I haven’t been feeling well, so this will probably be a short post this week, but I wanted to still get on here & hopefully pass on some encouragement to you.
Sometimes God gives you exactly what you ask of Him when you’re in need, to show you that He is able to provide your every need, but sometimes He doesn’t, because He wants you to recognize that He is your true & only need.
God’s Impossible Peace
Being sick recently has only been a reminder of living through both the super typhoon on Guam, as well as the 2 months of sleeplessness I endured months ago. In my crying out to Him for help—for the end of my struggling—He didn’t remove the struggle, which frustrated me for sure, but it taught me that when the suffering didn’t end, He was right there in the suffering to comfort me & give me strength.
It’s a strange thing to both recognize how miserable & weak you are & still feel a sense of okay-ness about it—like God’s got you even if things don’t get any easier.
I guess it all goes back to His impossible peace, (read about that, here: “How You Can Have Impossible Peace”) which He supplies when we learn to rest in Him. It’s “impossible peace” because it makes no sense & shouldn’t be able to exist in the midst of your current circumstances—& yet somehow, there it is to carry you through.
“do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7)
Having “Even If” Type Faith
I will be the first to admit that I hate suffering. I want my comfort zone like my life depends on it… which is why I have gone through some pretty bad pits of spiralling despair—like in Hokkaido when I begged for an easier time & God did not supply that relief. I didn’t understand then that God wanted me to learn to find my hope in Him rather than in the end of my struggling.
Having an “Even If” type of faith is not easy (read more about what it means to have “even if” faith, here: “Even If…”), because sometimes it means accepting that the hard will just keep on coming… that you will continue to feel weak & incapable & at the end of yourself… but the truth is that we cannot control our circumstances, that hard will come whether we like it or not, & that God never promises easy… so you have a choice in that—to turn to our source of HOPE or turn away from Him & struggle without His comfort, love, strength, & care to see you through it with His peace.
A Quick Encouragement on Finding Hope When Suffering Doesn’t Seem to Stop
Even knowing all of this, I still struggle choosing Him. I want the hard to just stop & feel frustrated, hurt & sometimes even angry when He doesn’t make it so.
But every new hard is an opportunity for me to practice turning to Him instead, even if I don’t understand why He allows the suffering… so I can see that while I hate the suffering, He is always sufficient in it.
What will you choose next time?Or maybe you’re facing suffering right now?
Choosing to Turn to God When the Hard Doesn’t Stop
My sore throat has made it hard to swallow with the swelling & painful irritation… so sleep has eluded me for most of 2 nights now, plus continued pain & discomfort & trust me… I am so over it! I just want the constant pain, discomfort, & sleeplessness (& nighttime sobs) to end so I can feel like myself again—I’m even visiting family for the only time this year!
But I am going to make conscious effort to say, “God, I may hate feeling this way, but over the last 2 days, in my suffering, discomfort, inconvenient sickness, & pain… I have seen You show up & help me maintain an attitude that allowed me to still make happy memories with the family we are visiting rather than wallowing in despair from the constant pain. You have given me strength & have comforted me when I felt comfort was going to be absolutely impossible. You have given me peace when the pain annoyingly persisted. I would love for you to end this pain right now, & ask You now to that end—please take away my pain—but if not, help me to remember that You really are truly sufficient when the suffering continues on. Thank You for looking out for me, even when I am so tempted to write You off in my sometimes overwhelming frustration & temptation to turn away from You or demand my way. Please forgive me for my obstinate desire to depend on myself alone. Thank You for always being quick to be there for me & with me through the hardest times in life,even when my attitude sometimes proves less than deserving. You are faithful, even when I am not. You are a Good God. Thank You. Please continue to care for me & help me through this sickness & PLEASE heal me or point me to relief somehow. In Jesus’ name, AMEN.
Shine HOPE by determining to turn to God as your hope rather than solely seeking the end of your struggles & suffering as your source of hope.
Coming Next Week
Join me every Monday morning, EST, for more encouragement.
As God grows me, may it encourage you to seek Him & know Him & love Him more every day.
Share with friends & Subscribe by Joining My Tribe, so you never miss a week.
A Note from Michelle:
This blog/website has been running for FIVE years now! THANK YOU for your continued support & encouragement. <3
If you would like to learn more of my story, check out the “About Me” page. And if you would like to hear how I found my lasting source of HOPE, read the “Hope Is Found” page, on this site. I hope they are an encouragement to you! <3
Also, make sure to “Join My Tribe” by adding your email to the top bar & clicking “Join My Tribe”. This gains you access to an extra weekly dose of encouragement from me in your inbox, along with the link to each week’s new post! I can’t wait to do this journey together!!
Fashion as a Force for GOOD:
Each week, I feature an item that is changing lives for women around the world. These hand-crafted pieces are offering job creation opportunities for women artisans in impoverished nations all around the world! Check out this week’s featured beauty!!
July 2023 Hope Mail (India)
(Shown: July 2023 Hope Mail—every purchase empowers women in India out of poverty!)
FOR A LIMITED TIME – Only available during the month of July!
Who do you know who would love a beautiful package filled with hope in their mailbox? This exclusive July Hope Mail package makes a great gift for any occasion! Why not treat yourself to a little inspiration? Enjoy free shipping on this July Hope Mail package that includes our Kalina Earrings from India, Orange Sun Kissed Lip Balm from India, and an encouraging sticker mailed in a stylish Fashion as a Force for Good Envelope.
Imagine the joy of opening this July Hope Mail package and discovering these eco-friendly fair-trade earrings! Artisans in India handcraft these vibrant, cheerful Kalina Earrings. Each statement earring features a gold-tone hammered triangle with a hand-beaded, color-block pattern in turquoise, bright coral, and yellow. Every pair of Kalina Earrings helps to end child marriage and keep families out of the slums of India!
Add a touch of artisanal style to your skincare routine with the Sun Kissed Orange Lip Balm while creating fair jobs for women ending poverty cycles in India. Handmade from sustainably harvested beeswax with a sweet and fruity orange scent, this moisturizing lip balm helps naturally heal dry skin.
Inspire yourself or someone you love with this exclusive, vinyl, Trades of Hope Lotus Sticker with the encouraging message, “That dream was planted in your heart for a reason.”
***Every purchase provides safe jobs with fair wages for women in areas of extreme poverty in India where vulnerable women are often exploited by sweatshops and human traffickers.***
How You Can Help:
SHOP Here, OR, Email me at michellehyde.tradesofhope@gmail.com with any questions, & I will message you personally with more information!! Thank you for inspiring HOPE around the world, Lovely!
Your purchases not only help these women, but my commissions help me to continue supporting them as well as continuing this website/blog, encouraging women all around the world with the HOPE we have in Jesus. Win win!
Are you someone like me who has inner dialogue with yourself all the time?
I mull over things. I stress trying to come up with answers. I worry, wondering how something could work out if I don’t come up with answers. I think over every angle & how I can fix something when nothing seems to be going right.
I rehash uncomfortable or hurtful conversations, trying to figure out where I went wrong or why the other person said what they said or how I could have handled it any better.
I get frustrated when inconvenienced or when I’m the victim of outright rude behavior & then I go through all of my could have, would have, should haves, knowing the moment has already passed. I get annoyed & inwardly fume at whatever they did that was hurtful to me.
I daydream. I create whole worlds in my head that I can escape to when I don’t have a good book on hand. It’s how I soothe when bored or restless.
I try to soothe myself or justify my reaction in my head or talk myself out of or through whatever I am feeling.
I sit in guilt when I mess up. I mull over it & stress about it & kick myself, beating myself up when I make a wrong choice with my attitude or behavior or reaction for the millionth time that day.
And in all of those things, I ought to be talking to God about it instead.
Turn My Thoughts to Prayers
That’s a hard thing for me to come to terms with. I mean, I know God is always listening—He always hears me—& I know we’re supposed to “pray without ceasing,” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)but I guess it just comes so naturally to just think it over in my head versus acknowledging His presence is with me in every situation.
It’s much easier to do all of the above & then talk to family or friends about it than to remember, “Oh yeah, God… You’re right there, aren’t You? You saw that. You heard that. You know how to & can help me… so let me bring it to You.”
But it’s more than that, isn’t it? Because somehow I want to feel capable or feel I ought to be able to figure it out as a grown up adult. I guess because turning to Him instead takes faith & it takes practice & surrender.It takes letting go of control & giving it to Him instead.
Have Faith in the GOD Who Loves You!
Going to God instead of handling it myself takes faith because I have to take a step back to recognize He is GOD—& I am not. He literally knows EVERYTHING. He SEES everything. He HEARS everything—even thoughts. He also has perfect wisdom & cares about me.
He cares about me. There’s another place of needed faith…. That He cares enough to step into my little (or big) issue & help me. That He is never too busy because He is infinite. That He can’t be diminished, no matter how great or little my need. That whatever seems “just the way it is” to me is never impossible to change for Him… & that whatever change He determines is needed… is for my actual good.
He can do anything without diminishing any of His power or God-ness AND He loves us more than we can comprehend. It should be easy to put faith in Him in everything. But it takes letting go & letting HIM.
Fail Forward, It Is Worth It!
And it doesn’t come naturally. It takes practice. I have to DETERMINE to turn to Him in my mind & heart to hand it over to Him for help. It takes practice.
“I’m sorry, Lord, I’m doing it again… having a conversation in my head & trying to figure things out when You’re right here willing & able to help. Please forgive me. Help give me direction, wisdom, & peace. Help me to better trust You & help me to come to You more immediately next time. Amen.”This is a prayer I have learned to start praying whenever I find myself self-dialogueing versus talking to Him about it in my heart, acknowledging that He is right there all the time.
I need to TRAIN my brain to acknowledge Him & turn to Him in ALL things.
“In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.” (Proverbs 3:6)
Surrender, Surrender, Surrender!
But, & this is probably the biggest hurdle of them all—it takes surrender to talk to Him instead of myself.I have to admit I need help. I have to give up control. I have to let go of the limitations that really are my comfort zones because they allow me to justify not moving forward when I don’t think moving forward feels possible or comfortable or fun in that area.
I have to give up being the main character in my story & admit I am a supporting character in HIS story… HIS-tory.
And not only that, but sometimes quite frankly I feel justified in how I want to think about a situation or circumstance.
Rude interaction? Rude response in my head.
Frustrated about life? I want to figure out how I want it fixed.
Am I willing to have faith? To let Him be GOD in my heart & thoughts?
Am I willing to practice turning my heart to Him in all things? Even when it doesn’t come naturally to me at all?
Am I willing to surrender my way or my feelings for His lead & His way?
That’s what prayer is really. That’s how we can pray without ceasing… because it’s a matter of turning to Him in every natural thought & asking Him to help you exchange it for something that better honors/pleases Him versus yourself.It’s a matter of SURRENDER.
Do You Talk to Yourself More Than to God?
So what is it like for you?Do you talk to yourself more than to God? Or does it come naturally to you to turn every thought to Him as if He is a friend always by your side, everywhere you go, who can read your every thought (because He is that Friend).
Or are you like me & you need to work on it quite a bit?Maybe put more faith in His ability & His care for you. Maybe it’s just a matter of needing to practice it because it doesn’t come naturally to you to acknowledge His ever-presence. Maybe it’s a matter of surrender, where you want a little of the control or feel the need to be in charge of how things turn out or how you think things OUGHT to turn out.
Or maybe, like me, it’s a little bit of all three of those.
Shine HOPE by turning your thoughts to Him in ALL circumstances, recognizing that He is ever-present with you everywhere you go & He cares for you, too—more than ANYONE ever could.He gave Jesus for you, so be careful ever doubting His deep care for you even for one single second. He LOVES you! Amen.
Coming Next Week
Join me every Monday morning, EST, for more encouragement.
As God grows me, may it encourage you to seek Him & know Him & love Him more every day.
Share with friends & Subscribe by Joining My Tribe, so you never miss a week.
A Note from Michelle:
This blog/website has been running for FIVE years now! THANK YOU for your continued support & encouragement. <3
If you would like to learn more of my story, check out the “About Me” page. And if you would like to hear how I found my lasting source of HOPE, read the “Hope Is Found” page, on this site. I hope they are an encouragement to you! <3
Also, make sure to “Join My Tribe” by adding your email to the top bar & clicking “Join My Tribe”. This gains you access to an extra weekly dose of encouragement from me in your inbox, along with the link to each week’s new post! I can’t wait to do this journey together!!
Fashion as a Force for GOOD:
Each week, I feature an item that is changing lives for women around the world. These hand-crafted pieces are offering job creation opportunities for women artisans in impoverished nations all around the world! Check out this week’s featured beauty!!
Raffia Earrings (India)
(Shown: Raffia Earrings, handcrafted in India. Every purchase of these earrings empowers women in India out of poverty!)
These stunning Raffia Earrings feature an oval blue glass bead and a circle of raffia fringe with an embroidered seed bead center, hanging from a hand-hammered brass stud. Make a fair-trade fashion statement with these beautiful earrings, handcrafted in a workshop in India committed to fighting child marriage and helping women become financially independent as fair-trade Artisans.
How You Can Help:
SHOP Here, OR, Email me at michellehyde.tradesofhope@gmail.com with any questions, & I will message you personally with more information!! Thank you for inspiring HOPE around the world, Lovely!
Your purchases not only help these women, but my commissions help me to continue supporting them as well as continuing this website/blog, encouraging women all around the world with the HOPE we have in Jesus. Win win!
Thank You, Lord, for never leaving me… for never giving up on me. Thank You for the family You gave me who took me to church & taught me about Your Son, Jesus. Thank You for the children’s Bible I was given that helped in my curiosity of learning about You & for helping me connect the dots that my bad attitude toward my parents or even my sister was counted as sin in Your eyes & helping me realize I needed saving even at such a young age.
Thank You for not giving up on me when I entered middle school & heard all about differing religious ideas… when I began to doubt You… when I wondered if maybe You weren’t real, I could be living MY way instead of worrying about Your law. Thank You for not just crushing me then in my stubborn self-will to live MY way over Your Good way.
Through My Depression…
Thank You for my spiral of depression for two years in early high school once my doubting & questions & desires to live my way began to numb & empty me of life… thank You for stripping so much from me: my reputation, my good academic standing, many of my friendships, much of my bond with my sisters, my confidence… thank You for the suffering I felt… the emptiness & despair… thank You that it showed me that NO MATTER what I tried to fill it with that wasn’t You just made it all the worse in the end… that I couldn’t fully rely on ANYTHING at ALL times… except for You. Thank You that You took away every crutch or stronghold I was counting on so I could see that YOU were the ONLY One Who could not & would not ever fail.
Thank You for squashing every doubt I had through that pain, showing me that if I had nothing, but I had You… I had EVERYTHING.
In My Growing… & in My Failing…
Thank You that You didn’t stop there. Thank You for continuing to weed things from my life & my behavior & my thought patterns, shaping me to better honor You. Thank You for the confidence You instilled in me through that, beginning to understand that it wasn’t about me being enough, but that You will always be my Enough. Thank You for Your gentle, wise, never-giving-up-on-me pruning.
In My Withouts…
Thank You for teaching me through singleness into my late twenties & then now childlessness that Your plan is always better than mine, no matter how much I think I want something. Thank You that Your timing is always perfect. Thank You that You love me enough to not settle for my less-than timeline &/or plan.
Thank You for the comfortable times of rest. Thank You for the difficult hard times that teach me that YOU can BE my rest. Thank You for when I have plenty, reminding me of Your provision. Thank You for times of little, reminding me that You are my provision.
Thank You for Your peace that when I ask for it fills me even as the world crashes around me. It’s indescribable & impossible peace—& yet, it is. Thank You that You are so much bigger & greater than I can even imagine.And that impossible is never impossible for You.
In My Questions… In My Lacking…
Thank You that You love me enough to let me doubt & wonder & question… that You don’t turn me away,but that as I seek Your wisdom to better trust & live by You, You are a patient & gentle Leader & Father to me. You don’t rush or hurry. You are kind even when I’m rude & impatient & complaining. You are too loving to let me have my way, even if it would be easier to just give in… You lovingly determine only what is best for me. Thank You.
Thank You that I can always come back to You… that even if I give into the blistering disease that is bitterness & stop praying because I am too hurt to have You not answer my way AGAIN—rather than trusting You IN the hard, always only complaining for the end of the hard—You always are quick to forgive, patient, kind, loving, long-suffering… Thank You that You = LOVE.
In All of Creation…
Thank You God, for it all. Thank You for life. Thank You for all of the beautiful & cuddly & awe-inspiring animals You have made in all the diversity of colors, shapes, sizes. Thank You for all the shades of green when passing a highway surrounded by trees & trees. Thank You for the dancing of the wind through the trees & the grass & even my hair. Thank You for all of the beautiful plants & flowers. Thank You for the cool of water & it’s ability to refresh or soothe. Thank You for the sounds of rushing or babbling water. Thank You for the smell of fresh, crisp air & the warmth of sunshine glow. Thank You for hills & valleys & mountains & oceans. Thank You for mountain trails & beach chill. Thank You for Your ever-new paintings in the skies.
Thank You for laughter & dancing & the ability to praise You for all that You are.
For Who You Are…
Thank You for Your kindness. Thank You for Your love & Your grace & mercy & for HOPE. Thank You that I can always count on You… always come to You… always talk to You. Thank You that You are faithful… even if I am not. Thank You that You are kind… even when I am rude. Thank You that You never give up on me. Thank You that You care so much for me even though I don’t deserve it. Thank You that when I fail, You forgive. Thank You that You are KING of ALL & yet have time for me. Thank You for Your vast POWER & authority in both heaven & on earth, but yet Your gentle disposition toward Your rebellious creation. Thank You for Your GRACE.
For Jesus… For Forgiveness… For Your Grace…
Thank You for Jesus. Thank You Jesus for being willing to condescend Yourself from Your throne in Heaven to become a man in flesh, with all of the same human struggles, but living a sinless life so that You could become our once-and-for-all spotless lamb sacrifice to God for our sins. Thank You that no matter WHAT wrong we’ve done, no matter how terrible & undeserving we know we are… that if we confess to You those things & turn from those things to life in You, asking Your forgiveness, that You FORGIVE.
Thank You for new life, for a fresh start, for Your patience & love & pursuit of us no matter how many times we may figuratively spit at Your face. You wait willingly & ever so patiently, not wanting ANY of us to go without Your grace, forgiveness, hope, life, & LOVE. THANK YOU.
Thank You that You don’t make us jump through hoops, “prove” it, do “enough” good, earn it, or anything else… we just have to recognize our need of You… confess our wrongs against You… ask Your forgiveness for those wrongs… & accept You as Savior for our sins against God. THANK YOU.
Thank You, LORD.
Thank You for sending us the Holy Spirit once we have turned our lives to Jesus. That we then ALWAYS have Him as our Guide, a Comforter, a giver of Wisdom, a Companion Who never leaves us nor forsakes us.
Thank You God for all of the things I take for granted every single day: kitty snuggles, hugs, a laugh, a yummy bite of food, the ability to heat or chill food, laundry capability, a dry home, a job, friends, a family who introduced me to You, a husband, Your sacrifice & the blessings You offer me every day. Your peace. Your love. Your never-giving-up-on-me grace. Thank YOU. Thank You. THANK YOU!
Praise be to God, the Maker of Heaven & Earth! AMEN!
Shine HOPE by determining to look for all the reasons you have to PRAISE God for everything big & small, in the good times & the bad.Because no matter what the circumstances or your feelings may be—He is worthy to be praised!Thank You, LORD!
Coming Next Week
Join me every Monday morning, EST, for more encouragement.
As God grows me, may it encourage you to seek Him & know Him & love Him more every day.
Share with friends & Subscribe by Joining My Tribe, so you never miss a week.
A Note from Michelle:
This blog/website has been running for FIVE years now! THANK YOU for your continued support & encouragement. <3
If you would like to learn more of my story, check out the “About Me” page. And if you would like to hear how I found my lasting source of HOPE, read the “Hope Is Found” page, on this site. I hope they are an encouragement to you! <3
Also, make sure to “Join My Tribe” by adding your email to the top bar & clicking “Join My Tribe”. This gains you access to an extra weekly dose of encouragement from me in your inbox, along with the link to each week’s new post! I can’t wait to do this journey together!!
Fashion as a Force for GOOD:
Each week, I feature an item that is changing lives for women around the world. These hand-crafted pieces are offering job creation opportunities for women artisans in impoverished nations all around the world! Check out this week’s featured beauty!!
Lotus Coasters (India)
(Shown: Lotus Coasters, handcrafted by women in India. Every purchase empowers women in India out of poverty.)
Create a beautiful tablescape with nature-inspired decor that empowers families in India out of poverty. This set of four eco-friendly Lotus Coasters are made from sustainable natural mango wood with carved whitewashed accents. Complete your summer look with our Lotus Trivet.
***Every purchase provides safe jobs with fair wages for women in areas of extreme poverty in India.***
How You Can Help:
SHOP Here, OR, Email me at michellehyde.tradesofhope@gmail.com with any questions, & I will message you personally with more information!! Thank you for inspiring HOPE around the world, Lovely!
Your purchases not only help these women, but my commissions help me to continue supporting them as well as continuing this website/blog, encouraging women all around the world with the HOPE we have in Jesus. Win win!
I’m going to be honest with you—I don’t really know where this week’s blog topic is going. I’m just sort of going to write what’s on my heart as if we’re just chatting comfortably in my living room & see where it goes.
This has been a crazy last several weeks—from working, to Tokyo/Disney for a week, to typhoon prep, to living through a super typhoon & it’s aftermath. It’s been a roller coaster.
I wasn’t feeling well when we were in Tokyo. I got a cold, plus the added enjoyment of “that time of the month” & there were times during that week where I felt my feet were just dragging because although Tokyo Disney is a fun place to be… I felt like poop. I was tired, sluggish, achy, & like all I wanted to do was crawl back into bed & sleep it off.
But each day, I had to take those grumps to God, understanding tickets were already bought & we had already flown there & it was our anniversary week & I didn’t want to ruin it for my hubs either. No pressure, right?
I had to apologize to God for my grumpies many, many times & ask Him to forgive me for only wanting a solution my way (no matter how natural my way felt at the time)& instead trust Him enough to ask Him to be sufficient in my lack… & to help me have a good attitude/make the most of our trip.
God showed up, of course, in giving me enough strength for each day. It was still hard & it was still easy to have a bad attitude because it was hard… but God held my hand through it & just took me step by step in His care.
The Much-Talked-About Typhoon
And then we come home & all this talk of the typhoon was actually revving up versus slowing down—we get typhoon warnings a lot on Guam & a lot of them end up veering off & never reaching us other than some residual rain from its edges, so it’s not often I even feel concerned.
But this one was looking like a hit.
So, we began to prepare just like we would for any other typhoon… but I already talked about all that last week. (You can catch up, here, if you want: “Living through a Super Typhoon.”)
And I am so grateful to Him for so many reasons through all of that mess.
Overwhelmed & Drowning in Shock
It’s true… I didn’t feel I had any right to ask of God when He provided so much in our home’s protection through that, but God loves to give… not always in the way we THINK we want, but better.
When the worst of the aftermath shock & sticky, thick humidity kicked in, while I was sitting in pitch black darkness, unable to turn a light on or a fan or anything to get relief… knowing of how many people were suffering across the island from damage to their homes… I felt so overwhelmed by grief… like it threatened to just swallow me whole.
You know that feeling when you feel you have a frog in your throat & your eyes are burning, all because the sobs are just trying to force their way to the surface?
Have you ever been in total darkness & just felt consumed by it like they were dark walls closing in around you in your grief & you just needed to see the light of day trickle through it–any sign of hope–desperate for it even?
I begged… literally BEGGED… God to turn the power back on that night because I felt like I was falling apart. I was overwhelmed.Hope seemed a far ways off.
I Sometimes Feel Too Unworthy to Ask God for More
God had already provided in SO MANY ways. And so many others had it MUCH worse. How could I even imagine I was deserving of any more than all I already had been given?
I knew I didn’t deserve His answer to be yes—far from it.
But I also knew that HE was where my help comes from (Psalm 121:1-2) & that if ANYONE can give me some sort of relief where there seemed no available relief… it was going to be Him EVERY time.
And I ALSO knew that if God gave His only Son, JESUS, to pay the debt of all of our sins (John 3:16-17)… how much He MUST LOVE US & WANT to give us good things. (Romans 8:32)
So, I prayed anyway. I trusted Him more than how worthy or unworthy I felt I was.I trusted that He WANTED to provide for me & give me HOPE.
I’m Not Good Enough of My Own Merit
God doesn’t withhold goodness even from people who hate or reject Him… THAT’S how good He is! He rains on the just AND the unjust. (Matthew 5:44-45)
BUT, God also says that the prayers of a righteous person availeth much. (James 5:16)
On my own merit, I’m nowhere near righteous. God says even my righteousness is like dirty rags to Him. (Isaiah 64:6) He also says that we ALL fall short (Romans 3:23)
HIS righteousness is accounted to ME as MY righteousness because I hope in HIM.
So, when I pray to God for help, He is not looking down at me through the lens of my undeserving unworthiness… but through the sacrifice of His Son Jesus on my behalf. Jesus’ sacrifice MAKES me worthy even though on my own merit I am not.
Do You Trust God Enough to Ask?
It blows my mind how an Almighty HOLY God would love me so much.
God answered my prayer—not in the way I pictured it, but so much more in giving me a friend to go through the aftermath with me.
Do you trust that God cares enough for you to want to care for you in your dark moments?
Do you dare to ask? To believe He wants to? To believe you’re deserving enough not because of what you’re worth on your own… but based on the worth you have through all JESUS gave FOR YOU?
Do you trust that if God gave you His Son that He also wants your needs met? Even if not the way you pictured?
Do you convince yourself not to bother Him?Do you trust God enough to ask?Do you believe that to Him it’s NEVER a bother for His children to ask of His infinite, never-depleting resources? That He actually ENJOYS caring for you?
You’re Not Enough… And He Loves You Anyway
If you’re counting on you being enough… you’re not… none of us are.
But don’t miss the biggest thing ever—having the righteousness of Jesus accounted to you because of your believing on Him (rather than yourself) to cover your debt to God.
Don’t miss out on letting that HOPE flood your heart that come what may here on earth… THIS is your temporary home & if you trust JESUS, well, you have a MUCH BETTER place to look forward to than here!
Jesus is the light of the world, so if you feel darkness clouding your life… you need to look to Him & ask for His light to come into your life.
Shine HOPE by being willing to ASK God when you need help… without convincing yourself you don’t deserve it enough or that others have more of a right to it or that God doesn’t want to be bothered. Trust Him enough to ASK!
Coming Next Week
Join me every Monday morning, EST, for more encouragement right here on my blog/website @ www.MichelleHydeOnline.com.
Share with friends & family… & SUBSCRIBE by “Joining My Tribe,” so you never miss a week!
As God grows me, may it encourage you to seek Him & know Him & love Him more every day.
A Note from Michelle:
(***Check out my FREE Journal Printable Resources: “Accountability Partner Guide + Question Prompts” & “Bible Study Question Prompts,” as well as “Prayers of Surrender” prayer guides!***)
This blog/website has been running for almost FIVE years now! THANK YOU for your continued support & encouragement. <3
If you would like to learn more of my story, check out the “About Me” tab. And if you would like to hear how I found my lasting source of HOPE, read the “Hope Is Found” tab, on this site. I hope they are an encouragement to you! <3
Also, make sure to “Join My Tribe” by adding your email to the top bar & clicking “Join My Tribe”. This gains you access to an extra weekly dose of encouragement from me in your inbox (make sure to check your other inbox folders), along with the link to each week’s new post! I can’t wait to do this journey together!!
Fashion as a Force for GOOD:
Each week, I feature an item that is changing lives for women around the world. These hand-crafted pieces are offering job creation opportunities for women artisans in impoverished nations all around the world!Consider these pieces when shopping for friends, family, or yourself. Check out this week’s featured beauty!!
Eucalyptus Mint Soap (India)
(Shown: Eucalyptus Mint Soap, handcrafted in India. Every purchase of this soap empowers women in India out of poverty!)
Artisans in India meticulously craft irresistibly fragrant natural soaps using traditional cold process techniques and ancient blends of moisturizing oils, herbs, and essential oils.
The invigorating and refreshing signature fragrance of the Eucalyptus Mint Soap is a natural blend of moisturizing and healing shea butter and pure oils, including coconut and olive oil with essential oils of eucalyptus and peppermint, which are well known for their soothing anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, antioxidant, and decongestant benefits.
***Every purchase helps empower marginalized and differently abled women in India.***
How You Can Help the Artisans & Support My Website:
SHOP Here, OR, Email me at michellehyde.tradesofhope@gmail.com with any questions, & I will message you personally with more information!! Thank you for inspiring HOPE around the world, Lovely!
Your purchases not only help these women, but my commissions help me in continuing this website/blog, encouraging women all around the world with the HOPE we have in Jesus. Win-win-win!
It’s strange. Today is Day 13 since Super Typhoon Mawar hit us here on Guam.
Just the week before, my husband & I made a trip over to Tokyo, Japan for our 11th anniversary. Both of us had fallen in love with the city after many years of visits from our 7 years of living in Japan from 2015-2022.
Many of our anniversaries have been spent in Tokyo, mainly Tokyo Disneyland & Disney Sea. We have our favorite spots & a feeling of comfort having been there so many times. It’s probably not the type of trip a tourist would long for, as our favorite food places are burger spots & street taco-like food versus sushi & ramen… but we could get all that at home & always longed for a taste of home in America… so now they have become our spots.
And aside from me being sick with a cold for most of our trip, we made some special, happy memories.
While we were away there in Japan for the week, I heard a rumor of an upcoming typhoon… but that was nothing new for our island home on Guam… so we didn’t think much of it.
Buckling Down
Returning to Guam, the talk of this typhoon was spreading. Warnings were being issued. Urgent posts were being shared to stock up & bunker up to prepare.
We have been through quite a few typhoons & this was typical. So, we bought a few days’ worth of food, refilled our water jugs for drinking water, charged devices, & made sure we found our flashlights. All the typical preparations.
In bed the night before we were hit, I was drifting to sleep when I felt an urgency in my heart suddenly to fill our bathtub with water. I grumbled through my longing to just slip off to sleep, but when I prayed about it, the urgency pushed all the more, so I got up to fill it up, even though it hadn’t been used because of drain issues… so it wasn’t exactly perfectly clean, but I filled it. Then, I texted my husband who was in his office (because, again, I wanted to just crawl back in bed & sleep) to ask if we should fill the other & he seemed uninterested because every other typhoon never took our water supply.
So, I prayed for protection & peace & I went to sleep.
A Day Like Any Other…
The day of the typhoon felt like any other.I noticed though right after I woke up that our water was off already—maybe precautionary shut off by the water company? We didn’t know.
We knew we may lose power overnight after it all passed, so we lowered all the air conditioner temperatures to help us get through the power outage on remaining coolness.
But other than that, the day was just like any other day off. We watched tv, played video games, enjoyed the AC, heated up food, & just prepared for the loud wind storm to begin like every other typhoon we’d been through.
In the afternoon, it was raining a lot & pretty windy, but nothing scary. And then we lost power but had the daylight to watch the storm outside.
It Felt Like Any Other Typhoon We’ve Been Through… Until It Wasn’t…
Although we had been through many storms like this… this time we didn’t have typhoon shutters on this house. And knowing how any left out lawn furniture or bicycles or anything can be lifted up and tossed, I felt a certain tension wondering if something would break a window at any moment & let the storm inside(as did happen for many friends we know).
The winds started picking up to what we felt must be the worst of it… just like most typhoons how it gets really intense before it passes completely by us. Then we heard updates that the eye was supposed to pass between 6-8pm sometime, meaning “the worst was almost over.”
Except it wasn’t. It was just getting started. The screaming winds & crashing sounds outside & rain just kept on intensifying as the sun crept down & slowly left us in blackness.
I could hear things crashing into the side of our house but couldn’t see a thing inside or outside of our house. But nothing hit any of our windows.
The reports now were saying that the eye kept reforming, prolonging the end of it all.
It was starting to become clear that this was no “regular typhoon.” This was seriously dangerous. It was intense & chaotic & deafening & our back door was bowing from the wind, letting water gush from the sides & the top & through underneath… but in our laundry room, where we had a raised step to the rest of the house & a septic backup drain in the floor.
I Just Wanted It to Stop
I hid in the hallway with a crank fan, a flashlight, & my phone because it was the only place without a window. I just squeezed my eyes shut & kept praying for protection & peace over & over because it was all I could think about for hours.
My day of video games & tv shows & fun snacks had turned into a nightmare in a matter of hours.
Then the new reports came in that the intensity may not end until midnight to 6am the next morning depending on whether the eye keeps reforming.
And, by God’s Grace, We Slept
Through it all, my husband was diligent in mopping all water toward that drain, determined not to let the flooding overtake our home, but calm.
His calmness helped center me like an anchor, God’s peace beginning to help me see that I needed to just trust Him & SLEEP.
So, we let our cat follow us in our room (he is usually not allowed because of my mild allergies) & he didn’t even hesitate as he followed us in & jumped on our bed to settle next to my feet.
And all three of us slept… by God’s grace. We slept.
A Deep Sigh of Relief… of Hope…
And when I woke up the next morning, the winds were still there but noticeably quieter, the rain was still coming down, but more like a normal summer storm… & I could see hopeful rays of sunshine in the next room.
I sighed the deepest sigh of relief as I felt hope & gratefulness begin flood my heart.
My husband had fashioned a funnel with all of our cleaning towels & rags, but the water was still about an inch deep in our laundry room, so I got to work in using our squeegee to push the rest of the water down the drain… but not after checking our windows & seeing that not a single one even had a crack… with all the loud crashing into our house I had heard overnight, nothing hit a window enough to break it. Thank. You. GOD!
And I thought the traumatic experience was over & done.
The Morning Light Shines on the Devastation
Until Jamie & I walked down our street & saw the extent of the wreckage everywhere.
All the lush tropical plants that once painted the sides of the drive up to our house with beautiful, vibrant colors were stripped completely, leaving views of abandoned houses boarded up, rusted large appliances left in yards, etc. All the jungle beauty was gone… just GONE.
And then reports of friends began pouring in. Lost homes due to severe flooding, damaged cars, lost personal items left out, missing pets. The pain everyone was feeling was heavy.
I cried a lot that day just from the weightiness of it all. Seeing so much pain everywhere around me & feeling helpless to do anything about it. It was so hard.
The Sleepless Night after the Storm
But then, the next night came. The remnants of air conditioning coolness was long gone, cold water was running low, & power/running water was out still.
I fell asleep, but woke up in the middle of the night almost feeling like a panic attack was trying tirelessly to rip me apart from the inside.
I was hot, hadn’t showered in a couple days (the night before the storm), felt sticky from the thick, humid air (even with the windows open)… pitch black house with no light even from a digital clock on the oven—I just wanted to see some LIGHT. And no fan—I was so hot & gross & sticky feeling.
I couldn’t go back to sleep. I would lay and stare into the darkness… then just sob over nothing in particular…then beg God—BEG God—for Him to just TURN THE POWER ON.
I felt swallowed up by the darkness—like it was ever closing in on me. I felt harassed & tormented by the sticky humidity discomfort. I felt heavy from all the destruction outside & friends’ homes. I just wanted cold water, fresh air, LIGHT, power on… hope.
Day 3 Since the Storm Began
Jamie got up, said goodbyes, went to work & I spent the day trapped alone in our miserably uncomfortable home, rationing the food we hadn’t bought enough of (handfuls of granola for breakfast, applesauce with peanut butter, almonds, & snacks for lunch… & a main meal once a day of a can of soup or chili).
Gas lines were 2+ hours, so we were trying to use our cars only for Jamie to go to work or for emergencies… but I was losing it. I felt so antsy & restless & endlessly uncomfortable… while also seeing my phone battery life slowly tick away… so I rebelled out of sanity-restoring necessity (mind the fact I had only gotten about 1.5 hours of sleep on top of everything else) & I sat in my car with the chair leaned back, AC blasting, & music playing… while charging my phone—the relief that was was incomparable!
What a reminder of everything I take for granted every single day that I should be praising God for every single day!
It’s Been 13 Days Since It Began
It’s been 13 days since the super typhoon began to hit us.
Our house still doesn’t have power, but God answered my prayer (begging) for rescue in an even better way. He provided a friend who got power & graciously & generously offered her guest room to us. He provided companionship & friendship through the grief, shock, & trauma I would have otherwise had to face alone while Jamie was away at work.
I get to see my cat, Cisco, every 2-3 days when I go to use that tub water to rag bath & bowl wash my hair. He’s doing fine & seems like nothing ever happened… purrs & playtime & temporary snuggles & extra treats.
Our house has full water as of yesterday (it’s been about 60% water pressure for about a week after we had to pay almost $300 post-typhoon for a plumber to fix a small broken pipe outside that was stealing all of the water pressure to inside our house). But what an encouragement that we’re now back to full water pressure!
Still no power for our house. 53.2% has been restored for residential power as of today.
I’m still using that filled bathtub to scoop out bowls of the water so I can wash off & wash my hair every few days (I don’t have the liberty to do my every other day hair wash making it now more like every 3-4 days because although we have water restored, there is a boil water notice because of the runoff from the storm flooding & the purification system still being down/can’t work effectively because of low water pressure island wide & low power). Thank You, God, for that bathtub of water!(1/3 of it remains.)
Healing Takes Time
While better days are becoming less of a rarity, trauma is funny in that it hits you in waves… remembering being huddled on the floor of a crowded hallway with piled boxes & being squished sitting on a small pillow hearing the world crash all around you while you sit in enveloping blackness… remembering the lush beauty outside just GONE… remembering rationing the food because you were no longer sure how long it would need to last… remembering my last sip of cool water before it was gone… remembering the smell of the garbage rotting from thrown out food… the bowl baths with not great water… the sticky hot overwhelming discomfort of the 24 hours+ that followed—desperate for even a drop of cool water on your tongue or a cool wet rag to pat on your neck, or just desperate to see that sun come up because the darkness was just so oppressively enveloping.
The crying, BEGGING God to just turn the power back on when we were still at our house. PLEASE!!!!
It still hits me sometimes. Sometimes something will randomly just trigger it & I feel like I get sucker punched in the gut & I just feel sobs begging to just threaten to swallow me up.
Sometimes the heaviness of it all just makes me want to crawl under the covers & run away from everything.
All the Time, God Is Good… God Is Good, All the Time
But through it all, God has been good to me.
He has held me while the world felt like it was crashing all around me.
He protected our shutterless house.
He confirmed IN OCTOBER a house purchase for us that just seemed like too much work, but we trusted His lead & went with it… & BACK THEN He knew it would be a home to protect us in a storm we didn’t even know was coming.
He lowered the CAT-5 typhoon of 180mph winds to a CAT-4 typhoon of 140mph winds just AS it hit Guam & as soon as it LEFT Guam it went back to a CAT-5.(Thank you ALL for praying for us! Got HEARD you!)
He didn’t give us power, but He sent me to a hospitable friend who did, who has fed us well, & has been a friend of comfort which has helped us all as we walk through the shock & the grief & the trauma. GOD KNEW I NEEDED THIS.
He urged me to fill the bathtub which in every other typhoon was NEVER needed & now I am able to bowl bath & keep a semblance of CLEAN.
He protected us & our home when so many people lost so much.
His Impossible Peace IN the Storms of Life–Even the Literal Ones
He gave me peace in moments when peace seemed like an impossibility.
He has been faithful to take my hand & walk me through moments where I just want to give up because it’s all too much & He has nudged me to just color & turn on worship music & just tune out the thoughts of it all that sometimes threaten to consume me… & to keep my heart set on Him… even if I feel sometimes that I have to FORCE myself to do so.
He has given me moments to laugh.
He has restored power to most of our friends & church family, relieving me from feeling heavy for their hurting.
He consistently has provided a trickle of water to my friend’s house so we could keep filling & pouring pots into our reserve for toilet-flushing.
God is so, so GOOD.
Living through a Super Typhoon
This is not what I would have chosen to go through & don’t ever wish to go through again, but living through a super typhoon has forced upon me the perspective of gratefulness for the small things in life I take for granted so easily.
Thank You, God. Thank You for everything I take for granted. Please forgive me for taking all of that so lightly, complaining about other things while neglecting to remember to still praise You for the rest. Thank You so much for protecting us & my friends & church family. Thank You for helping me even when I am not always handling the trauma well.You are such a gentle, patient, faithful Father. Thank You for providing us our home even when we doubted You. Thank You even that little Cisco cat is okay. Thank You for who You are. Thank You for everything. In Jesus’ holy, worthy name. AMEN.
Shine Hope by determining to praise God, even when it feels like your world is falling apart… God deserves it always & will carry you through the hardest of it all… And praising God will free your heart from letting despair spiral away your joy.
Coming Next Week
Join me every Monday morning, EST, for more encouragement right here on my blog/website @ www.MichelleHydeOnline.com.
Share with friends & family… & SUBSCRIBE by “Joining My Tribe,” so you never miss a week!
As God grows me, may it encourage you to seek Him & know Him & love Him more every day.
A Note from Michelle:
(***Check out my FREE Journal Printable Resources: “Accountability Partner Guide + Question Prompts” & “Bible Study Question Prompts,” as well as “Prayers of Surrender” prayer guides!***)
This blog/website has been running for almost FIVE years now! THANK YOU for your continued support & encouragement. <3
If you would like to learn more of my story, check out the “About Me” tab. And if you would like to hear how I found my lasting source of HOPE, read the “Hope Is Found” tab, on this site. I hope they are an encouragement to you! <3
Also, make sure to “Join My Tribe” by adding your email to the top bar & clicking “Join My Tribe”. This gains you access to an extra weekly dose of encouragement from me in your inbox (make sure to check your other inbox folders), along with the link to each week’s new post! I can’t wait to do this journey together!!
Fashion as a Force for GOOD:
Each week, I feature an item that is changing lives for women around the world. These hand-crafted pieces are offering job creation opportunities for women artisans in impoverished nations all around the world!Consider these pieces when shopping for friends, family, or yourself. Check out this week’s featured beauty!!
Indra Bracelet (India)
(Shown: Indra Bracelet, handcrafted in India. Every purchase of this bracelet empowers women in India out of poverty!)
This stretch bracelet hand crafted out of dusty blue resin beads and gold-plated beads create a beautiful fair-trade piece to wear alone or stacked with other bracelets. Try stacking this one with the Alabaster Tassel Bracelet, to double the impact.
The Indra Bracelet is handcrafted in a workshop in India that’s committed to fighting child marriage and helping women overcome discrimination to become financially independent.
How You Can Help the Artisans & Support My Website:
SHOP Here, OR, Email me at michellehyde.tradesofhope@gmail.com with any questions, & I will message you personally with more information!! Thank you for inspiring HOPE around the world, Lovely!
Your purchases not only help these women, but my commissions help me in continuing this website/blog, encouraging women all around the world with the HOPE we have in Jesus. Win-win-win!
Growing up in middle class America, it’s hard for me to imagine a life any different than having reliable clean water, power, roof over my head, flushing toilets, soft carpets under my feet, warm air in winters & cool air in summers.
It’s easy to take all of those things for granted when you have always had them. You just assume that you always will have them. They become your comfort zone of security without even realizing it at times.
But then you lose air conditioning in your car in the middle of the hottest part of summer & you get a glimpse, just a glimpse, of what life is like for so many others on a day-to-day basis.
How spoiled I am that I don’t think it absolutely necessary to be praising God every moment for these things I so easily take for granted every day,for struggling to come up with something to be grateful for in the midst of the hardships of life–He has allowed me to have so much!
But What About That…?!
I think about the Israelites. They were SLAVES in Egypt & God came in & miraculously & awesomely displayed His glory, strength, & power (& LOVE) to rescue them out of that slavery that they cried out about so desperately for HOPE.
God came. He rescued them MIGHTILY (Exodus 6:6; book of Exodus). AND, He walked with them EVERY step, making His presence KNOWN to them very clearly & unmistakably with a pillar of fire by night & a pillar of cloud by day leading them all the way (Exodus 13:21-22). He supplied food every day. (Exodus 16) He gave them water, sometimes straight out of a rock miraculously if none was readily available where they were in the desert (Exodus 17:1-7; . He even made sure their shoes didn’t wear down & their clothes stayed intact through their seemingly endless trek through desert wilderness (Deuteronomy 29:5).
God PROVIDED.
And what did they do? They dreamed of a “better” life back in Egypt—as SLAVES.
In other words, they focused SO intently on what they DIDN’T have, that they could no longer even see, care about, or appreciate ALL they DID have.
Isn’t that me? God provides SO MUCH & all I can think of is… “but what about THAT?!” Shame on me. Shame on me. It’s so human of me, but it doesn’t make it right.
The Year of Many Withouts
This past year has been the year of many WITHOUTS.
When God asked us to uproot our lives to move back to Guam last summer, it was not an easy act of obedience for me.
Moving back to Guam meant leaving behind the best place/situation we had lived in since moving overseas. It meant being without the comfort of church family that felt truly like family, of the adventure of living in Japan (but with the comforts of an American base nearby), of healing from the hurts of my past 7 years of intense stress & isolation.
Easy pet flights no longer existed to Guam from Japan after covid. We were riding on a technicality, unsure until we arrived in Hawaii whether or not our cat’s transport would even truly be approved once we got there. We were on our way, everything riding on a CHANCE, without any assurances ahead of time to count on.
The Withouts Didn’t Stop
Then we got here & it was a seller’s market for a home & our budget couldn’t compete. We went about 3 months without a home of our own, living out of a suitcase.
Then we switched to a temporary living situation where it was covered in mold & had no hot water. So, we lived without clean air for almost 2 months & had to shower with cold water.
When we finally moved into our house, it was a flip undone, so we lived without internet for a while until the wiring was set up. We lived without an oven for about a month until we could switch the outlet. We lived without being able to wash our clothes at home for months until we could get an electrician to fix things for that to work, too. We lived without ready-to-live-in comfort & were met instead with project upon project.
And Then… A Super Typhoon Hits Us on Wednesday, May 24, 2023
And now, a typhoon has pretty much devastated our island. And we’ve been without power (A/C, lights, refrigerator, washing machine/dryer, oven, ability to charge anything, relief from heat, cool water to refresh, etc.) or running water (flushable toilets (without added water), showers, ability to wash anything, etc.) in our home. We’re without readily accessible gasoline (I waited in line for 2+ hours & now the lines are worse). We’re without a way to even leave the island. We’re without assurances of when life will resume any semblance of normalcy.
All of the lush, beautiful jungle plants are bare or stripped & tossed ways away.
They Had to Rely on God to Provide… And So Do We
And you know what? It is SO EASY to think like the Israelites.
They couldn’t go shop for what they needed because there was nowhere to go out in the wilderness. They had to rely on God to provide.
They couldn’t just go out for some food or water because they were out in the wilderness. They had to rely on God to provide.
They couldn’t protect themselves against the Egyptians who chased them down. They had to rely on God to provide.
They couldn’t rely on comforts because they had so few of them. They had to rely on God to provide.
And it’s uncomfortable. It’s hard. It’s NOT FUN.
But God does provide.
God Doesn’t Always Provide How We Want, But He Knows What We NEED–HIM
God does provide.
Maybe not with giving me the hot water I want… but in teaching me how to work around it or adjust to it. (I, who ONLY hot showered, grew to surprisingly appreciate cold showers through time that because of how refreshing it was—the initial cold jolt is uncomfortable, but then it just feels invigorating & rejuvenating.)
Maybe not in giving me a mold-free home… but in protecting me through it.
Maybe not in providing a ready-to-live-in home… but in teaching me to take stewardship of our home more to heart, seeing the sweat & tears we ourselves put into it over the years & looking back seeing all God helped us accomplish through it.
Maybe not in giving US power & running water, but in giving our friend power instead, using our lack to encourage us to go stay with her, so we could share & encourage each other through a very dark time when we would otherwise be going through the aftermath separately on our own.
God doesn’t always provide how I want Him to. And that’s a good thing.
Every decision He makes, in His all-seeing, all-knowing WISDOM is ALWAYS for our good AND His glory.
ALWAYS.
A False Security Versus Trusting God
I was blown away, after years of hearing sermons about the hardships the Israelites went through, how God led & protected, & all their endless grumbling & complaining… to learn of this little verse: “Yet the Lord says, “During the forty years that I led you through the wilderness, your clothes did not wear out, nor did the sandals on your feet.”(Deuteronomy 29:5)
I mean, they never had to worry about how to provide their family with clothes or shoes or food or water because God just PROVIDED for them. But they still grumbled CONSTANTLY. They wanted to feel the “security” of being able to “provide for themselves” aka the ILLUSION that any of it is really from themselves in the first place.
When God allows things to be taken away… He also erases the illusion that ANY of it is of ourselves rather than it all really being from HIM.
When God allows things to be taken away… He also shows you He is MORE THAN SUFFICIENT even in your greatest WITHOUTS.
Trusting God Isn’t Easy, But It Is Always Worth It
It doesn’t mean it will be easy. It doesn’t mean it will be comfortable.
But it does mean He will provide if we trust Him to handle it rather than trying to take over or just plain give up without giving Him the chance.
It may not be in the hot water, but that you HAVE water.
It may not be in the power, but in the friendship connections going without encourages.
It may not be in things working out smoothly, but in seeing that God can make anything happen regardless.
It may not be in the material comforts, but that HE IS OUR COMFORT.
God Had a Plan in a Disaster We Didn’t Even See Coming
Going through this typhoon was hard.It was really, REALLY hard.
God protected us. He led us to this house & confirmed this house for us—despite our not understanding WHY—and because we were trusting HIM over ourselves on where to live… & He knew this typhoon was coming… how bad it would be… & that this house would stand.
God PROTECTED us because we trusted HIS lead in where to live, even when it made no sense to us.
How ungrateful & unwise I am to ever question our GREAT GOD.
Praise God, From Whom All Blessings Flow!
Thank You, God, for making a way for us to come to Guam WITH CISCO when there seemed to be no way. Thank You for just plowing us through when we couldn’t have any assurances. Thank You for knowing I needed to come back here, to see how you could grow something that hurt me to something that heals me… to let me see how nothing is beyond Your reach to grow & mature. Thank You for a second chance. Thank You that You know what You’re doing & You determine to do it for my good & for Your glory, even when I protest, doubt, & complain…because You love me enough to determine to keep moving me forward to the goodness I don’t see on the other side of it.Thank You that I can trust You even when I’m not sure I know how. Thank You that You always provide for my best, even when it doesn’t always look like it to me in the moment. Thank You for protecting us & our home & Cisco & our friends in this great storm that devastated so much here. Thank You that You heard our cries to You & lessened the winds from CAT-5 180mph to CAT-4 140mph winds just as it passed over Guam & then back to CAT-5 as it left. You PROTECTED us! Thank You! Thank You for reminding me, sometimes even against my will, to PRAISE You in all of this aftermath & the trauma. Sometimes I thought I would go literally crazy in the oppressive heat & I BEGGED for the power to come back on & You didn’t do it… but You brought us to a friend who could share not only in that, but in the reprieve of living through the trauma of uncertainties & destruction in the aftermath with a friend. Thank You that You are so greatly to be praised. Thank You for pushing me to praise You so my heart could let go & fall into Your arms of rest & comfort versus tension & panic. Thank You for reminding me that You got so mad at the Israelites all those years in the wilderness NOT because they kept struggling through all the hardships, but because they complained & grumbled RATHER THAN trusting they could come to You with their struggles & trust You to help them through it. Thank You for reminding me to turn my angst, worry, hurt, stress, etc. to prayer, crying out to You as my help IN IT. Not giving up or giving in to despair, but trusting You can be my supply despite the odds or likelihood because YOU ARE GOD. Thank You. In Jesus’ name, AMEN.
Shine Hope by determining to keep crying out to God in your need, even when no relief seems even possible… & by determining to PRAISE Him even when the world looks like it is falling apart all around you. PRAISE HIM.
God Is Deserving of My Trust!
“I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.” (Psalm 121:1-2)
“Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.” (Psalm 20:7)
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight. (Proverbs 3:5-6)
“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.” (Psalm 46:1-3)
“Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” (Ephesians 3:20-21)
“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” (Philippians 4:8)(“The grass is always greener on the side you’re watering.” -author unknown) There will always be good & there will always be hard… which will you let control your thoughts?
“Give thanks to the Lord for He is good, His loved endures forever.” (Psalm 118–all of it is so good!)
“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)
“Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, Who gave Himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to Whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” (Galatians 1:3-5)
Last Note on Trauma…
Living through one of Guam’s top 2 worst typhoons, despite our house surviving, really left me shell-shocked. If I am at my house & the sun is going down & I can’t find my phone, I actually feel real panic because it’s sometimes my only light source because my house has gone 6 days without power now & it’s also my only connection to family & friends when the world goes dark at night. When my battery gets low, I feel a strong need to search a power source soon. When it gets hot & humid, I get flashbacks to feeling trapped in our oven of a house with no relief because no cool water to drink or breeze or shower or anything. When my gas ticks lower, I remember that 2+ hour line & feel desperate to conserve or refill.
It is strange how much a natural disaster kicks in your fight or flight survival instincts even when things are getting safer again. It’s trauma. It logically doesn’t make any sense & yet it is.
Be patient & gracious & prayerful with people who have gone through a natural disaster. It’s no joke. Some moments I feel rays of hope shining in me & the next moment I am choking down a sob or fear just smacks me in the face because of a memory or a trigger from the actual storm or thinking about the devastating aftermath that hits me out of nowhere.
Even if they’re technically “okay” again, they may not be okay… & that is okay. Give them space to feel safe again & for the trauma to heal. Consider how economic crashes where food rations were very real then cause whole generations to be strict about not throwing out food EVER. It takes a toll on you going through something devastating like that & that’s just how it is sometimes.
Give space for healing & give grace—even if it doesn’t make any sense to you because you know they’re okay NOW—it may not make sense to them either & yet it is. Give grace & pray for healing.
It’s okay to not be okay. Cry out to God as your help & determine to praise Him no matter what.
Coming Next Week
Join me every Monday morning, EST, for more encouragement right here on my blog/website @ www.MichelleHydeOnline.com.
Share with friends & family… & SUBSCRIBE by “Joining My Tribe,” so you never miss a week!
As God grows me, may it encourage you to seek Him & know Him & love Him more every day.
A Note from Michelle:
(***Check out my FREE Journal Printable Resources: “Accountability Partner Guide + Question Prompts” & “Bible Study Question Prompts,” as well as “Prayers of Surrender” prayer guides!***)
This blog/website has been running for almost FIVE years now! THANK YOU for your continued support & encouragement. <3
If you would like to learn more of my story, check out the “About Me” tab. And if you would like to hear how I found my lasting source of HOPE, read the “Hope Is Found” tab, on this site. I hope they are an encouragement to you! <3
Also, make sure to “Join My Tribe” by adding your email to the top bar & clicking “Join My Tribe”. This gains you access to an extra weekly dose of encouragement from me in your inbox (make sure to check your other inbox folders), along with the link to each week’s new post! I can’t wait to do this journey together!!
Fashion as a Force for GOOD:
Each week, I feature an item that is changing lives for women around the world. These hand-crafted pieces are offering job creation opportunities for women artisans in impoverished nations all around the world!Consider these pieces when shopping for friends, family, or yourself. Check out this week’s featured beauty!!
Block Print Tote (India)
(Shown: Block Print Tote, handmade in India. Every purchase empowers women out of poverty in India!)
This artisanal Block Print Tote from India is a true work of art! Using a traditional Artisanal process where blocks are carved into intricate designs, they stamped the block with pigment before applying to the fabric like a stamp. This tote features a block-printed flower, a Chrysanthemum, and is oversized, making it perfect for trips to the grocery store or local markets.
***Every purchase helps a mom in India send her children to school.***
How You Can Help the Artisans & Support My Website:
SHOP Here, OR, Email me at michellehyde.tradesofhope@gmail.com with any questions, & I will message you personally with more information!! Thank you for inspiring HOPE around the world, Lovely!
Your purchases not only help these women, but my commissions help me in continuing this website/blog, encouraging women all around the world with the HOPE we have in Jesus. Win-win-win!
I was fortunate enough to grow up in a Christian home. I have been going to church since before I was born.
I accepted Jesus at 5 years old & I have had the influence, comfort, direction, & hope of the Holy Spirit with me ever since.
Sometimes I take all of that for granted… sometimes it’s easy for me to think that because I didn’t have years of living in sinful revelry beforehand that maybe the cost for my redemption wasn’t all too large.
But I’d be wrong…SO wrong.
And the older that I get, the more I can accurately see just how wrong that is.
How? Not by my efforts, but because God loved me (“the world”) so much that He sent Jesus to pay the debt penalty I owe God for my sin.(John 3:16-17)
When I was just 5 years old, as I was thinking about what I had heard in Sunday School & reading the simplified words of my children’s Bible, it dawned on me… I was mean to my sister sometimes… & God calls that sin.I didn’t always listen to my parents… God calls that sin….
And sin… hurts God… it makes Him angry… it makes me an enemy with God. (Romans 8:6-7)
Which means I was God’s enemy. I was going to go to Hell because I was not in fact good because I hurt God with my sin.
And it was at that moment all the pieces came together in my little child heart—THAT is WHY I NEED Jesus!
Set FREE!
So, I ran to my parents’ bedroom & asked how Jesus can save me, too, because I don’t want to make God mad at me & I don’t want to go to Hell.
And because my parents helped me understand that God loved me (and the whole world) so much that He knew I could not be good enough, so He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to pay my penalty before God, taking the punishment of my sin on His own shoulders & dying on the cross to pay my debt so I could be debt-free before God… I accepted the covering of my sin through the gift of Jesus’ sacrifice that very night at 5 years old.
Jesus was not stopped by death. He rose again (Luke 24:6-7) as He was both fully man (aka He felt all the pain of His sacrifice both in His body & His heart)(Matthew 26:39; Mark 14:34) AND fully God, conquering death, as well as the sins of the world, so that ANYONE who believes on Him through the admission of their guilt before God & a turning away of their way for God’s, calling on Jesus as their Savior… they will be saved. (Romans 3:23; Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 5:8; Isaiah 53:5; John 3:16-17; Romans 10:13)God condescended Himself for US!
Because Jesus did not come to the world to condemn the world, but that through Him all might be saved. (John 3:16-17)
I take all that for granted somehow. I forget the weightiness of it. The sacrifice. The fact that GOD was willing to condescend HIMSELF for ME. GOD! LORD of ALL! For ME.
For you.
If GOD Saved Us… Why Give Us the Law in the First Place?
You know what it’s so easy to get hung up on? The law. Love. How they can possibly go together.
I’ve been talking a lot lately about my sin of silence… of how the truth sets us free… so shouldn’t we be bold in sharing it? Is it really loving to keep quiet about sin?To try to downplay it?
Do you know why God gave us His law?
Not to control us… He offers us everything when we come to Him.
Not to earn anything… His grace, through Jesus, is a free GIFT.
So, why?
Because, as His Word—the Bible—says, to make us aware of our NEED for HIM. (Romans 7:7; Romans 3:20)
How Do YOU Justify Sin?
Do you live in a way that God calls sin? Do you justify it & stuff it & say, “it’s only uncomfortable because people try to make me feel bad about it”?
Do you recognize the fact that if God calls it sin then He didn’t MAKE you so you CAN’T sin. It is something you CHOOSE… to have your desire met your way as your ultimate priority over pleasing or honoring your Creator, Savior, Almighty GOD.
The fact of the matter is that God tells us the beginning of wisdom is fear of Him because it’s saying we ought to ultimately recognize God as GOD… & that we are not. (Proverbs 9:10)
Did you know that God says He wrote His Law on ALL OUR HEARTS so that we are WITHOUT EXCUSE? (Romans 2:14-15; Romans 1:18-20)
That nagging little doubt… that question in your spirit… that ick you try to cover & hide & pretend isn’t there… it’s because your spirit KNOWS it’s wrong. It KNOWS because it KNOWS who is really in control & whether the WHOLE WORLD approves your sin or not, you will still have to fight that ick because it won’t go away.It can’t ever go away.
Without Jesus.
“Living Your Best Life”
Don’t be fooled into complacency, into the lie of “living your best life.”
“For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Matthew 16:25-26)
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. (Proverbs 3:5-6)
God showed us His love in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” (John 3:16-17)
Without Jesus, there is no real hope, my friend.There just isn’t.
Judgment Day Will Come-But Grace Is Offered Now
And judgment day will come, whether or not you want to BELIEVE with all your heart that it won’t… it will.
And you will have all of your sins laid out before you, not a single secret one hidden from the all-seeing, all-knowing eyes of God. (Romans 2:16)
And you will have to give an account. (Romans 14:12)
You can try to hand Him all of your good deeds, but God already said it’s not based on anything you can do & that the wages of your sin is DEATH. (Ephesians 2:8-9; Isaiah 64:6; Romans 6:23)
Will you have until you’re 92, lying in a nursing home, finally surrendering your heart to Jesus, being welcomed into heaven on your dying breath…?
Or will you die suddenly in a car crash on your way home & you thought you had more time to decide… but it’s too late?
When will your judgment day come?
Will you be ready?
The Good News
But, my friend, the very Good News is that while judgment day WILL come… GRACE is offered NOW.
God says that believing on Jesus is accounted to us as righteousness(Romans 4:5; Genesis 15:6). That means our debt account, where even our best is counted as dirty rags to God (because it can never outweigh our sin)… (Isaiah 64:6)when we accept Jesus’ debt-covering, our account overflows instead with HIS righteousness now counted as our OWN.
Will we automatically be perfect with never a sinful thought or screw up? Nope.You will be a work in progress until the day you die(that’s why we can’t ever trust our own goodness because we can never be acceptable aside from Christ)… but your sin will be covered.
God’s Law Is GOOD!
Why do I take this for granted?
Why do I shy away from sharing God’s law, in calling out sin as it is—wretchedness that God hates, wretchedness that has a death sentence attached to it?
God gave us His law so we would recognize how much we need Him… not because we’re expected to follow it to the letter IN ORDER TO be saved… but that we follow it to HONOR, PLEASE, & GLORIFY Him as GOD & because His law is Truth & Goodness.
So, when someone calls something sin (that the Bible calls sin), know it’s because they want you to KNOW your need, too… not because they, in contrast, are perfect… but because they know the One who IS.
I am writing this because I care about you knowing this. I want this for you. I want you to know the depth of God’s forgiveness, grace, & love! I want you to know that He makes all things new.(2 Corinthians 5:17)
Don’t Shy Away from TRUTH–The Truth Shall Set You Free
“Jesus said unto Him: “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6)
Shine HOPE by not shying away from calling sin, sin(IN LOVE)(Ephesians 4:15)& by being willing to share the HOPE we have in God’s grace, through Jesus, that is offered NOW, so when judgment day is here we will be ready & know we did our best & told all we could so they would be ready, too.
Coming Next Week
Join me every Monday morning, EST, for more encouragement right here on my blog/website @ www.MichelleHydeOnline.com.
Share with friends & family… & SUBSCRIBE by “Joining My Tribe,” so you never miss a week!
As God grows me, may it encourage you to seek Him & know Him & love Him more every day.
A Note from Michelle:
(***Check out my FREE Journal Printable Resources: “Accountability Partner Guide + Question Prompts” & “Bible Study Question Prompts,” as well as “Prayers of Surrender” prayer guides!***)
This blog/website has been running for almost FIVE years now! THANK YOU for your continued support & encouragement. <3
If you would like to learn more of my story, check out the “About Me” tab. And if you would like to hear how I found my lasting source of HOPE, read the “Hope Is Found” tab, on this site. I hope they are an encouragement to you! <3
Also, make sure to “Join My Tribe” by adding your email to the top bar & clicking “Join My Tribe”. This gains you access to an extra weekly dose of encouragement from me in your inbox (make sure to check your other inbox folders), along with the link to each week’s new post! I can’t wait to do this journey together!!
Fashion as a Force for GOOD:
Each week, I feature an item that is changing lives for women around the world. These hand-crafted pieces are offering job creation opportunities for women artisans in impoverished nations all around the world!Consider these pieces when shopping for friends, family, or yourself. Check out this week’s featured beauty!!
Bisa Tote (India)
(Shown: Bisa Tote, handcrafted in India. Every purchase empowers women in India out of poverty!)
Woven jute, dyed rope, and artisanal expertise make the Bisa Tote the perfect tote for any summer excursion! The earthy brown tones of the natural jute and leather mixed with the blue color block pattern are absolutely stunning and give this tote a modern coastal look. The ethically made Bisa Tote is handcrafted in India with an unlined interior, magnetic closure, and leather shoulder straps.
(PS. I want this bag! Isn’t it so beachy & cute?!)
***Every purchase provides safe jobs with fair wages for women in areas of extreme poverty in India!***
How You Can Help the Artisans & Support My Website:
SHOP Here, OR, Email me at michellehyde.tradesofhope@gmail.com with any questions, & I will message you personally with more information!! Thank you for inspiring HOPE around the world, Lovely!
Your purchases not only help these women, but my commissions help me in continuing this website/blog, encouraging women all around the world with the HOPE we have in Jesus. Win-win-win!
I don’t know about you, but when I have always read these verses, I would get a little quicker past a few verses like the ones I shared above.
I know I don’t measure up to that standard. I know I am nowhere NEAR being holy apart from the righteousness accounted to me through JESUS.
So, reading verses like that just seems like “lalala, I can’t HEAR you!”because the impossibility of it mixed with the directness of it made me uncomfortable.
That doesn’t mean I discount them or think they’re not entirely important–because God says it, but I never really considered the fact that IF GOD SAYS IT… it MUST be possible.
Nothing So Obviously Rebellious
But, if I am really, truly honest with myself, I can tell that there are certain sins that I’m okay with—& that’s not okay.
Now, I don’t mean that in the way of picking & choosing certain ones of the Ten Commandments given by God to Moses (Deuteronomy 5:1-21) & saying, “I think THIS ONE is okay… oh, & THIS ONE, too!” Nothing so obviously rebellious.
It’s more that if I consider the command to by HOLY & that WHATEVER I do, ALL should be for God’s glory… weeelllll…. I don’t always 100% live like that–& I should, because God says to.
I mean, most things, sure… I try to anyway… but how often do I stop comparing what I’m okay with… with what GOD says He’s okay with… versus with other people in my life?
Do I let HIM set the gauge on ALL things? Or my church? Or my parents? Or a Christian author? Or my peers?
Who determines for me what God is okay with in my life?
Do I Excuse Things That Promote Sin?
Here’s a BIG example for me that up until my self-imposed “rehab” from reliance on coping mechanisms versus trusting that God’s peace really can be sufficient & I don’t have to be trapped any longer by the “OR ELSE” that comes with maintaining my coping mechanisms for my depression… I can really be free from them & trust God in their place… but that is a rabbit hole from my point…
In my “rehab,” I have not allowed myself to watch any tv (read: binge watch, because once my symptoms hit, I have grown to have zero self-control anymore when it comes to tv-watching once I start as I try to drown out the symptoms). And in this giving up of television… amongst other things… I have found it has become much easier to live in a way that honors God—including & especially my thought life!
Why? I think it’s because although I try not to watch “trashy” television, a lot of it still portrays sin & that sin influences me even in subtle ways I would have never owned up to or even recognized previously because I grew up watching tv & it’s always been considered completely, absolutely acceptable—as long as I am not indulging in “filth” that PROMOTES & openly DISPLAYS sin.
But unless my prayer life & Bible study time outweighs the time I spend influenced by tv, guess which one is most likely going to have the stronger, albeit subtler, influence over me?(Galatians 6:8)
How Do You Think It Makes God Feel?
If I am engaging in something where sin is taken lightly,(aka something that God hates & considers worthy of needing to send Jesus to DIE for us because otherwise the punishment is eternal wretched torment in HELL (Romans 6:23; Isaiah 53:5-6; John 3:16-17)… does it honor Him if I engage in enjoying it?
Imagine your friend confides in you that someone called her fat & laughed at her & it just caught her off guard & deeply cut her & hurt her & she confides in you saying how much it hurts her… then you sit down with her & choose to watch a show where one character or another makes fun of someone’s weight & a laugh track plays… how do you think your friend is going to feel about that being the butt of the joke?
How do you think God feels when He sees you watching or engaging in something that makes light of something He says hurts Him? Namely, SIN? Do you think that honors Him? Pleases Him? Or hurts His heart? How do you think it makes God feel?
If a particular sin is treated dismissively, like no big deal… or promoted or praised, when God says it is worthy of DEATH & eternal punishment in Hell… where Jesus had to DIE because of it… do you think it honors Him to engage in it or excuse it or watch it? Do you think it pleases Him?
How do you think it makes God feel?
Is This Legalism?
This is where my conviction creeps in, because I recognize how much of a surprising change it’s been in me just these last 2.5 ish months just from not watching tv… & now I am realizing that what I have justified–because it’s widely accepted… may not be what’s best for me because I can’t say with full confidence that it doesn’t hurt or dishonor or displease God.
“All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify [build up].” (1 Corinthians 10:23, brackets added)
It’s not a matter of legalism. I can’t be saved by being “good” (Ephesians 2:8-9) & any amount of “good” in me is counted as dirty rags to God (Isaiah 64:6)… it’s ONLY by/through JESUS. Only.(John 14:6)
BUT, it IS a matter of whether I really care about giving God the GLORY in WHATEVER I do…. It IS a matter of whether I will CHOOSE to strive to honor & please God with every choice I make (aka striving to live HOLY & pleasing to GOD).
Where Do I Draw the Line?
What’s more important to me? Salvation with a side of living however I see fit as long as it’s not “TOO” offensive/dishonoring to God?
Where’s my line that I’m willing to draw there?
Where am I willing to hurt Him “just a little”?
Do I care about being HOLY? Or just “good enough”?
Do I justify things because I REALLY LIKE IT & IT’S “NOT THAT BAD”?
What are we okay with watching that makes light of any of that sin because our church always allowed those movies/shows because they weren’t openly engaging in it or promoting it… maybe so our parents were okay with it, our peers encourage it, the world accepts it…?
Have we bothered to ask God what HE is okay with in any of it?
I’m a Sinner… I’m Still Learning to Surrender More to Him for His Glory over My Entertainment
I am not saying all of this because I have it all figured out & always make the right decision or even always know what the right decision is.
I am not here to make the call on where that line ought to be for you.
God says to be 100% convinced in your OWN heart before God… (Romans 14:5) & that if we’re not, & we choose to do it anyway… to US (not necessarily to everyone) it IS sin. (Romans 14:23)
Are you 100% convinced in your heart before God?
The Sins We’re Okay With
The sins we’re okay with… would you say there’s anything you’re okay engaging in that downplays, glorifies, or makes light of anything God hates? Where is the line for you on what you’re okay disappointing, displeasing, or hurting God?
Is there ANY doubt that you’re burying in justifications even though you know very well or even just have the slight inkling idea that maybe God is NOT okay with it?
What sins are you okay with if “to YOU (because of doubt) they are sin”?
SHINE HOPE by being willing to lay down a prayer of surrender whenever God nudges your heart about something, saying, “God, LORD, if there is ANYTHING I do that dishonors or displeases you in the SLIGHTEST, help me to NOT be okay with it anymore. WEED IT OUT of my life! I want my life to strive for holiness AKA a life that seeks to honor & please You with everything I choose. In Jesus’ HOLY name, Amen.”
Amen.
Coming Next Week
Join me every Monday morning, EST, for more encouragement right here on my blog/website @ www.MichelleHydeOnline.com.
Share with friends & family… & SUBSCRIBE by “Joining My Tribe,” so you never miss a week!
As God grows me, may it encourage you to seek Him & know Him & love Him more every day.
A Note from Michelle:
(***Check out my FREE Journal Printable Resources: “Accountability Partner Guide + Question Prompts” & “Bible Study Question Prompts,” as well as “Prayers of Surrender” prayer guides!***)
This blog/website has been running for almost FIVE years now! THANK YOU for your continued support & encouragement. <3
If you would like to learn more of my story, check out the “About Me” tab. And if you would like to hear how I found my lasting source of HOPE, read the “Hope Is Found” tab, on this site. I hope they are an encouragement to you! <3
Also, make sure to “Join My Tribe” by adding your email to the top bar & clicking “Join My Tribe”. This gains you access to an extra weekly dose of encouragement from me in your inbox (make sure to check your other inbox folders), along with the link to each week’s new post! I can’t wait to do this journey together!!
Fashion as a Force for GOOD:
Each week, I feature an item that is changing lives for women around the world. These hand-crafted pieces are offering job creation opportunities for women artisans in impoverished nations all around the world!Consider these pieces when shopping for friends, family, or yourself. Check out this week’s featured beauty!!
(Explorer Gift Set: India, Haiti, & Guatemala)
(Shown: Explorer Gift Set, handcrafted in India, Haiti, & Guatemala. Every purchase empowers women in these areas out of poverty!)
Looking for a thoughtful, unique gift? Send him an ethically made gift that makes the world a better place! This Explorer Gift Set empowers families out of poverty with the genuine leather Explorer Wallet from India, a hand-stitched card from Haiti, and packaged in a traditional fabric pouch handwoven in Guatemala. The Explorer Set is perfectly packaged to give to the influential man in your life for Father’s Day, Graduation gifts, or a spring birthday!
*****Every purchase provides safe jobs with fair wages for families in areas of extreme poverty in India, Haiti, and Guatemala.*****
How You Can Help the Artisans & Support My Website:
SHOP Here, OR, Email me at michellehyde.tradesofhope@gmail.com with any questions, & I will message you personally with more information!! Thank you for inspiring HOPE around the world, Lovely!
Your purchases not only help these women, but my commissions help me in continuing this website/blog, encouraging women all around the world with the HOPE we have in Jesus. Win-win-win!
Well, this week at church hit me a little different.
Maybe you see me doing these blog posts every week & going LIVE to chat about the topics every week, & you think, “How can you say you’re silent? You’re anything but silent about God’s Word!”
But let me tell you, while God has brought me great lengths from where I was at when I launched my website & first blog post nearly 5 years ago… I still have some growing to do.
I used to struggle even with how I write now. I used to sort of “water down” what I wrote to make it more palatable to the general audience because I was so afraid of offending anyone—heaven forbid (it’s “in style” to be offended about literally everything these days, it seems).
But, back then, God chided my heart & put an unrest in me to let me know something was off—that if someone was in search of life-giving, FREEING truth… they wouldn’t get what they were looking for… & if someone didn’t care about that, they wouldn’t have reason to care about my measly blog anyway.
So, considering that I have become more straightforward in my pointing to Who my hope comes from—JESUS—it may seem an exaggeration to say I am sinning through my silence… but I am. It’s in what I choose NOT to say….
Finally Reaching their Promised (by God) Land! But…
Right now, we’re in Numbers 13-14, getting to the part where they have arrived at the land God has PROMISED to give them, has singlehandedly LED them to, after PROVIDING miracle after miracle after MIRACLE to GET them there.
And God tells them, at the beginning of Chapter 13, to send their choicest mento go scout ahead to let the people know what to expect: namely, the beautiful, bountiful promised land’s reality of “a land flowing with milk & honey.” (Exodus 3:16-17; Exodus 33:3)
Well, the guys go, get samples of the land’s bountiful resources, & return to the people to give their report. Now, this was meant to be a scouting mission for the place where GOD called them to go, where GOD promised to provide… NOT a “whether or NOT we should go” type thing.
But that’s exactly how they handled it… as giving their assessment of whether or not they should go… & their assessment was a huge NOPE.
A Faith More in Human Ability or God Ability?
“YES, it’s BEAUTIFUL!”
“YES, it’s everything God said it would be & MORE!”
“YES, it’s AMAZING land!………”
“BUT, the people living there are like giants! & there’s so many of them that we don’t even stand a CHANCE! We need to turn back! We will lose!” (Numbers 13:26-29; Numbers 13:31-33, paraphrase)
RUH-ROH. That was NOT their call to make. That was NOT their assignment!(*But wait, don’t I do that ALL THE TIME when I choose not to do something I OUGHT to do because it makes me uncomfortable??? Oops. I try to OUT-LOGIC GOD.)
But it was effective, as basically EVERYONE came as one accord to agree with those choice men. They did NOT want to risk it. (Numbers 14:1-4; Numbers 14:10)They were SO afraid, in fact, that they were readying to STONE anyone who opposed their idea to give up!
“Then the Lord said to Moses: “How long will these people reject Me? And how long will they not believe Me, with all the signs which I have performed among them?” (Numbers 14:11)
Am I Too Willing to Stand for God’s Leading, Despite the Hatred of the Crowd?
But there were 2 men who chose to look at the roughness of the situation—I mean, if their choicest men were shaking in their boots so eager to get OUT of there, it MUST have been BAD—but these 2 men: Caleb & Joshua, chose to trust not what they could see, but the God Who is GREATER than any obstacles they saw ahead.(Numbers 13:30; Numbers 14:6-9)
They remembered how God rescued them from slavery & oppression in Egypt.
They remembered how God had led them through the wilderness with a pillar of smoke by day & a pillar of fire by night, never leaving them to fend for themselves for one moment.
They remembered the manna food that came from the sky that God provided as their daily sustenance, & the water that miraculously sprung out from the rocks when struck in places with no near water source.
They rememberedevery bit of God’s power & majesty & provision!
And they looked at the SAME OVERWHELMING odds & said, “You know what, it IS a great obstacle that is NOT humanly possible… BUT GOD IS GREATER.”
And the people wanted to STONE them for proclaiming it! What?! (Numbers 14:10)
What Does It Mean to Live by FAITH?
Living in faith means doing what God says, even if it makes NO SENSE to us.
Living by faith means doing what God says, even if the crowd wants to stone you (or “cancel” you) for it.
Crossroads in your life that change the course of your life may seem insignificant at the time but end up having a HUGE impact. Where will our choices lead us? To mediocre, “good enough” or to God’s BEST for those influenced & impacted by you? Are you influencing the world or is the world influencing you? <–Read a previous post on that, here.
When we say, “But I can’t.” We need to finish that statement with, “But GOD CAN.”
Don’t get caught fixating on avoiding discomfort or struggle versus trusting God is more than sufficient through ANYTHING.
Remember Who He Is
What has God ALREADY gotten you through? Throughout history, what has God ALREADY done?
God’s promises or human obstacles… which will you let rule your path/heart/confidence/life?
If even the GREAT 10 were AFRAID, the obstacles they saw must have been HUGE, but Caleb saw clearly that GOD IS GREATER.
Will you be willing to stand alone or will you hide in the majority?
God’s Ways Lead to the Promised Land
This is where I was convicted in my own heart: God’s way & God’s Truth leading to obedience to His Word & also SALVATION… THAT is the promised land… the good land promised by God.
Will I be courageous in encouraging obedience to God’s will, to give Him glory in ALL things…even the things people love to cancel others for… to seek to honor & please Him with EVERYTHING in life, even if it makes me the hated minority, knowing if God has led it then it IS the “promised land” we seek?
His way leads to LIFE. Am I really committed to believing that ENOUGH to speak up about even those things that the media is quick to stone you with their viral words of hatred?
Will I be like Caleb or like the other guys? Will I trust self or God? Will I protect myself or the Truth of God that sets us free & leads to life everlasting?
My Sin? Silence.
Is comfort so much my idol that I would deny encouragement for people to be free of the payment & guilt of their sin? Or if already free, to find the GOODNESS & BLESSING tucked in living a life of determined, surrendered obedience to God no matter what?
Being a Caleb requires sacrifice, surrender, sometimes ridicule, & sometimes a LONELY standing alone. It’s an obstacle that in my seeking out of comfort, seems NOT humanly possible.
But God makes it all worthwhile.
Who around me will pay the price for my silence?
“And your sons shall be shepherds in the wilderness forty years, and bear the brunt of your infidelity, until your carcasses are consumed in the wilderness.” (Numbers 14:33)
I ask again, who will pay the price for my silence?
God Is My Strength, in Whom I Place My Trust
Why do I think I have to be strong when God Himself promises to be my strength?
What God calls sin, is sin. We can justify it, disbelieve it, ignore it, avoid it, talk around it, feel progressive & forward-thinking about it… but what God calls sin… is SIN.
And judgment day will come.
Don’t make excuses. Don’t make yourself out to be wiser than the One Who MADE you.
Trust HIM over yourself. And if it makes absolutely no sense to you & you just REFUSE to live by it until it makes sense to YOU… let’s just say God understands more than you do & that excuse (saying you have to know as much as God or you refuse to obey Him) will not fly with Him come judgment day. Your choice is your choice & thus your consequences will be your consequences.
Be Careful
“For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools,” (Romans 1:20-22; Romans 2:15-16)
Shine HOPE by determining NOT to keep quiet… NOT to focus on the HUGE obstacles/struggles ahead… BUT to fix your eyes on REMEMBERING ALL GOD has brought you through & done throughout history… without your help. (1 Thessalonians 5:11)
Let God be God in your life every day.
Coming Next Week
Join me every Monday morning, EST, for more encouragement right here on my blog/website @ www.MichelleHydeOnline.com.
Share with friends & family… & SUBSCRIBE by “Joining My Tribe,” so you never miss a week!
As God grows me, may it encourage you to seek Him & know Him & love Him more every day.
A Note from Michelle:
(***Check out my FREE Journal Printable Resources: “Accountability Partner Guide + Question Prompts” & “Bible Study Question Prompts,” as well as “Prayers of Surrender” prayer guides!***)
This blog/website has been running for almost FIVE years now! THANK YOU for your continued support & encouragement. <3
If you would like to learn more of my story, check out the “About Me” tab. And if you would like to hear how I found my lasting source of HOPE, read the “Hope Is Found” tab, on this site. I hope they are an encouragement to you! <3
Also, make sure to “Join My Tribe” by adding your email to the top bar & clicking “Join My Tribe”. This gains you access to an extra weekly dose of encouragement from me in your inbox (make sure to check your other inbox folders), along with the link to each week’s new post! I can’t wait to do this journey together!!
Fashion as a Force for GOOD:
Each week, I feature an item that is changing lives for women around the world. These hand-crafted pieces are offering job creation opportunities for women artisans in impoverished nations all around the world!Consider these pieces when shopping for friends, family, or yourself. Check out this week’s featured beauty!!
May 2023 Hope Mail
(Shown: May 2023 Hope Mail–all jewelry items are handcrafted in India–every purchase provides empowerment for women in India out of poverty!)
FOR A LIMITED TIME – Only available during the month of May!
Imagine the joy of opening this May Hope Mail package and discovering these eco-friendly fair-trade earrings! Artisans in India handcraft these elegant Silver Simplicity Earrings. Each earring features six silver-tone ovals linked to smaller circles, creating a beautiful fair-trade fashion statement. Every pair of Silver Simplicity Earrings helps to end poverty cycles and keep families out of the slums of India!
This bright, colorful Aqua Statement Bracelet is handcrafted in India and designed to create a fair-trade fashion statement! Several strands of aqua colored glass seed beads on viscose thread. Each bracelet is finished with knotted ends and fun hot pink tassels on the pull strings. This bracelet is helping women in India leave situations of abuse and discrimination and sending girls to school.
Inspire yourself or someone you love with this exclusive, vinyl, Trades of Hope Esther Sticker with the encouraging message, “Perhaps this is the moment for which you were created.”
*****Every purchase provides safe jobs with fair wages for women in areas of extreme poverty in India where vulnerable women are often exploited by sweatshops and human traffickers.*****
How You Can Help the Artisans & Support My Website:
SHOP Here, OR, Email me at michellehyde.tradesofhope@gmail.com with any questions, & I will message you personally with more information!! Thank you for inspiring HOPE around the world, Lovely!
Your purchases not only help these women, but my commissions help me in continuing this website/blog, encouraging women all around the world with the HOPE we have in Jesus. Win-win-win!
Have you ever been tempted to think that God just expects too much, asks too much, or controls too much?
I definitely wrestled with these thoughts growing up as a Christian. I misunderstood that the Bible—God’s Word—was all about rules & control.
But then, when I considered how, yes, He expected & asked for holiness & perfection… but how He also made a way to restore us knowing we couldn’t keep up our end. He loved us so much that He made the way for us when we couldn’t.
So, that sort of tilts the whole idea of God being on some power trip… because He could easily have kept Jesus from coming & just let us all pay the consequences of our own choices—HELL… & death in this life as well.
God Owns All, Is Deserving of All, & Judgment Day Will Come–No Matter What You Want to Believe
Today, I want us to consider Mark 12, which highlights 3 points regarding His deserving:
Him as the One to Whom all belongs,
Giving to “Caesar” what belongs to “Caesar” but to God, what belongs to God (us, our hearts, our lives, our all), &
How we will all face God someday as the Righteous Judge & we ought to know whether we’re ready to meet Him.
When we are tempted to think of God on a cosmic power trip, we must consider that He made everything, owns everything, & that He alone has the right to judge it all—PLUS, He sent JESUS.
It’s True Though… God Has Expectations of Us
But even though God made a way for us to be free from the consequences of our own wrong choices, God still expects us to express love to Him through our obedience to Him… & sometimes it’s true that He asks some hard things of us (but not without His offer to help).
Sometimes it’s having a willingness to leave everything behind to follow His lead, like Abraham did when God called him (Genesis 12:1-4)… or like many missionaries throughout history.
Sometimes it’s letting God define our identity rather than trying to make that call ourselves–even & especially when our way seems so “true to self” &/or “authentic.”
Sometimes it’s being willing to die for His Truth to be shared with a hope-seeking world, like so many of Jesus’ disciples & the many martyrs throughout history.
Sometimes it’s accepting a life of ridicule from those you care about & want to please the most to stand for the hope you know is True & worth living for.
Sometimes it’s being willing to serve where it’s not so glamorous & where you get close to zero recognition &/or praise. (I think at least a few of my mom friends have felt this way at least at some point—can you relate to that?)
Whatever it is that God is asking of you to walk in obedience to Him… maybe it doesn’t feel good or make you look good or goes against everything you’ve always wanted or believed. And you may be tempted to think that God is quite demanding & controlling.
But God is not demanding.He’s deserving.
What Makes God Deserving?
He made you… knit you together in fact. And He knows all your days before one ever took place. (Psalm 139:13-16)Only He gets to say “who you are.”
He knows absolutely everything there is to know or ever will be to know & has perfect understanding & wisdom to navigate through it all wisely. (Romans 11:33; Proverbs 2:6)
AND He sent Jesus to pay all of your debts to reconcile you to Himself if you believe on Jesus to cover your debt & declare Him as your LORD. (Romans 5:8; John 3:16-17)
Don’t Underestimate Your Need of Him
Maybe you grew up always trying to be a good person & you think, “what debt, Michelle? I always have tried to be a good person & do right things & not be a troublemaker. My debt, if any, isn’t really that big a deal.”
Yeah, growing up in the church, especially, my pride tempts me to think that way too sometimes.
But sin is really the idea of “missing the mark,” of not always, in every single moment of every single day having every thought, attitude, & action be pleasing & honoring to God. I don’t think ANY of us can claim THAT–I know I can’t.
We’re not comparing ourselves to other flawed humans.
No, we’re comparing ourselves to the One & only perfect, holy GOD ALMIGHTY.
And on THAT comparison, to say I fall short is a HUGE understatement.
And yet, He knew that & He sent Jesus to cover my debt to Him & ALL I HAVE TO DO to receive it is repent(admit, confess, turn from) my sin against Him & believe on JESUS to be the covering for that sin(versus trying to be it yourself—because you will never quite measure up).(Acts 3:19; 1 John 1:8-9; Ephesians 2:8-9; John 3:16-17; Romans 10:9)
AND every single thing He asks of us, He ALSO offers to be our supply in the doing of it. (2 Peter 1:3-4)
So, considering ALL THAT, to even imply that the Bible is a display of a major power trip of God’s is just quite frankly insulting.
God is not demanding. He’s DESERVING.
He Gives His All So We May Give Our All to & for Him
Wow. In all my underserving, my pride, my underestimating Him & neglecting to praise Him as often as He honestly deserves… He gives His all for me.
God is NOT demanding. He’s deserving.
So, if you want to scream your “rights” in wanting to live YOUR life YOUR way–even in just how you spend your free time aka my struggle (it’s not your life) & live by your determination of YOUR “true, authentic self…” (only HE knows what that is, because HE made you)—if it goes against what God says—you WILL pay the price for that “missing the mark” because if it goes against what HE, as YOUR CREATOR says… it’s automatically wrong.
I Don’t Give Him the Praise He Deserves
He offers payment in full. Full forgiveness. Full debt forgiveness. A fresh start.
You don’t have to “clean yourself up first” or “prove you mean it” by conquering certain things first.
You just have to be willing to accept that you are NOT enough & that ONLY He is. And repent of your way & trust on Jesus’ payment & have a desire to live for God’s way.
Shine HOPE by not apologizing for God’s commands, but rather pointing to His deserving in all things.
Coming Next Week
Join me every Monday morning, EST, for more encouragement right here on my blog/website @ www.MichelleHydeOnline.com.
Share with friends & family… & SUBSCRIBE by “Joining My Tribe,” so you never miss a week!
As God grows me, may it encourage you to seek Him & know Him & love Him more every day.
A Note from Michelle:
(***Check out my FREE Journal Printable Resources: “Accountability Partner Guide + Question Prompts” & “Bible Study Question Prompts,” as well as “Prayers of Surrender” prayer guides!***)
This blog/website has been running for almost FIVE years now! THANK YOU for your continued support & encouragement. <3
If you would like to learn more of my story, check out the “About Me” tab. And if you would like to hear how I found my lasting source of HOPE, read the “Hope Is Found” tab, on this site. I hope they are an encouragement to you! <3
Also, make sure to “Join My Tribe” by adding your email to the top bar & clicking “Join My Tribe”. This gains you access to an extra weekly dose of encouragement from me in your inbox (make sure to check your other inbox folders), along with the link to each week’s new post! I can’t wait to do this journey together!!
Fashion as a Force for GOOD:
Each week, I feature an item that is changing lives for women around the world. These hand-crafted pieces are offering job creation opportunities for women artisans in impoverished nations all around the world!Consider these pieces when shopping for friends, family, or yourself. Check out this week’s featured beauty!!
Identity Quartz Necklace (Guatemala)
(Shown: Identity Quartz Necklace, handcrafted in Guatemala. Every purchase empowers women in Guatemala out of poverty!)
The naturally varying shades of strawberry quartz stones make the handcrafted Identity Quartz Necklace from Guatemala beautiful. Dainty tones of pink with ivory shades encase a pure silver charm embossed with the fingerprint of the woman who created it!
***Every purchase provides safe jobs with fair wages for women in areas of extreme poverty in Guatemala.***
How You Can Help the Artisans & Support My Website:
SHOP Here, OR, Email me at michellehyde.tradesofhope@gmail.com with any questions, & I will message you personally with more information!! Thank you for inspiring HOPE around the world, Lovely!
Your purchases not only help these women, but my commissions help me in continuing this website/blog, encouraging women all around the world with the HOPE we have in Jesus. Win-win-win!
