Tag: Spiritual Growth

Yes Lord, I Trust You

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img_6649-1Last month our boys went to youth camp for the first time.  This is the first time they have gone somewhere States away, without us, for a long period of time.  I about died.  It was pitiful.  As the van drove away, I almost lost it right there in the parking lot.  I held it together…….until I got home. I then cried all day, worried sick, wondering if they were ok and so on.  It was so silly of me.   Jeremy pretty much said, “Dawn, you need to get it together” and I definitely needed to.

So, I began to pray and talk to the Lord asking Him to give me peace in my heart and take away my worry.  Then it hit me – Do I trust Him?  Do I trust the Lord with my children?  Because right then, my actions were not reflecting that.  In that moment, I asked the Lord for forgiveness for my ridiculousness and lack of trust and I began to truly dwell on trusting in Him. One of the very first verses I ever memorized was Proverbs 3:5:

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart
And do not lean on your own understanding.”

Do we trust Him with all of our heart? Do we look past our own understanding and rely on His?  What this scripture is saying is we must have “absolute obedience and surrender in every realm of life” (Fritsch, IBC, 4:799).  Oh how difficult that is when things aren’t quite in our control.  I know my example of worrying as my children went off to camp is such a silly example but it spurred an even greater thought process and challenge in my own heart.  Can I rest and rely on Him with absolute obedience and surrender?  It should be an immediate resounding “YES” as I am commanded to do so and I have seen His faithfulness over and over.  But, do my actions support that answer?

As I sit here at 6:00 a.m. on a Saturday morning having been up for hours already once again wrestling with this question, I come to these conclusions:  I must trust Him.  I have to trust Him.  When things seem awry in my own heart at this moment, when I see the devastation so many are dealing with in Texas, when I see the unsettledness of our country and world, I must trust Him. Today I say Yes Lord, I believe you.  Yes Lord, You are in control.  Yes Lord, You are faithful.  Yes Lord, You love us with a “love that surpasses knowledge”(Ephesians 3:18) and therefore, I trust You.

Friend, I don’t know where you are today, what you wrestle or struggle with; maybe it is sickness, maybe it is marriage struggles, financial struggles, job struggles – whatever it is choose today to trust Him with absolute obedience and surrender over your entire life.  The peace that meets total surrender and complete trust in Him is astounding. 

~Father help me today to trust You completely, even though I am so unsure, You are not.  You are so faithful and Your ways are perfect.   What I see in front of me pales in comparison to what You have ahead of me.~

 

Beauty from Ashes…

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Short, sweet and to the point…….

A few months ago I was asked to share my testimony at the Angie Smith conference the SBCV just had. I initially was going to say no as I was honestly a bit ‘scared.’ It was a seemingly daunting thought to stand up in front of 800+ women and ‘speak’ this testimony of mine…..to speak it is much much different than simply writing it. However, I came to the decision that how dare I squash an opportunity to point to the hope and unfailing love of our Savior. So, I did it. And can I tell you that when you are obedient to the Lord and do something that solely honors and glorifies Him, He will indeed give you an unexplainable peace in the midst of what could be an overwhelming moment. He will give you an opportunity that seems so undeserved.
IMG_6424This was a moment where I completely stepped aside and allowed the Lord to use me and speak through me. #lifechanging My hearts prayer in this opportunity was no one would see me or hear my story but instead hear a love story of Jesus Christ.
I share this to say, if you are in the midst of something that seems unbearable…hold fast my friend. He is there. He is faithful.
A time will come in your journey that causes you to realize that when you wept uncontrollably, when it didn’t seem light was at the end of the tunnel, when all else seemed to fail: The One you know remained, He did indeed remain. Because He is faithful and He does redeem and He does in fact use you for His glory. Even when you think it’s impossible, hope peeks thru.
Don’t give up friend, no matter where you are in the storm; you are loved and thought of…even in that moment you don’t think you can breathe….He is there. He is there waiting to breathe new life into the place that looks like it is beyond repair.
He loves you. He will mend you. He will make you whole. He is a good God. He is a faithful God.
He is a Redeemer, a Rescuer, a Mighty Fortress.
He is our God.

If you’d like to hear my testimony here is the video:

Equipped

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I remember the day we brought these little nuggets home, all 4 pounds of them.  It was the most terrifying yet exciting day.  Leaving the hospital, it took us a bit of time to get them in the car seats because they were so tiny, we had to make sure the straps were snug enough.  It was a rare snowy day as we drove home and I sat between them in the backseat crying.  I was so overwhelmed with so many emotions and all I could think was: “what do I do now?”…..“how do I do this?”  These precious babes are our responsibility and all the tips and self-help books I read didn’t really make me feel all that prepared at this point.  Somehow we made it and just this past weekend celebrated those two little ones becoming teenagers.  This Mommas heart just wasn’t ready for that……and I think I have that same feeling now as we enter the teenage years: “what do we do now?” and “how do we do this?”

I am so thankful that we have a God that doesn’t leave us hanging like that.  However, I think often times we may feel like that.  Maybe you are a new Christian and you just aren’t sure what to do now or maybe you’ve been a Christian a long time but don’t quite know what it means to ‘grow.’ It didn’t stop at the Cross friends.  Jesus Christ didn’t just die on the cross for our sins and say “well good luck!”  He rose from the dead, giving us joy that doesn’t end in death but instead new life in freedom through Him. He has provided us unwavering Truth and guidance through an incredible manual called the Holy Bible to walk this life out with.  Throughout Scripture we are given countless stories and certainties that we can freely look to always.  He provides us all we need to live a holy life.

His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.  Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.                                                                                              2 Peter 1: 3-4

Peter reminds us here of the sources made available to us.  When we grasp and utilize these sources we have the ability to share in his divine nature.  Wow!  What a promise!  Now, this doesn’t mean we are automatically free from all sin or become God ourselves.  What it does mean is when we surrender our lives to Him, we become like Him and have access to the only way there is to escape evil….and that is through Him.  In addition, we have the hope of one day being morally perfected when Jesus returns.  Oh how my heart soars to read these promises!

It is important to note here that this isn’t an “on-call” or “genie in a bottle” kind of thing.  We don’t just tap into our “sources” when we need them or when things get tough.   It is our duty and should be our hearts desire to seek Him daily, reading these promises daily so they are stamped on our hearts and in our minds.  It is then and only then that the “what do I do now? and “how do I do this” questions will be answered.  Through this daily relationship with Him comes growth.  Growth produces confidence in who we are in Him and wisdom in how we do life with Him.  Maybe you are still saying:  “Ok this is all great, but I don’t even know where to start.”  Can I share a few things that have helped me?

*Find a devotional book that can guide you through scripture and help you understand some things better.  Here are links to a few I have used in the past and absolutely love:

My FAVORITE: Whispers of Hope by Beth Moore

One Thousand Gifts by Anne Voskamp

Living the Psalms by Charles Swindoll

*Friendship/Fellowship/Community – if you don’t have a church home, find one.  That is key.  You need a home base where you can go and hear Truth spoken each week.  Also a place where you can begin to build relationships with others that can encourage you and love you through God’s Word.  This happens when you GET CONNECTED.   Sometimes we have to take the first step in that and it may be hard, it may require stepping out of your comfort zone but it is a key part of this:  join a bible study.   This is a beautiful thing because we can glean wisdom from what others are learning.  And just an extra perk: it’s a little more difficult to fall off the wagon when others are expecting to see you each week!

*Mentor/Discipleship/Accountability – This is something the Lord’s been stirring in my heart for the past several months that is such a gift and an important part of our walk.  Pray for and seek out someone whom you believe is a little further in their walk with the Lord.  The Lord speaks through His people and I believe this is a very very important part of the equation.  Pray for someone whom you can trust completely, whom you can be vulnerable with and whom you know will boldly speak Truth into your life.  When discipleship/accountability works correctly, it can help your growth in your walk with the Lord tremendously.

May you realize that “what now” and “how do I do this” isn’t in God’s Word but instead are promises and guidance.  May you rest in the fact that He has gone before you, He loves you and desires you to have your own story with Him.  May you be ready to confidently and courageously step up to the challenge of growing in your walk and relationship with Him!