Not today Satan. I'm God's Child!

I felt God calling me to write this blog a while ago and did not obey. Ever since I have started to write it, bizarre terrible things have been happening. I am just being honest. I hit a pothole and busted 2 rims and tires. My daughter Cassidy had a minor car accident but caused significant damage. I hit a second pothole and had to get a new tire. (Jeff says a new rim too, but we will agree to disagree.) My oldest daughter was involved in a car accident the day after Cassidy's car accident. We tried to pay out of pocket for all of these things except one car wreck which caused stress. I disobeyed God and pulled back from tithing for 2 months to pay for all of these things. BAD IDEA. SO STUPID. I NEEDED TO TRUST GOD! A random tree limb fell into my youngest daughters front windshield and dented the hood and fender. Without even thinking, my husband and I were looking at the damage and he said, I don't think our insurance even covers acts of God. I'm not saying God was punishing us, but I am saying we deserved it if He did. My oldest daughter had a rental car while they were fixing her car. I can't even make this stuff up...a hit and run hit that car. True story. This all happened within 3 months. My husband and I were both blessed with new roles and more responsibility that we never expected. We bought a new house. We closed and moved 2 days after I started my new job. We had relationship problems within our family we have never had before. Our middle daughter is becoming more and more serious with a guy we like, but still stressful. Last but not least, we have 2 daughters now going to college this week. Basically, I feel like I am in a pressure cooker, and I usually can carry a burden no matter how large, but basically I recently cracked.

However, this weekend my 3 girls and I got away and spent 2 days on the plateau of middle Tennessee. I watched them swim in a pool God made with a massive gorgeous waterfall. I walked through the woods for 5 miles listening to Cassidy tell us stories and jokes with literally no punchline and laughed until my stomach hurt. I saw the opening of an enormous cave where there was natural air conditioning. I walked across a bridge God made naturally out of rock and sandstone. I sat in front of a fire and ate s'mores cherishing every laugh and story. I felt full of so much love that I wanted to tell them but I knew the dam would burst and I would cry and ruin the moment, so I just said...this has been wonderful. I read a passage today that I love. It is very familiar, but so needed and loved.

25 “Therefore I tell you: Don’t worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26 Consider the birds of the sky: They don’t sow or reap or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you worth more than they? 27 Can any of you add one moment to his life span by worrying? 28 And why do you worry about clothes? Observe how the wildflowers of the field grow: They don’t labor or spin thread. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was adorned like one of these. 30 If that’s how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and thrown into the furnace tomorrow, won’t he do much more for you—you of little faith? 31 So don’t worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you. 34 Therefore don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matthew 6: 25-34.

I was thinking, not today Satan. You have tried to discourage me, but I will continue to obey! Then Jeff called me as we were heading back home and told me a hose busted in the house we are trying to sell and flooded the downstairs. Good for the people that buy the house, they get a new floor. Bad for us as we have to take it off the market and get it fixed. Seriously?! No one even believes the wild bad luck we have had.

But then I look up to the sky and I see a hawk soaring in the sunlight. It reminds me that God cares for that hawk, and it does not worry. It just soars. My favorite verse is, Isaiah 40:31.

"31 but those who trust in the Lord will renew their strength; they will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not faint."

No matter what happens, I feel unbelievable, irrational love and strength. No one can take away my love for Jesus, God's love for me, the fact that I was created in Christ's image, my overflowing love and joy. I am so full of God's love that I feel a burden on my heart that I MUST share it!

I have no idea if anyone reads this blog, and I really don't care if no one does. God called me to do it and so I am going to do it. You want to hear something crazy, I got to this point, and lost this entire blog and had to rewrite it. I kid you not!! NOT TODAY SATAN. I bet I do scare Satan, and he should be scared. When I go to bed, I love Jesus. When I wake up, I praise Jesus. When I am scared, I call to Jesus. When I am happy, I thank Jesus. When I am mad, I ask Jesus for help. I choose Jesus. I choose joy. I choose LOVE and I am going to share it every moment I breathe until God takes me off of this Earth, no matter the circumstance. I have courage, strength and soar on the wings of eagles.

I love you Jesus!

Have a great week!

Love,

Crystal