At the root of anxiety, fear, worry and discouragement is always the seed of unbelief. When I find myself fraternizing with any of the above, as I often do, I have to ask which of God’s promises I am not living? Self-examination is liberating and crucial to soul stability.
Jesus lived to see you. He died to save you. He was resurrected to sustain you. He sees what you are walking through today. He will rescue you from the pit of despair if you take His hand. He will comfort you in order that you may find confidence and joy in Him, not your circumstances. Every time doubt and fear intrude your space today fight back with two words; But God. He is already in the midst.
Around 5:30 this morning we were jolted awake by the most terrifying, booming noises and sounds of shattering glass. All this set off our glass shattering detector on our alarm, triggering that chaos as well. To be shocked out of a deep sleep to that kind of noise is paralyzingly. It sounded like our house was being bombed. All I could think of was where my kids were and getting to them, but I could not move.
Praise God the only casualties were material things. This was a very heavy mirror. We did not move the pictured chest that was against the wall, pre-fall. The force of the mirror thrust the chest out into the room. Everything on the chest, two lamps and a heavy, leaded glass bowl full of cut glass decorative ornaments, was shattered.
One thing survived untouched. That is a special picture of Carter and Macey in the black frame that has always been in that exact place. The picture not only didn’t break, it didn’t even move. Of all the things in the zone of destruction the picture frame was the most vulnerable because it is very light and made of weak material, yet it prevailed without even a nudge in another direction. Interesting!
This photo does not do the mess justice. Chards of glass spanned three rooms, floors are badly scratched and debris is everywhere. None of this is going to Heaven with me except my children, and I think the status of their picture so sweetly reminds me of that. Thank you God for all the little blessings in the big messes of our lives. A photo is worth a thousand words; Your words of faithfulness and protection.
All things not eternal are eternally out of date. ~C.S. Lewis
Meditating on this allows me to take an inventory of my life and let a lot go! We can leave the comparisons, accomplishments, victories, defeats, credentials, resumes, mistakes, losses and so on behind. A performance mentality leads to a worn out mentality. There is no reciprocity between here and Heaven except for a surrendered and repentant heart. Our acceptance of our inadequacy qualifies us more than our adequacy ever will. Allow that to make life lighter today.
There is a misconception that Christians should always feel happy and comfortable, but that is untrue. The Bible illustrates this for us with countless stories of struggle. My truth is that many days I feel more ragged than refreshed.
In my distress I cry out, please, Father let there be purpose in this pain. Allow me to understand your plan so my eyes may see with clarity, my ears may hear without strain and my heart may abide without aching. Then, as an obedient daughter and follower of Jesus, I know I must sum up my plea with; your will not mine be done, Father.
And that is hard, but that is holy.
I think, however, when we get to a place in our lives that we can end our prayers as Jesus did just before His death, that is a great blessing. It means our truest heart’s desire is to be operating within the will of God. It is only in the confines of obedience to Him, not self, that we will experience the steadfast joy of the Lord.
I take great comfort from Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 12:9-10~ Each time he said, “My gracious favor is all you need. My power works best in your weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses so that the power of Christ may work through me. Since I know it is all for Christ’s good, I am quite content with my weaknesses and with insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
As a child I sang it; I am weak, but He is strong. Now as an adult I am accountable to not only understand it but stand under that life-giving truth. That does not mean I am not sad or weary at times. It means I can reflect the character of a loving and faithful Father despite what storms are brewing around me.
Father, thank you for the Bible that shows us time and time again this life is less about happiness and more about holiness. I am grateful for the life of your son, Jesus, who lived a perfect life amidst unimaginable suffering so that we would have a model by which to persevere. You complete us in all the areas we are incomplete. You mend all the places we are broken. You have already written the script of our lives from beginning to end. Every struggle and every success, you know the path and the divine plan. Equip us to rest in your oversight as we sometimes walk very difficult roads. Help us to remember you have adopted us as your children, and we do not have to live as orphans, but as safe, provided for children. Grace, Father. Give us grace for ourselves and grace for all who intersect our lives. Thank you for loving us. Amen.
We were purposed for peace but not permanence in this life. I don’t know about you, but often I feel like I was not made for this world. 1 Peter 1:1 speaks to that very feeling. Peter refers to God’s people as chosen and living in a foreign land. If life is uncomfortable, take heart. It is as it should be. We were not created to always feel comfortable on this journey; just confident of our final destination.
As a woman, growing in grace means when someone gives us a compliment, we do not dismiss it. We do not tell them why we do not look pretty, are not a good cook, do not have a kind heart, have not lost weight…Grace enables us to embrace the compliment with a humble, soft, “thank you.” Then we allow those words to settle into our souls and realize, yes, I am those things because that is how God created me. Sure we have moments when we do not like ourselves; everyone does. Those moments, however, should be fleeting. We become who we think we are, so we must allow ourselves to be a friend’s compliment! This is one of the hardest things to do for all of us, but let’s change that today! May we all be humbly adorned in the unique gifts God placed within each of us today and all days ahead!
As the beginning of a new month and week dawns, bless all of us moms and dads, Father. This parenting gig is hard, but you already know that. You know every battle, grief, and gratitude of each parent. Remind us these are not our children, but yours, God. It is easy to beat ourselves up over their vices and puff ourselves up with their victories. Give us wisdom to understand that while we play a role in every aspect of their lives; ultimately we cannot take responsibility anymore for their feats than their failures. As it is with us, their struggles and their successes are yours, Father. Us moms and dads, though, we bear them, too. Performance becomes a heavy cross that burdens our hearts and blurs our gaze. You often use the unexpected to change the expected. We are prone to forget we are not in control, being quick to angst and slow to assurance. Parenting is fertile ground for insidious places of unbelief to gain a foothold in our loving hearts. Wrongly, “certainty” allures us into comfort and uncertainty into chaos. May we remember we are our children’s earthly shepherds, not their eternal Saviors. We play a part in the objective but do not direct the outcome. In our limited insight, defeats can seem doom, and accomplishments are assuring. These are the things that we use to misshape our peace and righteousness, Father. Assist us in quick recognition and repentance of the deceptively, filthy rags we dress in. Continue whispering in our ears; it is not about the accomplishments but You-The Author. It is not about defeated paths but divine pictures. We lose sight of this when it is all up to us, God. That is just it. We forget it is less about us and our “stellar” parenting and more about You and Your sovereign plan. Allow us to love each child as you made them, not as we imagined them. As try out season, course card decisions, college and career selections, and so much more are all occupying our minds, God unburden our hearts with the weight of determined desires. Allow our freedom from the obligation of expectations, and gift us with rest in Your destination. Amen.
When situations look impossible, give me eyes to see what is unseen and unlikely. May my perspective reflect a hope that is only found in you. Amen.
