Teeth, Fear and Faith

My daughter, Neely, is full of life with big blue eyes and her daddy’s humor. She laughs hysterically at anything related to flatulence, stands firm on all rules given and dissects life’s moments. As she grins ear to ear, a baby tooth dangles like a grape on a vine. My husband’s shivering response to my personal excitement as a dental hygienist is “that’s creepy, when will she lose that tooth?”

You could assume wiggling out my daughter’s baby teeth would be a smooth experience since dentistry is my day job. But not even close. Tears, fear, and coaxing took up most of this season as the tiny white shapes kept shedding.  

In the world of dentistry, Neely’s tooth was simply overdue for removal, practically flapping in the wind. But my daughter was truly terrified. Each time I approached her with experienced dental hands she began to hyperventilate, shuddering with fear. She would wail “I want to get it out, but I’m so scared mom, like SO scared!” Most nights would turn into a session of coaxing her into a headlock only to end with a “forget it, we’ll do it later” outcome! 

One night as we repeated the struggle, something larger and deeper began to unfold. Neely began to cry tears of fear and frustration as she ran to her room saying, “I asked God to just make it fall out, but it didn’t happen”!  I found Neely tucked inside her rainy-day tent we had assembled earlier in the week. As I crouched beside her, I noticed the scriptures taped on the walls inside the tent for home décor.  Pondering how to fix this scenario the words, ‘God is our protection, new strength and trust’ caught my attention’.

Psalms 46:1 on a jagged edged paper torn from her notebook stated “God is our protection and our strength. He always helps in times of trouble”, and Isaiah 40:31 was beautifully written with a blunted crayon, “But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.”

As I pointed to these God ordained words, I asked my daughter to read them aloud. Reluctantly, she mumbled each one to me. It hit me like an arrow to my heart; this moment was beyond “plucking the grape off the vine”. This was a teachable moment for my daughter’s faith in her heavenly Father. Neely insisted I did not understand her fear and did not have the problems she had.  She repeatedly said “Mama, I don’t know how not to be scared, I’m just scared.  But I do want this problem- this tooth, gone”!

Doesn’t that hit so close to home? Isn’t that such an honest and relatable statement for our own lives as adults? We want to follow God’s plan or perhaps jump into His timing, yet we are truly terrified of what that entails. My daughter had asked “can you promise me it will for sure come out when you pull without hurting?” We too, tend to ask this.  Will the matter work out? Will I accomplish the task without turmoil and disappointment? These are thoughts we have wrestled with as adults.  But my honest answer to Neely’s question, as well my own thoughts was simply no. 

I could not promise Neely it would seamlessly glide out as I yanked, nor does God promise us a life with no heartache, no challenges, nor obstacles.

Our minds will be flooded with doubt and fear, but scripture replaces those with God’s truth. God’s promises lie within His truth- “those who trust in the Lord will find new strength and He will always help in times of trouble,” Isaiah 40:31.

Who will find strength? Those who believe.

What type of strength? New strength.

When will it surface? During trials. 

As I attempted to break this scripture down for my daughter’s mind, it grasped my own. Our Father’s power will pour into us stirring new strength that overcomes all things when we believe. 

I reflected on my own fears in life, the ones my daughter knew nothing about. But God reminded me not to simply read the décor on the walls, but to take them to heart and believe in His promises.

That moment of frustration stemming from a loose tooth and a stubborn child turned into a moment to deepen my daughter’s faith. Notice the big picture; we weren’t just pulling teeth that evening. And in case you were wondering, the tooth was not pulled that night, but that’s ok. I know God is patiently awaiting her trust and deepening mine.

Neely chose the song of the week. She loves this song and I just recently reminded her to truly listen to the lyrics and take them to heart as I hope you will too.

The Call into the Unknown

Do you remember Abraham from The Bible? What comes to your mind? My mind recalls an elderly, childless man gazing at the stars as God explains he will have more children than the stars to be counted.

To be honest, I didn’t really understand the dynamics of Abraham and his wife, Sarah’s story. Sure, it was miraculous how the geriatric couple gave birth to a baby, but my heart didn’t register with the story beyond that point. Who was Abraham before that big encounter?

Recently, I revisited this story in a study group. Determined to understand it more, I dug in. God amazed me,once again, with His living active Word and led me to a new perspective on this story.

Turns out Abraham, who was known as Abram at this time, lived in Ur. It’s pronounced “errrrrr.” Pretend you’re trying to say “hehlerrrr,” to your buddy then drop the “heh.”

The region “Ur,” was a thriving area providing Abraham with food, livestock and close proximity to their family. Ur was a comfortable place for Abraham to build his life. Genesis 12 reveals God emerging onto the scene with a commandment, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.”

The last seven words in that scripture struck me, “To the land I will show you?” Abraham did not even get the memo on where he was going! Just a clear calling to leave his current place and go. Abraham was being called to activate his faith in God.

Imagine your heart feeling as if God was calling you out of your comfort zone; then picture God speaking clearly to you and confirming your heart’s inclination. Would logical reasoning take over or would your faith in who God is take root as you made the decision?

These must have been some of Abraham’s feelings. He knew deep within his heart God was His provider, but how and where would this plan play out? Sometimes we as believers experience similar emotions. Our hearts know God is the provider of all things, but our minds become entangled with doubt when our eyes cannot see the plan.

We watch as Abraham embodies courage and says ‘yes’ to God’s command. Genesis 12:4 states, “So Abram went, as the Lord had told him to.” His comfort and his own plans for life were laid down as he chose to follow God’s call into the unknown.

Abraham’s journey is a representation of God-given courage and human doubt.

But remember, Abraham had a choice. He chose to follow God’s command. Sometimes we as Christians, and even non-believers, think God should pave a yellow brick road to our desires in life. But God calls us to come alongside Him on a journey where He paves the way.

Consider our own call onto an unknown path right now. The year 2020 stripped us of our comfort. We let go of many pleasures and shifted into a new era. Masks, restrictions, and uncertainty left us feeling ragged. But, if we look back at the year 2020, we might agree it dropped us on our knees. Digging deep to find faith and courage, we walked forward reminding our minds of the certainty of The God we follow.

Say ‘yes’ to His calling, whether large or small. Perhaps He is asking you to trust Him with the uncertainty of a situation or maybe He is tugging at you to read His Word more often. Let the promises in scripture etch into your mind and replace human doubt. Be an ‘Abraham’ and say yes to God’s plan wherever He leads you, after all He’s the one paving the road...

While Noah waited…

We have all heard it, the story of Noah and the ark. A boat overflowing with animals and a rainbow beaming in the background are pictures recognized by anyone even a bit familiar with God’s Word. It’s a reference the mind makes to God sending the flood and a promise never to do it again. But what about everything that happened in between those high points our minds recall?

I too, had read the story of Noah a gazillion times; mostly out of children’s books that seem to give the impression this was a fun adventure!  Don’t get me wrong, I love the innocent images our children’s authors paint with familiar stories, but I learned there is more to this story than butterflies and rainbows. There were emotions, despair, and perseverance. These are intentionally intertwined in God’s story to us for relatability.  Let us not skip over considering these aspects of the story that offer a deeper perspective…

 It was just recently that my mind registered with a new perspective for this bedtime story….one that will forever change my outlook on Noah and the ark.

 Before I cut the chase, let’s revisit the setting of this familiar story for a moment. Mankind was sinning more than ever. Picture the worst of the worst environment with no acknowledgement of God. Gosh, you might just envision today’s world.  Genesis 6 gets straight to the point with, “The Lord saw that humanity had become thoroughly evil on the earth and that every idea their minds thought up was always completely evil.” Mankind had taken on that  ‘Yolo’ mindset and God was pressing a reset button for mankind. A flood was coming to wipe everything off the earth, except ones He chose to save. And there, in the midst of all of the selfish ambitions and havoc was one He chose, Noah. Faithful, God fearing Noah. He was chosen to build an ark, to not only escape the flood, but become part of a story that would  teach active faith, patience and full reliance on God. Originally, my fingers would turn to the next page and carry on with my reading as I knew how the story ended, but this time my eye caught something new.  There nestled among the tiny black words was a number I had never noticed, 150.

Genesis 7 tells us God clearly told Noah that it would rain 40 days and 40 nights, and so it did...

But in verse 24 it says, “and the water surged on the earth 150 days.” Wait, I thought it was just 40. What does 150 have to do with anything? After research I learned that Noah and his family drifted along for approximately five months after they endured what felt like never ending rainfall.  We grumble if it rains seven days straight, and that’s with cars, homes and rain jackets available to us! So now consider five months of being hulled up after 40 days of rain with every animal known to mankind…then remind yourself this isn’t a cruise to Mexico. People, this is hard core destruction to mankind without knowing what the future holds. We get ruffled if we don’t know what’s for supper, much less the unknown direction of this giant ark. God was specific on a lot of things with Noah, but the destination of his arrival was not one.  And remember God revealed to Noah how long it would rain, but He didn’t mention this waiting period after his obedience took place...

Put yourself in Noah’s sandals. The reality of this scene needs to sketch into your mind. The mixture of emotions Noah must have felt; sorrow and gratitude interchanging as he floated along. Noah realizing how grateful he was that God spared him, yet knowing so many others had drowned. Joy and fear tossing back and forth like the waves beneath him. Joy in knowing he and his family had survived, but fear of the unknown as he peered up from the dark, dreary boat wondering when God would speak again. Noah had been obedient to everything God had commanded of him, putting his hope in God when no one else would, but now he sat waiting for the next step. 150 days of waiting for the next step, the next encounter with that outside world. He may have thought, “did I do this right, is God still with us?” or maybe “I want to trust, but I’m scared, God are you there?”

Have you ever been in Noah’s position? Maybe God called you to take a courageous step and you followed through, but now feel some of Noah’s emotions? As Noah waited, he must have fought against his doubt and despair and fought to hold onto hope. The hope his heart knew was the anchor and the perseverance needed to survive.

We do not like to wait, especially in today’s world of instant gain. But we are smart people, and we know the reliance on God in the waiting is what strengthens us. But waiting on God to reveal the next step takes full reliance on Him and self denial. Self denial-laying our timeline and desires down at His feet-that’s tough stuff! Yet, waiting on God produces a renewed sense of trust in who He is every time..always consistent and always faithful.

Fast forward to God breaking the silence for Noah. Genesis 8 says, “But God remembered Noah,” and commanded them to “come out of the ark.” God remembering in this moment is not that He forgot; God never forgets. But it is God directly taking action to fulfill the promise to His people. God remembers all His promises to us even when we are caught in a sea of doubt.

Are you caught in a season of waiting and feel uncertain? Have you been obedient to following Him, but wondering about your next step? Remember Noah’s situation during the in between moments of this story. Those in between moments teach us patience and reliance. These are attributes of Noah worth pointing out to our children and ourselves. This life, that sometimes feels like a wild boat ride with a zoo, has a parallel and contrast to Noah’s story. As followers of Jesus Christ, we may be called by God to take action with our faith. It may require patience as we fight a storm of emotions. But the difference from Noah’s story is God already gave us the final destination and the next step: the promise of Heaven through Jesus Christ.

Stand firm in the storm as you wait. Allow God’s promises of faithfulness to shine bright in your heart as you persevere into God’s plan and never stop reading His Word. God will always remind us of His faithfulness through it.

Purpose in Everything

Have you encountered days that knock you off your feet? A fiercely strong-willed child pushing against your instruction? The stomach virus sweeping through your house in the middle of a busy work week? Those days we exhale and say “whyyyy God?” 

Are you interested in an answer to that question lurking in your mind? Hear me out on this…..because There. Is. Purpose. In. Everything.

Once my entire house had the stomach virus. Every single person living within our home was hugging a toilet, even our child. It was not a pretty site if you want to imagine.  It was brutal. 

My mother courageously volunteered to enter the war zone to help.  I knew the chances of her getting it were high, but I was desperate. As she came to my rescue, I took a quick private moment to silently ask God to protect her from getting the bug. I then had a nudge within my heart to pray the words out loud over her. “What God? Surely not,” my stomach flipped, but not from the bug. I had never prayed over my mother and especially not out loud.  I had a great relationship with mom, she was very involved in my life, but the relationship to hold hands and call on God was not who we were. Growing up, our prayers usually occurred sitting straight-back at a dining room table for Sunday dinner and silently at bedtime alone. An outward expression of our love for God was not exercised. I think sometimes we simply grow accustomed to spiritual habits without realizing the growth God continues to offer.  Our family loved Jesus dearly, but had settled into this rhythm. 

As a wife and mother, I began to desire a different environment for our family. I loved the home I was brought up in but wanted the rhythm of our home to match the faith in my heart. My heart, hands and feet leaped for Jesus and all He had done for me! I wanted family or friends to feel comfortable declaring God’s power over weaknesses and encouragement beyond the phrase “just pray about it.” But I realized my own thoughts had become a prayer of “can You make those changes, God?”

We do this sometimes don’t we? Ask God to grant a wish or desire without realizing He plans for us to participate.  I had a responsibility as a believer to not only ask God to answer my prayer but to become willing to participate if He prompted me.  

So, here I was with an opportunity and what felt like God’s open palm saying, let’s take a baby step. I wanted to freely step forward, but could not help but be afraid of awkwardness. If we think about it, isn’t that why we hesitate to step forward in a moment like this?  Just fear of awkwardness?  Awkwardness is such a gawky, funny word, but has so much depth to it doesn’t it?  Thankfully, children always seem to be a great buffer; they are like built-in buddies when you need someone to tag along and break the ice. Coincidentally, mine was nearby. With my daughter on my hip and the nudge in my heart I decided to take His hand, step forward and live out that faith inside my heart. This pesky stomach virus had become my opportunity to do so with Mom.  While it was only one prayer in the moment, I knew it was a pivotal moment. Shaking like a leaf inwardly, but casual on the surface, I made my way towards her and said, “Mom, can I pray over you out loud and ask God to protect you from getting this stomach virus?” 

With a large smile surfacing and a gleaming heart practically glowing on her chest she said, “Of course honey.” And standing in my kitchen I called upon our Heavenly Father with my hands on my mother for the first time in 35 years. What seemed like such a burden in the middle of my work week turned into a moment God took my hand and lead me towards my heart’s desire. God already knew the desires in my heart, but He was awaiting my willingness to go forth. 

You see, our everyday life will have bumps in the road.  Things like the stomach virus, cars breaking down, and our schedule going haywire will occur. It is inevitable. But what may not occur inevitably is our perspective. We must open our eyes to realize God works through everything, even the mishaps throughout our day. Every day opportunities are moments to allow growth and purpose. God pursues us and awaits us to actively involve Him in all circumstances.  

But understand there are two factors imperative to gaining a different perspective, an intimate relationship with our Heavenly Father and willful obedience. We can desire God’s will for our families, even exhibit a better attitude, but if we are only having a one-sided conversation with God and not wholeheartedly seeking Him, His voice may become clouded. Spending time in His Word reveals more about Him and replaces our common thought process with His voice. God’s Word begins to guide us to a larger perspective that births the mindset- it is not always about us, but always about His purpose in it. God turns our attention from the uncertainty of our own plans to the certainty of His control and deep- rooted love for us.  

If you’re wondering if mom ever got the stomach virus, she did. Even after I fought my awkwardness, stepped forward in obedience and proclaimed Jesus’ healing power over my mom, she still fell victim to the bug. But you know, it was ok. We both, could see the bigger picture from that moment and would not trade it for anything. Turns out, God was working through both of our heart’s desires.

One of my simple joys in life is music. Lyrics to a song speak life into my heart on any given day! Allow the lyrics to speak to your heart! Enjoy!