Social Media and "The Rest of the Story..."

(photo credit: http://www.gosimplysocial.com)

We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies.

2 Corinthians 4:8-10

Girlfriends, I just finished a morning perusal of my Facebook newsfeed. I have to share these reflections with you because I feel so strongly about this message. Some of you have sworn off social media for the very reason I am going to talk about: Seeing everyone else's perfect life makes you feel inadequate about your own life. I get it. I understand why you deleted the Facebook account or Instagram; however, I would like to offer a different solution. One that I think could revolutionize our lives rather than tear them down with attacks on self-esteem. I suggest we share the other side of our lives on social media...the dark side. Play Paul Harvey and tell "the rest of the story..."

So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

2 Corinthians 12:7-10

Social media. Facebook. Instagram. Twitter. Snapchat. What's App. 

Girlfriends, I love that we all post the fun and smiling pictures of our good times. I receive great joy from your joy. I laugh at your funny stories and jokes. Your children and grandchildren warm my heart. I feel connected to many of you that live so far away, or live close but busyness keeps us apart. 

Yet, ladies, very rarely does anyone post a picture of themselves or a loved one in pain, or injured, or crying, or depressed, or anxious, or struggling. I am her today to say: Do NOT let social media fool you! 

NO ONE has a perfect life! 

WE all HURT. 

WE all STRUGGLE with something. 

More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

Romans 5:3-5

We like to put up brave fronts and hide the pain for many reasons, but the unintended consequence is that everyone thinks we have it all together. "Oh, her? Yeah, she has the best life. The perfect family. The dream job. She is always going somewhere fun. She doesn't know what it means to struggle. She must never work. She has so many friends. Everyone thinks she is great. Etc. Etc. Etc."

As a result, one begins to wonder and have doubts about her own life. 

STOP HIDING, my friends. 

BE REAL. 

Post the rest of the story sometimes. Speak your hardest truths. Bring it to the light, because you know what? It is freeing to be in the light. Darkness is draining and harmful. Satan lurks in the darkness, whispering lies to you that take a foothold in your mind and soul. 

YOU ARE NOT ALONE! 

Yes, our happy moments are what get us through the days most of the time, and it is great to share them. But let's be real, friends. Our lives are not all smiles, successes, and vacations. WE cry. WE fail. WE work and labor and struggle. WE lose. WE hurt.

I love that my oldest daughter is not afraid sometimes to share her pain openly. She did not ask for an incurable pain disorder in the entire left side of her body (CRPS or Complex Regional Pain Syndrome.) She is a victim. Yet even she often hides it, like we all do, because she doesn't want pity. She wants to be "normal" and treated normally, but reality is--she is not "normal" anymore. She has to find a new normal, and just when she finds it, life shifts again and "normal" blows away in the winds of change. It is NOT weakness to share your pain, to bring to light the demons that haunt you. Strength is in found in the prayers of the people of GOD, but we cannot pray for what we do not know about one another. 

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.

2 Corinthians 1:3-5

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. Romans 8:26-27

I challenge, you my friends, this week...this month...be REAL, be TRANSPARENT on your social media. Share your joys and good times, but turn on the light in the closet and share the struggles you have hanging there too. I would love to pray for you this week. And I boldly ask for prayer for my daughter, Joslyn, as she pushes forward in the "new mom" life, all the while battling the searing pain of CRPS in her body. Pray God will remove the pain from her body if it is within His will. We know He has the power, but we also trust in His greater plan that only He sees; therefore, please pray that God will empower her in every way to tend to her newborn, whatever His will may be. Pray she will hold on to every word in His Scripture, every promise He makes to use our experiences and trials on this earth for a greater glory in eternity.

He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

 Isaiah 40:29-31

Girlfriends, God is good. He already knows your pain. He gave you brothers and sisters in Christ to help you bear it, share it, and use it to encourage one another in Christ. Step out of the darkness into the light. Continue sharing your blessings and good times on social media, but do not be afraid to boldly state the pain and hardships so they may be covered in prayer. Ask God to guide you. And remember, you are loved through the good and the bad times, the beautiful and the ugly moments, and the highest or lowest points of your life journey. God is with you--everywhere!

 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.

Isaiah 43:2

 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.

Revelation 21:4

Voice of God, Voice of Truth

While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, 

and a voice from the cloud said, 

"This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. 

Listen to him!" 

Matthew 17:5 NIV

Girlfriends, somehow many days have passed since my restorative retreat in Indiana. Returning to the chaotic busyness of home while brimming with insight and ideas, I longed to write to you immediately but had to suppress that cry and attend to household duties. Oh energy and awareness, we have only just returned and already you elude me!

How was your past weekend? Even if you did not physically travel, did you have time to review your spiritual map as I suggested in my last blog? I am anxious to hear your reflections. Sharing our life stories is powerful as I rediscovered during this recent sojourn. Listening to another woman weave her way along a path which traverses both peaks and valleys provides opportunity for connection, affirmation, and also fresh insight into our own walk. Indeed, "listen" and "story" were my take-away words from this weekend trip. Yet, upon returning home, I discovered I could not hear nor reflect upon the important "stories" because of all the noise.

Ladies, many voices are calling us to listen. Spouses, children, relatives, friends, co-workers, bosses, teachers, tv personalities, politicians...a cacophony of sound flows into our eardrums daily. We must pray for discernment and wisdom, asking God for clarity and concentration upon the important and life-giving words and for deafness and obliteration of the meaningless and life-sucking utterances. Choose wisely what you take to heart from the stories you hear.

He who has ears, let him hear. 

Matthew 11:15

Even in Jesus's day, a sea of voices called out to the people. Accusing and name-calling, slandering and demeaning, both John the Baptist and Jesus himself were targets as we read in the Matthew 11: 18-19:

For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ But wisdom is proved right by her deeds.”

Ladies, we must drown out the lies and the crucifying conversation in order to focus upon the blessed, glorifying, and positive conversation of each day. Listen with ears that seek the truth.

The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.

John 10: 3-4 

God speaks to us in many ways. In quiet stillness, such as during meditation or walking the peaceful acres of land at the retreat center, His voice is elevated and unimpeded.  But in the boisterous and complicated every day moments of life, His voice is inaudible or unrecognizable to my worldly attuned ears. Jesus, my Shepherd, speaks to me, His sheep. If I choose to listen, I will learn to recognize His voice as He leads me. In time, I will distinguish His voice from among the multitudes. I will hear His Story spoken to me, preparing me for my own story and paving the way to intersect with others.

So what do you think, ladies? Is it time we got God on our ipod? And computer? And cell phone? And television? And magazine racks, bookshelves, and Kindles? If we do not spend time with Him, surround ourselves with His Presence, how else will we recognize His voice? Think of this next time you answer the phone and immediately know with whom you speak by the sound of the voice. Think about your favorite musical artist and how repeatedly listening to his/her music elicits an "Oh I love this song" as soon as your hear the singing. God is asking you to be in a special relationship with Him, distinguishing His voice above all others. How will you respond?

I pray today that you will listen to the Voice of Truth....He has a story to tell you that is greater than any other you will ever hear. His story includes your story. Your story is woven together with others' stories. Listen....listen and hear...God is speaking to YOU. Turn up the volume!

The voice of the Lord is over the waters;

the God of glory thunders,

the Lord thunders over the mighty waters.

The voice of the Lord is powerful;

the voice of the Lord is majestic.

The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars;

the Lord breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.

He makes Lebanon skip like a calf,

Sirion like a young wild ox.

The voice of the Lord strikes

with flashes of lightning.

The voice of the Lord shakes the desert;

the Lord shakes the Desert of Kadesh.

The voice of the Lord twists the oaks

and strips the forests bare.

And in his temple all cry, “Glory!” 

Psalm 29: 3-9

Please go to Song of the Day-- I hope you enjoy Casting Crowns, The Voice of Truth. 

Love to all!

The Story

 "I see your story, I see My name,
Written on every beautiful page.
You see the struggle, you see the shame,
I see the reason I came.

I came for your story, 

I came for your wounds,

To show you what love sees when Love looks at you."

 When Love Sees You 

Mac Powell /Nordeman/Herms

Stories

I love stories. I love listening to stories, writing stories, and telling stories. I especially love reading stories to my children. Our home has always been filled with books--on shelves, in baskets, hanging off nightstands, even tucked into seatpockets of the car. Cuddling up under a blanket and traveling on pages through time and space into another world cannot be matched by any Disney Pixar movie or an xbox game.

Unfortunately, I have not read books aloud to my kids in years. Two of my children no longer live with me, and the rest of us at home are in love with technology. My oral reading now consists of shouting across the kitchen into the family room: "Hey, Em, listen to this post on Facebook..." or "Jordan, turn down that tv. I found this funny quote on Pinterest..."

Our current idea of quality time together is truly new age: We compete against one another in Words with Friends. I am sitting on my laptop at the secretary's desk, Emily at the breakfast bar with her Mac, John on the chair with his iphone, and Jordan sprawled across the couch with the iPad, each of us intermittently calling out, "Will you please hurry up and go?' or "What? FIZ for 45 points. That's ridiculous!"

Little did I know the five letter word STORY would soon dominate my life. Everywhere I turn, I notice this word popping up. I should not be surprised, as God has a consistent habit of repetition in order to get my distracted mind to focus upon His will for me! In September, 2011, I purchased tickets for a December concert, The Story Tour. In perfect foreshadowing, this event prompted a resurgence in reading aloud to my children. Journeying through a new format to an eternal and true Story, the Bible is once again transporting us to promised lands through tumultuous times, engaging the enemy and sharing our heroes' dreams, battles, set-backs and eventually total victory. This Story is ultimately our story, and I am thrilled to share it with my family. Girlfriends, please consider that you are also a part of this story! I encourage you to read with us.

The Story Tour

On December 18th, my husband and I took Emily and Jordan to what we thought was going to be a Christmas. Some of our favorite popular Christian music artists performed. To our delight, The Story Tour encompassed abundantly more than just the Christmas story. Singer/songwriter Nichole Nordeman, composer Bernie Herms, and many others joined talented forces to write the songs and create coordinating videos based upon principle persons and major events in our biblical history.  

The musical Story project tells "how God's story of love and redemption intersects with our story of brokenness and failures resulting in a new story of hope and rescue. 'I think for me one of the goals was to be able to listen to these songs and feel more connected to these people that walked before us and learned lessons that we're still learning,' explains Nordeman. 'There's such a tendency to turn them into superheroes and have these big, takeaway, moral-of-the-story moments. For me it was all about the humanity. These were broken people who were desperate and needed God. They were just like us. I really believe that, and I think sometimes forget.'" (NEWS SOURCE: The M Collective, July 19, 2011)

That concert was momentous and amazing! The various artists who delivered the message and the live music inspired awe. Entertaining yet deeply reverent, the audience worshiped in unison with the performers. Our family continues daily to relive the stories since we now own both the dvd and the music cd of The Story project. We each have our favorite song or story, which warms my heart when I think how God touched each one of us in a unique way that night! (In addition, during intermission the kids and I chose a new child to sponsor (Hamil from Peru) through WorldVision. We are honored to partner with this program.)

The Story Bible

The Story is of course God's story, the Bible. But pastors/creators Randy Frazee and Max Lucado took God's story and developed a method for communicating it to God's people in a format tailored to today's standards of presentation and comprehension. Their work is receiving praise everywhere.

According to the website www.thestory.com, "The Story is helping people in churches everywhere experience Scripture like never before. Carefully selected verses from the Bible are organized chronologically. From Genesis to Revelation, (you) will come to understand God’s story and how (your) story intersects with it." The Story Bible, by Zondervan, is written in the form of a novel and accurately abridged. I have purchased the teen edition for my younger son. A children's edition is also available.

Frazee and Lucado developed a series of sermons, small group discussion videos and questions, and the concert tour all based upon the chapters in this Story Bible. My girlfriend's church in Columbia, Illinois, (Hope Christian Church) is in the middle of this series. She loves it! My church (Calvary of Lemont) will begin this Sunday, March 11th. I cannot tell you how excited I am for this journey, especially based upon last week's experience of reading it together with the kids. (And what an experience it is! But that is the subject of tomorrow's blog!!)

Our Story

I am guessing you have had an "aha" moment by this point in reference to my choice of subtitling at the top of this blog: My Story, Your Story, God's Story. I truly believe part of God's story is that inspiration He gives me to write to all of you. Included in my discourse, my Girlfriends, are your stories too! Visualize with me the beautiful fabric He is weaving as the vibrant, silken threads of our lives intersect, connect, and flow into one another. I just want to wrap myself in the comfort, laughter, peace, and security of that cloth!

Girlfriends, I thank you for reading my blog. I also thank you for sharing your lives and your stories with me and my family. I thank God that He created each one of you, uniquely and purposefully, to fit into His eternal story. I pray today that you will be inspired to know Him more, to understand His Story as it relates to your story. And if the Story Bible can help you in that process, I pray you will find a way to get one. Whether it is the old-fashioned, hardcover edition available at the bookstore or the modern method of an ebook for the Kindle or ipad, matters not. What is important is that you know the Story He just for you and about you! Ladies, God is good!

Now, if I could only maneuver in Words With Friends for a triple word play with CALVARY, I would be rocking the house!!!

Love To You All!