Undeniable

 Life doesn't always make sense. In fact, it rarely makes any sense at all. I'm pretty sure none of us woke one morning as a child and decided that caregiving is what we wanted to do with our lives. It was just the course life took us on and out of love, we stepped up to the task. This certainly wasn't my "dream." I thought I'd be retired and traveling the world doing missions work by now. In some ways, I am. Not the retired part, lol, traveling the world via the internet and talking about God and His faithfulness. 

I started thinking along these lines because I found the lyrics to a song I wrote back in 1999. Now, I can look back on it and see images of what the rest of the year looked like and the major changes that were ahead. When I penned the song, I had no idea we'd move to Louisiana and I'd get to teach school for the next 7 years. I didn't know of all the things that would come down the pipes from then to now. But one thing I knew was that God had been faithful to that point and I could trust Him to continue being faithful. That is undeniable. Here are the lyrics:

I Can't Deny Your Faithfulness

Some things in my life I can't deny

Some things still make me ask why

But I can't deny Your mercy

I can't deny Your grace

I can't deny the work of Your love

I can't deny Your faithfulness to me.

For Your name has been a mighty strong tower

You've been my refuge from the storm

You've kept me through the flood

And You've kept me through the fire

I can't deny Your faithfulness to me.

(C) J. Olinger 2-6-199

When I found the song and sat at the piano to play it...I was overwhelmed with emotions. What I had gone through before the song was written didn't hold a candle to the struggles I faced over the last few years. I began to cry as I realized it was undeniable that God has indeed been keeping me through floods and fires over the decades. The biggest impact I think was to see all He has continued to walk with me through and the deep-seated knowledge that He will continue to do so no matter what is unseen ahead. He is faithful and absolutely nothing is off the table when it comes to seeing us through!

Today, I'll take some time to reflect on all God has brought me through and I'll spend some time thinking about what He's bringing me through currently. Then, I'll use those to encourage my heart. God will keep doing what He's always done and I will keep trusting Him to do so. I'll remind myself that He's got me - and that's a BIG package...He's not going anywhere. My meditations will be on how He remains with me period...He's got nothing "more important" to do than to get me (and you) through this day. I will welcome Him into my day as I trust Him to carry me through - will you join me?

Check out my Amazon bookstore where you'll find several devotionals, poetry books, Bible study guides, and my personal testimony of when God healed me. The books are available on Kindle or in print.

I also have an ebook shop set up on Buy Me A Coffee. The funds that go through there are used to cover the costs of translating into Urdu, printing, and distributing my books in Pakistan. My leadership book has even made it into the hands of pastors in India!