Saturday, November 12, 2011

Unexpected



Like an unwelcome visitor, an uninvited stranger barging in, interrupting life, dragging bags of disappointment and unloading boxes of hard to swallow news.

Family members die, friends divorce, leaders abuse, children rebel, houses are lost, jobs end, cancer invades.

And still He whispers, "Trust Me."

No matter how much we pray or cry or wish or scream, sometimes things are not ok.

When plans fail and dreams fade and life. was. not. supposed. to. be. like. this.

"Trust Me."

The unexpected strips away all that is not anchored.

Like a punch in the stomach, the unexpected can leave us struggling to breathe.

But it can center. It can strengthen. It can remind.

Like Peter, if we take our eyes off of Jesus, we begin to sink.

But when we fix our gaze, though the storms may be violent and the unexpected may take us by surprise, our feet can stand firm and secure.

And when I want to pull the covers over my head and the water is swirling around my ankles...

I have to listen.

"Trust Me."

And fix my gaze...

3 friends had this to say:

Brandee Shafer said...

This is beautiful, Shelly, and so true. I'm so thankful to be able to lean on Romans 8:28. Thank you.

Stephanie said...

Beautiful! Every word! So true for me too. I have felt it and heard those words in the last four months since I lost my identical twin girls. Thank you so much for your words today!

Kelli Williams Wommack said...

Great words, Shelly. Such easy words to say and read, and such difficult words to live by...TRUST ME! Thanks for the reminder in such a beautifully written way.