Fight Like a Mother

It's that time of the year, ladies! Today, all around the US, sacrifices will be offered for the forgiveness of the past year's sins. No, I'm not talking about the Day of Atonement (though the similarities are uncanny). It's Mother's Day! And thankfully, instead of a bloody bull, it's candy, homemade cards, and flowers, flowers, flowers (So far, this morning, for me, it was a fresh pot of coffee, lovingly brewed by my husband.)! 

The last few weeks, I spent some time thinking about what a godly, Jesus loving mom is supposed to look like in this day and age. I appreciate the biblical examples shared by pastors over the years but I'll be honest, I sometimes have a love/hate relationship with those women. And I suspect I'm not alone. 

It's not that Mary's humility, the Proverbs 31 woman's diligence, or Hannah's selfless love isn't to be admired. It's just that moms are meant to be so much more. And so, while it's likely that many sermons today will leave our moms with this image:

I'd like to offer you the following visuals of what a 21st century, God-fearing, Christ following mother ought to be:

Behold the Mama Bear! She's a big, doting mommy most of the time, but mess with her kids and she's battle ready, all claws and fangs. Her savage love and protective nature is so well known, even the Bible gives her honorable mention in the pages of the Old Testament:

"For, said Hushai, 'you know your father and his men, that they are mighty men, and they are enraged in their minds, like a bear robbed of her cubs in the field...'" (2 Samuel 17:8)

So, fellow mama bears, how do we protect our cubs in a world so hostile to Truth and the authentic Gospel of Jesus Christ? It's starts by keeping our fangs and claws razor sharp. 

 "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth." (2 Timothy 2:15)

I can't emphasize enough the importance of studying your Bible. In our busy days of mothering, I know it's not easy to find time to deep dive into the pages of scripture. But as much as we love those pretty little 5 minute devotional books or Instagram posts, they just won't cut it when it comes to equipping ourselves and discipling our children. 

"But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect..." (1 Peter 3:15)

Mamas, not only is important to study what we believe, it's equally important to know WHY. If your kids are anything like mine, they have questions. Lots and lots of questions. With mine, it started with a question about Genesis and, years later, the questions keep coming. But rather than dodge them or refer your kiddos to the pastor (or anyone else), take the time to learn the answers to as many of those questions as you possibly can. The benefits are many. It will help keep the lines of communication open with your children and it will prepare them (and you) for the questions and objections of others. 

"For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of this world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." (2 Corinthians 10:3-5)

Twice in Genesis 2, God calls the woman He has created Adam's "ezer". The term means "military ally", one who is essential for victory. Women, by God's design, are more than just "helpers". We are soldiers in an ongoing war against false and demonic ideologies. Apart from the Word of God itself (Eph. 6:17), our greatest weapon is PRAYER. I think it's pretty safe to assume that God has a soft spot for praying women (Gen. 21:15-19, Luke 2:36-38, Matt. 15:21-28). And though, at times, as moms, we may feel battle weary, we must continue to fight for the souls of our children 'til the fight is done. 

This week, I read this quote from Billy Sunday:

Indeed there is. Hands folded in prayer, a mind ready to reason, and a heart filled with the love of God for those whom He has given us stewardship over, to love, equip, and protect. 

Happy Mother's Day, Mama Bears!

In Christ,

M.

Elkanah's Wife: Giving Up and Letting Go

So it went on year by year....”

1 Samuel 1:7

Like many women, Elkanah’s wife had a dream. Arms full of wriggly flesh, the sound of a high pitched wordless plea in the early morning hours. Hannah longed to be a mother. Yet it was seemingly not meant to be. To add to her daily sorrow was Peninnah, Elkanah’s abundantly fruitful, second wife. Like salt in an open wound, Peninnah delighted in taunting Hannah even as they made their way to Shiloh to worship the LORD. “So it went on year by year....” 

At some point, Hannah came to the end of it all. The prayers she had prayed for so long shifted and took a more desperate tone:

“She was deeply distressed and prayed to the LORD and wept bitterly. And she vowed a vow and said, ‘O LORD of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your servant and remember me and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a son, then I will give him to the LORD all the days of his life......” (1 Sam. 1:10-11)

Like Hannah, so many of us have hopeful petitions we set before God year after year. For some of us, it’s a child to hold or a spouse to walk through life with. For others, it’s the salvation of a precious soul or some sign of fruit from years of toiling in what seems to be a dry and lifeless endeavor we felt sure was given by Him in the first place.

Yet Hannah’s desire was fulfilled only after it was given up, not just as a request but as an offering.  What she longed for, she let go, laid out on an altar of surrender and presented to God for Him to do as he saw fit. He honored her sacrifice and her personal plea became a part of his much larger purpose and plan.

“And in due time, Hannah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Samuel, for she said, ‘I have asked for him from the LORD.’” (1 Sam. 1:20)

Samuel became more than just the delight of his mother's heart. He grew to become God's man for the time, a prophet and intercessor for Israel who would also be on hand to anoint and counsel her first kings.

His mother kept her vow and presented her beloved son back to the One who had granted her request.

"For this child I prayed, and the LORD has granted me my petition that I made to him. Therefore I have lent him to the LORD. As long as he lives, he is lent to the LORD." 

(1 Sam. 1:27-28)

That day, Hannah may have walked away empty handed but not empty hearted. A deeper, more vibrant faith now bloomed there. One that knew, that the things we place in HIS hands are made more perfect, more beautiful, and more glorious than anything we could ever envision. (Eph. 3:20)

"My heart exults in the LORD; my horn is exalted in the LORD."

1 Samuel 2:1

To Whom Shall We Go?

"After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. 

So Jesus said to the twelve, 'Do you want to go away as well?' Simon Peter answered him, 

'Lord, to whom shall we go?...'" John 6:68

The chosen twelve had just witnessed, first hand, the falling away of many so called disciples. These were followers who had seen the miraculous yet when Jesus' words became difficult to accept, they quickly disbanded, possibly moving on to the next "savior". And perceiving their thoughts, Jesus posed a legitimate question to his inner circle. Despite his feelings, Peter, always quick with an answer, responds, "Lord, to whom shall we go?".

How often the Christ follower is reminded that the path of true discipleship is both narrow and difficult. At times it feels as if we are being asked to bear more than is "our fair share" while others around us seem to be coasting from blessing to blessing. We're tempted, to raise our fists defiantly and shout, "Enough!". Yet, in the grand eternal scheme of things, what is the alternative? Any other route in this life may be easier and less intrusive, but in the end it will always fall short, leading to a dead end.

Peter's response is a wise one:

"...Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God." (Jn. 6:68, 69)

Even when we are asked to walk a path of grief and pain or to watch a dream shatter before our tear filled eyes, there is no better, safer alternative than to abide in the One who has called us. 

"And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up on the last day. For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day." (Jn. 6:39,40)

CHALLENGES: An Essay written by Guest Blogger, Timothy P. Divelbiss

My son, Timothy*, recently wrote and submitted this essay for a website that publishes works by teens. We hope you enjoy his essay.  

Challenges by Timothy P. Divelbiss*

The effects of mental challenges are tremendously varied. There are people who are so afflicted that they need multiple accommodations to help them get through their life with a minimal of trouble. These are the ones that probably immediately come to mind when people think of the term “mentally challenged”.

But not all people with those challenges are like that. A good few are able to lead a very successful, normal life without a lot of side-effects of whatever affliction they might have.

I am one of those people.

Specifically, I have what is known as high-functioning Asperger’s Syndrome. That means that I do have some challenges, but for the most part, I’m pretty normal. In fact, if you were to take a quick look at me, you’d never know I had anything at all. Yes, I’d come across as a bit of a sci-fi nerd (a title I bear proudly), but other than that, I’m your average American 17-year old.

Of course, that’s just for the most part. I do have some challenges, as I said before. Sometimes I find it hard to focus on something when I could be doing other things. But I think the biggest curse Asperger’s brings is the simple fact that it’s there. It’s very presence is agitating to me. In a way, it’s a little like Jar Jar Binks in the Star Wars franchise. He doesn’t have a huge impact on the main story. He’s just sort of there. But he always manages to cause some kind of trouble, for the characters and the fanbase. I know that’s an odd comparison, but it was the most imaginative one I could think of. Overall, it’s the simple fact that I will always be a little different from most other people that troubles me the most.

Now, I don’t spend every day suffering from that horror, and I certainly don’t go around blaming every mistake or sin I do on it. But every once in a while, I do experience a huge amount of stress and fear – fear for my future – because of it. Often times, it will be when I am having a particular rough time with, say, a Creative Writing assignment, and I’ll end up feeling very stressed out.

In times like that, I tend to feel downright hopeless. It suddenly seems as if my entire life is just one big, biological accident, and that I’ll never break through that barrier, and blah blah blah. But you can’t get anything done if you just wallow in self-pity right?

One thing that helps is to not be so hard on yourself. Very often I end up mentally berating myself for not trying hard enough and that I need to do better if I want to get anywhere and…no. Just, no. You shouldn’t beat yourself up like that. All it does is make you feel worse, and you’ll end up digging a deeper hole for yourself.

What you should do is keep on trying. It’s a given that you’ll make mistakes, but that’s okay. What’s important is that you know how to pick yourself up and try again. That’s the key to it all; being able to have enough confidence in yourself to try again and not give up until you achieve your goal.

Remember: just because you may have mental challenges doesn’t mean that you’re hopeless. In fact, you’re far from it. With a little confidence, and maybe some outside assistance, you can overcome almost any challenge that life throws at you.

*Timothy D. is a writer in training with a big imagination. As a person with mild Asperger's syndrome, he sometimes sees things differently than other people. Despite these challenges, he has some very awesome ideas that he's just dying to get out into the world. His stories are usually inspired by science and his own moral convictions. He is currently planning a novel about an alien invasion."  

Faithful Friends

"Faithful are the wounds of a friend..." Proverbs 27:6

In our house, we call them "spiritual black eyes". It's when a trusted friend delivers a powerful right hook of truth even while consoling and comforting. It seems counter intuitive to kick or punch a man (or woman) when they're down, but for me, a few short years ago, it was literally a life saving tactic.

I was reminiscing with a good friend about that just recently. Over the course of two years or so, I was knocked down and wounded through a series of events that occurred in the last place I ever thought possible. My faith was shaken. My faith in people almost non existent. For months, I carried around my imaginary torch and pitchfork, demanding holy justice for the mistreatment I suffered. I was angry, discouraged, and in a tremendous amount of pain.

On one particularly difficult day, I sat in the living room of my friend, rehashing the painful events yet again. Like she always does, she listened intently to what I was saying, even acknowledging and validating my feelings. But on this day, my friend decided to administer a different kind of "comfort". She decided to deliver the above mentioned spiritual right hook, squarely in the center of my self-pity. It threw me for a loop and I left that day feeling quite sore at my now "former friend". But by the time I got home, I realized that was just what I needed to pull me out of the pit I found myself in. It wasn't easy to hear her words, but the Lord used them to begin a much needed healing process. It truly was a life saving conversation and I wouldn't be here writing a post about it today had it not been for her courageous actions.

There's another verse that says, "A friend loves at all times, and a brother (or sister) is born in adversity." (Proverbs 17:17). This kind of love is not the love of this world. It's a love born of the Spirit of God. It's a love that manifests itself both in the embrace of a comforting word AND in the one-two punch of a much needed "attitude adjustment".

This kind of friendship doesn't happen overnight. It's cultivated over time. Trust is built and earned not automatically established. It's given as a gift from one person to another. 

A friendship like this is a gift from God. I prayed long and hard for the one I'm fortunate to have. I'm thankful for it. I'm thankful for her. 

M.

In the Quarry of Character

"...only blocks dressed at the quarry were used, and no hammer, chisel, or any other iron tool was heard at the temple site while it was being built." 1 Kings 6:7

1 Kings 6 gives a very detailed account of the temple Solomon built to replace the portable tabernacle which was constructed in the time of Moses. In 1 Chronicles 28:12, we read that God gave Solomon's father, David, "...the plans of all that the Spirit had put in his mind...". It was a divinely inspired piece of architecture, built for the express purpose of glorifying God. It was a holy place, meant to inspire awe and reverence in the hearts of all who entered in and drawing them nearer to their Creator. 

Verse 7 is what inspired the page above. The stonework for the temple was fashioned and fitted at the quarries nearby, away from the building site. The work was done out of view and earshot so as not to detract from the holy focus of the temple.

God often does just that in the life of the Christ follower, fashioning our character out of the limelight. We are "temples of the Holy Spirit" (1 Corinthians 6:19), hammered, chiseled, and dressed in the "quarries of character". With every blow of His hammer and every strike of His chisel, we are made ready to be presented as the holy house of the Living God. And even then, the beauty of the structure is not found in it's materials but in the One who resides in it.

"...you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ." (1 Peter 2:5)

How often we pray for the power of Christ, to be used mightily, and to do great exploits for our God. But in our asking to be more like His Son, we must be willing to submit ourselves to that hammer and chisel that forges the godly character needed to achieve such feats.

"Consider Christ-like character to be of utmost importance. Character is everything. The fruitfulness of your work in the Kingdom will be determined by what you are. Seek after conformity to Christ and discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness." Paul Washer

Better Than New

"The world breaks everyone and afterward many are strong at the broken places."

Ernest Hemingway

In the Japanese culture, there is an art form known as Kintsugi ("golden joinery") or Kintsukuroi ("golden repair"). The process involves repairing broken pottery with a mix of lacquer and dusted gold, silver, or platinum, making, the piece "better than new" and aesthetically more beautiful than before. According to several articles*, the philosophy behind the technique is to acknowledge the history of the piece and to incorporate the breakages into the design rather than hide them.

It was this art form that came to mind as I was reading several scriptures on brokenness. Like most people, I've been heart broken by the actions of others and have also been guilty of the same. As I meditated on several verses (Ps. 34:18, Ps. 51:17, Ps. 147:3, etc.), I felt not only the Spirit's comfort but also His gentle discipline. The result of that precious time in God's Word is the page below. 

The page began with forgiveness. On the left, I wrote down every offense, hurt, 

or injustice I had not yet forgiven or let go of. On the right, I asked the Lord to search 

my own heart for offenses I have inflicted on others. The page was then covered in black...

Having filled and covered both pages, it was 

time to "blot out" the transgressions on both sides (Isa. 43:25), to forgive, 

and to receive the forgiveness that Christ paid for.  

White was the next layer...

"Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow..." (Isa. 1:18)

Next came the repair. 

What Forgiveness Is and Isn't

Forgiveness does not change the reality of one's hurt. It does, however, bring healing and the ability to move forward. 

Forgiveness does not always mean a restoration in relationship. Sometimes, the healthiest thing to do is to physically detach. But, more importantly, forgiveness releases us from the emotional chains that bind us and hold us back. 

Apart from scripture itself, two books that have helped me in this area are Total Forgiveness by R.T. Kendall and Wounded by God's People by Anne Graham Lotz. I refer back to both of them from time to time for "spiritual upkeep". 

The Beauty of Our Brokenness

Like the Kintsugi pottery, our cracks and fractures can tell the beautiful story of a broken vessel made more durable and more beautiful by the skilled hands of the Master. It's a story that so many need to hear. 

*More on the art of Kintsugi/Kintsukuroi:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kintsugi

http://www.thisiscolossal.com/2014/05/kintsugi-the-art-of-broken-pieces/

http://lakesidepottery.com/Pages/kintsugi-repairing-ceramic-with-gold-and-lacquer-better-than-new.htm