Marissa Henley

Encouraging weary women to hope in Christ alone

Your God Will Hear You {No Matter What Monday}

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Micah 7-7I try not to be a mom who stares at her phone all day. But I remember a time, a few years ago, when my young daughter was trying to tell me something, and I was engrossed in my phone. She gently put her hands on my cheeks, lifted my eyes to look into her eyes, and then started speaking to me.

 

She needed to be heard.

 

That’s one interesting aspect of our current social media age. Anyone can get their message out there. We are all clamoring to be heard. We can instantly tell hundreds of people about our joy, our heartbreak, or our great new purchase at Kohl’s.

 

But is anyone really listening?

 

Micah 7:7 tells us that there is One who hears us: “But as for me, I will look to the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me.”

 

The God of our salvation hears us. The Lord who has the power to rescue us, our Heavenly Father who cares for us, the God who proved His love by saving us . . . He hears our cries. Psalm 34:6 says, “This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him and saved him out of all his troubles.”

 

Do you need to be heard? Are you feeling discouraged by your troubles and feel that no one understands? Cry out to the Lord. He will hear you.

 

No matter what, your God will hear you when you cry out to Him.

 

{ Graphic hand-lettered by Amanda J Calligraphy }

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Breaking Free from the Superwoman Trap

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06012016_GUESTMarissaHenley_WalkInFreedom

I sat in my counselor’s office with silent tears sliding down my face, feeling flattened by the pressures of life. The expectations placed on me by myself and others were more than I could bear. My counselor handed me a blank sheet of paper and a cup full of markers.

“Draw it,” she said.

I’m no artist, but I tried my best. I drew a stick figure lying at the bottom of the page, with harsh arrows pointing down at the distraught figure. (That is, the stick figure who would have looked distraught if I had known how to draw that.)

The arrows represented the pressure I felt to be:

  • an attentive mom who gets all the mom stuff right;
  • a loving wife who gets all the wife stuff right;
  • a wise and compassionate friend who makes everyone happy;
  • a perfect homemaker who serves nutritious, savory meals from her spotless kitchen;
  • a healthy, thin woman who looks effortlessly put-together, but not in a snobbish or intimidating way;
  • all while juggling a million responsibilities with ease.

The impossible standards of those arrows were a heavy weight on my shoulders, reminding me of my daily shortcomings. I felt trapped, laid out on the floor, just like the defeated, joyless stick figure in my drawing.

Then my counselor asked me to draw how it could feel better.

Can you relate? If so, click here to continue reading with me over on (in)courage today . . . 

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Remember God’s Past Faithfulness {No Matter What Monday}

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lamentations 3

I mentioned last week that it was time for the semi-annual check of my insides to look for cancer recurrence. This experience can be so daunting that there’s a term for the emotions that come with it: scanxiety. As I approached Scan Day, I swung on a pendulum between complete confidence that everything would be fine and dreadful certainty that nothing would be fine.

 

One tactic I use during scan weeks is to remind myself that, no matter how worked up I get each time, all my other scans have been clear. I am a five-year survivor and, as of last week’s clear scans, I have accumulated a record of 14 rounds of scans showing no evidence of disease. (Praise the Lord with me!) Remembering these past experiences brings some peace when I face uncertainty, but this peace is not a sure foundation. Statistically speaking, the years of good results makes future good results more likely. But there is no guarantee.

 

When calling to mind past medical success doesn’t completely quiet my soul, I’m thankful there’s something better.

 

Lamentations 3:21-23 says: “But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”

 

Calling to mind the Lord’s faithfulness and steadfast love brings hope and peace to my worried soul. Remembering His past faithfulness to His people in general and in my life specifically gives me confidence as I face uncertainty and doubts. Because God never changes, His past faithfulness absolutely guarantees His present and future faithfulness to us.

 

I don’t know that everything will be fine. But I do know the Lord will be faithful. Because He was faithful yesterday, I can confidently depend on Him to be faithful today and expect Him to be faithful tomorrow.

 

What thoughts of fear and doubt are plaguing your thoughts today? What can you call to mind about the Lord’s faithfulness in your life? How can remembering His past faithfulness give you peace and confidence for your future?

 

No matter what, we can remember God’s past faithfulness, depend on His present faithfulness, and expect His future faithfulness.

 

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Our Hope is in Our Great God {No Matter What Monday}

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Dale Ralph Davis

For me personally, “No Matter What Monday” was meant for weeks like this.

 

Later this week, I will walk into the oncology clinic where I spent many hours back in 2010-11. I will have imaging tests of my chest and abdomen, and then I’ll wait to hear whether or not the doctors see evidence of a cancer recurrence.

 

I wish I could tell you I’m not afraid. I’d love to inspire you with the strength of my faith in God’s plans, whatever they may be.

 

But the truth is that I’m scared. I struggle to rest in God’s sovereignty and faithfulness. This week I’ll come face-to-face with the reality of my medical history, my mortality, and the weakness of my faith.

 

Maybe this is a big week for you, too. Maybe you’re wrestling with unknowns in your life, unfulfilled longings, or unending struggles. Dear friend, how can we have peace today as we look ahead at a challenging week?

 

I find comfort in these words from seminary professor and author, Dr. Dale Ralph Davis: “It is not so much great faith in God that is required as faith in a great God” (No Falling Words, p. 122).

 

Isn’t that freeing? Nothing depends on the greatness of my faith. It all depends on the greatness of God.

 

The apostle Paul said it this way: “Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me” (2 Corinthians 12:9b).

 

This is great news when my faith falters. God doesn’t require great faith from us. He brings all the greatness that is required. His goodness never falters or fails. His grace covers all the weakness of our faith.

 

No matter what, our hope isn’t in our great faith but in our great God.

 

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