Brenda Rodgers

Author: Brenda Rodgers

  • Striving for the Abundant Life

    There are days that turn into seasons sometimes.  Seasons that I wonder if it’s real.  This abundant life I admire in others, strive for in myself, and read about as Truth.  These days feel low and hollow, like I am deep within the earth.  And with every peak above the dirt I wander if it’s just for them.

    I see others walking in it.  Filled with hope and peace and grace.  But it seems so out of reach, so I strive just a little higher.  Climbing up that hill of dirt trying to get out.  The rain falls and then the snow.  But there I am still climbing. 

    I shame myself for trying.  I know it’s in the abiding, but for some reason the abiding takes more than the striving.  So I just continue with what I know. 

    It can’t be a secret.  Each morning His words are there waiting.  Each morning offering the same.  An abundant life in His rest. 

     

    But for some reason I still keep striving.

  • 13.1 Miles of Prayer

    This past Saturday I ran my first half-marathon, the Victory Junction Run to Victory Half-Marathon!

    Victory Junction is a camp in Randleman, NC for children who have chronic medical conditions and illnesses.  The camp was donated by NASCAR driver Richard Petty, and his wife Lynda, in honor of their grandson, Adam Petty.

    Running a half-marathon is a goal that I have had for myself for a long time.  I started running in my early twenties, and ever since I have wanted to run this race. 

    However, my reasons for wanting to run it in the past are drastically different from my reasons for running it today.

    Beginning probably ten years ago, running became a trend.  It suddenly became the exercise of choice.  No longer did people call themselves “joggers” or say, “I’m going out for a jog”, but that were overnight runners, and they went out for runs.  I was one of these people.  Running was fairly inexpensive, I got a lot of bang for my buck as far as burning off a lot of calories, and I liked saying that I was a runner.

    Over the past couple of years, though, maybe since my husband’s heart transplant, I’ve begun to develop a different perspective about this body God has given me.  I have started to see it as a gift and me as a steward. 

    So this past weekend I did not run to burn calories or get puffed up with pride.  I ran to honor God.  I ran to be a good steward.  I ran out of sincere gratitude for what I’ve been given.  And I ran for all the people who will never run this side of Heaven. 

    My dear friend, Laura, who ran this race with me, had a wonderful idea and one that I used during the race.  We ran each mile for a different person or group of people, and during that mile we prayed for them. 

    This is my 13.1 Miles of Prayer:

    Mile 1: Jesus

    • The Cross
    • My Savior
    • My Friend

    Mile 2: John

    • my beloved husband
    • the 43 days he was in the hospital and couldn’t run

    Mile 3: My Dad

    Mile 4: My Brother

    Mile 5: My Sister-in-Law, Cathy

    Mile 6: My Sweet 6 Month Old Nephew, Ryan

    Mile 7: John’s Family

    • My in-laws
    • My sister and brother-in-law, Jamie and Will
    • My niece and nephews, Georgia, Rod, and Jensen

    Mile 8: My Friends

    Mile 9: Burkina Faso, West Africa

    • Our trip in November
    • Our team
    • The people we will meet

    Mile 10: All People Who are Disabled

    • There was a long, tough, tough hill on this mile.  The young man I met last week, and thoughts of all the people in the hospital got me up this hill.

    Mile 11: Those Who are in Slavery/Human Trafficking/Oppression

    Mile 12: Me

    • My vocational calling
    • My relationship with Jesus
    • My forgiveness

    Mile 13: Jesus

    • The One who carries me
    Thank you, Jesus, for this body and for my health. 
    May I continue to honor you with it and bring you glory through it.  

  • Waiting to Explode

    Join me today for 5 Minute Friday with The Gypsy Mama where we write for five minutes on a given topic. No editing. No criticism. No worry. Today’s topic is: Growing

    It rained yesterday.  The grass exploded. 

    Once brittle and dry and tan, overnight it is full of life again – and beauty.

    A little nutrients, a little water, that’s all it needed  – to be its true intention.

    Am I not like the grass, just waiting to explode? 

    Just a little conversation, just a little contemplation of His Word to me – the one who made me – is that all it would take? 

    To be like the grass . . .

    Growing . . .

    through soaking in His provision. 

    Photo Credit: Creative Commons

  • Being Fed By One Who Needs Feeding

    Last spring I “Got Off the Ferris Wheel” and quit my teaching job.  So as I pursue what God really wants me to be doing, I am substitute teaching.  Yesterday was my first day.

    Now, I have taught school for twelve years, but yesterday was quite possibly the first day I have ever felt like I was supposed to be there.

    And I didn’t teach one thing.

    Monday night I scrolled through the substitute teaching positions available for the next day, and I came across one for a high-schooler who has special needs and will need help getting his materials out of his book bag and onto his desk, and he will need someone to feed him.  This was out of my comfort zone.  I taught elementary school, and I have never felt, what you would say, “called” to work with special needs children. 

    I immediately put my phone down and with it any thought of taking this job.  Except that the thought kept jumping back up at me.  I looked again at the position.  I put my phone down.  I picked it up again, and read it one more time.  Then I put it down again.  This continued several times and so did the pounding in my chest.

    Why am I afraid to take this substitute teaching job?

    Then His thoughts began to answer, and they became mine. 

    • Jesus loved everyone.  Took care of everyone. Treated everyone with respect.
    • This teenage boy deserves someone to want to know him – to spend time with him.
    • Jesus is enough for this.  Do you not believe He will give you everything you need?
    • Don’t treat him like a leper.  Love him. Embrace him.  Just as he is.
    • This is a child of God just like you.

    So I took the job.  And I prayed all night and all morning. 

    When I got to the high school I met a young man.  A young man who has more wisdom and understands this world and eternity better than anyone I have ever met.

    This young man was born with Arthrogryposis, a congenital disorder that affects the joints and muscles.  One in 5,000 children are born with this disease.  He is in a motorized wheelchair.  He operates it with his chin.  He wears a head brace with a long pointer when he needs to type on the computer.

    As I spent the day with him, I met a young man who sees life the way we were meant to see it. 

    He shared his story with me.  He shared his heart with me.  And these are a few things I heard:

    • Even if there was a cure for my disease, I don’t think I would want it. 
    • I don’t know why people pity me because I am so happy.
    • They keep telling me that I’m going to die by such-and-such a date, and I don’t know why.  I’m not dying yet.
    • I choose to see all that I am and can do. 
    • I want to use my story and share it with other people.

    We talked about Jesus.  We talked about prayer.  We talked about when in Heaven things will be perfect.

    This young man told me about life with a perspective I don’t know if I’ll ever have.  And yesterday he fed me more than I could have ever fed him.  The blessing was mine, and God led me there because I still have so much to learn. 

    Continue, O Lord,
    to make me a servant,
    and help me to see people the way you see them
    and life the way you intended it to be seen.

      When have you received an unexpected blessing after being obedient or when have you been blessed by an unexpected person?

    • Meet Our New Child

      I am pleased to introduce you to Kabore Blandine, our new child through Compassion! 

      • Blandine lives in Burkina Faso, West Africa.
      • She will be 13 in December.
      • Blandine helps her family by running errands and helping in the kitchen.
      • She like to sing, jump rope, and play group games.

      This is our first Compassion sponsorship, so I was so surprised when I literally looked through dozens of children’s pictures who need sponsorship (and I was told there is actually hundreds)!

      I chose Blandine because she is older, and I thought it would be good for her to get assistance from Compassion before she becomes an adult.  Also, she wasn’t smiling and looked sad!  I was also told that a lot of times they have never seen a picture of themselves or had their picture taken, so they don’t know to smile.

      The best thing about the whole experience is knowing that I am going to get to meet Blandine in November when I go on my mission trip to Burkina Faso! 

      We will be going to a Compassion site, and I can’t wait to meet her!

      Please join me in praying for Blandine, for all the Compassion children around the world, and all the children in the world who are impoverished.  They need our prayers!

    • Meeting Good Girl Emily Freeman

      I am star-struck. 

      My mask is off, and I admit it. 

      Last Thursday Emily Freeman, the author of the new book Grace for the Good Girl, had a book signing where I live.  Just days before I found out that Emily lived here, and I pranced around telling everyone.  They didn’t quite get it, but I did, and I couldn’t wait.

      That day my nerves began and my mind did, too. I had never been to a book signing, and I, a little blogger, was going to meet Emily, a BIG blogger, and more than that a WRITER.

      What if she doesn’t even recognize me? 

      What if she says, “Brenda who?” or “Triple Braided?” 

      What if I’m not dressed the right way for a book signing?  What if I’m too dressed or not dressed enough?

      What if she wonders why I really came? I mean I don’t really “know” her?  

      Should I ask her if I can get a picture with her?  I really would love a picture!  What if she thinks that’s creepy?  What if she’s too busy?  But when I’ve seen book signing on T.V. people get pictures. 

      What if she thinks I’m weird? 

      What if I stutter or say something stupid?

      All of these things went through my mind.  Secretly I think I was telling myself that I am not good enough to meet someone like Emily.

      I approached the table with Emily sitting behind it, and I said, “Hi, I’m Brenda, from the Triple Braided blog?”

      What happened next was unexpected and such a blessing!  Emily jumped up, ran behind the table, and hugged me like I had known her for years!  She was amazing, and in that moment I felt genuine acceptance, and it was so freeing! 

      Since getting Grace for the Good Girl I have only begun to read it, and by this simple post you can probably see how much I need it.  It has already shown me my need for freedom – freedom to believe that I am already accepted, – and my soul already feels the relief of grace-filled fresh air.

      Thank you, Emily, for making me feel so special, and thank you for the endless wisdom I am finding in Grace for the Good Girl.  I am loving it.  And you are lovely.

      Please read more about Emily and Grace for the Good Girl on her blog, Chatting at the Sky.