On a Sabbath Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues, and a woman was there who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all.  When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, “Woman, you are set free from your infirmity.” Then he put his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God.

Luke 13: 10-13

Life is hard. Period. There are periods of ease, but the majority of life is just. Plain. Hard. Yeah, yeah, I know…you thought this was a blog to encourage you right? Well, it is, but let’s be honest.  I’m not going to wear my halo and put on my Christianese and claim all things bright and perfect over here in Jesus land! Not only would that be a lie, but also a great disservice to the very real and miraculous workings of Jesus in our hard lives.

Jesus steps into our sufferings. He is not afraid of the hard stuff we face. He is not afraid to love hard on those who may be ugly, disorganized…human! He sees the infirmities, failures, and hardships and longs to touch and heal us. He is in the midst of us.

When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, “Woman, you are set free from your infirmity.” Then he put his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God. Luke 13: 12-13

Teaching in the synagogue, Jesus saw this crippled women. His love and compassion for her interrupted the business of the day, and he called her forth. Bent over, she hobbled forward from the far back where women would have been relegated. All eyes watching, possibly judging, she came forward. Having only seen the ground, the dirt, and filth of daily life, she must have been desperate for healing. Jesus reached out to her and touched her. His touch set her free.

After having been bowed low for so long, the first face this woman saw was Jesus Christ! What an indescribable gift for the suffering! To be seen, touched, and healed…

As we read in verse 16, Satan had kept this woman bound for eighteen years. Such a very long time. How many times must she have wondered if God saw her or loved her or heard her?  And still she showed up to church! The bound woman knew where to go for healing.

What excuses do we have for missing church or getting in the Word or not getting involved? Have we justified these things because we’ve been hurt or wounded by others who should know better? Lay it down, my friend…walk in forgiveness.

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. John 13: 34

Jesus sets us free. Freedom to love, to worship, to follow, to lay our lives down for others. We are not granted freedom to indulge again in the vast pool of sin and self. Our freedom should always reflect our liberator, Jesus Christ.

For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love. Galatians 5:13

This bound woman knew where to go for healing. Do we know where to go for our healing? Do we risk ridicule, judgment, and scorn to be with the One who bore our sin and shame? Do we come forward before the business of our day and surrender our lives to Him? Do we allow Him to interrupt us?

May we, like this woman, straighten up, and look into the face of Christ and praise God!

Why is it that we dismiss the small things of life sometimes? I almost missed this one…this small request by my tiny daughter…

After having spent the night at Grammy and Papa’s, as I was driving home with Emeria and Austin, Emeria couldn’t stop talking about all the fun things they had done with their grandparents.  At the top of the list were the homemade juice pops that she and Grammy made.  “And Mommy, we put the juice in the holder and Grammy put it in the freezer and then I had to wait a LONG time.  But then, Mommy, the popsicles were frozen! They were so yummy, Mommy. Can we buy those popsicle makers?”

Such a cute conversation, right? Such an easy question, right? Who wouldn’t just run down to Walmart and buy the Popsicle molds for their sweet little girl? This mom right here.  I couldn’t.  Unless Walmart had changed their exchange policy and traded goods for looks or jokes, any purchase was out of the question.

Times were hard. Seemingly impossible really. As a tired, spent, mom, this simple request broke my heart.  How could I say no?

“Well, Emeria, let’s ask Jesus for the popsicle makers.”  I said this, really…honestly, just to get her to stop talking…so I wouldn’t feel so guilty.  Perhaps even to pass responsibility to Jesus.  It was a low point for me.

As usual, Emeria prayed, without hesitation, with her innocent faith totally believing that the Lord of heaven would somehow deliver her special popsicle makers.

Life goes on.  Cooking, changing diapers, doing laundry…distractions come. Needs are met.  Motions are made.  When life is hard, we can lose hope.  I can so often look to my circumstances to define how God loves me.  If life is easy, He must love me a lot today. But my life wasn’t easy, so maybe He didn’t love me much today…

Do you ever feel like that? That the Lord who is supposed to love you isn’t doing a very good job? That perhaps He sees the needs of others, but not yours?  That your cries are just bouncing off an empty sky returning to mock you?

Oh sweet friend, I have been there, but please listen…He sees YOU.  He hears YOU. He LOVES YOU!

Our faith is precious to him. Jesus will go to great lengths to grow our faith.  Faith is so important to Him.  Taking Him at His word, believing in Him. It is often in the small things, where great faith is grown. Like in a little girl’s desire for popsicles.

These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world. 1 Peter 1:7

A few days after Emeria asked Jesus to get her the molds, we went to our weekly Bible study.  To be honest, neither of us had talked about the molds and I had forgotten about them.  Catch this! Just because we forget, doesn’t mean that He does. Increasing our faith, He is always at work.

But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. – Luke 22:32

“Hey Melissa,” said my beautiful, Holy Spirit led friend Linda.

“I was cleaning out my cupboards this weekend and I found two sets of these popsicle molds and I feel like the Lord wants you to have them,” she claimed as she handed me a bag full of pieces and parts of popsicle molds.

I sat on the couch with my mouth hanging open, stunned.

The Lord saw me. The Lord heard my sweet daughter’s prayer offered in faith with confidence that He would answer her. The Lord showed His love to us both through the willing obedience of a faithful friend.

Oh Lord, I needed this! More than I ever realized, did I need this miracle to penetrate the increasing hopelessness that a hard life can sometimes produce. Jesus knew that it was always about more than juice pops. That is was always about increasing my faith and the faith of my family.

Be on the lookout for chances for your faith to increase. Never dismiss even the smallest opportunities for Jesus to grow your faith. Expect it! Expect to meet Him today in the ordinary and see where He takes you.

“Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.” John 17:25-26

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,  not a result of works, so that no one may boast.  For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2: 8-10

I hate math! I have always been better with words.  Since I began homeschooling my children, I have a better respect for math and its usefulness, but it is definitely not my strength.

Statistics, which I never took in school, try to boss me around.  According to statistics, I should be this or that based upon the circumstances of my upbringing. Children with blabbity blah(insert one or all of the following: alcoholism, drug use, single parent, abuse, broken home,  fighting, anger, bitterness, etc.) will become what they were exposed to.  Yet, somehow this is not true of me.

Is this because I am so amazing and have superior coping skills?  Am I so smart as to outwit the peer pressure of my day?  I can assure you that neither of these are true.  I failed, fumbled, and foiled my way through life.  I often made situations worse by offering my two cents.  I ended relationships with my walls of silence. I could easily throw people away, because I didn’t value them.

I didn’t value myself.

But here’s the thing. I am valued. You are valued. Not by what we do or say…but by our Creator.

I didn’t become a statistic, because God kept me. He sustained, guarded, and protected me.  He surrounded me with his love through people who loved him and in turn loved me.  He spoke truth into my life of lies and confusion.  He broke through my walls and showed me I was worth fighting for.

This in turn, shows me that others are worth risking it all to love.  Being vulnerable and transparent shows others how Christ healed the dark secret places of my heart. This brings him glory and does others good.

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2: 8-10

Will you take the risk of putting yourself out there?  Will you allow the Lord to show you how much you are worth?

He created you to be his amazing you! God has plans for you. Plans He established before you were born. You were born into and with a purpose!

Don’t let statistics, your past, or fears boss you around or keep you from all that Jesus has planned for you. For His glory, your good, and the good of others, dare to believe the truth about you!