Avoid a Withering Spirit

“While you were at the mall. . .she was playing softball – she stole on you!”

“We love softball, yes we do, we love softball, how ‘bout you?”

“9er, 9er, hit a line driver.”

“Ball in the, ball in the dirt. . .yeah, she can make it work, yeah, she can make it work.”

Any softball parent can relate right now.  A weekend filled with games leaves a parent singing these jingles throughout the work week.  The girls behind the jingles reveal their passion for the game inning after inning.  Their focus remains on the diamond.  Their ears perk to the coach’s voice.  Their eyes hone in on each sign given with each play. 

I absolutely LOVE watching my children perform in sports.  Not for reasons of pride or to gloat (though these kids are awesome at what they do), or to gain another piece of hardware to dust in my home.  But, I love watching because I see the passion each holds for the sport.  I see the joy it brings when they step up to begin a game or competition.  I smile when teamwork shines out of their little hearts. 

Engaging in activities that gear our passions provides character building that cannot be taught in a book.  We learn from a young age how to lose, the feeling accompanying a win.  We learn how to manage time, socialize, the benefits of hard work, the joys of play, necessity of rest and value of dedication.

The jingles above fill the soul of a player.  The player knows full well that a team works alongside to compete to their best ability during the game/competition.  They are not alone. 

The cheers from the stands confirm love for each player no matter the results of the game/competition. 

The coach/leader encourages, teaches and builds the player to face each battle.

Whether my son brings home hardware from a competition or not, my love never changes.  Whether my daughter scores in a game, gets an out or not, my love never changes.  They are loved for the person revealed from the heart.  Will I work on developing a better player/performer?  Yes.  Will I give my two cents on their performance?  Yes.  BUT, not without loving them every step of the way.

This world can be cold, bitter and downright ugly.  Our worth ranked solely on performance.  Our acceptance based solely on outward appearance.  The world can break us, destroy passion and kill joy.  We get caught up in the world and stumble off the path laid for our lives. 

Ponder the joy felt while watching a child give their all during a game/competition.  Meditate on the actions each child performs.  Learn from these moments. . .

While the years pass by, we begin to age physically.  The body begins slowing down in every aspect physically.  If we throw caution to the wind, our spirit will begin to wither.  We must remain focused on the path God prepared, perk our ears to the Coach’s Voice and keep eyes honed in on the presence of God each day.

Burn with passion for our God, Creator and Father in Heaven.  He holds Truth required to live here in this world.  His Truths fill our soul, confirming that He walks alongside us in this world.  We are not alone.

The loved ones He places in your path confirm the love He holds for each of us.  He desires joy, peace and comfort in this cold world.  He is the Light that outshines the darkness.  He is the Way that provides clarity amongst the ugly actions in this world.  He encourages, teaches and walks alongside to build strength to face daily battles. 

His love never fails.  He never gives up on us.  He always desires a relationship. 

¹ In you, Lord my God,
    I put my trust.

² I trust in you;
    do not let me be put to shame,
    nor let my enemies triumph over me.
³ No one who hopes in you
    will ever be put to shame,
but shame will come on those
    who are treacherous without cause.

⁴ Show me your ways, Lord,
    teach me your paths.
⁵ Guide me in your truth and teach me,
    for you are God my Savior,
    and my hope is in you all day long.  Psalm 25:1-5

   

Live life. . .One Day at a time! 

Sheree Craig  

Take a Time-Out

Because, when you stop and look around, this life is pretty amazing. . .

These words hang on the wall in our home which I have the privilege of staring at many hours of the day.  Due to my current condition, I sit and recite the words, passing the time of the day until someone returns.  I quickly change the thoughts of despair, disappointment and depression into positive by simply reciting and remembering this life is amazing!

Prior to a recent surgery, the daily schedule refused any “down” time.  Working in a fast-paced career kept my feet moving continuously for 12-14 hours.  Coming home to tidy up, put supper on the table and get all to bed left no room to relax.  We ran at this pace for months before I realized the craziness.  We had to work.  We had to maintain the house.  We had to complete basic life skills.  But, there had to be a way to weave peace into the madness. 

As we completed a churchwide journey revealing the obsessions that stole a relationship with God, my eyes opened wide to the problem.  It was not the jammed packed schedules.  It was not the hours required to complete life skills.  It was not chores done to keep up our home.  It was obsessions!  My obsessions took up way too much time in life.  I ran to these when life overwhelmed (which was like Every. Single. Day.).  The time spent fulfilling obsessions stole “down” time.  The energy wasted on filling the void every day with obsessions stole “relaxation” right out from under me. 

Ironically enough, a recent surgery knocked me down quite a few notches.  I am restricted to any movement beyond walking with crutches.  I cannot even bend over to put on socks/shoes or clean my feet.  And shaving remains out of the question!  Enter 24/7 down time and obsessions taken away cold turkey.  I believe God will not take me into a chapter of life without providing the strength to get through; but, some days sitting inside the four walls of home watching the paint crack, I feel incapable of this chapter. 

Sit.  Ice.  Eat.  Walk a few steps.  Repeat.  For days on end, this is my schedule.  The plans of each day trigger eating disorder thinking.  I sit and think.  Then, I sit and think some more.  As I venture down the old rugged path, God steps in and redirects.  God remains busy because redirection occurs often throughout the day.  One redirection that works every time is reading the above words hanging on the wall I stare at every day. 

Pulling me from the pit of negativity, shutting down the pity party, these words remind me of the blessings surrounding every moment in this life.  Thank God for two legs to walk the path He planned for me.  Thank God for two healthy kids returning to me every day with stories to brighten my day.  Thank God for the husband who sacrifices and shaves my legs, cleans my feet and helps me get dressed.  Thank God for family that care enough to send love, pray for me, drive me to appointments and help without hesitation. 

Because, when you stop and look around, this life is pretty amazing. . .

The list goes on and on and on.  God provides life sustaining blessings every day.  The obsessions I ran toward provide temporary survival.  The obsessions leave me empty.  God desires more for our lives than temporary fill-ups.  God wants us to help in building His Kingdom.  God wants us to enjoy the works written in our chapters.  He wants us to be obsessed with our story – written by Him.  He does not need us. . .He wants us!  Major difference.     

He wants us to keep eyes on this pretty amazing life given daily.  This life given to each of us holds a mighty purpose.  Let’s not waste a moment of it.  Let’s keep our focus on the prize waiting after this life ceases.  The trials and tribulations only build our faith.  Believe in God to see you through and your faith will increase on the other side.  God provided this time-out in my story.  He wants me to spend time with Him and listen. . . 

¹⁶ All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, ¹⁷ so that the servant of God^[a]may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.  2 Timothy 3:16-20

Will you take a time-out today and listen?  You will be amazed at what He reveals in your story. 

Because, when you stop and look around, this life is pretty amazing. . .

Live life. . .One Day at a time! 

Sheree Craig  

The Day I Broke

Humble:  having a feeling of insignificance, inferiority, subservience (adj.); to destroy the independence, power or will of (verb)!

There should be a class before surgery to teach humility.  Humility weaves into every aspect of surgery.  Prior to surgery, all routine medications/supplements and lifestyle choices stripped away.  During surgery, no control exists and crazy things occur to the body.  Post-surgery, the basic skills in life cannot be attained without assistance from others (not even going to the restroom).

I faced such humility the moment the surgeon presented the choice:  continue living as such until you no longer can use the right hip, OR, have a total hip replacement now.  The hip replacement remained inevitable; it was a matter of when.  I chose surgery now due to life already being hindered by less than 100% use of right hip.  That moment of decision broke me.  Fear struck every fiber in my body. 

Humility cannot be found in my vocabulary.  With humility in the way, I could not survive.  I chose years ago to depend on me to get things done, survive this world and figure out every detail of a situation.  I did not want to burden another or rely on another for survival.  I kept to myself and assured that I did not ‘need’ anyone in this world. 

Therefore, the moment I realized I would be helpless, relying on others to get through and needing support; I broke.  How can I get through without being able to get everything on my to do list done?  How can I ask another to care for me when they are busy themselves?  How can I give total control over to some surgeon I just met?  What does life look like without going nonstop to fix everything?  How can I give up my routine?

The overwhelming anxiety took lots of prayers, quiet time with God and venting to my husband.  By the time surgery arrived, God already began the process of picking up the pieces and rebuilding a stronger Sheree.  He began with humility.  He revealed the pedestal I stood on in life.  He knocked the pedestal out from beneath.  The ‘things’ in this world I feared incapable of completing post-surgery were the very things that kept me from truly loving the most important people in life.  He revealed the effort put forth to be “perfect” shattered my spirit, leaving me empty and exhausted.  He revealed the distance placed between Him and I due to fear of failure in this world. 

Though a storm brewed ahead, I knew full well that it packed a mighty purpose in my story.  God’s plans reveal a mighty purpose for you and me.  In this storm, I will take time to discover how to love from my heart and not my hands.  The works provided to my family cannot reveal the love I feel in my heart.  I love them, cherish their presence and long for time spent making memories; yet, I get caught up in doing ‘things’ for them and expecting appreciation in return.  I feel they need me only to fulfill the works done around the home.  Lie #1 the devil uses to fill me with fear and place a wedge between my heart and the Cross.   

In this storm, I will take time to discover how to change the goal from perfectionism to purpose.  Daily, God holds a purpose for you and me.  Perfection gets in the way of purpose.  I feel I need to be perfect to be accepted and loved.  Lie #2 the devil uses to fill me with condemnation/shame and place a wedge between my heart and the Cross.

In this storm, I will take time to discover the steps required to strengthen my relationship and reliance on God rather than this world.  God desires to walk alongside you and I daily.  God sacrificed His Only Son to have a relationship with you and me.  He loves me!  He loves you!  I feel I got this!  I feel that God has bigger problems to fix.  God has others to worry about.  My little day to day concerns are stupid.  My mountains to climb seem like a minor hill to God.  Lie #3 the devil uses to fill me with fear and place a wedge between my heart and the Cross.

Today, I pray for God to send His Holy Spirit and overpower the lies lingering in my thoughts.  Today, God will begin to erase the lies remaining in the pages of my story and begin writing Truth. Today, God will set me free from me!  Today, I run to the cross in humility, broken, ready to be put back together in His Timing. 

Join me in prayer today. . .

 ⁹ “This, then, is how you should pray:

“‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
¹⁰ your kingdom come,
your will be done,
    on earth as it is in heaven.
¹¹ Give us today our daily bread.
¹² And forgive us our debts,
    as we also have forgiven our debtors.
¹³ And lead us not into temptation,^[a]
    but deliver us from the evil one.^[b]’  Matthew 6:9-13

⁸ “For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
    neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the Lord.
⁹ “As the heavens are higher than the earth,
    so are my ways higher than your ways
    and my thoughts than your thoughts.
¹⁰ As the rain and the snow
    come down from heaven,
and do not return to it
    without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,
    so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,
¹¹ so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
    It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
    and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.  Isaiah 55:8-11

Live life. . .One Day at a time! 

Sheree Craig