Epiphany.

I think I've begun to appreciate something anew. People, especially Moms just want to be understood. We want to be accepted. We're overworked, overwhelmed, overscheduled, over processed, overwrought. 

We care too much what others think of us: our friends, our neighbors, our mothers, our children's teachers & therapists and doctors, our husbands; and we are so afraid to fail. We fear making a single mistake. We MUST NOT FAIL! We overthink what we feed our kids, what our children do, where and what our children play with. We're anxious, freaked-out, controlling, neurotic and obsessive.

So here's my challenge. Let's surrender. Give it to the Lord. Lay it at his feet. Tell him our concerns, our worries and ask Him to fill us with His Spirit and for a peace that surpasses all understanding. Rest in the grace of belonging to Him. He alone knows. He knows us intimately. He knows our children intimately. He knows our husbands intimately.

We can let go of the expectations and hopes of others and instead live our lives for an Audience of ONE. Ask the Lord to be set free. Free of our perfectionism. Our striving. Our anger. Our stress. Our need for control. Rest in the grace that He gives us each day. His mercies are new every morning. When we are in Christ we are new creations. The old has passed away and the new has come. 

We have HOPE. If Christ is our Savior, if we have turned to Him asking Him to save us and forgive us of our sins... to rescue us and if we follow Him then we are covered by His blood. Nothing can separate us from Him. and not only are we forgiven for every sin we ever committed, will commit and currently commit we also receive His righteousness. With Christ we have the record of His perfect life attributed to us. Isn't that awesome?!

So breathe in. Breathe out. Accept that you will fail. You will make mistakes. But in Him you're perfect. have faith to believe that He can work in ordinary, sinful, unlikely people- US. He's way bigger than us. He spoke the world into existence. Created everything from nothing. By the POWER OF HIS WORD!!!

He is Amazing. Awesome. Worthy of ALL our praise. Rest in Him. Rest in the work He's done. And be at peace. He is all we need. And He knows our needs, our true needs... and He will meet all our needs. His Work is finished. He said, "It is finished." He is seated at the right hand of the Father because He accomplished His Work. And even now Jesus Christ is interceding for us. We are His precious children, holy and dearly loved. He longs for us to know Him and be known by Him.

That intimacy you seek. That loneliness you fear. He alone can fulfill you. No husband. No job. No home. No child. No car. No food. No alochol. No sex. No relationship will EVER satisfy you the way you need. You will be let down. People will fail you. Money will fail you. Things will fail you. Only GOD ALONE can be what we need. He alone can satisfy. He made us. He's our Creator. He's the Lover of our souls. He is anxious for us to taste and see that He is good. He has not left us. He has not abandoned us. 

And when your hope is in Christ you can rest today knowing that he took the full cup of the wrath of God. He drank it to the dregs. It is empty. He made Himself sin, taking on the sin of all mankind. He paid the price. He died AND He ROSE again! Our Savior is not dead- He is living. And if you believe in Him then you can be filled with His Holy Spirit... the same Spirit that raised Him from the dead. How Amazing is that?! That same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead is in us. He is working in us.

So where are you at? Are you hopeless? Discouraged? Despairing? Are you fearful? Anxious? Exhausted? Are you bitter? Angry? Lonely? Are you desperate? Confused? Overwhelmed? Go to Him. Bring all to Him. Lay it at His feet. And know that He will transform you. He will make beauty from ashes. He will cause you to rise up on wings like eagles, you will walk and not be weary and run and not be faint.

He will finish this good work in you. He will make you into His likeness. He will transform your mind with His Word.

Hold on. Hang on. Take Hope. He has not left us to ourselves but has given us His very own Son!

And even on days that come that are bleak, and dark and rainy and stormy and all you see is darkness... do not despair. He has promised to NEVER leave or forsake you. He walks with us... even in the valley of the shadow of death.