The Life Journey week 4

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Photo Credit D. Kelly @ Hardy Co., WV


REFLECTION

"Continue to trust in God and do what you know is right. Some people have not done this, and their faith is now in ruins"
(1 Timothy 1:19, ERV).

IMAGINE THIS

​West Virginia’s country roads make driving challenging. We get all the elements: rain, snow, ice, fog, heat, hail, sleet; we get traffic jams caused by tractors, coal or poultry trucks; and we have to be on the lookout for our wildlife. The most challenging, of course, is weather related. Consider our random foggy days.  As the above picture shows, within a few feet, lines of vision range from completely clear to a blanket of thick fog.  But since these country roads lead us home, we’ve learned to navigate them with the knowledge that any particular day could quickly become an interesting drive.

And so is real life...

There are times when a situation is completely out of our hands. Times when we find ourselves totally dependent upon someone else. And those times are not easy. They are right down hard. Scary times [Proverbs 3:5-6].

These are the times when we have to trust in Someone honest and strong. It’s during life’s hard seasons that we need to seek the Holy Spirit's guidance; to search the Bible for answers on how to work through it. These are the times we trust Him to lead us. [Jeremiah 29:11].

This path  may not be one we'd have  chosen for ourselves;  no place we’d go on purpose. It does not resemble anything we want...but God's best, in God's timing, will  get us through. Lead us to that next checkpoint of light. To the breakthrough we need. And reveal His love and mercy.
[Acts 14:22]

In my own life, I didn't want to be a divorced, single mother. I never intended to live paycheck to almost paycheck...but it happened...and I survived. It hurt and I cried. It got ugly and I cussed. It got better and I praised God. I had to walk through thorns; I was humbled and pricked. But ultimately, through a lot of pain and tears, it was the near loss of all hope, which in the long run, led me – forced me even – to find renewed faith in God's grace; in His strength; in His peace. It was God that walked through the fog with me [1 Timothy 1:19].

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Ladies, life's journey is just that: a journey. It has a beginning, a middle, and an end. It isn't defined by any single point in our history. It's defined by how we deal with the accumulation of stuff. Stuff that we face and deal with. This stuff helps define us.  And the Holy Spirit's role in our life is tested through this stuff. Right here in the middle of a messy life we have a choice to make. We can either embrace or reject Him. The choice is ours to make [ Psalm 9:10].

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It’s funny. Life I mean. Not funny ‘ha ha’ but funny unusual. Especially on days when we’re traveling along, in the warmth of light, life seemingly going our way. Then, out of the blue, fog sets in. Surrounding us. Taking our breath. Making it hard to breathe. Making it impossible to clearly see what is coming up next. And it hurts….But then, just when we are at our lowest, when our fog is so thick, heavy all around us, we catch a glimmer of light. A glimpse of hope. And those little bits of hope, those little glimmers of light, they help us navigate through the fog.
Giving us a desire to breathe, to look up and feel the Light.

It is those little glimmers of hope, of light, of God, that gives us courage. Courage that keeps us going. Courage that helps us break through to the next season of life’s journey…And then, with that courage we forgot we could possess through the Holy Spirit, we continue on with boldness. With hope. Seeking the Light as we go [Psalm 46:10].

A DEEPER LOOK

Read
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday


MY THOUGHTS

I encourage you to not give up before you break through the fog [James 2:17] -  the Light is always in reach.

Journal your thoughts here
-What ‘fog’ has me trapped?
-Why do I  need to give it over to the Holy Spirit?  
-Have I asked (empowered) Him to help me through this?
-What does the Bible say about this?
-Am I willing to follow the unction of the Holy Spirit when I feel Him stirring within?
-Can I  humble myself to let Him work in my life?
-Am I willing give up control and follow His lead?

NOTES:

Hey y'all be blessed!
In Christ with love and compassion,


Coach Kelly

Your Life Coaching WV

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