Strength for the journey

They say that life is a journey.  Journey's always have smooth roads, rocky roads, steep and winding roads, and you will always fall along the way.  What matters most about our journey's, I believe, is how we handle the rough, rocky roads and how long we stay down when we fall.  We can choose to pick ourselves up, brush off the dirt, and bandage any wounds that we received due to that fall OR we can just lie there and give up.  Giving up is not an option to me.  I will admit that I have been known to lie there for far too long and when the devil whispered in my ear "just stay down, God will not pick you up, he is the one that has allowed this to happen to you" I really wanted to listen to him.  That is the easy way out, to listen to the evil of the world.  God never promised Christians an easy road.  In fact he tells us in James 1:2-4
"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."

God put us on Earth to live for him and only him.  We are to follow his word and listen to him AND to live a life that is "Christlike".  That is so very hard to do.  We have a sinful flesh and we always want to control our own problems.  When we do that our problems just get out of hand and we end up falling FLAT on our face. 

My journey is now on a rocky road and I have fallen flat on my face.  It is time to pick myself up and let God carry me.  The verse below is what I read this morning.  It is so very true and it gives us a bright light in the midst of our horrible storm.  I also have put on of my favorite poems at the bottom, it is called "Footprints"  I actually have a big picture of this hanging on my will in my living room with a background picture of Jesus ascending into the clouds.  I hope you enjoy it and it gives you encouragement and strength.

Isaiah 40:31 NIV
but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on the wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint

Footprints

One night I had a dream-- I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord and across the sky flashed scenes from my life. For each scene I noticed two sets of footprints, one belonged to me and the other to the Lord. When the last scene of my life flashed before me, I looked back at the footprints in the sand. I noticed that many times along the path of my life, there was only one set of footprints. I also noticed that it happened at the very lowest and saddest times in my life. This really bothered me and I questioned the Lord about it. "Lord, you said that once I decided to follow you, you would walk with me all the way, but I have noticed that during the most troublesome times in my life there is only one set of footprints. "I don't understand why in times when I needed you most, you should leave me." The Lord replied, "My precious, precious child, I love you and I would never, never leave you during your times of trial and suffering. "When you saw only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you." ...Mary Stevenson