He Sees. He Knows. He Has Experienced It.

I recently read this by Mary DeMuth (from her book, "EVERYTHING," that comes out TODAY):

"Everything that hurts us on earth has the potential, when we let God put His hands in the conflict, to bless the world. In short, we hurt, God heals, we become an agent of healing. In other words, when we're brave enough to let God transform our pain, we bring heaven to earth. And when He stretches His arm from heaven to earth, blessing us with comfort, we, in turn, touch the world with heaven's touch."

And then, this morning, I heard an interview on the radio with Mark Shultz. I don't remember his exact words, but Mark said something like this, "If God isn't moving the mountain, it's because He's giving you the strength to go over it."

And then I remembered seeing this:

"The quickest way to forget about your pain is to help someone who hurts more." ~Matthew Barnett

So many times we find ourselves in places we'd rather not be, in circumstances we would've never chosen for ourselves, and pain (physical, mental, emotional) we wish would just. please. go. away.

But what if our circumstances don't change and the pain does not go away?

What if we use our faith and we pray every day and we stand on scriptures and nothing changes?

Maybe something IS changing.

Maybe WE are changing on the inside.

Maybe we are being prepared to help someone who hurts more.

Maybe we are becoming an agent of healing.

Maybe we are healing from the inside out.

Maybe our faith is growing and our hearts are being softened.

I don't understand everything, but I know God never changes.

I know Jesus loves me so much He died on the cross so I can live.

So when I don't get I answers, I remember, God has my life in His hands.

He sees the big picture. He knows the number of my days. And His ways are perfect.

So I keep walking.

I keep celebrating.

I keep praying.

I give thanks.

I keep believing.

I share.

I keep praising.

I chose joy.

And I remind myself His love never gives up on me. He knows me better than anyone. And He promises that no matter what, NO MATTER WHAT, He will never leave me nor forsake me.

In that hard place? Yep. He's there.

When my pain is more than I can bear? Yes. He is there, too.

He sees, He knows, He has experienced it.

Keep pressing forward, sister. Keep going. Don't give up! Your story isn't finished yet, and neither is mine!

Please let me pray with you today. Let me keep standing and keep believing with you. Leave a comment below or feel free to send me a private message: shellyafaust@gmail.com

His love never fails!

Praise the Lord! He is good. God’s love never fails. Praise the God of all gods. God’s love never fails. Praise the Lord of lords. God’s love never fails. ~Psalms 136:1-3

Look to the Lord and His strength; seek His face always. ~Psalms 105:4

Because Thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise Thee. ~Psalms 63:3

When Mothering Feels More Like a Burden Than a Blessing

Flickr Creative Commons - Jhayne

In my last my last post, I talked about our roles as mom and wife and how they are beautiful and how they are ministry.

But how many times have we been overwhelmed and the pressures seemed too much and things did not feel beautiful and we didn't know if we could go another day? Can you think of a specific time you have felt more burdened than blessed by this place God created for you (wife, mother or both)?

I shared this on Facebook:

I remember being 19/20 and becoming wife and mother all within the same year. I remember being so overwhelmed with a crying baby in the middle of the night and feeling like I wasn’t going to be able to do this whole family thing. The responsibility was great and the 24 hour care was unending. I was selfish and immature and not prepared but God was. I also remember having my second child at 23 and how the terrible 2’s lasted until around the age of 9. He was strong-willed and a professional fit thrower and there were days I thought surely I would lose my mind. Thankfully, I still have most of it. J I have made many mistakes, but God has given me grace to walk through those times too difficult to even consider standing on my own.

And my friend, Staci, shared this:

As a mother of four biological children and two step-children, I find myself feeling overwhelmed ALL of the time. It’s very difficult to balance your time and attention to each child. The two that live with us full time now are by far the most difficult and I find myself many times asking God, Why? I have not yet received an answer but I do know I love them unconditionally. I just need direction and encouragement. I recently took a break from the regular routine and just spent quality time with them and amazingly they were totally different children….wow isn’t that what God wants from us…..quality time?

We, as wives and mothers, no matter how different our circumstances, often experience many of the same emotions, feelings of inadequacy, too-tired-to-go-another-step days, and don’t-even-want-to-try-anymore moments.

Flickr Creative Commons - iamtheo

If you find yourself in any of these places today, be encouraged that you are not alone. We all have good days and bad days. We all have days we feel like throwing in the towel or crawling back in the bed. Let’s encourage one another! If you see someone who looks like they could use a friend, be one! If you are going through something and need a shoulder to cry on or someone to pray for you, pick up the phone and let it be known. You are no less because you can’t do this alone. We weren’t mean to travel this journey without each other or without God. Let’s not try it, ok?

I am grateful God can get the job done when we can't! And when we fail, we accept His grace and try again. And He's there to replenish and refresh if we will just position ourselves to receive from Him. We position ourselves by spending quality time, as Staci said...time in the Word, time in prayer, and time just being still and quiet before Him.

I am saying a prayer for all of you today, that God would give you peace in this place, grace to walk through victoriously, and the courage to acknowledge that you can't do it without Him. Take His hand, sister, and where you've been overwhelmed with circumstances. I pray you will be overwhelmed with His love! ♥

Rom 15:14 - And I myself also am persuaded of you, my brethren, that ye also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another.

Gal 6:2 - Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.

James 5:16 - Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

How can I pray for you specifically today?

When the Job is Too Big

Photo Credit: Tin Bucket Photography

It's so hard when the very thing with which you are encouraging and counseling others slaps you right in the face. (I thought I had this all worked out?) And immediately the accusations come and bring their friends...feelings of unworthiness and the thought that God must have gotten me mixed up with someone else more together or more "spiritual."

Do you ever feel like a big, fat nothing? A nobody? A complete failure? Like, who am I kidding and what am I doing?

It seems like every time I start on a project (article, devotional, study, etc), I immediately feel unworthy and inadequate...ill-equipped to successfully complete the task before me. Sometimes it feels too big and out of my league. I am, after all, just a small town country girl who got pregnant before marriage, never finished college, has piles of laundry, occasionally yells at her kids and gets mad at her husband.

It's so tempting to say, "No, I can't do this."

But I know God has another plan. And He IS all-sufficient and more than adequate and overly equipped...and He will equip me and you to do whatever it is He has called us to do. No matter how many times we fail or how many times we sigh the sigh of frustration or cover our face in anguish or clench our fists or lay prostrate in desperation...He is there to pick us up and hold our hand and take us to that place of refuge and restoration. Again, and again, and again.

In our stretching, in our enlarging, in our growing...often we break open, spilling and exposing junk that has been there all along but covered and hidden and deceiving. It feels good (to our pride) to think we have arrived...we are among the spiritually elite (whatever that means). But, really, none of us have made it, nor will we until we meet our Savior face to face.

We are all on a journey to becoming.

Are you overwhelmed or frustrated or discouraged today? Do you feel like God must have made a mistake because the job is just too big? Do you feel like you have messed up one too many times and you're now disqualified?

You are not alone, friend.

You are not the only one who gets tricked into believing these lies from time to time.

God does not measure our worth the way we measure ourselves or determine our value by our accomplishments, education, past mistakes, or other people's opinions of us.

Can I get a Hallelujah?

For 2011, I had a word for the year: Fearless.

For 2012, I have a scripture. It fits well in this post and my life.

And all of us, as with unveiled face, [because we] continued to behold [in the Word of God] as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are constantly being transfigured into His very own image in ever increasing splendor and from one degree of glory to another; [for this comes] from the Lord [Who is] the Spirit. 2 Corinthians 3:18.

As we continue to peek inside the Word of God and allow Him to reveal things, expose things, purge things...our journey of transformation continues. Our lives are living, breathing testimonies of what He can do when we cannot. Of what He can forgive when we fail. Of what He can do in His strength when we feel like we are going to pass out from weakness. Of what He can do when the job really is too big for us, because it usually is...and I think He planned it that way.

When you mess up, don't disqualify or count yourself out. Your Father doesn't.


For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future ~Jeremiah 29:11.

Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding ~Proverbs 3:5.


The law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the [whole] person; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple ~ Psalm 19:7.

Prayer:

Thank you, God, that no matter how many times I mess up, You do not disqualify me. You are taking my blemishes and scars and wounds and traditions and unbelief and restoring my whole person. You have plans to prosper me and give me hope and a future. Help me to lean on, trust in, and be confident in You with all my heart and all my mind. Thank You for mercy and grace on this journey of transformation. I am a big fat nothing without You, but with You I am a daughter of the King. All praise and honor and glory to You, my God.