WaveWalker

 Recently, I was in my car driving to work and the song “WaveWalker” by Citizen Way played on my phone. I had forgotten about this song. As I was listening to it, the Lord began to speak to me. 

I don’t know about you, but it is very easy to feel bogged down by life these days. Jobs are stressful, everyone is sick, and the news around the world is terrible. If we allow ourselves, we can become depressed and anxious very easily.  As I began to hear the words in this song, I remember what Jesus has called me to be. A “WaveWalker.” Life can sometimes feel like we are walking on water and the waves are crashing into us, but Jesus says to keep our eyes on Him, and He will help us through. 

 

I thought about the story of Peter from Matthew 14: 22-33, and how when his eyes were on Jesus and he was full of faith he walked on the water so easily, but as soon as he took his eyes from Jesus, he began to sink.

 

Maybe we aren’t literally walking on water like Peter did, but I bet you could relate to one of these situations. 

 

Maybe you’re a teacher who is drowning at work with 25+ kids in your class with no subs….

 

Maybe you’re a nurse drowning in sickness and the unknowns of COVID…..

 

Maybe you’re a parent whose child is rebelling and you don’t know what to do…..

Maybe you're having to watch people you love suffer in various situations......

 

Or maybe you’re like me and you battle anxiety of all the unknowns you face in life….. 

 

Whatever is it, I am here to encourage you to be a “WaveWalker.” 

 

Just like Peter, we must keep our eyes and faith in Jesus. As I reread the story of Peter earlier today, I had forgotten about the end of the passage. As soon as Peter started to sink, Jesus stretched His hand out to save Peter from drowning. I thought to myself, how many times does Jesus stretch His hand out to help me, but I think I can handle it on my own. We can be a “WaveWalker,” but we have to give Jesus control. I don’t know about you, but I am glad to serve a God who will reach out to help me.  The devil is working hard to make us worried, anxious, scared, and depressed, but we must not allow this to happen. We must stand firm in the truth, that is Jesus. Today, I pray that we remember to put our eyes on Jesus. I want less of this world and more of HIM. 

 

I don’t know about you, but I am going to turn down the volume of this world and turn up the volume of Jesus. 

 

“I’m a WaveWalker,

I’m dancing on water, 

When the devil tries to shake me, I just pray harder

Even in my darkest hour, 

Got Holy Ghost power

When I keep my eyes upon You, Jesus 

I’m a WaveWalker.”

-Citizen Way

 

P.S. I want to encourage you to take a few minutes to listen to the song “WaveWalker” by Citizen Way. You won’t regret it. 

Light in the darkness

Raise your hand if you have ever faced a trial in your life. I bet everyone reading this could raise their hands for more than one time in their lives they have faced something bad. It hurts, it’s not fun, it’s not how we had planned our lives, but sometimes God stops us right in the middle of our plans to create something better.

I don’t know about you but I have been having to limit my time on social media lately. It seems like every time I hit a social media app, something negative pops up on the front page. I think to myself, “Why does it have to be this way?” “Why as a nation are we having to face this crisis?” Honestly,  I do not have any answers but I know the ONE who does.

Everyday I have to remind myself that God is bigger than anything I face. God is bigger than my fears, my doubts, and my worries. As has hard it is for some people to understand, it is true. God is bigger than the Coronavirus. I believe in my heart that God has plan, even when things seem bleak. God has a plan even when I have no clue what He is doing. He is always working and always making a way for His people.

I want to encourage everyone reading this to shine your light. God doesn’t want us to sit quietly. He wants us to encourage, help people, and show His love. I want to be someone that sees the LIGHT, even in the mist of total darkness.

It is Easter week. Jesus was praised, hung on a cross to die, and rose all in ONE week. If you don’t believe that He can change our lives and circumstances in a week, then I would ask you “Where is your faith?” He is still in the miracle working business!

I am praying every chance I get for people suffering in our country right now. I am praying for my students, my family, and my friends. I am asking you to join me in prayer. Shine a light in the darkness this week. Fill your hearts and minds with positivity. Be the Light that Jesus wants you to be!

P.S. I saw this picture on Pinterest. I am using it as my reminder to BE THE LIGHT in the mist of all the darkness. 

It's not always good

Life is hard. I mean life is REALLY hard sometimes. Anyone else feel this way? 

These past few weeks have been particularly hard for me. I have been in a deep struggle with myself. I wonder when things will get better. I pray and pray for things to get better, but if I am being honest, things have not gotten better. I used to be so scared to write from the place I’m in now. I always thought people wanted to be encouraged and that they didn’t want to see the real me. The hurt me. However, God then opened my eyes and said, Maci, “Write from your place of hurt and suffering because you are not alone.  Other people who are reading this are hurting, too.” So, here I am sitting on my living room couch with tears running down my face, being brave and writing from that place. 

God is good even when things don’t feel good. “Shall we accept the good from God, and not trouble?” (Job 2:10) I don’t know about Job, but it has always been much easier for me to accept the good. However, recently my eyes have been opened to the fact that sometimes God has to break me to change me. I think Lysa TerKeurst said it best, “ We don’t think about fixing things until we realize they were broken.” In my life, and maybe yours too, I knew something wasn’t right but it took me being broken to realize God has to be the One to fix me. I know God wants what’s best for me, but I don’t know how long I will have to wait for that best. Does anyone else feel that way? You know He is a good God, but it seems cruel for withholding the good things from his children. 

Another job passed you by...

Another one of your friends got married and you prayed and prayed for your husband.....

Another person is pregnant and you have been trying for months to have children.....

Another Thanksgiving without a special loved one you dearly miss....

Another Christmas where everyone else’s kids are getting AirPods and you can barely afford a tree for yours....

Another report of cancer from the doctor.... 

It all seems unfair doesn’t? Why would a God that is so good, let things be so bad? 

Then, I remembered something I read by Lysa TerKeurst. “God loves me too much to answer my prayers at any other time than the right time and in any other way than the right way.” When I read this, it hit me like a ton of bricks. God isn’t holding out on me.  He is setting me up for something better. He is calling me to trust Him in the pain, heartache, and suffering. He is calling me to let go of the negative thoughts and comparison and to know He is writing my story. A much more glorious story than I could ever write. He has chosen me to do something only I can do and if He gives it to me before I’m ready, then I could not fulfill His plans. So, He allows me to suffer but He is still standing right there beside me, holding my hands saying, I will never leave you nor forsake you, Maci Hope Swindle. You are mine and will always be mine.

I hope whoever is reading this can insert their own name into this. I will never leave you nor forsake you (insert your name). You are mine and will always be mine. 

Job could not see how his journey was going to unfold. He was living though his pains just like I’m living through mine and your living through yours. However, Job and I do have something in common. The same God that restored Job is the same One restoring me today. I know if God made Job’s life more than he could ever imagine, God will do that same thing for you and me. 

Job said, Shall we accept the good from God, and not trouble? (Job 2:10) Sometimes the only way to get to the good is to slowly walk day by day through the trouble and to always remember the good is coming, but first I must trust He is making me better. 

I hope, today, you know God is setting you up for something way better than you could ever imagine. Your time is coming to be restored and made well. I pray that you will keep pressing on and know that your God is walking this journey with you. 

"A" Game

I was listening to a podcast the other day and the guest speaker said, “Who needs me on my A game today?” I immediately thought about my 70 kids at school and how every day, they walk into my classroom.  They definitely need me to be on my “A” game. However, lately I have been thinking about this in relation to my walk with Christ. I think about Jesus and how every single day He is on his “A” game. He is always there, ready to help me with whatever I may be facing but for me, sometimes, it's hard to be on my “A” game. I don’t know about you but sometimes I wake up refreshed ready to face my day and other times I wake up with the weight of worry from something that happened the day before. It can start before I even get out of bed. I am weighed down by the worry or anxiety of the day ahead or things behind me.  

Does this happen to anyone else? You get bogged down by the day, before it even gets started. How I’m I supposed to be on my “A” game if this is the case?

This morning though, I woke up differently. I woke up with an assurance that everything was going to be okay. I woke up ready to be on my “A” game for my students, but most importantly, for my Jesus. I thought about how I can make such a difference by just being more willing to let go of what’s bringing me down and holding me back. I want to push forward and be a light for Jesus. I want people to see Him in me. I want to make a difference in people’s lives and the only way I can do that is to choose to be on my “A” game for Jesus every single day.

Maybe you are reading this and you feel the same way I have felt lately. Maybe you don’t know how you can change to be on your “A” game. My encouragement is to pray!! Pray all day, everyday. Keep asking God to help you be a light for Him and to let go of worry, doubt, anxiety, or whatever may be holding you back. Choose to be on your “A” game. Jesus needs a team full of his best players!

If I can't trust myself, who do I trust?

“Trust in the Lord with ALL of your heart. Lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.” 

-Proverbs 3:5-6

I have read this verse probably a 1,000 times. I could quote it in my sleep. I have used this verse in another blog I wrote about trust. I would go as far as to say I could have probably recited it to you when I was 3 years old, but tonight, when I read it, something changed in me.

As I was reading this verse, I came to part that said, “Lean NOT on your own understanding.” Then it hit me. Maci, I know what you have been doing wrong for the last 24 years. I have been leaning on my own understanding. I have read this verse and read this verse. I have prayed and prayed that I could trust God with ALL of my heart. That has truly been one of my biggest goals this past year, but I just realized that I was leaning on my own understanding.

You see, this verse clearly tells us not to do this. So, if I don’t lean on my own understanding, what should I do? If I can't trust myself, who do I trust? I should lean on God’s understanding. Then, He spoke to me. His understanding of the ways things happen or the plans for my life are not what I can even fathom yet. That’s why it tells me not to lean on my understanding. If I try to lean on my own understanding. I am going to be a hot mess of confusion, doubt, worry, and anxiety because I don’t know the things God knows. I don’t understand the things He understands. I don’t see the big picture. I see today.

Then, I thought about so many women in the Bible and how their stories would have been different, if they had tried to lean on their own understanding, instead of God’s. Ruth would not have met Boaz. Esther would have not saved her people. Sarah would not have given birth to Isaac. Mary would have never given birth to mine and your Savior, Jesus Christ. All of these women had to trust God with ALL of their hearts and that meant leaning on God and not themselves. WOW!! And to know how amazing each one of their lives played out. I want to be like these ladies. I want to put all of my own ways away and trust that God has me in His ways.

I hope others are reading this tonight and thinking the same thing as me. I am hoping that someone else needed this ah-ha moment from God tonight like I did. Tonight, I am leaning on God’s understanding and not my own. I hope that you are encouraged to do this in your with God journey as well!

P.S. I taped this verse on the mirror in my room as my daily reminder to trust God with ALL of my heart. I encourage you to tape this verse on your mirror and see how your perspective changes!

Hold up, wait a minute, put a little FAITH in it

This past Sunday, I was filling in for our children’s church director while she was out of town. I had planned earlier in the week that we would talk about friendships and how to be a good friend. Since school is about to start back, I thought it would be a good opportunity to talk about being nice and dependable to our friends. I shared a story from Mark chapter two with the kids. This story is about a man who has been paralyzed his entire life. He had four really great friends, that when they heard about Jesus healing people in their town, they hurried to get their friend to Jesus. When they arrived at the house, it was so crowed they had to lower their paralyzed friend through the ceiling, in order for Jesus to see him. The kids at church were like, “Wow, he had some really great friends!” So, of course, we talked about how they were such good friends and how we could be like the four men in the story to our own friends.

However, as I continued with the story, it came to the part where Jesus healed the paralyzed man. I asked the students, “How do you think other people felt when they saw this man get healed?” I had the normal answers of amazed, excited, etc. but one little boy said,” Maci, I bet some people did not believe that really happened, even though they saw it.” I said, “Well, what do you mean?” And he said, “You know many people did not think Jesus could perform miracles. I bet they thought that paralyzed man was faking everything.” I said, “You know, you are right.” He said, “But I believe Jesus did that.” I said, “I believe Jesus healed that man too. And that’s called having faith.”

After the morning service, I came home and started thinking about the conversation the kids had that morning about believing that Jesus did perform those miracles and it reminded me how often I lack faith in my own life. The kids in children’s’ church that morning had no doubt in their minds that Jesus performed those miracles. They would have argued with a wall to prove it was true. I thought to myself, “How can I make my faith like theirs? Now, I believe whole-heartedly everything that happened in the Bible. I know that Jesus performed many miracles and healed so many people. It is in 2018, that my faith is lacking. Do I not believe that the same Jesus, who performed all those miracles so many years ago, is the same Jesus performing miracles today? Then, why does my faith lack?

I see so many people needing miracles and help in their lives. There are many days that I need a touch from Jesus, just to know that everything is going to be okay.  I realized this morning that it is not Jesus who has changed; it’s me. I do not have faith like I used to believe that He can still do all those miracles. The Bible evens warn us about this. Matthew 18: 13 says, “And He said, “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”

I experienced this firsthand that morning. My faith has been lacking lately. In just everyday situations. I need to get back to my “child-like faith” and know beyond a shadow of a doubt that Jesus is there for me.

Maybe you are struggling with your faith. Maybe you are reading this thinking, “Yes, that is me!” My encouragement to you this week is to go back to the moment where you accepted Jesus into your heart and think about the amazing faith you had in that moment, then channel that into your life today. Faith is believing without seeing. I believe in Jesus and I believe that He is still molding me and making into the person I am meant to me.

P.S. I have always said that you learn the most from kids. They are the best teachers! This picture is from our VBS two years ago, but the a few of these kiddos were in class this past Sunday! :)