Here we are again for another Five Minute Friday, where a number of writers gather for a weekly writing challenge around a single word prompt and write to our hearts content, but only for five minutes (or there abouts).
This weeks word prompt is ‘provide’. Click here if you want to see what other people wrote. You can also have a go yourself. What do you think of when you hear the word ‘provide’?
Continue reading Will God Provide?
I surrender. I hold up my hands. I give up. I can’t do this anymore.
These are words I don’t say lightly. I don’t give up too easily and I hate losing. But when it comes to living my life how I am supposed to, I have to give up.
Why?
I can’t do this all on my own. I can’t play this game of life the way that I want to and I’m struggling to win this race.
I’ve decided I’m not going to make a New Years resolution this year. Usually I would think of something that would help me in my faith – the obvious resolution being “read my Bible every day”. What’s the point though? I never get past day 4 or 5! It should be “read my Bible at least once a week”. I might just manage that!
Anyway, I’m not going to make a resolution only to be miffed that I break it in just under a week, and then wait another year before I make the same resolution again. I know that I probably could just start again the same day I think about it, but as a perfectionist this wouldn’t feel right. I can only start it on 1st of January! (I know, it’s a little ridiculous, but hands up if you feel the same?)
Last year I thought about choosing a word that would help me to live through the year – something to reflect on which would keep me centred, and also help my faith at the same time. I chose the word ‘Love’. I didn’t look for any signs from God to see if this was the right word for me, nor did I pray about it. I just chose something that I thought would be right with what I was going through in that moment. (You see, I didn’t really love myself very much, so I thought if I chose the word ‘Love’ something might happen).
Over the first few weeks though, another word kept popping into my head and I kept hearing the same Bible reading through various people…
The Lord God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; In His love He will no longer rebuke you but rejoice over you with singing.
Zephaniah 3:17
My word then changed from ‘love’ to ‘accept’ and throughout the year I had constant reminders of how God accepts me for who I am despite what I have been through.
I have thought a little bit more intently on my chosen word for this year. I’ve even prayed about it! It’s been a word that has been constant throughout the advent period and one that has stayed with me into the New Year. ..
This word is going to keep me anchored in the truth that God is in the midst of everything that I encounter. I need to remember…
…He is in the centre of it all…
…He is in the deepest depths of my despair…
…He is at the heart of every hurt…
…When I am in the thick of it, He will be right there.
As for the promise which I made you when you came out of Egypt, My Spirit is abiding in your midst; do not fear!
Haggai 2:5
Is there a word that resonates with you that could give you a focus or help you centre your life?
Lord, as I go through my days, help me to remember that you are in the midst of everything that I do. You are especially in everything that happens around me – every situation that I encounter. I thank you and I praise you for this truth. May I never forget this. Amen
My life, at times, has been filled with circumstances that has certainly made it feel like I have been on a roller coaster ride. With its ups and downs and twisting turns, I’ve had to hold on tight in each moment with the fear that one day I will come off the rails. Somehow, I seem to hang on, and I overcome each situation I am faced with.
I’m not like that when it comes to being on a real roller coaster. In fact, I’m quite the opposite. I don’t hold on to anything and I throw my hands in the air. At each turn that is made I am free to let go. I have nothing holding me back and I am safe in the restraints that are holding me.
When I look back on what I have been through in my life I often wonder how I got through those hair raising moments. It’s only when the ride has finished do I then see where I have been. I also see Who has been holding me safely in it all.
The twists and turns that have sent my head spinning…God was there.
The dark passages that I’ve been through…God was there.
The steep hill that had to be climbed…God was there.
The moments that I had when my world was turned upside down…God was there.
God was there in my roller-coasting life and He has been my restraints to keep me safe. He has been the One that has been with me on the tracks of my life and has helped me to overcome my fears and face whatever ride comes next.
God was there in my roller-coasting life and He has been my restraints to keep me safe. Click To TweetI wrote this post as a response to the Five Minute Friday word prompt “overcome”. Click here to see what other people wrote when they were prompted with this word.
It was such a shock that Theresa May delivered her speech so badly the other day – and the media are absolutely loving every minute of it. It was just an unfortunate turn of events that took place, but one that is going to stick with her for the rest of her life.
A comedian thought that it would be a good prank to hand her a P45 declaring she is not fit for the role of Prime Minister. She then unfortunately had really bad coughing fits causing her to lose her voice slightly. She paused at various moments to sip water and was even handed a cough sweet.
You can already envisage that this is going to be one of those top 50 embarrassing moments of the century on a TV blooper type programme. Worse was yet to come though when letters started to fall off the conservative slogan behind her.
She really did have one of those “bad day at the office” type of days! Don’t we all get days like that though? Ok, so we may not be giving a life changing speech, but we do need to live a life that could be life changing for other people. People look to each other to see how they react to situations around them. A situation handled well is one that will be remembered well, but a situation handled in a bad way will never be forgotten.
A situation handled well is one that will be remembered well, but a situation handled in a bad way will never be forgotten. Click To TweetAs it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one.
Romans 3:10
So Theresa May is not perfect. Who is? Are you? Can you honestly say that you live and talk in such a way that people could say you live your life perfectly? We are only human at the end of the day – and so is Theresa May – believe it or not!
There is someone though that we can rely on to be perfect in everything that is done.
The Rock! His work is perfect, For all His ways are just; A God of faithfulness and without injustice, Righteous and upright is He.
Deuteronomy 32:4
So, who do we look to for someone to rely on? Who can we look to who can truly show us the right way to live? Who Is it that we can we focus on? Someone who will not cough and splutter when challenged with whether He can uphold his promises for our future?
We can chose to focus on the One who is perfect. We can chose to focus on God.
