Two years ago I started following a prayer-requesting Facebook group called "Please Pray For Rosalie". This beautiful little girl was in a coma after a near-drowning incident. We all see many causes online, but this one caught my attention because it could be any one of us in that situation, and the mother was writing about faith and prayers and Scripture in what must have been the worst days of her life. It has always been clear that this family wants Jesus name to be shared through every circumstance they faced; life or death, health and healing or not.
It's no secret that we've had an extended season of difficulty in our household. To be very clear, I am not comparing my situation to the loss of a child. But I can relate to a situation that feels huge and heavy and impossible, both in my Mom's 16 years of hospitalization and her death as well as our marriage and family issues.
In my head I knew I "should" surrender my circumstances to God, and now that I think about it, it was probably the Spirit whispering it to me as well. But I would argue, but God won't take this weight off my shoulders, my situation won't change anyway...
And then I read this post on Rosalie's page. (Shared with permission by her mother Tiffany.)
About 9 months into Rosalie’s accident I was on a run when I became completely overwhelmed with sadness and I remember asking God if this pain was ever going to go away. I started to believe that there was no way out of the pain and that it was just going to be a new part of my everyday life. I remember tears just falling down my face, I felt out of breath as if I was having an anxiety attack. I remember falling to my knees in the middle of the road with my arms stretched towards God. I told him that I didn’t know how I was going to make it through this. At this point Rosalie was still in a coma and we had no idea what the future held for her. As I cried and cried I remember the feeling of peace overwhelming me. I remember laughing my tears away because it felt like a huge bag of bricks had been instantly removed from my chest. I was knelt there thinking am I dreaming?? Is this feeling for real? I continued to talk with God about this new found feeling that I was having. What I heard from the Lord will forever change my life. This is what the Lord spoke to my heart “This feeling is what it feels like to let go and let me have your fear and worry of the future. I want all of you not just part.” WOW!
When we let go and let God, that’s when we truly experience the peace that surpasses all understanding no matter the circumstances we may be facing. God doesn’t want us to just give him “some” things he wants us to give him everything all the time completely surrendering control to him. I can’t thank God enough for that day, he gave me clarity and wisdom that continues to spill into my everyday life. When we surrender our whole self to God giving him all control, does that mean that I won’t be fearful or worried again?? No way!! There are things that I face every day that bring fear to my heart but I have a choice! A choice to allow myself to worry or I can fall on my knees time and time again and ask God to take it from me. Every time my knees hit the floor and I beg God to take this from me, he doesn’t just do it sometime… HE DOES IT EVERYTIME!
Maybe its sickness, marriage problems, single mom or dad trying to make it, maybe money struggle, drugs, alcohol, abuse, job struggles, your past or death like we have faced. Whatever you are facing right now God is able and ready to be your prince of peace. He is ready to show you a freedom that you never thought possible. He is able! He is ready! He Loves you no matter where you are or have been. Fall on your knees today before the Lord. He is ready to fight for you, beside you and with you as you face the struggles of this life.
One place that the enemy really tries to bring me down is the day at the pool. Even though it’s been almost 2 years he still tries. Just the other day I was driving and thoughts just began to flood my mind. My heart began to break as haunting visions filled my thoughts. I had to pull the car over because I felt as if I was going to have an anxiety attack. My breaths started to get shorter and shorter and tears started running down my face. I stopped the car and on the side of the road I asked God to come to me and protect my heart and my mind from the enemies attempt to destroy my peace and joy. I spoke out loud to the enemy that my God was bigger than him and he needed to flee from me in the name of Jesus! I prayed and prayed until I could no longer even think a thought of the day at the pool. The Lord completely took over my thoughts and filled them with thoughts that were close to his.
Time and time again I surrender control of my life to Christ and time and time again he is faithful to me. I know who holds my future so as I walk this life I want to walk as close to him and his plan for my future as possible. We need to be people who trust the Lord in everything, not just the easy things but the things that are hard as well. The things that we still don’t understand put our trust in him. There is no joy in fearing or worrying but through prayer and the word of God, there is joy and peace in giving up control to the one who holds our future.
No matter what we face here there is HOPE in Jesus! He can bring us out of darkness and into light and as we continue to seek.
“The Lord will fight for you; you need only be still.” Exodus 14:14
This image, a woman so burdened and broken that she is on her knees on the road with her hands raised to God, stayed in my mind. She raised her hands and God actually lifted her burden. (I know; shouldn't be a surprise because the Word says He will do it.) It spoke to me and I knew this was a lesson I needed to learn.
I grabbed a video at church today. I sometimes get a sense that I am directed by God to choose a certain movie, and while I was not in the mood for a teaching DVD, I felt compelled to grab one by Louie Giglio. He's got some neat stuff, I figured. Entertaining and teaching. The second half of the video grabbed my attention. He spoke on raising our hands, how it's not a denomination or personality "thing". It's a basic human instinct. When we celebrate, when we connect with something or someone, or in times of crisis, human instinct is often to raise our hands. He shared a struggle he had had and how the Holy Spirit put a phrase of praise in his mind during this dark time. At night when he couldn't sleep, he could only lift his hands to God in desperation and repeat the phrase. In a song writing session with Chris Tomlin, the phrases came together and sounded like this:
Be still, there is a Healer
It's no secret that we've had an extended season of difficulty in our household. To be very clear, I am not comparing my situation to the loss of a child. But I can relate to a situation that feels huge and heavy and impossible, both in my Mom's 16 years of hospitalization and her death as well as our marriage and family issues.
In my head I knew I "should" surrender my circumstances to God, and now that I think about it, it was probably the Spirit whispering it to me as well. But I would argue, but God won't take this weight off my shoulders, my situation won't change anyway...
And then I read this post on Rosalie's page. (Shared with permission by her mother Tiffany.)
About 9 months into Rosalie’s accident I was on a run when I became completely overwhelmed with sadness and I remember asking God if this pain was ever going to go away. I started to believe that there was no way out of the pain and that it was just going to be a new part of my everyday life. I remember tears just falling down my face, I felt out of breath as if I was having an anxiety attack. I remember falling to my knees in the middle of the road with my arms stretched towards God. I told him that I didn’t know how I was going to make it through this. At this point Rosalie was still in a coma and we had no idea what the future held for her. As I cried and cried I remember the feeling of peace overwhelming me. I remember laughing my tears away because it felt like a huge bag of bricks had been instantly removed from my chest. I was knelt there thinking am I dreaming?? Is this feeling for real? I continued to talk with God about this new found feeling that I was having. What I heard from the Lord will forever change my life. This is what the Lord spoke to my heart “This feeling is what it feels like to let go and let me have your fear and worry of the future. I want all of you not just part.” WOW!
When we let go and let God, that’s when we truly experience the peace that surpasses all understanding no matter the circumstances we may be facing. God doesn’t want us to just give him “some” things he wants us to give him everything all the time completely surrendering control to him. I can’t thank God enough for that day, he gave me clarity and wisdom that continues to spill into my everyday life. When we surrender our whole self to God giving him all control, does that mean that I won’t be fearful or worried again?? No way!! There are things that I face every day that bring fear to my heart but I have a choice! A choice to allow myself to worry or I can fall on my knees time and time again and ask God to take it from me. Every time my knees hit the floor and I beg God to take this from me, he doesn’t just do it sometime… HE DOES IT EVERYTIME!
Maybe its sickness, marriage problems, single mom or dad trying to make it, maybe money struggle, drugs, alcohol, abuse, job struggles, your past or death like we have faced. Whatever you are facing right now God is able and ready to be your prince of peace. He is ready to show you a freedom that you never thought possible. He is able! He is ready! He Loves you no matter where you are or have been. Fall on your knees today before the Lord. He is ready to fight for you, beside you and with you as you face the struggles of this life.
One place that the enemy really tries to bring me down is the day at the pool. Even though it’s been almost 2 years he still tries. Just the other day I was driving and thoughts just began to flood my mind. My heart began to break as haunting visions filled my thoughts. I had to pull the car over because I felt as if I was going to have an anxiety attack. My breaths started to get shorter and shorter and tears started running down my face. I stopped the car and on the side of the road I asked God to come to me and protect my heart and my mind from the enemies attempt to destroy my peace and joy. I spoke out loud to the enemy that my God was bigger than him and he needed to flee from me in the name of Jesus! I prayed and prayed until I could no longer even think a thought of the day at the pool. The Lord completely took over my thoughts and filled them with thoughts that were close to his.
Time and time again I surrender control of my life to Christ and time and time again he is faithful to me. I know who holds my future so as I walk this life I want to walk as close to him and his plan for my future as possible. We need to be people who trust the Lord in everything, not just the easy things but the things that are hard as well. The things that we still don’t understand put our trust in him. There is no joy in fearing or worrying but through prayer and the word of God, there is joy and peace in giving up control to the one who holds our future.
No matter what we face here there is HOPE in Jesus! He can bring us out of darkness and into light and as we continue to seek.
“The Lord will fight for you; you need only be still.” Exodus 14:14
“We fall down we lay our crowns at the feet of Jesus.
The greatness of mercy and love, at the feet of Jesus”
This image, a woman so burdened and broken that she is on her knees on the road with her hands raised to God, stayed in my mind. She raised her hands and God actually lifted her burden. (I know; shouldn't be a surprise because the Word says He will do it.) It spoke to me and I knew this was a lesson I needed to learn.
I grabbed a video at church today. I sometimes get a sense that I am directed by God to choose a certain movie, and while I was not in the mood for a teaching DVD, I felt compelled to grab one by Louie Giglio. He's got some neat stuff, I figured. Entertaining and teaching. The second half of the video grabbed my attention. He spoke on raising our hands, how it's not a denomination or personality "thing". It's a basic human instinct. When we celebrate, when we connect with something or someone, or in times of crisis, human instinct is often to raise our hands. He shared a struggle he had had and how the Holy Spirit put a phrase of praise in his mind during this dark time. At night when he couldn't sleep, he could only lift his hands to God in desperation and repeat the phrase. In a song writing session with Chris Tomlin, the phrases came together and sounded like this:
Be still, there is a Healer
His love is deeper than the sea
His mercy is unfailing
His arms, a fortress for the weak
Let faith arise
Let faith arise
I lift my hands to believe again
You are my refuge,
You are my strength
As I pour out my heart, these things I remember
You are faithful, God, forever.
Obviously by this point, I'm tuned in that God wants me to hear this, learn it, and do it. Got it. Loud and clear.
Then I open my Facebook and my "buddy" (I almost feel like I know him personally after the 40 Days In The Word study!) Rick Warren has posted this:
Tiffany ended her message to me with these words: Sometimes our situations don't always change the way we hope but God can bring us joy no matter what we face.
June 9, 2014:
God is driving this point home! He pointed me to this video about praise this weekend, from LifeChurch.tv and the speaker is Carl Lentz from Hillsong Church New York. Starting at 14 minutes he specifically talks about raising hands:
