Getting out of the way...Laying our "Isaacs" Down

The Lord has been doing so much in my life in the way of letting go. The release is harder than it seems sometimes.

I want to hold on.

I want control.

I want it fixed.

My guess is that I am not alone.

But, you know what is really cool? God continues to show me things in my own life, in the circumstances, events, and situations around me. I see His Power! I know His Might! I have witnessed and felt His miracles! I continue to feel His redeeming love! Some of that occurs while nothing is done on my part. Some of it is His reminder to me of His unconditional love regardless of where I am. But, I believe I would have missed out on so much more if personal sacrifice wasn't involved, if I chose to hide and not face things head on, or if I chose the easy way out. I believe, many of those miracles, restoration, love, redemption, power and might, are experienced through the difficulties of walking the journey even when we don't think we have the strength to go on. He shows us SO much more. And He gives us the strength to do it!

Recently, I began reading, When I Lay My Isaac Down by Carol Kent. It sure is incredible to read Carol's journey and see that same message I have been dealing with of letting go, even when the situation is nothing like my own. I absolutely couldn't resist the opportunity to share this with as many people as I know. This hit way too close to home for me and my family. The author's untold story is an amazing testimony of faith and strength through unimaginable pain. No matter what your story is...there is hope.

"Most of us will face an Isaac experience," when a crisis is thrust into our lives without warning and without survival instructions. Our "Isaacs" are the heart sacrifices we make when we choose to relinquish control and honor God with our choices even when all seems lost. We have to decide if we will let go of our control over a person, situation, or event, or if we will hang on for dear life and refuse to relinquish something we cherish. All of us have circumstances that produce varying degrees of personal loss and devastation. Will we maintain our grip on hope in the process of defeat? Will we live our lives with passion and purpose even if, in this lifetime, we are not permitted to have an answer to why something has happened? Will we choose unshakable faith, or will we give up on God? I believe God's great invitation is to engage us in the process of discovering the power of choosing faith when that decision makes no sense. There is hidden power in our unthinkable circumstances."

- Carol Kent (author of When I Lay My Isaac Down)

I hope and pray that when I struggle with the questions and I am burdened with defeat, I will not stay there long. Jesus, intervene and pull me close. Help me choose to have faith. I can't imagine life without it.

"As YOU embrace God's enduring, unconditional love, I pray that you will discover an unshakable faith that defies description welling up and infusing your soul with courage."
- Carol Kent