Monthly Archives: March 2012

In the southwestern U.S., there are many places in dry canyons that look ideal for camping. They’re close — but not too close — to a small river, there’s hiking and sunshine, and protection/shade from the great cliffs. Yet, there are signs that warn about flash flooding.

In desert or particularly dry areas, flash floods can be particularly deadly for several reasons. First, storms in arid regions are infrequent, but they can deliver an enormous amount of water in a very short time. Second, these rains often fall on poorly-absorbent and often clay-like soil, which greatly increase the amount of runoff that rivers and other water channels have to handle.  The runoff collects in low-lying areas and rapidly flows downhill.

You will not always have a warning that these deadly, sudden floods are coming. But if you are in the pathway of such a flood, you’ll be scrambling for your life.

Such is true in life. We may have a time where all is calm and beautiful. Things are going smoothly, and we’re content. Then, out of nowhere, a flash flood threatens to drown us. Undoubtedly, this is a fight for your life — where you fight to hang on or you could lose everything.

In areas prone to flash floods, there are many signs warning of the danger. In our lives, particularly in our spiritual lives, a feeling of being really comfortable should be a warning sign that’s flashing at us saying, “watch out — the big one is coming!”

Some people disregard the signs warning about the potential for a flash flood, and many people lose their lives each year. The same is true figuratively. By not being prepared, we can easily be swept away by the floods that try to quench our spirits. It could be related to home life, work, friendships, or even issues within your own soul, such as depression, anxiety or you name it.

Oh how I have been there. And crazy as it may sound, the floods are pretty predictable. They’ve come when I’m content and comfortable — where I’ve dug out my little rut in life and think I could stay in a particular place forever. When I feel untouchable. When I feel confident in my abilities and plans, and everything seems to be in place. The floods have always come. Some have really knocked me for a loop, and it was all I could do to keep my head above water.

One major flood for Ian and me, believe it or not, was when we found out we were having twins. Everyone was so happy for us, but we were just drowning. Financially, we were in trouble. We had a tiny car that would not hold us and three kids. We had a teeny apartment — same issue. We would have to triple our daycare payment. And baby items? HAH — thinking we were good with one set of everything for our “baby” suddenly turned to panic as we realized we’d need two high chairs, two car seats, two cribs, double the diapers. We had one huge roller coaster of events relating to the birth of our twins, including a move, unemployment, financial struggles, aloneness — it went on and on. And the only thing we had to cling to was our hope in God. Boy — did we ever cling! We came through that time period with God’s grace, but that was an adventure I never want to repeat.

If you feel that all is going smoothly, perhaps that’s your warning that you should be prepared. Build the safeguards. As Christians, we’ve been taught to put on the full armor of God to help you stand against those battles. Even if you’re missing a piece of this armor, you put yourself at risk. Be fully prepared.

God didn’t promise that we’ll escape the turbulent waters of life, but He does promise to never leave nor forsake us (Deut. 31:6). More than that, He has promised to be with us when we are stuck in the waters.

“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you.” – Isaiah 43:2

I don’t necessarily have the answers to the things that will threaten to bring you down, but let me reiterate the two things I do know:

1. Be prepared. When all is going smoothly, you should expect the current to pick up.
2. Have your flotation device. My hope is in the Lord, and I know He is able to save — not just me, but you — during smooth sailing and the storms of life. He is the lifter of our heads, and is able to help us when we feel we’re about to drown.

Take shelter from the storm in the arms of the only one who can calm it.

(For an added bonus, I found this song: “Let the Waters Rise“)

We’ve all been there. Something in life that hurts so bad and is beyond our comprehension.

The loss of a loved one from a terrible disease or an accident. A terrible situation we have to navigate and literally hope to survive with our life intact. Physical or emotional pain caused by another. A dark time, when we don’t know how long it will last or what’s on the other side, but we just know we can’t stay in this place forever. I’m sure you have your own examples.

What do we do in these times? And in particular, how do these times impact your relationship with God?

Folks respond in different ways to life’s trials. Some curl up in a ball and change nothing, holding on to their sorrow and pain like a blanket. Others get angry — and angry with God for inflicting them with this situation. Some spiral deep into despair and depression, barely clinging on to the fragile hem of life. Others take the bull by the horns and try to change the direction of the storm; they try to black out the pain or focus on something else to distract them (often only to find that they can’t let go of the thing that haunts them). And others are anchored in hope and trust — relying on God to guide them through this time.

Folks, I can’t take your hurt away. But I can tell you what has worked for me. There is no way I would have made it through the things in life without the hope I have in Christ Jesus. He is able to carry us (and our burdens) through the trouble times and the good times. He is my leaning post, and He’s never let me down. It may take a while to sort through things, but He’s been there each step of the way.

A friend recently confided in me that her teenage daughter is angry with God because her cousin died. Angry enough to turn her back on the God she’s known her entire life. She wonders how God could cause such pain. This immediately makes me think of the verse from the book of Job in the Bible:

“Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?” ~ Job 2:10

I think that simple phrase sums up a lot about how people feel. They only want blessings from God, but aren’t willing to go through the tough times. But in tough times, do we really think we have the whole picture? We simply don’t. We have no idea why some things happen. Are we allowed to be upset and angry — to question God? Yes. (In a way that pours out the heart, but does not sin against God.)

Back to the book of Job, if you’ve ever read it, it comes across as depressing. But I encourage you to really read it. Look at this man who had everything taken from him and cries out to God from the depths of his soul. He cries out to God, and God answers. (Read chapters 38 – 42) God’s ultimate answer, “Everything under the heavens is Mine; therefore, who can have a claim against God?” Sounds harsh, but think about it. Read these chapters and you may comprehend. Believe it or not, I really love this book.

Anyway, this blog post may not help you sort through the trials you have before you. But I have some thoughts to leave with you to help you ponder. The links lead to the full songs.

Before the Morning ~ by Josh Wilson

Do you wonder why you have to,
feel the things that hurt you,
if there’s a God who loves you,
where is He now?

Maybe, there are things you can’t see
and all those things are happening
to bring a better ending
some day, some how, you’ll see, you’ll see

Would dare you, would you dare, to believe,
that you still have a reason to sing,
’cause the pain you’ve been feeling,
can’t compare to the joy that’s coming

so hold on, you got to wait for the light
press on, just fight the good fight
because the pain you’ve been feeling,
it’s just the dark before the morning

Blessings ~ Laura Story

We pray for blessings
We pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering
All the while, You hear each spoken need
Yet love us way too much to give us lesser things

We pray for wisdom
Your voice to hear
And we cry in anger when we cannot feel You near
We doubt Your goodness, we doubt Your love
As if every promise from Your Word is not enough
All the while, You hear each desperate plea
And long that we’d have faith to believe

‘Cause what if your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
And what if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

My friends, dare to believe that God does love you — more than you can possibly understand. He cares about you and has a plan for your life. When there appears to be no hope — when you’re in the deepest, darkest part of life — He is there with His unfailing love. May you rest in this hope and knowledge.

Seven months ago, I packed up my family and moved far away from what we knew and loved to a strange place — the west side of Washington. As you may have seen on this blog, this transition has been an interesting mix of struggles and blessings.

As I’ve gone through some tough times lately, I’ve wondered, “Did I make a mistake in moving here?”

Then, the answer hit me: who is calling the shots? Is it me? Am I fully in charge of my own destiny? Or do I trust, as a follower of Christ, that this promise holds true:

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who^[a] have been called according to his purpose.” ~ Romans 8:28

I began to reflect on this and my own circumstances. Yes, I may have made the ultimate decision to move. But God is working through the choices I/we make to ensure that His will is done. In my family’s case, I think my job — which I have resigned effective March 7 — was the tool to get us to the place God wants us to be. Why do I say that?

First, everything about our move was seamless. The first house we looked at renting was perfect and at a wonderful price. We’re in a great school district, and the kids are all thriving in their classes.

Ian has had amazing opportunities over here. He landed a great job at an aerospace manufacturing company, and already has been promoted to purchasing manager. He has been affecting positive change, and has thrived in this place. In addition, he was offered two — yes, two — associate pastor positions with local churches. These are both bivocational, meaning he will still work full time. But this is the opportunity he’s been asking God to provide. We are in the final “review” phase with our family’s choice for these two positions.

But what about my job? I have learned a lot, both in terms of the PR profession, as well as about new industries: cloud computing and cloud infrastructure automation, managed file transfer, enterprise fraud management, terminal emulation, IT power management and efficiency, etc. (Ian likes this because I can finally talk “computer” with him without my eyes glazing over.) But, I have had some struggles particularly in the last five weeks that made me question if I was in the right place. I’m not going to glaze this one over: my work has been very trying and exceedingly stressful.

“WHY?!” is the question I asked God repeatedly. “Why did you bring us to this place? Did I do something to deserve this, because it’s really not cool.”

And amazingly, God’s answer came. It always does, if you take time to wait and listen for it. He said, “You are my will.” What on earth does that mean? It means that I have yielded myself to God’s will and will serve God where He places me. It’s not my will that I choose to live for. I know God has called me/us for a greater purpose. I allowed Him to work through us to bring us to this place (reasons for this path are still unfolding). My job was the tool to get us where He wanted us to be.

Does that mean I was happy where I was? No. In addition, I was stressed because I have a tremendously well-paying job, and not having this employment would be a considerable financial hit for our family. And God (respectfully) received an earful of what I was going through and consistently received a petition to release me from where I had been place. Does God mind when we tell Him what’s on our hearts? Absolutely not! Think about Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. He knew what was before Him and his purpose, but it didn’t make it easier. “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” (Luke 22.42) He knew that laying down His life would require complete surrender.

I think God wants our full surrender before He’s willing to reveal His plan. He’s gently saying, “Until you realize you can’t do this on your own, you’re never going to trust me. So you do your thing until you’re ready, and then we’ll chat.” He knows it’s tough to have full surrender — but He’s made it so easy! Listen to this:

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)

What a promise! He wants us to come to Him with the burdens of our life. And that’s exactly what I did. The beauty of God is that His ears don’t get full — He will listen. And in due time, God will deliver you if that’s His will.

Last week, it became clear that God was going to release me from my obligation. We finally got a renter for our house in Moscow, which is a tremendous financial savings. We had an incredible tax refund (probably triple anything we’ve ever had). And this pastoral position that we’re in the final phase with includes a parsonage (no rent!). All the pieces just stacked up, and I felt God say it was “okay” to move forward with ending my current employment. So I gave my resignation and have been working with my firm to tie up loose ends.

I have to tell you: I have such an incredible sense of peace, and a huge weight has been lifted off me (and not just me — my entire family). It took full surrender for me to realize that in surrender, we gain victory over the things that bog us down and take our focus off Christ.

For today, let me leave you with this message. It’s a great song. Listen to it and take the words to heart, and it gave me strength as I moved to the point where God gave me the freedom to move on.