The Uncaged Journey

Today's article is an excerpt from my book, Prayers on Fire , which I wrote with Brian Simmons. I pray it's a blessing to you. ~Gretchen    I’m mesmerized; awestruck over the beauty of your creation. The evidence of your creative genius streams from the heavens with glory. All of earth echoes your name. There is no denying that you are the Master Artist who set before us your most beautiful works of art.  The moon and stars are dazzling, brilliantly glowing against the night sky like jewels mounted in their settings. Still, I’m awed by something even more splendid than the wonders I see above. God, though you’re famous—great and powerful— you know me by name and call me your child. I am your masterpiece. My Father, whose name is known throughout the universe, you have created me to be just like you. Filled with glory, I’ll shine in the darkness, illuminating the world with your splendor and compassion. Crowned with majesty, I’ll stand in authority ...

There it is—that wall that has been standing in front of you, for longer than you care to remember. It taunts you. Tries to intimidate you. Reminds you of what hasn't happened. It arrogantly proclaims that its power to hold you back is greater than God's ability to thrust you beyond it. What that wall doesn't realize is that it was erected on a foundation of lies. It doesn't stand as a true representation of your situation. It is an illusion—one that you were created to rise above. Scarlet Lily Photography If you look closely at this barrier to your breakthrough, you'll see that it has protrusions—small steps for you to climb. God took what the enemy built to oppose you, and made a way for you to use it to your advantage. Scaling this wall will strengthen you. As you clamber your way to the top, it will scream, emphasizing the impossibility of your conditions. But you were made for the impossible! Every fiber of your being will want to quit; to succumb t...

Life is made up of moments. Some fill the space of seconds, while others span years; even decades. These moments—these encounters with miracles, brushes with tragedy, or pains of heartbreak eventually weave themselves together to form a lens, which we see life through. Often, they  serve as taskmasters, fighting to beat us down and strip away our hope, our dreams, and a healthy way of viewing life. But if we take all of these flashes of pain and submit each one to God, then they must bow. They must yield. Traumas submit themselves to the omnipotence of God, who blows away the dry, crusted remains of tears and miraculously turns them into strength and joy. Scarlet Lily Photography The very fabric of our being and the way we interact not only with others, but with our own thoughts, viewpoints, and expectations, is altered when we surrender the collection of these moments before the sovereignty of God. Our perspective leaps into His frame of reference and suddenly the past loo...

Have you ever had a moment ? You know, one of those moments when you are on the verge of losing it, because the enormity of a problem is screaming in your face? Yes, I have too—just the other day. I'm happy to report that God, in His great mercy, took my moment , graciously pulled me close and brushed off the pollution of discouragement.. Scarlet Lily Photography As a matter of fact, that one encounter with the Lord changed my perspective on trials. I realized how grateful I am for them. Yes, grateful. Don't get me wrong—nobody enjoys suffering! Process with me. How would you know that God is faithful if you never needed Him to come through? How would you be sure how devoted you are to Him, if that love was never tested? To discover His power, you must first need it. God is a good God, and He will never inflict suffering or sickness to prove that He can overcome, but He will prove His love and unlimited power despite these things. Trials reveal where our fa...

All of us have at least one thing we are standing in faith for. Day after day, we pray. We stand. We worship and we declare God's truth. Until the manifestation comes, we wait and we believe—sometimes through tears and sometimes with tenacity. Always, by His grace. This morning the Lord gave me flashbacks of moments in my life that literally changed everything. Scene after scene, I was reminded of the power that one moment holds. One word I'd waited to hear, one decision, one touch of healing, one revelation, one tragedy—life, radically impacted in an instant. The Lord is encouraging us to be in expectation mode, especially if we've recently been knocked down. The enemy loves to thrust our attention toward the problem and away from the One who holds the answer. Regardless of how long you've believed for your breakthrough, do not give up! Your breakthrough is a moment away—a mysterious, inexplicable, precious point where God's will and your life converge. Sc...

Easter Sunday is a day for us to turn our hearts and remember the single greatest act of love the world has ever known. Yet the beauty of Resurrection Sunday, extends far beyond one day. The revelation of this perfect, extravagant love, must become so real that we are aware of it every day of the year.  Jesus’s unrelenting love has no conditions. It desired us and saw our beauty, even in our most miserable mess. It has the strength to silence every lie and the tenderness to draw us near. It’s passionate—willing to pay the greatest price to prove its devotion. This is the mystery of perfect love that burns within our souls. It causes us to bow in gratefulness, worship with abandon and shout our praise. The substance of His love can permeate every aspect of our lives and radically transform us.   The One who taught the stars to dance and lifted mountains to majestic heights, not only thought you were worth dying for, He believes that yours is a life worth living. He is co...

The other day my daughter told me about a woman who believes she is a cat. It seems safe to say that the attack against identity is running rampant. It also seems safe to say that discovering our true identity is on the Lord’s heart. Recently, at a routine doctor’s visit, two of the questions they are required to verbally ask, surprised me: 1.      Are you a female, male, or other? 2.      How would you like us to refer to you: she, he, or other? After I laughed and made sure they weren’t asking because they couldn’t tell the answer, it hit me—lack of identity has become an epidemic. Confusion about who we really are, is so acceptable that society pats us on the back and tells us it’s normal to be perplexed. But God is very clear about our identity and He longs for us to be, as well. ScarletLilyPhotography Discovering who we are and how the Lord sees us, are life-altering truths. They affect our calling and our entire o...