Today it is my pleasure to welcome Debbie Williamson to my blog. I met Debbie through a link-up that we both participate in. She has a heart for helping others know Jesus. It really is a delight to have her share with us about the Legacy she is creating. This post….oh my word, it convicted me so much. Before Debbie shares, let me tell you a bit about her.
Debbie Williamson
I was born and raised in Southern California, got my bachelor’s degree from UCLA, and married a man who wanted to be a pastor. He got his master’s degree, and we moved to Illinois. After nine years in Oak Park, IL, we moved to Yakima, WA. Four years later, we were back in Southern California where we’ve been for 15 years.
We’ve been married for 32 years and have 3 grown daughters and 2 sons-in-law. Our crazy, wonderful dog fills up our empty nest.
I’ve been teaching bible studies for 17 years. I also write, speak at retreats and women’s events, and mentor young women. I’m a middle school substitute teacher and the director of our church’s women’s ministry and small Sunday school.
I blog at: debbiedwilliamson.com
Please help me welcome Debbie to this little corner of the WWW.
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Last week, our small group shared with one another our #1 takeaway from our just finished bible study about Isaac and Rebekah, Jacob and Esau, Rachel, Leah and Laban. (Genesis 25-30)
My #1 takeaway?
Trust God on the front end of my circumstances, not just in hindsight.
God’s plans will always prevail, and He will always direct our steps, therefore . . .
Let’s praise God BEFORE we see how the plan will work out.
Most of us, though, live in fear, trepidation, and anxiety, wondering how in the world God is going to work our stuff out:
–college?
–paying for that college?
–the right teacher for your precious cherub?
–that awkward relationship?
–a better paying job?
–the time management problem?
–the marriage that’s in disarray or worse?
–the health issue that’s scary and confusing?
And shockingly, we behave just as badly as Isaac’s family did because we want what we want when we want it and we think the only way to get what we want is by manipulating, scheming, lying, deceiving, and just generally acting in faithless ways.
Parker Palmer calls this: functional atheism, the belief that ultimate responsibility for everything rests with us. This is the unconscious, unexamined conviction that if anything decent is going to happen here, we are the ones who must make it happen—a conviction held even by those who have a heart and a mind for God.
After 9 years of paying for college for our 3 girls, I have just now begun to relax. No more STUDENT ACCOUNT STATEMENTS! EVER! HALLELUJAH!
But, how glorious would it have been if 9 years ago I decided to trust God on the front end of this wonderful journey and then watched and praised as He provided for our every need —
“and my God will supply your every need according to His riches in Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 4:19
Our. Every. Need.
How fun would it have been celebrating each time we made a payment and thanking God for supplying each class, each meal plan, each book. Instead, I sweated and worried and wondered for 9 years how we were going to pay for the next semester.
Or when they were in elementary school, middle school, and high school, praising God beforehand for providing just the right teacher(s), rather than spending the summers finagling which teacher I wanted them to have, trying to make my plan work, thinking I knew best. Sheesh. What a waste of energy!
Or the ones I love who are far from God. Can I learn to trust God that He has their lives in His hands and has a plan that will prosper them and give them Hope and a future? (Jeremiah 29:11) Trusting before I see those far from God ones take steps toward matters of faith?
But no, I worry and fret and believe that if anything good and transforming is going to happen in their lives, I am the one who must make it happen.
Functional atheism . . .
- Let’s not act as though we are in charge and we must make these things happen.
- Let’s not act as though ultimate responsibility for all good things rests with us.
- Let’s trust God in the beginning, on the front end of our stuff.
- Let’s believe that what He says is true:
God Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. I will not, I will not, I will not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let you down.
(Hebrews 13:5, AMP)
We do not need to white-knuckle our lives hoping God will be good, hoping that God won’t lead us a way we don’t want to be led, hoping that all we want will be so. The bad news is: He might lead you down a path you don’t want to go and all you want won’t be so. But the good news is: God is good. He is always good. He is so good.
Therefore, you can know without a doubt, every day, that whatever happens in your day, whether you like it or not, whatever happens is for your good and God’s glory. Everything. Every. Thing.
Each college choice.
Each teacher.
Each job.
Your marriage. Or your divorce.
Your scary health issue.
Your relationship problem.
Trust God and live ready to praise Him on the front end of your circumstances. Because if you wait to praise Him in hindsight, you’ll miss the excitement of the journey with the Creator of the Universe. You’ll miss cooperating with the King of Kings as He works out His plan for your good and His glory.
So relax. Take a deep breath. Ask God to get you on board with Him at the start of your journey. Hindsight is awesome, but believing God in the beginning . . . priceless.
Debbie, thank you so much for sharing a portion of your legacy story with us today.
