By Rachel Latham
I had a nightmare a few nights ago, the same one that had plagued my sleep for nearly 2 years. I hadn’t had it in so long, that it took me by surprise. I woke in the morning with a sense of dread and the feeling that at any moment life would come crashing down around me.
I thought about it for a while, played the scenes back through my mind. It felt real to me- every scene, every emotion. I allowed myself the time to sort through the images searching for any bits of truth and discarding the rest. Then I made a choice-
To keep moving forward.
This is what I am starting to realize….there comes a point in your journey where you are between the difficult place that you have been and the new place the Lord is taking you, and this middle place is hard.
Even when change is positive, it can still be hard. We are tempted to stay right where we are. Even if it isn’t always comfortable, at least it is familiar. Moving forward is harder because we can’t see the whole picture.
But in the darkness we couldn’t see either.
If you are standing at the crossroads between where you have been and where the Lord is leading you, may I remind you (and me) that the God who pulled us out of the darkness, is the same God that will never abandon us?
Every day we make a choice. We can move forward, or we can stay stuck.
Let’s choose to seek those bits of truth, discard the rest….and keep moving forward.
Dear Heavenly Father,
When nightmares overtake me, I pray that you would help me to put them into perspective. Calm my racing heart and shed your light on the images of my mind. Help me to remember your words and reflect on truth. I know that Satan can use many kinds of tactics to keep me from moving forward. I pray that you would bind Satan and keep this stumbling block from holding me back. Help me Lord to boldly claim your promises, remember your words and to continue daily trusting in you. In Jesus’ name I pray.
“When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches. Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings I will rejoice.”
Psalm 63:6-7
Rachel Latham makes her home in Bon Aqua, Tennessee with her husband Ken and four children. Rachel is a contributing author to Faith Deployed Again and she is regular contributor to several military magazines, including Foundations, GX: Guard Experience, Wheels Up, Homefront, and Mission Ready magazines. Rachel specializes in issues relating to the military family, particularly issues regarding PTSD and TBI. You can follow her blog at www.rachellatham.blogspot.com or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/rslatham6
