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Noah's Ark

Signs You are Stressed Out


A friend of mine shared her story with me when she was working for a well known corporation, she had promoted into leadership, a very successful woman but over time, her feelings began to shift. Her carpeted cubicle in the office began to feel like a cage. She dreaded going to work, feeling like a caged animal, using every sick day and vacation day available to stay home. Her heart ached to be home with her family so deeply and the day her hubby sent the video of her little girl taking her first steps collapsed her world. She described that moment as if the walls closed in on her, and her whole world grew dark. Her successful cubicle had become a suffocating space.

It was in that collapsed world, something new was being formed.
 A new dream. A new vision. A new life that would impact generations to come.

Do we ever feel inspired and excited in those moments? Absolutely not! When you are stressed out, you only think how do I escape. For too many people their escape is a fatal one and it doesn't have to be that way.

Do you remember the story of Noah and the Ark from the Bible? God instructed Noah to build an Ark so many cubits (I know, I see cubicles too) high, wide and deep, funny thing is it had never rained on the Earth and here he was building a giant cargo ship! When the time came, the Lord told Noah and his family along with 2 of every living creature to gather together in the Ark  Then the Lord, yes, the Lord, shut them in.

The Earth collapsed around them. In the Ark, God was doing a new thing even amongst the chaos. I imagine Noah in the darkness, hearing the screams of creation, feeling the swaying of the boat, wondering if he had heard God right, questioning if he had done all he could, wondering when it would end and what it would be like when it did. I am sure Noah was having a lot of conversations with God during those dark days in the Ark.

Then one day, the waters receded, Noah began to send out the birds to look for new life. The day came and God told Noah, yes Noah, to open the door and step outside on the newly dried ground and multiply the Earth. 

The Ark was not a place of captivity, rather a birthing place of new life

Sometimes when our world collapses around us, what if instead of viewing our circumstances as captivity, we choose to see it as a birthing place. 

Not everyone will understand what you are doing, including you. Noah tried to tell more people in the town to repent and join him on the boat but none did. As days passed inside the Ark, did he grow in frustration? Did he wonder how much longer? Did he have to keep reassuring the family and calming the animals, and himself? Did he grow tired and weary? Was his heart aching for peace and quiet? I imagine so. Just as my friend in her cubicle had. 

God meets us where we are. It is along our journey we pick up supplies and instructions for what become our Arks. My friend built the cubicle as she was led, then came the moment the Lord collapsed her world...not to destroy her, but to shut her in in order to give her a new life. This was not captivity. This was the womb of her Ark. The Ark that would carry her to new land, a new season, a new life with new vision.

To say my friend has gone out and multiplied the Earth is an understatement. Not in birthing thousands of physical children, but in birthing visionaries, successfully teaching people how to build their own "Ark.", impacting other families for generations to come. 

So when you feel stressed out, your world is closing in, that once good thing begins to shift into a frustrating thing...the feeling of being trapped, stuck, emptiness fills your soul, ask yourself, has God shut the door of your Ark to carry you to a new land? When the world around you is chaos, will you trust the Peace and Grace of God knowing He has a divine plan and purpose?

The way we choose to see our circumstances is the difference between life and death. Maybe not a physical life or death, although many do, but life and death of our soul, our purpose, our dreams, or personal missions. To put away the old, welcoming the new. To embrace the shifts and pivots and flooding waters around you as catalysts towards abundance, peace and newness of life. To embrace the pains of labor knowing it is the birthing process.

Behold, He is always doing a new thing! Embrace your journey friends, remembering 
His heart is with you always, and you are more than a conqueror! In this life, you will have trials, but He has come to set you FREE!

"Therefore, since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart.  
For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.  But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.  We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed."
2 Corinthians 4:1, 6-8 NIV



If today's encouragement hugged your HEART today, let me know in the comments or meet me over
 in my Facebook Sisterhood Community! Feel free to share this blog with a friend who needs a heart hug too!
This is how YOU get to hug my HEART back!

Heart Hugs and Blessings,
Michele
I am so glad (and honored) you are here! I have been blogging since 2009 as a way to journal out my thoughts as I pray God would use these story shares as practical heart encouragements for YOU TOO! We all need to recall and share those Living Stone moments.
Feel free to look around and make yourself at home! 

If you're looking for Journals & Books, check these out over on HeartsFromGod.com too!!

If you are looking for an Online Sister Community 
?Are you an Introvert Rising?!? If you are looking for a Community of HEART Centered, Jesus Lovin' Sisters ready to rise up over their insecurities and seek after the Heart of God?!?  Meet us here! 

I share encouragement over on the Facebooks on my personal profile as well as the Encouragement Page Livin’ Where Faith Is on too.

I have two free resources for you: 
1.) If you'd like some help sharing YOUR story or testimony, here's a link to grab the fill in the blank PDF I created to help you get started sharing YOUR heart with others! There's a video that goes with it over in the But God Sister Squad Community on Facebook.

2.) www.CreatingSpaceforGrace.com is PDF I share the things I have done (and do) the help guard my peace on the daily!!! I get asked about this all the time, this is my practical resource guide!

Heart Hugs and Blessings,

Michele"For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named that according to the riches of His glory He may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith--that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen."
Ephesians 3:14-21 ESV


Pssst...by Law, I have to share there are affiliate links in here where I earn money from your purchase when you make a purchase! it's affiliate marketing and I love not having to sell stuff! And you know me, I am not gonna sell anything, but I will share everything! I love it! 

A Little About My Heart

 
Born and raised in the church, a Christ Follower, Kingdom Encourager, Wife, Mama, and an Overcomer! GLORY TO GOD!!

I lived most of my life fearful, anxious, and insecure.. I found myself always hiding but serving, striving for perfection in my less-thanness, as a way to earn my worth to self, God and others, sacrificing in the name of serving, hospitality and humility...putting others needs before my own from a place of hiding in my lack, and trying to earn value rather than serving in the space of grace, confident faith and overflowing love. 

Never attaining, only to lead a life of more insecurity, overwhelm, anxiety, and panic, screaming to break free from this bondage, to be that actual strong, courageous Christian Woman everyone else seemed to be, but me. 

BUT GOD.

In 2009, Where Faith Is was born as a blog, learning my voice behind the safety of a keyboard, building courage to speak my truth behind the screen...and here all these years later, Little by little, God is expanding my heart boundaries as He reveals more of His to me. I am so excited to share so freely! 

I especially love being an encourager to other encouragers in the faith who know they are called to encourage yet they themselves struggle with their value and ability. Isn't that how the enemy works? He tries to disqualify us in the same area we are called to shine! What an irony!  

I believe if more people let go of fear and insecurity, surrendered to grace and BELIEVED their value, their spark for life will return to a roaring fire that lights up wet wood! 

When women choose to walk courageous and strong in body, mind and spirit...they step out of the boat and walk on water as Peter did, part the waters like Moses and set more people FREE in His name through their Divine purpose to the Glory of GOD! We are each a Light House of Strength on the shorelines of Grace . 

Friend, you may not believe it, but you are meant for more than eat/sleep/work/repeat. You are also equipped with good works to serve and bless the Kingdom Body, and the world with His Love, through YOU! You've got to surrender your fear and let Him lead you.

You are more able than you think you are and most likely, the thing you feel is the weakest part of you is the strongest thing about you!

If you are an introvert too and want to be a part of our newly launching online community, we are here for you!! Let's Connect! It's an honor to encourage the Encouragers.

I am H.I.S. (Heart In Surrender & Service).

Hugs & Blessings, 
Michele

"So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 
Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others." Philippians 2:1-4

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