Will You Be An Earth Angel?

In August 2007, I stepped off the bus after a long ride up the mountain, and breathed in the cool, smoky air of Quito, Ecuador.

I watched intently as dozens of Ecuadorian children excitedly lined up to meet their American guests, while standing behind the iron gates with looks of nervous anticipation and inquisitive eyes. They stood there in fancy, hand made outfits - the girls wearing bright colored dresses with hand stitched aprons and headbands; the boys wearing little black pants and white shirts.

Although every child was precious, nothing compares to the first time I laid eyes on my little sponsored child. His name was Marlon, and up until that moment, he had merely been a face on a picture of a sponsorship envelope.

As the program began, the leaders began connecting us with our sponsored children.

They called my name out and I walked towards the center of the yard. As they introduced me as Marlon's sponsor, I saw a dark haired little boy come out from behind the crowd, and scurry across the gravel yard, puckering up his lips the whole time, and leaned up to shower me with sweet kisses. I got the impression his mommy had prepped him intently on how to greet me, but it was precious, regardless.

He then wrapped his little arms around me, and hugged me tightly, as if he had known me forever. I will never forget the softness of his skin and the look in his eyes; eyes that were barely old enough to really know what was going on, but that had already seen harder times than some of us would ever see.

For the next couple hours, we each had the opportunity to spend time with our sponsored child, and give him or her the special gifts we had brought for them.

Marlon happily played with the matchbox cars I had given him, and scooted the Spiderman action figure up and down the pole of the rusted, broken swing set. Although he wasn’t interested in the new clothes, I knew they were much needed and his mom was thankful.

After a while, the time came when we had to leave. A lot of tears and prayers had already been shed that day, but saying goodbye tore at my heartstrings the most, for I knew that meeting Marlon and his mom was a once in a lifetime opportunity.

Before we departed, Marlon’s mother, Mada, grabbed me and an interpreter by the hand, and asked if she could pray for me. I stood there with my head bowed and eyes closed, holding hands with this sweet lady and her child. I intently listening as the interpreter translated Mada’s precious words to me in prayer, and tears streamed down my face.

She cried out a heartfelt prayer, but one statement that she said has stuck out in my heart and mind ever since – she graciously thanked God for sending me to her family, and said that I was a beautiful angel who genuinely cared for the well being of her and her little boy.

Wait a minute.....me – an angel? I think not. Of all the words that I could use to describe myself, “angel” would not make the list. Although I do wear a lot of hats in my every day life, a halo has never been one of them.

The official definition of an angel is: “A typically benevolent celestial being that acts as an intermediary between heaven and earth”.

Obviously no human can be a "celestial being", but I do believe that we can allow God to use us to perform intermediary acts for people that are here on earth – in other words, we can be an earth angel.

God gives us all plenty of opportunities to be earth angels, but we have to choose to wear that hat (aka, halo) and say yes to God.

As I walked through the iron gates to head back towards the bus which would take us back to our Ecuador hotel, I heard Marlon’s soft voice above the crowd. He was sprinting across the yard, excitedly waving at me, yelling “Adios! Adios!”

Tears again filled my eyes, as I suddenly felt as if I was losing a family member. A little boy whom I had never met until that day, and would probably never get to see in person again, had become someone that my heart would long for for years to come.

Unfortunately, Marlon's family dropped out of the Compassion International program about a year ago, and last year we picked a new child so sponsor - named Joe. We have received so many sweet letters from him, and have enjoyed getting to know him and his family. Maybe God will give us the opportunity to meet him in person one day too, but until then, we will love and pray for him from afar.

I feel so privileged that God has allowed me to be his earth angel, from thousands of miles away, and it is has been such a blessing to my whole family.

This is a wonderful time of year to begin thinking about how you can be an earth angel. In fact, I am sponsoring a Compassion Sunday event at my home church this weekend, and excited to see new faces going home with fellow church members.

You could consider sponsoring a child for $38 per month through Compassion. Just click on the link on the right sidebar of my blog and you will be amazed at the sweet faces peering back at you. Faces that need an earth angel.

If you are unable to do that right now, or if you already sponsor a child, ask God to show you how you can be an earth angel in your own neighborhood, community, church or school. This world can never have too many angels.

Matthew 25:40 ..... ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

If God lays it on your heart to sponsor a child, please comment and let me know! I would love to celebrate with you and pray for you! 
 
(to see additional pictures from my trip to Ecuador, visit my Facebook page and click on the album titled Compassion International Trip) 

When Faith Seems Unrewarded

She sat on the edge of her chair directly across from me. Her eyes were locked on mine, hands tightly clenched in her lap.  I could almost see the toxic mixture of emotions swirling through her heart and mind, evidenced by the scared expression on her pale, young face.

As I broke the news to her, her face became blank, and her body froze with fear, anxiety, and worry. We sat in silence, and it felt as if time stood still while she tried to process the fact that her life would never be the same again.

A few months prior to this moment, she had turned her life around. She had recommitted her heart to Christ and had made a commitment to transform her life into one focused on Him. For the first time in her life, she felt like she had a purpose, a plan and a future - because her faith was strong.

But on this particular day, everything changed. She had come into the Pregnancy Resource Center where I volunteer, seeking a pregnancy test, and her worst fears were confirmed.

My heart was breaking as I witnessed the battle between good and evil coursing through her veins like wildfire. So many thoughts and questions fighting for her attention. Trying to hold back tears and grasp what this meant for her future. Weighted down by the heavy fear of judgement and shame which made even breathing seem like effort. Knowing that abortion was out of the question, yet secretly and ashamedly wishing the pregnancy would just go away.

But most of all, confused why God allowed this to happen, considering the fact that she had changed, was transformed, and been made new in Christ. She had made sacrifices for Christ, including ending ungodly relationships, and had committed to living a life that glorified Him, at all costs.  Yet now, it all seemed futile, since mistakes made before her faith transformation were now threatening to steal her future.

It seemed her profound faith was going unrewarded - as if God had not noticed her transformation. As if He had overlooked all her efforts to live a Christ-centered life.

Yet, the longer we talked, the more we were able to work through the details of the situation and try to step outside of the box of fear, and into the Presence of God.

I gently reminded her that although this pregnancy was a surprise to her, it was not a surprise to God, and He had been preparing her heart for months. He knew she would be faced with an unplanned pregnancy, and He had been passionately pursuing her, all the while equipping her to face this problem head on. He had infused her spirit with a strength and courage to persevere through this trial - traits that she would have never been able to have on her own.

Godly character traits that compelled her to choose life for her unborn child, which she may not have otherwise chosen, resulting in a decision that would have altered the course of her life. God had prepared her heart for such a time as this, and now He was calling her to trust Him, in faith.

We prayed and parted ways, and as I watched her walk out the door into a world which held many unknowns, I was reminded of how much I am like this young woman. How much we are all like her.

Faced with problems that seem insurmountable; circumstances that seem beyond understanding; issues that feel too heavy to carry; and hopelessness that takes our breath away.

Faced with wondering "why". Why has God allowed pain; why has God not protected us from hardship; and why is our faith and our commitment to Him going seemingly unnoticed, or unrewarded.

Psalm 139:1-2 says "O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away."  (NLT)

Even if we don't voice these questions aloud, God knows we struggle with understanding His ways, and what peace it brings knowing that He lovingly understands. 

Doubts will always come in a broken world, but God's desire is to replace our fear with faith. Our hopelessness, with hope. Our pain with purpose.  

Romans 8:26-28 (The Message Bible)   "Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting, God's Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don't know how or what to pray, it doesn't matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant condition, and keeps us present before God. That's why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good."
 
This young woman I met with was not only faced with a physical condition of pregnancy, but a spiritual condition of being pregnant with overwhelming fears and doubts -  a condition that we all struggle with when we face difficult circumstances that weave themselves in our lives.

But in the midst of our "pregnancy", God longs to pulls us closer to Him - whether we are suffering the consequences of our own mistakes, or trying to balance the varying hardships of life which were beyond our control.

He is working in even the worst of situations and can use them for His glory; turning what the enemy intended for bad, into good.  A good that is far beyond our understanding, but within reach if we trust in God's promises, because God always rewards faith with blessing.

James 1:12  "God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him." (NLT)

Listening And Learning

Today's Proverbs 31 Devotion, Altercation to Altar Call, talked about the importance of listening to God, and then obeying His voice. But all too often, life gets so distracting, we not only forget to listen, but we may even forget how to listen!

Let's do a little exercise to refresh our memory. If your radio, television or IPOD are on, turn them off.  Now sit up straight in your chair, close your eyes, and be as still as possible for 60 seconds.  Listen intently to anything you hear, making note of each sound. Then open your eyes.

What did you hear? The sounds of conversation around you... a busy office... cars passing by outside your window... dogs barking... birds singing... children playing... the ticking of a clock... crickets chirping... the sound of your breath?

Seldom do I stop, sit still, and just listen. But when my body is calling for rest, and I actually give in to a few moments of silence, I hear things that I would have otherwise ignored or tuned out,  and maybe you realize you often do the same thing after doing this little exercise.  Listening to God takes the same concentration and silence, as does pausing to listen for background noise in our lives. 

Since I work from home, I usually have the TV running even though I rarely actually watch it. It's just background noise to break up the silence. Yet, when I need to spend time with God, the TV gets turned off immediately, so I can concentrate in the silence and listen for God's whispers. If I am in the car, I turn off the radio if I want to pray, so that my thoughts are not subconsciously tuned into the music, instead of focusing on God.

Noise can become one of the biggest barriers to hearing God's voice when we fail to pause and listen in silence. Not only noise from external things, but also from our internal thoughts.  God is ready to pull us into conversation with Him the second we are ready to talk, but it's easy to do all the talking, and none of the listening! 

Listening to God requires a deliberate choice to not only shut off the TV, radio or other outside noise, but to shut out the chaos swirling in our hearts and minds. Although listening seems like a passive activity, it is actually one that requires effort, attention and a conscious choice to listen, whether talking with a person, or with God.

My twelve year old son Michael exhibited these listening skills at church in the story I shared in today's P31 devotion, and then he moved towards God. His small act of obedience to hearing God's voice in His spirit reminded me of the importance of keeping faith simple, like a child - even when it comes to listening.

Michael felt bad about something he had done, he felt God nudging his heart to seek forgiveness, and He moved to the One who could offer not only that, but also help for the future.

His prayer was probably simple, sounding something like this, "Here I am Lord. At the altar. I'm sorry for what I did. Please forgive me. And help me with this issue. Amen." Simple, yet sufficient. Brief, yet based on solid belief. Plain, yet powerful.

He believed that he heard God speak through His Word. He believed that God held the power to settle his heart. And he felt a desire to seek after God - even if it meant standing up in front of an entire congregation and getting on his knees.

Listening.      Believing.      Moving.      Seeking.

Four incredible lessons we can learn about listening with the faith of a child.

Imagine the life changing lessons we can learn if we listen to God consistently, habitually, and silently. How might our lives be different if we allowed His Words to override our own, even when we feel like doing all the talking? How would our faith increase if we obeyed His nudges, even if it simply meant moving towards Him for forgiveness, love, mercy and help?

Have you been trying to hear God's voice as you pray about a situation in your life?  If He seems silent, have you considered that maybe He is speaking, but there is too much "noise" in your life or in your heart? If so, consider setting aside some time today to spend true silent time with God, and focus your ears to be in tune to His voice alone.

John 10:27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. (NLT)

Luke 11:28   Jesus replied, “But even more blessed are all who hear the word 

                                                     of God and put it into practice.” (NLT)

When Mom Gets Weary

My devotion running over at Proverbs 31 today is called Getting Through Another One Of Those Days. 

Unfortunately, it seems I have been having a lot of "those days" recently, because living in a house filled with two teenage daughters and a pre-teen son means there is never a dull moment around here! In fact some times I find myself praying for dull moments, because I have had more opportunities to preach, teach, feel discouraged, tolerate teenage hormonal drama, and dole out punishments than seems fair for one mom. The happy days certainly outweigh the trying days, but nonetheless, those trying days can still be exhausting.

So when another one of "those days" hits, I can often find myself fighting off a severe case of maternal weariness, and maybe you can relate.

I used to think that sleepless nights with infants, daycare issues and nursing sick kids for months was the epitome of exhaustion.... but now I understand that the weight of emotional exhaustion far exceeds even the worst case of physical exhaustion. Being a parent can be down right tiring, and no matter how we treasure our little bundles of joy, we can still experience those days when we are ready to throw in the towel, or at least succumb to temporary defeat.

Whether we are struggling with toddler tantrums and diaper changes, or teenage social plans, peer pressures and busy schedules, being a mom can zap our energy physically and emotionally.

I have to be honest, there have been "those days", when I felt like just saying "yes' to every request that rolled off the lips of my children, merely because it would make life simpler.  If there were less "no's" and more "yes's", then everybody would be happy with mom all the time, and oh what a wonderful world it would be.... right?

Even though the thought of a magical paradise - where all off spring were perpetually happy and thought mom was the greatest thing since sliced bread - seems tempting at first, that is the worst place we could find ourselves in - and more importantly, our children would suffer in the long run.

When God made mothers, He had a plan. A plan to use moms to raise up every generation to love and honor their Creator. And I'm convinced that motherhood is the hardest job in the universe.

God did not just give mothers some little people who needed to be cared for, He gave them a job. A job that is in essence, a divine calling.  A calling to be the guardian of not only our children's lives, but also their hearts. A calling to raise them with values, character, integrity and boundaries, even when doing so makes us tired in more ways than one.

A calling to not only be a mother, but to be a Godly parent to the best of our ability.

Nobody will argue, that parenting can be tough, and it takes a tough heart to keep giving it your all, when your all is just about spent. It takes a lot of commitment to keep loving our children through those hard days, especially when they are not being lovable, and we are not feeling loved in return.

Yet taking a back seat in our children's lives in order to try to maintain peace and harmony in our households, is not at all what God has called us to do. His Word instructs us to seek His face and His strength, when we are feeling discouraged and weak.

We can never be perfect parents, but we can trust in the One who is. As long as we are giving it our best, and devoting our energies, or even our lack of energies, to raising healthy, happy kids in a way that would be pleasing to God, I believe with all my heart that God will one day honor that devotion and commitment.

SPECIAL FREEBIE!
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As mentioned in today's Proverbs 31 devotion, I am offering you the opportunity to listen to my one-hour interview with Tara McClanahan from MommyMissions.com, on the subject of Godly parenting.  If you are interested in tuning in or downloading the audio file, please click on the link below which will redirect you to the Mommy Missions website, where you can access your free download: 
EMBRACING THE CHALLENGE OF CHRISTIAN PARENTING

If you would like to download the listening guide for this online session, it is also available on the site, and includes some practical tips for Godly parenting and links to additional posts to encourage you in your quest to be a Godly parent,
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So do you struggle with the challenge of Christian parenting? What helps you get through another one of "those days"? Share your insight with about how you persevere in your parenting challenges so that all of us moms can be encouraged! I would also be honored to pray for you in you are having "one of those days".

If you are not currently a subscriber to my blog, get subscribed today so you don't miss out on any of the follow up posts where I will share a great idea about how to start a parenting support group in your area, including free extras such as a mission statement, strategies for getting started, sample topics, marketing materials, etc.

To subscribe, simply enter your email address in the blue box to the right and confirm your subscription upon receipt of the confirmation email. 

 (pssst... I have a secret..... I have some super exciting news to share very soon, and I want you to have the opportunity to be a part of it! So get subscribed today!)

Easter Makes Our "What if's" Nothing But History

As soon as I answered the phone, I heard the panic in her voice.

My daughter, who was in the 7th grade at the time, had received permission from her teacher to call and ask if she had possibly left her brand new IPOD Touch in the car that morning. Although I knew I hadn't noticed it, I checked the car thoroughly, yet it was nowhere to be seen.  Her worst fears became a reality - the IPOD was missing.

I immediately went to the school and met with the principal to file a report about the missing IPOD, where I learned that there had been a rash of thefts since school resumed after Christmas break.  When Kaitlyn came into the office, I could see the sadness in her eyes, hear the loss in her voice, and sense the overwhelming regret pouring out of her little heart.

As she scooted into the chair beside me, trying to hold back the wails of sobs that wanted to burst out of her, I knew she was beating herself up inside. Even though an IPOD is just a material thing, it had been a special Christmas gift she had anxiously waited for. She had been so excited to receive it, but now, it was history.

Immediately upon leaving the Principal's office, the tears she had been holding back could no longer be restrained, and she expressed through her sobs how desperately she wished she could go back in time that morning. What if  she would have just left it at home or in the car.  If only she hadn't left her purse at her desk when the class went to the library for a brief time. How she wished she had held onto it safely and been more responsible.

Her mind was flooded with "what if's", "if only's", and "I wish's".....but nothing would change the outcome. The IPOD was gone forever.

I have been in her shoes before, but over more serious issues than an IPOD. I spent years living with a desperate longing to go back in time and do some things differently. To be given a second chance to make good decisions and better choices.  I remember the weight of trying to juggle all the "what if's", "if only's", and "I wish's" of my life, all the while, beating myself up inside.

But all that came to a close when God got hold of my heart, and helped me embrace His promises of unconditional forgiveness and love. When I asked God to make me whole, and allowed His compassionate love to become a reality in my life, I realized that just like the IPOD, my past was history - but in my case, it was a good thing to lose.

After concluding my meeting with the school principal that day, I bent down to hug Kaitlyn and send her back to class. As she turned to walk away, with a tear stained face, slumped shoulders which carried the weight of regret and sorrow, I remember feeling a sudden surge of maternal emotion overcome me.

I found myself wanting to sprint down the hall like a mom on a mission, scoop her up into my arms, and whisk her home where we could snuggle up in a blanket, drink hot chocolate, and  watch silly cartoons. I felt such an overwhelming compassion building up inside of me that I thought I might explode. I wanted to make it all better, and take away her hurt. I wanted to fix the problem, but I couldn't.
 
When I consider God's compassion for us, His children, I can only imagine that it exceeds anything we can fathom as an earthly parent. When He sees that we are hurting, or struggling with our own set of  "what if's", "if onlys", and "I wish's", He wants to make it all better, but unlike us, He has the sovereign power to do so. He can make it all better, and He will, if we acknowledge that Easter is celebrating the gift of His life to save ours, and open the door for Him to enter into our heart.
 
Psalm 78:38-39 says "Yet He was compassionate; He atoned for their guilt and did not destroy them. He often turned His anger aside and did not unleash all His wrath."  (ESV)  
 
I could have been mad at Kaitlyn for not listening to my instruction about leaving her IPOD at home, but my love and compassion for her took precedence over anger or judgement. In the same way, as this verse describes, God's compassion outweighs His judgement, when we repent and turn from our sin.

This weekend, on Easter Sunday, we will come face to face with the depth of His compassion, as we celebrate the resurrection of His Son. There is no need for us to beat ourselves up for past mistakes, or waste time fretting over "what if's",  because Christ already took the beating for us.

He was a Man on a mission, with overwhelming compassion and willing to do whatever it took to scoop us up into His arms and atone for our mistakes, making them nothing more than forgotten history.

Happy Easter Friends!!

The Most Special Thing

It started out as a simple assignment, but turned into a life lesson.

Three years ago when my son Michael was nine years old, he showed me a picture he had drawn in Sunday School. I gazed at his artwork and told him how wonderful it was, even though I was secretly  unsure what he was trying to portray. Considering the fact that the drawing had immersed out of a little boy's mind, I just assumed it was an ordinary picture of a villain who had been slain, and a person with fire around them because they were too close to the sun. 

But when I asked him to tell me about it, my heart swelled with joy. (see his picture below)

Michael began to explain that his Sunday School teacher had asked them to draw a picture of something special that God had done for them. After he explained his picture, it made perfect sense.

You see, the person laying horizontally at the bottom of the page (with x's on their eyes and their tongue sticking out because he said that is how everyone looks on cartoons whey they die) was a person who had died. The figure floating in the air represented that person's soul, who had turned into an angel. The angel was happily rising into heaven, because Jesus had died on the cross for his sins so that he could have eternal life.

I sat there stunned at his simple explanation of the death and resurrection of our Savior, and his understanding that Christ had died for our sins. Needless to say I gave him a big mamma bear hug with tears in my eyes until he began to squirm his way out of my arms.

I began to think about what I would have drawn if I had been given the same assignment by my Sunday School teacher. I can only imagine that  I would have probably tried to make it all complicated -  like we adults often tend to do. 

I probably would have pondered all kinds of " special things", such as my health, house, husband, children, family, financial security, car, food, job, and any other blessings I felt God had bestowed upon me. Then after compiling my list, I might have weighed the importance of each in an attempt to figure out which blessing was most special, and then map out how I could portray that special gift in an artistic way.

But in the mind of a child, the most special thing quickly came to mind in a simple format:  Jesus died. And rose again. So we could live.

Salvation. Resurrection. Eternal life. All because of love. Simple as that.

In Mark 10:15, Jesus tells His disciples "I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it."  

God longs for us to embrace the faith of a child, even when we are grown because a child does not need to research the Internet, read books, weigh all the facts, consider scientific theories, and compare various religions - to believe in the One true Savior. A child has not been influenced by the world's opinions, or poisoned with prejudice or judgement. A child is teachable. A child is humble. A child is trusting. A child thrives on being loved, and is always willing to give love to others, unconditionally. A child is thankful. And a child keeps things simple, including faith.

How easily we tend to forget that out of all the great things Jesus has done for us - His death on the cross is the most special thing of all, and even the greatest earthly blessings pale in comparison to the gift of life itself.

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Do you know Jesus as your personal Savior? Do you believe that He died for your sins, because of His unconditional love for you, and that in Him your eternal life is secure? If you are unsure, or you want to learn more about getting to know your heavenly Father, click here: Do You Know Jesus?