I'll Have What She's Having

We sat in a circle, talking about repentance and freedom and deliverance and victory. What does it mean? What does it look like? And one question kept coming up, “How? How does this happen … and how can this happen to me?!”

We tossed around thoughts and a few personal stories. We looked up scripture. Then one friend shared her experiences.

It was the kind of testimony shared with fellow sojourners, not casual seekers. She talked about intensely difficult struggles, about shattered expectations and disappointments so great they took her breath away—and knocked her to her knees, literally. As the storms raged, she went to her Lord. In sorrow she prayed. In anger she prayed. Through tears she prayed. Through confusion she prayed. With love, she prayed. With gut-wrenching honesty she prayed.

Through days and months and years, she brought her broken parts to the cross. To Jesus. She’d give and He’d take away.

Did He make the storm stop or give the answers she sought? An outsider might look at the evidence and say, “No.” But as we listen we know differently. Jesus might not have changed her circumstances, but He changed her heart. The more of it she gave, the more of it He transformed. Her spirit shines so radiantly that everyone sees the light within.

As she spoke, it struck me—this is what faith looks like. The persistent, passionate, pursuit of our Savior. The willingness to trust, regardless of the outcome. The courage to come with open hands and let go of whatever holds her back, no matter how precious it is. The desperate need for divine sustenance. The humility to realize when she’s getting in the way of God’s doing … again.

Surely this is why she has a faith we admire, and has experienced deliverance again and again.

Looking at my friend’s walk with Jesus, I think about the line from When Harry Met Sally, “I’ll have what she’s having.”

I’m tired of the status quo in my faith. I’m tired of believing the lies of the enemy. I want the kind of deliverance that Jesus promises in the Bible—not as an eventual victory in eternity, but as a here and now reality. I want to walk in the power of the Spirit and be used by the Lord to do great things for His kingdom. I want to get out of my own way and stop tripping myself up before I even get started.

How about you? So many women I’ve met through the years want a deeper faith. They want to forgive or change or heal or experience intimacy with God. But they are stuck and discouraged.

Jesus didn’t walk this earth and die on the cross for us to live this way. He says, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” (John 10:10)

So what’s the difference between us (or at least me) and my friend? I’ll tell you one thing is clear. She approaches her faith like an athlete in training. Disciplined, obedient, committed, passionate. She puts in the time, works through the pain, looks to improve and stays singularly focused on the goal—Jesus.

If you, like me, want to experience the abundant life that Jesus promises. Here are some bad habits I’ve observed that WON’T get you there:

• Just going to church on Sunday and spending a few minutes every day reading devotions
• Holding Jesus as arms’ length
• Adding faith as a hobby or an accessory to life
• Not reading the Bible
• Sitting back and hoping for the best
• Dictating the outcome
• Giving Jesus your leftover time and money
• Thinking, “I’m not that bad”

As the author of Hebrews tells us,

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” (12:1-3)

Paul instructs, “Run in such a way as to win the race.” Win the race. Not participate in, observe or dabble in.

Run.To. Win.

Where are you in the race?

Just Breathe

Thanks for your wonderful comments on prayer. I was inspired by your beautiful words and moving prayer experiences. If you haven’t read the comments to Pondering Prayer, take a moment to do so. I think you’ll be blessed as well. And even if you didn’t respond hopefully the question (and comments) caused you to pause and reflect on your own prayer life, and maybe gain fresh insight.

In an amazing coincidence (or God-incidence) this morning's sermon was on prayer. The inspiration came from Nehemiah’s prayer to God in Nehemiah 1. (Yes, it really is a book in the Bible…I know, I hadn’t given it much thought before either. Further proof that the ENTIRE Bible deserves our attention.) Here's what I learned...
Pastor Doug, please forgive me if I misrepresent your very eloquent sermon!

Why do we pray?
“Prayer is the way our soul breathes.”

I just love the way that sounds, don’t you? So easy. So necessary. So natural.

With each breath of air we don’t think about when, why or how we should breathe, we just do it. Period. So it should be with prayer. No fancy formulas, stringent schedules or evocative elocutions. Just the natural inhalation and exhalation of our soul in response to the Almighty.

If we want to build to a life of prayer we start with three things. (And yes, this is really a rephrasing of the ACTS model of prayer.)

1. Honor God.
Nehemiah recognized what we sometimes have trouble accepting or often overlook. God is God and we’re not. Nehemiah praised God with humility and a reverential heart.

When we acknowledge God the Father; the Creator of the Universe; the One who was and is, and is to come; we adjust our hearts and attitudes into their proper perspective.

2. Be Honest with God.
Nehemiah acknowledged the gravity of his and the Israelites’ sin. Instead of casting blame, hiding behind excuses or sugar coating the problem he bared his soul with honest confession.

God sees all, so there’s nothing we do or think that He’s not already aware of. By emptying the dark, hidden corners of our life through prayer we’re then able to receive God’s grace, power and healing.

3. Ask God.
Nehemiah didn’t ask God to do something he simply wanted, he asked God to do what God had already promised Moses He’d do. God responded in a miraculous way.

Our prayers tend to try to bend God’s will to ours. In addition to our Father's unique purpose for each of our lives, Scripture is filled with His promises to us. When we line up our prayers with God’s will, as Nehemiah did, we will receive powerful responses.

I'm ready to get started. How about you?

Just don't forget...breathe. Your soul will thank you.

For some spiritual CPR, check out this video for an inspiring breath.
Michael W. Smith, “Breathe”

Pondering Prayer

I’ve talked enough. Today I want to hear from you. (I may make this a regular feature. We’ll see how it goes.)

Let’s talk about prayer.

Of all the tools in my Christian toolbox, I think prayer is one the hardest to understand…and to do well. It’s not that I don’t pray, I do. I just don’t think I’m very good at it. Despite my best intentions to stay focused, my mind wanders. I start out strong, but soon I’m thinking about the laundry, what’s planned for the day, a conversation I had and so on. Plus, there are so many people and circumstances to pray for, I never know when I’m done. Often I pray in bed at night. Inevitably I fall asleep. Is God OK with this?

I struggle with the concept that if God has preordained everything isn’t the thing I’m praying for going to happen whether I pray or not? Is God really listening? Sometimes God answers prayers. Sometimes He doesn’t. Why?

I've observed a lot of people using prayer as a magic wand like they’re trying to bend the will of God to their liking. Or they use prayer like a rabbit’s foot, rubbing it for good luck and a means of protection.

That said, in the years I’ve been a Christian I’ve grown a lot in regard to prayer. Among other things I’ve learned four important lessons:

1. God DOES answer prayer.

2. The more specific and personal my requests, the more specific and personal God’s answers.

3. Praying aloud with fellow believers in an intimate setting has allowed me to experience the presence of God and the Holy Spirit in incredibly powerful ways.

4. There are no perfect pray-ers. We may rank the “effectiveness” or “eloquence” of our prayers compared to others, but God doesn’t. I think nothing is more precious to our heavenly Father than a heart laid bare before Him, no matter what the words that cover it.

Now it's your turn. What's your experience with prayer? Why and how do you pray? Have you had specific answers to prayer? Do you struggle with hearing God or wonder if He’s even listening?

Lightning Strikes Close to Home

Last Wednesday a violent thunderstorm had rolled through, causing anyone caught outside to run for cover as torrential rain, heavy winds, hail and lightning pummeled our region. By the time the storm ended over 13,000 lightning bolts hit the Philadelphia area. One of them, struck close to home.

As a babysitter ran for safety with her young charge in her arms, a bolt of lightning hit the tall evergreen they were passing. It traveled through the wet ground and into her, through her arms and into the toddler she was carrying. They both were thrown to the ground.

This happened at a local pool—the one my family belongs to.

I received the news shortly after it occurred and was devastated to learn tragedy had pierced the blissful bubble of our family pool. Our swim club is a special place where time’s stood still. Families gather throughout the summer to barbecue on the weekends, socialize on Friday nights, find respite from the heat and cheer for our kids during swim meets. There is a sense of home and belonging you don’t often find.

My heart ached for the parents who received the phone call, “Come right away. There’s been an accident.” For the young lifeguards who witnessed the horror and responded with a professionalism beyond their years. And for the parents who pitched in to help, knowing it could have been one of their own children.

Immediately I sent an email to the ladies in my Bible study asking them to pray. I learned later dozens and soon hundreds of others were doing the same thing. The gates of heaven were stormed with prayers.

It seems those prayers were answered. Miraculously, the little boy seems to be fine and the babysitter was released from the hospital after a few days.

The after-effects of this freak accident have inspired many. Instead of the typical finger pointing and naming blame that often arise after a tragedy, prayer and praise have enveloped the incident. Everyone involved has pulled together to support one another. And our already close-knit pool is even closer.

At last night’s swim team banquet, the lifeguards were publicly praised and recognized for their exceptional response. The parents of the toddler thanked their pool family for the blanket of prayers in which they were wrapped. By the end, there was hardly a dry eye in the house. Afterward I spoke to the toddler’s mom. She said she was overwhelmed by outpouring of God’s love and the miracle she witnessed.

Sometimes bad things happen. They just do. But in the midst of this horror, God turned it all for His glory. Each display of love, each act of kindness and each prayer were like stones tossed in a pond causing His goodness to radiate in waves. Because of these living examples, even those far from the epi-center witnessed God in a real and personal way. And what remains is love.

There is so much bad news around us, but “we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him.” (Romans 8:28)

And no matter what news the papers report, we can rest in confidence that the Good News is the best news of all.

A Mother's Pain. A Father's Love.

I had planned to write about something else today, but I just got back from running errands and it’s on my heart to share this.

As I walked into Target this afternoon, a woman ahead of me caught my attention. She was dressed for tennis and looked like a good player (she was actually built kind of like me—tall, strong and athletic ;-) Since I play tennis often, I thought I might know her, but at a distance I couldn’t tell.

Luckily, she had paused inside the store and I was able to get a good look at her. Nope, I had never seen her before. Oh, well. I treated myself to a Starbucks and went about my shopping.

As I shopped for hair care products, I heard someone talking on their phone in the aisle next to me. Because the caller was speaking rather loudly and emphatically the conversation caught my attention. But, this wasn’t one of those rude cell phone users who blabs on and on because they think their life is too important to deal with in private.

This was a woman in anguish.

She told whoever she was talking to that she lived in a constant state of fear, not knowing when she’d get a call to confirm the worst. It became apparent that the person she was talking to was the cause of this fear.

It was her 18-year old daughter (as I later found out), in the midst of an addiction, living somewhere far away and making very bad choices. The woman was patiently, but desperately, trying to communicate with her daughter and get her to recognize the devastating consequences of her behavior. And to show her she loved her. My heart broke for this mother and I silently said a prayer for both of them.

Because it felt like I was trespassing on something so private I tried to quickly finish and move on. As I passed the aisle where the caller stood, I was surprised to see the tennis woman I had spotted earlier. The last thing I heard her say as I walked away was, “No. I’m not mad at you.”

The pain in that woman’s voice is still with me. Any of us could be in her place. Drug and alcohol addiction is such a powerful, evil force. And it’s all around us. Brothers, sisters, spouses, parents, sons, daughters. Addiction does not discriminate by age, gender or economic background. It welcomes all.

For so many of you, this woman’s world is your reality. You are consumed with fear as you helplessly watch your loved one struggle with addiction. You try to help them find a way out, but the fierce grip of addiction pulls them back again and again.

I pray for each of you. I pray for the addicts in your lives. I pray for this woman and her daughter. I pray that in the midst of this darkness, God’s love will shine bringing hope and peace and healing.

I pray for those struggling with recovery.

And I pray that God’s protection surrounds our children, whether they are still young and innocent or at an age where drugs and alcohol are common choices.

As it turns out, I stood right behind this woman in the check-out line. It seemed too coincidental and I felt compelled to speak to her. To break the ice, I chatted about tennis (which she does play). But there was more I needed to say. After confessing that I had heard her on the phone, I told her that I would pray for her. It didn’t seem like much, but it was the best I could offer. I wanted her to know there is hope and love in the midst of it all.

Because, really that is the best we have to offer—hope. Hope in the One who is stronger than any evil, even addiction—Jesus. How do we know? Because Jesus tells us, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

“In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:37-39)

Thank you, Jesus. Amen.