Thursday, March 11, 2021

Meet Me In The Middle Of Your Story

“I once read that if a person has a part of their liver removed, it will grow back..regenerate itself.


I also know from personal experience that after a person loses their spouse, a portion of their heart gets buried in the casket or urn with them.  But much like the liver, the widow(er)'s heart can also grow back....regenerate itself.  It doesn't do it overnight....and it is often a painful regeneration growing process.

But given time, the heart WILL mend itself.

A few months ago, I met a widower who lost his cherished wife a few years ago.  A portion of his heart had also been buried in that urn with hers much like mine had been with Chuck's.  We shared the mutual experience of care-giving, watching someone you love fade and then the eventual death of a spouse.  It's a road no one can speak of or understand unless they've walked it.

And in our conversations on death, we discovered something interesting:   

 Our spouses died on the same day, same year, 4 hours apart.


Enter a quiet "Pause" in the conversation.

We became friends, talking regularly, sharing our hearts that were still in the regeneration process of healing.  We discovered that God was the most important thing in each of our lives.....and He had put both of us on the road to healing at the exact same moment.

And we discovered we were put on this road next to each other for a reason.

My time with Wayne has helped my heart heal and grow once again and I believe his has too.  We are now dating and taking our time to see where this might lead.  It's an interesting journey we are on....how our paths crossed....how our two hearts are now regenerating together....and how the parts of our hearts still in the urns with our spouses are still beating as strong for them as ever.  That will never die.  But the one thing we both know is that God smiled down on us, gave a wink, and is walking next to us as we journey on down this beautiful road of unknowns.  We are meeting in the middle of our stories....when our souls are worn....but wise.

Happy Birthday Wayne......you are so loved.”




Posted by Liz Etheridge-Sekerke at 6:00 AM 0 comments

Sunday, March 7, 2021

Brokenness & Backpacks

 


I once had a dear friend who always sat on the front row, right-side-aisle most every Sunday at our church. She always sat alone and, its pure speculation on my part, but I think she sat on that front row to avoid the distractions that come from sitting anywhere else (plus, it put her close to the side door where she could make a quick exit when church was over).

It's been a few years now since Diane gave me this cross made out of rusty metal.....old nails really.....that has hung on the side of my hutch in the dining room. The day she handed it to me, she was smiling big. She was so proud to give it to me....thought I needed it.....and rushed it over to my house, complete with pretty paper in a bag and ribbon surrounding it. We had just finished a home study on Eucharisteo.....the act of giving Thanks.....thanks for everything.....even the massively broken things in our lives.....and Diane had a lot of broken things in her life.

She passed away a few summers later.....unexpectedly.....and silently. I pray she knew Jesus was climbing that broken mountain with her and that He carried a backpack with her name on it to put all the broken pieces from her life into.

I wish I had been a better friend and helped her transfer those broken pieces from Her back to His.

I wish......

But my wish for you, my friend, is to know the whole purpose of the empty cross is so you no longer have to carry the sharp, cutting broken pieces of your life anymore. If you just call out to Him...."Come quick, Lord, I need You"....He'll carry the burden & weight of your broken pieces in that specially made & personalized backpack with your name on it.

Because He loves you.
Posted by Liz Etheridge-Sekerke at 9:29 PM 0 comments

Sunday, February 28, 2021

"Don't Quit In The Pit"

 


So....I wrote this article a few years ago as I found myself climbing out of the Pit of death, grief and recovery. Like a scar that never quite goes away but tells its own unique story of how it got there, this popped back up this week and I wanted to share it for that "someone" out there who needed the reminder to never quit in the Pit.

There is this invisible hole we all long to climb into when times get tough. When flood waters come, when cancer knocks on the door, and when death happens while we sleep. We get our shovels out and we dig.....we dig until the Pit is big enough to crawl into and we can no longer be seen. We sit with our knees curled up to our chests as we rock back and forth, in perfect sync with our pain.

If you haven't taken that shovel off the wall of your garage yet and started digging, you will someday. It's not a matter of WILL you....its a matter of WHEN will you.

I sat out next to a fireless-firepit this past Saturday with my dear friends Jack and Marlane as my realtor showed the house to a potential buyer. It was cold, misting rain and my coffee had moved from hot to cold in an instant. We talked about the Pit....the Pit that swallows us up during times of crisis and heartache and how, when life comes crashing down all around you and nothing looks familiar anymore, the Pit is the only place you long to be. You want to be alone with your sorrow....feel the comfort and proximity of the walls around you and feel the familiarity of your knees wrapped tightly in your arms. It's a place of comfort....for awhile.

Right after Chuck passed away, I picked up the shovel to start digging my Pit. I wanted to be in that Pit almost as bad as I wanted to sit and eat an entire Becky-Arterbury-Buttermilk-Pie alone. But.....I couldn't. Every time I'd pick up that metaphoric shovel, someone would come up and say, "Come on, you need to go to coffee"....."Let's go to The Stand"...."Keep Moving...Keep Breathing...Keep Out of the Stinkin' Pit, Liz." And before long, the Pit lost its appeal.

And in the words of my friend Jack, when we look up from that dark quiet Pit of despair, we see a pinhole of Light. We see a roll-down ladder heading straight towards us...and no matter how deep your Pit might be, it is not too deep for God's ladder to reach you....and rescue you.

There is beauty in your despair. You just need to remember to look up.
Posted by Liz Etheridge-Sekerke at 9:31 PM 0 comments

Sunday, February 14, 2021

Letter To Myself In 10 Years

 


"Letter To Myself In 10 Years"
lizetheridge
*
I read a story the other day about a 12 year old girl who died suddenly from pneumonia. While going through her belongings, her family came across a letter she had written......to herself.....and was not to be opened by herself until she was 22.

She never saw 22.

In this letter to herself, she wrote what she dreamed she'd be like in 10 years. It was beautiful. She knew herself better than anyone, yet, she didn't know herself at 22.

So, what if we all wrote a 10-year letter to ourselves? What would we say, what would we hope for ourselves? On this cold, snowy morning, I thought I'd share my 10-year letter with you before licking it closed and placing it in a safe place to be opened in 2031.

Dear Liz,

I guess by now when you open this letter, you are almost 71 years old. You will be a few years past Social Security, if there even still is a Social Security. Most likely your sweet pup, Molly, will be at the Rainbow Bridge and the aches and pains of being almost 71 will be creeping up on you.

Your granddaughters are now 26 and 28, probably out of college and possibly married.....starting lives of their own.

Is God still first in your life, Liz? Do you still wake up each morning, grab a cup of coffee and spend one-on-one time with Him? Do you still cry when you see a cardinal or hear the song Amazing Grace? Are your eyes still focused on the miracles all around you? Are you still grateful for everything.....even the hard things?

I hope you concentrate less on your "stuff" and more on others. I pray you are still finding magic through the lens of your camera, capturing glimpses of heaven no matter where you are living.

But what if you aren't alive to read this in 2031? Do you know where you are? Did Jesus recognize you as a Follower of His the second you breathed your last breath or did He NOT know you because you were just a lukewarm Fan of His? I keep remembering that scripture in Matthew that says "You can enter God's Kingdom ONLY through the NARROW gate. The highway to hell is broad and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult and only a FEW ever find it." (Matthew 7:13).

So, I pray you are still on that narrow, bumpy road to eternity when you open this letter in 10 years.....dying to yourself each of the 3,650 days between then and now. Stay on the narrow road, my friend.....don't take the easy road. Love, Liz
Posted by Liz Etheridge-Sekerke at 7:36 AM 0 comments

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
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