FBCL Ladies Bible Study: Counting Bridges and Blessings

Did you connect with Ann's description near the beginning of this chapter of her toes clenched in angst? I have to tell you that I loved that word picture... and I won't tell you what parts of my own body I've found curled and clenched after a particularly stressful driving experience! This is a great chapter as Ann explores the relationships between stress, anxiety, trust and thanksgiving.

Chapter 8 - how will he not also?

We have read, re-read, highlighted, dog-eared, copied, absorbed, and hopefully imprinted our hearts with the words written throughout these first eight chapters. I often wonder what is going to be next? We have seen pain and fears revealed but most importantly we have learnt that as we choose to practise eucharisteo we see His mighty presence and the grace he has to offer.

I am sometimes amazed at Ann's reflective way of living and how she examines her life from that "outsiders" perspective. It is a way of stepping back and seeking to continuously improve in her walk with God, her contribution to the process of sanctification, and she captures it well through her words.

Ann’s opening statement comes from a heart that has seen so much pain, causing her to have difficulty trusting which leads to the stress that, along with so many others, Ann is faced with each and every day, and shares that she has lived a life practising anxiety as her posture. Throughout this journey I have given a great amount of thought to my posture, and I find it more than a coincidence that Ann refers to her anxiety as her posture. I am consumed with the idea that in order to experience real life eucharisteo we must make a deliberate choice to give thanks in everything. On page 156, we read, “It is in the dark that God is passing by…In the blackest, God is closest at work, forging His perfect and right will.” I believe this will (and must) change our posture and the way we live.

Early in this chapter, Ann wrestles out a conclusion that "worry is the facade of taking action when prayer really is" (p.143). I would agree with her thoughts about worry and stress being so closely linked to our thoughts and fears about control and the outcome of the situation that is before us. Worry is paralyzing and leaves us powerless, whereas James reminds us that "the prayer of a righteousness man [or woman] is powerful and effective" (James 5:16). So much of the power and effect of prayer is worked out upon us - upon our ability to trust in God in the outcome and upon acknowledging our need to recognize that God is in control.

One of my favorite quotes, and I often have many, from this chapter is "Trust is the bridge from yesterday to tomorrow, built with planks of thanks" (pp. 151-152). Ann identifies that as we recognize the goodness of God, and the ultimate gift of His Son, and we give thanks for it all, that we can confidently, trustingly, move forward, from yesterday into tomorrow. I found it very convicting to consider Ann's reflective question, "Every time fear freezes and worry writhes, every time I surrender to stress, aren't I advertising the unreliability of God?" (p. 151). I don't know that the unequivocal answer is "Yes" but I would assent that it would seem to demonstrate that we may be wrestling with how reliable we perceive God to be and the tension between that perceived reliability and how we believe the situation might best be handled.

I am so thankful that God has given Ann the words to impact the lives of so many. I find great comfort in knowing that I can readily reach out to a mighty Saviour, take the bread and lay my head down knowing that He is my all in all. I look forward to those precious times where “God is in the tremors,” and He alone is carrying me so that I may look back and know that He and I have come so far. As Ann reminded us and the Israelites were told,

Give thanks to the Lord of lords.