Daily Bread ~ Head Above Water

Greetings Dear Reader,

Choosing to live the path of Daily Bread is not a magic spell or arcane incantation.  There is not a secret formula or perfect ritual.  Like everything about faith and following it takes faith and discipline.

Every day, countless times it seems, I have to bat away worry and despair that I will not have what I need.  The deep dive is to refuse to let these things have purchase whilst being honest about them.  As my brother said, “it is an emotional roller coaster.”  It is also necessary.

There are a few practical things that I do to cope:

I refocus on the Father and that the promise is that he will supply all of our need.  I have seen him do this over and over.  I have been homeless.  I have been destitute.  I have also seen the Father provide in ways that I cannot imagine. 

When I find my mind worrying about something that is not a concern for today, I form a day wall.  I remind my mind that I am asking for DAILY bread not weekly or monthly.  If I am truly going to walk this path in faith I need to stop asking for the security of knowing the answers.  The real truth is that when I thought I had the answers I was wrong.  Jesus really does not want me to worry about tomorrow.

I remind myself of the things I have already seen that are not explainable but have met my needs.  There is no chance.  There are no coincidences.  Following in faith means acknowledging that every decision about what unfolds before me is based on the Father’s responses to my choices.

This is why obedience in faith is so very important.  The Father promises to care for us but our responsibility is to obey him so that we remain under his protection.  If it is raining and I step out from under the umbrella I should not be surprised if I get wet.  If I am not going to trust the Father and follow the Son then I should not be surprised when I am not protected from the consequences of that choice.

None of this is easy.  My nature is to want to know.  Faith is easy for me but it is also difficult at times.  I am a planner and projector.  Our culture and system are built on the idea of independence and self-sufficiency.  We would not tell a little child to care for all of his own needs.  This is how the Father wishes us to come to him.

I encountered a new Avril Lavigne song that describes how I feel at times.  Some days I am simply praying for the Father to keep me from drowning in all this.  “The singer revealed she wrote the song during her scary battle with Lyme disease and said that the lyrics are basically a prayer to God asking for help as she tries to get through a difficult time in her life.” (ABC News) 

Then as I am feeling like I am drowning in my own tears I hear this as well: “You feel like you are drowning.  You feel like you do not know what to do.  The pressure is building around you and you feel like you cannot handle it.  It is the Water Walker that promises to rescue you.” 

It is not easy.  It is not simple.  It is, however, the only path that faith allows.  If you are still walking with me Dear Reader then please pray for me.  If you have stopped following then be assured that I am praying for you. 

Head Above Water – Avril Lavigne

I've gotta keep the calm before the storm
I don't want less, I don't want more
Must bar the windows and the doors
To keep me safe, to keep me warm

Yeah, my life is what I'm fighting for
Can't part the sea, can't reach the shore
And my voice becomes the driving force
I won't let this pull me overboard

God, keep my head above water
Don't let me drown, it gets harder
I'll meet you there at the altar
As I fall down to my knees
Don't let me drown, drown, drown
Don't let me, don't let me, don't let me drown

So, pull me up from down below
'Cause I'm underneath the undertow
Come dry me off and hold me close
I need you now, I need you most

God, keep my head above water
Don't let me drown, it gets harder
I'll meet you there at the altar
As I fall down to my knees
Don't let me drown, drown, drown
Don't let me, don't let me, don't let me drown
Don't let me drown, drown, drown
Keep my head above water, above water

And I can't see in the stormy weather
I can't seem to keep it all together
And I, I can't swim the ocean like this forever
And I can't breathe

God, keep my head above water
I lose my breath at the bottom
Come rescue me, I'll be waiting
I'm too young to fall asleep

God, keep my head above water
Don't let me drown, it gets harder
I'll meet you there at the altar
As I fall down to my knees

Don't let me drown
Don't let me drown (don't let me, don't let me, don't let me drown)
Don't let me drown (don't let me, don't let me, don't let me drown)
Keep my head above water, above water.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

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