Obedience | KeziahCarrie

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Just Keep Breathing

The wilderness is dry and dusty

The heat almost unbearable…

The desire for nourishment insatiable…

For water, unquenchable…

The sun peaks through the clouds.

But just as quickly, it slips back in again.

There is hope.

But not every day…

Fear hovers like a repetitive nightmare.

Stealing what little peace sleep might bring.

Worry wears down the defenses and erodes its lifeline.

Guilt begins to guide.

The loneliness is confusing.

The temptations torturing…

The soul wrestles for freedom.

Knowledge knows this won’t last.

Wisdom calls out for rescue.

Faith falls on its face again and again.

The winds pick up.

A storm rolls in.

The rain beats down.

And there is silence.

Tears leave traces of resisting and submitting.

Laying it down and picking it up…

Choosing…

Choosing again…

The struggle weighs its odds…

And makes one last stand.

The weary can go no further.

And there will certainly be no compromise.

But, things have already been worked out.

Prepared in advance…

A plan falls into place.

There is no earthquake, fire or flood.

Just a still small voice…

A lamp for the feet…

A light for the path…

And the wanderer is mercifully extradited from the wilderness.

All that was held so tightly…

Just fades away…

When eyes that could not see…

Finally turn toward The Promised Land!

There is something you are going through right now…something you are about to encounter…something you have already experienced. It may not be as bad as what your friends or family are facing, but it is your burden to bear, your cross to carry, your test to undertake. No matter what it is, no matter how you hurt, no matter how lost you might feel, our God is still faithful. Nothing in all creation is hidden from his sight, no matter where your feet are about to walk.

He will NEVER leave you, nor forsake you.

Just keep breathing because even when you don’t see it or feel it,

help is on the way.

I know this to be true, because I just came out of the wilderness,

and believe me, it wasn’t my first walk.

During the times I thought I could take no more,

this song reminded me just how much I needed Him and still need him NOW!

“Before you ever get a problem, God has your deliverance planned.”

~Joyce Meyer

“In the fourteenth chapter of John’s gospel a puzzled Thomas says to Jesus, ‘Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?’ Jesus answers him with no small boldness: “I am the way…” (John 14:6)

~Melissa Moore Fitzpatrick

Happy New Year!

I hope you are off to a good start and that you will continue to seek the will of God. Our will and our way often lead us down the wrong road.

If you would like to get an email when there’s a new post just click the little box at the top of the right column. There’s no set schedule for publishing so I’m happy to send you a note. Thanks so much for everyone’s support and to all the subscribers.

It’s a journey that often requires another start.

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Faith, Hope, Inspirational, Obedience, Spiritual, Truth

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All Things New

A new kitchen, a new bathroom, a new den, a new school, and a new church…I could go on and on. When I look back over the years, since I’ve been married and had children, there have been so many changes. But when I look close, when I really examine how all these “new” things came about, it seems each one started as some sort of catastrophe, disaster or terribly tragic situation. At least that’s the way it seemed at the time. Go with me here for a moment, I promise not to document all of them in detail.

Our first remodel was the result of a slow leak under our tub. As happy new homeowners we had no idea the water wasn’t draining out, but seeping between the floor and the tiny little ceramic tiles. By the time we discovered the problem it was too late. The insurance company refused to pay for it, and the repairs were going to cost us thousands of dollars we didn’t really have to spend. It was a real stressful time that only intensified when the contractor took a full YEAR to repair ONE bathroom. When it was finally finished, the contractor’s work didn’t comply with company standards, so after an inspection, our money was refunded. I’m serious, every penny back in the bank.

A sagging roofline and collapsing floors forced us into our 2^nd remodel. This time it was our kitchen. Although we were more remodel savvy, we still weren’t prepared for all the things that went wrong. The day after the new contractor told us it was going to cost much more than we ever imagined, someone sent us a check to cover the expenses. I know, it sounds unbelievable, but it’s true.

-A late night lightning strike that set our house on fire sealed the deal on a new den.

-A school that shut down abruptly left us in limbo but sent us searching for the school God had selected.

-A church that split, not once but twice, turned us toward the wonderful place where we worship now.

Every situation found us in fear, frustration, anger, tears and turmoil. But each obstacle left us better prepared to persevere.

We’re obviously not “home free” because the journey continues.

We’re now being tested by new trials. I’d like to say we are champions of James 1:2 and consider it all joy, but that wouldn’t necessarily be true. We do laugh, in between the latest thing to go wrong, and the mini-meltdowns that come as a result of having no control. And we press on.

Yesterday, as I was admiring the beautiful autumn leaves, it occurred to me that they have to die in order to make way for all things new. And each time we go through something trying, something tough, something we would rather not experience, we die a little more to ourselves and are forced to rely more faithfully on the hand of God.

It all sounds sort of simple in a way…something broke…we got it fixed…it all turned out better. But I’m looking back over 17 years and I can tell you it wasn’t simple, it wasn’t easy and, at times, we saw no end in sight.

So, wherever we are headed now, whatever God has planned, as hard as it is to sit still and not try to orchestrate our own solutions, He already has it figured out. He’s told us not to worry and not to fear. I need reminding every day, sometimes every hour, often times once or twice a minute.

In Lamentations, it says each morning His mercies begin anew.

Where are you right now in your journey?

Can you look back and see how God worked things out?

Are you so covered up that you feel your faith is faltering?

Each time God brings me through, I think I will never doubt Him again.

But, then, a new challenge arises, and the battle begins again.

I’ve read the end of the Book,

I know He wins,

but the battle is still very real.

“I will remain confident of this:

I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.

Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.”

Psalm 27:13-14

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Faith, Home, Hope, Obedience, Truth

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I Saw the Light!

It was just a passing comment; “I wish Judah’s breast collar had a hook instead of a buckle. It would be so much easier to attach.” That was it. The full extent of a statement made in front of a barn full of other horseback riders. It wasn’t unique or unusual, I didn’t put any particular emphasis on what I was saying, I just said it. In fact, I had probably forgotten I said it before I rode Judah out of the barn and toward the trail.

The next morning, as I reached under Judah’s belly to attach the leather strap to her girth, there was a hook. When I looked up in astonishment, I was told someone I had just met fixed it for me.

And I saw the light.

A hot ham and cheese sandwich was what everyone wanted when we stopped at a restaurant in a busy part of town. The waitress was asking a male customer if he needed anything and we were shocked to hear him scold her for sorry service and bad food. She looked embarrassed when she saw our expressions, but came to our table with a smile on her face.

Her demeanor did not change, even when she returned to the man’s table to bring him another glass of tea. She kept her smile. She kept her cool. She kept her customers.

And I saw the light.

If I had only looked a little closer, a little longer, at all the words written on the school website, I might have found the answer I needed. But it was storming outside, and before I drove my son all the way across town, I wanted to make sure the Back to School Bash was still on tap. As hot summer days gave way to cool August nights, classes were set to begin in just three days. The phones had to be ringing constantly as new students, parents, teachers and delivery service personnel verified important information. I knew the administrative assistant would probably be feeling overworked, but I still needed a quick answer to my question. When she picked up the phone, I could hear in her voice that she was smiling. She could have been short, stressed and irritated, but she was sweet, kind and helpful.

And I saw the light.

Yesterday, I called (weeks later than I should have) to make reservations for an event that almost always sells out. I already knew the main section was full and I would be lucky if we could still squeeze into a less desirable spot. The precious woman, who tirelessly coordinates all the visitors and their various requests, told me they were rearranging some things and the owner had reserved our spots…all I needed to do was send a deposit.

And, I’m telling you,

I SAW THE LIGHT!

Every day, we get a chance to be light in the darkness. It’s a chance and it’s a choice. Too often, I add to the darkness with my bad mood or attitude. But we are called to step up higher…to lift each other up…encourage each other…to overlook offenses…to give anonymously…to choose kindness over criticism…to choose patience over anger…to choose to do something nice and kind just because it’s the right thing to do.

I’m sure I could find bigger examples, more impressive ways I’ve seen the light lately. But after each of these things happened, I stopped and thought about the fact that the people had made a conscious choice to be kind. It’s usually not those in great positions of wealth and power who impact our every day lives…it’s often the people we meet in traffic…at school…at work…at home.

We are light. We don’t have to be, but we can choose to be.

And then we get to be!

“You are the light of the world.”

Matthew 5:14

“Let your light shine before men that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”

Matthew 5:16

“For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.

Live as children of light.”

Ephesians 5:8

“This little light of mine I’m gonna let it shine…”

Ha ha just kidding you can stop singing now.

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Christianity, Faith, Inspirational, Obedience, Truth, Women

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An “A” Student

There’s probably no one who gets in the way of what God wants to do in our lives more than we do. We get in a hurry. We want what we want when we want it. And when we have a need that isn’t resolved on our schedule, we lose faith and start to fret.

Since this is so often the case, I am determined to be an “A” student in the study of Psalm 46:10. I would love for you to join me, but, I will warn you in advance, I keep taking this class over and over again.

He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”

There are endless examples of times when I got in a hurry and made huge mistakes. Times when what I wanted was the worst thing I could have requested. And opportunities to be “sure of what I hoped for and certain of what I could not see” that ended up with me striving instead. As much as I continuously try to tell myself I am not as hardheaded as the Israelites in the desert, I’ve been around this mountain more than a few times. I want to pass the test. I want to graduate from slipping down the slope of things that don’t go my way.

And, there seems to be some progress, if only a little.

In June, I was tentatively scheduled for a working vacation that was beyond anything I could have asked for or imagined. The idea was pitched to me on a normal day when I was just doing what I do. Factor in the concept of getting paid for doing what you love and it was almost unbelievable. I was afraid to think about it for fear it might not happen. And then it didn’t. There were scheduling conflicts, endless phone tag, an injury, and it just didn’t work out. The former “C” student in me would have behaved in a bit of a spoiled rotten way. The aspiring “A” student sat back and analyzed the possibility that our timing wasn’t necessarily God’s timing.

As it turned out, something happened that week that really required me to be at home. I am so grateful God knew more about it than I did.

In July, the trip came up again and His timing was PERFECT! The trip was AMAZING! And our lives were forever changed by many of the people we met…good, godly people who poured much wisdom into our hearts and souls.

Last week, I had a similar experience. My dad and I have been looking for a cheap horse trailer. We found one, but couldn’t go look at it on the seller’s schedule. When we could go, it was gone. We found another one and it was so far away we debated the wisdom of it. We looked at a few more and shared the laughter of “What were those people thinking?” Then we found a beautiful trailer right in our hometown. Everyone loaded up and off we went, thoroughly convinced we would be pulling that trailer home. But, it wasn’t at all like the photos had depicted it. I didn’t flinch. I didn’t get upset. I never even felt disappointed. I was a little shocked that it was so different from what I thought it might be, but it was clearly not the one. Instead of allowing it to mess up our evening, as I might have done in the past, I was relieved when my dad agreed we should walk away.

We had a nice dinner, shared some laughs, enjoyed being together as a family and looked forward to our next opportunity. Until then, I will remain a student of Psalm 46:10 and I will be still.

Please don’t misunderstand, I don’t believe God is putting all things on hold in heaven to make sure our plans pan out, or we get something we want and think we need. I do believe His eye is on the sparrow and His eye is on us. I also believe He cares enough to use whatever matters in our lives to grow us and bring us closer to Him and closer to our completion.

When I finished writing this I wasn’t at all sure if I should even share it. So, I decided to put it aside and spend some time doing my Bible study. It included a comment that sounded a whole lot like confirmation.

“God is always teaching me something because I have so much to learn. About the time I think I learned it, somehow I un-learned it. And here we go again. The same lesson again. Because God is going to make sure we get an “A”. So we keep having the same test.” ~Beth Moore Faithful Abundant True

I guess I could have taken the title “An A Student” from Beth Moore’s quote but I had already written it. Things like that just seem way cool. Maybe I focus too much on the little things. But I know He’s got all the big things covered, so why not the little things too?

Is God asking you to be still and trust him?

Are you the one standing in God’s way when He just wants to bless you?

We all do it.

We all want what we want when we want it.

But His timing, His economy, His favor, His gifts are always perfect!

Just watch and wait.

Keep your eyes on Jesus. At least TRY

He really does care about every little detail of your life!

We finally found an old trailer and wouldn’t you know it, it was HALF the price of all the others. I love what happens when I wait. But today, tomorrow, or next week, I’ll probably get in a hurry again and loop around the base of that mountain one more time!

What about you? Do you ever find yourself on this journey?

Are you also trying for an A in this class?

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Enlightenment, Entertainment, Inspirational, Obedience, Women

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I Wish I Had Known

It wouldn’t have done any good for someone to tell me the things I wish I had known in my 20’s. I was headstrong, determined and still a little bit angry. Looking back on life sure brings things into a different point of view.

I wish I had known in my 20’s that my body was about as perfect as it was ever going to be.

I wish I had known kindness would get me further than competition.

Could someone have told me that trying to control everything would hurt more than help?

Would I have listened?

I wish I had known some of my most prized possessions would be those that took thought and not money.

Could someone have told me a career was going to be fun but not necessarily fulfilling?

In my 20’s, I still thought prayer was part of my duty and not an incredible privilege.

I wish I had known God truly is the source of all good things and the quicker I put my own agenda aside, the better off I would be.

I wish I had known then that I really did have a soul mate so I could have avoided all that angst.

It might have been amusing to know one day my son would say the day I spent playing a Jimmy Neutron video game with him still ranks as one of the best days of his life.

If I had known some of these things, I would have worried less, quit trying to change things and relaxed a little.

Stress, anxiety and worry only make you old, even in your 20’s.

The Bible says:

“In the day of prosperity be

happy,

But in the day of adversity

consider-

God has made the one as

well as the other”

I’ve always seen adversity as something gone wrong…but when God is growing us… it can only be right.

Adversity does send me to my knees far more than prosperity.

He never leaves me there.

He always brings me through.

I was wild and free

And no one could have told me

But my how the years have flown

I really wish I had known.

What do you wish someone would have told you?

Would you have listened?

If only I had known… all I had to do was lose one pound a year and I could have lost the 20 pounds I’ve been trying to lose for the last 20 years.

Before I get any older, somebody please tell me something else I should probably know!!!

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Inspirational, Love, Obedience, Truth, Women

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A Message in the Mailbox

On our first official weekend away from the rest of the world, I noticed my husband favoring his left knee. It was early fall, the leaves were just beginning to turn, the sun was shining and it was warm. He’s a basketball fanatic, and so early in our relationship, I was more than willing to play along. So was our dog.

We had discovered a quiet outdoor basketball court near a lake and we were just shooting some hoops. Each time he would run toward the basket, I saw him give a little to the left, before he went up for the shot. He told me it wasn’t a big deal, just an old basketball injury and that he was fine.

Over the next 17 years, it became progressively worse. The first surgeon we saw said a knee replacement would only last him ten years. We walked out. The second surgeon said he should start thinking about living the life of a much older man. We walked out. The third surgeon, a young, healthy, active, energetic, top-of-his-field kind of guy, said he saw no reason my husband wouldn’t be able to play basketball again with our teenage son. He da man!

So we went forward to schedule the surgery. A problem with insurance put it on hold. A new policy with a larger deductible made us hesitant. Time off work was a fear factor. And another two years went by. The favoring of his left knee became a noticeable limp, and then an obvious limp and finally strangers were walking up to ask about it. We ganged up on him…his family, and friends…then his co-workers, and finally his boss. If he wasn’t already convinced, the pain became so intense, money and time no longer mattered.

But my husband’s knee surgery is not what this is about, not really.

As I write this post, it is March 2012. In September 2011 my husband attended a men’s retreat organized by our church. It’s not the sort of thing that is in his comfort zone, but he felt like he should be there. During the weekend, the men were asked to write letters about what God had impressed upon their hearts. They were told the letter would be mailed to them later as a reminder and a means of encouragement. (I can sort of see my husband rolling his eyes at the very idea, but he complied.)

The knee was replaced on Monday morning March 5^th and he was walking Monday afternoon. We came home from the hospital two days later and stopped at the mailbox.

The letter had arrived.

As I opened the letter and prepared to read it, I asked him what he had written.

He didn’t remember.

But God did.

“It’s time to stay on my knees more than I complain about them. I feel physically spent…painful to walk…and I must dig deeper into my faith as well as my resolve for recovery…leaving fear of knee surgery and it’s cost behind me.

Call it coincidence, good timing or just a chance occurrence. But what are the odds of that letter being delivered on the very day he returned home from doing what he was so afraid to do for 17 years?

Prayers answered. Fears gone. Bills paid. And in the mailbox, a reminder, a means of encouragement, a simple little message.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:6

He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;

I will be exalted among the nations,

I will be exalted in the earth.”

Psalm 46:10

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

Romans 12:12

God knows your needs.

He hears your prayers.

Trust Him.

Lay it down.

Let it go.

And wait!

(I know, easy to say, hard to do. But try it. It’s not your only option. But it’s your best!)

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Faith, Hope, Inspirational, Obedience, Truth

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Who Needs Love?

300 Maple Street, USA.

Late summer.

Exactly 6:43 PM.

A roaring sound followed by a flash of light.

All communication cut off.

It’s an old episode of

The Twilight Zone.

At first, neighbors congregate, wanting to be close to each other, and looking for answers. But fear and suspicion soon lead to accusations and before the show is over, they turn and attack each other.

“The entire law is summed up in a single command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.” (Galatians 5:14-15)

We woke up one morning, several years ago; to find my husband being bashed on the front page of the paper and morning radio talk shows. He hadn’t committed a crime, but he had said some things that didn’t sit well with people in power.

Co-workers and friends scattered, and a lynch mob mentality took over, as people called for his firing.

This past week a prominent person in our community was accused of doing something, that in an instant, took his freedom, cost him his job, and threatened the stability of his family.

In my husband’s situation, only one man had the courage to speak up and put things back in perspective. He is a man who loves God more than he loves himself. He is a man who knows what it means to love his neighbor as himself. His support helped save my husband’s reputation. My husband kept his job and has lived to give God the glory many times.

In this more recent case, when the man’s actions were reported to the public, some of the very people he had hurt were asking for prayer and compassion…not for themselves…but for him and his family.

Who Needs Love?

Jesus showed us by example.

He loved the people who were broken, the people who had sinned, the people who had been slow to listen but quick to speak, the people who had made complete messes out of their lives, the people who were shamed, humiliated and ostracized.

When someone else’s sin seems worse than our own we tend to distance ourselves…shake our heads…point our fingers…and offer up our opinions.

But on this Valentine’s Day, if we live by the command that sums up the entire law, we may find those who need love the most, are the ones we think don’t deserve it.

In The Twilight Zone people from another planet caused the conflict between neighbors on Maple Street.

But in the real world, all it takes is someone who is different from us, to breed fear, suspicion and hate.

Jesus’s instructions were clear, love our neighbors as we love ourselves.

Who Needs Love?

We all do!

Happy Valentine’s Day

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Who Does He Favor?

There is a man with three children.

The outrageously rebellious daughter,

The loving and loyal middle son,

The carefree, on the run, gotta go, catch ya later youngest boy.

Who does he favor?

Who does he love?

He tries to talk with his daughter but she tuned him out a long time ago.

His middle son spends a lot of time with his dad and hangs on his every word.

His youngest is just too busy. He has his friends and all his activities.

Who does he favor?

Who does he love?

There is a man who remembers the moment his baby girl came into this world.

He never knew he could love so deep.

He was pleased when his family grew and he loved his second child.

The third child was a surprise but much-loved.

Who does he favor?

There is a man who gave his daughter many gifts and opportunities.

She thought him old-fashioned and out of touch.

He gave his son many gifts and opportunities.

He thought his dad wise and strong.

The man had even more to give, so the third son received the most.

He just felt entitled.

Who does he favor?

He loves them all!

There is a man whose heart is drawn toward the son who spends time with him.

He talks to the son who listens.

He walks with the son who is by his side.

When his son asks him for something he takes great joy in blessing him.

There is a man who never quits trying to reach his daughter.

But there are other men in her life now and she’s not interested.

He tries to get his youngest son’s attention but there are just so many things distracting the boy.

His eyes turn back to the young man who wants to be just like him.

And he blesses him.

This same man ridicules people who tell him that God has blessed them.

He says it doesn’t make sense that God would bless one person over another.

And yet his own life is like a parable.

He loves all of his children.

He doesn’t love the middle son more.

If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!

Matthew 7:11 NIV

The middle son has no fear of asking his father for a favor.

He spends time with his dad.

He listens to his dad.

He walks with him and talks with him.

He honors and obeys him.

And when his Father calls, he knows the sound of his voice.

There is a man with three children.

The outrageously rebellious daughter,

The loving and loyal middle son,

The carefree, on the run, gotta go, catch ya later youngest boy.

If you were one of his three children,

which one would you be?

“The King of the universe wants a real, live relationship with us.

He’s not interested in just being a mind reader. He’s not even interested in just being a provider. He’s both of those things, but

the role He relishes most is Father. He wants us-frail mortal creatures-to connect with Him and communicate with Him as the

dearest relationship in human existence. He rejoices to hear our voices. He delights to be our sole and holy source

for all things in life.”

~Beth Moore from the study of James Mercy Triumphs

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Top Ten List minus Letterman

KeziahCarrie has been blessed with a nomination for a Kreativ Blogger Award. It was created by bloggers to promote other bloggers and comes to us from the author of the blog “Did Jesus Have a Facebook Page?” We are grateful. I must admit I don’t really like the word BLOG and prefer to think of KC as a Website for Women; but we’ll take all the promotion God will give us.

In order to accept this award I need to nominate six others and fess up to ten things you may not know. As a habitual rule breaker, I’ll expose ten things I use to not know and tip you to six other writers you may or may not like. How’s that? That cool? Okay, here we go…

1) When I was little I didn’t think rich people could go to Heaven. The pulpit preachers pretty much just used the part about how it’s easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle. I don’t really remember ever hearing the rest of the story:

Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

(In the event of a windfall, this is good to know!)

2) I thought if you died on the way to be baptized, your eternal future was pretty much a coin toss. Then, I found out about the thief on the cross.

Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

(Helpful note: This is an example of grace, not an excuse to avoid the water.)

3) Jesus was a Horse Whisperer!! Jesus sent two of his disciples, saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and just as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here…” When they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks over it, he sat on it. (How cool is that? I love that story!)

4) Since there were so many religious rules growing up, I thought there would be a point upon which I broke one too many. Apparently the Apostle Paul knew there would be a few of us living in chronic fear of failure: “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.” (I once heard a pastor say, even if the gates of heaven slam shut on your backside, YOU’RE IN!

5) God is not keeping score. Although I do believe He loves a good basketball game every now and then (Go Indiana), I no longer see Him holding a long list of everything I’ve ever done wrong. “For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.”

6) He’s not taking attendance. Here and there and on occasion, I’ve missed a Sunday or two. I must not be the only one. Television preachers haven’t risen in the ratings because everyone’s at church when their shows come on. And God doesn’t need to check our names off a list for His own heavenly happiness. Getting together is for our benefit. “And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.”

7) Since I was taught at an early age that women should keep silent in the church, I thought Jesus didn’t trust us. But check this out. When he needed dependable messengers, whom did he send? “So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”

8) Jesus knew how to cook and didn’t need the disciples to deliver groceries. I wasn’t aware of this, but it’s another cool story like the horse thing. Read it for yourself (John 21) and pay close attention to the fact that he’s already got breakfast made before the guys get back with the fish.

9) I didn’t know as a child that gossiping was a bad thing since people did it at church. But I knew (and still know) it never feels good when it’s over. “Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body.”

10) And, these are not my words, but I will borrow them to explain that as a child, I often thought “God is in heaven, mad as hell.” My little mind was certain He was looking for any reason to ZAP me like a bug. But heck, that’s not what the Bible says at all: “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”

I would love to hear some of the things you thought, or were taught, and now know not to be the case.

Until then, I nominate the next six blogs for a Kreative Blogger Award.

http://modernmiracleme.wordpress.com/

http://journeytoepiphany.wordpress.com/

http://memorybearsbybonnie.wordpress.com/

http://inlovewiththelord.wordpress.com/

http://twoweekworship.org/

http://intotheeddy.wordpress.com/

Matthew 19:26, Luke 23:43, Mark 11: 1-2, 7, Romans : 7:15, Psalm 103:11-12,

Hebrews 10:24-25,

James 3:5, 2 Peter 3:9, Matthew 28:8-10

Category:

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Just A Story

The prison doors slammed shut and she knew the price she would have to pay was more than she could give. Even death seemed a better option than being stuck in this pit with the other prisoners. She had definitely done some things wrong… not just once or twice, but day after day, month after month, year after year.

It got easier. Eventually, she didn’t even feel guilty. Her family had tried to intervene… had tried to talk with her about her choices. But every time her self-destructive behavior would win over.

She had been taught at an early age that placing yourself in the hands of others will get you hurt. And, at some point, the drugs and alcohol she used to self-medicate, kept her from caring. The harder she had struggled the more powerless she had felt. And it had all ended here.

As she sat down on the cold metal bed, it was almost hard for her to believe she had fallen this far. She was caged like an animal and suspected she would be treated even worse. But then she heard the distant sounds of all the prison doors unlatching. She kept her seat, not knowing what was going to happen next. As the sounds swelled and her cell door swung open, she couldn’t see anyone, but the voice she heard was clear.

“There is a way for you to get out of here. But there is only one way. It will require you to believe.”

“And what if I don’t believe?” she said in her typical characteristic, cynical tone. “Why should I believe you? Why is there only one way? That doesn’t make sense. There has to be more than one way out of here.”

“Not this time,” came the response. “But it’s your decision and yours alone. No one is going to force you. The door is open and this is the way.”

She sat there and thought about it…thought about how her parents had tried to raise her…remembered the one Bible verse she had heard so many times in her life she could quote it, “Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it.” Yep, she had heard that one a few times. Every Sunday when she wanted to sleep in, those days when going to the lake seemed a bit more fun than sitting through another sermon, or when Sunday morning television was more tempting than a trip to church.

But here she was. Her life was a mess and, on her own, she was powerless to climb out of this pit. She was afraid. So she sat a little longer. She could hear some of the other prisoners laughing and scoffing at the invitation they had received.

She looked down to see her hands trembling. She tried to drown out the voices in the other cells and in her mind…so many conflicting voices. While her parents had tried to raise her right, her friends had been more than willing to show her another route; one that seemed like a lot more fun. But where were they now, her friends?

She contemplated what her life would be like in confinement. She thought about all the wasted years. She wondered how things might have turned out differently if she had followed a different path. But it was too late for regrets. The tears drained down her cheeks as she buried her face in her hands. She remembered a time sitting next to her mom on the couch when she was just a little girl. Her mom was reading a Bible story to her about Peter and Jesus.

“Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”

She remembered her mom telling her what Jesus had said to Peter. “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.” Her mom had told her, no matter what she did, no matter how bad, no matter how many times, God would always forgive her, if she asked.

Surely her mom had not anticipated this.

But if there was only one way, then there was only one choice.

She stood up on wobbly legs and very slowly walked out. It wasn’t easy. As bad as she wanted to leave that small cell, it still seemed safer than walking into the unknown and following the voice of someone she could not see.

There were only a few women walking in the same direction. She heard those who stayed in their cells claiming there had to be more than one way. They weren’t quite ready to leave yet. And, they were convinced, if they waited, other doors would open.

She kept moving forward, forcing one foot in front of the other and, eventually, she walked out the door and into the light.

The price she had been asked to pay, to remain in this prison of hers, was more than she could give.

But the price had already been paid…one debt, one price, one death, one-way.

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

John 14:6 NIV

“There are people who complain about the exclusivity of the Gospel. They ask why there has to be just one-way. The more aware I am of the depth of my own sinfulness, the more I look at the subject a bit differently; the more I wonder why there is even one way. I mean, why should there be a way at all? When it gets right down to it, what is it that we think God owes us? How is a holy God in our debt? If God were to offer us two ways, we would want three. If God offered ten, we would want eleven. No matter how many ways God offered, we would always want one more; we would always want our way.”

Pastor Jim Thomas/The Village Chapel/Nashville, TN

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KeziahCarrie

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