Petals from the Basket

Blog

I’d Rather Lead than Follow, or Would I?

Naturally, I lead. Unnaturally, I follow. And I know I’m not alone in this dilemma.

I’ve had this on my mind a lot lately. Sometimes there is a fine line between the two, and my problem often comes in discerning which side of the line I should be on at any given moment. So I took the advice I would give to others, and I went to the Scriptures for the answers. As I began to write down the things I was learning, I realized that they fit nicely into an acrostic, using the word follow as the basis:

F – Faith in a qualified Leader is required. 

Hebrews 11:6, NLT “And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.”

O – Others might not follow, but I’m not responsible for their choices or actions. 

John 21:20–22, NLT “Peter turned around and saw behind them the disciple Jesus loved—the one who had leaned over to Jesus during supper and asked, ‘Lord, who will betray you?’ Peter asked Jesus, ‘What about him, Lord?’ Jesus replied, ‘If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? As for you, follow me.'”

L – Love puts others’ desires above its own; therefore, it demonstrates the true act of following.

I Corinthians 13:4–7 “Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.”

L – Leaders follow, and followers lead; it’s not one or the other; it’s usually both.

Joshua 11:15, NLT “As the Lord had commanded his servant Moses, so Moses commanded Joshua. And Joshua did as he was told, carefully obeying all the commands that the Lord had given to Moses.”

O – Over time, those who have been faithful followers will generally be called upon to lead.

Luke 16:10, NLT “If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities.”

W – Whichever I’m called upon to do—follow or lead—I must do it joyfully, courageously, lovingly, humbly, and to the glory of God. 

Colossians 3:23 “Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.”

 

By Petals from the Basket | January 18, 2014 | Bible Reading, Life Changes |

The Security of Silence

It was 1982. We had only been dating a few months when my “beau” at the time took me to a basketball game at the college we were both attending. We had a unique relationship right from the start: laughing, talking easily, and never running out of things to learn about each other. But that day, while watching the game, we hit a “first” that threw me for a loop:

Neither of us was saying anything. It was suddenly silent.

My overly naive reaction at that point in our what turned out to be multiple years together was to panic. In fact—and remember: I admitted that I was naive (and did I mention the word emotional?)—I turned my head in the opposite direction and began to get tears in my eyes. The silence continued as he enjoyed the game and enjoyed being with me and as I continued to think that our relationship was now doomed because there was silence, and we had run out of things to say to each other.

As I sincerely tried to be sneaky about wiping away the tears that were gradually finding their way down my cheeks, my beau saw what I was doing and asked me why I was crying. “It’s silent. We have nothing to say to each other. And I thought we were going to be together a long time.” Bless his dear heart, he didn’t laugh, make fun of me, or run away as fast as he could—surprisingly!

He just looked at me, smiled sweetly, and said, “We’re finally at the place where we’re secure enough to be silent.” That’s all it took. I was fine; we continued to spend time together and to date for quite a while after that, until God, in His great wisdom for both of us, led us in opposite directions.

But that simple, patiently and tenderly spoken statement has stuck with me all these years.

My loving, patient God speaks that same thought to me often:

Be still and know that I am God. —Psalm 46:10, NLT

It’s as if He looks at me tenderly—in the midst of my naive emotions and moments of panic—and says, “Be secure enough in Me to know that silence is okay, Brenda. I’ve got this. Find rest, calm, and certainty in the relationship you have with Me.” And when I hear those words, I find an unsurpassed security in the silence that demonstrates calm, trust, and hope.

_______________

 Would you like us to e-mail our posts to you? We’ll only send you the blog posts—no spam—and we won’t give your information to anyone else! In fact, you can unsubscribe at any time, and we’ll still be friends!

Subscribe to Petals from the Basket by e-mail. 

By Petals from the Basket | January 17, 2014 | Bible Reading, Friends, Life Changes |

Eight Simple Words

Watching football / getting a manicure. Attending formal black tie dinners / sitting on the floor with my back propped against the couch while eating pizza. Gleaning wisdom from the older generation / gleaning wisdom from the younger generation. Talking to friends / listening to strangers (and accepting them as friends). Elegant order and design / eclectic, sentimental spontaneity—just because. Accepting items / living experiences. Modern colors / weathered antiques. Speaking to crowds / giggling with children.

These are a few of my favorite things.

While it might sound carefree and free-spirited to have a life that is literally a study in contrasts, it always bothered me that my interests were so vast and variable. I wanted to be one of those people who had a specific style, a talent at which I excelled, a home that I lived in for more than ten years, a “thing” for which I was well-known.

Then I realized that God gave me vast interests, skills at which I was good (not great), experiences in many different small towns and large cities, and friends and acquaintances that encompass all of them. Without those interests, skills, and experiences, my world would be so small, for I wouldn’t have met and interacted with so many amazing, everyday, spectacular leaders and followers in my lifetime…so far!

Occasionally, I try to make it a point to take time to tell my friends and associates how blessed I am to know them and to share my gratitude for their impact on my life.

Yet, as one who is sincere and generous with her gratitude and praise, I confess that sometimes it’s nice to hear that in return. (I’ve never done the “love language” thing that some of my friends are talking about, but I think that’s mine—if that even is one; if not, they should add it!) But it can’t be mustered up. The spoken word has to be genuine to matter. And today, I received exactly that. But it wasn’t in the form that you might think. It was in eight amazing words that reminded me that there is a CONSTANT in the midst of everything else that is changing:

“He will neither fail you nor abandon you.” —Deuteronomy 31:6, 8, NLT

He made me. He knows me. He cares. He gets it. He’s invested in me. He won’t fail me. He won’t abandon me. He loves me unconditionally. He’s the Constant in a life filled with contrasts and changes.

And suddenly, these unchanging truths became my new favorite things.

_______________

 Would you like us to e-mail our posts to you? We’ll only send you the blog posts—no spam—and we won’t give your information to anyone else! In fact, you can unsubscribe at any time, and we’ll still be friends!

Subscribe to Petals from the Basket by e-mail. 

 

By Petals from the Basket | January 16, 2014 | God-and-I-Time, Life Changes |

Announcement: A Season of Change

Three times this past week, the following passage has been on the forefront—either through a church service, a loving, out-of-the-blue text from a friend, or in my own prescheduled Bible reading for my God-and-I-time—and I’m certain that it’s not a coincidence:

10 “This is what the Lord says: ‘You will be in Babylon for seventy years. But then I will come and do for you all the good things I have promised, and I will bring you home again.11 For I know the plans I have for you,’ says the Lord. ‘They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. 12 In those days when you pray, I will listen.13 If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. 14 I will be found by you,’ says theLord. ‘I will end your captivity and restore your fortunes. I will gather you out of the nations where I sent you and will bring you home again to your own land.'” —Jeremiah 29:10–14

Whatever its original purpose or intent by God in the Scriptures (and I’m not a theologian, nor do I claim—or want—to be), I firmly believe God gave me those verses as a reminder of His desires for my good—in every area of my life.

I also believe that His timing is perfect—even when the results are bittersweet. I have tears streaming down my cheeks as I write this because I am writing today to announce that I will be leaving my beloved Pewaukee, Wisconsin—including my treasured friends, my spiritual fortress (Spring Creek Church), and my favorite view ever—for something that God has chosen as my new path, so it is right where I’m supposed to be.

Over the course of the next two and a half months, I will be transitioning to Northern Indiana to live with and have the honor to help care for my aging parents. They are at a place where additional assistance on a daily basis is a must, and in God’s amazing way of preparing me for this move, He has made it more than clear that, for the time being, I should be the one to help fill this role. It’s probably fitting that the motto for my new “hometown” (a community with many Amish families as nearby residents) is “Embrace the Pace!”

The hardest transition of all for me—the thing I was grasping the tightest—is my beloved Spring Creek Church. I have more love in my heart for that ministry and the precious, God-focused friends, mentors, and encouragers that I met there than just about any place on earth. It met a need when I needed it most, and I will forever be grateful for its role in accomplishing in me what God had designed long before I knew it! My first Sunday at Spring Creek, I fearfully prayed as I walked across the lot to the front doors, “Lord, I just need You to give me HOPE today…please!” I walked in the front door, and a huge banner said, “The Story of Hope!” Yes, I think that was of God!

Two Sundays ago, I planned to attend a church here in Indiana that seems to be very similar to my “home church,” but the weather was such that I couldn’t go. I was LONGING for fellowship and worship with others, but the best I could do was to watch the service online. Before I even turned on my computer, I said, “Lord, help me make it through this season of CHANGE. Provide guidance through the CHANGE…please!” The pastor at the Nappanee Missionary Church began his sermon that morning by sharing that the theme for the next eight (nine?) weeks is…wait for it…CHANGE! As I watched the livestreaming service through tear-flooded eyes, I knew I was “home.” In fact, I attended a ladies’ Bible study this morning that is doing a study of Gideon (Priscilla Shirer), and it will be a great way to get connected to those who seek the same God I seek!

May I selfishly ask for your prayers during this time of transition? I couldn’t care less about the “stuff” that I won’t have access to due to moving into my parents’ already-furnished home. But I long to have my precious, beloved, treasured friends nearby. I know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that there are a gazillion friends here in Indiana that I will come to love also. My friendships quickly run wide, but you also know that, for me, it takes a long time for them to run deep (another reason I recently read Relationships: A Mess Worth Making!), so I still need your prayers…please.

More importantly, please, please pray that I will be an encouragement, help, and able caretaker in the areas in which I am needed here with my parents. I am sincerely privileged to get to be here with them, helping them and, at the same time, gleaning wisdom from their years of love for each other and their years of walking with God. As you know, God has provided me with what seems to be the security of a great work-from-anywhere line of work, so that is also a blessing for which I am thankful.

I am eager to see God’s mighty hand at work as He not only changes my location but also lovingly continues to change ME so that I can be made into the likeness of His Son!

He has truly brought me “home again!” [Think: Jeremiah 29:14 meets the musical strains of “Back home again in Indiana!”]

I’ll close with the words of another, more serious, song, along with a sincere “Hallelujah” for its truths: “Jesus led me all the way!”

 

 

By Petals from the Basket | January 14, 2014 | Bible Reading, Events, Family, Friends, God-and-I-Time, Life Changes |

Totally Unrelated but Important

My 2009 Hair Donation to Pantene Beautiful Lengths

Okay sister-friends, who is with me on growing and donating their hair in 2014 and/or 2015? Instead of cutting mine right now, I’m continuing to let it grow—long story (no pun intended)—but in part so that there is more there to start me on round two! But every time I see long hair, I want to to ask, “Would you be willing to donate that even just one time for someone who doesn’t have the option of growing their hair due to chemo or disease?”

So, let me ask: “Would you be willing to ‘sacrifice’ at least one time to donate your hair for someone who doesn’t have the option of growing their hair due to chemo or disease?” For now, let’s not have a discussion on which company is better and what their supposed “rules” are—let’s just commit to give—and yes, there are some who accept gray hair! I’d like to get a “group” together to do this. In 2009, we had almost 75 in the group over the course of two years! I’d love to top that! Serious replies only. Anyone willing to do this in 2014 or 2015?

By Petals from the Basket | January 14, 2014 | Events |