THERE IS HOPE!!!

It is unusual for me to have two pictures but I decided to represent the lie that I am feeling as well as the reality of truth I need to cling to. It is not my intent to disturb you with the picture chosen to depict the lie but it is true that life often feels intensely dark and hopeless.

I also started to abstain altogether from writing today because I only want to be an encouragment to you but then I wondered how many of you have felt or are feeling the same way I am today? So here I sit writing and hopefully, in the end, encouraging you as well.

Despite the fact that I am working 40 hours a week....I am drowning financially anyway. It is so unfair to be working hard to be in harmony with asking the Lord for help and yet still be losing the battle...or at least it seems so today. There are many areas that I frequently feel this way. Regarding my efforts to walk with the Lord daily....my relationships....in reaching out to serve...in paying my bills. There are so many areas that I try and feel like all I am doing is failing or more specifically...drowning. That word and the image it conjures up in my mind is perfect. I am flailing around in this vast ocean with nothing to hold on to...my head goes under and water pours into my mouth and up my nose...then I come up, gasp for a breath, only to go back under again. That is truly how I often feel these days. Do you?

This morning as I was driving to work, the radio announcers on the Christian radio station I listening to talked about our need to rest in the Lord and then played a couple of songs about the same thing. I felt like the Lord was tapping me on the shoulder, whispering to me, "This is for you." But my response was to say, "It's hard to rest when you're drowning, Lord!"

Then I get to work and I shared how I was feeling with a co-worker today, someone I didn't know even knew the Lord. Then he explained that he feels the same way...that by the end of the week, he is counting pennies just to ride the bus. He received a promotion with more responsibility but has gotten no raise. Then he said, "But the Lord always gets me through. For today, I am OKAY. WE are okay, right? We don't know what tomorrow or the next day holds, but He is taking care of us TODAY." I felt truly humbled by a couple of things: First, he shared some of his financial responsibilities and they are much bigger than mine and secondly, that even in the face of all he has to deal with, he is clinging to the Lord for hope and peace.

So...since flailing around isn't helping me anyway...I have decided I am really going to try to cling to the actual truth..to all of the promises that my "Daddy" has given me in His Word. Promises to take care of me. Promises that I am never alone. Promises to take care of my needs. Promises that His love for me NEVER fails. I am His and NOTHING can change that.

The picture of truth was supposed to be at the end of this so you could focus on that but apparently formatting won't let me do that. So, I want you to go up to the picture of truth and focus on that....like I have and feel yourself resting in His arms because in truth............that is exactly where we are.

It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words and so I will say no more.