Michele Chynoweth's Blog, page 15

Choices usually come with sacrifice

 

We all have choices to make, big and small, every day. Some are harder than others. And many affect others. I had to choose recently to either accept a faculty position at the Kentucky Christian Writers Conference this past week and miss going to my annual family reunion or vice versa. It wasn’t easy…my dad has been suffering with cancer and we’re just not sure what the future holds. But I prayed about it, and felt I couldn’t ignore my commitment to be of service to other Christian writers – and further God’s word by getting out the books I write, which are contemporary novels based on Old Testament stories in the Bible. Which choice would be more self serving? Which less? Finally, I prayed, which choice served God more? It wasn’t about me feeling guilty or sad about choosing one or another. Usually with the really tough choices we have to sacrifice our feelings, our desires. I talked to my dad yesterday on the drive back home from Kentucky and he told me he had a good time at the reunion and felt great, and said next year it will be even better because it would be the 20th annual!  Then he asked how my conference and subsequent book signing went and I told him great, smiling through my tears. Sure I missed him and the aunts, cousins and kids. Was I doing the Lord’s work? I sure hope so. “When Jesus saw the crowd around him, he gave orders to cross the other side of the lake.  Then a teacher of the law came to him and said, ‘Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.’ Another disciple said to him, ‘Lord, let me first go and bury my father.’ But Jesus told him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.’ (Matt 8:21-22) and Jesus also said, ”Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me.’ (Matt 10:37-38) I believe Jesus isn’t saying don’t love your father and mother (of course He’s not, that’s in the Ten Commandments) or take the time to bury them…but saying sometimes you have to put yourself and them aside, no matter the cost, to follow Him. I pray for the guidance to make the right choices and take the right roads to follow Jesus, wherever they lead and whatever sacrifices await.

 

God is still here in the light

When senseless, evil acts occur that kill, wound, inflict suffering on people we know and love like the terrorist shooting that happened a week ago in Orlando, it is hard at first for many of us not to ask, “Why does God allow this to happen?” or “Why didn’t God stop it?” I believe the answer comes down to this: God left man with free will, and there is evil in the world; people are sick, flawed, irresponsible, intolerant, self-centered, vulnerable to evil…and that because there is evil in the world, humans will do terrible things to each other. Then, we might ask, “Why does God allow evil?” This, I think, is a tougher question.   Let’s look at what God’s Word says: “This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.” (John 3:19) Since we live in man’s world, not God’s perfect world of peace and love, our society will continue to experience evil acts of terror such as Orlando, San Bernadino, 9-11. I believe we need to not only pray for the victims, but continually pray to do God’s Will.  And it may mean taking action if called upon; we may never face a terrorist or have to help save a victim, like Rory Justice in my novel, The Runaway Prophet, a character based on the Prophet Jonah. But like Rory,  it may mean believing that God’s plan is perfect and we all have a part to play in carrying out that plan. In our world today, it may mean doing the next right thing, standing up for religious freedom or the rights of the unborn, counseling someone who is suffering and having difficulty believing in God, and soon in the U.S., voting for the presidential candidate most likely to do God’s will and lead our country to fight evil. Lord, just for today, let us pray to do Your Will and hold onto the hope that light always follows darkness.

Our jobs are easy today!

Compared to the eleven apostles who were left (after Jesus died and rose again and Judas was gone) to spread the Gospel far and wide to all nations, our jobs as disciples, evangelists, Christians, are easy indeed. It just doesn’t always feel that way a lot of the time. I believe I have finally found and started to fulfill my God-given purpose: to write modern-day novels based on Old Testament stories in the Bible to help people in today’s world better understand God’s messages in them. But sometimes the road seems long and the path rocky and uneven. I make mistakes, agents turn me down, spreading the news (marketing) is costly, even some friends and family aren’t interested or are critical of what I’m doing. I feel discouraged, stuck – like maybe it wasn’t a good idea after all to quit my day job and go full time and full-speed ahead into following this road. I’m sure even the apostles felt overwhelmed and weary sometimes as they faced hardships (of course, much worse than mine): being imprisoned, getting bullied and beat up, getting kicked out of town. They even argued with each other (like when I argue with members of my publishing team!) as depicted here in The Last Supper painting by Leonardo da Vinci (which I happened to be lucky enough to see in Italy last year). And then something good happens…a reader tells me not only how much she enjoyed my new book, The Runaway Prophet, but how it turned her back to reading the Book of Jonah in the Bible again to re-examine God’s message; a review in a magazine encourages others to read it; a bookstore says yes to a book signing event. For every few “no’s” there is a “yes.” The path gets a little straighter, less rocky for a time, and it is enough to keep me moving forward again, to renew my faith. I feel like I am often driven like the apostles, to “go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.” (Mark 16:15) And I get frustrated when some doors just won’t open or I’m not spreading the word fast enough, far enough. I’m reminded that when Jesus sent out the apostles, he warned them it would not be easy, but it would be worth it. “If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet…do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you…Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it. Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.” I am re-energized and I hope you are too. Time to move on! 

What to do with anger and resentment

Mark Twain seemed to be not only a great author but a very wise man. All of us get angry from time to time. People wrong us, hurt us, make us mad either intentionally or unintentionally. Or they wrong or hurt people we love. And when it comes to someone wronging or hurting one of our children, well, sometimes that stirs the most anger of all. So what to do when we become angry? Is it even ok to be angry? We can look to the Bible for answers. First, anger is an emotion that is God-given. God got angry many times that his people weren’t obedient. And Jesus was probably angry when he saw that the temple had become a marketplace or “den of robbers,” overturned the tables and yelled at and drove out the money changers. Apparently it’s ok to be angry. It’s what we do with our anger that’s important. “Be angry, and yet do not not sin,” St. Paul says to the Ephesians. “Do not let the sun go down on your anger and do not give the devil an opportunity.” (Eph 4:26-27) When we hold onto our anger too long it can often become a resentment and that isn’t good either. (Resent means to “re-feel” or feel over and over). I believe anger turns into resentment when we allow it to fester by either keeping it in and not dealing with it, or by being unwilling to forgive the person who caused the anger. I have been angry at someone who wronged and hurt one of my children. That person is probably unaware of the depth of my anger because I have not had the opportunity to convey it. But I am talking to another trusted person so I can let my anger, little by little, go. I am praying to forgive the person, so at least I am willing. I am avoiding the person for now so that I don’t say or do anything “sinful” until I am ready to face the person without anger. Only I will know when my anger starts to turn into a resentment and starts blocking me mentally, emotionally and spiritually. And then I’ll need to pray that God remove that as well. In my novel, The Runaway Prophet, a modern-day bible story based on the Book of Jonah, Rory Justice gets angry when God saves the people of Las Vegas, even though that’s what Rory is sent out to help God do. Rory (like Jonah) doesn’t believe the sinners deserve to be saved and he develops a resentment against them. And of course, all types of bad things happen to Rory (Jonah) when he continues to act out of his resentment instead of trust God.  Even if a person, in our opinion, doesn’t deserve forgiveness, it’s important for us to forgive and put justice in God’s hands so we don’t end up letting our anger turn into a resentment. “Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘vengeance is mine I will repay,’ says the Lord. Above all else, I need to have faith and take comfort in the fact that God has a plan.

 

God Still Rules in America

 “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people whom he has chosen as his heritage!” (Psalms 33:12) I am proud to be an American and a Christian. It seems that both are being put down, fought and even oppressed by society these days. But we have to remember that since our country’s inception, the founding fathers of the United States of America wanted God to be our ruler: “…One nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” (Pledge of Allegiance). “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights…” (Declaration of Independence.) and even the Constitution was “done in Convention … the Seventeenth Day of September in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and eighty seven and of the Independence of the United States of America.”(Article VII). So why do some Americans fight so hard to get rid of God in the schools, government halls and other public institutions? I would argue that we need to fight back in prayer. I recently watched the movie “War Room” (if you haven’t seen it, it’s a great lesson in how to pray…against evil and Satan instead of against other people.) I recommend that we pray that Satan leave the people leading the fight against God, and then pray to God to continue to oversee America.  I sat in church yesterday and the choir did a medley of patriotic songs, including “America the Beautiful.” This Memorial Day (and every day) I encourage you to remember those who have fought for our God-given freedom, to pray we vote in future leaders who keep God in America, and to keep singing, “America! America! God shed His grace on thee and crown thy good with brotherhood from sea to shining sea!”

Obedience

Hardly anyone likes to “obey” someone. I spent time with my two-year-old granddaughter yesterday and watched as she playfully ran away from her daddy when he told her it was time to leave a party at our house. He used a more serious, commanding tone the second time and she pouted a little, then followed him to the door. She was rewarded by him scooping her up in his arms and giving her a kiss. I think that’s how it basically is with our heavenly Father. Sometimes we just don’t want to do what is asked of us, even though we know it is God’s will or is for a greater good, especially if it’s no fun, it’s not what we want,or it causes hardship or even heartache. I’ve been reading out of Jeremiah in the Bible and often feel like Baruch, the scribe who wrote down the prophet Jeremiah’s words from God to warn the people of Israel to repent and change their ways. The King got so angry with Jeremiah and Baruch that he jailed the prophet and  burned Baruch’s scrolls. Yet Jeremiah asked Baruch to start over and write everything down again! We’ve all probably once in our lives had to completely start a task over from scratch…we deleted a file by accident on our computer, we lost important papers, a piece of artwork got damaged…and our first reaction was, “no way!” But then we knew we had to do it, had to obey. We were furious, depressed, sullen. That’s how Baruch felt, saying “…the Lord has added sorrow to my pain; I am weary with my groaning and have found no rest.” And God said, “…are you seeking great things for yourself? Do not seek them; for behold, I am going to bring disaster on all flesh…but I will give your life to you…in all the places where you may go.” (Jer 45: 2-5)  As we all know, it is hard to be good and to follow God’s will (even though I have a passion to be an author, I don’t always like writing and have sometimes even questioned God, asking “Why did you pick me to do this?!”) And yet I am constantly reminded in the Bible to persevere in faith and not worry about the future because I will be rewarded. “If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land,” (Is 1:19) and “Oh, that their hearts would be inclined to fear me and keep all my commands always, so that it might go well with them and their children forever!” (Deut 5:29) and “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” (Matt 7:21). I pray I can be obedient through good times and bad, knowing my reward will be great in heaven.

You Can’t Give What You Don’t Have

Monday morning, blank page, dry well, already starting the week with not enough to give. What to do when those strange mental blanks and that feeling of emptiness come on…and you have a whole day, week, lifetime ahead of you to fill?  I am reminded that yesterday was the celebration of Pentecost, when Jesus gave his disciples the gift of the Holy Spirit. They were afraid, hiding in a room, spent with grief, loneliness, fear. And suddenly, after being filled with the Spirit, they were courageously speaking to the people around them, proclaiming resurrection and joy. So how can we be filled back up so we can carry on and give to others? I’m reminded of the person on the plane with a child beside her who is warned by the attendant that before she can put on her child’s oxygen mask, she has to put on her own. Natural instinct would cry that you put on the child’s mask first (the plane is crashing!). But we know the truth is that we need to put on our own first in order to help our children. We can’t give what we don’t have. While I’m excited that I started last week in my “calling,” my author career, I am already feeling a little “dry” when it comes to writing this blog and beginning my second week. I don’t know why. But I know what I need to do. Fill up. First, I need to let go of worry (about tomorrow, my children, etc.) and guilt (about yesterday, my children, etc.) and focus on today. What difference can I make right here, right now? Second, I need to pray for the Holy Spirit to fill me. Third, I need to read the Bible for inspiration. I encourage you, if you are feeling “dry” or “empty” to take a few minutes and read the story Jesus Talks to a Samaritan Woman (John: 4) where Jesus meets the woman at the well and says, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” I suddenly feel filled again, enough to give for this day. Time to go refill my coffee, my water glass, put on a smile and get back to work! 

Leap of Faith!

Have you ever felt frozen or paralyzed with fear? I used to feel that way a lot before I was saved by God’s grace and the gift of recovery 12  years ago.  But here I was, feeling a pinch of that old sensation last night as I tried to sleep…it was the night before my first day in my new career of being a full-time author, speaker and book coach. My last day at my marketing director job went well…everyone gave me hugs of encouragement. But now…I was faced with being completely alone with an empty slate. Well, ok, I have a huge list of to-do’s so it’s anything but empty. And it’s not like I’ve never been here before. Prior to working five years in the corporate world, I owned an ad agency for 20 years. Still, it’s scary. So I prayed this morning to know God’s will and have the power to carry it out…and I realized I’m not alone…God is my new employer. I picked up one of my daily spiritual readers and the saying that stuck in my head was “God helps those who help themselves.” I know I had heard that many times before (in Catholic school, from my parents, etc.) So I told myself, just get to work! Searching for a Bible verse, I glanced down and saw a card two of my coworkers gave me with a parting gift. “God can bless you with everything you need, and you will always have more than enough to do all kinds of good things for others.” (Corinthians 9:8) God truly does provide what we need, exactly when we need it, if we only ask. I thought of high divers who take that leap of faith every time they dive off those cliffs. They have practiced. They know how close or far the water is. Still, it’s very risky. One wrong move could even be life threatening. There is no safety net. Yet they were meant to dive, their passion is diving.  I’m glad my passion is something far safer! But I know I too need to take that leap of faith because there is no safety net.  So here goes…please pray for me as I begin this new journey.  And thank you for being the friends behind me, cheering me on!

The Bible on Recovery

As I celebrate 12 years in recovery from alcoholism, I am reflective on God’s messages to all of us in recovery through His Word (the Bible) and how I can apply them today, since I write Biblical based contemporary novels. I’ve often wondered why God put wine (and other alcoholic substances) on the earth when some of us are what we call “allergic”. On the other hand, the world is full of temptations and things that aren’t good for some of us. (Some can’t have sweets, for example). Why are some of us tested and not others we might ask? Yet, after giving this some thought, I believe that those who find themselves working a 12-step program are actually quite fortunate, since it is a great, spiritual way to live and grow, get closer to God and become our best selves. It’s like turning the crosses we bear into victories.  St. Paul speaks especially to those with problems with alcohol:   “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit.” (Ephesians 5:15-18) And Jesus encourages us to share our message of recovery and help others: “Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’…So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit…Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen…” (John 3:7-18). And to live one day at a time: “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (Matt 6:34). We know that God (and His messages in the Bible) are an integral part of the 12-step program. And for me, that’s enough to keep me coming back and working my program, and to keep me grateful.

To have a friend…

You’ve probably heard of the saying, “to have a friend you’ve got to be a friend.” Like anything in life, you get out of it what you put into it. So it’s not always easy. Friendship takes time, effort, patience, tolerance, acceptance, forgiveness, love. Yet we all know that good, true friends – the kind that will support and love you unconditionally, through thick and thin, are hard to find, and well worth what it takes to keep. Jesus told us and showed us how to be a good human being, a son, a brother, and a friend.  “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.” (John 15:12-15). What a bunch of friends Jesus had! Judas who betrayed him, Peter who denied knowing him when the going got tough, Thomas who didn’t believe in him…and yet he showed us how to forgive (seventy times seven times if that’s what it takes!) and be encouraging and patient (telling them to go out and fish again) and loving (in so many ways). I feel sad that some of my friends over the years have grown distant or fallen away, mostly because of my lack of effort, or because I have let unmet expectations get in the way. It reminds me to look at the friends right in front of me today…and to be a friend to them. God often helps me grow and speaks to me through my friends. But mainly I get to know and love myself and God a little more through good friends. To all of my friends, in the past, in the present, and those yet to be in the future, thank you and I love you.