Thank You By Cortney Donelson

Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV)

^“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

“God, thank You for creative minds that make creative things…”

This part of my son’s nightly prayer brings a smile to my face. More importantly, I know God smiles too. My son is thanking God not for his own unrealized gift, but for others’ gifts – for his favorite authors and the books they write, for the makers of the LEGO® blocks he plays with, for the special-effects gurus he appreciates in the movies he loves, and for the artists who design the masterpieces he admires. I am convinced my son’s thankful and humble heart is the foundational reason he is one of the most imaginative people I know. Some people watch him and see a boy who could dance across Dr. Seuss’s giant footsteps with his own version of crazy creative.

Ann Voskamp, author of the book “One Thousand Gifts,” attests that “thanksgiving precedes the miracle.” She bases this on Paul’s writings in Philippians:^“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”  Ann makes numerous biblical references in her book – to Jesus thanking God before the five loaves of bread feeds thousands, to Jesus thanking God that He had heard Him before raising Lazarus from death’s grip, and to Jesus thanking God during the Last Supper, just before the miracle of His resurrection. Jesus taught us throughout the Scriptures to give thanks before the miracle.

Am I thankful enough … thankful enough for these kinds of miracles? I think this is a valid question. Those other “good enough” questions – they uncover lies, insecurities, unfaithfulness, pain, or pride. Am I pretty enough? Am I successful enough? Am I smart enough?Am I doing enough? When I ask these questions, the focus is on me, my weaknesses, my selfish goals, and my past hurts.

However, I think the question - Am I thankful enough? - uncovers a heart running after God’s peace and His miraculous blessings. A heart focused on God’s promises, our identity in Him. A heart that understands the true meaning of grace.

Grace is undeserved favor or kindness – a generosity of spirit, if you will. Grace is the one aspect of Christianity that separates it from all other religions.  Grace came to earth as a baby lying in a dirty manger surrounded by stable animals. Grace was betrayed and beaten. Then, Grace hung on the cross for me, solidifying my place in eternity. Am I thankful enough for it all?

I listen to my son thank God every night for what seems to me to be the smallest of things. But it’s not just the authentic thanksgiving of an 8-year-old that amazes me. It’s the order of his prayers.  “Thank You for creating me. Thank You for looking after my mom when she was in Haiti. Please keep looking out for everyone still in Haiti. Thank you for a great day today. Please help me have a good day tomorrow. Thank you for taking care of Simamkele and Milani (the two boys we have sponsored through World Vision). Please continue to take care of them.”

Do you see the pattern? Without knowing what he is doing, my little boy first thanks God and then asks for His blessings. I am never surprised when my son’s prayers are answered with a resounding yes! I have learned so much through my child’s authentic and grateful prayer life. Crazy creative as he is, he is also tackling his prayer life with the faith of a child and the gratitude of one thousand saints. I need to do the same.

What miracle could be waiting for me? For you? When an unexpected diagnosis shatters our world, thanksgiving precedes the miracle. When children argue, disobey, stray from God, or seem distant … thanksgiving precedes the miracle. When jobs are lost and financial insecurity threatens … thanksgiving precedes the miracle. When marriages begin to implode and we feel we live with roommates instead of doing life together as spouses … thanksgiving precedes the miracle.

Am I thankful enough to see all of God’s miracles? I pray so…

Prayer – Lord, thank You for Your grace and forgiveness. Help me to forgive others like that. Lord, thank You for my children. Help me raise them to run after You always. Lord, thank You for Your words and promptings to write for Your glory. Help me reach more in Your name. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

© 2013 As A Clay Jar. All rights reserved.
*Photo Source: unknown

Our Deep Calling By Cortney Donelson

Ephesians 4:30 (The Message)

“Don’t grieve God. Don’t break his heart. His Holy Spirit, moving and breathing in you, is the most intimate part of your life, making you fit for himself. Don’t take such a gift for granted.”

Source: Unkown

We were created to go deep…

Despite God’s command to “fear not,” I just cannot seem to avoid fear and worry at times. But those feelings are merely superficial. Oh, they feel as if they run to the core of my being. The Serpent is crafty in that way. However, if I truly connect in the deepest parts of myself, where God resides, fear has no place. Let me explain…

My husband has been training for a half ironman (long distance triathlon) for a couple of months now. He spends up to three hours a day swimming, cycling, and/or running. On good days, I am inspired enough to go for a longer-distance run myself. On the not-so-good days, I eat as if I am training right alongside him. Not good!

At 6:00 am one recent Saturday morning, my husband left for a 90-minute bike ride, followed by a 30-minute run. Crazy, I know. His plan was to be home by 8:00 so that I could hand off the childcare baton and go for my extended run of the week. At 8:30, he wasn’t home from his bike ride, and I was reminded of the fleeting thought I had kept to myself at 6:00 am when he kissed my forehead goodbye. Just be safe. His running shoes sat in the garage, and a wave of panic flew through my heart. At this point, he was an hour late. I tried to reach him on his phone, but there was no answer and no response to my text message.

I paced the house while the kids played. My superficial layers were planning a funeral. However, God reminded me of Ephesians 4:30, which implores, “Don’t grieve God. Don’t break his heart. His Holy Spirit, moving and breathing in you, is the most intimate part of your life, making you fit for himself. Don’t take such a gift for granted.”  So, I began to pray, “Holy Spirit, I need You. Fear is just a lie. Imagining the worst will not bring him back any sooner. Please slow down my racing heart. Help me to breathe and think. God, I trust You!” My worries subsided. My racing heart slowed. Peace ensued and flowed into me, from the deepest parts of my soul, up into those superficial layers where the anxiety had taken hold.

Rather than going into full blown panic, I was able to come up with a plan to find my husband. As I was in the middle of a text message to a couple of my friends asking them to come watch my kids while I drove around to locate him, the garage door opened. I breathed a sigh of relief – then thanked God.

Our gift named the Holy Spirit wasn’t finished yet. Instead of throwing open the door to the garage and permitting my emotions to dictate my words, the Holy Spirit impressed on me the necessity of keeping my calm. My husband was home and in one piece. For that I was thankful. He was also visibly angry. He was in no emotional position to realize the anxiety he had caused me by not calling home. “Wait until this moment passes. Talk to him later…” The Holy Spirit guided me to respond out of love and patience rather than fear and anxiety. If you know me well, you know this was not “of me.” I imagined God smiling as I chose not to take the Holy Spirit for granted but to listen to the gift of His advice. Later, I would learn his anger had stemmed from the amount of time his ride took and that his being late had caused me to push my run back.

“God knows what each one of us is dealing with. He knows our pressures. He knows our conflicts. And He has made a provision for each and every one of them. That provision is Himself in the person of the Holy Spirit, indwelling us and empowering us to respond rightly.” – Kay Arthur

According to Ephesians 4:30, the ability – and obedience – to connect intimately with God makes us healthier Christ-followers. In fact, the decision not to connect with God within our deepest parts can lead us to break His heart. “Don’t grieve God. Don’t break his heart. His Holy Spirit, moving and breathing in you, is the most intimate part of your life, making you fit for himself. Don’t take such a gift for granted.” Had I panicked, lost control, or spewed angry words when my husband finally did arrive home, God would have grieved. I sure don’t want to break His heart – or my husband’s.

Having a deep relationship with the Holy Spirit is extremely important to our spiritual and emotional lives. The Holy Spirit is a gift to those who accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior – a gift I do not want to take for granted. He fills us in the deepest parts of our being, providing encouragement through difficulties, wisdom during trials, patience in adversity, love through the hurts, and strength despite our own weaknesses. He allows us to turn away from Satan’s attempts to damage our superficial layers – let’s call them temptations. The Holy Spirit helped me turn from the temptation to hurl hurtful words.

It is important to note, though, that it’s not just about the prayers we whisper, the words we speak, or the good deeds we accomplish. The relationship is what matters. Our deep calling involves trust. It requires intimacy. It takes time. But this relationship, as it develops, produces stronger witnesses for His Kingdom.

Prayer – Lord, thank You for the gift of the Holy Spirit. It amazes me to no end that Your strength, wisdom, patience, love, and mercy all reside within our deepest parts. I pray we do not ever take that for granted. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

© 2013 As A Clay Jar. All rights reserved.

Who Am I ... Haiti Day 8 (The Final Day) By Cortney Donelson

Luke 18:24-25 (NIV)
“Jesus looked at him and said, ‘How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!  Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”

Source: Unknown

Who am I…

that I have a house with air conditioning and running water?

that I have a savings account strictly for emergencies?

that I can go to sleep at night without worrying about killer snakes or malaria-infested mosquitoes?

that I can attend any church I choose and worship in any way I desire?

that I am an American with freedoms and privileges about which most people in the world only dream?

Who am I that God would sacrifice His only Son in order to save me?

If you have ever served the extremely poor or done any mission work, you may understand the powerful yet cautious thanksgiving attached to this devotion. My prayer is that you do not walk away from this last devotion inspired by my time in Haiti thinking I am not grateful for all I have or that our American society is ultimately bad. My goal is to shed some light on the culture shock I experienced upon my return from Haiti and to challenge you to look at our lives in this country through different lenses – maybe even Jesus’ lenses – for just a moment.

In Haiti, I had no television, working mobile phone, or car. I did have my bible, journal, pen, and quiet time. I lost the fast-paced society of Facebook, texting, movies on demand, and pizza delivery, and what I found was God. In the evenings, instead of watching the next episode of the latest reality show, I sat on the roof of our guest house and watched the lights of Port-Au-Prince flicker in the valley below as I prayed, wrote devotions, and listened to God. Instead of texting and emailing people about superficial events and filling up my schedule, I was having deeply spiritual conversations with others – face-to-face. Rather than exhausting myself by driving around from activity to activity, I was serving others with hard labor and feeling more energized than ever before.

Source: Unknown, Aerial View of
Port-Au-Prince, Haiti

However, the significance of what I had learned about my relationship with God did not register with my Americanized ignorance until the flight home. As the plane lifted off on our way from Port-Au-Prince to Miami, I looked out of the window. I was struck by what I saw as I left a country I would soon miss on a very spiritual level. Below the plane, the only color I saw was grey. Many streets are gravel and cement. There are stone walls lining most roads. Residential and commercial areas are gated and walled off from the streets. Many buildings are still in disrepair from the earthquake. Streets wind in every direction with no symmetrical or geometric pattern. Green grass is simply non-existent in many places. The roads flood within minutes of heavy rain. The city is still recovering from storm and earthquake damage, and the region does not have the financial resources to recover quickly.

  

Source: Unknown, Aerial View of Miami, FL

One hour and 37 minutes into my flight back to the United States, I was stunned again. I happened to look out my seat window at the exact same altitude that I had leaving Haiti as we descended into the Miami area. The world below was nothing like what I saw above Haiti. The disparity broke my heart. Miami was an easel of blues and greens. Gorgeous ocean-view homes and buildings lined the beaches. Lush and manicured lawns with beautifully landscaped swimming pools dotted the earth in perfectly squared off neighborhoods. The roads were expertly paved and flowers bloomed everywhere. The colorful city of Miami looked like a postcard photograph.

So why do I miss Haiti? The answer is complicated. First, I miss the people. In the United States, I see deeply spiritual relationships dwindling and being exchanged for superficial online “friendships.” This is not the case in Haiti. Spending quality time in the presence of family and friends is part of the culture. Through the Christians I met, I realized God comes first. I don’t mean first like God comes first with me right now. I mean first as in, no one else and nothing else is even on the list. The passion these believers have for the Lord is comparable to nothing I had ever experienced. I think I know why: God is God in Haiti.

“Though the fig tree does not bud
and there are no grapes on the vines,

though the olive crop fails
and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen

and no cattle in the stalls,
yet I will rejoice in the Lord,
I will be joyful in God my Savior.” (Habakkuk 3:17-18)

For several weeks after my return, I left my phone in my house. I avoided television. I was convinced I was going to maintain the intimacy I had found with God in Haiti. Sadly, I didn't  After a couple of weeks, my phone went back in my pocket, I started checking my Facebook account multiple times per day, and my quiet times dwindled. So while I am grateful for all this “stuff” I have as a middle-class American, I am simultaneously frightened to be living in a society that places a huge premium on individuality, material possessions, and success. In the Book of Luke, Jesus explained to the rich ruler what was required to follow Him – sell all his possessions. He didn't.“Jesus looked at him and said, ‘How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!  Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” I get it now.

Money has not become God. They have little. Work has not become God. There is little. Huge houses or multiple luxury cars have not become God. They have neither. Certainly success has not replaced God – not in a place where the United Nations is currently deployed just to keep peace and most people earn a few dollars per day. Yet, the Haitian believers are full of joy – joy in the Lord. They rejoice in just knowing God – knowing Him on a deeply intimate level. In watching and listening to them, it seems they understand that He is all they need. Ironically I was able to experience this intimacy too, simply because I was … well, living simply. God was all I had.

I became painfully aware that my relationship with God was enhanced when my normal distractions – television, computers, Smartphones, and busy schedules – were eliminated. While I am thankful and feel blessed to live in such a way that I have these things at my disposal, I am fearful too. I experienced first-hand what those things do to my spiritual relationship with my Savior: they weaken it. For the first time in my life, I felt every bit like the foolish rich man from the Bible. I am not wealthy compared to many Americans; however, compared to most of the world, I am absolutely in danger of being the rich man who cannot give up his wealth to follow Jesus. That is incredibly scary. For the first time, I understand how some people have made the decision to sell everything they own in order to serve others in long-term mission projects or give up lofty salaries for less-paying jobs in ministry. I get it now.

No, I do not place all of the blame for my lack of deep intimacy with God on the American Dream; I am making the choices that are currently limiting my relationship with the Lord. Jesus’ next line in Luke is,“What is impossible with man is possible with God.” With the Lord’s help, I can make the right choices. Yet there is an inherent challenge within the “two-sided coin” of living with plenty. Sometimes, I think it’s all too easy for us to think the “plenty” is enough, and the next thing we know, the “plenty” has perhaps replaced God. When that happens, it seems to me that we are the ones living in poverty...

Prayer – Lord, lead me to You and don’t let me choose the wrong path. I pray You give me wisdom and discernment to know when I am losing the “rich man’s battle.” I want You and nothing else. Bless me only in ways that bring glory to You and bring me closer to Your presence. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

© 2013 As A Clay Jar. All rights reserved.

"Standing on the Edge of Blessing": Haiti Day 7 By Cortney Donelson

Deuteronomy 28:1-3 (NIV)

Blessings for Obedience
“If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. All these blessings will come on you and accompany you if you obey the Lord your God: You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country.”

Source: Unknown

One of the pastors at my church, Robby Smernoff, recently said a phrase during his talk that grabbed my attention. He used the words “standing on the edge of blessing” as he was describing our faith journeys and how God hopes we all cross over from talking about to actually living out our full trust in Him in order to receive all the blessings He so desperately wants to give us.

I felt like that was exactly where I was standing – on the edge of blessing. Before leaving for Haiti, I was optimistic that I would finally receive definitive answers to a couple very specific prayers. I knew during those eight days spent in Haiti doing God’s work that I would have the opportunity to grow closer to Him. Close enough, I was hoping, that maybe He would point me in certain directions where I was feeling a bit stagnant. For months, I had been getting tired of the balancing act. You may know what I mean – the balance between waiting patiently on the Lord versus taking specific action to move forward. The fear is in trying too hard, thus forcing out His perfect timing and messing with His perfect plan. Have you ever been there – just waiting for God to give His all-out, “Go?”

In Haiti, I was not disappointed. One prayer was answered on Day 1. Praise Jesus!

I would have to wait for the second answer. Finally on Day 7, during our daily morning devotion time with the Director of Heartline Ministries, John McHoul, God answered my second prayer in His awesome fashion. John’s words for that morning were about persevering through weariness. Faith – and its reward – requires patience and determination.

Funny, that was one of the points the pastor at my church made too – faith takes patience. As I sat there in Haiti that morning, I suddenly realized where I was lacking that patience. I knew where I was not fully living in obedience to God … mostly because I was brutally aware that what He was asking was going to take me time – a lot of time. Rather, I wanted something that I could quickly cross off a to-do list. 

God was telling me not to let the weariness of completing the task or the impatience I was feeling to overcome my ability to be obedient to His call.

Deuteronomy promises, “If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. All these blessings will come on you and accompany you if you obey the Lord your God: You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country.”

I am standing on the edge of blessing. God is ready and willing to give me the abundance of His blessings, picked out specifically for me. The problem is me. I am the one still standing there on the edge. He has called me over the line. He has given me the command. However, I have been ignoring it because I know the work that will be required – the time it will take. And, I just don’t want to wait that long or put in that kind of effort. It will be hard! What if I fail? So, I have been waiting for different instructions – a different course of action. Therein lies my disobedience and my lack of faith. I am thankful for God’s reminders in Haiti and at that church service. I must persevere through my current impatience and future weariness … faith requires patience.

God never asks us to be successful; He asks us to be obedient. And, when we are obedient, we will no longer be just standing on the edge of His blessing. We will be standing in the middle of His glory as His blessings rain down upon us.

I cannot – yet can – wait…

Prayer – Lord, thank You for every blessing You have bestowed on me. I pray for perseverance and patience. Grow my faith during this time. I will work at being obedient always. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

© 2013 As A Clay Jar. All rights reserved.