Now that we are on the road, we'll find our next key opens Door #6: Overcome. Let's find a spot nearby to park our vehicles. There's a nice, shady place by a little pond. Please come and join me!
As we open the 6th door and hesitantly step inside, we encounter a drastic change in environment so different from the sightings behind previous doors. An icy, foreboding mist of darkness rushes at us, taking our breath away and and threatening to crush us under its tremendous weight. We stand at the door, trembling with sudden fear, wanting to turn and run, yet drawn forward by a power beyond our own.
Have you been there? I have! I've been overwhelmed many times by circumstances that I had never envisioned becoming part of my life, grasping onto me like leeches that drained my blood. Paralyzed by confusion, uncertainty and doubt. Wanting to find a way out from whatever was hurting me, yet knowing that for a time, I was trapped. Frantically trying to hang onto the end of my rope, yet desperately yearning to let go!
Are you there now?
Don't give up! Don't give in to fear!
Take your heavenly Father's hand and walk with me. Look at His face. He's not worried. And I see a glimpse of Jesus just ahead. He's beckoning us to come. Once we push our way through the confusing haze of trials and pass through the prickly fingers of pain that are reaching out to touch us, we will come to the end of the path, not completely unscathed, but infinitely wiser and more compassionate. Then we will turn around and gaze at the obstacles we have overcome with the help of the Master. And we will realize that all of this has happened for our good.
This 6th Key is the location of God's training ground, where He strengthens and teaches us to prepare for more rewarding adventures ahead! Sort of like a class entitled "Suffering 101."
Yes, I agree. If I had my choice, I'd avoid the training ground and take the safe way around it. But God knows better; He will always does what is best for me, just like when loving parents bring their child to the doctor for the painful prick of an inoculation that will hurt for a time, but prevent more serious harm.
The good thing is that God promises to walk with us every step of the way and never to give us more than we can handle. His intention is to make us more like Jesus and . . . I truly believe . . . to make us more able to receive and appreciate the surprises He has waiting for us at our home He is preparing in Eternity!
God would not allow any painful circumstances to touch us if He did not plan that a greater good would come from the very ones that threaten to overflow and cast us down. "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28 (emphasis mine)
The best way to overcome:
Trust. I can't see the road ahead, but my heavenly Father knows all the curves and twists, mountains and canyons that await me. He sets aside scenic parks for me to rest for a while on my personal journey and people to help carry my loads.
Isn't is amazing that God cares enough about me. . . and you. . . to be personally involved with the planning and training stages of our lives?
In our back yard, we have a "Footprint Garden." One thing that appealed to me when we chose our new home in the country several years ago was the beautiful landscaping already in place. But there was one problem. Right smack in the middle of the back yard was a row of ugly, white, box-like projections . . . the site of our sewer. . . that stood out like a sore thumb! I just could not live with that monstrosity in the center of our beautiful yard! But I got an idea. So I told my husband and he laid out black rubber tubing all around the little white "boxes" and filled the area with mulch. I planted perennials and annuals; Gary added a couple of birdbaths and voila (!) the yard was transformed! The area that had previously been an eyesore became the focal part of our lawn! A wide variety of birds entertain us there with regular visits to our birdbath.
Later on, I noticed that the shape my husband had formed with the tubing appeared to be the shape of a giant footprint. I began to call it my "'Footprint Garden," for to me it symbolizes God's footprint in our lives. God personally "steps" into our lives. Only He can take the monstrosities of our past . . . the ugly things we don't want displayed. . . and use those very things that caused shame and pain to produce something beautiful in our lives that would not have been there without the very "sewer" that caused us so much sorrow!
I am thankful that God doesn't give up on me when I have trials. Rather, He turns them into blessings!
See you next Wednesday for the next key!
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