Spiraling

(adapted from GiveHim15 post 8/8/22)

“My daughter, Rachel Shafer, shares an important truth in her book, Expect God. She writes: 

“‘Several years ago, our youngest daughter Lily had major surgery. It was almost 12 hours long, extremely complicated, and included a long recovery time. We were a couple of weeks into this recovery process and trying to adjust to all that was happening, when in a moment of weakness, I said to God, “I feel like my life is spiraling out of control,” to which He replied, “Look up the word spiral.”’

“‘The meaning of spiral includes the advancement to higher levels through a series of circular movements. I was very intrigued by this definition. When I made the statement that I felt my life was spiraling out of control, I was thinking of spiraling downward, but that’s not what it actually means. I began to study more and came across this quote by Frances E. Willard: 

“This seems to be the law of progress in everything we do; it moves along a spiral rather than perpendicular; we seem to be actually going out of the way, and yet it turns out that we were really moving upward all the time.”’

“‘When I read this quote, the words leaped off the page! At times I may feel life is crazy, out of control, and going in the wrong directions, but His Word tells us that He works ALL for our good (Romans 8:28). All means all!’ 

“‘I realized that by looking upwards and keeping my gaze on Him, I was also moving up. I was going to higher levels in my walk with Him. I was accessing greater trust, stronger faith, and had an expectant heart that He was going to fulfill His promises.’

“‘So while I felt I was in a downward spiral, after studying the Word, my perspective changed. I realized that yes, I was spiraling, but I was spiraling to higher levels. I was looking up and moving up. I was learning to press into the waiting. God met me in my darkest pain and taught me to hope again. God can take even the bad things and, in the proper season, turn them around and use them for good in the way He intends.’”

God,

Thank you for your faithfulness to us, especially when it seems life is changing so fast. Help us to see that when we struggle with changes, you are still our refuge and fortress, the God in whom we rely and trust with great confidence. Help us keep our gaze on you so we can access greater trust, stronger faith and so that our hearts expect you to fulfill your promises. In Jesus’s name we pray, Amen.

“I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, My God, in whom I trust [with great confidence, and on whom I rely]!”” (Psalm 91:2 AMP)

https://www.givehim15.com/post/august-8-2022

Rachel Shafer, Expect God (Shippensburg, PA: Destiny Image, 2019), pp. 85-86.