Empty Boat

Out of all the things I had to get done today, writing a blog was not one of them.  So in sincere "attention challenged" fashion, I write anyway. I found something else to do instead of what I'm supposed to be working on. This is my story. This is my song!

Oh how I have missed talking to you. Emptying my mind and telling you how the Lord speaks in the midst of my crazy was my therapy. It was how I shared the good news I received in my time with the Lord.

So fast forward to now. My days are still crazy. I decided to take my own advice and Jump out of the safety of my boat! The Lord is showing himself faithful minute by minute. That's how I'm living life. Minute by minute. Taking one step and waiting for the Lord to tell me when to move again because if left up to me, I'd convince myself to run quickly in the wrong direction.

The reason I have been away for so long is that I've been in a place where I am being pulled in every direction and uncertain of my own abilities to manage them. It's been day after day waiting and receiving "daily bread." Everyday, the Lord has given me enough for that day. And when I open my eyes the next, I am grateful and wait for the day's direction

I have been fighting and resisting this place. Ugh! I need to KNOW!  The human, independent, prideful part of me needs to know the layout and direction in full. Not in part!

Anyway...I digress!

See...I'm still crazy! :)

Remembering the instructions of  Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to  Him and he will make your paths straight."

I have had several conversations with myself about being here a few times before. Back then I opted to get out of the water and back into my boat. The force of the winds and waves of life pushed me to focus on my own lack of strength instead of omnipotence of my God! So as I talk to myself, I remind me that I know all too well how it feels to walk in a false sense of security inside the familiarity of my boat. It's a place also known as fear. It robs you of experiencing the promises and purpose that the Lord has so freely extended.  Fear doesn't allow for anything but limits you in everything. I am very familiar with this place of emptiness and regret.

NOT THIS TIME!

Have you been there? Or are you here with me? Waiting. Wondering. Not knowing how or when? Have you been or are you in that place where the Lord is showing you that your time frame is not His? Is he demonstrating that you are limited by time but he is eternal?

Are you being reminded that He is in control and not your desires? Is he teaching you to sift your desires through his word?

As I lamented about the winds and rain outside of the boat, I was swiftly reminded that this is the place where He wants us. Total dependence on Him. Not on our own abilities and fears. This is where He teaches us his priorities as we abandon our own. We learn patience, courage and his goodness.

I want to encourage you as I encourage myself.

It's in this place that we see the magnificence of a God who wanted us even when we didn't want him.

"In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us." I John 4:10

I am overwhelmed that he wants us to know Him:

"God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us." Acts 17:27.

I am humbled that the God of the Universe wants us to come closer. The more he pulls the more we reach.

So with tear stained faces, we exhale, unclench our fists and we wait in the water. Not because we are confident in ourselves and our waiting. But we are confident in the One whom we are waiting on! The One who has the power to calm the winds and waves. He is the same One who placed that power in us!  He wants to lead and guide us to the place that he has appointed just for us.

Go ahead. Look around. This is not a place of fear and worry. It's a place where the Providence of God reigns. This place where he prepares us in humility to depend only on Him!

Rest in Him.

Trust Him fully.

He is ABLE!

"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen." Ephesians 3:20-21

 And the comfort in all of this is that we may not understand why we wait but we don't have to wait alone.

He is Here!

"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you. He will never leave you nor forsake you." Deuteronomy 31:6


Blessings!



copyright 2016 www.shundriariddick.com  All Rights Reserved.

Have You Made It?

I’m here to let you in on something. I’ve recently come to a realization that I need to share.  I need to say this but you need to hold on to your seat.  When I found out, I almost fell out of my chair. My heart dropped and I couldn’t believe that I fell for it.  I’ve been around for years and I can usually figure things out. But this one…

Are you ready?

Ok…

There is no place!

You know the place we are working all day to arrive.  It’s the destination where all things are wonderful. I’m not talking about Heaven. I’m talking about here on earth.  It’s where we have enough in our bank accounts. We drive the right car and have the right amount of bedrooms. Our children understand and accept our discipline. They make smart choices and apply the discriminatory thinking that we have been pouring into them since the age of 1. They love Jesus and are living their lives for Him.

In this place our marriages are perfect.  We finally communicate successfully and both feel fully supported and appreciated. Work outside and inside the home is equally shared. We are completely satisfied in our singleness and we have conquered loneliness and all struggles. 

We are the perfect size for clothing and we have the right hair products. Great hair day is every day. Amen!

We pray for an hour a day, have a deep connection with the Lord, and can hear him in all we do. We have figured out our purpose and we are fully engaged in carrying out His plan.

You know the place.

That’s what we are working for. We are constantly praying and fasting for our arrival. We fight our spouses for this haven. We yell at our kids for this. We read books and seek advice from the experts who say they know how to get there. There are shows, movies and podcasts that give us steps on how to make it.  We want our family and friends to validate for us that we are well on our way.

What if there isn’t such a place?

I know. It's hard to take in! 

What if this is about the journey and not the destination? What if it’s about how you live now as opposed to how you will live when you get there?

What if it’s about your compassion?  Love?  Forgiveness?  Patience?

What if it’s about your love for Jesus? Sharing Him through your actions when you have not arrived or when you have nothing or everything?

What if it’s about how you love those who you or society defines as unlovable?

What if it’s about how you pray for others?

What if it's about how you treat your loved ones?

What if it’s about how you care for the sick or feed those who are hungry?

What if it’s about how you stand up and not be ashamed for what you believe and how you live?

What if it’s about humility?

What if it's about grace and not entitlement?

If so, have you made it?

Blessings!

All rights reserved. copyright 2015 www.shundriariddick.com 

Tick Tock The Game is Locked!

I enjoy memories of playing outside as a little girl...

Jumping rope and singing rhymes. Playing hopscotch with rocks and not jumping far enough to 8 or 9. Girls competing against the boys in freeze tag. Playing kickball and getting hit by the ball so hard that it stung!

Playing jacks was my all-time favorite! Bouncing the ball, picking up jacks, around the world, lagging, and making it to 10's were all kinds of fun! Playing with my sister was one thing but when I had the opportunity to play with girls from the neighborhood, that was even better.

I remember once excitedly spotting a game and being ready to join in on the action. As quickly as I ran to play, the girls shuffled, held hands and yelled "tick tock the game is locked!" That was the signal saying that I was not invited to play the game.  I was left out and had to stand back and watch while they played. I was excluded for whatever reasons 9 year old girls could make up.

I smile now but at the time I was so hurt. Not only did they not want me to play, it felt as though they didn't want me. Something was wrong with me. What did I do to not get invited? Why were they having the fun and I only had the unfortunate privilege of watching?

So now that I'm older and as I talk to others I think adults are having the same feelings!

We see or hear about all the success others are having. New homes. New cars. Traveling. Great careers. Great ministries. Great health.

Singles see their friends going out on dates and having the audacity to have fun or even get married!

Parents see the successes of other children as ours are battling difficulty.

We see others have financial blessings as we struggle.

It's as if we are watching and they are saying "Tick Tock the Game is Locked!"

Children often make decisions about their world though their limited understanding of it. Most difficulties in their lives are often explained through themselves. So it wasn't unusual that I blamed myself for not being invited and not the inconsistencies of little girls. It made me think twice about joining in the next time I saw them playing.

Unfortunately as adults we tend to make decisions about our circumstances with limited understanding of them and with limited knowledge of God's Word. We conclude that we have been forgotten,. We are convinced that something is wrong with us and we have not been chosen for a purpose. As a result, we limit our involvement with others. We isolate ourselves. We blame us instead of the lies of the enemy!

As long as we nurse this lack of understanding and knowledge, we are rendered ineffective for the Kingdom of God. If we can continue to believe the lie that it's just us, we are too self focused to turn our attention to purpose. Meanwhile, as Jesus said in Matthew 9:37 "Then he said to his disciples, The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few."

We often think that the enemy or Satan only wants us dead. Or we declare that he wants us destroyed.
He does.

However, he will also be content with us being ineffective.

Not a threat.

Powerless.

Isolated.

Uninvolved.

What he doesn't want you to know is the truth of God's Word!

And here's the truth!

"Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10

"What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us then who can be against us?" Romans 8:31

"Our Master Jesus has his arms wide open for you." I Corinthians 16:23 (The Message)

"All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out" John 6:37

"For by grace you have been saved through faith, And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God" Ephesians 2:8


You are IN!

GO!

Blessings!


copyright 2015 www.shundriariddick.com All rights reserved.

Stitches and Knots

I've heard so many times that you and I are God's Treasure. 

We are His Masterpiece. His Tapestry. And He has a plan for us!

That's so wonderful to hear. Isn't it?!  

I love knowing that He has a plan for.us.

"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

I love hearing about His promises. 

"For no matter how many promises God has made, they are 'Yes' in Christ. and so through him the 'Amen' is spoken by us to the glory of God." 2 Corinthians 1:20

I am overwhelmed when I hear how much He loves us.

"But God shows his love for us that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8

It's so comforting that the God of the Universe cares about us individually. 

We often hear of these amazing truths and never fully receive what the Lord has for us because of our perspective. 

What perspective?

The other side of the Tapestry.

Many of us view life looking at the back side of this Masterpiece. 

It's a mess!

Random threads. Jumbled. Purposeless. Knots. Chaotic.Tangled. Frayed. Senseless.

God is the Master Weaver. His view is complete. Every thread of failure, loss, rejection, triumph, faith, and promise are woven into His wonderful design. 

He is creating His Master Work!. 

Everywhere you go. Everything you see. There are no accidents. Your experiences are custom made.  

Every now and then He gives us a glimpse of what He is weaving. We see the beauty in life. We understand our purpose. We see the colors and patterns of answered prayer. We see the threads of impossibility woven to create possibility. We get the courage to continue because we can see that life isn't random and nothing is an accident.

Where are you today? What are you dealing with at this moment? 

Loneliness...

Uncertainty...

Chaos..,

Family Discord...

Divorce...

Financial Difficulty...

Exhaustion...

Sickness...

During these times we often lose heart. Whatever it is, it's not the full picture.

"For we know in part and we prophesy in part. But when completeness comes, what is in part disappears."  I Corinthians 13:9 

Every experience from the top of the mountain to the inmost depth of the valley is not wasted. 

He's weaving.

He's planning.

Something good.

Even when we don't see it.

Every stitch.  Every thread. Every knot. Every color. Every direction.

His Perfection.

His Jewel.

His Masterpiece.

For His Glory. 

Amen!

Blessings!

copyright 2015 www.shundriariddick.com All rights reserved.