Category / Quarantine Living

by Alison Lewis

The Deeper Invitation of Shelter in Place

It’s not very often that a show your family has been watching ends, and everyone looks at each other with surprise and disappointment that it is over! However, this has consistently been our experience as my family and I enjoyed all eight episodes of The Chosen. 

WHAT IS THE CHOSEN?

“The Chosen is the first-ever-multi-season TV show about the life of Jesus. Created outside of the Hollywood system, The Chosen allows us to see Him through the eyes of those who knew him. No matter where you are at in your journey with Jesus Christ, this TV show is for you.” (This is quoted directly from The Chosen website.)

A friend recommended we check it out because of its high quality and inspiration. We wholeheartedly agree and can’t wait for season 2. In the meantime, we will rewatch it and enjoy all the special features that they keep adding. 

WHAT MAKES THE CHOSEN SO SPECIAL?

The Chosen makes biblical characters come to life and very relatable. This is especially true of Jesus who is happy, funny and emotional just like us. He is so likable that you never want your time with Him to end. You enjoy His company on screen and something is awakened in you to want to get to know this Jesus better. 

I have found myself returning to the Bible with a breath of fresh air and a renewed love of Jesus and scripture. Bible stories are coming to life before my eyes and characters like Mary Magdalene, Matthew, Nicodemus and the woman at the well are multidimensional and more than just names on a page. They had real struggles and brokenness and their lives were forever changed when they met Jesus and were transformed from the inside out.


Perhaps, like me, this is your testimony as well. The last 24 years of knowing and walking with Jesus have changed me. He has and continues to bring me deep healing and peace. I am more sure of His love and protection than at any other time. I relax in His presence and marvel at His goodness and mercy even in the midst of the hardest seasons of my life (so far). He has been faithful and will continue to BE FAITHFUL!

REVELATION OF SHELTER IN PLACE

Over this quarantine and shelter in place, I have felt the invitation of the Holy Spirit to go deeper and live more fully surrendered. I had unknowingly become complacent and half hearted in my routines and worship. 

The Holy Spirit lovingly unveiled the true state of my heart in this season. I was convicted of my inability to truly worship Him in the quiet and mundane of this unique time. In the beginning, it was a challenge to truly worship and avoid being a spectator to our online church service. 

In time with prayer, intentionality, and by the grace of God, I was able to get engaged and focused on Jesus alone. The simplest and purest form of worship began to bubble up from the deepest places in me. I didn’t need to be in a large room with a dynamic worship team, I just needed Jesus. It’s easy to say, but harder to live as my reality because I get distracted easier than I want to admit.

Don’t get me wrong, I am eagerly looking forward to the day when we can gather together again in person to worship as the family God. However, I want to emerge from this time more appreciative of His presence and the simplicity of keeping my heart towards Jesus and sensitive to the Holy Spirit. 

I don’t want to take His presence for granted, or the presence of family and friends that I have only been able to connect with through a screen. I give thanks for technology, but may it never replace face to face chats and relationships with deep heart to heart connections. 

Although the “shelter in place” order will eventually be lifted, I want to remain sheltered in Jesus as a way of life, my new normal, so I remain secure no matter what challenges may come my way.

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Copyright © 2020 Alison Lewis, A Secret Spring. 

All rights reserved.

by Alison Lewis

The Message God Wants You to Hear

I feel so strongly that the Lord is gathering His children like never before. 

Perhaps you were raised in the faith, but life took some twists and turns and you don’t feel like God is really a part of your life right now. Or maybe you had a bad experience at church and you were deeply hurt by a pastor or by people, you thought you could trust, so you walked away. 

Perhaps you have been faithfully walking through the motions of faith for decades, but you sense there is more to Jesus than you have experienced so far. You see others lost in worship and adoring Jesus and wonder why you don’t know how that feels.

I have good news for you if you fall into one of those categories or any other. 

No matter what your story has been, and where you find yourself today, I believe the Holy Spirit, the power of the resurrected Lord Jesus Christ, is reaching out to YOU this day.

He is speaking the following words to YOU.

I’m standing at your door

My heart is calling yours

Come fall into my arms

You’re weary from it all

Been running for too long

I’m here to bring you home

I’m reaching out

I’ll chase you down

I dare you to believe

How much I love you now

Don’t be afraid

I am your strength

We’ll be walking on the water 

Dancing on the waves

Look up and lift your eyes

The future’s open wide

I have great plans for you

Your past is dead and gone

Your healing has begun

I’m making all things new

I set every star into place

So that you would remember my name

I made it all for you

But you are my masterpiece

You are the reason I sing

This is my song for you

These are the lyrics to the powerful song, “Dancing on the Waves” by We the Kingdom and was recently released on the new Bethel Music Peace Album.

“I dare you to believe how much I love you now.“

I really believe that the Lord is challenging all of us, to really believe how much He loves us. He demonstrated His love by coming to earth to die for our sins. He suffered great beatings at the hands of Roman soldiers and then suffered the humiliation of death by crucifixion. 

He experienced separation from God the Father for the first time in all eternity, all so we wouldn’t have to know separation from God anymore. He was buried in a tomb to the shock of all who knew and loved him.

BUT GOD!

On the third day He rose again, satisfying the payment of sin and death. He was the perfect Lamb, sinless in every way, yet He willingly suffered the punishment you and I deserved so that we could all be reunited as brothers and sisters in God’s family. 

The Kingdom of God is family.

It’s time to come home. It’s time to receive His free gift of salvation and to realize all He has done for you. It’s time to know how loved you are, right now, just for being you. You don’t have to act a certain way or be a certain way. He wants you to be who He created you to be.

If you have said yes to Jesus and thanked Him for suffering and dying for you, and from this point on decide to live your life in gratitude to Him and to God the Father by following and obeying them; then you can receive the Holy Spirit as a downpayment to live inside of you. You are a new creation. You have been born of the Spirit and you are part of the family of God.

Welcome home brother or sister! 

We have been waiting for you! We are so happy you are home! All of Heaven is rejoicing that you have been born again of the Spirit.

Please tell someone in your life that you have received Jesus and want to get to know Him better. Check out some churches online during this quarantine. Download the Bible App and start reading the Bible and some of the free devotionals that can be found there to help you grow. The Holy Spirit in you will teach and guide you to the right church and fellowship of brothers and sister where you can learn and grow and heal.

The rest of us are being invited to enter into a time of living fully as a child of God. It’s time for us to know our Heavenly Father and how good He really is like never before. It’s time to arise and shine as we allow the Holy Spirit to purify our hearts and lead us into intimacy and righteousness like never before.

Lord, cause us to hunger after You and your righteousness like never before! Help us to believe how loved we really are by You. By the power of Your Holy Spirit, help us to love one another well so that we may walk in unity so the unbelieving world will become convinced that you have sent [Jesus], for they will see that You love each one of them with the same passionate love that You have for [Jesus] (John 17:23-26)

Have a blessed weekend and receive all He has for you!

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Follow A Secret Spring on Facebook or Instagram 

for daily inspiration and encouragement. 

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Copyright © 2020 Alison Lewis, A Secret Spring. 

All rights reserved.

by Alison Lewis

The Heart of Palm Sunday

I was reflecting on Palm Sunday and how the Jews were heralding Jesus as King and a few days later roared for Him to be crucified on a cross, while Barabbas, a robber and murder was liberated (Luke 23:13-25).

Jesus did not meet their expectations.

He doesn’t often meet mine. I wonder if that is because my expectations are not big enough and lack the depth of insight to know what is really needed in any situation.

The Jews wanted to be liberated from the Romans who were oppressing them and this is a very valid desire. Jesus is acknowledged as King and then doesn’t dethrone the Roman government.

No, Jesus understands the real problem wasn’t the Romans, but sin and that spiritual liberation was what was truly needed to bring any other kind of liberation.

It is always about dealing with our internal being, we must be changed from the inside out.

This is a challenge for those of us who like to think we are in control. We can’t will ourselves to be made whole. No, we can only create space for the Lord to work and keep drawing near to Him. We must wait and trust Him with the how and when. We can’t make it happen and that can feel scary.

Combine that with emotions of sadness, pain, and grieving and many close their hearts and refuse to engage the process. They return to doing things for God and then become angry that our expectations haven’t been met. This often leads to anger, and if not dealt with, to the dangerous and dry land of bitterness and resentment.

I am learning to trust He knows what He is doing and what I need to work on exactly when I need to work on it.

Sure, I may think it is time to develop a gift or skill and the Lord knows in fact it is more important to work on my heart so I will be able to handle the gift or skill in LOVE, reflecting Jesus himself and not for my own good.

It usually goes back to our hearts, since we live out of it and it determines so much of our direction and quality of life. Yet, we are powerless to heal our hearts. We self protect, close off and insulate our hearts against further pain.

Instead, we are invited to surrender to the One who is an expert in bringing healing and restoration to the brokenhearted. We must surrender our lives and submit to His ways, timing and method, knowing we can trust and rest that His intentions for us are good and He cannot operate a part from His deep love for us, His children.

May you and your loved ones continue to surrender daily to Jesus so He can bring even greater healing and restoration than you could even imagine!

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Follow A Secret Spring on Facebook or Instagram for daily inspiration and encouragement.

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Copyright © 2020 Alison Lewis, A Secret Spring.

All rights reserved.

by Alison Lewis

Finding Strength in Our New Reality

I don’t know about you, but the soberness of this unique time in history started to sink in this week. After the initial adrenaline rush of preparing for quarantine living and social distancing, I think I have begun a new level of processing.

The newness of it all has worn off and living my own version of Groundhog Day is not nearly as comical or fun as I thought it might be. 🙂 

It sort of reminds me how the excitement of a new school year quickly wears off in the daily grind.

So what are we to do? How can we grow and make the most of this unique opportunity?

If I have learned anything through the challenges I have faced over the passed few years, it would be to be honest with myself about my feelings. I try to allow myself a time, often through journaling, where I process my frustrations, anger, disappointment, sadness, grief or any other combination of emotions.

I name what I am feeling and why to the best of my ability. Then I bring it to the Lord so we can share it and He can help bear my burden. I worship to my favorite song or wait and sit in silence, if necessary, or however I feel led in the moment.

I begin to feel a lightening in my heart and sometimes I can even sense the burden coming off of me. I thank the Lord for the gift of His presence and demonstrating how He is my burden bearer.

What a glorious God! He gives us salvation over and over, then daily he carries our burdens!   Pause in his presence

Psalm 68:19

I usually ask Him what else He wants me to know right now and take time to write down whatever I sense. I review my journals regularly for overarching messages or insights.

I really feel like the Lord wants us all to learn what it means that we “can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.” (Philippians 4:13) Many, if not all of us, are being challenged to live in a new way and do things we would not choose to do. But it’s our reality and we might as well give it our best and learn all we can.

I know what it means to lack, and I know what it means to experience overwhelming abundance. For I’m trained in the secret of overcoming all things, whether in fullness or in hunger. And I find that the strength of Christ’s explosive power infuses me to conquer every difficulty.

Philippians 4:12-13 (TPT)

All who are willing can be trained “in the secret of overcoming all things” and the key is “Christ’s EXPLOSIVE power” INFUSING me to conquer every difficulty!”

Catch that?

Every. Single. Difficulty.

There are no exceptions.

So let’s seize this opportunity to focus on Jesus and choose to open our hearts to the Holy Spirit to be more aware of HIs presence. Let’s not get lost in the monotony of our situation, but be infused with the strength of Christ’s resurrection power that is in us as Christ followers. 

Now is the time to receive the secret of overcoming ALL things for the honor and glory of Jesus so the world may see how real He is to us, His beloved children.

May Jesus be more real, now than ever, for you and your family!

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Follow A Secret Spring on Facebook or Instagram

for daily inspiration and encouragement. 

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Copyright © 2020 Alison Lewis, A Secret Spring.

All rights reserved.

by Alison Lewis

Opportunities for Growth Living in Quarantine

How are you?

Perhaps the shock of our new way of life is starting to wear off as you establish a new normal for this season.

I would encourage you to pay attention to what emotions bubbled up over the past week. It is very likely that many of us were triggered in some way by an emotional memory or traumatic event and that’s okay.

The Lord allows us to be triggered in areas where He knows we are ready for Him to bring healing. He invites us to bring those feelings to Him and dialogue about them.

Yes, I really do mean dialogue.

Expect Him to speak back as you quiet yourself and listen for His gentle impressions, still small voice or highlighted verses as you read the Bible or devotional resources.

The Holy Spirit is a real person and wants to bring you comfort and peace. There is a reason He is called the Counselor. He longs to bring truth and understanding to what is going on inside of you because He knows and cares. He loves YOU!

Since most of the world is in quarantine, we have a unique opportunity to slow down and simplify our lives to what matters most. The quarantine forces us to face ourselves and our internal reality. We have a choice: to fill our time to “just get through” or to seek to grow.

I believe many of us need to grow emotionally, spiritually, relationally or even intellectually.

I have been reviewing my journals over the past year to see what bible verses, songs or quotes have really been speaking to me. What have I heard the Lord say to me over the past year or so? What has He been teaching me?

This is important because I believe He has been uniquely preparing each of us for this time. He has equipped us with biblical truths that He wants to become a reality in our lives in a new way. This is when we go from simply mentally agreeing with biblical truth, to actually experiencing it in a way that it becomes a deep part of our life.

I have been listening to songs that have touched my heart in the last few months and asking the Lord to reveal some of the reasons He has highlighted these song to me. I then put these songs on periodically throughout the day and worship until I once again believe the truths they declare and fortify my peace.

I truly believe we have a unique opportunity for the Lord to firm up our foundations so we can truly abide in Him like never before. He wants us to be so anchored in Him that others take notice and want to know the Jesus we do.

We must choose to believe He is who He says He is and who He has demonstrated Himself to be in the Bible and in our lives up until this point.

“Jesus, the Anointed One, is always the same—yesterday, today, and forever.” Hebrews 13:8 TPT

Our circumstances are changing, but Jesus is not. Let Him keep you anchored in this storm so that you may stand even when things are shaking all around you.

So now, beloved ones, stand firm and secure. Live your lives with an unshakable confidence. We know that we prosper and excel in every season by serving the Lord, because we are assured that our union with the Lord makes our labor productive with fruit that endures.   1Corinthians 15:58 The Passion Translation

I want to leave you with this powerful song by Bryan and Katie Torwalt, “Prophesy Your Promise,” to encourage you to declare the truth of who He is in the times when it may be hard to remember.

“Fear can go to hell, shame can go there too,

I know who’s I am, God I belong to you.”

What verses or songs have been strengthening you recently?

Feel free to share them in the comments as it may encourage someone else.

Blessings to you and your family for good health and peace.

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Follow A Secret Spring on Facebook or Instagram

for daily inspiration and encouragement. 

*****************************************

Copyright © 2020 Alison Lewis, A Secret Spring.

All rights reserved.