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Archive for God – Page 3

Time to Bow

Posted by Bettina Dowell on Tuesday, March 16th, 2010 in Deployment | Comments (0)

          Having a family full of performing artists, I have seen my share of curtain calls.  It is interesting to watch the different takes any given production has on how to end their show and enjoy some applause.  Whatever method they may choose, evenings normally end with performers receiving their thanks in applause while humbling themselves before the audience in a bow. 

          God showed me very early in this deployment that one of our many classroom subjects was going to be about bowing.  From almost the time Rob received his orders, I felt the Lord was telling me that my fears were going to have to learn to bow down with me at the cross.  Together, my fears and I needed to learn to fear Him.

          Wow, what a tall order that sounded like to me.  Fear seemed like the go-to appropriate emotion when one was sending their spouse to a war zone, right?  And what exactly was all this stuff about me fearing God anyway?  What did it really mean?  Isn’t God love and all that warm fuzzy stuff?  Why am I supposed to fear Him? 

          Lots of questions, lots of opportunities to grow.  First of all – fear of sending my spouse into a war zone.  How was that very legitimate concern supposed to learn to bow down?  God began to show me that my fears were based in a lack of trust in His provision.  Though all my fragile human mind and heart could see was that Rob was walking into a dangerous arena, the truth God reminded me of is that He has already numbered Rob’s days.  Nothing can reach Rob in a war zone that has not first passed through the hands of a very loving Father, who is always, ultimately about our good.  While I felt God understood my fear, I also felt Him encouraging me to release it, and Rob, to Him. 

          Next lesson – What does it mean to fear God?  For me this has meant learning how to have reverence for who God is.  Fear has such a negative implication for us today, but in the Bible, the word is often used to denote reverence and respect.  My children are crazy about their father and have very close relationships with him.  But even as adults, they do not cross him.  You can call that reverence, respect or good healthy fear.  Fear and reverence for God are so very similar.  As I get to know God better and grow in my understanding of who He is, my response to His presence is one of fear and reverence.  In very simple terms, I do not want to mess with my Father.   

          Last question – Why does God want me to fear Him?  Through this deployment, God has shown me that as I learn to fear (or reverence) Him, I begin to understand more of who He really is and how much He loves me.  As I learn to fear Him, I know that He is sovereign.  No one can reach me or my family without walking through Him first.  When those dark thoughts rail against my mind in the night, I can remember that only He is in control of the destiny of both my husband and me. Neither the military nor the insurgents get to decide our fates.  Nothing will come to us that has not passed through God’s loving hands.  It may not be easy, but God will work anything meant for evil towards us for our good.  My fear of God can become a place of rest for me.

          So, how have I done in God’s classroom as the curtain starts to fall on this deployment?  Let’s put it this way – please don’t ask to see my report card!  There have been way more tears and way more fears than I had ever hoped to be dealing with during this time.  In spite of my poor performance as a student, I am so thankful for the lessons God has given me in this particular classroom that I would have never chosen for myself or my family. 

Fears, is it time to bow? – I think so.

Then a voice came from the throne, saying:

“Praise our God, all you His servants,

you who fear Him, both small and great.

Revelation 19:5 (NIV)

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Little Strength

Posted by Bettina Dowell on Tuesday, February 16th, 2010 in Deployment | Comments (5)

It was another Skype call followed by another set of tears.  While trying to maintain some kind of resolve and a degree of composure, I felt myself breaking like the snow-laden branches outside my window.   Not wanting to make things any more difficult for my spouse who is living a life of working 15 hour days, 7 days/week in a foreign, often dangerous land, I quickly hit the “End Call” button.  My heart said, “Don’t let go!” while my head said, “Don’t add to his difficulty.”

Surely I was doing something wrong.  Did this really have to be so hard?  Why was I still having days when I just dissolved emotionally?  I mean come on, I am a child of God Almighty.  My husband and I have been married for 28 years.  This is not the first time we have walked through deployment.  For pete’s sake, I even write pieces of encouragement for military wives!  What a fraud.  Why was I such a failure?

I know your deeds.  See, I have placed before you an open door that no

one can shut.  I know that you have little strength,

yet, you have kept my word and not denied my name.

Revelation 3:8 (NIV)

Wow.  God knows.  He knows exactly how I am doing.  I may fool the world, my friends, my children or even my spouse, but God knows my deeds.  And He sees my hurt.

Wow.  God has an open door for me.  As I wait anxiously to develop the ability to “properly execute a deployment” (whatever that means!), God is ready and available to help me the minute I stop thrashing through the deep waters trying to do everything by myself.  He makes His power readily available to me anytime I choose to walk through His always open door.

Wow.  God knows that I have little strength.  No matter what I expect of myself or feel like others expect of me, God is keenly aware of my condition.  I have total need of His grace and mercy just to make it from one day to the next.  And no matter how good a show I may put on for others, He is always aware of my limitations.  They have not escaped his gaze nor caused Him to look upon me with disappointment.

When I view my current situation through the lens of God’s word, I find that I am indeed a woman of little strength.  And, amazing as it may seem, that thought gives me peace.   As we draw closer to the close of my spouse’s military career, I realize the day is probably not going to come when I do deployments well.  So, that is my underwear hanging on the line – I am a military spouse who does not handle deployments well.  Who sometimes dissolves into tears at the end of (or even during) a Skype call.  A woman of little strength.  But I serve a God who is strong indeed.  And His word encourages me.

For when I am weak, then I am strong.

2 Corinthians 12:10b (NIV)

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Not Too Late To Set 2010 Goals

Posted by Deanna on Saturday, January 30th, 2010 in Deployment | Comments (3)

At the beginning of each year, there is a desire within me for a new beginning, a fresh start.  We are four weeks into the New Year and yes that desire is still there, but something is different.  In a “normal” year, I like to sit down the first week of January and make a list of goals of what I want to accomplish during the upcoming year.  Realization is starting to settle in and I am figuring out that 2010 is not one of those “normal” years.  I am in the midst of my husband’s deployment, working full time and a mother of a busy teenager.  So, at the end of the day, my only goal is to get in bed and try to fall asleep at a decent hour so I can start the next day all over again.  Does this sound familiar to some of you?

Goal setting for me has always been about what I want to accomplish in the New Year.  Even though I have not taken the time to write out my goals for this New Year, God has used the last couple of weeks preparing my heart for His goals that He has for me.  Whether it is through reading His word, listening to excellent teachings of His word, having conversations or quiet time in prayer, God is speaking to me and this year I do not want to miss what He is saying.  I would like to share with you some thoughts and scriptures that God has given me that may help you look at goal setting differently and also help you reach your God-given potential this year.

Just recently I read and studied the story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead in John 11.  Jesus had asked for the stone to be rolled away from the tomb.  Martha’s response was no different than how we would have responded.  She told him there would be a stench since Lazarus had been dead for four days.  Jesus replies to her, “Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?”  A question that was asked of me, I now ask of you.  What stone in your life are you refusing to roll away?  I truly believe that if God has given us dreams and visions for our life, He will sometimes ask us to roll away some stones.  Do you believe?  Do you want to see the glory of God?  This year allow and cooperate with God as He prepares you for what He has in store for you.

Whatever goals God has given you to achieve this year, refuse to live your life without passion and enthusiasm.  Ecclesiastes 9: 10 (NKJ) states, “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going.”  Refuse to overlook or lose sight of the gift that God placed in you.  Paul, in his letters to Timothy, tells him in 1 Timothy 4:14, “Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery.”  Paul reminds him again in 2 Timothy 1:6, “Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands.”

This new year, join me as I prayerfully ask God what He wants to accomplish through me in 2010.  He has something spectacular prepared for each of us.  Ephesians 2:10 (NIV) states, “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

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Resolutions

Posted by Bettina Dowell on Sunday, January 17th, 2010 in Faith | Comments (0)

It happens every January.  The stores quickly clear out the leftover merchandise of Christmas to replace it with all the latest books, gizmos and gadgets associated with exercise and weight loss.  No sooner are the last bowl games wrapping up then fans begin discussing NFL playoffs.  Children and college students return to school in a combination of “Oh, no!” and “Oh, yes!” responses.  And people make New Year’s resolutions.

Every January I would attempt to join the bandwagon.  This year, I am going to lose weight.  This year, I am going to begin exercising every day.  This year, I will not be late for anything, ever.  With great zeal and fervor, I would launch into the New Year, excited about tackling my new-found goals. 

By the end of January, the picture would often be quite different.  If my goal was weight loss, by the end of January, the celery sticks might have been replaced by some warm brownies and a promise to start over again soon.  If my goal had been to exercise every day, my schedule would have often adjusted and exercise on a weekly, not daily, basis might have become my new target, if my goal was remembered at all.  If my goal had been being on time, I would rationalize that obviously the increased chaos at home lately made it impossible for me to arrive on time every time.  Whatever the resolution, whatever the excuse, by the end of January, my resolve would have pretty much dissolved in a puddle of discouragement over my failures or rationalize over my excuses.  Until last year.

Last year was the first year that God did something very different in my heart.  Instead of jumping on the band wagon of resolutions, I allowed God to give me some words to carry in my heart.  They were not revolutionary or rocket science concepts, but they spoke deeply to me and gave me an anchor for what God might want to do in my life during 2009.  Little did I know, He was going before me in ways I could not have begun to imagine in January 1st. 

2009 was to be the year of our firstborn son’s wedding.  2009 was to be the year of our second son’s college graduation.   2009 was to be the year of my husband’s retirement from the Naval Reserve after 28 years of service.  All these events sparked excitement and anticipation of many celebrations for our family.  And celebrate we did.  Our firstborn married his sweetheart and we added a beautiful, godly young woman to our family.  Our second born walked across the stage and received his college diploma.  But instead of celebrating Rob’s retirement, we packed his bags and sent him to Iraq. 

So what now?  Where were my words as my world unexpectedly turned upside down?  I can tell you this.  As Rob shared news of his orders with me late one night (I think we experienced the concept of “shock and awe” in a whole new dimension!), there was not a New Year’s resolution I could have made in January that would have given me support in that hour.  But the words God had given me flew to my heart and mind.  Those words let me know, even in my pain, that we were going to be okay, because the words He had given me were His words. 

How about you?  Are you finding yourself at the end of January with already burned out resolutions?  What words might God be waiting to give you?  How does He want to walk you down the path that He has seen and already prepared for you this year?  Take a moment and ask Him for the words He has for you in 2010.  His words will outlast and strengthen you long after all resolutions have dissolved.

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Traffic

Posted by Bettina Dowell on Saturday, November 21st, 2009 in Faith | Comments (1)

DSC00773          No matter how advanced our GPS systems, how adequately we have timed our travel, how little luggage we have to clear through the airport security lines, or how short a distance we may have to travel to share time with loved ones during the holidays, all of us are probably going to encounter traffic.  Road construction, snaking lines at the airport, even just the checkout lines at the local discount store or grocery (do they ever think to go on and open all those lanes?) can quickly change our mood of holiday joy to a character that would even spook Ebenezer.  So if we all know that traffic is probably in our future during the next few weeks, what can we do to keep ourselves from being miserable in the midst of it?

“Step out of the traffic!

Take a long loving look at me, your High God,

Above politics, above everything.”

Psalm 46:10 (The Message)

 

          What a concept.  Step out of the traffic.  But how do we realistically do that as women who need to get places, feed others, wrap gifts, do some laundry, decorate our homes, write some cards, stuff a turkey and buy some groceries?  No matter how delightful our spouses or children, we most likely cannot expect to go soak in some bubbles and come out finding all our chores accomplished.  To get on the interstate in late November or December and expect to glide away with no brake lights appearing in front of us as everything narrows to one lane is probably not going to happen either.  Nor are we going to show up at the airport and be asked to walk straight through security without waiting our turn.  And let’s face it ladies – Walmart is never going to open all those checkout lanes, not even on Black Friday or Christmas Eve. 

          I think the key to stepping out of the traffic is found in the second part of this verse where it tells us to “take a long, loving look at me, your High God.”  But how am I supposed to do that in a season when I can never seem to get everything done?  Believe it or not, this is something we can do, even in the November/December crazies. 

Taking a long, loving look at God can be as simple as focusing on the Christmas carols playing in Walmart while we wait in line.  “Glory to the newborn king – God and sinners reconciled.”  That is us!  Reconciled to God no matter how much we have screwed up our lives or continue to make mistakes each day.  We are reconciled to the sovereign God of the universe.  Focusing on a life changing truth like that can definitely make the lines easier to tolerate, even turning what seemed to be an unnecessary delay into moments of peace. 

Taking a long, loving look at God can be as simple as choosing to rehearse everything He has done for us while we are stuck in traffic.  Instead of glancing repeatedly at the clock the next time I am stuck in a jam, how might my attitude change if I choose to use that time to start listing all the things God has done for me and my family this past year?  I may arrive later than I wanted to at my destination, but won’t I be more pleasant when I get there?

Taking a long, loving look at God can be as simple as standing in the airport security line and smiling at all the agents who have been on their feet all day, remembering how much God loves them too.  Do they know how much God loves them?  He tells me He came to reconcile them too.  I may not get to share this truth with them, but could I make a difference in their day by just being nice and sharing a smile or asking them about their day?  If nothing else, it will certainly change my focus from my agenda, to what God might have for someone else today. 

So where is God calling you to “step out of the traffic and take a long, loving look at me” today?  He is “above politics, above everything.”  Above the traffic I find myself in today.  Let’s step out together and look at Him.

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