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Is it really safe to be me?

09.29.2020 by Julie Jeffery //

Welcome to FACETS of Faith and our exploration of vulnerability through women’s stories of strength and resilience.  I (Tracy) can’t wait to share Julie Jeffrey with you. She is beautiful in spirit and has eyes you could wade through – stunning.  I find it interesting the original photo she selected hid her face.  (She didn’t know what image God had led us to use for this series.) I took the liberty of choosing a different photo of her, because she is beautiful and her smile radiates. I felt God wanted you all to see her, really see her.  See her physically. See her in her story. See her in the glorious redemption God has brought in her life. (Her pic is at the end of the piece.)

There is something powerful about redemption. It’s where God’s glory is revealed and hope is breathed anew in each of us. When we see what IS possible with God, we believe Him more and more for big things in our own lives.  So sit back and read for yourself about the power of God at work in one woman’s life.  We have a big God, my friends!  Truly, One we can’t fathom even as we can know Him personally.  Meet my sweet friend Julie as she shares her story with strength and dignity.

 

The easiest way for me to answer the question Is it really safe to be me is to open with a scripture I wear on my heart like a married woman wears a ring on her hand! “God is within her, she will not fall.” Psalm 46:5.  Getting vulnerable with God is pretty easy for me.  Getting vulnerable with other people, much harder.

To put it simply, I am a child of God. I am a single mother. I am a woman with a heart bigger than the whole outdoors but, and this is the hard part: I am also a recovering addict. A thankful, grateful recovering addict. I have heard the labels: junkie, druggie, loser, crackhead. You name it, I have probably been called it. Did it hurt? Absolutely. Even in my haze and fog the labels cut like a knife. Because that is not who I really am. That is not God’s plan or purpose for me. I realized that when I spiraled out of control and stopped eating. When my then 5-year-old daughter looked at me and told me, “I miss my smiling mommy. I wish you would eat again.” When my dad said he was going to be burying his firstborn daughter in 6 months’ time, and he didn’t want to be around me because it would hurt less to lose me, I knew this was not the life I was supposed to be living. Those, along with the demons in my head used to tell me I wasn’t good enough. I wasn’t worthy. I hid from my feelings of inadequacy and then felt ashamed because I used. Deep inside I knew that was not my purpose in life. I would cry. I would pray. I would beg my family not to give up on me, but I had given up on myself.

Then there was God. He never ever gave up on me. I know He was with me when I had used too much and should have overdosed, yet still lived. I didn’t know it then, but I do know now. “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted, he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.” Psalm 34:18  I was as brokenhearted as a person could be.

Little did I know, all I had to do was cry out to Him. He was always waiting, always ready. I had to surrender. I had to cry out to Him. And I did.  One night in February of 2018 I decided I was ready to be done. I had literally been physically beaten, assaulted in a violent way. I had lied to family to get money to pay these dealers back. I wanted to be free of this ever-tightening grip that addiction, and all that came with it, had on me and my life. I looked down at my little girl with tears in her eyes, my teenage son was just done with me. I walked into the bathroom.  I got down on the floor and for a good 30 minutes, I cried and prayed. I reached out to God, to Jesus to anyone listening . The prayer was to take my life or take this addiction. After 30 minutes of that, I got up and went out to where my kids were. I hugged my son who tried to shrug away from me. I hugged my little girl who held me tighter than anyone ever has, and we went in and laid down. I woke up the next morning with a purse full of pills, drugs, and paraphernalia and could have easily started the whole cycle over again. In my heart, I heard, “You know what to do.”  So, without hesitation, I disposed of every pill, every drug, every item related to it and called my family to admit to them I had a problem that I could not deal with by myself.

My sister immediately came out, and we set up a family meeting that weekend. I prayed every single morning, noon, and night that whole week. I didn’t use. I felt a sense of peace I had never experienced before, and I now recognize as God’s love and spirit. By the time the weekend came, I had already been eating and sleeping. I had been totally transparent with my family. I had attended 4 NA meetings that I had to walk to because I had no car at the time. I also started therapy. The meeting was not the negative experience I thought it was going to be.  I don’t remember the exact words that were said or who spoke first, but what does stick out to me is my uncle. A man of so few words and a man who hides his emotions, he had tears in his eyes when he told me he had been distancing himself from me because it was too painful to watch me slowly dying. He told me the story of how I had pneumonia as a little baby and he laid by my crib every night just to make sure I was breathing. Then he offered me something that changed my life even more: the chance to ride with him to church every Sunday! It was a small, beautiful church on a hill and when I walked through the doors, I felt surrounded by love and kindness. “Three things will last forever-faith, hope and love-and the greatest of these is love.” 1 Corinthians 13:13

Every person in that tiny church seemed so happy to see me, to meet me. I have never felt such an outpouring of love. I knew I wanted more. I even asked the Pastor how to become a Christian! I got my sponsor there in the church, started going to their Thursday Christian recovery group, and eventually I even got a job and saved up enough money to buy a car. Once that happened, I wasn’t just at the Sunday services, I went to ladies Bible study on Mondays, Wednesday service, Christian 12 step on Thursday, and Sunday services. I just could not get enough of any of it. God, the people, the messages, the worship songs all were what I needed to keep walking in victory. My little girl came with as well, and her life has changed too. Once my family saw the changes were sticking, some of them even started coming. My uncle, my brother-in-law and I all got baptized by the Pastor!

The journey to who I am now started February 18, 2018, my sober date. I have so much more to learn though! Jesus is my Lord and Savior. He saved my life from certain death, but even more than that, through him and through the love and support of the people at the church and the different programs, I am growing every day. I am moving forward toward the person I was created to be. I am not just staying sober, but I am coming alive. Learning, growing, changing. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away.”  2 Corinthians 5:17

That is how I feel, brand new. I love Jesus. I know Jesus loves me! He loves us all so much that He gave his life for us. I well up with tears when I think about that. Knowing how much He gave for all of us makes me strive to live according to the 10 Commandments and God’s word. I am not perfect, not even close, but I have a heart for the Lord, and my daughter and I will serve the Lord. Maybe, just maybe, some of my loved ones who haven’t done so yet, will also serve the Lord too. I am thankful, grateful and blessed! I am a child of God, and I am not my mistakes. I am God’s masterpiece, but also a work in progress.

Join us in the conversation on FACETS of Faith’s Facebook page. Share how Julie’s story has impacted you. I’m sure it would bless her to know.

Need help?

If you need help with a substance abuse problem, seek help and support.  Together, with Christ, recovery is possible.  Julie is one of God’s walking miracles that prove that very fact.  Many churches offer recovery support, as do Narcotics Anonymous and Alcoholics Anonymous. You are not alone. Immanuel, God is with you on this journey.

 

Categories // Faith, Guest Perspectives Tags // 1 Corinthians 13:13, 2 Corinthians 5:17, addiction, Freedom, Identity, Psalm 46:5, Recovery, Vulnerability

The Gift of Friendship

08.25.2020 by Kelli Worrall //

The Facets of Faith team is excited to share two of our lovely friends with you. That’s right, two writers this guest post rather than one.  We thought, “What fun would it be for two dear friends to collaborate on a piece about friendship?”  We knew just who to ask, Gloria Cooley and Kelli Worrall are fabulous friends who share a common bond – first Jesus, then life experiences, and time invested in each other.  We can learn a lot from others’ friendships. Keep reading for their fun real-life story of friendship on mission and orchestrated by God. We love them, and we know you will too!

Hey, Thelma! Who's Your Louise? (Guest)

I met Gloria in the fall of 2012 when our kids were in preschool together—and we initially bonded over the subject of adoption. My husband Peter and I had recently returned from China with our daughter Amelia, and Gloria and her husband Daniel were completing the paperwork for their own Chinese adoption.

Since then our friendship has expanded and deepened. We’ve been friends for eight years, but it seems much longer. In a good way! Maybe it’s because we’ve been through some big things together in those eight years. Maybe it’s because Gloria is one of those people with whom I was very quickly able to talk about anything—the good, the bad, and the ugly. Maybe it’s because Gloria is one of the most faithful friends you could ever want to have.

We’ve been in small groups and writing groups together, enjoyed many meals together—she’s been there when my cooking has turned out well and when it’s been a flop. We have celebrated birthdays and holidays and milestones.

But one of my favorite Gloria memories so far has to be Spring Break 2014.

You may remember the winter of 2013-14. Or perhaps you’ve blocked it from your memory. It was one of the top four worst winters in the Chicago area. Sixty-seven inches of snow. The third-coldest winter on record. 26 days of below 0 temps. The Polar Vortex brought bitter cold temps way into March.

Near the end of March—at the beginning of Spring Break week—Gloria and I met with our kids at the Jump Zone, and the Jump Zone was crazy! Our kids were climbing the walls—literally—while she and I stood in the midst of the chaos, just staring at each other—still cold to the bone. While the kids were burning off steam, the Jump Zone wasn’t doing anything for our stir-craziness.

Eventually, Gloria looked at me wistfully and said, “I’ve been dreaming about sticking Eleanor in the car and driving to my in-law’s lake house in Texas.”

I looked wistfully back at her and replied, “That’s funny because I’ve been dreaming of sticking my kids in the car and driving down to see my family in Tennessee.”

We both chuckled for a moment.

Then we looked back at each other through squinty, quizzical, “are you thinking what I’m thinking” eyes. I don’t remember which one of us first voiced the question: “Why don’t we do it?”

We rolled the idea over in our minds for only a minute or two before we called our husbands, expecting them to talk us out of it. However, they didn’t. I think they were secretly thrilled to see us go.

As soon as we hung up our phones, we started making plans. We would take our kids home, feed them lunch, pack our bags, and leave early the next morning.

So I took my kids home. I fed them lunch, and I started making a packing list—all the time thinking, “This is crazy.”

Suddenly, my phone rang, and it was Gloria. I answered the phone and didn’t even say, “Hello.” I just asked the obvious, “Are you having second thoughts?”

“Yes,” she said. But then she continued: “But not about going. I’m just not sure we should wait until tomorrow. I think we should leave now! That way we can drive through the night. The kids will sleep in the car, and we’ll be there by morning.”

I didn’t miss a beat. “Ok!” I said.

Then I ran around the house, shoving clothing and kid paraphernalia in bags. Within an hour and a half, Gloria pulled into my icy driveway. We shifted all of her luggage into my vehicle, and in no time at all we were on the road.

My husband jokingly called us “Thelma and Louise”—those famous friends. Thankfully, our trip bore little resemblance to theirs—other than it was a wonderful opportunity to bond and deepen our friendship.

A couple of years after our crazy trip, Gloria and I shared this story at a women’s Christmas tea. It served as the introduction to a message we gave about another friendship—of some far more famous women, who bonded over the most extreme adventure one could imagine. These two women were Mary, mother of Jesus, and her cousin/friend Elizabeth.

Elizabeth only appears in one chapter of the Bible, yet despite her brief mention in Scripture, she plays quite an influential role. We don’t know a lot about her—only that she was quite a bit older than Mary, and she had married well. Her husband was a priest. Yet despite these desirable qualities, Elizabeth bore a scarlet letter. She was barren.

Then one day something miraculous happened.

An angel appeared to her husband Zacharias while he was in the temple. “Do not be afraid,” the angel said. “Your petition has been heard and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will give him the name John.” This child would make ready the way for the Lord

            Zacharias questioned the angel’s message, and the angel told him that because of his disbelief he would be unable to speak until the child was born. And immediately, Zacharias became mute. He returned home to Elizabeth, and soon she became pregnant.

But Elizabeth was not to walk alone in her pregnancy.

God would soon provide another gift for her.

The gift of a friend.

Mary was different from Elizabeth in many ways. She was young, unmarried, but engaged. She was a virgin from Nazareth—a modest, agrarian society.

Just months after the angel appeared to Zacharias, God sent Gabriel to Mary in Nazareth. As far as we know, she was alone when the angel appears. Certainly, she was startled and afraid. But Gabriel began with a blessing and a declaration of God’s grace.

Then he delivered his astonishing news. “Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus.”

But this wouldn’t be just any baby. The angel continued, “He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.”

This proposition didn’t make logical sense, so Mary asked, “How can this be since I have never known a man?”

“The Holy Spirit will come upon you,” the angel said. “And this baby will be the Son of God.”

Then Gabriel offered Mary a bit of evidence, some more miraculous news. Mary’s relative Elizabeth—old and barren—was pregnant as well. Six months along.

“For nothing,” the angel concluded, “Nothing is impossible with God.”

How did Mary respond? With complete conviction and commitment, she said, “I am a bondslave of the Lord. May it be to me as you have said.”

Mary’s first order of business after the angel leaves was to plan a trip to the hill country of Judea, outside of Jerusalem. It was a three-day journey of some 80 or more miles—not an easy journey for a young girl.

But Mary had to find Elizabeth. She wanted to see with her own eyes the sign of which the angel spoke.

As soon as Elizabeth saw Mary’s face, the baby in her own womb leapt for joy! Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and in a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear!….Why am I so favored that the mother of my Lord should come to me? Blessed is she who has believed what the Lord has said.”

This meeting of two mothers was one of utmost joy. Both women wondered at their privilege and the favor they had found with God. Both women were ready and willing to be used by Him.

Obviously, the narrative in Luke chapter 1 is one of the most important passages in all of Scripture as the imminent virgin birth of our Lord was announced.

But as we look at these two women—whose lives converged around this most important point in history—we also see some beautiful things happening between them. We see an example of what a friendship centered around Jesus can do.

  • First, God used their friendship to confirm what He was doing in each of their lives.
  • Second, Elizabeth accepted Mary when others probably shunned her and could not understand.
  • Third, Mary and Elizabeth rejoiced together in what God was doing and pointed each other to Him.

The level of joy in Luke 1:39-46 is beyond compare. There is no competition between Mary and Elizabeth. No “my son is going to be greater than your son.” No “why didn’t God give me your life?” There is just joy and awe and gratitude.

They each expressed humility at having been chosen by God for such a role.

And they praised God together for who He is, for what He has done, and what He will do.

Our prayer for each of you is you find and foster such friendships in your own life, that God’s sovereign hand would lead you to godly friendships full of laughter, love and blessing. In Jesus’ name, amen!

We’d love it if you joined the conversation.  What are your thoughts on friendship? Post your thoughts on the Facets of Faith Facebook page.

 

Categories // Friendship, Guest Perspectives, Thelma! Who's Your Louise? Tags // Adoption, Adventure, Friendship, Luke 1, Luke 1:39-46, Mary and Elizabeth, Road trip

Freedom in Your Calling: Start with a YES!

07.28.2020 by Charlotte G //

Hi, friend! I (Jennifer) am excited for you to meet our guest this month. Give Charlotte a warm welcome. She is a dear friend of mine, and I think what she shares about starting with a YES will speak to some hearts. Will it be yours? Take a peek. As always pop a comment below or at our Facebook Page!

Freedom on the Road to Calling (Guest)

Greetings my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, I am joyful that you are hungry for more of who God called you to be. Grace and peace to you as you jump in the adventure with the Lord.

In this time and place where it feels the same and different at the same time, to write about freedom to calling is not only for informational purposes, it is a charge!

It truly does start with your “Yes.”

A loud yes. A quiet yes. And He honors your yes.

“The eyes of the Lord search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.” 2 Chronicles 16:9a NLT.

It was a Wednesday night; I walked into the church auditorium for a worship night. I was ready to sing and pray, but I did not hear anything. Perhaps, I already missed it. A worship pastor asked me, “So, what song are you singing for the audition?” I realized the gathering was for an informational meeting for worship volunteers.

I quickly replied, “I don’t sing, but I would love to serve in other capacities.”

She immediately grabbed someone and said, “Great, I’d like you to meet this guy, our technical director.” I met him and his wife, that night, and I was introduced to the world of the Production Team.

My first full weekend to serve came, and I was scheduled to serve as a backstage hand. Naturally, the technical director’s responsibility was to show me around. He said, “Follow me.” I was thinking we would go to a back door, but he proceeded to walk up the front of the stage with the band already rehearsing. At that moment, I realized I was terrified of the stage. The director was already up there, waiting for me to follow. So I put one foot in front of the other, trying to cover up every ounce of fear I had.

It is fascinating to look back, that before this incident, I only had a vision of speaking in front of thousands of people about God’s goodness. I did not know I had to conquer my fear of going up a stage. God honored my yes, and He continues to lead me, even though I did not know.

There are things that are set in motion, when you say yes. Every time I serve taking out backstage props to the front of the stage, I am quickly reminded that I am conquering my fear and closer to my purpose.

It is not without opposition, my friends, so be aware. When I was on stage one of the times I was serving, I heard the words of shame and accusation: “She is so fat,” or “Look at her reeling the monitor out or taking the podium on stage when she has a college degree. How shameful.”

I could easily be discouraged by these lies, but there is also a powerful truth in the Word.

“For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Matthew 20:28 NLT

When I serve and love on people, I realize I am becoming more of whom I am following: I am a disciple of Jesus Christ. I quickly hold on to that thought to guard the purity of my heart.

Be Comfortable in the Uncomfortable

Secondly, start being comfortable with being uncomfortable. We say it all the time, but have you experienced it? There is freedom on the other side of fear. It’s like fear has become the gauge to do the very thing you feared to do, given that it is rooted in love and in the Word. It is part of learning and growing.

What I did not tell you was I also did not like talking into the “comms,” which is a headset with a microphone that “communicates” with the rest of the team. I asked myself why I did not like talking into the “comms,” and I learned that I had a fear of man.

Communication is key in this team. The things I need to communicate sometimes would be something important. To love and serve sometimes looks different, and sometimes this looks like learning to get out of my head and speak. So, I speak, even if it is imperfect or with an accent. Speak, Charlotte, and start being comfortable with being uncomfortable.

“There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.” 1 John 4:18 NIV

Abide in the Lord

In a “microwavable” culture, where “instant” is craved, sometimes we could miss the beauty in the “process.” Where I think I was failing, I am realizing that I probably did not stay long enough to see the victory. In the process, there is the importance of abiding in the Lord.

“Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.” John 15:4 NIV

Several weeks in, the production team began training new video directors. To give you a bit of a background, I don’t play video games, and the VD console, looks like something someone uses to play video games, and that they are highly coordinated. You’ve heard it before, “God doesn’t call the qualified, He qualifies the called.”

I prayed about it, and I volunteered. God has a funny sense of humor. As “quiet” and “non-leader-type” as I am, He quickly changed that narrative and led me to a space where I needed to lead and call the shots. There were countless hours of learning and mistakes and uncoordinated mishaps. Yet, week after week, I was called to come back and serve as a video director. I chose to stay and remain in Him during these times.

It is amazing how this parallels the simple gospel. He calls you back and covers your mistakes and calls you up to a greater purpose. Wow, right? This is totally a game changer and I continue to improve in love and in confidence.

My one-year anniversary rolled around, and the technical director congratulated me in front of the team for starting out serving as a backstage hand and becoming a video director. I thanked him and mentioned I am honored and privileged to serve with the team, and said, “You had always set me up for success.” I know that it is not all in my own doing but it was also in my “Yes” and partnering with the Holy Spirit. I have a feeling this is where our Father God wants to take you, too!

So, I leave you with these questions: What have you said yes to in Christ Jesus? What is He nudging you to take action today (it could be very well small steps and probably even scary to tackle)? Are you aware of the process that you are currently in?

And guess what? I am still in the process. I would love hear from you, so let me know if this resonates with you or encourages you in any way.

Blessings to you as you embark on your own journey to your calling!

Signature: Charlotte

 

 

 

 

 

Charlotte wants to share a graphic with you that will encourage you. Be sure to catch it at the Facebook Page!

Categories // Freedom on the Road to Calling, Guest Perspectives Tags // 1 John 4:18, 2 Chronicles 16:9, Facets of Faith, Guest perspectives, John 15:4, Life Calling, Matthew 20:28, Start with a Yes

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