I am an email hoarder. I don't like to delete emails just in case some day I MIGHT go back and read them again. Well, at work I have been training a new call director and she is the complete opposite and encouraged me to clean up some of the clutter in my email. Almost 1000 deleted emails later, I de-cluttered my inbox. But, I still had some emails I just couldn't let go of.
So, today at work, I started sifting through some of them and came across some pretty encouraging emails. Most of these came from my time in Thailand. It is crazy how quickly I had forgotten so much of what happened over there [this definitely made me really sad]. How is it that after spending 7 weeks in Thailand, being completely vulnerable and experiencing so many wonderful things can be so easily replaced by the every day hum drum of life back in the states? The ability to see Christ in ever situation was so much easier over in Thailand because He was all we had to cling to. We did not have any of the comforts that we were used to [ex: cell phone, hair dryer, speaking our own language etc]. All we had was Christ and each other to push us through the hard times.
I am going to be honest with you all. This morning was one of those mornings I woke up and knew it just going to be like Alexander's "Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day". After my dentist appointment this morning, I was driving into work and wasn't really paying a lot of attention to the radio until I heard this song come on KLove. It is called "Promises" by Sanctus Real and here are the lyrics
Sometimes it's hard to keep believing
In what you can't see
That everything happens for a reason
Even the worst life brings
If you're reaching for an answer
And you don't know what to pray
Just open up the pages
Let His word be your strength
And hold on to the promises (Hold tight)
Hold on to the promises (Alright)
Jesus is alive so hold tight
Hold on to the promises
All things work for the good
Of those who love God
He holds back nothing that will heal you
Not even His own Son
His love is everlasting
His faithfulness unending
Oh, if God is for us who can be against us
So if you feel weak
Neither life, nor death
Could separate us
From the eternal love
Of our God who saves us
http://www.lyricsmania.com/promises_lyrics_sanctus_real.html
This is definitely what I needed to hear today. What a truth this song brought to me today. I may not have immediately stopped right there and realized it, but after sitting down at work it hit me. What promises am I holding on to? The promise that I can make everything go the way it needs to? The promise that I can change my circumstances? Neither of those promises will get me anywhere! Without the love and mercy of our Father, I am worthless. I need to hold on to the promise that God is in CONTROL. He is watching over me every single second of every single day. He will lead me where he wants me to go. These are the promises that got me through each and every day in Thailand. The promises that became so dear to me, I didn't ever want to live by any others. But, I am human, I believe that my own strength and power is enough. So today, I am going to hold on to the promise that Jesus is alive. He bore all my sin on the cross so that I could live and breathe another day! Oh how I want to live like this every day!
