Two Big and Really Important Things

Two Big and Really Important Things that I needed to confront head-on today:

#1) I will let people down. No matter what you think of me, or how much you love me (or don't). I have before, and I will again. Too many times to count.

My temper will be short at a time when you need encouragement.
I will break a promise.
My words will shatter your day.
A decision I make, no matter how much prayer and thought I put into it, will leave you baffled or bewildered.
I will forget about plans I made with you.
My bad day will spill over into your world and dampen it.

Why? '...all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.' [Romans 3:23]. I am included in that 'all'.

A corollary to Big and Really Important Thing #1: People will let me down sometimes. For some or all of the above reasons.

#2) God will not let you down. No matter what you think of Him, or how much you love Him (or don't). He has never, nor will He. His record is impeccable.

He is patient and ready with a loving word. {Psalm 145:8, Zephaniah 3:17}
He never breaks His promises. Not one. {Deuteronomy 7:9, Daniel 9:4}
His Words are meant to help you grow in truth & grace. Sometimes they sting a bit, but it's always for your good. {John 17:17, 2 Peter 3:18, Proverbs 27:6}
His decision will also sometimes leave you baffled and bewildered, but because He is totally trustworthy, you can stand fast on the fact that it's the best decision. {Isaiah 55:8-9}
He never forgets His plans for you. And His plans are perfect. {Jeremiah 29:11, Psalm 139:13-16}
He doesn't ask you to bear the brunt of all of the sorrow He carries. {Matthew 11:28-30}

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There has been an overwhelming sense of relief in remembering those two truths today. The people-pleaser in me cringes at the thought that I have disappointed others so; and sometimes I wallow in bitterness when others let me down; the reality I need to cling to is that I do disappoint, and so do those I love. But God never fails nor forsakes! And that is why it is SO crucial that I place my trust in God alone, and invite others to do the same by the way I live.

When you let me down - know that my job is not to judge or condemn, it's to forgive liberally and point you to Jesus. Don't let fear keep you away from me.
When I let you down - please, please pray that God would move my heart to confess any sin and seek forgiveness. And please, with grace & mercy, let me know. You are not letting me down when you encourage me to be more like Jesus.
And when all the letting down is done, we can rejoice together that God has not let either of us down. Nor will He. Ever.

Rejoicing that God never fails,
even when I do,
for His glory!
~Lisha

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don't look back.

Last week, as the girls and I were leaving the house for a playdate, Abby walked full speed into one of the posts out in the driveway. She did so because she was busy trying to watch something more interesting going on behind her; she plowed into an obstacle that would have been easily avoidable if she'd been paying attention. 

"Abby," I told her, "you can't walk forward and look behind you at the same time! You need to watch what's going on in front of you." 

She was unfazed (mostly) by the incident and we got in the car and had a wonderful afternoon with some good friends of ours. 

I am thankful that God has given me the children He has and that He uses them so often to teach me the lessons He wants me to learn. 

You can't walk forward and look behind you at the same time. You need to watch what's going on in front of you. 

This gentle reminder to my soul came in a timely fashion, as God's lessons usually do. I have been sorely tempted to walk forward while watching over my back these last few weeks, as we quickly approach what would have been my due date had we not miscarried last summer. How easy it is to "look over my shoulder" and daydream about how glorious my life would have been these last 6 months if only I was still expecting! And as I spend my time wondering about the "what if"s and "could have been"s, I miss out on the moments that are making my life glorious right now!! Which moments with my daughters have I missed because I was wishing I had another one on the way? 

You can't walk forward and look behind you at the same time! It is hard to grow spiritually as I'm forgetting the lessons that I learned so many months ago. 

My dear friend, maybe you are in a similar situation. Maybe you keep fuming over a friendship that ended on a sour note years ago. Maybe you are bent on getting your spouse back for a hurtful comment made last week. Maybe you're reminiscing about the "good old days" and wishing you could go back to a time when life's problems were easier to deal with. 

If you are spending your time thinking about the past; if you are watching over your shoulder instead of watching where you're going; if you are content to miss out on the things that are going on around you to focus on things that are not anymore - you are missing out on your life now! 

That's not to say that you can't learn from your past. It would be foolish if we never learned from our mistakes or from our experiences. But God makes it clear in the Bible that He desires us to fix our eyes on what is to come, not on what was. Fix your eyes upon Jesus - who will be coming again! And, as a further admonition, God tells us that Jesus looked to the joy set before Him, and thus was able to endure the shame and the pain of the cross. The apostle Paul exhorts us to run the race with perseverance to the finish. I don't know about you, but I've never attended a race where people are running while watching what's going on behind them. We are to hope in the Lord and in the good plans He has for our future. We are not to look behind us and either long for those good old days nor be angry or unforgiving about the bad events of the past. 

My friend, if you are trying to walk forward but you keep stumbling because you are watching all that went on behind you, let me encourage you today to fix your gaze upon Jesus Christ, who can take all of your hurts and your frustrations and your worries, past and present, and show you the joy that He has set before you. You don't have to clean yourself off before you call out to Him; come as you are. Wounded, dusty, flustered, anxious, doubtful. He does not turn anyone away who is willing to walk forward and seek Him and the life He has so abundantly prepared for you to walk into!

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A lesson in...vomit?

this was originally written in june of 2007 - i was 6 months pregnant with abby, and elizabeth was about 15 months old. 

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so i had the '24 hour bug' on monday. it was yucky. the gastrointestinal pyrotechnics raged about every 20-30 minutes from 2am until about 2pm when i finally went to the doctor's office, because baby and i were very dehydrated. then i spent the rest of the evening on the couch watching pbs documentaries trying to sleep and keep down watered-down apple juice while will took care of elizabeth all day (he is the most amazing man that i know). 

you might think that there's not a lot to learn about puking. primarily because it's just really, really gross. 

however, as i lay in bed thinking about it monday night, i realized that puking and getting rid of sin in my life aren't really that different. there are three 'stages' to puking: 

stage 1) the really nauseous feels that makes you feel nasty, like you need to throw up. you dread it, because no one likes to throw up. it's not terribly pleasant. 

stage 2) your body actually purging itself of food and anything else that is in your body. this is undesirable, for two reasons. first, throwing up hurts your tummy, your throat, and tastes really bad. second, it makes you look downright ridiculous. your face is all contorted and someone's holding your hair back (maybe you) and you're leaning over some kind of container hoping that you don't lose it all over the floor. 

stage 3) relief. once you are done throwing up, you just feel better. (at least, i do). 

well i have been dealing with a lot of sin in my life lately. one of the biggest problems i have is being bitter toward people. you know, not forgiving them for things they have done, harboring stupid grudges, treating people badly (whether to their face or behind their backs). it's not many people, but there are some. and God showed me, in the midst of my puking, that getting rid of the bitterness in my life is going to be a lot like puking: 

stage 1) harboring bitterness makes me feel gross - not physically, but emotionally. i don't like treating people badly or harboring grudges. i don't know many people who do; it has a way of making you miserable. i know i need to change, but i dread it because it's not going to be fun or easy to change. 

stage 2) actually getting rid of the sin of bitterness, and replacing it with the love that God has called me to have towards others. when your sin is being purged, it hurts you - usually, your ego. in order to give up my bitter feelings, i need to lay down my pride and self-absorbed sense of justice and righteousness and recognize that God is the only One who is qualified to judge the person i am mad at. i also have to humble myself and love this person, regardless of what they have done to me. God doesn't tell us to only love people who love us back; He commands us to love everybody. even, and especially, our enemies (see matthew 5 and 6). it also makes you look utterly ridiculous to the outside world. forgiveness - true, complete forgiveness - is a quality that the world does not embrace or understand. as a race, humans are very reluctant to give up their sense of justice and just let things go. 

stage 3) relief!!! when i come to a place where i have truly exchanged my bitter feelings with the love, forgiveness, and compassion that Christ calls me to have for others, life is sweeter. living a life of love is much more desirable than living a life filled with bitter grudges and hatred, is it not? 

so as my body recovers from the worst (and grossest) physical illness i have had in a long time, my heart and soul rest easier, knowing that i will be recovering soon from the emotional illness of a bitter heart. even in the midst of puke, God is there, teaching and guiding. how amazing is that?!