paralyzed potential

i have a kiddo
he's awesome
he's smart
he's funny
he's type a
he's exactly as God intended

(cause God doesn't make junk!)

this kid
though
if given the chance
will bear burdens
and carry worries
and walk in fear
and fret
and rob himself of
being
you know
a K-I-D

and it is a very frustrating thing as a parent
frustrating and heartbreaking
to watch your child
take on
something
to carry something
that isn't his to carry

God gave me a teachable moment today
you know
where HE taught ME
even though I thought I was teaching the kid...

God is good...
He is...
He knew us before we were born...
he pulled the DNA together,
heck, He put the markers on the DNA
before he pulled it together
He KNOWS US
our quirks
our desires
our tics
our weaknesses
our faults
our failures
our sins...

He knows it all...
and He created us anyway,
individually
designed
in HIS image
truly
designed and carried out
because HE DEEMED US WORTH IT
anyway
even with our ''issues''

but see,
here is where my kiddo runs into trouble
and where I run into trouble
and I'll be so bold as to say where YOU also run into trouble...

we don't believe the TRUTH
we fall for those other voices...
the ones that call out to us,
we give them more power, more credence, more strength
than we give
to the VOICE that called the very universe into existence...

See, Satan is STRONG and POWERFUL
and don't ever, for ONE second believe otherwise...
and he is smart...and subtle...and the king of deception...
his game he runs?
he takes the truth, puts a little spin of distortion and then grinds it in...
hard...

my boy
worries about something happening
someone missing
someone being hurt...

those attributes are good...
in that they make him a good leader,
he's weighs choices and decisions...

but you take those qualities
put a little spin on them
and you have a kid
that is robbed of enjoying a theme park, because he is overwhelmed by fear of someone taking a sibling
or a ride not working correctly...
you have a kid
paralyzed
by
fear

this morning, we met those fears head to head...
i reminded him
God KNEW when He created him that he would be natured the way he was...
that he would love dr. pepper with no ice,
that he didn't like condiments with his food,
that he liked things 'just so'
that he liked to take care of things/people, liked to know where things were...
I reminded him that God knew each and every quirk he had and that not only that, that God had DONE THE WIRING to make him that way...

but I also told him
Satan knew those things...and Satan's tool, Satan's game is to play on our weakness...
Satan always distorts truth...
he takes what God make...twists it...
he takes my kiddos inclination to want to know everything/everyone is ok
and takes it to the nth power to the point where he is in tears, worried...scared...

do you see that...
i'll tell you just as i told him
that feeling
that tightness in your chest...
that yucky feeling in your stomach...
that heavy weight on your heart...
that fear that you carry like a backpack...
all.
satan's
lies...

because God's desire is what?

JOY and that we may have it ABUNDANTLY...

if Satan can whisper in our ear...make us think we are unworthy...our choices have been so blown...our sin was too big...our mistakes TOO bad...if he can keep us weighed down with that defeat ...then what?... we are NOT JOYFUL and he gets to do a little dance of victory...

I also reminded that kid of mine...that TRUTH says...

we are not given a spirit of fear...but of POWER and LOVE and of a SOUND MIND...

satan attacks our thought life
our emotions
he makes us feel lonely and scared
then he full on attacks us...
hit us with unworthiness and fear
and reminds us
of all we've done

until we are curled up
in fetal postion
crying
because we are scared
that someone is missing...

oh but Y'ALL

this is the good part...

The Voice of Truth, tells me a different story...
The Voice of Truth, says do not be afraid...
The Voice of Truth, says this is for my glory...
out of all the voices calling out to me...
I will choose to listen and believe the Voice of Truth...
(casting crowns, 'voice of truth')

just as I told my kiddo
that moment
when you feel that
fear
worry
creeping up
when satan starts reminding you and bombarding you
you stop
and you say
THAT IS NOT THE TRUTH

(whispers) cause it's NOT

and when Satan presses in harder, pushing all your buttons and emotions
you press back and say THAT IS NOT TRUTH

and at the very point, where you think it's too much, you are too tired, you are too scared, too worried, too frightened

THAT IS NOT THE TRUTH

THAT
IS
NOT
THE
TRUTH

Jehovah Jireh ...the God who will provide a way...
will indeed provide a way

The Voice of Truth

tells me a different story...
and you a different story...

listen and believe

The Voice of Truth