Facing My Giants

Many times the fear of failure feels like a heavy weight in my life, pushing me down and keeping me from moving forward.  I fear facing the giants in my life armed only with a sling-shot and my faith.  Fear creeps in like a heavy fog, so deep I can't even see my feet to make the next step forward and I lose all courage to move ahead.  It's at these times in my life that I wonder where my life is headed.  It's also at these times when I'm reminded that I have a way out.  It's my only hope of making it through the fog but in my human, rebellious way I often find myself taking charge, forgetting the compass in my pocket.  And so I go on, lost in the fog, tripping over the ruts in my way, going further and further from the path I'm meant to travel.  And then when I finally reach a point where I'm so exhausted from the fog and bruised from the falls that I'm can't go on any more and life seems like it's caving in around me I suddenly remember that I have a way out, I have a compass...I have a Saving Grace.

Aren't you glad that we serve a Lord who can brush off the dirt, heal all wounds and forgive us when we stray?  I've shamefully spent many times over the last several months taking charge of my life through the fog rather than allowing God to show me the way.  I've felt it's too difficult to try and read the compass.  In turn, I've lost focus of what's really important in life...glorifying God and showing the world His light.  Rather than praising God for the blessings I've been given I've lamented about the things I don't have.  I've praised Him when the sun shone through the fog and I could clearly see the path before me, but I've walked with slumped shoulders and a frown through the deep fog cursing the ruts along the way.

I've spent countless time working on the plans for my life and asking God to sign the dotted line when in reality I need to just take a leap of faith and sign the blank sheet He places before me and trust that He has my best interests in mind.  I'm not supposed to know the plans He has laid out for me for tomorrow, I'm only asked to trust God and follow His leading.  He will give me the strength to endure whatever challenge that may or may not be.

I watched the movie, Facing the Giants, this week and if you've never seen it, I'd encourage you to do so.  It challenged me to become a better person through the struggles rather than allowing the struggles to overwhelm and overcome me.  But the only way that is possible is if I allow God to have complete control over every aspect of my life.  I need to give Him my infertility and trust that children or not, He has my best interests in mind.  I need to give Him my struggles with living in Montana and trust that He will provide and either way, show us the direction to go.  I write this not only as a testimony but also to ask those close to me to keep me accountable.  We would like to thank those who have faithfully been praying for us.  Please continue to pray for us.  The Devil knows how to get to us when we are down and at our worst but our hope is that we can press on, take the Hand that is reaching out to help us and to find our way through the fog.  God has promised that nothing is impossible through Him.  The impossibles happen when I try to control my own life.  I set myself up for failure when I let go of His hand, when I lose courage and faith, and when I look for the negative in every situation.

I'm taking that step of faith, I'm going to start tomorrow with the confidence that I CAN face the giants before me...because I serve a God who can bring down a giant with a tiny sling-shot and a LOT of faith!

(This is a rather long clip from the movie, but I like the message that comes across.)