On a recent trip up north, Steve and I listened to songs from CDs we recently had transferred onto a memory stick. Palmetto State Quartet’s album kept us company for a long stretch, and their song, “Everlasting Peace” recalled a time of severe testing, when I couldn’t sense God’s direction or presence. My heart felt dry and cold, and though I would try and move closer to the Lord by reading the Bible and praying, He felt far away.
Here is an excerpt from my soon-to-be published memoir, A Goldilocks Life, describing it:
“One night when my husband had stayed in town with a coworker and the kids were asleep, I slumped on my bed. All that fit in our bedroom was a full-sized mattress on the floor. I leaned my back against the wall and my head on my chest. I flipped through my Bible looking for comfort. Teary-eyed I read, “Notwithstanding, the Lord stood with me and gave me strength.”[i] My spirits lifted a little. I was beginning to grasp that God really was in Arizona, too, not just back in Illinois. I could call on Him any time. I don’t know how long I cried and prayed, but a new resolve started to fill me. I could only keep going because I knew Jesus stood with me. His perfect strength would hold me up when mine was spent.”
As the song says, God is a refuge in every storm in life we face. If you’re facing decisions that are daunting or feeling overwhelmed by circumstances, listen to “Everlasting Peace,” link below, and be encouraged that God is “Never distant, always near. Ever present, God is here!” Call on the Lord, He’s only a prayer away.
[i] 2 Timothy Chapter 4, verse 17
A Goldilocks Life 