So Sorry to Wake You!!

"So sorry to wake you,". he yelled through the letterbox - just when I thought I was going to sleep in. WOW, what did he expect - me to jump out of bed and meet him out in the driveway?

You never can tell when someone comes in early some mornings and expects you to be wide awake and all ears to their needs and/or demands

It's really tiring, isn't it, when you may have had a very late night and finally climbed into bed, struggle to get to sleep because you have so much on your mind, finally fall into a deep sleep only to be woken by any number of things happening around you.

So when someone comes around like that and wakes you, you feel like throwing something at them and telling them to 'get lost'. 

You know, everyone worries about things that seem important to them. Lots of things like:- work (which can take so much of your time and energy), money troubles (oh dear - they are pretty horrible), health issues,  family, relationships, job security, weight and appearance, and so it goes on - somewhat endlessly.

All of these types of things can significantly influence how we worry and become consumed by everything that truly bothers us.

Í guess in lots of ways worries, whatever those worries are, can lead us to anxiety and often sadly enough can become a real problem and we can go downhill really, really fast.

Apparently, in today's world, there are numerous ways we can address our concerns and develop new and innovative techniques. We can:-  challenge any negative thoughts we have. Yes, I can see that would be a great way to start - maybe not really easy to do, but it can be very fulfilling. 

We can maybe say meditation could be the way to go: - My niece is a big fan of meditation - she goes off to the beach very early each Saturday morning and joins a meditation group on the sand, which she finds extremely helpful,  even on the coldest winter mornings and well before the sun finally breaks through.

Then there is Deep breathing:- Interesting thing to think about. Apparently, deep breathing can reduce physical tension and calm our nerves. Interesting!

If worries and concerns are really getting to you, then you should really consider seeking professional help from a counsellor or therapist, or actually go see your doctor and have a wise chat. 

What does God say about worries, anxiety, concerns, and depression? In 1 Peter chapter 5, Peter tells us to cast all of our concerns and anxieties onto God because He really does care for you.

What does that actually mean? Well, put it simply, if you come to God and really want Him to take control of your life and you ask Him to do just that, then He definitely will because He certainly does care that much about us.

God is really concerned about everything that goes on in our lives, and when we give our problems over to God, He does give us peace.

It doesn't mean that the problem miraculously disappears - of course not - BUT... it does mean that we can get on with our lives knowing that God truly does care enough about us.

When we are faced with life's biggest hurdles and when we are in times of great need, we often ask God for help, but then we feel we are not receiving the help that we want - it can be sad and extremely depressing.

This under no circumstances means that God isn't listening and that he doesn't care about us or our troubles. 

When you read the Bible and you see what Jesus went through in the Garden of Gethsemane, then even He cried out to God to let this pass from me - he knew he was going to be crucified horribly and with excruciating pain - yet God didn't answer his prayers in the way that He pleaded with Him.

Jesus was totally in God's will, not His own - it's a lot to take in, isn't it?

We so often can cry out to God, and when we do, God so often hears us, and he knows what we are going through.

Though Jesus asked God to please stop Him from going to Calvary, He asked with the condition "if it is possible". Jesus was in complete submission to God's will and not His own. If His suffering was a part of God's will, then He was willing to accept that.

When we cry out, "God, please help me," God hears us and always responds. He may not do so in the way we wish, but He responds nonetheless. Understandably, when we are in the middle of any suffering and grief, it is difficult to see the wider perspective of God's plan, especially when we receive an answer of "no" or "not now." But we can trust in God's sovereignty because we know He is good.

At the moment, in our family, we are going through a pretty tough time - our son is suffering horribly with cancer. When we pray and God doesn't answer in the way we would like then how do we react?

We personally have found ourselves pouring our hearts out to God, but we then feel that our prayers are falling on deaf ears, confusing, and greatly upsetting. We are truly not alone in this sort of situation when we feel that God remains silent when we pray.

The Bible reminds us in John Chapter 5 that God hears us and will respond - unfortunately, maybe not in the way we hope to expect. It can be frustrating to say the least, but do you know - you can be honest with God - pour out your feelings to Him - tell Him how you really are feeling.

God may have a hugely different plan for our lives that we may have planned, and His ways are much higher that ours, regardless of how we may be feeling. tell God how you are feeling, he isn't going to stop loving you or your family through hard times.

I know personally through the sufferings of our boy, just a fraction of what Jesus must have gone through, or the many thousands of people suffering horribly around the world.

This is something that we may never fully understand, but one thing I do understand through all of this is that God loves me regardless of how I feel and the many problems I personally face. We accept His love and His saving grace, and we venture on with Him, asking for His guidance and trusting Him regardless. 

God may have a hugely different plan for our lives that we may have planned for ourselves, and His ways are much higher than ours, regardless of how we may be feeling. Tell God how you are feeling. He isn't going to stop loving you or your family through hard times. 

God knows all about us, in fact, everything that's going on and taking place in our lives, including our deepest inner thoughts (which can be pretty scary) and our motives. In Hebrews 4:13, it says, "Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight"- that alone can be pretty scary because it totally tells us that we can't possibly ever EVER hide anything, including ourselves, from God. 

In one way, it's scary, BUT in another way, it brings us HUGE hope because even though He does know everything about us, He still loves us with a never-ending love. He is amazing because, despite our personal sins, which are huge and seemingly never-ending, He (God) loves us so much that He sent His only Son here on earth to pay for all of our sins from the past to the present day.

You know, you can turn to Jesus Christ right now if you want to. It's as simple as turning away from all those things that hang around us constantly - those things that we know are wrong, and yet we do them anyway - those things that we keep to ourselves and hide away from everyone else.

So, how do we turn away from them? By asking God to take control, He will come into your life and convict you of your sins and keep bringing you back to Himself. He is amazing.

I personally love this verse in Psalm 139 and verses 23 to 24: "Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." May this amazing prayer become ours personally.

God bless you this week, and may you ask Jesus Christ to come into your life and be your rock and steadfast anchor.

Huge blessings