Floods of Rain, Waterfalls of Grace

For about 8 months now I have been writing for a new website called Stage of Life www.stageoflife.com I believe the founder of the project found by blog by google searches or something similar. I have enjoyed being a part of this team so far and have also enjoyed watching it grow.

However, this week, I was having some doubts about whether I should continue to contribute to the site. I wrote to the CEO and expressed my concerns that many of my articles are seemingly "unrelatable" in that our family dynamic is not of the norm and many may not be able to relate to our life style and views about family.

However, I was blessed by his response in that my faith is something that people seek out. The world is looking for answers. And if I can be one who only stands and points my finger to the WAY (Jesus Christ) through my piddly little blogs, then I will gladly continue on. This is my latest post. You can also visit the site at www.stageoflife.com to read many articles about the various stages of life we all find ourselves encountering in different seasons of our life's journey. This week the writers were asked to choose something from the news headlines and relate it to our stage of life. So here it is. Hope you are refreshed!


FLOODS OF RAIN, WATERFALLS OF GRACE

Yesterday's headline news, Southeast Floods Block Highways: Toll Rises to 8. I never really saw any headlines as I am not a big news freak. Okay. I hear your thoughts out there is cyberspace.! Yes, it is important to keep up with what is going on in the nation and the world. However, I try not to focus too much on the negative news which continues to flood our media. It is too distracting, at least for me.

However, when my 19 year old son, who lives 1900 hundred miles away in Atlanta, sent me a text saying that some areas there were under as much as 5 feet of water, this mom went running straight to the weather channel to see what was going on . And of course my prayer line became really busy as well. It is amazing how your imagination can so easily switch gears and you are picturing terrible scenarios with your child smack in the middle of the scenes. Bradley was at work when he texted and all I could see was this small statured young man in his car floating to Lord knows where in that huge, crazy city. And I find myself sending him texts back, "Son I am worried about you! Where are you now? And do not get in that car! Stay where you are! Did you know that it only takes about one foot of water to make your car float?" On and on I go. And he continually responds, " I am fine Mom. I am fine."

I find myself doing this too often. For example, when I do watch the news or look at the paper it seems all I hear and read about is the Swine Flu. So I have to continually battle my thoughts of what could be. Instead of imagining a house full of kids vomiting every where or having to rush them to the hospital, I intentionally have to take those disturbing pictures in my head and discard them like a piece of trash. Also, I have to purposefully remember that there is One who guards my life and the lives of my loved ones. Is He not big enough? Is He not great enough? So why do we make God so small in our minds, in our hearts, in our lives? Why? It seems that we enjoy worshipping our puny mindsets of worry rather than choosing to believe that there are unending waterfalls of grace made available to us each day. We are always so bombarded by negativity in our world that we struggle to trust anyone or anything beyond our own anxieties and worries.

So yes, we face many unknowns and dangers in this life. And they seem at times as violent floods that seem to sweep over our hearts. However, when we choose to believe there are waterfalls of grace, the floods of this life are divided by its graceful force .

So what does the news of the flooding in Atlanta have to do with my stage of life? Probably too much to elaborate upon here. However, I will share a few thoughts. Maybe you can relate..

1. When I find myself wondering too much about the future, I open the door to fear. I do not want to live in fear. My desire is to walk and function in faith.... faith in One who is much more capable than me to look after my children.

2.When I carry burdens of worry such as "what ifs" and dread, the joy meant for me today is stolen. There is a thief who wants us to walk in misery and torment. So I have to intentionally choose to walk in boldness in the face of fear.

3.When I exercise self control, I become, in time and with practice, stronger and better at shedding those flooding thoughts that only drain and exhaust me, making me less than my best.

4. When I choose to trust the One who is able and greater than all others and all circumstances, then I position myself to walk in confidence which makes me an over comer in this life.

So, maybe the headline news stories have a hidden lesson for all of us. They will affect us one way or another. However for me, I find that when I make a decision to face my fears of the unknown and place them in the hands of faith, I can walk in confidence, peace and joy each day of my life. My children need to see me living this way. They mature and grow more by the impartation of how I live and think more so than the words I speak. And I too need it for me, for my own well being because God wants me to receive the fullness of all His blessings every day of my life!

So to sum it all up, there will always be floods of many sorts that threaten to carry us away and even drown our hearts. However, there is a more powerful source that continually flows and is always available. All we have to do it choose to stand under the waterfalls of Grace. May this be the most noticeable headline of each day!

There is no room in love for fear. Well-formed love banishes fear. Since fear is crippling, a fearful life—fear of death, fear of judgment—is one not yet fully formed in love. 1 John 4:18 the Message Bible