The Power of Your Words

Let the Lord be the wind in your Sails

Do you know there is power in your words? Your words can build up or tear down. I had the incredible opportunity to use words to help someone. This was a young girl on the other side of the world. A girl I’d never met personally, but through my blog, I “stumbled” across her blog. I will use the word “stumble” very lightly because I know that God was answering my prayers. I asked to be used. I asked to help someone who was hurting, just as Jesus Christ helped me and put people in my life to encourage me to keep pushing ahead when I wanted to give up; pointing me to the Lord and His ability to make all things new.

When I “met” this sweet, broken, lost girl, she was suicidal (which unfortunately is very common in the Asian culture due to the high pressure to succeed.) With each of her posts I found myself without words, unable to “talk” her out of the thoughts she was having. But the one thing I did know; God was highlighting this young, beautiful girl and HE knew the words that she needed to hear. I spent time praying, reading the scriptures and asking for HIS WORDS to fill me up as I typed my responses to her. I knew that God had a plan and I was finally open to be an instrument in His hand.

I know that I am no one particularly great or special, just a once broken...now healed woman through Jesus Christ's forgiving love. I have been given the ability to write, a gift from God and I want to use it FOR HIM and HIS PURPOSE. My hands floated effortlessly over the keyboards, thoughts spilling out, pouring God’s life affirming words of love, forgiveness, kindness, grace, hope, promise, truth and the perfect and wonderful plan He has for her life. I watched the words spring to life; a new encouragement in response to her heart ache each and every week. I consistently prayed and relied on the Lord for help to reach this lost, hurting girl.  Slowly, as the months passed, she began to change. Her posts were no longer of suicide, but of hope. She was beginning to see herself through God’s eyes. The lies of the enemy, washed away through the Lords truth and love.

It’s been several years since our first meeting. She now affectionately refers to me as her “American Mama.” I recently posted a story about my dad on my blog on the one year anniversary of his passing, “CLIMB YOUR MOUNTAIN-A TRUE STORY OF DAVID BOLDA,” and I wanted to share a portion of a comment she left after reading my post: “I would not have survived my struggle with suicide and the depression I had back then if it wasn't because of your constant caring, uplifting and understanding comments. I am living a good life now, and I too will take on his example. I will fight everything that comes my way, I will look at the world positively and I will be grateful and happy.” God had worked a miracle! He had reached this young girl all the way across the world!

Your words have life giving power. Allow the Lord into your day. Ask for His Words to fill you up and help you be a blessing to others. In my own ability, I would never have been able to reach into that young girl’s life, but the Lord knew exactly what she needed to hear. Are you willing to step outside of your comfort zone and ask the Lord to use you? It may be difficult, but never underestimate what the Lord has in store for your life. Are you willing to allow Him to use your words and life for HIS GOOD AND PERFECT PLAN? Pray today and ask for His will in your life…there is someone who needs you. God is waiting for you to say, “Send me Lord!”

"Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!” Isaiah 6:8

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” Galations 6:9

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28

“O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.” Psalm 34:8

Why Is This Happening To Me?

How many times in your life do you ask the Lord, "Why is this happening? I'm a good person, I try to do what's right. I just don't understand why you're not blessing me Lord? Why do I continually go through struggles and trials?

I know I've felt this way. When I began to dig in deep, reading the scriptures daily, praying throughout the day, in all situations...more things were thrown at me. This seemed so unfair, especially when I truly felt that I'd turned my life around and was seeking my Heavenly Father's will daily.

Then I began reading about Joseph. When he was young, he told his older brothers that he had a dream and they would one day bow down to him. As you can imagine, this didn't go over too well. So they threw him into a pit to die, but then had a change of heart and sold him into slavery. They told their father, Jacob (Israel), that he'd died. Joseph however continued to trust in the Lord during his trials. He was given favor as a slave. But his master's wife continued to make passes at him. When he refused, she told her husband that Joseph had come after her to bring shame on her. The master had him thrown into prison for years. All the while Joseph continued to trust in the Lord.

Can you imagine? Our trials are nothing compared to Joseph's, and yet so often, we are ready to give up in the face of them and even get angry with God.

But Joseph trusted in what the Lord had promised him. He eventually became head over all of Egypt, just under the Pharaoh. Joseph was directed by God to save food during their 7 years of prosper, which eventually sustained them when the famine came. Years later, his brothers eventually came to Egypt, seeking food and bowed down before him, just as the Lord had promised Joseph in his youth. When they apologized, Joseph said, "And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you." Genesis 45:5
Joseph didn't know God's complete and total plan during his hardships. Just as we don't understand why things are happening to us. But Joseph did know that God had a plan for his life. He wasn't given the complete picture, he couldn't understand what was going on, but I'm sure during those difficult times, God was working out some character flaws, some pride issues, just as He's doing with all of us.

Don't quit, don't give up before you see the glory of all that the Lord has promised you through His living word. He's given us many examples. Most importantly, sacrificing His Son, Jesus Christ, so that we can be free from our sins to fulfill our purpose. Today, in the face of your trials, remember the Lord promises, "So is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it." Isaiah 55:11

The Man Child

by: Lisa Petrarca

The man stumbled toward me, all of his teeth were missing except a few broken, protruding yellow nubs. He smiled and told me he was on his lunch break. He had just started a job at the theatre down the street. He asked for some coffee to help him "sober up," before he went back so that he wouldn't lose his job.

I ran in the house, grabbed a hot cup of coffee, pushed open the door, and to my surprise, heading towards me was a large group of people from church with their arms full of food.

Spotting the man, they invited him to come and eat lunch with us.

Everyone was so warm and friendly. They ate, talked, laughed and included this man in their lives.

Right before my eyes, the man suddenly became a young child. He began to cry, worrying that he would be fired from his job if he was late getting back. Everyone gathered around to hug this small, scared child. Through his sobs, he told us that he needed this job to help feed his family.

Hearing this, I scooped up the young child in my arms & ran, carrying him, running as fast as I could so he wouldn't be late.

As I woke up, I tried to make sense of this dream. It wasn't until later that day when I spotted a homeless man, hidden from immediate sight, lying between two buildings, that it hit me. Our Heavenly Father sees these hurting, broken people as His children. Children who are in need of unconditional love. When one of His children crosses your path, are you reaching out and showing the love of our Savior Jesus Christ?

In all their distress he too was distressed, and the angel of his presence saved them. In his love and mercy he redeemed them; he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old.
Isaiah 63:9

Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability, entirely on their own.
2 Corinthians 8:2-3

Do You Have The Butterfly Effect?

Story By: Lisa Petrarca

As a little girl my sister & I loved to catch the “black furry caterpillars.” We would get a shoe box, punch dozens of air holes in the top. Then it was time to scour around the neighborhood looking for all the décor. Lots of broken tree branches with bright green leaves still attached, Small twigs, grass, and a little dirt. We wanted our new pet to feel right at home in his new environment.
Finding the caterpillar was another adventure. This process could take days, sometimes weeks, but we never failed to catch our “pet.” We took it home and with a sense of pride, presented it to our mom, who promptly replied, “That better not get out of the shoebox or it’s the last time you’ll ever have one!”

We would play with our little fuzzy pet daily. We even took him on bike rides, carefully placing the “home” in the basket and taking it out to show our friends. One day, not long after we had it, we went to pull out our little fur ball, but it wasn’t there. In its place was a small green pouch, hanging beneath the tree branch. Our "pet" had made a cocoon, and was undergoing a new transformation.
Two weeks went by as we waited for our caterpillar to change. It was frustrating; we were impatient, checking the box daily; knowing that once it had changed forms, we'd have to let it go. It was a strange mixture of emotions, sad to give up our new friend, but excited to see the change.
The day finally came...lifting the corner of the box, to peak inside...bright orange and black wings fluttered. With a squeal of delight, I ran to tell my sister. We gently carried the box outside, preparing to let it free. We counted in unison, “1..2...3!” Opening the lid...it burst out, fluttering up, lingering in front of us for a moment, as we gazed at its beauty, then higher and higher until it was out of sight.

In our lives, many of us are like my pet caterpillar, stuck in our everyday box. We have made a comfortable home there, however, we are made for more than what we are currently living. We have a bigger purpose, something that is greater than we can imagine.

We slowly began the painful process of sitting inside our cocoons. Each of our cocoons look different, just like caterpillars. Your transformations are happening under the disguise of difficult times. You may be jobless, sick, hurting, lonely, unfulfilled, grieving, fearful, angry, sad, or worried...we all have cocoons. We need to realize that during this process, God is right beside us, carrying us safely through our transformation. He will help us when we cry out to Him...moving us ever so gently towards whom we are supposed to be. We need to be patient, this change cannot happen overnight. We need to shed our “old skin” and with faith, patience, prayer and time, He will help us to eventually emerge as the butterfly, brilliant, beautiful and free...knowing how to fly because of complete faith. You are fulfilling God’s will and true purpose for your life. You have become the person that God intended you to be!
He says, “I removed the burden from their shoulders; their hands were set free from the basket. In your distress you called and I rescued you, I answered you out of a thundercloud.
Psalms 81:6, 7

But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
2 Corinthians 3:17, 18

You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.
Isaiah 55:12