faithful

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Pruning for Fruitfulness

April 14, 2025April 8, 2025 krisshetter

In all this you greatly rejoice though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.  These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 1 Peter 1:6

You may have learned at some point that wildfires actually can be positive for burning out old, dead wood and allowing for new growth. God’s trials are our great refinery. Every one of us experiences it. But only Christians have the promises and therefore the hope for truly brighter days. Only we have the guiding, comforting light of the Holy Spirit to remind us He is always with us.

As the faithful we are led to forgive those who persecute us. Not only forgive but to love. Our fruit of our faith is joy, peace, patience, love, gentleness, kindness, self-control and faithfulness (Galatians 5:22).

If during a trial you don’t have this fruit you have to ask yourself if you have truly surrendered to Christ. Or are you, as Pastor Tim Keller once said, “Sitting in God’s seat”? Meaning, are you the arbiter of “the ways things should and must be?” Are you so angry, sad or distraught when, after you’ve determined what is best in your life, that it all goes so differently? You’re sitting in God’s seat.

The secular world says, “There is no future so I must have all my happiness in the ‘now.’” When that inevitable trial or suffering comes, the worldly are thrown into despair. They think life should always be good. But as the faithful we should and must put our ultimate happiness in the eternal. When suffering comes to us it is to be expected because we live in a fallen world. On the flip side, when life is good, we should be thanking God for what is actually the “unusual.”

Gopher Holes

This garden we are all in has a lot of gopher holes that have been dug out by the world who live by fleshly desires. Greed, selfishness, hatred, unforgiveness, unkindness, sexual immorality and more are the result of Satan’s pull on mankind. And it all slams against us at one time or another. Trying to pluck us from His hands.

But God.

He gives us this beautiful promise: “And behold, I am with you always to the end of the age.” (Matt 28:20). Jesus said this to the apostles as He sent them out to spread the seeds of the Gospel because He knew what they would face. Death and persecution would follow them everywhere.

Is this all to just “get through” safely to eternity? In one way, yes. But remember those fruits? We don’t have the fruit of fear and drudgery and timidity. We have the fruits of what so many seek through self-help books and psychology. Our trials help us learn to persevere and grow closer to God in trust. They show us that He is truly worthy of all our praise. He provides and protects until He calls us home.

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds,for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. James 1:2-4

Beautiful Blossoms

So again, I ask, have you come out stronger in your trials? Has your faith beautifully blossomed? If not, it’s time to reflect. To ask yourself if you missed God in the suffering and in the calm. If you missed an opportunity for peace in the pain. If you still seek to control outcomes and sit in God’s seat. Are your roots at the surface or are they grounded deep in the love and knowledge of God?

You will face something difficult again. He is trustworthy and has a plan for you. Through your tears, ask Him to reveal Himself at work. In your anxiousness ask Him to make your path straight. In your heavy burden take up His offer to turn it all over to Him.

I promise you, because I have seen Him at work through many people, including myself, you will see your faith grow by leaps and bounds. And the world will have a difficult time pulling your deep roots from God’s rich soil.

This week’s question: What promise of God have you relied on during difficult times?

Next week join me as we delve into the truth and the beauty of obedience and submission.

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Day 17 Goodness of God

July 17, 2024July 9, 2024 krisshetter

And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High;
    for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him,  Luke 1:76

The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him,  Lamentations 3:25

In one of my Bible study groups I asked what in our lives do we struggle to completely turn over to God. Being all women, it wasn’t surprising that most answered our children. We worry, we fear, we hover, we protect. We lay away at night thinking of their future. We pray continuously for those who aren’t yet saved.

For so many of us, however, that role becomes overwhelming and overbearing. It puts our relationships with our children and maybe even our spouses in peril. The solution? To see God as not only our father but the good father who loves our children even more than we do, which seems impossible. When I finally turned my adult children over to God, I first had to trust Him and know Him. I had to realize how good He is and how much He loves me too.

Now imagine the parents of John the Baptist. His father, Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied the enormous responsibility his just born son would be required to put on his shoulders. Both his mother and father seemed to understand the weight of the role in announcing the coming Messiah. A role I don’t think most parents would want for their children. A nice quiet life as a fisherman with a wife who bears him many children – yes, that’s what Elizabeth probably wanted for John.

But no. John became a bit odd. He wore strange clothes and ate bugs. He spoke to anyone who would listen about the Messiah. His message was sometimes confusing and almost heretical. Yet we don’t see in scripture his parents lamenting. They probably did. But I would surmise based on the prophecy and Elizabeth’s faithfulness that they lamented to God.

They lifted their son up to the God Most High for protection and direction. They trusted in His goodness. I’m sure if they were still alive when John sat in his final jail cell they wept. But they also knew their son had been faithful to God and the Messiah had been faithful to him. And as a parent, what more, truly should we ask.

Click here to listen to today’s song: Goodness of God

Day 16 Come Jesus Come

July 16, 2024July 9, 2024 krisshetter

You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.For, “In just a little while, he who is coming will come and will not delay.”  Hebrews 10:36-37

Even youths grow tired and weary,
    and young men stumble and fall;
³¹but those who hope in the Lord
    will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
    they will run and not grow weary,
    they will walk and not be faint.  Isaiah 40: 30-31

I wonder how many times the apostles and the other disciples just fell to their knees in desperation and cried out for Jesus to return? I can only imagine over the last 2,000 years there’s been hundreds and hundreds of the faithful that have done the same.

It’s a sad truth that modern Christians come from a long line of faithful martyrs who were put to death by rulers afraid of losing power. Men who have felt threatened by people who proclaim, “I am Christian.”

In the United States, we have enjoyed a long run of a majority Christian society. Never facing the intense persecution so many who founded the country faced As we watch our societies across the world transform into a minority who would state in front of a mob, “I am Christian,” we too may be tempted to cry out for Jesus to come.

There’s so much in this song, “Come Jesus Come” that I love. The truth of the world when Jesus does return – no more war, no more pain — is something I too long for. On the other hand, my eldest daughter is yet to be saved. All my Christian friends have at least one child of whom their prayers for salvation are constant. I want one more day to pray that the Lord shake the scales from their eyes.

It’s a conundrum which Paul faced in his letters to the Philippians. He longed to see the face of Jesus yet he also knew he was commissioned to bring as many to Christ as possible while still breathing.

It’s a romantic thought to want Jesus to come today when we are facing terrible trials – sickness, death, financial loss, feelings of abandonment, being a victim of a crime. We want Him to come and provide the salve that erases it all. Until then, however, we are encouraged to persevere. To grow in faith through our adversity. To be an example to our unsaved loved ones who need to see the light of Jesus on our faces.

Deep down we long for Him, to take us home or to come and make this place home. Until then, we live in the hope of the glory to come.

Click here to listen to today’s song: Come Jesus Come

Day 11 The Goodness

July 11, 2024July 8, 2024 krisshetter

I am the bread of life.  John 6:48

Whoever fears the Lord has a secure fortress, and for their children it will be a refuge. The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, turning a person from the snares of death.  Proverbs 14:26-27

I was talking with a young woman recently who was raised in the Christian faith and at 18 went off to Bible college for a few semesters. At 19, she dropped out, got married, and was soon pregnant. At 21, her husband abandoned their family. Soon after, she abandoned Jesus.

You see when calamity hit, her faith was revealed to be built on the sand Jesus warns us about in Matthew 7:24-27. Her house fell after the windy, stormy beating. How could that be? She was surrounded by the faithful for all her life up until then. Isn’t that enough?

Let’s look at our faith this way. If I hung around a bunch of people who loved baking and I enjoyed eating what they made, it wouldn’t make me a baker. It’d make me fat, however! I would have knowledge of baking, the process, the ingredients, the do’s and don’ts. Without the love of baking and actually getting my hands covered in flour I’d just be an observer.

It’s not the doing that makes us Christians it’s the surrendered belief that Jesus loves us so much He died for our sins, was buried, and rose again in the witnessed resurrection. He becomes our secure fortress, our daily provision, and fountain of life. He holds us tight through every tragedy and every windfall in our life. We soon find Him at work everywhere. He keeps showing up.

When Toby Mac wrote this song it was after the death of his adult son from an overdose. Of course, it was tragic. Of course, he was full of tears and heartache. But he had built his house on solid ground. He sought refuge in the Lord. The wind blew and the storm enveloped him. Eventually, the sun came out and he was able to walk out his door into the warm sunlight of God’s love.

As for that young woman? She is now happily married and I’m so glad to say she wants to know about Jesus and this Bread of Life. She wants to learn how to build her life so she too can withstand what this world throws at us. My prayer is that she will begin to see Jesus at work everywhere.

Click here to listen: The Goodness

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The God of Rest

December 13, 2023 krisshetter

For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. Habakkuk 2:14

Last night I woke up around 12:30 a.m. That’s not unusual for me or apparently most of my friends. As we have gotten older, a complete night’s sleep seems elusive for us. But last night when I awoke it wasn’t a bathroom run that was needed. No, when I am in writing mode I find myself thinking on God almost 24/7 — not necessarily a bad thing.

As a laid there contemplating various post themes my mind became a jumbled mess. So I decided to employ my “back to sleep” technique I began a few years ago. It’s based on the children’s song B.I.N.G.O. and Psalm 46:10 — Be still and know that I am God. It’s a meditative method to focus my mind. You first repeat the psalm’s line a few times until you visualize only those words. Then you begin the B.I.N.G.O. part which goes like this:

Be still and know that I am God.

Be still and know that I am.

Be still and know that I.

Be still and know that.

Be still and know.

Be still and.

Be still.

Be.

Repeat over and over picturing each word. Next thing you know it’s morning! But here’s what happened last night. As I began repeating this psalm a thought struck me. How is it that knowing God helps me to be still? What about Him brings peace to my mind, soul and heart? And wouldn’t you know, the Holy Spirit said, “Yes! You finally got what I’ve been trying to tell you!” (I love when He does that)

By knowing his name is also meant an experimental acquaintance with the attributes of God, which are everyone of them anchors to hold the soul from drifting in seasons of peril.
Charles Spurgeon on the attributes of God

Omnipotent God: Almighty, having unlimited authority and influence.

What I love about this God is He can move mountains. He can set the world back into order. He performs miracles the world couldn’t even imagine. God the King, the Lord of Lords – it’s who we press our faces to the ground in submission as we seek His grace and deliverance. It’s who we offer the only true gift we have, ourselves, as we approach His throne.

Omnipresent God: Present in all places at all times.

I know a number of people who feel God’s presence constantly. One woman, in her early 80s, told me He is always with her, like a friend. She talks with Him throughout her day. He guides her with gentle touches. He comforts her. He is never far from her because she sees Him all around her – in nature, in people, in animals and in the every day. The wonderful thing about this God is He never forgets me. I am never lost. He always knows where I am because I am always with Him.

Omniscient God: Possessed of universal and complete knowledge.

My friend Betsy trusts God completely. That’s because she knows God has a plan. She knows deep in her heart that all things do truly work for our good and somehow, someday her prayers will be answered. This omniscient God is above our thoughts. He knows what we truly need, even when we think we know better. This is the God who sent His son to teach us His ways because He knew we needed someone who had a “human experience” yet was without blemish. Jesus intimately knows man’s ways and God’s ways. God knows the ultimate outcomes.

Immutable God: Not subject or susceptible to change.

Our lives seem every changing. We age, our families grow, jobs come and go, our health can change in an instant. Governments flip and loyalties dissolve. But God never changes. He is the same loving Creator who made us in His image and planted us on this earth. He didn’t change when Jesus came. Jesus was the next step in God’s plan to bring us back into righteousness for our eternal home. He won’t abandon us or forget about us. While our faith may wax and wane, His never will. He is ever faithful.

Infallible God: Incapable of erring or failing.

God’s Holy Word — the Bible — is inerrant. It has no errors. If we humans think there is a mistake or a contradiction it’s because we’ve brought or own interpretation to the text. Knowing that God is infallible is important because when we think He’s made a mistake it should cause us to seek Him and talk with Him in prayer. It should make us question our own motives, feelings or ways. When I have looked in the mirror with self-hatred I’m reminded that God loves me and finds me beautiful — and He never lies. When He asks us to take an uncomfortable step out in faith we must remember He has His reasons for doing so.

There is no one in our lives that can match the ways of God. He is our faithful and trustworthy partner in life. He is the father we can rest our weary heads upon. He is the King to whom we give all glory and honor to because He is our protector and our victor. The knowledge of all that is God allows us to rest each day and night in peace.

Soli Deo Gloria. Amen

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He Is Perfect

August 30, 2022September 7, 2022 krisshetter

"Who is he, this King of glory?
    The Lord Almighty—
    he is the King of glory." Psalms 24:10

My Lord, my God, perfect in every way. Awesome in power and in majesty. I come before you your imperfect adopted daughter, grateful for the cleansing you completed in me through your Son, Jesus. Grateful for the work your Holy Spirit continues in me so that I can bow before you blameless and faithful. Amen

One of my daughters suffered for a while with perfectionism. She once told me that she got that need to be perfect from me. I had to admit I played a strong part through my own need to always do things just right. And that need stemmed from a hole in my heart. A hole that needed filling with love and grace. I worried if I “messed up” then I would lose respect, lose friends, lose love. I’m sure my daughter felt the same. And it grieved me I had passed that along to her. I’m so grateful she had the courage to share her struggle with me so that I could remind her how much I love her – no matter what. Thankfully, she sought out God and the healing power of Jesus sooner in her life than I did.

I have finally realized the truth behind the flippant remark, “nobody’s perfect.” Well, there is one “body” who is perfect and that’s the Triune God. Other than that, we all fall woefully short. Can I get an “amen?”

" When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, “I am God Almighty; walk before me faithfully and be blameless (“perfect” KJV)." Genesis 17:1

When God had this conversation with Abraham, He wasn’t expecting this man to be sinless – an impossible goal for us to reach. In fact, the word “perfect” is translated as “single-hearted, without blame, sincere, wholly devoted to the Lord.” It’s not to say we aren’t to strive to mirror God’s perfect will but as our Creator He knows our weaknesses.

"³I will proclaim the name of the Lord.
    Oh, praise the greatness of our God!
⁴He is the Rock, his works are perfect,
    and all his ways are just.
A faithful God who does no wrong,
    upright and just is he."  Deuteronomy 32:3-4

In the history of our human existence there has never been another worshipped god that can claim this state of perfection. The Greek gods fought amongst themselves and were jealous. They required constant preening and begging to intervene in human lives. And when they did, you didn’t know for whose benefit they would act. The god of the ancients, Baal, also needed constant pleasing through child sacrifice and sexually immoral acts. Fast forward to today and the gods we modern humans have created look a lot like ourselves. We place our minds in the center of the universe and need to feed the god of humans through wealth and fame and accumulation. All the while not being able to accomplish a tiny portion of what the One True God has done and will do.

Yes, God wants our attention. He wants our worship. He wants our obedience. But He doesn’t need any of it. He is perfect without us. That, my friends, is what makes His devotion to us and His love for us and His sacrifice of His Son for us all the more glorious! What I say to that is thank you, Lord! Thank you for your Holy Word, your promises to us, for justice and mercy and grace. I give you all the glory you rightfully deserve!

Promise Keeper

August 24, 2022September 7, 2022 krisshetter

“Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?” John 11:40

Faithful Father, you have never lied and you never will. I believe you. Amen

I had a Christian woman tell me this once: “I know God has forgiven me. But it’s hard for me to believe it. It’s too hard for me to forgive myself.” That’s why I nodded along when I heard a Christian teacher once say that there’s too many of us out there that have accepted our Lord as Savior but we just aren’t living our lives like we believe His promises. It’s even hard for me sometimes when I look in the mirror to see what God sees. To believe He loves me, blemishes and all. It’s hard to believe He will take care of me without my striving and worrying. But He will.

“You will keep in perfect peace
    those whose minds are steadfast,
    because they trust in you.” Isaiah 26:3

He has never, ever lied my friend. He never, ever will. What might happen, however, is that He will fulfill a promise in ways you didn’t expect. Or in ways you may not agree or understand. In fact, when I was doing a bit of research about God’s promises I found a blog that refuted God fulfilling promises. In truth, the person sounded very wounded. He also sounded poorly educated about God’s character and His ways. His first example was of Genesis 2:17 when God admonishes Adam and Eve not to eat from the Tree of Knowledge, “…for when you eat from it you will certainly die.” The blogger explained that not only had they eaten the fruit but they went on to live for more than 900 years.

What he missed is 1) their immediate death was a loss of the close spiritual relationship with God and their sinlessness and 2) they did, in fact die. You see, when we look at God’s promises without a knowledge of Him and through our own broken lenses we can miss God at work. If we, instead, believe that God is the only perfect being to exist and His ways are always right then we ask better questions and submit to Him in trust.

I recently had a conversation with a godly woman about women as pastors. Having become more educated about scripture I felt confident in holding my own – as she said the Bible has conflicting lessons about this topic. My first comment was this: “God’s Word is never in conflict. If you see conflict you are either misunderstanding context, historical meaning, or having translation issues. Understanding that parts of God’s will and God’s promises may be difficult to accept also helps us to realize our sinful desires rarely line up with God.

Friend, if you are struggling to accept that God will not back out of a promise to you, turn back to His Word. He is faithful. More faithful than anyone will ever be in your life. And for that we can celebrate with glory to Him!

The First Priority

August 20, 2022August 31, 2022 krisshetter

“Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, ¹⁰so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, ¹¹and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:9-12

My Lord and Savior Jesus there is no other above you! You are the touchstone for everything and person in my life. Help me to place my thoughts first on you today, God. There is nothing I should chase after that is placed greater than You. Amen

Misplaced priorities, oh how I have had (have) quite a few. I can easily forgive myself for the years I wasn’t a Christian. Even those years I was a baby Christian I look back upon with grace. But today? Today when I put my yearnings above God there’s really no excuse. I know better. And I find myself doing it anyways. I’m getting better day by day. As my friend Betsy calls it, I’m making imperfect progress.

^“8What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ.” Philippians 3:8

The apostle Paul was certainly a man on fire to give all glory and honor and praise to Jesus. We “normal” folks can sometimes look at the very faithful and think, “I have family that’s going through (fill in the blank) and that needs my attention.” Or even, “My job takes a lot out of me and it’s important work so I don’t have the same time as Paul to devote to my faith.” We can list endless reasons why we aren’t on fire for the Lord. Or worse, we just are ambivalent. Paul was not a man with time on his hands. Although Bible scholars aren’t in total agreement, some believe that at one time he was married. He also had a thriving tent making business which he took on the road during his mission trips. Whatever his full biography was, he clearly placed his everyday activities secondary to God.

I’ve come to finally realize that once I have begun aligning my actions, yearnings, words and more to God’s priorities, life has gotten a lot simpler and clearer. It doesn’t mean it’s easier. However, knowing my highest authority is our Lord, my worries and thoughts get pulled into His ways and purpose.

Friend, if you’re chasing a need or desire that places an earthly object, goal or person above God you are just spinning your wheels. You may get the fame or the fortune but you won’t have the fruit. God alone deserves the highest place of honor and glory in your life. He has no rival; He has no equal. Pursue Him with great passion over everything else and you will see Him at work.

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I Will

February 21, 2022February 21, 2022 krisshetter

So her husband, Joseph, being a righteous man, and not wanting to disgrace her publicly, decided to divorce her secretly. Matthew 1:19

We left off our study of new beginnings with a cliff hanger of sorts. There sat Jonah on a hill wishing he were dead. And God reminding Jonah that He cares for all people of the earth, especially the ones “who cannot tell their right hand from their left.” Thank goodness for that because there are many days I feel and act like one of those foolish people! If left to being helped out of my fiery pit by unloving, sleepy Christians, I would surely find myself in the depths of hell. But for God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. And those that submit themselves not only to their will but do so out of love.

So, we leave the Old Testament with many more stories of new beginnings than I have shared. And with hope that Jonah finally grasped God’s message of works without love is empty and useless. But here’s the thing about our guidebook for life, the Bible, God’s holy Word, there’s 1000s of connections back and forth between the ancient stories in the Old Testament and the newer history of the New Testament. Which leads us to the first new beginning we encounter in the book of Matthew. Another Noah. Another servant of God who is the way maker for the world’s new beginning. The connector from the old ways to the new. A man who, like Noah, was considered “righteous” and faithful to God. But first, let me share with you a modern story of another righteous man who helped shepherd in a new beginning for one small child.

Epworth’s Children’s Home received this first-hand account from a foster parent in 2017 about his experience in becoming a foster father:

“Our family has been fostering a boy since October 2017. Yesterday our foster child had a court hearing to determine what step to take as far as his custody goes. I haven’t shared a lot about the whole foster experience because I have been afraid, to be completely honest. Afraid because fostering has been a lot harder for me than I thought it would be. Not because the child is difficult – it has been hard because of my heart. Ever since he came into our home, I have been terrified of becoming too attached and having my heart broken when he would eventually leave our home. I have been terrified of giving him all of my love, my energy, my grace and my compassion. I was sitting in the courtroom listening to the different parties discussing and debating the best course of action for the child’s future, when I started shaking. I began to realize this is the moment! The moment I decide to completely expose my heart to the potential of pain, or keep my walls up. It was absolutely terrifying! I started hearing a small voice inside that I could no longer ignore, and it was telling me to fight for this child. I realized I was willing to do anything for him.

“My walls started to crumble around me. Then I heard the judge call my name. He wanted to know if I wanted to adopt this child. I wanted to scream “Yes! He is my son!”, but I think I said something a little less dramatic like, “Yes sir, we are working on becoming licensed for adoption for this child.” I then heard the judge say that he is ordering termination of parental rights and opening this case for adoption. The weight of this decision is not lost on me, but it was one of the most powerful experiences that I have ever had.”

But after he had considered these things, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, don’t be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because what has been conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. Matthew 1:20

Joseph was our Lord’s foster father. As a devout follower of the Mosaic Law, he had every right to not only publicly shame Mary for her “adultery” but also to have her stoned to death! Before the angel even spoke to him, however, love, kindness, compassion took over and he decided to quietly divorce her. Think of how Jonah would’ve responded. Surely God would’ve had to intervene to save Mary’s life from Jonah’s anger.

After Joseph obeyed God’s urging to complete his marriage vows to Mary, his troubles surely were not over. Like Noah, he would’ve faced public humiliation. The knowledge of Mary’s pregnancy in the small village of Nazareth would have spread like a wildfire. And yet he stayed the course. He stayed faithful not only to Mary but to God. He didn’t, by all accounts do it begrudgingly like Jonah. He took up the mantle of “foster father” and protected his family, raised his son as his own. His new beginning was as father to someone else’s son. An earthly role model. A shepherd, like Noah, for what was to be all of humanity’s new beginning.

Joseph and the unnamed servant girl who helped Naaman (2 Kings 5:3) also have a lot in common. They were faithful. They had a heart for God. They stepped up to help when they could’ve taken a different path. Their small steps were a gift to many. And they both are but a few lines in our history. Joseph’s last mention of him doesn’t even use his name. Jesus is 12 years old, immersed in the teachings at the temple and his parents are frantically looking for him. His mother chastises him and says, “Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you!” (Luke 2:48) After that, Joseph fades away. Most likely, he passes before Jesus begins his adult ministry.

And yet we remember him each Christmas for his shepherding, protecting, and faith. We should all add a bit of thanks to Joseph each day we pray in Jesus’ name. Because like so many faithful servants of Christ, He obeyed out of love. He didn’t ask or require that “thanks.” He didn’t harbor ill will for having to endure hardship. He put his head down, his hands out and his heart lifted and said to God, “I will.”

I want to share with you the rest of the letter written to Epworth Children’s Home by the foster father:

“I will end with this. This is especially for you guys and fathers. If you feel God tugging at your heart to become a foster parent, listen! There will always be a reason to not become a foster parent, but if your main reason is that you are scared your heart will be broken, then you especially need to do it. Foster children need someone who will be heartbroken over them. They need someone who is going to stick by them when things get hard. They haven’t experienced that. They need someone to love them and be gentle with them when they come over and hit you in the face with a maraca and break your glasses (not that I have ever had that happen, that is completely hypothetical, of course!). They need someone who is going to be faithful to them and strong for them in their weakest moments. I am by no means perfect in any of those, but I am strong in my faith, and it provides me the love, strength and grace that I need. Fostering has made me more dependent on God, in everything, and that is good. Ultimately, I am a foster child who was adopted into His family, and I am fully loved.”

Amen.

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Fight or Flight

April 19, 2021September 1, 2021 krisshetter

Dear friends, do not be surprised at the 
fiery ordeal that has come on you to test 
you, as though something strange were 
happening to you.  
1 Peter 4:12

I’d wanted to get my motorcycle license since I was 16 years old. For any of you counting that’s about 37 years ago. Back then, my mind and body were young and better equipped to handle the fast moving issues surrounding the dangers of riding. So, when I finally made a lifelong dream come true, I decided to take a motorcycle safety class. In order to pass the class, we were required to learn and practice a few emergency maneuvers. In one situation we were to swerve, at a fairly fast speed, to the left and to the right in a tight “z.” In another we had to learn how to safely make a quick stop. In both, the decision had to be made in a blink of an eye to stay in the fight to be upright or to take flight from the bike.

The key to both safety maneuvers is where our focus lay – straight ahead. Our tendency, as new riders, is to look down at the front wheel. This is a sure fire way to crash, as I found out during one quick stop practice.

I’ve now been riding for about four years. But it is in the back of my mind at all times that I’m not sure how I will react when faced with a real emergency. I have the knowledge but not the wisdom of experience. Will I stay in the fight or take flight?

Isn’t our faith journey a lot like that?

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, 
whenever you face trials of many kinds, because 
you know that the testing of your faith produces 
perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work 
so that you may be mature and complete, not 
lacking anything. 
James 1: 2-4

We, through our faith teachers and reading the Word, gather up our knowledge of God and how His son, Jesus, loves us so much. But until we have faced an emergency, a faith testing, we cannot truly know how we will respond.

I think one of great crossroads in the New Testament is when Peter professes to Jesus that he will always stand by his friend. And when the faith trial came, he fled. Not once, not twice but, three times. And we ask ourselves, what would we have done?

Peter had the knowledge of Jesus but not the wisdom of a faith tested. And even after he realized the truth of the situation and witnessed Christ’s death, he still turned away for a time by going back to his old life of fishing rather than carrying out his friend’s commission.

I’m so grateful that the one player in the story of humanity never takes flight from us – God. He is the “long sufferer” in our thousands-year old journey. At each turn where we have either forgotten or abandoned Him, God has stayed the course and given us grace.

I once was so angry with God that I made the decision to stop believing in Him. I remember yelling up to the heavens, “I don’t trust you and I don’t believe in you anymore!”

I spent the next few weeks in a tug-o-war of sorts. At one moment I would find myself arguing with God and then another reminding myself not to talk to someone I didn’t believe in. And He never left me.

And let us run with perseverance the race 
marked out for us,fixing our eyes on Jesus, 
the pioneer and perfecter of faith. 
Hebrews 12:1-2

I’ve had minor emergencies while out on my motorcycle – cars swerving in front of me, lights quickly changing from green to red – where I’ve accessed that knowledge from my safety class. It’s wisdom building. And God has given me minor trials along the way. With each opportunity to decide whether I stay upright, keeping my eyes firmly fixed on Jesus or to take flight, I build up my wisdom and faith muscles.

Peter, who although had the blessed opportunity to stand alongside Jesus for three years, had to face his own trials in order to fully mature from knowledge of God to having the wisdom and faith of His character and ways. When he took his eyes off Jesus, he was given grace. Jesus returned to him over and over.

As Christ followers, we know the entire story from which draw upon. And at every life emergency my hope is that we continue to stay upright with eyes fixed on Him.