Just Shut Up and Say Yes

I find that it is so much easier to give help than to receive help. I guess it's just pride when you think about it. Americans, in particular, have a driving sense if individuality and this often causes us to rebuff attempts by others to get involved in our lives. What a crummy way to live! It just perpetuates the cycle of isolation that we sugarcoat and call "independence." Like it or not, we were designed to need each other - we have a need to give and a need to receive.

We've been blessed by a tight circle of friends and family who are quick to surround us with love and support. At times it's very hard to step out of the way and let them minister to us. As one precious friend advised, "Just shut up and say yes." Tough love, I tell ya. Refusing help denies another person the opportunity to be obedient to God's command to love one another.

Too many times we not only push away friends' offers of help, we also decline God's offer of help. Perhaps we think we will bother Him or that He's got more important universe-type things to do, or we don't really believe deep down that He can do anything. I've just started a study called Breaking Free by Beth Moore and the key verses are Isaiah 61:1-3:

The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners,
2 to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn,
3 and provide for those who grieve in Zion—to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor.

These are the verses Jesus read and stated he had fulfilled (Luke 4:21). That's some help we all need and it's being offered freely by the God of the universe. Nashbabe gave me a book called The Wounded Woman by Dr Steve Stephens and Pam Vredevelt and it quoted those verses and followed with this conversational rewording (imagine Jesus speaking those verses this way):

I have good news for you. I am with you. I want to comfort you and heal your broken heart. At this very moment, I am pushing back hell and fighting your battles for you. I am avenging you. Before long you will experience the spoils of victory.

I see all the details. You deeply grieve your losses, and your grief is valid. I want to fellowship with you in your suffering. Come to Me. Allow My Spirit to touch your wounds. I promise you: I will replace your devastation and despair with My Spirit of gladness and joy. This isn't something you can do. It is something I will accomplish for you.

Wow. I just need to rest in Him because it's something He will accomplish for me. Chuck independence right out the window because I cannot do this for myself. I wasn't designed to. I just need to shut up and say yes.

Value of Life

Even prior to the events of last week, I was telling my hubby that it's a miracle that anyone is born healthy and whole. From the moment of conception, there are a myriad of things that can go wrong. Add to that 9-10 months of development that must go according to plan and the chances for failure continue to go up. That's even assuming Mom takes prenatal vitamins, doesn't drink or smoke, gets regular checkups, etc.

If it's a miracle that we're even here at all, then it should give us a sense of our worth to God. Jeremiah 1:5 says, "Before I shaped you in the womb, I knew all about you. Before you saw the light of day, I had holy plans for you..." (the Message). God knew us fully and had a purpose for each one of us.

Psalm 139:16 says, "Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth; all the stages of my life were spread out before you, The days of my life all prepared before I'd even lived one day" (the Message).

We cannot believe God doesn't care about us or know what's going on. He looked ahead through time and space and saw that I'd often be critical, controlling, mean, angry, selfish (and the list goes on and on) and said, "That's OK, I'm going to let her be born and live anyways" because He loved me.

Value is defined as "an amount...considered to be a fair and suitable equivalent for something else." In other words, something is worth the price paid for it. The blood of Jesus was the payment that would cover over my sin and allow me to be called a child of God. We were purchased for that price, so our value in God's eyes must be very high.

I've Been Tagged

I was recently "tagged" twice (by her and her) and am supposed to share 7 unusual things about myself and then tag 7 others to do the same. Since I only know 7 other bloggers and they've already been tagged, I suppose this is a dead end. I will, however, share my 7 oddities (though I'm sure I'm quite more odd than that) for your enlightenment:

1. I hate Braveheart (too sad) and Titanic (too predictable).
2. I got my B.A. and my M.R.S. on the same day.
3. I love my mother-in-law.
4. I've been parasailing (with my mother! I have an awesome Mom)
5. I like beer.
6. I have two children in heaven.
7. I had a male bridesmaid (bridesguy?) in my wedding party.

Hmmm, maybe I'm not so interesting afterall. Thanks to all who love plain old me!

Benefit Concert for Evelyn Noland

You're invited to a benefit concert being held for Evelyn Noland at 3rd and Lindsley Bar & Grill on Wed, Jan 23 at 6:00pm. Admission is $10 and all the money will help the Noland's pay for Evelyn's substantial medical bills.

The concert begins at 6:00pm and features Chuck Allen Floyd, Lefty Ricketts, Rick Blair, Greg Jones, Rick Huckaby. If you choose to stay later, the Wooten Brothers will perform at 9:30pm (I don't think they're part of the benefit itself).

Evelyn is a neighbor of ours who was in a very bad motorcycle accident back in early Nov. She was critically injured and spent many weeks in Vanderbilt's ICU and rehab hospital. She's home now and doing much better (it's a miracle, really) but large medical bills are still outstanding. Thanks to all of you who have prayed for Evelyn's recovery. This is another practical way to show God's love to their family.

Where's My Hope?

Last night in our small group, we talked about hope - not the "I wish" kind of hope, but the "confidence" kind. The source we referenced was GTO Seeds For Growth, #53 titled, "A Study of B-O-B Hope, A Look at the Basis, the Operation and the Benefits of Hope." by Harold and Bette Gillogly. Honestly, I'd never really given much thought to hope or what it really was, and our discussion presented me with lots of new Scriptures to mull on.

The most convicting idea was presented at the end and I'll just quote it here:

WHENEVER you are disappointed and frustrated, that's a red flag that should make you ask yourself: Where's my hope? Be honest - have you been setting your hope on something you wanted Him to do, or in God Himself? You won't be disappointed if your hope is in God alone! That's His promise!* So when you're feeling disappointed - or you see your brother or sister disappointed and frustrated - the question to be asked is "where's your hope?"

*"Then you will know that I am the LORD; those who hope in me will not be disappointed." Isaiah 49:23

Ouch. That pretty much pegs all my disappointments. My hope was misplaced and therefore fell flat every time. I thought I was hoping in God, but disappointment always came when my prayers weren't answered the way I thought they would. My hope was in the way I hoped God would answer and not in Him. I definitely have lots of practice to do in living out my hope.

Be Gone, Clutter

I started on a rampage yesterday, and clutter, beware. I am out to get you. I am sick (yes, and tired) of feeling embarrassed for people t0 come into my house. As the FlyLady says, I've been living in CHAOS (Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome). Don't get the wrong idea - I don't have towers of old newspapers or dishes growing funk in the sink. What I do have are piles of "stuff" tucked here and there throughout the house. It's not an issue of having enough room in my house but rather having too much. For example, I cleaned out the kitchen cupboards today - do I really need 10 wooden spoons or 5 boxes of brownie mix? What about an ice cream maker that has NEVER been used in 10 years?


I made a small dent in the stuff mountain today and there remains much to be done, but I'm encouraged. I will never have a BH&G house (get real) but there's hope that one day soon, drop-in guests will be welcomed and not feared. Loving people as God wants me to involves basic hospitality - not as defined by snarky Martha - but happily welcoming people into my home. So watch out, clutter! I'm going to be brutal.

Bah Humbug

OK, I admit it, I'm a bit of a Scrooge. Not with regards to Christmas mind you, but for any occasion that encourages my neighbors to buy fireworks. I understand that setting off fireworks must occur after the sun goes down, but I get a little grumpy about it after my bedtime. I get VERY grumpy when they ping off my bedroom window. Plus, I generally frown upon activities with unsupervised juveniles lighting explosives in densely populated areas. Silly me.