Day 13- I Thessalonians 5:16-18

I remember reading about these verses in "The Hiding Place" by Corrie Ten Boom. She wrote about the fact that her sister and herself were locked in a room with other women in a concentration camp. They had a Bible with them and they would have a Bible study with the other women. Her sister kept encouraging them with this verse and began to give thanks for everything in that room, including the fleas. Corrie thought she was crazy for thanking God for the fleas, but she appreciated her sister's willingness to be thankful for everything.

Later on, they found out that the guards tried to avoid coming to their living quarters because the conditions were so bad. The fleas were one of the worst things about going there for them. Since they avoided going to where they lived, the women were able to worship God freely and read the Bible without much fear of punishment. How amazing to think that thanking God for the fleas could change the lives of so many women and allow them to learn more about Him!

Question: What have the fleas in your life been? Did you know that you should be thankful for them while you were going through that particular situation?

Day 12- Romans 8:28-30

Yes, I skipped a few days, but it was because the ones that I had written on days 9-11 were too personal or they were just lame... I'm sure that will happen a few more times during this Lent experience. Moving on...

Everything in life happens for a reason and there is a purpose, even if it's hard to understand at the time. The one that sticks out in my mind was when my friend, Kirk Cutrell, died during our sophomore year of high school. I remember trying so hard to understand why he died an unexpected death at the age of 15 and thinking there could never be any good that came from it. It wasn't until I was teaching high school and 4 students died during my 2 years there, that I realized how much that tragic situation had caused me to learn. I was able to relate to what those kids were going through because I had been in the exact same situation when I was their age. I'm sure that other people who dealt with Kirk's death also had learning experiences that were different from mine, but I think that a lot of us were able to apply that terrible situation later on in life. I would still rather have him here on earth, but I know that his dying caused myself and others to break. I also know that one's area of brokenness can usually end up being their greatest ministry.

Question: When was a time that you suffered tragedy and were later able to see God's hand in it?

Day 8- Isaiah 40:29-31

Warren Wiersbe told a story about a little boy and girl who were climbing. The little boy said something to her about how rocky and bumpy it was on the hill, so it was making it difficult for him to walk. The little girl said to him, "That's okay, the bumps are what you climb on." I loved that little story and it has stuck with me since I read it five years ago. It's true that there are times when you have to grow because of the bad stuff you're going through, but it will make you stronger.

Question: What were some bumps in your life that God gave you the opportunity to climb on?

Day 7- Matthew 22:36-40

Once again, it all comes back to love. I had never realized that Jesus said that the 2nd Commandment, "Love your neighbor as yourself," was EQUALLY as important as, "Love the Lord your God will all your heart, soul, strength, and mind." I think the reason he said that it was equally important was because you can't have one without the other. Someone can't love the Lord with all of their being, then do something hateful to another person. If they love the Lord, then their words and actions are going to reflect that.

Question: When was a time that you claimed to love Jesus, but there were people in your life that you weren't loving?

Day 6- Luke 9:46-48

Shane Claiborne spoke at Ichthus last year and he was talking about his experiences in working with Mother Teresa in India. He said that he remembered her feet being pretty torn up and gnarled. I don't remember if he asked her how they got like that because I can't imagine him asking her, "Why are your feet so ugly?" He did find out that it was because they received shoe donations on occasion at their home and they always had just enough for each person who lived there to have one pair. She would go through the shoes, give all of them away, and keep the worst pair for herself. She put everyone's needs ahead of her own and that's a huge reason that she is remembered as one of the greatest people in history.

Question: What is something you can do to make yourself the least among others?

Day 5- Proverbs 4:20-27

This passage of scripture includes Proverbs 4:23, "Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life." You know... the one that many Christians like to use when warning single people not to open up too quickly to the opposite sex because they might end up getting hurt. When I read all of this together, though, it put into perspective what the Father's wise advice is. I had heard someone say before that you should guard the good things in your life as well. They were talking about remembering the good, pure things that have happened in your life and keeping them with you when you're dealing with issues at the present time.

One example from my own life was when I was 14 years old and at Magic Mountain on a youth group trip. I remember looking up at Colossus while we were walking back from the parking lot and thinking that nothing in this life is going to matter when it's all said and done. All that will matter in the end is that I've known Jesus and have told people about Him in order for them to know Him.

It's been over half my life since that thought crossed my mind, but it's also been one that I've kept close to my heart because I know that it was from God. Remembering that experience has helped when times were tough. Like the 2 month time period when one of my friends passed away, I got an ear infection that left me deaf for about a week, and I got the chicken pox. Remembering the Colossus experience during times like that made me more aware of God showing His love to me.

Question: What is a good thing that has happened to you that you need to keep close to your heart?

Day 4- Psalm 37:4-7

Up until a few years ago, I had thought that Psalm 37:4 meant that I would get what I wanted when I took delight in the Lord. Sort of like He was a genie who would grant my wishes if I was nice to Him and did the things I was supposed to. Tim Yee spoke about this verse and was saying that God plants certain desires in each of us when we're taking delight in Him. If I'm truly worshiping God with my entire life, then I'll know the things that I'm supposed to do. If I light up around kids or people with disabilities, then He's showing me that it's my heart's desire to work with those populations of people. Being still in God's presence, waiting patiently for Him to act. These are times when He reveals Himself to each of us.

Question: When have you known that you were taking delight in the Lord? Did He show you anything about your desires at that time?