Cherry Coke Blessings

It's been quite the week. Yesterday, was "hump day'; and I'm sure glad that I got over it! At this point, it's been more of a "if you don't laugh, you'll cry" kind of week. It's been yet another chapter of "you can't make this stuff up." Yet, I can't help but feel full of genuine hope and thanksgiving as I realize that maybe I truly have grown and embraced "Hope" as I've leaned into my word for this year. It wasn't 'the word I had wanted or expected, but it was definitely the word that I needed' (a variation of a line from the most excellent movie "Slumberland"). 

I've just recently finished listening to the Lysa TerKeurst audiobook "It's Not Supposed to Be This Way: Finding Unexpected Strength When Disappointments Leave You Shattered". Like most, I've had many disappointments of varying degrees in my lifetime; and quite a few in this last part of the year (including the past few days and weeks). One of the things in the book that stood out to me is how she said we are "between two gardens". Perfection only existed in Eden before the fall of man; and until we have perfection fully restored at Christ's coming, we live in the "in-between" where nothing is perfect. Thanks be to God for the choice Christ made in another garden, the Garden of Gethsemane, to make reconciliation and restoration possible! He chose to say "yes" to the cup of suffering that He knew was before Him. Because of what Christ has done, we have Salvation and Hope in our hearts! Eternity is set within us (Ecclesiastes 3:11, 2 Corinthians 1:21-22). We are not perfect, but we have Emmanuel...God with us (Matthew 1:23). HE is perfect and is the blessed focus that we ponder and cherish even more during Christmastime. He never leaves us (Deuteronomy 31:6-8, Joshua 1:5). How truly marvelous it is that we, fragile clay jars that we are, are a home for Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 4:7). Holy Spirit is WITH us and IN us; the deposit guaranteeing what is to come (2 Corinthians 1:22, 2 Corinthians 5:5, Ephesians 1:14). He had redeemed us and called us by name and says,"You are MINE!" (Isaiah 43:1).

Faith comes by hearing the Word of God (Romans 10:17). Remembering, reading, and declaring these scriptures gives me so much peace, confidence, assurance, security, and yes.....HOPE! HE never disappoints! All that He is (and ever will be) is more than we can ever ask for or imagine (Ephesians 3:19-21). Even if things don't look like how we want or expect them to right now, we have the assurance that He is working everything out for us and that we won't be put to shame (Jeremiah 29:11, Romans 8:28, Psalm 34:5). That promise is not only for this in-between, but for eternity. We aren't going to get to heaven and be like, "this is it?" It won't be like being promised an incredible Willy Wonka Experience only to be duped and gaslighted. It won't be a long awaited series finale only to end in an unbelievable disappointment. No. Our Hope is an anchor for our souls (Hebrews 6:19). Chip Ingram describes the Biblical definition of "hope" as "a solid done deal". It's not an "if", it's a "when".

This true and solid hope is the kind of definition and picture that I need; especially right now in the midst of so much "hope deferred" that makes the heart sick (Proverbs 13:12). The perils of "in-between" living can make us forget that real hope is beyond the temporal things. We have to look beyond the failures and disappointments and find the redemption that lies in the imperfections. Like I mentioned before, I have had a lot of examples of that recently. My most recent list consists of a freaky and crazy Nipsco power outage that resulted in a lot of fried electronics in our house (yet, thankfully, we aren't dealing with a burned down home like some others are right now). Our furnace is out, my son's TV and classic N64 is toast, and so are a few small countertop coffee appliances. And, we just discovered this morning that my beloved Yamaha piano from Sweetwater won't turn on (not gonna lie, I am crying over this one). Oh, and the saga of our van continues with even more things amiss every time we think it's "fixed." My husband is also still trying to find a new job and just found out today that the one he was "hoping" for is not going to happen. Then, there are the typical stresses and annoyances that I've been dealing with at work during our busiest time of the year. I literally feel like I'm living out scenes from "Office Space" as I do the same kinds of "TPS" tasks over and over again. Add to that the minor petty annoyances that just seem to add insult to injury. I had used my much hard-earned Dunkin' reward for my free large coffee yesterday only to have that drink taste like warm cough syrup (a taste that we've become very familiar with this past month due to whatever hacking-cough plague we've contracted and can't fully get rid of). Oh, and that delicious blueberry muffin that I also ordered on the app? Yeah, not available after all; and the substitute chocolate chip muffin just wasn't as good (and this kind of thing happens a LOT at this location). But, I smile and accept the replacement every time because I know what it's like to work in customer service. I never want to be "that" customer. I gulped down my hard earned cough-syrupy coffee with my not-so-good (and not blueberry) muffin. Though, it was my second attempt at redeeming a reward on a restaurant app that prompted me to write this post.

I went to Domino's yesterday because I had a promo for a free 5 cheese mac & cheese with a 10 dollar minimum purchase (it's not REALLY "mac" and cheese, by the way lol. It's penne; NOT macaroni....but that's another misunderstanding and somewhat disappointment lol). Not only was it not even close to the hype I've seen advertised, but that Caesar salad that I ordered? Yeah, didn't have it when I got there lol. "We only have the garden salad. Is that ok?" Hmmm....let me think. No, it's not lol. However, I accepted the garden salad and gave the employee a big smile and said "sure". Then, something else unexpectedly happened. After he had already given me my 20 oz. bottle of Cherry Coke that I ordered, he gave me a 2 liter of it as well. He said it was just a little "I'm sorry" kind of gesture. I thanked him and accepted it. Love covers a multitude of sins (1 Peter 4:8). Sometimes, that love even comes in a 2 liter bottle of Cherry Coke. We don't overcome evil with evil; we overcome it with good (Romans 12:21).....and sometimes a little soda lol.

God really is faithful! The Cherry Coke blessings have been abundant! A friend of ours lent us a bunch of space heaters when my husband had called to see if he happened to have the part to our burned out furnace that we needed. The furnace itself is actually going to be temporarily fixed when the part we ordered gets here, but we're getting a new furnace due to the great timing and generosity of another friend who has one to give (and install) for us at a later date. Yeah, you read that right! A new furnace was something we were going to ultimately need in the near future anyways (and the one we have isn't actually adequate for the size of our house) so we feel really blessed that we are going to have what we DO need. The parts for the van are also things that are fixable and not too expensive (and Uncle Frank continues to be a blessing in helping us fix it!). And, with the exception of the N64 (and possibly my piano), we have spares of the other things that got burned out. I'm just glad it wasn't something like the washer, dryer, fridge, etc. We're going to order a new power supply for the piano (and pray that that's all it is). The office stuff? Yeah, I'll get through it (and I got caught up on those "TPS" reports yesterday lol). 

December 2013

Brokenness, messed up orders, and fried appliances aren't ideal, but there is restoration, replacement, and kindness that covers all those little things; AND the big things too. In fact, today marks 11 years of Chris and I being together. For many reasons I won't get into, we shouldn't have been able to make it together this far....but GOD! CHRIST covers ALL things big and small; and His blood goes a lot further than just a gift of soda sugary love! A bottle of soda may make me smile and feel a little better (and a bit more "seen") in the moment. Bigger than that, though, the love of Jesus ALWAYS makes me feel secure, loved, known, and truly hopeful and assured. He's my bread of life. He provides for us; and I trust Him to also give Chris the best job at the right time just like He did the past four times. What He did before, He WILL do again. That's my Hope, because my Hope is in Him and not people. God's promises are "a solid done deal" that I can bank on. He keeps telling me, "Don't worry, little sparrow." I won't. His hand of favor is on me and my family. I know this and I trust Him. The blood of Jesus cannot fail me and it covers my "in-between" life.

Grace and peace to you, my friends! There is peace that transcends all understanding as we bring all our prayers and petitions to God with THANKSGIVING (Philippians 4:5-7). Praise Him! Emmanuel is WITH you; ALWAYS! Stay anchored and remember that you are worth more than many sparrows (Matthew 10:31, Luke 12:7). God bless you!

"I AM the Good News!"

Back in August, Chris was let go at his job. Since then, we have been praying and waiting for God to provide a new one. It's been a very difficult time in the wilderness, but we've weathered this before. This is the fifth time we have been through this since the lock-down in 2020. 

In the midst of this, we have also dealt with two vehicular incidents just five days apart (our insurance
is probably wondering what in the world is going on with us considering we have had to use the roadside assistance for towing TWICE in less than a week!). First, my daughter hit a deer on the way to work (praise God she was unharmed). Also, the van is clearly the R2-D2 of vehicles and is still fixable after countless mishaps. Five days later, she ran over something sharp that punctured one of my husband's tires on the Flex (which had been needing a couple new tires anyways). Thankfully, Chris and Uncle Frank (praise God for Uncle Frank!) were able to get the Flex up and running again; and are still working on the van. It really took some hard effort to put the tires and the much needed new shocks on the Flex before getting it to the tire shop for the alignment.

I can't say enough about how thankful I am that my baby is ok because both incidents could have been so much worse. I am also immensely grateful for Uncle Frank and how he has always been someone we can count on in situations like this. But, more than that, I know that I can count on God for our daily bread. If that's the one thing that I'm being assured of in these past few months, it's that undeniable truth. Every time I start to slip into an Israelite mentality of wanting to gather and prepare for more than I need for the day, He reminds me not to be afraid and that I'm worth more than many sparrows (Matthew 10:31). As long as you remember who God is and that He will give you what you need for TODAY, you won't worry about tomorrow. All my "what ifs" and worries are settled every time He says, "Do you have what you need for TODAY?" I always have to admit that yes, my needs for the day have been met. "Daily bread, Melissa," he says. Daily bread.

As I have written about before, it's been crucial for me to reflect on all the past "manna moments" to remind myself that God is faithful. He has provided for me every day in the past and I can look back on it all and see how my God did not fail; and that's the story I'll continue to tell. I know that He will continue to give me the miracle of manna every day and that it will always be enough. Though, like I recently read in Lysa Terkeurst's book (Forgiving What You Can't Forget), it's easy to forget about the best bread that we truly need. Yes, we need the physical bread and provisions of life. Yes, we often need those miraculous moments of the miracle manna. But, we ALWAYS need Jesus; THE bread of life (John 6:35). There's nothing quite like a wilderness test to remind you that no one lives on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God (Matthew 4:4). Jesus was tested with it, and that was His response when the devil tried to get him to focus on His physical needs.

I'm sharing this now because I was reminded of this while praying earlier tonight. My emotions had been stirred up a lot today for various reasons; one of them being this whole waiting for the job thing. Given that the election is just two days away, we have been aware of the fact that many places are probably waiting to see what happens on Tuesday before they make hiring decisions. Without wanting to put too much hope in something as short-sighted as elections, I just simply said "I just want some good news." He said to me, "I AM the Good News!" Read that again and think on it for a few moments.

As I thought about that response, I thought about the disciples. The Good News that Jesus kept telling them about often went right over their heads because they were hoping for Jesus to change their own Kingdom instead of receiving and building His. Just like I wrote about in my "Obama is Covered in Chinese Food" post in 2008, the Kingdom of Heaven is STILL here and STILL advancing every day! We must not be short-sighted! No matter what happens to help/hurt our nation (and the nations of the world), Christ is STILL King. He always has been and always will be and His Kingdom HAS NO END (Luke 1:33). No matter what happens, we can be content with little or with much; because we can do ALL THINGS through Christ who strengthens us (Philippians 4:11-13). This world isn't all there is! Be GLAD of that! That truly is Good News! All of this is temporary and we're going to make it because Christ has overcome the world (John 16:33). So, don't let your hearts be troubled!

 

Let us keep our eyes fixed on Christ and spread hope. It's no accident that that has been my word for this year. I knew that getting that word would likely mean that this year would be trying, because hope comes at the end of all the testing and persevering (Romans 5:3-5). He is the hope that never disappoints because He is faithful! This hope is a priceless treasure that lives in our hearts and we will not be crushed, abandoned, or destroyed (2 Corinthians 4:7-9) Through all the fiery trials and testing, we are being refined and He is going through that fire with us (1 Peter 1:7, Isaiah 48:10, Daniel 3:25).

Grace and peace to you, my friends! Pray, vote, and give thanks! God is good! He will provide for us and He will provide for you! To HIM be the glory in all things; because it's never about us! God bless you and God bless America!

A Milton Moment

During and after the Holy Spirit conference a couple weeks ago, I believed I was on my way to experiencing full healing and restoration in my body. My pain was decreasing and I have been praying and waiting for God to finish what He started. I have also prayed for others (as usual) and have seen amazing healing occur. Yet, here I am....still in a lot of pain and feeling every bit as terrible as before the conference. 

This morning, I was listening to a message by Chip Ingram. He was describing how much God loves us and how unconditional and unfailing His love is. That fact has always been the ultimate comfort and encouragement to me; knowing that He is the only one who totally and completely loves me. He always has and always will. He never leaves or forsakes. He's perfect and His love for me is perfect and unconditional. No one and nothing can love me like that except for Him. Everyone and everyone else will fail and let me down at some point, but He cannot and will not. 

However, I have to confess that I'm struggling right now. The degree of physical pain that I'm in (especially after feeling that I was finally getting healed) is a tremendous frustration to me. The anger and tears have been boiling over. I've told the Lord time and again that like Job, I'm not going to turn away from Him. I'll endure everything and still declare His goodness. Yet, at the same time, I can't comprehend how I can tear shingles off of a roof, grab the hem of His garment, or scream "Son of David, have mercy on me!" and still not be granted healing. My pursuit is desperate. I'm asking, seeking, and persistently knocking/beating on the door waiting for Him to answer. A Father knows how to give good gifts to His children. I wouldn't withhold healing from my own children; why is He withholding from me? I have learned to deal with and accept the loneliness and rejection from fellow broken humans. God is not broken; He is perfect and good and that's my hope and anchor. So, then, what is the hold up? Everything He says in His Word about who He is and how He loves me is true and I declare His Word out loud in prayer. Why, then, am I being overlooked? If it's going to be a lifelong thorn in my side like Paul's, why tease me with incremental or temporary relief? 

Right now, I feel like the Milton of God's children; desperately waiting my turn to have my cake and eat it too....only my turn never truly comes. Everyone else gets theirs (and I help everyone else and make sure that they get a piece) but I end up standing there empty handed; waiting and wondering. Everyone else can walk away and forget that I'm standing there like a fool while they enjoy their portions, but God is supposed to see me and say, "I didn't forget you. The last is first, you know. I saved the best piece for you." I'm still standing here; telling myself that it doesn't matter how long I have to wait around feeling like an idiot. I just need to smile and carry-on (and not burn the place down). 

Today has already been full of timely reminders. My friend, Earl, stopped by to pray for me (God always sends him to love, pray, and speak life to me just when I need it). Also, the "Give Him 15" post from Dutch Sheets today was a reminder to remember and be refreshed by powerful memories of moments we've had with God. That's why I've continued to wear my Holy Spirit Conference bracelet every day. I know what I felt and experienced and I know and trust who God is. I continue to invite Holy Spirit to come wash over me just as He did a couple weeks ago. I'm practicing the things I've learned that He's revealed to me. I'm holding onto the promises and declaring the truth; focusing on renewing my mind and thinking on all the "whatevers". He gives me my daily bread every day and I keep focusing on that; one day and one moment at a time. I'm still here and I will continue to endure. I'm hurting really badly; and I cry out to Him day and night. I'm still waiting with hands lifted up in worship and waiting to receive. I don't know what's going on or how long it's going to take, but I recently received a vision of an IV drip. I'm hooked up to Him. That medicine, healing, and power is flowing in; even if little by little. He's moving through my veins. I know it and I believe it. 

Grace and peace to you, my friends! Thank you for reading. One of the last sessions from that conference was about telling people when you're struggling and under attack so people can pray for you. I'm asking for that right now. One of the other things I wrote down from that session was: "Great things happen in exile...will you stay faithful in the wilderness?" Yes, I will. I've been to the wilderness many times before and can now recognize it more easily and deal with it much better. My body may continue to die all around me, but I'm still being renewed every day (2 Corinthians 4:16). I continue to say "It is Well with My Soul." God bless you all!