Get Back Up!

This past weekend, I participated in a horse show with my horse, Daisy, in Dripping Springs. It was just three months ago that I had a nasty accident there. My long spurs got caught in my tack box as I was rolling it to the barn. The only place I could go was straight down, ending up with 2 broken elbows and a broken wrist.

It felt good to be back in the show pen! I still need help throwing a saddle on and getting off my horse, as my elbow and wrist aren’t ready for that. But, for the most part, I’m healing quite well.

I knew that the only thing I could do was take rehab seriously and aim to get back in the show pen. It was harder, for sure. I didn’t like to ask for help, but I did. The staff at the barn were more than happy to help. It’s just hard to be needy.

Even when we don’t know what to do, we never have to give up. In times of trouble, we need to cling to the fact that God is with us and will help us! When we are knocked down (literally), we can get back up again.

2 Corinthians 4:8-9 says, “We often suffer, but we are never crushed. Even when we don’t know what to do, we never give up. In times of trouble, God is with us, and when we are knocked down, we get up again.”

Examine this verse in more detail. 2 Corinthians 4:8-9 presents a vivid picture of a faith that is resilient and enduring in the face of adversity. If we know Jesus, we have a different mindset about our struggles. Our struggles are real, for sure, but they don’t define us. Instead, our struggles can become vessels of God’s power. He can use our struggles for good. We may experience setbacks and temporary defeats, but God can give us His power, care, and victory.

How do you need to get back up again? Sometimes, it’s incredibly challenging to cope with setbacks or issues that persist. Cling to the reality that our God is with us and loves us deeply. He is eager to be found by you and to fulfill the cries of your heart with Himself.

Nancy Abbott is the Chaplain of the YMCA of Greater San Antonio.

Listening Well

Are you a good listener? Check out some of the questions that might help you evaluate your listening skills:

1. Do you often find yourself interrupting others?
2. Do you tend to focus on your thoughts while someone else is speaking?
3. Do you make eye contact with the speaker and pay attention to their body language?
4. Do you seek to understand the speaker’s feelings and perspective?
5. Do you try to listen without judgment or criticism?
6. Do you form your response while the other person is speaking?
7. How often do you interrupt when you have something to say in a conversation?
8. After someone tells you a story, how often do you follow up with your own story?

We are constantly distracted in the fast-paced world we live in. Between checking our phones and other interruptions, we often fail to listen when others are speaking.

It’s easy to respond to a listening quiz without truly changing our listening habits. Listening is about loving. It’s about cultivating a heart that is open and receptive to God’s voice and the needs of others. This kind of listening reflects the character of Jesus.

James 1:19-20 says, “Know this, my beloved brothers: Let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger, for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness that God requires.”

What would it look like to be attentive and receptive to the words and perspectives of others?  How would being “slow to speak” change your communication? (thinking carefully before speaking) Are you easily provoked or quick to lash out in anger? God’s righteousness is characterized by patience, compassion, and humility. It seems that genuine righteousness comes from actively pursuing God and responding to others with grace rather than anger.

When we discipline ourselves to listen more than we talk, we can learn so much! There is wisdom gained by listening, observing, encouraging, and not rushing to judgment. It doesn't hurt to practice this!

I’m not sure how you judge yourself as a listener. For me, I know for sure that I can become a much better listener! Being quick to listen opens the door to better communication because it demonstrates love.  May God help us grow to be excellent, loving listeners!

“Listening is a gift of spiritual significance that you can learn to give to others.  When you listen, you give one a sense of importance, hope, and love that he or she may not receive any other way. Through listening, we nurture and validate the feelings one has, especially when he or she experiences difficulties in life.”  H. Norman Wright

Nancy Abbott is the Chaplain of the YMCA of Greater San Antonio.

A Life Without Lack

What comes to mind when you see the words “The Lord is my shepherd?” Many adults remember memorizing this Psalm when they were little. I’ve heard it said that if Psalm 23 were a song, it would be number one on the charts. Dallas Willard writes, “These words are a sentiment carved on tombstones more often than a reality written in our lives.”

Psalm 23:1 says, “The LORD is my shepherd; I lack nothing.” What does this mean?

It is tragic that many people go through life without coming under God’s direction and can testify, “The Lord IS my shepherd.”  What would it look like to be like David, the writer of the Psalm, and say with confidence, “The Lord IS my shepherd?”

Psalm 23 describes the life that is available to anyone who will allow God to be their Shepherd. When we know that the Lord is our Shepherd, we come to realize we’re in the care of someone else. We’re not the ones in charge. We are aware and enjoying the abundance and provisions of God even when circumstances don’t go our way. Dallas Willard writes, “A life without lack is a life in which one is completely satisfied and sustained, no matter what happens. No matter what happens! How do we gain a deeper understanding?

First and foremost, we must have an accurate view of God and who He is.
Phillip Keller writes, “Our view of Him is often too small, too cramped, too provincial, too human.” Have you considered that your view of God may be too small? If we don’t understand God’s true character, we will never gain the confidence to believe He is completely sufficient to provide all we need.

How does one lack nothing? Well, first, let’s understand that there is absolutely nothing that God lacks. When we understand this, we can grasp a little more that the Lord is our Shepherd because He has everything we need!

With God as our Shepherd, we can live without any kind of fear.  Consider that sheep do not rest much because of the anxiety of attack. But the shepherd’s presence with the sheep can help them not only live without fear but lie down in green pastures. Your Shepherd cares for you. Your Shepherd has your back. Your shepherd guides you. Your Shepherd will never let you go. Your Shepherd loves you completely.

I don’t know about you, but there are so many times when I feel insufficient and weak. I lack in so many areas of my life!  However, when I live like the Lord is my Shepherd, I get what it means to say “I lack nothing” even when there are things I lack!

Dallas Willard  writes, “The life without lack is simply a matter of having one’s mind fully and constantly fixed upon God as he is, confident that He will provide everything that we need.”  (page 48, Life Without Lack, Dallas Willard) Oh, may we experience this type of life!

Nancy Abbott is the Chaplain of the YMCA of Greater San Antonio.

Fiesta Wreath Invasion

Fiesta in San Antonio is officially over! The Fiesta wreath on our door couldn’t come down quickly enough. During Fiesta, many people place beautiful wreaths on their doors, as do we. The wreaths are bursting in color and cultural flair, usually adorned in handmade paper, plastic flowers, colorful mesh, and a PERFECT spot for a bird to build its nest.

Every morning, we’d open the door slightly and shake the Fiesta wreath, and greet the birdies. Sure enough, they would fly away immediately. Many a time, we’d leave or come home and forget the birdies. We were never quite ready for them to fly out right at us.

To top it off, over the two weeks of Fiesta, three times, a birdie got into the house and would fly from room to room. Each time, they overstayed their welcome. We found out that the Reacher grabber tool was the perfect implement for guiding the birdie out of the house.

The birdies might have thought the Fiesta wreath was a pretty and cozy place to choose for their new home. They didn’t know the temporary nature of the Fiesta wreath. They didn’t realize when it flew into the house that it was trapped from its real home, the great outdoors. They were just drawn to the beauty and glitz of our temporary Fiesta wreath.

I felt sorry for the birdies. They looked exhausted and irritated each time they had to leave their Fiesta wreath's temporary home.

Often, we can live a lot like these birdies.  We can be drawn to the beauty and glitz of the world around us, not realizing how temporary it is. Worldly ways often emphasize materialism, personal desires, and worldly success. Worldly ways are all about us looking good, being good, feeling good, and making an impression. Wordily ways, though glitzy and fun, leave us feeling empty.

When we find our home in Christ, we recognize Jesus as our source of belonging, security, and purpose. Our true home is not a physical house but a spiritual connection with the God of the universe. He’s not a temporary home but an eternal home. We can find comfort and strength with Christ as our home in difficult times, knowing He is our anchor and source of peace. We all long for safety and refuge—and we can find it only in God, our safe refuge.

As you start your day, take a moment to meditate and pray through these verses. Thank God for being your safe, secure, and eternal home.

Psalm 4:8 “In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety.”

Psalm 16:8  “I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.”

Psalm 27:5 “For in the day of trouble, he will keep me safe in the shelter of his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his tent; he will set me high upon a rock.”

Psalm 46:1 “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.”

Nancy Abbott is the Chaplain of the YMCA of Greater San Antonio.

Coach Pop

Last week, after 29 years of coaching the San Antonio Spurs, Coach Popovich retired and assumed the new role of President of Basketball Operations for the Spurs. Coach Pop had suffered a stroke in November and hadn’t coached since. In a statement, he said, “While my love and passion for the game remain, I’ve decided it’s time to step away as a head coach.”

Coach Pop is known and loved by so many people. Some years ago, I sent him a card and thanked him for how he responded to a certain situation. It wasn’t but a few weeks later that I received a nice card with his gratitude and thoughts on the situation. Coach Pop took the time to write me? Wow.

What I love the most about Pop is how much he poured into other people. So many NBA players had comments about Pop and the influence he had on their lives.

Dejounte Murray, a former Spur, said, “I love you, Pop, and I thank God for allowing basketball to bring us together. The best part, besides you being the greatest coach ever, is the way you care for everyone genuinely off the court. In my darkest days, you were always a shoulder to lean on and cry on, and I will never forget that. Shoutout to Coach Pop 4Life!"

DeMar DeRozan, a former Spur, said “My pops had passed when I was playing in San Antonio. We were stuck in Charlotte and I called the GM like “yo, bro, I’m about to fly home tonight, I’m about to try to get a plane outta here, I gotta get home. My pops just passed. I didn’t want anybody to know. I didn’t want it to be all in the media. Literally 90 seconds later, I hear a knock on the door. It’s Pop. Pop sat in a room with me and cried with me for about two hours. He was like, ‘I’m not leaving until you leave.’ And that just showed the person he was.”

I couldn’t help but notice Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili on each side of Coach Pop as he came to the podium at the press conference. It was obvious that Coach Pop had a huge impact on their lives. Coach Pop spoke about them, “Timmy and Manu, who have been here for all of my workouts at The Rock. They say it’s because they love me and want to be there in case I fall- I call it payback, cause they give the rehab people new ideas of things to do to me. You’re not fooling anybody, especially you, Timmy.”

So much love in this Spurs family! Such a hard time, but a beautiful time as Coach Pop retires from coaching. I shed some tears for sure. One takeaway for me? Pouring into other people has lasting effects. So many people’s lives are changed forever because of Coach Pop’s influence and love. He took the time to love, listen, and care.

Philippians 2:4 says, “Let each of you look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others." Each day, we have the opportunity to love, listen, and care for people. What if we saw the lasting impact that could have on others?

“You do not need to be extraordinary. You need to be ordinary, inhabited by the extraordinary life of God. A word, a meal, or a cup of cold water has the capacity to bring the life of God to this world and delight His heart.” Diane Langberg, PhD

Nancy Abbott is the Chaplain of the YMCA of Greater San Antonio.

Burden Bearing

We can become so overwhelmed by so many people’s problems. Why? Because people have problems. It doesn’t take too many conversations to see the enormous pain many people carry. At one time or another, we all will.

We all probably know someone with cancer or other physical issues. The physical burdens that many carry are more than we can imagine! Other people are going through hardship with their kids. Still others have emotional and mental health issues that are so overwhelming. Some just want to meet the right person and have a lasting relationship.

How do we help carry others’ burdens? How do we truly love people without feeling like the burden is on us? Galations 6:2 says, “Carry one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”  If God calls us to do this, how?

We can take on responsibility for people or situations that God has not given us to carry. We can feel obligated to do certain things because we feel we ‘should’ instead of what God is calling us to. What would it look like to carry others’ burdens well, without being overburdened ourselves?

Matthew 11:28-30, Jesus gives an invitation to each of us, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Jesus offers us His yoke when we're weary and weighed down, either by our burdens or others. Perhaps we’re carrying a weight God doesn’t want us to carry.

Just think…wouldn’t it be wonderful to walk through the day and lovingly carry people’s burdens with Jesus’ help? When I try to take on the burdens of one person after another, I can tune out, block out, or simply ignore those who are struggling. I can miss out on the blessing that God is giving me to lovingly care for them.

When I get that Jesus wants me to “yoke” with Him, my attitude changes. I have a sigh of relief. I’m not alone. I can care for others with Jesus’ help! In Matthew 11:28-30, a yoke was a farming tool, made of wood to connect the necks of two oxen. The Greek word is chrestos, meaning “well-fitted.” A poorly fitted wooden yoke around your neck would be a massive challenge. It would be a burden, heavy and hard to bear. A well-fitted yoke, however, would be a joy as you walked deeply connected to Jesus. Jesus would carry those burdens with you and guide you.

As we’re yoked with Jesus and experience His presence, we can practice the ministry of presence with others. Sometimes, the best thing we can do for others is just to be with them. We can listen. We can care for someone’s physical needs.  We can pray with them and pray for them.

As we yoke ourselves with Christ, we won’t grow weary in bearing the burdens of others.

Nancy Abbott is the Chaplain of the YMCA of Greater San Antonio.

God Cares

Sometimes we need to celebrate the small wins in our lives! It was just over a month ago that I broke both elbows and a wrist in a freak accident. The long process of healing from an injury can be long and lonely. Few people know and understand the challenges until they've gone through something difficult. Recently, I celebrated with Ben some small achievements.

Just two weeks ago, I was able to lift a fork in my left hand to my mouth and eat with my left hand. Since the accident, I picked up food with my fork in my left hand, did a quick transfer to the right hand, and then ate with my right hand. (I couldn’t get my left hand to my mouth.) Big win! Also, just a few days ago, I was able to get a scrunchie in my hair to make a ponytail. I was so happy! 

Sometimes, I don’t think we think God cares about the details of our lives. Often, people are not that curious about the details of our lives, so why would God be? I’m so thankful that God is always present and ready to celebrate, come alongside, encourage, support, cry with, and care for us….no matter what we’re going through.

Check out Luke 12:7, which says, “Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not: you are of more value than many sparrows.”  

Psalm 139:1-4 says, “You have searched me, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you understand my thoughts from afar. You scrutinize my path and all my ways. You know everything before a word escapes my lips.”

Psalm 37:23-25 says, “The LORD directs the steps of the godly; he delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fail, for the LROD holds them by the hand.”

I’m so thankful that God doesn’t just care about the “big deals” in our lives, but everyday moments, every detail, every care, every concern, every fear, every painful moment. He loves each of us so much! He is our Heavenly Father, and his love knows no bounds. He is in control of all things, even the tiny, insignificant details of our lives. He cares about my small victories! He cares about yours.

We have a God who knows what we need even before we ask Him. God knew (and even cared) that I wanted to put my hair back in a scrunchie and couldn’t. It’s such a small thing, but He cares!

God invites you to share the details of your life with Him. Others may not know what you're going through, but God does. No issue, worry, or concern is too small to involve Him.

Nancy Abbott is the Chaplain of the YMCA of Greater San Antonio.