I just HAVE to encourage you all with what God encouraged me with this morning!!!
Shane and I have just been in a funk.... we are bored out of our minds, we are worried about what the Nov 10th court decision will bring us, we are saddened by our struggling times with Selah, we just want to bring her home with us so we can start our life together, the seemingly endless battle to bring this little girl home, some depressing news from home, missing our boys very much, our lack of sleep and tiredness, etc....
I have been asking God to strengthen me and to give me His peace.
Do any of you wonder if the battles in life will ever end???? I know I sure do. It gets exhausting- this life. If its not one thing, its another. Once you end one trial, another starts. It can sure look and get hopeless.
We have our ipod and speakers with us (thank GOD!) and i was listening to a song that i have heard a million times before. However, this time God opened my ears to REALLY hear it. This is one of the ways God answers us! This is one of the ways He loves on us.....right when we need it!
Here is what i learned from it: This life WILL HAVE struggles, pain, sorrow, heartache, disappointment, etc.... We will not be able to flee from it. Period. BUT, once we are in His presence all sorrow and pain will be gone and we will rise to be with HIM- forever!!! This earthly life is SO short even though in our earthly minds it seems like this is it. This is all that matters. But, its not! And I am so thankful for that! :) We have a heavenly home that is SO much better and will last forever. So, in the meantime, I can CHOOSE to use this earthly life for His glory. I can CHOOSE to use the pains and struggles and sorrow of this life to know Him better, to further His Kingdom, to do His Will, to glorify him. Because in all reality He is all that matters, His kingdom is all that matters in the end. Period. This doesn't mean that our sorrow and pain goes away---oh no, it doesn't. And that is okay. Jesus came as a human on purpose. He chose to come and He knows full well all the temptations, sorrow, and pain we feel. He went through them and more.... So, when we struggle we become more compassionate to others. Our pain brings beauty, if we let it. Our pain makes us more aware of others' pain.
So, we can CHOOSE to let the pains of this earthly life make us more like Christ or more bitter. I am choosing the first.
"I Will Rise" by Chris Tomlin
Verse 1:
There's a peace i've come to know
though my heart and flesh may fail
There's an echo in my soul
I can sing, It is well
Pre-Chorus:
Jesus, has overcome
and the grave is overwelmed
The victory is won
he is risen from the dead
Chorus:
And I Will Rise when he calls my name
No more sorrow,No more pain
I Will Rise,on Eagle's wings
Before my God fall on my kness,and rise
I Will Rise
Verse:2
There's a day that's drawing near
when the darkness breaks to light
and the shadow's disappear
and my faith shall be my eye's
Pre-Chorus:
Chorus Times2
THE END
7 comments:
awesome!!!!!!
Love you guys. This made me think of one of my favorite hymns of all time. Jesus Paid It All. The church I go to down here sings it a lot and they also sing a little added part.
"JESUS PAID IT ALL"
I hear the Savior say,
“Thy strength indeed is small;
Child of weakness, watch and pray,
Find in Me thine all in all.”
Chorus-
Jesus paid it all,
All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow.
For nothing good have I
Whereby Thy grace to claim,
I’ll wash my garments white
In the blood of Calv’ry’s Lamb.
Chorus
And now complete in Him
My robe His righteousness,
Close sheltered ’neath His side,
I am divinely blest.
Chorus
Lord, now indeed I find
Thy power and Thine alone,
Can change the leper’s spots
And melt the heart of stone.
Chorus
When from my dying bed
My ransomed soul shall rise,
“Jesus died my soul to save,”
Shall rend the vaulted skies.
Chorus
And when before the throne
I stand in Him complete,
I’ll lay my trophies down
All down at Jesus’ feet.
Oh, praise the One
Who paid my debt
And raised this life
Up from the dead.
Favorite song ever. Love you guys.
Loo.
So great to see you comforted by the words of truth. Still praying with you.
We were thinking of you today in church and praying! We love you!
Jen, Dan Lucas
I know, I have been struggling with alot of things lately. Pretty much God telling me to lean on him & not myself. I have our SS class praying for you guys & your court date.
Hugs-
Ann
so glad that you had music and that the Lord was able to use it to minister to your hurting heart. I know this is hard for you, but I know your Savior is indeed with you in all of this. Love you girl.
Beckie
Oh my friend, don't let go. I know that temptation to give in to fear and hopelessness, but I also can speak of the glory that blinds when He comes to save!!!! I know you won't give up, and I'm so happy that you have Chris with you. I can't tell you how much that man's blessing encouraged my heart while we were there. I thanked God for him nearly every day, LOL!!! I love you and we haven't stopped praying for you guys. Keep worshipping and praising God. Thank Him for all of the wonderful things that He has done, is doing, and will continue to do!!
~All our love and prayers,
Jenn and fam
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