Don't You Remember? - by Angie Roehm

The mullet was starting to grow on the back of my almost 2-year-old's head and my own hair was too heavy to hold a curl. My friend and hairdresser had an opening in an hour, so armed with granola bars and raisins, I packed Jack up and decided to brave it. He had been doing well sitting still for meetings and having patience during appointments; I figured he could eat a snack for the 15 minutes it would take for my hair to simply be trimmed.

We all see where the story is going, don't we?  After he had his hair trimmed, the raisins were not enough for Jack to sit still without squirming. All of the times I have trusted him before, didn't matter. He was going to show his age, and act like the toddler he is: busy.

My friend didn't seem to mind and she just kept right on going. As I sat there, I could hear the whispers of the only other customer in the salon. She was echoing the guilt I already felt; I should have waited to come until I could find a babysitter for my son.

For the final few minutes I was in the chair, I could hear the other customer talking about her kids. It sounded like they were probably college-aged.  As I left the salon, it made me wonder, “do you remember what it was like?”

And I asked this question of her in my head, I sense the Lord whispering to me, “Will you remember?  Will you be who you wanted others to be during this time?”

Most importantly, “Right now, are you remembering?”

Matthew 16:5-11

5 The disciples crossed over to the other side of the lake. They had forgotten to take bread. 6 “Be careful,” Jesus said to them. “Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”

7 The disciples talked about this among themselves. They said, “He must be saying this because we didn’t bring any bread.”

8 Jesus knew what they were saying. So he said, “Your faith is so small! Why are you talking to each other about having no bread? 9 Don’t you understand yet? Don’t you remember the five loaves for the 5,000? Don’t you remember how many baskets of pieces you gathered? 10 Don’t you remember the seven loaves for the 4,000? Don’t you remember how many baskets of pieces you gathered? 11 How can you possibly not understand? I wasn’t talking to you about bread. But watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”

Jesus reminded the disciples he wasn't talking about the physical bread, but to be mindful of the heart of the Pharisees.  They needed to remember all they had personally witnessed of Jesus.

In the same way, God’s tender whisper to me this morning had little to do with the moment with my toddler, and everything to do with reminding me how He alone has provided for me.

Are we remembering who we used to be without Jesus?  Are we remembering our moments when we believed a lie and fell on our knees for forgiveness?  

As we look around us, are we judging those struggling in the big or small things, or are we bringing encouraging words and the hope of victory in Jesus, the hope we too need?

Remembering is choosing to embrace the empathy to be an encourager.

I want to remember what it was like to have a toddler when I am far past this stage and I want to always be looking for those ahead of me to remind me that this season, too, shall pass.

Let's embrace empathy and encourage those who are climbing a mountain we have crossed over. As someone reaches out a hand to help pull us up our next hill, thank the Lord for the hope we see for ourselves in someone else.

Angie Roehm seeks to encourage others to let the power of God's spirit flow through their everyday lives. Armed with a math degree and a type-A personality, she is learning to look only to God as He directs her to step out in faith with her writing and speaking. Angie and her husband Jason live in the Cincinnati area with their 3 kids, where they enjoy watching their girls dance, tossing the ball with their toddler, and cheering on the Indianapolis Colts. 

Connect with Angie at www.angieroehm.com

The Refreshment Jesus offers ~ A Guest Post by Jennie Atkins

It’s hot. You’re sweating—okay, women don’t sweat, we perspire.  It still doesn’t change the fact that the thermometer has crept far too close to the unpleasant three-digit mark and the humidity of summer has left your hair limp, your attitude as unsettled as the air before a thunderstorm, and you’re uncomfortable.

Imagine that someone hands you a tall glass of iced tea or ice-cold water with lemon. Or pushes you into the deep end of a cool pool. Or both, like the remake of the 1980’s Nestea commercial.  Ahhh! Refreshing!  It hits the spot and gives you an instant attitude adjustment.

Now consider your life. Are you so overwhelmed with earthly responsibilities, stressed to the max, or just tired to the bone?  Are the demands on your time endless? Don’t get me wrong, all of these things—you spouse, family, and job—are valid demands, but you feel as if there is no end in sight.

 

Well I am handing you a tall glass of refreshment.

In John 4:13 Jesus tells the Samaritan woman “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

Jesus is our living water. Our eternal refreshment that goes far beyond drenching our parched throats. It quenches the cravings of our soul.

The refreshment Jesus offers is never-ending.

Ezekiel 47 tells us about Ezekiel’s prophetic vision of the river flowing from the new temple. The water flowed from under the threshold flowing eastward.  The further away from the temple it went the deeper and wider it became.

Verse 5 says it “was deep enough to swim in—a river that no one could cross.” This river, is a picture of God’s refreshment. It is an endless flow coming straight from the throne of God. He longs to give us all we need. Whether it be peace and refreshment or strength to tackle the day ahead. Either way, we can drink from His endless supply of living water.

The refreshment Jesus offers sustains life.

Verse 9 tells us “Swarms of living creatures will live wherever the river flows.” And “where the river flows everything will live.”  In God there is abundant life, life in Him. 

There is a river near me that is a sea of color from the sheer number fish trying to make their way upriver to spawn. This is exactly the picture that forms in my mind when I read this verse. It also tells of the fishermen standing in the water, their nets spread wide to take in God’s abundance. God gives us everything we need to live abundantly, in Him. We shall be like the fishermen, our nets open and full of his blessings.

The refreshment Jesus offers has the power to heal.

Verse 12 shows us “Fruit trees of all kinds will grow on both banks of the river. Their leaves will not wither, nor will their fruit fail…Their fruit will serve for food and their leaves for healing.” With God’s living water, there is sustenance and there is healing—for our bodies and our spirit.

Sometimes our lives leave us hot, thirsty, and dry. Stop what you’re doing and take a long sip from the well of living water. Drink of the refreshment Jesus has to offer. You’ll never thirst—or want—again. 

A native Ohioan, Jennie and her husband of almost 40 years have sold their home and are ready to begin the “next chapter” of their life together—a step in faith—destination unknown. While packing their home and waiting for all the paperwork to be done, Jennie loves to garden, sew, or go four-wheeling. Jennie has four children and four grandchildren.

Connect with Jennie at JennieAtkins.com 

Feeling a Bit Overwhelmed with Bad News? ~ By @ShelleyHendrix

I was struggling a bit one morning recently as I read the headlines and even the posts running through my social media newsfeed. There are so many needs. 

There are so many things going wrong. There is so much injustice in the world. 

Stephen and I were the recipients of some of that "injustice" recently. It reminded me of a picture my mom gave me when I was in 9th grade. I searched the pic out so that I could put it here for you to see. 

(I don't have rights to this pic below, and found it here.) 

Do you ever feel this way?

So, I took a long walk. I listened to my playlist while I walked alongside the ocean in my new home town. As Seth Condrey sang "Here I stand, arms open wide. I am Yours, and You are mine;" and as I listened and prayed and walked and listened some more, I began to feel God's peace and presence. 

Yes, there is a lot going on. Any one of us would change it all if we could. But as His child, I'm choosing once again to trust my Heavenly Father's goodness, awareness, involvement, and plans for this world and for my own life.

"I am Yours and You are Mine."

A wise woman once told me that God put us in a body for a reason: He never intended us to be in more than one place at a time. This helps me remember to engage where I am and to be present with those around me as much as possible.

My friend, Steve Mason told me, "All any one of us deal with is what God sets before us at any given moment. It is so easy to be overwhelmed by this world. When we are overwhelmed we cannot be present for the next person who needs our attention and love."

Let's continue to pray, to give of our time and resources, and to go where He leads; but as we do, it's also helpful to keep in mind that God never expected us to save the world. He has already taken care of that. 

 Shelley Hendrix is the founder of Church 4 Chicks as well as Shelley Hendrix Ministries and the co-founder of a new ministry collaboration called Team Redeemed (a ministry to those whose lives have been impacted by infidelity). 

You can find Shelley's website, social media links and more at www.ShelleyHendrix.com but you'll typically find her sipping coffee, scrounging for chocolate, and petting her dog while hovered over her laptop.