Archive for Luke

When Grace Rains

Posted in Uncategorized with tags , , on June 4, 2018 by Her Broken Wing

“Yes, but…!” Luke 9:61

Would I run to Jesus on the water when I can’t even believe ….

Do I follow You with true abandon, Abba Father?

Or am I Peter, do I deny You in public places? And love you to pieces In my quiet time?

“Yes,but…”

But what about my friend, Jesus? I can’t even manage my life, so what’s it to me what goes on in her life. Focusing on her life takes away the pain of my shattered and fractured life. So, this rolls around in my head with sometimes a bitter taste in my mouth as it rolls off my tongue.

It’s easier to gossip just a tiny bit, “bless their hearts.”

But really, I’m just a mess most days. Sunday’s best I sit in the pews. By Monday, I’ve lost my “religion “.

Speaking of, what about my drug of choice, (Oh don’t act all self-righteous), We all have one, a drug of choice that is. There are drugs, alcohol, shopping, shoplifting, pornography, gossiping, road rage, adultery the list is mighty. If I didn’t hit yours, it is there. Just ask Jesus to show you. And don’t try throwing a stone at someone, it just might come back at you.

As a recovering addict, I missed His grace. Or so I thought. I lived with so much shame and guilt I believed in Satan’s lies. Truth is when rain falls, it falls on us all.

Yes, but…

His grace falls.

me

Leave a comment »

How Will I Die?

Posted in Uncategorized with tags , , , , on May 17, 2018 by Her Broken Wing
I’m an addict, I can never be forgiven… Right?! I feel less than worthy of being able to do God’s work. How stinkin self-righteous that is! I know more than God?

(Luke 23:39-43)39 One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!”

40 But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? 41 We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.”

42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.[a]”

43 Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

John 3:15)”…that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life”

As A Hospice Nurse, I heard that question often. But this particular  time I will hold onto the question with a whole new meaning and a special love.My sweet patient looked down at the floor wringing his hands, finally having the courage to ask me “the” hardest question, yet. I could sense something had been bothering him during our last few visits. I could see it in his eyes. “How will I die?”He is an intelligent man, spoke 7 languages but lost that ability due to cancer, so I knew he would expect the details. As I began sharing the process of dying, I could feel “A” presence overtake us. I may perhaps say that God filled the room. I just know it. He took over the situation. Peace filled the apprehensive uncertainties that crept into my mind.Nearing the end of my explanation of death and dying, I told my patient (and friend) that one thing I have noticed was that all my patients are given an incredible peace in the perfect time nearing the end. However, my patients thus far have been Christians. Well, maybe exaggerated a bit. I have heard stories of patients passing that were not Christians that were less than peaceful but I have not personally experienced it so I could not share that.He then said, “Well, I just might be your first.” First what?, I asked. “First nonbeliever .”  HmmI felt my heart just sink into my toes. I had given him several Christian books to read and he had “enjoyed” them so I just assumed…. Now, he looked at me with such sadness. He told me that he wasn’t worthy. Well, I sure get that. He had never led a life that God would be proud of. He did not attend church much. And the list grew. But he said, “I’m not a bad person. I just didn’t work for God.I asked him if he had read the Bible or parts of it. And then I asked him if he believed in it. He said, “Yes.” I asked him if he believed that Jesus was the Son of God and again he said, “Yes.” So I did have a foundation to work with as I talked to him.We went on for some time, God giving me the words, scripture and the peace to share. I finally asked my patient if the thief on the Cross had time for works, church and all the things he had listed and through his tears he cried, “No.”

The words shared were…Supernatural… and from our Heavenly Father…. I was a partaker.

He said, “I have some thinking to do.” And I asked him what he felt he needed to think about. I said, “Would you like to receive Christ as your Savior now? I can help you do that and I would be honored.” He nodded yes. There we held hands. His mom, a Godly woman, sat across the room. And we prayed to receive Christ.

I believe I heard Heaven rejoice.

Interestingly, as I shared this with my family (of course, leaving the name confidential), my 12 year-old son asked if we were going to baptize him. Well, duh! Why didn’t I think of that? So this week our Chaplain is going to baptize him. I’m not sure who is more excited, him or me.

How will I die? My sweet one, you won’t—you have eternal life now!

living the supernatural

Me

Leave a comment »

Seeking God in the extraordinary only to find Him in the ordinary

Posted in Uncategorized with tags , , on March 19, 2018 by Her Broken Wing

Seeking God in the extraordinary only to find Him in the ordinary. I guess what I mean is God doesn’t have to walk on water in my life, but He just might.

God is in the messiness of my life (and there is plenty of that)! He is in the mundane parts of my life too, like washing dishes, finding the lost sock from the dryer, spaghetti on Thursdays, dusting on Monday’s, and so on!

I’m in a Bible Study now. Sifting God out the mundane and the extraordinary! Or so I think.

In my study, I shared (the unthinkable), yes, I was a drug addict. I was a broken women. I should wear a BIG scarlet letter. Who would want me? Who would…?

After the Bible Study was over, we (they) all broke away to a group or someone to talk with. I stood there a lone. I began feeling awkward like maybe I had shared too much. Then I vowed to never talk again in a group (Like that will happen). Then not very long after that an elderly lady came up to me and thanked me for sharing what I did. “There are many of us needing to hear what you said.  You are saving lives.  you’ve made people uncomfortable because they have their own issues.”

I reveled in the moment.  The moment that God had sent someone to confirm my sharing was not futile. It was a confirmation that God heard me but, sadly, I quickly moved on to something else, some other life happenings soon after. Why didn’t I embrace that moment? Sift the nuggets from the grunge. For that is where I find God , The extraordinary in the ordinary. But I get too busy and forget to embrace the moment.

In AA, I talk about a spiritual awakening as I work through the 12 steps and find or connect with my higher power.I, also, talk about being rigorously honest for the program to really work and to experience a spiritual rebirth.

In the beginning of my sobriety, I was still rebellious, angry and dishonest. So no wonder Jesus didn’t walk down from the clouds! My spiritual waking was very slow in transforming, not because of God, but because of my stubborn nature. I was a prodigal child of God.  (Luke 15:17-20)

I finally returned home to Him, but not until then did I fully embrace the reunion and not until a few moments of conviction happened.  Assurance  of honesty, forgiveness and repentance through the AA 12 step program. But, there is no finish line on this race. And I must continually condition myself through the program. Because as they (AA) say, the drugs are doing push ups in the parking lot waiting on me.

Anytime I call my sponsor (from AA) with a problem she says, “have you prayed”? Urrrrrhhhhh, I should’ve known by now she’s going to say that but I don’t pray. Sometimes, I don’t even know what to pray for or how to pray. Sometimes, I just want the answers to the problem, like in college getting the answers to a test. So then, I remember a book by Anne Lamott on prayer. Help, Thanks, Wow. When I don’t know how or what to pray for, I just pray “help”. Then step back and watch God, be God! Then I say “thanks, wow”. Pretty cool.

I pray, oh do I pray. And In silence, with people, from songs, worship, and words, I find intimate moments with my Abba. He always gives me the answers if I stand still. (Psalm 46:10)

There in the extraordinary is God in the ordinary.

living the supernatural

Connie

 

 

 

Leave a comment »

She Said “No”

Posted in Uncategorized with tags on January 11, 2018 by Her Broken Wing

U

Everyone it seems has a book. I don’t have a book. I have plenty to write about. But I don’t have a book. I think it’s the cool thing to say, I have a book. So maybe I should. I might even have people. Yea, scratch that. Let’s see I could write about my life. Child abuse, sexual abuse, drugs and alcohol abuse, mental illness, the medical world and sexual assault as an adult from a professional figure that I trusted. That is only a few of the things. I have more but then you wouldn’t believe me. No, I didn’t murder anyone, yet.

I read another blog today…talking about a book. It talked about sexual abuse. That raised a lot of emotions within me. It has not been too terribly long that I had been there. I’m an adult. I should know better, right? I’m a nurse for heavens sakes. But truth is I was sick, undiagnosed bipolar, just off opioids after 10 years. The worst that could happen did. It was the perfect storm. I trusted. I don’t trust people and I had let down my guard.

Where have I been? Coming back from the dead, literally. And my poor family has had to pick up the shattered pieces.

Over the past years when I pray unforgiveness, God says “for they know not…” (Luke 23:34) but what about “Connie, I got this”. If it weren’t for the 12 steps of acceptance, forgiveness, looking at my crap…..

For so long I didn’t believe God. When I say I didn’t trust anyone, I meant that, not even God. “How could you God?”  This shouldn’t have happened. So I withdrew into my dark cold world. I uttered “no” when it happened, it was there I heard it, maybe it just wasn’t audible but it was there.

He was powerful, how could I fight back? I would get in trouble. Do you know I still have nightmares about you? I just don’t wake people up screaming. Sometimes they aren’t even when I am asleep. Thank you drugs for PTSD.

Don’t worry, no one will know who you are, a deacon, a fine man of the community. No. Who would believe me. After all, I am a recovering drug addict.

My book?

She said “No”

forgive them Lord for they know not ………

Connie
facebook8_0

Leave a comment »

Secret sins on earth are open scandals in Heaven…

Posted in Uncategorized with tags , , on July 7, 2010 by Her Broken Wing
As a toddler, I played peek-a-boo… closed my eyes and those around me disappeared. 

As a child, I would hide under my bed so the monsters wouldn’t find me. 

As a teenager, I would lie in my bed and hide from those that hurt me. 

As a young adult, I began to notice the light growing dim…easier to hide my secrets. 

As an adult, my shadows grew… Relationships shattered, fences broken, fear prevailed, I stumbled through the darkness… 

My faith had been challenged. There would be consequences. Grave at times. 

Secrets thought to be hidden in the darkest corner of my place on earth were now open scandals in Heaven. God knew. The Light revealed my shady life. No where to hide. 

“When he was still a long way off, his father saw him. His heart pounding, he ran out, embraced him, and kissed him. The son started his speech: ‘Father, I’ve sinned against God, I’ve sinned before you; I don’t deserve to be called your son ever again.’ 

“But the father wasn’t listening. He was calling to the servants, ‘Quick. Bring a clean set of clothes and dress him. Put the family ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Then get a grain-fed heifer and roast it. We’re going to feast! We’re going to have a wonderful time! My son is here—given up for dead and now alive! Given up for lost and now found!’ And they began to have a wonderful time. (Luke 15:20-24 The Message)’ 

I am back Home –such the Prodigal child. 

 

Beautifully Awkward 

1 Comment »