Embracing the Proverbs 31 Princess - even if she's tardy. . .

I had the honor and pleasure of following up the concepts of the Proverbs 31 Princess for the ladies of Flourish.  Additionally, they allowed me to speak about how the Lord developed this concept in me via a video interview.  I've just taken a little too long to post it.  Be sure to visit their website!  You are sure to be encouraged!

Should you feel so inclined to watch you can view the video here.

The article can be read below (and found here):

Embracing the Proverbs 31 princess

Earlier this week, we discovered that we are royalty. I pray that you have been able to meditate on and embrace this truth and your spirit has rejoiced! While we focused on Psalm 45:10, there is ample Scripture to verify that indeed our spiritual lineage is that of a royal family line.

1 Peter 2:9 tells us, “But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession.” (NLT).

Isaiah 62:3 says “You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the LORD, and a royal diadem in the hand of your God.” (ESV).

And finally, 1 Timothy 6:15 declares that our triune God is “. . . the blessed and only almighty God, the King of all kings and Lord of all lords.” (NLT)

For many, accepting that we are a Proverbs 31 Princess is an act of faith, in and of itself. It’s contrary to the way we think. The majority of us have never been told that we are royalty, let alone that we’re worthy, beautiful, intelligent, and so-on.

Ladies, it’s time to see ourselves differently! You and I must take hold of the fact that God’s children are not like everyone else. We aren’t supposed to be! Deuteronomy 14:2 tells us, “You have been set apart as holy to the Lord your God, and he has chosen you from all the nations of the earth to be his own special treasure.” (NLT)

Still, just as our five Disney princesses yearned for affirmation of who they were on the inside, we must seek that affirmation from God in His Word. Being a princess can be a wonderful thing, but if you don’t know who you are without the crown, the crown has no worth.

In the early part of 2016, I personally wrestled with this truth. To be honest, I still struggle. I have the knowledge of who I am, Who my Father is and in Whose image I was created, but living that out proves to be difficult at times. It takes daily effort to remind myself who I truly am and not allow the world to define me.

As we dig a little deeper into our truth, I’d like to share with you some excerpts from a blog post I wrote last year:

“If you are anything like me, you want to be more than you are. We are always comparing ourselves to another woman who seems to have it all together. What we don’t see is that none of us really has it all together. Impeccably dressed, well-manicured, flawless makeup, charming children and handsome husbands all seem to indicate a perfect family life. But, we’ve all heard the cliché, ‘You can’t judge a book by its cover.’”

Behind all the outward perfection, there is likely to be a woman who is a complete and utter mess. Beautiful jars on the outside, but shattered pieces on the inside. Many of us don’t want to admit it, but we feel like failures for failing to live up to what we perceive should be the epitome of womanhood. We are a far cry from the woman whom we are called to be.

Many of us struggle with the notion of the Proverbs 31 Woman. I know I do. I have often thought that she was a woman of myth, a fictional character that could never materialize in the here and now. Even ladies of days past strove for the perfection that we have come to believe the Proverbs 31 woman exemplifies.What we fail to see is that the Proverbs 31 Woman is built into our DNA. We just have to learn how to tap into her.

It has been my own unwillingness to embrace that which is within me that has caused me to fail.

In my quiet time I asked God to help me understand. He told me this:

“Your worth is not measured by your ability to cook or clean. Your worth is measured at the Cross. I know you by your name. Not the dirt and the grime. But, I have called you to a purpose. To love Me above all else and follow My commandments. In loving Me, you will find your true worth measured by the cost of My Son’s very life, given for you.

“In serving Me, you will find joy, hope, peace, contentment and affirmation in knowing that you have pleased Me. Your family will feel loved and cared for. You are My vessel through which I can care for My son and My little child. I can perform many miracles, but I still need you to see that you are here on purpose; for such a time as this. . . .

“Do you see? You are more than what you believe yourself to be. . . . You are more than what you see in the mirror. You are more than what you see around you. Take hold of your destiny and purpose in ME first and the desires of your heart will be fulfilled.”

My dear friends, our lives must be a reflection of the One Who created us. We find ways to reject this truth, citing a traumatic childhood, failed relationships, negative influences and a myriad of other excuses. And, the crux of the matter is that I can share Scripture upon Scripture with you, but if you don’t desire to know who truly you are and reject the Word as it is given, it will be like seed scattered on rocky ground.

You and I have been given so much more than a magic pumpkin turned coach or a charming prince to woo us.

No, our Prince gave His very life for us at Calvary’s Cross to ensure our place in God’s kingdom was secured. Our worth can be seen in the nail-scarred hands of the One who loves us beyond measure. Ephesians 1:4 tells us that “Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes.” (NLT)

Proverbs 31:10-31 provides with a model for being a Christian woman. This woman is set in the context of the culture of that time, but you and I can still aspire to be called “virtuous and capable.” Living in the modern age does not disqualify us nor does it nullify her. As I said earlier this week, it doesn’t matter what season of life you are in, you are the embodiment of the Proverbs 31 Princess.

God gave me a list of attributes that the Proverbs 31 woman exemplifies. They are not merely adjectives, but qualities which can truly become our identity. I created a word art printable that I would like to share with you.

Place it in a prominent place so you can encourage yourself when you don’t feel like you measure up. Feel free to share the printable with others as you partner together with sisters in your walk.

As we come to a close, my prayer for you is simply this: Embrace who you are.You are not defined by your past hurts or mistakes. You are not defined by your family strongholds. You are not defined by your career or your financial status.

You are precious. (Isaiah 43:4)

You are unique. (Psalm 139:14)

You are favored. (Proverbs 8:35)

You are called. (2 Timothy 1:9)

You are redeemed. (Isaiah 43:1)

You are loved. (John 3:16)

So, wear your crown with dignity. Serve the Lord with excellence, using the unique gifts and talents He has given you in the season and position to which you are called. Dress your heart with the royal robes of the Father’s love and embrace your status as the Daughter of the Most High King.

In His service,

Download a beautiful printable copy of the Proverbs 31 attributes HERE.

SHARE

The Proverbs 31 Princess and her ghost writer. . .

God never ceases to amaze me.  He places certain people in our lives when He sees it will be good and profitable for His sake.  A few months ago, I was invited to mom's night in with three other beautiful women.  I knew two of the three, and by the end of the night, I had definitely made a new friend.  

Jenny is one-half of Flourish, a ministry to women, dedicated to seeing them "flourish" in their knowledge of God's Word.  I'm always in awe of women who have the courage to put themselves out there and pour themselves out.  Jenny is no exception.  We spoke about writing, encouraging, ministry and homeschooling and I counted it joy to get to know her.

A couple of weeks ago, I ran into Jenny at an event and she mentioned to me about possibly being a guest writer for her ministry.  The excitement never left me and I began to pray about what God would have me share, whenever that may be.

Well, this week, I had the honor and privilege of writing the devotional for Flourish. What God gave me was an incredibly powerful message to share about the Proverbs 31 Woman, clothed in regal gowns. I additionally have the opportunity to expand upon the teaching later this week.  I am grateful for the edits Jenny and Mindy made to my submission and, again, humbled to actually be asked to write in the first place!

As a woman who loves words, words, themselves, cannot express the joy I have in sharing what I believe is God's heart for His daughters.  It's why I blog.  It's why I believe in the material God gave me to write in my book (which is still a work-in-progress!)  Perhaps this is just the nudge I need to hunker down and get that project done.  Ghost-writing isn't necessarily my thing, but I guess, if God allows me to write a message that will touch the hearts of His people, I am glad to be the typing fingers that sends gets it out.

In the meantime, I'd love to share with you the message of "The Proverbs 31 Princess."  Please be sure to check out Jenny's ministry, which she leads with her friend, Mindy, at Flourish. Sign up for their weekly devotionals and their upcoming Proverbs study! You can join them on Facebook here and stay encouraged all week long! 

And, without further ado:

No matter where we are in our walk with God, many of us struggle with our identities. Although we have called on Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we still struggle with who we are in Christ. We know we have become a part of God's family, saved by grace, given mercy, and forgiven of our sins. Yet, for many of us, we still don't know what that means in light of the person we see in the mirror.

There are two truths I believe God wants you to take hold of today.

You are a princess in the Kingdom of God.

You may have heard this popular inspirational quote, "I am the daughter of a King who is not moved by the world for my God is with me and goes before me. I do not fear because I am His." We love the truths expressed here, especially when we are trying to lift each other up during times of trial. However, this is not just a "feel-good" meme for us to post on social media and the walls of our homes, but a truth that God wants us to take hold of deep in our spirits.

While there are many Scriptures that represent the truth of this quote, I'd like for you to consider one of my favorites, Psalm 45. While it describes the royal court, the writer directly speaks of God on his eternal throne (Psalm 45:6). Additionally, scholars attribute the Psalm as describing Christ's relationship to the Church which is described as the Bride of Christ. Verses 10 and 11 in the New Living Translation state:

"Listen to me, O royal daughter; take to heart what I say.
Forget your people and your family far away.

For your royal husband delights in your beauty;
honor him, for he is your lord."

(click on image to download printable scripture card)

Did you catch that? We are "royal daughters" in the Kingdom of God. He delights in our beauty! Dear friend, did you know that it's not just the beauty that can be seen with the eyes that makes our Heavenly Father rejoice over us? It is our inner beauty that brings Him such joy! In 1 Samuel 16:7, God says that He "doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

This brings me to the next truth I'd like to share with you:

You are the embodiment of the Proverbs 31 woman.

For many of us, including myself, we read about the Proverbs 31 woman and immediately disassociate ourselves from her. She is described as a "wife of noble character" (v. 10) whose "children stand and bless her" (v.28), and most of the time we hardly feel we fit that description. Consider with me, however, that no matter what season of life you are in, you are a combination of the two truths I have set before you:

You are a Proverbs 31 Princess

You may be asking how in the world I have come to this conclusion. In our culture of film and various media, we are bombarded with images of those with whom we would gladly exchange places. We oftentimes identify with one of the characters we've seen portrayed in Disney films, famous for their female heroines portrayed in stories of adventure and romance. Perhaps you are like one of these fictional princesses:

• The wayward daughter who longed to be someone other than who she was and be part of someone else's world.
• The daughter who was stripped of her wealth and status, demoted to scullery maid, desiring nothing more than to be valued and cherished as she had been in the past.
• The beauty who willingly risked it all to save the only family she had left and subjected herself to the "savage beast."
• The independent, strong-willed princess who longed for a destiny other than her own and was beguiled by the ways of her culture while she tried to change her fate.
• The princess who was hidden and raised as a peasant girl until the day she learned of her true heritage, yet still fell to victim the very circumstances from which she was originally protected.

I do not have to name them for you to identify with them. All of them have experienced some kind of ordeal. And, all of them had to reach down inside themselves to find their inner strength.

Let's view the five young women I have mentioned in light of Proverbs 31.

• Each one, in the midst of her trial, desired to be someone she was not; yet, she found that her circumstances formed a strength of character which was "more precious than rubies," regardless of her station in life. (v.11)
• Each suffered some kind of hardship, but persevered as she found she was "clothed with strength and dignity." (v. 25)
• Each had to deal with darkness in the heart of those who oppressed her, yet she brought "good, not harm" to those around her and found a way to "extend a helping hand" and "open her arms" to those in need (vv. 10, 20).
• While young in age, each girl dug deep within herself to speak "wise words with "kindness." (v.26)
• These girls were “energetic, strong, and hard" working regardless of their position. (v.17)

The difference between these fictional princesses and you and me is that we truly are daughters of the most High King. Each one of us possess what we need to be the woman described in Proverbs 31. You don't have to be married and have children to fit her description. We all endure hardship and possess strength, dignity and integrity, serve others with kindness, energy, strength and hard work. We each have been given the Spirit of God, which enables us to live out these qualities in everyday life. Romans 11:9 tells us "The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you.”

So, rejoice, dear sister! You are not just an ordinary woman going through the throes of life, destined to stay where you are. You are the jewel in your Father's crown! You are a Princess who is every bit the Proverbs 31 Woman.

As the Scripture says, "There are many virtuous and capable women in the world, but YOU surpass them all!” Proverbs 31:29

Michelle Flaugh is a fourth-generation Russian Jew who became a believer in Messiah at the age of 25. While she grew up in Plano, Texas and has lived in numerous places, she calls Florence, Kentucky home. She is wife to Rob, momma to Kyra, and (step)mom to Cody and Amber. In addition to being a wife and mother, she homeschools Kyra and serves with several ministries. Her deepest passion is to share the heart of God with others so they can embrace their identity in Christ and learn to walk in the calling and purpose God has on their lives. She currently blogs, as the Lord leads, at Armsofgracejourney.blogspot.com.

The target is NOT the focus. . .

When Jesus spoke to  the multitudes, He spoke in parables. Parables are relatable stories with deeper meaning. The people of His day understood what He was referencing, but us modern day "scholars" need a little help. Interestingly enough, I feel like God speaks to me more through metaphors and similes. You know, the kind of statements that Forrest Gump made, "Life is like a box of chocolates. . ." I would venture to say, however deep you may find Forrest's statement, that God's Word takes us so much deeper when it comes to seeing things through His eyes.

I don't have an epiphany on what "life is like, " but what I do have is a new perspective on how to look at life and how I relate to God. And, as in many things, God spoke to me during an activity.

My husband took me to the shooting range a few weeks ago. Now, stick with me here, regardless of whether you enjoy shooting or are terrified of weapons (I used to be, too). I pray you'll find my lesson one you can glean something from either way. As usual, I digress. . .

Back to my story. . . As my hubby was coaching me and helping me tweak my skill, I had trouble focusing on my target. The more I focused on where I wanted the bullet to go, the more I missed. I can still hear his voice in my ear, "focus on the sights, not the target." Let me help you understand what he meant.

The majority of handguns have both front and rear sights. While the cosmetic makeup of the sights differ from weapon to weapon, their purpose is the same: line them up with the target. When training to use a handgun, you have to rely on the sights rather heavily. If the front sight is not lined up correctly with the rear sight(s), the bullet will end up anywhere but where you want it. While you need to aim correctly, where your eyes focus is absolutely key in your accuracy. Here's an image to help you ("POI" stands for "point of impact):

image courtesy of https://canadianshooter.wordpress.com/

As you can see (no pun intended), if your sights are out of alignment, you're not going to hit where you're aiming.

So here's where the crazy thing happened - I was adjusting my aim, focusing in on the sights, making sure they were in perfect alignment, and my eyes went in and out of focus. I wear no-line bifocals, so shooting can be a challenge in and of itself, but when my eyes are wigging out, well. . . . you can only imagine. Much to my surprise, however, when I had a clear sight picture, and my eyes were in perfect focus, I pulled the trigger and hit exactly where I was aiming.

It was then that I heard God's voice. "Isn't it the same with Me? When you are perfectly, intently and fully focused on Me, don't you have peace and feel fulfilled?" A smile crept upon my lips and I let out one of those "yeah, I get it" kind of laughs.

But, ever since that day, I have been mulling this over in my mind. How completely stunning and powerful is this truth? When we are not focused on the end game, on the final destination, on the "just one more thing" or even just when we stop flailing around in our emotional distress and purely focus on the Most High God do we have peace and joy. When all we want to do is please Him and bring Him honor and glory and praise with our lives, we have a deeper and fulfilling sense of purpose and destiny. When we finally surrender and pour ourselves out at the Cross, only to be filled with the love and peace of God, we are secure and joyful and whole. 

But, as soon as we let our focus wander, we sink in our hearts and minds, just like Peter sank in the water:

Then Peter called to him, “Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.” “Yes, come,” Jesus said. So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted. Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. “You have so little faith,” Jesus said. “Why did you doubt me?” When they climbed back into the boat, the wind stopped. Then the disciples worshiped him. “You really are the Son of God!” they exclaimed. (Matthew 14:28-33, NLT)

Peter took his eyes off of Jesus and he fell.  Of course, Jesus rescued him, but the first thing He asked Peter was why he doubted!   Is that what happens when we doubt? It starts so subtly. We are reading or we are praying and a stray thought comes in and we shake our heads and try to refocus. Slowly, the minor disruption pulls a little harder, like the wind blowing on that stormy sea, until we are so distracted that we can no longer look at what we are doing and see God in it, when He clearly is in the middle of rescuing us from ourselves.  Doubt slowly enters our minds and the enemy snickers and starts dancing his little happy dance because he has been successful in throwing us off course. We begin to get consumed with overwhelming details that simply do not matter in the grand scheme of things and we forget that our Heavenly Father already has everything worked those pesky details out and knows exactly where we are and where our journey is taking us. But, before we know it, we are crying out from broken hearts and wounded souls because we simply let our focus drift.

Perhaps I have this backwards, but I feel like what God is telling me is don't worry about where you're going to end up - the destination itself isn't the primary focus.  Don't get me wrong, we have an eternal destiny that we are to strive towards, but we can't get there by focusing on ourselves and the minutia of life.  I don't know what voice you're hearing, but I keep hearing the Lord say to me, "Stay here, with Me, in this moment. Trust me. I already know where all this is going.  I've got it all under control." 

That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today. (Matthew 6:25-34, NLT, emphasis mine)

Seems so simple, doesn't it? Not a chance. It takes practice, determination, FOCUS, just as learning any skill does. If we worked as hard on learning more about God and strengthening our relationship with Him as we do to accomplish anything else in our daily lives, we would be so much happier and at peace.  

Set your clock. Make time to read and meditate on God's Word. The treasure that awaits you there is beyond your imagination. The wealth of this world is nothing compared to what God has for you. What Paul said centuries ago still rings true today. . .

I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done.Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with him. (Philippians 3:7-9, NLT)

While it feels good to hit the target, the joy is fleeting and leaves us wanting for more. Focus in on Jesus and begin to feel a joy beyond words, a peace beyond understanding and a love which can not be measured.

When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. (Ephesians 3:14-19, NLT)

Don't worry, you are not alone if you think you're lacking this kind of focus.  I am preaching to myself, here, too.  But, I'm ready to live for something and Someone other than myself and be filled with the promises God has for me.  Tell me friend, how about you?   

Happy New Year!

Isaiah 43:17-18

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Get off the fence.

Have you ever had an idea rolling around in your head? One of those ideas that won't leave you unless you do something with it? This blog post is one such idea.

Well, I don't know if “idea” is the right word. In fact, “Word” is the more appropriate noun in this case. I feel like Jonah in a way – given a Word from the Lord and ran from it. I'm not calling myself a prophet. I'm just saying I think I can relate to the weight of the matter that drove Jonah to seek reprieve.

Perhaps the message was too personal for Jonah. Perhaps it brought such conviction that he couldn't bear to look at himself in the mirror, let alone acknowledge that the Lord wanted him to speak it to a nation of savages. The truth was far greater that he wished to face. In fact, he outright refused to face it and ran away as far as he thought he could get. I don't know about you, but I don't think I want to wait until I'm swallowed up and spit out by a big fish before I do what I am supposed to be doing. So, I best get to it. . .

Get off the fence.

Interesting, isn't it? The very topic of my post is centered around making a clear choice. Wouldn't Jonah have had an easier time if he had just decided Who's side he was on from the beginning? Don't get me wrong. I think his being called to be a prophet of God is pretty clear cut in and of itself, but we do see the humanity of Jonah in the struggle he faced in fulfilling his calling. Sometimes I think I know what I am supposed to be doing, and other times I haven't a clue. But, one thing is certain, if I don't make a decision about Whom I serve in this world, I am going to continue to be a mess. 

Jesus clearly tells us in Revelation 3:15-22 (NLT) (emphasis mine):

15 "I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! 16 But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth!17 You say, ‘I am rich. I have everything I want. I don’t need a thing!’ And you don’t realize that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked. 18 So I advise you to buy gold from me—gold that has been purified by fire. Then you will be rich. Also buy white garments from me so you will not be shamed by your nakedness, and ointment for your eyes so you will be able to see. 19 I correct and discipline everyone I love. So be diligent and turn from your indifference. 20 “Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.21 Those who are victorious will sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat with my Father on his throne. 22 “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches.”

Many of you have either read or heard this Scripture preached. It's pretty scary to think that all our time on this dusty planet we call home could be vainly spent. But, God makes it pretty clear that we cannot be complacent and numb and allow life to pass us by. He has laid out a beautiful plan for our lives and given us the free choice to follow it. Yet, so many of us, myself included, end up focusing on the wrong things and ultimately letting our fire for Jesus grow cold and dim.

Why does this happen? Do we even notice it before it's too late? Does the din of life gradually drown out the still small voice or does it suddenly take over? Either way, we have given away our authority, our victory and our peace by allowing the enemy to have his way with our lives. Distractions, addictions, good intentions and lackadaisical attitudes cause us to stumble. Half the time. I have created my own stumbling blocks. Somehow, I have allowed myself to begin to buy into the lies that I have no influence, that my voice doesn't matter, that I cannot affect change and that I am not worthy of the platform I have been given.

So what do I do? I end up sitting on the fence with one foot in the world and one foot in the Kingdom. Not being effective in either and feeling torn to shreds on the inside as the war that rages around me pulls me in both directions.

No more.

That's right, devil. You heard me. 

NO MORE.

Today, this moment, as I sit and write for the world to read, I make my choice.

I choose God. 

• I choose to live a life of worth; one that is found at the Cross, where my Savior bled and died for me, as if I was the only living soul on earth. 
• I choose to live a life of victory; victory found as Jesus rose on the third day, after conquering hell and the grave, risen with the Spirit of the Living God, which now lives in me. 
• I choose to live a life of power; power found in Living Water in which I will spread my roots and soak up the power of the Word made flesh as I declare His holy name. 
• I choose to live a life of joy; joy that is established in my relationship with my Father in Heaven and which cannot be taken from me, unless I give it away. My joy is found in the knowledge that I was made in the image of my Creator, who loves me beyond measure. 
• I choose to live a life of prayer; one that keeps me and those around me covered by the grace and mercy of my God and King and I will believe Him at His Word and for the fulfillment of His promises. 

I CHOOSE LIFE.

• No longer will I be a slave to the chains of the past.
• No longer will I bend and break under the pressure to perform as the world expects. 
• No longer will my happiness be determined by the emotional state of others. 
• No longer will I listen to the lie that I have nothing to say and nothing to offer this world. 
• No longer will I be blinded to the needs of those around me and the calling to which I have been given.

Today, I choose to serve the Lord. I am getting off that proverbial fence and standing squarely on the side of righteousness.

Things will get rough. I will face challenges and I will be tested. I will not always feel like I have succeeded and I will find myself faced with the choice to give up or go forward.

In those moments, I will recall this day, this post and remember that I have thrown off the world's view of me and embraced my true identity in Jesus.

I will not be a fence sitter any longer. 

Tell me, friend... how about you?

Do you trust Me?

Over the weekend, my family and I were visiting an indoor water park.  While we are a blended family of five, two of my children live out of state and have for the majority of their lives.  So, when my husband and I take our youngest daughter to do something, it's usually just the three of us.  Per the usual fashion, we catered most of our visit to our eight-year old's interests, however, this time, we encouraged her to overcome her fear of the larger water slides.  You may laugh at this, and it has it's humorous elements to it, but as I sit and reflect on what really happened on this visit, I see things in a different light.

First, my husband and I ventured to the top of the tall platform to ride the "water coaster," while our daughter waited for us at the bottom.   Just as it sounds, the ride is a fast-moving ride where you and one or two of your close friends and /or relatives sit back in an oblong raft and zoom down an enclosed tube.  You can hear what can be construed as both screams of terror and/or delight echoing down the tube and throughout the facility.  I,  myself, admit my screams are a combination of the two emotions, but find that I truly enjoy the thrill.  

On the other side of the platform, there is a family raft ride.  Up to five people can sit in the circular flotation device and it, too, slightly twists and turns as the water carries you down an enclosed tube.  My husband and I noticed there were many smaller children, toddlers, in fact, that were riding this particular attraction.  We talked with a lady in line, who happened to be a lifeguard and confirmed the innocuous nature of the ride, and decided since our little girl had just gone down the regular tube ride with Daddy, she would really like this raft idea.  (Key foreboding music here.)

As you can probably imagine, things did not go as we had hoped.  Not only did we fail to factor in to account that she had literally just overcome her fear of the taller slides, we did not consider the truth of her condition:  she was scared out of her mind.  We're not talking excited-scared, here, either.  We are talking full-scale meltdown scared.  Giving her the benefit of the doubt, I went down the ride without her and Daddy walked his little girl down the three flights of stairs.  We'll try again tomorrow.

Well, the day began with some adventure (albeit frustrating) as we played a game that has you running to and fro throughout the hotel.  Finally, after we had defeated the dragon and won the gold (don't ask), we found ourselves back in the water park, splashing in the wave pool, and gearing up for helping our daughter conquer her fear for once and for all.  

When she finally got up the courage, what little she had at the moment, to go up to the platform, fear griped her again as she reached the platform.  While I tried to encourage her with 2 Timothy 3:17, "For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline," little could be done to calm her. All the coaxing and promises of gift shop goodies could not take this overwhelming fear away from my daughter.  She took a step into the raft and literally panicked, to the point of screaming.  A mixture of anger, resentment as well as concern took hold of me as I watched the same emotions rise up in my husband.  And as the three of us walked down the stairs together, all my precious daughter could say to us was "I'm sorry."  Over and over and over again.   

My husband took a seat in order to calm down and sent me and my daughter to the wave pool.  At first, I tried to reason with her, assure her that although disappointed, we weren't mad.  I recalled our moments on the platform, both of us looking into her eyes as they darted back and forth, asking her if she trusted us, trusted that we wouldn't hurt her or put her in harm's way.  That we would be sitting right next to her, holding her hand and sticking with her every moment of the way.  Yet, all of that rhetoric didn't resonate with her. the bottom line was that she didn't trust us and she was terrified. For the next few moments, while we were in that wave pool, I sought the Lord for wisdom and peace in the situation.  I put my arms around my baby girl and held her as she put her head on my shoulder and listened to me pray.   All of the sudden, I felt the Lord say to me, "you are asking of her the same thing I have asked of you, and what has your response been?"  A flood of compassion crashed over me along with the waves as I realized what this whole ordeal was really about.

Let me back up a half-a-second.  Two days before, I had a panic attack as well.  The details don't matter, but the crux of the lesson does.  When we come to a place of healing, we often think we have done all we need to do.  However, the journey never ends as we are refined and refocused as God reshapes us in to a new creation.  Our strength is not in ourselves and our high-minded thinking that we have overcome on our own, but from the very Spirit of God that inhabits us.  And, as we walk in our flesh and lean on our own understanding, we find ourselves face to face with situations we thought we could handle, yet they end up handling us and we are left a hot mess.  

Somewhere along the way, we lost our trust.  Trust in the process, trust in others, trust in God, and, we put too much trust in ourselves and our own abilities.  What is this thing called "trust?"  Again, I turn to Professor Google for our definition:  "firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of someone or something."  Don't we all say that trust is to be earned, not given?   Once a trust is broken, most of us have a heck of a time giving it out again.   We could argue the inherency of trust, but that will not be of any benefit, since both you and I know that regardless of where we learn the validity of trust, it can easily be broken and often times is at the heart of many of our relational issues.

You see, here is the reality:  crippling fear is not of the Lord.  You and I know what the Scripture says.  We know that there are varying levels of fear and that there are healthy fears that keep us from doing things that harm us, as well as reverent fear of the Lord.  But, herein lies the problem - how do we know the difference?  How can we trust that our fear will give us the boundaries of safety that we are looking for?  Scripture after Scripture encourages us to trust in the Lord.  A quick search reveals 59 references to trusting (or not trusting) in the Lord.  The most recited perhaps is Proverbs 3:5, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding."

My daughter trusted in what her eyes and ears were telling her.  She saw and heard the rushing water at the beginning of the ride.  She saw a large flotation device swallowed up by a big blue tunnel and she couldn't see what was ahead of her.  She assumed that the rest of the ride was fast and bumpy and regardless of what anyone told her to the contrary, she could not trust what was being said to her.  How many times have the eyes in your head contradicted the eyes of your heart and convinced you that whatever God was asking you to do, that you could not trust Him for the outcome?  We lean into our emotions and allow them to tell us what is truth and what can and cannot be trusted.  I hate to break it to you, but our emotions are probably the one thing we have that we can absolutely NOT trust!  Emotions lead us into temptation, wrong thinking, sinful choices and devastating consequences.  We must learn to trust the Word of God.  Jesus, the Word made flesh, who knows us by our names.  Scripture tells us over and over again that those who trust in the Lord will find their peace, their prosperity, their victory and their joy:  

Psalm 37:3:  Trust in the Lord and do good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper.

Proverbs 16:20:  Those who listen to instruction will prosper; those who trust the Lord will be joyful.

Isaiah 12:2:  See, God has come to save me. I will trust in him and not be afraid. The Lord God is my strength and my song; he has given me victory.”

Jeremiah 17:7: But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence.

Trust is the key to possessing our blessings.  We must first trust the one that holds them in His hands as knowing what is best for us.  As I have shared before, "Trust + Obedience = Blessing."  It's the formula for success.

So, you may be wondering about the outcome of all this as it relates to the water-park adventure.  Well, about half-way through the day, donning a life-jacket and after a threat to go down in the raft or if we go down the stairs, we go home, my daughter went down the family raft ride with us. And, on the way out of the park, our last ride was. . . you guess it!  The family raft ride!  I even caught her smiling a few times (in between the gentle dips and turns down the chute).    You see, in the end, she did trust us after all, even if it was under a bit of slight duress, and she was victorious over her fear.

Yet, in the end, the bigger lesson learned was mine.  I now see how much I lean on my own strength and understanding and how misleading they can be.  I need to trust in the Truth because in the Truth, I find my liberty.  And when I walk in liberty, I have the freedom to follow God with joy in my heart and assuredness (a.k.a. "trust") in His plan for my  life.

John 8:32:  "Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings.  And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."