The Elijah Project #2: The Brook Dries Up!

"There's an opportune time to do things, a right time for everything on the earth: A right time for birth and another for death." Ecclesiastes 3:1-2 MSG We meet Elijah in the Kerwith Valley being fed by ravens and drinking from the brook. Next the brook dries up and God gives Elijah direction where to go next. He promises to protect and provide for Elijah. I have a very difficult time letting go of things. I think I would have struggled with the brook dried up. I probably would have moved up stream to make sure the water was "really gone." My husband calls me a "finisher". I think I'm a fighter that won't let things die. I've just recently got better at letting things end. My desire to "please people" gets in the way of God's best sometimes. I find myself fighting so much to be liked, that I lose myself in the process. I am more aware of my tendency toward "people pleasing" than ever. My synapse gap between feeling like pleasing and doing what is right has narrowed. But I still find endings difficult. I particularly watch my self-awareness and boundaries evaporate when I am under increased stress. In section 2 of the Elijah Project we recommend completing the Holmes/Rahe stress test. This simple test can be accessed at: http://www.stress.org/holmes-rahe-stress-inventory It is important to recognize your stress level as it is a predictor of your emotional resilience. This session we are focusing on identifying what we need to "end". Webster defines endings as: "The part of an area that lies at the boundary. Or a point that marks the extent of something." People can become exhausted. God is the only all-powerful, eternal, in-exhaustible resource. Trusting in God as our Protector and Provider signals an end to our self-reliance. This is the first step as we evaluate where we are protecting and providing for ourselves and where we need to invite God to take over. Take a few minutes to evaluate what you are hanging on to. Identify what you need to end in your life today!