Willing to be Weak

Random fact about me: I'm a stage manager.
Why am I telling you this? Because as a stage manager, I want to look strong all the time. It is my job to stay in control of the production that I'm working on and maintain the safety of those around me. Looking weak doesn't exactly fit in with that job description. But you know what? Being weak isn't a bad thing.

"But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."
-2 Corinthians 12:9-10

I read these verses today and almost started crying because they hit me so hard. Who am I to try and be strong all the time? Christ's power is made perfect in weakness. When I am weak, Christ is that much stronger. That means by always trying to be strong, we are essentially taking away His power. I'm not saying to go around being weak all the time no matter what. I am saying however that it is OK to be weak. God doesn't look at us and say "stop those tears. real men/women don't cry." He wipes away our tears. For Jesus's sake, embrace the times of weakness, the times when people criticize you, every hardship and difficulty you go through. Stop looking at the pain. Look at the LOVE that surrounds you. Jesus will always be there for you, stronger than you could ever imagine and willing to carry you through the hard times.

The poem "Footprints in the Sand" just popped into my head when writing that last paragraph. I think it illustrates perfectly the concept that is so hard to grasp about the above verses. The last lines of the poem says that when there is only one set of footprints in the sand, God is then carrying us. How easy is it for us to lose sight of that when we are going through a tough time?

My challenge for you is to embrace moments of weakness. Don't run away from them like we instinctively do.  Allow God to be your strength.

Your Fellow Water Walker,
-Ashlee

Slow to Anger

"My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry"
-James 1:19

Sometimes the things that are the most blatantly put, are the most difficult to follow.

If you're like me, you often struggle with your temper. In theatre (my major and passion), you spend more hours in the theatre than you do wherever you are actually paying to live. Some nights you feel like it would be easier to just sleep on the couches in the green room and save yourself the time it would take to travel home. This is especially true during what we call "tech week." Tech week is where you add all the technical aspects of a play in one week's time. Lights, sound, costumes, sets, show props, it's all gotta go in during that last week before you open, and a lot of times that leads to a lot of stressed out people in one very small room. I'm about half way through tech week for the first show that I have ever stage managed. Can you say stressful?

With me, the more stressed I become, the easier it is for me to lose my temper. Sometimes it seems like it would just be easier to spout off at somebody who dropped the ball. But that's not what God tells us to do. "Be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry." That's hard work when you're stressed!

This week I challenge you to take these words to heart and follow their advice. I'm working on it myself. Listen more than you talk and don't let your temper get the best of you. Because let's face it, when your temper gets the best of you, you can't do your best at anything else.

Your Fellow Water Walker,
Ashlee

Look Jesus in the Eyes

I've lost count of how many times in my life I've had well-meaning friends and family members question my stance on abstinence. Even people who have never talked to me can tell that I believe in purity until marriage because of the ring I wear on my left hand. Well, when you are a college student that stance isn’t as popular as it is when you are hanging out with your Sunday school class. It’s topics like this one that separate the believers from the non-believers. 

So many times in our lives we let ourselves get caught up in what we want according to what society tells us that we should want. We’re in college so I must want to go out and party every weekend, drinking, smoking, and experimenting sexually all the while. I’m a girl so I am automatically weaker or should be trying to get women to be the more powerful gender. I am a preacher’s daughter so I am either a goody-goody or the rebel. Because those are the only options given to us by society.

But you know what? As much as I want some of the same things as all the other girls I know. I want to get married. I want to have kids. I want to know true love. But more than all that, I want to live my life in such a way that if Jesus was standing before me today, I would be able to look him in the eye and say that I have lived my life according to his desires for me. I want to be able to offer to my future husband on our wedding night what so many other girls give away like it is no big deal. I want to be a life of encouragement for younger girls. I want to be a beacon of God’s light.

I don’t want to be perfect. I just want to do my best in serving him. Nothing more. Nothing less.

I challenge you to live your lives in a way that praises God instead of taking away from your witness for Him.

Your Fellow Water Walker,

-Ashlee

Praise At All Times

Confession: I read 4 devotionals today before I found inspiration for this blog.
Confession 2: I then realized the inspiration was all around me. Isn't it amazing how God works?

How easy is it for us to being all happy-go-lucky-praise-song Christians when things are going our way and then turn completely silent towards God other than the word why when things start going any way other than perfect? That's not how it should be though.

Psalm 34:1 says: "I will praise the Lord at all times; His praise will always be on my lips." It doesn't say that we should only praise Him when things are going our way. Even when things aren't going exactly how we imagine they should go, I can guarantee you that they are going exactly how they should according to His plan for our lives. The hard times are opportunities for us to grow and through that growth we become the people that we are meant to be. And isn't that a reassuring truth? How comforting to know that we are always in His hand.

And for that we should always praise him.

Your Fellow Water Walker,
Ashlee

Do Everything In Love

Wow. The first blog of the new year. Initially, I had planned to wait for the new year to start this blog. I'm glad I didn't. I have already learned more while writing this blog than I would have otherwise. Most people make resolutions every new year. They also tend to break them by the end of January. Instead of making resolutions this year, I'm simply continuing with what I already started back in November: Studying The Word every day and blogging about whatever the Lord puts on my heart. I sincerely hope that this blog reaches someone who needs words of encouragement in their walk with God.

The below verses are some of my favorite verses of all time.

"Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. Do everything in love."
-1 Corinthians 16:13-14

I like parables. I really do. But isn't it reassuring to have advice written in such a straight forward manner? These two verses don't even hesitate to THINK about beating around the bush. The message of these verses is quite simple.

All Christians need to be consistently on their guard. The devil will always be trying to win our souls and discourage us. Only by constantly being aware of this very real enemy can we defeat him. Stand firm in the faith. Know the God you serve. Know what the Bible says. Follow it. Be courageous; be strong. As children of God we possess a strength that causes even the devil to shake in his boots. Why do you think that he constantly attacks Christians? Use the strength that you have. Be courageous in your daily walk and in the sharing of the gospel. Above all else, Do everything in love. You can never go wrong if you let love guide your actions. Not the love that the media would like you to believe in, but the Love that is only possible through a true relationship with God. The Love that God IS. If you act out of this love, you will always be in God's will.

Your Fellow Water Walker,
Ashlee