Yesterday started at 4:30 a.m. with the alarm startling me awake, only a couple hours after falling asleep. The sound of the alarm was a reminder of my sleepless night ~ we were off to Alexandria Schools and then Darien Lake for a band competition and award ceremony. Both my husband and I were chaperoning, along with some of our best friends. After two hours of wrestling my own fears and searching out Scriptures to provide the strength, direction and TRUST needed to survive the day ~ I gave it over to God. Instantly the anxiety lifted and I was able to sleep.
Two busses, two vans, a few family vehicles and seventy-three children loaded and started the convoy from the middle school for the 2 ½ hour trek to face one of my greatest fears…letting go and trusting my sweetness to God. The competition was wonderful, the students behaved beautifully and we were able to listen to a couple of the other schools perform. With competition out of the way, bag lunches distributed and rain gear on ~ we transitioned to Darien Lake for eight hours of fun in the park. I heard “The hard part is over, the rest of the day is fun and relaxation.” more times than I can count. While the majority had relaxed, I was starting to stress.
The band director gave directions, meeting location and times to both busses of students before releasing them in groups of four or more, with explicit directions to ALWAYS be with a buddy. Anyone found walking by themselves would spend thirty minutes with the chaperone catching them in violation of the rule. While traveling the short ten minutes to the park I had a choice to make, to trust or not to trust God with our daughter. I could spend the day sick to my stomach with a migraine or I could remember the Scripture verses (the truth) I had written down through the wee hours of the night ~ knowing and trusting God would be with her, and me. I chose to trust!
As my feet hit the pavement of puddles the fear and anxiety started to creep back in, my knees wobbled and then “SPLASH!” I jumped in the puddle. If I truly was accepting to trust Jesus, then I had to enjoy the day. Puddle jumping was the best way to start the day. I tried to remember the verses and replay them in my brain, knowing I had written each one out in a notebook hidden in my bag in case my brain quit working. I visualized the page the verse was printed on, knowing my little Bible was hidden in my bag too. After a walk around the park so I could “see” everywhere a child could possibly walk or hide ~ I thank Jesus for taking care of Mary. I rebuked the Devil and said “You will NOT have control over me or my daughter. Jesus is her protector, not me.” I’m thankful for a fun filled day of laughter, rain and puddle jumping.
We didn’t arrive back home until 12:30 a.m. (yes this morning) so I missed blogging on Saturday yet my conversation with God and the blog were never far from my mind. I took photographs to write about and reflected on the amazing, wonderful and truthful God I entrusted our daughter to. Sleeping until Noon sounded fabulous yet how could I stay in my jammies when God had blessed me so much in the past twenty-four hours? Off to Sunday school and church I went ~ guess what Pastor preached on? You know it, TRUST!!!
To trust or not to trust…I choose to trust! He is faithful! Otherwise I could be bit and swallowed by the shark. I would rather reflect Jesus 100% then be consumed.
Psalm 46:1-2a,5,7
God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear,...God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at the break of day. The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.
Today's first photograph is a "reflection" of a couple rides and the last two are of me being "bit". As I saw the reflection on the water I remember Pastor's latest series of "Who is God?" and the importance of us "reflecting" His (God's) qualities to others - If I let my anxiety overcome me, then I wasn't reflecting God.
God was, is and always will be faithful. He NEVER leaves us...we leave him.
Pastor Rick reminded us this morning, “God will NEVER let us down!”
2 Timothy 2:13
If we are faithless,
He will remain faithful,
For he cannot disown himself.
I jumped out of the shark's mouth and enjoyed the day, the first of many yet to come! Thank you Jesus and my wonderful friends & prayer partners!
Two busses, two vans, a few family vehicles and seventy-three children loaded and started the convoy from the middle school for the 2 ½ hour trek to face one of my greatest fears…letting go and trusting my sweetness to God. The competition was wonderful, the students behaved beautifully and we were able to listen to a couple of the other schools perform. With competition out of the way, bag lunches distributed and rain gear on ~ we transitioned to Darien Lake for eight hours of fun in the park. I heard “The hard part is over, the rest of the day is fun and relaxation.” more times than I can count. While the majority had relaxed, I was starting to stress.
The band director gave directions, meeting location and times to both busses of students before releasing them in groups of four or more, with explicit directions to ALWAYS be with a buddy. Anyone found walking by themselves would spend thirty minutes with the chaperone catching them in violation of the rule. While traveling the short ten minutes to the park I had a choice to make, to trust or not to trust God with our daughter. I could spend the day sick to my stomach with a migraine or I could remember the Scripture verses (the truth) I had written down through the wee hours of the night ~ knowing and trusting God would be with her, and me. I chose to trust!
As my feet hit the pavement of puddles the fear and anxiety started to creep back in, my knees wobbled and then “SPLASH!” I jumped in the puddle. If I truly was accepting to trust Jesus, then I had to enjoy the day. Puddle jumping was the best way to start the day. I tried to remember the verses and replay them in my brain, knowing I had written each one out in a notebook hidden in my bag in case my brain quit working. I visualized the page the verse was printed on, knowing my little Bible was hidden in my bag too. After a walk around the park so I could “see” everywhere a child could possibly walk or hide ~ I thank Jesus for taking care of Mary. I rebuked the Devil and said “You will NOT have control over me or my daughter. Jesus is her protector, not me.” I’m thankful for a fun filled day of laughter, rain and puddle jumping.
We didn’t arrive back home until 12:30 a.m. (yes this morning) so I missed blogging on Saturday yet my conversation with God and the blog were never far from my mind. I took photographs to write about and reflected on the amazing, wonderful and truthful God I entrusted our daughter to. Sleeping until Noon sounded fabulous yet how could I stay in my jammies when God had blessed me so much in the past twenty-four hours? Off to Sunday school and church I went ~ guess what Pastor preached on? You know it, TRUST!!!
To trust or not to trust…I choose to trust! He is faithful! Otherwise I could be bit and swallowed by the shark. I would rather reflect Jesus 100% then be consumed.
Psalm 46:1-2a,5,7
God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear,...God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at the break of day. The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.
Today's first photograph is a "reflection" of a couple rides and the last two are of me being "bit". As I saw the reflection on the water I remember Pastor's latest series of "Who is God?" and the importance of us "reflecting" His (God's) qualities to others - If I let my anxiety overcome me, then I wasn't reflecting God.
God was, is and always will be faithful. He NEVER leaves us...we leave him.
Pastor Rick reminded us this morning, “God will NEVER let us down!”
2 Timothy 2:13
If we are faithless,
He will remain faithful,
For he cannot disown himself.
I jumped out of the shark's mouth and enjoyed the day, the first of many yet to come! Thank you Jesus and my wonderful friends & prayer partners!
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