I’m learning that one of most effective schemes of satan is distractions. It can come in the form of many things. For many women that I have been privileged to speak to it is in the form of discouragement.  Some of the most intentional godly women struggle day to day to see the impact that they are making in their families lives. I’m reminded of the story of how to tame an elephant. They strap the baby elephant to a tethered post, and at first it fights, and flaps it’s ears as it tries to run, and stomp. After, many attempts it gives up,  and stops trying to fight it.  It has now been broken.  The trainer can now leave off the tether.  The memory of the failed attempts is enough to keep the older elephant from trying to run.  It believes it can not so it does not try.  This is where the enemy wants us.  How many times have now prepared and implemented your plans, all to take your eyes off of where it should be and you crash? Then you get ridiculed by satan. The one who caused and encouraged the derailment in the first place, and then the cycle continues. Let’s get back to the elephant. The memory of failed attempts is the distraction.  The tether is no longer needed if satan can keep bringing up the times you tried and failed. The weight goal that you missed. The Bible plan you started, and are still yet to finish. Why try if it leads to failure? These are distractions to keep you from moving forward. I had a day where I actually got everything I planned accomplished. Before that becomes a distraction I will say these days are few and far in between.  I had been seeing some fruitful things happening, and I was seeing a glimmer of the benefits of our family storming the gates of the kingdom of darkness.  When don’t you know it, a distraction.  I was sitting talking to my husband and I felt something weird, and  I was hearing something weird as well. I felt pressure then realized there was a shootout resulting in a crash into a near by pole. It was literally outside of my home.  I somehow quickly hit the floor and as my husband recounts my what appeared to be childlike army like reverse bear crawl training into the kitchen where I took shelter beside the oven. It was the scariest moments of my entire life. Did my kids hear it ? They had been sleep only a short while. Which direction is it coming from? This type of thing just didn’t happen in our neighborhood we thought. Now you might say this can happen anywhere and you are right. The significance however is that we had been leisurely looking to move. Nothing serious because we were happy where we are . In an instant my attention was on moving and moving now. My peace was hindered.  My focus was hindered.  My attitude was hindered. My nerves were shot. Distractions on top of distractions. Then we were able to see the FAITHFULNESS of God in it all. We were not harmed, and our children did not hear it. Distractions are there to get our eyes off of God. Then we start to sink. Sound familiar? Ladies, God is to be trusted with everything. The big stuff. The little stuff. The good stuff.  The bad stuff. The unflattering stuff. Everything! So, trust Him to lead you through this darkness. Trust God Cry Repeat ladies. God bless you.
I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways. Psalm 119:15 ESV