Faithful Moments

Thought for the Week-The Wolf

Good Afternoon Girlfriends!

Have you ever heard the expression: "The wolf is at the door"?  Ever wondered where that came from?  I've been thinking about that a lot lately, so naturally I had to look it up.  We are all familiar with the story of The Three Little Pigs.  For those of you whose memories may fail in placing the particulars of this story allow me to do a brief, and instant recap.  A hungry wolf is chasing three little pigs.  He first goes to one pig's house made of straw.  The wolf huffs and puffs and blows the house down; thus causing the pig to run to his brother's house made of sticks.  The wolf does the same thing, and the house of sticks is no more.  The two pig brothers run to the third pig's house made of bricks, with the wolf hot on their trail.  The wolf huffs and he puffs, but he cannot blow down the house made of bricks.  He pounds at the door, hence the expression: The wolf is at the door.

Through the years, this expression has become synonymous with hunger and poverty.  It is that aspect that I want to focus on right now, although if we have time, we will revisit the ending.  It has been roughly two and a half months since I resigned from my position with the church.  I knew deep in my spirit that stepping down from that area of ministry was what God was telling me to do, even though it meant stepping out into a new area of ministry filled with financial uncertainty.  In short I took a leap of faith and prayed I did not misinterpret God's plan for me.  My husband is self-employed, and has been since he got out of college.  His field of expertise has taken quite a large hit since the economy tanked several years ago.  Praise God, we had a cushion of savings to sustain us for the past three years.  However, that cushion is rapidly declining.  And still I believe God had, check that, God has a plan for us.  Now, I don't want any of you to panic as you read this.  Mother, I'm specifically talking to you.  The wolf is not knocking on our door...yet.  My point is this: how in the world do you hold on to your faith when nothing is going right and God is seemingly silent?

As I had this week's Thought brewing in the recesses of my mind, two Scriptures verses immediately popped into the forefront.  Come with me to Jeremiah 29:11-13, "'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.  Then you will call upon me, and I will listen to you.  You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.'" emphasis added  Hold on to that little nugget as we fast forward to the New Testament.  Read with me John 10:11-12, and then we will digest them.  "'I am the good shepherd.  The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.  The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep.  So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away.  Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it.'" emphasis added

We've all heard time and time again that God has a plan for us.  That's all fine and good when times are good.  That pill is a lot harder to swallow when you are being chased by a hungry wolf, and you think your shepherd has jumped ship.  You see Girls, Jesus will always stand between us and the wolf.  He is our brick house.  He cannot be blown away like straw or sticks.  He cannot be frightened away like a hired hand.  He alone will stand for us or when the time called for it--lay down for us.  He did that.  He laid down His life on the Cross, so that our lives might be complete.  Are we still going to struggle?  You bet.  Will there still be bills that get paid this week and others that get paid next week?  Sure.  Will I let go of the things that I cannot control and truly give them over the One who can do something about them?  I need to.  What about you?  What type of wolf is knocking on your door today?  Maybe he's not at your door yet, but he's slowly creeping down your street.  I challenge you, open your hands and give your situation over to God.  He has a master plan.  I know He does.  Even when He chooses not to share every detail with us...He is still working things out.  Have a blessed week!

Remember the wolf in the story about the three little pigs?  Well, he didn't come out so great in the end...let go, and let God.

Shameless Plug--

I know that many of your churches and MOPS groups are planning for next year.  Might I encourage you to think of me.  Please visit my website for a sample of speaking topics.  I will send audio/visual samples as requested. 

Stay tuned for updates on my new book: The Mommy Diaries, due out Summer 2012!!!

 

Thought for the Week-Can You Hear Me Now?

Good Morning Girlfriends!

A few years back, a nationally known cell phone service company launched a hugely successful marketing campaign.  It seems that when cell phones first came out, the most common phrase heard through the airwaves was, "Can you hear me now?"  Suffice to say, service coverage wasn't all that great.  This one company, however, turned a massive blunder in coverage into a monster success story.  They put an average guy in some very remote places, where he would stop, pause and ask the question (through his cell phone) "Can you hear me now?"  He would then wait for an answer, and reply, "Good."  Then he would keep walking.  The most interesting or perhaps the funniest thing about this scene, was the mass of people and technicians walking behind him.  The point the company was trying to make was that switching your service to them meant you, too would be followed by the industry's top and best technology.  Shear genius. 

How many times have y'all heard me say, "Man! I wish God would just call me on my cell phone and tell me what to do!"  Have you ever felt that way?  Have you ever thought maybe you were talking to him, but your connection was sketchy at best, and broken at worst?  Hey God, can You hear me now?  To be quite honest with y'all, I have felt that way.  In fact, I'm feeling that way today.  Can You hear me now?  Let's take a look into the Book to see if God really has trouble hearing us.  Psalm 139:4 says, "Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD."  That is fairly straightforward.  Not only can God hear what we say, but He knows our thoughts.  I don't even know my own thoughts!  You see, God's ways are not my ways.  He doesn't need the same communication channels that I do.  He's not bound by the same restrictions that I am.  God made me, and He made you.  He knows us so intricately, so thoroughly, that He even knows our thoughts.  Can You hear me now?  Yes.  He can.

Today, I still feel like I'm driving through a cell phone dead-zone.  God has been so amazingly silent for such a long while, that it is only natural that I ask, "Can You hear me now?"  But when we are dealing with the Almighty, there really are no dead-zones.  There is no place that we can go that His coverage doesn't reach.  There is no area that is not fully included in His local calling area.  It won't cost you anything to make a long-distance call to Heaven.  That bill has already been paid in full; Jesus paid for us all on the Cross.  No matter how long we talk to Him, we will never go over our minutes.  So even in the silent times, know that God is still listening.  Maybe His silence is a clue for me (us) to be quiet, so He can ask, "Can you hear me now?"  Put your listening ears on Girls, God may have something He's trying to tell you.  Have a safe a blessed Fourth of July!!

**Remember, all my Girls here in the great state of TEXAS....most of Texas is under a SEVERE burn ban!!  Please, be respectful of the warnings.  Please NO FIREWORKS!!!  One spark could burn an entire neighborhood down.  Be kind to your neighbors, don't start a fire.  Please pray for RAIN!!**