Regarding Amy
Never Pushed Past Your Limit
So, I’m sure I’m no different than anyone else. I know that everyone else goes through times in their lives where they question God. They wonder what their full purpose in life is. Why did you create me here God? Why in this situation, why with this family, why with these friends, why did you choose for me to walk this path? Not that there’s anything wrong with the path, just that there are so many questions unanswered. Am I doing what I need to be doing, if not, what do I need to be doing? Am I going down the right path? Am I saying the things that need to be said? Do I need to turn left, do I need to turn right?
There are days in our lives where we feel so alone, traveling down a road that is dark with little to no light. You can’t see your surroundings and you don’t know what might be coming up ahead. Everything is great when you know the path God has called you on. Sometimes you know the path you’re on is where God has called you, but for some reason, there’s a mile or two that doesn’t look as familiar as what you’ve seen previously. If we’re not careful, we’ll allow fear to grab hold of us and blind us to the light that truly surrounds us. This fear can be disguised as many things...finances, marital problems, fights with friends, lack of confidence, etc.
When times get this way, I just want to crawl in my bed and cry. I want to sleep all my cares away. But I know that’s not the solution. So, I cry out to God. I don’t hear anything back. Why doesn’t he answer our call when we cry out the first time? Maybe it’s much like my best friend, Kym and her baby, Crosslan. Crosslan is learning to crawl, and pick himself up off the floor. Pretty soon he’ll be walking. But occasionally, he looses his grip of the couch or table or whatever he’s using to hold himself up, and he’ll fall. More scared than hurt, he cries. Instead of Kym running to hold him in her arms, sometimes she just speaks to him in a calm voice and says “Crosslan, you’re a big boy. It’s ok, you aren’t hurt. Get back up” He can’t hear her though for all the crying. She has to repeat herself a couple times. Finally he hears her and stops crying and works at getting back up. Sound familiar?
In our own way, we get so wrapped up in our fear that we cry before we’re hurt. We cry so loud, waiting for God to answer. We can’t hear him for all our crying. Eventually, we hear Him. Maybe not audibly. Sometimes it’s in the Word, and other times it’s in a friend’s calm assurance, or a song on the radio. What a relief to finally hear His voice. If we can only learn to stop crying so loud and just listen.
He says, “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.” 1 Corinthians 10:13
I like the way The Message translates it: “No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he’ll never let you be pushed past your limit; he’ll always be there to help you come through it.”
I read that last night and found it quite encouraging. After many days of searching and wondering where God was, which cloud was He behind; I found Him.
The funny thing...Last night, I got in my car driving home from the grocery store. I heard a song on the radio. I knew I’d heard it before. It wasn’t until just not that I realized where. When I taught at Steve Hurst School, a young boy came in singing this song. I knever even realized what the lyrics meant until I heard it on the radio last night. He may never know the doors opened by singing that song.
I went to the store again this afternoon, and as soon as I turned on my car, this song came on, as if in sync with my whole world! It’s performed by Barlow Girl. Below are the lyrics, I dunno, maybe it will hit you like it hit me:
I waited for you today
But you didn’t show
No no.
I needed you today
So where did you go?
You told me to call
Said you’d be there
And though I haven’t seen you
Are you still there?
Chorus
I cried out with no reply
And I can’t feel you by my side
So I’ll hold tight to what I know
You’re here and I’m never alone
And though I cannot see you
And I can’t explain why
Such a deep reassurance
You’ve placed in my life.
We cannot separate
‘Cause you’re part of me.
And though you’re invisible
I’ll trust the unseen.
AM OUT!
PS...New Sunday Edition Pics can’t be posted till we got a few shots picked out for our new CD Cover. Sorry, Rev! They turned out pretty cool though, thanks to our friend Chris Wooten!
Be of good cheer, Sister Amy. You’re not the only one out here who should be a “professional Christian,” but yet fells (at times) lonely, confused, trapped.
I’m 47 years old, have been a minister in one form or another for almost 25 years. I’ve been writing songs since I was 14. And yet, I feel awful most of the time.
I’ve recently come home to SG after 25 or so years away, and I’d love to be out there singing again, or at least getting someone to cut my songs, but I’m stuck up here in Iowa, and I’m in a family situation where I can’t even get together a group to sing on weekends.
I want to just leave, move back to Nashville, but that’s not gonna happen.
So I just keep writing songs, hoping someone will like my goofy little gospel songs well enough to sing ‘em somewhere, anywhere.
Keep writing these blogs. I love your honesty and your heart for the Lord.
Your friend in Jesus,
Chris Becker
Posted by Chris Becker on 05/21 at 12:58 AMWay to go Amy! What a blessing. I am walking through one of those times myself. I never knew the road was so crowded.
The Crabb’s song Through the Fire especially ministered to me lately. But there was one line in the lyrics that you posted that has become a life-long lesson for me: “So I’ll hold tight to what I know.” The single most profound spiritual lesson I have learned in 24 years of ministry and 34 yrs of being a Christian is that life most often boils down to a battle between what you know against what you feel. In fact, I think I will blog on that soon. But when we hold on to what we KNOW about God, He pulls us through the times and we learn even more.
Thanks for sharing, you blessed me greatly this morning.
Posted by Jim on 05/21 at 06:02 AMTears are streaming! Even though I’m not walking through this right now, I feel like I’m walking through it WITH you. I have been there so many times, and the emotions that you describe are so real to me. I belive the Holy Spirit has sent you comfort through His words, when other people like me didn’t know what to say. I believe in what God is doing in your life, and the amazing plan that he has laid out for you. I can’t wait to be a witness to His beautiful masterpiece of a life for you. I pray for showers of blessings on you today that will be so overwhelming you will have NO doubt that you are loved.
Posted by on 05/27 at 09:57 AMHi Amy! You’re such a cool gal. I love that song from Barlow Girl! i dont know how i found your page, frankly, i dont even kno who you are. I was doing a search for something else and this came up. Im glad i found your blog. You’re very encouraging. God bless!
Posted by on 06/13 at 05:56 PMIsn’t it funny how a song, book, or a tv show will come on that coincides with what is going on in our lives at that moment? Is it a higher power speaking to us or is that we are listening and taking everything in, filtering it through our own personal experience? I hope that makes sense, it is just something I think about at times when something hits home. Best of luck to you, I enjoyed reading your blog.
Posted by Celebrity Foods on 02/29 at 09:48 PMi liked your blog..take care,Amy!
Posted by andra on 03/24 at 02:36 PM
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