A mom of four, working part time, an adoptive family, a friend to a friend battling cancer, a sidelines sports mama, a neighbor to many, a sister and sister-in-law, a daughter, a faithful wife, a volunteer – all roles evident of servanthood, others first and “not about me.” How many woman are so similar to Nanette Bickel as they also juggle a huge pile of plates?

Sometimes women need to come alive, to be revived, as all energy is spent hidden, the pack mule, the organizer, meal planner, laundry lady, shuttle service, prayer warrior, homework helper, finder, listener, and the worker bee. Mamas need to remember how treasured they are, met in their exhaustion by the King of the universe with a reminder of “You are beautiful!” and a declaration of the love the Father has lavished upon them as they themselves are children of God.

Each woman is made for more than herself, and many live in that posture, always giving their lives away, without regard to a new outfit, the hole in the bottom of their tennis shoe, the mascara that’s clumpy when she has time to put it on, and the pile of books she really wants to read sometime. These women are crucial to the family unit as they love their husbands and nurture their children, the friends of their children, and all the other people that their days cross. Our world doesn’t need these mamas weary, anxious and burdened. We need God to continually come alive and revive the mama.

Nanette Bickel is a mama that comes alive when she serves with Grace Klein Community. She’s genuinely interested in the stories others share, delighting in the boxes that need taped, excited to put canned beans and corn into the food boxes, an eager learner to bagging the fresh donuts, gentle in teaching her kids the delight of “laying down” their lives, courageous to deliver a route when her husband is out of town, a pear distributor as she ministers to her neighbors, and a meal coordinator for her friend battling cancer.

The more Nanette gives her life away, the more revived she is. Not in mundane giving, but in joyful giving. The joy is compounding and being around Nanette is to be alive, eager to give until she’s empty and poor. She knows Jesus is reviving her daily, hourly, so she can spend her life in sacrifice and surrender. She is trusting He will continue to revive her and strengthen her as her steps of obedience bring her more and more alive in Jesus.

Being around Nanette, time after time, she is becoming more and more alive. The amazement of her passion for Jesus is blooming in the patterns of her everyday life. She has deeper love for her neighbors and her community. She ran the Mercedes Marathon to honor her friend fighting cancer. All this “aliveness” is contagious to her presence as she is experiencing more intimacy and fellowship with Jesus. Her being revived is making us better. We see the work of Jesus in her heart, running past her Bible knowledge and intellect, to the deep places of who she is. She is integrating the highest values of her heart into the fullness of her responsible life. A new kind of freedom is breaking in her, a wildness almost to be outside the box of how the world taught her to be, a holy surrender to Jesus. The reviving is from Jesus and because of her part in this community, we have the privilege to learn from her, to watch her dance the serve with grace and mercy.

Mamas, let us rest in the One who has called us. Let us delight in the cases of pears and apples that open the doors of hearts around us. May God continue to revive us so that every day He can fully use us. Let’s come alive as He revives us!

Listen here or read the lyrics below of the work the Lord is doing in Nanette Bickel and can do in all of us!

You Revive Me

Chorus
You revive me
You revive me, Lord
And all my deserts are rivers of joy
You are the treasure
I could not afford
So I’ll spend myself ‘til I’m empty and poor
All for You
You revive me, Lord

Verse 1
Lord, I have seen Your goodness
And I know the way You are
Give me eyes to see You in the dark
Your face shines a glory
That I only know in part
And there is still a longing
A longing in my heart

Verse 2
My soul, O Lord, is thirsty
Only You can satisfy
You’re the well that never will run dry
I’ll praise You for the blessing
For calling me Your friend
In Your name I’m lifting
Lifting up my hands

Bridge
I’m alive, I’m alive
You breathe on me
You revive me

A mom of four, working part time, an adoptive family, a friend to a friend battling cancer, a sidelines sports mama, a neighbor to many, a sister and sister-in-law, a daughter, a faithful wife, a volunteer – all roles evident of servanthood, others first and “not about me.” How many woman are so similar to Nanette Bickel as they also juggle a huge pile of plates?

Sometimes women need to come alive, to be revived, as all energy is spent hidden, the pack mule, the organizer, meal planner, laundry lady, shuttle service, prayer warrior, homework helper, finder, listener, and the worker bee. Mamas need to remember how treasured they are, met in their exhaustion by the King of the universe with a reminder of “You are beautiful!” and a declaration of the love the Father has lavished upon them as they themselves are children of God.

Each woman is made for more than herself, and many live in that posture, always giving their lives away, without regard to a new outfit, the hole in the bottom of their tennis shoe, the mascara that’s clumpy when she has time to put it on, and the pile of books she really wants to read sometime. These women are crucial to the family unit as they love their husbands and nurture their children, the friends of their children, and all the other people that their days cross. Our world doesn’t need these mamas weary, anxious and burdened. We need God to continually come alive and revive the mama.

Nanette Bickel is a mama that comes alive when she serves with Grace Klein Community. She’s genuinely interested in the stories others share, delighting in the boxes that need taped, excited to put canned beans and corn into the food boxes, an eager learner to bagging the fresh donuts, gentle in teaching her kids the delight of “laying down” their lives, courageous to deliver a route when her husband is out of town, a pear distributor as she ministers to her neighbors, and a meal coordinator for her friend battling cancer.

The more Nanette gives her life away, the more revived she is. Not in mundane giving, but in joyful giving. The joy is compounding and being around Nanette is to be alive, eager to give until she’s empty and poor. She knows Jesus is reviving her daily, hourly, so she can spend her life in sacrifice and surrender. She is trusting He will continue to revive her and strengthen her as her steps of obedience bring her more and more alive in Jesus.

Being around Nanette, time after time, she is becoming more and more alive. The amazement of her passion for Jesus is blooming in the patterns of her everyday life. She has deeper love for her neighbors and her community. She ran the Mercedes Marathon to honor her friend fighting cancer. All this “aliveness” is contagious to her presence as she is experiencing more intimacy and fellowship with Jesus. Her being revived is making us better. We see the work of Jesus in her heart, running past her Bible knowledge and intellect, to the deep places of who she is. She is integrating the highest values of her heart into the fullness of her responsible life. A new kind of freedom is breaking in her, a wildness almost to be outside the box of how the world taught her to be, a holy surrender to Jesus. The reviving is from Jesus and because of her part in this community, we have the privilege to learn from her, to watch her dance the serve with grace and mercy.

Mamas, let us rest in the One who has called us. Let us delight in the cases of pears and apples that open the doors of hearts around us. May God continue to revive us so that every day He can fully use us. Let’s come alive as He revives us!

Listen here or read the lyrics below of the work the Lord is doing in Nanette Bickel and can do in all of us!

You Revive Me

Chorus
You revive me
You revive me, Lord
And all my deserts are rivers of joy
You are the treasure
I could not afford
So I’ll spend myself ‘til I’m empty and poor
All for You
You revive me, Lord

Verse 1
Lord, I have seen Your goodness
And I know the way You are
Give me eyes to see You in the dark
Your face shines a glory
That I only know in part
And there is still a longing
A longing in my heart

Verse 2
My soul, O Lord, is thirsty
Only You can satisfy
You’re the well that never will run dry
I’ll praise You for the blessing
For calling me Your friend
In Your name I’m lifting
Lifting up my hands

Bridge
I’m alive, I’m alive
You breathe on me
You revive me