Let Go and Let God

As a parent we all want the very best for our children and pray that they grow up strong and able. But, none of us is gifted with a crystal ball that will give us all the answers to how this can be accomplished without some amount of pain.
My family has for years dealt with issues of depression, suicidal thoughts, alchol, drugs and sexual orientation. As a parent we most want to simply wrap them up and protect them from all the outside influences that might cause them harm. But, I have seen in my own life that sometimes when we want most to take away their pain, is when we have to let them go through it.
I'm not saying that I made all the wrong choices or all the right choices myself. I will be the first to say I did not. But, through all of it, I have grown and found that as much as I might want to heal my child's broken heart or raise them up from the melancholy they are in or lock up all the things that they may be hurt by....I don't have that power.
Only God can take these things away. Only He knows when the time for intervention is. He knows the precise moment at which intervention is right and in what way.
At this joyous time of year when we embrace the true spirit of Christmas, the birth of our Lord....
I want to stop for just one moment to think about how our Heavenly Father knew that this precious child, who had done no wrong - perfect in every way. A most beautiful gift to the world. Would suffer at the hands of the very people He was sent to save. That He would wander alone and be tempted. That He would call out to His Father in His last moments for comfort.
I am a mother and I can only image a small portion of what Our Father must have felt.
As parents, we cry as we send our child off to daycare or school the first day. We kiss their boo boos to make even the tiniest pain go away. Our hearts break when we watch them try to master some skill that they fail attempt after attempt at. We cry with them when their heart is broken for the first time. We cry & rejoice when they graduate, get married and have children.

I am thankful that I don't have a crystal ball as it would break my heart to know what lay ahead and have no power to change it. It is because of these things that I know I would not have been strong enough to watch Christ suffer as Our Father did. He knew what lay ahead for Christ before His birth and still allowed it, in order to save all of us.
There is this old thing about how if you were to travel back in time, you couldn't do anything different because it would change the whole outcome of the worlds fate. Well, Our Heavenly Father didn't need to go anywhere He could have changed any of it at any moment. But, He knew what must be done. And loved ALL His children enough to let things take their course.
Thank the Lord that we don't have that power or that choice to make. But, each day we are given other struggles to deal with and each one requires us to know when we must Let Go & Let God. He is the one who can intervene, when and where and how it is needed. We have but a few (I didn't say easy) jobs .... Love the Lord with all our hearts, Love our child unconditionally and then Let Go & Let God.
I know it sounds easy, I also know that it isn't. So, as I myself continue to work on doing just those things. I will pray for each and every parent out there. That they might find strength in knowing that God is in control. That the Lord sees the big picture and He is in control.

Don't Worry ~ Be Happy

Ok, at least the first part of this phrase is something that we definitely need to remember. It seems like these days with a technology boom, with families spread across the globe, with continuing divisions by race, religion,ethnicity and with the state of the economy........ we all have things that we feel the need to worry about.

However, the bible tells us over and over that we are not to be anxious or worry, but to pray. It's easy to think "I have bills to pay and no job, how can I not worry?" Yes, you must be concerned. You should do all those things that are within your power to do. Like looking for a job, filling out applications, sending out resumes. Those are all proactive things that you can and should do. You should do anything legally possible that you can to improve your situation. Like filing for unemployment, filing for food stamps or any finacial aide available. AND you should pray! Be faithful in your prayer and live in knowing that God is in control. It does not mean that things won't be tough (He never said it would be easy - in fact we are told that it won't) But, while we worry, our eyes, heart and mind are all focused on ourselves. (It's so easy to have a little pity party) Even when we are worried about someone elses issues. Worry causes us to turn away from focusing on God & what He wants for us. When we let go of the worry & turn it over to God - we change our focus, it is directed away from us. It can be placed in giving Him glory and honor.

Be Happy ~ well, sure we all want to be happy. But, only a fool walks around grinning and giggling 24/7. So - not that happy. Sometimes, we are in a place where it is hard to find enough happy in our hearts to even smile. Such as, at the loss of a pet, a job, a marriage or a loved one. But, we can pray past the worry & then rest in the peace Christ provides. I'm not in anyway saying that it's easy. I have never been able to quite achieve the position of "well, it's God's will - or - "their in a better place now". Largly because in my heart I feel that a better place would be still here with me. Yes, that's selfish....but, it's also honest. I can be understanding of those who have been in pain from illness for a long period of time, that they are no longer in pain. But, it doesn't change the fact that my heart aches to have them here with me. Guess what??? There's that focus again. The focus is on me, it's inward. The perfect time for a pity party. If I stop for just a moment to think of the reason that I am feeling this worry or anxiety, I can then realize what it is that I need to do....change my focus and pray.

There are definitely times when you are not going to be happy. Just don't let those times keep you from being at peace. Don't let worry and anxiety be standard. We rarely have control over the things that we worry about, so choose to let those things go and let God be in control. He really does know what's best for us.

You may be wondering what brought on this need to discuss this topic...well, the other day I applied for a job, the interview went well and I thought that based on what I was told that they would be calling everyone the next day, one way or another. I was so excited and then sunk into a deep depression and felt lonely - even though I was not alone. The next day, I still didn't hear from them but, I did find out that they hadn't made their finale decisions. So, I still have a shot at a job. It was then that I changed my focus. The funny thing is that I knew what I was doing, I was very aware of the fact that I was not focusing on what I should, I just couldn't stop it. I just want people to understand that we all have those moments when we feel that things are out of our control and we want things to be the way that we want. We need, at those times to be able to turn it over to our heavenly "Father knows best!"

The Stranger

This is a poem that I wrote several years ago. I thought I would share it with you.

The Stranger
A Stranger came to town today
He came from far away
I asked him if he planned to stay
He smiled and said, "I may."

I knew not where he'd come from
I didn't know his name
But as he passed I somehow knew
I'd never be the same.

It seemed he drew a crowd
wherever he did go;
I felt I should follow too
but why, I didn't know.

He was a very gentle man
The children loved him so
As I watched him through the day
My love for him did grow.

He told the people stories
they laughed and talked and prayed.
He told of how the tiny sheep
far from the path had strayed.

He told of how the shepherds love
was all the sheep would need
With just a simple little faith
as of a mustard seed.

You see it didn't take too long
Til my eyes were opened wide
Twas then I opened up my heart
and asked the Lord inside.

And then I fully understood
His answer on that day
For it was really mine to choose
And here He'll always stay.

Living In The Light

Verse For The Day:
1 Corinthians 16:13&14
Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong. Do everything in love.

Currently, I am studying, I John and a few things spoke to my heart this morning, and I would like to share them with you.
I John 5-7 (NIV) This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

Ok, bear with me here...Anyone who knows me well, knows that I love a good scary movie. Well, what is it that makes those movies scary 90% of the time? The darkness. Because we cannot see what lurks around the corner. I expend so much energy telling the characters on the screen (not out loud in a theater of course) to "Turn on the light!"
Well, there you have it "Turn on the light!" If we turn the light on in our lives each step we take, even the unknown around the corner ones, won't be so scary....because we know that He is light - He is faithful to illuminate the things we need to really see & do.
As a light house guides a ship at sea into port by it's light; so Christ will guide us thru life with His light.

One more thing about verse 7 "But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, the Son, purifies us from all sin.

Well, I have been known to totally immerse myself (at times) in studies or crafts or well even a good book. And in doing so forgot that fellowship is important. Not just with Christ but also with the body of Christ. It is so important that we spend time in fellowship with others who share our faith. We have a special blessing in having the body of Christ to lift us up when we are down(sad, depressed,lonely) to guide us through rocky moments in our life(loss of a loved one, divorce) to share in the wonderful events that God has given us (weddings, births, graduations, baptisms). I guess what I really want to say is, don't forget to stop and have some fellowship! If you haven't in a while, you'll find yourself wondering after you do, "What was I waiting for?!