encouragement Archives – Facets of Faith

Fall Back to Spring Forward

03.21.2019 by Kim Findlay //

Thanks for joining us this month at Facets of Faith! This space is the result of a friendship between three women who met and dug deep into life and faith, each with a unique perspective and story but united in heart for one another and Jesus. A few years ago we thought it’d be fun to write together; it seemed like a natural extension of the conversations we enjoyed while sitting in a sandwich and soup shop.

So what happens Facets of Faith here? Each month we present a question and then take turns answering. This month we’re chatting about how to spring forward with God. Tracy and Jen already shared. You can click on their names to read their responses. Come back next week and meet our guest —you won’t be disappointed!

For now, however, it’s my (Kim) turn. And I don’t know where you’re at in life, but I’ve been longing for the hope of Spring’s arrival since Fall slid into Winter.

My mom has cancer.

She was diagnosed in May of 2018 and bravely endured six rounds of chemo. She and my dad fought this beast together and last December, we cheered as she rang the “end of treatment” bell.

Many of you have faced this insidious beast. Whether it’s wreaked havoc in your own body or in one you dearly love, you understand the shock of the news, the intensity of treatment, the way you hold your breath between blood draw and body scan hoping for good news.

Unbeknownst to us, winter wrapped its icy grip around my family –the cancer remained.

What if’s plague our mind as we peer into the future and attempt to chart its course. Imagination takes over as scenarios play through our minds like a reel-to-reel movie. Thoughts take on a life of their own and strike the chord of anxiety.

The dark days of winter linger and hover, and while I long for new life to arrive in all its glorious splendor, there’s a fear of moving forward. What if the hope of spring feels too bright, like the moment a light clicks on after sitting in a darkened room? Eyes squinting, I try to limit the exposure all so I can try to limit the pain.

I don’t want to hurt. I don’t want my mom to hurt. I believe I can say with confidence . . .none of us want to hurt.

So what do we do when looking ahead brings worry and pain?

We fall back so we can spring forward. We take the risk of losing so we can gain.

It seems a little counterintuitive. Springing forward brings to mind action and determination, quickness and lightness of feet. Falling back feels like failing, like losing.

But what if that’s the point?

Think for a moment with me. Isn’t it just like the Kingdom of heaven to carry such a paradox? Consider Jesus’ Sermon the Mount where He described life in His Kingdom.

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:3-10, NIV

This wasn’t the only time Jesus talked about the paradox of Kingdom living.

But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else. 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.” Mark 10:43-45

So wouldn’t it only seem fitting for us to spring forward with God, we need to fall back? How exactly do we do this?

In order to live, we die

If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it. Matthew 10:39

The first thing we need to do is lose our lives. We take a long hard look at ourselves and realize we’re sinners in desperate need of a Savior. Then we surrender to the reality that there is nothing we can do to fix this sin problem. There is only One, and His name is Jesus.

. . . that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!)” Ephesians 2:5

Losing our lives isn’t a one-time decision. It starts there, but to spring forward, to take spiritual ground and follow God with our whole hearts, we die daily to our sinful nature . . .

We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin. And since we died with Christ, we know we will also live with him.” Romans 6:6-8, NLT

. . . and allow the Holy Spirit to create a new heart in us.

And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart.” Ezekiel 36:26, NLT

In order to press on, we give up

Control. We all vie for it in one way or another. We think we know what’s best for our lives and set our course in the direction we want to head. But then life in a broken and lost world happens, and a cancer diagnosis interrupts our plans. We rail and wonder and cry out to God —what are you doing? Why is this happening? This wasn’t in my plan.

Job experienced this. He’s the guy in Scripture who lost his kids, his home, his livestock, and eventually his health. The pain of loss and grief was intense, and he cursed the day he was born. His friends weren’t very helpful, either. He listened and spoke and wrestled with all that happened. And then God spoke to Job. He never directly answered Job’s questions. He asked a few of His own.

Brace yourself like a man, because I have some questions for you, and you must answer them. Will you discredit my justice and condemn me to prove you are right? Are you as strong as God? can you thunder with a voice like his?.” Job 40:7-9, NLT

As Job came face to face with the Creator of the heavens and earth, he remembered who really is in control . . .and it wasn’t himself.

Nor is it us. Only God.

I know that you can do anything, and no one can stop you.” Job 42:2, NLT

And then His grace comes . . .

The Lord himself will fight for you. Just stay calm.” Exodus 14:14

In order to spring forward, we fall back

God loves us. The Bible tells us that He loves us so much that He took the punishment for the sins we deserve by sending His Son, Jesus so that we might have a relationship with Him. We sin against Him, and He made the plan to bring us back!

For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.” John 3:16-17, NLT

He did the work to redeem His people, and there is nothing we can do, or have happen to us, that will ever separate us from His love.

Not cancer or disease. Not death or destruction. Not stuff we did in our past nor the things we’ll do in the future. Not loss of money or loss of love. Not shame or guilt nor confusion or doubt.

There is not a single thing that will ever stop God from loving us. Love is His nature; He is the source. Because of that, we can fall back into His loving arms and allow Him to care for us.

Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him. For he will rescue you from every trap and protect you from deadly disease. He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection.” Psalm 91:1-4

Yes, my mom has cancer. And it’s scary and hard and exhausting for her, and for her family and friends who watch her suffer.

But for now, in this moment, I choose to spring forward with God fully trusting He is in control, that His love for her (and me and you) never ends, and we can rest in His Presence because He is good. And for that, we don’t lose a thing.

Thanks for reading along. I’d love for you to join our conversation by commenting below or join us over on our Facebook page. Happy Spring!

Yesterday, Today, and a Thousand Miles Away

09.21.2018 by Kim Findlay //

This month at Facets of Faith we’re taking a look at where we’ve been, where we are, and where we’re going. You know, lessons life has taught us. Tracy and Jen have already shared. Be sure to check theirs out by clicking on their names! Now it’s my (Kim) turn.

Where’s Here?

Have you ever asked yourself, how did I get here? Maybe not so much the physical location as much as the season of life. The details.

Maybe you were one of the kids who dreamed someday you’d grow up to ______ (fill in the blank). As you look at your life today, you wonder what happened before. Now that life isn’t good, perhaps it isn’t what you expected or what you planned.

I’m writing these words at home seated at my desk, a treasured gift from a lifetime ago. My mom bought this beautiful piece for me after fire destroyed my home over thirteen years ago.

I dreamed about writing words of hope and encouragement sitting at this desk, of obeying the call of Scripture to be one of the redeemed telling her story (Psalm 107:2). Of penning stories to let the world know what He had done.

Give thanks to the Lord and proclaim his greatness. Let the whole world know what he has done.” Psalm 105:1

What I never expected was for my desk to reside anywhere other than in Illinois. Yet here we sit, my desk and I, nestled together in a town just outside of Boston, Massachusetts, a thousand miles from familiar.

Looking Back

Two years ago I visited my daughter and her husband in Connecticut. On a whim we decided to drive up to Concord, Massachusetts and visit Orchard House, the home of Louisa May Alcott. We strolled the grounds and absorbed its history. We meandered down a bit and stumbled upon The Old Manse where the first shots of the Revolutionary War were fired and less than a century later Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nathanial Hawthorne, and Henry David Thoreau spawned a revolution in American philosophy.

A thought snuck in as we walked . . .how neat it would be to live near such history. Inwardly, I gasped. What was I thinking? I had just remarried and we lived in a great house at a great location. Life was settling after years of sorrow and struggles. Not only that, but my youngest daughter’s grave was in Illinois. Surely God wouldn’t ask me to move away, not after all that happened when fire not only destroyed my home, but ended my girl’s sweet life on earth. Surely there was a limit to what He would ask of me.

We think that sometimes though, don’t we? Holding the broken pieces of our hearts and dreams up to God we ask, isn’t this enough? Is there a limit to our pain or some kind of suffering cap we’ll finally reach. Looking around, we wonder why we seemed to have drawn the short straw and they reap such goodness.

The Good News

He knows that —how we feel, what we think. He knows us better than we know ourselves.

The Lord is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him. For he knows how weak we are; he remembers we are only dust.” Psalm 103:13-14

I forget that sometimes. Too often. I forget that He made me (Psalm 139:13) and formed me. I forget that He has a plan for my life (Jeremiah 29:11) and work for me to do .

For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” Ephesians 2:10

A Fellow Sojourner

Usually as I try to remind myself of God’s sovereignty, I turn to the pages of Scripture and seek out one of my heroes —Joseph. Joseph, the favored son of Jacob, despised by his brothers yet chosen by God. After being tossed in a well for sharing a dream that he might one day rule over his brothers, Joseph was sold into slavery, accused of rape, thrown in prison, and forgotten. You can read the rest of his story in Genesis 37, 39-46. It’s a pretty amazing to read.

As I read about Joseph’s life, I relate to the unceasing pressure of suffering and trials, feeling forgotten and overlooked.

It would be easy to drown in self-pity. Some might say I have every reason . . .and perhaps you might as well. We look at the details of our lives and see pain after pain with little time to catch our breath.

But if there’s anything I’ve learned through my forty*cough*cough years of walking the earth, it’s that God doesn’t waste a single tear nor does He toss out our broken hearts and dreams. He uses them to accomplish His purpose and redeems every moment.

And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” Romans 8:28

He takes our experiences, our hearts, the work He created for us and somehow fashions them together to create something beautiful . . . a masterpiece.

Hope Ahead

He did that with Joseph. God needed someone to care for His people —Joseph was that answer. The way was rocky, but God was with Joseph every step of the way.

He called for a famine on the land of Canaan, cutting off its food supply. Then he sent someone to Egypt ahead of them— Joseph, who was sold as a slave. They bruised his feet with fetters and placed his neck in an iron collar. Until the time came to fulfill his dreams, the Lord tested Joseph’s character. Then Pharaoh sent for him and set him free; the ruler of the nation opened his prison door. Joseph was put in charge of all the king’s household; he became ruler over all the king’s possessions. He could instruct the king’s aides as he pleased and teach the king’s advisers.” Psalm 105:16-22

And He does that with us. He did that with me. He breathed life and hope and healing into a life-in-middle woman with a broken heart and birthed a love for people that compelled her to move a thousand miles from familiar. It hasn’t been an easy journey. I’ve lost more than I ever imagined and felt the depth of pain I didn’t think I could survive. As I sit here at my desk, penning words of hope and encouragement, I realize it’s worth it, this life of faith and sorrow and hope. And I will continue to declare His goodness and sovereignty until my final breath.

Where do you think God is leading you? Join the conversation by commenting below or jump over to our Facebook page to share.

Finding Fun When Your Heart is Weary

06.23.2018 by Kim Findlay //

Welcome to Facets of Faith! Each week we release a new post on Tuesday exploring a specific question from three or four points of view. You can catch what Tracy and Jen shared by clicking on their names.

This month we’re exploring fun and, quite honestly, I almost skipped it. This question has dodged me for a couple of weeks now. All I have are some thoughts jotted down in my notebook .

A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength.” Proverbs 17:22

Perhaps you’re wondering, like me, what’s so difficult about answering this month’s question: what do I do for fun? That’s exactly what I’ve been wrestling with — why is this proving to be so difficult? I’ve written a profile for a dating website before, so surely I have my “fun factor” figured out (true story, by the way).

I thought about making a simple list of the fun things I enjoy doing. Activities like bike riding and jewelry making, hiking and taking pictures . . . all to encourage you to think about what you enjoy doing, too.

Then I thought about sharing a story from my childhood and crafting the lesson in a way to highlight why fun is so important.

But nothing stuck. Nothing, that is, except the truth. So here it is . . .

I am weary, O God; I am weary and worn out, O God.” Proverbs 30:1b, NLT

How I really feel

I’m exhausted. I think change and a cross-country move and life have caught up to me and smacked me upside the head. Add on top of that the conflict our country has engaged in over uniting families and this tender heart, mercy-loving, empath is about done. The mere thought of fun right now? Ugh. I don’t even know how to finish that thought.

I thought about sharing why I’m so weary, but some of what’s happening isn’t ready to be shared and, honestly, I don’t want to sound like I’m complaining. For as tired as I feel, I still see God’s goodness all around. His provision. His sustaining grace. His love and mercy. His kindness.

I’m trying to keep my eyes fixed on Jesus, yet here I am, ready to skip answering this month’s question because, well, life.

How about you

Can you relate? Do you read Scripture or hear a message and know, deep in your soul, what you’re supposed to do? But then when it comes to actually doing what you’ve learned, you just seem to fall short?

Okay. Good. Now we know we’re not alone.

Here’s the thing —even though we may think we’re unable to do what we’ve learned, the truth is we’re not alone. We have the Helper, the Holy Spirit who leads and guides and prompts and strengthens. He gives us courage to embrace the undoable, the difficult, the thing that we fear most.

For me, right now? It’s not only answering this month’s questions, it’s to realize the value in making space for laughter, for brevity . . . finding fun when my heart is weary.

Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.” Isaiah 41:10, NLT

Here we go

So here’s my answer —unfiltered and possibly a bit unspiritual, but completely authentic.

What do I do for fun? It honestly depends on the day. Some days fun is vegging out in front of the TV, binge-watching some adventure show the whisks me away. Shows like The Flash, Supergirl, or the Closer.

Sometimes fun looks like power-shopping for clothes for our ever-growing kids or sauntering through a second-hand shop or antique store where I hunt for treasure from years past.

There are days when I need space to rest my mind and soul and simply not think —to escape the troubles of this world by diving into a compelling story where good triumphs over evil or the underdog finally wins.

Other times fun looks like chatting with a dear friend, someone who knows and accepts me for all of my flaws and failures, who loves me no matter what.

The heartfelt counsel of a friend is as sweet as perfume and incense.” Proverbs 27:9, NLT

Finding fun when my heart is weary

I received a package from a dear friend a couple of days ago. As one of the kids handed me the package, my husband gave me that look. I assured him I hadn’t ordered another book (oh . . . books! Definitely one of my funs).

I opened the packed and tucked inside was a Narnia coloring book. Three of my favorites all in one plain brown package: a gift, the imagination stirred by Narnia, and coloring. (I can’t draw —so I color.)

Tears welled up as I chuckled. I had prayed for encouragement early that morning. My heart was heavy with the weight of the world and I desperately cried out to God for hope. I begged Him to show me that He saw me, not just the things that I do.

It’s fun to see God work. Humbling, too. I received this gift the same day I decided to scrap my post for Facets of Faith this month. Yet as I paged through the coloring book, my heart and imagination stirred with the roar of Aslan. I began to realize that maybe setting time aside for fun wasn’t frivolous but something that breathes life into my weariness.

So don’t mind me as I steal away for a few moments of fun and color.

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

What do you do for fun when your heart is weary? Join the conversation by posting below or over on our Facebook page.