August 1, 2019 - Circumstances

This week has been such a mixture of great fun and goofy/frustrating medical stuff. I'm so thankful for the fun! And God has definitely been dealing with me regarding where my focus should be. We all have our stuff that we are dealing with - maybe it's school starting, job situations, relational struggles, financial situations, sadness, pain. Whatever you're dealing with - I hope this is as helpful to you as it was to me when I read it last night!! It's from Laura Story's new book, "I Give Up: The Secret Joy of a Surrendered Life:"

"While I made a conscious decision to trust God and surrender my expectations to Him, I also did what anyone in similar circumstances would do; I searched the internet for information... Let me tell you, friend, my heart sank. That little exercise did nothing to decrease my anxiety. I don't recommend doing this... It's just not helpful - at all - to meditate on what we fear or dread.

Instead, God tells us to consider Him, to immerse ourselves in His Word, and to meditate on His truth. I remembered a lesson from Psalm 1 I'd shared not too long ago in our church, and it really seemed perfect for me. It begins like this:

'Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on His law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by steams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither - whatever they do prospers.' - Psalm 1:1-3 NIV

.... When we're rooted in God and in His Word, we're positioning ourselves for a blessed life, REGARDLESS OF OUR CIRCUMSTANCES [emphasis added]. And what is it, exactly, that rooted trees "do"? Nothing! They simply stay put, right where they are, their deep roots soaking in all that's needed for a good and fruitful life."

So we simply stay put, soaking in the benefits of being rooted. That is where I am right now. Trying hard to "do nothing" except meditating on the things that God wants me to meditate on, and not trying to figure everything out for myself. There is HUGE comfort in that. I'm praying the same for you!