So we are finally up to date with this journey. It isn't over by a long shot, I'm sure. God is always working, always moving and we are standing firm on His promises. We are coveting prayers; peace, understanding, direction, strength, focus, steady job, full pay, etc. We are trying hard to be excited about what God is going to do. His promises are fully wonderful and that's where we are standing.
Going Off the Deep End
November 21, 2011
It's Thanksgiving week. It's month 10 on the new Richie Calendar. It's week 40 on the you still get a paycheck calendar and then you don't anymore. It's honestly been pretty easy, okay a few times here and there I wrestled with some emotion, but it was more the "it's exhausting holding onto the truth and goodness" kind of emotion, not the "oh my goodness we're going to sink" kind. I am SO thankful for that!!!!
But here's the interesting thing. We've been sitting in the shallow end of the pool. You know the pools at the fancy resorts where you can lazily walk down into the deep end, or you can sit and rest in the warm sunshine and shallow water if you'd like. The shallow end, yep that's where we've been hanging for the past 10 months. Now my friends, we're standing on the diving board, no not the low dive, the high dive and the water....it's DEEEEEEEEP!
Our choice is the same as it was 10 months ago, we can look at our situation and fret about what appears to be coming, or we can stand firm on the Word of the Lord and proclaim that no matter what we see in front of us we know, We KNOW that God is in control and that HE is GOOD All the TIME!! Since I'm already quite exhausted, I'm going to choose the latter. I know that one of two things will happen. God will either catch us before we hit the water or He'll be waiting on the surface, for the moment where we explode up out of the water, flailing our arms like crazy, gasping for air. He will be there, He will be our air, He will be our refuge, our rescue, our life perserver.
There are two other things that have to take place. We MUST give THANKS.
* "Thanksgiving is the evidence of our acceptance of whatever He gives." -Ann Voskamp, One Thousand Gifts
* "Give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Ephesians 5:20)
And we MUST simply GIVE.
Websters New World Dictionary says this about the word give:
1. to make a gift of 2. to hand over 3. to hand over in or for payment 4. to pass (regards) along
there are 13 definitions of the word....my favorite it number 8 to devote or sacrifice
What does that mean or what does that look like? Well in the easiest terms it is to give something to someone else. That could be as simple as a compliment (which when you are focused on yourself or your problems isn't so easy) or on a larger scale to give something of greater sacrifice, like a portion of your money to help someone in need. In one aspect I am challenged to give to those in need even though I could be soon be considered "one in need". We wrestle through that...how to give what you don't necessarily have. (They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.” Mark 12:43-44)
In another aspect, giving Thanks to God in the midst of our situation is also a sacrifice. It would be easier to not give thanks, to look around and miss the things that we take for granted, to feel selfish and maybe stomp our feet a little and say...."poor us!!! we have no job, how will we survive, it's not fair, we have children to feed and bills to pay...and boo.hoo.hoo" So we choose to look in the other direction daily and continually give thanks, to see the gifts and to blindly trust....well that's faith! (sometimes that's a minute by minute, even second by second choice - it's not been easy...it's getting easier though, as we choose truth we really have no choice but to trust and give thanks)
As we stand on the edge of that high dive, we stand on faith. As we grab eachother's hand to pray, we hold faith. As we give thanks inspite of ourselves, our situation.....we breath and speak faith. You could even say that is our new address:
Bill and Lorraine Richie
Faith Road
That is where we reside
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good. His love endures forever." Psalm 136:1-3
giving thanks
#40 Reminders that I'm NOT in control
#41 Hope in someOne bigger than I am
#45 Life that goes on
#54 Knowing your goodness in ALL things
#67 Opportunities to grow
#89 Learning together
#90 Gifts to count
#91 A Gracious God
Just thinking about the fact that we are wading into deeper waters makes ME want to try to tread water more and more, and I struggle with the fact that I am not doing enough or not doing "the right things" but that is exhausting. But I can remember as a child that if you just stopped all of the fussing, fretting and moving around you would just float on the top of the water. He designed us to float to the top but we, with all of our "know how", think that we know better and can do a better job. We need to be still and remember that He is in control and knows what is best.
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