What Do You Need from God?

August 10, 2024 Cathleen Zahradnik

“When people work, their wages are not a gift, but something they have earned. But people are counted as righteous, not because of their work, but because of their faith in God who forgives sinners.” Romans 4:4-5 NLT

I’ve learned to be a hard worker from my dad. He is one of the hardest workers I know. Even at almost 85 years old he is always busy. As a child it was rare to see him just relax, enjoy and receive. I developed some of the same tendencies, but we have both gotten better. I am still learning to stop striving and to relax and receive all that God wants to give me. What about you?

God’s love is a gift. We don’t earn it by working hard to please Him or hold back His anger. Salvation is a gift. Jesus bought it and passed it on to all who will receive it. I can’t be good enough to get into heaven.

All good things on earth are a gift. I simply need to receive what God wants to give. But I often feel like I am not working hard enough. Am I trying to deserve all the good God wants to give me? Do you ever feel that way?

Author Joanna Weaver talks about faith and trust in her book Embracing Trust. I’ll summarize the message with this: Faith is what I have. Trust is what I do. Faith in God acts by trusting God. Trust opens my hands to receive what God wants to give. Are my hands open? Are yours?

What am I working for?

Where is God When I am in Pain?

August 3, 2024 Cathleen Zahradnik

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” Psalms 46:1 NIV

I’ve been on a journey these past few months! I had my final check-in with the orthopedist this week. The bones are healed, and it is “safe” for me to return to all normal activities, although it will take a bit more time to regain strength and flexibility as my wrists continue to heal. I’ve been sharing with you what I’ve been learning through this. But there is something I’ve learned that I hesitate to share.

No one seeks out pain. However, pain is part of the human experience. Physical pain has been my most recent experience, but I’ve been through other types of pain in my six decades. So have you. Each of us experiences different kinds of pain: emotional, relational, mental, financial.

When we are in pain we have one goal: End it! We want to end the pain. But in most cases, we have no control. I could not end the pain of two broken wrists and all the side effects. I had to walk through it just as you must walk through your pain. Where is God when you and I are in pain?

Your Trial Summed Up in a Sentence.

July 27, 2024 Cathleen Zahradnik

“Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised.” Hebrews 10:36 NLT

Dear Friend, are you facing a trial? Let’s be honest, if you are not facing a trial now you will be soon. That is the nature of human life. But somehow, trials seem to catch us off guard, don’t they? Why don’t we expect and prepare for them? Perhaps we don’t expect them because once they are over, they can be summed up in a sentence and filed away.

Consider this scripture:

“After two years went by in this way, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus. And because Felix wanted to gain favor with the Jewish people, he left Paul in prison.” Acts of the Apostles 24:27 NLT

I’ve read that passage before, but this time “two years” caught my attention. Two years summed up in a sentence. What were those years like for Paul? No true freedom, but his needs were taken care of by his friends. At least the ones willing to acknowledge him and visit.

How did he feel knowing that the only reason he was kept in prison was to please the Jews who still wanted him dead? What did he pray for as he slept on the cold floor of the dark prison amongst who-knows-what kind of vermin and insects? How many times did he share the Gospel and with whom?

After two years Paul was not released but sent to Rome by his appeal for Caesar to decide his case. The trial didn’t end, it just took a different shape. Paul was a pro at expecting and walking through trials. He understood that when he finally saw Jesus face-to-face, they would be summed up in a sentence and forgotten.

I don’t know if I have gotten any better at expecting trials, but I have gotten better at going through them. Here’s how.

Why Does Healing Take Time?

July 20, 2024 Cathleen Zahradnik

“Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.” 2 Corinthians 12:9 NLT

What is God doing? I am still not sure. I am a healthy person, but in the last three months, I have found myself with doctors multiple times. If you are a regular reader, then you know about the fall in May that broke both my wrists and led to surgery on the right wrist. A miraculous, immediate healing would have been nice, but I knew it would take time to recover. My orthopedist says we are almost “out of the weeds”. Praise God! Recovery has taken more effort and patience than I imagined, but it wasn’t unexpected.

Most recently I ended up in the doctor’s office for something that seems small and unnecessary. If you know me as well as my husband does, you know that even deciding to see the doctor is a big deal. My practice with most anything is to try to figure it out myself first or wait to see if it resolves. I don’t ask for help until I am absolutely certain that I need it. That has not served me well when it comes to medical issues. I confess I sometimes wait too long before heading to the doctor’s office or emergency room.

I was experiencing ear pain and then couldn’t hear out of my left ear. After a few days of trying to resolve the issue, I determined the problem was earwax that wasn’t responding to home treatment. Earwax! Come on! Do I really need a doctor for that? I called and was surprised to get an appointment the same day. I thought I would go in, get it taken care of, and go home healed. Not so!

My diagnosis was correct, but my expectation was not. The PA could not flush out the wax with the normal tools. It was too hard! She told me to continue drops at home to soften it and come back in a few days so they could flush it out.

Tom told me the doctor I was to see on my return visit “doesn’t mess around.” I didn’t look forward to the process but was confident I would go home hearing. But no! After some uncomfortable efforts he told me what he had already done would normally have removed it. The largest clump was still too hard. He sent me home to continue drops for another five days and then come back… again! The next day my ear began to open, and I could hear...most of the time. Finally, I went back to the doctor and left with success. But still questions.

Why does God sometimes require us to participate in the healing process rather than give us a quick resolution? I’ve got a few thoughts about that. I hope they encourage you.

Patience requires trust. If you and I are honest, we want a quick healing so we can just go on with life as it was.

What is Normal?

July 13, 2024 Cathleen Zahradnik

“Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5 NLT

I don’t know about you, but Tom and I have been in a very unusual season over the last six months as we have both battled some physical challenges. It’s natural to want to “get back to normal.” Ever feel that way? But I have found myself asking, “What is normal anyway?”

We think normal means smooth with no obstructions. Deep within we think normal means perfect because that is what God intended. We are wired for eternity which will be perfect. But the normal we live in is the broken normal that Adam and Eve bequeathed us when they took life into their own hands in the form of shiny, delicious forbidden fruit. Their bites broke normal as God intended and passed on to us a normal that we don’t want.

The normal we have received is full of bumps and obstacles, limits and loss. We lost perfect in the garden and gained struggle, heartache, and sometimes hopelessness.

Right now, my normal means I have limitations as I recover from the basement fall that broke my wrists. It means that I have a new normal. In this new normal I have faced some unexpected pains, struggles, and trauma. In this new normal I am a bit more careful as I head down into the basement or lift a pitcher of water or drive to the store. My abilities are not fully recovered, but so much better than when I was first injured. Even when my recovery is complete, the memories will be a part of me. I will remember falling, breaking my wrists and all that followed. So, normal will never be the same.

So, what should I expect as “normal”? Maybe these thoughts will help you navigate the broken normal you are living.

He Calls You “Enough”

July 6, 2024 Cathleen Zahradnik

“Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ.” Colossians 3:23-24 NLT

Do you ever feel like you just aren’t doing enough? Not doing enough for God or for your job or your family or yourself? Something inside screams, “Do more! You aren’t measuring up!” I often feel that way. And right now, as I am recovering from injury and surgery, I have had to revisit the underlying motivations for those feelings and remind myself of what God called me to in the first place. I’ll never be able to do enough, and right now I am even more limited. So, what do I need to remember? Maybe you need to remember it, too.

God called you to be His child first. It can be hard to remember that God didn’t choose you so that you could serve Him. He didn’t call you to work. He called you to be His. The work flows out of the relationship. The work is an outflow of love. I read this in my devotion this morning: “You can be sure of this: The Lord set apart the godly for himself. The Lord will answer when I call to him.” (Psalms 4:3 NLT) God set you and I apart for Himself. That’s all.

Pressing on is More Important than Perfection: Tom’s Birthday Tribute

June 29, 2024 Cathleen Zahradnik

“I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.” Philippians 3:12-14 NLT

I don’t remember meeting Tom. It was somewhere near the end of elementary school. We were never in the same class, but our families attended the same Catholic church. In high school, we were in plays together. We have known each other through the best and worst of seasons, even before we were married. Watching God transform Tom has been one of my life’s greatest privileges.

From the moment he first surrendered his life to Christ at the age of 19, I have watched Tom pursue God zealously. When my own commitment to Christ brought me to the same church he was attending, we rebuilt a broken relationship and became good friends until God surprised us with love and marriage. He is not the same sarcastic boy who cut people down with his words in high school. And he is not the same fearful young man that I married. He has pressed on through a myriad of challenges, internal and external. And that is what I have learned most from Tom. Pressing on is more important than perfection.

Here are a few lessons I’ve learned from Tom. Maybe he will inspire you as well.

Don’t let fear keep you from trying.

What I’m Learning: Hope in the Present Reaches for the Future

June 22, 2024 Cathleen Zahradnik

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13 NIV

When people hear that I broke both my wrists in a fall on Mother’s Day their first reaction is surprise and sympathy. Their mouths drop open, they shake their heads and say, “How terrible for you!” I appreciate their compassion, but part of receiving the grace to get through this is accepting the reality of what is without feeling sorry for myself the way others feel sorry for me. Yes, this is a challenging season, but even the most challenging season is manageable. What makes it manageable? It won’t last forever.

Walking though this challenge knowing that every challenge will end fills me with hope for the future. Perhaps you could use a bit of hope, too. Here’s how hope can help you get through what you are going through.

Hope motivates movement. Hope in the present reaches for the future. The first time I did my physical therapy exercises at home following my right wrist surgery was excruciatingly difficult. Stiffness and pain made each small movement a major effort. I squeezed my eyes shut and forced myself to keep going, choking back tears. It wasn’t extremely painful, but it was extremely difficult. However, quitting was not an option. Why? I want to regain the use of my right hand!

Without the pain now there won’t be any restoration in the future. Dear Friend, you may be experiencing a tremendously painful challenge, but keep doing what you need to do to move forward! Remind yourself that it won’t last forever, and the future payoff is worth the challenge now. Don’t quit!

What I am l Learning: Sometimes You Just Need a Break

June 15, 2024 Cathleen Zahradnik

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”Matthew 11:28 NIV

Well, my friend, it’s been a rough week. I had an unexpected medical issue arise. So even as I am recovering from two broken wrists and right wrist surgery, I found myself facing another challenge. Ever been there?

Part of what I am learning throughout this stressful season is that sometimes you just need a break. I see it on my husband’s face as he walks through it with me and I recognize it in myself as well.

So, if you will indulge me, I’m going to step out. I’ll see you next week!

By the way, my friend, if you are going through a rough season, maybe you just need a break, too.

What I am Learning: How to Roll with the Unexpected

June 8, 2024 Cathleen Zahradnik

“Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.” 2 Corinthians 12:9 NLT

I don’t know about you, but the unexpected can rattle me. My current season is full of the unexpected. I am currently healing from surgery on my right wrist after a fall that broke both my wrists. The morning of the surgery I found myself praying, “God, I know there are going to be unexpected things in this process. Help me to roll with the unexpected.” I am glad I prayed that prayer!

So, here are a few of the unexpected things that I experienced. Because both of my wrists are injured, the medical staff did not want to add fluid to an already injured body location. Did you know that an IV in the foot is the other option? Well, I didn’t. I was surprised, but not rattled when the nurse told me about it. “Time to roll with the unexpected”, I thought. The initial “pinch” felt like any other IV. It hurt at first, but then it was just weird knowing it was there.

For the same reason, a blood pressure cuff was wrapped around my leg rather than my arm. IV on the right foot. Blood pressure cuff on the left leg. I was connected to that all day as well. Every so often the cuff would tighten around my leg to get a reading. What a strange sensation! Surprised, but not rattled. Another opportunity for God to come through with grace. And He did.

I have never had a cast before, so I have never had a cast removed before. As the nurse was removing my cast so that the surgery could take place, the whirr of the machine she was using to cut through the plaster filled the room.

September 12, 2026

This is Not Forever

“For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.” 2 Corinthians 4:17-18 NLT

As I tearfully opened the sodden boxes of our stored belongings, wondering what was ruined, a verse came to mind,

“Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.” Matthew 6:19-21 NLT

We were temporarily living with my parents, and our stuff was stored in Tom’s parents' garage. They had a plumbing issue in their bathroom above the garage, causing a leak that soaked several of our boxes and other items, including our mattress. We weren’t sure what was salvageable.

That period of time was already difficult. We were waiting for a job to open up and unsure how long that would take, how long we would be living with my parents, how long our stuff would be stored. Both sets of parents had been patient, loving, and gracious. There was no one to blame for the water damage. Sometimes things just happen.

But when that verse popped into my brain, it completely changed my perspective on going through the damage. The tears didn’t stop. There was some mourning and disappointment. But at the same time, there was hope. This was temporary. These things were just things. What really mattered was how I responded. I could choose an eternal perspective. I could choose to treasure Christ more than an earthly possession.

As it turned out, very few of our things were unsalvageable, and insurance more than covered anything that was lost. But the eternal perspective I gained is a treasure that I still carry. That simple shift helped me through the three and a half years of living in the in-between.