Ann Voskamp's Blog, page 135
September 26, 2017
Daring to Hope When It’s Not Happy Endings: How to Sing in the Dark
This woman profoundly changed my life & may be one of my most favorite. I first met Katie Davis Majors on the front porch of her house under a blistering sun. Not five minutes into our visit her youngest snuggled into my lap with a pile of books to read, her braids beneath my chin, and my heart melted. At that time Katie was a 23-year-old single mother of thirteen daughters, and she had traded her comfortable life in Nashville for the red-dirt of Uganda. She is a woman who serves, and she lives in the rarest, real-est, and most Jesus-revolutionary way. She founded an organization that cares for hundreds of vulnerable children and their families, but what makes her radical is that she never stops testifying to the richest kind of love, the love of the Father. Katie is a person who has wrestled and found the goodness of God amidst all things, from the mountain top moments of finding love and the gift of family, to places of questioning and grief. She reminds us, we can dare to hope for big things, because we can trust in the goodness of the Giver. It’s a flat-out, laying low grace to welcome Katie to the farm’s front porch today…
guest post by Katie Davis Majors
Just one little bird. She’s up when the stillness of 5:30 am nudges me awake and I struggle to peel back heavy eyelids.
She’s up and she sings.
I wonder how she can even tell that it’s almost morning.
I walk quietly to the coffeepot and flick on just enough lights to read by so as to not wake my children.
Her song is shrill and bold. This is my quiet time, and I briefly wish that one little bird would be quiet.
As I sit down with my Bible, I think of my friends who have gone home to be with Jesus so recently.
I know where they are and that it is better, by far, than suffering and sickness. But still, I miss Betty’s smile as I wiped her forehead.
I miss Katherine’s laugh, loud and infectious. When I see her children smile, I see her, and I still wish the ending had been different.
I asked God Why? again and again. What could all this suffering possibly accomplish? Why would He allow us to love people so deeply?
A dear friend suggested, “Maybe because He knew you would.”
Could that be God’s answer to us as we walk the hard road? “I knew you would do it. I knew you would love them.”
And suddenly the hard road becomes not a burden but a place of great honor, a place of partnership and intimacy with Him.
We were allowed by our gracious and merciful Father to love these people, to give ourselves to something so grand as ushering His beautiful children back into His arms at heaven’s gate.
Then I think that maybe courage is not at all about the absence of fear but about obedience even when we are afraid.
Maybe courage is trusting when we don’t know what is next, leaning into the hard and knowing that it will be hard, but more, God will be near.
He is the God Who Will Provide.
He will provide His presence, His strength, or what- ever He decides we most need.
Maybe bravery is just looking fear in the face and telling it that it does not win because we have known the Lord here. We have known the Lord in the long dark night.
The little bird sings loud in the early morning dark. And slowly, the sun peeks over the horizon.
Days later it is raining. The huge drops pelt our tin roof so hard that we can hardly hear ourselves talk, but as the rain slows, I make out a familiar noise and I laugh.
The same little bird that cannot contain her song too early in the morning is now singing through the rain. I wonder where she’s hiding and how she can keep singing in this storm. The rain slows to a trickle and the sun peeks from behind the clouds, and suddenly all I can hear is her glorious song.
And I want to be just like that little bird.
Hope is a crazy thing, a courageous thing. Faith is a bold, irrational choice. But that little bird—she feels the sun coming, knows with certainty that it will come, even when she can’t yet see it.
We live in a world where innocent people suffer and good friends die and stories don’t have the endings we pray for.
The pain and hurt are everywhere. But the joy and hope that we find in our Savior? They are everywhere too.
I do not have all the answers; actually, I don’t have many at all.
But this is what I know: God is who He says He is. In the hurt and the pain and the suffering, God is near, and He is good, even when the ending isn’t.
Our pain does not minimize His goodness to us but, in fact, allows us to experience it in a whole new way.
God brings to mind Mary of Bethany, who chose the greater thing by putting aside her tasks to sit at Jesus’s feet.
I always resisted putting aside the daily rhythm and necessities of life to sit in His presence, but pain forced me into desperate hours at His feet.
While I cared for my friends in their sickness, I craved that middle-of-the-night time when I would sit on the floor of my bathroom, just me and God. Night after night I would sit and imagine myself, like Mary, washing His dusty feet with my tears. It was there I heard Him whisper, “Come.” And so I kept coming.
I think of a different conversation between Mary and Jesus, four days after her brother, Lazarus, died. She had called for Jesus days earlier. We read in John, “Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So when He heard that Lazarus was sick, He stayed where he was two more days” (John 11:6). So. He loved them and so He didn’t move immediately.
“Lord,” Mary said, weeping, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died” (John 11:21).
Her words echo my own: Where were You, Lord? Didn’t You hear that we had called for You?
And Jesus wept with Mary in her pain, even knowing that He would raise Lazarus to life again.
Jesus told His disciples that He was glad He was not there earlier so that they, too, could believe.
In my own life, He showed Himself to be a God who uses delay to grow my belief and strengthen my relationship with Him.
He loves me and SO He allows me to feel pain that draws me to Him. And in the midst of the pain, He weeps with me for a world that is not as He intended, for sorrow that He did not design.
I can sing because I know what is coming.
I can hope because I know who is coming.
In the dark of the night, I have seen His face.
I want to be brave enough to hold out the hope of the Gospel to a world that is hurting and alone and afraid.
Not a hope rooted in the absence of pain or heartache or suffering.
Not optimism that looks for the best-case scenario or happy ending.
A true hope that rises from the full assurance that our Savior is on His way.
It’s not light yet, but I know Him, the One who is the Light.
And so in the dark, I will sing.
Katie Davis Majors moved to Uganda over a decade ago with no idea that this would be the place that God chose to build her home and her family. Today, she is a wife to Benji and mama to her fourteen favorite people. Katie is also the founder of Amazima Ministries, an organization that cares for vulnerable children and families in Uganda and the author of the New York Times bestseller Kisses from Katie. Her highly anticipated new book is Daring to Hope: Finding God’s Goodness in the Broken and Beautiful.
Reading Daring to Hope completely undid me and I wrote the forward to her words with my heart pounding hard: HOPE IS REAL AND OUR LIFELINE. When Katie moved to Uganda, accidentally founded a booming organization, and later became the mother of thirteen girls through the miracle of adoption, she determined to weave her life together with the people she desired to serve. But joy often gave way to sorrow as she invested her heart fully in walking alongside people in the grip of poverty, addiction, desperation, and disease.
After unexpected tragedy shook her family, for the first time Katie began to wonder, Is God really good? Does He really love us? When she turned to Him with her questions, God spoke truth to her heart and drew her even deeper into relationship with Him.
Look, you have GOT to read Daring to Hope — it is an invitation to cling to the God of the impossible—the God who whispers His love to us in the quiet, in the mundane, when our prayers are not answered the way we want or the miracle doesn’t come. It’s about a mother discovering the extraordinary strength it takes to be ordinary. It’s about choosing faith no matter the circumstance and about encountering God’s goodness in the least expected places. I have read every word of this one AND IT IS ONE UNFORGETTABLE, HOPE-IGNITING BOOK THAT WILL BE A TORCH IN ANY DARK!
[ Our humble thanks to Waterbook Multnomah for their partnership in today’s devotion ]
September 25, 2017
When the Self-Help Gospel Isn’t Helping You Anymore
I could talk to this woman for hours — our hearts beat hard for the same things. Sharon Hodde Miller loves digging into God’s Word and getting dirt under the nails of her faith. But a few years ago she realized something was off—in her teaching, her faith, and her life. Something was siphoning off the joy of her calling, a realization that embarked her on a years long journey of identifying a hole in popular Christian teaching. Once she discovered it, she hasn’t been able to stop talking about it since. Welcoming her blazing wisdom to the farm’s front porch today…
guest post by Sharon Hodde Miller
For all of my life, as long as I can remember, I have been a nice Christian girl.
Whether a tadpole of a first grader, a teeth-and-elbows middle schooler, or a success-driven high schooler, I was always a rule-follower, a church-goer, an academic achiever, and of course, a consummate people-pleaser.
I ran my life on the straight and narrow, and I was delighted to do it. My teachers praised me, my parents trusted me, my pastors affirmed me, and I loved every bit of it. The world was a friendly place to a kid like me.
But here is the thing about “nice Christian girls”—there is a special temptation that faces us.
Being a nice Christian girl earned me acceptance and praise, but somewhere along the way, that praise got tangled up with my identity.
It wasn’t very long before I needed the praise, and the line between doing good for goodness’ sake, and doing good for appearance’s sake, became increasingly blurry.
I wasn’t sure if I was nice because of Jesus’s call, or because I so desperately needed the approval.
Over time, my self-image had soured and decayed into a shallow habit of pleasing, but this story is not actually about that.
This is not a story about needing to be praised, and this is not a story about my fragile self-esteem.
This is the story of what I discovered underneath my need to be liked, how people-pleasing is a symptom of a deeper sickness.
The thing about people-pleasing is that it seems so “others-focused,” but really, it’s just about you.
You want people to think well of you.
You want people to say nice things about you.
You help and you do favors and you struggle to say no, because you don’t want people to be mad at you.
Yes, your self-confidence hinges on the well-being of others, but at the end of the day, people-pleasing is in service to yourself.
People-pleasing—even the Christian kind—is ultimately about you. And soon “you” becomes your focus. Your reason. Your basic motivation.
That is my story. The seemingly benign desire to be a nice Christian girl had planted seeds, and put down roots, which grew into a pernicious self-focus. What appeared to be Christ-centered was, at its core, self-centered.
My problem wasn’t people-pleasing. My problem was self-focus.
What I needed more than high self-esteem, or the freedom from what people thought of me, was to focus on myself less.
For far too long, I had failed to recognize the epidemic of self-focus which was quietly infecting our culture and our souls. It touches and motivates nearly every aspect of our lives—how we dress, how we parent, how we strive and achieve, all in service to our reputations.
Self-focus is so subtle as to even distort our faith. A gospel meant to beckon us out of our comfort, has been twisted and co-opted into service of it. And self-esteem has ascended to the center of our message, as if Jesus died and rose simply to help us like ourselves.
I had done this to the Bible. I had done this to the gospel. I had done this to God Himself.
I had domesticated it and placed it all in service to my image, my reputation, and my self-esteem, which is why I kept bumping up against a ceiling of freedom. I was a nice Christian girl who was never truly free, because a self-centered gospel cannot save.
That is the hard truth we must name in our self-help culture, a culture which has taken Christian form.
God loves us and adores us and desires to restore us, but we are not the center of His story.
And this is good news. It means the pressure is off. The stakes are lower. The burden is lighter.
This life we are living—our calling, our career, our marriage, our parenting, our stuff—none of it is ultimately about us. They cannot, and will not, prop up our self-worth, because they were never meant to be about us in the first place.
This is the gospel for the nice Christian girl, who has forgotten just whom she is serving. This is the gospel for the stressed out mom, whose identity is tied to her kids. This is the gospel for the career-driven businessman, who spends more time working than living. The “good news” for each of them—for us!—is this:
Your life is not about you. Your family, your calling, your appearance, your faith, is not, at bottom, about you.
It’s about Him.
Everything we have, everything we are, everything we are called to, is about Christ.
It’s for Him, His glory, and His renown.
It’s all about clapping as many eyeballs as possible on the one and only Savior of our souls, and that alone is how we measure a life.
That is the gospel that frees. When it’s not about you, it’s freedom.
This message runs counter to our culture.
It even runs counter to some in the church.
But in the Kingdom of God there is no shortcut to freedom.
There is no resurrection without the cross.
There is no life without dying to self.
But this is true life we’re talking about, true freedom we are after, and the self-help gospel cannot provide it.
The only one who can grant it is the one who actually possesses it, so we must wrench our focus off of self, and fix our eyes, unflinchingly, on Him.
Sharon Hodde Miller lives in the Raleigh/Durham area, where she is an author, speaker, pastor’s wife, and mom, with a PhD on women and calling. She is a regular contributor to Propel and She Reads Truth, in addition to her own blog, SheWorships.com.
Her new book Free of Me: Why Life Is Better When It’s Not about You, Sharon goes to battle against the pervasive self-focus which is distorting our faith, poisoning our relationships, robbing our joy, fueling our insecurities, and keeping us from true, enduring freedom.
If you are craving a message that calls you out of yourself and into a bigger, Christ-centered vision, this book is for you. Free of Me may be one of the most important truths for our times.
[ Our thanks thanks to Baker Publishing for their partnership in today’s devotion ]
September 23, 2017
Only the Good Stuff: Multivitamins for Your Weekend [09.23.17]
Happy, happy, happy weekend!
Some real, down in the bones JOY to celebrate today! Links & stories this week 100% guaranteed to make you smile a mile wide & believe like crazy in a Good God redeeming everything — and that there’s love everywhere & for ((you))!
Serving up only the Good Stuff for you & your people right here:
Meg Loeks
Meg Loeks
Meg Loeks
can’t ever quite get enough of the extraordinary that she shares again and again
calling all dogs!
Emily Gibson
so who knew?!?
so this could change everything: Science Says 1 Minute of This Kind of Exercise May Equal 45 Minutes of Jogging
anyone else want one?
13 Traits of People with True Integrity
go dance like’s nobody’s watching today!
Paramus Police Dept
what he searched and found in his free time for her? #BeTheGIFT #TheBrokenWay
Take a minute to be amazed by the brightness & joy of a little girl who won’t let her illness keep her down…
Facebook / ColbyandAlyssa Hacker
why did an elderly stranger give her son $20? tears
just — so much love for his new bride
thank you, The Village Church: Why We Should Read the Bible With Kids
“The moment we say don’t give me doctrine, don’t give me all that Bible stuff, just give me Jesus, just strip it down to the basics — is the moment we become culpable of a fallacy. The Bible is the very book on which Jesus based His entire life.” ~Scott Sauls
just wow: he saved 5 lives in just 2 days
glory, glory, glory
doctor saves professor’s life by noticing these symptoms during a lecture
never, ever, ever give up
oh, the joy of serving #BeTheGIFT #TheBrokenWay
praying for Liz Curtis Higgs…I could not love her more
Post of the week from these parts here
C’mon, be honest — you sometimes gotta wonder if God’s dropped His cosmic phone, lost track of the blasted time.
I’m serious: How long, for crying out loud, God — how long do we have to hope before You help? How long do we have to plead before You provide?
For all of us who are brutally honest? I kinda recorded a bit of a podcast:
Sick of Waiting on God? The (Brutally) Honest Psalms Series: #2
THIS…who can we go love today? #BeTheGIFT #TheBrokenWay
Because it’s never too late to love: Download your September G.I.F.T list & be part of the joy we all need?
We could all together kinda start a little movement of Giving It Forward Today, choosing to #BeTheGIFT, living broken & given like bread out into a world down right hungry for love right now.
Pick up your copy of The Broken Way — and break free.
Find all kinds of free tools at thebrokenway.com and download your September G.I.F.T list
yes, yes, yes: The Cross has the final word
…the question of evil and suffering is answered in the breaking of God’s own heart too. Our broken hearts always break His. It’s the quantum physics of God: Your one broken heart always splits God’s heart in two. You never cry alone. Who knows why God allows heartbreak, but the answer must be important enough because God allows His heart to break too.
But what He gives is enough—enough courage to move up out of that pit. One small step for a woman, one giant leap for her sanity. The woman with broken kids, the friend with dying friends, the ache of a broken heart. Just take the first step. And then the next step. Courage is reaching out and taking just a bit of that iron-nail grace.
The way to find the light in the dark is to make your hand reach out—reach out in thanks, reach out in giving. And maybe your hand has to reach out so your heart keeps beating—so someone else keeps breathing. Maybe this can be a way to keep breaking the bread and reaching out to pass it down, right through brokenness.
And all of us exhale here… and our every breath calls for You to come, Lord, please come.
[excerpted from our little Facebook family … come join us each day?]
That’s all for this weekend, friends.
Go slow. Be God-struck. Grant grace. Live Truth.
Give Thanks. Love well. Re – joy, re- joy, ‘re- joys’ again
Share Whatever Is Good.
September 21, 2017
Sick of Waiting on God? The (Brutally) Honest Psalms Series: #2
@import url(https://fonts.googleapis.com/css?fami... #wonderpluginaudio-18 { box-sizing: content-box; } #wonderpluginaudio-18 div { -webkit-box-sizing: content-box; -moz-box-sizing: content-box; box-sizing: content-box; } #wonderpluginaudio-18 .amazingaudioplayer-image { display: block; position: relative; float: left; margin: 4px; overflow: hidden; -webkit-box-shadow: 0 8px 6px -6px black; -moz-box-shadow: 0 8px 6px -6px black; box-shadow: 0 8px 6px -6px black; -webkit-border-radius: 4px; -moz-border-radius: 4px; border-radius: 4px; } #wonderpluginaudio-18 .amazingaudioplayer-image-clear { } #wonderpluginaudio-18 .amazingaudioplayer-text { display: block; position: relative; overflow: hidden; padding: 4px 12px; height: 100px; } #wonderpluginaudio-18 .amazingaudioplayer-text-clear { clear: both; height: 8px; } #wonderpluginaudio-18 .amazingaudioplayer-title { display: block; color: #333; font-family: "Oswald",Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 20px; font-weight: bold; } #wonderpluginaudio-18 .amazingaudioplayer-title-clear { } #wonderpluginaudio-18 .amazingaudioplayer-info { display: block; display: block; color: #666; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: italic; } #wonderpluginaudio-18 .amazingaudioplayer-info-clear { } #wonderpluginaudio-18 .amazingaudioplayer-bar { background-color: #333; margin: 4px; border: 1px solid #222; -webkit-border-radius: 2px; -moz-border-radius: 2px; border-radius: 2px; -webkit-box-shadow: inset 0 1px 0 rgba( 255, 255, 255, 0.15 ), 0 0 3px rgba( 0, 0, 0, 0.5 ); -moz-box-shadow: inset 0 1px 0 rgba( 255, 255, 255, 0.15 ), 0 0 3px rgba( 0, 0, 0, 0.5 ); box-shadow: inset 0 1px 0 rgba( 255, 255, 255, 0.15 ), 0 0 3px rgba( 0, 0, 0, 0.5 ); background-image: -ms-linear-gradient(top, #444444 0%, #222222 100%); background-image: -moz-linear-gradient(top, #444444 0%, #222222 100%); background-image: -o-linear-gradient(top, #444444 0%, #222222 100%); background-image: -webkit-gradient(linear, left top, left bottom, color-stop(0, #444444), color-stop(1, #222222)); background-image: -webkit-linear-gradient(top, #444444 0%, #222222 100%); background-image: linear-gradient(to bottom, #444444 0%, #222222 100%); } #wonderpluginaudio-18 .amazingaudioplayer-bar-buttons-clear { clear: both; } #wonderpluginaudio-18 .amazingaudioplayer-bar-clear { } #wonderpluginaudio-18 .amazingaudioplayer-bar-title { position: relative; float: left; color: #eee; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0 8px; } #wonderpluginaudio-18 .amazingaudioplayer-playpause { position: relative; float: left; } #wonderpluginaudio-18 .amazingaudioplayer-play { position: relative; } #wonderpluginaudio-18 .amazingaudioplayer-pause { position: relative; } #wonderpluginaudio-18 .amazingaudioplayer-stop { position: relative; float: left; } #wonderpluginaudio-18 .amazingaudioplayer-prev { position: relative; float: left; } #wonderpluginaudio-18 .amazingaudioplayer-next { position: relative; float: left; } #wonderpluginaudio-18 .amazingaudioplayer-loop { position: relative; float: left; margin: 0 2px; } #wonderpluginaudio-18 .amazingaudioplayer-progress { position: relative; background-color: #222; -webkit-box-shadow: -1px -1px 0 rgba( 0, 0, 0, 0.5 ), 1px 1px 0 rgba( 255, 255, 255, 0.1 ); -moz-box-shadow: -1px -1px 0 rgba( 0, 0, 0, 0.5 ), 1px 1px 0 rgba( 255, 255, 255, 0.1 ); box-shadow: -1px -1px 0 rgba( 0, 0, 0, 0.5 ), 1px 1px 0 rgba( 255, 255, 255, 0.1 ); margin: 8px 4px; -webkit-border-radius: 4px; -moz-border-radius: 4px; border-radius: 4px; } #wonderpluginaudio-18 .amazingaudioplayer-progress-loaded { background-color: #444; -webkit-border-radius: 4px; -moz-border-radius: 4px; border-radius: 4px; } #wonderpluginaudio-18 .amazingaudioplayer-progress-played { -webkit-border-radius: 4px; -moz-border-radius: 4px; border-radius: 4px; background-color: #fcc500; background-image: -ms-linear-gradient(top, #fede00 0%, #fcc500 100%); background-image: -moz-linear-gradient(top, #fede00 0%, #fcc500 100%); background-image: -o-linear-gradient(top, #fede00 0%, #fcc500 100%); background-image: -webkit-gradient(linear, left top, left bottom, color-stop(0, #fede00), color-stop(1, #fcc500)); background-image: -webkit-linear-gradient(top, #fede00 0%, #fcc500 100%); background-image: linear-gradient(to bottom, #fede00 0%, #fcc500 100%); } #wonderpluginaudio-18 .amazingaudioplayer-time { position: relative; float: right; color: #fff; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-shadow: 1px 1px 0 #000; line-height: 24px; margin: 0 4px; } #wonderpluginaudio-18 .amazingaudioplayer-volume { position: relative; float: right; } #wonderpluginaudio-18 .amazingaudioplayer-volume-bar { background-color: #333; border: 1px solid #222; -webkit-border-radius: 4px; -moz-border-radius: 4px; border-radius: 4px; -webkit-box-shadow: inset 0 1px 0 rgba( 255, 255, 255, 0.15 ), 0 0 3px rgba( 0, 0, 0, 0.5 ); -moz-box-shadow: inset 0 1px 0 rgba( 255, 255, 255, 0.15 ), 0 0 3px rgba( 0, 0, 0, 0.5 ); box-shadow: inset 0 1px 0 rgba( 255, 255, 255, 0.15 ), 0 0 3px rgba( 0, 0, 0, 0.5 ); background-image: -ms-linear-gradient(top, #444444 0%, #111111 100%); background-image: -moz-linear-gradient(top, #444444 0%, #111111 100%); background-image: -o-linear-gradient(top, #444444 0%, #111111 100%); background-image: -webkit-gradient(linear, left top, left bottom, color-stop(0, #444444), color-stop(1, #111111)); background-image: -webkit-linear-gradient(top, #444444 0%, #111111 100%); background-image: linear-gradient(to bottom, #444444 0%, #111111 100%); } #wonderpluginaudio-18 .amazingaudioplayer-volume-bar-adjust { background-color: #222; -webkit-box-shadow: -1px -1px 0 rgba( 0, 0, 0, 0.5 ), 1px 1px 0 rgba( 255, 255, 255, 0.1 ); -moz-box-shadow: -1px -1px 0 rgba( 0, 0, 0, 0.5 ), 1px 1px 0 rgba( 255, 255, 255, 0.1 ); box-shadow: -1px -1px 0 rgba( 0, 0, 0, 0.5 ), 1px 1px 0 rgba( 255, 255, 255, 0.1 ); } #wonderpluginaudio-18 .amazingaudioplayer-volume-bar-adjust-active { background-color: #fcc500; -webkit-box-shadow: inset 0 0 5px rgba( 255, 255, 255, 0.5 ); -moz-box-shadow: inset 0 0 5px rgba( 255, 255, 255, 0.5 ); box-shadow: inset 0 0 5px rgba( 255, 255, 255, 0.5 ); } #wonderpluginaudio-18 .amazingaudioplayer-tracklist { display: block; position: relative; } #wonderpluginaudio-18 .amazingaudioplayer-tracklist-container { display: block; position: relative; background-color: #333; border: 1px solid #222; -webkit-border-radius: 2px; -moz-border-radius: 2px; border-radius: 2px; margin: 4px; padding: 12px 12px 16px; -webkit-box-shadow: inset 0 1px 0 rgba( 255, 255, 255, 0.15 ), 0 0 3px rgba( 0, 0, 0, 0.5 ); -moz-box-shadow: inset 0 1px 0 rgba( 255, 255, 255, 0.15 ), 0 0 3px rgba( 0, 0, 0, 0.5 ); box-shadow: inset 0 1px 0 rgba( 255, 255, 255, 0.15 ), 0 0 3px rgba( 0, 0, 0, 0.5 ); background-image: -ms-linear-gradient(top, #444444 0%, #111111 100%); background-image: -moz-linear-gradient(top, #444444 0%, #111111 100%); background-image: -o-linear-gradient(top, #444444 0%, #111111 100%); background-image: -webkit-gradient(linear, left top, left bottom, color-stop(0, #444444), color-stop(1, #111111)); background-image: -webkit-linear-gradient(top, #444444 0%, #111111 100%); background-image: linear-gradient(to bottom, #444444 0%, #111111 100%); } #wonderpluginaudio-18 .amazingaudioplayer-tracks-wrapper { position: relative; } #wonderpluginaudio-18 .amazingaudioplayer-tracks { position: relative; list-style-type: none; margin: 0; padding: 0; } #wonderpluginaudio-18 .amazingaudioplayer-track-item { position: relative; cursor: pointer; color: #999; font-family: "Open Sans", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-shadow: 0 1px 1px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.6); line-height: 22px; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-align: left; } #wonderpluginaudio-18 .amazingaudioplayer-track-item-active { cursor: pointer; color: #fff; } #wonderpluginaudio-18 .amazingaudioplayer-track-item a { color: #999; text-decoration: none; } #wonderpluginaudio-18 .amazingaudioplayer-track-item-active a { color: #fff; text-decoration: none; } #wonderpluginaudio-18 .amazingaudioplayer-track-item-duration { position: absolute; top: 0; right: 0; } #wonderpluginaudio-18 .amazingaudioplayer-tracklist-arrow-prev { position: absolute; bottom: 2px; left: 50%; margin-left: -64px; } #wonderpluginaudio-18 .amazingaudioplayer-tracklist-arrow-next { position: absolute; bottom: 2px; left: 50%; margin-left: 16px; } #wonderpluginaudio-18 .amazingaudioplayer-tracklist-clear { clear: both; }
How long, O Lord?
Have You dropped your watch, lost Your cosmic phone, forgotten that we are kinda just dying here, kinda just waiting here for You to rouse, wake up and finally do something, anything, for crying out loud?
How long till you see the blasted hands of the clock ticking down, like an atomic bomb, while You seem to just sit on Your hands?
How long till you peel back an eyelid up there and see: We’ve got people hurting like the dickens down here, and that open window with its sliver of possibility, it’s closing right before our eyes, and hear us:
Our endurance is flat out of breath, and our hope’s withering up.
You may have all of forever, but we, sure as Sheol, do not.
How long till we see some light at the end of the tunnel — but what if that light turns out to be a train come barreling our way?
How long till this relationship finally doesn’t wound, till this dream finally beckons us in, till this kid finally makes a turn for good?
How long till You come to this bloody door we’ve been pounding on with a battery of prayers till we’ve about lost our minds and all our aching faith?
How long do our hearts have to break before You break open the warehouses of our hope? How long do we have to wish for change before You change things?
How long do we have to hope before You help?
How long do we have to plead before You provide?
How long do we have to beg before You finally show up and bestow?
Can’t You budge Your drowsiness, lift the bulk of Your indifference, and see us madly running out of time here?
There’s wind moving through trees and there’s leaves barely lifting and there’s the universe asking in hardly a whisper:
What if: God doesn’t work on our timetables — He works on hearts.
What if: God isn’t looking at the hands on the clock — He’s looking for you to take His hand.
What if: Time only wears long when the focus is wrong. The face of the clock fades when our face is turned toward His. His eyes seek your eyes, He cups your face, He carries your pain, He weeps with your tears, He presses you close to His warming heart.
When God has your heart — your times are safe in God’s hands.
Plans don’t need to happen fast — when you are held with a steadfast love.
And you have a Lover who dismantles the crushing gears of time and binds the lashing hands of the clock and He whispers: You can feel numb but you are still held.
Do you want God — or do you want things from God?
Are you wanting the goodness of God — or goods from God?
One is really loving Him unconditionally — and the other really is conditional love.
How long till you fall in love with just Him?
Are you waiting on God — or waiting on things from God?
One is exulting in God, the other is exploitation of God.
Is Jesus enough — or do you only want just enough Jesus to get enough of what you want?
Is Jesus a lover you can’t get out or your mind — or is He your slacking genie in a bottle?
How long till we long just for Him?
How long till we love the way grace moves us and kindness carries us and mercy meets us, how long till we love the way scarred nailed hands are enough to hold us, keep us, strengthen us, remake us, change us, love us.
When you are in love — you lose track of time. So why ask, “How long?” — when you’re with God.
And… Even if God doesn’t — God does carry, God does hold, God does redeem.
Even if God doesn’t —- God doesn’t leave, doesn’t abandon, doesn’t let go, not for one second.
In the wait, whatever you lose, don’t lose heart — you never lose what lasts forever. You’ve got to believe it: whatever is being lost momentarily, more is being gained eternally.
In the wait, if you shift the way you see — and see that the wait could make you into the person you’ve been waiting to become.
If you’re waiting on God — do what waiters do: serve.
In serving, you are served a feast of what you’re longing for.
Because the One who loves you steadfastly, stood fast at the cross for you, so now stand fast for Him.
Love makes nothing feel too long.
And hands of the clock fall away — and everything falls into the safe and enfolding long arms of God who carries all the lasting things beyond the reach of time.
Related:
Done with God? The (Brutally) Honest Psalms Series: #1
Pick up our story of The Broken Way and how to love a brokenhearted world. This one’s for all of us who have felt our hearts break a bit…
This one’s for the brave and the busted and the real and dreamers and the sufferers and the believers.
This one’s for those who dare to take The Broken Way… into abundance
September 20, 2017
When Your Best-Laid Plans Fail
As the mama of seven, I can assure you that nothing will bring you to your knees in prayer faster or more frequently than raising children. Though motherhood is one of the most difficult jobs on earth, it is also one of the most important and most rewarding. Heidi St. John, recently wrote a book called Becoming MomStrong: How to Fight with All That’s in You for Your Family and Your Faith, and her goal? To help fellow mothers become strong in the Lord, know who they are in Christ, and impart that strength to their kids. It is a joy to welcome Heidi to the front porch today…
When it comes to making plans, I am second to . . . well, just One.
Planning is in my DNA.
I am a list maker and a lover of all things calendar-related.
Just give me an idea and a deadline, and I’ll make it happen—that is, if only the universe would cooperate!
I shudder to think of the thousands of my perfectly laid plans that have been completely derailed by everything from forgetting to plug in the slow cooker to getting in a fender bender on the way to the store.
The truth is, we can’t plan for everything. And perhaps more to the point, no one ever plans for a crisis.
We don’t pencil in “crisis” on the third Monday of the month. And yet, without fail, with the bases loaded in the final inning, the phone rings, and voilà—you have a sick kid, someone has lost their job, or a friend has devastating news.
This is where courage needs to step up to the plate.
The Bible says that we can make our plans, but ultimately the Lord determines our steps (Proverbs 16:9).
And some of those steps can be pretty painful to take.
In my twenty-six years of mothering, I have lost a baby to miscarriage and wept beside the casket of a dear friend’s stillborn daughter.
We don’t always get to choose what happens to the babies we carry so carefully inside us.
We can’t always predict what a day will bring.
But we are guaranteed of this: God will never leave us or forsake us. Ever.
And oh, how we need Him!
God is the one who brings courage from the chaos and peace to the broken places in our hearts. Without the courage that comes from God, the spirit of fear can settle into the unseen places of a mother’s soul.
So stay close to Him, precious mom! Get to know His Word. Memorize His promises. Don’t let that fear take root.
Every mom can identify with fear, but every mom can also identify with the antidote to fear we’ve been given.
From the moment we know we’re bringing a new life into the world, something miraculous—even sacred—awakens in the heart of a mother: courage.
It takes courage to be a mother.
Unplanned C-sections, unexpected diagnoses, illnesses, sibling rivalry, bad attitudes, and strong-willed children test the courage and resolve of every mother.
But God uses all of these circumstances to help make us into the mothers He wants us to be.
I know it’s true, because this business of shaping little hearts is also shaping mine.
Motherhood has exposed weaknesses in me I never knew I had, it has driven me to the limits of what I thought I could do, and it has filled my heart with hopes and dreams I never imagined for a future I can only entrust to God.
There’s no doubt about it: becoming a mother changes everything. And even twenty-six years in, I’m finding I need fresh courage on a daily basis.
Let’s face it: this isn’t our grandparents’ generation. Choosing a Christ-centered life in a culture that rejects Christ is challenging the courage of many believers today.
We are parenting in a generation in which fear is a driving force in our decisions.
As a result, Christian mothers today have to do something the previous three generations haven’t had to worry about: we’re preparing our kids to face rejection.
It takes courage to stand for the Lord in the face of rejection, but stand we must.
The next time your children tell you they have been mocked or labeled for their faith or beliefs, remember that at the moment of our salvation, God Himself gave us an even more powerful label. We wear the label redeemed, and no one can relabel us! We are forever accepted by God.
If you’re struggling to find courage in the face of being rejected, look up—and point your children’s gaze to Jesus as you do.
Courage is found where acceptance abounds: in Christ.
Moms who know who they are in Christ refuse to allow the devil to lie to them.
They rise to the challenge of the culture and, in the process, shape the hearts and minds of their children for the glory of God.
Yes, we are living in challenging times, but like Joshua, we have been called to “be strong and courageous.”
This is an exciting time to be a Christian, because when faith finds its feet in this generation of parents and their children, we are going to see amazing things happen in the lives of God’s people.
Heidi St. John is a speaker, author, and blogger at TheBusyMom.com. Heidi speaks all over the country sharing encouraging, biblical truth with women. Heidi and her husband live in Washington State, where they enjoy life with their seven children.
Through encouragement, practical prayer points, and authentic “me, too” moments, Becoming MomStrong offers moms biblical wisdom and practical advice that will challenge and inspire them to tackle the job of training their children to hear God’s voice and to walk in truth. Heidi believes that today’s mothers need a special kind of strength. We need to be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. We dare not rely on human strength for the battles we’re facing right now. This book has a powerful message just for you—the mom in the midst of it all.
[ Our humble thanks to Tyndale for their partnership in today’s devotion ]
September 18, 2017
What About When God Doesn’t Remove the Hard Thing?
Ruth Chou Simons began sharing her artwork while searching for God’s grace laced throughout her everyday life. Her recently released first book, GraceLaced, is a testament to His splendor in every changing season of life. In her book, blog, and Instagram community, Ruth is a friend who gently encourages and reminds me of God’s provision for each moment…a disciple whose talents are generously poured out in faith. In Ruth’s work, I have always found a balance of majesty and modesty—a beautiful and authentic echo of our Creator. It’s a grace to welcome Ruth to the farm’s front porch today…
guest post by Ruth Chou Simons
Some of the toughest trials the Lord has allowed in my life in the last ten years as a mother, pastor’s wife, school founder, and creative businesswoman have not been singularly traumatic events or experiences, but rather ones that have slowly chipped away, overstayed their welcome, or festered into painful wounds.
You know the kind I’m talking about:
The unresolved conflict between friends…
despite so many attempts at reconciliation.
The child whose challenges persist…
with only glimmers of progress that feel like two steps forward and one step back.
The unrelenting financial strain…
and the accumulation of bills that don’t seem to reflect the sacrifices you’ve made.
The gnawing pain of being misunderstood…
even though you know you can’t please everyone.
Some things aren’t resolved in one weekend. Some hurts don’t go away. Some prayers are not quickly answered, and some seasons don’t yield the fruit we had hoped for.
But just because God does not remove the thorn doesn’t mean He’s not using it for our good and for His glory.
“There was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me—to keep me from exalting myself! Concerning this I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me.
And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.” (2 Corinthians 12:7-9 NASB)
If there’s one thing I’ve learned in the past decade, it’s this: We miss the lesson when we pick at the thorn… nurse it… bemoan it… curse it.
The enemy would have us so blinded by the pain of the thorn that we can’t see the beauty of the rose garden.
I’ve been there so many times… so consumed by the discomfort that won’t go away that I can’t experience what fragrance of grace lies just ahead.
Look past the thorn to how Christ is enough in the midst of it.
His grace is sufficient for the thorn He chooses not to remove.
Friend, would we praise Him for His sustaining strength in our lives if it were not for reaching the end of our own strength?
Would we consider Him enough if we did not find ourselves lacking?
Would we know humility if not for the discomfort of obstacles and the pain of intrusions?
Would we, as did Paul, rejoice to boast in weakness if not shown the truth of our Father’s seemingly backward paradigm of greatness—humility?
Today’s thorn stands guard over tomorrow’s rose.
Don’t be surprised when our heavenly Father chooses to allow the wounding of our pride this day.
He does so lovingly, sovereignly, and without mistake… that we might find in Christ’s sufficient grace —
in our unremoved pain—
the rose we long to behold, just beyond the thorn.
Ruth Chou Simons is the creator of the GraceLaced online shoppe, blog, and Instagram community, where she shares scriptural truths daily through her hand-painted artwork and words. She has pursued her calling based on one overwhelming desire: to reflect the majesty of the Creator. Ruth and her husband, Troy, live in New Mexico and are grateful parents to six sons—their greatest adventure.
GraceLaced is a labor of love—a collection of over 800 intentionally crafted pieces of art and 32 heartfelt messages. This devotional will lead you through seasons of rest in who He is, rehearsing the truth he says about you, responding in faith to those truths, and remembering His provision to sustain you. Who we are and who God is never changes. Let this ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS book point you to truth and bring grace for each changing.
[ Our humble thanks to Harvest House for their partnership in today’s devotion ]
September 16, 2017
Only the Good Stuff: Multivitamins for Your Weekend [09.16.17]
Happy, happy, happy weekend!
Some real, down in the bones JOY to celebrate today! Links & stories this week 100% guaranteed to make you smile a mile wide & believe like crazy in a Good God redeeming everything — and that there’s love everywhere & for ((you))!
Serving up only the Good Stuff for you & your people right here:
Eric Ward @littlecoal
Eric Ward @littlecoal
Eric Ward @littlecoal
maybe pause to take all of this extraordinary in right here?!?
HA!
Joshua Earle
National Geographic Travel Shares the Best Fall Trips of 2017
We’re each a domino in His Story — how we live is effecting the world in ways we may not see. Go #beTheGIFT — and be a domino of love that’s part of taking down the dark!
good words here: Are You ‘Not Yet Married’?
because we all need a friend
Mary Anne Morgan
Mary Anne Morgan
Mary Anne Morgan
and if this doesn’t make you smile? I’m not sure what will…
Both members of the Air National Guard, were planning to get married on a beach September 16th but they were deployed to assist in the relief efforts for Hurricane Irma. So they got married in a hangar filled with rescue vehicles and paramedics.
Sarah Sanders
at 11 years old he gets his wish — and gained his biggest client ever
because we all need to be encouraged
SO GOOD: “Does It Spark Joy?” Is the Wrong Decluttering Question
beautiful
Facebook/Keith Nguyen
they quietly made 1,000 meals for hurricane victims
Ben White
they honored the lives of those lost on 9/11: with every single step
anyone can be extraordinary
Esther Havens
Bible translation. Life Transformation. Give God’s Word.
They’re on a mission to see all languages have Scripture by 2025
because everyone needs a friend
gorgeous testimony right here not to be missed: “She had the strongest faith of anybody I’ve ever known. This life is not the end, it’s just the beginning…” Kathie Lee remembers her mom, Joan
this Texas high school team is family: recovering together, from the greatest loss of their lives
Post of the Week from these parts here
Yeah: Where in the world is God?
Just look at the news, or down the street, or around your table, in the faces of your people, and there it is: these are kinda hard, hurting days. And frankly, you can get sick of the trite cliches slapped on the real pain people are feeling.
So, I recorded a song of sorts for you, a kinda podcast of for you, because may it’s time for us all to get real here:
The [Brutally] Honest Psalms Series:
Done with God? The (Brutally) Honest Psalms Series: #1
Because it’s never too late to love: Download your September G.I.F.T list & be part of the joy we all need?
We could all together kinda start a little movement of Giving It Forward Today, choosing to #BeTheGIFT, living broken & given like bread out into a world down right hungry for love right now.
Pick up your copy of The Broken Way — and break free.
Find all kinds of free tools at thebrokenway.com and download your September G.I.F.T list
yes: “Let us bless the Lord / Every day and night / Never ending praise / May our incense rise.”
This is the day the Lord has made, so you don’t have to be worried about it, stressed out about it, or overwhelmed by it — you can exhale & trust & rejoice in it.
If you are breathing, it’s true and you can smile: Today is a ridiculous gift. Exhale — and fear not the future… so you can enjoy the present. Simply: Faith refuses to stress.
[excerpted from our little Facebook family … come join us each day?]
That’s all for this weekend, friends.
Go slow. Be God-struck. Grant grace. Live Truth.
Give Thanks. Love well. Re – joy, re- joy, ‘re- joys’ again
Share Whatever Is Good.
September 15, 2017
real, honest hope for the heartbroken {video}
So yeah… in which the neck breaks out in nervous blotches.
And the make-up artist keeps insisting you need a little more and you keep smiling weakly and say no, really, no more, that’s good…
A gut honest interview with Life Today with James and Betty Robison : Brokenness
And there ain’t nobody who doesn’t need that:
Everyone is carrying their own unspoken broken. Everyone has their own scars that no one sees. Scars that no one know about.
Believe it: broken things can become new things… broken things can become redeemed things, broken things can become resurrected things, broken things can become breaking free things.
God sees the broken as the best and He sees the best in the broken and He calls the wounded to be the world changers. Yes — brokenness happens in a soul so the power of God can happen in a soul.
“There is no growth without change,
no change without surrender,
no surrender without wound—no abundance without breaking… a breaking into abundance.
Wounds are what break open the soul to plant the seeds of a deeper growth.” ~excerpt from The Broken Way
Pick up our story of The Broken Way and how to love a brokenhearted world. This one’s for all of us who have felt our hearts break a bit…
This one’s for the brave and the busted and the real and dreamers and the sufferers and the believers.
This one’s for those who dare to take The Broken Way… into abundance
September 14, 2017
Because There Absolutely Is No Such Thing As A Small Life
So — when you ride down the Amazon in a flimsy open boat with someone, trying to beat a Big-Daddy thunderstorm that’s trailing you black and hard? You consider yourself bonded for life. (Well, that and the matching Columbia mosquito-proof shirts will do it.) Truth is, I was smitten with the New York Time’s Bestselling author, Melanie Shankle, long before our Compassion trip to Ecuador. We’ve both been blogging for what seems like a coon’s age and I’ve been reading her forever and the woman’s smart, funny and brilliant — and has a heart for Jesus bigger than her home state of Texas. She once reached out and loved me with words that dropped my head and made me weep for the grace of it and I will never, ever forget it — there are friendships that are brave enough to stitch up real wounds with real grace. I’ll never love her enough for it. There ain’t nobody quite like Melanie Shankle — she’s the realest deal & the kind of woman you could talk to forever — and the farm’s front porch is humbled and ecstatic to welcome her crazy wonderful words:
We are a soccer family. We spend our weekends at soccer tournaments, we shuttle a car full of girls back and forth to practice four times a week.
I tell you this because it explains why our family was gathered around the TV to watch Abby Wambach play her last game on December 16, 2015.
She is arguably the greatest women’s soccer player of all time, and her accomplishments on the field changed the game forever and fostered a whole generation of little girls who dream of playing soccer at the highest level.
During the game, Gatorade aired a farewell commercial as a tribute to all Abby Wambach has meant to women’s soccer.
It features her cleaning out her locker as she says these words in the background, “Forget me. Forget my number, forget my name, forget I ever existed. Forget the medals won, the records broken, and the sacrifices made. I want to leave a legacy where the ball keeps rolling forward, where the next generation accomplishes things so great that I am no longer remembered.”
Abby’s words have stayed with me, but over time I’ve decided it’s not really possible to forget the great ones whose lives have played out before us.
When you have lived life to the fullest, when you’ve carpe diemed the heck out of who and what God has created you to be, you leave an indelible mark on the people around you and on those who will come long after you’re gone.
The summer after my freshman year in college, I lived with my Me-Ma and Pa-Pa.
My mom had moved to Oklahoma a few months earlier, my daddy lived in Houston, and I wanted to spend the summer in Beaumont because that’s where my friends were. Most importantly, my high school boyfriend. It wasn’t a good relationship, and in truth, I knew it was on its last legs, but I was eighteen, insecure, and desperate to hang on to anything familiar as everything else in my world changed.
Me-Ma and Pa-Pa agreed to let me spend the summer with them on two conditions:
I had to go to summer school, and I had to be in by 10:30 every night.
I had just finished an entire year with all the freedom college offers, and I was going to spend the summer with a 10:30 curfew, living with my grandparents but desperation makes you agree to things you normally wouldn’t even consider.
At a time in my life when I certainly wasn’t afraid to rebel against authority, I didn’t dare break their rules.
I didn’t want to disappoint them because they felt like the last bastion of people who truly believed I could do no wrong.
That summer ended up being a defining summer for me. I broke up with the high school boyfriend cried a lot of tears on my Me-Ma’s lap.
But the greatest gift I received that summer was spending every day with two people who built me up and loved me unconditionally when my self-confidence was at an all-time low.
They gave me a safe place to land that took me back to childhood for a little while. It was a chance to catch my breath and make some good decisions for the first time in a long time.
I thought I was staying with them and enduring a curfew as a last resort, but I now consider that summer one of the greatest gifts of my life.
Family was everything to them.
They were surrounded by the people they loved and who loved them for their entire lives. They knew what was truly important, and their home reflected it.
It was very rare that there weren’t at least twenty people in their house at any given time.
Me-Ma never worried about whether or not the house was clean or if she had on makeup. She welcomed everyone with a hug, offered them something to eat, and made them feel so incredibly welcome.
She showed me that real hospitality doesn’t involve waiting to have people over until you finally buy a new couch or remodel the bathroom.
And, maybe most of all, that a simple life that revolves around loving your family doesn’t equate to a small life.
What I don’t know is why I thought it would never end.
When you’re young, you take it for granted that people will just always be there.
You don’t realize the richness of a life well-lived and don’t question how it all happened.
They lived their lives with a faithfulness and commitment to the small, important things we tend to overlook in the quest to do something grand with our lives, somehow missing the fact that the small things are ultimately the biggest things.
Me-Ma and Pa-Pa left a legacy of love and steadfastness. Every day they lived out this command written by the apostle Paul:
“Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going – to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering” (Romans 12:1–2) MSG
Which brings me back to Abby Wambach’s words about leaving a legacy. Me-Ma and Pa-Pa left a legacy that has kept the ball rolling forward. And when you’ve left a legacy that strong, you can never be forgotten. You shouldn’t be forgotten.
Because every moment in what some might consider a small life was a moment painted with great love.
Their impact will never be forgotten.
We all have bits and pieces of the things that belonged to them.
And more than that, we have the lessons they taught us, the memories they gave us, the stories they told, and the way they loved their family, day in and day out.
These are the things they handed down to us when we didn’t even know we were paying attention.
Melanie Shankle is one of the funniest, sharpest writers out there right now, and every book of hers is a laugh out loud, turn-pager keeper. She’s the author of three home runs, the New York Times bestsellers Sparkly Green Earrings, The Antelope in the Living Room, Nobody’s Cuter Than You, and one hilariously real blog, Big Mama.
Her latest may be her best? Church of the Small Things speaks directly to the heart of women of all ages who are longing to find significance and meaning in the normal, sometimes mundane world of driving carpool to soccer practice, attending class on their college campus, cooking meals for their family, or taking care of a sick loved one.
God uses some of the smallest, most ordinary acts of faithfulness—and sometimes they look a whole lot like packing lunch. Melanie helps women embrace what it means to live a simple, yet incredibly meaningful life and how to find all the beauty and laughter that lies right beneath the surface of every moment. STRAIGHT UP: YOU HAVE GOT TO GET THIS BOOK! DEAL CHANGER!
[ Our humble thanks to Zondervan for their partnership in today’s devotion ]
September 12, 2017
Done with God? The (Brutally) Honest Psalms Series: #1
@import url(https://fonts.googleapis.com/css?fami... #wonderpluginaudio-17 { box-sizing: content-box; } #wonderpluginaudio-17 div { -webkit-box-sizing: content-box; -moz-box-sizing: content-box; box-sizing: content-box; } #wonderpluginaudio-17 .amazingaudioplayer-image { display: block; position: relative; float: left; margin: 4px; overflow: hidden; -webkit-box-shadow: 0 8px 6px -6px black; -moz-box-shadow: 0 8px 6px -6px black; box-shadow: 0 8px 6px -6px black; -webkit-border-radius: 4px; -moz-border-radius: 4px; border-radius: 4px; } #wonderpluginaudio-17 .amazingaudioplayer-image-clear { } #wonderpluginaudio-17 .amazingaudioplayer-text { display: block; position: relative; overflow: hidden; padding: 4px 12px; height: 100px; } #wonderpluginaudio-17 .amazingaudioplayer-text-clear { clear: both; height: 8px; } #wonderpluginaudio-17 .amazingaudioplayer-title { display: block; color: #333; font-family: "Oswald",Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 20px; font-weight: bold; } #wonderpluginaudio-17 .amazingaudioplayer-title-clear { } #wonderpluginaudio-17 .amazingaudioplayer-info { display: block; display: block; color: #666; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: italic; } #wonderpluginaudio-17 .amazingaudioplayer-info-clear { } #wonderpluginaudio-17 .amazingaudioplayer-bar { background-color: #333; margin: 4px; border: 1px solid #222; -webkit-border-radius: 2px; -moz-border-radius: 2px; border-radius: 2px; -webkit-box-shadow: inset 0 1px 0 rgba( 255, 255, 255, 0.15 ), 0 0 3px rgba( 0, 0, 0, 0.5 ); -moz-box-shadow: inset 0 1px 0 rgba( 255, 255, 255, 0.15 ), 0 0 3px rgba( 0, 0, 0, 0.5 ); box-shadow: inset 0 1px 0 rgba( 255, 255, 255, 0.15 ), 0 0 3px rgba( 0, 0, 0, 0.5 ); background-image: -ms-linear-gradient(top, #444444 0%, #222222 100%); background-image: -moz-linear-gradient(top, #444444 0%, #222222 100%); background-image: -o-linear-gradient(top, #444444 0%, #222222 100%); background-image: -webkit-gradient(linear, left top, left bottom, color-stop(0, #444444), color-stop(1, #222222)); background-image: -webkit-linear-gradient(top, #444444 0%, #222222 100%); background-image: linear-gradient(to bottom, #444444 0%, #222222 100%); } #wonderpluginaudio-17 .amazingaudioplayer-bar-buttons-clear { clear: both; } #wonderpluginaudio-17 .amazingaudioplayer-bar-clear { } #wonderpluginaudio-17 .amazingaudioplayer-bar-title { position: relative; float: left; color: #eee; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0 8px; } #wonderpluginaudio-17 .amazingaudioplayer-playpause { position: relative; float: left; } #wonderpluginaudio-17 .amazingaudioplayer-play { position: relative; } #wonderpluginaudio-17 .amazingaudioplayer-pause { position: relative; } #wonderpluginaudio-17 .amazingaudioplayer-stop { position: relative; float: left; } #wonderpluginaudio-17 .amazingaudioplayer-prev { position: relative; float: left; } #wonderpluginaudio-17 .amazingaudioplayer-next { position: relative; float: left; } #wonderpluginaudio-17 .amazingaudioplayer-loop { position: relative; float: left; margin: 0 2px; } #wonderpluginaudio-17 .amazingaudioplayer-progress { position: relative; background-color: #222; -webkit-box-shadow: -1px -1px 0 rgba( 0, 0, 0, 0.5 ), 1px 1px 0 rgba( 255, 255, 255, 0.1 ); -moz-box-shadow: -1px -1px 0 rgba( 0, 0, 0, 0.5 ), 1px 1px 0 rgba( 255, 255, 255, 0.1 ); box-shadow: -1px -1px 0 rgba( 0, 0, 0, 0.5 ), 1px 1px 0 rgba( 255, 255, 255, 0.1 ); margin: 8px 4px; -webkit-border-radius: 4px; -moz-border-radius: 4px; border-radius: 4px; } #wonderpluginaudio-17 .amazingaudioplayer-progress-loaded { background-color: #444; -webkit-border-radius: 4px; -moz-border-radius: 4px; border-radius: 4px; } #wonderpluginaudio-17 .amazingaudioplayer-progress-played { -webkit-border-radius: 4px; -moz-border-radius: 4px; border-radius: 4px; background-color: #fcc500; background-image: -ms-linear-gradient(top, #fede00 0%, #fcc500 100%); background-image: -moz-linear-gradient(top, #fede00 0%, #fcc500 100%); background-image: -o-linear-gradient(top, #fede00 0%, #fcc500 100%); background-image: -webkit-gradient(linear, left top, left bottom, color-stop(0, #fede00), color-stop(1, #fcc500)); background-image: -webkit-linear-gradient(top, #fede00 0%, #fcc500 100%); background-image: linear-gradient(to bottom, #fede00 0%, #fcc500 100%); } #wonderpluginaudio-17 .amazingaudioplayer-time { position: relative; float: right; color: #fff; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-shadow: 1px 1px 0 #000; line-height: 24px; margin: 0 4px; } #wonderpluginaudio-17 .amazingaudioplayer-volume { position: relative; float: right; } #wonderpluginaudio-17 .amazingaudioplayer-volume-bar { background-color: #333; border: 1px solid #222; -webkit-border-radius: 4px; -moz-border-radius: 4px; border-radius: 4px; -webkit-box-shadow: inset 0 1px 0 rgba( 255, 255, 255, 0.15 ), 0 0 3px rgba( 0, 0, 0, 0.5 ); -moz-box-shadow: inset 0 1px 0 rgba( 255, 255, 255, 0.15 ), 0 0 3px rgba( 0, 0, 0, 0.5 ); box-shadow: inset 0 1px 0 rgba( 255, 255, 255, 0.15 ), 0 0 3px rgba( 0, 0, 0, 0.5 ); background-image: -ms-linear-gradient(top, #444444 0%, #111111 100%); background-image: -moz-linear-gradient(top, #444444 0%, #111111 100%); background-image: -o-linear-gradient(top, #444444 0%, #111111 100%); background-image: -webkit-gradient(linear, left top, left bottom, color-stop(0, #444444), color-stop(1, #111111)); background-image: -webkit-linear-gradient(top, #444444 0%, #111111 100%); background-image: linear-gradient(to bottom, #444444 0%, #111111 100%); } #wonderpluginaudio-17 .amazingaudioplayer-volume-bar-adjust { background-color: #222; -webkit-box-shadow: -1px -1px 0 rgba( 0, 0, 0, 0.5 ), 1px 1px 0 rgba( 255, 255, 255, 0.1 ); -moz-box-shadow: -1px -1px 0 rgba( 0, 0, 0, 0.5 ), 1px 1px 0 rgba( 255, 255, 255, 0.1 ); box-shadow: -1px -1px 0 rgba( 0, 0, 0, 0.5 ), 1px 1px 0 rgba( 255, 255, 255, 0.1 ); } #wonderpluginaudio-17 .amazingaudioplayer-volume-bar-adjust-active { background-color: #fcc500; -webkit-box-shadow: inset 0 0 5px rgba( 255, 255, 255, 0.5 ); -moz-box-shadow: inset 0 0 5px rgba( 255, 255, 255, 0.5 ); box-shadow: inset 0 0 5px rgba( 255, 255, 255, 0.5 ); } #wonderpluginaudio-17 .amazingaudioplayer-tracklist { display: block; position: relative; } #wonderpluginaudio-17 .amazingaudioplayer-tracklist-container { display: block; position: relative; background-color: #333; border: 1px solid #222; -webkit-border-radius: 2px; -moz-border-radius: 2px; border-radius: 2px; margin: 4px; padding: 12px 12px 16px; -webkit-box-shadow: inset 0 1px 0 rgba( 255, 255, 255, 0.15 ), 0 0 3px rgba( 0, 0, 0, 0.5 ); -moz-box-shadow: inset 0 1px 0 rgba( 255, 255, 255, 0.15 ), 0 0 3px rgba( 0, 0, 0, 0.5 ); box-shadow: inset 0 1px 0 rgba( 255, 255, 255, 0.15 ), 0 0 3px rgba( 0, 0, 0, 0.5 ); background-image: -ms-linear-gradient(top, #444444 0%, #111111 100%); background-image: -moz-linear-gradient(top, #444444 0%, #111111 100%); background-image: -o-linear-gradient(top, #444444 0%, #111111 100%); background-image: -webkit-gradient(linear, left top, left bottom, color-stop(0, #444444), color-stop(1, #111111)); background-image: -webkit-linear-gradient(top, #444444 0%, #111111 100%); background-image: linear-gradient(to bottom, #444444 0%, #111111 100%); } #wonderpluginaudio-17 .amazingaudioplayer-tracks-wrapper { position: relative; } #wonderpluginaudio-17 .amazingaudioplayer-tracks { position: relative; list-style-type: none; margin: 0; padding: 0; } #wonderpluginaudio-17 .amazingaudioplayer-track-item { position: relative; cursor: pointer; color: #999; font-family: "Open Sans", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-shadow: 0 1px 1px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.6); line-height: 22px; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-align: left; } #wonderpluginaudio-17 .amazingaudioplayer-track-item-active { cursor: pointer; color: #fff; } #wonderpluginaudio-17 .amazingaudioplayer-track-item a { color: #999; text-decoration: none; } #wonderpluginaudio-17 .amazingaudioplayer-track-item-active a { color: #fff; text-decoration: none; } #wonderpluginaudio-17 .amazingaudioplayer-track-item-duration { position: absolute; top: 0; right: 0; } #wonderpluginaudio-17 .amazingaudioplayer-tracklist-arrow-prev { position: absolute; bottom: 2px; left: 50%; margin-left: -64px; } #wonderpluginaudio-17 .amazingaudioplayer-tracklist-arrow-next { position: absolute; bottom: 2px; left: 50%; margin-left: 16px; } #wonderpluginaudio-17 .amazingaudioplayer-tracklist-clear { clear: both; }
Where in the mess of things are you, God?
Where are you who unlock the wind from its storehouses, who raises the seas from the deep, who can calm the waves and the winds and the wall of worries that drown us in a hurricane of whipping hurry and pain?
Where are You who can do anything you want and how can You not want what we wildly want?
Do You see not us burning, drowning, dying, grieving, aching alone in our own skin?
Where in the jilted world are You when babies gasp for air and crematorium fires burn?
You falling asleep at the wheel up there when pulses slam into the Grim Reaper and heart monitors blithely flat line and we’re madly impotent to reef anyone back into the land of the living?
Do You head out on vacation when we are slamming against the floor of heaven with our howling prayers?
Don’t You hear our heart-pounding begging when our prodigals run toward pits, when our people reel with diagnoses, when our veins scream with chemo hurtling after the ravaging cancer?
Where exactly are You looking when the very people who are supposed to hold our hearts next to theirs, just get up and drop the core of us and never look back, and our soul kinda shatters like a glassy rain of shame— and picking up the shards of us cuts each breath?
You around at all, God?
When the people we sacrificed for, turn around and sacrifice us on the altar of rejection, and the stack of our dreams, our days, go up in these mocking tendrils of smoke, and our lives end up being this stinging stench in the nostrils in ways we could never speak out loud?
And our God rises, our God never stops rising, and He never stops resurrecting — resurrecting tender hope and relentless love for you in a thousand unlikely places.
Where are you, God?
God’s in the brazen rising of the sun with its curtain of determined possibility falling behind it like fresh mercy across all the upturned fields and faces.
God’s in the rising from the ashes, He’s in the rolling away of the stones, He’s in your resistance against the dark, right there in your daily practice of resurrection.
God’s moved right in, bent low and slipped in through the cracks of your broken heart, and camps within you and this is exactly where He is:
He’s fighting for you, so you can be still.
He’s going right before you, always making a way.
He’s carrying you, so you can lean into the strength of the Universe.
He’s the courage in your veins, the drumbeat of the brave in your heart, the resilient grit in your every rising, your every step forward.
He’s in the love that always finds a way to find you.
Never doubt that He’s in the hope that raises your chin, that looks you straight in the eye and believes that you will meet grace again and again and that grace is the most unstoppable force in the universe and that grace gives you enough, makes you enough, and will be all of your enough and it is always on time, not a moment too soon and never a moment too late — and you can take that to the bank.
Oh Soul, never doubt where He is. Look around — He’s moved right in.
You have a Lover holding you together, you have a Comforter cupping His hands for every tear, you have a Friend whose arm’s around you, pulling you into the safest presence that won’t leave you alone for one God-forsaken moment.
You can feel numb and still be held.
You can feel nothing and still be carried.
You can still be breathing — and your every breath sounds like the whisper of His name, YWHW, Him filling you, Him with you, answering your crying prayers to Him, with more of Himself.
And somewhere —- a child laughs like lilting music … and somewhere someone lives broken given and slips open fingers through a waiting hand, and a shaft of light pries a way through the moving shadows, and sun warms a skyward-seeking face, and everywhere we choose to be a gift to each other, live given to each other, we see exactly where God is — right there in the space between our broken hearts, mending everything.
And there is love resurrecting around us and in us and even now, those brave enough to sit with the honest psalms, feel an awakening to all this resilient grace.
Pick up our story of The Broken Way and how to love a brokenhearted world. This one’s for all of us who have felt our hearts break a bit…
This one’s for the brave and the busted and the real and dreamers and the sufferers and the believers.
This one’s for those who dare to take The Broken Way… into abundance
Ann Voskamp's Blog
- Ann Voskamp's profile
- 1369 followers
