Here's the deal: I believe that
:: God has a fun sense of humor::
I also believe that He's a personal God. And that means that He gets personal with His humor. For instance, God usually puts little illustrations in my head that I would never come up with on my own. I guess He knows my tendency to plagiarize, ha!
Lately, God's been giving me all these sports illustrations. Maybe it's all the Gatorade I have to drink! I don't really have a problem with sports; I just don't really think in that way. My train of thought usually involves me being some powerful warrior for Jesus. A superhero of sorts with Ninja-like reflexes and stealth. A super hero named Bolt! Holy cow!!! Gatorade has a lightning BOLT as its logo! It's like it's my super hero fuel. No, really. It's like destiny.
Um…back to reality.
Here's some stuff that God's been teaching me lately. I'm not disposable but I am perishable. As many of you know, the past few months have been quite trying for me. I literally have not experienced a single day “vomit free”. I've had kidney stones (8 so far. EIGHT!), kidney infection, UTI, herniated disc in my back, complex ovarian cysts, complex ovarian cysts rupture, ovarian cancer scare, H-pylori bacteria, ulcers, hernia, emergency appendectomy, stomach flu, and an insatiable desire for pancakes. I can tell you that the ONLY one that makes me smile is the pancakes. I'd love to not be dealing with all of these health problems…they're crazy! I was perfectly healthy; not cool. Please keep praying that these would pass and healing would come!
I'm sure I don't have to tell you that I'm tired…really, really tired. The tricky Enemy of mine keeps trying to steal things out of my grasp: joy, hope, health, stamina, relationships, finances, etc. Every time I feel like I have a re-grip on each of these areas; I feel like he snatches them back again. Here's what the Lord's showing me though: life is like a long game of basketball. (I warned you that the sports illustrations were on the agenda).
Not just like the opening game of the season…not a practice game…not a game against that other team that your loyal fans ALSO love to root for…but that BIG game everyone is talking about. The one where everything is on the line. It's the arch-nemesis. The ultimate rival competitor. The one that can cost me everything.
There's no timer on the scoreboard. Anticipation hangs in the air like humidity on a hot day. I'm not sitting on the bench. I'm not an observer in the bleachers. I don't understand much about the rules; but here's what I know for sure: God is NOT the referee viewing this game. He's not standing by watching my every move and just waiting for me to mess up so He can call me on it. He's my coach. He's calling out direction, yelling praise and pumping me up to keep pressing in. He's making sure I have nourishment to replenish the energy I'm putting forth. He knows the ends and outs of this game and He knows my opponent's play book like I know the alphabet…there are no surprises for Him. He will always be ten steps ahead of my nemesis. I don't know anything about offense and defense….but I know that I'm the player that is on neither position. I'm the one that always carries the ball and shoots
.
I don't need to know the plays inside and out. I know my purpose….to take what I have and return it back to the hoop. I don't give up just because my opponent grabs it out of my hands. I chase after it, grab it back and keep running toward my hoop. The game isn't scored on how many times I lose the ball. Its purpose isn't the exercise I get, the steps that I've taken, the fans I've acquired along the way or how tired and sweaty I am…only in my ability to press back in and give up what's in my hands.
That's the big picture for us, isn't it? The Enemy is always trying to intimidate us and convince us that it's all over because he's temporarily taken what the Lord wants. Our joy…our attention…our health…our finances…our patience…our relationships…our hope. The INSTANT that he grabs it out of my hands…I refuse to go ride the bench. I WILL keep pressing in and taking it back. God is my hoop. He's what I'm pressing toward and what I'm giving to.
I'm tired though, friends. I have some days where I don't even remotely feel like trying to grab the ball back. There are times where I get so tired of the Enemy's snickering that I wonder how God doesn't just come down from Heaven to punch him in the face. I keep being reminded though that the score's already been calculated and Satan loses the tournament.
The championship belongs to our team.
That's something that I need to remind myself almost hourly. It's probably safe to assume that you know the feeling, eh?
I'm needing sponsors…errrr…supporters. (Gosh, seriously what's with all the sports talk?!)
I'm struggling financially right now and really need my team…my supporters…cheerleaders (okay…I'm just gonna go with it) to continue to step up and help me.
I work for an amazing group of people that “get it.” They've been so incredibly supportive of the schedule I've had to work because of my health. They surround me with encouragement and prayers.
However, in order to continue receiving a paycheck, I need people to donate toward my “support account”. Because of the holiday season, I've seen my normal monthly support drop fairly steadily. I just want to make an appeal for help.
In sending your financial gifts for me; you continue to empower me to help AIM make a difference. And gosh, they're making a difference. Check the bottom for some links of how your gift helps us make a difference.
As the holidays sweep past; give the gift of freedom. By sending in on my behalf, you're allowing me to continue to partner with an organization that is LITERALLY freeing people from emotional, spiritual and physical bondage and into a life of freedom.
$10. $20. $28. $117. Whatever. Every single amount helps and can make a difference. If you're currently a monthly supporter: THANK YOU! Would you consider increasing your monthly amount by something as small as $5? It would make a tremendous impact.
The ball's in your court, friend.
Can you help?
Click the link below, do it!
http://bit.ly/9sRKdc
Thank you for all of your support and prayers – from the bottom of my heart!
–Stacie (AKA: Bolt)
A FEW LINKS WORTH READING:
http://www.sethbarnes.com/?tuid=5337809
http://keturahweathers.theworldrace.org/?filename=og-love
http://adventures.org/blogs/?sitetag=wr
