Quit Complaining and Take A Risk!

We've been at VBS this week and it's really incredible to see

all these children get fired up about God!

I have a special role this year - I get to travel around the classes of the little littles, checking in on their leaders and being a source of encouragement to them throughout the week.

It's been amazing how God has woken me up each morning between 4-4:30am to pray for these leaders.  Thankfully He also blesses me with falling back asleep for another hour or so after!

As I go through each of their names, about 50! and then pray for each child by name, God speaks gentle words, "pray that she will be surprised today, pray that she will find joy today..."

It's been a sweet privilege.

 

Today the leaders will be sharing with the children about how the Isrealites didn't trust God.  God had promised them a land flowing with milk and honey, God longed to provide for the Israelites.  We read in Numbers 13 that some men went ahead to check out this incredible land and they saw amazing provisions, but they also saw very strong people.  They were intimidated by the "giants" that lived in the land that God had promised to them.  Caleb said to the people, "We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it."  I love his courage and his confidence!

But the others said, "We can't attack those people; they are stronger than we are."

So the people of Israel didn't go into the land that God promised to them, instead they complained, were ungrateful and disobeyed God.  They were so close to receiving all that God wanted to give them, but they were scared and doubted God.

 

So many times in our lives, God has something special to give us.  He has an incredible blessing to bestow upon us, but it first requires us taking a risk.  Perhaps we must quit a job in order to step into a new one.  We might need to make the first move to initiate a new friendship.  Maybe we need to step out of our comfort zone and say "yes" to an opportunity that we've been nervous about.  Whatever it is, if we keep our eyes fixed on Jesus and rely on His strength, instead of getting overwhelmed by all the "what ifs" as we look at the giants, He will provide for us and bless us as we follow His leading.  Our responsibility is to obey.  God's responsibility is to provide a way.

 

This very truth is something that God has been putting on my heart for a few years now and I've been spending too much time getting scared by the "what ifs" and intimidated by the "giants" that are lurking, but we've decided to take a huge risk and follow God's leading into a new chapter for our family.

I'll be sharing more about this in the months to come!

For now, is God leading you somewhere that you are unsure of?  Is He asking you to take a risk and trust Him?  Remember, He loves to give good gifts to His kids and in order to receive the blessing, you just might have to stand up to those giants!!

Trust

On our trip to Nor Cal I wanted to take the children on a hike in the mountains I grew up hiking in.  It’s a quick 10 minute drive to the top of Big Basin and the hiking trails are amazing and beautiful.  Once I could drive, I would go up into the mountains behind my parent’s house all the time to journal, pray, set goals, and just be.  Those mountains are very special to me and hold significance to some pretty poignant moments in my life.

As we started winding up the mountain, it was evident that the marine layer from the ocean on the other side was not going to burn off, so we’d spend a very chilly July morning in the mountains.   Almost to our destination, a little voice from the back of the car said, “Mommy, will there be other people there?”  “On the trails?,” I asked to clarify.  “Well, in the mountains.  Will there be other people up there?  Or will we be alone?”  I could tell from her tone that she was nervous for some reason about our little adventure.

“You don’t have to be scared.  Mommy grew up in these mountains and I know exactly where we’re going.  I would never put you in danger.  Don’t you trust me?”

I could tell that she wasn’t comforted.  She has no reason not to trust me.  I tried to think of what I could say to ease her mind and just get her to enjoy the beauty around us, but I couldn’t think of a magical phrase to make her trust me.  Shouldn’t a child automatically trust their parents?

How many times have I questioned in a small, shaky voice what God is doing?  There is no reason for me not to trust Him, He’s proven faithful time and again.  Still, I don’t always trust.  When the fog is getting thicker, the road bending from left to right and what lies ahead is unknown, I too get nervous and start to doubt.

There was nothing I could do but to lead on in confidence
and assure her that I knew what I was doing.

I don’t know if it was the park ranger she saw in the parking lot or my assurance that everything was going to be fine, but eventually she had a wonderful time exploring the mountains that I love so dear.

Sometimes I guess we have to see to believe.
God has our best interest in mind.  He is for us.  We can trust Him.
As my daughter began to see that we were safe, Mommy knew the trail and the wonder we saw was worth the risk, she began to trust a little more.