Encouragement Archives - Courage For Today

Delay Does Not Mean Diminished

God’s Timing is Always Right

I have such fond memories growing up of my maternal grandmother. She lived several hours from my childhood home and I didn’t get a chance to see her often, usually only around Thanksgiving and Christmas. Every time my family was able to visit, she made me feel like a King. As soon as our car pulled in her driveway, she was already standing at the door of her screened-in porch waiting for me to jump out of the car. The car door would open and before my feet hit the ground, she would be there hugging me so tight I couldn’t breathe. Of course, she would pinch my cheeks and tell me how much I had grown and how much I looked like my Dad, at his age. It was rather embarrassing actually but certainly great to hear.

For some reason, we always headed straight to her kitchen. Actually, it was pretty obvious why I did that. She had spent the entire day preparing everyone’s favorite dishes. She knew I loved spaghetti and loved lemon pies. There before my very eyes was a huge pot of spaghetti, enough to feed the town she lived in, and a wonderful smelling lemon meringue pie. I could hardly wait to eat and eat some more and eat even more. I’m not sure who enjoyed the food the most–her preparing everything and enjoying watching me enjoy her feast, or me actually gulping down every bit.

My grandmother loved her family and certainly loved me and my brothers. Needless to say, we were spoiled rotten and enjoyed every minute of our time there. But, as with all good things, it became time for our family to end our visit and start the long drive home. It was always hard to leave because we all loved her so much and we knew it would be many months before we saw her again. But, deep down inside, my sadness of leaving was balanced by the excitement of knowing there would be another trip coming down the road.

As a Christian most of my life, I can think of many times when life didn’t go my way. Times of heartache and tragedy. Times of financial hardship. Times of wanting something great to happen in my life, but didn’t for some reason. Times of being impatient with God’s timing and not understanding why HE was delaying things so much. I needed (or so I thought) for things to happen now, not next week or next month, or next year. I sometimes looked at my friends and co-workers and saw them as “ahead” of where I should be. The frustration and impatience was terrible.

One thing I’ve learned over my many years as a Christian is that God’s timing is never the same as my timing. HE knows what is best for me when it is best for me. I just have to be willing to accept that timing, as hard as it is. Many of you reading this article now are going through one of those seasons in your own life. A season that seems like a desert. A season where you just don’t understand why things are not happening as quickly as you think they should or when you think they should or even how you think they should happen.

If I am speaking to you right now, I would encourage you to take some spiritual deep breathes. Thank God for what HE has already done for you and remind yourself of the blessings HE has already bestowed upon you. Don’t forget you are always in the palm of HIS hand.

I remember all those years ago leaving my grandmother’s house and knowing that it would be such a long time before I saw her again. But, those many month’s of delays before I saw her again never diminished the excitement when I did get to hug her once again. Always remember that the delays in God’s timing you may be experiencing in life now will never diminish your victory when God’s timing is right for your life.

My Rock, My Refuge

Encouragement, God's Strength

My Rock, My Refuge

God is Your Foundation

I had the opportunity over the last year to visit coastal Georgia and tour some of the wonderful old forts and settlements that surround the Savannah area. Some of these structures go back hundreds of years to the dates Georgia was founded by George Oglethorpe. I found the structures so fascinating and it was amazing the amount of thought and care that went into their design; things I would have never thought of. Many were facing in certain directions for better visibility. Others were on cliffs or near natural barriers for additional safety. Most of the forts were heavily fortified with sections for cannons and firearms. Some of the forts even had underground tunnels or escape routes.

As I walked through different parts of the fort, there was a calmness of protection and safety. I found myself imagining those times and living in the fort. Perhaps I might have been one of the soldiers protecting the others. Or, perhaps, I might have been a skilled tradesman such as a blacksmith or store owner. Whatever my role would have been, the peace and serenity offered by the fort was breathtaking.

As Christians, we’re all the time faced with “life” and everything that it throws at us. From health concerns to job concerns to financial concerns or even relationship issues. Even though nothing in the World seems stable any more, there is one rock that never fails. As Christians, we have the faith to believe that Christ is our rock and our refuge in times of need or times of trouble. Or, simply at times we just want to feel loved and secure. Our rock has never failed and will never leave us.

As you look at your life today, simply remind yourself that God is your fortress and your rock and is always someone with whom you can take refuge.

Empty Room and Full Heart

Encouragement

Empty Room and Full Heart

Stop Feeling Alone

This past Mother’s Day I was thinking back on the life of my own mom. Mom passed away in 2006 but was always such a positive influence on my life. In fact, her impact on my life is still evident today. Mom had many medical problems and was always in pain; yet, she always remained positive and always was looking out for the well-being of others. Even though she was in worse health than most of those she encountered, she always found time to make sure they knew she cared for them.

I’ll never forget that sad day in 2006 when it was time for her funeral. In her case, it was somewhat of a blessing that she was no longer in pain but obviously sad for me and my family that we would no longer get to see her bright smile. The church sanctuary was filled with friends and family and the service was brightened by mom’s favorite hymns and stories about her life and testimony. The entire service was so very comforting to me and my family.

After the burial, I arrived back at the sanctuary where the service had been conducted earlier that day. For some reason, I just wanted to visit the church one more time. I’ll never forget how I felt that evening when I walked back in the church. The sanctuary was empty. All the flowers had been removed. There was not a sound in the building except an occasional creak in the floor. Just me in this large church building.

As I walked around the empty church, it reminded me of those times in my life when I have felt alone and isolated. It reminded me of times when I felt like it was me against the world. It reminded me of times when I felt insignificant and unappreciated and defeated. It reminded me of those times when I felt like I was the only one. But, just as the sadness of the day and the pain of the moment reached its peak, my eyes landed on an open bible sitting on a table in the front of the church. Seeing God’s Word reminded me of God’s presence. I realized that I really wasn’t alone.

All of us go through those times when we feel like no one cares. We have those times when life just continues to beat us down and it’s as if we are standing in an empty room all by ourselves. When you have those days in your own life, I hope you’ll be reminded, as I was that day, that you’re never truly alone. Even when everyone turns the other way, as long as you have Jesus, that is really all you need anyway.

Dark Shadows

Encouragement

Dark Shadows

Staying Focused on God

My wife and I just returned from a much needed vacation in the Smoky Mountains. We were able to take our camper and enjoy the great weather and the many things to see and do. I dare say that we “shopped until we dropped” on many days. The best part though was that we had the opportunity to simply take a break from our normal daily routines and just kick back our feet and enjoy the beauty of the mountains.

Another exciting part of this trip was that this was the first opportunity to take our new dog Remi with us camping. I had mentioned in a prior post that he is new to our family and has been with us almost a year now. We weren’t sure how he would do being around all the other campers with all the excitement that goes on in a normal campground, but we were pleasantly surprised. We had the opportunity to go on several hikes and we could have hiked all day with Remi and he would still keep going. He has much more energy than I do and he really enjoyed the hiking trails and streams and such.

On one particular hike, we were walking in a very shady, calm part of the forest. As we meandered down the dark trail, we could see a small ray of sunshine working it’s way through the thick tree canopy. As Remi got closer to the light, he began to see his shadow. Unknown to him, it was his own shadow. It was hilarious to see how this large shadow of himself actually scared him for a brief few seconds and caused him to run between my legs for protection.

This little episode with Remi got me thinking about those inevitable shadows that we face in life sometimes. It seems like we can be walking along just fine when, all of a sudden, we are rocked and scared by a shadow we didn’t see coming. When those shadows do come your way—-and they will—always remember a couple of things as you go through the darkness: (1) There can’t be a shadow unless there is also light nearby. Even when things may appear to be at their darkest, always remind yourself that God’s light is a close as your heartbeat and He will always see you through your journey; and (2) The shadow always appears larger than the real object. The angle of the light shining through the trees that day made it appear that Remi’s shadow was as large as a giant bear but, in reality, the real object was as small as the dog itself. Our minds have a way to make things seem worse than they really are. Our job is to stay focused on the never-changing truth of God.

Your Key to Happiness

Encouragement, Life's Priorities

Your Key to Happiness

Taking Control of Your Life

I know I am not alone when I talk about this but, just last week, I was searching and searching for the keys to my car. I looked in my usual place which was on my bedside table. When they weren’t there, I looked under the bed. I looked on the bedside table on the opposite side of the bed. I looked in the kitchen. I looked in other bedrooms. I looked under couches and everywhere I could think to look. Still, no keys. With each passing moment, I got angrier and angrier. “Who took my keys?” “Why did someone move my keys,” I continued to mutter to myself. Finally, after several minutes of fuming, my wife walks in the room and says, “I have your keys.” They were in her pocket. All this time of searching and my wife had the keys the entire time.

As I thought about that funny moment, it reminded me so much of how we allow others to control our emotions and feelings. I can tell you countless times when I have allowed others to negatively impact my life. I should have cut them out of my life or confronted them, but I didn’t. Instead, I let them control how I felt. I was miserable but only because I allowed them to have control.

Over time, I learned that there are many times when we not only need to include positive people in our lives more often, but we also need to cut out negative people from our lives. It’s hard to do, but sometimes necessary. Once I learned to do just that, my roller coaster emotions changed for the good.

If you feel like your life is out of control or your “misery index” is to the max, you may be where I was. As yourself this question: “Are the keys to my happiness in someone else’s pockets?” If so, it may be time to change.

Do You Find Yourself Running From God

Encouragement, Life's Priorities

Do You Find Yourself Running From God

Start Running Toward God; He is There Waiting

I have to admit that there are some ridiculous horror movies out today. Everything from the classics of old to the modern day slasher films. I don’t watch them very often because I just really don’t like horror flicks. To be honest, watching these movies makes me tired. It seems like someone is always running from someone or something and trying to avoid getting caught.

Just think about it for a moment. Either someone is running from a person about to slash them or trying to get away from some killer zombie. Or, better yet, trying to get away in their car that suddenly won’t start. Or, they get locked in some creepy motel room and they are being stalked by the sadistic motel clerk. I could go on and on but you get the picture. And, you’ve probably seen a lot of these movies. For once, I wish these folks in the movies would just lead a normal life and stop running into and from these killers. It sure would make their lives a lot easier.

Unfortunately, I think back in my own Christian life and, if I am honest, I have found my self doing the same thing. I don’t mean running from zombies. It’s even worse. I find myself running from God. There have been times God has clearly told me to do something or not to do something but, instead, of following his lead I run from those instructions like I am part of one of those horror movies. Why would I run from God? Why would I not want to do what he is directing me to do?

In looking back on some of those occasions when I was running from God, it really always boiled down to one thing: I thought that I was a better judge for my life than God. I felt like I knew a thing or two about what direction I should go and I didn’t really need God’s input. Call it arrogance or stupidity or anything else, but it’s wrong regardless. Even though it hurts sometimes and contradicts what I sometimes think is right, I have learned over the years to trust that sweet voice of God and trust that feeling of peace I always get when following God.

If your life seems a little out of sorts now and you just don’t have that feeling of peace that you think you should have, ask yourself a very simple question: Am I running from God? If you honestly answer “yes,” I would encourage you to try changing directions. Start running toward God instead of away from God. Embrace what HE has in store for you and your life instead of fighting it.

You’ll realize that HE has been there all along waiting for you with open arms.