Heather V. Shore's Blog, page 6

Being present with my family

Each school year, I go and go until I crash. Being a doer doesn’t always make me present with my kids. One of my biggest struggles is being present with others instead of spinning my wheels on my to-do list. As summer approaches (hello Colorado snow in May), our family hops off into adventures. We have decided to do a digital detox again which brings us back together as a family unit.

Being present and creating adventures

What I love about about unplugging is how it pushes me to be present with my kids. Taking a step back from the news, social media and other outlets truly help me to refresh. It provides such a lovely summer of being together. So I decided to do a shorter digital detox to reset life and expectations. My hope is to be more present, not carry my phone around, and learn how to have a conversation with my family again.

Technology isn’t a bad thing and it provides people the ability to communicate in an instant. But sometimes it can get in the way of communicating with those right next to you. I noticed the last few months, I was spending too much time on my phone again. In April, my husband and I went to Peru to hike Machu Picchu. It was such a wonderful trip of being with my husband and those on the trail. We didn’t have cell service for 5 days! Not having cell service will get your priorities straight real fast. You learn how to navigate without Google! The hike made me look at nature and beauty around me, and allowed us to see the Milky Way with no light around. That’s something I won’t ever forget.

It reminded me that adventures big and small are so critical to building relationships with others. The adventure can be traveling around the world, or it can be going to the park down the street and swinging the day away. We created the idea of adventures last year where we would go explore local hangouts. We love exploring same, new and different locations and hope to continue that adventurous spirit well into their teens.

Their only little once

This phrase has been said to me multiple times. At first, I thought people were being dramatic, but it’s actually true. Our first-born turns 5 in a month and I cried at the grocery store when I told someone this week. Realizing this is our last summer together before going back to work has been hard. I purposefully took the time off to raise them while little (and we made that sacrifice), because I knew I couldn’t get the time back. I made a huge sacrifice in quitting my career, but the last couple of years has pointed me in a different career direction. This time has also brought us full circle allowing me to spend these precious summers with my kids.

Summer detox

Detoxing may be a popular word right now, but I think it’s an important one to keep in your vocabulary. Whether you decide to do a food detox, chemical detox, tv detox or digital one, just know it’s for your good and the good of your family unit. Learning how to let go of dependencies we think are good, but are actually damaging us can push us forward to change. For me personally, detoxing has turned into a good thing providing the space I need to be more present with others and create change in my life.

What are your summer plans? Hope they are filled with everyday family adventures.

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Safety Planning

These statistics are alarming to me. Domestic violence happens every minute to 20 people in the US. Domestic abuse happens to 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men in the US. When you hear those words, what do you think? I think about the women and children at the local shelter where I volunteer. They risked their lives to become safe. Safety planning is so important to bring more people to safety. What is safety planning?

Safety planning is coming up with a plan in order to escape violence. Whether you’re leaving your residence or the residence of the perpetrator, knowing how to get out with your life is critical. There are multiple factors and questions to consider for a basic plan.

Where are the physical exits in your space? Can you escape out of a door, window, fire escape if necessary?
Keep your purse, car keys in a specific location, so you can get out quickly.
Keep important documents in a safe location – purse, car, or at a friend’s house where you can pick them up. Having up-to-date passport info, driver’s license, etc. are important in case you need to rent a car to get out of dodge.
Make a list of what you need to escape: driver’s licence, social security card, birth certificates of you and your kids, green cards/work permit, school vaccination records, and medications. You can always find clothing later if you don’t have some ready to go.
Tell a neighbor about what’s going on and to call the police if they hear something coming from your residence.
Practice exit strategies with your children. They should know when you are planning to escape, how you’ll be getting out, and how to call 911 in case the violence escalates quickly.
Before putting all of this into motion, open a savings or checking account in your name. I setup a credit card and back account in my name where all my correspondence went to work. It kept him from finding out what I was doing. InCharge Debt Solutions has some great resources for women escaping. While I’m not a fan of debt now, there are times when credit cards are necessary to use.
Always do what’s best for your family and don’t wait if the situation is dire. Even if you don’t have the credit card setup, find a trusted friend or family member who can loan you money to get out. You can always repay them.
Once you’re out of the relationship, find a good counselor to help you process and heal from this awful life event. Your local shelter also has support groups.

As you can see, it takes some planning to get out of a violent relationship. There are many types of safety plans depending on your current situation. Whether the abuse has been going on for a short or long time, there’s always help. You can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline, call your local shelter, and enlist the help of a friend. Please remember you’re never alone.

 

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How self-reliance can become God-reliance

I am survivor. I am a doer. I’m also self-reliant.

Survivor is a badge I wear proudly. Surviving multiple things such as domestic violence, health issues, and upheaval of community has lead me to become self-reliant. Most of the time, I’m pretty proud of my self-reliance. While being self-reliant, I’m also a doer. Doer’s have a hard time sitting down and not doing anything. These fine qualities can help you navigate life well, but if you’re unhealthy, they can become very detrimental.

Being self-reliant in this culture is something people pride themselves on. But what if these qualities could come from a good place? Being God-reliant instead of self-reliant can be key to helping someone become a healthy survivor of any situation.

Self-reliance

Self-reliance is relying on one’s own powers and resources rather than those of others. With the upheaval of community, this has pushed me into this space of relying on my own power and strength. During certain times it’s good to know your own strength, what your limits are, and how to navigate life without help. But the reality is, you can’t do life alone. Doing life alone can lead to depression, temptation, and a whole other host of issues. While grateful for being strong-willed, it can lead others to not know how to help you. Coming out of self-reliance means asking for help, being grateful when it shows up, and relying on God for the outcomes.

God-reliance

God-reliance is recognizing God’s sovereign providence over all that we are and all that we have. He calls us to experience grace which is getting what you don’t deserve. When you receive a gift for no reason, most people are very grateful. This is grace. “Grace is unconditional love toward a person who does not deserve it.” (Paul Zahl) Why bring up grace in a conversation on God-reliance? Because without grace, we don’t understand or recognize God’s providence over it all. Relying on God goes against everything we are told in American culture. People often ask me, ‘What gives you so much strength?’ I tell them God. Relying on God is the only way to get through trials without relying on worldly substitutes. Without him, I wouldn’t be alive or have the life he’s given me. Don’t get me wrong, at times it’s hard to rely on God. But when I mess up and start over again, He’s right there to pick up the pieces and put them together to use it for something much bigger than me.

How to keep going when you think you can’t

Surviving so many things makes you appreciative for both the good and bad times. Good times give you rest and bad times help you grow. While I’m always grateful for the good times, the bad times make you aware of how you’re not in control. The sooner I realized God was in control, the easier my life got because I gave up self-reliance. Giving up self-reliance is a huge blessing. It took all of the burden off my shoulders. Having someone who can take our burdens and give life back, is one of the miraculous gifts of God. Through total reliance on God, my confidence has come back to help me live out my purpose.

Surviving, being God-reliant, and a doer can all be amazing qualities if under God’s control. This has been a worthwhile lesson to learn this last year. My hope is people realize there is grace, unconditional love and someone who wants to take all your burdens. That’s what this season is all about – leaving behind your self-reliance for God-reliance.

 

 

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Finding freedom during health issues

A few weeks ago brought another health challenge. As we walked through another possible surgery, I kept thinking of all the amazing gifts we’ve been given. My family and I can walk, talk, see, and hear. The older we get the more our bodies can resist harder workouts. I love to workout, but sometimes we’re reduced to walking. And guess what? That’s okay. I can still hike, snowshoe and ski, but in the midst of health hardships, how do  you keep going?

Put one foot in front of the other.

You get up each day and make the decision to keep moving forward. My mentor has a saying, ‘you keep on, keeping on.’ It doesn’t mean you don’t question, worry, or think of the what-ifs. You certainly do, but keep at it until you learn how the health hardship is going to affect your quality of life.

I teach Silver Sneakers at our local recreation center and have a lady in my class who is wheelchair bound. This chair is pretty incredible because it stands her up, so she is upright to do the class. When we dance, she smiles, and moves her arms and wheelchair to the music. She always has the best attitude and laughs at my corny jokes. I’m in awe of her because she gets out of her house everyday to come workout and is always smiling. She reminds me we may not always have all of our abilities, but it should never get us down to the point of giving up.

You face the health hardship straight-on.

One of my best friends’ father was diagnosed with cancer earlier this year. He’s in the process of doing chemo and radiation every week. Even though we’re across the country from one another, we talk weekly for support. This friend has also helped me face several of my health crisis head-on. Whether it’s cancer or a debilitating disease, you collect all the info, and make a game plan. There are multiple questions we ask when faced with these situations. How can we overcome? What steps and treatment plans are there for us? How are we going to pay for it? How can we pray? Making a game plan, figuring out the costs, and moving forward can help anyone face these types of health hardships.

*Side note: Always seek the advice of doctors and counselors when it comes to mental health. There are different components to consider with your doctors and counselors.

Find your joy and hold on. 

Viewing life as a gift is so vital to be resilient during health crisis. What makes you joyful, smile or laugh? Find it and hold on tight. We all will face health issues as we age. You think you are never going to have aches and pains, but it happens. The last 5 years have been filled with these come to Jesus moments. I’ve learned to not let it get me down and in those moments my kids remind me how to laugh. They help me see how important laughter is when walking through health issues.

Coming out on the other side of cancer made me stronger while holding onto joy. My friend’s father puts one foot in front of the other when he thinks he can’t. The lady in my Silver Sneakers class ‘keeps on, keeping on’ every week. All of these health issues shows you freedom is possible. It’s within reach to cultivate freedom in our mentality, in finding joy and putting one foot in front of the other. So, ‘keep on keeping on’, and each health issue you face can make you stronger.

 

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Finding freedom

Finding freedom is a topic near to my heart. Freedom is something I’ve always craved in order to live life my way. But along the way I realized my way wasn’t getting me too far. Most people long to be free. So many long to have an abundant life. What if there’s a different way to gain freedom? Join me as we discuss what it means to be free and have an abundant life this month.

What is freedom?

What is freedom? Freedom, in the simplest terms, is the state of being free instead of imprisoned or enslaved. It is the right to act, speak, or think as one wants without hindrance or restraint. Living in freedom means living without the struggles that keep us imprisoned or continually making choices which hinder our life. The goal is to move forward in different areas which keep us down.

What is abundant living? Abundant living is the call to fullness of life. “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly” (John 10:10, NKJV). “More abundantly means to have a superabundance of a thing. ‘Abundant life’ refers to life in its abounding fullness of joy and strength for mind, body, and soul.” (Oral Roberts, 1969, If You Need Healing, Do These Things) This abundant life signifies a contrast of feelings of lack, emptiness, and dissatisfaction, and motivates us to seek and change our life.

As we walk through trials which change our life, we should contemplate what questions can help us attain freedom, such as, “How is this trial shaping my life and others around me?” During times of hope and joy, we may ask more questions about abundant living, such as, “How can I live with more joy?” But when the shaping of our soul occurs, freedom becomes important because it helps us respond to what’s before us.

Freedom journey

What does freedom have to do with our journeys? Everything. The choices I’ve made inside and outside the will of God continue to affect my overall life situation.

Ultimately, my goal is improved health – spiritual, emotional and physical. I want what Stormie Omartian defined in Lord, I Want to Be Whole, “My definition of emotional health is having total peace with who you are, what you’re doing, and where you’re going, both individually and in relationship to those around you. It’s feeling totally at peace about the past, present, and future of your life. It’s knowing that you’re in line with God’s ultimate purpose for you and being fulfilled in that. When you have that kind of peace and you no longer live in emotional agony, then you are a success.” This means learning about abundant living in Christ and how to walk forward in freedom. Only through Jesus Christ can anyone find true freedom.

Why go into this discussion on freedom? As my journey continues to unfold, freedom is becoming the central focus of our life. I have found freedom in Christ fundamental to growing, living with hope and advancing in life. Freedom truly does unlock the key to an abundant life, and it’s something we’re called to as followers. My hope for readers is to understand there is freedom waiting for them. It can happen. Choose God.

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The Backside of the Mountain

Recently I met with a dear friend and we caught up. She wanted to get together and hear how life was going. This is a trust-worthy person because she is a mentor and cares with kindness. As we caught up, she kept saying this phrase which I had never heard before. She said ‘you’re on the backside of the mountain’. She explained you’ve been strategically placed in solitude in order to prepare you for His work. The backside can also be a place of transition and pruning. Yikes! Those are all the words I’ve been fighting against for the last year.

What does the ‘Backside of the Mountain’ look like? 

It’s a quiet place. It’s a place where we are grown, groomed and loved. We sometimes have to sit there for years and other times it’s for a short while. How long you sit there depends on how much of the world needs to come out of you. I love this definition of the backside from Michael Jake’s, “Sometimes the Lord needs to remove us from what we know and expect in order to prepare us for a greater work. It’s a strategic and obscure place where the Lord places us in order to prune us.” Those words finally excite me! The adjectives he uses of the backside give you an idea of what’s intended by God. Those adjectives are refreshment, preparation, pruning, solitude, development, lowliness, growth, instruction, and transition. All of those words lead to so much growth.

Another leadership article I found stated it this way: “The paradox of the desert is that in the quite dryness of the moment, thoughts often are unscrambled while priorities are reassembled. In the desert, God’s voice can be clearly heard.” Only when we get quiet with no distractions can we hear God’s voice. I personally want my priorities reassembled and unscrambled, so I know how to navigate the desert and this season.

How to navigate the Backside

The word confidence is huge for me this year. Part of this season is having the confidence to understand where we are, and be able to sit in the midst of the backside well. Here’s the deal, God will sometimes strip us of the things in our lives that tend to replace Him, including our own self-sufficiency. This stripping happens in the backside and as a result, the hope is that we find our confidence in Him. God is love and He does not violate His character. His judgement is always an expression of His love to bring us into conformity with Him and His will for us. Navigating this season includes the stripping of self-sufficiency and allowing His confidence to fill me. My goal is to write more on navigating the backside in the next few months.

How long does it last?

Here’s the kicker to all of this – I haven’t a clue how long the backside is going to last. Until everyone and everything is stripped away? Possibly. But in God’s goodness and kindness, He has been slowly (I mean so slowly) placing people and opportunities back into our life. And He’s been reminding me that I’m not alone in the backside. We always have God.

What does your backside look like? Is it a season of growing and refreshment, or a season of being stripped and humbled? Either way, rest in knowing something great is coming around the corner. The backside doesn’t last forever, but the sweetness which comes will enable you to live out your purpose.

 

 

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Guarding our kids against abuse

Imagine being 18 and contemplating suicide because of your high school relationship. You’re about to go off to college, but can’t seem to break away from the boyfriend who won’t stop calling and texting you 50 times a day. He won’t leave you alone, shows up at your house to drive you to school and hangs out at your locker. What would you do – tell somebody or wait it out? This scenario is an average day for someone in a controlling, abusive relationship. These types of relationships are becoming more prevalent among young people in the U.S. 

Domestic abuse and other types of bullying are a major concern among parents of teenagers. Nearly 1.5 million high school students nationwide experience physical abuse from a dating partner in a single year. At speaking events on domestic abuse, I’m hearing from more parents about their teenage children getting into controlling relationships. Those relationships can be romantic relationships or friendships. This is in part to how social media is influencing our children and causing this behavior to proliferate among our kids. How does a parent guard against abuse? How can we as parents help shape our kids’ value and worth? My goal and hope is to share my story and give parents the resources to prevent their kids from being a statistic. 

Talk to your kids. Sitting down each night and chatting with my little ones is my favorite part of the day. My husband and I love hearing about what they’re learning, and how sweet and innocent their worlds are right now. Our hope is to create the precedent of talking to mommy and daddy about all subjects. The way in which we communicate with them will change over time; however, it will always be important for us to know who our kids hang out with and their friends’ parents. Staying connected to them regardless of the setting (social media) will help us to positively influence them. 

Work on their self-esteem. I met my ex-husband at the young age of 20. I was a confident college student with a zest for life. After we met and started dating, I noticed a change in my confidence, and I started second guessing my decisions. His goal and the goal of any controlling person is to get the other person’s morale down lowering their self-esteem. Eventually the person starts believing what the controlling person is saying. It’s our responsibilities as parents to make sure our children know their worth and value. Building a kids’ worth can be done with one-on-one time, finding their passions and pursuing them, and through words of affirmation. If your child ends up in an abusive relationship, your job as a parent is to build them up through positive affirmations.

Words of affirmation. Verbal abuse is so prevalent today, having positive words to say over your children is important. Words of affirmation are expressing affection through spoken word, praise, or appreciation. Encouraging your kids can go a long way in building your child’s self-esteem. The following affirmations ‘I’m grateful God gave you to me’, ‘I’m proud of you’, or our personal favorite ‘You’re so brave!’, can really go a long way in making your kid feel affirmed. An example of how we praise our children is to say, ‘thank you for working hard’, or ‘helping mommy in the kitchen’, because we want to instill the value of hard work. Incorporate your family values into your words of affirmation. Children knowing their values will help guard against abusive behavior and people. 

Educate them on boundary setting. I wish someone had spoken to me about boundaries as a teen. When kids get to an age of understanding, that is a good time to talk with them about boundaries. Boundaries are the only way to guard against abuse and set yourself up with guardrails. Boundaries are “a line that marks the limits of an area; a dividing line.” Boundaries reveal who we are and what we value. When we are pushed beyond that dividing line, we end up compromising ourselves and living a life devoid of fulfillment.

There are a few reasons boundaries are important. Boundaries help from a self-containment standpoint and they contain us within our rightful space, keep us from trespassing on others. They also help with self-protection. By protecting us from invasion and preventing others from trespassing on our physical and emotional territory. Self-protection is taking care of yourself and everything that is precious to you, and self-containment is demonstrating your regard for other people and the things which are important to them.

Help them find faith. This is both faith in God and in themselves. Finding faith in something is the bedrock to keeping kids out of harm’s way. It helps build the guardrails needed to keep boundaries in place. It also helps give purpose to our lives. Whether it’s teaching your kids to love their neighbors or learning to love themselves, faith can help cement a promising future. Without faith, kids can end up in places they don’t belong. 

All of these efforts can safeguard your children against abuse. While nothing is full-proof, taking the time to invest in these areas will pay big dividends when your children are facing those decisions. My hope is to help my kids and others understand my story of overcoming domestic abuse. It’s possible to live abuse-free when taking the time to invest in boundary setting, self-esteem building, finding faith and speaking words of affirmation over ourselves. Our kids are our most precious resource, let’s help them navigate an abuse-free life. 

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Growing into 2019

Here comes 2019! 2019 is going to be a year filled with anticipation and hope. Hope of how we’ll continue to grow during the good and the bad times, and for all the adventures ahead. However, 2018 was a year of growth for me and my family. Each area of growth has led us to hope for the good each day.

We grew spiritually. Being a part of BSF each year, studying Romans and listening to Alisa Childers podcast has led to incredible growth. The amount of direction and pruning has been overwhelming, but also welcoming. We also took time to really invest in what the kids are learning spiritually. We want the kids learning about all aspects of themselves – spiritual, emotional, physical, and mental.

We grew as a family. We had a big transition this year with my husbands job. He received a promotion which meant he has been home more. Mike’s travel schedule hasn’t shifted our family dynamics as much. It’s been so fun having him home for playtime, bedtime routines, and being a part of the dinner table.

We grew physically. The amount of physical change which has taken place has been undeniable. I survived cancer, have rehabbed a torn bicep tendon and have worked on overcoming cancer side effects. We’ve also worked on helping the kids’ allergies, changing our diets, and learning how to potty train. Potty training has been our nemesis, but visiting the PEEP clinic has been life-changing for us.

We grew in our endeavors. Mike took on new hobbies like mountain biking and backpacking. God grew me in a completely different way by pushing my comfort zone. I attended the She Speaks conference, submitted and wrote a book proposal, became a speaker for Stonecroft Ministries, and continue to work through next steps of writing and speaking. My book is being translated into Arabic in 2019 and we’re excited to see where that road will lead us.

We’ve set new 2019 goals. As a family, we set goals each year. Sometimes we hit them, sometimes we don’t. Then we re-evaluate the goal to see if it’s appropriate for us. Is it something we want for our family? For us, 2019 is about travel and creating more memories. We finally decided to take some trips, figure out next steps for our careers, and continue to work on our marriage. Our marriage has been on the back burner for the last few years with little kids, and we’re hoping to make it better and grow into something we cherish.

What are your 2019 goals? They don’t have to be anything elaborate, but can be stepping stones to exciting life adventures. Sit down and think about what you hope to do this year. Dreaming is always free. As Mother Teresa said, ‘We only have today. So let’s begin.’

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Giving All Year: Our Holiday Traditions

It’s the most wonderful time of the year again. Andy Williams sang it best letting everyone know there will kids jingle belling, parties for hosting and hearts will be glowing. Loved ones will be near and it will the happiest season of all. I’m going to be super honest here and say I only care for certain parts of the Christmas season. What? Yes, it’s true. Hang with me here.

There’s too much pressure to get Christmas right. We stress at getting all the gifts ready, Christmas cards out the door, baking cookies, and not to mention teacher gifts. We have the most amazing teachers, but seriously, when did this become a thing? Being a parent has taught me a lot and this year is no exception. It’s also taught me how to be really good at saying no and prioritizing what’s really important.

We celebrate the birth of baby Jesus each year. BSF gives us a birthday cake for us to celebrate his arrival. It’s so precious to watch them sing Happy Birthday to him. This year however, we ate it early to celebrate Madelyn potty-training and pooping on the potty. You do whatever it takes to celebrate potty-training in our house. 

We give one big gift at Christmas. Meaning my kids get only one big gift like a bike, or something they’ve wanted all year. One of my family member’s posted an article about how the wise-men brought baby Jesus 3 gifts. This got me thinking that our kids don’t need a lot of stuff. 3 things (want, need and wear) is truly all anyone needs. In full disclosure, my poor kids got a minimalist, frugal mother, so they’re sorta screwed. 

We bake cookies for everyone and the kids hand them out.  Our kids love baking cookies, but most importantly we have a blast handing them out. We walk to our neighbors houses, the kids ring the doorbell and say Merry Christmas. We also hand them out to teachers (win-win for teacher gifts). This puts a smile on everyone’s faces and it’s super easy to do whether you work inside or outside the house. 

We make a Christmas ornament to put on the tree. Next year, I’ll buy some ornaments, but the handmade ornaments are so cute. In MOPs, one of our leaders, bought and collected Christmas ornaments for all of her kids. When her children left home, they had a full collection of ornaments for their tree. Building traditions can help bring the holidays to life. 

We give to certain organizations at the end of the year. My kids are starting to ask questions such as ‘why is that person without a home’ or ‘why are they ringing those bells’? Right now, we’re explaining why some kids don’t have toys and we need to give some of ours to help them out. It’s hard for Madelyn (3) to grasp this, but Harrison (4) has a giving spirit and preciously picks out which toys to give to another child. 

While I still stress about getting it all done, my kids remind me to slow down and have fun during the holidays. Christmas cards are my burden to bear, but we’ve really tried to focus on giving all year. Giving puts a smile on everyone’s faces even if it’s something as simple as cookies.  We all need some extra cheer at the holidays, so give to the person ringing the bells. Andy Williams will sing to you as you do!

Devotion: Many Samaritans Believe

This devotion was recently published, and I hope it brings some encouragement during this season.

 

Today’s Reading: John 4:39-42

Many Samaritans Believe

39 Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I ever did.” 40 So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days. 41 And because of his words many more became believers. 42 They said to the woman, “We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.”

 

Teaching

If you’ve been around church long, you’ve probably heard the story about the woman at the well. This is one of the central stories of Jesus ministry while on earth. We learn several characteristics about her in the story such as she’s an adulterer, Samaritan (half-Jew), and a woman. However, have you heard someone talk about her qualities? This tiny passage in John 4:39-42 often gets missed because we’re talking about her meeting with Jesus. The story wouldn’t have happened if she hadn’t met Jesus, but it’s also important to look at her response.

She wasn’t afraid to talk to Jesus which took moxie. Earlier in the passage Jesus approached her at the well for water and they exchanged words. The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.) They kept talking even after Jesus asked her for water. As the conversation went on, it became clear to the woman she was indeed talking to a prophet. She wasn’t frightened but intrigued.

She believed immediately. Believing in God is not a decision we should put off. Following God is a calling on everyone’s life and a choice which can alter your direction forever. This woman believed immediately when she heard Jesus speak to her and tell her life story.

She was brave and had faith. This woman went from meeting Jesus and believing, to immediately telling her testimony. She had been a believer for all of 20 minutes! Earlier in chapter 4, she tells the people to come see the man and in verse 39, she told others ‘He told me everything I ever did’. Can you imagine meeting someone who can tell your whole story without knowing them? I can’t, but this woman got to meet the creator of the universe and hear how God would use her to tell others about Him.

In verse 40, the Samaritans invited Jesus to stay and talk with them. They initially believed due to the woman’s testimony, but many more believed because Jesus verbally witnessed to them. Jesus ended up staying two days with the Samaritans as they were more open to believing in Jesus than the other Jews in the area.  Jesus’ word confirmed what the woman had said as stated in verse 42.

Do we let the God of the universe influence our story? Are we willing to tell others about Jesus so many can come and believe in God? He’s waiting for you at the well. Come see and believe. He wants to use you in a magnificent way to tell His story, so others can see what Jesus has done in your life.

Thank you, Father, for this amazing gift you’ve given us of being able to tell others about you.

Prayer:  Help us Lord to share our experiences of your goodness, so others may see and believe. In Jesus name, amen.

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