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How I Sing in April’s Rain

04.30.2019 by Anna Hummer //

Welcome to Facets of Faith, space where three friends share their thoughts and experiences on life, friendship, and faith. We also introduce you to other friends who share their perspectives. Today, I (Kim) am excited to introduce you to Anna. Anna and I met about eighteen months ago when I interviewed for a job in Massachusetts. If you were able to sit with her over a cup of coffee, you would be encouraged, challenged, and prayed over with a faith that moves mountains.

Being a pastor’s wife and mom to four adorable kids, Anna has learned how to sing in every season. So grab that cup of coffee, settle in, and be ready to be encouraged as she shares what helps her sing in April’s showers.

What helps you sing in April showers? (Guest)

The Hospital

I think it’s unlikely to be appendicitis.

I chocked back a sob. The young doctor was uncomfortable and shrugged off the yellow protection robe. 

She is really in pain, I said pushing back the hair on my three-year-olds forehead. Right around the belly button.

This wasn’t our first rodeo. Samantha has Cystic Fibrosis, a chronic disease that affects the lungs and other organs, clogging them with sticky mucus. This trip to the ER, however, was accompanied by my 18-month-old son and, without daddy to help, I was in a glass case of emotion. I tried to keep them occupied with Paw Patrol episodes on the iPad. 

Samantha started freaking out about the IV. I knelt by her bed and positioned her face to look me in the eyes. I calmed her. Look at me, it’s okay. I love you. I know it hurts and I’m right here.

I turned to the doctor. I just think I need to talk to someone from her clinic?

He tapped the clipboard and went to find another doctor. My phone vibrated with a text from my friend. 

I’m praying its not appendicitis.

I’m actually kind of hoping it is! I tapped back. 

For her, it could easily be something worse. I took a deep breath and pulled my son onto my lap, kissing his warm fuzzy head. I put my other hand on Samantha’s arm and waited. 

Perspective

In my family, we focus on a word each season –biblical words that emphasize God’s character or the fruit of the Spirit. Last summer it was contentment. In the fall, it was faithfulness. This spring season our word is peace. 

Ironic. Maybe…

Since plastering that word adorned with rainbows stickers on the fridge, my five-year-old had broken her arm, and now my three-year-old was at the ER. We had just gotten off a merry-go-round of awful winter diseases and daddy was away on ministry. I could only cry, God, what are you doing?!

I suppose I’ve learned by now that when you ask for a trait from the Lord he will be faithful in answering. He will grow you into it. He will teach you, sometimes painfully. PEACE. 

Jesus said,

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. John 14:27ESV

Learning to Sing

As we waited in the hospital, Sammy requested a song we’d been blasting in the van. Peace overwhelming peace is the chorus to the electronic dance track. It felt funny to listen to it in the ER, but it made us both smile even as I felt tears on my cheeks. 

How do I sing in April showers? Through the tears. Because of Jesus, my current level of happiness doesn’t determine my peace. My inner security isn’t based on my circumstance even when it hurts. I’ve found in suffering our praise becomes not just encouragement, but our warfare.

David in the psalms writes, 

I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. Pslam 121:1-2

After several, owies, pokes and tests. Add an MRI machine constructed to look like a giant sandcastle and it turned out, she did have appendicitis. I breathed a heavy sigh of relief. My mom-intuition was correct. Thank you, Lord, you are good! I whispered as we wheeled her out of the test room. 

 Before she went into surgery, we recited the verse we’d been learning at home. 

You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Is. 26:3

Rain doesn’t always obscure our view. Sometimes it cleans the grime from the windshield. That means I can cry and praise at the same time. Hands lifted, reciting God’s promises on an ER fold-out chair. I can be honest with Jesus because he knows. My prayer lately during a season of showers? Jesus, let this storm rage around me but not within me.

When my eyes are fixed on HIM and not the storm I can hear him say, Look at me, it’s okay. I love you. I know it hurts and I’m right here. And then together, we sing in the rain.Signature: Guest, Anna

Categories // Faith, Guest Perspectives, Singing in April's Showers Tags // Anna Hummer, cystic fibrosis, Faith, hope, prayer

Hope Sings in Spring Showers

04.23.2019 by Kim Findlay //

Welcome to Facets of Faith, a space where three friends get together each month and explore topics of faith, friendship, and fun. I don’t know how it’s been in your part of the world but here in New England, we’ve had our share of rain. So what better question to explore than what helps you sing in April’s showers? Check out what Tracy and Jen shared earlier this month. I’m (Kim) so excited to introduce you to one of my New England friends in a couple of days. But for now, it’s my turn.

THE WIND

They were tired —bone-weary. Not only was it incredible work to serve thousands of people a meal, but they were still considering all they had seen. Basket after basket, there seemed to be a never-ending supply of bread and fish, enough to feed thousands of men, women, and children who sat to hear him speak.

And then it was time to go. Jesus said to his disciples that he would dismiss the people and then steal away to be alone to pray. He told them to get in the boat that bobbed by the shore and he would meet up with them later.

Peter and the others push off their boat from the edge of the shore and began the trek across the Sea of Galilee. Quiet at first, each man pondered the events of what they’d witnessed. Lost in their thoughts, serving the meal felt surreal, like a dream even though they saw the satisfied souls eat their fill with their own eyes.

Suddenly Peter’s cloak whipped about him. The wind picked up as their boat dipped and rose with the waves. Spray from the waves smacking against the boat soaked their clothes. Disoriented, they struggled to maintain the course as fear ignited their souls.

Waves crashed against one side of the boat causing it to dangerously sway and tip. Then smashed from the right, the boat rocked the other way, almost as if the waves and wind were playing a game —a deadly one. The disciples worked together to make their way through the storm, but no amount of striving or struggling could set their boat straight. 

WHEN STORMS SOAK OUR FAITH

I’m not a fan of storms. The rain doesn’t bother me as much as the wind that blows through trees as it wipes the remnants of winter away. Here in New England, just as in the Midwest where I lived most of my life, gusts reach 30, 40, even 50 mph blowing over trees and knocking out power.

As I read the events of the disciples crossing the stormy sea, I find kindred spirits as they fought. The striving to keep their boat moving forward —I imagine them calling out to each other, yelling at what needs to be done next. 

How often when I’m faced with a storm in my life, I take in the details, assess the situation, and then figure out what I can do to make everything better, to fix the problem —or at least what I perceive that problem to be. I bark orders to those around me, determined to control every drop of conflict toward the outcome I think should occur.

I.

I will fix.

I will fix my problem.

And then I fall in exhaustion as I utterly miss the point.

On my own, I am helpless against the storms. In my striving, I become exhausted and overwhelmed with worry. Disappointment, discouragement, and disenchantment threaten to knock my faith out from under me, soaking me in sorrow.

HOPE BREAKS THROUGH

I imagine the utter exhaustion the disciples felt as the boat tipped and swayed at the mercy of the wind and the waves. What kinds of questions rolled through their minds?

When will this end?

Why is this happening . . .now?

Will we make it?

Where is he . . .

Oh, how often those same questions tumbled and twisted in my mind as the storms of life swirled all around me. The wind wails, drowning out my hope.

And yet . . .

How often I forget truth I’ve learned through other storms, darker monsoons that about destroyed everything. I forget the truth the disciples didn’t see but Scripture declares for us.

He saw that they were in serious trouble, rowing hard and struggling against the wind and the waves.” Mark 6:48a, NLT

Jesus saw the disciples —he knew they were in trouble as they struggled. So often as the darkness of a spring storm unleashes on us, we feel alone, isolated, wondering if the God of the universe even notices our little lives.

He does. “You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away. You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do.” Psalm 139:2-3, NLT

And not only does he see us, He also draws near.

About three o’clock in the morning Jesus came toward them, walking on water.” Matthew 14:25

In fact, the very purpose of Jesus’ life was to draw us into a relationship with his Father. Through his death, he paid the penalty our sins deserve, once and for all. And through his resurrection, he conquers death, our greatest enemy. It is by him and through him that we have life and breath no matter the storm that threatens us.

He is our hope.

This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary.” Hebrews 6:19, NLT

And he knows our frailty.

TAKE COURAGE, HE IS HERE

He knows we fear and fret what we cannot see, even when what we cannot see is the very One who silences the storms.

 . . .but when they saw him walking on the water, they cried out in terror, thinking he was a ghost. They were all terrified when they saw him. But Jesus spoke to them at once. ‘Don’t be afraid,’ he said. ‘Take courage! I am here!’ Then he climbed into the boat, and the wind stopped. They were totally amazed.” Mark 6:49-51, NLT

How do we learn to sing in April’s showers? We take courage —we take courage not only because we are seen and loved by the One who sustains us, but because he tells us to.

We learn to sing as the rain falls because He is the Author and Finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2) and doesn’t leave us to flounder in the elements on our own.

Those who plant in tears will harvest with shouts of joy.” Psalm 126:5

We learn to sing because Jesus rescued us —first from sin and death, and then from the muck and mire left by the storms of life.

I waited patiently for the Lord to help me, and he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the pit of despair, our of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along. He has given me a new song to sing, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see what he has done and be amazed. They will put their trust in the Lord.” Psalm 40:1-3, NLT

And that is a reason to sing.

Signature: Kim Findlay

What helps you sing in April showers? We’d love for you to join the conversation either by posting below or joining us on our Facebook page.

 

Categories // Kim Findlay's Perspective, Singing in April's Showers Tags // Faith, hope, Jesus, Psalm 40, Spring, Surrender

Springing Forward: Growing in God

03.12.2019 by Jennifer Howe //

Welcome to Facets, friend. Spring has sprung, right? I’m sorry. That’s a lie in some parts of my country. Forgive me? The truth is, spring will come, but I’d like to have a little sit-down with a rodent named Phil. (Is it just me?) If you’re just catching up, March is all about springing forward and growing in our faith with God. Tracy shared thoughts here. Look for the upcoming posts from Kim and our special guest, Lavonna Garner. Don’t miss out—great things are coming!

Springing Forward: Growing in God (JJ Howe)

Growing in God

True to my Enneagram Five-ness tension, I thought long and hard: God, how can I grow in my faith and authentically walk through everyday life with You? True to my other tendencies, I asked, Could this be simple and easy, too? A landslide of thoughts tumbled and ended with If walking with God in faith were simple and easy, would it still be faith? Likely not. So this won’t be a “3 Easy Steps to Super-Christian Status” post. Not hardly.

The Word and a Calling

Once upon a time (25 years ago), I had one of those aha moments. I hadn’t landed in crystal clarity, but I definitely had to have a define the relationship talk with God. This really was the simple part: when I read enough Bible pages, one right after the other, I found a consistent call drawing my heart, mind, and spirit to Him. That happened, and then I took huge strides to study Him, His heart, and His will on those pages.

In 1994 I read. A lot. Friends told me that would ‘wear off,’ that I’d eventually ‘settle down’ at a certain point. Does the amazing intimacy with the One I worship fade out for everyone once the questions get answered? I found it can and does—when the quiet, undistracted moments evaporate; when the desire to know Him more intimately is traded for dusty memories of past study; when the heart slowly turns to acknowledge stuff, interests, devices, and virtual relationships before the God of the universe—the intensity most definitely fades. Slowly at first.

You must worship no other gods, for the LORD, whose very name is Jealous, is a God who is jealous about his relationship with you. Exodus 34:14 (NLT)

The Lord won’t tolerate rivals. So we choose today and every day how we will use our mental energy, strength, and breath. We were made to worship, and we will. But who or what will we worship? That is the foundation of our walk in faith with Him.

No one walks in faith with Him and splits time with the three-ring circus life lays out in front of her. That’s part of the insane difficulty of the opposition we face. The sacred and secular are not compartmentalized. If all of life is lived in the presence of God (acknowledged or not), which parts are set aside because He cannot see, permeate, or influence them? When I answer that question honestly, everything changes.

My mind is forced to reconcile reality.

Will I walk with God daily in everything—or will I pick and choose? Will I live like He is with me, so near that I take Him everywhere I go in this little 5’ 4” body (in my three-inch heels)? Will I live expecting His truth, love, and power to break through in this life? Will I live with Him?

Friend, walking with God is the only way we grow up. We grow in intimacy when we spend time with Him in quiet, undistracted moments. We grow in maturity when we desire to know Him—His brilliant mind, unchanging truth, loving heart, and magnificent power. And because He is eternal (boundless and limitless), there is no end to that study! We become more like Him when we know His heart and mind, love Him more than anything else, and love others the way He would. That’s walking the walk, rather than talking the talk.

The Father’s Plan

All God’s plans have the mark of the cross on them and all His plans have death to self in them.—E.M. Bounds (1835-1913)

Knowing how precious the Son was to the Father, how powerful His death was on the cross, could I be so concerned with the “stuff” of this world? Are my eyes so easily lured away from that moment to something else? Can I set aside distractions and devices long enough to speak to Him, listen to His voice, and read His expressed will on the page? Will I ask Him to help me love Him and others deeply and completely? Dare I ask Him to help me love the ways He has given for living with Him in faith and loving others in my life?

If there is a way to spring forward, it could only be in step with Him.

Thanks for reading along. I’d love to hear your thoughts on growing in faith. Do you have something that encourages you as you grow with God? Comment below or at the Facebook page. And if you like what you read—sharing is caring. *wink*

Signature, Jennifer Howe

Categories // Faith, Jennifer Howe's Perspective, Spring Forward with God Tags // Dying to self, Exodus 34:14, Facets of Faith, Faith, Growing in God, Jennifer J Howe

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