Kathy Weckwerth

Everyday Encouragement

women's conferences

What’s Humility Look Like On You

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Recently, Farmer Dean and I were at a store looking for a new jacket.  Dean was along for his opinion, but as a shopper, I pretty much know what I like and what I don’t like.

The Farmer is kind and gentle.  He’s not boastful and he’s pretty good at being humble.  So when he gives feedback, it doesn’t sting.

I tried on a fabulous jacket that I loved and my sweet husband said, ” Mam, I don’t think it looks good.”  I said, “Huh?  What are you saying to me?”

He answered, “I’m not sure.  Either it’s the color or it’s the cut.  The other one you tried on looked better.  This, well … uh, it’s not so good.”

And then I saw it.  I really saw it.  I went to the large mirror at the back of the store and saw what Dean saw.  It didn’t look so great.  Bunched up in the back, too short in the sleeves and really made me look like I had jumped from upstairs to get into it.  But the funny thing was all along, I thought it felt good … I felt happy so it must look good.

Today, this same scenario makes me think of my everyday life and what God’s been talking to me about.  The older I get, the more experience I have had with the talents, gifts, and jobs I carry out in life.

Lately, wherever I go, people seem to overlook my years of hard work and trying to be humble, I avoid stating (although I really want to), “But I’ve been a Director of Worship & Creative Arts for 35 years, ” or “Wait!  I’ve been a professional musician for 35+ years, wrote 5 books, have had my own bands, sung commercials for 8 years on radio, started my own business, blah … blah … blah.

You see if you’re reading this, you don’t want to be impressed by my resume.  You want to be impressed by my kindness, my gentleness, my Christ-likeness.

But this week (and last) I was pushed by people challenging my knowledge, my skill-set and abilities.  I reached in the back of my mind for my manual of all I’ve done, when suddenly it dawned on me.  The Apostle Paul, one of the most respected apostles in scripture (who taught, preached, healed, wrote 13 New Testament books blah, blah, blah) didn’t start off his letter to the Romans with:

“Let me prove my value.  Here’s all I’ve done.  Doesn’t it look good on me?”

Nope.  He said these words, “This letter is from Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God.”  He could have said, “I, the Apostle Paul …” But instead, he put the truth first.  As a Christ-follower he was an incredible man, but he wore his humility beautifully. Like a perfect fitted suit coat.  First comes the “slave of Christ …” and then he moves on to calling himself an apostle.

The couple of people last week who wanted to boast and brag and let me know that they were sure I didn’t know anything, well, I just gently reminded myself of Paul.  No proving.  No bragging.  No remembering.  No comparison.  And definitely no competition.  Let the others wear their coats and as the Farmer said, not look so good.

You see, I want to wear my jacket of humility right there for everyone to see.  Like Paul.  Like Farmer Dean.  Like Jesus Christ.

What’s humility look like on you?

What’s in Your Closet

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In television comedies, like I Love Lucy, an actor opens a surreptitiously bulging door to a storage area and is buried in an avalanche of junk. Something similar happened one day when all three of my daughters visited my home. My youngest, Jenessa, tried to open the basement closet door.

A small pow-wow between the girls produced determined attitudes. They announced it was time to clean out the big-crowded basement closet and they would help. The basement closet is everyone’s typical basement closet. It’s the place where everyone’s junk gets tossed. Three daughters, a mom and dad, all pitch whatever they don’t want to think about, into this big walk-in closet.

The shelves go from floor to ceiling and they are peppered with big plastic bins. You know the kind of stuff that’s in those bins … the things that you just don’t have a clue where to put them. They are the things you want to store, because you can’t make yourself get rid of them. You tuck them away, close the lid and walk away.

But middle daughter Chandra headed down the stairs and said, “I’m facing the bins. I’m facing the clothes and boots I don’t want, the old CDs, the stacks of books. I’m facing it all.”

Just like that she pulled out one of her bins without realizing that our old Monopoly game that’s taped together (it’s a throwback to 1975 and escaped the bin storage), money torn and pieces missing, was quickly scattered across the floor.

There we were, all four of us scrunched into this closet looking for pieces of the game.  There was some money; there was the thimble, a couple of green houses, a red hotel, and a Go Directly to Jail card. We started trying to put them all back in the box.

Jenessa said, “Mom, pieces of this game have been missing forever. We should really dump it all out and see what’s in it and go from there.”

And suddenly it dawned on me! That’s what we need to do today. We need to take a good long look at what’s in our hearts. We need to dump everything out and look at our motivations, our intentions, and our actions. We need to figure out where the words and feelings are coming from, why they’re in there, what it looks like, and if we have just taped up the box and shoved it on the shelf with pieces that are missing, torn or broken. We need to dump it all out today and take a look to see what we’ve got.

King David is referring to God when he says, “Create in me a pure heart, oh God.” In order to dump out his own words and look at them, he’s going to replace what’s in there with the good stuff of God … right back into the box of his mind and heart … seal it up with some strong God-tape… and go from there.

We stuff life in, we keep things we don’t need to and harbor resentment that tatters and frays the edges of our heart and then we stuff it all in and put it back on the shelf of the closet of life. But that stuff, those pieces, will eventually come out. Often, if we’re not totally aware of what we’ve stored in the heart’s bin, it will come out sideways resulting in sin.

It’s time to dump everything out. It’s time to go through the pieces and see what belongs and what you need to clean out. Let’s start with a spring cleaning of the heart and soul. Let’s open the doors, breathe in the fresh air, and feel renewed.

Proverbs 4:23, “Keep vigilant watch over your heart; that’s where life starts.”

 

Wintry Days & Depression

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So many times during long Minnesota winters, I find my friends discouraged and down, and even walk through depression myself.  Here’s the truth, whether you live in the dark days of Minnesota, Michigan or Wisconsin, or you’re walking in the sunshine of California or Arizona, every single one of us faces depression at one time or another.

My daddy used to put life’s struggles into three different columns.  He’d say the first column is for everything that is circumstantial.  What’s happening in your world?  Are you sick?  Did your spouse lose their job?  Do you have a lot of bills piling up?  That creates stress and depression.

Then he’d say that we live in Minnesota and so that was column 2.  Was it because the winter was long and dark and you weren’t getting enough sunshine?  It’s a proven fact that up to 90% of our vitamin D comes from sunlight.  Vitamin D is required to help prevent bone diseases, muscle weakness, and some internal cancers.  It can speed the healing process.  If we had colds in the summer, Dad would say, “Get outside with a book and sit in the sun and read.” We need sun and light.  Plus it makes us feel more motivated and energetic.

Column 3?  Well, that’s the one where it’s a chemical imbalance.  Something isn’t right within your system and it’s creating the depression.  You need to see a medical doctor for treatment and at times, get into a counselor for sessions.

Mostly, for me, it was column 1-circumstances.  I’d get discouraged over some big car break down that wasn’t planned.  I’d feel mopey over a friend moving.  I’d get depressed when things weren’t going right with the kids, or I had ministry issues with clients or staff.

Once and awhile, I would become depressed in the winter, and as I’ve gotten older, I really dread Januarys in Minnesota.  Dark and dreary days tend to get me down.

Although I have never experience column 3, I have had friends and relatives walk through the dark days of depression.  I have listened.  I have learned.

I remember a time in my life where I felt headed from column 1 to column 3 and tried everything in my power to stay out of that column.

I entered the process of going through a divorce.  Dark days enveloped me.  And the circumstances were overwhelming.  I didn’t have enough of me to help my children much, and they plummeted into all 3 columns quickly.  I fought hard to stay above water, but quite often, there is nothing you can do.

After sitting in front of a counselor, I remember he said, there are things that can help you to slow down the emotions …. get plenty of rest, drink lots of water, eat 3 times a day healthy foods, avoid sugar, except eat dark chocolate as that helps provide serotonin to the brain, an important chemical in our system that relays happiness to the brain.

Although I felt like I was at the bottom of the pits of despair, I eventually was pulled out and life became more balanced.  That doesn’t happen for everyone.

Whether you are feeling the discouragement of something sad happening, or dark winter days, or you’ve plummeted into the depths of despair, there is hope.  God is near and He loves you more than you’ll ever understand.  There is hope.

Start looking at your life.  Put things into columns and see where it all works out.  Bad things pass.  Trials are endured.  Clinical depression needs medication and a great doctor.  But in the end, we’re never … ever … alone.  God walks with us.

“The Lord Himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” Deuteronomy 31:8

 

Looking Back for God Moments

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As each year is ushered out with the ringing in of the New Year, I take time to contemplate on life … my life, my job, my family, my friends, and God’s goodness.

I look back at the months and ask myself …  where did God meet me?

Did I find Him in moments of joy as I looked into the eyes of my grandchildren? Was He there in conversations with guests on my radio show?  Did I see Him in the tears of women who attended our Best Life conferences?  Or was I aware of His presence in the everyday world here at the farm?

Over the course of my life, I have found it important to take a step back and look at the bigger picture.  When I am focused in on myself and my failures, or worse yet, my disappointments in what has occurred or even in others, I only see a miniscule section of a very big picture.  So often, I find myself feeling alone.

But I have trained myself to step back now and look for God.  I look for God in the big moments, when He is found clearly in directing my steps.  I look for Him in my dark moments when I feel His presence in my soul.  I wait for Him in the blurry moments when I don’t know what to do.

But mostly what I have found over this past year of 2016, is that when I seek God for everything … I see Him in everything.

What about you?  Have you taken time to reflect on the goodness of God over this past year?  It’s time to look back and see where God showed up, where He met you and where you truly sought His presence.

Let’s declare that 2017 will be a great year.  Let’s work at becoming our best version of ourselves!

I Chron. 22:19, “Now set your heart and your soul to seek the Lord your God. “

The Peace of Christmas

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When I get to the Christmas season, I begin to do some comparison shopping.  No, I don’t mean the kind where I’m looking to see if Target has a better sale than Walmart.  I mean, the kind where I look to see … how is everyone else handling things?

How are my relatives, friends, co-workers handling the pressures of the season?  I want to compare myself and see if I’m measuring up.  Am I tired out?  Am I critical and cranky?  Am I accomplishing all that I need to do?

The answer to those are as follows:  yes, yes, no.

I’m not getting it all done and I have found that I often have a bad attitude to accompany the day-in-day-out drama.

This morning I headed over to the little church.  I walked in the door to feel the warm sunshine bursting through the windows.  The temperature gauge registered -5 degrees below zero, but inside, well, something was different.  There was a welcoming warmth that I took time to enjoy.

The new furnace hummed a quiet tune, while the Christmas trimmings glistened in the rays of sunlight.  I looked at the accomplishments of photos from the past … the pastors from 1897 to the 1980s.  I looked at pictures of their families, their farms, the parsonage, and I relished in the fact that whatever they’d accomplished for God, I knew it was great work!

Over the past three weeks, I have played piano at nursing homes, I have been a main session speaker for events, produced my radio show and magazine, have done many things, and each time I get finished I have a feeling of satisfaction. Maybe I didn’t get everything done perfectly.  Maybe I didn’t check everything off of my list.  But for today, here in the warmth of the little church that Farmer Dean and I bought for $1.00 four years ago, I feel a peace.  I feel a peace that scripture talks about … one that passes all understanding.  A peace that envelopes my spirit and says, “You’re doing just fine.  Keep up the good work.”

Christmas isn’t about the presents and cookies.  It’s not even about the events and sing-a-longs.  It’s simply about the Savior. He’s come to bring salvation and peace into a world in turmoil.  Into a soul in turmoil.  And as He sends the light through the glorious old windows of the church, I see Him there … in the rays of sun, in the warmth through the bitter cold, and in my heart.  Welcome Christ Child!  Bring your peace.