Have you ever found yourself driving on the highway between orange barrels and a concrete wall in the middle of a hard rain that makes visibility seem barley possible while some other driver is is being reckless? I have. In that experience, I find myself gripping the steering wheel tightly, straining my eyes to see and praying that I stay alert and careful. I can feel all of my muscles tightening as I drive in those unfavorable conditions. And then, just when I think I am wound so tight I can take no more, the construction ends, the rain stops and the crazy driver speeds away. And when that happens, I can physically feel all my muscles begin to relax. My grip loosens. My breathing becomes soothing. My eyes no longer feel strained. O, yes, that is a sweet release of stress and tension.
I have a feeling there are a whole lot of people walking around gripping the steering wheel of life in the same fashion. Most of us, don't even realize we are doing so, but those who know us best can sure see it. Strained, stressed, tense people have a way of being irritable, worried and even afraid. Not exactly qualities that make life fun for the person gripping the wheel or those riding with them.
On Sunday night, I experienced a sweet release from God. I have been wrestling in prayer over a particular concern for several months. On Sunday night, God revealed to me that I was gripping the steering wheel as though I was in the drivers seat. He made it clear that even my prayers were my attempt to be in control. I asked why I was doing that and he showed me it was fear-based. With that truth I went to a place of prayer with many others and I let go of this particular steering wheel. I put it in his hands. And God, in all his love and mercy, broke through all my callousness of fear.
When I got up from prayer, I could physically feel months worth of gripping leave my body as I rested in his hands.
May be you are feeling the same way as I was? Today I invite you to fall before him. Ask him why you are gripping the wheel so tightly? Put that which has you strained, stressed and afraid in his hands. And then...this is so good...experience his sweet release.
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
"The Light is Not At the End of the Tunnel"
The other day I received a face book message from LH member, Vickie McBride. (You may recall her name from a fundraiser we participated at El Rancho Grande this past winter. Vickie has been fighting cancer. She has made it through chemotherapy and surgeries and now she is enduring radiation. Please continue pray for Vickie and her family). In her face book message she shared a truth from God that she had received that has been carrying her through this process and she gave me permission to share it with you.
She said, " HIS light is only a step in front of me and not at the "end of the tunnel"." Isn't that an awesome truth from God?!
Life really can become dark at times, can't it? As we have been studying in Ephesians 6:10 and following, "our struggle is not against flesh and blood..." It is not against what we can see, but unseen forces of darkness. And these forces can make things seem so dark that it appears there is no light at the end of the tunnel.
Have you ever felt like that? When I feel like that, I find myself saying things like, "Here we go again," or "This is never going to end" or "I just can't keep going" or "I give up." It can be extremely overwhelming, scary and discouraging to not see any light at the end of the tunnel.
However, God's word of hope to Vickie is for all of us. It is straight form the Bible. God never promised to be our light at the end of the tunnel. He is not waiting at the end to see if we will make it. No! He promises to gives us light for each step we take. He is walking just a step ahead of us, giving us exactly the light we need as we need it. And when you are walking through a time of darkness, isn't that what is needed most--light for the next step, his nearness and his guidance?
I hope Vickie's word from God encourages you as much it did me. Next, time I do not see light at the end of the tunnel, I am going to thank God and look at the next step before because that is where I will see HIS LIGHT!
She said, " HIS light is only a step in front of me and not at the "end of the tunnel"." Isn't that an awesome truth from God?!
Life really can become dark at times, can't it? As we have been studying in Ephesians 6:10 and following, "our struggle is not against flesh and blood..." It is not against what we can see, but unseen forces of darkness. And these forces can make things seem so dark that it appears there is no light at the end of the tunnel.
Have you ever felt like that? When I feel like that, I find myself saying things like, "Here we go again," or "This is never going to end" or "I just can't keep going" or "I give up." It can be extremely overwhelming, scary and discouraging to not see any light at the end of the tunnel.
However, God's word of hope to Vickie is for all of us. It is straight form the Bible. God never promised to be our light at the end of the tunnel. He is not waiting at the end to see if we will make it. No! He promises to gives us light for each step we take. He is walking just a step ahead of us, giving us exactly the light we need as we need it. And when you are walking through a time of darkness, isn't that what is needed most--light for the next step, his nearness and his guidance?
I hope Vickie's word from God encourages you as much it did me. Next, time I do not see light at the end of the tunnel, I am going to thank God and look at the next step before because that is where I will see HIS LIGHT!
Wednesday, June 5, 2013
Sun Delay
Yesterday, I was driving to the office and heard the radio traffic reporter say that there were "sun delays" on 1-75. Traffic was being slowed because the sun was so bright. I thought to myself, I guess of all the reasons you could experience a traffic jam that sun delay has to be one of the better.
Since then I have been praying that God would interrupt my traffic pattern with his own "Son delay" (come one...you had to see that word pun coming...unless, of course, the sun was in your eyes and you couldn't see it...ha! I'll be here all week!).
What would change for the better in our lives, if we were forced to slow down because we God got in our eyes? You might ask, how could i have this experience? Jesus describes how to experience regular Son delays in Matthew 25. Why not take some time to read that passage until His light begins to break through?
Since then I have been praying that God would interrupt my traffic pattern with his own "Son delay" (come one...you had to see that word pun coming...unless, of course, the sun was in your eyes and you couldn't see it...ha! I'll be here all week!).
What would change for the better in our lives, if we were forced to slow down because we God got in our eyes? You might ask, how could i have this experience? Jesus describes how to experience regular Son delays in Matthew 25. Why not take some time to read that passage until His light begins to break through?
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