A Change of Heart

Do you ever get an idea in your head about the way a certain situation will go, only to find out God is trying to teach you a different thing? That's exactly what happened to me last week in Louisville, KY.

As we approached the playground where my group would be working, I immediately starting forming opinions of the people who lived in this neighborhood and the lives they must lead.  And my eyes told me my opinions were correct.  I saw adults who should be working, but they were just hanging out in the neighborhood doing nothing. There was fighting in the streets and all kinds of strange, questionable activities happening all around us.   I saw kids coming and going, with no adult supervision.  They were sent to the playground with nothing to eat and nothing to drink, and probably no one even knew where they were. After one hour at the playground, all of my suspicions were confirmed.  The neighborhood bully was actively tormenting the other kids,and the only mother at the playground sat off to herself and wouldn't interact with anyone. Yep, I clearly had it all figured out.

But then I took time to chat with that mother who sat alone.  I asked God to help me connect with her, and that is exactly what He did.  But God did way more than that.  He also used that mother to change me. We wound up sitting under a shade tree and talking all afternoon. In that time we spent together, I got way more information than I knew how to handle. 

 She explained to me how she had grown up in the projects and was struggling to break free from the life she had always known.  She desperately wanted to show her daughter a new way of life, but she didn't have the means to get out. She shared stories about things that happened in her neighborhood, and the things she said absolutely terrified me. I felt like I couldn't even relate to anything she was saying.  Yet all the while, I was touched by her passion for life, and by the way she encouraged the children on the playground to be kind and to react in love to all situations rather than anger.

As the afternoon wore on, she shared part of her life story with me, and God opened my eyes and showed me we were actually not all that different. We both were mamas and we both loved our children very much.  We both loved Jesus, and we both wanted what was best for our children. Finding that common bond allowed me to see her in a different light.  I no longer wanted to judge her, but I wanted to love her.

At first I was a little ashamed at my negative reaction to the people in that neighborhood, but then I remembered God doesn't judge me the way I judge others.  He extends grace to me, and He asks me to extend that same grace to others.  No, our problems are not the same, but we all have problems.  We are all broken in one way or another, and we are all in need of a Savior. But we serve a God who loves us, and He wants us to love others in return. 

Unfortunately, I am very good at judging others,which is why I am so thankful for the beautiful experience I had in KY. Life is a journey, and as we travel, we must strive to be more like Jesus.  Our life experiences shape us, and we always have the choice to either learn from our mistakes or just move onward.  I am sure my judging problem is far from over, but with God's help maybe I will put my time and effort into getting to know the people around me rather than judging them.

A Close Call

I am big on perspective. People view things so differently.  Let me give you an example.  This morning on the way to school, I was running 55(ish!!!!) when suddenly a car turned in front of me.  I slammed on brakes and had to bring the car to a complete stop to avoid smashing into that car.  My only focus was getting my car stopped in time, and my heart was just about to beat out of my chest! My perspective was keeping everyone safe and being ever so thankful we weren't involved in a wreck.  

Caroline was eating a piece of sausage with cheese.  When I slammed on brakes, her sausage went flying.  It landed on her pants.  All the stuff in the back seat turned upside down.  Once she realized we were all ok, she was mad because she had cheese on her pants and the back seat was a wreck.

Kathryn didn't say anything at first.  After a while she said she was very thankful she had not been driving.  Right before we turned into MHS, she said, "Well here is a funny story.  Right before mom almost killed us, I looked at the man sitting at the stop sign.  His eyes were about to pop out of his head and his mouth was hung open like a cod fish!" 

Four perspectives, same story! As you go through this day and through life, remember this.  God has a much bigger plan for us than we can even imagine.  We just need to follow Him.  1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 says:

Rejoice always. Pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. 

Rain Delay

Spring is always such a busy time.  We leave at the crack of dawn and often don’t get home until dinner time or later.  Every Sunday evening I check the calendar to see what the week holds, and every Sunday evening I find the entire week is packed with an activity every single night.  Don’t get me wrong, I am not complaining.  I am just saying life in the Bray house is very busy.  Social media tells me many, many people keep a schedule that is just as hectic, or maybe even more hectic, than ours. 

Psalm 55:6 says:

 I said, “Oh that I had the wings of a dove! I would fly away and be at rest.”

How glorious does that sound? Can you imagine?  All you have to do is fly away.  I am about ready to take flight just thinking about it.  Then I remember all of my responsibilities, and I realize I really don’t have time to fly away and rest. But God knows all of our needs.  He knew tonight would be a great night to rest, and so He sent rain, which cancelled all practices and all evening activities.  Instead of running around like a chicken with my head cut off, I am relaxing in my favorite chair feeling ever so thankful for a break.  I know the craziness will start again tomorrow, but tonight I am thankful for the rain delay. 

Stop and Smell the Flowers

Spring has sprung!  What a glorious time of year where everywhere we look is the promise of new life and warmer weather.  The humming birds have returned, daffodils are in bloom, and the croaking of frogs fills the evening air.

I don't know how life is for you, but for the Bray family, along with the beauty of spring comes the business of spring.  Most weeks we don't have a single night free and the weekends are even more packed. My Grandma Judy used to say, "You're so busy you meet yourself coming." Although her saying is more true than I'd like to admit, I am learning to slow down and enjoy the beauty around me.

A few years ago, during a particularly busy season of my life, I had a visitor who asked if the dogwood tree in my backyard had bloomed.  I was so sad when I realized I had no idea if it had bloomed or not, and I promised myself right then and there I would never again be so busy that I couldn't take time to smell the flowers.  

 Psalm 96:11-12 says:
 Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let the sea resound, and all that is in it; let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them.  Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy.

These verses are so beautiful, and they remind me of the promise of spring. I can just imagine all the flowers and trees being jubilant as they return from winter's freezing grasp. When I came home this afternoon, I noticed the dogwood tree was just beginning to bloom.  Tonight as soft rain pelts on the window panes, I am reminded of God's promise that as long as the earth remains there will always be seasons.  Tomorrow is going to be very busy, but you can be sure that as I meet myself coming I will spend a few minutes in the backyard admiring the dogwood tree. I will always regret missing the dogwood tree bloom that year, but now I rejoice and sing for joy with the trees of the forest as I welcome spring. 

 

 

Sunshine on a Cloudy Day

I have been thinking a lot about storms lately. This is probably because the other night Troy referred to me as Hurricane Annie, and although I'm not sure it was meant as a compliment,  I have been determined to put a positive spin on it!

The thing about hurricanes, which is different from many other storms, is you have time to prepare for them because they hang out in the ocean for days gathering strength.  Once the hurricane gets itself together,  it comes ashore and does its thing. Thinking about it like that, I can see why Troy called me Hurricane Annie.  Before I dive into a project,  I like to get myself prepared. Then once I'm organized,  I like to move full steam ahead until the job is done. Not everyone functions this way, so the hurricane approach may be stressful to some. I think this is more along the lines of Troy's thought process!

Do you know people who have storm like personalities?  Maybe you know a tornado, a rain shower, or maybe even a blizzard! I wonder what type of storm God would want us to be.  I don't think He would want us to be a storm at all.  I think He would want us to be a ray of sunshine that will encourage others around us. Matthew 5:14-16 says:

You are the light of the world.  A city on a hill cannot be hidden.  Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl.  Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

I know we are not always going to be in a sunshiny kind of mood and sometimes we may even feel stormy.  I think God is o.k. with that. He isn't asking us to change who we are, he's just asking us to shine for him.  It's probably not likely I will change my personality, but as Hurricane Annie blows in, I will try to keep a smile on my face and a positive word on my tongue!

Why Would You Say That Out Loud?

Do you ever stop and think about why people say and do certain things? Haven't you had moments when you thought, "Why in the world would he/she say that out loud?" I know God created us to have incredibly different personalities, which makes the world a more interesting place, but sometimes I wonder what really makes people act certain ways!
 
Lately I have been thinking about John, as in one of the 12 disciples John, and wondering what he was really like to those who knew him best. Not only was he a disciple, but he was also a good friend to Jesus.  In fact, he was known as the disciple whom Jesus loved.  He was on the scene during Jesus' earthly ministry, so he definitely had the scoop on the happenings of that time. His gospel does a wonderful job of showing us the life of Jesus. He was right there with Jesus, so I know all of his accounts are spot on. 

In chapter 20 John tells about Jesus rising from the dead.  This is the most beautiful, wonderful story in all of history, but check out what he said right in the middle of the story!

Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance.  So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don't know where they have put him!" So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first.  (John 20:1-3)

The story goes on to tell about the hope and certainty of the Christian faith, but I got caught up in wondering why on earth John would refer to himself as "the one Jesus loved." Then a few seconds later he pointed out the fact he had outrun Simon Peter on the way to the tomb.  None of this was the focus of the story, and it seemed kind of funny and odd to me that he would share this.  Was he trying to be funny? Was he being sarcastic? Was he a guy who just liked to give tons of details when he told a story?  I can't really be sure if he was being any or all of those things,  but one thing I know is true: John's heart was pure and he loved Jesus. 

Maybe those details in the story were put there to make us wonder and seek why he said those things. I asked a lot of people this week why they thought he chose to include those details.  No one I spoke with had a definite answer to my questions, but in my quest to understand I did discover something I think is important.

Sometimes when people say things I don't think they should have said out loud, I may tend to judge them.  I don't mean to do this, it just accidentally happens.  This scripture:

 reminds me that I don't know everything, and it is not my place to judge the actions of others.  I am thankful God created us all differently, and I am going to work hard on leaving the judging to God. Next time someone says something I think is inappropriate, instead of questioning their motives, I am going to try to celebrate our differences and look to see what lesson or blessing God is showing me.

I only included a little of John's story about the resurrection of Jesus.  I encourage you to go back and read the rest of the story from the book of John. Hallelujah!  He is Risen!

Which Way Do I Turn?

Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you knew where you were, yet at the same time you were lost?  You know my sense of direction isn't really that strong, and if you have spent any time in Mathews, you know the back roads are very confusing.  This time I totally knew where I was going, but my friend traveling with me was certain I was going the wrong way.  We had heavy discussion about which road would lead to our friend's house.  Both of us had been there dozens of times, but this time we allowed doubt to creep in and cloud our sense of judgement. We may have even turned around a time or two as we went my way (right), decided it was wrong, and then turned around and went her way (left).  As it turns out, the way we turned didn't really make any difference at all.  The roads connected and we were both going the right direction!  The old saying, "All roads lead home," actually proves true for our friend because all the roads led to her house.  We just about laughed our heads off! But in every situation, there is always a lesson and always a blessing if you choose to see it.

In the journey of life, where our goal is to get to heaven, all roads don't lead home.  Jesus makes it very clear in Matthew 7:13-14:

Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.  But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

Hopefully we all go through life trying to make good choices and be kind.  But the bible tells us being a good person will not get us to heaven.  There is only one way to get to heaven, and that is to trust in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. If we don't choose that narrow road that leads to life, we will be lost for all eternity.

Though I often find myself turning the wrong way and feeling lost, I know there is only one  true way home, and that's by way of the cross. I am thankful God sent his Son to die for my sins so I may have eternal life.  God has given me friends so we can travel this narrow road together, and maybe even share a few laughs along the way. Now that is what I call a blessing!

I don't know why I felt so led to share this story with you, and it is a little bolder than what I have posted in the past. However, you are my friends and I want to be sure you know about this narrow gate.  It reminds me of a saying from my dad, "The truth is welcome in heaven!"