Persevering the Staircase of Suffering

Sherri Cullison is a phenomenal woman who has found God to be "enough" in her struggles. In this Perseverance UPGRADE, she shares three ways to cultivate perseverance in times of suffering.

“I am so excited you’re giving me your exercise bike,” Sherri exclaimed. "My uncle stood stunned, eyes wide and straight-faced."

I (Dawn) have to tell you, I met Sherri some years ago, after she suffered a terrible loss. Yet she was engaging and eager to see how God might use her in spite of her pain. I have been blessed to see her perseverance.

In this article, she writes about two different kinds of suffering she's experienced, and how perseverance helped her deal with both.

Sherri continues . . .

Truthfully, I really was excited about the exercise bike. For months, I wanted to lose weight to feel stronger and healthier, but I couldn’t exercise standing due to an old injury.

I had the desire to reduce fat and build muscle, but I felt chained to the recliner, hopeless of ever becoming fit. But now, with a little work, I could pedal myself away on a new journey of fitness.

I knew I had to start slow and easy, so I set a goal of pedaling for five minutes.

Quickly, my lungs labored, and my leg muscles burned.

My will grew weak, and I wanted to give up.

Then I pushed myself a little harder and finished my first five minutes. Hurray.

Now I’m a world-class athlete. Not likely. But what brings success to my goal? Persevering on this uncomfortable contraption for just a few minutes every day.

Several years ago, I thought perseverance wasn’t an option.

After losing my youngest daughter Sarah, I trudged through my grief-walk each day, dreading the next.

• My body operated as if fifty-pound weights were anchored to my ankles.
• My mind floated in a fog and functioned unreliably.
• Tears came easy and the hands of anxiety choked my breath away.
• There were days I wasn’t sure I would even make it to the next.

Sometimes we feel we’ll never recover from life’s struggles, but how we choose to handle our circumstances is vital to surviving life-altering changes.

The suffering we often experience is incomprehensible, yet God’s Word encourages us:

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope (Romans 5:1-4 NIV).

Certainly, I didn’t feel like “glory-ing” in my suffering when I lost my daughter, but God promised that in my suffering I would find perseverance.

And then character.

And finally, hope.

With hope, I knew I could get through this nightmare.

How do we grasp this hope that God promises? Three helpful answers are found in Hebrews 12.

1. Choose to Run the Race with Endurance.

Hebrews 12:1 (NLT)

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily hinders our progress. And let us run with endurance the race that God has set before us.

Sometimes that means letting go of sin’s grip.

When we’re sinning, we don’t want to run with God. We would rather walk on our own.

Often, we need to downsize our responsibilities. It’s okay to say no, and it’s okay to remove those heavy things in our lives that slow us down.

Allow yourself the grace to simplify your life.

2. Choose to Consistently Fix Our Eyes on Jesus.

Hebrews 12:2, 3 (NLT)

We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from start to finish. He was willing to die a shameful death on the cross because of the joy he knew would be his afterward.

Think about all he endured when sinful people did such terrible things to him, so that you don’t become weary and give up.

Jesus endured merciless beatings, humiliation, and imminent death. However, we fix our eyes on our current situation and honestly, not enough on Jesus and what He endured.

Pursuing time alone with Him every day will bring light to our dark situation. Pray simple prayers and allow him to carry your heavy load.

3. Choose to Persevere in Living a Life that Others Follow.

Hebrews 12:12 (NLT)

So, take a new grip with your tired hands and stand firm on your shaky legs. Mark out a straight path for your feet. Then those who follow you, though they are weak and lame, will not stumble and fall but will become strong.

Paul wasn’t kidding when he said our hands would be tired and our legs shaky.

Some steps of life begin at the bottom of a long, dark staircase where we hesitate to even take the first step. But God tells us to mark out a straight path. Map your thoughts and actions, and don’t give up.

Push to persevere. Then watch others follow and become strong.

You’ve just built character here. And that, my friend, leads to hope.

What steps will you take this week to pursue your goals and meet glory in your suffering?

Sherri J. Cullison, author and speaker, knows the pain and devastation life brings. Whether your hope is treading or sinking, Sherri’s heart for hope reveals how we can manage our everyday struggles to claim joy and love life.  In her recent book, SOS: A Mother’s Story of Survival, Rescue, and Hope in the Darkness of Teen Suicide, Sherri shares the heartbreaking loss of her daughter and the evidence of God’s healing, forgiveness, and restoration. Sherri and her husband live in Arizona and have two children, seven grandchildren, five pianos, and one RZR. Discover more about Sherri and her story at www.sherrijcullison.com

Nurturing Gratitude

Sally Ferguson has a tender heart, but she's no wimp; she is strong in the Lord! In this Thanksgiving and Spiritual Growth UPGRADE, she reminds us we can always choose our attitudes, and when the going gets tough, nurturing gratitude is a healthy, godly choice."Testing pushes our limits, our boundaries and our comfort zones," Sally says.

And I (Dawn) don't like that kind of testing! But I know God has worked through difficulties in my own life, and as He worked in my heart, I found I could say "Thank You" for even those tough times.

Sally continues . . .

Trials remove our masks, our crutches and our vices.

When we have to roll up our sleeves and do the hard thing, we find a deeper reserve within: a strength endowed by the Lord.

Out of that reserve grows an abiding sense of gratitude for what God has given, and an underlying contentment, knowing God is in control.

• He is present.
• He is protective of His own.
• As my pastor-husband says, “God is always present and at work in our lives.”

In Philippians, Paul tells us his secret to contentment; he found strength provided by God.

A recent chain of events revealed that provision for me.

When my mom-in-love fractured her back, her stay in Covid-restricted rehab brought a drop in her ability to function and communicate. We felt helpless as we watched her decline from vitality to memory loss and dependence on others for everything she needed.

My journey from New York to Florida became more than a mission to help in desperate times. It became my heart’s cry to lean on God’s strength.

How do you NURTURE GRATITUDE in difficult times?

Here are some tips that help me:

1. Hum.

Music restores perspective when we lift up praise to the Lord. It’s hard to focus on your problems when words are lilting through your head.

2. Rest.

A nap can do wonders for an attitude adjustment. Curl up in a cozy blanket and float away to dreamland.

3. Exercise.

On a particularly frustrating day, I went for a long walk and paced out my frustrations. It was the change I needed.

How can you add movement to your day?

4. Eat.

What are you putting into your body? Sweets may give a temporary rush, but the sugar drop later can be devastating.

Try fresh fruit, veggie sticks, smoothies, nuts and cheese. Even if your appetite is suppressed by anxiety, healthy snacks and protein can boost your mood.

5. Talk.

Family members and friends are eager to help, but feel helpless to step into your chaos.

Share memories of happy times through phone calls and text messages when you can’t sit around the table and chat. Include them in your thought processes and find your load lighter because of linking arms in the battle.

In Redeeming Love, The Companion Study, Francine Rivers says we need to remind ourselves, “God is still in control.”

When I try that phrase after stating each problem, it turns the problem upside down:  My mom-in-love’s health is declining, but God is still in control.

What phrase can you insert?

"_______, but God is still in control."

I’m grateful for this time with my mom-in-love. We’re sharing memories as we have a nail spa, sing, and watch movies together. Painting her nails helps her feel grand when life isn’t so grand. We’re finding good in the midst of uncertainty and confusion.

One night after getting her in bed, she whispered in the dark, “What’s wrong with me?”

Her heart-wrenching questions mirror ours, as we find no easy answers.

It’s this phase of life in-between the known and the unknown.

Aging gives the benefit of hindsight and the wisdom that comes with experience. But, for some, it also gifts Alzheimer’s and achy bones, muscles that won’t cooperate and loss of buoyance.

How we navigate these passages may vary from one person to the next.

Francine Rivers says,

“When you are depressed, discouraged, or exhausted, find a quiet place to sit and reflect on the faithfulness of God. You may be in a momentary lull, but God is not... keep your mind focused on His goodness and faithfulness. He will never fail you.”

Over the last three months, I’ve been replenished by God’s faithfulness repeatedly.

2 Corinthians 9:11 has shown God’s generosity poured out through our family as we take this path together, and others come alongside us. The Lord stretches us and then equips us so we can bless His name. We are blessed by beautiful grace!

I told my friend Kathy, “I’m finding joy, because I know I’m right where the Lord wants me. I’m finding out I can do what I never thought I could, and that’s a great gift from the Lord.”

She said, “The Lord is empowering you with His strength to fulfill His purpose for this time. And it brings you joy! Wow!”

Yes, His grace is beautiful!

Has testing depleted your resources? Don’t be afraid, God’s grace shows up at the exact time you need it! Which of the five suggestions for nurturing gratitude could you try today?

Sally Ferguson is a caregiver for her dad and her grands, and writing a Bible study for caregivers. She lives in western New York with her hubby of 33 years. Look for her words at EzineArticles, AlmostAnAuthor, Upgrade with Dawn, Amazon and sallyferguson.net

Graphic adapted, courtesy of Junior Moran at Unsplash.

A Season of Quarantined or Cocooned?

Joanie Shawhan is skilled at finding positive lessons in the midst of seemingly negative circumstances. In this Spiritual Growth UPGRADE, she writes about how the recent quarantine was, for her, a time of transformation.

"Frightened, bewildered and shut away—the hallmarks of this quarantined season," Joanie says.

Like many, I (Dawn) struggled many days with feelings of being shut away, but then the Lord showed me fresh insights about living. In the midst of great losses, many also experienced great blessings of spiritual growth.

Joanie continues . . .

I don’t understand why we’ve been engulfed in a pandemic and why so many people suffered the loss of loved ones and livelihood.

The following verse has challenged me:

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding (Proverbs 3:5 NKJV).

“Trust me,” God says.

Do I trust nothing bad will happen? Bad things happen to good people, even God’s people. But I don’t place my trust in my circumstances.

I trust in the God who walks with me through all my seasons, including brokenness. 

As we emerge from quarantine, I wonder, were we truly isolated?

Maybe we’ve been hidden.

Sequestered away, I felt God had wrapped me in a cocoon, hiding me, sheltering me, drawing me to Himself. But the cocoon was not a place of inactivity.

Deep within, hidden, God was at work transforming me.

Maybe He has been transforming all of us—stripping away stinky mindsets, attitudes and trappings. Replacing dead works with His truth and love.

How we emerge from our cocoons, spun by the hand of God in response to the crisis, will depend upon the nourishment we received while hidden in Him. Nourishment that comes from His Word and His presence—healing and recreating us into His image. Restoring our identity in Christ.

While we were hidden away...

What qualities did God cultivate in our hearts? 

1. Faith

Our faith increased as our hearts responded to God's love and His goodness. We became confident He is for us and not against us.

2. Trust

We grew in trust, as we experienced God’s faithfulness even when we didn’t understand the whys of our circumstances.

3. Peace

We focused on Christ and His Word, calming our hearts in the face of fear and anxiety.

4. Love.

God continually reached out to us and drew us to Himself by His love, a love that never changes despite our weaknesses and failures.

5. Hope.

We know God moved on our behalf even when we couldn’t see any evidence of change. He promised us a future filled with hope.

6. Humility.

We recognized the situation we faced was out of our control and we couldn’t fix it. Only the God who created the universe could bring order out of this chaos.

Like butterflies, we can’t remain in the chrysalis forever.

We must also emerge, changed and transformed. But our beauty reflects the image of Christ.

What aspects of God might we manifest as we emerge from a season hidden in Christ?

1. Compassion — During our confinement, we learned to listen to God’s heart, His love and compassion for a hurting world.

2. Grace — God softened our hearts, reminding us everyone has a story. He enables us to extend grace to those whose viewpoints and feelings are different than our own.

I like John Stott’s definition of grace, “Grace is love that stoops and rescues.”

3. Joy — The joy we experienced in the presence of the Lord will flow through us to others. This joy will strengthen us as we move forward to fulfill our purpose and destiny.

God is looking for vessels transformed by His love, ready to minister to a hurting world.

We go forth with the compassion, grace and joy God instilled in us while we were sequestered away with Him.

We will be able to proclaim along with David:

He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear the Lord and put their trust in him (Psalm 40:3 NIV).

What transformation have you experienced during this season of confinement?

Joanie Shawhan is an ovarian cancer survivor, registered nurse, speaker, Selah Awards Finalist for In Her Shoes: Dancing in the Shadow of Cancer, and radio and television guest. Contact Joanie: www.joanieshawhan.com.

Upgrades from COVID-19

Cathy Horning has a tender heart toward the Lord, receptive to His voice and eager to respond with trust and obedience. In this Spiritual Life UPGRADE, she writes about how she prays the Lord will transform her life because of the coronavirus.

“At the writing of this post,” Cathy says, “our beloved California is waiting on edge for the surge of COVID-19.”

Like many other Christ-followers, I (Dawn) have been contemplating the changes God might want to make in my life as the crisis of the coronavirus passes. Cathy encourages us to make those thoughts more concrete through prayer and intentional choices.

Cathy continues . . .

By the time you read this, hopefully, we will have passed the crisis, and life as we knew it will begin to get back to normal.

Although, my prayer is that we will never be normal again.

COVID-19 took most of us by surprise. It turned our lives upside down, at best, as it devastated hundreds of thousands, at its worst.

To be honest, besides the fear of sickness and death, finances and what the future would hold, my family was part of the population who were merely inconvenienced by the stay-at-home, shelter-in-place, six-foot-separation quarantine that our leaders ordered.

However besides their disruption to my days, these restrictions revealed a lot about my character, my spiritual condition, as well as how unprepared I was.

My prayer is that once the constraints are lifted and our freedoms are restored, my life will have been upgraded by the COVID-19 Refiner’s fire.

I hope I will be:

• Less set in my familiar and comfortable ways,
• More Christ-like in my attitude and actions, and
• More prepared and fully equipped for future curve-balls, crises and trials that will come our way.   

1. I want to be MORE GRATEFUL.

I hope I will never again take for granted everyday conveniences like stocked grocery store shelves, hand sanitizer, cleaning supplies, toilet paper and the people who make it readily available for us all.

I never again want to assume I will always have the freedom of hugs, coffee shop visits, and family times and outings.

2. I want to be A WILLING SERVANT.

Being stuck at home revealed to me how selfish I am, and how rigid my routine.

I want to be willing to serve others, as if I was serving Jesus Himself, in big ways and small ones, in the comfortable and, especially, in the uncomfortable and inconvenient.

I don’t want to grumble and complain that I must cook and clean more, because there are people at home—all the time—to take care of.

3. I want to be MORE PREPARED and PROACTIVE.

I intend to be more conscientious about and purposeful to not shut out the needs of others, which I realized can happen tucked away safely in the cocoon of my own world.

I will strive to be more connected with my neighbors, to reach out to those in need, and to be aware of and available to help those who are homebound, sick, or hurting.

I pray to walk so closely with Jesus that I can be used to meet the unspoken and unmet needs of others. 

When life returns to normal, I pray there will be an upgrade in my life.

What do I want to see?

• I don’t want to be haphazard and wasteful.
• I don’t want to be resentful or disgruntled when I’m asked to serve in inconvenient ways, times and places.
• And, I don’t want to close my eyes to or look away from others' needs.
• I don’t want to hang my hope and trust in everything working well or going right or staying the same. Nor do I want to live in fear. Instead, I will live my life filled with faith, led by the Spirit, and more prepared and purposeful to share my faith and my life.

Luke 12:35-37, 42-44 (TPT) says,

'Be prepared for action at a moment’s notice. Be like the servants who anticipate their master’s return…They are ready to unlock and open the door for him at a moment’s notice. What great joy is ahead for the awakened ones who are waiting for the Master’s return!...

A trustworthy and thoughtful manager who understands the ways of his master will be given a ministry of responsibility in his master’s house, serving others exactly what they need at just the right time. And when the master returns, he will find that his servant has served him well. I can promise you, he will be given a great reward and will be placed as an overseer of everything the master owns.'

Today, and every day—disaster or not—I hope and pray my upgrades from COVID-19 are that:

• I will be more grateful;
• I will be a willing servant; and
• I will be prepared and proactive.  

What upgrade has COVID-19 made in your life?

Cathy Horning has been a women’s ministry leader, Bible Study teacher, speaker and writer for almost three decades. She loves the Word of God. Nothing brings her greater joy than encouraging women how to walk in God's ways. Cathy is a popular speaker, blogger and writer, as well as a beloved wife to her husband of 37 years, mom to four, grammy to 13, and spiritual mom to many. She is the author of Letters from a Mother's Heart—Timeless Truths from One Mom's Journey. Read more about her on her website.

Graphic, "Thank You," courtesy of Chrystal Elizabeth at Pixabay.

Community in the Time of COVID-19

Morgan Farr is a strong voice for biblical truth and practical Christian living. In this Spiritual Life and Ministry UPGRADE, she reminds us of the strength found in Christian community, especially during tough times like the coronavirus pandemic.

"Social distancing and isolation can be incredibly lonely." Morgan says.

"Many people all over the country are feeling the strain of Covid-19 on their lives and relationships. But it doesn’t have to be that way!"

I (Dawn) have watched lonely neighbors struggle during the coronavirus pandemic. This isn't the time for Christians to hunker down, but rather to reach out to them. There are ways to safely minister to others—especially to the "household of faith" (Galatians 6:10).

Morgan continues . . .

Dietrich Bonhoeffer said,

“Every Christian community must realize that not only do the weak need the strong, but also that the strong cannot exist without the weak.

"The elimination of the weak is the death of fellowship.”

The good news is that we live in an age of incredible technology, allowing us to still communicate despite the separation! 

As Christians, we should still have the best community out there.

Here is how to maintain community during the Covid-19 social distancing without needing fancy online technology or computer access.   

1. Make a List.

The very first thing I did to prepare for social distancing was to make a list of all the people that I wanted to stay in contact with. This list included people from my Bible studies, moms from our homeschool co-op and distant family members.

I have:

• a list of people that I text every single morning,
• a list of people I text on Sundays, and
• a list of people that I am sending snail mail to multiple times per month.   

Who can you reach out to today?

2. Set an Alarm.

A list is great, but how do you remember to look at your list?

• I set an alarm on my iPhone labeled “Text the Love” for my daily check in,
• I set an alarm for “Love on the Lord’s Day” for the Sunday texts.
• I set an alarm that just has an emoji of a snail for naptime on Saturdays to write my letters and cards.

When the alarm goes off, I do the activity.

No pauses; no snoozing the alarms.  

3. Reach Out.

If you are feeling lonely or having a hard time, do not hesitate to reach out to people in the body of Christ.

I know the diaconate at our local church is working tirelessly to be available to the church via phone, Zoom, FaceTime and more.

Titus 2:2-8 says, 

"Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance.

"Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good.

"Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.

"Similarly, encourage the young men to be self-controlled.

"In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us."

If you are in need of someone to talk to, contact your local church, and ask to be put in contact with an elder or deacon.

Let the elder men and women of the church love and instruct you. It is what God has called them to do!

Finally, in this time of social distancing, don’t distance yourself from God.

• Maintain your quiet time,
• be in the Word of God every single day,
• memorize scripture, and
• pray as much as you can.

This is a scary time for many people, but for the followers of Jesus Christ we know that this is just a part of the story, and that it is all in God’s hands!  

Who can you reach out to today? 

Morgan Farr is a Texas-loving, succulent-cultivating, book nerd. Stationed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this Army wife is working to better love her husband, develop her three (soon to be four!) small children, and learn more about homeschool. Morgan is a homemaker dedicating her time to ministering to other Army wives through Bible studies, one-on-one mentoring, and physical training. She writes about her transition out of feminism and into biblical womanhood at The Forgiven Former Feminist.