Tag: strength

when you are the owner of a broken heart

Karla Lees

Friend, today I am going to share from the heart one of the biggest lessons I have ever learned about brokenness.  My prayer is that the same God who is rebuilding the broken pieces with me will give you a glimpse of hope where you are feeling broken.

Maybe you and I, we’re never meant to be complete. Could we just be broken together? If you can bring your shattered dreams and I’ll bring mine. Could healing still be spoken and save us? The only way we’ll last forever is broken together. – Broken Together- Casting Crowns

Relationships are hard.

Especially the ones with the people you interact with every day.

Because in our own way, deep down within each of us, we are broken.

Some more than others, but no one walks this earth unscathed in some way.

Not even Jesus did.

I have found that when I am feeling broken, I have a tendency to hide away, lick my wounds and brood. Occasionally, a full blown cry fest erupts, leaving me exhausted on top of the broken pieces I am trying so hard to hold together.

But we were designed for community. With our best friends and families, but especially in marriage, if we have been blessed with that gift.

These past 25 years together, my hubby and I have had a lot of mileage into the realm of brokenness. It has been harder than I imagined at times, more painful than I ever thought, and gone deeper than I ever dreamed possible.

Yet together we are stronger because of it, for we can see God moving better in each other at times than we can sense Him moving within ourselves.

Building one another up when the other is feeling low. Being the shoulder to cry on when we need to let it out.

Because the secret to being broken in a marriage and still staying married?

The three stranded cord.

By yourself you’re unprotected. With a friend you can face the worst. Can you round up a third? A three-stranded rope isn’t easily snapped.  Ecclesiastes 4:12 (MSG)

When even one of you invite God into your marriage, He intertwines Himself into it. He becomes the stabilizer, the marriage counselor. He gives you the love to express when you feel empty, yet your hubby needs to know you care. He gives your hubby the strength to just listen & tell you he loves you.

Without God, our marriage would not have made it this far.

Because in our own strength we would have run on empty long ago.

It’s not about having made a bad pick, or being a mismatched pair.

It’s making the one you are with your mate, supported by the Love that never fails, never gives up and never runs out on either of you, or your marriage.

If you know you are broken and need help, pray and ask God to bring you to the right resources, or bring the best help to you.

Your spouse’s brokenness isn’t for you to heal, that is His job. They need your support and love as they face their own brokenness and support you in yours.

God knew when He designed marriage that we would need one another:

In better, in worse.
In sickness, in health.
With wealth, without much.
Whether whole or broken.

The amazing thing I have found? My hubby and I have not been so broken in the same ways that we couldn’t be there for one another. Often not perfectly, but present none the less.

In His mercy, He makes us the mate our spouse needs. Whether we have broken bits or not.

Only God can take what is broken, and shape it to make something beautiful.

  • He is with us, every step of the journey.
  • His Presence draws closer with every request for Him to come and be nearer.
  • His love, strength, grace and mercy are more than enough for what you and your spouse may face today.

He longs to restore and repair where we are broken, and can do amazing things when we place ourselves in His hands.

Broken together with the Potter makes for a beautiful finish beyond belief.

When we give Him all the pieces, He can make us whole again, one piece at a time.

broken together

#broken #hopefortheharddays #hopeinHisPresence

in His strength

Karla Lees

image

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!

 

all of You is more than enough

Karla Lees

Yesterday was an interesting day.

No matter what I did, the timing seemed to be just slightly off. I am sure you can relate.

But I had a strong sense that everything was happening according to His timing, despite how I was feeling.

Even when I had to head to the ER with my eldest right after I finished work.

I had an unusual assurance that all would be well, despite the circumstances.

The last time we were in the ER? We look back on it now as a comedy reel. While performing a procedure on my child, one of the nurses accidentally set off her “I am being assaulted” alerts, and two huge security guards withdrawn guns swarmed into the room while loud alerts were sounding.

All while I was sitting across the hall facing the surgical room, with no visibility.

I almost had a panic attack from the adrenaline that surged with that sudden incident.

And do you know not one staff came to reassure me my child, under anaesthetic in that room, was okay?

I overheard a nurse tell another staff what had happened on the other side of the hall a few moments later, after the security men left the room, and I know it was His timing to help me calm down and breathe again.

The rest of the night, the communication was limited or non existent. Eight people treated my daughter in total, and only one was partly helpful to help us learn what was going on and what to do moving forward. In fact, we had to head back the next day to get the paperwork necessary for my child to miss school, as the doctor immediately left after the procedure without completing it, despite our obvious requests beforehand.

God knew that day I needed a physical reminder He was with me, and put it on the heart of one of my heart sisters to show up and sit with me as we waited to be discharged. He knew I needed a person in my corner so I could step into the strength He had for me in that night’s battle.

So the first thing that came to mind this time was to raise up as much prayer from my family to shift the atmosphere before we left the house.

And God showed Himself mightily as we did. We had a lovely doctor who has chosen an alternate treatment to what we were expecting, and who wants to check in with us in 48 hours to ensure it is working.

God knows what we need in each moment we face, Beloved.

All He is is more than enough for anything we could ever face.

I am learning to trust Him beyond what I dreamed possible when I first became a Christian.

It is hard to put your child on the altar when He asks it of us, when fear is rising and your mind tries to take you into all the possible nightmares that could happen in an emergency.

I have found He has been more than enough in every emergency I have faced. Losing my baby when I miscarried. Comforting a sudden widower over the loss of his wife, my husband’s sister. When the sounds flatline despite your prayers. Not knowing where next week’s grocery money was going to come from. The times my baby could hardly breathe. When I hadn’t slept for 5 nights, 6 days straight when in hospital for unknown reasons, and thought I was going to lose my mind. Hearing the word cancer spoken over family members. Holding my best friends when their marriages came crashing to rock bottom in times of crisis.

In each of these situations, God revealed Himself so powerfully I stand in awe at His timing, His provision and His Presence.

Like the Israelites in the desert, He meets all my needs.

My covering will not wear thin or fail to protect me, for He Himself cloaks and shields me.

My provision will come. For just as manna fell from heaven, so does He open His storehouses for His children.

My brokenness will be made whole, for God is in the constant restoration mindset.

He continues to make the ashes of our hurt and shards of our breaks into something more beautiful than we can see in during the transition process, because of His great love for us.

What I need to live the life He has for me, He ensures I have when I put my trust in Him.

He is the God of the constant now. He was with me in the past. He promises to be with me in the future, and on into heaven.

But He is fully here, right now, beside me, within me, guiding and reassuring me as each moment brings a new need to light.

Whether the need needs to be uprooted from deep inside to reach the new freedom He desires for me….

Whether the need lies in His comfort as the need reveals itself to be linked to loss….

Whether the need is for a physical touch, a calming of the mind, filling up my love tank, refueling my body with food, the Word or rest….

I know without doubt He is for me.

And He is more than enough in every moment I have faced, am facing and will face yet to come.

Ask Him for a deeper revelation of His love and care for you.  Pray for dreams, visions, confirmation, and watch His love in action reveal itself to you in your need.

All of You is more than enough for all of me, for every thirst and every need. You satisfy me with Your love, and all I have in You, is more than enough.

Chris Tomlin

image

Wisdom Seekers

Karla Lees

If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God,who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. James 1:5 (NIV)

The quest for knowledge can become a fact finding mission without an end, unless you know the right place to search.

I am married to a man who is my complete opposite. As a science brained person, he loves logical progression as he acquires knowledge (a+b=c). As an artsy creative type person, I love to use my senses and intuition to learn. We have been known to frustrate one another because we cannot explain ourselves so that the other gets what we are saying.

As newlyweds this caused a great deal of friction in our marriage.

Until I discovered this verse in James, and realized if we were ever to understand one another, we would need the Holy Spirit to help us communicate.

It takes His wisdom to show us what is behavioral, and what has been hardwired into our design.

God has never failed to shine His truth and wisdom on any situation where I have first waited for Him to speak.  

Heartbreaking, traumatic or at a crossroads—whatever the circumstance—His wisdom was the exact fit for what I needed to know, and for where I needed to go from there.

I can honestly say I am still married today because of God’s wisdom, love, grace and guidance through some very turbulent waters.

Pause and Apply:  Do I tend to leap before thinking? What do I need to bring before God so He can speak wisdom into it?

Prayer:  Lord, You give the gift of wisdom to all who ask. I am asking today. Help me navigate the choppy waters ahead in a way that pleases You.

The post Wisdom Seekers first appeared on Remade.
image

lean into Hope

Karla Lees

image

His timing is perfect.

The Max Lucado quote above jumped out at me last Sunday night, again yesterday morning, and won’t leave me be.

This morning, I awoke to the beginnings of a migraine. and this quote jumped back out to me, yet again.

I choose to believe it’s God reminding me of the truth it contains.

Lean into Hope.

God knows we need a shoulder to lean on and strong arms to hold us. That’s His job. Ours is to learn in at all times, trusting He is there for us. No matter what.

Heed the call of heaven.

We can’t find our path through the storms without His light showing us the way through. We may not be able to see our way, but if we are listening for His voice, we can hear His direction guiding us onwards.

Press into the Promises.

Our God is the God of Promise. What He says will happen, will.
What He says He will do, He will.
The precious promises He has wrapped throughout the Bible are there for us to wrap our hearts about when things are bumpy, painful or seemingly exhausted of hope.

These three short sentences all have something in common, besides all being penned by the same man.

They are all calls to action.

We need to choose to do these three steps in order to keep our equilibrium during the storms.

Because God is waiting for us to lean, heed and press in to Him.

He can’t do those steps for us.

He can be with us when we accept His reminders and invitations to come…

Lean on the arms which never tire, heed His loving voice speaking hope and life, press in to our ever present never shaken Rock.

He is the strength we need.
He is the love we crave.
He is the foundation we long for.

You do remember He adores you? Always has, always will?
No matter what?

Choose Hope, Beloved.

Every day, every time, every season.

For He alone will never fail to rekindle our hope when we put our faith and trust in Him.

when the going gets rough

Karla Lees

I get a bit queasy on buses & boats.

As long as I can keep my eyes fixed on a permanent spot, I am able to calm myself.

In our daily lives, the waters can become rough with towering waves in the blink of an eye.

Insecurity & doubt can rise to try and crash over us.

That task you thought was impossible you now know is almost unachievable the closer you get to it.

And then He lovingly whispers to you, “Do not be afraid, I am here.”

The words “I am” at first don’t seem too deep, just letting the reader know the person speaking is there.

But God’s very name IS “I AM”.

So its not just a person present, but the God of all ages, past present & future, who is right there in that moment.

Once a day, you can read a verse where God speaks to His children, “Do not be afraid,” or “Fear not.”

Coz He knows many of us need that daily reminder to soak in deep. To help center us in the storm. To keep our eyes on the StormKeeper instead of the storm itself.

God is not a distant being far removed from His creation, His children.

He dug in deep for the long haul wit humanity since He first brought Adam & Eve to life.

He stepped in and made a way back Home for all who believe in Him though Jesus.

But He didn’t stop there.

The Word is filled with stories of broken, stumbling people like you and I. Ones who break the rules, veer off the path, leap before looking or react without thinking it through.

God has woven Himself through each and every story recorded in the Word.  Literally & figuratively.

He literally is the same God now as He was in those recorded stories.

For I AM never ages.

He is not bound by the laws of time & space as humanity is, God He was, is and always will be.

For I AM is beyond our limits.

He has not hidden His heart from His children, but lavishly displays it every single day.

Through each sunrise & sunset.
Through each new birth.
Through each rain drop, gust of wind, new growth in the gardens & fields.
Through each act of love where the receiver’s needs are placed ahead of the giver’s.
Through each smile, hug, belong hand.
Through His Words, recorded across time, language & culture, encompassing a small glimpse into the mighty I AM we can spend eternity getting to know in His entirety.
Through His Son, the anchor of God’s love in any storm which may come our way. He is the Lighthouse showing us the way back Home, in His embrace.
Through Holy Spirit, the GPS reminding us the way to take, and how much we are loved as we make our way towards Him.
Through the love of the Father. Who will never stop calling to us above the waves to hold on, He’s got us.

Feeling a little seasick from the storm?

Stop filling your eyes with the view of the storm.

Start fixing your hope, your heart on the Anchor above it all.

God is the only one who will never fail you in any storm. His commitment to you lead Him to the cross, His love for you kept Him there. His desire for you caused Him to overturn death & make His way back to you.

The God I write about is alive.
Active. The Great “I AM.”

His promise holds fast.
Do not be afraid, I AM with you.
Every day, through every storm, in everything.

image

steeped in His strength

Karla Lees

Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.

– Matthew 6:33 MSG

Afraid of missing out?

God is there for you in a real way.

He extends His hand in a love driven offer for you:

To be with You.

To care for You.

To love You.

He is just waiting to help us.

He promises in His Word to provide for us, in every way we need, each day.

Just like tea, the more we steep in Him for our daily needs, the stronger the faith we will develop!

Come & see that He is all you need.  Steep in His Presence, and let all He is infuse all you need with His loving care.

image

weary aches

Karla Lees

Last night, after very busy week, i crashed. My core within me is telling me to rest.

So today, I am. And I am trying not to feel guilty about it as all the things I could be doing instead flash in my mind.

Just because I could doesn’t mean I should.

I because I can doesn’t mean I will.

So this week, I started saying no.

And yes.

No to what will cause me to feel more weary, yes to more rest.

And deep within, I know God is pleased I am doing so.

Lord, may we walk, run, jump, write, sing, love, do all we are mean to do at Your pace.
In Your timing.
For Your glory.
With Your grace.

I lay my weariness down, and arise in Your strength.

Because I can’t, You can.

Because I won’t, You will.

I am ever grateful that Your Kingdom doesn’t work the way we think it should, but the way You want it to!

Rest deep, my friends, in His purpose for each of you.

May His embrace give you all you will ever need for the race ahead.

For His Beloved, He gave His all.

For His children, He continues to do the same, in every need they have!

My weariness ebbs away as I hear You speak this truth to my soul. 🙂

I am Yours.

image

holding fast

Karla Lees

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.

image

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.

when the ground is shaking

Karla Lees

Your work schedule has drastically changed,

illness has suddenly inconvenienced you,

the bills keep getting higher,

and the weight of it all makes you feel like you are on shaky ground.

Maybe, just maybe, you are like me.

You can carry too much on your own shoulders, and all it takes is one shift of one situation to throw your balance off kilter.

Like Chicken Little, you begin to think the sky is falling, and you proceed to run around like a little chick in circles.

You too may forget to look up, & give up.

Look up into the face of the One who wants to show you the love He has for you.

Give up trying to do it all alone, and allow Him to shoulder the burden you were never designed to carry.

That sounds so simple, yet many days i find it more of a struggle.

Because i forget to look up, and give up.

When He strengthens me, i can do way more than i ever dreamed or believed i could.

Because He is so much more than we can even imagine!

When i make the time to worship, dig deeper into the Word, and listen to hear His voice above the world’s murmurs of busyness….He never fails to remind me He is there for me, and longs for me to look up, and give up.  When i do, these words come to life within me:

For God alone my soul waits in silence; from Him comes my salvation.
 He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken.   Psalm 62:1-2 ESV

And He reminds me of these such truths, through my daily quiet time, worship, instagram, Twitter & Facebook, the words of fellow believers and even different translations of the same verse.! Sometimes hearing a familiar Word put a different way can awaken your soul to it afresh:

God, the one and only—I’ll wait as long as He says. Everything I need comes from Him, so why not? He’s solid rock under my feet, breathing room for my soul, An impregnable castle: I’m set for life.  Psalm 62:1-2 MSG

God, may i ever take my eyes off of myself & my circumstances and look up to You first before and above all.

Help me to give up what i am carrying, even if i don’t know i am. Free up space within for my soul to breathe in Your company.  Be the solid Rock i am anchored upon, my hiding place & fortress of strength.

In and through and with You, I can make it through, knowing You are more than enough, all i need.

psalm 62v1n2