Whoa Up, Sister

I have to first admit that I am borrowing this phrase from Jen Hatmaker. She is an amazing author and her latest book is really speaking to me. I highly recommend reading "Of Mess and Moxie". It will make you laugh and cry all in the same chapter.

Winter is a hard time of year for so many of us. Not only is it cold- I have to tell my son everyday if it is "dangerous" cold or just "regular" cold- but the days are short and the months are long. It is a time of year where people spend most of their time secluded in their homes and don't venture out unless they have to. It is also a time of year of sorrow for so many people. It is strange how much death occurs in the winter months but also not really. Christmas is over. People have spent time with their families and if they are ready to go or they are fighting some kind of disease it seems like the right time.

Last winter I made a promise to live in joy and not sorrow or fear. Of course a few days later my Grandpa died and then exactly 4 weeks after that we lost my Grandma. And over those 4 weeks was the time that my dad had passed 3 years before. Yet, I think making the promise to myself to live in joy was the best decision I had made. Because I was able to get through all of that with grace and dignity. I was okay.

This winter, I didn't start out with the same or similar intention. In fact, I have spent the last month or so living in fear, dread and sorrow. I have felt the impact of grief harder this year than most and the continuous worry of my own family weighs on me daily. I mean how many times can they tell us that basically we are all going to get the flu and there is a chance we may die. DON'T TURN ON THE NEWS OR RADIO IF YOU DON'T WANT TO HEAR THIS.

So then I started reading this book. By the introduction I was hooked. I knew I couldn't put it down. And then she got to the part about fear. She went on about all the bad things that were going on in her life and how she just lived in constant fear of what the next bad thing would be and THEN all of a sudden she realized that God didn't make us to be fearful and that FEAR IS A LIAR. Say that over and over again "FEAR IS A LIAR, FEAR IS A LIAR". It really helps.

She ends this page with the phrase "Whoa up, sister. These thoughts and ideas cannot be trusted"

So that is my plan. I will NOT LIVE IN FEAR. FEAR IS A LIAR. God did not give me the spirit of fear. God gave me the spirit of hope, grace, mercy, joy, love. God gave me all the tools I need to live a life of abundance and to not let fear rule me.

So whoa up, whoa up, whoa up. That is what I will continue to say to myself every time fear starts to creep it's ugly face in.

We are braver than fear, we are stronger than fear and we are made to live our lives full as beloved children of God.

So Whoa Up. You all got this. We all got this because the crazy thing is- we all have God on our side. Walking with us through this crazy, beautiful, messy life.

Blessings to you all during this Whoa up season.