The past few weeks I have become aware of so many friends and family members hurting. Some are experiencing separation from loved ones due to deployments. Others are having to make tough and unexpected decisions that affect careers, homes, and families. Some are on the verge of incredible and heartbreaking changes as relationships fail. Others still are finding themselves on the edge of the unknown as choices, circumstances beyond their control, and events are thrust upon them forcing them to ask where He is in all of the mess?
My heart is heavy for the people I care about who are experiencing pain, hurt, and loneliness right now. My heart longs to offer encouragement to those who, like me, are on the edge of the unknown- a myriad of paths stretch into the future, and all of them are appealing and scary in their own ways.
I understand the feeling when prayers seem to be unheard. I can completely relate when He seems silent through my struggles.
Even as a Christian woman, I can feel abandoned when I don't get an immediate answer. I often even feel abandoned when I get an answer, but it is not the one I wanted. How easy it is for me to forget that His will is not my own. How easy it is to forget that He promises ETERNAL blessings, not instant gratification.
The song I am sharing today is sung by BarlowGirl. While the lyrics are especially appropriate to this time in so many of our lives, pay attention to the video and the man struggling against the ropes binding him.
Let's stop struggling with Him even as we struggle with our trials and tribulations. He has not abandoned us. He has promised to never leave or forsake us.... Neither heighth nor depth can separate us from Him... THAT is a promise I can lean on!!!
When I left a comment expressing sympathy for the two men killed and for the shooter, who suffers from PTSD, a young man (a friend of my friend, but one I have never met) left a rather brutal comment in response calling into question the validity of PTSD. I argued back in defense of those who suffer from PTSD. Then, because I did not know if the young man is associated with the military or not, I looked at his FB profile. The only thing I could learn from it is that he lives in an area where a lot of other military live. So, while he may not be in the military himself, he should certainly be aware of the issues military men and women face. However, as evidenced from his comments, the man is clearly ignorant or mislead on the issues surrounding PTSD.
That bothers me- partly because PTSD is not confined to military ranks, and partly because this man got the idea somewhere that PTSD was merely a method to be used to excuse poor behavior.
First, let me say this: The account above is incredibly tragic! My heart and prayers go out to the men's families who are left behind after this shooting. No matter if Rauth has PTSD or not, he still needs to be held accountable for his actions. However, if he truly does suffer from PTSD then he also needs support, empathy, and our prayers. I can only imagine the suffering he will face when the clouds clear realizing he shot and killed his brothers-in-arms, which will surely add to the PTSD. If he doesn't have PTSD, then of course he should be convicted of his crimes with no consideration, though he could still use our prayers!
So what IS PTSD?
Post-traumatic Stress Disorder is a mental health concern that anyone who has gone through a traumatic experience can develop. While it is seen most commonly in men and women who have served during times of war, as we see in the increasing numbers being diagnosed within our military ranks, men and women are also being diagnosed with PTSD following events like those of September 11, or following hostage situations, abuse, rape, natural disasters, or any other kind of traumatic experience. This is not a disorder that is confined to the military, though military members are still all too often too ashamed to seek help, and many civilians that suffer from it would not be able to recognize it due to lack of information.
How do you know if you suffer from PTSD?
There are four key symptoms that will help you identify PTSD. I have witnessed two of these four in friends who have PTSD- some who have not yet been diagnosed, and one who has. Both served in Iraq on multiple deployments, and both are open about their experiences which clearly attributed to the development of this disorder.
The symptoms are:
Reliving the event(s) either in dreams or "flashbacks."
Avoidance of anything that might remind you of the event(s).
Feeling numb in reaction to the event(s)- closely resembles depression in loss of involvement even in things you enjoy.
Always hyped up, always on the look out, always looking for danger (where none should exist).
There are many reasons women with PTSD do not get diagnosed. They are reluctant to admit they have a problem. They are concerned that being diagnosed will affect thier career in the military, or will affect how others will interact with them should it be found out. There is still a social stigma surrounding the need to get counseling despite the great lengths the military has taken to make mental health care more accessible.
However, Ladies, if you have PTSD, fear not!
First, know that you are not alone. You have Sisters in Christ who love and support you. You have Sisters in Arms who can relate and can share in your fears and uncertainties. Second, as Christian women we are called to lean on Him to answer our needs, if those needs call for speaking to a counselor, do not be ashamed to see one! You are not less of a woman, or less of a Christian for seeking professional help with PTSD (or ANY mental health concern.) Third, mental health issues are now treated much different in the military because of people's aversion to seeking help. In most cases, the things you seek help for will not reflect poorly on your military career. (Wives, note this to keep in mind for your Hubbies: Mental Health Care is not something to be feared in regards to Military Careers.) However, ignoring the problem because of that misplaced fear can hurt much more if it goes untreated. (Rauth is a prime example.) Finally, there are treatments for PTSD outside Mental Health Care which include medication to help manage the symptoms.
Ladies, I encourage you to seek out help if you beleive you have suffered a traumatic experience that has caused you to develop PTSD. There is no shame in asking for help.
"1 If I speak in the tongues of men or of
angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.
2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge,
and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am
nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship
that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. 4 Love is patient, love
is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not
dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no
record of wrongs.6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices
with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always
perseveres. 8 Love never fails. But
where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will
be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part
and we prophesy in part, 10 but when completeness comes, what is in part
disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like
a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of
childhood behind me. 12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we
shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I
am fully known. 13 And now these
three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” 1
Corinthians 13 v 1-13 This week concludes "Foundation of Faith." Next week, there will not be a Fortress of Faith study as I will be spending the next two weeks praying and learning where how to proceed. Thank you so much for joining us as we learn about His Love for us, and as we learn from 1 Corinthians 13 how we share His love with others.
1 Corinthians 13 verse 13 is arguably one of the most popular verses about love in the Bible. Prayers, sermons, songs, and other Bible studies have been wrapped around the simple yet powerful verse.
"And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love."
Think about this: As Christian women, we have Faith. Faith in a God we know in our hearts but cannot introduce with a handshake to our friends and family. Faith in a Holy Spirit that we cannot begin to explain to ourselves, let alone non-Christians, yet we have no doubt of its existence and its influence in our lives. Faith in a Shepherd, as the Son of God, as our Savior, as the One who conquered sin and death. As Christian women, we have been given a beautiful, wondrous gift of Faith. And we are better women for it!
Also, as Christian women, we have Hope! We have hope that our Faith will carry us through those times when we feel like He is silent. We have hope that those we love with all our hearts will also come to know our God, our Holy Spirit, our Savior. We have hope that no matter how good or bad this life is there is an eternal life so much richer and full than this life. We have hope, and so no fear of death.
But look at the end of the verse. We know we have His Love! We know we share His Love. We know that love is just one of many gifts He has given to us, but this verse, as does the entire chapter, and really, the entire Holy Bible, tells us that of ALL the blessings and gifts He has given to us, the greatest of these gifts is the gift of Love.
We know this to be true. In our human relationships, we know this to be true. Anyone can get married, but if love is not the basis of that marriage, the marriage quickly turns into mere shades of what it might be. In our relationships with our children, we know that if we discipline without love we do more damage than good. In our relationships with our friends, if we fellowship without love, the friendships become hollow and dry. However, so long as love drives our relationships, we find them to be deep, meaningful, and beneficial to everyone!
The same is true with the Love He has given to us. His Love to us is seen in the culmination of gifts given to us when Christ sacrificed Himself for our sins. We have Faith. We have Hope. We have Love. Again, Faith without Love strives and becomes weak and easily swayed, easily deceived. Hope without Loves is easily forgotten, buried in the recesses of our hearts while we try to slog on through the trials and tribulations.
Let us not forget His Love as the foundation of our Faith so we can build on that foundation becoming closer to Him and sharing His love with others!
Thank you for being apart of this study. I hope this study has encouraged you of His love for you, and motivated you to live a more loving life reflective of His gifts to you. If you have enjoyed this Study, I hope you will join us in two weeks for the part of Fortress of Faith!
Do you remember "Touched By An Angel" that used to appear on CBS? One episode featured Wynonna Judd in the role of a mother watching as her son was dying; she was losing faith and hope. Her son didn't want to leave her alone. As the angels show up in their lives to help them both let go, her son made a list of things he wanted to complete before he died. One of those things on his list was to have his mother start writing music again. The following song is what she sang at the end of the episode. (The clip is from that particular episode.) I have included the lyrics beneath the song.
All the colors of the rainbow
All the voices of the wind
Every dream that reaches out
That reaches out to find where love begins
Every word of every story
Every star in every sky
Every corner of creation
Lives to testify
For as long as I shall live
I will testify to love
I'll be a witness in the silences
When words are not enough
With every breath I take
I will give thanks to God above
For as long as I shall live
I will testify to love
From the mountains to the valleys
From the rivers to the sea
Every hand that reaches out
Every hand that reaches out to offer peace
Every simple act of mercy
Every step to kingdom come
All the hope in every heart will
Speak what love has done
For as long as I shall live
I will testify to love
I'll be a witness in the silences
When words are not enough
With every breath I take
I will give thanks to God above
For as long as I shall live
I will testify to love
This song moves me very deeply. Of course, it is hard not to get emotional watching this clip. But take the clip away and just sing along--- there is power in this song. A true worship song giving Him all the glory! No matter what! You can also find a version of this song by Avalon. I have worn down two CD's listening to this song over and over and over again!
I wanted to share something with you today. This week, I got an email from a reader asking me what my "credentials" were in leading a Bible Study and in writing this blog. Basically, I think she wanted to know what right I have to lead a study of His Word.
To be honest, I was angry at first. Now, her email in itself, its wording, its content, was sweet, unassuming. I really get the impression that she was sincerely curious. However, her questions fed right into my own doubts about my worthiness to take on this study.
So, I submitted my concern to my Facebook friends. Many of them are incredible Christians, and some of those are incredible Christian men and women either in the Ministry themselves or are serving in our Armed Forces. I was not seeking proof of my "credibility." I was seeking advice if any of them had faces similiar questions.
Their overwhelming response and encouragement has thrown me into His Word. To all those men and women, I am so completely blessed, honored, and humbled. I am really a horrible friend-type person, yet I have such incredible encouragers in my life! He has been so good to me!
Because of the struggles I faced this week, I wanted to share the encouragement I found from Him!
Right out of His Word. A message to Christians in the very early Church. Encouragement to those He has called- no matter where He has called you from, or where He is calling you to go. I believe that the email I received this week, that caused me to struggle and to doubt, was a call for me to seach His Word. This encouragement is not just for me. This encouragement is for you!
God bless you as you move in His will!
26 Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth.27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.28 God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are,29 so that no one may boast before him.30 It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.31 Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.” ~1 Corinthians 1 v 26-31
"1 If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. 4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. 12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. 13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” 1 Corinthians 13 v 1-13
Thank you for joining us today! I am so happy that you have come to visit! I hope that today's study speaks to your heart. I hope you see His hand and feel His love deeply, not just today, but every day!
This week, we will discuss verses 11 and 12:
11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. 12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. As adults, no matter what age we are, we can all look back to our childhood and notice the huge difference between our actions as a child and our actions as an adult. For that matter, because we are all associated with the military in one way or another, we can notice the difference in who we were before the military and who we are now as we are in the military, supporting the military, or living after the military.
We are all aware of how perspective influences our choices. Before we joined the military, what was our perspective of military life, of being a military wife, of being a veteran? Now that we are in those roles, how have our perspectives changed?
The same thing is being said here of what our life was like before know God's love. How did we see Him before knowing Him? How did we perceive Christianity before becoming part of His people? How did we view our own lives? Then look at where we are now? How much has changed in our perspective as we feel His love? How much of what we thought we knew has been proven true or false about His will for us?
Then as we continue to verse twelve, we see that even as we are growing in His love, even as we are seeing our lives change, even as we see our perspectives and ideas change to see His love and truth, we see this is merely the tip of the iceberg. The love we feel from Him now is growing. The love we feel now is just a piece. As we grow in our Faith, as we share His love, we will feel His love grow in us and through us, so that when we see Him face to face, we will know Him as fully as He knows us!
Pretty cool!
Even in our relationships where we think we know someone inside and out, we are never very sure. We are certainly not sure of whether the person we think we know so well, truly knows who we are! I know we can all relate. There is the best friend: you know her so well, like a sister, but then she says or does something that throws you for a loop making you wonder if you ever really knew her at all. There is your spouse. You have been married for years and years. You have grown and changed, together and apart and together again. You have developed a relationship so strong, and yet there are times when he says something or expects something of you that is not you, and you think that he should surely know that by now!
We change. God does not. We cannot fathom how His love can be unchanging and eternal, because even in our most secure human relationships, there is still the element of the unknown. Not with our God. The relationship we share with Him is eternal. HIS side of the relationship is unwavering, despite our faithfulness or lack of faithfulness. As we spend time with Him, we will see more and more the Truth of His dedication to us. His promise to us is that in the end, we will know Him and His love just as deeply as He knows us.
