Tag Archive for: Strength

Hope in Uncertainty

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I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace and confidence. In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration; but be of good cheer [take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted]! For I have overcome the world. [I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.] ~John 16:33 (AMPC)

This is an unprecedented time for sure. A time of uncertainty in many ways. A time that tests us. A time that reminds us to be grateful for what we have and to cherish our loved ones.

This time will not soon be forgotten. It will be etched in our minds forever. A time we were forced to slow down. A time we had to simplify. A time of rationing TP. A time of embracing the moments and watching our children just a little more carefully.

A time unlike any before and unlike any again.

A time where staying put was applauded, putting aside agendas encouraged, and calendars cleared for the sake of the community.

It’s a time that has caused me to do much reflecting. I feel steady in a very unsteady situation. I feel peace in the turmoil around me. I feel an inner strength rising up in me that I didn’t know even existed. I’ve been wondering why do I feel so at peace and not shaken by this. Don’t get me wrong, I had a few days of stress and anxiety.

But somewhere in there I stopped to just focus on my Savior, stopped to hear the whisper from God. That’s when I found myself remembering the many times of uncertainty in my past. Each one defining me and equipping me to be who God has called me to be in this moment.Times I didn’t know what the outcome would be or when I’d arrive at that outcome.

Times that scared me and left me waiting for answers.

I think back to when I was a little girl in the hospital with a rash that no one could figure out. It grew and grew. There were no answers. I laid in that hospital bed for two weeks. My diet consisted of popsicles as the sores in my mouth prevented me from enjoying any other foods. I laid there wondering when they would have the answer and when I would be able to see my siblings again. My siblings couldn’t come in because I could be contagious. Treated like I had the plague. Answers not easily found. A lot for a little girl to take in.

Uncertainty was great at that time.

Funny thing is we now call that same disease, “hand, foot, and mouth disease”. Thirty plus years ago there were no cases to compare it to.

I was one of a kind. An anomaly.

A word I’ve come to appreciate in the start of my 40s.

You see in that hospital bed waiting for answers and not knowing what tomorrow would hold. I had to reach out to the only constant I’ve ever known. I had to trust God. He didn’t step off the throne during this experience. He was there in the midst of it all. He was there to keep me steady. He was my refuge. My strength. My rock. The One I could count on.

He’s there for you too in the midst of all of this. He is your hope in uncertainty.

I know things feel crazy. I know there is a great level of uncertainty right now. Answers are hard to find and solutions are minimal.

This is the time to lean in. The time to wait. The time to simply listen.

BUY NOW

If you have been far from God, I encourage you to turn back now. His arms are open wide and He is ready to receive you. His plan and purpose for your life are great. Start today by running back to Him. Click here to get a tool that will help you embrace His amazing love for you!

If you have never known God or trusted His Son Jesus as your personal Savior, now is the time. Today truly can be the day of your salvation. I can’t promise that the storm will end but through it, you will have a peace that passes all understanding (Philippians 4:7). Because Gods Spirit will come to reside in you. His Holy Spirit will be your comforter. You will enter the best adventure of your life. The King of Kings will steady you and guide you. True freedom starts with one step. One step toward a Savior who died for you. A Savior who lived a perfect life so you wouldn’t have to. A Savior who gave it all for you.

Will you embrace the journey of freedom today?

Learn more here.

So if the son sets you free you will be free indeed. ~John 8:36

Free in Jesus. That’s the way to thrive through Corona Virus. To become all that you were destined to be. A child of the one, true, living God who designed you on purpose for His purpose.

Turn all the distractions off. Focus on Jesus. Pray for the prodigals to come home. For broken marriages to be healed. For families to be united like never before. For those who have been merely existing to come alive. For a great awakening to take place!

Celebrate what you have been given. Treasure the moments. Cherish your family like never before. Just breathe. Enjoy today!

The truth is that nothing bad lasts forever. There is hope in uncertainty.

One day this will all be a distant memory but the character muscles developed through this experience will be here to stay. So stretch. Get ready for a marathon. The race has just begun. You’re in it. No turning back. Strengthen those spiritual muscles and run with your eyes fixed on the prize. It will be worth it!

I’ll be sharing more from the moments of uncertainty in my life in weeks to come. Stay tuned!

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. ~1 Corinthians 9:24

Dear Father God, we cry out to You for mercy on our land. May You use this tumultuous season to draw all men, women, and children to Yourself. May we be Your people. A strong force, a beautiful reminder of the Savior, a peaceful presence, and a hope unwavering. Help us to be steadfast in this very unsteady season! Give us the strength to run well and pursue You through this! Please comfort those who suffer a great loss through this and be what only You can be for all of us through this. A constant refuge in the storm.

Ps. Please share a comment on how God is bringing hope to you in this uncertain time. We would love to hear from you!

In God’s Grip of Grace,

Sarah Malanowski, author

 

 

 

 

When I Feel Weary

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Let us not grow weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap, if we do not give in. (Galatians 6:9, AMP)

Sometimes that weary feeling just hits me. I can be doing well but then the words of others or their actions just drag me down. I don’t do well with negativity and today I reached my limit. It dragged me down more than I would like to admit. I know better. I know better than to let anyone’s words or actions affect me in such a way, but sometimes it just happens. That feeling of weariness. I ran to the Word. I needed fresh strength. I needed renewed vision. I needed a fresh outpouring of the Lord as I was supposed to get on the phone for a recorded radio interview. Yikes! Right now, really?!? Not feeling it! LOL.

So what do I do when I feel weary, I run back into the Lord’s arms. He is my Abba Father. He saw this weariness coming. He knew I would hit my limit. He knows me. He sees me. He never lets me down. In these moments I choose to trust Him, I seek guidance in His Word and comfort for my weary soul. The words that breathe life right back into me are familiar at this point, they are some of the same verses I’ve run to since childhood. But yet, each time I arrive at this weary place God uses those very same verses to infuse strength back into me one more time. I’m so glad that God never runs out of patience. That He is loving and kind! That He knows me better than I know myself. Today, one of the verses that I find refuge in is…

But those who wait for the LORD [who expect, look for, and hope in Him] will gain new strength and renew their power; they will lift up their wings [and rise up close to God] like eagles [rising toward the sun]; they will run and not become weary, they will walk and not grow tired. (Isaiah 40:31, AMP)

I wrote a book about this very passage at one time. It’s called His Hope for Your Destiny, it was a book I wrote during a storm in my life. A storm that was determined to take me down but I was ever focused on what the Lord wanted to teach me through that storm. That’s the same kind of laser like focus I need right now as I face a current battle. A battle I find myself a little consumed by. But that right there gives you an idea of where my eyes have been. My eyes have been looking at the storm, not looking at the Protector in the storm.

That’s it! Today, I will wait on the Lord. I will not let this storm overcome me. I will use this current storm to rise on the wings of an eagle. I will not let my enemy win. God has a plan. A purpose! I’m on the front lines with this whole Priceless thing and the enemy will do whatever he can to distract me from God’s calling on my life. Today, I’m making a decision to run. I will keep my eyes on the Author and Perfecter of my faith. I will not let this storm or any storm after this dictate how I feel. I serve the Lord who is in control! He will never fail me.

I will choose to focus on my Savior. That is my word for 2018! My theme. Funny how that word comes into play during this storm. Focus! Yes, I will focus on what matters. I will focus on the King of Kings. I will focus on my Savior! I will focus on the Maker of the Universe! Today, I lift my eyes up to the hills. I know where my help comes from. He’s got me! And He’s got you! You can trust Him!

Shall I look to the mountain gods for help? No! My help is from Jehovah who made the mountains! And the heavens too! He will never let me stumble, slip, or fall. For he is always watching, never sleeping. (Psalm 121:1-3, TLB)

Lord, I took my eyes off of you today and focused a little more on my troubles than I should have. Thank you for catching me and reminding me that You have me! I’m Yours! I can trust You! So though my heart still aches a little and my body still feels a tad weary, I will focus on You! I will trust Your plan for my life and press into You with a little more today!

Living Loved,

Sarah Malanowski, author

Holiday Holes

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Ever have one of those moments that catch you off guard and jump starts the ugly cry?

That happened to me today while driving, and as I returned home afterward I heard God whisper “write about it.”

This morning after dropping the kids off at school I had the urge to text my mom, you know to just tell her about my day. This thought was odd for two reasons; one she never owned a cell phone and two she’s not among the living. I decided to voice memo what I wanted to say, had I been able.

“Hey, mom it’s Ginger, just thinking about you this morning. I’m excited to see you for Christmas. Missing the warmth of your hug, your smile, and laughter. I very much miss playing games with you. Watching you play and color with the kids was my great joy. I miss watching you and dad playful in the kitchen (or bantering). Most of all…I just miss you.”

Cancer left a mom size hole.

My mom lost her battle and won the war in life as she left this earth joined with Jesus 8 years ago. She died peacefully in her sleep. We awoke to her “resting” that morning. In a beautiful circle of love, as our family held hands around her bed, the tears just wouldn’t stop. We sang songs over her as we committed her to the hands of Jesus.

A sorrowful goodbye is rarely ever pretty, however, this was beautiful.

Waiting for the departure of her body I took pictures of her “resting”. I positioned her Bible open on her belly with a small pewter cross. Tears coated the pages as I gently placed her hands ever so delicately. Those pictures were raw and rare. They felt so bizarre at the time but to help my father in his grief I respected his wishes to take them. I understood why he needed that in some odd way. I watched as he embraced her and said his last good-bye.

To this day those pictures are a treasure that’s used to teach my children about their grandma. Each of us has experienced some loss, be it a beloved family pet, grandma, parent or perhaps a baby lost before its first breath. These are familiar stories to each of us. While others are planning joyous holiday gatherings with no apparent holes to fill we tend to withdraw.

We reflect, and we grieve all over again. Mourning the fact that life goes on without them. Watching our kids open gifts and envisioning a missing child that death robbed of that joy. Imagining how much our mom would’ve loved seeing our kids’ personalities displayed and the elation of the holidays kids exude. In these moments of raw emotion, we realize we carry those holes.

It is not just a vacant seat, an empty nursery, an invitation we are unable to send or a call we can no longer make. There is a place in our soul that deeply longs to see that person again; to hear their voice and to embrace them fully. To once again enjoy the pleasure of their company. This my friends is relationship and loss at the core.

This season as you and I face the empty places not just at the table but in our hearts, may we seek to fill those voids with the only one who can truly fill them; Jesus. He came to offer the hope of eternity, where God makes good on his promise to wipe away all the “ugly cries.”

‘And God shall wipe away all tears
from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying,
neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.‘ Revelation 21:4

Father God, I pray a spirit of peace over my dear friends who are walking hard roads of loss. Let the joy of this season shine through the personal darkness. May the empty spots around our tables remind us of your promises as we reflect on the beauty of their memories and the promise of eternity with them.

 

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Claiming Victory in Jesus

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For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. (2 Corinthians 10:3-5)

The above passage of Scripture is one of my absolute favorites. It reminds me that though I live in this world, I don’t have to fight like them. In fact, if I fight with the same weapons the world uses I will fail in extraordinary fashion. But if I choose to take up the armor of God and fight in the strength of who the Lord is I will gain the victory.

The battles I face on a daily basis are spiritual battles. They can’t be won in my strength, they can only be won in the strength of the Lord.

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It’s Okay to Not Be Okay

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Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly. (Matthew 11:28-30, MSG)

It’s been a tough two and a half months, that I’m slowly starting to feel some relief from. It became overwhelming to keep up with this and everything else while still trying to enjoy motherhood through my difficult season. It was easier for me to just put this to the back burner while I faced losing my brother-in-law to cancer, trying to help my siister and her family through this difficult time, experienced kidney stones and a kidney infection, a couple popped ribs, and helping a friend through a difficult season herself. All my free time went to one of these things and left me little time to sit down and write. Or at least when I had any extra free time, I was resting in the Lord. Read more