Tuesday Treasure

10 

Christa Tietjen Photography

Song of Songs 2:10-12

My beloved speaks and says to me:

“Arise, my love, my beautiful one

and come away,

for behold, the winter is past,

the rain is over and gone.

The flowers appear on the earth,

the time of singing has come,

and the voice of the turtledove

is heard in our land."

Christa Tietjen Photography

Life Transformed

Someone recently mentioned to me how much life hurts and breaks, destroys slowly (or quickly) and leaves us damaged. All this happens even if our life isn’t particularly hard, but the carnage left after a major accident or incident is brutal. We are left a mess.

Even the daily-ness of parenting can tear us apart. We feel like we’re losing ourselves, always putting others first, no longer having time for self. Perhaps even forgetting what kinds of things make us, “Me.” The repetitive nature of life breaks us down.

Nonchalant words can maim, not to mention purposefully mean ones.

Other times it’s loneliness or isolation. How easy it is for Satan to waltz into our thoughts and break down our confidence when we feel like no one is there for us in our need! “No one likes me” turns into “I’m unlovable.” “Oh, another blemish” turns into “I’m completely disfigured.” A simple lapse in patience turns into "I'm not a good mother."

Life is rough. It’s tough and it hurts us, which in turn damages our hearts, unless we are constantly floating in the ocean of God’s unfailing love.

When we are swimming in love, going straight to the source of light and healing, it is possible to witness the miracle of ugly mess transformed into marvelous masterpiece. Beth Moore words this concept beautifully, “God hopes that we’ll turn to Him to heal us from the ravages of natural life and make us healthy ambassadors of abundant life in an unhealthy world.”

Isn't that exciting? Not only does God want to heal you and make you beautiful, He wants to use you as He transforms others! I don’t know about you, but I want to be an ambassador. I want to assist in changing my children’s, family’s, and friend’s lives from broken messes into works of art!

So, let’s be turned, transformed. Let our prayer be, “O Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand” (Isaiah 64:8, ESV). May we rejoice as the process of refining begins so we may celebrate when we all, “sparkle in his land like jewels in a crown” (Zechariah 9:16, NIV). Zechariah tells us, “How attractive and beautiful [we] will be!” (v. 17). A beautiful mess: “ugly-beautiful,” as Ann Voskamp pens it. God’s piece of art; transformed by love and eternal vision.

May we find ourselves returning to wholeness “by deliberately and daily receiving the lavish, unreasonable, unfailing love of God all the way into our marrow” (Beth Moore). “Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days” (Psalm 90:16, ESV).

- Bethany Tippin, MOPS Mom & Publicity Leader

Bethany Tippin is a wife and mother of 2 children, ages 3 and 5. She is a musician, teacher and writer. She joined MOPS very soon after moving to Sheridan and regularly finds blessing in her participation. This, her 6^th year, is her 1^st year in a leadership role. Serving as the 2013-2014 Publicity steering member is a joy and a challenge. She is massively excited about all the ways Christ is evidently moving in her life and community!

Nudges

Have you felt the nudge of God today? Did His quiet voice ask you to kneel before a small child, look into her face and really listen?

Photo by Bethany Tippin

Did the movement of the wind in the trees blow a neighbor into your thoughts? Did you choose to walk by and say, “Hello”?

Christa Tietjen Photography

Have you known you should STOP what you’re doing and bow your head? Did you do it?

Did your tears fall, unhindered, as Jesus revealed a broken, hurtful situation? And did you recognize those tears as prayer? Your care and concern as incense rising?

Did you obey?

I’m asking because I had a friend obey the Spirit’s nudge this morning. I had a friend listen and respond. I witnessed the power of God’s touch through the hands and feet of a human right here on earth, right here in Sheridan, right here in MOPS.

It was just a hug. And yet it was so much more. It was a hug with the words, “I just felt like I was supposed to hug you.” And do you know what those words said to me? “My friend is listening. Wow. She’s in tune with the Holy Spirit. Right now, here, she’s dwelling in God.”

And the hug? It said, “I love you. I know what you lack. I heard your prayer, I heard you state your need and I am providing.”

Because, last night I sent a text that said, “I just need a hug.” A text. Silly. But, a truth. A statement to myself and another that I had a need. And God heard me. He prompted another believer to serve me in love and to serve Him in obedience. The result: a moment of wonder, awe and glory.

Over the course of my life, I know I have heard God’s still, small voice many times. I wish I could say I’ve responded promptly in obedience every time. But I haven’t. These sweet, sweet moments, however, where someone else’s obedience magnifies the power of the Holy Spirit and touches me intimately, these moments push me forward, move me onward, make me want to do a better job. They make me believe I will take the next bold, silly or seemingly trivial step that presents itself, in obedience. They remind me that we can all be unlikely sources of God’s provision.

Christa Tietjen Photography

“Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, to him be the glory in the church, and in Jesus Christ to all generations, forever and ever.” – Ephesians 3:20-21 (NRSV, emphasis added)

- Bethany Tippin, MOPS Mom & Publicity Leader

Bethany Tippin is a wife and mother of 2 children, ages 3 and 5. She is a musician, teacher and writer. She joined MOPS very soon after moving to Sheridan and regularly finds blessing in her participation. This, her 6^th year, is her 1^st year in a leadership role. Serving as the 2013-2014 Publicity steering member is a joy and a challenge. She is massively excited about all the ways Christ is evidently moving in her life and community!

Thursday Thoughts with Theresa: "On Finding Joy in the Mess"

We strolled through the scent of fresh fallen rain at the pace of my first born, whose Dennis the Menace cowlick came just to my waist. My second born was tucked in the backpack weighing on my back.

As we meandered around some side streets, we found ourselves strolling down a dirt road covered in little potholes along the side, brimmed with fresh rain. Our slow walk turned into a stop­and­go as my toddler discovered the first puddle, stomped and splashed a while, then found the second puddle, and the third.

Enveloped in patience, I delighted in his playfulness a while, as I admired my own easiness before gently coaxing him along.

By that third puddle, that ease was challenged when my adventurer exclaimed, "Mommy! Do you want to splash with me?!"

"N...," was headed for my tongue and out of my mouth as I heard a gentle voice within say, "Why not?"

Scrambling for reasons, I looked down at my feet and, like a lens zooming in on the obvious, I saw bare feet in summer flip flops.

"Why not!" I exclaimed. And we splashed together in messy joy, puddle to puddle, all the way home.

Isn't that how the Holy Spirit works? Whether we are fully enveloped by the fruits of the Spirit or we barely hear that whisper of direction and counsel, when our natural inclination may be the very opposite; however the Spirit pours into our lives, our response to Him can take us to a whole new level of living – more patience, deeper joy, love with abandon, etc. – and we have the ability to pour directly into another person's life because of it. This is profound!

This is a Gift...

Because sometimes we don't want to jump in the puddles. We want to stay neat and clean and not be bothered. We'll walk along side someone as long as it doesn't get too messy. And we'll even pat ourselves on the back in our limited generosity because we, too often, allow our human nature to be our guide.

But love, which God is, through the power of the Holy Spirit, leads us a different way, a selfless way. And when we accept whatever that may look like, at whatever the cost, we find deeper meaning and purpose in these moments that add up to our life...

Because through the gift of the Spirit, we can always find joy in the mess.

So let us not forget “the gift “ as we walk this broken road full of potholes and muddy puddles. And let us not just play it safe and dodge the obstacles of life.

But may we jump in where the Spirit leads! May we allow him to guide and counsel us into the messes we were purposed to bring love, deliverance and joy through.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23

- Theresa Miller, MOPS Mom

Theresa is a wife and mother of four children (3, 5, 7, and 9), who are embarking on their first year of homeschooling. Theresa has been involved in Sheridan MOPS for the last 9 ½ years, serving in multiple leadership positions, including Day MOPS Coordinator in 2007-2008. She took one year off, then started the Sheridan Evening MOPS group in September 2009. Theresa has published an article with MOPS International MOMSnext Ezine, in addition to other on-line publications. You can find Theresa encouraging mothers on her blog, Heavenly Glimpses.