messy and scary, glorious and good
I have really been impacted by Levi Lusko's life after reading his book, "Through the Eyes of a Lion." It's the tragic story of his young daughter's death and the days after, but what affected me was that he even had the ability to tell it. You can find a little video about it here: Through the eyes of a lion.
I'm not swayed much by Christian books that tell you how to live, or guidelines to pray, or why God does this or that. But I listen closely to the pastors who are sharing what they are living.
After reading Levi's book, today I decided to listen to a podcast from his church. I landed on one from a guest speaker, about the life of David told in 1 Samuel. Specifically how David was overlooked by his father Jesse when Samuel came to declare him the next king of Israel.
Jesse was like, he's out in the fields, you don't want that one. How many of us have felt that way in ministry?
When we get overlooked, we begin to tell ourselves a different story than the one God has for us. Rejection is a terrible wound that causes us to treat others roughly, as we begin to believe the worst about ourselves.
It's a really good message. You can listen to it here: Fresh Life Church - the rejection infection
We all have a story to tell. Only you are thinking the exact thoughts you are, about an exact experience, at an exact time. Your perspective matters. You form the words. You form the pictures. They are your memories. Your dreams. Your hopes.
Getting rejected hurts. It hurts a lot. It's a pretty big deal.
I've been studying the story of Timothy, and using Beth Moore's study "Entrusted" as a guide. Paul and Timothy were close. It says in the second book of Timothy that Paul had seen Timothy cry. Maybe more than once. They were as close as you can get in ministry.
When you love like that, you are opening your heart up to be embraced or ripped apart. Sometimes both things happen. Beth Moore writes this: Vulnerable love doesn't just hope to see. It longs. Paul didn't have the luxury of only recalling Timothy's laugh. He also remembered Timothy's tears.
She also goes on to say "A life that risks no loss is no life at all. What's life is we never love others past the rational sensibilities of our self-protection?" Those are scary words to some of us who have loved and lost. Who let the armor down and got the knife right in the heart. But you know what? I would do it all again. Because I want a life full of love, messy and scary, glorious and good.
I pray for God to give me love to the people he has put around me. And he does. A lot of it. It would be much easier to just watch Gilmore Girls and not pray that. To stay in my house and say "I'm good. No thanks."
The story I have to tell is important. Your story is important. I didn't go through hell and back to spend a lot of time binge watching TV. I'm alive today for a great reason. And love is our biggest weapon, our greatest ally.
I was reading a blog by Levi Lusko, on prayers that don't get answered. He says not to give up. Here's the link. https://levilusko.com/dont-give-up/
There's a statistic Christian researchers like to use about broken relationships in ministry. Supposedly only 5% of all broken ministry relationships ever get restored. My prayer to God has been, God if it's only .05%, that would be good enough for you. You could do it even with that percentage.
In his writing on prayer, Levi mentions the word "importunity" that is used in the KJV of Luke 11:8 - a story about persistent prayer. Let's pray with importunity. Definition: when you beg someone to do something.
Let's beg God to do something. We each have something. Let's really ask for it to be done.
I'm not swayed much by Christian books that tell you how to live, or guidelines to pray, or why God does this or that. But I listen closely to the pastors who are sharing what they are living.
After reading Levi's book, today I decided to listen to a podcast from his church. I landed on one from a guest speaker, about the life of David told in 1 Samuel. Specifically how David was overlooked by his father Jesse when Samuel came to declare him the next king of Israel.
Jesse was like, he's out in the fields, you don't want that one. How many of us have felt that way in ministry?
When we get overlooked, we begin to tell ourselves a different story than the one God has for us. Rejection is a terrible wound that causes us to treat others roughly, as we begin to believe the worst about ourselves.
It's a really good message. You can listen to it here: Fresh Life Church - the rejection infection
We all have a story to tell. Only you are thinking the exact thoughts you are, about an exact experience, at an exact time. Your perspective matters. You form the words. You form the pictures. They are your memories. Your dreams. Your hopes.
Getting rejected hurts. It hurts a lot. It's a pretty big deal.
I've been studying the story of Timothy, and using Beth Moore's study "Entrusted" as a guide. Paul and Timothy were close. It says in the second book of Timothy that Paul had seen Timothy cry. Maybe more than once. They were as close as you can get in ministry.
When you love like that, you are opening your heart up to be embraced or ripped apart. Sometimes both things happen. Beth Moore writes this: Vulnerable love doesn't just hope to see. It longs. Paul didn't have the luxury of only recalling Timothy's laugh. He also remembered Timothy's tears.
She also goes on to say "A life that risks no loss is no life at all. What's life is we never love others past the rational sensibilities of our self-protection?" Those are scary words to some of us who have loved and lost. Who let the armor down and got the knife right in the heart. But you know what? I would do it all again. Because I want a life full of love, messy and scary, glorious and good.
I pray for God to give me love to the people he has put around me. And he does. A lot of it. It would be much easier to just watch Gilmore Girls and not pray that. To stay in my house and say "I'm good. No thanks."
The story I have to tell is important. Your story is important. I didn't go through hell and back to spend a lot of time binge watching TV. I'm alive today for a great reason. And love is our biggest weapon, our greatest ally.
I was reading a blog by Levi Lusko, on prayers that don't get answered. He says not to give up. Here's the link. https://levilusko.com/dont-give-up/
There's a statistic Christian researchers like to use about broken relationships in ministry. Supposedly only 5% of all broken ministry relationships ever get restored. My prayer to God has been, God if it's only .05%, that would be good enough for you. You could do it even with that percentage.
In his writing on prayer, Levi mentions the word "importunity" that is used in the KJV of Luke 11:8 - a story about persistent prayer. Let's pray with importunity. Definition: when you beg someone to do something.
Let's beg God to do something. We each have something. Let's really ask for it to be done.