There is a Season

I love being a mom.

It is, truly, one of my most favorite things in the world to get to do. I am sure I am not the best mom in the world, but I am also sure I love it with an unbridled passion.

Just today, I got to experience my “mom-hood” in a cool way. With temps in the high 60’s, we spent the afternoon outside with the kids soliciting money in exchange for cans of generic Ginger Ale and left-over Halloween candy. It brought joy to my heart (not only to clean out our pantry) to see my children enjoying such a carefree, child-like task. As with many moments as a mom, it was a simple...beautiful..."cherishable" moment.

But before I was a mom, I experienced other memorable moments. I laughed, before I was a mom. I made really tough decisions. I loved and I was loved. I walked with Jesus and I walked away from Him.

Before I was a mom, I had a pulse. I had a DNA structure. I had a name.

My journey has not always included my role as mom. Now, it does. And praise be to God for that. But it hasn’t always.

Which is why I think I am so passionate about encouraging women to resist defining themselves by a certain role or task. Because as life changes, often, so do our roles.

Not long ago I was asked to read over a bio of mine that was to be included in an article I had written for a magazine. When I did, what I read gave me pause. “Lisa Whittle is a wife, mom, author and speaker…” and on from there. I took a step back and realized that all the ways I defined myself in that bio were task-oriented. They were beautiful tasks. They were wonderful tasks. But they were…tasks. Roles. Things I got the privilege to do.

They were not, however, what made me…me.

I know that is a somewhat foreign concept for most of us to swallow. We are used to defining ourselves by our roles, most of our life. We are the daughter of a preacher. The wife of a doctor. The mom of an honor student. Someone’s best friend. A career woman. A Sunday School teacher or youth volunteer. A really good neighbor.

These roles are beautiful gifts from God for us to enjoy while we are on this earth. But I am being reminded of late that these are not what we were created or put on this earth to do, despite how awesome and fitting for us they may be. But rather, we were put on this earth to live in a state of intimacy and fellowship with God…sharing His powerful message of hope and redemption…and living a life that surprises people, in a good way.

More and more, I am convinced our roles in life are gracious gifts God has given us to be able to be a little more comfortable on this earth, while we are here. They are beautiful and rich and full. But we need to keep them in balance.

Today, let’s remember that we were created to worship God, not our roles. Let’s enjoy them. Let’s do them well. Let’s treasure them while we have them.

But let’s enjoy Him more. Pursue Him stronger. Make being His daughter the main thing on our mind. Relish in the fact that our role as His child will never change, no matter what earthly role may.

I hold the visual of my toothless daughter selling generic Ginger Ale to a sweet passerby today in both my head and my heart, happy to have gotten to be her mom long enough to have that moment and praying for many more of the same to come.

But I hold the promise in my heart that I am a daughter of the King, forever and always, even beyond the days He has given me on this earth to experience a beautiful, breezy day with my family.

Thank you, Jesus, for this season and these roles.

Thank you, more, that you have an eternal role for me, far greater.

“I'm asking God for one thing, only one thing: 
To live with him in his house my whole life long. I'll contemplate his beauty; I'll study at his feet. “ Psalm 27:4: (The Msg)

Life Books

This morning, I have books on the brain.

Maybe it’s because I have a 3:00pm conference call today with a publisher about my next two projects. I am excited about the potential this call brings, as I am excited about the message my projects could bring to the lives of those who read them!

But I am also thinking about another book. This book, in a sense, has already been published. It’s ending is already written, even though I am not able to cheat and flip over to the last page and read it. Some of the chapter titles in it include: Bleached Blond Hair with Black Eyebrows…Caught Kissing the Deacon’s Son in the Back of the Church…and my personal favorite, More Than Enough Parking Tickets to Re-carpet College Dorm Third Floor. To name a few.

But there are some others that just could not be left out. They are important to the story, though I’m afraid they don’t carry quite the same light-hearted feel as their predecessors.

~Mess-Ups, Regrets, and Years Full of Tears
~Trying to be Perfect While Failing Miserably
~Believing the Lie and Chasing after Nothing

These chapters could be joined by others with many of the same themes. But the point is still the same. And I think you get it.

Fortunately, the book doesn’t end with these more difficult chapters. Though I haven’t yet read the ending, the chapters that follow some of the tougher ones I just mentioned take things in quite a different direction…

~Rescue Effort
~Undeserved Acceptance
~Swept away by love
~Never the Same

The book I write about, of course, is my very own life book. It’s a book containing pages of my journey. Some of those pages bring joy, while others bring pain. But they are all pages of my story -- my life book -- which as of 12:02am on Monday, February 2, is still being written.

If you are reading this blog, your life book, too, is still being written. Your book may contain many chapters, or maybe a few less, but regardless of the word count, you have accumulated a lot of pages. Your chapter titles may differ from mine, or maybe they don’t. But my guess is that even if they aren’t a perfect match, they contain your own set of beautiful moments, painful moments, and rescue effort moments in your life. Just as do mine.

King David’s life book is chronicled largely in I and II Samuel. As I continue in my study of these amazing books, I am reminded of what a good read it is! ☺ In fact, I would dare say I have yet to read a better novel! I love what he writes in one of his life book chapters, which if I do so humbly suggest would have to be called something like, “New Beginnings”…

“God made my life complete
when I placed all the pieces before him.
When I cleaned up my act,
he gave me a fresh start.
Indeed, I've kept alert to God's ways;
I haven't taken God for granted.
Every day I review the ways he works,
I try not to miss a trick.
I feel put back together,
and I'm watching my step.” (II Sam. 22:22-25 Msg)

And then, in his concluding thoughts on this subject, he summarizes his experience in 18 simple, but beautiful words…

“God rewrote the text of my life
when I opened the book of my heart to his eyes.”

Having personally gone through the book writing process, I am fully aware of how difficult a re-write of a project really is. It is often grueling, rarely welcomed and usually tedious. But that is where the book writing process I am familiar with and the life book writing process (thankfully) differ.

It’s different because the Author is different.

What this Scripture says to me is not that I can have a do-over or erase moments from my life book and have it re-written for me. David didn't have that luxury, and neither do I. No, those things are said, done, and documented in many of my chapters. But rather, it suggests to me that what He sees in my story is probably very different from what I see. What He knows about its value in my life is on a much deeper level than my personal analysis can bring. While I may know my own chapter titles, He knows the way the story ends. He’s already read the last page of the book.

This morning, as I think about my life book, I am reflecting on many things. But one thing is for sure. I may not be able to re-write the chapter on bleaching my dark hair blond, but I can ensure that my story doesn’t end like a Greek tragedy. Thankfully, I have everything to do with that.

It’s in reflecting on II Samuel 22…embracing the blank pages…and asking God to open up my eyes to see what He does when He reads my text.

I wonder what this day’s pages will say in my life book? I think I’ll go to sleep, wake up in 6 hours, and find out.

Questions

I’ve come up with a new quote this morning. I don’t know whether it's good or bad, it’s just where I currently am. It came to me this morning while I was putting laundry in the dryer for the 6th time in half the number of days, thinking about what to write about in this post.

“If you don’t know what to say, just share your heart. In it, you’ll find your words.”

I don’t know if it’ll work, but I’m hoping that it’s true.

But before I start sharing my heart, let me qualify this post by assuring you that I am not disillusioned. I am not upset. I am not even discouraged. But I am asking some questions.

My weekend has been full of questions, really. They ranged in scope from the simple, “Did you get my email?” (hubby)….to the more than one word answer kind…“Mom, why don’t Graham and Micah wear ties to church?” (If my little 6-year daughter only knew how “unsimple ”THAT was!)…to the “I-don’t-understand-this-and-I really-wish-I did” moment I experienced last night while at my computer.

I had just finished viewing a Utube video montage of the former President with the title, “Thank You, Mr. President.” It was a 3.5 minute tribute of pictures from President Bush’s years as our Commander and Chief set to a moving song by Christian artist, Steven Curtis Chapman. I watched, in remembrance of many of the moments the pictures captured. As I did, I wondered. To myself. Then the questions came.

Why did this man seem to have such a hard road while in office? Why did he not have the “success” or approval of the world when he is clearly a man of faith? Why didn’t God exalt him and make his name great like He certainly could have done?

I could come up with theories to answer these questions. I have, actually. But last night I knew it was much more than that. That’s when this verse came to my mind.

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD. (Isaiah 55:8 NIV)

I have been comforted by this verse lately, as it seems to keep re-occurring in my life. Up until last night, this verse wasn’t related to any questions I might have had about the former President or his last 8 years in office. It was much more about my life and how I’m feeling right now and what is going on in my heart.

I think I’ve come up with what that is.

I used to think I didn’t like “questions.” I mean, the mere idea of having to ask a question about something signified to me that I was lacking something or wasn’t capable of figuring something out myself. I’ve always been a “do-it-myself” kind of girl and love to wave my flag of independence. But I don’t think that’s what this is about.

I’ve decided that it’s not the questions I don’t like. In fact, sometimes I love them. I love being asked about the day one of my children was born…what Jesus is showing me right now…how my husband and I met…what circumstances God brought into my life to get me my book contracts…where I got the super cute vases on my mantel that look like they cost $200 apiece but came from a grocery store for only $19.99 apiece. Those are all questions that make my heart leap when I am asked them.

On the other hand, there are questions I don’t like as much.

Case and point: A young woman from another state across the country wrote me this week and asked me why God had allowed her to be in a terrible circumstance beyond her control.

It’s one of those questions a great book can’t answer for you. You can offer Scripture. Gather information and give your opinion. But at the end of the day, it’s a question that just cannot be answered.

Those are questions I just don’t like. It’s not the questions in and of themselves. It’s really about not having the answer to those questions.

I’ve decided I don’t like not being filled in.

And that is where I am today. With a heart full of questions.

Are you, God?
Will you, God?
Can you, God?
Have you, God?

Some of these questions can be quickly answered. Some cannot. All in some way probably won’t be, at least not in the way I’d like them to be.

So I will continue on today, with Isaiah 55:8 playing in my head, hoping it somehow makes it’s way to my heart.

I’m good. Just have some questions.

Don't Hit the Button

Out of all the words I might have anticipated hearing come from an argument between my boys, these were not among them.

“Oh great, Micah. Just great. You just killed our dog!”

I nearly spit my diet coke out on my desk. From the escalation in my son’s voice, I just knew it had to be something dire. My mind raced with thoughts of my 60 pound son falling on our 5 pound dog, severely injuring him. I guessed it was a terrible accident that resulted in a broken limb or something worse. My brain started going in a million different directions, all in a matter of about 15 seconds.

Bracing for the worst, I jumped up from my desk and made my way into the kitchen where the argument had ensued. There I found my younger son, Micah, cowering in the corner, looking really worried. His older brother, Graham, was fuming. Maggie, on the other hand, was looking up at me, playfully wagging her tail. She was gloriously oblivious to the tense situation before her.

“What in the world happened, guys?” I asked. “What happened to Maggie?”

Graham spoke up right away. “Micah killed our dog, mom! He let Maggie eat a piece of a Smores pop tart, and now she’s gonna die! Someone told me that chocolate is deadly to dogs, and thanks to Micah, Maggie ate some!”

I admit that I am no dog expert, but at the sight of our very energetic dog, it was abundantly clear to me that Maggie would not soon be going to doggie heaven. I exhaled with relief. It wasn’t that I was glad Maggie had ingested a crumb-sized portion of a chocolate filled pop tart – it was just that compared to what I THOUGHT might have happened, this was the better of the two.

After calming Graham down and reassuring Micah that Maggie would not, indeed, die over this, I retreated to my desk to finish whatever I was working on.

That’s when it hit me.

Graham’s reaction…

…was so much like my own sometimes.

Like Graham, there are moments in my life where I react to situations and circumstances that I don’t fully understand, and I quickly get frenetic. I jump…I become alarmed…and I go to pieces. In an instant, I lose it. I become flustered and frightened. I am thrown into my feelings of inadequacy to handle whatever it is that presents itself as a complication in my life.

And then…I hit the panic button.

I can only imagine the frustration God feels over my reaction. I can relate on some minute level, knowing the frustration I felt with my own son over his panic in the situation with our dog. His response was so unnecessary. Even though what happened might have warranted a reaction, his was way over the top.

Friends, may I encourage you this morning not to hit the panic button in your life? As you read this post, you may have circumstances in your life that seem way out of control. You probably have things in your life that seem dire. Maybe you are feeling such urgency and pressure that you are convinced your fate is sealed. Things may not look pretty. Life often doesn’t.

I love what the Word says about these moments in life. “So we will not fear when earthquakes come
and the mountains crumble into the sea.” (Psalm 46:2 NLT) This Scripture suggests to me that the tough stuff of life is a sure thing. It WILL come. Big things. Bad things. Crises. Major life disappointments. Circumstances that will make even a strong person want to hit the panic button.

But though we are tempted to respond with panic, God desires for us to trust. It’s easy to exercise our faith when things are going well and within our control. But what about those moments that keep us up at night with worry – those messy life moments where nothing seems sure?

It is in those “mountain crumbling” moments when we are tempted to panic that God says, “Don’t.”

“Trust.”

“Wait.”

“I see what’s going on.”

“And I’m not panicking.”

The god of the Good Thing

To my friends who came over after reading my Girlfriends in God devotion today....WELCOME! :) I'm so glad you stopped by, and I'm praying that God touched your heart by the words in the devotion. I post a new blog every Monday, and I'd love for you to visit, again. Feel free to visit my website at www.lisawhittle.com or contact me at info@lisawhittle.com. Be blessed!


I woke up this morning, intending to write about something else. But after I dug into the Word, I knew God had something entirely different in mind. So for now, the dog story and application will remain on hold. ☺

I landed, today, in II Samuel 15 and the rebellion of Absalom and subsequent national rebellion of the people against King David, Absalom’s father. After welcoming Absalom back into his life (after fleeing after murdering his half brother Amnon), Absalom “thanked” his father by subsequently plotting to take away his throne. I’m thinking David probably had some better ideas for ways to repay him for his gratitude, but clearly Absalom did not get the memo.

The truth is, Absalom thought it was all about him for some time. He didn’t develop his mouth watering for power overnight. Instead, his good looks, persuasive actions and lack of accountability led him to believe he could do what he wanted and get away with it. He was a master of manipulation and knew how to work the system to get what he desired.

So it made sense that he would hatch an elaborate plan to win over the people from his father by means of mental extortion. The nuts and bolts of his plan was that he would go to the city gate where traffic was heavy and he could have the most visibility. (Since Jerusalem was the nation’s capital, business and government affairs were conducted there.) There he would involve himself in people’s concerns and complaints and sympathize with them, trying to plant seeds of discontent and anger in their heart. He would do this to make David look bad and himself look good.

“I understand your concerns…”

“If it were me, I would do it this way…”

“I am here for you….”

“I wish he would understand the way I do…”

“I agree with you…”

He even tried to look humble by not allowing people to bow before him in reverence, instead responding to them in a less-kingly way. He did all the “right things”, but in his heart, it was all wrong.

His subtle control got him what he wanted. The proof is in the pudding in verse 6 when it says, “…Absalom stole the hearts of all the people of Israel.” Seemingly, Absalom was serving these people from a position of ministry. Truthfully, he was serving only himself.

As God is continuing to call me to a place of ultimate purity in my life, I have to take a lesson from this story and receive His memo to me. In the midst of the “good thing” I do in my life, what am I really trying to do? Do I serve to make myself feel better? Do I want to be seen as a spiritual mentor or communicator for pride sake? Am I trying to steal hearts away from God or others and for myself?

It’s not a new issue for any of us, I’m afraid. But it is an issue that must constantly be checked…and re-checked…and checked, again. Our motive…our desire…our goals. The “good thing” that, in the blink of a nanosecond, can go really bad.

Ironic, then, that I am in the midst of a Bible study called No Other Gods.

I’m adding to my “gods to watch” list…the god of the good thing.

Serving.
Speaking.
Ministering.
Caring.

I've seen where Absalom's "good thing" got him. (II Samuel 18) I think I prefer to do the good thing the "big G" God's way.

Monty

Hey friends!
I am just dropping you a quick note to say that I will be back with my next blog post either tomorrow or Wednesday. Our mentor, Monty, is in town, and my hubby and I are spending some time with him this morning, gleaning his wisdom! As I type this, I am headed out the door for a couple of hours at Starbucks, soaking in the last few hours before he goes home. Thanks for understanding! And...to those of you who know him...try not to be too jealous. :)

Not a Facebook Bashing Blog

There is a song that has been playing in my head for the past couple of weeks. I have to admit, it is only slightly less on my nerves than Bon Jovi’s Dead or Alive that my son’s play incessantly on their new Rock Band Ps2 game they got for Christmas.

Oh, be careful little eyes what you see.
Oh, be careful little eyes what you see.
For the Father up above looks upon you with His love,
Oh, be careful little eyes what you see.

Where I heard this childhood song to get it stuck in my head, I have no idea. I can assure you, it isn’t a tune on Rock Band. But never mind. It is stuck in there for real, for sure and I’m afraid, for good. I seriously can’t shake it.

So as in anytime something like this pops up “randomly” in my head, and after a solid week of it NOT going away, I have finally started clueing in to the fact that Someone just might be trying to get my attention through this simple song. After a few circumstances, a little less eggnog and a couple of gentle nudges from the Holy Spirit, I think I’ve come up with my answer.

Vigilance.

Let me explain.

Not long ago, I entered into the wonderful world of Facebook. (If you are one of the 2 people in the world who haven’t heard of Facebook, it is an Internet social network that allows you to connect with people anywhere, anytime.) I honestly knew very little about it when I started, and up until my husband decided to join up, I never did much with it. But in the past two or three months, I have enjoyed re-connecting with childhood friends, high school friends, college friends, and my current network of friends by sharing emails and pictures, as well as fun information about my life. For a pastor’s daughter who has lived in over 10 states in my life, a tool like Facebook has been an awesome way to talk to people again that I might never otherwise get the chance to.

I even found my favorite high school history teacher on there. :)

But lately I’ve begun to notice something about this fun tool. I’ve seen it's likes before in blogland…in shopping malls…restaurants…and yes, even in my mirror at home. And I just can't shake the fear that it is carrying with it the potential to get us, as believers, in trouble.

A tool of distraction.

A means of addiction.

A way of escape.

A fulfillment of needs not otherwise getting met.

A huge time waster.

A facilitator of pretense vs. reality.

I have, of late, really seen this. Where meeting old friends and reconnecting with loved ones is a super cool thing, reconnecting with loved ones and meeting new friends to the detriment of a marriage is not. Nor is it a stretch to say that it’s happening. Sadly, it’s happening and happening a lot.

But this blog is actually not about Facebook.

In fact, you might be surprised to know that upon finishing this blog I do not plan on canceling my Facebook membership or cutting my Facebook ties. No, I am staying on Facebook, at least for the time being. But I am also doing something else.

I am remembering the words to that simple little song that is stuck in my mind, like it or not…”Oh, be careful little eyes what you see...” I am also remembering its three subsequent verses (in no particular order)...

Oh, be careful little feet, where you go…

Oh, be careful little lips, what you say…

Oh, be careful little hands, what you do…

Whether on Facebook or at church or in my neighborhood or in my ministry…

I am checking myself constantly. Praying about my actions. Making sure that my life stays pure before God through the relationships I invest in. Being careful of what my eyes see. My ears hear. My lips say. My hands do.

Vigilance.

I simply have to have it to stay out of trouble.

By this Monday morning Not a Facebook Bashing Blog I am hoping to encourage you to do the same. In fact, I'm burdened for us both this year, if we don't.

Be well, friends. Whether we connect on Facebook or on the streets of our "non-cyber world"...let’s be well together.