One of my blogging buddies, Becky, writes from her heart with no holds barred. Such transparency when accompanied by a deep-seated dependece on God's grace is so refreshing!
I check Becky's site each day and I'm always enriched. Here's one of her most recent postings. I'm sure many of your hearts resonate with hers. I know mine does!
Check out her site at: http://www.chinsup.blogspot.com
Becky writes:
My Saturday Storm
On Saturday, I felt utterly and totally alone in this world. It was an excruciating day. I have never felt such complete isolation and the feelings of being 'trapped' in my circumstances shrouded my perceptions and filled me with self-pity and anger. I knew of course that these feelings where not of God and I cried out to Him to help me and fill me with His love and presence. I didn't feel it. Somehow, I made it through to Sunday and things started to look brighter. And as I looked back over Saturday's dark hours I came to the realization that I will now always have a tender heart for the lost and lonely of this world. And then I started to wonder if perhaps God could use this new, first-hand knowledge of loneliness to touch the lives of others. And instead of asking Him to remove this burden, I will now ask Him to use it for His glory.
The second thing I learned from my Saturday Storm, is that feeling God's presence is not as important as believing it. I need to claim the truth of the promise that God will never leave us and is nearest in times of intense sadness regardless of how I feel. This is the essence of true faith. And then I learned that I don't need others to feed me my joy and security, but that the "Joy of the Lord is my strength." Even standing alone in the midst of a vast and at times unfriendly sea, I can still thrive and grow and be strong and sturdy and find joy because my roots are anchored in Jesus and He will hold me fast.
"He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit." ~ Jeremiah 17:8
Becky...I too weathered a storm this weekend...and felt as if I would be overwhelmed by the waves.
ReplyDeletePart of what got me through was knowing I was overwhelmed...not seeking to handle it on own power...but to cry to God. Even when I couldn't see him at work...trust him in the darkness.
Frequently...I think of the lyrics in Stephen Curtis Chapman's song "Hold on to Jesus for Life".
Blessing to you Becky...may God hold, protect and strengthen you.