Joy in Suffering

January 4, 2022 – Tuesday

Joy in Suffering

Yesterday morning, as I was writing about gratitude and joy, I heard the pitter patter of footsteps upstairs – a natural timer that tells me it is time to shift gears.  I greeted my children with smiles and prepared to start our day.  Over a yummy breakfast of Baked Pancakes, we resumed our Armor of God study.  As part of the study, the children had to look up various verses in the Bible.  I was helping my youngest find Ephesians, as he quickly paged backwards through the four chapters of Philippians.  The bold titles of Philippians flashed before my eyes: JOY IN GIVING, JOY IN BELIEVING, JOY IN SERVING, JOY IN SUFFERING.  I wanted to pause there, God had just given me the blue prints to joy!  Yes – there is joy in gratitude.  But here were four other layers the Lord was highlighting (all because we were in the Word)!!  But my son was moving on to Ephesians full steam ahead.  Philippians would have to wait.

I am finally able to open my Bible and get back to the blueprints the Lord laid before me yesterday.  This comes at a good time.  Today I am going back in for a follow up mammogram and ultrasound (Joy in Revival).  Anxiety has been shouting at me since I first got my results on Friday, December 31st.  Thank goodness I was knee deep in painting and covered from head to toe in the color of revival!  I had a choice over the past 4 days.   Was I going to choose joy or was I going to let worry consume me?  The quote from Corrie Ten Boom has been booming in my mind…

“Worrying is carrying tomorrow's load with today's strength- carrying two days at once. It is moving into tomorrow ahead of time. Worrying doesn't empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties today of its strength.” ― Corrie Ten Boom

Today was coming no matter the path I traveled.  All roads were leading to Tuesday.  The choice I had to make was which path I would take.  Would I take the scenic road with a heavenly perspective full joy, or choose the valley of the shadow of death ridden with weeds of worry and fear?  The latter is a familiar well-worn path with deep ruts from many years of travel.  My mind knows that path well and is comfortable with the familiar scenery.  Over the past decade I have been working diligently to pave new paths.  They are slowly forming ruts as well.  The old road of worry is no longer well maintained due to lack of travel.  There are now obstacles in the way.  Trees have fallen across the path. Mud slides have filled in the ruts.  New grass is growing making the path obscure.  I can still choose that path if I want.  Fortunately I don’t want to.  For years I didn’t even know there were other paths available.  But I have seen those paths and they are beautiful.  They are indeed less traveled.  It is always the road less traveled that makes the difference.

As I embarked on the four day wait to today… I literally had to refuse to travel down the path of worry.  I would shout NO! I refuse to travel down this road.  I will take the path less traveled!  I will choose joy!  Worrying about tomorrow today will do me no good.  This is easier said than done.  But it is said.  It is said time and time again in the Bible.  We are called to cast our worries on Jesus (1 Pet 5:7), to refuse to worry about tomorrow (Matt 6:34), to be joyful always and give thanks in all circumstances (1 Thess 5:16-18).  This is just the tip of the ice burg.

Pour out all your worries and stress upon him and leave them there, for he always tenderly cares for you. Be well balanced and always alert, because your enemy, the devil, roams around incessantly, like a roaring lion looking for its prey to devour. Take a decisive stand against him and resist his every attack with strong, vigorous faith. For you know that your believing brothers and sisters around the world are experiencing the same kinds of troubles you endure. 10 And then, after your brief suffering, the God of all loving grace, who has called you to share in his eternal glory in Christ, will personally and powerfully restore you and make you stronger than ever. Yes, he will set you firmly in place and build you up. 11 And he has all the power needed to do this—forever! (1 Peter 5:7-11, TPT)

34 Refuse to worry about tomorrow, but deal with each challenge that comes your way, one day at a time. Tomorrow will take care of itself.” (Matt 6:34, TPT)

16 Let joy be your continual feast. 17 Make your life a prayer. 18 And in the midst of everything be always giving thanks, for this is God’s perfect plan for you in Christ Jesus. (1 Thess 5:16-18, TPT)

God has given me the blueprints of joy in the four chapters of Philippians.  This is the road less traveled.  Today's path... joy in suffering.

Joy in Suffering:

We discover happiness when times are easy.  We discover true joy in Jesus.

In Paul’s letter to the Philippians, he is writing from prison as he awaits trial.  He is teaching about joy while he is in prison.  Perhaps he was preaching to himself what he knew to be true, but needed a reminder of.  Perhaps that is what I too am doing today.

 

Here is what I know to be true:

The enemy comes to steal and kill and destroy.  Jesus came to give us life in abundance (John 10:10).

10 A thief has only one thing in mind—he wants to steal, slaughter, and destroy. But I have come to give you everything in abundance, more than you expect—life in its fullness until you overflow! (John 10:10, TPT)

I am a daughter of the King (2 Cor 6:18).

I will be a true Father to you, and you will be my beloved sons and daughters,” says the Lord Yahweh Almighty.  (2 Cor 6:18, TPT)

By His stripes I am healed (Isa 53:5).

But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. (Isa 53:5, KJV)

No weapons formed against me will prosper (Isa 54:17).

But I promise you, no weapon meant to hurt you will succeed, and you will refute every accusing word spoken against you.  This promise is the inheritance of Yahweh’s servants, and their vindication is from me,” says Yahweh. (Isa 54:17, TPT)

When I stand firm on God’s promises and trust Him with the details, I can be unshakable (Matt 7:24-25).

24 “Everyone who hears my teaching and applies it to his life can be compared to a wise man who built his house on an unshakable foundation. 25 When the rains fell and the flood came, with fierce winds beating upon his house, it stood firm because of its strong foundation. (Matt 7:24-25, TPT)

 

As I journey through the waiting, I choose to take this opportunity to experience the greatest joy that I can.  If I can tap into the endless fountain of abundant joy in the trial… finding it in the day-to-day will become second nature.  I feel like the Lord is saying this isn’t about the destination, but the journey.  How I journey through this matters.  Over the next days – my goal is to experience the abundant joy of Jesus.

My fellow believers, when it seems as though you are facing nothing but difficulties, see it as an invaluable opportunity to experience the greatest joy that you can! For you know that when your faith is tested it stirs up in you the power of endurance. And then as your endurance grows even stronger, it will release perfection into every part of your being until there is nothing missing and nothing lacking. (James 1:2-4, TPT)

Arms Wide Open

August 17, 2021 – Tuesday

Arms Wide Open

It has been two weeks since our morning spent on the North Carolina coastline.  Since that time I have been pondering the invitation I received to focus on and capture the beauty in our days.  It feels as if the Lord has been blowing on the fire He kindled within me that morning, by reminding me of the beautiful lessons He provided when I was fully surrendered and dependent on the leading of His Spirit.

During our early years of homeschooling, I chose to heed the still small voice of Lord and surrendered my school plans to Him.  I laid down my desire to order store bought curriculum and I chose instead to simply trust God to guide us.  As I surrendered to the Lord, I was humbled by how He used me to teach His precious children, and I was amazed at the gifts He sent day after day.  You can read some of those stories in my Memoirs of a Preschool Teacher.  It was a beautiful season.  Our days were filled with nature exploration, creating beautiful art, and simply unwrapping each new gift as it was presented to us.  Our activities honored childhood and even more importantly, I believe they honored God.

It is amazing what God can do when give Him space in our lives!  Busy schedules and rigid curriculums leave little space in our days, and hinder our ability to discover the gifts and beauty waiting to be uncovered with each new sunrise.  What we think we are supposed to teach our children, often stands in the way of what we want to be teaching and even should be teaching.  The Lord will always meet us where we are.  We cannot limit God.  He has shown up in our homeschool when I am fully surrendered and when I am not, but full surrender has proven to be the most fruitful.

Many of us have our arms too full to receive the good gifts the Lord wants to give us.  We are holding all of our ideas, curriculum, books and activities, much like a woman carrying bags of groceries into her home.  Our arms are full of items that nourish our family.  There is nothing wrong with what we are holding, except for the fact that our arms are too full to receive anything more.  As we lay down all we are holding and stand empty handed, we are best positioned to receive the gifts the Lord longs to give us.  Mama, our plans are indeed good – but God’s plans are perfect.  He is willing.  Are we ready?  I can’t help but wonder what God could do with all of our time.  What if we stand with arms wide open – open to receive?  What if we shift our focus from our plans to our God?  What if we focus on beauty?!

Have you have ever been in a quiet room and suddenly become aware of the tick tock of the clock?  Once you have tuned in to the clock’s rhythmic sound, it becomes difficult not to hear it.  In fact, it becomes all you can hear. I became aware of the clock on my son’s wall one night when I was sleeping in his room with him.  The sound became so consuming that I eventually had to get out of bed, take it off the wall, and remove it from the room so I could go back to sleep.

What we focus on, we magnify.  A magnifying glass can bring the sun into focus with such intensity it can create a fire.  I have kindled many a fire with my focus – some beneficial and some harmful.  We must be cautious where we focus our attention - the smallest spark can set a whole prairie ablaze. Whatever we want to magnify in our schools, our homes, our lives… that is where we must focus.    Our primary focus should always be on the Lord.  As we align our focus with the Lord, everything else falls into place.  The Bible tells us we can magnify the Lord with thanksgiving (Ps 69:30).  Oh the power gratitude!   If I am longing to magnify beauty, I must first focus on beauty.

I will praise the name of God with song and magnify Him with thanksgiving. (Ps 69:30, AMP)

In Malachi 3:10, God invites His people to bring the full tithe into the storehouse and test if He will not open the windows of heaven and pour out an abundance of blessing!  What would happen if we gave a minimum of 10% of our homeschool to the Lord?  What could He do with it?  Do we really need the next best curriculum or do we simply need God?  There is nothing wrong with using curriculum as a guide, but not at the cost of crowding out the freedom of the Spirit of the Lord to move within our homes.   10% is a good start!  Full surrender is where the magic happens.  We can trust the Lord with our children and their education!  This my friends is the path less traveled!  This is the path that makes all the difference! 

Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. (Mal 3:10, ESV)

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I – I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.  ~ Robert Frost, The Road Not Taken

Each of us in a masterpiece created by the very hands of God, designed with a purpose to do the good works which God prepared in advance for us to do (Eph 2:10).  Who better than our Creator to guide us and our children on our journey to discover who we are created to be.  Yes – I did say us and our children.  It is through homeschooling that we also discover our divine purpose.  God knows our resources, limitations, gifts, talents and interests better than anyone.  No curriculum or school could ever gather together each of these details more masterfully or efficiently than He who created it all.

For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. (Eph 2:10, NLT)

Does this mean I can’t use any curriculum at all?  I don’t think so.  What I believe it means is that I need to hold each resource loosely and be flexible to lay it down when needed.  As we journey with the Lord, He will give us the tools we need.  There will be days he invites us to simply sit and rest at the well – to drink until we are satisfied.  We must be willing to become women at the well!

Below are the lyrics to a song I wrote when we were preparing to leave our home in Colorado almost two years ago.  These lyrics are as appropriate today as they were then.  I am beginning to realize that having my arms wide open is a lifelong posture I should strive for.

 

 

I stand here with arms wide open.
I stand here holding on to nothing.
I stand here with arms wide open.
Open to receive.

I let go when you say let go.
I hold on when you tell me to.
Holding on to your promises,
means letting go.

So with arms wide open, I stand.

oil of joy

What if I do focus on beauty and capture our days?  What if I fully surrender to the Lord like I did when my children were small?  What could he do with all that time?

 

I have included a couple of journal posts from 2016 when I was searching for courage to fully rely on the Lord as our Headmaster and surrendering my desire for store bought curriculum.  I am sharing those with you today in hopes that they inspire you.

July 26, 2016 (journal entry):
I feel like I could stay here safely in the boat, order a kindergarten curriculum, and school would be great.  It would be laid out, easy to implement and high quality.  It would also be expensive.  And most importantly it would limit my free time to allow the Sprit to lead me. I don't feel like I am being called to float in the boat.  I feel Him calling me out on the water.  I feel Him saying to just try no curriculum for kindergarten.  Give it a chance.  Just one year.  Yet, I struggle.  There are so many curriculum choices that look amazing, yet I am torn because in my heart I know play based learning is best.  Lord, help me to not conform to the patterns of this world.  As I step out of the safety of my boat Lord, help me keep my eyes on you, lest I sink.  Give me wisdom that surpasses what I can comprehend today.  I lay my life on the altar, I lay our school on the altar.  They are yours Lord.  Today I commit to embracing play based learning for preschool and kindergarten.  Guide me Lord. ‘Take me deeper where my trust is without borders, let me walk upon the waters wherever you may lead’ (Oceans, Hillsong).

August 24, 2016 (journal entry):
Last winter I felt the Lord leading me to not buy ANY curriculum this year, and to trust Him.  What?! But I WANT IT! I dream of Whistlefritz for Spanish, All About Reading, Math U See, My Father's World, Sonlight...  $1500 later I would be buried in curriculum, driven by our schedule, and pressured to perform because of the price, and because of my love for finishing what I start.  But instead, I sit here this morning and I don't have a curriculum. I don't have a plan. I don't have a schedule.  What I do have is an abundance of idle time to simply follow the Lord as He leads us. Give me wisdom to know where to go from here.  Speak to me not only in the early morning hours, but during our studies. Give me the right words, ideas, and wisdom.  Lord - to you I want all the glory.  Use me to accomplish your will.