Originally published Monday, 03 October 2016.
The other day I spent some time on some much needed "knee mail." I confessed my broken heart to the Lord. It was messy and let's just say I could've invested some money in Kleenex stock. Yes, the tears came way too easy and I was overwhelmed. What could possibly cause such a deep emotional response from within?
I let my heart touch the sky and released my pain.
In the last four months I lost both my mom, 91, and dad, 94, to Alzheimer's disease. We were personally involved in their care for almost three years. I don't know if you've been down this road but it's hard, specific and each parent required different care.
The details were love-driven but the sentiments were often lost in the details and mostly confusing to my parents. What we experienced as a family was challenging and difficult. But I sit here today to encourage you, if you are looking at a similar situation, there's peace available to you by the measure of God's grace that goes before you.
I have many stories I'm collecting in a book which will someday help someone, I just feel it. Role reversal in families is often hard, isolating and intense. However, I learned the most about peace of God who offers this peace by going through it. There are seasons in life only experienced by going through it.
"We do what we have to do." says every mom.
With any big decisions, and we all face them, wouldn't it be helpful to have a manual of knowledge with all the answers? You know it would. Wouldn't it be comforting to know you could just "tube it" to get the answers you needed? The world as we know it is asking "Dr. Google" for everything. I am reminded we do have such a resource to help us figure things out what life sets before us.
We do what we have to do because the Holy Spirit helps us.
Jesus said (in His last few hours on earth) it was best and good for Him to leave so the Helper could come and be our advocate. It is good for man to release what he can't do and find the Help to cover what man can't do. That's not to say you don't have a part in God's business, you do. You simply trust God has you covered and He is working out things according to His best plan for you and you do the next thing as He leads. God peace protects you from making wrong decisions. I am grateful today HE is my Shepherd and knows what I need, even before I have need of it.
Yes, He's so good at being God and our good, good Father. He anticipates needs before you have any needs. Think about this: God who has NO needs meets ALL of yours. And He knows every one of your needs and is at the ready to meet you and show you. So let us fix our eyes, look to the hills, look up and live a vertical life. Let's reflect His countenance, and meet Him in the morning and again remind ourselves in the evening. Could it be said if we simply live with God, we won't be fighting the will of God?
Life is a great teacher and I'm taking many notes. (By the way, I heard a preacher say once there's a special gate in Heaven for us note takers!) With God's help, He makes the ways of faith known to you and for you. It's His grace goes before you and secures your mind. It's His peace assures you when everything isn’t going okay. There's comfort in sharing with friends and receiving godly counsel. Encouragement can come in many ways, and God loves to use you to help people too. Hard times teach you to lean upon Him and look to Him to help point the way for others in healing and keeping peace.
Keeping our head up is the challenge, as well as fighting discouragement plus trudging through life on our own strength. There are other times when God loves to grow us through situations which cause us to trust in Him in no uncertain terms, with the eyes of faith. When we believe He leads through adversity by His character, then we see the wonder of who God really is. Only God can give this kind of holy assurance to help us let go of the things we can't control. And nothing can replace such kind of peaceful assurance!
How have you seen God's peace in your life?
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