Category: Stories

The Unfitting Puzzle Piece

The Unfitting Puzzle Piece

by nikicks ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

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~ We are the body of Christ—of one mind ~

Have you ever felt like you were the puzzle piece that was shoved into the wrong place—never truly fitting in?

Well, there’s a chance that you weren’t meant to be there.

Many times, there are people with opinions who speak on what you need to do in life—how to live and especially how to serve (Don’t get me wrong—serving is important but there are many outlets and God has a specific one for you). They do believe that they are helping because they’ve had such amazing experience with what God led them to and through—but there is a chance that God is calling you to something different.

Okay, let’s consider this term, “Body of Christ.” We each have a potential role like the parts in a body—the eyes for seeing what others do not, the much needed listening ears, the voice to speak to millions, the helping hands behind the scenes, the feet that guide us in the right direction, etc. and the head—that should always be Christ’s position—guiding the eyes, the ears, the voice, the helping hands, and the feet to be of one mind.

We all have a purpose and just because it may be different than yours, does not mean it is the wrong path—it might just be different than others. It may be a path so unique that you are paving a way for others with the same unique calling.

The hand needs the wrist and the wrist needs the forearm and the forearm—the elbow. These body parts work together wonderfully…just like the puzzle piece finding the right spot to fit with others of similar calling.

Yes, we all work together in the body of Christ, but I want you to know that if you feel that nudge on your heart from God—calling you elsewhere—pray. There is a chance you’re not in the right spot.

Hey, and let me just say, you are doing great. You got this because God has got you and knows where you’re supposed to be—question is, will you let Him?

Trust Fall Poem

Trust Fall Poem

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Hands2Trust Fall Exercise

By: Nicole Kent

There once was a man who trusted only in himself
To find happiness, strength and all his wealth

Then one day there were trust exercises at his company
People were falling with arms crossed into the other employees

The coach called the man up for his turn to trust and fall
But the man exclaimed he only needed himself and no one else at all

The coach smiled and said “cross your arms and let go
Let’s see how trusting in yourself will begin to show”

The stubborn man grumbled and started to say
“I will surely fall and injure myself in many gruesome ways”

The coach said, “So you can’t trust yourself when you begin to fall
Let someone care for you, will you let down your guard; your walls?”

The man acquiesced, moved forward and crossed his arms
Falling backwards, the employees caught him before he could come to any harm

Realization came with a warm feeling inside
The man began to trust others and behind his protective wall he could no longer hide

Speaking Against the Wind

Speaking Against the Wind

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The girl whispered against the wind, but her words were thrust back to her face with the powerful gust. Why do I continue to speak against something so strong? My breath returns to me as if I never spoke. Why do I even try?

 

Then a voice cut through the walls surrounding her heart saying, “You speak against the wind for you wish it to blow a different way. You wish there to be a change…but why do you do it on your own strength? Why not first speak to the One who created those winds, why not speak to the One who created your breath…why not speak to Me?”

 

The girl shed a tear, but it too was blown away with the powerful wind. I can do this, I got this, God has given me the power.

 

The voice continued, “I have given you power to trample the serpent under your feet, to give command to the storm, and to heal the broken…but have you left your first love? Have you forgotten to listen to Me? I will guide you, so your aim will be true as an arrow to its target. It was never on your shoulders to make everything right, but it was for you to listen to Me, and I will make everything right.”

 

The girl’s shoulders slumped as she began to fight the burden that held power over her for so long. Then, deciding to give it to Him, she let go and fell to her knees. With head bowed, she waited and listened. Peace filled her heart and beat against the walls causing them to crumble. The girl was reminded of the love her Father had for her. Have I been lacking in sharing this love to others? This realization was a shock…but awakened something in her that desperately needed to be shaken from its deep sleep…

 

After some time, the voice spoke to her. “Now, get up my child and speak to the wind with the realization that has come into your heart. You see, dear one, you were trying to speak against the wind with your heart so guarded (you had such a hardness of heart). You wished for it to be changed, but the bitterness inside you was a stumbling block to your belief.”

 

The girl got up, and spoke to the wind. She smiled as her breath didn’t return to her but penetrated the powerful gust and went further than she ever would’ve imagined. You see, she had been speaking to the wind with the wrong mindset; the wrong heart…and in her own strength. She had forgotten the greatest part…Love.

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End thought: Love is great. Love is greater when it is first discovered that God has an infinite love for us. Love is greatly shared when we remember to “love because He first loved us” and to pray for those who need that love.

 

End thought to the end thought: When we speak to the “winds” in our life, with the realization that we are loved by God and find our identity in Him, we can conquer more than our puny minds can comprehend. Our words will be carried through the storm and penetrate to the depths of need by the power of God.

 

End verse to the end thought of the end thought:

“If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing.” 1 Corinthians 13:1-3 NASB

Bitter or Better?

Bitter or Better?

by nikicks ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

There once were two girls who walked down a tree-laden path. One day, a couple bullies were hiding in some fruit trees, waiting for the girls to come near.

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The mean kids threw the freshly-picked oranges at the girls’ heads. Sadly, their aim was true, causing the girls to fall backwards at the fruit-flavored impact. Bruised and battered with a few scrapes here and there, Girl #1 bent down to help up Girl #2. They then grabbed the fruity weapons, but alas the bullies had already come and gone.

 Talk about a “hit and run.”

Girl #1 brushed off the fruit and began peeling it. “At least we got something positive out of the dastardly thing that happened to us.”

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Girl #2 did not respond but the scowl on her face was evidence of her anger. She too brushed off her orange, but instead of eating the fruit, she partook of the peel. Bitterness filled her mouth…her whole being. All she could see was the peel, causing the sweet/positive fruit to become discarded.

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Girl #1 was ready to move on due to not holding onto the bitterness; however, Girl #2 began to see the world in the most pessimistic way…just waiting for someone to throw something at her again. Because of her suspiciousness, she drove the possibility of more friendships away. She even turned against Girl #1, taking out her past frustrations on her…

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Girl #2 couldn’t fathom how her friend could be so happy after being so hurt. One day she asked her, “Why do you continuously seem to be happy after each bully threatens to steal your joy away?”

Girl #1 smiled, and responded with, “Remember when you and I were hit with oranges?” seeing her friend nod she continued, “Well, if you recall, I ate of the fruit. It was sweet and reminded me that there will always be a positive found within a negative circumstance. Sometimes you have to look deep for it (like past the peel of the orange) and it will be there.”

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Girl #2 wanted the happiness so much, that she gave up her eating of the bitter peel and dove deeper into what could fill her true hunger in life. She began to partake of the sweetness in life. It took some time, but the bitterness went away as she became full on the fruit’s happiness.

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In conclusion, we all have the choice to be Girl #1 or Girl #2…which part of the fruit will you eat?

Needy Vs. in Need

Needy Vs. in Need

by nikicks ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

We can do Godly things for people, but we should not become “God” to them.  There is one God and He is the only One who can truly supply every one of our needs.

 

Yes, there are needy people, but there are true people in need.

 

People in Need:

  • Rarely ask for help.
  • Are gracious for your help.
  • Don’t expect items, money, gifts, time, etc. from you.
  • Are usually wanting to reciprocate the kindness in some way.
  • I have noticed that these are the people that you feel drawn to. Like God has put something on your heart to help them.
  • Do not always appear like they are in need…but like I stated on the previous bullet, you feel drawn towards them. God usually tells you what they need.

Needy People:

  • Demand things from you.
  • Expect you to give money, clothes, anything that they see around your house.
  • Expect you to come to them at the “drop of a hat.”
  • Want you to take care of them when they are unwilling to take care of themselves.
  • Usually use “guilt” to get want they want.
  • I have noticed that this type of person will use you and abuse you.

 

By becoming God to the needy people, we are trying to supply their every need. Whether it is physically being there (helping with deeds around the house, etc.), supporting them financially, or even supporting them emotionally. We can be there for them, to some extent, but we cannot always be there. That is God’s place.

Example:

  • If we did try to take God’s place and supply their every need…what purpose would they need the one true God for? By being overly giving to the needy person, we could become a stumbling block to their walk with God.

o   I don’t know about you, but I have found God in the darkest times of my life; when He was the only One that could supply my needs. If someone stepped in and took that place, would I have found God on such a substantial level?

Discerning when it is time to lend a hand or point them to the direction of God.

  1. Sit down and pray about the situation (It’s time to use that “walking and talking relationship with God”).
  2. Remember, God doesn’t condone guilt. It doesn’t come from Him(Paul).
  3. Don’t let people guilt you into giving.
  4. When you have that urge from God to give to a certain person at a certain time, do it. You will never know what giving to someone feels like until you do it with God’s guidance.

 

Have a good day, brothers and sisters, and may we never stop learning and listening in our walking/talking relationship with God.

-Nikicks

Works Cited

Paul. Romans 8:1. n.d. <https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+8%3A1&version=NASB&gt;.

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The Domino Effect

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Look at the dominoes in this picture. Now imagine each domino is a person who has been hurt by another (the pieces, one-by-one, knocking into each other). We have a choice to either let the hurt be harvested and continue on by pushing our neighbor down…or we can rise above the hurt and chose to let the vicious cycle end with us.
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It’s our choice (and what a difficult choice it is).
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Bitter or Better?

Play Your Own Tune

Play Your Own Tune

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Like playing an instrument, conversing with people takes practice. Once you learn the basics, you can spout off your own “tune.” Although, you will soon find out that some will perceive it with enjoyment; whilst others will detest it. Don’t chase after the ones that walk away and don’t try to copy their tune just to get them to stay. No, for there are others who will like your own unique sound…and you know what? Get out of your head. Stop thinking about each “note” and how it could be received. Hey, if the Conductor directed you, play your tune the way He uniquely made you to play. You might just be surprised how lovely your sound is without overthinking every “note.” Harmonies may clash, but the Conductor brings people together to make beautiful music.

So remember…

Be real.

Be honest.

Be you.

Play your unique tune.

P.s. The Conductor loves your uniqueness.

Mirror Mirror

Mirror Mirror

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Trudging through thorny weeds (to avoid paths), dehydrated, and skin cooked well over-done by the sun’s rays, the woman looked as if she was on her last breath. When bystanders beheld this sad sight, they tried to help her, but the woman always kept her head down and denied any helping hand…until today. A boy came up to her and asked, “Why do you walk off the path?”
The woman stopped and turned to the boy (perfect that she didn’t have to lift her head to talk to an adult…this was the first child that had ever confronted her).
Woman: “Because if I set a foot on the path, it will appear.”
The boy looked at her with big eyes.
Boy: “What will appear?”
Woman: “The mirror.”
Boy: “What is so scary about a mirror?”
Woman: “This mirror reveals more than just a mere image…it shows you all the wrongs you’ve done in the past; unveiling your true self. I have been running from it for quite some time now. I don’t want to be reminded of who I am.”
Boy: “I know what to do! Stay right here.”
The woman usually grew antsy by staying too long in one place, but from pure exhaustion or from meeting a kind child, she decided to stay.
The child came running back with glass cleaner and a rag.
Boy: “I know what to do, I will stand here and wipe away all the wrongs.”
Woman: “Why would you do that for me?”
Boy: “Because no matter what you’ve done, I like you and you are my new friend.”
Woman with tear-filled eyes: “No one has every said that to me before…”
No one ever had, for when people saw the damaged shell she is, they wanted to help her out of pity…and when they learned of her past, they spat at her. No one had ever truly wanted to help her due to liking her.

 

The boy took the woman’s hand and she allowed him to lead her back on the path. She caught a glimmer behind her, knowing the mirror was there. Looking at the boy, he responded with squeezing her hand and nodding in encouragement.
The woman straightened herself up (with help from the boy) and turned to face the mirror. Sobs from deep within her soul began to shake her body; causing her to use the mirror as balance (thinking the boy had left). She sunk down, letting her hand slide along the full length mirror, when suddenly, a hand touched her shoulder. Looking up and instead of seeing the boy, she saw a man and then she noticed the mirror. The man was taking his pure white sleeve…and wiping her mirror clean! Her past reflections disappeared!
After the man was done, he bent down and got to her level. All the kindness (that was not of this world) was set upon his brow and all the love was in his eyes and all the warmth was in his smile. He helped her stand up and turn facing the mirror.
The man then wrote “I loved you at your darkest, I love you now, and I love the future you. You are loved for you.”
The woman laughed and cried at the same time. She was so joyful! She was free! She was loved. Every time she looked back at the mirror, she saw love.


When she twirled, something caught her eye. The boy was walking toward her.
Boy: “No more fear of the mirror?”
Woman: “Nope. I am free. The man wiped my mirror clean.”
Boy: “Isn’t he nice?! He’s my best friend.”
At a Glance

At a Glance

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As I scroll through Facebook at finger-swiping speed on my iPad, and glance at articles of information flying by, I stop to realize that I have misread a piece of info COMPLETELY wrong. I then, scan my eyes over the short write-up to make sure I am grasping the Facebook post correctly.
Me: “I have noticed that when I quickly scan through a short online post, I am not reading the same words that were originally typed. It’s like they get twisted into something else when I don’t really care to take the time reading.”


God: “Have you not glanced at people in the same way and misread them? Too quick of a look and you judge their character wrong.”


Me: “What should I do?”


God: “Get to know them. Truly read them.”


Me: “Read them?”


God: “How do you read a book that you want to spend time getting to know its story?”


Me: “I study the cover and its summary to find hidden storylines that give hint to what’s inside the book and then I read its contents to verify the cover.”


God: “And you do guess right by what you saw on the cover?”


Me: “…not always. At times, I have been assuming the opposite of what the truth really is but with people…I have been wrong about them on many occasions.”


God: “What’re you going to do about it?”


Me: “Well, I know Someone with x-ray vision Who is willing and able to see through fleshly covers and dive deep into the pages of people’s characters.”

 

 

End thought: “Put on your ‘Jesus X-ray glasses’ and see deeper than the cover…the Facebook post…and other social media outlets.”