Jesus Sighed

By Tawna Wilkinson

                                                                                                 

                                                                         JESUS SIGHED

 “And He took him aside from the multitude, put His finger in his ears, and He spat and touched his tongue. Then looking up to heaven, He sighed and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.” (Mark 7:33, 34 NKJV)

Prior to this verse, Jesus had gone to the region of Tyre and Sidon. Having arrived there, He goes into a private home wanting “no one to know.” But, it says, “He could not be hidden.” For a Gentile woman, having a demon-possessed daughter, found out where He was and persistently begged Him to heal her; cutting short His privacy. (Mark 7:24, 25 NKJV)

Now He’s traveled back through the region of Decapolis, where previously His fame exploded where in the midst of seeking solitude and rest, the multitude pursued Him and He wound up spending the entire day healing and feeding 5000 plus people.

Now, while looking for space again, He has yet another multitude hot on His heels begging for healing. He heals. But in the midst of it, when they bring a deaf/mute to Him, He curiously “took him aside.”

Why? 

According to Matthew’s account this wasn’t the only person with a similar issue. What was different? Why the unusual treatment?

And why does Mark’s record add that after Jesus spits and puts His fingers in the man’s ears, He looks up to heaven, and sighs?

The word sigh in this passage means: to make, or be in straits; to murmur; to pray inaudibly, with the connotation of grieving or groaning. It’s the same word used when it speaks of the Spirit’s groanings in Romans 8:26:

“Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.”

Here’s what I think.

Jesus is tapped.

He’s dog-tired and doesn’t know how to pray for this one, even though He’s been healing many to this point. Once again, rest and the need for quiet have eluded Him.

He’s had to deal with power going out of Him during ministry; and He’s weak and speechless. And in that place, Jesus looked up to heaven, and breathed a groaning prayer: He sighed, and the man was healed.

What an encouragement!

Although I haven’t been in the place of administering healing to thousands, I have given of myself, been past tired, and in need of solitude, just to have it interrupted, time and again.

And my Jesus, being 100% human when He walked this earth doing all He did, says to me in this passage, “I completely understand weakness and the need for solitude. Keep following Me. And when you are worn out, and have no words, look to heaven, breathe a sigh, and watch what I will do.” 

My Psalm 23 Prayer

By Tawna Wilkinson

                                   

Ten years ago, during a very dark night in my life, Psalm 23 came to me in a breathtaking shaft of light. The truth is that “common” scripture I memorized as a child, and heard over and over, literally saved my life in those moments of terror. It gifted me with a strange peace I was extremely thankful for.

A few weeks back, a circumstance presented itself – just one more, in a long line of challenges since the death of my dad 15 months past. I had a bout with appendicitis. Although the intensity of the experience was not nearly as dramatic as my “dark night”, or the death of my dad…. it was tough.

And on one particular night while still in the hospital, I hit a point of deep discouragement. And the Lord brought me back to Psalm 23 in an intriguing form of encouragement. He invited me to say it to Him, in my own words, as a prayer of thanksgiving; as if my life was already complete.

This is what I prayed:

“You Lord, were always my Shepherd. Throughout my life You caused me to lie down, repeatedly in soft, green pastures. You led me beside peaceful, still waters. And You lovingly and gently stored, and re-stored my soul.

Papa, all of my life You led me in Your sweet paths of  righteousness, for the sake of Your holy and beautiful name.

Even though I have walked through the valley of the shadow of death, I have feared absolutely nothing, because You are still with me.

Your rod and Your staff, although hard, comforted me many times. As I knew that those whom You love You discipline.

More than once You laid out a feasting table for me to sit at in the very presence of the enemy of my soul. 

Over and over, You abundantly anointed my head with oil; my cup overflowed.

Surely goodness and mercy did more than follow me all the days of my earthly life. I not only lived on this earth in Your presence. But am now living in it with You, forever.”

The comfort I was absorbed in as I chose each word was profound. To thankfully pray my version of Psalm 23 to Him as if I had actually entered eternity gifted me with another breathtaking shaft of light. He shed peace on my past, recent past and future. And He filled me once again, with a quiet calm regarding my present situation.

Beautiful Chaos

      By Kim Beach  

My mind spins in a hundred directions. Nothing new for me. Nothing new for most moms! The extraordinary gift of the female brain is its ability to intake and process numerous pieces of information simultaneously.

It's also a beautiful curse.

Today has added noise - the appliance repair man banging on my disobedient stove; the exterminator spraying for invading spiders; my husband texting his need for clean laundry; my kids formulating a grocery list; and phone calls from doctors and other "important" people wanting a slice of my time.  

To organize these external factors, my mind begins problem solving — how to cook for 8 people without a stove? When can I slip in a load of laundry? How many times have I been to the store in the past three days and forgotten milk? Should I fly to Denver or drive? Did I defrost meat for dinner? Wait, I’m not home for dinner. My in-laws are coming. Will they need dinner?
  
The noise of life quickly becomes waves of distracting static building and washing over me until all peace becomes paralyzing anxiety. What am I going to do with this chaos?

Stop.  Remember.  Worship.

I must get still - discipline myself to quiet my mind. I must remember who God is in my life - My Creator, my Savior, my Healer, my King. I must make my daily activities of being mom - cooking, organizing, problem solving - an act of Worship to Him.  

“Be still my soul and know that He is God,” 

(Psalms 46:10)

Through worship an attitude of gratitude replaces the anxiety, a quiet comes to my spirit and I know the truth that He is God - especially in the chaos. 

Listening

By Megan Danquah

Listening.

We are taught from an early age that listening is important, and it is! Listening to our parents, listening to our siblings, listening to our teachers.  Listening to our pastors, bosses, coworkers, friends. Listening to God. I have a question for us, ladies. When was the last time that we were encouraged to listen to ourselves? When, woman of God, was the last time you were encouraged to stop, focus on yourself, get quiet, and listen to what is going on inside of you right this minute? This day? This week? This month? This season of your life? 

We have loud voices surrounding us all the time, demanding our ear. Most of them are good voices and require our care and time. We are busy women who are many times pulled in a hundred directions at once.

But have you stopped, anytime recently, to listen to that little girl inside, full of hopes and dreams for the future, untainted by the pressures and expectations of life? Have you lent an ear to that teenage girl within who is cautious yet risky, fearful and insecure yet beginning to discover the beauty that lies within herself? When was the last time you engaged that woman inside, tending to her children, husband, job, paying bills, putting food on the table, cleaning the house, doing the daily grind over and over again? Isn’t she important to listen to? Isn’t she the one that God entrusted all those beautiful responsibilities with because she is valuable and worthy and because her voice is powerful? 

I recently had a life-changing experience with listening to myself. In 2011 my oldest turned five and we decided to put her in public school, even though I wanted to try out homeschooling. I had just given birth to our third daughter over the summer and because of this I was exhausted.

After Kindergarten and 1st grade, we decided that I would give homeschooling a shot. We got through second grade and then we took a job in another state, moved here to Colorado and, without a second thought, I began homeschooling again in the fall with my (now) third grader and my middle daughter in Kindergarten. Without fail, every Sunday night, I would have a meltdown, whether internally or externally about how much I was dreading the coming week, trying to make my kids enjoy what we were doing at school even though I wasn’t enjoying it myself.

At Christmas-time, I was in the bathroom one day, having yet another meltdown, and, as the tears began coming, this time I asked myself what they were saying to me. What was happening inside of me that was causing this negative reaction to homeschooling?

I listened. Do you know what I heard?  I heard the cries of a woman who needed some space and time, who was overwhelmed and burnt out. A woman who was desperately in need of space to pursue some things that she was passionate about, things that would give her life again. And, this time, instead of allowing her voice to be drowned out, I gave her room and embraced all that she was communicating. I took her seriously.

After a few weeks of processing with my husband and some trusted friends, I made the decision to enroll my girls in public school again. It’s been a little over a month ago that we made this life change, and, girlfriends, I couldn’t be happier! The peace and vision that returned to my life is incredible. I know that I made the right decision for me! For my family! My girls are happy and thriving—growing and enjoying their time at school. Our home life has improved and I am happy again. All because I gave a listening ear to myself and my soul. I embraced me and what was happening inside, even though there were some fears attached, and it has made all the difference.

So, friend, I want to encourage you today to put the kettle on, pour yourself a hot cup of tea or coffee, and sit down for some one-on-one time with……you!  You’ll be the better for it. I promise.    

Canceling the Noise

By Kim Beach

31,000 feet

168 people

4 hours

1 airplane

Some passengers are working.  Many read and a lucky few find a way to sleep.  But rarely do people talk except to answer the stewards inquiry of drink choice or to ask their neighbor to excuse them as they exit the row for a restroom.  Even people traveling together are quiet. 

Why do 168 travelers packed inside one tiny flying can, sitting mere centimeters apart not communicate?

Noise.

There's no escaping the noise of an aircraft.  It's a constant assault on our auditory sense. When you enter, recorded announcements encourage you to hurry to your seat.  Fans are blowing in the ramp-way.  People are jostling for overhead luggage space.  Children are crying.   And in the background, the engines are at a high pitched whine as they idle.

Then the doors shut.  The announcements continue and the engines come to life.  That annoying whine becomes a constant roar. 

It just becomes too hard to keep up a conversation.  So instead of battling the noise and repeating yourself or risk miscommunication, we withdraw into our own universe.

In-flight noise seems to be a problem on many levels.  Psychologists are studying the effects of the constant noise on the mental health of pilots and stewards.  Audiologists warn us of the hazards to our hearing from the constant exposure to the engines constant  decibel  over prolonged periods of time.  NASA scientists are studying how to insulate airplane walls, windows and seats in order to reduce noise while flying.

But until new planes are built,  we travel on in silence, creating our own universe within the 18-inch space of our airplane seat. 

We do the same in our seat at church.

Women are created for Life.  We are created for Fellowship.  We are created for Relationship.  Yet, we often isolate ourselves, choosing to believe the lie of the enemy -  life is messy; Fellowship requires time and effort; Relationship makes you vulnerable to hurt, and it is just not worth the hassle.

But the benefits of Relationship outweigh the cost of being alone.

If the enemy can separate you from the body of Christ, then his lies become a distorted truth to your ears. 

Alone.  You are alone.  Alone is easier.  No one cares anyone.  Its too hard to make friends.  Alone.  Alone is safer.  No one can hurt you if you don't share your journey.  Alone.  All  you need is God.  You don't need fellowship.  Alone.  Alone.  Alone is easier.  Alone.  Alone.

In time, Alone becomes Lonely and then we begin to tell ourselves that no one cares about us, knows who we are and we are just not important.

NOISE -  the lie of the enemy!

You are an essential, amazing part of the Body of Christ.  His Church!  It is filled with fascinating women.  Amazing stories.  Witty antidotes.  There are tales of struggles and Miracles; of failure and Redemption.  The women standing next to you in the coffee line, washing their hands beside you in the bathroom and worshiping in the row in front of you are filled with Wisdom.

And you are worth knowing too!  You are needed!  Wanted!

You have a vital, important, amazing story to share.  A story someone needs to hear!  Scream against the noise of the world and declare the Truth of God -  "I am part of Christ's Church!  I need other people and they need me!"" 

As you stand in God's Word and His Truth, the roaring noise of the world will become silent in light of the Truth! 

God's Word

1 Corinthians 12:27  "Now you are the body of Christ, and one of you is part of it."

Galatians 6:2 "Carry one another's burdens and in this way you will fulfill

the law of Christ."

Titus 2 (MSG) Guilder older women into lives of reverence . . .  By

looking at then, the younger women will know how to love

their husbands and children, be virtuous and pure, keep a

good house, be good wives.