When I was pregnant with my first daughter my mama gave me some great advice about labor and delivery. She said not to get wrapped up in other people’s horror stories and to face my labor remembering everyone is different.  She said to try and remember the pain had a purpose and wouldn't last forever. She was right. The perspective helped.  Rather than focusing on what was difficult I tried to remind myself the labor was bringing great joy. 

Pain is always easier to bear when we know the outcome is a good one. Peter, the author of this little book knew something about enduring pain and then seeing the joy afterwards. He was present  during Jesus' ministry and death and was one of the first to see the truth of the empty tomb. So the book of 1st Peter gives the same advice as my mama. Know your suffering is not permanent. Joy comes. It’s for great purpose. 

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.  In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.  Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy,  for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls. 1st Peter 1: 3-9

That was a long verse wasn't it.  

I catch myself skipping over large quotes or excepts of Bible in other people's writing. I have to remind myself to slow down and read the words and absorb the truth of what God is saying. I think the devil loves it when we skip the scripture.

My words don't matter.  

His do.

 So go ahead and go back and read (or reread) that section of 1st Peter.  It really sums up the whole book. Suffering causes you to grow, it burns out what is false, it makes the most important things clear, and suffering well draws people in.

Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.  Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.  Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen. 1 Peter 9 6-11

We don’t face much persecution here although our family around the world certainly does. And hardships certainly hit everyone. Cancer. Divorce. Financial loss. But what 1 Peter says is that God will carry us through those hardships.  That these sufferings strip away what is lesser and reveals what is most important; Eternity. Salvation. Heaven.

Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul.  Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us. 1st Peter 2: 11-12

Have you ever been around someone who was over reacting to a minor inconvenience? It’s awkward and unpleasant. Usually makes me wonder what happened in their past to trigger a harsh response. 

But have you ever been around someone with a peace and joy in the middle of difficult situations?

It draws me in.

I want to know where their strength comes from.

Where their resiliency is stored.

Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect... 1st Peter 3: 15b

Do you see what Peter is saying?  Your reaction to what hardship shows up has an eternal impact on you and those around you.  Your pain is not wasted. It's not pointless. The joy is coming.
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Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice in as much as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. 1st Peter 4:12-13

And this is the bit of the story Peter is preaching. Heaven is a guarantee. Bring people with you.  Suffer well.  

I was struggling with the book of 1st Peter. I usually try to read it myself first and reflect, pray, think and write. Nuthin. So I cheated and watched The Bible Project's walk through.  Then I started again.  Totally helped.  May I recommend you watch these?  

 Sharing Stories Making Memories is a book which offers both a great way to connect with a grandchild and a systematic method for recording thoughts, feelings, and stories from each. While there are many journals which promote documenting a person's history, this book provides a great vehicle for a dialogue between two generations.
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For my own future reference, I've personally found it meaningful to record the child's age, the date, and the event which precipitated the entries in the margin of the book.  The blank pages allow for even more creative, customized Questions and Answers.  Filling out these pages together with my grandchild will soon become yet another treasured  tradition.  This journal is recommended.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for this honest review. 

- Sue

​What a great perspective. Some days my to do lists from #quirkyfaith and #thescrambleforthekids are burdomsome. Oppressively long. And when ministries change or partners quit it’s hard to keep on. BUT if the job is from God....which is a big if....and an important question... but if you know your task is something God has commissioned you with then it’s in His mercy and it’s a gift and THEREFORE a privilege, joy, honor and life giving to continue. Get the perspective right and the heart follows.

When people ask me for a life verse I have a hard time responding. I believe so much in the whole grand story of the Bible that I don’t love to take only one verse as the most important. And there are SO MANY I love. But if pressed - the book which most often challenges me where I struggle and holds me to growth is the book of James.  

The book of James is a letter to believers from James, the brother of Jesus. Imagine those two boys growing up. Interesting family dinners. The gospels indicate that Jesus’ family was not in support of his early ministry and had even come to try and bring him home. (see Matthew 12). Our pastor says the only thing that would make a skeptical brother a devoted disciple is the resurrection. I love the humble language of this brother in reference to his sibling. Lord and Savior. Yes - Jesus is our best friend and closest counselor. But he is also Creator, Judge, Lord and Savior. And that weight is part of the reason James calls his readers to act seriously on their faith. Nike's slogan could sum up the book of James. Just Do It.

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving ourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and preservers, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing. James 1: 22-25

My daughter had the flu last week during VBS. She missed the first night and bawled her eyes out. She was symptom free for over 24 hours so she went for the second night and only made it through half the night. Seriously bad flu. But if she learned her church family runs to the rescue and we can talk about hard messy things then I’d still call VBS a win. I felt fine during VBS but woke up Saturday morning and promptly moved into the bathroom. In my fever and bathroom obsessed brain I keep thinking about the bathroom mirror. And those lovely and challenging verses in James. ​​

These ones get me too. 

If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but decides his heart, this person's religion is worthless. Religion that is pure an undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.  James 1: 26-27
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My mouth can get me in trouble. James knows this. 
 
I remember one time. I was going into the bank to do a wire transfer from our fundraising account to our friends in Rwanda. The funds were to be used to pay school fees so the kids could attend. Time was sensitive.  I squish non profit volunteer work into my regular life. Like most people its too full.  So I was harassed. Hit the bank and stood in line. Turned out the branch manager who had to do the international wire transfers was out of the office. If you wire money to Africa and you mess it up you don’t get the funds back. SO I crabbed at the bank teller. Scowled. Said something slightly snarky. I don’t remember the words but I do remember the tellers’ face. 
 
Stomped out. 
 
There I showed her!
 
Drove off to the other branch and sent our hard earned funds off to the needy children overseas. Seriously crushing the helping widows and orphans bit of the Bible!  
 
And then it hit me. 

I had cranked and verbally harassed a totally innocent bank teller – while processing Jesus’ money – on an account with my church’s name on it. 
 
I’m a total jerk. 

The tongue is a nasty beast.

​How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire. And the tongue is a fire a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell. Fore ever kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.  James 3: 6-8

I hauled my unwilling body back to the first branch, hung my head and apologized.  

Honesty about my flaws and forcing myself to apologize is one of the best ways to teach my heart to grow.  James knows this too. 

Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.  And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to one and another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. James 5: 13-16

When I got a message at VBS that my child needed me - I dropped everything and when and found her.  I thanked the volunteers who had come to our help.   I  loved my kid, stepped into the mess, cleaned her up. Threw out the clothes. We didn't need that reminder. 

This is the exact same thing Jesus does for us.

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you .Cleans your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.  James 4: 7-8
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When we take the faith seriously and draw near to God - He draws near to us. Cleans up the mess. Throws out the clothes. We are a new creation and if we are reminded of our sin and shame its not Jesus doing the talking.

The flu is no fun.  Neither Is apologizing.  But both memories moved my soul. And I'm better for it. 

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect that you may be perfect and complete lacking nothing. James 1:2-4

And perhaps that’s the point of James. James wants believers to be obedient to Jesus' teachings.  DO what it says. Embrace the actions of the faith. Even in the mess of life. 

Here is your link to The Bible Project's talk about the book of James.  Watch it. Really - they know their stuff. 

I'm choosing this week to listen to the voices that tell me to embrace joy.  Those that tell me I'm a child of the Creator and I'm able to stand in places where pain is and make a difference.  I'm not listening to the not good enough, too hard, too much crowd.  Nope.  Need some encouragement this week?  Try this one.  Turn it up. 
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Stand in your Love by Josh Baldwin.  My fear doesn't stand a chance when I'm standing in your love.  SO GOOD.