“Tunnel Vision”- I sometimes get it don’t you?  When my children get sick all I can think about is the “remedy” to get them better as soon as possible.  In my swirl of thoughts tonight, one of the children said, “Mom look at the moon, it is so round.”  I was on my way to the pharmacist, while one child is doing a breathing treatment in the car, the coughing chorus is going on in the backseat and I am thinking, “Is this the flu?  Should I have gotten antibiotics?  What will tomorrow look like?  I am so tired…  “The swirl!  I am sad to admit that I get caught in it often.  Life swirls sometimes:  get the kids to their activities, returning texts or work calls, pay bills, do the things I love to do but ought to do…

      Tonight after my swirl, I remembered Eben’s comments about the moon and went outside on the deck to check it out for myself.  It is beautiful, perfectly round the stars sprinkled across the sky.  I immediately breathe in peace and wonder why it took me so long to get here.  To clear my mind and experience God in His grandeur, He is so much bigger than the swirl that flies around me and why do I let it fly?  The night sky reminded me of a dream that I had when I was sixteen.  I vividly remember asking God before I went to sleep if He was real and if so please show me, because even though I was born in church and had Jesus in my heart, I doubted.  That night as I slept I dreamt a dream that made me never question His realness again?  In my dream, Jesus and I were standing under a blanket of stars in a green meadow.  The sky was so black and multitude of stars mesmerized me.  He asked me one simple question, “I made all this and how can you doubt Me?”  I still remember that dream as if it were yesterday and I never doubted His “realness” again. 

      But I have doubted His power when my focus goes to the swirl.  I wonder if He is so big, why does life have to hurt?  And if He is so good, why does life feel so bad at times?  And if He loves us, why is this world so unloving?  As a counselor, I have my counselor answer, but when I really see someone desperately hurt my mind goes there.  Doesn’t yours?  Do you ask God, if He is good, why did you have to feel that pain or loss?  If He is loving why did that person reject you?  If God is so big, why didn’t He intervene in that situation?  I went there last weekend in my mind, as I revisited the place where my sister was attacked.  (for story read alwaysmovingon.org) In that place He gave me a name for Him, “Emanuel, God with us.” 

      “Emanuel, God with us” is with us in our life through each moment.  Yet the swirl still goes on around us and we must invite Him into the swirl to be our Savior.  He is the Savior from my worried mind when my sweet children are sick and on breathing treatments.  He is the Savior from my swirl when my loved one is hurting.  He is my Savior from the swirl when my heart is breaking.  He is my Savior from the swirl when I am enjoying the business of the swirl too much.  He is my Savior from my swirl! 

      He is your Savior from your swirl also if you have given Him your life.  He can save you from the thoughts that close in around you.  What is your swirl?  Is your swirl wondering how to provide for your family?  Is your swirl worrying about a loved one’s health?  Is your swirl worrying about what others think about you?  Is your swirl trying to please God so hard that you forgot His acceptance and unconditional love?  Is your swirl anxiety, depression, an addiction, a tiresome habit…?  Is your swirl feeling lost in the swirl of life as life moves quickly around you?  Is your swirl loss of control in a relationship that you thought was safe?  Is your swirl guilt and shame that keeps you from Emanuel?

      We all have our swirls.  The Enemy enjoys keeping us entrapped by the swirl in our mind.  While Emmanuel “God with us, whispers, “Fear not for I am with you, do not be dismayed for I am your God.”  When the waters … when the fires you will not be burned…for you are honored and precious in my sight and I love you.”  If those words of Emanuel sink into our souls, we will have instant peace.  He can calm our swirl; He can bring peace to the crazy thoughts and emotions that try to rule our mind.  He, Emanuel God with us, the Prince of Peace can rule powerfully over our mind. 

      That may sound easy, but practically how do we let Emanuel the Prince of Peace into our thoughts.  We stop our negative, fearful, frantic, anxious thoughts.  Literally, we stop each thought and replace it with a Truth.  Bible verses that we learn as children have the power of a “double edged” sword and yet we forget to duel our old thoughts with this powerful weapon.  Find a verse that combats your swirl.  One of mine is 1 Tim. 1:7, “For God did not give us a Spirit of fear, but power and love and of sound mind.”  Please find one verse that combats your swirl and quote it out loud often.  This may sound very simple, but changing your thoughts requires replacing them with thoughts that are healthy.

Answer

What is your swirl?

Do you have many swirls?  If so, what are they?

Have you invited God into your swirl to bring peace?

Can you give your swirl to God and let Him replace it with His peace?

Pray

Lord,
This swirl of life is so powerful, sometimes it feels like a gentle wind and other times if feels like a tornado swallowing me up.  Please help me, come into my swirl and bring peace.  Please replace my swirl with the peace only You can bring.  I need Your help to change my thoughts.  I bind my mind to Jesus and His thoughts for me.

In Jesus name