The Road to Answered Prayer

I realized something this week: the way God answers my prayers is typically NOT how I think my prayers should be answered.

When I pray, my focus is on a positive outcome to a need or to a situation. Many times, I have already decided what the correct outcome to my prayer should be. I pray, God listens, God gives me what I ask for. Simple—and fast.

As exaggerated as this may sound, often in our microwave culture—we do believe that if God is a God of love, He will give us what we want when we want it.

In real life, it may seem as though God has turned a deaf ear to our prayers. Days turn into months and often into years, and we believe that nothing has happened because our preconceived outcomes to our prayers have not materialized. 

What if our individual journeys ARE the answers to our prayers? 

Once we pray, we are not “done” with our prayer requests! Prayer often requires action—or a pressing in. We are instructed in scripture to “pray without ceasing” or to “pray continually.” 

(I Thess. 5:17)

For example, what if your prayer has been for God to lead you to a local church that feels like “home?” 

When praying for a church family, the action required might include researching local churches and showing up on Sunday. Over and over again. Possibly for months. 

The road to Answered Prayer can be tedious and long. 

Learning which churches are NOT a fit is just as much a gift from God as when He leads you to a church that IS a fit. Intertwined in the journey is a prayer being answered. 

Remember, too, that the picture we may have in our minds of what our church should look like may not be the church that God knows is best for us. Keep asking. Keep seeking. Keep knocking. Keep pressing. Ask Him to make His will clear to you. 

As followers of Christ, we want God’s answer to our prayers, not our answer to our prayers!

Jesus was one with God, yet we read of the many times that he went away by Himself to pray. Jesus understood that His life wasn’t about showing God that He could make right decisions on His own.

Jesus lived every moment of his life as an obedient servant.  Jesus prayed without ceasing, then He said and did whatever His Father told Him to say and do. Jesus’ prayer, “Not my will but Yours be done,” was a prayer which was answered on a road filled with cruelty, mundane tasks, rejection, hate—and ultimately death.

Because the road to Answered Prayer is often tumultuous, it can be tempting to blame Satan for our difficulties. Struggle feels more justifiable when there is someone to blame.  Satan likes to trip us up for sure, but perhaps God, in His goodness and love, is more concerned about what is happening in our internal worlds than He is concerned about the temporary unpleasant circumstances of our external worlds.

I am learning that the road to Answered Prayer is zig-zaggy and full of surprises. God holds each prayer, the ones which I verbalize as well as the prayers my heart whispers. The more I seek Him the more he is teaching me to trust that He is ever faithful— even when the journey doesn’t make sense.

So, if the prayers of your heart feel unheard or unanswered, stop striving and start pressing into God’s Word and into God’s presence. Reflect back on your life and the many times God’s answer to your prayer has not looked at all how you had thought it should look—and then marvel at the beauty of the lessons learned along the road to Answered Prayer.

Stay the course…

Sheila

What is Your Life?

Sitting at my desk in our Michigan farmhouse, I am mesmerized by the dark clouds rolling south outside of my window. There is a light dusting of snow on the ground, a sure sign of a season slowly changing from fall to winter. 

It’s only been a few months since we moved into our 200-year-old farmhouse. I had already figured out before arriving what my life in Michigan should look like—so I hit the ground running. 

My plan was excellent and practical.

So why has my plan not been working for me? I have been working hard, yet going nowhere. Spinning my wheels, getting frustrated. I would describe my experience as both humbling and frustrating. 

A dear friend encouraged me to stop striving and to still myself in the presence of God. Another friend reminded me to seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness.

Mostly out of sheer exhaustion, I was able to recognize the wisdom of both suggestions.

So, this morning I decided to read the book of James. 

“Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil.” (James 4:13-16 NIV)

Just as the rolling black clouds are only within view for mere seconds, or the tall grass in the field outside my window has turned from green to brown, here for a little while and then gone—so are we here for just a little while. 

Who am I to think that I know what is best for my short time on earth? Not only do I not know what will happen tomorrow, but I also don’t know what will happen 30 seconds from now. 

Humbling. 

Forgive me, Father, for putting my trust in myself and not in You. 

In moments of feeling exhausted, and at the end of ourselves, it can be challenging to know how to pray or even how to be still in God’s presence. I am (slowly) discovering that laying aside pride and acknowledging my need for the family of God who is willing to get into the trenches with me has been necessary. It is not a sign of weakness to admit that we do not have all the answers or that we need prayer and counsel from fellow believers.

The book of James concludes with what is titled “The Prayer of Faith.” In this powerful concluding chapter we read, “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” (James 5:16)

Or as memorized from my teenage years from my King James Bible: “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” 

If, like me, you have found yourself struggling to find your stride or struggling to get your legs under you, we can learn together what it looks like to be the body of Christ—both in serving others as well as allowing others to minister to us. 

As for me, I have no idea what tomorrow holds. But today I am bringing my faith back to its foundation, anchored in the Word. And in the Word Jesus teaches us exactly how we are to pray…

“This is how you should pray:

“Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be your name,

your kingdom come,

your will be done

on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us today our daily 

bread.

Forgive us our debts,

as we also have forgiven

our debtors.

And lead us not into 

temptation,

but deliver us from the evil

one.”” 

(Matthew 6:9-13 NIV)

Stay the course…

Sheila

And Who Is My Neighbor?

In the short 6 weeks since our move to our Michigan farmhouse, I have enjoyed taking morning walks down our quiet dirt road. It is quickly becoming a sacred time spent pondering, praying and enjoying nature.

This morning I noticed an older man slowly making his way to his mailbox with the aid of a cane. He was so intently watching the ground with each step he took; I knew he hadn’t seen me, and I didn’t want to alarm him.

“Good morning!” I offered in a tone intended to alert instead of alarm.

He stopped his shuffle and slowly turned his head in my direction. A smile lit his eyes as if we were already friends.

“Good morning!” he offered. “I’m trying to see if there’s a newspaper in my box. Do you walk this road every day?” 

We chatted for a couple of minutes. 

“By the way, my name’s Harold, what’s your name?”

“Want to come into the house and meet my wife?” 

“Umm. She may not be up for an unexpected visitor." I quickly responded, surprised at his spontaneous hospitality. 

“No, no,” he assured me, “walk with me to the house. I want you to meet Betty.” 

If Betty was surprised, she didn’t show it. Harold had already forgotten my name, so I introduced myself to his lovely wife. Within minutes we were talking as if we had known one another for years. She took me on a tour of their home, and spoke of living through the depression. We finished in the kitchen where Harold showed me a couple of old pictures on the fridge of him and Betty from when they had dated. At ninety years old, they have now been married 67 years.

They were beautiful and warm. Kind and real. They shared stories of joy, stories of significant loss, and spoke of their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. 

Before we said goodbye, I exchanged numbers with my new friends in case they ever needed anything (and so Harold could remember my name!). 

In the Word of God Jesus tells the parable of the Good Samaritan. An expert in the law stands up to test Jesus. 

"“Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

“What is written in the law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”

He answered: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and love your neighbor as yourself.”

“You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”

But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”" (Luke 10:26-29)

At this point, Jesus shares the parable of the Good Samaritan with the man. 

As we read the parable of a man who was stripped, beaten and left for dead along the side of the road, we are introduced to three different passers-by. We meet a priest who saw the beaten man as a problem to avoid. A Levite who sees the man as an object of curiosity. And a Samaritan who sees the man as a person to love.

“Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”

The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”

Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.” (Luke 10:36 & 37)

I left my new friend’s home and continued walking down the dirt road toward the farmhouse. 

I had received acceptance and kindness from my neighbors due to no merit of my own. I had not yet showered, looked at my face in a mirror, nor touched a comb to my hair. However, my neighbors saw me as a person to love.

Dirty, unworthy and empty-handed. Precisely what I was when Jesus saw me as a person to love and opened both His arms and the Kingdom of heaven to me. And to you.

Go and do likewise.

Stay the course…

Sheila

"Sinful Woman"

Over the last several days, I have been drawn to the story in Luke chapter 7, a story titled, “A Sinful Woman Anoints Jesus’ Feet.” 

Most of us have read the story multiple times. 

I recognized this morning as I continued to ponder the story of Sinful Woman, that I have always read and processed the story as an observer instead of imagining that I might, in fact, be Sinful Woman.

The scene opens with a woman entering a room full of self-serving Pharisees who have invited Jesus to their home for dinner. This uninvited woman bears the weight of a stained reputation and carries an expensive alabaster jar of perfume in her hands. It is difficult to grasp the level of courage, strength, and humility she needed—but Jesus is there, and she needs to be where He is.

The Pharisee’s must have been taken aback as tears pour from her eyes, stream down her cheeks, and land on the feet of Jesus. She weeps deeply, for how long we can only guess— but long enough to wet and wash Jesus’ feet with her own tears. That’s a lot of gut-wrenching, I-don’t-care-who’s-watching, shameless tears. 

Silent judgment from the Pharisee’s permeates the room as Sinful Woman repeatedly kisses Jesus’ feet and then proceeds to pour the perfume from the alabaster jar on His feet. 

Because of her awareness of who she is, a sinner—she can understand who Jesus is, her Savior.

The Pharisees, however, are unable to recognize their great need for Jesus because they are unable to acknowledge the great sinner within themselves. 

“Then he (Jesus) turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little.” (Luke 7:44-47)

Our ability to love much or to love little is directly linked to our ability to recognize the truth regarding the sinner within ourselves.

Apostle Paul also understood this truth regarding the Lord’s grace: “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life.” (I Timothy 1:15-16)

For several days as this story continues to rewind and replay in my mind, all I can whisper is “My Jesus, my Jesus,”  as I attempt to express gratitude for the forgiveness of sins and unmerited gift of salvation I have been given. I no longer believe that Luke shared the story of Sinful Woman for us to read as an observer. When we put our own names in place of  “Sinful Woman,” we are more clearly able to recognize the truth of who we are. And by doing so, we are set free to love MUCH as we recognize the beauty of who we are as the righteousness of Christ because of the grace and mercy of Christ.

“Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”” (Luke 7:50)

Stay the Course…

Sheila

Find Your Way Back

Many years ago I had a pastor who told me that my passion for running was not a good thing and that I needed to stop running so that God could be my greatest passion.

So I stopped running. 

At the peak of the best days of my running, when my body was still cooperating, and I had trained my mind to stay the course no matter the circumstances, I stopped. 

Ironically, several years later, after our family moved away, that same pastor began to run. He convinced everyone on his staff to run as well, and they all participated in running events in the community just as I once had. 

It was a confusing turn of events at the time. For years I wondered why I had believed that another person could know better than me the real intent of my heart (but that’s another blog for another day!).

This week my thoughts turned back to running. I remembered all the runs I had taken on backcountry roads by myself and the powerful moments I had experienced with God mid-run from as far back as my teenage years. Running always took me to a place of freedom from the cares of the world. As I trained myself to push beyond my natural level of comfort to a new area of dependence and vulnerability to my Maker, my soul became awakened and fully alive with each run. 

Yesterday in my time of prayer, I anointed my head with oil and sought after the heart of my Maker—I needed to find my way back to the only One who knows the truth and the wiring of my mind, will, and emotions—in essence, my soul.

And then, I dusted off my running shoes, grabbed my ancient iPod and took a run. 

This morning I ran longer and further than yesterday. I ran with a full heart (and a tiny pebble in my left shoe). I ran through blowing cotton, barking dogs, and down quiet gravel roads. I no longer ran at race speed, but nonetheless, I ran. I felt the gaze of my Father as He watched me finding my way back to His heart.

I realize now that sometimes the only way to find your way back to the heart of God is to look back no longer. Paul describes this concept beautifully in the Word of God, “But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:13(b))

What is the unique gift your Father has given to you that takes you instantly into His presence? Regardless of your age, your size, your income bracket, or what anyone has told you about what you can or cannot do to honor God with your true self—I implore you to seek God in prayer and ask Him what it is you must do to find your way back to becoming a vessel that radiates His love. And then do it and don’t look back. The power of the lies you have believed will drop as fast as a lead ball in a pool of water once you determine to press onward and forward.

Our ultimate goal remains that one day, we shall stand alone, on our own two feet, face-to-face with Jesus. So don’t be afraid to find your way back to the One who will always have your back—your audience of One.

Of one thing and one thing alone, I am sure: when I leave this world and step into eternity—I will not be walking. I will be running as fast as I can toward the King of Kings and the Father of my heart.

Stay the Course…

Sheila

Shadow of Your Wings

Psalm 17:8 “Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings from the wicked who assail me, from my mortal enemies who surround me.” 

Life is hard. 

There—I said it. 

Sometimes it's a struggle as a man or woman of faith to acknowledge the truth of the world we live in.  We are tempted to cover up the fact with a flippant remark to portray that nothing thrown our way will get us down. For example, we say, “Life is hard—but God is good.” 

What we are needing to express at this moment is that we are struggling. Yep. Believer’s struggle too. And yes, God is very good. We know this both in our heads and in our hearts, but nonetheless, we sometimes struggle.

The vulnerability required to reveal our humanness when we are struggling is tremendous.

Jesus shared a vital nugget of truth with His disciples regarding the struggles of living in this world, just before He left them and went back to heaven, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

This morning, I decided to slow down and rest in this peace Jesus promised. I needed to know that He could receive me, a sinner saved by grace, even when I felt like a failure struggling in a world filled with troubles.

I believe that God’s promises are always available if we are willing to believe and receive them, in spite of feelings of worthlessness, in our moments of struggle and weakness. 

The presence of the Spirit, the same Spirit Jesus sent to the early disciples, met me. I didn’t have to perform or impress Him. I didn’t have to convince Him of anything or try to sell Him on why He should forgive me for the million trillionth time. Instead of pushing me away because of my own unworthiness and unbelief, He pulled me close and filled my empty soul with Him—my worthiness was found in the shadow of His wings.

The Giver of life and death, hope and peace, joy and strength, is found when we enter a sacred place known as the Shadow of His Wings. Tucked away in the shadow of His wings, the troubles of this world are lifted. In His sacred feathers, we are protected. Safe. Held. Accepted. Walls fall down, and hearts open wide in the refuge of His wings. 

“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.” (Psalm 91:1-4)

Regardless of your circumstances, you are not alone. Jesus is waiting for you. Surrender to Him everything that you are and everything that you are not, and rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

Stay the Course…

Sheila

Run Your Race!

Hebrews 12:1 “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”

Throw off everything that hinders…

The heat beats down, threatening to steal the last ounce of strength that hasn’t already been taken from the previous 26 miles of the marathon. But now the end is in sight as you stumble through the tunnel, turning into the final stretch. No sweeter view exists as you enter the stadium to finish the last leg of your race.

Indescribable. 

The awaiting crowd rises to its feet at the sight of you. Cheers fill the packed stadium. This is the moment you have dreamt about. Glancing around the stadium in an attempt to take it all in, emotions well up within and you are taken aback at the overwhelming presence of Glory you are witnessing. 

Sprinkled in the crowd are familiar faces, but most appear unfamiliar, (though your spirit senses that you know them as well from stories you have read). Three rows up on your right-hand side, sitting near a man who you quickly surmise must be Abraham, based on the size of the clan surrounding him, you lock eyes with your great grandfather. Memories quickly flood your thoughts of the countless times he spent with you when you were a child, sharing about the goodness of God. He gives you two thumbs up as you pass by.

Although there had been many moments throughout your race when you had considered giving up, quitting altogether, a smile emerges through labored breathing, as you remember those who had come alongside you speaking words of encouragement. Sometimes one word of encouragement kept you steady in your race for miles. So much so, that you also shared words of encouragement with fellow runners, encouraging each one to stay the course.

Now, nearing the finish, you carry nothing with you, only a weary body and your faith. By the grace of God, neither scorching heat, wind, rain or hail, have been able to rob you of your faith.

Electricity fills the stadium. The crowd continues to cheer, but suddenly you are aware that they are no longer cheering for you. Every man, woman, boy and girl has shifted their gaze toward the finish line.

So you shift your gaze too. 

Nothing could have prepared you for this moment. With your own eyes, you behold Him for the first time. He is so much more than you had ever dreamed or imagined. 

Beautiful beyond description. 

As you round the last corner and dig deep for your final sprint, your eyes are “fixed on Jesus, the author and perfecter of your faith.” (Heb. 12:2). The noise of the stadium is forgotten, your legs begin to buckle beneath you.

There had been countless challenges along the way, sins you struggled with, but with one gaze into the eyes of Jesus you are reminded that “in your struggle against sin, you have not resisted to the point of shedding your blood.” (Heb. 12:4)

And now—He’s waiting for you, His beloved. Arms open wide to receive you: weary and worn. 

Nothing and no one can keep you from His embrace. 

Crossing the finish line, you fall into the arms of Jesus. Lost in His embrace, He whispers your name and you hear the words you have spent a lifetime longing to hear, "Well done, good and faithful servant." — and once again the stadium erupts with eternal praises to the King.

Stay the course…

Sheila

Today’s Prayer: “Father, How humbled I am that You have qualified me to run this race for You. There is nothing I have done to deserve so great a privilege. Thank you for the cloud of witnesses who have gone before me. Their faith and perseverance have given me courage at times when I had no courage of my own. In moments when I feel weak and weary, help me to remember the race that you ran with joy. Because you ran Your race in total obedience to Your Father, I am now qualified to do the same. I will stay the course, Father. Help me to encourage those who you put alongside me with words of life and hope.”

Do I Love Being A Mom?

(I wrote this blog in 2010 after our first daughter left for college. I still believe every word written. Mostly the part about missing the short number of years our children spend with us under our roofs before they leave home. A great truth in life is that there is no calling nobler than that of "Mother.") 



Do I love being a mom, let me ponder for a moment.

First, there were the pregnancies, which included heartburn, sleepless nights, permanent stretch marks on my stomach that resemble a road map to nowhere, not to mention varicose veins.

Labor was unforgettable. I would have never believed the miracle of life could enter the world through such pain. Yet, with each birth, the memories of the pain faded (though are not entirely forgotten), as a new life entered the world.

Do I love being a mom? Well, since I became a mother, I have had to give up some things that I took for granted before childbirth, such as jumping jacks and sleep.

I eventually learned how to survive on little sleep, how to comfort a baby all night to ease the pain of an ear infection, how to love beyond limits I thought were possible, how to cook with one hand, and how to endure as I held down a full-time job.

I’ve seen the inside of every public bathroom within a 100-mile radius. I learned how to feed a child who couldn’t feed herself, even when I was so hungry myself that I thought I might pass out.

I have bought tutu’s, soccer shoes, softball gloves, swimming goggles, karate belts, running shoes, and more homecoming and prom dresses than you can shake a stick at.

I’ve spent countless hours at recitals, plays, softball games, soccer games, concerts, and--Lord help me if I have to go to the pumpkin patch one more time, I’m not sure I will survive it.

We have weathered colds, fevers, viruses and all the strange things that happen in the middle of the night. I have kissed boo-boos, fed imaginary friends, and rocked a child for so long that I thought my arm might drop off.

There have been many birthday celebrations and so many kids in our house at one time that my husband and I wondered aloud if anyone would notice should we vanish.

Our home has been the place for sleepovers and bonfires and many screaming silly girls doing all the things that screaming silly girls like to do. We have been able to share our home and our life with so many girls throughout the years, and we have fallen in love with each girl as we watched them grow into young women (who still like to be silly).

I have spent more time driving kids to and from events and sitting outside of schools waiting for kids than ought to be legal.

I have watched each one of our three daughters grow into her personality and gain confidence as her own life has taken different twists and turns. I have often wondered how our daughters can all be so alike and yet so different from one other.

I have learned that sometimes I don’t know anything at all, and sometimes I am a hero.

I have learned that my relationship with God is not a secret and that my children need to see my heart to know that God is real in my life. I have had to learn how to be vulnerable, so my children could understand that without God I am nothing. And with Him, I can do anything He asks me to do.

When children are young, it seems they will never grow up, yet when they grow up, it seems there is not enough time to instill in them all they must know before they leave the safety of the nest.

I have had days where I have failed miserably as a mother, and days when I have felt that I deserved a gold star. I have learned that memories created as a family are held differently in the heart of each child. It seems they remember the simple moments, not the moments that I tried hard to make special. They remember moments of spontaneity, yet forget the details of our planned vacations.

They love me despite my weaknesses and failures, and I love them even though their bedrooms usually look like a tornado went through them.

They have seen me without makeup, and love me no less than when I have tried to look my best. 

I have loved them through friendship troubles, and we have walked the road of heartache together as many of their friends have experienced the reality of divorced parents.

We laughed together, cried together, fought together, shared thousands of meals, and loved each other regardless of our many moods.

I had no idea what I was getting into when I entered the road marked "Motherhood." Motherhood has brought out the best in me and the worst in me, as nothing else possibly could. Some days I think I might lose my mind with the many responsibilities of being a mother, but most of the time, I wonder what I will do when they are no longer living under my roof, and laundry is no longer an event without a starting or ending point.

When we took our oldest daughter to college, I thought my heart would not survive the pain of separation.

As we drove away, I realized it was not just my mother’s heart that was breaking. I was saying goodbye to one of my best friends.

So, to answer the question, “Do I love being a mom?”

Nothing else that I have put my hand to has come close to the joy of being a mother. My children are my very heart.

I always believed that as a mother, it was my job to develop my children’s character. Now, however, after many years spent being a mother, I understand that it is God who develops our children’s character-- and then uses our children to build our character.

Yes, I love being a mom. 

Stay the Course...

Sheila

Do You Trust Me?

Proverbs 3:5&6 (NIV) “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.”

“Do you trust Me?” He asked,

As her heart started quaking.

Her breathing was rapid,

Her body was shaking.

A sea of people surrounded her on every side,

As far as the eye could see, both deep and wide.

They were all running a race; some were fast some were slow,

There were familiar faces, but most she did not know.

“Where are we going, how long is this race?”

“Do you trust Me?” He asked as He lifted her face.

“Don’t look to the left; don’t look to the right,

Keep your eyes on Me; I will be your sight.

I will give you your strength when you lose your stride,

Stay close to me as you leave behind Pride.

Pride requires strength that will cause you to stumble,

If Pride has his way, in time you will crumble.

What you need, I will give you, though in My time—not yours

Your mind cannot fathom what I have in store.

Do not run this race thinking that you know what is best,

I have mapped out your course in ways you could never guess.

When you feel overwhelmed, and the course is uphill,

When you question and doubt if you are still in My will,

When the storms won’t stop raging, and the winds blow full gust,

Believing Me is no longer an option-- it is a must.

When the race is not over, but your body is weak,

When you can’t lift your head and have no words to speak,

When disappointment and failure stay pace with your stride,

And sadness and apathy beg to abide…

Keep moving and remember that things are not what they appear,

When you cry out to Me, I won’t turn a deaf ear.

When doubt clouds your view and I feel far away,

I will come close to you as you draw near and pray.

When you walk through the Valley of the Shadow of Death,

The darkness will not swallow you; I will give you your breath.

There will be freedom and lightness in place of defeat,

As you learn to praise My name with every heartbeat.

With joy in your heart and praise on your tongue,

You will reach mountaintop peaks as you continue to run.

So stay strong, My child, do not be afraid,

For it is in My likeness that you are made.

I will keep you, uphold you; your foot won’t strike a stone,

You are marked – you are My own.

When your race is finished and at last you are home,

You will say with confidence, “I was never alone!”

But for now, I must ask, as I asked you before,

Do you trust Me, My child, I dearly implore.

Though sweaty and dusty and still out of breath,

Unable to fathom the length and the depth,

Weeping and weary, though loved nonetheless,

She lifted her face and to her Maker did profess:

“I will trust You, Lord; my life is blessed,

I will trust You in life; I will trust You in death.

I will run this race; I will give it my all,

I won’t shrink back or hide, I will run strong and tall.

You have called me Your child; You’ve set my course, written my story,

I will run for You, my King, to bring You pleasure and glory.

Thank You for saving me, thank You for grace,

For never leaving me; for setting my pace.

I won’t look back, to the left or the right,

I will run this race; I will fight the good fight.

To You, oh Lord, I lift my soul;

In You I trust, oh my God, I give You control.

I trust You, oh God, trust Your unfailing love,

You are King of the earth and the heavens above.

I trust You, oh Lord, my Strength and my Rock,

I will run till you come for me, only then will I stop.

Please grow my faith; it is all I possess,

I trust You, Lord, whatever You ask, I say ‘Yes.’”

Stay the course…

Sheila