What does faith look like when things don’t go as planned? What does it mean to trust the Lord through times of fear, frustration or uncertainty?
At this very moment, we are playing the real estate waiting game. We are waiting for offers on our house – and none have come yet (and it’s 4pm). To make matters worse, the house we are offering on has three registered offers.
My heart is beating faster, my mind is all over the place, and I can’t relax. My agent here reminded me to “Keep breathing, keep the faith, stay positive!” My agent there reminds me every time I talk him that every day is a great day with God. (Where would I be without these great spiritual encouragers???) And here I am, the one who preaches faith, giving in to waves of fear. This is all present moment, everything will likely be different a few hours from now. But right now, I am being attacked by anxious thoughts. Satan is playing games in my head.
“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:4-7)
I keep repeating these words, “The Lord is near!” (Philippians 4:5) The above picture comes to mind as I feel like I am drowning in negativity. Its a picture from the perspective of someone that is sinking. Looking up, you see Jesus’ feet on the water, His face looking down in love. And His hand reaching down, offering to pull me up out of the depths.
I am choosing to look up, to reach up, and to give my situation to Him. I am choosing to affirm words of joy, of hope, of peace, and to hand over my anxieties to Him. The feelings remain, but I am not giving in to them… I refuse. I am confident in this, this will all work out for the best in the end. For now, I will hang on through the storm; He will lead me safe to shore!
I can see His face above the waters… can you?
(I’ll let you know later how this all worked out.)
So the home selling and buying process is done. Can’t say I enjoyed it, but I guess it’s our own fault, trying to buy and sell the same evening. We were able to do both, and we’re happy with the home we bought, as well as with the young couple that bought our home. God worked it all out for good.
It was certainly a case of spiritual warfare. Satan takes advantage of these stressful moments. In the big picture it was not even that serious, compared to what others go through.
It was a learning experience. I relearned again how to resist Satan by reaching for Jesus. “The Lord is near!” Keep looking up for His face. Thanks to all who prayed!