Regarding Amy
Never Pushed Past Your Limit
Saturday, May 20, 2006
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!
