August Peace of Mind

Now that it’s August 1, we can officially let out a sigh of relief that we only have approximately 65 or so days until it cools down. I’m so relieved to know that we’re almost there. At least pre-season football starts Thursday, so that gives me an extra sigh of relief. (Go Cowboys!) Fall is JUST around the corner. 

My mind can play tricks on me this time of year. I’m so ready for cooler temps and a good ole’ fashion rainstorm! Just the thought of cuddling up with a book while the rain is pounding on the roof sounds so refreshing. But I’m going to have to wait a bit longer for that yummy fall weather.

How about an August peace of mind? How about making a choice today to enjoy God’s peace, no matter what the circumstances? You see, true peace doesn’t come from the absence of trouble, but from the active and tangible presence of a loving God. You and I can live in the peace of God even when life isn't always to our liking.

I’ve been meditating on a verse found in Isaiah 26:3 this week: “You will keep in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.” (ESV) Did you see that? Perfect peace. It’s when we are supported by God’s unchanging love, constant presence, and mighty power, we are not shaken by the things that typically shake us. You see, peace doesn’t have anything to do with our circumstances. God’s peace can carry us through anything.

Interesting how in Hebrew, the term ‘perfect peace’ is actually shalom shalom. The repetition in Hebrew communicates the intensity of the word. It’s not just shalom; it is shalom shalom, perfect peace. (Enduringword.com) When we keep our minds settled on the LORD himself, we can be kept in perfect peace.

Where do you set your mind? Is it in the crummy hot weather or all the challenging circumstances? Or living each day with gratitude, joy, and peace? How we think and what we think about matters. Where we set our minds is essential in our relationship with God. “The Hebrew word sawmak (stayed) comes from the root ‘to prop’ and has the idea of ‘to lean upon or take hold of.’” (Enduringword.com) I’m curious, what sustains your mind? What upholds your mind? What does your mind lean on? Are you fixed on the worries of the day? What people think? If this or that will happen? When these things occupy our minds, we struggle for perfect peace. To have this perfect peace, your mind can’t occasionally lean into God when it feels like it, it needs to be stayed on Him.

Maybe it’s time for an August reset? I want an August peace of mind. May God help you and I walk in His peace, day by day.

Take a listen and may it be a prayer for your perfect peace: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRNCWlD4E6c

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

Unplanned Pause

This week, I went under the knife at the dermatology office. The surgery was to take care of some skin cancer on my nose, which had been beaten up by the sun in my younger years. I wasn’t ready for the long-drawn-out healing required for this surgery. I was thinking a few days and I’d be back in the saddle. My real saddle. Not. So. Quickly.

Even though most of us relish rest when it comes to being told “Be still” we don’t quite like it. I was shut down from all my favorite activities: riding my horse, swimming, hiking, cycling, etc. After 24 hours, I was nearly going crazy. Yep, that’s me.

Yet, God had different plans. As Paul Tautges in the book Knowing God’s Peace writes “Rest is the polar opposite of anxiety. Our anxious hearts long for rest but can’t seem to find it. And the rest that we need is even deeper than the rest that we typically seek.” Maybe God is using this downtime to remind me once again to come and be present with Him. A deeper rest than just sitting around.

As much as I love spending time with God, I can get antsy. I’m a squirmer and want to get busy. Sitting in his presence requires me to focus on God. I get consumed by the voices that call out to my attention. Read me. Pay attention to me. Shop here. Shop there. Get the sale. Hike here. Hike there. Do this. Do that.

I remember a quote from Henri J. M. Nouwen who wrote about voices: “Many voices ask for our attention. There is a voice that says, ‘Prove that you are a good person.’ Another voice says, ‘You’d better be ashamed of yourself.’ There also is a voice that says, ‘Nobody really cares about you,’ and one that says, ‘Be sure to become successful, popular, and powerful.’ But underneath all these often very noisy voices is a still, small voice that says, ‘You are my Beloved, my favor rests on you.’ That’s the voice we need most of all to hear. To hear that voice, however, requires special effort; it requires solitude, silence, and a strong determination to listen. That’s what prayer is. It is listening to the voice that calls us ‘my Beloved.’”

To be honest, I just want to move on with my life and get done with this unplanned pause. It’s hard to stay focused and listen to that voice that calls me ‘my Beloved.’ But, when I look long and hard at this quote, I admit I do want to hear that still small voice. I long to know God in a deeper way and I recognize that requires solitude, silence, and enjoying Him in the unplanned pauses of life.

Instead of being crabby about our unplanned pauses, maybe it’s an opportunity to spend time with God. Did you know that God’s priority is always to be with You, at the very center of your life? Why not make God your priority as well?

Take a listen to this song that speaks of just being in God’s presence: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhoEktYO5w8

“The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.” Zephaniah 3:17


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

Heating Up!

Ben and I are all for a good adventure. We had a fantastic vacation in Durango these past few weeks and enjoyed some great hikes in the mountains. Unfortunately, things heated up on the way home. Just outside Albuquerque, New Mexico, the air conditioner in our truck decided to take a break. The problem was this air conditioner’s break lasted the rest of the trip. It was totally broken.

In a land where there are no water streams and desert-like conditions, even the cacti struggle to survive. And there we were, right in the middle of all it. We opened each window and off we went toward Lubbock, where we would stay. Ben rigged up our small cooling humidifier that produced a bit of a breeze for our doggie in the back seat. We called the emergency vet to make sure we were doing all we could to take care of her. The miles seemed to tick by slowly as the sweat mounted.

Seems like many of us took vacations years ago with not a bit of air conditioning, right? How did we do it? Well, I wasn't in Texas! There certainly wasn’t much talking in the truck as we couldn’t hear each other! So I decided to turn on our Saturday church service and see if I could hear it. 

About the only thing I heard in the service was Pastor Ed Newton talking about the Famous Double-Double at In-and-Out Burger and the Bible verse printed on the wrapper. He was speaking in the book of Nahum and the verse on the wrapper was in Nahum 1:7 “The LORD is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him.”  Pastor Ed gave a target statement that really hit me: “How you think God views you, will define the way you view yourself and the situations that you face.”

How did I view God in times like these? This situation was a minor irritation, but still, not what we planned for. Did I really trust that God would take care of us throughout this trip? Even though I struggled with stress, I knew that God would ultimately care for us.

We often struggle in our challenging circumstances because we don’t believe who God says He is. We don’t read the Bible and seek to know Him. As a result, when we’re up against our own personal struggle, we find ourselves relying on ourselves, not God. We find ourselves questioning God, not trusting Him.

Psalm 34:8 says, “Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in Him.” I have a feeling that many fail to taste and see that the LORD really IS good. By the time you get on in life, there are a ton of things most of us have gone through, some great things and some not so great. Here’s the honest-to-goodness truth…. No matter what bad thing happens, God is still good. God is still God. And He will see you through.

One last thing…. I did catch one of the worship songs on that Saturday night service with our windows-open-hot-truck drive to Lubbock. It was this song. It helped me shed a few tears and give me a different perspective: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XtwIT8JjddM

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

Patience NOW!

We all need a bit of patience, and of course, we need it RIGHT NOW. I’ve been musing a bit on the importance of patience these days.

Patience to handle the heat, day after day.
Patience as we serve people, no matter how they act.
Patience while on vacation and all that entails.
Patience with a problem at work.
Patience with a challenging family member.

I get it, no one is perfect. But, bottom line, we need to be able to grow in patience to handle the challenging times we live in.

While on vacation, I’ve been thinking a lot about patience. I tend to like to go a bit above the speed limit and find myself irritated when I’m behind a slow driver. My impatience bubbles to the surface and out goes the patience. Yet, when I look at myself closely, it’s pride that’s at the heart of my impatience.

1 Timothy 1:16 says “But God had mercy on me so that Christ Jesus could use me as a prime example of his great patience with even the worse sinners.” I must remember that God has had great patience with me my entire life. Would it not be important for me to show patience, even to those who genuinely try my patience?

Ecclesiastes 7:8 says “Finishing is better than starting. Patience is better than pride.” Solomon in this verse compares patience and hasty anger. The Bible Tools Commentary writes: “He describes anger ready to burst out at even slight irritations because a person’s pride convinces him that even slight irritations simply should not happen to such a wonderful person as he is. He explodes because of his impatience.” (www.bibletools.org,  Ecclesiastes 7:8-10) I’m convinced that pride and impatience go hand in hand. May it be that when pride seeps into our lives, God’s answer to that for us is humble patience.

What would it look like to develop patience in your life this summer? Think about the rest of your summer. What will you encounter? A vacation? Stressful work situation? A transition? A family reunion? Horrible traffic? Long lines in restaurants?

Every day you can practice patience. It may not be something you get RIGHT NOW. God is the One who can help us develop patience. It’s because of Jesus Christ in our life, that we can be filled with grace and His presence to show patience.

Ask God for patience! Make it a part of your daily prayer to Him. He will answer!

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

Stinky, the Skunk

Chara is a very stinky girl. Oh, Chara is my dog. We had our first skunk encounter ever this week. We were out walking super early and Stinker just came out of nowhere and sprayed us up close and personal. I no longer stink but Chara leaves an aroma wherever she goes.

Upon this wonderful occasion, my friend sent me some good skunk jokes: (I know…they’re goofy!)

Am I making any scents?

Social distancing protection animal.

Why do skunks argue a lot? Because they like to raise a stink.

What did the judge say when a skunk walked in to testify? Odor in the court!

Why don’t skunks have to pay taxes? Because they only have one scent.

I’ve always really appreciated my great sense of smell, until now. In smelling, the thing that we smell becomes almost a part of us. I literally told my friend “Wherever I walked this morning, my smell stayed there.”

Whether it’s a sweet-smelling Balsam and Cedar candle at Christmas or the aroma in the house after I bake a loaf of bread, I’m a big proponent of yummy scents. But I now know the lingering scent of Stinker, the Skunk, and it’s not pretty.

Scripture talks about aromas as well. This verse in Ephesians comes to mind:

“Therefore, be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering, and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.” Ephesians 5:2

This verse gets to the point! We are not to compare ourselves with others and try to come out on top. We are to imitate God alone, as His dear children... This is a call to each of us for action. We are to tend to our inner life with God and literally look like Him!

As we walk in love, as Christ also has loved us, we see Jesus as our example. We begin to realize we can’t love like this without Jesus. He is our example. As He has loved us, so we can love others! We are to display his same humble, kind, and self-giving love. When we invite Jesus to help us, we are a sweet-smelling aroma and give ourselves in love to others. Do you know the difference you can make by loving like Jesus?

May God help you be that sweet-smelling aroma of His love wherever you go.

Take a listen to the words of the song “Only Jesus” by Casting Crowns. I love the line “I’ve only got one life to live. I’ll let every second point to Him. Only Jesus”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_eQd3K2Fxp4

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

God is Near

God is near. In the midst of so many things going on around us, God is near. Do you feel His presence?

God is near as we grieve.
God is near as we seek guidance.
God is near when we’re lonely.
God is near every single moment.

Why does God feel distant to some? I think we can feel far from God if we intentionally ignore Him or live independently from Him. We can feel distant because we’re mad at God for something in life that happened. We can question God and literally say “Why did you allow this to happen, God?” The result? We step away from the One who knows and loves us the most. God has not left. We, humans, distance ourselves from God.

God is near in your grief. We grieve so much these days. We grieve for Uvalde and those that lost loved ones. We grieve for Ukraine. We grieve for the loss of treasured friends, family, and co-workers that left us way too soon. We grieve for other losses, those things that are too deep and personal for words. You know what you grieve today. God knows too. He is near. “You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book.” Psalm 56:8

God is near as you seek guidance about anything. God will guide you when you don’t see the way. I’ve seen it over and over in my life! I know He is able! Amid all the things that feel a bit blurry, would you trust the One who has His best interests in mind for you? “And I will lead the blind in a way that they do not know, in paths that they have not known I will guide them. I will turn the darkness before them into light, the rough places into level ground. These are the things I do, and I do not forsake them.” Isaiah 42:16

God is near when we’re lonely.  I honestly think it was my depths of loneliness that drove me to need God as much as I did. If He was who He said He was, I needed that kind of love. The love that would never let me down! The love that was always with me! The love that would never betray me. That is our Father’s love. His love is perfect and totally available to you. “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; If I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, If I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.” (Psalm 139:7-10)

God is near every single moment. If I could pray one prayer for each of you it would be this: Dear God, please help ________ (your name) be aware of your presence today. Dear one, as much as you may not believe this, I want to tell you, it’s true. You may feel far from God today. But, today, you can begin to practice the presence of God. Practicing God’s presence is found in acknowledging His presence in every aspect of life. As we become more aware of Him and abide with Him, in everything we do, we’re literally locking arms with Him and partnering with Him in life.

Take a listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTHS4W1bPj8

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

Picnic Table Chats

I will never forget my time at the picnic table in Uvalde, Texas. Chara, our dog, and I hung out with a little girl I’ll call Carla. Carla wanted to show me her stress ball and helped teach me how to make “funny sounds” with the stress ball. Before long, we were both laughing as we made “funny sounds” together. Then, she showed me a heart that she had drawn in her counseling session. She shared with me her various emotions by the color she had colored: red for anger, sad for blue, and so on.

Carla was not at Robb Elementary on the day of the shooting. Her grandpa had come for the awards ceremony and pulled her out of school after that to go to Dairy Queen. Sadly, Carla lost her dear friend in the shooting.

Grief is so weird. One minute, you can be giggling like crazy “funny sounds.” The next minute, experiencing overwhelming grief. There’s no rhyme or reason to grief.

How does one make sense of the wide degree of emotions that we can experience with grief? I think we can honestly care for one another best when we realize that each human experience can be quite diverse when it comes to grief. Emotions don’t always make perfect sense. The journey of grief can be complicated and messy. It’s a time to be very kind and gentle to yourself. As we care for others, it's a time to also be very kind and gentle to those grieving.

The Bible contains a myriad of gut-wrenching emotions. Just check out the Psalms! God sees your grief and He grieves with you. He longs to be your Comforter as you grieve. He loves you so much! I love Psalm 10:14 which speaks to how God sees our grief “But, you, God, see the trouble of the afflicted; you consider their grief and take it in hand. The victims commit themselves to you; you are the helper of the fatherless.”

God sees your pain and grief even when you want to hide it. Psalm 34:8 says, “The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” Perhaps you are brokenhearted today? Maybe crushed in spirit? God is close. He mourns as you mourn. He wants to walk with You each moment and care for your hurting soul. He will see you through.

Take a listen to this song that reminds us where we can place our hope, in life and death: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPT5QEDf9bA

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