Tag: Encourage

Are You a 3am Friend?

Good evening! It’s 10:15pm here in South Florida, as I sit in my recliner and write this post. I have a question to ask? Do you have a 3am friend?

OC, what in the world is a 3am friend? I’m glad you asked. A 3am friend is a friend you can call at 3am when the storms of life hit. Where most people would probably not even answer the phone, a 3am friend welcomes your call.

The 3am friend is one of the most important people in our lives. It doesn’t matter if these are work friends, faith friends, or family relations.

You can call that 3am friend because you’re confident that they care about you even when they are distracted by their own challenges or recovering from a hard day. You can also trust them to respect and support you even when they see you at your worst.

Do you have 3 a.m. friends? More importantly, are you a 3 a.m. friend for others?

I hope your answer to both questions is, “Yes, of course.” But that isn’t true for all of us, nor is it true all the time. There are all kinds of fancy ideas and theories about “community.” I don’t pretend to have a mastery of what all possible communities could or should look like. But at the end of the day, communities do one critically important thing: they create relationships. Supportive and loving relationships.

The simplest way to build community is by letting others know that we want to be their 3 a.m. friend. Maybe you are ready to be that 3 a.m. friend, and they don’t know it.

On a number of occasions, friends have surprised me by calling me in the middle of night with a crisis. Perhaps they needed someone to support family members waiting tensely in an emergency room. Perhaps they were overwhelmed by the pressures of life. Maybe they needed someone to just listen to them. Maybe they needed prayer.

Over the years, I have come to realize that it is an honor to be trusted in moments like that. When someone shares their vulnerability, they are inviting us to know them in a deeper way.

If you’ve never done it, I suggest that, right now, you call or text the people that you know are your 3 a.m. friends. Thank them for filling this role in your life even if you’ve never needed to make that call. If there are people that you know whose middle-of-the-night calls you would welcome, consider letting them know how you feel.

While we can talk about “building community” in fancy ways elsewhere, this may be the most important community you will ever have. God knows you need them and they need you.

So, if you ever need a 3am friend, please reach out to me. I would be honored to do life with you. Even at 3am. Blessings. ~OC

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Brokenness….A Gift

Today’s a new day!

Sometimes I feel broken.

There are times I look at my life and see all the ways I fall short. Maybe it was my negative attitude or words that negatively affected someone else.

There are so many ways to feel broken- physically, emotionally, mentally or spiritually. In the middle of our brokenness, it’s easy to agonize over whether or not we can ever be acceptable to God or be used by Him during our brokenness. I know I struggle with this sometimes.

During this crazy beautiful health journey, God has taught me a valuable lesson about being broken.

Our brokenness is a gift. A gift? Yes, a gift because our brokenness connects us to other people walking through their own brokenness. A gift because our brokenness brings us closer to God. It is during our brokenness that God makes us whole.

Sharing our brokenness brings meaning and healing to our own crazy beautiful journey.

Blessings happen during the brokenness. As I have shared my health journey with others, people have reached out to me and shared how my journey has helped them walk through their own crazy beautiful journey. It has been a blessing to see God move through my brokenness.

Being broken is a gift, because through our brokenness we recognize our need for God. Because only through God can our broken life be made whole.

I am so grateful for the gift of being broken. During my brokenness God has continued to love me and use me in spite of my brokenness. What a gift.

My prayer for you is that during your brokenness, you will look to God and allow Him to use you during this time. I pray you will find the gift of brokenness as God puts your broken pieces back together. ~OC

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Faithful Friend

Today’s a new day! Sadly, as I have run this crazy beautiful health journey, several friends decided to walk away. But this is not about them. No, this letter is for you.

Dear Faithful Friend, I want you to know you are one of the greatest blessings God has ever given me. Coming from a person who has watched many friends walk away, I am thankful that I never had to see what it would look like as you walked away. You have been a constant. You have been persistent. You have been faithful. You have constantly showed me that people are capable of caring unconditionally. Friends like you are hard to find these days, even in people who call themselves Christians.

I am thankful that you have never left, as I have run this crazy beautiful health journey. You haven’t just stayed during the good times, you have decided to run with me even as my body has went through one trial after another. You care for me even when I have nothing to offer.

You have seen the worst parts of this health journey. You know the good and not so good in this season. You know God gives us things exactly when we need them… that’s proven to be true because of the fact that He has blessed me to call you friend. Our paths crossed because God saw that I needed a faithful friend. He was right. I needed someone who intercedes in prayer on my behalf without me asking. I needed someone who would sharpen me as I walk through this journey.

I have studied the Bible to see what it means to be a good friend and most of the things I have read are qualities that you possess. I have seen you run with me at my weakest moments. You have been an honest voice. I have seen you build me up and encourage me. You have had my back in ways I will never be able to truly thank you for.

I am so thankful for your friendship.
I can only pray that I have had a small impact on your life. You have helped me become a better person as I run this crazy beautiful health journey. I pray for you and your family on a daily basis and I hope you know that I am here in all seasons for you, just like you have been there for me. I do not write any of this lightly. Thank you for being a faithful friend. I am thankful for your friendship in my life. ~OC

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The Prodigal

Today’s a new day! Remember, we’re all prodigals until we come to a saving relationship with Jesus. So keep praying and loving the prodigal loved ones in your life. No judgment or condemnation. Just love and grace. ~OC

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Waiting

Today’s a new day! How many people like to wait? I am sure most do not. We live in a world where we want immediate results. Instant gratification. When we pray we want God to answer our prayers immediately. Sometimes people can get discouraged when they do not receive an immediate response that they stop praying. We tend to be a right now society. But that’s not how God works most of the time. Oftentimes, prayer is an exercise in patience. Today, if you’re waiting on God to answer a prayer, here are four verses to meditate on as you wait.

 “I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits,and in his word I put my hope.” ~Psalm 130:5

Sometimes it’s hard to wait. It may feel, as the Psalmist writes, that our “whole being” waits in anguish. Psalm 130 was clearly written by someone walking through the storms of life. But in those tough moments was someone who knew that in God there is love and hope.
 
“Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains.  You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near.” ~James 5:7-8

James teaches us how to overcome suffering—by remembering that whatever happens, we know that God is coming back to make everything right. To make everything whole and complete. That the storms we face in this life is not the end of the story. Be encouraged that what is coming is more wonderful than we could imagine.
 
“But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.” ~2 Peter 3:8-9

In this scripture, Peter reminds us to be patient because God’s timing is not our timing. What seems like years to us is nothing to God. He is timeless and has amazing plans for us. I encourage you not to lose hope. God always knows what’s best for us.
 
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. ~Matthew 7:7-8

In the above word, God encourages us to ask, to seek and keep knocking. To be persistent and faithful in our prayers. To keep lifting our prayers up to Him. God will answer our prayers, but sometimes in a way we never imagined. So keep knocking on the door. God is always faithful.

Waiting can be hard. Especially when you have been waiting for a long time. But by relying on the promises of God and staying in prayer, we can turn frustration into faith. Don’t ever give up! Wait on the Lord, and He will answer you. ~OC

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Mental Health

Today’s a new day! This morning I want to discuss a tough issue for many in the Christian community. Mental Health. Unfortunately, many believers have made it difficult for those dealing with mental health issues to share and get the help they need.

Mental health issues can still be a highly stigmatized topic in the church. Although many Believers know the trial of occasional anxiety or having the blues, people with a diagnosed mental illness face unique challenges. Some our confronted by Christians who espouse false doctrine that health issues are a sign of unresolved sin or lack of faith. This is a big Lie!

I want to encourage anyone dealing with mental health issues or any health issue to get the necessary medical care you need. There is nothing wrong with taking medications, having a therapist and loving Jesus all at the same time. There should be no shame or condemnation.

The same biblical truths that have encouraged Christians for centuries can encourage those who suffer with mental health today. I pray those walking through the trials of mental health will cling on to these words of encouragement.

  1. You Are Not Alone
    God’s people have suffered—mentally, emotionally, and physically—since the fall in the garden. Even Jesus cried out in despair on the cross, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matt. 27:46), When we suffer, we are never alone. Never be afraid to reach out for help. Speaking openly about your mental health issues allows those around you to share their own struggles. This allows us to come together and care for one another.

2). Stop Blaming Yourself. Also stop listening to those who may try to put a spiritual guilt trip on you. Mental health issues are not a punishment for sin or lack of faith. As you walk through this journey, I encourage you to keep your eyes on God. He has some amazing plans for your life. Keep leaning into that beautiful promise.

3). Remember, God sees you, loves you and is always with you. Thankfully we have a wonderful Savior who experiences emotions. As you walk through effects of mental illness, remember the nearness of Christ. He weeps with you. God knows how He is going to work in and through each of our lives and is with us in the midst of it. By the amazing grace of God, he sent the Holy Spirit, our comforter and counselor, to be with you, to help you. The Holy Spirit intercedes for us (Romans 8:27). He is there for us when we do not have the words.

4). God’s Word Speaks to us.
The word of God isn’t afraid to talk about mental and emotional issues.
Keep the truth of God’s words close. Share them with a close friend, family member, or accountability partner who can remind you when you forget or when you don’t have the energy or willpower to remind yourself.

The truth is some will deal with mental health issues for a lifetime. But remember, we can all rejoice in the greatness and sovereignty of our loving Savior. I pray that God will make known his strength in our struggles. ~OC

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Overcoming

Today’s a new day! Whatever has power over you is becoming powerless. Chains are being broken. Strongholds released. God is freeing you, so you can experience His peace, love, healing and purpose in every area of your your life. ~OC

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Keep Dancing

Today’s a new day! I hope you wake up with a dream in your heart and a sense of excitement about a new day. A new adventure. May you never take a day for granted. May you embrace every breath. Take in every moment. May you always fill loved and never take it for granted. May your life be filled with laughter and tears. Both are healing. I pray when given a chance to be a difference maker, you grab hold and run with it. Never be afraid to shake things up a little. I pray you never give up when life gets hard. I pray when given a chance to quit, you make the choice to dance. I pray you never fear those raging waves in the distance. They will eventually calm and be filled with amazing lessons. Keep dancing during the storms of life. Who wants to look back and regret not taking a chance? A chance on love. A chance on friendship. A chance on making amazing memories. A chance on living a crazy beautiful adventure. I pray you keep on dreaming and dancing. Give your dreams more than a fleeting glance. Never lose your sense of wonder and adventure. Keep dancing. ~OC

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Power of Hope

When we wake up and are still facing the storms of life, we need to reach up to God and grab onto the hand of hope. The bigger the waves, the worries and troubles, the more the stage is set for God to move mightily in calming the waves. God cares about our storms.

One of the lessons God wants to teach us during the storms of life, is to fully trust in Him and not lose hope. Hope is a life changing word. No matter how many tears have filled the boat, how many prayers seemingly unanswered, or how fear grips us there is hope. We can cling into that hope during the worst storms. God will always be by our side as the crashing waves try to take us out. Plant your feet in the beautiful hope of God. ~OC

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Not Reality

Hello. This is something God put on my heart.

We have allowed many things to catch our eyes. They are bright and shiny, but are never what they claim to be. We hold them tight, only to see them disappear into the night. They are not real. Just pretty fantasies and not what they claim to be. They appear to be silver and gold, but that’s not reality. Just another fantasy. The shiny lights are just a dream. They were never reality. There just idols that will fade. They don’t have the power to save. Just a box of shiny bright things. Don’t allow yourself to get lost in that fantasy. Only one person can save us and that’s the King of Kings. Unfortunately, some people like to make the true King bright and shiny, but that’s far from reality. You see, the true King was born in a simple cave. That was far from the bling of the man made kings of the day. They were just living in a fantasy. Not much different than today’s man made kings. The idols of success and closet full of shiny bling ain’t gonna, no ain’t gonna save us. There just another fantasy. Only the King of Kings can turn that fantasy island into a place of eternity. Our only hope is in the King of Kings. Look up and shout out to the true King. Look up and shout out to the true King. He can turn your shiny fantasies of this world into the true reality of eternity. Look up and shout out to the true King of Kings. He’s holding out his hand waiting to welcome you into eternity. ~OC

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