The Cs of Christmas

I think Christmas can be complex!

There are so many things about Christmas that are charming. Like decorating the tree, enjoying traditional family recipes, shopping, gathering with family and friends, hearing our favorite carols, evidence that the spirit of giving is alive and well, and most of us probably have some special holiday memories that are fun to revisit. I love the charm of Christmas!

But there are also things about Christmas that are challenging. Christmas is a time when grief can seem more raw and when feelings of loneliness are more deeply felt. It’s a time when relationships that aren’t right are heavier on our heart. We seem to have a heightened sensitivity to the people around us who are suffering. (Perhaps you are suffering.) And it can also be a time when painful memories we’d prefer to forget are awakened. The challenge of Christmas is hard!

I’m wondering if like me, you sometimes feel caught in the tension between the charm and the challenge of Christmas.

And keeping it real I think it’s true of life in general. Don’t we all have a mix of charm and challenge in our everyday life as well?

What about Christ? Where does He factor in? On Christmas it’s His birth that we celebrate. We remember the virgin birth, the inn that was full, the baby in a manger, the shepherds who were watching their flocks while angels sang in the sky overhead – and don’t forget the wise men who chased the star.

But I don’t know – if I really think about the Christmas story – it can sound kind of farfetched and irrelevant. I mean, just how could a babe in a manger make any difference when it comes to the charm and the challenge of our Christmas let alone the charm and challenge of our everyday life?

What I do know is this . . .

Jesus wants to be with us in the charm of our Christmas.

I think He enjoys the beautiful music, and He loves to hear our laughter and He’s pleased with our generosity as we celebrate His birth.

And He wants to be with us in the challenge of our Christmas.

He alone understands the anguish of our grief and the depth of our loneliness. He knows it’s hard for us to keep our chin up at all the holiday functions when some disease is attacking our body. And if we’re alone this Christmas morning because our marriage died – His heart hurts with ours because He knows that wasn’t our dream.

But Jesus is for so much more than Christmas!

He’s wants to be with us in the charm of our every day.

He gets excited with us about our job promotion. He rejoices with us when the diagnosis is that the cancer is gone. And He cheers for our son’s goal and He claps for our niece’s first step.

And He’s a God who wants to be with us in the everyday challenge of our life.

He feels the weight of our shame when we trip and fall back into an addiction. He understands our fear when our financial situation worsens. And His arms ache with our empty arms as the infertility continues and it gets harder to hope.

Here’s the thing. Long before the beginning of time Jesus was fully aware of the charm and the challenge that would exist in our lives.

But He willingly came to Earth anyway. He came to be with us! And about 30 years later He died on a cross and He rose from the dead and He opened the door for anyone who believes in Him to be in relationship with Him now and forever.

I guess that’s how that once little babe in a manger factors in for you, for me and for everyone when it comes to having a Christmas and a life that’s sprinkled with charm and challenge – we’re not in it alone — He is with us. And that makes all the difference!

Presence

It was great to have Scott Shaum, formerly a pastor at Grace, for a guest speaker yesterday. Scott and his family live in Colorado and he and his wife, Beth serve with Barnabas International. For many of us at Grace, Scott and Beth are definitely some of our most favorite people.

In his message, Presents or Presence?, Scott pointed out that many of us are aware of God’s presence during the Christmas season – that’s a good thing. But he also encouraged all of us to thoughtfully consider just how aware we are of God’s presence in the everydayness of our lives.

Here are a few notes I jotted down.

Scott’s original Goldfish Principle:

Just as a goldfish is surrounded by water and the water is within the goldfish, so is God’s presence with us. Put another way, our lives are absolutely  permeated by the presence of God all the time. Not just on Christmas. Not just on Easter. ALL THE TIME.

Scott’s 2 Part Challenge:

1. Grow in your awareness of the presence of God. Between now and Easter, once or twice per day sit quietly before God for ten minutes. Be present to the living God with no personal agenda.
2. Offer your presence to others (Don’t forget – no story stealing!).

A quote worth remembering: God does not have His favorites. But He does have His intimates. AW Tozer

What are your takeaways from yesterday’s message? Are you growing in your awareness of God’s presence?

Christmas Tune

1/2 Empty? 1/2 Full?

On Friday our 19 year old son, Robby, was involved in a scary construction accident. He fell about 20 ft from the top of a scaffold, flipping upside down, landing on his left shoulder on a plywood floor and was knocked unconscious. Our oldest son, Chad, was working with him on the jobsite and took immediate action to handle his brother’s care.

Trust me — it was a rather crazy weekend for our family!

The short of the story is that the first few hours in ER were a bit intense, Robby ended up with a concussion and a couple broken bones, and we’re immensely grateful that God spared him from sustaining any injuries that would have been life-altering.

It was while we were waiting for him to be transferred from ER to Pediatrics (he’s a little embarrassed about the Peds thing – but the décor in that ward sure is cute) that I had one of those ½ empty, ½ full moments. The orderly who was prepping Robby for his move commented to him that he must be having a bad day. But Robby’s response to him was: Actually, all things considered, I think I’m having a great day!

I probably don’t even have to tell you that I was incredibly blessed by my son’s attitude. From Robby’s perspective, compared to the possible injuries that could have resulted from his accident, he saw his current situation as having his cup ½ full. The cool thing is, the orderly paused thoughtfully for a moment and then agreed with Robby – that yes, he was in fact having a great day after all.

The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think, say or do. It’s more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company . . . a church . . . a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens and 90% how I respond to it. And so it is with you . . . we are in charge of our attitudes.  Chuck Swindoll

What attitude are you choosing to embrace today?

Christmas Tune

Factor in Fun

I love this Fun Theory initiative being promoted by a car company. (Watch the above video.) The idea is that if you make something fun, most people will want to plug in.

I’m curious if there’s any part of the Fun Theory that can be applied when it comes to sharing Jesus’ love with others.

I mean, I’ve got to believe that Jesus was fun to be with. Think about it, He was full of surprises.

He turned water into wine. He told riveting stories that had all kinds of twists and turns. He paid His temple tax with a coin He materialized in a fish. He actually walked on water! He enjoyed the company of children. He calmed a furious storm. He fed 5000 plus with a couple of fish and a few loaves of bread. And He healed, and He healed and He healed.

I’m not suggesting that Jesus was all fun and games. He wasn’t. But one thing’s for certain, there was nothing dull, boring or ordinary about being in His presence.

Picture being Peter, a fisherman, and retrieving that coin from the fish’s mouth. Wouldn’t that have been crazy fun? Or how exciting would it have been to be on that boat when Jesus commanded the wind and the waves to settle down? And just imagine the delight in being one of the many whose life was changed because He instantaneously eliminated your suffering.

It was supernatural. It was miraculous. And I just know it had to be fun as well.

I think Jesus brought an element of fun to the way He did life on earth and it’s one of the many reasons He gripped people’s hearts as He did.

The best part for us is that Jesus is no less fun to be with today and it’s undeniable that He’s still gripping hearts.

Like I said, I’m wondering if there are ways we, as Christ followers, can employ principles from the Fun Theory when it comes to sharing our faith. Are there things we can bring a level of fun to that will make Jesus’ invitation to follow Him even more irresistable?

(Thanks, Kem, for the youtube link.)

Thinking Out Loud

A few weeks ago I was doing my LE study and I bumped into a quote by Reggie McNeal that suggests that many North American churches have become clubhouses – places where religious people hang out with other people who think, dress, behave, vote and believe like them.

I’m still thinking about that quote. But it seems all too safe for me to consider its meaning in broad terms – to focus on churches in North America or even my church — and let myself off the hook.

I’m thinking the better approach is for me to take an honest look at my own Christian experience – my way of doing life as a Christ follower – to see if McNeal’s words ring true. After all, churches in North America are made up of individuals and that includes me.

I have to ask myself if my circle of buds, my small groups, even my facebook friends are largely composed of people who dress like me, act like me, hold a similar social status and have the same convictions as I do.

If that’s the case it’s not necessarily a bad thing, but it has all the makings of a boring thing.

I’m probably not going out on a limb by thinking that if my way of doing life as a follower of Christ is about constructing a club-esque cushion around me, then I’m definitely missing out.

I’m missing out on relationships that could enrich my soul. I’m missing out on conversations that could enlighten my perspective. And I’m missing out on experiences that could make life more adventurous.

I don’t see any benefits in having a Christian experience that resembles a club.

Just thinking out loud. Got any thoughts to add?

Christmas Tune

Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” Matthew 19:14

New Feature Post



Trina and the ladies.

The Dignity Found in Work

By Trina Bresser-Matous

I wonder how many times in our culture’s focus on retirement we remember that God put man in the garden to “tend and keep it” (Gen. 2.15). It was only after the fall that work became more toil than pleasure (Gen. 3.17-19). Yet there continues to be a sense of dignity, fulfillment and meaning that comes from doing work that provides for ourselves and our families.

This became all the more apparent during my recent trip to India. The ministry there has been using an approach called Community Health Evangelism or CHE (pronounced chay) for short. This new paradigm in world missions focuses on educating and training people to do for themselves what they can do instead of relying on others (most often the Western world) to do for them.

As our team of six traveled to various villages outside of Derha Dun in northern India, we had a chance to see how people’s lives were changed as they learned to do the work that not only made them less dependent on other people, but also aimed at improving their physical and spiritual lives.

One woman spoke with pride of the cow she had been able to obtain through a micro-loan. With this cow, she was now able to provide her children and some of the village children with milk. She hoped to purchase a bull in the near future. At another village, the women had begun making boxes they hoped to sell to local sweet shops. At still another village, a man had turned from alcohol and spousal abuse after hearing about Jesus’ work on the cross.

Perhaps most amazing of all was the slum we visited. While it was hard to imagine people living in small, single room shelters made from branches with thatch roofs covered with black plastic, it was exciting to see the area was clean; trash had been cleared away, soap pits had been built to remove standing water (where insects and disease often breed) and some of the living areas even had a finished look that came from a “plaster” made of mud and other local ingredients.

There is a sense of dignity that comes from doing the work needed to provide for ourselves and our families no matter if we live in one of the wealthier communities of the world, or one of the poorest.

What opportunity to work is before you that has the potential to bring dignity, fulfillment and meaming to your life?

Visit Trina’s website for additional photos and information about her trip.

Boxes for sweets.

If you’re interested in writing a Feature post, please contact me: kemptonmeg@aol.com. To view previous Features, scroll to the botom of this page until you reach the shaded box, then click on the Feature category.

Great Read. Great Gift.

Prior to reading have a little faith I wouldn’t necessarily consider myself a fan of Mitch Albom’s work. That said, I LOVE his newest release.

From a place of inner humility that’s captivating, Albom writes beautifully about the compelling faith journeys of two men: Albom’s childhood rabbi, Albert Lewis and a Detroit pastor, Henry Covington.

Moving between their worlds, Christian and Jewish, African-American and white, impoverished and well-to-do, Albom observes how these very different men employ faith similarly in fighting for survival: the older, suburban rabbi embracing it as death approaches; the younger, inner-city pastor relying on it to keep himself and his church afloat.

In this true story, as events unfold and friendships deepen, Albom transparently shares his troubling encounters with his personal prejudices, his apathy toward God and his own journey of losing and finding faith once again.

have a little faith is thoroughly enjoyable and inspiring. Not only did I develop a genuine fondness for the three main characters, their example challenges me to take an honest look at the prejudices I hold and to carry a more humble posture toward people whose beliefs are different than mine.

Note: Pastor Henry Covington is a dear friend of Grace and especially of Anne and the late Al Kuhnle. He oversees I Am My Brothers Keeper a ministry to the homeless in the city of Detroit.

Great read. Great gift for someone close to you who is cynical about God.

Where Do You Go?

In yesterday’s message, Living With Economic Uncertainty, Bryan asked us where we go in challenging times and in fearful circumstances.

It seems that many of us choose to turn to: Anger or Blame; Solution or Escape mode; Depression or Hopelessness; maybe even Coveting.

Thing is, all those options are rooted in fear.

Fortunately, as Bryan pointed out, there’s a better option. A better way to go — The Uncommon Way – it’s Jesus’ way (Matthew 26: 36-46).

Like Jesus, we can see times of challenge and fearful circumstances as an opportunity to choose to go to God, the source of Jesus’ strength and ours.

Where do you go?

Thanks — It’s a Keeper

Keep the thanks in Thanksgiving! It’s great to enjoy all that Thanksgiving has to offer. Among other things, the delectable food, long standing and newer traditions, fabulous football and time with family and friends. But let’s be intentional this week about keeping the thanks in Thanksgiving – let’s remember to thank God and others for our blessings.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

The Uncommon Way

Bryan closed this morning’s message on relational conflict, the second installment in  The Uncommon Way series, with some important questions for each of us to ask ourselves:

Do I respond to conflict based on the relationship or the issue?

Do I live with a low rate of conflict?

Is conflict going on in my spirit too much?

Do I reduce people to annoyances, inconveniences, villains or enemies?

Do I enter into collusion with others?

Do I find fault easily?

Do I have a long list of relational conflicts?

Do I withhold forgiveness?

Do I lack love?

I definitely need to take some time this week to consider these questions. You too?

As Bryan said, conflict is inevitable and handled well it can be useful; handled poorly it leads to destruction. Thankfully, we can choose how we respond to conflict. We can choose to follow Jesus’ example – the uncommon way – that leads to life.

Thoughts?

Veterans Day Feature

Cann Family

Lessons

By Karen Cann

It is my belief that God uses the most significant events or periods in our lives to continually teach us lessons for as long as we live, if we let Him. As time goes by, and as we reflect and remember those past events, we see new things about ourselves, we glean new information about the way things were, and we notice more about why things happened the way they did. 

When my husband Doug was gone for over a year, a world away in the Middle East doing his job, which just happened to be fighting in a war, I was here alone with three kids, a house, and a dog. I learned to be strong. I learned to be independent. I learned that it was okay to ask for help sometimes. I learned who my friends were. I learned what was really important. There’s so much more. I can’t even tell you how much God taught me during that time. 

And then Doug came home . . . to children that were a year and a half older. To a wife that was used to doing things her way. To a country that forgot about the soldiers and their families. To a life that didn’t include 60 pounds of body armor and a gun at the ready. And again, God taught me. He taught me to be patient. He taught me to be compassionate. I learned to let Doug in again. I learned how to be a wife and a mom, and still keep my own identity . . . something I hadn’t been so good at before.

And now, the deployment is well in the past. Doug has been home for almost four years, safe and sound. We are used to living together again. I no longer jump every time I hear the doorbell ring, thinking it’s a stranger in uniform coming to tell me my husband has been wounded or worse. I am back to complaining about his crazy out-of-town schedule and his snoring and his camouflage stuff all over my kitchen. Life is, for the most part, back to normal.

We have news, though, of another year-long deployment on the horizon, and my mind has been wandering back quite often to those days of when he was gone. I’ve been remembering frequently the days of no phone calls and no sleep for worrying about him. I’ve been looking back to the moments of panic as I’d hear about a bombing on the news, or waiting anxiously to see him on the webcam, or talking non-stop to one year old Alex about his daddy so he wouldn’t forget about him while he was gone. 

It could be anything that brings me back there. It could be a story I tell a friend about the time we thought my son Ethan might have leukemia, and people were advising me not to tell Doug, so he wouldn’t worry from a war zone. That was something I went through alone. It could be a song about a soldier and the letters he gets that mean so much. It could be asking Doug about something funny that happened only to remember that he wasn’t here then, and knew nothing about it. It could be talk of Hurricane Katrina, something he heard about briefly but was amazed as I described the devastation to him over the phone. It could be my kids hearing about a trip Doug has to take for work, and asking if he’s going to Iraq. It could be anything that reminds me. Anything.

And as I think back, what amazes me most is our ability, as humans and with help from our Heavenly Father, to cope with what life throws our way. I’m still learning from that time in my life. Whenever I think I can’t do something, I remember deployment, and I know that God will get me through anything. If I see a friend in need and think I’m too busy or too tired or too far away to help, I remember the friends that God sent me during that time and I find the strength to do what I can. When I see Army kids missing their parent, I remember to give them extra attention, because they’re missing some love from the one who is away. When I hear people arguing about the rightness or wrongness of this war, I remember that no matter the politics, it is the soldiers and their families who need our unwavering support. I still learn from it every day. Every moment. 

Sometimes I can hardly believe that it truly happened. Some days I wonder if that time was all just a dream. But then I look at the pictures of the day he came home. Or I see the Muslim prayer beads hanging on my bedroom wall, one of the many little treasures he brought home with him. I hear the doorbell ring and while it no longer scares me, I still remember. That time in my life, a time I had hoped would never come, has proved so invaluable to me in so many ways. It is a part of who I am and who my children are. It is what makes Doug the incredible man he is today. It is in the life lessons I teach my children and the advice I give my friends. It is in the way that I smile and the way that I cry. When I see myself in the mirror, it is part of what is looking back at me. It is a piece of the map that makes up my life. 

I wonder sometimes what’s to come, during the next deployment and beyond, and I worry about what’s in store for us. But when I really think about it, I know that whatever it is . . . whatever hard times or happy times or scary times or amazing times we will go through, they will be the things I look back on someday. They will be the things I remember as part of the map of my life. Part of the journey that makes me who I am. The things that taught me how to live as me. God put those things in my life specifically to bring me to the next level of the woman He intends for me to become. How incredible is that?? 

That doesn’t mean it isn’t scary. It doesn’t mean it won’t be hard or frustrating or sad. It will, at different times, be all of those. But God has lessons for us. I hope I never stop learning.

Visit Karen’s personal blog: http://bunchy.wordpress.com/

If you’re interested in writing a Feature post, please contact me: kemptonmeg@aol.com

Poetry

Last week my son introduced me to spoken urban poetry. Based on the little research I’ve done I can definitely see that it’s a powerful medium in our culture represented by honest, courageous voices. I can’t stop thinking about this performance by poet Daniel Beaty that tells of a boy growing up with an imprisoned father.

 

Must Read

God responds to our doubts about our worthiness by saying, “You are worthy. You are because I say you are. You are because of my love for you.” Augustine once wrote, “By loving us, God makes us lovable.” Our worthiness will never be merited, achieved or earned. It is given to us as a gift, and a gift can only be received. JB Smith 

I love that quote! Don’t you? It’s from a book I just finished reading, The Good and Beautiful God: Falling in Love with the God Jesus Knows. And I have to tell you that after reading this book I am more in love with God than I was before. 

Author James Bryan Smith states that most of us, on some level, hold false concepts about God, such as: God loves me only when I’m good; God wants me to try harder; God is angry with me; God’s favor can only be earned. Smith believes that our thoughts about God determine not only who we are, but how we live. 

In his book Smith invites his readers to put their ideas about who God is to the test – to see if they match up with the God Jesus knows and reveals through Scripture. He also extends an invitation to engage in a process of spiritual formation that includes some gentle spiritual exercises to help us experience more of God. These exercises are not meant to make you more religious or impress God. They are meant to help you see and understand the world as Jesus did.

This book is not a stuffy read. Smith writes simply, yet artfully, about how our ordinary, everyday lives can be about discovering and enjoying our good and beautiful God. I think this book is a must read and maybe even a must reread. I’m planning to reread it this month.

 (It’s a great book to work through with others.)

Friend or Fan?

Friend or Fan?

There’s a difference. 

I need friends more than I need fans. 

Don’t get me wrong. Being a fan isn’t a bad thing. In fact I am a fan. 

I’m a diehard fan of Muskegon Catholic Central football. Every Saturday morning I watch for my brother’s email that gives me the stats for Friday night’s game. (BTW we’ve won two state championships in the last three years and we’re currently in the playoffs.) I’m a Facebook fan of Lake Michigan (That’s kind of lame, isn’t it?). You could definitely say I’m a fan of Food Network. And I’m a fan, dangerously bordering on groupie, of Switchfoot. 

Fans can be extremely devoted and enthusiastic admirers or followers. Some of whom will even cheer relentlessly when the chips are down. 

To tell someone you’re their fan is to extend a verbal pat-on-the-back. As a form of encouragement I’ve expressed fan-ship to others and I’ve even had a few people do the same to me. It’s all good. 

But when it comes to people I’m in relationship with I want to be more than their fan, I want to be their friend. 

As I said, there’s a difference. 

To be a fan implies a limited personal investment. To be a friend communicates that you’re all in. 

A fan can fall away when they’re disappointed or a performance isn’t favorable. A friend is someone who stands by you and thinks the best of you when you mess up; even when (not if) you mess up big time.

Even a committed fan will slam the object of their affection if there’s a point of disagreement, whereas a friend is willing to hear the heart behind your perspective. 

Most fans won’t lose any sleep if the game was lost or the concert tickets are sold out. A friend, however, will lie awake all night because you’re heavy on their heart. 

A fan applauds.  A friend believes in you. 

Friend or fan? 

Both are good, but there’s a difference. 

One thing’s for certain, I need friends more than I need fans.

I have to wonder if the people I’m in relationship with would describe me as their friend or their fan. How would the people close to you describe you?

Series Wrap-up

Highlights from this morning’s message:

Jesus served, he made himself available, he was generous and he came to be a sacrifice. 

We need to decide who Jesus is . . . and act accordingly.

I’ll . . .

Be a servant

Be urgently available

Be joyfully uncomfortable for the comfort of others

Be sacrificial 

How are we doing with this?

This morning we saw the video of Jimmy, a one time Compassion International child and Mark, his sponsor. Click the arrow above to view their story again (or for the first time). It’s amazing how God uses a person’s sacrifice to bless others.

Fake ID

Twice in my life I’ve been busted for having a fake ID. The first time was on spring break in Florida when I was in college. With the aid of a little Mary Kay foundation and an electric typewriter I artfully changed a 3 to a 0 on my driver’s license in hopes that I could get in to a bar with my friends. It didn’t fool the bouncer though.  Thankfully, he only destroyed my artwork and didn’t turn me in for committing a felony.

Looking back, I can’t believe how incredibly stupid that (I) was.

The second time I was busted for a fake ID I was 35 and I was on my bathroom floor.

Let me explain.

I spent decades creating an identity for myself. It was wrapped up in my appearance, relationships I had, what I possessed and my accomplishments. But the biggie for me was my imperfections. There were a lot of days that I focused on my mistakes, my insecurities and how I just didn’t seem to measure up and that’s mostly where I got my identity.

I’d like to be able to say that when I said yes to Christ all of that changed instantaneously. But it didn’t. For me, it meant putting a Christian polish on the surface of my life. I knew in my head that God loved me just as I was, but it hadn’t transferred to my heart. So I just went through the motions. Attending service, doing Bible study, etc was all about managing my identity.

Truth is there was a lot going on underneath the surface. Can anyone relate?

My marriage was lifeless, I had an addiction, I was bitter and I was consumed with fear. And I thought that if anyone really knew me they wouldn’t want to be with me.

I think many of us have been there, afraid to be known.

Long story short is that at a time in my life when I was paralyzed with anxiety and sleep was beyond my grasp, God invited me to sit with Him on my bathroom floor at 2:30 AM one night and read Psalm 139. I’d never read it before and I was blown away to find out that He knew everything about me and at the same time He wanted to be with me.

It was as if God swooped in and destroyed my fake ID. I’d placed my identity in appearances, relationships, my circumstances, my secrets and my imperfections. And God was showing me that He knew (and knows) it all but that’s not how He defines me.

You might say that night launched me on a search for my identity and here’s what I’m learning. Not only does God love me just as I am, the bonus is, He also bestowed on me an unchangeable identity. It’s a gift completely independent of anything I do (or I’ve done), good or bad. It’s my identity in Christ.

The best part is it’s not just for me. It’s an identity that’s available to everyone who’s in relationship with Him. We don’t have to create it, earn it, fake it or manage it. All we have to do is embrace it.

Keeping it real . . . sometimes I still get caught up in all the other stuff competing to get the bigger piece of my identity but thankfully it’s been a huge area of growth for me.

The first time I got busted for a fake ID it didn’t change anything. The second time I got busted it changed everything.

Click here for an awesome list of scriptures on our identity in Christ.

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Feature Post

Aging

By Heather Brdak

Aging . . . I know it is always in the forefront of all the beauty magazines; how to stop it or at least slow it down.  I’ve never given it much thought . . . until now.  It could be that the idea of turning 39 next month scares me a bit.  How did I get here?!?  I still feel 17. Okay, maybe 21.

This summer I got together with a group of gals and did a study that had a chapter focused on aging.  As I muddled through it, I discovered how heavy this idea of growing older weighed on my heart.  I was surprised to be in tears as I felt the fear and anxiousness bottled in that deep place in my heart begin to surface.

Thoughts of losing my parents or of what to do with myself as my kids grow up, concerns of how to care for my widowed father-in-law or of how healthy I would be as I age crossed my mind.  I didn’t realize this was even within me but as I looked at it further and spent time with the Lord reflecting on it, I realized my worry about these things showed how I truly didn’t trust the Lord with them!

I want to control it, make life the same, bring back my mother-in-law. It seems foolish to me to think that I know better than the One who set the world into motion.  As I asked the Lord about it, and read His Word, He blessed me with verses like Ecc 3:1, There is a time for everything and a season for every activity under heaven and Matt 6:25, Do not worry about your life.  Finally, Jeremiah 29:11, that He knows His plan for me, that He will not harm me but give me prosperity, hope and a future.

I need to just let go and surrender to the aging process.  I need to give Him my fear. He knows my Heart and will give me His peace if I let Him.

Even as I change and hopefully mature gracefully into one of those little old ladies dripping with wisdom as Kristin talked about a few months ago in her blog, I can rely on the truth that He does not change.  He is and will always be the same rock I stand on now!!!  My favorite verse I came across was Isaiah 46:4: Even to your old age and gray hairs I am He, I am He who will sustain you.  I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you!

Thank goodness, because I already have a lot of gray hairs!  And I need all the sustaining and rescuing I can get each and every day.  As I learn to surrender another part of me, I am relieved and thankful that He will be with me all the days of my life – what could be better?!

Do you struggle with aging? Are you handling it gracefully?

(We have a new format! From now on all Features will be posted right here on the Home page. To access previous Features please scroll to the bottom of this page and click on the Feature category.)