Facing Challenges – Page 2 – My Tapestry Blog

Living in the Place Between: Embracing God’s Presence and Direction

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Sometimes in life I am caught between then and not yet. This has happened to me again recently. It is almost a year ago since I retired from my nursing career, rather suddenly. I had taken the summer off because I wasn’t feeling well and decided by September that I wasn’t going to return to work. For the first number of months of my retirement, I was focusing on improving my health, and that still continues. However, I soon started looking towards “what’s next”? But then, “what’s next” turned into “not yet”.

I am slowly learning how to live in the “place between”. A few days ago, when I was going to do my exercise routine in my living room, the above photo was the view that I saw. I saw the trees and a peak of “my mountain” (just left of center). It’s a view that I appreciate, but that morning I felt like God was reminding me of His presence. I wondered: How many times a day does He do that and I don’t pay attention? How many opportunities to feel His nearness, presence and peace pass me by?

It’s awesome to know that in the “place between”, God says: I AM. I am with you. I will direct your steps, the places you will go and the people you will see today. I am all you need. In Matthew 11:30, Jesus says, “For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” I want to rejoice in “the easy” of going where He leads, of being His hands, eyes, ears and heart as He directs. Can I learn to be better at this while I am in this “place between”?

And I just wanna be where you are..
I just wanna be near your heart..
There is nothing like your love~!
(Leeland Mooring)

Finding Peace in Chaos: Trusting in God’s Control

bench blonde bright clouds — Photo by Tobi on Pexels.com

It’s a crazy world out there these days — unrest on so many fronts. The news cycle changes so quickly that by Saturday it’s hard to remember what happened on Monday. It all feels harsh and scary. Added to that, there are concerns with our families, our health, our finances, broken relationships and so much more. It’s overwhelming. mind-boggling, scary and much too easy to lose our focus.

God knows there are people and situations into our lives that are upsetting, sad and wrong. We live in a sinful work with sinful people and we personally add to “the mess”. But, too often, I think our response isn’t what God wants it to be. Philippians 4:6-7 says :Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God,which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. God doesn’t tell us to ignore the situations, but to present our requests to God.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him and he will direct your paths. (Proverbs 3:5,6). Our response must be to turn away from anxiety and focus on the reasons why we can trust in God; the reasons why we can follow where He leads step-by-step.

In the church I grew up in, we often recited Psalm 103: 1-5 after we had communion — the Lord’s Supper that we celebrated in remembrance of Jesus great sacrifice.

Praise the Lord, my soul;
    all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
Praise the Lord, my soul,
    and forget not all his benefits—
who forgives all your sins
    and heals all your diseases,
who redeems your life from the pit
    and crowns you with love and compassion,
who satisfies your desires with good things
    so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

“Remember what the Lord has done for you as often as your heart needs it.” (unknown)

Seeking God’s Love: Finding Peace and Joy through Trust and Rest

Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. I Thessalonians 5:16-18

I Thessalonians 5: 16-18 were the words that greeted my morning today. After a few challenging weeks with my health, it was hard to read. Words like “always, “all, “God’s will” … really?? Today, too??

Often at times like that it is good to look back and remember times that seemed impossibly hard, but then….. After the end of my marriage, my ex. wanted the money from the matrimonial home. It took many months for the house to sell. During that time, I found a home the children and I liked. However, it was too expensive and didn’t have central air. Having air conditioning was very important living in SW Ontario– plus I was a shift working nurse and needed to be able to sleep during the day.

Months went on and then… suddenly… within 48 hours… a house was sold and a house was bought!! And yes!!! It was the same house I had looked at months before. But now, the price of the home was lower and I had been able to save enough for air conditioning. Wow!! Awesome God!!

So, as I once again remember blessings-past, I can look at those words “always, “all, “God’s will” a little differently. I think that God “wills” me to remember that I can trust Him, that He is faithful, that I can talk to Him about any and all of my concerns because He wants me to. God wants to partner with me in my situation. There is peace and joy in that.

One other thing happened this morning. As I was thinking about not feeling well and the changes I am trying to make in my life, God whispered to my heart “It has taken much for Me to get your attention to take better care of yourself”. There is much love from my Father God in those words. To myself: Breath deeply — often– relax– you CAN do it!!

I don’t know what tomorrow holds, but I do know that I want to do a better job of partnering with God in my health situation. May I more and more trust Him as I seek His direction and rest in His care.

What are you struggling with — physical, emotional, spiritual?? God is waiting to partner with you. His love for us is a REAL thing. Rest in Him.

Afternoon nap anyone??

Navigating Life Changes: Faith, Patience, and Joyful Living

There are many times that life feels overwhelming. Sometimes I’ve taken on too many projects, sometimes I have very poor time management, sometimes there are many demands/requests from others and sometimes I have difficulty setting priorities. Right now, all this is added to learning how to adjust to a chronic health condition. There is grief and sadness connected to that, as well as the awareness that God is my healer.
Those who know your name trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.~ Psalm 9: 10.

As I pray about these “nuisance symptoms” that challenge my days, I try to be as honest as I can be as I talk to my loving Father God. Often, these times help me sort out my feelings. In the physical realm, I have to do my part to maintain my health as best I can. Finding time for “more rest” isn’t always easy. Limiting the events I commit myself to, is hard as well. I had thought that when I was semi-retired, I would be able to get more involved — but I am not able to do that right now. I want to be useful for God, but am not sure what that looks like some days.
But if I were you, I would appeal to God; I would lay my cause before him. He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted. Job 5: 8,9

It has been important for me to learn as much as I can about symptom relief. Dietary changes, how I sleep, increasing my walking times, spending more time at “play” — all these little things help. I pray for more direction and insights through the things I hear and read — and through that “still small voice”. I also have to be aware of making adjustments when whatever I do doesn’t work for the best. Yes, it can feel like discipline. I’m thankful for the people who honestly tell me that I’ve “messed up” — done something or not done something that would make a difference.
Listen to advice and accept discipline, and at the end you will be counted among the wise. Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails. ~ Proverbs 19: 20, 21

Patience is needed every step of the way. Patience to evaluate frequently so I can enjoy life the best I am able. There have been times when I couldn’t work at my job, but I was able to help someone else for a shorter part of a day. I may not have been able to attend an event, but I was blessed by a surprising connection with someone I hadn’t expected to see. And always, more time to pray is an awesome, blessed way to influence people and events in His Kingdom by connecting with Father God.
God has heard your prayers and your answer is on the way. Your times are in God’s hands and He won’t be late. ~ Joyce Meyer

Many years ago (1996), a patient handed me a little slip of paper with two verses on it. One of those verses was Isaiah 58:11. She said she felt the verses were for me and my family. I may not always understand how my loving Father fulfills His promises, but I know His Word is true. God will meet my needs and water (life) will flow from me to others. May I walk faithfully in trust with Him every day. With God, I can do this! Some days I feel like I am starting all over again– crawling before I walk –living life in a new way.
The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail. ~Isaiah 58:18

Your life may not be affected by health changes, like mine. It may be affected by stress, or grief, or care-giver fatigue or… Whatever challenges you face in your life, I pray that as you walk with Him, you will feel more and more protected by His loving care. And that you will be able to find patience to make changes that will help you have joy in your days. Go with God!

Trusting God’s Plan: Coping with Health Setbacks and Finding Hope

For a while, I have had health issues that have made me need to make adaptations to the way I live. Recently, I thought everything was improving, only to have some symptoms return. This was challenging for me.

About a week ago, I was listening to Jeremy Camp’s song “He Knows”. The words that impacted me the most were: “Let your burdens come undone..” I realized that if I wanted life to feel better, I had to DO something — to somehow change “something”.

“Beware of giving up too soon. Our emotions are not a reliable guide.” (John Piper). It is very difficult to have complete control my emotions. However, I am more able to have control over my actions. I am becoming more aware that my actions can change my emotions. As I change my focus, my adaptations become blessings because they make life feel better. I still pray for improvements in my health and for wisdom to make any changes to my lifestyle that might be helpful. However, my focus is slowly shifting towards the blessings I have instead of what I don’t have.

1- be confident that whatever is and whatever may be, God will be there. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. Hebrews 4:16

2- give control to God. The Lord will fight for you; you need only be still. Exodus 14:14

3- be aware of what my mind focuses on. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7

4- trust the future to God Forget the former things; do not dwell on t.he past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. Isaiah 43:18

And.. sharing these words by Charles Spurgeon because I couldn’t say it better myself. “The Christian knows no change with regard to God. He may be rich today and poor to-morrow; he may be sickly today and well to-morrow; he may be in happiness today, to-morrow he may be distressed–but there is no change with regard to his relationship to God. If he loved me yesterday, he loves me today. My unmoving mansion of rest is my blessed Lord. Let prospects be blighted; let hopes be blasted; let joy be withered; let mildews destroy everything; I have lost nothing of what I have in God. He is “my strong habitation whereunto I can continually resort.” I am a pilgrim in the world, but at home in my God. In the earth I wander, but in God I dwell in a quiet habitation. “From Morning and Evening – Feb. 27 (devotional )

Preserving Traditions: Finding Meaning in Christmas Celebrations

On the first Christmas, long ago, Jesus came to earth. The angels came and sang the joyful news to lowly shepherds who hastened to Bethlehem to see the baby lying in a manger. (Luke 2:8-16 & 20). It’s hard for me to imagine what that night must have been like — an amazing announcement by an angel followed by a choir of angels. It must have been so surreal, but still so real. They were blessed when they responded to God’s prompting and returned from Bethlehem “glorifying and praising God”. Awesome things happen when we have the courage to go where God leads and then see His blessings when we look in the rear view mirror.

The first Christmas celebrations that I remember where spent with my parents and siblings — and my church family. The evening our family opened our gifts also included a little program my siblings and I put on for our parents — a few Christmas carols and some readings. At church, the Sunday school program was attended by most members of the church — a special event separate from the Christmas service. My parents immigrated from the Netherlands two years before I was born, so our church family was a precious part of our lives. Our little “family program” and the Sunday school program helped us focus on the reason for the season. Our gifts were “things”, time and talents. It’s a blessing to have this foundation that helps me focus through the busyness and noise.

When my children were little, we always had a dinner for “just us” as well as time spent with extended family. We had lots of turkey some years. The year after the end of my marriage, my children and I had a dinner for three. Keeping that tradition was one of the easiest parts of that Christmas–everything else felt very wrong and broken. For several years after, Christmas remained a difficult time for our family — but we were still blessed by those dinners. Some people talk about the importance of creating new traditions after changes. For us, maintaining an old tradition was meaningful.

This year marks a different challenge. Busyness with many things and several events happening beyond my control. I’m needed to walk step-by-step, making choices about how to use my time and who to spend time with. At first I felt disappointed and overwhelmed. But, as time goes on, I realize that I am using my time and talents for others. If I am still and let God be God over my days, I am more aware of the reason for the season. Awesome things happen when I have the courage to go where God leads and then see His blessings when I look in the rear view mirror. May I go forward, “glorifying and praising God”.

May you and yours be richly blessed at Christmas and all through 2018.

P.S. Christmas dinner at our home was delicious again this year.

Finding Strength and Hope Through Unexpected Challenges

Do you ever have those days when you feel stuck? Or you don’t know what to do next? Or you wonder if you should do something or nothing? I seem to have days, times, seasons like that. I know that others have walked similar paths. I have read or heard their stories and been encouraged. Right now, my life has taken an unexpected direction. I need to remember that “faith is taking the first step even when you can’t see the whole staircase.” (Martin Luther King Jr.)

Almost a year ago, I had surgery to correct a condition I had. I thought that everything would be “normal” after that. I had complications during surgery, so initially, I thought I was recovering from surgery. After some time, I thought I had to recover from recovering. I started to make some lifestyle changes which seemed to make a difference, but I still struggled.

Recently, I’ve realized that my surgery has left me with a “permanent” less serious condition. However, it is life-changing and adjustments have to be made– physically and emotionally.

Dealing with my physical symptoms and changes has been a challenge. There have been many prayers by myself and others. The answer to those prayers hasn’t been total healing — a miraculous transformation of the changes that have been made to my body. The answers have come in quiet direction in various ways of how to live differently and more effectively with the “new me”. This is an ongoing process and I thank God for not giving up on me through my tears and frustration.

Looking at my future through a different lens is harder. Sometimes I feel like I’m making a mountain out of a molehill. “Am I depressed?”, I ask myself. I may be a bit depressed, though I believe it is more like a situational crisis. The Free Dictionary describes a situational crisis in psychiatry as “an unexpected crisis that arises suddenly in response to an external event or a conflict concerning a specific circumstance. The symptoms are transient, and the episode is usually brief”. I have to recognize that ignoring a molehill would not be a good idea.

It is taking a bit of time for me to refocus my life . In the past I have gone through a necessary divorce and a few major moves that I chose to make. God led me to and through those situations. I’ll admit that I am a bit blind-sided by what God is doing now. Trusting God and remembering His love for me gives strength and courage for each day.

I know that God knows exactly where I am and that His love for me and His plans for me have not changed. Slowly, I am starting to anticipate the “next steps” in a positive way. I am starting to recognize deep within that God has prepared me for this time — that different will be OK.

Psalm 23
A psalm of David.
The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk
through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
Surely your goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.

Embracing God’s Plan: The Patient Process of Personal Transformation

A few days ago I read about a girl whose hair became a horribly tangled mess as a result of a deep depression that had lasted for quite a while. Once she had the energy to care what she looked like, she didn’t have the time, energy or perhaps the ability to get the tangles out. In her desperation for change, she went to a hairdresser to have her head shaved. Much to her surprise, rather than shave her head, the hairdresser spent thirteen hours over the next two days detangling her hair and styling it. It was an amazing transformation!

When I think of that scenario, one mental picture really resonates with me. The picture of that girl sitting still in that chair while the hairdresser works hour after hour to detangle her hair. So often I am very impatient. I want a quick fix. I don’t want to experience the pulls, and ouches and time involved in detangling. I want God to fix my life NOW. I want to see results on a daily basis. It’s hard for me to sit calmly with head bowed, waiting, trying desperately to trust. “Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for Him” (Psalm 37:7)

Some days it’s easy to trust that God is in control. But sometimes, my journey feels too hard and too unfair. I get so caught up in “what isn’t” that I lose track of “what is”. My life shouldn’t be about what I can see. My life should be about what God is doing. “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them” (Romans 8:28)

I have seen the transformation God is able to do in people’s lives — how He is able to change them inside and out. With some people the changes are profound and visibly obvious. I think that it’s harder for me to recognize changes in myself. If I believe that God has “plans to prosper me and not to harm me, plans to give me hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29:11), then I need to recognize that He is changing me to make me who I need to be. “He has made everything beautiful in it’s time…yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end” (Ecclesiastes 3:11)

And so, today, I have a different picture of how I wait patiently for God to transform me. When life seems out of control, I want to remember that I am not the “de-tangler”, God is. I want to remember that He is working out His plan for me through all the lessons He teaches me in His Word, through all of life’s highs and lows and through all the people He puts in my path. “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago.” (Ephesians 2:10)

Trusting God’s Ways: Finding Guidance and Wisdom in Obedience

When we walk with the Lord, our prayer is: Show me your ways, Lord, teach me your paths. Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long. (Psalm 25:4-5)

And God response is: I instruct you in the way of wisdom and lead you along straight paths. (Proverbs 4:11). Yet, when life takes unexpected twists and turns, we start to doubt the things God has been teaching and showing us.

Recently I read this quote by Sinclair Ferguson: Be obedient even when you don’t know where obedience may lead you. It reminded me of the words from Isaiah 55:8 ~ “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord.

There was a time when I had to make a tough decision about my life, a life-altering decision. God was very present during that time and I felt Him leading me. Still, it wasn’t easy to make the necessary changes and sometimes I doubted if I had made the right choices. It wasn’t until several years later that I discovered that my decision had a huge impact, a life-giving impact, on someone else. God knew more than I did.

Psalm 138:8 says: The Lord will vindicate me; your love, Lord, endures forever — do not abandon the works of your hands. I had to look up that word “vindicate”.

Vin·di·cate – to clear someone of blame or suspicion; to show or prove to be right, reasonable or justified.

I believe that when I walk in obedience, I can trust God to take care of the parts of my life that I don’t understand. Do I always trust God? No, but I am trying more and more to accept the things I don’t understand as being in God’s control. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. (Proverbs 3:5-6)

In Psalm 23, God gives me an awesome picture of His promises for now and eternity.

The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
for his name’s sake.

Even though I walk
    through the darkest valley,^[a]
I will fear no evil,
    for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
    they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me
    in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
    my cup overflows.
Surely your goodness and love will follow me
    all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
    forever.

May He refresh your soul as you walk boldly, in trust, where He leads!

Overcoming Life’s Challenges: Finding Strength and Hope in Tough Times

There are many times when life doesn’t happen the way we expect it to. We have a picture in our minds about our future and our dreams are shattered. We may feel hurt, betrayed or confused. Sometimes we don’t know who we can blame for the situation, sometimes we have to own up to our own responsibility. Mostly, we just want the pain to go away and for everything to feel better.

Situations that are beyond our control can be especially difficult. We ask: “Why did this happen to me?” “Why did a person that I loved die?” “Why did that accident happen?” “Why did I get this illness?” “How will I cope with the loss of my job/ my marriage?” Our lives are thrown into turmoil and our future becomes scary and uncertain. For a time it is difficult to make any decisions about our future and the situation feels even worse. In time, we want life to feel better again and we begin to crawl forward.

There are also times when the choices we make have damaging consequences; sometimes those consequences affect us and sometimes they affect others. We don’t take care of ourselves physically, spiritually and/or emotionally. We become addicted to drugs, alcohol. gambling, shopping or something else that takes control of our lives. We have an affair or an abortion. We mistreat other people or their property. It is possible to ignore some of these situations for a long time, but then we recognize that change is needed or further destruction is in our future.

Socrates said: What screws us up most in life is the picture in our head of how it’s supposed to be”. It may be a long time since we looked at that picture, but it is still probably there. No matter the reason for our circumstance, we have to allow ourselves the opportunity to grieve the loss of that picture before we can move forward. The five stages of grief and loss are: denial and isolation, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. People don’t necessarily go through the stages in the same order or experience all of them.

It’s often difficult for others to watch us go through the process. They want our lives to be better NOW;they want to be the person who can help us; they don’t want to have to watch us “struggle”. This can be a confusing time for everyone affected by the situation. A person going through tough times may find support from different sources than they usually did. This may be surprising, difficult and/or disappointing for the person going through change. It may also be difficult for those who normally support the person and now need to “let go”. We can’t all have the capacity to help our family and friends in every situation.

Changing the picture in our head isn’t easy. We may hope to revert back to a former place in our lives where everything felt better, but perhaps as we change, that former place no longer is a good fit for us. Often it is necessary to get the help of professionals or others who have experienced the same challenges through some sort of group situation. God can change us in an instant, but often He challenges us to do the hard work of change.

It’s hard to “let go and let God”; to take each day as a gift and look forward to the adventure of the day. It is necessary to take the next step forward without looking back. There may be huge consequences of our past mistakes, but after we have grieved them, we have to build our tomorrow with what we’ve learned; the lessons that make us stronger.

When life disappoints, there may be rapid changes and many hard times. Through it all may we look to the Creator to create the new picture in our head that needs to become our focus. May our trust in Him grow more and more.

Psalm 143:8 ~ Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life.