I really want to say something profound here. I mean, look at this picture! Doesn’t it just feel…ethereal? and hopeful! I chose it because this is how far I feel I’ve come since my last (very depressing) black and white “road to nowhere” picture (below).
Trust is an odd thing. When you actually do trust, you feel it. You can breathe more easily, know that there is a reason for everything, know that no matter what – in all things, God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28).
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“Afflictions are but the shadow of God’s wings.” George MacDonald
Every morning we wake with hope- this is the day! Problems we face will be solved and the pain of our circumstances will be treated with soothing assurances of relief on its way.
Every evening, disappointment, but hope remains. A prayer of faith is lifted in spite of circumstances. Waiting is the hardest part…but in waiting much is learned, and much is remembered.
We are commanded to walk along the cliff’s edge. When we look down, we see the face of despair. The question is, do we really trust God? A cliff’s edge is a bad place to fake it.
The only survivor of a shipwreck was washed up on a small, uninhabited island. He prayed feverishly for God to rescue him, and every day he scanned the horizon for help, but none seemed forthcoming. Exhausted, he eventually managed to build a little hut out of driftwood to protect him from the elements, and to store his few possessions.
But then one day, after scavenging for food, he arrived home to find his little hut in flames, the smoke rolling up to the sky. The worst had happened; everything was lost. He was stunned with grief and anger. “God, how could you do this to me!” he cried.
Early the next day, however, he was awakened by the sound of a ship that was approaching the island. It had come to rescue him. “How did you know I was here?” asked the weary man of his rescuers.
A funny thing happens when one’s dream dies…suddenly there is room for the previously unimagined. A whole world of possibilities becomes visible.
You don’t get the dream job you’ve been working so hard for, perhaps you’ve gotten the training needed to help an orphanage in Africa instead. Maybe you won’t have the ideal “American Dream” house and childhood you hoped to give your children. Perhaps you’ll give them the greater gifts of compassion, gratitude, faith, and empathy…things that aren’t necessarily attainable within the confines of selfish living.
The truth is, the dream must die, otherwise how can we see the dreams of God when our own dreams stand in the way?
"All my life, from birth, it's been a fight. And it always seemed to be another man's war. I always seemed to be fighting for someone else. But it always came back to me. The Word says we're born into sin, and sin always comes back to war." -Sam Childers
This book is the true story of how God is working through the life of a redeemed ex-Hells Angel drug-dealer to restore and protect the children of Sudan. He gives new meaning to the words “bad ass”, lol, and it is immensely satisfying to see someone living their faith…not just telling other people to.
I understand there is a movie in the works about Childers’ efforts in the Sudan…I just wanted to post about the real person before Hollywood goes in and screws up the facts, lol…though, Gerard Butler is rumored to be playing Childers himself and that is certainly good news (I’m thinking “300″ badassishness here)! It seems to me that he never goes half heartedly into any project and this one looks to be a perfect fit for Butler! The even better piece of news is that Marc Forster will be directing. With award winning movies like “Monster’s Ball” and “Finding Neverland” under his belt, I believe we can easily trust that this project will be handled in exactly the right way.
*raises glass* Here’s hoping this movie will inspire many to do something more than just buy popcorn and soda. *clink*
"When I came back to Africa, I believed the best way I could help the people there, especially the children, was to bring medicine and medical help into places that didn't have any. The governments of Sudan and Uganda weren't assisting these people. CARE and the Red Cross and those kinds of organizations stayed away because they said it was too dangerous. That left nobody. Correction: that left me and God and the great big Land Cruiser I bought with a paper sack of cash." Sam Childers
I was sure by now, God, that You would have reached down and wiped our tears away,
Stepped in and saved the day.
But once again, I say Amen…and it’s still raining…
As the thunder rolls,
I barely hear You whisper through the rain, “I’m with you”
and as Your mercy falls,
I raise my hands and praise the God who gives and takes away.
It’s easy to praise God when the sun is shining and everything is bright and beautiful. It’s a much more difficult thing to do when a dark storm blows in and it’s raining so hard you can’t see two feet in front of you. What do you do when it seems as though God is standing back while everything around is falling to pieces? How do you praise a God that doesn’t seem to care anymore? When it seems you’ve been abandoned, how do you keep going on? Read more…
I found this article today and decided to just post it here in it’s entirety. The title says it best: “What to do when life is dark and God seems quiet.”
Not too long ago, it seemed as though God had packed up, moved far away, and left me no forwarding address. I was unable to sense his promptings and overall presence as I searched for him during trying times. I felt abandoned, confused, and terribly alone. Read more…
