Tag: #faith-walk-ministries/blog

CTRL+ALT+DELETE

by Angela K. Crow-Mitchell

We’ve all been there – in the middle of an important task, and the computer program locks up. You cannot go forward or back. Finally, you hit CTRL+ALT+DELETE, select the end task, and start over. You try again with a fresh start.

God can be that in our lives. Granted, we don’t have a button to push that erases all our past pain, but like the command above, when we get stuck, God gives us the grace to begin again; we can end the painful tasks and start over with a clean slate.

“Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning” (Lam. 3:23, New Living Translation, emphasis added).

Consider the story of Zacchaeus. He was a tax collector who was habitually dishonest in his dealings with others. Yet, when he saw Jesus coming, he climbed into a sycamore tree to see him over the crowd. He not only saw Jesus, but Jesus saw him and knew him by name. Jesus told him to come down so he could go to his house and eat with him.

Others scoffed at Jesus for going to the house of a sinner. The account in Luke 19 refers to Zacchaeus as a chief tax collector in Jericho. According to the ESV Study Bible, the city was a significant toll collection point for goods passing east and west. Still, Jesus forgave Zacchaeus and gave him a new beginning.

According to the Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary, he was converted, and because of his newfound faith, he restored the money he had taken wrongfully with interest (Brand 2015, 1687). “If I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold” (Luke 19:8, English Standard Version). When we get above the crowd and what others think of us to focus on Jesus and who He says we are, we can see more clearly, gain a new perspective, and accept God’s grace to begin again.

Jesus tells him that salvation has come to his house (Luke 19:9). This shows that nothing is impossible with God; even a wealthy man can be saved. If you recall, just a few verses earlier, Jesus told his disciples how difficult it is for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God (Luke 18:24-25). However, Jesus follows by saying, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.” (18:27, emphasis added). In other words, it is impossible for the rich (or anyone else) to enter God’s Kingdom on their own merits or even to want to seek God above all else, apart from His marvelous grace. In this example, the ruler loved his riches more than God and went away sad. But not so with Zacchaeus. He repented and joyfully gave away more than what he had taken so He could spend eternity with Christ.

We are offered the same grace by a God who cannot lie and sent Jesus before us as a forerunner on our behalf (Heb. 6:18, 20). We can begin again. If we accept the grace Christ offers, we will eventually eat a feast at the banquet of our King. This hope is like a sure and steadfast anchor for our souls (Heb. 6:19). The next time we find ourselves stuck, remember we can always hit CRTL+ALT+DELETE and ask God to help us end our current task and give us a fresh start.

“This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” (2 Cor. 5:17, Emphasis added).

God is Not a Genie

by Angela K. Crow-Mitchell

“Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart” (The Bible. ESV Study Bible. English Standard Version. Ps. 37:4, Emphasis added).

This verse sometimes needs to be better understood. God is not a genie in a bottle that we can expect to give us everything we want. We must focus on the first part of the verse – “Delight yourself in the Lord” (Ps. 37:4, emphasis added), to help us understand the context of the message. When our hearts are in the right place with God, we will delight in Him, and therefore, we will want Him over everything else. Additionally, we will align with what He desires most: to be with us. When we align with His ways, we will enjoy Him more.

We may have good intentions, but even our most heartfelt and sincere desires that are anything other than Him first are considered selfish. We cannot expect God to give us all our wishes. Only when we put Him foremost above all else will everything be in its proper place, humbly and delighting in His presence, we can relinquish control. This posture unblocks our hearts to receive the Holy Spirit as He moves according to His will and purpose. Jesus warns that wherever our treasure is, our hearts will follow (Luke 12:34). The nature of our hearts will reveal what we value most. This emphasizes the importance of what we love – the character of our heart – the center of our being and most profound desires, including reason, convictions, emotions, and will. Jesus explains that what comes from our mouth proceeds from the heart (Matt. 15:18).

When our heart delights in God, He changes our hearts to want the right things.

He is the giver of every good gift (James 1:17), and He delights in supplying provisions when we acknowledge Him as our Father and express our gratitude and need for Him. Nevertheless, He is not obligated to us for anything. Many heartaches in our lives are misunderstood while we are going through them. However, we can rest assured that our sincere prayers are heard. They are addressed. The goodness of God is embedded in His character. He is a God who sees us and cares about us. His heart breaks when we are in pain, just like a good father who cares for his child. Just because we cannot see the end or how it will turn out does not mean He is not there for us. Jesus says, “I will be with you always” (Matt. 28:20, emphasis added).

Propel Forward

by Angela K. Crow-Mitchell

Kayaking on a serene lake has been a vision of mine for a few years. Not knowing how to kayak alone kept me from making it a reality until recently. While strolling through the Lexington Parks & Recreation website, I stumbled upon an introduction to kayaking class at Jacobson Park. I eagerly signed up. This was the perfect opportunity.

After being instructed on land, I embarked on my maiden voyage with a few other participants, each in a brightly colored teal or red vessel. Landing my bum in the seat was not a graceful act by any stretch of the imagination. However, I did manage it and began to focus on the technique our instructor gave us.

After several minutes of ensuring we were secure, she turned us loose on the lake to roam at leisure and try our new skills. I headed for the other end of the lake to a cove filled with many kinds of waterfowl.

To propel forward at the smoothest pace possible, focusing on the paddling technique, which did not come naturally, was critical. As I improved my new skills, my body began to sway from side to side with each stroke, creating a motion I still feel when I close my eyes and imagine I am on the lake. It is a tranquil place to be.

I realized afterward that everything else on my mind that morning had vanished as I peacefully made my way across the quiet waters, focusing on my technique so that I could do my best to master the new skills and enjoy the journey.

Isn’t that what we are called to do in life? Focus on improving ourselves and being our best for God instead of looking at the mistakes of others, pointing fingers, and complaining. When I am focused on my flaws, improving myself, and trying to please God daily in my words and deeds, I don’t have time to criticize others. This makes the journey more enjoyable in light of God’s grace and love as I try to master these new techniques and learn to love others well.

God is not done. He is always working. He has the final say. I am a work in progress, and so are you. I have more peace at the end of the day when I show others the grace that God has shown me and work to please God, not people. That is the best way to propel our relationship with Christ forwardand experience the peace that surpasses understanding.

The kayaking class was an outstanding experience that gave me the confidence to go again, hopefully in the not-so-distant future. God gives us strength in our weakness, courage to overcome fear, and the God-confidence we need to embrace who He created us to be.

“And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:7, ESV, emphasis added).

“My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness” (2 Cor. 12:9, NLT, emphasis added).

Love: Still the Most Important Thing

by Angela K. Crow-Mitchell

All sins separate us from God. One sin is not more important or worse than another. We tend to emphasize certain sins rather than see them all the same. We are all born sinners in a broken world because of Adam and Eve (The Bible. New Living Translation. Gen. 3: 1-24; Rom. 5:17). There is one sin, though, that we are encouraged to run from: sexual immortality (I Cor. 6:18) because it is against our bodies. Nevertheless, we are all traveling in the same boat in the same direction. Still, God’s grace is sufficient and redeems our sins when someone repents and accepts Jesus (Acts 3:19). This is because of His love for us.

Let us imagine for a minute that we are all on this proverbial boat I mentioned. We cannot navigate the treacherous waters alone. When we begin to sink, God’s love and grace, through His Son Jesus, throws us a life preserver. We can accept it, be saved, or reject it and continue to sail down the river of destruction in the boat of self-righteousness on a disaster course.

Once we repent of our sins and accept Christ, we are forgiven forever and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38), who guides us for the rest of our journey. We still have the temptation to sin, but with God’s help we can overcome them because we are victors in Christ (Col. 2:14). We are not to continue in our old life or return to the boat but be renewed every day to the likeness of Christ (Rom. 6:1-2).

We can also experience joy and a piece of His kingdom while we wait for our eternal home, but we are not meant to pursue happiness in this life as a destination. C.S. Lewis put it this way, “If you think of this world as a place intended simply for our happiness, you find it quite intolerable: think of it as a place of training and correction, and it’s not so bad” (Lewis 52). Happiness comes from our circumstances; joy comes from our relationship with Christ, regardless of our circumstances.

There are many different beliefs, and we do not all agree, but no matter what our neighbor believes, we are still called to love them (Lev. 19:18; Matt. 22:39; Rom. 13:8). In this way, we honor God. Above all else – we are to love God first. When our priorities are correctly aligned, it becomes easier to love others as we see them in God’s image (Gen. 1:27; 2 Cor. 3:18).

“We love each other because he loved us first” (I John 4:19, emphasis added).

Works Cited

Lewis, C.S., God in the Dock. Eerdmans, 1994.

The Bible. NLT Study Bible. New Living Translation Version. Tyndale, 2008.

God’s Masterpiece

by Angela K. Crow-Mitchell

If you have ever hunted for sea glass at the beach while on vacation, you know that it can be a fun pastime, and sometimes it is hard to find. When you find a piece, it is worth the effort. But have you ever thought about how long it takes to form? According to an article by the science website Geology Page, it can take thirty to forty years, or in some cases, a century.

The saltwater weathers the colored glass and adds to the design, giving it a frosted appearance. Many people use it to make jewelry and other unique art pieces. However, it started much differently. It takes time to be a finished and stunning work of art. It likely began as a jagged piece of broken glass from a beverage bottle or other discarded item. You could say it was just a piece of garbage that spent years tumbling around in the water. It was rough around the edges and painful if you cut yourself with it. 

Given our broken nature, this is how we start. Our hearts are rough around the edges, and we cause others pain. Others sometimes discard us as trash, and we end up in a sea of troubled waters. Then God lifts us out of the mire, just as we are. He begins to shape us and smooth out our rough edges. However, like sea glass, it takes time; we are a work in progress – God’s masterpiece. He created us in His image (The Bible. English Standard Version, Gen. 1:27). Although we are not perfect because of sin (Gen. 3:6), He wants us to strive to be more like Jesus.  However, not in our performance (Titus 3:5; Rom. 11:6) but in how we love God and people (Matt. 22:37-39). The Hollman Illustrated Bible Dictionary notes that our good works are insufficient to earn our salvation but will naturally flow from a life of saving faith in Christ (Brand 1669).

Our lives are like shards of brokenness awaiting transformation only accessible through our Savior, Jesus Christ. Like sea glass, sometimes we tumble and fumble around for years before we begin to take shape, as God forms our character and helps us become a beautiful piece of art that the Master delights in blessing so we can be a blessing to others.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come” (2 Cor. 5:17, emphasis added).

“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me’ ” (John 14:6, emphasis added).

Peter’s Denial

by Angela K. Crow-Mitchell

Would you want to be in Peter’s shoes when he realizes Jesus’ prophetic prediction of his denial has just come true? Peter’s famous last words to Jesus, as we read them in the book of Mark, were, “If I must die with you, I will not deny you” (The Bible, ESV Study Bible. English Standard Version. Mark 14:31, emphasis added). Jesus had just told Peter that he would deny Him not just once but thrice that night before the rooster crowed twice (Mark 14:30). Jesus predicted Peter’s denial of Him.

Peter boasted of his loyalty before danger struck. Still, sure enough, when push came to shove, Peter felt fear sweep over him as he warmed himself by the fire. While Jesus was being questioned, spit on, and beaten – he denied knowing Jesus. Just then, a rooster crowed, and then again, he denied it, and the third time, he swore that he did not know Jesus. Each denial is more intense, but he recoiled when the rooster crowed for the second time. Saddened, Peter remembered the words of Jesus at that moment and wept bitterly when he realized what he had done (Mark 14:66-72). His betrayal probably made him think of himself as another Judas. We must remember that his treachery had happened just moments before. Peter may fear that he cannot be forgiven considering what Jesus said: whoever denies Him, He will deny before the Father (Matt. 10:33).

Nevertheless, as we read in the book of John, after Jesus’ resurrection, upon finishing breakfast, Jesus takes Peter aside for a private conversation. He asks him three times if he loves Him, each more intensely. Does that sound familiar? Peter gets frustrated and hurt by Jesus’ questioning, but each time, we see Jesus asking Peter to feed and tend to His lambs and sheep (John 21:15-17 emphasis added). Through everything, Jesus knows Peter needs restoration. He offers grace, letting Peter know He has forgiven him and that God can still use him for Kingdom work (Osborne 291).

Today, we can all say we have fallen short and sometimes betrayed or denied Jesus. Still, in His grace, God offers restoration and opportunities to use us to further the Kingdom by feeding His sheep, although He does not need us to complete His mission. What a blessing that He chooses to use us. I pray we turn to Him in repentance when we fail so our fellowship with Christ can be restored.

Works Cited

Osborne, Grant R. Mark, Baker Books, 2014. ProQuest Ebook Central, https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/liberty/detail.action?docID=3425695.

The Bible. ESV Study Bible. English Standard Version. Crossway, 2001.

Storms

by Angela K. Crow-Mitchell

As a child, I was terrified of thunderstorms, as most kids are. I knew someone a little older than me who loved to see a storm brewing in the midst. With nose pressed to the pane, he delighted in watching the strikes pierce the night as they danced across the moonless sky. But not me. I buried my head as deep underneath the covers as I could, no matter how hot. Mom hung blankets over the windows to block out the lighting, but that didn’t keep the thunder from penetrating my ears.

These days, I am more drawn to the window to see God’s handiwork. I welcome the storms, in a strange turn of events, especially at night. The flashes and rolling thunder remind me that God is in control, which comforts me. I no longer need to cover the windows. If I were the one in control, there would be reason to bury my head.

We can respond the same way when life’s storms come. Even as Christ-followers, we are not exempt from the pains in this life. Sometimes we want to bury our heads. But we can rely on God to see us through the storms because He is still in control no matter what happens. That brings comfort, even through fearful times.

He is a good Father who provides shelter, but He also disciplines us for our good and supplies us with a way back when we stumble. God is not watching and waiting for us to mess up so He can waggle His finger at us or punish us. He wants the best for us. He longs for us to come to Him.

He is our Rock, Fortress, and Deliverer (2 Sam. 22:2, ESV; Col. 1:13), Way-maker and Way-forward, Strength, Shield (Ps. 28:7), Rescuer (Acts 12:11), Shepherd (Ps. 23:1), Promise Keeper (2 Cor. 1:20), Redeemer (Job 19:25), Lord and Savior (2 Peter 1:11), Steadfast Anchor (Heb. 6:19), Hope in the dark (Rom. 15:13), Safe Haven (Ps. 36:7), and the Giver of every good and perfect gift (James 1:12) and that is just the beginning. His arms are wide open, waiting for us to run into them with childlike wonder. It is there that we find complete rest.

“Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28, NLT, emphasis added).

The Mayfly

by Angela K. Crow-Mitchell

After I became an unattached woman for the first time in my adult life, I realized I needed to figure out what I wanted to do and who I was instead of riding on the coattails of others. I was never good at making decisions, but being single forced me to change. My relationship with God plays a huge role in the decisions I make, along with knowing who I am and whose I am – as a child of God.

Since my bucket list became more prominent after my accident, I began to take trips alone to check them off. This season in my life was empowering and eventful. I did more in a couple of years than in my lifetime. Things I once feared and thought I would never be able to do by myself. One of those things was fly fishing in a creek – with waders – I was too excited about the waders. I have written about my experience before, but a recent writing class assignment brought back one detail of that trip that made a big impression—the mayfly.

While in the creek, I listened closely to my guide, and I remember his making a point to show me a mayfly that landed gracefully on his arm as I caught fish. He seemed honored to witness its presence, explaining that their lifespan is so short that they only make it a few hours to a day at most. It made an impression at the time, but I had recently researched the elusive creature in Encyclopedia Britannica when I was tasked with writing a poem and needed fresh inspiration.

Living their one short life fully with one task – laying thousands of eggs for the next generation – stood out to me as a purposeful mission we can learn from. They also indicate a clean water supply as they cannot survive in polluted waters. They begin their lives as larvae at the bottom of the creek bed and go through as many as twenty life stages before emerging above the surface to spread their wings for a day, lay eggs, and die.

The slippery rocks in the stream I was navigating represent how easy it is to fall back into the same patterns and pitfalls the enemy tries to trap us. Just as I had a guide leading me through the creek, God guides us and provides us with sure-footed steps to hold us up through treacherous waters. The mayfly represents living in the moment. What if, in our lives, we lived a purpose-filled life for Christ with our one life as intended?

I hope you enjoy the poem:

A Purpose-Filled Life

A mayfly’s passing life,

An instance to behold.

Emerging in a debut flight,

Testing new wings spread wide.

With purpose and poise,

One life to live – a moment in time.

Like raindrops dancing across the sea,

A legacy of eggs deposited in a creek.

Warm rays piercing translucent wings,

On the cusp of living,

Life ends nearly before it begins.

A brief hello, a brief goodbye,

With a final bow.

A purpose-filled life – one moment in time.

Kairos Moments

by Angela K. Crow-Mitchell

(A time when conditions are right for accomplishing a crucial action: the opportune and decisive moment – Merriam-Webster)

I can look back over my life and see times when I was at a crossroads. These Kairos moments were critical. I could choose life or death. I didn’t realize they were such desperate choices then, but they were. There were two pivotal moments in my life when I could pinpoint where a decision had to be made – for the first one – the devil was in my ear. Newsflash – the devil is a liar! It coincides with the beginning of the year I had dreaded since childhood. Maybe God was trying to warn me, but I chose the wrong path and dove deeper into darkness: keeping secrets, telling half-truths (which are a lie), and panic attacks that took my breath in the middle of the night; I cried myself to sleep more times than I can count. Bottom line: I was miserable, and it only got worse.

I often chose the wrong path, which I now know led to a type of death – loss of self-worth, my identity, and self-control, and I took on lots of fear and shame because of it. It led to my darkest moments when I put a man in the seat only God is to hold in my life and heart. I now know my identity is only found in Christ as a daughter of the King. I have no reason to fear – perfect love casts out fear (I John 4:18, ESV).

I wasn’t rooted in God’s Word and steeped in His love then. But when I hit rock bottom – broken in every sense of the word – a broken heart, bones, mind, and spirit. That is when Crossroads # 2 presented itself, only this time – I chose God! It was the first time I asked God what He wanted. I surrendered to His will and went all in. It is the best decision I have ever made. I have repeatedly had to tell the devil to take a hike since. There is spiritual warfare and a battle that can only be fought with the help of spiritual weapons (armor of God), the Holy Spirit, and the mighty name of Jesus. I had to renounce soul ties, destroy strongholds, and claim my inheritance as God’s child. In the words of David, God’s Word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path (Ps. 119:105).

Have you ever thought about the crossroads you met over the years? Maybe you are at one now.

What are three things you would tell yourself if you could? I would say to myself:

  1. The devil is a liar (John 8:44, ESV).
  2. Don’t settle for anything less than God’s best.
  3. You can have a relationship with God and learn to put Him first.

Let’s take a moment to unpack those. First, Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6, emphasis added). He tells the Jews who had believed in him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32, emphasis added). They question him about being a slave. In verses 34-36, he explains that everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin, but the Son (Jesus Christ) can free you. The devil would like us to think the opposite. He can twist the truth to appeal to the flesh and make us feel free to do as we please with our bodies, which leads me to number two. 

Not settling for anything less than God’s best means not compromising integrity for momentary pleasure. It is not worth it, and it leads to death. The Cambridge Dictionary defines integrity as the quality of being honest with strong moral principles. God always wants the best for us. God must be our biggest desire, which leads me to number three.

I always believed in God, even as a child. But I didn’t know how to have a relationship with God or understand how my little heart could love Him more than my family. Learning to put God first in my life was life-changing and improved all my other relationships. Because of my love for the Father and His love for me, I can love others better. When we align our hearts’ desires with God’s desires for us and not only believe but accept Christ as God’s Son and our Savior, everything else falls into place. There will still be pain and heartache (John 16:33), but Jesus Christ will be with us to help us through those times (Matt. 28:20). He sends the Holy Spirit to live in our hearts to comfort and guide us, a gift from God (Acts 2:38).

These two verses (Ps. 37:4; Matt. 6:33) go hand in hand: If we can learn to seek the kingdom of God first and foremost, our biggest desire is God, and our hearts are filled with His love, which leads to unspeakable joy. Even when this broken world delivers terrible news and death, there is always life-sustaining Good News that leads to eternal life as we wait expectantly for Christ to return.

When we seek God will all our heart, we will find Him (Jere. 29:13). Just as the Good News of Jesus is like cold water to a thirsty soul, a righteous person who chooses sin muddies a spring – evil pollutes a person’s way (Prov. 25:25-26).

We cannot keep beating our drums to the world’s rhythm and expect a new song to form in our hearts.

Next time you find yourself at a crossroads, I encourage you to choose the life Christ offers. It is worth it. You are worth it. Christ died so we could live.

“Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart” (Ps. 37:4, ESV, Emphasis mine.)

“Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matt. 6:33, ESV, Emphasis mine.)

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)