Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Normal, pt 2

Ok, so maybe we are not normal:) What is normal anyway right?

Well, Joy looked it up and actually wrote out the definition from Websters, (see http://melissataylorp31.blogspot.com/2008/07/you-are-normal.html , comment section) and she was right, we aren't normal. God made us better than normal.

Lynn brought up how Jesus used ordinary water jugs to perform His first miracle. And likewise, God can use ordinary people like us to do amazing things.

It broke my heart last week when I received so many letters all asking the question, "Am I normal?" or "What's wrong with me?" It made me so sad, because I understood that question. It's familiar to me. I've asked myself that secretly for many years. I know the truth though. We are just fine. We aren't crazy. Nothing is wrong with us. Many of us have suffered. That's not who we are though. Many of us have sinned horribly and have a shameful past. That's not who we are though. These things happened to us. It is what we did. But it's not who we are. (If you have time and want to hear a dynamic message on this, visit http://www.elevationchurch.org/ and click on the message for "Week 3- Identity" and watch Pastor Stephen Furtick bring home this message. Honestly, it's one of the best I've ever heard. I'll warn you, he's not your typical Preacher...He's young and well, he looks like he should be the lead singer in a rock n roll band. Don't tune him out though. This young rocker has an amazing gift as a teacher and he is a genuine man of God. This message is 47 minutes and worth every minute.)

I can write all day long about the mighty work the Lord can do in your life. We can read our Bibles day and night and learn many interesting facts. We can listen to great messages like the one I mentioned above. Friends can pray for us . We can pray for us. But ultimately, until we answer the question, "Who is Jesus to me?" (and make it personal to yourself), I'm not sure we can move forward.

Other questions to consider: "Do you really believe Him?" "Believe in Him?" "Believe that His promises are as true for you as they are for the next person?"

This is just a peek at what's to come in the next few days.

Normal? Who wants to be normal? me me me me me:) Really, sweet sistas...we don't want to settle for plain ole normal. We are much better than that. We are royalty, daughters of the King. Extraordinarily made to live extraordinary lives. Hang on, YOU ARE WORTH IT!

Believing Jesus,

Melissa

8 comments:

Joyful said...

I've only just recently made the journey from believing about God to believing God! It's only through experience that all that text book Bible study teaching becomes real. I've said I believed God for years, but never took a leap of faith to really see if God would catch me. My God was too small. Now I can say with assurance that God loves me and He is more than able to handle all that concerns me today and for all my tomorrows!

Can't wait to read what you're going to write next!!!!!

Love & prayers,
Joy

Anonymous said...

Thanks for reminding us to ask
who Jesus is to us. Do we believe him? God has showed me that the abuse I went through was permitted
and He was with me during it. I
have schizophrenia but the medicine has kept me functioning
fairly well in society. I'm enjoying your blog!

Chef Diane said...

Normal, that is not me at all. I have a hard time looking into the mirror sometimes. But God looks at me all the time with nothing but love and understanding.
You are right, bad things happened to us. Those things were done to us, they are not who were are. Once we know the difference then we control our own normal.
Diane

Anonymous said...

I use to feel abnormal but now Im learning that all that I feel is just as normal as the next person. Sometimes when my feelings surrounding the abuse come very strong then I feel like my feelings are not normal. I sometimes feel hate and love at the same time. I know that our feelings are temporal so we must not live life based upon how we are feeling. Thank God that he will not leave us feeling like we do. Christ1

Anonymous said...

I generally read, but don't post comments...afraid of sharing my feelings, too worried of what others may think. I know this holds me back in so many areas of my life. Today, I pray that God will strengthen me, use me, show me how He wants me to produce fruit in my life.
Melissa, thank you for sharing and allowing God to use you.

Anonymous said...

Who is Jesus you ask?

I heard a song the other day as I drove in my car and it brought tears to my eyes. This is MY hearts desire.

Lyrics from "Hope Now"

Everything rides on HOPE NOW.
Everything rides FAITH somehow.
When the WORLD has broken me down, Your (Jesus) love sets me free.

When my life is like a storm,
Rising waters all I want is the shore,
You say I'll be ok and,
Make it through the rain.
You (Jesus) are my SHELTER from the storm.

You've become my Hearts desire.
I will sing Your (Jesus) praises higher,
Cause Your LOVE sets me free.

My prayer today is for God to empty me of my insides. The foolish things I hold in my heart.
Empty me so I can be filled with Him.

Abused survivor.

Lynn Cowell said...

Melissa,
The thing that changed my life as a believer was when I began to see how He really saw me. When I read the Song of Solomon and verses such as:
Zephaniah 3:17 "The Lord your God is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you. He will quiet you with His love, he will rejoice over you with singing." Psalm 45:11 "The king is enthralled by your beauty; honor him, for he is your Lord." Song of Solomon 4:7 "You are altogether beautiful, my darling, and there is no blemish in you."...there are SO many of them. When I discovered that Jesus didn't create me to serve Him, but to be IN LOVE with Him...it changed EVERYTHING!

He is flipped-out, madly in love with us!
Bask in that...
Lynn

Unknown said...

Melissa:

Thank you again for such inspired words. I'm with you, I want more than normal. We are royalty as you said :)

In Christ,
Mari