Tuesday, May 29, 2018

Faith Disorder

Have you ever had an argument with someone and just when you thought it was over, they came back into the room and said, "And another thing..."?  Even worse, have you ever done that to yourself, where you've finally processed a situation (or so you thought) and you feel at peace about it, then your emotions come back into your head and say, "And another thing..."?  So you fasten your seatbelt and get back onto the emotional roller coaster.  One minute you're trusting God to deliver you from a situation and the next minute you're mad at Him for even allowing you to be in it.  A "faith disorder" can sometimes be one of the worse disorders you'll ever experience.

I thought I was all alone in this "disorder" until I read the Psalms.  (As a side note, if you ever want to feel good about your emotional ups and downs, read the Psalms.  You quickly realize that you're not as bad off as you thought.  You're just...well...human.)  In one chapter, you read the writer expressing such gratitude about how God has rescued him, protected him, provided for him, etc.  In the next chapter, he's expressing how God has forgotten about him and allowed horrible things to happen to him.  It's the biggest "faith disorder" I've ever seen.  BUT, somehow I can relate.  The ups and downs of life can sometimes cause not only ups and downs in our emotions, but sadly, also in our faith.

In Galatians 6:9, Paul writes "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up."  Let me encourage you to carry on even when your faith is challenged.  What may look like a "faith disorder" at times, is actually just a time of learning to let go one finger at a time.  Trust God and turn your disorder into order, for in the proper season, you will reap a harvest if you remain in faith and DON'T. GIVE. UP.  

Love Always,
Shy

Tuesday, May 15, 2018

Take a Knee

Being the California girl that I am, I admit I had a lot to learn when I first moved to the Southeast.  I had to quickly shift my priorities from: 
(1) God
(2) family
(3) beach
(4) avocados 

to the new order of:
(1) God
(2) family
(3) football
(4) sweet tea  

The problem was I didn't grow up in a home where the TV was ever set to sports channels, so I knew very little about football.  But in the South, I quickly learned that very few things trump a football game.  So, it became clear that I had some things to learn.

Over the last few years, I've not only come to understand and appreciate the game, but I've also worked for an NFL team, found myself on the sideline at several games, and even attended a Super Bowl game.  I've come a long way!  In the process, not only did I learn how to keep up with what was happening on the field, but I also learned protocol.  For example, I learned that it is protocol for all the players to "take a knee" when a player on the field is injured.  Not only do the teammates of the injured player take a knee, but both teams take a knee as a sign of respect and support.  They stay on their knees until the player either gets up on his own or he's taken off the field for further treatment.

Being the sensitive person that I am, this really hit home for me.  "Taking a knee" is something we should carry into our personal lives.  There are times when we have a loved one who is injured on the playing field of life and they are hurting.  Sometimes physical healing is needed, while other times it may be an emotional or spiritual healing needed.  Whatever the need, we should take a knee in prayer to support those who are hurting.  I like the way the Message bible translates James 5:16 - "pray for each other so that you can live together whole and healed."  Translation - Take a knee!  

As a sign of love and support, let your actions and posture send a very clear message:

"I love and support you."  Take a knee!

"I stand in solidarity with you."  Take a knee!

"We might not even have on the same team jersey, but you have my support."  Take a knee!

"Until you are up, I will kneel!"  Take a knee!

Most importantly, pray until our loved one is whole and healed!  TAKE A KNEE!

Family and friends, if I've learned nothing else from football, I've learned the value and importance of taking a knee!


Love Always,
Shy

Tuesday, May 1, 2018

Get Lifted

This aging process is getting rough.  I'm buying more and more products to try to correct things that are clearly going wrong.  Moisturizers, serums, day creams, sunscreens, night creams, peels, etc.!  I wish I could just Photoshop my face!  In the midst of me venting about my mid-life crisis and wanting to Photoshop my face, my young, beautiful friend chimes in, "You can.  It's called make-up."  Huh?  Really?  So now I'm headed to my nearest Sephora store to start the next phase of correction - Correction 2.0 in full effect!

Unfortunately, the crisis is not always on the outside.  There are times when we have an inner crisis.  A spiritual crisis.  A soul crisis.  A heart crisis.  Where can I go to correct that?  Which aisle are those products on?  Psalms 138:8 says "The Lord will perfect that which concerns me."  Well Lord, this concerns me.  On those days when I'm content with my "photoshopped" face, but my spirit is in crisis, what do I do?

So many times we've used church as a pharmacy.  "Go to church and sing 2 praise songs and you'll feel better."  Maybe.  "Read your bible and memorize a scripture and you'll feel better."  Maybe.  "Sing an uplifting worship song with your hands raised (and hopefully a tear coming down the side of your face) and you'll feel better."  Maybe.  I don't know about you, but I've had days when none of that lifted me.  THEN I recalled the song my mother used to sing entitled Love Lifted Me.  One verse says, "When nothing else could help, love lifted me."  I have no idea who the author of this song is, but I am relieved to know that someone else had also reached a point where they felt like nothing else could help.

So how do we allow love to lift us when we're having a spiritual crisis?  We give is away.  Yep, you heard me right.  We give love away, and by doing so, it's like we turn on the faucet and become the vessel from which love flows.  It flows through our spirit and becomes the very healing we need by giving it away.  Find someone in need and give love away - a smile, a hug, a thoughtful gift.  Find someone who's hurting and comfort them with an encouraging word.  Find an organization needing volunteers and serve.  Have a cup of coffee with a friend who's lonely.  You will be surprised how the very love you're giving away heals you.  As Mama used to sing, "love lifted me" and I have a feeling it will lift you too.


Love Always,
Shy 

Please visit my new website for updated posts. https://lovealwaysshy.com/ Thank you! Shy