Prayer, Relationships, The Treasure of Relationships, Words of Endurance

Uncovering the Riches of Relationships

November 12, 2014

- Prayer, Relationships, The Treasure of Relationships, Words of Endurance

Two people are better off than one,
for they can help each other succeed.
If one person falls, the other can reach out and help.
But someone who falls alone is in real trouble.
ECCLESIASTES 4:9-10 (NLT)

We don’t normally expect to find treasures in the darkness of adversity or riches in the valley of suffering but God gives us rich rewards even in these desolate places. One of the greatest riches God prepares for us in the valley is the discovery of the treasure of relationships. I will never forget the day I first caught a glimpse of this magnificent treasure. It changed my life.

I had become desperately depressed and I was seeing a counselor to help me climb out of the dark pit into which I had fallen. As we talked, the counselor casually asked me if I had any friends.

I immediately answered, “Of course! I have tons of friends!”

He then asked me how many of my friends needed me. I proudly responded, “All of them!”

Then he asked the question that would rock my world, “How many of your friends do you need?”

I pondered his question for what seemed like a long time because I could not believe my answer. I sheepishly admitted, “None of them.” This was a shocking revelation to both of us.

My counselor gently explained that God never intended relationships to be the way I described mine. God never intended relationships to be a one-way street. God made us to love and to be loved. No wonder I was dying on the inside! I had not allowed myself to need anyone.

Afterward our discussion troubled me. I began praying and asking God why I hadn’t allowed myself to need anyone. The answer came to me unexpectedly in the shower one day (I do a lot of talking to God when I am in the shower!). I realized that the one person I had needed the most had been my mother. When she died my pain was so great I decided I would never need anyone again the way that I had needed her. From that point on, I lived to love others but never allowed myself to receive the love from others.

No wonder I was lonely and depressed. I wasn’t bonded to anyone. My relationships needed work.

The realization that I needed healthy relationships in my life was truly a treasure. It caused me to assess all of my relationships. I determined which ones were healthy – which ones were unhealthy. I began making changes to improve the relationships that were unhealthy. I also began to seek out healthy peer relationships – two way street relationships – where I gave but I also received.

I also had realized that I had fallen alone and that was why I found myself in real trouble. I need others – what a revelation – what a treasure!

Just as lotions and fragrance give sensual delight, a sweet friendship refreshes the soul. PROVERBS 27:9 (THE MESSAGE)

On the journey with you,
Jan Dravecky

Grief, Pain, Prayer, Relationships, The Treasure of Relationships, Words of Endurance

The Treasure of Relationships

By connie on

November 7, 2014

- Grief, Pain, Prayer, Relationships, The Treasure of Relationships, Words of Endurance

Then the Lord God said,
“It is not good for the man to be alone.”
GENESIS 2:18 (NLT)

It is not good for anyone to do life alone but there was a time in my life when I thought I didn’t really need relationships. Sure I appreciated my family and friends but I had no idea that having healthy relationships was absolutely essential to a healthy life. I didn’t realize God had created us in such a way that we simply cannot live without relationships but my need for close healthy relationship would be enlightened when Dave and I entered our valley of suffering.

I discovered that when we go through times of adversity or suffering our need for others intensifies – and that can be a problem. Why? Because any kind of pain, adversity or suffering will test our relationships.

We aren’t at our best when we hurt. Our weaknesses, flaws and ugliness rise to the surface and the result isn’t pretty. We offend others more easily and we are more easily offended. Under that pressure, relationships can crumble. At the very time we need good relationships the most, those relationships often become more difficult.

The good news is that it is possible to honestly and lovingly work through the relational difficulties that suffering exposes. Relationships can grow and mature to become true treasures under the pressure of suffering. We can emerge from the darkness of suffering with healthier, stronger relationships – I know that from my own personal experience.

My prayer is that in the upcoming Words of Endurance that they will help you see the true value of your relationships and enable you to deal with the inevitable relational challenges one faces in the darkness. I know personally the refining process may be difficult and painful but I also know the rewards of stronger and healthier relationships are absolutely unbelievable and priceless!

Friends love through all kinds of weather,
and families stick together in all kinds of trouble.
PROVERBS 17:17 (THE MESSAGE)

Praying for all who are seeking the treasure,
Jan Dravecky

Hope, Prayer, Words of Endurance

A Candle in the Darkness Prayer Guide for Treasure Seekers

By connie on

October 29, 2014

- Hope, Prayer, Words of Endurance

Prayers offered for those who suffer are like lighting a candle in the dark. Even the smallest flicker of light can push back the darkness to yield the treasures of hope and joy. Unfortunately, we often don’t know how to pray for friends and loved ones – or even ourselves – when we face suffering but the Word of God gives us abundant instruction. We can pray for these priceless, eternal treasures:

THE STRENGTH TO ENDURE
I know how to live on almost nothing
or with everything.
I have learned the secret
of living in every situation,
whether it is with a full stomach or empty,
with plenty or little.
For I can do everything through Christ,
who gives me strength.
PHILIPPIANS 4:12-13 (NLT)

WISDOM
If you need wisdom,
ask our generous God,
and He will give it to you.
He will not rebuke you for asking.
JAMES 1:5 (NLT)

DISCERNMENT
Be assured that from the first day
we heard of you,
we haven’t stopped praying for you, asking God to give you wise minds
and spirits attuned to his will,
and so acquire a thorough understanding
of the ways in which God works.
COLOSSIANS 1:9 (THE MESSAGE)

SUPPORT AND ENCOURAGEMENT
Two are better off than one,
for they can help each other succeed.
If one person falls,
the other can reach out and help.
But someone who falls alone is in real trouble.
ECCLESIASTES 4:9-10 (NLT)

A TRUSTING HEART
Trust God from the bottom of your heart;
don’t try to figure out everything on your own.
Listen for God’s voice
in everything you do,
everywhere you go;
He’s the one who will keep you on track.
PROVERBS 3:5-6 (THE MESSAGE)

HOPE IN GOD’S LOVE
Do you think anyone is going to be able to drive a wedge
between us and Christ’s love for us?
There is no way!
Not trouble, not hard times, not hatred, not hunger,
not homelessness, not bullying threats, not backstabbing,
not even the worst sins in Scripture …
None of this fazes us because Jesus loves us.
I am absolutely convinced that nothing –
nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic,
today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable –
absolutely nothing can get between us
and God’s love because of the way
that Jesus our Master has embraced us.
ROMANS 8:38-39 (THE MESSAGE)

GREATER INTIMACY WITH GOD
I ask – ask God of our Master, Jesus Christ,
the God of glory –
to make you intelligent and discerning
in knowing Him personally,
your eyes focused and clear,
so that you can see exactly
what it is He is calling you to do,
grasp the immensity of this glorious way of life
He has for His followers,
oh, the utter extravagance of His work
in us who trust Him –
endless energy, boundless strength!
EPHESIANS 1:17-19 (THE MESSAGE)

Praying for all who are seeking the treasure,
Dave and Jan Dravecky

Cancer, Grace, Hope, Loss, Prayer, Treasures in the Darkness, Words of Endurance

My Most Unexpected Treasure

By connie on

October 22, 2014

- Cancer, Grace, Hope, Loss, Prayer, Treasures in the Darkness, Words of Endurance

Trust God from the bottom of your heart;
don’t try to figure out everything on your own.
Listen for God’s voice in everything you do,
everywhere you go;
He’s the one who will keep you on track.
PROVERBS 3:5-6 (THE MESSAGE)

One cloudy gray day several months after my amputation, I was driving the car and my emotional state pretty much matched the weather. I was struggling to make sense out of all that had happened to me during the previous few years and I wasn’t coming up with any answers. I had achieved my dream of becoming a Major League Pitcher but a diagnosis of cancer in my pitching arm rocked my world. First there was the surgery that promised to end my career, then my amazing comeback – then just a few days later my arm broke mid pitch – then the reoccurrence of the cancer, more surgeries, radiation, infection and finally – no arm.

I knew I could trust God but I had begun taking a hard look at my life. I wondered where my life might be headed. No arm, no career – just where did God want me to go?

Through the gloom of that day a song came over the car radio and caught my ear:

“First I want to thank You Lord
for being who You are.
For coming to the rescue of a man who’s drifted far.
For calling me to be Your son
and calling me to serve,
Lord the way You’ve blessed my life
is more than I deserve.”

Somehow that song touched my heart right where I was at that point in time. As it continued I broke down and cried.

“Let me be the evidence of what Your Grace can do,
to generations struggling to find themselves in You.
May they come to know the love of God.
May their eyes be made to see.
Give me the opportunity to
share the truth that sets them free!”
That was it! That song spoke into my life and directed it to where it needed to go. It perfectly expressed the vision in my heart – a vision I had not yet been able to see.

I never expected to cry from a song but I prayerfully and tearfully joined in the chorus:

“This is my prayer,
lifted to you,
Knowing you care
even more than I do.
This is my prayer lifted in Your name.
Your will be done
I humbly pray.”

I haven’t heard that song for years but the memory of it takes me back to that grey rainy day when God broke through my fog and gloom and reminded me of my heart’s deepest desire – for my life to reflect Jesus where ever He will lead me. What a treasure!

When you hurt,
I mean really hurt,
Where are the blessings?
What good can actually come of it?
Suffering can not only draw you closer to God,
But He can use it to reveal blessings
that will give you hope to hang onto.
JONI EARECKSON TADA

On the journey with you,
Dave Dravecky

(The song “Prayer” was sung by Petra and written by Bob Hartman, John Elefante)

Prayer, The Search for Answers, Words of Endurance

When the Answer is Silence

By Nathan Solla on

August 6, 2014

- Prayer, The Search for Answers, Words of Endurance

“When I lay these questions before God I get …
a silent certainly not uncompassionate, gaze.
As though He shook His head
not in refusal but waiving the question.
Like, Peace child; you don’t understand.”
CS LEWIS (A GRIEF OBSERVED)

When she was a young girl, Corrie Ten Boom once asked her father a difficult question, the answer for which she would not be able to understand and the reality of which she would not be able to bear. In her book, The Hiding Place, she describes her father’s answer:

He turned to look at me, as he always did when answering a question, but to my surprise he said nothing. At last he stood up, lifted his traveling case from the rack over our heads and set it on the floor.
“Will you carry it off the train Corrie?” He said.
I stood up and tugged at it. It was crammed with the watches and spare parts he had purchased that morning.
“It’s too heavy,” I said.
“Yes,” he said. “And it would be a pretty poor father who would ask his little girl to carry such a load. It’s the same way, Corrie, with knowledge. Some knowledge is too heavy for children. When you are older and stronger you can bear it. For now you must trust me to carry it for you.”
And I was satisfied. More than satisfied – wonderfully at peace. There were answers to this and all my hard questions – for now I was content to leave them in my father’s keeping.
THE HIDING PLACE BY CORRIE TEN BOOM

It absolutely drives me nuts when I don’t know the answer – when I don’t understand! But my questioning, impatient spirit is quieted within me when I realize there will come a time when I will know everything completely. I can trust my Abba Father because I know …

When I was an infant at my mother’s breast,
I gurgled and cooed like any infant.
When I grew up, I left those infant ways for good.
We don’t yet see things clearly.
We’re squinting in a fog, peering through a mist.
But it won’t be long before the weather clears
and the sun shines bright!
We’ll see it all then,
see it all as clearly as God sees us,
knowing him directly just as he knows us!
1 CORINTHIANS 13:12 (THE MESSAGE)

On the journey with you,
Jan Dravecky

Depression, Prayer, The Search for Answers, Words of Endurance

Are You in the wilderness with me?

By connie on

July 16, 2014

- Depression, Prayer, The Search for Answers, Words of Endurance

God, are you avoiding me?
Where are you when I need you?
PSALM 10:1 (THE MESSAGE)

Why is it when we are on the mountaintop we can feel God’s presence but when we are experiencing adversity – the wilderness which seems like a hot desert – a time when we need Him most – He seems to be avoiding us totally. He seems to be nowhere to be found.

On the day of Dave’s comeback game and even in the following game when he broke his arm throwing his career ending pitch, we both felt God’s presence so strongly. We were on the mountaintop and we wanted to bask in His presence forever.

But one year later – after two more surgeries, two separate rounds of radiation, a staph infection and depression – we found ourselves in the wilderness with no way out and God was nowhere to be found. But we learned …

“Looking back, we have learned that the
wilderness is part of the landscape of faith,
and every bit as essential as the mountaintop.
On the mountaintop we are overwhelmed by
God’s presence. In the wilderness we overwhelmed
by His absence. Both places should bring us to
our knees; the one, in utter awe; the other,
in utter dependence.”
(WHEN YOU CAN’T COMEBACK BY DAVE & JAN DRAVECKY)

If you are experiencing adversity – wandering in a wilderness which seems like a hot desert – drop to your knees in utter dependence. The Scripture assures us that God is with us …

But now, God’s Message,
the God who made you in the first place, Jacob,
the One who got you started, Israel:
“Don’t be afraid, I’ve redeemed you.
I’ve called your name. You’re mine.
When you’re in over your head, I’ll be there with you.
When you’re in rough waters, you will not go down.
When you’re between a rock and a hard place,
it won’t be a dead end—
ISAIAH 43:1-2 (THE MESSAGE)

Is He with us in the wilderness? Oh yes! He is not only with you and me everytime we find ourselves in the wilderness but He promises to meet us there and make a road through our desert …

Be alert, be present.
I’m about to do something brand-new.
It’s bursting out! Don’t you see it?
There it is! I’m making a road through the desert,
rivers in the badlands.
ISAIAH 43:19 (THE MESSAGE)

On the journey with you,
Jan Dravecky

Depression, Prayer, The Search for Answers, Words of Endurance

Why?

By Nathan Solla on

July 2, 2014

- Depression, Prayer, The Search for Answers, Words of Endurance

God, God . . . my God!
Why did you dump me
miles from nowhere?
Doubled up with pain, I call to God
all the day long. No answer. Nothing.
I keep at it all night, tossing and turning.
PSALM 22:1 (THE MESSAGE)

For many of us, as well as with King David, the pain and suffering of life draws the nagging question Why? out into the open.

Few of us ask the question Why? when life is going well. But when life doesn’t go the way we think it should – when a tragedy befalls us or our loved ones – when we can’t make sense out of what is happening – we cry out to God – Why???

That was how it was for Dave and I. Our life was going great – almost like a fairy tale. We were young and healthy – we were growing in our faith – we were happily married – we had two beautiful children – Dave’s baseball career was successful.

And then from what seemed out of nowhere …

Wham!!! Dave is diagnosed with cancer that resulted in the loss of his physical health and baseball career.

Wham!!! I experience a debilitating depression in the midst of Dave’s cancer battle – the loss of emotional health – unable to fulfill my duty as a wife, mother and caregiver.

We felt blind-sided and I asked God Why???

Have you ever felt blind-sided on your journey? Are you asking God Why? Then join me on a journey into God’s Word in search for the answer to the question … Why???

I found truths in the pages of the Bible that brought peace to my questioning mind and set me free. Over the next several weeks – together – I will be sharing those truths with you.

I leave you with the following Scripture – a prayer of the ever-questioning King David. Please make it your prayer too!

Show me how you work, God;
School me in your ways.
Take me by the hand;
Lead me down the path of truth.
You are my Savior, aren’t you?
PSALM 25:4-5 (THE MESSAGE)

On the journey with you,
Jan Dravecky

Prayer, Seeing Clearly, Words of Endurance

The Cry of a Questioning Heart

By Nathan Solla on

May 21, 2014

- Prayer, Seeing Clearly, Words of Endurance

Can I Be Honest With You God?

God’s Response Through His Word

God desires honesty from us …

The king is pleased with words from righteous lips;
he loves those who speak honestly.
PROVERBS 16:13 (NLT)

But you desire honesty from the womb,
teaching me wisdom even there.
PSALM 51:6 (NLT)

Job spoke honestly with God …

As for me, I would speak directly to the Almighty.
I want to argue my case with God himself.
JOB 13:3 (NLT)

Yet God called Job His friend …

After God had finished addressing Job,
he turned to Eliphaz the Temanite and said,
“I’ve had it with you and your two friends.
I’m fed up!
You haven’t been honest
either with me or about me—
not the way my friend Job has.
JOB 42:7 (THE MESSAGE)

King David complained openly before God …

I cry out loudly to God,
loudly I plead with God for mercy.
I spill out all my complaints before him,
and spell out my troubles in detail:
PSALM 142:1-2 (THE MESSAGE)

Yet God commended David as …

“… a man after my own heart.
He will do everything I want him to do.”
ACTS 13:22 (NLT)

Actually being honest with God is a way of worshipping Him …

“It’s who you are and the way you live
that count before God.
Your worship must engage your spirit
in the pursuit of truth.
That’s the kind of people the Father is out looking for:
those who are simply and honestly themselves
before him in their worship.
God is sheer being itself—Spirit.
Those who worship him
must do it out of their very being,
their spirits, their true selves, in adoration.”
JOHN 4:23-24 (THE MESSAGE)

So be free to be real – who you truly are – before God! As Jesus said …

“If you stick with this,
living out what I tell you,
you are my disciples for sure.
Then you will experience for yourselves the truth,
and the truth will free you.”
JOHN 8:32 (THE MESSAGE)

On the journey with you,
Dave & Jan Dravecky

Pain, Peace, Prayer, Seeing Clearly, Words of Endurance

Cry Out To God

By connie on

May 12, 2014

- Pain, Peace, Prayer, Seeing Clearly, Words of Endurance

O Lord, how long will you forget me? Forever?
How long will you look the other way?
How long must I struggle with anguish in my soul,
with sorrow in my heart every day?
How long will my enemy have the upper hand?
Turn and answer me, O Lord my God!
Restore the sparkle to my eyes, or I will die.
PSALM 13:1-3 (NLT)

Sound familiar? King David’s desperate cry to God is echoed by many of us who find it difficult to see clearly in the midst of our suffering. God may seem far away – we may feel forgotten by Him – and we may feel as if we will die from the overwhelming grief in our hearts.

Where do we turn for help when we are feeling any of the above? King David’s relationship with God was such that when he could not see clearly and found himself confused, lonely and hurt – he cried out and questioned God …

Lord, why are you standing aloof and far away?
Why do you hide when I need you the most?
PSALM 10:1 (LB)

The prophet Elijah once found himself in such a bad place (1 Kings 19:1-18) that he cried out to God …

“I’ve had enough, … take away my life.
I’ve got to die sometime, and it might as well be now.”
1 KINGS 19:4 (LB)

And wretched, impoverished, grieving Job said that if he could talk to God …

I would tell him all
about my side of this argument,
and listen to his reply,
and understand what he wants.
JOB 23:4-5 (LB)

When we are overwhelmed by pain – when our circumstances scream, “This makes no sense!” many of us want the same thing – an audience with God –a one-on-one Q & A with God. We want relief. If we can’t escape the pain we at least want some kind of an explanation. When we have to endure what seems unendurable we want the comfort of knowing that God sees clearly and still holds our future in His able hands.

God responded to David, Elijah and Job – not necessarily in the way they expected or what they would have liked to hear – but His response enabled them to see and understand their circumstances more clearly.

So what about us: What if we could have a one-on-one conversation with God? What if we could ask our Creator some of our troublesome questions? How might He respond?

Over the next several weeks we will ask some of the questions we frequently ask of God when we are suffering and we can’t see or understand our circumstances clearly. For God’s response we went to the Bible – the Word of God – to see if He had already addressed those questions for us. We think what we found will amaze you and will open your eyes to help you see more clearly which will help you endure and find peace in whatever circumstances you face.

Lord, you know the hopes of humble people.
Surely you will hear their cries
and comfort their hearts
by helping them.
PSALM 10:17 (LB)

On the journey with you,
Jan & Dave Dravecky

Prayer, Words of Endurance

What I Learned From A SHATTERED PERSPECTIVE

By connie on

April 10, 2014

- Prayer, Words of Endurance

Bless our God, O peoples!
Give him a thunderous welcome!
Didn’t he set us on the road to life?
Didn’t he keep us out of the ditch?
He trained us first,
passed us like silver through refining fires,
Brought us into hardscrabble country,
pushed us to our very limit,
Road-tested us inside and out,
took us to hell and back;
Finally he brought us
to this well-watered place.
PSALM 66:8-12 (THE MESSAGE)

I’ve learned that rebuilding a shattered perspective isn’t a one-time deal. When we come to a point in life where our perspective has been shattered in a big way and we have picked up the pieces and learned to look through the lens of a more realistic and healthy perspective – we tend to think we are done. We want to think we are done – but the reality is we are not! We don’t have all the answers after one, two or even three times of having our perspectives shattered. It is a process – the process of the refiners fire.

I know this may be a hard truth to face but it is not a bad thing. You see God is in the refining business. He is all about training us to see life from His perspective. So our journey through life will give us a number of situations that will challenge our dearest, most tightly held human perspectives. Each time our world is shaken up we will need to reevaluate some part of our perspective on life. Ultimately growing into a mature perspective that will help us endure the storms of life.

I have also learned that I am continually in the process of learning and maturing – of being transformed by Him until I get to the end of this earthly journey. The process is hard and painful at times but at the same time it is a beautiful thing.

Think for a moment about what a broken piece of pottery that has been pieced back together looks like. It will be marred – have visible cracks. It is the same with us. Our brokenness will still show but it is through the brokenness that God’s light shines through.

Ultimately I have learned that I can trust God when my perspective shatters knowing that He is the Potter and I am the clay. There is no other place I would rather be than on the Potters wheel being shaped and refined by the hands of the Potter – because I have learned that I can trust the Potter.

And yet, O Lord, you are our Father.
We are the clay, and you are the potter.
We all are formed by your hand.
ISAIAH 64:8 (NLT)

On the Journey with You,
Dave Dravecky

Prayer, Relationships, The Treasure of Relationships, Words of Endurance

Uncovering the Riches of Relationships

Grief, Pain, Prayer, Relationships, The Treasure of Relationships, Words of Endurance

The Treasure of Relationships

Hope, Prayer, Words of Endurance

A Candle in the Darkness Prayer Guide for Treasure Seekers

Cancer, Grace, Hope, Loss, Prayer, Treasures in the Darkness, Words of Endurance

My Most Unexpected Treasure

Prayer, The Search for Answers, Words of Endurance

When the Answer is Silence

Depression, Prayer, The Search for Answers, Words of Endurance

Are You in the wilderness with me?

Depression, Prayer, The Search for Answers, Words of Endurance

Why?

Prayer, Seeing Clearly, Words of Endurance

The Cry of a Questioning Heart

Can I Be Honest With You God?

Pain, Peace, Prayer, Seeing Clearly, Words of Endurance

Cry Out To God

Prayer, Words of Endurance

What I Learned From A SHATTERED PERSPECTIVE

Useful Links

Connect

Dravecky Fan Corner