I am feeling the ANGST of the end of the school year.
I am feeling the bittersweetness of GRADUATION SEASON.
How did this….
And this…
Turn into THIS…
And this…
My Young Master is GRADUATING high school, and I am not ready for it.
Have you been here??
Have you had BIG moments creeping up on you, and YOU AREN’T READY??? Either emotionally or physically?
I’m preparing for a sermon delivery on Sunday… while writing a sermon for next Wednesday… and I stop to wrote a blog about TIME MANAGEMENT?!
I’ve gone off my rocker folks… but, yeah; that’s exactly what is pressed onto my heart to do.
Right now, apparently.
The Message translation says this perfectly:
Oh! Teach us to live well!! Teach us to live wisely and well!!
Psalm 90:12
Have I lived well, Lord?? Am I living well?
What does that even mean: to live well?
I guess it depends on the person.
Hopefully, you’ve questioned it yourself a time or two over the years and made adjustments depending on the answers.
Living “well” is more than earthly riches and success…those things will wash away as easily as sand on the seashore.
In this season of living, for me, living well looks like
Being wise with my time
Spending quality time with others
Being obedient to what the Lord is calling me to do
Staying connected to Jesus
Staying in the moment
Leaning not on MY understanding
I have so many things to do, but do I need to be doing so many things?? That’s the hard question of life, right?
Just because it should be done doesn’t mean it NEEDS to be done, does it? I must factor in if it (whatever IT is) gets in the way of those things I listed above…
Everything is permissible for me, but not everything is beneficial. Everything is permissible for me, but I will not be mastered by anything.
1 Corinthians 6:12
That’s some wise counsel there, folks.
Everything is permissible-allowed- but that doesn’t mean me doing it will benefit me.
Teaching me to live well means teaching me to be wise… knowingwhat will benefit me or not IS wisdom.
The NIV changes that Psalm passage to help us discern the guidance encouraged differently~
Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom
Psalm 90:12
What do you want to see happen in your life? What small step can you take to make that happen?
Help us to be wise, Lord….wise with our time for that time is limited.
Back to sermon writing, I go.. with graduation and Open House planning swirling around in my head….trusting that the Lord will continue to provide His wisdom for me to apply in the days ahead.
And when we’re feeling pressed with the pressure of life to do more, be more, move faster, have more…
REMEMBER
We are pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.
2 Corinthians 4:8-9
Why??
We are more than conquerors through Him who loved us!
After an amazing three years of stability and growth we were forced into the wilderness.
Would one ever CHOOSE to go into a time of wilderness? I highly doubt it. We would much rather stay where that stability and growth had become a rather comfortable place to reside, wouldn’t we?
After all, we had experienced peace and healing there…certainly not perfection, but definitely peace, healing, and spiritual growth.
Yes, we may have had some things that were stagnant as well, but the benefits of comfort were still many.
Why make a change?
Needless to say, in our situation all those years ago, we did not see the job loss coming.
Working for a company for twenty years as a valued employee usually MEANS something, right? Apparently not to Big Corporate.
The wandering in the wilderness of unemployment was painful for us. It was filled with uncertainty. We were sad. We were angry. We were afraid. Our pride had been severely damaged.
We were brought to our knees before the feet of Jesus. We had nothing. We felt we were nothing. And there was nothing that felt SECURE anymore.
BUT GOD.
That time of wilderness brought to us an awareness of the PROVISION OF GOD we had never known before: we were positioned to learn what leaning on the Lord really meant.
When God had placed a question on my heart the year prior of “Do you trust Me”, I had NO idea how my resounding YES was going to be tested!!
Could I trust the Lord with our provision when our employment would no longer be what WE expected?
Could I trust the Lord with my marriage and my husband’s sobriety now that he had been stricken with unemployment?
Could I trust that the Lord LOVED us and that we were NOT being punished?
Could I keep claiming the promises that I KNEW to be true even when life was not looking at all like how I imagined it would look?
Five years prior to this time, I had the opportunity to share my testimony of how the Lord had revealed His mercy and comfort to me in my grief. My unexpected encounter with Jesus during a grief support class TRANSFORMED my life- similar to Paul’s experience on the road to Damascus.
Once I had SEEN the living Christ and KNEW I was loved by Him even as I was, there was no turning back for this prodigal child!
After I shared my story I had a side conversation with a lifelong servant of Jesus: a woman I now proudly call my friend (and who is the inspiration for the name of this Blog!).
I told her that I believed the Lord had great things in store for me (that sounds lofty, I know… but it was what was impressed upon my heart). However,I also told her, I knew that my husband was the KEY: he required salvation and then doors would be open for us to do “something” for the Kingdom that I knew we were called to do.
Pretty bold a claim, huh?
Even more so if you knew my husband at that time in our marriage.
Interestingly enough, a person from our past recently “rose up from the ashes” to remind us of how REAL our lives were during that time. It’s not exactly pleasant to be reminded but, in a way, necessary to remember certain details just the same. I won’t say I am thankful for that particular “resurrection of memories,” but God used the painful reminder in the days to come as He has everything else we have gone through.
What happened was that within a year of my bold proclamation to that precious servant of Christ, my marriage entered into a crisis I never anticipated could happen. I felt betrayed, and my husband was left to decide if he was going to “stay or go” in our marriage.
That is a brief synopsis of a time in hell, but I hope you can understand the pain I am not ready to publicly express regarding those days.
I had CLAIMED IN FAITH the declaration that my husband would find salvation in Christ, and a year later, my marriage was at a crossroads instead.
How does that happen?
To fast forward the story to the good part: my husband chose me…chose us…chose our kids…chose our life together.
And then, after MUCH more time, he chose to have a relationship with Jesus and found himself to be a new creation in Christ.
That was when those three years of stability and growth began.
It was BEAUTIFUL.
But, as the story resumes, three years into that time of growth we found ourselves in the wilderness trying to decide HOW to trust the Lord when we had been doing “everything right” and this STILL happened.
What were we to do now?
What were our lives going to look like from this point forward?
The details of that journey are massive in proof of how GOOD our Father in Heaven loves us (not just me and mine, but YOU too).
The relationship between me and the Lord, my husband and the Lord, my husband and I together in the Lord grew deep as we leaned into God with all our uncertainties….our dry and parched, desperate roots reached out for water and found it to be LIVING…refreshing…restoring… revitalizing.
After almost three months of unemployment, my husband accepted an offer to work at the company where he is currently employed to this day eight years later.
It felt like an answer to prayer. Until it didn’t.
You know what I mean by that? Ever been there?
You pray for something….then you get it, but out nowhere, you aren’t so sure it was what you wanted after all because it doesn’t exactly fit the model you thought you prayed for.
You see, we had young sons who were entering into the very busy season of after-school activities while not being able to be home alone yet nor transport themselves to and from places….and my husband’s “answer to prayer” job wanted him to TRAVEL
Out of state.
For a week at a time.
At least twice a month.
He was CERTAINLY not stagnant in his career anymore, but I was INCONVIENCED by his job satisfaction.
I was angry…again. He found his dream job while I convinced myself that I was left home alone to manage our household
I was afraid…again. The list of house issues we had while he traveled were many,and I felt incompetent to handle them.
“Do you trust Me” echoed as my husband and I quarreled toward acceptance of our new reality.
“Do you trust Me” to help figure out childcare concerns?
“Do you trust Me” to find independence when left alone to manage our home?
“Do you trust Me” to protect your husband that I have given back to you?
“Do you trust Me” to take you to the future that I have planned for you?
My “yes” had been resounding in the past…it may have been more hesitant, but my memories of the wilderness allowed me to submit to the answer to prayer Ihad been given.
This job was going to look this way….and God was going to use it for His glory.
I dug my heels in and softly claimed that promise while asking for confidence to be given in my belief of what I had been told in the Bible.
That leads me, here, to today….eight years of traveling…of learning a new way to trust and communicate in a marriage.
And today is a place of thankfulness.
I am grateful for the continued provision of the Lord as that job he accepted all those years ago was not what we expected or wanted… but was what the Lord knew we needed…what I needed.
Here is my truth: over a year ago, an amazing woman and a most wonderful friend died after a warrior’s fight against colon cancer. I am not “over” my sorrow and missing of her. My grief for losing her is heavy on my heart as there have been recent, tangible reminders of what died with her.
One year ago, my son left our home to join the US Navy. Perhaps I keep the “apron strings too tight,” but I MISS him. I am excited FOR him, but I am officially watching his life from a sideline that is THOUSANDS OF MILES away. I am still adjusting to this new way of living without him in our day to day lives. I find that I feel guilty moving forward “without” him: taking pictures, celebrating holidays, planning vacations hurt.
Four months ago my Crohn’s disease decided to take a turn into its own direction once again. I continue to battle fatigue and discouragement over a war with an autoimmune disease that I cannot control or predict, let alone see.
Finally…my job: healthcare has been forever changed by COVID, and therefore, my career as an RN looks incredibly different than it has in almost thirty years of working at a patient’s hospital bedside. The strain of work is a heavy burden with no ease in sight as financial concerns and major staffing issues plague all medical facilities.
I find I am still asking: am I doing what You want me to do, Lord?
There have been many things in my life, in my marriage, that had been intended for evil…that could have brought about our destruction or hardened my heart with such bitterness that thankfulness would never have been a welcome emotion.
Have I done well?
Am I doing enough?
I am tired, Lord.
I am weary, Father.
But also, I hear this echo from deep inside me~ I am so so thankful, Jesus.
That job? It has brought me rest.
His travels? I have been brought along, not left behind.
He works and I recover.
He labors and I am restored.
He provides and I am rejuvenated.
Am I talking about just Dan here?
No. The Lord has simply allowed my husband to be a beautiful allegory:
HE works, my God works, so I can recover.
HE labors, my Savior and my friend Jesus, so I am restored.
HE provides, my Father who loves me, and that rejuvenates me.
Exodus 14:14
The Lord will fight for you; you only need to be still.
I am thankful that this job that I argued against and was ungrateful for -even though I had prayed for it- has provided me an opportunity to be still.
Psalm 46:10
Be still and know that I am God.
In being still, by being given an opportunity to be still, I have found rest.
Matthew 11:28
Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
BUT GOD.
Genesis 50:2
You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good.
Romans 8:28
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.
Keep claiming the promises!
Keep turning to the Lord for His rest.
Stay thankful…even when you don’t understand.
Be surprised by how God uses what was a discouragement, an irritant, a disappointment, an inconvenience for GOOD.
In Ephesians 5:20 we read these words from the apostle Paul to the church in Ephesus:
Always give thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
I worry about the smallest of things as well as the biggest of deals. Those smaller things can sure take up as much time as the big things though…
I waste time being worried about things that just don’t matter.
I don’t take enough time being thankful for the things I take for granted.
Have you ever thought about saying thank you to God for creating you to live where you live? To be born where you were born?
Sometimes that detail of your life can make a huge difference.
I live in the greatest state in the United States: Michigan. I live in the middle of it where we have snow but are not buried under it most winters. We have four seasons. We have humidity that comes and goes. We are surrounded by wonderful Great Lakes that are as beautiful as the oceans but are salt free. We have “big city” living and “country gal” rural options.
Our weather is moderate in its severity. We have had our tornados, ice storms, and floods…but, economically, we’ve been alright as a state- as far as I have seen anyhow.
We bought a camper about a decade ago and used the tar out of it for most of that time. As our children got older, the frequency of our camping adventures has gotten less and less.
I am sad to confess that we have not used our camper in two whole years. It sits in my driveway… empty but nowhere to go and no one to take it.
I worry about what we should do with it. I hate that it just sits there. I hate that we would never get “what we owe” for it…so it keeps sitting there unused.
My husband is in Buckhorn, Kentucky right now. In July of 2022, there was a rainstorm that caused a river to rise over 12 inches in 3 hours. That rushing rising water crushed towns in its path.
The high school in Buckhorn had water as high as its ceilings and is now destroyed from the aftermath. It is filled with mud, ruined desks and walls, rotten books.
My husband is there to help with Nazarene Compassion International. He is with a team of people to help out in one house for the weekend. One house.
They’ve laid subflooring and flooring in a kitchen and put in drywall.
He sends me pictures of what he is seeing and doing while there.
I asked him where the people are? Where did they go to live now that everything they own is completely gone? Where do the kids go to school? Where do they work to earn a living to repair the damage to their lives and put things back together??
He said many have left to live with families on the higher ground. Others live in campers at the campgrounds. The kids ride four hours on busses to get to and from school each day.
All because they were born and raised in Kentucky. They did nothing wrong but live there.
They are dependent on the help of neighbors, Christian organizations, and the government to clean up their communities.
They are helpless on their own.
And I have an unused camper in my driveway.
My heart aches for the mom of a senior in high school who didn’t get to play his senior year of varsity football for his high school team.
My heart aches for those who are so overwhelmed with where to start fixing this that they are paralyzed.
My heart aches for those who lost their wedding albums, their baby pictures, their pets, their favorite pair of jeans, their grandmother’s china dishes that they didn’t want in the first place…
Their grief must be so heavy.
But with help comes hope…and that is what I pray people like my husband are to them.
Our verse says to ALWAYS give thanks to God for everything .
I need to be thankful that I live in Michigan. I need to be thankful that our weather has been mild and that I don’t live near the water. I need to be thankful for what I’ve been blessed to be a steward over.
I need to learn what to do with the things I’ve been given: when to keep and when to let go. Thankfulness will help me with both sides.
We have so much to be thankful for. I pray we remember that and not take what we have been given for granted.
I wonder how to measure “forever”. In years? Decades? Centuries?
Eternity?
Depending on what it is taking forever probably is the tool used for measurement.
This next verse to keep me in the thankfulness mindset has “forever” in mind.
1 Chronicles 16:34
Give thanks to the Lord for He is good; His lovingkindness endures forever.
AMP
Who doesn’t want lovingkindness to last forever? Be it love or kindness or both of them together or even the alternative word mercy .. I’ll take it.
Too much of life is not good.
Sickness is not good.
Death is the worst.
Pain is terrible.
Guilt is miserable.
Anger and jealousy are not fun.
Resentment and bitterness steal joy.
Discontent is horrible.
Disillusionment is the pits.
Discouragement takes time off the clock.
But goodness and mercy?
So sweet.
Pleasant.
Enjoyable.
Peaceful.
Relaxing.
Valuable.
Precious.
Encouraging.
Inspiring.
Revitalizing.
Healing.
But do we spend enough time reflecting on what is good?
Do we spend enough time reflecting on who is the giver and author of all good things?
When I’m downcast it is not easy to try to name, state, declare, or claim what is good in the middle or somewhat around my situation that is so bad.
If I’m being honest- it is almost darn near impossible.
However, that is where that intentionality in choosing an attitude of thanksgiving comes into play like we discussed yesterday…
Imagine this: imagine if I did make a decision to declare God’s goodness in the middle of my troubles, trials, and burdens.
What kind of difference do you think there would be?
Pause on that thought for a minute. Think of a person in your proximity that is going through some hard stuff….Imagine if they found something good to focus on even though life was quite the opposite.
Do you think they might respond even a smidge differently if they could do that?
I use the example of another person because it is WAY easier to look at someone else’s problems and think “if only they do such and such…” Right?
Now imagine it’s you.
What if youfocused on the goodness of God when you are swirling around in the middle of a a life tsunami?
Could you do it?
Would you determine to try at least?
The mercy, lovingkindness, of the Lord that endures forever is truly something to be thankful for.
Have you felt His mercy?
Has there been time when you should have been crushed but you weren’t? Has there been a time when you should have fallen apart but something held you together?
That’s mercy.
It looks like a blue sky or a gorgeous sunset when you desperately needed to see one.
It sounds like the right song on the radio or your playlist at exactly the right time.
It feels like running into the perfect person to give you a perfectly timed hug when you least expected it but oh-so-needed it.
It smells like fresh air when you’ve been locked inside the hospital for far too long as you sit at your loved one’s bedside.
Mercy is good…and it endures forever.
When your eyes are suddenly opened to God’s goodness and lovingkindness you will keep seeing more and more of it in your life and around you – no matter what your circumstances are like.
A blatant refusal to see God’s goodness and grace will not place you in a position to receive or recognize His mercy. You won’t see it. You won’t feel it. You will not benefit from it.
I would rather receive what is being freely offered to me…. something that will not run out or end…. especially when times are hard. Even if it means I need to offer up a sacrifice of praise through thanksgiving.
But….I need to acknowledge the goodness of God first so I can be thankful for it.
Be persistent in prayer, being alert and focused in your prayer life with an attitude of THANKSGIVING.
AMP
Persistent in prayer??
Is it just me or does anyone else feel like a complete and total failure when it comes to that recommendation??
Let’s see a raise of hands:
Have you ever fallen asleep while praying?
Has your mind ever crazy wandered while praying until you realize you aren’t even praying anymore?
Has the day come to an end and you’re all snuggled up in bed with a TV show on and you realized you haven’t prayed officially yet today? And now you kind of don’t want to because the TV show has started?
Do other people talk about their prayer life -listing books about prayer or websites that offer formal prayers- and you have zero idea what they are talking about?
Upon reflection, has it seemed like your prayer life consists of “help me”, “I want”, “I need”, “give them”….and not much about listening?
Ugh.
Me too.
All that pretty much blows the whole “be alert and focused” while praying right off the table too.
Want my two cents?
If you don’t, I’m not so sure why you’re even reading this!
My feelings of being a “praying failure” is certainly NOT helping with maintaining my attitude of thanksgiving.
In fact….my personal criticism keeps the focus much on me and NOT focused on God.
Now I’m not being thankful or focused which will not help me with this be persistent challenge.
Therefore, I think the key is being focused.
What am I focused on in my life?
Am I fixated on my day? How work went? Was traffic bad? Was a person nice or rude to me?
Am I zeroed in on how I’m feeling? Do I feel “well” or “sick”? Am I hungry or full? Frustrated or fulfilled? Tired or well-rested? Bored or content?
Am I concerned about what is going on around me? The political climate, social issues, and injustices of this world are running rampant these days.
Am I worried?
Am I scared?
Am I deleriously happy to the point that I can’t see anyone’s pain anywhere near me?
Or …
Am I thankful?
Thankful of this beautiful fall weather we are experiencing in Michigan.
Thankful for technology that connects me to my traveling husband and my Navy son.
Thankful for my job as an RN and my coworkers that I thoroughly enjoy and care for.
Thankful for my animals that provide unconditional love and entertainment.
Thankful for my belly full of Chicken Piccata – even if it is frozen from Costco (totally delicious! I highly recommend it!)
Thankful for medical treatments that point me in the direction toward remission or healing.
Thankful for the opportunity to visit with my precious friend’s family tomorrow- even though I wish it were her I was visiting instead.
Focusing on whatI am thankful for changes the trajectory of my thoughts. It is an intentional act…it takes effort to find reasons to be thankful when life is justplain hard.
When I am intentional, I suddenly become alert to my surroundings.
I am more aware of a bigger picture going on…I am more able to see a different perspective than what is going on inside me or near me.
Choosing to have an attitude of thanksgiving is no small feat. In fact, it could truly be one of the hardest things a person could do…. especially in certain circumstances.
Choosing an attitude of thanksgiving takes being both alert and focused.
My attitude is my countenance. It is what I project to this world around me. It can either be controlled by how I feel or how I want to be.
My attitude could be one of a grumbler….a bitter person who has been hardened by the hurts of this world…a grieving person with a broken heart…a victim who never gets what I feel I want or deserve…a fearful person…a lonely soul…an unforgivable sinner…an angry person who is desperate for justice or revenge…a prideful, self sufficient, independent woman who doesn’t need anyone.
OR- in the midst of all that pain and partial truths- I could choose an attitude of thanksgiving.
When I’ve been wronged? Trust me…I don’t want to find something to be thankful about.
When my heart is broken? Trust me….I don’t feel anything to be thankful about.
When I’m angry…lonely…scared…closed off due to my self sufficient independent pride? I would rather sit in it than choose thankfulness.
And yet …that is what I am called to do: to be persistent in prayer, focused and alert, and choosing an attitude of thanksgiving.
The reward?
Focusing on God brings His peace.
Focusing on God through prayer brings me into His presence.
Persistent prayer helps me to CHOOSE an attitude that goes against my situation.
When my attitude changes? My outlook changes. My behavior changes. My perspective changes.
Being thankful brings hope alive inside of me.
Hope for new things to occur. Hope for God’s promises to be fulfilled. Hope for restoration and healing to happen. Hope for brighter days to come. Hope for goodness to abound.
Being persistent in prayer is not something that should stress me out or make me feel like a failure. Instead it is nothing more than maintaining a continuous dialogue with the One who created me; loved me first and saved me second; transformed me; softened my heart and opened my eyes to His wonder.
A continuous dialogue.
That doesn’t sound too bad, does it? After all, a dialogue means a conversation. It’s a continuous conversation meaning we have a relationship. In this relationship we both talk and both sides listen.
If formal prayers are your thing- keep doing them. If being on your knees at bedtime or before each meal works- don’t stop. If a scheduled time each day is beneficial – maintain that appointment.
But if that’s not you…keep talking to Him anyway.
Small prayers, big prayers: God hears our cry.
Be persistent.
If you don’t know where to start…then try choosing an attitude of thanksgiving and go from there.
Who on earth was it that first said that? Why did they say it?
Were they coming out of rough year and is noticing how much more improved things are?
Was it a really great year the year before and suddenly their world is all topsy-turvy now?
Did they not see the writing on the wall of what could possibly happen leading them to the place they currently reside a whole year later?
Perhaps they did see the obvious foreshadowing of what was to come….and are simply staying the obvious: what a difference a year can make.
A year ago my heart was broken over the death of my friend.
This year? I’m broken but mending.
A year ago I was on top of the world with physical motivation and energy; my Crohn’s seemingly well controlled.
This year? Let’s just say, “welcome back my old friend sluggishness. Hello to increased treatment plans for chronic illness management.”
Last year? My precious family of four was still under one roof where this year we are sans one as the darling first born has left the nest to serve in the Navy.
What a difference a year can make.
Life can often seem like we are on the edge of a precipice…a big change…a journey into the unknown is about to happen.
Well…my life, anyway, can feel that way. At least it is feeling that way and has been for a little while.
The winds of change are blowing. My sons are both almost grown. My husband and I are winking at the age of 50. Opportunities to serve the Lord are becoming more evident as my body continues to force me into humility while I succumb to His grace.
All the more reason to be thankful. To stay thankful.
For what?
For what I have. For what has been withheld.
For where I am and where I did not end up.
For who is around me, who was around me, and who will be around me as I live this life I’ve been given.
For the One who has given me life.
Why not try to be intentionally thankful for the next 30 days?
One whole month…a new Scripture every day… representing and reminding me -us- to be thankful.
Let’s do this!
Isaiah 12:4-5
Give thanks to the Lord and call on His name in prayer. Make His deeds known among the people; proclaim to them that His name is exalted. Sing praises to the Lord for He has done excellent and glorious things!
AMP
Make His deeds known among the people
When was the last time you did that? When did I do that last? How often do we really declare the glorious wonders of our God and King to others?
Revelation 12:11 states that is is in the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony that people overcame their enemy.
I wonder if their testimony was about the blood of the Lamb?
My testimony is nothing without Jesus.
All I’ve gone through…all I’ve suffered…all that “didn’t kill me but made me stronger”…is nothing and empty without my Savior.
Yes. I’ve been sober for almost 10 years.
That’s great. Absolutely great stuff.
Yes. I’m no longer ruled by anxiety and the overwhelming urge to control everything and everyone so my world seems safe.
Truly fantastic.
Yes. My husband and I have been able to get our marriage back on track and learn to trust through continuous obstacles.
Beautiful.
But if you really think I accomplished ANY of that on my own strength than you do not know me at all.
I’m not capable of maintaining my sobriety on my own.
I’m not able to let goand breathe instead of caving in to the panic that waits at the front door of my mind.
I’m not capable of being ok with my incredibly handsome husband traveling 2 weeks out of each month knowing that temptation of all kinds lurks in every alley and hotel lobby.
You may think I’m a “strong woman”, but you would be foolish to think I’m that strong.
If I were? I wouldn’t have needed saving.
But boy…at the end of that rope I found my hands were slipping….all I thought I could manage was slipping away…and I was falling.
Right into the arms of the Savior.
All that I thought I knew…all that I thought I was….all that at I thought I wanted….all that I thought mattered was nothing. I was nothing. I was empty. Incapable. Insignificant.
Until.
I heard Him call my name.
He called me Beloved. Forgiven. Chosen. Wanted. More than enough. Loved.
How can I not be an overcomer of all that wants to overwhelm me, destroy me, paralyze me when I declare what the Lord has done for me??
I am overwhelmed with THANKFULNESS and want to sing His praises for He HAS done great things!
I have always loved the story of Jairus daughter as told in Mark 5! I have a children’s book, still from my childhood, that has an illustration of a joyfully dancing daughter upon her healing- it is this visual that comes to mind when I read of her miracle.
Today, however, another aspect of this story is standing out.
I have much to do today so flushing out whatever is stuck in my craw about this passage is not exactly going to help me check things off my list…however🤷
When Jesus had again crossed over in a boat to the other side of the sea, a large crowd gathered around Him; and so He stayed by the seashore.
One of the synagogue officials named Jairus came up; and seeing Him, fell at His feet and begged anxiously with Him, saying, “My little girl is at the point of death; please come and lay Your hands on her, so that she will be healed and live “
And Jesus went with him.
Some people came from the synagogue official’s house, saying to Jairus. “Your daughter has died: why bother the teacher any longer?”
Overhearing what was being said, Jesus said to the synagogue official,”Do not be afraid; only keep on believing in Me and My power.”
Mark 5:21-24, 35-36 AMP
Jairus was a lay leader working at the synagogue. Since Jesus arrived on the scene in Mark 1, the religious leaders of that time were incredibly skeptical and wary of Him and His teaching. They were more afraid of His healing power than amazed by it.
Jairus was working directly with or for those religious leaders.
He, also, must have been present when Jesus spoke in a synagogue or in a surrounding village near him.
Jairus KNEW about Jesus. Had heard whispers of Him. Rumors -both good and bad- were being spread within his earshot at work and near home.
His job taught him to believe in something but something else was beginning to conflict with what he thought he knew.
He was raised to trust his elders. He was raised to listen to their teachings. He was raised to follow their rules and advice.
His job reinforced his belief system.
But here is this man….
Perhaps, in the beginning when the rumors started, Jairus was as equally as indignant as his religious superiors. Perhaps he even agreed vocally with the derision spoken openly by those around him.
But here is this man.
This MAN heals people. This MAN performs miracles on the Sabbath – he breaks the rules to do a kindness. This MAN touches those no one wants to touch…and those people are forever changed!
And then Jairus’s daughter becomes ill.
Here is the point of tension we all come into contact with in our lives.
Does Jairus follow the rules of his belief system or go against the logical and find THIS MAN to help him???
To find Jesus, let alone ask for His help, puts Jairus into another point of conflict as it goes against his job. Seeking out the healing help from Jesus will put Jairus’s very career in danger as those in the synagogue are against miracle worker.
But his daughter is ill to the point of death.
What would you do for your child? For your loved one? If they were sick? Suffering? Dying?
As an RN I have witnessed the great lengths people will go to stay alive or to keep their loved ones alive. The extent of what can be done with modern medicine does not always equal a quality of life although it may extend the quantity of days added to that life.
But we are willing to try anything, aren’t we?
So was Jairus.
For the sake of his daughter he was willing to risk his career, his reputation, his future, his family’s livelihood and seek THE ONE WHO COULD HEAL.
He had a snipit of a belief that Jesus could help and that was all he needed to take action.
To do something courageous then that something must be done in the face of fear: in the face of fear of losing everything Jairus approached Jesus, fell down before Him, and begged for help.
The Amplified version of Mark 5:23 said that Jairus begged anxiously.
Why was he anxious?
To approach Jesus, a stranger?
Anxious that he, Jairus, would look foolish?
Anxious that He, Jesus, (the popular one being followed by LARGE crowds all the time) would reject him? Shame him for asking such a ridiculous request?
After all, why should Jesus help Jairus? Who is Jairus and why should he matter?
Was he anxious if his superiors would find out that he had approached Jesus?
Was he anxious that Jesus couldn’t help?
Yes. I would say yes to all of that. And probably more reasons even.
Wouldn’t you feel the same??
Yet, out of desperate love for his child, Jairus -a man of importance- fell at the feet of Jesus and begged for mercy and compassion.
Jesus response? To immediately follow Jairus.
However.
While on their way, Jairus receives news from home that he was too late. What he feared the most has already happened.
His daughter has died. His risk was for nothing.What now???
Jesus says in verse 36 to Jairus what He wants us to hear as well: Do not be afraid; ONLY KEEP ON BELIEVING IN ME AND MY POWER.
When they get to Jairus’s house they are ridiculed for Jesus prophetic statement that the child was not dead: to have hope.
Can you hear the harsh scornful laughs as Jairus is barely holding himself after just finding out his daughter has died?? Can you imagine how broken his heart is and he is being laughed at for trying to hang onto to some kind of HOPE?
He is trying to believe…to stay focused on Jesus.
But the distractions of his world are loud…and cruel….and insist on logic not faith.
Jesus separates Jairus and his wife from the crowd to go to the bedside of their daughter…to go with them, alone, to the place of their deepest pain and darkest place of suffering.
What does He do? He heals her.
The focus of this passage is often on her healing, but I think so much more happened there that day.
Jairus was healed of his unbelief.
Jairus was healed of the worry over what other people think.
Jairus was healed of the concern of who would provide for him and his family…it certainly will not be his JOB.
Do not be afraid; keep on believing in Me and My power is what Jesus says.
Where in your life do you need that kind of faith? Where do I?
All too easily I get lost in the distractions around me ..the derision ….the scornful laughs over my “simplistic faith“.
Who am I that God would help me?
And Jesus says, “do not be afraid: keep on believing”.
Keep your eyes fixed on the author and perfector of our faith.
How? How does one do that when those distractions are SO LOUD that try to pull us away from Him???
Set aside time daily to read your Bible and reflect on what it is you have read
Ask God to reveal Himself to you in His Word and be expectant that He will
Pray. All the time. Big prayers. Breath prayers. Thank you prayers. Help me prayers.
Surround yourself with godly people that will encourage you in the Lord
Listen to music/podcasts that will satisfy your soul and lift your spirits (if your music makes you cry then perhaps it is time to change the station!)
Read and watch Spirit- infused things (garbage in,garbage out folks🤷)
I’ve been in another “writer’s block” of sorts over these last months (year?). A lot has happened that has made it difficult to write more than a devotional snip-it quickly posted to social media! When my heart is weary and overwhelmed, my thought process changes with the expression of my reflections shifting to a shorter burst of words as opposed to the more drawn out, reflective blog.
Instagram and Facebook posts became my expressive lifeline, yet I am drawn once again to a space designed for deeper inflection.
Soooo~
I was watching my son play in the first Varsity football game of the school year the other night (if you’ve been following me for very long then let me give this life update: my baby -affectionately nicknamed “the Young Master”- is now a SENIOR in high school!)
While watching him play I noticed something:
he often made defensive plays that disrupted the offensive plan that allowed a different teammate on his team to get the credit.
I am no football expert, but I have learned a few things over the years. I now know that the Defensive End is to put an incredible amount of pressure on the opposing team’s quarterback. When this happens, the quarterback is forced to make his play much more quickly than would be desired….if my son doesn’t sack him first, that is!
If the above-mentioned “sack” occurs, the crowd goes wild, the DE’s dad jumps up slamming his fists in the air, and the mom’s heart bursts for joy!
The Defensive End gets the credit with his name being announced over the loud speaker…and let me tell you what! This is a GOOD feeling folks!
However.
If the “sack” does not occur….there is no public glory for the DE….no matter what his momma saw him doing as he came around the corner like a freight train (see what I did there, dad?😉) toward that poor quarterback for the twentieth+ time in the game.
The football is thrown to the receiver hastily in an effort to avoid the unavoidable collision with a single-focused , 6- foot tall, 210 lbs young man who has been working for this moment in time for over five years.
As Captain America says, he “can do this all day”.
The DE is coming….he is coming fast….he is ready to hit hard…he wants that ball. Every time. Every play.
But he doesn’t get the glory without the sack. No accolades. No rewards.
The defender guarding the receiver gets the credit for appropriately blocking that reception or even managing an interception.
And the Defensive End lines up once again to do his job… quietly…. intensely…intentionally…with pure focus and determination to help his team.
The other defender did his job too…and did it well. It’s the right thing to do to give the obvious credit where credit is due…
But this is my take away:
Whether he receives the “credit” for a job well done or not, what he does still matters.
His role is imperative to the success of his team and the outcome of that game.
His role may be more “behind the scenes” but it is essential for his team for him to stay consistent and effective when he performs.
What he does allows an opportunity for others to reap the reward off his effort.
And when he gets that “sack”? It feels good…it makes him hungry for more…
But if he focuses on the fulfillment of his hunger as his only success, then he loses sight of the team...the bigger picture.
If he grows embittered to the one who reaps the benefits of his sweat, blood, and tears?
Suddenly~
the game is all about him and not the team. His success.
He loses motivation to push hard because he is now personal reward driven instead of big-picture focused.
He becomes selfish instead of selfless.
Apathy takes over causing him to hold back with an attitude of “what I do doesn’t matter anyway”.
Kingdom living can be like this.
We are all a part of God’s family with each of us doing a different role. At times, what we do makes a huge difference in someone’s life or in a ministry function and that feels good.
Recognition and reward feels good.
But that cannot be what our life in Christ is like for it is not about me because it needs to be about HE.
My recognition for my idea or my job well-done is as addictive as bite-sized Butterfinger candy bars! When I taste one. I can’t help but want another…and another! They go down so smooth….like compliments do.
Being singled-out, praised, or acknowledged for a specific talent, gift, or skill is as wonderful as my son’s name being announced over the loud speaker at a football game.
However, doing the work regardless of recognition needs to remain the focus because there is more going on in this world than what I bring to it.
The work I do, that you do, is for the Lord and His glory.
The work I do, that you do, is a skill from the Lord to do for His Kingdom.
Thankfully, Jesus knows we require encouragement to endure so He provides what we need to persevere in the in-between experiences when others do seem to be succeeding, thriving, getting ahead, achieving what we desire.
To receive what He offers we must keep our focus on Him …His game plan for His Kingdom.
And we need to keep doing what we have been called to do …gifted to do….equipped to do.
Commit your works to the Lord -submit and trust them to Him, and your plans will succeed (if you respond to His will and guidance).
A man’s mind plans his way (as he journeys through life), but the Lord directs his steps and establishes them.
Proverbs 16:3, 9 AMP
It isn’t easy to watch others succeed … especially if it’s off your own effort while you’re seemingly stuck in one place. It’s humbling. It’s painful.
Keep doing what you’ve been called to do anyway. Keep going with the same intensity as an almost 17 year old playing his senior year of varsity football.
Commit what you’re doing to the Lord. Do it for Him and not for yourself.
May you be as sweaty, bruised, and potentially bloody as this Defensive End is after he has given 150% of himself to achieve a win for his team when you cross that goal line into eternity.
May the reward of being in the presence of Jesus be enough as He says “well done, my good and faithful servant.”
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, MIGHTY GOD, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
NIV
In my research, I came across an article that said the word “mighty” is used over 200 times in the Bible. God is referenced as a MIGHTY warrior 27 times and has a MIGHTY hand that saves.
In Hebrew, El Gibbor means The Mighty God. In the verse of Isaiah that prophesies the birth of the Messiah, we see Him given a name inspired by military language: God revealed as the great warrior who will vanquish all the enemies of the Lord, either physical or spiritual, and all will bow at His feet.
Psalm 93:4
Mightier than the thunder of the great waters, mightier than the breakers of the sea- The Lord on high is MIGHTY
Zephaniah 3:17
The Lord your God is with you, He is MIGHTY to save
I was raised in a Disney culture filled with princesses and the prince who saved them on a white horse~ not a terrible fantasy, but not overly realistic as I was not, and am not, a true princess.
However, my fairy tale thinking led me to the knowledge that I desired someone bigger and stronger to come into my life and “save” me.
I thought my husband, in true hero fashion, was that guy.
When I quit being apathetic toward God and decided to live my life for Him, my marriage (which was already on shaky ground) began to split: a chasm formed in between my husband and I.
In her wisdom, my friend Ali said to me, “he (Dan) doesn’t know what to do now that you (me, Amy) have a NEW Savior”.
I would add to that, “a Savior who walks on water and rose from the grave”.
Her opinion pointed out this question: how could my husband compete with that and where did that leave him in my life if I no longer needed saving?
I guess the questions to ask myself are why did I need saving; why did I know it needed to come from outside of me; and why did I limit the saving to a man?
As a woman who prides herself on being somewhat forward thinking, shouldn’t I have at least considered the idea that I could actually save myself through independence and self-sufficiency?
Well.
There are times in my life when I have felt extremely insecure; that I’m not good enough; that I can’t do “this”; that I won’t get over “that”.
Those feelings leave me weakened. Flat. Empty. Incapable. Paralyzed. Immobile.
Those feelings leave me in desperate need of someone who CAN do this…leap over that…tell me it’s going to be ok…encourage me that I am enough.
I do not consider myself to be much of a “handywoman”. My skill set does not usually lie in a toolbox. Am I able to fix certain things even though I have chosen not to before?
Perhaps.
But I have chosen not to do things for so long that I am rather convinced that I never will and probable wouldn’t do a good job at it anyways so why bother trying.
I sound like a defeat-est, don’t I?
Certainly not my usual tone.
Yet, it is a true side to my personality that pokes at me quite a bit. Not being able to do something because you don’t know how or think you could never learn to do it LIMITS a person, you know?
It places a box around you that you do not know is there…until you get close to the perimeter of it and feel its edges pressing you in.
And when you find out you need to get out of that box on your own because there is no one else there to keep you tucked snuggly inside it?
Hello anxiety. Hello defeat. Hello anger.
That’s me, anyway.
When my husband started traveling for his job I realized certain things that I had boxed myself in with. We all develop “roles” in our marriage and I am certainly not useless…it’s just I don’t do certain things because he does them for me.
Like our bills and maintenance things.
Remember how I said I am not a handywoman?
Tell that to the furnace that quit working at 5 in the morning when Dan was in Seattle …or the sump pump that sprung loose and sprayed everywhere when he was in Georgia…or the brakes when he was in Pennsylvania and was leaving quick after his return for Isle Royale and didn’t have “time” to deal with it.
I’ve never turned on the lawn mower or snow blower. I have zero idea how to work the generator if we lost power. I can barely use the grill.
However…after working in CCU for twelve years, I made a huge job switch as an RN to work in the Endoscopy Unit years ago. I went from critical thinking to managing tools in a giant leap of faith. In my interview I was asked how I was with “technical things” and I replied that I was confident I could learn.
And I did.
Fast forward to making the decision to attend Nazarene Bible College through an online program…my husband (my personal IT guy) was leery that I could pull it off -it isn’t a sign of his lack of support, it is a sign of MY lack of computer skills.
But…here I am finishing my final class in the program after almost 7 years attending!!
The computer is my nemesis, but I embrace social media for the good it can produce such as this blog or through positive, encouraging posts made…so I have self taught myself how to maneuver in certain arenas.
I’m capable of far more than I give myself credit…if I’m will to push the lid off that box.
A MIGHTY WARRIOR is not always the one to fight the battles…a wise general is the one who makes the battle plan and encourages the troops that they can do it in the fight.
A MIGHTY WARRIOR on my side is one who HAS defeated the enemy and gives me the confidence to step forward in faith to accomplish the plan set before me…to follow in HIS footsteps to do it and to trust that He is on my side.
In the story of David and Goliath, we learn that Goliath was giant of a man who stood approximately 6’9”-9’9″ to David’s 4’10”- 5’0″. Goliath’s armor weighed 125 pounds and he carried a spear with the tip weighing 15 pounds.
Goliath mocked the Israel army and God daily….daring anyone to attempt to defeat him. David overheard the jeers and could not be quieted in his rage.
When no one else stepped forward to silence the giant, King Saul was persuaded to allow young, small David to stand up for their nation. David was convinced and convincing as he testified to the strength that God had blessed him with in his time of protecting sheep as a shepherd: he had defeated both a lion and bear through the skills God had given him.
David stepped out from the army to stand in plain view of Goliath bringing only with him the tools that he knew how to use: no armor, no sword – just a sling and some rocks.
1 Samuel 17:45-47
David replied to the Philistine, “You come to me with sword, spear, and javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies- the God of the armies of Israel, who you have defied. Today the LORD will conquer you, and I will kill you and cut off your head…And everyone assembled here will know that the LORD RESCUES HIS PEOPLE, but not with sword and spear.
THIS IS THE LORD’S BATTLE and He will give you to us!”
NIV
The battle belongs to the Lord.
Your battle belongs to the Lord.
What is it that boxes you in? Keeps you immobile? Makes you believe you need saving?
Do you need forgiveness? Jesus died for your sins and when you believe in Him you ARE forgiven.
Do you need strength? The JOY of the Lord IS your strength.
Do you need provisions? As God cares for the sparrows, surely He will care for you.
Do you need protection? As the song says, “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God”.
God fought the battle THROUGH David. David HAD to step forward in faith using all that he knew to use…and the Lord rescued His people.
My marriage is stronger when I am an equal participant in it… when I am not helpless…when I do not blame my husband for doing for me what I could easily do for myself.
My faith is stronger in the same way…when I use my faith as an ACTION word instead of an adjective: something that I DO as opposed to something that is used to describe me.
I BELIEVE that God is mighty therefore I am strong in my weakness.
I believe that God is mighty therefore I trust that with God all things are possible.
I believe that God is mighty therefore I stand up and make the decision that I WILL NOT BE SHAKEN.
My mood matches the overcast, cold, Michigan winter weather of January.
I have things to do -don’t we all?? But I am having trouble focusing.
It leads me to wonder if MY to-do list is as important as I thought it was. Is it so important that, in order to do it, I sacrifice my emotional well-being? Are my tasks worth telling myself that how I feel is not valid; that what I am concerned about (today) is not rational?
Trust me. I am rational.
Rational looks like a mom who misses her son while in grief over her friend while starting her last class in ministry school while raising her other son while working at a hospital while living during a global pandemic.
I read a quote that said an abnormal response to an abnormal situation is normal.
That about sums it up, doesn’t it?
Instead of beating myself up for looking out the window for an obscene amount of time, I am making the change to choose to focus on something else that I know will bring me peace of mind and heart:
the person of Jesus.
In Acts 19, we read about the apostle Paul in Ephesus where God was doing extraordinary miracles through him. What was being accomplished in the name of Jesus had been witnessed by Jewish leaders that were recognized as men who exorcized demons. These men used the example of Paul and called on the name of Jesus over those who had evil spirits saying,
“In the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out”
Acts 19:13 NIV
The response?
“But the evil spirit retorted, “I know and recognize and acknowledge Jesus, and I know about Paul, but as for you…who are you??
Acts 19:15 AMP
Isn’t that an interesting dialogue?
These practitioners had latched onto the name of Jesus to use as an incantation, but they discovered that it was not enough to know the name of Jesus; they needed to know Jesus personally.
Amplified Study Bible Note
That is worthy of repeating:
it is not enough to know the NAME OF JESUS; it is needed to know the PERSON OF JESUS.
This is what has been impressed upon my heart~ to know more than the name of Jesus; to reallyknow Him.
The last time I wrote it was about Jesus- our Emmanuel: God with us. Well, don’t be disappointed, but I am still going with an Advent-type theme here by using the words of Isaiah’s prophecy of the coming Messiah:
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Isaiah 9:6
What does WONDERFUL COUNSELOR mean???
First of all, in Hebrew to be called something also means to be something. These are not nicknames for Jesus, anymore than Emmanuel is from my last blog. These are attributes of Christ. He is not calledWonderful Counselor; He IS the Wonderful Counselor.
Again, in Hebrew (I am looking through commentaries; I have not become an expert in the Hebrew language!) the word wonderful comes from a verb meaning to separate, to distinguish, or to make great.
The word wonderful or wonder is often applied to something that goes above and beyond the ordinary; like a miracle or what strikes a person as amazing. It would evoke the emotion of awe.
The Messiah will be wonderful in His person; both God and man in one. What He does will be as wonderful as who He is.
Other words that can be used in place of the description of wonderful are:
*marvelous
*magnificent
*glorious
*lovely
*delightful
*tremendous
*incredible
The word COUNSELOR can be explained as a person who provides advice. In today’s world, a trained counselor has their master’s degree in counseling/ marriage/family therapy/pastoral counseling/ or other related field and have met the required 600 hours of supervised practical experience after completing their schooling.
Of course there are quicker ways to become a therapist, but they would be considered more of a life coach as opposed to a person who is licensed to treat medically. Many people are able to give wise advice, but even they (even the wisest pastor) is encouraged to direct others to seek PROFESSIONAL help if or when the concern brought to the table appears to be more medical than situational.
Putting the two words together, WONDERFUL COUNSELOR, takes on a new level of understanding once we’ve expanded upon the meaning of the words.
Our Messiah is no ordinary advice giver.
Our Messiah: Wonderful Counselor.
His training goes beyond 600 hours of practical experience because He is the Alpha and the Omega: the beginning and the end.
He was the Word at the beginning! THE beginning…when all things were created. In Genesis 1: 26, God said “let US make man in OUR image, in OUR likeness..”
Our Messiah has more than a master’s degree or even a doctorate to qualify Him. Proverbs 2:6 writes that the Lord gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. In Proverbs 3:19, we read that it is by wisdom the Lord laid the earth’s foundation, by understanding he set the heavens in place and by his knowledge the deeps were divided and the clouds let drop the dew.
Where does wisdom come from that the Lord freely uses???
The fear of the Lord is the BEGINNING of wisdom and knowledge of the Holy One IS understanding.
Proverbs 9:10 NIV
Wisdom begins WITH the Lord.
Why? Because He IS the counselor…the wonderful counselor.
Why is Jesus -the WONDERFUL COUNSELOR- something I need or someone to focus on?
Confession time, folks:
becauseI do not know everything.
I cannot see into the future to know what is coming and neither can my friends. I have been blessed with wise people that I can turn to for advice, but their advice is limited to what they know.
There have been times in my life that I figured if I asked everybody all around me for their input I would get the advice I seek coming from all angles.
Sounds like a good plan, right?
Except by going to different people when seeking specific advice I received conflicting counsel that confused and discouraged me while raising up my anxiety due to my increased uncertainty.
Now I need answers and have anxiety….great. Talk about not getting the solution I was looking for!
What happens when I turn to the Lord for His wonderful counsel? Do I get a concrete TURN LEFT HERE, AMY from Him?
Goodness I wish.
But, no.
God’s wonderful counsel looks more like, “trust Me…wait on Me…look to Me”.
How on earth is that advice???
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and LEAN NOT ON YOUR OWN UNDERSTANDING. In all your ways acknowledge Him and HE WILL DIRECT YOUR PATH.
Proverbs 3:5-6
Can you see the wisdom there? And the benefit from following the advice?
Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you.
Psalm 55:22
Can you see it now??
Confidently approach the throne from which God gives grace so that we may receive mercy and find grace in our time of need.
Hebrews 4:16
How do you handle people that are mean to you or you don’t agree with? Jesus, the wonderful counselor, tells us to love our neighbors as ourselves.
What do you do when someone is succeeding in this world but you are not? Jesus, the wonderful counselor, tells us not to worry about other people’s fate and to just follow Him (John 21:22).
What about your finances?? Jesus spoke of how God took care of the sparrows and the lilies of the field so why doubt that He will take care of us. In Philippians 4:19 we are reminded that God will supply all of your NEEDS according to His riches in glory by Christ.
One more thing about a counselor:
Having Jesus by our side in flesh and blood would have been marvelous, wouldn’t it? It would have been seemingly easy to drop everything in our life and follow Him like the disciples did. It would have been easy to face the persecution and lack of comfort because we had Jesus performing miracles walking with us 24/7 (I’m being a little facetious as I doubt it would be all that easy, yet they did it).
However, Jesus told His disciples in John 14:16 that someone better would come in His absence. That there would be someone to do evengreater works (more wonderful) because Jesus was leaving them to return to the Father.
This Helper would be with us forever. We are told He will abide with us. This Helper would be a COUNSELOR.
We have been given the Holy Spirit to comfort us, guide us, educate us, warn us, remind us…
We have a wonderful counselor 24/7.
We have THE Wonderful Counselor 24/7.
Focusing on Him when I am conflicted will guide me in the direction I need to go to find peace, to feel loved, to gain confidence, to obtain the Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22), to keep me in the presence of God.
He is more than I think and can do more than I can imagine.
What Kind of Peace Is This? 