I don't get it. It happens every time. I get overwhelmed with joy when I go to prison. Yes, prison. This past weekend, my husband and I served in a prison ministry in South Texas. My husband, along with a large team of men, ministered to 42 of the inmates throughout the weekend. I was a part of the outside team, which made meals for the inmates, bagged fresh cookies, and prayed regularly for them. On Sunday, everyone attended the closing ceremony in prison. This is the best part! We get to hear amazing testimonies of how these men were impacted by the weekend. That's when the tears seem to come. There's usually not a dry eye in the prison gym as these men share stories of how God rocked their world. Lives changed forever. No words to describe what we see.
Think about it. These guys live a pretty miserable life. No doubt about that. Over the course of the weekend, we receive some pretty gut wrenching prayer requests from these guys. Struggling marriages. Divorce. Families that don't visit. Loneliness. Anger. Bitterness. Fear of other inmates. Family members that pass away while in prison. Waiting for parole. Being denied parole. And think about their day to day life. They live in a very controlled environment with few privileges. Their home? 6 feet by 8 feet. Their food? Horrible. They're treated like scum by most. Remember, they're there because they're a threat to society....and treated as such.
If I could describe one attitude I saw over and over at the closing ceremony, it was joy. JOY! I know their lives aren't going to be easy in the days going forward. But, joy was evident on their faces. Undeniable joy. In our society, I think joy is often misunderstood. We usually associate joy with feeling good all the time. First of all, that's impossible for these inmates. It's impossible for us.
I love Kay Warren's definition of joy: Joy is the settled assurance that God is in control of all the details of my life, the quiet confidence that ultimately everything is going to be alright, and the determined choice to praise God in every situation. Life isn't always great. Life isn't always bad. As we look to God and walk with Him, He is able to take the worst of circumstances and use them for good in our lives. Real joy rises above circumstances. I saw that today with the inmates.
How about you? Are you letting some crummy circumstances ruin your joy? Have you lost that zip to your step because of some "something" that destroyed it? Don't let anything snatch your joy. Nothing. With inmates, they are stripped of all the toys and joys that this life has to offer. But, nothing can steal their joy. Nothing. What has stolen your joy? May God remind you today to lift your eyes from the circumstances and place them on Him. That's where joy is found.
"We're depending on God, he's everything we need. What's more, our hearts brim with joy since we've taken for our own his holy name. Love us, God, with all you've got- that' what we're depending on." Psalm 33:20-22 MSG
Nancy Abbott is the Chaplain for the YMCA of Greater San Antonio.
Monday, April 27, 2015
Monday, April 13, 2015
A Fluffy White Dog
It was just a 10 minute errand. I was only grabbing a to-go dinner. It seemed so simple. I was driving back on Huebner Road, near 1604, and all at once this cute fluffy white dog came running out of nowhere. I slammed on the brakes, knowing no one was right behind me. I missed it, only to realize it went under my car. I got out, recognizing that other cars were slowing down and stopping behind me. The fluffy white dog, terrified, wouldn't budge, but soon ran under the car next to me. The driver and I tried to lure the fully white dog out, to no avail. It finally headed down the middle of the two lanes of stopped cars playing "catch me if you can." Most drivers were patient. Other probable non-dog lovers began honking horns in frustration. We front cars in the pack finally agreed to move, realizing that others were now dealing with the fluffy white dog. So much for a 10 minute errand. I only hope the fluffy white dog is home and happy.
Roadblocks. Things that get in the way. Life's obstacles that delay your forward motion...days that don't go as planned. A work catastrophe. A relationship disaster. Finances not coming through. Fluffy white dogs on the road. Roadblocks that happen in real life can feel like a mountain. We may act on the surface that everything is good, but deep down we worry. We fret. We wonder. How will I get through this?
I don't always see my roadblocks coming. Just like the fluffy white dog, they can come out of nowhere. They can wreak havoc on an otherwise normal day or week. Sometimes, those roadblocks feel like a dead end. No way out. In those times, we must remember that what we feel is NOT always true. In those times, we must remember that God uses our roadblocks to teach us valuable lessons and develop our character. We have a choice. Will we let Him?
Consider this verse today. "More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us." (Romans 5:3-5) OK, so I can rejoice in my roadblocks, because they can produce endurance and endurance gives me character, and character builds my hope? Wow...what would keep me from wanting that? So, the key is seeing God's perspective in my roadblocks!
What is your roadblock today? What halts you from moving forward? Do you just see your perspective? Have you inquired of God? God is ready to help you figure things out. You need not fear. Seize the opportunity to grow from your roadblock. Remember, they can come at you out of nowhere. Just like the fluffy white dog.
He said to them, "Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you." Matthew 17:20
Nancy Abbott is the Chaplain for the YMCA of Greater San Antonio.
Roadblocks. Things that get in the way. Life's obstacles that delay your forward motion...days that don't go as planned. A work catastrophe. A relationship disaster. Finances not coming through. Fluffy white dogs on the road. Roadblocks that happen in real life can feel like a mountain. We may act on the surface that everything is good, but deep down we worry. We fret. We wonder. How will I get through this?
I don't always see my roadblocks coming. Just like the fluffy white dog, they can come out of nowhere. They can wreak havoc on an otherwise normal day or week. Sometimes, those roadblocks feel like a dead end. No way out. In those times, we must remember that what we feel is NOT always true. In those times, we must remember that God uses our roadblocks to teach us valuable lessons and develop our character. We have a choice. Will we let Him?
Consider this verse today. "More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us." (Romans 5:3-5) OK, so I can rejoice in my roadblocks, because they can produce endurance and endurance gives me character, and character builds my hope? Wow...what would keep me from wanting that? So, the key is seeing God's perspective in my roadblocks!
What is your roadblock today? What halts you from moving forward? Do you just see your perspective? Have you inquired of God? God is ready to help you figure things out. You need not fear. Seize the opportunity to grow from your roadblock. Remember, they can come at you out of nowhere. Just like the fluffy white dog.
He said to them, "Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you." Matthew 17:20
Nancy Abbott is the Chaplain for the YMCA of Greater San Antonio.
Monday, April 6, 2015
The Last Resort
The last resort. Defined in The American Heritage Idioms Dictionary, it means "a final expedient or recourse to achieve some end or settle a difficulty."
Nothing seems to be going right. I am continuously failing to make progress in an endeavor despite constantly trying. Anxiety takes over. What am I going to do? Eventually, I reach a point where I've exhausted all avenues and there are no other ways to solve the problem. I've come to the last resort.
Now is the time to pray.
Why did I wait so long? Why is prayer so often the last resort? Sadly, I can fall prey to trying everything else before praying. Maybe you can too. In our culture today, prayer is often seen as a sign of giving up. Admitting defeat. Being out of control. So, we pray, when we have tried and failed to solve a problem on our own.
Did you know that God cares about everything in your life? God wants to help you. You only need ask. Sometimes it feels weird praying. It feels hard to ask others to pray for me. Humbling, right? But good. What do you face today? A goal that feels out of reach? A difficult meeting? A challenging conversation? An issue too difficult to share? God longs for you to share your need with Him. He is present. He listens. He answers.
I often wonder what our organizations would be like if we, the workers, were committed to praying consistently? What would be different about our work? Our attitude? Our achievements? Our course, we would work hard, but we would come to see that prayer actually strengthens us and makes us better at what we do.
Looking back over the years, I've never faced a crisis in which, after praying earnestly, God didn't make a way for me. Sometimes, it took time. Sometimes, the answer wasn't always what I wanted. But, God always answered. He delights in answering our prayers. If only we would ask.
"The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and wonderful results." James 5:16
Nancy Abbott is the Chaplain for the YMCA of Greater San Antonio.
Nothing seems to be going right. I am continuously failing to make progress in an endeavor despite constantly trying. Anxiety takes over. What am I going to do? Eventually, I reach a point where I've exhausted all avenues and there are no other ways to solve the problem. I've come to the last resort.
Now is the time to pray.
Why did I wait so long? Why is prayer so often the last resort? Sadly, I can fall prey to trying everything else before praying. Maybe you can too. In our culture today, prayer is often seen as a sign of giving up. Admitting defeat. Being out of control. So, we pray, when we have tried and failed to solve a problem on our own.
Did you know that God cares about everything in your life? God wants to help you. You only need ask. Sometimes it feels weird praying. It feels hard to ask others to pray for me. Humbling, right? But good. What do you face today? A goal that feels out of reach? A difficult meeting? A challenging conversation? An issue too difficult to share? God longs for you to share your need with Him. He is present. He listens. He answers.
I often wonder what our organizations would be like if we, the workers, were committed to praying consistently? What would be different about our work? Our attitude? Our achievements? Our course, we would work hard, but we would come to see that prayer actually strengthens us and makes us better at what we do.
Looking back over the years, I've never faced a crisis in which, after praying earnestly, God didn't make a way for me. Sometimes, it took time. Sometimes, the answer wasn't always what I wanted. But, God always answered. He delights in answering our prayers. If only we would ask.
"The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and wonderful results." James 5:16
Nancy Abbott is the Chaplain for the YMCA of Greater San Antonio.
New Beginnings
I can't get enough of Spring. The weather is so delightful. The budding trees are gorgeous. The green grass is ready for another mow. The Bluebonnets are more spectacular by the day. Yes, Spring is a brilliant time of year. I even like signs of spring inside the house! Easter decorations. Spring cleaning. A trip to Goodwill to get rid of the old stuff. All signs in the Abbott household that Spring is finally here.
New beginnings. That's what I love! Spring reminds me of new beginnings in so many ways. New green grass. New buds on the trees. New bluebonnets. New life. A new start.
How many of you wish you had an "undo" button for life? That with one keystroke you could revise, change and correct every mistake you ever made? Every harsh word you ever spoke. Every error you made in a relationship. Every behavior you would now do differently. Life has a way of biting us on the heel. Divorce. Sickness. Issues at home. Issues at work. Losses. And we have a hard time shaking off what went wrong. Life can be very unforgiving like that.
Until Jesus. Yes, Jesus is the one who can give us a total new start. A new beginning. Jesus came to this earth to live well and die well. His life on this earth was like no one. He lived radically, perfectly and in surrender to His Father in heaven. He then willingly went to the cross to die on our behalf and then rose victoriously from the grave. He gave us a new way to do life. Instead of having to fumble our way through life, riddled with mistakes, he made a way for us to have a brand new start. We have the option. Do we want a new way to do life?
On Easter, Jesus beat death. No one else has ever done that. No one but Jesus. We celebrate Easter because He made a way where we don't have to fix our lives on our own. We no longer have to keep trying to be good. We're just not good enough. Jesus was the way to God. Through Him we can have everlasting life. No more hitting the undo button. Jesus gives us a brand new start.
This Easter, look deeper. Enjoy your Easter egg hunt. Have a jelly bean or two or three. Savor the Honey Baked Ham at the dinner table. Love your guests well. But, look deeper. Seek out the Savior of the World who came to this earth to live and die and live again. For you. For me. It's that simple. It's that profound.
"There's a peace I've come to know. Though my heart and flesh may fail. There's an anchor for my soul. I can say "It is well." Jesus has overcome. And the grave is overwhelmed. The victory is won. He is risen from the dead. And I will rise when He calls my name. No more sorrow, no more pain. I will rise on eagles' wings. Before my God fall on my knees. And rise. I will rise." Chris Tomlin, I Will Rise.
Nancy Abbott is the Chaplain for the YMCA of Greater San Antonio.
New beginnings. That's what I love! Spring reminds me of new beginnings in so many ways. New green grass. New buds on the trees. New bluebonnets. New life. A new start.
How many of you wish you had an "undo" button for life? That with one keystroke you could revise, change and correct every mistake you ever made? Every harsh word you ever spoke. Every error you made in a relationship. Every behavior you would now do differently. Life has a way of biting us on the heel. Divorce. Sickness. Issues at home. Issues at work. Losses. And we have a hard time shaking off what went wrong. Life can be very unforgiving like that.
Until Jesus. Yes, Jesus is the one who can give us a total new start. A new beginning. Jesus came to this earth to live well and die well. His life on this earth was like no one. He lived radically, perfectly and in surrender to His Father in heaven. He then willingly went to the cross to die on our behalf and then rose victoriously from the grave. He gave us a new way to do life. Instead of having to fumble our way through life, riddled with mistakes, he made a way for us to have a brand new start. We have the option. Do we want a new way to do life?
On Easter, Jesus beat death. No one else has ever done that. No one but Jesus. We celebrate Easter because He made a way where we don't have to fix our lives on our own. We no longer have to keep trying to be good. We're just not good enough. Jesus was the way to God. Through Him we can have everlasting life. No more hitting the undo button. Jesus gives us a brand new start.
This Easter, look deeper. Enjoy your Easter egg hunt. Have a jelly bean or two or three. Savor the Honey Baked Ham at the dinner table. Love your guests well. But, look deeper. Seek out the Savior of the World who came to this earth to live and die and live again. For you. For me. It's that simple. It's that profound.
"There's a peace I've come to know. Though my heart and flesh may fail. There's an anchor for my soul. I can say "It is well." Jesus has overcome. And the grave is overwhelmed. The victory is won. He is risen from the dead. And I will rise when He calls my name. No more sorrow, no more pain. I will rise on eagles' wings. Before my God fall on my knees. And rise. I will rise." Chris Tomlin, I Will Rise.
Nancy Abbott is the Chaplain for the YMCA of Greater San Antonio.
YESTERDAY!
Company has gone home. Picked over jelly beans are still in the Easter basket. Zoe, the puppy, is scouring the yard for remaining eggs. China needs to be put away. Final Four became the Final Two. Spurs won a huge Easter game. Now, just HOW was this weekend considered restful? Well, maybe not. Probably more exhausting than restful. The routine of the week has begun once again. Busy work days ahead. A to-do list a mile long. Preparing meals. Taking out trash. Yard work. Meetings galore. Errands and more errands. Yep, a new week has begun.
But, what about YESTERDAY? In less than 24 hours, I can somehow forget the glory of one day, Easter. It was just YESTERDAY I celebrated the resurrection of the Lord from the grave. It was just YESTERDAY that I sang the tremendous hymns and choruses of the faith. It was just YESTERDAY that I heard the story of the resurrection. Jesus came to this earth. Jesus was crucified and buried. Jesus rose from the dead. Jesus ascended to heaven. Just YESTERDAY, I was stunned with awe, worship and gratitude for the greatness of God's sacrifice and love for us. Just YESTERDAY, I imagined what it would have been like to be at the tomb and see Jesus alive! Just YESTERDAY, I was driven to tears for God's love for me. To fathom that He would send His Son to the earth and allow Him to die on a cross. For my sins and yours. Wow. Sometimes, I forget. Really forget.
I march right into a new work week and get so caught up in the stuff of the day. I forget. I forget what happened YESTERDAY. When asked about my Easter, I can sum it up with in a few measly words- "It was good..." That's it. It was good. And on to another week.
I can't imagine what the disciples did on Monday after Easter. Their lives would NEVER be the same after what they experienced. Would they have a new dose of courage? Might they be more determined to be faithful? Would they be more energized to minister to others? Would they want to tell others what they heard and saw? YES!
Don't make this another Monday. Start this day determined to allow this past Easter to give you a renewed hope, a vigorous faith and a determination to live victoriously. How could we ever get caught in a rut again? Jesus came to give us new hope. A new life. A new way to live. We don't have to keep making the same ole' mistakes and living the same ole' way. Today is the day after Easter and NOTHING should be the same again!
"God is Able. He will never fail. He is almighty God. Greater than all we seek. Greater than all we ask. He has done great things. Lifted up, He defeated the grave. Raised to life, our God is able. In His name, we overcome. For the Lord, our God is able..." (Hillsong United, God is Able)
Nancy Abbott is the Chaplain for the YMCA of Greater San Antonio.
But, what about YESTERDAY? In less than 24 hours, I can somehow forget the glory of one day, Easter. It was just YESTERDAY I celebrated the resurrection of the Lord from the grave. It was just YESTERDAY that I sang the tremendous hymns and choruses of the faith. It was just YESTERDAY that I heard the story of the resurrection. Jesus came to this earth. Jesus was crucified and buried. Jesus rose from the dead. Jesus ascended to heaven. Just YESTERDAY, I was stunned with awe, worship and gratitude for the greatness of God's sacrifice and love for us. Just YESTERDAY, I imagined what it would have been like to be at the tomb and see Jesus alive! Just YESTERDAY, I was driven to tears for God's love for me. To fathom that He would send His Son to the earth and allow Him to die on a cross. For my sins and yours. Wow. Sometimes, I forget. Really forget.
I march right into a new work week and get so caught up in the stuff of the day. I forget. I forget what happened YESTERDAY. When asked about my Easter, I can sum it up with in a few measly words- "It was good..." That's it. It was good. And on to another week.
I can't imagine what the disciples did on Monday after Easter. Their lives would NEVER be the same after what they experienced. Would they have a new dose of courage? Might they be more determined to be faithful? Would they be more energized to minister to others? Would they want to tell others what they heard and saw? YES!
Don't make this another Monday. Start this day determined to allow this past Easter to give you a renewed hope, a vigorous faith and a determination to live victoriously. How could we ever get caught in a rut again? Jesus came to give us new hope. A new life. A new way to live. We don't have to keep making the same ole' mistakes and living the same ole' way. Today is the day after Easter and NOTHING should be the same again!
"God is Able. He will never fail. He is almighty God. Greater than all we seek. Greater than all we ask. He has done great things. Lifted up, He defeated the grave. Raised to life, our God is able. In His name, we overcome. For the Lord, our God is able..." (Hillsong United, God is Able)
Nancy Abbott is the Chaplain for the YMCA of Greater San Antonio.
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