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.
When our familiar becomes foreign, normal becomes new and usual becomes unknown; it feels as if a piece of our life is gone forever, and it is. Lost. It will never be as it was again. It is the dying of a part of us that is so deeply rooted and known that it is painful to imagine how life will look moving forward. It is a challenge to gently and fondly hold, and remember what was so that we may courageously embrace what is.
Overcoming the sting of circumstances we do not wish, nor would we choose does not mean we are happy. It does not mean we are complete, unbroken or perfect. It means we are at peace.
God tends to script our lives in such a way that eventually brings peace to our pain.
Peace does not evolve by chance. One must be available to the works of the Spirit to reap Its fruit. Looking when we do not see, believing when we do not understand, listening when we do not hear, and fighting for it all when we are weary. In the midst of staying faithful, little fountains of gratitude are born in the middle of all our grief. The light of gratitude ultimately overcomes the darkness of grief.
One secret to mastering this mystery is found in the book of Isaiah.
Isaiah 26:3~You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in You, all whose thoughts are fixed on You.
Embracing every big and little re-direction is part of life. Some are happy, and some are sad. One glorious day, though, everything we knew, and everything we lost will be familiar again. Nothing eternal is lost forever. If you are facing a new normal, God is extending His hand. Don’t lose hope friends!
For all my family, I love you all so much!
Sometimes God’s acknowledgements are just too sweet not to share for His glory. I woke up feeling exhausted and weary this morning. Just after praying I blindly opened my Bible after asking that my eyes land in a place of mana for the moment. Portions of my prayer were this: …refresh me through you word, Father. Get my heart and mind vertical with you before I attempt to engage a horizontal world. Show me your glory today. Let me be still before you. Help me be like a CHILD before you today; dependent, unassuming and and trusting. Thank you for loving me as a needy, inadequate child. Show up for me today and let me know you are in this moment. This picture was His little God-incidence for me today! How sweet He is!
Exhortation for the exhausted today:
Pain, fear, worry and sadness are not the absence of a faithful heart. They are the evidence of an alive soul. Faith is not built by the abolishment of feelings but authored amidst the presence of much pain where the determination to choose to trust in the plans of our Savior, not our situation, persevere.
Sometimes I do not understand the Lord’s ways, but I trust His wisdom.
Sometimes I am impatient with His tempo, but I believe in His timing.
Sometimes I do not like His answers, but I accept His authority.
Sometimes I am uncomfortable with His silence, but I agree in His sovereignty.
Sometimes I am hesitant to His callings, but I am confident in His character.
I do not deserve His grace, but I understand His gospel.
Always, thank you, Jesus that none of it is dependent upon me.
I picked up my Bible this morning feeling weary. World events, daily challenges, people I love that are hurting; it all takes a toll. I asked God before opening his word, to let my eyes fall on what I needed to see this morning. Also, that He would equip me with the grace to not just see, but to understand and subsequently live.
With one providentially designed flip of my Bible, my eyes landed on 2 Corinthians 4:10~ Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies.
Wow, I love that! It is in no other place than our suffering that the glory, power, faithfulness and love of Jesus can be illuminated so profoundly and with such clarity. This may sound counterintuitive to you, but I find honor in the fact that we have the opportunity through or tribulations to reflect the image of Jesus to others.
His reflection does not mean pasting on a fake smile every day, and saying God is in control. It does not mean we say to our friends, “I’m doing fine;” when that is not the case. Sometimes it means remembering life is hard, and I am human, but I have hope in a Savior who shares in my struggles. He collects every tear and gently stores them in a bottle. He sees scars inside us that only are visible to Him, and soothes them with a balm that He singularly possesses.
Living as I say I believe means remembering that although God may appear quiet at times, I trust His understanding, not mine. God answers every prayer the moment we voice them with one of three answers; yes, no or wait. Remembering that and being open to His wisdom, and not bound to my expectations is an ingredient to peace.
Life may lead us down many dirt roads, but with Jesus we never travel those dusty roads alone. It is on those very paths He reveals Himself to us, and our faith and trust in Him become stronger and real.
Oh, how He loves us! His love is too deep for us to know easy all the time. That would only give us a strong foothold in self-sufficiency.
He loves us enough that He wants us to seek and know him in an intimate relationship. I would never arrive there if everything were always easy. I don’t enjoy trials. When my mind is redirected to their primary purpose, though; how can I not be grateful?
This life is not eternal. It is just our prelude to Heaven. It is our warm up, our training camp, our one and only run through before we enter Heaven’s gates. If we are lucky; at some point in this life we authentically mature to a degree where our soul’s deepest desire is nothing this life can afford us. Our deepest longing becomes to know a Savior with such a thirst that our hearts song is; come Lord Jesus come so that I may see your face. My journey is teaching me that we arrive at this destination through the experential character of a loving Father whose faithfulness and glory shine brightest through our darkest days.