Encouraging Video (One) ~~ When "Wait" is Your Answer

A few months ago, my sister bought a movie she’d really wanted to watch. The trailer had piqued our interest, and so had the fact that Fireproof actress Erin Bethea was in it. When we finally got it, I was excited to watch it with my sisters.

But I was not prepared for how God would use it to bless and encourage me!

The movie is called This is Our Time, and I highly recommend it, especially for any young adults out there who are trying to “decipher God’s will” for them in this crucial and extremely stressful point in their life. 

However, there are a few pivotal scenes that spoke to me more than others, and over the course of a few blog posts, I would like to share them, and a few others, with you!

I wanted to share these with you a few months ago, when the inspiration was still fresh in my heart, but I slacked and let it die. But a recent conversation with one of my cousins reminded me so much of this film and the encouragement wrought by it, that I've finally decided to post these! 

With this new school year fully in gear and everyone finally either back in school or in the swing of homeschooling, I've heard a lot about the pressure put on seniors (in high school) to suddenly have all these plans about where they’re going to college, if they’re going to college, what they want to do, what they think God’s will is for them, and all these pivotal, intense decisions—suddenly, as soon as you hit 12^th grade, you’re supposed to have the answer to all of these! And then, regardless of what your passions and desires and even God’s will for your life, are the expectations put upon us as young people: by our friends, church family, teachers, peers, and even, our parents! You may not be very sure at all what God wants you to do, but you certainly know what everyone ELSE thinks you should be doing!

And that causes stress and no end of pressure. My sister and her best friend (who are both senior this year) have definitely been feeling this pressure. But so have I, because of recent developments in my life, and so is one of my cousins, and we are past the ‘graduation’ phase of life.

But what if, when searching for God’s voice and will for this next phase of life, all you hear is “WAIT”??

Then what?

You’re not wrong. 

You’re not a failure or a “less-than”.

 If this is you, whatEVER season of life you’re in and no matter what unfair expectations are being placed upon you, while everyone else seems to have their act together? YOU DO TOO. Just in a completely different way than they do. Because God’s will is different for everybody. And He’s using us all in different ways. Even if that means you don’t feel used or important, God is still using you! Yes, we must "search" and pray for God's guidance and try to stay close to Him. But just because the answer is "wait" doesn't make you less important or mean you're doing "nothing". :)

God’s will is not limited to a four year college degree; 

and God’s will/timing is not limited to what everybody else thinks you should be doing. 

God’s will often looks like nothing you would have chosen for yourself or expected you would do.

I cannot word it any better than the professor does in this clip. I hope this encourages you as it did me <3 

(I in no way claim any rights to this movie and all credit goes to Pure Flix Entertainment and Director Lisa Arnold!)

Filled to be Emptied

Lately, I've been longing to do blog-post.

To write

To encourage

But often, when the desire hits, I have nothing to write about; or I have plenty to write about, but I feel unworthy because I've just gotten over a ‘blew it’ moment (yelling at a sibling, slinging a sarcastic remark at a parent, forgetting a chore, whining or complaining, simply) whether great or small. Something will impassion, inspire me to write, but satan smites my heart with, “oh you can’t write about thus-and-so… I mean, look what you just did! You’re such a horrible person, such a wicked sinner! How dare you write a blog post or a letter encouraging others to do right or keep their chin up when you cant even do it!?!?!?!?!”

Also, recently I’ll occasionally become discouraged by the fact that whereas four years ago, I was able to offer advice and encouragement to my friends, family, and other young ladies, I now am without Biblical insight to offer them.

And that is what they need

BIBLE INSIGHT

BIBLE ENCOURAGEMENT

Not my opinions. (Although, yes—I can certainly get up on my soap box from time to time and dish them out!) Because my word on its own, no matter how heart-felt and presumable Scripturally drawn it may be, is just that.

Mine.

It could be wrong. (Often is!!!) and I've recently been impressed with the importance of reading the finely printed ingredients on a package of “Biblical health-food” to check for sneaky, unwholesome ingredients before devouring the entire thing. And then finding out later what sounded Biblical at the time was, even if just slightly, off kilter.

But I've had no Godly advice or encouragement, Blog-posts or emails, letters or Sunday school lessons or special musics to offer lately…

Because my well. Is. Dry. :(

I cannot give what I do not have to offer.

And I can only get what I want to give by spending time with Jesus.

Something, which, through various circumstances, lack of determination on my part, and what honestly may be just blatant spiritual-warfare, has become very. hard. for me.

And somehow, I got it into my warped head that WANTING to blog, to post, to (maybe even write and encourage?) was impossible or wrong.

…

… ...

… ... ...

WHY?????

I’M. NOT. SURE.

But as I began to finally, by God’s grace, take a step in the right direction the other night

It hit me! there’s really nothing wrong with having the DESIRE to (blog) post! There’s nothing wrong with WANTING to write!

As this thought bonked me between the eyes, another sort of thought meekly stepped in with it.

“Lord, fill me so that I may fill others.”

I've been hurting. Hurting. Dealing with the bitterness that “why God?” trials can bring. And with it, (only by the AMAZING GRACE of God), I've been given an entirely new perspective for others—on a number of levels.

And with that new perspective comes a “you’re hurting too!? O my goodness, you are SO not alone! There is some bigger purpose behind all of this, but for now just let me hug you and assure you that you’re not alone!” type of encouragement that I want to impart…

…and feel totally unworthy to do so.

as though I’m not good enough.

How could God possibly use a young woman like me who doesn't “have it all together” for Him?

Who isn't in her Bible like she knows she needs to be? Who often simply has no motivation for anything! Who so often wants, not necessarily to die, but to just. give. up. who is so SICK of this darkness and confusion and READY for it to be OVER! How could God use that?!

WHY WOULD HE WANT TO!? :( :( :(

I have told those closest to me, who know my current inner struggles and unfounded fears, how I hate feeling “forced” to serve, “forced” to minister, because while those asking me to serve and minister have no idea of the turmoil inside, I feel as though I have nothing to give!! :( I’m “running on empty”—I’m empty, I tell them! I’m dry! I have nothing of God to offer because lately… I “have nothing of God” myself :(

And yes. I know there are problems with my attitude and often lack of effort. The darkness is real and unrelenting, but that doesn’t excuse my giving up. I’m not glossing over that.

But I do want to showcase something bigger than that.

Because when I am in those places. When I feel worthless. When I feel inadequate, ‘not good enough’, as though I don’t currently measure up. When I am there,

God does something unmerited amazing.

From an empty cruse, He anoints with oil.

From a parched well, He gives water; quenches someone’s thirst.

From a tank running on fumes, He squeaks out an “extra mile”.

And I’m blown away and humbled that He could—and would want to—use someone as unworthy as me!!!

But it kind of hit me.

What is so wrong with asking to be filled up so you can then be poured out?

What is so wrong with asking God to bless you so you can bless and encourage others?

To FILL YOU so He can then USE YOU?!

(And no—I’m not saying that God can’t use you unless you’re “worthy” because A) NO ONE IS WORTHY (Isaiah 64:6b) and B) He deign to use the “unusable” (see above!)

So, what is wrong with all these things????

NOTHING!!!

However, while there is nothing wrong with this concept, there could be…

…if you were doing it with selfish motives; to receive all the attention and glory for yourself.

But! If to the best of your knowledge, your motives are pure, and if you genuinely have a desire to minister in a specific way, but truly know your ineptitude without the amazing grace of Almighty God?? ?

By His grace and with His help—

            GO. FOR. IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And I don’t say “ineptitude” to belittle, demean, or offend. I say it because the more and more aware of my sinful, fleshly state I become (“for without Me {Jesus} ye can do nothing” John 15:5b); the more aware I become that my attempts at “goodness” (think filthy rags); at being “good enough” are worth nothing.

A big, fat nothing.

I am worthless apart from Christ’s worthiness in me.

The more I realize how BAD

WORTHLESS

CONFUSED

And HOPELESS

I really (on my own)????

The more I realize JUST. HOW. GOOD—how amazing—my God is!!!!!

What about you, sister? What has God been showing you, even through darkness? How has He been revealing or reminding you that, even when it doesn't seem so, He.Is.Good? Have you ever asked God to fill you up with the specific desire to be poured out?

When You've Blown It...

For the past few weeks, the writer/sharer/encourager/writer (wait, did I already mention that?? :D ) in me has been deeply longing to do a post!! :( But, as I mentioned here and here, I have had little inspiration and no post “of substance” to write :(.  While I have been taking steps to ‘fixing’ that issue, the fact is that No. 1) the problem is not fixed (yet! :D) (Or at least not to Katie-perfectionist standards… :( … which is an entirely different blog-post in itself!!!) So No. 2) the well is still dry!

But, at long last, the other night, the inspiration for a blog-post hit…

In the form of an utter failure

Like, one of those, "hurt-your-testimony, be-a-terrible-example, two-year-old-reaction" type moments.

Yeah. It was bad. :( I embarrassed myself. Which added to the unpleasantness that caused my reaction in the first place. Not fun.

What happened, you may be asking?

I LOST MY TEMPER. Big time.

Now, none of us are perfect. We are but dust, born with a sin nature that fights against us every day, and are prone to falling (making mistakes)—over and over and over again. It’s normal. Often, it’s expected. Failing is even a big part of how we grow and become better and become more like Christ. As we make mistakes, when we do wrong, we learn what is wrong or what doesn't work and learn not to do those things again. (Or at least to strive not to!!!)

BUT THAT DOESN'T MAKE SIN OKAY. Just because it is human and everybody does it from time to time, it DOESN'T MAKE IT ACCEPTABLE or excusable. It doesn't make “blow it” moments less wrong, or less ugly, or as often happens, less hurtful. And it doesn't always erase the consequences either. 

My point being? Don’t be too hard on yourself (i.e. expect/strive overly hard for perfection and then beat yourself down into the dirt when you humanly miss the mark) but do own your mistakes, and yes *gulp*, even the occasional consequence.

Sin is sin. WE ALL DO IT (and God understands Psalm 103:14)

(But He is HOLY) and IT IS STILL WRONG.

DON’T BE TOO HARD ON YOURSELF, BUT DON’T MAKE EXCUSES.

(This is one of those “fine line”, “let your moderation be known unto all men” situations. We can’t swing too far one way or to the other.)

 

This is part of what I learned through blowing it (And again, when I say “I blew it”, I mean, full out, disrespectfully cutting someone down—who had unknowingly offended me—and doing so in a raised and angry tone of voice. And ungracefully doing so in front of two of my younger and impressionable sisters … :( No. Definitely not one of my finer moments :( What is that verse about an angry woman??? Proverbs 21:19, Proverbs 21:9 and Proverbs 25:24, Proverbs 19:13; Proverbs 27:15-16, Proverbs 31:26)

I learned, am learning, that everybody messes up, nobody’s perfect, and not to berate myself when I do it. I shouldn’t wallow in how horrid I am for doing wrong. Instead I need to get up, go, and work on not doing that wrong again. (John 8:11) However, ‘blowing it’ is still wrong, whether I (we) mean to or not, and sometimes consequences need to be paid, occasionally restitution needs to be given, and almost always, apologies need to be said. Your mistakes can’t and shouldn't ruin your life (“I keep messing up! Why go on trying to do better? I never seem to succeed!” mentality) (Philippians 3:13-14) but they still need to be owned.

This is a hard concept to grasp. It’s too slippery. (For me at least! If it is easier for you to grasp, then give praise to God that He has given you more maturity concerning this! :D) It is hard for me to grasp the concept that God is Holy and Just… and yet He is a God of grace and unconditional love! WOW! I belong to a Savior who is 100% Holy and therefore cannot tolerate my sin, yet 100% understanding Psalm 103:14, Hebrews 4:15, and 100% unconditional, sacrificial Love—Love that provided a way to atone, cover, and cleanse me from that sin!

I’m human. I’m flesh and blood. I strive to do what is right as laid out in God’s Word. But I make mistakes, and occasionally? I blow it. Ask my family. (okay, wait! one second thought, please don't! lol) I feel like a failure and like a mess. Totally ashamed of my behavior. But my God, who cannot tolerate sin, still loves me, picks me up, forgives me, and tells me to “try again”. No condemnation, but GRACE.

Is this you, dear sister? Have you blown it today? Yesterday? Last week?

Maybe like me, you blew up in anger…and then quickly regretted it. Perhaps you told that lie or snubbed that friend. Maybe you nursed that grudge (ouch!) or listened to that station or watched that show or picked up that magazine even though you've repented for it and decided “no more!” time and time again. Maybe you yelled at a brother, a sister, a spouse… Perhaps I haven’t named it, but you know. You know what you did.

Can I tell you something?

Yes. What you did was wrong. Call a spade a spade. But then confess it (to God and to the people you wronged), ask for forgiveness, and then forsake it!!!

Because GOD HAS!!!

You may have failed this time, this test, but that doesn't mean you failed the class—that doesn't make you a failure!! There will be another test, another day, and you’ll have another chance.

And perhaps, armed with His Grace and the lesson you learned this time, you’ll pass that test with flying colors! :D

PS just so you know, this post neither “preached easy” nor “lives easy” for me! It was hard to write because, *gasp* I struggle with this on a daily basis! So I promise that this isn’t written from a holier-than-thou perspective. It is written from the perspective of a sister-sinner, washed in the amazing, precious blood of Jesus Christ. Who loves her. Even when she least deserves it. 

In the Night Seasons...

(BEFORE YOU BEGIN: I do realize this is rather a lengthy post. :D But if you have time—especially if you are hurting or going through a season of darkness or a night season spiritually—please stick with me! Lol)

Perhaps, if you are observant, you have noticed my lack of posts here lately. *winks*

Okay. You do not even have to be observant! Any little kid could look at the date of my last post and say, “Wow! This lady hasn’t posted in months!”

Some of you have still checked up regularly for anything new—and you have no. idea. what ‘behind-the-scenes-encouragement’ that has been to my soul! (but more on that soon!). Just know for now that I've greatly appreciated that.

But others may be wondering where I've gone.

I've got a comparison for you today…

Usually, I write posts based on what God gives me and excites me with (or ‘ouches’ me with) during my quiet time alone with Him.

Well, you know how my blog has had this…’lovely’…dry spell?

Yeah. :( :(  So has my walk with Jesus.

Hence the absurd lack of posts.

Someday I may (honestly hope) to get into ‘how’ and ‘why’, but that as well is for another post. Er… posts. 

But I did have something I wanted to share with you today.

Some of you may have deep, intimate walks with the Lord, and some of you may be new to talking to and hearing from Him daily. Whichever girl you are, if you’re anything like me, you’re prone to bouts of discouragement. The discouragement could be little “bummer days” or it could be full-blown dark spells of depression.

It doesn't matter how significant or insignificant your discouragement may seem to be—the important thing is that you feel it. And it hurts.

So often when I would experience these times, Titus-2 women in my life would point me to Psalms because, while we think of him as this great mighty warrior-king who did fantastic things for God and was a perfect man after His own heart, David had these seasons of discouragement too! In fact, I’ve gotten pointed there so often that it just got plain annoying. I got so deep into discouragement that it was like ‘I’ve read the Psalms. I know David felt depressed, too, but at this point NOTHING HELPS!’ In fact, nothing seemed to help. The Bible was dry, and God seemed so. far. away. I wasn’t deep into sin or anything, but it felt as though God had turned His back on me.

And yes! Of COURSE I knew better. Still, didn’t help the cold, frightening feelings of utter desolation go away.

Maybe you’re there, sweet sister. ((Pulls you into a tight hug)) Maybe, while you’re not that down in the dumps, you can at least relate. Or perhaps, you’ve never felt this before ((stop right now and praise Jesus for that fact and ask Him for the strength to not let go to Him if it should ever happen!!!!)) but you may know someone who does.

May I say something to you?

Did you know, that even though you’re in the absolute dark and you can’t see Him for the trees, Jesus is visiting you during this season (yes, this hideously ridiculous) season of darkness??

I found an index card in my Bible I had written on one night while I quickly, but finally, did my devotions.

This is (basically lol) what it said:

Psalm 17:3 “thou has visited me IN THE NIGHT” (cross references with Psalms 16:7 “in the NIGHT SEASONS”—it would be interesting to see what that meant in the Hebrew. “Seasons of darkness” maybe???”

So, of course, I looked it up just before beginning this post, and was surprised at what I discovered. Basically, the word for “night” in Psalms 17:3 and “night season” in Psalms 16:7 means/refers to “a twist (away of the light)… figuratively {meaning} adversity… (mid-)night (season).”

Deeper study into those words gave the picture of a twisting stairwell, and I had the mental picture of someone holding one of those antique-looking brass candlesticks in a dark stairwell, and as they turned around and ascended the rounding steps, taking the meager light farther and farther away.

Maybe that’s how you feel. I know I did/do. :( I felt as though it was Jesus with that candlestick, twisting Himself away from me and hiding the light from my face :(.

But of course, He hadn’t… that’s just how it FELT. And we as ladies know how to not allow ourselves to be overcome by our feelings… … right…?? (*Cough, cough* yeah right!!! ROFL)

Psalms 17:3 says that God had proved David’s heart and that God HAD VISITED HIM IN THE NIGHT {SEASONS} when it felt as though He were nowhere to be found!!!!! Verse 7 of chapter 16 tells us that the Lord had given David counsel, and that his “mind, or interior self” had given had instructed him in those night seasons.

Perhaps I was so {inwardly} focused on how much I was hurting and on how much I felt like Jesus was not there to actually take the time to inquire, to see that He really was there.

Please sister—don’t do that! :( It hurts. So. Bad. Does it hurt!

But (of course!) the verse doesn’t end there! David goes on:

“Thou has visited me in the night; though has tried me, and shalt find nothing; I am purposed that my mouth shall not transgress.”

…

… …

“And shalt. Find. Nothing.”

Nothing.

Nothing for God to reproach him with.

I know that when God tried me, when trials came and God checked on me, He found P-L-E-N-T-Y He could reproach me with.

During the night season:

I stuck to it for a good long while (only by His grace), but eventually I gave up on reading my Bible.

I did it diligently every day (again, by His grace alone), but eventually I gave up deep thorough praying as well.

I kept going (thanks to my parents lol) but I didn’t even want to go to church!

Yeah.

Lots God could’ve reproached me for. I was quite far from the example David somehow set. My card went on:

“God, while at one point in my life {in this night season} I may have been able to say this with the Psalmist… I no longer can :(. If you were to “try me”… :( you’d find plenty to disappoint you; plenty of things to find that I’ve been doing wrong, not doing right, or not doing well enough or with the right motives. Or at all. :(”

What is really cool, really comfortingly wonderful, is this:

That God we feel has turned away?

Yeah. HE SPECIALIZES IN THE IMPOSSIBLE. HE’S THE GOD OF 2^ND, 3^RD, 40^TH, 60^TH, AND 189^TH CHANCES! HE LOVES US WITH AN EVERLASTING PERFECT LOVE! He DOES. NOT. HATE. YOU. And you are NOT. BEYOND. HIS. HELP or REACH! He misses you, but He LOVES you! According to Hebrews 4:15, He GETS IT! HE UNDERSTANDS what you are going through!

“But I keep messing up!” you tell me. “I keep falling back into this black whole or getting sucked into it!” “How can He still love me after I’ve totally failed His testing me?!”

First of all, what you see as failure did NOT take Him by surprise. It doesn't make it right, but you didn't surprise Him one bit.

Secondly, I recently heard on a wonderful movie that God is able to love us so passionately, so relentlessly, even when we give up on Him (or even purposefully leave or abandon Him :( ) because His love is NOT DEPENDENT on us or on our actions.     Wow.

My devotional card for that night went on, though. And Lord willing this can help you. Even if it is the smallest measure of help:

“Psalm 17:5 “Hold up my goings in thy paths, that my footsteps slip not.”  This needs to be my prayer, 24/7/365. (Also see Psalm 119:133) Verse 15 of Ps. 17 says “as for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness.” This verse cross-references with Psalm 16:11, “…in thy presence is fullness of joy…”

During these two separate times of darkness for David, he came to realize, (right at the end was when he noticed it though! :D) that even in the darkness it was in the presence of his GOD that he found Fullness of Joy.

These verses don’t say that “in the presence of those who encourage or give me Godly counsel” is fullness of Joy. {Although HE in whose presence IS fullness of joy CERTAINLY uses and works through those wonderful people!} Fullness of Joy wasn't found in a host of other material things we may use to distract ourselves from the pain of the darkness. Nope.

Fullness of Joy, even in the darkness, is found in HIS presence.

HIS PRESENCE presents us with the FULLEST measure of Joy. The best :) of happy.

Thank you Jesus!

The one drawback about this simple yet profound ‘being in His presence’ thing is that it can be hard, especially when you’re hurting. But can I tell you a secret?

Even if it doesn't’t “work” right away, (as in magically making it all go away) It certainly helps!

Sister—perhaps, brother—you are not alone. And you are not without hope. God’s love for you is NOT dependent of you. Remember, while she surely felt most alone, it was during the NIGHT SEASON that David says the Lord “visited” him.

As alone as you feel, HE IS with you, and in His presence is FULLNESS OF JOY.

Devotional Thoughts from Psalms 71:20-21

Thou, which hast shewed me great and sore troubles, shalt quicken me again, and shalt bring me up again from the depths of the earth. Thou shalt increase my greatness, and comfort me on every side.

Psalms 71:20-21

"When I am tempted to remember how close I once was to Jesus~ how much time I used to spend in prayer~ how many hours I’d spend in His Word~ how close We seemed to be~ and feel as though I can never be that close to Him again, remember this verse!

There wasn't a doubt in David’s mind but God would revive his spirit/ heart! ♥ There shouldn’t be a doubt in mine either! Not a single one!"

When YOU dear sister, begin to remember how close you once were to Jesus~ how you’ve allowed that relationship to wane, allowed circumstances to come between you~ when you remember how much time you used to spend pouring your heart out to your Savior~ when you think of how many hours you’d spend in His Word, growing more and more excited at what He was showing you~ when you remember all these things, and begin to become discouraged, believing the LIE that you can never get that relationship with the Lover of your soul back to where it once was, feeling as though you can never be that close to Jesus again, REMEMBER THIS VERSE! Read it, quote it aloud~ over and over! There was not a single doubt in the Psalmists mind or heart that God would once again revive him! (At least not at this time lol) He had seen God do it before!!! (see Psalms 85:5) So take heart! Don’t loose it! J Read, remember, quote, dwell and meditate on this verse, and remember, He who has shown you (or allowed you like Job) to see great and sore trouble WILL QUICKEN YOU AGAIN and WILL BRING YOU UP FROM THE DEPTHS! It is only a matter of time! A matter of time in which He wants you to trust, hope, and rest in Him (Psalm 71:1,5) (Psalm 37:7a)

So, hang in there, Princess Warrior! You are so totally not alone (others are going through the same thing) and you are totally not forsaken (God has not left you nor is He leaving you alone during this “mess”!)!

Trusting God

Okay...

So I have a story for y'all this evening! Grab some tea, coffee... (or for Pete's Sake a lemonade! It's SO HOT!!!) and get comfy! This one is rather long... ;-)

 

{Picture Courtesy of http://www.flickr.com/photos/agentmelton/}

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Dad, I only have a few days left of airtime on my phone,” Katie reminded her father. She had asked him earlier that day if they could do order some new minutes and service for her ‘pay-as-you-go’ cell phone, but for one reason or another, he had decided to put it off until later.

It was later. J

Dad was going to watch Courageous with his friend and her siblings, but he told Katie to go grab his work-issued Iphone so they could order her new minutes.

“Bring me your debit card, too,” Dad said, “so from now on when we do this, the company will just bill you directly, and you won’t have to worry about paying me back.”

So Katie grabbed her card and the other phone and brought them to her father, who had already settled into his easy chair.

Katie squatted down to sit on the floor next to her dad’s chair and watched they film play out on the large TV screen as her dad conducted business with his fingers. Some parts of the movie made Katie recall how she had cried the first time she had watched them, but other scenes caused her to laugh along with her little brother and sisters. After a while, Dad handed down the phone.

“There’s a list of several service options—” he informed her. “Click on the one you want.”

“I want the one you did last time.”

Dad looked rather annoyed. “Then choose that one.”
So Katie took his phone and after reading the synopsizes of all the other options, she chose the deal that gave her 30 days more of service and 750 minutes—more ability to text and send pictures J

{picture courtesy of Google Images}

After working out a kink or two, the transaction was complete—except for one seemingly minor detail… After the transaction had been completed, Dad read the ‘electronic receipt’ aloud to Katie. “Thank you for your purchase. 750 minutes and 30 days of airtime will be added to your phone on your phone’s refill date. Service has been paid for 7/28/12 through 8/28/12…”
“What!?” It was a very petty thing to be worried about, Katie knew, yet she didn’t want to be concerned with that now. It wasn’t even July yet! She didn’t want to go nearly an entire month without being able to use her phone! She knew—and even disliked—how pathetic that was, but oh well. It was what it was. “But Dad! That’s almost a month away! I can’t- I don’t want to wait that long for new minutes!”
Dad stared down at the screen in consternation. “That can’t be right…” After a moment of what appeared to be serious, deep thinking, his normal, laid back expression returned. Katie didn’t like that. He didn’t think it was that important… or at least not as important as she did. But she knew better than to verbalize her feelings. Her father continued. “I don’t think you’ll have to. Your phone should receive those minutes once it runs out of the other ones.”
“But Dad! That’s not what that blip you just read said!” Katie insisted.
Dad was looking annoyed again. “Oh, don’t worry about it. Sometimes those things mess up anyway.”
Katie was not convinced. “But it said—”
A stony element of warning crossed her father’s features. “I said ‘don’t worry about it’, Katie. You’re making a mountain out of a molehill. Get that fret off of your face. It should be fine—I shouldn’t have even read you that; I just was skimming it quickly anyway—but even if it doesn’t work out the way we want it to, it’ll be fine and we’ll worry about it then—alright?”
But it wasn’t all right. Katie hated how much of a brat she felt like, but she simply knew that her dad was wrong and that that email he had read was right. She would be without service for almost all of July.
“Lord,” Katie confided later that evening when she was alone, “I know I’ve been struggling with this ‘I’m-right-and-my-parents-have-no-idea-what-they’re-talking-about-thing’ a lot lately… I didn’t realize I had such a problem with it… and I know it is such a petty thing to worry about… and I know he told me not to worry about it, but even though I don’t “know”—even though I could be wrong—I still “know” I’m right!” She sighed. “Lord, please help me not to worry about this.”
It wasn’t important in the grand scheme of eternity anyway…

(Fast forward a week to a hotel lobby where a young lady is curled up in a fancy chair, writing feverishly in her devotional/prayer journal… Excerpts from that journal):

{Picture Courtesy of Google Images}

“June 30^th 2012, Saturday, Philippians 4:1-13 and 2 Corinthians 1:1-7, especially verse 5

This morning I received new airtime on my phone, unlike my “my-dad-has-no-idea-what-he’s-talking-about”/ “maybe-he-does-but-this-time-he’s-wrong”/ “I’m-right”/ “I-know-what-I’m-talking-about” mind and attitude displayed and manifested itself within me. I said, “Dad, you were right” and showed him my phone. He said it was good to hear me say he was right J lol and I told him that I {really} struggle with having that (know-it-all) (my-parents-don’t-know-what-they’re-talking-about) attitude, and he said I should’ve felt better when he told me not to worry about it… which is true—I should’ve simply trusted Him—ALL THE WAY!! If I would’ve, I would’ve felt better—it would’ve saved me a bunch of grief and worry. (Well, , not an exorbitant amount,, J, but you know) but no! I didn’t!! L Why? Because I thought I was right! I thought I knew better…

I DIDN’T.

Whoops!

Daddy doesn’t know my perspective of the last {paragraph or so} but he said …it was like simply trusting God. (“Taking Him at face value”, as it were.) {He} said something about trusting Him and how if I don’t really do it, like I didn’t trust/ believe him {my dad—my earthly father} (and thereby allow it and his wisdom to bring me relief!) {basically, the same thing will be mirrored in my walk with the Lord!} (“Let the peace of God rule in your hearts…” {Colossians 3:10} “… And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding shall keep my heart and mind through Christ Jesus”{Philippians 4:7}!!!)… … …

Umm, hello? J The {last paragraph or so} is how it is with {God and me}!!!!! My walk with Jesus! I told Daddy there was …a great parallel there, but even I didn’t realize how great the parallel truly was and is {of a daughter and her father and that same young lady and her Heavenly Father}!!!!!

If I don’t fully trust Him/believe Him/ take Him at His total Word, “only trust Him”, I’m going to cause myself stress and worry that I DON’T NEED to waste my time on because He’s already got it handled, taken care of, and UNDER CONTROL!!!!!”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And the same is true for you, Dear sister. Precious Princess Warrior of the King of kings. The same way it is for me, or you, or anyone of us in our relationship with our earthly fathers, greatly mirrors the way we walk with our Heavenly Father, and reflects the relationship we have with Him!

If I would have simply trusted my father, who (duh) knew what he was talking about, had years of computer/technology wisdom to back it up, had told me to not worry about it (oh and guess what? By worrying about it after he told me not to, guess what I was doing???? Disobeying him!!! YIKES!!!)—if I would have simply TRUSTED him, simply OBEYED him, simply LET GO of my “but I want to fix it because I know how it should work out” reasoning, I could have saved myself so much effort, time, and mental energy that was tied up with the stress, worry, fretting that I accomplished instead! If I would have simply TRUSTED my father, and TAKEN HIM AT HIS WORDS OF WISDOM, I would have been much better off, and much more at ease!

(Is ANYONE besides me drawing the parallel here!? JJJJ)

Now obviously this is over a silly petty thing such as cell phone service and airtime, but God very much can and did use something as trivial as cell phone minutes to rock a girls world and alter her perspective!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Trust me.

He did. J

If I would simply TRUST the one I say I trust, if I simply LET GO of all my ‘but I can fix it’ and ‘but I know how it should all work out’ reasoning (basically, the fleshly desire to be IN CONTROL of the circumstances and outcomeL), if I simply TOOK MY SAVIOR AT HIS WORD, how much useless, painful, time-consuming, stress-causing, and COMPLETELY UNNECESSARY worry could I totally skip! How many more blessing could I bask in and enjoy if I simply ‘let go and let God’?!?!?!?!

I’m not saying that I have this all figured out. I’m not saying that now because I have realized this principle that I’ve suddenly learned it and will walk in it from now on. But By God’s good grace a light has begun burning in my soul, and He is continuing to add to it. He wants me to enjoy the peace that passes all understanding by simply trusting Him!
And, did you know, dear sister, that HE WANTS THAT FOR YOU AS WELL?!?!? What about you, dear sister? Do you say that you trust Him, yet cling subconsciously to human reasoning to make you feel more secure with that theoretical trust (so totally preaching to the choir here!)? Do you truly ‘take Him at His Word’? Do you believe every promise and statement He makes? Or do you simply know, like I (thought I) did, that “you’re right”, that “just this time, He doesn’t know what He’s talking about”, that “sure He’s always right, but I don’t think He can handle this instance”???

DON’T!!! O don’t cling to those lies! ‘Tis SO SWEET to trust in Jesus, for only in that place of complete trust is that place of comprehension-surpassing peace!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Also, dear sisters, the Lord gave you your earthly father for a reason—whether he’s walking in the light of the Spirit or whether he is not L– but your relationship and/or how you interact with your earthly father truly does bare a parallel with your relationship with your heavenly Father—if only to show the perfection and unparalleled loving kindness of the latter!!!

So don’t miss this dear sister! Respect and obey your earthly fathers! Trust them! (Believe it or not, they know what they’re talking about! J Even when the odds are seemingly not in their favor. Again, take it from someone who knows! Lol) But most importantly, TRUST your Heavenly Father—pray and ask for more faith and trust! Believe him and simply let go and let Him.

The results can and will be far greater than either one of us (you or I J) could ever imagine!!! (Ephesians 3:20)

(PS: I love you Daddy! ♥)

{Picture Courtesy of http://www.flickr.com/photos/agentmelton/}