Thursday, May 19, 2016

When the words disappear, the foundation remains...


A week or so ago, late one night my blog disappeared from cyberspace.  Seven years of words vanished just like that.

Instantly, I thought it must be my fault.  The renewal for my domain had come due recently and I thought that I must have made some sort of mistake and the renewal hadn't gone through.  A little more research showed that other bloggers all over the world using the same blog hosting site as me were also experiencing the same thing.  With that knowledge, I was able to turn off the computer and go to sleep, knowing that things were beyond my control to work out.  Happily, things were back to normal when I woke up the next day.

In looking back on that event, several things stood out to me.  The first one is obvious.  Back up your blog to your computer frequently!  The second one was that, while I was sad that there was a possibility that seven years of writing had disappeared, I also knew that all the hours of writing would still have been worth it for the work the words had done in me as I wrote them.  Through the writing process I am also processing my own experiences, my own memories, my own spiritual insights and relationship to God and His Word.  While my desire is to record these thoughts not just for myself but also for my loved ones and friends and others that find encouragement here, in the writing I've found myself inevitably coming back to the foundational truths that I've built my life on.  Here are a few of those foundation stones.

 -There is a God in heaven Who created me and loves me and Who really is in control even if things around me don't feel like He is.  Through writing I've looked backwards at major life events and seen the constant weaving of God's good plan for my life in events that, at the time I was going through them, seemed confusing and overwhelming.

-Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life and no one can come to the Father except through Him.  Jesus Himself spoke these words, so either they are true or He is a fraud and a liar.  Through my writing I wrestle through things I've been taught and believed all my life.  I wrestle with cultural shifts that have caused us to move away from absolutes.  I come away knowing what I believe and Who I believe.  Believing that the Bible is the inspired inerrant Word of God is another foundational truth that I've become more anchored in and sure of.

-Relationships and people are what counts.  On my blog I love to share recipes, creative projects and home decor besides my writing posts. Being a lover of beauty, a lover of home and homemaking, a lover of cooking and creating is a part of who I am and so my blog reflects that.  In the end, however, it's my relationship with God, my relationship with my family, my relationship with friends, and the relationships with others that I've "met" through this online space that really matter in light of eternity.

In the end, if all of the words I've written disappeared for good, my foundation still stands, and that's a reassuring thing to know.


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14 comments:

  1. Yes! So true, Elizabeth. Makes me think of Isaiah 40:8: "The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the word of our God stands forever." How firm a foundation!

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    1. I just don't know how others make it through without a firm foundation in these shaky times!

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  2. I have to admit I was ready to tear up the internet to find your blog after those first few sentences.

    I had the same thing happen several years ago and it was devastating--and, like you, everything resolved itself in time--

    So, so glad everything is okay with it now--

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    1. It was scary to lose my blog, but I had a sense of peace in my spirit, knowing that if God didn't restore it, then He was shutting me down for a reason. I'm grateful He didn't of course, but it did give me a bit of perspective on holding onto it loosely.

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  3. So glad it's all still here... I can imagine the initial panic you must have felt.

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  4. What a relief when your blog reappears! I know because mine has disappeared twice. Really disappeared through a glitch in processing payment for my domain. I'm so glad you didn't lose your words and that you're still here, dear friend!
    ~Adrienne~

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    1. Blogger was down all over. Your blog was gone too, I checked! So I knew it was something with Blogger and not my particular domain. It's the only problem I've ever had.

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  5. That is why after every year I print my blog off using blog 2 print, I have books of my blogs from 2010-2015 heading into 2016 now. I hope you can recover them...that would be very sad to lose them all.

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    1. That would be expensive wouldn't it? I've got seven years of posts!

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  6. Happy to have found your blog through the comment you left on mine. Sounds as if we have much in common. I've been journaling about grief the past week and one day I titled it 'when the words run out'. Different circumstance but I like your perspective on this.

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    1. Deborah, isn't it amazing how the body of Christ is connected. He so often is speaking to many of us similar things and ways.

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  7. Elizabeth,
    I find the peace of a person knowing Jesus in your writings. Many times you have written beautiful words of "calm". Yes, as it would terrible to lose your blog, your words ring true in the hearts of many....and that will never be lost. What I really love about this post is, even though this could have been a bad experience you turned it into good. AND isn't that the truth of Romans 8:28. You have done good in your serving.
    God Bless~
    Addie

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  8. Wow, I'm so thankful you are still here. I couldn't imagine not reading your words.

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