In Like a Lion....

Even in the valley You are faithful You're working for our good  ~ Sovereign Over Us As most of you know, Gabe fell and broke his arm about 3 weeks ago. He badly fractured his humerus bone which resulted in a trip back to Indiana. He went into surgery the next day where they inserted a plate and 7 screws. After spending two weeks in Berne recovering, he is back in the DR and we are so thankful to have him home! We are so grateful for everyone who lifted him up in prayer during that time, as well as the girls and I. We are so thankful for each and every one of you!       Gabe's accident seemed to be the cherry on top of an already stressful, crazy year. I can say that 2018 hasn't exactly been kind to us. In fact it seems to have come in like a lion. It's been a year of what feels like mostly valleys.      For the first 3-4 months of this year, I found myself battling with anxiety. I've struggled with anxiety and fear for most of my life, but during these past few months, it felt like anxiety was out to destroy me. I found it hard to make it though the day and often found myself flat on the floor, parlayed with fear. Panic attacks were a frequent occurance. On top of that, I was also struggling with some pretty bad back pain. We were also in the midst of a busy group season at Freedom. Add to the mix the every day trials of life such as work and kids, and our family was pretty much left feeling exhausted, defeated and ready to throw in the towel.      But through the frustration, tears and weariness, God has been gently reminding us that it's through the fire and the valleys that we truly learn to depend on the Lord. We learn to let go of our pride and we discover that we can't but He can. Through each valley and fire, we see Him shaping our character. I recently heard somewhere that our trials are like that of a silversmith who is 'testing' silver. The silversmith puts the raw silver in a crazy hot pot. The silver melts and the impurities melt to the top. The silversmith then scraps off the impurities and once again puts it into the fire. He does this over and over again. He knows the silver is done or pure when he can look down and see his own reflection. Wow! The Lord allows us to go through trials so that He can purify us from all our impurities. I don't know about you but when the Lord looks at me, I want Him to be able to see His reflection!  So while I'd like to hit the restart button on 2018 or even see it go out like a lamb, I'm going to choose instead to praise the Lord for each trial that has and may come our way. Because I know that each trial matures us into Christ-likness.