Be at peace: Turn to Jesus

"But he should ask in faith, not doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed about by the wind" ~James 1:6

How easy it is to doubt. Much like Thomas (doubting Thomas from the Gospel), we hide behind the disappointments that life can bring. With each one, we guard our hearts out of fear that they will be crushed again. We are broken.

These disappointments prove to be even more reason to have faith. They show us that no earthly thing will ever fully satisfy us. The only thing that can is the one who created us. He never lets us down. Even when the world seems crazy and full of negativity, the love of God shines through and shows us the way.

But we need to have faith. Without it, we are subject to conform to the things in life that will only bring us that disappointment. Each time we do not have total faith, we lose the trust that God is working tirelessly for us to have. If we go into prayer and go to God half-heartedly, not truly trusting and believing in His power, mercy, and love, we will continue to be disappointed and turn away from Him.

By surrendering everything to Jesus, you allow your heart to be vulnerable. It is in that state- when you go to Jesus as you are- that healing can take place. We all carry wounds on our hearts. I know I do. We may not know what they are, but if you open yourself to Jesus and trust that He can heal you- He will.

His love is so overwhelming. I have been blessed to experience His healing love in moments where I surrendered all that I am to Him. It is truly incredible. My senior year of high school, my class wrote a prayer. There is one line that has stuck with me:
          "When faced with obstacles, be our refuge and strength for through You all
          things are possible."
Jesus is calling us to trust Him. We never have to go through anything alone. He is there in good times and in bad. He is the ultimate best friend and yearns to help us in all aspects of life.

God has blessed you so incredibly and He has great things planned for you. I hope you not only realize that but believe it and have faith in it. Everything happens for a reason, and He will never lead you astray. Every situation, every joy, every sorrow, every disappointment is ultimately leading to your happiness.

You need to surrender everything. You need to allow your heart to become vulnerable. You need to let God into those places where you can't trust Him. He is yearning for you to ask Him to love you. To allow His mercy to flood your heart and heal every wound so you can be open to His love and plan for your life. He will give you the faith you need to live in a world full of darkness and negativity. Don't let the wind drive and toss you. Be stable. Be strong. Be at peace. Turn to Jesus.

Centered in Christ

The headache I felt prior was indeed no headache at all, but the feeling of me spinning. I had found myself on a merry-go-round. Like anyone who teeters on the edge of a spinning merry-go-round, I was terrified. The fear of falling off seized me and I desperately looked for something to hold on to. That's when I saw Him.

Jesus was in the center of this ride. In the center of a merry-go-round it is safe, secure, and fun. So there was my answer, what I was looking for to hold on to. I needed to get to the center. However, when I tried to take a step toward Him, something pulled me back. When I looked around, evil spirits were there, waiting to pull me back. I looked in a panic at Jesus and He calmly smiled at me and opened His arms. I looked around and handlebars appeared for me to cling to. As I looked at them, I saw things such as family and friends- things that bring me closer to Jesus and stabilize me on the ride of life- on them. Each time I dismissed an evil spirit, it would let me go and I could take one step closer. Finally, I reached the center and fell into Jesus' welcoming embrace. He held me close and told me:
         "Jessica, I love you. I have been waiting for you. I know that life gets hard and is
          crazy at times, but as long as you keep me at the center, you are safe. With me,
          nothing can harm you. Work to get to this center every day. I have so much
          planned for you, and you just need to trust me. I have placed people and things in
          your life to help you along the way. Remember to always walk to me, even in the
          most difficult times and I will help you. I love you my child."
In that moment, I was the happiest I have ever been in my life. It was only for a short time, but I caught a glimpse of heaven and what is to come. God's love is beyond anything that I can describe. I was so full of joy and love that I could not contain it and started laughing.

Life is like a merry-go-round. We are constantly spinning, with the possibility of flying off at any moment. We can choose to be afraid and live a life full of fear and on the edge or to be in the center and live a life full of happiness and love. God gives us the choice. He gave us Jesus, the center, the rock. Without Him, we are on the edge, being pulled by our own evil and sin. But Jesus is there, waiting with open arms wanting to give us the happiness we desire. He gives us our family, friends, things we love to stabilize and help us. Much like the handlebars, they help us to stay on even when we are in the greatest danger of flying off. They are there to help us take those steps to get to the center, to Him. We simply need to trust in Him. Always. For it is in Him that we are fulfilled. He wants us all to experience His love.

On the merry-go-round of life, I choose to live in the center. Where do you want to be?