Finding Faith in the Mess
How I broke free from the American Church and found my faith. themessymingling.com I never realized how much the Church had a hold on my faith. Not a particular church. Just the church in general. The ways, the rules, the traditions all seemed to lead …
I walked upstairs and started picking up. I walked into the game room and noticed the Little People nativity. This is one of my favorite Christmas items. We have had it since my twelve year old was a toddler. The boys flock to it every …
Our souls?
Or are we watering down our faith?
There’s a lot of talk about “threshing wheat” in the Old Testament. The act of threshing wheat was to remove the grain from the stalk: separate the valuable part from the worthless. I feel this happening on multiple levels in all our lives right now. There is a sifting. Even the Church.
Threshing wheat was not easy. Removing the edible part of the wheat from the non-edible piece is laborious. Threshing is often used symbolically as a symbol of God’s judgment: an opportunity to see who truly believes God’s Word and who doesn’t.
themessymingling.com
I am learning that we have stopped watering our souls and started watering down Christianity. It didn’t happen all at once. But, little by little, we have watered down the authority, power, and grace of the Word of God. It happened so gradually, we didn’t even realize it was happening. We’ve moved farther from the Truth and closer to comfort.
We are watering the wrong thing. And God is putting us through the threshing process to rid us of the useless pieces we have gathered.
We have an opportunity right now, an opportunity like never before, to take back our souls from the Deceiver, and fill them with the valuable wheat of Scripture. It is time we let go of our Christian comforts and press into the grace that Jesus provides. It is only in this space that we truly find comfort, peace, and rest.
Threshing is happening right now whether you see it or not. God is sifting the Church in a mighty way. What will remain? The valuable. The remains will lead us to Jesus. And if they don’t, they will land on the floor discarded.
themessymingling.com
Let’s stop watering our comforts and start watering our souls.
“Behold, I have made you a new, sharp threshing sledge with double edges;
You will thresh the mountains and pulverize them,
And will make the hills like chaff.” Isaiah 41:15
I’ve felt a shift. Have you? We are looking here, there, and everywhere to find our identity. We are grasping at many things to align ourselves with. Gender, sexual preference, political party, likes, dislikes, alumni, nationality, racial profile, what we stand for, what we hate. …
Hearts exposed Narrative Idols For the past few months, I’ve woken up, looked outside, and wondered what the day would bring. I start out hopeful; full of sunshine. By the end of the day, I would find myself exhausted. You, too? I started taking account …
la·ment/ləˈment/Learn to pronouncenoun
In the Book of Psalms, David laments. He goes on and on and on about his strife and troubles. Yet, God calls David, a man after His own heart. There’s something humble in expressing our grief allowing our heart to be exposed. Sometimes, our hearts need to lament. It needs to exhale and expose all the hurt, pain, and frustration while being at peace with knowing the sovereignty of God.
The other day, I was on my Peloton taking a Disney music ride. (Stick with me) The song, Part of Your World, came on and I found it ironic. So much of what Ariel was singing, I was feeling. So, here is a little lamenting of my heart Little Mermaid style.
Look at this stuff
Isn’t it neat?
Wouldn’t you think my collection’s complete?
Wouldn’t you think I’m the girl
The girl who has ev’rything?
I’m tired of staring at all my stuff; all the same stuff. I’ve purged and cleaned and organized all the stuff. I can’t organize anymore. I want to see something other then these four walls. I know I am blessed. I am grateful for the gift of this home. But, I know this isn’t all You have for me.
I want to be where the people are
I want to see
want to see ’em dancin’
Walkin’ around on those
(Whad’ya call ’em?) oh – feet
I want to get back to seeing my people. I want to see their faces and their smiles without a mask. I want to be in public with people moving about normally and not scoping each other out wondering what each other is thinking. I want to walk around with other people not worried about whose going to infect who or who is judging who for who knows what. I want to be where the people are; where we dance and walk freely without a care in the world.
Up where they walk
Up where they run
Up where they stay all day in the sun
Wanderin’ free
Wish I could be
Part of that world
I want to walk and run free not worrying about hate and fear. I want to feel the warmth of the sun on my face in a public space letting the beauty of life being lived in front of me. Wish I could be part of that world that used to be free.
What would I give
If I could live
Outta these waters?
What would I pay
To spend a day
Warm on the sand?
Betcha on land
They understand
Bet they don’t reprimand their daughters
Bright young women
Sick o’ swimmin’
Ready to stand
I want to wake up in the morning and not feel like we are instantly treading water. I want us to stop reprimanding each other and start listening to each other. I want more empathy, love, and grace. Mercy. Justice. Humility. From everyone.
And ready to know what the people know
Ask ’em my questions
And get some answers
What’s a fire and why does it
(What’s the word?) burn?
I am ready. Ready to listen. Ready to learn. Ready to hear. Ready to change. Ready to burn with discomfort. Are you ready to give me grace while I work through the mess. Are you willing to love me anyway?
When’s it my turn?
Wouldn’t I love
Love to explore that shore above?
Out of the sea
Wish I could be
Part of that world
I’m ready for my turn: my turn at peace. My turn at love. My turn at seeing Your Kingdom come and Your will be done.
“This, then, is how you should pray:
“‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’ Matthew 6:9-13
I had good intentions with my quiet time. I sat down, lit my candle, got my pen and journal ready (I forgot to tell you that journaling during quiet time was an absolute must), and opened my Bible. I prayed. And then my brain started wandering.
You lied to me. You told me that my fears kept me safe. Being afraid was what brought me success in my situation. You led me to believe that illogical worries kept me from harm.
Fear does not equal safety.
Anxiety does not lead to success.
Worry does not keep me from harm.
365. There are 365 verses in the Bible that address fear. One for each day. I’m fairly certain God knew we’d need His words this way. Yet, we continue to allow fear and anxiety to reign.
My anxiety amps up come springtime in Texas. I love a good thunderstorm. Add a tornado warning, however, and I lose my mind. This spring, however, I was calm as a cucumber. I even drove around town while tornadoes swirled to the north and south. This had nothing to do with me. It had everything to do with finally trusting Him.
I’ve learned through the years of living here, that storms aren’t to be feared. They are to be respected. For so long, my mind believed that my anxiety saved me from tornado annihilation.
Become anxious the moment the warning comes out.
Live in that fear until the storm blows through.
Breath a sigh of relief when we are all still standing after.
Repeat.
It’s funny what our minds will believe. It’s crazy how easily our thoughts become our truths. We know that our anxieties are false narratives, but we still believe them.
Not anymore.
There is nothing in God’s Word that tells me if I’m anxious, life will turn out okay. It’s quite the opposite, actually. The Bible tells me to be anxious about nothing; to pray instead.
I will take my 365 verses about fear and slay my anxiety with them. I will no longer believe the story that anxiety equals success. It is not my fears that bring me to serenity. It is my peace in knowing my Savior; in knowing that no matter the answer to the “what if” scenario, I will always be okay.
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9
Love & Blessings,
Meg
Do you ever get in your own way? I do. Doubts. Fears. Insecurities. Listening to the wrong voices. Listening to my own voice. I get in my way and it is time I step aside.
