Lasso of Truth

Cure for Stuttering

I heard this really cool program on the radio once, and they were talking about a "cure" for stuttering.  Basically they followed this guy who stuttered drastically, and noticed that when he was in church, reciting or reading along with the rest of the congregation, his speech impediment all but disappeared!  They used this information to invent an ear-piece that reverberates the speaker's own voice back at him.  As if someone is whispering in his ear and "reciting" along with him!  I have an uncle who still stutters as an adult, so I thought this was really great just from a scientific standpoint, but recently it has begun to mean something to me even beyond that. 

I'm not a stutterer, not literally.  But I am a terrible public speaker.  I get nervous; I can't find the right word; I have a point that I want to get across but I can't come up with the phrasing to make it clear, so I stammer or even just look into my audience for a sheepish--completely silent--moment.  It's embarrassing.  The girls in my Sunday School class think it's a little funny, especially when I can't think of their names when I need to call on them. I know the name, but I just can't spit it out.  (I use a lot of nicknames in class--babe, hon, girlie...etc.)

I know I'm not alone in this problem.  While many people think that Moses might have had an actual stuttering problem, I tend to think that he was probably just a nervous speaker.  And of course there is our president.  Well, we all know the same thing must happen to him when he gets behind a microphone.

Well, the other day I read this passage in Mark.  Jesus is warning the disciples that there will be trials, that they will be arrested, but that they don't need to worry about how to defend themselves, because the Holy Spirit will be speaking through them. 

I can't say that this has ever literally happened to me, but I have had a very similar experience on many occasions.  I'll be stumbling along my lesson, when suddenly the words are clear to me.  My thoughts and words line up perfectly and the words flow out of my mouth seamlessly--making the exact point that I intended!  Sometimes at that moment I think of a way to say it that never occurred to me before, but that is perfectly suited to the girls in the class.  Has this ever happened to you?  I guess my natural way of speaking is so halted that it is obvious when Spirit takes over.  It's like he's whispering in my ear, speaking with me, helping my thoughts to clear so that I can serve him more effectively. 

This brings me great encouragement.    

Rambling in the Spirit

    I have just started teaching a weekly Sunday School class--middle school girls.  Our church allocates very little time to these classes (about 35 minutes of actual teaching time), so sometimes it's hard to focus all of your teaching energies and stay on track.  I usually teach the lesson, pray for them, and then I'll throw in a couple tips for living the Christian lifestyle.  The girls are just really starting out in their life ministries to their peers, and I want to give them as much support as I can...in 5 minutes or less.
    So last week as an oh-by-the-way lesson, I asked them where they would suggest that someone new to the faith should start reading the bible.  Their answer:  "Genesis?"  Well, not exactly.  I told them that Christianity in a nutshell can be found in John and Romans.  And I reminded them that we sent out some "John and Roman" scriptures to Mexico when printing the whole New Testament was too expensive.
    It's hard to know whether kids are even listing to you sometimes, let alone whether anything is sinking in.  But last night one of the girls from the class came up to me with something to share:
    "Hey Anna, remember last week when you told us where to start reading with someone who had never opened a bible?"
    "Sure"  (I barely remembered even talking about it.)
    "Well, the other night I was over at my friend's house jumping on the trampoline, and these boys were around...being rude, and I told them, 'That's not very Christ-like," and they wanted to know what that meant, so we started explaining to them, and..."
    Okay, long story short, ('cause you know middle school girls can go on) these girls talked to these boys so long, that they pulled lawn chairs out to keep the conversation going.  They pulled their bibles out, knowing just where to start, and explained the Gospel to them.  After the boys left, the two girls prayed for them.  A little later one of the boys came back and told them that he wanted to be saved!  Are you kidding me!!!!!
    God used my imperfect, Moses-like, bumbling, babbling self to catch this girl's attention.  Because He knew it was the perfect timing, and that that boy was ripe for his Good News.  Something that I've always been sad about, and if I'm completely honest, a little embarrassed about, is that I've never had the privilege of personally leading someone to Christ.  But yesterday He proved to me that there are many ways to be a witness for Him.  That even I, with my timid-Christian spirit, am playing a role in furthering His kingdom--in the busiest season of my life.
     Thank you, Lord!

What We Need is a Few Good Men Women

    I hope this can be encouraging.  I was driving along, running my errands today, while listening to some Christian radio in the background.  I'm not sure who was teaching, but I think it was James MacDonald?  He was talking about the devil, and said that Satan cannot control you against your will.  Thank you!
    About a month ago I felt like I, along with several members of my family, was in the middle of heavy spiritual warfare.   I felt beat down, depressed, and began harboring negative and even resentful thoughts against Donnie.  This was really out of character for me, since I am usually an over-the-top optimist.  (To a fault)  And finally I was able to reach out to God, open my eyes, and see that the real issue was that I was being lied to. 
    You see, I believe that for the most part Satan is powerless against us.  He can't make us sick.  He can't thwart our plans.  He's basically impotent against God's children.  But there is one area where he reigns.  And that is the lie.  I picture him standing over our shoulders throughout the day, looking for an opportunity to cause dissension.  When he gets his chance, he begins to our out his lies into your ears, hoping for one of them to sink in:
"If he loved you he'd spend more time with you."  "Did you see how he just ignored you?"  "He cares more about those people at church than his own family."  Etc.  These are not obvious tactics.  He's sneaky and good at what he does--he's had lots of practice.  His goal is to separate us.  If there is trouble between us, it takes our focus away from God.  We cannot listen to these lies!  The only power that Satan has over us is the power we allow him to have!  Don't let him influence your life, your decisions, our your relationships.
    Okay, so what does this have to do with the radio show?  Haha!  Here it is.  There is one problem I have always had with my belief that the devil is powerless.  Job.  Job was holy and blameless, and Satan went to God, asked permission to temp him, and God said yes.  Read this for yourself it's incredible.  I think that this passage is why Christians are often so quick to give the devil credit for their hardships.  Oh, you are sick and can't teach Sunday School?  That must be Satan.  But here is what Dr. MacDonald said that blew my mind.  He said that Satan did not have any control over Job, or his situation.  Satan was a pawn!!  God used Satan and his selfish pride to bring glory upon himself.  Satan wasn't testing Job--God was.
    Doesn't that give you peace to realize that you are safe in the arms of God.  Yes, sometimes God tests us and allows hardships is our lives.  But they are for our ultimate good, and his ultimate glory.  Praise God!
    My own situation:  Before I let you go I'll tell you how I got out of the pit that I was in last month.  Whenever I felt myself beat down, or felt the resentment start to creep in, I worshiped.  Just like Job.  At first, I felt like Satan was trying harder to get at me.  But after a while, I felt the thoughts (and lies) start to taper off.  Worshiping God is the opposite response that he was hoping for from me, so I guess he backed off for a while.  That's a tactic I learned from this girl.  Thank you Lord.