Time

Psalm 40:1-3
I waited patiently for the Lord to help me, and He turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along. He has given me a new song to sing, a hymn of praise to out God. Many will see what He has done an be amazed. They will put their trust in the Lord.

Time....
Your biggest ally in the journey of recovery.
The devil would have you think otherwise...
"Hurry! Hurry! Make a decisions now....time is passing you by!!"
Such thoughts create anxiousness.
Anxiousness always stirs us to the point that we base our decisions on our feelings rather than the facts.
Anxiousness always takes me down a dark path.

Growing up, I heard that we were living in the "Jet age"....meaning that life was going faster and faster as man discovered new technology that would make things simpler for everyone.
So if the 50's / 60's were the jet age....what does that say about the time we currently live in? The rocket age? I think maybe we should call it the "out of control" age. Throw an addiction into the mix and you truly do have "life out of control." 

I love the opening verse of Psalm 40.
"I waited patiently for the Lord to help me."
I didn't make any rash decisions that would only take me deeper into the darkness...or better yet...back to the darkness. I waited. Reckon what King David did while he waited? Watched TV? Played some video games? Complained to everyone about his current life? I think maybe he prayed...prayed a lot...and then prayed some more. His prayers did come from a heart of fear...they came from a heart that trusted God, that He was who He claimed to be, and would do what He'd promised He would do. Trusting God.

Funny part in this whole recovery thing is that God does the work. My part is to simply follow. To be obedient. Notice what God did when David looked to Him for help.
David prayed and waited:

#1- God turned to him

#2- God heard David's cry

#3- He lifted David's emotions and heart from the darkness of depression and hopelessness.

#4- He gave David the ability to be stable and steady, not falling prey to the feelings and emotions that cause us to cut and run.

#5- He kept David in that place of stability as David moved through his day.

#6- He gave David a new song.....one of encouragement...a worship song of thanks. This created an attitude of gratitude down in David's heart, giving him a new outlook on life. David's circumstances had not changed. David's situation remained the same. But God empowered David to face it and move forward.

So today, may you rest in a place where you can wait for the Lord.
Time is your biggest ally.

God on you..
mbb

Got a call on Tuesday night from Sam Colegrove. Not the kind of call you want to get. A friend of ours had died.

Blake Emfinger....
He was Sam's roommate at Rapha.
They kind of clicked as they both fought their demons. 

Blake was a funny guy...gentle soul...I saw him a few months ago over at the Center of Hope Thrift store in Glencoe. Vicki and I had stopped to check out their book section when we heard a voice say, "Brother Mike! How are you doing?" I turned around and it was Blake. He was working there and was finishing up the program at the Center of Hope. He was optimistic about his future. He looked great....had put on weight, and was smiling as much as Blake could.  Which means it was kind of a wry grin. He seemed at peace as he told me of his future plans.
I asked him if I could pray for him...he said yes, he'd love that. So there among the electronics and the books, we prayed. I hugged him...he told me that he'd like to come some Saturday to VRC. "Love to see you there!!" That never happened as sometimes life has a way of changing our plans.

I pray that God's Holy Spirit would bring peace, comfort and closure to Blake's family as they move through these coming days. I pray that Blake would be at rest and peace now. 
I know that I will miss him.
In this midst of this dark time, I can truly say that God is good.

mbb