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Before the Beatitudes

by Rachel Wojnarowski Posted on May 15, 2013

Welcome to Whimsical Wednesday! Bloggers, I hope you’ll grab the graphic below and join up for the first week of moving our usual link-up from Mondays to Wednesdays. I’m excited to have you and can’t wait to see all the encouraging posts you have on your blogs! For this first week, I’m not going to tell the story behind the name of the linkup, but give you the chance to guess what it’s about. So be sure to leave a comment with your guess, ok?

Familiar with the Bible passage in Luke 6 known as “The Beatitudes.” They begin in verse 20, as Jesus taught:

“Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you shall be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh…”

But today I was thinking about what happened before the Beatitudes.

In other words, the back story of The Beatitudes.

And the verses before the Beatitudes came alive as I attempted to picture the crowd sitting around Jesus.

A mixed multitude of people, that consisted of disciples and people from various cultures and villages.

The Bible says they came to “hear him and to be healed of their diseases.”

I have to wonder what that must have been like in person. Both to hear Jesus speak. And to be healed of their diseases. Maybe I’m wrong, but I always think of a “disease” as being much worse than an “illness.” An illness seems temporary.

Luke goes on to describe the people:

And those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. And all the crowd sought to touch him, for power came out from him and healed them all.

All this happened just before Jesus began to explain to His disciples that life is not always as it appears to be.

The happiest of people often own the least.

Refills can only happen once you’re empty.

Joy accompanied by sorrow produces more than joy alone can produce.

I try to imagine the total healing that every single person in that place obtained and I grapple with the thought.

You see, before the blessings…

before the beatitudes…

the back story is:

brokenness.

Doesn’t that make you want to cry? or shout? or just sit in awe?

Because the back story of The Beatitudes…

gives all of us hope.

What does the back story of brokenness before the Beatitudes mean to you?

Posted in Devotional | Tagged before the beatitudes, the beatitudes | 3 Comments

Decisions That Matter

by Rachel Wojnarowski Posted on May 14, 2013

Today I made a decision that I knew was a good one. You know that feeling when your spirit knows you did something right? How large are the decisions that matter?

It’s interesting how the decisions in life that matter are not necessarily ones that appear to be life-changing. Often they don’t wear large stress labels that say: “Graduation.” “Career choice.” ”Family move.”

Decisions bearing the largest impact often appear seemingly small.

You see, it’s Monday and around the Wojo house, this means cleaning and order day. Time to get things together for the week and make sense of the weekend frenzy. With Mama travelling to speak, a birthday girl in the wings and Mother’s Day all in one weekend, there was a lot of, ummm, aftermath.

Lists to make. Laundry to gather. Suitcase to unpack. Birthday decorations to put away. Carpet to vacuum. Many items to organize. Floors to sweep. Bathrooms to scrub. You know- housekeeping 101.

But one of the weekend’s discoveries for the birthday girl was a bike. And she was so ecstatic that from the moment she woke up this morning, the bike was on her brain.

With a small window of time before scheduled appointments, I overlooked dirt and mess and clutter and the list… into the eyes of a sweet little girl who just wanted to ride her bike.

So we ditched the mess and went for a bike ride.

It was an everyday decision- that mattered.

You see, when she’s all grown up and no longer sits on her bike with her long beautiful hair blowing in the breeze, she will remember the afternoon bike rides.
But I’m guessing she won’t care one bit about the temporary dirt on the floor.Or the lists. Or the unvacuumed carpet.

The same kind of everyday decision is made by each of us when we choose to spend time getting to know God, reading His Word, praying to Him, and getting to know what He has to say.

Luke said it this way:

Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:42

Mary’s decision to sit at Jesus’ feet and learn was something that would always be hers.

An everyday decision to ditch the busyness of life and listen to the heart of the Son of God.

How do you feel about making everyday decisions? Especially the one to ditch the busyness of life and listen to the heart of the Son of God?

Posted in Devotional | Tagged decisions that matter, everyday decisions, remembering the small decisions have big impact | 2 Comments

Where to Turn When Life is Dark

by Rachel Wojnarowski Posted on May 13, 2013

Hey Friends! Our weekly link up has moved to Wednesdays- this is the first week since the beginning of 2012 that I haven’t hosted a Monday linkup for bloggers. Don’t forget to return this Wednesday for a GREAT beginning to the Wojo Wednesday linkup!

On Saturday, I had the opportunity to speak at Mt. Hope Christian Center in Burlington, MA for the Mother’s Day Tea. We discussed where to turn when life is dark. I wish I could explain to you just how fabulous a time we had together. What a wonderful group of women who attended and hosted this incredibly blessed event! Today I’m sharing just a bit of what I shared for their theme of “Just Enough Light for the Step You’re On”, which they based on Stormie Omartian’s book of a similar title.

God’s servant, Moses, had appeared to Pharaoh multiple times requesting that Pharaoh let God’s people go. Since Pharaoh had not listened, the plagues of Eqypt began to unfold from the wrath of God. Each plague seemed to receive only temporary attention from Pharaoh. Then the ninth plague ensued:

Then the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, a darkness to be felt. So Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven, and there was pitch darkness in all the land of Egypt three days. They did not see one another, nor did anyone rise from his place for three days, but all the people of Israel had light where they lived. Exodus 10:21-23

The ninth plague was one of darkness. Can you imagine not being able to see anything for three days? I can’t imagine the fear of the Egyptians over this plague. And it wasn’t just a darkness that prevented visibility. It was a darkness that you could feel.

I’ve been in the WV coal mines, deep and dark. Once you get down into the mine, when the lights are turned off, you can feel the darkness. It wraps around your body like a vapor. This was the type of darkness that covered the land of Egypt. So dark that they couldn’t see where they were going and therefore, did not go anywhere.

Have you ever been somewhere in life when the darkness of your situation was all you could feel and you could not see where you are going?

On the opposite side, Israel was not cloaked in that darkness. The Bible says “they had light where they lived.” This thought intrigues me to no end as I contemplate how this could possibly have happened. And it boils down to me not really understanding how God performed this miracle. Because it was just that- a miracle. A supernatural miracle that cannot be comprehended by our limited minds.

God still works miracles today.

He still provides light in the middle of the blackest and darkest darkness.

We don’t always understand God’s plan for our lives. Life is not predictable. We must know where to turn for light when life is dark. And the place to turn is to Jesus. God’s Word will light our paths when nothing else can.

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. Psalm 119:105

If you missed Friday’s post of 9 Bible Verses that Shed Light on Any Subject, be sure to check it out.