Where do you go for help? #WilcoWednesday

Welcome to Wilco Wednesday! If you are a new around these parts, “Wilco” is Army-speak for “Will Comply.” Think of it as saying “Roger, God. Got it. Will do.”  So that is what Wednesday here at 7 Days Time is all about– exploring his decrees and seeking guidance for what complying with Him looks like in everyday life. The best part? He loves us for who we are, not what we do.  Remember: He doesn’t want perfection, just obedience. Share. Enjoy. Interact. And let’s respond to God’s call with  a hearty “Wilco, Lord!”  Help me welcome a very wise and loving, prayerful friend of ours, Cheryl as she shares a message you don’t want to miss. 

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“I lift up my eyes to the hills-where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let our foot slip” – Psalm 121:1-3

She had a look of terror in her eyes. She struggled to keep her head above water. Her arms frantically worked to lift her head above the water, yet she still went under. I yelled at my husband, “Ray, grab her!”

My six year old daughter had just come down the water slide. Her daddy was in the water to watch her and join in the water fun with her. But did he not see our daughter? Why didn’t he catch her as she came down the slide or as she struggled? What my daughter, Alexandra, didn’t know was that she could touch the bottom of the pool. It was only a few feet deep. My husband knew that she could touch the bottom, she just didn’t try. So I yelled to Ray, “She doesn’t GET IT!”

So my husband reached out and grabbed her and held her in his arms. He protected her, comforted her and then showed her she could indeed touch the bottom of the pool. He held firmly onto her hands as she cautiously touched the bottom of the pool. She trusted her daddy. His strength. His protection. His love. She would not drown – and her daddy was there the whole time just to make sure.

“For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.” ~Isaiah 41:13

How often are we like my daughter? We “just don’t get it.” We feel that we’re drowning in whatever is happening in our lives. Maybe a family member is ill, we just can’t seem to pay the bills, the job is miserable, the romance is gone from our marriage, our children seem to be more than we can handle, parents are demanding, ministry is draining, addictions plague us, we’re drowning in past sorrows, or maybe just everyday life is too stressful. And where do we go for help?

There are lots of places to go for help when we’re overwhelmed – some healthy, some not so healthy: friends, food, exercise, drugs, alcohol, TV, movies, video games, shopping, vacations, fellowship, self-help books, husbands, parents, the internet, jobs and ministry. We depend on our own strength and whatever/whoever we can take along. And yet there’s a rock we can stand on and a daddy we can cling to.

My water slide experience was an eating disorder. It started in high school when I decided to lose a couple of pounds and went on a diet. I was 5-6 and weighed 125 pounds. So who told me I was overweight? No one. It was a lie from the enemy. And it kept me on a rollercoaster ride for over 10 years. Diets, binging, diet pills, gorging, fasting, trying to exercise to keep the weight off. Until one day (as a baby Christian) when I sat alone on my couch sobbing and cried out to God, “Lord, I can’t live like this!” I truly meant it. I didn’t know what hunger was or how to satisfy it. I was broken, helpless in my addiction and humble. And God delivered me that day.

I didn’t realize that I had the ability to stand on solid ground. That my Daddy was there the whole time and all I had to do was cry out to him.

“You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.” ~Psalm 51:16-17

What are you drowning in today? Sometimes I wonder why God allows certain hardships in our lives to go on for what seems like for-e-ver. God doesn’t always answer the “why?” but he does answer the “how?” Like “how can I get through this?” He may or may not make the problem go away but he’ll definitely give you the strength, wisdom and encouragement you need to make it through it.

No matter the hardship, God can help. And, He can take away the fear and give you peace.

“The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God which transcends all understand, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:5-7

Cheryl is a Jesus loving lady who hopes that her story will inspire others to seek the one true God to help them and give them peace with whatever struggles they face in life.