WOW!  It’s been a LONG time!  I feel like I should apologize for not posting so long but I know that’s just performance-based anxiety-guilt talking, so I won’t.  I also won’t make any lame excuses about time having gotten away from me.

Truth be told, when I started this blog, it was in a desperate attempt to bring something of value to God and to be thought something special enough to have some very desperate prayers answered.  He did answer those prayers and, immediately upon receiving my answers, my life entered a surreal tailspin.  WHY?  Well, the short answer is because God did not answer the way I wanted Him to.  He didn’t even answer the way He typically had for most of my life up until that point.

What I began to realize – with the Lord’s help – was that I had been under a pseudo-assumption that God and I had entered into a type of contract.  I say “pseudo” because, had you asked me if I believed that, I would’ve said NO.  Because, of course, that is absurd.  God wants it all, or nothing at all.  There is no contract.  No deal.  No negotiations.  No bargaining.  But prior to that one fateful day in March 2013, my life had pretty much resembled a contract.  To my mind, at least.

I did my part.  I was the obedient, good little, Bible-study-attending, never-miss-a-Sunday-or-Wednesday-service, church girl.  And God did His part and delivered me SWIFTLY – as promised – from ALL my troubles.

It was a pretty sweet deal.  Until it wasn’t.

Because, one day, He said NO.  And that no led to another no.  And that no led to another no.  Until the “no’s” were piled so deep I was beginning to wonder if I’d ever hear a “yes” again.

And just when I felt like I couldn’t possibly hear another “no,” Rejection came.  Well-meaning, good hearted, people thinking they were helping (to shake me loose from an obviously-self-imposed rut; who thought I was somehow guilty of the sins of pride and sloth; or that  I was refusing to help myself by not stepping out in faith, by trusting God) dropped my hand.

I suppose they felt like they were the only ones walking the path we were on and they were tired of carrying me or dragging my dead weight.  I don’t know exactly.

All I know is what I was told:  we simply do not have the grace to serve you and your family anymore.

BOOM!  Another no!  Only this time it came from Job’s friends and was paired with exhortations to get on with my repenting because surely I was sinning.

The damage was more than I could bear.  AND, I was mad!  My friends had hurt me and God had let them, and I couldn’t make anyone believe that the way there saw things was not how they really were.  How could I continue to attend a church where a small – but very important – group of people (people who had walked with us from the beginning but now had not grace left to extend) would now turn their backs on me?

Did I put more trust in them than I had placed in God?  The answer was obvious, given how devastated I was over something I had been certain for two years was inevitable.

People will always fail me.  And God will let it happen whenever I start to trust in men more than I trust in Him.

This is a lesson I’ve had to learn many times and, sometimes, very painfully.  And still, my first instinct is to ALWAYS try to figure things out.

It is with that in mind that I have chosen this year’s course of study.I am choosing to focus on Abba Father this year.  What He says about me.  What the Bible says about Him.  His promises to me.  And how His Love for me is based on His Goodness and not on my ability to do enough good often enough to feel worthy of that Love.

The plan I had before (the plan I had when I started) was all about me bringing something to God, hoping He’d love me.  This plan – which I’ve prayed over since before Thanksgiving – has its roots in The Father, and not in my own pride.  My goal is to draw near to God so that He will draw near to me.

I’m going to be blogging my S.O.A.P. notes for each scripture.  I will also Instagram a shot of each page (if you prefer to follow me there: @pattyh29).  I will be using the hashtags #gettingtoknowthefather and #iknowabbalovesme.

I would love for you to follow along with me and let me know your thoughts.  BUT, I’ll be here, even if you don’t.  Loving My Father and Letting the Father love me.

Blessings,  Patty