“For we are God’s handiwork…”        Ephesians 2:10a NIV

Last Saturday was our winter Seasons of the Heart – a morning of a craft, food, and friendship for women of our area. This particular Saturday we were taught how to make candles (and told some very interesting facts about candles) from a local candle-maker, and I had been asked to speak. After lots of prayer, I decided to speak about the scent of bitterness that often infiltrates our lives, penetrating every corner. Because of people’s responses, I decided to give a brief overview of the talk on my blog. I began with a story I wrote for the occasion…

Once upon a time in a town not so far away, there was a girl. This girl was just like all other little girls. She laughed at knock-knock jokes, twirled like a ballerina and sang along with her Disney Princess DVDs as heartily as if she herself were a Disney princess. She threw a football with her Daddy, baked cookies with her mom, and got into a just a bit of mischief with her little brother. Although she was far from perfect, her little life was a sweet perfume day after day.

Rarely does life stay that sweet. In elementary school she quickly discovered she was not a princess. Daily she was reminded that she was not very smart or pretty at all. Small drops of self-pity and bitterness seeped into the sweet perfume of her life.

On the first day of Middle School she earned the nickname “Thumbs” when she dropped her binder on the way to class – all of her newly-sharpened pencils, crisp lined paper, and bright pink erasers littered the freshly polished tile. Instead of helping, her peers just stood watching as she clumsily tried to gather her scattered supplies and shattered pride. Drip. Drip. Drip. Anger, deeply hidden, added drops of its stench to her life. 

Hoping for a fresh start in High school, she tried out for the school play but was told that her abilities did not fit into this dramatic production. Then, her dad lost his job and the financial strain ripped her parents apart. Her younger brother committed suicide. Anger swelled, bitterness intensified, self-pity surged. 

Of course, no one else smelled the reeking odor she carried inside. On the outside she looked and smelled good. But beneath her washed and perfumed surface she knew there churned a stinking mass.

She kept her despair and bitterness well hidden until, in her fifth year of marriage, she miscarried for the second time. Why God? Why? I don’t deserve this. The anger exploded at herself, her family, and God. Suddenly this odor, this awful stench filled her nostrils and she sobbed. She didn’t want her life to be this way, she didn’t want this reeking mass of bitterness to cling to her. She wanted to be free – to weather the storms of life as a sweet perfume, but by this time the awful odor of anger and self-pity had infiltrated every part of her being. And she sobbed.

Each of us has had plenty of experiences that hurt us. Some are as seemingly small as not making a school play or not receiving a promotion at work. Others are hugely traumatic such as sexual, physical, or emotional abuse. We all have had these experiences that push us down, causing bitterness, anger, and self-pity.

Is there hope? Most of us have had disappointment. Most of us have cause to be angry and bitter. But is that the way you want to live? Wouldn’t life be more enjoyable if we let go of our bitterness, if we acknowledge our anger and hand it to God? God gives hope. God gives peace. God gives love. I am not a trained counselor, and I am not saying that getting rid of the hidden bitterness and anger is easy. But too many of us walk around beautiful on the outside but a stinking mass on the inside.

Ephesians 2:10 says that we are God’s handiwork. You are a masterpiece created by God. You are loved. God can take away the stinking mass and replace it with beauty, with sweet-smelling fragrance. There is hope.

If there is one thing I would like you to truly ponder today, it is the thought that God loves you, and he can take the bitterness and anger that you have stored up and replace it with peace, love, and joy. Life is tough, but God can give us the strength to make it through each circumstance without becoming a bitter stench.

Dear Women of the Church,

I have just finished reading Forgotten God: Reversing our Tragic Neglect of the Holy Spirit by Francis Chan, and I have been challenged. Challenged to pray. You might respond, “Well, I do pray.” It’s true. We all do pray – we do ask for help, guidance, and we pray for each other (the women of this church are WONDERFUL at praying for each other). But do we truly believe that God will actually work in our lives? How much time do we spend praying?

Last week I had the opportunity to go on a silent retreat. It was only for one full day, but it was wonderful to be away from all the noise of life – the phone, the laundry, the meals, email, planning…I was away and praying for a full day. During that day I read parts of Life of the Beloved by Henri M. Nouwen and The Cost of Discipleship by Dietrich Bonhoeffer. This sounds like I am just spouting off a recommended reading list. That’s not my point (although these are great books to read). I tell you these things because all of them challenged me that my life should be infused with blocks of concentrated prayer.

I am also asking you to pray. Actually, I am begging for you to pray – not just a quick on-the-go prayer or an easy-chair prayer, but a fervent, concentrated time of prayer every day. What should you pray for? I am glad you asked! 

Of course, we should pray for those in need and we should use our prayer time to examine our own lives to make sure that we are living, acting, and speaking as God would want (and spend quiet time just listening to what God has to teach us). I am also asking for you to pray for our church.

At Thanksgiving my sister-in-law asked how the church was going, and my response was, “Wonderful! There is an amazing men’s initiative starting. Over ½ of the men of the church are in power cells where they are reading the Bible and having accountability with other men. There is also a Missions Conference coming up that people from the church are motivated to plan and implement.” Praise God for his working in the lives of all of these people!! However, this past week I have realized again that when Satan feels threatened, he will act. And so I am asking you to pray that our church would not succumb to petty arguments because it is in the small areas that discontent begins to breed, and God’s work is hindered as we all stop praying and start complaining.

I am asking that we all continue to pray that God would lead and guide the leadership of our church. I pray that our own actions would glorify God, and I will continue praying that God would work mightily in each of our lives and in the lives of those in our communities. I beg you to join me in prayer.

Your sister and fellow-prayer in Christ,

Tami

For anyone interested: I will be teaching a class for Davis College called “Life, Ethics, and Worldview.” It will be held at the Oneonta Community Christian School starting Monday, January 23, 2012 from 8:30 – 9:10 a.m every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. Anyone may take it for college credit or may audit it. Davis College is an accredited college, so the credit will transfer to most colleges. If you are interested in getting more information about the class or the cost of the class, you may contact me or the Oneonta Community Christian School. An extra bonus: Davis College is offering a free text book to every person who takes the class for college credit!