Facets of Faith

Conversations about life, faith, and friendship.

The Road to Restoration

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I (Jennifer) would like to introduce you to our guest this week, Tracy’s husband, Sam Stella. He’s continuing our topic: What are you going back to? The Facets team think you’ll enjoy reading his story about God bringing something wonderful out of an old interest of his. Kick back with your favorite cuppa and enjoy the ride, friend.

I (Sam) was asked to guest write this month and, truthfully, I’m a little nervous about placing my words on the same site with such beautiful writers. I’m not typically a writer, but God has given me such great stories to share with others, I guess they thought I might have plenty of material.

My story starts back in September on my 10th birthday of being a Christ follower. God brought me back to a desire I had as a young man—to own a motorcycle. I found myself in a paint shop sitting on a 1974 Honda CL450. The second I sat on it a big smile came to my face and old passion was ignited. The passion was so strong I started saving money from my small weekly allowance.

Take delight in the Lord,
 and he will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4 NIV

Fast forward to February, and the temperature outside was 70 degrees. The local motorcycle shop had all the bikes lined up outside, and it was calling my name. Tracy and I turned in just to have a look, since my savings was only about $450.

In the back of my mind, I hoped Tracy would say, “You’ve worked hard. Just get one.”

She never said that, but she was a good sport when I asked her to throw her leg over one of the bikes outside the store. She hesitated but gave in to my persistence. She threw her leg over one and said, “I always wanted a Candy Apple Red motorcycle.”

Seeing her smile, I knew we stumbled on a hidden passion in Tracy as well. Oh no—now I needed to save enough to buy two motorcycles.

As a believer, I try my best to include God in all my decisions and included the bike purchase into my morning prayer. Yes, I was praying to God about motorcycles. My prayer was more a list of questions. God, why do I have such a strong passion? Lord, what is it you’re doing in this? What will you do in this, Lord? Lord, I pray to hear you clearly. Lord, is Tracy to get a bike as well?

This prayer time was interjected with other prayers I had been praying for a while. One was that Tracy and I could find a healthy outlet to refresh on the weekend from her job as Program Director for a home that restores women who have been rescued from sex trafficking.

Another prayer heavy on my heart was that, over the years, it seemed my two brothers and I had become distanced and rarely interacted much beside holidays. My prayer was that God would bring us back to the brotherly bond we had when we were young.

To move this story along—I eventually picked up a small, clutch-driven motorcycle I could use to teach Tracy how to ride. The purpose of the bike was just that, but it needed a little work before it would run.
It just so happens my brother, Scott, restored an older bike, and I called him for help. He knew exactly what I needed to do to the bike to get it running, and he had the tools for me to take the motorcycle apart. God provided a great opportunity for us to interact.

When the bike was running, Tracy and I needed a place for her to learn how to ride a clutch-driven motorcycle. One of my recent real estate clients was a pastor of a church and had a nice big field and parking lot that he offered us to use. It turned out to be a perfect place for a first ride. Tracy picked it up quickly and moved off the lawn to the pavement right away. Once we got on the pavement, my prayers were really ratcheted up for her safety as she whizzed around the lot with a big smile screaming, “I did it! I did it! I’m riding a motorcycle.”

God answered the prayer we asked for in our small group the night before: for Tracy and I to have time to disconnect from work and laugh and be filled with joy. Prayer answered, Tracy and I had a blast. And for the first time in weeks, we had a refreshing weekend. Who says God doesn’t work through motorcycles? We were refreshed.

A couple weeks later Scott called and asked if I wanted to go to a bike night at the Harley dealer with him and a friend. I thought, “Really? I’m riding a 1974 Honda CL125.” But he was serious, and I went. Below is a photo of the motorcycles lined up ready to go. The cool one on the right is mine.I began praying, How does my brother, Sandy, fit into this, God?

He answered that, too. Sandy watched Tracy on Facebook having a blast riding our little motorcycle. He was amazed my cool wife was riding. This ignited an old passion of Sandy’s too.

After a few weeks of practicing, Tracy and I attended the motorcycle class at the local college, and Tracy passed. She’s a licensed motorcycle rider now.

I wanted her to have a helmet right away. We went to a local motorcycle shop to purchase one. Before leaving the store we ended up talking with a sales guy and mentioned I wanted to purchase a 2005 or newer Honda Shadow Aero 750 for her. I thought it would be a good starter bike. Tracy added that she would like it to be candy apple red.

That same night we got a call from the shop, and they just happened to have a 2005 Honda Shadow Aero 750. And the color was Candy Red. Ok, the apple was missing, but I give all the credit to God for leading us to her new motorcycle. The next day we purchased it for her birthday.

My brother Sandy saw this on Facebook and called me up. He was shocked to see Tracy riding such a big bike and decided, “That’s it, I’m getting one.” So Sandy and I headed to Wisconsin to look for his bike at a couple of large dealers. When he walked into the second shop a bike caught his eye right away. He purchased a beautiful 2010 Harley Street Glide.

God had his hand on the purchase, I think. The bike needed a new front tire so Sandy wasn’t able to take the bike home that night. Since Sandy still didn’t have his license, he needed someone to drive it home for him. Once the bike was ready, Scott offered to help get it home. The two of them spent the day picking up the bike and had all that time to bond. God has his ways, and I truly believe this was him working on us brothers.

Ok, I ask again—who says God doesn’t work through motorcycles?

At this point both brothers and my wife had nice motorcycles. I was sitting with my little CL125, which barley went 45 mph. On the evening of July 3rd I posted it for sale and prayed God would bring a buyer for it. Within an hour God had a guy text me about the bike. I called him, and he said he wanted to come get it the next day. I agreed if he came early.

He stopped by at 8:30 in the morning and rode away by 9:30. It sold for a little more than I paid, and now it was time to find a bigger bike.

I looked for a Honda Shadow Spirit model, a 2007 or newer. The closest one was 3 hours away, and I couldn’t go look because the workweek had started. The next day at work I decided to check again—again, God provided. The exact bike I was looking for was 15 minutes away, and the price was right.

I drove out on lunch and purchased the bike.

Come on, what are the chances of that? God definitely has his hand on this.

Take delight in the Lord,
 and he will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4

Today as I write it’s July 26th, and yesterday I was nervous about this post because the vision God laid on my heart had yet to fully mature. I prayed to God yesterday that I needed his help in bringing us three brothers together. God, I have a deadline for this article…

That same day God arranged for us brothers to take our first ride together—the three of us. Here is a picture just before heading out.In September of 2016 I thought God was bringing me back to an old passion for a material item, a motorcycle. To my surprise, God planned all along to provide for a desire that has been in my heart ever since giving my life to him over 10 years ago: the desire to bond again with my brothers like we did when we were young.

Take delight in the Lord,
 and he will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4

As an added bonus, he also provided me with the bride I prayed for—an active, adventure-loving bride.

I want you to know God’s hand is in everything you do, and if you take joy in the Lord, he will give you the desires of your heart.

This may appear to be the end of the story, but I know it’s only the beginning and faithfully look forward to what God has planned. Amen

 

A Rescue, Grace, and Coming Back to Truth

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What am I going back to? I’ve been sitting with this question for quite some time. I read Tracy’s encouraging post about returning to her life after a season of challenge, embracing new and old things she enjoys and feels called to do. You can read it here. Then I read Jen’s thought-provoking post about returning to her past and using 5 questions to embrace deeper healing. Check hers out here.

As for me, nothing much was making sense until I realized the answer was staring me straight in the eye.

Literally. Two precious dark-brown puddles of love watching me type.

World – meet Cynthia or, as we call her, Scout.

I’m a pet owner again, for the first time in over six years, and it’s so.much.fun.

Scout is the most loving, patient, laidback dog I’ve ever met, let alone owned. She rarely barks, loves belly rubs,  and is usually found within a couple of feet of me, often snuggling close to my feet.

Scout is also a rescue dog. Several weeks ago a friend posted her picture in search of a foster family to take her in. My husband and I had been talking about adopting a dog, but we weren’t sure how the kids would do with a dog, or how a dog would handle them. When I saw my friend’s post, I realized fostering might be a great way to test the waters.

Yeah, I know. You see where this is going, don’t you?

After I made arrangements to pick Scout up one morning, I realized I was nervous. It had been a long time since I owned a dog, and I was hesitant to let one into my heart again.

My first dog was a Dachshund named Otto. I was a baby and don’t remember him at all, only stories of him chasing me which quickly prompted my parents to find him another home. Twenty-six years passed until Abby, a golden retriever, strolled into my life through my first marriage. She was older, sweet, and fairly laid back. Abby died peacefully under a tree at friend’s house while we were on vacation a few years later.

Then came Lady, a beautiful Sheltie who quickly adopted my youngest daughter, Emma, as her buddy. Wherever Emma was, Lady was nearby. It made sense then, in a way, that Lady died in the same fire that took Emma’s life. (You can read more about that here)

About a year after our life turned inside out, I learned of a rescue, Beauty. She could’ve been Lady’s older sister. We cared for her through her final years of life until she died a little over six years ago.

Heart-wrenching, I know. To become attached to a pet only to have it die, not once but three times. What in the world was my husband thinking when he mentioned getting a dog?

Sometimes I wonder.

Didn’t he know how difficult it was going to be to enjoy another pet? Didn’t he know the pain it could cause? The worry? The work? The poop-clean up?

But when I saw her picture on my friend’s page, asking for a foster family, something stirred in me and before I knew it, I responded we’re interested!

A rescue.

I know what it means to be rescued. I know the depths of loneliness and fear. I know the pain of regret and disappointment. I know the darkness of grief and loss. I know what it’s like to be cast aside, to be lost and desperately in need of compassion and care, to be wanted, just as I am.

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed. Psalm 34:18, NLT

But I also know what it’s like to meet the One who loves me so much that He sent His Son to earth to make a way back to Him (Ephesians 2:5). The One who lavishes His love over me (Deuteronomy 7:9, NLT). The One who calls me by name (John 10:3).

I know these truths, but sometimes I forget. I forget the depth of God’s love for me.

And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. Ephesians 3:18, NLT

I forget that He delights in me (2 Samuel 22:20) as I begin to work and strive, hoping to earn His affection as if I’m reminding Him why I’m worth loving. I glance at my schedule and see good work after good work until exhaustion sets in. And when exhaustion takes hold, the whispers of the enemy growl loud.

You’re worthless.

Why would anyone want to hear what you have to say?

If they really knew you and what you’ve done, what you’ve thought . . . they’d all walk away.

Accusation tumbles over accusation as my worth falters under the weight of lies. Finally, when the pressure feels too great to carry, I turn with head low and eyes down, hopeful that God will take me back. That He’ll allow me to return to the safety of His wings.

His voice begins to speak louder than the lies.

I love you. (1 Thessalonians 1:4)

You are mine. (Isaiah 43:1)

There is nothing that will ever change that. There is nothing that can every snatch you away. (John 10:28)

I delight in you simply because you’re my daughter.

For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.” Zephaniah 3:17, NLT

Yes, I definitely know what it’s like to be rescued, to be restored and welcomed into God’s family not as a guest or a foster, but as a full-fledged daughter of the King. And as His daughter, I’m learning that He delights in me, longs to give me good things, and not only redeems the places in my heart that have been broken by loss and sin, but restores them as well.

And sometimes it shows up in the form of a precious pup named Scout.

What truth or characteristic about God do you need to return to? Join the conversation by posting below or heading over to our Facebook page to share. We’d love to hear from you!

5 Questions to Ask About Life’s Hard Places

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Hello, friend! Thanks for visiting Facets of Faith. It’s always a pleasure to meet you here. This month’s topic is infused with the “back to school” mindset, but with a twist. Tracy shared her thoughts on “What are you going back to?” here, and Kim will share next week. I’m really excited that Tracy’s hubby, Sam, will be our guest the fourth week! (You read that right. A different voice and perspective will be shared, and we’re really excited he responded to our ask!) Be sure to visit Facets each Tuesday for new posts.

What am I (Jennifer) going back to?

For you to understand what I’m going back to, you’d need to know how I spent my last weekend. I had the privilege of attending training focused on becoming a competent caregiver for children who have come from hard places. While we’ve all had experience with hard things in life, not all of us know the difficulty of intense trauma. I want to be better equipped to do slices of life with those who know what “hard place” really means. That could be a few minutes, weeks, months, or years.

What I’m going back to is some of the hard places in my own life. Admittedly, some of the events written into my story are blips on the radar, some are stones I’ve taken out of my load and left at the side of the road, a very few are landmines I need to be confident are defused. The trauma training encouraged me to go back and take a second look a few events, and I’m sure it’s related to deeper healing, more confidence in my story, and understanding how it can be powerful in the lives of others. (Have you ever considered that your personal story has power to help others overcome some of the challenges in their own?)

But why go back?

…the proverbs are true: “A dog returns to its vomit,” and, “A sow that is washed returns to her wallowing in the mud.” 2 Peter 2:22

Is returning to the past like parking in front of a train wreck and gaping at the damage? I suppose it could be—but if we did it with a healthier process and purpose—then no, it’s returning to those hard places to gain perspective and loosen the grip the event may have on our heart, mind, and behavior. Peter isn’t referring to a healthy look at our past here. He’s adamant about not returning to our hurtful behaviors over and over. To some extent the behavior comes out of our hard places, so returning to those hard places with a healthy mindset and healing in mind is really important. That’s the goal we should have in mind.

When I go back to the events of the past, I sit with little vignettes, try to capture them, and the purpose emerges from the shadows. When I sift through details, I take extra time to find three things:

  • the power in the memory (What control does this memory have?)
  • the plans of the Enemy (How does this memory serve the enemy of my soul and wreck me?)
  • and the presence of Jesus. (Can I see Jesus in this memory?)

These three pieces are important to the transformation that follows. They are also common elements in every story. Mine. Yours. Everyone’s. If we examine these three things, I think we defuse that landmine. I encourage you to try answering these three questions in any of your “hard place” memories.

My next step is to think about two questions that have the ability to shift perspective on nearly any life story.

  • What do I believe about God based on what has happened to me?
  • What is true about God based on what is written in Scripture?

Something settles in my soul in those two questions. I almost felt and heard “Kachunk!” in my spirit when I was introduced to them. These questions begged to be answered, and I understood why. My perspective about God is crucial. It’s only in relationship to Him that I can understand some of the story details, events, and characters. I may never understand the hows and whys in my story in this life, but I have no hope of a healthy viewpoint or healing without God.

Some of you know I’ve been working on writing my story, White Wave Crashing. When my eyes took in the scenes of my life at a glance, I overlooked the presence of Jesus. I was angry that he overlooked the indelible ink falling to the pages of my life. Was he invisible? Unconcerned? (The answer is, “No!” but it took time to discover that.) I hope you find that to be true, too. He loves us. Deeply. And he wants to sit with us in the exuberant joy, the deep sorrow, and the painful grief.

Now at some point, you might join me in going back to your own “hard places,” and when you do, I hope you’ve got something you can use along the way. When you begin to remember, I hope you’ll find healing for your soul, too. Try some introspective work with the questions above. Invite Holy Spirit to do the work with you. There is victory over the enemy of our souls when we step forward, meet the challenges in our stories, and tell of the things God has done.

Come and hear, all you who fear God; let me tell you what he has done for me. Psalm 66:16

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 2 Corinthians 3:17

Thanks for reading along! You have no idea how exciting it is to walk the road with friends who drop in and share their thoughts, feelings, and experiences on the monthly topic. Will you share yours?

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It’s so nice to know you, friend!Signature, Jennifer Howe

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**If you’re interested in orphan care or curious about the training I did this weekend, connect to http://back2back.org/ or https://cafo.org/summit/intensives/trauma/. The CAFO material was presented by a speaker in a smaller, home environment, and it was wonderful!
(Shameless plug for this amazing ministry…)