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God is in the Details

Posted on August 14, 2011 by auburnchick

In my last post, I wrote about my new job, and the way that God had orchestrated everything.

Well, God continues to amaze me.

He has shown me how real of a presence He is in my life and the lives of those I come in contact with.

Take, for instance, last Tuesday afternoon, after I found out I had been hired to teach reading at the Red School.

I took Rooster to Starbucks to celebrate.

As we sat there chatting, a young woman and her friend walked in.  The woman set a large, red and yellow book on the table and proceeded to order her drink.

My eyes were glued to the book.  There was something else sitting on top of it, so I couldn’t see its title; however, I knew, from the size and colors, that it was a study guide for a certification exam.

When the young woman returned to her table, I asked which test she was studying for.

It was the Professional Ed Exam.

I smiled and assured her that it wasn’t nearly as difficult as it seemed, and that I had taken and passed it the week before.

She smiled and explained that she had just started reading it.

I asked if she was a recent graduate of an education program, and she looked at me, unsure of what I was referring to.

She explained that she had a temporary certificate, and that once she passed the test, she would be able to get her teaching license.

Oh boy.

I felt the need to burst her little happy bubble.

Nope, I told her.  Because she had a B.S. in literature, she was going to have to go through the EPI program that I had just finished.

It was at this point that Rooster excused himself.  We had driven separate cars, and he knew that this would be a long-winded conversation.

I proceeded to give the girl the low-down on the program, even looking up the phone number for the program’s director.

I did not mince words.

I explained that she would probably cry a lot.  However, I further explained that she would learn a lot and would be a better teacher for it.

During our conversation, she asked me if I was teaching.  To keep things simple, I told her that I had spent the year before teaching at a private school, giving the name of it.

She was familiar with the school because…get this…she’s Muslim!  She even knew the principal!

Now, you cannot tell me that it wasn’t God who put me in Starbucks at 5pm on a Tuesday afternoon and had that gal walk in at the same time.

God was in the details.

…

Meanwhile, God was working in another area.

I’ve recently started getting some exercise on my treadmill.  The first night I climbed on, I sensed the Lord impressing the name of a fellow EPI classmate on my heart.

The private school had been looking for an elementary teacher.

I texted her, asking her to call me.

She did…the next day…and I asked if she had found a job yet.  She hadn’t.  I asked if she was interested in teaching elementary.  She was.

I gave her the low-down on the job and offered to recommend her for the position.

She seemed pleased.

See, she has a heart for those from the Middle East.  In fact, she was planning on leaving soon to teach in Lebanon…provided that she didn’t get a job here.  But, she didn’t want to leave Podunk, USA because her mom lives here.

I called the principal, gave him all of the information I had, and he seemed excited.

The next day, I met my friend at the school and introduced her to the principal.

She greeted him with a word in Arabic.

Oh my word, but he seemed surprised, smiled, and chuckled softly before returning the greeting…in Arabic of course.

It’s safe to say that they bonded immediately.

I left them alone to chat, and when I returned, he was scheduling her for a formal interview.

Folks, the next day, she texted me with the happy news that she had gotten the job!

God was in the details.

Nothing in life happens by “chance.”

God is in everything.

What a privilege to be allowed to see glimpses of His power in the everyday things!!

Filed under: Christian | Tagged: | 3 Comments »

Just Pull the Bandaid Off

Posted on August 7, 2011 by auburnchick

Life has been busy around here the last few days.

Chicky had spent last week getting ready for her return to college…

It was a sight I had been dreading all summer…

She loaded both of our cars on Wednesday night so we could leave early Thursday morning…

It was going to be nice taking two cars.  We wouldn’t have stuff packed to the top.  Even Chicky’s car had room to spare…

The Mr. took a picture of us, and we were off.

We stopped after a couple of hours.  I had an appointment, so Chicky ate lunch with Coupon Queen and Grand Pooba.  Then, we hit the road for the rest of the trip.

We drove to the hotel, checked in, then headed out for some dinner, meeting Guy Friend at Chipotle, a place similar (a little tastier) than Moe’s.  For the record, this restaurant has delicious sweet tea!!!

Then, we went back to the hotel.

As we carried our stuff inside, I made a discovery.  Unknown to either one of us, we had packed our overnight stuff in matching bags…

She grimaced.  I smiled.  Like mother, like daughter!

LOL

We got to the room in time for me to indulge in a summertime guilty pleasure…

Yep.

Big Brother.

I can’t help it.  I am a people watcher, and not in a weird way but in a lover of history/human behavior kind of way.  Evil Dick (pictured below) was one of my favorite contestants from this show…

Chicky watched one of her shows on her computer…

Soon, we headed to bed.

I couldn’t sleep.  I’ve already posted about that, though.

We got up and headed out.  I was a little sad because I knew that I would be returning to the room later…by myself.

Sigh…

Chicky led the way…a first.  She knows her way around Lakeland, where Southeastern University is located…

First, we met in the sports complex so she could attend a team meeting.  Then, we had about thirty minutes for lunch, so we ran to Subway.  After that, we had to return to the school for physicals.

Finally, it was time to move her in.

What a hot day!  It was so much worse than last year, and her room is on the second floor this year…

Not.  Fun.

She’s in an 8-man this year.  It has a common room…

There are two bedrooms on each side, and each bedroom houses two girls…

The bathroom has two sinks, two showers, and two toilet stalls.  Because this is a room with handicapped facilities, one shower is longer and has a bench in it.  This is perfect for one of Chicky’s teammates, who recently had hip surgery and will be on crutches for a while.

We started the arduous task of unloading the car.

Because we didn’t have the Mr. there (he had to work), we were concerned about the lack of manpower.  Chicky’s roommate from last year made a few trips back and forth.

I quickly figured out that my overachieving self had to slow down…

Oops.

Don’t tell Chicky.

We set a few things in her room.  It was going to be a long afternoon…

I didn’t mind though.  A mom doesn’t complain about the workload when she knows that she’s not going to be with her baby in a few short hours.

We put stuff everywhere.  Her roommate isn’t a soccer player, so she won’t be arriving at the school for another couple of weeks.  We took advantage and used her bed to set things on…

Chicky tried to figure out where to put things.  Not having her roommate there was a little difficult because she didn’t want to hog the entire room…

I tried to be a good mom and not take over.  Chicky “allowed” me to hang her clothes after she put them on hangers.  I felt so honored.  LOL

We decided to take a break.  We went to Bed Bath and Beyond.  I had a $5 off of $15 coupon, which came in handy when we bought this $16.99 cart ($11.99 after the coupon).  Because there are not bathroom cabinets (handicapped feature), the cart will be used to store toiletries…

We went to Sam’s, where we got her stocked up on water, Gatorade, and snacks…

We just added Chicky and Guy Friend to our membership, so they will be able to replenish their supplies whenever they need to.

This is just another sign that my baby girl is getting older.

Sigh…

While we were out and about, look at what we came across…

Oh yeah.

We just couldn’t pass up the opportunity to visit our favorite store.  We were good girls, though, and did not buy a single thing.

The Mr. can exhale now.  His bank account was not depleted during this trip.

The fun had to end, though, so we returned to Chicky’s room and continued to unpack…

What a process.  As a parent, you have to let your child set things up the way he or she wants things.  This can be difficult…especially when you are an anal organizer, like I am.

Fortunately, so is Chicky.  She worked hard to get things straight…

After we got her bedding on, she remembered that she needed to raise the mattress so she could stack things on the shelves under the bed.

Oy.

What a job.

We had to take the mattress off of the bed, turn the bed to the center of the room, turn it upside down, and jump on the frame to force it out of the bed posts.

We weren’t strong enough.

Neither one of us weighs much more than a hundred pounds.

We called for help, and a couple of girls came in.

These girls were strong, let me tell you, and it didn’t take long until we got things fixed and put the mattress back on the bed…

Before we knew it, we had to head to the team/family dinner.

I could feel the clock of doom ticking on…the time when I would have to pull myself away from my baby.

I wasn’t hungry.

I didn’t eat.

After the coach said the blessing, I opened my eyes and discovered that they were filled with tears.

Chicky looked at me in that moment, and I was mortified.

I had done so well all day.

I had not cried at all.

I have no idea why I found myself sad all of a sudden.  Mentally, I was fine, but I think that looking through the window of that meeting room and seeing the position of the sun in the sky reminded me of the difficult time I had last year.

Fortunately, I composed myself quickly and didn’t let the tears spill over.

We had a good time listening to the coach discuss his philosophy and watching him try to come up with rhymes for the girls…on the spot.

Before too long, it was time to head back to the room to finish unpacking and do the dreaded deed…say goodbye.

Chicky got things fairly organized, which made me feel like I wasn’t leaving her unsettled…

Finally, I was satisfied.

One of Chicky’s suite-mates took a couple of pictures of us, and then we headed outside.

Oh my word.

It felt like I was being escorted to the gallows.

I usually do not have a problem with goodbyes, but when they involve me being separated from my children, then they are hard.

Chicky walked me to my car.

We shared a hug.

Let me explain that Chicky does not give big hugs.

She “allows” herself to be hugged while she stands there, stiff armed.  Sometimes, if you’re lucky, she might pat your back…once…if she feels like it.

Seriously.

She’s just not a touchy-feelie kind of girl.

On Thursday, she embraced me.

Oh my word.

It had been years since this child had wrapped her arms around me in such a loving, sincere way.

It felt so good.

As she started to walk away, I hurried back to her for one more hug.

I’m sure she rolled her eyes a bit, but she humored me.

I snapped a few pictures of her waving goodbye.

She was a bit annoyed because we’d done this last year.

After the third picture, she said, “Just pull the bandaid off, Mama.”

What she meant was for me to get it over with…that the pain would only hurt for a little while.

Sigh.

Such wisdom from my child.

And so I drove away.

I didn’t cry as I left, but my heart was heavy.

Although I had told her that I would find something vegan-friendly to eat for dinner, I didn’t.  Sorry, Chicky.

I just couldn’t.

When you feel your heart breaking, you don’t want to eat.

I drove back to the hotel and turned off the car.

All of a sudden, I didn’t want to go inside.

I didn’t want to enter a room that would only have my stuff in it…one bed that would be slept in…

That is when I cried.

It had been a wonderful summer.  I had watched over my girl as she balanced four jobs, two online college classes and one horrendous college professor who still has not returned my child’s phone call.

I had been there to nurse my girl through the horrible virus that she had suffered through.

We had explored the world together while out on our cruise.

We had discovered a new favorite store…Ann Taylor Loft.

Yes, we had yelled at one another…especially in the days leading up to her departure…but this year was different.  We recovered a lot quicker from our anger.

This was progress, folks.  It was the growth of maturity in our relationship.

Chicky doesn’t understand why it’s so hard for us parents when she leaves, but she isn’t a parent yet.

We cry because we worry.

We cry because we want to be there to witness their new experiences.

We want to protect them from the hurts of the world, and we want to rejoice with them over their triumphs.

Somehow, it’s just not the same when we’re doing these things from afar.

But do them from afar, I must.  It is my duty as a parent to let go, and I am.

Chicky is at a wonderful college…surrounded by other Believers.  She is learning what it means to serve Christ in everyday life, and she’s getting a wonderful academic education as well.

She is learning that God is present in a college classroom, on the soccer field, and in the relationships she is developing and nurturing.

As a mom, I couldn’t ask for more.  These are the things that lessen the sting of ripping off that bandaid.

God is gracious even in times like these.

Filed under: children, Christian | Tagged: , , , | 3 Comments »

Unable To Sleep

Posted on August 4, 2011 by auburnchick

It’s past midnight, and I can’t sleep.

While Chicky dreams of fitness tests and cafeteria food, I lie awake…pondering life’s complexities.

I find myself in a state of flux, and I wonder how much is due to PMS, the dawn of a new school year, or the sweet tea I drank with dinner.

In the middle of the night, in a dark hotel room lit only by the orbs that line the parking lot outside, I cry out to the Lord for clarity, direction, and contentment.

I grasp onto His promises and draw comfort from the verse that says, “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.”

And so I will return to bed…leaving the bathroom where I’ve hidden myself so as to not bother Chicky…and settle myself in the comfort of God’s gentle arms…secure in the knowledge that He loves me and has a plan for me.

Filed under: Christian | Tagged: , | 2 Comments »

Sing, Sing, Sing

Posted on July 31, 2011 by auburnchick

So, it’s Sunday.

I almost rolled over and went back to sleep after my alarm went off.

In fact, I did…for a little while.

Then, I thought I heard Chicky getting ready in her bathroom, so I took a peek at the clock.

It was 7:30…still plenty of time to get ready for the 9:30 service.

I got up.

I am so glad.

Though Chicky wasn’t up yet (it must have been Molly walking through the house), I got ready.

Rooster was still asleep, recovering from band camp.  The Mr. was also still in bed, feeling a bit unwell.

I was on my own.

I made my way to church by myself and sat in my regular seat, smiling and saying hi to those around me.

And then the singing started.

It did not take but a nanosecond for me to be grateful that I had gotten out of bed for my heart rejoiced at the words that were projected on the screen.

Ironically, the worship band began playing Chris Tomlin’s song, Sing, Sing, Sing…

Here are the words…

We will sing, sing, sing
And make music with the heavens
We will sing, sing, sing
Grateful that You hear us
When we shout Your praise
Lift high the name of Jesus

What’s not to love about You?
Heaven and earth adore You
Kings and kingdoms bow down
Son of God, You are the One
You are the One we’re living for

You are the love that frees us
You are the light that leads us
Like a fire burning
Son of God, You are the One
You are the One we’re living for

I think that often, we get caught up in a song’s beat without paying much attention to the words we’re singing.

Not me.

Maybe this is the English teacher in me.

There is something about actually seeing the words projected on the large screen at the front of the sanctuary.

As my eyes take them in, they enter my heart.

Think about the words of this song.

We sing praises to God, who HEARS us.

We don’t serve a God who’s not paying attention; thus, our voices do not fall on deaf ears.

God rejoices in the praises we sing to Him.  In fact, we can read several instances in the Old Testament where the Israelites worshiped God through songs and dancing.

Look at the second stanza.  EVERYTHING on heaven and earth bows down to Jesus, for He is the one we serve.  Those things that do not in this lifetime will, one day, pay homage on bended knee.

The third stanza, though, is what really got to me today.

“You are the love that frees us…”

Oh my.

Love hung on the cross all of those years ago.  It is a love that knew, from the beginning, that our sins would bind us to death and eternity in hell.

Love came down, in the human form of Jesus, and led by example…unto the point of death.

You know…there are three small stanzas in this song.  And yet, the words packed into each are p-o-w-e-r-f-u-l!!

As you go throughout the day and your week, set aside some time to sing praises to the One who was with us from the beginning and will never forsake us.

Filed under: Christian | Tagged: , , , | 1 Comment »

Service

Posted on July 28, 2011 by auburnchick

Yesterday, I treated myself to a pedicure.

I was by myself, and there was only one other lady, on the other side of the room, getting her feet all prettied up.

As I sat, my back being massaged by the rollers built into the chair, I watched the sweet lady as she gently scrubbed the dead skin away from my feet.

She worked methodically and quietly, allowing me to relax and just “be.”

I was struck by her humbleness and attention to detail.  She sincerely cared that I was comfortable and happy, as evidenced by the temperature of the water that my feet were soaking in to the cold bottle of water that was provided as I had walked in.

I watched her and could not help but think about what it must have been like to be one of Jesus’s disciples…watching Him wash their feet…

I’ve gotta tell you that it was quite a moment for me.

Just as the disciples were no better (in fact much worse off) than Jesus, I am no better than those who serve me.

And, just as the woman saw to all of my needs yesterday, I need to do the same when I am taking care of others.  I need to act as unselfishly as that sweet lady.

Every time I catch sight of the pretty French manicure on my toes, I’m going to remember the gal, her sweet smile, and the servant’s attitude that she modeled for me.

Filed under: Christian | Tagged: , | 3 Comments »

Glorious One

Posted on July 24, 2011 by auburnchick

I don’t know how the music was at your church this morning, but at mine, we ROCKED!

Or should I say worshiped?

The band was on fire, and I, for one, was much appreciative.

There are weeks when I get as much out of the singing as I do from the sermons (no offense meant to my pastors).

I was struck by the lyrics of the second song we sang, Glorious One, by Steve Fee…

Our hands are lifted high
our hearts are bowing reverence
and we’re surrounded by
the glory of Your presence

with every creature every tongue
we’re lifting our voice to the Glorious One

Glorious One
Glorious One
Light of the world
You outshine the sun
King of all Kings
eternity sings
Glorious One

God of infinite worth
with hands that carve out the ocean
You hold the universe
and still You run to the broken

with every heart that’s been redeemed
we’re lifting our song to the Glorious King

there is none more beautiful
there is none more wonderful (repeat)

Memories of my cruise were fresh on my mind, and as we sang the second verse, I was transported to Hubbard Glacier and all of its magnificence.

I was also reminded of the open sea, which stretched for miles on end with no land in sight.

The beauty in nature did not happen by chance.  God carefully planned every single ripple in that vast ocean and every single creature that lives within it.  He painted the hues of blue on the glacier I had the privilege of standing before, and He designates when and where chunks fall off into the sea.

God deserves our praise.

He truly is THE Glorious One..

Filed under: Christian | Tagged: , , , , , | Leave a comment »

In Christ For the World

Posted on June 26, 2011 by auburnchick

My pastor, Tom, preached another amazing sermon this morning.

Today’s verses were Acts 9:1-19…

Acts 9

The Conversion of Saul

1 Now Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest, 2 and asked for letters from him to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, both men and women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. 3 As he was traveling, it happened that he was approaching Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him; 4 and he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” 5 And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” And He said, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting, 6 but get up and enter the city, and it will be told you what you must do.” 7 The men who traveled with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one. 8 Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing; and leading him by the hand, they brought him into Damascus. 9And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank.

10 Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias; and the Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.” 11 And the Lord said to him, “Get up and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying, 12 and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him, so that he might regain his sight.” 13 But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he did to Your saints at Jerusalem; 14 and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Your name.” 15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel; 16 for I will show him how much he must suffer for My name’s sake.” 17 So Ananias departed and entered the house, and after laying his hands on him said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road by which you were coming, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 And immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he regained his sight, and he got up and was baptized; 19 and he took food and was strengthened.

One of the key points that Tom pulled out of the passage was that Ananias, a disciple, was told to go and minister to Saul. Despite being afraid of Saul, who had persecuted scores of Christians, Ananias went, albeit somewhat in fear, so that Saul (later to be renamed “Paul”) would be healed of his blindness and, thus, be sent into the world to spread the Gospel.

Tom emphasized that Ananias was called to action.

I think that, as Christians, we often allow ourselves to become complacent in the knowledge that we have accepted Christ as Savior.

We also become quick to identify ourselves as Christians and to “witness” somewhat superficially.

Yet, God calls us to so much more.

As Tom pointed out, a doctor who practices medicine on himself does no real good to others.

Such it is with our knowledge of God’s saving grace.

But, merely telling people about Jesus isn’t enough.

We must show people…in practical ways…in everyday actions and words.

Now, I cannot claim to be the biggest saint around.

My family would be the first to tell you that my halo is cracked in places.  In fact, I tend to fail in this area with regard to the people I care for the most.

Sigh.

Now I want to share something with you.

One day, about three months ago, I was told by someone to “leave my Christianity in the car.”

Folks, I have to be honest with you.

I told that person, and the other people in the room at the time, that my faith is not a sweater that I can slip off whenever I want or for the convenience of others.

As a daughter of the King, saved by Christ’s blood on the cross, I carry His message with me everywhere.

I learned, during the last twelve months, the very lesson that Tom spoke of today.

The best way to share God’s love with people is through actions.

For me, this extends to my interactions with the students in my classroom…when I take pictures of the band kids during football games…attending soccer games and photographing my soccer kids in action…baking brownies for students who improve their test scores…the ways I show I care are only limited by my creativity.

I know that I am not the perfect wife, mother, or daughter.

But, I try…aiming to do more than just spout off Christian “legal speak.”

This life we Christians lead is not for ourselves.

Oh, sure, we do start out that way because we need to be redeemed from the sentence of hell that our sins require.

However, after our own salvation has been taken care of, we must look to the world.

As Tom said, we are not all called to be the Billy Grahams of the world.

However, we are called to touch lives…one at a time…through sincere, meaningful connections.

That is the example that Jesus himself set with every person he met:  the woman at the well, the blind man lowered from the roof of a house, the woman who touched His garments as He passed by…

This is why I cannot leave my faith in the confines of my home or my car.

My love for God permeates my entire being, affecting, as often as I allow, my very actions.

This is the call for every follower of Christ.

Filed under: Christian | 1 Comment »

Aspirations

Posted on June 2, 2011 by auburnchick

Satan is a skilled deceiver.

He makes us aspire to things that we should not aspire to.

He makes us seek after things that we shouldn’t seek after.

He is sly enough to make us think that these are noble pursuits.

If we’re lucky, we wise up.

Well…forget the luck.  This illumination of truth does not arrive by luck at all.

Oh no.  It’s only through God’s speaking to us that we can come to realize that we’ve been fed lies by the enemy.

What leads me to write about this?

Well, I write because this is a journey I’ve been on all of my life but, most noticeably, during the last year or so…only I didn’t realize I was on the journey until yesterday.

What is it that I aspire to and seek after?

Approval.

More specifically, I desire the approval of others.

I think this comes from being the oldest child.  Not only that, but my mom was single during much of my early childhood, which resulted in a lot of responsibility being placed on my young shoulders.

Growing up, I never felt like I measured up, so I kept trying.

Straight A’s…

Salutatorian…

Good grades in college…

Perfectionism in the jobs I held early in my marriage and later, when I returned to work after my children were in elementary and middle school…

Perfect grades when I returned to college as an adult…

Magna Cum Laude…

And then I hit a wall.

For some odd reason, I subconsciously selected a person that I needed to please, and I’ve been trying, ever since, to reach this person’s standards.

And I kept failing.

Which confused me.

I discovered that my perceptions of myself and this person’s perceptions of me were vastly different.

Which confused me further.

Yesterday, I asked myself a hard question:

Why do I keep trying to please this person?

In the middle of my confusion and after in-depth talks with a good friend and Super Sis, God revealed something to me.

I’ve been aspiring to please the wrong person.

I need to be working to please Him.

The Bible verse on my phone yesterday read:

Colossians 3:23-24

Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward.  You are serving the Lord Christ.

Too often, we seek to be people-pleasers when, in reality, we should seek to be God-pleasers.

People change at a whim, which leads to our confusion on how to please them.

God does not change.

He is the same yesterday and today.  He will be the same tomorrow.

In the end, we will stand before Him at the judgment.

He will not ask us about what we did to please So-and-So.

He will ask what we did to serve Him.

Working to please others is confusing, exhausting, and depressing.

Working to serve the Lord is exhilarating and will one day result in rewards beyond what we could ever hope to receive here on this temporal earth.

Filed under: Christian | Tagged: | 2 Comments »

Who Is the Captain of Your Soul?

Posted on May 22, 2011 by auburnchick

Last week, during finals, my high school students watched the movie, Invictus.

If you’ve seen the movie (which is amazing, by the way), Morgan Freeman (aka Nelson Mandela) recites the poem from which the movie’s title is based…

Invictus

By:  William Ernest Henley

Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds and shall find me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate,
I am the captain of my soul.

I heard that poem recited four times last week, and each time, I got chills.  If memory serves me correctly, I believe that I had to memorize it when I was in high school.

Fast forward to a conversation I had with a friend last week. She’s going through some personal struggles, and she indicated a desire to start attending church again.  She talked about believing in God and other church figures.  When I inquired about Jesus, she told me that she has a problem with the “Jesus thing” even though she attended church when she was a child.

I sat, dumbfounded.

It’s still difficult for me to hear that people believe in God but do not believe in His Son who died for mankind’s sins and rose again, conquering death, so that all could live forever.

Every day, I hear of people talk about doing this and that…making decisions about their lives.  I can’t help but wonder who, exactly, is the captain of their souls.

One of the biggest lies that Satan feeds us is that we don’t need God or His grace…the grace He showered down on us when He came down in human flesh…and gave His own life for us.

Satan would have us believe that we can, of our own effort, earn our way to heaven.

What a crock of baloney.

We are not the captains of our souls, my friends. Though some people might not believe this truth now, one day every knee will bow to the One who is the Captain and will confess that He is Lord.

So, who do you say is the captain of your soul?

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Beautiful Things

Posted on May 1, 2011 by auburnchick

This morning at church, we sang the song Beautiful Things.

Let me tell you that my church’s praise band always does an amazing job with this song, and today was no different.

As we sang the song, I couldn’t help but think about the victims of the recent string of tornadoes that hammered their way through the Southeast.

Being from Alabama, my heart was especially touched by the devastating losses incurred by my fellow Southerners.

Coincidentally, or not so if you believe, as I do, that God ordains everything, my church’s pastors had planned a new series of sermons titled “Wounded World.”

Oh yes…God is working, my friends.

And so, while the victims of the tornadoes are left to pick up the fragmented pieces of their lives and, in the process, mourn the loss of loved ones who died because of this natural disaster, God is still in their midst.

The God who raised His Son from the dead is working to make beautiful things from their shattered lives.

Please…listen to the following song (lyrics follow).  Praise God for such times as these.  He will be glorified by the drawing together of His people to help one another.  My prayer is that people will, most importantly, be drawn to a closer relationship with the one and only God who displayed His ultimate power and mercy by sending His Son to die for us.

Beautiful Things
Gungor

All this pain
I wonder if I’ll ever find my way
I wonder if my life could really change at all
All this earth
Could all that is lost ever be found
Could a garden come up from this ground at all

You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of the dust
You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of us

All around
Hope is springing up from this old ground
Out of chaos life is being found in You

You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of the dust
You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of us

You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of the dust
You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of us

You make me new, You are making me new
You make me new, You are making me new

You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of the dust
You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of us

Filed under: Christian | Tagged: , , | 6 Comments »

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