Girlfriends in God - July 9, 2008

July 9, 2008

The Spelling Train

Today’s Truth

For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:10

Friend to Friend

My hands were clammy. Beads of sweat formed on my brow. That familiar knot in the pit of my stomach threatened to push me towards the restroom and my dry tongue began to stick to the roof of my mouth. It was 10:25 AM. Just five more minutes and the dreaded event would begin: the first grade spelling train.

Twenty first graders slipped their munchkin-sized chairs from their desks to form a semi-circle around our chief engineer. I always put mine at the end. If we missed the spelling word, the teacher held up a flash card, and we had to move to the back of the train. The class chugged along at a quick pace. “Dog. Sally. Bob. Spot. Red. Blue. Mother.” Then it was my turn.

“Sharon, what is this word?”

Pause. Giggles.

Well, more often than not I had no idea. Even if I did know the word, I was so nervous that I would guess incorrectly, and simply sit in silence. I spent most of my time in the first grade in the caboose. As the year progressed, I did move up into the passenger cars a few times, but usually I didn’t stay there long enough to keep the seat warm.

I order to help me the teacher kept me after school for two weeks and made me wear a name tag that had the word “the” spelled out. I had particular trouble with that word. Kids came up to me and asked: “Are you stupid?” “Is your name ‘the’?” “Why do you have that name tag on?”

Eventually I did learn how to spell the word “the” but that’s not all I learned. I learned that I was stupid, not as smart as everybody else, and once again…not enough. But you know what? That wasn’t true. It was a lie from the enemy and it took many years for God to hold me by the hand and help me see myself as He sees me: a uniquely created, dearly loved, completely forgiven, totally accepted child of God.

That was over forty years ago, and now, my greatest joy is stringing written words together. I’ve noticed that life has many unusual twists and turns when God is at the helm. He takes our greatest weaknesses and turns them into our grandest strengths. That’s what happens when we turn our lives over to Him – we get out of the caboose and get to ride up with the chief engineer to places we never imaged possible.

Let’s Pray

Dear Heavenly Father, it is amazing to think of all that You have done in my life. You have taken my greatest weaknesses and turned them into my greatest strengths. When I am weak, through the power of the Holy Spirit, I am strong. Thank You for working in me and through me, and help me never again to believe the lies of the enemy that say “I’m not enough”. In Jesus’ Name, Amen

Now it’s Your Turn

Do you see yourself as God sees you?

Here are just a few glimpses of what He sees when He sees you.

Matthew 6:26 Valuable

John 15:15 Christ’s friend

Romans 8:1 Free from condemnation

Romans 8:37 More than a conqueror

Ephesians 1:1 A saint

Ephesians 1:3 Blessed

Ephesians 1:7 Redeemed

Ephesians 1:11 Chosen

Colossians 1:20 Holy

This week, write these verses on a card and put them on your bathroom mirror. Every time you look at yourself, remember, this is how God sees you.

More from the Girlfriends

Today’s devotion was taken from Sharon new devotional book, Extraordinary Moments with God. Come with Sharon as she dusts for God’s fingerprints that change ordinary days into extraordinary moments. As you explore this treasury of stories highlighting “God moments” in the lives of fellow travelers, you too will begin to sense His presence in extraordinary ways. If you would like a laminated card filled with verses about your identity in Christ, you can find that on her website as well.