{"id":25501,"date":"2019-04-15T03:30:30","date_gmt":"2019-04-15T10:30:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lccredding.org\/church\/?p=25501"},"modified":"2019-04-11T13:30:04","modified_gmt":"2019-04-11T20:30:04","slug":"april-15-2019","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lccredding.org\/church\/2019\/04\/15\/april-15-2019\/","title":{"rendered":"April 15, 2019"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\u201cFear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; yes, I will help you. I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.\u201d <\/em>Isaiah 41:10<\/p>\n

Lost In My Own Life<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Have you been there? Lost, alone, confused and frightened?<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t forget to bring me a chipmunk!\u201d My Pa didn\u2019t realize that his request was taken very seriously by his little granddaughter. While my family was busy setting up the campsite, I left unnoticed and chased after a chipmunk for Pa. When the chipmunk disappeared, I was left without my gift for my grandpa. Surrounded by the unknown, alone and frightened, I began to panic, realizing that I was lost.<\/p>\n

A nice lady came and took me by the hand and said she would help me find my family. \u201cAnxiety in the heart causes depression, but a kind word makes it glad\u201d\u00a0<\/em>(Proverbs 12:25). She took me to each campsite until I recognized my family. My older sister and her friend were in big trouble because they were supposed to be watching me. Sorry, Sis, I was on a mission!<\/p>\n

As a child,\u00a0being lost was a terrifying experience. When I was an adult, I became lost and confused as well. Desperately looking for something, I was chasing the wrong things for the wrong reasons. Again, I was on a quest and did not consider my path or its destination. Where am I? How did I get here? What direction do I go to find my way back?<\/p>\n

In a recent conversation with my \u201cadopted\u201d grandson, he said, \u201cLife gets busy; I\u2019ve been lost in my own life.\u201d Asking him to elaborate, he said he thought all the distractions caused him to place too many things into too little time. I can relate, adding that important priorities get pushed aside by trivial distractions. As when I chased a chipmunk, distractions may cause us to lose our bearings and no longer know where we are.<\/p>\n

We have recently come through a season of distractions. Fires, downpours, and snow crippled our city, leaving many disrupted lives. In addition, we are bombarded with mundane activities of family, work, church, friendships, and everyday obligations. Sometimes we go through the motions but our minds are not engaged in the task at hand because we are lost in the storms of our own lives. An element of fear sometimes accompanies being lost, but thankfully we do not have a spirit of fear but of power and love and sound mind.<\/p>\n

Oh the comfort of knowing Jesus, who will speak to our storms when we say, like Peter, \u201cHelp me, Lord.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we are lost in our own lives with storms swirling around us, You are all we need, Lord. Quiet our fears and calm our storms. You told us not to fear because You are with us, so when I am afraid I will trust in You (Psalm 56:3). Thank You, Lord.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>

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