minutes. My mp3 player has a mix of music on it but my favorite playlist is my praise and worship music. It revives my soul and gives me the energy to keep going. Through His word and music that praises Him, I am renewed. His promise is fulfilled every time I ask for Him to help me and take care of me.

Everyday Miracles

For the past seven years or better I have rolled out of bed and drifted through my life without truly seeing the wonders around me. I always prayed to the Lord and waited to be knocked over the head with His answer to my prayers. I never sat still long enough to listen to what He was telling me. I did not find a quiet place to commune with Him and receive His instructions, I forged ahead with my own plans thinking that He was not listening or did not want to give me what I had asked for. It took listening to my friend who had knocked on death’s door and been rejected for me to realize that God really was listening to me and He really was trying to have a deep relationship with me; I just was too hard-headed or dense to hear Him instructing me. My friend, Jim, told me that each day of his recovery journey is a gift from God, each step he is able to take without assistance is a miracle and each breath that he breathes into his severely damaged lungs is a miracle. Listening to Jim’s labored breathing and hearing the awe and love in his voice when he speaks of the miracles that happen to him every day humbled be beyond anything else I could have witnessed.

I had always thought of miracles in terms of huge events that the multitudes witnessed and gave the glory to the Lord. I never considered what was happening in my daily life to be anything miraculous. But I started really looking and examining every detail that took place in my life. One day I was short on money but needed gas to get to work. I sent up an entreaty to the Lord to help. The day was colder than normal so I slipped my heavier coat on and when I put my hand in my pocket I felt a piece of paper. It was not just a piece of paper; it was a $20 bill that I had forgotten. It was a miracle. Another instance happened when I was sitting with my daughter on the couch one evening. It had been a difficult day and I was in a sour mood; she was also in a sour mood. I sat there silently praying to the Lord for wisdom and guidance regarding a problem at work and also how to not bring my moodiness home and heap it onto my daughter. After about 20 minutes of watching a television show together, my daughter turned to me and told me that I was the best mommy in the world even if I was a little cranky. That was an immediate mood lifter and another miracle.

Once I started really taking the time to listen to the Lord and to open my eyes and see what He was doing within my life I realized that He has been here all along loving me and caring for me in the everyday miracles that I experience. I now get out of bed with the expectation that I will hear Him and witness an amazing feat that maybe only I will notice but it is no less miraculous than the miracles that are witnessed by the masses.