Minion Mom Monday: A Boundless Supply.

During a long overdue conversation, a friend of mine and I were discussing how Jesus’ instruction for us to love one another is seemingly so simple, but in practice it is so so very hard.  It’s not hard just because some people are annoying or rude or weird OR because we are busy or lazy or tired. It’s hard because it is constant.  Really loving people involves lots of time and patience. And that is hard.

Taking a meal, writing a note, picking someone up every now and again, while so very important, are not necessarily difficult and are not generally a burden. We do these things, feel the warm glow of caring about a brother or sister, and then go on our merry way. But what about the times when the sickness doesn’t go away in the proscribed time, the problem doesn’t sort itself out with a thoughtful note, or when one or two trips or meals turn into one or two dozen. What then? That’s what I think Jesus is talking about when He instructs us to love each other. To love the way He wants us to, is to love past what is comfortable, to love past what is easy, to love past the point of our capability and experience and knowledge. To love like Jesus is to let Jesus love through us. Man, that’s hard.

The fabulous news is that God IS love, so we have access to a boundless supply of what He asks us to give.  Thank you, Jesus!

Are you tired of loving someone? Are you tired of the emotional or physical strain? Are you at your love limit? Ask God to give you a shot of His love, to give you His ability to love the momentarily unlovable and He will be faithful to equip you to do just that.

A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.

John 13:34

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Beautifully written by Monica Henry at @minionmom.  Please click her Gravatar to learn more about Monica!

Minion Mom Wednesday: Unprecedented Access to the Far Reaches of Space!

 

25 years ago, NASA launched the Hubble Telescope in an effort to better understand the cosmos in its current and past states. The images sent back to earth are breathtaking and have given scientists and the world unprecedented access to the far reaches of space and a new understanding of the heavens. No other generation in human history has ever witnessed what we’ve been privileged to see: star nurseries, new planets, never before seen galaxies (really, really far away), and the incredible “pillars of creation.”

All of this is new to us, of course, but all of these “discoveries” were in existence long before humans ever dreamed of the concepts of space travel or HD imaging. Isn’t it incredible to think that all that extreme beauty and complex creation existed for all that time solely for the purpose of God’s glory? Before an audience of One, the heavens twisted and turned, spun and exploded in a symphony of light and vibrant color, simply to declare the majesty of the Creator.

The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Psalm 19:1

I can’t help but wonder what else God has for us that we haven’t yet discovered. Our God is an awesome and wonderful God in the truest sense of those words. The breadth and depth of His creation will never be fully explored or comprehended but isn’t it amazing that he lets us in on just a little of it? Little by little he gives us the wisdom and knowledge to see just an inkling of what he has done and who he is.

What is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? Psalm 8:4

What about things a little closer to this planet? What might God have for your life that is yet undiscovered? Looking back we often see how God orchestrated things in our life for our good and his glory, but how often do we think about what might lie ahead. What spectacular things might be in store for you that, at this point, you can only dream about or imagine? I love that the infinitely creative and inventive God who manifested the intricacies of the universe, designed me and has equally spectacular things for my life just waiting to be discovered. Little by little he gives us the passion and the desire to be who he created us to be, and the power of the Holy Spirit to proclaim, just like the heavens the unimaginable glory of God.

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. Ephesians 3:21-22

Minion Mom Monday: Hope and Glory!

With GREAT excitement I bring to you a weekly devotional by Assemble the Minions (aka Monica—supermom to THREE boys!).  Every Monday she will encourage your soul with her words of encouragement.  She is pretty much my favorite author.  Ever.  And a pretty superbly awesome woman in person, too!  So, look forward to Mondays as our Minions’ Mom shares a devotional to begin our week!

God bless because you know the saying—Only the first 5 days after the weekend are the tough ones!

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As a kid I was always nervous about asking my parents for anything, which was really silly because my parents are fantastic, salt of the earth type people. I had no reason to fear them but I was terrified they would say no to whatever my request happened to be, so I just didn’t ask. Finally, after I had a massive childhood breakdown about not getting something I never asked for, my mom gently told me that it was her job to determine a yes or no and by not asking, all I was doing was determining a no before the request had ever been made. My not asking only served to make be angry at my parents for a decision they never had a chance to consider.

There is a story in Scripture about a woman with some serious lady problems. In Mark 5, the author tells us that she had been bleeding for 12 years and all the attempts to heal her had actually made things worse. But one day, Jesus shows up. She knows he can heal her, but she is terrified to ask. Instead, she decides that if she can just touch him, she would be healed. So, she dons her ninja gear (ok, maybe not) and squeezes herself through the crowd and touches the hem of his robe. Jesus feels the power leave him (isn’t that so fascinating?!) and he turns around to ask who touched him, knowing full well it was her. She comes to him completely terrified and trembling and confesses. “Daughter,” he responds, “your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”

Can you hear the mercy and compassion oozing from that one word, “daughter?” I love how He responds to her as a Father, matching her fear with His peace. What if she had never approached him? What if she’d let her fear keep her from the peace and healing that was hers for the asking? Not only would she have continued in her suffering but she never would have known Jesus, not just as God’s Son, but as God incarnate, capable of calming our deepest fears at the deepest level.

There are somethings in our life that can only be healed/fixed/attended to by the Father, but sometimes we are terrified to ask. My guess is that we don’t ask because we are terrified He is going to say no. Its better not to ask then to have Him reject our request, because, what, then, would that say about Him? About us? So we continue on, alone in our suffering.

The thing is, He might say no. But a no doesn’t mean “get lost.” It means that as we draw near to Him to ask and He draws near to respond, we are closer than we were before the request was made. Jesus knows what we need just like He knew who touched Him, but the relationship is built in the conversation.

P.S. A no may be a no to something good, so he can give us the best later.

Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:16