Tag: evil

Tears, Fears and Truth

- dannalundstrom 1 Comment

In the late afternoon on the day Carter was born, a nurse came into my room and told me she needed to take him for an echocardiogram. The doctor that examined him earlier detected a heart murmur and they needed to investigate further.

I was scared and immediately broke down in tears. I didn’t want them to take my baby anywhere, especially somewhere that might bring bad news.

It had been a difficult pregnancy. It was an arduous delivery. There were a few moments of silence when he entered the world and my heart stopped, only to stutter again a few hours later.

My nurse was on the latter end of her career. Advanced in age, not much appeared to faze her. “Don’t cry,” she quipped. “Save your tears. You will need them later.” At the time, I thought how insensitive she was. I was young and naive.

When I was pregnant with Macey, we thought we would lose her several times. Then there was a point early on that I ended up in the ICU with a collapsed lung and a chest tube. I wondered if we would both be lost?

My pregnancies were so complicated that I remember crying out to God so often to please let my children be born so I would know they were safe. As I said before, I was so naive. I never knew I would shed so many tears. I have good kids. It isn’t that.

It is that the “good” things have become the hard things.

Kindergarten graduation. The transition from elementary school to junior high school, then to high school. Letting them go off in a car. Driving. Camps. One and two week-long camps with no communication. Empty nest staring me in the face. And for Heaven’s sake, I never knew there would be tears and trepidation just over sending them to school.

I was so naive back then, but in more ways than one.

The most important difference now is that I know I am not their Savior.

I know now that God is sovereign and understanding that and standing under it look very different.

I know now that nothing takes God by surprise.

I know that He has already assigned all of our days, ALL OF THEM, mine and my children.

I know now that I have very little control and forgetting that is costly to me and those I love.

I know now that battles are better fought in prayer than panic.

I know now that as long as I am breathing, as long as anyone is breathing, evil will exist and I will not understand it, but I am not called to figure it out rather trust without doubt. Easier said than done, but worth fighting for.

I know now that this world is not my home, not my family’s home, and because of our eternal destination hope and gratitude trump fear.

I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth, you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” ~John 16:33

I am saying a few extra prayers for all you mamas tonight. You are loved.❤

Shine More

- dannalundstrom

 When the sadness of the world is shutting the doors of your heart, open them up more.

When persecution is preying on your joy, look for reasons to praise more.

When grief says the world will never be like before, gratify Jesus more.

When you want to give up, instead give more.

When there seems to be no love left, love more.

Evil only wins if we lose our light to the lust, lies, and lawlessness of the world. When you want to surrender shine more.

Remember and Rest,Friends 

- dannalundstrom

I started my first seminary class last night. I have to say I felt slightly displaced as one who thrives on application among the academics. It is no surprise that the things that stuck with me the most were the points that immediately spoke and applied to my heart. 

Our teacher told a story about a young boy who would always wear his underwear, otherwise know as under britches (lol), backward. His dad would always say, son, turn your under britches around. Time and again they would be on backward, so the dad finally asked the child, “why do you wear your under britches backward? The young boy replied, “Dad, I want to see the big picture.” The big picture was Spiderman and all his friends.  

I have been thinking about that, and how we have so much going on in our lives that we sometimes can get so bogged down in every detail that we miss the bigger picture.

The ultimate picture is this; there are so many things of this world that I see and do not understand. There is suffering, there are tragedies and illnesses that break my heart, and I am tempted to ask, why God? Why do you allow all this? I have been diligently practicing before I ever get to the why to remember the Who.

The bigger picture often alludes us, and we see the fallen, the evil, the travesties. Thankfully, though, we have a sovereign God who sees, knows and controls everything. It would strike us as insane that He would send His only son to die for someone else, but He did because He crafted the bigger plan far in advance. God promises His picture will prosper us (Jeremiah 29:11). He promises a bigger picture that will ultimately be for the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28).

We must not get weighed down in all the little details of daily life, friends. If we pick apart ever issue we don’t agree with or understand, life will become very laborious quickly. I know it is tempting. We are passionate people who seek clarity, but we must not let our pursuits and passions overshadow our purpose. John 6:29 says, Jesus told them, “This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the one He has sent.”

Will you believe in Him? Will you remember there is a bigger picture that requires faith to sustain us? It will take effort, and it will not be efficient, but effective, Yes! You will have to fight, but you will find freedom! You will forget and struggle to realize, but you will learn to surrender and rest.  

I am praying for you, as I ask for myself to resist the temptation to focus so much on the trees that I forget to there is a big, beautiful and mighty forest above and around all those trees.  
There is a loving God who has His hand on every minor and major detail of our lives. 

 Remember, friends. Remember and rest.

Press on in Faith and Hope, Friends

- dannalundstrom

d9931567a4331d2db993249833eea274

Earlier I stepped out of church to more tragic news.  More evil.  More lives taken.  More unnecessary violence.  More heartache.

Yesterday, I decided my feelings would not be the boss of me today as they have been so many recent days amidst the backdrop of consecutive tragedies.  I didn’t know my pledge would be so immediately challenged.  I remain steadfast in that commitment, but my heart is heavy, and I feel deep sadness.  However, I do not have to be powerless to my feelings.  

I honor a God whose promises still reign, and He has given me the power to act in spite of my agony.  I am going to use The Lord’s strength to continue being a prayerful supporter, a promise seeker, and a peace sower.

Remember the crucifixion, friends.  From all the view points of the people present on that dark day, it looked like the most tragic event in history, and it was in many ways.  However, it turned out to be the greatest thing God ever did for the world.  

We have to hold on to that kind of wreckless faith, friends.  We cannot put our hope in this world, but we must press into the hope of God’s word while in this world.  Otherwise, we will be starving orphans searching everywhere for a drink only to find tainted water.

John 16:33 ~I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”

The Face of Danger is Not Always Evil

- dannalundstrom

 

934b04d9fe187fd8d1778cd86f80c3eb

Children should not go to public bathrooms alone, nor should teen girls.  I always tell my daughter to take a friend if I am not with her.  I do not tell her this because I am concerned about any particular population of people other than PREDATORS.  Predators do not fit the image we want to mold them into to make ourselves feel comfortable.  They are rarely a face that signals danger, and they are prone to hang out in places we deem to be the safest.

It is hard for us to face the reality of evil being packaged so nice and neatly in places we trust.  We are much more comfortable making “different” people the enemy because it makes us feel better.

We have to wake up and know this disillusion is one way we make ourselves and our children vulnerable to the depravity of our fallen world.

Also, I know I am stepping on some toes, but Jesus did not hang out with the self-righteous, the do-gooders, the know it alls.  Luke 5:32 ~”I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.”  He went straight for hearts broken by sin, (that would include all of us), not built by superiority.

I do not believe if He walked this world today that He would shun away any population of people.  It is easy to forget that; we are ALL people.  Jesus did not come to shame people with law, but to shower them with love.  The best way to make an impact on someone is how well you love them as they are and not how you think they should be.  Yes, we must speak the truth; but we must say it swaddled in love or not speak at all; otherwise all is lost.

 “Love without truth is sentimentality; it supports and affirms us but keeps us in denial about our flaws.  Truth without love is harshness; it gives us information but in such a way that we cannot really hear it.” ~Tim Keller

One Nation Under God, Not Man

- dannalundstrom

356f5e8268bcaac3511887ae9ce3c823

I keep finding myself wondering how we can ever find peace in our world when we cannot find peace in our homeland.   In times such as this, harmony is needed, not hate.   Those that wish to spread evil are most likely sitting back laughing at Americans consumed with fighting about how to contain them.   That is what they want; everyone distracted so they can continue to destroy.   People will always have different opinions, but it is possible to differ peacefully in doctrine without perpetually defaulting to dissolution.  One nation under God, not man.

We Do Not Understand, but Someday Will

- dannalundstrom

ec2952bd7f66a6ca4bc36c26e8c5bad2

Have you ever had that experience where you board an airplane a little nervous because of rain, snow or ominous clouds invading the skies surrounding the runway? I have many times. Every time, I have come to learn that if I can just persevere through the take off endure the turbulence, the jolts, the drops, the bump and the jerks; relief awaits. We have to make it through the facets of the storm, and once above it, the sun is shining and the skies are beautiful. The view from above the storm is peaceful and beautiful. It stands in stark contrast to the perspective from below.

This morning where I am, it is misty and gray thus far. The weather matches the tone of my heart as I wake to news of more violence against innocent people. We are all Charleston, North Carolina, Chattanooga, Tennessee, and Lafayette, Louisiana because we are all Americans. They hurt, and we hurt. We grieve their grief. We are in the remnants of their storms with them.

What I have to focus on is that above the storm is a very different picture that I cannot see; one scripted by The Author of the universe. If I don’t focus my mindset here, the news of more violence and evil becomes too much to bear.

Jesus said in John 13:7 ~”You don’t understand now what I am doing, but someday you will.”

As we wake to every tragedy, and there will be more, John 13:7 has to be enough for us today and tomorrow and every day as long as we call this world home.

Stay rooted in truth, friends. It is only by living as we say we believe that we can live at all.

Freedom in Jesus Alone

- dannalundstrom

99b3c2e9643f72b9dd0f2bd0610d1f47

I have to be honest even when honesty feels scary. Today I feel an incongruence in my heart about celebrating our freedom. The tone of our world right now feels more about imprisonment and fear than independence and freedom.

Are we free? We are burning one another’s churches. Are we free when we are judging and persecuting one another’s sin with a blindness to our own? Our young women and children are being sold into slavery and Americans are committing unthinkable crimes against Americans. Are we free?

I saw an add this morning that said, “freedom is never given, it is won. Many brave men and women have sacrificed immensely, some everything, to keep us safe. They are true heroes, and I will never forget their loyalty, courage, and dedication.

From a different perspective, though, if we are followers of Jesus, the story reads a little different. Our freedom was both won and given. If I look at our world, I often become discouraged and angry. This world feeds us a lot more fear than freedom. Only Jesus gives us the freedom from that fear.

Today more than ever, it is crucial that we fix our eyes on Him. Today more than ever it is vital that we base our hope and our future on our providential creator, not our presidential candidate. Our power, our protection, our purpose and our plan does not come from anything or anyone authentic to this world, but the Author of this world. We must ask Him to use us as vessels of his peace and His purpose. All of us individually must decide to get out in this world and make a difference. We cannot afford to wait for someone else to do it.

We must put idol aside to pursue intentional.

I don’t think our presence in this world is to lead people to delight, but disturbance colored in shades of hope and kindness.

Until we are confused, we will always be content.

There are a lot of good people doing a lot of good in this world. Today I pray we highlight more of the good that is pervasively present than the evil that is persistently pursuing. Darkness can take many things away from us, but not our choices. An inactive light cannot be seen. We must shine our lights! Let’s celebrate the freedom to pursue purposeful paths today.

One God, One People

- dannalundstrom

70b2fd64fc137918117793c45d6b20bb

I am a color,  but my color does not define me.

I am born of a race,  but I become who I choose to be.

God created me equal to all man so please respectfully acknowledge me.

I have a heart that beats just like yours.  It sins and loves no matter what my ethnicity.

History holds a wealth of bondage from scars inflicted by ancestors,  you and me.

The future does not have to reflect our wounds.  The choice is for God’s people, no matter color, race, religion or gender to spread and live in harmony.

There are good and bad of every kind.  Exclusive to no one;  not yours or mine.

My birth branded me with many labels,  but please don’t use them to judge me.  I only wish to be known as the person who desires to reflect God in how I live,  love and chose to be.

Kindness knows no boundaries in available hearts.  It is immune to the prejudice or color, race or gender.  It respects all, the receiver, and the lender.

We are all one.  May our eyes be blind to any differences and our hearts be open to every kind.  For it is in seeing, knowing and loving,  many treasures we find.