Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Beginnings

On June 14, 2006, I began reading the book of Psalms. I was seeking comfort and peace after a turbulent tragedy in my life. I had just experienced the death of my husband on June 10. Only 60 years old, our family’s great spiritual leader left this world to begin his new life with Christ. I sought the words of King David to soothe my soul.

In the first chapter of Psalms, I read how a man is blessed when he walks with God.
His delight is in the law of the Lord and in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper. (NKJV Psalm 1:2-3)

So simply put and envisioned, this psalm talks of a tree that is situated next to a river that sustains its life, helps it bloom, and gives fruit when it should. This is God’s perfect plan working the way it was meant to be.

I needed to be near to God at that time in my life, possibly closer than ever before. There was no way I could make it through the grief, the preparations for my new life, or even the day-to-day without His help! “Oh, God,” I prayed, “I can’t do this alone and I do feel alone. Please give me peace and guide me to seek help from the right people who have my best interests in mind.”

I needed to be like that tree that drew in life-giving water from the giver of life! I needed to stay close to that river and not do things before their time but in God’s time. I needed to not question Him but follow where He would lead me.

Like the last part of verse three, I didn’t want to wither up or crawl into a ball of self-pity. That would only make me unfruitful for His Kingdom work that I knew needed to be done. The grieving would be ongoing and lessen as time passed, but the witness I needed to be to my family and others would be lasting.

I believe the very last phrase kept me going: “and whatever he does shall prosper.” That didn’t mean monetary things to me. That meant prospering in my Christian work for a loving God. I wanted to prosper as a believer! I wanted to conquer the Mount Everest of problems, paperwork, and stuff of grief that lay before me. God could and would help me; I could trust His words from this very first chapter of Psalms.


I read the entire book of Psalms over the following weeks. I underlined other verses and made notes in my Bible when I felt God talking to me. It was all very helpful as I began my new walk without my husband. But no chapter was as helpful as the first one. Maybe that’s because beginnings were something I expected at that point and I was certain God knew of each one.

Friday, May 24, 2013

The Pity Party

As a transparent ministry leader, I can tell you that some days here are not that great or even much fun. Some days I just want to close my door, turn off the lights, sit down, and have a pity party for myself. Really, God, I have to go through times like these?

Maybe there are plans we’ve worked on for weeks that suddenly fall through. Or unexpected expenses that are difficult to pay. And then there are always the creative ideas you believe are excellent, but they get shot down in the leadership team meeting. That one is a killer! But (and I know God invented that word for a reason) I know it’s just my negative human spirit and the whisper of Satan that’s telling me I’m not appreciated or don’t have a clue how to be a leader. Has any other leader ever felt this way? Truthfully?

I can’t control circumstances or stop expenses from happening. And I can’t keep creativity from working overtime in my head with ideas that could possibly expand this ministry. So what’s the answer to this conundrum?

Jesus said in John 16:33, “In this godless world you will CONTINUE to experience difficulties. But take heart! I’ve conquered the world.” That’s the kick-in-the-pants I needed! Looking at everything from God’s perspective surely changes ours. His plans done in His time, and His way—now that’s peace, not a pity party.


So I’m leaving my door open, pouring over my Bible, and facing the day no matter what it brings. Keeping my eyes focused on the prize instead of my conceived inabilities or circumstances. I truly believe that is the God-honoring way to lead. (And I’m booting pity out the door!)

Thursday, May 16, 2013

Art, for Kids’ Sakes!

For 10 years I taught Art for the Elementary Teacher at a local Christian college. When studying the right and left brain with one of my classes, we did an experiment. I asked them to go into their classrooms and have the lead teacher choose two of the most active children (i.e., disruptive ones). One student teacher prompted an amazing yet disturbing discovery about one little boy’s home life.

I asked the student teacher to put out paper and markers in all the colors of the rainbow. The children could choose any color they wanted. The boy chose a black piece of paper and also a black marker.
Then they were to draw any picture they were thinking of at the moment. This is where the story gets hard to tell and I go to tears every time I share it with someone.

The boy proceeded to draw an outline of his house, two walls, and a roof. Inside the house were his mother and father. His mother was on the floor with her hands over her head. “Please, don’t hit me again!” was written in the mother’s word bubble. The father stood over her with a baseball bat and his word bubble said, “I’ll hit you again and again and again!” Outside of the house on either side stood the boy and his sister, and all you could see were huge tears flowing down the front of their bodies with a huge puddle at their feet.

This story took my breath away when I first heard it and then saw the picture. My heart broke because I just wanted to save the boy and his sister from such a horrible life at home. The lead teacher had no idea this was going on in the home and was then able to figure out why the child was acting out his anger in class.

Art is so very important. It is a release, a response, and a reveal. We can’t end incorporating art in the classroom! So many children need all three of these “R”s to be able to cope today.