A Good Word Wednesday-- WITH

#42 - A little bit of goodness in your mailbox today -- 👩🏻👩👩🏽

May 03, 2023

Word of the Day - WITH

It’s no secret. If you know me very well at all, you know I’m an introvert. I love my alone time. The quiet. The calm. Just me, the birds and my dogs.

This is one place where I recharge my energy in the solitude and then I’m ready to slip back into the world of people. My extroverted friends thrive on being with others. That’s where they get revived and charged up. If that’s you, more power to you. And if that’s you, you may think all of us introverts don’t like you or any people, for that matter. Not true. We like you. You just make us tired and you zap our energy. It’s an endless cycle.

I’m a fan of tv reality shows like “Alone” that shows how a person lives by themselves in nature and tries to battle the brutal elements— the cold, the hunger, the loneliness.

The truth is, God made us for community. This Good Word group is an online community. I like to meet you here and chat with you virtually. But God made people to be with people. In the flesh. We need each other. That’s one of the beauties of being an active member of a church family. It’s not just about Bible study and corporate worship, although those are wonderful, good things. It is also about doing life together. When I meet with my discipleship group, we don’t just share what we’ve learned in scriptures, recite memory verses and pray, although those are good and beautiful things. We also share what our kids have been up to, our personal struggles and upcoming plans. In reality, we are sharing life over eggs, bacon, salad, and coffee or Diet Coke.

Jesus showed us how much He loves us because He came to be with us. It’s the story of the Incarnation. The story of God who became a baby just so He could be with us. To be with his own creation in our world. It doesn’t get any more powerful to know that He left heaven to be God in the flesh with us and for us.

Last Sunday, our church did what we call Serve Duncan. It is taking our church family into the surrounding neighborhood and helping people clean their yards, trim their bushes and pick up piles of limbs. But it’s more than that. Its sharing life with people, building relationships and meeting people at the points of their needs. And its doing life together with our church family to meet a common goal. I loved it. Then I was very tired and went home and retreated to my solitude. It was time for a good long nap.

This is what Serve Duncan looked like last Sunday: Serve Duncan First Baptist Duncan OK

Wednesday in the Word

Genesis 1-3. Read these “in the beginning” passages and notice that at least nine times the word “with” is used. God is with us in his creation.
“…and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:20.
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” John 1:1

Share Your Good Word

If Covid-19 taught us anything, it’s the fact that unmasked face-to-face interaction is vital for our well being. It taught us we were made to be with each other.

Question(s) of the Week: How do you like to personally interact with people? Where is your favorite pace to interact personally with people? Please share!

Good Unseen People

In the following story, No Place Like It, I say: “While we are thankful for the abundance he has blessed us with now, we know there is more. There is a holy habitation in heaven where we get to be with Him always, and with all the people in our lives who are already there enjoying Him.” This story will be included in my upcoming book, Unseen People: Sharing Life and Light with Your Neighbors and the Nations. Click the link below for more info.

Read No Place Like It

Unseen People book

Good Words I Recommend

A Good Blog: Going Places With My Daddy. This is another story that will be in Unseen People. My Daddy had such a pastor’s heart and knew how to be with people in a way that made them feel special, seen and loved. I loved going places with my Daddy.

A Good Video Series: The Chosen. If you haven’t started watching this series by Angel Studios, my goodness, do it now (right after you finish reading this!). This isn’t just a show about Jesus, this is a personal journey. Yours and His together. Just watch one episode and see for yourself if this isn’t a powerful depiction of God With Us.

A Good Book: The Story of With, Allen Arnold. Learn to: Stay Expectant, Awaken Your Heart, Know Your Identity, and Do It Together. “…. Allen Arnold has a wonderful way of teaching/instructing life lessons in a fun way that you remember, giving the reader vision of what is possible with God... WITH God..”

NOTE: Please share with me some of your favorite blogs, songs and books. I’d love to know.

Some of the links above are associate links. That means, when you click and purchase, I receive a small percentage of that sale. Those funds, as well as funds from paid subscribers, supports my writing this piece each week. Thank you! I commit to forwarding a minimum of 10% to the amazing nonprofits: She Is Safe and The Red Cord. They help raise awareness of sex trafficking. They help prevent, rescue and restore victims to new life.

A Final Word

Team work. It takes a village. Together. With.

All of these are Good Words.

Even though we are made for community, it doesn’t mean it comes naturally. Sometimes we need encouragement to reach out and make new friends with those in our neighborhoods and communities. I created a brand new e-book for you — 7 Steps to Show People Their Significance: A Guidebook to Help You Share Light and Life With Others. We are all important. All valuable. All made in God’s image. But many people don’t know that. This resource helps you see people. Be with them. And gently lead them into relationship with you and with Him.

See some info about this free guidebook on my website: 7 Steps to Show People Their Significance. This goes out free to new subscribers to A Good Word Wednesday. If you are already get this in your inbox every week, your process is a bit different. First, take a look at the intro on my website. If you would like to have it, email me, or reply here, and just say, Free-7 Steps. I’d love to know what you think about this resource. Some of you helped me shape these steps into a final product. Thank you.