by MeredithNMills | Sep 23, 2016 | Family, Identity in Christ, knowing God, Uncategorized, Victorious Living, Walking by Faith
by Meredith Mills @DazzledByTheSon
Don’t you just love rainy days?
rainy days
There’s nothing quite like curling up with a good book and a cup of tea on a dark and rainy day. So cozy and comfortable. Ahh…I love rainy days.
Unless I have to run errands. With three kids in tow. Of those rainy days, I am not a fan.
Yesterday, I had a list of several places to go in a short window of time. I was a bit uptight and stressed. So when it started raining on the way to Walmart, my heart sank. And of course, there are never close parking spaces on rainy days. Seriously, they should have designated parking places for moms with more than one tagalong.
We grabbed our single umbrella and climbed out of the car. Gathering my little people close, we walked toward the store.
“Do you need an umbrella?” I turned toward the voice to see an older woman standing beside the open door of her car. She had a pleasant expression on her face as she offered us a bright yellow umbrella.
“Oh, I think we’re fine,” I replied.
“Are you sure? I have a sort-of ‘umbrella ministry,’” she said with a smile.
rainy days
I returned the smile, not quite sure what to say. I’d never heard of an “umbrella ministry” before. While I hesitated, she walked over and handed us her yellow umbrella, then returned to her car. “God bless you,” she said warmly.
We thanked her, opened the umbrella and again walked toward the entrance.
This unusual encounter made quite an impression on my heart. Such a small act of kindness, yet so very thoughtful.
I bet the “umbrella ministry” is not included on a list of outreaches on any local church bulletins. She probably doesn’t consider herself to be a missionary. I wonder how many people even know of her ministry?
And yet this generous woman is a vital member of the Body of Christ, lovingly meeting needs in creative ways as God leads. She was a beautiful reminder to me of how “outside my box” God is.
He has important work to do through each of His own in advancing His kingdom. We’ve all been given various gifts and callings, as well as different opportunities in differing seasons. Sometimes our “ministry” will look just like what we’ve imagined. Other times it may seem small or insignificant.
But whatever we do in the name of Jesus is beautiful and meaningful and precious to God. As we walk close to Him, humbly following His lead, He lives out His heart through us.
How about you? Do you ever wonder if your life makes a difference, if God could possibly be pleased with how “daily” your life is?
Be faithful, my friend. Walk with Him. Listen to His voice. Do whatever He leads you to do – whether it seems significant or not.
in Jesus’ name
Has anyone ever ministered to you in an unexpected way? I’d love to hear!
Related Posts:
Redefining Success, Pt 1
Redefining Success, Pt 2
When I’m not Enough
by MeredithNMills | Sep 2, 2016 | Hope in the Midst of Heartache, knowing God, Uncategorized, Victorious Living, Waiting, Walking by Faith
Did we take a wrong turn somewhere, God?
Did we take a wrong turn?
This path we’re on is bumpier than I expected. I’m not seeing many “green pastures” or much “still water.” It’s certainly not glamorous.
I was kind of hoping for something more exciting, less mundane. I know You lead down “paths of righteousness,” but isn’t there a less exhausting one?
That path over there…the pleasant-looking, grass-is-greener one? I think I’d like that one better. It looks easier, more productive, more… well, fun.
Can’t we give that one a try?
Do you ever have such conversations with God?
Ever feel frustrated, discontent, even disillusioned with the path on which God has you? Ever compare your life with others and wish your days looked more like theirs? Or maybe memories of past seasons or dormant dreams make you long for something…different.
Life has a way of not turning out the way we envisioned, no matter how good we have it.
Sometimes I whine and complain, as evidenced by the above conversation (“inspired” by this past month).
I’m so thankful that God isn’t impatient, that He continues loving and leading me, no matter how I grumble along the way. Sometimes I’m in awe of how gracious and “longsuffering” He is.
In my grumbling seasons, God faithfully reminds me that He Himself is the only Source of true joy and satisfaction. “The Lord will guide you always; He will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail” (Is 58:11). “Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days” (Ps 90:14).
Did we take a wrong turn?
He never promised that life would be easy. On the contrary, He said, “If any of you wants to be My follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and follow Me” (Lk 9:23).
Some days are crazy hard, but “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Phil 4:13).
By faith, I trust that He has “given us everything we need for a godly life through the knowledge of Him…” (2 Pet 1:3).
When I grow weary, I remember that “at the proper time, we will reap a harvest if we do not give up” (Gal 6:9).
Sometimes He leads through the valley of the shadow of death, yet He is always with us (even when we don’t feel Him). He knows when we become “weary and burdened,” so He invites to come find rest in Him beside quiet waters (Ps 23, Matt 11:28-30).
He Himself is each need’s satisfaction and every heart’s greatest pleasure.
Did we take a wrong turn?
Are you on a difficult path? Have you been grumbling about your circumstances? How does Jesus satisfy you when life is hard? I’d love to hear – please join the conversation!
Related Posts:
When Life Blindsides You
A Good Good Father
by MeredithNMills | Jul 29, 2016 | Family, Identity in Christ, knowing God, Uncategorized, Victorious Living, Walking by Faith
By Meredith Mills
@DazzledByTheSon
“You can’t deny that one’s yours!”
Mini-me
That was the comment we heard as my husband carried our littlest into the church where he would be speaking later that morning. It’s true – she definitely bears his image. In fact, I’ve been told she’s the female version of him as a child. There’s something really special about seeing ourselves in our children.
It’s pretty amazing, this image-bearing business.
Even more amazing is the fact that we bear our Heavenly Father’s image.
In the beginning, God set out to make humanity as a reflection of Himself. He wanted creation’s climax to resemble Him. And they did.
But then sin entered the picture. The pinnacle of creation, the creatures after His likeness, the first man and woman chose the one thing God had forbidden. And God’s image in mankind was distorted.
God’s image was distorted.
Instead of reflecting His purity, they were infected with the nature of sin. This new nature would be passed on to every human ever born (with the exception of the God-man, Jesus).
Instead of reflecting God’s eternal nature, their spirits died instantly and their bodies began the fatal process of aging.
Instead of reflecting God’s sacrificial heart of love, they became self-protective and accusatory, pointing fingers to conceal their guilt.
Instead of uninhibited friendship with God and each other, they felt the pangs of shame, so they covered up and hid from God.
At that decisive moment, everything changed.
Well, not everything.
The relentless, unfailing love of God stayed the same. And His sovereign plan still reigned supreme.
For you see, all was not lost. His image was defiled, but it was not destroyed. Repeatedly in the Old Testament, God reminds us that humanity still bears His image. In fact, that’s the basis for how we’re to treat one another – we all carry His likeness, so we’re to honor each other as fellow-image bearers.
Yet His image was marred, so He would fix that. He would not leave us this way.
In the greatest recovery mission of all time, the Son of God stepped into our world – in human flesh, yet exactly representing the Father. He lived and died and rose again – all to redeem a people made in His image. All to restore His true likeness in mankind.
That’s us, fellow Jesus lover! We’ve been made in His image at conception, reborn with a new nature at salvation, and are being transformed into a true picture of our God!
He can be seen in us in so many ways…
- When we love that difficult person, we look like our forgiving Father.
- When we endure the hardships of this life, we model our Suffering Savior.
- When we enjoy the good things He’s given, we show the world a Daddy who delights in His children and loves giving good gifts.
- When we engage in our professions, we reflect various aspects of His character. He’s our Parent, Teacher, Healer, Counselor, Helper, Leader, Judge, Creator, Designer… Whatever we do on a daily basis, God’s image can be seen in us.
That gives so much meaning and purpose to my daily life. Wiping noses, cooking meals, teaching children, cleaning up messes, putting thoughts on paper, building relationships – it all can be a picture of God. It’s an overflow of His image in me.
Every person looks like God to some degree or another. But those redeemed through faith in Christ – we can become more like Him each day as we participate in His Spirit’s work in our lives.
I don’t know what a heavenly reception looks like, but how awesome would it be to wake up in the arms of our Daddy and hear whispers going through the crowd – “We can’t deny that one’s His! She looks so much like Him!”
Oh, how I want to look like my Daddy! How about you?
Transformed into His image
How do you reflect God’s image in your daily life? In what ways have you seen Him transform you? I’d love hear!
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It Wasn’t Supposed to Be This Way
We’re Free!
Welcomed Home
by MeredithNMills | Jul 8, 2016 | Identity in Christ, Uncategorized, Victorious Living, Walking by Faith
by Meredith Mills @DazzledByTheSon
It never ceases to move me – sometimes even to tears.
Standing for our national anthem
When I hear the familiar melody and well-known words, something deep within compels me to stand and place my right hand over my heart.
My eyes scan the surroundings for the colors that symbolize my freedom, then fix reverently on our nation’s flag.
Let freedom ring – from purple mountains to grain-laden prairies, from sea to shining sea. All across this land, liberty is cherished in the hearts of the American people. We sing of it, we exercise it, some even fight and die for it.
Because deep within, the human heart longs to be free.
But there is a freedom that goes deeper than national policies and the right to representation, a liberty of the soul that no tyranny can shackle. This freedom is the birthright of every child of God.
Like the Israelites who left Egypt’s bondage on the far side of the Nile, we Christians have been ransomed and given freedom through Christ’s sacrifice.
The chains of sin are broken!
Those sins that once controlled us – all our self-serving, self-seeking, self-indulging ways – they no longer have power over us. The Holy One became sin for us, and paid the price for our liberty.
And that Law that stood as both taskmaster over and witness against us? It served its purpose in showing our need for a Savior. It led us to Jesus, who kept the Law perfectly on our behalf. Now we have become righteous through faith in Him.
What does all this theology have to do with daily life?
- It means I’m not defined by past or even present sin struggles.
- It means I can experience freedom from sinful, destructive habits.
- It means I’m free to rest in the favor of God and enjoy friendship with Him.
- It means Christianity is all about Jesus – what He did, and what He is doing right now. This walk of faith is not centered on rules or disciplines or things I do. Rather, it revolves around a vibrant relationship with Jesus. It consists of staying close to Him and working in tandem as He produces His fruit in my life.
Dear child of God, fellow Jesus lover – we are free! Our political environment, economic situation, social status…these things can shift and change in a moment. But nothing can undo what Jesus has finished for us.
Free indeed!
“If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (Jn 8:36).
“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free! Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery” (Gal 5:1).
“You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free” (Jn 8:32).
What does “freedom in Christ” look like in your daily life? What aspect of this freedom is most precious to you?
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A Dose of Encouragement
by MeredithNMills | Jun 10, 2016 | knowing God, Uncategorized, Victorious Living, Walking by Faith
by Meredith Mills @DazzledByTheSon
At Your feet again I fall, my Lord,
Confessing the same old sin.
Once again I’ve failed. I’ve fallen down.
How unfaithful I’ve been!
How could You keep on loving me?
How could Your mercy go that deep?
Your faithfulness, O God,
Is more than I ever dared to dream.
It’s deeper than all the deepest seas,
Greater than anything I’ve seen.
I stand in awe of You
For who You are and what You do
For all of the things You’ve brought me through.
You have been faithful, Lord.
That song, I wrote it 15 years ago, yet it’s as true of me today as it was back then. I still run back to the same sins. I still forget what God has done and falter in faithless unbelief. I still panic when pressures mount and doubt when the impossible stares me in the face.
It seems I’m in good company, though.
Jesus’ own disciples were pretty forgetful, too. Shortly after watching their Master feed 5000+ hungry people with just five loaves and two fish (Mark 6), they had a déjà vu experience – lots of hungry people (4000 this time), only one lunch, and 12 clueless disciples trying to figure out how to feed everyone (Mark 8).
Now, as the reader, I’m a little irritated with Jesus’ friends at this point. I mean, come on. Jesus just multiplied bread and fish a few days ago. Are you so quick to forget? Aren’t you thrilled about your impossible situation? It’s the perfect set-up for a miracle!
But no, you’re questioning how to feed all those people. Looking to your own resources again. Telling Jesus how impossible things are.
I’m irritated, until God gets personal.
I’ve seen God provide when we had no idea where the money would come from. I’ve watched Him heal broken relationships when I was at odds with a friend. I’ve received wisdom when I was clueless and direction when I was lost. I’ve experienced His deliverance from depression and spiritual attack.
I’ve got history with God!
But I still forget. So compassion replaces irritation as I continue reading the story.
Jesus patiently repeats the process – asking the disciples what they’re going to do about all these needy people, telling them to take inventory, receiving what they bring, blessing it and putting it back into their hands. And once again, they do the impossible because their God hasn’t changed. He’s still a Miracle Worker. He’s still their Provider.
You have been faithful, Lord!
He’s still faithful. Always faithful.
Even when they doubt, He’s faithful.
Even when they question, He’s faithful.
Even when they come up with their own solutions, He’s faithful.
Even when they forget, He’s faithful.
Thank God, He’s faithful!
God is big on remembering. Over and over in Scripture, He reminds His people of what He’s done for them. He tells them to remind one another and to tell their children. Because He doesn’t change.
When we remember what He’s done in the past, we can face the future with confidence.
His faithfulness doesn’t depend on us – it’s His nature. Thank God, He’s faithful (and patient)! Thank God He reminds me when I forget!
Here are some practical ways I’ve found to remind myself of my history with God.
- Blessing box. A wooden box sits on my Grandmom’s hutch in the dining room. It’s small and unassuming, but it contains our family’s greatest treasures…notes we’ve written on 3×5 cards of things we’re thankful for and of answers to prayer. There are a whole lot of cards in there because God has been unreasonably good to us.
- Journal. I love recording my conversations with God. Sometimes I come to Him with a jumbled mess of confused thoughts and emotions. But as I pour out my heart through pen to page, God often brings clarity. He speaks back, too, and works me through whatever situation I’m facing at the time. It’s precious to read back over those journals and remember what God has done.
How have you seen God’s faithfulness in your life? What ways have you found to remember your history with Him? I’d love to hear!
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I Shouldn’t Feel This Way
by MeredithNMills | Jun 3, 2016 | Identity in Christ, knowing God, Uncategorized, Victorious Living, Walking by Faith
by Meredith Mills @DazzledByTheSon
I can’t.
When I’m not enough – strong enough, experienced enough, grown-up enough…
The job is too big. I feel too small.
The pain is too deep. The broken pieces too many.
I’m not strong enough. Smart enough. Experienced enough…
Have emotions like these every hijacked your heart? It happens to me all. the. time.
Like when the pot’s boiling over, the child’s calling from the bathroom, the phone’s ringing and my hands are in soapy water.
Or when the day looms daunting ahead, and I just want to pull the covers up and go back to sleep.
Or when I go to a writers’ conference and start comparing myself to real writers.
Or when a loved one’s heart is breaking and I want to fix it, heal it, make all the hurt go away.
Life is complicated and messy and rarely turns out how I plan
Life is complicated and messy and it rarely turns out how I plan. Sometimes I feel inadequate for this life God has given me.
That’s why I find the story of Jesus feeding the 5000 so very encouraging (Mark 6:34-44).
Jesus and His disciples needed to get away. Their days were so full of need-meeting that they hadn’t even had time to eat. It was definitely time for a break. But when they arrived at their planned retreat, a large crowd of needy people were waiting.
Jesus’ compassionate heart shifted gears. He spent the day loving on those who came to Him. But by the end of the day, His disciples were done. They came to Him with their plan – “Send the people away so they can eat.”
Jesus’ response astounds me. “You give them something to eat.”
Ummm….come again? We must have misheard Him. Did He say for us to feed them? Doesn’t He know that we can’t feed all these people? Is He that out of touch with “reality”?
I find myself wondering, why would Jesus tell His followers to do something impossible?
But did He? Was their assignment really impossible?
Actually, He told them exactly what He was about to do – with their hands. They would give those people something to eat.
It seemed impossible, though, because they instinctively looked to their own resources. If they relied on what they had, they would be stuck with just that. Jesus’ plan, however, was bigger than the disciples and their resources.
He told them to take inventory and come talk to Him about it. They brought a mere five loaves and two measly fish to Jesus and watched as He blessed what they gave Him. Then He put into their hands what they needed to feed every one of those people.
But not all at once. He gave them a little and they gave it away. When they used it all up, Jesus gave them more. And they did it again. And again. And again, until every person was fed.
And that is how we do the impossible, too.
Broken and small, but enough in His hands.
We offer ourselves to Jesus – all our strengths and weaknesses, experiences and memories, joys and sorrows…all we have and all we are. He takes what we give Him, broken or small as it may be. Then He uses our hands, our hearts, to feed the hungry souls around us and to live out His call on our lives.
He gives us wisdom for decisions we must make.
He provides strength to do more than we’re capable of on our own.
He forms endurance in us through the struggles we face.
He tunes our hearts to His so He can love the world through us.
He does this over and over again, as we keep coming back to Him for more – more intimacy, more grace, more strength, ultimately, more of Him.
For God Himself is both our Source and our Supply. He has already given us everything we need for godly living. (Check out 2 Cor 3:5 and 2 Pet 1:3.)
What about you? How have you seen Him multiply your “loaves and fish” so you can live beyond yourself? Please join in the conversation – I’d love to learn from your journey!
Related posts:
Redefining Success, Part One
Redefining Success, Part Two
