Gratitude Archives – Facets of Faith

Out of Thankfulness, How Do You Serve?

11.05.2019 by Tracy Stella //

Dear friends, welcome to FACETS of Faith! We pray you are blessed with a word from God each time you visit. We pray you hear His heart for you as you read. We also pray for prompt obedience if He places something on your heart. We have much to be thankful for even when we don’t always see it. I pray we see what God has done and is doing in our lives and that we take action on His instruction each time He asks. Let the lives we lead be a fragrant aroma to Him that smells sweeter and more savory than any Thanksgiving meal we will ever partake in. In Jesus’ name, amen!

Imagine travelling for months to an unknown, but hopeful destination. You made the bold decision to pick up your roots and reestablish yourself elsewhere. Now that the world wasn’t flat, you were flat out ready for an adventure. The decision felt right, so you moved forward. However, you didn’t fully calculate the cost.

Oh, you knew how much the trip across the ocean cost financially. You just hadn’t counted on weather and disease wreaking havoc the way it did along the way. You didn’t anticipate the stormy weather driving rain and cold to the center of your core. Once cold there aren’t enough socks and blankets to soak the chill from the marrow of your bones.

Right about now is when you start to doubt your decision-making ability. What was I thinking? Was I crazy to embark on this adventure? What might I lose because I followed my heart into this thing? I thought I heard from God. Was I wrong?

This is very likely what many of the settlers felt who crossed an ocean to see what God had in store for them. Many of them came for religious freedom. Some came for adventure. Others came for a fresh, new start.

Sacrifice may have been a bigger piece of the equation than any of them planned for. How could they really understand the magnitude of what this journey would cost? They’d never done it before. They were risk takers. They were courageous. But they couldn’t see into the future, even as they tried to plan for it. Even if they weren’t naïve, it would have been impossible for them to anticipate every obstacle ahead.

“Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’─Luke 14:28-30 NIV

Have you ever been there? Where you forgot to count the cost? Or you thought you had, but you needed to count a little longer and a lot higher? I’m with you, sister. I’ve done it too! Even when I thought I weighed my decisions, prayed on them, sought after God’s heart, will, and ways I underestimated what would be needed. Somehow things cost a lot more heart, time, energy, and stamina than we expected.

Truth be told, I think sometimes God doesn’t let us see all it will cost. Heck, none of us would get up off the couch and do anything good for God if He told us, So and so is going to be extremely rude when you are trying to help them. Or This one will slander you, but be nice to them anyhow. Or perhaps you’ll be called to walk alongside a prickly, unloving person. Maybe God will literally ask you to give a financial gift stretching you outside your comfort zone.

You get the point. If God’s intention is to grow us (hint: it is!), He might keep a bit of the struggle out of our sight while we’re stepping into His plan for our lives.

I have absolutely been here. I know I heard from God. He told me it was going to be hard (He just didn’t say HOW HARD!)

So why on earth would we step into something we KNOW is going to be a challenge? We’ve calculated the cost, and we’ve even budgeted for things to cost more than we think, because that would be the wise order of things.

Why? What’s the motivation?

Those settlers who embarked upon their life’s most difficult adventure didn’t know their situation was going to get just a bit more challenging once they anchored close to shore.

They were in unfamiliar territory. And the weather was just about to change. Winter. None of us likes winter. At all. Oh, I’m not talking about the weather now. I’m talking about those seasons where we wonder, where are You God?

The people nearly starved to death. Some did.

Life can be extremely harsh at times. Winter seasons are difficult to weather well. Spiritually, we need to prepare ourselves for that. In our vibrant, blooming seasons it’s important we store those experiences in our hearts and minds as encouragement for the future.

Even when life is hard, never forget God’s got victory just around the corner. Some choose defeat, not knowing God has deliverance around the next bend. Let’s take heart and tune into what God tells us in His Word so we weather the storm well.

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”─John 16:33 NIV (emphasis mine)

There will be trouble this side of heaven.

But the optimist in me says, sometimes it will also be extravagantly beautiful. Full of hope. Vitality. Life to the full! The Scripture above reminds us God has overcome the world. We know that, but in times of trouble, it’s powerful to speak this Scripture out loud with the full authority you’ve been given as a daughter of Christ.

Write it on the tablet of your heart. Literally, write it down on an index card and carry it with you. Remind yourself that you are made for VICTORY!

Jesus overcame the world (John 13:33b). In His name, you can too!

Again, Jesus tells us a thing or two about what this life is to look like.

“I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”─John 10:10b NIV (emphasis mine)

TO THE FULL. He died so we could live the fullest life possible. I’m not talking about travelling around the world and doing whatever we want, when we want. There’s nothing the matter with travelling. There’s nothing the matter with taking time for ourselves to refresh our spirit. (Even Jesus did that, and He commands us to rest as well.)

What I am saying is He also calls us to serve sacrificially. He led by example. God still leads by example.

We love Him because He first loved us.─1 John 4:19 NKJV

We don’t love Him because we are so awesome. We love Him because He showed us how. (But you are awesome, by the way. You’re fearfully and wonderfully made. But you get my point. We wouldn’t even know what love IS if He hadn’t given us experiences of His love in the first place.)

Remember those early settlers of the States? How did God love them? They’d sacrificed much and experienced great loss.

God sent them practical help from the people who already lived there. The Indians knew how to survive on this land that we call home. They shared ideas and taught the pilgrims how to make it through harsh conditions. And when all was said and done, they celebrated the harvest. Together. (Sadly, we know this camaraderie and unity didn’t last, but that’s for a different piece.)

For now, let’s talk about the harvest. It’s one of my favorite biblical principles, because we all want to know we make a difference somehow. If I’m investing time, money, gifts and attention to something, I definitely hope and pray there will be a harvest. I know we don’t always get to see the harvest, but sometimes we do. That is such an encouragement. Our sacrifice was not in vain. God wrung every ounce of good out of it to bring life to the full for those He asked us to help. And maybe we are a gift He is giving to someone else because someone invested in us first.

I think about my friend who invited me to church and kept inviting me. Because she included me in her life and invited me into her world, I now know the love of Jesus. And because I know the love of Jesus, I can now love others. I get to. But that wouldn’t have happened (at least when it did) if my friend hadn’t invited me to walk through the doors of the church reassuring me the building wouldn’t collapse around me because, man, was I a s-i-n-n-e-r! I didn’t know back then that we are all s-i-n-n-e-r-s in need of God’s grace. Every one of us!

What does all this have to do with serving God out of thankfulness? Let’s hear from Jesus again as He talks to Simon…and to us.

“Jesus said to him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.”

“Oh? Tell me.”

“Two men were in debt to a banker. One owed five hundred silver pieces, the other fifty. Neither of them could pay up, and so the banker cancelled both debts. Which of the two would be more grateful?”

Simon answered, “I suppose the one who was forgiven the most.”

“That’s right,” said Jesus. Then turning to the woman, but speaking to Simon, he said, “Do you see this woman? I came to your home; you provided no water for my feet, but she rained tears on my feet and dried them with her hair. You gave me no greeting, but from the time I arrived she hasn’t quit kissing my feet. You provided nothing for freshening up, but she has soothed my feet with perfume. Impressive, isn’t it? She was forgiven many, many sins, and so she is very, very grateful. If the forgiveness is minimal, the gratitude is minimal.”─Luke 7:40-47 MSG

What if we were women so grateful to God for all He has given us that we served others like she served Jesus? What if we’re really serving Jesus when we do?

She was emotionally invested and used whatever she had to sacrificially serve the Lord. She celebrated Him! She was glad He was in her life and her actions showed it!

What would our world look life if we stopped trying to impress others and instead impressed God?

What would happen in your heart if you overheard the Lord talking about you in this fashion?

Look at her. Look at what she’s doing for the kingdom. Look at what she’s doing for Me, because she knows what love looks like. She is a student of Love. Look at how well she receives my love and serves out of the overflow. She hasn’t forgotten what I did for her. She remembers what life was like before she surrendered to Me. Impressive isn’t it? Many will forget and move on with life. However, she took to heart all I taught her. I’ll keep interceding on her behalf so she can continue. Even when it’s hard.

God made you for impressive things, beautiful one. Are you doing them? Not in some striving, slaving fashion. Rather, out of the overflow of His love and grace, glistening from the glow of His anointing.

Shine!

Out of thankfulness we serve. We serve with our whole heart. We serve because we were shown how. We serve because that’s why we’re here. Otherwise, God would have taken us to heaven already. For now, He needs us. He needs us to remember all He has done for us. He needs us to respond, to roll up our sleeves and say, “Yes, Lord. Send me.”

Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?”

And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”─Isaiah 6:8 NIV

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What do you do for fun?

06.05.2018 by Tracy Stella //

Welcome to Facets of Faith. This month we want you to dive deep with us into fun. Our prayer is you take time to explore what fun looks like to you. We hope you’re inspired to try one or two of the things we love. Look for Jennifer’s and Kim’s posts later this month to get a few more ideas to help you find your fun.

Feel that? It’s sunshine warming after winter’s thaw. I (Tracy) turn my face toward the sky like a flower in search of photosynthesis-producing rays. I want to soak it all in, like life. There’s much to see. There’s much to feel. There’s much to experience. If we are going to encounter difficulty, and we will, it’s imperative we are intentional about finding fun. We all need joy. We all need laughter. We all need those things which are good for our soul.

Toes touching sand cooled by the ocean’s waves and the smell of sea salt air to fill our lungs. Stress strips away as frothy water laps on shore before it retreats into the ocean. The beach has always been one of my happy places that fills my soul. At one point in life, I wanted to quit my job and operate a catamaran in the Caribbean, transporting tourists to interesting destinations. (It’s true.) I think the only thing that stopped me was knowing I needed to be responsible for my son’s sake. My previously impulsive nature harnessed, because I had someone who needed more stability and structure than that lifestyle would have allowed.

That desire does speak to a part of me which hasn’t changed even though decades have elapsed since then: it’s my spirit of adventure. Adventure is what intrigued me about the idea of running a catamaran tour in the turquoise waters with palm trees waving me toward the islands. Imagine the people I’d meet. Imagine the sights I’d see. Imagine the pace at which I’d live life – not go, go, go. Rather, go a little and enjoy life while you’re getting to where you’re going.

I do a lot more of that now. I’ll run fast and hard sometimes, but I’ll feel the need to slow down and have fun. When I feel the need, I give myself permission to have fun. Take a break.

In various seasons of life I’ve even scheduled fun into my calendar (which doesn’t sound all that fun when you like to be spontaneous like I do, BUT it’s better than the alternative of not getting in some good times while we’re going). Sometimes, we need to be intentional with our fun finding.

My idea of fun looks different that it used to in many ways. God continues to align my heart with His, purifying my desires. It’s true what Scripture says: God gives us the desires of our heart. (See Psalm 37:4) Not every wish and dream and fancy. More like, “Let me show you something I know you will love.” He puts a pure desire in our heart and then shows us how good it can be and how very much it will bless us. God is generous in His goodness. If you don’t know that already, I pray you get to know Him─really get to know Him─and His goodness.

Yes, we are to honor God. We are to worship Him. We are to do what is right and holy and good in His eyes. But what if we ARE honoring Him and worshipping Him by enjoying the good gifts He gives us. I suggest to you that is exactly the case. Having fun is a form of worship. The Lord loves to see us delight in the good gifts He gives. When we enjoy Him, His presence, and His gifts we are giving back to God.

Every time we say, “Thank You, Lord, for Your goodness”, we show Him that we don’t take Him or His gifts for granted.

What do we really have to give God that He hasn’t already given us first? Not money. It’s His in the first place. Not love. We only love because He first loved us. (See 1 John 4:19) I am not suggesting we don’t give God our money or that we don’t give God our love. Of course, we do! I’m just saying we only are ABLE to give them because He gave them to us first.

We can, however, express our heartfelt gratitude to Him for His goodness. We can give Him that gift. When He’s generous with us, we should thank Him. And when we’re looking and paying attention, we’ll notice how lavish His generosity is in our lives. That certainly has been my experience.

On your feet now─applaud God!

Bring a gift of laughter,

sing yourselves into his presence.

Know this: God is God, and God, God.

He made us. We didn’t make him.

We’re his people, his well-tended sheep.

Enter with the password: “Thank you!”

Make yourselves at home, talking praise.

Thank him. Worship him.

For God is sheer beauty,

all-generous in love,

loyal always and ever.

─Psalm 100 The Message

When I’m having fun, you’ll hear me laugh (perhaps from miles away … my laugh is pretty loud!). Our laughter is a gift to God. We can wrap it up in all its splendor and give it to Him as a gift for all His glorious goodness. He is so generous toward us; we should be generous to Him in return. Laugh. Laugh a lot! You will be giving your Father great joy.

We enter His presence with the password “Thank you!” I love that! We have a not-so-secret password to usher us into God’s presence. Thank You! In God’s presence is where we will find fun. He shines His light on the path He wants to lead us along. He is not a slave-driving task master. He’s a lavish, love-giving God who delights in sharing His goodness with us. And since He made us, He knows what will bless us. He knows that far better than even we know it ourselves.

My husband and I just returned from vacation. I like exploring, taking in fresh sights and experiencing new adventures. And if you even try to take me to a chain restaurant, especially on vacation, just ask my husband how much I’ll stubbornly stomp my feet in revolt! He now knows better than to suggest such an outlandish idea … if he wants to have an enjoyable vacation. He’s learned a thing or two about his wife over the years. (giggle) No chain restaurants will keep her happy. And happy is a good head start to having fun!

This year we did something new for vacation. We drove down to Branson, MO. Our primary objective was to take our motorcycles and go exploring down winding roads that would definitely qualify for “the road less travelled”.

Often, we were the only two on the road. For miles and miles. At times, the road conditions were technical in nature. That’ll get your adrenaline going! I can’t lie. At first, I was a little nervous rounding all the curves and navigating all the ups and downs of the terrain. Not knowing what’s ahead can be scary. True in life as well. But we keep going. We stretch. We grow. We go slow … until we can accelerate and our muscles ease as we relax into the unknown, open road. It’s far easier to navigate the turns when we’re not tense. Every once in awhile there’s gravel to look out for, but as long as we see it and can make adjustments we’re still in for a fun-filled day without risking a crash.

My eyes absorbed nature’s hues as my engine hummed. I wished I could blink my eyes and take a snapshot of all the beautiful scenery as we went. Some of the views were absolutely spectacular and I was wishing for a way to help me remember them all. If I looked long and hard enough perhaps they’d permanently etch upon my mind.

God knows I love nature. And God knows I love new things. He knew I’d love this trip! But He needed to start preparation a year ahead. You see, I only learned how to ride a motorcycle last year. While we were on vacation, a Facebook timeline memory came up from the previous year of me learning to ride a small cycle in a church yard. I had just learned how to shift the bike into second gear. It felt exhilarating and a little terrifying, because I didn’t want to crash into anything. When I managed to successfully shift into 2^nd gear, I shouted “I did it! I did it!” laughing all the while.

Because God had prepared me for our trip to Branson a year in advance with over 4,000 miles underneath my belt, I was able to settle into a new experience with Him and have a lot of fun while doing so.

Maybe your fun will require some advance preparation too. Any future marathon runners out there?

While we traversed the Missouri roads together, I couldn’t quit thanking God for His goodness and for the beauty of His creation. There were a few times when I was so thrilled that I visualized myself doing a pirouette for God, twirling for Him in my imagination, a special thank You dance in my mind. I giggled at my silliness, but then I thought to myself, I bet you God rather likes that I am having so much fun with Him out on the open road.

I know it. I felt peace. I felt pleasure. I felt the desires of my heart being met out on the open road. And it felt good. It felt like a fun I didn’t know I needed until I got to experience it first-hand!

How has God shown you how to have fun with Him? What new desire is He growing in your heart? Commit to having fun with God. You have a summer assignment from me if you are up to the challenge. Go on at least one new adventure with God to explore a new way You can experience Him and encounter something fun You haven’t yet done. I’d love to hear what you try and what you thought of the experience. Stretch out of your comfort zone. And don’t forget to get to your feet and applaud God for His goodness at the new gifts He gives you. Thank Him as a form of worship -for His all-generous love and goodness!

Be blessed. Have fun. Life is short here on earth. Let’s enjoy it!

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