Jana Spicka and Women Getting Real Ministries
Posts tagged Jana Spicka
Do You Get Tired of Hearing “I Love You” ?
Sep 1st
I now have a God Box. I had to. My dresser and my desk were covered with all these sweet notes, kisses, hearts or butterflies from the Lord. As I was lovingly putting them in the box, I thought about how I have a box for my kids, and a box for Chuck. Little remembrances of moments, notes, emotions, memories of our lives together.
And now a God box. At first I felt foolish. Or insane.
But then I went to the mountains with Chuck.
In our favorite jeep with the top down.
On our favorite kind of day, crisp and cool.
With our favorite music playing loud.
Holding hands and breathing deep.
We were aware, invested, immersed in being together. Nothing foolish. Nothing insane. But instead it was the most normal, delightful thing in the world.
Then we went to our favorite spot in the mountains. But actually it was Our spot before it was our spot. I had been running away to that spot to cry or dream or vent long before Chuck came into the picture. When I got there, it was just as as sentimental with Him as it had been with him. Butterflies were everywhere. The sand was warm, the water loud and laughing. The trees nodding and bending in the almost-autumn breeze. I gasped in surprise when a cool gust of wind swept across my skin as walked in the chilled water. And there it was…
A little pink heart lying on the river’s bed.
No doubt discarded by a visitor tubing down the river. But there. Not carried away. But there. On that day. At that place. For me.
I picked it up and laughed out loud. My voice and tears burst out, “I love You too!”
What else could I say?
No, I will never get tired of His love notes. Because I can never get enough of His love.
Lord, you delight in us. In me. You are ever, ever trying to tell us how much You love us. Give us eyes to see, and ears to hear. And boxes. We all need God boxes so we won’t forget. Oh yes, and Lord…We love You back. Amen
Big Mac Attack
Aug 31st
Some of you have heard about my computer woes. But what you may not have heard is how the Lord totally set me up. Again.
I had all these big plans of writing this summer. My laptop computer broke. I got another laptop. It broke, too.
Summer has slipped by, the crunch of our new WGR class is here, and I have been reduced to trying to peck out emails on a machine that resembles an old, old woman on oxygen in a hospital bed, gasping for breath. But here is the rest of the story. I am a little awestruck in the telling.
This morning I am sitting in front of an iMac with a 20-inch screen. It’s secondhand for sure. It came late yesterday afternoon, only one day before our class begins tonight. But still, I’m shaking my head in disbelief as I look at the first pages of my new books without having to squint and blow it up to 200%. I am noticing its speed and ease of handling big projects. With three book projects on the way this year—and a worship CD— this is a very, very needed piece of equipment.
I think to myself: Did God really break my computers, while they were still under warranty, so that I could get what He knew I would need? Is that possible? Or, even probable?
I am reminded of Proverbs 16:9 In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.
All that wrangling, and worrying, and whining, for what? Can you believe I shed tears over a computer? Or lack thereof?
Today, God’s name on my calendar is Jehovah Jireh. The meaning of this name is The Lord Who Provides. The name is literally, The Lord Who Sees, or The Lord Who Will See To It. Funny huh?
Lord, You alone are my source, and our source, for everything. What can we say but we love You. Thank You for being so good to us, even if we don’t always see it in the moment. Amen.
Notice heart in center upper screen... smile.
God’s Work?
Aug 30th
I am reading this great book, Rework. It is one of those rare books that actually has something fresh to say rather than regurgitated mush. Small is good. Meetings are a waste. No time is no excuse. And, I like how God keeps talking about “work” through this book, and others, like Linchpin and Proverbs.
Proverbs says: all hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.
These authors remind us about the beauty of “work.” Work is not workaholism, busy for busy sake or busy for a pat on the back. More hours is not more work. Work is not watching the clock, punching a card.
Work is something very intrinsic to our nature; it is set apart. Dare I say it – Holy? When you sit around and watch TV, surf the web, or whatever you do to “zone” out, do you feel good? Proud of how you spent your time?
Or, rather, when you have attacked a problem and begun resolution, when you have quit making excuses and started writing, working out, cleaning, building, whatever you’ve been avoiding, don’t you feel PRODUCTIVE? You have created something of value. And in some small measure you feel more alive. I’m not talking about proving value; I’m talking about revealing God’s giftings.
God never does half-ass work. He always puts His whole heart into whatever He is doing. He loves what He is doing, and nothing deserves less than His best. Maybe, just maybe, that is why Colossians says: Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the
Lord, not for men. (3:23)
God has created you for good works so that the two of you, together might be revealed. So are you working, or talking about working?
Lord, teach us to count the days and make the days count. Amen.
Anger and Armor
Aug 27th
We have had a revealing summer. Kind of like getting a family report card, and we really needed a tutor. A spiritual tutor.
So Glad we have the Holy Spirit to teach us. What I want to share is how He does it on a small, day-by-day basis.
We will have a huge blow up. “Stop talking to each other like that.” “What’s the matter with you?” “You know better, now act like it.”
And then we all walk away a little sick in our hearts. Not because of the failure, which stinks, but because of the repetition. I want them to get the message, and change the behavior. Yet we keep repeating the same issue.
But do I think the same thing with myself and God? “I already told you Jana. Now stop it. You know better, now act like it.” God rarely talks like that to me.
What He does is call me to the righteousness within me. He reminds me of who I really am. He pours courage in, and washes sin out.
And He continues to teach, and teach, and teach.
Guess what Charis’s memory verse has been these past two weeks (Is God smart or what?):
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.
Ephesians 6 10-13
Holy Spirit, thank You for always teaching us truth. And teach us to pray for each other and to not fight against our loved ones, our own flesh and blood. But strengthen us to stand against the evil one. Thank you Lord. Amen.
When Old People Make Young People Cry
Aug 25th
I was re-telling some Zimbabwe stories today at the girls’ school. There are some funny ones and some sad ones. And one that really sticks out to me is when we went to the old folks home.
This place was even worse than other places we had seen. It was old people just sitting around waiting to die. No family, no provision, with literally a threadbare existence. If they had shoes, they were
busted open because they had worn out or were the wrong size to begin with. If they had clothes there were holes and tears in their shirts and pants.
We took a picture of their “pantry.” It had oil and meal to make sudza. That was it.
Then sweet Laura Jones piped up and said, “What if we wash their feet and pray for them. Can we do that??” She looked like an angel when she asked that.
My internal response was No Way. But my external response was a stammered, “Yes–Yes–we–can–”
And we did. Here we were young, polished Americans on our knees with our slick American water bottles pouring out purified water on these dry, cracked black feet.
Then came the dull murmur as we prayed in our language over a people who did not understand a word we were saying. Yet we all believed that God had no problem with our dialect and accent.
I am not sure who was changed more. Us or them. I don’t think I have ever felt more like Jesus than when we washed those old, weak, dirty feet.
I am so glad that Jesus never stammered or hesitated to wash my feet. I am so glad that He is pleased to touch me and pray for me.
Father, I pray even now that the old folks in Zim and the team here are reminded about the crazy day that You showed up in the oddest way.
“Isn’t that a strange way to save the world. . .” Amen.