Seven Sacrifices to Joy

Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power...

Happy Hump Day … middle of the week. I love Wednesdays! Grab your coffee and your Red Strand of Faith and let’s go rewind to remind us of the sacrifices we’ve learned about so far before we wrap up the Sacrifice of Righteousness.
There are seven sacrifices required of us in the course of our faith walk! The first one we uncovered was the Sacrifice of Praise. To praise Him in the storm is considered a sacrifice. We don’t necessarily have to praise Him for the storm but we are asked to praise Him in the storm. Do you see the difference? Just like it’s easy to love those we know love us, it’s also easy to praise Him and be thankful when things are going well. But our faith is put to the test when stormy circumstances crash into our lives and beckon our praise and we lift it up above the crashing waves.
The second sacrifice to joy is the Sacrifice of Righteousness, and we have covered a lot of ground on this subject by giving a few examples of what is considered a Sacrifice of Righteousness, including the ground of forgiveness!
Remember, righteousness translates to doing what is right in the sight of God, even when you feel wronged! Since righteousness constitutes a spiritual sacrifice, it stands to reason that it will cost us something. Doing what is right many times carries a genuine price tag.

A great way to walk towards a Sacrifice of Righteousness is by taking a step back. This allows Him to move forward. I was reminded of this after a heated telephone conversation just the other day. Oh, how I love this truth: His word gently but lovingly teaches me while chastising me at the same time! Romans 12:18: “If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men (others).”

Do you see the beginning part, if it is possible? Those words do not denote a permission slip to retaliate; rather, they relieve me of the burden of trying to get the other person to see things my way, or for the other person to be nice! Only what is possible with me! It is not reasonable to expect healthy words and/or actions from unhealthy hurting people! As I write this particular blog, our God is doing all He will to teach me a balance of friendship vs. ministry, and let me tell you, it’s a tough line to figure out. Sometimes, I find myself so passionately involved that it becomes contradictory to ministry and ministering. Did you know you can actually do ministry without God?

Coffee Hour Friend, I so understand how hard it is to just first step back, and not move forward until you can let go and let God! We must become determined to learn this lesson of offering up a sacrifice of righteousness, a lesson that is so multi-faceted; each facet shining through the different form of righteousness and adding depth and solidarity to my joy.

So when we began this particular sacrifice, I had an opportunity to offer Him up a sacrifice of righteousness by being silent after feeling attacked and ridiculed by someone I love in front of someone I love. I failed in that test and the very thing I was teaching someone not to do, I DID!
But God’s not done!
It seems lately that every opportunity to offer up a sacrifice of righteousness involves the same principle but with a bit more depth, and while I’m usually taken off guard when the circumstance happens, I am now more prepared to step back before moving forward in deed and in words.
I’m so thankful that God loves us enough to grant us do-overs, to give us as many second chances as we need to learn how and when to offer up a sacrifice of righteousness.  Trust me when I say He loves us too much to not grant us opportunity after opportunity to offer up a sacrifice of righteousness. In fact, I can almost bet you will have at least one to three opportunities to do just that. And when you get stopped in your tracks by someone else’s meanness, sarcasm, or any kind of act that is intended to hurt you or maybe not intended to but it does, think on the ultimate example of Christ as He hung on a cross so that we could become righteous: “Forgive them Father for they know not what they do?”
Yes, each do-over is a form of refining and God’s refining fire is so painfully brilliant at times it throws me to my face in humility and causes me to beg for the water of His Word. Yes, humility is a necessary pool to bathe in, especially as I prepare to go into the trenches with others who are struggling with wounds, weaknesses, and worries. I must not forget where I came from and how I came to Who I came!
There are so many mini downloads, as I call them, for the recent lessons He has been faithful to teach me about offering up a Sacrifice of Righteousness, but the loudest one echoing in the nooks of my heart and gushing out into my whole being is found in 1^st Peter 5:6: “Humble yourself before the mighty hand of God that He may exalt you in due time”: in other words, when I feel others have wronged me, I don’t need to be the teacher of the lesson I think they need to learn. The cost is too great! Think about it like this: When a fire starts, do I add a match, or walk away and thus let it go out?
I love what He promises in 1^st Peter 5:7 when we do just that: “casting all your cares on Him for He cares for you.” After all, if I am a Christian who does not love the unlovable, then I am without the greatest gift, love which grows joy!
Oh, friends, He is so good to hold us accountable and I am not quite giggling as I realize He’s done just that: held me accountable to the very thing I share with others on so many occasions in ministry: Just because someone verbally slaps us with their perceptions, doesn’t give us permission to slap them back with ours. There is no unity in that. In fact, love is the framework for unity and truly listening adds shades of beauty to beautiful to describe but seldom seen. If all I am able to do is concentrate on defending what’s being said, then I am not focused with a heavenly perspective of unity. Rather, I have missed what’s not being said and forgotten about the One who will defend me when it’s all said and done.
Having a heavenly perspective in an earthly battle will keep us from stepping out of the bigger picture, which is unity in and for the Bride of Christ, the ultimate Kingdom of which we are headed. Oh, to be a kingdom builder and not a building destroyer.
Ask yourself: Can I agree to disagree, in love, for the greater good of Him?
Whew, I better let you go and tomorrow we’ll wrap up this sacrifice … for sure, and move on to the third of seven!
Love,

 Evinda

Seven Sacrifices to Joy

Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power...

Thanks so very much for joining me for our Coffee Hour and some more tying of knots in our Red Strand of Faith. Grab your SOF (strand of faith) and your coffee and let’s finally get into the first sacrifice of joy, since we have a good grasp on sacrifice.
You know, the deeper I dig into His Word, the more I realize how little I know … but what an adventure it is to be in the school of life and try to apply what we are learning in each and every classroom/lesson He has prepared for us, the answers of which are all in this one incredible Book. His lessons are noteworthy and praiseworthy!
Speaking of praise, let’s get to our first sacrifice to joy: Praise! Let’s go to Hebrews 13:15:  "By Him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to His name." So sacrifice number 1 is praise.
I don’t know about you, but for me, it’s easy to praise Him when things are appearing praiseworthy! When life is good, it’s easy to praise, right?
Why do you suppose that “praise” is a sacrifice then?”
Well, I know when I’m feeling like picking up my broom and flying around the room, and maybe even leaving home with it, to stop and actually praise Him in the heat of the moment brings a hot flash so strong it feels like a current pulling the opposite direction, or like pulling the reigns in on a wild horse that refuses to listen to direction! You know what I’m talking about?  Just the other day, I was getting my vitamins out of the cabinet and tipped over my freshly poured glass of water … all over my cook books, down the cabinet and onto the floor. This was FIRST thing in the morning! Is this going to be how my day goes, I muttered? Instantly I was reminded that this was one of those moments where I could praise or prattle!
But what about the more significant moments in our lives, those really hard lessons where you know that you know that you know that He is relentlessly endeavoring to show you something, give you hints, teach you a new lesson for the current season of your life and/or gift you with a revelation for a relevant situation?
I’m giggling as I write this because the smallest thing, like a spilt glass of water, can send me in a tailspin so far from the current lesson He has prepared for me but the deeper things are easier for me to recognize the lesson He has prepared to teach me. In other words, the deeper I go, the more I grow, but when I come up for air … I can sometimes be found gasping and sputtering for reprieve!
I find myself crying out, why do you gotta go so deep, Lord? (I’m hearing these words and the song “Why you gotta be so cruel” comes to mind! :-) ) Why is it I can’t just share surface stuff, in other words get to learn simple lessons in a simple way?
See, I am currently in the throes of the classroom of Meekness 101, and He is using the most unsuspecting people to teach me what it means to be meek, to have a quiet strength and power that literally renders me in control when others are completely out of control. Oh, you talk about a sacrifice!  What does that look like? Well, have you ever sat and listened to a person, I mean truly listened without interrupting, and not spoken until you have completely understood what they’ve said, even when they’re sitting there spewing out all kinds of negative things about you? I have and because I left my pride in the car, determined to truly listen and keep my mouth shut, I was able to see where the source of anger and pain was coming from and validate this person without agreeing with her!  It really wasn’t about me but her misperceptions were definitely tied to the pain of the past which kept driving her emotional car.
That was probably my first huge test, sort of equivalent to a final, in this class that I feel I passed. And as I look back over the last couple of weeks and all the other tests in Meekness 101 and rewind the painful lessons, I see the glimpses of meekness beginning to shine through the cracks as the sun rises into a new day. So though it’s been painful, it is oh so praiseworthy!
Have you ever learned a lesson wrought with pain that twisted you into change? Were you able to see the value of the lesson shining through into your heart as it changed your life? Were you and are you able to offer up a sacrifice of praise for His relentless love that can’t leave us the way we are but inspires us to become all that we were meant to be?
Join me tomorrow for more on this first sacrifice!
Love and laughter,
Evinda

Nana Holds!

Welcome back to more of Nana Holds. Grab your coffee and come on in.

So these emotional tug-of-wars with various ropes would last a few days each time he came back from his grandma who he calls mommy and while struggling to understand some of what I was feeling and why I was feeling it, I showed up sort of on automatic. It’s not that I didn’t want to care for him; I’ve moved way beyond that and I have surrendered to Him in this season. But there was something keeping me from something, and that’s all I knew. I wondered why he and I were bonding so differently and so slowly, and why he didn’t love me the way he loved her! Is it because we are not blood-related? Talk about feeling like a bull in a china cabinet bucked to and fro by my frustrations!

And please don’t misunderstand these mixed emotions for jealousy because I truly am not jealous; rather I am a bit envious of what they share. Incidentally, I happen to really love this woman, Bryden’s fraternal grandmother, and we are truly becoming good friends who are, I believe, learning from each other!

It was in these short periods that I would catch myself dwelling on the cost of the sacrifice in this season but deep down in my soul, I acknowledged that He allowed it. I could choose to be bitter or choose to be better. Paul tells us in 1st Thessalonians 5:17 to give thanks in all circumstances for this is His will for us.

See, I don’t believe it was/is His perfect will for a child to be born out of wedlock, or in the midst of so much dysfunction – we could discuss the painful situations all day that are endless and happening all around us — but what I know that I know that I know is I can praise Him for what He can do while I’m in this circumstance, in this season of being mama-nana to this wonderfully-engaging and gregarious little boy. So although there are times I just humanly cannot praise Him for this circumstance as I’m in it, I can praise Him for His sovereignty as I’m in it!

Join me Wednesday for some fun memories that we created in this process.

Thoughtfully,

Evinda