Cheer UP! Podcast
Cheer UP! Podcast
Jael
Need a dose of bravery? Learn from Yael's tale in our latest podcast episode as we discuss making tough choices .
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Hi and welcome to the Cheer Up Podcast. I am your host, kara R Hunt, and with me is the beautiful and sweet and nice and kind Sherri Swalwell. How are you doing this morning, sherri?
Speaker 2:I am doing great, but I think you're describing yourself as much as I'm describing you.
Speaker 1:No.
Speaker 2:So how are?
Speaker 1:you doing this morning. I am blessed to be alive. It is a good morning Starting off that way. It's. The weather in the Midwest is absolutely crazy, you know, but it's um, at first it looked like we were um, just really headed into spring and you know. And then, of course, you know you're not and you get like really chilly weather and everything else. So but yeah, everything is just going so well and we just want to welcome everyone here this morning or today. We keep saying this morning only because our sessions are recorded in the morning time, but you could literally be listening to this at midnight.
Speaker 1:So we just want to say good morning, good afternoon, good evening and happy night to everyone who's listening and who are tuning in to the channel, and we thank all of our longtime listeners that are faithfully devoted and tune in every week, and for everyone who's new welcome to Cheer Nation, as we call our listeners. And we just want to thank you so much for joining us this morning. Excuse me joining us today. I'll just say that Joining us today and tuning in no matter what platform you're listening on, just please be sure to download, hit like and hit subscribe, because it would help us encourage others.
Speaker 1:The way the algorithms are on the various platforms, the more hits, downloads, likes or whatnot it gets. It keeps us more kind of relevant in algorithm and when someone types in uplifting or encouragement or inspirational podcast, then you know our name will pop up as one of those. So if you guys could do us that favor, we would greatly appreciate it. And, sherry, oh my goodness, we are at the end of April and we are still in a book of Judges. We have covered Barak, Sisera, deborah oh my goodness, we've just covered a whole bunch of biblical figures in the book of Judges, right?
Speaker 2:Exactly, exactly, and today we finally get to reveal how Sisera died.
Speaker 1:Oh right, and for those of us who, if you're just tuning in to the podcast today, those biblical figures that we just mentioned Barak B-A-R-A-K, sisera S-I-S-E-R-A and Deborah in the Bible can all be found in the book of Judges. And we were just covering those biblical figures, what they went through, some of what they went through and how what they went through kind of still applies to us today. If you want to go and you want to listen to those podcasts as well, then just you can do that. Just whatever platform you're on, just scroll down and you'll be able to see those as well. And today we are, you know, getting ready to reveal someone else in a book of judges and her name is well, for the sake of this podcast, I'm going to say Yael. I wanted to double check that before we recorded, but I forgot to do so. But in the book of Judges, in the Old Testament, her name is spelled J-A-E-L, but I'm almost pretty sure it is pronounced Yael. Today we are going to discuss Dahlia and what she did in the book of Judges that has made her a well-known biblical figure in the Bible.
Speaker 1:If you guys have been already listening in, but for those who haven't, there was Deborah the prophetess, there was Barak and Deborah the prophetess, and God had told Barak you know, we're going to go to war. So they were at war during this time. Okay, the Israelites were at war against a mighty enemy and God had told Deborah Amarok that I'm going to deliver the enemy into your hands. And so he did. That's a very short version of it. And so they were able to smote the entire enemy army that was coming against them, and 10,000 men right or more, I think it was right, sherry. So they were able to smote them, even though they were a smaller army and everything else. And the king excuse me, the head general or captain of the enemy's army was able to escape.
Speaker 1:He was the only one who was alive and was able to escape, only one who was alive and was able to escape, and he went into a lady's tent and he pretty much asked, you know her to hide him, right, and that woman was Yael, you know, and she was like you know, she pretended to go along with it, right, Like oh, thank you. Excuse me, she didn't say thank you, she was just kind of like, oh, okay, yeah, come on in. And you know, and I think she offered him some water or something to eat or something.
Speaker 2:I think it was milk.
Speaker 1:Was it milk?
Speaker 2:Yes.
Speaker 1:Which I found very interesting.
Speaker 1:Right. Yeah, she's like, oh yeah, yeah, come, come in, you know. And uh, she's like, hey, you know, would you like something you know drink? And she offered him some milk and I can't wait to share. Uh, shares her thoughts on this to you know. And so he's thinking, oh good, you know, she's okay with hiding me here. And he pretty much told her don't tell nobody, I'm here, right, and if someone comes asking, I think they said if someone comes looking, he said if someone comes looking for me and asking for me, tell me I'm not here and everything else. So, whatever happened, she offered him milk.
Speaker 1:She obviously may have had a conversation with him and everything else, whatever it was, he was so relaxed around her they ended up going to sleep, right. So she must have just really made him feel comfortable, you know, while he was there, like he was, obviously he was tired. He'd just been through a battle, barely escaped with his life. So you know, physically he was tired, but mentally you're still in the enemy's camp, right? So personally I don't think I could have kept an eye closed, you know. But apparently she had made him feel so comfortable that he did, and he, you know, fell asleep. And when he did. So she was like, yeah, you know, um, you, you thought I was your friend or whatever. But no right, I, I'm, I'm a no, we're, I'm going to capture you and kill you. And that's what she did. And the amazing thing that she did it with, you know, is a tent peg from the tent that she was in. She took a tent peg and she pretty much hammered it through his temple so she killed him and that was the end of that battle pretty much.
Speaker 1:Now that victory, if everyone remembers, when we were talking about Barak a couple of weeks ago, was supposed to go to him, but because he didn't exactly do what the Lord had asked him to do, well, he did it, but he was shaky about it, like, in his faith that he has to go with them to do it, he was denied that victory. So it went to some woman who probably woke up that morning just think her day was going to just go normal, right. But then in the end she ended up killing like a mighty general, a mighty captain of the enemy's army. She did it with a tent peg. Now, evidently right, the tent pegs back then, I think, are a lot different than they were today. And to be able to do that and hammer that through someone's if I'm?
Speaker 1:Oh my goodness, I can't remember if it was in the scriptures that I read this when I was going through her story and researching her story in a Bible, or if it was a part of the study notes of the Bible, but it said that it was done with enough force that he was decapitated.
Speaker 1:Do you remember hearing that, sherry? I don't, but wow, yeah, and that the only way she could have done it was with the strength of the Lord, right, you know, when she did that? Because, remember, he said the enemy is going to fall and everything else, and she just picked up a tent peg. And then apparently she had enough strength, through the Lord, to just, while he's sleeping, to take that tent peg and just do it so with enough force to just kill him. You know, and it's just amazing to think about that. It's like, so I don't know, that's just amazing, the bravery that that would take right, and the strength and the boldness to be able to do that, um, and not be shaking in your boots while you do it, cause it doesn't say she was scared right, right.
Speaker 2:There's no, there's no description of fear. And she had to have done it the first time because I don't know about you, but if I think she would only have, it be like one shot, because if I'm feeling pain of a tent peg being stuck in my temple, I'm sure it's going to wake up, so right.
Speaker 1:And he could easily overpower her Right. He's a mighty warrior.
Speaker 2:Right. So she would have had to have the first blow, would have had to have been the killer.
Speaker 1:Exactly. And how humiliating for him, right? Well, of course he's dead and he doesn't know, but how humiliating for those who are waiting for him to come back with a victory right.
Speaker 1:And then to find that he was beheaded or decapitated or, uh, even if it's just straight tin peg through the temple, um, how humiliating for his legacy, right, they're like, wow, a woman, because we got to remember women weren't looked at on then as they are now, you know. So, um, and not by another captain of an army, not by a general of an army, not by another mighty warrior or by the sword, but by a woman, by the hand of a woman is how he met his end and she kind of you know, she just kind of made him feel comfortable, which she pretty much had to do. Right, she pretty much had to make him feel comfortable, because there was no way she could have done that if he was sitting at the table still drinking the milk.
Speaker 2:Exactly. Well, it talks about in Judges 4, it talks about how he said, or it says that she, it's right here. So when and Jael went out to meet Sisera and said to him turn aside, my Lord, turn aside to me, turn aside, my Lord, turn aside to me, do not fear. And when he had turned aside with her into the tent, she covered him with a blanket. Then he said to her please give me a little water to drink, for I am thirsty. So she opened a jug of milk, gave him a drink and covered him. And he said to her a to the door of the tent, and if any man comes and inquires of you and says, is there any man here, you shall say no. So he's telling her what she's going to do. But milk, in our family anyway, milk has always been associated with, like the end of the day, relaxation, and there is some kind of chemical in milk that really honestly relaxes you.
Speaker 2:So when I saw that she had given him milk, it's like it's a sedative kind of sort of like it relaxes you enough to help put you to sleep. So he was 100%, completely relaxed and trusting of her, which is crazy. Like you said, he's in the enemy camp and yet he's trusting this woman that he said I'm going. No, she said to him, do not fear. So she did tell him, you know, I mean. So she deceived him. But um, all is fair in love and war, I guess.
Speaker 1:But right and I forgot about that, you're right, because he, he, he was seeking shelter. Right, because he's running from um bar Deborah and you know that army, so he's seeking shelter. But you know, I forgot about the part where she said turn aside here, my lord, right, you know with the little L or whatever. And she's like turn aside here. So then that means she lured him in there, right, right, yeah, she lured him in there. And then she gets him in there and then she covers him with the blanket he's all comfortable after he drinks that warm milk, probably, right, you know, and she kind of disarms him mentally and emotionally. He's like, ooh, I found a friend in enemy's camp, you know, and everything else, but she wasn't his friend.
Speaker 2:Well, he probably thought that because she was a woman, she wasn't his friend Exactly.
Speaker 1:He's like, yeah, what could she do to me?
Speaker 1:Well, well, well, when you have the help of the Lord on your side, you'll be amazed at what you know can happen and it's just amazing. And basically she got rid of the enemy. And so you're probably saying that's so great, kara and Sherry, and yeah, that's an amazing story about Yael and how she put a tent peg through the enemy's temple. What has that got to do with me today? Right, I'm facing all these other different situations and things like that. What has everything to do with us today as believers? Because sometimes we have to put a tent peg through the enemy's temple, we have got to annihilate the enemy and but today at least we don't have to worry about it being someone of an enemy army. As of right now, we haven't been invaded. You know, we're not at war. Technically we're not at war. We haven't been invaded by an enemy country. There's not a country that has come in and they're saying, hey, we're going to take over America and we're going to do this and do that, and they're just like roaming through our streets, going from house to house, door to door, and everything like that. So right now we're not in that situation, but Yael was. But it doesn't matter, because even though her enemy was, like the captain of the enemy army who was trying to destroy Israel and or to enslave them.
Speaker 1:We have our own enemies today.
Speaker 1:It could be fear, it could be anxiety, it could be a friend excuse me, a co-worker, or a friend, or even a family member that is trying to do harm to us, whether it be mentally or physically, spiritually, emotionally, financially, or anyone who's trying to pull you away from the path God has set you on.
Speaker 1:And so there's so many enemies in our life that sometimes we just have to put a tent peg through their temple. If it's fear and God is like telling you to do something, that's something that we need to stand up as believers and be like oh, my goodness, god, you know I am shaking in my boots over this, but please, please, give me the strength that I need to be able to get through this Right, the strength that I need to be able to get through this right. And even if it's someone in your life who is just causing you endless grief one way or the other, like I said, whether it be mental, physical, spiritual, emotional, obviously you're not going to go to the nearest Walmart, pick up a tent peg and put it through their temple literally.
Speaker 2:That's not what we're talking about temple, literally.
Speaker 1:That's not what we're talking about. We're just saying sometimes we need to put them to death in a spiritual way, sometimes we have to walk away. Sometimes we have to say we have to cut them out of our lives. Sometimes we need to confront them on their behavior when the Lord asks us to. We just have to be careful to do it in love. And then sometimes, like I said, you have to walk away, even though you and that doesn't mean that you don't love them it just means that they are someone in your life who's the more that they're in your life, the more they're pulling you away from God's path in life.
Speaker 1:And they're constantly invoking your spirit, your sinful nature, so to speak. Like when you're around them, you start thinking things that you normally don't think. You're like I can't stand this person, I want to strangle them. I you know it's just like oh. And they stress you out, they make your heart beat faster because you're just so mad. They emotionally drain you. It's like after a conversation with them, you're like I have to go lay down, I can't deal with them anymore. Or they're constantly asking you or questioning you about your faith, what. You're still a Christian. I thought you got away from that, like years ago, and why are you still a Christian? You know the Bible's fake and you need to embrace Hinduism or you need to embrace this particular ism, and you know what you really need to do is just sage your home and pray to these crystals. Anyone or anything like that, who is constantly trying to pull you away from God, who is asking you to make an idol of something like money or your job or a new career or another person those people are the people that you need to be. You know what? I'd ask them to stop and they won't stop, and I just need to just walk away from them.
Speaker 1:And sometimes, and so when we say, put a tin peg in a temple, that's what we mean. We're like you've got to get rid of the enemy so that you can move forward. And after Yael did that, I mean the whole Israeli camp is like they start. There's like victory dance and everything else, because they have completely annihilated the enemy. They're no longer in fear of being enslaved by the enemy. They're no longer in fear of being deceived by the enemy. They're no longer in fear of the women being raped and are kidnapped by the enemy and all of their things stolen or being thrown in prison.
Speaker 1:Right, because she was able to get rid of the last surviving member of that warring army and she did it with a tin peg With us. We can do it with through the power of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, and even though it may be painful and it may be breaking our hearts because it's not that we don't love those people we just can't be yoked to them because they are bringing us down and, like we mentioned before, it may not be people, it may be the spirit of fear or the spirit of anxiety that keeps popping its head up. Sometimes we just feel like God, help me get over this. I need to just get rid of this stronghold in my life once and for all. What are your thoughts on that, sherry?
Speaker 2:Oh, absolutely I agree with you, and God has worked with me in that area. I'm a peace well, I'm attempting to be a recovering people pleaser, and I say that because it's hard to break out of the people-pleasing mode. But God has talked to me many, many times recently in the last few years, of taking things out of my life that are not healthy in order to make room for the things in my life that he wants to put there that are the better. Yes, and so I learned the hard way. God told me two or three years ago that I needed to break off a relationship with a fellow believer. There was nothing wrong with that person.
Speaker 2:That person is a wonderful, wonderful person but she and I, um, our season of friendship was over and was over. And so God had been talking to her and he had been talking to me separately, telling us that our season of friendship was over, and neither one of us wanted to listen to it because we enjoyed each other's friendship. And I realized the hard way because I didn't listen right away. I didn't listen at first because we were both believers. So how is this wrong? I don't understand. I don't think I'm hearing you right, God, because you know you wouldn't tell me to be rude to a fellow believer, a sister in Christ, and I realized so when we don't obey, when we don't listen and we don't do things God's way, when we try to keep seasons that long past their expiration date, all it does is hurt everybody involved, and so she and.
Speaker 2:I. It got worse and worse and worse, and like misunderstandings were happening and feelings were being hurt and things that didn't need to happen. And so finally, I said, okay, god, I need to obey you, because the only way that she and I are going to remain friends or civil to each other is if I obey you. You said this season is over, so I need to. I need to trust you that this season is over, is over, so I need to. I need to trust you that this season is over. And so that's what I did, and I I'll tell you the piece that comes from doing it God's way and listening to his way.
Speaker 2:I have nothing but good things to think about her and my, my time with her and my friendship with her, whereas I think that if we had continued to continue a friendship beyond the expiration date that God had given it, I think that we wouldn't be on speaking terms and it would be really bad, and I don't want that in my life and I most certainly don't want that for her life. So, like, like Kara said, when we do it God's way and when we obey his leading, he's not saying necessarily that people you know are bad, but it could be. Just the combination of you with that person is bad. God has had me leave other friendships to where it has been more of a wolf in sheep's clothing type of a thing.
Speaker 2:And so sometimes the person is toxic and so you need to remove yourself because the person is toxic or you need to remove them because the person is toxic. So that's a conversation that you have to have with God himself. That's where you say okay, lord, I trust you, I will move away, I will create distance with this person because you told me I needed to. If you want to reveal to me the reasons behind it or you know what exactly is going on, I'm listening. But if you don't want to, that's okay too. I'm just I'm choosing to obey you. So I I ended up having to completely block that person, and I got so much peace because I did it. Then there's another, so we're talking about leaving things. There was another area in my life where God said this is not necessarily a bad thing, but you don't have time for this in your life right now. And this wasn't a person, this was an activity. This was something that I enjoyed. I actually realized I was clinging to it because I didn't trust God to supply this need for me. And no, let me rephrase that, it wasn't a need, it was a want. I wasn't trusting God to supply this want for me, and the want is books.
Speaker 2:I absolutely positively love books and I. There's a few books that I really, really want to read by these new authors, and my library doesn't necessarily take them. And I can't afford to buy every single new book that I want to, um, just because of inflation right now, like I can't. I can't afford that luxury when there are other things that I need to buy instead, and so I was clinging to this one particular group that was supplying these books for me. But God had said to me over two years ago Sherry, you need to break away, not because there's anything wrong with this group, but because you don't have the time. I need you to be doing other things with your time instead of taking the time to do this.
Speaker 2:And I wasn't listening to him because I was afraid that if I didn't get the books my way, if I didn't do it my way, that I wouldn't be able to read these books. Well, first off, how stupid is that? And second off, like my God is bigger than that. So I finally said, okay, I disobeyed you for so long I have to finish the commitment of the books that I promised to read and review. So I have two left, I think, but I have stopped and once those are done, once I have fulfilled that commitment, I'm going to delete the email. So I won't even get the temptation of the emails anymore to be like, oh, I have time to do that.
Speaker 2:Oh, I can do this one, oh, I can do it. No, god said no, and no means no. No doesn't mean no. When I feel like it, no means no. And so I had to come to the conclusion that I trusted him and that he would give me the books that he wants me to read in the right way, and I'll tell you what every single one of the books that I thought I was going to have to buy, god supplied in a different way than through that group, and I am so excited. So it's building my trust.
Speaker 2:But I needed to obey, and I'm I'm ashamed of myself for all three of these examples that it took me so long to obey him. But it doesn't necessarily mean things are toxic. Sometimes they are, as as was the case with with one of the three examples that I gave, but obeying is obeying Like obedience. You need to obey period, regardless of why. If God gives us a direction like, we should learn this. I should have learned this from Barack. If God gives me a direction, he's going to give me what I need to fulfill it the provision to do it right. Yeah, and I want to be more like Yael than like Brock. I don't want to be like Brock.
Speaker 1:Well, and I want to mention one more thing because, like you said, because the examples you gave are all I mean, it could be an activity, it could be a friend, it could be a people-pleasing spirit, it could be a friend, it could be a people-pleasing spirit, it could be fear. But I also just want to mention that sometimes it could be not even directly related to you. I remember a situation where and this one was with a family member decades ago, but because my boys were small yeah, they were well, actually one of them wasn't even born yet, but my oldest was younger and still like three, four, five years of age range, and I had grown up with this particular family member, so I was used to their you know crazy ways and the things that they did, but it was one example one day that really led me to believe I'm like this is not. I mean, this person was not abusing my child in any way, so I don't want to get that type of impression, but the lifestyle they lived was not conducive to my son being around them every day, right, and it was like, okay, this is not good. I thought it was okay, I grew up around it and everything else, but my son is a completely different person and he's a young age and he's very impressionable, you know, and by him being around this person, the things that they may learn. It's not a good thing and I don't want to fight that battle later in his life, right, because I left him too long in a situation where I should have removed him from a long time ago and, like I said, it was just in particular this particular person's lifestyle and the people that they had surrounded themselves with and everything else. And so sometimes it's not about you.
Speaker 1:Sometimes it's like I need to remove my child from this environment and of course, you still love that family member, that friend, that, that, that person in your life. But sometimes God is saying you know what this is. You need to, you need to distance yourself, not necessarily for you, but you know for your child, because of the emotional, the psychological, the mental damage that could be done to them. You know for your child because of the emotional, the psychological, the mental damage that could be done to them, you know, or the things that they may see or see that they should not be seeing. You know at that particular age, right, and so, and that became something that and it was very hard and very difficult to do, but I'm like I just can't.
Speaker 1:It was one example on one day and I'm like this is wrong. I just can't. There was no reason my son had to see this or even be involved with this. It could have turned into a dangerous situation and so I had to remove myself and him from that environment. The person was deeply hurt when that happened because they loved my son. So, like I said, this was not an abusive situation, it was just a lifestyle situation that he did not need to see or be involved in, and so sometimes it's you know you're pulling them away for someone else's benefit and it wasn't even you know it ended up lasting quite a long while, which was even more hurtful to that person. But to this day we're perfect, we're fine, we have an awesome relationship. She has a relationship with my son still, you know, an awesome relationship and everything else.
Speaker 1:But at that time, during that phase of their life, my son, my children, could not be around them, and so sometimes we have to pull them away because God is saying you know what it's? No, you continue to let them see, or this stuff that's going on, it could really hurt them, you know, and lead them down a path that I don't, that I, you know, have not planned for them to go. So it ended up working out and we were able to reconnect, and again, this was decades ago. But, and now that relationship is still, you know, close and everything else. But sometimes, you know, we have to put, we have to stop things, even though it tugs and it breaks our heart and it's not something we want to do.
Speaker 1:But until that other person realizes that what they're doing is wrong, sometimes you have to remove yourself and your family and that can be very hurtful if you love this person and everything else. So sometimes it can be a spirit that you're dealing with, that you need to, a spirit that you're dealing with, that you need to surrender to the Lord and help you overcome that. Sometimes it could be a friendship, even with another believer, like Sherry said, which is so, so, so, so important. It could be you know tons of things. Or it could be an activity, and sometimes it may not have be directly with you, it could be with you.
Speaker 1:You know, as a mom, we have to protect our kids from those people who, even though they may be related to them, right, that may be harming them in some kind of way. And sometimes we just have to pull back, you know, and just say I'm doing this for them and I'm not mad at you or anything else. But no, they can't come over. No, you can't babysit them, no, you can't watch them, you know, and things like that. Simply, you know, because it's just not good for them.
Speaker 1:And a lot of times that is so hard to do and everything else, but a lot of times we got to remember when God is telling us to do something, he's the Alpha and the Omega.
Speaker 1:Sometimes we've got to remember when God is telling us to do something, he's the alpha and the omega. He sees the ending of something that we can't even see, right, you know. So he probably he's like, yeah, all right, you were able to get through it and turn out semi-okay, but yeah, no, your kids don't need you, but it could be for your children. And we're always supposed to look and say you know what you know, until you change this, this, this and this, I'll, you know, I'll allow them back into your life, but until then, we just I just can't, you know, I just can't. And and, like I said, in this case it all worked out great, you know, and everything else, but it took quite a while for that to happen. So just that's just another way that sometimes, when God is telling us something, even though it breaks our hearts, we have to do it. Have you ever experienced anything like that, sherry? Absolutely.
Speaker 2:And I want to. There's a book I read during a season in my life when God was really working on this with me. It's called estranged finding hope when your family falls apart.
Speaker 2:The author is Julie Plagan, p-l-a-g-e-n-s. She also has a new book out called Marriage Interrupted. I haven't read that one yet, but I'm going to be for work. I actually read this estranged one through or for a work thing as well. But Julie Plagans and I love how God brings to so a couple of things. One, when God gives us a direction it benefits everybody involved.
Speaker 2:So if you think about if you go back to Yale, it benefits everybody involved. So if you think about if you go back to Yael, god gave Yael a direction and it benefited everybody involved. Zipporah unfortunately his involvement was death, but he was evil, and so he was getting his just desert.
Speaker 2:His justice was being paid. This was being paid, but Yael was able to follow God's directions and save the Israelites. Do her part to help with that. Barak was able to learn something from it that when God gives you a direction and God tells you to do something, you can trust him that he will take care of you. I don't know. I don't think we really have much information on Barack after that. No, if he is, by watching Yale success, if he was then able to build his faith because of that and then be a stronger leader, I don't know. Hopefully that would be cool. But I know in my life God told me to separate myself from some people, um, a couple of years ago, and I resisted again. See, I am just not, uh.
Speaker 2:I don't know God is so full of mercy and grace. I'm telling you he loves me so much that he's like okay, I'm going to give Sherry a direction, but it's going to take her a while to do it. All right, sherry, you got to get a little faster on this one.
Speaker 1:Are we going to follow it?
Speaker 2:better this time, or do? We got to go around the mountain a few times again, but I don't know if it's fear, if it's people pleasing, if it's that I just don't want to hurt anybody's feelings. I don't know what the deal is, but God told me that I needed to step back, and so it's not that I don't want to obey him, but I'm very much more like the person that we're going to talk about next week. I want to always make sure that it's God talking to me and not somebody else. So I'm always asking him for second and third else. So I'm always asking him for second and third. Are you sure? Are you sure? Are you sure? So, anyway, so he, he told me that I needed to step back and I'm like, well, how can this really be from God? Because God is nice and he's full of love and this does not feel very loving. And how am I doing? You know how is this a God thing? And he brought that book that I told you about A Strange into my life to kind of help me realize the process behind it. But he also, like I was saying, he blesses everybody involved. When God is the one that's involved, he blesses everybody involved.
Speaker 2:So sometimes, like Kara, her example was perfect. Sometimes you have to step aside simply because you're the parent and it's your job to protect your children. Does it mean, like she said, maybe we grew up that way and it was okay for us, but that doesn't mean that it was healthy and it doesn't mean that it's healthy for our children. So we need to do what wasn't done for us and be that protection for our kids.
Speaker 2:And so so when God showed me this book and he helped me read this book, it was so eye opening and it was so encouraging and it showed me that, okay, I am doing what God asked me to do, and I'll tell you what, coming out on the other side of it, I have so much like I have completely forgiven the areas that I needed to work on, and God showed me that it wasn't just that. You know, other people are so mean and horrible and it was all their fault. No, god showed me my part, that I played in the whole thing, and I have like nothing but forgiveness, like the, the issues that I was hurt by and the issues that I needed to work out. Look at it through God's eyes, and I could look at it through his forgiveness and I could honestly sit here and tell you today that I have completely forgiven the issues that and and the problem is, is that or the whole reason why God had me step back?
Speaker 2:I believe is because I had such a physical reaction Every time I would have any kind of contact with these people my heart rate would go or my well, my heart rate would, would race, but my blood pressure would literally go to like 198 over 110. And that's stroke level. Like God does not want people living that way. And he knew that I needed to get a hold of whatever. He knew that I needed healing, that I needed inner healing before I could deal with anything else. And he loved me so much that he's like Sherry, this is your time out. Like you're not being punished.
Speaker 2:The people that you're stepping away from are not being punished. You need time with just me so that we can deal with whatever it is that you've got going on inside, so that you can come back as a good representation, as my daughter. And that's exactly what happened and I I truly, truly, am amazed that I have there's like complete forgiveness. I'm not saying that I don't have moments where I wake up and have a bad day, but the bad day doesn't last for years and when I get texts and phone calls and so forth from these people, my heart rate stays normal and I'm actually excited and it's like complete healing happened. So and I don't think that the healing could have happened if I hadn't taken that step back, because it would have continued. The wound would have continued to have been ripped open.
Speaker 1:And your health would have gotten worse.
Speaker 2:Right. I believe that I probably would have had a heart attack and I'm not saying that loosely Like that's how bad it was, it was really bad, and that's how much God loves us, right?
Speaker 1:He's like Sherri, you can't continue on this path. I know you love these people, but right now you need time with me right your. Heavenly Father, I need you to step away from that and them, because of those type of reactions that you would innerly have.
Speaker 1:And the other thing I think we need to remember before we close out is, even though it's heart-wrenching right, you may not want to pull yourself or your children away from these people, and especially I'm referring to using what I just said earlier as an example I had to pull my son away from them in their lifestyle, even though it's heartache breaking to us and even though it's heartbreaking to them, because they love my son immensely. And again, this is family. What we have to remember is like right, it's a blessing when you pull them away and you obey God, because the Lord is saying no, I don't need this particular child seeing this, I don't need this going on, I don't. And everything else Right and you obey. But the part I think that we forget is that he's also working on that person.
Speaker 2:The whole blessing part I was talking about.
Speaker 1:Yes, yes, they are working. He's also working on that person. So, even though they're mad and they're sad and they may be, why are you doing this? I can't believe you're removing them from my life, like yada, yada, yada, you know, and all this other stuff, and they're crying and they're upset. And you're crying and you're upset, but you're like no, I just really feel like this is what I need to do.
Speaker 1:And then they're crying, but then sometimes taking away from something or stepping away from them opens their eyes, right, and God is ministering to them because they're hurt.
Speaker 1:And sometimes in that hurt, god can be like okay, now I can work with you, right.
Speaker 1:Sometimes in that hurt, god can be like okay, now I can work with you, right, you know um, and you know, and he can work with them and especially if they called out to him and be like I don't know what's wrong, you know Um, yeah, especially if they're like you know, uh, lord, you need to work with Kara, like I don't know why she's doing this or whatever, and he's like well, let's talk about that and everything else, and so then that kind of opens the door for that healing for them also to take place, right, and so, even though it hurts and we do it. We have to remember yes, he's telling us to do it, he's given us a directive and we know we're going to that. He works all things out for our good. So if he's telling us to do something, we need to do it and everything else. But sometimes I think we forget that the person we're pulling away from it's also helping them, you know and it could be drawing them closer to the Lord.
Speaker 1:So that's all I just wanted to say. So sometimes when we disobey, or even delayed obedience, because that's disobedience delayed- obedience is disobedience.
Speaker 1:So we're depriving that person right, because sometimes, unfortunately, some people won't wake up until certain things happen, right, until they hit rock bottom, until they're hurt by a situation, until sometimes that's the only time they may cry out to the Lord. So sometimes we're not just delaying what God told us to do, we're also denying them their growth that the Lord could possibly minister to them. So it ends up being a blessing all around just listening to the Lord. So you had pointed to that in your description and everything else, but I really just wanted to hone in on that, because that's the kind of God we serve, an amazing God. We know by obeying Him we're blessed.
Speaker 1:But then just think about the other person as well, and they may not see it that you're doing it for their benefit, and I probably wouldn't even mention that to them. But you know that you know the guide you serve and that you know that that's actually going to bring them closer to them or even open their eyes to certain situations, right? So I just that's something we always have to keep in mind. Yes, it may hurt them, yes, it's hurting us, but through all of that, god is working.
Speaker 2:Oh my gosh, what an awesome God. We serve right Absolutely, and the only thing that I want to reiterate to that from my own experience is that we need to make sure. Yes, we might have hurt, we might have anger, we might have a whole bunch of emotions and feelings that go along with it but we need things going to be said right, we're going to go back and forth Right, exactly, and so we need to make sure that we are doing our part to keep bitterness out of the equation.
Speaker 2:We need to wrestle with God as much as possible in our humanness, get all of our feelings out with him respectfully, because we know that God can handle any and all feelings but we need to get to the point. We need to wrestle with God to get to the point where and take as long as you need to do this but get to the point where we can actually pray blessings over those people, where we can think about them and not be angry. Think about them and have that peace. Think about them and thank God for what he's doing in their lives. Ask God to bless them.
Speaker 2:Because, I'll be honest, when I first took that step away, I was not very nice. I was like God, you need to work on them because I'm just done. I'm just done. And he was like okay, I hear your hurt, I hear your pain. I know you don't really mean this, let's talk about it. And he got me to the point where not only was I able well, I forced myself at the beginning to pray blessings over them, because I knew that that would soften my heart and I wanted to make sure my heart stays stays soft. And now I can honestly say I want nothing but the best, because I love them and I love God.
Speaker 2:And God will do that, like he can take the biggest pain that you've got going on in your life and he can turn it into a huge blessing for everybody. But you, it's our job to stay soft. It's our job to stay in connection and close connection with God. It's our, it's our job to make sure that when we stand before him, that we're standing before him, um, without bitterness, without, without unforgiveness, without anger, um, because God can use us and use. He can turn all of these yucky, horrible life experiences into blessings if we let him. But we have to stay soft and you might be hard at first and that's okay, that's understandable. But you need to stay close to God and you need to draw closer to God to get soft, because there's nothing worse for you and your spiritual health than to be hard and bitter and I don't want that for anybody?
Speaker 2:I truly don't. I don't want it for myself, I don't want it for my family and I most certainly don't want it for anybody else who's listening, and I most certainly don't want it for anybody else who's listening. So all of these things that we're talking about, kara, are going to fit so well when we start talking about Gideon next week. So I'm going to stop our conversation now because I want us to pick back up in seven days and talk about Gideon and how God used he can use all of these life lessons that you and I have been sharing with the story of Gideon as well. So if you need encouragement, if you need prayer, maybe you're going through something that Kara and I have gone through and we're just a few steps ahead of you on that journey.
Speaker 2:If you would like to reach out and ask for prayer or encouragement or just a listening ear, somebody to talk to, email us at cheeruppodcasts at gmailcom, or you can start a discussion yourself in the Cheer Up Podcast Facebook group that is on Facebook and it's Cheer Up Podcast. It's easy, make them easy. I'd also love to encourage you to head over to Kara Arhunt and you can look at all of the different paper doll books that she has out already, and Eve is coming out very soon, if she isn't already published, because it's the end of April now. I absolutely well, I love all of Kara's books and I love all of the paper dolls books, and Kara has given me a sneak preview into what is coming after she's done with the Paper Dolls.
Speaker 1:And I cannot wait.
Speaker 2:She has two different ways to go and I want her to do both, so she's just going to have to write a whole bunch, because I can't wait to hear more of the story. But we're not done with Paper Dolls yet. I'm just somebody who is super, super excited about making plans and seeing what's coming above and Eve was released on March 31.
Speaker 1:So it is available in your local stores. It should be available for your local bookstores and, of course, online and free on Kindle, unlimited and everything else. And if it's not at your local bookstores, just ask for it. Just request it and they'll be able to order it in. But again, it's available e-book, paper book, hard copy and, yep, it's already out there as of March 31st.
Speaker 2:And don't forget too. Another great resource is Ask your Library. Oh yes, resource is. Ask your library to um. Oh, yes, because that's a great way for new authors to be able to be um discovered by people. So ask if you. Um, I'm gonna ask the people, the listeners who are around where I live um, if you would ask for our library to house it, maybe I'll even ask for it. Um, they get mad at me, though, because I asked for a lot of books well, not yelled at because people don't yell at adults, but they were like um, you you have a limit?
Speaker 2:uh, because there are other people who also want to request books. So if you are around here and you're my friend, if you would request Kara's books Paper Dolls I would absolutely love it because I would love to see them in our local library. But do it in your local library too, wherever you are listening from, because it's a great help for authors to get into their local libraries. And a lot of times library people who order books don't know about the smaller new authors like ourselves. So that would be a wonderful way that you could bless us. But to go to Kara's website Kara R Hunt Paper Dolls is the first book. It's still by far my favorite, simply because it introduces all seven of the dolls at the beginning. Absolutely love that concept. I'm so glad that Kara did it that way because she got me invested in all seven of them. Then after that, it was Paper Dolls, kite. Then Paper Dolls, priscilla. Paper Dolls Don't Tell Me, I've Got this. Lydia Paper Dolls. Eve next is going to be Paper Dolls, mary. And then last is kites, then paper dolls, priscilla. Paper dolls don't tell me, I've got this. Lydia paper dolls. Eve. Next is going to be paper dolls, mary, and then last is going to be paper dolls, jan. So, um, I already feel like they're all my friends. So, um, you guys, I I'm telling you, you read the first one and you're going to be hooked, you'll absolutely love them.
Speaker 2:Um, you can head over to my website. You can check out what's over there as well. Yeah, just, kara and I, we just have a heart for sharing God's love with everybody that we get a chance to. John 16, 33 tells us that these things I have spoken to you, that in me you may have peace In the world. You will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. Those are Jesus's words to us, and Kara and I just have a heart to share that with whoever will listen every week on the podcast, but not just in the podcast, but also through our books that we write, also through YouTube channels, also through our website, any teaching engagements.
Speaker 2:Head over to Kara's website too, because if you're somebody who wants to write books and fiction books and you don't really know where to start, or you have an idea but you don't know how to flesh it out, kara has an opportunity where she can come alongside you and offer you advice. She is wonderful. A lot of her books have won awards, so she knows what she's doing, she knows what she is talking about and I have known her. I have been blessed to know her writing for over a decade and I'm telling you the very first time I read just one chapter of book seven. Yes, I will let you in on that secret. I read book seven already and it is amazing, but I felt like her writing was anointed from day one, from the very beginning. So she knows what she's doing, she knows what she's talking about and she's just an excellent, excellent writer. So if you need help in that department, head over to her website, because she has a page that will explain exactly what she can do to help you and she would be more than happy to come alongside you.
Speaker 2:So, having said all of that, please come back next week, because we're going to be talking about Gideon. We're going to be picking up our conversation where we left it off. Today, we finally told you who killed Sisera. I hope that you were pleased with the results of that and how God was so ingenious and how he did it. I'm telling you I do not have the courage that Yael does. But if God told me to do something after I handled it like Gideon, I hope that I would, in turn, drive that tent peg into the guy's skull and decapitate him with one blow. So yeah, having said that, don't worry, my husband is completely safe. There will be more tent pegs in. There will be more with our children. So all is good. Have a great rest of your week, have a great day, and we will talk to you next. Thank you.
