Trust Him in the Hard Places.

One day, years ago, on a beautiful beach in Australia, our family was spending the afternoon swimming. As I often do, I strolled off by myself and walked down the beach. At one point, I found a few big rocks and climbed on top of one and sat for awhile. The waves hitting up against the rocks, making themselves known.

I was there for a bit when something caught my attention. I leaned over and reached down  to find the most beautiful shell I have ever seen.

I grew up by the ocean, collecting pretty shells and rocks was what I knew since I was a little girl and from a young age, God always spoke to me the loudest by the sea.

It was a place where I could hear nothing but His voice and the waves.

However, this shell was out of this world. It was so beautiful. It was wedged between two large boulders. The shell was hidden in a crevice, waves crashing around it, yet wasn’t swayed or moved by the ocean.

It was incredible to me that no-one else on earth had found it. I grabbed it up, held it tight and took it home. To this day, it sits on my coffee table as a reminder.


What did God teach me about that shell?

What does it serve as a reminder of?


That shell still takes me back to the day when he painted a vivid picture of how I can trust him. I can be in the hardest of situations and remain unswayed.

I can feel like the world is crashing in around and over me and I can know that in the cleft of the rock, is where He keeps me.


Is anyone now singing that old song, "He hideth my soul in the cleft of the rock, where rivers of pleasure I see."

When I look at that shell, I see that beauty is what comes out of hard places.

When God gave me that moment on a beach so far away, He was talking to me, his daughter, and telling me that he will lead me to places just so that I can find Him.

He wanted me to know that wherever I roam, far or near, or when I end up in  places that feel so alone, where I feel invisible, that I can trust Him to always find me. I can trust him in the hard places.

He promises to always protect me. He promises to never leave me, nor forsake me.

Deuteronomy 31:8 says,

“The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” We do not have to be concerned about putting our trust in God


He is for me. He is for my husband, my children, my friends, my family.


When I sit in my living room in the evening, tears falling down my face and I  wonder if Jesus hears my cries, I will think of how hidden that shell was but it was protected. It wasn’t swept out to sea, God was sheltering it.


You might be going through something right now.

You might feel life’s crashing waves hitting up against you.

You might be questioning the goodness of God.


I’ve been there. I’ve been in really dark places and I felt what invisible feels like. I didn’t trust God to come through for me, because He came through for others, but not Mary. I didn’t think there was enough to go around. I, at some points, thought I deserved hard times because of the shame of the choices I had made. 

I might have FELT that, but I was so wrong about God.

God is such a good good father. He is faithful and trustworthy. He sees you, your situation, your fears and your heart. He wants to bless your life, your family, your children and your children’s children. 

He will use every hard place to produce beauty. The crashing waves shaped that shell, it became stronger in the struggle. Trust God through every part of the journey, its for your good. (even when it doesn't feel good)


I’ve been listening to Kari Jobe’s song “The Blessing” this week.

One of the most precious things in my life is our kids. As many of you know, we just sent our son to Argentina for the year to be a part of a soccer academy.

The other day, sitting here, fear swept over me at the thought of him being so far away and untouchable. In that moment, God spoke to me. It felt like he took my face in his hands, made me look him in the eye and said, “Mary, I’ve got you and I’ve got your boy. I’m with him when you can’t be and I’m watching over him and my plans for him are good, like really good, and you don’t have to worry.”

I want to share that with you today, because maybe you need to hear the same thing.

Maybe God wants you to look in his eyeballs and hear him say, “I’ve got you, I’m with you, I’m watching over you and my plans for you are good, like really good and you don’t have to worry.”

Remember that scripture, Deuteronomy 31:8 says,

“The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” We do not have to be concerned about putting our trust in God”

Now, go play that song really loud in your house until it drowns out all the things that God’s not saying.

Love you ,

MM

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