rebel

It all started with a daith piercing.  I got it pierced a week ago after seeing stories about how it has helped some people suffering from migraines and headaches.  (No headaches for me since I did it!)  Getting a daith piercing awakened what I call my "rebellious side".  Rebel is the last word that anyone, including me, would use to describe me.  I like the security of my routines.  I don't mind being predictable.  I am a rule follower and a people-pleaser.  I've always been a "nice girl" who does the right thing.  Piercing or not, I'm still Dawn.  I will continue to stick to my routines and be predictable.  I will always choose to act with integrity and responsibility.

However, the word rebel has been bouncing around in my head for the last week.  I asked God why I couldn't let go of it.  He responded, "Jesus was a rebel."  I never thought about that.  Jesus did what His Father told Him to do.  It didn't matter to Jesus what people thought of Him.  He was obedient to God.  The Bible talks over and over about the Pharisees being disgruntled with Him...eventually so much that they killed Him.  Jesus was a rebel in the world, but He was obedient to His Father in heaven.

That's the kind of rebel I want to be.  I want to be a Christian who is obedient to her Heavenly Father so that He can use me to change the world...or at least my little part of it...even if people don't understand me.  I want to do things that are unexpected...loving unconditionally (the way God loves me), stopping in the middle of my routine to pray or encourage or hug someone, listening with undivided attention, acting and speaking with kindness, serving others and putting their needs before mine.

I want so desperately to be more like Jesus and I am grateful that God is doing a good work in me!  I want to bring His light and His love to a dark and hurting world.  I guess there is a rebel inside me!

every good and perfect gift is from above

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.  James 1:17

I was awake before anyone else in my house this morning.  Rare and precious moments of solitude were mine.  I poured a cup of coffee and settled into my favorite chair with my fuzzy blanket.  My heart content, my mind quiet, my spirit seeking God.  My heart heard a quiet whisper, "Every good and perfect gift is from above."  Truth.

God only gives good and perfect gifts!  He does not bring hardship, pain, suffering, disease, injury, loss, or any other yucky thing into our lives.  None of those things are a part of Him and He can't give what He doesn't have!  The devil is the one whose goal is to steal, kill, and destroy.  He tries over and over again to separate us from God, trying to convince us that God is the one hurting us.  IMPOSSIBLE!

The Bible says God is love, and not just love, but perfect love!  God is a good, good Father!  (Thanks, Chris Tomlin, for an amazing song!)  The Apostle Paul wrote, "And my God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus!" (Philippians 4:19)  God will meet ALL of our needs...that includes physical, emotional, spiritual, financial.  God has EVERYTHING we need!  And He willingly gives good and perfect gifts to us.

So often, I waste my time and energy trying to figure out how to get what I think I need.  God already knows which of His good and perfect gifts will fill my need, and He lovingly gives them when I am willing and ready to receive from Him instead of looking for my own ways to meet my needs.  I make it so complicated.  God's way is simple and Philippians 4:6 tells me exactly what to do.  Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  Simple truth!

Every good and perfect gift is from above!  I will lift up my eyes to the hills-where does my help come from?  My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth!  (Psalm 121:1-2)

the truth about me

I heard myself say, "I'm not smart enough" this week.  And not just once...several times on at least 2 different days.  And then I ignored the red lights and alarms that went off in my head in response...my built in lie detector.  Spoken words are so powerful for me, but when they come out of my own mouth they pack even more punch.  They go straight from my ears to my brain and then lodge deeply in my heart.  And before I know it, the lies that I speak about myself have become "truth".

Truth is a difficult concept for me to grasp about myself.  It isn't necessarily about numbers or measurable quantities.  It definitely is not about my feelings or my perceptions.  Truth is not always what appears to be real or factual.  What is true is always true regardless of my feelings, regardless of how people respond to me, regardless of my IQ or my weight.

Here's an example.  I'm a runner...that is truth.  The numerical facts are that I haven't run more than 4 miles at a time in months and I have never run a mile in 10 minutes or less.  The reality is that I often need quick walk breaks during my runs.  I have never run more than a 10K.  Do any of those observable facts mean I'm not really a runner?  No!  I am a runner!

The devil lies to me all the time, telling me that my feelings and my perceptions are truth!  He traps me in comparisons of myself with my very talented friends.  There is a reason the Bible calls him the father of lies!  I'm learning to pay attention to the warning lights and sirens...they work again!  I'm learning to fill my brain and my heart with the truth about me...what God thinks about me.

And the truth is that God loves me!  I am His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for me to do!  (Ephesians 2:10)  I am fearfully and wonderfully made!  (Psalm 139:14)  God gave me gifts that He chose specifically for me.  I am unique combination of abilities found in no one else!  There is no one else on the planet who is like Dawn Marie Dow Karr!  And THAT is the truth about me!