You know in movies how there is that infamous moment when an actor or actress states that things can't get any worse than they already are... and then it starts to rain. Well to put it simply, it has been raining a lot in my life lately. Normally I embrace the rain. I run out and dance for joy in it because I know that God is using it to refine me and bring glory to himself. However, if I was being completely honest with you all, these past few weeks when I look up and see the rain coming I simply sit down and cry. I cry because I feel like I can't get things right. I cry because I'm confused and can't see 10 feet in front of me. I cry because I'm putting my faith in what I can see and it doesn't look that promising. That Organic Chemistry test doesn't look promising for a future in PA school. That amount of money I've raised doesn't look promising for my hopes of going to Uganda. I feel so adamantly that these are things the Lord has called me to do but the message I keep hearing instead is "you can't."
And the thing that is so crazy about that message is it is right. I can't do anything. I've been listening to it with my heart on the present. With my heart on the things that I can see, and feel, and touch. I have allowed this message to be a message from the enemy. I have allowed every obstacle and trial and problem that presents itself to be a tool in the enemy's hands. He sees the problem and he says "you can't."
This is a similar kind of answer I receive from the Lord, but His has so much more to offer. He says "you can't, but I can." For every obstacle, trial and problem He says "you can do nothing but I can do everything." He clearly states in scripture that nothing is to great for Him to overcome. He overcame every obstacle there was to man while He was man. He experienced every heartache, temptation, and trial and He said "I can." He did it for me. He is doing it for me. He is standing on the outside of the bounds of time and saying "Ashley, I know it doesn't look promising now but I have a plan. Trust me. Trust me that I have called you to PA school and will provide a way. Trust me that I have called you to Uganda and will provide a way. I have called you to trust and I will give you the grace to do that because you can't even do that on your own." And He says all of this not with the condescending voice of the great being that He is, but with the love of a Father.
"Therefore since we have been made right in God's sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God's glory.
We can rejoice too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill out hearts with his love."
Romans 5:1-5
You see, sitting there in the rain with a sense of defeat is not standing in the place of undeserved privilege, it isn't allowing hope to not lead to disappointment. It is simply giving in to the enemy's cry for destruction. The Lord is teaching me yet again that when the rain comes and its one more thing I can't do on my own, he will make up the difference. So friends and family what I am asking of you all this week isn't for money, I simply ask that you would pray for me to believe and trust God that I am standing in a place of undeserved privilege and that these problems and trials will lead to endurance, and endurance to strength of character, and strength of character to strength of hope, and a hope that will not lead to disappointment because I know my God loves me.
No matter where I am this summer or even in 10 years, my God loves me. He loves me so much that he sent his Holy Spirit to remind me every day. Today I choose to listen to the voice that says "you can't, but I can." I get to stand in underserved privilege and bring God glory no matter where I am. How amazing is that!
Monday, April 23, 2012
Saturday, April 7, 2012
A Love so Great
So many of us, including myself, are hungry for that love we hear about in the greatest love stories. The love that knows no bounds, withstands all fire and flame, and holds nothing back. The love that caused Romeo to drink the poison when he thought Juliet was dead. The love that caused the man in 50 first dates to remind his wife every every day who she was because she couldn't remember. The love that means no matter what we do, how much we mess up, how far we go, it won't stop, it won't fail, it will last forever. Sounds pretty great, huh?
Last night I went to the Passion Good Friday service and was thinking about this love that we are all so hungry for. We try so hard to find it, all of us. We date thousands of people. We strive to be more beautiful, to have more money, to be just a little bit better than we already are, all just to be loved more. Yet, we always seem to fall short of this kind of love. The love that we see in the movies. The love that is perfection in a moment on a T.V. screen but never quite makes it into reality. It falls short every time. It disappoints. It scars. It leaves pain. Yet we search, still. Desperately looking in all of the wrong places.
How beautiful is it that yesterday we celebrated the day that this love was made a reality for us. This love we are all so hungry for. This love we spend our whole lives searching for was displayed in the greatest act of sacrifice ever seen on the cross. Christ made that love a reality for all of us. It is why now I feel loved and satisfied. It is why now I stop looking for perfection in people. It is why I was thinking about love yesterday. That day so long ago, Christ gave me the ability to not just be cleansed from all of the ratty rags and scars and sin, but to know him and be loved by him. He purified me so I could know him, so he could be in union with me, so he could love me no matter where I go, how far I travel, or how far I run.
"Can anything ever separate us from Christ's love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger or threatened with death? No, despite all these things overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God's love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow- not even the powers of hell can separate us from God's love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below, indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Romans 8:35-39
This love is ours. This love we yearn for and hunger for, it all started with Christ. It is ours to grasp and hold on to. He has loved us with an everlasting love, with an unfailing love he has drawn us to himself ( Jeremiah 31:3). My God gave us the love we have desired. He was that love and he is MORE than enough!!! No imperfect person could ever love like this. We are fickle and uncertain, but our God is steadfast and he holds everything that we desire. He loved us before we were even lovable.
So this summer, I get to take this love that overwhelms me and wraps me in an embrace and I get to fly to Uganda with Him. I get to teach children who have been hurt and lonely and hungry for love about Him who is love. I get to celebrate Christ's death and resurrection with 250 beautiful Ugandan children! How good is my God?!
The tasks seems a little daunting at times, but God's love is with me. I'm going to go over and try to plan science lessons and teach these children information in the classroom that will relate to them outside of the classroom, but God's love is with me. How do you teach science to children who have to go home and hope that they have something to eat when you're use to children whose bellies are full 24/7, but my God's love is with me? How do you teach things they can use to not just live, but survive? My God's love is with me. All of these are just a few of my fears for tomorrow but my God's love is with me! And more importantly than teaching science or soccer or whatever other tasks I might find myself participating in during my time there, the most important thing I can do for these children is just share His love with them! Thank goodness his love will be with me this whole time, right? Thank goodness I don't have to travel their alone without Him, right? Thank goodness that when the enemy comes in to attack His love is with me, right?
So, thank you Jesus! Thank you for loving me when I could not love you. Thank you for showing me your plans that are so much greater than mine. Thank you that when no one else saw beauty in me, you did. You died on a cross so I could thank you today, and tomorrow, and for forever, but mostly you died on a cross so I could be loved by you. Thank you for allowing that love to change me. Thank you for the greatest love story of all!
Last night I went to the Passion Good Friday service and was thinking about this love that we are all so hungry for. We try so hard to find it, all of us. We date thousands of people. We strive to be more beautiful, to have more money, to be just a little bit better than we already are, all just to be loved more. Yet, we always seem to fall short of this kind of love. The love that we see in the movies. The love that is perfection in a moment on a T.V. screen but never quite makes it into reality. It falls short every time. It disappoints. It scars. It leaves pain. Yet we search, still. Desperately looking in all of the wrong places.
How beautiful is it that yesterday we celebrated the day that this love was made a reality for us. This love we are all so hungry for. This love we spend our whole lives searching for was displayed in the greatest act of sacrifice ever seen on the cross. Christ made that love a reality for all of us. It is why now I feel loved and satisfied. It is why now I stop looking for perfection in people. It is why I was thinking about love yesterday. That day so long ago, Christ gave me the ability to not just be cleansed from all of the ratty rags and scars and sin, but to know him and be loved by him. He purified me so I could know him, so he could be in union with me, so he could love me no matter where I go, how far I travel, or how far I run.
"Can anything ever separate us from Christ's love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger or threatened with death? No, despite all these things overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God's love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow- not even the powers of hell can separate us from God's love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below, indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Romans 8:35-39
This love is ours. This love we yearn for and hunger for, it all started with Christ. It is ours to grasp and hold on to. He has loved us with an everlasting love, with an unfailing love he has drawn us to himself ( Jeremiah 31:3). My God gave us the love we have desired. He was that love and he is MORE than enough!!! No imperfect person could ever love like this. We are fickle and uncertain, but our God is steadfast and he holds everything that we desire. He loved us before we were even lovable.
So this summer, I get to take this love that overwhelms me and wraps me in an embrace and I get to fly to Uganda with Him. I get to teach children who have been hurt and lonely and hungry for love about Him who is love. I get to celebrate Christ's death and resurrection with 250 beautiful Ugandan children! How good is my God?!
The tasks seems a little daunting at times, but God's love is with me. I'm going to go over and try to plan science lessons and teach these children information in the classroom that will relate to them outside of the classroom, but God's love is with me. How do you teach science to children who have to go home and hope that they have something to eat when you're use to children whose bellies are full 24/7, but my God's love is with me? How do you teach things they can use to not just live, but survive? My God's love is with me. All of these are just a few of my fears for tomorrow but my God's love is with me! And more importantly than teaching science or soccer or whatever other tasks I might find myself participating in during my time there, the most important thing I can do for these children is just share His love with them! Thank goodness his love will be with me this whole time, right? Thank goodness I don't have to travel their alone without Him, right? Thank goodness that when the enemy comes in to attack His love is with me, right?
So, thank you Jesus! Thank you for loving me when I could not love you. Thank you for showing me your plans that are so much greater than mine. Thank you that when no one else saw beauty in me, you did. You died on a cross so I could thank you today, and tomorrow, and for forever, but mostly you died on a cross so I could be loved by you. Thank you for allowing that love to change me. Thank you for the greatest love story of all!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)