Today’s re-post is slightly edited as well, and you can read the original here.
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“For though I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit and delight to see how orderly you are and how firm your faith in Christ is.” Colossians 2:5 (NIV)
“God, where are you?!”
If you’re anything like me, those words aren’t too far from your own vocabulary at times. I know those are words I’ve screamed out loud, and also deep within my head, heart and spirit when I’ve been through some major storms in my life – and honestly, they are some words I am screaming at the moment myself.
At one point this spring, in the wrapping up of a very wearing semester of college on my spirit, I had a very peaceful week at one point in my spirit despite the headaches of homework I had to accomplish. God was opening some deep wisdom at this point to me concerning grace, and I was able to maneuver through that week with a fair amount of ease.
That was until the one particular night during a counseling session.
Now the mountaintop moment has been over, and I’ve been in a deep valley, for He really started to hammer on me that there was some work that really needed to be done – and what would you know, He it’s all to do with trusting Him.
Trust…the all infamous word that most people desire the most in their lives, but are rarely [if ever] willing to give it.
I’m no stranger to this folks…I want trust given to me all the time. I want people to trust me, because I find myself trustworthy. But sincerely, how trustworthy can I be if I haven’t even been able come to trust God with my whole being even just a part of the time?
Oh, the irony and conundrum of it all!
At moments like this, I’m constantly moved back to this song that reminds me that even when my skies look black as night, lighting is striking all around me and thunder looms over head and snaps with claps now and again scaring me back into myself.
Now, I need to be just bluntly honest with myself, you all, and God about this – storms scare the crud out of me. Since I was a little child, I’ve hated storms – especially ones that let out huge cracks of thunder like the sky itself is ripping open.
I’ve also lived through life storms more times than I wish to count, and you’d think I’d be desensitized to them when they come now – but when they come today, I still have my moments of doubts when things just seem to be going all sorts of upside down.
The cool thing is that God is still here…right here, by my side even when I think my boat is going to topple over in the raging seas. And sometimes it does topple. But another cool thing? He’ll never let me drown. Ever.
How do I know this? Because He’s never let me drown before. Ever. Because of this, I’ll always choose to not give up on Him – for He’snever given up on me.
This doesn’t mean I’ll never again feel fear, or succumb to it, in my life – but it does mean I will always choose to trust Him that He is there, and He’ll always be there to catch me when I am tossed to and fro.
It’s now time to start exercising this faith [trust] that He is here even though right now I’m having a difficult time feeling Him nearby as I begin work in this valley moment of my life.
He hasn’t promised us the rose garden here in this life (or that we’ll not be feel emotions of fear well up at times)…but He has promised us an abundantly beautiful eternal life with Him (even though we may at times fall into that emotion of fear).
I know still need reminders of this (and I’ll probably need many more reminders of it down the road)…and it’s my encouragement for you all today to embrace the truth that He is there with you [right now] in whatever stormy moment you are facing, or living in, right now.
He loves you, and He’ll never forsake you. (Deut. 31:6) Keep your eyes on the work He has you doing, and simply choose to have faith [trust] in Him even though it may feel like He is so distant…for believe me, He won’t let you drown. Ever.
