challenge

Change it Up

January 3, 2014 By Lisa Lewis

This is lovely sketch was made by artist Rebekah Leigh Marshall. I am found her work online. I’m fond of tandem bicycling…

I’m four months into my 57th trip around the sun. That is a sobering statement. Oddly it is also an invigorating challenge.

What new things can I learn to do? What old things can I make better? What about my character needs refining? What about my character needs sharing? Where are my gifts, talents and skills needed?

Those are some of questions I have pondered prior to the beginning of the New Year, 2014. And like most people I have lists: lists for groceries, projects, tasks, reading, writing to people; you name it. I probably have written a list. But this year isn’t about lists.

I’ve learned some things about myself in these many annual trips: I like some things to stay the same and I like to change some things. Unfortunately the things I’d like to stay the same are completely out of my influence to remain the same. (think children growing up and moving away). The things that I’d like to change and are completely within the realm of my influence to accomplish I have often not accomplished. blegh.

As I have pondered my lists and recognized my one very-within-reason-to-change character flaw, I chose the word for my change-it-up efforts for the year: Resolve. I explained my choice more fully here.

My firm commitment is not just to complete my lists. Or change a character trait. Although those are both great things to commit to accomplishing. No my firm commitment is to live out the words of Paul to the church at Corinth. Near the end of his letter he wrote this: “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.”

Now a casual reading might give the impression this about being stodgy and stiff; that you’re supposed to never change and never rest. And like most times when we take a verse of Scripture out of its context we can run the risk of misinterpreting what is there for us. So a brief interlude for a valuable point of history:

Paul wrote to the church at Corinth because they had started to live their lives like everyone else around them rather than following the teachings of Jesus as they had been shared by Paul. The church had the same values as the culture. Paul spent a lot of specific writing reminding the Christ followers what it means to actually follow Christ. And near the end of his letter he encourages them to “be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.”

Knowing the context helps me to try to make sense for my own life of following along the Way. I need to break things down into little pieces that I can somewhat wrap my head around. So here’s what I’ve learned in looking at this verse and why I’ve ended up with the one word Resolve for my focus this year.

Steadfast is not a word we use in daily conversations. Why not? Maybe our culture doesn’t support a word like this; listen to the definitions: fixed in direction; a steadfast gaze. firm in purpose, resolution, faith; a steadfast friend. unwavering. What is steadfast in our culture?

Abounding is also another word lost to our regular speech. Too bad. It’s a cool word. It originates from Latin and means overflow, or run over.

So stitching these word meanings into this verse helps me see that as a Christ follower what I do in my life with the Lord (which is everything because He lives in me, in you if you name His name) isn’t wasted. It’s not in vain. I can be fixing my gaze on Christ, getting to know Him more and more, and overflow with what He shows me in His Word. So, how I live my life, how I speak to others, how I spend my time, how I show grace to those who hurt me, how I forgive and forgive and forgive again, is not just me going through the motions. It is God at work. Changing it up in me, making me look more like Jesus every day. WOW!

I need to get on His two seater bike and be in tandem with Him. And what a ride it has been so far; He promises the adventure of a lifetime!

He has promised many good things but most of all His abiding Presence. Life here does not get any better than living daily with the awareness of His very real Presence.

I resolve to be on the bike in Tandem with Jesus.

What are you changing up this year?

Please also visit Rebekah

Real Faith is Vulnerable

October 14, 2013 By Lisa Lewis

If you’ve dropped by before, you know that my family has been in transition mode for quite awhile: 113 days our belongings have been in storage; but who’s counting? We house sat, we were nomadic, we rented a cottage for two months. We are in finally in our garden condo now. We don’t have internet yet so I am sitting at a local coffee shop using their free internet to write this post.

My husband and I began praying about the next step for our lives way back in April. Throughout this six month upheaval I have heard two statements again and again; whether it’s someone I know well or someone I’ve just met.
“I could NEVER do that!” “I don’t know HOW you are doing this!”

These statements are common because they reflect all of our hearts. Change is hard. Change is scary. Change takes a.lot.of.work.
You see, I could never do this either. Leaving our home of 15 years. Selling or giving away most of our furniture and other possessions. Donating dishes, clothes, decorator items that I really enjoyed. Lots and lots of change. When I have tried to live through these circumstances in my own strength I have either fallen apart under the stress of the change or melted into a puddle of tears. Only those two choices. Really.
So the response to those two statements is the same: ” I can’t do this either. It’s Jesus in me is doing this move thing. Not me.”
I am tired.
I cry. A. Lot.
I miss my home, my kids, my friends, my church community and our pets.
And then I am reminded of why we made this big move. This guy has been the servant leader of our family and it was time for him to fly.

I unpack a box, look inside and can see where this statue used to sit on top of our piano. (Which was invited to stay in our former home, now a rental.) Seeing this gift from a dear friend just undid me.

But then…a beautiful, still, small voice reminds me of why the gift was given. And in that same box is a book written by another friend. Another offering of love meant to encourage growth and change.
So I put them together and took this picture.

I am challenged to trust again. Trusting God with this new place. With this new season. With my friends far away. With friends I haven’t yet met. With my husband’s new job. and health. and my fears begin to fade…in the Light of His Word
“Behold, I will do something new. Now it will spring forth; will you not be aware of it? I will even make a roadway in the wilderness, rivers in the desert.”

Of Journals and Journeys

August 6, 2013 By Lisa Lewis

This is the cover of my latest journal. True confession: I am a journal junkie. I love the varieties of textures, covers, and styles of spines; the lined, unlined, or graphed papers. I like them small enough to travel well or book size for the year’s life progress. I use journals to record thoughts and gather quotes; to write out my prayers and reflections on what God is showing me in His Word. I have a journal to count gifts and a journal to keep work notes. I have been journaling since I was a teen, but there’s not a diary format among the ones I have saved. They chronicle the testament of the faithfulness of a good God who loves well and has been working through the circumstances of my life for my good and His glory. My journals are one of the ways I measure change.

I recently took my dozen saved journals down from the shelf and packed them away in preparation for this part of life’s journey we’re on. It was good to see those covers again, knowing the season of life each one represents, and knowing the season is in the process of changing yet again.

This new journal has a specific purpose. It’s my journal of reflections for an online Bible study I have joined. I’ve never done this. 22,000 women have signed up to Say Yes to God through Proverbs 31 ministries. I am privileged to be taking part in the study; to be reading this book at this time. The cover of my journal is perfectly suited. Listen to this quote from the book What Happens When Women Say Yes to God:

“Outside our comfort zone is where we experience the true awesomeness of God.”

I can testify to the truth of that statement.

When I have my hands open and palms up, not clenched around the thing or attitude or “the way we have always done this” or (fill in the blank), then I’m able to receive what God has in mind.

Our comfort zone keeps us insulated from experiencing the awesomeness of God.

We had a stirring that God wanted us to make some changes in our life as this season of full time parenting came to a close. We listened to the prayer requests of some young professional women and realized God wanted us to be part of His answer for them. How awesome is that? To be used by God in the lives of others?

We rented our home of 15 years before we had a place to move. We trusted God with the next step. He provided in the form of a temporary landing spot while a family traveled around the country this summer.

We prayed for a new career move for my dear hubs. He applied; we waited. He interviewed; we waited. My go to statement for this season has been: “What is unknown to us is not unknown to God.” We have been an anomaly to our friends; why we would pull up roots without a place to go or a plan or a clue has been beyond them. It’s been beyond me too at times! Which is why I’m calling this our Abraham Summer.

God called Abram from Haran (in modern day Turkey) to “Go forth from your country, And from your relatives And from your father’s house, To the land which I will show you;” and Abram went. Out into the desert, on foot or on camel. Over 400 miles. We don’t see him asking questions. He packed up his belongings and headed out to the land I will show you. That’s faith. And that’s trust. We don’t have much record of the development of Abram’s faith in God to that point; we know later that Abraham’s faith was reckoned as righteousness.

Trusting God as I move outside my comfort zone has been very challenging and yet very stabilizing in the midst of a lot of work and chaos that comes with sorting and cleaning and shedding stuff. Those who walk with me have seen and shared my tears. It is scary stepping out into unknown territory, leaving what is familiar to accept the Whatever of the future.

Lysa TerKeurst says the whole of Scriptural commands can be summed up in six words: Whatever God says do, do it.

Radical obedience. That was what Abram, who God later called Abraham, did. Why should we be any different?

The family of our temporary digs will be home in 4 days. We will be off on the next part of the journey by then.

Stay tuned. There are more reflections from the road that will be forthcoming.

What has God called you to do that you’re hesitant to do? What is one step of obedience you can take today?

Leftovers

February 29, 2012 By Lisa Lewis

Whew! The past three days have been a whirlwind in our house: Company on Sunday, missionary visitors for lunches on Monday and Tuesday. All meals I planned and prepared. And now I am tired! Now don’t get me wrong, I love practicing hospitality. In fact I am constantly spurred on to love and good deeds by my friend Sue, who daily blogs about the challenge and the blessing of hospitality. She has encouraged me to think about the difference between entertaining and hospitality. You might think of having people in your home as entertaining and see it as a burden. Too much work! I have learned to think about the blessing of practicing hospitality, a welcome heart, to those who cross my path and sometimes my doorstep.

Here’s the difference: entertaining is really putting on a show. Sometimes that’s appropriate; bridal showers, baby showers, and birthday parties are all examples of entertaining. They’re events for which time is needed to plan and prepare. Hospitality on the other hand can be as easy as inviting someone over for coffee and a chat.

In fact, practicing hospitality can simply be offering to share a meal of leftovers! What? Leftovers for company?!? Outrage, right? Not at all! When you take the simple lunch of what you have, like loaves and fish, and offer it to the One Who can multiply our humble offering and make all things new, hospitality takes on a new purpose.

Offering what little you may have in the refrigerator and pantry is not as important as giving your time and attention to the person (or people!) This is my definition of showing hospitality: “making people feel at home in your presence.” It does take an attitude adjustment and a shift in mindset, which can be super challenging, but you can practice hospitality wherever you are! If you need encouragement like I have, check out Sue’s blog here. If you feel paralyzed about how to shift your thinking from entertaining to hospitality, let’s get together! We can overcome the obstacles that keep you from willingly opening your home to show God’s welcome heart through hospitality!

Confessions of a Recovering Control Freak

February 24, 2012 By Lisa Lewis

I am challenged. I know that may sound funny, and my family is probably saying, “Duh!” but what I mean to say is I am being challenged. Challenged to stretch. grow. change. And it’s not comfortable or easy.

True Confessions? I am a recovering control freak. I have mentioned that issue before so I won’t dive too far in. Just far enough to admit it. Here’s how.

I have had a skewed view of friendship. I am happy to spend time with friends, listen to their stories, laugh with them, cry with them, take care of their children, live life. But when my life gets busy, I put my head down and get busy, withdrawing from others, ignoring calls or letting texts drop. Definitely not reaching out, sometimes not responding when an invitation would come my way. In this way, I was controlling my friendships. I was being a one way friend. And in a way, I was controlling relationships.

That is not a friend. A friend loves at all times.

When is all? Oh yeah. ALL.

I am challenged. I want to be a better friend. I want to reconnect, reach out, invite, participate.

Ann Voskamp and the team at (in)Courage are planning something big to help women like me be more intentional with friendships. I suggest you take a look at their plans here. Let me know how you’re being stretched and if you’re challenged like me. And if you have called me your friend, and I haven’t acted like one, not only am I truly sorry but know that I am committed to change. Of course that means more FUN! And that’s the perfect thing for a Friday, right?