"I Can Feel You" - Finding Hope in the Midst of the Storm

Last week I was praying for a dear one that I love who is struggling.  She's resilient and determined to not let the enemy keep her down.  But she's weary and battered - facing struggles and fighting battles that are too big for her.  And she's not the only one.

Many of my dear friends are in the midst of one of life's storms.  Broken, exhausted and scared, they are clinging to truth and searching for hope.  Praying for some shred of light or encouragement to keep putting one weary foot in front of the other.

I know what that feels like.  I've been there so many times.  Haven't we all?  Suffering is part of life.

So often it is in my desperation - when I have come to the end of myself and all my failings are abundantly clear - that I connect most intimately with my Savior.  

He rescues me. Saves me from the waves that engulf me and sets my feet on solid ground.  Comforts me.  Breathes life into me.  Encourages me to keep going when I want to quit.  Redirects me when I've wandered off course and points me back to truth.  Tells me he loves me.  Reminds me that he believes in me and has a purpose for my life - good things planned out for me to do that will advance his kingdom on earth as it is in heaven.  

As I prayed for my friend the CD player in my car randomly selected I Can Feel You - a song off the Tides album by Bethel Music.  The song is sung by and co-written by Jenn Johnson.  For the first time I really listened to the lyrics.  It was as if they were written specifically for my friend.  I prayed the words of the lyrics over her in that moment and many times since.

If despair has sunk its talons deep into your spirit and hope seems impossible, don't give up.  The One who gave His life so you can live is just waiting for you to call out, "HELP!  Jesus, please help me."  And He always does. 

I pray you find rest and comfort in this beautiful song. (Click here to hear the song.)

I Can Feel You

by Jenn Johnson, Steffany Frizzell-Gretzinger, Ian McIntosh, Gabriel Wilson, Daniel MacKenzie, and Hunter Thompson

The wind and waves surround me

And I'm tossed,

Feel like I'm drowning.

I am tired, I am weak.

I need you here with me.

'Cause I can feel the rising tide

But I don't have the strength to fight.

I feel clouded and confused,

I need you here with me.

In the chaos of the storm,

I have drifted far, far away.

But I call out Your name

Cause You are just a breath, a breath away.

Then through the shadows Your light appears.

I've known You're with me, but now it is clear.

I can feel You, Jesus all around.

Like sun on my skin, warm to the touch,

Here you surround me, and I am held by love

I can feel You, Jesus all around.

Now hope is rushing through my veins

With everything You've rearranged.

I am peaceful, I am brave.

When You're here with me.

All my questions find their answers here.

When You come You change the atmosphere.

I am focused, I am clear.

When You're here with me.

There is nothing in this world

That will satisfy my soul like You do.

Though the storm it rages

I won't be moved. 

I won't be shaken

I am anchored in You.

I can feel You, Jesus all around.

Copyright 2013 Bethel Music Publishing (ASCAP)

/Jesus Culture Msuic (ASCAP)

All Rights Reserved.  Use by Permission.

Too Much Commotion and a Lot of Courage

Paige, the youngest of our four children, was the only one we planned.  When I realized how overwhelmed I was raising three babies born in three I years, I changed my mind and unplanned a fourth.  But it was too late.  Paige was already on the way.

a couple weeks old

From the time Paige was born we knew she was an extra special girl.  A different personality from three older siblings, Paige has always been mellow, easy-going, happy and content.  As a newborn she often took four hour naps and woke up cooing and smiling.  

nine months old

In the chaos of raising three very busy and very opinionated toddlers and preschoolers, Paige was a breath of fresh air.  She reminded me WHY I love being a mom.  Peace-making and peace-loving, Paige was naughty so infrequently that we would laugh if she tried to throw a tantrum.  After one attempt at naughtiness I posted on Facebook, "It only took Paige 3 1/2 years to prove to us that she isn't completely angelic."

First class Paigey took for herself - Intro to Dance with Miss Cheryl

Paige is eager to please and much more timid than her boisterous, loud, and somewhat crazy older siblings.  New circumstances, new faces or new anything tend to intimidate and overwhelm her.  She does NOT like to be the center of attention, but is really witty, clever, and fun in situations where she feels comfortable.

Paige is now in second grade and her adorable personality emerges more with each year.  A little bit of a perfectionist, she likes do to things in a certain order and follow directions to a T.  She takes school very seriously.  She was selected to be Mrs. Clause in a Readers Theater that her second grade class was presenting to the parents on the last day of school before Christmas break.  Paige was really excited about being chosen to read the main part but anxious about being the center of attention.  

2nd grade

There was confusion surrounding the dates and times of the presentation that Paige was in.  Paige REALLY wanted me to be there and I didn't want to miss it.  At Paige's direction, I emailed her teacher to confirm that I had the date and time entered correctly in my calendar.  In the chaos of a very busy week I read the teacher's response incorrectly and went into the day of the presentation with the wrong time in my calendar.

She got all dressed up and we curled her hair.

Paige doesn't like to be rushed or hurried and gets nervous if we're late for things.  Knowing this, I left my house with enough time to arrive at school and be in Paige's classroom fifteen minutes before the show.  I didn't want to add any extra anxiety to her already revved up nerves.  

I walked confidently into her classroom.  Then stopped dead in my tracks and my heart sank.  The presentation was just wrapping up.  I got to hear Paige read one line.  She gave me a weak smile and immediately I started blinking rapidly in a feeble attempt to hold back the rush of tears.

the line I saw her read.

Paige and I went in the hall after the show.  I held my girl and cried.  Told her how I had been looking forward to it all day, praying for her, and how excited I was to see her shine.  She said, "Mom, I knew when I saw the time that we had it wrong in your calendar and that you wouldn't be there.  It's okay.  But can you stop crying?  It's making me feel like I want to cry too."

We hugged it out in the hallway then went inside for her class party.  I still couldn't pull it together so one of my friends scraped up the pieces of my battered heart, held my hand and whispered, "It's okay."  Talk about an epic fail.  

I was overly emotional the rest of the afternoon - fighting back tears every time I thought about letting my baby girl down.  But I got to join her for her class party.  I treasured every minute of making a snowman craft with her, then headed to the gym for the All School Holiday Sing-a-Long.  

class party and snowman craft

After school Paige and Alli and two of their buddies were signed up to do the Holiday Dance Camp.  All four girls were really excited to learn a dance routine that they would perform at halftime of the high school basketball game.  Until we got to the check-in line.  

I noticed that Paige had gone from excitement to apprehension in a matter of minutes.  I had to shove her toward her snack table with her friends.  A check in my spirit told me to not rush out the door and hang around a bit.  I'm so glad because moments later my Baby disintegrated in my arms.

Silent, shoulder heaving sobs wracked my baby girl's body.  Between gulps she told me, "It's too much commotion.  I can't start my Christmas break off with all this commotion.  I just want to go home."

So we did.  To regroup and pick up Big Brother and Big Sister.  Then back to Dance Camp, but only to watch.  It's all Paige could commit to.

Once we were there, she felt good enough to eat dinner with her buddies and even do two practice rounds.  When she took her shoes and socks off and started smiling, I thought we had overcome the dread.  But the chaos overwhelmed my girl and she was crying in my arms again.  "Take me home Mommy.  I don't want to dance."

So we went home.  Me, my Baby Girl, and my Big Kids.  We were all exhausted and emotional.  There was wisdom in Paige's desire to start our Christmas break with calm instead of commotion.  We crashed on the couch and snuggled - therapy for our tattered emotions.

When Curt got home from work we headed to the high school.  Again.  To watch Alli and her buddies dance during half time.  We got there early and as we stood around in the lobby waiting, I watched Paige's demeanor change again.  She took a couple deep breaths, blowing out deliberately slow and loud.  She squared her shoulders and announced, "Mom,  I changed my decision.  I think I want to dance after all."

Off we ran to the practice area.  The kids were still rehearsing and Paige's friends embraced her with the best-ever-second-grade-hugs and told her how happy they were that she changed her mind.  I waved goodbye and joined our dwindling family in the stands.

performance in the cafeteria

Halftime came and the hoard of kids flooded the gym floor for the cutest half time performance you have ever seen.  Alli and her friends in one section, comfortable with the spotlight and hamming it up.  Paige and her buddies, much more timid and clearly thinking through the moves, but dancing in front of a big crowd during halftime of a basketball game.The kids performed the dance twice more in the cafeteria so parents could get good video of their kiddos.

After the performance, Paige was beaming.  She gave me the biggest hug and said, "Mom, that took a lot of courage, but I'm glad I changed my decision."

I've been replaying the events of that day in my mind for the past several days. It's been a long, hard year for our family.  Some beautiful times, but some dark, hard times too.  I think we're all a little exhausted.  And really thankful that we've moved through the valley into a more relaxing, spacious place.  

Paige got it right when she rejected commotion and fought for calm.  And chose courage in the face of fear.  We could all learn from her.  

Thank you Baby Girl for setting the precedent for what has been a magical Christmas break thus far.  Mommy loves you!

And His Mother Treasured All These Things in Her Heart...

Christmas is my favorite time of year.  I love everything about it, especially celebrating Jesus's birth.  This year the miracle of God coming to earth as a helpless baby is so fresh to me.  I've been reading and re-reading the stories in Luke chapter 1 and 2 about Zechariah and Elizabeth, and Mary and Joseph finding out they were going to be parents and experiencing pregnancy together.  I've read with fresh vision their birth stories, naming their sons, and how their friends rejoiced over both boys' birth.

I remember so clearly my first pregnancy.  The overwhelming joy that washed over us when we found out we were going to be parents.  Savoring every aspect of pregnancy and life within my womb.  It was all so new.  So miraculous.

I REALLY wanted a daughter.  During my first pregnancy, I silently worried if I would be disappointed if the baby I carried was a boy.  I never said it out loud - not even to Curt - but it nagged in the back of my mind.  "I really want a daughter.  What would I do with a boy?  Please Jesus - help me to not be disappointed if it's a boy."

Then labor came.  Fast, furious, and WAY too early.  We were too naive' to know just how dangerous it was to be birthing a baby six weeks early.  A team of doctors and nurses filled the delivery room and peppered us with questions.  Shocked that we chose to not know the baby's gender, they cautioned that we should hope it wasn't a boy.  "Premature girls do much better than premature boys.  You can always hope it's a girl."  Even the doctors were rooting for a girl.

We prayed and I labored.  Then that beautiful, miraculous moment came - when the life within me breathed air for the first time.  The doctor held up a tiny little baby.  He screamed and peed all over her as she joyfully declared, "It's a boy."

I held my first-born son and wept.  And wept.  And wept.  How could I ever have thought I would be disappointed with this Super Preemie?  He was perfect.

The year of Grant's first Christmas I cried a lot.  I looked at my handsome boy in his button down shirts, cardigan sweaters, and lavender scented hair and bawled my eyes out at the thought of Jesus' crude birth.

How did a teenage Mary give birth without medical intervention?  In a dirty barn?  Was she scared?  How did she deal with labor pains?  Who would turn away a woman in labor? How did they clean Jesus up after he was born?  Did they have clothes for him or clean blankets?  How much did he weigh and how long was he?  What time was he born?  Did he have a little cone head and squished in face from labor or was he actually cute when he was born?  Did he sleep through the night?  Did Mary have postpartum depression?

This Christmas I'm emotional and pondering again.  My Super Preemie is now a Man Child.  Eating us out of house and home, growing out of everything he owns, and honing his God-given talents and skills.  Crazy fun, impulsive, loud and sometimes obnoxious, he's our only son.  The lone boy in a sea of sisters.  Who would have thought?

The end of Luke chapter two tell the only Kid Story about Jesus.  Jesus was twelve years old - like my boy.  He went on a road trip with his family and friends to Jerusalem.  But when they loaded up the caravan to go home, Jesus missed his ride.  Mary and Joseph were so busy packing up and taking care of Jesus' little brothers and sisters that they somehow missed the fact that he wasn't with them or their friends.

When Mary and Joseph realized Jesus was missing they made a mad dash back to Jerusalem to search for their boy.  THREE DAYS they searched before they found him.  I can't begin to imagine the depth of their panic.  Their fear.  Their Man Child was alone in a big city.  When they finally found him they let him have it then took him home.  I'm sure Mary hovered over him the entire journey home.

Last week we lost Grant briefly.  For all of five minutes.  He wasn't where we thought he was going to be.  It was dark.  And cold.  And we freaked out.  When we found him, we laid into him about communicating when the plans changed. "Dig that phone out of your pocket and let us know where you are for crying out loud!"  And then we hovered.  Hugged and kissed and hugged and thanked God that he was safe.  And warned him to never scare us like that again.  Then made him hug us some more.  Our Man Child.  Home safe and sound.

I wonder what went through Mary's mind when Jesus was missing.  Is he safe?  Is he cold?  Hungry? Alive or dead? I bet she prepared some pretty good "don't you ever scare me like that again" speeches.  I wonder if she even gave him any of those lectures?  Or if she just held her muscly Man Child tightly in her arms, buried her face in his dirty hair, and breathed in the smell of teenage boy.

The Kid Story in Luke ends by saying Jesus went home with his parents and was obedient to them.  "And he grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men."

Our Man Child is definitely growing in stature.  It seems like every day he looks a little less like a boy and a little more like a man.  We almost see eye to eye now and I've started borrowing his flannel shirts.  Growing in stature...

But he's also growing in wisdom.  Last night he told us that his science teacher is teaching evolution.  Our boy doesn't like it because he worships the Mighty Creator.  He's wrestling with how to answer the questions on his homework and on his tests.  If he writes what the teacher expects he feels like he's lying.  He wants a platform to speak the truth in a respectful way.  Growing in wisdom...

My prayer for my Man Child is that he will continue to grow in favor with God and with men.  That as he morphs from child into man, that the favor he seeks with God will expand to favor with those around him.  I pray I will have the courage to let him become the man God intends for him to be - a man who will help shape and change the world.

Luke says Mary "treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart."  As a mother of a Man Child like Mary, I'm collecting treasures too.

In The Water - Finding Courage in Times of Trouble

On Sunday I finished an olympic distance triathlon.  But I almost quit 100 yards into the swim because terror gripped me in a way that is hard to describe.  Out of nowhere.  Completely irrational.  Paralyzing panic.

Terror screamed, "GET OUT OF THE WATER NOW!" 

Wanna know the crazy part?  I was in no danger. I have covered a mile in the pool at least a dozen times pre-race.  Carissa was swimming inches away from me.  My husband and friend were standing on a pier a few feet away. A rescue boat was shadowing us as we swam around the lake.  I had several outlets available to help me in peril.  

In spite of this, I felt engulfed in a raging storm, suffocating under the weight of the terror. 

(Click here to watch a video of what fear looks like for me.)

Before the swim started YAHWEH, the God of the Israelites, brought to mind a verse from Isaiah 43.  

"When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you."

"When."  Not "if."  Storms will come.  But YAHWEH is with me.

A few hours after the triathlon, we went to church.  (To read more about the triathlon, click here.) Our pastor was preaching from a text at the end of Mark chapter 6.  Jesus comes to his  "terrified" followers in the middle of a raging storm on a lake.   

Hmmm....  I know nothing about being in the water and being terrified.

He says,  

"Take courage!  It is I.  Don't be afraid."

Then gets in the boat WITH them and calms their storm.

In the morning YAHWEH.  In the evening Jesus.  Same God.  Same message.  

"Do not be afraid.  I am with you."

It makes me cry to think that my God cares enough to be with me in the water - literally and figuratively.  In the water and once I was safely on shore, the message was the same. 

 You are not alone.  I am with you.  Take courage.   

You may be "in the water" right now.  Terror surrounds you.  Hope seems lost.  

Take courage.  Do not be afraid.  Jesus is with you in the water.

Jesus offers courage to not give up.  Freedom from fear.  And victory once your feet are safely on the sandy shore.  

(Click here to watch a video of what victory looks like for me.)

To Him be the glory forever and ever.  Amen.