Stand Firm in the Face of Adversity...........
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (Jn 3:16)
Happy (belated) New Year!
I want to open the New Year by sharing a personal story. The topic of this blog is "standing in the face of adversity." I bet that every one of you have faced difficulty in your life at some time. I don't know what 2016 will bring, but I pray that my story will be a blessing to you.
Approximately 15 years ago, I suffered a cervical spinal cord injury that has resulted in some very serious, life issues. It has been a long, uphill battle. We fought for over 5 years just to get a handle on what my condition was, what my issues really were and the cause so that I could begin to make a strategy to tackle them. Along the way I have had to give up so much and so has my sweetheart. [Thank you B for all that you do!]
So why am I telling you this? Because I know in my heart, that some of you out there are going through your own junk. I don't know what it is, death of a loved one, your own health issues/scare. Maybe it is addiction or some other stronghold. But I do know this, it hurts....it gets lonely....and the only word sometimes that may come to mind is "why?"
I know when people talk about religion or Christianity, some of you just want to plug your ears. And you have good reason to do so. But, please hear me out. Because I don't want to talk about religion or Christianity as a whole for that matter, I just want you to hear my story.
All my life I had prided myself on overcoming adversity. I grew up very quickly and whatever came at me, I was able to handle. But this mountain was too much. Do you know what I mean? The physical pain was just too much to bear. The mental anguish of all that had been lost. The fear of death. The guilt and sorrow of the pain that I caused my loved ones.....my sweetheart. It was just too much. I know some of you out there know what I am talking about.
I was reaching out to doctors, oh goodness the amount of doctors; both eastern and western, I didn't care. "Someone help!" Are you there with me? I was fighting the fight, and my husband was fighting along with me, but, it was all just too much. So I looked.......up.
I simply said to Jesus Christ, I can't do this alone. I am trying, I am fighting the good fight, and I am losing the battle. I surrender. I give my battle over to you. I remember it like it was yesterday. I was in my car. I was so overwhelmed with "all of it," that I drove down the road to be alone and cry. Cry out to God that I could no longer fight this battle. Take me...or fight it for me. I went home and went to bed. That was a Sunday night. Monday morning came and while I thought it was just another Monday morning, the LORD thought differently. My circumstance did not change. I was still in pain, I still had a spinal cord injury with the same issues, but let me tell you what DID change that day.
EVERYTHING! God is called the great "I AM" for a reason. And that Monday morning I saw the great "I AM" at work. A new path was started that allowed me to find new doctors, slowly I began to manage my health better and although I lost my career, the Lord helped to "make our path(s) straight." Or in layman's terms, his path not ours. :) But the biggest change was that I began a personal relationship with my Lord Jesus Christ. By personal mean, I shared my hurts, my joys, my fears, my passions, all with my Savior like he was sitting right next to me. I mean, he already knew them, why not share them and get the benefit of feeling his love by sitting down with him, right?
I am sharing this story with you because while my life is limited in what I can do now because of my health, I am truly blessed! Daily health management has improved some. I have a wonderful husband and I am so blessed with many friends and sisters-in-Christ! I pray you can hear the joy in my voice, because someone in my position even today might give in and shrivel up. And definitely would have in the beginning, but every day I feel joyful. Yeah I have pain, yeah, I have issues to deal with, but having a relationship with Jesus Christ gets me through. So, how, right?
I can go into all the church lingo that helps, prayer, etc. And that is so true. If you spend time with God in his Word, however you do it, you will benefit, and hey I love my time with my sisters-in-Christ - a shout out to my girls, "hey there!" But let's be serious, because this is serious, I hurt, and you hurt that is not where you want to be. So how do you remain joyful in the midst of hard times.
Here is the key. Believe in Christ. It's that simple. When trouble strikes, STOP! Stop letting your mind race to all the negative places that it wants to go to and PIVOT towards Christ. I listed the scripture above which states simply that God gave his son so that if we believe in him, we have life. I hear all the time, "I have done too much for God to love me," NO!! That is the exact reason Christ came, is to wash all that clean and to hold you in his loving arms! Oh the condemnation that I have a tendency to hold over myself and guilt as I said, over all that has happened, not what it has been done to me, but what it has done to others. People have tried to tell me, "Don't feel that way," too late, I already do. You know what I am saying? No matter how you got here, you are here. No matter what you are thinking, you are thinking it...but there is salvation! There is no condemnation in Christ Jesus. (Rom 8:1) That means, that when you believe in him, really believe in him, trust in him as your Savior, all of those feelings: hopelessness, loneliness unworthiness, unrighteousness, guilt, shame...whatever it is, is gone!!! Not because your circumstance has changed, but because you have victory through Christ!
Beyond a shadow of a doubt, without Jesus in my life, I would be depressed mess. Probably bedridden....maybe dead.
If you can relate at all to this story, reach out. Share your testimony and if you cannot say yet that you have a testimony of Christ, make today the day! He is waiting with open arms! Cry out, "I believe in you Jesus Christ as my Savior. I know I have sinned, and that has separated me from you. But I am hurting and I so desire for you to wash me clean. I thirst for your truth, please give me joy and everlasting life....I surrender to you!"
Happy (belated) New Year!
I want to open the New Year by sharing a personal story. The topic of this blog is "standing in the face of adversity." I bet that every one of you have faced difficulty in your life at some time. I don't know what 2016 will bring, but I pray that my story will be a blessing to you.
Approximately 15 years ago, I suffered a cervical spinal cord injury that has resulted in some very serious, life issues. It has been a long, uphill battle. We fought for over 5 years just to get a handle on what my condition was, what my issues really were and the cause so that I could begin to make a strategy to tackle them. Along the way I have had to give up so much and so has my sweetheart. [Thank you B for all that you do!]
So why am I telling you this? Because I know in my heart, that some of you out there are going through your own junk. I don't know what it is, death of a loved one, your own health issues/scare. Maybe it is addiction or some other stronghold. But I do know this, it hurts....it gets lonely....and the only word sometimes that may come to mind is "why?"
I know when people talk about religion or Christianity, some of you just want to plug your ears. And you have good reason to do so. But, please hear me out. Because I don't want to talk about religion or Christianity as a whole for that matter, I just want you to hear my story.
All my life I had prided myself on overcoming adversity. I grew up very quickly and whatever came at me, I was able to handle. But this mountain was too much. Do you know what I mean? The physical pain was just too much to bear. The mental anguish of all that had been lost. The fear of death. The guilt and sorrow of the pain that I caused my loved ones.....my sweetheart. It was just too much. I know some of you out there know what I am talking about.
I was reaching out to doctors, oh goodness the amount of doctors; both eastern and western, I didn't care. "Someone help!" Are you there with me? I was fighting the fight, and my husband was fighting along with me, but, it was all just too much. So I looked.......up.
I simply said to Jesus Christ, I can't do this alone. I am trying, I am fighting the good fight, and I am losing the battle. I surrender. I give my battle over to you. I remember it like it was yesterday. I was in my car. I was so overwhelmed with "all of it," that I drove down the road to be alone and cry. Cry out to God that I could no longer fight this battle. Take me...or fight it for me. I went home and went to bed. That was a Sunday night. Monday morning came and while I thought it was just another Monday morning, the LORD thought differently. My circumstance did not change. I was still in pain, I still had a spinal cord injury with the same issues, but let me tell you what DID change that day.
EVERYTHING! God is called the great "I AM" for a reason. And that Monday morning I saw the great "I AM" at work. A new path was started that allowed me to find new doctors, slowly I began to manage my health better and although I lost my career, the Lord helped to "make our path(s) straight." Or in layman's terms, his path not ours. :) But the biggest change was that I began a personal relationship with my Lord Jesus Christ. By personal mean, I shared my hurts, my joys, my fears, my passions, all with my Savior like he was sitting right next to me. I mean, he already knew them, why not share them and get the benefit of feeling his love by sitting down with him, right?
I am sharing this story with you because while my life is limited in what I can do now because of my health, I am truly blessed! Daily health management has improved some. I have a wonderful husband and I am so blessed with many friends and sisters-in-Christ! I pray you can hear the joy in my voice, because someone in my position even today might give in and shrivel up. And definitely would have in the beginning, but every day I feel joyful. Yeah I have pain, yeah, I have issues to deal with, but having a relationship with Jesus Christ gets me through. So, how, right?
I can go into all the church lingo that helps, prayer, etc. And that is so true. If you spend time with God in his Word, however you do it, you will benefit, and hey I love my time with my sisters-in-Christ - a shout out to my girls, "hey there!" But let's be serious, because this is serious, I hurt, and you hurt that is not where you want to be. So how do you remain joyful in the midst of hard times.
Here is the key. Believe in Christ. It's that simple. When trouble strikes, STOP! Stop letting your mind race to all the negative places that it wants to go to and PIVOT towards Christ. I listed the scripture above which states simply that God gave his son so that if we believe in him, we have life. I hear all the time, "I have done too much for God to love me," NO!! That is the exact reason Christ came, is to wash all that clean and to hold you in his loving arms! Oh the condemnation that I have a tendency to hold over myself and guilt as I said, over all that has happened, not what it has been done to me, but what it has done to others. People have tried to tell me, "Don't feel that way," too late, I already do. You know what I am saying? No matter how you got here, you are here. No matter what you are thinking, you are thinking it...but there is salvation! There is no condemnation in Christ Jesus. (Rom 8:1) That means, that when you believe in him, really believe in him, trust in him as your Savior, all of those feelings: hopelessness, loneliness unworthiness, unrighteousness, guilt, shame...whatever it is, is gone!!! Not because your circumstance has changed, but because you have victory through Christ!
Beyond a shadow of a doubt, without Jesus in my life, I would be depressed mess. Probably bedridden....maybe dead.
If you can relate at all to this story, reach out. Share your testimony and if you cannot say yet that you have a testimony of Christ, make today the day! He is waiting with open arms! Cry out, "I believe in you Jesus Christ as my Savior. I know I have sinned, and that has separated me from you. But I am hurting and I so desire for you to wash me clean. I thirst for your truth, please give me joy and everlasting life....I surrender to you!"
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