There's Something About Mary

I haven't blogged in a while! And this seems to be becoming a tradition, so maybe I shouldn't even explain myself! But in truth, I feel that the words I read in scripture are so far from who I am- I don't match up to what I read. So reflecting on this and this Christmas season (It's Christmas - WOOOO!) it makes me think about the life of Mary-there must have been something about Mary!

Mary, a young virgin girl, is told that she is going to be birth to a son and He is to be called Jesus! The angel Gabriel tells her she has found favour with God. Favour! I want some of this favour- not so I can be part of an immaculate conception! But because it seems that this is what brought Mary into God's great plan! Favour = approval/an act of kindness beyond what is due.

What caused Mary to receive such approval?! To me, her response to the angel gives a huge clue. "May your word to me, be fulfilled". Now listen...if I'm enjoying my youthful life and everyone knows me to be a virgin and then I am told I am going to give birth....I'm not sure I'm going to agree so quickly. 1) I'm a virgin so society will have me killed when they find out I'm pregnant 2) If I survive death threats and stoning my fiance will not marry me thinking that I've been with another man 3) How will I raise this baby on my own? These are few of many questions! But Mary says let it be so! 

This is so telling of Mary's heart, her character. I don't think Mary necessarily did anything to find favour with God, but the position of her heart allowed God's favour to be with her. She was willing to walk on whichever path He set for her. There was definitely something about Mary and honestly I want there to be something about me. I learn so much from this. 

Months later, Mary would give birth to Jesus, the One who would bring truth and grace. If Christ is in us the hope of glory, we possess that truth and grace-the Word. But will we allow God to work through us to give birth to Christ in our lives? We can get so caught up with what is happening around us, not giving chance to be part of the great things God's wants to do in us.

The truth is, there is something about all of us! Are we willing to position ourselves to see it?

Still my heart...

'He had lost all of his children and everything he owned. Once a wealthy man, now poor in health. Where was God in the midst of all of this?'

Last Sunday at church, we were singing a song....Hillsong 'Here Now'. As I took time to focus on the lyrics certain words stood out to me:

                                                                                         Here now

All I know is I know that You are

Here now

Still my heart

Let Your voice be all I hear now

Spirit breathe

Like the wind come have Your way

Cause I know You're in this place

Still my heart... I think those words resonated within me, because as I shared a few weeks ago, I tend to worry a lot. My heart is constantly beating the world record (sorry Bolt) trying to catch up with my anxieties. But meditating on those words I started to understand the importance of a still heart.

Many things in life can try and grab our attention and try to win the affection of our hearts. When our hearts are still, we can focus on His voice. And sometimes our hearts are running so fast, trying to catch up with the rhythm of the lives we have created, we lose sense of God's voice and wander where He is.

The sentence at the beginning is a summary of a segment of Job's life. A man who had it all, was now a man who only owned suffering. During this time, his friends tried to encourage him, but many of their words of wisdom just left Job in the midst of his pit. Until we meet his friend Elihu. In Job 37:14 Elihu says, 'Stand still and consider the wondrous works of God'.

In the midst of our fears, frustrations and despair, sometimes all we can do is stand still. But in the stillness we need to focus on the One who created us...the One who loves us...the One who calls us. Our focus needs to be on the One who calms the storm.

When we focus on the greatness of our God, it will change how we perceive everything else. For me, reading the chapters where Job is describing the wondrous works of God, it makes everything else seem small in comparison. It reminds me that He is still amongst us. Then a new excitement for life comes knowing that the God who performed all of these wondrous works can also do the same in my life and in the lives of those around me!

Make them giants....

I can be such a soppy person sometimes! Watching an O2 and Rugby advert thinking wow! How inspiring! So bare with me in this blog!

In the advert, there are some strangely tall men walking around the city - a little bit like different BFGs walking around! I'm actually thinking this is an advert for the BFG2! Soon, it becomes obvious that these giants are the English rugby team and every time they are encouraged and supported they grow and become ... more giant. And hence the statement at the end of the advert - make them giants.

This then led me to think about how we treat people, what we sow into people and what we input into people. The sad thing is that sometimes we spend time bringing others down - seemingly worried that we can make others bigger than ourselves and therefore we become smaller. But this advert reminds me to make the people around me giants, to encourage the best in others. 

The irony in that is that in doing so we'll become giants. Proverbs 27:17 reads that 'as iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another'. We can inspire and encourage each other to be giants. 

Make them Giants

It will be alright on the night

I am a worrier...I worry. I lock the door. "Have I locked the door?" I go back and check. It's locked. I get in the car. "Did I really lock the door? May be I didn't check the handle properly!" As I write this, I'm thinking to myself whoa! Are those really my thoughts?! They sound like a cause for concern. But I remind myself that I am only outlining one of the symptoms of a simple disease....worry!

I've been out of the blogging game for a few months now (shame on me!) but I'm back with many lessons learnt. During the past few months I have been preparing for my wedding :O and the time has gone past so quickly. My life stopped for a date in July which held so much importance! And of course my life has not been the same since :) But back to the lessons...preparation for a wedding is not a walk in the park. Especially as we planned the wedding for the day after school breaks up - the start of the holidays. And I'm a teacher so I'm sure everyone expected me to turn up on the day haggard and exhausted! We invested so much time in the day, that although I tried my upmost not to stress, I really wanted the day to go well.

So comes the day! The run up had gone well, bar some minor hiccup that occurred during the week of the wedding. Now one piece of advice that I kept receiving was 'Make sure you enjoy the day!' Simples I thought. Scheduled to get to the church for 1pm - a timetable was in place - I was going to get to the church on time!

Then disaster struck and one of the bridesmaid dresses malfunctioned! An emergency team was called together - my aunty and a few of the bridesmaids- to solve the issue. But nobody would tell me the details of what was happening and would not tell me what time it was. What bride would not be worrying by now? I was past worry - I was livid! I was late - but I remained calm - it was possible that I wasn't terribly late as I still didn't know the time!

By time I got to the church - as I was late, the procession had already started! I had minimal time to take everything in when I was carted down the aisle. During the service my eyes caught sight of someones watch. We were running an hour over time! An hour! My thoughts began to run overtime - what does that mean for the photographs? The meal's going to be late! The cars will need to be paid.....'Make sure you enjoy the day!' Thankfully that thought crushed the others! I made decision at that point to enjoy the rest of the day - and you know what? I did! It was a great day!

So now I must ask myself .... why worry? "Which of you by being over anxious can add a single foot to his height?" Deep words! Although I consciously made a decision not to worry on my wedding day - this question still causes me to reflect on the day and what it teaches me about worry. Imagine if I had spent the day worrying. That's a worrying thought (no pun intended)! But seriously, the day would have been wasted! As the question asks- what can worry or anxiety change? If I spent the whole day worrying, the only thing that would have changed would have been my perception of the day. What a waste! Worry is a waste!

So as I reflect on the day, I realise how I combated worry on that day. I consciously made a decision not to worry. Not only did I empty my mind of worry, but I filled my mind with joy. I made sure mind meditated upon everything I enjoyed about the day. Of course things went wrong! But a lot of things went right! And most importantly I married the love of my life - and so I can only reflect on joy. So now my mission is to not meditate on my worries but on my joys. Not to say I can't deal with concerns - but worry is not a place where we can live. We deal with what we can control and leave the rest. 

Take me to the King

Her heart began to race. The words her cousin had just said echoed throughout her mind. The Jews were to be killed. There was no mistaking the message that had just come to her. But what could she do? She was a Jew, living in a Persian palace, but no one knew her identity. How could she stop this? She sent a message back to her cousin, expressing her concerns. Eternity seemed to pass before she got the reply, and when she got it, she knew that life was going to change forever...

This week, I had been thinking of the story of Esther. It's kind of ironic, especially as in two weeks, Jews will be celebrating the festival of Purim. 

In the story of Esther, we hear of a young Jewish woman who marries a Persian King. However her identity as a Jew is unknown to the king. Amongst the King's officials is a man called Haman who agrees with the king, to have all of the Jews living there killed as they do not follow the king's laws. Haman constructed this lie to have the Jews killed for his own gain, since earlier Esther's cousin refused to bow to him. Mordecai, Esther's cousin, hears of this and passes this information to her. If Esther reveals her identity to save her people she could die! But Mordecai says something to Esther that changes the course of history.'Who knows, but perhaps you have been given a royal position for just such a time as this?' Immediately, Esther tells Mordecai to tell the people to fast as she is going to go before the king.

Reading this story this week has challenged. Sometimes I can be very passive and it's usually in the middle of a crisis. Once I was walking down with the road with a friend and in the corner of my eye I could see a car quickly approaching us. It jumped the curb and stopped. So did we. There was no screaming and running away from the danger. In our fear we froze, but by the grace of God the car didn't hit us. I'm the person who would be on the Titanic, moping in the corner upon hearing that the ship is sinking. In times of a crisis I freeze. But this story has challenged me to do a number of things:

1) Pray
Now this may be the most obvious one, forgive me. But when in the midst of my fear, and I am still as a statue, prayer can be a difficult task. I really have to encourage myself to get my lips to move! Matthew 7:7 reads Ask and it shall be given unto you. Philippians 4 speaks of making our request known to God. We need to bring our troubles to God. When the Jews heard of Haman's plans, they didn't just sit in the corner and weep. They prayed and they fasted. They did something about where they was. They brought it to God. In prayer we also get wisdom from God about what to do. Which leads us nicely to the next point :)

2) Look for the solution
In the midst of the crisis I usually think 'well what am I supposed to do now?' Often times we need to speak to people with more wisdom in a certain area. Or speak to a person in position who can do something about it.  Mordecai decides to go and speak to his cousin, Esther. She is in a prime position to do something. Esther also makes the decision to go and speak to the king and she does it with such wisdom. 

3) Trust in God
This last point runs through the last two points, for we won't do them if we have no faith. Praying and looking for the solution requires such faith. As Esther went before the king, it was possible that he would order her death, as no one could just approach the king. She had to trust in God. However, I love what Mordecai says to Esther before she goes to the king. "Do not imagine that you in the king's palace can escape any more than all the Jews. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place and you and your father's house will perish."  Mordecai believed that God would deliver them.

Hebrews 11:6 reads that without faith we cannot please God. We have to believe He is who He says He is, and that He will reward those who diligently seek Him. We must believe. In a time where there are many wars and disasters...a lot of national crises as well as personal crises we must believe. James says that faith without works is dead, so we can not be passive, but active. What are we doing? As Haman wasn't shy to execute a plan to kill all of the Jews, the enemy isn't shy in bringing about things to destroy our hope. In the midst of a crisis what are we going to do about it?

.....Take me to the King...

Beyond the rocks (2) ......

I'm the man standing on the rock. Staring into the horizon. Wait! Where is the horizon? It was there a moment ago!! And what's that touching my toes?! ... Water.... The water's rising. But I'm on the rock. Doesn't that mean I should see beyond the rock? I close my eyes... Take a deep breath... I picture myself seeing the horizon. I imagine the warmth of the sun exploding through the clouds hanging over me. I imagine the goodness of God. I do not lose heart. And I thank God that in the midst of the storm, my house is still standing!

Funny how, God will reveal things to you when the sun is shining and you receive them with joy. But when it rains, you look at the revelations, wondering where the truth is in your situation. Can I be real? We don't always see the sun shine! Theres a really good quote I remember. Don't forget in the dark what God told you in light.

I can't see the light at the moment, but I remember what it looks like and I remember His promises. David said I would have lost heart, had I not believed that I would see the goodness of God in the land of the living! The problem is that in the midst of the storm, standing on the rock, we forget the sun used to shine. I love this quote. Don't forget in the dark what God told you a light!

Fear has a nasty habit of crippling and blinding us. Recently I have been meditating on Psalms 23. There is a verse that reads 'Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil'. Now I know I'm having problems when even in the light I am fearing evil. But I know I have had an awful habit of fearing evil. 'What if?' plagues my mind and this common disease takes delight in capturing its prisoners. So you know when the clouds overshadow, my mind is screaming, here you go - a reason to fear evil! And I am worried about the worse that could happen. But this scripture is teaching that in the midst of the storm, I don't need to fear evil! In fact, the writer says it with such conviction! 'I will fear no evil'! This has encouraged, yet challenged me. I will fear no evil.

Fear reflects our expectations. I expect the water to drown me, and so I am afraid. We shouldn't fear evil, because God is with us. He loves us and there is no fear in love - perfect love casts out all fear. So I will fear no evil when I understand the Lord is my shepherd and He loves me. Because He loves me and expects the best, I should expect the best as well, and not the worst. I can be real about where I am, but walk by faith that the best is coming. Even with the water surrounding me, about to overtake me....the best is yet to come....I believe I will see the goodness of God!

Beyond the rocks...

Matthew 7:24-27
We learn about two different men. One decides that he is going to build his house on a rock, however one decides that he is going to build his upon the sand. It is evident that a rock is more secure than sand, but I know on a regular basis I am building my house upon the sand.

Earlier this week, God reminded of the vintage point you have with a rock. When I think of the wise man building his house upon the sand, the sand is level. The only perspective you get is of the seas and anything else that is already on you level. However, when you build you house upon the rock you get a whole different perspective. It causes you to see higher! Understanding that, I was like, "Oh yes Lord! It makes sense! Thank you for that truth!" I wrote it up on my notice board to remind me everyday that I need to be standing on the rock...

Until the waves came. Little did I understand that the waves don't have to come in the form of a huge disaster to knock my security. The waves can come in currents of thoughts that attempt to sweep away any survivors of a tsunami of misunderstood events. But when they come they will reveal where you are standing. Hearing God's truth I thought was standing upon the rock, and I most likely was until I ran into one of life's obstacles. 

The rock, Christ, the Word, is what we should be building our lives upon. However whenever we go through trials and situations we can immediately want to jump ship and assume that on the sand will be better. Forgetting that going back to the sand will mean that we lose a higher perspective and when the waves come we will brought down to a lower perspective! So here I am, hit by an obstacle, about to take my foot off the rock and head for the sand. When I was reminded of the truth.

Will I build my thoughts on the rock, the Truth? Or will I build my thoughts on the sand, what I already know? God challenged me this year to not go back in my relationship with Him and other things. However when trials and tribulations come we can so easily give up. When the children of Israel left Egypt, a place of slavery and bondage, they faced many trials. God wanted them to have faith in Him, but instead they desired to go back to the place of chains, because it was what they knew! To stay on the rock, we must have faith, believing that God will take us to the destination that we need to get to.

Psalms 1 reads 'But his delight in the law of the Lord and on his law, he habitually meditates by day and by night. And he shall be like a tree firmly by the streams of water, ready to bring forth its fruit in its season...' Can you imagine trying to push down this tree? And the Bible says that blessed is the man who delights in God's truth and his mind is constantly planted in the Word. Not in what he thinks he knows or anything else for that matter. No one can stop the waves coming, no barricades can stop the trials and tribulation, but where will you plant you mind, your thoughts?

Will you build your thoughts on the rock, the Truth? Or will you build your thoughts on the sand, what I already know?

Growing out of the comfort zone...

The ground was prepared. It was ready. All that was needed was the sower to plant his seeds. His hands dug hopefully into the brown rough sack retrieving the young, innocent seeds from their temporary home. These seeds were not ordinary...and no they were not to grow a huge, monstrous beanstalk. But these seeds contained hope. Joy. Peace. Within them were dreams. Goals. Visions. As they concealed Words that had the potential to give birth to all of these things. The vision of the sun awakened the seeds to the life within them, and then they were cast into the wind to be carried to the ready made ground. Some seeds never made it to the field but fell on the footpath lying helplessly. Nothing could rescue them from their fate. The sky turned black, as huge, vicious birds swooped down and ate those seeds. Some other seeds flew like helicopters in the sky falling with a thud to the ground. Not deep enough for roots, the shallow soil prevented the seeds from reaching their potential. For the sun burnt the seeds and as the roots were not long enough the seeds died. Some seeds made their way towards the field, and before they reached they were stuck in the middle of their bodies. Sharp, pointy thorns protruded out of the other side of their bodies...they had no chance. The last set of seeds fell into the field, allowing for many plants to grow. This is the parable of the sower Jesus tells in Matthew 13. Jesus is talking about how we receive God's Word. As I was reflecting on this scripture I saw how it related to 2015.

2015 being the ground prepared. The ground that is ready. And the sower, God, reaching into his bag of seeds to sow into the ground He has already prepared. But how will these hopes and visions be received? 

Some of us are so cynical we have no hope left for 2015. The moment a goal comes to mind or we hear a word of promise, the darkness of our heart or the cold opinion of others snatches them away.

However there are some goals that land on soil but it's roots can't grow deep. We don't allow these goals or visions any depth. The moment we face problems concerning our goals or the promises of God, we leave the seed to dry up like a raisin in the sun. That has happened to me too many times last year. Seeds of vision that I think are going to grow have only fallen into places where the rocks of complacency and insecurities lie underneath stunting the growth of the seeds. 

Others of us allow the worries of this world to choke the life out of these dreams. Getting caught up in life's anxieties traps and destroys our visions. 

Some of these areas are actually our comfort zones. We're used to worrying, or used to not allowing our seeds to take depth in our hearts. We are also used to allowing our dreams and visions to be stolen. There may even be a fear of allowing seeds to fall to good soil, as there's an uncertainty of what will happen when our dreams or God's promises come to pass. There' s familiarity in us being used to worrying about the future and being distracted by the things of this world, that we reside there.

What does good soil look like? Definitely stepping outside of our comfort zone! It will also look like us being more disciplined, staying committed to the decisions that we make. This will been still standing in times when the plants in the soil look like they're withering. i.e. still going to the gym when it seems nothing is happening or still praying when all seems to be going wrong or continuing to push forward in that business in light of failures. With God we can cultivate good soil in ourselves to see dreams and visions come to life. 

Now we are in 2015, how are we going to deal with our dreams and visions? Dare we allow them to land in good soil this year. What does this year hold for us?