Wednesday Wanderings with Dr. Sherri is biweekly and a time we set aside to wander in the Presence of Jesus and ponder His truths. When you are ready, prepare your mind, body, and soul to have a transformational encounter with Jesus.

Watch the Wednesday Wanderings Welcome for this week.

Now that we have cleared our minds of the clutter, we can wander on the journey with Jesus.

PREPARATION: In our last Wandering with Dr. Sherri, we examined Holding Hands with God. This week we will investigate Abandonment and Trusting God.  When you are ready, you may begin the dialogue with Jesus and state: “Jesus, I invite you to help me to leisurely wander into your Presence. Prepare my heart to receive, and illuminate my spiritual senses to encounter you.”

PROMISE: Hebrews 13:5b Amplified 

We can trust the history of God’s loving presence.  HIS-story has proved that He will not fosake us! There is no situation that can unhinge His hand from drawing us near and caring for us.

Trust in Him who will not leave you,
Whatsoever years may bring,
If by earthly friends forsaken
Still more closely to Him cling

Jennie (the writer of this hymn) must have experienced a sense of abandonment through the lost of her father, typhoid fever, and the loss of her legs. becoming an invalid.  Still, she choose to cling to and trust in God who will never us.

PARABLE: When I think of feeling forsaken and abandoned, I see the vivid image of my ten year old self. I feel the hard concrete steps beneath my bottom. I feel and see the bright sunshine. I see the cars and delivery trucks riding down Milton Street. I smell the crisp dew of the morning air. I hear the sound of my siblings and neighborhood friends playing 4 square (also called A,B,C block). I hear them beckoning me to come and play. I respond, “I can’t. I’m waiting for my dad to come and pick me up.” I feel the hot sun beams from the heated cement, I see the street lights flickering on. I hear my mom saying, “You have to come in.” It’s eight o’clock at night and its dark. You can’t sit out here. I’m sorry. Your dad is not coming.” I taste the salt from my tears of abandonment. I feel the snot from my runny nose. I hear the whimper song of disappointment as I cry myself to sleep.

There were times when my father was unable to pick me up for our visitations due to working overtime at the steel mill. I now understand that the disappointment and anticipation of the waiting was a seed that the Evil One was planting. It would grow and become the root of why I would believe, act and feel that God my Heavenly Father could not be trusted and that He would forsake me. It was painting a picture of unhealthy and untrue God attachment that would take years to re-portrait.

Because we cannot physically see God, we forget that God is El Roi and He sees us.  Perhaps you have your own memories of how our trust in God is often based on our mistrust of others who have abandoned us. Regardless of what lies our past may try to tell us, our present self,  the Presence of Jesus can help us to live in the truth that we can trust in Him who will not leave us no matter what life brings.

So…How do we re-portrait the picture of abandonment?  We place our hand in Our God of hope and trust that He will never leave or forsake us.  

PONDER and WANDER:  In circumstances when we feel abandoned, we can trust the history of God’s love. HIS-story has proved that there is no situation that can unhinge His hand from caring for us.

Soul care training exercise: If you choose, when you are ready, complete the T.R.U.S.T. exercise that can help you to strengthen your trust in God.

• First, Turn over your memories of abandonment to Jesus.
• Next,  Recognize the lie that the Evil one is using to draw you away from the truth that God, El Roi is our God who sees you.
• Then, Understand that God is not like man. He will keep His promise to NEVER leave you.
• Now, Surrender the stronghold of the past memories of being abandoned to Jesus.
• Finally, Towards Jesus. Let the Holy Spirit lead and guide you to the arms of Jesus. Rest in His arms knowing He will never leave you.

PRAYER: Lord God, Help me to trust your track record more than I trace the memories of feeling abandoned. Let me know what it means to trust you with my whole heart. In the healing name of Jesus I pray, Amen. 

PRAISE: Now that you have emptied your mind of the clutter and wandered with Jesus, take a closing moment to breathe in and let the work of your wandering fill you with strength.

Then take the mindfulness of God’s presence cultivated in these last few minutes of wandering into the next ones and beyond.

Until next time, be Resonant.

The post Trust in Him appeared first on Resonant 7.

_{Image Attributions:
Trust God: Belovedwomen.org photo with added text
Trust: Belovedwomen.org photo with added text}

BONUS REFLECTION: Our experiences can damper our ability to put our total trust in God. If you choose, take five minutes to experience this T.R.U.S.T. guided reflection of placing our feelings of abandonment in the hands of God.

Wednesday Wanderings with Dr. Sherri is biweekly and a time we set aside to wander in the Presence of Jesus and ponder His truths. When you are ready, prepare your mind, body, and soul to have a transformational encounter with Jesus.

Watch the Wednesday Wanderings Welcome for this week.

Now that we have cleared our souls of the clutter, we can wander on the journey with Jesus.

PREPARATION: In our last Wandering with Dr. Sherri, we investigated Holding Hands with God. This week we will consider to what we are clinging.   When you are ready, you may begin the dialogue with Jesus and state: “Jesus, I invite you to help me to leisurely wander into your Presence. Prepare my heart to receive, and illuminate my spiritual senses to encounter you.”

PROMISE:  Proverbs 12:3 ESV 

 No one is established by wickedness,
     but the root of the righteous will never be moved.

In the first stanza we acknowledged that no one on earth is unmoved by the swift transitions of time. Think of a tree. When the wind blows, you see the evidence in the branches, maybe even in the trunk itself a bit, but not the roots. Even if the entire tree snaps off the roots almost always remain intact. The same is true of our souls. The events of life move us, but not at our core. That is safe with God. Where are your roots?

Jennie (the writer of this hymn) was that the things of this temporal life are faulty and failing.  At a young age she lost her father, and was also stricken with typhoid fever which left her an invalid. Yet from the lifetime seat of a wheelchair, she choose to put her roots deeply into the unchanging hand of God.

PARABLE: As I journeyed on the path below Newport Lake at Millcreek Park where I shot our welcome video, I was struck by how the trees along the path had grown. The landscape was pretty rocky with many stones exposed and a shortage of soil in any places. This left the roots of many trees exposed.

The tree above had succumb to what I can only imagine was a catastrophic storm which revealed the weakness of the trunk unequal to the strain. Even still the roots remained intact. I think of our hymn writer and what she endured yet remained hopefully holding to God’s unchaining hand.

I long for that kind of faith. Faith which allows me to hold on even when everything around me seems to be crumbling. Look at the root of this tree.  Even thought the soil in probably once grew through seems to have forsaken it, it is still more closely clinging to the rocks.

What an incredible picture of what our God invites us to do. Even when the things of earth forsake us, cling even more closely to Him. I am trying to exercise that faith today.  How about you?

How do you cope with the circumstances of life which leave your roots exposed? Will you keep holding on? Are your roots firmly established righteousness? Let’s take a few minutes and ponder that.

PONDER and WANDER:  As we walk through the storms of life, maybe even raging today, holding to God’s hand will reassure us that we do not journey alone. He is the Rock that that imbues us with righteousness not our own. That righteousness allows our roots to remain unmoved, even when all else fails.

The soul training ROOTS exercise can assist us in pressing deeply into God’s hands.

Soul care training exercise: If you choose, complete the R.O.O.T.S. exercise.

• When you are ready, clear your mind and invite the Holy Spirit to help you Root your soul into God’s hands by whatsoever means are necessary. God’s hand and hand over the weights that are holding you back from discovering the purpose of the pain.
• Next,  Open your heart that the Spirit may reveal and faulty soil into which you may have mistakenly put your the roots of your soul.
• Then, Open your hand and let go of any wickedness [faulty thinking or living] He may have revealed.
• Trust Him for the continued work of growth required for your roots to be ready to hold when the branches and even the very trunk of your life is swayed by the circumstances in this temporal plain.
• Finally, Set your hopes on things eternal which will give you a very different perspective to deal with even the most tragic of loses, including life itself, yours or others.

PRAYER: O God my Rock, root my soul in You again and deeper still today. For the storms of the today and the disappointments of tomorrow may my roots be true and founded on you. My strength is not enough for them, so I put my trust in You for this life and the next.  In the strong name of Jesus I pray, Amen. 

PRAISE: Now that you have emptied your mind of the clutter and wandered with Jesus, take a closing moment to breathe in and let the work of your wandering fill you with strength.

Then take the mindfulness of God’s presence cultivated in these last few minutes of wandering into the next ones and beyond.

Until next time, be Resonant.

The post Rooted On the Rock appeared first on Resonant 7.

_{Image Attributions:
Millcreek Park, Newport Lake Dam and West Trail}

Wednesday Wanderings with Dr. Sherri is biweekly and a time we set aside to wander in the Presence of Jesus and ponder His truths. When you are ready, prepare your mind, body, and soul to have a transformational encounter with Jesus.

Watch the Wednesday Wanderings Welcome for this week.

Now that we have cleared our minds of the clutter, we can wander on the journey with Jesus.

PREPARATION: In our last Wandering with Dr. Sherri, we examined Waiting to Return to Normal. This week we will investigate Holding Hands with God.  When you are ready, you may begin the dialogue with Jesus and state: “Jesus, I invite you to help me to leisurely wander into your Presence. Prepare my heart to receive, and illuminate my spiritual senses to encounter you.”

PROMISE:  Romans 15:13 Amplified 

Throughout this pandemic people have shared with me that their hope was challenged. This is a natural response to trauma. Swift traumatic transitions can cause doubt and challenge our hope.  To regain our hope, we may have to let go of some things we are holding on to and put our hand in God’s unchanging hand.

Time is filled with swift transition,

Naught of earth unmoved can stand,

Build your hopes on things eternal,
Hold to God’s unchanging hand

Jennie (the writer of this hymn) was aware of swift transitions and the quick vapor of life.  Within her life she quickly lost her father, was also striken with typhoid fever and left an invalid. Yet from the lifetime seat of a wheelchair, she choose to put her hope in our expeditious God’s unchanging hand.

PARABLE: When my son was younger, I held his hand to keep him safe because without warning, he would rapidly dart towards whatever adventure drew in his curious eyes.  Though holding his hand did not keep him from breaking loose, I had hope that if I had his hand I could keep him safe.  At one point, I contemplated purchasing a harness leash because of his abrubt movements.

We know from the COVID-19 experience that time is filled with swift transitions, rapid changes, unannounced detours, alerting digressions, quick movements that challenge our hope. When the pain of the cirucumstance challenges our hope and draws our attention away from God we may want to dart toward a pain killer (hurt, habit, hang up, depression, anxiety, fear, etc.). Instead, we can lock our fingers into the tight grip of God’s unchanging loving hand. As we hold to God’s safe and secure hand, His touch will fill us with joy and peace.  God’s hand stretches far enough to allow us to wander but holds us tight enough to pull us close. His present help gently gives us room to explore yet firmly directs our path. Every swift transition we experience in life has the potential for growth. Holding God’s hand through the experience will result in growing forward and transformative change.

How do we withstand the swift transitions that accompany growing forward? We place our hand in Our God of hope and trust in the bright and hopeful future He has for us. While you grow forward from the trauma of COVID-19 and other sudden raumas of life, make sure to H.O.L.D. to God’s unchanging hand. 

PONDER and WANDER:  As we work through the grief attached to COVID-19 and other traumas in life, holding to God’s hand will reassure us that we do not journey alone. We are accompanied by Emmanuel and we are journeying forward to the bright and hopeful path God has predestined for us. 

The soul training HOLD exercise can assist us in harnassing our life in God’s hands.

Soul care training exercise: If you choose, complete the H.O.L.D. exercise.

• When you are ready, clear your mind and invite the Holy Spirit to help you H.O.L.D. God’s hand and hand over the weights that are holding you back from discovering the purpose of the pain.
• Next,  Open your heart to discovering the deliverance needed to bring you to your destiny. Open your hand and let go of the stronghold that is causing a barrier to you trusting in God’s bright and hopeful plan.
• Then, Listen for the guidance of the Holy Spirit’s direction of how to break the hold your hurt, habit, or hang up has on you.
• Finally, Decide to grasp, clutch, clasp, and hold to the hand of God who is our source of hope, joy, and peace in the midst of swift transitions.

PRAYER: Daddy, your hand is my safety harness that keeps me connected to eternal hope. It only takes on tragedy to make me want to run off. But thanks be to God that there is no where I can run that you will not come to find me. Help me to clutch your unchanging hand and to fight my traumas by handing them over to you. In the healing name of Jesus I pray, Amen. 

PRAISE: Now that you have emptied your mind of the clutter and wandered with Jesus, take a closing moment to breathe in and let the work of your wandering fill you with strength.

Then take the mindfulness of God’s presence cultivated in these last few minutes of wandering into the next ones and beyond.

Until next time, be Resonant.

The post Holding Hands appeared first on Resonant 7.

_{Image Attributions:
Hope in God’s Hand: Mercy Health Healing Garden photo with text added
Swift Transitions: Pixabay}

BONUS REFLECTION: Hand holding is not always an easy task. Sometimes we need reminded that our hope is in God’s hands. If you choose, take a few minutes to view this guided reflection.

Wednesday Wanderings is a time we set aside to wander in the Presence of Jesus and ponder His truths. When you are ready, prepare your mind, body, and soul to have a transformational encounter with Jesus.

Watch the Wednesday Wanderings Welcome for this week.

Now that we have cleared our minds of the clutter, we can wander on the journey with Jesus.

PREPARATION: In our last Wandering with Dr. Sherri, we examined While You Wait to Return to Normal. This week we will investigate how keeping the end in mind helps you maintain perspective in the middle.  When you are ready, you may begin the dialogue with Jesus and state: “Jesus, I invite you to help me to leisurely wander into your Presence. Prepare my heart to receive, and illuminate my spiritual senses to encounter you.”

PROMISE: 2 Corinthians 5:6-10 ESV 

We await that day when we will be with the Lord with peace in our souls for Christ has tipped the scales in our favor. His righteousness has been imputed to us. We must work to please Him, not to satisfy the laws demands, but to demonstrate our hope  in Christ, even though we do not yet see Him.

I love how so many of the great hymns have this final upward look near their end. Spafford’s here is no exception to that. We are able to maintain our perspective amidst conflict and chaos, fear and even death, because our trust in how this all ends gives us hope. We will no longer be away from the Lord, but with Him forever.

PARABLE: Through COVID-19 and now the unrest caused by social injustice each of us has had the opportunity to come back to some compass that informs our perspective by helping us to see bigger truths in the middle of these troubles. It is easy to allow fear and anger to seep into our souls, but there is no place for the first, and the second must be held in an open hand before our God. How are you handling all this stress?

• Quiet yourself for a moment. Think of an empty chalkboard. For those of who who are more comfortable with a smart-board feel free to envision that instead, but make certain it is empty. Imagine it for a moment. Blank. Nothing there.
• Now, in your mind, think of these last few months and write on your blank board the first word or phrase that comes to mind.
• There is no right or wrong, just what is. Think about what is on your board. How have you been dealing with that? Honestly. Whether just in your thoughts or prayers, or if those have translated into words or actions, what have you done?

Each of us has been trying to find a plan to deal with these things, but the influences in our lives can either push us toward or away from God. In the next section, I want to take a few minutes to help you cultivate and maintain perspective here in the middle.

We have hopefully all started the journey with Jesus, and none of us reading this post have ended it. For the purpose of this exercise and your journey through the rest of this middle part between salvation and eternal rest we want to encourage you to think about how you are dealing with what you wrote on your chalkboard. There is a perspective, should we endeavor to keep it, that allows the journey to be marked with wellness of soul, even in the middle of life’s most challenging moments and seasons.

I hope you have begun your journey with Jesus. If you have not,  your spiritual journey may be a blank chalkboard.  If that is the case, you can resolve that today by asking Him to forgive you of your sins, accept His gift of eternal life, surrender control of your life to Him, and commit to follow wherever He leads.  Once you have settled that issue these next steps will be even more helpful to you.

PONDER and WANDER:  If you choose, Ponder the question: How is my eternal perspective impacting the way I deal with temporal challenges?

The soul training exercise HERE can assist you in deciding how to deal with our now in light of the your then.

Soul care training exercise: If you choose, complete the H.E.R.E. exercise.

• When you are ready, clear your mind and invite the Holy Spirit to help you grasp the Hope you have in Christ which is yours now in part, and will be yours one day in full. 
• Next,  Envision your current challenge in light of your eternal reality.  In the moment things can be so overwhelming, but if we can learn to develop some perspective they begin to shrink in magnitude.
• Then, Remember we are promised a much better future than any of us are currently experiencing and it is important to recall that routinely.
• Finally, Enlist the help of the Holy Spirit to keep this perspective until the day you finally see Jesus face-to-face.

PRAYER: Jesus, help me to broaden my perspective when things here in the middle seem to threaten to crush my soul. I know better, but sometimes I forget. Thank You for the promise of Your return and an eternity with you. In the eternal name of Jesus I pray, Amen. 

PRAISE: Now that you have emptied your mind of the clutter and wandered with Jesus, take a closing moment to breathe and let the work of your wandering fill you with strengh.

Then take the mindfulness of God’s presence cultivated in these last few minutes of wandering into the next ones and beyond.

Until next time, be Resonant.

The post How to Maintain Perspective in the Middle appeared first on Resonant 7.

_{Image Attributions:
Judgment Seat – https://pixabay.com/vectors/justice-silhouette-scales-law-147214/
Chalkboard – https://pixabay.com/vectors/blackboard-chalkboard-education-307799/}

BONUS REFLECTION: Over the next few weeks we will be pressing into this great hymn, but it makes a nice companion to our thoughts today as well.  Be resonant and hold to God’s unchanging hand.

Wednesday Wanderings with Dr. Sherri is biweekly and a time we set aside to wander in the Presence of Jesus and ponder His truths. When you are ready, prepare your mind, body, and soul to have a transformational encounter with Jesus.

Watch the Wednesday Wanderings Welcome for this week.

Now that we have cleared our minds of the clutter, we can wander on the journey with Jesus.

PREPARATION: In our last Wandering with Dr. Sherri, we examined Being Well and Staying Well. This week we will investigate how to be strong and courageous While You Wait to Return to Normal.  When you are ready, you may begin the dialogue with Jesus and state: “Jesus, I invite you to help me to leisurely wander into your Presence. Prepare my heart to receive, and illuminate my spiritual senses to encounter you.”

PROMISE:  Psalm 27: 14 Amplified 

God, the Promise Keeper pledges to us that we can wait confidently and with courage for Him to strengthen us while we move toward normal.

The song writer begins the stanza with an objection, he states, “BUT Lord, tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait. In his recovery from the warfare of grief and calamity Spafford encouraged himself with God’s Word. He clung to the promise of blessed hope and rest of his soul on earth and ultimately in eternity as he walked through his grief process.

PARABLE: Grief is quick to come, but slow to leave. We can’t rush suffering. If we could, I would sprint like Jesse Owens to the recovery finish line. During the month of May, ten days apart, I experienced the death of my father-in-love and my uncle (his brother) to COVID-19. The monstrous roller coaster of the illness, circumstances of the death, and the conclusion of the ride hijacked my emotional, physical, and spiritual well-being. Not everyone experienced COVID-19 as I did but everyone experienced COVID-19.

As we discussed two weeks ago, loss and grief is something everyone will experience. No matter what type of loss you are experiencing (job loss, break up or divorce, loss of loved ones, loss of normalcy due to COVID-19, or a terminal diagnoses), there is no short cut, We have to experience the process.

While you Wait to recover from the silent war of COVID-19 and return to normal you will experience one, some, or all of the stages of grief in any order. 

The stages of grief are:

• Denial (a coping mechanism)
• Anger (a masking effect)
• Bargaining (a way to postpone sadness, confusion or hurt)
• Depression (overwhelmingly feeling foggy, heavy, and confused)
• Acceptance (understanding loss is a part of life and examining what it means to your life now)

My temporary roller coaster can travel the track of any of these on a given day. Yet I know that there is no suffering or situation greater than the PROMISED hope and rest of my soul found in the arms of Jesus. Suffering is a part of our journey, it is the medicine that cures us from walking on our own. It is the weight too powerful to lift that drives us to scream, pray, and/or worship while we wait for the warfare of sorrow to terminate in the powerful and peaceful Presence of God.  

COVID-19 is a national trauma that the world will need to grieve. As some of the world sprints back to normal and other parts of the world jogs the marathon of the normal recovery race from COVID-19, we will approach the recovery of the grief of sorrow differently. Some of us have already returned to gatherings without our masks, our hugging and hand shaking, and traveling for summer vacations. Others are still wearning masks, avoiding crowds, and carrying hand sanitizer like a treasured jewel. While some are cautiously testing the normal waters with masks sometimes, 6′ feet social distancing, and some small gatherings. No matter how you are recovering from the trauma of COVID-19, while you wait, you can wait courageously, confidently,  and in expectation that God will deliver us from this pandemic plague and any other loss we have experienced.

PONDER and WANDER:  In my last Wandering we examined the losses and unresolved grief within our life. If you choose, Ponder the question: What stage of grief am I currently most experiencing as a result of the losses of COVID-19 or any other loss in my life?

The soul training WELL exercise can assist us in examining our loss and strengthening our hearts as we wait for the grief process to end.

Soul care training exercise: If you choose, complete the W.E.L.L. exercise.

• When you are ready, clear your mind and invite the Holy Spirit to help you Wait courageously, confidently, and expentantly as you ask God to identify which stage of grief you are currently most experiencing as a result of COVID-19.
• Next,  Invoke the assistance of God to strengthen your heart. Ask speficially for strength regarding in the stage you are experiencing .
• Then, Listen for the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
• Finally, Lay down your burden and receive the strength of Jesus.

PRAYER: Jesus, help me to wait in courage, and confidently expect you to strengthen my heart. The silent war of COVID-19 has faught us in ways we are unaware. While we wait to return to a normal let our response be to pray, worship, and seek you during this recovery process. In the healing name of Jesus I pray, Amen. 

PRAISE: Now that you have emptied your mind of the clutter and wandered with Jesus, take a closing moment to breathe and let the work of your wandering fill you with strengh.

Then take the mindfulness of God’s presence cultivated in these last few minutes of wandering into the next ones and beyond.

Until next time, be Resonant.

The post While you Wait appeared first on Resonant 7.

_{Image Attributions:
Stages of grief: Google images
Wait on the Lord: Google Images}

BONUS REFLECTION: Rest and resolution don’t always come easy. You may experience more rain, while you wait. If you choose, listen to this song and be reminded that God is never late so praise Him while you wait.