by Gracie Tucker | Sep 16, 2019 | Featured, Sisterhood
Covered –
to put something in front of (something) in order to protect or conceal it.
Acts 20:7-12 The Message (MSG)
Eutychus Raised From the Dead at Troas
7-9
We met on Sunday to worship and celebrate the Master’s Supper. Paul addressed the congregation. Our plan was to leave first thing in the morning, but Paul talked on, way past midnight. We were meeting in a well-lighted upper room. A young man named Eutychus was sitting in an open window. As Paul went on and on, Eutychus fell sound asleep and toppled out the third-story window. When they picked him up, he was dead.
10-12
Paul went down, stretched himself on him, and hugged him hard. “No more crying,” he said. “There’s life in him yet.” Then Paul got up and served the Master’s Supper. And went on telling stories of the faith until dawn! On that note, they left—Paul going one way, the congregation another, leading the boy off alive, and full of life themselves.
Okay, so I’m convinced that anyone who thinks the Bible is boring, has not yet read the Bible, because DANG this is quite an interesting situation we have here. You’re at Bible study and then boom someone falls out of a window, dies, and gets brought back to life…that’s definitely not nothing. Try to put yourself there, it’s late, you are listening to Paul preach… I mean this is THE Paul speaking. Like, the damascus road Paul… wrote 13 books in the Bible Paul. What would you be doing? Would you be leaning in, taking notes? Or would you fall asleep too?
I think that this story is really easy to read really fast. It has a quick little takeaway, we often take-away, and run with. The DON’T BE A EUTYCHUS message! Don’t fall asleep, pay attention, be better than him, so you don’t fall out a window and die message. Not sure if that’s what you got from this, but for the longest time that’s ALL I got from this.
Ah, did I miss the beauty in this. The irony. THE GRACE.
I am Eutychus!
I’m the one who does stupid things. I sit on the edge sometimes. Even in the light I fall asleep. I topple. I need revived. I need to be COVERED in a life or death kind of way.
As lame as it sounds to be a Eutychus… I promise it’s not that bad. You see, yes, he fell three stories down and died, but that’s not all that’s written down for us. The story doesn’t end there, thank God! Verses 10-12, that’s what matters. “Paul went down, stretched himself on him, and hugged him hard. “No more crying,” he said. “There’s life in him yet.” Then Paul got up and served the Master’s Supper. And went on telling stories of the faith until dawn! On that note, they left—Paul going one way, the congregation another, leading the boy off alive, and full of life themselves.”
Eutychus fell. Paul covered.
We fall. Jesus covers.
What Paul did that night, is just a taste of what God does for us, each and every day. When we fall, God doesn’t point and say bad. No way! He runs three stories down, at midnight, through all sorts of people, just to get to us. Just to get to you. He runs, he gets down on the ground, he stretches himself over us, and he hugs us hard. He looks to the crowd and yells, “No more crying,” “There’s life in him yet!” Yes, He covers us completely!
In Jesus, under the covering of His blood, when you fall, your covered, and when your covered, what was supposed to kill you God works for His glory!
The focus didn’t end on Eutychus’s fall, but rather on the miracle God had done.
That night people didn’t just leave after Eutychus died, or after he came back alive, they stayed! It says Paul went on telling stories of the faith until dawn! And On that note, they left— and they left full of life. On that note! On the note of what God did! Not on the note of the fall. Because when we let God be God it matters less what we did, and more who he is.That’s what gets remembered, that’s the note we leave on, that’s what gives life! God is so much better than I even think He is. So much kinder, so much gentler, so much more powerful, and so much more gracious. To think about how he works even my mis-steps, even my mistakes for His glory, I will never understand. This story inspires me to live my life always leaving on notes like that. To live my life looking and dwelling on what God has done. To live as a lover of God who isn’t falling out of windows on purpose, but who knows that even in the midst of the most hopeless situation that I am covered and that God can empower me to walk out of the darkest situation. A lover of God who knows that even death is not the end of hope.
No one is too far gone. There is more than enough hope. Let’s dwell on who God is, and what He can do! Let’s let God be God.
No more crying, there’s life in him yet!
You are covered.
by Gracie Tucker | Aug 7, 2019 | Featured, Life Advice |
Anybody out there love some watermelon, say YEAH. Haha, what a hook. But really I do, my roommates and I went through a phase where we would literally eat an entire watermelon every day. I think that qualifies as love. But the thing about watermelon is that they are only good in the summer… you can’t buy a good one out of season. Different fruits grow better at different times of the year. Nobody gets to pick the season or the fruit. I was planning to write about how God used a certain relationship to change my heart. How He worked a not good situation to bring forth a good change in me. And He did, He absolutely did! God has changed everything about who I am, and it is a story I love to tell, but it’s just not the story I want to tell today. I want to talk about the aftermath of the heart change; the unexpected fruit yielded from that specific season in my life… Praise.
I was in a season where I thought the fruit would be a new dating relationship, but the fruit was actually a new praising relationship. I know you must be wondering how a failed attempt at a dating relationship could result in praise. It’s easy to praise when it seems like you’re getting everything you want. It’s even easy to praise when you want something really bad. But to praise when you don’t understand, when your heart hurts, when you were seeking God and it still didn’t work out… that’s when it’s not so easy anymore.
For me, it went from really easy to really not, really fast. As I was praying about how I could write about a situation while still honoring the people involved in the situation, the Holy Spirit simply told me to look for Him. To see how He used it. This is what He showed me… If my praise is ever dependent on my feelings, my thoughts, or my circumstances then it’s not praise.
Praise is a response to God’s goodness.
God is wise and powerful! Praise Him forever and ever. (Daniel 2:20)
Sing to the LORD! Praise the LORD! He rescues the oppressed from the power of evil people. (Jeremiah 20:13)
Let us praise God for his glorious grace, for the free gift he gave us in his dear Son! (Ephesians 1:6)
Praise him – he is your God, and you have seen with your own eyes the great and astounding things that he has done for you. (Deuteronomy 10:21)
Praise the LORD who has given his people peace, as he promised he would. (1 Kings 8:56)
Peter said, “I don’t have a nickel to my name, but what I do have, I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk!” He grabbed him by the right hand and pulled him up. In an instant his feet and ankles became firm. He jumped to his feet and walked. The man went into the Temple with them, walking back and forth, dancing and praising God. (Acts 3:6-9)
Who God is, ignites worship.
We have so much to praise God for!!
We should never stop praising God, because God never stops being good!
Praise fixes our eyes on Him. That’s why when we praise God, strongholds break. That’s why praise really does proceed the miracle. Praise brings breakthrough because it isn’t about our need, IT’S ABOUT OUR PROVIDER!
I’m not saying don’t praise God when you need something. Of course, DO! I’m just saying don’t praise God because you need something. Praise Him because He is still good while you’re waiting.
Because He is good when it comes to pass. And because He is good even if it never does.
Praise God when you get the job, praise God when you don’t.
Praise God in the dream home, praise God in the one-room apartment.
Praise God when you find your husband, praise God when you’re heartbroken.
Praise God when your mom beats cancer. Praise God when your parents die.
Praise God when it’s easy, and praise God when it’s not.
Praise God in every season.
I was listening to a Bill Johnson sermon and his words got me. He explained how there is no pain in heaven, so this side of forever is our only opportunity to get to praise God when it hurts! What an honor!
God is so into the details of our lives. He knows what we need, and He knows what we want. He always loves to hear from us. He loves you. He loves you. He loves you. He is a good Dad, who wants to bless his kids beyond measure. So whether you’re in a season that feels so clear or you honestly don’t know how you’re going to ever be okay again, know that God is working it for good. When you don’t understand, when it doesn’t look like you wanted it to, and when it really really hurts, rest in the fact that God is good, and God is God. Praise Him.
He is producing good fruit in this season.
The fruit I thought I wanted was a relationship, but the fruit God knew I needed was praise.
I am so thankful God doesn’t give me everything I ask for because sometimes what I ask for is wrong for me. I sit on the other side of a not so easy season with the fruit of praise in my life. I didn’t pick my season, I didn’t pick my fruit… God did. He knows what I need more than I do.
I’m so thankful for that season, and I’m thankful I get to tell y’all about it… because we all know the best thing about fruit is that you get to share it.
by Gracie Tucker | Apr 26, 2019 | Featured, Testimonies |
Growing up, I really wanted to be athletic. I wanted to have a “thing.” You know? Something I was great at, but it seemed like everything I tried to make my “thing” was NOT my “thing” at all. I tried softball, cheerleading, basketball, break dancing (let it slide), cross country, tennis, discus, and track. Now, I wasn’t great at any of these. In fact, I was terrible at most of them. Except one, actually. Even though I was bad (and I mean really bad), in the moment, I genuinely thought that I was great. I had this strange confidence thing going that, if I saw someone do something awesome, allowed me to think to myself, I can do that too, maybe even better. What I finally figured out was that wasn’t confidence talking, that was delusion.
Confidence is defined as: the feeling or belief that one can rely on someone or something; a firm trust. Delusion is defined as: a belief or altered reality that is persistently held despite evidence or agreement to the contrary. I’m telling you guys, I persistently believed I could do exactly what I saw other people do and despite All evidence to the contrary, I thought I could do it and not get hurt. I remember one track meet in particular.
I had decided that I was going to win. Now, here’s the picture. I ran a slow mile, even at my best, and I managed to spend most of track practice throwing the discus so I didn’t have to run. I was really only on the team so I could say I was on the team. But this one track meet, ohhh…I was going to win, so I had a new plan. I was going to run smarter, not harder. My strategy was to cut to the first lane really fast. If I could get out in the first lane before anyone else, surely I would win the race. On the day of the race, I lined up with a lot of confidence in my new plan. The gun sounded and off we went. I headed for the first lane as planned, but I was not as fast as my mind thought I was going to be. I was in everyone’s (those who could actually run faster) way. They trampled me. Down I went. With bleeding knees, I ended that mile race in LAST PLACE. It’s safe to say I had NO business trying to run in that lane.
My desire to be good at something, to put my confidence in something, to have a “thing” is a desire that many struggle with. There are people of all ages who work daily to find their “thing”. Some stay distraught and worried about it for years. Sadly, many are desperate for it, but a “something” will never quite do what we think it will do. No job, no boyfriend, no goal weight, no “thing,” NOTHING, will satisfy. Because true confidence can never be found in a something; it can only be found in someone.
The One, The Rock, The Redeemer, The Provider, The Promise Keeper, The Faithful One, The Good Shepherd, The Trustworthy King, The True Light—God. Your identity can only be found in being the person God says you are. Confidence is found in God’s plan for you; anything else it a delusion. Confidence isn’t based on what you bring to the table, it’s based on what you never could bring to the table. When we realize who our confidence is found in, we stop searching for the right things in the wrong places. We stop competing. We stop strategizing. We stop trying to cut in front of others. We stop running in lanes where our feet were never meant to go.
But we live in a world that doesn’t know this.
We live in a world that thinks we’re all in competition.
Yes, we live in a world that lacks true confidence so it thrives on comparison and competition. But, here’s the deal, when God’s children compete with each other, nobody wins. God doesn’t just have the best at His fingertips, He is the best. When people don’t know the one who is the best, they constantly search for the “next” best thing. They run from lane to lane, tripping on others and confused. They often hurt themselves and others in their effort to run in a place or space that wasn’t designed for them. That’s when we hurt the heart of God. God’s heart is for you to love who you are, not strive to be someone else.
Let me reinforce this point…there is no competition in Jesus Christ. You are designed to run your own race; you don’t need to cut lanes; you are in the right lane; you are in the perfect lane for you. God has placed you exactly where you need to be. “Her” lane is not “your” lane; “her” thing is not “your” thing. God knows what you need, and He knows what you want. He sets the perfect pace. Just follow Him. He’s never too early; He never shows up late. God’s timing is the right timing.
It’s not wrong to strive to be good at track or softball or singing or whatever, but be sure it’s what God designed you to do. Don’t try to run in someone else’s lane and don’t compare yourself to someone else’s life. Don’t look at that job, that relationship, that car, that social status, that friendship, that family and say, “why not me?” Lay it down and ask God for true confidence that comes from knowing God and who you are in Him. He hears your voice, He leans down to listen. He loves you so very much. Watch Jesus. Watch your race. Stay in your lane. Just do what God tells you to do.
God has so got you. Even though the world confuses delusion with confidence, you don’t have to. God is your confidence. God is your “thing.” He gives you identity.
You are His. And that, my friends, is everything.
Gracie Tucker is the owner of The Milkshake Bar opening June, 2019, and also works alongside her sister at Imago Dei in Franklin, TN! She loves spending time outdoors, traveling, hanging out with her friends and family, and is also known to make a mean milkshake.
Follow Gracie on Instagram @hannahgracetucker
by Gracie Tucker | Feb 22, 2019 | Featured, Life Advice, Testimonies |
Growing up, I would get nervous when people asked me to share my testimony. I had my own little speech that I practiced in my head and pulled out only when necessary. It started with a long “ummmm” and the phrase “raised in a Christian household” would be in there somewhere. A few awkward minutes later it would end with “So, yeah, that’s me.” You see, I worried and got nervous about sharing my testimony because my vision of a testimony was all wrong.
When I was asked to share my testimony, I immediately thought, “I have never done anything worth sharing.” And, I was right. I have never done anything worth sharing. Not to this day and, probably, not ever. But, here’s what a few years and lots of deeper thinking has taught be about a testimony: a testimony isn’t a story about how good we are or how bad we were, testimonies are stories of how good God is. My testimony was never supposed to be a story about me; my testimony is a story about God and how I get to be a part of His story.
My testimony and your testimony speaks of the goodness of God as revealed in the land of the living and is a powerful weapon proven to defeat the enemy. Testimonies are displays of God’s splendor, not trophies of our accomplishments. I was once lost in sin, BUT NOW, I am a new creation. My testimony of how God worked in my life to take me from lost to found is a powerful witness of His faithfulness and love for me. It is the very thing that someone else needs to hear to help them move from lost to found. Not because it’s my story, but because it’s His.
And the same is true with you and your story. Your testimony could be the very thing that sets someone free and increases their faith to step beyond comfortability and complacency. It could be the very thing that God uses to break the chains of fear tied around another’s ankles. Chains that hold them hostage to lies the enemy tries to speak in their ears. It could be the very thing that lets someone else know they can do it too. Whatever it is. Every testimony matters.
- You used to gossip, but now you don’t.
- You used to find your identity in what others thought of you, but now you’ve found it in Jesus.
- You used to lie, but now you’re honest without having to be asked.
- You used to be selfish, but now you put others needs and feelings above your own.
- You used to constantly compare yourself, but now you know that you are like no one else God created.
- Somebody broke your heart, but now you know God is your comforter, healer, redeemer, and sustainer.
- You used to be addicted to drugs, but now walk in complete freedom.
- You used to use alcohol as an escape, but now you turn to God because you know that He is the only one that satisfies your soul.
- You used to sleep around to feel loved, but now you know the treasure that you are and hold yourself to a higher standard.
- Your parents didn’t love God, but now you do and get to be the one who changes things generationally for your family.
All of these testimonies matter.
I didn’t use the words ‘but now’ so many times to simply repeat myself, but to show you that every God story has a “but now.” I’m here to tell you that your current situation has a “but now” coming. The “you” that you are now is not who you’re supposed to be. There is always more. God is always after our hearts. He is in the business of refining hearts to make them more like His own. If you are in a season of struggles or uncertainties, I want to encourage you to take heart because God is on the way with your “but now” journey.
Friends, if you are someone who has been changed by God, then you have a testimony to share. The fact that you are not who you once were, in the small things and in the big things, is a miraculous work of the Holy Spirit in you. The fact you have turned your heart, your eyes, and your affections towards God instead of whatever it is you once did, matters. Every single thing matters. There’s not one testimony too small, or too simple. There’s nothing that God has done in you that doesn’t speak of Him and His mighty power. It doesn’t matter what your testimony looks like, it matters that it brings glory to God.
I love this passage in Revelation 12. It’s titled “The Dragon Defeated.”
A terrible war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the great dragon. The dragon and his angels fought back. But the dragon did not have the power to win and they could not regain their place in heaven. So the great dragon was thrown down once and for all. He was the serpent, the ancient snake called the devil, and Satan, who deceives the whole earth. He was cast down into the earth and his angels along with him.
If we keep reading, we discover what power allowed Michael and his angels to be victorious. Read this carefully.
They conquered him completely through the blood of the Lamb and the powerful word of their testimony.
They conquered the great dragon, which is the same as any trial or struggle you or I might encounter, by partnering with Jesus and by sharing their testimonies. They knew the power of Jesus and the authority His blood carries and they understood the power of the testimonies that speak of His great works.
In our day to day life, it’s important that we walk in knowledge–not just head knowledge, but heart knowledge– the revelation-light-bringing kind of knowledge of who He is and His power to defeat the enemy. The cross has the final word… through Jesus it is finished. Testimony partnered with the blood of the Lamb will set people free.
No testimony lacks power.
No testimony is too small.
Every testimony matters.
Your testimony speaks of the goodness of God. He’s always been good, He’s being good to you right now, and He’ll be good forevermore. Don’t hold back your testimony.
Gracie Tucker is a model with Wilhelmina Miami, and also works alongside her sister at Imago Dei in Franklin, TN! She loves spending time outdoors, traveling, hanging out with her friends and family, and is also known to make a mean milkshake (wink, wink, exciting things to come!)
Follow Gracie on Instagram @hannahgracetucker
