The Wonder in Your Weakness

You never know when inspiration is going to hit, but when it does, it compels you to spread the joy.

I just had a moment like that earlier today. I was perusing a new book that I'd recently received entitled, Stories of Faith and Courage from the Home Front. One of the co-authors of the book, Karen Whiting is set to be interviewed next week on the radio show that I produce, and I was fishing for some good points of interest to scatter throughout the conversation.

It wasn't long before I came across an account by a military wife, whose story is shared in a section called Embracing Weakness. Now since I'm such a cheerleader for conquering and overcoming, this naturally caught my eye. In just a few short paragraphs she totally changed my perspective about the role weakness plays in our lives.

As she recalls the time she came down with a nasty case of bronchitis right after her husband was deployed to Iraq, she shares how frustrated she was about having to depend on others to help her take care of her children and her household. She felt, like so many of us do, that she was too strong to be allowing this to get her down. After all, it was only bronchitis, right? Here's what she said about finding her answer in 2 Corinthians 12:9:

"God's power being made perfect in me, yes, I was all over that. But being weak? Everything in my body cried out against that. I wanted to conquer the challenges of deployment, not admit that I was weak."

Pow! Right in the kisser of my own superwoman syndrome. Did you feel that?

"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."

That should be a comforting statement. But not for those of us who refuse to let anything get us down. We feel compelled to keep moving forward as if we have hearts and brains made of impenetrable steel. We don't want to let anything reduce us to showing how helpless, lost, or afraid we really are. Oh no. Never!

Weakness is not something we modern women are encouraged to embrace. We're supposed to be singing "I'm Every Woman, It's All in Me!" as we shop for groceries, take the car for an oil change, make cupcakes for the PTO bake sale, balance the checkbook, workout for an hour at the gym, and prepare a stellar presentation for that important meeting next week. Whew! I'm pooped just thinking about it!

In reality, God has been telling us all along that He not only has no problem with us not being on top of things all the time, He actually EXPECTS it. As the military wife went on to learn, this is when His power becomes most prominent in our lives. How else would we really be able to acknowledge Him as the higher power if we didn't have opportunities to personally bear witness to His ability to do what we cannot do for ourselves. Not to mention, as we do this, miraculously the pressure of taming every aspect of our lives eases up, and we get to enjoy the benefits of His love and grace in countless, unimaginable ways.

Who would ever think that you could find wonder in weakness? Before today I would have winced at the idea. But now, I have to admit, I'm changing my tune.

Mothers, Daughters, and the Rocky Road to Womanhood

This has been quite a day!

This morning I interviewed Robin Marsh, co-anchor on Oklahoma City's KWTV-News9, and co-author of the new book, God, Girls, and Getting Connected: Spiritual Apps for a Teen's Life. It was quite a show. When you get a chance, take a listen.

Not too long after that, I got a call from a friend who wanted to discuss a "dating" issue regarding her pre-teen daughter. Oh - and yesterday, I had a lengthy conversation with another friend of mine about girls and how their image of self is becoming more and more at risk.

See a pattern here?

Well, I certainly do, and it's causing my already bubbling passion for the welfare of women and girls to go up another notch. I know quite a few moms out there who have girls in or entering their teen years, and the face of their relationships with one another is changing in ways that they sometimes don't particularly like.

Some of us are very squeamish about talking to our daughters about sex, body image, dating, and relationships. But then there are some (like me) who actually relish the opportunity to have a "real talk" session with their daughters about these subjects. The daughters, on the other hand, tend to run the gamut of a different scale: "I don't dare tell my mom about the boy I'm interested in!" to "Geesh, Mom! TMI!" to "Mom, I think it's cool how you let me express myself when we have our little talks."

Hey, I get it. No matter what your personal style of mothering is, it's not easy guiding your daughter toward womanhood. You constantly wonder, "Am I doing the right thing?" "Am I being too easy/too hard on her?" "Is she really being totally honest with me?" I'm sure our mothers had some of these same concerns.

But one thing I believe about this unique connection between mothers and daughters is this:  Unconditional love has to be the foundation of the relationship. If we keep an open mind and open heart toward God and our daughters, we're sure to make it through all the fabulous phases of womanhood just fine.

Now. Can anybody out there mentor me through menopause???

Just sayin'...

Breaking the Ice... It's Not So Bad

So there I was, sitting in a Freshman Parents' Meeting at my daughter's school in the midst of a no-nonsense group of parents who were barreling questions at the Principal as he cautiously tried to explain the latest standardized test. You see, this year is the first time this newest "bright idea" from our state's legislature will be administered, and our kids are the prized test subjects they'll use to see if it all works out. Pass the hot, steaming cup of frustration and angst.

Now normally I lay low at these things, especially when I know the atmosphere is thick with fatigue, confusion, and a thin layer of anxiety. I don't blame the Principal for stepping lightly through all of that.

That's when I decided to do something to lighten the mood. I became slightly elated at the thought of doing this, but one thing that induced a little fear was the fact the I wasn't amongst friends; at least not known friends. But as the Q & A wore on, the thing that encouraged me to go ahead was that I recognized this as a situation that could use a quick infusion of lighthearted diversion, if for no reason than to bring some comfort to the Principal. That's what I love to do - encourage and comfort. Plus, I asked myself, "Even if you were among your "known" friends, wouldn't this just be natural for you to do anyway? Just be yourself. Who knows? Somebody might just appreciate it."

So I raised my hand to receive the mic for the next question. When I got it, I had a very serious look on my face as I warned the Principal that this was going to be yet another two-fold question. I could see him bracing himself as he waited for it. So I dropped the first one on him.

"Will the Houston Texans beat the Baltimore Ravens this weekend?"

It only took a second for it to register, but the humor of this question quickly set in all around the room (with the exception of a few lemonizers). The Principal even quipped to the counselor who was taking notes to make sure she got that question answered, as it was of vital importance to the education of our children. Nice touch Dr. A.

After the laughter subsided, I was able to actually ask a perfectly relevant question, and wonder of wonders, the Principal promised to forward it to his own boss because of it's validity. All in all, I'd say that this was a successful leap. So I encourage you to be aware of the next opportunity to change the atmosphere around you for the better by breaking the ice. Don't let what others may think of you stop you, because chances are you're underestimating your own appeal. And even if you bomb, you still remained true to who you are.

Now let's pray for those Texans - because that's what's really important. LOL!

Apply Here

Have you ever had a revelation that struck you so intensely it truly qualified as a life-changing a-ha moment? You know. The kind that makes you want to give yourself a thump upside the head because it was there all along but you somehow missed it.

I felt that way a few days ago. I was reading the account of John the Baptist's testimony about his first encounter with Jesus in the first chapter of the Book of John. The first few verses are quite commonly used in sermons, bible studies, and the like. By them we know that Jesus Himself is the Word (expressed will) of God. But it was when I got to verses 35 - 37 that something clicked which had never clicked before. In John 1:35-37, it is noted that there were two of John the Baptist's disciples present when He pointed Jesus out as He was passing by. When John acknowledged who Jesus was, those disciples took what He said as truth (applying the Word to their lives), then proved that they believed it by immediately taking off to follow Jesus, even without knowing much else. That's applying your life to the Word. Actually abandoning your former plans, dreams, and thoughts to attach yourself to all that Jesus embodies as the Son of God. It posed the question in my mind, "Is it enough to just apply the Word to my life, or was it God's original intent that I apply my life to the Word?"

What's the difference? Well, as I see it, it's really more about WHO we stand for than WHAT we stand for. In America alone there has been a steep decline in the number of people who would actually call themselves "practicing" Christians. The term "christian" itself seems to have moved far from the lifestyle of the people it was originally coined for. It used to mean "Christ-like" because of the 1st century believers who were known for living like they adhered to a higher authority than their counterparts. Now it's not a lifestyle, it's merely a religion; one of many. But that's what happens when you lose site of your WHO because you're so focused on the WHAT.

The WHAT of Christianity is the same dilemma the Jews faced when Jesus arrived in the flesh. They were so blinded by the Law that they totally missed the spirit of the Law which would have made recognizing WHO Jesus was so simple. The same goes for us today. Sometimes I think we get so bound up trying to cross all the "t's" and dot all the "i's" of a set of rules and traditions that when they prove to be too much for us, we inadvertently throw ourselves into a vicious cycle of compromise and condemnation over and over again. At the end of the day, it's really always been about building relationship with our Lord - the One who purchased us back from slavery to our base, sinful nature. You know how it is. The longer you hang out with somebody, the more of their habits you tend to pick up. You don't have to try to do that. It just happens. The old folks used to say "show me who you run with, and I'll show you who you are." Running for Jesus made for a catchy church song back in the day, but it's actually running WITH Jesus that makes such a powerful change in your life that it causes others who don't know Him to want to know Him.

I'll end with this: It could very well be that the main reason why the Church's significance as a powerful positive influence to this world is all but indiscernible is because, no matter what we profess, we look, act, and think just like them. We are too tied to an idea and totally disconnected from the source of true vision. But I challenge you today to go beyond just reading the Bible to actually "doing" Jesus. It's good to start there, but it's better to go beyond that. Get to know Him. Not the Church, not the traditions and the protocols. Him! And just as it happened when Jesus walked the earth Himself, we'll surely experience a revolution that changes the world.