First gathering: Tomorrow, Oct 4 11:30a-1:30p at the home of Kristen Clark

Please contact Andrea Vorvick for more information… andreavorvick@frontier.com

What have you been able to do as a result of creating margin in your life?

‘Sweep Me Away’

As I listened and worked at quieting myself I asked God for a word picture to understand how He wants to sweep me away.

He took me back to our family rafting trip of 2 days previous.  God has often spoken to me of His love through the image of water.  A waterfall representing how His love flows over us, the vast expanse of the ocean shows me how unfathomable is the incredible depth and width of His love.  And I have always seen the rivers we drive by as that gentle sweet love that nourishes and refreshes.

Today God took me to the Upper Deschutes and showed me new pictures of His love.

I have often thought of a river as a representation of our lives – turbulent times and slow easy times, seeing the water as those circumstances and God as the boat I ride in through those circumstances.  There is one primary problem with this picture – sometimes when you are in the roughest waters, you fall out of the boat.  I don’t believe scripture teaches that God is only around in easy times.  I believe He is ‘the same yesterday, today and tomorrow’; and that nothing can take me out of His hand.  If that is true, then where is God in this picture of the river?

Today I saw the water differently – not as ever changing circumstances, but as God Himself – riding with me over and through the circumstances of life represented by the riverbed.  Rapids are created by the rocks in the riverbed and the general landscape – large rocks, a narrow canyon or a higher river bed cause the water to speed up and be forced through smaller channels causing rapids and drops.  The water churns and falls over itself – all worked up and as if it has a life of it’s own.  Isn’t that just like God?  In those moments when life feels scary and uncontrollable He doesn’t remove us, but instead swirls through it with us wrapping us in His protective arms –to carry us through safely.

And then there are moments of rest – times when we get to just lean back into Him and float through our circumstances in a way with His love being the thing that keeps us afloat.

Just as we see impending rapids – we also often see difficult circumstances heading our way.  How we enter them may make all the difference…

We could choose to pull out a boat – I used to think of God as the boat, but today I see it as all the things we use other than God to get us over those rapids – our friends and family, religion, our work, service, our ministry, or a book that addresses the specific circumstance we are living through.  I know there have been many boats in my own story, but often they have seemed to be in battle with the river itself.

We could throw ourselves in with no preparation or readiness and just hope for the best.  This is like going through a rapid in the water with no thought to how our bodies are positioned.  We will probably get through it, but we will be battered and bruised, potentially bloodied and feeling overwhelmed.

Or we could dive in – put our feet high out in front of us and trust God to carry us through.  We may not be unbruised at the end, but we will definitely feel the triumph of carrying through with God.  Our faith increased and our hearts swelling with His love and the desire to share it with others.

I want to be a river runner who dives in to the water and doesn’t depend on boats to keep me afloat.  I want to be prepared by spending time in the Word, quietly in communion with God and practicing my faith muscles in whatever way God asks.  I want to be the one who says yes to God’s love in my life.  I want to be one who does that thing that makes the least sense – jump right into God’s love and let Him truly minister to me during my life circumstances and trials and heal me as I come out of them – resting in moments of quiet and allow Him to refresh my soul and prepare me for the next set of rapids!

Jen

What: Ladies Night Out

When: Wednesday, May 18th

Time: 6:30 pm

Where: Meredith Malkowski’s house

675 NE 21^st Ave Canby, OR 97013

Phone: 810-623-1346

How will you remember and interact with the cross today?

How have you seen the men in your life lead well?  If you are married, please answer with your HUSBAND in mind.

Week 1: the theology of suffering

Week 2: Fred Katagwa shared about forgiveness and reconciliation

Week 3: We need to acknowledge the hurt in our life and grieve well

Week 4: A spirit of offense

What aspect this hurt series has had the most impact on you?  How or Why?

What scriptures have helped you forgive and deal with your hurt?