Dare Nineteen… The Respect Dare
Just an inside tidbit of debated truth in our house – it wasn’t 17 frying pans.
It was 27.
And yes, gluttony rears its ugly head in multiple ways, at church picnics, and in keeping and acquiring.
So now we have 8 pans we fry in.
And while I’d love to be inspirational today, love to spur you on to do hard things, choose respect, choose to disagree while being agreeable (AKA submission) the truth is I’m clinging to hope with my fingernails at the moment.
I’m not sure which way is up.
Something rocked my world this week that causes me great pause and leaves me weak in the knees.
Maybe you are dealing with something bigger than you, bigger than your faith maybe, at the moment, too.
As if the stress of a child/man/boy surgery isn’t enough…
This is the bar that pulled my son’s sternum out of his chest nearly four years ago.
They removed it last week.
Given that insertion required nearly 8 weeks of recovery due to pneumonia and other complications, I was braced for the worst with the removal.
But it was miraculously different.
A blessing.
A gift.
And not even three days later, he is sore, but doing life with just a little extra tiredness.
So we are thankful.
And I’m counting this blessing.
Over and over again, I count it.
Because less than a week before his surgery, I cried crocodile tears of happy sad joy while he graduated from high school. Happy for this new adventure he is beginning, sad joy because the little boy he was is gone and there was so very much fun with him.
And it is an ending.
So I went into his surgery emotionally wiped out, and thankfully all is well.
But now this new thing brings the flames of fear licking around the periphery of my moments. And all I know how to do right now is cling.
Because my devotional said this week, “Trust Me here and now, You are in a rigorous training – on an adventurous trail designed for you alone. This path is not of your choosing, but it is My way for you. I am doing things you can’t understand. That is why I say, “Trust Me!” … “Find hope in Me, beloved, for I am taking care of you. Focus on enjoying Me and all that I am to you – even though your circumstances scream for resolution. Refuse to obsess about your problems and how you are going to fix them. In stead, affirm your trust in Me; wait hopefully in My Presence, and watch to see what I will do.”
Sarah Young’s Jesus Today, page 22.
Micah 7:7 Therefore I will look to the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me.
1 Corinthians 14:33, 40 For God is not a God of disorder, but of peace…but everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way.
Whether it is frying pans or fear, there’s always such a thing as too much. With fear, it’s any.
So cling with me today.
And I promise to share more when I can.
Love to you,
I am praying for you during this season of change and transition and leave you with words from a very wise woman: You are loved by an Almighty God.
🙂 Thank you, Cindy. 🙂 I appreciate the prayers and the reminder. He is Almighty. I forget sometimes.
Love to you,
~Nina
Dear Nina, I don’t write very often but wanted you to know I will say a prayer for you tonight. Thank you for all that you do. This blog is a blessing to me.
Jlaman –
Thank you for letting me know – It helps to know that the perseverance blesses someone. 🙂 God is good. ALL the time, even when I’m as blind as can be. 🙂 And any good you’ve ever seen from me, is all Him! 🙂
Love to you,
~Nina
Praise God that Adam is recovering so quickly!! I was very surprised when Chris said he saw him at a grad open house. We are thanking God for answering our (and your) prayers! He is a very bright young man and God has big plans for him.
Praying for you. These words nourish my soul as well. Thank you for your example and honesty.
Mary Lou! 🙂
NOURISH. Yes. It is food to know another’s journey sometimes. Jesus is the way the truth, the light, God incarnate, and while the Holy Spirit is with us, sometimes I’m blind to His leading because my pain is greater than my faith. Were it easier, it might not mean so much. Glad you are here. Any good you see is the Father within me, as I assure you, I’m as big a sinner as they come, saint saved by grace, however, and so very thankful. 🙂
Love to you,
~Nina
Thank you for stepping one day at a time. Trusting-one moment at a time. praying
Jennifer –
It is so moment to moment sometimes, isn’t it? Sometimes with each breath.
Glad you are here, beloved.
~Nina
Such a blessing when written words are not only confirmation of what God spoke to me earlier but also exactly what I needed to hear and when I needed it. Yes, indeed, clinging with you today….
Prayers with you, dear sister, as you cling, too. It is a hard road sometimes, often one we make difficult ourselves as He is stretching our trust muscles. I claim to be growing in this area… 🙂
Love to you,
~Nina
I think that learning about the charismatic movement will be beneficial, although extremely difficult to accept, as it was for me. Here is an excerpt from the Strange Fire Conference (pray to the Sovereign Lord of creation before reading!)~ JOHN: And just because it isn’t heresy, we’re supposed to say it’s new revelation. If it’s not heresy, it’s new revelation. But all things that God has deemed for us to know for life and godliness are already on the pages of holy Scripture and no new revelation is required or allowed. But for them to say it’s not new revelation is ridiculous. If God’s saying it, it’s revelation. When Sarah Young writes these books Jesus is Calling, and she says Jesus is speaking to me and Jesus says this, and then writes the book in the first person, she is claiming these are the words of Jesus. That’s scary.
Martha –
I’m sorry, maybe I’m not understanding your response correctly. I view Sarah Young’s writing differently than the Bible, but do view the Scriptures within it as the Bible. I don’t view her writing any different than my own, I guess, and I’ve also been accused of being a heretic, because I’ve shared the stories of how Scripture came to life in women’s lives in my book – as if that were the only application, which is simply not true.
I don’t believe Sarah Young has claimed to be the voice of Jesus in any of her writings, but instead has created a paraphrase. I could be wrong about this, however, and if you have specific examples of how she claims to speak for God Himself and how she’s maligned the Word with her paraphrase (like the Message is also a paraphrase) I’d prefer you take those issues up with her first, as that’s not what my blog is about and I would prefer not to criticize others in the way they follow their calling. Please feel free to email me directly about your concerns if you still have them after you talk with her. And please know I don’t mean to be sarcastic with that suggestion – I’ve personally spoken with many Christian authors – most of us enjoy the opportunity to clear up any misconceptions about our work and apologize to those we offend while living out our calling.
And just so you know, I believe all of us humans, myself included, are going to be imperfect in our representation of Him at times. Google your favorite Christian author. You’ll find tons of Christians calling that person names. The reality is we need to observe whether or not there is fruit, and choose wisely for ourselves what we ingest. It’s not my intent to claim her book as the Bible today, but merely to share a moment where God encouraged me in what is a super difficult time in my life. I hope you can see that.
And I’m really really very sorry, but I’m just not up for a whole lot of debate today. Please hear my words in the gentle and kind tone in which I mean them. I’m glad you are here.
Love to you,
~Nina
Dear Nina,
I am sorry that I came off as wanting to debate. It was not my intention. It’s just that when I read Sarah Young’s name in your post, it sent a red flag in my mind. So I researched and found the excerpt that I posted for you and shared my thoughts about it.
Also, this morning I couldn’t get my mind off you and the trial you are experiencing as I read Psalm 119:145-152. I hope it helps:
QOPH.
145 I have called with my whole heart; answer me, O Jehovah: I will keep thy statutes.
146 I have called unto thee; save me, And I shall observe thy testimonies.
147 I anticipated the dawning of the morning, and cried: I hoped in thy words.
148 Mine eyes anticipated the night-watches, That I might meditate on thy word.
149 Hear my voice according unto thy lovingkindness: Quicken me, O Jehovah, according to thine ordinances.
150 They draw nigh that follow after wickedness; They are far from thy law.
151 Thou art nigh, O Jehovah; And all thy commandments are truth.
152 Of old have I known from thy testimonies, That thou hast founded them for ever.
Martha –
Thank you for this. 🙂 I appreciate concern and the Word. It is always so very good. 🙂
Love to you,
~Nina
Praying for you today, Nina. 🙂
Thank you, Trixie. 🙂 It’s a rough road some days, isn’t it? 🙂 Thank you for the love and blessing of petition. Definitely a gift from Him.
Love to you,
~Nina
Nina, I have both of Sarah YOung’s books.. The devotionals in them have brought me through many a day. Cling to the words you shared. I know The Lord is with you in what ever is troubling you. Give it over to him as best you can. Ask for his peace to wash over you.
I pray for you, this ministry, daughter’s of Sara, and any other thing that you touch. You and this book/ministry/blog have been a blessing in my life.
Thank you, Tiffanie. 🙂 Any good you see has been from Him… 🙂
Thanks for sharing your devotional with us, Nina. And I am so glad that all went so very well with the bar being removed from your son’s sternum!