Declaration of Dependence

I was dusting my shelves where the knick-knacks are displayed and the framed document entitled “Our Declaration of Dependence” caught my eye. I got choked up with tears thinking, Where has the time gone? Oh! Look at the precious signatures of my then eight and ten year-old sons.
Sixteen years ago when my husband lost his job, I was nursing a baby, homeschooling for the first time, my mom had left me, my relationship with my dad had become estranged and my best friend moved to Tennessee. Life was spinning out of control. A psychologist told me “Just losing your mom in the destructive way she left could put someone over the top.” How did I survive these six life changing events at once?
Prior to the year these things happened my family had come to know Jesus, but not to the full extent that we know Him now. We could not stay the way we were and go with God. The unanimous decision to declare our dependence on God for everything required us to look to scripture and be led by the Holy Spirit. That would necessitate us asking God to increase our faith and help us to live out WWJD. WWJD became our personal motto that stood as a reminder of our belief in a moral necessity to act in a manner that would demonstrate the love of Jesus through the actions of our lives. We gave God permission to do anything He pleases with our ordinary selves fully dedicated to Him. We would commit regularly to worship, thanksgiving and giving back to the Lord what He so graciously blessed us with. Looking back I would not change a thing. I felt so close to God. This experience taught me the same thing Paul learned from his trials. He stated “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want” (Philippians 4:12 NIV).
I made it through panic attacks and other health issues that arose from stress. Every step of my healing became a lesson to learn. I began to journal the healing process. Today I am known as “The Recycle Girl” meaning that the trials that I have experienced in my life and how God has taught me and helped me get through them has never been wasted. It has all been reused to help comfort others with the comfort I have received.
I want to ask you, have you made your “Declaration of Dependence”? Do you go through life barely getting by and learning nothing from your hard times or do you have a take–away that is recyclable for others?
PRAYER: Father in heaven I need an attitude adjustment. Help me to see trials from Your perspective. I realize I cannot stay the way I am and go with You. Thank You for showing me this. Forgive me for the times I do not ask you for help. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.