A few months ago, I saw a scene that was a heartbreaking, painful jolt into the reality of those that have lost their homes because of the dire housing market in Florida. A family of four that included two small children appeared to be living out of their storage facility.  They were sitting at a table with the storage door open, eating a meal while their clothes and what seemed to be most of what they owned, were scattered about inside the storage room. It seemed that every time I went to the storage facility, they were there; just sitting together, eating or hanging out listening to music; like they were in their own living room in the comfort of their own home.

It’s a scary place to be – to lose your home; to lose your job; to hit rock bottom; to find yourself in a dark pit, struggling to climb out and wondering if you will ever see the light of day. This is the first time in my life that I personally know at least twenty people that are either unemployed, have suffered a reduced income, have filed for bankruptcy, have lost their home or are in the process of foreclosure.  When we find ourselves in a situation where the present is gloomy and our future is facing foreclosure, it is easy for fear to creep in and threaten the faith that abides in us. After all, we’re human and having no control over our circumstances or our future can evoke a strong sense of fear.

Matthew 6:34:  Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

I’ve always been told to “plan my life or end up becoming a part of somebody else’s plan.” While planning is good, we sometimes tend to obsess over the future to the point that it takes away from the present.  Most people that I talk to never imagined that they would be in their current predicament and most of them had a plan.  As much as we plan, the future still remains uncertain. What is certain and unchanging, however, is that God is all-knowing. All we need to be concerned about is placing our trust in the One that knows; carrying out His plan; doing what we are presently called to do and moving forward under His guidance. I can’t tell you how many times I carved out a path for myself only to be guided in another direction.  When I make lofty plans I am sometimes lovingly reminded by my mother that “Man appoints and God disappoints.” God’s intention though is not to hurt or disappoint us, but to steer us in the direction that is best for us because He loves us; because He wants to protect us and because He knows more than we will ever know.

I once read a quotation that says “What lies behind us and what lies before us are small matters compared to what lies within us.” Thank God that what lies within us is His Spirit and we need not fear for He is always watching over us, always guiding us and always planning for our future. All we are called to do is to trust Him and take comfort in the fact that, if we give Him full control, He has promised do take care of all our needs.

Psalm 55:22: Cast your burden on the LORD, and He shall sustain you; He shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.

With every step I took, my breath became more labored as I tried to jog through the thick mounds of dry sand on certain areas of the beach.  My jogging pace was no different to what I typically do on hard concrete, but I was exerting more energy than average to move through the sand.  Even with the extra effort, I was not making much progress.  The sand conquered me and I let it, opting instead to just sit on it, play with it and think.

Life is not a beach but many of us run in sand on a daily basis.  We put forth the extra effort that a ‘successful’ life requires, only to be slowed down; to be held back; to be conquered.   Does this sound familiar? That was me before I surrendered to Jesus Christ and gave Him total control of my life.  I was running in sand for so long; running in my own strength; using all my energy to do what I thought was right for me, only to find myself lagging, running in circles, running backwards or stalled on the beach of life, wondering why.  The day I stopped running and let Jesus Christ carry me, was the beginning of an amazing and fulfilling life.  In His arms, I haven’t looked back. In His arms, the scenery changes but life is full of excitement and full of hope.  In His arms, I have been going places; places that I never thought I would go; places that I didn’t even know existed.  With Jesus in control, my feet are swift and the wind is always at my back and I find myself achieving goals quicker than I had anticipated.

There is a common saying that I try to live by – “Work Smarter, Not Harder.” Life is tough but living a life without Jesus will only make it harder. I have chosen to ‘work’ smarter at life by placing Him in the center of all I do.  There are times when I do encounter those thick mounds of sand that threaten to deter me or to slow me down, but I look to Him for strength in those challenging times and I let Him carry me through.

Philippians 4:13: I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

The two words in this verse that are instrumental to successfully running and finishing the race of life are “through Christ.”

For those of you that are already following Him, I would encourage you – if you have not– to completely place your life in His hands and to let Him truly lead you.

To those of you who are stuck in sand, unsure of where to go or who to turn to, my prayer is that you will turn to the Lord Jesus Christ and accept Him as your personal Savior so that He is enabled to start making a difference in your life.

Surrounded by the many accolades that were testaments to her success, she sat alone in her office, slumped in a chair, stunned by the news she had just learned.  Her son was in serious trouble.  Everything that she should have been could have prevented it, but now, nothing that she was or had accomplished, could change it.  Where did she go wrong? How could it have come to this? She had given him everything, or so she thought.

She scanned her mind, searching the past, recollecting times that could never be revisited.  She was the best wife, yet he left; she was a best friend, yet still betrayed; she was the best employee, yet never treated as such; she was a mother, but not the best.

She was the best to everyone but the one that needed her, and now the best part of her life was slipping away.   How could she overstate who she was when she had understated the one role that would truly define her success as a woman? She was his mother, a good mother, or so she thought.

Mother – a simple word, but not a simple role for it encompasses so many others.  Teachers, counselors, nurses and pastors are important roles with stringent requirements, but guess what – you get to be all four and more as a mother – no qualifications necessary.  She barely met the criteria and it showed.  As a mother, she was a vessel that brought forth life with a power to make or break that one life.  She now faced two broken lives – his and hers.

If she could just go back in time to reach that young, proud woman that was invincible; that woman who felt she could do and be it all at no cost; that woman who was oblivious to the seed she was sowing and the life it would reap as a result of her negligence; then maybe, just maybe, she could change the events that have transpired…that will transpire.  She could control many things though time was never one, but how she wished she could control, the future of her son.

click image to view larger size

Three years ago my life changed when I relinquished control to God.  Until that time, I was overwhelmed, discouraged, confused and tired. My marriage had failed; I had a very demanding job which consumed me and negatively affected the balance in my life.  More importantly, as a working professional, I struggled with the demands of motherhood – and in my case they were especially stringent because my son had special needs, was struggling in school and at home, adapting to a single parent household. All this was happening amidst the noise of life’s smaller trials – all culminating to make one stressed out woman.

Spiritually, I was also struggling to find God’s will for my life.  Having a purpose driven life was important to me and at that time I did feel like I was living a reactive life instead of a proactive life.  I had a plan for my life; I had goals to accomplish that plan; yet I still felt that my life was out of focus.  I was at a crossroads and felt a sense of urgency in my spirit. I had also been filling my life at that time with anything I could hear or read on Finding and Fulfilling God’s Purpose. I learned that the key to inner peace and truly finding and living God’s will was to let go and to let Him truly take control. As our creator, He knows what is best for us and He calls us to surrender to Him.

The new year is always a time for self evaluation. Questions like   – Am I on the right path?; Where am I going?; Where will I be in X number of years?; How will I get there?, flood our minds.  Some choose to make their own way by placing their faith in a well thought-out plan that they have carved for themselves; others live casually, reacting to things as they come up, in their own way and then there are the rare few that choose to place their  trust, cares and desires in the One that knows all – Jesus Christ.

Three years ago I made a life altering decision to surrender full control of my life to Jesus Christ.  Today, He is in control of my life and is orchestrating all the events in my life (the good and the bad), ALL for my good – because I love Him and I genuinely seek to fulfill His will for my life.  There have been some bad things but there have been many good things that show me He is at work in my life.  Above all, the one fruit that has grown and flourished in my life is peace.  It is a peace that passes my own understanding and has given me a newness of life.  It resonates strongly within me because I can rest in Him, knowing that He knows all and has everything under His control.

Psalm 37: 4-7: Delight yourself also in the LORD, and He shall give you the desires of your heart.  Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass. He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday. Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him.

Sea of Galilee where Jesus and Peter walked on water

Unless you have been living under a rock this past year, it is evident that we are living in tumultuous times.   Be it on a local or global level, there are many challenges ahead for all of us.  The good news is that even in these times of uncertainty, one thing is certain for us as Christians – we can rest in the unbreakable peace that only our Lord Jesus Christ can provide, knowing that He knows all and is in control of our lives.

Matthew 14:26-31- When the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.” Peter said to Him, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” And He said, “Come!” And Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But seeing the wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him, and said to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?”

Let’s learn from Peter, who got caught up in what was happening around him, lost his focus on Jesus and as a result, started to sink.

For 2010, face your challenges by always keeping your focus on Him.  He is the Calm that we need in the midst of the storm that surrounds us.

Have a Blessed and Peaceful New Year!

From All of Us at W2WSoul