strength – Page 2 – Blessed is She

Unanswered Prayers and Longing Hearts

Daisies were my mom’s favorite flower. Honestly, her life resembled their beauty. She was a sweet spirited, gracious woman of faith pouring out JOY and the love of Christ to all who knew her. Though her marriage of almost 50 years was not how she would have envisioned it, she stood strong and courageous and embraced her place. She believed God for better days ahead and kept believing, in spite of the many obstacles. Hidden behind her beautiful smile, her life consisted of frequent frustrations and brokenness. There were seasons when she wanted to walk away but it was fear that kept her where she was but faith that gave her the guts to dare to believe that her tomorrows would be different.

I understand my mom so much better these days. The struggle between fear and faith, comfortable and risky, holding on and letting go. Oh, how I wish her life could have been different. Fear is a prison that shows no mercy if not reckoned with. As her daughter, my heart breaks for hers still today but really, that’s so silly. She is basking in her eternal home with Jesus now which takes away so much more than the sting of death but also the brokenness that she lived through.

I hoped and believed with my mom for things to change. After all, we knew we were praying according to God’s will, so why did my mom not get to witness the fruit of her prayers? I know about free will, choices, and all of that however, being aware of those kinds of things doesn’t lessen the pain of our heart’s longings, right?

SO, what do we do with unanswered prayers, longing hearts and chronic suffering?

The day I lost my mom is the day I lost my best friend. It was a loss like no other. I think about my fervent, pleading prayers and belief for my mom to be healed of cancer and am wistfully reminded of her passing each day and most heavily each time my kids have milestone moments that I am unable to share with her. AND now with my precious grand-babies, her loss is felt even more. Oh, how she would so love them!! Nevertheless, I am quite aware that we are not, by no means, the only ones on the planet to experience this kind of long-suffering in what seems to be a never-ending journey through the wilderness of pain and unanswered prayers.

I think about the couple who unceasingly prayed for years to conceive a child, finally giving birth to a beautiful baby boy, only to have their dreams forever crushed as they lost their precious baby to cancer.

I think of the little girl who cries out to God to heal her daddy, only to have him die in a car accident, three months later.

I think about the parents who fervently prayed for their child who was put into prison for drugs, only to have him released and then die from an overdose.

I think about the missionary who felt the call of God to go to a foreign country, who interceded on behalf of the lost, who believed God for protection only to be martyred, never seeing the fruit of his labors.

I could go on and on about loss, suffering, and unanswered prayers and perhaps even add your story to the above. This side of Heaven, THIS. IS. LIFE. IT. IS. HARD. However, this is not meant to depress you, to tell you that prayer is meaningless or to deflate your faith! Please stay with me.

Though my mom’s prayers were not answered this side of heaven the way she had hoped, she died in faith, STILL believing that our God is faithful. And you know what? There are MANY who passed before her, whose FAITH stood the test of much patience, suffering, brokenness, along with those who were burned, tortured, stoned, imprisoned, whipped and oppressed even unto death. Of course, for the most part, these beautifully brave and courageous followers of Christ were not noticed by our world. Their faith did not earn them any special accolades or awards. I can promise you this; if they were standing before us they would say none of that mattered to them. They were doing what they did for an audience of ONE. Friends, that ONE took SPECIAL notice of their kind of faith, so much so, that He felt it important enough to speak of them…

All these people died still believing what God had promised them. They did not receive what was promised, but they saw it all from a distance and welcomed it. They agreed that they were foreigners and nomads here on earth. Obviously people who say such things are looking forward to a country they can call their own. If they had longed for the country they came from, they could have gone back. But they were looking for a better place, a heavenly homeland. That is why God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them. Hebrews 11:13-14

Did you catch that? Read the first part again.

All these people died still believing what God had promised them.

They did not receive what was promised…

Friends, sometimes our prayers are answered quickly, obviously, and even miraculously. Our faith is ignited and our doubts are laid dormant in light of God’s evident working power in our lives and in the lives of those around us. Other times, God’s perfect plan comes to fruition in ways that we might not recognize or understand.

Over the long haul of asking and believing, it gets tough. We get weary. Our faith wavers. We don’t like to think about having to continue in the wilderness of suffering and unmet longings and certainly we don’t want to even consider leaving this earth without seeing our gut-wrenching prayers answered. Friend, you already know this, but maybe it is time to really embrace it; your prayers may not be answered THIS side of Heaven the way you would like them to be. Can you be okay with that? What will your response be when things don’t go as you had prayed?

Whatever it is you are praying for or against, GOD has a purpose weaved all through it. He lovingly filters ALL things that impacts the lives of his children. If he allowed it, HE plans to use it for GOOD. Not only will He use it to transform YOU, but to bring about HIS Kingdom purposes on this earth and in the hearts of those you love.

This is a quote worth sharing;

“We can be sure our prayers are answered precisely in the way we would want them to be answered if we knew everything God knows.” Tim Keller

If you step back and look at it from a Heavenly perspective, those in Hebrews 11 really received the GREATER promise…the promise of their happy eternal after with Jesus. By God’s grace and strength, that is what they kept their eye on, as the scripture tells us. That is how they faced the horrific and unimaginable suffering that they were subjected to. I adamantly pray that I could do the same. How about you?

Friends, this journey on this earth is NOT the MAIN thing! So much of the time we are so short sighted that we lose our eternal perspective. In the scheme of things, THIS life on earth is SO short, so minute compared to eternity. Let me just remind all of us, myself included, that God’s calling upon our lives, first and foremost is to be His hands and feet to a lost and dying world. That is God’s heart…to save the lost. Are we grieving over the lost and interceding for them or are we obsessing more over our own unanswered prayers? I know for me, sometimes I get so wrapped up in my own little world that I lose sight of what is REALLY important. I get so distracted by what is right in front of me.

Don’t misunderstand me; I am in no way belittling the heart-wrenching things you may be praying about. Even as I write this, there are tough and difficult circumstances in my own life that I am continually laying on the alter of prayer. I want things fixed NOW! I don’t like waiting, I don’t like feeling out of control, I don’t like pain, and I don’t like the unknown. So, are things changing? No, not altogether…but what is changing is me. Trusting, believing, and even waiting brings growth and maturity that cannot come otherwise. For now, that is MORE important to my loving Father than to change the circumstances I am praying about. So, I will keep praying and believing that my God is in control and hears every prayer. I can be confident that God has a Divine plan that exceeds my limited vision.

It is obvious that prayer is important to God. After all, it has been noted that there are around 650 prayers in the bible. Prayer is powerful and brings about amazing and Divine things on this earth! Jesus even prayed and gave us the ultimate example to follow.

Without prayer, there is no communication and no communication means no relationship! Therefore, keep praying, by all means. And as you do so, think about your difficulties this way; if what you are suffering and/or praying for is keeping you humble and dependent upon Jesus then consider it a divine blessing of grace! Amen?!

Will you continue to believe God and not allow your faith to be shaken though your prayers may seem stagnant in the wilderness of waiting or chronic long suffering? Can you passionately pray a bold and courageous prayer just as Jesus did and proclaim from the depth of your soul “not my will but thine be done”? Lord, Jesus help us!

Will YOUR name be added to the precious saints that God deemed worth mentioning because, by FAITH, you continue to believe until your last breath on earth? I don’t know about you, but Hebrews 11:13 gives me tenacious HOPE and a resolve to bravely and steadfastly continue to BELIEVE and TRUST God no matter how long the waiting or the pain of brokenness my heart may endure.

Friend, God sees you! God hears you and His perfect love for you will answer your hearts cry as every circumstance and every difficulty is filtered through His amazing grace. Keep praying, keep believing, keep trusting, and keep serving! Always remember what God has ALREADY done for you! May you be filled with HOPE as you see heaven and Jesus as the backdrop in every single thing you encounter on this journey! He is faithful and the ultimate Promise Keeper! Believe it!

Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill His promises to her. Luke 1:45

So we do not look at what we can see right now, the troubles all around us, but we look forward to the joys in Heaven which we have not yet seen. The troubles will soon be over; the joys to come will last forever. 2 Corinthians 4:18

But those who trust in the LORD will find new strength. They will soar on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:31

Cast your burden on the Lord, and He will sustain you; He will never permit the righteous to be moved. Psalm 55:22

Only fear the Lord and serve Him faithfully with all your heart. For consider what great things He has done for you. 1 Samuel 12:24

How Will They Know?

oneloyalfriend

Deuteronomy 32:3

I will PROCLAIM the name of the Lord. Oh, praise the greatness of our God!

If you have known the Lord for anytime at all, you have, no doubt, experienced the greatness of our God. Since the day of your salvation, God has been writing your story. A story FULL of His divine, amazing grace. What has God done since that day? What storms has He calmed? What wounds has He healed? Are you proclaiming His greatness? Somebody needs to hear about the faithfulness of your God….somebody this very minute needs hope.

Think about it……….

How will the mom who has lost her precious baby know that He is the God of all comfort?

How will the wife whose husband left after many years of marriage know that He is the God that will never leave her nor forsake her?

How will the man who is bound by addiction find out that He is the God of deliverance and freedom?

How will the couple on the brink of divorce find out that He is the God of restoration and redemption?

How will the parents who are utterly devastated by the choices their child is making find the strength and courage to continue to pray and believe for divine intervention?

How will the woman who has just went through the brokenness of divorce find that her identity is not defined by her marital status but in who Christ says she is?

How will the man who feels he is at the end of his rope find hope and hear about Jesus dying on the cross for his salvation?

How will the lady who has just been diagnosed with cancer find faith to believe that Jesus is her healer?

How will the woman who aborted her baby and is now consumed with regret and shame find out the He is the God of abundant mercy and love?

How will the father who has lived a life of regrets and shame find out that He is the God of forgiveness and new beginnings?

How will the girl who feels she can never measure up and therefore, wants to give up, find that she is fearfully and wonderfully made…created by God who loves her completely and unconditionally?

I could go on and on with regards to life and the gut-wrenching things that people face day in and day out. Life is hard! This world needs HOPE. This world needs you to share the HOPE that has brought you through!

Jesus walks with us through the wilderness of pain, loss, rejection, and brokenness not only to transform us into His likeness and to heal us but so that others can be transformed and healed, as well.

Here is what I have found to be true. Broken people can confide in a Pastor for prayer and wisdom, which is very beneficial and recommended. They can go to a Godly, licensed counselor to help facilitate healing and wholeness, which is absolutely wise and proactive. They can share their pain with a friend which will bring great comfort to their hurting heart. But there is nothing like hearing God’s story of redemption and hope from someone who KNOWS what it is like to go through what you are experiencing.

I understand this first hand. The years of betrayal leading up to my divorce left my heart broken and full of loneliness and even shame, at times. For so long, within my close circle of friends, there was no one who had experienced what I was going through. Though they were so very kind and gracious, they couldn’t really understand my pain. When God finally brought someone into my life who had been where I was and was willing to share her own story, I found hope like I hadn’t had before. I devoured every word she had to say….I knew she understood me. The LIES that the enemy had been shouting to my wounded heart were exposed. I wasn’t the only ONE who ever faced this. I was NOT alone. My feelings were NOT crazy! God was STILL with me! Truth brought some bright hope to my darkness that day because one dear sister was willing to be transparent about her past and God was glorified.

Dear friend, our painful and messy lives can be used to proclaim God’s powerful message to the hurting!

Part of me wants to passionately ask…how can we NOT tell them? How can we not tell about how God gave us hope when we had none? How He saved, healed, redeemed, restored and delivered? How can we possibly keep silent when God has been so abundantly gracious to us?

Lord, thank You for Your amazing and precise grace that has saved us and brought us victoriously through our most darkest and unwanted seasons. May we boldly proclaim your goodness! Help us to bravely allow our struggles, brokenness, and pain to be used to bring GLORY and HONOR to your name. Amen!!

2 Corinthians 1:4 He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.

What Divorce has Taught me About Life and the Hard Stuff

umbrella

I thought I knew a few things about God, life, myself and relationships pre-divorce… ha!! Needless to say, I knew so very little. It is interesting how going through the wilderness seasons can be so full of difficulties and yet it is during those times that we learn and grow the most.

Just a warning, this is a long post. I am breaking the “blogger’s 101 rules for success”…but I am okay with that! Believe me, there is more I could write on this subject so there may be a part 2 at a later time.

Please understand that journaling is heart therapy for me and because I am choosing to live #fearless in 2018, I am sharing! Everyone’s journey through divorce is different so not everyone will be able to relate to everything that I mention. However, just maybe there is at least one nugget that may help you in your own life if you find yourself in this place. If divorce is not a part of your story, maybe this will help you in understanding some of the thoughts and struggles that divorce brings to the heart and mind of someone you may love and care about.

The following is the result of things said to me, things I had to learn the hard way, things that God showed me, things that helped me, things that I struggled with and things that I felt needed to be said. New things will be added later as I am still on this journey. Please don’t judge me or anyone else who is walking down this road. Nobody approaches their wedding day thinking or wanting this to be a part of their story! It is so messy, so hard, and so crazy difficult!

First of all, you CAN be divorced AND love Jesus! You CAN have God’s favor and blessing over your life unlike what some may have told you! You are NOT a heathen. You have not been ousted from God’s grace and love. Yes, I had to say it! Now we can move on…ha!

Divorce is life-changing not life-ending! Your marriage may have died but you are still here! Believe Romans 8:28 and Jeremiah 29:11. The Word of God STILL applies to you! God’s promises for you have not changed!

Letting go of your toxic marriage is NOT giving up on God NOR your faith. There are times when it takes MORE faith and courage to let go than to hang on. KNOW the difference. I believed that lie for way longer than I care to admit to. Our Father God is so gracious toward His broken daughters!

There are many losses that divorce demands. The loss of your dreams, your family unit, some friends, your extended family, your “wife” and “Mrs.” status, your plans of growing old together, celebrating 50 years together, sharing grand-babies together and on and on. It is good heart therapy to make a list of your losses and take time to grieve over each one. It is a process. Embrace this season and the pain you are feeling. Don’t deny it or try to hide it so that you can get THROUGH it!

Need some joy? Let God use you in the midst of your own brokenness! Yep, it is possible! Sister, you have NOT been put on a shelf! You are not deemed unusable for the Kingdom of God. That is a lie from the enemy! I understand that you may need to take a break from some ministry commitments for a season, and understandably so. However, being overly self-absorbed for a lengthy period of time is not at all beneficial. Take some time to reach out or simply make yourself available to encourage a hurting sister. Not only will it bring you joy to do so, but it might just help with your own healing!

You will be judged. That’s okay! Not everyone will understand because not everyone knows the details of your story…AND not everyone needs to know. The Lord will reveal truth in His timing to those who need to know, the rest… let go!

Guard your heart! You are vulnerable! Give yourself time to heal. Give your kids time to heal. Do NOT rush into another relationship! Make peace with who you are and embrace your singleness. Wait until you can confidently say and know that you are going to be okay with or without being in another relationship. Ask your Godly mentors and friends if they think you are ready to date. USE wisdom! Don’t be needy thinking you HAVE to have another man in your life…sister, you don’t! Under these circumstances, desperation invites devastation! Seek God’s will for YOU!! HE knows what you need! Deal with your stuff…your mess, as much as possible so that you are not a target for another toxic person to come along and bring MORE messiness to your life. Remember, your choices effect all those in your sphere of influence, especially your children….choose wisely!

The big “D” label it feels you are wearing on your forehead does not exist. You are not an outcast as though you have the plague. Hold your head up! You are the beloved daughter of God Almighty! Walk like it, talk like it, and act like it!

Find your tribe! You will need prayer warriors who will go to battle for you and your kids on a consistent basis. You will need those surrounding you who will speak God’s truths to you to combat the lies that the enemy wants you to believe. You will need mentors, counselors and/or pastors who will come along side of you giving you encouragement and much needed support, wisdom and even rebuke. This is so very important! Seek them out! Pray about who God wants to use in your life that will have your best interest at heart along with Godly wisdom. There will be days when you will be in a brain fog, numb, and unable to even pray, but these precious God-sent people will fill in the gaps and lock shields in prayer on your behalf. DO not for one second underestimate the power of your inner circle and those who you are allowing to speak into your life!

The enemy is your accuser, not God! You are a child of God. Your marital status does NOT define you, only God does!

Do NOT use your kids to hurt or get back at your ex. Do NOT try to get them on your “side” by slandering and speaking negatively about your ex! Do NOT post degrading and ugly things on social media about your ex! Your children don’t miss a thing! They are watching! They are listening! Let God be your defender. Let God reveal truth. Do NOT bring more messiness to their broken hearts by taking part in this type of yuck! Love your kids MORE than yourself and your need for revenge! (Leave the revenge part in God’s hands! Take the high road always! Read and study Psalm 37) Look out for their best interests! Keeping your mouth shut is the best policy. If they ask questions, speak truth as God leads but stick with the facts. Don’t bring your emotions into it. This is not easy but the most beneficial and God honoring, heart-protecting thing you can do.

Some relationship dynamics will change. Don’t be upset with the friends who do not send you invites any longer. Show grace. After all, it’s awkward. Things ARE different. Just maybe they do not know what to do with you so they just don’t invite you. They don’t want to hurt your feelings when all the couples show up and then there is you. Maybe they think they are protecting you. Again, show grace, live in grace, and do NOT let offense take root in your heart. You have enough messiness to deal with, don’t add to it! God knows the close circle of friends that you need surrounding you. Be thankful for them and don’t get bogged down with those who are choosing to love you at a distance, it’s okay!

Live. One. Day. At. A. Time. Seriously, I HAD to live this way on my darkest days. I could not fathom my tomorrows and how things were going to turn out with all the craziness that never seemed to end. Friend, God will give you grace for THIS day. AND when tomorrow comes He will give you sufficient grace for THAT day. He tells us to NOT worry about tomorrow. Be obedient to His word. Trust Him with ALL of your heart. AND at the end of the day do it all again the next day! HE is faithful!

There are times when you will want to hide from the world and go into seclusion. This is okay in small amounts but if you find yourself in a pity party in which you can’t seem to find the exit door, force yourself to reach out to a friend or mentor. You were not created to live life without community. Recognize that caving into seclusion is a tactic by the enemy to destroy you. Don’t let him. YOU have a choice to make….choose wisely and don’t ignore that text from a friend or that phone call. It just may be God’s life line and blessing towards you…receive it!

If your ex is toxic (and maybe even if he is not), cut off all ties except for what is absolutely necessary (due to children). Looking at his posts on social media will keep you bound and hold you back from moving forward. I did this. I looked. I watched. I checked it often. AND guess what? It was NOT at all beneficial to me or my healing, it was just the opposite. I ugly cried, I battled with the “that’s not fair” scenarios, I got angry, I had to forgive over and over again, I lived in fear. I wanted to defend myself (thankfully, I didn’t! Always choose the high road!!!)….it broke me time and time again. Everyone kept telling me to stop but I found it so difficult to do. Thankfully, God’s mercy saw to it that it was stopped by His intervention and I am SO thankful! Guess what it did for me? FREEDOM! That’s right! Wow! I did not even realize how very much it was affecting me until it was stopped. I walked a little more upright without that heavy burden of accusations and negativity that I was allowing to keep me bound. I moved forward in ways that I hadn’t before. It may be hard to do but once you break that need to “see” and “know” you will find freedom that is so lovely, I promise! LET it go!!! Just do it already!

It’s okay to not be okay! You will experience some of the same emotions as if someone you loved had died. You may be sad, angry, depressed, lonely, and downright heartbroken… you are normal! You are grieving the death of your marriage. It’s a process. You are not crazy! AND just when you think you have got your footing, it starts all over again. That just means you loved deeply and there is no fault in that! Jesus’ promise to you is that He is with you…He is close to you in your brokenness! You are NOT alone! Psalm 27:18 declares it!

This could very well be the time that you have to be braver than you have ever been! You may have to stand up for what you believe is right! Let God empower your backbone! Fight for righteousness, fight for what’s in the best interest of your kids, speak the truth and don’t cower in the face of opposition. You will be surprised at the inner strength and courage Gods give you….it’s a beautiful thing, really! “Jesus makes me brave” became the words I spoke over myself SO many times! AND He DID it! I did things I felt so incapable of doing because of Jesus in me! He is the difference maker AND game changer in any and all things that we will face in this life! We are blessed! If God is for you, who can be against you? Romans 8:31

Just to re-emphasize…..You may have lost your partner in life but recognize that you are not alone, not ever. God is your partner, He will help you and fill in the gaps. He will help you as a single mom, as well! It’s you and Jesus and He will not fail you!

A few final thoughts…

Friend, you are going to be okay! Jesus came for broken girls just like you and me. His Word tells us that He came to bind up the broken-hearted (Isaiah 61:3). He is the God of new beginnings and fresh starts. He forgives, heals, redeems and makes new!! I understand that this is not the life you had planned. It stinks. It hurts. It’s devastating. However, this is NOT the end of your story! There are chapters still to be written! The Lord’s GOOD plans for you are STILL good and have not changed just because your marital status changed. What you are going through right now is only for a season. It will not always be this hard or hurt this deeply! I promise! I understand that may be difficult to imagine right now. However, I am confident that you will look back one day and be amazed at what you gleaned and the beauty that emerged from this time of broken holy dependence upon God…..from one broken sister to another, that is TRUTH, my friend! Our God is faithful, Believe it!