Hi everyone!
My name is Kari and I am friends with Heather, she has been my mentor for a few years now. She found me when I was in my lowest valley and provided much of the light I needed to find my way out of the darkness. God put her in my life to push, no actually shove me in the right direction. I am really hard headed to begin with, after an abundance of bad choices I found myself looking for God in all the wrong places!
By nature, I am a “fixer,” but in my journey I have figured out that I truly must let go and let God, this is hard for me. I struggle everyday with this.
Heather is convinced that I am hilarious and have words that will help someone. I love her to death, I know I would not be here if it was not for her. I do not think being a comedian is what God has in store for me. I could be wrong, I usually am, but I guess you all will have to suffer through while I am finding my path. Heather has asked me to write the devotion on Friday's. God is working something extraordinary in my life right now, just kind of in limbo while waiting for my directions in the mail…probably will be waiting for awhile though.
After reading the scripture for today, God knew this would be the perfect passages for me. These passages talk about my testimony and life. I was released from Oakland County Jail on March 23, 2009. The scriptures in Psalm 88 hit very close to home for me. I truly felt that my soul was full of trouble, certainly felt close to death. In jail it was nothing but emptiness and loneliness even though it is ram packed full of people!
Psalm 88:2-8 “Let my prayer come before thee: incline thine ear unto my cry; For my soul is full of troubles: and my life draweth nigh unto the grave. I am counted with them that go down into the pit: I am as a man that hath no strength: Free among the dead, like the slain that lie in the grave, whom thou rememberest no more: and they are cut off from thy hand. Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit, in darkness, in the deeps. Thy wrath lieth hard upon me, and thou hast afflicted me with all thy waves. Selah. Thou hast put away mine acquaintance far from me; thou hast made me an abomination unto them: I am shut up, and I cannot come forth.”
The book of Romans speaks about adhering to authority and knowing that you must do so in order to be obedient to God. Romans 13:1-2 “Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.” I do not like to be told what to do and how to do it. Being in jail brings you to your knees, quick and in a hurry! After my tears, my self pity, and the why me period, realizing that if I can be obedient to the guards in jail like that, why can’t I be obedient to God? The world tries to control us. We do not get that if we turn ourselves over to God, then we would be much happier.
Now don’t get me wrong, life will never be hunky dory, but it can be acceptable and pleasing if we try to be satisfied with what we have and not worry about what we don’t have. I realize that my physical jail was very real and it was not fun, however not everyone is in a physical jail cell. Sometimes we are in a makeshift jail cell that we have created from our own life’s circumstances. Please know my friends, God is standing there waiting for you to call out to Him, he has the keys in his hand to let you out and set you free. It is truly awesome to see how God has changed my life and made things different. I strive to cling to what is good and hope to be a better wife, mother, daughter, sister, and friend. I was living in shame, guilt, embarrassment, stress, and anxiety for a very long time. Even though I was away from my family for that time, I was forgiven and set free!!! I urge YOU to read the scriptures today and think of your “cell” and then call out to God and ask him to rescue you. He will hear you, He is waiting for YOU!
Forgiven and set free,
Kari Chasen
Kari Chasen
