Highlighting the hope that we have in Christ!

Today was just a typical day around here for my family. I awoke to two kiddos eager to be up and at ‘em just a few minutes past six. I, of course am dragging myself out of bed and I am dying to make my way into the kitchen for that glorious cup of coffee! All along the way, my kids are happily and energetically hopping along right at my heels making their many food and drink requests. The minute our feet hit the floor in the Capps household, it’s go time!

Finally a moment came for a breather while my son started his dictionary work. I decided to use this as an opportunity to jump on my stationary bike for a few minutes of exercise. I always set my workouts to interval training because I know, left up to me, I would never have the challenging exercise I really need. And, man, I am always relieved when I am back down to a lower level of resistance!

Today as I was biking, I was really focusing on keepings my speed up at every level and I noticed that my speed was really at its highest when I FELT like it was at its worst. The resistance would drop way low making it super easy to pedal, allowing my knees pop up and down about as fast as popcorn popping in a pot! Although I felt faster, my speed was always lower by about 2 mph when biking at this level. As the resistance started to go back up again, I felt like I was doing an awful job keeping up the pace, but my biking speed was always highest when the resistance was at its highest.

I noticed that I was really performing at my best when my workout felt the hardest and when I felt like I was performing my worst because it was HARD. When my efforts were paired with the right amount of resistance it was the dynamic duo. As I thought about this, I remembered James chapter one where it talks about the trials we encounter in life and how we can consider them a joy when we face them. Life is not easy and trials come in all shapes and sizes and they are HARD. Trials, life lived at greater resistance, do not feel joyful. We all have junk come our way that we would rather not deal with and instead we’d rather hit the big ‘PASS’ button. But something about these moments of resistance and difficulty are powerful for those of us in Christ because of the great work God is doing in us in those moments. The person following Jesus and also walking through a trial seem to encounter a dynamic duo.

At this point in life you may feel as if you are running the race and it feels as if you are doing so horribly, but one thing I have learned is that our feelings do a great job of deceiving us more often than not. The trial you are in may be difficult and you feel as if it is all that you can do to keep going, but know that God is doing a great work in your life right now in that difficulty. He’s not waiting until the trial is over to a good work in you!
Now, I do undoubtedly know that if I had continued upping the resistance to higher levels I would have gotten to a point of being unable to pedal, but that’s the beauty of God’s grace. God never gives us more than we can handle, but He allows enough to produce the beautiful fruit He so desires to see displayed in our lives and to finish the great work in you that He started.

When you hit the path with greater resistance, you learn to lean on truth rather than feelings and you see the presence and work of God at such a greater capacity! So keep running the race with perseverance! God’s doing so much more than you know and the beauty is, it’s all for His glory!

Over the past 16 years that my husband and I have been married, my father in law has taken a lot of joy in telling me about the time that he and my husband, Jasper, were at the grocery store. I believe Jasper was 2 or 3 at the time, and he was insistent that he was going to carry the gallon of milk. My father in law placed the gallon of milk on the floor and watched as his little boy tried with all his might to lift the gallon of milk.
After several tries, and no success, Jasper finally looked to his father and said, “Hebby Daddy. Hebby Daddy. Help me.” With a laugh, my father in law gladly picked up the gallon of milk that his young son was unable to carry- and honestly, it wasn’t meant for him to carry.

As I think about this story, I was drawn to Matthew 11:28-30
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart,
and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

I think we can all imagine how cute it would be to watch a determined 2 or 3 year old try to carry a gallon of milk to the front of the store, especially because we all know it wouldn’t happen. Jasper was not physically able to carry that milk, and as long as he stood there trying to carry something that he was never meant to carry, he remained stagnant.

Sometimes, I think we also make the same attempts that mirror a 2/3 year old child trying to carry a gallon of milk. How often do we try to carry things that were never meant for us to carry and remain stagnant, instead of stopping and saying, Heavenly Father, today I give to you what I cannot bear, what I cannot carry.”

We were not made to carry all the burdens this life has, no matter how big or small they may be, and Jesus tells us to come to Him and He will give us rest. The solution is quite simple, but one that requires the faith to say, “Heavy Father. Heavy Father. Please help me.”

When something becomes difficult, I’m tempted to abandon ship! My first inclination when difficulty arises is that “this clearly must not be for me!” But, I am quickly learning that is not always the reality of following God’s call, and that just because something becomes hard, doesn’t mean that its should not be done or pursued.

I think that we have all encountered days where we are ready to throw in the towel, with our hands thrown up and say, “I’m done!” But often times it’s at these moments where God is busy doing a great work, and a much greater faith and trust in Him is required.

Moses was given an extremely hard task, and was definitely a task that needed to be done despite its’ difficulty. I can’t even imagine how intimidating it would have been to face the powerful ruler, Pharaoh,  and demand that he release all of his slaves, but Moses knew the power of his God,  and therefore, his faith was steadfast in God!

“By faith he (Moses) left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw Him who is invisible.” Hebrews 11:27

As you go about your day and encounter difficult tasks, know that the God who went before Moses also goes before you!  God of the Bible is still God of today and He has not changed!

In our trying moments,  may our faith rise above difficult and necessary tasks  that God has set  before us,  following Moses’s example to “see Him who is invisible” and trust completely in God’s ability to see us through!

Nothing tests your faith like a trial, and nothing allows you to see the magnitude of God’s faithfulness than when you stand on the other side of the trial and look back.

Highlighting Hope was birthed in a time of great trial and great change. In September of 2016, we experienced the loss of our third child due to miscarriage. As common as miscarriages can be, it was a tremendous loss felt by our family. The very next week, my husband was moved into a new position for work, which meant he was going to start working on a jobsite three hours from home. This was an opportunity that we had prayed and waited for, yet it seemed so ill-timed. I found myself being filled with anger and bitterness because I felt left to handle everything on my own at such a fragile time. I was grieving, trying to heal physically and emotionally, and continue to be the mother that my two children needed. As days passed, I found myself feeling like I needed to stop and catch my breath and yet life steadily continued on, stopping for nothing.

Looking back, I realized that I was never alone or abandoned. God was steadily at work and doing a lot of new things in the life our family; but what He was teaching me was a greater dependence upon Him and a greater surrender to Him. Never had I been more desperate to remember, see, and believe upon the hope I have in Christ. As the months passed, it was as if God began highlighting all around me the reason for my hope to be in Him and His voice of truth became louder and more prevalent than ever before.
We all go through valleys- but thankfully, those who have the hope of Jesus, know that we are never left to walk through the valley alone. Jesus always walks with us and his “rod and staff” comforts and guides us along the path, even when we cannot see. Though, we may feel like we are in the dark, I take great rest in knowing that even the darkness is not dark to our Savior, for darkness is as light with him (Psalm 139).

In the night, in great despair
Lord, Jesus you are there
The Great I am, you light my way
For even in the darkness you still shine.

Jesus you are my hope in the night
I have no need to wait till morning
Cause even in the darkness, you shine as bright as the day.

Lord, you lift me up and your right hand holds me.
In your goodness, you are ever sustaining me
Never will you let me fall.

Jesus you are my hope in the night
I have no need to wait till morning
Cause even in the darkness, you shine as bright as the day.

Arise, O Lord, and shine on us!
Your light has come and It fills this place!!
Open up our mouths to declare you praise
For you alone are our hope in the night
And you never stop lighting the way!!
Scripture references:
Psalm 139, Psalm 55:2, Psalm 51:15, Isaiah 60:1

Blessings to you as you read!