divorce – Blessed is She

Freedom in Knowing and Embracing Truth

Friend, I don’t know about you, but as the longevity of my walk with Jesus increases day by day, my heart is becoming more aware of the lies that I had previously believed and embraced over the years.

Time and time again the enemy whispered in my ear. He told me I was not good enough and that my life would always consist of pain and brokenness, that there was no way out. After-all, I was a Christian and Christians endure the unthinkable. They never give up on a relationship. They sacrifice for the sake of others, just like Jesus. They embrace brokenness and heartache as a good soldier of Christ.

When you begin to believe the lie that your heart does not matter and that God has called you to live a life full of brokenness for the sake of another – friend, that is called enabling. Last time I checked, enabling another to continue in their repetitive sin and hurt those who love them only brings disrespect towards you and in no way do those actions bring honor to God. I used to very much dislike that word. That very word was penned to wives who found themselves in similar situations like mine. How could I possibly be “enabling” sinful behavior when it was the very thing that broke me time and time again? All I wanted was to be the kind of wife who helped, supported, and encouraged my husband. However, this is where the problem was. I wanted it MORE than my (then) husband wanted it and therefore, I was blinded by my own skin in the game.

Read the Bible more carefully! What did Jesus do? How did he respond to those who chose to continue in their sin? Don’t fool yourself, please! Don’t think that what you are doing by loving without boundaries and allowing yourself to be wounded by the same kinds of betrayal over and over and over again is honorable. I have come to learn that we can live sacrificially in a way that brings honor to God but we can also live sacrificially and nothing about our sacrifice is God-honoring. This kind of sacrifice does not at all help the person who is held in bondage. We may color it pretty with all the right “Christianeese” wording, but this will only work for so long. A high cost is being paid for you to continue to stay in the pit with your betrayer….something needs to change and it starts with YOU!

I recently read a quote by author Gary Thomas which said, “It’s not a failure to know when it’s time to walk away; it’s a gift.” I agree! The key is KNOWING. Until you know, you wait. Until you know that you know…there will more than likely be MORE heartbreak but the treasure of KNOWING is worth the waiting. Be patient. Knowing is a process. It is NOT a quick fix nor an easy way out. It is NOT a decision to be made based on emotions. It’s attained by much waiting, prayer, fasting, wrestling, seeking God, and counsel. To know is powerful. Knowing will NOT leave behind a heart of regret. Knowing will give you the courage and confidence to move forward with strength and dignity as your God-given shield to combat the unknown and possibly difficult season ahead. But remember, unlike what you are used to, it will only be a SEASON; not a life-style of messiness and brokenness! Big difference!

I know this sounds harsh and somewhat bold but these are things that I wish someone would have shared with me. And maybe they did, but my heart wasn’t ready to listen.

I remember in my early days of my (then) marriage reading the book “You Can Be the Wife of a Happy Husband”. I marked it up, I hung onto every word. I highlighted most pages and rewrote quotes in my journal. I tried my best to live out the advice from this sister in Christ regarding how a wife who loves Jesus lived to make her man happy and above all to please Christ. It seemed to be on point with my understanding of marriage at the time. Somehow I came to believe that if I did all the right things, checked them off my list of “what Godly wives do” my (then) husband would forever love me and his commitment would never waver. Unfortunately, as time went on, I learned from actions and my repeated brokenness I couldn’t trust this person. So, what did I do? I determined in my heart if I couldn’t trust him, I would just trust Jesus and I penned this as victoriously living. This is how I lived – for 30+ years. Yet, it was far from victorious. There was a constant wrestling full of battles I could never win. You know why? Because this is NOT how God intended marriage to be. Marriage should be a safe place to land not one of continued betrayal.

In hindsight, I had some really skewed thinking when it came to forgiveness. Actually, I had the forgiveness part down…but my mercy was way out of balance. In my thinking, if someone says they are sorry then as a Christian I need to forgive 70 times 7, which is true, right? You CAN (and should) forgive… it’s a process that we have to work through with much prayer and surrender. Forgiveness is about YOU, not the betrayer. Forgiveness sets YOUR heart free from the bitterness that brokenness can cause. However, we get this so messed up. Forgiveness is totally separate from reconciliation….it takes only ONE to forgive but TWO to reconcile. You CAN and SHOULD forgive without giving the repeated offender, the proven untrustworthy person, access to your heart again. Don’t do it!! Did you notice that I said, “proven untrustworthy person”? I am not talking about a stand-alone moment or event that hurt you; rather, I am talking about a lifestyle or pattern of behavior – repeated consistently with no repentance – which has proven unsafe for your heart.

And Boundaries? Hmmmm. What were those anyway? This term should be reserved for markings on a softball field or lines on a basketball court, right? Once you are married – in my happily ever-after girl mentality – I would have never thought you even needed them. I. was. so. wrong.

All I knew was I had waited all my life to be married; to have babies and be the best wife and mom I could be with a husband who loved me as much as I loved him. I was stubbornly determined to make it work even if it meant living life as a broken girl. Was it pride? Maybe! Was it fear? I am sure it was! Was it about my children? Of course! Was it the desire not to disappoint others, including God? Yes, that too. I adamantly held on trusting that God would fix it and would take care of what I couldn’t as long as I worked on making myself a better wife, kept the faith and kept believing.

Yet, there I was. Depressed, lonely, and crying buckets of tears behind closed doors nobody knew about. I was so broken. Suicidal thoughts? Yep, nothing serious, but nonetheless…my heart was full of regret. There were times I wrestled with feeling hopeless, stuck, and trapped. This was not what I had signed up for. I didn’t know love could hurt so deeply and so often. However, I began to think it was normal. After all, every couple has problems and are told to work through them, stick it out, work on changing yourself and let God take care of the rest. So this is what I struggled to do over and over and over again, but somehow, I always fell short and my (then) marriage and broken heart proved it.

I poured my soul onto tear stained pages of pretty covered journals during those long ago seasons. It was therapy for me. A means of letting out what my heart so deeply felt but I couldn’t dare tell anyone. Recently, I read back through some of those journals and literately cried for the girl that was. She was young and gullible and so wanted to get it right that her stubborn resolve resulted in a toxic mindset of jumping through hoops of religious “good enough’s” and enduring relational pain that was destroying her from the inside out. What was once done out of love for her Savior soon turned into acts done with selfish motivation in hopes to save herself from being hurt again and to save her family. With each new heartbreaking discovery came words out of anger that led her to feelings of guilt and shame. It was a vicious cycle. Feeling as though if she just tried harder….prayed more, read her Bible more, etc. things would change and her heart could finally have a chance to heal. She was a broken, trapped young wife who didn’t understand why this was the life she was called to live. She had done all she knew to do and yet, her life was marked by a brokenness that only Jesus could understand.

I saw a quote which said, “Marriage is like having a sleepover with your best friend every night of the week.” Sounds so sweet, right? Thanks be to Jesus, I now can say a big “Amen!” to that! But back then, not even close! Secrets and betrayal do NOT nurture this kind of relationship; they only destroy it. I finally realized, after many years, what I thought was cut and dry as a “Christian” wife didn’t quite work like I had believed to my core to be true. Yes, God hears and answers prayers! Yes, God is a way-maker! Yes, God heals broken marriages everyday. Mine was just not going to be one of those and today I am okay with this. I have not only survived, but I have felt peace and freedom of my soul like I have not remembered knowing before. My kids have survived and thrived and I can honestly say we are all stronger and closer as a family than ever before! God is truly restoring the “years the locusts have eaten” and He can do the same for YOU!

Here is the truth…..marriage was created by God to be a mirror of His extravagant and sacrificial love for the church. However, it takes TWO in a marriage, humbly submitting to Him, then to each other for it to be a true reflection of how God designed marriage to be. When both are living as God designed, it is beautiful. Not perfect, but beautiful, nonetheless. Grace in action – knowing the other never intentionally seeks to hurt, betray, dishonor, or destroy the heart of the other.

Let’s be honest…life can be messy and break our hearts. Yes, especially in marriage. However, even when there has been an incident of betrayal (not a lifestyle), there are many testimonies where there was true repentance and the couple was able to restore their relationship and come out on the other side stronger and with a story that helps others for the glory of God. Subsequently, this is not always the case. Sometimes the betrayal never stops. My lessons learned do not come from a one-time, backsliding season but from a lifetime of lies, deceit and betrayal over and over again. Just like everything else God created, Satan seeks to tarnish it and ultimately destroy it. He may have won the battle and left a heart full of scars. BUT God!

The lies I believed were exposed and I have now have a greater appreciation for God’s abundant grace. Everything I have today is all because of His amazing, extravagant grace. Yes, there has been a divorce; hearts of have been broken and lives have forever been changed. Does this mean I am headed for hell? Does this mean God’s grace isn’t enough for all the messy brokenness that has affected so many? Is divorce the unpardonable sin? Is divorce even a sin? All of these questions can only be answered in truth by God himself. Who are we to put marriage on such a pedestal in the Christian community and think that only those who are married and have been able to stay married are more holy than those who have walked through the devastation of such terrible destruction and still have their faith intact? I know my Jesus. I know his heart for me and my children is nothing but love and healing of our broken hearts. I know that while I was a divorced single mom, I was still accepted by God and He was STILL very much ordering my steps with His wisdom while pouring out blessings in the midst of the pain and challenges. I have stories that involve “only God” moments! Nobody can ever tell me differently. I have walked through it and I have experienced His faithfulness in abundance time and time again. The religious haters of our day who call me and others who have been divorced and remarried adulterers and bombard us with Scriptures about God hating divorce are focusing on the wrong thing. Shame off us and shame on them! We ALL are in need of the extravagant grace of God; not to habitually take part in sin, but to overcome it and rise above the trials and tribulations that come from living in a broken world.

To my divorced sisters who love Jesus and never thought their story would include the “D” word…..I would say, you are the bravest and gutsiest girls I know. It takes BRAVERY to finally stand up to toxicity. It takes GUTS to open your eyes to truth and quit justifying, downplaying, and hoping your life away while taking responsibility for someone else’s unhealthy and hurtful choices. It takes a HOLY RESOLVE to STOP the insanity of doing the same thing over and over again hoping for a different outcome. It takes DIVINE STRENGTH to rise up and realize you are valued and worthy to be treated as such. It takes DETERMINATION to walk through the darkness of divorce with your dignity intact. It takes COURAGE to fight for what is right and not allow compromise and rules to be broken because of scare tactics and threats. YOU are chosen; YOU are loved; You are called; and YOU are the beloved daughter of a God whose grace and mercy trumps divorce and all the bad accolades that come with it. He, my friend, is your Healer. He did not cause your divorce but He is the ONE who can bring redemption to your broken heart and beauty for your ashes. None of us would have chosen this. Life happens and we cannot control how others choose to walk it out, but we CAN choose to grab on to the hand of Jesus as we step out of the sinking boat and walk with Him towards a future that is full of His abundant grace and sweet beauty.

As I am writing this, I am profusely in awe of my God. Back then, I would have never imagined I would be where I am today. Instead of tears of pain on the pages of my new pretty covered journals there are tears of joy and thankfulness. The really amazing thing is when I look back I don’t see as much of the yuck as I see of God’s love in every page of my story – even the worst parts! No doubt, I am where I am today because because I serve a God who redeems and makes all things NEW for HIS glory! The pages that are now being written are full of life I have never experienced before and it is altogether beautiful and lovely.

Our God is writing your story, too, my friend. You may be in the midst of the most horrific chapters this very moment but it’s NOT the end of your story. New chapters are already in the works. Don’t get stuck on one page, one period, and certainly not on one drama-filled event or even the heartbreaks and wounds that never seem to heal. Pause if you need to; catch your breath and determinedly hit the carpet surrendering your messiness and heartbreak to your Savior. Be Brave, sweet sister! Pray, wait, seek counsel then follow through in obedience to what God shows you to do. Anticipate His goodness. He is NOT finished writing YOUR story! Keep turning those pages. Keep your focus on HIM knowing that the best is yet to come. Your heart will NOT always hurt as bad as it does today. Because you are in the midst of…in the middle of….in the trenches of…. you may be wondering where God is. You may feel as though your prayers are hitting the ceiling. Keep praying. He hears you, my friend. He sees you. In His timing, He will reveal what you need to know. As your story continues to be written and revealed….. God’s fingerprints of faithfulness from the front cover to the back will be undeniably evident! True story! Believe it!

Like Mother, Like Daughter

Mindy&Chris-2019(194of292)

Over the past few years we have experienced the death of two marriages in our family. To say that our family dynamics have dramatically changed is an understatement. To see where we are today is nothing short of a miracle. Not the instantaneous kind but the kind that comes from wrestling and determinedly walking out your days with God’s gutsy braveness and strength not because you are super spiritual but because there is no other option. The odds were certainly against us. The chances of us coming through such huge changes with relationships still in tact were not at all in our favor.

To be perfectly honest, when my oldest daughter came to me and told me she was getting a divorce…I selfishly fought against it. See, I was in the midst of my own messy, crazy and hard divorce from her father. I held it together for the moment and then as soon as I could get away, I hit the carpet in disbelief. Really, Lord? Why now? This is absurd! I can’t carry her brokenness and my own at the same time let alone my other kid’s brokenness!! This was just too much….for her, for me, and for our family. “Like mother, like daughter” was not a phrase that felt good in the midst of our unwanted circumstances though it would seem fitting, Ugh! Having five children experience the terrible aftermath of the destruction of their own family unit is one thing. However, to have one of those five children also experience the same kind of loss……in the same season, was inviting chaos of the worst kind to reek havoc in the hearts and minds of ALL my children. Oh my word!! I knew I had to get a grip. As I ugly cried into the carpet that day in prayer pleading with God to intervene and wallowing in my own pity party, I was reminded that He knows all things. This was absolutely no surprise to Him. His grace would be sufficient. What seemed like such horrible timing and so messy would be worked for good no matter how things felt or looked from my limited perspective. I had no choice and I knew it. I had to embrace what I knew to be true of God and not let my emotions get the best of me. I had to be strong for all of us. I eventually stood up with a stubborn resolve but it was only a short time after that the guilt bombs and accusations attacked my mind from different directions. Subsequently, this only gave way to even more stinkin’ thinking. I went from “please, God” to “oh, no…did I cause this? Were my children reaping the consequences of my decisions? Was my own divorce giving my precious daughter permission to give up on HER marriage? After-all, God hates divorce.” Reality is, I hate divorce and yet here I was on the cusp of the “D” word being a part of my story and now doubly so for my daughter. We all know as a mom, it’s one thing for life to happen to us but when it hits our kids it’s a whole different kind of brokenness. They had already lost enough. The possibility of it being a part of my daughter’s story, too…broke me. “How dare I claim to be a christian and put my family through this. Have I opened the door of destruction for those that I hold most dear to my heart?” This thinking and more attacked every aspect of who I have ever claimed or wanted to be. I hated the helplessness I felt but I knew I had no control over outcomes. This was not something I could fix nor wish away. In the midst of this overwhelming sorrow, I repented. I begged for God’s mercy to cover and heal any brokenness in my children that I may have caused. I was so sorry for my part in all of this messiness. Then I rehearsed in my mind the road that led me to the decisions that I had made and I had a renewed resolve. Now was not the time to question what I had already previously settled in my heart and mind through much prayer and counsel. I knew what I knew. I needed to be extremely careful of whose voice I was giving power to. Did what I was hearing line up with what I knew to be true, if not…then I had to choose to let it go!! Not to say that I didn’t struggle anymore, because I did. I just did not allow those tormenting thoughts to be the boss of me……..I surrendered them to Jesus over and over again and slowly but surely they lost their power over me. Thank you, Jesus!

From his abundance we have all received one gracious blessing after another. John 1:16

Now, several years later we are living out our stories redemption style. The losses we went through do not compare to the new joys we are now experiencing. What was meant to destroy us has only made us stronger and has given us a story that shouts of God’s amazing grace and faithfulness. Only my children know the depths of the chaos and craziness that we have walked through but with that they have also known and witnessed the greatness of our God as He has came to our rescue time and time again!

Just recently, as I had a few precious moments with my daughter before she said “I do”, I was given the opportunity to pray with her. As the words begin to flow, so did my tears. God so sweetly reminded me of how He had given us each other to share not only in the pain that had been a part of our stories, but also in these specific joy-filled beauty-for-ashes moments. I don’t know of any mom who would ever plan nor want to go through a divorce at the same time as her daughter BUT not every mom gets the blessing of sharing the season of being engaged and married with her own daughter either. How precious and how special. I could not see in the get go, as I poured out my heart beside my bed that day, that God would so graciously weave our stories so closely together and create a beautiful ever after from the ashes we both carried. I could not see then that God would take the ugliness of divorce and bring a strength and closeness among my children that wasn’t there before. I couldn’t see then that I would get to meet and marry a special man and have the privilege of being a bonus mom to two incredible kids and a mother-in-law to a man that would love my daughter and her siblings like no other!

Our God is truly the God of abundant mercy and grace and He is no respecter of persons. In the midst of the unwanted parts of our stories, God redeems. He covers our shame with His love and creates within our story HIS story of amazing grace. His grace is even more beautiful to me now than ever before. I have been ever so desperate for it and I have experienced the extravagance of it. His grace has anchored my messiness to His marvelous perfection and created something so beautifully new. His grace has truly been sufficient for me and my children and I can assure you that His grace is truly sufficient for you. Believe it, my friend!

I would have despaired had I not believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for and confidently expect the Lord; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for and confidently expect the Lord. Psalm 27-13-14

I have set the Lord continually before me; Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Psalm 16:8

…May grace (spiritual blessing) and peace be given you in increasing abundance [that spiritual peace to be realized in and through Christ, freedom from fears, agitating passions, and moral conflicts]. 1 Peter 1:2

Trusting and Waiting

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It happened several years ago, one August morning. In some ways it seems like forever ago. Yet, I still remember it so vividly. I was awakened from a deep sleep with the following scripture on my heart.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not to your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:3-5

I would love to sound all spiritual and say this was a normal occurrence in my life. However, being awakened with a Word from God just pouring into my spirit wasn’t something that I was used to. It is for that very reason that I knew this was special and I needed to pay attention. Of course, I didn’t understand it then but it was soon to be my life-line for the most difficult season I had ever encountered.

You see, a few years before that memorable August morning, something had gone way south in my marriage. It had happened many times before but this time was different. I knew it. Sure, our marriage had been extremely difficult over the years and there was much brokenness and betrayal throughout but I believed that we had finally progressed beyond all of that. I so longed for the testimony that we had previously shared with our church family, to continue to be the testimony of our tomorrows. I knew God was able! Even though my gut persistently screamed at me and I saw the red flags waving, I didn’t want to give significance to any of it. I wanted to believe that I was just being paranoid and overly sensitive. But deep in my core, I knew.

My consistent and gut wrenching prayers became more desperate as time went on. I asked God to bring light to the darkness, for Him to reveal what I felt like I already knew. I begged Him and pleaded with him time and time again. Consequently, there was no big reveal, no explanation, no tangible evidence, nothing! However, God was not totally silent. Thankfully, He gave me an anchor to hold onto. The word “faithful” was graciously dropped in my spirit. What did that mean? I knew. God was calling me to be faithful in the midst of the not knowing, the brokenness and the pain. He was asking me to simply trust Him and wait. I had to be faithful…as a wife, as a mom, as a daughter of God and in God’s timing, He would bring truth to light and reveal His wisdom. I could not let my feelings dictate my actions. I could not run, I could not give up. I had to continue right where I was, doing what I knew to do in that season of waiting. It was a daily battle. I prayed and surrendered my concerns, fears, frustrations, anger and pain to Jesus as I had so many times before. However, things seemed to only get worse. I cried and grieved a lot during that time and to say a lot is not an exaggeration. I think I knew in my heart what was coming and it broke me. I had dear friends who tried to intervene but, unfortunately, their kind efforts were unfruitful.

Looking back, I am beyond grateful that I was given the gift of divine space to begin the grieving process while still within the boundaries of marriage. I think I can compare it to a loved one being taken care of by Hospice at the end of this life. You know the end is coming and God, in His amazing love and grace, begins to prepare your heart to let go. I have no words to describe the difficulty of that season. It truly was like a slow death.

In the short years that followed, my dad was diagnosed with cancer and I was his care-giver. He lived in my home before he entered his heavenly home. I will not go into the added chaos and brokenness this brought into my life but it was very much a distraction from the sinking feeling that my world was about to be forever changed in more ways than I could comprehend. Looking back now, the Lord was so very gracious. He cares so very much about our burdens and brokenness. He knew this broken girl could only handle one huge life changing thing at a time. It was not until about seven months after my dad had passed away that some truths were finally revealed. Subsequently, a month or two after I had awakened with the scripture I mentioned earlier. God’s timing is always perfect! His ways are so much higher than our own! Though my heart was broken in more pieces than I could count, I praised my God! I distinctly remember falling to me knees at that precise moment…it was bittersweet. I thanked Him for finally bringing to light what I needed to know, even though it hurt so deeply. It was then that I knew it was time. When you know, you just know. I was rescued. I was released.

I used to always wonder how couples who had been married for 30 years could end up getting a divorce. It seemed totally crazy to me. After-all, if you made it that far, you should be able to ride it out for the long haul, right? Well, now I get it. There comes a time when you finally say, enough is enough. I can’t do this any longer. I need peace. I need to take the short years I have left and live them to the fullest even if it means living them alone. It is not the life we would have chosen but that is how things sometimes turn out this side of heaven.

It has been nearly three years since I made that decision, I dealt with two deaths in a short amount of time, the death of my father and the death of my marriage. The death of my father was so very hard..but the death of my marriage and the challenges that have followed have proven to be the most challenging and painful season I have EVER walked through. Even though the struggles were overwhelming at times, I know my God rescued me. Yes, God ordained marriage, Yes, God hates divorce! However, I know He loves His daughters MORE than He hates divorce. I do not for one second condone divorce. It is ugly. It is hurtful. It is devastating. It affects SO many people. It is not how it was supposed to be. I would NOT encourage any sister of mine to walk this path without first seeking wise Godly counsel and WAITING for God to reveal His guidance. Waiting is a key factor. You cannot make this decision based on your hurt and brokenness. Emotional decisions are not wise. You have to give yourself time to work through some of your brokenness before making such a life-altering decision…this applies to every area of our life!

I am 100% FOR marriage! I am 100% for commitment and staying for the duration. I am also 100% convinced that when you have done all you can do… the braver, more courageous choice is to let go and let God lead you out. After 30 years, it was scary, it was stepping out of the boat of “I can’t do this” and taking hold of Jesus, trusting Him to keep me and my children from sinking. It was like having a somewhat twisted, toxic and unhealthy security being pulled out from under us.

So why am I writing all this? Because somebody needs to hear it. I used to think that going through a divorce was the worst thing that could ever happen, so I adamantly avoided it at all costs. Friend, I can confidently say with humble thankfulness, that what seems like the worst thing that could ever happen is NOT the worst thing because we serve a faithful God! He walks with us through the yuck and the messy and helps us to be braver and more courageous than we ever thought we could.

The morning when I woke up with Proverbs 3:3-5 on my heart was a divine father-daughter moment in which I will never forget. Of course I did not understand the significance of it then but now, wow!! He wanted me to know that I could trust Him through the unwanted, challenging and downright messy season I was about to enter into. He was going to be with me… leading, guiding, protecting, and upholding me and my children and though I would not understand it all, I could still trust Him. He would make me brave. He would give me courage to face what was coming.

Throughout this journey, I was reminded of that scripture time and time again. I prayed it, repeated it, cried through it and stubbornly held onto it when my feelings told me otherwise and my God never failed me.

AND so it it with you, dear sister! Our God can be trusted! I have heard it said, “You don’t really know what trust is until you have to trust!” That is so true! I can tell you, at your point of desperation, God is there. He is with you. He is writing your story and His grace and mercy are weaved all through it bringing beauty from what may have appeared to be something that you could not fathom having to endure.

Sweet sister. NO matter what your scary thing is, God is bigger! Though you may experience pain like you never have before, you will also experience God’s amazing grace like never before. He is such a loving Father. So what is it? What scary thing is the enemy using to torment you with by whispering “you can’t do it, you can’t make it, you’re not good enough, God can’t use you, you’re too messed up, you are not smart enough”, etc? Stop listening to THAT voice and take hold of what God says! Your problems are no match for God’s promises! Be brave and take hold of HIS grace and step onto the waters of obedience and mercy and see what He will do!

Is it a time of waiting and preparation or is it a time of action and application?

Whatever season you are in, God’s grace is precise and sufficient for YOU! Trust HIM with ALL of your heart. God’s plan is so much bigger than what you can think or imagine. Seek that father-daughter relationship with Him and as you do, you can be CONFIDENT that He will hold you, comfort you, lead you, protect you, provide for you, empower you, bless you, and work ALL things together for your good and for HIS glory! THAT, my friend is WHO HE IS! Believe it!

Have not I commanded you? Be strong, vigorous, and very courageous. Be not afraid, neither be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:9

We are assured and know that [God being a partner in their labor] all things work together and are [fitting into a plan] for good to and for those who love God and are called according to [His] design and purpose. Romans 8:28

Wait and hope for and expect the Lord; be brave and of good courage and let your heart be stout and enduring. Yes, wait for and hope for and expect the Lord. Psalm 27:14