In Which Pacing Became a Prayer Walk

The phone call was expected.

Those minutes encased an unsettling conversation that led to tears that streamed with a sadness ever so subtly interlaced with fear of worst case scenarios.

And then I wandered aimlessly to the back porch pacing, back and forth, forth and back. An odd activity for me, for sure.  But the slow rhythmic strides seemed to settle my numb heart, somehow cocooning it, cradling it.  The quiet steps soon morphed into the sweetest of prayer walks, a most comforting companion as I sorted through troubling news with the Lover of my soul.

Prayer.  This, the sacred sifting and releasing of cascading emotions through the filter of an everyday faith.  And an attentive listening for His sacred response.

Conversing with God settled my soul, calmed my mind.  And it suddenly dawned on me that a profound peace had descended like a gentle dove, landing on me, drifting through me, touching some aching place deep within.

I settled deep into a chair and watched the birds come and go, grazing purposefully at the feeders that gently swayed in the afternoon breezes.  And it hit me that the peace that had come to the forefront left no room for those fearful worst case scenarios.  For His Spirit had opened the floodgates of all that indwelling Son-ripened fruit of the soul, and the awaiting joy and peace overrode the dreadful wisps that had already faded into the far distance.

And in the silence and solitude, my precious Savior wrapped me gently close to Himself, whispering, 'peace I leave with you, My peace I give you.  I do not give to you as the world gives.  Do not let your heart be troubled and do not be afraid.'

* doing life with Kristen  .  Holley  .  Kelli

When We're Not Quite Sure Anymore



Change is a one time event, so they say.

But those transitions can seem endless, going on forever, like a rubber band stretched, stretched, stretched almost to that snapping point.

The in between time between here and there.

Coming and going.

Then and now.

Who we were and who we're becoming.

These are the waiting room times, when the minutes, the days stretch out like eternity unending.

Sometimes we know what we're anticipating, and other times we haven't got a clue.

Fear creeps in like shadows at evening, wanting to grip our souls with icy tentacles, desiring to redefine us because we're not sure where we are or what's around that next corner that seems to loom dark.

But this one thing's for sure.  Who He is.  Always the same, yesterday, today, forever.  Never changing like shifting shadows.  Rock solid and strong.

When all is said and done, He's the only One we can cling to.  In those scary in between times.  When we're not quite sure who we are any more.  Or where on earth we're going.

 

+    photo by Jessica Nguyen Davidson    +

 

I dedicate this post to all those weary and worn transition-trekkers in my world. 

He's carrying you through, yes, He's carrying you through ...

 

 

 

 

Paranoid . . . or Proactive?

 

We chat on the phone as we prepare for the workday that stretches out ahead, talking through a series of decisions made and all the accompanying whys and wherefores.  We reflect on the steady stream of overwhelming choices thrown at us right and left as we wade through the oft' cumbersome subject of wellness.  The appointments, the tests, the consultations, the research, the gene pool, the medication, the insurance.  And the oh-so-challenging, never ending alteration of lifestyle in midlife.  The healthier eating and the exercise of aging limbs and muscles, heart and lungs.

Sigh.

For this is the positive, proactive route to take as we continue to run into the unknowns on this, our life journey.  Avoiding the whiffs of paranoia that dance enticingly toward us.  And drawing a line in the sand right smack dab in the middle of the treacherous hills and the dark valleys and the winding curves that sometimes threaten to throw us right off the edge into the terrifying abyss that looms far below.

And that line in the sand is this -

I  .  WILL  .  NOT  .  OPERATE  .  FROM  .  A  .  PLACE  .  OF  .  FEAR

Sane decision-making is all about making care-filled choices while we have the power to consider our options.  This goes hand in hand with much needed changes in behavior, all steered by the steady desire of our hearts to make it our goal to please Him.  Decisions driven not to get someone else off our backs or satisfy their strong opinions.  But thought-filled, prayer-soaked, common sense determinations that sprout wings and fly and give us a better chance of healthy living in the years ahead.

And this verse, right here - God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.   We operate not from that numbing paralysis of fear, but from a place of peace-fueled confidence.  Because He provides a measure of sanity and clarity and wisdom when we ask Him to step into the mix.

It's time for all that paranoid-laced fear to depart, yes?  Choosing instead to re-focus on cultivating that strengthening connection with our Sustainer.  Growing in that safe place where the daily power of His loving peace blooms and grows healthy and strong deep in the soul.  And enables us to head forward with some measure of confidence, living life well, knowing we did what we could along the way.  Leaving that whole health and wellness piece in the Great Physician's all-loving, incredibly wise hands. 

The words of Jesus whisper sweet through the indwelling Holy Spirit -  'Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you.  I do not give to you as the world gives.  Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.'

==> come with me to Nancy's  .  Beth's  .  Kristen's  .  Courtney's

300 Seconds on Fear

When fear comes to call, he is not a gentleman.  He is an ugly companion who forces his way in to our hearts and minds during our most vulnerable times, taking up what looks to be permanent residence when not welcomed.  He makes himself at home, settling deep in.  His intent is not to leave, but to hang around for as long as possible.  What he really wants to do is run the show, call the shots, orchestrate the whole concert that is our lives.

He victimizes, mesmerizes, disturbs, paralyzes.  This ugly taskmaster steals joy, confidence, peace, and sanity.  His relentless, constant companionship keeps us from making good decisions, wrecks our relationships, kills our health, and renders us impotent to do anything more than simply .  be  .  afraid.

God has not given that spirit of fear.  He gives power, love, and a sound mind.  He gently whispers, do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.'

Be comforted.  Be assured.  You are not alone, God is on your side and will help you show fear the door and kick him straight to the curb.  Do this as often as he comes slinking back toward your heart.  Because you truly can embrace decision making and life itself from a place of confidence and love.

God's perfect love casts out all the ugliness of fear.  You have the power to refuse that uninvited evil guest and he will wander off again, preferably to the far away abyss where he belongs.

" ... afraid yet filled with joy ..."

Barry summed it up best this afternoon when he wrote, "we find ourselves afraid, yet filled with joy {Matthew 28: 8}.

Here's why ...

Please join people from all over in praying at 9:30 am on Monday morning as the all-day surgery begins.

We'll keep you posted ...

At Peace ~
Linda

"You will keep in perfect peace she whose mind is steadfast, because she trusts in You"
- Isaiah 26:3.

Today's Worry Worksheet

Jan Johnson hit the nail on the head when she penned, "'I wish God would tell me ...' is usually followed by a desire to know about something that will affect the next 20 (at least) years of our life.

My experience is that God doesn't do things that way, but shows us only our next step: make a telephone call, study up on something, look within at our motives. If we knew more steps than that, we would probably be overwhelmed."

Read the article ...

So if you're tempted to figure out every detail of the next decade in the next hour. Or have a huge decision looming right in front of you. Or you're wringing your hands and losing sleep about all the horrible "what ifs" that could befall, Jesus has words of comfort:

"Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes"

- Matthew 6:34 {The Message}.

5 SIMPLE STEPS

Step #1. Name your concern.

Step #2. Brainstorm your response options.

 

Step #3. Jot down 3 simple pro-active steps that you have the power to take today. Follow through.

 

Step #4. Ponder what God is teaching you.

 

Step #5. Count your blessings as you create a gratitude list.

 

Bottom line? He promises to never leave us {Hebrews 13:5}, and to give us strength for everything we need to do {Philippians 4:13}. He's given us the Holy Spirit to be our Counselor who will guide us into all truth {John 14:26}.

 

What more could we ask?

 

And even in the midst of all our stuff, He wants us to have hearts filled with gratitude - for who He is, what He has already done, and what He promises to do {Psalm 145}.

"One day at a time" is more than just a catchy slogan. It's the faith-stretching way to move through life with some semblance of clarity, hope, and peace.

Continuing to learn this lesson ~

Linda

TODAY'S WORRY WORKSHEET

MY BIGGEST CONCERN TODAY IS ...

MY RESPONSE OPTIONS ARE:

1.

2.

3.

I WILL PRO-ACTIVELY TAKE THESE 3 STEPS:

1.

2.

3.

GOD IS TEACHING ME TO ...

MY GRATITUDE LIST:

1.

2.

3.