Yesterday we drove from 6 am till 8 pm taking our grandkids back home. We had 3 very packed days of hiking, rock climbing, cooking, celebrating and making trails for the 4 wheeler.
The hike was a 5 mile hike that turned into a 6.5 mile hike. The waterfall trail was not clearly marked! Even Trixie was exhausted and wanted to be carried.
Next was rock climbing, ages 7 and 12 mastered it! Even I made it to the top. I had to, they expected grandma to go to the top. Yet, letting go and gliding down was more scary than climbing. You are attached to an auto belay. As you let go it glides you to the ground. It is a scary experience to be up in the air clinging to rocks and then to just lean back and let go. The strap is not taught - it is lax, so to let go seems not too smart, otherwise you have to
climb down.
Yet, that is exactly what God wants us to do - lean on Him and let go. It feels so unnatural. It feels like a crash is imminent. The more the girls practiced it - the more they loved letting go and gliding to the ground.
Hold that thought.
Let me focus now on you.
How are you starting this year?
What is your Bible reading plan? Do you even have one?
Do you have a good routine for time with the Lord?
I started my morning today with a new Hunger Satisfied Journal and a new prayer journal. I love the words I wrote last year but I also love clean pages.
In the Inner Circle everything circles around what we believe about ourselves and our Lord. No lasting change happens until those are solidly firm. How we start our day and how we end our day matters. It sets our focus. It helps shapes our beliefs.
And this morning I found those words written beautifully in Psalm 92.
1. It is good to give thanks to the LORD, and to sing praises to Thy name, O Most High;
2. To declare Thy lovingkindness in the morning,
and Thy faithfulness by night.
4. I will sing for joy at the work of Thy hands.
When we struggle with weight, pain, sleeplessness , anxiety, or other - this is how we are to start and end our days.
This is the key to our inner struggle and our inner rejoicing.
We must not let the voice of condemnation be louder than the voice of devotion.
If this sounds too simple - it is not.
The simplicity comes from being able to let go and trust God for the glide. Remember the auto-belay at the rock climbing wall? It took practice. It felt scary. Yet, when we mastered it - it was the favorite part of the climb.
If I could encourage you this year - this would be how to:
- Lean back
- Lean into God
- Let go of the struggle
- Enjoy knowing He is in control.
Then start each morning with declaring His lovingkindness and end each day with reflecting His faithfulness. In the middle of each day - singing for joy at the work of Thy hands!!!!!
