I’ve been quiet here lately. (Mostly because I’ve been serving more locally – with women in my home and region and with leaders and families who honor us by staying in our home as the Lord has called us into new season of intentional hospitality. Maybe we can chat more about that later.)
There’s a lot going on these days. In our hearts, and our homes and our country. My heart feels it. Does yours?
The spaces we occupy each day can feel loud, and yet empty. And our culture feels tense, confusing and chaotic. And whether the stress you feel is political, personal, private or public, the pressures we feel abound. There’s just no avoiding it. The strong winds of opinions and pundits and Facebook friends are blowing non-stop and can feel unsettling to my heart (and I know to many of yours too, because we’ve talked). We’re worried about our kids, our families, our schools, our country. We’re worried about the future, and too many other things to name here. Intimidation, fear and division are fast friends- lurking like shadows behind many of the issues we’re facing as a nation. We’re afraid. Afraid to speak, afraid to offend, afraid to affirm too much Truth. Almost as if we’re afraid to actually believe that Hope will win.
But in all the turmoil, I’m continually drawn to turn my heart back to the TRUTH that remains. In every season my confidence and hope are found in who God is. He is our strong tower and from Him alone comes the lasting freedom, goodness and love we ache to know, communicate and see manifested in our families, communities and our country.
We can stand sure that when we seek God, He can be and will be found. When we reach out to Him we will discover that in the midst of these rolling waves our Anchor remains firm and our Rock unmoved. He, the LORD, is Emmanuel, God.With.Us. So why do we fear? And in our midst He is speaking peace to the storms in and around us – if we will pause to listen.
Our peace is not in political parties or social trends or fitting in. Our Anchor is Christ Himself. And in His presence is FULLNESS. For every area of emptiness we feel personally or on behalf of our family or our nation, He is what will fill. In His presence is FULLNESS OF JOY. FULLNESS OF HOPE. FULLNESS OF HEALING. FULLNESS OF SOLUTIONS TO REAL PROBLEMS. In His presence we find Hope that builds and secures and holds us firmly. Truth that brings clarity and freedom. Patience and peace. Super-natural power and abundant love that heals division and overcomes despair.
Watch this for more heart-chatting over an iced coffee…
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The song I referenced You Know Me by Steffany Frizzel Gretzinger