Author: Angela K. Crow-Mitchell

U-turns Allowed

by Angela K. Crow-Mitchell

I recently saw a flock of geese in full-on V formation flying overhead. There were about twenty of them. But, instead of continuing their current path, they managed to do a complete 180 and head in the direction they had just come from; they made a U-turn. I started thinking about the leader. Did he make a mistake in which direction he was taking them? As the rest of the clan followed the leader, how would they know they were on the right path?

This reminded me of my dad. When we went on car rides as a family, we quickly realized that he panicked easily if he thought he missed his turn. The first time we saw this in action, we were headed to the farm after supper, and Mom made a plate for our neighbor, Mr. Hall, something she often did. She told Dad to stop on our way so she could drop off the plate of food.  His house was just around the curve from ours, but Dad had already forgotten. So, just as we began to pass up the driveway, Mom yelled that he missed his turn. Dad slammed on the brakes, and we were rear-ended. This is the first time I recall hearing the term whiplash after my sister Donna’s neck began to hurt.

My siblings and I were sitting in the backseat of our turquoise 1966 Chevy Impala, and with Mom in the front seat, we didn’t get the benefits of her instinctive arm that naturally came across the waists of anyone sitting in the front seat when she was driving. Mr. Hall’s supper ended up all over the inside of the car and us.

After that, Mom learned not to yell when Dad missed turns. The next time we were riding along, and he passed up our turn-off, I remember her calmly turning to him in a monotone voice, saying something like – I think we were supposed to turn there. Panic still ensued, but at least he didn’t slam on the brakes; instead, he began nervously looking for a place to make a U-turn.

As I meandered around the neighborhood, continuing my run that morning, I saw a neighbor walking their dog. When the dog saw me, it wanted to run with me, but the owner, not so much. She guided the dog back to their path with a slight leash tug.

We all go down the wrong path occasionally and make poor decisions, sometimes running off on a whim without consulting God about which direction to take. We may even panic when we realize we are on the wrong path and have made a mess of our lives and caused damage to ourselves and others.

God’s grace not only gives us the space to make a U-turn but helps us clean up the mess and offers complete restoration to heal any damage that occurred while on our hiatus from the path God intended. Thankfully, God is patient with us. We, too, need to be tethered to Christ and let the Holy Spirit guide our hearts instead of allowing our hearts to lead us. The ultimate healing is only found in a relationship with Christ. It is not too late to make a U-turn.

“The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately sick; who can understand it?” (Jeremiah 17:9, ESV, emphasis added)

Intentional Connections

by Angela K. Crow-Mitchell
It’s not the back of the truck, but another fond memory on the farm with Dad. On the back: my cousin Debbie, sister Donna, and brother David (JD).

One of my fondest childhood memories is riding in the back of my dad’s truck. I remember being a lookout for a crop of tobacco I had spotted earlier that day, thinking Dad would like to see this field of tobacco. So, when he got in from work, I used my super girl skills to convince him to let me show him. The only problem was I couldn’t find it.

At the time, I was disappointed that something I thought I could connect with my dad was gone. But, looking back, I now have fond memories of riding in his truck, looking for the lustrous tobacco crop I could no longer locate. I now see that Dad took time away from resting after a long day’s work to appease my childhood whimsy.

He saw it as a time to spend with his kids.

My dad got up before dawn every day for 30+ years to drive an hour each way to work at IBM in Lexington. When he got home, he went to the farm to feed, water, and count the cows, besides whatever other chores I did not know about, such as mowing or grading the road with his tractor. And if we happened to be living at the farm (we had spent our summers there since I was nine), he still had to haul water down from our other house every evening because we didn’t have running water at the time. (We thought this was a big adventure – not seeing all the work Dad did to make it happen). I spent many days brushing my teeth with a cup of water and spitting off the side of the porch.

He wasn’t the only one who got up that early; for years, Mom got up with him to prepare a full breakfast before he left for work – at least until they changed their diet to heart-healthy oatmeal. I remember waking up many mornings to the sound of their not-so-quiet whispers in the kitchen. Perhaps the smell of homemade biscuits and gravy, sausage, and eggs awoke my senses to their breakfast chatter; either way, I see how they made time to spend a few minutes alone before we got up.

He did not have to get up that early. He could have grabbed something on the go and spent a few extra minutes in slumber, but he chose to connect with Mom during those early mornings, and she chose to get up with him and make breakfast and sip coffee from saucers in the wee hours of the morning. They found time to spend together in a five-room house full of kids. (Talk about tiny house living – we had no idea it would become popular).

It is those precious memories that aren’t soon forgotten.  I think that is the most important thing God asks of us – to spend time with our heavenly Father. All He wants is to spend time with His kids – and we are better off for taking the intentional time to connect. Sometimes, that may mean getting up a little earlier and being still before the hustle and bustle of our day begins. It is allowing His whispers to seep into our heart and mind awakening us to the sweet aroma of the bread of life that feeds our hungry souls.

“Jesus replied, ‘I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty’ ” (John 6:35, NLT, emphasis added).

“Be still and know that I am God” (Ps. 46:10, Emphasis added).

Dose of Encouragement

by Angela K. Crow-Mitchell

Everyone can use a dose of encouragement regardless of age or how far we are on our journey.

One morning as I approached the mailboxes on the main street leading into my neighborhood, a gentleman stopped to make a deposit.

As I ran past, he kindly said, “Great job! Keep up the good work.” 

I thanked him and gave a thumbs up. But, as most things do, this reminded me that whether it is running, another sport, or our faith walk with Christ, at the beginning of our training, or a seasoned vet, we can all use inspiration to keep on going, press on, don’t give up.

As I ventured further, I met two other women running in the opposite direction. As my route winds back around, our paths crossed again, only this time they were walking.

As if to justify themselves, one girl said, “It’s hot! We’re from Ohio.”

Oh well, that explains it all…buckeyes. Only kidding. I paid the encouragement forward. But this reminded me of my trip to Austria a while ago. Climate change can make you uncomfortable and disconnected when in unfamiliar territory. I was out of my comfort zone on that trip, so many miles away from home, unable to have my usual quiet time and space. I was trying to find my rhythm on a new route, with new people to meet and work alongside.

Before I left, God gave me a few images: a sundial and Russian nesting dolls. Strange right? It didn’t make sense until I struggled to find peace and saw these images in Vienna. In those moments, I knew God was still with me and that He knew I would need these reminders.

Another time, on a church summer camp excursion with middle school girls, I desperately needed some time away from the chaos to reconnect with God. So, every chance I got, I stole a few minutes away on the other side of the lake to reset, recharge, and refresh my spirit to tackle another night. We all need these times to give us the strength to pour into the lives of others and not get burnt out.

“In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and trust shall be your strength” (Is. 30:15, ESV, emphasis added).

“Encourage one another and build one another up” (I Thes. 5:11, emphasis added).

Distinctly Different

by Angela K. Crow-Mitchell

The platypus swam into my dreams a few years ago, leading me to research the creature. The design itself intrigues me. I decided to dig deeper into this bottom feeder and get insight into this remarkable mammal. Interestingly, according to LiveScience, their characteristics resemble that of many different species. Their bill and feet are like a duck, their tail is like a beaver, their feet, body, and fur resemble an otter, and their lizard legs sprawl out to the side of the body when they walk.

In addition, to this extravagant list, they are amphibious. When they are not using their webbed feet in the water to swim, they can retract the web exposing individual nails that allows them to run on land. They also lay eggs, one of only two mammals that do.

Although they do not have teeth and use their cheek pouches to hold food until they can mash it up and swallow it, they have sharp stingers on the heels of their rear feet to defend themselves, with a toxic venom that is quite effective when needed. They are non-life threatening but powerful enough to damage their victim significantly.

This hodgepodge creature has many features of other animals, but oddly enough, the familiar qualities make it unique and distinctly different from the rest. It can undoubtedly relate to the duck by how it uses its bill and webbed feet and the beaver by using its tail to maneuver through the water gracefully, and the otter and lizard by how it uses its feet to swim and run, awkward as it may be.

As children of God, we are given many distinctive qualities, although we can relate to one another because we are made in the image of our Creator. Each of us has gifts given especially to us. We have many of the same characteristics, and all of us, like sheep, have strayed away (Isaiah 53.6). God made us exactly how we are on purpose and saved us by His grace. We can accept everything just as it is – flaws and all. We see the blemishes through our eyes and want to make changes or compare ourselves with others. But if we could see ourselves as God sees us – through His love –we would be content with ourselves and thank God for each unique quality that makes us stand out from the rest.

Post a reminder on your mirror: God profoundly loves you as you are. No matter how we see ourselves, we can be confident in what God is doing in and through us. Obedience is key. We are protected by the armor of faith and love when we wear salvation’s confidence as our helmet (I Thes. 5:8, ESV).

Speak Life

by Angela K. Crow-Mitchell

My professor recently sent out a video titled, “You will probably fail,” and began his introduction by saying the same. He explained that he would put an image up on the video, and when we saw it, we were not to think about it but say the first thing that came to mind.

He counted down…1, 2, 3, go!

The image I saw was a shirt, so I said, ‘shirt’ out loud, as instructed. But, then my first reaction was that I was not supposed to get this right, so I looked for my failure and decided that since the image was clearly on a circle that looked like a decal, I automatically assumed that I should have said sticker. Lastly, I  noticed the words across the shirt’s image read “pants” and continued to listen to the rest of the video.

He explained that most people will shout out pants instead of shirt, and the lesson was that we tend to read people without seeing the image behind them. Wait a sec, what? I just got that right, but I found a way to assume my failure because I was told I would probably fail.

Words are powerful. We can choose terms of affirmation to encourage one another, or we can choose to tell others they are not good enough, they can’t do something, instead of encouraging them to try. One way we can watch them fall, get up and try again. The other way, we can watch them fall flat on their face and give up, assuming failure is inevitable.

I may have received a different lesson from this than he intended, but I’ll take it. We all need encouragement sometimes, but kids especially need it from their parents.  I would say that employees may do better if bosses do the same thing. Let us be intentional about speaking life-giving words to those around us.

“Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them” (Eph. 4:29, NLT emphasis added).

Jesus’s Triumphal Entry

by Angela K. Crow-Mitchell

When have you ever seen a king make his royal entrance into a town on a donkey’s colt?

Jesus’ life is marked by humility – He did not exalt Himself and rode in as a humble servant, not a royal king on a warhorse (Osborne 2014, 192). The donkey is a symbol of peace. The crowds submit to Jesus, and it is the only occasion the people accept His true identity as the Messiah. This is Jesus’ final week on earth, and He begins to reverse the Messianic secret (Osborne 2014, 189). He tolerated a brief celebration in His honor to fulfill prophecy (Zech. 9:9, English Standard Version).

The crowds begin to spread palm branches on the road, symbolic of Jewish nationalism and victory (John 11:9). Some spread their cloaks on the road. Everyone shouted, “Hosanna in the highest” (Mark 11:10), which means, please save (Ps. 118:25). It was during the Passover week celebration. They mistakenly hoped that the Messiah would liberate them from Rome’s oppression. Even though they got it wrong, and the mistaken joy of the crowd must give way to the sorrow of death before true joy could come (Osborne 2014, 189), there was no evident tension between Jesus’s Messianic identity, the disciples, and the people that day.

Mark 11:1-11 gives an overview of this triumphal entry. Still, it is in Luke’s writings that we read about an interaction between Jesus and some of the Pharisees, who asked Jesus to rebuke the disciples for shouting, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest” (Luke 19:38)! Jesus answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out” (Luke 19:37-40 emphasis added). All creation could not have kept silent at this moment in history. I love this image of the stones crying out in praise to Jesus. This is how I imagine our posture will be in heaven one day. It should be that way now as we praise Christ Jesus for what He has done and will do for us.

Jesus humbled Himself for us. He freely chose His fate – a true act of love (Osborne 2014, 189). He came in peace. We can let Jesus triumphantly enter our hearts as we shout Hosanna! His entry on a donkey instead of a warhorse shows us His love for us. All creation can praise His mighty name because He is risen – a victor over Satan, death, and sin. We are holy because He is Holy.

“Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13, emphasis added).

Crossway Bibles. The ESV Study Bible: English Standard Version. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008.

  Osborne, Grant R. Mark / Teach the Text Commentary Series. Grand Rapids, Michigan : Baker Books, a division of Baker Publishing Group, 2014.

Swimming Against the Current

by Angela K. Crow-Mitchell

What has 24 eyes and is strong enough to swim against the current?

This may sound like the beginning of a joke, but one of God’s creatures has both things, a box jellyfish. The description caught my eye when I read about it on Britannica.com[1]. Some of its eyes are pigment filled, allowing it to discern between light and dark, while others are called “true eyes” since they are like other animals, with a lens, cornea, iris, and retina.

The pigment-filled eyes, with the ability to discern light from dark, reminded me of Scripture about having eyes to see and ears to hear. Jesus said he entered the world to give judgment – to give sight to people who are blind and to show those who think they can see that they are blind (John 9:35-41, English Standard Version). Jesus often performed miracles to heal blind people. However, this passage talks about spiritual blindness and is not a coincidence as Jesus often used symbolism to make a point. Isaiah speaks of a light for the nations who will open the eyes of the blind and bring prisoners out of darkness, referring to Jesus (Is. 42:6-7).

Evildoers can be so blinded that their moral judgment is the exact opposite of God’s actual perspective (Is. 5:20). The Pharisees had it so backward that they accused Jesus of being a sorcerer who practiced magic by Satan’s power instead of a God performing miracles (Matt. 12:24; John 8:44; 2 Thes. 2:11). They could not discern the truth about Jesus being the light of the world (John 8:12) and instead chose to remain in darkness.

“True eyes” to see are a gift from God (Prov. 20:12). Jesus explained to His disciples why He spoke in parables – to blind those who have resisted God’s revelation and help those who believe in Him (Luke 8:9-15). It is incredible how one simple concept has a two-fold purpose that is so opposite. I once gave my ex (abuser) a devotional book called Jesus Calling by Sarah Young because this little book offered me great inspiration during my journey to learn more about Christ. I sincerely wanted him to know, too, and be changed. However, I heard through the grapevine that he said it was like Greek to him. I now relate it to the parables – he did not have eyes to see because he had rejected the truth – he chose darkness instead of light. He was spiritually blind.

The other part of this description talks about the jellyfish being strong enough to swim against the current. We must do that in today’s culture – our strength comes from God. As believers, we are called to put on the armor of God and stand firm against the schemes of the devil (Eph. 6:11). Paul exhorts the Corinthians to be on guard, stand firm in their faith, and be courageous and strong (I Cor. 16:13).

Romans 12:2, English Standard Version, says we are not to conform to this world but be transformed by the renewal of our minds. I thought The Message wording for this verse was interesting enough to share: “So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life – your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life – and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.” (Rom. 12:1-2, emphasis added).

God equips us to swim against the current.

Having more eyes doesn’t necessarily mean we will be able to see better, but accepting Jesus and allowing the Holy Spirit to guide our lives will help us discern the light from the dark and give us true spiritual eyes to see His truth and grow in spiritual maturity.

[1] K. Akre, “box jellyfish.” Encyclopedia Britannica, May 5, 2023. https://www.britannica.com/animal/box-jellyfish.

Fuel

by Angela K. Crow-Mitchell

My auto-immune and high cholesterol issues have forced me to eat the types of food my body needs for ultimate health to lower my bad cholesterol, raise the good, and get rid of inflammation. I use the word force, but I could ignore it and keep eating foods that worsen my condition. The way I see it, food is fuel for my body. When I don’t eat healthy, I feel it. It’s like putting diesel fuel in a gasoline engine – it shuts off and sometimes causes significant damage.

Fasting is for God – eating is for us.

When God spoke to His people through the prophet Zechariah, He asked them if their fasting during the seventy years of exile was for Him. The Israelites had lost their sincere desire to have a loving relationship with God. Zechariah told them they needed an attitude adjustment – their fasting was not for repentance or worship. They weren’t thinking of God or the sins that caused their exile in the first place (Zech. 7:4, New Living Translation, Chronological Life Application Study Bible).

This passage challenges us today to ask ourselves if we have lost our zeal for God. Are we going to church, praying, and having fellowship with others out of habit or just the experience we get out of it? Does our attitude of worship reflect a genuine desire to know and love God? If it doesn’t, it will lead to ruin (Zech. 7:5-7).

Sometimes we eat junk food out of habit and don’t think about what we put in our bodies or how it will affect our overall health. It’s the same thing for what we put in our minds and allow our eyes to see. In today’s culture, we need to fast from social media and too much TV and instead spend time in God’s Word to feed our minds something healthier that will sustain us and not cause damage –not merely to memorize verses or check a box but with a genuine desire to know and love God more.

Today more than ever, kids have everything at their fingertips on their phones. Social media, internet sites, and video games have explicit content and violence. We need to protect their minds, especially at tender ages, but some of what’s out there is not fit for anyone at any age. Are we honoring God with what we put in our minds? What we read, watch, and saturate our minds with matters because it affects our hearts. Our mind, body, and spirit all work together; if one is off-kilter, they all get out of whack. God can help us re-align and add the right fuel for optimal results.

“Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be” (Matt. 6:21, NLT, emphasis added).

Rescued

by Angela K. Crow-Mitchell

Today, I celebrate ten years since the tragic car accident that took my oldest sister’s life and changed mine forever. You may think my use of the word ‘celebrate’ is strange, considering it was a tragedy, but it was a much-needed wake-up call for this girl. This was not the only thing that happened that year, as some may recall.

            Here’s a recap: I went into 2013 with a broken heart from leaving an abusive relationship; I fell and broke my right arm and underwent fifteen weeks of physical therapy; the accident happened one day after my last day of PT. I broke my left arm in multiple places, my back (more PT and surgeries), and my sister died 11 days after the crash. We lost Mom at the end of that year to cancer and Dad six days later, bringing my year full circle. You may also recall that we lost our oldest brother just two years before, only one day after Mom’s cancer diagnosis.

I don’t wish my year on anyone, but God used it to bring me to Himself, and true to His character, has brought good out of it a hundred-fold. I often think about other tragedies I hear about in the news and wonder how many lives God changed through them. We only hear the bad portions, but God can use them for good like He did mine. I am amazed at the changes in myself since He rescued me from my old life. I have said it before, and I will repeat it – I am in awe of my heavenly Father every day. God gave me a new perspective on everything that day. I realized I was not in control; God spared my life for a reason, and I knew I better start paying attention.

I see it as a rescue, and I thank God for that almost every day. The first time I heard Lauren Daigle’s song, “Rescue” I sobbed. The lyrics resonate entirely with me, and I still cry every time I listen to them because I know what Christ Jesus rescued me from.  

God continues using my past abuse to help me relate to other women through the ministry He gifted me. I am not only learning and growing through my classes at Liberty University but have experienced much healing since I began this journey.

Looking back at how 2013 happened, without June 2nd, I wouldn’t have September 15th, which will also mark my tenth anniversary of being baptized and set free from bondage. You see, I finally released control only after the accident and asked God what He wanted for the first time—the weight I was carrying lifted immediately and transferred to His capable hands. This is why I can call it a celebration.

“Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand” (Is. 41:10, New Living Translation, emphasis added).

Pedal Power

by Angela K. Crow-Mitchell

After several neglectful years of hanging up in my garage, I began riding my bike again. I first noticed how much quicker I reached three miles than when I ran, and it made me appreciate the effort I put into my runs that much more.

But here’s the thing – it took some convincing to get me out the door and on it again. I wanted to ride it, but I kept telling myself it would be weird to ride by myself. I spent a good part of the day with the lyrics “I want to ride my bicycle. I want to ride my bike”  by Queen stuck in my head, but I did nothing about it. I don’t think I have ridden alone very much, even as a child, except for the trips to and from my cousin’s house around the curve so that we could ride together.

The last time I had ridden was with my son when he lived with me, so for some reason, it just seemed strange for me to go for a ride solo. But once I finally convinced myself to do it anyway – it was so much fun! I wouldn’t have known this if I stayed in the house and let those thoughts keep me from trying.

We can miss many blessings by staying in our comfort zones and not going when and where God leads us. I am guilty of that as well, putting off that thing God is nudging me to do because it might feel strange or weird. But we’ll never appreciate the effort that goes into it or experience the joy it brings if we never do it. I am learning to listen to that still, small voice and get out of my comfort zone even when I don’t feel capable.

We are not to measure our abilities by our own strength but by the One sending us.

What is that thing you’ve been putting off that God is nudging you to do? Is it talking to that person down the street or helping that neighbor in their yard? Maybe it’s volunteering at church or visiting the local nursing home – you fill in the blanks – but know, whatever it is, getting out of our comfort zone in these areas is a good experience and will bless us way more than the other person. I bet you will even have fun!

“My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness” (2 Cor. 12, NLT emphasis added).

“The Lord is my strength and shield. I trust him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy” (Ps. 28:7, NLT emphasis added).