Tuesday, October 17, 2017

October 17, 2017 -- Piano on My Back?

Hello dear and faithful friends and prayer warriors!  It has been so long since I have been able to sit down and write a post.  Thank you for the many sweet notes and reminders that although I have failed to keep you updated, you have continued to remind us of God's unfailing love as you kept us in your thoughts and prayers . . . we are blessed by you!


I am hoping to do several posts over the next little while, on several topics, in order to keep the posts shorter and a little easier to read . . . rather than updating you on the last 10 months all at once!  Ha ha!

This first post, I want to just share a little snippet of my heart . . . Trevor and I have recently come out of a hard season.  We were feeling very tired and struggling with discouragment, lacking joy in the day to day, and just trying to simply survive another day, too often in our own strength.  Not every day was horrible, by any means, but the heaviness of the burden we were carrying was there . . . always there . . . if not overwhelmingly so on some days, then at least a sting of doubt here and a pang of fear there, or a gnawing worry underneath it all.  We weren't made to bear our burdens, were we . . . we can't!  And the harder we try on our own, the more the burden grows and outweighs us . . . and for our own good! . . . those burdens were meant to drive us to the One who IS able to carry our burdens, as well as the helpless lump that I am!   

God has been so gracious to use this season to continue to remind us of our desperate need for Him.  We desperately need Jesus to give us victory over the sinful heart attitudes that are eager to take up residence in us . . . complaining, unthankfulness, impatience, selfishness, envy, pride, and anger . . . to name a few!  We desperately need Jesus to give us strength and grace to live each day for His glory . . . our strength fails us again and again!  We desperately need Jesus to take us to the cross daily to remind us what He has done there for us . . . given us a hope and the power of His Holy Spirit within us!  We desperately need Jesus to take our burdens, care for us, and give us rest . . . this also means we need to leave our burdens with Him!  

Oh how we desperately need Jesus!!!

Trevor preached a few times this summer at a couple Harvest churches out east, sharing some of Hope's story and what God has taught us through it.  One of the metaphors he used for that heavy burden made us laugh, and yet it rang too true . . . 

How often do we walk around slumped down, and barely moving, due to the massive piano on our back.  Someone stops and asks how they can help, to which we reply, "Oh I've got it!  It's all good!  I'm just fine here!"

It sounds crazy, and . . . IT IS!!!  We need help!!!  We need one another!  We need prayer!  We need time studying God's Word and hearing from Him!  We need Jesus, each and every minute of each and every day!!!  We need to run to Jesus, and abide in Him continually!!!  Apart from Christ, I can do nothing!!!  John 15:1-5

The passage I've been meditating on over the past few months has been 1 Peter 5:6-11 . . . 

"Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time He may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you.  Be sober-minded; be watchful.  Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.  Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.  And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.  To Him be the dominion forever and ever.  Amen."

Wow!!!  There is so much good stuff to chew on there!  God has and continues to use it greatly to minister to my heart giving me hope, as well as giving me a painful yet needed pruning of sinful thoughts and attitudes . . . notice it all starts with humbling yourself to submit and come under His mighty hand of protection, as He cares for you!  Each morning I wake and start my day, I need to ask myself, "Am I going to try to pick up and carry a piano on my back today, or am I going to rest under God's loving hand of protection and care?"  One leads to a load I can't bear, discouragement, loneliness, not to mention a sore back!  The other leads to being restored, confirmed, strengthened, and established, by the God of all grace.  Hmmm. . . is it just me, or does that seem like a no-brainer?!?!  

Oh how I desperately need Jesus!!!

I hope to have some more posts out with updates about Hope soon!!!  Thank you for your precious prayers on behalf of all the Peacock flock!  You are so loved, dear ones!!!

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