ABANDONED and AFRAID

ABANDONED, ALONE, AFRAID

but NOT FORSAKEN

“I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

GOD PROMISES to never leave us or forsake us. This promise is golden. Circumstances may defeat us. People may betray us. Conflict may depress us. God says He is here for us. We can count on Him. It's true. God is our rock in times of trouble. He doesn't abandon us.

WHEN YOU are abandoned, you can feel all alone. Fear, worry, and pain make it difficult to move forward. The isolation one feels is overpowering. God says, "I'm here. Let me help you. Give it to me. Trust me with it." You wonder how to do that. You picture your hand in His.

I WAS ABANDONED by my mate more than once. The pain went deep. My babies were hurting. Most people didn't know how to help us, though they tried. I needed God so very desperately. Knowing He was there and wouldn't forsake me gave me great comfort. I clung to Him. He said, "Trust me."

I LEARNED to trust God with the many difficulties that come when you are left and alone. When I'd been abandoned, it was with no knowledge of my mate's whereabouts. My life collapsed. I had to make a new path. I sought God every day for the strength I needed. I prayed and read His Word.

GOD MET ME where I was at. He heard my cries. He ministered to me in the deep places of the heart. He helped me find work, take care of the kids, and get a handle on things. It was harder than I can put into words. God became my 'enough' to make it to the other side. God carried me through. I am so thankful.

TGBTG

NEVER GIVE UP

TIMING IS EVERYTHING

I read her Facebook comment. She'd shared a book about abuse to help her relative. It hadn't opened up a dialogue like she'd wished. In fact, it seemed to have shut the door between them. Had it been worth it, she wondered.

You can't force people to be open.

You can't make someone change no matter how much you want them to. You can't make someone care, acknowledge the issue, or consider what matters to you.

Is it worth it? I think so.

A seed is sown. It grows. It flowers. It produces fruit. God brings the increase. Some things take much time. The other person may find it difficult to express his feelings. He may be worried, scared, or in denial.

Here is where grace comes in.

Extend grace with patience. You open the door. Give it time to settle in. Let God nurture it. Pray, pray, and pray with an open heart. Trust, trust, and trust some more. God's answers almost always play out over months and years, not days.

God makes a way.

Bless her for caring enough to engage in sensitive issues, for being brave. She is an example to us. We all have a voice at the table. We should be wise and loving as we use it. God helps us keep in balance. 

Trust in God's wisdom and grace, and His impeccable timing. We do our part; God does His part; we're in this together.

TGBTG*

ARISE FROM THE ASHES

YES, YOU CAN ARISE

because God can

IN DEEP WOUNDS, whether of betrayal or loss, Father God reaches us and asks of us, “Will you give it to me? Will you stop burying it? Will you let me have it?” 

When we give him our sorrow, our anger, our unforgiveness, and our deepest secrets, he is able to begin a soft and slow restoring of peace to our inward self—our soul. In the safety of God’s love, his care, we face the ugliest of demons that reside behind a closed heart. The power of the ugly stuff, with its subtle but real influence over us, is then weakened. 

Essentially, God says to us: My child, I love you. Be free. Come to me. Don’t blame me. There are things you do not understand. This world is cursed—it is doomed—but I have life and I offer life to you. My love can transform the darkest soul. I, alone, can redeem the pain, the loss, and make you anew. I paint a new picture dispelling the darkness of your soul with light and shades of color in beautiful layers of joy. 

Thank you, dear God. Father God, I love you. Amen.

THE MEETING PLACE: Moments with God at Lookout Point  -N.L. Brumbaugh

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For more, visit my author site at nlbrumbaugh.com.
Have a blessed day.

HOPE FOR BETTER DAYS AHEAD

OFFER HOPE to the HURTING and ABUSED

We must acknowledge people's pain while also offering hope for better days ahead. We have a platform for doing so when our own lives have been scarred by hurtful experiences, we are dealing with it, and moving forward in our recovery and healing. This gives validity to our message of hope. I know about this.

I've lived it. I can speak to it. I identify with the angst. I want to help: wherever, whomever, whatever.  I mean it, through and through.

I once had a student who I had concerns for. I was wondering if she was being sexually abused. I didn't know what to look for other than the obvious signs. I asked a special education teacher for advice. She gave me some specifics and then shared a story about a speaker in the field that had impacted her.

The speaker was a survivor of horrible abuse. She said that no one ever told her that it was wrong the way she was being treated, not her teachers, school personnel, or knowledgeable people. It was hurtful that no one validated her, even after it was known. That was the takeaway my teacher friend gained. 

Her comments stayed with me. Hope is the first step toward healing. I think we bear responsibility in offering solidarity in the healing journey. This can be of great benefit to all. Glad for everyone who adds to this poignant conversation. We can validate, encourage, and help. Compassion is where it starts, and ends.

Let's live it together.

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For more, visit my author site at nlbrumbaugh.com.
Have a blessed day.

Songs in the Night

YOU ARE MY HIDING PLACE

 I am glad God watches over me. Sometimes I fail. Sometimes I miss the mark. Sometimes I come across different than I mean. Sometimes I fail those I love. I am a peacemaker at heart. I don't want to disappoint or cause pain. Yet it happens. Then I can't sleep. Like right now. (4:00 a.m.)

Long ago I learned to take it to the Lord in prayer. He is where I receive comfort. When I hurt, when I am fearful, when worries crowd in, I can't handle them well on my own. I struggle. I need God. I need His wisdom. I cherish His grace. He gives me hope in the hard times. And then He gives me songs in the night.

"You are my hiding place; You preserve me from trouble; You surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah." Psalm 32:7 NASV

You Are My Hiding Place https://youtu.be/uUx2WcC9JKoaa

Trust Me -- Inspiration 12

Trust in the Lord

5 

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.

In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will bring it to pass.

Proverbs 3:5-6

"Trust Me" says God to the person who asks for help. It is an act of the will to trust God for the way and the outcome. The ability to trust God is then developed over the course of time. It is far easier to trust self than a deity. The life of faith, however, builds on trust in God. Trust in God is trusting in a firm foundation. This kind of trust is never misplaced. God can be trusted to do what is best and what is right. He is the anchor in the storm. His anchor holds firm despite whatever ill besets us. During bleak situations, God whispers to us, "Trust Me." The person who trusts will trust because they trust Him to do what is best and to carry them through with His strength. It is most unwise to ignore God's offer of help. Wise indeed is the one who says, "Yes, Lord, in Thee I will trust." The ability to trust grows stronger with practice. Shallow trust compared to deep trust is like sand compared to rock, one is sturdy and the other not so much. When God is trusted then the outcome rests with Him. Those who follow, trust, and obey God, derive great comfort and strength throughout the ups and downs of life.

Dearest Father, You are all-knowing. We trust you to take care of us and to sustain us. How gracious and strong You are, and mighty to save. Amen

To God be the Glory