Handing Them Over...For Real!

One area in my life that I have struggled with in my relationship with Christ is the area of trusting my loved ones into His hands. I actually feel ashamed to admit that! I mean, how can I possible claim to be completely committed and following Jesus when I hold back those nearest and dearest to me?

7 years ago I remember sitting in a homeschool mom's encouragement meeting and the mom leading it speaking on the importance of trusting God with our children - on every level. I sat there with my eyes turned downwards and tears stinging my eyelids thinking, 'I cannot do that. I CANNOT do that! If I let them go then something awful is going to happen to them.' I felt physical symptoms of distress! Raised heart-rate, and ache in my chest.

Here's the problem with that way of thinking:

* I am assuming that I have the power to keep them safe! Of course that is ridiculous. I don't! Our times and days are already written  and ordained {Psalm 139 : 16}
* I am assuming that I love my children more than God does
* I am assuming that God is a God of wrath - not love

Fast-forward 7.5 years... Allot of spiritual growing has been going on in my life. Teaching my children at home has shown me that God is a God of love, of provision. He has a plans for us - good plans. He has led us, guided us and provided for us through many of life's ups and downs. I have learnt to trust Him more and whole-heatedly released my husband and children into His hands for safe keeping ... or so I thought!

If you had peeked into my heart a week ago - you would have seen a mother's heart once again trying to tug her child back under her own wing! My 15 year old was set - and is attending - the Soul Survivor camp. This is an awesome event where hundreds of teens go (all supervised of course) and experience 5 days of praise and worship, great speakers and of course meeting other Christian teens.

 I found fear once again gripping my heart! It was not the fact that she is away for 5 days - it was the travelling! She was set to travel {and has done safely!} with her youth about 1.5 hours away to the camp. Immediately visions of accidents and loosing my daughter invaded - yes INVADED my mind. That fear that gripped my heart for so long all those years ago once again made itself known. All this happened two days before she was set to leave. 

AT THE SAME TIME... DH has been experiencing abdominal discomfort. He has been to see the doctor, who did some tests but was not overly concerned, citing that it was a fairly common complaint among men and would come right. Thoughts in MY MIND started shifting to a decidedly dark area! 'Something is wrong', 'You are going to loose your husband' - whispering thoughts that had me on the edge of panic. 

Now here is God's grace and amazing love in action - something I would not have experienced by the way if I had not been in the Word and prayer DAILY!

I am currently doing a study {free for you to download} entitled, 'Everyday Women. Ever Faithful God.' Lesson 1 looks at Sarah and her faith walk with God through leaving Ur and her friends and family to live a life of wandering - sometimes through dangerous situations. Her walk through barrenness and all that entailed, bad decisions she made etc. At the end of that lesson I was struck by the realisation that my heart attitude needed to be in full submission to God - that meant handing over the fear that resides quite comfortably in my soul! I have written in the margin of this study, **Submit all fears to God - Trust Him** 
'I should be able to do that', I thought to myself, 'I think I've committed most of my fears to God anyway', continued my thought pattern {fear had not yet struck my heart}.

Hmmmm - a day later the fear struck. I spent ages in prayer that night, remembering that I had to submit all fears to God. I even read all the scriptures in my little scripture reference book that addressed fear. My problem was that I have no example of seeing trust in action. 

After a restless night I awoke and pulled out my Bible Study. On to lesson 2 and we are focusing on Miriam and her childhood mentors - one of those mentors is her mother, Jochebed. As I read through the Bible account of baby Moses I was suddenly struck by Jochebed's extreme faith! Here was a mother living in a time when Pharaoh had ordered the death of all newborn boys! 

Imagine being her when her baby was delivered and it was a boy! Then imagine the fear and anxiety of trying to hide your newborn - perhaps having to try keep it quiet - for 3 months. What pressure! Still it get's even more hairy from a mothers point of view - she puts her baby, her beloved little defenceless baby into a basket and hides him the bull-rushes. She leaves her 11 or 12 year old daughter to watch over him. Her baby is found by Pharaohs daughter and given back to her to nurse until he is old enough to live in the palace. Jochebed knows that her time with her son is limited, she has only a few short years before she needs to release him - not into a God-fearing home - but into a pagan worshipping family who are oppressing the Israelite's.

Suddenly I had my example of a faith in God that trusted Him completely. My notes in the margin read as follows, 'Oh my! In light of my prayer yesterday, this Bible Study seems to be addressing my fears exactly! Thank you Father God!'

Here was a mother who faced a very REAL danger {mine is imagined} and yet she TRUSTED God. Her faith was put into ACTION.

Be encouraged: I don't know where you are right now, but one thing I can say is that if we are faithful to stay in the Word and in prayer - you will be carried, you will be strengthened. When we take what we learn in the Word and then turn it into faith-in-action, fear looses it's grip on our hearts and we are not only able to live in victory and experience God's abounding peace, but we become a living example to our children. This is exactly what Miriam had in her childhood years, and it carried her through the Exodus. She was a leader and a great encouragement to her brothers and to the women of Israel. God used her for His purposes and I have to wonder if she would have been used so greatly in such an important role if she had not had the example of her mother in childhood!

{Photo-credit: all images from google image search}

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