I am incredibly thankful that I serve on a team where we are acknowledged, encouraged, and celebrated as Assistants. Our Senior Pastor and the leadership team lead by example – intentionally valuing the unique gifting we bring to our assignments.

And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers,
then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating,
and various kinds of tongues.
1 Corinthians 12:28 (ESV)

However, human nature can sneak its way into the minds of anyone and warp how the title of Assistant is viewed. Sadly, it is not uncommon for others in similar roles to hear “less-than” language associated with our responsibilities. So how do we respond when we are tested?

Now you are the Body of Christ and individually members of it.
1 Corinthians 12:27

THE BODY WOULD SUFFER WITHOUT US – With humility, we need to embrace the fact that God himself has appointed us to this position for his purposes and in his timing. When the God of the universe places us, we can be confident that it is for the common good of the body of believers. Our assignment has holy purpose.

Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit;
and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord;
and there are varieites of activites, but it is the same God who empowers them all
in everyone.
1 Corinthians 12:4-6

WE ARE UNIQUELY GIFTED TO SEE PROBLEMS AND NAVIGATE THEM – In verse 28, the gift of administration references a helmsman for a ship; responsible to bring a ship safely into harbor. A helmsman must be an expert steersman in the midst of the storm above and the dangerous rocks below the surface of the water.  This gift moves the church forward and blesses the body.

But as it is, God arranged the members of the body, each one of them, as he chose.
1 Corinthians 12:18

WE ARE UNIQUELY WIRED AND THAT SHAPES HOW WE STEP INTO THIS ROLE – God himself has personally and intentionally placed us – by his choosing – in this role for his purposes. He plans to direct and use the influence he gave us for his glory and for the good of those he has entrusted to us. The question is not IF we are influencing, but HOW we are influencing.

In him we have obtained an inheritance,
having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things
according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory.
Ephesians 1:11-12 (NIV)

WE ARE FREE TO WISELY SERVE WITH BOTH HEART AND SOUL – Knowing that we have an inheritance and purpose from God – a vision for our lives – we can receive his supernatural guidance and plan for the future with holy imagination and wisdom. We are God-placed stewards of his resources for the accomplishment of his ministry and, ultimately, for his glory. We can confidently serve with our giftings.

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.
And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge
– that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
Ephesians 3:16-19 (NIV)

The next time you are the recipient of less-than language, or you witness it being spoken to another – regardless of the role – I hope that you remember just how loved you truly are! Our wise Father has intentionally gifted you and placed you for his glory in the role you hold. It is not an accident. It is not a less-than assignment. With every task and heart that he entrusts to you, remember that you are not only tested and approved…..

You are adored.

Honesty.

It’s a good policy! But have you ever wanted to polish the truth? You know, not change the truth but, perhaps, make it a little more appealing by adding a touch here or there to make it more palatable? True honesty can be a toughie. Of course, if it isn’t true honesty…it isn’t honest, is it?

Case in point: My hair is curly – super curly – think: out-of-control curly. And when I go to sleep for the night with wet hair, it adds an extra layer to the out-of-control element. The other morning even I was surprised by it! Looking in the mirror, I thought to myself, “Wow! I’m so glad that only my family can see me right now.” I sensed the Holy Spirit quickly chime in.

“Why are you embarrassed by your curly hair?”

“Well, it is just so. You know. WOW! It is so much better once I take my straightener to it, Lord.”

“Hmmm.”

I didn’t think much more about it until the following night. After washing my hair, it air dried quickly – in true curly fashion. And a short time later, I found myself talking with medical professionals during a late-night ER visit. Taking with them in true curly fashion. It wasn’t until the situation had settled that I realized what I must look like to these strangers! And once again, I found myself challenged by the Holy Spirit to acknowledge what I didn’t want exposed: my curly-hair truth.

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
Psalm 139:14

~Somewhere along the line, I had become embarrassed by a gift the Lord had given to me.
~I thought that adding a little touch up would make it more palatable.
~The Lord gave me opportunity to be truly honest. (And, by the way, everyone is fine!)

Is there anything wrong with straightening my hair; am I lying about it? Not at all! Is there anything wrong with my hair in all its curly wonder? Again, not at all! While this might all sound like vanity, the Lord used this experience to remind me that I can stand as a confident and fully loved daughter of the Most High regardless of what I see in myself. There is nothing I can do to make him love me more, and there is nothing I can do to make him love me less. The Lord sees me as his beloved daughter; one he created specifically for his joy. Wild curls and all!

When was the last time that you remembered you are created for the joy of your Creator? You are designed to bring him glory exactly as you are. He has given you freedom to be creative but there is nothing you can do to improve on his creation of you. Each little idiosyncrasy, each quirk, each unique quality is placed by him as a whispered reminder that…

You are adored.

This week marked ten years of service on staff at New Life Church. A. Decade. While I don’t have enough hours in the day to list all the blessings of partnering with God and his people in this place, I would be remiss to say that I recognized the opportunity as a blessing when it presented itself.

You see, ten years ago, I was just finishing up homeschooling my two kids all the way through high school graduation. It was a labor of love that (again) I honestly was unsure about when the Lord invited me into that space. Home-educating our children was something I determined I would NEVER do. Which you know is exactly what the Lord waits for in order to make the invitation! So, wanting to be within the Lord’s will for my life, I “agreed” and took a year-by-year approach to that commitment. Each summer involved me taking time to seek the Lord on his desires for the following school year. And each year he invited me to once again trust him in the process. Until they both graduated.

But ten years ago, I knew that my walk with the Lord in home education was truly coming to a close. So I was praying and dreaming about going back to school myself. I wanted to finish and seek a degree in interior design. I love to learn so going back was a dream I was finally going to get to finish. 

Or so I thought.

At the same time, our family had shifted in a way that required me to wait on school and reenter the workforce full-time. I was heartbroken. Not because I didn’t want to contribute financially, but because I sincerely thought that school was what the Lord wanted me to do in that new season. I had dreamed. I had prayed. I had made plans in my heart. And the Lord, once again, asked me to trust him for this new season.

Have I not commanded you?
Be strong and courageous.
Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged,
for the Lord your God will be with you where you go.
Joshua 1:9

At the exact same moment my husband found the job listing on the church website, the phone rang with Pastor Brian on the other end. I still remember how dumbfounded I was to literally be reading the job posting AS Pastor Brian was suggesting I look for it online. I knew I needed to apply despite my belief that I was underqualified. Two days later I was sitting in an interview with Pastor David Grothe, and the following day I received the official offer to join staff.

But I hesitated.

Yep, I hesitated. Most people would have immediately seen the Lord’s hand at work on my behalf. But I hesitated. After praying for a couple of days with Larry, I finally realized that my declining the offer would be declining to trust the Lord. Yes, once again he was inviting me into a walk of faith that he really knows what he is doing, and he is worthy of my trust. My accepting the job offer was equivalent to a little girl squeezing her eyes tight, holding her nose, and jumping into the pool.

I jumped.

And wouldn’t you know that once I jumped, I realized that the Holy Spirit had securely wrapped himself around my middle like a holy floaty. I didn’t sink! Sure I got some water into my eyes, but I just bobbed in the water safe and sound. It didn’t take long for the fear to be washed away and be replaced with joy. True, legitimate, all-encompassing joy. I began to see how my skill set was a benefit, not a hindrance. I had opportunities – SO many opportunities – to learn new things. The people I worked with each day were the same people I worshipped with each week. I was welcomed. I was encouraged. I was placed. I was needed.

So, let me ask you… Is there a place where the Lord is inviting you to trust him? Despite all the ways he is tangibly showing you that he is involved, are you hesitating? I understand. Honestly, I think all of us do. Whether it is fear of the unknown, change, or making a mistake, we all have to face it and decide if we can trust our loving Father to lead us in something uncertain.

Let me encourage you to grab your floaty and jump! Squeeze your eyes if you need to, and hold your nose if you must. But jump! Our loving Father has promised to be with us each step of the way – firm steps and missteps. He joyfully walks alongside us with encouragement in the scary and laughter in the surprises. And it is in the journey with him that we experience his faithfulness again – each step a gentle whisper that…

You are adored.

“Go outside and PLAY!”

These were the words of my frustrated dad one summer day when I was six. My best friend, Steffy, was nowhere to be found and I would much rather get lost in one of my favorite books or color pretty pictures than go outside alone. Outside was boring. Outside was lonely. Outside was bleh. But I was an obedient child and could tell that I was already on my dad’s last nerve, so out I went. To sit by myself…on the steps…and wonder what all the fuss about outside was. In my six-year-old despair, I remember asking Jesus to help me enjoy outside. If I had been banished to the place, maybe I could find some fun, right? 

Fast forward a few years and I found myself having another memorable conversation with the Lord. This time we were talking about slowing down. Me slowing down. And guess what he asked me to do? Go outside! Go outside and take a walk. Look up and stare in wonder at the cloud formations. Listen for the birds. Smell the air. Feel the sun on my face. Immerse myself in his creation … and be restored.

In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him.
The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land.
Psalm 95:4-5

What I discovered was the act of going outside caused me to naturally slow down. When I am inside, I am distracted by the ever-growing To-Do List (why does that thing never get shorter?!) and I am in constant Go Mode. Answer an email, make a phone call, pay a bill, do, do, do, go, go, go. While I am intentional to invite my Father into the work he has entrusted to me, sometimes I forget to stop and simply enjoy his presence with me in the process. When I do, the pace is different, and the load is lighter.

But sometimes I just need to go outside. When I do, he is faithful to refocus my thoughts, center my heart, and put things back into the proper priority. The Lord uses his creation to express love to this creation – me – his daughter. While six-year-old me felt banished and asked the Lord to help me enjoy what felt like a punishment, adult me has learned to see things differently and is now restored by the very same act of stepping out the door.

How do you slow down? How do you pause to hear his voice a little more clearly? Do you need to shake up the routine a little and go outside? As it turns out, it isn’t banishment at all. It is an invitation from your loving Father to come close, breathe deep, and allow him to remind you that…

You are adored.

Anniversaries. Marked moments in time. 

Joshua set up the twelve stones that had been in the middle of the Jordan
at the spot where the priests who had carried the ark of the covenant had stood.
And they are there to this day.
Joshua 4:9 (NIV)

There is something about the act of remembering that we are designed for. Remembering celebrations like birthdays and weddings. Remembering losses of loved ones. Remembering significant decisions like moving into our first apartment or accepting a sought-after job. Remembering the faithfulness of God through the good times and the difficult ones. It helps center us – center our hearts and minds – on the steadfastness of our God over long stretches of time.

Once again I’ll go over what God has done,
lay out on the table the ancient wonders;
I’ll ponder all the things you’ve accomplished,
and give a long, loving look at your acts.
Psalm 77:11-12 (MSG)

We can be tempted, specifically on difficult days, to forget. Grandma Crause used to say that she leaked; after all her years of life her mind could only hold so much, so something had to leak out for something new to take place there. Funny and true! Without intentionally pausing to remember how God has worked on our behalf, those memories can leak out and leave us feeling forgotten or afraid. And the enemy of our souls delights in our feelings of abandonment.

“They will fight against you, but they will not overcome you,
for I am with you to deliver you,” declares the Lord.
Jeremiah 1:19

Our God is with us. Always. Pausing to remember – perhaps even having a physical reminder of his faithfulness like Joshua’s twelve stones – helps us recall the truth, defeat the lies, and build faith in generations of those who follow ours. Let me encourage you to catch that leak. Take a moment in the next few days and ask the Lord to bring to memory the many ways he has been faithful to you. Write them down – the big and the small – and thank our Father for his goodness. Consider finding a tangible way to display his goodness – frame the list, place a single stone on your mantle, wear a special necklace – it doesn’t have to be big or expensive. Just something that, with one glance, will draw you into the truth of God’s whisper…

You are adored.

My mom loves music, so I grew up on some pretty amazing rock and roll. Elvis, Crosby Stills & Nash, The Beach Boys, Fleetwood Mac, Simon & Garfunkel, and basically any band from the Guardians of the Galaxy soundtrack … yep, they’re my jam! My mom also loves to dance so it was pretty common for her to be singing at the top of her lungs with the record player and suddenly grab me as her unsuspecting dance partner. But when your mom is a prize-winning twist contestant, you don’t mind!

Recently I was reminded of an evening when I received some pretty disappointing news. While it didn’t come as a complete surprise, thanks to the Holy Spirit’s earlier prompting in my heart, it still hurt to hear. A lot. That night was both tear-filled and prayer-filled. Since this was just one more addition to a growing list of recent disappointments, I was also keenly aware that I had the choice to approach this as an opportunity to lean into the Lord or lean away from him. Leaning into him would involve feeling the sadness, letting the tears flow, praying, and keeping my heart softened – vulnerable – knowing that it will get hurt again in the future simply because I live on planet Earth. Leaning away from him would involve ignoring the pain and believing the lie that hope/vulnerability/looking forward to things just wasn’t worth the risk of disappointment anymore. Leaning away from the Lord would mean embracing lie #1: it is solely up to me to protect my heart, and lie #2: I can effectively do that on my own.

Just 20 minutes later, I stumbled upon this quote:
If we refuse or fail to grieve well, we will die inside and our emotional life will forever be superficial and shallow.
Our joy will be a cheap sham, and not the full-hearted joy of those who have known the Lord’s comfort in sorrow.
~Pastor Andrew Arndt

To grieve or not to grieve. To hope and risk hurt, or to hope less and supposedly risk less. I choose grieving with the Lord’s involvement because that brings his healing touch and true freedom to love with an open heart that isn’t guarded. And it is there that he chooses to work so beautifully – bringing healing, true joy, and miracles.

The following morning as I continued to grieve and pray, I heard the Lord whisper, “Your focus is skewed.” I was reminded that his “no” is often a protection. He has good reasons for his “no” even if it hurts. So I started thanking him for his omniscience and goodness his protection and perfect plan. I thanked him for all that he had planned and the opportunity to celebrate with people I love. A grieving heart became a grateful heart.

And right in the midst of that holy moment, I heard Stephen Stills chortle, “Love the one you’re with. Love the one you’re with!” I couldn’t help but laugh out loud! Let me be clear that the lyrics of the entire song certainly do not apply here, but it was a funny reminder that while it is good and necessary to grieve loss, it is also good and necessary to celebrate the ones He has placed in front of me – right now.

Jesus was so good at this! Despite his full understanding of what lay before him, he loved the ones in front of him. 

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this:
While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 5:8

This is my commandment,
that you love one another as I have loved you.
John 15:12

Yes, he grieved but he didn’t allow it to crowd out the joy of the moment that he faced simultaneously. Although he knew the torture that waited for him, he never let that stop him from loving the people in front of him – even those he knew would be part of the betrayal that would bring the pain. He chose to dance in the rain.

The idea that grief and joy are fully exclusive of one another is a lie designed to rob our hope. As people of the Most High, we do not grieve as those without hope! So, the next time you are given a choice, let me encourage you to embrace grief with the Lord and embrace joy with the Lord. Let the rain fall while you spin among the droplets. As long as each involve the Lord, it will be OK. In fact, as long as each involve the Lord, it will be holy. And each moment – difficult and joyful – are precious whispers from our loving Father that…

You are adored.

I stepped outside of the office yesterday and was marveling at the beautiful blue sky. After days of rain the sun was shining and, as much as I appreciate the rain, the sun felt so good! However, I quickly noticed the ominous dark clouds that were hanging over Pikes Peak. They billowed higher and higher in a matter of moments and I knew that we were in for more rain that afternoon.

I sensed the Spirit say, “There is still nourishment and refreshing in the storm.”

Those of us who have lived in Colorado for much time at all have grown to appreciate the rain. We have seen wildfires devastate our land, neighborhoods, and people’s lives. We have witnessed the result of too little rain. So when it comes, we are thankful. But when the refreshing comes in buckets rather than in drops, it can feel overwhelming – even scary. 

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you.
Isaiah 43:2a

Just like heavy rain will wash away debris with a temporary river, a good dose of refreshing will wash away the gunk that can stick to our hearts. A light sprinkle won’t do that. We can trust the Lord of our hearts to bring us the level of refreshing that we need, when we need it most. He is trustworthy.

The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him,
Nahum 1:7

If you are facing an ominous storm, let me encourage you to welcome the downpour. The Lord knows the level of refreshing that you need. His desire is to wash away the debris and water the soil of your heart. Then it will produce nourishment for you and will overflow for those around you. His goodness and faithfulness are meant to be enjoyed and shared. What a joy to stand in the rain of our God, washed clean, declaring to those around us that our God is good and…

You are adored.

Speak in such a way that others love to listen to you.
Listen in such a way that others love to speak to you.
~Anonymous

This quote reminds me of the special place we have as Assistants.

Communication is a two-way street; sending information out to others has to be done in such a way that it can be received. Sadly, we’ve all experienced communication that was lacking in some way. Missing information or a harsh tone are just a couple of examples of communication styles that can hijack the speaker’s message. And when it is our turn to listen, we can’t do it half-heartedly or finish sentences for the speaker; we need to be good receivers.

To answer before listening – that is folly and shame.
Proverbs 18:13

Time is a necessary component for good communication.

When I think about some of the excellent communicators throughout history, I am reminded of their tone, posture, and cadence. They use these things to set the stage, helping us to understand the importance of the spoken word. Good communicators slow down to carefully deliver the important cargo of information. Taking time speaks value to the listener and, over time, develops a love in them to hear what you have to say.

Likewise, taking time to listen shows value to the speaker. When you have something important to share, who do you want to share it with first? Someone who is going to listen to you! Someone who is going to stop what they are doing and focus on you in that very moment. A good listener takes the time to pause, look the speaker in the eye, and receive in a way that demonstrates value. A good listener will treasure the information as well as the speaker who communicated it. And who doesn’t love to talk with people like that?!

Communication has been entrusted to us and taking the time to do it well is not only necessary for our roles, it is a tangible way to demonstrate the love of Christ. If you aren’t content with your communication style, consider starting a file of communication examples that you would like to build with. Read books. Listen to podcasts. Use them as templates and tweak them to be personal to you. This is a skill that takes practice, and we can practice it every day with our current responsibilities. So let’s help each other! If someone asks for your input on something they’ve drafted, take a moment and give your honest feedback. Partner it with some helpful suggestions and then stand back to watch how all of us grow!

Let your conversations be always full of grace, seasoned with salt,
so that you may know how to answer everyone.
Colossians 4:6

As Administrative and Executive Assistants, God has uniquely placed us to be speakers and listeners to his beloved. We have the privilege of pausing, focusing our attention on another creation of God, and sharing his love with them. What an honor to remind them…

You are adored.