All posts by Lynne

Faith, Five Minute Friday

Rushing Doesn’t Solve Anything

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Today’s Five Minute Friday prompt is quite apt for me. Rush. This is what I always seem to be doing lately. 

Rushing here…

Rushing there…

I’m rushing everywhere!

Getting into a new routine with five children and being back at work part time is taking a little longer than I anticipated. Ok, so maybe my goal of getting it right on the first day was a little overstretched. 

A mother can dream though, hey?

This morning was just a prime example of everything coming together at once and having no time to sift through it all to see where I am. 

The result? 

I locked myself out of the house! I have NEVER done this before in my entire life. (First time for everything, hey?) 

Three guesses where I left my keys. Pretty much where I always leave them. The funny thing was (and I can laugh about it now…just) I looked there first! I could swear they weren’t in there before. 

How many of us go through life rushing around and don’t see what is there right in front of us? We’re constantly seeking something to fulfil our lives and looking for quick fixes. I do this a lot, but then I miss out on a lot too. 

This is a great reminder to me about the current season we are in. 

Advent. 

Advent is a time when we stop for a minute and think about the One who is coming. The One who will provide the answer to everything we are looking for. The One who we don’t have to search very far for. Because guess what? He is right here folks. He has been right here all along. 

This morning I was rushing around and suffered the consequences. I didn’t even give myself two minutes to stop and pray for help. The result? A very frustrated mummy! I prayed when I got back and lo and behold I quickly found my keys.  

With a little bit of time and a whole heap of slowing down, we may save a lot of time in the long run with not rushing around and missing the point. Don’t miss the point of this season with all the rushing taking place. Take time to think and reflect. You never know what time you would save later on. 

I am trying to intentionally slow down this season, in the midst of my hectic life. I need to reflect on what is important. One of the ways I am taking stock is reading through a series by Shelly Miller.

Shelly has thought provokingly written a series for her Sabbath Society called Slow Christmas. She is providing some focus for keeping Christmas slow and intentional rather than rushed and busy. 

If you feel you need a little help in slowing down this season so you don’t miss the point of it, I’d like to encourage you to join the Sabbath Society. You will then quietly receive an e-mail each Friday where Shelly shares how we can breath and exhale, creating a sense of calm and peace.

Now, who doesn’t need that in this busy season? Click on this link and it will take you to where you need to join.

Faith, God’s Love, Write 31 Days Challenge 2019

Day 20 in God’s Love – The Woman at the Well

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One of my favourite stories in the Bible is the Samaritan woman at the well. I love how Jesus meets her there right where she is. He sees her with all the shame she is carrying and just loves her for who she is. It doesn’t matter what she has been through. He still loves her.

I often imagine the woman at the well is me. The one carrying all the shame. Jesus loving me just for who I am, no matter what I have been through. This is what I would imagine…

The Woman at the Well

It was the heat of the day. No-one is usually here at this time. It’s the only time when I feel safe to come out. I looked around just to make sure no-one else was about. But you were there. 

You sat by Jacobs Well looking tired. Your feet were dusty and I could see the sweat on your brow. 

I didn’t know what to do. 

I contemplated on whether to come back another day, but I needed water. My jar was empty and I was thirsty. I am always thirsty. 

For water. 

Thirsty for love. 

For life. 

Hesitantly, I made my way to the well, constantly looking around to make sure no-one else was watching. As I approached the well I kept my head down so you couldn’t see my face. 

I didn’t want you to look me in the eyes. Looking into someone’s eyes can reveal a whole story about themselves and I was too ashamed for you to see mine. 

If only you knew the pain I had to bare. The shame I had to carry.

“Will you give me a drink?” You asked. I sharply looked up. You spoke to me. 

Me.

A Samaritan woman. Surely you were speaking to someone else, but no-one else was around. Aren’t you ashamed to be speaking to me?

You could see the shock on my face. I was scared. No one ever speaks to me unless it was to show me how displeasing I was to them. I am so use to being rejected. No-one values me anymore.

But there was something about you that was different. You weren’t like the other Jews. You were gentle and kind and your eyes showed love towards me. A different kind of love to what I am use to. I have never seen this love before.

You then spoke to me with such tenderness in your voice and told me about a gift God has for me.

Living water.

Did you realise how ridiculous this sounded? Living water? Who can offer living water unless they were the Son of God? Surely not I thought. You had no bucket from which you could retrieve this water so I didn’t know if I could take you seriously.

I questioned how you could do this. I didn’t believe you, but then you said something which made my heart skip a beat.

“Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.”

Oh how I wanted this water. I wanted to be satisfied. Revitalised. Clean. Free. I needed this water so much. More than you would ever know. If only you knew the real me. Maybe you wouldn’t be giving away this “living water” so freely.

What you asked me next though made my heart sink. You wanted to see my husband. I felt so ashamed. You must have seen the awkwardness I had written all over my face.

I said I had no husband. I wasn’t lying. It’s just that I didn’t want you to judge me. There’s this man that lives with me, but we’re not married.

You said you knew. How? Did you speak to someone before you saw me? I know they all talk about me behind my back. That wasn’t all you knew either.

“You don’t have a husband” you exclaimed, “for you have had five husbands, and you aren’t even married to the man you’re living with now. You certainly spoke the truth!”

I could feel my face going red, and it wasn’t with the midday sun. There was only one way you would have known this. You must have been a prophet. What you revealed to me next just blew my mind.

You are the Messiah.

You are the chosen one and you spoke to me. Me, a broken, shame-filled, unclean woman. Do you have any idea how that made me feel? For once in my life I no longer felt rejected. You released the shame I had carried inside me every day of my life. I felt so dirty, but you washed me clean with your love.

I felt free! For so many years I was an outcast and felt alone. You changed this and accepted me for who I was. I didn’t have to change myself either to be welcomed by you. You loved with open arms.

I couldn’t keep this feeling inside me, so I ran as fast as I could back to the village. I no longer felt the need to hide from anyone anymore. Everyone had to hear what you told me. And they listened. For the first time in my life people listened to me.

Because of you, I was no longer rejected by my people. Because of you, my life has been turned around. I have been set free from everything that kept me in chains. You have provided me with a hope and a future. I will be forever in your debt.

Thank you!

Because of you, I was no longer rejected by my people. Because of you, my life has been turned around. I have been set free from everything that kept me in chains. You have provided me with a hope and a future. I will be forever in… Click To Tweet

Something to think about…

Can you imagine yourself being the woman at the well? Is there something in your life which you feel has tainted you? Jesus can provide you with a way of being released. You no longer need to feel shame for what you have been through. He loves you for who you are, just as you are.

Prayer

Lord, thank you so much that you meet us where we are in our circumstances. Nothing in the world will deter you from loving us. Thank you for accepting who we are. Help us to lift our eyes to you so we can see how much you love us. Amen.

Faith, God’s Love, Write 31 Days Challenge 2019

Day 19 in God’s Love- He Has A Plan

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This post was originally written a few years ago, but I have adapted it for the 31 days in God’s Love series. God loves us and has a plan for each of us to enable His work to be carried out.

I think it’s safe to say most of us, if not all of us, had a dream of what we would be when we were older.  A nurse?  A firefighter? A princess? A footballer?  

My dream was to be a teacher.  I use to sit in my room and pretend I was teaching my teddies, and sometimes I even roped my brother into playing!

For years I had this longing I wanted to help other children to fulfill their potential.  I completed pre-teaching courses at college and did a number of work experiences at local schools.  I enjoyed every minute of it and I passed with flying colours.

When the dream doesn’t happen

My dream didn’t quite turn out as I had planned. I only just got through college with my A-Levels and I never went to University.  The government changed the way University fees were to be paid and it was just too much for me to even consider.  

So, yes, I wasn’t even going to get a degree!  Trying to sort out what I was going to do with my life was hard, especially when I didn’t have a degree.  I found the options open to me very limiting.

I decided to take a year out to do some voluntary work to try and get some idea of what I wanted to do with my life.  It was only by chance I ended up working with the Church Army in one of their Volunteer programmes and I moved to London.  Now, 19 years later, I have a lovely family with a wonderful husband and five gorgeous children.

What about the dream?

Maybe, some of us still have that dream though?  What do we do?  Do we give up?

I think there are a few options we can do.  Firstly, we can do something about it by planning how we can live our dream and go for it. Or secondly, we can sit here and accept what has happened.  

Well, I have planned out what I wanted to do…and started it…but it’s just not going anywhere.  I’m not the type of person either to sit around and accept things.

So, maybe there is a third option?

Maybe, it’s not my dream that I should be following. Maybe, this is God’s dream and God’s plan.

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.  Isaiah 55:8 

What God wants with me and what He wants me to achieve is probably, and most likely, different to what I would like to do.

Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.  Proverbs 19:21

It’s hard to keep this in mind as a positive perspective though when situations don’t go as well. Especially when family and friends are gone, homes are lost, dreams are shattered…the list goes on.

How do you keep going in the work you are doing then?

I keep this in my mind…

Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus Philippians 1:6

God has started something in our lives, and He’s not about to stop now. Our life is not over until He says it’s over, despite how we may feel and no matter what we are going through. Our best days are not what has happened in the past. With God, our greatest days are yet to come!

God has started something in our lives, and He's not about to stop now. Click To Tweet Our best days are not what has happened in the past. With God, our greatest days are yet to come! Click To Tweet

Wherever God leads us, He will provide for us, and He will meet our needs. We just need to remember it’s not the things that matter — our job, our house, or what we achieve.

We are God’s product, and we are made up of the moments that make an impact for God’s Kingdom – the moments are the situations we are going through now! Hang in there. Your work you are doing now is in God’s mighty plan.

Something to think about…

Are you in a place where you feel you shouldn’t be? Try and keep in your mind that it may not be for our benefit why we are there. It may be we are impacting someone else’s lives without realising, and it will be for a greater good…God’s amazing plan!

Prayer

Lord, I have no idea what you have planned for my life right now and what work you want me to do to fulfill your bigger picture. I ask that you send your Holy Spirit to fill me with strength to help me through the times when I find it hard to see what your plan may be. Help me to realise that whatever is happening, it is for your greater good. Amen

Faith, God’s Love, Write 31 Days Challenge 2019

Day 18 in God’s Love – Believing Our Worth

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Apparently, God made us in the image of Him. Did you know that? Also, there is not one person on this earth that is exactly like you? I guess that makes us a little unique then.

Me? Created in God’s image though? Seriously? With everything I have been through it must have been some image! And it’s a pretty good job that there is no-one else like me…I mean, can you imagine having two of me?

Is this what some of you are thinking when you read that you are made in God’s image, or that you are unique? I want to tell you something though, and I want you to listen very carefully. Come in closer.

You are worth it.

Have I got your attention, or are you just shrugging your shoulders? I’ll let you in on a little secret…I use to shrug my shoulders too when someone would tell me that I am worth it.

Ok…I still do…a little.

Ok…hands up…maybe a lot!

This is a journey, right? And you don’t arrive at your destination at the click of your fingers. Although that would be nice so that we can skip out all the bumpy rides. Life isn’t like that though, is it?

Don’t worry, this isn’t going to be one of those “hey you, listen up” moments and I’m going to tell you how amazing you are…and then expect you to believe me…and change the way you think about yourself. I’m not going to expect you to do that as I don’t do it myself.

Do you know what made me realise that I was worth it? It was hearing the story of Jesus giving His life on the cross. Yeah, I know, it’s the same old story…it never changes each year I hear it. But one year was different and it changed me.

The truth hit me about God. He really does love me.  It didn’t matter to Him what I had been through in my past. He wasn’t concerned with how imperfect I was and still am.

He. Loved. Me.

He loves me just the way that I am, even with my broken pieces.  And guess what?  He loves you too…just the way you are…warts an’ all!

Changing the way you think takes time. Knowing that truth in your head is one thing, but believing it in your heart is another. Funnily enough, there isn’t a switch inside your heart that you can flick when you truly want to believe something.

I knew the story inside out about how Jesus came to this Earth to save us all from our sins. Knowing the story and truly believing it with all your heart are two different concepts though.

Isaiah 43:4   Because you are precious in my eyes, and honoured, and I love you, I give men in return for you, peoples in exchange for your life.

Isaiah 43:4

I have no firm answers, or a step by step plan to offer on how to believe that you are worth it. All I know is that we need to keep an open heart. The more your heart is open, the more it can be filled with the truth…The truth that you are loved…you are precious…you are valued…you are worth your weight in gold.

The more your heart is open, the more it can be filled with the truth…you are worth your weight in gold. Click To Tweet

Something to think about…

If you are struggling at the moment at knowing how worthy you are, get a post-it note or a piece of paper and write down your qualities. It maybe that you are kind and generous, or that you are compassionate and caring. Whatever it is, write it down.

Everyone has worthy qualities. Ask a close friend if you are really struggling. Keep that note with you or pinned up somewhere you can see it. Next time you feel you are in a situation where you feel unworthy, look at it and remind yourself that you have worthy qualities.

Prayer

Lord, help me to have an open heart that can be filled with your Truth today. Help me to believe that I am loved. I am precious. I am valuable. And I am worth my weight in gold. Amen

Faith, God’s Love, Write 31 Days Challenge 2019

Day 17 in God’s Love – No More Fear

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Why did it take me so long to tell my parents about my abuse? I knew my parents loved me. They would have protected me. I wouldn’t have suffered for nearly five years as a result.

It took me so long because I was scared. For years I was fed with a false love that lied to me. The “love” I received was far from perfect. But I didn’t know any different. 

I thought I was going to be punished for the “love” I had experienced. I lived in fear believing this. This is what shame does. It makes you feel like you are to blame. I would have been the one people were going to judge. 

Furthermore, because I did not know what real love felt like, I didn’t know how to reciprocate this love to others. The lack of perfect love in my life left me feeling insecure and worthless. 

What is perfect love?

John, in his letter to the early Christians, describes what perfect love really does: 

When we feel God’s love in our life, we have nothing to fear. As a result, we can then be confident and secure in knowing our fear of being punished is taken away. When we are secure in God’s love, we can pass this love onto others. 

When we feel God’s love in our life, we have nothing to fear. As a result, we can then be confident and secure in knowing our fear of being punished is taken away. When we are secure in God’s love, we can pass this love onto others.  Click To Tweet

Oh, how I lament over not knowing this sooner. Fear and shame would have been cast out earlier and God’s perfect love would have taken place. 

Something to think about…

When we are afraid of something, we feel insecure. Knowing God’s love can help us feel secure again. The problem sometimes though is being aware of when God is loving us (which is all the time, by the way *wink*). 

Why not keep a journal and write down all the ways you experience God’s love. It doesn’t matter how small it is – nothing is insignificant in God’s eyes. 

If a gift is given, write it down. If a prayer is answered, write it down. When a stranger gives an unexpected compliment, write it down. Whatever it is, yes you’ve guessed it…WRITE IT DOWN! 

Prayer

God, I longed to be free from fear as I was growing up. Thank you for loving us so perfectly in a way that is never too late for us to accept. Help us to embrace this love and then to release it for others to experience the same freedom from fear. Amen.