Is God Enough?

Have you ever asked the question: "Is God enough?"
My first reaction to this question is: "Of course He is!"
However, every time I choose my own way instead of surrendering to His way, my actions show that I'm not really sure God's enough.

     * Is He really enough to carry my pain?
     * Is He really enough to change my loved ones?
     * Is He really enough to be in charge of how I spend every minute of every day?
     * Is He really enough to lead me right every time, all the time?
     * Does He love enough?
     * Is He good enough?

The resounding answer is YES! Of course He is!!
So why is it so hard to surrender to Him?

Oh, if only I had an easy answer. But after focusing on surrendering to God for years now, I have found out that it is much more complex than I ever thought. I've also discovered that the more I desire to surrender, the more my selfish, self-centered, self-gratification-seeking flesh fights it. I have fed my flesh too regularly and that's why it rears its ugly head.
I'm reminded of Paul's lament about his struggle with the war between the flesh and the Spirit:

And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t. I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it.I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. ~Romans 7:19-21

I'm relieved that I am not alone. The struggle (the most intense, impactful) is real. God knows. And He has provided a way out. The way is to know Him, rely on Him, trust Him, and obey Him.

I know I'll never do any of these perfectly, but God has provided a way to release me from the trap of sin through His Son Jesus (Romans 7:24).

I am free to surrender to Him. Or I can stay trapped in the slavery of sin, even though He's given me the key to let myself out.

So today my prayer is that I will get it from my head to my spirit that God is enough. 

For everything.

Dear Broken Heart

Dear Broken Heart,

You were once untouched. Unblemished. Pure, like the snow-white lamb with her super soft wool and silky bow. But you, like her, refused to remain on a shelf to watch life pass you by. To be an observer only. If you had, you'd have stayed pure. Unblemished. 
Untouched. Untouched by life. By laughter. By love.

Instead, you were dragged along the adventure of life. Dragged through play dates and arguments. Outside in the sunshine and rain. Cuddled with at night and rubbed thin. Wrapped around a finger too tightly and forever changed to get loose.

You were washed, like the little lamb. She with soap and water, you with blood of The Lamb. But never to be pure again. Unblemished. Untouched. Not here, anyhow.

You, like her, are no less loved, however. With your smudges  and bruises. With your stitches and scars. With your tattered threads and cracks. 


You are just as loved. More so, even.

You were loved enough not to be placed on a shelf, for without being dragged through life, you'd have missed out on all the good. The laughter. The excitement. The joy. You were loved enough to be bought, cherished, brought along on the journey of life.

So, Dear Broken Heart, don't hold on to the injuries. The hurts. The "imperfections." Instead, cling to the Healer. The Father. The Lover. For He has been with you every step of the way, holding you tenderly, even more so than those little growing hands which loved, caressed, and brought along that little lamb.

He is the Lamb who loves with a perfect love. An everlasting love. Aimed right at you. Bruises, scars, cracks, and all.

How precious is your steadfast love, O God!
    The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings.
Psalm 36:7

The Perfect Day

Several years ago I read the book The Cure for the "Perfect" Life. There's a huge amount of information in it! I found it so very relevant to me and my life. Some lessons I already had learned and put into practice. Some lessons I'd learned previously and needed a reminder of. Some new lessons that are a nudge to deeper greater growth. 

Here's a reposting of how God used it in my life:

It's rich beyond many books I've read. And practical. It doesn't give you a bunch of information and leave you wondering what to do with it. It gives you lots of ideas to implement and steps to take to both bless your journey and grow deeper in your relationship with the Lord.

I highly recommend it.

I'd also like to share just a sampling of how God's used it with me this morning. My book has been sitting on the shelf for a week or more, unfinished. I had a few things to take care of (writing deadlines, laundry, procrastination...). Last night I decided to finish those last three chapters. And I did. (Yay!) In one of them, Cheri or Kathi included a quote from a devotion in Sarah Young's Jesus Calling. This morning I got up and as part of my quiet time read today's devotion (something I do regularly, but not every day). Imagine my surprise when I read the exact devotion quoted in the chapter I read just last night! And with that, God reminded me that: 
His timing is always perfect and He is in all the details. 

Once again, He reinforced what I already know: my job is to trust in, rely on, cling to, and obey Him. If I simply seek His face and follow His guidance, He will lead me perfectly. I don't have to be perfect. There's a lot going on in my world at the moment that's up in the air (waiting for a lot of answers that will come in the next week and month that could change SO much in my life!), but today, all I have to do is rest in His love and let that overflow in my obedience. 

Praising Him that today I don't have to stress about a single thing. I do have work to do, but He will strengthen me for everything He's called me to do. What a great way to start the day. Now to start every day from here on out like this...

Looking Ahead

One morning I got up early, trying to get back into a routine. I passed by the exercise videos to take a walk in the brisk but refreshing 45 degree morning. And what a treat it was! The sky still pitch black, but clear as could be and dotted with hundreds of stars visible to the eye. It was truly wondrous. A sight to behold.

Eventually, though, I drew my eyes away from the early morning sky and focused on getting down to business: making it around the about two mile loop as quickly as possible. Now, one thing was different about this morning. I'd brought a flashlight with me. Not a necessary item in the summer months, but as the days draw shorter and night still has it's hold on my piece of the world I thought it'd be a good idea to help navigate and be seen in the areas without lights.

What I noticed as I walked along, is that I tended to focus on the ground right in front of me, the illuminated ground. Usually, I maintained my gaze up ahead, searching, watching, judging what would come next. And this is what I came up with:

When we rely on ourselves, we spend a lot more effort trying to predict what's ahead. We plan, we conjecture, we strain to see. Now, not that planning's a bad thing - it's necessary for many things. But, God doesn't want us to live in all that hard work of our self-guidance. Instead, He desires we rely completely on Him, only glancing at the path immediately in front of us, which He promises to illuminate.

That's surrender, trusting that God has our best interest at heart and will not lead us astray. Even when times are tough, He will guide and lead us, offering comfort and peace beyond human comprehension. Not having to know the future, not straining to see what He'll have in store for us, but letting go and resting in the confidence that God is our Guide, even to the end. {Psalm 48:14}