Faith Archives - Page 7 of 36

Default Setting: Worry or Trust?

Posted on September 30, 2013September 30, 2013 by Katie Ganshert

Default: a selection made usually automatically or without active consideration

I don’t know about you, but when storm clouds roll in, my default is not trust.

This isn’t my automatic response.

When something really bad or unexpected hits, my mind all-too-easily careens into the unknown future, imagining awful scenarios that haven’t even occurred yet until I’m spinning into a black hole of devastation.

What happened to standing firm?

What happened to clinging to the God who is the same yesterday, today, tomorrow – despite the circumstances of the moment?

The God who is never surprised or caught off guard. The God who knows all, including every sparrow that falls to the ground and every hair that is on our heads.

Do I trust THAT God, despite this (whatever this may be)?

It’s a question I had to ask myself last Friday, when my world went topsy-turvy.

Ryan and I were enjoying our first date night in a long, long time when I received a text from a dear friend and fellow adoptive mom. The kind of text that knocks the wind right out of you–news that because of a governmental shutdown, we might not be able to bring our daughter home for another 12 months.

And here I had been hoping and praying for early spring (in my more realistic moments), if not Christmas (in my bolder ones).

What started off as a wonderful date night turned into one of those dark nights of the soul.

The whole Congo adoption community was spinning into that black hole of the unknown, myself included.

UNTIL

Two of my comrades, moms who are also adopting from Congo, started firing off Scripture references to one another as we were private messaging on Facebook. In the midst of our fear and worry….these two women drew their swords.

They stood firm.

So what if their knees were shaking and their hearts breaking, they drew their SWORD.

And it was like I could breathe again.

Matthew 10:29

Psalm 33:10-11

Exodus 14:13-14

Hebrews 10:22-23

1 Samuel 1:27

Acts 17:26

Nahum 1:7

Joshua 1:9

I drank it all in like a woman parched unto death. I gulped down every single word in these verses until I could remember what was true.

Hebrews 10:22-23 says…

Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and the full assurance that faith brings….Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is FAITHFUL.

In the amplified version, this concept of “full assurance” expands into “the leaning of the entire human personality on God in absolute trust and confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness“.

Take a second and let that sink in.

Exodus 14:13-14 says…

But Moses told the people, “Don’t be afraid. Just stand still and watch the Lord rescue you today….The Lord himself will fight for you. Just stay calm.”

In the amplified version, “standing still” isn’t just standing still, it’s standing firmly, confidently, and without dismay. And added to the phrase “Just stay calm” are commands to “hold your peace and remain at rest.”

Hold your peace.

Remain at rest.

This is what God is calling me to. This is what He is trying to teach me.

Trust Him. Trust Him. Trust Him.

It’s time to change my default setting.

Crisis –> Worry

Crisis –> Steadfast trust in my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ

I want to be unflappable.

Because though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and the mountains quake, God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.

He is trustworthy and He is faithful and not only is He good, He wants good for me, and for my daughter.

This is truth. And I will trust.

Let’s Talk: When a crisis hits, what’s your default setting?

What’s your default setting when faced with a crisis–worry or trust? –> click to tweet

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What’s Your “This”?

Posted on June 17, 2013June 17, 2013 by Katie Ganshert

Do you believe in God’s goodness?

It’s a question I’ve had to ask myself lately.

In my head, yes. Of course I believe God is good.

But sometimes my heart isn’t as readily agreeable as my head.

I think sometimes, I fall into the trap of gauging God’s goodness based on the circumstances of the moment.

He heals a sick loved one.

He restores a marriage.

He blesses someone with a child.

He gives us the dream we’ve been chasing.

And God. Is. Good!

But what about when the loved one dies or the marriage ends or the child doesn’t come or we never catch the dream?

Do we still declare Him good then?

What happens when that thing we’ve been praying and praying and praying for with the kind of prayers that give us callused knees and hoarse voices and dried-up tear ducts…what happens when God says no to that prayer?

I can hear Him whisper “Will you believe that I am good even if I don’t give you this?”

Whatever this is, this thing we grasp to our chest with knuckles as white as bone.

It’s a scary thought, isn’t it?

Ready for a truth moment–one that might wallop you as much as it’s been walloping me?

Perhaps the level of fear this particular question induces says much about the heart of our worship.

Are we worshiping God?

Or are we worshiping what God might give us?

It’s like that book by Dr. Seuss, How the Grinch Stole Christmas.

All the whos in Whoville are Christmas-crazy.

They love the presents and the food and the decorations and the goodies.

But then the Grinch steal everything.

And what happens?

The Whos join hands and lift their voices and celebrate anyway.

Because they know that Christmas itself is worth celebrating.

It’s inherently good, even without all the trappings.

Christmas itself brings joy. The rest is all extra.

So what about us….do we have that same understanding of God?

Can we open our fist and hold up our this, knowing He’s good if He hands it back and He’s good if He doesn’t?

Frightening, yes.

Freeing, absolutely.

Let’s Talk: What is your this? Has it become more important than God in your life?

Handling the Wait

Posted on May 22, 2013May 22, 2013 by Katie Ganshert

I often think that God brought me on the publishing journey to prepare me for the adoption one.

Both roads involve loads of uncertain waiting, which is the worst kind.

In my pursuit for publication, as I waited and waited and waited for that coveted phone call from my agent, I honestly reached a point where I was praising God in the midst of the silence.

Don’t get me wrong.

The waiting was no joke. The silence was torture.

But I felt so close to Him in the midst of it.

I came to this point where Jesus truly was the prize.

Maybe not at first (as ashamed as I may be to admit that), but He became it.

This time around?

I’m not doing so hot.

I know this is different.

Apples and oranges, really.

Because as much as we authors might call our manuscripts our babies, they do not actually have beating hearts.

This child we are waiting for and praying for and longing for does.

And this mama sure does too.

Waiting is a hard, hard thing.

After doing everything under the sun to ensure our adoption is ethical, there reaches a point where my to-do list is all checked and now I just sit. And wait. And wait some more.

The silence.

The not-knowing.

The utter lack of control.

All very maddening things.

Trying to become a family of four via adoption? We’ve been at it since November, 2011.

For a time there, we saw a definite glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel.

Then a couple months ago, Congo adoptions went flip, upside down, and the light disappeared.

And as I sit here today, vacillating between wanting to crawl out of my skin and wanting to burst into tears, I realize…

It’s time to get back to that place.

Of trust, yes. Because God’s got this. No matter what happens. Regardless of the outcome. He has it.

But mostly, I need to get back to the place where He is my prize.

Not another child.