From an article originally posted January 9, 2014…

This morning a mama I love posted about the reality of her mama’s cancer. It was a breathing out of the story they never wanted to say in words. The pain of the truth and the beauty of the journey were captured in her words and fear of saying her journey with cancer aloud.

Cancer steals, cancer breeds fear, but it also causes us to see what is precious: our moments, our time, our words, our love. This family is holding the mama close, listening for her love and watching her living, and begging for the miracle. Longing for the miracle of life, and enjoying the miracle and wonder of a mama that loves big, deep, and really well. It’s beautiful. Hearing my friend speak of her mama is beautiful.

Yesterday, I was sitting with one of my daughters, loving, sitting, praying many of the same miracles for myself. Time, moments, love next to the ones I love best. We had this short moment before school captured my daughter for the day. We opened to Proverbs and there I found a promise. A promise for my children, for my heart, and for my friend and her family.

I looked closely at the verse, can you see it? I sat in awe of this verse with my daughter. Look friends, look closely. In the listening to God, quietly sitting and listening to the God that loves our hearts the very best... Do you see it? In the listening He takes away the dread. Oh GLORY!!! On second look, I see the truth also, He doesn’t take away the disaster, but the dread of the disaster.

I turned to my daughter and truthfully spoke of our story. We are not promised a life of ease in this world. But we are walked with in our hard. This beautiful promise, was just what I needed, what we all need.

You see we have lived hours, days, weeks, months, and more than a year in dread. Dread is a horrible liar and peace stealer. Dread whispers fear, worry, suffocating peace. When I saw these verses I felt unbelievably free in the reading of them.

When the dread comes, and oh how it comes, I see it as a beautiful litmus test of not listening to God. I rejoiced in calling my guy and telling him the beauty of the promise of this verse. It was heart-altering, life-changing, freedom-giving truth.

The disaster may come, I’m not promised ease, I’m not sure I would want it. But walking near to Jesus, listening to His love story to me in His word, knowing Him in the pouring out of my heart, and the listening, the listening, the listening for truth, the dread can be quieted. PEOPLE! Here is a miracle. Dread lifted, in the heavy weight of living in hard, this is HUGE!!!!! I’m screaming a little. I want so much to take hold of this truth.

I want, oh how I want to live this. Don’t you? Don’t we all take on dread in the big and small hard moments of life? Dread is a liar, fear is an unwelcome punk, worry is a jerk that is not welcome in my day. I’m going to be listening, listening, listening for the truth.

Join me, won’t you? What areas of your life have found you welcoming dread into your heart? What lies are being whispered to you in your dread? Look truly at the coming disaster, would Jesus meet you in it, love you through it, and give lavish, unbelievable grace in the midst of it? Oh He will, I promise dear reader, He will meet you in it. I walked the shadow of the valley of death, and I was met. You will be met. Listen for Him dear reader, He has truth to share, comfort to give, and grace to love you.

Shed light on the lies of the dread that is stealing your peace. Speak it aloud to the loves around you. Pray them to Jesus, let Him be your comfort. I would love to share the promise that the disaster won’t come, but I don’t see that here. But I see great love present in the midst of it, in the lifting of the dread. Miraculous!