My Place Called There

Life is hard moment to moment. I am talking about those moments on a Monday morning when you can’t even open your eyes until the second cup of coffee or Thursday night when you have a big deadline and no one is at the office but you. There are wonderful, amazing moments. Saying “I do” or looking at the scale and its 5 pounds less than last time or watching the sunset because it was impossible to look away because of its majestic wonder. Life connects wonderful moments that we remember and cherish. However, sometimes the daily grind of life can be exhausting, grueling and downright overwhelming.

 

It’s in these moments that we think “pull it together”, “get over it” or “why did I do that?” We blame ourselves for not being on top of it or handling it better.

 

We take on the pressure of the moment or accept anxiety. We yell back in anger or refuse to let it go. We stress. We gripe and complain. We think we fail God in our flesh and then we accept guilt for not being more together, more spiritual. Then we fake it and act like we got it together, which in my case, has not done anything but exacerbate my anxiety, stress and fatigue.We react to life as any human is created to do and then we punish ourselves for not being more together like “so and so” or “what’s his face”.

 

Don’t you think that God knew that we would follow this cycle each moment of every day? Don’t you think that when he loved the world so much he gave his one and only son that He did not consider you enduring life’s trivial moments? Like when you are in traffic 15 minutes late for a huge client meeting or when you are looking at your bank account and you see a negative in front of the balance. When He was on the cross, He was thinking of the monotonous, chaos of daily life that would be our downfall. Why do we not access what is ours and take a stand against anxiety, stress and fatigue?

 

Don’t you think his grace is sufficient for the chaos of life?

 

I always think that “if I just get a better job or make more money or get married or get a new outfit, I will not feel this way.” I really think that one day I will not feel stress. That something external will change my internal. I am doomed before I take my first step.What if the design was not attaining a certain goal but attaining a certain identity?

 

We are always wanting more…better cars, bigger house, more education, etc. We are taught to pursue. What we attain is our identity, our purpose. We do it for 30 years and we spend retirement reflecting on the pursuit. Yet, in retirement, you are still living, loving and thriving. Just because there are more wrinkles and more visits to the doctor does not mean that you stop wanting that place called there. That place of peace and purpose where you are content, whole and satisfied. The external will never guarantee that peace.

 

How many of you attain a goal and then your immediate thought is the next pursuit? You will always want more and you are created that way. What if our design was not to pursue but to receive? To embrace and settle, not demand and attack. We pursue constantly in our day to day doings but what are we stressing about? What are we worrying over?What if we could pursue our goals and build relationship in perfect peace? Our place called there is in Him, where perfect peace is the only way of thinking.Crazy, impossible thought, right? Living in perfect peace in the middle of getting fired or losing a loved one or watching your house go into foreclosure? Are you kidding me? Perfect peace in the middle of a divorce or saying goodbye to a pet? Sorry, but no thanks.  Life is hard and the only way to get through it is to endure until heaven says c’mon.

 

True.

 

But…what if life could be about peace and rest in the middle of life’s storms? Jesus said, waking from a deep slumber, “Peace, Be still” to a hurricane. Maybe it was a Category 1 or a repeat of Katrina. Who knows? The threat was eminent and Jesus’ only response to a sinking ship was three tiny words.Your confession is the gateway to peace. Make a trade. The blood of Jesus gave you this entry into peace. Open your mouth. Staying quiet would have drowned the Son of God and his followers. Don’t drown in stress and worry. Speak and know who is speaking through you.Here is a quick phrase: Lord, I make an exchange for my doubt for your faith.

 

Plug in anything you need:

 

Lies for truth

beauty for ashes

lack for wealth

wholeness for brokenness

favor for ruined reputation

joy for pain

light for darkness

peace for stress

peace for anxiety

peace for depression

strength for weakness

 

This is the work of the cross. Speaking those things that be not as though they were. Declaring who you are despite the moments of life telling you a different feeling.

Your feelings are real but make an exchange for a place called there. A place of peace that is constant 24/7/365. We are meant to do greater things than these. These greater things are accomplished in knowing who you are and what is your rightful place as a child of God. You are not meant to feel depraved or ruined. You are not meant to feel broken or lost. You are meant to be a stand-out, a dynamic leader who thrives and overcomes. You are allowed to cry and vent. You are meant to be human. You can cry, laugh or scream. The moment these feelings become your identity, the moment the stress or fear dictate your personality and your choices is the moment an exchange is the only answer. There is nothing wrong with feeling. Feel and enjoy the moment. If you feel guilty for being human, make an exchange of that guilt for his righteousness.

Talk it out to walk it out. Don’t try and make yourself anything. Receive who you are in Christ and accept nothing else. Let the Lord love you. Let him grace you with who He is.