Guest spot

Welcome to Unseen today. God is faithful. He has solved my 4 "absolutely impossible situations" in as many weeks. I want to share something that helped me through this time that was written by a co-worker, Christy Dodson. She works with both youth and elderly people, and we love her. Read on.

As things are changing in our lives and workplaces, I’m sure that some of us are really starting to feel the sense of impending doom because of the unknown…where will I work, do I have a job, can I relocate, how is this going to affect my family…have those thoughts crossed your minds…to be honest I know that I do not do well with not having a plan of action…that’s when I have to reevaluate my priorities…when we get that heavy dark out-of-options feeling, it is because we are trying to do things on our own…whether you are a spiritual person has no bearings…it is human nature that when we are struggling with anything, handling it ourselves makes it even harder…am I right? We all feel better after talking it through with a loved one or friend or even your dog…it helps to just get it out…aloud…for me I drown my stress in music and art…how do you drown your stress? Who do you talk to? When I am stressing or feeling heavy my faith has to take over and I have to let go of the wheel…and if you know me, you know I am always in the driver’s seat…because that is where I am most comfortable…and not having a plan and having to wait to find out where my next step needs to be can be brutal…I am one who needs a plan of action and a few backup plans…all I can do is keep faith that HE will comfort me and keep me…HEBREWS 11:1 says “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Take the drought for example. We all have been hoping and praying for rain, right? Our land was parched and cracked...our plants and animals were weak and fruitless…then the wind began to blow…we couldn’t see the wind, just the effects of the wind…some of those effects were rain clouds that brought rain for almost 4 days! We couldn’t see the rain coming for the several days that the wind was blowing, but when the clouds rolled in with that wind, we felt relieved. Faith is the same way. We may not see it at first but the blessing or solution to our situation is coming…it may just be a while…HE’s got our backs! I’ve got your back too! I’m sure if we look around we can find at least one person who has our back…”so do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your GOD. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” ISAIAH 41:10…see I told you…all we need to do is let HIM know where we are at, how we are doing…give HIM our stress, if you’re like me you’ll have to give HIM your stress at least once every few hours!!! But that is ok…HE doesn’t mind!! Take a sec today to just stop and think about your blessings so far in life…then take another sec to be thankful for what you have…don’t stress about what you don’t have or what may happen…GOD GOT U!!! 1PETER 5:6-7 “humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of GOD so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he loves you.”

I know that may sound preachy, but I just felt that I needed to share something…I know that a lot of folks are feeling anxious and this is gives me peace and yes, because I am human, it is hard for me to accept grace because I am an earner and protector and servant, so I have to remind myself CONSTANTLY that HE is my refuge…not me…HE has his ever strong arms around us and his embrace is unwavering…take a sec to feel HIM today.

All I have to say about the last few weeks is God is faithful. Read on.

Can you hear me now?

Yet he took note of their distress

    when he heard their cry;Psalms 106:44

Technology is a blessing, and a curse. We have access to vast amounts of information, provided we can access it. We can contact anyone at anytime, yet we spend less time communicating with each other. We have internet friends, but we are desperately lonely. There are glitches and hitches involved in the technology. One weekend we went to a retreat off the beaten path. I looked out and saw my friend walking around in a circle outside. I didn’t see her phone in her hand and wondered what she was doing. When I asked, she pointed to a stick stuck in the ground and said that was the only place in camp that she could get cell phone signal and she was trying to call home.

                Do you feel that way trying to communicate with God? Whether you are trying to pray or meditate, do you feel that you have lost signal? Maybe you feel that you have to go through elaborate rituals to have your prayers answered or have to check all the boxes. Maybe you feel that you have to follow the rules and say the words right for God to hear you. Maybe you just can’t think of what to say to God, especially if you are upset. Sometimes it is easy to feel that we can’t hear what God is telling us. Back the technology train up and think back to walkie-talkies. If you were talking and had your button pushed down, you could not hear if the other person was talking to you. This may be one part of our problem with God. We tend to not be very good at being still and listening.

                The last two weeks were really hard for me. I had battles on several different fronts and I was tired of fighting. I asked God to fight for me and he kept sending me verses like  Be still and know that I am God (Psalms 46:10) and Those that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength (Isaiah 40:31.) I was looking for the ones like strike my enemies in the teeth.  (Still haven’t found that one but I know it is in Psalms.) We quote Jeremiah 29:11-13 a lot and it is true that God has plans for us that are to give us a future and a hope, and plans for welfare and not for calamity, but the rest of the passage is just as important. It reads, you will come and call to me and I will answer you. You well seek me and find me when you search with all your heart.  We read in Psalms     I cried to the Lord in my distress and he answered me. Psalms 106:44. He hears us. He answers us. He tells us to come boldly before the throne of Grace that we may find help in our time of need. Because of the sacrifice that Jesus made, we have access to God and his mercy and his provision. No passwords, no complicated formulas and fear. Can you hear Him now?