Category Archives: fighting fear

so close: how we cooperate with breakthrough

Posted on by August 10, 2023

I haven’t published a book in two years, but the one I’ve been working on for eleven years is about to release in a month or so. So this of course is not the best time for my computer to give me the blank stare of death.

But as I type this, it’s done that twice in a span 24 hours.

Did I have all my files backed up recently?

Oh, friends…I think we both already know the answer to that.

so close: how we cooperate with breakthrough

Fortunately Vince is a computer whiz (not by natural gifting or inclination, but because over the last five years I can’t tell you how many times technology has fritzed out on us) and he was able to restore the whole shebang the first time, which gave me the opportunity to frantically back up all my files. And since I have approximately the same number of files on my computer as my book has words (65,000, but who’s counting), that process took all evening and kept going through most of the night.

So when it crapped out again the next day, he was able to redo it all quickly and the only loss was all of my saved passwords and several hours of desk time. And even that wasn’t a total waste; in lieu of curling up in the fetal position in a corner of my bedroom and hyperventilating, I spent those hours trying not to throw up and instead busied myself with finding all the books I need to cite in my endnotes.

There have been quite a few days this month that have been not the best ones for sitting at the desk trying to write coherently, anyway. Those were days of Big Thoughts about Hard Situations, filled with distraction while I did tiny tasks: messages, emails, copying and pasting documents, busywork. And finally the short work shifts were over, and to my relief, it was time to switch with Vince and go to the kitchen or the yard. The manual tasks of washing eggs, taking care of chickens, and making shepherd’s pie are a much better use of time on these high pressure, overwhelming days.

Earlier this month we had a first-thing-in-the-morning visit to Urgent Care because little boys should not fight over opening the curtain in the morning (strike one) or stand in their windowsill (strike two) and they should definitely not shove each other while standing in said windowsill (strike three). So Kav broke his arm again – same arm, different spot, both bones but not nearly as bad as last time, praise God and pass the ibuprofen – and he is in another cast until early August.

I have been telling people that, in our defense, in 22 years of parenting we have had eight children and no broken bones until this kid. We almost had a perfect record. So close.

Or another example: One day Reagan finally did her math assignment for the first time in two weeks. She knows odds and evens, has sorted them out for years, and even if she forgets (because this is the brain on FAS), the guidelines are written at the top of her page: Even numbers end in 0, 2, 4, 6, and 8. Odd numbers end in 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9.

For two weeks she either ignored the guidelines or blatantly refused to do it, and instead of following the instructions to mark all even numbers with X’s, she randomly marked some or all of them every single day. She knew it was wrong; she knew she was disobeying.

Ironically, she also wants to move onto the next math level. She talks about starting her next book almost every day, and she knows she can’t get to it if she won’t finish the page she’s on, so close to the end of her current book.

And then one morning she finally did it: Perfect Xs on all the even numbers, and only the even numbers. Hallelujah. The next section was easy: Just add simple two-digit numbers. She knows this and usually flies through it. Just in case though, I checked to make sure she knew what to do. Then she went back to the table.

Two minutes later she brought me her book. She had not added anything. Instead, she went back to the odds and evens she had finally finished, crossed out all the odd numbers in addition to the evens she had finally done correctly, effectively undoing her work and thumbing her nose at me. In spite of what she says every day, the clear message was, No, I do not want to do school, I do not want to move on.

So when we are so close to victory and hit a delay, sometimes it’s attack, and sometimes it’s sabotage – we’re afraid of the change that we’ve been begging for, because we don’t really know what to expect from it.

And other times it’s neither. We’re just waiting, and it’s not always easy to tell the difference. We don’t want to fight against God’s timing and rebuke what we think is an attack if it’s really God causing a delay for our good. So we wrestle in this unknowing, and ask Him to take us back to the beginning.

This is where I was a couple weeks ago. I was praying and had no idea what to do about a situation, and I told the Lord that I needed Him to take me back to the very beginning. In desperation, I felt like I didn’t know how to pray, intercede, declare, bind, or assault the enemy; I had tried everything but nothing seemed to be working.

So I asked Him again, through tears and gritted teeth:

“God, show me how to pray. Show me how to declare. I need You to show me exactly what to do now because I don’t know what’s working. I feel like I’m aiming blindly and sometimes something sticks and sometimes it doesn’t, and I don’t know what makes the difference. So show me what to do – show me what works, and show me how to do it. I keep hitting all the buttons, and I don’t know what’s working, what’s not working, what’s canceling the others out. I just keep slamming all the freaking buttons. Show me the right one to push, and I will do it.”

When I was done venting and seething, the Holy Spirit quietly said, Everything works.

I sat there stunned, wondering if I’d heard correctly. What?! What do You mean, everything works?

He answered, You want to know how severe the onslaught has been against you? It’s because everything you’ve been doing in obedience and faith works – and that’s how much opposition you’ve been dealing with, because everything you’ve been doing has been working.

You’ve just been encountering that much attack because that’s how terrified the enemy is of your victory.

And suddenly I was eager to intercede, to fight, to get back in the battle. The enemy had me convinced it wasn’t working and I fell for it. I hadn’t been pushing as hard, which made his job that much easier. But since that revelation, there’s been momentum in prayer and intercession and declaration and in coming against the enemy and binding his attacks because I know it all works.

Trusting even when it appears you have been forsaken; praying when it seems your words are simply entering a vast expanse where no one hears and no voice answers; believing that God’s love is complete and that He is aware of your circumstances, even when your world seems to grind on as if setting its own direction and not caring for life or moving one inch in response to your petitions; desiring only what God’s hands have planned for you; waiting patiently while seemingly starving to death, with your only fear being that your faith might fail – “this is the victory that has overcome the world;” this is genuine faith indeed.

– George MacDonald

Superimposed over all this in what can only be explained by divine coordination, are various out-of-nowhere confirmations and encouragements from friends, readers, and strangers: a text with a timely word, dinner ordered for us from out of state, and messages from people telling us what they see in our family, work, and ministry that we don’t see ourselves because it’s all just too close to see clearly.

Which brings me to what might be the central scripture verse for this new book:

After the reading from the Law and the Prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent a message to them, saying, “Brothers, if you have any word of encouragement for the people, say it.”

– Acts 13:15

So there is definite shifting, winds changing. Pressure and attack colliding with trust and abiding. Hard work colliding with rest. Surrender in one direction and rebuke and binding in the other. In spite of the attacks when we are this close, we have momentum: With every Yes, His kingdom’s coming. Because it all works.

P.S. If you haven’t heard yet, the new book is called Risk the Ocean: An Adoptive Mom’s Memoir of Sinking and Sanctification. It releases September 19th and you can preorder it here. xo

for the one who’s tired of waiting: a kindling post

Posted on by July 2, 2024

Hey friend. You, the tired and worn out one. You’ve been pushing, pushing, pushing. Waiting for momentum. Unsure of what tomorrow will look like. Not sure how to plan for it. Trying to be faithful in these moments, but there’s so much to be faithful in that you’re not sure if you’re doing it right, or giving everything the proper attention.

for the one who's tired of waiting: a kindling post by shannon guerra

The Lord sees and knows. He sees where you’ve taken risks that seem foolish, and where you’ve obeyed but the results don’t seem to make sense. He sees your wrestle with striving, and your desire to just be and abide.

He’s not impatient or annoyed by you constantly asking Him if you’re doing it right. He’s not shaking His head and tsk-ing, wishing you’d get your act together and stop bugging Him.

He’s a good, good Father.

He loves your heart that continues to press forward in obedience and surrender, especially when you don’t know what it looks like exactly or how things will turn out.

You can trust Him to tell you what you need to know when you ask Him. And you can trust Him to give you what you need when you ask Him, too.

For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

— Luke 11:10-13

These peonies should’ve bloomed over a week ago but we had the rainiest, cloudiest, gloomiest June I can ever remember. We’re almost halfway through the summer, and it’s still cloudy.

And there’s a word in them for those who have been waiting:

The Lord is still shining on your situation. I know it seems like it’s taking so long and you’ve almost given up hoping and praying and watering and expecting, but your answer is on the cusp of blooming. Do not cut it down too early. Don’t give up on tending it. He is putting things in order, and answers, solutions, and breakthrough are going to start unfolding faster than you can believe.

You can trust Him.

Yes, He’s teaching you perseverance. But He’s not teaching you to be miserable, resigned, or crestfallen.

He’s teaching you how faithful, loving, good, and creative He is.

Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old.

Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.

— Isaiah 43:18-19

So you have been waiting and waiting and waiting. And now this: Just a little movement, so small it’s almost insulting. One petal unfolds, sticking out awkwardly, while everything else is still tightly closed.

Is this a joke? Doesn’t God know you need so much more? You have been running and running, and this small bump of a reward doesn’t even come close to what you were hoping for.

But can you praise Him in this small thing? Can you shun disappointment for a minute and refuse to listen to the lies of discouragement long enough to thank Him for this movement?

You want to, because future movement depends on it. Our worship will make the difference between this thing firing up or fizzling out.

And hey, friend…of course it doesn’t look like it should yet. Things are just getting started.

Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace. And count the patience of our Lord as salvation…

— 2 Peter 3:14-15a

You know those things that don’t make sense? The ones that aren’t adding up right: A plus B ought to equal C but instead it’s equaling negative five or something. Even though all the right components are there, it still isn’t turning out right. Why have things been so slow, so small, when you know they should’ve been so big?

Did the Lord forget?

Is He angry with you?

Did He decide you don’t really deserve it?

No.

He’s growing your wings.

He’s teaching you to see, and to be alert, and to recognize that some things around you are not just what they seem.

He’s making you strong, and preparing you for exploits.

Things will speed up soon enough, and when they do, you’ll be ready because you surrendered to this process of growth and preparation.

For who is God, but the Lord? And who is a rock, except our God?—

the God who equipped me with strength and made my way blameless.

He made my feet like the feet of a deer and set me secure on the heights.

He trains my hands for war, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.

You have given me the shield of your salvation, and your right hand supported me, and your gentleness made me great.

You gave a wide place for my steps under me, and my feet did not slip.

— Psalm 18:31-36

It doesn’t make sense because you are only seeing part of what’s going on. And part of what you’re seeing is misleading and meant to discourage you. Don’t fall for it.

Just like stepping on the scale when someone else is putting weight on it, the numbers you are seeing aren’t the full picture and many of them are false. Don’t put all your trust in the numbers or other things you can see. Put your trust in God who hears you and knows you and answers prayer. He is answering it. Don’t let discouragement cause you to give up when victory is so close.

Good and upright is the Lord; therefore he instructs sinners in the way.

He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way.

All the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness, for those who keep his covenant and his testimonies.

— Psalm 25:8-10

The Lord sees those things you’ve been quiet about and trying to be brave for. He knows you’ve been inwardly wilting, trying to stand tall but feeling like liquid inside, unsure of how much longer you can go before collapsing.

He has no intention of letting you collapse, though.

And He’s not playing games, testing to see how far you can go. He knows. He’s not some scientist experimenting on you like a lab rat.

He knows how far you can go.

So He’s preparing you to be there.

Think about that for a second.

You can trust Him with change, and with your future, and with your family as you get there, and beyond.

You can trust Him to be good to you during the whole process.

Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us, from God the Father and from Jesus Christ the Father’s Son, in truth and love.

— 2 John 1:3

Here’s the printable version of this post:

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Looking for more posts like this? Kindling is a series of prophetic devotionals and encouragement to relight your fire in the places it’s gone out. They’re all right here. Or subscribe to get everything right to your inbox.

if you’re afraid to move forward: a kindling post

Posted on by June 23, 2023

Type type type, delete. Spend thirty minutes trying to come up with the perfect metaphor.

Make three attempts, delete every one. Try a different tack for another twenty minutes. Delete sentence.

Review paragraph. Ponder life decisions.

Finally, the easiest answer is the best one, though it takes the most sacrifice: Delete the whole paragraph.

if you're afraid to move forward -- a kindling post

But ohhh, the words and time that were put into it. Were they wasted?

Nope.

Those were the invisible words, helping you to get to the visible words you just can’t see yet. Typing and deleting is part of the process, and you can’t rush it, skip it, or fast forward. It must be endured.

Because if you need to give up something to start over, that’s the fastest way forward.

So here’s the word:

The Lord is going to use those painful things in your past to change the trajectory of your future. He’s not going to waste them. He never lets the enemy win. He is constantly moving in love on your behalf, and you will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

— Psalm 23:5-6

You don’t have to be afraid to turn back to God. You don’t need to fear His response to the gravity of what you’ve done or what you’ve been through or what you might confess. You don’t need to be afraid to admit what happened or what you want to happen. He already knows the things you’re afraid to tell Him.

As soon as you turn toward Him, He sees your heart of surrender. As soon as you repent, He sees Jesus standing right there, between sin and salvation, and you are covered.

Perfect love casts out fear. Perfect Love has made the way for you to live free from fear, free from your past, and free from anxiety or terror about your future.

He is longing for your return, for you to walk in righteousness, for you to be in right standing with Him. There’s no barrier. Fear has no place. Shame has no place. You are free forever as you come close and find your Redeemer. He is the warrior standing ready to shield you from the enemy, and He’s also the Master who will train you to battle on the right side.

There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. We love because he first loved us.
— 1 John 4:18-19

If you realize you’ve done something wrong — or even something you just should have done differently — remember that the Lord is not shunning you. He is not pushing you away in His correction.

The Lord convicts, but the enemy condemns. You know this already, but let’s call it out so the enemy can stop having a heyday in your heart, okay?

If you are feeling separated from God because you realize you should have done something differently, we command shame to go away in the name of Jesus.

The Lord is drawing you near in love so you don’t repeat the same mistake. So you can move forward in joy and victory.

The enemy is trying to prevent you from being close to the Lord so you will continue old mistakes and compound them with new ones.

We mature by repenting, and we repent by admitting we should have done differently and clinging close to the Father who loves us.

He loves you. He is for you. He is not the one reminding you over and over of sin that you’ve already dealt with. He’s the one calling you forward into the next thing.

Teach me your way, O Lord, and lead me on a level path because of my enemies.

Give me not up to the will of my adversaries; for false witnesses have risen against me, and they breathe out violence. I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living!

— Psalm 27:11-13

The Lord is not going to ask you to surrender something that generates true life in you. He is going to ask you to surrender the things that suck life out of you, though you may have become reliant on the process and the pain of it.

Sometimes we take on our weaknesses as our identity. But it’s time to let those things go.

Don’t let what the enemy has done in your life define you.

Listen to the Lord and ask Him for His perspective. He is cutting away at the false idols and old lies and habitual thoughts that have held you back, and replacing them with truth that does not waver based on opinions, circumstances, or feelings.

When you lay those things down, you’ll be laying down pride and stubbornness and fear, also. There’s tremendous freedom ahead.

I hear you hesitating, asking all the questions. But you just surrendered fear, remember? So don’t run back to pick it up again, afraid of the freedom in your future. God has good plans for you in the days ahead. Rise up and face tomorrow boldly, because you are covered by the King.

…Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations, including you who are called to belong to Jesus Christ.
— Romans 1:4b-6

Just because a situation or circumstance started wrong, it doesn’t mean that everything that came out of it is also wrong and worthless.

Just because something began with sin or mistakes or regret doesn’t mean that every successive part of that situation is tainted.

God is the redeemer who is constantly taking the situations we’ve blown from the get go and turning them for good, wringing righteousness and goodness from where we go awry. So don’t throw out the baby with the bath water.

Take the right steps now, and give God room to move. Don’t give up on His ability to redeem.

No wisdom, no understanding, no counsel can avail against the Lord.
— Proverbs 21:30

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
— Romans 8:26-28

Jesus, thank You for tomorrow. Thank You for coming, for always being with us, for giving us the Holy Spirit and teaching us to hear Your voice.

Protect our morning and the rest of the day. Protect our expectations and our voice tones, our conversations and our travels. Draw us close to each other and to You, and fill the day with memories that we love looking back to, together.

Our thoughts will be Your thoughts tomorrow. We are renewing our minds, we are in Your word, and we are seeing You move in ways this year that we’ve never recognized before.

But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

— John 1:12-14

Here’s the printable version of this post:

if-youre-afraid-to-move-forwardDownload

Looking for more posts like this? Kindling is a series of prophetic devotionals and encouragement to relight your fire in the places it’s gone out. They’re all right here. Or subscribe to get everything right to your inbox.