A Good Land

I've been on a journey for several years now. The road has been long. I've walked through the desert, the valley, and the wilderness. Sometimes, I got to stand on the mountain top and see what the Lord led me through, and how he helped me overcome. Recently, the Lord called me to walk with him through the book of Deuteronomy. I knew I was in for another adventure when the Lord lit up Chapter 1:6-8.
"...You have stayed long enough at this mountain. Break camp and advance into the hill country....See, I have given you this land. Go in and take possession..."

The Lord just called me out.

At first, I was discouraged. Not back to the wilderness. I was just there. I shared my frustration with a dear friend. Her correction was gentle:

 "This call is not a call to return to the wilderness. This call is the Lord leading you into the promised land. He wants to take you into the fullness of His promise." 

Now you may think I'm talking about my spiritual journey, and in some ways, I am. But for the most part, I'm talking about my journey as a writer. It's time to move on. It's time to fully enter into what He has for me.   
I'm still struggling with fear. I want to trust that the Lord will continue to bring this story to life. There are days when I feel completely incapable of writing anything good. But the Lord has continued to use Deuteronomy to encourage and remind me of His faithfulness.  

The Lord wants to lead me into a 'good land'. It's time to break camp and follow in faith. 

When God Gives Us Growing Pains

My heart is heavy today. I know so many people going through hard things. When they come to me, my heart goes out to them. At the same time, my flesh recoils.
 I am the least-qualified person in the whole world to walk through this with you.
The more they share, the more weight I feel inside.
I just want to DO something. But I can't make this right.
Could it be that helpless is right where I'm supposed to be? The panic that pushes me to my knees is completely right? The brokenness that overwhelms my heart is a beautiful, intentional wound?

This is one of God's growing pains. 

"But he said to me 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.'" (2 Corinthians 12:9, NLT) 
Why do we despise weakness? Why do we panic when there's nothing we can do? This verse is is the first to come to my heart when I think of weakness. It is often quoted- yet in my heart, it is rarely applied. There is NOTHING I can do. PRAISE GOD for another opportunity to show His power by my weakness!

 "Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly in my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong." (2 Corinthians 12:9b & 10, NLT)          

 Am I clinging to the Lord after the death of my child? No.
Am fighting to love my spouse in a marriage that is a source of daily agony to me? No.
Am I on the brink of giving up and walking away because it hurts too much? No.
But I'm walking next to someone who is. And instead of cowering in fear because 'I can't help', it's time to embrace my weakness, and watch what the power of God will do. 
Are you helpless? Desolate? Empty? Be encouraged by the power of your weakness. It will change your world.