My Scars and the Shame I Carry

On March 31, 2024March 26, 2024 By JCIn Miscellaneous, Wounded Butterflies BlogLeave a comment

I have scars on each of my wrists, they have been there a long time. When strangers see them, I am sure they judge me. I am sure they have thoughts like, ‘how did they get there’ or ‘it looks like a failed suicide attempt’, and so on. When I see strangers looking at them, I am filled with shame. It is in those moments that I must remind myself that Jesus loves me, no matter what I did in the past or what was done to me – He loves me. Exactly as I am. Messed up past included.

As we celebrate Easter, I thought about the scars that Jesus bore on His body for all people. Every single human on this earth has the chance to be filled with eternal peace, joy and love simply by believing that Jesus died for us. “For God so loved the world that He sent His Son that whoever believes in the Son will have eternal life.” John 3:16 says it all, God loves us so much! All we have to do is believe. Just believe that God loves you, exactly as you are.

The scars that Jesus has were created out of humanity’s shame and sin, not His. He never did anything to deserve those scars, yet Jesus chose to accept them. While His scars represent a horrible and painful death, they are also beautiful – they saved me and you.

When I look at my scars, I need to remember that not only am I perfectly and completely loved by Jesus, scars and all, but I also need to focus on how He sees my scars. Jesus sees someone who was once in terrible pain and struggling to live, but now has Him. Believing in Jesus does not make life perfect, it never will be perfect here on earth. But believing in Jesus makes life worth living; every day there is a peace and love that cannot be described, no matter what is going on around you. As we come upon Easter, consider the scars that Jesus bears for you. Yes, you. All so that you can know without a doubt that by His wounds, you are healed. Let those words sink in my friend, you are healed.

Happy Easter!

Partition in Our Minds

On March 24, 2024March 23, 2024 By JCIn Miscellaneous, Wounded Butterflies BlogLeave a comment

In church and in Christian circles, there appears to be a partition being placed in our minds about prayer. A partition, or wall, placed by the enemy that is a slow burn to turn us away from prayer, our direct connection to God. Just over the past few months, I have encountered three different groups of people that identify themselves as Christians. The first group was people who think they are unworthy to pray and/or God won’t listen to them. They believe in God, but just not that He will listen to them when they pray. When I say ‘I am praying for you’ to them, either they change the subject, or they appear uncomfortable and end the conversation. I found this to be a surprising reaction from someone who labels themselves as a Christian.

There is a second group I have met that call themselves Christians, but prayer seems like a foreign concept or even shocking to them. When I share with them that I am praying for their sick child or a lost pet, they cannot fathom that I should bother God with such things. They say, ‘After all, there are wars going on in the world, why does God care about a lost pet or one sick child?’ Yet, God does care, He cares deeply.

There is a third group of people that when I say ‘I am praying for you’, they immediately freak out and want to know what bad thing has happened that they need prayers. They expressed concern that I knew something they did not and asked me to tell them what horrible thing had occurred to cause me to pray for them. This reaction saddened me. We are to be praying for each other regularly.

If Satan can blind us to the importance of prayer through these or other ways, he disrupts our conversations with the Father and our advocate, Jesus. Prayer is how we grab a hold of the spiritual realm and connect to Jesus.

Prayer is like air, it is needed daily and constantly, prayer is not a nice-to-have. When the enemy decreases your desire to pray or your desire to even receive the prayers of others, you have a problem. When you have a problem, pray. When you try to pray and the enemy enters your prayer life to distract you by luring your mind to wander, you have to fight. Pray for the strength to fight. Use the enemy’s attempts to decrease prayers to instead increase them. Then we really will be praying without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17).

When Jesus is Asleep Part 2

On March 17, 2024March 4, 2024 By JCIn MiscellaneousLeave a comment

Luke 8:22-25 says, “One day Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Let us go over to the other side of the lake.’ So they got into a boat and set out. As they sailed, he fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger. The disciples went and woke him, saying, ‘Master, Master, we’re going to drown!’ He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. ‘Where is your faith?’ he asked his disciples. In fear and amazement they asked one another, ‘Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him.’ “

When the storm raged around the boat and the disciples were afraid, they forgot a critical piece of information. Jesus said they were going to the other side of the lake. He did not say they were going to drown or die or maybe they would make it to the other side. He said they were going to the other side. I wonder if the disciples had remembered what Jesus said, would they have been as scared?

How many times have we been scared and forgotten what God has said?

“The Lord goes before you. He will be with you; He will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear.” Deuteronomy 31:8.

God has promised He will never leave us, nor forsake us. God goes before us and is with us, which is why God commands us “do not fear”. That sounds great, but how do we not fear? We cling to His word, we remember His promises, we remind ourselves that Jesus is with us. We remind ourselves and each other that there is nothing to fear, we have the Savior of the world right here with us.

Let’s pray. Father, please help us to remember that You are right here with us. You go before us and protect us as we come and go. You will never leave us. We thank You for Your promises. In Jesus name we pray, amen.

When Jesus is Asleep Part 1

On March 10, 2024March 4, 2024 By JCIn Miscellaneous, Wounded Butterflies BlogLeave a comment

Matthew 8:23-27 says that Jesus ^“. . . got into the boat and his disciples followed him. Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him, saying, ‘Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!’ He replied, ‘You of little faith, why are you so afraid?’ Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. The men were amazed and asked, ‘What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!'”

When Jesus fell asleep in the boat and then was awakened by the screaming disciples, He seemed disappointed or maybe exasperated at the disciples for having such little faith.

What if the disciples did not wake Him, but instead clung to Him? What if when they were scared, they quietly dropped to their knees at His feet or maybe just crawled up next to Him – just to be close to Him?

In times of trouble, maybe if we fall to our knees at His feet or just crawl into His arms to be held instead of allowing fear to grip us…whatever little faith we have will grow as we draw closer to Him during the storm. After all, Jesus is right there in the boat riding out the storms of life with us. Let Him hold you, hear Him telling you everything will be okay. Just be held in the loving arms of our Savior. Feel His love.

Keep Fighting

On March 3, 2024February 27, 2024 By JCIn Miscellaneous, Wounded Butterflies BlogLeave a comment

There is a common phrase that people say, “Keep fighting”. This phrase is applied to many situations and I am fairly certain you can think of one instance in your life that someone told you to keep fighting. Sometimes to keep fighting is not the answer. Instead of fighting, consider the many Bible verses that say to “stand firm”. There are over 30 verses that command us to “stand firm” between the Old and New Testament. From Moses to Ezra to Job to David to Solomon to Isaiah to Jesus to Paul and more – we are told to “stand firm”. See below for just a few example verses.

Exodus 14:13: “Moses answered the people, ‘Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again’.”

2 Chronicles 20:17: “You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you.”

Psalm 20:8: “They are brought to their knees and fall, but we rise up and stand firm.”

Isaiah 7:9 “If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all.”

Matthew 10:22: “You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.”

Luke 21:19 : “Stand firm, and you will win life.”

1 Corinthians 15:58: “Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you.”

1 Corinthians 16:13: “Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.”

Galatians 5:1: “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of sin.”

So how do we stand firm? 2 Corinthians 1:21 says “Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ.” The answer is God. God is how we stand firm. It is not in our own strength, but through our relationship with God that we are able to stand firm. So don’t just keep fighting in every situation without praying through whether God would have you fight or stand firm. If you feel God is telling you to stand firm, then know and believe God’s promises. There is no need to fight. “The Lord your God, who is going before you, will fight for you.” Deuteronomy 30:1.

Let’s pray. Father, please give us wisdom in our circumstances to know whether you would have us keep fighting or stand firm. Either way, please give us Your strength. In Jesus’ name, amen.

When Jesus is Too Late

On February 25, 2024February 18, 2024 By JCIn MiscellaneousLeave a comment

Even when things seem dire, there is a reason God allows divine interruptions. For example, the girl who died because the sick woman showed up and delayed Jesus. As you read these verses, focus on the father who came first to ask for Jesus’ help. Can you relate to him – there is an immediate need for Jesus to step in and help NOW. Why doesn’t Jesus respond right now, I need help!

Mark 5:21-36, “When Jesus had again crossed over by boat to the other side of the lake, a large crowd gathered around him while he was by the lake. Then one of the synagogue leaders, named Jairus, came, and when he saw Jesus, he fell at his feet. He pleaded earnestly with him, “My little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live.” So Jesus went with him. A large crowd followed and pressed around him. And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, because she thought, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.” Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering. At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my clothes?” “You see the people crowding against you,” his disciples answered, “and yet you can ask, ‘Who touched me?’ ” But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.” While Jesus was still speaking, some people came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue leader. “Your daughter is dead,” they said. “Why bother the teacher anymore?” Overhearing what they said, Jesus told him, “Don’t be afraid; just believe.”

When the man had first approached Jesus, his daughter was alive, then Jesus was delayed and she died. Sometimes God allows interruptions into our lives when things seem dire so we can draw closer to Him and He can receive even more glory. Jesus healed people all the time, which is a miracle, but to raise someone from the dead, an even bigger miracle. When Jesus appears too late and things get worse, instead of focusing on how bad things are getting, focus on Him. Ask Him, ‘How can I bring You glory in this trial?’

Let’s pray. Father in heaven, thank You for loving us. Lord, when we feel that you are late or not resolving issues fast or at all, please fill us with Your love. Fill us with trust in You. Please help us to keep our eyes on You and not on the problem we are facing. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Jesus Chose a Failure

On February 18, 2024February 12, 2024 By JCIn Miscellaneous, Wounded Butterflies BlogLeave a comment

In Luke 5:2-8, we see Jesus intentionally choose Peter’s boat. There were two boats in the water, so why did Jesus choose Peter’s?

“He noticed two empty boats at the water’s edge, for the fishermen had left them and were washing their nets. Stepping into one of the boats, Jesus asked Simon, its owner, to push it out into the water. So He sat in the boat and taught the crowds from there. When He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, “Now go out where it is deeper, and let down your nets to catch some fish.” “Master,” Simon replied, “we worked hard all last night and didn’t catch a thing. But if you say so, I’ll let the nets down again.” And this time their nets were so full of fish they began to tear! A shout for help brought their partners in the other boat, and soon both boats were filled with fish and on the verge of sinking. When Simon Peter realized what had happened, he fell to his knees before Jesus and said, “Oh, Lord, please leave me—I’m such a sinful man.””

Peter failed at fishing that night and also failed Jesus by denying Him three times during their time together leading up to the cross. But Jesus knew all that and still chose Peter from the start. Peter goes on to save many people and start many churches as a failure. Jesus restored Peter for the three times he denied Jesus. Jesus knows we are failures and will use us anyway. He intentionally chose you and me, despite your failures and mine. Nobody is perfect, just remember Jesus loves you, exactly as you are, failures and all. He chose you, exactly as you are.

Let’s pray.

Please use us even though we can be a mess and fail. Fill us with Your peace and help us to feel how incredibly deep Your love is for us, no matter how many times we fail. You love us and are right there waiting to love us each and every time we fail. Thank you Lord! In Jesus’ name, amen.