Hello Reader,
My by-weekly emails are turning into monthly emails. I never knew the challenges of writing a book. It's like climbing a mountain and truly one of the hardest things I've ever done. Each day I write, I think of you and pray my words will encourage you in whatever pain or loss you feel. This life is hard, and there are no controlling life's storms. There's only learning how to trust the one who calms the storms.
Several days ago, a friend called, and as soon as I answered, she blurted out, "I figured it out, Lea; I don't trust God."
Baffled, not many of us openly admit we don't trust God. She's one of my older, wiser friends who, at this point in her life, longs to have nothing but Jesus.
It is deceptively easy to think we trust God. Simply letting God lead and letting God's way be our way is easy until life doesn't go as planned.
I think about her words all day. It's strange how we live, pretending, especially to ourselves, we live opened handed in surrender. We could forge our way, ever so slightly manipulating everything our way. It's easy to do until you can't.
I feel like my six-year-old who recently brought home a dixie cup of dirt declaring, "Something beautiful is going to grow." Each morning she springs from her bed to check on its progress. She waters it in her determination for growth to the point that some of the dirt overflows out. Then, to dry it out, she sits it on the front porch for sunlight. I can see she's losing patience, and I tell her I know it looks like nothing is growing, but underneath, in the dark, that seed is growing. You'll see it one day.
I'm not convinced. Season after season, all I see is dirt.
It's easy for us to try and help God out. Watering and placing the very thing we long to see grow in sunlight. I know because I did it for years until I couldn't. Then, when the seed does pop out and grow, I can only say, "It was God, and nothing I did."
If we look at our dirt through God's lens, we'll see He's got His Holy pitcher of Living Water ready. Aaron's sister, Miriam, knew this, choosing to worship through her fear and anxiety. So we read in Exodus 15:20 Miriam took a tambourine in her hand and worshiped with the other women right after they crossed the Red Sea on dry land.
Forced to vacate her home in darkness, Miriam has little time to pack. Any minute Pharaoh could change his mind, which he had done several times already. Knowing they had to get out quickly, Miriam frantically packed.
Can you imagine? Let's see... I'll pack clothes, barley, the unrisen bread, oils, maybe some honey, and oh yeah....my tambourine.
A tambourine? It's just the thing I pack in my suitcase too.
I don't know if all the women had tambourines, but Miriam did, and it's because she believed in the power of worship.
Waiting for that seed to grow and day after day only seeing dirt can be grounds for a weary heart. Worship keeps our hearts surrendered to whatever comes our way. It keeps our eyes focused on the One who holds the whole earth in His hands. Worship opens our spirits up to what God is doing, and in return, we lay down our plans and desires.
Friend, when the dark nights come and your heart is weary from not seeing growth, I have to ask if you have your tambourine ready to worship.
Hit Reply and let me know how I can pray for you.
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Author/Speaker As we study pages of Scripture together, we will see it never shy away from pain and suffering. I help others find hope in grief and trauma b/c I've been through my fair share. Book: Freedom to Feel is coming out this spring Check out the resources I offer below and sign up for my newsletter!
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