Facets of Faith

Conversations about life, faith, and friendship.

How Will You Spring Forward with God?

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Welcome to FACETS of Faith and our team of friends, who also happen to write with one another. Our goal remains to engage in authentic friendship and life, often explored through writing.  We were friends first. We have met new ones like you who read and engage with us.  Thank you!  We are blessed to have you stop by, and we pray God meets you each time you do. Like a seed, we pray God brings His work in and through you (and us) to full blossom.

This month we mull over the topic:  How Will You Spring Forward with God?

How Will You Spring Forward With God? (T. Stella)

In like a lion, out like a lamb.

It’s right about now we hanker for melting snow, warmer weather, and spring blossoms, not to mention color variation which includes a spectrum other than white.  However, we have a few more weeks of fluffy (or frozen) white stuff and winds that still cut to the bone no matter how many years we live to see a season change.

We can get a sense of false hope the weather has broken and spring’s arrival is surely here with an unseasonably sunshine infused warm day. But then March roars like a lion to remind us spring is on its way but hasn’t sprung yet. Winds fierce and strong cause us to wonder whether we can hold out for spring’s tulips to greet us as they gently wave in the wind. Oh, fragrant flowers and lush green grass we long for you to come!  Will the weather ever shift?

Doesn’t our walk with God sometimes feel like that?

We want roses, no thorns.

We want run the race, not perseverance.

We want Jesus to calm the storm. No winds. No waves.

We want what we want when we want it (especially if we’re from the western world comprised of short attention spans and instant gratification).  We’re all for, how to lose 10 lbs in 10 days. We don’t want the wait to lose the weight. We don’t want the work to lose the weight. If the wind wanted to do anything useful, it could blow those fluffy extra pounds off.

Oh, if wishes could only do that, we’d all have the self-image we want.  (Or would we?)

I’d like to talk about three strategies to help us spring forward with God in spite of life’s storms, because when storms arise, we need a good plan to weather them well!

Pray in Advance of a Storm to Spring Forward With God

While wishes won’t do us much good, prayer will. We can pray for things big. We can pray for things small. And then we can lean in with God and do the work He calls us to do – the stuff that requires perseverance even when the winds seem as if they might blow us over.

We’ve all had those moments. Earth shaking. Soul piercing. The experiences that require digging our feet deep into nutrient rich soil, so we won’t get blown over during a storm that comes into our life like a lion.

There is a lion. He seeks to destroy.

Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.─1 Peter 5:8 NLT

There is a lion who loves stirring up a good storm. We need to prepare ourselves in the quiet, restful seasons of life for the storms the enemy will surely try to send our way.  We need to create the muscle memory of going to God each day with our prayers and petitions.

The habit of prayer during quiet seasons helps us when the weather shifts. We won’t have to wonder what to do or who to run to. We’ll already know. We will have established a healthy rhythm of connecting with God each day.

And sometimes our prayers can help us avoid a storm all together!  After all, it’s in prayer we learn to hear God’s voice. We can seek Him and His wisdom and avoid a pitfall or two because we listened and obeyed, and  He lead us to green pastures.

But sometimes the storm still comes.

In those instances, we can run to our habit of prayer, where we know God is at the helm of our lives.  He is our Lighthouse. He helps us weather storms well.

How will we get out of inclement weather? God speaks to us through prayer as we seek Him. His answer may be in that moment. His answer may come another way, or at another time.  Because, remember, we are to run our race with perseverance.  That means sometimes the answer isn’t right now, in the moment.

Why wouldn’t God answer a heartfelt prayer in the moment? Is He just trying to be mean? Is He an authoritative, domineering, do what I say or else type of God?  Hardly!  He’s God – full of grace and mercy, long-suffering and compassionate. He is Authority but rooted and established in love.

Sometimes His love allows the storm (or a delay for the weather to break), because He needs us to see something about Him, ourselves or others.

What do I mean by that?

Well, I have come to know God’s faithfulness only in times when I needed Him to show Himself MOST faithful. I got to know Him best when I was at my worst. The hard times have helped me to know how sweet and good God truly is, Love immeasurable as He ministered to my heart in a tenderness that is indescribable unless you experience it.

The best way to describe it:  fully known, fully seen.  God is aware of me.

God is aware of you.

He loves us immensely!

When God has allowed storms (plural, yes plural for us all), He has shown me I am stronger than I ever imagined. He has shown me areas I need to work on. He has revealed to me how much I have grown over time with Him. He opened my eyes to how my reaction to a situation isn’t the same, because with Christ I’m not the same. I can have peace. I can have joy. I can love.  You can too.  They’re all choices possible because God dwells in me and in you.

And if you ever want to be a part of God revealing His glory to a non-saved world, weather a storm well and let them see what a difference Christ makes in our lives.

Life with God is a GAME-CHANGER! 

It’s how we help others most.  Let them see the face of God show up for us in a stormy season.  They might not understand it, but they’ll definitely notice it. When they do, we’re giving them a glimpse of God. What greater gift is there?

Prayer is relationship, conversation with God. Those special, often private talks with Him help us hold steady in a storm.

Rest To A Storm and Through A Storm to Spring Forward with God

The second idea to explore is rest. We need to rest to a storm and through a storm to spring forward with God.  Two things come to mind: literal rest and peace.

When we are well rested, we are at our best. It’s not lazy to take a break. We all need one. Even the seasons show us by their example. Grass lies dormant for a time, so it can grow strong. There will be a season for it to absorb rain. To grow. Quickly. And then there will be a need to weather another dry season. Us too. We rest. We grow quickly. We weather dry seasons.

Rest to a storm is a part of natural rhythms. 

For a do-er like me, this one isn’t always easy. I have to be extremely intentional and hold a strong boundary for myself. I know it. I know I need rest, that I’m not always great at it, but I am at my best when I grant myself permission to do so.

Crash and burn one too many times and a woman learns.  If I attempt life like a whirlwind, I will be an emotional wreck.

Rest allows me to better roll with life’s punches.

I can play. I can create. I can enjoy life. Those things are part of God’s design too.

I am the worst task master of my life. When I allow God to assign tasks, He makes sure to include the ever-important one of rest.  Otherwise, we’re just trying too hard and in our own strength.  An awful combination that is certain to help us self-combust.

When we commit to follow God’s command to rest, we convey trust in Him.  When we don’t? We’re saying we don’t.

Now that will cause us to sit up straight and think.

When we feel we can’t rest, we feel we can’t trust God with an outcome, with our future, with our life.

When we rest, we say to God, “I trust you and I know you have this, because you have me always in Your sight.”

When we rest to a storm we have enough energy to endure a storm.

Rest to a storm is how we rest through a storm.

When we are well rested we are able to process emotions in a healthier fashion. Well rested women make wise decisions.

Well rested women know well the power of running into the Prince of Peace’s arms to let Him do the heavy lifting.

One of my girlfriends comes to mind. She is a prayer warrior, a spiritual ambassador for so many as she fights for them through prayer. She uses those same weapons in her own life and for her own family. As I watch her navigate a difficult storm right now, you wouldn’t even know she had a care in the world.

If a care tries to creep in, she lifts it to the Lord and keeps in His perfect peace.

We’re not talking a little mole hill.

We’re talking a mountain.

She’s faced several. (You too?)

But still, she prays and fights the spiritual battle.  She’s a beautiful spiritual sister to have in your circle of friends. I don’t know if she knows how brave she is …. I’m sensing I have an assignment: to tell her. “You’re brave!”

Perhaps there’s nothing braver we can do: rest in God’s perfect peace when we’re in the middle of a storm.

If that’s you, you have an assignment. Cuddle up into the lap of Jesus. Let Him keep you and sustain you. Let His comfort and provision guide you to the center of His perfect peace.  Breathe. Breathe again. Breathe Him in. Deeply.

I imagine you won’t just spring forward with God when you do. Rather, you’ll launch your life forward further and faster than you could fathom. It’s odd how peace does that. But it does.

Peace.

Sit in it a moment longer.

Peace.

Know That You Are Rooted & Established in Love to Spring Forward with God

If I could write about any verses in the bible, it might be these.  I’ve written about them many times before, because they have such significance to our spiritual formation. We can only spring forward with God when we understand the depths of His love for us.

I can’t say it better than His Word.

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge─that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.─Ephesians 3:16-19 NIV

Filled to the measure of all God’s fullness.  It’s hard to imagine how full that actually is─ at capacity, no more room, overflowing. God’s love for you and me is abounding, stuffed and stretched beyond understanding and uncontainable. There isn’t a vessel big enough or space large enough to hold His love for you or for me.

When we know that and believe it in our heart, we spring forward with God no matter what life throws our way.

God’s love gives us THE competitive advantage over life’s challenges.

I wrote this in my prayer journal recently and want to share it with you in closing.

I don’t know what tomorrow holds, but I know You hold me in it.

You might not know what tomorrow holds, but know that you are held by God in it. He is the gentle Lamb of God who guides us in life and helps us see and enjoy the tulips waving to us in the wind. Their fragrant aroma reminds us of Him. His promise to be with us in every season.

How is God calling you to spring forward with Him? Prayer, Rest, Knowledge of His Love? Which one resonates with you  most today? Turn it over. Explore it. Hold it up to the Light of Christ and let Him reveal Himself and His purposes to you.

And remember the Lamb has already defeated the lion, no matter how much the wind blows.

Join the conversation here or on our Facebook page.

Signature Image: Tracy Stella

The Lion and the Lamb: When I’m Afraid

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Welcome to Facets of Faith where, each month, you read about a single topic from three different perspectives. This month we’re talking about how to reflect Jesus, the Lion and the Lamb, in our lives. Tracy and Jen have share already –be sure to check them out!

Emma used to roar.

My sweet, somewhat mild-mannered little girl used to open her mouth and let out this most glorious sound.

I had forgotten she did that until a recent conversation I had with my mom. We often talk about Emma, but usually we share how much we miss her, how our hearts and arms ache to hold her. Emma died twelve years ago in a fire that destroyed our home. This year I chose to honor her life on the anniversary of her death through the release of a new book, and my mom was helping resurrect memories to include in it.

My little Emma used to roar whenever she felt afraid or uncomfortable. Normally, she was sweet and mild. Sure, she had a silly side typically seen only by those who knew her best. But when she was afraid? Watch. out. It didn’t matter who you were, she would stare you down, open her mouth, and release her emotions with a heart-felt roar.

Kind of like Simba from The Lion King. There’s a scene where Simba and Nala disobey Mufasa, Simba’s father, and travel beyond their protected land. They soon find themselves chased by enemies and before long, are cornered by the hyenas as they trembled with fear. Even so, Simba mustered up some courage and, with Nala nestled behind him, Simba stood firm and roared.

The hyenas merely chuckled at his pitiful sound. Do that again, they mocked. With a deep breath, Simba roared again but this time it was mighty and strong because the King had come to their rescue.

This King’s roar was a declaration of protection by Mufasa himself, Simba’s father. His roar sent the hyenas running away with their knees knocking and bodies shaking because they knew . . . they knew King Mufasa was strong and victorious.

Oh to stand in the face of fear like that, like Simba. Like Emma.

But we can. We can because much like Simba, we have an even greater Lion who not only stands with us, protecting and watching over us, and this Lion is victorious. He is victorious because He is also the Lamb who gave himself as a peace offering, restoring our relationship with God.

But one of the twenty-four elders said to me, ‘Stop weeping! Look, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the heir to David’s throne, has won the victory. He is worthy to open the scroll and its seven seals.” Revelation 5:5, NLT

Jesus has the power to banish fear and triumph over death and sin. Jesus watches over you with his fierce protecting love. He demonstrated this fierce love as He hung on the cross, having laid down his life to take on the punishment for our sins and the sins of the world. The perfect Lamb of God. And there is nothing and no one that can snatch us away from him.

 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me, for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father’s hand.” John 10:28-29, NLT

So how do we reflect the Lion and the Lamb?

We learn to roar like Emma. We stand firm and stare those fears and uncertainties right in the eye, knowing they are part of living in this broken world. Children die. Marriages end. Relationships wound. People disappoint.

I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” John 16:33, NLT

But we don’t stop there. Read the end of John 16:33 again.

We take heart. That means we keep on keeping on, we plant our lives in truth, and we live encouraged because Jesus has overcome the world.

Jesus is victorious, and if we’re to reflect the fullness of His character, we choose to live in victory as well. We reflect the Lion and the Lamb when we choose to trust Him despite our feelings, our circumstances, or knowing the outcome. I believe we reflect Him most when we walk secure in His victory knowing He is with us each step of the way.

So while we may still feel the feeling of fear, let’s choose to stare fear straight in the eye and roar, knowing the Lion and the Lamb stands with us, protecting us believing His roar is louder and more powerful than anything that might come our way.

But when I am afraid, I will put my trust in you. I praise God for what he has promised. I trust in God, so why should I be afraid? What can mere mortals do to me?” Psalm 56:3-4, NLT

How can you choose to face your fears today to reflect the Lion and the Lamb? Join the conversation and jump over to our Facebook page or leave a comment below.

How Do I Model Myself After The Lion And The Lamb?

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Welcome to Facets of Faith and this month’s question: How do I model myself after the Lion and the Lamb? I (Tracy) will be curious to see what my fellow sojourners in Christ, Jennifer and Kim, have to say on the subject. I wonder what your thoughts are as well. Do you find it hard to reflect Christ?

Those eyes. Kind and determined. Gentle yet fierce. Contrasts seemingly a contradiction.  But are they? Eyes speak. What do mine say when I look in the mirror? Do they see what Christ sees in me? Do they say to others what He would have me say?

The honest answer? Sometimes. Sometimes not.

Sometimes I see myself as gentle as a lamb and fierce and determined as a lion. At other times, I am like a bull in a china shop bumping into people emotionally all along the way.

I’m not always spiritually clumsy, but I have my moments. I can go from lovable to prickly porcupine if someone steps on a nerve … especially if it’s my last one because I’ve had it up to that familiar place–here!

A far cry from gentle. Sometimes, that’s where I find myself. When my feelings are hurt? Even harder to hang onto those eyes God would want me to see through. Blink. Blink. Tears blur my vision.

Sometimes, eyes need to peer into myself with sensitivity first. Sweet. Soft. Compassionate. It’s okay. God sees. He knows. He loves you when you are good, when you do good. He loves you when you aren’t good, and you wish you could hide from Him, others, and yourself.

If I can’t start by seeing myself with softness, it’s impossible to look upon others in that light.

The only way I can do so is to fix my eyes on Jesus─first. Without Him my vision gets distorted like water disrupted from a pebble thrown on its surface.  It can be difficult to see the truth. What am I really looking at? Which brings me back to:

How do I model myself after the Lion and the Lamb?

For you created my inmost being;

            you knit me together in my mother’s womb.

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

            your works are wonderful,

            I know that full well. ─Psalm 139:13-14 NIV

I remember who I am and who made me. I remember that His works are wonderful, so in His goodness that means me too. You too. And I don’t just know it. I know it FULL WELL. That’s how the image reflected back at me in the mirror can look like the Lion and the Lamb─tender and gentle, fierce and bold, made in His image, and formed by His hands.

It takes great courage, to be a lion and believe every good thing God says about us in His Word. When the world (or its people) tell us we are less than, we get to make a choice.

Will we choose to courageously believe what God says about us? Or will we be cowardly and cave to unkindness? If I internalize unkindness, it’s sure to slip out toward others. Scripture is my spiritual weapon that acts as anointing oil making every sharp word slide right off me, so I don’t say something to someone I might regret.

Praise Jesus for the anointing oil of His Scripture that helps unkindness slip away without absorbing into my heart!  God’s Word says,

“Wait on the LORD: be of good courage and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.” ─Psalm 27:14 KJV

God, and His Word, help me to be of good courage. He and His Word are the source of my strength. When my heart needs encouragement, I know straight where to run. I learned in the school of hard knocks. My education has served me well. Every hard lesson helped me graduate to today, the place where I stand still learning as I look in the mirror, absorb my reflection, and smile as eyes twinkle back at me because I AM learning. I am growing. And that feels good!

As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.─Ephesians 4:1-3 NIV

When I think of a lamb, I think of gentleness. When I think of THE Lamb, I think of sacrifice. Perhaps gentleness is my sacrifice, paying tribute to all God did to save me and set me free from sin for eternity and in my day-to-day.

His Word above says to be completely humble and gentle. My thoughts. How? How is one COMPLETELY gentle and humble? I can be for five minutes – maybe – but completely? Seems like a tall order. But that’s what God’s Word says.

The words that follow help me to feel better equipped to carry out this command. His Word says to Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. Applying that same principle to humility and gentleness, it tells me to make every effort, to keep trying, and to do my best.

How do I model myself after the Lion and the Lamb?

I make every effort. It requires a daily determination. Lord, each day help me to live gentle as a lamb and fierce as a lion when fighting for freedom, fighting for kingdom causes and purposes, fighting every spiritual battle that presents itself.

A lion’s roar echoes loud enough to demolish every stronghold, tearing down what used to keep me down. When a woman finds her roar, she relentlessly pursues Christ and His purposes.  My challenge to you? Find your roar!

To be gentle requires a fierceness. Anyone can fly off with the mouth. It takes great restraint to be gentle in the face of adversity. Believe me. I know. It’s the season God has called me to.  Not responding is perhaps one of the hardest things I’ve had to do.

The Lion inside of me, the Holy Spirit, is the only way I can. He silences me when I want to speak up and defend myself. He also asks me to speak up in gentleness to convey truth and love. Sometimes I might wonder why am I the one that needs to say this? And I lament feeling a little like the prophet Jeremiah delivering news no one wants to hear. That takes courage too.

How do I model myself after the Lion and the Lamb?

Little by little each day I listen to Him. I listen for His guiding voice that helps me navigate the jungles of this world as He keeps me safe in spite of its dangers. He snuggles me close, helps me hold my head up high, as I gaze directly into His eyes where I borrow strength for a new day.

How is God calling you to model yourself after the Lion and the Lamb?

Join the conversation here or on our Facebook page.