Our Father

This month, millions of people will celebrate Father’s Day.  Some fathers will be honored at church, other fathers will be celebrated at home, and many fathers will enjoy fishing, grilling, or quite possibly, doing nothing at all.  And like any good Husband or Dad would, some fathers may even find themselves completing “honey-do” lists or sitting on the floor playing with their children.  But what makes a Dad truly special?  It’s not his willingness to buy a bigger car or a nicer house, or even the way he prolifically mows the lawn or takes out the trash.  It’s not even the way he shows his children how to build the tallest skyscraper out of building blocks.  The thing that makes a Dad truly great is the unconditional love that he has for his children.

Ever since I was a little girl, my Daddy has loved me unconditionally.  No matter what I am doing, he is always my number one supporter.  Whether I am teaching school, singing with the Florida Worship Choir and Orchestra, or writing a new song or blog, he always encourages me and prays for me.  You see, it’s not about what I’m doing.  It’s the fact that I am the one who is doing it.  He loves me for who I am, not for what I do.  Perhaps you have the same relationship with your father, so you know exactly what I am talking about.  Dads love us even when we spit up on their new suit on the way to church as infants, spilled milk on their new house slippers as toddlers, or backed their car into the mailbox as teenagers.  You may wonder why fathers love us so much, even when we make mistakes.  Because from the moment we are born, our Dads become some of our biggest lifelong fans.  We are priceless treasures in the eyes of our fathers.

In the same way, our Heavenly Father considers us a treasure.  In Isaiah 43:4 (NIV), the Lord says, “you are precious and honored in my sight.”  Even before you were born, God knew all about you, right down to the number of hairs on your head.  Matthew 10:30-31 (NIV) says, “And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.  So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”  You are valuable in God’s sight.  Why?  Because God loves you unconditionally; He cares about you so very much.  I Peter 5:7 (NIV) says, “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”

Perhaps you feel alone and long for this kind of compassion.  You may not have a loving relationship with your father here on this earth.  You may have gone your separate ways as a teenager, chasing something you now regret.  Or your father may be abusive, either physically or emotionally, causing you to distance yourself from him.  I encourage you to pray that God will mend the broken bridge between you and your father.  If your father has passed away, you are not alone.  God loves you and He is with you always.  He will comfort your heart, surrounding you with the peace that passes all understanding (Philippians 4:7).

Whatever circumstance you find yourself in, rest assured that our Heavenly Father loves you so very much.  No matter what you’ve done, or where you are, you will never be out of the reach of His unconditional love.  Romans 8:38-39 says that nothing can ever separate us from the love of Jesus Christ.  He will mend your broken heart, restore your joy, and reveal His purpose for your life.  Put your trust in Jesus Christ today.  He is a Father to the fatherless.  Call on His name.  Your life will be changed when you call upon our Heavenly Father.

In Christ’s Love,

Jennifer  


(originally published on 6/30/15)

Life: You Can’t Do It Alone

Sometimes, life is too complicated.  There are often so many layers of our existence that we barely have time to even breathe, sleep, and eat.  Many of us spend the majority of our time at work, and then we come home to our “real life,” where we then have to take care of laundry, dishes, cleaning, children, e-mails, and so many other weekly tasks.  It’s almost as if our jobs interfere with our lives, isn’t it?  I mean, we go to work all day, come home, and that’s when our day truly starts.  Then, we go to bed at night, just to do it all over again the next day.  How can we ensure that our time is equally important, whether we are at work or at home?  The answer is simple.  We can put everything in God’s hands.  He can make the most strenuous, time-consuming work become meaningful.  And He can provide strength, so that you are refreshed and renewed when you come home, enabling you to accomplish much more than you ever could on your own.  You see, with God on your side, you don’t have to do this thing called “life” alone.

Two years ago, I felt like I was trying to do everything for everyone and all the while, doing it all alone.  I continually strived to get everything done, but never asked anyone for help.  I thought I was more than capable of completing the daily tasks on my own, but I was completely wrong.  It became so much of a burden that I began to get very stressed out.  The loss of my Mom had caused my patience to gradually fade away.  Because of this, every little thing got under my skin, so to speak.  While I was doing a balancing act, figuratively spinning an incredible number of plates in the air, I found myself seeking new tasks, or plates to add to my collection.  I literally volunteered for everything, seeking to fill the void in my life.  I felt if I got busy enough, it would relieve me of some of the sorrow.  If I took on enough responsibilities, life would be busier, but less complicated.  If I filled my schedule full enough, I wouldn’t have time to think about the virtual cloud hanging over my head.

Sadly, I was entirely wrong.  The more responsibilities I took on, the more stressed out I became.  The more stressed out I became, the less sleep I was able to get.  The less sleep I was able to get, the thinner my patience became.  The thinner my patience became, well, I ended up being somewhat like a pressure cooker about to explode.  At least, that’s the analogy a friend of mine gave me when I confided in her about my attempts to fill the void in my life.  I couldn’t understand why God would take my Mama away.  I tried and tried, but I could not wrap my head around the reason for such a tragic event in my life.  What was I to do?  How could I get through each day if there was any down time whatsoever?  Downtime meant time to think, and time to think meant time to think about the void in my life.

Through my experiences, along with much time spent in prayer and the study of God’s Word, I gradually realized that I was not in accordance with God’s will for my life.  I did not have to do this alone.  That, and the fact that I needed to stop spending all of my time thinking about what was bothering me.  Instead, I needed to think on positive things.  Philippians 4:8 (NIV) says, “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”  You see, I was thinking about the negative aspects in my life.  I thought about how I did not know how to get all of my daily tasks completed each day.  I thought about how I wished my Mom had not passed away.  I thought about how life was not the way I planned, and how everything seemed to be going wrong.

Instead of thinking about the things that were wrong, I have since realized that I should have been thinking about the things that were right.  Instead of worrying about the things that were not going according to my plans, I could have been delighting in God’s plan for my life.  In life, we often do not see the big picture, but God sees our entire lifespan.  He knows all of our comings and goings, even before we have come or gone.  He truly does know what is best.  He wants us to live a life of joy.  He wants us to think positive thoughts, full of truth, nobility, rightness, purity, loveliness, admiralty, excellence, and praiseworthiness.  Doesn’t that sound better than thinking thoughts of negativity, falseness, and impurity, just to name a few?  Surely, we want to think on positive things.  Still, there are times when the worries and cares of this life outweigh the positive aspects of life.  In these times of distress, we need to call on the One who created us, the One who created our ability to think.  God can give you a mind-set of joy for your journey and peace that passes all understanding.

Along my journey, I still have moments when I momentarily fall into the trap of negative thinking.  I wish I could tell you I had found the method to avoid such thinking altogether.  What I have found is that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.  Although things in my life may change, whether it is friends moving away or loved ones passing away, I know that He will never change.  And I will never be alone.  He is always with me.  It doesn’t matter if I am sitting in silence in my bed at night, or if I am at work with a list of a million tasks to be completed.  He is with me.  It doesn’t even matter if I am at my wit’s end, building up steam like a pressure cooker.  He is with me.  He overlooks my shortcomings, my outbursts, and my attempts to do this thing called “life” on my own.  Why?  Because Jesus loves me unconditionally, even my imperfections.

So, the next time you find yourself at the end of your rope, call on the name of Jesus.  He will do the same for you.  Jesus loves you more than you can imagine.  Begin thinking positive thoughts, and you will be amazed at what positive changes take place in your life.  Don’t try to do it all alone.  Ask Jesus to help you.  He is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and 365 days a year.  Whenever you need Him, He is waiting with open arms.  If you feel like you’re taking on too many responsibilities, seek God’s plan for your life.  He knows which things you should be doing and which ones you would be better off leaving for someone else.  And when you do accept a task, ask God to help you.  He’s already been there, so He’ll know the best way to handle things.  Will you allow God to be a part of your life, directing your paths and helping you through this thing called “life?”  Or will you go it alone, gradually building up steam until you explode?  It is my prayer that you will allow God to be the Lord of your life, your help in times of trouble.  He longs to help you.  Ask Him for help.  Why?  Because life’s too complicated to do it all alone.

In Christ’s Love,
Jennifer