Overcoming Negative Emotions by Annie Chapman

Overcoming Negative Emotions by Annie Chapman

Author:Annie Chapman
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780736940825
Publisher: Harvest House Publishers, Inc.


11

Kiss the Chains

The nearness of God is my good.

PSALM 73:28

Looking back over my life I can recall specific times when I’ve felt a particular closeness to the Lord. There have been delightful seasons of spiritual renewal that have drawn me closer to my heavenly Father. I’ve had the privilege of attending some awesome prayer retreats, I’ve sat under some inspiring Bible teaching, and I’ve experienced worship services that have helped me draw nearer to God in new and fresh ways. But the times that I have drawn the closest to the Lord and felt His undeniable presence, in what seemed like a concentrated form, have been those moments that were born out of my desperate need for His help and strength.

I felt God’s presence and heard His voice of comfort reassuring me that He was going to take good care of my mother the night she abandoned her cancer-ridden body and moved into a glorified, heavenly one.

God’s precious companionship kept me sane as I drove the eight-hour trip to West Virginia the day I received word that my daddy had died.

“Draw near to God and He will draw near to you” is a promise that encompasses all of our hopes for living victoriously in this life. Like the prodigal son’s father who was waiting and watching for his boy to come home, our heavenly Father runs to meet us at our place of need. Our part in this divine duet is to scoot nearer and snuggle in toward our Father. God’s part is to take us into His arms and hold us close.

Changing the Unacceptable; Accepting the Unchangeable

As God draws near to us in response to our reaching out to Him, He gives us the courage to change the situations that are unacceptable or unhealthy. He also gives us the strength to be victorious over the challenges we face that we can’t change. Along with His strength, He gives us new perspectives to help us see how He can bring good out of dire circumstances. In fact, I have a reminder of this truth on my kitchen floor.

A few years ago we decided to take up the black-and-white NASCAR winner’s circle-type tile in our kitchen and den area and replace it with hardwood. The system we chose was called a “floating floor.” A truckload of cardboard boxes arrived, each box filled with 7 x 36-inch prefinished oak strips that were to be fitted and glued together. The workmen we hired to install it were highly skilled, and shortly after they unpacked their equipment they were well underway with the task. About an hour into their work I decided to step into the kitchen to check on the progress. That’s when I saw it.

Near the sink, within the confines of one of the long sections of the flooring that had already been glued and toe-nailed down, was a small piece of hardwood about six inches by two inches long that was much lighter in color than the rest of that section, as well as the rest of the floor that was already in place around it.



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