Challenges...On the Wall and In Life

Challenges…When faced and confronted they provide opportunities to excel, to thrive, to succeed, to go beyond what you thought or believed you could accomplish. But when resisted or avoided, they generate fear, regret, worry, failure and insecurity.

David shared recently with our faith community a well known passage that speaks directly to this concept. In Matthew 6:25-34 Jesus reminds us of several things. One is that in this life there will be situations that challenge us on a daily basis. Secondly, He shows us that when confronted with these situations we have a choice as to how we are going to react—either by worrying about how we are going to resolve the need or by trusting in Him to provide for that need. Third, we read that we are to rest in the fact that our Heavenly Father is perfectly aware of our situation and its accompanying needs. Finally, we are to seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness and these things we need will be provided. David concluded by challenging us with this thought: If we are filling our hearts and minds with trust in God, then there is no room for worry!

During the last couple of months our girls have been fantastic examples of facing challenges and of trust as they took up a new sport…rock climbing!! From the first day they listened intently to their instructor, followed his instructions and met the challenge head on, reaching the top of the wall. They love it!!

God has used our daughters’ new activity to remind us how to respond to the challenges of everyday life. We must listen to our Instructor (God), follow His instructions (the Word) and face the challenge head on (trust).

For us a substantial challenge lately has been administering our resources—both time and finances. Choosing to face the challenges and trust has been a recurring theme for us and we are growing as we see God’s direction in our lives and experience His faithfulness. We are in the process of forming a Board of Directors and our hope is that as we seek God together they will provide a steady source of wisdom and counsel in these and other areas. Please pray for us as we will meet for the first time on September 20.

So, we are going to follow our daughters' example and let God show us how to climb the walls in our life that can be challenging and intimidating. We'll see you at the top!