Not for the Fainthearted

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. ~ John 10:10 NASB

War is not for the faint of heart but for the armed.  With great intensity and mighty power this war will be won—this trial overcome—through worship, prayer, faith and courage to believe as we keep moving forward.

God spoke this truth to me over a year ago, when we were standing face-to-face with the possibility of Brad’s second open-heart surgery.  It turned out to be a “reading” error, in that someone hadn’t properly read the notes of his first heart surgery when comparing them to his most recent tests.  We were beyond relieved that he didn’t need surgery!

As I have prepared for today—for this C-Section and the birth of our daughter—I’m reminded that “War is not for the faint of heart but for the armed.”  Am I at war?  According to John 10:10, the enemy is always plotting against us, looking for ways to steal from us, and ever at work trying to destroy us.  But we have the Lord on our side and He has prepared us!  He has given us the tools that we need, surrounded us with friends who lift us up in prayer, and given us His Comforter and Counselor.

Brad & I have packed, but more than that, we have prayed and have taken communion, standing firm in our faith knowing that our God is Mighty and Powerful and has never let us down.  We trust that He has gone before us and prepared the hands of the surgeon, as well as the hearts and minds of all those who will come in contact and care for us during our stay.  He has given us restful sleep before our “big day,” and has given us peace in our hearts and minds.  He even arranged for the perfect care for Savannah so that we could concentrate on the immediate needs of Elizabeth before we all come home to be together. 

I’m betting today you are not preparing to give birth to a child, but maybe to a dream.  Or maybe today, you are squashing fears that the enemy has used time and time again to try to stop you from living out the dream that the Lord has placed in you.  Whatever it is, God always goes before His people so that they may have life abundantly.  Trust in your God today.  Cry out to Him and ask for His provision and protection as you continue to make your way forward, remembering that war is not for the faint of heart but the armed.

Father, thank you that we never have to walk alone.  Thank you for sending Your Comforter and Counselor.  Thank you that you always go before us, preparing the way for us.  We love and trust you, Lord.  In Jesus’ Name we pray, Amen.

©Heather Potts 2014

Need You

And my God will supply all of your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. ~ Philippians 4:19

Last night when we were changing Savannah and comforting her, the thought of thank you popped into my head.  It wasn’t sarcastic, though it was the middle of the night.  It was a thank you to the Father for these precious times of being able to completely comfort my daughter.  She’s at an age and stage where she’s on the move constantly, so I really and truly cherish those snuggle moments when I get them.  As I continued to rock her, the song I Need You, by Sonicflood, began to play in my head.  The lyrics are: You can tell when I need love / You know I’m in need / Love, I need love / You are love / I need You.

The above scripture says that my God will supply all of your need.  Sometimes all we need is the comfort of our Father.  Sometimes, it’s just a chance to stop the activity of the world and climb on up into His lap and be completely comforted.  During the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, amongst the shopping, decorating, partying, and Christmas light hunting, don’t forget the One who should be the center of attention during this time: Jesus.

If your life seems a little chaotic and out of sorts, or if you are fighting with your spouse about colored vs. white lights, perhaps it’s time for a break.  Perhaps it’s you need some downtime, some snuggle time with the Father.  He wants to bring you complete comfort.  Take some time and crawl up into His lap; He’s always available to you.

Father, thank you for special moments with our family, the kind you can’t capture with a camera.  But even more than that, Father, thank you for special moments with You.  Father, thank you for the intimacy and closeness we are able to have with you.  I pray that during this season, we would remember you and look to you for our comfort and a breath of fresh air.  Thank you for being with us today and always.  In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

Jubmle-Scmrable

Words, words, words.

                Letters, letters.

All made up of letters.

Like pieces from a thousand-piece puzzle,

All in a jubmle-scmrable.

I look at it.

I sweep them up.

I pick them up.

I put them in a box.

“Daddy,” I say, carrying my box to where He’s sitting.

“I just can’t make it work. Can You help me?”

ALL SMILES!

My Daddy is ALL SMILES!

He smiles because I trust Him.

He smiles because I ask Him.

He smiles because I hand it over.

He smiles because it’s me.

Taking the box of mixed-up, messed-up pieces, He says, “Yes, My child, I’ll take it.  I’ll help you make it beautiful.”

He reaches behind His chair and grabs the box-top with a picture on it.

We sit down on the floor together.

He dumps all the pieces onto the floor.

Now it’s an even greater farrago!

He lays the box-top in front of me,

So that I can begin to visualize what the end result will be.

He works swiftly.

He works calmly.

He smiles quietly.

And before I know it, He’s done.

He gently slides a piece of sturdy cardboard underneath the piece of art before me.

He paints special glue over the top, to hold the pieces in place.

He covers it with a simple, but beautiful frame—just the perfect touch to complement the piece.

Still smiling, He says, “Here, My child.  Here is the work, all finished for you.  Please share it with those you know—and those you don’t.  Tell them it’s a gift of LOVE from Me to them.”

He rises to a kneel and pulls me to my feet.

We are eye-to-eye, He and I.

With nothing but pure adoration in His eyes, He says softly, “Child of Mine, thank you.  Thank you for loving Me back.  Thank you for trusting Me to help you with this.  I hope you know that you can always come to Me and I will always help you.  And more than that, I hope you know how very much I love you.”

He kisses me sweetly on the cheek and sends me off to play.

I will always remember today…

                And the words My Father had to say…

I will always remember His speed in turning my jubmle-scmrable into a beautiful piece of art.

                                But it’s His Words that touched me the most…

He said, “Thank you for loving Me back.”

Father, thank you for this message.  Thank you for the beautiful picture it painted.  Thank you that You do turn all of our messes—when we hand them over to You—into beautiful works of art.  But Lord, more than that, I thank You for Your desire to be in relationship with us.  I thank you that You created the way, so that we could have that relationship with You.  I thank you that You loved us first and because of our relationship, You are able to say—both softly and sweetly, with adoration in Your eyes—“Thank you, My child, for loving Me back.”

In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.