#faith – Sabrina J-R

Five Minute Friday: Relief

If I were in his shoes, I’d have been sweating after the first few times. There was a lot at stake; this was not the time for errors. Usually clear skies are wanted, but not in this moment. Not only was rain expected in the forecast–it was desperately needed.

Because God had promised.

Elijah prayed seven times for rain to come. After each prayer, he’d expectantly sent his servant to look for any change on the horizon. The skies were unmarred for the first six times. On the seventh time, a cloud was visible. Finally!

What a relief!

Only hours earlier, Elijah had prayed one time and fire came down from heaven. So to pray seven times before any hint of a sign would be nerve-wracking.

How easy it is to forget about the character of God in just a short time. Despite my inconsistency in believing, God is consistent with His promise keeping. He always comes through.

If He says He will do something, then He will. I need not worry about a backup plan for ‘if’ it doesn’t happen. Planning for God to fail only hampers my relationship with Him.

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It’s Friday, where we write freely and uneditedly for five minutes (ish). You can learn more about this over at Kate’s place, where she hosts this gathering each week.

Five Minute Friday: Keep

For years, he had kept it all to himself. He let resentment build up one layer at a time. Yet, he chose to say nothing and keep on working. It was just him and his father now. Perhaps driven by obligation, this loyal son looked to do his part.

As he returned home from work one afternoon, he could feel a difference in the atmosphere. Usually a heaviness loomed over the estate. But not today. No, a sense of joviality seemed to run rampant. What was going on? His unpleasant mood seemed to sour even more.

He stopped a servant that was hurrying along, wondering what was happening in his home. The response floored him.

His brother was home.

His long-lost, younger brother was home. The defiant scoundrel who had so arrogantly and hurriedly left home years earlier. Abandoning dad. Abandoning him. This older son was confused: why were they celebrating this return?

He sought out his father for an explanation.

All the turmoil and mixed emotions that he had been keeping to himself were finally revealed. His heart and his pain were now exposed.

It’s unhealthy to keep clinging to bitterness. It starts off small, barely unnoticeable. Like a seed fueled by anger and resentment, it bursts and become rooted. Deeply rooted. Try as we might, the effects of harbouring bitterness always betray us. As a result, we miss out on life while life passes us by. Time does not keep still, does not wait for us to catch up.

Don’t let your hurt keep you from opportunities of God’s marvelous grace and His miraculous love.

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Today’s post was based on Luke 15:11-32. I’m linking up with Kate and the five-minute Friday community today.

Tuesday at Ten {Truth}

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Sixth place.

That was my ranking on his list. My classmate was naming the girls that he’d date next, if things didn’t work out with his current girlfriend.

Here’s the catch: there were only six girls in my class. I was at the bottom of his list, in last place.

Thankfully, this was only Grade 6. However, I learned a very valuable truth at recess that day:

He did not value me.

I would always be his last resort option. Even at the unknowing and innocent age of 11 years, I knew that this was not a compliment.

I realized then that I needed to start making wise choices for myself and the romantic life I hoped to have. First, being honest with myself, I was in no rush to date. What’s the point dating if I’d have to rely on my parents for a ride? And how was I to get money to do something? ‘Mom, Dad, can I please have $$ to go out with my boyfriend?’ Umm, nope. And where would we go? When would we go? I wasn’t ready.

These days, young people are feeling pressured to be with someone. They know to dress in a manner that’s attractive. As a Mom myself now, I’ve noticed that too many of the clothing items marketed to young ladies are child sizes of an adult woman’s. No, my 3-year-old does not need a smaller mini-skirt and tiny high heels. Flirting happens in hopes that they’d be noticed and gain extra special attention. Magazines contain quizzes to help girls see if he’s the one or if they’re compatible. If you need a quiz to figure this out, he probably ain’t the one.

We need to speak truth early on. Girls need to understand value before they get involved in a relationship. It would help if they recognized their own value before connecting with someone else. Otherwise, they’ll be too easily swayed.

You are valuable.

Everybody is valuable. You are valuable because God handcrafted you in a unique way. The person you choose to date or crush on is also valuable. As God’s masterpiece, you should be treated with great care and respect. Likewise, we should treat others respectfully as well. Any interaction with you may be their only exposure to Christ.

Never settle for being the last resort option. You were not created to be anyone’s remnant. If you’re feeling passed by and picked over, left behind while the ‘better’ girls were chosen, that is what happened—in one boy’s eyes. If he cannot see your value, you will never be worthy to him. No amount of flirting, cleavage or calculated risks will get you there.

You are valuable. That is the truth.

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I’m linking up with Karen, who hosts Tuesday at Ten.

Five Minute Friday: Still

Changes were anticipated, but not at this level. The company had been sold and there was overlap. At first, duplicate positions were eliminated; a sensible and expected move. But that turned out to be the calm before the storm.

One Wednesday morning, months after the first job cuts, my Husband called home with one request: pray! They were making more cuts.

By the end of the day, we found out it was more than cuts: the staff roster had been slashed.

That evening was my night to lead out in our church’s weekly prayer meeting. What would I talk about? How could I lead this group in prayer when I needed a leader in that very moment?

But God! He led me to Exodus and showed me this specific passage:

But Moses told the people, “Don’t be afraid. Just stand still and watch the Lord rescue you today. The Egyptians you see today will never be seen again. The Lord himself will fight for you. Just stay calm.” ~Exodus 14:13,14 (NLT)

Like the Israelites, I had started to let panic and fear take over. Worst-case scenarios started to consume my thoughts. Then I read the verses and took a step back to breathe.

The Israelites almost missed the enormous miracle that was before them because their attention was not on God. Standing still meant trusting God to work. They stopped trying to implement their own ideas in their own strength. His ways always supersede ours. In the stillness, they were of a better mindset to see and hear God.

In the stillness, God reminded me that these work changes were not personal. It was not something that my Husband caused. This was bigger than him. God had led Him to this job at the right time. If it was his time to go, then God would lead him to the next place too. He is always one step ahead of us.

I don’t want to miss God’s miracles.

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Joining with Kate tonight and the five-minute Friday community.

Five Minute Friday: Turn

One glaringly obvious hint that a driver is not from the neighbourhood is when they’re indicating to turn on a one-way street…in the wrong direction Nevermind the arrows (plural) that aim to guide them in the right way. The honking horns go unheard. The flow of traffic heading north while you’re aiming to turn south seems invisble.

Too often, the mistake is only realized once the driver has completed the turn.

Mrs. Lot came to mind tonight. Heading down a deserted, one-way path, she was reluctant to go. She’d never asked to leave the comforts of home and the familiar life that she’d grown accustomed to. And the nerve of these ‘visitors’. They just grabbed her arm, and yanked her out of there. She was not prepared for a vacation of any kind. Perhaps she felt a bit of comfort with her husband and two daughters by her side.

The directions were clear. They were to keep running forward, no question asked. Do not look back!

Why ever not? She wondered. That was home. What was happening there that she couldn’t watch? I hope she had one of those inner arguments with herself. Those self-debates where you weigh the pros and cons of making a decision, hoping to choose wisely even when it doesn’t make sense.

Well, we know her choice. Ignoring all warnings, Mrs. Lot turned. It was too late for her.

There are times when God permits u-turns. His Word is a guide on how to live and why we should trust Him. Yet, too often, we find ourselves caught up in self-debates, battling between right and wrong, particularly when we’re on a one-way path. There are times that we do make the mistake and turn where it’s not accessible. However, God in His loving kindness, protects us and is willing to redirect our steps.

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Linking up with Kate and the Five-Minute Friday community tonight.

Tuesday At Ten {Seek}

I’m linking up with Karen for the first time, as she hosts a Tuesday at Ten linkup.
Also linking up with Lisha and the #GiveMeGrace community.

‘Ready or not, here I come!’ is usually said during the game hide-and-seek. My children enjoy playing this game as they’re convinced that I will never find them. They enjoy seeking out little spots hoping to be inconspicuous. They don’t realize that their giddy snickers usually give them away long before I’m anywhere nearby. It’s fun for them.

The game ‘hide & seek’ could have originated in the Garden of Eden.

God created a flawless world with breathtaking scenery and majestic creatures of all shapes and sizes. He also handcrafted humans. Adam and Eve.

With loving generosity, our Creator gifted us with free will. We decide which choices to make based on the information set before us. Except for one tree and solid warnings, He held nothing back.

Because the world was perfect, God hung out regularly with Adam and Eve. No hiding in cliffs or seeing only His back. Time with God meant a whole other thing than we know it today.

Then sin marred the picture. The moment that Adam and Eve sinned, they experienced a change that made them uneasy. They donned garments in attempts to cover up their shame. I’d imagine that their bright, clear eyes now shone with worry and glistened with the threat of tears. Things were no longer right.

Ready or not, here came God. This time, when God came calling, they hid.

Unwilling to miss their time together, He went seeking.

And found them.

We cannot hide from God, no matter how hard we try. He is always seeking for us, His children.

Willing and ready to shower us with His grace.

Five Minute Friday: Leave

‘We’re terminating your position effective…’ I half tuned out.

Laid off!

I was being asked to leave my job because in efforts to cut costs (aka salaries) they were eliminating positions across the country. I was presented with two options:

Leave that day, with a severance package.
Work for another number of weeks equivalent to the amount of my severance package. I was promised time off for job interviews outside the company.

It’s nothing personal, my director offered in cheap reassurance. They just saw a list of names and picked yours.

Inwardly, I rolled my eyes. It’s one thing to feel like an unknown employee. To hear it verbalized by management made it worse.

This reminds me of another who was asked to leave under a better set of circumstances.

God told Abram “Leave.” Leave the coziness of home and go to foreign territory. At this point, he wasn’t even given the name of his new town—he would be shown where to go. God didn’t leave him hopeless, feeling unwanted or unappreciated. There were great blessings ahead of Abram, which were described for him so that he knew the conditions of his leaving.

I made the decision to stay and work through my severance. Partway through, the company retracted the termination notice and decided to keep me my position. There was no apology or retribution for what had happened. It didn’t make me feel any more welcome or valued there. It was simply more convenient for my position to remain at our local office, rather than the head office, which was in another province.

Abram chose to take God at His word and follow blindly. He packed up his family and his possessions and left. There were struggles along the way—Abram’s life wasn’t lived perfectly. His gracious God blessed him regardless, because He had promised so from the very beginning.

“Be strong. Take courage. Don’t be intimidated. Don’t give them a second thought because God, your God, is striding ahead of you. He’s right there with you. He won’t let you down; he won’t leave you.” –Deut 31:6 (the Message)

God never leaves us! People may leave us or ask us to leave them. Emotions will be mixed with confusion and uncertainty as we pack up our things. But we must remember that God is right beside us through the entire process.

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I’m linking up with Kate today in the Five-Minute Friday community.