choices - Ellen Chauvin | Soaked & Sprouting

Choosing Well

October 10, 2019 by Ellen 4 Comments

This month I am flinging open the doors to my online home. I’m celebrating six years of publicly writing, via this blog, and I’ve met some pretty amazing people along the way. Janet Hines is one of them. Her soft spoken voice carries such a depth of wisdom, and her story touched me deeply. A huge congratulations to Janet on the release of her very first book! Details are below!

There are many times the storms on the water reflect the storms within me. The effects are wide spread and far reaching.

Way too often life brings challenge after challenge, leaving us feeling like we have no ability to choose what’s happening. Many years ago, in response to the comment by one of my kids, “yea, it’s Sunday, we have to go to church,” I responded in awe, “we don’t have to go to church, we get to go to church.” It is a privilege and an honor to be able to worship our living God.

Looking into circumstances in every day life, many times we feel we are robbed of our options and we are left feeling resentful and angry. In the last few years, I work hard at changing my outlook to these circumstances.

How would it change my outlook if I change my attitude? I do get to choose that. My response to the “things” that make me feel helpless and angry is to seek an opportunity that will rob the power of these circumstances. I want to replace their power with the power of my Lord and Savior. There are many times I have really had to dig deep – deeper than ever before – to be able to find and give God the opportunity. I get to choose though. I am not helpless.

This is almost the same view after the storm passed. We must remember God restores us through the storms. Our relationship changes and we learn more about Him and ourselves in the process which changes everything.

Then they cried out to the Lord because of their problems. And he brought them out of their troubles. He made the storm as quiet as a whisper. The waves of the ocean calmed down. The people were glad when the ocean became calm. Then He guided them to the harbor they were looking for. Let them give thanks to the Lord for his faithful love. Let them give thanks for the miracles he does for his people. Psalm 107:28-31

And through this process, I find the peace Jesus talks about – the peace that passes all understanding.

What if I constantly change my “have to’s” to “I get to’s”?

See what happened there? I took the power that helplessness had over me and I gave it to God.

When we allow that feeling of helplessness to be the trigger that reminds us to respond by turning to God and handing it to Him, everything changes.  I pray you will find a shift in you and your relationship with Him as you begin to practice this response.

And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ. Philippians 4:7

I want my heart and my mind to be guarded by God and my heart’s desire is to experience The Peace He promises us here.

We get to choose to engage Him in our lives and walk into the future with Him there. To Him be the glory!

PS – In full disclosure, I wrote this early one morning. I had no idea how the day was going to unfold. I felt God gave me these words to write to myself because He knew by end of day, I would need them. Isn’t He amazing? I sit here and smile at His rich presence in my life, in full gratitude and praise.
I pray you find comfort too.

“Lord, Father, thank You for the experience of meeting You in the storms in our lives. I praise You for Your presence there. Thank You Father for allowing us the privilege of worshipping You. We humbly bow before You to serve through the gifts You have given us. To You, Lord, be the glory forever and ever. Amen.”

About Janet:
Janet is a photographer and author on a journey of restoration and learning to be grateful for brokenness. Through photography, travel experiences and writing, she brings together pieces of life in ways that connect with the hurting people who need to know they are not alone. Her heart’s desire is to build a community of hope through sharing Christ all of her days.

Janet recently published her first book: Between the Valley & the Mountaintop, Glimpses of God in the Middle Places.

So much of life is spent in those “between” places. Janet has combined her love for photography and gift of noticing beauty in the journey into this dynamic devotional-style message. Janet transparently shares about how she saw glimpses of God in the triumphs, trials and everything in between.

Follow Janet’s story and her amazing photos on Facebook or Instagram.

From Homesick to Home: Exile

August 11, 2014 by Ellen 2 Comments

“Mama, you know how Christians are filled with the Holy Spirit? If someone isn’t a Christian, do you think they are filled with evil spirits?”

“Well darlin’, it’s one or the other.”

One or the other. A choice. That’s where I was.

I was lost as a goose without Mama. I wish there was a prettier way to write it – something more profound. But I was just lost. Floundering. Grieving. Homesick and feeling like an exile (Exiled – to be away from one’s home). I had to make a choice. Would I camp here in my misery and grief? Or would I live the life God had called me to live.

I had to decide. I could exist here in exile, throwing a huge pity party and missing Mama, or I could follow the prophet Jeremiah’s advice on how to live as an exile.

This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says to all the captives he has exiled to Babylon from Jerusalem: “Build homes, and plan to stay. Plant gardens, and eat the food they produce. Marry and have children. Then find spouses for them so that you may have many grandchildren. Multiply! Do not dwindle away! And work for the peace and prosperity of the city where I sent you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, for its welfare will determine your welfare.” Jeremiah 29:4-7 (NLT)

God is telling the exiles to accept their captivity. They weren’t going home any time soon. They needed to make homes for themselves. To live as exiles, we must do the same. Like tenants in rental houses, we need to make this earth as much our home as we can. Plan to stay, get comfortable; but know this is not our permanent home.

The exiles in Babylon were encouraged to build families in order to keep the Jewish blood line from becoming extinct. We also need to build our families and friendships. Doing this will establish close relationships here. Get to know your neighbors and co-workers. Tell them about your real home. Share with them the hope we have. Be a part in keeping God’s kingdom growing.

We need to go where God sends us, and grow where He plants us.

We also need to pray for the cities where the Lord has sent us into exile. Pray for peace in your city. Pray for prosperity in your city.

Why do we need to do all this? I certainly didn’t feel like it, after Mama’s death. I felt like a four year old, about to throw a temper tantrum: arms crossed and bottom lip pouting. I didn’t want to make myself at home and build relationships, much less pray for my city. Why did I have to do all this?

Because the exiles were the best of the best.

2 Kings 24:14-15 (NLT) King Nebuchadnezzar took all of Jerusalem captive, including all the commanders and the best of the soldiers, craftsmen, and artisans—10,000 in all. Only the poorest people were left in the land. Nebuchadnezzar led King Jehoiachin away as a captive to Babylon, along with the queen mother, his wives and officials, and all Jerusalem’s elite.

All of Jerusalem’s elite were taken into exile. The Babylonians didn’t hesitate to use the best of God’s people to help build and strengthen their land.

As God’s people, temporarily exiled here on earth, we are to be shining examples to the world. The wheat among tares, the silver floating above the dross. We are to glorify God and shine His light in all that we do.

“Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may be innocent and pure as God’s perfect children, who live in a world of corrupt and sinful people. You must shine among them like stars lighting up the sky” Philippians 2:14-15 (GNT)

It’s a choice we make. One or the other. Walk intimately with Jesus, be the best we can in His strength and shine His light. Or blend into the world…

What choice are you making?

To read Part 1, click here: Stranger

To read Part 2, click here: Sojourner

Photography by John Chauvin