Silence is Golden

Silence. We often run from it; it’s uncomfortable. We tend to like noise and distractions.

For over a month now, I’ve been largely off of social media and news platforms. The noise was getting to be too much, and I felt a prick in my conscience to let it go.

Besides being freed up thought- and time-wise, I’ve come to appreciate silence. It actually is golden. It’s in the silence that the Lord has taught me and molded me; how grateful I am.

I’ve wrestled with my health. One issue in particular, that leaves me flat on the couch some days and has kept me from having the many children we’ve always desired. The pain is multifaceted. My tears always fall before the Lord - I know that He hears me. I still don’t have the answers to my whys and hows, but I am content. Finally. God saw fit to give me this body, knowing the challenges I’d face, and it is for His glory. I pray for healing, through His special touch or through doctors He equips. And if not, He is still good and will carry me through the rest of the years I have to manage it. With this perspective, I can genuinely thank Him for this body.

I’ve struggled to stay at peace this year. We dealt with a horrible accident that I wouldn’t wish on an enemy. Life and death flashed before our eyes. The day after that, a neighbor family lost their little boy. And not long after that, a friend lost his grown son in yet another horrible accident. This with all the regular news and verbal fistfights and pure hatred in our world… I couldn’t and can’t bear it all.

Yet that’s the point, and the Lord was gracious to show me that amidst our family’s trial. I couldn’t hold up under the weight of it. Peace was fleeting; I tried to hold on to it but it slipped through my fingers every time. In my desperation, I begged God to carry me. Take my burdens. Show me what He means when He says His yoke is easy and His burden is light (Matt. 11:30). And somehow… somehow He did. He showed Himself so strong to carry it all. All! He lifted my chin and reminded me that not one thing happens outside His good will. And at this point in my life, I know better than to question whether His will is good or not. I have seen over and over and over again how His ways are better than mine (Isaiah 55:9). He renewed my strength as I put my hope in Him (Isaiah 40:31). He helped me put one foot in front of the other when all I wanted to do was crumple into a heap. And as the days went on, He sustained me. There was no point along the way that I caved and lost all hope - no, He remained sufficient. He still remains sufficient.

Silence is golden.

As I look at the world and how broken my beloved country is, I still have hope. He sustains me even in this. Our world is not going to Hell in a handbasket. God has been revealing sin; He is exposing the darkness and bringing light to it. We shouldn’t be surprised when the light illuminates cobwebs and skeletons. Things get messy and we see evil. But then - He cleans and restores. People are finding that there is no fulfillment in things or other people; life without Jesus is empty. The harvest is plentiful - may the Lord raise up more workers!

Silence is golden. Friend, lessen the distractions - I promise you don’t really need them. What you need is Jesus Christ. Turn to Him, turn to Him, turn to Him. Just as He is teaching me, He can teach you. He can make sense of your life and trials. He can satisfy and keep you going. He is Lord of lords and King of kings. We have none to fear but Him!

Take your burdens and joyfully give them to the Lord to carry. Focus on the tasks He gives you, the people He puts before you, and give thanks. He is good, all the time. And all the time, He is good!

Finding Your Tribe

Lord, please bring me women I can do life with!

I’ve prayed this prayer so many times. But He has seen it best that I don’t have a “tribe.” Year after year, I meet people and watch people leave. Some friends I talk to more than others, but the ride-or-dies, the tribe - it hasn’t formed.

God has heard my prayers, and He has patiently and faithfully taught me.

Play date after play date, get-together after get-together, I would enter and run a mental checklist. You know the kind - is she in the same season of life? does she parent like me? is she too ___? does she care about ___? is her hair naturally that color? can’t be, she must spend a bazillion dollars on self-care…

In my desperation to find “the right” friends, I pushed many away (mentally) because they didn’t “fit.” But I have since learned that I shouldn’t treat people like prospective employees, because the business of filtering friendships is not really a thing. At least, it’s not a Godly thing!

People come and go in our lives; different people come in different seasons. None of this is unknown to God - in fact, He knows who we will learn from and grow with at each point in our lives! Instead of trying to create a group of women we think are perfect for our lives, what if we look around at who God has already introduced us to?

I have found that putting my mental checklist aside does wonders. Without those expectations, I am free to love and care about each woman God brings into my life. I am free to treat them as I want to be treated, and I am free to not worry when they don’t reciprocate.

As important as friendships are, we cannot put our faith in them. Other women cannot be our end-all, our ultimate quest in life. We will be disappointed time after time! God gives us the right people at the right times in our lives because He knows best who we need to learn from, and who will learn from us.

Friendships are important; living life solo isn’t preferable. Yet it’s really all about Him - surprise! Have you ever had someone come into your life and teach you an invaluable lesson, simply by being themselves? God uses us to teach each other and point each other to Himself. We learn more about Him and His goodness through each other, which makes sense since we all are made in His image.

I have had many women come into my life at various stages. Some are decades older, and we have remained close over many years. I have gained much wisdom from these women! Some have been in the same season of motherhood, and we have learned to appreciate each other because our children enjoy playing together. Some friendships fit naturally, and some take more work. Some women are good friends I’ve met in very unique ways, and yet we live hundreds and thousands of miles apart.

There is so much beauty in how God crosses paths and leads people to meet each other. There will never be one person who can be all the things for you - only Jesus can fill that role.

Let yourself and others off the hook! Take the women He puts in front of you, of all ages, and get to know them. Be more interested in how you can serve them than how they can serve you. Doing so will allow you some of the richest, worry-free friendships!

If the Lord brings a group of women around you that you are able to share much of life with, praise Him for that! Keep your eyes open to still connect with those who aren’t in your group. If the Lord does not bring you a tight-knit group of women, praise Him for that too and don’t stress over it!

“Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.”

Psalm 136:1

It sounds simple, and it is - take who He gives you and be thankful for them. Amen!

Standing for Our Children

This is a Facebook post I recently wrote, and I wanted to share it here as well. We are facing things in our beloved USA that we have never faced, and amidst it all - our children are being overlooked.

***

From the beginning of this whole thing...what shall we call it? It started with a virus and now who knows what's going on, it'll just be remembered as the infamous "2020".

From the beginning, I have been burdened for our children. Not just my kids, I mean kids across our nation. Bear with me, and please, put aside politics for a minute. I am desperate that you hear this.

We took them out of schools. We closed everything. No playgrounds, no libraries, no nothing. Away from consistency, friends, social life, space to play and learn and release energy.

Many families have actually thrived with this - God has used so much for good.

Yet there's another side. A side where I do trust He is still working, but a side that absolutely sickens me.

For many kids, home is not safe. Home is terrifying. Home is where they are abused, neglected, exposed. They are not protected.

And in the last 6+ months, as we've seen adult suicide and depression rates skyrocket, the number of cases being reported to DHS has dropped. I know this because I asked. Do you see what that means?
People are not reporting abuse (of course, if you're an abuser stuck at home with children...you're not reporting it and neither is anyone else). Children are not. being. protected.

And more recently, the exposure of human trafficking. We all knew it existed, but most of us didn't realize the extent of it. I am grateful it has been exposed, praise God for shedding light on what has been hidden in darkness. It is pure evil.

So what is our response?

To continue putting masks on our children's faces? Again - put aside the politics, please. If you look at a group of children in masks, they all look similar. Do you realize pedophiles are using this to their great advantage?? Do you know that traffickers are out and about - with children - and nobody even knows because we can't see each other's faces?

And defunding the police - are people thinking of the implications this has for *children*? Police are their defense! The police show up to calls for domestic abuse, they are the ones who wait with hurting children while a home is found for them to go to. They do the hard work to protect kids in our own neighborhoods.

Friends, will we keep failing our children?

Or will we think beyond ourselves, and think of the generations that come after us? Will we look out for those who can't look out for themselves?

It starts in our own homes, protecting our own children. Don't you feel bad for protecting your children. Don't be cow toed into things you know are not in your children's best interest. Fight for your kids.

And as we look out - if we see something, say something. Get trained to know the signs of abuse. (Operation Underground Railroad has fantastic resources for this.)

I'm still searching. I feel so helpless with it all, knowing there are children being preyed on and not knowing what on earth to do. But these couple things and a lot of prayer - I know those are places to start. Please, join me.

"When the cares of my heart are many,
Your consolations cheer my soul."
Psalm 94:19

"He has told you, O man, what is good;
and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,
and to walk humbly with your God?"
Micah 6:8

Our Desperate Need

My prayers have been scattered lately.

I don’t remember how long life has been quarantined, how many ebbs and flows this all has had. But I feel pulled with the tide. In, out. In, out.

As I tuck my kids in and watch the dog settle into sleep, I think all is well. It’s all going to be okay, normal life will come eventually.

Yet I know that’s not true. “Normal” as we knew it won’t be the same “normal” after this.

Lord, when will this end?

Lord, how can people treat each other this horribly?

Lord, what is Your will with all of this?

I find myself praying for simple things, like kind cashiers and enough toilet paper. And then there are deeper things; show me, Lord, how to be a faithful witness to You through all of this; protect my children from this hatred.

Humanity is lost. Every day news stories emerge that drop my jaw and sink my heart. And we are scrambling to make sense of it all, following click-bait and jumping to conclusions and trying to make everyone think like we do.

I watch and I am amazed - this global pandemic has brought out the worst in us. It has brought out so much hatred, so much selfishness. All the inner things of the heart…well, here they are on display.

It isn’t surprising though. Romans tells us, “…there is none who does good, no, not one” (Romans 3:12). All have sinned (3:23). And now, as things are tough for everyone, it all is coming out.

God is sanctifying me. I want to hide in fear; I want to give way to worry over my kids and their future, over the instability of life as I know it. I want to throw fists verbally, give quick responses to people who are wrong or rude to me and my kids. I want to sit everyone down and make it all stop. Yet none of these responses is glorifying to my Lord, and so He reminds me over and over again.

If He has convinced me of anything through this, it’s that the entire world needs the Gospel. There is no policy that will solve things, no government official that will bring perfection, no way of human reasoning that will make people change their evil deeds.

Do you see it too?

Only God can change hearts. Only He can take a sinner, like He did with myself, and make that sinner righteous by the blood of His Son. We can’t do it - we can’t make ourselves good. Only Jesus Christ can make good out of someone inherently evil. Only Jesus can save this world and make things right. How desperately we need Him.

Bringing others to think like we do, act like we do, talk like we do - it isn’t a worthy goal, even if we think we’re doing it after God’s will. The worthy goal is pointing people to Jesus Christ, pointing them to the Bible to be changed by the perfect, unchanging God.

I want to encourage you, sisters in Christ, to be in the Word daily. Read it consistently, let it change you. Go to it to be shaped more and more like your Lord. This is a beautiful thing. And may I challenge you… you have no time for other extracurricular things if you are not in His Word.

I’ve mentioned this particular reading plan before, and I am happily mentioning it again because it has been so fruitful in my life (and the lives of many other women). The Bible Reading Challenge is a wonderful plan to follow for reading through Scripture. We are about to start the summer plan; you can find all the info here. It is solely Scripture, no additives. Whether you jump in with this plan or follow something else, prioritize reading your Bible.

What the world needs most right now is Christians following Christ. I’m praying for you and rooting for you in your walk with Him!

- Amy