Lift My Eyes

Time for a Five Minute Friday finally!  (http://katemotaung.com/2016/08/11/five-minute-friday-lift/)

I keep meaning to post more.... but either things come up, or I am too tired or the juices just won't flow........

Anyways, here goes five minutes on: LIFT

Oooh this word has possibilities!  What direction to take?

Hmm, well perhaps the best starting place is a verse:

I lift up my eyes to the hills.
    From where does my help come?
My help comes from the Lord,
    who made heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot be moved;
    he who keeps you will not slumber. Psalm 121:1-3 (ESV)

Though I am in the rather flat Red River Valley, this is the first verse that comes to mind.  It is one that has always given me comfort and pointed me in the right direction faith-wise.

While I have neither mountains nor hills as a physical reference point, there have certainly been many nonphysical ones.  And if I recall this verse when I look at those, that helps me remember to look at God instead.  When I lift my eyes to God, He reminds me that He is more powerful still... strong enough to save, and tender enough to love me through to the other side, holding me while I wait.

Oh yes, that waiting valley... God has moved more than one mountain for me, but never as quick as I would like. 

...But that waiting is where faith is forged... in the waiting when the questions come... the wrestling and the wondering... in the waiting God can seem so far...

...But when hope is clung to after the questioning is through, when eyes are lifted to God and feet are standing on His promises, even when that does not feel true...

God will show just how mighty and faithful He is, and what was weakness becomes deep strength.

I know this full well from experience.  I have dealt with mighty mountains... thankfully God proved mightier. 

I have been unemployed twice, and that was rough.  But the roughest was divorce.  And God is still helping me through that as it was only five months ago.

As I lift my eyes to God, He has been lifting me... out of what ifs and whys and into peace... out of bitterness and into forgiveness... out of brokeness and into wholeness...

It is a healing process, but I am uplifted by the friends God sends my way, and by God Himself.