A Gathering of Flowers

I will be found by you, says the LORD, and I will bring you back from your captivity; I will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you, says the LORD, and I will bring you to the place from which I cause you to be carried away captive. ~ Jeremiah 29:14 NKJV

I love playing outside with my girls because they are always bringing me gifts: an assortment of leaves (yanked from a bush) and wildflowers (plucked from a ditch). They grab the things which catch their eye, rarely keeping these beauties for themselves. Instead, they grab as many as their hands will hold and bring them to me. They are so proud of their findings, thinking they have found the best the world has to offer.

That’s how God sees us—as His treasures, His flowers. He is gathering His flowers together, His sons, His daughters. He doesn’t gather as a florist would—picking only the pristine and those that would gain a sale, discarding the dried up and wilting flowers. No, Father God reaches—just as a child—and selects the wild flowers from the ditches, the clovers from the fields, the leaves on the ground, and even the roses on the bush. He gathers them all together, arranging them to bring about the sweetest, harmonizing fragrance. Deeply He breathes in the rich aroma. He exhales and says, “Perfect.”

If you’ve been feeling worn out, dried up, wilted, or useless, then come to the feet of Jesus. Let Him gather you to Himself, showering you in His love, reviving and refreshing you. Only when you are revived and refreshed in God’s presence will you release that sweet aroma, which is pleasing to Him.

©Heather Potts 2016

Rollercoasters

I can never escape from your Spirit!
I can never get away from your presence!

If I ride the wings of the morning,
if I dwell by the farthest oceans,

even there your hand will guide me,
and your strength will support me.

~ Psalm 139:7, 9-10 NLT

You know those people who, while riding rollercoasters, throw their hands up, laugh, and seem to really be enjoying the ride? I’m not that person. But somehow, I got talked into riding the Cheetah at Busch Gardens. A friend convinced me that this ride didn’t feel at all like a rollercoaster and I’d like it. The ride was everything I expected… It was smooth, fast, and SCARY! I screamed and cried the WHOLE ride, and continued to cry and shake when it was over.

Recently, I was talking with a friend and likened my life to that of a rollercoaster: fast, out of my control, and filled with lots of turns and drops. I wanted life to feel more like a smooth cruise down a lazy river. But that’s not reality. And truly, we’re much stronger now than we’ve ever been.

So why the fear? The sudden curves tend to catch me off guard. But through my dependence upon and closeness with Christ, I’m better able to be like the other rollercoaster riders: throwing my hands in the air, relinquishing my control, and laughing, remembering that through Christ we have the victory and He will bring us through this, too.

If, like me, you’ve been looking for a way off the rollercoaster of your life, then it’s time we change our perspective. Christ came so we could have life to the fullest, which include victory and laughter. I’ve discovered the closer I draw to Christ, I’m purposefully throwing my hands up in joy and praise, laughing as I realize I was never in control of anything.

©Heather Potts 2016

Obedience

‘This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “…With my great power and outstretched arm I made the earth and its people and the animals that are on it, and I give it to anyone I please. Now I will give all your countries into the hands of my servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon” ~ Jeremiah 27:4-6 NIV

In Jeremiah 27, God tells the Israelites that they are going to serve Nebuchadnezzar, his people, and his land. God said He would destroy any—the people and their land—who did not serve as God commanded. At its core, God was saying to trust Him and walk in the way He commands. God is laying a test before His people: will you trust and follow only in the ways that feel good and right? Or will you commit yourself fully into My hands and follow Me regardless of how it looks, feels, or seems to you?

Historians regard King Nebuchadnezzar as brutal, powerful, and ambitious. Sitting in the comfort of your home, it could be easy to miss this important message, but please hear it: God doesn’t always ask us to do things that make sense and are comfortable, but He expects us to be obedient, regardless.

What has God called you to do that doesn’t make sense, but you feel a peace about following where and how He leads? Or what has God asked you to do that is uncomfortable and possibly a little painful, but you know that He’s using it for your growth and His glory?

Today, pray this prayer and see where He takes you: “Lord, though the road doesn’t always look the way I think it should, I will follow You.”

©Heather Potts 2016

Count the Cost

For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it ~ Luke 14:28 NKJV

I dislike shoe shopping.

I have small feet and am very picky about how my shoes look and feel. But since I’ve taken up running, having properly fitting running shoes is a must. But I put it off… Until I saw that I had literally worn away the tread on my shoes. So I started shoe shopping, with no luck. Praise God my genius husband told me to research the best shoe for my strike and foot. I discovered that I strike on the ball (vs. heel) of my foot, likely from years of dancing. And my feet roll outward (vs. inward) as I step. There were 3 shoes that were best for me. I felt more confident knowing both the type and cost. And after the next shopping excursion, I came home with running shoes specifically designed for me.

The Bible says that before beginning anything new, it’s best to “count the cost,” determining what you’ll pay in money, time, and energy. Saying “yes” to something means saying “no” to something else. As you begin, ask “What is the cost, what is the benefit, and does the benefit outweigh the cost?” If the benefit doesn’t outweigh the cost, perhaps now isn’t the proper time to begin or take on this particular project. The cost in getting new shoes was high. But the benefit was a savings from one or more injuries, possibly medical expenses, fun time missed with my family, and lost wages if Brad had to miss work to care for me. In the end, the benefit far outweighed the cost of getting proper shoes.

What endeavors are you thinking of undertaking? What desires are you wanting to fulfill? Weigh the cost against the benefit and then seek godly counsel—especially God’s first and foremost. When you do, you’ll get the answer for both direction and timing.

©Heather Potts 2016

Let's Get Real

“The heart is hopelessly dark and deceitful,
    a puzzle that no one can figure out.
But I, God, search the heart
    and examine the mind.
I get to the heart of the human.
    I get to the root of things.
I treat them as they really are,
    not as they pretend to be.”

~ Jeremiah 17:9-10 MSG

The key to managing your emotions is to acknowledge your real emotions ~ Julia Mateer, Life-Giving Leadership, A Toolbox for Leading Women

I like this quote by Julia Mateer, because we sometimes get so caught up in what we should or shouldn’t be doing or feeling regarding others that we never deal with our real emotions. A couple of months ago I was sharing some frustrations with a friend and mentor and said, “I’m trying to give grace and not make waves…” And that’s where she stopped me and said, “But it bothers you a lot when it happens.” When I said yes, she said, “Then say that. Say, ‘It bothers me’ or ‘My feelings are hurt when…’” She said if I never confessed and dealt with my real feelings, I wasn’t doing myself or the other person any favors.

God’s been dealing with me a lot this year, beginning very boldly on January 1, by telling me this would be a year of digging out any impurities in my heart. He went on to say that in order for me to receive the blessings and favor He would rain down, my heart had to be ready. What I’ve learned is that things that I thought were OK, even synonymous with being a redhead, are not any part of God’s design for me. Even though it’s been hard to hear at times, the one thing I can depend upon with God is that He’ll be “real” with me. And He wants me to be “real” with Him.

If you’ve been hurt by someone, you aren’t offering grace by side-stepping the issue.  Grace isn’t ignoring what happened; it’s not burying it under the rug or stuffing hurt feelings. Grace, mercy, love, and forgiveness enable you to say, “Those actions hurt me. But just as God has forgiven me, I choose to forgive you, relinquishing my right to punish you.” The pain might not go away overnight, and that’s ok. The first step toward freedom is acknowledging your real emotions and asking God to guide you the rest of the way.

©Heather Potts 2016

Blow Out "I Can't"

The LORD your God in your midst,
The Mighty One, will save;
He will rejoice over you with gladness,
He will quiet you with His love,
He will rejoice over you with singing.

~ Zephaniah 3:17 NKJV

The other day, I woke up with the song “I Need You More” in my head. It wasn’t until my almost 4-year-old yelled from her bedroom, “Mommy, I peed on my bed and got poopy on the door,” that I heard the song in context. Savannah is a very strong-willed child but she has her very sweet moments of complete obedience for us, as well as others. Throughout the day, we had times of calm and fun, but also times of struggle and testing.

That night, I went running before dinner. During my run, God said, “It’s time to blow-out the ‘I-cants’. It’s time to take on ‘I can’ as your crown of victory.” The things I can’t do have been mounting: I can’t get her to listen to me. I can’t get her potty-trained. I can’t, I can’t, I can’t… And truly, I can’t make her do anything. But I can sit her in my lap, giving her my full attention, and teach her God’s Word. I can encourage her to deposit His Word in her heart. I can pray that God’s Word will minister to her, grooming her for greatness. I can believe what scripture says, “As we teach our children about Father God and His Word, it will stimulate, penetrate, teach and be impressed diligently upon their hearts and minds. Our girls will put their confidence in God and not forget His words, but keep His commands…they won’t be stubborn nor will they be a generation whose hearts are not loyal or faithful to God. They will be an example and set a pattern for the believers in speech, conduct, love, faith and moral purity,” (Deuteronomy 6:7, Psalm 78:6-8, 1 Timothy 4:12).

Running, opened me up to my Father, allowing Him to quiet me with His love. If you’re struggling with what you can't in your life, it’s time to blow them out and put on your crown of victory, remembering we can through Christ!

©Heather Potts 2016

Sparkle

And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness ~ Exodus 34:6 NIV

After perusing her options, Kelly selected the perfect outfit: a simple skirt and peach blouse.  She complemented the outfit with sandals and her favorite necklace.  After braiding her hair, she came out of her room.  When her mother saw her, she asked Kelly suspiciously, “Where are you off to?”  “Church,” Kelly smiled.  When she walked through the familiar doors of her church, she saw all her friends waiting for her.  They were dressed in their usual casual attire.  A few of them poked at her and asked if she had a hot date.  Kelly only smiled and thought to herself, “Yes and His name is Jesus.”

The root word for abounding means to take care, to value highly and to nourish, so that it will grow and become great.  Because of the Father’s great love for us—the love that He pours on us, that He uses to wash away the falsehoods we’ve been taught about love, that He bathes us in covering us with His deep, passionate, never-ending and never-failing love—we can begin to feel loved, feel free, feel beautiful, and then desire to express those feelings outwardly.

And like Kelly, we will act differently, stand out from the crowd a bit, and desire to show our appreciation and love to Jesus.  When you’re encapsulated by the love of Jesus, you begin to sparkle. On this Mother’s Day, regardless of your relationship with your mother, remember your Father in heaven abounds in love for you and He places high value upon you!

©Heather Potts 2016