Storytelling

The Sweetest Easter

4/18/2019

“For great is your love, reaching to the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies.” (Psalm 57:10) “I will praise you with the harp for your faithfulness, my God; I will sing praise to you with the lyre, Holy One of Israel.” (Psalm 71:22)

Today marks the almost 2,000th Holy Friday since Jesus gave Himself up to be crucified for the salvation of all Jews and non-Jews (Gentiles). Today is the day we celebrate that He, though in excruciating anticipation, did the will of His Father. This year I really didn’t want to miss the opportunity to meditate on Him during Holy Week. To quietly walk through His journey by reading all about it in the Gospel of John. Yet there hasn't been anything quiet about this week. Earlier in the week we saw the furnace that was created within the Notre Dame. We saw the flames that threatened to completely destroy this Cathedral. As Ann Voskamp so beautifully put it, and yet we saw “A secular world still seeks the sacred.”

And as our family observed this, we also experienced a very sad night on the Wednesday of Holy Week. My younger sister’s two sweet little fur babies, attacked by a neighborhood dog, didn’t recover from the injuries. In a matter of hours both dogs were gone. It was tragic for my parents who had been caring for them the last year. It was tragic for my sister who had cared for her sweet dogs for the past 8 years. And it was sad for the sisters and cousins who grieved for her pain and loss and for the days that they will no longer be able to play with these sweet pups. And you realize life is so fragile. And it amazes me just how much room we have in our hearts to love on these companions and love them as our own. So, our hearts are broken today. And somehow I’m able to see the good in this bad narrative. That while our hearts grieve for the pain my parents and sister are living, can it not bring us that much more vulnerable and closer to the cross this Holy Friday. That though we are reminded how painful this life really is, we can all the more be filled with an enormous amount of gratitude at what our Savior did on that dark Thursday night.

That through sweat and tears He got up after praying to His Father the following: “Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will." (Matthew 26:39) His sweetest most obedient words “Yet not as I will, but as you will.” The words that led to His obedience, led Him to the cross. The laying down of Himself for all of us.

So today as you celebrate one more Holy Friday, may your aches and pains and disappointments and grieving make you that much more vulnerable to feeling His pain and receiving His gift of perfect, extravagant, precious love. Don’t fight the pain, the grieving or the loss. But let it catapult you into the sweetest Easter you have ever celebrated. Keep seeking the sacred. Keep seeking Jesus.

Wishing you a heartfelt Holy Friday,
Damaris U. Avila

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A Letter of Hope to Paradise and all Affected by the Fires

11/15/2018

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How do I begin to express the sadness in my heart watching the devastation unfold, hearing hurting hearts cry out after the loss of a home and even a loved one. And you’re left with an aching heart for the community you once knew and cherished. I read about your stories of boundless love and bravery taking your family to safety. I hear about the minute-by-minute decisions made to drive away from the inferno surrounding you. You have lived hell on earth. I am so sorry.

I think about Paradise, California. And I’m reminded that our Father has promised us a paradise. A Garden of Eden where the waterfalls overflow and the fields whisper His name. Where the flowers abound and the breeze delivers a sweet aroma, and peace, love, hope and joy are endless. And so I say to you dear survivors, that there is hope. Tomorrow will be a better today. We can feel it on the horizon. And in the meantime, we pray for rain. We pray for a miracle to the God who has prepared a place for us no eyes can imagine. And when your heavy heart can't pray, we will pray!

And to all of us affected by the air. We don’t appreciate the oxygen we so desperately breathe and need until it becomes contaminated and toxic to our lungs. May we breathe in the oxygen of His truths and His promises: that if we pray He will answer. So tonight like never before, pray for rain. Pray that He would open the floodgates of heaven and send us rain. Believe in His promises. Believe in Him.

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Philippians 4:6

Earnestly praying alongside you,
Damaris U. Avila

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The worst day of our lives

1/19/2018

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Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. - John 12:25

And there it was, the verse that God was revealing to me after enduring one of the worst days of our lives.

She fell asleep like every other night. Except this night, she had crawled into her little sister’s bed because she was not feeling well. By 11p.m. she was in my bed uncomfortable because her stomach ached. She said it was about a 3 on a scale from 1-10. She moved all night long, insomnia is what we figured. She was restless.

By 6am, her entire countenance had changed. Pale and with pain-stricken eyes she cried, “my stomach hurts, I don’t know what to do.” She curled up and soon enough her cry turned into screaming and panting. What to do? We got our youngest daughter out of bed, dressed and we all ran out the door to the emergency room. As we drove, a song I will never forget, played on the radio. My husband turned it up as he drove:

“You’re an overcomer
Stay in the fight 'til the final round
You're not going under
'Cause God is holding you right now
You might be down for a moment
Feeling like it's hopeless
That's when he reminds you
That you're an overcomer”
-Mandisa

With tears in her eyes, my youngest looks at me and says “mami, this song is so perfect.”

We knew that holding on to God was the only thing that was going to get us through today. And these songs got us through that unbelievably long ride to the hospital.

We arrive and they see us immediately. We are in the room within 15 minutes of arriving. In record time for any ER visit, I must say. The doctor comes in and they draw blood. You don’t want to get bad news, but you also want to get some news because the unknown might kill you faster than the truth. But we are sent home with a clear. Blood work and urine sample are negative. Well, a virus for now that my sweetheart will have to ride out. We leave the hospital. But just as we pull into the pharmacy near our house to get her some meds for the pain, she gets worse. “Why couldn’t this have happened while still in the ER,” I ask myself. She’s throwing up and in so much pain. All I could think of doing is calling her Pediatrician to see if he had seen patients with the same symptoms. He might know what to do.

Her Pediatrician calls back right away and calms us. It will pass, it’s going around. There’s some relief in knowing that others have it. But then again, it’s awful to think that anyone else could have such a horrific virus. Two o’ clock comes around and it’s the worst episode yet. My sweet girl begins panting and kicking and screaming. The pain is unbearable this time. She curls up and screams and can’t find a comfortable position. Standing, sitting, laying, crawling, it all hurts the same. Oh my heart, what to do. They didn’t want us giving her anything more than tylenol so as to not mask any other symptoms in case it is appendicitis or something worse. There’s nothing I can give her. Another call to the doctor because she is telling me she doesn’t want to go back to the ER. But I have to do something. The doctor tells us to bring her in, right away.

I don’t know what was worse, hearing her in pain at home or in the doctor’s room and still feeling helpless. Hearing her scream “I’m tired. I can’t do this anymore. I don’t have any energy left. Why does it hurt so much?” So I cry out, “Jesus, Jesus, Jesus.” I cannot conjure up anything more. When all you can do is cry out His name, you hope that the army of prayer warriors you have texted, are lifting you up in prayer because you’re just barely holding on. So when you’re barely holding on, you let others lift you up. You let Jesus lift you up.

Too many minutes had past and the doctor was still not in our room. It felt like forever. He finally comes in as he hears her screams through the walls. My poor baby girl, sits up and explains her symptoms through her tears. He checks her, and he sends us to the Children’s Hospital ER, immediately.

We arrive and they call for more tests. Ultrasound, blood work, IV. She had not eaten for almost 24 hours and had not been able to keep fluids down.

The agony of the wait. Why is this so hard?

But praise God, the ultrasound comes back negative. We have some answers. But then, what is it? It’s clear, it’s viral. My goodness, how can a virus cause this much pain? By now, she’s feeling hungry and thirsty. No doubt this whole ordeal was the most intense workout of her life. She’s famished. We get the clear to give her some water and juice. After keeping that down, we give her some rice. She’s able to keep that down and has earned some motrin! I don’t think she’s ever been happier to drink medicine in her life. Finally, some relief.

January 16 is a day I will never forget. Seeing our daughter in so much agony and unable to take it away, felt like my oxygen had been taken from me. But we saw a miracle. After 12 gruesome hours, she was healed. He heard and He answered.

I have to be honest with you, though. The question still simmered, “but why?” As she recovered the next day, we heard the story of Lazarus on Haven Today Radio. She looked at me and said “in the same way Jesus raised Lazarus, Jesus healed me yesterday.” And there it was, the first answer to my “why?” You have to let your kids endure these hardships. God is writing His story in her life and she has her own story to tell now. Her own story of pain, suffering and victory. I absolutely hate what happened, but I absolutely love that her faith is stronger. You can’t have faith without adversity because it’s the only way to know for certain that your God exists.

The following day she wakes up so ready for school. She has never been so happy to get back to the day-to-day school life. As she leaves I’m able to sit back and reflect. Once again I listen to Haven Today Radio. As I listen, there it is, it hits me like lightning: The second answer to my “why?” "Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life." (John 12:25) Another version says: "Those who love their life in this world will lose it. Those who care nothing for their life in this world will keep it for eternity." I love when things become so clear to me where I can grasp the meaning and the purpose of it all. A revelation from The Father to a mother. Our lives are not meant to be easy. They’re not meant to be without difficulties. Though I never, ever want to go through that again, I realize that if my daughter falls in love with this world, she has not grasped the reality of where God wants to take her. He wants to take her to an eternal home. A home where she will be with her Jesus, with her eternal Father. A home where pain, suffering and sorrow will not exist. It will be perfect. So at the young age of 11, my sweet girl has learned a very harsh truth - life is hard! But with Jesus within us, surrounding us and above us, we will get through it - one day at a time.

So I leave you with the words to the last song we heard in the car that morning:

“He's making diamonds, diamonds
Making diamonds out of dust
He is refining and in His timing
He's making diamonds out of us”
-Hawk Nelson

In His Grip,
Damaris U. Avila

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On that dark and fearful night...

12/24/2017

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On that dark and fearful night when Mary carried our Savior in her womb, door after door, knock after knock she was sent away. The One who invites us in, was not invited in at any inn. The One who makes room for us all was met with no room at all in all of Bethlehem. A weeping and desperate Mary carried Grace and Love in her womb. Yet door after door, knock after knock she was sent away. The One who gives us His warm and gentle heart was met with a cold and hostile heart inn after inn.

Upon entering an open door, Mary found herself in the darkest, loudest, dirtiest most uncomfortable room; a cave, a barn, designed for the very animals the Savior in her womb had created. Surrounded by wailing animals, I imagine the Baby’s cry penetrated Mary’s and Joseph’s heart and soul. The first sound of their Savior’s voice, the first touch of His fingers, the first warmth of His breath – The One who brought love, joy, peace, redemption and healing, rested in Mary’s and Joseph’s arms.

He came down to us to to meet us right where we are. No amount of sin could keep Him away so He came into our reality that we might fall to our knees in awe of who He is. Though not destined to come in external royalty or status, He came in the most dark and rejected of realities and He brought His glorious kingdom down to us.

Only He can make beauty from a dark and fearful night. May we open our hearts to Him this Christmas Eve.

Merry Christmas!
Damaris U. Avila

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Interruptions: Make a Moment

12/12/2017

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“Please, sir,” the woman said, “give me this water! Then I’ll never be thirsty again, and I won’t have to come here to get water.” -John 4:15

On this incredibly special day right at noon, The Samaritan woman’s daily routine of filling her jar with a day’s worth of water, was totally interrupted. Like you and me, she had her list of “to do’s” and I quite doubt she had factored in time to chat with a stranger - much less to receive a lesson on water. She knew it was necessary to her survival and that is why she visited this well to collect the very needed jar of water.

This woman saw a parched and tired Jesus that afternoon. She stopped and listened to Him when He asked her “Please give me a drink.” (verse 7b) She was stunned that He would talk to her. Even more stunned that He would ask her for a drink. She was a non-Jew, non-male, Samaritan Woman. Not someone He should have been talking to by Jewish standards. But Jesus always sees and speaks to the unseen and the unheard - to those no one else makes time for.

On this special day, a woman received the greatest gift she could have ever imagined. The disciples that had been on this journey with Jesus, were not there at this moment as they had gone into the village to get food. So Jesus made a moment to speak with this woman. And this woman made a moment to speak with this Jesus. Through a series of reciprocal questions, she learns that this man before her is THE Jesus. THE Messiah. THE One this earth had been waiting for. And even after the truth of her 5 past husbands surfaces, she realizes Jesus knows and still chooses to talk to a non-Jew, non-male, Samaritan Woman, with 5 ex-husbands. It’s astonishing during an era where society likely shunned her because of it.

When we envision this story we see Jesus walking, tired and parched. He sits at the well and begins an amazing conversation with this woman. He wants to offer her so much more than the water she is there to collect. He wants to offer her His living water. “But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life,” He explains to her. The woman could have very well answered “I’m sorry but I need to get back quickly. I can not speak with you,” and then walked away. She could have ignored him altogether. But she allowed herself this interruption - she was intrigued. He did the unimaginable so it allowed her to do the unthinkable. She answered Him.

Had she not allowed this mysterious and abrupt interruption that day, she would have missed Jesus altogether. Had she not allowed this precious and life-giving interruption that day, she would have missed His gift. She would have never asked for this, “give me this water!”

I wonder what life would be like if I allowed myself to be interrupted to chat with a total stranger. It’s hard to fathom because there are days I barely have time to eat and drink let alone, time for chatting with a stranger. But how would my life be transformed if I allowed for interruptions in my life, particularly this Advent season? How might someone's life be transformed when I allow a moment of interruption? I might respond like The Samaritan woman: “The woman left her water jar beside the well and ran back to the village, telling everyone…” Oh the beauty that would ensue if I made a moment to leave what I am doing to run and tell others!

So my dear reader, allow interruptions to slow you down. Make a moment for Jesus. Receive and give the gift of Living Water this season and every season.

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You were planted for greatness

10/31/2017

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It’s kind of interesting how trees have become a sudden interest of mine. Maybe it’s because I await the day our newly planted trees block the window in my neighbor’s home. Searching for the fastest growing tall trees became a mission for my husband and I. It had me looking at trees like never before. I mean fixating on trees in gardens, roadways, freeways, and parks – everywhere! I promise I’m not the un-neighborly type. It’s just that we haven’t received very warm fuzzies from that part of the house. In fact, the neighbors have made it clear they do not like us nor want us here. So any privacy mechanisms that will help alleviate the tension are very much appreciated.

So when we finally planted the trees and they didn’t grow more than an inch over a few months, we knew we hadn’t planted the right trees. So upward and onward. My husband researched and finally found the ones that would do it. They are planted now and we patiently (ok impatiently) await the outcome.

So as I think about these trees, I find myself reading from the “Uninvited” study series by Lysa TerKeurst and something totally stands out to me. The study asked me to write down “promises that you long to see fulfilled in your life” from Isaiah 61. I read, “They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor.” A “planting of the LORD” – so I think: rooted in Him, watered by Him, Lit up by Him, to be displayed like flowers. So I look up the characteristics of an oak tree and I read: “exceedingly strong, heavy and durable, resistant to fungal attack, long lifetime.” It hit me. I want to be an oak of righteousness, firm, steady and ready. I want to be planted and rooted in Him for the “display of his splendor” that I would walk like a flower - a beautiful, blossoming, ripe, colorful, cheerful, bright and joyful flower - that my stem would be straight and firm, steady through any kind of weather pattern. One that would move so elegantly with the shifting winds and one that would remain ready for any rainfall, hail or storm. One that would overcome resistance and overpower temptation - a force to be reckoned with like an oak tree that is strong, durable and resistant to attack - a long lasting oak tree.

All of a sudden I find that this should be my response to my neighbors. They may not like us but we can still love them - because like an oak tree, we are firm and durable, fully rooted in His love. So I can come from a place of fulfillment to replace bitterness with endearment. And not just with an unfriendly neighbor but with every facet of my life. Because this isn’t something we haven’t received, but a promise that God has already given us. This promise is ours for the taking. This promised has been fulfilled and is right there for us.

So I challenge you today to stand firm and to live boldly in His promise ” I am an oak of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor.”

Damaris Avila

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The Back-to-School Blues

9/7/2017

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September is the beginning of a new school year, a new season in life, yet it always comes with such mixed emotions. And this year in particular we find ourselves in such turmoil within our hearts, our cities, our country, our world. Apocalypse-esque floods in Houston, monsoon floods in South Asia, continued hurricanes and fires throughout our country; all in addition to all we see unravel in our personal lives and that of our family’s. Not to mention the financial burden of back-to-school supplies, clothes shopping and tuition for some. Or maybe being confronted with the new season of teenage changes and the teenage blues that come with it. No wonder it feels so overwhelming when we add the back-to-school schedules and activities.

Some of you might even find yourselves in the back-to-work reality for the first time since giving birth to your new baby. It all leaves very little room for dealing with our own emotions as we and our children enter a new season of life. Maybe your child is off to kindergarten or entering a graduation year and you've just dropped them off for their last first day of school.

They say children don't come with a manual and neither does motherhood. I received a lot of advice when my kids were born and into their preschool years. Sometimes even unsolicited advice from strangers at grocery stores. But no one ever told me how hard September would be. I find that every year I forget about the previous Fall and then find myself in this reality of complete exhaustion - still recovering from the summer months with my kids at home.

But not this year! I finally learned my lesson - oh the hard way. So today, sweet mom, I hope that these words might encourage you and lift you up wherever you find yourself on this spectrum of motherhood. Maybe you're the “I can't stop smiling mama” because your kids are in school or maybe you're the “I can't get into a groove right now” mama. But I bet one things for certain for all of us, we’re all feeling a little spiritually parched. Most Bible Studies and groups take a break in the summer and unfortunately so does our spiritual well-being. But there is hope!

When I vacation from reading His Word I realize that it is no vacation at all. Because true rest and peace comes from being in His Word, no matter where you are. Because even if you find yourself in the middle of the storm, your heart can be at peace because you are walking and talking with your Savior. Because even if you find yourself in the depths of disaster, when you rest your soul on His Truth, you can get up each morning and thank Him. Thank Him even in the loss.

So as this year's first day of school approached, this forgetful mama finally remembered what she already knew: remain in Him. Only then was I able, for the first time, to embrace the moment and be present for my kids not letting the otherwise crazy running around and scrambling to complete the "back-to-school to do" list saga get the best of me. I want God to get the best of me because then my kids and husband get the best "me." Not an anxious mama who doesn't know how to handle the moment she walks back into the house and reality strikes. Or the moment she walks back into the office and the painstaking reality that she dropped off her son or daughter at college hits her like a thousand needles piercing her heart. Then the regrets of what she failed to do.

So… pray, and pray some more. Become a prayerful mom who knows that she knows that she knows, that He will sustain her. Read Scripture. Read a verse, a chapter, a book in the Bible. Study His Word. The Bible is a mine with all kinds of goodness waiting for you to read to be replenished. And surround yourself with women who will encourage you when you need it most.
In His Hand,
Damaris Urizar Avila

ENCOURAGEMENT
“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.” Matthew 7:24-25 (NIV)

TAKING ACTION
Open your home to women in need of encouragement, just like you. Walk alongside one another and pray for each other. Start a TEA Time (Totally Encouraging all the Time) Group where you lead women in a time of Biblically-based inspiration and encouraging words and facilitate open conversation about life and personal struggles. There’s something so powerful about women encouraging women and then praying for one another throughout the week. I’d be happy to share more with you. Just send me a message on the contact page.

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The Path to Healing

6/23/2017

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My current view from my bedroom are my sheer curtains waving back and forth as the soft breeze hits them from the window. I can hear the cars, birds chirping, people walking and dogs barking. Life as we know it. How I enjoy the opportunity to stop and just be. To lay here in bed and just let His thoughts enter mine. Let His words speak to mine. And it’s not parking my mind on Him but actually letting my thoughts move to the rhythm of His heart through His word. I read reminders like: fan into flame the gift of God, He gave me a spirit of power, love and self-discipline, I am not ashamed because I know whom I have believed (II Timothy 1:6,7,12). These words are my life line, my strength.

I woke up this morning to a 6am alarm - an early one for the summer. I was expected at the surgery and procedure center at 7am. Today would be one of those days that would not go like any other day this summer. I would need to rest and rest some more after coming home. Our daily summer routine would be broken but my dad would come to the rescue to get the girls to summer camp and back. My husband would take care of me.

On this long journey to what I had seen as healing, I have had to endure some painful and long nights and today an invasive procedure. Today the goal is to find out the cause of the sudden nightly spells of nausea. But will the results show the cause? Or will they just contribute to the unknown diagnosis? It’s like an unsolvable puzzle. You have all these pieces of information but they don’t fit quite as perfectly as you’d like. In fact, they don’t fit together at all. It’s more like pieces from other puzzles got mixed into the wrong box.

But then I read these reminders, His soft whispers, that tell me I believe in God almighty who has given me a brave spirit and who tells me to fan into flame these amazing gifts, HIs amazing grace. Because despite the fact that I have not seen complete healing these past years, I have seen amazing grace. I have seen it in so many forms, shapes and sizes. I see it from my family who on a moment’s notice changes their schedule to be here for me and my family. I see it in my husband who lives out those vows he made almost 15 years ago to love me through sickness and health. I see it in my girls who run in from camp to check in on me and make sure the house is quiet so mami can sleep. I see it in my friends who text and call and more importantly, pray for me. I see it in the nurse whose soft hands prepare me for the procedure. And I see it in my heavenly Father who gives me peace that surpasses all understanding moments before being taken in and all the way through.

You don’t open yourself up to seeing His amazing grace until you’re able to stop and just be. Be in the moment, taking it all in. Letting His peace and His joy take over your doubt, worry, anxiety, health, finances, conflicts, all life issues. I pray and hope that each of you are able to stop this weekend and just be. Oh that He would whisper into your heart and remind you of His many promises. Open His word and let yourself take it all in.

Holding on to Him with every breath,
Damaris Avila

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The day after Mother's Day

5/15/2017

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It’s the day after Mother’s Day and I woke up with an urgency to say to you “Happy Mother’s Day!” One day a year just isn’t enough to celebrate the miracle that it is to become a mom, to hold your precious baby in your arms and to devote your life to raising and loving your child for as long as you live. The unspoken vows of “I do” are a promise sealed in a mother’s heart. To raise and to love through sickness and health, through tantrums and harmony, through disobedience and obedience, through tears and laughter, through the bad and the good. You vow without even saying a word, to honor and to cherish your child. A miracle it is.

And I think about my mother’s loyalty and dedication through the easy and the difficult times. Her resilience to this day astounds me. I had caused her great suffering through my separation anxiety from a very young age. Something that became evident my very first school year in kindergarten. I attended three classes in three different schools until I finally settled. Or until my mom found an administration staff that wouldn’t get tired of my antics. At the school where I finally settled, I still cried relentlessly at drop off and tried with every muscle in my body to hold on to my mom so she couldn’t leave me. When that failed, I’d run after her car on the street and scream for her to come back. I remember hearing the sounds of my Principal’s loud steps behind me calling out to me to let my mom go. He’d carry me back to the office where he and the administration staff would try to console me. I think once I even climbed onto the hood of the car in order to stop my mom from leaving me there. School may as well have been prison, at least it was to me.

But I remember all too well the last time I had a full blown panic attack like that one. It was a sunny and bright morning. Today my mom had decided she’d try and drop me off in the office since the staff had been so understanding and cooperative. I’m certain she hoped that since they had embraced me that I would be more likely to stay. So she walked me in and as she prepared to leave, I ran after her. I ran out the door and into the courtyard. I held on to her and pulled on her so tightly I made her lose her balance. She fell on her knees that morning in great pain. I had caused her to scab her knee and to cut her thumb pretty badly. I felt so awful that morning. The severity of my actions played over and over in my head. My mom cried. I’m certain it was partly the physical pain, but mostly the frustration and feeling of discouragement. And I had caused this, all of this.

Well my mom quickly got up and shook it off. I believe that day I came home with her. And what has stayed with me most through these years, is the great pain I caused her, but also the great lesson she taught me. Every morning in the car as we drove my sisters to school first, I could feel the nerves in my body becoming agitated and it was like a thousand butterflies fluttering in my stomach knowing that I would be dropped off and left without my mommy. But from the moment we drove out of the driveway of our home to the moment we arrived at my school, my mom taught me to pray. And I mean to pray heartfelt prayers and cries to Jesus. She couldn’t fix this problem. She couldn’t fix me. So she taught me to rely on the One, the only One who could make my internal pain and suffering go away. She allowed me to feel and to cry and to learn to depend on my Savior (and that was not her). So I learned to recite, and then to pray and then to feel and understand the words of this verse (first in Spanish because that is how I learned them):

No temas, porque yo estoy contigo; no desmayes, porque yo soy tu Dios que te esfuerzo; siempre te ayudaré, siempre te sustentaré con la diestra de mi justicia. - Isaias 41:10

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. - Isaiah 41:10

It would be weeks before I would stay comfortably at school without my mom. But in the weeks following the incident, I talked to Jesus. I told Him how bad I felt and how awful it was to be away from my mom for so many hours every day. He heard me, He saw me, and He answered me. Anytime I felt the sadness come on at school, I would begin reciting that verse that my mom had so patiently and lovingly taught me. What was once a terribly difficult time for my mom and me, turned out to be my most cherished moments, my first teachings of walking and talking with Jesus. And this very verse that she taught me would be the one to get me through my own trial of sickness in the midst of motherhood, 32 years later.

So wherever you find yourself today sweet mom, know that when you teach your children to rely on their Savior and not you, you teach them the greatest lesson of their life. The greatest lesson that will take them through their own trials of motherhood and beyond.

So yesterday we celebrated and we danced in the beauty, in the miracle of being a mom. And today we are back to the day to day grind, to the monotony of everyday life. And so today, an ordinary day, I say to you, Happy Mother’s Day. Because it is what you do today and every day, day in and day out that matters most. The organizing of schedules for your multiple children, the driving them to and fro, the lunches you pack, the clothes you fold, the bathrooms you wipe down, the dishes you wash, the stains you remove from uniforms, the dinner you prepare, the grocery shopping that you complete. The labor of love that keeps on going.

So continue wiping those tears, treating those wounds, kissing those cheeks, smiling and hugging those littles.

Thank you Jesus for the miracle of motherhood. Thank you mami for teaching me the miracle of Jesus.

Praising my Savior today,
Damaris U Avila

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Relationships

4/25/2017

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There I was, faced with a harsh reality that relationships are far too often painful and complicated. So much work and so tolling on your emotions. Are you ever weighed down by the relationships in your life? The reality is that all facets of our lives include relationships. We are not a one man’s island with a population, “me.” We do life with family, friends, acquaintances, strangers and might I admit, even those who oppose us. In every area of our lives we encounter relationships and some are far more problematic than others.

There are days and sometimes weeks, months and even years where the dynamics within those relationships become conflicting and far from harmonious. And sometimes those conflicts can occur in more than one area of our lives. There appears to be a simultaneous and cataclysmic failure in our relationships. A conspiracy of sorts is what it feels like.

Well, let me shed some light on this reality. Jesus knew problematic and conflicting relationships better than anyone. He received opposition from every direction: from the Jews, the Romans, everyday people from both sides. He heard accusations, condescension and ridicule. Yet He responded kindly and truthfully. Sometimes He was slow to speak and other times He was quick to admonish - ever so wisely and with impeccable timing.

If we are to learn from Jesus and His example, may we let His Word come and breakthrough our hearts. In Philippians, Paul reminds us how we are to live among our family, our brothers and sisters in Christ as a reminder of being united with Christ:

Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ,
if any comfort from his love,
if any common sharing in the Spirit,
if any tenderness and compassion,
then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus...
-Philippians 2:1-5

So Christ in us: His mind, His Spirit, His love, to pour over those we are in relationship with, being like-minded, Christ-minded. Not acting in self-centeredness but in Christ-centeredness. Walking humbly and placing others first in our lives. This is mind blowing. To live this way is to live like Christ. Because when we face our opposers, we have the strength and love to respond kindly and truthfully as Jesus did. Because when we are like-minded with our family in Christ, we are supported, and strengthened to withstand opposition in this world.

So embrace your brothers and sisters in Christ. Work towards harmony today and settle any conflict or dispute. Then gather around today in unity with Christ and pray and love over each other. Then pray together over your opposers.

As my sister reminded me this week, what can be more important than loving and making time for those we love?

United with Christ,
Damaris Avila

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“For great is your love, reaching to the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies.” (Psalm 57:10) “I will praise you with the harp for your faithfulness, my God; I will sing praise to you with the lyre, Holy One of Israel.” (Psalm 71:22)​

Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. - John 12:25

“Please, sir,” the woman said, “give me this water! Then I’ll never be thirsty again, and I won’t have to come here to get water.” -John 4:15

"And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people."﻿ - Ephesians 6:18

“For great is your love, reaching to the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies.” (Psalm 57:10) “I will praise you with the harp for your faithfulness, my God; I will sing praise to you with the lyre, Holy One of Israel.” (Psalm 71:22)

"And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people."
- Ephesians 6:18