Because Relationships Matter

How did I get here?

I had the honor of attending the dedication of Stephanie Johnson's home for her and her 3 kids from Habitat for Humanity. I've never seen anyone happier to sign a mortgage! 

About 7 years ago, her life was in a ditch. Year in a state mental hospital, lost her children, and approved for Social Security as unemployable.

She is steady and rooted as she now works with at-risk teens. She has had her kids back for several years, and is a great mom! She works mulitple jobs and is responsible with what God gives her.

What do you do when you feel like you've tried everything, the experts have tried everything, and your life is still a mess? "God, you're my only hope," was Stephanie's only prayer for over a year.

God did his part. Stephanie did her part. She is not only faithful, but she's intelligent and she's wise. These are her words.

I find myself tempted to think about "steps."
How did I get here from there?

There's always a temptation to hold onto the way, rather than to hold onto Jesus.

Israel was given a way. A way to return to trust and dependence on the One True God.
Isreal, like many religions, and like me, gave into the temptation to rely on themselves and their way. They lost sight of the God who created them. They lost sight of the God who created the way.

The truth is, everyone has a next step towards Christ.
Whatever that step may be, God is faithful.
YHWH meets us in Grand and Miraculous ways.
My desire is to abandon myself to the reality that: All I can do is take one more step.

This is a beautiful story of a life redeemed, but God keeps revealing an ever more beautiful layer. Stephanie writes and delivers the content for our View Point groups. More people will continue to find their way as she points them toward Jesus. I'm grateful for her life and that it's crossed mine!

I got it...

I received this story in an email from a 30 year-old in our church ...

"I had an amazing revelation today.

While giving my dad a ride home from work, I was trying to make conversation. So, I told him about how I am training to run a mini marathon. I am pretty excited about it. I haven't wanted to tell him because I know that he will just 'rain on my parade'. But I gave him the benefit of the doubt and told him. The first thing out of his mouth was, 'You won't be able to do that.'

This is my father. Everyone that I've told has encouraged me, but not my own father. Can I be upset? I knew that he would try to dash my hope, but I told him anyway.

Well, I've been feeling pretty bummed about it. As I've been trying to spend time with God, I felt prompted to write a letter to my Dad. I'm not going to send the letter because my dad has expressed no interest in knowing how I feel, but writing it out was very helpful for me.

When I finished, I looked for scriptures to help me make sense of things, and I really meditated on them. While meditating, I realized that I am worthy, useful, and capable of doing anything. My life is not empty. I have so much. I have done so much. It might not be what my dad would call 'good enough'. But it's not nothing. And I have done most of it without him. In fact, most of it has been in spite of him. I have given my life to Christ. That is big. And I did it without him or his approval. I don't need his approval. I don't need his encouragement either. I have something way better than that. I have the death of Jesus Christ that says that I am worthy. I really wanted to let you know."

And I'm so glad to know! It's hard to tell when or if people will have ''ears to hear or eyes to see" how much they matter to God. This person, like so many others, has taken a lot of steps, in groups, in volunteering, in classes, persistantly, consistently...and we keep wondering. When will they get it? When will they see what's right in front of them?

It's just so cool when they do!

Stories Matter

Jesus was asked, "Why do you tell stories?" Jesus said, "You've been given insight into God's kingdom. You know how it works. Not everyone has this gift, this insight; it hasn't been given to them. Whenever someone has a ready heart for this, the insights and understandings flow freely. But if there is no readiness, any trace of receptivity soon disappears. That's why I tell stories to create readiness, to nudge the people toward receptive insight. In their present state they can stare till doomsday and not see it, listen till their blue in the face and not get it." (Matthew 13, MSG)

A man met with a group of men every week over a six month period. He later told this story to another group of men during the 2nd week of meeting with their group.

"Before I started Turning Point, I was angry and full of rage. I was raised in a violent home; I promised to never repeat that with my kids. In order to control it, I hit on a heavy bag every day. After 6 months of meeting with these guys every week, and just talking, it really helped me. It changed my life. There's maybe 1 - 2 days a month now where I still use the bag. Talking to those guys changed me."

Stories...to create readiness and to nudge others toward receptive insight.

God is Love

In Craig Groeschel's teaching today, he used an illustration of people in a bar and how they are often open to talking about love, God, and spirituality. I connected with Craig's story.

As we left a wedding reception, a very drunk man stopped me. "I can tell you have love. I see you and your family. You have love." I waited. He came closer to whisper. "I need it. I need to grow. I need to grow in Christ."

I affirmed his awareness. We were interuppted, and I admit that I was grateful at the moment. I wasn't sure what to do with his confession.

Still trying to exit minutes later, he approached me again. Inside of the handshake that made for an awkward lack of personal space, he pulled me very close. With intense eye contact, he said, "I love Jesus." I smiled and said, "I'm glad. More importantly, Jesus loves you. He really does love you." His eyes were teary. I don't know if it was from that truth or from the alcohol. 

Some might dismiss that "He's drunk. What matters is what he'll do when he's sober." Really? Drunk or not, he knows he needs Jesus. Jesus meets us where we're at - all of us! God loves the drunk guy who professes his love for Jesus.

I don't know what this guy will do in response to that love. I'm just glad that God is Love, and that he gives us the chance to offer love to one another.

Always On

A man came to GCC for the first time 9 days ago. Check this out...

1. He went to church on Sunday.
2. He volunteered at the Community Center on Tuesday morning.
3. He attended 1st Wednesday service.
4. He bought a Bible, Message translation! (Love that version!)
5. He went to 2nd Saturday to volunteer.
6. He came to a weekend service on Saturday night. At that service, he decided to move from an admiring fan of Jesus to a committed follower! 

A neighbor who he'd only talked to one time, about 6 months ago, invited him. As he told me Saturday night, "This has been quite a week for me!" Yeah - I'd say so! 

Who is watching you?

What are they noticing about you?

When will they remember it?

I received an email about 12 days ago about this same guy. It was from one of our amazing volunteer leaders. He wrote, "I received a phone call this morning from a neighbor, and I'm not sure what to do. I had one 15 minute conversation with him about 6 months ago. He said that he could tell from our prior conversation that I had a strong faith in God and wanted advice in that direction. He said that he didn't know anyone else to turn to. I invited him to come to GCC. The call rattled me a little. The reality hit me this morning after that phone call that people truly are watching us."

He was just living his life as a follower of Jesus. It made a difference.

Every miracle begins with what you can do and ends with what God can do!  

Jim's Cardboard Testimony

In our service this past weekend, a couple dozen people told us who they were before and after Jesus found them. This is Jim. 

His message spoke loudly. Too many people feel the way he did. They are sitting all around us in churches and outside of churches not knowing how much they matter.

Jim has ben taking steps. They lead him to a group of guys who laugh, listen, have some fun, and care.

I'm proud of Jim and really glad that he's learning how much he matters!

 

Better places...

Stories have power. This one marked me. From our teaching this weekend on Dirty Little Secrets, we move into 1st Wednesday services. Jesus invites us to just come. Don't wait until we clean up the mess in our life. Follow me.

I’ve always struggled with loneliness, rejection, abandonment. I know it’s centered around the childhood sexual abuse from my father, and then the various times throughout my life where I was again vulnerable to sexual assault.

 

I have spent a lot of time writing it out, and I thought for years, “I’ve already dealt with that.” I think I’m over it and then I don’t know. I wonder that maybe I haven’t dealt with it. I want to stop hating the emotions. I’ve been ok sharing my story in writing, but the thought of saying it out loud – speaking it to anyone scares me horribly – it makes me sick to my stomach.

 

It’s just so disgusting, you know? Who does that to their child? I have these dark corners of life that I haven’t been able to face. I don’t participate in communion – I just feel too dirty.

 

My uncle, a pastor, told me when I was about 9 that men would always desire me but that I’d never find a man to commit to me. That has dwelled in me, and so to avoid being desired by men, I try do my best to cover up and not draw attention to myself. I continue to hate the thought of people looking at me.

 

My dad used to make me look at porn. I was supposed to study the women in the pictures and emulate the actions. The images still haunt me – it’s how I see myself. I guess that explains why I feel so dirty.

 

My grandma rescued me when I was about 9 years old. She took custody of us and raised us well. I was safe and loved. I consider her ‘my earthly Savior’.

 

About 3 years ago, I made this pact with God that I wouldn’t have sex with anyone again until it was the person that I was going to be committed to in marriage. About a year and half ago, I started dating this guy who was a Christian, and we ended up having sex – the relationship didn’t last. Yeah, I messed up. I can see though that even though I did – it really helped me be stronger. The only man in my life who hasn’t abandoned me or hurt me is Jesus. He became very real to me. I really just want to honor Jesus with my life.

 

I don’t think I’d ever say that I’m grateful for having been abused or anything like that. It is weird though. I can see how God has used it – is using it. I was always so afraid of how I’d be a parent. I never wanted to do to my kids what was done to me. It helped me to see that we have choices. The same way that my dad made a choice to hurt me, I could make a choice to be a great parent.

 

It’s interesting that I recently met another man. He is a Christ follower. I’ve had the courage to talk with him about a lot of stuff over the last couple months. He’s been open to talking about it with me. He understands my commitment to Jesus. He agrees with it. He’s encouraging to me, and I’m encouraging to him. I don’t know what will happen. I trust that Jesus won’t leave me. I just want to keep following him. He’s taking me to better places.  

Understanding Significance

How beautiful is this?  

As hard as it is to be a single parent, as much as I feel like I'm lacking in what I can offer my kids...they're better off with me than without me.

THAT's a whole new thought. I have become a person who makes a positive difference in my kids lives no matter how much I stumble through it. 

I make a difference at my job. Some days I may or may not be a better employee than others - but overall- to the whole program and to the students...what I do really makes a difference.

I matter to my grandma - even if I only see her once or twice a week - it matters. I matter to my mom and dad and my siblings...even if they are freaking dysfunctional. It's funny how I was always so incredibly wounded, always the one who carried all the pain in the family, and now - where my family is concerned...I have somehow become the emotionally strong one-even grounded.

I make a difference in people's lives. People who have watched me grow, seen me struggle, fall, get back up, keep going, holding on. People who have seen God at work in me and in my life. People who I have been able to love and be present for, no matter how imperfectly, because of what God has done in me.

2 Corinthians 3:18 says, "And so we are transfigured much like the Messiah, our lives gradually becoming brighter and more beautiful as God enters our lives and we become like him."

The Piece that Passes

When I was a little girl at the First Baptist Church in Batavia, IL, I heard about "the piece that passes understanding". I was a child just crazy obsessed with spelling, and I often spelled out things I heard inside my head. I knew that "piece" was a word that one had to be careful to spell correctly, so I locked in on that one when I heard it. Of course, I never had a clue what the phrase meant. 

I recently had the good fortune to call it up (the correct one this time) from my memory archives in the midst of a conversation.

A man told me, "I know I have to keep going and keep doing what I'm doing. I am changing. Before Jesus, I would have bad things happen, and I had no hope. There was one period a few years ago when I tried to commit suicide 5 times in a 2 week period. Now, I have bad days, but I know that it's not going to last. I know that things will get better. I don't know why I feel that way but it's good." 

"What you're describing is what the Bible talks about when it refers to the peace of God. It's the peace that goes beyond our understanding." 

Here's Philippians 4:7 from both the NIV and The Message: 

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (NIV)

Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life. (MSG) 

  

Recognizing Transformation, Part 2

Stephanie Johnson has an incredible story. I had the privilege to meet her a few years ago and witness this season of transformation in her life. I'm so grateful!

She has a passion for scripture and insight that helps me. Here's a recent post she wrote that illustrates her wisdom ; she understands her own part in God's continuing transformation of her life. 

Temptation

I find myself tempted to think about "steps."
How did I get here from there?

There's always a temptation to hold onto the way, rather than to hold onto Jesus.

Israel was given a way. A way to return to trust and dependence on the One True God.
Isreal, like many religions, and like me, gave into the temptation to rely on themselves and their way. They lost sight of the God who created them. They lost sight of the God who created the way.

The truth is, everyone has a next step towards Christ.
Whatever that step may be, God is faithful.
YHWH meets us in Grand and Miraculous ways.
My desire is to abandon myself to the reality that:

ALL I can do is take one more step.