Love

Physical and Spiritual Health

~ sunshine14616 ~ Leave a comment

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. ~2 Timothy 1:7

That’s can be difficult to understand or believe when life throws you a curve ball, such as it has done recently with the Coronavirus known as Covid 19. I’m a mom of two grown boys, both of whom continue to work. One is more shielded as he works overnights with only one other person. My other son works for a pharmacy chain traveling from store to store. I also have a beloved grandmother, Nana, who is 100 years old. I help to care for her, as do her wonderful neighbors. She still lives alone in the house I’ve known all my life.

As you can see, worry and fear are part of my daily routine. That is why I seek out wisdom for keeping all of us healthy, and encouragement for my heart and soul.

For each of you reading, know I am praying for you, your situation, your health and the wellbeing of your family. I hope words bring you comfort.

Wisdom for Keeping our Family Healthy

My sister is a nurse, and I remember years ago she shared with me her routine when she would get home from work in order to keep her family from contracting some mega germ. She’s very wise and I want to share that wisdom with all of you.

Kids and family are not allowed to greet here until all of the following is complete:

  • Come in through the garage or side door.
  • Remove shoes and disrobe from there using a plastic bag as a hamper for all your clothes.
  • Put on a clean disposable or bleachable pair of socks, or a pair of slippers only for this use to walk through the house.
  • Immediately go into the shower and thoroughly wash everything from head to toe. Take your time and remember to get behind your ears, under your fingernails, and every other nook and cranny.
  • Dry off, get into clean clothes.
  • Now you can greet your family.
  • As for the clothing in the plastic hamper, use rubber gloves to handle the bag and dump clothing directly into washer to clean immediately. Dispose of plastic bag (using rubber gloves) outside into trash can.
  • Wash hands for 20 seconds minimum.

For anyone who is deemed an essential worker, is making deliveries of any kind, works in healthcare, pharmacies, or is even the one in the family who goes out to get groceries or prescriptions – if you are going out and mixing with other people in any way for any reason, taking the above steps is a great way to come back into your home in order to keep loved ones safe.

Encouragement for Your Heart and Soul

I remember September 11, 2001. My older son had just started kindergarten days before and my younger was still a toddler. I was glued to the television for weeks. I “needed” to know every bit of news. I feared we would be attacked again. I prayed they would find survivors. I wanted to know right away if there were any changes or new news day and night.

It was a month I will never get back; a month where my family got very little of me, and the TV and radio got all of me. Thankfully it didn’t damage my relationships, but it did have a lasting effect on my psyche as there are images I will never forget – terrible images that may very well have been replaced with the laughter of friends and family had I not become so overwhelmed by those events.

Back then, I did not have a strong relationship with God. I was a busy stay-at-home mom who “had it all under control.” It would be two years beyond 9-11 before I allowed God to break through and show me what real hope was. He showed me that I was not in control of anything, but He was. He revealed that watching TV and social media shows me very little, but He sees all. He assured me that I could sleep because He hears everything.

God knows all. I don’t have to be glued to the TV, radio, or social media to know every detail of the spread of Covid 19. Of course, there are updates I need to know, such as the latest legislation enacted by our governor, changes of store hours, any travel bans, and how to get tested should anyone in our family become ill. Those things I need to know. Beyond that, everything else is superfluous.

What we truly need is encouragement through these times. We need to fill our hearts, souls, and lives with hope and here are some great ways to do that:

Don’t Panic. Don’t allow fear to discourage you. We can take precautions to keep ourselves healthy while being a calm example to those who all who are frightened by what is happening.

Be kind and Show Understanding. We hear of people hoarding necessities and others reselling for ridiculous prices. Don’t repay their actions with mean social media posts.

Fear is a strong emotion that drives people to do things that they would not normally do, like hoarding. There is a strong sense of fight or flight in each of us. For many, this sense is active in the midst of all that is going on. If you see someone at the store, ask them how they’re holding up. Show them that you care.

Share. Reach out to your neighbors to make sure they are ok. Share resources: Toilet paper, soap, food items, etc. Not only will it help those in need, but it will give all of us a sense of community and compassion – something all of us need.

All of these actions are actions of love. When so many are kept up in our homes, some alone and feeling isolated, these actions can be lifesaving in so many ways. Below are some Scriptures to help you control your fears and focus on kindness, understanding, compassion, and love.

Bless and be blessed dear reader…

To Combat Fear

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. ~Philippians 4:6-7

But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. ~Isaiah 43: 1-2

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. ~Philippians 4:8

Kindness and Understanding

Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. ~Ephesians 4:32

But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. ~Luke 6:35

Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person. ~Colossians 4:6

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. ~Proverbs 3:5

Blessed is the one who finds wisdom, and the one who gets understanding, for the gain from her is better than gain from silver and her profit better than gold. She is more precious than jewels, and nothing you desire can compare with her. Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor. Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. ~Proverbs 3:13-18

Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. ~1 Peter 4:8

Sharing and Compassion

Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed. ~Proverbs 19:17

Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God. ~Hebrews 13:16

Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you. ~Luke 6:38

And he [Jesus] answered them, “Whoever has two tunics is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise.” ~Luke 13:11

Let all that you do be done in love. ~1 Corinthians 16:14

 

You Love Me Anyway

~ sunshine14616 ~ Leave a comment

Today was a tough day getting started for me. Have you ever had a night where sleep just didn’t come, and what sleep you had didn’t provide any peace? Yes, me too, and last night was one of those nights.

As I got ready for work, I turned on the radio as I do every morning. I always listen to a station called K-LOVE. The silence broke into mid song as the singer admitted:

Still You call me to walk
On the edge of this world
To spread my dreams and fly
But the future’s so far
My heart is so frail
I think I’d rather stay inside…

This is a song I’ve heard at least a hundred times before, but this morning, the words hit me like a pebble tossed into a glassy lake, upsetting the still exterior and rippling through me. The words sung mirrored the tiredness and pain inside. My heart was shattered. Old feelings of worthlessness had crept in the day before and rummaged through my soul as I slept. I had awoken empty and feeling alone and unlovable.

The lyricist continued:

But You love me anyway
It’s like nothing in life that I’ve ever known
Yes, You love me anyway
Oh, Lord, how You love me
How You love me

“But You love me anyway…” Over and over again the lyrics repeated this exclamation. No matter what the writer has done, God loves him. No matter how he feels, God loves him. No matter how severe the offense, God loves him. No matter how much the writer understands God’s ways, no matter his doubt or lack of faith, no matter how arrogant or spiteful, whether he harms others intentionally or not, God loves him.

No matter how weak or empty inside, God loves him.

The Man/God who died on a cross as each one of us thrust thorns into His head, slammed nails into His hands and feet, spit on Him, laughed at Him… ran from Him – that Man died because of and in spite of all that because He loves us.

My weary and broken heart awoke to a song that got it beating again. 

But You love me anyway
Oh, God, how You love me
Yes, You love me anyway
It’s like nothing in life that I’ve ever known
Yes, You love me anyway
Oh, Lord, how You love me
Yes, You love me,
Yes, You love me
Yes, You love me,
Yes, You love me

How You love me
How You love me
How You love me

Can you relate? Are you hurting? Do you feel empty? Has all your strength been sapped by the storms of life? Do feelings of guilt or shame overwhelm you? Have you put on your running shoes in hopes to escape future pain? Is there a huge void inside where love once resided but now, for whatever reason, is gone?

Unlovable. But He loves you anyway.
Empty. But He loves you anyway.
Ashamed. But He loves you anyway.
Guilty. But He loves you anyway.
Doubting. But He loves you anyway.
Prodigal. But He loves you anyway.
Scared. But He loves you anyway.
Tired. But He loves you anyway.
Weak. But He loves you anyway.

No matter where you are, no matter how you feel, no matter what you’ve done, where you’ve been, or what you’ve gone through – God loves you. Your life is no surprise to Him, yet He loves you so much, He died for you. All those who mock Him, fail Him, run from Him, He loves you anyway.

This song that gave so much hope to this weary heart that writes to you now is by a group called Sidewalk Prophets. If you need some encouragement today, listen online by clicking the link below. Let the words seep into your soul and write on your heart “God loves me.”

Bless and be blessed.

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God… And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love.
~1 John 4:7a, 16a

Humiliating Love

~ sunshine14616 ~ Leave a comment

I believe death is the most intimate of all things we will face in this life. Perhaps this is why it feels unnatural to watch someone be put to death, or see someone die in an accident or in the open. It is humiliating to the one who has died, an obscene intrusion of their privacy. Death was never meant for an audience.

Each of us meets this intimate experience differently. We are one of two people: the bystander or the one dying. Regardless of the perspective, death is intimate and personal.

I have walked alongside two people as they journeyed from this life into the next. Although I was not there as they left this world, for one loved one I was there mere moments before they passed. It was intimate – just my great-aunt and myself. This very strong-willed woman and I sat on the edge of her hospital bed and she laid her head on my shoulder as I prayed over her. She asked me to sing to her, something for which we both had a love. She had a beautiful voice in her younger years, and in these moments she longed to hear mine. Amazing Grace sung as a lullaby while I held her in my arms. When I was finished, like a child, I laid her down in bed, covered her up, and tucked her in. I kissed her on the forehead and told her I would see her again. I was told that she passed as I walked out the door. Intimate. Personal. Cherished. That was death with my great-aunt.

The other experience was different; a dear friend in her well-advanced years. Her decline had been slow, and the day had come. I received a phone call from her family inviting me to say goodbye. She was in her own home, on a sunny porch in a warm bed surrounded by loved ones. Although her awareness of this world was fading, she was cognizant of how uncomfortable she was. She asked to sit up and so I crawled behind her on my knees with pillows to cushion her. For a moment that gave her some comfort but it did not last and she became irritable. The many who were there, each one in their own way, tried to comfort her. It was noisy, sad, a little panic immersed in their loving words. The atmosphere was restless, as was my friend. Although surrounded by loved ones who wanted to be with her in her final moments, it was anything but intimate. I didn’t stay long. I felt like an intruder; not on this family’s time together but on my friend’s most intimate experience. She passed later that day and was finally home with her Saviour.

Of course I understand wanting to be with our loved ones when they pass away. I am sure that I will want to be with those closest to me when their time comes. Yet, as we walk alongside those whose death is imminent, I believe we must strong enough to provide the intimacy required, even if it means giving space, finding ourselves uncomfortable in the silence or remove ourselves from that experience.

When I think of death from this perspective, I am left humbled at what Jesus did on the cross. His death was by no means intimate in any way. He was beaten, His flesh ripped from His body; long Thorns shoved into his head. Forced to carry the cross on which He would hang, He bled profusely, weak from dehydration and blood loss, He would stumble and fall as people spit upon him and yell “Crucify Him!” He was then hung naked on a high cross at the top of a hill, surrounded mobs by people where His blood poured out, His lungs unable to exhale, slowly suffocating in pain.

This man did no wrong, not one sin in his 33 years of life. No Lie. No lust. No jealousy. No Envy. No unfaithfulness. No Pride. Not one wrong thing ever. He was sentenced to death before thousands, stripped naked, beaten, humiliated, insulted, left to hang through his final dying breath on public display. There was no intimacy whatsoever in this man’s death. And yet… and yet He chose to die, allowed Himself to die this way. Did you hear that? He chose this. He could have gotten out of it. He had every means to do so. The only thing holding Jesus to that cross was – not three nails – it was Himself; it was God In the Flesh. Why? Why would anyone choose this?

Love. He chose this humiliation and excruciating death out of great love for you. It was and always will be the ultimate sacrifice. A punishment meant for you and I, yet Jesus took it, serving our death sentence would be served, so that you and I – and every person before and after us – can spend eternity with Him.

When I stand before the cross this Good Friday, I stand humbled at Jesus’ sacrifice. I look up and force my eyes to see His death on a cross meant for me. I kneel with overwhelming gratitude knowing that no matter how intimate my journey from this life to the next may be, one day I will dance on streets of gold with my Saviour who suffered and died with humiliation because He loves me – and He loves you too.

Today, I invite you to get to know this Jesus. He is real. He lived, He died, and He came back to life on Easter. He did this for you and He wants to get to know you. Through prayer, reading the Bible or through someone who would like to help you get to know Him, Jesus is with you, waiting for you to reach out to Him. He will never leave you or forsake you. He loves you and you are the most important thing to Him right at this moment. His humiliating love is the greatest love you will ever know.

Obedience

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Obedience. There are two ways to obey – willingly and unwillingly. We can either obey out of fear of consequences or we can respond with obedience out of love. The latter takes three important things: faith, courage and trust.

When we obey willingly, we do so in faith; faith in God to whose plans we submit. We must have faith that where God is taking us is so much better than where we are right now. Sometimes we take a leap of faith at our lowest points, having no other place to go. Often times we’ve run away from Him, unwilling to obey and fallen into those dark depths only to finally cry out to Him in faith as a last resort, exhausting all other possibilities. Obedience isn’t always a call we hear at our low points. Sometimes He calls us to obey by surrendering something we see as good. Perhaps it’s stepping down from a great position at work to something the world sees (and sometimes us) as less. Maybe it’s something you’re holding out hope for and you have to let go of that hope in obedience to His will. It takes great faith to hand something precious over to the Lord.

Willing obedience takes courage. When we can’t see God’s plans, but are called to follow His will, it can be scary, crushing, anguishing. So many “what ifs” flood our minds. Courage is hearing those thoughts and stepping out in faith anyway. Courage is finding the strength to do the scary thing, submit to the crushing, face the anguish.

When we willingly obey, we’re taking a step of faith with great courage, entrusting all we cannot see or comprehend into His mighty hands. We trust that He sees a greater future, a more beautiful transformation just waiting to take place. We trust that His ways are better than ours. We trust Him to move and shape us, fill us with His Spirit, transform us from the inside out into something completely wonderful.

Obedience is never about our circumstances, although God uses them all the time. Obedience is about us and God; our relationship with our Father. Obedience is the rendering of our hearts and souls to the One who knows us better than we could ever know ourselves, who loves us more than anyone could comprehend, who lovingly chases us right into His amazing arms.

When we willingly obey, the results leave us awe-struck – even though it may not seem that way at moment we’re faced with obedience.

Are you at that crossroads? Is God asking you to obey something He’s called you to? Something He’s called you from? If you are, God knows what you’re feeling. He knows your apprehension, fear even heart ache… He knows. He knows and He wants to encourage you…

My dear child, have faith in Me. “Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you…” (Matthew 17:20) “For nothing will be impossible with [Me].” (Luke 1:37) I am beyond your comprehension. You cannot see what I see, fathom what I fathom. Dear child, you must “walk by faith, not by sight.” (2 Corinthians 5:7) Draw close to Me. Read the Love Letter I have written to you, for “faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” (Romans 10:17) “…Faith is confidence in what [you] hope for and assurance about what [you] do not see.” (Hebrews 11:1)

I know the depths of your soul, every beat of your frail human heart. I know all your “what if’s?” and apprehensions. I know your doubts and fears. But I tell you as a loving Father tenderly to His child, “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for [I] the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9) I would never call you do to something alone. “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10) You can do this. How do I know? Because I created you! “For [I] gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” (2 Timothy 1:7) It’s hard for you. I know dear one. I understand courage. I understand surrender. My Son died on a cross for you. I allowed that yielding to a will that broke My heart, even though I knew what lied ahead… just as I ask you to do now. But “we know that for those who love [Me] all things work together for good, for those who are called according to [My] purpose.” (Romans 8:28) I will never call you to something without having a greater plan, a more wonderful purpose for you. Repeat after Me… “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” ~Philippians 4:13 I am Him and I will strengthen you beyond any strength you have experienced or ever imagined.

Dear child, trust Me. Trust Me “with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge [Me], and [I] will make your paths straight.” (Proverbs 3:5-6) I have a different path for you. How different? That remains to be seen. If I were to tell you beforehand, what use would there be for faith in Me? What I will tell you is this path will take you to a place of peace and contentment, beauty and wonder, love abounding. I don’t promise the journey will be easy, but trust Me to guide you to a better way with Me right at your side the whole time.

Take that step of obedience. Your life is in My hands, and there is no better place to be. “I have said these things to you, that in Me you may have peace.” (John 16:23) “Wait for [Me], the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for [Me]!” (Psalm 27:14) Now my child, let Me work in you and your life. “Be still, and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10) I love you precious one.

Bless and be blessed…