The older I get the more I realize the one thing you can count on is change… We live in a world that is CONSTANTLY changing, whether we want it to or not. The moment you get comfortable, or life gets in a rhythm change occurs. I am not trying to send pessimistic, I’m truly a “it-could-be-worse” kind of person, but change IS inevitable. Situations change; people change – we change (hopefully for the better 🙂 ). There is only ONE thing that doesn’t change and that is God’s steadfast love for you. He loves you. He’s there. He sees you and He desires to be in a deep, loving, committed, never-going-to-leave you, nothing surprises Him relationship.
GOD DOESN’T CHANGE
To be transparent and honest with you (in my usual “Kelly fashion”), if not for my faith in God over the last 4 years, I don’t know if I’d even be here today. My husband of 6 years developed a very rare cancer, I developed breast cancer (for the second time – different battle, I don’t believe in remission) and my mother developed vascular dementia (and I lived halfway across the country from her). Can you imagine what it is like to be battling cancer, being there for your spouse and trying to keep up with the care of a loved one long distance? Do you know what kept me?
MY FAITH IN GOD
People belittle prayer, prayer should be the VERY first thing we do when we are facing situations we can’t control. Well, honestly – we should be talking to God whether or not things are good OR bad. If you were in a relationship with someone and only went to them when things were bad, what kind of relationship would that be? Kind of lopsided, right? I speak from 36 years of experience of having a deep, committed, mostly imperfect (on my side) relationship with God. You CAN rely on Him. You CAN trust Him. You CAN depend on Him. He IS reliable. Truly I tell you, if you draw nearer to God, He WILL draw nearer to you. Now, things don’t always turn out the way we want them to – God healed me on this side of the grave but my husband and three months later my mother on the other. They both had accepted Jesus as their Savior, made Him LORD OVER their lives. They are in a MUCH better place and their pain is GONE. Listen, even though I grieve, even though the life I now live is one without my husband (because God still has work for me to do), I know this, and I know this well –
“GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD THAT HE GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON, THAT WHOSOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM SHALL NOT PERISH BUT HAVE EVERLASTING LIFE.”
This environment that we live in, is NOT the world that God intended us to dwell. Sin, sickness, disease, death, troubles were NOT supposed to be our portion. But with the fall of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden our environment changed. But let me tell you that NOTHING surprises God. NOTHING. Not what you are going through now, what they did back then.
EVEN IN YOUR DARKEST MOMENTS – GOD REIGNS. HE IS IN COMPLETE CONTROL.
That is what you can depend on if you put your faith IN HIM. In God alone. That is where the peace that passes ALL understanding abides. It may be hard to believe if you haven’t experienced it – but even in my darkest moments, I felt God’s presence. He was with me through it all.
GOD NEVER LEAVES.
The world would try to tell you differently. The world wants you to believe that you can only rely on yourself. How is that working for you??? The struggle IS real. God IS real. And He’s brought you to this post for a reason. He wants you to put your faith in HIM.
I don’t have all the answers, but I know how to turn to the One Who does. He is my reason, He is my purpose, He is my focus, He is my life. He’s never failed me (although I have failed Him MANY times). He truly is the lifter of my soul. If your heart is hurting right now and you are searching for answers and stability (which can ONLY be found in Him) will you pray with me?
“Father God, thank You that I can turn to You in good times and bad. Thank You that You are all seeing, all knowing and NOTHING comes as a surprise to You. Father, I turn to You right now and ask You to forgive me for my sins. Jesus, thank You for dying on that cross – for looking all the way into the future and seeing ME. For dying for ME. I choose this day to accept You as my Savior. I want You to be LORD OVER my life. Only You can make a difference. I recognize that this doesn’t mean I won’t have to do “hard things” or face “hard times” because that is the environment of this world, but I declare that YOU are greater than my situation (or any situation I will face) and I choose this day to put my trust and faith in YOU. You hold my life in Your hands. The number of my days You tell me You will fulfill. Be with me this day and all the days of my life, in Jesus’ precious name I pray AMEN.”
I can attest to you that God IS faithful. That His blessings exceed ANYTHING that you could have in mind for yourself. Life changes, but when you have made Jesus your Savior, LORD OVER your life – He holds your hand through it all. And that my friend is the absolute BEST way to live – with your hand in His. Knowing that will NEVER end, you become His for ALL eternity.
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