A message from Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein

How Long?
November 28, 2010

How long, LORD? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me?— Psalm 13:1–2

Read aloud these first five lines from Psalm 13. Can you hear the despair in the psalm writer's voice? Can you feel his sense of abandonment, his angst, his burden of sorrow? Four times in these first two verses, King David cries out, "How long… how long… how long… how long?"

If we are honest, haven't there been times in our lives when we have felt like that? How long before a job opportunity comes along? How long will I be barren, or single, or sick? How long before You make my path ahead known to me? How long, God, before you answer my prayer? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts of worthlessness, of depression, of loneliness? How long?

If we are honest, we know this feeling all too well. Like David, we often feel that same impatience with God. Why hasn't He acted yet? Has He even heard my prayer? What is taking so long? When is He going to act? David often claimed that God was slow to act on his behalf, but even in his lowest moments, David affirmed that he was going to trust God — no matter what.

Indeed, we see David's wonderful affirmation at the very end of this short lament: "But I will trust in your unfailing love. I will rejoice because you have rescued me. I will sing to the LORD because he has been so good to me." How could David arrive at that point so seamlessly, so quickly?

I think part of the answer lies in David's steadfast faith in God. Even at his lowest point, David's faith never wavered. And that came from a lifetime of walking with God, of trusting Him, of taking every thought, care, anxiety, and thanksgiving to Him. David was never very far from the One who could protect and guide him.

I also believe that David found strength as he expressed his feelings to God. In taking his doubts and his questions directly to God, David didn't focus inward and allow self-pity or negativity to spiral out of control. Rather he talked to God about what he was feeling, and as he did, God helped David gain a new perspective, and ultimately, that gave David peace.

When we are prone to despair, to crying out "how long," remember David. Talk to God and see how long it will be before you are singing praises to God because of His goodness to you.

With prayers for shalom, peace,

Truths...

100 Awesome Things! - Brave Girls Club

Brave Girls Printouts!

Oh I am so very excited about the Brave Girls Club printouts!! This is awesome!

Brave Girls Club

I wonder if I would be brave enough to give these to strangers. How would friends feel if I posted them on their facebook walls at random? What if they don't like them or I pick the wrong one to give? I wonder...

Putting my shoulders back...

"There's something about a person filled with hope...

The enemy always fights you the hardest when he knows God has something great in store.

When the bottom falls out and it looks like you hit an all-time low... when it just couldn't get any worse... You don't know what God has around the corner. That is not the time to get bitter. That's not the time to get negative. That is the time to put your shoulders back and boldly declare: My time is coming. I am a victor and not a victim."

- It's Your Time, by Joel Osteen, p.23

Beautiful Quote

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”
from 'A Return To Love' by Marianne Williamson

Following the 21 day challenge with Rhonna has been challenging, most of my "creating" has been in a word document on my computer. I have ideas for my art journal. I have the paper picked out and the ribbons and some fun lettering and silk flowers. I have cut and pasted onto my document what I want to put on each page but that is as far as my creating it has gone. This is an emotional roller coaster for me. I have good days and days that I hide. The word for the day yesterday and every day for the next few weeks is "Authenticity" I want to be who Jesus wants me to be. I want to be authentically His!

Danny MacAskill - "Way Back Home" - NEW street trials riding short film

Brave Girl...Authentic Girl... To be truthful and Real

Today's Brave Girl post meant a lot to me.. I want to take those steps, agoraphobia sucks...just speaking the truth!

Dear Authentic Girl,

It's ok to cry sometimes, you know. It's even ok to completely fall apart for a little while so that you can put yourself back together in the way you are supposed to be together...sometimes the pieces of us get a little bit mixed up and we have to let ourselves fall apart so that we can get ourselves back in order.

And...it's ok to grieve over things that we've lost. It's ok to grieve over people that we've lost and it's ok to grieve over time that has been lost. It's ok to feel a bit of a hole in our hearts where loved things used to be.

HERE'S THE IMPORTANT THING, though. Remember, that you can still do the things that you want to do, and work toward the places that you want to be, and learn the things that you want to learn WHILE you are working through grief. You don't have to wait. Sometimes we make ourselves wait until all of the pain is gone to start living the life we want to have. The time to start living the life we want to have is RIGHT NOW....even if it's while we are holding hands with pain. They really can live next to each other...and then when it's time for the pain to go....you are not left alone trying to figure out what to do next....you are already there....just without the pain.

So....please stop waiting, lovely you. Please stand up and take some steps into the places that you want to be. It's ok if your pain comes with you...it really is. Someday it will feel like it's done it's job and it will be gone.......it really will. YOUR JOB is to just keep moving, and you are the only one who can do it.

You know it's time...stand up, sweet sister.....take a step.
You can do this.

Have a wonderful weekend.
xoxo