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Sharing God’s Faithfulness ~ Feathers Podcast

June 15, 2016 by Marissa Leave a Comment

As long as I live, I want to share His story of faithfulness with others. This past week, I had the opportunity to talk with Amy J. Bennett on the Feathers: Faith in Flight podcast.

Feathers features stories of people who faced difficult situations and were asked by God to have faith and obey Him. I love listening to it as I drive, exercise, or do housework. Amy’s God-honoring conversations with her guests inspire me, and I enjoyed getting to share my own story with her listeners!

If you’d like to listen or share the podcast episode with others, head on over to Amy’s website. I recommend checking out her other episodes while you’re there!

When You’re Weary and Waiting

June 10, 2016 by Marissa 2 Comments

A few weeks ago, I learned something about myself as I stood in the checkout line at Kohl’s.

My daughter and I got in line behind a man who was already checking out, so I figured it would be quick. But then the cashier started pressuring him to open a Kohl’s charge account, promising a significant discount on his pile of dress shirts.

I tried to keep a pleasant expression on my face as the customer told her he already had a Kohl’s card and she began several failed attempts to locate his account. She continued to pitch the new account, and he repeatedly said “no thanks.” My mood soured. I tried not to glare at both of them.

As he decided to fill out the credit card application, I no longer bothered to hide my annoyance. I sighed and rolled my eyes and commiserated with my daughter about how long it was taking. And let’s not even talk about my reaction when his application was denied. (Imagine several wailing-face emojis here.)

When it was finally my turn to check out, I was struck with conviction. The swell of impatience, frustration and even anger in my heart in those few minutes made it clear: I stink at waiting.

At Kohl’s, I knew I would eventually pay for my items and leave the store. But often when we wait on the Lord, we don’t know if or when we will ever receive what we’re waiting for. It’s hard to wait with no end in sight.

Right now I’m waiting for my house to sell. I decluttered and staged and now all I can do is wait. After a few weeks, the waiting led to irritability, and irritability led to grumpiness that spilled over into my relationships. Did I mention I stink at waiting?!

After a few days of snapping at every thoughtful friend who asked about the house-selling endeavor, I turned to God’s Word for help. This is what I found:

The LORD is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD. (Lamentations 3:25-26)

The Lord is good. The first truth we see in this verse is that we can trust the Lord to give us good things, in His good timing, according to His good plans. Waiting becomes easier when I understand that His plans are always good, even when they are different from my plans. He is God, and I am not.

The Lord is always good, and He is always good to me. I believe it, but often when I’m waiting, I forget to act like I believe it. My impatience results from lack of belief in God’s goodness and faithfulness to me. I must constantly remind myself that God is good in every situation.

What is my soul seeking? The second step to waiting well is to seek the Lord for who He is, not just the blessings He gives. What consumes my thoughts? What excites or upsets me? The answer to these questions reveals what my soul is seeking.

When my heart is consumed by the object I’m waiting for, I will be disappointed, unfulfilled and discontent. If my heart’s desire is for the Lord, I will be satisfied. It is a constant struggle to turn my heart from what I want and seek the Lord. A heart that seeks the Lord can wait quietly.

Thank Him for what He’s given. When I struggle with waiting, I’m usually focused on what I don’t have rather than what I’ve already been given. The Lord has given me all I truly need: salvation by grace through faith in His Son.

As I plead with Him for my desires and ask Him to end my waiting, I need to remember that what I’m asking for pales in comparison to the grace and mercy I’ve already received. Romans 8:32 reminds us that God, who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, will also graciously give us all things.

I don’t know if my house will sell. But I know God is the giver of good things. When my heart seeks the Lord, I can be content. And I can wait quietly, knowing that the One who gave His Son for me will give me all that I need.

What are you waiting for? How can these steps bring peace to your waiting time? Try turning Lamentations 3:25-26 into a prayer that you can pray to God as you wait on Him.

Your God Will Hear You {No Matter What Monday}

June 6, 2016 by Marissa Leave a Comment

I 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 }

Breaking Free from the Superwoman Trap

June 1, 2016 by Marissa Leave a Comment

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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