Without A Trace

Come on in and pull up a chair. I know it has been a while since we have last gathered but I promise you I’ve been working HARD over here. Anyway let’s get right into it….I know I promised a Part 3 of No Is A Complete Sentence but we will circle back because I have something else I need to tell you. If you’re new here welcome I’m delighted to have you & if you’re returning thanks for coming back I am elated you’re here as well. Let’s get into it…you know the drill find a quiet spot, grab your favorite snacks, your favorite beverage, a pen, some paper & let’s get started. Now that you’re ready sit up straight, plant your feet firmly on the floor, breathe through your nose & slowly exhale through your mouth (repeat as many times as needed).

Storytime…

About 5 weeks ago I was on my way home from church & I got stuck in traffic. A 30-35 minute drive turned into 2 hours of standstill traffic. About 10 minutes into being stuck I turn on my Waze app to see what the hold up was & the app confirmed there was an accident, the estimated time in traffic was 3 hours. Normally I would get upset & impatient but I was surprisingly calm. I just sat there & patiently waited. I will pause to tell you I was low-key panicking because I needed gas (I was a few miles from the closest exit) & I was in desperate need of my Sunday nap. After an hour or so I see the cars move to the side so the tow truck could come through the middle. (I’m telling you it looked like Moses parting the Red Sea LOL). Several more minutes pass & the state trooper comes down the middle & we repeat the same process of moving aside so he could pass. About 20-30 more minutes go by & finally traffic begins to slowly move & this my friends is when the preacher in me kicks in. As traffic begins to move & I get closer ahead I realize I wasn’t sure exactly where the accident had occurred because there was no residue of an accident. I remember thinking there was obviously an accident because all of the evidence supported there was an accident, yet there were no remnants of the chaos that had once been. God began to speak to me “tell my people they may be stuck but I heard their cry of distress & I’m dispatching help. And when help arrives there will be no residue they were ever in distress.” (Hang tight just a little while longer help is on the way).

There are times in life we feel stuck & without help. It feels as if we have been abandoned & left to figure it out on our own. Things seem really scary & we feel like God has left us unprotected in harms way. Sometimes it seems like the more that we call on the name of Jesus & the harder we pray the worse the situation becomes. But I need to let you know that he (God) has heard you & he is sending relief. Psalm 34:6 This poor man cried out & the Lord heard him & saved him out of all his troubles. Vs 7 The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him & delivers them. Let’s look at the word poor for a moment because we equate poor with just money but it means lacking a normal or adequate supply of something. It also seems while we are in the period of waiting those around us that could help don’t or leave us during our period of transition. While this is uncomfortable & feels lonely God wants to make sure no one is able to take credit for the work he is about to perform. I know it is difficult to hold on to the word of the lord when you are in a place of feeling disappointed & let down repeatedly but he will never leave his children alone & without provision. Our provision may come from sources we are accustomed to but if he needs to send a raven to provide for us he will. Psalm 34:19-20 Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him from them all. He protects all his bones; not one of them will be broken.

How do you handle your trials? What do you do when it seems like you’ve been going through for so long it seems like your trial is just your new norm. You aren’t even exercising your faith anymore because if feels like your trial is just your expected end. Do you just give up or do you continue to trust God to see you through the process? I was going through such a rough transition & it seemed like the more I believed God & the more I called on him & the more I trusted him the more I felt like I was going to break under the pressure. I was talking to a friend about how I was feeling & out of all the things she said to me the thing that carried me was this “diamonds are made under pressure.” If you’re like me you’ve heard that saying numerous times but it was something about it that day that just hit my spirit different. Many times we abort the process too soon. We quit during the crushing because we feel like the pressure is too much. Think about how olive oil is made. Before we have oil the olives have to be pressed to the point where they break open & begin to spill oil. The crushing process isn’t designed to kill you it is simply designed to bring out what is on the inside of you.

I know this season for some of you reading has been extremely hard but I promise you if you hold on a little while longer help is on the way. And when help arrives there will be no signs you were ever in distress. The only time you will know you were in distress is when you share your testimony or think about where God has brought you from. All of the things you are currently facing will be gone WITHOUT A TRACE!