Dear Wonderfully Made Friends,
It has been awhile since I have written, I hope you are doing well and your summer is off to a great start; whether you are on a vacation or still working- sunshine is always good for the soul! Summer is my favorite time of year- flip flops on & ready to embrace the warm weather, I feel renewed and refreshed when summer rolls around. Also in the summer, the ditch lilies are out reminding me that God creates beauty from the "ditches" we find ourselves in from time to time. I am excited for all the new phases of God's plans for my life to unfold in this new season.
However, what frustrates me is when old seasons try to creep their way into the beautiful new seasons of life. You know, when a particular battle that you have faced before, and thought you had crushed it, destroyed it & left it behind you- suddenly stares you down once again- leaving you feeling weak; like you have failed to overcome...and possibly never will. This really puts a damper on your day, to say the least.
Battles that I have faced often, and write about often, are those of insecurity & negativism (this one more so than I ever have- this last year I feel as though I went from Tigger to Eeyore with my mood & mindset...in fact, I actually probably made Eyore look like jolly old St. Nick with the year I had) One of the biggest battles I deal with is my racing mind- it is always all over the place which leads to confusion along with many other negative things. Because my mind always seems to be playing tug-a-war times ten with thoughts and emotions, I fight emotional battles all too often. Yet, I really felt that after all I have been though over the last decade, I have become such a stronger person and have gained much more control over my emotions...
But then the devil serves up and emotional buffet and invites me over for a wide variety of feelings & moods to bring darkness to my summer. This is not OK with me! It makes me feel so weak when I fall- even if for a short time- I have come too far to have my emotions dictate my day. I have learned to much to allow my emotions to tackle the truths of God and all His promises! I am so thankful that God allows His Sonshine to come through any dark moment in my life and send the enemy running. I am thankful that His Spirit speaks to my heart and reminds me of the powerful weapons that I have to attack the enemy and fight back.
When the devil displays depression, anger, negativism, worry, pain, bitterness, loneliness, confusion, hate, frustration, insecurity & other mindsets of darkness that can cloud our vision and cause us to stumble away from Christ- we have to stand firm and speak the truths of our Savior into our lives. We have to turn from the bull crap buffet of the destroyer and walk into the presence of Jesus Christ and sit down at His table of truths, promises & hope!
He offers a much more appealing array of things that we need in our lives. The set up at the Saviors table includes- peace, joy, love, strength, wisdom, confidence, clarity, direction, perfect plans & hope! This is much more appealing! What God has for you is magnificent and more than you can ever imagine- so pull up a chair at His table and feast on the good things He has for you!
If you have happened to dined with the devil at his destructive buffet do NOT get discouraged & think that you are defeated! A mistake does not mean you have to set up home with the enemy. We are human and have bad days, weak moments, and periods of time that we fall into traps & pits of the king of darkness. Christ's strength is made perfect in our weakness! He is there with open arms to welcome you back to His table with a spread of supernatural, powerful, wonderful things; He is there to draw you back into His arms, pour His love out on you, and build you up again! Fall at His feet and find forgiveness and the ability to move forward- along with the strength to stay away from satan's trickery.
I want to feast with my Father and find all that I need to override the turmoil of emotions that I face far too often. I want to soak up His presence and allow Him to provide me with the armor I need to shield off these type of attacks that leave me lost and wounded. I need to spend more time in His word to be fed the things that I need to stand firm & confidently in Christ alone.
My prayer is for Jesus to bring clarity & calmness to the emotions roaring in my mind and heart. I pray He pushes out the poisonous feelings & thoughts and replaces them with a peace that passes all understanding! He can do this for you as well, my friends! Seek after Him, dig into His word, and pull a chair up to the table of the Faithful Father we have in Heaven that wants to fill you will good things from God!
Love,
Christina Gail
