If It Were Only That Simple

In God We Trust.

When the world explodes in revolutions and protests – in God We Trust.

When national and state governments exhaust their budgets  - in God We Trust.

When unemployment continues to maintain a 9.8 percentage rate - in God We Trust.

When we can’t manage health care costs - in God We Trust.

He’s our only hope when nothing makes any sense. He’s our encourager in our darkest hours.  He’s our supporter when every person or system fails us.

He’s everything. He’s enough. He’s our Father.

So hold on tightly. Take deep breathes and hold your hands out to God.  Let Him lift you up in his arms and take the weight off your shoulders.

Hold on to your faith. Be strong and courageous.

In God We Trust.

Trusting is Not A One Time Act

Trust is an important word and I think it’s definitely one of the keys to a good life. And for you wordsmiths out there, it’s equally meaningful both as a noun and verb!

Look at the following definitions.

Trust (noun) reliance on the integrity, strength, ability, surety, etc., of a person or thing; confidence; a person on whom or thing on which one relies: God is my trust.

Trust (verb) to trust in another’s honesty; trusting to luck.  To have confidence; hope: Things work out if one only trusts.

NEW YEAR

As we get ready to usher in another year, I can’t help but reflect back on how this noun and verb has been a challenge and blessing to me at the same time. I’m learning if I just put all my trust in God, He’s got it all covered.  The stress goes away and I’m walking the path He intends for me. Life is good when I follow that belief.

Then there’s this other side when I panic and worry about trusting God. For how can I really trust Him? What if He doesn’t come through in the way I want or in the time frame I want it to happen? What then?  And just like that I’m thrown off track. (Being “on track” is a big concept this year for me.  See here for more details.)

My spiritual mentor told me that it was time to start relying on God’s trust. She said I needed to stop with my double-mindedness and let go of matters of my heart and finances.  She first told me this last summer and it took me awhile to work through it.

But, now, at the end of the year I finally get it.  When I stay on the path or track God has for me, all’s good. The more I veer off, the more disbelief, panic and sadness come in. I am trying to stay the course and keep my eyes on Him. I’m trusting in confidence that He has it all covered.

UP, UP and AWAY

On December 24, I surrendered my two areas of deepest concern over to Him.  To symbolize the release of my control over my life, I let go of balloons.  First, I first let go of a red helium balloon. The red balloon represented matters of my heart.  With the release of its string, I declared that God was in charge of my hopes and dreams of finding a mate and healing my brokenness.

Cast all your Cares on Him, the Master and Creator of All.

And then I let go of a green one.  The green balloon stood for my financial future and career path.  As I let the balloon slip through my hands, I reiterated to God that it’s all His money and that I work for Him, He’s my boss and He’s in charge.

And as both balloons soared higher and higher, I felt lighter and lighter. These areas are in his care now.

Do you have something(s) to let go off? Do you need to trust God more in 2011.   If so, why not let off a few balloons.

Happy New Year!

The law of the LORD is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple.  Psalm 19:7

Don't let go completely ever.

I was going to write a post about how God has been showing me that it’s time to turn all control over to him.  That I needed to take my white knuckles off the things I hold onto for dear life – my next job; my healthy; my family; comfort and love life.  He’s been silently telling me to let things happen naturally, as He intends and not what I think is best for me.  He’s got it all under control and his way is the peaceful route.

Romans 15:13 (New International Version)

¹³May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

But, when I watched the second episode of “The Pacific” tonight on HBO I heard something different.  “The Pacific” is a brilliant mini-series on HBO chronicling events during WWII when our military fought Japan.  This war was one of the hardest ever fought, emotionally and physically.  This particular episode began with veterans of this war providing commentary. One of the soldiers said that all he could do when fighting this war was “hold on and pray.” The opposite of what I was going to write on.

I totally understand what he said.  If I was stationed at an island half way around the world from my home with an enemy on the attack every day for a solid month all you could do was pray and hold on for God to rescue you. So after I heard that I guess we shouldn’t let go and let God, but really pray, let go and hold on God.   For God is our hope in every situation. Our King.  Our Father who knows what’s best for us every moment of the day.

Pray. Let Go of Your Worry and Hold on To God.

Holding on,

Cindy

It is written in Stone.

I was in one of those spots when I felt God was holding a deaf ear to me.  He’s been very active in my life and well, this week, he just disappeared – or at least so I thought.  I saw everyone around me getting blessed and being heard and well, I got into one of those pity parties I am so good at throwing.  But, that all changed last night.

For it was last night around the 3:50 a.m. hour that he woke me up to hear the following words – TRUST ME! And I heard it loud and clear.  I guess he had enough of my unbelief even in my REM sleep.  He wanted to silence whatever thoughts I was having and give my burdens over to him.

I wrote about blueprints in my last post and I guess this was his way of confirming he has my life under control. And if you think I was imagining hearing that word for God – well, wait to you hear this. I told a friend that God spoke to me last night and he asked me a strange question. He wanted to know what time God woke me up.  I told him and he said God woke him up at the same time and told him to pray for me.

So do I think God knows what’s going on in my life even though I don’t have a clue? Heck ya.  Do I think I’m called to trust him. Yes.  Is it hard – yes!  But, I heard it loud and clear.  He’s there for me, directing my path and providing relief.

Amen.

O Sovereign LORD, you are God! Your words are trustworthy, and you have promised these good things to your servant.  2 Sam 7:28

I know the drill.  He’s there. So then why am I so fearful that this one time he won’t come through?  Oh me of little faith!

Talk about crazy. John Hulber of the Netherlands actually built a replica.

I am reading through the bible again this year and as such, I’m now in Genesis and so I am reading about the ark.  Man, God laid everything out for Noah from size, weight, materials and content.  He gave him the exact blueprints on how to build it.  He even gave him the vision for it. All Noah had to do was believe it and follow it.  Trust him. Be obedient.  And I know that’s what God want each of us to do too.  Trust his blueprints in our life.

Take Noah for example, he had no idea, if the world would think he was a crazy, but he didn’t care about the outcome. He did not doubt – but he followed God’s word.

¹² God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways. ¹³ So God said to Noah, “I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth. ¹⁴ So make yourself an ark of cypress  wood; make rooms in it and coat it with pitch inside and out. ¹⁵ This is how you are to build it: The ark is to be 450 feet long, 75 feet wide and 45 feet high.  ¹⁶ Make a roof for it and finish the ark to within 18 inches  of the top. Put a door in the side of the ark and make lower, middle and upper decks. ¹⁷ I am going to bring floodwaters on the earth to destroy all life under the heavens, every creature that has the breath of life in it. Everything on earth will perish. ¹⁸ But I will establish my covenant with you, and you will enter the ark—you and your sons and your wife and your sons’ wives with you. ¹⁹ You are to bring into the ark two of all living creatures, male and female, to keep them alive with you. ²⁰ Two of every kind of bird, of every kind of animal and of every kind of creature that moves along the ground will come to you to be kept alive. ²¹ You are to take every kind of food that is to be eaten and store it away as food for you and for them.”

²² Noah did everything just as God commanded him. Gen. 6:12-22

I’m in the same exact position right now. God is laying out for me a path for my life which is contrary to the world’s.  It’s unconventional and so that makes it a bit scary for me at the moment. But, he knows what my blueprint is and to him it’s not scary…it’s beautiful.  It’s what I was made for.  I just need to build his vision and believe.  If I follow his way, even when the floods come, I’ll be sailing above the water not under it.  And there’s no place else I’d rather be.

If this is your prayer too, I will stand with you.  Let’s follow God’s path and share in this adventure that He has created for each one of us.

Is there any barrier we can’t overcome?