Daddy in the Briar Patch
My favorite part from yesterday’s post by Sara Rust was
the very last line “To be great,
we must become like a child - so others can tell who our Daddy is.”
I needed to read that.
Desperately.
If you’ve been reading me
for the past few Tuesdays, you know I’m struggling. This week is gearing
up to be just as challenging. You see, I've had quite a fall -- more like a
gigantic shove to the ground. Not only did I fall flat on my face but also, I landed in a deep, dark, scary ditch. To top it off, on my way down I had rolled through a briar patch where stinging thorns of grief, guilt, inadequacy, failure, resentment, depression, regret,
bitterness -- to name a few, painfully embedded into my flesh.
But God.
He is here. With all the
care of a loving Father, He is methodically pulling out each spur in order to
safely pull me out of this pit. Yes, they hurt, but the infection they threaten
if left alone could be fatal.
Sometimes the pain is so
completely unbearable I scream out and beg Him to stop, “You’re hurting me! Let
me do it!”
Because He loves me – He steps
aside.
Only after being utterly
exhausted at trying to pull and tug and ultimately continue to injure myself,
does Papa God lovingly say, “I am able. Will you let me?”
I can’t give you a measurement
of time to even guess at how long it’s going to take for my Daddy to pull out
each spiny dart because I am one prickly mess. What I can tell you is that God is working. I must get out of the way and quit trying to problem
solve myself. My loving Father knows exactly how long it will take and with
childlike trust I must believe...
“that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Phil 1:6)
When He cleans me up from
this particularly nasty tumble, I can exclaim “Look what Daddy did!” and may all
who hear have every desire to call Him "Daddy" too.
Tuesday, February 25, 2014
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The Letter
Dearest Lisa,
You are going through a testing of your faith. I know, I
hate that common exhortation too. But hear me out for a moment. Do you look forward to your annual physical?
No? Me neither. Loathe having to go to the doctor and answer question after
question, sample this sample that…ugh. Thank God it’s only once a year.
Although I despise my yearly check up, it is a good thing.
The tests reveal areas I may need to work on. Maybe I have high cholesterol and need to change my diet or go on
medication. Maybe my eyesight is failing and I need glasses. Maybe they’ve
discovered a lump and we need to get busy fighting for my life. I would only know because of those annoying tests.
The same is true of our faith sweet lady. This testing is
revealing to you where you need God most. It is because He loves you and cares
for you and just like your physician, He will fight WITH you for your life. You
are precious to Him. He bought you at a price and will not discard you. He has
not forgotten you and will see you through this. You and your faith will come
out stronger after this. I know it. It’s so hard for you to believe right now
but I’ll do the believing and praying…you just show up. Promise me you’ll show
up every day because here is another truth – it may not feel like you’re
winning but God has already promised you victory.
His Word leaves His mouth and will not return to Him empty.
It will accomplish what He purposes. He will take every tear, every pain, every
moment and use it for good. Your enemy knows he’s defeated but he will stop at
nothing in trying to make you believe you’re the one who will not come out
alive.
I love you to the moon and back. I’m so thankful you are in
my life. You have shown me your enormous faith when others needed you. It is
your turn to be cared for. What a gift! Let our glorious Healer restore you. He
is like a stream in the desert. He is your Rock. He is your Refuge. He is your
Heavenly Father. He delights over you. He will never leave you my darling Lisa.
Fighting with you and for you in prayer. To God be all the
Glory.
Tuesday, February 11, 2014
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Wait...Not Yet
I saw the butterfly flutter past my window. She was cold and scared and confused and
hungry. “Why are you here!” I screamed in admonishing disbelief.
“It’s too early! It’s still not time and there is nothing
for you here! “
Worried and at a frantic pace I searched my mind for what I
could do. Nothing. Absolutely nothing. There is not a flower in sight and
everything this beautiful winged creature needs will take time to grow. It is Winter after all.
“If only it had waited and not rushed to be here.”
The sadness was overwhelming. Seeing the butterfly was too
early created a deep maddening wound. Why would God have let this beauty arrive
so soon? Wasn't He paying attention? If only…
And then I woke up.
God speaks in languages His children know best. You see, I raise Monarch butterflies and know every
detail of what they need because of my yearly conservation efforts. One misstep
is the difference between success or complete disaster.
I am currently going through a massive hardship and
functioning in the day to day is brutal. I found myself asking God “If only
this was over already. I want to be on the other side of this…now.”
But Papa God is so incredibly wise and tender. In my dream He answered my heartfelt plea with
a “Not yet.”
I want to be back to enjoying God’s healthy provision, to
experience life as it should be during a time of fruitfulness. But God is
telling me that what He is working on is not yet ready. I have to wait. Jumping
ahead brings certain disaster for me and my family.
Humans are notorious for being impatient. But God cares for
me. I am the apple of His eye and for whatever reason He is bringing us through
this hardship, the fact is He is bringing us through it. We will make it to the other side, but not yet.
My perfect Father knows my every need and He loves me enough
to make me wait. I choose to trust Him.
Tuesday, February 04, 2014
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It Is Good To Be Reminded
My tea cup
reads “Out of my mind, be back in 5 minutes”.
But I don’t
want to be back because being in my mind for these past several days is a chaotic,
boisterous, violent swirl of negativity that is threatening to devour my very
being. Sounds harsh, yes. But depression can be so completely defeating and I
need to stay out of my head for fear of becoming consumed by what I am battling.
And then I
hear it -- the clicking of something against my watch. They are my reminder
bracelets, one I made and the other made by a friend. I wear them every single
day without fail. They remind me of God’s promises and as long as I keep moving,
they are reminding.
God is Who He says He is.
God can do what He says He can do.
I am who God says I am.
I can do all things through Christ.
God’s Word is alive and active in me. (from Believing God by Beth Moore)
So I remind
myself of the limited power my troubles have:
“...In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” John 16:33
And I remind
myself God brings peace; He is my rock while everything crumbles around me:
“You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.” Isaiah26:3-4
Because:
“In love I am blessed, chosen, adopted, favored, redeemed, and forgiven” – Beth Moore
Are you
experiencing trouble today?
May I
suggest you wear something to remind you of God’s promises? Buy a bracelet,
make one, tie a ribbon on your wrist. Do whatever it takes to remember.
Keep moving,
because in the moving we are reminded. Run, walk, crawl if you must…to the very
One who is always moving like life giving water, our Savior and Redeemer. Keep
your eyes on Him. He has already overcome the world and He will bring you through
whatever you are going through. You will not be consumed.
Tuesday, January 28, 2014
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Depression Detonator
“My soul is weary with sorrow;
strengthen me according to your word.” Psalm 119: 28
It’s
not a matter of if we deal with depression. We all will and do at some point in
our lives. I remember the “Ok, I get it” moment God spoke to me. It was a
couple months after my daughter passed away. I finally got up the nerve to
enter her room, then to actually sit in the rocking chair—our rocking
chair—that encapsulated our short “mother/ daughter” time together. It didn’t
take long for the D word to begin to
pull me down. Tears soaked my blouse; groans bellowed up from beyond the pit of
my stomach. The “why, Lord, just tell me why”
began, again. That’s when the loving wisdom of my Father freed me.
“Lezlie,
depression is no more than an emotion, and I created all emotions. It’s not
about feeling depressed. It’s about
what you are going to DO when you get depressed. You have two choices here.
Continue to wallow and sink deeper into the abyss of self-pity, or GET UP and
say good-bye.”
That
tough love lesson rang true once again June 2013. Death didn’t knock, no, that
sting was gone. This time it was drugs, but not for the first time. Drugs had
already stolen years from one of my sons (but only for a decade!) Now drugs
came again, no, not just again, but back. Back to haunt yet another of my
sons—for the second time in his life.
“That’s
it God, I already did this, I can’t do it again.”
“I
know you can’t. Let me.”(And when my son cried out, God answered him, again!)
My
depression lasted longer this time, but it didn’t defeat me. God’s word is living,
true, and freeing. It is “new every morning.” It is the detonator needed to bust through, apart, and thoroughly destroy
anything that tries to rob us from the joy
of the knowledge of eternity.
“In my anguish I cried to the LORD and he answered by setting me free.” (Psalm 118:5)
Do you want freedom from depression? Open the pages of the one book that has lasted the longest throughout history. Allow His words to detonate the lies of the destroyer as He restores your soul with truth.
“In my anguish I cried to the LORD and he answered by setting me free.” (Psalm 118:5)
Do you want freedom from depression? Open the pages of the one book that has lasted the longest throughout history. Allow His words to detonate the lies of the destroyer as He restores your soul with truth.
Thursday, January 23, 2014
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Biblical Journey to the Strong Tower
Depression.
Through intermittent pockets of light, fog surrounds. It's claustrophobic. The air is thick. It impairs vision, breath, strength, and stamina. To rise above it seems doubtful. And a chore. Why even try?
It's a time when one needs a shelter. A secure Strong Tower which stands supreme above the staleness of surrounding haze. For what we KNOW, but do not necessarily FEEL, is that what begins in fear, CAN indeed end in praise - only, being stuck below in the thickness of despair is not the best vantage point in which to witness this truth first-hand. If ONLY we could climb above it. If only. Maybe tomorrow? How long will we have to drown here?
We've lived this in our home.
David shared similar feelings and makes them known throughout the Psalms. But it is Psalm 61 where his faint cry for a refuge and Strong Tower pierces my own heart after living through my husband's depression.
I had already experienced God as the Strong Tower once before, but as we
Fog subsides.
And through the fog God can lift one to the top of the tower in order to see the promise that He is the ONLY refuge in which to cling.
This is important to note - for even when the fog subsides, traces remain - they did in our situation.
Therefore, we must live knowing that God can withstand the darkness that invades us - because HE is the Strong Tower. We are surrounded. Covered. Sheltered - even as the storm continues to rage.
Our response?
Praise.
David, thank you for being honest.
Joline Atkins is your server today! Find out more about her here and don't forget to sign up for updates by email or RSS before you go.
Sunday, October 07, 2012
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Psalms During Depression
Those were the days when depression loomed over me like an incessant dark cloud. Those were the days when I felt absolutely hopeless.
Praise Jesus, those days are gone. And, while I can't pinpoint every detail of how the Lord delivered me, I know that He used Psalm 27 in a major way. The words would almost leap off the page and grab depression by the throat. The more I meditated on them, the free-er I became. I was literally gripped by Light as I began to believe that...
The Lord is my light...
In the time of trouble He shall hide me...
He shall set me high upon a rock...
And NOW, my head shall be lifted above my enemies...
I will sing, yes I will sing!
You have been my help...
I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living...In believing those words, I found healing that I thought I'd never experience. I trust that you too will find light in this passage. It's just one of the many Psalms that have breathed new life into my soul.
Anitra Elmore is your server today! Find out more about her here and don't forget to sign up for updates by email or RSS before you go.
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
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