(Excerpts taken from my soon to be published book God Is)
Sometimes life is overwhelming and we don’t go to God because we are at a loss for words. But if we don’t go to God then we can’t hear what He has to say. You can’t live without oxygen. God is our spiritual oxygen and without Him, we wither away.
My sister and I got Up North to my aunt and uncle’s place late on a Friday night early in October of 2021. It was way past dark when we arrived and we went on into the house and settled in for the night. I was feeling discouraged and woke up not wanting to face another day of pain. I felt the urge to get up, take my guitar, and go outside.
Now, I had no idea what I was about to see as it had been dark when we arrived and I had not even been thinking about the season we were entering into. When I walked outside, the painting that I saw before me took my very breath away. The blue sky was only a backdrop for the trees colored in orange and yellow, red and gold.
As I looked around me at the panorama view, tears filled my eyes and this thought came to mind: God is the master painter and if He cares enough to make a masterpiece out of a tiny leaf, then I can trust Him with the details of my life.
I sat down with my guitar wanting to do nothing more than praise Him. I tried to put into words the beauty that surrounded me and how it reminded me just how much God cares, but I couldn’t think of the words to write. I was so overwhelmed by Him. Words cannot capture what it is like to spend time with God. Being with Him is intimate and holy.
I opened the book that I had brought out with me and turned the pages and stopped when I came to one special song. The words to “What a Friend we Have in Jesus” spoke so clearly to me that day. Not only is God the master painter, He is our dearest friend. Later that week, I sat down and reflected on that special time with God and He gave me the following song.
Surrounded by the Colors of the World
Written: October 10, 2021
Verse 1:
In the morning when the sun is rising up
And shines it’s light onto the trees
I see his hand
In the color of the leaves
A vibrant painting; a masterpiece,
When autumn leaves turn shades of yellow, red, and gold
Against the sky of blue, the radiant hue,
Breathtakingly bold
The fading colors of the leaves when winter snowflakes fall
The seasons change and yet the master stays the same
All creation sings a song of wondrous beauty
And let us sing before the stones call out His name
Chorus:
Surrounded by the colors of the world
The wind says what we cannot see is real
Our faith brings hope and reassurance
All around me, His presence I can feel
Verse 2:
In the twilight when the stars light up the sky
And northern lights begin to dance
I know that this
Did not appear by chance
A vast creation; a work of art,
The sound of waves that crash upon the sandy shore
The song of birds that sing; a lovely thing,
How can we want more?
The sparkling freshly fallen snow, the ice upon the trees
The dead of winter still His glory to proclaim
In the spring, new life reminds us of our Savior
Who came and shed His blood for all our sin and shame
Chorus:
Surrounded by the colors of the world
The wind says what we cannot see is real
Our faith brings hope and reassurance
All around me, His presence I can feel
End:
Surrounded by the colors of the world
You can listen to this song on my YouTube channel by going to the following link:
We each have our own cross to bear, but the great thing about living with Jesus is that we don't have to bare it alone. The Bible literally tells us in John 16:33 that we will have trouble in this world, but Jesus also gives us a promise. He tells us that in Him we will have peace. He also reminds us that He has overcome the world.
God provides. He is in control no matter what happens here that we cannot understand. He is still faithful. We hope in Him. He gives us hope. He gives us all that we need.
God is our provider.
The troubles of this world matter not in comparison to being with Him. He is with us here and never leaves us. There is a sweetness; a renewal in spirit when we spend time with Him.
God is steadfast.
We are not strangers to the troubles of this sinful world but it is God who carries us through; who gives us hope—a reason to keep on; to spread the glorious news of the risen Christ. If you don’t know the sweetness of the Lord—the peace—don’t wait to talk to him. Our days are numbered and He will be faithful to bring you to His side; to deliver you from this world if you turn to Him. There is Hope in Christ. He is the ONLY hope.
“And now Lord, what do I wait for? My hope is in you.” –Psalm 39:7
People will come and go in our lives and they will fail you. They will hurt you and leave you broken. Even those who love you will hurt you, but God never will. He loves us with an unconditional, unfathomable, undeserved love. God will never fail you. If you put your trust in Him, He will never leave your side.
God made a way for us. God provided the lamb. He gives us everything we need.
God is our provider.
God provided a way to free us from this sinful world; from the bondage of sin. One is not truly free unless they are free from the bondage of sin. Independence from sin is dependence on Christ.
God has put us here--exactly where we are; each and individually in our lives, for a purpose. I heard a pastor say one time that “If there were ten steps between us and God, we need only take the one because He will take the other nine.” So I say, if there were ten steps between us and God, He only asks that we take one based on faith: trust. He will take the other nine: mercy, grace, love, peace, comfort, provision, salvation, hope, and eternal life.
The Bible tells us that we should be thankful in all circumstances, rejoice always, and pray continually. Have you ever wondered what God's Will is for you. This is it!
“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus” - 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
This means we need to rejoice and be thankful even during the difficult circumstances. It is hard, but think of it this way. If we never knew pain, how would we understand grace and experience God's great love. How would we grow? Would we really be thankful for the sunshine if we never saw rain? God gives us another way to look at it.
In James 1:2-3 we read, "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you face trials of various kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance."
We already read above and know that we will have trouble in this world. Now God is giving us a way to persevere. When you look back over your life and see all that God has brought you through, you will feel His great love and know He cares for and provides for and takes care of you.
Muscular Dystrophy is part of the cross I bare. It has filled my life with chronic physical pain. It has crushed some of my dreams. It has caused me to struggle to do ordinary everyday tasks. It has taken away things that I used to be able to do like riding a bike or going for a walk. It has caused anxiety and depression. It is not something that I would have chosen for my life, but it is something that I am able to be thankful for because it has taught me to rely on God every single day to do even the ordinary mundane tasks.
Why is this a blessing? Because it has caused me to grow closer to God, it has shown me more of God's love, it has made me thankful for small things like the ability to take a breath and walk (even if I can't go far or stand for long). It is a progressive disease and one day I will lose the ability to walk and eventually I will lose the ability to breathe because all of my muscles are disintegrating and cannot be built back up. In fact, the more I use them, the faster I lose them. It's challenging to find that balance between keep going and don't overdo it.
It has caused me to pray more. It has caused me to trust God more. It has caused me to lean into Him and constantly reminds me that though I am weak, He is strong. He is my strength. When you learn to be thankful for the trials, you have peace.
Do I still have days where I am anxious and depressed and feel hopeless? Yes, but I have also learned that when I am at my lowest point, God is right there with me and gives me perseverance. He gets me through the worse days and reminds me along the way just how much He loves me.
It has given me a greater opportunity to witness to others as well. It has helped me understand what it's like to not be able to do things, to be depressed, to have anxiety, to loose part of yourself, to be disabled, to deal with constant chronic pain. It has helped me be able to walk beside people who are struggling with some of these same things because I understand pain. And best of all, I know that God is faithful.
Here is a poem that God laid on my heart even before I was officially diagnosed with Muscular Dystrophy. God knew what was to come and He was preparing me for it.
Thank God for the Trials
There are so many things to thank God for,
But do we ever stop and say—
Lord, thank you for the trial
That you have brought my way?
Do we ever thank God for the rain—
Or the storms that life has brought?
What about the pain and heartache,
Or the battles we have fought?
If we never knew of pain,
Of heartache or of loss;
If we never went through trials,
Or felt the wait of our own cross;
If we never felt the rain,
When we prayed for the sun,
Would we ever truly understand
All that the Lord has done?
He teaches us through trials,
He shows us His strength when we are weak,
He catches us when we fall,
And gives us words when we can’t speak.
It’s when we lose—
That in God—we gain
When we learn to find His Joy—
Even in our pain.
When we are at our very lowest,
And we have no strength left to fight—
When our world is at its darkest,
That’s when we truly see God’s light.
God allows all things for a reason,
And trials can be blessings in disguise.
We must endure pain to ever truly grow,
And go through blindness to appreciate God’s eyes.
I thank God for all he’s done in my life—
For the sunshine and the rain,
Because I know His ways are best—
Even though sometimes they bring us pain.
When there is nothing I can do,
I know the Lord will see me through;
And when I’m in my darkest place,
I praise God for His love and grace.
Written by: Christine (Eves) Martin
November 9, 2018
Revised: January 29, 2022
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