Thursday, March 3, 2011

Is stress unbelief?

One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp"The fear is suffocating, terrorizing, and I want the remedy, and it is trust. Trust is everything. If fear keeps our lives small, does a life that receives all of God in this moment grow large too?"

There are books that are amazing in their content and their timeliness. This beautiful book has been both. More than that, each chapter has, each day, given me the strength to see that day for the joy exists within it.

Today, this book caused me grief. The grief that I long for in my mundane. The teller of the story uses her journey to strengthen me for mine. And the only strength I have is in my repentance of sin and dependence on Christ.

The chapter today equated stress to lack of faith. Lack of trust in Christ being directly correlated to stress in your life. An unrelenting of control and desire to hold tightly to a hurt, a burden, a fear.

Today the shower of forgiveness and grace was just what I needed. I needed her experience of lacking faith to gently point our my own lack of faith. I have a long way to go, but having light shine in the darkness is life giving refreshment to my aching, fearful, stress ridden bones. The joy of trust, faith, Christ Himself, can now enter into the exposed and repented of sin. Praise be. May I so enjoy the freedom of forgiveness and Christ that I flee from picking up control and stress.

Thank you Ann Voskamp, you have no idea how your transparency has freed this sinner today!

2 comments:

Nicole said...

I love your honesty here, I srtruggle with the anxiety of the unknown. God has used Ann's book to expose this in my deep places. Thank you for stopping by my blog as well.

Craig said...

I’m here from Ann’s – It’s Sunday now and I’m really late to your Wednesday post – but first I wanted to read all the thank you posts – then started yesterday reading the Walk with him Wednesday posts – and so I just got to yours today. Sorry I’m late. (◠‿◠)

Stress – anxiety is kind of a lack of faith – but then I remember that Our Lord – in the Garden, the night it all started – grieved, and stressed – and even asked for the cup to pass – but only the will of the Father to happen. It’s human to stress – and we are not yet perfect – this “time” is to strive for that – later is for perfect.

Thank you for this today.

God Bless and keep you and all of yours

A place to find encouragement to love your little ones, your husbands and those you come in contact with daily. Two does not have to be terrible. These are years to grow not simply get through!