U is for Ugly, by Susan Barclay

 

Our stories are important and have value - even the "ugly" parts. Our stories aren't meant to be hidden; hiding the facts of our real lives implies shame, which is actually a component of pride. Think about it. 

The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (5th edition) defines shame as 

1. A painful emotion caused by the awareness of having done something wrong or foolish. 
2. Respect for propriety or morality.
3. A pervasive, negative emotional state, usually originating in childhood, marked by chronic self-reproach and a sense of personal failure.

Pride says, "Don't let anyone know you've done something wrong or foolish. Don't let anyone know you've behaved improperly or immorally. Don't let anyone know you've failed." Pride wants to project an image of perfection, an image of superiority. Pride is associated with the enemy of our souls.

How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, you who laid the nations low! You said in your heart, "I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit on the mount of assembly on the heights of Zaphon; I will ascend to the tops of the clouds, I will make myself like the Most High" ~Isaiah 14:12-14

satan, the prince of pride, wants us to keep the embarrassing parts of our stories secret. He wants us to believe we need to project to the world a certain image of ourselves, an image of someone who has it all together, who does no wrong. When Adam and Eve "realized they were naked...they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves" (Genesis 3:7). Why? Because they wanted to appear clean, not just physically but spiritually. Of course, their efforts backfired because there's just no hiding from God.

Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account. ~Hebrews 4:13

If we didn't know the ugly parts of Adam and Eve's story or the ugly parts of the stories of so many figures from the Bible, would Jesus's story have as much impact? How would we know we even need Jesus at all?

When we cover up the ugly parts of our stories, we do ourselves and others a disfavour and we fail to honour God. We're giving people a false impression of who we are and what our lives look like, and we're denying them the freedom to be real with us in exchange. Because, guess what? All of our stories have components of ugliness. There is nothing new under the sun (Ecclesiastes 1:9).

Author and social scientist, Brene Brown, has much to say about the value of vulnerability:

Vulnerability is the core, the heart, the center of meaningful human experience.

Staying vulnerable is a risk we have to take if we want to experience connection.

Vulnerability sounds like truth and feels like courage.

When we refuse to be vulnerable and truth-telling, we miss opportunities to connect, to share our experiences with others in ways that might help them, to show the empathy and compassion that naturally result from going through trials, to bless and be blessed. We even miss the opportunity to glorify God, which is a big reason we are here.

Sharing the ugly parts of our stories is hard. We don't know how others will respond. Will they react with kindness and understanding or with judgment and fear? Will they move toward or away from us? Will they grieve with us (if that's what we need), or ridicule and gossip about us? These are legitimate concerns. I know one couple who shared their heartbreaking story with their pastor and his wife. The pastor and his wife promised to walk alongside them in their journey, then immediately cut them off and had nothing more to do with them. This grieves the heart of God! 

What should we do with our ugly when we don't want the negative reactions but want to share our stories to encourage and give hope to others, to let them know what God has done in our lives? I believe there are a number of things:

1. Start by asking God what He wants you to do. Maybe there's a specific person, couple, family, or group that He wants you to share with. You don't have to spill your "guts" to the whole world unless He specifically says so.
2. Start also by telling your story to one or two people you absolutely trust to hold it gently. They may know someone else who needs to hear your experience and reassurance that God is on the throne. He is working behind the scenes even when we cannot see. His timing and ways are not ours.
   
3. Respond in obedience to God's leading and nudges. Start small if you have to. He honours the small beginnings (ref Zechariah 4:10). 
4. Ask yourself what you're willing to bear for His sake. Also, know yourself: how thick is your "skin"? As writers, we have likely all experienced rejection of our work, but rejection of our most personal stories and selves is another thing. Remember, that if God is calling you to share it, He's giving you the strength to bear the outcomes. If even just one person is helped by sharing, is it worth it?
   
5. Recognize that you're not responsible for how others respond. Leave their responses to the LORD, as well as any personal need for vindication. 
6. Make God the focus and centre of your story, not yourself.
7. Use a pen name if you feel God is calling you to share your story publicly but you're not ready to identify yourself.
8. Make sure you have permission to share from others who are intimately connected with your story. If your spouse, children, or parents are involved and the story reflects negatively on them, you may need to wait for them to be willing. Without their agreement, you can only share your part.
   
9. Remember the impact of other people's stories on you. I'm sure we've all read the work of authors whose stories have power. God can use our stories, too, especially if we're willing to be vulnerable! 
10. Remember that God has allowed our trials and struggles for a purpose. We aren't to be ashamed of them (in spite of any regrets we may have) and we aren't to hide them under a bushel. We were made for connection. Again, you don't have to share all the gory details with the whole world. You can dip your toes in the water with just one person.

I hope this post has given all of us food for thought. 

Be encouraged:

He gives "beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair." ~Isaiah 61:3

[His] ways [are] higher than [our] ways and [His] thoughts than [our] thoughts ~Isaiah 55:9.

Trust Him to "do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us." ~Ephesians 3:20

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose ~Romans 8:28. If it's not good, then He's not done!

Don't be ashamed of ugly. Fix your eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of your faith (Hebrews 12:2), the Author of your story! Let Him use your story and turn for good what the enemy meant for evil (Genesis 50:20). Let Him make something beautiful out of your whole life. He is able!!

_____________________

For more about Susan Barclay and her writing, please visit www.susan-barclay.blogspot.com. 

 

O is for Omega and also Omicron by Susan Barclay

 

I recently finished reading Amazing Grace: the Life of John Newton and the Surprising Story Behind His Song by Bruce Hindmarsh and Craig Borlase. Among the fascinating facts this well-researched book offers is that John Newton wrote his autobiography anonymously to share the truth without becoming the spotlight. A later book, Twenty-six Letters on Religious Subjects, was published under the Greek word Omicron, because "Christ was the Omega, or large O in Greek, but John was simply Omicron, the smaller o."  Hindmarsh states eloquently, "You don't celebrate a monument: you celebrate what it points to." 

A powerful preacher, sermon- and hymn-writer, with an incredible conversion story, Newton might have capitalized on his assets. Instead, he served his churches and communities with the humble heart of a true pastor, going the extra mile as few others would, never forgetting the grace poured out on him by a merciful and loving God.

The point of this post for us as inspirational writers is this: how do we see ourselves? Do we seek to be celebrated for the gifts or testimonies God has given us, or do we seek to use our gifts and stories for His glory alone? Do we long for name recognition or to make His name famous?

God's Word is emphatic that He abhors pride and values humility. 

James 4:6 says, "...God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." Verse 10 adds, "Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you."

Colossians 3:2 says, "Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth." A parallel scripture, "Store up not for yourselves treasures on earth... but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven..." (Matthew 6:19-20).

We have a tendency to want our work to be read and for all our effort to be rewarded. Is our motive God- or self-centred? Are we focused on flesh or spirit? Do we want our work to be read because it points people to Him or because we think it's a good story? Just thinking out loud here...

Psalm 25:9 says, "He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble His way."

Let Psalm 86:11 be our prayer today:

Teach me your ways, O Lord,
    that I may live according to your truth!
Grant me purity of heart,
    so that I may honour you.

May He be both our Alpha and Omega as He becomes more and we become less. May the name that matters most to us be His.

_______________________

For more about Susan Barclay and her writing, please visit www.susan-barclay.blogspot.com.

 

 

Tracy Krauss - A Nation Inspired

Inspiration can come from many places and in many forms. Sometimes it is a mere sense of well being; an inner nudge that you tuck away and ruminate on later in the day. Sometimes it is an explosion that must be satisfied immediately through a frenzy of creative activity. Beyond the usual scope of beauty in our surroundings, I believe that patriotism, national pride, and even fervor for a favorite team can spark the inspirational muse.

Right now we have an interesting situation in Canada that is sparking just this kind of fervor and pride. Of course, you all know what I'm talking about. The Vancouver Canucks are in a final show down for the Stanley Cup Finals against the Boston Bruins. The fact that game seven is TONIGHT has not been an optimal situation for Vancouver fans, but even if you don't normally like hockey, you'd have to be a hermit to not take at least a smidgen of interest in tonight's outcome.

Like it or not, we do take a certain collective pride in our national sport here in Canada. Hockey is 'Our Game'. It was invented here and the majority of the elite players in the NHL still come from Canada, despite an influx of talented American and European players. Hockey permeates our culture. The ice rink is the hub of every community, from small towns to large centres. You don't have to be a fan to know that this is true. Hockey permeates our culture the way very few other things can ... even in June!

The swell of 'Canuck fever' is reminiscent of the pride that permeated our country during the Olympics just a little over a year ago. As Canadians, we have rarely felt the intensity of patriotism and pride in our nation as we did during those games. The crowning moment, of course, was winning the gold medal game in Men's Hockey. And now, here we are, back in Vancouver, waiting on the edge of our seats for this evenings spectacle to unfold.



Whatever the outcome, I'm proud to be part of this great nation we call home. And if it takes a hockey game or two to remind us, well, that's okay by me.

A sad postscript:  By now, I'm sure you are aware of the outcome of the game. Although disappointed at the Vancouver loss, no words can adequately describe the utter disgust I feel at the mob's shameful behavior afterward. What a horrible blight on such a beautiful city. I can't help but make the comparison between this scene and a similar 'mob mentality' in the Bible. Adoring fans cried 'Hosanna' in the street, yet days later their voices yelled, 'Crucify him!'. What darkness lies within the heart of man.  Perhaps this post would have been better titles "A Nation Disgraced".

A Sermon Just for Me by M.Laycock

Last Sunday, as I settled in my chair at church I prayed a quick prayer. “Talk to me, Lord.”

My husband tends to be a spontaneous person and I’ve gotten used to him doing unexpected things. Sometimes. But last Sunday he surprised me by announcing that I was going to give my testimony that morning, in 3 minutes or less. He hadn’t warned me about this, probably because he didn’t know he was going to do it until that very moment.

As I walked up to the front I was thinking, Good thing I’m good at public speaking. The testimony part is a breeze, but in 3 minutes? No doubt he gave me a time limit because he knows my tendency to go on and on. He did have a sermon to preach that morning. So I did what he asked and all went well. As I expected it would.

Then my husband got up to preach. The sermon was on Mark 12:41-44 – a short passage of scripture that seemed straightforward as he read it out loud. The widow gave all she had. She was extremely generous. She put the religious leaders to shame. But my husband, bless him, took a different tack when he said, this little bit of scripture is really about pride and humility. Huh?

I felt God tapping me on the shoulder. I was feeling quite self-satisfied, having just given my testimony clearly, with just the right emphasis. In fact I was thinking, ‘I really am good at that.’ The more my favourite preacher spoke the more I felt like crawling under my chair. I knew that what had just happened was no coincidence.

God was talking to me but I wasn’t particularly happy to hear it.

Then my favourite preacher started talking about generosity. Okay, that’s better. I sat up a bit. Then he said, “the core of generosity is humility.” Oh. And he gave Haddon Robinson’s definition – “humility is confidence properly placed.” Oh dear.

When Proverbs 29:23 appeared in big bold letters on the screen I had to grin just a little. “Pride brings you low.” Right. I really should remember that.

I was encouraged, when my husband acknowledged that he, and everyone else in the room, all struggle with pride. It’s a big part of the human condition. The trick is to catch ourselves at it, repent of it, and put ourselves back in the place where we all need to be, at the feet of Jesus. Confidence properly placed. Right.

I definitely have to remember that.

BTW, if you want to hear the sermon, go here