{Interview & Column for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution}

Listen to this interview with podcaster, entrepreneur, and author Misty Phillip, where she talks about her bible study, The Struggle Is Real, but so Is God, a study focused on how to keep strong faith through life’s hard circumstances. If you are reading this in your email, click HERE to listen. Read the column about this conversation below.

“Blessed be your name when the sun’s shining down on me; when the world’s all as it should be, blessed be your name. Blessed be your name on the road marked with suffering; though there’s pain in the offering, blessed be your name.” — Matt Redman’s song “Blessed Be Your Name”

Job is the first of the poetic books in the Hebrew Bible and is believed to be the first written book of Scriptures. It tells the astounding story of a righteous man who was tested extensively and did not lose faith in God. It is a gripping story of loss and prosperity and offers a vast theological treatise about enduring faith and God’s sovereignty.

Even though some believe the book’s story to be an allegory, the prophet Ezekiel and the apostle James in the New Testament mention Job as a historical figure.

The very first chapter of the book sets the stage.

Job is a rich and blessed man who loves God with all his heart and obeys his commandments. The scene changes to a conversation between God and Satan, where the fallen angel claims that Job only trusted God because he was wealthy and prosperous.

And thus, Job’s trials began. For the following 42 chapters, we witness Job tested in every way. He lost all his children and all his possessions. His friends accused him. Painful sores covered his body, and his wife told him to curse God and die.

Through it all, Job’s response tells the reader that he was convinced of two absolutes: his innocence and God’s sovereignty. Even though he felt overwhelmingly depressed, he remained faithful.

While many tried to convince Job that God had abandoned him, his humility and trust in God’s unchanging faithfulness and limitless might paved the way to God’s final response: God rebuked his friends, and the drama ended with Job’s wealth, health, and happiness restored.

Is God still good, even when the worse happens?

The question has inevitably pierced the hearts of believers tested by prolonged trials through the ages, and the answer, I believe, paves the way to measure the steadfastness of one’s faith.

Earlier in February, I talked to podcaster and Bible teacher Misty Phillip about her Bible study “The Struggle is Real, but So is God.”

During our conversation, Phillip recounted her family’s many trials, including losing her baby boy, stillborn after years of infertility and miscarriages. There were years of overwhelming loss and hardships as Phillip and her husband cared for his parents with terminal brain tumors and the ongoing care of a special needs son.

As Phillip described the funeral of their stillborn baby, a solemn moment gripped my heart: The family held hands to say goodbye to their son while singing Matt Redman’s song, “Blessed Be Your Name.” Friends and family who had come to minister to the grieving family left the funeral encouraged by their steadfast courage and faith.

Trials brought them closer to God

This trial and many others brought the Phillips closer to God. Instead of cursing their maker, they chose to believe in his faithfulness and purpose in the valleys. And today, as she looks back, Phillip can testify how her response to life’s tragedies paved the way to minister to others through her growing ministry and Bible study.

I can relate. Misty and I have talked about how upside-down biblical faith can be. But when one understands that God does not allow anything to happen to his children that cannot work together for their eternal good and his glory, faith has lingering effects in one’s heart.

Like Job, we can only become overcomers if we press on. And like him, we cannot claim to have strong faith until it’s tested and tried by fire, and the measured heat purifies our hearts as God purposefully designed.

Find out more about Misty’s ministry and book at mistyphillip.com/. For the interview with Misty Phillip, visit bit.ly/3YuiIBh

Patricia Holbrook is a columnist, author, podcaster and international speaker. Website: www.soaringwithHim.com. For speaking engagements and comments, email pholbrook@soaringwithHim.com

This article was originally published in Patricia’s column for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Saturday, March 11, 2023. Click HERE to find it on the AJC’s website.

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I am not a fan of social media. This luring distraction has the power to suck me in, and I find myself wasting precious time looking at what other people are doing or reading articles often filled with fear-bearing news. But every so often, when I am at a doctor’s office or waiting to pick up my daughter from school, Twitter and Facebook keep me company.

During the pandemic, I came across several posts about the fantastic things certain people were accomplishing.

Someone on Twitter felt God’s calling to write her first book. Another person on Instagram shared about her body transformation. Then, there were numerous posts about marriages being strengthened and family relations restored during this most challenging time.

While reading some of these posts, I would sometimes feel discouraged. “Why don’t I feel the same motivation?” I would ask myself. At other times, I’d be more gracious and laugh at myself. Yep. I had a body transformation too. Ten pounds worth of boredom and emotional eating can attest to that.

I don’t admit this proudly, but the pandemic did not bring out the best in me. It was a time of many changes in our household, some of which list as two of the five top stressors a person can experience:

We moved to a new house after 20 years, and even though this was a huge blessing, it surely incurred uninvited stress.

Menopause hit me like a boulder this past year, causing unwelcoming, distracting changes in my mind and body.

Our oldest daughter’s transition to adulthood and starting college brought about challenges and changes that this momma did not expect.

I started a new job, and even though it is another huge blessing, it brought about all the well-known pressures that a new career creates.

I don’t admit this proudly, but the pandemic did not bring out the best in me. Can you relate? @AJC #pandemic #MondayMotivation #thornintheflesh #MondayDevotional
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And then, there is the church issue. Our beloved church of 20 years remained closed for eleven months and had a pastoral transition. We started attending a new church, and even though the new congregation is terrific, we naturally don’t know many people there yet, so the sense of community is missing.

Indeed, the pandemic did not create a significant spiritual awakening in me. Instead, it exposed and highlighted some of my weaknesses.

I was reading the apostle Paul’s second letter to the Corinthian church when I came across a famous verse in the twelfth chapter:

“My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness. Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.”

This conclusion follows Paul’s confession of a weakness that he bore, and which he implored God to remove:

“For this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of satan to torment me—to keep me from exalting myself.”

There have been various debates on the nature of Paul’s thorn in the flesh. Some scholars believe it could have been a temptation; however, I am prone to believe that, due to other passages of scriptures where Paul mentions his bodily ailments, it was most likely a physical illness – possibly slowly making him lose his vision.

Regardless of the nature of his “thorn,” there are several things that we learn from Paul’s conclusions and revelations about this weakness: the “thorn” was allowed by God; it kept the apostle humble; it shows us that unanswered prayers do not mean God is not listening; it caused Paul to depend on God alone for strength, and, finally, it taught this mighty saint a facet of God’s grace he could never otherwise have experienced.

As I think about the trials I’ve faced or times when a “thorn in the flesh” threatened to steal my peace, I cannot help but realize in retrospect that these were also times when God planted seeds of spiritual growth.

As I think about the trials I’ve faced or times when a 'thorn in the flesh' threatened to steal my peace, I cannot help but realize that these were also times when God planted seeds of spiritual growth. @AJC #thornintheflesh…
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During those times, I realize how weak my heart and mind can be without God’s strength. It is then that I appreciate His grace, goodness and forgiveness the most. It is then that His omnipotence shines the brightest.

Maybe you are like me. Maybe the pandemic did not bring a great spiritual awakening in your life. You may have found yourself filling the hole or anxieties in your life with food or any other temporary pleasure. Today, rather than discouraged and self-loathing, let us take a moment to thank God for His grace and power, which are evermore excellent in our weaknesses.

And as a new day dawns and we lean on God for guidance and strength, like the apostle Paul, let us trust that God will help us overcome and flourish, despite any thorn in the flesh.

This article was originally published in Patricia’s Column for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Saturday, April 24th, 2021. Click HERE to find it on the AJC’s website. 

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I was browsing through some of my writing resources when I came across a story used in one of Our Daily Bread’s devotionals which powerfully illustrated a sentiment that has captured my heart in the last couple of days: the importance and power of sympathy.

The devotional told the story of a man who put a sign on his yard, which read: “Puppies for Sale.” Several people came by to see the puppies, and among them, there was a young boy who wanted to purchase a pup but only had $2.50. When the man told him that the dogs cost $25, the young boy felt deeply disappointed. He asked if he could still see the puppies. The man quickly agreed, saying, “Of course. Maybe we can work something out.”

The young boy’s eyes beamed with joy as he watched the five little balls of fur playing around. After a while, he lifted his eyes to the gentlemen, saying: “I heard that one has a bad leg,” he said. “Yes, I’m afraid she’ll be crippled for life.” “Well, that’s the puppy I want,” the boy said. “Could I pay for her a little at a time?”

The man was surprised, saying “But she’ll always have a limp!” The young boy looked down. He then bravely pulled up one pant leg, revealing a brace. “I don’t walk well either. I guess she’ll need a lot of love and help. I sure did. It’s not so easy being crippled.”

The man’s heart was moved. He picked up the puppy and gave it to the boy. “Here, take her. I know you’ll give her a good home. And just forget about the money.”

I confess that the story touched my heart, especially this week, as I’ve understood the importance of sympathy on something I’ve never experienced before.

This past Tuesday, we have had to make the difficult decision to put our 10-year-old miniature Schnauzer to sleep. Jingles had been with our family since she was 8 weeks old and our daughters were only 6 and 2. She spent most of her days cuddling with one of us and has brought us immense joy.

I had never raised a dog from the beginning to the end of its life. She had been healthy until last Friday, when a sudden illness struck, making our beloved Jingle Bells quickly decline.

Through the years, I have heard the sadness in people’s voice as they said that their dogs had died. I have read posts on Facebook and even clicked on the sad face Emoji to show my sympathy. But truth is, I have to say, that until this week, I did not understand why losing a pet can be so difficult. Just as I truly did not understand how devastating it can be to lose a loved one until my brother-in-law died in a plane crash almost seven years ago. Just as I really did not grasp the fear that grabs one’s heart when a doctor announces a cancer diagnosis until it became reality to me on Feb. 8, 2012.

In his letter to the Corinthian church, the Apostle Paul, meditating on the comfort that he found in God while going through trials, spoke of one of the greatest purposes that arise from adversity: God “comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.” (2 Corinthians 1:3-5)

The little boy in the story wanted to extend the unconditional love, understanding and comfort that he had received to the crippled puppy. He understood the hardships the dog had to face on a personal level. He understood a lesson that I too have grasped through each trial I face:

There is a depth of sympathy that can only be reached when we walk in someone else’s shoes.
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May God heighten our sensitivity so we may always offer comfort to the hurting, in spite of the fact that we may not fully understand the depth of their pain. That’s the mark of a truly compassionate heart.

Sympathy is two hearts tugging at one load. — Charles Henry Parkhurst
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This article was originally published on Patricia’s Column for The Atlanta Journal Constitution on Saturday-  March 16, 2019.

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I remember having the same crippling, often irrational fears for many years: fear of dying. Fear of robbers entering my house. Fear that my parents would die. The list went on and on. As fear settles in our hearts, anxiety takes over, and many of us are robbed of a peaceful, abundant life.

The harmful effects of anxiety are well known to the medical community. In the U.S. alone, 40 million adults suffer from anxiety disorders. When our bodies are under stress, our nervous system responds with a reaction known as “fight or flight.”

In the U.S. alone, 40 million adults suffer from anxiety disorders
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There are times when this physiological reaction is a healthy defense mechanism, such as when a person feels threatened by imminent danger. This reaction tells us when to move out of an unsafe part of town, or it incites us to run when spotting a poisonous snake on the ground. We were born with this important trigger to help protect us from threats.

However, the fight or flight response was never intended to be an ongoing reaction to our problems. Indeed, chronic worry and emotional stress breed terrible health problems. Continuous fight or flight responses cause our body’s nervous system to release stress hormones such as cortisol, which can boost blood sugar levels and triglycerides. These hormones cause harmful reactions such as dizziness, increased heartbeat, fatigue, insomnia and headaches.

Needless to say, the long-term effects can be devastating, including suppression of the immune system, digestive disorders and heart disease. In other words, it’s not stress that’s making us ill. It’s our response to stress that is killing us.

I wish I could say that worry and anxiety stopped at the door of our sanctuaries.

But we all know that’s not true. If anything, many people of faith are fretting more than ever. Entire websites are dedicated to disaster preparedness and to tracking events around the globe linked to end-times prophecy. As a Christian, I have studied these prophecies and believe them. But I don’t think this is a time for panic, worrying or fear.

Rather, I’m reminded that one of the most popular commands found in the Bible is “Fear not.” It’s found in almost every one of the books of both the Old and New Testament.

Fear Not. I’ll never leave you. Fear Not. I believe these words. Through my hardest trials I’ve experienced them to be true. I know it won’t be different now.

There is no question that there are many concerning issues in our world. We cannot pretend that there is not turmoil in our country, and that certain preoccupations that occupy our minds are not valid. We cannot dig our heads in the sand and pretend that nothing bad will ever happen. We are not immune from terrible harm or unspeakable evil. We’ve seen it. We know it. We should certainly be vigilant, but we should not allow our spirits to be on constant fight or flight mode. Either we believe that God is in control … or we don’t.

I’m speaking with the authority of a recovering worrier. I’ve experienced firsthand the bitter effects of constant fear and anxiety. I don’t want to tread that ground ever again. I certainly know that problems, tragedies and disappointments are inevitable. But worry is a choice. Therefore, I deliberately choose to turn off the fight or flight mode for things that I cannot control. I choose to turn to God instead — for direction, protection and peace. I choose to surrender my concerns to God, and trust him for the outcome.

it’s not stress that’s making us ill. It’s our response to stress that is killing us.
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This article was published on Patricia’s column for The Atlanta Journal Constitution on Saturday – October 14, 2017.

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