Tag: struggle

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Some things you can only appreciate, if you experience them.

This is another one of them posts that I’m kind of reluctant to write.
However, all I can do is try to start it, and see if it goes anywhere.

(I’ve just re-read this post, and it feels a bit raw to me. I put this down to it being hot off the press, or written in real time. Effectively, it’s all happened and been written this week. Hoping this blesses somebody.)

This is going to be about a not so pleasant experience, but hopefully it will have a positive twist by the end. So please try to stick with it.

I’ve done something to my heels just recently. They are both feeling very much so bruised. I have no idea of what has caused it, but it hurts to put any weight on them.
This is a problem when it comes to walking, as you can’t walk without putting weight on your heels.
I’ve tried to walk just using the front part of my feet, but that doesn’t work either. I can still feel the pain in my heels and it also puts more strain on different parts of my legs, which I’m thinking could then cause me different problems with my legs.

What does this actually mean for me at the moment?
It means that I want to do very little.
It also means that I’m very much so confused, because there are things that I want to/need to do, but to do them means pain on some level. I would rather just sit on the sofa (which irritates me).
Sitting on the sofa isn’t plain sailing either.
Trying to find a position for my feet that I find comfortable can be a puzzle all of its own, and there just doesn’t seem to be any one solution that will just work. Just partial solutions that work for a short time.
Just walking to the toilet is awkward, but that is one thing that just has to be done.

So why am I writing all this?
The answer is the title of this blog. Some things you can only appreciate if you experience them.

I’ve spoken to a couple of people who have had serious trouble with their legs. I thought that I had some kind of idea of what life was like for them.
I didn’t, and I probably still don’t.
Unless you experience it, then how can you truly know it?

You might think that you understand what these past days have been like for me by what you have just read, but you can’t know it unless you’ve had a similar experience.
What I have written is just a small glimpse of what has happened for me these past days. Hopefully my heels/legs will return normal soon, and then life will return to normal. (Well, as normal as normal can be.)
So you, or myself can’t truly know what it is to experience this on a long term basis. (I certainly hope not to experience this on a longer time scale.)

Now, I said that there was going to be a twist, and here it comes.

When it comes to the things of God, you do need to experience them to appreciate them.

You can read all about God, but unless you put the things you read into practice, then you will never truly know them. (Or more importantly, Him.) You can know of the goodness that God has for you, but unless you truly walk it, then you can ever truly know it?

So are you willing to put the knowledge you have of God into practice?

If you don’t know God personally, then will you ask Him into your life? Will you try to have an experience with God, instead of just having a head knowledge?

If you already know God, then will you say yes to Him all the more, and then have a greater experience of all the goodness that He has for you?

So what do I mean by saying yes to God?
Me writing this post when I didn’t want to is one such example.
I kind of thought that it could be a bit self centred and look at me and my little pity party. (Hopefully the real reason for this post will come through. 🙂 )
It is my hope that someone will be encouraged to enter into more of Our Lord God Almighty by reading this. That they may be inspired to say Yes to Him for the first time, or even in a new deeper way.

Unless we do say yes to Our Lord God Almighty, then how else can we truly know Him in a greater measure?
It really is one of those things that you need to experience, in order to truly understand it.

Father,
Whether it is a small thing or a big thing that You are asking us to do, please help us to have a willingness to say YES to you, all the more.
Help us to have a confidence that we can trust You in all things.
Our Loving Father.
Amen.

_________________________________________

This is already a longer post than I intended, but there is an update on how my feet are. So for me this is Part 2.

Two days ago, as I was going to bed, I was starting to feel better.
I was starting to be able to put some weight on my left leg and with my fancy homemade walking stick (an aluminium pole covered in reflective red and white tape, plus a round topper) I was able to go to the supermarket to do some shopping with my wife. (She had the trolley, as she is disabled and has trouble walking every day.) We must have looked a bit of a sight, two people hobbling about, one with a fancy stick and one with the trolley. 🙂

As I was going to bed I was hoping I was past the worst of it.

The next morning, yesterday, I was very much so mistaken.
The pain had returned with a vengeance. I managed to have a shower. (In part, thanks to the grab handles we have for my wife.) But as I was washing my legs I noticed a raised bump on my left leg, on the front near to the ankle. I also noticed a similar, but smaller bump on the other leg, slightly higher up.

Now the increase in pain and these bumps freaked me out.
“What’s going on now! I thought I was getting better.”
I almost came to the point of tears (OK, I may have shed a couple.)
It’s at this point that I cried out to The Lord in a new way, “Please, just HELP me.” Was the general plea.

I don’t like to seek medical help, but the time had now come. (Or was overdue.)
I tried calling 111, (Our NHS medical help line number.) To hear the message of “All our operators are busy, you could try our online service, or hold.”
OK 111 online it is then. Then answering what seems like endless questions.
The service asks questions to rule out the more severe things first.
Is this a time to be thankful for endless questions?
Am I blessed by all these questions as things are not as bad as they could be?????? (Yes is most probably the answer here.)

I get to the end of the questions and I am told to contact my doctor. (Not feeling hopeful about this one.)

To cut a long story short, I phoned the doctors surgery to be greeted with options to choose from. (Press 1 for ….) For the several options I selected, the phone either went dead or gave a recorded message, then went dead. I tried a phone number, one of the messages gave me, to then hear a message of, “Our offices are closed at present, please call back at …..”.

“AAAARRRRRRR” Where is the help?

I go back to the doctors surgery number and select what I think is the wrong option, and finally, I manage to speak to a person.

I am told all appointments are gone and there is no availability to see a doctor. (I was expecting this, hence my reluctance to try.)
However, I was told I could be referred to a pharmacist. (It didn’t take too long for me to say yes to this.)

Again, to try and cut a long story short. I had two more phone calls.
I think one was possibly a doctor.
And then I finally went to the pharmacist, to see her in person.
She thought the bump was an insect bite. (Such relief. I’ve been blessed with an insect bite, and it’s nothing more serious. 🙂 )
She then goes on to tell me that what I had spoken to her, can take up to two weeks to recover from….

I’m now starting to feel like a bit of a fraud at this point.
You see, as I was walking to the pharmacy I had my fancy stick with me, thinking “I don’t need this, at this moment in time.”
There had been some time between the initial phone calls and me seeing the pharmacist, and my legs were doing better.
Looking back I’m thinking, “Is this the luck of the Lord?” (I’ll explain that phrase in a bit.)

In short was my Loving Father doing a work in me, even as I was trying what the world had to offer?

I would like to say that I have been touched by God and healed, but there hasn’t been any sudden healing, just a slow getting better.
However, we are talking hours instead of weeks.
That was lucky then! 🙂
Or was it actually the luck of the Lord….
Or to put it another way, Blessings from my Lord God Almighty.

The phrase, “The luck of the Lord”, is something that I have heard Ian Green say when he has visited our church in the past.
The general idea goes that good things follow when you follow the prompting of your Heavenly Father.
Obedience leads to blessings.

Yesterday morning, things looked so bad that I went searching in the world for help and answers.
I also did the best thing I could.
I cried out to my Heavenly Father.
The world said two weeks to recover.
This morning I can do a partial stamp of my feet on the ground.
That was not anywhere in my thoughts yesterday.
That sounds rather lucky to me, the Luck of the Lord…. ???? 🙂
Blessings from a Heavenly Father?
I’ll just say, Yes, Thank You and Amen to that one.

It really is something that you just have to experience to appreciate.
So if your Heavenly Father, your Lord God Almighty, prompts you to do something, then try to say yes to Him.
Blessings follow obedience.

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Change can be unsettling

This is something we all have to deal with at some point in time.
Change is always happening around us all the time, after all.

But it is the bigger changes which can be more unsettling (at times).
How we deal with the changes which happen around us is the important factor.

We can look at all those bits we don’t like…. and complain about them. (Not such a good option.)

The Israelites did this in the desert… Back in Egypt we had ….

What the Israelites managed to forget is that they were in bondage in Egypt, they were slaves.

So why were they pining over Egypt?

Was it because they were heading into something new, and didn’t have the vision for the new?

Was it because they were experiencing change, and change can be unsettling?

When we are heading into something new, which Father has for us, then the enemy wants to hold us back, or even pull us back (if we let him).

1 Peter 5:8, : “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”

When we are unsettled, it at these times when the enemy can try to whisper all the louder in our ears, and all the more so if Father is trying to lead us into his goodness.

The enemy will use whatever he can to stop us.

Wasn’t it better back in….?
Do you really want to be here?
You don’t know what your doing!

The enemy will use all the above lies and many more to try to stop us in our tracks.

We need to understand where the thoughts are coming from!

If they are from the enemy, then we need to rebuke them and send them away.

Sometimes when I’m feeling the pressure of such thoughts, I have (in my mind) stared down at the thoughts and said,
I see you, now be gone, in the power of my Lord Jesus Christ.

I then invite Father to enter into my mind and the situation instead.

John 10:27
My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.

We need to look to, hear, trust and follow Father in all things.

Father,
Help us to hear You more than anybody else.
Help us to truly know Your voice, so that we can follow You.
Thank you that You do Love us.
Amen

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Sometimes, Life just Takes!

The above statement is something which I unfortunately know all too well.

Life is generally pretty good, but every once in a while something will happen, and then I’m left thinking, sometimes, life just takes.

Last night such an occurrence happened.
I’m not going to go into the details, as I’ll only make myself look small minded and petty. But suffice to say, I was left thinking, the title of this post and I was sulking pretty good. 😦

This morning I woke up to a proper weird dream.
I was at work and just turned to my PC monitor to do some work…. and the monitor was gone???
A complete stranger was sitting near by, who then went on to say. “They were in my way, so I moved them.”.
“Who the heck are you! And just what do you think you are doing.”
Went through my mind.
Just as I was about to go storming off to find a manager to complain to, I then woke up.

????, OK, so what on earth was that all about???
Then I remembered last night, and my sulking.

Yes, Life does indeed just take from you…. But how are you going to respond to it when life does take from you?
Sulk?
Storm off in a tantrum?
Or in some other negative manner?

Or will we be able to turn to Our Heavenly Father for His help and guidance?

Last night I did no such thing. I just sulked.
If we are honest, then have we all been there?
All I can do is see what happened, accept it, and try to do better next time.

So what could I do better next time?

I have already said that it would be better to look to Father for His help and guidance, But what would that actually mean?

Seek Him in the first instance.
Forgive who ever or what ever it is that has upset you.
And endeavour to not take offence or be upset at what has just been lost. (Not an easy task to do.)

Or you could get all wrong, have a weird dream, and then write a post all about it….???
No, no, no. This last one is the advice to not follow. 🙂
(That is unless Father tells you to do just that.)

Turning to Father when the wheels fall off is always going to be the best advice to follow.
He knows all about it already, and He is there to help, lead and guide us, if we will just turn to Him.

Forgiving is the next big weapon we have against upset.
It might, sometimes, not be easy, but it is worth while.
I’ve already written several posts about forgiveness.
I’ll list some below. If one jumps out at you, then you could possibly consider reading it???
Forgiveness is Key.
Forgiveness and Reconciliation are Two very Different Things
Accept, Repent and Forgive, There is Power Here!

The not taking offense when things go wrong is another tough one to do.
Something I read once comes to mind as I think about this.
Giving up or Letting go.
Giving up implies defeat, being beaten, and made into a victim.
Letting go implies release, handing over, not being the victim but taking control.
Outwardly, both giving up and letting go can look the same, but inwardly, the option you choose to take can make a big difference to how you deal with ……
Letting go and handing …… over to your Heavenly Father is always going to be the better option.

Writing about these things is relatively easy, but putting them into practice can be more difficult, but they are practisces that can lead to a happier personal statement of mind.

If you feel prompted to, then another post you could consider reading, if you are struggling to make good choices, is The Calling Abyss.
Don’t be put off by the title, it’s actually about turning your back to the abyss, and instead choosing life, even though it might hurt.

As I have already said, making good choices can be tough, but they can lead to a better and healthier state of mind.

Father,
I look to You to lead and guide me.
Please give me Your strength when I am weak.
Please give me Your wisdom when I’m acting not so wisely.
Help me to always be trusting and leaning on You.
My Lord God.
Amen.

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A glimpse into Addiction???

This is something which I have wanted to write about, and to not write about in equal measure.

I have just been reminded of it again… So I’ll give it a try at putting something down on paper (or on the screen).

I don’t have a lot of experience in this matter, thankfully. But I can remember a time, when a particular computer game, took too much of my time.

I’m not going to give any details of which game it was, but it was a form of escapism for me at the time.

I was generally unhappy and struggling with life in general, and to be able to plug into something which would remove me from my reality (which I didn’t like) was very appealing, but not too helpful.

I was a believer at the time (and still am), and as such, kind of knew that I should be running to Father for help.
I did go to Father, of a fashion, but the pull of the game was still very strong and subtle.
It was easy to turn the console on and just plug into the game.
It was always available and ready to whisk me off to another word where I could just forget about my reality for a short while. (Or what turned out to be a longer time than it should have been.)

I can remember reaching the point where I began to not like the game.
I might have even started to approach despising the game I sooo longed to play.

But turn it on and plug in was always my desire, which at one point, was my go to place for far too much of my time.

So why did I do it?

Why should I trade a true reality for something which was fake? (Which I knew was fake.)

Why was I so willing do something which I didn’t like?

Why would I do something which I knew, wasn’t going to be helpful to me in the long run?

I think the short answer is, that I was in pain.

I was unhappy and wanted anything to dull the pain.

Thankfully the thing I went to, was just the game and not anything else that could have been so much worse.
There are many things that people can go to to dull the pain which could have been more difficult to turn away from. So I do thank God, that my thing I went to was just a minor escapism. (It didn’t feel too minor at the time though.)

I can remember reaching a time when I did have enough of the game.

But I couldn’t just stop playing it.

As much as I loathed it, I still played it.

I believe it was because I felt that I had nothing else that would dull the pain I was feeling.

Is this one small aspect of what it is to be addicted to something?

Not wanting it, but still picking it up anyway?

Knowing that it is doing you no good, but not seeing any other way of doing anything, other than the thing you don’t want to?

I think that one of the turning points for me was recognising where I was, and then wanting for things to change. And then trying to make change happen. (Not an easy task if you are in a bad place.)

So, how did I make the change happen?

I spoke to my Heavenly Father. (I was always speaking to Him on some level really.)

I asked Him to give me something else that would be more real to me and better for me.

I asked for Him to be more real to me.

I asked Him if I could plug into Him instead of the game in a meaningful way, so that I wouldn’t want to play the game any longer.

short summary, I reconised that I wanted things to change, I asked for help and I endeavoured to look for something better, rather than my go to not so helpful thing.

Well, I have managed to type something down.
But who could this be for?

If you are caught in something which you don’t like, then perhaps this could help you???
Instead of focusing on what you don’t want to do, you could try looking for something else that is better and will be better for you.
I once heard someone say, “Instead of using the brakes to avoid something, you could always use the steering wheel.”
Handing what you don’t like to God and asking for His help is always going to be good advice.

If you know someone who is caught in some kind of destructive behaviour that they just can’t seem to shake, then could this be for you???
If you do know someone who is just doing something which is no good for themselves, then what could you do?
Try to understand them???
Try to see them as someone who is in pain and not thinking correctly???
Try not to judge them??? (This could be a very tough one to do.)
Try to offer them a life line by offering a better alternative???
My best advice would always be to seek your Heavenly Father who knows ALL that is going on. Seek His wisdom for what the best option to do is. Endeavour to hear His words to you, and then follow them.

Father,
I’ve had a go at writing this.
I offer it up to You.
Please do with it whatever You want to.
If there is someone who You want to read it, then please lead them to it.
If You want to keep people away from this, then please let this be lost in the desert of posts out there.
For all who are suffering, I ask that You will be real to them in a meaningful way so that they can know a release, that You can bring to them.
You are Lord God Almighty, and You Do know All things and are there to help and guide all who call on You.
Amen.

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Funny (Tragic) Baby poop story

I recently heard of a tale of a new born baby.

It was the middle of the night and the mum was changing the baby’s nappy. Just as the nappy was removed, the little darling then just let rip with an explosive number 2.

It made a bit of a mess.

The mum went and got the dad, to then do the clear up duty of the room, while she dealt with the little darling.

The dad had the bigger clean up to deal with.
From the baby, all along the carpet, through the doorway and into the next room. When he had cleaned the carpet, he went back to the baby, looked round, and sure enough, it was also on the walls.
A bit more clearing up to do.

He looked at his little darling, and just thought, “I can’t blame you, can I. You don’t even know what you have just done. I’ve just had to do this clearing up after you, and not hold it against you.”

How true them words are.

The baby was just doing something it had to do.
The timing was just a bit (or a lot) unfortunate for the parents.
There was no malice in the baby.
No intent to redecorate with a unique pattern. It just had to go.

When people are hurting or upset, then they can act just like the baby above.
Not literally of course. But when they lash out with their words and actions.
When this happens, can we then view them like the little baby?
Unaware of what they are doing?
Just trying to empty themselves of something that is toxic to them, even though they are not doing it in the best possible way.

Will we be able to see the person, behind the mess?
Will we be able to love the hurt person and not respond to the mess?
Will we be able to do the clear up duty, and not hold it against them?

This could be a hard task to achieve, but with our Father’s help, then all things are possible.

Father,
Can You give us eyes to see people as You see them.
Can you help us to see the person and not the hurt.
Can You help us to Love the hurt person, just like You do.
Amen.

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Do we sometimes need to try again?

Do you ever have those times when you work at something. Put time and effort into to it, to then just look at what you have done, and then think, that just isn’t quite right.

I have had a project go that way just recently.

I read up on what I wanted to do, and watched the videos. I had a plan in my mind, and then I just went for it.

When looked at my efforts, I just thought, that’s not quite right.

This time, I decided to undo the work I had just done, and try again.

I had to repair some parts of the project from my first try. In effect I needed to renew a part of the project. I didn’t need to throw everything away, but I did need to make good on my first try.

This took time and effort.
I wanted to ignore that things were not quite right.
But I knew that I wouldn’t be happy with the end result if I did that.

Thankfully my 2nd attempt went better. I did things ever so slightly differently and the end results were better.

As I was thinking about all my efforts on the first attempt, a scripture came to mind.

All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty. Proverbs 14:23

Not what I was thinking after my first attempt.

I was thinking, what a waste of time. All that effort, and just look at it.

I felt as though Father was saying, “The profit wasn’t in the product you made after the first attempt, it was in the experience that you gained.”

….. Next time, could you just give me a word of knowledge so that I could get it right first time, please. 🙂

Was Father even trying to tell me to do it differently on the first attempt?
But I just didn’t hear Him?

I did get a sense that Father was also saying, “Sometimes you just need to try things more than once. The first attempt or attempts are just learning experiences for that final run, which is coming. Don’t give up just because your first try didn’t go as you expected it to. Just keep working at it and you will get there in the end.”

I do think that when we are dealing with issues in our lives with Father, then sometimes we need to go over the same ground more than once.
It can be like peeling back an onion, one layer at a time.
Sometimes Father may bring a word of knowledge, like a knife to cut through several layers of the onion in one go, but other times He will just do the process of one layer at a time.

Will we follow his prompting and trust that He knows what is best?

If you do feel that you are just going over old ground time and time again, then can you learn something from the experience so that you can do better next time?

All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty. Proverbs 14:23

If we are working through something with Father then it will lead to a profit.
The form of that profit might just be different to what we thought it might have been.
Can we have eyes to see things as Father wants us to see them?

Father,
Help us to look to You in all things.
Help us to trust You, and to follow Your prompting.
If we feel that we are just going over old ground then please lead and guide us so that we can do better on the next try.
You are our Loving Father who is there for us.
Thank you that You are for us.
Amen.

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Is there a time to remain silent?

There can be times when we are wrongly accused of something.
When these times happen, then how do we react?

Our first reaction might be to defend ourselves.
Stating, “This is actually the truth.”
Some times, this course of action could be the correct thing to do, but other times, it could possibly cause us more problems.

As I was thinking on this, the thought of Jesus, before His accusers came to mind. Jesus was silent before his accusers.
He let His actions speak for Him.

We can see one of the results of His actions when He died, in Luke 23:47, The centurion, seeing what had happened, praised God and said, “Surely this was a righteous man.”

His actions spoke loud and clear about who He was.

Are there times when we need to follow His example?
Are there times when we need to remain silent, instead of trying to defend ourselves?

If Father is telling us to remain silent, then if we try to defend ourselves, are we just throwing our pearls to the pigs?

Matthew 7:6 “Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.

Father knows the Truth and ALL THINGS!
His opinion of us should be the only one that matters.

This can be a very tough thing to put into practice, but if Father is leading you to be silent, then it is best to follow His prompting.

John 10:27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.

Father,
There are times to speak and times to be silent.
Help us to know the difference.
Help to to know when to speak up and when to be silent.
Help us to always look to You to be our guide, so that we can follow Your way.
You are Lord God Almighty and know what is best.
There is none greater than You.
Amen.

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Don’t get stuck in the Glue.

This is a picture that came to me one Sunday morning at church, when things didn’t go as smoothly as people wanted them to.

A man was running a race and making good progress.
The trickster was about though.
He had placed a lot of glue and then oil on the track.
When the runner got to the glue on the track, the runners progress slowed. It was suddenly hard going.
The runner had half a thought to stop and rest, but he was in and race.
So he just kept on going, and made it past the glue, where the going was good again.
The runner soon came up to the section of track with oil on it.
Whooooh, almost fell over there. Skating about a bit now??? Thought the runner. He just about managed to maintain his balance and not fall over.
Progress was slowed again. He just had to concentrate on not loosing his balance as he made his way through the oil.
His pace was slowed, but the runner kept his eyes on the finish line, and kept moving in the right direction. In time, he made it past the oiled section of the track, and could then run unhindered yet again.
The trickster’s attempts to stop the runner had failed.

When life throws difficulties our way, can we end up feeling like the runner making his way through the glue and oil?

If you feel like you are in the glue, then just keep moving.
Don’t give the glue time to set!
If you can keep moving, then just keep doing that, heading in the right direction.
If you do stop for too long, then the glue could set, and to start moving again could take that much more effort. You might have to chisel your way out of the glue, or leave your shoes behind.
It’s best to just keep moving.
If you need to take a rest then head for a rest station, where you can rest in safety for a while, but do your best to not stop in the glue.

If you feel as if you are skating about on the oil, then try to keep your balance.
Keep the finishing line in your sights, so you know which direction to head into.
Do your best to remain up on your feet. Your progress might be slower than you’d like, but just keep heading in the right direction.
If you do fall over it could be fun and games to regain your feet (it could be hard, but not impossible).
So do all you can to keep your balance and keep moving to the finish line.

Those who can keep their focus will have a better chance to make it through the glue and oil and onto the finishing line, where the prize awaits for those who complete the race.

2 Timothy 4:7-8

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day – and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.

Father,
Help us all go keep our eyes on you at all times, so we can keep heading in the right direction.
Please give us the extra strength we we need, when we feel that we are going through the glue.
Please give us a good sense balance if we feel as though we are skating on the oil.
Thank you that You are with us and will never leave us, as You promised us.
You are our Lord God Almighty.
Amen.

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How can we help those who don’t want help?

In my last post I effectively wrote about how we can try to help, but instead just shake things up a bit.
In this weeks post I will try to offer a picture/advice about how to help someone who is in need but doesn’t know how to, or doesn’t want to ask for help.
I have been in this position, so hopefully I can share something that might help somebody.

I think that a good place to start is a picture.
The thought that came to me was one of those videos that can be seen online, where an animal has caught itself in something and can’t get free.
Then the brave hero comes to set it free.

The animal I’m thinking of is a deer with it’s antlers caught in a fence made of a netting material.
The deer is wanting to break free, but it is helplessly caught in the fence and is becoming very distressed.

When the hero approaches the deer, he does so slowly and calmly.
The deer may well not understand a word the hero says, but he can still use his voice in a calm way in order to try to put the deer at ease, as much as he can.

There is so much to be said about this first bit alone.

Some of my thoughts are, the hero needs to have a calm way about them.
If they are frustrated, then they could very easily bring that frustration into a already tense situation, and then just add fuel to the fire.
If we have frustrations with us, then endeavour to leave those frustrations outside of our helping the deer.
If we can’t do that, then leave the task for someone who can.

As you approach the deer, how you act communicates to the deer how calm you are.
If you approach in a brash manner, then you are only going to scare it that much more. It’s the same with people.
Sometimes humour can be used to lighten the situation but sometimes it can be adding fuel to a fire. Use wisdom (Fathers wisdom is best) if you use humour.

The calmness that is shown to the deer needs to be genuine.
If you are tense or there is a falseness in your calm then it is likely to be passed onto the deer.
I have seen a program where dogs are behaving badly. Sometimes the reason for this is because the owner is tense and the dog picks up on this and then acts badly.
The same principle could occur when coming close to someone who is hurting, so do try to have a peace that is genuine.
A peace from God, would be good to have.

If you dwell on this first part with Father, then He could possibly speak the thing you need to know, for where you are, better than anything I can type here.

As the Hero gets closer to the deer, he then tries to make a connection with the deer.
He just tries to pat the deer and reassure it, that he means no harm.
He doesn’t just try to cut the netting free.
Making a connection with people is so important.
A friend is more likely to be listened to rather than a stranger who just waltzes in and tries to do what is needed.
The stranger who just waltzes in is only likely to be hurt with one of those antlers and do no good in the process of trying to help.

As the hero gets closer to the head, he looks closely at what the situation is before making any cuts to the netting. He is not in a rush to cut the netting away.
Try to use all your senses to appraise what is going on.
Ears that are open to Father’s words and prompts are going to be your best asset.

Sometimes a second person comes along to help the hero.

You don’t have to do it all on your own!
Ask others for help and support if you need it.

Not everyone needs to be in the trenches with you though.
One or a few people in the thick of things could help. But beware, too many cooks could spoil the brew.

Many people could pray for you, the deer, the situation or wherever Father leads you/them to pray, but not everyone needs to know everything.
Use wisdom with what is shared.
Don’t feel that everyone needs to know everything just so that they can pray better. Father knows it all already.
Nobody likes the thought that they are the talk of the town.
If you think prayer is needed (which it probably is) then ask what can be shared, if it is appropriate to do so.

At some point the deer is wrestled to the ground and subdued in order to set it free.
No, I’m not going to suggest you wrestle the hurt/needy one to the ground.
However, at some point you might need to say or do something that is uncomfortable.
Use wisdom (Fathers wisdom, again, is best).
Try to ensure that love is at the core of your actions and not frustration.
Sometimes, things do just need to be said or done.
Expect to feel some resistance when doing this and try to not take offence from the others reactions.

When the deer is finally set free it just runs off into the distance.
Sometimes, when you have helped someone, they might just walk or run away.

Do your best to not take offense at this.
Instead be happy and joyful that you have helped someone in need.
Father sees your actions and if you have helped someone, then He will be pleased with you.
Father being pleased with us should be enough.

Hopefully the one you help will be able to say thank you, but don’t expect it. A thank you might come in time or it might not.
Look to Father to ask if you have done ok, and then let what He says to you be enough.

I think that is the end of me drawing lessons from the picture.
Father could add just what you need to hear if you will seek Him for His wisdom.

I would like to add a couple more things.

When you are in times of trouble, the one thing you need most is just simply a good friend.
A good friend who prayed with me and invited me to dinner on a regular basis was a great help to me when I was in need.

In my time of need the one thing I didn’t want was to be someone’s project.
This might be why I was not so inclined to share.
Although at the time I didn’t know (mostly) what to share or ask for in terms of help.

Whatever you do, try to let love be your driving force.
If you are trying to help from any other driving force then you might or might not be a help. If love is your main driving force, then hopefully Father will be guiding your steps.

If Father is leading and guiding you, then expect a break through.
For with Fathers help, all things are possible.

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Something of our Testimony, Part 2

If you haven’t read Part 1, then it might make sense to read that one first.
You know, read chapter 1 before chapter. 2 🙂

There is going to be a lot of references to past posts here. (Links should be highlighted.)

If Father makes something stand out to you, then that might be one for you to have a closer look at.

So, what have I (we) learnt form all our troubles?

I think that my wife summed it up nicely when I spoke to her about writing these posts.
She said, “It’s like God has been the glue, holding us together.”

What a true statement that is!
If we didn’t have the help of our Heavenly Father, then how would we have kept it together? It was tough enough with His help.

The short answer to what have I learnt, is a lot of the posts that I have posted on Wannabe Christian Doorman. Which all (hopefully) say that it is better to turn to God rather than to just rant and rave at Him.

If we need to let steam off, then Father is able to listen to us and to help us.

But we do need to come to the place where we run to Father, rather than just keep moaning to, or at Him.

We need to be willing to listen to Him.

One of the pictures He spoke to me was I see a Vessel. He was asking me to let Him in, even though I thought I couldn’t handle anything.

I’ve learnt that sometimes you need to choose life, even when it hurts. The Calling Abyss explains this one.

I was fortunate that I already knew about the power of forgiveness, (Forgiveness is Key) and it has served me well to be quick to forgive. (Although sometimes, I’ve not been as quick to do this as I should.)

The idea of accepting where you are, came from a counsellor who explained that just accepting where you are can have the ability of stopping you from feeling like a victim.

In effect, it is you making the choice to remain where you are, even though you don’t like it.

It took me some time to be convinced of that one, but I can now say that there is a truth to it.

Add to accept, repent and forgive, and you then have three little words of power.

Yes, another post of, Accept, Repent and Forgive, there is power here!

In order to truly learn that message, I had the opportunity to put what I wrote into practise, hence Accept, Repent and Forgive (a practical example)

I’ve also come to the idea that sometimes you just need to do something, instead of just stopping and dwelling on poor little me.

Why is it that when you have troubles people can tend to tell you to rest up, and do nothing? looks into this idea a bit more.

We do need to use wisdom, when looking for what to do.
Trying to climb Mount Everest when your suffering with fatigue is never going to be a good idea.
But a small helpful word to someone, could possibly help you also.
There is a blessing to be had in giving.

I have found that as I turn to Father, then His grace is sufficient for me.

Sometimes I have been to slow to turn to him and sometimes I didn’t even know quite what that meant.

It is in them times that I was just doing what I wrote about in, How Do You Pray when you feel you just can’t do anything?

I’ve learnt that it is good to sing praises to God at all times, and all the more so when you are in the middle of a storm. “I’ll Raise a Hallelujah” is a battle cry, looks into this one. (In a round about way).

I have learnt that you do have a choice, as to what you will do.

For me I have found that it is better to remain in the place of, yet I will praise the Lord, in spite of all that is going on around you.
Habakkuk sums this one up nicely.

Habakkuk 3:17-19
Though the fig-tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the sheepfold and no cattle in the stalls,
yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Saviour.
The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to tread on the heights.

I’ve also learnt that sometimes you need to look hard to find things to be thankful for.
It can be easy to see the things to complain about, but to find the blessings that you do have, well, that can take a bit more effort to find.
It’s a search that is worth doing though.
As a simple song says,
Count your blessings.
Count them one by one.
Count your blessings, see what the Lord has done.

There are plenty more lessons that I have learnt through all that we have gone through.
These are the lessons which Father has lead me to share here.
I do have an archive page of Posts about Struggles where further post can be found. (An entire archive page about struggles… Have I known some struggles then…??? 🙂 )

I am also aware that things could have been so much worse, and that there are some, whose load is heavier than ours.
No matter how heavy your load is, if you can come to the place of running to Father, then you too can know the power of
2 Corinthians 12:9
 “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

Writing this post, has just kind of flowed.
Starting it was a different matter.
I had so many thoughts flying around, then I was distracted and then I had to say no to, I’ll just do this instead.
It almost feels as if someone didn’t want it to be written…???
Once I started, it just worked.
Sometimes we just need to start, and then trust that Father will lead us to where He wants us to go.

Father,
Again and again I say thank you, that You are for us.
Help us all to look to You for all our needs.
You are our Loving Father who is for us.
Help us all to remain in you, all of our days.
Amen.