Expected End

Megan Long

Description

Some mistakes have us in bondage but today its time to break free with God’s love and guidance!
Its easy to think we have everything under control and take the reins away from God. But what if we could Let Go and Let God give us full guidance in our life! As you journey through this book we look at our dedication to the Lord. Learn to commit everything to Him. My life was in shambles! I didnt even recognize the person I had become! But through God’s amazing grace, he never gave up on me and redeemed the worst mistake of my life.

Sujets

• Religion
• Christianisme
• Christian Living
• Inspirational
• Philosophie et théologie
• Devotion
• Relationship
• Prayer
• Marriage
• Love

Informations

• Publié par: WestBow Press
• Date de parution: 04 avril 2023
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781664293984
• Langue: English

Extrait

EXPECTED END
 
 
 
 
 
MEGAN LONG
 
 
 
 

 
 
Copyright © 2023 Megan Long.
 
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
 
This book is a work of non-fiction. Unless otherwise noted, the author and the publisher make no explicit guarantees as to the accuracy of the information contained in this book and in some cases, names of people and places have been altered to protect their privacy.
 
 
 
WestBow Press
A Division of Thomas Nelson & Zondervan
1663 Liberty Drive
Bloomington, IN 47403
www.westbowpress.com
844-714-3454
 
Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.
 
Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.
Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.
 
Scripture taken from the King James Version of the Bible.
 
ISBN: 978-1-6642-9399-1 (sc)
ISBN: 978-1-6642-9400-4 (hc)
ISBN: 978-1-6642-9398-4 (e)
 
Library of Congress Control Number: 2023904107
 
 
 
WestBow Press rev. date: 03/02/2023
 
 
 
 
 
 
“Rooted and Grounded in Love”
Ephesians 3:17
 
 
 
 
 
 
This Book is Dedicated to the Lord for His unconditional Love.
Im so very thankful that HE never gave up on me! Also to those struggling, alone, or the ones who have made so many mistakes but thirst for more in life, I wrote this book to share my testimony because its most importantly what the Lord asked of me and also if I can help just one person through all the mistakes I’ve made then all the glory to the Lord!
 
 
 
 
 
 
Thank you to all the readers for giving me this opportunity to share my story. As we go through this book, may it help us rely so much more on God than ourselves. I know not all of this book may apply to your exact situation but through each chapter, lets pray together asking the Lord to help us grow closer to Him and may He speak to our hearts about what we need to work on in our own lives. Fall into His warm embrace and give all our worries and concerns to the Lord.
Contents
Introduction
1     Firm Foundation or Sinking Sand
2     Fear of Change
3     Stop!! Rough Road Ahead!
4     It’s So Heavy
5     I Can Fix This
6     Keep it Steady
7     Change of Pace
8     Must Keep On
9     My Own Efforts
10   Digging Deeper
11   The Checklist
12   Gaining Perspective
13   Hard but Necessary
14   Just You and Me
15   Loving Support
16   Tried and Tested
17   Forgiven but not Forgotten
18   Mending in His Eyes
19   Listening and Humbling
20   Waiting …just Waiting
21   Just A Cup
Conclusion
Introduction
W e all have a choking fear of failure, whether its failing loved ones, our jobs, or parenting. It’s back there in the recesses of our mind ready to pounce and squash us like a bug. It’s relentlessly tiring, between being the perfect spouse you want to be or the mom who doesn’t miss a thing, our social media expectations and the everyday grind, everything wants to put that pressure and fear in us that we might mess up and fail. But what if I told you, “It’s Ok.” “Don’t be afraid” “I’ll catch you if you fall.” It’s rather comforting to know the Lord unconditionally loves us and no matter what He will be by your side. Oh He definitely wants to give us the means to succeed and push through this harsh world but sometimes when we slip and fall, thats where we grow.
Our Heavenly Father relentlessly tells us this over and over. HE cast our sins “as far as the east is from the west”, “come unto me all ye who are weary laden and I will give you rest.” God does not give us a spirit of fear but to love and have a sound mind! Can we for a few brief moments fade away the distractions and expectations, giving HIM our fears because no matter what the mistake or failure, or our past, HE offers unconditional forgiveness if we but only ask.
 
 
 
 
 
 
“The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight , and the rough places plain: And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.” Isaiah 40:3-5
1
FIRM FOUNDATION OR SINKING SAND
D o you remember a time in your life when you felt unforgiven and judged? In today’s time, that’s just about every day, isn’t it! We all have a fear of failing something or someone which leads us back to unforgiveness. “What if I can’t do it and they never forgive me?” “What if tell them no and they never talk to me again?” We think we aren’t good enough, we’ll be judged, they will hold it against us… Grudges, Judging, Bullying, Hatred, Loneliness, Desertion…. All of these leave nasty scars on us! But the one thing we must remember about our past is that it is merely our history lesson not a place in which we should live.
Philippians 3:13 “ Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,”
I was very blessed to have a life centered around the Lord. Life started out with our family in the Ministry. We were missionaries to the Philippines, then later for many years, my dad was a pastor and we were always in some form of ministry for God. We were a family of five and with my brother and sister to always learn from, well, let’s just say I avoided many childhood spankings. Walking the straight and narrow and firm discipline was taught daily in our household. Little did I know how much I would cleave to that later in life.
Proverbs 22:6 “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”
But let me just regain your attention real quick because although I may have been taught that starting out, like many of us, I strayed way off the beaten path and made my share of mistakes later in life. Two divorces, alcohol addiction, drugs and more… one decision after another, I was on a path of self destruction. I got so lost and so confused. I was at a complete loss of what to do and where to go because nothing was satisfying me! I was SO THIRSTY to be a part of something with meaning but I didn’t know what or where to turn to.
When you’re young, you think that it’s easy to go back to the way you were raised and what you were taught but it’s not always that easy…. is it? It’s as if what I learned at a young age was just basic knowledge but not experience. So, I ran from it. I rebelled from it when I was young so it was the last thing I wanted turn to now. So I did what I do best, I always tried to stay busy. One party after another, one project after another, paint this, build that, but still I kept getting this nudge that this wasn’t how life should be!
Why did I feel so alone? Why is it that we can have nice things, be financially comfortable and when it comes down to what truly matters, none of it matters. Yes, our family matters but it is the Lord who is most important. While the Holy Spirit kept nudging, I started scratching the surface trying to figure out what I could do to feel more fulfilled. I periodically visited random churches at which I knew no one and once it was over, darted out the back door. I checked it off the “make yourself feel better list”. I patted myself on the back and it was back to living the “I” lifestyle and whatever “I” wanted to do. I recently heard a man describe it as, “I was doing the church thing but living my life for me.” But the nudging wouldn’t subside; something chiseled away at my heart with a sledge hammer, beckoning me to draw closer to the Living Water where I would thirst no more!
Proverbs 16:25 “There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.”
I felt a longing for a deeper, unconditional love in my life. When I wanted to acknowledge it, I remembered being young, feeling the comfort of the Lord’s peace and protection in my family and the security of church. It was a peace you don’t understand but such a confounding love and irreplaceable contentment. I needed to find that firm foundation again but how in the world do I get there? Especially alone.
Philippians 4:7 “And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
I was in a tug-of-war battle but beginning to feel a desire for that complete , committed life to the Lord I experienced when I was young. Nevertheless, each day I pushed that longing down and kept partying and living it up. I painfully and slowly began to learn, a life lived halfway for God (honestly much less than half) is no life at all, because I was still feeling so lonely, still drinking to keep my stresses and worries numbed daily, partying just to feel some slight joy and laughter. I couldn’t get much lower in life and my “I’m in control” battle had only just begun..