Spreading the word!

Hey gals!!

As you've noticed, He Holds the Key isn't as active as it used to be, but we are still up and running! If you feel like you have a story to share, feel free to email me at madisonwasinger@gmail.com. We're always looking for more writers!

To the main point of this post, I'd like to share with you two amazing online magazines that I have found really encouraging: Lilies Among Thorns and Passion Magazine. Both of these websites contain amazing articles to uplift you in your walk with Jesus. Please check them out as I'm certain you'll enjoy them as much as I have!

LAT: http://liliesamongthornsmagazine.blogspot.com/

Passion Magazine: http://www.passionwebmag.com/

In Christ,
Madison

Pencil Part 2

Okay, so if you can remember all the way back to May, I wrote a post on a pencil and an author… and left a story unexplained. So now for part 2!

If you can recall, we started off with a pencil. New, fresh, never used, unsharpened. That represents us-when we’re just out of the womb, we haven’t yet been affected by this world. We’re babies, not knowing sorrows other than a little discomfort. And we’re perfectly happy to stay this way, in the loving arms of our families. But as we grow, we become curious, growing in our depth of knowledge, learning the ins and outs of living, and becoming more prone to a desire to go out and do. So the author, God, picks us up and begins to sharpen us. He allows us to go through experiences that make us stronger. We may not be able to see how these experiences could ever be good, but they are molding us into a tool that God can use.

Then, God starts to write with us (pencils, as I said in the analogy, can’t write well on their own). Sometimes, we’re eager to write faithfully. When we are, we get the best results, the most happiness, the most fulfillment. But whenever we take on a resentful, ‘why me?’ type of attitude about allowing the author’s hand to guide us, the story often takes a turn for the worse, and we cut off our power source: God. Sometimes, this nosedives into a deeper pit of despair, and it escalates until we’re undeniably stuck in a mud pit of sin. This, in case you didn’t know, is not what the author wants for us. He’d love a story all about love, trust, a learner’s heart, and a faithful servant. What could be better than that?

Soon, the pencil has to get sharpened again. It’s not sure if it can trust the author. That’s how we often are. When God places an obstacle in our way, although we may know that He brought us through past trials, we have a tendency to doubt, to say “but what about this time?” The way the author wants us to react is with-can it be?-joy! “Consider it *pure joy*, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” –James 1:2-4 (emphasis added). Joy?? Really? Yes! See, God doesn’t sharpen us just to hurt us. He sharpens us so that we’ll be mature and complete! He sharpens us so that we’ll be able to write better, conform to His will better, and live out His Son’s love better. Instead of shying away from the painful process of refinement, then, we should take a breath, grit our teeth, say “God, I trust you,” and face it, head-on.

‘But soon, the pencil breaks…’ So, what’s the difference between sharpening and breaking a pencil? Well, when you sharpen a pencil, it fits its purpose better. When you break it, it moves further away from that purpose. Breaking represents whenever we rebel under the author’s hand. We struggle, and since His hand is unmovable, unchangeable, we break. It HURTS. And, even worse, we feel a rush of shame when we come to our senses; how can the author write with us now? But, the pencils and the people forget-our author, our Lord, our infinitely powerful God, is a redeemer. And not only does He redeem and use us again, but He uses our rebellion for good. Because He works ALL things for good, whether or not they’re things He desires for us.

The pencil writes and writes, faithfully serving its author all its life. Eventually, it reaches its last small bit of lead left, and the author ends the pencil’s story. Obviously, all metaphors have their limitations, and this is one of them for our metaphor. For whenever a Christian ends their earthly life, they are met with a new, beautiful life to live for eternity, one of endless worship, endless joy, and endless stories to write. When we arrive to this wonderful eternity, our author smiles and says, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.” But that’s only the beginning of our new story! However, for the sake of the analogy, we’ll end it here, and focus on the earthly life.

“Well done, my good and faithful servant.” Yes, that’s the second time I said that. Just let it roll off your tongue a few times. Doesn’t that phrase amaze you? I mean, doesn’t it just blow your mind? Why would a God use such imperfect, self-destructing beings to accomplish His purposes? Aren’t you just honored that the One who created the universe, the One who has the entire DNA of your body memorized, the One who had to bail you out whenever you felt like you messed up your life-aren’t you just honored that He would desire you, unfathomably love you, want you to serve Him, and call you a ‘good and faithful servant’? Wow! What should our response to an offer of forgiveness and a lifetime of serving Him be? A resounding YES! But what do we usually do? Push God off to the side for Sundays or times whenever we really need His help? Reflect on what your response is to His calling, and ask God to change it if it’s not where it should be.

In sum, when we’re sharpened, we should lift up our hands and say “You know what? Even though I may hate this right now, I’m going to trust you, anyway, God. Have your will.” When we’re broken, we should not cower. Instead, we should stand before our Lord, filth and all, ask Him to cleanse us, and then righteously stand, confident of the bottomless grace that power washes our dirtiness away. When we’re writing, we should allow the author to conform us to His hand, lifting up a willing spirit. And when we die, we should breathe a sigh of relief and expectantly await the beginning of a new, glorious story.

So ladies, let Him use you. Let Him sharpen you, conform you to His son’s image. Let Him take you down scary paths that may not seem right. Let Him. Because He is the author, the ultimate storyteller, and He knows exactly what He’s doing.

-Lydia

The Pencil and the Author

Hey guys, I’m back! I’ve got an analogy for you-as you may have guessed, it has to do with a pencil and an author. Please momentarily take a jump with me into a world where pencils can think and feel. Are you there? Great!

A pencil sits, still bearing the “new” smell. Untouched. Unblemished. Unused. It’s perfectly content to sit there quietly on the desk. No worries, sadness, or fear. But also, no adventure. A vague restlessness sets upon the pencil. It wants to do something with its life. As if in response, an author-THE Author-comes and sits down, and looks down at the pencil. He smiles. In fact, he made the pencil, and knows its desire. He also knows exactly what he wants to write.

The author picks up the pencil. Excitement beats in the pencil’s heart. But, unfortunately, in order to begin writing the story, the author must sharpen the pencil. As he picks up his knife, the pencil looks at him in horror. He slowly shaves off one piece of wood, then another, and another. It hurts. The pencil doesn’t understand what’s happening to it. Why would a creator ruin its creation? The author’s eyebrows wrinkle as he feels the fear, sadness, and hurt the pencil feels. But he knows what his creation does not. Finally, he stops. He pulls a piece of paper off of the shelf, paper of the highest quality. He grasps the pencil firmly in his strong, steady hand. What a special story this pencil is going to write, he thinks to himself.

The author begins to write in a purposeful but gentle manner. Words flow onto the page in a rhythm. The pencil has never been so happy. It now knows why the author had to sharpen it. It trusts the author. It rests in the author’s hand, and allows the author-the one who knows the story-to use it. After all, pencils can’t write stories on their own. Even if they could move by themselves, they don’t know the language of letters. Anything they write would be meaningless gibberish without the author. The author makes all the difference. He turns feeble efforts into a beautiful masterpiece.

Soon, the tip of the pencil breaks. The pencil’s heart sinks. The author picks up his knife again, and the pencil winces. It knows that last time, things worked out for the best. But this time… what if they don’t? The pencil tries to remember the beautiful words it was writing before it broke. But as the shavings fall, scraped off the tender pencil, it can’t help but wonder again-what is this author doing? How could anything hurt this bad, and still be good? But the author knows exactly what he is doing. He never slips, or makes a mistake, or accidentally goes too far. He knows that a dull pencil won’t work right.

Unsurprisingly, the pencil eventually realizes it is wrong, and quickly turns back. It trusts the author again. Gradually, it has faith in its creator more and more, and under trial, it can sometimes believe that it will come out on the other side in one piece.

But one day it happens. The pencil breaks in two. It’s heartbroken. How can it ever write beautifully again? Surely the author can’t redeem this? But the author faintly smiles at the pencil, and says “Trust me.” He picks up the broken pieces, and begins to sharpen one end. Even though the pencil has to suffer the consequences, it can still be used. “I told you so,” he says to the pencil.

Through its life, the pencil has to be sharpened constantly. Sometimes it even breaks. But its creator redeems it every time. “You are never too far gone for me to use you” it whispers to its creation. And when the pencil becomes so small that author can scarcely write the very last two words of the book , ‘The End’, the author gently lifts it and places it in his apron pocket, so that it will be close to him forever. Like a proud father, he says “Well done, my good and faithful servant.”

Stay tuned for part 2, the explanation of this analogy!

-Lydia

I have a valentines date for you!

We all know that Valentine’s Day (or Singles’ Awareness Day, as I’ve heard it called) is fast approaching. It’s hard not to ignore it with school banners, stores selling all things pink and red, and those around us that are in relationships preparing for that special day. Sometimes, when not in a current romantic relationship, it’s hard not to get a little down when this holiday approaches. It can be tempting to rent a chick flick, grab some chocolate, and have a pity party. Where are you at on this holiday? Are you in a relationship? Is it complicated? Are you single? No matter where you might be, I have a challenge for you:

Have a date with Jesus!

That might have surprised you at first, and it may be tempting to ignore this challenge, but I hope you bear with me as I explain why you should do this.

It’s easy to get caught up in Valentine’s Day and put too much emphasis on this holiday. For those that are in relationships, it can be hard not to obsess about what the day may look like and where you'll go with your boyfriend. On the other hand, those that are single may obsess about their lack of boyfriend and plans. Either way, too much focus can be spent on this day and a date with Jesus just might be the very thing to put your priorities straight.

Make this date fun! I’ve had “Jesus dates” before and I always have a blast. Close yourself in your room or someplace secluded that you know you won’t get interrupted. Dim the lights, get some of your favorite chocolate, or other favorite sweet, and maybe light a candle. Put some soft music on and pull out the best Valentines letter you’ll ever receive-the Bible. Consider reading Psalm 139 and think about how much God loves you. Write in your journal what sticks out to you and then pray over it.

God knows you better than any boy ever will and He loves you beyond comprehension. He longs to spend time with you. He cares about you. He loves you.

So whether you’re in a relationship or not, set some time aside this Valentines to spend with Jesus. Be prepared for a special night.

In Christ,

Madison

Love Like Jesus

It’s 2011 and that means it’s HeHoldsTheKey’s first anniversary (Okay, so we’re one day late in posting since we officially had our first article on the 15^th, but hey, we’re close)! Thank you to all our faithful readers and supporters! Your encouragement means a lot. I have to say that we have not been the most consistent with updating our posts throughout 2010, but thank you for being patient with us! We’re hoping that 2011 will hold a more regular schedule. For this to happen, we need more writers for HeHoldsTheKey. So, if you’re interested in helping us out, be sure to email us and we’ll work from there!

Speaking of this new year, what are some goals you’ve made?

Every year I sit down and write out what I want my life to look like for the upcoming year. Along with little goals such as eating healthier, I also like to have one large goal or theme for the year. Last year’s goal was to serve wholeheartedly. This year, my goal is to love like Jesus.

I’ve been reading “Equipped to Love” by Norm Wakefield. It radically been changing the way I look at relationships. This book covers how we tend to look to others for our happiness. In reality, only Jesus can fulfill us, and when we look to human relationships to fit that bill we won’t ever find contentment.

Has this ever been the case for you when it comes to boys? Have you ever tried to make a guy fit Jesus’ spot? To make you happy? To make you feel good? To give you security? I know I have! When I do this, I’m shoving Jesus out of the drivers seat and stuffing a guy in His place.

Instead of looking to guys, or relationships in general, we have to set our eyes back on Jesus… and to love like Jesus. It’s impossible for us to fully love as Jesus loves because we are not God; that being said, we are capable of loving like Jesus. He’s given us the ultimate love letter, the Bible, to follow as a map on how to love as He loves us. As my good friend told me, we never have to lead and find the place to go, we only have to follow Him. God’s already got the blueprints of life and He has given us the Holy Spirit to direct us as we try and live like Him.

My challenge for you this year? To learn to love like Jesus. Follow His example. The journey may be difficult and it won’t happen overnight, but God will equip you with the tools you need to love as He loves. Learn to love guys out of a brotherly love, to see them as fellow travelers on the road to heaven instead of potential mates. I can assure you, when we let Jesus take the reins of our life and let Him be on the throne of our hearts, life is much more fulfilling!

“Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another about yourselves.” –Romans 12:9-10 (NIV)

Be blessed this 2011!

~Madison