Troughs and Peaks

Dave and I teach the High School Sunday School class and right now we are reading "The Screwtape Letters" by C.S. Lewis and doing a discussion on it.  If you aren't familiar with the book or the writer, C.S. Lewis is most famous for his series "The Lion The Witch and The Wordrobe" and this particular book we are studying is a series of ficticous letters written from a 'Master Demon' (Screwtape) to his protege and nephew (Wormwood) a 'demon in training' type of scenario.  Wormwood has been assigned a patient that is a new Christian/Believer so Screwtape is imparting his wisdom on tripping up followers of Christ.

I've been pretty impressed with how the students are responding to book.  We don't require that they read it, but most of them have anyway.  Every week we answer some questions on a couple of chapters.  So far we have discussed topics like time management, prayer life, and family issues- figuring out that pushing your family's 'buttons' is a way the enemy gets a hold in our life.

This week's topic dealt with the 'troughs and peaks' in our walk with Christ.  (Most people call them the valley/desert and mountaintop times)  We discussed how ALL followers have both experiences and that it's okay to be in a trough sometimes.  They concluded from their own lives that being in a trough sometimes brings the greatest strength in our relationship with Christ because you have to work harder at it.  One student gave the example that you don't get very strong lifting a 2lb weight, but if you trade that in for a 20lb weight your muscles will ache at first but grow quickly!  That is exactly what CAN happen in those trough moments if we allow them to happen.

Unfortunatley many of us enter a trough time in our life and think God has abandoned us.  We get the idea that just because we are having a bad day or because life isn't going well that God has left us to fend for ourself.  People begin going back to what they knew before they were introduced to Jesus- maybe not extreme cases like alcohol or drugs, but maybe selfishness or business?  I know in my trough moments I try to busy myself with projects and busywork so I don't have to think of how junky my life is right then.  My thoughts turn inward to how I can fix what's going on instead of looking to God for support and wisdom.

This week I challenged the class to think about the troughs and peaks they have experienced and to thank God that He has given them both experiences.  Then I asked them to pray and ask that during this Christmas and New Years season when so many around us are depressed or lonely or feeling a trough moment, that God would reveal to them a hurting person.  Maybe a family member, neighbor, friend, or even cashier at the store is going through a trough moment and God wants to use one of those students to get them through it.

Life can't be lived on the peaks- it's nice for a season and the snow is pretty, but life is lived in the troughs.  If we never delve into the trough, who will we ever reach?  Very few "unbelievers" are on the peaks, THEY LIVE IN THE TROUGH!!!  So I will challenge you and me to do the same thing I've challenged my students with.  Pray that God shows you someone in the trough this next week or two (or fifty two) and help them understand that it's okay to be there- God is NOT far away if you will just look for Him!

MERRY CHIRSTMAS!!!!

Serenity Now

This is going to be a vague post and I apologize for that- but it HAS to be.

Just be aware- your enemy WILL COME! We are having a week of services at our church (many churches call them revival services) and last night a Pastor from our area gave a message entitled "Your Enemy Will Come" and BY GEORGE he was right!

God BROKE me last night about my spiritual walk, or lack there of. I'm becoming so religious and not moving forward with my relationship the way I should be. There is no consistency in my prayer and Bible study time and I've finally had enough of it. So this morning I got up early and had my prayer time with God. My day went surprisingly well... until tonight.

Tonight I got mad, and not just 'oh I'm mad bleh bleh bleh' I got MAD ya'll! Ticked off red-faced mad! I know I shouldn't have and I know that most of what I was feeling was in the flesh, but I didn't care. Honestly I STILL don't care because most of it is justified. Again- I can't go into detail and I apologize for my vagueness but please know that I just can't give details.

God is trying to do something in me and it's going to be a rough battle, because the enemy WILL come. When I face my enemy/situation/whatever I have to remember that this is PART of my walk and I just have to make sure that I not only face my enemy but KILL it before I'm done. David never had a problem with Goliath again because he had killed him, and not only that he cut off his head to show the victory God had given him!

Even though it's nasty and bloody and totally gross- I can not be afraid to kill my enemy, because he WILL COME.

I make children cry

Last night was my first night in my new ministry outlet- JUST Kids. It's our Wednesday night kids program and we bus in close to 100 kids to feed them and then teach them the word of God. I'm on the GREEN team- 1st and 2nd graders and it's really quite fun.

During our lesson one of the little girls was playing with a bead necklace so I quietly whispered to her that she needed to put it on her neck and keep it there or put it in her pocket. Less than 10 seconds later it was again off her neck and being played with, so being the disciplinarion that I am I told her she needed to give me the necklace since she couldn't obey. She stated she would NOT be giving it to me and I told her she had to choice because she had disobeyed. Begrudgingly she handed over the necklace and promptly pulled her knees to her chest, flung her arms over her knees and cried. Yep- first night and I make a little girl cry. I'm going to be SUCH a good mother some day! ;)

After the lesson was over she was still crying so she and I went into the hall and were able to figure out our differences. Apparently it wasn't just me she was upset with- she also felt sick and wanted to stay home but her Mom made her come. She just needed a good cry and decided to unload on me. Like all children- once we finished she was my buddy the rest of the night!

Kids are so funny- they get frustrated with you so easily and then they forget about it just as quickly. I'm really excited about this new venture on Wednesdays. It gives Dave time at home alone to study for school and I still get to be involved with ministry. It's still hard not being in Youth but I know that this is what God has for now. Hopefully next week no one will cry on me!