Grace Wins

One of Gracie's teachers in youth group at church caught me in the hallway after the service.

"I just HAVE to share this with you," she said. "The girls were talking about different challenges they're going through at school and one girl mentioned someone who's being very ugly to her. She went on to share how hurtful it is and she's having a hard time being nice to her," she explained. With her eyes watering, she explained. "Gracie said, 'Look at her as a child of God, too, just like you. That changes everything,'" 

Momma brag alert: My heart smiled.

We almost always see what's wrong with other people and not what's wrong with us. And while it may be human nature to do so, the Bible said it's still sin (Matthew 6:14-15).

Colossians 4:6 says, "Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person." Luke 6:36 says, "Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful."

God's grace is forgiving. Grace is also for giving. And we always have a choice to give it to others or hold back in judgment of them instead.

Be the person who makes others feel special. Be known for your kindness and grace. Do you have enough Jesus in your heart to show grace and share grace with other?

(Barbie will be the guest speaker Friday, March 29, at Mississippi College's Delegate Luncheon for the instillation of MC's 20th President, Dr. Blake Thompson)

When You've Had Your Bell Rung

I was sitting on my bed reading when I heard a loud THUD. I looked thru the glass doors on the bedroom porch to see if the dog was playing in my rose bushes, but he wasn't there. Curiosity got the best of me. I got up to look out the windows when I saw it--a beautiful warbler (yellow bird) lying on the porch, beak up. My heart melted. The bird must've flown into our second story window only to fall flat on the concrete. I noticed it's eyes were closed half way and it's wings were slightly fluttering; almost pulsing. There was no way I was going to let it lie on the concrete by itself so I put my shoes on and went outside.

It looked so helpless lying there. I cupped it in my hands and began gently petting it's head and speaking softly to it, but the blessed bird was limp as could be. It's eyes still closed slightly. I couldn't feel it breathing at all. When all of a sudden, I stopped talking to it and noticed sounds coming from all around me. My ears were filled with chirping sounds of other birds as if they were in stereo, surround sound. I looked in the bay magnolia tree and in the crepe myrtle to see a few birds sitting on the branches chattering about. I looked down at the lifeless bird and said, "Not today, birdie."

I kept petting the top of it's head, then I'd pet it on either side of it's beak. A couple of small, down feathers fell out. (Must've been some kind of hard knock against the window!)

"Do you hear that?" I spoke. "That's your friends talking. They're waiting on you to come back." I began to feel the claws on it's feet move. I moved my hands from a lying position to holding the bird upright. No blood, nothing looked broken and all of it's flight feathers were still in tact. There's still hope. I slowly moved my right hand away that was holding it down to keep it from falling, and it lifted it's head. I don't know if the THUD "rang it's bell" or knocked it out, but the bird started to come to itself. While cupping it with my left hand and stroking it's head with my right hand, the bird chirping all around began to intensify as a few birds around us flew from one tree to another bush.  "They're waiting on you," I said petting it. "You've got to get up and fly again."

By this time, William and the kids noticed me through the windows holding the bird and came out to watch. Everyone got a chance to pet it's soft, feathered head as the bird became more aware of it's surroundings. (It was almost as if it was enjoying the attention by this point.) The claws moved on the palm of my hand and I could feel it's confidence coming back. After a few more strokes and pep talk, it was wide awake and flew to the nearby rose bush. Mission accomplished!

I began to think: How in the world could the bird NOT see the window? Not paying attention, not looking forward, careless maybe? When the blows of life hit, we begin to rationalize what just happened or even point fingers with "what were you thinking?!"

Matthew 6:26-27 says, "Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?"

In those moments, I noted several observations.

• The other birds knew this bird had fallen and seemed to stay close by.
• The fallen bird could've easily given up. But with a little bit of attention in the form of holding, petting and soft words, it came back.

Isn't that how our Heavenly Father approaches us? He provides everything we need according to Matthew 6:26-27, stays close by even if we don't feel Him, and speaks affirming words to us softly.

Rest in knowing God will provide when you've had your "bell rung". And may we all be as those birds sticking close by in the trees above our fallen birds to encourage them so they can get up to fly another day. Most people don't need reminded of how much they screwed up. They need to be reminded of how much we still care.

Thankful Thru The Chaos

A massive EF-4 tornado left death and destruction across portions of Alabama and Georgia last week. Hardest hit was Lee County, Alabama with 23 fatalities. One family lost 7 family members.

As a meteorologist studying weather patterns and forecast models, seeing the devastation from these storms cut like a knife every time. My family went through our own version of this in 2001 when our neighborhood was struck by an EF-4 tornado. It completely changed my perspective on covering severe weather, but it also made me more sensitive to the experiences faced in the aftermath.

In looking over the photos and path of the Lee County tornado, I came across video of Ernestine Reese. Just 20 minutes after her home was obliterated from the tornado, someone helped her FaceTime with relatives to let them know she was alive after being pulled from the debris. She suffered a broken hip, has since had surgery and recovering. But before leaving for the hospital, she told her relatives on the FaceTime, "I thank the Lord." She goes on to tell them, "Tell God 'thank ya'. Tell God 'thank ya'!" Ernestine said it with such enthusiasm, excitement, and gave a hardy belly laugh!

Ernestine Reese talks to her relatives via FaceTime while someone holds the iPhone for her.

When life is good, it's a breeze to tell God 'thank ya'. And while we may claim to praise Him even if we were to lose it all, we really don't know how much praising we'd do until we've lost everything we've gained. Lose your job and the security it gave, lose your home you've spent years saving for and making a home for your family, lose your reputation, or lose a loved one to a health crisis--Would you still praise God? Oh friend, it's so easy to say what you would do "if" that day came, but the only way to know what we would do is to have it happen. 

I've been there. I know.

Psalm 9:10 says, "Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you." Those who trust in God's provision and in His sovereignty can praise Him through the chaos that comes. Even though Ernestine lost her home, her hard earned possessions and was injured, her faith was strong enough that she could declare a "thank ya" to God.

Sometimes God's blessings are not in what He gives; but in what He takes away. Holding on to something that is good for you now, may be the very reason why you don't have something better.

Feeling Alone? Love Them Anyway!

I was chatting with a friend recently and she shared how alone she felt. People she knew for years and had solid relationships with seemed to turn on her. Here today, gone tomorrow. "I just don't understand what I've done? I thought our friendship was stronger than that," she said. "They believed what they heard from someone else and now, BOOM. They've disappeared." I asked if she had reached out to them to try and have a conversation with her 'friends' and perhaps talk through whatever issue that caused a separation. "I've tried and all I get is one word answers," she lamented. "It's like they want nothing to do with me because of what they were told."

My heart went out to her. I think we've ALL been there before.

Don't be surprised by individuals who are close to you for a season, and then disappear for a lifetime. It’s the ebb and flow of life. Few remain for a lifetime.  What may be surprising is when individuals chose to walk away because they heard “about you” from others. They walked away yet they never took the time to listen to you personally. How many times have we lost relationships with individuals because we heard the “version” rather than listened to them?

We have these discussions quite frequently with our kids to prepare them for adulthood. People will walk away without ever calling or visiting with you to listen to what is within your heart and why you made certain decisions. Yet no matter the amount of times this happens, don't become bitter toward them just because they chose to hear about you rather than listening to you or chose to believe the worst regarding your decisions. Learn to bless them, learn to respect them and learn to pray for the Lord to use them for His Glory. 

Ephesians 4:29-32 says, "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you."

Paul says here that those HEARING what we say about someone else should benefit from our conversation in a godly way.

Whoa...That hit me like a ton of bricks! While you may think a conversation about someone is occurring between you and another one privately, would a passerby eavesdropping, reading the text, listening on the phone conversation, be blessed by what you and another are saying about the other person or would they be shocked, appalled or disappointed? Would it taint their opinion of the other person?  Paul said to "Get rid of" it (verse 31). He said those people...you know, the ones you so badly want to gossip about, share what you've heard, or believe to be true...treat them with kindness and compassion and forgive them for whatever they've done to you or whatever you think they've done to you. For one day when you find yourself in the same position (and if you live long enough, it WILL happen), you will want kindness, compassion and forgiveness shown to you.

Don’t become so bitter that you can’t say, “Father forgive them”.