how the light gets in

Category: March 2020

• Compass + ?

  Posted at 8:08 pm by How the Light Gets In, on March 22, 2020

  The Compass post needed a follow up.

  I hope you know enough about me that I didn’t want my words in that post to come across as quaint or self-assured. You know me. I’m sorry if they did. The thing is, YES, God has always been a part of my life. And, YES, I do believe that reading the Bible and praying are the spiritual COMPASS leading me through the wilderness of my life.

  BUT

  Even though I have the relationship with God to guide me; I can get wigged out when life gets crazy. I know and love and trust God but will white-knuckle the compass WHILE trying to follow the lead.

  And that’s ok.

  Here’s the other thing. I’m able to hold the metaphorical compass, to look to it, to trust it because of another survival tool – COMMUNITY.

  I have an army. I don’t know why or how or why but I have an army. They are beasts. You are beasts. You all are warriors. You relentless, beautiful, faithful, loving, honest people. Without you, I wouldn’t be who I am or where I am. You, in all the ways, show me how much God loves me. I hope to do the same for you.

  COMPASS + COMMUNITY

  This Corona “wilderness” is unexpected, unprecedented and unnerving. Now’s the time to rely on our survival tools.

  Look for God. Ask God to be your Compass. You ask. He will show. That is just how He rolls. Seek Him with your whole heart and you’ll find Him (Jeremiah 29:13).

  Ask God for good people to build up your circle. Pray to be a “beast” in your community. You probably already are.

  The Coronavirus is giving us all a freaky unique situation where we’re all brought to the same level, same speed, same time.

  We will make it out together.

  Now is the time to find your Compass – God’s just waiting for you.

  Now is the time to find your Community – You are loved and so needed.

  Posted in March 2020 | 0 Comments | Tagged Community, Compass, coronavirus, How the Light Gets In, Jeremiah 29:3

• Compass in the Chaos

  Posted at 4:18 pm by How the Light Gets In, on March 19, 2020

  Where the heck are we right now? What is going on?

  I feel a little lost in all the Coronavirus updates and state mandated restrictions and empty grocery shelves. It’s all so disorienting.

  How are you?

  Since you can’t be student, boss, employee, non-teacher, hostess, room-parent, coach… how are you?

  It’s weird and slow. 

  I know. I feel it too. Right now, I want to sit next to you (virtually) and offer you a compass in the chaos.

  Because I’ve been here before.

  From 2016-2019, we were swirling in a medical mess and I felt lost in a sort of wilderness. Just like you now, I wasn’t able to be all the things I’d signed up for like coach, room mom, hostess, tennis player, volunteer, etc.

  My calendar was wiped clean of every layer of identity I’d wrapped myself up in. They were all taken without asking my permission. 

  As you read this; COVID-19 has wiped your calendar clean. And you didn’t get a say. We’re back to basics with no clear path of what lies ahead. So, what next?

  First, let’s get our bearings. Friends, we are IN the wilderness.

  And, I can tell you from experience and from reading lots of scripture, the wilderness is where God does His thing.

  This is where He works.

  Behold, I am doing a new thing;
  now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
  I will make a way in the wilderness
  and rivers in the desert. – Isaiah 43:19

  

  Rachel Held Evans wrote “…some of Scripture’s most momentous events occur not at the start of a journey, nor at the destination, but in between, in the wilderness.” Inspired: Slaying Giants, Walking on Water and Loving the Bible Again

  We are IN BETWEEN right now.

  And God is in it with us offering “a way.” In all this uncertainty and pandemonium, why not, WHY NOT invite God into it and ask for direction.

  How does this work in real life, like right now? Well, if you were lost in the literal wilderness; you would keep your eyes open for signs to point you in the right direction. Same applies to you and God in the metaphorical wilderness. Really.

  Here are a few “signs” in the wilderness to point you in the right direction: Read the Jesus Calling Devotional, sign up for a reading plan on the Holy Bible App, follow Aussie Dave or Priscilla Shirer or Bianca Olthoff or Bishop Jakes on Instagram, listen to 95.1 Shine-FM, look up She Reads Truth and join the community, tune in to mass on Church of the Nativity’s website.

  We’re feeling a little lost right now but we have a God who loves to show up IN the wilderness in remarkable ways. He’s full of promise and hope and relief.

  Point the compass His way, ask Him for help and TAKE NOTES! {You might not be able to see God in the moment but being able to look back at what you asked for can be a powerful way to see He was working all along.}

  Just yesterday, I was journaling about my worry with the news of even more closings and my anxiety over my daily routine being swallowed up with the needs of all the kids home now. The “Jesus Calling “reading for March 18 was from Matthew.

  “Refuse to worry about tomorrow, but deal with each challenge that comes your way, one day at a time. Tomorrow will take care of itself.” – Matt 6:34

  I’ve seen it before. I know I’ll see it again and again. You might be lost but you are not alone.

  Let God be your compass in the chaos.

  Posted in March 2020, Uncategorized | 1 Comment | Tagged 95.1 Shine FM, aussiedave, Bianca Olthoff, Church of the Nativity, compass in the chaos, coronavirus, covid-19, Holy Bible App, How the Light Gets In, Isaiah 43:18-19, Jesus Calling, Matthew 6:34, priscilla shirer, Rachel Held Evans, She Reads Truth, Wilderness

• Eye Exercises

  Posted at 3:08 pm by How the Light Gets In, on March 5, 2020

  I’ve become a real big girl in these past few years. I mean, I am 44 years old. So, in theory, I really should behave like a strong, determined, positive, aware adult but that hasn’t been the case.

  Are you all grown up and settled into your best life? Yeah, I didn’t think so. In my 44 years of well-earned wisdom, I’m here to tell you:

  1. You are ok

  2. Keep Going

  3. There’s so much more to learn

  My trigger for this random post was a #2 Ticonderoga. Lily put the freshly sharpened pencil in my face and asked, “Aren’t pointy pencils the best?” And just like that, my heart got all heavy and achey.

  

  Remember when Joseph was sick? If you don’t, here’s the recap: For 18 months or so, Joseph was declining before our eyes. His brain was so swollen from whatever he was fighting that his eyes went crossed and stayed there. He had 11 lesions on his brain. He’d lost 14 pounds and was losing muscle tone every day. He struggled through brain fog. The swelling also gave him hypersensitivity to just about everything. My little boy was slipping away in front of us and no one knew why and no one knew what to do.

  Among many visits to many doctors, there was one I looked forward to and that was our weekly check up with the ophthalmologist. Dr. Collins always offered a calm voice in the chaos of appointments and tests and diagnoses.

  One visit, Dr. Collins gave us homework. A daily assignment for me and Joseph.

  And I didn’t want to do it.

  Her instructions were for Joseph and I to sit across from each other, knee to knee. I was to hold up a sharpened pencil right in front of his little nose and then move the pencil slowly to the left and back to center. And repeat. And repeat until his eye got tired. Then we would do the same to the right.

  

  Try to imagine how hard it was looking at my boy back then. I would willingly sit beside him and sketch with him. I would happily make him cookies and hold him in my lap and feel him relax.

  But this homework was making me do something I was avoiding; I would have to face Joseph. I would have to look him in the literal eye and face what was scaring me. And I would have to do it again and again.

  And I did my homework. Every night, I faced Joseph and we did eye exercises. I looked right into his eyes that were confused and trying and saw a little boy much the same.

  I learned that when those tiny, spidery vessels would show up turning his eyes red; he would want to keep pushing. So, I learned to hold back my tears and push him to keep going. I fought with God in my head, “Why is this happening? What is even happening?” I learned how determined Joseph is. I learned I could face the hard stuff.

  Only God could use a daily eye exercise to train up my heart.

  What little thing could you start doing today to train your heart?

  If I can do it, you can do it. Face the hard thing – with a friend, in prayer, through therapy – Face the hard thing.

  Start small.

  Maybe screenshot this verse from 2 Timothy 1:7 and repeat it every day.

  

  Mighty. Power. Love. Self-Control.

  God made you stronger than you know.

  Remind me of this when I’m wimping out later today💗

  Posted in March 2020, Uncategorized | 2 Comments | Tagged 2 Timothy 1:7, How the Light Gets In, Jesus, Pain, PTSD, Therapy