Robin Gilbert Luftig's Blog, page 13

An Interview by Teresa Jansen

It was my honor to be interviewed by Radical Abundance’s Teresa Jansen to discuss the power we can tap into when facing tragedy. Not just positive thoughts, but the true power of God.

If you haven’t already subscribed to Teresa’s podcast, click here to sign up.

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/radical-abundance/id1587926324

 

Looking for a Do-Over?

Do you feel like you don’t matter? Are you happy … or are you doing what you never thought you’d do? Do you see consistencies … or are you all over the place? Drop me a line. I’d love to chat.

Struggling to find good in your life? Check out my award-winning book, God’s Best During Your Worst, or check out any of my other books on my Book page.

The post An Interview by Teresa Jansen appeared first on Robin Luftig.

It’s Still Bittersweet

Today would have been Dad’s 93rd birthday. It’s still bittersweet when this day comes each year. Sweet because I loved him like only a cherished daughter could, but bitter because he died too early … at his own hand.

 

We Were Special Together

For many years he was my everything. He knew me as nobody else could. He knew what made me laugh as well as cry. He knew what I drew confidence from as well as what made me shake in my shoes from fear. I thought I knew him, too, because that’s what good friends do: share with one another.

But I realized on one defining afternoon in the Fall of 1979, that I didn’t know him as well as I thought. It was the day he committed suicide.

Could I have been a better daughter?
What did I miss?

Action Changed My Life

For a season I spent hours and tears revisiting those questions and allowed them to influence my thinking. I focused on trying to understand the unfathomable. His choice haunted me. It wasn’t until I entered a 12-step meeting and started working on what made me … me, that I began to understand who we both were.

I came to understand I have a compulsive personality and began to understand my choices and why I made them. I even came to love and respect myself the way God wanted me to do all along.

I tell you all of this because while going through some of Dad’s pictures and prized possessions, I found a copy of The Serenity Prayer:

God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.

Did Dad know he dealt with compulsions, too? Did he try to distinguish what he could control from what he couldn’t? In my own quest for serenity, this is one answer I need to accept I will never know on this side of Heaven.

And I’m fine with that being okay.

Looking for a Do-Over?

Do you feel like you don’t matter? Are you happy … or are you doing what you never thought you’d do? Do you see consistencies … or are you all over the place? Drop me a line. I’d love to chat.

Struggling to find good in your life? Check out my award-winning book, God’s Best During Your Worst, or check out any of my other books on my Book page.

The post It’s Still Bittersweet appeared first on Robin Luftig.

A New Interview, God’s Best During Your Worst

Check out Lori Anderson’s Google Podcast, A Voice for the Hurting, in a new Interview, God’s Best During Your Worst. You can find Lori on Facebook, Instagram, or her website.

Thanks, Lori!

 

What’s new from Robin’s desk

Robin’s newest release visits her friends in Applegate, Ohio. See how God’s mercy and grace guide them through situations they never saw coming.

Want to see how The Ladies mystery series began?

Can a woman on the run find herself again?

Ladies of the Fire brought us to the late 1960s as we met the newly-widowed Lily-Rose Pembrick reeling as she fled Lincoln, Nebraska, with her children. Only taking the cash from the house safe and what she could get her hands on at the family bank, she left the recently-inherited and successful Pembrick Transportation company behind. Exhausted from driving all night, she stopped in Applegate, Ohio, and decided to start a new life on Norwood Street. There, she met Fiona Kasey, an African-American no-nonsense housekeeper/companion to an elderly white woman, and Sugar Bowersox, a Southern spitfire who has lost herself in motherhood.

Together, they enjoyed Lily-Rose’s backyard fire pit, where dreams were spoken and secrets revealed. As they embraced a kinship they never would have sought, Lily-Rose began thinking her past could finally be laid to rest—until someone ended up dead.

 

Her family has hidden secrets. Will she ever learn the truth?

In Ladies Uncover a Secret, it’s 1972, and Fiona Kasey-Boyd is living her dream life in Shaker Heights, Ohio, but something’s wrong. Married to a wonderful man, eight months pregnant with his child, she’s wracked with sadness. Is she suffering from the baby blues or something darker?

On a quick trip to her hometown before the baby arrives, Fiona reconnects with her friends Lily-Rose and Sugar, leaning on them for strength. The three of them search for answers to Fiona’s questions, but they are stonewalled at every turn with evasion and silence.

Only the power of their friendship can help Fiona face the darkness of her family’s secrets—secrets whose answers can heal her heart … or shatter it.

The post A New Interview, God’s Best During Your Worst appeared first on Robin Luftig.

From Fiona’s Point of View

While writing Ladies of the Fire, I fell completely in love with Lily-Rose, Fiona, and Sugar. On those pages, I watched Lily-Rose come into her own. While these three women built a friendship, they acknowledged and respected how they each loved life differently. And I was right there with them. Basking by the flickering flames. Passing cookies or chips to Sugar. Breaking up arguments between the possum eater and the northerner. I carried wood to the fire to keep the flames burning so the evenings would not end. I loved every minute I spent in Applegate.

Why I wrote Ladies Uncover a Secret

After seeing Lily-Rose find peace and contentment in her life, I realized I wanted to watch Fiona and Sugar fully embrace their lives as well. These friends were going to always be connected, and I needed to see how their worlds moved forward. Their unbreakable bond is what brought me to write Ladies Uncover a Secret. It gave the ladies a reason to come together again as only the best of friends would.

It was clear from the beginning that the challenges Lily-Rose faced in Ladies of the Fire were specific to her. In Ladies Uncover a Secret, the challenges Fiona faced in the 1970s were different than anything Sugar or Lily-Rose would ever know. But as friends, these women wanted to be what Fiona needed. That’s the beauty I hope you find in Fiona’s story.

In Ladies Uncover a Secret, the challenges Fiona faced in the 1970s were different than anything Sugar or Lily-Rose would ever know.

I wanted to do it right

Several people and sources help form Ladies Uncover a Secret. To write from Fiona’s point of view, the voice needed to be clear and authentic. I read books written with diverse points of view … watched movies by diverse writers and directors. I did my best to get into Fiona’s head. Feel what I imagined her to experience. Learn what I could only guess she knew.

I did my best to get into Fiona’s head. Feel what I imagined her to experience. Learn what I could only guess she knew.

Growing up, I lived in a small community in Ohio, smaller than Applegate. My world was surrounded by farm country and factories. And close to my corner of the world were other small communities. One was where several African American families lived. The kids from the surrounding area—from different ethnic and racial backgrounds—all went to school together and were connected in many ways. Some of the dynamics you read about were ones I either witnessed or experienced.

Drop me a note, leave a review

I’m excited to hear what you find after reading Ladies Uncover a Secret. Let me know your thoughts on Fiona’s discoveries and how the friendship between these three women gave her strength. After you finally put the book down, maybe go out and chop some wood, bake some cookies, or whatever you need to do to prepare yourself for the third installment of the Ladies trilogy, Ladies on a Mission when Fiona and Lily-Rose travel to the hills of eastern Kentucky to be with their beloved possum eater when tragedy erupts in the Bowersox home.

Want to see how The Ladies mystery series began?

Can a woman on the run find herself again?

Ladies of the Fire brought us to the late 1960s as we met the newly-widowed Lily-Rose Pembrick reeling as she fled Lincoln, Nebraska, with her children. Only taking the cash from the house safe and what she could get her hands on at the family bank, she left the recently-inherited and successful Pembrick Transportation company behind. Exhausted from driving all night, she stopped in Applegate, Ohio, and decided to start a new life on Norwood Street. There, she met Fiona Kasey, an African-American no-nonsense housekeeper/companion to an elderly white woman, and Sugar Bowersox, a Southern spitfire who has lost herself in motherhood.

Together, they enjoyed Lily-Rose’s backyard fire pit, where dreams were spoken and secrets revealed. As they embraced a kinship they never would have sought, Lily-Rose began thinking her past could finally be laid to rest—until someone ended up dead.

 

The post From Fiona’s Point of View appeared first on Robin Luftig.

Launch Day

[image error]It’s here … launch day!

And on top of that, the first Ladies book is getting a new look.

Come … If you haven’t already … get to know the ladies of Norwood Street.

 

Ladies of the FireCan a woman on the run find herself again?

The late 1960s sets the newly-widowed Lily-Rose Pembrick reeling as she flees Lincoln, Nebraska, with her children. Only taking the cash from the house safe and what she can get her hands on at the family bank, she leaves the recently-inherited and successful Pembrick Transportation company behind.

Exhausted from driving all night, she stops in Applegate, Ohio, and decides to start a new life on Norwood Street. There, she meets Fiona Kasey, an African-American no-nonsense housekeeper/companion to an elderly white woman, and Sugar Bowersox, a Southern spitfire who has lost herself in motherhood.

Together, they enjoy Lily-Rose’s backyard fire pit, where dreams are spoken and secrets revealed. As they embrace a kinship they never would have sought, Lily-Rose begins to think her past can finally be laid to rest—until someone ends up dead.

When Lily-Rose’s past catches up with her, who will be left standing?

 

August 30… Ladies Uncover a SecretHer family has hidden secrets. Will she ever learn the truth?

It’s 1972 and Fiona Kasey-Boyd is living her dream life in Shaker Heights, Ohio, but something’s wrong. Married to a wonderful man, eight months pregnant with his child, she’s wracked with sadness. Is she suffering from the baby blues, or is it something darker?

In a quick trip to her hometown before the baby arrives, Fiona reconnects with her friends Lily-Rose and Sugar, leaning on them for strength. The three of them search for answers to Fiona’s questions, but they are stonewalled at every turn with evasion and silence.

Only the power of their friendship can help Fiona face the darkness of her family’s secrets—secrets whose answers can heal her heart … or shatter it.

 

Receive an Extra Bonus

Get a preview of the third book, Ladies on a Mission, when you buy Ladies Uncover a Secret.

Years have passed and it’s 1984. Sugar Bowersox and her family recently moved to Trotter, Kentucky, where Dungar is the head coach of the brand new Trotter University. Sugar thought once they returned to their childhood hometown, life would be smooth sailing. But those thoughts ended when a star football player is found in the weight room … stabbed and holding on to life. Dungar’s a mess. Their daughters are struggling to acclimate to their new environment. And Gran is feistier than ever. When Sugar calls Lily-Rose to share her concerns, a new adventure begins.

“Lily-Rose, I don’t know where to start. But I need you and Weeds. I sure could use a fire.”

 

Launch day purchases can explode Amazon.
What do you say … let’s give it a shot! 

 

Want to see how The Ladies mystery series began?

Can a woman on the run find herself again?

Ladies of the Fire brought us to the late 1960s as we met the newly-widowed Lily-Rose Pembrick reeling as she fled Lincoln, Nebraska, with her children. Only taking the cash from the house safe and what she could get her hands on at the family bank, she left the recently-inherited and successful Pembrick Transportation company behind. Exhausted from driving all night, she stopped in Applegate, Ohio, and decided to start a new life on Norwood Street. There, she met Fiona Kasey, an African-American no-nonsense housekeeper/companion to an elderly white woman, and Sugar Bowersox, a Southern spitfire who has lost herself in motherhood.

Together, they enjoyed Lily-Rose’s backyard fire pit, where dreams were spoken and secrets revealed. As they embraced a kinship they never would have sought, Lily-Rose began thinking her past could finally be laid to rest—until someone ended up dead.

 

The post Launch Day appeared first on Robin Luftig.

Today’s Going to Be a Great Day

August 1983

The cool air stirred and the long rays of morning sun greeted the three of us as we walked our long driveway. It took everything in me to not start crying. “Today’s going to be a great day!” I said, with too much pep in my voice. I wanted to make sure I told him all he needed to know for this special day. “You’ll meet new people and it’ll be terrific!”

We continued to walk, hand in hand as we always had in the past. He stopped, looked up into my eyes, and with a sober voice, “It is going to be a great day, right, Mommy?”

Little Sis skipped along singing Great day, It’s gonna be a great day … She had no idea the somberness of this moment for me. But how could she? How could she know what it felt like to lose a baby in an Unknown World?

How could she know what it felt like to lose a baby in an Unknown World?

 

The Big Bus

Soon the big bus pulled up and stopped, throwing open its doors. I watched as my son climbed the humungous steps and entered the bowels of the yellow-orange bus that had been sent to take him away. He found a seat by the window and settled in for the ride. The top of his head was all I saw as the bus wheezed, jerked a bit, and then drove away.

I cried all the way home. Little Sis and I filled our morning with a lot of nothing special, passing the time until Big Brother returned. When we saw the big yellow-orange bus turn the corner and stop, we ran out to greet him. We smothered him with hugs and kisses. He walked differently on the way home–a bit taller, his shoulders back straight. He had faced the giant called Kindigar’n and had stories to tell!

I survived the first day of school.

August 1984
Once again, the three of us walked down the long driveway. As the year before, I did my best not to cry. This time, Big Brother held Little Sis’s hand as we strolled along.

“Today’s going to be a great day!” Big Brother told his sister. “I did this last year. You’ll be great.” When the big yellow-orange bus pulled up, Little Sis squared her shoulders … and without looking back … marched up the steps just as Big Brother prepared her to do. She trusted him. They were together and her day would be fine. But what about me? Who would walk back to the house with me?

All morning I paced from one room to another, trying to fill the emptiness with purpose.

At the end of the day, the yellow-orange bus pulled to our stop. Big Brother and Little Sis came bounding down the steps. My arms ached just a bit for the babies who had grown up so quickly.

But I was the victor … I had survived my second first day of school.

August 1994

My baby … Youngest Boy … and I sat on the front steps of our new home and waited for the yellow-orange bus. Youngest Boy’s older siblings were already arguing about snagging the best seats. But Youngest Boy and I stayed apart, preparing one another for what was to come.
“Today’s going to be a great day,” I said softly, hoping my peaceful demeanor would give him confidence.

“Really Mommy, a great day?”

“One of the greatest ever!” I hugged Youngest Boy close.

Too soon the yellow-orange bus stopped in front of the house and my three gifts from God rambled up the steps, with Youngest Boy trailing, needing assistance to climb in. Once again, I wiped tears away as I watched them round the corner and drive out of sight. I sighed, went back into the house, and drank my coffee.

This time I had survived my third and last first day of school.

Today

I drove through the neighborhood this morning for an early run to the grocery store and I found myself stuck behind a school bus. I watched mommies and daddies standing with their young ones at bus stops along my route. I saw them wipe tears away as they did their best to ready their precious babies to meet their own Unknown World. Sitting behind the wheel, I reflected on my own firsts. Then other school years. Pictures on the refrigerator. Teacher-parent meetings. Athletic events. Proms. College events. And finally … graduation.

Then It Hit Me

Then it hit me: Today I am facing the first day in twenty-nine years when I didn’t have a child experiencing some kind of school. Elementary, middle, high school, or college–school days were all behind me now.

Today I am facing the first day in twenty-nine years when I didn’t have a child experiencing some kind of school.

For a fleeting moment, I longed for just one more shopping trip to pick out the perfect backpack, the most awesome outfits, or the most confusing calculator ever.

It doesn’t seem all that long ago that I watched a big yellow-orange beast carry each of my sweet ones into new seasons of their lives. I can see the top of Big Brother’s head through the bus window, the squared shoulders of Little Sis as she marched into her future, and the tenderness of Youngest Boy as he struggled with mastering the bus’s steps.

Time to Square My Own Shoulders

I need to text my three children and let them know that I’m very proud of them. They are on their own course … meeting their Unknown World and surviving.

Just like me.

There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens
Ecclesiastics 3:1

Reposted from August 22, 2012. 

 

Want to see how The Ladies mystery series began?

Can a woman on the run find herself again?

Ladies of the Fire brought us to the late 1960s as we met the newly-widowed Lily-Rose Pembrick reeling as she fled Lincoln, Nebraska, with her children. Only taking the cash from the house safe and what she could get her hands on at the family bank, she left the recently-inherited and successful Pembrick Transportation company behind. Exhausted from driving all night, she stopped in Applegate, Ohio, and decided to start a new life on Norwood Street. There, she met Fiona Kasey, an African-American no-nonsense housekeeper/companion to an elderly white woman, and Sugar Bowersox, a Southern spitfire who has lost herself in motherhood.

Together, they enjoyed Lily-Rose’s backyard fire pit, where dreams were spoken and secrets revealed. As they embraced a kinship they never would have sought, Lily-Rose began thinking her past could finally be laid to rest—until someone ended up dead.

Watch for news on
Ladies Uncover a Secret!

The post Today’s Going to Be a Great Day appeared first on Robin Luftig.

Voices We Hear

[image error]Voices are everywhere.

I remember the first time Lew and I met face-to-face. We met online and had spent several months emailing, then graduated to phone calls. We were purposeful in getting to know each other–in a non-threatening way. I learned a valuable lesson on recognizing the voices we hear.

Once we decided it was time to meet up, we chose a public place. A small college campus.

Romantic, right?

We each had to drive over an hour to make it to our tête-à-tête. I remember praying as I crossed the miles. Once we met, we talked for hours. It went easy … like we’d been friends forever.

I climbed in the car and began my ride home. As I crossed the miles I thanked God for blessing me with such a wonderful meeting. Then I heard it.

“Never see him again.”

What? I was shocked. I questioned God. “Why Father? We prayed together and read scripture together. He even gave me a Strong Concordance, Lord. But if you don’t want me to see him again, then I’ll let him know.”

“Whose voice did you hear?”

As soon as I offered my prayer, I was nudged. “Whose voice did you hear?”

Jesus heard dark voices too

In Matthew 4:1-11 we read how Satan tempted Jesus. But Jesus, though weary, focused on His father and His words. Three times Satan tried to divert his focus, but Jesus stood firm.

And we must, too.

Just because we hear a voice doesn’t mean it’s from a good source. Why would we think our lives would be easier than the Son of God?

When voices come … and they will … check who you are hearing.

 

Want to see how The Ladies series began?

Can a woman on the run find herself again?

Ladies of the Fire brought us to the late 1960s as we met the newly-widowed Lily-Rose Pembrick reeling as she fled Lincoln, Nebraska, with her children. Only taking the cash from the house safe and what she could get her hands on at the family bank, she left the recently-inherited and successful Pembrick Transportation company behind. Exhausted from driving all night, she stopped in Applegate, Ohio, and decided to start a new life on Norwood Street. There, she met Fiona Kasey, an African-American no-nonsense housekeeper/companion to an elderly white woman, and Sugar Bowersox, a Southern spitfire who has lost herself in motherhood.

Together, they enjoyed Lily-Rose’s backyard fire pit, where dreams were spoken and secrets revealed. As they embraced a kinship they never would have sought, Lily-Rose began thinking her past could finally be laid to rest—until someone ended up dead.

Watch for news on Ladies Uncover a Secret!

 

The post Voices We Hear appeared first on Robin Luftig.

When I’m Feeling Low

It took me years to realize my family of origin was pretty dysfunctional. But as an adult, one of my favorite go-to’s when I feel low is remembering how caring and wonderful my dad was and how he honored my feelings, holding them close to his heart.

Dad’s Special Place

I would jump at the chance to be with Dad when he spent time in his special place–his Man Cave. That’s where he kept his guns, cameras and film equipment, plus special sentimental pieces from his childhood. I am certain he only allowed me in when he was there because of the guns. He told all of us, “The only exception to going into the Man Cave by yourself is if the house is on fire. Then you grab all the 8mm films you can. Everything else is replaceable.”

One Special Item

When I was allowed in the room, one of my favorite items I sought out was a stuffed bird. It was about the size of my palm, with wild ostrich feather plumage glued onto it. The yellows, reds, and green colors dazzled me. Dad kept the bird secured away in a glass cabinet. I was memorized by this delicate object, so out of place surrounded by items dedicated to hunting. I made stories about why it was set apart with reverence and displayed only for Dad’s eyes to see.

Was it a gift from a princess he had rescued from the grips of a ferocious dragon? Was it a piece of treasure he had found while hunting with Indians? My imagination knew no boundaries.

A Flash of Wisdom

I figured—with all the wisdom that a four-year-old could have—since Father’s Day was approaching and Dad liked it so much, I should give it to him again.  Since I was already in his room, I had access to the sacred bird.

When Dad was not looking, I carefully walked over to the display case and opened it. Slowly, I reached into the case and carefully grabbed the stuffed bird. I held it in my tiny hands as if it were precious jewels. I abruptly left and took my stolen booty to my bedroom. Securing the bird there, I left my room and brought back several pages of newspaper and masking tape. With all the care I could muster, I wrapped the stuffed bird as his Father’s Day gift. I was sure he would be thrilled with my present.

On Father’s Day, after dinner was finished, Mom and Dad were having coffee. That was my queue. I ran upstairs and scooped up my special gift for Dad. Standing before him I ceremonially offered him my carefully wrapped package. He looked at the crumpled ball of newspaper encircled with bands of masking tape and pulled me up into his lap so I could have the perfect view of the unveiling.

Never missing a beat

As he carefully unwrapped the mound of tape and paper, he revealed the soft, fragile stuffed bird that I had taken from his glass cabinet. He paused, smiled, and said that he loved it. “Thank you for the perfect present, Robbie. This is such a cute bird. I’ll keep it forever!” He smothered me with hugs and kisses. I strutted away as if I had just been awarded a national medal for being the most loving and awesome child of the year. Later that summer, we began preparation for Dad’s birthday. He never wanted much of a fuss, but we enjoyed honoring him the best we could.

Even in the most dysfunctional family, there are good memories. What stories do you carry in your heart?

I had a dilemma

I had no idea how to out-gift Father’s Day, then one day the answer came to me. Dad liked it so much that I’d give him the bird again.

One day while he was in the gun room,  I carefully opened the display case and grabbed the feathered masterpiece. And as before, I took it to my room and wrapped it with newspaper and masking tape. When the time came for presents after dinner, I made sure I was at the front of the pack. Dad, once again, scooped me and my ball of newspaper and masking tape up and pulled me on his lap.

Then he opened the present

When he saw all the plumage and beautiful colors … and not missing a beat … he raved on about how beautiful this present was and how he was so pleased that I knew just what he liked. He never let on that he recognized the bird from the glass case in his room or that he even knew I had taken it. Instead, he made a fuss over me and my re-re-gifted item that had already belonged to him.

He made me feel like I had offered him the moon and it was the most special gift he ever received. In my preschool mind, life with my dad was the most perfectest life ever.

I have so many wonderful memories of my father. With Father’s Day around the corner and if I’m feeling low, I will—just like every year—miss his hugs. Memories will have to be enough.

If possible, find something to thank your father for. You’ll be glad you did.

(Re-posted from June 2012)

Looking for a Do-Over?

Do you feel like you don’t matter? Are you happy … or are you doing what you never thought you’d do? Do you see consistencies … or are you all over the place? Drop me a line. I’d love to chat.

Struggling to find good in your life? Check out my award-winning book, God’s Best During Your Worst, or check out any of my other books on my Book page.

 

The post When I’m Feeling Low appeared first on Robin Luftig.

A Samaritan Woman Met a Guy

It started when a Samaritan woman met a guy and got married. We don’t know much more than that. All we know is they were married … and the marriage ended. Did her husband die or did he divorce her? Was she so hard to live with that this husband couldn’t take it any longer? We can only guess. But she ended up single again, then remarried. Again. And again. And again until she had five husbands in her wake.

Hard to Believe

Life went on for this Samaritan lady. As we read the Bible story in John 4, we learn she yet moved in with another man.

Had he refused to marry her because of her reputation?

Could her character be so difficult that he wouldn’t commit himself?

Was she an old woman by now, bitter and worn? We know none of these things. But at least he allowed her to live there, cook for him, and tend to his needs.

So Very Tragic

How many men do you suppose hurt this woman during her life? How about all of them. How many times do you think she hoped for a different life? Only every day. When she was a little girl, do you think she foresaw the torment and scorn she would receive? We don’t know the hows or whys surrounding her misfortune. We only know more men had been in and out of her life than was acceptable by society’s norms.

Shame is a terrible feeling. It only buffs up the ones who shovel it.

This Samaritan woman felt the full condemnation of the community to the point of seeking ways to isolate herself. That’s why she went to the well in the heat of the day to collect water when nobody else was around. Torture from the noon sun was more welcomed than dealing with public shame and the torment she faced every time she dealt with other women there in the mornings.

The Story Takes a Turn

But then she met another man—a seventh man. A Jew who was at the well needing a drink. And this man offered to give her living water, so she would never thirst again (John 4 10).

Why did she trust this seventh man? What was about him that gave her the courage to try one more time?

Truth Without Shame

Maybe it was because he told her about her past without heaping her with shame. She even told him the truth–a truth that surely would have turned the head of most Jewish men–yet he still offered her a kind of love she had never known. Then, putting actions to his words, he honored her by telling her before anyone else that he was the Messiah they had been waiting for.

What About You?

Just as Jesus gave the Samaritan woman value, love, acceptance, honor, and mercy … He’s waiting to offer you the same.

Shame is a terrible feeling. It only buffs up the ones who shovel it. Know that Jesus didn’t come to heap shame on us either… He came to earth–died and rose from the dead–because He loves us.

If you’ve never read the story of the Samaritan woman at the well, check it out (John 4:1-26). Try it on for yourself and see if there’s anything in your life that you think would make Jesus not offer Living Water to you.

What would it take for you to trust someone? If others have tried shaming you for past deeds and you want to talk about it, let me know. I totally get it. Drop me a line and we can chat.

Looking for a Do-Over?

Do you feel like you don’t matter? Are you happy … or are you doing what you never thought you’d do? Do you see consistencies … or are you all over the place? Drop me a line. I’d love to chat.

Struggling to find good in your life? Check out my award-winning book, God’s Best During Your Worst, or check out any of my other books on my Book page.

 

 

The post A Samaritan Woman Met a Guy appeared first on Robin Luftig.

It Still Happens

Once in a while, it still happens. An Event Planner reviews my resume or speaker’s sheet and then asks what qualifies me to speak with authority on the Grace of God. Since my formal level of education clearly didn’t offer the sought-after alphabet soup next to my name, I have seen their disappointment. Then … if I’m not careful … I let their words begin to strangle my heart.

Why would anyone ever want to listen to me? What do I have to offer?

In a word: Hope. Remember how the smallest gift moved the heart of Jesus.

As Jesus looked up, he saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. “Truly I tell you,” he said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”
Luke 21:3-4 NIV

Think About It

If God can pull a messed-up life like mine from the gates of Hell, then surely he can work in the lives of others.

Jesus’ story is quite simple. He came to heal the sick and offer grace to those who need it. And I am among the neediest.

God wants us all to reach out from our poverty. He offers grace … unmerited favor … to those who seek it. Unmerited, meaning undeserved. That’s the point. It’s not what we have to offer to Him. It’s never been about that. We can never ever earn the right for that favor.

But his hand can lead us, through our humility, and sing the praises of God. He wants us to share His wealth, not our own.

This is My Mission

When I speak at retreats or conferences, I share with women from my brokenness. I share that without God’s touch of grace I’d be nothing. Yet He loved me … and He loves them in their brokenness, too. I give out of my poverty. And in their poverty, they will find wealth.

So when it still happens, I remember it’s not so much the messenger but the message. Before Christ, my life was bankrupt of security and peace. Now Jesus has given me more peace than I could ever imagine.  And if He can use my poverty to offer wealth to others, then I’m good with that.

What is your resume built on?

Looking for a Do-Over?

Do you feel like you don’t matter? Are you happy … or are you doing what you never thought you’d do? Do you see consistencies … or are you all over the place? Drop me a line. I’d love to chat.

Struggling to find good in your life? Check out my award-winning book, God’s Best During Your Worst, or check out any of my other books on my Book page.

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