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Maturing Faith: Microwave Society -By Karla

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white oven in brown wooden rack
Photo by Mike B on Pexels.com

As a toddler, my oldest loved trying out new words. I remember her sitting at the table, eating her breakfast. The microwave buzzer signaled; my hot tea was ready for its daily job, to wake me. She tried to pronounce the word, and while I do not remember her exact attempt, I vividly remember the next few seconds. 

“Honey, the word is microwave. Say micro.”
She repeated successfully.
Then I added the word, “wave”.
She smiled so big, picked up her little arm and waved with great vigor!

That memory has been precious to me for almost 30 years! I can still see her little expression of triumph. 

Microwaving Our Faith

Living in a remote-controlled world, we can easily be influenced, thinking that we can push a button. Zap our trials will be done.  In addition, our mindset is often that we can microwave our faith, warming it up when hard times are upon us.

When storms come crashing in, we wish we had a “faith like Daniel”. A faith that knows beyond a shadow of a doubt that God has our back. We desire assurance that God will tame our lions in the dark dens or stand in the fires like He did with Shadrack, Meshack, and Abendnego. 

Misconceptions

Perhaps, our faith has not developed like Daniel and his friends for a couple of reasons. 

  • Are we expecting a Daniel-like faith without even being plugged into God’s word, as if the microwave would even work without its source of energy?
  • Are we living a lukewarm life as a Christian while we are trying to grow our faith? Even while being held captive in a foreign land without others who believed in God, Daniel and his friends were living for God. 
    • Are we living for God in our ungodly world?
    • Are we just luke-warm Christians, who walk in the doors of the church sporadically?
    • Are we desiring to walk in God’s daily presence on Sundays during worship, but setting Him aside Monday through Saturday?
    • Are we guilty of expecting God to be there for us as on demand when life gets tough?

We all know the slow-cooker would be the best means for cooking a roast, not by zapping it for a few minutes. Are we believing that God can carry us through the torrential trials, with microwave faith? 

The Ah-Ha Bell Should Be Dinging

God allows trials for our dependence on Him to bloom and flourish. If the trial is over quickly, that dependency will not have time to marinate. 

Faith Like Daniel’s

A Daniel-like faith takes time to develop. This faith boils when we study God’s word. Our trust in God’s abilities simmers when the difficulties in our lives do not resolve themselves by the push of a button. As we continue through the trial, our matured faith will sustain us, providing the needed courage, strength, and hope to continue

And we know that all things God works for the good of those who love him,
who have been called according to his purpose.

-Romans 8:28 

Even though microwaving is a quick fix, we must still complete steps to be successful  in getting that warm dish. Developing a stronger faith through trials requires taking those steps that bring us closer to God: confession, daily time in God’s word, attending church, encouraged by fellow Christians. With these strides, we can begin to develop a Daniel-like faith. 

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Time After Time -By Karla

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Jimmy, the only boy cousin among seven girls, lay on his new weight bench, pumping iron. In 1980, the apparatus was simple in style, but that fact did not diminish the excitement we both had for his new toy. The two of us are the same age and are always messing with each other. Cheetos were used as his favorite tool of torture in our youth. Time after time, he would sneak those gross fake-cheese crunches or putrid puffs in my spaghetti, beef stew, or sandwich every chance he could get.

I Can Do Anything You Can Do Better

That day, while Jimmy imagined building his muscles, I started mouthing how I could do anything he could do. Almost scoffing at me, he raised his arms up and down. “You can’t do this. It is too heavy for you.” He continued pumping as I schemed about how to get my fair turn. 

Way more of the strain than the gain!

Finally, he tried and left his room. Sitting on the bed, I stared at the weights. If I thought of removing some of the heavy discs to make the load lighter, I do not remember. It is more probable that I was still insistent that I could do anything Jimmy could. So, I bounded from the bed onto the bench. I closed my eyes, imagining where he placed his hands on the bar. Taking in a deep breath, with serious determination, I strained to lift the bar. 

Or At Least Die Trying

I rolled the bar off the Y-shaped stand. It plummeted onto my neck. And it was stuck there.

Right! He was right. I cannot lift this! 

Panic set in as the weights were constricting my air passage. I thought I should yell, but I couldn’t since my voice box was smashed as well! Think. Sit up. Of course, that was not so easy. Slowly, I rolled upward. The clunky bar began sliding from my neck to my chest. Thankfully, I could breath, though labored.

I should not have done this! 

At what seemed like an hour, I had managed to roll the weights onto my lap. From there, I struggled to stand as the bar and weights fell to the floor with a big thump. Dashing out of his room, I prayed he would think he just left them on the floor and I would not have to face the humiliation of the fact that I was so weak!

Still Trying To Prove

Years later, I wonder how many times I have ignored or scoffed off God’s instructions to me. Too many and too embarrassing to reflect. 

Jimmy really was trying to protect me, but would I listen. Nope! Time after time I think I know best for the whos, whats, whens, wheres, hows, and whys! The whens and hows are my weakest links. I seem to want it done my way and when I want it! 

Time After Time

And so, just like that day back in the early 80s, I take things in my own hands. I will give myself a little credit. I do not consciously think I am trying to show God that I can do it myself, without Him. However, I am attempting on my own! Even worse, are the times I pray, asking God for something, and then I pitifully make efforts to do it better! 

Ummm, let’s think about this. 

“Every action has a consequence. Some consequences are good, but some are bad.” -Mom

Jonah thought his way was better, but he ended up inside a whale! Sarah thought her way was better and encouraged her husband to sleep with her nursemaid! 

Today’s Conclusion

Lord, help me! Protect me from myself: my thoughts, my want-it-now timeline, and my impetus actions.

“As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts” -Isaiah 55:9

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Book Review: The Rose and the Thistle

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I enjoyed the journey through the Great Britain terrain as I invested my time in Blythe and Everard’s lives. I enjoyed reading Laura Fraztz’s The Rose and the Thistle. In the early 1700s, the political scene was in disaccord. A duke’s daughter and a Scottish laird are thrust into living arrangement, which brings about discontentment on both sides. 

Frantz weaves a touching tale of wealth and position in uncertain days. 

She entices the reader to turn the pages by developing both the main and minor characters’ identities. While Blythe’s family’s behavior caused me to root for her survival, I found myself desiring to learn how Everard’s greedy and unruly brother’s actions would affect his family. 

I am not well versed in the governing aspects of this time period in Great Britain. The crucial setting of this novel required me to explore the era and the colloquialisms. Thus, slowing down the adventure at times. 

Laura Frantz’s descriptive words bring to life the countryside, costumes, and castles as well as  the deep emotions of the character’s grief for loved ones, loyalty to family, and fears of the future. I found myself transported in time, wanting to discover Blythe and Everard’s destiny. 

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell Publishing through the Revell Read blogger program. The opinions expressed are my own.

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Forgiveness: Giggles and Grudges -By Karla

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Best Friends

Recently my daughter Lindsey’s best friend got married. Oh, the adventures these two girls have had over the years. I will never let them the time they their giggles caused them to not pay attention. Hence, while carrying tiki torches to the pond, they caught the woods on fire! They have been the best of friends since four and five. Never have a heard them hold a grudge.

Traveling Buddies

Lindsey and Mary Faith have traveled so many places. One threw up over the mountainous road, heading toward GA camp (Girls in Action). Soon after, they tread into baptismal waters on the same day, sealing their friendship on a deeper level as they are now Christian sisters. Mary Faith’s grandparents were probably never the same after traveling with these two girls and hearing their giggles for days to North Carolina for vacation. There have been trips to Florida together with the moms and siblings as well. Countless laughs over the years!

Today or Yesteryear?

Along with another friend, I hosted a bridal shower for Mary Faith. We played a “how well do you know the bride” game. It asked questions like where and when did the bride and groom meet. Other questions focused on the bride: when is her birthday and what is her favorite color? As I continued to answer the questions, memories cascaded into my mind. She is just like a daughter to me. 

As they stood before the group, one minute I viewed them as graceful grown ladies and the next as the two insecure, sill teenagers from yesteryear. We began sharing our answers, and I realized I was getting many incorrect.

How are my answers incorrect? I know her so well.

What Is Your Favorite . . .

“What is Mary Faith’s favorite sport?” Lindsey polled. I was torn between basketball and volleyball. They played both of these together for years at school. Volleyball! That’s the right choice. When Mary Faith revealed, “hockey”, I shook my head in disbelief.

“Favorite movie?” I responded Twitches! This movie scared the girls so badly when they were preteens that they cried. I knew Ella Enchanted was probably the bulls-eye answer, so I went with that. But again, I was wrong. What in the world is wrong with her? Her answers are not matching mine–which I knew were correct!  The memory of the Twitches was too good not to share. The girls doubled over in laughter at the recollection as did the attendees. 

At the end of the game, I asked if I could share Mary Faith’s favorite song because, obviously, she did not know it. “Hoedown Throwdown!” by Miley Cyrus,” I shouted. More giggles. Before the event had concluded, they did a short rendition of the childhood dance. 

Frozen Giggles

Driving home loaded with leftovers and decorations, I realized that I had frozen time. I had Mary Faith stuck in my head as a girl—different ages spanning in time for many years, but still my memories where frozen in time. As wrong as my answers had been, I knew they had been right at some point in time. I never entertained the possibility that she was not that person anymore. At that moment, my brain had another jolt. I wonder how many times I do that with people. 

The situation of freezing memories of them in their younger years caused me to evaluate another thing that I have been guilty of freezing in time.

Frozen Grudges

We often hold onto grudges from the past towards people who have mistreated us–not even remotely considering that person might have changed over the years.

We all have people who have done us wrong. There was the girl in junior high that dared the boy to “go with me” as a joke, the co-worker who “said this”, or the relative who “did that”. In our minds, we so often hold onto that memory and freeze it in time. We clinch it into our fist and hold it so tightly that we cannot breathe around it. Possibly, with each time we think or retell the incident, the anger gets stronger.

I very much recognize that there are people who we truly must guard our hearts from because they have hurt us, and if we let them, they will continue to hurt us. But, these people are few and far between, and even with these people, God asks us to not hold onto that anger.

“and when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.” 

Mark 11:25

Freeze framing injustice limits our spiritual growth. When we keep grievances alive in our memory and heart, we sin against God. How thankful are we that God has removed the sins we have commented against Him as far as the east is from the west (Psalm 103:12). Animosity towards others is not biblical. Matthew shares how Peter asked Jesus how many times we are to forgive. Jesus answered him, “I say not unto thee, until seven times: but, until seventy times seven.”

Just like Mary Faith is no longer that giggly girl that she was years ago, those people who have wronged us, may have changed over time as well. Yet, we often still freeze the moment they hurt us and the accompanying feelings. Give them the benefit of the doubt. Let the past stay in the past, letting go of that grudges. As Ana from Frozen would say, “Let it go; let it go.” 

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