Category: Faith

Posted on

Focus Friday: Let’s Focus on What’s Behind You

Have you ever looked across the room to see someone smiling and waving at you, but you had no idea who they were?

You tentatively raise your hand to wave, but then you realize they’re actually waving at someone behind you. Oops. You drop your hand and try to act cool, hoping they didn’t see you.

Once Gary and I went back to one of our previous churches for an anniversary celebration. There was a get-together at the community center. We mingled and reconnected. Then, I saw an old friend. She got this big huge smile on her face and looked at me like “There you are! I haven’t seen you for such a long time!” Her arms opened for a hug. I smiled and walked over, got my hug, and talked to her for a minute. Then I realized she was actually after a hug from a man standing a little behind me who had been ill and was finally feeling well enough to get out and see people. How embarrassing!

Things like that have happened to me often enough that I usually assume someone is not waving at me. I tend to look over my shoulder to see who they’re actually trying to greet.

That’s what happened last night when I went to Baker Book House in Grand Rapids, Michigan for an author event prior to the Breathe Christian Writers Conference I’m attending this weekend. After I parked, I noticed two women almost at the front doors. One of them raised her arm and pointed in my direction for a second. I squinted and tried to figure out if it was someone I knew. I didn’t think so. So, I glanced back over my shoulder to see who they may be greeting instead.

Imagine my shock when I saw a big old raccoon waddling across the parking lot. He really wasn’t very far from me at all! I walked faster and pulled out my camera to document the attack. Just kidding. He actually went behind some cars and I had to wait til he came back out of hiding before I could get the picture in this week’s graphic.

It got me thinking about what’s behind us and how people point it out.

Of course, when people see someone they know behind us, they’re going to wave at them and smile. We can’t fault them for that and be upset because we thought they were waving at us.

On the other hand, I was almost miffed because those two ladies just pointed vaguely at the raccoon behind me instead of yelling, “Run! There’s a rabid raccoon right behind you!” (He probably wasn’t rabid, but it was a little freaky to see one out at that time of day.)

I started thinking about how God sees us.

He’s always looking right at us, with arms wide open and a look on His face that says He’s thrilled to see us. We never have to worry that He’s actually looking at someone else.

If there is danger behind us, He will consistently point it out. Not a casual, quick gesture that leaves us wondering what He’s pointing at, but a clear, urgent message to warn us (whether we heed that warning or not).

We don’t have to be confused or afraid of what’s behind us, so I guess this week’s title should actually be “Let’s Not Focus on What’s Behind Us.”

Let’s focus on what’s before us, keeping the LORD always in our view. Let’s go where He wants us to go, do what He wants us to do, and trust Him in the midst of whatever happens to us. (Even rabid raccoon attacks.)

“Surely the righteous will never be shaken; they will be remembered forever. They will have no fear of bad news; their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the LORD.” (Psalm 112:6-7 NIV)

Do you ever get stressed out about what’s behind you? How can focusing on God help you to look ahead and trust Him instead?

Posted on

Focus Friday: Let’s Focus on Fellowship Anxiety

Do you ever feel uncomfortable during fellowship time after church? I sometimes do.

I look around the room at all of these people – people I’ve grown to know and love over this past year – and I get a bit anxious. Who do I talk to? If I go up and start talking with that group of people over there, will that other group of people think I’m snubbing them? If I stand alone, will everyone pity me? If I go up and join a group that’s already talking, will they have to change what they’re talking about to include me?

It’s silly, but it happens. And I’m guessing it’s not just me.

Sure, there are extroverts that thrive on connecting with as many people as they can talk to on a Sunday morning.

But then there are the introverts. We thrive on time alone, even if we enjoy talking with others sometimes. So some Sundays will be fine and we’ll chat with quite a few people during fellowship time. And there will be some Sundays when we look around and decide to head for the door.

Maybe just talking about it here will make it a bit easier.

After all, even Paul felt anxiety: “Besides everything else, I have a daily burden because of my anxiety about all the churches. ” (2 Corinthians 11:28 International Standard Version)

We can cut ourselves some slack and realize there will be times when we feel anxious.

We can show others lots of grace when we see them heading for the door instead of staying to talk during fellowship time. Some weeks, they just might not be able to handle the uncertainty of being in the crowd.

So, should we do away with fellowship time after church? Should we all just head for the comforts of home and bypass the possibly awkward interactions with others?

I think not, because there are many good things that happen during fellowship time.

Visitors are greeted (hopefully!) and introduced to people during this time.

Children play with their friends right by the oldest members of the church, and they are blessed just by seeing each other in this special place.

Often, hugs or tears are shared as people talk about something they’re going through, and they are encouraged and strengthened as they realize someone cares.

If you sometimes feel a bit anxious during fellowship time, here are a few things you can try:

Look around and find someone who is standing alone. They may be feeling a little of the anxiety you’re experiencing and will welcome having someone to talk to.

Try to develop a “There you are!” attitude, instead of a “Here I am!” mindset. “Here I am!” begs for people to notice us. We get upset and offended when they don’t go out of their way to connect with us. A “There you are!” attitude looks for someone who needs some love, encouragement, and connection.

Pray for the people you see all around you. Maybe you won’t even mind standing alone if you can learn to just enjoy watching others interacting while you silently pray for them by name.

Remember that everyone feels a little social anxiety at times. Take a deep breath, smile, and start talking to someone. You just might feel your anxiety disappear as you get to know your fellow church members better.

(And if none of those ideas work, you can always just head for the door and see if next week feels better!)

“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” (Hebrews 10:24-25 NIV)

Do you ever feel anxious during fellowship time at church? How can focusing on God help you to see the great benefits of spending time with other believers after the worship service?

Posted on

Focus Friday: Let’s Focus on Wasting Bacon

I had a little “oops” with some bacon this week. Five strips wouldn’t fit on the main sheet pan I was using, so I put them on another pan and set them on the rack below the other pan and set the timer for 20 minutes.

I got busy with something else, and when I went to take it out, I could see smoke coming out of the vent. I knew I was in trouble. Sure enough, the charred remains greeted me when I opened the oven door.

Luckily, the other pan looked nicely done and it tasted delicious.

But I sure hated wasting that precious bacon.

Bacon’s not cheap, you know. Someone had given us some nice tomatoes, and we already had part of a head of lettuce, so we just had to splurge so we could make BLTs.

A little more thought could have prevented my bacon disaster. Of course, putting them closer to the heat source in the oven would get them done faster. I should have thought of that. I could have moved the rack higher, or watched the bacon to make sure it didn’t burn.

This was just a cooking mistake. No big deal, right? At least the rest of the bacon survived.

I’m afraid there may be other areas of my life where I’m not careful and I “waste the bacon,” so to speak.

Time is precious, but I sometimes squander it with thoughtless activities that don’t do me or anyone else any good.

Words are precious, but I sometimes burn someone with a thoughtless comment (usually my poor husband).

Money is precious, but I sometimes spend it on frivolous things I don’t need (not too often, but when I do I have that feeling of regret, like seeing that burned bacon coming out of the oven).

Thoughts are precious, but I sometimes allow my mind to wander and fixate on negative things that lead to all sorts of bad feelings (and sometimes, actions).

Just a little wisdom and care will help us not to “waste the bacon.”

We can plan our days so we aren’t wasting precious time.

We can pray and think before we speak so we don’t burn anyone with our precious words.

We can stop and consider our purchases so we don’t waste our precious money.

We can take our thoughts captive and make sure they’re good for us so we use our precious thoughts well.

And we can keep an eye on whatever is in the oven so we don’t waste our precious bacon.

“Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. ” (Ephesians 5:15-17 NIV)

Have you ever wasted bacon (or anything else) because you weren’t careful? How can focusing on God help you to have those times of waste happen less frequently?

Posted on

Focus Friday: Let’s Focus on Cheering For the Right Team

It’s football season. We aren’t big into sports, but we went to the Homecoming game tonight.

After we chose our seats, we realized just how close we were to the fans of the opposing team. They were in the next section over, and it was even closer for us because we sat in the top row with the stairs in front of us.

It was pretty uncomfortable, really.

I didn’t feel like I could clap wholeheartedly for our team when the other team’s supporters were sitting right next to me.

It was awkward when they were yelling, “Go! Go! Go!” and I was muttering, “Get him! Get him! Get him!”

Our cheerleaders were way down in front of our student section, and their cheerleaders were in front of the next section over from us. I couldn’t help it when my foot started tapping in rhythm with their cheers once in a while.

If I stopped paying close attention to the game, I almost started clapping when their fans did.

Our team lost, but I’m glad we went to see them play. We saw them make one sweet touchdown (the guy next to me even commented to a friend about how great our quarterback dropped it in there) and it was just good to see those kids working together and trying.

I couldn’t help but think about how we live our lives as I watched the game and pondered our poor choice of seats.

Just think about how much stronger we could be if we chose to sit right in the middle of our team’s section, surrounded by people who were wholeheartedly cheering for the same things we were. We could have our own cheerleaders right in front of us, leading us in encouraging our team. Sure, we could still see the other team and their fans, but we could feel much more secure in our support. We could clap louder, yell like crazy when our team is heading for the end zone, and high five those around us when the touchdown happens.

We have to be all in when it comes to our faith. If we claim to be Christians, there’s no sitting on the edge and expecting our faith to be strong. We’re going to be distracted by what is going on in the world. We may be tempted to tone down our enthusiasm because we’re worried about what the world will think. We might feel offended if we hear an unbeliever criticizing our beliefs or, worse yet, we might scoot over and join them in cheering for many things we previously thought were wrong.

Now, I know this is a very weak analogy. The other team and its fans are not evil, and it’s not the end of the world if our team doesn’t win a football game.

But thinking spiritually, the stakes really are much higher. There is a battle going on between good and evil in the world. We need the help, encouragement, and support of other Christians if we’re going to win the battle. We can’t stay on the edge when it comes to our faith. We have to get right in there and give it our all.

Let’s make sure we’re cheering for the right team. (Go Panthers!)

“He [Christ] is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ. To this end I strenuously contend with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me.” (Colossians 1:28-29 NIV)

Are you all in, or are you “sitting on the edge” as far as your faith goes? How can focusing on God help you to always cheer for the right team?

Posted on

Focus Friday: Let’s Focus on Overwhelm

Overwhelm is a verb. One meaning is “to bury or drown beneath a huge mass.” Another meaning is “to give too much of a thing to (someone).”

So when we say we’re overwhelmed, it’s basically saying that we’re drowning. We’ve been given too much of something.

I’ve felt that way about emails lately.

I had gotten my inbox down to zero and was keeping it that way for a while, but then all of these amazing offers started appearing on Facebook and other places. Free ebooks! Free webinars! Free video series!

I started handing out my email address to get all of these free things and now I’m overwhelmed.

Drowning in emails. The offers I signed up for were all good, but they led to more and more communication and hopes that I’d join their latest online course or program.

And as I peruse all of these emails and videos and ebooks, I’m using precious time that could better be spent writing or doing something else that will move me farther along in the goals I have for myself.

Once again, I’ve lost my focus.

Not completely, though. I have been reading the Bible each morning and talking to God throughout the day. Because I’m doing that, I think God is showing me that it’s time to get out from under the overwhelm. It’s time to unsubscribe from the majority of people sending me emails and just stick to the ones that really help me in my goals, instead of just introducing me to more and more possibilities.

We only have so much time.

Let’s be wise about what we allow into our lives.

That might mean turning off the TV at times, or putting a limit on our social media usage, or unsubscribing from some email lists.

If we do that, then we can focus on the overwhelming love and grace of God in our lives. It’s amazing that “too much” of those things doesn’t bury us or drown us at all.

Instead, overwhelming love and grace lift us up and give us peace.

“I am overwhelmed with joy in the LORD my God!” (Isaiah 61:10a NLT) 

Are you overwhelmed by too many things going on around you? How can focusing on God help you to let go of some of those things so you can experience His overwhelming love and grace instead?