His Ways are Higher

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." (Isaiah 55:8-9)

I turned 42 last year. Never in my entire life have my eyes been opened to the wonder of these verses in the way they have been opened over the last two years. Never has God revealed himself to me more than He has over the last two years.  

Maybe you are like me. Maybe you too have gone through long seasons (or in my case years) where you thought you were in control. As a child, I learned that I should control my actions and environment to ensure the best outcome. Controlling situations became so ingrained in me that it was my way of life. You can imagine how well that usually went. But even then, even when my precarious grip on any control was slipping thru my fingers, I didn't turn those situations over to God. I can honestly say I didn't know how to. I don't believe I ever truly opened my eyes to see God’s ways or hear his thoughts. 

I knew God. I had known him, really known him, since I was 33. The day I entered into a personal relationship with him as my Lord and savior is a day I will never forget. That day was only the beginning though. I will spend my life in relationship with Him and still never know all of Him. He reveals himself in new ways and through new situations every day.

Looking Back

I look back at 2018 as the start of the journey He took me on to reveal His glory in a new way. He revealed it by teaching me the life lesson of Isaiah 55:8-9.  

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." (Isaiah 55:8-9)

You see, if we don't know this biblical lesson, we may just think we are floating along in life (or maybe even sinking) alone. If we don't keep this verse in mind, we may see life as simply unfortunate and unfair, or amazing and unbelievable, or maybe even simply irrelevant. Maybe we remember to call out to Him in crisis or praise Him for blessings. Do we really believe He is in control? Don't we fail to see the beauty of giving up that control? 

When we can allow the words of this verse to penetrate our own thoughts to the very center of our being, we can begin to see that He is so much more than just a prayer during a crisis or a praise during a celebration. He is, day in and day out, aware of our circumstances. Day in and day out, He has a plan. 

Retreating Was Just the Start

The journey I’ve alluded to started at the Burnt Hickory Women's Retreat held that year. I was blessed to be able to attend and so excited to spend time with a dear friend that was also going. Little did I know the plans God had in store for me and for my entire family. God not only poured Himself into me at that conference, but He also put his plans in motion - and He was not messing around!

That weekend led to me connecting with a woman who works in orphan care, which led to us hosting a beautiful teenager from Latvia (a country I had never heard of), which led to adoption. It looks so very simple when I type it out in one sentence. LOL. 

Let me assure you, simple it was NOT. These plans of God's felt scary, overwhelming, and sometimes impossible. However, He was always faithful to give us just enough strength and just enough provision. The best parts, the most insane, awesome, GOD IS SO VERY BIG parts, were the ones in our 18-month journey, when it looked like His plans made no sense!!! There were parts of His plan that made us question EVERYTHING. I wish I could say I had this verse memorized and it calmed me and brought me peace. But I didn't. Like I said, God was using this journey to TEACH me this verse. My husband and I did understand that God was working through us and we did understand that we needed to cry out to Him. We did cry out, and He did show up. But I wish we would have had THIS verse in mind. 

His Beautiful Ways

When all was said and done, I was able to look back on this journey and say, Oh my God, how I now see why you declare “my thoughts are not your thoughts and my ways are not your ways!” I was able to see why He goes on to remind us that “just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways HIGHER than your ways and my thoughts HIGHER than your thoughts.”

And how beautiful are your ways, God! 

That has allowed me to trust HIM all the more. Now when the waves of confusion, despair, or being overwhelmed come - and trust me, they do come - I know this verse by heart. It is the Word. It is truth. 

Jamie Hester

Interested in attending the 2020 Women’s Ministry Retreat in Toccoa, February 27-29? Click here for all the details. Registration closes February 16.

Interested in becoming a Women’s Ministry blog contributor? Contact Jenn Dennard ( ) for details.

Interested in joining the Women’s Ministry team? Visit our Teams page to discover our various committees and which one might be the best fit for you.

In need of prayer or a fellow woman in Christ to chat with? The Women’s Ministry team would love to be there for you. Email Kim Edde ( ) to connect with one of our team members.

Connect with the Women's Ministry via Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/bhbcsistersoftheheart) or Instagram (bhbc_women)

Be Still and Know that You Can Survive (and Thrive) During the Holidays!

“Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathens, I will be exalted in the earth.” (Psalm 46:10)

It’s here. The holiday season. Take a deep breath. Don’t panic! There is hope. Hope that you’ll get through the next two months without feeling overwhelmed by the preparations, the decorations, the shopping, the card-sending, the parties, the family members who never seem to get along.

We all know that Jesus is the reason for the season, but sometimes that truth gets lost in the hustle and bustle of holiday prep. We know that we need to “be still,” but find it hard to stop spinning like whirling dervishes. The traditions we at first so happily engage in can quickly become overwhelming, leaving us feeling depleted and with little time for reflecting on the birth of our Savior.

Perhaps you can identify with some of the seasonal struggles below:

“I used to get overwhelmed by decorating, felt my house had to look perfect. I overcame that by dialing back my expectations and making a more reasonable schedule for decorating.” - CJ

“I love volunteering at my kids’ schools, and I tend to overbook myself during the holidays, trying to volunteer at everyone’s party, on every field trip, and for every program. A few years ago, my busy schedule and my ‘yes’ to everything had me overwhelmed. I normally start listening to Christmas music in October, but that year I just couldn’t even listen. I realized my many ‘yesses’ had caused me to just go through the motions and not even stop to listen to songs praising God for sending His Son!

I learned over the following years that I can say ‘yes’ to one or two things, but that I also need to give myself time to sit and enjoy the lights on our trees and listen to music. I now get up earlier than everyone else and turn on soft music and the tree lights so that I can start my day with ‘breathing time.’” – Kimberly

“About two years ago we were buying our kids gifts just to buy them. I was literally buying things so that they would have the same number of presents. Last year, we did the four gifts (something you want, something you need, something you wear, something you read) – so much less stress and we were able to spend more time together on the reason for the season. This year, we are going to try to give more experiences than gifts!” – Melissa

“Buying gifts for EVERYONE got out of hand for us several years ago (choosing that perfect gift combined with the expense), so we made a new rule: gifts only for kids plus an occasional name-draw gift exchange for adults. It’s really all about the time spent together!” – Jess

“I think all of the last minute ‘small’ stuff really gets us frazzled: gifts for teachers, friends of my tweens, class parties, gift exchanges, dance company girls and instructors, coaches, mailman … you name it. It can get crazy, and takes the focus off of the peace and calm of Christ’s birth if we let it.” – Sarah

“I bought a puppy at the last minute (literally Christmas Eve) just to try to have the very best gift a boy could want. Don’t buy a pet if you’re caught up in the moment. We spent five years trying to adjust to having a very excitable dog until we finally decided it wasn’t suitable to our lifestyle and gave him to a friend. Since then, I’ve tried to be more practical with gift planning.” – Sandra

“Best Christmas I ever had was a destination Christmas so that we could make memories (in lieu of gifts). It eliminated all stress and materialism.” – Donna

Can you identify with any of the stories above? It’s so easy to get lost in trying make everyone happy that we wind up losing out on opportunities to celebrate Christ’s birth. Whether it’s sitting for a few minutes in front of a softly lit tree listening to songs of praise, enjoying “quiet time” instead of rushing out to shop, or scaling back on decorating to avoid a holiday hissy fit, there are ways to keep Jesus at the center of your Christmas season.

Join the Women’s Ministry on Sunday, November 10 at 6:30pm as we “Gather Around the Table” for honest conversation with women of all ages and stages about how to not only survive the Christmas season, but thrive in our relationships with Christ. Click here for more details and to RSVP.

Jennifer Dennard

Interested in becoming a Women’s Ministry blog contributor? Contact Jenn Dennard ( ) for details.

Interested in joining the Women’s Ministry team? Visit our Teams page to discover our various committees and which one might be the best fit for you.

In need of prayer or a fellow woman in Christ to chat with? The Women’s Ministry team would love to be there for you. Email Kim Edde ( ) to connect with one of our team members.

Connect with the Women's Ministry via Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/bhbcsistersoftheheart) or Instagram (bhbc_women)