I Can’t But He Can!
“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. “
Philippians 4:13
Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power…
Welcome to Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power and thanks so much for joining me today for a little coffee break. It’s so important to slow down and take a break from it all, and not just to get re-charged, either! I found something over the weekend that better explains what I was trying to share with you on Friday about this whole medical melodrama! Grab your coffee and come on in.
We’ll get back to where we left off, me staring at the ominous tube that sat waiting to devour me under the guise of magnetic resonance photography, but I just need to share what I couldn’t quite put my finger on as it relates to the way I’ve handled this whole hospital stay up to this point. I found the exact words in my “Dear Jesus” devotional by Sarah Young. I’m beyond blessed that He has spoken to me through her and so I just want to share this with you because it’s part of the bigger picture, the beautiful lesson I’ve attained from this circumstance and her words explain exactly what I was feeling:
“Dear Jesus, you know how I long to practice Your presence more consistently. When I keep my focus on You, my whole perspective is brighter, more joyful. When I’m preoccupied with problems, I feel weighted down and anxious. Yet the default setting of my mind seems to be ‘problem solving.’” – has this author been in my head with a camera? “My thoughts tend to flow toward finding what is wrong and trying to fix it. I want to break free from its hurtful pattern but its roots go deep into my being.”
Oh, does this ever speak to me! See, that’s what I did my entire stay in the hospital, is focus on the questions and the absence of answers! I did not practice His presence but I did sip from it in my darkest hours.
For those of you thinking this whole series has been a bit anti-climactic, even bordering on boring, please let me encourage you to put your own circumstance in here in place of mine. In other words, has there ever been a time you were asked to do something you just didn’t know if you could? Have you ever had to face one of your biggest fears or deal with a growing phobia? Well, one of my biggest phobias is claustrophobia, which is why I needed these words of wisdom to use as weapons of warfare. In the days to come following this procedure, life would show the necessity for this particular WOW to root in my heart and produce fruit in my life.
Now let’s get back to this procedure! And remember, if you don’ t suffer from claustrophobia, just bring whatever challenge/fear you haven’t faced to this story, and let the truth that you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you come to life in you!
When the young guy opened the door and I saw that tube-like machine, I literally forgot to breathe for several seconds. I felt my eyes enlarge as my breath left me. I was experiencing a sense of terror I hadn’t felt since overcoming my fear of the ocean over a year ago; all the while I could feel his eyes on me. His gentle voice brought me out of my temporary terror-induced coma. “I’m just going to wheel you over to the bed and we’ll have you sit on the bed for a few minutes.”
I shook my head vehemently. “I’m not going near there . . . yet.”
My terror must have splashed him, prompting him to ask, “Did they give you your anti-anxiety medicine?”
I nodded my head in reply, realizing that I had totally over-ridden the would-be, could-be positive effects of the medication.
For the next five minutes, he coaxed and gently prodded me toward that blasted thing, assuring me we’d take it one step at a time.
The noise coming from the machine was enough to send one hiding for cover. It actually sounded like a war zone, shots being fired without ceasing. I let out a huge breath as he wheeled me closer to it, the sound getting louder and louder. This wasn’t doing my migraine any good, let me tell you!
I could feel myself shaking as I got up and out of the wheelchair and lifted myself up on what felt like my deathbed. I began to shiver more from nerves than cold. Again, his ever-so-gentle voice pulled me from myself: “Now I just want you to close your eyes. Take deep breaths.”
I shook my head more vehemently than the last time.
“It’s okay. We’ll sit here for a few minutes.” His hand on my shoulder emphasized he wasn’t going anywhere until this was done. He asked me again to lie down.
Same response: I was rigid with fear.
Then he began to talk to me about going other places in my mind and the loud shooting noise drowned out whatever else he said. He was so stinking calm it was almost unnerving!
Finally he talked me into lying down and back with my head very close to that machine’s opening. He then proceeded to strap something rather heavy over my chest and stomach, and when he pulled the strap rather tight, I thought for sure my heart was going to burst from anxiety. “It’s too tight,” I hissed.
“Okay. Let me loosen it just a little.”
The release of the strap triggered an enormous breath from within.
He handed me the panic button, explaining to me that anytime I was struggling, I could push it and he would get me out of there ASAP. “Go ahead and push it for me now.”
All I can say is at this moment, God had to be in me because I really just wanted to put my thumb on that thing and press it without ceasing, forcing him to give up on me. But I didn’t. I did as he asked and pressed it, quickly, and I felt him smile.
“Are you ready to go in just a little?”
“No.”
When he announced that he was going to put earplugs in my ears, I opened my eyes again. I let him put them in, sadly surprised that I could still hear him. I was like a petulant child, wishing it would all just go away.
“Remember, the main thing is to keep your eyes closed, and if you’re good at holding your breath, we’ll get this done even quicker.”
Oh, great, an ex-smoker being asked to be strong at holding her breath! How much more difficult could this be? I groaned out loud and looked at him. All I was capable of saying was, “Okay.”
He asked me three more times, “Are you ready to go in?”
My answer was the same every single time: “Not yet.” I battled with the voice of reason, knowing I couldn’t get out of this yet not knowing how to get through this.
Without warning, he pushed the button to begin rolling me inside. I pushed the button; he stopped and I made the biggest mistake of opening my eyes. The blinding light collided with my cold sweat that suddenly surged from my body. It was just too much! I closed my eyes and was about to push the panic button when he asked if I was all right.
Suddenly, out of heaven, came a tiny splash of determination. I gritted my teeth and pushed out one word: “Hurry.”
It seemed like forever before I felt the bed moving ever so slowly into what for sure felt like my tomb, and then it stopped.
Join me tomorrow for divine intervention,
Evinda
P.S.
We will be on the air today at 1:00 Pacific time so join us for our
second segment of the year on How to Love Who You Love. We will be
sharing truths that will revolutionize even the most difficult of your
relationships and since Steve is a licensed therapist, it’s like getting
30 minutes of free counseling! www.blogtalkradio.com/Chicklit-Power
January 10th, 2014
Oh
but it’s great to have you to share this story with. I truly appreciate
knowing there’s you and that we are having coffee together and I have
to be honest and let you know that at first I thought that it was just
me looking for the writing material from my first trial of the year, but
now I can see there is a greater purpose, a period of refining that He
relentlessly and lovingly continues to do in my life that I may share
from my heart to yours. Grab your coffee and come on in.
I know it’s already the second Friday of this month in a brand-new year, but keep in mind we are looking back to the second day of the year. I say that more for me than for you because I want so much to jump ahead and share the lessons from this medical saga, but I can’t just give you some of the pieces. Each and every one of them has an important part of painting both pain and beauty in this particular vignette of the journey.
So where were we? Oh, yeah, I have just taken my dose of anti-anxiety medicine and am waiting for them to come and get me for this MRI.
The waiting was easier because of the company. George and Craig were there so the four of us were talking about various things; I don’t even remember now. Conversation with both of them came pretty easily and the nurses often commented on the friendship that was forming in our hospital room. At this point, Wynona’s doctor had come in and announced that they did in fact need to do surgery to remove her gallbladder and informed them both that the surgeon would be in later that day to introduce himself. She was still on NPO, and starving.
By this time, both she and I were suffering from a migraine headache as well. She was convinced hers was from caffeine withdrawal and I was thinking mine was a combination of food and caffeine abstinence. Unfortunately, my migraine increased my nausea from a 4 to a 10, but all of that seemed to disappear the moment the nurse came in our room with a wheelchair. It was as though everything in me froze, and everything outside of me kept moving. All I could think about was getting the heck out of there, running and not coming back. Trust me, if there was a way to do that and not bring the medical problem, whatever the heck it was, with me, I so would have.
The RN brought me out of my frozen reverie, where I could have stayed until this whole nightmare went away, as she separated me from my new companion, the IV. I got up ever so slowly, so as not to throw up, and she helped me into the awaiting wheelchair. I’m sure the expression on my face told them I was going to my death. Why else the sudden reassurances and well wishes from Craig and Wynona as they rolled me out of the room and took me to face my fears of claustrophobia? George walked alongside me, quiet, obviously lost in his own thoughts.
Let’s pause this right here and allow me to look at a not-so-pretty truth for the sake of being able to move forward more confidently and assuredly. See, already this year, I have a yearning for a do-over! There I go again, jumping ahead. I can only say this from looking backwards a few days. See, I can’t help but know if I would have opened up His Love Letters, I may have rested better. I think I may have experienced a spiritual REM! See, REM is that rest that brings healing, and honestly, between you and me, I wasn’t resting completely. I kept yearning for answers so the nightmare would be over; looking ahead to what I felt needed my attention. I wasn’t taking Him at His Word, claiming His promises for me. I mean, in my heart, I knew He was with me, and yet, the hospital lay between Him and me. I hope that’s clearer than mud!
So the ride to the procedure was uneventful, that is until they took me outside and across this little bridge-like construction site. I don’t even watch horror movies, but trust me when I say I was getting closer to terrorized by the second! We made it over the construction site and to the left was this big door with this big red and black sign on it: DANGER!
Are you serious? Where in the world are they taking me? The nurse put the brake on as she reached to open the door and there stood a guy younger than my son, waiting for me! Talk about creepy! She released the brake and wheeled me into the cage-like room and there again, was another door, the same sign!
Before I knew what hit me, the nurse was gone and this young guy opened the door. What loomed right in front of me made my breath get stuck in my throat! I can’t do this . . . but He can!
Join me Monday for more of this medical melodrama!
In the grip of His grace, trying not to white knuckle through the ride,
Evinda
I Can’t but He Can-from Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power
“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
Philippians 4:13
Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power…
Oh
but it’s great to have you to share this story with. I truly appreciate
knowing there’s you and that we are having coffee together and I have
to be honest and let you know that at first I thought that it was just
me looking for the writing material from my first trial of the year, but
now I can see there is a greater purpose, a period of refining that He
relentlessly and lovingly continues to do in my life that I may share
from my heart to yours. Grab your coffee and come on in.I know it’s already the second Friday of this month in a brand-new year, but keep in mind we are looking back to the second day of the year. I say that more for me than for you because I want so much to jump ahead and share the lessons from this medical saga, but I can’t just give you some of the pieces. Each and every one of them has an important part of painting both pain and beauty in this particular vignette of the journey.
So where were we? Oh, yeah, I have just taken my dose of anti-anxiety medicine and am waiting for them to come and get me for this MRI.
The waiting was easier because of the company. George and Craig were there so the four of us were talking about various things; I don’t even remember now. Conversation with both of them came pretty easily and the nurses often commented on the friendship that was forming in our hospital room. At this point, Wynona’s doctor had come in and announced that they did in fact need to do surgery to remove her gallbladder and informed them both that the surgeon would be in later that day to introduce himself. She was still on NPO, and starving.
By this time, both she and I were suffering from a migraine headache as well. She was convinced hers was from caffeine withdrawal and I was thinking mine was a combination of food and caffeine abstinence. Unfortunately, my migraine increased my nausea from a 4 to a 10, but all of that seemed to disappear the moment the nurse came in our room with a wheelchair. It was as though everything in me froze, and everything outside of me kept moving. All I could think about was getting the heck out of there, running and not coming back. Trust me, if there was a way to do that and not bring the medical problem, whatever the heck it was, with me, I so would have.
The RN brought me out of my frozen reverie, where I could have stayed until this whole nightmare went away, as she separated me from my new companion, the IV. I got up ever so slowly, so as not to throw up, and she helped me into the awaiting wheelchair. I’m sure the expression on my face told them I was going to my death. Why else the sudden reassurances and well wishes from Craig and Wynona as they rolled me out of the room and took me to face my fears of claustrophobia? George walked alongside me, quiet, obviously lost in his own thoughts.
Let’s pause this right here and allow me to look at a not-so-pretty truth for the sake of being able to move forward more confidently and assuredly. See, already this year, I have a yearning for a do-over! There I go again, jumping ahead. I can only say this from looking backwards a few days. See, I can’t help but know if I would have opened up His Love Letters, I may have rested better. I think I may have experienced a spiritual REM! See, REM is that rest that brings healing, and honestly, between you and me, I wasn’t resting completely. I kept yearning for answers so the nightmare would be over; looking ahead to what I felt needed my attention. I wasn’t taking Him at His Word, claiming His promises for me. I mean, in my heart, I knew He was with me, and yet, the hospital lay between Him and me. I hope that’s clearer than mud!
So the ride to the procedure was uneventful, that is until they took me outside and across this little bridge-like construction site. I don’t even watch horror movies, but trust me when I say I was getting closer to terrorized by the second! We made it over the construction site and to the left was this big door with this big red and black sign on it: DANGER!
Are you serious? Where in the world are they taking me? The nurse put the brake on as she reached to open the door and there stood a guy younger than my son, waiting for me! Talk about creepy! She released the brake and wheeled me into the cage-like room and there again, was another door, the same sign!
Before I knew what hit me, the nurse was gone and this young guy opened the door. What loomed right in front of me made my breath get stuck in my throat! I can’t do this . . . but He can!
Join me Monday for more of this medical melodrama!
In the grip of His grace, trying not to white knuckle through the ride,
Evinda
January 9th, 2014
Thanks so much for joining me today for the continuation of I can’t, but He can! It’s hard to believe we are nine days into the New Year; I guess that’s because I lost so many of them to the hospital! And yet, they are not lost for each one reiterates the truth of this month’s WOW. Grab your coffee and come in for a bit.
Before getting to my room, George let me know that the guy we were both staring at was who we thought it was and his wife was here for almost the same thing, having to do with her gallbladder! Tuck that little fact away for later.
So after getting situated in my room, the RN came in and introduced himself, made sure I was comfortable and asked if I needed anything. I had since gotten a nice big shot in the arm for nausea and pain. All I really needed was to be told everything was going to be okay, but I knew I couldn’t ask him for that. He also told me that they had set up a procedure for me the following day at 10 or 11 – I forget which because the days are beginning to blur together and without food, whew, it’s hard to think! Because of that procedure I was NPO, no food allowed! When he told me it was an MRCP, I asked him what in the world that was. He said an MRI of the upper abdomen and large intestine. When he said MRI, the hair on my lip stood up – time for a wax job!
“So is this an enclosed MRI? “
Well, not totally enclosed but –“He indicated with his hand the tubular shape.
My beady eyes got big as half dollars and I let him know I would definitely have to have something to relax me because I was extremely claustrophobic, and not just a tiny bit, but a whole lot. He was super nice, had the gift of compassion, and patience, and a great sense of humor.
About ten minutes after that announcement, he came in to let us know that I was getting a roommate in a little bit. Immediately I thought about our friend’s wife – let’s give her a name. Wynona! And let’s give him the name of Craig. I knew his last name so I asked my nurse, if by any chance it was — and I said their name. And he looked at me curiously and said, “As a matter of fact, I think it is”!
Sure enough, within thirty minutes, if that, in comes Craig followed by Wynona on a hospital bed. My roommate was someone I knew of, but something told me that would change to become someone I was getting to know. When the RN came in, I just know he thought there was some sort of reunion-type party going on and he let his entire shift know of the coincidence that I now know was a God-incidence. By the time George got ready to leave, I was somewhat calmer at the prospect of spending a night away from him in a hospital bed. After all, I had a new friend. What if I wasn’t the only reason I was there? That thought lay with me on my pillow when the guys finally went home and the lights went off.
The little sleep I did get that first night came in bits and pieces. If my blood pressure wasn’t being taken, or I wasn’t being stuck for more blood, or the IV wasn’t beeping some warning message, or I wasn’t clenching my jaw because of the horrible noises an obviously older man was making in the room next door, or wincing in pain for the person who was coughing so hard I just knew they were going to call Code Blue, I was thinking about how my New Year was starting out, wondering where it would take me and if there was anything I could have done to avoid this. And how in the world was I ever going to make it through this claustrophobic procedure that would, I thought, give them the answers they were looking for?
Yeah, that first night was much like a whirl-pool of thoughts overflowing like a broken water faucet, pushing me into their spell and pulling me from the gift of sleep.
At 5:30, I gave up trying to sleep, unplugged the IV from the wall and went for a walk. I had decided the hospital was not a place for rest, at least not the REM kind of sleep I like to get! At 7:00 a.m., on Thursday, the day after New Year’s, the shift changed and we met a whole new shift of nurses. The CNA, Brices, came in and took my vitals, introduced herself, and then she proceeded to write on the white board the name of the RN, the LVN, her name, the visiting doctor – whom I never saw – as well as the Charge Nurse. Wynona and I had two different nurses but the same CNA who was very sympathetic to the fact that we both were NPO. Wynona’s condition was more critical than mine and they were thinking she might have to have surgery that day. She suggested a cup of ice chips for us both.
When she brought them back, one for each of us, we both savored tiny bites of ice chips as if they had been made by a chef. We were both starving and about three bites in, she was talking about how good it felt to have them and I began to laugh at the absurdity of it, because she was right. The ice chips did help the hunger pains!
Shortly after my feast of ice chips, my hubby came and was I ever glad to see him! Funny how an unexpected circumstance can either pull you apart or bring you closer; and watching him love and care for me brought us closer.
He had brought my computer with him, knowing I’d probably want to write, but at this point, I didn’t. All I could think about was getting answers and getting the heck out of there. After all, I had things to do, places to go, people to see!
When the new RN came and gave me my anti-anxiety pill, I swallowed it, wondering if it would really do the trick and calm me enough to get in that tube that I just knew would cave in on me. That may seem like an over-dramatization to you, but let me assure you, I was getting more and more freaked out the closer the appointed time came. I can’t but You can, Lord.
Join me for more tomorrow,
Evinda
I Can’t but He Can-from Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power
I Can’t But He Can
“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
Philippians 4:13
Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power…
Thanks so much for joining me today for the continuation of I can’t, but He can! It’s hard to believe we are nine days into the New Year; I guess that’s because I lost so many of them to the hospital! And yet, they are not lost for each one reiterates the truth of this month’s WOW. Grab your coffee and come in for a bit.
Before getting to my room, George let me know that the guy we were both staring at was who we thought it was and his wife was here for almost the same thing, having to do with her gallbladder! Tuck that little fact away for later.
So after getting situated in my room, the RN came in and introduced himself, made sure I was comfortable and asked if I needed anything. I had since gotten a nice big shot in the arm for nausea and pain. All I really needed was to be told everything was going to be okay, but I knew I couldn’t ask him for that. He also told me that they had set up a procedure for me the following day at 10 or 11 – I forget which because the days are beginning to blur together and without food, whew, it’s hard to think! Because of that procedure I was NPO, no food allowed! When he told me it was an MRCP, I asked him what in the world that was. He said an MRI of the upper abdomen and large intestine. When he said MRI, the hair on my lip stood up – time for a wax job!
“So is this an enclosed MRI? “
Well, not totally enclosed but –“He indicated with his hand the tubular shape.
My beady eyes got big as half dollars and I let him know I would definitely have to have something to relax me because I was extremely claustrophobic, and not just a tiny bit, but a whole lot. He was super nice, had the gift of compassion, and patience, and a great sense of humor.
About ten minutes after that announcement, he came in to let us know that I was getting a roommate in a little bit. Immediately I thought about our friend’s wife – let’s give her a name. Wynona! And let’s give him the name of Craig. I knew his last name so I asked my nurse, if by any chance it was — and I said their name. And he looked at me curiously and said, “As a matter of fact, I think it is”!
Sure enough, within thirty minutes, if that, in comes Craig followed by Wynona on a hospital bed. My roommate was someone I knew of, but something told me that would change to become someone I was getting to know. When the RN came in, I just know he thought there was some sort of reunion-type party going on and he let his entire shift know of the coincidence that I now know was a God-incidence. By the time George got ready to leave, I was somewhat calmer at the prospect of spending a night away from him in a hospital bed. After all, I had a new friend. What if I wasn’t the only reason I was there? That thought lay with me on my pillow when the guys finally went home and the lights went off.
The little sleep I did get that first night came in bits and pieces. If my blood pressure wasn’t being taken, or I wasn’t being stuck for more blood, or the IV wasn’t beeping some warning message, or I wasn’t clenching my jaw because of the horrible noises an obviously older man was making in the room next door, or wincing in pain for the person who was coughing so hard I just knew they were going to call Code Blue, I was thinking about how my New Year was starting out, wondering where it would take me and if there was anything I could have done to avoid this. And how in the world was I ever going to make it through this claustrophobic procedure that would, I thought, give them the answers they were looking for?
Yeah, that first night was much like a whirl-pool of thoughts overflowing like a broken water faucet, pushing me into their spell and pulling me from the gift of sleep.
At 5:30, I gave up trying to sleep, unplugged the IV from the wall and went for a walk. I had decided the hospital was not a place for rest, at least not the REM kind of sleep I like to get! At 7:00 a.m., on Thursday, the day after New Year’s, the shift changed and we met a whole new shift of nurses. The CNA, Brices, came in and took my vitals, introduced herself, and then she proceeded to write on the white board the name of the RN, the LVN, her name, the visiting doctor – whom I never saw – as well as the Charge Nurse. Wynona and I had two different nurses but the same CNA who was very sympathetic to the fact that we both were NPO. Wynona’s condition was more critical than mine and they were thinking she might have to have surgery that day. She suggested a cup of ice chips for us both.
When she brought them back, one for each of us, we both savored tiny bites of ice chips as if they had been made by a chef. We were both starving and about three bites in, she was talking about how good it felt to have them and I began to laugh at the absurdity of it, because she was right. The ice chips did help the hunger pains!
Shortly after my feast of ice chips, my hubby came and was I ever glad to see him! Funny how an unexpected circumstance can either pull you apart or bring you closer; and watching him love and care for me brought us closer.
He had brought my computer with him, knowing I’d probably want to write, but at this point, I didn’t. All I could think about was getting answers and getting the heck out of there. After all, I had things to do, places to go, people to see!
When the new RN came and gave me my anti-anxiety pill, I swallowed it, wondering if it would really do the trick and calm me enough to get in that tube that I just knew would cave in on me. That may seem like an over-dramatization to you, but let me assure you, I was getting more and more freaked out the closer the appointed time came. I can’t but You can, Lord.
Join me for more tomorrow,
Evinda
January 8th, 2014
Thanks so much for stopping by today for the first WOW of 2014. If you’re new to Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power, WOW stands for Weapons of Warfare with Words of Wisdom. Life can sometimes feel like a nightmarish sort of roller coaster with unexpected twists and turns and gut-wrenching ups and downs. The best way to get through those times is with His Word, His love letters to us, His promises for us. Using His Word as a weapon of warfare will get us through the most painful of circumstances. So grab your coffee and come on in. Have I got a story that brings our first WOW to life!
Have you ever ridden the Montezuma’s Revenge at Knott’s Berry Farm? Oh, em gee, just thinking about it sends my stomach up to my throat because it takes off so fast your tears get frozen in the creases of your eyes and your eyebrows are suddenly plastered to the top of your head. You go from zero to blur in a nanosecond and there’s no way you’re making out any type of scenery along the way. Well, that’s about how 2014 has begun for me.
I am actually writing this for you from my hospital bed, my second one that is. Oh, get comfy. It’s a long story!
It was New Year’s Day and I had been sick for five days and when I woke up that morning feeling no better, I was way beyond disappointed. Why? Well, it was a bummer to begin the New Year that way, but even more disappointing is the fact that we were supposed to join my son and his family at Magic Mountain for their first New Year’s Day tradition, a tradition that he and I had for many years. I was so looking forward to beginning the year like my son and I used to: laughing like no one is listening, throwing all of our cares aside and riding the rides and just making great memories. And what is even cooler is there are no long lines to wait in; it’s like a ghost town because everyone’s home watching football and/or tearing down their Christmas decorations.
Unfortunately, we had to pull out of that plan – the good news is he says we’ll do it for Mother’s Day! I was incredibly disappointed but knew I couldn’t push the issue, let alone my body! I actually was beginning to get a little bit worried because of one symptom, not that I was discounting all the rest, but this one really got my attention and worked like a growing weed in the soil of my mind and it really sprouted after talking with my brother who used to be a hospital corpsman in the Navy. I don’t want to hear you go, Oh, my, TMI, so I’ll spare you the details and just say my liver enzymes were way too high, painting my fluids a very ugly yellow-brown. That symptom, along with insistence from my brother, sent me to ER.
ER on New Year’s Day? Are you kidding me, Lord? Really! So off we went and the whole process went by in a blur. I didn’t wait too long, or so it seemed. And I remember seeing this couple sitting across from us and recognizing the guy more than the lady. When I think I recognize someone, George says I have this bad habit of staring, but lo and behold, he was staring too! Turns out we knew them, or at least him! We had been to their place of business many times and had always had nothing but positive interactions with them. Now, there’s a reason I’m sharing that little coincidence, or God-incidence with you so put that away for later.
After five vials of blood, an ultrasound, and whatever else they did, I was left to sit in the hallway, waiting and wondering while George made a quick trip home to get our phone charger because both our phones were about dead. A few minutes after he left, a P.A. came and sat beside me. She looked at me and very calmly told me that they had seen a slight thickening on one side of my gallbladder and that my liver enzyme levels were way up, so they were going to admit me for further testing.
I remember experiencing a sense of peace after she got up; however, to be honest, a little bit of panic followed as I got up to ask to use a phone. They couldn’t admit me without my husband. Besides, this wasn’t how I envisioned spending the first day of a brand new year. Just as they were coming to get me, George walked in!
How was I to get through this? The worship song, “I can’t but He can” came to the walls of my heart, echoing as they put the IV in me and wheeled me to my room.
Join me tomorrow for more of this medical saga!
Trusting Him,
Evinda
I Can’t But He Can-from Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power
I Can’t but He Can
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
Philippians 4:13
Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power…
Thanks so much for stopping by today for the first WOW of 2014. If you’re new to Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power, WOW stands for Weapons of Warfare with Words of Wisdom. Life can sometimes feel like a nightmarish sort of roller coaster with unexpected twists and turns and gut-wrenching ups and downs. The best way to get through those times is with His Word, His love letters to us, His promises for us. Using His Word as a weapon of warfare will get us through the most painful of circumstances. So grab your coffee and come on in. Have I got a story that brings our first WOW to life!
Have you ever ridden the Montezuma’s Revenge at Knott’s Berry Farm? Oh, em gee, just thinking about it sends my stomach up to my throat because it takes off so fast your tears get frozen in the creases of your eyes and your eyebrows are suddenly plastered to the top of your head. You go from zero to blur in a nanosecond and there’s no way you’re making out any type of scenery along the way. Well, that’s about how 2014 has begun for me.
I am actually writing this for you from my hospital bed, my second one that is. Oh, get comfy. It’s a long story!
It was New Year’s Day and I had been sick for five days and when I woke up that morning feeling no better, I was way beyond disappointed. Why? Well, it was a bummer to begin the New Year that way, but even more disappointing is the fact that we were supposed to join my son and his family at Magic Mountain for their first New Year’s Day tradition, a tradition that he and I had for many years. I was so looking forward to beginning the year like my son and I used to: laughing like no one is listening, throwing all of our cares aside and riding the rides and just making great memories. And what is even cooler is there are no long lines to wait in; it’s like a ghost town because everyone’s home watching football and/or tearing down their Christmas decorations.
Unfortunately, we had to pull out of that plan – the good news is he says we’ll do it for Mother’s Day! I was incredibly disappointed but knew I couldn’t push the issue, let alone my body! I actually was beginning to get a little bit worried because of one symptom, not that I was discounting all the rest, but this one really got my attention and worked like a growing weed in the soil of my mind and it really sprouted after talking with my brother who used to be a hospital corpsman in the Navy. I don’t want to hear you go, Oh, my, TMI, so I’ll spare you the details and just say my liver enzymes were way too high, painting my fluids a very ugly yellow-brown. That symptom, along with insistence from my brother, sent me to ER.
ER on New Year’s Day? Are you kidding me, Lord? Really! So off we went and the whole process went by in a blur. I didn’t wait too long, or so it seemed. And I remember seeing this couple sitting across from us and recognizing the guy more than the lady. When I think I recognize someone, George says I have this bad habit of staring, but lo and behold, he was staring too! Turns out we knew them, or at least him! We had been to their place of business many times and had always had nothing but positive interactions with them. Now, there’s a reason I’m sharing that little coincidence, or God-incidence with you so put that away for later.
After five vials of blood, an ultrasound, and whatever else they did, I was left to sit in the hallway, waiting and wondering while George made a quick trip home to get our phone charger because both our phones were about dead. A few minutes after he left, a P.A. came and sat beside me. She looked at me and very calmly told me that they had seen a slight thickening on one side of my gallbladder and that my liver enzyme levels were way up, so they were going to admit me for further testing.
I remember experiencing a sense of peace after she got up; however, to be honest, a little bit of panic followed as I got up to ask to use a phone. They couldn’t admit me without my husband. Besides, this wasn’t how I envisioned spending the first day of a brand new year. Just as they were coming to get me, George walked in!
How was I to get through this? The worship song, “I can’t but He can” came to the walls of my heart, echoing as they put the IV in me and wheeled me to my room.
Join me tomorrow for more of this medical saga!
Trusting Him,
Evinda
January 7th, 2014
It’s a terrific Tuesday to spend a little coffee break with you! Grab your coffee and let’s get to Step 12 and wrap up this series. Then we’ll be on to our first WOW of the year! I don’t know about you, but my year has definitely taken off at a sort of joltingly fast pace with a very weird twist of unanswered questions, but that’s for another blog!
So, Step 12: Staying spiritually awake so we may carry this message to others via our actions and our words-practicing these principles in all of our affairs.
If you think about it, each step leads to the next. Step 11 tells you how to become spiritually alive, and by practicing 11, you are already stepping into Step 12.
So now let’s bring this closer to home. What have you been working at? What has become your purpose? Can you now see that YOU are Jesus’ purpose? I know that’s a hard concept to grasp but it’s really true. In the journey of the steps, we will discover not only our purpose, but the truth of His love for us, and us being His purpose.
In Luke we read about the purpose of the Jewish leaders: to get rid of Jesus who was fast becoming a threat. They wanted Him crucified. Guess what? That was their purpose but God in turn used their purpose for your purpose and mine.
2nd Corinthians 5:15 says: “He died for (your name) all, that those who live should live no longer for (your name) themselves but for Him who died for them”! There again, can you see that His purpose is You? Put your name in those blanks and say the verse again. Watch it come to life in you!
Galatians 2:20 says: “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me, and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith, in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” Faith will lead you to your God-given purpose!
Take a minute and journal what your purpose has been up until this series.
And if you are wondering what this has to do with the holidays, oh, friends, I have a few quick things to share with you on that as well, so that as this New Year gets closer to the holidays, you will be better prepared because:
1. How we live our holidays is a mere reflection of how we will live the rest of the year.
2. What we do every day leading to the holidays just gets put on steroids during the season!
It’s a lot to take in, the truth that God sent His only begotten Son to the cross to pay for your purpose, but I can guarantee you this with my life; that when you keep showing up, He works!
Let me leave you with this last verse to confirm we are His purpose! 2nd Timothy 1:9: “… who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, [a divine invitation to embrace the salvation of God] not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began.”
Join me tomorrow for our first WOW of the year!
Love and Laughter,
Evinda
12 Steps of Purpose-from Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power
Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power…
It’s a terrific Tuesday to spend a little coffee break with you! Grab your coffee and let’s get to Step 12 and wrap up this series. Then we’ll be on to our first WOW of the year! I don’t know about you, but my year has definitely taken off at a sort of joltingly fast pace with a very weird twist of unanswered questions, but that’s for another blog!
So, Step 12: Staying spiritually awake so we may carry this message to others via our actions and our words-practicing these principles in all of our affairs.
If you think about it, each step leads to the next. Step 11 tells you how to become spiritually alive, and by practicing 11, you are already stepping into Step 12.
- Staying spiritually awake will keep you away from your hurts, habits and hang-ups. When we don’t feed the spiritual component, we begin to fall asleep in our soul. When we fall asleep spiritually, we are easily derailed and go back to our compulsive behavior, drive in others’ lanes, and usually cause wrecks of some sort. The longer we sleep spiritually, the further we go from Him. The further we go from Him the further we are from our purpose, and the more our hurts, habits and hang-ups will control us. Remember, the more space between your hurt/habit and/or hang-up, the clearer your purpose becomes.
- His purpose was/is a down payment for yours. Because He has paid for His purpose, which is you, you can find yours and when you find yours, it encourages others to find theirs.
So now let’s bring this closer to home. What have you been working at? What has become your purpose? Can you now see that YOU are Jesus’ purpose? I know that’s a hard concept to grasp but it’s really true. In the journey of the steps, we will discover not only our purpose, but the truth of His love for us, and us being His purpose.
In Luke we read about the purpose of the Jewish leaders: to get rid of Jesus who was fast becoming a threat. They wanted Him crucified. Guess what? That was their purpose but God in turn used their purpose for your purpose and mine.
2nd Corinthians 5:15 says: “He died for (your name) all, that those who live should live no longer for (your name) themselves but for Him who died for them”! There again, can you see that His purpose is You? Put your name in those blanks and say the verse again. Watch it come to life in you!
Galatians 2:20 says: “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me, and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith, in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” Faith will lead you to your God-given purpose!
Take a minute and journal what your purpose has been up until this series.
And if you are wondering what this has to do with the holidays, oh, friends, I have a few quick things to share with you on that as well, so that as this New Year gets closer to the holidays, you will be better prepared because:
1. How we live our holidays is a mere reflection of how we will live the rest of the year.
2. What we do every day leading to the holidays just gets put on steroids during the season!
It’s a lot to take in, the truth that God sent His only begotten Son to the cross to pay for your purpose, but I can guarantee you this with my life; that when you keep showing up, He works!
Let me leave you with this last verse to confirm we are His purpose! 2nd Timothy 1:9: “… who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, [a divine invitation to embrace the salvation of God] not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began.”
Join me tomorrow for our first WOW of the year!
Love and Laughter,
Evinda
January 6th, 2014
Happy New Year! We are off and running, aren’t we? Thanks for
choosing to spend a little coffee break with me. It means more than you
know. Let’s get back to the conclusion of Step 11. Grab your coffee and
come on in.
So Step 11 tells us to seek through prayer and meditation to improve our conscience contact with God, praying for knowledge of His will/purpose and the power to carry it out. But how is it we truly begin to do that? Is there some magical solution to apply? Well, no, not really. Let me give you some ways to seek Him so you will better understand Him and recognize His will/purpose not just for career, but in all you endeavor to do.
Join me tomorrow for the conclusion to this series, finally! Oh, and we are back on the air today at 1:00 Pacific time with our Blog Talk Radio show, How to Love Who We Love! Join us and if you can’t join us at 1:00, just click on the link and listen when it’s convenient for you! www.blogtalkradio.com/Chicklit-Power
Joyfully,
Evinda
12 Steps of Purpose-from Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power
Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power…
So Step 11 tells us to seek through prayer and meditation to improve our conscience contact with God, praying for knowledge of His will/purpose and the power to carry it out. But how is it we truly begin to do that? Is there some magical solution to apply? Well, no, not really. Let me give you some ways to seek Him so you will better understand Him and recognize His will/purpose not just for career, but in all you endeavor to do.
- How- Meet with Him first thing in the morning-begin your day with Him so you can finish strong. I take my coffee, a little snack, and I go into my writing room. Usually one of our four-legged kids follows me, sometimes both. If you don’t have a room you can go into for some privacy, find a comfy chair in your living room, or even a closet. Find a place where you can be alone with Him and if that means a bathroom, so be it! Make sure you have a Bible, a translation you relate with, and a journal with something to write with. If you have any kind of IPod with some worship music, that will enrich the quality of your time with Him. If you are not used to a quiet time, in the beginning plan for at least fifteen minutes. As you meet with Him more and more, that will probably increase.
- Worship is the first thing. Just listen to one or two of your favorite songs and let them speak to your heart. As the words speak, your heart will soften and prepare you to do the next step, which is to pray. This is nothing more or less than a conversation, which requires two people! What I do to begin my praying is thank Him for things from the previous day, circumstances wherein I recognize that He intervened, guided and/or provided. As I thank Him for things, that leads me to areas of growth and so we meditate on those things for a bit. If you are not sure what to talk with Him about, this is a good way to start. After talking with Him, it’s time for a little of His Word and trust me when I say a little dab will do ya! The more you take time to chew on it, the more your appetite will grow for it. Colossians 3:16-Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing . . .
- The more aware you become of His hand/purpose in your life, the closer you are to discovering who you are, what you were meant to do, and the more inclined you are to do it as He strengthens you each time you meet with Him.
Join me tomorrow for the conclusion to this series, finally! Oh, and we are back on the air today at 1:00 Pacific time with our Blog Talk Radio show, How to Love Who We Love! Join us and if you can’t join us at 1:00, just click on the link and listen when it’s convenient for you! www.blogtalkradio.com/Chicklit-Power
Joyfully,
Evinda
January 3rd, 2014
Wow, the first Friday of the year! Are you enjoying the ride so far? Are you easing into the New Year or have you raced up your first hill? Grab your coffee and let’s get to Step 11 which is easiest when we’ve done Step 10.
Step 11: Seek through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God, praying for knowledge of His will/purpose and the power to carry it out.
Do you have a BFF, someone you don’t even have to plan to call, or spend time with; it just comes easy? You can share just about anything and everything with them, knowing in your heart that they won’t judge you, criticize you, gossip about you, hurt you in any way, at least not on purpose. I’ve heard some couples talk about the ability to finish each other’s sentences because they know and understand each other so well. How does that happen? Conscious, consistent contact! That’s how!
Well, why do we seem to expect all of that from God without that conscious, consistent contact? Is it because He’s “God”? Do we understand and have we come to accept as truth the fact that He longs to have relationship with us, that conscious consistent contact? This step is how we will gain the knowledge necessary to discern His will/purpose for our life and thereafter walk toward it and through it.
But many of us may still have a distorted vision and/or opinion of how they see God. Oh, my heart longs for you to see Him as He truly is: loving, patient, kind, and waiting . . .
Here’s a beautiful description of the One who waits for you to come to Him in prayer and meditation: “The Lord your God in your midst, the Mighty
One, will save! He will rejoice over you with gladness; He will quiet you with His love; He will rejoice over you with singing.” Zephaniah 3:17.
I remember the first time I read that. I wept, literally. Can you even begin to imagine that He rejoices over you with gladness as He waits for you to come to Him in prayer so He can quiet you with His love and rejoice over you with singing? Oh, what a beautiful picture. When I meditate on these Scriptural truths, how can I not reach out to Him for consistent conscious contact?
Join me Monday for the conclusion to this step and we’ll move on to Step 12!
Rejoicing,
Evinda
12 Steps of Purpose for the New Year! From Chicklit Power
Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power…
Wow, the first Friday of the year! Are you enjoying the ride so far? Are you easing into the New Year or have you raced up your first hill? Grab your coffee and let’s get to Step 11 which is easiest when we’ve done Step 10.
Step 11: Seek through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God, praying for knowledge of His will/purpose and the power to carry it out.
Do you have a BFF, someone you don’t even have to plan to call, or spend time with; it just comes easy? You can share just about anything and everything with them, knowing in your heart that they won’t judge you, criticize you, gossip about you, hurt you in any way, at least not on purpose. I’ve heard some couples talk about the ability to finish each other’s sentences because they know and understand each other so well. How does that happen? Conscious, consistent contact! That’s how!
Well, why do we seem to expect all of that from God without that conscious, consistent contact? Is it because He’s “God”? Do we understand and have we come to accept as truth the fact that He longs to have relationship with us, that conscious consistent contact? This step is how we will gain the knowledge necessary to discern His will/purpose for our life and thereafter walk toward it and through it.
But many of us may still have a distorted vision and/or opinion of how they see God. Oh, my heart longs for you to see Him as He truly is: loving, patient, kind, and waiting . . .
Here’s a beautiful description of the One who waits for you to come to Him in prayer and meditation: “The Lord your God in your midst, the Mighty
the Book with ALL the answers!
I remember the first time I read that. I wept, literally. Can you even begin to imagine that He rejoices over you with gladness as He waits for you to come to Him in prayer so He can quiet you with His love and rejoice over you with singing? Oh, what a beautiful picture. When I meditate on these Scriptural truths, how can I not reach out to Him for consistent conscious contact?
Join me Monday for the conclusion to this step and we’ll move on to Step 12!
Rejoicing,
Evinda
January 2nd, 2014
Happy New Year! Are you seat-belted in for the ride ahead? I am.
Hopefully these steps of purpose will help us stay seat-belted and in
the moments of our purpose. Grab your coffee and join me for Step 10.
Step 10: Continue to take moral/personal inventory and when wrong be quick to admit it.
I have to say that this step can be so frustratingly freeing, if that makes sense, but freedom does come and oh, what a feeling! This step is a key that opens the door to so much moral character growth. This has become not just a habit for me but a way of life. Let me share with you how I do this step and how it comes alive in my life.
Each morning, I begin my journaling process by rewinding the events of the day before, things that I am thankful for. I have to list at least three things. That process leads me to a moral/personal inventory of the day before of things I could have done differently, for example, how I spoke to someone, or how I treated someone, how impatient I was. You get the idea, I’m sure. I then pray about those very convictions. Doing this step has helped me to become quicker to admit it, although I’m not as strong as I know I could be in admitting I’m wrong while in the heat of the moment. Does that make sense?
Familiarity leads to habitualness and that can work for both good and not-so-good. So I guess what I’m trying to say is if you begin to do a moral/personal inventory as part of your quiet time with Him, it becomes easier to just admit when you are wrong and move on, wasting less time while keeping your heart clean and your convictions clearer.
What we need to realize is this is another area where He can grow us because how we respond to the realization of being wrong shapes our character. There is no shame in admitting we were wrong, and/or apologizing but for some reason this is most difficult with my husband.
Check out what Proverbs 6:16-19 says: “These six things the Lord hates. Yes,
seven are an abomination to Him: Oppressors, perverse people,
haughtiness, lying, murdering, scheming, eagerness to do evil, a false
witness and sowing discord”!
If you are married, do you find this a challenge with your spouse? Oh, how His Word splashes perspective while giving me strength to do what’s right!
So when it comes to choosing to do a moral/personal inventory, remember these things:
• Take responsibility for your irresponsibility! (June Hunt)
• A moral/personal inventory is a heart softener. The softer the heart, the quicker we can admit our wrongdoings. Admission brings freedom, and freedom stirs up joy!
• Pride interferes with our moral/personal inventory. Lay down pride and let Him reside.
The opposite of pride is humility! Don’t let pride fuel your actions and rip you off of the freedom that comes when doing this step. Remember, what’s in the middle of P-r-I-d-e?
Pride takes an ember and turns it into a raging fire; Step 10 is the water to put that fire out. And one who stands by his/her convictions stands on higher ground.
Join me tomorrow for Step 11.
Evinda
12 Steps to Purpose to take into the New Year! From Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power
Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power…
Step 10: Continue to take moral/personal inventory and when wrong be quick to admit it.
I have to say that this step can be so frustratingly freeing, if that makes sense, but freedom does come and oh, what a feeling! This step is a key that opens the door to so much moral character growth. This has become not just a habit for me but a way of life. Let me share with you how I do this step and how it comes alive in my life.
Each morning, I begin my journaling process by rewinding the events of the day before, things that I am thankful for. I have to list at least three things. That process leads me to a moral/personal inventory of the day before of things I could have done differently, for example, how I spoke to someone, or how I treated someone, how impatient I was. You get the idea, I’m sure. I then pray about those very convictions. Doing this step has helped me to become quicker to admit it, although I’m not as strong as I know I could be in admitting I’m wrong while in the heat of the moment. Does that make sense?
Familiarity leads to habitualness and that can work for both good and not-so-good. So I guess what I’m trying to say is if you begin to do a moral/personal inventory as part of your quiet time with Him, it becomes easier to just admit when you are wrong and move on, wasting less time while keeping your heart clean and your convictions clearer.
What we need to realize is this is another area where He can grow us because how we respond to the realization of being wrong shapes our character. There is no shame in admitting we were wrong, and/or apologizing but for some reason this is most difficult with my husband.
Check out what Proverbs 6:16-19 says: “These six things the Lord hates. Yes,
the Book with ALL the answers!
If you are married, do you find this a challenge with your spouse? Oh, how His Word splashes perspective while giving me strength to do what’s right!
So when it comes to choosing to do a moral/personal inventory, remember these things:
• Take responsibility for your irresponsibility! (June Hunt)
• A moral/personal inventory is a heart softener. The softer the heart, the quicker we can admit our wrongdoings. Admission brings freedom, and freedom stirs up joy!
• Pride interferes with our moral/personal inventory. Lay down pride and let Him reside.
The opposite of pride is humility! Don’t let pride fuel your actions and rip you off of the freedom that comes when doing this step. Remember, what’s in the middle of P-r-I-d-e?
Pride takes an ember and turns it into a raging fire; Step 10 is the water to put that fire out. And one who stands by his/her convictions stands on higher ground.
Join me tomorrow for Step 11.
Evinda
January 1st, 2014
Thanks
so much for stopping by on this special day, the first day of the year
to have a little coffee break. I hope you enjoy these first words from
Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power. Grab your coffee and as you join me for
this little break, bring your imaginations . . .
You will then take the first day of this New Year and follow the line to the 2014 track.
As you make your way over to the New Year’s track, please remember to do the following:
Love and laughter,
Evinda
Enjoy the Ride! Happy New Year . .. From Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power
Enjoy the Ride!
Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power…
Thanks
so much for stopping by on this special day, the first day of the year
to have a little coffee break. I hope you enjoy these first words from
Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power. Grab your coffee and as you join me for
this little break, bring your imaginations . . .
Your ride is slowly coming to an end. Please remain seated with your seat belt fastened.
When the clock hits 12, you will be allowed to exit to the right.You will then take the first day of this New Year and follow the line to the 2014 track.
As you make your way over to the New Year’s track, please remember to do the following:
- Let go of bitterness and resentment.
- Leave past failures behind and take only what you learned from them with you.
- Drop negativity in the trashcan to your right. And if you didn’t quite get rid of it all, no worries; there will be another trashcan on your left just ahead.
- Old hurts, habits and/or hang-ups. For some of you, you only need to resolve to dump an old habit or hurt or hang-up and it will be gone. There will be a dumpster up ahead to throw it in. Remember to not look back. For those of you who will require more work than that, we will be exploring that in the new ride.
- Any doctrine that doesn’t line up with His love letters has got to go. If you still have questions, there will be a few tracks to explore the truths in the new ride.
- Let go of that attitude of poverty and throw it in the burning bush just before you enter the car for the new ride. His monetary and non-monetary blessings await you in and through every new circumstance you will encounter on our ride in the New Year.
- Faith; it only needs to be the size of a mustard seed, but remember, that means “pure” faith with no mixed doctrine!
- 2013’s greatest memories.
- Any valuable lessons you learned from your previous rides/years.
- Your favorite life verse, and if you don’t have one yet, get one before entering. Ask a friend for help or just open up “the Book!”
- Resolve realistically. Don’t make resolutions you have no intention on keeping but when you resolve – which is to partner with the Holy Spirit—you will succeed in all you endeavor on this ride through 2014.
- An attitude of gratitude- it will take you up the impending hills of the new ride.
- Kindness- you will need this for the strangers you will meet as well as for the people who are unkind.
- Peace is essential and cannot be found on the side of the track but it is within you as you take time to sit and be still in the ride.
- Joy stick: though your joy may tend to get a bit buried with the upcoming twists and turns in the New Year, just remember to stir it up with one of His promises and/or your life verse.
- Grace-there will be many people in this ride with you that will need your unmerited favor, just as it has been given to you. Take plenty of this with you before you get in the ride! There will be grace stations along the way to replenish.
- Love-this is the greatest and most important virtue to bring with you as we enter into the New Year for to love others is to have accepted His gift of love and grace to you.
Love and laughter,
Evinda
December 31st, 2013
Wow, the countdown literally starts today, New Year’s Eve! Thanks for
taking the time to stop in and have coffee with me one last time before
the New Year. Grab your coffee and let’s get to Step 8.
Step 8: Make a 2-part list: one side of those we have hurt/offended and the other side will be those who we believe have hurt/offended us. Whew, I hear a “STOP” sign!
Consider this statement before you make your list or as you make your list: If truth is an unveiled reality, then maybe what I feel is an offense has not been uncovered to him or her. What if they aren’t aware that they’ve offended you? Is that possible? After all, things are rarely as they seem. The other truth about this is that respect, Jesus style, is letting someone be who they are, exactly where they are! So in other words, in all interactions, separating the behavior from the one behaving! Oh, isn’t that difficult. I could spend hours with you on stories of offensive behavior from others to me but let me just say this: when we feel offended, we behave offensively! So, make that list because the only one that you have the power to change is U!
Be willing to make amends with each of them. This means asking Him to help prepare your heart so you can purpose to make those amends. Making amends is paving the road to serenity. Romans 12:18 tells us “As much as is possible with you, live peaceably with others.” This makes me think of family relationships, especially around the holidays.
Again, remember, when you get there before Him, He’s not going to talk to you about what they did to you, but how you treated them, regardless! When you really think of it with an eternal perspective, it becomes a lot easier to just let it go!
Here are some principles to take with you as you do this step:
• You have to own it before you can disown it!
• Don’t contemplate if they will accept your amends or not because what they do with your amends is up to them, not you. Make them and move ahead.
• This step also requires that you let go of bitterness, resentment . . .
• He will help right your wrong. This step requires you to truly partner with God because it requires a heart change.
This next step has always boggled my mind a bit, but I think I understand why it’s in there more than I did a few years ago when I began reading and working through the steps. Step 9 says to make those amends directly with those persons except when to do so will cause injury or harm to them. Unfortunately, some of the people we have wounded are sort of frozen on “bitter” and to go to them directly may create more harm as it stirs up the bitterness which increases the woundedness. Pray about sending a letter of amends. There’s always a way!
One of the bases for this step is found in Matthew 5:23-24 – go ahead; look it up.
Amends is more than an apology because it is a clear and purposeful
act designed to resolve conflict, as much as is possible with us.
Try and envision this spiritual principle of forgiveness, not only of others, but of self, which is incredibly freeing: The offense of another produces hurt to the offended. So imagine you as the offended. That hurt or offense is like a handcuff that is put on to the offender by you, the offended. Now you, the offended, are bound to the offender by the grudge you hold.
With this picture in mind, who has the greater power to remove that handcuff, you or the offender? When you forgive, you release yourself. The offender’s guilt can only be removed by the offended!
Forgiveness paves the path to serenity.
Join me Thursday for Step 10! We will finish with this “purpose” series before going to our first WOW of 2014!
Forgiven by Him,
Evinda
12 Steps of Purpose from Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power
Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power…
Step 8: Make a 2-part list: one side of those we have hurt/offended and the other side will be those who we believe have hurt/offended us. Whew, I hear a “STOP” sign!
Consider this statement before you make your list or as you make your list: If truth is an unveiled reality, then maybe what I feel is an offense has not been uncovered to him or her. What if they aren’t aware that they’ve offended you? Is that possible? After all, things are rarely as they seem. The other truth about this is that respect, Jesus style, is letting someone be who they are, exactly where they are! So in other words, in all interactions, separating the behavior from the one behaving! Oh, isn’t that difficult. I could spend hours with you on stories of offensive behavior from others to me but let me just say this: when we feel offended, we behave offensively! So, make that list because the only one that you have the power to change is U!
Be willing to make amends with each of them. This means asking Him to help prepare your heart so you can purpose to make those amends. Making amends is paving the road to serenity. Romans 12:18 tells us “As much as is possible with you, live peaceably with others.” This makes me think of family relationships, especially around the holidays.
Again, remember, when you get there before Him, He’s not going to talk to you about what they did to you, but how you treated them, regardless! When you really think of it with an eternal perspective, it becomes a lot easier to just let it go!
Here are some principles to take with you as you do this step:
• You have to own it before you can disown it!
• Don’t contemplate if they will accept your amends or not because what they do with your amends is up to them, not you. Make them and move ahead.
• This step also requires that you let go of bitterness, resentment . . .
• He will help right your wrong. This step requires you to truly partner with God because it requires a heart change.
This next step has always boggled my mind a bit, but I think I understand why it’s in there more than I did a few years ago when I began reading and working through the steps. Step 9 says to make those amends directly with those persons except when to do so will cause injury or harm to them. Unfortunately, some of the people we have wounded are sort of frozen on “bitter” and to go to them directly may create more harm as it stirs up the bitterness which increases the woundedness. Pray about sending a letter of amends. There’s always a way!
One of the bases for this step is found in Matthew 5:23-24 – go ahead; look it up.
the Book with ALL the answers!
Try and envision this spiritual principle of forgiveness, not only of others, but of self, which is incredibly freeing: The offense of another produces hurt to the offended. So imagine you as the offended. That hurt or offense is like a handcuff that is put on to the offender by you, the offended. Now you, the offended, are bound to the offender by the grudge you hold.
With this picture in mind, who has the greater power to remove that handcuff, you or the offender? When you forgive, you release yourself. The offender’s guilt can only be removed by the offended!
Forgiveness paves the path to serenity.
Join me Thursday for Step 10! We will finish with this “purpose” series before going to our first WOW of 2014!
Forgiven by Him,
Evinda
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