Looking for your "Happy Place"?

Caleb is our more reticent grandchild. While the other grandchildren may fly into a room and lavish kisses and a hug on everyone, Caleb is more likely to hold back, look down and stay quiet.  If you get a hug from him, it’s a real treat. A kiss is hardly ever earned, but when it is you are blessed indeed! He generally wipes off all kisses from others.

They all came into my house the other day to visit with my aunt.  We all started calling each one of the grandkids by name, including Caleb. As we asked him to say hi, he quickly sueezed his eyes shut. As if that weren’t enough he then slapped his hands over his face! He was intent on drowning out the requests and going to “his happy place”!

We find ourselves doing the same thing at times don’t we? The stress rises and we just want to escape! We squeeze our eyes shut! As if that’s not enough, we try to put our hands over our faces and melt away. Trouble is, we can’t just get away all the time – we have to work it through. We can’t just drop everything and try to escape.

Life is full of surprises. Not all of them are ones we like or welcome.  We have to learn to deal with troubles so that we don’t weaken our faith when troubles come. We can’t plan ahead for everything that may come our way. Just like Caleb, we may want to be reticent about life – hoping that if we hold back we won’t have so much stress. But it doesn’t work that way. We may feel that with our eyes shut tight we shut it all out, but we’re still right in the middle of the room with the hurt, worry, fear, trouble, embarrassment, humiliation and more.

So, where do we go for our “happy place”?  How do we life in the midst of things that come against us? How do we make it when the money is short, the love is lacking, the hurt is throbbing and the way seems so insecure?

There is One who goes into every room with us! He will carry us through, guard us in the  process, hide us in His shelter! Not only that, He will give us strength to stand tall, wisdom to know how to proceed, and power to resist the enemy’s temptation to quit.

Oh beloved, I know it can be hard to remain calm in the storms of life. It can be so tempting to walk out on the source of your pain, but God says hold on! He speaks to your heart and He says you are more than a conqueror, you are more than a survivor, you are more than the entirety of your troubles and fears. He says to you this morning, I AM your strength, your power, your persistence, your victory, your answer. He wants you to make it beloved, but He wants more for you! He wants you to hold fast, to seize the moment, to reject the fear and embrace the Truth!

Run to His Word this morning, for it’s the only way to find your happy place! Find the Word for your situation and seize it! Hold it up for the crowd to see! Fly it like a banner and read it aloud! Don’t bury your eyes or your faith another moment. Let God show you your true strength and as you stand in the light of His Word your troubles will truly fade away to their proper place, beneath your faith! He loves you so much that He’s given you wisdom, power and love to stand and to know that He’s for you! And that’s all that really matters.

Hebrews 10:23 “Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; for He is faithful that promised.”

Jeremiah 16:19 Lord, you are my strength and fortress, my refuge in the day of trouble! Nations from around the world will come to you and say, “Our ancestors left us a foolish heritage, for they worshiped worthless idols.

Isaiah 40:29 He gives power to the faint and weary, and to Him who has no might He increases strength [causing it to multiply and making it to abound]. Amplified

Psalm 108:13 Through and with God we shall do valiantly, for He it is Who shall tread down our adversaries.

Romans 8:37 Yet amid all these things we are more than conquerors and gain a surpassing victory through Him Who loved us.