grip – KARLA LEES

Last night, I stepped out of my comfort zone and took part in a 12 hour worship burn…where we offered God praise and worship for 12 hours straight. Six teams, 2 hours each.

As a vocalist, usually two hours is a good maximum for keeping your voice strong without too much strain.

I had the beginnings of a cold when I woke up on Friday morning.

And was signed up to sing for 2 two hour time slots, 2 hours apart, in the wee hours of the morning (1-3 am) and when I am usually getting up (5-7 am).

I prayed and asked Him if I should cut back, and the following familiar verse came to mind:

I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13 (NIV)

So I didn’t, and I prepared for two sets. From the time I arrived, I stayed away from caffeine and sweets, drank about 8-10 glasses of water, rested my voice way more than I usually would, and only had the two things to help keep my throat moist besides water, shot glasses of pineapple juice and a few potato chips (the chips are apparently Amy Grant’s go to before a performance too).

And more than all that, I had to depend on Him in a way I normally never ask for help in.

An early riser, I am usually down for the count by 10 pm.

Last night, I didn’t get any sleep, nor did I sense God wanted me to. I had a strong reassurance I would be able to make it through without sleep, and without losing my voice or incurring too much strain. Since I am also singing Sunday morning, this was quite a bit outside my comfort zone.

I chose to trust He had me in His grip, and would get me through.

When I got to work this morning, I happened to look up the verse to double check it was the verse I remembered. I was stunned to see what Philippians 4:13 says in the Message translation:

Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am.

I stepped out, and God stepped up to meet me there. I am still stunned with the wonder that I have now been up for 29 hours straight, and do not feel as exhausted as I would have expected.

God took me in His strength beyond what I am capable of in my own strength, and then beyond even more!

When we step out and trust He is more than enough for all we will encounter and endure, our trust is not placed in vain.

If the Maker of the universe made me, He knows what I am capable of, both on my own and with His empowerment.

I can place myself with confidence in His care.

When I expectantly come close into His Presence, He never fails to meet me in each instance.

I am able to do far more than I realize when God holds me together and strengthens me.

Which He does because of:

His great love for me
His character – God of compassion, refuge, power, might. Its part of who He is
His desire to draw close to be with His Beloved
the truth that I now live in and within Him, so His strength is an overflow of His loving kindness

and not the least, due to

His acute awareness of how much I need Him!

The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance. I bless the Lord who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me. I have set the Lord always before me; because He is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.
*Psalm 16:6-8 ESV

The path has been quite rocky over this most recent leg of this journey.

Changes left & right have caused me to recenter & stand firm on the unshakeable truth: God alone is my sure foundation.

I have had to take a step back & closely examine what matters most to me, and He has been reshaping me on the inside while the storms swirl around me on the outside.

By the way, a storm is anything that tries to knock you on your Foundation. It can be a temptation, a spiritual attack, a crossing of a boundary, a sudden loss….any unexpected change, big or small.

God has been quietly prompting me to allow Him to set my boundary lines, and giving me the strength to hold fast to Him as I do.

Boundary #1: God time is in permanent marker in my schedule, wherever & whenever He wants.

Allowing Him ownership blesses my time, makes me more confident He is with me & more productive at all I do.

Boundary #2: Self care under His direction is not selfish.

This includes enforcing my need for balance. Too much work at a time leaves me exhausted & drained. As part of my work is freelance, I now have boundaries on when I will/will not work which God is helping me reinforce.

Boundary #3: After God, my family is more important.

God didn’t just randomly refer to children as treasures or gifts we were never meant to unwrap. Your spouse is to be your best friend, the one you go to first after God with whatever is bugging you. God wants us to have daily family time, however that can look for your family. Meals, DVD, walking, laughing, worshipping together…. We miss the tight bonds God planned for us when we fail to put family ahead of all else after Him.

Boundary #4: Saying no is to be welcomed when it is enforcing a boundary, and/or following His leading.

I have a hard time with this one, as several people around me like to try and bypass my no. What is urgent to them is to become my urgent project to be immediate dealt with. If I am already working, or on a day off, I need to say no or not yet. If they can’t accept it, that isn’t my problem. As the Polish saying goes, “Not my circus, not my monkeys!”

The reality is: I am not on call 24/7 to anyone but God or my family.

I suspect I am not the only one who needed to read that truth today. If your ‘no’ is not being respected, then quite honestly the requester is not respecting you. Stand up for yourself, and if you have to, take a stand. I have left a job I was very good at because my employer crossed the boundaries I had clearly set. As much as I hated doing so at the time, it was the best thing I could have done for myself to learn how to enforce my boundaries, knowing God was with me as I did so. No means no. God will back you for standing firm on a boundary He has helped you set.

Boundary #5: God & I together are free to change, adapt or create new boundaries at any time. I don’t need anyone else’s permission to follow His lead.

Now, if I do something completely out of character or fall into sin, it will become obvious to those around me whether God is in it or not. We are known by our actions & their fruit, not only our words. We are to be considerate & honor one another, and at the same time we are not be someone else’s doormat to be walked all over at their convenience.

I speak from experience that I have learned the difference between serving & being a slave.

I will not head back into the chains God rescued me from.

I had spiritually cowered like Piglet for way too long, being timid and afraid to speak up for myself. Allowing God to direct me into healthier living has enabled me to see that where He wants me to step, in His Presence, will lead me towards becoming the ‘me’ He designed me to become.

Final Thoughts:

I don’t need to apologize when I improve for the better, when Holiness & Love grip me so tight I become broken to be rebuilt into something better & more precious: More His.

My boundaries all lead back to freeing myself to live more fully in the wide open spaces of His love, mercy, grace & Presence, where He is constantly with me.

So the winds will continue to try & sweep me off my feet. Let them come, I say:

Because if I am already on my knees, I will not be shaken.

God’s promise: When I stay close to Him & follow His lead, He’s got me solidly 100% on His grip.

In His strength, I can stand firm and hold my ground when the storms circle about me.

Hold fast, dear ones.
God knows the way ahead, and the way through.
He’s got you.

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in His strength

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