Winner Every Time

A whistle rounds them up. . .Ready. . .Set. . .Go with a sound of the gun!  A herd of runners take off, each filled with determination, fear, anxiety, adrenaline, excitement and ambition. . .

Determination to win the ribbon.

Fear of failure.

Anxiety due to comparisons.

Adrenaline rush while running for the finish.

Excitement to be involved.

Ambition to be in the top 15.

Cross country running is the talk of the Craig household during such a season.  My son decided to go out for the team and excelled in the sport.  He pours all of self into each practice, talks excitedly about accomplishments made and works diligently to beat the previous times with each run.  He follows in the footsteps of his dad, pouring 100% into the moment set before him. 

The determination to win a ribbon also sets the environment up for failure.  Being a first year runner sets my son up for failure due to lack of experience, training and stamina.  As a parent, I watch and pray that he does not let the fact of failing to win a ribbon overpower the accomplishment of finishing the run.  Yes, others cross the finish before, run harder, possess greater muscle mass and seem to recover in less time; but, my son finishes each race with pride, runs to his greatest ability, possess the exact muscle mass intended for his frame and completes necessary measures to recover from long distance runs.  He is a winner in my book.

Comparisons can tear down a spirit.  I watch him near the finish while looking around to see who lags behind him.  I hear him speak of other’s times in the race in comparison to his.  I listen and pray that he stands proud of the race ran and congratulates team members for their performance, rather than condemn self for less than results.  He is a winner in my book.

The adrenaline rush can be used to an advantage when geared toward finishing the race.  Adrenaline keeps perseverance in the race even when lagging behind the sea of runners.  Holding the attitude of excitement and thanksgiving simply to be involved will help maintain the perseverance established through adrenaline.  Keeping his eyes focused on the fact that his health allows for such running/exercise, builds a thankful attitude.  His ambition to be in the top 15 pushes him to do the very best the body given can do.  The idea keeps my son striving for better with each timed run.  He never gives up and ends with a smile.  He is a winner in my book.

Ever desire to be a winner in someone’s book?  Ever feel like the gun sounds without hearing the warning of the whistle?  The race of life takes off and you stand at the start line frozen, full of emotions hindering any forward movement.  The world spins in chaos, stirring up clouds of dust which blind and the noise of opinions/ideas deafen.  Mixed emotions lean us toward raising the white flag in surrender.  Fear of failure rolled with anxiety when comparing the next person’s story to our own, overtakes our soul.  Minds begin filling with negative, condemning words, affirming each fear.  Satan moves in at just the perfect time, ceases opportunity to grasp hold of the situation and pulls our soul into a pit. 

What can we do when the sea of runners takes off around us and life appears out of control?  How can we face each day with determination, perseverance, excitement and ambition?   

Determine that the person God created is good enough.  There will be others who handle situations “better”, appear “happier” or seem to sail through life without any complications.  Well, know that God uses you in every situation set before you and He thinks highly of the skills placed in you during creation.  He knows you will succeed in the day in front of you.  You are a winner in His book.

Persevere with excitement as the adventure of today unfolds.  God takes you mighty places and believes in you to finish each day with confidence, peace, joy and love as you seek His guidance.  Remain in a spirit of thanksgiving that He believes in you enough to bring such adventure in your day.  You are a winner in His book.

Every day. . . Pray harder than the devil can work!

Finding Rest

My daughter suffers with nightmares more often than not.  The night begins as does every other night. . .

We gather together in prayer, walk each child to bed, hug & kiss good night and end with speaking a comforting confirmation of our love toward them.  Most nights of the week, a sweet little child vocalizes THE QUESTION which begins a small meltdown:  “Can we switch beds?”  This indicates the desire for my daughter to share the bed with me and my husband share a bed with our son.  We do this about once a week for fun; but, the question comes much more often and we must inform this child that the answer is NO. 

Therefore, meltdown occurs and she lays out a guilt trip in hopes for us to cave in and change the answer.  She fears lying alone due to the nightmares, placing a nightly bondage in her life.  My heart breaks thinking such fear accompanies this basic need: sleep. 

One particular evening/early morning, she ran to my bedside in horrified tears crying out my name.  She let me know of the terrifying dream and held tightly to her blanket.  I eased with the usual comforting answer, “It is all fake, you are safe.”  Then, I pulled her into bed with me for the remainder of time.  All was well in the Craig household. . .for the time being.

Less than one hour later, the same sound filled the room; only this time right next to my ear.  Another nightmare gripped my daughter, stealing peaceful sleep.  She rolled to me, placing her sweet hand on my shoulder seeking comfort.  She told me, “You know how to make it all better.”  Wow, pretty powerful words – no pressure, right?

Ever feel like life resembles a nightmare?  Sleeping actually allows for an escape from such horrifying scenes played out during the day.  Once the alarm rings, you roll over in hopes today will reveal a better storyline than previous pages written in life.  The day begins as does every other day. . .

Grab a caffeine fix, clean up for the day, dress accordingly and head out the door for the first destination.  A sweet, yet quiet, voice sounds inside to confirm protection, love and comfort for this day.  This indicates the desire for the Holy Spirit to share this day with you.  Before facing trials of the day, we confidently agree to such a Companion, Guide and Protector. 

Slowly the enemy creeps in to steal such confidence and freedom of resting at the Cross.  With each trial before us, the enemy works diligently to find a foothold, placing bondage over the day.  Where do you run when such occurs?  When the nightmare flashes before your eyes, to whom do you turn for help?  As the enemy steals the pen and begins writing out the story for the day, how do you find a way back to peace?

Run to the One Who knows how to make it all better. . .

²⁸ “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” 

Matthew 11:28

⁷ Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 

1Peter 5:7

⁵⁰ My comfort in my suffering is this:  Your promise preserves my life. 

Psalm 119:50

⁵ Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long. 

Psalm 25:5

     

And as always. . .

Keep praying harder than the devil can work.

Perfection is Overrated

Take a look at each of these; each slightly differs in word usage:


10 Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ. NIV

¹⁰ Do you think I speak this strongly in order to manipulate crowds? Or curry favor with God? Or get popular applause? If my goal was popularity, I wouldn’t bother being Christ’s slave. The Message

¹⁰ For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ. ESV

¹⁰ Obviously, I’m not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ’s servant.  NLT

No matter the version of the Bible used, Galatians 1:10 presents a hefty message.  Let’s unpack the Scripture together.  This one Scripture speaks loudly to me on more than one occasion. 

One word sums up my character: introvert.  Crowds bring anxiety, relationships create fear, change increases emotion and time remains my worst enemy.  The root cause: approval + striving for perfection.  See if I remain perfect, pleasing whoever stands in front of me at the moment, then acceptance will always prevail.  Over the years exhaustion struck due to chasing everyone around trying to fit into who they thought Sheree should be.  Along the path, I did not even know Sheree anymore.  I cannot explain the emotion when looking in the mirror only to reveal a stranger staring back.

Solution: build up sturdy walls around my heart, do what needs to be done in the world daily and rush back home to safety.  Home, oh yes, a safe haven away from people, judgements, chance for failure and quiet.  This sequence continued until kids grew to an age when pacifiers, food and simple toys did not please emotions.  Talking back became a struggle, for the kids did not approve of mom anymore or care to accept the attempts at solving the situation.  Now risk existed at home for failure, harsh judgement and disapproval.  Where could I go to be safe?  What could I do to protect from pain? 

Build more walls, of course.  Shut out the ones closest to me, meeting all their needs while keeping distance enough so to not see flaws in my character.  Guess what, this caused exhaustion to strike as well.  All I desired was to be loved, accepted and comforted; yet, I lost the ability to give any of these precious gifts to others as I built the strongest fort around my own heart. 

Post Baptism, you would think this lifestyle washed away, all walls fell down and introvert no longer existed in my character.  Boy do I wish!  But, what did happen:  I began a journey of healing.  I realized Who I served, that a purpose existed for me and in order to fulfill His plan I must live in the world.  I ran to Him for love, acceptance and comfort.  He provided these and so much more! 

As followers of Christ, we must build each other up; let the walls that hide our true selves crumble and work diligently to reflect the image of our Maker.  We cannot be liked by all, perfect in anything or steer clear of tough situations.  I challenge you to come alongside as I focus on today’s Scripture and remember Who we serve, our purpose here and strive to be like Christ in character. 

As each wall begins to crumble around my heart, I begin to see the person God created is not so bad!  Yes, I have “issues” – don’t we all!  This makes the world interesting.  Yes, I still “struggle” – don’t we all!  This makes us cling close to God, relying on His Truth to see us through each situation.  Yes, I still seek “approval” – don’t we all!  This reminds us how exhausting such a lifestyle becomes and helps us get back on track by focusing on today’s Scripture.

Have a blessed day today and each to follow as we together focus on serving God!  And as always. . .Keep praying harder than the devil can work.

Trends - #HisTruthreveals

Twitter account ownership differs in many aspects compared to Facebook account ownership.  Twitter requires increasingly more attention in order to stay in the know.  Each minute a new Tweet appears from those you follow or those following you.  Individuals can begin following you without permission; wherein, you are asked to follow them back. 

Twitter page layout offers suggestions, as does Facebook, on who/what to follow based on information provided and current list.  With the click of a button, you follow a specific group or person.  Instantly, the last few Tweets appear on the timeline. 

Twitter provides a trends section revealing the most popular Tweets.  You can then click on it, read the Tweets and add to the sea of opinions if desired.  The # following a post determines appearance on the trends list.  The # must contain the same words as all other posts. 

Twitter only allows a specific number of characters, as opposed to Facebook allowing endless, within each Tweet.  The line need be catching, followed by # worth retweeting or sharing.  Pictures definitely help when catching attention of social media.  If sharing a recipe, take a picture; if sharing a moment in the day, take a picture; if sharing an opinion, add a picture to emphasize your side. 

Twitter will often contain a Tweet without # but in place will have a link to follow and read the rest of the story.  Therefore, the line need be catching in this situation as well. 

Okay, Okay. . .so, I do have a point to all this gibberish about Twitter and Facebook.  These two sites offer the greatest traffic in social media, reaching millions across the globe.  Both provide great means of communication; but, each with a different spin on means of travel.  Both serve great purpose in society today and offer free ways to keep in the know. 

So, what if God had a social media account?  Which do you believe He would use the most?  In Facebook, He would have to wait and be accepted in order to be your friend.  In Twitter, He could follow you regardless of your acceptance.  In Twitter, He could see/hear your opinions, remain in touch by viewing pictures posted and find ways to reach out by Tweeting intriguing posts.  He could provide a catching line, and then attach a link to a devotion written specifically for your situation.

Yeah, I think God would use Twitter more often to reach more individuals.  But, what would He say?  Would He provide the most popular Words He wrote. . .

Beautifully and wonderfully made - #youare

One and only Son given to provide Eternal life - #allforyou    

Need a plan and a purpose?  I got one - #createdwithyouinmind

In a bind?  I can work it out for good - #allyouneedisfaith

Or, would He reveal deeper Truths. . .

Trouble cannot be taken away in this world.  I have the answer. - https://www.biblegateway.com

Give thanks in ALL situations.  How? - https://www.biblegateway.com

Love one another daily by sharing Good News. - https://www.biblegateway.com

Forgive endlessly. -  https://www.biblegateway.com

As Christians we strive to be like Christ.  Looking to Him for guidance provides clarity in all situations.  Follow His example to share the Good News.  Though we live in this world, we need not be of this world.  Yes, we must embrace the technology and become like others by engaging in social media.  Post with a kind spirit, Truth filled heart and reveal His goodness available to those who believe.  Avoid harsh words.  He did not intend His Truth to be used as weaponry toward each other; only toward Satan in order to kill his attack with Truth.  Keep words and actions aligned.  May the words shared reflect the pictures captured in our lives.

Let’s Tweet a line that will intrigue those around, creating a desire in their hearts to know more about our God.  Let’s share pictures amongst social media that reveal the peace, joy and love felt because God is alive and active in our lives.  Let’s follow others in social media in hopes they will become a follower of Christ based on comments/posts.  Let’s embrace social media with the intent of discipleship!  I believe God would use social media as such.

Keep praying harder than the devil can work.