Let me help you find your footing in this shaky world!

Ken Ken the Baby Friend’s expression has a lot to do with Honey, the all-important stuffy she’s clutching by the throat. The stuffy who was temporarily lost before he was found and led everyone to breathe a collective sigh of relief.

Honey won’t always be able to provide the security Kennedy will need. We know this. You do too. We all know she’ll face days that require more peace and comfort than Honey can offer. We’re living them, aren’t we?

I’m about to get really personal. I hope you’ll stay for it.

Over the last few months the Spirit of God has been bringing people from my hometown to my back porch with their fears, doubts, and questions to talk about Jesus. Physical meetings right here to this literal porch where I’m writing these words. All of them are acquaintances but none of them attend church with me or come from my immediate circle of family and friends. I won’t elaborate because I’m praying for them. I want them to feel safe, to come back and bring their friends.

I will tell you that I prayer peddled like mad while talking with them. Prayer peddling is my way of saying I’m praying on the inside while visiting on the outside. I’m still asking the Lord to settle anything worthwhile that came from my lips deep in their hearts and blow away all the extra.

This isn’t just happening on my back porch. I’ve personally never had as many conversations with as many confused and anxious people as I’m having in these days. Some of my conversations with perfect strangers can go from “How are you doing?” to “How can you be so sure about Jesus?” with whiplash speed. People are scared, angry, depressed, all of it. I get it. Today’s drama and trauma slams into us before we can deal with the onslaught we’re still trying to process from yesterday. We have a worldwide pandemic accompanied by wars, famines, natural disasters, and that’s on top of the brutal loss of any type of consensus on whose facts can actually be checked and verified. That loss alone is enough to leave us feeling anxious and vulnerable.

The Bible has a phrase for all of it. “Birth pains.”

And as he was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came up to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” And Jesus answered and said to them, “Watch out that no one deceives you! For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will deceive many. And you are going to hear about wars and rumors of wars. See to it that you are not alarmed, for this must happen, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise up against nation and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. But all these things are the beginning of birth pains. Matthew 24: 3-8

How close are we to Christ’s return? I’ll leave that to the theologians. I know more about birth pains. Let’s park there.

A pregnant woman’s birth pains signal that everything she’s been living for is at the door. Whatever preparations she may have been making for the baby’s arrival are cast side. This is not when she begins picking out a baby bed and painting the nursery walls. She is focused and as the pains increased, her focus increases with it. What she’s only imagined before is about to become a reality.

This is where we find ourselves and the only place where you and I can find our footing in these days and in the days ahead as this birthing world gives way to the next is in the Presence of Jesus, mediator between God and men. Hear me, please. Knowing of Jesus is a stuffy. Church membership is a stuffy. Outward conformity to rules and regulations, stuffies. They’re all stuffies.  

Living with Jesus, surrendered to Jesus, this will bring you peace in your fear, hope in your trials, strength in your weakness, and comfort in your sorrows. Oh, the grace that brought salvation’s plan. I can’t explain it, but you can live it with me. Let me know how I can pray for you.

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him would not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:16

Hugs, Shellie

P.S. I posted a Youtube video that just might give you some chuckles and you know I believe that whatever else is happening, life is always better when you’re laughing. Feel free to share this letter with your friends!