From Faith to Footsteps

Desiring God: For Weary Women in a World of Opportunity

I started this post as one combining several resources and reflections on some devotions and other posts that had come to me at seemingly the most adequate times, but then they each had so much value, I didn't want people to just skip through it. In the days and weeks to come, I'm going to share a little section of this theme on work, worry, and rest, as it has really convicted yet also comforted me in the midst of this currently crazy world.

I see so many people struggling and seeming to have no hope or sense of purpose and joy, and that's totally understandable. Even the "best of us" have down days, weeks, seasons. But there is something that differentiates some from others--there IS hope. This hope is in Christ alone, and that's hard for some to understand, but I want to share some of my personal experiences to show others that it is real and possible in daily life, no matter how mundane it may seem.

As I scrolled way way back in my school email where I send myself links to look at later, I knew there were a lot of devotions and Bible studies in there, so that was how I was choosing what to do each day for a while. I was "randomly" choosing one, but it felt a lot like they were choosing me.

I've been tired. Mentally and physically. Training was hard there for a bit (not much now since the season is so far away), and school was stressful. I have more than a full load of work right now. All this coronavirus stuff and never knowing the truth or where it is or what people are doing, I was living in anxiety. Anxiety is exhausting.

But God knows what we each are going through, what we need, and when we need it. Those devotions were saved for a reason. I needed them now more than when I came across them. The tweets that I notice on my feed while I eat dessert aren't just happenstance. The instagram posts? Media has a lot of crazy ways it stalks us to show us what we want or need to see, but God is way better and more powerful than an algorithm!

I could go on and on about some of these, but here are some devotions, articles, pictures, and tweets that have really stood out to me lately on the topics of work, worry, and rest.

Here are the links to the devotions I'll be going over for anyone's reference:

Desiring God: All You Need For Another Year

Desiring God: Lord, Teach Us to Work--Learning from the Labors of Christ

KLove Encouragement: Rhythms for Loving Action

Desiring God: Good Men Work Hard and Sleep Well

To get the ball rolling, here are some other awesome things that I came across during the same time I was studying through these! No pun intended when I said ball, but it happened...

This was a section from the daily New York Times email in their "idea of the day" where they used the NBA as an example of how rest really improves life and performance. This came just a couple days after I had commented to our two coaches about all these pro runners breaking records left and right, and they responded sarcastically, "Yeah, it's like not racing all the time is making their races better! They can actually take time to train and recover..."

In the middle of all the themed things coming to be, coach Andy even sent out an email that was all about sleep.

Simple lesson to learn from our loved and missed sports world: you've got to take time to recover if you want to be at your best.

This is what keeps me going some days! No matter where I am, what I'm doing (or not doing), I have a purpose. I may feel useless and lonely, but I will encounter people that I can impact by the things I have been through and come out of.

God says, "No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful. He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. He will provide a way out so that you can stand up under it." 1 Corinthians 10:13

While the word here is "temptation" I believe it can also be "trials." (Pastor Dean, I need your word-history-knowledge!) Everyone's situation is unique, but we still face similar circumstances as others all across the world. We can relate. Jesus can relate. He faced a huge variety of oppositions, yet He never sinned. We can go to Him, trusting that He understands and holds the plans to bring us through AND use it for something good!

These days, I know that even if I were to never get to race again, I have more opportunities. I have connections with teammates and encounters with even relative strangers where I can share my story. Helping someone through a challenge by sharing a testimony of how God has helped me is one of the most fulfilling feelings. And you never know how much someone else may truly be struggling on the inside and your words and God's work will touch their hearts and lives.

Also with my future job, whatever it may be, I will have the chance to help people get stronger mentally, spiritually, and physically, and that keeps me going and searching for ways to use my days.

Never be afraid to share your story! Embrace the grace that God has given you! Our struggles are not in vain.

Monday, June 15, 2020

Monday Motivation (6/8/20)

There is unbelievable negativity in the world right now, and to play on some common sayings, I'm not here for it, and it's cancelled, and I'm having a #DoomAndGloomIsOverParty.

Not going to lie, there are plenty of reasons we could throw a pity party right now. I could throw myself a pity party, but I am determined not to. I have hope in something greater than this world, and I'm going to celebrate it. That's my kind of party.

It's been pretty good in the quarantine life for the Jones family. Not too much has changed except that my summer break and time living at home extended by two months suddenly, and Mom got an extra month or so of her time at home, too. We don't go out that much, and our house isn't that close to the highway or center of town, so except for the chaos in the news, grocery shopping for my grandparents, and making a few last-minute grocery trips because we heard meat was back in stock, it's been a relatively normal summer despite it all.

Until Saturday. I can't tell you the last time we had a smooth summer. One of my high school years I guess. Post-senior year, we never got along, and I couldn't wait to get away and to college. After that first year--yeah we won't talk about that right now; that summer was nonexistent...God only knows...and He was the only reason we made it through, too. After sophomore year, Mom had elbow surgery. After junior year, I had just torn two hip muscles, healed, but a month later screwed everything down my right side up. This summer, we've got the coronas and the protests--AND now Dad likely tore his hamstring. Bless this mess...but God already has.

This was a couple hours before that happened. It was a great day. We'd only had the boat out a couple weekends so far, and I am so thankful that I took a boat ride this afternoon. We had Chloe in there with us, sweetest girl, and we even got her in the lake. Yes, she is a lab, and yes, she is afraid to swim. We're trying to teach her that she can do it, and she will be okay.

Mom and Dad went to ski while I was studying for the GRE, but it was a long time, and they never came back. Then my phone rang...

Suddenly, everything was uncertain. We had gotten things calmed down and inside for the night, no ER visit, but we really didn't know what we were going to do. He could hardly move.

When a serious medical issue like this comes up, you know there's the issues of work, doctors, treatments, all the money, time management, how long it will take to come back, wondering if things will ever be the same, all the things we will miss in the meantime, the changes to our daily lives, and so much more. That's reason for a slight mental breakdown if you ask me. Not going to lie, I did break down for a few minutes. And that's okay.

It's one of those times you just don't know what to do or say or even pray, but that can be good, because we don't know best. God does. I don't know why this had to happen, but I know that God is in control, and He is good. We are safe. We are provided for if we do not give up hope and do not give up effort.

Monday morning Mom woke me up after Dad had called and gotten into the doctor, but she had to go do Mamaw and Papaw's shopping, so I was designated driver. I had an hour or so, so I hopped up, took a bike ride to refresh, then got Dad to the doc. From there, I made the most of my time (one of my main goals because God puts so many things on my heart, and I run out of time every day--"Make the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil." Ephesians 5:16) and took my daily walk and pray to enjoy some fresh air and time with God without distractions. Not like I could go into the doctor's office during "these unprecedented times," for lack of better terms. He came out with news it was most likely torn, we just didn't know how bad, so next was an appointment that afternoon in Knoxville. Mom got home not too long after us, and they had time to eat lunch before leaving again.

Chloe and I enjoyed the sunshine and peace out on the deck with some dark chocolate Kodiak Cakes with berries and strawberry cream cheese. We all need more pups and pancakes in our lives. It's the little things. Health (mental and physical) is wealth. Words to live by.

That afternoon, they actually got to the appointment and back before I left to DoorDash. It was overcast so not too hot for being in the car. I also got in a great Bible study relating to one of Pastor Dean's recent sermons, some things we needed at Walmart, and three good-paying deliveries! But during this time, I drove up on where there had just been a bad wreck. The flow of traffic was stopped in both directions for a helicopter to airlift someone to the hospital. A wreck is never good, but you know that's a bad sign.

That got me really down. So much pain in the world...things are just so...I don't even know a word for it. I was feeling pretty discouraged in the world after all of this.

Discouraged in the world.

That's the problem.

The world has sin and pain, but the world is where we have turned all our focus.

After passing this scene and feeling so much more sadness, "I Know" by Big Daddy Weave came on KLove. (link to the full lyrics on the title above or scroll to the end to see some!) That gave some words from my heart that I didn't have the power to come up with on my own.

Later that evening, another one that has been uplifting through the recent events in the world and to me personally came on, "One Day" by Cochren & Co. (lyrics here and below)

At Dash #1 I got a simple little smile from the little boy and his dad next to me ordering. This kid couldn't have been more than six years old. He ordered cheese bread and two cookies. His dad said, "Just two? I thought you wanted three cookies." The boy grinned and shied away, then the young guy behind the counter smiled and said, "How about four cookies?" and gave him two for free. The little boy's face (and his dad's) lit up. So did mine.

There are good people and good things in the world.

God knew I needed that.

Further encouragement for me and you both to do good, because it can effect those around us that we don't even think are involved!

Also sounds silly, but another simple yet big thing gave me some peace that I felt like God sent at just the right time. I have been really worried about the dining situation when we get back to school because of all the health concerns, and you can only imagine if restaurants are limited, what will a college campus full of students look like!? So the dining services sent out a very informative and relieving email about some new options as well as the usual ones! We are getting a Freshens! AND I had suggested that in a couple surveys throughout the past year! There's also going to be another venue with a rotating homestyle menu as well as more weekend options for people with meal plans.

I also got to chat on instagram with a friend that I haven't talked to since maybe high school, but we were cross country and track teammates at West. He shared how encouraging my posts are and that he enjoyed getting to see my positivity and faith. Man, did I need these things. Not that we need to have people tell us we're doing a good job, but sometimes that's how God gives us a little nudge to not give up. This doesn't happen often, but it does at the right times.

So while this Monday was a downer at times, I was much more reminded of God's goodness when He shined through those dark times.

Fast forward to Wednesday.

Dad's MRI was this evening. The next step to getting on the road to recovery, less pain. I mean, he's been in a lot of pain. Can't go to work because he can't drive, can't sit in a car, can't sit in a desk, can hardly walk. It's already been four days with no progress.

Phone rings.

Insurance hasn't approved; the earliest we might can get you in now is sometime next week.

That's even if insurance approves.

More uncertainty, waiting, worries of pain, healing, money, etc.

My heart aches for Mom and Dad both.

There's not much I can do but pray and try to be positive for them and help with what I can. I texted two of the girls that I've been praying with a lot lately so they could help me pray, because I know that prayer is so powerful, and often, others have a greater impact than we can ourselves because we are inherently so selfish in our hearts. It's human nature, but God knows and intercedes for us (Romans 8:26-27).

Would you believe that less than an hour later, insurance called us and approved the MRI, so we called back to KOC, and they could get him in the next day!

Power of prayer, persistence, and trust.

That evening I was out working, and it clouded up and even rained some, but there was a beautiful break in the clouds where the sun shined through, and God filled me with a peace that said He was making a way.

And how am I sure I was supposed to share this? It was really on my heart this evening, then I came across that tweet from Air1. "Do it," God said. People need to hear good news and encouragement not to give up.

Some of my favorite/relevant lyrics from the previously mentioned songs:
I Know
You don't answer all my questions, but You hear me when I speak
You don't keep my heart from breaking, but when it does You weep with me
You're so close that I can fell You when I've lost the words to pray
Though my eyes have never seen You, I've seen enough to say
I know that You are good
I know that You are kind
I know that You are so much more than what I leave behind
I know that I am loved
I know that I am safe
Cause even in the fire, to live is Christ, to die is gain
I don't understand the sorrow, but You're calm within the storm
Sometimes this weight is overwhelming, but I don't carry it alone
...On my darkest days, in my deepest pain, thorough it all my heart will choose to sing Your praise

One Day
One day there'll be no more waiting left for our souls
...One day there'll be no more lives taken too soon
One day there'll be no more need for hospital rooms
One day every tear that falls will be wiped by His hand
We will see the promised land
Hallelujah, there will be healing
From this heartbreak we've been feeling
We'll sing it through the darkest night
Cause we know that the light will come
There will be healing, hallelujah
One day there'll be no more anger left in our eyes
One day the color of our skin won't cause a divide
One day we'll be a family standing hand in hand
We will see the promised land
...One day when our tired and weary bones find their rest
One day when the power of evil is brought to an end
We will see the promised land

Monday, June 1, 2020

On Eagles' Wings

As for most over the past few months, church has not met in person. At least this has brought us together in new ways and with new appreciation. The saying about that the church is not a place but people has taken on new meaning.

After the messages leading up to and on Easter, Pastor Dean started a new series titled, "Encouraging Words for Difficult Days." While it is initially coming off of the current circumstances the world is in right now, I love to also look at the passages he has used so far in life as a whole! We are only two weeks in, but it has been great! They haven't been in passages that I haven't applied to my life probably hundreds of times, but that's one of the beauties of the Bible. The same thing can hit so differently at different times.

I know that there are a lot of people struggling and in rough shape, and a lot of people probably have plenty of reasons to feel hopeless, but from someone who has a hope in the Lord that has gotten me through a long list of my own struggles and is facing each day with the same hope, I want to share some of what I am hearing from these messages and how it has encouraged me, so hopefully someone else in need can see how the scriptures can shine light on every day in our personal lives.

"Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and His understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall, but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not be faint." Isaiah 40:28-31

(**these are pictures I took of a real bald eagle in my neighborhood on a walk last month!**)

While this passage was written soooo long ago, the attitude of the first two sentences are easily comparable to today's language. How often do we talk to people like, "Hello? How do you not know [fill-in-the blank with something we think is obvious?]"?

As Christians also living in the world like every human, it can be easy to get caught up in our circumstances and wonder why things are the way they are. We are human, and we don't understand a lot of things. But as Christians, we know the obvious facts of faith, like that God is in control of this earth He created, but we need to be reminded. Not that we forget, but that we lose sight.

The simple answer to "why" undesirable things happen is because of sin. We deserve bad things, honestly, but in considering what we do get compared to what we deserve to get, we are doing good.

Sometimes we can see reasons why, but other times we are left wondering. In the times our earthly minds can't wrap around something happening, remember Isaiah 55:8-9 where God reminds us, "For your thoughts are not My thoughts, neither are your ways My ways. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts higher than your thoughts."

Peace comes with surrendering to that. It may not make sense on the surface, but when things are out of our control, BUT we know that they are in God's control, we don't have to worry. That's a big weight taken off of your shoulders from when you are trying to support and control your own entire life. So when you screw up, it's all your fault. But God never screws up.

There are three characteristics of God from verses 28-30 that can give us peace:

1. God is all-powerful. -- the Creator of the ends of the earth who never grows tired or weary

2. He is all-knowing. -- His understanding that no one can fathom.

3. He is all-sufficient. -- He gives power to the weak and renews the strength of the weak.

Where we lack, He is more than enough.

Not only must we know the promises of God, we must believe them!

There were some awesome things about the word "wait" that I learned in this message. Waiting isn't fun, and our world has made it totally undesirable from all of the technological advances and simply the negative connotation we have put on waiting. We hate waiting in line, to be seated at a restaurant, someone to respond to a text, the end of the school year, etc...

The Hebrew word for wait is "qahvah," and it has three meanings: patience, service, and confidence.

This is something that I have learned to appreciate through years of off and on struggles that have led to the greatest growth in my faith. Y'all may think I'm crazy for some of this, but that's fine. I want to share the joy that I have even in the hard times so that hopefully someone else will be able to see joy in their circumstances, too, or at least have the courage to try to change their perspective.

1. Patience-I've never been good at it, but I know God like to work on our weaknesses. Time is going so fast! I don't want to rush anything away anymore. Even when there is something good coming up, or I am just in a seemingly dull week, rainy week, etc., I don't wish that time away. I love summer, but school is great, too. I love running big miles and workouts, but I've found joy in the easy days and giving myself a break. I want healing, but I've learned to use the pain to grow and improve in different areas. Some days feel slow, but I think of the days that I feel too overwhelmed with tasks yet to do. In patience is where I really see Him at work.

"I waited patiently for the Lord; He turned to me and heard my cry." Psalm 40:1

2. Service-Continues from patience! Not only do we tend to think of waiting negatively, we also do not consider it an active time. Waiting is when we just sit. We don't do anything while we wait because, well, we are waiting on something else. But in the time we wait, there is so much we can do! Keep faith in the waiting! Keep living and loving. Be useful rather than idle. Lately, while some may say they're waiting on things to go back to normal, I am, too, but I am also enjoying working and serving in many different ways that I wouldn't "normally" be--shopping with and for Mom, for my grandparents, volunteering with my church, making and sending mail, simply praying for and talking to people, and working for DoorDash and Instacart. Who knows what else I may get into?! I like to look at this time as one that is a unique opportunity and look for what I can do to make the most of it.

"Wait for the Lord, and keep His way. He will exalt you to inherit the land." Psalm 37:34

3. Confidence-Listed third, I think that's accurate to how we develop these three things. Yeah, I'm only 22, but after all I've been through and all I've learned, gained patience, persevered in the waiting, I have confidence that God will always come through. He already has everything worked out, and it will come to fruition in His timing. I can get through every challenge, sad day, tired body or soul because I am confident in His plan, provision, and goodness. He has never left me nor forsaken me (Hebrews 13:5). This is where my joy comes from. Not that I have joy because things are always good, but I have joy even when things are bad because I have the hope that things are working together for my good (Romans 8:28). I literally have Word Docs full of things to remind me of how He has shown up repeatedly in daily life, so we will have more examples in various posts.

"Do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded." Hebrews 10:35

"For You have been my hope, Sovereign Lord, my confidence since my youth." Psalm 71:5

“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him." Jeremiah 17:7

"This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us." 1 John 5:14

Another Hebrew thing that really stood out to me about "wait" and "quahvah" is that the root word means "to twist or bind together like cords." Ecclesiastes 4:12 says, "A cord of three strands is not easily broken." So waiting, with its three parts listed above, and its root like a cord, is not easily broken!

The promise that follows in verse 31 is that we will renew our strength and mount up on wings like eagles. The word renew means to exchange--we will exchange our weaknesses for strength, our tiredness for energy, our despair for hope! This exchange is key in life with Christ. We can't just keep adding things or just take something out. For there to be a lasting effect, there has to be an exchange. Replace a bad habit with a new routine, a sin with a good action, etc. John 3:30 says, "He must become greater, I must become less."

We can also learn a lot from the life of an eagle. Pastor Dean added to this from something he once heard in another message (see how we all learn from each other? Sometimes we just need someone else to be like verse 28 and say, "Do you not see this?").

1. The eagle learns to fly through great struggle. -- The momma makes him work to get his food and learn to fly. Moving around the nest strengthens his muscles. Struggling to stay in the air when he falls out of the nest works his flying muscles so much so that one day he can do it on his own. Though he may fall, the mother catches him when he is too weak to do it on his own, but she still lets him learn as he falls. -- The same goes with God. He gives us grace when we fall, but we still have to do our part in working. Sometimes we have to fall in order to go higher. I can assure you I never would have made the great changes in my life if I hadn't messed up first.

2. Eagles have powerful vision. -- They can focus in on one single thing, one goal to prey on, from very far away. A challenge for anyone, me included, is to find this focus on the goals God has set out for me and keep that focus until I reach the goal.

3. The eagle loves the storm. -- Riding the wind current helps the eagle fly higher. I saw a post on Instagram the day before with a quote that really stuck with me, "You can't stop a storm, but you can ride the waves." That reminds me also of the saying about how we can't control the cards we are dealt, but we can control how we play them. Perspective is heee-uge.

4. The eagle's chief enemy is the snake. -- Satan is a snake if ya didn't know...but eagles grab up the snakes with their talons and take them way high to drop them on the rocks where the impact kills them. Christ is our Rock, where we can take our sins and struggles for Him to defeat (1 Corinthians 10:4, Psalm 62).

5. Eagles lay their eggs in winter. -- Not a desirable time to lay eggs, but they do so in confidence that spring is coming. We, too, must lay eggs, plant seeds, do work in the colder, tougher times, having faith that better days are coming, Christ will come through! If we don't do anything now, there is no reason to think things will ever get better later. If you don't plant seeds before the weather gets warmer, you can't expect anything to grow to harvest.

6. Eagles die facing the sun. -- When an eagles knows his time is coming, he flies up to a high place to face the sun and die in peace. When we have lived our lives having accepted Jesus, we can have peace knowing that when we leave this earth, we will face the sun...The Son.

Finally, I found it very encouraging to hear one more historical word meaning from this final verse. "Run" and "walk" are military terms, where "run" refers to the battle, a fight, the attack and the enemy, while "walk" refers to the routine, day-to-day march. This assures us that God cares about all aspects of our life, big or small, challenging or monotonous, with others or alone, something complex or simple, He is there and cares through it all.

Take this quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson and let it simmer on your stove for a bit: "The wise man in the storm prays to God, not for safety from danger, but for deliverance from fear. It is the storm within that endangers him, not the storm without."

Friday, September 6, 2019

"God's Not Done" --Songs and Scriptures Series

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