Theresa Demi's Blog, page 3

Dandelion Perspective (#throwbackthursday)

******REPOST FROM AUGUST 27, 2012***************** 

Last evening at the dinner table..

Luke- "Everyone has computers."
Scott- "Not everyone. Ya know when I was a kid, no one had a computer."
Rachel- "What did you do?"
Theresa- "Play outside like normal little kids."
Will- "I have heard of this. Ya know, I heard somewhere, back in the olden days, like in 1991, they didn't have computers. I heard you had to use sticks to count with in school."
Theresa- "Will! I had more than sticks to count with in school, and 1991 is not the olden days."
Will- "How about 1990. That was defiantly the olden days."

*******************************************************************
A little perspective goes a long way. In Will's mind, I am sure 1990 seems like an eternity away. After all, to him Christmas was another lifetime. But to me, 1990 is barley yesterday. I can bring up memories of elementary school, playing on the Bakerton ball field, and fishing with friends. The olden days? I think not.

Have you ever heard "it is all in how you look at it?" Of course it is. Let me give you one of my favorite example. One in which my age isn't being trampled into the ground!


The dandelion. I have always loved this flower. As a kid I would dance through the yard, gathering up as many as I can find. It was a good day when the dandelions had shed their yellow and became the wishing flower. A white puff of dreams blown into the wind. The more flowers I found, the more wishes there were. I know now as an adult I should hate the dandelion. It is a symbol of an unkept lawn. A weed if you will. As I walked through the store the other day, bags of dandelion killer were everywhere.
But I can't help it. I still love dandelions. I love the bright yellow scattered over a sea of green. I love it when my little ones bring me fist fulls of sunshine. I love watching them puff their little cheeks and blowing the whiskers to Santa. It is all a matter of perspective.
You know one of the things I love about Jesus. Really probably in my top 5. His different perspective of things. He never quite saw things the way others did. While other people looked on the religious leaders of the day with reverence and awe, Jesus saw a pit of vipers. When woman and children were seen as more of a nuisance and an inconvenience at best, Jesus saw the future and a hope. They saw a poor woman with a useless offering. He saw a mountain of faith. They saw sinners and scoundrels while he saw pain, sickness, and agony in need of a Healer. He saw purpose.

Jesus's perspective wasn't by far the popular one. He never would have won an election. Heck, they were shouting for his death a week after his praises. He wasn't about swaying popular opinion. He looked beyond the surface and saw what was hidden. He had the perspective of God.

Every day I need to pray for that perspective. Trials and hardships can weigh on the heart. Changes in plans can be seen as deal breakers. Sometimes if we take the time to step back and really look closely, we can see these times as opportunities for growth. I also need to stop trying to see things from the popular perspective. Or the way everyone else is looking at it. I need to see beauty where I once saw a field of useless weeds. Because really, things are all in how you look at it.

Worship Wednesday

 

Worship-

Worship 

is the silent cry of your heart in a crowded room where there's everywhere for you to go and nowhere for you to be

Worshipis found in silence because words are noise and quietness is peace
Worshipis breathing in the goodness and the darkness, the wholeness and the brokenness, and exhaling the truth
Worship is peace battling chaos and security found in the war
Worship is reaching out your hand when you can't lift up your arms
WorshipIs the gratitude of you heart in the face of mercy
Worship is the song of grace in the security of your pardon
Worship is saying I trust you in the dark because where you go I will follow
Worship is fighting my way through another day and closing my eyes with the security of You over top of me
Worship is my everything

#Takemeback1

 

#takemebackTuesday

#dancerainbow.org

You don't have TIME

 I am cheating.

But just a little. 

This is a picture from Last Monday but I have been wanting to writing about it and it DID happen on a Monday...just not this Monday.

So I am cheating...but just a little. 

I ran out of gas. I know, I know. You are shocked. Which is OBVIOUSLY sarcasm because if you have known me for more than 12 seconds you know I am a mess.  A well-intentioned mess. A caring mess. A dedicated mess. But a mess just the same. To quote one of my brilliant part angel first graders "That's just the way God made me."

I knew I needed gas on SUNDAY. But it was cold and I thought oh, later. Well, Monday morning rolled around and we were a smidge early. I thought that I would maybe get gas and then drop off the kids to school before head to my own work 

Naw, I'll let them be a little early for once. I took them to school and dropped them off. Then I was THINKING. I was thinking about school and what was going on in the day, then about my other job at HandR, and then I was THINKING about after all that I had to submit my son's shout outs for the upcoming school play. I thought the whole way to the highway. 

Then my car started to chug. SUPER. Garage work was not on the list of things I was looking to do....AND THEN I REMEMBERED. 

I was supposed to get gas.....

I was so close. Just 2 more miles...You can do it car!

Well, obviously, I didn't make it. 

February, Freezing cold. I made the brilliant decision that I was going to walk to school. After all it was only 2 miles. P.S.- I tried calling my husband who did not answer his phone, so I walked. 

****Obviously this was a terrible idea. Don't ever get out of your car and try and walk on a highway. Especially in the "someone can slide right into you" winter. But, in true Theresa form I walked. 

Because Jesus loves me, a car pulled over not 6 steps from when I started walking. A beautiful soul offered to drive me. Which I greatly appreciated. Again, though- please don't just be getting in random strangers' cars. But  I digress...

Don't we all do this? I don't mean always run out of gas, which yes my 17 year old son gave me quite the lecture on, but I mean think we will do it later. We have more time. 

The honest to goodness truth is maybe we will.....or maybe we won't.

Psalms 90:12 says "Teach us to number our days, that we may have a heart of wisdom."

1 Thessalonians 5:2  for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night."

Your end....or  Jesus coming....is sooner than you think. We push off the important things- the ETERNAL things, thinking we have more time. If I had to guess the number one statement at death, a good guess would be "I thought I had more time."

WELL- YA DON'T. 

Start making time for the eternal. Get yourself right with God. take your family to church. Share the reason why you have the faith you have. Because you so not know the hour my friends. You don't have time. 

We at Kinport Assembly of God would be thrilled for you to come and join us and welcome you as part of the family. No judgement. No requirement. Just come. 10:30 on Sundays. 

We make time for what's important to us. It's now time for you to stop thinking you have more time. Our lives are but a vapor. But we ALL will have an eternity. What is yours going to look like?

Also, when your car is on 1/4 of a tank get gas. Even if it is cold, and yucky and you don't want to- Luke Demi

#mindfulmonday   #motivationalmonday

I don't know that girl anymore....

 

I don’t know that girl anymore….

 

The girl who thinks she has all the time in the world

Another opportunity will come her way

The girl whose sound of her own laughter isn’t strange toher

She thinks tears are only for the weak

 

I don’t know that girl anymore

 

The girl who thinks she can never do  or survive that

Flowers and Butterflies  last forever

The girl where memories are gentle reminders

counts each day forward, not one step away

 

I don’t know that girl anymore

 

The girl who smiles at pictures

Doesn’t need to take a deep breath every morning

The girl who doesn’t twitch at the ringing phone

who isn’t painfully aware of the date

 

I don’t know that girl anymore

 

The girl who will fall asleep soundly and wake up withstrength

Didn’t have to hold on a little tighter and a little longer

The girl who doesn’t have a lump in her throat.

Isn’t lying when she says “fine.”

 

I don’t know that girl anymore

 

The girl who has plans and expects

The girl who sees every goodbye as a see you later

The girl who thinks THAT was so important

The girl whose favorite time of the day isn’t bedtime

The girl who knew it would all be ok in the end

The girl’s whose plate of happiness didn’t come with a sideof grief

The girl who wished on stars and dandelions

The girl’s whose heart didn’t long for heaven’s embrace

The girl who thinks it isn’t important

The girl who isn’t so intimately acquainted with lastchances

 

I don’t know that girl anymore

 

I don’t think I am worse off for not knowing her anymore

I think it was time for her to go

Perhaps overstayed her welcome a bit

 

This girl who I know you think I should remember

But a lifetime has pasted and gone

 

I don’t know that girl anymore

 

 

IT IS TIME

Today in church we sang on of my favs- The Battle Belongs to the Lord.Weeks ago during a prayer service God spoke to me about this idea. I prayed andthen on the way home He was hitting me with all kinds of(challenging) thoughts. I came home and wrote and wrote in my “God journal.” A journalI keep for things when I feel God is speaking something so me.

The Battle Belongs to the Lord. To be honest, I used to take sucha lackadaisical (carelessly lazy) look to this. I would sing this and believefor this and told myself the battle is the Lord’s, not mine. He already has thevictory. Then God slammed me.

 

Oh YES, indeed the battle belongs to the Lord. He has alreadyclaimed the victory and forever more will be the champion. HOWEVER, did youever see that chapter in Ephesians where it talks about armoring up? Why do Ihave to put armor on if the battle is the Lord’s and I just have to sit on mybutt and wait for it to happen?

Uh-huh. He is my commander, The holder of the strategy and thevictor. BUT make no mistake. I have a part to play. The fact that the battle isthe Lords doesn’t give me a free pass to sit idly by. I am a soldier. A WARRIORif you will in the army of the Most High God.

Ephesians 6:11 says “Blessed be the Lord my Rock who trains myhands for war, and my fingers for battle.”

2 Timothy 2:3  “Join  with me in suffering. Like a good soldier ofJesus Christ.”

 2 Corinthians 10:4 – “The weapons we fight with are not theweapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolishstrongholds.”

 

The battle BELONGS to the Lord, but make no mistake. You areinvolved. I am a soldier. I am part of the battle plan not because God NEEDS meto do something, but I have the privilege to serve.

The great news is… we WIN! BUT what part do you play soldier? Wehave to be listening to the commander to know where to go and what to do. Heknows the plan BECAUSE HE WROTE THE PLAN.

Battles are ugly. War is often a necessary evil. We go to war notonly for the good of ourselves but for those around us. Those we are servingfor. Sometimes battles get bloody. Sometimes we hurt. There is pain. BUT we knowthat God doesn’t allow anything to slip through His fingers unless it is tobring an ultimate victory for the Kingdom of God.

I can’t see past my own life. I am betting neither can you. Orreally do we ever want to? We live for what will bring us happiness, fullness,and contentment. But the commander can see more than we could ever imagine. Thecommander knows all the lives and all the plans and how to work them alltogether to bring the good. Not the good at the moment. Not the good that fillsour bellies for the moment. He knows the plan that will bring about eternity forthe most souls.

Sometimes soldiers sacrifice. Sometimes a soldiers have to go intothe fire to save a fellow fighter. War isn’t always pretty and neither isspiritual warfare.

The enemy, the deceiver is more evil that any force the earth hasever known. He goes for the throat every time. He hates you. He doesn’t presentit that way at first. Oh heavens no. He is the DECIEVER. He makes what he isoffering look so satisfying and almost perfect. Just like the spider and theweb.

Good soldiers know a set up when they see it. Usually because theyhave the Commander's instructions. As soldier, we know our destination and our goal,and can’t get distracted on what feels good now. We have bigger purposes and plans to line up for the future than to get bogged down in every here and now 

In spiritual warfare, we do use different weapons than on anearthly battlefield. Praise and worship to Our Father God regardless of our circumstancescan weaken our enemy. Praying on all occasions the Bible tells us is top notch.Lately I have learned that obedience and forgiveness are special sniper weaponsthe LORD has given to us. Special in assignment but deadly when used.

What does the commander ask of me? Loyalty. I think you wouldagree that if you have faith in the one leading you, you will follow them tothe ends of the earth and beyond. Who better to put our ultimate faith in than the ONE whomade the sky and stars. The One who know the plan. The one who we KNOW has thevictory?

I have to trust my commander. I have to follow Him with zerohesitation. If sacrifice has come to my life, I remind myself it is for apurpose. If pain, death, or sickness visits, I, as a soldier, know that mycommander would never require this of me unless it was not of eternalimportance.

The draft was last used in the United States on December 7, 1972.People were “forced” into service. Now, we sign up. We enlist. We sign our ownname to that document that commits us to serve our home and commander no matterthe cost.

Spiritual Warfare is no different. No one is forcing you to fight.You fight because you are called. You say yes because you heard a voice sayingthis is the way walk in it. You sign your name on the document of eternity thatsays I pledge allegiance to my God and His mission of bringing His people backHOME into a right relationship with Him- through the blood of our Savior thattakes away the sin of the world and allows us to stand before a Holy andRighteous God.

I sign my name and strap on my armor. This is war. A war of allthe wars. The ultimate confrontation of good versus evil. So many are being deceived.

But not you dear one. YOUR eyes have been opened. You know what isbeing asked. Not even death stops our God. He is unstoppable, untamable, anduncontainable. He holds victory as sure as the rising sun.

I’m not going to lie to you. I’m not sugarcoating it. Being a soldierof the kingdom of Heaven in this “in between” world will not be easy. As amatter of fact, the enemy makes it that way so you will turn back and abandonyour post. He hits hard and strong BUT MY GOD HITS LAST.

As the children’s song goes, “ I am a soldier in the Lord’s Army.”I swear loyalty to Him for all of my days come what may. Circumstances do notdefine my assignment or allegiance. I will fight with the supernatural powersof prayer, scripture, worship, praise, obedience, sacrifice, and whatever elseHe speaks into my heart.

War is bloody. War is tragic. But sometimes war is the only thingthat stands in the between evil overrunning the lives of the innocents.

Train yourself up for battle my friend. The battle truly INDEEDbelongs to the Lord. The VICTORY is already in the books. We just need to, asPaul says, “STAND FIRM.”

Lord, you are my ultimate Commander and Sustainer of this life. Isign the doted lines to enlist for Your army. You alone have the words of eternal life. For your good purposes, I take uponmyself all that entails. I ask for Your Grace, Mercy, and Protection. I ask forcourage, strength, and stamina. But most of all, most Holy God, I ask that youhelp me to see past my own fleeting life and into the eternal victory.

Time to suit up friends.  

Jesus is REAL

I don’t think this is a good book for me right now.

That was  my firstthought as the introduction of my newly purchased audio book played on my wayto work. It was called “The End of Me” from author Kyle Idleman. One of my alltime faith moving Christian books is called “Not a fan” by him. I have read itcountless times. I thought it would be a good pick.

 However, theintroduction began with a story about the tragic lost of a young child.Immediately my breath sped up and my palm stated to sweat. Had I not beendriving I probably would have shut off the phone in a reaction as sharp as asnake bite. But I froze.  

This is aconundrum of panic and living in the shadow of a tragedy. The conflicting feelings that you can’t be still.You want to run and run just so your body is moving so maybe you can shut down your mind. The second situationis the feeling of being trapped. Frozen. Your body is perfectly still whileonly you can hear the shattering bones and the screaming going on inside ofyou.

So I focused on my breathing, calming down, and continuedwith my hands on the steer wheel but listening to the story.  As I continued to listen…as God ALWAYS does….thiswas the exact book I was meant to listen to. The introduction told of how theauthor spoke with the man of the tragedy and how he said as life crushing asthe situation was, it was here where he found Jesus. The author went tofacebook and wrote “Jesus became real when….” He said hundreds of answers. Mosttragic.

 

When Jesus became real…..

 

My eyes welled up and I  whispered “Jesus became real to me when.” -andspoke the awful tragedy. 

The introduction wrapped up as I pulled into the parkinglot. The man explained that he had gone from a Sunday morningfrom time to time follower to a life sustaining relationship. The fatherclaimed that prior to his 18 month old son’s accident “faith” was somethingthat was always on the periphery of their family's vision. But now….Now….

He had encountered a living, active,ever present God.

When you hear stories such as these, such as mine, you thinkI can’t imagine,  and let me be the firstto say you are right. You absolutely can’t. When your world suddenly becomesBEFORE and AFTER there are no words, no actions, no feelings that you ever hadimagined. The world suddenly becomes so deafeningly quiet.

 

BUT GOD.

 

I had been a believer, Christian, Jesus follower, whateveryou want to call it for decades. I had many of the moments the authorshared that other had responded. I had come to the feel of Jesus over and over.

This was different. When Jesus goes from your religion,faith, and even ONE of my life goals to becoming the reason you can stand inthe morning. My faith was never a secret and to the best of my ability (atleast I thought at the time) I was attending church every Sunday, serving inchildren and music ministries. My Bible on my nightstand. Doing everything“right.”

When does Jesus become real? When something goes from a goodidea to the ONLY idea.  When do you gofrom I am going to do this because of my faith to I am doing this to keepbreathing? When does it go from I don’t have the time to I have nothing? Whathappens when your life takes a sharp right turn and you are blind sided by asemi truck?

 

When does Jesus become real?

 

When you come to the end of yourself. When you finally cometo the realization that had been there all the time. You hold no power. Whereyou realize that there has to be more or this world isn’t worth it. When a paincrushes your very bones and taking a breath feels like slices of knivesattaching your chest.  You need more. You need something. You find out that at the endof your abilities, thoughts, and life, you find Jesus.

When you come to “I have nothing.”

You come to I have Jesus.

There are the moments when during the after, as I clung to my family like they were myvery substance of survival, God and I went to war with one another. I was atfirst angry, and no certain terms told Him that HE COULD HAVE,  but didn’t. I amashamed of it now, but I asked God what Father does that? I ranted and raved.Sobbed and screamed. I tip toed into the land of "why would a good God _____."

I sat down and stared into the abyss. Silence. For only amoment, mind went to “is God even real?” The moment my mind uttered it, my soulsighed. As much as it hurt, questioning God for me is like saying the sky isgreen and the grass is blue. I am tethered too close for such nonsense. I haveseen and heard God. I KNOW that God is real. But now, I had to rework my faithinto what had just happened.

Jesus became more real to me in these last 6 months than myentire life combined. I wish for this pain to never be visited on by yourfamily, but when I was broken and destroyed….when I came to the end of Theresa….Therewas JESUS.

Jesus became the force that kept me standing. He was (is)the name I would call out in desperation. Jesus became the center of the existencebecause if I didn’t have hold of HIS hand I was going to slip into the abyss.

I was not going to let the enemy win. I knew that I lived inthe “in between” world that is cursed and scared by sin. I know this land isnot my home. I know that Jesus NEVER leaves me and walks every step of my griefwith me.

I am not saying it isn’t hard. I am saying I will singworship songs to my creator with tears streaming down my face because my soulknows He is always good. I have proclaimed that I will praise him in the darkand in the shadow. When I don’t know the next step, I will praise the ONE whogoes before me.

Tragedy and desperation have taught me that everything elseis background noise and Jesus is REAL.

At the end of the book of Job- 42:5 it says this “My earshad heard of you, but now my eyes have seen you.” If you know the story of Job.He lost everything and yet clung to God. In his desperation, the extras fellaway until you were only left with the pure gold.

I am walking through fire. I smell the smoke, can at times canfeel the heat, but I know I will not be burned. I am purified. Burning away allthe temporary as I look to the eternal.

Jesus became real to me when Jesus became all I had. I cameto the end of me, and He was waiting.

 Jesus, you are the LORD of my life and theSAVIOR of my soul. You have walked me through darkness and my foot has notslipped. I will declare your peace, mercy, and goodness as long as I have breath.

Friend, if you have questions, doubts, or heaven forbid findyourself in your own land of desperation, you are not alone. EVER. He will bewith you until the very end of the age. If you need a friend to help, I’ll comealong side.

Jesus is REAL. He is my everything.

Holding on

 

As he said to Esther, “For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father's family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14).
I am not a fan of commercials on the internet. Especially when the same one plays over and over. There is this one that in the beginning it says "so you ever wish you could go back in time..." and then it gives me the option to skip so I have no idea what they are selling. Life lesson- say it in the first 10 seconds or its not important. 
Everytime that commercial comes on I answer out loud- NO.  I belong to team everything brought me to where I am for a reason so good or bad I wouldn't change it. I got my school picture on Friday (year 16 of teaching!) and I turned around to another picture I have hanging behind my desk. My very own first grade picture from 1986. You heard that youngins'. That's the 1900's. Every year, I swear, the children's eyes get bigger and bigger when I tell them my year of birth. This year a sweet little one asked if we had paper back then. SO....ADORABLE.
I wish I could tell you the amount of time I have spent staring at these pictures side by side. I guess it's because I am a very "introspective" person. Here is the fancy google definition- "someone who spends a significant amount of time examining their own thoughts, feelings, and motivations or looking inward to become better."  I just say I think about thinking too much. I just couldn't stopping staring into the eyes of that little 6 year old. I keep the picture there for a couple of reasons.
 1- It helps me keep my job in the proper perspective. I am not just teaching children. I am teaching SOMEONE'S CHILD. Their world. Each child should be treated accordingly.
 2 One of my sweet ones was having a rough day in which turn causes me to have a rough day. One of my little girls asked if I could tie her shoe. Of course. She said "you look like you are  having a bad day?" I said "No. Somedays are just a little harder." "She said I think it is because of XXXX." I answered, "Lots of things are going on today and we need to just keep smiling." This sweet little angel said "I think XXX is that way because that was the way God wanted them to be." I literally teared up. Yes- God makes us all perfectly the way we are. Even if we don't fit into the perfect mold. I whispered "thank-you" to her and she danced away. I doubt she will ever know how much that changed me.  
3. I was thinking to myself, if you had the chance, to go back in time (entering my husband's interest zone here), what would I say to her? If I could tell her one thing? She is only 6. A whole lot of the world is going to come hurling at her and she doesn't know it. So I stared.
I think I have finally decided what I would say to this precious one as I gave her a huge hug. "Hold on to Jesus. No matter what. Hold on." 
I have been a follower of Christ for decades but not always the most faithful. I am certainly not a baby Christian but had I held on the whole time, how much father would I be then?
It had me turn to the book of Esther. The story we all know that says "a time such as this?" BUT as the reading of the Bible always does, I learned something new just by reading the first half of the verse. The Jews would be delivered. Make no doubt that God is sovereign and although we like to think we have some control on this spinning sphere, He is the only with the plan. He certainly could have saved them in some cosmic miracle. He had before. But I have noticed something about God. Of course He could, BUT often times he leads humans to take the reigns. To be part of the mission and plan. 
God is so faithful. When He gives me the opportunity to serve Him, it isn't so this thing can finally get done BUT it is so Theresa can be blessed and learn something along the way. How many times I have came away from serving or speaking or loving like Jesus, and it was ME who was ministered to all along. I learn to love better, seeing people in a softer light, or even know that God sees ME.
I don't want to miss my opportunity. God is going to get the work done no doubt. I would be honored beyond measure if He used me in the plan to bring about His goal of bringing spiritually lost people HOME- into a relationship with Him. Every day. More of Him. Less of me.
So....little girl hold on to Jesus. Earthquakes will come that shake your entire world. Floods will come where you think you will never see dry ground again. There will be more than a few times, for whatever reason. you just want to let go and give up. Take the easier path for once.
Don't. Keep holding on to His hand. To His Word. His Spirit will go before you and beside you and behind you. He loves you so much. He SEES you. He told me that Himself. I can't promise perfection sweet girl or even comfort, but what I can promise is that if you keep holding on to that hand, in the end- it is all going to turn out just right. Better than perfect. 
When I looked back at that sweet little girl in the dress and crooked bangs, I think if she had a chance to tell me something it would be the same exact message. 
Hold on to Jesus. Just keep holding on. 

January

 

The Storm is Coming

 

Your storm is coming.

 

I started to write “I don’t say that to scare you or start any form of panic…” but maybe I do. Not the fear without the knowledge of Christ or a day to day anxiety, but the kind of fear that knocks you off your butt and gets you to start thinking.  The Bible says in Matthew 5:45b  “He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” 

The storm is coming.

 

I can’t say this enough, and I believe many of you have asked yourself this same question “is this life all there is?” The answer is absolutely not.

 

Psalms 39:4-7 NLT “Remind me that my days are numbered— how fleeting my life is. You have made my life no longer than the width of my hand. My entire lifetime is just a moment to you; at best, each of us is but a breath.”

 

This world is not our home if you are a child of God. Although God is Sovereign and creator of everything your eyes lie on, He has given satan a season in this world. Jesus himself calls Satan the 'ruler of this world' in John 16:11. But someday-soon- He will be back to claim what has always been His. 

 

Back to the storm. We give ourselves way too much credit. We plan, prepare, proof, and everything we can to assure ourselves that “this” will never happen. “The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.” Proverbs 16:9

 

We have no control over the events that unfold over your life. Sure you have freewill, make choices, and even plan your tomorrows. There is truth in the old saying of adding “if the Lord wills it…” First hand knowledge, you have no idea what your future will be.

 

Tomorrow might be your storm. Here is what you can do. Jesus taught about the storm in Matthew 7:24-28. Again, this was not a “IF” the storm hit, it is a “WHEN” the storm hits.”

 

Jesus says,” 24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

28 When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, 29 because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.

      The storm was the exact same in both situations. “The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house”. Jesus was not talking about the real rain and thunder storm here. He was talking about the storms that rip your heart out of your chest. When your spouse says they are packing their things, you get the phone call that drops you to your knees, or the doctor starts the findings with an “I’m sorry.” The storm you never saw coming.

 

Your storm is coming.

 

Jesus does have a question for you and the storm. Did you prepare? We aren’t talking about a well-padded savings account, a secure job, or great health insurance. When it comes down to it, those things are nothing to the storm. He asks what is underneath you? What have you built your life on? Before the storm came. As the world puts it “When the time for decision arrives, the time for preparation is past.” Thomas S. Monson

 

If your life has been built on the belief that God is good, regardless of the situation, you will stand. When you can say, this place is not my home and someday, because I have confessed my sins to my God and asked Him to walk with me in this life, I will see the goodness of the Lord in the place of eternity. If you have read the scriptures, and they are embedded in your heart, now is the time to go back and remember how God has shown himself to you in the past. If you can say, God is good even when this life is not because you have a relationship with Him, then you will stand because your foundation is solid.

 

If you do not have a relationship with Him, when the storm hits, you are going down. As Jesus says, like a house built on sand. When the same storm hit this house, it did not stand as the other house did. It fell with a “loud crash.”

 

Your storm is coming.

You need to check your foundation. Lots of people know me because of my job. I am the teacher at school. They say hello and chat and then walk away, and Scott asks me “who was that?” My answer many times. “I have no idea.” They know who I am because of what I do, but they really don’t know the real me. The “me” my family and friends put up with. :) 

Also, in Matthew 7, Jesus says some will come to me and say Lord, Lord did I not….and still Jesus says, “depart from me I never KNEW you.” Emphasis mine

 

Guys, I love you. But Jesus loves you so much more. But He is a God who gives you a choice. In Revelation, He makes it clear you can’t be “lukewarm”- church on Sunday, trying to be a ‘good person,” or raise your kids right. The Bible says he will spit (puke- depending on the translation) you right out of His mouth. Not because He is a cruel or unloving God, but because you made a choice. It wasn’t Him. You had other things to do. 

It's not if you know who Jesus was, but do you know who Jesus IS? Right now. Can you say you know Jesus in a personal, friend way? Do you talk with him and listen? Do you go to church just to spend more time with Him? Does He know you as His friend? It isn’t hard. Once you meet Him, you’ll never know how you got by without Him.

 

Your storm is coming. Be ready.