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Do you remember having growing pains as a child or have you ever gone through a trying time? Now there are different depths of pain and trying times, ones that might seem frivolous to you can be major to someone else. A friend of our family said this to me once; what's the difference between major and minor surgery? The doctor sees a minor surgery and the patient sees it as a major surgery.
Over the last 4-5 years of my life there have been so many changes. We got house and moved, I have become an entrepreneur and started a business, lost family, switched churches, gained new friends (our extended family), friends have moved away, ministry opportunities have opened up, growth in our identity, and greater trust in God. Even with all this there are times when I have felt lonely, lost, abandon, or like I can take on the world. These emotions can wreak havoc if I don't keep them in check. I know that some of the emotions I have had are not kingdom and when those hit me, I tend to beat myself up and question what I am doing wrong. The fact is crap happens and my feelings are real but how I handle them is what makes the future brighter or not so bright. I have to be able to renew my mind, will, and emotions (my soul) Romans 12:2: "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is good and acceptable and perfect will of God." I have to choose what God and His Kingdom say about me to guide my soul, not the things I see. Even when things are going well it can seem painful and cause fear because we are stepping into and experiencing more of God’s Kingdom here on Earth. God says we are blameless, holy, chosen and adopted as His in heavenly places. Read Ephesians 1.
-What have you been going through?
-Are you choosing to see how God can and will work it out for you good (find bible verse)? I know and understand in the moment how we can be feeling pain, hurt, and worry.
-Are you making the choices that will further His Kingdom? In doing so you are taking dominion and aligning your body and mind with your spirit.
These 2 pictures are a reflection of working through pain and fear. Growing up I always loved horses and wanted one. A few years into our marriage Brian and I were able to get 2 horses. I was so excited. Then one day I was walking one of our horses and she reared up and caught my shoulder, this caused me to fear horses. I still loved them from a distance. Fast forward about 10 years, and our girls are now showing horses in 4-H and I keep saying to them and Brian that the horses were their thing and over the last year I have done my best to avoid getting too close to our horses. As you can see from the photos, I am slowly getting back into restoring my love for horses. These photos were taken May 8th, 2023. The lovely paint horse’s name is Jasmine, and I am able to be in the stall with her, groom her, and braid her mane for our girls' workouts. Just like God is helping me get back to something I enjoyed and loved, He will get me through all things.
