Tuesday, February 12, 2008

i've been thinking...

that I love & appreciate so much all the encouragement & support that I/we have received through all my dear friends as we've walked this path these last months.

But... I'm left with a nagging thought. Have I been "real"? I found myself posting only once I had worked things through in my mind and that may have left a slightly skewed perception that I have it "all together".

What is 'real'?

Reality is that I certainly don't have it 'all together'!!!

Reality is that I absolutely cannot do this on my own...
I struggle...
I question...
I doubt...
It's only as I turn my thoughts to the One who walks alongside me that I realize that He alone can calm my fears and give me strength to carry on.... (if I let Him!!!)

Reality is that, only as I acknowledge Him, I am not afraid... (well, not all the time anyway!!)

6 comments:

Teresa said...

Edith- you are VERY real. It is wonderful for us to read your thoughts- and the fact that you have taken the time to think things through and contemplate them before you post certainly does not make them any less real. It only means that we get the advantage of your perspective after you get perspective!

Hang in there, relying on your faith and your love, for both the Creator and your husband, and you will continue to find your way, and it will be real.

Lee said...

Edith.......I think one of the most "real" things about you is what you share!! Sharing what you have been throught and that you have been able to work through doubts and fears is sharing the "real" you. You are taking us on the journey and being an example to all of us that question and doubt that there IS an answer and a Help!! I don't know if any of us can ever thank you for the inside view of such a long and scary trek. I can only keep sending you hugs and prayers!!

thinker said...

thanks for hearing my heart and encouraging me to 'carry on'!

blessings,
e.

Suzanne said...

Edith--I could not have said things any better than either Ladydoc or Lee. You have allowed to walk this path with you and I feel very privileged to do so. You are very real in all you think and post here.

Diane Noble said...

In the deepest recesses of our hearts where all our questions, doubts and fears like to go, that we find reality. That too, is where real faith rests. You have so tenderly shared how those two areas of reality push and pull against each other. But your faith always comes out on top! That's what surfaces and that's what God has asked of us-- That we proclaim how powerful He is to overcome our weaknesses, how wise He is to overcome our doubts, how sovereign He is to overcome our fears.

It is only when we struggle with those emotions that we reach down to the depths of our faith and find how much God has transformed us through His Holy Spirit. He transforms more than we ever thought possible. Faith IS the victory: 1 John 5:3-5
"This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God."

As everyone has said, we love and appreciate you for just how REAL you are, how honest and transparent. You amaze us all...because you share with us how amazing God is! We love you and we will not stop praying for you.

Diane said...

Thank you Edith for sharing your heart. I so often get so busy with life that I forget to "be still" and think about all that God has for me.

Your sharing that you also struggle in this area and that you are seeking God's direction shows us that the "real you" is a Godly woman who wants nothing more than God's guidance.

This earthly journey is but for a short while. He is waiting for us to lean on Him and throw our fears at His feet.

I am so thankful that I don't need to face the uncertainties of life without Him. I do however need to work on "letting Him" also.

You are in my thoughts and prayers daily and I thank God for the spiritual encouragement you have given me.