Slip for Joy in the King

This is another extremely long post, I apologize. If you want to just skip to the last couple paragraphs you will get what I actually want you to get.

In fall 2007 I was pursuing my third year of high school basketball. I had so enjoyed the winning seasons of 9th and 10th grade that I couldn't wait to see how good we were going to be. Even though I loved the game I didn't heavily practice and just hoped I would do well. That was my first problem. My second problem was I was dry in The Word. God saw that the desires of my heart were to impress my basketball teammates and not to draw closer to Him. It was in His plan that my heart would change.

It was getting closer to basketball beginning and I couldn't wait for the season to start, so that I could get on the court with the girls and start having fun. The practice I had done had been fruitful, but I had consistently hurt my left shoulder every time I played. My mom and I went to the doctor and I got X-Ray'd and MRI'd, but we didn't get a call for a month because my appointment was so far out. One week before the season started we had a team meeting. It was so exciting to be sitting with the team getting ready for the future season. The next day was my appointment. Mom and I walked in with smiling faces because both of us and my dad were sure that nothing was wrong, it was common to have your shoulder slip. When we were finally greeted by the orthopedic doctor we were both excited to leave. He started to talk about how if he had a daughter with my shoulder he would do something about it because the cartilage had been torn and I could risk worse injury. Tears started to run down my face because all my confidence disappeared. My mom looked at me with a disappointed face. The orthopedic doctor took us out to look at the MRI to help us understand what was going on. All that I saw was a blurry computer screen. As soon as he was done I turned around and started to walk quickly out of the office. My mom grabbed my shoulder and started to cry with me. She loved that I played and she loved to watch. Every plan had changed, I didn't know what to think.

We went out to eat because I needed time to process before I went back to school. We prayed because that was all we could do. We couldn't change the injury, but God had a plan. When I got to school I didn't tell anyone until one of my teammates said to me, "How was the doctor?" Right in the middle of the hallway I began to cry. I couldn't say anything I just cried. They knew why I was crying.

We got to the surgery date and I missed Thanksgiving and the whole basketball season, but the plan God had was so much better than basketball. First, he should me some deep-seeded sin. I was angry at God for putting me through this because it was going to be my best basketball season. I had never felt that angry. I would wake up out of anger because this plan was stupid. I was prideful because I thought I was the bomb. I thought I had better plans than God did. When God showed me these sins the Cross of Christ became so precious to me. Second, He gave me the opportunity to serve Junior-High students, who I love deeply. Third, He drew me closer to Himself. Fourth, He gave me friends who love Him to show me my sin and to love me. As I look back at the past year and all that I've gone through I praise God for what he did. He showed me sin that I was holding on to and by God's grace I'm working to get rid of.

This summer I planned on going to four different camps where I would work with Junior-High and Senior-High kids. At the end of May it had been settled, but God had a different plan. A couple weeks before school let out I was playing Spring basketball with my team and at the end of our last game for the night my right shoulder slipped and I was in the worst pain of my life. I drove home and I laid on my bed writhing in pain. A couple days later I got an MRI and after that found out that I needed surgery on my shoulder. I would need surgery quick so that I could write once school began. We scheduled the surgery for July 16th. Again my summer vacation was ruined. I was only able to go to one camp because the rest of them are after next week. God used this second surgery to reveal my sin again.

One night I woke up really angry. I couldn't sleep because I couldn't understand why God would put me through this again. Didn't I learn my lesson the first time? I opened up a book and the chapter I was on was about suffering. God used that chapter to humble me because Christ suffered way more greatly than I am, but my pride was saying that this suffering was way worse. He used the chapter to reveal to me that all my sin was on the cross.

God is faithful. God has so much better plans than you do. When the plans change don't get angry. Praise God for the plans he has for you because they are, "for wholeness and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope" (Jeremiah 29:11). They are so much better than your plans. And, "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness" (James 1:2-3). The trials make you sharper and draw you closer to Him. In verse 4 of Psalm 24 the one "who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false and does not swear deceitfully," will stand in the Holy Place of the Lord. Jesus died so that you can do that. If you sin find hope in the cross, if plans change find hope in the cross.

Following God's plans (Lord-willing),
Greta

You've heard the line about how when we were in kindergarten we would approach another child and say, "Hey I'm ______. Will you be my friend?" Most often that other person would accept you with open arms. Well, I question why we don't still do that. Is it because of my sinful nature that I'm more afraid to go up to someone and introduce myself and then be their friend? The sin being fearing man and not God. Why must another person always introduce me? I truly believe it is because of the fear of what that other person might think. Here's another good question, why is it so much easier to have a friend on facebook? I think it is because we don't have to worry about keeping in touch as much. We can write on their wall and all will be well. I love facebook, I can't lie, but what if it does keep me from real contact, maybe I should work on that. My rant is over, but I have a story that makes me sad.

I do not like high school. The pettiness of so many students bothers me. The lack of depth in each conversation discourages me. In elementary school I didn't think that way. I played tag and I watched cartoons with my friends and that was just fine. In middle school I didn't think that way. I played sports and watched sitcoms with my friends. I was involved in sports and student council, all the office staff knew me because I would just go down there to hang out. Then in seventh grade I was given a friend it was the best feeling ever. She was funny and did silly things with me. I was at the top of my game. But, at the beginning of each year I felt so alone because my friend and I would go through rocky patches. Now, as I look back I understand that the Holy Spirit was calling me to Himself, but I wasn't running to Him for friendship. Their was an emptiness. When I finally hit high school I was not excited. I had loved knowing everyone, and being involved in everything in middle school. Now I was going to be the little guy and no one would know me. I knew that middle school was the best three years of my life so how could high school measure up. I was right. High school didn't compare to middle school. In 9th grade I played tennis and I was the starting point guard for the 10th grade basketball team, I was on student council, and my older sister and I became great friends. But, finally I heard the Lord calling me and I began to run to Him. Suddenly all of the stuff that I had loved seemed pretty worthless. Still at the beginning of 9th, 10th, and 11th grade I felt an empty friendship. This time not from the Lord, but from friends. I wouldn't be invited to things because my friend was not assertive enough to say, "hey, let's call Greta." By the time I hit 11th grade I was headed down a different path from my friend. I was so confused because in middle school I couldn't stand being apart from her, but then, all of a sudden, being with her was work. This friend who I was working so hard to love was not giving any effort back and in fact was hurting me. I couldn't be myself around her and that was difficult. I continued to share a locker and walk with her in the hallways because I didn't have anyone else and she needed me to walk with her. At the end of the year I signed her yearbook and she signed mine. I haven't talked to her in a many weeks. I don't want to because of all the pain that relationship caused.

My point is, to be a good friend you have to work at it. And the effort doesn't come on facebook it comes when you give them a call and tell them you're listening. Then you pray for them. Don't think that if you facebook them they will feel totally loved. They will feel totally loved when you get on your knees and pray with them. Give some effort. That love is Christ's love. He died for our sins. Now he is interceding for believers at the Father's right hand. He is praying for us. What an awesome friend! Be like Christ, be a good friend.

Verse 3 of Psalm 24 says, "Who shall ascend the hill of the LORD? And who shall stand in his holy place?" I don't know if I have this quite right, but Jesus stands in the holy place and ascends the hill for us because He loves us. Whoa!

Christ heals from painful relationships. He fills that hole better then anyone else.

Working to love like Christ,
Greta

Family, Family, Family

I just spent the last 5 days at my Grandparents cabin. It was so great. The 4th of July is a favorite holiday in our family because we have at least 20 people stay at the cabin for a few days and all we do is play all day. It was a great weekend.
These pictures are actually from a few years ago and there missing some people, but this is mostly who was there.


This weekend made me thank God for my family because they all love the Word of God and show it in their actions. That is such a blessing. When we're at the cabin for the 4th my dad does cabin church. This year he preached on 1 John and 1 Corinthians 6. He showed us that 1 John shows believers how to know they are saved and 1 Corinthians 6 is one of the ways to know. It was such a blessing. It made some of us cry. I praise God for my family. In the second verse of Psalm 24 it says that God founded the seas and established the rivers. How awesome is it that the same God who did all that blessed us with friends and family to encourage one another? Praise Him for that mercy!

In Christ,
Greta

You Belong

I would like to take a moment to say that Psalm 24:1 is the best because it shows me I belong. It is really hard not to belong, and everyone has experienced it, but Psalm 24:1 gives comfort to the believer because that those who dwell in the earth are the Lord's. That is a great comfort because He is the one I should run to and He is the one who is always there.

Know that you are His,
Greta