Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and
Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in
the province of Asia. “For we do not want you to be unaware,
brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so
utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself”
(2 Corinthians 1:8).
Have you ever been brokenhearted ? Or betrayed? How did you deal with it? This week finds me feeling both of those raw emotions and instead of crying about it I'm giving it all up to God. I've got some situations going on in my world that are out of control. And, for a recovering Type A Sherry personality that is really hard.....shoot it's hard for the mellower 45 year old Sherry to take.
In the past I've dealt with B&B (brokenhearted & betrayal) by: Crying which just made my eyes red and nose runny to the point that people ask if I have a cold. Throwing up...yeah, that was my go to if things were too upsetting because my stomach would start to churn and you can guess the rest. There is the classic go take a shower move where I would sob and then say I got shampoo in my eyes...classic excuse. And my all time besty was to go to a closet, shut the door, and scream out loud....yes, my mom would always come running, fling open the door, and hold me as a kid. As, an adult I've only went to the closet once and same response my hubby & kids came running and asked what was wrong with me and I yelled to leave me alone....and know what they did. And, when I left the closet they wanted to know what would ever possess me to do such a thing....shoot, it was a bad case of B&B.
Even though I'm older, wiser, and know that Christ is my go to I still try to fix people, things, and myself on my own. What happens? A bad case of B&B. I'm not their fixer, the ultimate go to gal, or their savior. What I am is someone that knows that I need Christ's redemption each and every day in my life. Know when my lowest points are and B&B creeps in? Days that I don't go and pray in the morning and relinquish it all to God and praise him for his smarts, capabilities and strength to move mountains and provide protection to the masses. Yeah, those are the days I get a bad case of the B&B's.
What I'm saying is that life is not perfect, people are far from perfect, and situations stink. Shoot, we've all been there, done that, and had that happen. If we are blessed we remember these surefire B&B busters:
- Have a sense of humor : Laugh at the mess that you are in, give thanks for it, and tell God to take it over and direct you. He designed each of us smart, capable, and remarkably to meet the situations of our lives. "She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future" Proverbs 31:25
- Wear God's armor daily like your best dress :Ok, I'll admit it I love Project Runway and I'm not ashamed. It is the reality show where newbie designers compete for a Runway show during Fashion Week. Tim Gunn is one of the hosts and when the pressure is on he tells the designers "make it work". In reality, God, doesn't promise us a rose garden and peace on Earth.....he promises us a Heavenly home with him for eternity with our acceptance as Christ as a savior. Well, I think God might coin the phrase "make it work" to us when the going gets tough and all seems lost. Just ask for God's direction and fully trust him to guide you.
- Have some RESPECT for yourself: Isn't that the truth? How many times in my life have I got myself into situations that I've got no biz being in because I forgot to have RESPECT for myself the God I serve. How do you gain RESPECT ? Try playing Aretha Franklin's, Respect, and then thanking God for all that you have, all that He is, and all that He will ever be in your life.
- Gazelle like intensity: Yeah, I did Dave Ramsey years ago with the Tedster. Most days with bills, medical probs, and life we feel like running with gazelle like intensity. We've taken that gazelle like intensity and worked hard to pay on our house, try to pay our utilities, and maintain our cars. And, we've thanked God that we have a home. We thank God each time we pay a utility. We don't drive the best cars but we own them and we thank God for that. It's shocking what it does to your spirit when you praise God each time you can pay something on a bill....it's freeing. And, I've learned I don't mope about what I don't have because God blessed me with what I need.
- Roar like a lion: A couple of years with my health probs I literally fell apart. I was scared that God was gonna take me down & let everyone watch me fail because I couldn't be the Sherry that everyone knew. What I learned is to stop that noise in my head and ROAR! What's that mean? One of my gal pals sent me a link to Katy Perry's, Roar, and said this is your jam, Sherry, now go Roar! I thought really, a pop song when I'm losing it? And, then I listened to the lyrics and thought, oh, good grief, that is soooo true! Instead of sitting by and letting my health deplete I chose to ROAR! I am a champion of Christ who blesses me with the integrity, premise, and purpose on this Earth and because of that I'll get up and serve him each day. Ok, so, what I'm saying here is daily say to God , "Let my words and actions be pleasing to you. Allow them to be what helps to grow your kingdom".
Now, are you ready for the day? Instead of wasting away with a case of the B&B's are you able to take out your post its? What about finding your "jam"...you are welcomed to use Roar by Katy Perry and laugh the whole way through the song if it helps you to have a sense of humor and make it work for God's glory.
Peace Be With You- Sherry
- In two weeks I'll have my first workshop in the artroom. Here's the classes I'm offering: Pinterest & Prayer, Mama Mia, Creation Station, and Boy's DIY Bootcamp. I can't say that one or the other is my fav because they all mean the blessing of being able to share my faith, love of teaching, and artsy-ness with others. If you are interested in any of these please let me know & I can send you some details.
- It's my goal that each class that I do be low cost or free. Why? Because I'd love for kids & adults to be able to attend to the classes and not worry about a fee....that would rock! And, I'd love to have the ability to buy supplies as I need them and get my bathroom set up in the artroom. In order to do that I've set up a Kickstarter to help with funding. If you are able to donate even a $1 that would be remarkable so others can have a place to create : https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/mamasunbear2/mamasunbear2-creation-station
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