Friend, we made it to the end of “Uninvited” and I hope it is been encouraging and helpful for you! I love that Lysa ends with the fact that rejection is not our final destination. No matter what has been in our past, it does not mean it’s our future! And we can hold onto these truths no matter what comes our way.
Ok, here are this week’s discussion questions:
Chapter 13: Miracles in the Mess
*Lysa discusses how Jesus Himself dealt with rejection. As He performed miracles and helped people, He was misunderstood and ultimately betrayed by His friend. However, He continued to do the work that God had for Him to do. Do you find that rejection paralyzes you and keeps you from doing what God wants you to do?
*“We can go to every Bible study and Amen every point, but if we don’t apply it to our lives, we won’t be changed” (pg. 163). Do you find that you agree with what the word of God says but don’t actually apply it to your life?
*Do you believe that the transformation that comes from being renewed in your mind by the word of God would allow faith rather than fear in your life?
Chapter 14: Moving Through the Desperate In-Between
*Lysa shares that there are two choices in the in-between time (the time in between the rejection and being fully on the other side of it). The choices are to feel the pain and deal with it or numb the pain and run from it. What do you tend to choose in these in-between times?
*“The pain isn’t the enemy” (pg. 173). Do you agree with this statement? Why or why not? Has pain ever become a turning point leading you closer to the Lord?
*Which of the prayers on Psalm 91 resonated with you the most? Do you have go-to scriptures that you pray?
Chapter 15: I Want to Run Away
*How can Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane be a great example of how to stare down pain and conquer it?
*Lysa discusses three things we must know during the in-between times:
- the crushing times are necessary
- the crushing times are processing times
- the crushing times are preservation times
Which of these do you tend to forget? How can you keep a mindset that focuses not on the hardship but on God’s promises?
*”On the other side of every hardship is a resurrection” (pg. 201). Do you believe this to be true? How does knowing this help you face difficult times?
Chapter 16: What I Thought Would Fix Me Didn’t
*This chapter gives us what could be a cliche answer: Jesus is the only true fix for our hearts and lives. Do you feel this to be true in your soul?
*What “one day” scenarios are you chasing? See pages 207 and 208.
*Lysa states that rejection is never the final destination in our lives. How does that make you feel? In the midst of rejection, how can you hold onto this truth?
Scripture of the Week
2 Corinthians 4:8-9
Psalm 91
Mark 6:3
Prayer of the Week
Father God, thank You that rejection is not our final destination because we are loved by You. You sent Jesus to die for us so that we might be accepted into Your family and spend eternity with You. Help us during the difficult times to know that You are with us. Help us to stand firm in Your truth and to run to You whenever we face challenges or are hurt. Father, we help us to remember You are close to the brokenhearted and You can help us in any, and every, situation we face. Thank You for Your comfort and peace and Your love that can never be taken from us. In Jesus’ Name, Amen
For Next Month
*Find out all the details about next month’s book club choice HERE!
Thanks so much for joining in this month for “Uninvited!” Hope to read along with you next month!
After reading this week’s chapters, I was extremely encouraged (and surprised) to learn that the disciples’ hearts were hardened during their stormy circumstance and ghostlike encounter with Jesus. It’s not that I wanted them to have a hard time understanding who Jesus was and what He was all about; it’s that it was comforting to know they’re like me. ☺️
Agreeing with God’s Word is great…in theory. But actually applying it to my life Well, let’s just say I’ve never really focused on applying it, not like I should. I hadn’t ever really “turned those expressions into personal experiences,” as the author states (Page 163) – until life became real.
Life became real a few different times in the past several years. Three of my stepsons came to live with us full-time, making our family a version of the Brady Bunch 😂 – and we soon realized life was not like the tv show. Of course kids can be challenging and all family dynamics are far from perfect, but somehow we thought we’d sail into the sunset. 😮
Parenting has been a pain point multiple times over the years despite trying different techniques, using a variety of resources, and drinking multiple cups of coffee! 😆☕️ We’ve prayed for God to answer our prayer – our prayer being “change our crazy kids!” (At least I’m honest! 🙃) We have lived through – and still are living in a lot of ways – in the in-between times…waiting for our miracles to come.
I’m currently in the Book of Daniel, and something jumped out at me this morning as I read the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. They first profess to King Nebuchadnezzar that God would save them (displaying their confidence in God), but then they declare, “But even if He does not save us, we won’t worship the idol.” They applied what they knew of God, that He could be trusted. It became personal for them, and because of this, they could stand strong regardless of the outcome.
God showed me this morning how I have been acting like God should not only not allow me to have (or be in) crazy situations, but also get me out of them, if I find myself in them. Dang – I’m bold!! 😮 I never really considered He would keep me right where I was…
So, with my boys, they’re not going anywhere, and as stressful as it has been or can get, I want them here. 😉 God’s been working on transforming my mind for some time now – thank heaven sanctification is a lifelong process!?
These in-between times are tough. Like. Really. Difficult. But no amount of numbing or running away makes it any easier or better. What I needed to be reminded of while I was reading Daniel, even more than the men’s commitment to God, was God’s commitment to them. Yes, He allowed them to be thrown into the furnace, but He met them there, literally. He. Was. With. Them. He would still have been there had He not chosen to save them from the flames. And He still is with us whether or not He changes our circumstances.
When I focus on my situation rather than on the Savior, of course I’ll be unsatisfied. I’ve rehearsed my “one-day” scenarios in my mind countless times, only to find when some of those have actually occurred, I’m no happier because 1) I’m focused on the other ones that still need to be met and 2) these things won’t actually make me happy!?
I’m learning that although God may not answer my prayer how I’d like, this doesn’t mean He’s rejecting me. This means He is molding me, stretching me, teaching me. He is having me “go through a long process …of being cured.” (Page 200) Try as I might, I can’t get this anywhere else.
I may not be okay with my circumstances; I may not be okay with others, or myself for that matter. But that’s all right. “God is okay with me even when I’m not okay with me.” (Page 193). He can handle me. He can transform me. That sounds inviting. ☺️