Sunday, January 31, 2021

"Don’t Be So Afraid of Dying That You’re Afraid To Live"


 

When I moved from the beauty of East Texas 6 months ago to the busyness of the city, I felt as if I was that one car you see on the nightly news heading TOWARDS the storm before a hurricane hits. And on the opposite side of the highway, were the thousands fleeing.

I moved straight-up in the middle of a pandemic to a bustling city full of people, and the city people were moving as fast as they could to the less populated country town I just came from. I won't lie; It definitely gave me pause wondering if I had misunderstood God's voice.

But each time I drive down this unique little street of 33 homes I now live on, located smack dab in the middle of a town of 100,000 people, I smile. I smile because I feel like my sweet little street is in the eye of a hurricane. And I know, without a doubt, I heard God loud and clear six months ago when He had me move there.

Our little street is the still, calm and quiet part of a worldly storm where the universe is swirling all around us at massive speeds and we're standing still. A place where everyone wants to know each other....waves as you drive by....and walks their new neighbor's dog when they're not able to. The ladies meet with their lawn chairs on the cul-de-sac during a pandemic so they can keep their sanity during this earth's moments of insanity.

The center of the storm is the best place to be during a hurricane of this world.

And I've been thinking a lot about our time on this earth while parked in the eye of the storm. How to live when you've got no idea how much time you've got left. I lost a lot of people last year I never thought I'd lose. Passed away suddenly, unexpectedly....tragically. I thought I had more time with them....but truth is, none of us know how much time we have left. We get up, we grab our coffee, check our email, walk the dog, eat a bagel and then do it all over again tomorrow.

And how did we made a difference yesterday? How will we make a difference today?

I heard someone say the other day, "We have to be careful that we don't cause more harm to ourselves by avoiding living life during the virus, than the virus itself might cause."

Truth be told, we all only have so much sand in the top of the hourglass of our lives. What we do with that remaining sand is completely up to us. Do we sit by watching it slowly, grain after grain, falling into history? Or do we realize, "You don't know how much time you have to live - so you have to make time to make the life you want to live."

Live for what matters, friends. Because you already know the one sure thing: You will die.

So the one and only question that remains and matters is: Will you live?
Posted by Liz Etheridge-Sekerke at 9:37 PM 0 comments

Sunday, January 17, 2021

The Way Out

 


THE WAY OUT
lizetheridge

A man was walking down the street when he fell into a hole. The walls were so steep he couldn't get out. The man in the hole began to cry out for help.

Soon, a doctor walked by, heard the man's cries for help, wrote him a prescription, tossed it down the hole, and walked away. Before long, a priest walked by and heard the man calling out, "Father, can you help me?" The priest wrote a prayer, threw it in the hole, and walked away.

Finally, a friend came along. And the man asked the friend for help. The friend then made a bold, brave move: He jumped into the hole. The man who had been trapped was shocked. "Are you stupid? Now we're both stuck down here." But the friend said, "Yeah, but I've been down here before, and I know the way out."

This is the gospel, folks. God stood at the edge of a hole, and He heard people crying for help. But He didn't write us a prescription and throw it down the hole. He didn't pray and then walk away. He jumped into the hole. He sent us a Rescuer who put on skin and lived on the inside of every hole, every mess, every valley you could imagine.

He lived your life here on earth. He knows what its like to be you. He knows its impossible for you to get out of that hole without His help...and He hears your cries. He WANTS to jump into that hole you're in and help you find your way out.

JESUS IS THE LADDER.

And He uses us to be Hole-Hunters....Cry-Hearers....Jumper-in-ers. And if you've ever been in a hole and are standing on the street, it means you know the way out. Right now, all of us are in one of two places; we are either stuck in a hole.....or we're walking along the street, seeing holes all around and hearing only cries for help.

I don't know where you're at today....whether you're inside the hole begging for help out with a pile of prescriptions and prayers at your feet.....or whether you're on the street safe, free and rescued. All I do know is that Jesus wants to rescue you....He wants a RELATIONSHIP with you....whether its building a ladder side-by-side or jumping down into that hole together..... It's just that simple.
 
*Thanks to Jennifer Dukes Lee for the story above"
Posted by Liz Etheridge-Sekerke at 7:38 AM 0 comments

Sunday, January 10, 2021

"Feeling Discombobulated?"

  

 

“I am with you and for you, Liz”.....is the opening line to my Jesus Calling book this morning.

 

 And then I read this day last year’s prayer in my journal. I had just turned a page in my life...passed the 1-year mark as a widow...sold the lake house and felt a "rescue" I had prayed years for.  A rescue I had begged God many times for.  My lifeboat had arrived and had delivered me to dry ground and safety and I could breathe once again without fear. I no longer considered myself "Job-ette":

I wrote:

 “I feel somewhat like Job coming out of the destruction and heart ache of his own life....losing everything including his family.....and finally seeing light at the end of the horizon....knowing that this time was coming to an end.  The despair and heartache, for whatever reason required in our lives...and then we see Your light rising from the end of the earth for us.  I wonder how long Job waited before he saw Your light rising on the horizon?“ 

 

God's timing.  If we’ll just quit looking at the world around us and the timing it sets for everything and, instead, look at God's timing, then our anxiety’s would be replaced with Joy and Thankfulness.  Because we can trust His timing...we can trust His plans for our lives...we can depend on being rescued from what comes next.   


The world is changing so fast....the life we once knew and loved and yes, took for granted, is going away.  It’s so incredibly easy to feel hopeless amongst the rubble of just this past week.  

 

But lets not forget; we were promised struggles as we journey down this narrow road: 


"I've told you all this so that trust Me, you will be unshakable and assured, deeply at peace.  In this godless world you will continue to experience difficulties.  But take heart!  I have overcome the world."  John 16:33 (The Message Version)

  

Not trying to tell God how to write, but if I had transcribed that scripture above, I would most certainly have put several exclamation marks after "I have overcome the world" and then left a blank _____ for us to write our own name in.  It's that powerful....and it's that needed.  

 

Take heart, _____ (insert your name)......God has already conquered this world!!




 

 

 

 

 

 

https://youtu.be/_f0seqzyhc4

Posted by Liz Etheridge-Sekerke at 8:03 AM 0 comments

Sunday, December 27, 2020

#1 Weapon Of Your Enemy


The pastor at the Christmas Eve service this year said a recent poll completed suggested the #1 thing people fear most is.....wait for it....Fear of Rejection.

It was a surprise to me that Rejection beat out fear of Death, Pandemic, Rioting and Elections for that #1 position. But then again, no it didn't.

I have felt the sting and fear of rejection much like you  have at some point in your life. Truth be told, I have felt it quite recently. It's a flaw and weak-spot in the armor of my soul. I know this about myself and I also know that I'm not the only one who knows about this weakness of mine. My enemy, Satan, is also acutely aware. Matter of fact, he knows my weaknesses better than I do.....and that's where he targets his arrows.

In war, it's always important for each side to know the other sides weakest point when strategizing a battle plan. The enemy won't attack where you have the most reinforcement and have the strongest front line. They'll always target the least obvious.....least protected....and easiest to break through areas of our character. And that's what Satan does to us. He observes us....he forms a battle plan....discovers where we are weakest and attacks us from that angle.

Because he knows if he can break through that barrier, he can attack you from within.

So build up those unprotected areas of yourself....."Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour." (1 Peter 5:8). Remember; we are weakest when he convinces us we are walking alone.

Fear of Rejection. Recognize it when you see it. It's a #1 weapon of your enemy.

"Give all your worries and cares to God, for He cares about YOU." 1 Peter 5:7
Posted by Liz Etheridge-Sekerke at 1:05 AM 0 comments

Sunday, December 13, 2020

Joy In The Waiting

Soooo....about 7 years ago, my church in Mt. Vernon graciously asked me to throw some words each week on the back of the church bulletin. Recently, I had several people ask me to repost one of those articles I wrote from 12-12-16 about Joy, something so many of us are missing this difficult year of 2020. So friends, here it is. I hope during this Advent Season....a season of Anticipation as we Wait....Wait for Emmanuel, God With Us, that you can also find Him waiting for you today.

It was Monday a week ago. 4:00 am.

I woke straight out of bed.....fear gripped every fiber of my being just as it has many mornings these past 12 months.....fear of things I have no control over....fear of drowning.....fear of floods....fear of being weak.....fear of everything.

By the time I turned the Keurig on at 4:05 that morning, tears were pouring out of my eyes and....these are hard words for me to admit to you....I felt alone. So very alone. I couldn't hear or feel God anywhere near me. I felt the unanswered "why's" of my life pushing down on my shoulders and, by-the-way, wasn't I suppose to be feeling "Peace On Earth" right now three weeks before Christmas? Was Joy just a sick joke?

I plug into my iTunes......choose my Christmas playlist....when suddenly the song, "Word of God, Speak" starts playing. That's not on my Christmas playlist I remember thinking. And as I listened to the words,

"I'm finding myself at a loss for words..... The last thing I need is to be heard..... But to hear what You would say..... Word of God SPEAK... Would You pour down like rain, Washing my (crying) eyes to see Your majesty.... To be still and know that You are in this place."

The weight of worry began leaving me and I knew He had just spoken to my tears and fears through the words of this song and I knew He was here.....patiently waiting on me to see Him.

We talked....a lot....for over an hour about these fears....this weight of the loneliness through the tough times that I was feeling. And exactly two minutes after I said, "Amen", I received this text from a friend who knew nothing about my struggles:

"Good Morning my dearest friend. I just wanted to give you a friendly reminder that you are never ever alone. I was spending time in the Lord's presence this morning and all I could think about was you. God must have something beautiful for you, and He wants you to stay encouraged. I love you... Have a great day!" K

Jesus whispers there is always hope. It doesn't matter how dark the dark is, a Light can still dawn...and here's the spoiler alert: That gift from God that is wrapped up tight with your name on it.....Joy is inside.
Posted by Liz Etheridge-Sekerke at 8:20 AM 0 comments

Monday, December 7, 2020

What If?

What If? 

A few years ago, I took a friend's little kid to the mall about this time of year to see Santa. The line was long, the crying was loud, the frustration was thick in the air as tired children stood in line to sit on Santa's lap and tell him all the things they dreamed of getting for Christmas. You know, those things they tear through on Christmas morning only to toss aside for the next gift. 

 I had a lot of time to think as we stood in line that day.  I watched as each kid was given maybe a total of 2 minutes to collect their thoughts, wipe their tears and whisper to Santa their biggest wishes. Mom just wanted the picture so they could have it for the kid's wedding video 20 years later and Santa just wanted to do "his time" and scoot on over to Starbucks to get a Cinnamon Dolce Latte. It was sad, really. 

 But I thought; what would this look like if, instead of a tired Santa, we had an exuberant Jesus sitting on that red velvet throne in the mall? I imagined, in this very imaginative brain of mine, it would look a little something like this: 

 As the bashful child approached Jesus, He would put His hands out welcoming this child in a calming, loving way, calling them by name. The child....a child He made....would slowly and cautiously approach Him. Their eyes would be locked on each other...there would be no crying....no temper-tantrum....just unspoken love between the two of them. As they hopped on Jesus' lap, He would whisper something only that child knew, proving He knew everything about them. He would first ask the child, "What are you thankful for this Christmas, my child?" followed by "If I could give you anything in this world, what would it be?" I don't know if the kid would say an Xbox or Barbie Dream Home as they had planned to say, but I kinda doubt it. This Santa was different. 

 A wonderful picture in our heads, right? A reality....probably not. At least, not in the mall. But this can be reality at our churches at Christmastime...on the Squares in our little towns....in our homes. What a wonderful way to teach our children and grandchildren that Christmas isn't about the Cinnamon-Dolce-Latte-Santa who just wants Christmas to be over with already....but rather, the Man who is our "reason" for celebrating. Celebrating the One who was born to rescue his tired, frustrated, and yes, worried people. 

 Give the kids the REAL Santa.....His name is Jesus Christ.
Posted by Liz Etheridge-Sekerke at 5:50 AM 0 comments

Sunday, November 22, 2020

God's Gracious Grace

 


About a month ago, I was meeting some friends for dinner in Sulphur Springs.  It was a little over an hour's drive from where I now live and I was, as usual, running late.  I got tangled in traffic and was frustrated that my friends were waiting on this habitually late friend named Liz. 

As I reached Sulphur Springs and a few blocks from the restaurant half an hour late, I look in my rear view mirror and see flashing lights behind me.  "Well dangit" I said...."just what I needed right now!"  The police officer walked up to my window where I had my information ready and waiting for him so as to hurry the process along, when he wanted to chit-chat about why I was in such a hurry.  I explained I was late to dinner with friends and apologized profusely  for my crime.  The scowl on his face indicated to me that there was no getting out of this ticket. 

As he returned a few minutes later with his ticket-pad in hand, he paused...looked at his pad...looked at me....and started scribbling something on the ticket.  He then shockingly said, "I made a mistake on your speed.  Slow down and have a nice evening" and started walking away.  What?  As he walked back to his squad car, I hung out the window and said, "What does this mean?"  He once again said, "I made a mistake. Slow down.  Have a nice evening."  As I pulled away, I remember I was still flinging these 60-year old arms out the window thanking him profusely for his forgiveness.

It reminded me a bit of Colossians 2:14: "He canceled the record of the charges against us (you and me) and took it away by nailing it to the cross."  Much like this police officer, God found a way to deal with my daily, often-times hourly, mistakes.  He couldn't overlook them; to do so would be unjust.  He can't pretend I didn't commit them; to do so would be a lie.  But here is what He did do: God found a person with a spotless past.  He had never broken a law.  Not one violation, not one trespass, not even a speeding ticket.  He volunteered to trade records with me....to put His own name on my record.  Even though I did wrong, He put my crime on Himself and gave me His spotless record.

The perfect record of God's Son, Jesus, was given to me, Liz Etheridge....and to YOU (place your name here).  And our imperfect record was given to Him.  And what did He do with my poor driving record?  He canceled my debt, which listed all the rules I failed to follow,  just like Mr. Police Officer took the blame for my speeding crime.

But God NAILED IT TO THE CROSS...and gave you His perfect record.

 

*Excerpt from Max Lucado book, "Grip of Grace"

Posted by Liz Etheridge-Sekerke at 8:48 AM 0 comments

Sunday, November 15, 2020

"In everything God works for the good of those who love Him"


 

Four years ago, after the election of Donald Trump, I wrote this in my journal:

"I have a prediction. I know exactly what tomorrow will bring. Another day of God’s perfect authority. He will still be in charge. His throne will still be occupied. He will still manage the affairs of the world. Never before has His providence depended on a king, president, or ruler. And it won’t start tomorrow."

"The LORD can control a king’s mind as He controls a river; He can direct it as He pleases." 
— Proverbs 21:1 NCV"

Fast forward 4 years to 2020...the most bizarre year most of us have ever lived through. And the year isn't over yet. We still have 46 days to go before we can turn the page from this crazy-mixed-up-off-the-wall year. And we are being told Joe Biden and Kamala Harris will most likely be our next presidents.

Although its no secret I didn't cast my vote for Joe Biden, I will support this man if indeed he is deemed my next president. I will treat his supporters with the respect I would of a good friend. I will not call them names. I will not curse at them. I will not think ill of them because they see things differently than me. Because I am told if I love God, I can't help but love my neighbor.....even when we disagree.

As thousands marched through the streets of downtown Dallas with me yesterday with our flags held high simply there to ask for fair voting, I saw people standing on the sidelines cursing at us, flipping us off, making rude gestures with their bodies and FULL OF HATE. And I heard many marchers saying back to these very same people, "God loves you".

“By this all will know that you are My people, if you have love for one another.” 
~ John 13:35

We are a divided nation....always have been, just not as obvious as it is today...and most likely, it's only going to get worse. But don't forget; God's still in charge of how this plays out and the true test of a Christ-follower is how we respond to those we disagree with....whether you voted right or you voted left.

"I’m telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer, for then you are working out of your TRUE selves, your God-created selves. This is what God does. He gives his best—the sun to warm and the rain to nourish—to everyone, regardless: the good and bad, the nice and nasty." 
~ Matthew 5:43 MSG

And one last thing, let's imitate Jeremiah. Lift up your eyes. Dare to believe that good things will happen. Dare to believe that God was speaking to us when He said:

"In everything God works for the good of those who love Him". 
— Romans 8:28"
 

 
Posted by Liz Etheridge-Sekerke at 9:09 AM 0 comments

Sunday, November 8, 2020

We Hear Him In His Whisper

 NOTE:  I wrote this article below about three years ago for our church bulletin.  It's been a noisy week in our country and I thought we all could use a little less screaming and a whole lot more listening.  Enjoy.

 




WE FIND HIM IN THE WHISPER

When I was in my mid-20's, I taught a Sunday School class full of  5-year-olds.  It was the Kindergarten class at our church and I felt with my limited knowledge of Bible stories, it was the perfect place for me to be.

However, I found out that 5-year-olds don't sit still...and they aren't quiet....and they have an attention span of about 3 seconds.  Having never had children and being the youngest in my family, this was shocking news to me.  I found myself each week frustrated and wondering how to either talk fast enough to get my point in the 3 seconds before their attention moved elsewhere, or increase the volume of my voice to where they could hear nothing but me.  Unfortunately, this dog-and-pony show went on for better than a year and didn't work.

So I decided to have a special guest speaker come in and tell the kids a story.  I needed the break, but so did the Kindergartners.  As the kids were busy taking their shoes and socks off, messing up the kids' hair next to them, thumping their foreheads repeatedly, the storyteller, a petite woman named Sammie, started telling her story. Actually, she whispered her story.  I found myself in the back of the room leaning in....desperate to hear what she was saying...and so did the kids.  The room, for the first time ever, was quiet.  They were still.  They were leaning in to hear what Sammie had to say.  She had taught us all the SECRET to listening.


“Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and  shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind.   After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the  earthquake.

After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire.
And after the fire came a gentle whisper.”  (NIV) 1 Kings 19:11-12

In the words of the great writer Mark Batterson, "When someone speaks in a whisper, you have to get very close to hear.  We lean toward a whisper, and that’s what God wants. The goal of hearing the Heavenly Father’s voice isn’t just hearing His voice; it’s intimacy with Him.

That’s why He speaks in a whisper."

Awwww...there it is!  God could intimidate us with His outside voice, but He woos us with a whisper.   And His whisper is the very breath of life.

Posted by Liz Etheridge-Sekerke at 7:35 AM 0 comments

Sunday, November 1, 2020

My Friend Dub

 


This is my friend Dub.

Dub was the son of one of my Meals on Wheels clients back when I lived at the lake. He was one of three siblings who adjusted their lives to stay with their mom Jewel so she could remain in the comfort of her home instead of going to a nursing home. Each month, he and his two sisters and their cousin Sandy would pull the family calendar out and decide who stayed with mom which week that month. In the 12 years I knew Jewel, this happened each month.

I instantly fell in love with this entire family......and they loved me back.

When Jewel passed away in late 2016; two weeks prior to arriving at her 110th birthday, (yep, you heard me right....she lived to be almost 110!!), these same siblings, cousin and I decided we needed to keep our friendship alive and going by meeting for lunches every 6 weeks or so, and our love for each other became even stronger. So much so, they called me their sister and they were now considered my siblings. Jewel would have been over-the-moon happy we all stayed together.

Dub was the only male....surrounded by 4 laughing and crazy females.....and if you were to ask him, he would tell you he wouldn't have it any other way. He loved being the only guy.....

In the past four years of our "Family Lunch Dates", three out of the five of us lost our spouses; Dub included. And it was this Clay family who wrapped their arms around each other, and me, during those hard times as if by doing so, made us one strong unit together. I can't imagine my life without this family. Truly, a hand-wrapped gift from God straight to me.

Last week, we met for our usual beans and cornbread lunch at one of the sister's houses. Now that I live in the Dallas area and so does Dub, we rode to East Texas together. Their was no empty air space in the Jeep on that 4-hour ride as we both were talking at the same time about everything. He held my hand most of the way home as I drove us back to Dallas late Saturday.

But Tuesday night, I got a call. A call that Dub had died suddenly and unexpectedly a few minutes earlier. An aneurysm. He had been the picture of health....even though he was in his early 80's, he had the health of a much younger man. My mind, and heart, still can't process our friend and brother is gone. He was suppose to live to be 110.

And I'm reminded by this sudden and unexpected exit from this world of ours that we never know when that last grain of sand called our-life-on-this-earth will fall from the hourglass of time. We were never promised tomorrow....just this moment we're standing in right now.....and what we do with this moment is all that matters. How we live our lives.....what we do with the time we are given...and most importantly, Who we put our trust in.

Live life fully....Love deeply and make sure, friends, that your last day on this earth becomes your first day in Heaven. It's the only thing that matters.

 
Posted by Liz Etheridge-Sekerke at 8:18 AM 0 comments
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