Won't HE do it? #PassportTestimony

So I just HAVE to share this story b/c when God flexes on your behalf, you just HAVE to show Him off!

I read this story yesterday about a young lady (who happens to be a Baylor Bear #sicem) that was on a trip (outside of the country) and lost her phone (which held important info and was her contact to her family). She prayed it would be found, but after a few days got comfortable with the thought that it might be lost forever. The guy who found it threatened (to another person) he would not return it unless "God told him to" and later himself confessed (both to the confidant and eventually to the young lady) that somehow he was moved to return it. Upon returning it, he asked about this "GOD" she believed in and later trusted Christ as his Savior. I was amazed at how God could use such a small "loss" to impact a life.

Well I have a trip out of the country scheduled in a few weeks and was getting my papers in order when I realized my passport was misplaced. Frantic to find out that it was NOT in the files that I keep all my important documents in, I ran through my (terrible) memory to try and think back to where else it could possibly be? Got my sister in on the search as we ruffled through box upon box in my garage. Nothing!

A few nights ago, I went online to see what I needed to do to report a lost passport and started through the online steps (which included a 12 step headache...just so you know). $160 later (just for the rushing component), I realized that I would be required to soon shell out an additional $170 for the processing alone. Blood boiling at the thought of losing over $300 (unplanned), I set to pulling out documents such s my social security card, birth certificate and my destination itinerary. The final step would be to take a passport photo at my local Walgreens ($15) and then call www.RushmyPassport.com at their 1-800 number.

Late Sunday night, I happened to be up praying for a friend of mine and the Lord put the whole passport business on my heart. I let out a sign and without words simply thought "Lord, if you could just help me find my passport it would be great b/c I really don't want to pay all of this money". I fell asleep within a minute of that thought.

SO...today after work, I took care of the passport photo and with reluctance, dialed the number to the company. The guy on the phone said..."Since you don't have your documents in front of you, why don't you call me back when you get home." When I arrived home, I prepared collected my documents and something said, 'just go look through all those boxes one more time'.

So I summoned the assistance of my brother this time. Went out into the garage, and immediately my an old purse caught my eye. It was sitting open on top of one of the boxes. (Now mind you, my sister and I shuffled through these very boxes two days prior). I went straight to the purse and stuck my hand in ...the passport was sitting right inside!

I quickly called the 1-800 number back and told them my story. The lady on the phone said, "Ma'am you had three business days to to cancel your order and you called back right in time. I will make sure you get a refund and cancel your order."

When I tell you a burden has been lifted!!?? *shaking my head. The former story of the young lady who loss her phone was an encouragement to me to pray about my passport. I pray I can pay it forward and my testimony will spur YOU on towards praying for something (seemingly small) and watching God move on your behalf!



Lesson Take-away(s):
1. God hears even the little things we pray for. Nothing is "little" or trite to Him. Trust Him with it.
2. Details are important to Him. He orchestrated the timing, the calls I made and even is responsible for the thoughts I had to pray about it and to go back and search...more specifically the purse!
3. God has purpose in everything He does...especially if that purpose is to cause us to lift Him up!

Looking in others' windows

In my junior year of college, I lived off campus and walked to a few of my classes. One afternoon, returning home from a class, I passed up a few cars parked along the road and one in particular caught my attention. Not because of the make and model of the car, but because of what was inside of it. It caused me to stop and pause, starring at the contents wishing what I gazed at, were mine. Not long after that, I ended up starring so long that I caught a glimpse of my own reflection in the window's mirror-like qualities. Seeing my reflection snapped me out of my trance and caused me to reflect on something less superficial than my face -my heart.

Much like this trance I was caught up in, time and time again, I have found myself mesmerized by what other people have. It's gotten quite redundant and annoying. I'm not one to get caught up in material things, or so I'd like to think; so I had to put my finger on the pulse of my heart. If I continue to get envious when others obtain things and then throw my pity party before God, then what am I saying?

I'm admitting that I'm discontent with what I have, that I am ungrateful for the things I have been allotted. I'm spitting in the face of the God who sees me (Genesis 16:13), the One who gives "good gifts" to His children (James 1:17, Matthew 7:11).

I was watching the Steve Harvey show the other day and a couple was sharing the pain they were experiencing from infertility. They couldn't understand why (in their words) "God was punishing them" by not giving them what they wanted. A guest couple that Steve had on the show, shared these words of consolation to this grieving couple:

"My husband and I went through the same thing years ago...we felt the exact same pain and as I sat in church one Sunday, I cried out to the Lord, "Why are you punishing me?". Weeks later, I went in for a routine check up only to find out that at 33, I had breast cancer. I was fortunate to catch it in it's primary stages and doctors were able to ensure that no trace of it was left in my body. It wasn't until after that season, that I realized our inability to have children was God's way of protecting me as I went through cancer removal. Not long after that, we conceived."

I'm sure the couple was touched to hear a warm story, but I was deeply moved as it reminded me of God's "gifts". How God knows all things and more than giving us "things", he desires to protect us- that's His greatest gift. He wants to protect us from the temporary and eternal destruction of sin just as He desires to protect us from the envy and callousness "material things" can bring. Often times the plethora of things can distract us from God's purpose for our lives.

It's not so much that He longs to keep "things" from us, but to keep 'things' from having us is His desire. He knows that with character, we can handle 'stuff' and He can entrust us with more when we are good stewards of what we currently possess.

No more should my weak, fragile prayers sing out "Everyone else has it...why is it 'they' can have it and I cannot?" No more should I spit in His face with my longing for the things I see others obtain. Instead, I should look upon what He has satisfied me with and be grateful. I should rejoice over the fact that He has trusted me to be a steward over what I already have. The much deeper thought of what He could be protecting me from, should bring solace in my heart.

Discontentment and envy will always be our enemy, but gratitude and stewardship can not only keep our enemy at bay, but eventually demolish it.

Wanting Chic-Fil-A...on a Sunday

I know you're all too familiar with this feeling, right? Riding down the highway, hungry! Then that soft crispy yet juicy chicken comes to mind. You imagine it draped in a warm buttery bun or dipped in the Original sauce while shoving salty waffle fries down your throat. Immediately your heart races with excitement as you think about pulling over to the first Chick-Fil-A sign you see gloriously raised up high. But then a moment later, you are overcome with sadness as you remember, ...

TODAY IS SUNDAY!


From there you're forced to settle for whatever else because, well, nothing really beats the craving you just had for Chick-Fil-A. I get it, I've been there too many times and as a matter of fact, sometimes it seems I tend to want Chick-Fil-A only on Sundays (when I cannot have it). This is how I feel about trying (in my own strength) to please God. We end up frustrated and upset, only to find ourselves falling prey to our own sins.

In the same way many of my friends have pursued Entrepreneurship through these partnership start-up companies that encourage and promise personal success and financial freedom, I have begun a pursuit of my own. They are fueled and driven to be financially free therefore they exude this confidence and authentic passion revolving around autonomy and purpose. Their goals are set high and their future is in clear view. This motivates them to maximize their time and even practice resilience when presenting others with the same opportunities! I envy this passion, I desire to emulate these behaviors even, but my pursuit is predicated on a spiritual partnership with a desire to live in a different type of freedom. Yes, much like this Entrepreneurship movement that has taken my generation and social media by storm, I have had a craving to experience freedom from the nasty habits that rear themselves in my life from time to time.

Now, while I understand that my freedom has already been purchased by Jesus' death on the cross (1 Timothy 2:6, Galatians 5:1) which means I am free from the penalty (eternal punishment) of sin AND...that I won't be completely free from sin's presence until I cross over to eternal life with God, I do know that I can please God more (sanctification/living in freedom from sin's power) and sin less & less while He still breathes breath into my body. So I finished up my study of Elijah and Elisha (in 1st and 2nd Kings...which is full of amazing gems of timeless truths and life applicable stories, by the way) and was excited to start a new series of study. That key to spiritual freedom is found in Romans, so this has provoked my study of Romans 6-8 (our freedom from sin's control, our continuing struggle with sin and how we can have victory over sin).

So far, I've come to grip with 2 things:

1. I have to look at my sinful desires as if they're dead to me. So I thought about that. How do I think of 'dead' things? Well, I remember when my family dog died and even though I wasn't too connected to her, when I heard the news, I was taken-a-back and actually shed a few tears. But I didn't think too much about her after she was buried. I didn't try to feed her or let her out to play, because I knew she was no longer there. Then I thought about the passing of my father (in 2011) and how grieved I was to lose him. How every now and then, though I can hear his words he's spoken to me, be reminded of him when I smell a man who wears his same cologne and even sigh when someone tries to offer me banana pudding [because no one (I mean no one) made banana pudding like him], I'm no longer calling him to ask for advice, nor am I looking for him to check my oil and tire pressure. Both of these 'deaths' teach me that once something or someone was died, we change our behavior towards them. We treat them as if they can no longer do things for us...because they can't. That is exactly how our sin needs to be treated. As if it can no longer satisfy...because although it feels good, it isn't satisfaction (or else we wouldn't need to go back for it again). ~Romans 6

2.  Trying to follow laws (do's and don'ts) is NOT the way to please God. Let's go back to the Chick-Fil-A sign. That look on Snoop's face symbolizes the disdain and hurt we feel when we realize that heavenly place isn't even open on Sundays. Why the hurt? Because we realize we cannot have the very thing we want. The sign and the place aren't bad (God forbid if someone were to speak ill of Chick Fil A), and as a matter of fact their purpose of being closed on a Sunday is honorable! But the thought of it reveals the inability within us to not be able to satisfy our cravings. In the same way, God's law is good (the Old Testament ones, the Levitical laws, even the Ten Commandments and things Jesus cautions us against in the New Testament).

But those 'rules' only reveal within us the desires we have to break them! When someone tells a toddler not to touch an electrical socket, it only temporarily shows him that that is a 'no-no'. He will later go back and attempt it again, because his curiosity lures him back, yet this time he will look around because he knows its "wrong". God saying "do not..." does not stop us from our desire to do...much like God saying "do..." does not compel us to do. He isn't moved by our ability to keep his rules because He knows we're too frail to be consistent. At some point we will look at Him like Snoop is looking at Chick-Fil-A...frustrated and discouraged. Furthermore, doing all of His "do's" and NOT doing His "do nots" only confirm that we are trying to pave our way TO HIM! This takes the beauty and power out of what He did FOR US by sending Jesus to pave that way. So instead, I must depend on the work of Christ (through the Holy Spirit living in me) to obey. This way, love and gratitude motivates me! ~Romans 7

I remember holding down a temp job in college to pay for my books and small fees. I worked for an intercollegiate mail company. My job was to sort the incoming mail to prepare it for going out to the many places on campus. Well, my boss was a no-nonsense tyrant. Rude, loud, condescending and had  little to no people skills. Now i'm sure her "anger" and low tolerance was never really aimed intentionally at me, however it sure didn't feel that way. Each day was drudgery as I endured an easy job yet with the worst of conditions. Inside, it made me bitter, dull and with little desire to do my best over time. All of these behaviors were contrary to my personal work ethic and character. *Long story-short, I ended up praying against those feelings and attitudes, sharing the Gospel with her only to see her heart change right as my semester ended.

Recently, however, I've had the privilege of working alongside some women (of position) who have a sweet, God-loving spirit. Who value integrity, embody passion and are empathetic to those who serve under their leadership. The character and work ethic of these women fuel my own personal character and work ethic because they too believe in structure, excellence and servant-leadership. How much more have I found myself able to excel as an employee because of these women? How compelled to give my best, not because they require it of me, but because they require it of themselves and thus set an example for me! THIS is how we stay free from sin's grasp. Not by obeying a set of rules, but because of renewed minds and hearts that overflow with love for what Jesus did, can we live unresponsive (dead) to the sin that tempts us daily.