Break me...

For about a month now I've been investing some time into South Sudan and what's going on there. My hearts is breaking for those innocent people who are facing genocide and I'm complaining about it being windy. Today I prayed to the Lord "My heart is breaking for them Lord, show me why". I've never had such an urge to want to help people before and it's specific to South Sudan. As I look at the pictures of women who give birth not knowing if they will see their child grow up because of the hunger threat or disease that may overtake them it breaks me. Tribal groups that are trained and armed to go at war (and are already at war) with each other and these innocent Sudan men, women and children are right smack in the middle. People who pray for death to meet them with their last breath because the pain is too much to take. Young toddlers scraping the dust for some kind of food to give them energy to face another day. Fathers who can't do a thing to help his family because he's too weak to move and watches as they wither away with him.

Break my heart Lord for what breaks yours...

When you put your kids to sleep tonight or you sit quietly in your house, say a prayer for those who are burying their kids or cant sleep for fear of death booming over them like thunder. Say a prayer that they find comfort in the midst of a raging war. Pray that God would speak to you on how to move....for them...

'For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.' "Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You drink? 'And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? 'And when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?' "And the King will answer and say to them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.' Matthew 25:35-40

When you're finished with God....

I can't get that imagine out of my head...

While at my church's Good Friday event (which was beautiful and intimate) at the end of the service there was a text that came up on the front screen that said something along these lines "Get still and quiet and when you're finished with God you may leave...". Not those exact words but what I do very clearly recall are the words WHEN YOU'RE FINISHED WITH GOD.

**Now let me add a very important note here. I've never attended a more intimate reverenced worship experience at this church yet. They were extremely sensitive to the Holy Spirit and Jesus' crucifixion so to say that they meant anything other than good from this text would be an understatement. But it nonetheless struck a very tender nerve deep in my soul.**

I instantly thought "how often am I finished with you Lord"? How many times during the day do I put my heavenly father second in any situation. I would like to think that my morning "ritual" would define my day and how I rate The Lord in my life. By opening my eyes and before my feet hit the floor this is an example of how I pray...

"Lord I surrender this whole day to you. Let nothing come from my mouth that doesn't first come from your heart. Guard my thoughts. Surround Shawn and the kids with your spirit. May people find favor in them and may mighty angels be dispatched to surround them throughout their day. Go before us and watch behind us. Help me to see you in all I do today. In Jesus Name"

After I have my devotional time I pop up out of bed and get in the shower or whatever and.... and I'm finished with God. Man that makes me swallow a little harder. On my way to work an idiot won't go the speed limit and it makes me so mad! Oh if I only had a train horn or something to scare them out of my way!! <----- this is the same woman who just an hour or so ago was speaking to the most holy God and asking for protection and favor and wisdom and all that. I know that God loves me even when I fail and he doesn't turn away just because I have a "Jodi moment". I know that in those moments He tends to pull a little closer to me and whispers so I have to shut up to hear him and he reminds me of who He is and who I am in Him. I realize in that moment that even though throughout the day I may have times where I may be "finished with God", he's never finished with me...

Father, thank you for your generous never-ending love for me. You show me your mercies are so new every single morning. Your grace is shown in my weakest moments and I couldn't praise you enough for that. Help me to make each day, all day, a day with you involved in all of it. No words could express how grateful I am for what you sent your son to suffer through so I could live this life. My heart is bowed to you in reverence and awe. Thank you for never giving up on me.

The Buffalo, The Cow and The Storms of Colorado

Have you ever been faced with something that seemed so big? A test exam that's coming up? A doctors appointment that you're dreading? A meeting with someone that is long overdue? A bill or financial obligation? You're children moving out, getting married, having babies? Anything can seem so big to the person who is experiencing it themselves. But I would ask one question to that person.....Are you going to be a cow or a buffalo?

I recently found out something very interesting about cows, buffalos and storms in Colorado. When cows sense there is a storm coming from the west, they will run east (if running is what you want to call it), away from the storm. Now it's no shock that cows are not the fastest animals in the kingdom and so the storms eventually catch up to the cows while they are still "running" east. The cows actually end up becoming one with the storm and inevitably prolong the agony and pain of being in the storm. 

 

Us humans do the same thing, huh? We run and cling to the hope that our current skills, knowledge, experience, self will or whatever will outpace the looming and inevitable storm at our back. 

 

Buffalos have an insanely different response to storms. They chill out and wait for the storm to crest over the Rocky Mountains and then they run west INTO the storm. By running towards the storm they run thru it and minimize the time they have to deal with the storm.

 

We don’t get to choose if a storm is going to come or when change will occur. But we do get to choose how we react to storms of change. Change is inevitable but our development thru change must be intentional. 

Now I'm going to type that paragraph above about the buffalos in again and add some little notes to it..

Buffalos have an insanely different response to storms. They chill out (relax, don't stress, trust in the process) and wait for the storm to crest over the Rocky Mountains (wait until they actually see something "bad" coming their way instead of living in fear that there could be a storm and nothing actually happens) and then they run west INTO the storm (they take a deep breath and face their fears). By running towards the storm (or facing the situation) they run thru it and minimize the time they have to deal with the storm (the situation is shortened and therefore less pain and suffering).

God is our guide. With Him all things are possible. If we would only learn to trust in His power more, less things would shake us. Instead of running when the enemy raises his ugly head and being a coward (which I am still on occasion) we can rise up and be a strong and mighty buffalo and shout back at the storm that with God going before us we can conquer giants. 

Praying each person that reads this finds their "buffalo" today in whatever storm they are facing. If I can assist in praying for you, let me know! Leave a comment and I'd love to pray for or with you.