“So don’t be afraid: I’m with you. I’ll round up all your scattered children; pull them in from east and west. I’ll send orders north and south: ‘Send them back. Return my sons from distant lands, my daughters from faraway places. I want them back, every last one who bears my name, every man, woman, and child Whom I created for my glory, yes, personally formed and made each one.’” (Isaiah 43:5-7, MSG)

This is a verse of encouragement for me.  God is reminding us not to be afraid, or to feel lonely, or alone, or isolated – because He is with us.  The verse goes onto to speak of how He will gather the children, from all the corners of earth – everyone that was called a child of God…He wants each and every one of us back.

I can only imagine how God feels with His children scattered throughout the world. I would imagine He has the same feeling of yearning for His children, as we do our own.

Abby is now a teenager. She is involved in a singing group and travels frequently performing at ministry / concert outreach events. If that wasn’t enough, she also enjoys spending the night with her friends.  At times, she can be gone for a few days without us seeing each other.  I feel a void in my heart; I feel like something is missing, and I yearn to have her close to me. 

And when she goes to school, I worry about her well being.  Will the teachers treat her well?  Will she be bullied today or put down today? Will something happen that will cause her to think she is not everything that God, her dad and I believe her to be? I fear that I cannot be there for her and take care of her each and every need and hurt.  I fret over the fact that I cannot protect her 24-hours a day / 7-days a week and it breaks my heart.

At times, okay most times, she becomes highly frustrated by my tendencies – she is a teenager and can take care of herself. She certainly doesn’t need her mother to hover over her at her age. Then there are times that she just wants to rest in the comfort of my arms – and know that everything will be okay. Those are the moments that I cherish.

I imagine that in the same fashion that we worry, fret and fear over our children, God is concerned for us.  As any good parent, He allows us to scatter to the ends of the earth, and figure out who we are, in hopes that we will come home to Him, because we have learned that home is where the heart is.  Despite what we encounter on our journey, despite how we feel along the way, despite our ups and our downs, God is with us.

In the same way, a piece of who we are, the words we have counseled, remains with each of our children, and as they hear our words in their heart, they are reminded that we are with them. God is the same with us, as He speaks to our heart and reminds us that He is with us always.

Thank you God for remaining with me at all times. Thank you for speaking to my heart and thank you most of all for encouraging me to come home.

Pin It

Have you ever been deathly afraid? Had fear gripped you in a way that you were absolutely desperate for help from anyone or anything? What did you do? What would you do? Let me share a story with you of absolute desperation…

Early the next morning Abraham took some food and a skin of water and gave them to Hagar. He set them on her shoulders and then sent her off with the boy. She went on her way and wandered in the desert of Beersheba.

 

When the water in the skin was gone, she put the boy under one of the bushes. Then she went off and sat down nearby, about a bowshot away, for she thought, “I cannot watch the boy die.” And as she sat there nearby, she began to sob.

 

God heard the boy crying, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, “What is the matter, Hagar? Do not be afraid; God has heard the boy crying as he lies there. Lift the boy up and take him by the hand, for I will make him into a great nation.”

~Genesis 21:14-18

I cannot even begin to imagine how Hagar felt. She had done Abram and Sarai a favor, and had borne Abram a child, since Sarai was unable to at her age. Her son, Ishmael, had favor in the house, and then the God that Abram served did the impossible, He enabled Sarai to become pregnant, and Isaac was born. Everything was okay until one day Ishmael and Isaac acted as any brothers would, and Ishmael picked on his little brother. This angered Sarai, and she demanded that Abram put Hagar and Ishmael out of their home.

Abram knew that he had disobeyed God in his relationship with Hagar; and that Ishmael was not the son that was promised to Abram in the covenant with God. Yet, Abram still loved his son, and I am certain turning Ishmael out was an extremely difficult thing for him to do. So Abram did the best he could, and he gave Hagar food and water, and sent them on their way.

While she and her son wandered in the desert, the water ran out, and no more was to be found. They tried to go on, but eventually Hagar realized they were not going to make it. Full of grief she laid her son under a bush, maybe to provide some comfort in the heat of the day, and waited. She waited for him to die.

She was not able to sit and hold him, love him into the arms of death; instead she moved away from him and cried. She cried for her situation, cried out for help in the midst of the desolation she felt. She cried for every wrong thing she had ever done, and wished she could change. She cried out in absolute desperation of the situation, and cried for the failure of not being able to stop death from coming to her and to her son.

Then suddenly, the God of Abram heard her cries and spoke to her. He told her that He would take care of her and her son; that He would make Ishmael into a great nation and they would surely survive. He told her not to be afraid but instead to trust Him.

It seems ironic that when we have finally reached that place that we fear the most, that place of desperation, that place where we are absolutely helpless to help ourselves, that is the place that gives birth to our obedience and we begin to trust in something bigger than ourselves. Hagar did not serve the God that Abram served, nor did her son Ishmael – yet God was bigger than their belief systems and He was able to meet their needs when the gods and values they served could not. God was big enough to move in her life despite her disbelief and disobedience to Him. God provided for her and her son knowing that they would probably never serve Him, even though He saved them from certain demise.

So my question is this; why would I ever be afraid of anything? I serve a God that is bigger than anything I can ever imagine, anything I will ever experience, and everything I could ever hope for, plus some. I serve a God that will move in my life, and will take care of me, despite myself. I serve a God that cares for each of us when we cannot and don’t care for ourselves.

When we serve a God like that, a God that provides for those who don’t honor Him, a God that loves those who don’t seek Him, a God that gives to those who take from others; when we serve a God like that, why would we ever consider the alternative? Why would we ever be afraid? God will provide every need according to His riches and glory, so we have no need to fear.

Pin It

As a mom I am constantly amazed at how many times I have to explain something to one of my kids before it just clicks. My children, as wonderful as they are will try all sorts of methods, schemes, crazy ideas, instead of just doing what works…the tried and true method. As a parent, I get so frustrated because they just won’t listen. Or does my frustration come out of the thought that they just don’t trust me?Then I stop and think…how many times have I tried things my own way only to have God say “Trust me Dawn…just trust me.”

In II Kings 17:34-39 the passage continually emphasizes that we shall not fear other gods. The children of Israel are in their wilderness experience and while they have been delivered out of Egypt; they still trust in their minor gods. Each time things didn’t work out they way they expected, or in the time frame of their expectation they ran back to try something new, some method, some scheme, or crazy idea that would ‘deliver’ them from their situation.

Unto this day they do after their former custom: they do not fear the Lord [as God sees it], neither do they obey the statutes or the ordinances or the law and commandment which the Lord commanded the children of Jacob, whom He named Israel, with whom the Lord had made a covenant and commanded them, You shall not fear other gods or bow yourselves to them or serve them or sacrifice to them. But you shall [reverently] fear, bow yourselves to, and sacrifice to the Lord, Who brought you out of the land of Egypt with great power and an outstretched arm. And the statutes, ordinances, law, and commandment, which He wrote for you, you shall observe and do forevermore; you shall not fear other gods. And the covenant that I have made with you, you shall not forget; you shall not fear other gods. But the Lord your God you shall [reverently] fear; then He will deliver you out of the hands of all your enemies.

So why didn’t they trust in the God who had miraculously delivered them? Why did they trust these gods of their past and run to them? Simply, I think they forgot and it was so much easier to rely on the familiar than to trust in the supernatural.

The irony is that the supernatural was becoming familiar to them and the familiarity of their gods seemed supernatural. They forgot that having food provided from heaven daily was supernatural. Their clothes and shoes not wearing out, supernatural. Their ability to conquer kingdoms while they had no true home of their own, supernatural.

Instead of trusting they began to question…

Why was it taking so long for them to reach the Promised Land? Why were they not in a settled home environment? Why were they living as wanderers in the desert and serving a God that was not providing for them they way they wanted?

And isn’t that what it all really boils down to?

When we don’t get the things we want the way we want, we try making it happen. Then we become frustrated because doing things in our own power, or seeking out “help” from the wrong sources doesn’t give us the results we want. And the vicious cycle starts all over again.

Our scramble for resolution and satisfaction of our wants causes us to lose our focus on what is important. Instead of tithing or giving to others, we buy lottery tickets in hopes of scoring some cash. Instead of entering into God’s presence and seeking His wisdom and understanding, we run to the phone to share our problems. Our selfishness tells us that we do not have time to share our gifts or talents with others; that we are too busy – yet the truth is there is not enough time.

We need to stop bowing to the gods of this world and turn our lives completely over to God. He is the One in control, the One we need to reverently fear and respect. Just as we want our children to listen to and trust us, we need to listen to and trust God. He is not asking us to obey His will because of any form of selfishness…just the opposite. He is asking us to obey His will because of His unselfish love for us. He wants the best for us, just as a parent does their child.

So next time your child asks why, or tries things their own way. Stop, smile, and show them the love and kindness that God has shown you through the same journey of discovery out of selfishness and into love

Pin It

God hears our prayers. He knows our heart.  God draws close to us when we call out to Him and He intervenes in every area of our life.  God pleads the causes of our soul.

You heard my voice [then]: [Oh] hide not Your ear [now] at my prayer for relief. You drew near on the day I called to You; You said, Fear not. O Lord, You have pleaded the causes of my soul [You have managed my affairs and You have protected my person and my rights]; You have rescued and redeemed my life!

~Lamentations 3:56-58 (Amp)

You have pleaded the causes of my soul.  When I think about the causes of my soul the deep mourning and wanting of my innermost being comes to mind.  This is where I hide the secret things of my heart because I am afraid to speak it out loud.

Sometimes it is because I am afraid. Afraid of what will others think of me? Other times I am afraid to speak it out because I could give the situation or thing power, and then it could come to fruition.

Then I stop to think, God knows every desire of our heart, and He hears our prayers, even when we don’t speak them aloud.  He understands our fears, and He moves beyond them bringing peace to our hearts and satisfying the longing of our soul.

You have managed my affairs. God wants to take care of every physical, financial and worldly need.  Nothing is too small or insignificant to Him.  He wants to take care of that cold you are struggling with, the job you are worried about, the teen with the attitude, and the problem with the plumbing. He wants you to seek Him first in every situation.

When we turn our struggles, our affairs over to Him, the fear dissipates and everything becomes easier to manage. He wants us to be like a child having full faith in our parents. Think about it. Our kids don’t ask how we are going to pay the bills, or buy the food. They expect to be warm, clothed, educated, clean, fed; the details about how all of it comes together doesn’t cross their mind, only the end result. They trust us to provide for every need they have, and God wants us to draw near to Him in the same way. Turn it over to Him and don’t worry about the details of how it will happen, just trust in the end result.

You have protected my person and my rights.  A few years back I had to approach the courts and request that the custody decision of my divorce be overturned and I be given full custody of my children.  Every lawyer I went to told me it would never happen, it would take years, and the kids would be adults before I could get the case heard. Finally one attorney was willing to try. That led to over a year of the courts pushing the case back another month, and another month. But then, one judge was willing to listen. God intervened on my behalf, and everything that was needed to provide the protection and stability my kids would need was granted.

There are other stories I could tell how God miraculously intervened and spared my life. Times I should have been killed or hurt, where there was no reason for my safety except by the grace of God.  You have rescued and redeemed my life! 

God hears our prayers, He knows our hearts, and He cares for us. There in no need to fear because God’s hand is on us. He pleads our causes, manages our affairs, protects us and redeems us.  Enjoy the journey and trust in Him!

Pin It

I remember growing up, my mother had this philosophy.  Don’t let the world know your troubles; just sweep them under the rug.  What matters is what is on the outside, your manners, your speech, the impression you leave. Raised in the south, my mom became the epitome of the perfect lady, and she expected the same from me. 

As I have grown into the lady or woman that I have become, I realize that I must have been a disappointment to her, never fully achieving her expectations of me. I couldn’t hide my troubles, no matter how hard I tried something always spilled out of me.  Sometimes they came out through my insecurities, other times anger, even my incessant need for control spoke of the things that I had hidden so deep in my soul.

Even now I question, do people really know you?  Do people really know what you are struggling with, or fear, or what goes on behind closed doors?  Are we surprised at times when people open up to us?

Sharing my testimony with others has allowed me to express many of my pains and frustrations throughout my life. Each time I share my testimony, it becomes more apparent to me how little we really know about one another. People did not see the abuse I suffered in my childhood, teen years, or even as recently as my first marriage. What people did see during those times of my life were my flaws and my shortcomings. They saw what was wrong with me on the outside, but did not take the time to delve into the reasons causing it on the inside.

I felt scared. I felt alone and I didn’t know what to do. 

One day while vacuuming, God gave me an understanding of what my problem was.  I consider this to be my rug theory. Have you ever steam cleaned your rugs only to see spots come back up a few days or weeks later? This is because we clean from the top down, and we are cleaning what is visible to the eye plus a little bit more. The problem is that there is dirt that lies underneath the rug. If you have ever removed a carpet, I am certain you were shocked by the amount of dirt that settles underneath our floors.  When we clean the top of the rugs, we pull some of that settled dirt towards the top, and eventually it seeps out.  So to clean it, we need to get to the bottom of the situation and clean from the bottom up.

In Matthew 10:26 we are told “So have no fear of them; for nothing is concealed that will not be revealed, or kept secret that will not become known.” This verse terrified me for years.  It meant that all those things I had swept under the rug would come to surface. That everything I had fought so hard to hide away in my life, everything I tried to keep private for the sake of appearances would become known.

I had learned how to not talk about or own up to what had happened or was happening to me.  I learned how to hide my shame, my bitterness, my guilt, and my insecurities. Eventually some of what I had hidden would rise to the top and I would have to clean myself up, vacuum the rug of my life. It wasn’t until I addressed the core issues, the truth of what I had experienced that I began to experience God’s peace and freedom in my life.

After my divorce, my fears came to ahead. I felt I would never get married again, that I was too much of a mess and a disappointment for anyone. I was afraid of what people would think of me, of the choice I made, the existence I had experienced.

Then I met Rich and I knew that for our relationship to work, I had to be honest with him, and tell him the truth of who I was at the core of my being.  That night I was ashamed and terrified, thinking Rich would never want to speak to me again. Then the unexpected happened. Rich saw my circumstances in a completely different light. Instead of seeing what I saw, a foolish woman who was disgraced by her life, he saw a woman of strength and persistence.

Then I realized, that’s how God sees us too. God knew me before I was born and He knows everything I have ever done, will ever do, and will ever think of doing. God loves me just the same.  He looks upon me and sees the character, strength, integrity, and understanding that my circumstances have taught me.  He looks on me with love and acceptance and sees me as the creation He made me to be.

We need to realize that God’s righteousness in simply His approval of us. Find the freedom from yourself and cling to the truth of who you are. Learn to share your experiences with others and find the peace that passes all understanding.

Your rug will never be cleaner!

Pin It

Seems everywhere you look people seem to be in crisis. Possibly a financial crisis is hovering due to the ups and downs of our current economy.  Or possibly be a health issue or a painful recurrence of a lingering injury. What about the family, is it in upheaval?

For me, it could be any one of the above, or any combination thereof on any given day.

During this same season two years ago, I was in an out of the doctor’s office with mystery illnesses vexing me.  Our finances were a wreck…and the struggles created serious stressors in my relationships with those who mean the most to me.

I remember on one occasion when everything was getting to me, arguing with my husband and telling him that I had just had enough. Enough frustration, enough of the struggles… I was giving up because I was too tired to fight anymore.

Be strong, courageous, and firm; fear not nor be in terror before them, for it is the Lord your God Who goes with you; He will not fail you or forsake you. (Deuteronomy 31:6)

This verse came to me during that time, and God revealed to me that my problem is that I am the one fighting, and that is exactly what defeats me.  See, I fight the good fight, but not necessarily the good fight of faith. I believe if I push hard enough and long enough, eventually the opposing side of my struggle will give up.

But that isn’t the way God wants us to face our struggles in life.  He wants us stand firm in our struggles, but standing firm courageously in our faith. He wants me to be like a tree standing through the storms of life. The potential of my success in making it through the storm depends on how deeply I have grounded my roots of faith.  See with roots of faith, I can face the storm; my tree can bend and sway, and I may even lose a few branches; but at the end of the storm, I’m still standing; and I am ready to grow, ready to flourish, and ready to blossom. (John 15:2)

Losing our branches, bending and swaying in the wind is okay, because it is here that God prunes us and develops us to stand stronger the next time…

It has been two years and this season is reminiscent of two years ago.  I have a debilitating health problem lingering over me, complicated with a nuisance of an injury just before Christmas. Our finances were stable enough until one of our cars died without warning just two days before Christmas.  Then that seemed to cause a roller coaster effect on everything. Rich threw out his back, we both got the flu…and boy, did the year that was promising new hopes and dreams, seem to be a rerun of disappointments and struggles.

We were tested with the storm of life, and while we bent, we swayed and we even lost a few branches…we made it through this storm.  We came through without the fights, without the stressors, and with our sense of humor intact. We came through knowing that God would be faithful to see us through this storm, just as He has seen us through all the other storms of our life.  We came through with the promise of new opportunities on the horizon, new visions and dreams coming to fruition.

Are you in crisis?  Are you facing a trial or struggle that is bending you and pulling at the very core of your being? Stand firm and strong, know that God is the “same yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). He will be with you through every struggle, and will pull you through under the shadow of His wings.

Take a moment and root yourself in His word. Thank Him for walking with you through the storms of life, and never leaving you or forsaking you. Be strong, be courageous, and stand firm.

Pin It

How has your year been? Have you lost heart? Felt like you didn’t accomplish anything?

This time of year most of us look back at all the should-a, would-a, could-a’s of the past year and determine ourselves to do better, make changes, have a great year. Then another year passes and back we are in this never ending cycle of wanting more and going nowhere.  In Ephesians 3:13, we are told:

So I ask you not to lose heart [not to faint or become despondent through fear] at what I am suffering in your behalf. [Rather glory in it] for it is an honor to you. (AMP)

When I first read this verse, I noticed that the Amplified Bible is one of the only translations that actually references fear in the wording of the passage. We are warned not to become despondent through fear. Not to withdraw from our calling. Not to lose heart, get depressed.  Looking through other translations, I found this interpretation in the Message:

All this is proceeding along lines planned all along by God and then executed in Christ Jesus. When we trust in him, we’re free to say whatever needs to be said, bold to go wherever we need to go. So don’t let my present trouble on your behalf get you down. Be proud! (vs. 11-13)

I almost feel that I am hearing the voice from Star Trek telling me that I can go boldly where no man has gone before. Do you hear the music in your head?

We should.

We need to stop and reflect back on this past year, and our past seasons, and realize that while we may have made some mistakes, we are on a journey. In that journey there is wonder, amazement, and adventure…problem is instead of getting excited about the things on our horizon, many times we allow our missteps, our misfortunes to sit us on the sidelines of life. Watching others pass by and obtain their calling.

So what do we do when we feel so despondent and withdrawn, defeated by our missteps of life?

If we were planning to travel to an unfamiliar destination, many of us would take the time to key our travel plans into the computer and receive a map with step by step instructions on how to get there. Similarly we are told that God has prepared a roadmap for us, and Christ Jesus has driven along the path.

Putting our faith and trust in the map God has for our lives enables us to embark on the journey set before us.

So as we enter this new year take the time to consider the calling God has set before you. Fill your tank up with your trust in Him, and be prepared to move boldly on the path of your life.  Don’t fear any troubles or bumps along the journey, Jesus is the light along the path and He will lead you along the way to your final destination.

May 2009 be the year you embark on the journey without fear moving in God’s grace.

Pin It