It has been eight months since I last wrote here at My Hiding Place. Is that partially because I myself have been in hiding? Possibly, or maybe not. In the words of the old hymn "Great is Thy Faithfulness. Oh God ,My Father. Morning by morning, New mercies I see.Thou changest not, Thy compassions they fail not. As Thou hast been,Thou forever wilt be. Great is Thy Faithfulness. " , I am able to see a new possibility other than hiding. Resting. Being Still.Knowing that He is God.

So, even as I write I see that resting is a more accurate description than hiding. I used to hide. Avoid God when I felt sadness, despair or fear. I believed that my emotions had the power to make God reject or be disappointed in me , thus resulting in His abandonment of me. So I would avoid Him , until somehow I could make myself presentable enough to go before Him again. These were the mixed signals and conclusions of an abused and discarded child. It made for a very disjointed relationship.On my part, that is. Because He never changes. Never leaves nor forsakes. Is not a man, that He should lie. He is Oh God, My Father. He was ever present, waiting for me with open arms. He was the Good Shepherd, seeking me, the lost and wounded sheep. After decades , and I do mean decades of HIS FAITHFULNESS, it slowly began to sink into my spirit. So in these past eight months, I am even rejoicing now to see that I was resting in those truths and running to Him with broken dreams and unfulfilled expectations and tears. But running towards, not away from Him. Daily and sometimes much more frequently, crying out to Oh God, My Father.Realizing that if I knew nothing else and had no other answers that He was my Father and heard me and was thrilled that I came and talked with Him and gave Him opportunity to speak to me. To hold me near. To comfort me with His peace, that passes understanding.

So I also realized my last entry was just prior to my son moving to Portland. Moving. Change. Loss. Grief.Sadness.Unbearable and out of a mothers hearts range of acceptable emotions. Do you all see the presenting problem or source thereof? Again.The Little Kate. BUT GOD.

This journey has been different as I alluded to earlier in the post. That is not to say it has not been difficult or challenging at times. It has. The difference lies in the faithfulness of God the Father and the responsiveness of the Child...or in this case , the brokenhearted mom. Me. I will share some of this journey in future posts.

Took today off and happened to be encouraged to get back at it. The writing ,that is. To my kids and friends who are always encouraging it I say Thank you. To my Facebook and Pinterest friend and sister in Christ and published writer Lisa Bishop I say Thank you. To my husbands high school friend Lee Clements, who gave a kind of big push and challenge this morning I say Thank you. And to my husband of nearly forty years, my best friend and my Forever Love, I say Thank You.You have heard more of my writings than anyone over this passage of time. You always thought I did it so well and had so much to share. You loved my heart and my compassion and my"writing a book" as you called it.

To Oh God My Father. I take You at Your Word.  " Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of sympathy (pity and mercy) and the God (Who is the Source) of every comfort ( consolation and encouragement).  Who comforts (consoles and encourages) us in every trouble (calamity and affliction) so that we may also be able to comfort (console and encourage) those who are in any kind of trouble or distress with the comfort ( consolation and encouragement) with which we ourselves are comforted (consoled and encouraged) by God." 2 Corinthians 1:3 and 4

Thank you Lord. May it be ever so.