Shifting my focus....

 

"Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness."
Lamentations 3:22‭-‬23

I woke this morning with God's Word on my mind. Such a beautiful passage....such hope. I'm not good at pretending.....these days are hard...I can't NOT think about next week....that day....that phone call.....THAT moment.... those words. Forever etched in my brain. Forever....You know what's "funny"? I've never found a single activity that can shift my focus for more than a second or two.

What I have learned over these years is that while I can't seem to shift my focus I am never alone. I love the Lord with all my heart....I did then and I do now. What I've realized is that when all is going well and as I think it should, God is my Rock whom I praise and worship. And when things fall apart and I'm in unimaginable pain God is my sounding board to whom I lament. Breaks my heart to write that. God is neither of those things AND both of those things.....

"In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly."
Psalms 5:3

Lay down the good and the bad. He is always there ready, willing and quite able to take ALL that I lay before him. He wants to hear my praises and he wants to comfort me in my sadness.

"Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always."
Psalms 105:4

Seek his face always..in every circumstance.

"But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me."
Micah 7:7

I have hope as I wait. He hears me in good times and bad.

"So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."
2 Corinthians 4:18

Do I see and truly understand that this world is temporary?

"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 you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze."
Isaiah 43:2

See, this is the point. God says, "In this world you WILL have trouble. Take heart! I have overcome the world!" He says, "I WILL be with you!"

Hard days WILL come, period. No amount of food, fellowship, fun...or shopping will stop them. That means sitting in the pain of that day. Allowing tears to freely flow, feeling all the feelings AND praising in the midst that I'm not alone. That he is a compassionate God that promises, "WHEN you walk through the fire, you will NOT be burned up."

Shifting my focus from what I cannot control to focusing on my God who IS in control and is always with me provides the very peace I seek. I can't explain it...well ... because I'm not God...but I know it to be true.

"That" day will come every year. My senses have not dulled...it hurts always as it did that day. Time cannot take away the memories of loss. Like the loss, Gods promise to be with me in the fire, never changes either. As I sit here today and write what I know to be true, I'll remind myself on "that" day that his mercies are new every morning. Great is his faithfulness.

Thank you Jesus that this world and these 70 or 80 years are just a blip on eternity.