Jackie's Journey "Where is Your Heart Today?"

Today is Valentine’s Day!

Women all over America look forward to this day

that is set aside to receive and to share 

our devotion by gift-giving and celebratio0n.

 A child is the most undeniable magical gift given to us…and “to him who is given much, much is required”. This verse from Luke 12 is a call to action and we, women, are being given the unending challenge of our lives!

 My first child, Christina, was born during our missionary training in Boot Camp. I sat on an imaginary precipice with a volume of great practical and biblical preparation and instruction, facing a world of unknowns and in my arms…the unbelievable responsibility of a new, beautiful, precious child that was pure magic…

 That tiny loving and compliant daughter brought such joy into my life.  I was sure my heart would burst!  She also brought a fear of failure, because I know me…the real me…and I knew I could not do this job right.  God gave me a wonderful promise verse during this time that I claimed for my own.  “Faithful is He who called me, who will also do it (ifI get out of His way!).”

 Over the years, I have drawn strength from God’s promise in that verse and I have journaled these truths… both my failures and God’s faithfulness.  The only part of us that goes on and carries us into the future when we are gone is found in our heritage.  They “will pass the baton” of our beliefs, our character, our philosophies, our ideologies, etc., into the next generations.

 Motherhood is the most significant investment we will make in our lifetime!

 “Without a vision, the people perish.”  What is your vision for your child?  Do you believe that God laid out a plan for your child’s life, taking into consideration his personality, engiftment, talents and abilities?  Are you convinced that God knows best?  

 What goals and priorities have you set in order to see that vision fulfilled?  Does your husband share that vision? “We have been created in Christ Jesus for a life of good works that HE has already prepared for us to do.” Can you hear the intention and resolve in that verse?

 Each child God has entrusted to us has a personal destiny and designed purpose.

 What is your commitment?

 Our investment today will determine the fulfillment of tomorrow.

“…to whom much is given, much is required.” (Luke 12)

 Have a great week!

~Jackie Johnson - I am a former tribal missionary to the Kuna Indians on the Colombian border in Central America.  Fluent in several languages, my husband and I currently pastor a Spanish-speaking church in Southern California.  My passion is mentoring and equipping dedicated young women for life, marriage, motherhood, and beyond. I am the mother of two daughters and the grandmother of three Princesses and four young Knights. 

Jackie's Journey "We are Survivors!"

FOR ALL THOSE BORN BEFORE 1945

 WE ARE SURVIVORS!!!...

CONSIDER THE CHALLENGES WE HAVE WITNESSED!

 We were born before television, before penicillin, before polio shots, frozen foods, Xerox, plastic, contact lenses, Frisbees and the PILL.  We were before radar, credit cards, split atoms, laser beams and ballpoint pens.  Before pantyhose, dishwashers, clothes dryers, electric blankets, air conditioners, drip-dry clothes…and before man walked on the moon.

We got married first and then lived together.  How quaint can you be?  In our time, closets were for clothes, not for “coming out”.  Bunnies were small rabbits, and rabbits were not Volkswagons.  Designer jeans were scheming girls named Jean and having a meaningful relationship meant getting along with our cousins.

 We thought fast food was what you ate during lent, and Outer Space was the back of the Riviera Theater.  We were before house husbands, gay rights, computer dating, dual careers and commuter marriages.  We were before day-care centers, group therapy and nursing homes.  We never heard of FM radio, tape decks, electronic typewriters, artificial hearts, word processors, yogurt and guys wearing earrings.  For us, time-sharing meant togetherness…not computers or condominiums.  A chip meant a piece of wood.  Hardware meant hardware, and software wasn’t even a word.

Back then, “Made in Japan or China” meant junk and the term “making out” referred to how you did on your exam.  Pizzas, McDonalds and instant coffees were unheard of.  We hit the scene where there were 5 and dime stores where you bought things for five and ten cents.  Watson’s and Rite-Aid sold ice cream cones for a nickel or a dime.  For one nickel you could ride a street car, make a public phone call, buy a Pepsi or enough stamps to mail one letter and two post cards.  You could buy a new Chevy coupe for $800.00…but who could afford one?  A pity too, because gas was 11 cents a gallon!

 In our day, GRASS was mowed, COKE was a cold drink and POT was something you cooked in.  Rock Music was Grandma’s lullaby and AIDS were helpers in the Principal’s office. We were certainly not before the difference between the sexes was discovered, but we were surely before the sex change.  We made do with what we had.  And we were the last generation that was dumb enough to think you need a husband to have a baby.

 No wonder we are so confused and there is such a generation gap!

 But…WE SURVIVED… and WE THRIVED!

~Jackie Johnson - I am a former tribal missionary to the Kuna Indians on the Colombian border in Central America.  Fluent in several languages, my husband and I currently pastor a Spanish-speaking church in Southern California.  My passion is mentoring and equipping dedicated young women for life, marriage, motherhood, and beyond. I am the mother of two daughters and the grandmother of three Princesses and four young Knights. 

Jackie's Journey "A Perfect Plan!"

 “When we look at life’s generational history of families, we see the many failures spiritually, socially, financially, globally and every other way.   We see a record of pain, discord, dissolved marriages, unprecedented addictions and unnecessary death…to mention a few.    We should conclude that something is not right…even drastically wrong!

 However, there is good news…a world-wide hope

has been placed on one of the many religions.

 What is the common failure that religions face?  Every religion works on the theory that man’s nature is basically good but needs some adjustments.  Each one has a system that promises an outcome that never works!  All of the systems are based on disciplines of varying forms.  Each one has rewards that are attractive to the listeners.  None of them deliver on their assurances.  

 Biblical Christianity gives no credence to a make-over or an improvement plan of hope in the natural self.  Why not??  Because the Bible understands the real problem.  God looked down on mankind and saw that ‘every thought and intent of man was only evil continually’!  (Gen. 6: 5)   We humans are locked into pride and selfishness. These two attributes are poison to our soul and to the souls around us.  The result is we contaminate one another.  Our very tongue is influenced by hell itself. (James 3: 6) We note this most clearly when we are angry and ‘carelessly letting it fly’, only to wonder later why the reaction was so ‘off the charts’ when the rage has passed.

 ‘The heart is deceitfully wicked, who can know it’. (Jer. 17: 9)   Who can know its limits!  God gives a summation and states that ‘NO ONE is naturally good, not even one’.  (Rom. 3: 10-12) We need a major change in our souls. But how?  God’s provision is to place the Holy Spirit in the hearts of humbled souls so He can live His life through us for the benefit of others.

 There are three conditions noted: ‘If you want to come to me, you must deny yourself, take up the cross and follow me’. (spoken by Christ in Lu. 9: 23) Denying-self means turning our life over to the controlling design of God and His future He pre-planned for us to fulfill. (Eph. 2: 10) The cross was a murder weapon that is a reminder to continually die to our selfishness and pride.  The final condition is to ‘follow Him’…which is impossible without the leading and control of the Holy Spirit.  He, alone, knows the future reality. 

 Those that fear the Lord walk in darkness (not knowing the future).  Crisis on every level.  God will lead us in the right direction for the right reason and it will be with superlative results.  It will allow us to teach our children and grandchildren to live in blessing.  There is no greater gift than can be given to our families than understanding the path God has prepared for all of us to follow.

 We cannot follow Him without knowing where He is going.  He is involved in activities winning people to Himself or encouraging Christians to do the same. 

 How does the God of the universe live inside people and

not encourage them to follow the His patterns?

 How can a person read the Word of God and be so indifferent?

 No one born of God can continue in sin. If he does, he has not seen God, nor does he know Him’.  He is required to practice righteousness, as a normal way of life. (I John 3)   Herein lies the truth and with it the assignment that we all have in common.  We tell others about His birth, life, death and resurrection.  We are not ashamed of our relationship with Him and His Spirit that lives in us.  We have compassion for the lost and rebellious people who have been blinded by the god of this world, Satan himself.  

 Most Christians are willfully ignorant of how to present the gospel because they fear rejection and are indifferent to the will of God.”  (written by Ralph Johnson for our Family Night dinner and Bible study).

 The challenge in this day and age of confusion,

unruliness, rebellion and unprecedented chaos

is to stand up and be counted among 

the faithful and harmonize with “God’s Perfect Plan”…

~Jackie Johnson - I am a former tribal missionary to the Kuna Indians on the Colombian border in Central America.  Fluent in several languages, my husband and I currently pastor a Spanish-speaking church in Southern California.  My passion is mentoring and equipping dedicated young women for life, marriage, motherhood, and beyond. I am the mother of two daughters and the grandmother of three Princesses and four young Knights. 

Jackie's Journey "Life Unraveling!"

 “Though he slay me, yet will I hope in Him…Job 13:15”                               

Today we have the privilege of setting aside time to remember those who have laid down their lives for us to be able to live in the freedom that we experience daily.  I live with an army 82nd Airborne veteran and I am abundantly grateful, as we celebrate the liberties we have here in America. We need to note the sacrifice and do our part in seeing that those freedoms are not lost.  Today I was transported back to a day in the Darien jungles that brought thePanamanian Military into our remote community…

 Our village was tucked away near the Colombian border and we lived in the silence of the jungle and its peculiar sounds.   One late morning there was an unfamiliar roar in the distance.  A large military helicopter appeared and began circling our village, dropping low, looking for a place to land.  Before we knew what was happening, dust flew and the door slid open.  Men dressed in full military uniforms with machine guns jumped out and stormed into our house. Guns drawn, pointed directly at us, they began shouting commands with accusations!

 My life started unraveling before my eyes!  I quickly grabbed little Kim from her high chair and Christina came running, clutching my legs.  I reached down to reassure her, as Ralph stepped in front of us, whispering to me, “Remember, Jackie, this touched God’s hand first”.  

 We were being falsely accused of being spies for the United States and they demanded we turn over our only means of communication to the outside world…our humble two-way radio! 

I was trembling, imagining every plausible scenario of how we could be easily disposed of in the river and no one would know for months!  The truth that came surging into my consciousness was Job 13:15, “…though he slay me, yet will I hope in HIM”. 

 Still standing between the enemy and us, Ralph appeared calm and was resolutely responding in Spanish… “We are not spies from America.  We have permission from your government to bring medicine to help this isolated group of people.”  

                              How had this happened?  

What could we do?

 The next few moments stood still…their shouting gestures and my seeing no way of escape brought the verse in Job home to my heart.  I, purposefully, accepted His will, whatever that was going to be and instantly, peace prevailed.  What happened next was beyond belief!  To our utter astonishment, as abruptly as those militant soldiers arrived…they hastily, mid-sentence, without another word, turned and left!!  They did not ask for our passports or visas, nor did they take our rifles that were in plain view, hanging on the wall!  God had blinded their eyes and in an instant, redirected their path.

 In the aftermath of my processing through this current event, Ralph gave me a definition for “tribulation” that comes to mind every time I am faced with a trial and I just want it gone…no processing…just gone!  “Tribulation is God’s fastest road to maturity”.  Well… missionary life had definitely put me in the fast lane to grow up!  The more life I live, the more I realize how much growth I need!

 This is that definition in a “mathematical” formula that changed my life and the way I look at trials, inconveniences, suffering and contentment.  It goes like this:

 Trials + Acceptance of the trial with joy and thanksgiving = Growth/Maturity/Contentment

 I have two choices. I can respond to trials by:

(1) Benefitting from them! 

          The pressure of trials produces: (Jas. 1:2-4): 

§  Faith 

§  Patience

§  Perseverance

§  Maturity

§  Wisdom

§  Lacking Nothing! 

                                          OR

 (2) Reacting negatively to them emotionally, and locking down with:  Impatience, Fretfulness, Why me?, Depression, Complaining, Rebelliousness or Bitterness. 

  I choose to yield with gratefulness this morning and to recognize any form of tribulation, as a means to fulfill a greater purpose for my growth and the benefit of others.  

  What is your response? 

~Jackie Johnson - I am a former tribal missionary to the Kuna Indians on the Colombian border in Central America.  Fluent in several languages, my husband and I currently pastor a Spanish-speaking church in Southern California.  My passion is mentoring and equipping dedicated young women for life, marriage, motherhood, and beyond. I am the mother of two daughters and the grandmother of three Princesses and four young Knights. 

Jackie's Journey "Does This Say It All...About Us?"

“A trouble-making woman once told John Wesley, ‘God has given me the talent of speaking my mind’.  Mr. Wesley snapped back, ‘God wouldn’t mind if you buried that talent.’”  We, women, are notorious for our chatter and a multitude of other attributes!  What we all have in common is a life being spent!  “Life is so short that the wood of the cradle rubs up tight against the marble of the tomb! Where is the life we have lost in living?” T.S. Elliot

 This could NEVER say it ALL about us, but it can put the life of “womanhood” in perspective: 

Time passes…

Life Happens…

Distance Separates…

Children Grow up…

Goals are set…

Responsibilities take hold… 

Jobs come and go…

Love waxes and wanes…

Men don’t do what we think they’re supposed to do…

Hearts break…

Parents die…

Careers end…

We grow older…

Eternity looms…

BUT

God is there…

No matter how much or little the time:

He gave us “womanhood”: mother’s, daughter’s, sister’s or girlfriend’s that are never far away…

than a needy helping hand can reach…

When we have to walk that lonesome valley and we have to walk alone, the women in our life will be on the valleys rim, cheering us on, praying for us, pulling for us, intervening on our behalf, and waiting with an open heart at the valley’s end.

 “Friends are an indispensable part of a meaningful life.  They are the ones who share the burdens and multiply our blessings.  A true friend sticks by us in our joys and sorrows.  In good times and bad, we need friends who will pray for us, listen to us, and lend a comforting hand and an understanding ear when needed.” Beverly LaHaye

 Sometimes, friends will even break the rules and walk beside us…or come in and carry us out.  Girlfriends, daughters, granddaughters, daughters-in-law, sisters, sisters-in-law, Mothers, grandmothers, aunties, nieces, cousins, extended family…all bless our life!

 The world would not be the same without women and neither would you or I.  When we began this adventure called womanhood, we had no idea of the incredible “joys or sorrows” that lay ahead.  Nor did we know how much we would need each other.  God’s plan for womanhood has kept us this far and His promise to use us to bless, encourage, teach and learn from one another will sustain us, as we persevere and finish the course. 

 We do not want to be the woman who, looking back says, “it seems that we were all in the same boat with Christopher Columbus.  He didn’t know where he was going when he started.  When he got there, he didn’t know where he was, and when he got back, he didn’t know where he had been!” Alexander MacLaren

Let’s walk together…

 It is only as we develop others in life that we permanently succeed…

~Jackie Johnson - I am a former tribal missionary to the Kuna Indians on the Colombian border in Central America.  Fluent in several languages, my husband and I currently pastor a Spanish-speaking church in Southern California.  My passion is mentoring and equipping dedicated young women for life, marriage, motherhood, and beyond. I am the mother of two daughters and the grandmother of three Princesses and four young Knights. 

Jackie's Journey "The Pulse of Sacrifice"

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY! 

I love and miss you, sweet Mama…“Love is not a passion.  It is the pulse of sacrifice”.

 For seventy-eight years my mother taught me about genuine love and Motherhood.  I watched her as she maneuvered life.  She had an iron will, was strong and courageous, especially in her later years without Daddy.  She faced life with grace each day accepting God’s Hand and timing.  She had no fear of old age which is the assumption that we still have many years of life ahead of us. “The length of our days is seventy years or eighty, IF we have the strength; yet this span is but trouble and sorrow and passes quickly and then we fly away!” (Psalm 90:10) My mother flew away this past June and I miss her every day.

 She learned to be “satisfied in the morning with His unfailing love.  She did not sing for joy out loud but she was glad for every day.”  And she still looked forward to any, or all, of us coming and visiting with her.  She was a good listener and I can remember my high school friends coming home with me… to talk and be with her!  

 She was a wise.  I was blessed daily by this precious 101-year-old Mother.  She taught me, by example, “to number my days, to be deliberate with my heritage, to think generations and to see how short and quickly life passes.  I am paying attention.  So, you see, Mom…your job has been well done.

 Thank you for leading the way, leaving a print for me to step into 

and showing me the pulse of sacrificial love…

~Jackie Johnson - I am a former tribal missionary to the Kuna Indians on the Colombian border in Central America.  Fluent in several languages, my husband and I currently pastor a Spanish-speaking church in Southern California.  My passion is mentoring and equipping dedicated young women for life, marriage, motherhood, and beyond. I am the mother of two daughters and the grandmother of three Princesses and four young Knights. 

Jackie's Journey "Habits of the Heart"

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CHRISTINA!

 Today is my eldest daughter’s birthday.  She was my Mother’s Day gift in May many years ago.  Christina has been the daughter every mother dreams of having.  She is a dedicated wife and mother to her four college age children and has taught them to love their grandparents.  She has allowed me to be a part of her entire life and she has enriched mine, immensely.  She is discerning and direct.  She has compassion for others that are in pain or hurting and reaches out for them.  She once picked up a mother and small child, walking alone on the side of the road, and brought them home with her!  She has given me a friendship that transcends all others. She offers me an eternal connection.

  In life, we are blessed if God gives us a few eternal-friendships…those few, that test the limits of time and last a lifetime.  You may not see the person often, maybe not for years, but there is an instant connection when you meet and it is, as if, you have never been separated by time and space.

 This is one of those tests of genuine friendship that has been put on paper,  as a reminder of the gift of just such a friend…

( A )ccepts you as you are

( B )elieves in “you”

( C )alls you just to say “Hi”

( D )oesn’t give up on you

( E )nvisions the whole of you (even the unfinished parts)

( F )orgives your mistakes

( G )ives unconditionally

( H )elps you

( I )nvites you over

( J )ust to “be” with you

( K )eeps you close at heart

( L )oves you for who you are

( M )akes a difference in your life

( N )ever judges

( O )ffers support

( P )icks you up

( Q )uiets your fears

( R )aises your spirits

( S )ays nice things about you

( T )ells you the truth when you need it

( U)nderstands you

( V )alues you

( W )alks beside you

( X )-plains things you don’t understand

( Y )ells when you won’t listen and 

( Z )aps you back to reality!

 If you have been given the gift of one of these friends…

give them a call this week and let them know

how much you appreciate their ministry in your life.

~Jackie Johnson - I am a former tribal missionary to the Kuna Indians on the Colombian border in Central America.  Fluent in several languages, my husband and I currently pastor a Spanish-speaking church in Southern California.  My passion is mentoring and equipping dedicated young women for life, marriage, motherhood, and beyond. I am the mother of two daughters and the grandmother of three Princesses and four young Knights. 

Jackie's Journey "Thorns and Thistles!"

“By His wounds we are healed”! Isaiah 53

The cross is the center of our commemorating the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  His selfless and sinless sacrifice in our place is our reason to celebrate and praise His Name.  We call the holiday Easter and for a moment in time we stop and rehearse His ultimate sacrifice…His life for ours on that thorny and “thistled” old rugged cross.  Not only did he suffer and die for us, but on the third day He rose from the dead and gave us the promise of a resurrected life after death!  

 This deliberate and divine act of love was to give our lives promise, plan and purpose.  We are destined and programmed to serve others first, not ourselves.   In our Easter release to the Princess Parable Series, “A Royal Easter Story”, we introduced our five young knights who present a challenge that draws our young princesses into a chariot race that reveals the truth of what the cross teaches. 

 Do you live a life selflessly and sacrificially serving others?

  We cannot be consumed with a life that seeks its own and find contentment and life abundantly.  It is an impossibility.  Local churches, before “lock-down”, opened their doors on Good Friday to give us the opportunity to take a personal account of our commitment to our first love and renew our loyalty to live as Jesus challenges us to live…Holy!  We are reminded to live serving others, as He did, with eternal values and purpose in view.

 As moms, we are dedicated to living and then… teaching the character of Christ to our little princes and princesses.  We focus on drawing their attention to the importance of serving, helping and caring for others.  That is why we find ourselves saying, “Can you comfort your little brother, he’s hurting?” or “Will you help mommy?” 

  Teaching by example, without excuse, is the most powerful tool in our toolbox!  We are “known and read” by these little eyes and ears.  They know if the cross is real in us, or not.  We don’t fool them but we do confuse them when our life message does not speak the reality of Christ in us!

Are your little ones confused?

 “Then said Jesus to his disciples, IF any man will come after me,

 let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.”

Matt. 16: 24

 The cross holds the hope of humanity.  Denying self-life (our pride and selfishness in all its ugly forms) …and taking up His cross (His desires and His perfect Will for us) …  authenticates His life in us.  Living life consistently with no unconfessed sin and nothing between another person and ourselves, enables us to follow Him.  “His crucifixion is the key; His resurrection the door…it is only by His death that we have the mandate to enter into the gates of eternal life.  His door is open always.  Christ is King.”  Isrealmore Ayivor

  “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless, I live; 

yet not I, but Christ lives in me: 

and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, 

who loved me, and gave himself for me.” 

Gal.  2: 20

“There are no crown-bearers in heaven 

who were not cross-bearers here below.”

Charles H. Spurgeon

~Jackie Johnson - I am a former tribal missionary to the Kuna Indians on the Colombian border in Central America.  Fluent in several languages, my husband and I currently pastor a Spanish-speaking church in Southern California.  My passion is mentoring and equipping dedicated young women for life, marriage, motherhood, and beyond. I am the mother of two daughters and the grandmother of three Princesses and four young Knights. 

Jackie's Journey "Golden Calves!"

How many times do you call your child’s name before he/she looks up from their iPhone or iPad? How often do they call for your attention and you are locked into Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat or….?  We give our concentration to what we love.  God is a jealous God. Jealousy is the fear of being displaced.  God is very clear about how we are to set our affection and how HE defines “an idol” in scripture.  Our “obsession or devotion to” is demonstrated by the way we use and prioritize our time which defines what we value most. 

I think most people would say I am a relatively dedicated woman and mother…I do right things by all observation and by the current standard worldview of what a woman or mother should be, BUT, in the light of this discussion…am I an idolater?  “You don’t have to go to heathen lands today to find false gods.  America is full of them.  Whatever you love more than God is your idol.” D. L. Moody   Who or what is my “first” priority?  That will give me my first clue!

“You shall have no other gods before Me.” Ex. 20: 3 It’s a command!  Just finding your identity in your role as a mom or your position at work can be idolatry!  Focus on your social media following, continually refreshing your newsfeed, concentrating on your gifts, skills, abilities or achievements can become your first love.  Where and how do I spend my money?  Are my hopes hung on finances?

 What am I busy with? Where do I find my joy? (planning vacations, marathons, hobbies, the newest experience?) What do I value? (is comfort and convenience drawing my heart away from Him?)  What do my thoughts focus on…they reveal my desires?  Does my conversation flow when talking for hours on “harmless” earthly matters, but when asked about God’s word…am I completely empty!  Am I seeking Him first and what only HE can give. 

I know you are already rationalizing and making excuses for the amount of time you spend in areas that are related to God’s definition of an “Idol”.  “I can’t Lord, I have to put my family first,” was the response of the man in the Bible who, clearly, had a pecking order of loyalties.  Christ simply said, “Follow Me!  Let the spiritually dead, bury the dead…you follow me.”  Luke 9: 59

 Prioritizing our loyalties and aligning them with God’s, will result in the devotion God demands. Will it cost you and your family to put God first?  YES! Priorities cause someone to be disappointed or pay a price (Christ, our example: His love for us-rejection-cross).  “Idolatry” in any form, is revealed by NOT loving Him… first and foremost above all else!  

“He did evil (sinned)because he did not set his heart on seeking the Lord!” II Chron. 12: 14

 “Revival is a renewed conviction of sin and repentance,

followed by an intense desire to live in obedience to God.

It is giving up one’s will to God in deep humility.” Charles Finney

Are you seeking what only God can give?

Are you worshipping the Giver…not the gift?

 It’s your move…

~Jackie Johnson - I am a former tribal missionary to the Kuna Indians on the Colombian border in Central America.  Fluent in several languages, my husband and I currently pastor a Spanish-speaking church in Southern California.  My passion is mentoring and equipping dedicated young women for life, marriage, motherhood, and beyond. I am the mother of two daughters and the grandmother of three Princesses and four young Knights. 

Jackie's Journey "Hope Reigns!"

This past fall I watched my once thriving garden fade away, the vibrant plants had languished… dry from the extreme weather.  The days were hot and the nights were cold.  Thanksgiving brought the bright orange leaves and pumpkins.  The wind and rain had brought death; the ground was parched and all that once lived now lay, limply on the barren ground.  Another season had come and gone.  It was time to grab the rake and pull the dead leaves and brush away.  

 As I cleared the garden floor, I was astonished to find underneath the mass of debris, sandwiched between two decorative stones, one tiny plant, standing tall, reaching up for the sun.  While the world was falling down in ruin all around this diminutive flower, she stood, stretching with determination to live.  Her leaves were bright green and her colorful face turned upward.  I carefully uncovered her and dug a small, shallow well around her, to ensure her water supply would be sufficient to catch the coming rains.

 As I contemplated this brave, yet seemingly insignificant plant, I, again, saw the truth of God’s plan to use His creation to teach us.  The birds had planted this one…she was a surprise!  Despite it all, she had not only survived, but she had thrived. She had weathered extremes and watched everything around her perish, yet she persevered!  She was not a quitter.  She was just who she was, carving life out of God’s time frame for her.  I was inspired by her.

 How often do I aspire to find satisfaction in “whatever”, other than my Creator and His plan for my life?  How do I face disappointment and trials? Is my face stretched upward? Am I found totally dependent on Him or am I running ahead, disregarding His leading?  Do I accept His timing in life’s situations (that little flower was found out of its expected season!) or do my expectations lead me astray?  Do I accept my uniqueness or aspire to be more or do more apart from Him?  How do I handle the challenges of life when the wind and rain are whipping about me?  Do I quit or do I accept the challenge and fearlessly “keep on, keeping on”?

 That glorious, petite flower that caught me unaware, has no idea how wonderfully she was used to cause me to stop, take a self-look and listen. We do not realize, Moms, that we are the flowers our children and others are watching.  They are reading us all the time and learning how to relate to God, us and the world.  

 Will you join me in these unsettling times… choosing to stand tall… 

face upward, courageously persevering…?

~Jackie Johnson - I am a former tribal missionary to the Kuna Indians on the Colombian border in Central America.  Fluent in several languages, my husband and I currently pastor a Spanish-speaking church in Southern California.  My passion is mentoring and equipping dedicated young women for life, marriage, motherhood, and beyond. I am the mother of two daughters and the grandmother of three Princesses and four young Knights.