Hey, friends. Welcome to Episode 1 81 of
the fears calling podcast. I'm your host, Doris
Swift. I wanna warm welcome you to the
show.
Are you looking for a speaker for your
next women's event? I would love to have
a chat about that with you? You can
check out my speaking page at doris swift
dot com
or my profile at women's speaker dot com.
There's some free resources for you in both
faces to reach out
This week my guest is Lisa Granger.
And she felt like her testimony just wasn't
exciting or dramatic enough to share. And I
think a lot of
people that I've spoken with have felt the
same way. She grew up in a Christian
home had a great childhood,
and her story didn't include some powerful
transformation of overcoming abuse or addiction or life
on the streets,
but
what she we discover is that all of
our stories are purposeful and powerful.
When
a believer
accepts Jesus,
that heavenly rejoice. So all over her all
of her stories are powerful. But
she would soon find out that even though
she had grown up in the faith,
that her faith would
waiver
when tragedy struck her family. So we're gonna
talk about that and
a lot of other things that she's gonna
share,
like, suddenly finding herself an empty nest
and how she was in her lane, and
then her lane wasn't there anymore, and I
think a lot of us can relate to
that too. So this is a great conversation,
and I know what Lisa shares will encourage,
inspire and challenge you. So listen in, while
I have a chat with Lisa Granger.
What is threatening to steal your joy?
What is it that feels so heavy?
Right now
that you could barely stand.
God has a plan,
and his plan is
to surrender it.
Surrender it to him.
It might be a prod.
It might be
a relationship, a marriage,
something with your job.
So many things. We have so many amazing
blessings,
but there are so many things in our
life. The threaten to steal our joy.
I'm Doris Swift,
Author of the award winning 6 week bible
study, surrender the Joy Steelers red rediscovered the
Jesus joy in you. And it helps women
red
the overflowing ever present Jesus joy within
that fills,
empowers
and ripen the fruit that god produces in
our lives.
Using personal and biblical stories.
I share how you can identify your joy
dealers,
surrender them to God, re awake the joy
within
and share the joy with others.
You can do it on your own, or
with a group.
If you're looking for a bible study for
this summer,
check it out friends.
Surrender the joyce dealers, red the Jesus joy
in you.
It's available
on all the online retailers.
It's time to take your joy back.
Welcome back to the show. Today, I am
so excited to welcome my friend Lisa Granger.
I was on her show. She's on my
show now. It's very exciting and I love
having her. She is a speaker and host
the podcast radio show woman's heart. She's a
wife, mom of 3 grown ups and has
some fur babies too. She wants us to
know. That god has placed something unique in
power full inside every woman's heart. And each
story is worth telling. So by sharing our
stories, we create a space for hope, encouragement,
and real life application, and she is an
encourage. Welcome to the Shelby Lisa. It's great
to have you on.
Thank you, Doris. I'm really excited and honored
to be here. This is so fun. Yeah.
Another sister that I met at the Christian
Communicators conference. Mh. So great conference. Y'all need
to check it out. And so, yeah, I
am
I'm so thankful that we got a chance
to do that. I know we had to
reschedule a little bit. But
so you are such a fun gal, and
I love your radio show and Thank you
so much for having me on that, and
I'll put the link to our show together
in these show notes, so people can check
it out and check out you know, all
the things. And so I would lovely lisa
so, if you would share a little bit
about your story
with our listeners and how you're taking action
where your passion compassion and conviction intersect.
Store where, I am taking action by being
here.
A part of my story,
is that I didn't think my story was
really worth telling.
And because there's nothing really... You know, you
hear testimony using. You have these big grand
stories of miraculous
conversions, and miracles and and all of these
horrible, terrible things. You know, I I grew
up in a regular normal
everyday Christian home. And my parents were good.
They want perfect. So best? Do I have
some things that I work on, yeah. Because
my, parents were human,
and they did the best I could. You
know, just like I did the best I
could. But I just kinda grew up going
to church and
knowing knowing who god was and knowing, you
know, who Jesus was, but there was it
wasn't until I was older that I realized
there's a difference between religion and a relationship.
And
At that point, I was like, oh, wait
a minute. Because growing up, I always kinda
looked at people who was... Oh, they were
saved in their passion. Like, okay. They're kinda
Jesus freaks, and I'm happy for them, but
it's a little too much for me.
And so I was like, okay, You know,
that... That's great. That's great. You know? Because
some... I also I had some friends that
went to a very charismatic
evangelical church. And some of the judgment there
was so severe. I was like, no. I
don't wanna go that route. So it wasn't
until college
that I really kinda started understanding the whole
relationship thing is very, very different.
And so even though I kinda, you know,
grew up. Like I said, I didn't really
think my story was worth telling because there's
nothing Miraculous it's been baby steps all along.
You know, you grow up, and you you
have different things here and there. And then
you have these little marks first. And I
finally was like, well, I don't have a
time when I prayed the prayer. I was
baptized as an infant. I did confirmation, and,
I guess, 6 grade and and the denomination.
I I was in, But I've never... I
can't say on this date at this time
under the tree,
I prayed the prayer and became saved and
my and my life changed. And
I was dating a really cool guy who's
now my husband of, over for 30 years.
And he was like, well, just... If you
feel like you need... Just go ahead and
pray it then. I'm like, okay. So
I mean, I sat on my dorm bed
and pray the prayer, so I could say
I prayed the prayer.
Nothing really changed, you know, it... As that
far. And so you just keep going
and moving on. And as I mentioned, we
were... We dated in college. We got married.
And life was go, we were working with
youth group, and I'm like, okay. I've got
the difference between relationship and religion. We had
some wonderful
adult leaders that were helping this out.
And then about a year
into our marriage, year and a half into
our marriage.
I had a 10 year old cousin,
who was killed on a car accident.
And it's 1 of those, you know, you
get the phone call and they'll, like, call
me and you're, like,
you know... You know something's gone horribly wrong.
And they've... She been in an accident, and
with my aunt and my other cousin,
And
we weren't sure what was gonna happen. She'd
had... She'd sustained a lot of trauma, and
I remember going okay.
This is where I'm gonna exercise my faith.
You know, faith of a mustard seed. I
am not gonna doubt. I am going to
believe with every fiber of my being this
she's going to be fine. She's going to
be healed. It's all gonna be fine. I'm
sad I was scared, but no. Faith of
a mustard seat. I kept going over and
over those versus and convincing myself that no.
This was gonna have this was gonna be
okay. I was not gonna doubt. I was
not gonna waiver. You know, all those bible
verses that we like to pull out. And
Slap 1 is a band aid, whether or
they're in context or not. And we use
those and to give ourselves comfort at the
time,
But then when you get the call that
says no,
and it's not happening, and she's brand dead.
And
I really... If it was, like, every fiber
of my faith got ripped out from underneath.
It's and it's 1 thing when you see
other people go through a tragedy. You can
still
put a band aid on it. And I'd
lost grandparents,
and I'd lost, you know, great grandparents. So
I faced it, but the death of a
child is something totally different. Yeah. And for
me, that was really, really hard. And
I remember thinking I had no comfort from
prayer.
I really did not. I was like, you
know, how dare you? I I didn't even
know if I wanted to believe in God.
And here I am I'm supposed to be
leading youth group
with with my husband. And Feel like, hey.
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. You do. You kinda you,
like, a year. Believe god. I'm like, yeah.
I'm really I'm not really sure. I believe
in you myself. And
fortunately,
the adult leaders that I had. 2 wonderful,
wonderful ladies. When has gone home to Jesus,
but and now. And
they just said, you know, it's okay.
It's it's okay for you to doubt. It's
okay for you to question
as long as you're still talking to him.
And that that has always stuck with me
no matter what has gone on. And it's
it's okay. And I remember,
in, writing down,
couple of things during that time. Was it
1
was God can handle it. He can handle
it when we go through tough times. He
can handle it when we get angry.
He is not up there on his throne
going, oh, no. She's mad at me. My
chewing his fingernails.
That... That's not what he's doing. He's like,
it's okay honey.
I gotcha.
You can be as... You can rail and
scream at me all you want.
It's okay. I get it. You're you're hurting.
And he's not gonna strike us down for
that because we're still talking to him.
And that's the thing is as long as
we're still talking, we can say, god.
God, This really
stinks.
I don't like this. And
and it's it's okay. So I really had
a lot of comfort with knowing that he
could handle my anger, he could handle my
sadness. He can handle my grief. He can
handle my joy.
God can handle
all of my extreme emotions, and trust me.
I have them.
I have a lot of stream emotion emotions.
I call them my superpower and my k.
Yeah.
You know, When mean you have big emotions,
you can then that can be really good
when they're steering in the right direction, but
when,
maybe they're steering you towards a couple of
rocks sets. Not so great.
But he can handle that. And the other
thing I remember, I was at the beach
and just really grieving.
I and I wrote down that hurt
she was too sweet and too good for
her death to be in vain.
And I really kinda, you know, I'm really
I really did not like that Romans 08:28.
All things worked for good for those who
left the lord. And I'm like, I don't
seem any good coming out out of this,
God. This is not good. I don't know
how... You know, I learned her to rip
that that bible verse out.
And
But at the same time, it was, like,
yeah, I can make something good. It's gonna
be different than what you expected.
But I can still make something good. You
just gotta come along with me and get
out of the way.
And
so that was 1... You know, for those,
that was a big marker for me because
I really kinda had to dig a little
deeper. I think my faith at that point
was a lot more shallow.
And hadn't been really tested.
And when you have something like that, and
you really have to dig deep I read
a couple of books. Some were helpful. Some
were, the 1 that was very helpful for
me is Lee Str wrote a book called
the Case for Christ.
Because I really kinda needed to convince myself
that there was a god,
and and I could pray to him and
and I could believe again.
And that 1 was very, very helpful for
me. And I actually had privilege of speaking
to him. Several years ago before the his...
The movie came out, which was a huge
thrill
for me. But that was very helpful to
me.
And he also wrote a book called the
case for faith, where
at the end, you kinda say you can
have all the arguments you want for your
faith.
But in the end, you have to make
a choice.
Because if you don't want to believe,
you will be able to find evidence.
Of that. You'll be able to find the
evidence of what you are looking for. So
if you want to believe
you can find evidence to believe... There's plenty
of evidence out there. Well, lots and lots
of evidence to believe that Jesus came and
he died He rose again. He is who
he says he is.
But if you're really bound and determined not
to believe,
you will be able to find other questions
that calls you to doubt. And
I've had to come back a couple of
times and go, oh, Lord. I'm not so
sure about this. What's going on. Mh and
and go, but now, I'm choosing to believe.
Yeah. And I'm choosing to believe whether I
feel it whether I see it, whether I
like it.
I'm I'm choosing
to believe and keep going forward. And so
that was that was a big marker in
in my faith journey. And then, you know,
kind of after you do that, I had
kids
I no along. And then now the season
that I'm in is that it's a lovely
empty nest
season,
Oh, I've launched my kids. They are grown.
One's married. One's it's going to be married
next year, the stating a a lovely person.
And
but I had stayed at home for so
long as I... As 1 person
described it, I'm was in my lane,
and then my lane wasn't there anymore.
It kind of, you know, when he get
into the merge where all of a sudden
right
or whatever.
Where where do wire merge I speed up?
I slow down. Which which where what What
what what I do? And, you know, you're
still a mom, but it's different. And
I we... I remember when our son went
off to do a semester of abroad, and
my husband and I taken him to the
airport,
and we send him off
And and then our our youngest had gone
off to schools because it was, like, really,
they were they were all gone now. And
we're walking back to the car and I'm
like, well,
He's flying away.
We did our job.
Dang it.
Because it was like this I'm so happy
for him, and I feel like my heart
just got ripped out of my chest at
the same time saying goodbye. And so it
is... It's this bitter sweet. Gosh. You love
watching them fly away. It's so cool to
see
what they're doing and where they're going, and
then you go, but I... Well, my baby's
at home in the nest. Tooling now. But
it's really hard. And feels like so hard.
And and then, like, is said, also my
lane wasn't there, and I'm like, hey. So
I've been a stay home mom, and I
have all these wonderful gifts and talents. I'm
am a smart college educated woman.
Order now.
Yeah. What's my next agenda?
Yeah. What's my next.
Yes.
And Fortunately, I I had I wasn't but
so thrilled at the time.
My husband has the radio station, and he...
Somebody
was leaving. They were going on their own
adventure. They had a wonderful opportunity. And he
was, like, I need some melt right now.
So I came in. I'd done some work
for the station before so I could kinda
come in and and help out. And he
said, hey, I've got this time
on Sunday morning.
And hey, How about... Can I you've? You've
talked about writing and speaking.
I've been the conferences, and and I loved
I love that. We were talking about much
I like going to Conferences and end meeting
people. I just... I really, really enjoy that.
And he said, why don't you do a
show? I was like,
okay. So
I kinda played music and talked a little
bit.
And then a few years in,
kinda was like, I'm wonder if I had
a conversation because I was finding that the
more I wanted to write, even though I've
been doing the show longer.
I... It was taking me longer to prepare
because I was actually going more into depth.
And I had this idea of who, It's
like the more you get to know Jesus,
and the more you get into the Bible,
the more you realize you you don't know.
It's it's like the deeper you go, the
more you realize, oh, my god. Yeah. I
thought I knew everything. I don't know, but
a fraction
of what is there. And and I asked
her I said, how would you like to
have a conversation? With me. About that, and
they went, oh, that sounds like a really
neat conversation. Sure. And I had so much
fun. I was like this is so much
more fun,
having a conversation, than I just trying to
come up with something to talk at the
microphone
by myself.
And so I started doing
interviews with different people. And now the show
has grown and
It's on 3 stations. It's on the podcast.
It won't coming up on my 1 year
anniversary.
And So that is that is the very
long answer to my story and where I'm
taking action because actually going out, and it
was a lot easier for me
to have a conversation with someone else because
I was asking them their story because their
story always seemed far more interesting than mine
did.
Because like I said, it just didn't sound,
oh, he grew up in Christian Home. Nothing,
you know, a k. So your 10 year
old cousin died. That's sad.
But for a lot of people that doesn't
seem very traumatic, and, you know, I have
3 grandchildren,
did we have bumps along the road? Did
I... At different times have to put each
in every child's name on the altar and
give them to God? Yes.
But you know, in the grand scheme of
things when you look at a lot of
stories, nothing really exciting. So I was able
to hide behind the mic and share other
people's stories.
So this has been
that stepping out and telling mine
because I did realize no chances are, I'm
not the only ordinary woman.
Who has done what I've done and felt
what I felt, you know, being at home
and struggling with people pleasing and perfectionism and
just getting up tangled up in the Super
cape. Yes. Everything else. So now it's... You're
really kind of going back and un some
of these lies that I've been believing for
years
and it can get really messy.
It can get messy. And I know that
you are, are, as you say a recovering
perfection. Yes. I... Am. I am a recovering
perfection. And some days, I am more recovered
than others. Yeah. Well, you are a fantastic
host. You know, was great being on your
show and you do a great job with
the show. Thank you. And, yeah. And you
can just tell that that is your wheelhouse.
Like, that's what you love and enjoy and
you're gifted in that area.
And when you're... When you're saying that, and
And I appreciate you sharing about the fact
that you're...
In the beginning, you were, like, well, I
really don't have this, like, I used to
live on the streets or you know, I
used to be... Mh. Prostitute... You know, various
kind of stories that tend to drop people
in
because of the powerful
transformation,
but knowing that heaven rejoice when
someone comes to Christ is
important and powerful to me. And. But I...
But I love how you shared,
you know, you you felt like your story
was just kind of like an ordinary life
And and mh. The fact being though that
you learned
the difference between
religion and relationship,
That's very powerful.
But then also
the
season of struggling with your faith.
Is a powerful part of your story too
because there are so many
people that feel like, I'm not really allowed
to question
Like, do I permission, and then we see
it. We see lament in the Bible
so often.
You know, David did, And so we see
that God invites us to
sit with him and
tell him
what's on our hearts and to ask for
the truth and to and to ask him
to to help our un unbelievable, sometimes if
we struggle. If there's a struggle. But, like,
when you go through a tragedy or a
loss that's so great and so deep, it
it's very hard sometimes to see
the big
picture story.
Mh. That this is not our home, but
it doesn't make
people feel any more comforted,
you know, knowing that. So ones that are
left behind. Yes. Yeah. Yeah. And how you
brought up, but that is fascinating that you
at Least because he...
He's a powerful
voice in the Christian arena and speaking truth
and
he was an atheist. Right? And he went
searching
to almost dis disprove Christianity and then came
to be a believer because
couldn't really disprove it. And so and that's
really great. And then the book, and then
it became a movie and the case for
faith also.
And other books that he's written. And that
is really great that you got to meet
him. What an amazing thing We're to on
the phone for the radio stage. Some. Oh,
fun. So he was on the show. So
we can go back. Was that a while
ago?
No. He wasn't on the podcast. This tools
before I started my show.
I'm not sure if we have a recording.
It was basically a live interview on the
air shortly before the movie
came out, and they received an email, and
somebody said, hey. Hey, this this person... Have
you heard of this person? I was, like,
Yes. I've heard of this person and they
were like, so since you've heard of them,
and you actually know them, would you like
to do the interview and, like, yes.
Please. Please let me do this interview. And
so I was able to to talk to
Him. And I do remember saying, okay. So
I've read your book.
And I have to admit. I did not
read the book and go, oh, I can't
wait for the movie to come out. It
it doesn't really,
you don't read it. It... It's like a
chapter by chapter
questions that he had doubts and then as
the investigative.
Journal said he is to dive into it
and talk to expert. So was... He was
talking to experts. And you don't read it
and go. It's not like a story. I
was like, how does this work? How does
this sort of movie out of this book?
So it was more... He said well it's
more of his life? And then, you know,
they talk about the things in the book,
but it's more about his life and the
process of going through that. So... But that
was that was a lot of. I was
like, I have to say, I'm a huge
fan.
Yes. Yeah.
That is
story for sure really is. And but your
story definitely is powerful and sharing those vulnerable
raw parts of it. Because sometimes
I feel like, and we know that there
can be a stigma,
you know, around
saying questioning faith or whatever. You know, especially
if we are serving in the church if
we are teaching. You know, things like that,
if there's questions if there's
trials, you know, that we go through, but
strengthens the faith
rather than...
Because some people turn completely away.
But then
there are those
testimonies that they go completely off the rails
and come back. So it is it is
healthy to have those conversations into help people
to see
that they have permission to share what's on
their heart and when they're going through something
very difficult
you know, loss grief that
those become, like, the dark note of the
soul. I mean, it is Heavy stuff, and
it it causes people to question
but it it is so much better to
be real about it
than
being, you know, oh, I got it together.
Everything's fine. Like you said, you were
trying to kind of convince yourself.
Well, as long as I have a mustard
seed of faith, it's gonna be fine. It's
gonna be fine, and then sometimes our prayers
aren't answered in the way that we would
hope or we would want them to be
answered, but it doesn't mean
they're not answered. They're they're answered in a
different way and standing on that burst that
you mentioned Romans 08:28.
Working all things together for good. Things
come of it that bear fruit
even in tragic circumstances,
which it's it's hard, and it's not easy,
like we can't sugar coat that stuff. We
live in a broken world, A broken world
that, you know, wasn't really what we were
designed to live in in the first place.
Like, this is not really what we were
designed to live in. Mh. That's not god's
designed, but
But the hope is that we have, you
know, with the hope in Christ, you know,
the hope that Jesus
redeem everything and
it's a beautiful love story and helping people
because you help people see
Mh. What... How how to read the bible
better? How to try to understand things. Like
you said, it's hard to understand there's so
many facets to it, but that is 1
continuous story. So Yeah. Yeah. Well, and I'd
love to you dive in and what you
saw in it at 1 point in 1
season.
You can read it in a different season
and go, oh, there's another whole way
of of looking at it. I mean, you
can look at it through so many different
lenses.
And and such. And, you know, when we
were talking about... I'm reminded that
today is an interesting
1 of the other lessons that I've learned
is there's the power of and. And being
able to hold things both at the same
time.
And, you know, as we're talking about
today, I'm reminded there's 2 different things going
on. There's... There was a prayer request for
a little boy that was... They weren't sure
if he was willing to make it.
And it looks like he is. And we're
like, yes. God. Thank you. This is a
miracle, yay. Praise, God. This is awesome.
And at the same time, there was a
funeral for,
somebody that was my kids age.
And you're like, and you're like, but they
didn't get their miracle.
And I remember feeling like, well, I want
my miracle. Where's my miracle? And... But he's
still there. And so you kinda having a
whole both of these, you, sometimes you get
the miracle that you want.
And you go praise, God, he's there, God
answers prayer. But what do you tell the
person? This is what I prayed,
further the this, and I didn't get it.
Know and you're like, it's not as easy
to go, praise God. You didn't get what
you want.
So holding those both and going, God is
still in both situations. Yeah. And even though
it's you do have the answer of no.
He's still there, and he's still comforting, and
he works through the
the Cam in the community that wrapped around
land and uncle was truly amazing
to see. It really was just it really
was god. Just coming together and and people
coming out and and helping. And so you
look at those
situations,
and and Guy can use that in so
many ways to to touch us. And and
I love how he can get very creative
if we allow him to and to for
us to be the hands and feet when
somebody comes to your mind and you go,
because there was somebody
that lost someone it was around Easter. And
I was like, okay. What do I what
what do what do I do? And it
occurred me It was around Easter. They probably
hadn't had any time to prepare. Mh. And
so I put together Easter baskets for. Oh,
and she was like, oh, my gosh. Thank
you. And Was like, that was a god
thing. I wouldn't have thought of the Easter
basket. Thing. Yeah. That was that was a
god. Please told me something that I can
do
that that will... That they need, and it
was like Easter basket. And I was like,
Okay. I'm going about chocolate and baskets.
Yeah. And he can just... He can do
that. He can work through
us
to do that, and and I I just
love how we can be creative.
Yeah. And it I love that you brought
that up because sometimes we might tend to
think that the things that God puts on
our heart aren't big enough, Like Mh. Easter
baskets. You know, Like, I guess. Sometimes people
will have huge fundraiser raise for the family
or in a different other ways, but all
the ways are meaningful.
And purposeful.
And sometimes this... Even the smallest ways of
things that we might think as it's just
a small thing. Like, maybe helping them
wash their dishes or clean the house or,
you know, things like that, bring a meal,
things that seem simple are the
huge blessings you know, to those who are
struggling or need
because it's more than just what you're doing.
It's it's an active love
and it's an active showing that they're not
alone and that God sees them too because
it's in the name of of Christ. You
know, it's the name of Jesus. So that
God sees them and they're not alone in...
So... And I love to that you're sharing
the fact that you're in the season, the
empty nest season.
Because
there are seasons in our lives that change,
but God has something for us in every
season and We don't have to stress or
worry that we're not
doing what he's calling us to do. Or
we're missing it. God opens the doors in
his timing and when we're ready because sometimes
we're not ready to step into something. He's
still equipped and preparing us for what yeah
patient by nature. So, I mean, I want
everything done. Perfect. I want it done perfectly,
and Want it done right now. And so
this whole podcasting thing.
Technology is not necessarily my strength. I'm like,
really more, I'm happy to talk to people
but don't make me learn how to do
stuff on web science.
Oh, guess what, I've never never told God
never. Yeah.
Never do that. Yes. And so I, you
know, this whole struggling that it that perfectionism
in me. It's like, oh, I wanna be
able to jump in and know exactly what
I'm doing right away, and it's like, no
nope. You're gonna have to and work on
this 1 a little bit and lean into
me
and
just trust me and just
delight in learning new things. Ever every day.
So...
Yeah, that is so important, and it's kind
of like, to have a teachable spirit and
to realize that we don't have it all
together all the time. We don't know everything,
but it is it is something that God
will help us with, like, you know, during
the day, We... When we are in Christ,
and we know him, and he's our Lord
and Savior, and we have
the power of the holy spirit in dwell
you know, ind wells us says, you know,
he's our helper.
And we will be able to
do what he calls us to do. And
it's... You know, it's not gonna be, you
know, like, people take that scripture. I can
do all things through Christ. Well, yes,
we can.
But not taking out of context, You know,
we're not going to
be, you know, climb out Everest. Maybe that's
not... I mean, we probably could do it.
If the Lord called we trained and prepared
for it. Because, yeah, I actually think somebody
had a coffee mug that said I can
do all things through a bible verse taken
out of context.
And
and, you know, the whole idea of, you
know, I've, oh, I can do all things
in Christ.
Chances are I'm not gonna become a professional
basketball player. Yeah. You know what? I haven't
trained
am
challenged.
Yeah. I cannot jump very high. So it's
not that god can
you know, we can do anything and everything
we feel like. It's what he's called us
to do. Yeah. And
that is something too or it's like,
and maybe it's something I could do, but
there's somebody else better, and there's something better
for me. And just because I can do
it. It doesn't mean that that what I
am supposed to do.
So... Because I know for me, boundaries are
1 of those things that,
you know, boundaries are a good thing.
But sometimes they can be hard to learn
where they are established and
where it is and building a boundary versus
building a wall.
Because
I could easily hide behind a wall or
a mask of looking like I had it
all together and
inside I'm a hot mess.
Said,
there... There's all those little things I...
I know it's as a parent or as
a person. There's so many lines that we
walk.
In between that, you know, that we're very
easily can go to 1 side or the
other. We wanna have live a full life.
We want it, but we don't want it
to go busy in k.
You know, we wanna have a deep rich
prayer life,
but we don't wanna be... There's the the
saying or the cliche. We don't wanna be
so heavily minded We're so earthly good. Mh
And, you know, it's some so many times
that balance and the the rhythm
in life, and I remember looking at it
I have an antique scale. In in my
house.
And looking at it, when you look even
at an all time you scale,
you look at there's the center bar and
then there's the 2 bars out that then
hold the scale and you're like, that's a
cross in the middle of it. Oh, wow.
And Yeah.
There's a cross. And then if you look
at an old and timing skill with the
little things that go bounce back and forth,
there's a cross.
It doesn't always stay that way. It kinda
shifts back and forth. And I remember looking
at it, and it's like, balance doesn't mean
that everything is equal. But Sometimes you go
back and forth. It it doesn't always mean
equal because, you know always, I want just
the right balance in my life. Well, sometimes
that balances, I need a little more sleep,
or maybe I need a little more exercise
or maybe I, you know, need some girlfriend
time. Maybe I need some loan time.
Maybe I need to work a little harder.
I had to come back in late last
night, finished up something because it needed to
get done. So, you know, it's that rhythm
in in that balance at work constantly
constantly working on. Mh. Yeah. That's such a
great point. You know, that balance doesn't necessarily
also mean what we think. It should mean.
You know, and how how we balance things
because it might be the weight will be
heavy on 1 side for a certain time.
And then
the scales will chip the other way. Mh.
And that doesn't mean we're not balanced. It
means we're working on things at different times
as we need. As we need them as
God brings it to us. Yeah. When you
walk in that little tight rope, you're you
kinda of doing looking forth.
Yeah. Because and we're and we're made for
community
were made to
to desire
and long and hunger for community
and
God is the only 1 that can fill
the void in our heart that we need
to have community with him in relationship with
him. And, what a blessing,
and a plus that we get to be
part of his church and to
come a community with others who
also
believe the same as we do that are
brothers and sisters in Christ, but together, we
work to
share...
The love of Christ with others in the
gospel, and it's so powerful and fulfilling. But
as we said earlier, Yeah. You you won't
be on the basketball or, you know, sharing
that with other players,
I can share from the sidelines.
Right? It doesn't mean you can't. Like you
said, it doesn't mean the weight... You know,
he gives us the desires of our heart.
Okay. I always loved.
The piano. And I finally, in my adult
years, I got hold of a piano. I
started taking lessons, and then later on and
Laid it down, picked it up again later,
but it really isn't something. I'm not called
to be a worship leader or aunt even
play an instrument on the worship team. But
I enjoyed it so much,
but that
I had the opportunity to do it because
it lost me, but it wasn't necessarily something
that was going to be
my calling kind of thing.
Okay. Which so I want ask you to
accompany me when I sing on Sunday. Okay.
Please don't. No, But I I used to
play, you know, I would play a a
tune. I would learn.
I got up to, like, some of the
higher books and played some of the bigger
pieces.
But the thought of me sitting down and
doing it now doesn't mean I can't do
it, but it means I'm gonna have to
work harder at it, and
It doesn't come natural to me. So... And...
But then again, God also calls us to
step out of our comfort zone to step
out in face.
In what he wants to do in our
lives. And,
you know, we may be equipped ahead of
time all along the way or he may
equip us as we go and that, like,
on the job training? Yes.
On the job training is right. And little
bit by little bad. Little by little. So
So for the listener today, you know, not
to be discouraged if you feel like you're
not bearing fruit.
Sometimes we don't see it right away, but
are some of the encouraging things that you
would wanna share
with whoever's listening right now, who may be
struggling with their faith who may be going
through a very difficult season. What is some
encouragement that you can share with them today,
Lisa?
I would say just keep talking to god.
Just keep those lines of communication open.
Just keep talking to them him, keep going
and remember that you are enough in him.
And,
you know, really on our own, we we
aren't... It's it's through Christ, but he loves
us just the way we are. He doesn't
say we have to clean up our mess.
And get right
before he loves us. He... You know, no
matter what
you have done no matter what you've struggled
with whether you are a hot mess today
or whether you are looking sharp,
it doesn't matter. He would love to take
his hand, take take your face in his
hands and look you deep in the eyes
and say, I love you. You were the
apple of my eye. You are my beloved
I rejoice over you was singing.
And it's okay.
It's... He just... He loves a right where
we are, whether we've completed our to do
list
or not.
And to just keep taking another step, because
he'll nudge he does.
He... If we just sit and go a
killer, what do you want me to do,
it may be bring an Easter basket, and
it maybe be do a text. And maybe
be, you know what? Have a conversation, start
having conversations into a podcast and learn how
to put the blog posts on your website.
It it may be just something small, but
just keep taken a step, keep those lines
of communication open
with guide and remember that he
adore you. And not just as an acquaintance,
he really wants to get to know you
and have you get to know him? Yeah.
Well, that is powerful and I love that
because it's encouragement and an action step for
people who take an action step and just
to reach out to god. I mean, there
are countless
testimonies and stories of people sharing, even when
they didn't believe god was there or they
questioned
their they're at a low point and they
cry out to him any he answers.
So I would just say, yeah, as Lisa
has said, if you're struggling today,
cry out to god, talk to him.
Even if you don't believe he's there. Even
if you don't know if he's there or
not. But, like, I don't know if you're
there the work or not, but
of a conversation, and
and it is grace through faith. We're saved.
So just do it.
Just just say, just talk, talk to him
them. So thank you for that, Lisa. It's
so encouraging. And I just love this time
together. You have shared so many wonderful things
and and I'd want people to check out
your show. It's fantastic,
and you're a great host, and I hope
that you can come on the show again.
I would love to have him back. I
would love that. I would love that. Look
forward to seeing you sometime soon.
Sounds good, friend. Alright. Well, you are just
an amazing moment of God, and God bless
you and your ministry. In your family, and
I will be talking to you soon.
Yes. Blessings to you as well.
Thank you so much for listening today, and
I hope that you
really glean from Lisa and enjoyed what she
had to share and that you will check
out a woman's heart. With Lisa Granger. I
have the links in the show notes for
you, and she also has a free download
8 versus of hope on her site, and
I had the link to that in the
show notes too, and I also linked the
episode that I did with Lisa on her
show.
Simple power of surrendering the Joy dealers. So
think on the good things like Philippines 4
8 tells us to think on. So so
let's do that friend. Let's make sure that
we
just stand on the truth.
Because there's so much crazy town stuff going
on right now in our world and Let's
just keep our eyes focused on Jesus.
The author and finish of our faith,
and
the Jesus to the world,
even when things are going crazy. And, you
know, we do though need to stand for
truth and
to share it in love.
And so
grace and truth. That's a really, really tough
balance. Jesus did it perfectly,
and we can try it. We're never gonna
be perfect at it, but
we're called to do that. We're called to
share truth, and that's actually loving people.
So
anyway, I just... I love the show today,
and I hope you will join me next
time when I talk with another woman who's
taking action or her passion, compassion and conviction
intersect
until then friend, have a blessed geek. And
I'll talk to you soon.
Thank you for listening to this episode that
is part of the Spark media network that
can now be heard on the Edi app.