Jun
29
I visited a church recently where we sang the old song “Refiner’s Fire,” which goes like this:
Purify my heart
Let me be as gold and precious silver
Purify my heart
Let me be as gold, pure gold
Refiner’s fire
My heart’s one desire
Is to be holy,
Set apart for you Lord
I want to be holy,
Set apart for you my master,
Ready to do your will
After we had finished singing the song, the pastor asked if any of us had seen a silversmith at work. He explained that the silver is heated in a flame to start the refining process. The temperature makes the impurities from the silver rise to the surface, leaving behind only pure silver. But how does the silversmith know when the silver is pure? The pastor gave us the answer: when they can see their reflection in it.
This song has a whole new meaning to me now. Does Jesus see His reflection in me? How much do I still need to be refined? What impurities are yet to rise to the surface?
I think these are good questions for all of us to ask this week!
Be blessed ladies,
Michelle
Jun
26
As I was working out this week, I realized that my body is not responding to exercise quite as fast as it was when I was 18 or 19. I have a harder time getting motivated, and I have to work a little bit harder to achieve my goals. I am only 23, and those of you reading who are in your 40s must be thinking, “yep…it only gets harder and harder to keep your body in shape as you get older.” A lot of it has to do with slowing down metabolism. Other things increasingly compete for your time as well, and I can only imagine how much more of a challenge it will be to maintain a workout routine when kids come along.
This led me down another thought path. Our walk with God is like working out. Lately I have been alerted to the fact that I have lost the love of my youth for God. When I was in high school, I had a burning passion for God. I was devoted to reading the word every day. I would pray in my room at night for hours sometimes. I made opportunities to share Christ with others. Today I struggle picking up my Bible as often. Other things compete for my focus when I am trying to pray. And I often wait for opportunities to share Christ rather than make them.
As I met with my friends Cat and Shelley this week, I felt I needed prayer for my poor spiritual fitness. As I get older and get more responsibilities, I want to maintain a close, intimate, and passionate walk with God. In 1 Corinthians 9:25-27, Paul says this:
“All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. I discipline my body like an athlete, training to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.”
So my question to you is this: how’s your spiritual fitness? If you feel it is better than it used to be, how did you achieve this? If you feel you are out of shape, what will you do this week to begin a “workout routine?”
Love you girls,
Michelle
Jun
24
This is Cat. She’s cool.
Cat had a great job at a church. Loved the people. Good church. But the job wasn’t positioned in such a way that she could work with all the skills and passions and talents that she knew God had given her. So she put in her notice.
One day a few weeks later, her husband had a little workplace accident and had to stop working. Cat had a choice- keep working, or follow Christ and wait for the new leading. She chose to wait.
Things got tight financially. Maybe there was even a little stress. Then a job opening came up for Cat- another cool church with a nice job helping people, making good money. Take it right? Not Cat. She’s too cool for that. She knew, again, that it wouldn’t be exactly what God was calling her to do and be.
- Call it crazy.
- Call it stupid.
- Call it foolish.
- Call it unwise.
Cat heard a word from God and responded without hesitation. And she’ll continue to. Because God started something in her heart, and she refuses to let it go. She wants to work it out. She wants to work it. She wants to change the world in the way God planned for her to do it. And so she waits. Because she’s cool.
Listen for God. Wait on God. Follow your God. Figure out your heart. Remain calm. He’s in control. Refuse second-best. Seek His will. You’ll find it. You’ll make it. He planned it that way.
Jay
Jun
22
Every week I meet with my friends Cat and Shelley, and during that time we talk about how we are doing with God, what we have been learning, and spend time in prayer together. This is usually done with tea and cupcakes in hand, and it is one of my favourite parts of the week!
This past week my friend Cat started us off by reminding us that sometimes we forget who God actually is. We allow culture and circumstance to give us false perceptions of Him, until He becomes so small or so unrecognizable that we can easily put Him in a box and fit Him into a corner of our lives…as opposed to molding our lives around Him.
Two things that we often forget about in North America is that God is holy. Jenn Standish, one of my good friends, went to Thailand and got to take part in some prayer meetings with the missionaries there. They were located in a town called Padia, in which prostitution is the only source of town revenue. In the prayer meeting they were on their faces praying “God have mercy on this town!” It made me think: how often do I acknowledge the holiness of God and feel the need to pray for his mercy?
If Jesus was to walk into a church today, I bet many Christians would turn Him away, not recognizing Him. This makes me wonder: would I recognize Jesus if He walked into my world? Do I know God’s heart and character well enough?
I’d encourage you to dig through the word this week to re-create a more accurate description of God…strip away circumstance and culture, and see what is left. The real God is one of true majesty.
Michelle
Jun
19
If you’re anything like me, your ears are craving and longing to hear God say this to you. Sometimes the mere thought of me standing before my Saviour and have Him speak these words over me makes me want to weep. I pray that my life would be worthy of such a moment, though only by the grace of God would that be possible.
As a newlywed I am learning what it means to be faithful to my husband. But a thought occurred to me this week: what does it mean to be faithful to God? What does that look like? For me, being faithful to God means upholding justice in a broken world and being the hands and feet of Jesus to victims of sex trafficking. I realized that if I back out on this calling, I am being unfaithful to God.
I read Jesus’ words in Matthew 25:45 this week: “I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these, you were refusing to help me.” Many in this world view women and girls as scum of the earth, simply to be taken advantage of and used. Trafficked girls really are viewed as “the least of these” and by helping them, I am loving Jesus. I am being faithful to Him.
Being faithful can be exhausting, scary, and discouraging at times. But let’s be persistent, fight the good fight, love more than we ever thought possible…and at the end of our lives we can collapse in the arms of Jesus and know that it was all worth it.
Michelle
stephanie vanden boomen Says:
Heather Says:
October 15th, 2009 at 1:36 pm
Michelle! I’m just reading your wisdom and life lessons today… this metaphor story… I’ve been CLINGING to this fall.
I told it to my cabin when I counselled youth camp in the summer.
I’ve told it to close friends who are in the fire right now too.
Just thought I’d connect with you on this. What a powerful picture huh! The silver smith would never DARE to let go of the silver, he knows it is worth waaay too much to do that. He keeps a tight grip on it.
Love it.
Love YOU!
-Sarah