Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | March 25, 2025

Enduring Grief – When Suffering Is Hard

Grief is such a mean emotion.  It is the constant reminder that the joy that what was once experienced is gone.  It is the reminder that you will never hug a loved one this side of heaven, hear their laugh, or see their smile.  It is the reminder that things will never be as they were.

Our community has once again come together with grieving hearts.  Some of us are angry, some stoic, so many of us just weary of life, so many questions with no answers.  “Trust in the Lord, He has a plan,” they say.  “His ways are not our ways,” they quote. “ When you can’t trace His hand, trust His heart,” gets posted on social media.

Are these sayings true?  Yes, God does have a plan and many times He does not do things the way we would choose.  Many of us have learned that we can trust His heart even when we do not agree with His plan.    But all of these things can take time to digest, believe and sink into our souls when we are torn apart by tragedy.   These truths are not platitudes to be thrown around when you do not know what else to say.

What about the moments, hours, days, and weeks when your life can see nothing but grief and your heart can feel nothing but pain?  How do we get through this time and how do we walk with dear ones through this?  How do we allow others the space to grieve while trusting that God is big enough to handle their grief?

These are just a few thoughts that may help us become like the friends of Job, who “sat on the ground with him for seven days and nights. No one said a word to Job, for they saw that his suffering was too great for words.” Job 11:13(NLT)

  1.  Have no expectations.   Just as we are all unique, we all have unique ways of processing pain.  Give others the grace and space to grieve.
  2. Allow our friends to say things out of their pain that they may not really believe.  God is bigger-we are not correcting their theology, we are listening and praying.
  3. Over and over, the Bible tells us to mourn with those who mourn, weep with those who weep,to  just be, not say, not fix, just be.
  4. Lift those grieving up to the throne continually.  Maybe you wake up in the middle of the night to pray for them so they can have a respite from their pain while they sleep.
  5. Don’t watch them with eagle eyes.  Let them exist and have the understanding they are not the same person.  Grief changes each of us.

Above all, give grace, love well, and bring them to Jesus day and night.

“Lord, please carry us through the waves of grief and allow us to feel your arms holding us up.”

For His Glory

Terrie Tollerson
TRBC Women’s Ministry

 

 

 

 

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Posted in Encouragement, Faith, Hope

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | March 24, 2025

Old & Gray

pretty woman and senior mother at home

“I have become a marvel to many, for You are my strong refuge. My mouth is filled with Your praise And with Your glory all day long. Do not cast me away at the time of my old age; Do not abandon me when my strength fails.” Psalm 71:7-9

In 2009, Apple launched an iPhone campaign touting all the various applications available on their smartphone (hard to believe that smartphones have already been around that long). You probably recall the famous slogan: “There’s an app for that.” This is the exact reason I so love the Psalms. No matter what you’re experiencing in life, there’s a Psalm that meets you right where you are. Feeling alone and abandoned? Overwhelmed by your sin? Persecuted? In awe of God’s glorious creation? Wanting God to “get” your enemies? Overcome with thankfulness for your salvation and God’s incredible goodness?

There’s a Psalm for that.

As I found myself in Psalm 71 recently, it dawned on me that I’d never noticed its title before. In the NASB, it reads, “Prayer of an Old Man for Rescue”… in the ESV, “Forsake Me Not When My Strength is Spent.” As a 58-year-old woman, I had to chuckle at these titles. But it also made me read this beautiful Psalm with new eyes (well, new “old” eyes, so to speak). As we get older in our faith—and older in body and mind—it’s easy to think that our walk with the Lord will get smoother, and less tumultuous. Yeah, that doesn’t happen. In fact, with every step forward on our sanctification journey, from glory to glory (2 Cor 3:17-18), our sinning becomes more and more apparent to ourselves. And, hopefully, with this spiritual maturity, our rate-of-repentance quickens and the grace we find to extend toward others grows exponentially.

Although we don’t know who wrote this Psalm, it definitely has the same ups and downs as many of David’s songs. Here’s the basic, beautiful flow, along with its old-guy wrap-up:

  1. A cry to God for rescue and deliverance—to be a rock of refuge, with an immediate follow-up of “You ARE my rock!” (vs 1-3). Ah, a reminder that this plea is one we’ll utter all the days of this life.
  2. An appeal for protection against the wicked, unjust, and cruel (v 4). Jesus Himself promised us troubles (John 16:33).
  3. A proclamation of long-time and continual hope and trust in the Lord, and a recounting of a long life of reliance on and praise of God (vs 5-6).
  4. A recognition that the world—and those in it—marvel that he makes the Lord his refuge, praising Him all day long and through all the “even if” times (vs 7-8).
  5. A plea for God to not forsake him in his old age, when the body starts failing and enemies start plotting against him because they think God has abandoned him (9-12). He urgently shouts, “God, hurry to help me!” (We’ve all been here!)
  6. About his enemies, he says, “Go get ‘em God! May my enemies be disgraced!” (v 13) Gotta love the honesty of the Psalms, am I right?)
  7. “But as for me…” (vs 14-16) Here is where most Psalms turn, regardless of the specific theme/struggle: “But as for me, Lord, I will praise You and tell of Your righteousness and Your salvation.” Yes, friend! No matter what—when He gives and takes away—we bless His holy name. And we will declare His salvation even to our enemies (v 16).

For the rest of the Psalm, the writer leans into the old-and-gray points (vs 17-24): He begs God to not forsake him even when he’s getting up there in age. In fact, he begs God for more time to tell the younger generations about Him. (Ouch, is THIS our plea to the Lord as we wake up achy and don’t recognize that old person in the mirror?) He then again acknowledges the greatness of God and His righteousness. He accepts the “many troubles and calamities” the Lord has given him and seen him through…and that with the next one and the next one, God will carry him through and comfort him. His lips and soul will shout for joy with praise. Finally, he recognizes that his enemies will be dealt with by the Lord—so all he has to do is sing praises (and not worry about them).

Friend, as we age because we will, let’s take to heart this Psalmist’s perspective. Let’s continually praise the Lord and acknowledge His righteousness and the salvation we have in Him—despite our enemies’ efforts and regardless of life’s inevitable calamities. And let’s never tire of sharing the joy of salvation with those younger than us.

“Father God, thank You for the wisdom that comes with getting older. May I embrace all that comes with it and continually praise You in it all.”

 

For His Glory,

Julianne Winkler Smith
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Encouragement, Faith, Spiritual Living

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | March 21, 2025

Termite Damage

“For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.” Jude 1:4

Our last home, which was set among the rolling hills of Virginia, had a wonderful back deck that gave us a treehouse-like view. Despite the fact we were in a neighborhood, we could feel miles away from everything. I loved sitting on that deck. At sunrise, I could experience the burst of a new day. Midday brought soul-filling warmth on chilly mountain days. And when the sun was setting, the sky was painted with bold colors only God could produce.

In our time at that beautiful home, we knew there were some “soft boards” here and there on the deck—but we’d just step around them. It wasn’t until we were thinking about moving that we had a deck guy come and assess the situation. Although the decking all looked fine on the outside, many of the boards had been damaged on the inside by those pesky wood-consuming monsters: termites. (Thankfully, no active armies!)

Did you know that the New Testament talks a lot about termite damage? Not the kind made by the literal destructive insects, but rather that of a much more dangerous variety: false teachers in the Church (Matthew 7:15; Matthew 14:24; Romans 16:17-18; 2 Corinthians 11:13-15; 2 Peter 2:1-3; 2 Timothy 4:3-4). During Jesus’ earthly ministry, before the Church was even established, He warned His followers about those who would “come in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves.” Then, post-Pentecost, Peter started hammering similar cautions. Through Paul’s letters, we read how he tells churches around the region, “False teachers have infiltrated your churches—time for the exterminator!” (Well, he didn’t say that exactly, but that was his point.)

Jude pointedly writes that these apostates have “crept in unnoticed”—you know, like termites. Some of these false teachers were hissing the same lies as Satan did in the garden in order to twist the Truth (“Did God really say…”). Others were perverting God’s grace, saying people could follow their sensual desires as far as they wanted, because they were “covered.” Some even denied that Jesus is who He said He is. And the same thing is happening today.

No matter how these people slither in, and whatever lies are being spread, the results are always the same. Just like the weakened decking planks of my deck, the Church body is compromised. Sure, when viewed on the outside, everything looks fine and intact. But this inside-out damage is subtle, often going unnoticed until it’s too late. Sticking with the deck analogy…even the weakest, most termite-consumed boards are fine when birds land on them or a squirrel runs across the deck. But when the weighted pressure increases, everything could go crashing down. Likewise, when the church is weakened by false teachers and compromising teaching, it cannot endure worldly pressures.

So, friend, we must all be Biblical exterminators in the Church. We must know the Truth to recognize what is false. The external pressures from a godless world are mounting, so we’ve got to assess the internal strength to ensure it will stand firm. And we need to be able to spot the termites, whether they creep in as a Sunday school classmate or as a pastor.

 

“Lord, You warn us of counterfeits and compromise. May we stand firm on Your Word to withstand the enemy and his lies meant to take us down.”

For His Glory

Julianne Winkler Smith
TRBC Women’s Life

 

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Posted in Encouragement, Faith, Wisdom

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | March 20, 2025

What’s It Worth

“Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.” Romans 12:10 (NLT)

Do you have a favorite book? I have a book that I treasure—The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett. It isn’t worth much to a collector, but it holds great value for me. It was the first real story to draw me into its world, causing my imagination to expand and my love of reading to begin. I value this book, not for its worth to others but because of its worth to me, the owner.

As believers in Christ, we are called to take delight in honoring others, to hold others in high respect. How can we hold others in high respect when we don’t see much in them that is deserving of respect? How can we honor someone who seems particularly difficult to honor? Humans hold inherent worth, not because of their worth to us or anyone else, but because of their worth to God, their Creator.

“God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” Ephesians 2:8-10 (NLT)

People are worth the sacrifice of God’s only Son. We, who have been made new in Christ, are called His masterpieces. How humbling it is to think that God values us this way! We can truly enjoy honoring others when we see them, not in their broken state, but covered in the inherent worth God places on each one of us. God loves us extravagantly so let’s share that love with others.

So when we struggle to respect someone because of the way they act or talk, let’s view them as the subject of God’s love and inherent worth. Let’s see others through the eyes of God. We are His. We are valued beyond measure.

“Thank You, God, for the inherent worth You place on me through the sacrifice of Your Son. As I revel in the knowledge that I am Your masterpiece, may I see others as Your masterpiece.”

 

For His Glory

Tammy Randlett (http://staletoast.com)
TRBC Women’s Life

 

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Posted in Hope, Love, Spiritual Living

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | March 19, 2025

Get Real

“But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.”  Philippians 3:20

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how surreal everything around me seems.  You can listen to a news anchor screaming something about the “other side” (I remember when news anchors had no “sides” at all – but there’s no such thing as fact-reporting anymore, sigh).  But in reality, what they’re shouting is exactly what their side is blatantly doing!  And, like any good propaganda machine, if some lie or fabrication is repeated enough, it will become “true” and be believed by the masses. Then there’s the cultural redefinition of words to mean something completely different than they used (which is part of a bigger-picture plan too).  And there’s plenty of data on how social media algorithms are intentionally set to push a certain narrative.  Oh, and now bourgeoning Artificial Intelligence (AI) is ramping up the potential for fake news, fake quotes, fake audio, and fake imagery that seems totally authentic.  How do we know what’s really real?

Then there are the actual people walking around us.  The need to resemble Instagram filters is truly astounding Botox pushed to girls in their 20s, lip injections to the point of creating human Simpsons caricatures, stretched faces replicating eerie Joker-like grins. Name a body part, and there’s an implant for that…fake cheeks, fake lips, fake breasts, fake calves.  Of course, there’s the social media life – people presenting their life’s highlight reels, editing out 99.5% of actuality.  People are terrified to be real.

So, where do I land on all this pondering?  It would be so easy to do a deep dive into despair when looking around and listening to the cacophony of the culture.  But God.  See, as a believer, when I remember that this world is not my home (Philippians 3:20; John 17:14-15), the “reality” of the world comes clearly into view.  It is not reality at all, but a mere shadow of what is true.  All the things the world is chasing after (the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life – I John 2:15-17) are like vapor.  We all know this because achieving that “must have” is never, ever enough.  It just creates a need for more.  Whether it’s a political agenda or another facial injection.  It’s all fake and it’s all meaningless in the Big Realty of Truth.  And that’s just the way the enemy of our soul wants it.

Satan, the ruler of this world, hates you and me.  He only wants to kill, steal and destroy (John 10:10a).  He’s on the prowl, seeking to devour us (I Peter 5:8).  He is the father of lies – the inventor of fake news – and there is literally no truth in him (John 8:44).  So, the falseness, dishonesty and deception constitute his reality!  And without Holy Spirit clarity, it’s easy to believe what we see…and it’s easy to perceive the stench around us as a fragrant aroma.

Friend, we need to get real.  We need to focus our eyes on the reality of God’s Kingdom and His sovereignty.  There’s a battle raging in this shadowland, but the war has been won.  And if you’ve been born of God (surrendered to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior), you have overcome the world (I John 5:4-5).  You have the Holy Spirit living in you to give you the power to see through the fog.  But this supervision is only available if you keep your eyes off the stuff of this world, focusing on God’s Word and surrendering to His will.  When you do, an amazing thing happens.  You’ll recognize the lies and deceptions more clearly and more importantly; you’ll rest assured that this world is merely shadows.  It’s such a relief not to have to figure everything out or live up to the world’s unrealistic expectations.  Only things of God matter…and your desire and focus will shift to eternity – making an eternal impact.

So, get real!  And tell others how they can get real too.

“Lord, keep my eyes on You and the victorious work of Jesus, so I can live in the real world.”

For His Glory

Julianne Winkler Smith
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Faith, Spiritual Living, Wisdom

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | March 18, 2025

Rhoda’s Circle

“But Peter kept on knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished.” (Acts 12:16 NIV)

One of my favorite songs right now is “Somebody Prayed” by Crowder. It is so powerful and reminds us that our prayers are powerful and can change people, circumstances, and eternal homes!

While this song was written in the last couple of years,  we can go all the way back to scripture to see that prayer and its power are not anything new.

Acts 12 shares an amazing story of what happens when we pray. James, the brother of John, has just been martyred. The church is scared and realizes that they are not able to stand up against King Herod and the government. Peter gets arrested and they cannot help but assume his death will be imminent. They gather together at Mary’s (the mother of Mark) house and begin to pray.

Dr. Luke tells us an amazing story of how, during the exact moments the church was praying, God sent angels to release Peter from prison and directed Peter to the house where the church was praying. Peter knocks on the door and a servant girl named Rhoda answers. She was so overjoyed when Peter arrived at the prayer house that she actually left Peter outside, knocking on the door, while she ran to tell the others that God had answered their prayers! Then, when she told those who were praying, they did not believe her! They argued with her and said that it must be an angel of Peter!

After a few minutes they  came back to the door and saw it really was Peter and Peter was able to share his miraculous story of escape!

What an amazing reminder to us this story is. God listens to us when we pray, but we need to pray expecting Him to answer. So many times we find ourselves talking to God but forgetting to look for His answers.

Rhoda, the servant girl, was the only one who was certain that God had answered and was excited about it. A gentle reminder to us that others are watching how we walk and talk with Jesus!

“Somebody Prayed” ends with these lyrics:

“That’s why when mountains move, I say, “Looks like somebody prayed.”

As we spend time talking with the Almighty each day, may we pray with expectancy and excitement.

“Lord, please help us to spend time talking with you each day and expect You to answer.”

For His Glory

Terrie Tollerson
TRBC Women’s Life

Crowder – Somebody Prayed Lyrics | AZLyrics.com

 

 

 

 

 

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Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | March 17, 2025

When, Not If

“When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?” Psalm 56:3-4

Life is hard. And that’s an understatement. Our current crisis or challenge could be with regard to a relationship (family or otherwise), illness (ours or a loved one), loss (human, financial, physical), work (excessive or lack thereof)…the list could go on. And if you are a news or media junkie, there’s enough information being spewed from a talking head in just 15 minutes on any given day to elevate our anxiety level to 11. But whatever it is, fear can wrap itself around us like a heavy blanket.

Thank God for His precious Word! And for the man after His own heart, David, who in his Psalms covers pretty much every emotional upheaval we can imagine. (And plenty we can’t.) No matter how we’re feeling—from questioning God to wishing terrible things on our enemies to experiencing the pure awe of the starry sky—David wrote about it. But the thing I love most about David’s prose is that he always points himself—and us—back to the sovereignty, glory, majesty, and providence of God. This is especially true when he is feeling fearful. And the dude had a lot to fear throughout his life.

As I was reading a few Psalms the other morning (something I recommend we all do daily), it was Psalm 56 that struck me afresh with its reminder to not be afraid. Now, you may have heard that the Bible has a lot of “fear not” messages for us throughout both the Old and New Testament—enough for every day. This is true, and it’s worth a personal study for sure. But here, as David has been running from his enemies and has now been caught, his approach to “fear not” has a different twist that’s worth pointing out. See, it’s easy to get caught up in the directives to not be afraid, while feeling the feels of, “But I AM afraid!” This is where David rocks.

In this Psalm he states clearly: “When I am afraid.” This is followed immediately with, “I will trust in You—in God, whose word I praise.” So, there is his definitive: WHEN I am afraid—not if. And then, another immediate follow-through, which basically says, “Because I DO IN FACT trust God, I WILL NOT be afraid.” In other words, “I will be afraid, so I won’t be afraid.” After all, David reminds himself and us, what can a mere person do to him? The irony is that he straightaway lists what man can do: distort his words, think evil against him, attack, lurk, wait to kill him. Again, he answers his own mental rabbit hole with the fact that the Lord sees and knows him, and his tears are kept in a bottle by God.

The biggest factor that calms one’s mind and soul, though, answers the whole “how” question of not fearing when afraid. In verse 13, David confidently declares, “For you have saved my soul from death, yes, my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of life.” Because we are saved (rescued, redeemed) from death by God through Jesus and transferred into the kingdom of His beloved Son, we can walk in the knowledge of who we belong to—and where we’re on our way to.

And with that knowledge, friend, when we fear, let’s remember God, trust in Him and His Word…and fear not.

“Father God, when I am afraid, I will trust in You—and not be afraid. You have saved me. And I will keep my mind focused on You, and You will keep me at peace.”

For His Glory

Julianne Winkler Smith
TRBC Women’s Life

 

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Posted in Encouragement, Faith, Hope

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | March 14, 2025

What’s New?

“Therefore if anyone is in Christ, this person is a new creation; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.” 2 Corinthians 5:17

The word “new” can be used in a lot of ways. I’m a huge fan of recycled clothes, hitting thrift stores and consignment shops regularly. When I make awesome finds (which I do too often), I have “new” pieces in my wardrobe. This clothing had been purchased and worn by others, but it’s new to me. Maybe you’ve bought a “new car” that was preowned by one or more people—but it’s your new mode of transportation. There are “new-new” cars too, of course, fresh off the factory floor and complete with that new car smell. For all of these things, we have one word in the English language: new.

Other languages have lots of words to a single English word that helps distinguish meanings and differentiate subtleties. New Testament Greek is a wonderful example of this. We see it with the word “love” parsed out into: eros (passion), philia (friendship), storge (family), and agape (unconditional). Also in the New Testament, we find a word for “new” that is completely different. In fact, it means “completely different in quality or kind.” The Greek word “kainos” is used in some form 44 times to describe “new” throughout the New Testament. One of my very favorite verses—2 Corinthians 5:17—uses this word not once, but twice. And the implications are pretty awesome.

First, the definition of this word for new: unprecedented, novel, unheard of; previously non-existent; far different from what they were before; completely new in form or quality.

Upon salvation—our recognition that we’re sinners and our total surrender to Jesus as Lord—we are transformed. Completely. Not reformed, rehabilitated, or reeducated. We’re resuscitated—we were dead and now we’re alive. We don’t turn over a new leaf, we receive new life in Christ. The “old has passed away”—gone.

Secondly, “new things have come”! What are these new things, exactly, that come to everyone who is transformed by the saving grace of Jesus? Theologian James Butler succinctly delineates three specific new things that occur:

  1. A change in devotion and interests—a saved person will be devoted to Christ and have interests in spiritual things (like a desire for God’s Word).
  2. A change in demeanor and behavior. Reconciliation with God changes everything—our thinking, our words, and our action.
  3. A change in destiny. This is the greatest and most important change. The eternal destiny of the reconciled soul is heaven. The unreconciled soul is headed for eternity in hell.

For three decades, I attempted to make my life “new”—year by year, week by week, day by day. I tried my hardest. I even bargained with God regarding my good/bad list…promising to “do better” next time. But, friend, this effort is impossible on our own—it’s a losing battle because every one of us is wholly unrighteous, fallen. But we can be transformed and made new! And the only “effort” involved is accepting the free gift of God’s grace, salvation through Jesus. When I finally recognized this, everything did indeed change. I was made a new creation, with new devotion, demeanor, and destiny. I finally had peace with God—no more battling against Him. Completely new in form and quality. Not perfect, mind you, but continually growing and maturing in my walk of obedience and holiness.

What about you? Are you done trying to “renew” your life on your own terms and by your own efforts? You can be made new—a new creation in Christ—right now. Just believe that Jesus paid the price for your sin, exchanging His righteousness for your sin, freeing you from the penalty of death and hell. You can stop fighting now, the battle’s been won.

“Lord, if there is just one person reading this who is tired of the struggle to “renew” their life, let them turn to You for rebirth…to be recreated as something entirely new and beautiful.”

 

For His Glory

 

Julianne Winkler Smith
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Faith, Hope, Mercy

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | March 13, 2025

Achieving A Healthy Lifestyle

“Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who eat the royal food, and treat your servants in accordance with what you see.” Daniel 12:13 (NIV)

There is no single recipe for a healthy diet and lifestyle. If you want to see the latest trends just go to YouTube, Pinterest, or Google. Some drink energy shakes, while others prefer to “juice” it. Some run races and participate in triathlons, while others prefer a calm, peaceful walk. If someone wishes to stay healthy and strong, there is no room for being a couch potato, taking diet pills or pigging out at a buffet. Having a healthy lifestyle can be simple, but it takes diligence, and when training for a marathon or working with a personal trainer, one must follow directions “to the dot.”

Daniel and his friends were a good example of diligence and obedience. They deliberately ate healthy foods and abstained from eating things that would not treat their bodies right. Daniel and his friends’ purpose was to consecrate their bodies to the Lord while living in a foreign environment where other gods were worshipped. Their healthy diet coupled with prayer and worship to the Lord did wonders for their bodies.

Our spiritual diet should be consistent like our physical one. The more healthy food we feed to our heart, mind and soul, the stronger we will be spiritually. And the stronger we are spiritually, the less likely we will succumb to the diseases of the soul, i.e. sinful thoughts and actions that separate us from the heart of God. We must make a conscious decision to read our Bible, pray to the Lord and worship Him on a regular basis. Yes, it does take diligence and effort on our part, but how much more will we be able to accomplish for the Lord when we are properly nourished in His Word?

“Dear Lord, thank You for Your Word that feeds us and strengthens us.”

For His Glory

Luska Natali
TRBC Women’s Life

 

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Posted in Encouragement, Faith, Hope, Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Living

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | March 12, 2025

Homecoming

“So he got up and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion for him, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.” Luke 15:20

I’ve always loved hearing people’s stories. How they grew up, the choices—wise and foolish—they’ve made through their lives, their struggles, their triumphs. We’ve all been on a tumultuous journey to get to where we are…and it’s always breathtaking to travel someone’s path with them through their story. One of my lifelong favorite quotes is by Longfellow: “If we could read the secret history of our enemies, we should find in each man’s life sorrow and suffering enough to disarm all hostility.”

When I became a Christian as a 30-year-old, I discovered another kind of story that every believer can share—the moment (or slow unveiling) when they realized they were far from God and needed to turn back to Him…the point at which the decision is made to give up the sinful pursuits of this world and give it all to Jesus (who gave it all for us, exchanging our sin for His righteousness). The “churchy” term for this is “testimony”—and every single Christian has one. And it’s always breathtaking.

It’s funny to me, though, because I’ve met lots of Christ-followers through the years who say, “Well, my testimony is so boring.” This typically comes after someone shares a radical transformation, say from drug addiction or a life of sexual sin to the amazing grace and freedom found in Jesus. And these types of dramatic stories are awe-inspiring! But, friend, there is no such thing as a “boring” story of salvation.

Let’s look at the very familiar parable of the prodigal son. A young man who has been safe and provided for in his father’s house decides to go out on his own, chasing after the things of this world. Once he is totally spent (financially, emotionally, spiritually), he turns back home. Before he even arrives, his waiting father runs to him, welcoming him home with celebration (Luke 15:11-32).

Prior to surrendering to Jesus, every one of us has that turning-back moment (to be “churchy” again, we call that “repentance”). And it is profound—and radical—for everyone! Why? Because a transformational phenomenon has taken place! When we choose to reconcile with God through Jesus, we immediately and miraculously move from the darkness into the light, from slavery to sin to freedom in Christ.

Maybe you never left the proverbial front porch of your father’s house, e.g., you grew up in a Christian home and were saved at VBS when you were five. Perhaps you were one who wandered out into the yard, but before you stepped into the street you realized going further wouldn’t be smart—so you went home. You may have roamed into town, experiencing lots of the world (say, through high school and college-age years) when your eyes opened to the eternal dangers. Or, like me, you may have found yourself wallowing with the pigs before you thought, “This my-way life has got to change.”

Friend, whatever your story—whenever and however you came to accept the free gift of saving grace—it is profound and radical! It is a miracle because you were once lost, and now you’re found! You are a miracle.

Now, go tell someone.

“Lord, I was blind and lost—but You came to rescue me. Thank You for the miracle of salvation. May I be bold and unashamed to share this story of amazing grace with others.”

 

For His Glory

 

Julianne Winkler Smith
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Encouragement, Faith, Love, Mercy

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