Life as a Christian Woman

This story came to me in an email recently:

A sick man turned to his doctor as he was preparing to leave the examination room and said, “Doctor, I’m afraid to die.  Tell me what lies on the other side.”

The doctor responded, “I don’t know.”

“You don’t know?” the man responded. “You’re a Christian man, and don’t know what is on the other side?”

The doctor was standing by the door, and on the other side was the sound of scratching a whining. When he opened the door, the doctor’s dog ran into the room and jumped on the doctor, glad to see it’s owner.

The doctor turned to the patient and said, “Did you notice my dog? He’s never been in this room before. He didn’t know what was in here. He didn’t know anything except that his master was in here, so he ran in without fear.

“I don’t know what waits on the other side of death,” the doctor continued. “But I do know one thing…

My Master is there, and that is enough.”

I’m pretty sure that the email I received is one that has been generated by someone, I doubt it is a true story. However, in many ways what it attempts to portray is very real, very true.

We try to figure out our future, we want to know what Heaven is like, we want to know it all. But God is there, and that is enough.

I once joked my Dad, saying that when he died he would be able to “haunt” me, he would be watching my every move.  Dad, who was a big jokester, turned very serious.

“No,” he replied. “I won’t be watching you. I will be face to face with my God. I love you, but I won’t be taking my eyes off my God.”

Our Master is there. That is enough.

¹⁵ With the coming of dawn, the angels urged Lot, saying, “Hurry! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or you will be swept away when the city is punished.”

¹⁶ When he hesitated, the men grasped his hand and the hands of his wife and of his two daughters and led them safely out of the city, for the LORD was merciful to them. ¹⁷ As soon as they had brought them out, one of them said, “Flee for your lives! Don’t look back, and don’t stop anywhere in the plain! Flee to the mountains or you will be swept away!”

…………..

²⁴ Then the LORD rained down burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah—from the LORD out of the heavens. ²⁵ Thus he overthrew those cities and the entire plain, including all those living in the cities—and also the vegetation in the land. ²⁶ But Lot’s wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.

Genesis 19: 15-17, 24-26

My daughter has a habit of walking in one direction while looking back over her shoulder. As a result, she also has a habit of running into things. I keep telling her to look where she’s going, not where she’s been, but that hasn’t done much to keep her from running headfirst into furniture, doors, and other people.

It seems like we spend a lot of our time looking back. We talk about “the one that got away” or regret the road not taken. But God doesn’t want us to live our lives like that. We can’t change our past mistakes or sins. We can learn from them, pray for forgiveness, but then God wants us to move forward with our lives.

All of us have regrets. But continuing to dwell on our mistakes doesn’t lead us toward God, it diverts our attention away from His divine forgiveness and purpose for our lives.

Look at Paul. Prior to his face to face meeting with Jesus on the road to Damascus, he was a persecutor of Christians, and frankly an all around bad guy. “Saul,” as he was known, struck terror in the hearts of those around him. But after his conversion, he became a force for Christ that still resonates in our world today. He often referenced his prior life, yet he put it into use rather than wasting away in a life of regret.

Lot and his family were told by the angels to flee Sodom for their own safety, and warned not to look back. Lot’s wife looked back, and was instantly turned into a pillar of salt. Why? Well, she disobeyed God for one thing. But it also serves as a lesson. When you are looking over your shoulder, how can you follow God as He leads you?

My prayer today is that we could all free ourselves so well from past failures and keep our eyes focused on the cross and our future.

The past has passed, and the future is God’s!

I read an interesting line in Newsweek Magazine today (June 8 edition).

The article, entitled Let’s Talk About God - A new book redefines the faith debate, is by Newsweek’s religion editor Lisa Miller, and it looks at a new book by Robert Wright called The Evolution of God. According to Miller, it doesn’t attempt to take on the “Is God real” debate, instead looking at how our vision of God has changed throughout history.

It’s an interesting proposition. The line that sticks out to me most, though, comes from a section of the book in which he has an imaginary conversation with a scientist. In this conversation, Write compares God to an electron. An electron, he points out, has never been seen and it’s properties are unknown, but scientists know that it is there because they can see the results of electrons.

As he goes on to point out:

“You might say that love and truth are the two primary manifestations of the divinity in which we can partake, and that by partaking in them we become truer manifestations of the devine. Then again, you might not say that. The point is just that you wouldn’t have to be crazy to say it.”

We know that electrons exist. Any thinking person who has studied science knows that electrons exist and what they do. Yet so many find it easy to believe in electrons, which have never been seen, but refuse to believe in God, when all around us we see proof of His existence.

God is here. He is all around us. He hears us, listens to us, answers us.

Just like electrons… only better.

“Forgiveness is to set a prisoner free, and to realize the prisoner was you.”

Corrie Ten Boom
Christian woman who survived the Holocaust in a Nazi concentration camp

What do you do when you are faced with the undeniable truth that you have been misled, lied to, scammed?

Do you get angry? Vow revenge? Cry? Or maybe just slink away and promise yourself to be smarter next time?

I, and many others, are faced with that very situation today. Many of you may remember this column that I wrote on an unmarried pregnant woman who was facing harsh criticism from fellow Christians. Her baby had been diagnosed in utero with Trisomy 13, which would most likely bring death to her baby girl prior to birth or immediately thereafter.

This weekend “April Rose” was born. Hundreds of people stopped and prayed all weekend as we followed the updates that her friend posted. Suddenly, it all stopped.

And today comes the sad news that apparently this was all a hoax.

Many are angry, and those who had been the most vocal regarding helping this woman are being attacked themselves, even though they, too, have been lied to.  But the three young women who have led the charge to pray for this unborn child that appears to have never existed, are now asking us all to pray for the woman who perpetrated the scam.

And that, friends, is what we should all do.

I am angry, and upset. I cried over this baby girl over the weekend as it appeared life was slipping away. I wondered how her mother would be able to handle the pain of such a loss, yet rejoiced that she had been able to meet her daughter face to face. My gut reaction is to spout a few well chosen words, fling a “what goes around comes around” and get on with my life.

But that’s not what God would have me do.

For whatever reason, this woman chose to perpetrate a lie on many, many folks. But while she may not have presented herself factually, I think we can all agree that she needs prayer. Obviously, she has issues that we can only imagine. But, as Christians, we aren’t allowed to wallow in hatred. No, we must turn that other cheek and lift up those who have wronged us in prayer.

So today I am asking you to do just that. Just take a minute of time and say a prayer for “B”, as she called herself. Pray that God will heal whatever it is in her that has led her down this path. Pray for health, both mental and physical.

And pray for those that invested love and time in this woman, only to find out they had been misled. Pray that their hearts won’t harden to those who need to be loved on, but will remain open and loving.

Matthew 6:14-16
For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

Luke 6:37
Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.

Colossians 3:13
Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

¹⁸ The LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”

¹⁹ Now the LORD God had formed out of the ground all the beasts of the field and all the birds of the air. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. ²⁰ So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds of the air and all the beasts of the field.
But for Adam no suitable helper was found. ²¹ So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and closed up the place with flesh. ²² Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.

²³ The man said,
“This is now bone of my bones
and flesh of my flesh;
she shall be called ‘woman,’
for she was taken out of man.”

²⁴ For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.

Genesis 2: 18-24

Jon and Kate Plus 8 has been a popular reality show for several years now. The show features parents Jon and Kate Gosselin and their brood of eight, made up of twin girls who are eight, and sextuplets who are five.

The show has centered around how the family runs things with so many children. But this season has opened with questions about the Gosselin’s marriage, including rumors that both have had affairs (both Jon and Kate deny this).  And now Jon and Kate appear to be doing all of their communicating through various publications, rather than face to face.

But the cameras still roll, and the new season has begun, to higher ratings than ever.

Here is what I don’t get. Jon and Kate are Christians. Marriage is a gift from God, and you make a vow before God to love, honor and cherish your spouse.

Marriage isn’t easy, in fact it’s downright hard. But it’s a commitment, one that you aren’t supposed to take lightly. Christians, especially, should and do know this.

I don’t know if Jon or Kate either one had an affair. And I don’t care. But they need to turn the cameras off, quit talking to magazines, and talk to each other. Scream, yell, cry, whatever. But communicate with each other, face to face.

It probably won’t be pleasant. To save the marriage may take a ton of work.

But these two claim that everything they do is for their children. I don’t doubt them. I think they are probably good people, but they have lost their focus. They need to focus on their marriage.

And that brings it back home. All of us who are married need to realize that our home, our marriage, is our primary mission field.  We can’t allow anything to damage the marital relationship… not children, not money, not jobs, not anything!

I hope Jon and Kate realize this before it is too late, before the wave of media attention so dilutes their lives that they forget who they are at their core.

⁴¹Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. ⁴²But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny.

⁴³Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. ⁴⁴They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”

Mark 12: 41-44

Billy Graham answered a timely question today in his newspaper column.  The writer wanted to know tithing when going through tough financial times. This comes in the wake of an article last week about how churches are seeing a decline in donations in the midst of the current recession.

Graham’s answer cuts straight to the point:

“During difficult times it’s easy to focus only on ourselves and our problems — but when we do, we lose sight of others who may be facing far more serious problems than we are.”

He goes on to remind the readers that millions in the world will die without ever hearing the story of salvation if the money that funds missionaries is no longer available.

The question of giving a tithe when money is short is tough on the surface, yet if we look deeper into our own finances the odds are good that we can find things that can be cut from the budget. We are spoiled. We have our cell phones, televisions, cable and satellite. We have pantries full of food and cars in the driveway. Yet when salaries are cut, we don’t look at the things that we enjoy, we look to cut our tithe.

Gotta have cable! Gotta keep that subscription to Sports Illustrated!

I actually heard a woman say the other day that they were no longer going to be able to tithe because money was tight… and in the next breathe she talked about how the birthday party for her son was costing more than $2,000 (and he’s five years old).

Everything we have comes from God, yet we pull back from our tithe in tough times with the idea that the church doesn’t need it. That isn’t the point. God doesn’t need our money, but it is His. We owe Him everything.

I don’t negate the effects of the economy we live in. My family is feeling it as I’m sure yours are. But when cuts are made, is it really right to start with God?

Yes, I know. This will be the third post in a row featuring music. I can’t help myself, though. Lately I have been immersing myself in Christian music, and their is so much wonderful music to choose from. Uplifting, encouraging, dramatic, faith-confirming. It’s all there. So bear with me, and my prayer is that others can enjoy these posts as much as I am enjoying writing them and listening to the music that goes with them.

Today I am featuring a song I stumbled across last night. The title of the song is “I’m Amazed” and the lyrics express an amazement that God could love such a sinner, that we are free of our sins through His priceless love.

Look at the chorus:

I’m amazed that You love me
I’m amazed how You care
Through Your precious blood
I’ve found pardon
And my sins are washed,
They’re all washed away
All my sins are washed away

Pretty much sums it up, huh?

Think about it. Our perfect, sinless Father, omnipotent and omniscient, sent His perfect son, without sin or blemish, to give His life to atone for our sinful nature.

Amazing…

I think it’s one of the reasons many struggle with Christianity. To become a Christian is to admit total sin, to acknowledge that without God, we are nothing and doomed to an eternity in Hell. And we, in our prideful way, don’t like to admit that we need anybody!

But we do. The first verse even addresses this:

“I laughed and said my life was fine without you.”

We’ve all done it at one point or another. And yet we need God more than we need food or water.

And He loves us through our denials (just ask Peter!), He loves us through our selfishness and sinfulness.

Once again, amazing.

Click HERE to listen to the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir sing “I’m Amazed.”

I’m Amazed

No one knew how alone I was feeling
And the emptiness I tried so hard to hide
Though I laughed and said my life was fine without You,
I was covering up the secret tears I cried.

Then one day someone told me of Your mercy,
And the love You showed on a hill called Calvary.
There you died and purchased my redemption
When you broke sin’s power and set my spirit free!

I’m amazed that You love me.
I’m amazed how You care.
Through Your precious blood
I’ve found pardon.
And my sins are washed,
They’re all washed away.
All my sins are washed away

It’s true there have been days when I’ve failed You.
Lord, You know the many times I’ve gone astray.
But I’ve learned that Your love is stronger than my weakness,
And you ear is open every time I pray.

No one else has ever cared for me like You, Lord.
Other friends could never be as close to me.
I’m not afraid to face the problems of tomorrow
Knowing You are everything I’ll ever need.

I’m amazed that You love me.
I’m amazed how You care.
Through Your precious blood
I’ve found pardon.
And my sins are washed,
They’re all washed away.
All my sins are washed away.

Yesterday I wrote about one of my favorite, uplifting songs, I Can Go to God in Prayer. Today I would like to write about another song that has great meaning, along the same lines.

The song, My Life is in Your Hands, by Kirk Franklin, is powerful in it’s simplicity. The song speaks of a cornerstone of our faith, that no matter what life may throw at us, we have Jesus beside us.

No matter how dark things may seem, joy will come in that morning when we are reunited with our Lord.  Friends will turn against you, desert you when you need them most. But Jesus will be there.

A few years ago my dearest friend was going through a horrible time. She and her husband had lost everything, and had to move several states away to live with family while trying to regroup. Our last Sunday in choir together, this was the song that was our choir special. As we stood singing in that choir loft we both began crying, and by the end of the song neither of us could get the words out. We had both raised our hands to God, reaching toward Him for comfort.

To say our choir director was wondering what was going on was an understatement!

After the service, our director asked what was wrong, if we were ok. My friend acknowledged that it had been emotional, but told him that, “When we reached up to God, He reached back and held us.”

To this day, when I am at my lowest, this is the song I turn to. It gives me a peace that no matter what happens, my life is held in the hands of the Creator of all life.

Click HERE to listen to the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir, one of the nation’s greatest, sing this song.

My Life is in Your Hands

by Kirk Franklin

You don’t have to worry
And don’t you be afraid
Joy comes in the morning
Troubles they don’t last always
For there’s a friend in Jesus
Who will wipe your tears away
And if your heart is broken
Just lift your hands and say

Oh
I know that I can make it
I know that I can stand
No matter what may come my way
My life is in your hands

With Jesus I can take it
With Him I know I can stand
No matter what may come my way
My life is in your hands

So when your tests and trials
They seem to get you down
And all your friends and loved ones
Are nowhere to be found
Remember there’s a friend in Jesus
Who will wipe your tears away
And if you heart is broken
Just lift your hands and say

Oh
I know that I can make it
I know that I can stand
No matter what may come my way
My life is in your hands

With Jesus I can take it
With Him I know I can stand
No matter what may come my way
My life is in your hands

I Can Go To God In Prayer

by Nesby Ann

Makes no difference what the problem,
(I can go to God in prayer).
Yes, I have this blessed assurance,
(I can go to God in prayer).
He will take my gloom and sorrow,
(turn them into light).
He will comfort, strengthen and keep me,
(I can go to God in prayer)

[Chorus]
I can call Him when I need Him,
Our, Father, up in heaven;
I can go to God in prayer,
I can go to God in prayer.

[Verse 2]
Sometimes my burdens get so heavy,
(I can go to God in prayer).
I have found one who is so faithful,
(I can go to God in prayer).
He will take my gloom and sorrow,
(turn them into light).
He will comfort, strengthen, and keep me,
(I can go to God in prayer).

[Chorus]

As I watched the news today, I was reminded of a song that I first heard about four years ago. That song, “I Can Go To God In Prayer,” is so uplifting that once you hear it, it will remain in your soul for a lifetime!

We’ve all been through dark times, struggles, desperate days. For many, music can express what words can’t.

Look at the first words…

Makes no difference what the problem, I can go to God in prayer.

Friends, those words sum up our awesome relationship with God. No matter what, we can go to God in prayer. Sickness, financial problems, pain, heartache. We can go to God in prayer.

Sometimes our burdens are heavy, yet He is faithful. He strengthens us through the storm.

What an amazing God we serve!

Click HERE to listen to a youtube.com clip of Gospel great Albertina Walker singing I Can Go To God In Prayer.

²⁹Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall
to the ground apart from the will of your Father.
³⁰And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
³¹So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

Matthew 10: 29-31 (NIV)

Today is going to be a tough day for thousands of Americans. As I’m sure you have read, General Motors, once the nation’s largest employer, is filing for bankruptcy. Up to 16 plants will be closed, with more than 20,000 laid off, in addition to the thousands more who have already lost their jobs with the company.

The domino effect will carry through to thousands of employees at companies that supply parts to GM. And those who have held GM stocks and bonds risk losing everything… and at the very least will be left with much less than before.

As I have read the papers and stories on the internet in the past weeks, I keep reading comments on how folks had put their faith into GM, that GM is letting them down, destroying their lives and livelihoods.  The problem is, why would anyone put their faith in an earthly entity? GM, Enron, Chrysler, the banking industry, etc., are all just jobs.

When we put our “faith” into a paycheck, we are taking bits of faith away from God. We need to lean on Him and trust Him 100%. He longs for us to have that kind of faith in Him. And He will provide.

We get so wrapped up in earthly endeavours… jobs, social life, our to-do lists, that we lose focus. A job is a job. We will go through hard times, we will go through good times. But put your faith where it belongs, at the foot of the throne.

I had a friend who lost his job a while back. Despite numerous job applications, he wasn’t getting any nibbles. One day his wife came home and found him peacefully reading the Bible. She questioned how he could be so calm with so much going on, didn’t he think it was more important to get out there keep looking?

He gently reminded his wife that he was doing all that he could, that there was no need to panic. He reminded her that God was in control, and that for God to be faithful, they would have to be faithful. After a few more tense weeks, he found another job.

Now, I’m not saying that if you can’t find a job, you must be faltering in your faith! No, not at all. I am saying that no matter your situation, you must be STRONG in your faith! It is so easy to crawl into a hole and be angry at the world. So easy get so stressed that you forget that famous scripture from Matthew. God cares about the smallest, tiniest details in our lives. He is there to lean on through these times. Don’t forget Him in your worries:

Don’t tell God how big your storm is; Tell the storm how big your GOD is!

In case you think this is all bluster coming from someone insulated from the real world, it isn’t. My husband works for General Motors, as do many members of his family. We are all anxious today. But we have prayed our way through the last few months, and will continue to do so. God is in control! Lives may change, but God will still be in control, and will never forsake us.

Be strong in the face of the storm!

When I got to the land of milk and honey,
I found out I’m lactose intolerant and allergic to bees.

From the comic strip Frank & Ernest, by Bob Thaves

I got quite a chuckle out of that line from a cartoon in today’s paper. Seems like when we want something we will work, whine and pout until we get it… then we usually find out it isn’t what we expected or we see something we want even more.

The Bible phrases the above cartoon a little differently:

¹⁷“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife or his male servant or his female servant or his ox or his donkey or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”

Exodus 2: 17

I think when we see what others have, it makes us want to “catch up” (you know, the old ‘keeping up with the Jones’ thing).  But there is always going to be something out there better than what we have, or different. When does it all end?

Sometimes it’s good to sit back and feel blessed. No matter how much, or how little, that we have, there are blessings all around us. Family. Friends. Health. Shelter. Food. You may not have all of these things, or even most of these things, but you have at least one, and that is a blessing.

Oh, and let’s not forget our biggest blessing. The unconditional love of God.

What more could you want?

Tonight several of us discussed the topic of whether God ever changes His mind. We are encouraged to go to God in prayer, but if He has decided that a certain event is going to go a certain way, can we convince Him otherwise through our prayers?

Wow, what a loaded question! The Bible is littered with instances where someone prayed, and God answered. For instance, in Genesis 32 we read:

⁷ Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go down, because your people, whom you brought up out of Egypt, have become corrupt. ⁸ They have been quick to turn away from what I commanded them and have made themselves an idol cast in the shape of a calf. They have bowed down to it and sacrificed to it and have said, ‘These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.’

⁹ “I have seen these people,” the LORD said to Moses, “and they are a stiff-necked people. ¹⁰ Now leave me alone so that my anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them. Then I will make you into a great nation.”

¹¹ But Moses sought the favor of the LORD his God. “O LORD,” he said, “why should your anger burn against your people, whom you brought out of Egypt with great power and a mighty hand? ¹² Why should the Egyptians say, ‘It was with evil intent that he brought them out, to kill them in the mountains and to wipe them off the face of the earth’? Turn from your fierce anger; relent and do not bring disaster on your people. ¹³ Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac and Israel, to whom you swore by your own self: ‘I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and I will give your descendants all this land I promised them, and it will be their inheritance forever.’ ” ¹⁴ Then the LORD relented and did not bring on his people the disaster he had threatened.

At first glance, it appears that God “changed His mind” in answer to the entreaty of Moses. But to see the situation this way is somehow limiting to God. The Father knew that Moses would beg for Him to spare the Israelites. So while God threatened destruction, He never promised that He was going to do it. And His threat enforced that Moses needed to warn the Israelites that should they not heed God and repent, God was more than willing to follow through on His threat.

It is important to note that the Hebrew word “Nacham” (pronounced nawkam, and pictured at the top of this article) is often translated into English as meaning “to change one’s mind.” However, the word has several meanings, most of which mean to “change direction.” This is a subtle difference, yet an important one.

The fact is, God knows everything. Nothing surprises Him. He knows the past and the future, and uses it all to His good. He answers all prayer, whether it be “yes,” “no,” or “not yet.” He knows our desires and longings before we do. So do we really believe that when Moses spoke to Him on behalf of the Israelites, God thought to Himself, “Wow, Moses makes a good point. I hadn’t thought of that!”

In Malachi 3:6-7 we read:

⁶ “I the LORD do not change. So you, O descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed. ⁷ Ever since the time of your forefathers you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you,” says the LORD Almighty.

God does not change. But if we turn from Him, then return to Him, He will return to us. This is not an instance of God changing His mind. This is God being true to His character and who HE is.

²⁷ So God created man in his own image,
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them.

Genesis 1:27

Dear God, I love you so much. Thank you for making me so fantastic.

Emi, during nightly prayers.

If I were to ask you to describe yourself, how would you begin? Too short? Overweight? Curly hair that you wish were straight?

The fact is that we are never satisfied with ourselves. We are constantly looking to change things, to improve parts of us. And when we do run across that rare person who is secure in her own skin, we wonder to ourselves, “What makes her think she is so great?”

So I was taken aback tonight when my little girl opened her nightly prayer by thanking God for making her so fantastic. I made a mental note to talk to her about it. But then I remembered the verse from Genesis, how we are all made in God’s own image.

Pretty fantastic.

We were not rushed down an assembly line. We are not mass produced. Each of us is unique, yet we are all made by Him, in His image. He knitted us together in our mother’s womb (Psalm 139:13). There is no part of us that God didn’t have a hand in making, yet we are so quick to criticize ourselves and list our shortcomings.

True, we aren’t perfect. But we are His creation! That is no small thing.

In fact, it’s pretty fantastic.

¹Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.

Hebrews 11:1

Yes, I know. I’ve written on this verse before. I can’t help it. It’s my favorite and beyond that, it is so powerful.

Faith is the cornerstone of Christianity. Today I listened to a clip online of a comedian mocking Christianity, claiming that it is mythology that has created a “beast with horns and a tail that represents a bad guy, but if you pray to the sky it will be alright.”

Faith ain’t easy, folks. I’m sure each and every one of us has doubted. I mean, how can a loving God allow things to happen like hurricanes and tsunamis? How can Adolph Hitler be a creation of a loving God? How can the Creator of All explain cancer?

So many questions, questions for which I have no answer. Oh, I’ve listened to preachers and theologians try to explain it all, but I have yet to hear one that gives an explanation that puts me at ease, that makes me go “Oh, I see. Now I get it!”

We base all on faith. The belief that there is a God, He sent His son to redeem us. We can’t explain it to others, it is a faith based on something indescribable, something inside of us.

Faith is a gift from God, something that we must guard with all we have within us. It is a fragile thing, that can be damaged by unbelief and worldy temptations.

But, oh the day when faith becomes sight!

¹⁷I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. ¹⁸For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people. ¹⁹Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I am full of joy over you; but I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil.

Romans 16:17-19 (NIV)

I read the verses above today and paused… so much came to my mind. There are so many THINGS out there that can cause us to lose sight of our eternal goals, that can take our focus from God. But there are people behind those things. Loving people. Caring people. People who are often, unknowingly, placing obstacles in our path.

We need to be cautious in our friendships. Our friends become so dear to us, such important parts of our lives. We rely on them in times of hardship, we laugh with them and cry with them. So we need to make sure that we have the same agenda, the agenda to follow a living and loving God.

This is not to say that a Christian shouldn’t be friends with a non-Christian. I have several non-Christian friends and relatives. But it’s so easy to slip and fall. Surrounding yourself with Christian friends may not guarantee that your walk will be without missteps, but you will have God-fearing friends who will pray for you and, hopefully, nudge you when you lose your path.

And we all lose our way.

But on the positive side, there is nothing on this planet like a loving, Christian friend. Someone who gets you. Someone who will pray for you, with you, about you. Someone that you know has your best interests at heart.

Are there any more loving words than, “I’m praying for you.”?

Nope.

Surrounding yourself with strong Christian women will help your walk be a little bit easier, a little bit safe.

Celebrate Christian sisterhood!