Category Archives: SPIRITUAL INTEREST

Posted on

YOU CAN MAKE IT

ABANDONED: ALONE, AFRAID, UNCERTAIN

“This is too hard. I can’t do this.” Ever said those words? I have. You’re at your end. You’ve come to a brick wall. You don’t know where to turn, which way to go, how to move forward. You may be broken, defeated. Desperate. Where is God? Where is He when you need Him, like right now?

God promises to never leave us or forsake us. The promise is golden. Circumstances may defeat us. People may betray us. Conflict may depress us. Yet. The truth is, our world seems unstable when things go haywire. God promises aren’t always in line with our experiences, at least it feels that way. What gives?

REALITY

We know God says He is here for us. We know we can count on Him. We know God is our rock in times of trouble, and He doesn’t abandon us. Yet what we’re going through is hard. We can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel. There’s hurt. Confusion. Disappointment. Betrayal.

When you are abandoned, you can feel all alone. Fear, worry, and pain make it difficult to move forward. The isolation one feels is overpowering. We begin to falter. Question. Draw inward. Doubt God’s best for us. Wonder why He allowed this to happen to us.

CHOICE

In the critical moments when doubts assail us, there comes an opportunity in the form of a choice. We either believe God and claim the realty of His promise to never leave or forsake us or we ignore or disbelieve it.  Those who choose to believe God’s promise find strength and help as they open up to receive what He offers.

God says, “I’m here. Let me help you. Give it to me. Trust me with it.” You wonder how to do that. You picture your hand in His. You begin to trust Him with your fears, hurts, doubts, burdens. You even now realize you can give them to Him and trust Him to help you on the long journey.

FOR ME

I was abandoned by my mate more than once. The pain went deep. My babies were hurting. People didn’t know how to help us, though they tried. I needed God so very desperately. Knowing He was there and wouldn’t forsake me gave me great comfort. I clung to Him. He said, “Trust me.” I was now on the right path, and it changed everything.

I learned to trust God with the many difficulties that come when you are left. When my life collapsed I had to make a new path. I sought God every day for the strength I needed. I prayed and read His Word.

God met me where I was at. He heard my cries. He ministered to me in the deep places of the heart. He helped me find work, take care of the kids and get a handle on things. It was harder than I can put into words. God became my ‘enough’ to make it to the other side. I am deeply thankful for God going through it with me. He became my hope and promise.

HE’S GOT YOUR BACK

God does His part. We do our part. You can’t escape that reality. For God to be real in anyone’s life depends on their ability to trust Him. Trust in God grows as you learn to depend on Him with all aspects of your life. He IS always with you. He NEVER leaves you. He is a GOOD Father. Until anyone experiences Him as such they are unable to fully apprehend what He offers.

At the wall? Don’t know what to do? Turn to Father God. Trust Him with it all. Seek Him and begin to find answers and help. He is there for you and always will be. No matter what. You can take that to the bank.

Posted on

Sacred Space on Saturday Morning

MY SACRED SATURDAY MORNINGS

Our lives reveal what matters to us. They also show some of our history, the culmination of our experiences, how we processed them, and our conclusions about them. This is true about our spiritual lives as well. A stiff, stale, scripted spiritual walk lacks life. On the other hand, spiritual life that is growing demonstrates its liveliness. Are we growing as Christians? We might assess where in our inner selves we see change and deeper understanding of God’s truths and ways. The other day I was thinking along such lines when I asked myself what has been most important in changing up my spiritual life. The answer: My Saturday mornings.

My Saturday routine became essential to my spiritual development seventeen years ago. My life was busy as a teacher and farmer and single mom of five kiddos. It was necessary to block out the morning for extra meaningful without interruption time for serious spiritual contemplation. I’d make a cup of coffee, grab my bible, journal, pen, devotional or books, feed the wood stove, and start reading. About an hour into it, I’d take a break to make from scratch pancakes or waffles and maple syrup for the kids.

Once the kids were fed and the chores for the day dispensed, I’d dive into what I liked best. I’d spend the bulk of the morning in my sacred space on the corner of the couch. Like a starving soul, I soaked it up. Two to three hours or for as long as possible I read in my Bible, prayed, meditated on His word, and wrote a multitude of thoughts in my journal. It was hallowed time. O how I cherished those times of spiritual refreshment, rejuvenation, and renewal. I grew and grew and grew. God wrought changes in me as I sought Him as my teacher, healer, friend, and Lord.

Every week I looked forward to my time alone with God. As I look back on the many components to my healing, growing, and transformation, it is clear to me that my devotion to God came as a result of my seeking to know Him. I truly believe during that block of time for the deeper walk is part of why I grew in my faith journey. Open, honest, willing heart-felt communication with my heavenly Father made this ‘conversation’ authentic. The hours seemed like minutes, they flew by.

True, at the onset I hurt emotionally and that’s what caused me to seek heaven’s door. I knew I didn’t want the same old thing. I wanted to know God without a formulaic approach. I desired open, honest, straight talk. I asked God to penetrate the layers of my self-stuff, which He did over the months, bit by bit. That’s when my spiritual life became real, lively, and authentic; the pretense was confronted and then removed. Since then it has become a way of life with me. I hunger for the silences, my alone times with God, the place where relational intimacy develops and thrives. I’m retired from teaching which means I can pick any day of the week to have my sacred time alone with God. I’m thankful for this.

You don’t need to do it the way I did. Let God lead you ‘beside the still waters.’ Fill yourself with Him. Soak in His presence. Ask Him to be alive in you. Allow Him to cleanse you of your impurities to make you anew. Rest in His love. Hope in His peace. Let His beauty be seen in you. Let go and let God. Be blessed.