Lauren Sparks - The Sparks Notes

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It was a dark night of the soul. So begins our spooky tale. Gather around the campfire – if you dare. We won’t encounter any ghosts or need to run from hockey mask wearing murderers. No monsters or other-worldly creatures. But I guarantee you spine-tingling, gooseflesh inducing terror as we recount…the year 2020! Muah-ha-ha-ha!

Ok, maybe this year hasn’t been haunted; but it has been crazy, unexpected, unplanned, isolated and ( if you haven’t heard this enough) unprecedented. When you roll all those things together, you get a ball I want to kick to the curb! As my daughter said recently, I would rather swallow a jean jacket than relive the horror.

The Australian bush fires carried over into the first quarter of the year killing untold numbers of animals. The California wildfires followed. Covid-19 built steam until it shut the whole world down, killing and infecting huge portions of the population and forcing us all to wear masks – long before Halloween. George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and others died. We mourned, we protested, and we rioted. Loneliness and isolation still run rampant as schools, restaurants, stores and churches adapt to changing social distancing rules.

Presidential election years are always a disaster, but did you see the first debate? I’m not sure what’s more frightening than that! And somewhere in the mix a murder hornet made an appearance? That’s the subject of a horror flick if I’ve ever heard one! There are many other components of 202o that I lack space and time to mention, or I have blocked them out to preserve what’s left of my sanity. But you get the gist.

In my family alone we have seen physical dangers, mental illness, broken bones, depression, job loss, and spiritual warfare. Now before you log off the internet wondering why you signed up to read these depressing posts, I do know the light at the end of the tunnel. I don’t know when the pandemic will be over. I have no clue when or if life will resume some measure of “normalcy”. I can’t promise an end to racial strife or guarantee that any politician ever will be civil and above board. (Get to the point, Lauren).

But God…

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Psalms 46:1 NIV He promises to always be with us and lend us the same power that He used to raise Jesus from the dead. That doesn’t mean we won’t still have problems. In fact, He guarantees that we will (John 16:33). We live in a messed up world, after all. But He promises to comfort us in them, so we can pass that comfort on to others (2 Corinthians 1:14).

God assures us in Revelation 1:17 that he was here before anything in this world and that when Coronavirus and governments and our earthly bodies are gone, He will remain. And Romans 8:28 says, And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who^[a] have been called according to his purpose. No matter how bad it is, He can use it for good purposes if you are His.

John 3:16 gives us the instructions for becoming His. For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 NIV You only have to believe. Trust Him. And once you’ve been justified through faith, God brings peace( Romans 5:1). You may not always feel it in a moment of struggle or sadness, but the peace is always there. Knowing what He has saved you from and what you are being saved to can usher that peace back in. Just lean into Him.

Conclusion

I guess our story is not so scary after all. If you would like to hear more of the story of God’s love for you, I would like nothing better than to share it with you. Contact me at lauren@laurensparks.net and we will email, text, call or go to coffee if you are close by. It’s my favorite story to tell.

And now for this week’s featured post.

Engage multiple senses with Jeanne Takenaka’s Desert: How to Trust God to Provide in Worrisome Times. This gorgeous post combines breathtaking scenery photos with a message we might all need to hear right now. Thank you for linking up, Jeanne.

1. Share 1 or 2 of your most recent CHRISTIAN LIVING posts. (No DIY, crafts, recipes, or inappropriate articles.) All links are randomly sorted.

2. Comment on 1 or 2 other links. Grace & Truth linkup encourages community.

3. Every host features one entry from the previous week. To be featured, include this button or link back here on your post (mandatory to be featured, but not to participate).

We encourage you to follow our hosts on their blogs or social media.

MAREE DEE – Embracing the Unexpected
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HEATHER HART & VALERIE RIESE – Candidly Christian
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LAUREN SPARKS
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LISA BURGESS – Lisa notes
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¹⁹My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, ²⁰because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. James 1:19-20 NIV

I often pray the words, “Lord, come quickly.” I recently added the prayer, “Let the election pass quickly.” People seem to lose their ever loving minds over presidential elections. Social media turns into a hotbed of hatred and vitriol – even more so than usual. And from my vantage point, Christians often shout the loudest and fling the most poo. This both frustrates and saddens me.

There is a reason people say we should never talk about politics or religion at the dinner table. And it’s not because those topics aren’t interesting. We have simply forgotten (or maybe never taught) how to listen to people we disagree with. I use the election as a current and relevant thorn in my side, but we could just as well substitute racial equality, differences in theology, our response to COVID-19, or a slew of other hot topics.

John 13:35 says, By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. NIV What I have never seen in the Bible is that we will show others we follow Jesus with our anti-fill in the blank rhetoric. I don’t know how “love one another” got translated to “convince you to think just like me”. And even if it did, I don’t see the arguing leading to much convincing. If anything, it’s just causing more arguing.

I think our conversations become so cyclical and fruitless because we fail in the art of listening well. In a debate (friendly or not), we most often listen only long enough to formulate our counter-point instead of listening to understand. It’s a problem as old as time. I mean, did you see the 1st presidential debate? Or some would say debacle? Proverbs 18:13 NIV states, To answer before listening—that is folly and shame. But that foolishness is exactly what most of us do. So how can we listen better, and as a result, conduct healthier dialogue?

1. Be About the Relationship

God is love, and the Bible tells the story of His love relationship with us from beginning to end. His word commands us to love others because He loves us (1 John 4:19) and love is about relationship. Our goal in any interaction – whether in person or online – should be to show Christ-like love. If we are primarily motivated by forming, maintaining or furthering relationship with another, we will naturally use language that encourages, builds up and shows compassion. Care more about the person than your point.

2. Ask Clarifying Questions

In a sermon a couple of months ago, my pastor suggested saying, “Help me understand… (what you said, what you’re feeling, what lead you to your opinion or ideas). How did you arrive at that conclusion?” Knowing where someone else is coming from leads to fewer misunderstandings and promotes empathy, which benefits the relationship. It also gives you the opportunity to think twice and speak once, which also leads to fewer misunderstandings.

3. Present Your “Side” with Permission

This suggestion came from my wise pastor as well. Ask permission to ask questions about what’s been said. Then say, “Is it okay if I share some thoughts on some things I see differently?” Become less of a bulldozer. You are entitled to your opinion, but you aren’t always entitled to share it. Having the humility to ask for permission shows respect for the individual (remember relationship is the goal). And let’s be honest, mowing over someone with your ideas or beliefs never really works.

Let’s open our ears and rain down grace on those we come in contact with. 2020 has been hard enough.

And now for this week’s featured post!

I just featured Barbara Harper of Stray Thoughts last week, but I had to do it again. I think she is somehow reading my mind and my struggles! In What Do You Look for When You Read the Bible, she touched on reading the Bible for truth and not just to speak into our current struggle or feeling. I believe God often does that for us with His word, but this seeking out this type of study is a slippery slope to twisting God’s word to meet our narrative. Thank you, Barbara, for this glimpse of the whole of God’s Word.

1. Share 1 or 2 of your most recent CHRISTIAN LIVING posts. (No DIY, crafts, recipes, or inappropriate articles.) All links are randomly sorted.

2. Comment on 1 or 2 other links. Grace & Truth linkup encourages community.

3. Every host features one entry from the previous week. To be featured, include this button or link back here on your post (mandatory to be featured, but not to participate).

We encourage you to follow our hosts on their blogs or social media.

MAREE DEE – Embracing the Unexpected
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

HEATHER HART & VALERIE RIESE – Candidly Christian
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

LAUREN SPARKS
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

LISA BURGESS – Lisa notes
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

Now Let’s Link Up!

To find some great places where I might be sharing this post, click here.

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3. Present Your “Side” with Permission

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