A Lesson For Worriers (Like Me)
I don't know if you are like me, but if you worry (A LOT), then you are in good company. It's been a goal of mine to stop the cycle of worry - because it is about as monotonous as a merry-go-round - and to REST in my trust and faith. That hasn't been easy for me. I guess that is where the blonde in me comes out the most - in my gullibility. You see, when someone tells me something (regardless of what it is), I believe them. If it is bad stuff, then my worry meter kicks in high gear. If it is good stuff, then I remain pretty stable. Unmovable.
Take, for instance, the recent catastrophic events that have rocked our world of late: the quake in Chile and now in Japan (followed by the tsunami). I work among CIWO's [Christians in words only] who love nothing more than to tell me how this is the end of the world and I best get my affairs in order [okay...if this is the end of the world, why get my affairs in order? There won't be anyone left to inherit from me]. Better yet, they like the gloom and doom view of things. I have a hard time with this. I really do. Why? Well, the short answer is because I know Kimbo hasn't turned her life over to Jesus Christ. As I told my pastor recently, I couldn't die without knowing that she will be in Heaven too. I just couldn't - not after praying so hard for her and going through all these trials - die in this life to live my eternal life without knowing she'd be there too. There are those who say we won't know who is there aside from God and Christ because there isn't anything in God's Word that eludes to the consciousness we will have there. There are others who say we will know each other - and to some degree I think we will...as brethren and children of God. I want my daughter to be my sister - in Christ Jesus. I want us to be united in our faith ~ our unshakable, unwavering faith. That is my heart's truest desire...more so than my desire to be married and to experience marriage the way it was meant. Corny, right? I told you I am a blonde~~~ ;)
As I said before, I talked to my pastor (I don't know WHY God chose this point in my life to bring this wonderful, Godly person into my life and add to my friendships, but I am very glad that Pastor Hough doesn't think I'm a complete lunatic for all the questions and doubts I throw at him) about all the stuff I had heard. I simply asked him: "How am I to respond?" His answer: "Trust in God. Rest in Him. Know that He is STILL in control." I love his simplicity in advice...because it is TRUTH! When am I gonna get this into my head?!? It is truly as simple as trusting, resting, knowing/believing. How refreshing!
As a Christian I do know that Christ will return ONE DAY. When that 'day' is - we don't know. We, as humans, can't comprehend the mind of God. Let me put it this way, if we were to know all the reasons why God does what He does there would be no mystery. Without mystery we'd lack the desire to seek out answers. Without seeking, there are no profound questions or discussions or even drive to work out purpose. I think this is a pretty close summation as to why I can't allow myself view things in a gloom and doom way. If I were to wake up everyday with an apocalyptic view of life, I would rather stay asleep. The way I view life now is: Each day is a GIFT and I am going to honor Him who gave me that gift by LIVING and witnessing/serving in whatever way He desires me to. We aren't supposed to hide behind our faith - we are to EXPLODE with it and share it with those we come in contact with. Time is fleeting, yes. Why waste it? Use it. Invest it. Share it.
I haven't done what I'm about to do in a while, but I'm going to share some encouragement that is helping me immensely in these days...share words from a song that has just spoke volumes and I am sure God had His hand all over this:
The Reason For the World - Matthew West, "The Story of Your Life"
There are no words in times like these
When tears don't hide the tragedies
And all you want is a reason for the world
No comfort in the greeting card
Cause God is good
But life's still hard
and your heart just wants a reason for the world
CHORUS:
Maybe the reason for the pain
Is so we would pray for strength
And maybe the reason for the strength
Is so that we would not lose hope
And maybe the reason for all hope
Is so that we could face the world
And the reason for the world
Is to make us long for home
For God so loved your broken heart
He sent His Son to where you are
and He died
To give a reason for the world
So lift your sorrows to the One
Whose plan for you has just begun
And rests here in the hands that hold the world
CHORUS
Well I know you're past the point of broken
Surrounded by your fears
I know you're faint and tired and lonely
from the road that you walked down here
But just keep your eyes on Heaven
and know that you are not alone
remember the reason for the world
CHORUS
No ear has heard
No eye has seen
Not even in your wildest dreams
A beauty that awaits beyond this world
When you look into the eyes of grace
and hear the voice of mercy say
"Child, welcome to the reason for the world"
Talk about the peace that passes understanding...Be blessed & Be a blessing!
Take, for instance, the recent catastrophic events that have rocked our world of late: the quake in Chile and now in Japan (followed by the tsunami). I work among CIWO's [Christians in words only] who love nothing more than to tell me how this is the end of the world and I best get my affairs in order [okay...if this is the end of the world, why get my affairs in order? There won't be anyone left to inherit from me]. Better yet, they like the gloom and doom view of things. I have a hard time with this. I really do. Why? Well, the short answer is because I know Kimbo hasn't turned her life over to Jesus Christ. As I told my pastor recently, I couldn't die without knowing that she will be in Heaven too. I just couldn't - not after praying so hard for her and going through all these trials - die in this life to live my eternal life without knowing she'd be there too. There are those who say we won't know who is there aside from God and Christ because there isn't anything in God's Word that eludes to the consciousness we will have there. There are others who say we will know each other - and to some degree I think we will...as brethren and children of God. I want my daughter to be my sister - in Christ Jesus. I want us to be united in our faith ~ our unshakable, unwavering faith. That is my heart's truest desire...more so than my desire to be married and to experience marriage the way it was meant. Corny, right? I told you I am a blonde~~~ ;)
As I said before, I talked to my pastor (I don't know WHY God chose this point in my life to bring this wonderful, Godly person into my life and add to my friendships, but I am very glad that Pastor Hough doesn't think I'm a complete lunatic for all the questions and doubts I throw at him) about all the stuff I had heard. I simply asked him: "How am I to respond?" His answer: "Trust in God. Rest in Him. Know that He is STILL in control." I love his simplicity in advice...because it is TRUTH! When am I gonna get this into my head?!? It is truly as simple as trusting, resting, knowing/believing. How refreshing!
As a Christian I do know that Christ will return ONE DAY. When that 'day' is - we don't know. We, as humans, can't comprehend the mind of God. Let me put it this way, if we were to know all the reasons why God does what He does there would be no mystery. Without mystery we'd lack the desire to seek out answers. Without seeking, there are no profound questions or discussions or even drive to work out purpose. I think this is a pretty close summation as to why I can't allow myself view things in a gloom and doom way. If I were to wake up everyday with an apocalyptic view of life, I would rather stay asleep. The way I view life now is: Each day is a GIFT and I am going to honor Him who gave me that gift by LIVING and witnessing/serving in whatever way He desires me to. We aren't supposed to hide behind our faith - we are to EXPLODE with it and share it with those we come in contact with. Time is fleeting, yes. Why waste it? Use it. Invest it. Share it.
I haven't done what I'm about to do in a while, but I'm going to share some encouragement that is helping me immensely in these days...share words from a song that has just spoke volumes and I am sure God had His hand all over this:
The Reason For the World - Matthew West, "The Story of Your Life"
There are no words in times like these
When tears don't hide the tragedies
And all you want is a reason for the world
No comfort in the greeting card
Cause God is good
But life's still hard
and your heart just wants a reason for the world
CHORUS:
Maybe the reason for the pain
Is so we would pray for strength
And maybe the reason for the strength
Is so that we would not lose hope
And maybe the reason for all hope
Is so that we could face the world
And the reason for the world
Is to make us long for home
For God so loved your broken heart
He sent His Son to where you are
and He died
To give a reason for the world
So lift your sorrows to the One
Whose plan for you has just begun
And rests here in the hands that hold the world
CHORUS
Well I know you're past the point of broken
Surrounded by your fears
I know you're faint and tired and lonely
from the road that you walked down here
But just keep your eyes on Heaven
and know that you are not alone
remember the reason for the world
CHORUS
No ear has heard
No eye has seen
Not even in your wildest dreams
A beauty that awaits beyond this world
When you look into the eyes of grace
and hear the voice of mercy say
"Child, welcome to the reason for the world"
Talk about the peace that passes understanding...Be blessed & Be a blessing!
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