God does change things.
Here are two scriptures that are in front of me this am: The Lord is good to those whose hope is in HIM, to the one who seeks HIM; is it good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord. Lamentations 3. 25-26
And: Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in Heaven give good gifts to those who ask HIM? Matthew 7.9-11
What would happen if we spoke the truth to God all the time. If we told HIM everything? IF we relied on HIM all the time. It hurts that many of us have to suffer a loss or a difficult situation to really get us back to being focused on HIM....praise God for those who figure it out the easy way.....but I have a feeling there are no easy ways, as the Enemy is real and He will do what it takes to cause doubt. Anyway -- that is not what I wanted to chat about.....
Waiting on God is key. Asking is key too. The woman I spoke about was in a difficult marriage. She is now going through a 'godly divorce'. Is there such a thing? Yes, when there is free will involved, I now can see and understand that sometimes, it does not work out. Jesus blood is enough, but as hurt beings, we just need to move forward. However, I still believe Jesus' blood is enough if both parties are willing to die to self and grab onto JEsus with everything, but sometimes our flesh and our humanness can't handle the problem or the hurt, and God does provide a way for healing and for the divorced. I heard it stated once that God will release you....you will know....HE never released me. But that is the only person I have to worry about. I believe God used E.C. ( the lady and her blog ) to help me learn much. Today her post was, 'what would happen if you spoke the truth'.....Speaking the truth and letting her pain be right on the page, helped me. I believe as I read her blog and got a glimpse into her life, I can see that God released her. I mean, it really does not concern me, that is between her and God and her husband. Anyway, Elizabeth got me thinking today...
Today I want to speak some truth......
1. Happy Mother's Day to my mom, my mother-n-law, my sisters, my sister -n- law's, and to my many friends who are mothers and to those women that are mothers to others in HIS kindgom. YOU are speaking truth into our lives...into their lives...into other's lives...YOU are positive, loving, and you give HIS love to others. THANK YOU.
Thank you for speaking truth...Lord, I pray a blessing over each of them right now, Lord, may their will line up with yours, protect them, let the men in their lives be filled with you so that they can mother and they can feel your love in every moment as they are mothers to others. Lord, bless them, and their children as well. Lord, thank you for each and every mother that was in my life...from my school days, to teachers who spoke life into me and to the many godly women around me that continue to pray for me....Lord, thank you for being there through them. Amen.
2. Waiting on God is HARD, but HE rewards those who are obedient. I am a testament to that. I could make a list of just 100 blessings that I have recieved since the beginning of the year. One major blessing happened two weekends ago. I spent 5 days with 6 wonderful woman in Chicago and God gave me a blessed memory that I will cherish ALL of my life. HE did that. I not only had family time, I stayed at a swank place and was pampered, but HE really showed me that HE does bring beauty out of the ashes.
I must share....May 1st is a day in my history that is important. My parents were married on May 1st. My parents have now been married for 47 years. Many times, I could never understand why....but that is their story. Theirs. And I must add, I praise God that they are still together and seem to enjoy each other most of the time.
As a child, on May 1st, it was always like the first day of spring in my head...new beginnings....it was also a day a few years ago that my world changed with a phone call. That was May 1st of 2010. Last year on May 1, 2011, I even wrote in my journal, "lord, help me...I need YOU...to guide and protect and love me". As by May 1st of last year, I really did believe that my marriage was going to end and I had accepted it. I trusted God. Now you can understand why I was searching and seeking anyone else that would blog or speak the truth...I was looking for confirmation and help. Thus, I came across Elizabeth's blog.
However....this year.....
On April 28th, 2012 I got to spend the evening with my parents and family and God gave me a sweet blessing. I heard my dad tell a story about his Easter miracle and how he knows it was because of his obedience and prayer to God. It was a simple story and Dad did not use those exact words, but it was like handing me a million dollars...it was a treasure to hear him speak of his faith. And he made a point of telling the story to my sister and I. Diann was with us. She and I pray constantly for our families. She understands the need I had for so many years to 'save' my family....oh how God has changed and showed me how HE saves. But that is another story as well.
Back to May 1st this year, I was at a cool conference for my profession, I was with women who were education nerds like me, and then in the evening, I got to spend the night at a blues club and be entertained with legendary musicians and just enjoy myself. Knowing....that on this May 1st...the Enemy was losing. God wins. My marriage was going to probably survive. I believe it will. Period. God reminded me how 'I' declared war on the Enemy back in July of 2010...how 'I' thought I was going to do this and that...and I reflected on how HE gently changed me.
God gave me a sweet sweet day of new memories and I knew in my heart, I was deeply loved, accepted, adopted, forgiven and redeemed by HIM. And THAT was all that really mattered, all the good blessings and EXTRAS...were icing on the cake....just pure goodness. So that scripture about waiting - has meaning. And the scritpture about getting gifts from the Father -- wow.
To top it off, on May 2nd, as I reflected on my weekend and packed my suitcase to fly home, in my Sheraton Towers Hotel room on the 26th floor overlooking the Chicago River, I got a notion. I had been watching the river boat tours outside my hotel window all weekend. It had been raining and yucky Chicago weather and on that day it was clearing up. I managed to get on a tour and there were only 4 of us on the boat and therefore I got to ask lots of questions as I was going to give my students a field trip and the tour began. Anyway, as we came back into the city from Navy pier the tour guide said, "do you know that this town was actually built on ashes?"....Pertaining to the Chicago Fire..the city had been destroyed. The city lost everything except for 4 buildings. And the founding fathers rebuilt on top of the ashes, the bricks and ruins of the city. Chicago was built on the first restored landfill. Therefore everything sort of had to be built up.
I stood there...crying.
Tears a flowing....God has to rebuild us...God builds us up.
HE brings beauty out of the ashes. HE is rebuilding my marriage over the ashes.
Can you picture me? Crying? It just humbled me so. That God would weave this trip together with my new friends from my new job in a new city ....and let me hear the tour guide say those words. It was like God was telling me right then and there, "well, done my blond haired beauty, bless you". "And, I told you so."
That God would LOVE me THAT much. It was one of these moments when I would describe it as glory falling......
Oh God ..sorry that I did not trust or understand that love for so long. YOu are right Lord, you weave and I will trust you allowed this pain in my life for a reason...so I would tell the truth..you do answer prayer, and you can restore. YOU are GOD. Thank you Lord.
 |
| My view of the Wrigley Building! God wins! |
And, 3. God wins. HE does. The Lord will reward us for waiting on Him. He can give us that peace in our circumstance. God also wants to give us good things. He is hoping that we will humbly admit that we have those needs. Don't be afraid to ask for help. Don't be afraid to seek someone to pray for you. Don't be afaid to show your pain. God made us to relate to one another in love. We were not made to live our lives alone. Maybe you feel you are the strong one that has to be strong for others.....but now you need a strong hand. Let another be that hand of God for you.....speak truth, ask.
Lord, I believe that is all you would have me say today. I have two women in mind as I wrote this...along with the many mothers I have thought of today....but maybe you just had me write this for me. I have been asking you what to blog about next.......as I ask you, you give me the words. Thanks. Thank you so much for my Chicago weekend and conference. Thank you for YOUR life....
I love you Lord,
- your daughter - michelle
No comments:
Post a Comment
Please let me know how this touched you . . . thanks!