It's no surprise that the first section in the first part of the book The Resolution for Women would be about being in a hurry.
Around this time of year I find myself telling others, "I'm already living in next year." That's because for me when school is winding down, I am gearing up for the changes to make for next year so that it will be even better. So many people start thinking of making resolutions and changes towards the end of December with good intentions to put them in place starting in January.
Having only lived a life of school, my year always runs August to July. August is the time for new beginnings, March through June is the time for planning for those new beginnings, and June through July are either getting recharged to get started up again or actually doing things to prepare for getting started in August.
But in starting to live in the next school year months before it is here, I find that I am missing out on opportunities. Missing out on life. Instead of being content and living in the moment of here and now and trusting God, I end up rushing through. In my work life it becomes "Oh, well it's too late to fix ______ this year so I won't do anything, but next year I will ________".
It is the same rush, but instead of my work it happens with my children and even my husband. At home it becomes "let me just make it a few more weeks, then we can ___________." On a daily basis thoughts of just making it to bedtime so I can have some quiet wind down time or "I can't wait until ___________ stops doing _______" or "I can't wait until ____________ can do ___________ on their own" plagued my thoughts.
Financially I'm living even further down the road to the times of no more daycare bill that will just so happen to coincide with a couple of loans being paid in full. The talk then becomes, "In _____ we will be doing better and can finally do _______." or "If we can just make it to _______, then we can finally fix/replace/do something about ___________."
How many times am I so busy looking for the next best thing that I fail to realize the goodness taking place right now? How many times do I fail to see what is going on right in front of me and learn to be content with the here and now?
You see I'm always rushing to the next thing either because I have convinced myself that I'll be happier in the new school year because I'm going to change something or because I've convinced myself that our money troubles will be over. Although I know deep down that is not the case. There will be something new to come around to cause me angst over my job or over finances.
But God doesn't want us living like this. In fact he is very clear about contentment. In 1 Timothy 6:6 it states, "True godliness with contentment is itself great wealth." Later in 1 Timothy 6:8 "If we have food and clothing, with these we shall be content (satisfied)." In Hebrews 13:5 it states, "Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, 'I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you."
You see God wants us to be satisfied with what we have and to trust that He is always there for us. We shouldn't be running to get to the next best thing with the assumption it will help us to be happier and more satisfied with our life. So if we shouldn't be rushing to the next thing and should be content with what we have right now, then we need to take the time to do this.
My biggest challenge this week is the fact that I'm not looking forward to camping. As a matter of fact as I think of ways to focus on being in the moment and being satisfied and noticing the good parts around me so I can enjoy what is going on in my life, I realize this is one of the things I will have to be very open too. As much as I want to wish the time away, if I do so I will miss out on opportunities to see my girls experience their first camping trip. I will miss out on the joy and fun of the activities Tori will participate in with her fellow Daisies and soon to be fellow Brownies. But God calls me to be content with what I have. As I strive to do differently by trying to be more in the moment, I must face this weekend head on with a focus on being in the moment.
What is it you are hurrying through or hurrying to get to? Have you missed some good experiences because you were too busy rushing through? Especially rushing through difficult times, did you see the good in the bad? What can you do differently to help you focus on all the good things and enjoy life?
**Questions adapted from p. 16 of The Resolution for Women
"Mommy, are you going to send in cupcakes for my class too?" inquired 6 year old Tori.
"No, baby. You're school won't let me send in homemade cupcakes like this for your whole class, but I will send you a cupcake just for you in your lunchbox." I informed her as head began to drop because I had said no. You see, she only wants to be like her classmates whose parents send in cupcakes for parties or for birthdays.
As a mom of two children with food allergies I get attempts by schools to protect children from unknown allergens that could be in homemade goodies. Afterall, that makes the most sense right?
Sadly, and frustratingly, policies such as these only highlight the problem and make my children feel that much different from their peers. You see all those prepackaged items contain all those allergens the policy is "protecting" my child from. Bakery cakes will definitely contain eggs and milk (and yes, probably traces of peanuts). Little Debbie snack cakes all have egg (if there is one that doesn't, then I would love to know which one). Pre-made Rice Krispie treats contain milk. Prepackaged donuts contain eggs. Marshmallows are made with corn syrup. The list could go on and on. So in the end unless the parent knows of any special food items being had ahead of time, the food allergic child gets excluded. If it is known and the parent can send in a comparable item, the child is still different because the food items in front of them are not the same.
You say that shouldn't be a problem. I agree to an extent. There are many things my babies have learned that many of your children haven't yet....it's okay to be different, food isn't the center of the world, sometimes you have to sit out/not be part of certain activities for safety reasons, how to read food labels, and sadly, they've learned how to paint on a smile while inside they are crying. Crying because even though they are mostly okay with being different, it is still part of human nature to want to just blend in, be part of the crowd every once in a while.
Although I know it would cause a major outcry, and yes, even end up on the news in the society we currently live in. Chances are it would also put my children in danger of being further excluded. I would much prefer to see a policy excluding any foods from being brought in. You want to "party" or celebrate holidays....do it WITHOUT food. Plain and simple. Party favors seem to be extremely popular, bring those in for all students in the class instead of a cupcake. Holiday celebrations...make some crafts.
Don't get me wrong. I LOVE making special food items for my children and I will continue to do so for as long as I need to.
What I don't love is having to disappoint my child because sometimes it gets overwhelming to be different. There are so many things they've had to be mature about at such an early age, that I don't blame them for every once in a while expressing their disappointment with a head hung low and a quiet "okay".
As I read and prepare for leading a group at church each week, I learn so much and discover all sorts of questions to really get us thinking.
One challenge I've read about recently is to ask everyone to really pay attention to when they have seen God during week. The idea is to start your sessions with a focus on where you have seen God instead of simply talking about how our week has been. If we are to really, truly put God first, shouldn't that be who we talk about seeing from the past week.
In preparing for tomorrow nights session and thinking to myself about where I personally have seen God at work for the past week, I am simply blown away at where I've seen him at work in just the past seven hours.
Years ago I would have to take Bradley in for blood work once in a while at Lab Corp. Amazingly the same ladies are still working there although I doubt they remember Bradley from all those years ago. Recently, because of being placed on methotrexate, Bradley has started getting regular blood work done because we have to keep an eye on certain counts. Two weeks ago we got started and boy was it hard. The ladies there were absolutely patient and wonderful with us as he ran a few times.
Today, was one of those days that I wasn't quite able to put on my shield of armor to do the tough mom job. It was hard to keep from getting misty eyed. Partly because it gets hard at time to keep doing what has to be done and partly because I knew God was at work. He has given us some wonderfully patient ladies to see every two weeks for this blood work. If they ever thought in the back of their minds, "Oh no, here he is again." they never let on. As Bradley ran the second time today and we waited for him to return from the bathroom where he had gone to, I profusely thanked the ladies as I'm quite sure they are probably not thanked enough. Trust me I know of at least one patient and her friend sitting in the lobby at that very moment that had done nothing but complain about the ladies who were working.
Tonight I was once again able to see God at work. I won't lie, I didn't really want to go to the school talent show. I just wanted an evening off. But at 6:30 I found myself seated in the 4th row with Bradley ready for the show to begin. There was a variety of talent, but where God's light was shining was through the choices of songs the students performed to. I am blessed beyond measure to work in a district and a school where prayer is still said and we don't let the mention of God in a program throw us into a tizzy. So tonight mixed in with Shakira, Celine Dion, High School Musical songs, Justin Beiber and many others we got to hear vocal performances and enjoy interpretive dance to the likes of Break Every Chain, Jesus Take the Wheel, Shout to the Lord, God's Got It, and many many more.
It is yet again through the children. They do not fear sharing the Lord out in public and it was proven once again tonight as each one got up to perform and in their own way share about God. So what keeps stopping us as adults from following Jesus command to us to follow him and go out and make disciples? Be fishers of men?
My challenge to myself and to anyone reading this: Stop, reflect, where have you seen God at work in the past hour? Day? Week? He's there we just have to open our eyes and ears.
When your child has food allergies, it becomes a family affair. When two of your children have food allergies, it becomes a family affair. When one of those children gets put on a feeding tube because of so many food allergies and a rare disease called eosinophilic esophagitis, it continues to be a family affair.
As a mom of two children with multiple food allergies and one child without those allergies, you begin to realize just how much our society revolves around food. Birthday party...food. Class earned a reward for good behavior...food. Holiday....food. Anniversary...food. Get together....food. It is actually very difficult to think of events that don't revolve or include some sort of food.
As a mom of these same children, you want them to feel as much a part of society and the family as any other person so you do what you have to do. You Google recipes, use Pinterest to save your favorites under each child's name because of course they can't have the same allergies, you learn what makes the best substitute for eggs in pancakes and in cakes (trust me, applesauce for the pancakes, flax meal for the cakes), and you try your best to keep up with all the special "treats" that will be given at functions or at school.
But you also learn that you can't kill yourself to make an entire batch of cupcakes just for one cupcake so your child can maybe fit in just in case another child's parent send cupcakes to school for a birthday. You soon teach your children about getting the special foods on really special occasions such as planned for whole class/whole school parties or special parties they are specifically invited to. You teach them how to have fun Trick-0-Treating and then trade out the unsafe candy for safe candy because when you picked up some candy to give out you bought an extra bag of trade out candy just for your kids.
Mealtimes equal no option but to include your children's dietary needs because they really do have a medical problem with food....they are not just picky eaters. Trust me, I made that mistake for an entire year. Bradley is most definitely not a picky eater. His body really did cause him to gag on foods and spit it out/throw it up. But we didn't know that for a year because we thought he was being a "picky eater" with the foods we thought were safe. Who knew you could actually be allergic to chicken, beef, and pork? So yes, once we learned of his disease, we started listening to him more when he started to refuse certain foods. Sure enough, the next allergist visit, those same foods he threw a fit about, he ended up testing positive to for an allergy to that food. So meals are definitely a family affair and saying you have to eat something because I said so didn't always work.
Of course meal times and other food focused gatherings are more than just a family affair. Sometimes, they are a societal affair. You see, as a mom, you learn to find foods that are safe for eating out and you learn how to bring what is needed to restaurants while putting on your suit of armor ready for battle if any worker gives you a hard time for bringing in food from the outside. But what others outside the family don't know is that you still enjoy being invited out because you know how to take care of your family needs. Sure it is a little harder when your tube fed child knows exactly what he is missing out on, but it is still fun to go out. So don't stop asking.
Of course, we've been blessed by parents and grandparents of Bradley's friends so these societal outings are a little easier and even make me cry at times. These are parents who ask for a list of his safe foods so they can have some on hand at a party and then get me to double check the items. They are also the same parents who still include Bradley in on their outings and learn how to feed Bradley through his tube so he can be a normal little boy taking on the world with his friends.
We haven't entered this stage in life for Tori just yet.
But back to the family affair, eating is still a family affair even with a tube fed child. With Bradley he has to be fed about every three hours, much like you would feed a new born so schedules do somewhat revolve around this schedule. And it is so much a family affair at our house that even at 2 years old our youngest daughter learned how to feed her brother. For her, it is only normal for brother to eat through a tube. Check her out in the video below.
Just because your child has some special needs doesn't mean you quit including them. As a matter of fact, it may just bring you closer together.
A year ago we celebrated Bradley's 8th birthday knowing that it was the last birthday cake for a long time. Our lives were about to take a drastic turn....
A year later, we all gathered together again to celebrate his 9th birthday. And boy do we have a lot to celebrate. From the drastic life change of Bradley going on a feeding tube and having almost every food taken away to having an amazing year of health and healing. He gained 9 pounds in the year and grew 2 inches. Something he hasn't done since he was a baby.
But cake is still not on the list of foods. So what do you do to celebrate a birthday?
You make homemade ice cream using a small spring pan and add a few candles. It may not seem like much, but when it turns into an ice cream party for all, you get a celebration where the birthday boy isn't left out.
Check out that face! Loving his chocolate ice cream with blueberries, pure chocolate syrup, and Enjoy Life Foods chocolate chunks.
Through the years, I've had to get creative on the foods I make for my children. From learning how to make eggless cakes that are tasty, moist, and don't fall apart to learning how to make lollipops and hard candy without corn syrup to homemade marshmallows without the corn syrup to homemade ice cream made from rice milk. The internet has been my friend in finding recipes, but even then it takes some know how in the kitchen to adjust even the recipes found online.
Thankful God gave me the ability to cook and for all the blessings of this past year.
Bradley Safe Ice Cream Recipe:
~about a cup of sugar
~3 cups rice milk
~dash of vanilla
~1-2 tbsp flax meal
and then flavor it.....
Strawberry.....add fresh strawberries until it looks about right
Blueberry......add fresh blueberries until it looks about right
Cherries........add fresh pitted cherries until it looks about right
Chocolate.....2-3 tbsp cocoa
Blend everything together in a blender. Taste, you want it to be super sweet because it will lose some sweetness in the freezing process. Pour in to a bowl and place in the freezer. Stir every 30-45 minutes. Takes about 3 hours.
It's been a year since the decision was made for Bradley to be put on a feeding tube for majority of his nutritional needs. I've posted off and on about our journey, but feel it is time to do an update. Feeding Tube Awareness week is coming up soon: February 8-14 as well as Rare Disease Day: February 28.
Here is where we were one year ago on January 21, 2014: Life Without Food
As we neared surgery to have the feeding tube placed, Bradley's health continued to decline. Here is a post from February 24, 2014 Rest
It has now been a little over 10 months since the tube was placed and what an amazing journey it has been. At the end of this post is a slideshow of pictures and I still stare in awe at the change. I knew my baby was sick a year ago and we had to do more than what we were doing, but to see the picture evidence speaks volumes.
Once the tube was placed Bradley was only allowed the following foods: lettuce, green beans, carrots, squash, sweet potatoes, pears, plums, apricots, and peaches. All of these foods plain or with only salt/pepper. And we threw in some sweet tea. Needless to say there are lots of adults who don't like those foods, let alone an 8 year old boy. Thankfully we were able to find pure forms of juice made from the fruits he could have, so we froze them as popsicles. We also found a few sweet potato chips that were safe. You never realize just how many "extra" ingredients are in the things we consume until you have to really pay attention.
With the formula he wasn't improving a lot at first, but once we figured out the correct amount of calories and servings to keep him full, he began making the gains we were hoping to see. June brought on a new set of scopes....for the first time ever, his biopsy counts were in the teens. We got to add more foods to his diet. Still not enough to abandon his formula, but we were heading in the right direction.
We added beans (black beans, black eyed peas, kidney beans, pinto beans). Again, all cooked plain, basically with water and salt. But this opened up new doors as we found chips made from beans that were safe as well.
Once those were seeming to do okay, we got to add in berries (strawberries, blueberries, and cherries).
The next scopes weren't scheduled until December...it was going to be a LONG wait. But one day out of the blue we got a call asking if we could have Bradley down for scopes in two weeks. So the week before Halloween, I took off to MUSC with him for his next scopes. I anxiously waited for the results the next week. They came up on the health chart online before his doctor called, but there wasn't an ananlysis so I thought maybe I was reading the results wrong. Surely those zeros meant something else. WRONG....those zeros meant exactly what we were praying for. No eosinophils were present in his esophagus or his colon. Praise GOD! Taking away almost all foods and allowing his sole source of nutrition be an elemental formula was working!!!! New foods are on the way.
The great news: Bradley's body is healing, more foods can be added (one at a time, very slowly), he is getting a chance to be a "normal" boy, he has energy, and so on. The scary news: we were entering the territory that includes foods he has tested positive to in the past. A slow process of adding foods back just go slower. But we are in this for the long haul and are excited for the results.
So we added in rice. Talk about opening up a world of possibilities. With rice there is rice milk, plain rice cakes, rice chips, rice cereal, etc. New items on the menu include: smoothies made with ingredients safe to him, homemade rice milk ice cream, and so much more.
Bradley still has a long way to go. Elemental formula remains his primary source of nutrition. Since his eczema still isn't under control, he started being treated with methotrexate. This treatment requires routine bloodwork that he doesn't look forward to. And he remains on multiple medications for allergies, eczema, asthma, and Eosinophilic Esophagitis.
On the parenting side of things, we battle insurance every few months because even though he is meeting the goals of gaining weight and having lower counts on his biopsies, these are results of being treated correctly. He needs to continue the treatment for it to continue to work. We remain in a constant routine of feedings every 3-4 hours. We focus on the positives because if we look at the negatives, it becomes overwhelming.
His sisters for the most part are really involved with him as well. His youngest sister, Aubrey, is 2 and she knows all about how to feed bubby through his tube. His other sister, Tori, is 6 and accepts it all but also fights the feelings of frustration that come along with feeling that it just isn't fair that he has to eat this way.
I just want to raise more awareness of both the disease and the fact that feeding tubes don't have to be some foreign thing that should be done away from others.
·Here I go again...stepping out into the unknown, getting out of my comfort zone. Or am I? Afterall, I teach everyday. I work with other adults and facilitate learning everyday. But this, this is different. Since I got that email a little over a year ago to become part of the i-reach team which basically is a team focused on Evangelism, I have been stepping into unknown territory or at least somewhat uncomfortable territory.
You see I like to know exactly what I'm doing, when I'm doing it. I like there to be a plan and I like to know as much as I possibly can. But when it comes to evangelism and discipleship, I am not as well versed. But God has plans for me and has placed me on a path that I am walking down blindly. You know what though? He is right there with me the entire way. When I stepped out and up a few months ago and led a small group study on telling your story, there were nights when I had well versed plans for the evening and we didn't do not one thing in the plan. There were other nights when I had no plan until right at that moment and it turned out to be exactly what God needed it to be. Kind of reminds me of the reason why TobyMac wrote the song Steal my Show. You see I am walking blindly into areas I've never known, but God has this. He's right there with me as long as I rely on Him to "steal my show".
So what did I get myself into? While sitting at church council meeting a gentleman mentioned something about needing teachers for new classes and then specifically hinted to me using my name. After some prayer and knowing that not only am I part of the church's new evangelism team, but the chairperson, I sent in a description for a group to learn about evangelism and discipleship. Two very scary words to Christians, right?
Yes, but they are so important if we are to be true followers of Christ.
Jesus not only called each and everyone one of us to follow Him, but he also charged us with going out to make disciples of all nations.
He didn't say, "Okay, everyone who is a pastor, here is your job. Now everyone else, just sit back and just believe in me."
No, He expects everyday people like you and me to go out and spread the good news, share our stories, and lead others to Him. He expects us to continue to grow in our own faith.
But what does all that really mean? Where do I start? What if people laugh at me? Reject me? Quit liking me? Judge me? Ask me questions I don't have answers to?
I don't have all the answers to the questions. I don't even have all the questions, but here is what I do know:
It means, you can't just accept Christ as your Savior and repent of your sins, you've got to do something.
You must start somewhere (and I'm going to try to help)
And all those other questions have a theme....a central word: ME. Guess what! It's not about ME. Me is selfish and we are not called to be selfish and only look out for ourselves. Instead we must realize it is expected of us to share the love of Jesus Christ with everyone. We are expected to plant the seeds of his word, his works. You have to ask yourself how much you have to hate someone to not share about Jesus. Think of it this way, if you are driving down the road and go around a curve where a tree had just fallen. Would you stop your car and warn the drivers coming from the other direction before their car goes crashing into that tree or flying over the cliff to avoid the tree or do you just stand there and watch as the cars drive towards imminent doom?
So here I am, once again diving in because that is apparently what I'm getting good at. And while I won't post nightly like I did for telling your story, I will post regularly to get you thinking. Some of this will come from the UMC Director of Evangelism Ministries: Rev. Heather Heinzman Lear. Others will come from various readings and workshops I attend and still others may grow out of questions that are raised in small group studies.
I hope you will join me as I begin yet another journey in my life story.
Let's get started by asking ourselves a few questions:
When people ask you to tell them about yourself, what’s the first thing you usually share?
What are the things that most define you: your family, locale, education, career, possessions?
Where you place “Child of God” on that list?
Are there priorities in your life that keep you from claiming the primary identity given to you at baptism?
What are you so busy “storing up” that you lose focus on God?
For me, it depends on where I am, who I'm with. When I talk about myself I usually mention my job and my family. Rarely do I mention that I'm a Christian or share where I attend church. My life centers on my family, career, and church, but my conversations with others don't always reflect that. As for "Child of God", it is so easy to place that first on my list in my head and even on bio pages for things like Twitter, but in conversation, it doesn't typically come up. So I must ask myself, why is that? How can I change that?
So what am I so busy "storing up"? What causes me to lose my focus on God? Work. Family to a small degree, but mostly work. It is so easy to lose focus on God while working because I get so frustrated about things I can't change, things I can't control, things that simply are not fair, and on and on and on. This is an area that I know needs the most work because I can lose my focus quickest there.
The great thing though is that we have this AWESOME God who is there with us every step of the way. You might ask how I know this? I know this because He has been there throughout my lifestory. I can find very specific times in my life where He is right there and because of my faith, I know that He is even there when I can't "see" him. My faith also gives me the strength to keep stepping out onto the unknown path to follow God where He is leading.
Check out what is says about faith in Hebrews 11:
Faith in Action1 Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.2 This is what the ancients were commended for. 3 By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.4 By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead.5 By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death: “He could not be found, because God had taken him away.”[a] For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God.6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.7 By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that is in keeping with faith.8 By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.9 By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise.10 For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.11 And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she[b]considered him faithful who had made the promise.12 And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore. 13 All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance,admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth.14 People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own.15 If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return.16 Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one.Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a cityfor them.17 By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had embraced the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son,18 even though God had said to him, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.”[c]19 Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead, and so in a manner of speaking he did receive Isaac back from death.20 By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to their future.21 By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons, and worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff.22 By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and gave instructions concerning the burial of his bones.23 By faith Moses’ parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict.24 By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter.25 He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin.26 He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward.27 By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible.28 By faith he kept the Passover and the application of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel. 29 By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned.30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the army had marched around them for seven days.31 By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient.[d]32 And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak,Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets,33 who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions,34 quenched the fury of the flames,and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength;and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies.35 Women received back their dead, raised to life again. There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection.36 Some faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment.37 They were put to death by stoning;[e] they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins,destitute, persecuted and mistreated—38 the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves and in holes in the ground.39 These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised,40 since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.
All these examples of faith in just one chapter of the Bible. So when I ask, "why me?" I must remember to ask myself, "why not?" We are each called according to our purpose, so we must have faith that there is reason and we must remember that Jesus told us to follow Him and to go forth and make disciples of all nations. As we take this journey together, we are going to reflect on questions, read scripture, and learn ways that we can do just as Jesus commands us.
Part of your journey may be to share your stories with others. In other words, use your story to connect with someone else who may benefit from hearing your story, not your advice, but your story. Over the next few days think about it. Think about your story, your victories, and struggles. Now think about those around you---at work, in your neighborhood, or anyone else you encountered during the week. Is there someone who could benefit from hearing your story? Is God calling you to offer your experiences of God's faithfulness to encourage another in their journey? Let us pray: Lord, Help me to turn away from being so selfish in my thoughts when it comes to sharing you with others. Help me learn to see those opportunities you give us to share about your love and grace. Help me to speak the words that need to be said. Help me to continue to have faith in all that you do, even when I cannot see any reason, any benefit. Lord, please steal my show because that is what I need from you. In your son's name I pray, Amen.
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