Lori Stanley Roeleveld's Blog, page 9

And Now We Walk Through Fire

So much is right in my life and so much else is wrong. You, too?

I know love. I enjoy health. My family enjoys one another. I have meaningful work. I am safe. My healing continues to progress. Jesus reigns.

You have a list of blessings, too.

But.

But.

Ukraine is under siege. The country, the church, my people are more divided than in any other time in my life. No one listens. People have lost their work ethic. Leaders lie. Shepherds abandon the flock to wolves. Covid lurks like white noise. My arm around the wounds still aches after a day of writing and when people yell, it sounds to me like a barking, snarling dog. I can’t protect my children and grandchildren from everything that is wrong. Nightbirde died.

There are things you and I won’t see coming. We know that now more than ever.

You have a list, too. I bet ours overlap.

We’re people of faith. That’s not going anywhere. We know the prophecies. We realize what lies ahead and the joy waiting at the end of the road.

But it’s a long, long road.

And even if we’re warned about having to walk through fire. And even if we’ve prepared to walk through fire. And even if Jesus promises to walk with us through fire.

At some point, we still need to walk through fire.

The journal that is my prayer room records the rise and fall of my eloquence. Days when words flow, praise, gratitude, petitions, warfare, questions, concerns, more praise.

Other days. Single word days. Help. Please. Why? How?

Single phrase days. I need You. Where are You? I love You. How long, O Lord? Come soon.

And I am grateful, so grateful, that the Spirit intercedes because words fail even writers and prayers pale and pens run dry but tears still flow, endlessly, right, as we breath in tandem with our God?

Again and again and again like the beating drums of an ancient tribe, one word rolls over our souls like a crashing wave from on High. Now. Now. Now. Now. Now.

Now is the time for which He has prepared us.

Now is the time to live for Christ, to speak truth at every opportunity, to create opportunities where none arise, to testify with all that is within us.

Now is the time to love.
Now is the time to pray.

Now is the time to live what we believe that we have learned from His Word.

Now is the time to abandon foolish ways.

Now is the time to stay awake.

Two accidental prophets echo what the Bible has taught us. The first wrote from Walden Pond and died at 44 from tuberculosis. The second spoke from movie screens and ended his own life at 63.

“I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. I did not wish to live what was not life, living is so dear; nor did I wish to practise resignation, unless it was quite necessary. I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life, to live so sturdily and Spartan-like as to put to rout all that was not life, to cut a broad swath and shave close, to drive life into a corner, and reduce it to its lowest terms…”

We hear you, Henry. We stand with you in this.

And Robin, we remember how you sold these lines like you believed them as you played a role you also lived.

“John Keating: ‘Seize the day. Gather ye rosebuds while ye may.’ Why does the writer use these lines?

Charlie Dalton: Because he’s in a hurry.

John Keating: No. Ding! Thank you for playing anyway. Because we are food for worms, lads. Because, believe it or not, each and every one of us in this room is one day going to stop breathing, turn cold and die.

John Keating: Carpe, carpe diem, seize the day boys, make your lives extraordinary.”

We don’t feel any pressure from Jesus to be extraordinary, but we do hear Him saying that He died so that we might live – so LIVE already. LIVE now! Live for Him.

Living for Him seems like a sacrifice until we consider that living for ourselves leads away from love, away from light, and ultimately into death.

To live for Him is to live light, truth, beauty, creativity, reason, strength, and love.

But to live that – while walking through fire.

Seems like I live on my knees in these times and there is a weariness that dogs me. (You, too?) If I were younger, I’d seek answers with the doctors, the therapists, the politicians, and the law.

But, you and I have lived long enough to know this weariness is the wearing of the world on our souls.

 But, we are not of those who “shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls (Hebrews 10:39 ESV).”

Walking weary through fire holds no appeal but following Jesus no matter where He leads is to live “coram deo,” –  in the presence of God. Where else would we ever want to be?

And one day, the burning will quenched by the Living Water and the weariness will fade when He is our light.

For now, though, you’ll forgive the rise and fall of my faith which is infused with my humanity, and I will forgive yours and we will hold one another as He holds us all.

Fortunately, it doesn’t all depend on us. The government is on His shoulders.

And we will continue to follow Jesus and to believe in the words of those who came before.

And even believe that even weary hobbits can find strength and change the world.

Like Tolkien who wrote, ““Even the smallest person can change the course of the future.” — Galadriel

And

“The world is indeed full of peril, and in it there are many dark places; but still there is much that is fair, and though in all lands love is now mingled with grief, it grows perhaps the greater.”  – Haldir

And

“Frodo: I wish none of this had happened.
Gandalf: So do all who live to see such times, but that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.”

And

The truth of His Word that stands NOW with us: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.” Isaiah 43:1-3 ESV

Maranatha, Lord Jesus. Come.

It is time for us to truly live NOW. What will you do with this life and freedom that is yours because of Him? What will you do?

Now we walk through fire https://t.co/CPkyA5HWix #Ukraine #Jesus

— Lori Roeleveld (@lorisroeleveld) February 25, 2022

What Do You Believe about the Bible?

My beliefs have become a problem.

Not for me, but apparently for others.

It’s not even the nature of my beliefs that is at issue. It’s the idea that I have them.

“Beliefs are the problem,” she said.

“Whose beliefs?” I asked.

“Anyone’s. I mean, evangelicals are the worst but really anyone who has set beliefs, especially based on the Bible, is contributing to the problem. I’m a Christian but I have the Holy Spirit. Shouldn’t we all just love?” She asked.

“Yes, without love we’re nothing.”

“Exactly.”

“So, that’s your belief?” I asked.

“Well, yes,” she replied.

“Based on a concept you learned from the Bible?”

“That’s not a good example of what I’m talking about.”

I wasn’t trying to trick her. I’m just becoming accustomed to having this conversation.

We’re falling prey to the oldest trick in Satan’s playbook.

“Did God actually say . . . ?” This was the first question the serpent asked Eve. It’s clever and effective at throwing us God-followers off balance. And it primes us to open a door through which evil can slither.

I am not unemotional about this topic. It’s unsettling and often frightening when close friends and acquaintances distance themselves from God’s Word. When they blame the Bible for “all the division” and “all the pain” and “all the people feeling unloved” and me along with it. I do feel threatened. And obsolete. And guilty.

Those emotions, though, aren’t based on truth but on accusation.

False, deceptive, whispered accusations of the powers of darkness. My friends are not my enemies. My friends are my friends. The enemy is cloaked in shadows and whispers from stage left.

I didn’t decide, in my youth, to “follow the evangelical way.” I didn’t accept Western evangelicalism into my life. If it’s falling apart, my faith will not follow. I follow Jesus.

I met Him through God’s Word and the Holy Spirit (who was instrumental in the writing of God’s Word) helps me understand it.

I don’t especially care what you call me. I’m with Him.

I’m not someone who endorses the phrase, “God said it, I believe it, that settles it.” That’s not a statement of faith. It’s a conversation killer. I get the sentiment but, still. We’re not supposed to be pummeling each other with God’s Word.

You know how I know that? God’s Word tells me so. “And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness” (2 Timothy 2:24-25a ESV).

Too often we’re turning our “swords” on each other instead of using them as Jesus did. That’s right. Jesus knew the Scriptures, quoted them, and employed them to teach others and to defend against Satan.

But, aren’t we free in Jesus? Isn’t He all we need now? Salvation through Jesus and direction from the Holy Spirit.

Yes, we are free. Free from sin and free to love. Know how I know that? God’s Word which was inspired by the Holy Spirit.

“For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.” Galatians 5:13-15 ESV

I see so much “biting and devouring” these days. People who don’t know Jesus bite and devour for sport. Entire media personality, speaker, author, and political careers are built on the skill of “biting and devouring.”

Worse, I see it happening among believers. We bite and devour one another publicly and I’m sure, even within congregations or families.

It’s wearing. It brings on extreme battle fatigue. It makes us wary of one another – undermining the unity of the Spirit.

Worse, it silences and separates.

No, God’s Word isn’t always easy to understand. No, we don’t all agree on everything, and this can lead to contention. Yes, people have been badly hurt by misinterpretations and misapplications of the Bible. Yes, sometimes beliefs divide.

But, we cannot give up on God’s Word because it’s HIS Words, inspired by the Holy Spirit. And we cannot give up on one another because we are His family.

How do we remain people of the Bible and yet NOT become contentious?

First, sometimes we don’t. There are words in Scripture intended to divide – darkness from light, hate from love, death from life. If His word offends and we stand with His Word, some will contend against us. But we don’t have to join in contention. Jesus spoke words that sometimes inspired people to walk away from Him and He didn’t give chase. We allow people to go in peace.

Second, we must stop dabbling in our faith, sipping a verse at a time and straining it through the cultural/political/social trends of the day until we declare it meaningless and move on to another.

Jesus went all in for us and with us. He became one of us. He walked with us and lived what we live. He suffered and died for us. We can, at least, read and wrestle with His entire book.

When we immerse ourselves in God’s Word, consuming it in great gulps, we get the Spirit of the connectedness of it from Genesis to Revelation. Themes emerge. Inconsistencies work out (not all, but many). As we learn even the basics about the culture and read it in context, our understanding and appreciation increases.

Third, we must lean into the questions and onto each other. Of course, there are controversies and questions. Of course, there are things we struggle to understand. This is the Word of the limitless, all-powerful, Creator God and we are created, limited humans.

But, He designed us to be in relationship with Him. To ask questions. To wrestle. To struggle. To research and explore. He WANTS to be known. He doesn’t hide but He is vast, and His ways aren’t our ways so we must stretch and grow to understand. Ask. Seek with all your heart. Find. Ask more.

And we discuss with other mature believers. We seek out wise, humble teachers. We work together as a body – listening and speaking and listening more. Together, we rise.

Fourth, we cultivate humble hearts. Seek the Holy Spirit on this. Jesus was meek and humble of heart. If we are to be like Him, so must we. That doesn’t negate passion. It doesn’t eliminate conviction. It isn’t a call to wishy-washy, flip-floppy, lazy, disengaged faith. Jesus was none of those. Jesus was passionate, full of the conviction of His faith, firm on His foundation, and yet meek and humble of heart. Be like Jesus.

We need all God has supplied for us to live His kingdom until He comes. We are saved by one name alone, Jesus Christ. When He ascended, He sent His Holy Spirit who was instrumental in the writing of God’s Word.

Stop making things harder. Stop looking for some other, some easier way. Follow the way Jesus demonstrated – it’s going to be hard all the way home – but it does lead Home to Him.

What do you believe about God's Word? https://t.co/Rqew5fIt9L #Bible #Jesus

— Lori Roeleveld (@lorisroeleveld) February 4, 2022

How Do We Become Childlike in Dangerous Times?

The older I get, the more I want to become like a child. Not to extend my life but to immerse myself in it.

Jesus said that unless we turn and become like children, we will never enter the kingdom of heaven. He told us we must humble ourselves like a child and in this way, we would be great in heaven. (Matthew 18:3-4)

Those are powerful words and yet, I hear few people ask what it means to become like children.

I think about it all the time these days, especially as I see more children forced to act like adults or exposed to adult situations years before they should give up stories and play.

I think about it because our culture seems, daily, to be more and more drained of joy, of wonder, of laughter, and of play.

Jesus invites believers of every age to receive His stories with open hearts, with wonder, with joy. He invites us to seek, ask, and to knock because “the government is on his shoulders.” The government of the world. The government of our times. The government of our daily lives is on him. We can trust that.

Here’s an example (offered with a tongue-in-cheek smile and a spirit of love) of how a person who has become like a child receives a story Jesus tells and how a person who refuses to become like a child receives the same story.

First, the one who has become like a child quietly listens and hears this:

“A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him.  And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’  Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?”  He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.” Luke 10:30-37 ESV

The one who has become like a child asks questions and follows Jesus.

What’s a Samaritan? A denarii? A Levite? Where is Jerusalem? Why was he going to Jericho?

What happened to the robbers? What is compassion? What did the oil and wine do for his wounds? Did the oil and the wine have a deeper meaning?

Who are the people I treat like Samaritans? Have I been walking past hurting people, Jesus?

Did people get angry when you told this story? Did that make you angry?

Jesus, can you help me see the hurting people and show me how I can help?

How can I be as generous as the Samaritan? Are there people I don’t even see that you want me to see?

Lord, show me your mercy and help me to be merciful. This week, I’m going to keep my heart open and pay attention to those who are hurting around me. Help me remember to do this, please. Amen.

Now, here’s how the one who refused to become like a child receives the same story:

“A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead.”

That’s a dangerous road. He shouldn’t have gone alone. Why didn’t he bring someone with him or have protection? I would never travel a road like that without thinking of the danger. I hope he learned a big lesson!

And why is the story about a man? Do you just mean a person? Then, why not just say person? Women get hurt all the time. Doesn’t this story encourage Christians to ignore the wounds of women? A person was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho. That works. Are all Jesus’s stories about men? Maybe it bothers me that the man is a victim. We’re not comfortable with the victimization of men. There must be a better way to start this story that will draw more people in.

“Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side.  So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.”

This feels very uncomfortable to me. Are we saying all priests ignore the hurting? Are we talking about just Jewish priests or Catholic and Episcopal as well? I know some priests who are wonderful and would never walk past an injured person without helping. Same thing with the Levite. Is he representing all Levites or even all Jewish people? That’s a pretty broad generalization, isn’t it? Have we considered if maybe they were heading somewhere to help people equally in pain? Maybe they saw the other guy coming and figured he would help. Have we considered that? Does this parable have denominational implications or ethnic? I’m not sure we should even be telling this story any longer.

“But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion.  He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine.”

Well, in our times, that Samaritan would likely get sued for administering first aid without proper licensing, that’s all I know. It’s risky business to provide aid without knowing the victim or going through proper channels. I mean, maybe we should get a first aid/CPR class going at church if this is what people are going to start doing. Can we check our liability insurance to see where we’re covered? And the guy had wine with him. That’s all kinds of problematic. Why didn’t Jesus just say antiseptic?

“Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care”

 . . .never mind. I don’t think you’re listening.

What? No. I heard you, Jesus! I’m all over this. I think we should form a ministry team to train our staff in emergency medical interventions (after we check our liability insurance). Then, we’ll form a discovery committee to look at local medical ministries. Maybe we should also have someone look at all the parables to see which ones feature women so we can highlight that next week. And warn people about the wine reference but no, no, there’s definitely material here we can work with and . . .

Hey, Jesus, come back!

Indeed, Jesus, come soon. But until then, have mercy on us and help us to abandon childishness to become like children.

Help us recover our wonder, our joy, and our willingness to receive You every day.

**Dear Reader, I offer this with a heart of humor and not judgement as I wrestle with what I need to do to become childlike as Jesus invites us to do. What do you do to become childlike in our dangerous times?

How do we become childlike in dangerous time? https://t.co/z7qD4fCP7S #Faith #Jesus

— Lori Roeleveld (@lorisroeleveld) January 15, 2022

How to Endure Another Scary Christmas

Here we are, facing another scary Christmas.

Fear from COVID. Fear from disagreements about COVID. Fear from conspiracies, false news, and hoaxes. Conflict in the country. Conflict in the church. Divided families. Divided households.

And all this on top of rampant inflation, homelessness, substance abuse, domestic violence, crime, and unrest.

How do we endure?

First, by remembering there has been a long, long human history of scary Christmases. The first Christmases were no picnic with oppression from Rome, our infant God hunted by Herod and Satan, the slaughter of children under two, and the holy family fleeing for their lives.

Subsequent Christmases have been marked by wars and every other manner of trouble. We are not the first to face such times and, unless Jesus comes this week, we won’t be the last.

Second, remember the admonishment of the angels – Do not be afraid. You must wonder if before every visitation to humans, angels stand before God while He reminds them “Okay, what’s the first thing you say when they see you?” “Do not be afraid.”

The angel said it to Zechariah when he announced that two senior citizens would have the baby prophet, John the Baptizer. Gabriel said it to a teenage virgin when he announced to Mary that she would deliver God’s Son. Then, he said it to Joseph when he assured him in a dream that this was all God’s plan. On the night Jesus was born, the angel told the shepherds not to be afraid.

You know God commands us over 365 times in scripture not to be afraid. But how is this possible?

It is.

Fear may appear on our emotional dashboards for any number of reasons. When it does, remember that in Christ, there is no condemnation. We can register the appearance of fear and acknowledge the reason for it without shame. We are fallen humans living in a fallen world. Things are not as they should be and Jesus knows this as well as we do. Recognize and confess your fear to God. Draw near to Him.

Then, renounce fear. Disavow it. Tell fear it has no place in your heart and mind. Allow no stronghold to form. Replace the lesser fear with one that is greater – your “fear” or reverence for the Lord. Turn to His Word, the Bible. Let His power, strength, compassion, and presence fill your vision and keep your eyes on Him.

There are a million reasons to be afraid in this world in our times and only One reason to have courage. But that One is Jesus Christ, and that One reason is enough to put all other fears in their place.

Some fears are unfounded. Some are due to passing situations. Some are completely legitimate. Some fearful situations arise due to the brokenness of the world or our own sin. Other times, God calls us into situations that require great courage.

Either way, life in our times can be like walking a tightrope across a river of crocodiles. The difference for us is that we do it by following a God who can shut the mouths of lions and bring the dead back to life. We need to not focus on the crocodiles but keep our eyes on Him. It doesn’t make the crocodiles any less real, but it does help our knees not to shake so much and provides us the guidance we need to navigate the crossing.

God is our Father and He is a good, good father. What does every parent tell their child about all kinds of fear-provoking situations – “Don’t be afraid. I’m right here.”

That’s what Christmas is all about. God with us.

He is so confident in His own power over sin and evil that He arrived in the most vulnerable of packages, an infant, to a poor family with no place to stay. It was like telling the devil and us – “Watch this. I’ll defeat what’s wrong with this world, not as a warrior but as a baby. You have nothing to fear because of me.”

I will say it again, there are a million reasons to be afraid in this world in our times and only One reason to have courage. But that One is Jesus Christ, and that One reason is enough to put all other fears in their place.

Rest in this, loved ones, “And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” Luke 2:8-11 (ESV)

Have a wonderful, imperfect Christmas and remember that God has designed you for and assigned you to these times. He has equipped us with everything we need for life and godliness – even in these times of fear and unrest.

Let us walk into the new year together, not with our eyes on the snapping crocodiles beneath our feet, but with our eyes on Jesus who knows exactly how to get all of us safely to the other side.

God is with us. Amen.

**Dear Readers, Thank you, so much, for sticking with me through a tumultuous year. Your kind words, patience, and support while I was healing from the dog attack meant the world to me. For those of you who support this website with your patronage, I deeply, deeply thank you! My healing continues but I am back to my day job, and also to speaking and writing. Six months of this year resulted from a few moments of incredible terror and pain but from that, God taught me that sometimes He delivers us from our fears and other times He delivers us through them. To God be the glory in all things! May you find your rest in Him this Christmas and into the New Year. Mercy, grace, and Merry Christmas, Lori

How to Endure Another Scary #Christmas https://t.co/BaDwnIIIx7 #OmicronVariant

— Lori Roeleveld (@lorisroeleveld) December 22, 2021

Making Room (An Apology to the Innkeeper and His Wife)

I believe we all owe an apology to a certain innkeeper and his wife.

At the end of last summer, my son’s family moved in with my husband and me. That sounds like an event that had a beginning and an end. Really, it’s still in process, four months in.

It’s hard making room – in a home, in a life, in a heart. And, I’m learning it gets harder the older I get and more set I am in my own circles and routines and ways.

As we’ve made room for two adults we love and adore along with two teen grandsons who also have captured our hearts, I’ve thought that if one day on the other side, I meet the innkeeper and his wife of Bethlehem fame, I’ll have to apologize.

I’ve judged them pretty harshly all these years. How could they not make room in the inn for Mary, Joseph, and Jesus?

Now, I get it. Making room is hard.

We have things to do. Obligations. Chores. Entertainments. Purchases to make. Homes to upkeep. Hygiene routines. Ministries. Bills. Commitments. Jobs. Marriages. Sheep.

Interruptions absorb time that was already spent. New people require energy already in short supply. Little lives are incredible but draining and we’ve been there, done that, bought the tee-shirt, and moved on into other pursuits.

Creating space for people we love is hard enough. Expanding families are wonderful but they require adjustment and compromise. Making room for strangers – especially difficult or complicated strangers who clearly need things – this requires the work of the Holy Spirit on hardened hearts and rigid routines.

But, making room for Jesus is especially challenging. Even now. Even after walking with Him, loving Him, following Him for sixty-some years.

He’s all grown up now, but still, He likes to wake me up at night to chat. He tends to throw curve balls into my routine and sends bowling balls into my agenda that flies like so many candlepins in all directions.

And, He’s always bringing others with Him into my space. People who need Him. Others who love Him. Some who despise and reject Him so resent me that I don’t.

Accepting Jesus sounds like something we do once and it’s done. I find that year after year, day after day, I’m still learning to make room for Jesus.

Throwing out those things that waste space. Destroying those barriers to Him moving at will about my soul. Laying aside whatever threatens to challenge Him for first place in my day, in my thoughts, in my plans, in my prayers, so that He has all the room in my soul He deserves and that truly, I desire.

So, dear Mr. and Mrs. Innkeeper, I do apologize for thinking you rude that you didn’t drop everything and make room for the Holy family. Clearly, I’d have faced the same challenge and may have struggled to find the compromise of the space in the stable. Kudos for that move. I hope you saw His newborn face and made room for Him in your hearts so one day, we may sit together on the other side.

May we all remember that while making space is hard work, He’s worth any changes or disruptions or rearrangements. He’s worthy of all it requires to make room for Him within.

And as for those He invites to come along with Him into our lives – well, after all, it isn’t good for humans to be alone. It turns out it isn’t closet space or clean floors or quiet time or set routines we need after all.

It’s Him. He’s what we need. Make room for Him within.

Making room – not as easy as we imagine – even for Jesus https://t.co/BC6b39Zqii #Jesus #Christmas

— Lori Roeleveld (@lorisroeleveld) December 15, 2021

The Uncomfortable Comfort of God

Have you ever received comfort that wasn’t really comforting?

It happens all the time, right? At funerals, during illness, or during trials, we offer one another what we hope is comfort, but it doesn’t translate that way.

And, sometimes, we receive false comfort. Like when my husband tells me my outfit is flattering but then our daughter walks in and I learn the truth.

Our times are full of false comfort, and this can be downright dangerous.

About ten days after being attacked by a dog last summer, one of my bites began to swell and hurt worse. It was a Saturday, so my husband took me to an urgent care. It was a busy night, and I was the next to last patient.

The doctor on call provided a cursory exam and told me I was fine – that what was happening was the natural healing process. “Go home and continue to heal,” he said.

Initially, this was comforting but throughout the day on Sunday, the pain and swelling worsened.

On Monday, my doctor took one look and told me the bite was abscessed and he’d have to take care of it immediately. The process in his office was painful. While he was doing it, the doctor spoke kind words and expressed compassion even as he was explaining that I’d now have to come back every two days for wound care.

While what happened with my doctor was uncomfortable, what he provided was true and lasting comfort that led to actual healing. The first doctor offered false comfort that might have led to serious complications.

The comfort of God is not always comfortable. But it is always based on truth, delivered with love, and it leads to healing and growth.

In The Message version of the Bible, John 16:33 records Jesus’ words to His disciples shortly before His arrest: “I’ve told you all this so that trusting me, you will be unshakable and assured, deeply at peace. In this godless world you will continue to experience difficulties. But take heart! I’ve conquered the world.”

It’s not comfortable to hear that despite knowing Jesus, in this world we will continue to experience difficulties. We’d all like easy passes out of troubles because of our relationship with Jesus, but life on this side of glory isn’t like that.

We experience hardships because of our sins, the sins of people we love, and even the sins of strangers. We live in a fallen world full of disease, injustice, systemic corruption, racism, hatred, violence, and death. Sometimes we suffer as Christians or for doing the right thing because this world is so upside down. And as Christians, we are targeted by the evil one because of his hatred for God.

So, in this world, we will have hardships.

Too often, we seek our own comforts. It’s not necessarily wrong on a limited basis to find comfort in food, Netflix, escaping into a movie or novel, or shutting out the world for a day. But we need to be careful not to confuse true comfort with being comfortable.

There are whispers in the world tempting us into temporary or worldly comfort because “it’s what we deserve” or “what you do doesn’t matter – God’s got this,” or “don’t make waves, speaking up about Jesus only upsets people.” It’s not safe for us or for others to give into these whispers because they are false comfort.

When Paul speaks with the Corinthian Christians about God’s comfort, it follows a time when Paul had been repeatedly exhorting them to stop taking the easy way and to confront the sin in their midst.

When Paul received the good news that they had made the right decision, he speaks with them about God’s comfort because making the right decision has discomfited them.

Paul writes, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.” 2 Corinthians 1:3-5 ESV

So powerful to know that we share in Christ’s suffering, but we also share in His comfort. And as we are comforted, this provides us tools with which to minister to others.

Here’s what to know about God’s comfort:

It’s always based on truth. God’s Word is truth and as hard as it sometimes is to receive, the truth is always a better comfort than a lie. Weigh every comforting whisper you hear against God’s Word.God’s comfort is accessed through Jesus Christ. As believers, we have access to God’s comfort and then others receive it through our ministry to them.God’s comfort isn’t about making us comfortable – it’s about making and keeping us whole. My fire chief father believed carbon monoxide detectors were a comfort in a home. When my daughter’s detector went off, it wasn’t comfortable for her to bundle up her newborn and stand in the cold while firefighters aired out her home, but the detector alerted her to the truth. Without it, she and my grandson may have comfortably nodded off and never awoken again.God’s comfort always keeps eternity in view. Some of us will remain uncomfortable until we’re home in glory and all of us have rewards that we won’t receive until then. God’s comfort always takes the long view. Beware of short view comforts that are marketed in Jesus’ name.

The world doesn’t need churches full of people who never face hurt, loss, pain, or conflict. It needs a church full of people who follow Jesus through every circumstance, who have received His comfort, and are happy to share it with them.

One day, He will wipe every tear from our eyes. One day suffering and pain will be no more. Any discomfort we experience now in the service of sharing God’s truth with others will mean many more receive comfort that lasts into eternity. And that’s a comforting truth.

The uncomfortable comfort of God https://t.co/qdsQjPDoNm #faith #Jesus

— Lori Roeleveld (@lorisroeleveld) November 19, 2021

God’s Mercy for the Clown

Last Saturday night, some saw a hero. Others saw a villain. What I saw was a woman sharing a painful story with the world using the skill from which she derives her worth.

Cecily Strong is a comedian on Saturday Night Live. Saturday, Cecily dressed as a clown on SNL to discuss the abortion she had the day before she turned 23.

She didn’t dress as a clown to make light of abortion. In fact, she kept emphasizing how the comedy didn’t really work.

The clown bit was her attempt to make her speech palatable to her audience, producers, and to the rest of America.

This was a woman, using the skill for which she’s lauded and from which she derives her worth, using her platform to defend a painful choice.

Now, part of America celebrates her as a hero and the other part vilifies her as “what’s wrong with America.”

Cecily stated that she doesn’t like talking about abortion. None of us does. It’s a necessary discussion, not a pleasant one.

Abortion is murder. I cannot defend the taking of another life except in self-defense or in the defense of another.

Cecily stated that if she hadn’t had her abortion the day before she turned 23, she knows she wouldn’t be a comedian today on Saturday Night Live.

If Cecily had taken the life of a competing comedian to get her job, no one would support that.

I can’t support her taking the life of her unborn child to pursue her career goals. She had other choices, other options, other directions she could have taken, although I believe her that at the time, she didn’t see these options as viable. Instead, she believed the false narrative of the age that this baby would interfere with her life and that it was just a clump of cells, easy enough to dispense with so she could move on with her life.

Really, no one knows if she’d chosen to have the child where she’d be today. No one.

But, I also don’t think Jesus is listening to Cecily and worrying about the state of America. I believe He’s hearing one woman’s pain, her darkness, her heaviness, her loneliness, and the sorrow Cecily hides behind her comedy.

Plenty of male comedians have channeled their pain into their comedy. Male comedians don’t talk about their abortions because they don’t have them. The women in their wake are left with those decisions.

I understand why Cecily Strong put on a clown nose to discuss one of the most painful chapters of her life. She’s been accepted because she wears that red nose. She’s risen to where she is because she makes others laugh.

But, there’s nothing funny about this conversation.

Still, here she is – in the upper echelons of her chosen profession – wanting (or pressured by other women) to use what power she’s gained to discuss her personal history and press her politics.

We all use the platforms we’ve been given to promote what we believe. Sadly, however, Cecily believes a lie, so this is what she promotes. She’s as much a victim of it as she is a promoter.

I didn’t see a hero, or the devil incarnate. I just saw a woman who couldn’t hide the truth.

There was nothing funny about choosing to end her child’s life so she could have the life she desired.

There’s so much shame attached to her choice that she has trouble connecting with other women who made the same one.

Her abortionist’s lame joke was her only assurance in that moment that she wasn’t a terrible person doomed to have a terrible life because of this terrible choice.

Maybe, she tells herself, her story will help save the lives of other women who might lose theirs in their attempts to kill their unborn children. Maybe, this will make what she endured worth something more than a slot in the opening credits of SNL.

And if I were having coffee with Cecily and listening to her story, Jesus wouldn’t want me to call her a villain or tell her she’s what’s wrong with America or judge her for making a choice that in our times has been packaged and sold to women like pantyhose in plastic eggs.

Jesus would want me to tell Cecily that He knew her when she was formed in the hidden places. That she was His idea before time began and that He chose the time and place for her to be born. She, like all of us, is a sinner making her way in a sinful world and He knew she would make sinful choices. So, because His Father loves her, Jesus laid down His life for her. If she were the only human who had ever existed, He would have done that.

And then, He rose from the dead, triumphant over the grave. And He lives. He welcomed the soul of her unborn child into His arms, and He will welcome Cecily, too, if she repents, like the rest of us must do, and accepts His sacrifice on her behalf.

No one really wins in this whole conversation. It doesn’t matter if we’re dressed like clowns or experts or politicians. If you’re whole focus is on her clown suit, you’re missing the greater concern.

If women who choose abortion press their points with no reasonable response from Christians, souls die. If Christians throw stones at women who made this choice, they distract these women from the love of God who laid down His life for them.

Christians are called to the ones who see beneath the masks, the painted smiles, and the false bravado to the hurting soul behind the hilarity. We aren’t called to condemn but to testify to God’s unrelenting love and mercy

Even for killer clowns.

God's mercy for the clown. https://t.co/mi75bwiZez #SNL #CECILYSTRONG

— Lori Roeleveld (@lorisroeleveld) November 10, 2021

A Lifetime of God Moments

Dear Readers,

I’m delighted to bring you this guest post from my first literary agent (and the man who “brought me up” in the Christian writing world), Les Stobbe. It’s an excerpt from his newly released book, God Moments in My Publishing Life. Les has taught me in the business of writing and books to value what matters in God’s economy and the eternal impact of our words over sales and royalty checks. Even if you’re not a writer, you’ll find inspiration from Les as he recounts all the powerful moments his life was deeply impacted by God’s work.

It is one of my favorite past-times to listen to the stories of men and women who have followed God for a lifetime and are as passionate about Jesus in their eighties and nineties as they were in their youth. By God’s grace, I hope to join their ranks one day soon. Enjoy Les’s post and check out his book. I’ll be back next week. Mercy and grace, Lori

What may seem like a disastrous circumstance may only be a stepping-stone to a new opportunity.

Ever wish you knew the mind of our Lord? I have, not once, but many times, but God always had a plan “up his sleeve.” Let me introduce a few hopelessly negative situations that might trigger similar experiences in your life- but I’ll also show how God was at work behind the scenes.

Cross-eyed from age five to 12, I was often bullied, picked last by the team captain in any game. Instead of joining the neighborhood kids on a sports field I read books. It fed my mind and heart—while I was also building muscle clearing out cow dung, pitching hay, lifting 10-gallon milk cans. After my eyes were straightened out, a neighbor friend and I took over checking out books at the church library. I had no idea it was the beginning of God preparing me for running the selling floor of a bookstore with seven fulltime and three part-time staff.

As a twenty-two-year-old an errant rock in a ravine on a mountain split the femur part of my leg, which turned me into a hospital patient for four months. I had hours of reading time for books and magazines. I also had hours with Russian émigré nurses. Since my father’s family had migrated from the Caucasian Mountains in Russia we had a lot to talk about as they rubbed my back and made my bed.  First Nation’s patients introduced me to their language.

While on my back I was glancing at ads in Christian Life Magazine when the Lord introduced me to a possible new direction in my life.  On the upper right corner I saw an invitation to sign up for “The Beginning Christian Writer” correspondence course. The next summer I finished the seven lessons by writing about new arrivals in leadership on an island of fishermen. Ten years later I was hired as magazine editor at the publishing house with those lessons that turned my thoughts to writing. The next four years at Christian Life represented what I later recognized as an in-depth study of magazine and book publishing, since my primary responsibilities were as editor of Christian Bookseller Magazine. I wrote monthly articles on successful bookstore owners, on new publishing ventures, on bestselling authors.

But Robert Walker, president and editor of Christian Life Publications, taught me more than how to be a more effective writer and magazine publisher. He introduced me to prayer that claimed the victories of Christ over Satan and his angels. When it was obvious Satan was attacking our family, I began to engage in spiritual warfare praying that claimed the victory over Satan of Jesus Christ on the cross and his resurrection. Satan is not God, so his demons ran when Jesus said, “Come out” of the demon-possessed man. I also recognized that many issues I faced were caused either by sin or running ahead of the Lord.

This insight was buttressed by a book manuscript I evaluated for Kenneth N. Taylor. The author introduced me to specific, targeted praying for needs developing in our life as a family. When we needed a car to travel the Chicago streets to a church I served as temporary pastor I simply told the Lord about it—and he put our need on the mind of the husband of a church member, who supplied me with the money to acquire a car. A couple of years later I realized my wife and children needed new clothes, so with Christmas approaching I told the Lord about it—and our pastor told a generous family about it and they outfitted us most generously.

These experiences emboldened me when the following year we needed to move out to Wheaton with Christian Life Publications. With no rentals available there, I asked the Lord for the down payment for a modest ranch—and he provided an editing opportunity that supplied the needed income over six months.

Armed with these experiences I prayed my way through job change after job change until I was equipped to become a literary agent, for 25 years serving Christian writers, often mentoring them one-on-one at writers conferences. God had turned so many seeming catastrophes into spiritual and workplace victories that I often became more spiritual counselor than agent.

What would you do with 65 years of such life experiences?

God one morning gave me the theme, God Moments in My Publishing Life. I wrote one chapter a week and our granddaughter, who had become my webmaster, put them up on my website. Five years later God made it clear he wanted it in print. I added the guts of what I’ve been teaching on communicating for life change as a Christian writer.

What about you? Do you have a story about a God Moment in your life? Share it in the comments or email me the story at lorisroel@gmail.com and maybe you’ll see it here on the blog soon!

A Lifetime of God Moments https://t.co/OU07ZORJXF #amwriting #Jesus

— Lori Roeleveld (@lorisroeleveld) October 12, 2021

What Story Are You Telling Yourself about Your Life Today?

These days, someone is always telling us a story.

From politicians to preachers to people in our lives, stories abound. Reporters, advertisers, Fortune 500 companies, non-profits seeking donations, the teenager hiding a secret, the neighbor inching his fence onto our land, the spouse covering her own fears and failing – all crafting stories they’d prefer we believe more than anything else on our radar.

We need stories. We’re designed for stories. We’re hard-wired to see life through the lens of a great epic story God is telling about Himself and inviting us to live with Him.

But, there are other stories. Lesser stories that compete for our attention and rent out billboards in our souls trying to tempt us off the narrow road a few exits earlier than our true destination. Detour! Scenic overlook! Must see attraction! There is more truth in the story of Odysseus than we want to acknowledge because we’ve all heard the Sirens trying to prevent us from returning to our voyage home.

Modern times have multiplied the number of stories and sophisticated their delivery systems, but it has always been true that we have a choice about which story we choose to believe about our lives. Do we choose the sad deceptive story the enemy whispers in our ears, or do we trust the greater story God promises is true?

Are we victims or victors? Are we seen or ignored? Do we matter or are we disposable? Does light truly triumph over darkness? Does morning really come?

Many biblical heroes and heroines endured separation, hardship, or loneliness in their youth. David, the youngest of many, sent out to be alone with the sheep, battling wild animals alone, composing psalms beneath a vast sky. Joseph eager to belong with his brothers but knowing only the loneliness of great dreams and a father’s favor, eventually cast out and sold off as a slave. Esther, orphaned and dragged off from her homeland by warriors to be raised by a wise uncle in a foreign land. And Daniel, also taken captive with his people, and, as a teen, taken from everything he’s ever known by a powerful king determined to assimilate him to a culture opposed to his God.

Each of these had a choice. Do I believe the stories this fallen world tempts me to believe about my life?

Am I small, alone, and insignificant in a land of giants? Or, am I called by God to defeat giants and to lead others in His name?

Am I a rejected outcast, misunderstood and unloved by his own family, destined to a lifetime of slavery? Or will no scheme against me stand against the great plan God purposed for me before time began?

Am I orphaned and alone, subject to other’s choices for my whole life, and without hope because I am not the agent of my destiny? Or, do I still have powerful choices and influence even when I am hemmed in because God continues to see me and use me no matter what walls surround me or what men do to me?

Am I helpless against the greater political and cultural power sweeping change over my life, my people, and my dreams or has God appointed me to represent Him in this hour and stand firm, even against a kingdom so great that many before me have fallen?

We know from God’s Word which story each of these flesh and blood men/women chose to believe and that choice made all the difference. Not only for them but for those around them and for us.

You and I have that choice now.

What do you face today? What trials, opportunities, barriers, hardships, powers, or decisions are in your path today? What story will you choose to believe about them?

Believe the story the enemy is selling – packaged by our times and by the spirit of the age – and you will follow one narrative – most likely taking an off-ramp from the narrow road that leads home to our great God.

Believe the story that begins before time when in the beginning God and that travels straight through the cross of Jesus Christ and emerges triumphant through the empty tomb and that has been trusted and believed by generations of Jesus-followers before us and your story will burst with truth and life even if you are surrounded by death and lies.

What is the story you’re telling yourself today about your circumstances, the world, your life? Believing and following the story that leads home will make all the difference, not only for you but for those around you and for those who come after you.

For we are not invisible shepherds, castoff brothers, forgotten orphans, or powerless captives. We are not victims of our times.

We are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, that we may proclaim the excellencies of Him who called us out of darkness into His marvelous light. Once we were not a people but now, we are God’s people; once we had not received mercy, but now we have received mercy.

Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your souls. Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation. 1 Peter 2:9-12 ESV

What did one domino say to the other? We don’t have to fall.

What story will you believe today? Choose His story. It will make all the difference.

Dog attack healing update: Yes, we can heal and move past traumatic events with God’s healing and the help of great providers. Still doing trauma therapy but have made significant progress. Still doing physical therapy for my arm but am hopeful that it’s working and I can avoid surgery! Back to full-time work and speaking. Doing more writing but still don’t have my brain stamina when I’m tired or stress. At the end of a day, I fight brain fog and struggle with word retrieval due to the concussion. I am not more afraid of dogs. I am engaging with life, work, family, our new dog, and have returned to travel. We now refer to BDA and ADA (before and after the dog attack) but I am hopeful that I will see a significant return of function down the road. Not completely healed yet and likely not full functioning when it comes (elbow likely has permanent nerve damage) but the pain is being reduced with the physical therapy. Thanks for all your patience and prayers. I know my blog posts have not been as frequent and my articles aren’t coming as often but hopefully, one day down the line, I will regain the stamina to write even when I’m tired and I will get past the brain fog and concussion symptoms. Thanks for continuing to pray! #Godisgoodallthetime #healing #Jesus #dogattack

If you feel God move you to support this blog (it does require yearly fees to keep it going), you can make a one-time donation through Venmo or Paypal (lorisroel@gmail.com) or become a monthly patron at Patreon!

What story are you telling yourself about your life today? https://t.co/0b7tBFZbOo #Jesus #story

— Lori Roeleveld (@lorisroeleveld) October 4, 2021

How Do We Bear Up Under All This?

Here’s the thing.

In movies, it’s exciting when the wise guide or sage tells the young Jedi or Hobbit or girl from Kansas that they already have everything they need.

Frustrating for the character, yes. But it makes for a great movie! We watch in anticipation of the moment when the star finally accesses the treasure he or she holds within.

We knew all along that George Bailey was the richest man in town, that Neo would choose the red pill, and that Dorothy would get back home to Kansas. We also knew why they had to go through some struggles to realize it themselves

We have a harder time believing Peter when he assures us that we have “everything we need for life and godliness” or when Paul tells us we have “every spiritual blessing.” Paul even describes the armor God’s provided and weapons that are not of this world for the battle against the forces of darkness. And they lived lives that provided us with fleshed out understanding of the biblical truths they taught.

But we don’t want to live the struggle. Transformation is great to see on the big screen, but it loses it’s appeal when we’re facedown in our own lives.

I realize, the first examples are fiction, while you and I are living in real time where blood and heartbreak don’t fade into the final credits.

But why do you think the human heart devises and rises to these stories?

It’s because God has hard-wired us with everything we need for life and godliness – including the stories to inspire us to believe that because of Jesus, we, too, can know we’ll make it safely home.

And there’s a reason it’s a more satisfying story when Obi Wan and Yoda don’t just wriggle their noses and make Luke proficient with his light saber. It’s because we’re made in God’s image and so we rise to a challenge, we grow in the process, we find joy in the journey.

Even on the climb into Mordor.

We are feeling the pressures of our times. Division in our nation, our communities, our congregations, and even our homes. Thoughtless, unkind rhetoric. Terrorism on the horizon again. Racism still unresolved. Unprecedented weather events. Lingering pandemic. Financial and emotional bankruptcy.

How do we bear up under this? Those of us who know Jesus – how do we not only bear up but also represent as citizens of the kingdom come?

By accessing our equipping.

It’s one thing to be issued armor and effective weapons.

It’s one thing to be gifted with all we need for life and godliness.

It’s one thing to be granted every spiritual blessing.

It’s another thing to scrape our knees and dirty our hands trying it out.

It’s another thing to swallow the pride it takes to attempt and fail and try again.

It’s another thing to be clumsy in front of other Christians and unbelievers as we learn to love, to pray, to tell the truth, to serve, to sacrifice, and to obey.

It’s another thing to hold onto in the dark what we say we believe in the light.

Peter, Paul and James, Mary, Lydia, and Mary as well as all those who went before them have lessons to teach us and words to guide us that are relevant to those of us stumbling through our times.

They have seen His light in the darkest of catacombs, beneath the boots of soldiers and the shadows of crosses. They have laced up their armor while mourning those they love, while fleeing the enemy, and while removing daggers pressed in close by those they’d trusted. Listen to what the Holy Spirit whispers through their lives.

We need to pray.

Not just grace before meals or help me find a parking space or heal my disease but how to intercede in faith, how to shift the course of storms and nations, and how to put ourselves last and lay down our lives for those who would take ours.

We need to obey.

Not just what makes sense or what others see but also what promises to make us look like fools or cost us more than we’d ever imagined offering. Forget the parts we don’t yet understand – if we just start obeying what’s crystal clear, our lives will tell a greater story.

We need to immerse ourselves in His Word.

It’s all there. The everything. The blessings. The equipping. The accessing. The hidden treasure. The pearl of great price. The buried seed. The resurrection. And the life. Him. Jesus. In whom all things hold together.

That’s how we bear up. Jesus.

Like every great character in every great story, the next task before us promises little glory. There is no shortcut around the poppy fields or the past the sirens or through the mountains.

There is just the next step. Just the humble service. Just the solitary night of prayer. Just the generous gift that costs us all but doesn’t bear our name.

Now. Now is the time to understand He has called us into the greatest story of our times, but we must invest our very souls and every ounce of self we’ve held back until now.

You hear His voice even now, don’t you? Answer. You have everything you need because of Him. Pour it out now.

Leave it all on this field because we won’t need it where we’re going. It’s the manna of the hour.

It’s to spend now.

How do we bear up under the weight of our times? The answer is found in the stories we love most. https://t.co/OcEa7rO007 #Jesus #movies

— Lori Roeleveld (@lorisroeleveld) September 9, 2021