I spent the day yesterday combing through my notes, journals, etc. preparing for an upcoming retreat, and came across a print out of this blog post written two years ago this month. It’s hard to believe how much living and changing we all have done in the past two years! We’ve changed. Our home has changed. Our “normal” has changed… but one thing has continued to remain the same – The Lord and His faithfulness to any who will call upon Him and trust in Him. He is SO good!
I’ll forever be grateful for the lessons our family learned during the “difficult times” of several years ago. We all know the Lord in a deeper and sweeter way because we all needed Him in a deeper and sweeter way. Because of God’s faith-FULL-ness, James, Nathan, Abigail, and I have treasures from the darkness, riches of the Lord invested in our lives during times of deep need. I praise the Lord! He was, is, and will always be FAITH-full!!!
Whatever it is that you are going through with the Lord, my friends, I’m praying that God will encourage and strengthen you as you read these words He gave to strengthen and encourage me. I love you, pray for you, and thank God for each one of you~
Jennifer
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This is a picture of my current “favorite” coffee cup. I have lots of favorites, and choose them daily by my mood or by my need. I’ve been drinking out of this one A LOT lately!
Trust. It’s a HUGE concept when you really think about it. For years, I’ve “trusted” the Lord, but I’ve always kept my hand in what He was doing, trying to “help” Him along. But for this season of our lives, every time I extend my hand in to try to help Him, it NEVER works out! (Shocker, I know!)
For instance: Every time I’ve thought we found a part time job to carry us through as we “wait” on the Lord, it has slipped through our fingers. I’m tutoring some students after school, but they’ve been canceling more weeks than they’ve been coming. We’ve both applied to substitute teach, and haven’t worked a single day at that job…
I can not tell you How. Many. Times. The Lord has said to us – “Stop fretting and Trust ME. I WILL take care of you!”. He has led us down some paths of trusting Him during these past 9 months that, to those who are watching our lives, seem almost illogical and irresponsible. But we have obeyed Him and (I’m ashamed to insert here the words: timidly more often than boldly) walked those paths. And not to our surprise, we have found Him to be faithful with every step.
Sometimes I still think I have to repeatedly remind him that He promised to take care of us. Actually, I’ve been drinking out of this cup and reminding Him a lot this week! God has asked us to trust Him in some BIG ways within the past week. But we both know that it’s not God that needs the reminder… it’s me!
In processing all of this, and deciding to rest in the fact that God will do what He says He will do…I had a “light bulb” moment. At exactly 11:13am, Wednesday, April 07, 2010, I realized that
There is such peace when you finally surrender to trust God with something you can’t control in the first place.
I felt like knocking myself upside the head and saying, “Wow, I should have had a V-8!”
OF COURSE there is peace when we “Let go and Let God!” So W.H.Y. don’t we? I honestly don’t know the answer. I’m sure it has something to do with our sin natures and our desires to be the bosses of everything!
Anyway, my heart is at rest today, and I just wanted to share this little nugget of truth with you.
“If you decide for God, living a life of God-worship, it follows that you don’t fuss about what’s on the table at mealtimes or whether the clothes in your closet are in fashion. {Ouch!} There is far more to your life than the food you put in your stomach, more to your outer appearance than the clothes you hang on your body. Look at the birds, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, careless in the care of God. And you count far more to him than birds.” Matthew 6:25-26 Msg.
A men?
You will keep in perfect peace the mind [that is] dependent [on You], for it is trusting in You.” Isaiah 26:3 (HCSB)
PS:
This was from the Devotional “Jesus Calling” on March 30, 24, and April 9 – I was catching up when I read this and for my own sake, had to add it here…
” I am taking care of you. Trust Me at all times. Trust Me in all circumstances. Trust Me with all your heart. When you are weary and everything seems to be going wrong, you can still utter these four words, “I TRUST You, Jesus.” By doing so, you release matters into My control, and you fall back into the security of My everlasting arms.” {How AWESOME is that!!!!?}
“Stop trying to work things out before their times have come. Accept the limitations of living one day at a time. When something comes to your attention, ask Me whether or not it is part of today’s agenda. If it isn’t, release it to my care and go on about today’s duties. When you follow this practice, there will be a beautiful simplicity about your life. A time for everything, and everything inits time.”
“When your mind goes into neutral and your thoughts flow freely, you tend to feel anxious and alone. YOur focus becomes Problem Solving. To get your mind back into gear, just turn toward Me, bringing yourself and your problems into My presence…
Each moment you can choose to practice My Presence or to practice the presence of problems.”
Today I declare that I’m choosing the Practice of God’s Presence over the practice of the problem’s presence!!! 🙂
