a year ago sept i wrote about daisy's first car wash experience. you can read it here if you'd like. since that day she has been thru several car washes and just this past week once again, we headed to the car wash to wash all the road grit and dirt off from our big trip.
as we were slowly moving on the car wash tracks, i thot back to that first car wash daisy had experienced. how scared she was and how she needed comfort and love. flash forward and she is racing back and forth barking at the attendents who are scrubbing down the back windows. what a difference! no longer scared about the process she could be herself. she was at ease if slightly annoyed.
i wonder if the Lord allows the same types of things to enter my life in order to get me to a place where i can be at ease, knowing that He is taking care of the situaion. maybe i'm not barking at car wash attendents, but maybe i can be praying fervently for others needs, my own needs, the unreached world, or other things. i think its a part of spiritually growing up when we can move from the Father's lap and instead know that even tho this used to be a scary situation we've been thru it before and we can rest assured that God will bring us thru it yet again. and thus, i can concentrate on other things instead of shivering and shaking from fear.
what about you? has the Lord brought you thru something that no longer makes you quiver in fear but instead allows you to rest in His hands? i think the Lord is trying to teach me this lesson in a couple different areas of my life. and knowing that He is the one who will complete in me what He has begun, i look forward to the end of the lesson.
Showing posts with label trusting God. Show all posts
Showing posts with label trusting God. Show all posts
Monday, January 07, 2008
Wednesday, January 02, 2008
over the hills and thru the woods ....
on our drive home, we hit some rough weather in the blues of eastern oregon. as i was driving over the pass and dusk settled, an icy rain started to fall. the roads had patches of compact snow and ice. the further we went the more snow and ice covered the road. at first it was ok driving as a convoy of vehichles stayed in the right lane. but as the semi we were all following crept slower and slower over the pass, the antsy drivers behind us started to pass us, spraying wet ice and snow on our windshields as they whizzed past.
this is my least favorite kind of driving, right up there with driving in fog at night on a freeway. i always tell myself i'm never going to do this again,but invariably, being the only driver in our household, i find myself exactly in the situation i like least.
as i was driving and wishing i was anywhere but there, i was thinking that this was yet another opportunity to trust God. i think trusting God has become a theme in my life becuz i'm a bit of a control junkie. i like to be in control of my life. even if it is only the illusion of control i want to think that everything is ok. i find that the Lord has given me lots of opportunities to remind me that i an NOT in control. all i have to do is find myself on a snowy mtn pass with cars whizzing by me as i putz along to remind me that i NEED the Lord, and i HAVE to trust Him, cuz there ain't no other way.
as i watch others and myself deal with the hard stuff of life, i often wonder how those without Jesus do it. where is their foundation? how do they cope? for me, i NEED the Lord. i need to lean on Him when i have no understanding of the situation. i need to know that He is in control and sovereign. i need to find shelter under the shadow of His wing.
and the older i get, the more i see that we ALL go thru the hard times. whether its watching your parents get older and suffer the effects of cancer ravaging their bodies, or haivng health issues yourself. we dont' get to go thru life unscathed. there are fires, and floods, families coming unraveled and economic hardships. there are car accidents and random acts of violence that happen unexpectedly. but thru it all, i SEE my Lord! i hold HIS hand! i am carried by Him! He is with me.
the Lord got me down that mtn that night safe and sound. we made it thru the rough icy roads the next morning as well. and as i look at my life, i know that He is doing the same for michael and i. we will make it thru this hard part of life, He will bring us thru it all safe and sound.
one of my fav verses is in Isaiah. When you pass thru the waters, I will be with you; and thru the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk thru the fire, you will not be scorched, nor will the flame burn you. For I am the Lord your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior.
i love how it say when, not if. the Lord knows what we as frail humans go thru. He is not unaware. and He gives His promise as to why we will get thru it all, becuz He is the Lord, our Savior. what a comfort, what a joy!
the verse before these touches me deeply as it says: Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are Mine!
so whatever you are going thru, have gone thru, or are yet to go thru, do not be afraid. cling to Jesus. remember your Savior is the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel. He is mighty to save! He will get you thru that river and bring you thru that fire unscorched. Praise be to the Lord God Almighty!!!
this is my least favorite kind of driving, right up there with driving in fog at night on a freeway. i always tell myself i'm never going to do this again,but invariably, being the only driver in our household, i find myself exactly in the situation i like least.
as i was driving and wishing i was anywhere but there, i was thinking that this was yet another opportunity to trust God. i think trusting God has become a theme in my life becuz i'm a bit of a control junkie. i like to be in control of my life. even if it is only the illusion of control i want to think that everything is ok. i find that the Lord has given me lots of opportunities to remind me that i an NOT in control. all i have to do is find myself on a snowy mtn pass with cars whizzing by me as i putz along to remind me that i NEED the Lord, and i HAVE to trust Him, cuz there ain't no other way.
as i watch others and myself deal with the hard stuff of life, i often wonder how those without Jesus do it. where is their foundation? how do they cope? for me, i NEED the Lord. i need to lean on Him when i have no understanding of the situation. i need to know that He is in control and sovereign. i need to find shelter under the shadow of His wing.
and the older i get, the more i see that we ALL go thru the hard times. whether its watching your parents get older and suffer the effects of cancer ravaging their bodies, or haivng health issues yourself. we dont' get to go thru life unscathed. there are fires, and floods, families coming unraveled and economic hardships. there are car accidents and random acts of violence that happen unexpectedly. but thru it all, i SEE my Lord! i hold HIS hand! i am carried by Him! He is with me.
the Lord got me down that mtn that night safe and sound. we made it thru the rough icy roads the next morning as well. and as i look at my life, i know that He is doing the same for michael and i. we will make it thru this hard part of life, He will bring us thru it all safe and sound.
one of my fav verses is in Isaiah. When you pass thru the waters, I will be with you; and thru the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk thru the fire, you will not be scorched, nor will the flame burn you. For I am the Lord your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior.
i love how it say when, not if. the Lord knows what we as frail humans go thru. He is not unaware. and He gives His promise as to why we will get thru it all, becuz He is the Lord, our Savior. what a comfort, what a joy!
the verse before these touches me deeply as it says: Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are Mine!
so whatever you are going thru, have gone thru, or are yet to go thru, do not be afraid. cling to Jesus. remember your Savior is the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel. He is mighty to save! He will get you thru that river and bring you thru that fire unscorched. Praise be to the Lord God Almighty!!!
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
i'm dreaming of a ....
this is probably not going to be a typical seed story, but its on my heart to write. so lets begin.
many years ago, when mike and i were first starting off in life, a beloved friend, worship leader and later our pastor, recieved a word of knowledge for us. we were excited, scared, touched, and overwhelmed when he told us what he had heard from the Lord. in the beginning we told many people about the "word from the Lord" sure that God was going to something miraculous in our lives and soon. but as the years went by, nothing seemed to happen. we soon stopped talking about it and only occasionaly between the two of us would ask the other "do you think its ever going to happen?" "what do you think about it?" we very rarely even think about it, as it seems our lives have gone down a path that is far from the one we forsaw in the "word from the Lord".
last nite i had a dream. in my dream i was asking someone about "the word of the Lord". i wanted to know if it was truly from the Lord, and was going to come to pass. the person responded: why yes, it is from the Lord and it will come to pass. the Lord gave you a word 3 times and therefore it will come to pass.
after i woke up i thot about it. in my dream i hadn't quite got the details right, it wasn't given 3 times, but rather there were 3 parts to it. as i walked down the stairs to start my latte, i thot about how it feels like my life is the furthest possible spot from the implementaion of the "word" the Lord gave us so many years ago. i wondered if this is how joseph felt about the dream he had been given as a teenager, years later when he was in jail. did he see no way out of his situation? did he trust the Lord or did he feel that he was the farthest anyone could be from being a leader and commander that he had seen in his dream. i have a feeling that Joseph continued to trust.
i dont' know why it came to mind and i dreamt about it last nite. i dont' know if the dream was from the Lord, i like to think so. i don't know if it will soon be fulfilled or is still a ways off. but just like the rest of the story of joseph shows, i know the Lord hasn't forgotton me or is unaware of where i am at this time in my life. i love that He is the God who sees. He is in control, and He is sovereign. i find peace resting in palm of His hand, wherever that might be here on earth.
til next time, gail
many years ago, when mike and i were first starting off in life, a beloved friend, worship leader and later our pastor, recieved a word of knowledge for us. we were excited, scared, touched, and overwhelmed when he told us what he had heard from the Lord. in the beginning we told many people about the "word from the Lord" sure that God was going to something miraculous in our lives and soon. but as the years went by, nothing seemed to happen. we soon stopped talking about it and only occasionaly between the two of us would ask the other "do you think its ever going to happen?" "what do you think about it?" we very rarely even think about it, as it seems our lives have gone down a path that is far from the one we forsaw in the "word from the Lord".
last nite i had a dream. in my dream i was asking someone about "the word of the Lord". i wanted to know if it was truly from the Lord, and was going to come to pass. the person responded: why yes, it is from the Lord and it will come to pass. the Lord gave you a word 3 times and therefore it will come to pass.
after i woke up i thot about it. in my dream i hadn't quite got the details right, it wasn't given 3 times, but rather there were 3 parts to it. as i walked down the stairs to start my latte, i thot about how it feels like my life is the furthest possible spot from the implementaion of the "word" the Lord gave us so many years ago. i wondered if this is how joseph felt about the dream he had been given as a teenager, years later when he was in jail. did he see no way out of his situation? did he trust the Lord or did he feel that he was the farthest anyone could be from being a leader and commander that he had seen in his dream. i have a feeling that Joseph continued to trust.
i dont' know why it came to mind and i dreamt about it last nite. i dont' know if the dream was from the Lord, i like to think so. i don't know if it will soon be fulfilled or is still a ways off. but just like the rest of the story of joseph shows, i know the Lord hasn't forgotton me or is unaware of where i am at this time in my life. i love that He is the God who sees. He is in control, and He is sovereign. i find peace resting in palm of His hand, wherever that might be here on earth.
til next time, gail
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
the lightening storm
sat night, as i was driving home from the boise airport i saw some bright lights in distant darkness. i didnt' think too much about them as i was anxious to make good time and get home to see my hubby and son after being away for 5 days. being late at night, the roads were fairly clear. as i continued east, i noticed that not only were the lights still showing up at times, but that they were getting brighter. i remembered that earlier in the week i had heard the weatherman say there was a chance of lightning.
as i got closer i noticed that each time the lightning occured, the sky would be lit up in a purple glow. i had seen photos of lightning but always assumed that the photographer had added something extra to the shot to get that purple. there was sheet lightning, stretching across the sky and then a bolt that would strike vertically on the horizon. being so far away, it was a majestic show just for me. i was in awe of the colors, the power, the light .... but then it got closer, or i should say i got closer to the storm. the rain started and the few cars around me and i slowed down. visibility was an issue as well as the lightning that now seemed to be right in front of our vehicles.
driving is not my favorite activity since mike's accident. and driving at night, in the rain, on the freeway is even less palatable. throw in a lightning storm and a panic attack could be in the forseeable future. but as i was debating whether to move to the side of the road and try to wait out the storm, the story of the disciples in the boat when the storm arose came to mind. even with Jesus sleeping in the boat, they were anxious for their very lives. i too, was feeling anxious. the power of the storm made me fear for my safety. but just as the Lord had been with the disciples in the boat, He was also with me in the car. as i reflected on the disciples plight and my own, the Lord brought peace to me as i drove my van thru the rain and lightning. soon i was able to look at the lightning and revel in the awesome power of the storm that God created and put on display for me to witness. i was reminded of what majestic power and might He wields.
as i continued on in my travels, i could no longer see the lightning ahead of me. instead the lightning flashed above my head and i saw the brillance thru my periferial vision. and then it was behind me. the rain softened and soon disappeared. the flashes of light just a distant vision in my rear view mirror.
Exodus 20:18 All the people perceived the thunder and the lightning flashes and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it, they trembled and stood at a distance.
as i got closer i noticed that each time the lightning occured, the sky would be lit up in a purple glow. i had seen photos of lightning but always assumed that the photographer had added something extra to the shot to get that purple. there was sheet lightning, stretching across the sky and then a bolt that would strike vertically on the horizon. being so far away, it was a majestic show just for me. i was in awe of the colors, the power, the light .... but then it got closer, or i should say i got closer to the storm. the rain started and the few cars around me and i slowed down. visibility was an issue as well as the lightning that now seemed to be right in front of our vehicles.
driving is not my favorite activity since mike's accident. and driving at night, in the rain, on the freeway is even less palatable. throw in a lightning storm and a panic attack could be in the forseeable future. but as i was debating whether to move to the side of the road and try to wait out the storm, the story of the disciples in the boat when the storm arose came to mind. even with Jesus sleeping in the boat, they were anxious for their very lives. i too, was feeling anxious. the power of the storm made me fear for my safety. but just as the Lord had been with the disciples in the boat, He was also with me in the car. as i reflected on the disciples plight and my own, the Lord brought peace to me as i drove my van thru the rain and lightning. soon i was able to look at the lightning and revel in the awesome power of the storm that God created and put on display for me to witness. i was reminded of what majestic power and might He wields.
as i continued on in my travels, i could no longer see the lightning ahead of me. instead the lightning flashed above my head and i saw the brillance thru my periferial vision. and then it was behind me. the rain softened and soon disappeared. the flashes of light just a distant vision in my rear view mirror.
Exodus 20:18 All the people perceived the thunder and the lightning flashes and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it, they trembled and stood at a distance.
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