redeemed.

A young brown haired, hazel eyed girl takes out her crayons and begins to write a sign to be hung up...but its not for something an everyday 7 year old girl would be trying to find, like a dog or a lost bracelet. It is something much more important. It's her own father, who went missing 3 days before. No calls, no notes, no scent left to find him. Now tears, worries, and frantic calls surround and buzz around the apartment that she lives in with her family. They were one of only two white families in the neighborhood. The diversity that gave those city blocks life-giving breath was the same diversity that she would come to love in the future. It allowed for tasty foods from far away countries, new words, and different looking friends that caused color blindness. That same melting pot was drenched with crime infestation, gun shots, addictions, and days of not being able to play with those different looking friends though. The latter is what caused the girl's father to leave his family behind. It was too strong to fight. He couldn't do it. It had begun to overtake him. No more family, no more job, no more him. Only the drugs. His eyes were set on one thing and he was willing to do whatever it would take to get them, even if it meant leaving his family behind. He wasn't the father he should have been. His attention was split. His cares placed elsewhere. He wasn't there. The fleshly desires of the world were creeping into this tiny apartment like fumes...through the cracks in the walls and under the door. It wanted to overtake and capture each person left in there. The little girl took her crayon colored sign to her sobbing Mommy to hang up. She wanted to find her Daddy.

A few long and weary days later, he came back...red eyed and irritable. The family couldn't take anymore of this. How much longer could they go on hiding secrets and suffering in this way? Thus began the years in and out of rehab and safe houses. Relapses and remissions. Moves out of the melting pot to try and help fight temptation. During this roller coaster, the little girl met a special someone. She was not too fond of him in the beginning. He was different than how she had known him before. She began to fall in love with him though. He began to capture her heart. He was her first love. He caused a separation in her family. Not every person liked him. She didn't care though.

Fast forward 8 years later, everything seemed to be more status quo. The sweet and sassy little 7 year old was now growing into a beautiful 15 year old. Everything seemed more normal, or so it was thought. One early summer day in June, the teenage girl, her brother, and mom went out. The girl walked into her living room and saw a white piece of paper hanging on the TV. It was from her father. It talked about how he loved the family, but that he could not be with them anymore. He wanted to go find himself. Screams and wails left the young girl's mouth. Mom knew right away what it was. Their world as they knew it, was about to turn upside down. Where would they live? How would they eat? Who would love them? The fumes of the world tried to come into their house again, just like it tried years before, or maybe they had left with the bags carried out by the girl's father that morning as he drove off. That was the last the girl would see of her father for a while.

The world says this little girl has few choices now. Her father is gone and has not been there. She will live on the street. She will abuse drugs. She will become pregnant. She will find her worth and identity in men. She will leave her family and divorce. She will fail in school. She won't accomplish anything of worth. She is worthless.

But...
The world was wrong. She does have a Daddy. She found Him. She wanted to find Him when she was making her sign. He wasn't really lost though. She just couldn't see Him then. He was there the whole time. She found Him years later. He was the man that not everyone liked. He was her first love, the one that captured her heart. When daddy left, she didn't have to worry because she knew she still had DADDY. He had chosen her. He had promised her. He had redeemed her. He had loved her. He had formed her.

The world might say on thing. But this girl knew that her Daddy said another. He told her that she had a future and a hope. She would prosper and be blessed. She would be fed and clothed. Every need would be supplied for. She would be rejoiced and sang over. She would never be left or forsaken. She would have a beautiful inheritance. She would be His vessel and used for His purposes. She would accomplish great things. She was a worthy woman created for His glory. She was worth it all.

This girl had been redeemed. He wanted to save her from evil and sin.
The world had tried to seep in through those cracks and windows, but something was stopping it each time. A person more powerful than any other was keeping it back. That person wouldn't let anything touch the little girl. His blood is what would save her. He would suffer and die for her. He would be raised from the dead and enter glory to sit at the right hand of His Father for her.

He was there. He never left. He was her DADDY.

What's your story? Look back and see how you are not who you "should" be. The Lord has redeemed you and made you His.
"Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are MINE." -Isaiah 43:1b

the rock won't move

Imagine it. You find yourself on top of a beautiful hill of sparkling sand that you piled together of dreams, desires, and hopes while overlooking the beautiful sea. As you stand there, your footing seems a little unstable, but you are still standing feeling as if can achieve anything and overcome everything with a victorious result. As sand crumbles and moves beneath your feet, you catch yourself and stand back up. You’re still standing strong. Then, out of nowhere, comes a light breeze, which quickly becomes a Chicago style, skirt raising, hair in your face sort of wind. By this point, not only are your feet sinking, but your body is swaying from side to side being tossed to and fro by the movement of the wind. You struggle to stand strong and steadfast. As you grasp around trying to help yourself, it becomes tiring and is starting to feel like an uphill battle. As you try to stand back up, the wind picks up. You look out. Huge waves are approaching. You don’t even have time to brace yourself. The waves come crashing in all around you. The strength of the storm is too much to bear. It not only wipes your hill to nothing, but now you find yourself gasping and trying to keep your head above the water. Your world, dreams, and desires are washing out to sea. The waves are all around you. It’s all you can see. Fear has not only crept in, but overtaken you. You look around. There is no one around to help you. You feel alone. Tears begin to stream from your eyes. You are desperate. Your body is losing strength. You are not sure how long you will be able to survive. It’s getting dark. As you try to stay afloat, your eyes catch a rocky shore in the distance. Your eyes look up and you find yourself pleading with everything that is left in you, “Hear my cry, O God, listen to my prayer, from the end of the earth I call to you when my heart is faint. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I, for you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the enemy.”

Let’s stop our story right there.

We’re all fooling ourselves if we try to believe that we were never that person standing on the sand. The question isn’t whether you have found yourself in that place, but rather how long have you been trying to stand on a crumbly foundation? How many crashing waves is it going to take for you to realize that you cannot stand anymore on your own shaky foundation? The waves of financial instability, relationship issues, insecurities, medical news….the list could go on. It’s not “if”, it’s going to happen…it’s “when” it’s going to happen. We live in a sinful broken world that is decaying more each day.

I have been and at times continue with my struggle of trying to stand on my own foundation, that is only built of sand….or in other words, all the things that I find my identity in….my job, my appearance, my gifts and talents, my personality, my hopes, my dreams, my church, my friends and the people I know, and the opposite sex. Maybe you find yourself in the same place as me? Or maybe it’s something else? Name it. We want to be known and recognized. If you dig deep enough, you’ll find an area that you seem to cling to and find security in. We all do.

I had to learn the hard way this year. I had built my foundation alright, but not the way it was meant to be built. The waves of insecurities, heartbreak, health issues, fears, financial instability, weariness in ministry, anxiety, and depression came crashing in one after the other. I felt like I was being swallowed up whole and was going to drown. Darkness was hiding His face. I’m not even going to say that the waves are fully gone, but I found my eyes looking up to Heaven in my distress crying out,

“Hear my cry, O God, listen to my prayer, from the end of the earth I call to you when my heart is faint. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I, for you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the enemy.”

I knew He was waiting for me.

Loved One….He heard. And He hears you. He did not let me continue sinking. He pulled me out with His great and mighty strong hands. He led me to the Rock that was greater. He not only led me there, but stood me up on the Rock. He whispered in my ear, “You are mine, because of what my Son did for you on the cross. I am enough. I am all you need. I am your salvation. I am never changing. I do not move. I am faithful. I will never leave you. And I…am your Rock.”

I stood up steadfast and strong on my Rock. When I stood up, the waves didn’t go away. They were still there, but this time, as they came crashing in. I didn’t slip or sink. When darkness seemed to hide Him, I rested on who He said He was and His promises. I looked out at the sea before me and could sing wholeheartedly, “On Christ the solid rock, I stand. All other ground is sinking sand. The Rock won’t move. And when darkness seems to hide His face, I rest on His unchanging grace. The Rock won’t move.”

You can sing that, too. Call out to Him. Surrender that shaky foundation that you find yourself trying to stand on. Stand on the Rock of Your Salvation, that is NEVER moving.

“There is none holy like the Lord; for there is none besides you; there is no rock like our God.” (1 Sam 2:22)

my anchor.

anchor: 1. : a device usually of metal attached to a ship or boat by a cable and cast overboard to hold it in a particular place by means of a fluke that digs into the bottom 2: a reliable or principal support 3: something that serves to hold an object firmly

Storms will come. They are inevitable. Some are light. Some are strong. They can last a few short minutes or others make you wonder if you will ever feel the calm again. A boat can find itself in danger amidst these storms. They have one necessary and vital item though that they carry…

Every boat has an anchor. The purpose of an anchor is to help the vessel stay in place and prevent it from drifting due to the conditions that surround it. The boat could easily be tossed to and fro by the waves and winds that encompass it, but this somewhat small object is used to hold this huge vessel in place. There is something to be said about “there’s more here, than meets the eye.” An anchor can be quite small, but don’t be fooled…this little object weighs much and does not need help from anyone or anything else.

Imagine now that you are a boat. I know, difficult to do, but trust me on this. And lo and behold, you find yourself right now in your own storm. Hard to imagine right? Let’s be honest…Right now, you are either in a storm, or one is on the way. Remember, they are inevitable.

What are the waves that you find crashing at your sides? What are the clashing and thunderous sounds you hear ringing in your ears? What are the black clouds that seem to surround you?

Is it insecurity or doubt? Is it a health crisis or a death? Is it a breakup or let down? Is it a financial setback or job loss? Is it fear or anxiety?

It is dark. It is terrifying. It feels as if you will never see the light again.

But you my dear friend, have an anchor. It is called hope. It is “sure and steadfast.” This anchor is secure. It is secure because it is dug into something far more firm than we can ever imagine. We call that something Jesus Christ. We have this hope, because of what Christ did on the cross. He is our High Priest. As followers of Christ, we can now enter into the veil, the most Holy of Holies and be surrounded with His overwhelming and loving presence.

His veil is a place where we can rest in Him and have hope in His promises. His promises are endless. He will meet our needs, He will give us the victory, He will give us a future, He will provide a peace that surpasses understanding, He will lavish us in a love that is unconditional, and He will pour out abundant grace on us….but most of all He promises that “for those who love God, all things work together for good.”

The storm will end. There will be a calm. He promises it. And until it does, you have to do your part…throw your anchor down and remember that “yours holds within the veil.”

Hebrews 6:18-20: “So that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us. We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.”