Farewell to Sorrow, Hello to JOY
February 2012 has been a particularly challenging month for me and my family. This is the month when really all that I have been praying about seems to be going in the exact opposite direction. My son, who takes up quite a big chunk of my interceding time, seemed even further away from where I wanted him to be with Christ. My sister, who takes up the other half, had yet another car accident and is still not back to work. Things happened that made me cry and cry. As a matter of fact, I felt like I wept through the entire month of February.
Yet, here I am on the last day of my fasting for the month of February and I feel a growing excitement within my bosom. I should back track to say that my Pastor (one of two), felt impressed by God for the church to go into a month of prayer and fasting. He had asked us to write down three things that we wanted God to help us with; a list of wants from God. You know, I am always reminded that I have not because I ask not, so this was challenging for me. I am one of those who ask not, having already decided for myself the answers from God. I know this is a lie, and God is working that out in me as well.
Anyway, this month persisted in its challenges, and I tell you, I have felt like it has been one long night full of mourning. Yes, it was also punctuated by the highs of feeling like God is wrapping me up in His arms and carrying me; in contrast, there were those moments where I felt that I could kill the very giant with my bare hands. I have felt like God’s strength lifted me right out of my tearful stupor and used me as a vessel for His honour and His glory. However, for the most part I felt weak and quite like weeping Jeremiah.
I am as pleased as ever to complete something I have never done before. Now I don’t want to mislead you, I have not been good at it, but I celebrate sticking with it. Prayer and fasting. Fasting and Prayer. I truly believe that when Jesus said to his disciples, these things come not out but by prayer and fasting, He was talking to us as well. Some things are hard, and they stick better than that crazy glue my Mom uses at times to glue the most unlikely things together.
Today, I sit in great anticipation of my Wednesday night prayer meeting. I have two scheduled for tonight and I can hardly wait for the work day to be over. I feel like the best is yet to come and I can’t think of a better way to invite March into the year , than by closing with prayer the preceding month. As the very name of the month suggests, I am marching on into March. I have my banner of His love over my head, flying for all the world to see whose side I am standing on. I am clothed in strength and dignity (Proverbs 31:25 as I discovered while absorbing Beth Moore’s book So Long Insecurity via CDs). I am ready to move past this into the month of my testimony.
Now I can hear the skeptics among us saying, what happens when nothing new happens in March? What if you find that it is more of the same if not worse? What pray tell is the contingency plan? To you this is my answer. God promised me that he will exceed my expectations (Eph 3:20-21). He also said that if I put my hope and trust in Him that I will not be disappointed. So, I am armed with His promises that are yes and amen. I am confident in Him to not let His words return to Him void. My reliance is not in me, but in Him. He is the one that is faithful even if I don’t believe, He cannot deny Himself. So I am holding on unswervingly to this Hope that I have in Him.
I am hoping that you will be so like minded to expect something from Him as well. I share this with you so that you can be excited about your future that God says is good. Friends, no matter happens in March, just as it did in February, it is already working out for my(our) good as I (we) love the Lord and have been called according to His purpose.
No comments:
Post a Comment