Fear, disappointments, worry, depression- these are some of the things in life that try to build our “house”.  You know, where we live and think, and breathe and play.  These things try to surround us, define us, enclose us, and trap us.

But God is building a different house, with a sure foundation that cannot be shaken-

He is building a house of Love!

As a child, I was pretty oblivious to fears.  My mom and dad took care of me, taught me that God loved me and I was happily secure in His love and theirs.  Then, as a teenager, I began experiencing disappointments, fears, and worries. These were typical; not getting cheerleader in high school, worrying about my grades, my looks, and fitting in with the “crowd”.    As an adult, it seemed disappointments escalated my worries and fears.  Two pinnacle disappointments were losing my mom to cancer when I had just become a mom myself and watching our daughter lose her battle with cancer.  This started 14 years living under the shadow of fear.  Though I was a Christian, fear taunted me with all kinds of different scenerios of death, destruction, and mayhem. Worry warred within my mind.

All the while the promises of God’s love hovered out of my reach-

I knew they were there-

I just couldn’t seem to reach them and wrap them around myself.

 It wasn’t as if anyone else would have known the battle that assaulted my mind and heart.   I looked and acted “normal”.  Then again, maybe I was normal, because I have discovered many of us live under the reign of fear. The silly thing was, I didn’t want to admit to anyone that I was afraid.

Oh, how I wish I could give everyone a secret short cut to God’s amazing, freeing love!

  How I wish I would have learned to live there sooner! 

I’m sure God does it differently in each of us, but here is how He is building me into His house of love.

1.)  I had to become like a little child again-

 He is my Father, I am His child. I am an heir who shares His glory AND His suffering.  He doesn’t exempt me from suffering but He doesn’t withhold His glory.  I am safe in His arms.  I can rest in the love of my Heavenly Father that anything I go through- He is going through it with me!  And that truth has finally moved from my head to my heart, to the very fiber of my being.   Selah- pause and consider that!

 TO BE CONTINUED……..

 Surprising Treasures: ^“ So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children.  And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.”  Romans 8:5

Safe- Phil Wickham