Comfort Others

Yesterday we looked at a verse from I Corinthians which showed God comforts us in every trouble.

Who comforts us in every trouble, so that we may also be able to comfort those who are in any kind of trouble or distress, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
I Cor. 1:4

Today I want to look at the second part of that verse which states, “so that we may also be able to comfort those who are in any kind of trouble or distress.” Not only are we to allow God to comfort us, but we are to comfort others. I am sure each of us has had an experience where we were troubled and God sent someone to minister to us. They might have hugged us, prayed with us, cried with us, listened to us, reassured us, encouraged us, loved us, served us, taught us, provided for us, laughed with us, or was just present with us. Comfort has many faces. I have been honored to have people comfort me and I have been privileged to comfort others. It is hard to say which brings the greatest blessing but if I had to choose, I would say it is to be the comforter. Find somebody today that is troubled and beaten down by life and experience the amazing blessing of being the vessel God uses to love and comfort another.

Abundancy of Friends

One thing I have been abundantly blessed with is many good friends. Each has given me a special gift. I would love to write about each one of them, and I am sure I will get to through the days ahead, but for now I am going to write for only two more days on the subject of the things I have learned from the people God has used to impact my spiritual growth.
It has been a great journey the last 10 days remembering all the touches God has given me during my life. I have a large circle of friends, each one is special in their own right, and the combination of all of them has been life changing.
• One of the most amazing times I have experienced, is watching God work was with my Sunday School class in Fort Gibson. This was a special time where our class walked a path of openness, acceptance, and encouragement for six months, with results that are still being experienced today. Each women made a visual picture of their life showing how God had woven the good and the bad into a unique tapestry or what we called a quilt. It was precious time as each women shared openly about their lives. Some told things they had never told anyone. Some realized they did not actually have a relationship with Christ and corrected it. Same dug up some hurts they had buried. We saw how God uses everything to make us the way He wants us and He calls it good. The women were so faithful to keep the confidences and everyone learned that others were more supportive than Satan ever said they would be. This created a bond with these woman that only comes from taking off the mask and being real.
• Once when I attended a Great Hills Retreat my path crossed another very special women. I took the class on ‘Letting Go’ and she was on the seminar leader. Bryce was at the end of his Senior year and I definitely needed to learn how to trust God and LET GO. She spoke at a retreat for me and we grew even closer. I thank God for sending her into my life at such a needed time.
• I am thankful for the woman who taught me the principle,” a person’s relationship is more important than their relationship with you”. I have thought of that many times as I have had to council someone on a subject that was hard for me.
• I am thankful for the man who taught me the saying, “Are you circumstance controlled or spirit controlled”. I can’t tell you how many times I have asked myself that question.
• I am thankful for the witness of a man that visited my Sunday School class 20 years ago. He was dying of cancer and had two small children and a wife. He declared that he was in a win/win situation. If he died, he got to be with the Lord and if he lived he got to be with his children and wife. He won by going to Heaven but I think of his words often when I am confronted with death.
• I am thankful for a man who prayed for us every day while we were in Montana and continues to this day. He has been more faithful to pray for me than I have. When I am in his presence his faithfulness and loving spirit, humbles me. I have learned what being a prayer warrior looks like by seeing him.
• I am thankful for my pastor who told me not to let one testimony become my only testimony. It taught me to always be looking for the next thing God is doing in my life.
• I am thankful for a couple who has ministered to us from the day we left for seminary. They have taught me how to give without strings attached and how we can never out give God.
• I am thankful for friends to laugh with, to be silly with, and be myself with. Wherever I have lived, God has always given me a person who is as blundering as I tend to be and between the two of us, we can come up with some great stories. It is so refreshing to laugh, even if it is at myself!
• I am thankful for the friend who just lets me be me. Not a pastor’s wife, but a friend. She trust my heart even when I am being ugly and unforgiving. She keep confidences completely and I can trust her totally.
• I am thankful for the young adults in my life that teach me to stay real and who challenges me in my understanding of God.
It is really hard to stop. I am a product of all the lives that God has brought across my path. It is humbling and amazing to realize. I now understand why it is so important to not forsake the fellowship with other Christians. So many people stay away from church stating that they don’t need others to spiritually grow. If I look at where I would be without all of these Christian people in my life, it is scary to me. Would I still be a baby Christian? I think so. We need the impact of others to grow. I needed all of you. Thank you to each and every one of you who has imprinted your hand on my heart and soul.

Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
Hebrews 10:34-35

Lap Time With God

A few years after we got to Montana, I met a Christian Counselor in town. We met for lunch to get to know each other. She was new to Montana so I was glad to encourage her with my newly developed expertise in the Montana culture. After lunch, she asked me a question. It was an offer I had never had before or since. She asked me if I would be her accountability partner. Well, I really didn’t know what that entailed but it sounded like free counseling to me, so I agreed. I have had some people actually think I needed some counseling! lol With her being a counselor and me being a pastor’s wife, we both gave a lot of counseling but didn’t really have the opportunity to lay our heart bare to another and be held accountable to the things we knew we needed to do in order to grow closer to the Lord. Since my accountability partner was a counselor, she gave me many new activities to do. One assignment she gave me, changed my view of God forever. I spent some uninterrupted hours alone with God. I had to clear my mind to be able to focus on hearing God. I felt like I was walking through a shopping mall, window shopping, with each window being a part of my life that pulled for my attention. I had to keep walking pass all of them to get to the door at the end, where I could get alone with God. When I finally got my mind cleared of all the clutter, I realized that I had really been scared to be in the presence of God. I saw him as a very powerful king on His throne. Coming into his presence was more like hanging out in the back of the throne room, being part of the crowd. Though it is true that he is a powerful king, I came to understand that he is also my father and I have complete access to Him. That is an amazing concept. One of my favorite movies is Anna and the King. He was the powerful King of Siam, but when there was a problem in the classroom with his children, his favorite daughter had no problem running straight to the throne room, passing all the obstacles and climbing up on her father’s lap to tell him how he was needed. He didn’t scold her but responded to her need immediately. Since that time, I have had no problem being that little girl. To run to my Heavenly Father, who happens to be the King of the Universe, and climb up in His lap and find comfort in my complete dependence on Him. If you haven’t climbed up into God’s lap lately, let me assure you there is no better place.

"oh, my Father—my God. My Rock of Salvation”
Psalm 89:26

Seeking God

Our first ministry out of seminary was in Montana. We were church planters. I struggled with going from a large church where you could minister to people through a large selection of ministries to starting a church with 10 people present the first service. After a year, God sent me a woman that encouraged me because she made me feel like I was in Montana for a purpose, that God was using me to make a difference in someone’s life. (I had many special people in Montana that God brought our way but this relationship came at a needed time). It is always a blessing to minister to people but not all people really respond to you ministering to them. Besides the encouragement and blessing of letting God use me in her life, she taught me what it really means to have a teachable spirit. I had never seen someone so dedicated to growing in the Lord and applying his ways in her life and marriage. The first time we met she took notes. She kept those notes in her Bible to pray over them daily and to keep focused on what she needed to do. When she needed to respond in a Godly manner when things got a little tense between her and her husband, she would lock herself in the bathroom and call me until she could get control of her emotions. She grew so much in her spiritual walk during that time. I learned from her that when I really want to grow in the Lord it takes a complete dedication to the process. I need to write out my goals, I need to pray over them and I need to seek help when I am off track.
The blessing and lessons did not stop with her. Soon, her husband followed her with the same passion to grow in his walk. He took his passion to prayer. We started a prayer time at the new church but it was not your typical prayer time. I have not experienced a prayer time like we continually had since then. I have never been an elegant in my prayers. I am pretty straight to the point with God and it is usually does not last long. This prayer time usually was a small group of people that were on their face literally before the Lord. There was no time frame. Every week I would see this man’s heart break in prayer. He was completely open and emotional. One of the most precious gifts we received when we left Montana was the towel that he would always bring to prayer time to wipe all of his tears. Each tear that was cried during these prayer times are precious to me but they are even more special to the Lord
So let me ask you the same questions I have to ask myself. When was the last time you made a dedicated effort to grow in your spiritual walk? When was the last time that you sat down and had a good cry with God? Are you seeking God

If you seek God, your God, you’ll be able to find him if you’re serious, looking for him with your whole heart and soul.
Deuteronomy 4:29 (The Message)

Real Beauty

When we are children we are taught to ‘not judge a book by its cover’, ‘beauty is in the eye of the beholder’, ‘beauty is skin deep’. All of these sayings are to teach us to not judge a person by their appearance but for who they are. We know this is right but it is sometimes much harder to live by. When I was in Montana, I was a Training Administrator. Part of my job was to train people to be trainers. Part of that training was on appearance and how to present yourself to a group of people. One day when I was attending family camp, I attended a seminar. Everyone had was singing the praises of the speaker and I was looking forward to hearing her. As I was sitting there waiting for the seminar to begin, I saw the speaker. My ugly judgmental spirit took a dominate position in my heart and I immediately looked at the speaker, and thought to myself, “Oh, this is going to be great!!!” I did not mean that in a good way either. The speaker was an older woman, and just wasn’t very attractive and put together. I judge the woman totally by her appearance and really just wanted to get up and leave the class. I am so blessed that I didn’t. This woman ended up being a woman of great importance in my life. I heard her speak with such amazing spiritual knowledge. She ended up speaking at two retreats that I organized. One in Montana and one is Oklahoma. I stayed in contact with her for over ten years. If you were to ask me today, who was one of the most beautiful women I know, I would tell you it was this woman. She taught me that beauty really has nothing to do with the external. Her inner beauty and total love for the Lord, radiated like a glowing beam from every aspect of her being. I was humbled in her presence. She so loved the Lord. She had never married and spent her life serving and teaching others, and loving them and the Lord with her whole heart and her whole life. Not long ago, I felt the need to contact her but I got busy with life and didn’t follow through. I finally sent her an email just encouraging her and telling her how much I loved her and admired her. I got a return email telling me that she had died the day before. What a loss this world experienced for I know there are thousands and thousands of people who feel the same way I did. However, her passion for the Lord and her spiritual beauty will forever be imprinted in my life. It is my desire to develop the beauty that she possessed. I know that it is only developed through total and complete dependence on the Lord. I know it comes from a life dedicated to studying God’s word. I know that it takes a commitment to love people. I know it takes a focused view of the day I stand before the Lord and to yearn for that day. I know it takes a complete satisfaction of whatever the Lord lays in the path for my life. Knowing what it will take, the question comes back to me. Do I really want to develop and possess that beauty? May it be the real beauty that I seek.

Let not yours be merely adorning with elaborate interweaving and knotting of the hair, the wearing of jewelry, or changes of clothes; But let it be the inward adorning an beauty of the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible and unfading charm of a gentle and peaceful spirit, with is now anxious or wrought up but is very precious in the sight of God.
1 Peter 3 :3-4 (amplified)

Mary or Martha?

Many of you know how much I love planning and implementing a social event. It could be a dinner, a banquet, a retreat, or even cooking at camps. I think this is why I chose to major is Home Economics in Business. However, I must confess that most of the time I am very focused on making things perfect. To my dismay I serve like a ‘Martha’. I panic if everything is not just right. I get wrapped up in the little things.
I am so thankful that God sent me a woman early in my spiritual growth, before we left for seminary, to display for me how to serve like a Mary. She can pull off the big events, but she also graciously pulls off the last minute invitation for a meal that her husband spontaneously makes to approximately a dozen people. Can you image? It is Sunday evening at 7:00 p.m. You have already cooked a Sunday meal for your family and guests, gone to church twice, and now you have to feed a dozen people at your home with no warning. I can tell you that my tendency is to be very, very mad at Dwayne and to run around like crazy trying to clean up, throwing things in a closet or barred room and praying that God would help me figure out how I am going to feed all these people. I can also tell you that if Dwayne is not working as hard as I am, he will be listening to a ranting wife. This woman was not like this. She focused on the fellowship. She didn’t care if her house wasn’t perfect because her house was always presentable. She took out paper plates, made tea, and pulled out leftovers and sandwich stuff from the refrigerator. She always had something in the freezer for moments like this if she didn’t have enough leftovers or lunchmeat. She was completely calm. She was focused on the relationships, not a grand presentation. She was prepared, not running around crazy trying to figure out what to do. She was welcoming, not making her guests feel like an inconvenience. She didn’t seek to draw attention to herself but just served in the background. On top of that she was still smiling at her husband. She lived out an example of a Proverbs 31 woman in front of many young women. Today this woman is still serving others in the same manner. She has been apart of our church, Fusion, for several years and every week she makes dozens of cookies for Sunday morning. She is always prepared and yet I have never heard her complain, never heard her demand help, never seen her drop the ball. She ministers through her cookies every week and she does so graciously.
Through her example in my life I have learned to not sweat the small stuff quite so much. I have learned to not allow myself to get all worked up but to focus on loving my guest and to remember that it will all work out. I have reluctantly learned that I am more like Martha than I want to be. I don’t want to go about gripping about all the work and focusing on making everything perfect according to some ridiculous standard I have set out. I want to stay off the Martha soapbox asking the question, “Do you think this will all just happen? It takes work and I need help!!!” No, I want to be a Mary. I want to choose relationships and to be in the presence of the Lord. Jesus said, when we choice the Mary method we make the best choice. Lord, help me to make the best choice each and every day.

But Martha (overly occupied and too busy) was distracted with much serving; and she came up to Him and said, Lord is it nothing to You that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me (to lend a hand and do her part along with me)! But the Lord replied to her by saying, Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things. There is need of only one or but a few things. Mary has chosen the good portion (that which is to her advantage), which shall not be taken away from her.

Luke 10:40-42 (Amplified)

P.S. Great book for all the Martha’s. How To Be A Mary in a Martha World

Forgotten Prayer

As I have been thinking about the main people who God has used to grow me in my spiritual journey, I have to say the one who has had the greatest impact (of course he has had the most time in) is my husband. Without him in my life, my Christian walk would be hanging out on Easy Street. I would probably be back in our home church, hanging out with my friends, doing the ministries I love and staying in my comfort zone. There would have been no goodbyes with friends, no stretching of faith, no sacrifice, and avoidance of hurtful relationships. However, there would not have been the new avenues of blessing, the growing of my faith, the experience of seeing God provide, the joys of many new friends, the honor of being apart of His work, and the rewards of submission to His will. My relationship with Christ has grown because I have a partner in life who has marked Easy Street off of our map. I still find myself trying to locate it again but he is much stronger and bigger than me! haha
What is amazing to me about having the honor of being Dwayne Thompson's wife is that he is not just an answer to prayer but an answer to a forgotten prayer. When I started dating Dwayne at the age of 15, he was not a Christian. (Yes, I know I shouldn't have been dating him but in my case it ended okay, another blessing of God) Though I saw a future with him early, I did not dream it would be a life in the ministry. So, I soon forgot about hidden desires that God had placed in my heart until after we surrendered to the ministry. Then I remembered, vividly being in my childhood church and praying that God would make me a wife of a pastor. I had forgotten all about that but God didn't.
As a parent I love hearing my children say something they want and then them forgetting about it and then me remembering and giving it to them for Christmas. That happened one year with Bryce. He had wanted a lifetime hunting license for years but because he knew how expensive they were had given into the fact that he was going to have to save his money one day himself and get it. Then one Christmas, to his surprise he received his gift out of the clear blue. I have never seen him so emotional over a gift.
As much joy as that brings me, it brings God even more. Scripture says that if we know how to give gifts, He does it even better. Just know that God does hear every prayer. He might not answer yes to all of them but many times He waits for just the right time and surprises us with the answer!! He is such an amazing father!

If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!

Matthew 7:11